Okay. Seriously. No one reviewed.
... oh wait... it's only been two days... le gasp! Anyways, I know people have read this so REVIEW!
Or else...
Aphrodite stole off to her room as soon as her last period was over. She had so much to do. That horrible Professor Neferet gave her extra homework. Aphrodite could swear that that woman had some kind of personal vendetta against her that she wasn't aware of. In addition to homework, she had to work on Dark Daughters stuff and, of course, she wanted to have "Aphrodite Time" too. As in: Relaxing and trying to read that play that the godly gorgeous Professor Loren had given them.
As soon as she was in her room, she pulled out some books she had taken out of the library for Neferet's extra homework essay thing. She began leafing through them for anything relevant to the topic of her essay, which was, ironically, "History of Nyx's Prophets" –as in, the people Nyx gifted with premonition –does it ring a bell to anyone? And Aphrodite had a feeling that the "History of Nyx's Prophets" had nothing to do with Vamp Soc. She sighed and grimaced, cursing the headmistress under her breath, thankful that Neferet couldn't read her mind.
In Stevie Rae and Zoey's shared room, the two girls debated what they'd wear to their break-ins (if that's what you'd call it). Zoey insisted that they should wear tight clothes that would be comfortable, wouldn't cause them to fall around clumsily, and wouldn't bump into random things that could fall and make noise. Stevie Rae thought differently. She thought that in the spirit of the robbery (that's what she said), they should wear black. Didn't all movie robbers wear black to blend in?
"All I have are the stuff I wore to the Dark Daughters meetings." Zoey said holding out her tight black dress.
"It's great and I have black boots 'n' stuff to match 'em!"
"We're not robbing a room wearing dresses!"
"Do what you want!" Stevie Rae persisted, grabbing the dress from Zoey's hands, "I still wanna wear black."
"Fine."
"Fine."
Suddenly the girls broke into a fit of giggles and fell back onto Stevie Rae's bed. Stevie Rae hugged the dress to herself, trying to calm down and Zoey snorted a bit before her voice completely disappeared. They banged onto the bed, their movements almost identical to each other and then they slipped onto the ground and waited for themselves to become quiet again.
With a sigh, Aphrodite finished her note taking and began to write down her essay. She groaned when she thought about the other things that she had to do. Mindlessly writing the essay that she had gone through in her mind several times, she thought about her other duties and planned them out. She didn't need them down on paper –she had photographic memory and she was proud. When she had written the last of the essay, she proofread it then skimmed through it once more to make sure there were no mistakes at all. When she was sure it was perfect, she placed it in her book bag.
Deciding that Loren's play could wait, she retreated to her closet (yes, her closet) and lounged on the sofa (yes, sofa).After a little while, she dozed off.
Wearing the dress Z had given her, Stevie Rae knocked on the door to Aphrodite's room. Neither she, nor her roommate opened it. With a sigh, she twisted the doorknob and, much to her surprise, it opened easily. Soundlessly, she shut the door. The two beds were both unoccupied but she saw Aphrodite's bag on the bed to the right. She rushed to it and began searching for a poetry book. What did a poetry book look like anyways?
She took something out that looked like it was a poetry book but she noticed the cover said, "Othello" by Shakespeare. It was a play. She replaced it in the bag and looked again but it wasn't there. She suspected Aphrodite didn't have it anyways and thought of coming back when the ice queen was there.
Then something caught her attention. It was a door that was slightly ajar, letting in a dim orange light. Perhaps it was Aphrodite's fabled closet –the one with really expensive clothes that she imagined were probably stuff Paris Hilton would wear. She slowly opened the door and entered.
It certainly was a closet and it was amazing. In the dim light of the room, she saw Aphrodite asleep on a sofa that Stevie Rae was compelled to poke just to see how luxurious it was. There was a TV opposite of her, sitting on a dark brown, wooden cabinet that was up to her knees.
Curiosity got the best of Stevie Rae and she opened the cabinet. But nothing could prepare her mentally for what she saw. No, she did not see a dead body –though she wouldn't have been surprised if she did. She saw a rectangular, black box: An Xbox (I shit you not).
The first thought that crossed Stevie Rae's mind was: Wait. Aphrodite plays video games? Ha! And she called us dorks. Though, I sure would like try that some time. It looks fun.
Of course, she changed her mind when she saw that Aphrodite had only two games.
How did she only have two games? Isn't she some rich gal?
She picked up the two boxes: Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II.
Well, that might as well be one game! Assassin's what? Creed? What the heck was a creed? It sounds like one of Damien's vocab words.
The covers were almost identical in her opinion. Both had pictures of men in white robes in old settings that faded in white. So they'd be an assassin? So what? They would be some old man who killed people for a living? She failed to find the point of the games by judging the covers (and back covers –of course). Maybe it was like Grand Theft Auto. She never did like that game. She discarded the games in the cabinet, realizing that Aphrodite would be pissed if she found her. She deduced that she most definitely didn't have the poetry book.
As soon as she made a move to leave the room, a woman appeared before her in the doorway of the closet. She glowed as if she were a ghost or something. She wore a long white veil and her hair cascaded down her back as if she were an angel. The top of her hair was covered by an elegant helmet that seemed to Stevie Rae like something from a movie about ancient Greece -or Rome. She was just breathtaking. She didn't even have a vampyre's mark so she was just naturally this gorgeous. The woman's face was expressionless. She couldn't see her eyes well but they seemed blank and Stevie Rae was scared that this was some kind of high-tech security system. It probably wasn't because Aphrodite herself was a security system. It was creepy but she expected Aphrodite to rise up suddenly like a zombie. The woman's mouth opened and she began to speak. Unfortunately, Aphrodite began to scream at the same time.
Nothing is true –everything is permitted.
Blinding, flashing lights were all around me.
Red –blood. Blood –trust. Trust –honor.
Nyx stood before me. She shook her head sadly and came forth to plant a kiss between my eyes. I couldn't feel it. I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't speak either because my throat hurt. My eyes hurt. My head hurt. A vision? This was different. I had never seen anything about the Creed in my visions. I only knew what I learnt from Nyx –from the messenger she sent –from Minerva.
"Stevie Rae Johnson," the scary woman whispered –or said. Oddly, Stevie Rae could hear her over the screaming. Maybe it was because the ghost/goddess/security system had multiple voices that all spoke at once, giving her an eerie feeling. The woman was also standing in place, not moving –Stevie Rae didn't think her mouth was moving either. She didn't dare speak but let the woman finish."I am Minerva. I am neither human nor vampyre, nor am I a goddess. I am a messenger of Nyx and Aphrodite is my prophetess." Ah, crap. Did it have to be the hag from hell of all people? And why was she talking to Stevie Rae –it scared the socks off of her. "You may not be able to understand this now but I must show you a vision, child –one that will perhaps alter your actions in the future for the better. There is a war coming –a war amongst the assassins and I'm afraid that will be the least of your problems. I need you to carry my message to Zoey Redbird. It will be of crucial importance."
Finding her voice again –which was more difficult than one would think –Stevie Rae replied, "But why me? Why don't you show it directly to Z. Won't it be easier? I mean, unless it's gonna be all painful then maybe I should be the one to do it so Zoey doesn't have to –" Her rambling was suddenly cut off by the soft voice of Minerva.
"Silence, child. We must make haste. Aphrodite will lead you to where you must go, teach you what you must be taught. It must be you, Stevie Rae Johnson. For you may not know it but your destiny is a great one."
"What destiny?" Stevie Rae exclaimed, trying to step forward but finding herself paralyzed either by fear or by a force unknown to her. She threw her arms up in what she identified as probably frustration. "This is so darn confusing!"
"Remember these words, child. Live by them. Live by the creed. Nothing is true –everything is permitted." Minerva began to fade without trying any form of clarification –which she needed.
"No! Wait! I didn't understand anything!"
Unfortunately, the woman didn't seem to care that Stevie Rae hadn't understood as long as she got the message. She suddenly noticed her eyes hurt like hell and she had a horrible headache. She moaned and made her way to the door to tell Zoey all the weirdness that just happened.
"Minerva, where am I?"
"The child awaits you."
"You were never one to speak much. I still don't get it. What child?"
"Help her –guide her."
"What the hell was that, Twin?" Shaunee murmured to her twin as they watched an intense lightsaber battle on the TV.
Erin shrugged and nibbled a piece of popcorn. "Dunno. It came from there." She pointed blindly in the direction of Aphrodite, Stevie Rae and Zoey's rooms. "Wanna check?"
"It beats watching this for the millionth time." Shaunee replied and stood up.
The Twins weren't the only ones. Zoey, who had decided to make her visit to Kate's a casual one, heard the screams as well. Two screams in perfect sync with each other. Kate looked at the door before rushing towards it. She stopped and looked back at Zoey who seemed to be in shock or something. "Well, are you coming?"
"Oh!" Zoey exclaimed, breaking free of her trance and running after Kate.
Aphrodite awoke, shuddering and sobbing. She knew what she had to do and it wasn't going to be pretty. She glanced at the child who was clutching her head in her hands walking away in awe and fear perhaps. She was so innocent and inexperienced. Her blonde ringlets covered her neck and back where the black dress that adorned her didn't. She approached her slowly, seeing nothing but her student. I am the master this time.
Stop crying, you foolish girl! Her mind screamed at the student.
Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Stevie Rae kept repeating it over and over again in her head and maybe out loud but she didn't pay attention. She put as much focus as she could into reaching the door and getting to Zoey. She felt a dampness falling down her face and realized she was crying. Her eyes stung even more. Ah, must get to Zoey like the ghost –Minerva said.
She heard shuffling behind her and realized that Aphrodite had awoken. She froze in anxiety, afraid of what Aphrodite was going to do to her since she was obviously in her room without permission. She could say that she heard screaming and came but Aphrodite was too scary to lie to. She had this look where she just looked at you and you knew you were going to get it bad if you didn't tell her the truth. Behind her, Aphrodite was glaring daggers into the shorter girl and froze her even more to her spot if that was possible.
Stop crying, you foolish girl!
It sure sounded like Aphrodite but vampyres couldn't do that, right? Speak with their minds?
In the blink of an eye (as in, speed not known to man or vampyre), Aphrodite was standing in front of Stevie Rae. Her eyes were bloodshot and her complexion was pale. She was scary like a ghost or rabid beast or something but Stevie Rae couldn't bring herself to leave or run away, just stare.
The scary fledgling inched her face closer to the scared one. Her teeth touched Stevie Rae's neck and the younger fledgling didn't even flinch away. She just winced, took a deep breath and braced herself for the bite she expected.
Three, two –be ready, student –one…
Stevie Rae didn't even scream when it happened.
Aphrodite bit down and hard.
There was no pain and no pleasure, just fear.
She saw flashes of an old town appear below her tightly shut eyelids.
Then she blacked out.
Oh my! Suspense! I wonder what'll happen next! Psh.. as if it isn't obvious... *coughcough* Now -uhhh -press that button down there!
Go.
Do it.
Now.
Seriously.
Disclaimer: I don't own HoN or Assassin's Creed -but it would rock if I did ;D