Hi, I don't have much to say other than I'll be working hard this holiday break to update all my other stories for your Christmas enjoyment! I'm also working on a small holiday fic where good ol' Artimus Siller get's visited by three ghost! Of course, you must know where that's from! But, I'll reveal nothing more, other than I hope I can finish it in time!
Artimus kept a weary eye out as he walked down the halls. He looked around as he pressed walked up to a door, and pressed his hand against it, and turned the knob. Artimus had stepped inside his father's privet library, and only he and the Sorcerer knew the current location. He walked to the center of the room, where there were a few tables and chairs placed. Artimus smirked as he saw Cole, bounded to one of the chairs. Cole threw a look as sharp as daggers at the older brother as he set Alexus down in a chair. "Why did you move her?" the Sorcerer asked, looking up from his book. "The others found her, and figured out which curse you used, and are now trying to find him," Artimus jerked his thumb at Cole.
"Excellent work, Artimus," the Sorcerer said. "How long are you going to keep us here?" Cole asked. "About, 23 and a half hours, when the curse comes into full effect, and she sleeps eternally," the Sorcerer said simply. "Don't underestimate my friends, they will find us," Cole said. "Oh, I just realized how painful this must be to you! You, being her true love, being able to save her, but not being able to at the same time. So close, yet so far away. Not to mention the tragic fact that you recently broke her heart outside a library," Artimus added. "Shut up!" Cole shouted, struggling against the binds. "Oh, struck a nerve, I see," Artimus smirked.
"You don't know anything about me!" Cole said, thinking of a really cheesy film he once saw. "On the contrary, I do know a lot about you, Coleman Brookestone Hence, son of a Royal Blacksmith," Artimus said, strolling over to a nearby bookshelf. "Stalker," Cole muttered. "No, just obtaining the right information," Artimus called, fingering the books as he read the covers.
"Oh, look at this book, remind you of anyone?" Artimus asked, dropping a stack of stapled papers in Cole's lap. He quickly read the first few sentences, and his eyes widened with shock. "You went through my files?" Cole asked, looking away from the story Alexus recently written for his English class. "As I said, obtaining the right information," Artimus said, going to another bookshelf.
"I think it's really painful to you that you're the only one who's going to know Alexus' dying secret," Artimus said, choosing a book, and read the description. "What secret?" Cole asked, casting the brother a look as he walked back. "About her other love, no wonder you're showing signs of jealously lately," Artimus said, sitting on a desk, facing Cole. "What do you mean?" Cole asked. "Oh, you're acting oblivious! You know how she's starting to develop those certain emotions for my brother, that's why you broke her heart, by accusing her, searching for the answer to the possibility that you are the only one in her heart," Artimus looked at Cole. "How did you find out?" Cole shouted. "I'm also very observant, as well as charming, clever, debonair, if you will," Artimus' voice trailed off before he continued reading.
Cole just glared at Aritmus before casting a sorrowful look at Alexus. He had to break free so he could save her, or wake her up at least. "Oh, good luck trying," Artimus said casually, never looking up from the pages. "What? Did you just?" Cole was interrupted. "Read your mind? One of my special skills other than being incredibly handsome," Artimus said. "That's not how I'd describe you," Cole muttered. "Then tell me how you would describe me," Artimus said. "Well, jerkfaced villain with dead shark eyes would be more like it," Cole said. "Eh, I could do without the 'jerkfaced' part, but what makes me a villain in your eyes?" Artimus asked. "Well, you kidnapped the girl I love, put her under a curse, and I can see blood on her, and I know she isn't that accident proned!" Cole said. "Fair, but it was Father that put her under the curse," Artimus said. "Guilty as charged," the Sorcerer said, not even bothering to look up from his book.
"I will save her, there's nothing you can do to stop me," Cole said. "Oh, really? Go on the, save her," Artimus said, looking back at his book. Cole looked around, but there was nothing he could do, he was bound to a chair, and Alexus was across the room. He looked up to the ceiling in desperation when nothing came to mind. "As I thought," Artimus said, not even bothering to look up as he turned a page. "I really hate you," Cole said. "I hear that a lot," Artimus said simply.
Alexus was in a place full of darkness. But, she wasn't afraid, she just felt loss. She couldn't remember anything, there were flashes of a handsome teen with shaggy black hair, and that filled her with joy, yet pain. If only she could remember his name, then she might be able to find what she was looking for, but she didn't even know what she was looking for! Once, for a fleeting moment, she saw another man, also handsome, with spikey blond hair, with a streak of black in it, and she could have sworn she saw amazing blue eyes, but again, it was a fleeting image. She continued walking, hoping to find the thing soon.
The team had split into two groups to cover more ground quicker. Nya and Rylan were in one group, and Lloyd, Zane and Jay were in the other. Rylan was walking quickly, but stopped suddenly when he passed a certain door, and Nya almost crashed into him. "What is it?" she asked, looking around. "I can feel something, I'm not sure what, but it's behind that door," Rylan said, running his hand along it. "Well, let's open it to find out," Nya said, grabbing the knob and tried to turn it. But, the door was locked. "Great, would you happen to have a key?" Nya asked. "Key, no. Magic to open almost all locked doors, yes," Rylan said, grabbing the knob. His eyes turned the same shade of the silver knob, and he tried to turn it, but it came up as locked.
"I thought you said your magic could open this door!" Nya said. "I never said that, I said my magic could open almost every door," Rylan said, but he was smiling. "What's with the smile?" Nya asked. "Because, now we know that there's something in that door that doesn't want us to get in," Rylan said. "Something?" Nya repeated. "Or, someone," Rylan grinned. "You think the Sorcerer might be in there?" Nya asked. "Maybe," Rylan said. "How are we going to open it?" Nya asked. "I don't know," Rylan said. "Hold on," Nya said, backing up. "What are you doing?" Rylan asked. Nya said nothing as she rushed forward, and kicked the wooden door. It fell down, and Rylan looked inside. "Oh, very clever, I will give them that," he said. "A broom closet," Nya said disappointedly. "Well, looks like they were expecting us," Rylan said, stepping in, and looking around. "Oh yes, there are heavy signs of magic here," he said, his eyes turning icy blue.
"What does this mean?" Nya asked. "That we have to find the next room where they're keeping Cole," Rylan said.
5 minutes previous…
Artimus' was reading his book when his eyes turned white. "Did you feel that?" he asked, looking up. "Yes, they found us," the Sorcerer said, his eyes also white as he closed his book. "Hmm, this is going to be fun," Artimus said, closing his book as well, and jumped off the table. "I told you my friends would find me," Cole said. "Oh, but they're going to need good luck to find you again," the Sorcerer said. "Artimus, you know what to do, just find a good location," he continued, walking over to Cole. "Of course, I already have the perfect place picked out," Artimus said, walking over to Alexus. "I will find her, no matter what you do to us, I will find her in the end," Cole said. "We'll see," the Sorcerer said, grinning as he placed his hand on Cole's shoulder, and they disappeared from the room.
Artimus smirked, and looked at Alexus. If there was something going on in her mind, he couldn't tell; her expression was blank. "Oh, such a world of darkness for you, good luck finding what you're looking for," Artimus said, placing a hand under her chin, and he disappeared, making the room relocate. When the wind stopped blowing around a millisecond later, he looked around as Alexus fell onto the floor. "Good luck finding us here," Artimus said, looking around the bedroom, unfamiliar to him, and he picked Alexus up, and set her down on the bed.
Current time…
"Ugh! How are we supposed to find anything here! Rylan never told us that he lived in a freaking mansion!" Jay complained as he, Zane, and Lloyd climbed a huge spiral staircase. "We have to keep going, " Zane said. "Yeah, yeah, how do you even know that going up is the right answer? Didn't Rylan say that he found Alexus in his father's dungeon?" Jay asked. "Yeah," Lloyd said slowly. "Then why don't we search the dungeons below? I mean, if I were to live in a huge place here, why keep a prisoner up here when I have a perfectly good dungeon downstairs?" Jay asked. "Well, for one, I'm pretty sure that the Sorcerer doesn't get a lot of visitors," Lloyd started. "Well, let's go down!" Jay said, turning around, and walking down the stairs with the others following him.
After ten minutes, they found a door. "Let's hope this is it, because I'm completely lost," Jay said, opening the door. They weren't sure whether to be happy or saddened that they stubbled upon a hallway full of cells. It looked more like a dungeon than they could expect! It was gray, dark, completely full of stone, but occasionally one cell was illuminated by a single light bulb, the occasional torch on the wall. "Remember, we have to be silent," Zane whispered, taking a step forward. "That's what ninjas do!" Jay said, a little louder than Zane, but not enough for faraway people to hear. The trio walked silently down the hall, thankful that they never saw another living soul beyond the bars. "It seems as if though it's just a decoration, not really to keep people here," Zane whispered.
Soon, as they suspected, they heard a voice talking in the distance, and they couldn't make it out. They started walking slower as they walked towards the voice. "You know, this is the exact same cell that I put Alexus in!" they heard a familiar voice say. "That's the Sorcerer!" Jay hissed. "Oh, refusing to talk to me, hmm? Understandable, you feeling so much pain as you think of her right now," the Sorcerer continued. "You can say all you want, but I'm not giving up my hope," they heard Cole's voice. "That's Cole!" Jay whispered excited, like a small child.
"Oh, hope is merely a four letter word, it has no meaning whatsoever!" said the Sorcerer. "Love also has four letters, and it has meaning as well!" Cole said. "Yes, of course, you're 'in love' with that girl, such a waste of time," the Sorcerer said. "Haven't you ever been in love once?" Cole asked. "Oh, that's such an old tale, but it doesn't matter," the Sorcerer said.
"That's not how you reacted when Rylan mentioned his mother," Cole said. "You didn't know her, so I suggest you hold your tongue!" the Sorcerer shouted. "But, what, did she leave you? Is that why you're so bitter?" Cole asked. "You have no right mentioning her to me! Now leave that subject, or else!" the Sorcerer said, harshly, not wanting to relive those memories. "She did leave you, didn't she?" Cole asked after a few seconds of silence. "Of course she didn't! She wouldn't, even if she could see me now! It's complicated, a simple mortal mind like yours wouldn't understand," the Sorcerer said.
"You weren't always like this, were you?" Cole asked. "No; not always. I used to be a bit like you when I was younger, but more handsome, smart and powerful, but brave, full of hope," the Sorcerer said. "Really? I find that very hard to believe," Cole said. "But, as I said before, it's an old tale, lost to time, has no meaning now," the Sorcerer quickly brushed off, stopping himself before he could go on. "Anyway, if I had told you the whole story, the point would be; that there is no such thing as a happy ending, and you're never going to wake up that samurai of yours."
"Want a bet?" Jay asked, stepping into the extremely dim light. "Ha! I told you my team would come to rescue me!" Cole said, smiling as Zane and Lloyd stepped out into the small lighting as well. "Oh ho! I see what you were trying to do! Thought you could find my weakness, eh? Distract me so your team could take a cheap shot!" the Sorcerer said, pulling Cole closer by grabbing his neck. "No! I didn't even know they were there!" Cole said, suffocating a bit. "Let go of him!" Jay said, doing the first thing that came to his mind, and he jumped on the Sorcerer's back like a toddler.
"Get off me!" the Sorcerer shouted, thrashing about, looking quite ridiculous to the others. Jay jumped off, and tried punching the Sorcerer, but he ducked. Zane rushed forward, and pressed his hand against the lock of the cell, and began to freeze it. Zane stepped back, and kicked the lock, shattering it completely. "Great work! Let's go find Alexus!" Cole said, stepping out of the cell, walking towards the Sorcerer, and punching him cleanly, knocking the older magician out cold.
"Fantastic!" Jay said, and they all ran back to the stairway.
Rylan and Nya were running down the hall, when they suddenly crashed into a group of people that came from a nearby door. They got into a tangled mess of limbs, and it took them five minutes to sort themselves out. "Cole! Jay! Glad we found you!" Nya said, standing up. "Likewise! Now let's go wake Alexus up!" Jay said, and they all ran down the hall together, back into the big room, and through that wooden door, and down the stairs.
But, they all skidded to a stop, and shared the same horrified expression as they reached the bottom. "Kai!" Nya shouted, running forward. "Nya!" Kai looked up. "What happened? Are you hurt?" Nya asked. "I'm fine, it's Alexus we should be worried about!" Kai said. "What do you mean?" Cole asked. "Artimus, he came, and took her away, I don't know where!" Kai said. "Artimus?" Rylan asked, his expression furious as he made the chains disappear. "I'm sorry!" Kai said, rubbing his wrist. "It's not your fault, but consider yourself lucky that my brother left you unharmed, he normally likes to make his mark," Rylan said, his mind drifting to the unknown scars on his back, and up his arms. There was reason he always wore long sleeve, even in the desert.
"When I saw him, Artimus made his mark, alright," Cole said, looking away. "Where did he harm you?" Rylan asked. "Here," Cole said, pointing towards his heart. "Oh, he hits hardest there, sorry mate," Rylan said, patting Cole on the shoulder. "Whatever, we have to find Alexus, how much time do we have?" Cole asked. "23 hours," Rylan said. "Weird, it feels like it's been over an hour," Cole said. "In this house, some feel like time flies by, for others, time creeps across the floor as slowly as it possibly can," Rylan said, looking distant. "Do you know where they might be?" Cole asked. "My father's privet library, but he changes the location every other day," Rylan said. "Well, I was in a library, any other places?" Cole asked. "Artimus's room, he has a key to get into there, never let's go of it, but I can get in easily, but I never wanted to enter there," Rylan said.
"Does that location change?" Nya asked. "No, and I know exactly where his room is," Rylan said. "Then what are we waiting for?" Cole said. "I'll lead!" Rylan said, running up the stairs with the others in pursuit.
They had to climb three flights of stairs, but they soon came upon a door, this one black, and with neat cursive, the words, "Artimus's Room" was written in light silver that it almost looked white. "Be careful, he might have set up traps," Rylan said, his eyes turning the same color of the silver knob, and he opened the door. When he stepped inside the room, he wasn't sure what to expect, he hadn't been welcomed into Artimus's room since he was five. Things were so different back then. "So, what are we supposed to be looking for?" Nya asked, looking around. "They're not here, but it could help to look around to maybe find clues," Rylan said, looking at his brother's bed. The sheets and comforter were black, but the pillows white. It looked as if though it hadn't been slept in for days, maybe weeks. Artimus had an oak wood dresser under a giant mirror on the floor, but what caught Rylan's attention the most was the far wall, around the window sill.
This wall was light blue, instead of dark gray like the rest. There was a picture, a painted picture of his mother. She was a beautiful woman, hair like gold that looked almost white in the sunlight. Black eyes filled with compassion and love. Rylan felt like stepping into a memory, seeing the picture. It captured her perfectly, filling Rylan with sorrow. Under the picture were words, "Rosalie Benignitas Siller, 1974-2002." Rylan stepped forward, and ran his fingers against the painting. He never knew that his brother, filled with hate, and darkness could do this! "Rylan, is that your mother?" Nya asked, looking at the memorial. "Yeah," he said, tears welling up in his eyes. "She's beautiful," Nya said. "Yeah, she was very kind as well. I like to think that I have very similar traits with her," Rylan said, brushing the tears off his cheeks. "You have her smile," Nya said. "Thank you," Rylan said. "I can't find anything," Jay called, knocking them out of their trance.
"Right, sorry, got caught up in the heat of the moment," Rylan said, forcing himself to turn away from the painting. "Well, obviously, they're not here," Kai said. "Right, what should we do next?" Rylan asked. "Well, first, we should think of other places were Alexus could be, does any come to mind?" Cole asked. "Well, no but-," Rylan stopped midsentence when he looked at what was in the doorway, and his eyes widened. "Rylan, what is that?" Jay asked, following his unblinking gaze. "The angel has come. Don't blink, don't even think about blinking, don't turn your back, don't look away, and most importantly, don't blink! If you blink, you're dead!" Rylan said, staring at it. "Didn't Alexus say something about that that one time she saw an angel statue?" Nya asked, staring at the thing. "She's wise, this is a Weeping Angel, but it's not a statue, it moves when you look away, and if it touches you, you will get sent back in time!" Rylan said.
Cole really took in what they were staring at. It did indeed appear to be a statue of an angel, but it was covering its eyes. "Cole, the mirror above Artimus' dresser, can you get it? The rest of us keep staring," Rylan said. "On it," Cole said, not daring to take his eyes away, and he scooted to the dresser carefully, avoiding from moving anyone. "Hurry!" Rylan said. "Right," Cole said, moving quicker. "What's so bad if we blink, you can't move much without being seen in that very short amount of time," Jay said, but still didn't blink.
"They move fast. Faster than you can believe!" said Rylan, remembering that one episode of Doctor Whom. "Artimus must have set this up as a defense to his room, so cruel," he continued. "I have the mirror, what should I do now?" Cole asked. "Place it in front of the Weeping Angel, and make sure that it will always be looking at its reflection," Rylan instructed. "Okay," Cole said, moving again, quicker. "I have to blink," Lloyd said. "Right, just as long as we all don't blink simutaniously, we should be good, Lloyd, blink," Rylan said, and the green ninja took the brief moment of relief, and continued staring. The angel didn't move.
"Great, Cole how are you doing with the mirror?" Rylan called back. "Almost, I just have to get the right angle," Cole said, adjusting the mirror. "Hurry up! We can't stand here forever!" Rylan said. "Why can't you just do some sort of spell that will send it back to wherever it came from?" Jay asked. "Because, to perform a spell like that, I have to close my eyes and envision the specific episode I remember this coming from!" Rylan said. "Oh, so is that why you need the mirror?" Jay asked. "Yes, so it will be forever looking at itself, but we can't let it stay here until night, when it's so dark no one can see, or until the mirror gathers enough dust so that no one can see their reflection in it!" Rylan said. "Right," Jay said. "Alright, got it!" Cole said. "Perfect, now, everyone back up as much as you can, and look away," Rylan said. Everyone, deciding best not to debate about this, did so, backed up against the far wall. "Ready, when I say the word, count to five, and keep your eyes closed for five seconds," Rylan said. "Ready? Start counting!" Rylan gave the word, keeping his eye on the angel as he mentally started counting.
Then, they all simutaniously blinked, and when they opened their eyes, they flinched back. The weeping angel had moved, so that it was reaching out for Nya, since she was closest, but it didn't reach her. The statue had sharp teeth and claws, with no look of creepy innocence that it had before. "How do we know that it didn't just stop because we all opened our eyes?" Cole asked. "Good question, let's leave the room, turn our backs for three seconds, and come back in," Rylan said. "Don't touch it, though," he advised, walking around the statue, and left the room. The others followed him, keeping their eyes on the statue as long as they could. Soon, they had to turn away, and walked over to Rylan, who had his back turned to them. "Three, two, one," he counted down, and turned around.
"See, it's frozen, otherwise we would be looking at the statue right now," Rylan said, walking back to the room. As he had predicted, when they saw the angel, it was still in the position they had left it in, staring at itself in the mirror. "See, now I can do that spell," Rylan said, closing his eyes. He envisioned the episode, "Blink," from Doctor Whom. Seeing the garden void of any statues at the beginning of the episode, he decided to place one there, the statue appeared to be an angel, crying. Sorry, Sally Sparrow, Rylan thought. When he opened his eyes, and looked around his older brother's room, it was void of any angel statues. "You did it!" Jay said. "Now I can see why Alexus always cast a weary eye around statues," Nya said. "Yep, the Whovian's four worst fears, gas mask, the dark, playing copycat, and angel statues," Rylan said. "Gas mask?" Nya asked. "Long story, took full two episodes, and Alexus told me that she made a vow to herself to never watch them again," Rylan said.
"How much time do we have?" Rylan asked suddenly. "21 hours," Cole said. "Right, let's get moving!" Rylan said, snapping his fingers, and the mirror went back to its rightful place, and ran out the room, casting the picture one last glance. Rylan ran past the white door with sky-blue neat cursive that said, "Rylan's room." The other's followed him, not giving the door a single glance.
On the other side of that specific door, Artimus had his ear pressed against the wood, and smiled as he heard the footsteps run by. "Oh, Alexus, how oblivious your friends are," Artimus said, smiling at the girl lost in sleep.
Alexus was indeed lost. She felt the more she wondered around aimlessly in the darkness, the more she was lost. Her memory started to leave her more and more. She couldn't remember her last name, and her first name was distant.
"Alexus," she thought it was.
There were more names that were even more distant, "Cole, Nya, Anthony." She wasn't sure who's these names belonged to, and one name was a flash, "Rylan." Just a flash was all it was. She remembered it for a split second before it went away again. Sometimes, it was back for only a minute. She couldn't remember exactly who these people were, or why their name stood out to her. But, sometimes, she could almost see them.
They were in the distance, but she could have sworn that they were familiar to her. A girl with short raven black hair, and wore mainly red. Alexus remembered something about this girl being strong. There was a boy with shaggy, black hair, but it was hard to see him because he blended well with the dark, given that his clothing was mainly black, and Alexus filled with practically every emotion when she saw him. A boy that appeared around her age wearing a black football jersey bearing his favorite team, blue jeans, and wore glasses like hers, and he had dark hair spiked back with the obvious use of hair gell. She felt the urge to laugh, and scoff. The most fleeting memory was that boy again. She knew she had seen them all before, but this man with the blond and spiky hair with a streak of black in it, dark short sleeve jacket over a white long-sleeved shirt and black jeans. He was the most fleeting of them all, and she had felt almost every emotion when she saw him as well.
"Where am I?" Alexus had shouted the last time she saw him. She could have sworn that he reached out to her, and that he was saying something, but she couldn't make it out, and he soon disappeared. She tried running to where he was, but with the darkness, it seemed that she was getting nowhere, and soon, she forgot why she was running, and forgot about him completely. The girl was lost, undoubtfully lost, and was becoming more and more lost by the second.
So, I hope you liked this, also, if I don't get song ideas to put in this story, you can expect lots of Carrie Underwood in this stories' future! So, please review!
Feliz Nevedad!
...I hope I spelled that right!