A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome back to A Prelude to Rise! For the people who have been following this story, I want to apologize for the over-one-month absence. I got sick, lost interest in the story, worked on a few personal projects, and now I'm back! Did you miss me? Anyways, I mentioned last chapter that I would answer any questions that you might have about the story, but due to the lack of questions, I won't be doing that. However, PM me if you have any questions, I'm open... most of the time. Anyways, without further adieu, Chapter 10!

Chapter 10

Reunion

"Where there is unity, there is victory."

-Publilius Syrus

Music: fox capture plan - Butterfly Effect

(Ender's POV)

To be honest with myself, I was tired, my body longed for a bed, couch- Hell, even the floor would satisfy me, but here I am facing someone who's probably out for my blood.

Without word, I took a swing a the violet-eyed woman. In a quick response, the canopy on her umbrella shot open, clashing with my oncoming blade. She shoved forwards, knocking back my blade and hitting me square in the face. I felt like I had spun around for an hour, and my vision didn't help in the slightest. With a hard blow from her umbrella into my side, I fell down to the floor, my head knocking against the hard floor of the roof, and surprisingly fixing my vision. I attempted to take a swing, but she lunged atop me, pinning down my arm and tried to hold me down.

"Hey! I got one up here guys, hurry bef-" She began to shout to what I could only assume to be her companions, but at this point, I just had to get out of this conflict, and quick. I summoned my blade to my other hand, and took a hard swing at her hand, managing to knock the umbrella from her. She quickly ran to retrieve her weapon, and I took my chance to head down the roof access and escape.

My body ached, my sword, which normally felt almost weightless, now felt light a burden in my hand, but with every ounce of strength in me, I continued to make my way down the stairwell. From behind, I could hear footsteps of the woman rushing after me, and I knew that she was gaining. As I reached to bottom of the first stairway, I turned around and swung, the woman managed to duck out from the strike, causing me to lodge the blade into a wall.

"Forget it..." I muttered angrily as I ran off, leaving my sword in the wall. I looked back for a moment, and thankfully, she had been taken aback by the fact that I left my weapon behind, but thankfully I still had the...

Fuck... I looked down at the ground and lo and behold, the umbrella lay between the both of us. We eyed each other for a moment, before she began to charge towards the umbrella. I did the same, about to tackle her when she ducked to the side and tripped me onto the floor.

A struggle began between the both of us as we both tried to pry the umbrella from the others hands, until the woman curled her legs and kicked be backwards onto my back, forcing the air out from my lungs. The woman slowly rose, her breathing slowing down as what I could only assume to be adrenaline still flowed through her. As I struggled to get up, she placed a foot onto my chest, to the point where I was pinned down. She then took her umbrella and held it close to me before speaking.

"I'm going to give you one chance to answer my question. Who. The Hell. are you?" Her voice was demanding as she spoke, a mix of both anger and caution filled in as well.

"Listen..." I began, accepting what would probably happen soon enough. "You guys... have sent... people to kill me... THREE times!... and you still expect me to... tell you who I am?"

Her face went from anger to confusion, she began to observe the umbrella as she held her own close to my neck. "I... don't get what you-" She seemed to have noticed something and stepped back, a sudden gasp coming from her. I managed to sit up and look up to my opponent to see that she was... teary eyed? I was taken aback by it, but a tear rolled down her cheek as she continued to stare at me. "Y-...you got out too?" She almost choked out.

For a moment, I couldn't reply as I breathed heavily, still surprised at the sudden end to our fight. "What do... you mean?"

She took the umbrella and, with no time at all, pushed the button at the bottom of the handle, opening it. She pointed to the insignia on the canopy and spoke to me. "From them..."

"Yeah..." was all that I could muster, before slowly, and sorely, rising to my feet.

Without a word, she rushed over to me and helped me to my feet. Her gaze now filled with compassion and caution. "We can't talk here. They still might be after you, but once we get back with my friends, we can talk in a more... secure place."

I simply replied with a nod, before walking alongside my quickly turned companion. We began to make our way out of the building, a small crowd of people gathered not too far from the building. They all appeared to gather around the man who I had knocked out of the window. I could have cared less about him at this moment, besides, he was dead, what more could I or anyone do.

Suddenly, from the crowd, the black clothed man emerged, along with a woman of similar appearance. "Obsi, what the hell are you doing?" He asked, a mix of anger and confusion was all over him, however, he kept his weapon held to his side.

"This guy isn't who we're looking for." She replied in protest.

"What do you mean? He threw a guy out of a building." The woman held tightly onto a dagger, a black flame emitting from it.

The woman, who I assumed to be Obsi, darted her eyes across the surrounding area, before moving and dragging me with her. "Not here," She began, "We have to get out of sight... or the open at least."

"Guys!" A bearded man wearing a black and green uniform sputteredas he stopped in front of us. "It's Eve, William took her and Charlie to the main medical center of this city. She's fallen unconscious apparently and they've gone to figure out what's wrong with her."

"Well lets figure out what Obsi's doing with the guy who-" The man said as he adjuated a red cloth that covered his eye. The bearded man interjected before he could finish.

"Just take him with us," He spoke, waving his hand and motioning to follow. "Besides, you can get your answers once we get to Charlie and Eve."

Could it be- I began to think, recalling how Vade mentioned some called Chalrie Kyle... However, I decided to hold my mouth. Besides, rambling about who sent me would only make me sound crazy. We began to move with to the hospital, the eyes of the dark clothed man and woman were locked onto me. Inside, we ran across a short, red-bearded man which everyone around me seemed to recognize.

"Siklod, where did they take Eve?" Obsi questioned.

With a stroke of his beard, he motioned us to follow him. "They took her to one of the rooms, I think Charlie should be waiting outside... there!" He pointed tothe end of the hall, where a blue-clothed man stood, a glowing crystaline blade loked out from the strap on his back.

"Ey, how's she doing Charlie?" The red-haired man asked, peering through the glass window. William and two others stood at a bed where a almost golden-haired woman layed. They seemed to be discussing something, but all that I could make out was muffled speech.

"I don't know, but from the lack of people freaking out, I think she'll be fine... atleast I hope she'll be fine." He leaned back onto the wall and crossed his arms as he replied. Concern was the only thing I could read from him, and all of it was directed towards who I pressumed to be Eve. He was focused on her, until he notice me. "Who's he?"

She took a moment to respond, perhaps this whole ordeal was still on her mind, or she may just be suspicious of me still. "Well... once we get him patched up, I hope that we could find that out."

(Obsi's FOV)

Nothing but one fact raced through my mind as I helped patch up this guy.

I wasn't the only one...

I mean, he looked to be like me. His eyes were almost the same violet as mine, and he had the umbrella with... that insignia on it. But no matter what, I had to be sure.

"Hey," I began to the nurse that was helping me, she tightened a bandage around the mans shoulder, before looking up to me. "Can I... speak with him in private?"

A simple 'Sure' came from her as she began to walk out, and closed the door behind her. I turned back to see him loosen the bandage slightly, tugging at it for a moment.

"So... do you have a name?" I watched as he brought his attention to me.

"Ender... Ender Finis." He replied, before watching his eyes drift to the door. I turned and saw a quick glance of Charlie, before he moved out from view. "So, who's the guy in blue?"

I turned back to him, and watched as he leaned back into the chair. "Charlie? We found him in the Aura Forrest along with that blond woman, Eve. Apparently, they've been growing up there for their whole lives. You've probably noticed the sword he has, right?" I paused for a moment and awaited a nod, which I quickly received. "Anyways, that is pure Aura Crystal, and it is nothing like we've ever seen. We were going to watch a tournament that was planned in order to study how he and his weapon might react around other Aura users. That was, until you showed up. But the good news is, the tournament is going to start in a couple days, being postponed by both you and..." I had to pause for a moment, I had almost forgotten why he was here, and now, I had to find some answers. "...those guys back there, what did they want with you?"

Ender sat for a moment, before his mouth opened to form a reply. "I ran into them a while back, and ever since I got away from them- and ever since I got here, to Fanto, I had only one goal. That goal was to find someone and I think that he," He began, emphasizing by motioning to the door. "may be the one that I've been looking for."

I was intrigued by his interest in Charlie, peering over to see nobody looking through the door. "So what you're saying is... they wanted you to kill him?"

A look of confusion, then one of almost offensiveness, swept over his face. "No, no, no; I wasn't sent by them to kill anybody, I swear. I was just sent to find him."

"Who sent you to find him?"

Ender raised his hand to his neck and began to rub it. "Thaaaat's a little hard to explain, but what I can tell you is that someone, or something is coming, and I'm supposed to help him, and I guess you guys as well. To make sure that he succeeds in doing so."

I almost let out a laugh, but managed to restrain myself, to Ender's notice.

A sigh came from him as he irritatedly responded. "I know that it sounds crazy, and you guys definitely won't believe me, but I want you to understand that I'm here to help you guys." He scanned the room quickly for a moment, almost disappointed that he couldn't find what he was looking for. "Where's that umbrella that I was fighting over with you about?"

"That thing? What about it."

"You can have it,"

"What? But- why- why me?" I stumbled over my words for a moment before throwing out a response.

"I got it off one of those guys that were after me a ways back, and besides him, you're the only person I've seen who can use an umbrella to fight."

I had to pause for a moment, and I was about to respond, when the door opened up from behind me. I turned to see Cole, behind him was Maeve, they looked at me and eyed Ender for a second.

"Just thought I would let you know, Eve's awake."

(Eve's POV)

Music: Disasterpeace - Wisdom's Tragedy

Something about it left me in a trance... not just the building, but something calling from the building. That was when it all went to black, and nothing but a darkness surrounded me.

"Hello!" I screamed, my voice muffled by... who-knows-what. "Is anyone-" I began, before I felt a glow come from behind me. Turning, I saw two glowing shapes, one that glowed a bright green, and another that glowed a deep blue. I was speechless, then one of them spoke in a tone that was... indescribable.

I see her, the woman you mean.

The other replied in words I couldn't understand.

Yes, she might be like the other, therefore, she might possibly be the key.

Again, as before, the other figure replied in an undecipherable language, a frantic tone backed behind it.

Do not worry, I know that the other can hear us and our voices, yet, she cannot see. It appears that she got your message, and quite possibly, a bit more than that.

Before I could comprehend what had been said, somehow, all of my surroundings were now white, besides a dark blue shape that lay in the distance.

"Charlie?" I called out, running to the shape. As I closed in, the white began to darken and the blue began to turn a deep amethystine color. I felt my heart sink to the floor as the color reminded me of the figure that drove me and Charlie from our home. That was when a faint voice came from the distance, close to the figure ahead.

I understand that you have a plan... but at this rate, we will never find- The stern voice started to explain, doing their best to hold onto their composure, until something cut it off. The deep resounding tone immediately struck fear into me.

My plan, with your help, will come to it's full fruition soon... I believe that to me, you are like a chess piece. Something... useful, like a knight or a... rook, something that is more valuable than a pawn, but not as valuable as a queen- no- nothing like a queen. Something that you may have forgotten, is that I do not need every piece to win, and at any time, I can get rid of you, just like that.

The other voice seemed to get the threat, and his now shaky voice reflected that. I-i-i meant no- Again, the deep voice cut the other off.

Wait, it appears... that we have a... uninvited guest...

Without precedent, the purple figure quickly darted towards me, when a voice breathed onto me and whispered a simple phrase.

Wake... up...

There we have it guys! Chapter 10! I hope that you all enjoyed, and that you all had a wonderful New Year!