Author's Disclaimer: Most things in this story belong to Shannon Messenger
HI GUYS! I'm really sorry I'm late on updating. I should really stop saying I'll post in a week, if I'm always somehow gonna be late. Sigh. I had a serious case of writer's block. It was aweful. Anyway, onto reviews!
Surge-tastic: YAY! I knew person! I don't have very many reviews-Carin is amazing though- so I'm happy you're here! And thank you. I wanted to have a story set in the future from a... somewhat human... perspective. I mean, we get to see the elves point of humans-annoying as they might be- on humans all the time. Why not switch it up? Though I'm confused on whether you just read the first chapter or all of them. Oh well. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
Carin: Thank you so much for reviewing. It means a lot to me when you do, since you're my oldest reader. I'm glad you like it, and that you think my writing is good enough to kill you with suspense. But, sorry to say this, some questions won't be answered in this book. I'm just evil that way.
Anyway, enjoy chapter ten!
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Evanne deadpanned, clusmly attempting to not plunge into the ocean on the slippery rocks they stood on in high heels. Dammit, whoever invented these death-traps are gonna pay in the afterlife! The brunette thought murderously.
With only the vast carribean blue sea in sight, lapping at the rocks they stood on by the shoreline with a certain barbarity, it wasn't exactly how Eva pictured Atlantis to be. A flock of seagulls flew high above, squawking in unison. The young brunette then smirked at the picture.
So, Atlantis isn't all it's cracked up to be, huh? Evanne thought. Good, that'll show those pompitous asswholes that they're no better than us humans.
"Nah," Sophie answered, and the juvenile girl's mood plummeted once more. "Atlantis is all the way at the bottom of the ocean. We have to get to the very top of the city before we can release the transportation."
Release the transportation? Eva questioned in her mind. Not that they aren't psychopaths as it is, but, are they fucking crazy!
"So they really did sink Atlantis," she mumbled underneath her breath. Despite the words being but a whisper, Fitz, who was right beside her, responded promptly.
"Yes. Once the humans began to make weapons they barely knew how to control against our innocent ancestors, they decided to sink Atlantis before they could attack and humans eventually forgot about us elves. The ones who did remember however, told stories about us that eventually evolved into myths. This used to be a human city, you know-that's why you know it's name."
Innocent! INNOCENT! I can think of a few ways to contradict you elves being innocent, Eva thought, but didn't voice her opinions out loud. Her chances of getting home were a landmine-especially after her outburst earlier- and if she didn't tread carefully, she'd explode. So she'd play nice-for now.
"Still going on about that bullshit about humans betraying you, huh?" she muttered darkly. The teal-eyed elf turned to her.
"Huh? What'd you say?"
"NOTHING!" Evanne exclaimed.
Fitz peered at her with narrowed eyes for so long the brunette began to sweat under his heated gaze, before turning back to the group of elves and a goblin. Eva released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.
"HURRY UP SLOWPOKES!" Keefe cried from his perch atop the rocks. "Seriously, if you don't hurry up I'm gonna prank you so hard you'll wish you were dead."
"I second that. Want me to dye your hair pink or neon yellow this time, Wonderboy?" Dex added, to which Fitz chuckled.
"Neither," he replied, as him and Eva walked up the rocks towards the group.
Once they reached the crest, the young brunette finally discovered what Sophie met by 'release the transportation'. The brown eyes elf pulled open the latch to a queer compartment inside a rock and took out a bottle labeled "ONE WHIRLPOOL. OPEN WITH CARE." Sophie uncorked the bottle, tossing it as a whole into the sea.
Seconds later, Evanne had to shield her face from the massive windstorm brewing around her, as the roar of churning water filled the air.
"Come on. Ladies first," Keefe said, motioning for Eva to leap into the vortex, his signature smirk edged onto his handsome face.
"In there!?" Evanne questioned dubiously. INTO A SWIRLING VORTEX OF DOOM!
Sandor grinned. "Yeah. Don't tell me you're scared?"
Evanne glared at him, the feeling of fear in her heart evaporating into anger.
"NO!" she exclaimed.
"Yes you are. I can see you shaking in your high heals," he noted.
The goblin's claim was accurate, as the girls hands were shaking violently at her sides-much to Evanne's chagrin.
"Well, if you are, then you should just leave. Forget about going to see Councillor Terik- who's staying in Atlantis for the time being for observation of the city, since most of the missing elves disappeared from there-and leave," he said. "Wait for the blood tests to see if you're elf or not from Elwin instead of going on a meaningless trip where anyone-most importantly the council-can find out you're here. ILLEGALLY! Emphasis on illegally."
Eva glared daggers at the goblin. As much as she desired to leave this place and be disproven of being an elf, the goblin telling her what to do pissed her off. Besides, it wasn't as if her elvin comrades would listen to him anyway.
A grinch-like grin suddenly edged itself onto her features. Evanne had the perfect idea to get back at Sandor for the goblins humiliation of the girl. She then placed her hands on the small of his back, guided him forward swiftly, and pushed the muscled beast into the whirlpool. His "colorful" choice of words echoed in the air before he was dragged underneath the water.
Grinning, Evanne swiveled to find all the elves sending her heated stares. She shrugged.
"What?" she questioned, blinking innocently for emphasis, before springing into the whirlpool herself.
It took Evanne a moment to realize she could breath, and another to stop flailing like a total idiot. She perceived that she was inside an air vortex, twisting and turning beneath the deep blue sea in what could only be described as a crazy ride. The brunette was immediately reminded of the roller coasters she'd braved with Karma and her parents at Great Adventure, what with both possessing a certain thrill that caused a rush of adrenaline to course through Evanne's body. That, plus loops and heart-stopping drops. She had exactly began to joyfully laugh when she was launched from the ride onto a colossal sponge. Like a vacuum cleaner, it sucked all the liquid that had clung to Eva's fancy clothing, before launching the girl onto a soft, velvety cushion.
"Welcome to Atlantis!" Sophie exclaimed, extending her arms fully in display of the city, after being sprung from the sponge next to Evanne.
"Wow," Eva muttered to herself in awe. Out of all the elvin places she'd seen today, Atlantis was undoubtedly the most stunning. Lucid exasperation then edged itself onto her features, and her hand balled into a fist at her sides. Of course it was. Nothing could ever go her way, could it?
A crystal dome stood high above, a diamond fracture displaying a group of dolphins happily partaking in a game of tag. The light from the dome flitted down to bathe the crystal spires of the city in almost an ethereal blue glow; each structure connected by various intricate bridges, with elves bustling to and fro along them. The men wore heavy velvet capes, while the women dressed in poofy, renaissance-like gowns, dresses so frilly and pink Eva wanted to hurl, and one even wore a piece of clothing that changed color from baby blue to sharp sliver as she walked. The air was crisp and clean-despite the group being underwater.
Still, in spite of the cities beauty, a shiver then crept up the girl's spine- like a gnawing sense of deja vu. She'd been here before, but when?
Before Evanne could ponder this much longer however, ice-buckets poured down her back, this time from a certain goblins murderous intent directed at her.
Sandor stood behind the brunette, his eyes that of a serial killer, his fisted hand raised. There was practically an aura of death radiating off him as he approached-a wild animal on the prowl.
"Why you little brat! You're gonna pay for that!" Sandor cried, as he backed her into a corner. Eva smirked.
"What? You had it coming," she replied. "Going on on about that shit of me leaving really pissed me off."
These words seemed to anger the goblin even more, as he went in to sock her in the nose. Eva's smirk vanished, replaced by pure fear. I'm gonna fucking die! She thought, raising her arms in defense. But his fist never came in contact with her countenance.
No, because the Biana promptly chopped Sandor on the head, knocking the goblin unconscious. And, as she dragged him away, Eva could have sworn she said: "Next time you do something so idiotic, I'm gonna break your arm!"
Beads of sweat glimmered on Evanne's bronze skin. For a girl that appeared as delicate as a flower, she sure as hell could be downright terrifying.
Keefe began to sweat profusely beside Sophie. "Um… Ok-ay… Does anyone else think Biana can be downright scary sometimes."
"I don't know," Fitz said, "Sophie can pretty terrifying sometimes too."
This earned him a glare from said Sophie.
"Will you guy's just focus already! We have work to do," Foster scolded sternly, which shut the boy's up quick.
"Yeah, I have a hair appointment six, and I really can't miss it," Keefe commented.
Dex eyed the blonde strangely, pointing at Evanne in front of him. "THIS one here is some kind of elvin freak, and you're worried about your hair?"
Evanne glared daggers at the perwinkled-eyed elf, resisting the very TEMPTING urge to bruise that annoyingly perfect face of his. And she means VERY tempting.
"What can I say," Sophie's husband ran a hand through his artfully disheveled locks, "This-he pointed to his hair- takes a lot more time than you might think to match my brilliance."
"...Right….." Dex replied scepticilly.
As they tred through the stunning city, Evanne began to take more notice of the Atlantis's familiarity. From the billboards advertising two for one specials on bottled lightning or fast approval for spyball applications, to the strange hybrid chicken-lizard on a leash, everything appeared as if she'd been here before in a time long past. Even the carriage-an almond shaped contraption with black accents that was towed by a eight-foot-long scorpion, in which they decided to ride in so as to preserve time-seemed familiar in one way or another.
"Where to?" A man with a bored expression, and palest of the pale blue eyes lazily asked. Fitz handed him money from a currency Eva didn't care to know. She wouldn't be in the Lost Cities for long, after all.
"To Councillor Terik's summer home," Fitz answered, the driver nodding in acknowledgement. They then climbed into the carriage, before the man slapped the reins reared against the insects deadly pincers to get the creature moving. Then, they were on their way.
It pissed the girl off, how the mystery of the familiarity of Atlantis was like a word on the tip of Eva's tongue-an itch that had yet to be scratched. It made the brunette wanna punch something-preferably an elf- in the arm. And so, in contrast to resolving to not give into her fury, she did so.
"OW! What was for?!" Sophie asked, her mouth contorted into a scowl, as she turned towards her attacker. Evanne simply turned the other way. The blonde sighed before pivoting back to her friends.
"It's funny: Atlantis hasn't changed in the slightest," Sophie noted.
Maybe it was because Evanne was bored as hell. Maybe she wanted to gather more information on these pompous fools. Whichever reason, her ears tuned into the conversation the elves were currently having.
Dex snorted. "Yeah, you'd think they'd change things up after it was almost completely flooded."
At the end of the sentence, he shot Sophie and Keefe a dead-panned look.
"IT BARELY FLOODED! And it wasn't our fault, anyway," Keefe said, pouting at the periwinkled eyed elf.
Sophie smirked a smirk that could rival Keefe's in its sense of mischief. Eva was almost vaguely impressed her jailer had it in her. Almost.
"Says the guy who orchestrated the Great Gulon Incident," the blonde commented snarkily.
The Great Gulon Incident? What the hell is that?! Eva thought. And on that note: What the hell is a Gulon?
"Yeah," Fitz said, joining in on the small-talk. "It looks almost exactly as it did when we took Sophie to Atlantis, before she had to leave…" He trailed off when Sophie's face turned solemn, and Eva could have sworn she saw tears glittering in the blonde elves brown eyes.
This intrigued the young brunette. She knew that far-off, teary eyed expression well, for she had worn it herself for weeks two years ago. Whoever Sophie had had to tear herself away from, must've been important.
Keefe's fingers entwined with Sophie's, squeezing her hand in a comforting gesture. Biana, meanwhile, was regarding her brother in such a way that that if looks could kill, he'd be seven feet under by now.
"It's alright guys," Sophie forced the words through plump, pink lips. It was clear it wasn't. "I should be fine with it. It's been years, after all. Amy's already graduated college. I shouldn't still be upset I had to leave my human parents in the Forbidden Cities."
Evanne's iris's widened to the size of saucers. W-wait, what did she just say?
"No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have mentioned it," Fitz shook his head. The group then continued there conversation as if nothing happened-though their strained smile's made it hard to believe.
But Eva wasn't listening to their speech. She was much too focused on the words Sophie had said from earlier. She repeated them over and over again in her mind, her brain utterly refusing to process them. She didn't have a clue on how to respond.
But, it was in that moment, that despite kidnapping her, despite them injuring Karma, despite everything they've fucking done! She felt a sliver of sympathy for the brown-eyed elf-small as it was. She remembered what it was like to lose her parents well. There was a difference between there losses, of course, that damned elf's weren't gone forever like Evanne's, but they were in a similar situation nonetheless.
Eva remembered how she'd been plagued with nightmares for weeks-even months- after her parents were lost to the fire. Of their bodies, mangled and charred from the flames engulfing them. Of their skin being torn in strips by fire that smelled of burnt sugar. Of her mom's calls, while her dad taunted her in a screeching, crackly voice.
"EVANNE, HELP! SAVE US!" The black-haired beauty known as her mother would cry out, though no matter how swiftly Eva ran she could never reach the woman. It was horribly poetic, how the brunette's dreams mirrored the fact that she could never save them. Hilarious. Well, Eva wasn't laughing.
"You could have saved us. You were there. Trapped in the fire that murdered us. If you loved us at all, you would have helped us! YOU'RE PATHETIC! WEAK! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE LIVED THROUGH THAT ACCIDENt!" Eva's father said on the other hand, pointing a crooked, charred finger at her, as if in wicked promise.
The worst part about her father's words were that they were true-no matter how much Dove reassured the girl otherwise. Guilt gnawed at her stomach like termites at the thought. Because she'd BEEN there. She was there when the fire had started. If she only hadn't fainted when that tree branch almost fell on top of her, where would be now?
No, she already knew the answer to that question: They'd still be WITH her. Together again. They'd watch her grow up and graduate college-get married to Karma and start her own family. They'd laugh and cry together once more. Instead, Eva was alone and broken. And it was ALL her fault.
"Yes, you're to blame for there death. Remember that," A voice in Evanne's head whispered.
Eva bristled at the speaker. NO! NOT AGAIN! Not after two years.
Frantically, the brunette attempted to think of Karma's wonderful sky blue irises, looking at her with unbridled love and affection, to rid herself of the voice. But it was already too late. The guilt in the form of the insulting voice had already slipped to through the cracks of horrid memories, and it had no intention of slinking back.
"GO AWAY! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Evanne cried out in her mind. The speaker simply chuckled, a deep, booming laugh that caused a shiver to crawl up Eva's spine.
"Why should I leave when I found myself such an immusing toy? You only want me to leave because it's the truth. You're simply running away from reality. You're to blame for you're mommy and daddy dieing on you!"
"SHUT UP!" She screamed in one last attempt to quiet the voice down. She already knew what they were saying was accurate, why did they have to continue to remind her so? Each jab was like a stab to the heart.
The world around her began to dull, the voices of the elves chattering excitedly dimming considerably, until they were nothing but a low hum. The only sound Eva could hear was her hammering heartbeat.
"MURDER! WEAKLING!"
"Stop it…. Please," Eva was practically pleading now, tears streaming down her avatar's cheeks in rivulets. These harmful words were slaughtering her, she just wanted them to end.
Eva was falling, plummeting into the void of despair. She gasped for air, but every heaving breath she took did nothing against the darkness grasping at her throat. She feared that if this continued, the young brunette would die.
"IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU WHO DIED IN THAT FIRE!"
"STOP!" she exclaimed, as she was finally consumed by the darkness…..
"Evanne!" Someone suddenly screamed-a single light to guide the way in the abyss.
Eva snapped out of her trance. She swiveled to see Sophie staring at her with worried brown eyes, the other elves peering at her quizzically. Eva then noticed that actual tears were running down her cheeks; she was drenched in sweat.
Since Karma had always been there to comfort her, Eva hadn't had a fit like that in years. The brunette mentally cursed herself for her stupidity. Dumbass, you let your guard down and look what happened! You showed weakness in front these idiots. Ugh! Stupid, she thought.
"Are you... okay?" Sophie asked.
Eva turned away, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"I'm fine," she responded coldly. The quartet stared at her, unconvinced, but they knew better than to pry when the one you're prying is a ticking time bomb that would, most definitely, explode at any time. They all returned to talking.
Gold-flecked eyes lingered a bit longer however, before, seeing Eva's glare that could freeze summer directed at her, turned away as well. Evanne sighed.
Calm, she told herself, attempting to relax her beating heart. To take her mind off things, Evanne begin to scan the scenery. That's when she saw it-a crevice, in between two buildings.
One minute, two minutes, three minutes passed; time just seemed to fly by as Evanne finally processed why Atlantis had looked so familiar. It had been so obvious-why hadn't she seen it before!? This is was where the black-haired woman had kicked the beggar. The city Eva had walked through in Chara's memories.
Immediately, Eva reached out her consciousness to grasp for Chara's. She hadn't noticed, but the fourteen year old had been quiet the whole the time they were here.
"Chara?" she said softly to the girl crouched in the darkness.
Evanne was met by silence.
"CHARA!" she said again-albeit louder. Chara swiveled towards the brunette, and Evanne gasped at her puffy, tear stained face. For all the years she'd known her, Chara had never once cried before. It startled the girl, and she didn't know what to say in response to the shocking revelation the girl with heterochromia said next.
"Yes," Chara wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks. "This is the city from my memories you saw two days ago."
Her expression then turned sad.
"This is where I used to live. When humans were still considered part of the treaty."