I'll probably add more chapters to this...eventually. I'm already struggling to stay focused on other stories and things. For now I'd just like to know...am I overdoing anything? Is there a plot point you think you can see from a mile away? Can you see anything really blatant? Is it boring? Is it just plain bad! You can tell me all that stuff in a review.
By the way, I'm still working on that Bakugan parody...and if THAT'S bad, you should definitely say so in a review. Yep, those are awesome. Oh, right, the story.
Chapter One
Black Hair Red Eye
I saw myself in a void, floating in space. I forgot everything I once knew, for that moment, and I heard someone speak to me.
"In this world there are limitless possibilities. Those who pass on may come back to the world of the living, and bend the rules of reality. Passages may be opened between Earth and the afterlife. Once the boundary is breached, anything is possible as long as one has the power to accomplish it."
The words ran through my head, their meaning lost, whatever it had been. But what does one make of this in a dream?
"Ah!" Stella woke up with a start. She was laying down in the grass...but how did she get here, of all places?
Stella shoved the dirt out of her short black hair and sat upright. She pushed her hand to her forehead and thought; what did the voice say in her dream? The words were just out of reach, and she decided to forget them, since it probably wasn't important, anyway. What was important was the reason for her being here. Looking around, it was afternoon in the woods. Was this place near her village? Maybe she was kidnapped by someone and put here for a quick escape. It sounded stupid to her...but if that didn't happen, then what did?
And her sister! Could she be nearby, too? It was all she could hope for in this situation. Stella got up, barefoot and in her pajamas, and took a look around. A few trees bore berries and fruit, but she had no idea whether they could be eaten or not. Other than the trees and plants, nothing living could be seen. Could she really survive out here, alone, without any survival skills?
Stella?
"What?" She turned around before realizing it was a voice in her head, not a real voice. Am I going crazy? she asked herself.
No.
Then... Stella looked around again. What's going on! I didn't go to sleep in this forest, but here I am! And is my sister and our village alright!
Your village will be fine.
Oh... That, at least, was good news...but did that mean her sister would be safe, or was it just implying this? That is, if the voice is really believed to be another being talking to her.
I know you think I'm just your imagination. I can't really tell you I'm not...so maybe I have to show you. Do you see the berries over there?
...Yes. She came closer to said tree.
This fruit isn't poisonous. Try some, it won't hurt you. I can tell you're hungry.
Just the sound of the word in her head made her stomach growl. She was almost tempted to pick a light-blue fruit from the tree when she thought a bit more logically about it. Wait...if this really is just me thinking, which it probably is, I could just be making this up. It could really be poisonous, and I could end up dying right here and now.
Dying? Oh, this reminds me, there's another way I can prove it to you. Look behind this tree.
The one right in front of me?
Of course. You should be surprised. I wish I could see the look on your face...
Well, it couldn't hurt to try, could it? But what could possibly be behind it? Would it be, miracle of miracles, her sister? She had to hope for the best if she wanted to find home again.
It was truly beyond her expectations. Leaning on the other side of the oak was a long, wooden spear. The tip looked sharp as a needle, perfectly capable of pricking her finger if she made a misstep. The perfectly-triangular end of the spear was held by a smooth and brown handle.
Stella picked and up, taken aback by its weight, but once held it seemed to give her a surge of power. It was enough to deepen her breathing...
You see what I meant?
Yeah, but... Stella didn't know what to think. Are you a god?
No, not really. If you can stick with me for a while, everything shall be explained, but only in due time.
She sighed. I hate cryptic things.
Sorry I have to keep this all a secret for now. But hey, what do you think of that weapon I made for you? You seem awestruck!
You made-that's not what I'm worrying about right now! Why can't you tell me anything!
I can't tell you anything because...well, I can't tell you that, either.
What! This is all so stupid! I just want to go home! And if you're some divine force, the least you could do is send me and anyone else back to wherever they were before you came in.
If I could do that. For now, just pay attention. If you want to survive, just listen.
Tears came to Stella's eyes. She literally couldn't believe any part of what was happening. First separated from her only home and family, and now whatever this was...
Go that way and you'll find a lake. And there you'll...
/
She washed her face in the river after taking a short walk around. For what reason was she in this forest? There had to be one, for without reason she believed nothing would exist. Her red eyes scanned the murky waters, searching for fish.
"Pam?" An older girl, with eyes and hair color to match hers, saw her from behind the trees. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here too..." Setting her spear on the ground, she leaped over stone and water to reach her younger sister. Stella hugged her tightly, feeling tears come on again. "Won't you welcome me..."
The child called Pam felt her embrace, but did not react. She'd been like this for a few weeks now; cold and unresponsive. It had been like this ever since their mother died. They were already without a father. Maybe the trauma was too much, and she kept to herself to think about things. Whatever the reason, she was her sister, and Stella still loved her.
She pushed incredibly long, unkempt hair out of Pam's face. "I know you won't listen," she began, sobbing softly as she crouched down, "but somebody spoke to me in my head. Somehow I know it wasn't me, because they gave me that spear over there. Y-you saw me put it down, right?"
Pam blinked.
"We'll find our way out of the forest, and find home, and someday you'll open yourself up to us again, won't you?" When she said nothing as usual, Stella put her eyes to Pam's shoulder and let tears fall.
Don't let her situation hold you back. I told you, she will be alright. Just stay by her side and give her time.
I've given her time! How much do I need to allow her! And besides, if you know all this, why can't you just fix her right away!
Sometimes there are trials one must pass before reaching the ultimate goal. Just understand that before you do anything more. I know you won't be able to survive without me.
Now Stella only felt useless, lost in the unknown woods with only her sister by her side. And her sister was...this. If only they had learned how to survive without...whatever this voice in her head was.
/
With the help of this voice, she was eventually able to set up camp and spear a few wild animals. In a way, stabbing such a harmless creature as the woodland squirrel with the mighty weapon seemed cruel, but it was their most reliable hunting tool. Thankfully she was able to cook the food with some of her own intellect, and she didn't even have to force the food into Pam's hands. They were getting reasonably settled around a warm fire, and it almost felt like a nice camping trip as they leaned against the trees, relaxed...
Pam cocked her head suddenly. There was something coming, as they both soon realized. Stella stood up and picked up her spear, rubbing off the dirt and prepared to defend herself. Noticing that Pam wouldn't move away, she shoved her a bit further from potential danger.
Roaring as it emerged, a lumbering brown bear stepped into their camp. It seemed to be surveying the area for now, sniffing at the ground. Though regarded as a beast, should she kill it, or wait in the hopes of not being seen as enemies? Right now would be a good time for you to say something, Stella thought, but her thoughts were not heard by anyone else.
As if cued by her confusion to attack, the bear lunged at her with all of its sharp teeth bared. She quickly thrust her spear into its chest, feeling that surge of energy repel the beast. It was killed in an instant, causing the body to fall and the blood to splatter on her, but at least the battle was over as quick as it had started.
Stella put her weapon down and tried in vain to wipe all the blood off of herself. I'm not really hungry. Going down to the stream to wash off would be a better decision, right? ...Is anyone else listening? It was strange, trying to get used to a voice in her head before losing it in the same day. It might be better this way. I know what to do now. I can't depend on anyone else. Stella turned on her heel and began to carry her spear with her back to the stream.
"Thanks for saving me back there!" said a young boy's voice, coming from somebody watching from the shadows. "I really owe you one!"
She turned back around. Pam seemed to be looking at something, but she couldn't spot a thing. "Come out. Show yourself."
"Uh..." He was hesitant. "I can wait until you go get washed up, or something. I mean, your face is all bloody..."
Does everyone have better eyesight than me? she asked herself. Nonetheless, Stella shrugged it off and came to water shortly. But would he really wait long enough for her to get the blood out of her clothes? If she wanted to try and find out who she was, she might have to hurry. And what did she leave her spear there for! For all she knew, he could be a thief! Quickly washing her face, arms and feet off along with a quick scrubbing of a few of her new stains would do for now.
He sat criss-crossed in front of Pam, hand raised in front of her. "You," Stella said as she came back, "what are you-"
Pam and the newcomer were both about the same height. He had long, dirty blond hair, which was almost as long as her sister's. The child wore red clothing with a few thin, black stripes running down them. It, for the most part, brought to mind the kimono, with the shirt hanging slightly open to reveal part of a white shirt, but was only slightly different for having what were clearly pants. He even had a long sword in his hilt, which sat right next to him. But really, why...?
"I was poking at her, but she...won't do anything." His beady, perfectly-circular black eyes blinked. "What is it?"
"Th-the cat ears!" she exclaimed. "And your tail! Are they just fake, or something?"
"These?" He wiggled his ears a bit, and his tail swayed slowly to and fro. "Nope."
"Do you know why you have them? Wait, did I say that right? I mean, people are born differently, and they don't know why, but nobody's born naturally with the ears and tail of a cat! Except, maybe, you," Stella figured. "Your mouth even looks like a cat's, for Pete's sake! Was your father a cat? No, I don't wanna know about that, never mind." Could he have been born a main character!
"I don't know my parents," he answered, sort of. "I just woke up here with a few memories of basic stuff, but I've for the most part just been roaming around."
He seemed honest enough. "Well, um...alright. If you're not going anywhere, maybe you could come with us?"
"Okay!" He instantly jumped to his feet, picking up his own weapon. "But I hope she's alright!"
"No, she's usually like this," she said wistfully. "But I don't want to talk about that right now. Her name is Pam. My name's Stella. Do you have one?"
"Ummmm..." He tapped his sandal in thought. "I remember! I'm Syzygy!"
She wondered if that was even a word. "Okay, that's good. I have memories of my own, so I don't know if we're in the same situation or not. Maybe if we travel together, we can find out what's going on. Have you noticed anything strange?"
"Uh...yeah! Yes, I have! Voices in my head keep telling me what to do!" he cried. "That's how I survive out here!"
Maybe Pam's experiencing the same thing, Stella guessed. It would make sense. And maybe the only thing keeping Syzygy like this was a concussion. Still, that doesn't explain why he looks like he does, or much else. There's a bunch of other possibilities, too. Huh...
Syzygy yawned loudly, stretching. "We should get some sleep now."
"If you're not hungry, I guess so. But..." She'd been so distracted this whole time, her vision only now drifted back to the fallen bear corpse nearby. "What do we do with that? We found a pretty good clearing, and I'm not leaving it."
"Guess I can push it away later." He shrugged.
"I just hope nothing attacks us without a proper tent."
"Don't worry. Things haven't attacked me much."
"The scent of blood is on me. That attracts stuff, people tell me." Stella sat in a fetal position against yet another tree. "And I don't know, should we-"
Don't worry about where you're sleeping, Stella.
It was back, all of a sudden! Why did you leave me like that!
Did you feel lost without me?
Kind of, but mostly confused. As much as she regretted thinking that, those thoughts didn't lie. [i]But what was that for? If you're posing as somebody's guide, you don't suddenly leave like that!
"Hey, Stella!" Syzygy said, right in front of her. "You look kind of sad. Can I do anything for you?"
You're on the verge of tears.
"...No, you can just go ahead and sleep," she said, voice shaking. "It's just that voice...you're not hearing it, are you?"
"...If you say so. I'll just be over there, next to her. Pam, right?" Syzygy walked away, in order to lean against a tree of his very own.
Stella...this is all a test you must face. You, of all people. Don't bother asking me such things again. You need to learn to adapt, and be cautious, and be wary. I will watch you from the heavens, waiting until you complete these trials and tasks, together with Syzygy and Pam, and whoever else may come your way.
I wish I could understand, she thought, feeling worse and worse inside.
Don't bother, because you won't for a long time. A lot of things in life, and even life itself, are things we do not understand, yet they are. So whether or not you understand it, or whether you will ever understand it at all, you still must face your destiny.
So if I do all these things you want me to do, I can go back to reality.
...Yes.
Then I guess I have no choice but to follow your instructions until the end.
These aren't my instructions; these are just the things that happen.
I'm not even close to understanding this, am I? Stella began to lie down in the grass. At least it seemed like the voice was being more straight with her, and telling her the facts. On the other hand, that meant a lot more talk about uncertainty, the cold, hard truth of the matter.
Pay attention now: I will be gone soon, and I doubt you'll ever speak to me again once this is over.
Really? Never again? Then I still have to ask you some things, and they're different; are you the kid I just met?
No. We're two different entities. Nor have I possessed your sister.
...But you brought me here. Second, are us three all in the same situation?
Yes. I can tell you that much. You've all gotten involved in the same thing, along with myself, in things beyond our control.
Does that mean this was all beyond your power? This was news. She was all ready to aim her angered thoughts at this voice in her head, but really, was that a good idea? Then I guess this is all a sort of test, and maybe it will help me later. Maybe you're just going out of my head, or moving somewhere in heaven, or...I just remembered something. You couldn't see my face earlier, when I found the spear and you made some weird remark about it?
That's fairly simple. We don't see, per se, but we feel the presence of things on Earth.
I have a lot of other questions, but I'm afraid to ask them. I might just get angry or depressed, or get no answer. So instead, I'll just end it with this: what should I call you?
If you must refer to me by name, you may call me...A. Just A, and nothing else. Now is the time for me to go permanently, and for you to sleep. Good night.
It - or A - actually told her that? Did the voice really care about her feelings somewhat? Or was she just a pawn in some scheme? But, like it said, it was getting late, and the fire was growing smaller. "Good night," she whispered aloud.
/
The dream was all a blur of blue and purple - the enemy. On one end of the battlefield stood this multicolored, monstrous thing, and on her side she stood ready with a bloody spear. Next to her Pam stood in position, wielding gauntlets on each fist. "Stand back!" she yelled. Was that really her voice? No, it was just a dream, and she knew it even then...
The details were fuzzy. The monster tried to lure her over with its lies and deceptiveness, but she was too strong to stand for it. After a long battle, Stella and Pam were the clear winners.