Prologue: Beyond the Grave
Aelita Stones
A few years had gone by since that day in XANA's fortress. And the memory of it still haunts me. Every night, I have the same dream, of how Damon plunged the sword down, stabilizing the reactor long enough for us to get out. I knew he did it for all of us, but I think he was doing it for me. He gave himself so that I could live on. I love him so much.
The others have forgotten him, but he is still burned into my mind. I keep bringing him up, but Jeremie tells me only to let go.
"You need to stop dwelling on the past, and focus on the present!" He says, but I remain firm.
"Jeremie, the present and future is your thing. The past is mine." I said back to him, and he just shakes his head and walks away.
Me and Jeremie have been married for over a year, and we've had a lot of tension between us. My dwelling on the past annoys Jeremie, and his want to forget the only thing that got us here infuriates me. But whenever our kids come around, we just smile and act like everything's OK.
Me and Jeremie now have 3 kids. 2 boys, and one girl. Their names are James, Dominic and Allison. James and Dominic have never really gotten along, and they are constantly fighting over who gets to be the "Prince" for the day, while Allison is always the "Princess". They were funny to watch.
"I'm the Prince for the day, James!" Dominic yelled at his brother.
"No, I'm the Prince. You're the servant!" James yelled back.
"I am!" Dominic shouted
"No, I am!" James shouted right back. Then Jeremie would always intervene, and do a coin toss. And then he would blame Odd for causing this mess.
Odd had called Allison "Princess" because she looked a lot like me, the short pink hair, and the green eyes. She even has one little ball earring in her ear. He always had a way with starting trouble. He was a good friend.
As I lay in my bed, reading my book, the memory of Damon keeps coming back, and I can hear him every now and again, as if he's talking to me from the grave.
Jeremie thinks I'm imagining things, but I know that I'm not. He sounds so real, as if he were right above me. I look up, but he is never there. It always disappoints me, not to see his familiar and friendly face.
"Aelita-" Comes his voice, as if he's right next to me. I sit up, and look around. No one is there. I go back to reading my book, but I hear him again.
"Aelita, can you hear me?" I look up again, still no one.
"Damon?" I ask the emptiness of the room, and I don't hear a response for the first few seconds.
"Very Good, Princess. You can hear me." He says, and his voice has an echo to it, like it's a ghost. It starts to bring my hopes up, yet scare me a little.
"Where are you?" I ask, and he immediately responds, like I'm having a conversation with him.
"I'm right here with you, just like I said."
"But, where? I can't see you!"
"Look at the mirror" He says, and as soon as I do, I see a little Twinkle, it frightens me, I slowly get up, and walk over to it, and I see nothing as I stand in it, my entire body visible.
"Damon, I-" I start to say, then I see a dark spot. I put my hand over it, and it disappears, I take it off, and it is a bit darker.
"What the?!" I ask in surprise, and the spot gets darker each second.
"Damon?!" A face appears, very faint, but I can just make out the distinctive characteristics that he has.
"Very good, Aelita." He says, as he comes into view. He looks exactly like himself. I was immediately filled with joy, moving to go and hug him, but stopping, knowing that it was not possible.
"Ah, Aelita. I have a few more surprises for you." He says, as he moves his hand, and just when he places it on my shoulder in the mirror, I feel something like a hand on my shoulder. I gasp.
"You can-" I start, but he cuts me off.
"Yes, I can interact with you. So far, you are the only one that can see and hear me, for you are the only one I want to be able to see and hear me. I can interact with everything, and everyone." He explains, and I understand most of it.
"But then how come I can't see you?" I ask, and he laughs a bit.
"You can, but on a certain condition for a little while. It has to be through something that gives off a reflection. Such as a window, a lake, a TV screen, or a mirror." he explains, and I nod.
"I get it, and why did you say for a while?" I ask him, and I see his face get somewhat serious.
"Right now, being as you are the only one who remembers me, I only have the ability to let you see me through reflective objects. As more people start to remember me, my power will grow, allowing me to make a physical incarnation of myself for a period of time." He explains.
"If you can get everyone in the group to remember me, I can at least be able to do it for about 2 and a half minutes." He says again. I quickly deduce that each person who remembers him, adds thirty seconds to the clock.
"But what about my kids?" I ask, and he ponders it.
"They should still add the thirty seconds" He concludes after a minute, and a big smile forms on my face. I could finally have Damon back.
"But, you need to make people remember me. I can't do anything on my own, but I can assist you in your conquest." He says. And I immediately start thinking; what are ways to make people remember him? I come up with an idea. The old statue.
"Damon, I have an idea." I explain it to him, and he smiles; this was definitely going to work
XANA
I lay down in the grass, regathering my strength from the battle with those wretched brats. I am invincible. Nothing can possibly kill me. Not even one man's desperate attempt to save his friends. Nothing, can save them now.
"If you can get everyone in the group to remember me, I can at least be able to do it for about 2 and a half minutes." Damon said to my Pink-haired nemesis.
"I have an idea" She says back, and I smile at the exact same time as Damon does.
"You little fool. You may bring Damon back, but you'll also bring me back. It's time for you to make a choice, my little pink-headed pawn. Do you want true love, or for the world to be safe?" I said demonically, and then I start to laugh. She would obviously pick true love. And it will be her biggest mistake ever.