Libba Bray Meets Eragon
LIRA: that about wraps it up
LYRA: hello peoples! how are you!
LIRA: in case you don't know who Libba Bray is, she's the authoress of a book series we like. it's called "a great and terrible beauty"
LYRA: it's about a girl who is magically endowed and her life in Victorian England. buy it, borrow it, do anything that can let you read this book. it's GOOD!
LIRA: and it has one of the few het couples i like!
LYRA: (shakes head) you mean the only one
LIRA: yeah...well
LYRA/LIRA: ENJOY!
Lyra and Lira do not own Eragon or anything done by the awesome Ms. Bray. so enjoy this story which ruins both stories
"Gemma, Miss Doyle, listen," the young man said to the tall, red-haired girl sitting across from him, "I...I care for you very dearly, and I would very much like to continue courting you. I know you refused me the first time I asked for your hand, and I think I might have rushed things a bit." He smiled as cheerfully as he possibly could while he looked at her, waiting a response.
The girl bit her lip before replying, "Simon, it's not really that. I suppose…it's just…that we aren't suited for each other and…" her voice trailed off.
"Was it the absinthe? I realize now that I must have been a fool to ask you to try it. I know my behavior was…rather ungentlemanly at the Worthington's ball. I apologize most sincerely for that."
Gemma sat there pondering his words. Her refusal had nothing to do with that. It was something far greater than that incident. It was the part of her that he could never know about, never understand. He though her daring, lively, and mysterious.
He didn't know the half of it. He couldn't know that she was really a sorceress of a mysterious place called the Realms where anything you wanted could be yours there for a time…at the appropriate price of course. It was a place of power where reality itself became just another illusion that we create for ourselves. (A/N: If you've already read Libba Bray's books, skip down a couple paragraphs; if you haven't, keep reading.)
Mystical beasts who now only were part of bedtime stories used to scare children where as real as anything, perhaps more so there. It had long been under the power of a mystical group known as the Order. This was because they had found the source of the Realm's power: the Temple. They bound the magic to themselves and created the Runes of the Oracle to contain the magic more after the Rebellion of the Realm's creatures.
Gemma's mother, Mary Dowd, had been a member of the order. Unfortunately, Mary and her dear friend Sarah Rees-Toome decided to save Sarah's failing power by sacrificing a small gypsy girl to a dark spirit of the Winterlands. Mary was so scared when Sarah summoned the spirit that she killed the gypsy girl. The spirit tried to take Sarah, but Eugenia Spence, head of the Order and Spence Academy for Young Ladies (Gemma, Mary, and Sarah's school) sacrificed herself to the spirit, gave Mary her amulet, and closed the Realms. Mary and Sarah accidentally burned down the East Wing when they fought over the amulet. Everyone assumed they died in the fire.
Mary actually took the name of Virginia Doyle and gave birth to Tom and Gemma. Sarah took the name of Circe and tried to find the girl who could open the Realms again. This turned out to be Gemma.
When Gemma turned sixteen, she had a vision that Circe's dark spirit killed her mother. This vision came true. She was then sent to Spence Academy for Young Ladies. There she became friends with Ann Bradshaw, a poor, plain, humble girl with a lovely voice; Felicity Worthington, the proud, pretty, daughter one of Britain's naval heroes; and beautiful Pippa Cross.
They entered the Realms and eventually battled the spirit who had killed Gemma's mother. During this battle, Pippa was killed. She should have crossed over the river to the Realm of the dead, but she remained. Gemma killed the spirit by smashing the Runes of the Oracle. This made it necessary for the girls to find the Temple and rebind the magic. They did this and defeated Circe. Sadly, Pippa was corrupted because she didn't cross. She had become their enemy, and Gemma knew that they would meet again. She was not looking forward to that occasion.
(A/N: STORY'S RESTARTED!)
Gemma sat there trying to think of another plausible refusal when she heard a loud crash outside the door.
"What the Dickens was that?" Simon yelled. "Sorry for the profanity, Gemma," he added hastily.
Gemma got up from her seat and walked over to the door. She opened it and saw Ann and Felicity attemping to get up off the floor.
"I told you two, 'No Eavesdropping," Gemma groaned. "Should I have spoken French or something?"
"We weren't eavesdropping!" Ann said worriedly. "We were umm………"
"Looking for one of my lost pearls!" Felicity finished hastily. "Well, Ann, I guess it's not here. Come along, Ann. And, Gemma, I am more partial to Greek than French. If you would be so kind as to address me in that tongue, I would be most delighted." Felicity added as she took Ann's arm and dragged the other girl away.
Once around the corner, the two girls waited until Gemma had closed the door to return to "looking for the lost pearl."
"My God, he's BEGGING her!" Felicity whispered in disgusted tones.
"I think it's romantic," said Ann.
Felicity rolled her eyes.
"Please, any man who needs to beg needs a good slap in the face!" Felicity whispered defiantly.
Back in the room, Simon was on his knees, holding on of Gemma's hands and, as Felicity said, begging.
"Please, Gemma, please. You don't understand." Simon pleaded.
"I think I understand very well! You were using me to get revenge against Felicity!" Gemma replied with as much dignity as she could muster, snatching her hand out of Simon's.
Simon looked on the verge of tears, "B-but, Gemma!"
"NO! I know how you once tried to court her! But she refused you as well! So you were going to use me for revenge! Isn't that it?"
"My God!" Simon shouted, finally regaining his voice. "Is the carnivorous Miss Worthington going to cause me more trouble? I never- NEVER-tried to use you for revenge! I have no more interest in her. I'd swear it in a court of law."
Simon took Gemma's face in his hands, forcing her green eyes to look into his blue ones.
"Gemma," Simon whispered, "I-I lo…"
"Gemma!" an Indian boy shouted as he barged into the room. "Gemma! We have an emergency! Pippa's loose!"
Felicity and Ann's door slammed opened. "Pippa!"
"You two WERE listening at the door," Simon said, letting go of Gemma's face.
"No…the pearl was lost in this general area so…" Felicity said, not bothering to finish her sentence.
Gemma was too shocked to say anything. Her green eyes closed, and she was trembling with fear.
"Oh, look now, you," Simon yelled, pointing at the Indian boy, "who are you, and what is so important that you have burst in her uninvited?"
"Gemma!" Kartik, gasped, not bothering to answer the prissy Englishman, "Pippa's been gathering an army ever since she went to the Winterlands. There's word that she's getting ready to strike! You have to get to the Realms NOW!"
"Yes," she whispered, "I'll be safe there. I'll be safe."
She could feel the power coursing through her. It was getting too strong. She went to make the door of light. As she made it, the immense power that had formed it began to suck them all in.
Everything was a blur of Ann and Felicity's shouts of Gemma's name, Simon and Kartik's raised voices, and someone's arms wrapping around Gemma. Once the world no longer resembled a kaleidoscope, Gemma realized that they were in the Realms. Felicity, Ann, Kartik, Simon...wait, Simon?
"S-Simon!" Gemma shouted as she saw her ex-suitor stare mystified at the garden. Gemma's mind was still clouded by fear and power, and she tried lave the Realms. The door appeared again.
"Go through," she shouted to everyone. She still had no idea how she would explain this to Simon. Maybe Felicity could think up something.
Just before they all went through the glowing door, Gemma saw a dark figure running quickly towards them.
"Gemma," shouted the figure. Gemma could make out Pippa's thin, veiny skin; milk-white eyes; tangled black hair; and pointed teeth that made the most feral of grins.
Gemma looked toward the door to see Felicity also watching Pippa. "Felicity, go now!" she yelled.
With tears brimming in her eyes, Felicity stepped through the door, followed by Ann and Kartik.
Simon took Gemma's arm and asked, "Gemma, what is this place?"
"I'll explain it later," Gemma shouted as she shoved Simon through the door and ran into it herself. She felt an immense pull on her insides. Her stomach and her heart switched places and every last bit of energy was sucked out of Gemma's body. The red-head fainted before she touched the hard read earth.
LYRA: Ooh. Where is Gemma? Guess. Anyways, Kartik is a former member of the Rakshana, a group formed to protect the Order. They wanted the power themselves, and Kartik ended up leaving them to help Gemma. Sorry I didn't explain him in the explanation.
LIRA: please, review. we like it. it makes us write more and more and more!
LYRA: so, until then
LYRA/LIRA: see ya next time!
