The legends of Halo and Starfire
PART 1: AS IT IS NOW
Dasha watched as Rowen played outside with their son, Andrew. Andrew seemed to get bigger and bigger every day. It was something that Dasha was constantly amazed by. What sometimes caused Dasha pain, was the fact that she had taken herself out of her son's life for an entire year. She and Kasha hadn't been able to ignore Lady Kayura's plea for help. All the warriors and warlords had agreed that if any evil force again tried to attack either world, all the warriors would ban together. The evil force would be stopped before it even started.
Dasha sensed someone come up next to her and lay an arm across her shoulders. Dasha instantly knew who it was. She would recognize her sister's touch anywhere.
'What'cha thinking about, sis?' Kasha's thoughts asked.
Dasha shook her head. 'Nothing, really. Just thinking about how lucky I am to have two wonderful men in my life like Rowen and Andrew.' She turned to face her sister. 'When we were growing up, I never imagined that I'd ever have a life this peaceful. I wasn't with Cameron long enough to know one way or another.'
Kasha nodded. 'But we were also two totally different people back then.'
Between their two minds, the memories surfaced. The girls traveled back to where it had all began. Back to their home in their Ancient's Clan.
PART 2: GROWING UP
The girls that would later become the warriors of Halo and Starfire, were born into an Ancient's clan 25 years before the first attack of Talpa. When the girls were born, the Ancient declared that they would be special and bring honor to their family and to their clan. It was this decree that would always make them different from everyone else. It would also make it hard for the girls to have relationships with their two older siblings. Meisha, who was 10 years older, and Sasha, who was five years older. Meisha and Sasha had always had all of their parents' attention, and now they found it hard to learn to share with the twins. Over time, the four siblings learned how to get along.
When the twins were eight years old, their brother Meisha, who was now 18, followed the path that was set for him, and married. Even though he still lived within the clan, it felt weird to the girls because he no longer lived with them. He and his wife, Amanda, lived in a little hut on the other side of the square. K'Ehleyr and D'Ehleyr still saw him every day, but it wasn't the same.
Meisha and Amanda visited the Shira home one night for dinner. It was the first time he had been home since he had married two months earlier. It was a joyous time for everyone. After dinner, Meisha went with the girls as they sat outside. They had done this every night after dinner up to the day that Meisha had gotten married. After that, the girls had gone outside alone, but it hadn't been the same.
Meisha looked at his two youngest sisters. When the Ancient had decreed that the two of them were special, he had thought that it would be hard to live with them. But he had been wrong. They were two very down to earth little girls and he loved them with all his heart. That was why it would be heard to tell them that he and Amanda were leaving.
Dasha came up and sat on Meisha's lap. She laid her head on his shoulder.
"What's wrong little one?" he asked. Dasha looked at him.
"I have a feeling that you have something to tell us that we're not going to like."
Meisha felt his jaw drop as he stared at his baby sister. How could she know that he had to tell them something? Finally, he nodded. Kasha came over and sat down on his other leg and looked at him.
"Amanda and I are moving out of the clan." Meisha said quietly. He watched as tears started to build up in Kasha's eyes and then start to roll down her cheeks.
Finally Dasha spoke. "Don't forget about us." She said. Taking her sister's hand, the two girls went inside leaving Meisha outside alone. That would be the last time that Meisha would ever see his youngest sister, Dehleyr.
~12 YEARS LATER~
Dasha couldn't stop staring at the ring on her finger. She had just gotten married to the love of her life, Cameron D' Artai. She only wished that her brother, Meisha could have come to the wedding, but she hadn't seen him since he had moved 12 years earlier. Kasha joined Dasha when she entered the clan-meeting place. Even though Dasha was now married, the girls were still as close as ever. Their relationship would never change. When the girls were about half way through the clan center, Kasha gripped her sister's arm and pointed to something falling out of the sky. It was an asteroid. There was on one in the clan to stop it. The Ancient one had disappeared days earlier and hadn't been heard from since. Cameron ran over to where the girls were standing. Taking Dasha in his arms, the three of them waited for the end to come when the asteroid would hit. Dasha was glad that she would die with the two people that she loved most.
Suddenly, a beam of energy struck the asteroid and slowed its fall. The girls followed where the beam had come from, and learned that it had come from the Ancient's staff. The girls watch as the Ancient lowered the asteroid to the ground. With that, the Ancient turned and went into his hut. The girls looked at each other.
PART 3: OBTAINING THE ARMORS
Dehleyr and Kehleyr had to wait until the next day to talk to the Ancient. When they entered his hut, they found that part of it had been blocked off. The girls had a feeling that the asteroid was behind there. Peering behind the curtain, Kehleyr didn't believe her eyes. Kneeling before her was two sets of armors. Not the kind that the Ancient wore, but different. One was green and the other was midnight blue. Stunned, Kehleyr went over to touch the one closest to her, the green one.
Hearing a sound behind her, Kehleyr twirled around, all interest in the armor forgotten, to see the Ancient standing behind her, at the curtain, watching her.
"I'm sorry." She told him. She made a motion to leave when the Ancient's voice stopped her.
"As you have probably surmised, these two sister armors, Halo and Starfire, came from that asteroid. They were created by the very first Ancient to be used if an evil force ever threatened the world."
Hearing voices from the other room brought Dehleyr to join her sister. When she saw the armors, a look of surprise crossed her face.
"Do these armors have names, Ancient one?"
As Dehleyr asked the question, the Ancient once again had the vision that he had been having since the girls had been born. It was of Kehleyr wearing the green armor and, Dehleyr wearing the blue armor. In the vision, they were fighting the legions of evil whose master wanted to rule the world. The Ancient knew that the girls wound never stop protecting their world. That is what their destiny was.
"Yes, Dehleyr." He said. "The one that your sister is standing next to is called 'Halo', and this one right here is called 'Starfire'."
"Starfire," Dehleyr murmured. "It suits it."
"Yes, it does." The Ancient agreed. "Tomorrow I will choose two people to wear these armors. The asteroid was designed to only break its orbit if something bad was about to happen." With that, the Ancient left.
The girls looked at each other, a plan already forming in their minds.
Late that night, after the rest of the clan had fallen asleep, Dehleyr and Kehleyr snuck into the ancient's hut and left wearing the armors. The Ancient watched them go with a smile on his face. He knew that the girls were on their way to following their destiny.
PART 4: THE FIRST FIGHT
The girls' first fight happened two days later. They had stopped for the night and were settling down when a soldier popped through the bushes. Quickly, the girls donned their armors. The solider stared at them. The girls could hear the disgust in its voice when it spoke.
"What do you think you are doing with those?" It demanded "When I destroy you, I will present those armors to my master."
"That's what you think!" Kehleyr yelled as she launched herself at the soldier.
Dehleyr watched her sister for a moment. Kehleyr had always been hotheaded. It was a trait that she had been born with as well. She was glad that the armor hadn't changed that. Actually, it had made her more hotheaded. That could be a good thing when it came to fighting the Dynasty. With a smile, Dehleyr unsheathed her swords and joined the fight.
The girls worked together to bring the soldier down. It seemed to be a losing battle, until Dehleyr was able to use her special weapon, the Star Sword Scream. The girls instantly realized that the soldier was weaker. This time, Kehleyr tried out her special weapon, The Thunder Bolt Cut.
By this time, the soldier was having a hard time staying on his feet. To destroy the soldier, the girls combined their weapons together. The soldier went down defeated, leaving only the shell.
"Well," Kehleyr said. "The evil forces know we're here. This is only the beginning."
"Yes," Dehleyr replied. "And we will be waiting for them!"
PART 5: THE DEATH OF DEHLEYR
Kehleyr's statement that night couldn't have been truer. Over the next five years, Dehleyr and Kehleyr would face minions of the side of evil. They would build more confidence in themselves and in each other. The girls were always able to walk away from a battle without serious injuries. That all changed one day, however.
Kasha and Dasha had been traveling when they had run across a legion of soldiers and the Dynasty's newest warlord, Anatron. As soon as the battle had started, the girls had been separated. From where Kehleyr had been fighting, she couldn't see her sister. But through the link that they shared, she could sense that Dehleyr was fine. A little aggravated, but okay. Grimly, Kehleyr set to work fighting and destroying the soldiers that were surrounding her.
Kehleyr had just destroyed the last remaining soldier surrounding her when she felt a sharp pain across her middle. It felt like she had just been stabbed with something.
"Dasha." She gasped. All this pain had to be coming from her. Ignoring the soldiers that were just making their way toward her, Kehleyr ran for her sister. She found her sister in time to see the warlord Anatron pull one of his swords out of her back.
The next thing that Kehleyr knew, Anatron and the soldiers were destroyed and she was cradling Dehleyr in her lap. Using the power of Halo, Kehleyr tried to heal her sister. Subconsciously, she knew that it was too late, but she ignored it.
"Hang on dash, you can do it. You can't leave me. How would I be able to live with a part of myself missing? I don't know how to live without you." Kehleyr gripped her sister's hand.
Dehleyr smiled a tiny pain- filled smile. "You'll find a way. You always do." She whispered. "I promise that someday though, I'll come back when you least expect it and you and I will be together again." Beyond her sister, Dehleyr could see the spirit of the ancient one. He was telling her that it was time to end her journey with her sister until the next time they were together.
"I love you Dasha." Kehleyr said.
"I know," She whispered. "And I love you."
The hand that Kehleyr had been holding onto went limp in hers. With tears streaming down her face, she held onto the body of her dead twin. She felt like a part of herself had been ripped away. She knew that she would never be complete until she and Dasha were reunited.
Sadly, Kehleyr took Dehleyr's left hand and took the pinkie ring that she had given her for their birthday. She slipped it onto her own finger. Kissing her sister on the forehead, Kehleyr sent Dehleyr's body back to the ancient and started on her journey, alone.
PART 6: KEHLEYR'S JOURNEY
The first few weeks after Dehleyr's death were the hardest for Kehleyr. She had always had her sister around, and living without her was hard to adjust to.
Many days, Kehleyr would look around her and expect Dehleyr to be there. When she wasn't, the truth would hit home again. It was a truth that never got any easier to bear. Though, over time, the wound would hurt less and less.
Early one morning, Kehleyr entered a village that reminded her of the one that she had grown up in. stopping at the outskirts of the village, Kehleyr crouched down to talk to her tiger, Blaze.
"I want you to stay here Blaze. I don't know how the people of this clan will react to seeing you. Do you understand?" The tiger nodded her head.
"Okay then." She said standing up. "I'll be back in a few minutes. I just need to get some supplies." Making sure her armor crystal was within reach, Kehleyr entered the village.
As she predicted, her appearance, caused quite a stir. It was so big that the leader of the clan came out to see what the commotion was all about. When he saw Kehleyr, he stopped.
Kehleyr felt a bolt of recognition slam into her. Even though it had been 17 years since she had seen him, she would recognize her brother Meisha anywhere! He hadn't changed that much over the years, a few lines here and there, and a few gray hairs, but that was all.
Kehleyr knew the instant that Meisha realized who she was. A smile of pure happiness spread across his face and he rushed over to hug her. Throwing her arms around her brother, Kehleyr felt happy for the first time since Dehleyr had died. That all changed, however, when Meisha looked at her and asked the question that she had been dreading.
"Where's Dasha?"
Kehleyr pulled away from her brother and walked a short distance away. She looked at the ring on her pinkie, and lived through Dehleyr's death all over again.
"What is it?" Meisha asked. Kehleyr turned around to face her. She had tears in her eyes.
"Dasha was killed two months ago by a dynasty warlord."
"A what?" He asked.
"A warlord." She replied. At Meisha's blank look, she started to explain. "Do you remember when we were born, there was a prophecy stating that we were going to be special?" Meisha nodded. "Well, when we were 20, the ancient discovered some armors that ancients a long time ago had entombed into an asteroid and sent up into space. Suffice to say, the two armors were our destinies. And dasha was killed because of it."
Meisha looked as though someone had just slapped him. Dasha, dead? He remembered the last time that he had seen her. She had just been a little girl.
"Kasha-" He began.
"No, don't call me that. My name is Kehleyr. Kasha is no longer."
Meisha nodded in understanding. He motioned her to his hut. "Let's go and talk." The two walked inside.
PART 7: FINDING KAILEI
Kehleyr made her home with Meisha and his clan. Over the rest of her life, Kehleyr rebuilt her relationship with her brother. She also found a man that she could spend the rest of her life with. His name was Keith Remurez and he was a member of Meisha's clan.
Ten years after Kehleyr joined her brother's clan, the two siblings were reunited with their sister, Sasha. She had gotten married at age 18 and had left the clan. It had been 22 years since she had last seen her sister. Just as Kehleyr had renewed her relationship with Meisha, she renewed her relationship with Sasha.
On a cold and blistery day, Meisha Shira died. He was 50 years old. He died with his family all around him. When he crossed over, he saw a figure waiting for him. As he got closer, he felt tears come to his eyes as he realized whom it was. Dehleyr. Taking her brother's hand, she led him to the next life to wait for their other siblings to make the cross. The same thing happened for Sasha when she died five years later. Except this time, both Dehleyr and Meisha awaited her.
For Kehleyr, after Meisha and Sasha died, life was very difficult. She had lost her older brother and sister, and she had lost her twin. Also, within a couple of years, she would lose her husband as well. She felt very lonely.
When Kehleyr felt her end coming near years later, she thought back on her life. She had been given a very special gift when she had assumed the armor of Halo. She had seen and experienced things that other people had never had the opportunity of experience.
Kehleyr reached her hand over to her bedside table and closed her hand around her globe sitting there. She and this globe had been through so many adventures. Kehleyr's memories took her back to one of the most difficult battles she had ever gone through. It was when Lord Talpa of the nether realm had tried to take over the earth realm. The ancient had stood up to him and managed to defeat him. But Talpa's armor had been left behind.
The ancient had known that if the evil armor had stayed whole, Talpa would have found a way to returning. And so, the ancient split it into nine separate armors. Each of them had a different soul to the armors. Five of them were linked to the earth. They resided in fire, space, light, earth, and water. Their symbols were Jin, Chi, Rei, Gi, and Shin. The other four were linked to the four seasons of the year. Their symbols were Chu, Tei, Ko, and Nin.
Kehleyr had to smile every time she thought of two of the armors. The ancient had made one of the armors exactly like her armor. She hoped that the armor would serve its master as well as hers had served her. For one of the other armors, the ancient had fashioned it after the armor of Starfire that Dasha had worn for such a short time.
Kehleyr looked at the globe in her hand. As much as it would kill her, she knew that her time with the globe was at an end. It was time for the globe to choose a new champion. With a heavy heart, Kehleyr willed her globe to return to the ancient.
After her body's demise, Kehleyr's spirit continued on its journey. It would not rest until it reconnected with the spirit of its twin. To do this, it followed the armor of Halo as it went from person to another. Finally, five thousand years after her body's demise, the spirit of Kehleyr found a person in which it could merge with. Her name was Kailei Serena Date. Kailei was a descendant of the man who had worn the armor of Halo during the war against Talpa in the year 1988. His name had been Sage Date.
Kailei had been born into an ancient's clan just as Kehleyr had. This one, however, was on a planet called Fantasia and had been started by the last descendant to the ancient's clan, Kayura, and her mate, Anubis, former warlord of cruelty. When she turned 18, Kailei had been chosen by the ancient to bear the armor of Halo. As a test to prove her worthiness to wear the armor, the ancient planned to send her back to the Ronin Warriors. The night before Kailei left, Kehleyr made her presence known. On that night, she and Kailei merged and became one person.
PART 8: INTRODUCTION OF THE RONINS
When Kehleyr first met the Ronins, the first thing she thought was that they looked young. Later on, she would learn that they were only 17. In the Ronins, Kehleyr found kindred souls. They also had been chosen to fight the evil that wanted to take over their world. In Kehleyr, they found someone that they could talk to, a person that understood what they were going through because she had been through it herself.
But something happened to the guys that Kehleyr never saw coming. It was the day when Sage and Rowen admitted their feelings to each other and became lovers. Sai and Kento followed not soon after. No matter what she did at night, she still heard the two couples at night. Not soon after, it became three couples, when Ryo and Meia admitted their feeling to one another and became lovers. After awhile, Kehleyr just learned to block it out. For about three months it was like this. All three couples fawning over each other during the day, but trying to keep it a secret even though they knew that everyone else knew.
About a month later, Kehleyr realized that there was something wrong with Sage and Rowen's relationship. Sage didn't seem to be as much in love with Rowen as he had been before. Kehleyr could see them growing steadily apart until there was an obvious rift between them. It was about this time that Sage got the phone call that would change everything. The phone call from his friend, Kristy.
PART 9: DEHLEYR'S RETURN
When Kehleyr first met Kristina, she had no idea that she would change her life in a way that Kehleyr would never forget. Kristy would give Kehleyr her sister back. Kehleyr would never forget that day for as long as she would live.
Kehleyr had found Kristy in the research room using Meia's computer. When Kehleyr had asked, Kristy had quickly brought up the desired information. It had been about her sister's armor; the armor of Starfire. Kehleyr still remembered the conversation.
"Hey Kristy, can you look something up for me?"
"I can try." She replied. "What is it?"
"Well, it's information that has to do with an Ancient's Clan that was around a long time ago. Try typing 'asteroid of ancient armors: Starfire.'"
"Found it. 'Armor of Starfire. Once worn by Dehleyr D'Shira D'Artai, sister of Kehleyr K'Shira Remurez, warrior of Halo. Born in 2,490 B.C.E., Both Dehleyr and Kehleyr were destined for greatness. At the age of 20, Dehleyr received the armor of Starfire. Dehleyr was killed by dynasty soldiers five years later in the year 2,465 B.C.E. Soon after, the armor disappeared and was declared lost.'"
Kristy looked at Kehleyr.
"Wow."
"Wow indeed." Kehleyr replied. "Part of Kehleyr died that day. She and Dehleyr were twins. She hasn't felt the same since."
"Wait." Kristy said. "How would you know that? That happened thousands of years ago. How would you know what she felt?"
"Simple." She said. "That's my sister that you're reading about on the screen!"
Kristy stared at her in shock. "Let me explain. You see, when my physical body died, my spirit didn't and I've moved from person to person over the millennia. Once in a while, I would find a person that I could communicate with. Most of the time they didn't hear me or they chose to ignore me. This all changed when I found Kailei. She was a fellow warrior like me and I knew she would be able to understand what I tried to tell her. For years, she and I have been trying to find a person that could be to Dehleyr what Kailei is to me. We think we might have found that person in you."
Kristy stared at Kehleyr in shock. As much as she didn't want to believe it, it explained a lot. She made her decision.
"How do I receive Dehleyr?"
"Sit somewhere quietly and let your mind go blank. Dehleyr will surface."
"Okay." Kristy said. She came out from behind the desk and sat down on the floor. Kehleyr shut the door as she left. Kristy cleared her mind, slipped into a meditative state, and waited for Dehleyr.
Out in the hall, Kehleyr paced very nervously. She hoped that Dehleyr could join with Kristy. As Kristy had read on the computer screen, Dehleyr D'Shira D'Artai of Starfire had been killed thousands of years ago doing what she had enjoyed most in life: fighting the evil of the Dynasty. She had died in her sister's arms after making her a promise that someday she'd return and they'd be together again. Kehleyr's memories took her back to that day.
She and Dasha had been fighting a group of dynasty soldiers and warlords who had insisted that they give up their armor. When they refused, the warlords attacked. Soon, she and Dasha had been separated. Kasha had just killed a soldier and was looking for another opponent when she felt searing agony across her middle. She knew something had happened to her sister. She quickly ran to her. She got there just in time to see a warlord pull his sword out of Dehleyr's back. Letting loose her temper that would someday be hot enough to challenge Ryo of Wildfire, Kehleyr charged. The next thing she remembered, she was cradling Dehleyr on her lap.
"Hang on Dash. You can do it. You can't leave me. How would I be able to live with one part of myself missing? I don't know how to live without you."
Dehleyr smiled a tiny smile. "You'll find a way. You always do." She whispered. "I promise that someday though, I'll come back and you and I will be together again."
"I love you Dasha." Kehleyr said.
"I know." She whispered. "And I love you."
The hand that Kehleyr was holding went limp in hers. With tears streaming down her cheeks, Kehleyr held onto the body of her dead twin. She felt like a part of herself had been ripped away. She knew she would never be complete again until she and Dehleyr were reunited. Sadly, Kehleyr took Dehleyr's left hand and slipped off the pinkie ring that she had given her for their birthday and slipped it onto her own pinkie. Kissing her sister on the forehead, Kehleyr sent Dehleyr's body to the Ancient and started on her journey, alone.
Sitting in the hall, Kehleyr wiped away the tears that were making their way down her cheeks. Just then, from underneath the door to the research room, came a light so bright that Kehleyr had to cover her eyes. When the light faded, Kehleyr knocked on the door and slipped inside. Kehleyr found Kristy still sitting on the floor, as she had been when Kehleyr had left.
"Did it work?" She asked quietly.
Kristy got up from where she was sitting and stood in front of Kehleyr.
"Yes, Kasha, it worked."
Kehleyr grabbed her sister and hugged with all her might. Dehleyr returned the hug with just as much enthusiasm. For the longest time, the twins hugged each other. For Kehleyr, that first hug that she shared with her sister was like coming home and finding a piece of herself that had been missing. Kasha knew that she and Dasha had a lot of catching up to do, but for that day, they just wanted to be with each other and forget that the world existed. It would still be there tomorrow.
PART 10: BACK TO THE PRESENT
Dasha and Kasha came back to the present. They knew that their relationship was as strong as it had been growing up, now that their memories had been shared and remembered. Kasha took her sister's hand and squeezed it. Dasha looked over at her.
'I love you Dash.' Kasha thought. Dehleyr smiled. 'And I love you Kash.' The sisters hugged. Dasha returned her attention to the two people out in the backyard. Rowen and Andrew. They both looked like they were having so much fun. Kasha followed her sister's gaze. She sighed. 'Instead of watching them, go out there and be with them.' Dasha took her sister's advice and headed outside.
When she made it to the backyard, she saw Andrew playing with some of his toys in the grass under the watchful eyes of White Blaze, Blaze, and Star Blaze.
When Rowen saw Star Blaze lift her head and look behind him, he turned. When he saw Dasha, his face lit up. "Hello, my love." He said. Seeing something in her face, he enveloped her in his arms when she reached him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Dasha said into his chest. "Just reliving some memories. Some good, some bad." She pulled away to look Rowen in the face. "And also realizing how extremely lucky I am to have both a wonderful husband and a wonderful son in my life. I love you Rowen."
"And I love you." He said tenderly. They kissed.
~The End~
