Hi there! Yes, I've re-written SCYSD, because I really grew to hate the first one. For those that read the first one, I hope you find this one more satisfactory, and to all my reviewers, thank you SO much, you were brilliant :) The storyline is more or less the same, but the chapters will differ a lot. So, I hope you enjoy :)
So Close, Yet So DistantWritten by Xanda
Chapter One : Prologue
In the land of Weyard, there lived Adepts. An Adept was defined as somebody who could control a potentially dangerous power, associated with the Elements. Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind were the four elements that made up everything on Weyard. Everybody knew of the Elements, but few knew of the Adepts, who preferred to keep it that way. Normal humans feared Adepts, and as the human population vastly outnumbered the Adept population, it was not wise for the Adepts to make the humans known of their presence, for fear of rebellion. And so the Adepts tried to lead normal life amongst humans, keeping their power secret.
One particular town defied this, however. The town of Vale, which resided on Angara, consisted of nothing but Adepts, and so they were free to use and harness their power without fear of being attacked. Vale was sealed off to all outsiders, though there were occasional exceptions. This was with good reason – hidden within Vale were the Elemental Stars, and these sacred stones couldn't be touched. The Stars were the pure source of the Elements, and disturbing these would bring about a great disaster, or so the Valean legends said.
There was one particular legend that stated that if the opposing Elements ever merged, then a great power would be unleashed. Again, this was potentially dangerous, and so a law was passed that Adepts of opposing Elements may not interact for long. It was especially enforced that opposing Elements could not forge relationships. Doing so was extremely dangerous, according to legend. Mars (or Fire) Adepts were therefore forbidden from prolonged interaction with Mercury, or Water Adepts. Jupiter (Wind) was also restricted from forging relationships with Venus (Earth).
There were those who scoffed at this legend, and believed it to be something that was invented to stop the uniting of opposing Elements. One particular Mars Adept was one of those that believed this. This Mars Adept was a resident of Vale, and as Vale was made up of Venus and Mars Adepts, she had no reason to complain, and yet she believed that the Adepts were slowly being restricted. Her name was Jenna, and she would go on to defy this legend...
"There he goes again...few seconds, maybe?"
"No, we waited too long. We'll have to wait until he comes back around, and then goes back again..."
"Are you sure? If we go in about five seconds, and run, we might make it."
"Might, Jenna, might. Last time I was caught sneaking up here, I couldn't sit down for days."
"Yeah, but you thought you saw a coin on the floor, and actually stopped to pick it up."
"How was I supposed to know the guy had just turned back around the corner? Sheesh."
"Keep your voice down! Look, he's going back around again..."
"All right...one...two...two and a half-"
"Isaac!"
"All right, now!"
From the dense shrubbery came two teenagers, and without looking behind them, they sprinted up a small hill, and up the steps. Knowing they would be out of sight there, they stopped for breath, and grinned at each other.
"We made it!" The girl, Jenna, clutched a stitch in her side. She had long reddish hair that fell to her waist when it was down. Today it was held up in a ponytail, though several strands framed her slim face. Her eyes were only a couple of shades darker than her hair. Being a resident of Vale, she was an Adept, a Mars Adept to be specific. She was quite tall for her age, though she lacked the maturity of an average seventeen year old. She giggled at the thought of being caught by the Sanctum guardians, as the two had narrowly missed being seen by a particularly strict one.
"Yeah, don't count your chickens yet, though," The boy spoke up, smiling despite himself. He had sandy coloured hair that seemed to defy gravity, and his eyes matched the colour of the ocean at midday. His name was Isaac, and he was only a couple of months younger than Jenna. He wore a yellow scarf, even in the immense heat of the summer, as a tribute to his father, who had died a few years earlier. He was also an Adept, but he was aligned with Earth, something of which he was proud, even if he did have an odd fetish for houseplants.
"We're so close, now..." Jenna gazed toward the large, forbidden building looming just ahead of the two. "Kraden's been talking about this place for ages, but I think we're the first to see it in a long while. It's quite pretty for a building." Isaac snorted.
"Yeah, but it's what's inside that counts." Inside, he brimmed with excitement. After hearing all about the legends that lay inside, he was dying to wrench open the doors and see them for himself. "Come on, we didn't come this far to back out now." The two headed for the sacred Sanctum, dubbed Sol Sanctum.
As they walked, Jenna glanced toward Isaac, wondering why on Weyard he had come with her. She had been independent for years after all, after her parents and brother were killed in a tragic storm. But, after hearing about her plan to see Kraden's teachings for herself, Isaac had jumped at the opportunity to assist her. Not that Jenna was complaining, in fact secretly, she was glad. Isaac had taken care of her since she was orphaned, and he seemed so much more than just a friend. He was handsome, caring, and strong, and he was also the only one with whom Jenna could share her thoughts of the tragic incident three years earlier. The accident had claimed her family, and Isaac's father, and though the two rarely spoke of it, there was an unspoken understanding between the two. Of course, she had other friends, Garet in particular seemed to value her friendship, but Isaac was special. And it was that that made Jenna glad that he was with her today.
"...Jenna?"
She snapped out of her thoughts, and found herself at the entrance to Sol Sanctum. Her heart pounded with excitement. This was it. She had been completely fascinated with the legends and tales that Kraden had spoken of during their many lessons on Alchemy with him, and had always secretly harboured an ambition to one day see the Sanctum's glory for herself. Isaac stood by the entrance, and grinned. He, too, seemed to feel the same excitement, and Jenna wondered if he had come for the same reasons that she had.
"Heave..." Isaac pulled at the heavy door, and managed to open it so they could both fit through. "Af-after you," he panted. Jenna quickly slipped in through the opening, and Isaac followed quickly. The door shut with a resounding bang.
"Well," Jenna commented as they walked through the first corridor, "this was...umm..."
"Unexpected," Isaac finished for her. They had been expecting something other than a large blue corridor, something that perhaps gave off an aura of incredible power, but then, Isaac reasoned, they wouldn't put it in the entrance hall. It would be too easy to reach.
"Hmmm," Jenna walked into the room at the end of the long corridor, and surveyed the surroundings. Nothing too interesting, except for the large picture of the moon engraved into the floor. "Luna? But...aren't we in the Sol Sanctum? This doesn't make much sense..."
"There'll be something else," Isaac said, pointing down a small corridor that evidently led to another room. "All right, I'll go and have a quick look. Wait here, and if something happens, shout for me." With that, he wandered into the next room. "Now, this makes sense," he said quietly, looking at the floor. A picture of Sol was carved into the marble. "But apart from that...nothing."
Glancing around, Isaac frowned. This definitely wasn't what he expected. "I'm going to look for a switch, or a lever, or something!" Isaac called through to the next room.
"All right, be careful!" Was the response.
Isaac wandered up the stairs, and walked into a larger room. This one contained four statues of beautiful women, and a picture of Luna was engraved on the floor. Isaac gasped as he saw four switches by the statues. "I found it! Yes!" He ran to the nearest statue, and pushed it with all of his might onto the large panel. It hit its target, and the image of Luna suddenly started turning into a faint one of Sol. "Aha!" Isaac cried happily, and ran to the next statue. However, before he reached it, there was a terrible noise, and a sudden earthquake sent him to his feet. Lightning started striking the floor, and Isaac had to roll around for a couple of minutes, before being able to stabilize himself without being struck.
"Isaac!" The anguished cry came from downstairs, and as Isaac got to his feet, panicked, Jenna ran up the stairs into the room. She looked terrified.
"Jenna! What happened?"
"I know what caused the storm!" she cried, running to the statue and heaving it off the switch. The sudden earthquake stopped, and there was no more lightning. Jenna leaned against the statue in sheer relief, breathing heavily. "It was this. The Sanctum. It caused the storm!"
"What?" Isaac took Jenna by the shoulders, and gazed into her eyes. "How do you know?"
"I don't know! I saw things, things that happened three years ago!" Isaac knew immediately that she was referring to the night the boulder crashed down on Vale. "The storm was the same, except stronger," Jenna closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "The whole room went dark, and I could hear the storm roaring, and..."
Isaac stared into her eyes, hardly daring to believe it. "Then...this room is a trap or something. And if that's true...then we're not the first to reach this room in a while. Someone else was here, three years ago..." He had a sudden flashback – it was raining, he was crying about something, two strangers were approaching him angrily – and then it was gone. Isaac noticed Jenna was exceptionally pale, and he pulled her into an embrace. "It's all right. We don't have to carry on."
"No." Jenna pulled back, and shook her head, still breathing rather deeply. "We've come this far..."
Isaac grinned. "Knew you'd say something like that. Well, there must be something here to disarm that; otherwise it wouldn't be possible to reach the Stars. There's another room there," he pointed toward what looked like another large room.
The two of them walked in, and saw another few statues. However, there was a larger one in the centre, carrying a large stone tablet. "That could be it," commented Jenna, walking toward one statue. She gave it a test push, and found that once it was on the switch, nothing happened. She breathed in relief. "Hey, look, it's making a hole in the floor."
Isaac looked, and sure enough, a faint hole had appeared just in front of the large statue. "I'll bet this other one...yep," he had pushed the other statue onto the switch, and the faint hole became a true hole, large enough to pull the big statue into it. Isaac approached it, and started concentrating his Venus energy into Psynergy. With this, he moved the large statue into the hole. A large click indicated that they had disarmed the trap.
"All right, now it should be safe," Isaac walked through to the other room, Jenna following, walking slightly faster than usual.
"Just to make sure..." Jenna heaved a statue onto one of the switches, and tensed. Isaac got ready to pull the statue back off the switch if need be, but nothing happened. The picture of Luna changing to Sol was clearer, however. "It's safe. Come on, if we shift the others I bet something will happen."
It took a short while, as neither Jenna nor Isaac were particularly strong, but once all four statues were on their respective switches, the Luna picture had vanished, and Sol was in its place. Jenna grinned. "Something must have changed! Maybe it was downstairs, though."
The two, unable to contain their excitement, ran down the stairs, and into the Sol room. However, apart from the image on the floor changing into Luna, nothing else had changed. Jenna scanned the area, but found nothing unusual. "Strange...I wonder why nothing's happened? Isaac, what are you doing?"
Isaac had walked into the other room, attracted by a beam of blue light. Jenna quickly followed, and gasped when she saw the light led to a portal. Isaac punched his fist into the air triumphantly, and hastened to the portal. Jenna followed, and reached out to touch it. It shimmered and distorted when her fingertips made contact. She amused herself for a few seconds, making the portal ripple much like water, and giggled, unable to contain her enthusiasm. "Well, this is it! It must be..."
"We'll soon find out," Isaac stepped back a couple of paces, and then ran and leapt into the portal. Jenna ran up, suddenly concerned for Isaac's safety, but his voice floated through from the other side, telling her it was all right. Jenna followed suit, and leapt in after him.
"Oof..." Jenna landed awkwardly, and stood up to see Isaac looking out across the room. "Oh, wow!" Jenna's eyes had never seen such a beautiful display. A large chasm stretched out as far as the eye could see, and it glimmered with a lovely, greenish glow. Dotted across the chasm were small platforms, and more statues stood at the end of these, on larger platforms. There were four in total, and each seemed to be holding a ball of light. They were different colours, and Jenna quickly realised what they actually were.
"Isaac! This is it! We're in the Inner Sanctum!" Jenna jumped up and down, ecstatic. Isaac was slightly calmer, though inside his heart was leaping around in joy.
"Jenna, do you realise where we are? So many people long to see this with their own eyes, and now here we are!"
"Look, there's Mars!" Jenna had found the statue holding the Mars Star, and felt her Psynergy warm. "Such power..."
"Nah, Venus is better," said Isaac, staring at the orange Star. Its glow was irresistible, and he felt somehow stronger watching the light pulsate.
"Hah," Jenna grinned at Isaac, "don't forget who won that fight at Vale last year. I believe Kurt is a Mars, I repeat, Mars Adept."
"Koln tripped over his own feet," Isaac retorted, sticking his tongue out at Jenna. His face suddenly turned serious. "Hey, did Kraden say anything about holding the Stars?"
"Umm..." Jenna quickly cast her memory back to the lessons on the Elemental Stars, "yeah, if all four are taken, then the Sanctum will react badly. The Stars are used to light the Elemental Lighthouses, right? Kraden says that if that happens, then the world will be saved."
" 'Saved?' But, the teachings of Vale say that Alchemy's dangerous..."
Jenna smirked. "Yeah, maybe Kraden wants to take over Weyard or something."
Isaac laughed, and then returned his gaze to the Venus Star. "But holding one at a time...that can't be too dangerous..."
Jenna gazed at Isaac, smiling. His eyes were alight with excitement. "I suppose that'd be all right. You first, though. I'm worth too much if something happens."
"Ha ha, I'm laughing my head off," Isaac grinned. "Just...before I go, can you promise me something?"
Jenna stared at him, noticing his sudden seriousness. "Uhm, I guess. What is it?"
"Promise me that if anything happens, you'll run. We don't know for sure what'll happen when I get this stone, the whole place might flood or something."
Jenna laughed nervously. "Always the pessimistic one. But what about you?"
"I'll be all right," Isaac took her shoulders gently, and gazed into her warm eyes. "Please, Jenna, for me?"
Jenna grinned. "All right, I promise, but nothing's going to happen." Why was Isaac so anxious all of a sudden? Isaac smiled, grateful she hadn't questioned further. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about disturbing the Sanctum. But, he supposed, Kraden would have said something about just one Star being disturbed...he stepped toward the stepping-stones that would lead to the Venus Star. "Here goes nothing..." He inhaled, and then jumped to the platform. Apart from being a little slippery, due to a heavy growth of moss, it seemed fine.
"Hehe, one step closer!" shouted Jenna, grinning from ear to ear. She had been looking forward to seeing Sol Sanctum ever since she had first heard about it, but she hadn't been prepared for the immense excitement she was feeling. Still, Jenna was a little anxious about Isaac, after all, the chasm looked very deep. A sudden muffled sound coming from the portal distracted her, and she narrowed her eyes to scan the area. She could see nothing through the darkness however, and merely shrugged and got on with cheering Isaac along.
Isaac reached the larger platform, and hurried toward the statue, hardly able to contain his excitement. The Star's warm, orange glow strengthened Isaac's energy, and the air around the stone felt warm. Tentatively, he reached out, and laid a finger on the Star. It felt pleasantly warm, and feeling confident, he plucked it from the statue's ornate hands. It felt comforting, and at the same time, immensely powerful. "Wow..." he breathed, not able to manage much more.
"Thank you. Now, we shall relieve you of the rest."
Isaac whipped his head around. That voice hadn't belonged to Jenna, and yet it sounded oddly familiar. His eyes found two strangers in the darkness, one of which appeared to be holding Jenna's shoulders. Isaac could tell, even from this distance, than Jenna was afraid, and so it meant the two strangers could only mean trouble. Isaac rushed to the edge of the platform he was standing on, and suddenly saw a reflection from something the taller stranger was carrying. It was a sword, and the sight of the cold metal made Isaac's heart sink horribly.
"Don't just stand there, boy!" snapped the person holding Jenna. The voice belonged to a woman, and Isaac could just make her out in the dim lighting. "Bring us the Stars."
Isaac licked his dry lips, thinking hard. One wrong move could put Jenna at risk...he had to stall for time, so he could think of a plan. "You want this?" he asked, holding out the Venus Star.
"You only have one?" the stranger carrying the sword, a man, sounded impatient. He muttered something to his companion, who nodded. Jenna watched Isaac, wide-eyed. He shook his head very slightly, and Jenna understood that it meant, "don't fight them." The stranger turned back to Isaac. "Very well. Bring us the Star you have."
"And then go back, and fetch the others!" The woman said.
"What?" Isaac was worried – the others couldn't be disturbed, it was too dangerous. "The others? But that'll-"
"If you value her safety," the woman shook Jenna's shoulders, who closed her eyes fearfully, "then you will comply."
Isaac watched Jenna for a second, and then gazed at the Star. Much as he didn't want to disturb the Sanctum, he couldn't risk Jenna's safety. Besides, the legends of the great catastrophe if the Stars were disturbed hadn't been proven. "All right," he said softly, just loud enough for the others to hear. Without another word, he began jumping back across the platforms, and landed at the main platform without difficulty.
"On the floor," commanded the man. Up close, Isaac could see that he didn't look like the average human. His ears were pointed, and his skin, unless the light was tricking Isaac's eyes, was blue. The woman, in contrast, had fairly normal skin, apart from the deep red markings around her eyes. She carried the same pointed ears, though.
Isaac held the Star for the briefest of moments before depositing it on the ground. The warmth of it was gone, along with the comfort. Feeling slightly worse, Isaac turned slowly to head toward the Mercury Star. Before he jumped to the platform, however, he turned. "Just one thing,"
"You're not in a position to bargain," said the woman coldly.
"You'll have to get those Stars yourself, then," said Isaac, his temper rising. Jenna's eyes widened in horror. Behind her, the man stepped forward, and Isaac finally saw his true appearance in the dull light. There was no other word for it – he was menacing. His red eyes glared at Isaac, and Isaac felt a cold chill shoot up his spine.
"Bring us the Stars," he said, "and your friend will be safe." Behind him, Jenna stilled, knowing full well that she could be killed at any second.
"How do I know?" Isaac asked bravely. "How do I know you won't just kill her once I bring you the last one?"
"Relax," a voice issued from behind the portal, and again, it sounded oddly familiar. Jenna, in particular, seemed to recognise it, but she couldn't put her finger on where she had heard it before. The owner of the voice made an appearance through the portal. He had long brown hair, tied in a ponytail, and for some odd reason, was wearing a mask. Jenna stared at him, wondering why the mask was necessary. She also wondered why he didn't feel like a complete stranger. He spoke again, "you shall not be harmed." The newcomer stepped toward the blue man, though his expression was unreadable due to the mask. "That was our agreement, was it not?"
The blue man made a noise somewhere between annoyance and agreement. "There, you have your guarantee," he said coldly to Isaac. "Now go."
Knowing that this was the best guarantee he was going to get, Isaac jerked his head into a nod, and jumped between platforms to the Mercury Star. He walked up to the statue, and grabbed it from the statue's hands. This one felt cold in contrast with the Venus Star, and if Isaac strained his ears enough, he swore he could hear a faint noise of rushing water. As he turned to get back to the main plateau, a sudden tremor sent him to his knees.
"What?" the woman inhaled sharply; all four on the main platform hadn't fallen. "What was that? Surely not a repeat-?"
"No," the blue man spoke firmly. "We are safe. It's stopped."
Jenna exhaled in relief. If the tremor had been worse, Isaac might have fallen from the platform...she gave an involuntary shudder, and the woman tightened her grip on Jenna's shoulders. Out of the corner of her eye, Jenna saw that the man in the mask had his gaze on her. Resisting another shudder, she turned back to watch Isaac come back with the Mercury Star, though her mind kept screaming "pervert!"
Isaac deposited the Mercury Star by the Venus Star, and immediately headed for the Jupiter Star, not wanting to anger the antagonists further. As he leapt from platform to platform, Jenna quickly glanced at the masked man a couple of times, thinking about why he seemed so familiar. She hadn't seen him around Vale before, and she'd never been permitted to leave the village, so where had she met him? Before her mind presented her with a possible answer, Isaac had taken the Jupiter Star, and it glowed a fierce purple in his hands.
"Finally, he's hurrying up..." the woman muttered.
All was not well, though. Another sudden tremor, this one more powerful than the last, sent Isaac to his knees again. Jenna lost her balance, and in the confusion of the tremor, the woman lost her grip on her. Standing up quickly, Jenna noticed the others were on their knees too, and she made to run toward the platform leading to Isaac's platform, when she remembered his words. Promise me that if anything happens, you'll run. She'd promised...but it made her anxious about what would happen to Isaac if she left him. His oceanic eyes met hers for the briefest of moments, and Jenna knew she had to keep her promise. Mid-step, she changed direction, and suddenly sprinted for the portal.
A shout behind her caused her heart to leap, and she only hoped she could outrun any possible pursuers. However, a few steps before she'd reached the portal, something suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her path. Startled, Jenna halted quickly, but lost her balance again, and fell to her knees. The tremors were continuing this time, and she found it hard to regain her footing, but someone grasped her arm, and helped her to her feet. "Hello there," came a pleasant voice, and Jenna looked up to see yet another stranger. This one was human, but had very blue hair, and aquamarine eyes. Was he here to help?
"Alex, don't let her escape!" cried the woman.
Maybe not.
The tremors subsided, and the relief of everyone in the room could be felt. Isaac, who had almost dropped the stone over the chasm during the earthquakes, stood, and prepared to jump back to the main platform. As he jumped back, the man in the mask strode over to where the newcomer was stood, still holding Jenna. His stance was that of an angry man.
"Let her go."
Jenna was confused. He was on their side, right? So why was he suddenly demanding her release? The man who held her, Alex, blinked in polite confusion.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me. She isn't involved in any of this, Alex, and you aren't giving the orders around here."
"Ah. This is why I suggested you stayed behind when we came for the Elemental Stars." Alex was calm, something which puzzled Jenna. The average person would grow angry at such remarks. The man in the mask, in contrast, was getting angrier.
"I'm not letting anything getting in the way of the quest," he spat, "but there's no reason to involve my- innocents."
Jenna was too absorbed in the discussion to say anything. Something about what the masked man had said didn't make sense, and Jenna felt sure that he had been about to say something else.
"If that's how you feel, Felix, then I suggest you take it up with Saturos."
The masked man tensed. It took Jenna a few seconds to register the fact that Alex had called the masked man Felix. She blinked several times, forgetting their argument. Felix? That had been the name of her brother...but her brother was dead, killed in the tragic storm three years earlier. Her mind jumped to a sudden conclusion, and she inhaled sharply. Was that why he seemed so familiar? It couldn't possibly be...yet, stranger things had happened. Then again, there were plenty of Felix's in the world...but still...
"Are you all right?" The voice belonged to Alex the stranger, and he was looking down at her with some concern. Her sudden gasp of air must have startled him.
"I'm...fine," she said weakly, hardly daring to believe what her mind was telling her. Deep down, she did wish that it was her brother...but could it be possible? And if it really was Felix standing beside her, were her parents alive too?
"Hurry up!" the scaly man – Saturos, was it? – snapped at Isaac. Clearly, he was impatient.
Isaac had already deposited the Jupiter Star, and had almost reached the final one. Mars. Had the antagonists not invaded, Jenna would have been very excited, possibly jumping up and down with excitement. Now, however, she was contemplating on whether her deceased brother was standing in front of her. She tugged her arm from Alex's grasp, and knowing she wasn't about to run, he conceded, and walked over to where Saturos and the woman were standing. Jenna stared at the masked man, who fidgeted uncomfortably. She narrowed her eyes, scanning for signs of familiarity.
"...Felix?"
Slowly, painfully, he reached up, and pulled off his mask. Yes, he was three years older, yes, his hair was longer, and yes, he'd lost some weight, but it was the same Felix that had drowned that fateful night...Jenna wasn't aware of anything else, and only when his hands settled on her shoulders did she realise that her knees had started shaking.
"Jenna. I'm...I mean...it's been a while."
Felix seemed as much at a loss for words as she was. Jenna gazed into those chocolate brown eyes, and saw the same emotions; though they appeared to hold more wisdom than last time she'd seen them. "I don't believe it..." And then the questions flowed. "How? When? What happened?" and the final: "why?"
"I couldn't come back. Believe me, I wanted to more than anything else in the world. The thought of leaving you alone almost killed me. But...I had business to carry out. It was unavoidable. I'm...sorry."
"Sorry?" Jenna's voice was harsh, and her heart plummeted. "Sorry? Surely nothing...nothing was as important as coming back! How could you?" Her eyes filled with tears. "How could you just leave, like that, letting everyone think you were dead?"
Felix opened his mouth to say more, but a sudden tremor, far stronger than any previous tremor, caught them off guard. Jenna and Felix were thrown to the floor, and around them, small rocks were leaping off the ground. This time, it wasn't steadying. The man named Saturos swore.
"Dammit, boy! Bring me that Star!"
Isaac had acquired the Mars Star, but the moment he had removed it from the statue, the earthquake had returned. Currently, he was holding onto the statue for dear life. "I c-can't!" Isaac's voice sounded panicked, and Jenna leapt to her feet, frightened for his life.
"Saturos," Alex's tone was urgent now, "I think we should leave."
"Alex, you're forgetting something. We're missing the final Star!" Saturos glared at him. "If you want to act the coward and leave now, I'm not stopping you."
Alex's tone turned icy. "We can return for it. This Sanctum will ensure that it can't be destroyed so easily."
"It?" Jenna finally found her voice. "What about Isaac? You can't just leave him here!"
"What do you suggest we do?" Alex asked her, shrugging his shoulders.
"We're more worried about that stone than your friend," Saturos said coldly. Jenna's blood turned to ice.
"I think we should leave, too," Felix said quickly, quite disturbed by the Sanctum's reactions. "The Mars Star will be safe, but if we don't leave, there will be nobody to carry out our quest."
"Felix!" Isaac shouted to his former friend. He could hardly dare believe his eyes, and yet a living Felix was standing with the antagonists. "Make them see sense, can't you?"
"I'm on their side," Felix informed Isaac coldly. Jenna froze at his response. This wasn't Felix, at least not the one she'd known. He didn't care about them anymore...
"This isn't working," Saturos said, frustrated with the events. "Alex. Take her, and the Stars, and get back to the ship. We'll stay to get the final Star."
"What?" Felix jumped forward, looking at Saturos with wide eyes. "Why Jenna? She isn't involved in any of this!"
"The hostage card...quick thinking," Alex said softly. He nodded, finding no flaw with the plan, and scooped up the three Elemental Stars. He moved toward Jenna, but she backed off several paces.
"Stay away from me," she spat, "I wouldn't help you if my life depended on it."
"Unfortunately it does," said Alex.
"Alex, get a move on, we can't afford to lose the Stars we already have. Felix, stay here. That boy seems to recognise you, maybe you can talk sense into him." The woman gestured to the portal.
"Sorry about this," Alex apologised, before grabbing Jenna's arm, and concentrating his Psynergy. Jenna blinked, caught off guard, and suddenly found herself outside the Sanctum. What was more unusual was the fact that she found herself in what appeared to be a cabin on a sailing ship.
Alex released her, and walked over to a small table. He deposited the Elemental Stars there, and the picked one up and examined it with interest. "Make yourself at home."
After everything that had happened, and the sheer shock of seeing her brother alive and well again, the normality of that statement made Jenna laugh. She stood there for several moments, laughing at the absurdity of everything. Alex, slightly alarmed, looked up from the Mercury Star he was holding.
After her laughter had died, rather abruptly, Jenna glared at the blue-haired man. "Explain."
Alex frowned slightly. "Well, you shall need to be more specific."
His utter calmness was annoying Jenna, and she needed someone to vent her emotions onto. "Why are you stealing the Stars? Where the heck am I? And why am I here?"
"And we reach the inevitable." Alex resumed his admiring of the Mercury Star. "You're on a ship. Saturos's ship, to be exact. You're here because you happened to be in the Inner Sanctum when all of this came about. An unfortunate time and place."
"You didn't answer my first question," Jenna balled her fists in anger.
"I didn't see the need to."
Jenna's temper flared at this, and she strode to the nearest door, intending on getting off the ship and back to Sol Sanctum. She prayed that Isaac would be all right. However-
"I wouldn't bother if I was you," Alex said, not looking up from the Star. "The doors are locked. The authorities on this ship, using Psynergy, control them. Ingenious bit of craft, in my opinion."
Despite herself, Jenna stopped, and turned slowly to Alex. "Psynergy...? You're an Adept?"
"Of course," Alex finally looked up from the Mercury Star. "Aren't you? Being from Vale, I assumed you would be."
Jenna had always thought that Adepts outside of Vale had died out, but compared to earlier events, this piece of news didn't shock her. She nodded, slightly awestruck, and wordlessly produced a fireball in her palm. Alex watched with interest.
"Ah, Mars! Interesting." He smiled at her.
"Interesting, why?" Jenna narrowed her eyes at him. Alex put up his palms defensively.
"I've always been fascinated by fire. Mainly because of my ability to do this." He conjured the tiniest of rainstorms, and immediately doused the small fire in Jenna's hand. Her eyes widened. "I didn't even know I could do it until I was seven. Now, at least, I understand my strange passion for swimming."
He turned back to the Stars, and started examining Jupiter. Jenna gazed at him. He wasn't like the others, who were brutal, and demanding. Even Felix was rougher than usual...mind you, she hadn't seen him in three years. Why are you standing here? Isaac's still out there, and you are still a hostage! Jenna shook her head, angry at the fact that she had been distracted easily, and strode to the door.
"I repeat my earlier statement," came Alex's calm voice.
"Listen." Jenna decided that perhaps reasoning with him would get her out of here. "You don't need me here. I don't know what you're doing, and I don't really care at this moment in time. I'll only be a waste of space if I stay here. Wouldn't it just be easier for everyone if I just go home?"
"Possibly. However, I don't decide what goes on. Besides, I'm sure your brother would be delighted to get to know you again."
Jenna's eyes hardened. "I have no brother," she said mechanically.
"A little harsh, don't you think?" Alex looked at her. "He is your blood relative, after all."
"I don't care!" Jenna burst out. "He betrayed us, he betrayed me, and he should live with that regret for the rest of his life!" Alex said nothing. Letting out a sigh of pure frustration, Jenna marched to the door, and pulled on the doorknob. As predicted, it didn't shift.
"Do you listen to nothing I say?" Alex asked, a slight hint of amusement in his voice. This only served to anger Jenna.
"Let me out." The forced calmness of her voice sounded scary even to her.
"No can do," Alex replied cheerfully. "Why don't you take a seat instead? I'm sure we could force some conversation until Saturos and the others get back."
"Let me out!" Jenna glared at Alex.
"I have a better idea. You sit down, and help me figure out what these Stars are made of."
"Goddammit!" Jenna shouted. "You have no right to keep me in here!"
"Jenna?" A voice shouted from the other side of the door she was trying to wrench open.
"Felix?" Jenna stared at the wood.
"Listen, I'll explain everything afterwards. But I've come to get you out of here."
Felix's sudden switch of sides confused Jenna, but right now she had no time to be confused. "Really?"
Behind her, Alex forgot about the Stars, and he stood, staring at the same door. "Really, Felix, your loyalty isn't supposed to waver this much."
"Alex? Listen; just open the door, can't you? Jenna's not part of this."
"You can't open the door?" Jenna looked at the door in desperation. "Can't you force it down or something?"
Silence. Then suddenly, there was a loud bang, and the door shuddered on its hinges. Alex stepped forward.
"Felix, this really isn't the best of ideas. You know how violent Saturos and Menardi get. Betraying them now will only cause trouble later."
"Whose side are you on, Alex?" Felix shouted through the door, whilst still attempting to break it down.
"Stay out of this," snapped Jenna, glaring at Alex.
A third bang sent the door flying off its frame, and Jenna had to duck to avoid being hit. For the first time since the Sol Sanctum incident, Jenna was happy to see her brother standing in the doorway.
"Felix!" She rushed into his arms, and hugged him tightly. Maybe he wasn't the betraying brother after all. Felix returned the hug, and then slowly turned to face Alex.
"I realised something. Saturos and Menardi didn't need me at all. As of right now, I don't care what you do. I'm not staying. You can tell them what you want. I'm out of here."
"I'm not stopping you, Felix," Alex said, warning tones in his voice. "But beware – Saturos and Menardi won't take this lightly."
"Come on, Jenna," Felix took her hand, and together the two exited the ship, and headed back to Vale. Home.
That's the longest prologue I've ever written.
Alex: Aww, I'm quite nice in this chapter.
Ugh, I thought when I scrapped the old SCYSD; you'd gone with it.
Alex: Nice to see you too, Xanda.
I hope you enjoyed that. It's not a one-shot, there's more to come. Please leave a review, I like them.