HEY EVERYONE!!! i'm so...SO... sorry for the long wait, college finals followed by the rush to see all my old friends back at home caused me to lose all my focus on finishing the next chapter... so... I PUT TWO CHAPTERS TOGERTHER TO MAKE ONE LONG ONE! HOORAY!
Ahem! Anyway...
This is the Tenth installment of That Incredible Feeling.
story
"talking"
Thinking
Emphasis
LOUD
(Me)
Enjoy!
That Incredible Feeling
By: Flashgunner
Ch. 10: Festival of Elements
The roar of the crowd echoed throughout the stadium to the point where it seemed to shake. The spectators were in awe of the experience.
"Ladies and gentlemen!!! Iodem was more excited than any of them. "Not only have we been given the show of a lifetime, but we've also witnessed history be written! Jenna is not only the first woman to ever compete in Colosso, but also the first woman to be champion! Please stand and applaud for her tremendous effort in accomplishing both feats in one tournament." The crowd began to rise and applaud as Jenna still sat staring dumbfounded towards the edge of the arena. Eventually Isaac climbed back into the ring. One would have thought he'd be disappointed at his defeat, but the gallant warrior had a smile across his face.
She really did it… I didn't even consider that she'd be able to reflect the attack at me… remarkable… He strode up to her, knelt down, and waved his hand in front of her face. "Jenna? You with us?" She snapped out of her trance and almost gasped while doing so.
"Uh… I…" She shook her head. "Did I win?" Isaac chuckled and patted her on the head.
"Yes silly, you did."
"I… I can't… believe it…" She looked as though she were about to cry. "I can't believe I did it… I… I thought for sure I'd have no chance…" She looked at the ground. But you kept me going… She thought to herself. Tears surfaced in her eyes, but she withheld them. She knew it was no time to cry; sure she was overjoyed that she was able to win against the odds, but she figured the people didn't want to see a Colosso champion cry. Isaac offered her his hand, which she took. He hoisted her up, but she pulled herself into him, giving him a hug.
"Jenna?"
"I owe this all to you… I felt so stupid… thinking I could fight in the famous Colosso tournament… It was a childish decision which I realized the stupidity of a little too late… but you kept me from breaking, you kept me strong… Thank you…"
"…… you're welcome Jenna… but… we've got a whole stadium of people who want to see their champion…" Of course this isn't what he wanted to do, but he didn't want it to turn into an awkward situation in front of the crowd again. So this was his masked way of saying 'We have a whole stadium of people watching us, we can hug later'. She seemed to understand, because she pulled away quickly. She nodded to him and walked to the center of the ring, hoisting her sword into the air. The crowd erupted, yelling and cheering louder than they had ever before. It was quite a sight to see. Jenna stood in the center, sword in the air, smiling with delight that she showed not only her friends, but also the world, that she could overcome her weaknesses.
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"The wind is against us… the trip will take at least a day…"
"I thought this was supposed to be a magical ship Piers… yet a few gusts of wind can slow it down?" Sheba was poking him in the side.
"Hey! Ow! Don't look at me! I didn't make the ship!"
"Well then we might as well get settled in… Piers how many rooms does this ship have?"
"Plenty for all of us, Isaac." He turned from the wheel. "I'll show them to you later, for now just relax, we all need it!"
"Can't argue with that…" Garet agreed as he yawned lazily. Isaac and Garet left for the deck, Jenna watched them leave, but saw Mia exit the opposite. She contemplated who she wanted to follow but was interrupted by…
"Sheba! Stop poking me! I'm trying to drive the ship!"
"I'll stop if you tell me how old you are." Jenna laughed and decided to follow Mia.
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Mia gazed up into the stars, thinking about nothing in particular, just looking into the night sky, letting the peaceful silence swirl around her. The wind caught her hair and the loose pieces of her robe, playing with them as the gusts held the ship back from going full speed. I wonder what I should do after Vale is rebuilt? ... I have an obligation to my village… but I also want to find Alex… She didn't notice Jenna approach her.
"It's a beautiful night, huh?" Mia jumped slightly, but remained calm in knowing of Jenna's presence.
"Yes… there's not a cloud in the sky and the stars are all out…" She leaned forward against the railing of the ships edge. "It's perfect."
"After all that fighting I could get used to this." Jenna leaned against the railing as well, closing her eyes and tilting her head upward, sighing heavily.
"I still can't believe you beat Isaac…"
"Hey I can't believe it either… I guess I got lucky…"
"I envy you Jenna… I could have never fought in Colosso, not just because I don't have the ability, I just don't think I'd have the will to face such a challenge."
"Oh come on Mia this is the second time you've told me that! You have to stop being so down on yourself… you can do so many things I cannot."
"I know… it's just that… ever since the whole run in with Alex before the tournament… I've been a wreck… I always thought there was some way I could save him… but the way he looked at me… that look of pain upon his face when our eyes met… something inside me just shattered…"
"Mia…"
"Oh look at me… all I ever seem to do lately is dump my problems on other people…"
"No, no… Mia, we're here to listen to you… that's what friends are for!"
"Still… I just don't know what to do with myself." Jenna hugged her.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Alex is out there somewhere… maybe we'll even see him again someday…"
"I hope so…"
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…
"So you let her win right?" Garet and Isaac sat up against the wall of the cabin opposite of the side Jenna and Mia conversed.
"Garet, you know me better than that."
"So you really lost to her?"
"You wouldn't believe how tough she is. She doesn't fight like us. She's tricky."
"But what about that last attack, she knocked that one right back at ya!"
"Now THAT was unexpected. If she hadn't done that, I would have won, but hey I'm not angry that I lost. Sure I'm a little disappointed, but I'm happy for her. She earned her victory every inch of the way."
"If you say so… Oh I've been meanin' to ask you. What happened when the two of you fell over? We couldn't see you guys over the arena." Isaac blushed at the memory and quickly looked away from him.
"What? I don't know what you're talking about."
"Huh? Isaac, c'mon, what happened." Garet prodded while trying to get in Isaacs face. Isaac finally gave in.
"We landed on each other… in an… awkward way…" It took Garet a second to get what he was saying.
"…………OH!" He suddenly burst into laughter. "HAHAHA!!! Oh man that's rich…"
"That's between you and I got it?"
"Nah I think I'll go tell Felix…"
"Oh dear GOD no! Garet, he'll kill me!"
"Haha… no don't worry, doesn't mean he won't ask you himself eventually."
"Let's hope he doesn't… won't be much of me left if he finds out!" The two laughed heartily, and then laughed again when Felix walked out.
"What's so funny?"
"N-nothing… nothing at all." Isaac managed to say in between laughs waving his hand in the air to physically pass it off as well. "What's up Felix?"
"Well, I've been meaning to ask you about our future plans…" He paused, shooting an annoyed look at Garet who was still trying to suppress laughter. "… more so in terms of after the rebuilding of Vale."
"Well…" Isaac stood up and rubbed his chin with his hand. "There were a few personal things I wanted to attend to… but after that we should focus on the Stone of Sages."
"That's what I thought too… but… how are we supposed to find it?" Garer cut in, finally done laughing.
"Well… it would be pointless for us to just start looking everywhere… and most people outside of Vale would be unaware of it… hmm…"
"I've already discussed this with Piers actually… He plans on searching for the Stone of Sages on his own after we finish rebuilding… Being exiled from Lemuria, he doesn't really have anywhere to go."
"He could always stay in Vale…"
"That's what I said to him Garet, but he declined, saying that his ship is the only vessel capable enough to conduct such a widespread search. He knows it's a bad idea to keep the knowledge of the stone unchecked, so he wants to take it all upon himself."
"I don't think I'd feel very good, leaving him to search all by himself…" Garet pondered. Isaac spoke up.
"He understands our positions though… We haven't legitimately been home for a very long time… he understands how it would affect the people and our loved ones if we suddenly left again."
"I see…"
"You read my mind Isaac, those were almost his words exactly. I agree though, we should be at home for a while; it has been too long since I last settled down for a while. He said he would send word to us if he found anything, so there's no need to worry."
"That's awfully generous of him…"
"I'm just thinking ahead that's all." They all turned to Piers who was in the doorway.
"Piers?! Who's…" Garet looked past him.
"Ivan's at the wheel no worries."
"Phew scared me for a second."
"Piers, are you sure about this?" Isaac began. "I mean, it feels sort of unfair, you allowing us to stay home for a while you search by yourself… Allowing us to enjoy our hometown while you can no longer return to yours…"
"Ah, no bother… there's nothin' left for me in Lemuria anyway… besides… the sea has always been more of a home to me." They all nodded at him, but his face lit up with a smile. "Oh come on now! This is no time to feel down in the dumps! Come! I'll show you all the rooms." He went back into the cabin and out the other side, beckoning Mia and Jenna to follow him. "Aye! Ivan, just keep her steady, I'll be right back up to send you down." Ivan nodded and focused back on the wheel. They headed across the deck in silence until…
"Feeeeeeelix!" Sheba jumped on his back.
"Wah!"
"I'm tired… Carry me!"
"What are you six?" Everyone laughed as they walked, Felix eventually gave in because Sheba refused to get off of him.
Piers led them below decks and up to three rooms. Two of them had room for two people and the other had room for three. The three person room came up first. The girl's obviously took this one. Felix literally shook Sheba off of him, and the three girls walked in, closing the door behind them. They stopped at the next room, but the beds inside were rather small, so Isaac claimed the room and told Felix and Garet to use the last room, seeing as how Isaac and Ivan were smaller than both of them. They agreed. Piers pointed them towards the last room and told Isaac he would send Ivan down right away. They all parted for the night and Piers returned to the deck.
"Ok Ivan, I'll take over from here."
"Alright…"
"Take the stairs down across the deck; take a left at the bottom and two rights. You are staying with Isaac in the second room on the left aight?"
"Got it… good night Piers." Ivan left the cabin, leaving Piers to guide the boat into the night.
"Ah…" Piers waved his hand forward and the windows in front of the cabin slid open. The wind softly blew through the open windows, caressing his face with the scent of the ocean. With another wave of his hand, a blue light surrounded the wheel. He stepped away as his psyenergy steered the boat for him. He leaned out the window to greet the wind from its source. "The beautiful night sky… the radiant stars to guide me… and the wonderful sea breeze… this is my home…"
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The morning light tried desperately to break through into the room where the girls slept, but the thick curtains prevented it from illuminating the room. Before it could be given a second chance the boat suddenly lurched violently and stopped rocking. Sheba awoke with a start, groaning annoyingly at the unpleasant awakening. She could hear Jenna stirring in the bed beside hers but Mia had slept right through it. She hopped out of bed and stumbled over to the curtains, pulling them apart slowly so the light wouldn't engulf the room. The bright shine of the sunlight forced itself upon her eyes, causing her to squint until her eyes could adjust. When she could see clearly she realized that the ship had hit land. Excited at the thought of returning to Vale, she decided to throw the curtains open. The light entered the room quickly, filling all the room corner to corner with the morning sunlight. The light splashed onto Jenna's face, causing her to grumble still asleep for the most part. She awoke after a few second to the sound of Sheba's footsteps on the creaking floor boards. Suddenly Jenna felt something, or rather someone land on top of her.
"WAKE UP! We're back!"
"YAAA!! Sheba! I'm awake! I'm awake!"
"Uh… wha?" Mia stirred awake and turned only to have her eyes bombarded by the light. "Ah! So bright!"
"Come on! Let's go!" Sheba bounced on Jenna's bed as Jenna threw off the covers and shook her head to get her bed head out of her face.
"Where did all this energy come from? You have more spunk than a little kid sometimes Sheba…" Her words fell onto uninterested ears as Sheba opened the door and peered out into the hall way. She trotted over towards Felix and Garet's room, still dressed in her white night gown, but right before she was in arms reach of the door, it flung open and Garet came flying out of the room, hitting the opposite wall with a loud crash, still in his pajamas. Jenna and Mia stuck their heads out the door, Isaac and Ivan opened their door and looked out as well. Isaac ran up to Garet.
"What the heck is going on over here?!" Felix stepped out of the room, fuming mad.
"Isaac how the HELL did you room with this lummox back in Vault?! He snores like a hacksaw all night, and then yells in my ear to wake up early after he caused me to get little sleep!"
"Jeez Felix…" began Garet as he got up and rubbed the back of his neck "You aren't much of a morning person are you?" Felix stormed back into the room and slammed the door behind him. Everyone burst out laughing.
"Did he… literally THROW you out the door?" Sheba questioned in between laughs.
"Yeah, all I did was wake him up… I thought he'd be happy to know we were home, but he glared at me, jumped out of his bed, grabbed me by the arm and threw me over his shoulder and through the door… sheesh…"
"Remind me not the anger Felix… if he was able to throw GARET then I don't want to know how far I'd fly." Ivan joked. They all laughed again until Piers showed up from across the hall.
"Aye! Land ho! Get your things together!" The all dispersed back to their rooms, except for Jenna at first because she had to get Felix to open the door for Garet. Pier's lowered the ramp to the sand and they all disembarked one by one onto the beach. Each one of them carried their own personal bags, Garet and Piers had the large sacks full of coins slung over their shoulders, and Jenna was the last one off, with her bag tucked under her armpit and the year's lucky cap sitting atop her head. It was a long walk to vault, but luckily, they were able to hitch a ride with a few trade carts passing through the town. The carts took them all the way to Vale, where they were given a warm welcome.
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With the increased supply of money, the reconstruction was back to full swing. The lumber guild eventually broke even with their workers so there were no more loose ends or problems. Another two months past in what seemed only a few days as the work continued. Eventually…
"And that does it!" Felix yelled as he jumped down from the roof of Garet's house. Everyone let out a cheer as he marked the final building complete. The entire town was gathered to witness the completion of their work. Congratulations and pleasantries were exchanged among the crowd. Eventually the crowd dispersed one by one. It was time for everyone in Vale to continue where their lives had left off. Now our heroes congregated outside of Garet's house, along with Isaac's, Garet's, and Felix's parents.
"Well I guess that does it…" Kyle spoke up. "Thanks to the money you guys rounded up in Tolbi, we were able to finish quickly!" He threw an arm around Isaac's shoulders, putting his son in a headlock.
"So I guess we shouldn't overstay then…" Piers caught all of their attention. "I'd like to start my search for the Stone of Sages as soon as possible.
"Aw Piers! Don't drag us out right after we've finished!" Sheba pouted at him.
"I know, I'm not gonna pull you out right now, in fact I planned on staying a little while myself, just don't make any long-term plans." Mia and Ivan agreed, but Sheba was still unhappy. In reality none of them wanted to part ways, but they knew it would happen eventually. Thankfully, Garet's grandfather came up with an ideal plan.
"At least stay until the festival! It would be a shame if we only had half the world's heroes here during the celebration."
"Festival?" Ivan looked towards Garet, but he was already hooting and hollering at the mention. He looked at Isaac.
"He means the Festival of Elements. It is an annual celebration in the town square to honor the four base elements and psyenergy…"
"There's music, dancing, and lots of FOOD!" Garet cut him off abruptly, still bouncing about like a giddy child.
"I've been gone way too long… I forgot all about the festival…"
"We missed in last year too Felix, when Garet and I left to find you and Jenna." Jenna hadn't spoken at all since the mention of the Festival. She had been thinking of what she was going to do in terms of clothing. After all, her previous wardrobe had been swallowed up by Mt Aleph.
"When is the Festival?" Piers asked.
"Two weeks from now." Dora explained. Piers contemplated the time table he had wished to follow, but decided it would be better to stay for a bit.
"That works out perfectly… I think they'd all agree with me anyway." Mia, Ivan, and Sheba all nodded in agreement. It was settled and preparations for the festival immediately began. However, the eight fatigued heroes were excluded from the preparation. Isaac and Felix insisted on helping, but were continuously turned away by Garet's grandfather. He ensured them they would be alright and that they deserved to rest for a while.
The eight all used the time for different things. Piers spent most of his time at his ship, once he had picked up the hover gem from Vale, he had moved his ship to right outside the town. He hadn't told many what he was up to, but rumor had it that he was busy drawing up sea charts for his journey soon to come.
Mia stayed with Jenna and Felix, visiting the healer's sanctum from time to time to learn from the wise great healer of Vale.
Ivan spent all his time at Kraden's house, reading any book he could get his hands on off the massive shelves that lined the walls of the house.
Sheba was practically attached to Felix. She continuously asked him to show her around or just keep her company. The others started to believe that she saw Felix as more than just a friend.
Felix, of course, was dragged around by Sheba most of the time. He didn't really have anything else to do though. He also wanted to familiarize himself with the people again anyway. It had been a long time since many had seen him.
Garet slept.
Jenna was a busy bee for most of the time. She and Sheba, when she wasn't terrorizing Felix, had made trips to the nearby towns. Jenna needed to buy new clothes anyway, but the two of them were also seeking something nice to wear for the festival. When she was in Vale, Jenna continuously tried to find Isaac, but half the time he either wasn't around, or when she came near him, she'd freeze up and walk away quickly.
Isaac, still curious of the extent of his abilities, spent his time consulting Kraden, experimenting with psyenergy, and sitting in his and Garet's sparring spot. Many had seen him just sitting there, concentrating. None really knew what he was doing out there. It was a large patch of scorched ground, all the grass around the area had been burned by Isaac and Garet's sparring in the past. Jenna stood behind a tree from time to time, watching him sit there. She wanted to go talk to him, but she didn't know what to talk about and usually decided it would be better not to disturb him. Isaac however, was usually aware of her presence. In fact one of these many instances just occurred.
Jenna… She was over there again wasn't she… The last thing Isaac spent his time on… Thinking about her. Circumstance brought us together to talk about things at Colosso… now it has to be through our own will… but after the all those awkward moments… how are we supposed to just talk casually? Not to mention how our psyenergy goes crazy when we're near one another…… oh yeah that reminds me… I still haven't talked to Kraden about that… He opened his eyes and stared up and the blue sky. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the wind was but a soft breeze that tickled the face gently with each gust. I wonder what's on her mind…
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"This would all be a lot easier if my mother could make clothes like Isaac's…" Jenna complained as she ruffled through a bunch of choices she had at the Vault tailor.
"At least it's all pre-made here… I love all the styles on this side of the continent! Lalivero had nothing like this!" Sheba called to her from behind another pile. "Besides, all they always had me dressed in this stupid ceremonial attire…" She referred to her current outfit. Jenna placed the clothes back on the pile so she could see Sheba.
"That reminds me Sheba… what are you going to do when you return to Faren?" Jenna could tell she hit a taboo. Sheba's expression lost a considerable amount of color at the mention of her return to her hometown.
"I… don't want to talk about it…" She looked like she was holding back tears. She immediately turned away from Jenna.
"Sorry…" Jenna went back to her search. After a few moments, Sheba spoke up again, but she was back to normal as if Jenna had never asked her about Lalivero.
"Gah! I can't decide! I like them all!" Jenna chuckled at her sudden mood swing. "I wish I could be like Mia and be happy with the same outfit all the time!"
"It's part of her status as a healer, the robes are traditional with Ilian healing."
"How can she wear that in the middle of summer and not burn up?"
"I heard water adepts can control their body temperature." Jenna felt so smart from all the studying she had done under Kraden.
"Ok then miss smarty pants. What's going on between you and Isaac?" Jenna dropped her pile of clothes on the floor. She quickly bent down and picked them up one by one.
"Nothing! N-nothing at all!"
"You could've fooled me. The way you too nearly made out in the middle of the Colosso final was a massive indication." Jenna was being backed into a corner, but she devised a plan of counter-attack.
"I'll tell you all about it Sheba… if…"
"If…?" Sheba approached her, hands on her hips, and her head tilted to the side. Jenna sneered.
"If you tell me the real reason you've been dragging my brother around Vale every day." There was a long pause and both stood still.
"Touché Jenna." Sheba turned away and grabbed a few articles of clothing from her pile, returning the rest to their former spot. "Come on let's go." She sounded slightly annoyed, which signaled victory for Jenna. She selected her choices and headed out as well.
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Time flows on, the two weeks pass. The night was drawing near and the festival was about to begin. Isaac stood in front of his mirror adjusting a green tunic his mother had made for him. It resembled his blue one, but was a bit shorter after the waist. The color matched well with the brown slacks his father had lent to him.
"Hey Isaac! Let's go!" Garets voice boomed from downstairs.
"Alright! Alright! Quit thinking with your stomach!" Isaac bent down, fastened the buckles on his boots, and quickly threw on his lucky scarf before heading down the stairs. Garet was tapping his foot in the doorway of Isaac's house.
"Everyone is already down there! C'mon! I don't want to miss anything…" Garet was wearing a brown leather vest with a bright red shirt underneath that seemed a bit small for him, with a pair of slacks similar to Isaac's. Deciding not to argue with his old friend they headed down to the town square. Halfway down they could already spot the rainbow of lights that accompanied the glow of the torches. Music eventually met their ears along with sounds of laughter and joy. They reached the crowd and were greeted warmly by familiar faces, friends, and family. A large wooden stage had been placed over the moat that stood before the psyenergy stone, atop this stage people played music on hand crafted instruments. As they played people danced around happily, tossing volleys of pure elemental psyenergy into the air to create the different shades of colored light; such was the custom of the celebration. Isaac lost Garet in an instant. He had already taken off towards the tables of food that lined the outer edge of the festival. Isaac made his way through the crowd, looking for his friends. He spotted Felix just a moment too late as he disappeared into the crowd. Isaac shrugged and kept moving in his current direction.
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I know she's around here somewhere… if she just wasn't too dang short... Felix maneuvered himself in and out of the crowd. He suddenly felt a tug on his ponytail.
"Found you!"
"Ouch!" He turned around and there was Sheba, Sporting a small red sweater and a blue knee length skirt. "There's gotta be a better way to get my attention." He muttered while rubbing the back of his head. She giggled and grabbed him by the arm.
"Come on! Show me around! This is so much fun!" Felix offered no resistance as she pulled him into the crowd, bumping into a few people as they moved.
"Hey! Hey! Slow down!"
"I can't help it! I've never had this much fun before!" Sheba laughed as she stopped pulling him in front of the stage.
"Alright then, come over here, we'll get in the way here." He guided her around the festival, showing her the food, the psyenergy displays; he even taught her the dance to honor the elements. She seemed to enjoy every second of it, Felix had never seen her so happy. Eventually she seemed to tire out and she pointed to a bench off to the side, secluded from the rest of the people. Felix nodded and followed her.
"This is great!" She exclaimed as she plopped down on the bench. Felix sat down next to her.
"It has been a long time since I've taken part in this festival… I'd forgotten how enjoyable it was."
"I wish it would never end…" They sat silently for a moment. Sheba sighed. "Nothing this good can last forever though… we'll all be going our own ways soon…" Felix leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"Have you thought about how you are going to explain everything to Faren?" He saw her twitch and suddenly felt a little bad for asking. She always avoided the subject of Lalivero. "I'm sorry, you don't need…"
"No… it's alright… everyone is always open about themselves, well, except for Piers, but everyone is always willing to talk about themselves… I'm always acting selfish… never talking about it." She stared towards the night sky. "I hate it in Lalivero… I know it's really the only home I have… but…" She paused. "… but… they don't treat me like a person… they think I'm some holy child sent from the Gods, and that my powers brought good crops and prosperity… it's all a load of bull…" Felix listened intently; it looked like the words were taking their toll on her. "They always forced me to wear that… stupid… ceremonial outfit. Even Faren, who is the only father figure I have ever known, treats me like I'm the object of the town's good fortune…" She hugged herself tightly. "To be honest… I was so happy when you, Saturos, and Menardi came a long and snatched me from that dull, deluded town… The adventure I shared with you and the others was the first time I had ever really felt alive… but then we came here…"
"To Vale?" She nodded.
"Yes… here… everyone is like me… everyone has psyenergy, and everyone treats me, like a normal person… it feels incredible… to be normal… to not be treated like a holy godsend…" Felix was surprised when he noticed her quivering lightly. Her words suddenly became shaky. "But I can't… leave Lalivero behind… Faren, as much as I hate how he views me… is still like my father… the people have probably been in an uproar… if I don't return, a whole community could destroy itself from within…" She brushed a strand of hair from her face, and Felix noticed a tear roll down her cheek. "I don't want to leave Vale! I don't want to go back! But… I have to! I feel obligated to! I don't know what to do! I just… I just want to be normal!!"
Felix couldn't stand it anymore. He reached out and pulled her into a hug. She immediately hugged him back, crying into his chest. Felix didn't know what to say to her, nor if he could do anything to comfort her for that matter. All he knew was that she needed someone to be there for her, to give her a shoulder to cry on… so he provided.
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Elsewhere, Mia shuffled around within the crowd. Glancing every once in a while at the festivities. But she couldn't get into it.
What's wrong with me? I can't even be happy during such a joyous occasion? She sighed and leaned against a tree. My heart is at such unease… My worry for Alex has drowned out everything else… She closed her eyes. What am I to do?
"HEY!" The voice startled her and made her bump her head against the tree.
"Ah!" She gripped the back of her head.
"Oh! Sorry Mia! I didn't mean to scare you!" She recognized the lumbering voice.
"Garet, your loud voice can startle anyone…"
"Aw don't be like that…" He chuckled. "Say, how come you're standing over here all alone? You should join in the fun!" Garet's typical cheerful expression began to lose its shine slowly as Mia didn't respond. "Mia?" She had her head down.
"I'm sorry Garet… I just can't get into it… you might as well get back to the celebration… I'd only drag you down." Right as she finished he grabbed her wrist and pulled her off the tree, dragging her towards the crowd. "Garet?! What are you…?!"
"Shh… no more… this is the biggest event that takes place in Vale…"
"But I just…"
"No buts Mia… Tonight is the night of the Festival of Elements… nobody should ever spend this night alone." Profound words that she didn't expect would come from Garet. She complied and followed him.
"Here let's join the dancing!" But there was a breaking point of compliance.
"Oh no! Garet I'm a horrible dancer…"
"Nonsense! The dance is easy! I'll show you how!" He pulled her to the edge of the dance circle. "Ok just do as I do…" He put his right hand to his opposite shoulder and held his left hand parallel to the right with his palm turned towards him. "First stand just like this and face your partner. Mia obeyed and mirrored him. "Step towards your partner by crossing the right foot over and switch your hands to mirror their previous spot on your other shoulder." He crossed his foot then turned his back to her. "Turn away and shuffle past each other to the opposite side. As you pass grab each other's left hand." Garet grabbed her hand and extended the distance between them as far as his arm could reach. "Keep the hands together, but turn the body so you face one another. Throw your right arm into the air, with your palm spread." Garet partook in each motion as he explained. "Gather a small amount of psyenergy in its purest form and release it into the air. After that you go back to square one and repeat" He smiled contently and looked back to her. "Ya got all that?"
"I…think so…"
"This is just the basic form, people throw their own variations into the dance to keep it interesting, but everyone here has known this dance for ages, so don't worry about it." Mia nodded, looking as if she was trying to remember every move. Garet broke her concentration. "Well what are we waiting for? It's much easier to do with the flow of the music!"
Garet dragged her into the crowd of dancers and they waited for the rhythm of the song to repeat. They began the dance. Mia stumbled a few times at first, still trying to flow into the moves, but eventually she got the hang of it. The two laughed and danced with the music and the crowd. When the song ended, they were in for a surprise. Piers suddenly appeared on the stage among the people playing, holding a wooden flute in his hand. The music began again, but this time accompanied by Piers playing the flute.
"I didn't know Piers could play the flute!" Mia exclaimed as she watched the Lemurian effortlessly create joyous music for the occasion.
"Well, there are a lot of things he doesn't tell us." Garet joked. "Come on! Piers has added to the rhythm! Let's keep dancing!" They danced again, this time Mia had the moves down perfectly. They stepped, switched, crossed, locked hands, and threw psyenergy into the rainbows of illumination. Garet was taken by surprise as Mia began throwing random spins, and false steps, along with other variations. "You really picked this up fast!" He commented as they crossed with their backs turned.
"Once I got it down, it began to feel more natural!" She answered happily as the grasped his hand and threw more mercury energy into the air. She smiled happily and continued the dance.
That's better… Garet thought. She's smiling… I don't know why, but she's been all gloomy since we've returned… it's nice to see her smile again… They danced and danced until Mia couldn't hold out any longer, she had to rest. She pulled Garet out of the dance circle and back to the tree where he had found her. She leaned back up against the tree and sighed in relief at the luxury of a respite.
"Wow… you sure had a lot of energy out there; I was struggling to keep up with you…" He was cut short when she suddenly hugged him tightly around the waist.
"Thank you so much Garet… I've been lost in my thoughts recently and haven't found anything to be enjoyable lately… but you pulled me out of it all and lead me to have the time of my life… I really needed that…"
"Uh… SURE! Urm… don't mention it!" Garet blushed slightly under his reply, rubbing the bottom of his nose with his index finger.
"No really, I've been such a downer, and I haven't told anyone why… sorry…" Garet swallowed and returned her embrace.
"Don't worry about it Mia… You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to… just remember that we're here to listen if you ever need someone to talk to. That's what friends are for." The second time such truthful words had met her ears.
"Yes… I agree…"
…
…
…
Where is she? I've been searching up and down the entire crowd! The slightly annoyed earth adept weaved his way through the crowd. I'm sure she saw Piers playing, so she must be close enough to see the stage, where in the world could she… His stopped suddenly, feeling a slight stir within his body. He blinked a few times, confused. Soon it hit him. He glanced to the left and looked past four or five individuals and he caught a glimpse of familiar auburn hair. That's right; I almost forgot that I've become a living Jenna detector… Isaac joked to himself. He pushed his way towards her and eventually he reached her, fully taking in her new outfit before any other action. It was quite a sight to Isaac, being the first time he had seen her wear something besides her red shirt and brown dress. Both had been replaced. She had a new undershirt, although it was the same color, over which she wore a thin white sweater that was unbuttoned. To compliment, she wore a white short skirt, but not so short to be considered risqué. Once Isaac had taken enough time to examine her new appearance, (Unbeknownst to her of course), he laid a hand on her shoulder. "You are hard to find…" She turned around quickly at the familiar voice, smiled and crossed her arms under her chest, leaning slightly.
"Says you! I've been trying to find you too!"
"Well here I am then." He threw his arms out to his sides. "What should we do?" She grabbed his arm before he could put it down.
"Everything! Just like we used to!" And she dragged him through the crowd. Isaac chuckled and followed her lead. He couldn't have agreed more with her decision. Every single year the two of them had spent this night together. They visited every display, sampled all the food, and greeted all their acquaintances. They eventually made their way into the dance circle. Both being veterans at the dance, they twirled and swung gracefully into each move, both adding their own personal twists to the moves. They were so into it that people began to back off, giving them more room. They became the center of attention for the duration of the song. When the music ceased, they were surprised to hear most of the cheering and clapping heading towards them. They looked around, both surprised and embarrassed as they realized almost all eyes were on them. They smiled and nodded as the people laughed and called their names. The two broke away as quickly as they could and positioned themselves up against the clothing shop for a rest.
"Well! That was unexpected." Isaac chuckled. Jenna giggled as well.
"Yeah! I guess we were dancing like no tomorrow!" They both laughed heartily, heaving content sighs to follow. Jenna caught sight of a group of small children running around. She smiled, reminiscing of her childhood, now long gone.
"Hey! Look!" Isaac suddenly pointed towards where the kids were gathering. Small sparks and flashes of bright light were sprouting from where they had gathered. Then Jenna saw him.
"Ivan?"
"He's putting on a little "magic show" for them."
"Aw, that's so cute…" Jenna and Isaac watched as Ivan skillfully manipulated his psyenergy, generating oo's and aa's from the observing children. Jenna closed her eyes and thought again to her childhood. "Isaac… do you remember when we were that age?" Isaac kept his gaze fixed on the children as he thought over her question.
"It was so long ago but it seems just like yesterday… sometimes I wonder where all the time has gone…" Jenna thought back to their lives before the boulder fell.
"The simpler times… I often try to remember them… not a worry in the world…"
"The days were all ours, eat, sleep, and play were all we knew…" He continued for her.
"I guess… when the boulder fell, it was the blow that forced the wheels of time to start turning…"
"Yes… but I will never forget those days… I feel fortunate to have lived them in Vale…" Jenna turned to him, her expression was written all over with the desire for an explanation. "After all the places, and all the lives I witnessed while on our long journey, I began to realize that Vale provided a safe haven for me to grow into the person I am today, a place free of greed, oppression, hate, and evil… even those who joined us along the way all came from troubled pasts…" Jenna thought about those words, and realized the truth they held, all their companions from outside of Vale had their complications, Ivan knew not of his own origin, Mia's home is stricken with sickness and disease, Sheba is unsure of her destiny, and Piers has lived long enough to meet many shortcomings.
"Yes…" Was all she said as she nodded.
"Every lesson I learned on my journey was just important to me as every lesson I learned from this town. All my experiences here taught me… every role model… every friend… even down to every game of tag." He smiled as he continued to reminisce. Jenna looked at him, her eyes scanning over his features.
I swear there is just nothing I don't love about him! He's so kind… so thoughtful… so… so… I don't even know! It's just… so wonderful to be with him… Suddenly an idea popped into her head. She smirked and reached a hand out towards him. She tapped him on the shoulder. "Tag! You're it!" She trotted off towards the stairs leading up into town.
"Hey!" He yelled towards her, laughing. This is just so her… and honestly I hope she never changes… Her cheerfulness is so relaxing… He chased after her, but she was obviously not trying, as he caught up to her within seconds and grabbed her by the sleeve. "Got you!" He yelled, but the sudden yank on her arm caused her to step awkwardly and she fell forward, taking him with her. They both landed beneath the cherry tree near the edge of small cliff that looked over the town square, laughing despite having landed atop one another. All recent feelings aside, Jenna was trying to feel like a child again and trying to drag Isaac along with her, which she had succeeded. They rolled off one another still laughing and they propped themselves up against the tree side by side. The colors were still rising off the square as the music continued to play, but it was quieter where they sat, the cliff was just high enough to offer a bit of solitude from all the commotion below. They both settled down and sighed. "That was fun…"
"Well, I did say I wanted to do things the way we always had… and after all the thoughts of our childhood, I couldn't resist…"
"I'm glad you couldn't… that was a nice reminder…" They kept looking at each other, neither tearing the gaze from the other.
Something was happening, something that neither of them could describe. Suddenly it was as if neither could speak. No words came to them; no strength came to their voices. The distance between their faces suddenly began to shrink, even though neither of them could recall telling their body to move. It all just seemed to happen as if fate had willed it. They drew closer still, and now their bodies felt as though they were heating up. Their psyenergy: spiking to the point where it began to take the form of an aura around them both. They both closed their eyes and the space between them disappeared completely. They felt a sensation surge through them as they felt their lips brush against one another… but…
*KA-POW*
They flew apart from one another quicker than lightning. As the loud noise rang trhough the air. The sky lit up brightly as more and more similar noises followed. They looked towards the square and saw colorful explosions littering the sky.
Fireworks… Isaac through to himself and her looked away from Jenna, trying to comprehend the past few seconds. Jenna was also looking in the other direction, grasping her wrist with one hand, gently touching her lips with the other. A possible new development between them had been ruined by the sudden fireworks, but Jenna did not, by any means want it to ruin the night for them. So she sucked it up and cleared her throat, positioning herself near him again. Isaac saw her movement and quickly realized that she was trying to break the sudden ice and regained his composure. She rested her head on his shoulder and spoke.
"It's so nice to finally be home isn't it?" Not the first thing on either of their mind… but it was best not the leave the whole situation awkward. Isaac smiled and nodded.
"Yes… it sure is…"
---To Be Continued---
Ah love... it's so difficult sometimes! No really i mean that seriously! but yeah, everyone unfortunatly will go their seperate ways... but how long will it take Piers to come across evidence of the Stone of Sages? it may be sooner than they all think!
In all honesty it may be a while before the next chapter, i just took on an 8 am to 5 pm job which i have to use one hour afterward to work out for football as well, so my writing time, if i have any over the next few months will be few and far between.
BUT ENOUGH SADNESS!
Once again i extend my deepest thanks to all who read and/or review my work, you guys are the greatest!
Flashgunner over and out!