Shadow: Because the last chapter was such a disappointment and because I love you guys so much, I decided to double-update!! Plus, inspiration finally struck me.
Spark: You just want more reviews…
:Shadow sits on Spark:
Shadow: Er…since Spark is indisposed of at the moment, I will answer the reviews…or should I say review since only one person had time to review:
Navy Blu: Interesting dream. You probably had it because you were thinking about Golden Sun and Inu-Yasha a lot. And I like sandwiches because they taste yummy and make me happy! :D I wanted to have a sandwich today, but we didn't have any bread…maybe that's why the last chapter sucked.
Shadow: Anyways, this chapter is going to have lots of yummy flameshipping and not much plot development. In my mind, the whole Alex bent on world-domination thing is just a backdrop for all the little romances going on the story. Now go read!
Chapter Eight: Drowning
Despite his large stature, Garet was still able to be tossed around. However, he still had his pride and liked to think that it was only because he was so tired and weak at the moment and because Felix was powered by the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Never before did Garet think that such kind eyes could be filled with such anger. "So tell me," he growled with a fake smile as he grabbed the collar of Garet's shirt. "What exactly happened in the forest? Something must have distracted the two of you since it took so long for you two to return."
"We got lost," he replied, showing submission by raising his arms. "You have my word."
Felix slammed Garet against the wall. "I don't believe you."
"Felix!" He turned his head to find his sister standing behind him, her hands on her hips and her face twisted into a scowl. "Leave him alone!" she scolded. He pushed Garet away as he let go, as if he was a filthy piece of garbage that had soiled his hands.
"Did he do anything to you?" he asked, the aggression still lingering in his voice.
Jenna blushed slightly. "What kind of person do you take me for? Just because I get stranded with some guy doesn't mean I'm automatically going to do anything with him!"
Felix nodded before turning back to Garet. "Don't get any bright ideas." With a muffled snort, he walked out of the room.
"Your brother's gotten a little aggressive lately," Garet chuckled as he straightened out the wrinkles in his collar.
"Well he should know me a little better than that," she sighed as she shook her head. "He knows that we're just friends," she grinned as she playfully elbowed him in the side. His eyes started to water as her elbow made contact with his still tender wound. Jenna realized this and began apologizing immediately before she ran off.
But her words stung more than the pain from his injury. 'She only sees us as friends, and nothing more,' he thought. He slammed his fist against the wall out of frustration. "What the hell am I doing? Wasting my time like this…"
"Talking to yourself again?" Isaac chuckled as he walked in. Garet suddenly regretted making public displays of emotion in the study where everyone usually liked to be. Isaac bit into his apple as he waited for a reply. "I've told you before: no matter how many times you talk to them, those little voices won't talk back."
"Very funny Isaac," Garet mumbled as he rubbed his hand.
"I heard that a certain Venus adept wanted to kill you a few moments ago," Isaac continued, trying to sound cheery. He didn't need Jupiter psyenergy to know what was bothering Garet.
"He almost did," Garet replied. "But Jenna intervened."
"Was it because of what happened back in the forest?"
"Yea, since he thought Jenna and I would have done a little 'procreating'," Garet sighed. Isaac was impressed with Garet's new extensive vocabulary. "But you know as well as anyone that Jenna doesn't see us as anything more than friends."
"I thought you were going to tell her."
"Well when would have been a good moment?" Garet snapped. "When Lalivero was being attacked? When we were lost in the forest?" He let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry for yelling."
"It's alright," Isaac said.
"But even if I had told her, it wouldn't have mattered anyways. It wouldn't have changed the way she feels about me." Isaac searched for encouraging words, but he found none. Instead, he changed the topic.
"Well, we're setting sail in a little while. Sheba went down to Venus lighthouse to tell the Laliverans to try and head south for Kimbombo."
"It must be hard seeing your hometown destroyed right in front of your eyes," Garet sighed. "We never actually saw Vale get destroyed."
"I promised Sheba that when everything was said and done, that we'd help her go back and rebuild, like we did for Vale. I guess it's a way for me to promise her and everyone else that we're coming back alive."
"Do you think we'll make it? You know, past Tundaria?" Garet asked.
"I hope so."
'Help me, somebody!' Jenna pleaded to herself. She forced her eyes open to find she was underwater, sinking deeper and deeper. The sunlight danced on the surface, beckoning to her. Her lungs burned for air as air bubbles escaped out her nose and mouth. In her mind, she knew that she had to swim for the surface and not to open her mouth and let any of the precious air escape.
'I can't hold on…' She started to pull herself upwards through the water. She imagined that she looked like a frog, making way for the surface. The light continued its hypnotic dance as she neared the glistening surface. But her lips could not contain the air any longer. Her mouth opened and water rushed inside and began to fill her lungs. In a panic, she began to flail and kick in order to get to the surface in time.
'Almost…' But she couldn't reach it. Her vision was beginning to cloud over and her head began to spin. A hand reached down into the water. Jenna used the last of her strength to reach out and take it. As soon as her fingers laced between her savior's, she suddenly felt unafraid. A cool tingling sensation came over her as she was pulled out of the water. Her head burst through the surface and she took a big gulp of air.
Jenna opened her eyes to find that she had been dreaming once again. Her breathing was labored, as if she really had been drowning. She rubbed her face with her hands as she sat up in bed. Though it was dark in the room, she could still see the sleeping forms of Sheba and Fehzhi. But there was a tangled mass of sheets where Hama should have been. She quietly rose from her bed and tip-toed out of the room.
The ship was different at night, but Jenna could still find her way around. She tip-toed past the boys' room where she could hear Garet snoring loudly. The steps creaked under her weight as she stepped up onto the deck where she found Hama at the helm.
She carefully walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. Surprisingly, she did not jump, but simply turned and smiled. "What are you doing up so late?"
"I was about to ask you the same."
"I couldn't sleep, and so I thought I would come and relieve Picard of his duty. I can hold my own up here," she replied as she turned back to the sea ahead of her. "So now that I've told you my reason, why not tell me yours?"
"I had a strange dream and I needed some fresh air."
"What was your dream about?" Hama asked, showing interest.
"I was drowning," she answered, wringing her hands.
"I see. I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but I learned from a mage how to interpret dreams. It's an old skill passed down to Jupiter adepts."
"Well, what does it mean?"
"It means that you're feeling overwhelmed by something. Or perhaps it could mean that you are trying to approach things too quickly before giving them careful thought," she explained. "Is there something that you're trying to hide? Perhaps it's your conscious coming back to haunt you about it."
Jenna blushed. 'Could she mean Isaac?' She had been waiting for the right moment to tell him. "I don't think so," she responded. What was the use in lying to Hama? "Maybe…"
"In your dream, did you drown to death or did you survive?" Hama asked.
"I think I survive. I always wake up before I find out. But someone rescues me. I see a hand reaching out for me and they pull me out of the water."
"The next time you have that dream, try to remember or see who it is that saves you," Hama instructed. "Whatever your inner turmoil may be, your relationship with this person will survive."
"Thank you," Jenna stammered. Hama nodded and gave her a smile. "Oh, and another thing. I had another dream. I dreamt that I saw someone else drowning." She didn't want to tell her who it was. Then Hama would figure everything out.
"You are too involved in something beyond your control, Jenna," Hama replied in a tone as if she was scolding her. Jenna felt her stomach drop; had she figured it out? "From what you're telling me, it sounds like you are hiding many things from the world and that you are trying to control things which you can't."
"Maybe," Jenna gulped. She took a deep breath to calm herself. 'But they're just dreams. They can't possibly mean anything…' she thought to herself. 'Maybe something's telling me to take action. Maybe if I do take action, these dreams will leave me alone.'
The air had grown cold and the wind lashed her face like an icy whip. The Tundaria tower could barely be seen in the distance along with a white horizon. They were sailing at a good pace. Felix said they would reach the Eastern Sea in a few days if they kept up this pace. Jenna wrapped her arms around her self as she shuddered. Her warm breath hung in the air as she exhaled and then drifted away like smoke.
She shuddered again, not from cold, but from fear. Isaac stepped out onto the deck and approached her slowly. She was the only one on the stern of the ship and it almost felt like she was the only one left in the world. Except for Isaac. She blushed when she saw him smile at her, his blue eyes glistening like the sea.
"What did you need to tell me?" he asked. A cold gust of wind blew past them.
"There's something I've had on my mind for a long time," she began. "Something that's been troubling me ever since our first trip to Sol Sanctum."
Her dream kept flashing through her mind. Whose hand was it? Who saved her? She was hoping it was Isaac's. But what about the other dream? Why was he drowning? "Go on," he said.
She clenched her hands into fists. "You're going to think I'm really stupid for doing this," she muttered. "But I don't know how else to say this. Isaac, I love you." Those three little words seemed to echo all around and she was afraid of the whole world hearing. How she wanted to look up at Isaac. How she wanted to look into his eyes and see her feelings reflected back at her. When she did finally muster up the courage to look him in the face, she didn't see the expression she was hoping for.
"I don't know what to say myself," he replied. "I thought you knew about Mia and me. You were her best friend and her maid of honor!"
"I know…I know," she stammered. "But sometimes you just can't stop these things from coming."
He took a deep breath. "I thought you said that you were happy for me; for us. But now I understand that it was all a lie coming from you."
"Isaac, please!" she sobbed as tears began running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry!"
"I have an apology of my own," he began. "I'm sorry that I cannot return the feeling. I'm sorry if I've led you on for all these years. And I'm sorry if I've hurt you."
She tried to force the tears back in the fear that they would freeze on her cheeks. The tower was growing closer and the wind was getting colder. He silently turned and walked away. When she was sure that he was gone, she fell to her knees and cried, despite the growing cold.
'Look at what you've done,' a voice hissed at her. 'You got what you wanted.'
"I didn't want any of this!" she whispered back.
'Yes you did,' the voice laughed. 'You wanted to get rid of Mia. And so Alex was reborn and he took her away. You wanted Isaac to know how you felt. So you told him.'
"Leave me alone," she whispered again, this time louder. She clutched her head in frustration.
'What a pity. I guess things don't always have a happy ending, do they?'
"Shut up!"
'Poor Jenna. Always so alone. No one is there to hold your hand,' they said, feigning pity. 'No one there to love you!'
"What do you want?"
'Only to see you happy, Jenna. I know that being here, among those who don't love you, doesn't make you happy. I know you want your dreams to come true.' Jenna found herself looking up at the edge of the ship. 'Why not make your dreams come true? I guarantee: someone will be there to save you from your icy doom.'
She stood up and peered over the side of the ship at the waters below. Her head felt light and her thoughts began to swim. A voice called out to her, but she couldn't hear it. Only the wind which whipped about her. She felt a firm grip on her shoulders, pulling her back to reality.
"What were you doing?" She blinked and found herself staring Garet in the face. Jenna couldn't find the words to say to him. He sighed, "I know what happened."
She finally found her shame. "You do?"
"I asked where you were and Isaac told me that I could find you here. I could tell what had happened by the tone of his voice and the look on his face."
Jenna threw herself onto him and began sobbing into his shoulder. "I feel like such a fool!"
He held her tighter. "I know. I've been there before. But maybe there's someone out there who cares for you more than he does and maybe you just don't know it yet."
She lifted her head and looked up at him. Her eyes were red from crying and a few stray tears still slid down her cheeks and despite her humiliation and sorrow, she still found the inner strength to smile. "Thank you." The wind blew through her hair, making it messy. But in Garet's eyes, she was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen. His first impulse was to hold her close, and so he did. And the two of them sat there like that, holding each other, oblivious to each other's feelings.
Shadow: That was a hard part for me to write because I based the whole part where Jenna tries to kill herself on my own experiences. Well, I don't hear little voices in my head and I never tried to jump off a ship, but you get the main jist. And most of the dialogue was taken directly with conversations with friends. Thank you to my dear friends Mike and David for their support and dialogue. Heheh….
Spark: :in a muffled voice: Get offa me!
Shadow: Review or Spark shall suffocate! XD
