Hey there, readers. Thanks for clicking and giving this a try. If you don't like it, I don't mind. If you think it's good (or bad) enough to merit a review, you know what to do. Just FYI; this fanfic starts right at the start of season 4 (the one with the wizards of the Black Circle), and more or less follows the same plot (because I'm AWFUL at making plotlines). You'll see the start of episode 1 probably in the next chapter. If not, hopefully the one after.
Fly on,
NitnatRide
Chapter 1: Intruder
Cassie's POV
Oh, God, I'm so tired.
Keep running, Cassie. You have to try and find him.
But this place is huge. Needle in a haystack much?
If you hadn't used your magic to get here in the first place, you could call to him.
Choice between dying back then or saving my magic? No contest.
My exhaustion has driven me insane at last. I'd wondered how long it would take.
Groaning and panting, I push myself forward, making a mental note that arguing with yourself does take energy, which, currently, I have none to spare; I still haven't found him, and the vast number of corridors to explore is stretched and warped in my tired mind. And Red Fountain seems to be deserted. I have actually breached their security – God knows how in my current state – and no one seems to have noticed. The one time where I want to find someone, Sod's Law says that there's noone around to ask for him.
And I won't last much longer.
The corridor my shaky legs are stumbling down spreads further and further down, lurching and shifting as my vision begins to fail. Sensing my own weakness, I collapse against the looming warm-red wall, using my hands on the sides to push myself further forward. Soon, the sound of pounding feet swirls in through my haze, along with shouting. I must have tripped something further back and alerted security. About time; now that someone's seen me, I can demand to be taken to him.
As I turn to face the troop of specialists however, my knees buckle. I open my mouth to say his name at least, so they knew who I'm looking for, but all I manage is an automatic sigh of relief as my body gives up, blackness claiming me just before my face is welcomed by the floor.
ЖЖЖ
Riven's POV
The guy's and I are relaxing in and Timmy's room. Even Sky and Nabu are here, the former having gained "royal leave" or whatever from his father gave him to spend the weekend with us, and the latter having come all the way from Andros for the same purpose.
We're just talking about the girls, how much we miss them and when we're going to next meet up with them when a loud, urgent knock comes from behind the door.
"Come in," Sky calls, sitting forward in the chair he's in.
The door pushes quickly open, and a surprising face appears in its place.
"Professor Codatora," I frown at this unexpected visitor, and we all turn to him expectantly.
"Boys," our hulking figure of a fighting instructor booms. "There has been a breach in our security of Red Fountain; someone has managed to get inside."
"What?" Helia sits up on Timmy's bed, looking worried.
"We don't know who they are or what they're after, but it seems they are being very quiet, hence why we haven't sent out whole security troops to look for them; if we keep the element of surprise, it could be to our advantage. I realise that you are probably using this time to socialise and relax, but I would be very grateful if you could join the team to help search. The more experienced specialists have been requested to help. You too, Nabu, if you please."
"Of course," the wizard says, grabbing his staff as the rest of us reach for our weapons, just in case.
Sky turns to me as we follow our teacher out of the dorm. "Boy, have I missed the action of Red Fountain."
I chuckle, clapping him on the shoulder, and jog after Codatora, the others right behind me.
We spend the next five minutes or so scouting along the corridors, moving slowly and checking almost every inch of our academy, searching for any sign of disturbance. Codatora's palm-top bleeps, and he pulls it out and answers the call as we look over his shoulder. One of our guards, in full gear, fills the screen.
"Sir, we have captured the intruder. She was on the south side first floor corridor, a few feet from the south entrance to the stadium."
"She?" Timmy echoes, confused and impressed that a girl had managed to break into Red Fountain.
"Yes, sir. She was no threat though; it seems the only breaching she conducted was that of entering Red Fountain. We could see that she was exhausted though; she was pressed up against the wall to support herself. When she heard us approaching, she turned around and looked like she was about to say something. Before she could do so, she collapsed unconscious. She's still in that state now."
"Is she still in that area?" Codatora asks.
"Yes, sir; our medic is still checking her over before we move her to the academy clinic."
"Good; we shall join you in a few minutes." Our teacher ends the call, and the screen goes black.
We make our way quickly to the south first floor, our weapons and senses still sharp in case she's just a decoy for the real intruder. When we reach the destination, a few guards are still around, watching the spot hidden from us by the medic, kneeling by what must be the girl's body.
As he hears our approach, the medic turns, his middle-aged face wrinkled slightly more through concern, his deep brown wise eyes magnified by his small glasses. He drags his fingers through his sandy-brown hair before standing up and turning to greet Codatora, exposing the girl's body to my sight.
I freeze just beyond the ring of guards, staring down at her. Codatora and some of the others in front of me continue walking. Why is she here? What's wrong with her? Why is she exhausted?
A hand touching my elbow registers in my brain, and a voice joins the hand. "Riven?" Nabu's voice is concerned.
I act on instinct, ignoring the others, dropping my laser-sword and shouldering through the guards.
"That's my sister!" I scream.
Sprinting to her side, I skid on my knees to a stop by her, grabbing her body. "Cassie?" I cry, horrified by the sight of her head lolling to the side, hanging limper than her long red curls brushing just below her collarbones. Her eyes are closed.
"Riven!" Sky calls me.
The medic appears at my side, a hand on my shoulder, telling me to stop. "She's fine," he reassures me. "She's just exhausted and needs rest, so I'm sure she'd appreciate you not disturbing her." I calm down at his words, realising that he's right.
"She's got moderate injuries, not many of them, but they show signs of a fight. They're at least a day old."
Red creeps into the rims of my vision. "What the hell?" I spit.
"I don't know," he says, firmly, reminding me that it isn't his fault. "But we won't be able to find out until she wakes up."
Taking a deep breath, I turn back to her, her head resting in my lap like it used to back home. "When will that be?"
"Possibly a day; she's been running on pure adrenaline for the past eight hours at least. She could have been awake for the past three days straight."
I scowl at her as if she could see my disapproval through her unconscious state. "Dammit, Cassie; what were you thinking?" In response, her face remains impassive, her skin the shade that has always strangely been much paler than mine. She's almost Musa's skin-colour.
I sigh in defeat, shifting her in my arms before picking her up. "I'll take her to the clinic," I tell the medic. He seems to debate arguing with me before nodding and turning to walk away. Smart guy.
Walking through the ring of guards with my sister in my arms, I suddenly remember my friends are here. Turning back towards them, their expressions of surprise and confusion aren't unwarranted. I sigh again, jerking my head down the corridor.
"Come on, guys; I'll explain everything when she's in bed."
They nod in acceptance and start following me to the academy clinic. I glance down at Cassie's face again, and frown when I see no change. A hand on my shoulder makes me look to my left.
"You heard the man, Riven," Brandon says.
Helia, walking beside him, finishes his thought. "She'll be fine once she's rested."
"Yeah, I know," I answer. I hope they hear the gratitude for their support in my voice, because I'm sure as hell not saying it out loud. I have to stop my hands curling into tight fists around my sister at my next thought. "But whoever did this to her…" I don't need to finish.
"We know," Nabu says with a smile. "And we'll be right beside you until the end, when we'll stand back and let you tear them to pieces yourself."
I grin at him, loving the sound of his plan. My grin seems to loosen the guys up and assures them that it's okay to talk about her.
"I can kind of see the resemblance in your hair, because they're both a deep red colour – even if yours is more purple. But other than that, you two don't really look a thing like each other," Sky smirks sheepishly, probably scared of the possible reactions to his observation.
I shrug easily, even with the hundred-and-five pound weight in my arms. "Everyone's said that. We didn't really notice there was anything wrong with that until we met other siblings that looked alike. And no; we don't have different parents." I shoot Brandon a look, deliberately half-concealing a smile. He laughs and shrugs in way of defence.
"Besides," I continue, "if you think we look different now, wait till you see her eyes."
I don't have to turn my head; the resounding silence projects the image of their anticipatory faces into my head all by itself.
I grin again. "I ain't sayin' nothin'."
"Oh, that's just mean," Brandon sulks, not liking the fact that he has to wait to see what I mean.
Chuckling, I shake my head at my friend.
Finally, the clinic's large double-doors come into view, and Timmy opens them ahead of me so I can walk straight in, the large high-ceilinged room stretching out in front with those horrible-looking beds lining either side. Luckily, the front desk before the main part of the room is vacant, so we don't have to abide by the receptionist's stupid rules of waiting by the desk until every single one of the "patient's" details have been filled out in a "log-in" form. Handing my sister over to Sky, I ask him to set her in the bed in the far right corner while I fill in the stupid form. I hope he realised the symbol of how deep my trust is for him, putting my sister in his care like that. I've rarely admitted it out loud, even to her, but she's my earth and sky.
Once I'd finished filling in the basics of the form – and skipping the tedious and unnecessary details out – I make my way over to the others. They've all pulled up chairs from beside the other beds in the room, sitting around my sister who's now been tucked gently in bed, the covers pulled right up to her chin. It's already dark outside, the huge windows lining the walls barely showing anything but our reflections, but I know she'll have a great view when she wakes up. Taking the chair right next to the bed – the guys thankfully left that one to me – I stare down at Cassie, carefully pulling a lock of her hair away from her face. A purple shadow on her cheek, which I had originally cast off as a shadow, marks the start of a bruise forming. Probably from her fall as she passed out.
I know I need to explain everything to the guys, and I'm not immune to the tense silence around us now, but I have no idea where to start.
"You never said you had a sister," Helia says, almost casually.
His tone makes it sound like it's just a continuation of a normal conversation, but the sentence is loaded with directions it could take. Namely one where I introduce her and begin explaining our past. For all his possible combat faults, the poet sure has his way with words.
"I never really wanted to talk about her, or saw a reason to," I explain. "We kind of have a difficult past."
"Riven." I turn to Nabu. "You are among friends; you can tell us anything."
Switching from face to face, I don't see any impatience for me to open up. Only support and encouragement for me to tell what I wanted to, even if there are limits. I really do owe the world to my friends.
I never said that, alright?
Figuring I should just go for broke, I begin: "On my planet, Hyxea (Pronouncedhix-EE-ya), there were these wizards who wanted to absorb all magic and make it their own. I don't know how they did it, but they tracked fairies, witches, you name it, then performed a spell that stole their magic and left them as ordinary humans.
"My sister showed amazing skill as the Fairy of Air, teaching herself the lessons. She unbelievably managed to achieve her Enchantix level by the age of eleven."
Sky lets out a low whistle, impressed by the fact that the level our girlfriends are at now had been reached by such a young girl.
"I know, right?" I agree. "She was something of a legend in our town – even though she was always modest and said she didn't want to be famous like that. But because of her fame, those wizards caught wind of her.
"One night, when Cassie and I were both twelve, the wizards broke into our house. Our parents fought against them to defend us, being skilled in a bit of magic themselves. They died trying." I never move my gaze from my sister's face. Again, the silence tells me all their emotions; their horror, their sympathy, their shock. I ignore them all, not wanting to confront those just yet.
"Cassie and I fought too, obviously, since we'd both been training physically too, but the wizards managed to capture her and perform the spell. They began to absorb her power, but suddenly the spell started to go wrong. Even I could see that; it was getting too wild, probably because Cassie's magic was too powerful, too intense. Eventually it imploded, taking the wizards with it, but thankfully sparing my sister. She had injuries only from the fighting with the wizards, everything about her was in perfect functioning order. Everything…except her magic.
"The attempt and failure at taking her power away affected it somehow, and her body began to reject her magic when she used it. She can still use magic now – small and simple spells or skills that she was able to do without thinking before that night, like telepathic communication – but any time she tries to cast big spells, or use too much of her magic at once…" I close my eyes, remembering her description of the experience and seeing it in action. "She left her diary out one night, open on one page. I know you're not supposed to, but I just glanced over the page and realised she was talking about what it felt like to use her magic now. It said, 'There are no words to describe it. The ones that come closest are all-consuming agony.'" Feeling my fingers curl into fists, I quickly stop playing with Cassie's hair so I don't hurt her. "There's something a brother never wants his sister writing about."
A hand falls on my tense shoulder. "Riven, I'm sure you did nothing but try to protect her."
I sigh, not bothering to voice that the only fact I'm interested in is the part where I failed to do so. "But she tries so hard to be brave. I'd seen her use her magic after that night and before I saw the diary, and I would've guessed it hurt her. But not that much." Catching sight of a large but shallow cut on her bare forearm, I scowl.
"And now I want to know why she's like this and who did it to her."
"Well, we'll have to wait till tomorrow morning at least," Brandon says. "We should leave her to sleep now."
"I'm staying here." The other glance at me, surprised.
"I've left her on her own and look what's happened. I'm not risking it again, on principle," I explain.
"Then I will stay with you," Nabu smiles. "You'll need your sleep, and I can take watch while you get it. Then you can cover for me while I sleep."
Why didn't I think of that? I nod to Nabu, immensely grateful for his help, and we say goodnight to the others as they head out, clapping me on the back or patting my shoulder in support as they walk past.
"I'll take first watch," I say as soon as the door is closed.
Nabu half-smiles and sighs. "I had a feeling you might say that, considering you look as if your will alone will be able to hold you to that chair forever."
Despite the situation, I laugh, and Nabu grins, apparently pleased with his success in cheering me up temporarily. He walks to the bed beside Cassie's and climbs in, pulling the covers over himself once situated.
As I turn back to my sister, taking in her blank and unconscious face, I sigh, preparing myself for a long night ahead.
Cassie's POV
Ohhh, boy; I needed that sleep.
My consciousness comes back before I decide to open my eyes; the blissful and surprising totally-refreshed feeling is too perfect, compared to the last few days, to interrupt with another sensory distraction added to the faint wood-varnish scent. Once I have finished my basking, I allow my eyes to take in the large, high-ceilinged room, bright with the light of daytime. The cream walls and ceiling with the crimson arched supports emanate majesty familiar only to Red Fountain Academy. Tiles lined the floor, matching the shade of the walls, and the mattress I'm lying on might well be made out of clouds. (Iknowthatcloudsarejustwatervapour,butitsoundsnicetodescribestufflikethat:P)
As I push myself up with ease, the polished light wood of the numerous bed-frames surrounding me explains the smell. From the number of beds – and the chairs and tables beside each of them – this must be the academy's clinic. I'm grateful to the guards who found me; I'd expected them to have thrown me in a guarded cell or something. Looking further around the room, to my surprise I spot my brother in the bed next to me, no one else in the room. For a horrifying moment, I consider the fact that he's in here because he's been injured, and that thought makes me leap out of bed and rush over to him. I frantically check over his still-clothed body, but begin to calm down when I find no injuries. In fact, he seems perfectly fine – just asleep.
Ah, of course; he's quite trusted in Red Fountain, so if guards and higher-ups were called because of the "break-in" he probably would have been out too. Then he would have been called to the scene, and would have seen me. He stayed with me. All night.
My expression softens along with my heart, and I smile fondly down at my brother, calmly walking from his side to let him sleep.
The huge window that's next to the bed I was in is my next destination, my eagerness to see the view from up on this floating school getting the better of me. And, boy; I am so not disappointed. Someone should be paid to just stand in this position, right here, leaning against the window frame, and paint the skyline. One of the waterfalls cascades down to the left, and the luscious forest stretches further out than I can see, the life almost a visible aura.
"Wow," I whisper, entranced by the sight.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" a voice – not my brother's – dispels my reverie. I gasp and jump back to face the intruder.
A young man, definitely older than me and possibly older than Riven, stands in the room, a small distance away from the door. His broad shoulders tell-tale the Red Fountain training, so I guess he's a specialist. He's obviously "off-duty" though; a light dusty-green shirt adorns his muscular chest while he wears loose cream coloured pants and beige loafers (Doeshewearloafers?:S). I'm guessing they're his comfort clothes when he's not in uniform. His stance is casual and unthreatening, his long slate-gray hair covering one eye before sweeping over his shoulder and into a pony-tail. His eye-colour matches perfectly, and the combination is amazing. Even over the distance, I can see the small smile on his face, almost pleased with my opinion of the horizon.
He holds his hands up in front of him, as if calming a startled animal. I guess that's me then.
"I'm sorry," his soft voice swirls across the room, comforting me. "I didn't mean to startle you."
I nod in acceptance. Putting puzzle pieces together, I smile at him. "From your lack of surprise at seeing a girl in your all-boys academy, you know my brother and he told you about me."
He grins. "Exactly. I'm Helia, one of Riven's friends. Your brother and a friend of ours stayed with you all night, taking turns to watch you." He cocks his head to the side. "How are you feeling?"
I twirl, feeling so energised and happy that I can't control the weird urge. "Great! I've never felt better."
Helia frowns. "That's odd; it's not even eight in the morning yet, and you were so exhausted last night that you passed out. You shouldn't even be awake yet, let alone this lively."
"I know, I can't explain it either. I just feel better than I have in a long time."
Helia's silent for a few moments, obviously thinking of explanations, before realisation dawns on his face along with a smile. "Nabu," he chuckles.
"Hmm?"
He focuses back on me. "The friend who stayed here with Riven last night. He must have cast a revival spell on you or something, so you'd get your strength back faster."
I start, my joy and energy suddenly freezing. "Wait, what? Cast a spell?"
Helia nods. "Nabu is a wizard. His magic skills are fantastic."
Hair rises on the back of my neck, and ice trickles down my spine. "A wizard?" I breathe.
Confusion returns to Helia's face, before shock and comprehension takes over. He takes a few quick steps closer to me, but stops, seemingly thinking that I could take that as a threat. "No, no; it's okay. He's been our friend for a while now, and he's one of the kindest people I've ever met. He's fine. He's not going to hurt you."
"It's true, Cassie." Riven's voice jerks me back from my waking nightmares, and I see that he's sitting up in bed, swinging his feet onto the floor and beginning to walk over to me.
"Riven," Helia grimaces. "I'm sorry; I completely forgot that –."
"Don't worry about it, Helia," Riven interrupts him, reassuring his friend he understands no harm was meant. He doesn't stop walking towards me until he's by my side, and he puts both his hands on my shoulders, bending down slightly to stare directly into my eyes, his deep purple ones a huge contrast to mine.
"It's okay, Cassie," he murmurs. "He doesn't mean you any harm. No one here does. You're at Red Fountain, and you're with me. You're safe. I won't let anything happen to you."
Wanting to just get those damn memories, both of years ago and of only days ago, I bury my face in my brother's shirt, not caring if he's slept in it and it's all dirty. I still need to tell him – and his friends now apparently too – what happened to me, why I'm here. And I'm not sure if Riven will still make that promise about me being safe when he hears about it.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter (newly refurb-ed with the help of NadeshikoLove1224 – thanks so much for your help. I've kept a few things from the original chapter 1, to keep the personal touch), and I'll try to get the next one up as soon as I can :D
Fly on,
NitnatRide