What if Gemma actually died trying to defeat the Tree of All Souls? What would happen to all her friends after the end of the fateful battle? Would there be a way to bring her back?
Chap 1: My Funeral
It's an oddly sunny day for such a morbid event to take place on. I am still surprised that the first Priestess sent me back here, for I still do not understand what I have to do. How can I help anyone if they don't even know why I'm there?
Everyone I know is there, except for father because he is still in India trying to recover from his quickly deteriorating health. I'm not even sure if Tom or Grandmama even told him of the terrible news.
I see Ann and Felicity, crying again for another friend possibly long lost. I hope the rest of their lives are no where near as depressing as it has been the past few years. Felicity – at first – tried not to cry, but the strong emotions in the air quickly pushed her to her last limit.
Ann is not having the racking sobs Grandmother is having however, but silent tears streaming down her face. I try to look at her wrists – for evidence of any new cuts, but I cannot see past the long sleeves of her dress.
Tom is also there standing next to Grandmama – trying to console her. He looks very solemn as he clutches a clump of dirt, which is about to thrown into the newly dug grave.
Its interesting how I was chosen to rest here – on the grounds of Spence Academy. Maybe I'm meant to protect the portal to the Realms…
My eye catches some movement near the forest. In a blink I am near the source of it and I discover it is Kartik. As I approach closer, a single tear falls down his face – oh how I hope I could wipe it away. I have never seen him cry before, not even after the death of his brother. He staggers for a moment and his hand clutches onto a dead tree to keep his balance. Before my very eyes, the tree starts to grow green leaves again as its roots dig deeper into the soft soil. I am very surprised because, although I gave him magic before the battle, he still has some left – it must've been a week since I died. Kartik does not look as surprised, it's as if this has been happening for awhile now. However, he does look even more depressed as if the magic reminds him of something precious he lost: me.
I still do not understand how he has the magic now. I thought only women could be priestesses. He was one of the Rakshana before, but I never heard of power being transferred like that. Does Ann and Felicity have magic too? Did I really extend the power of the Order to the rest of the Realms, as well as to some beings of our world as well?
Either way, the First Priestess did send me back to do something, but what? Am I bound to walk the earth for all eternity - unable to find solace in the afterlife?
I thought it was my destiny to die to protect the Realms, but is it really? Maybe I'm here to help my friends move on.
Suddenly I am pulled into a tiny bathroom I do not recognize. I realize I am standing next to Ann who is looking at her self in the mirror – tears streaming down her face again and a small razor blade in hand. I look at her wrists. The old cuts have healed and are darker compared to the rest of her skin.
No, I mutter but she cannot hear me anyway.
She brings the razor to her wrist, but for some reason she cannot cut herself.
"No," she starts hoarsely, "Gemma wouldn't have you doing this again." She says to her reflection in the mirror.
I take a breath relieved that she decided against her old methods for releasing pain.
She drops her hand and opens a draw next to the sink to place the razor back inside. Ann shuts it along with all the pain she has carried for all these years.
I smile, thinking maybe it won't be so hard for my friends to move on. I hope for their happiness to come soon.
Slowly, I start to remember the day of the final battle – the day I died trying to defeat the Tree of All Souls. Of course, all of the Realms creatures that we knew of came to our aid. The Gorgon was permanently removed from taking care of the ship. Since she was no longer attached to it, she could fight with the rest of us. Her yellow eyes nearly froze me into stone one time, but she quickly told me look away.
Trying to bring the special dagger to the Tree to finally kill it, I saw Kartik fighting his brother to the death. Kartik eventually took one of the swords Amar started with and was dueling with him.
I was so involved with Kartik's safety that I didn't notice the dark haired, sharp tooth girl I used to know: Pippa. She lunged at me – stiletto in hand – and the dagger nearly reached my flesh, but instead cut a rip into my already tattered dress. I saw her look over my shoulder the same time as I heard Kartik yell, "Gemma, watch out behind you!"
But it was too late. Before I knew it, Amar was restraining me and I had no hope to escape his iron hold grasp around me.
"See brother," Amar started, "I told you, you'd be the death of her!"
Pippa walked slowly to the front of me – merely inches away.
"Hehe, hehe, hehe," she laughed humorlessly, "You see Gemma, now that I have my own magic I no longer need you to give me any. But of course you already knew that."
"Pippa please," I breathed, "don't do this, think of Felicity – you love her!"
For a quick moment, I saw a wave of something else other then a killing instinct flash across her face, but before I knew it, it was gone.
"Hmm, doesn't matter anymore – If I can't be with her then what the hell does it matter anymore." she said ruthlessly.
I swallowed hard - I knew what was coming. The shiny dagger was still in her hand and in a flash, she plunged it into my stomach.
I gasped out in pain as the blood spilt onto the Winterland's frozen ground.
However the tree did not accept my blood the way it should have. Instead, the blood flowed into the soil turning the Winterlands lush and green.
The last thing I saw before I died was Kartik stabbing his brother in his back, while Felicity and Ann brought forth their most powerful magic to kill Pippa. There was still chaos even though my destiny had been fulfilled.
So tell me what you all think
i know the idea might seem completely depressing, but i want to see where this goes.
please let me know if i should continue!
