~Chapter 37~

A Secret Is Shared

'Day 11 of Winter

Motorville

I cannot explain what all that has happened since yesterday. It appears we've found the location of the Azen, yet it is in the possession of a boy, resident of Oliver's world. I find I have something in common with the boy. Something happened in both our lives that caused us to shut others out... yet I feel his was more devastating, as he broke down after we defeated a creature that haunted his heart, a "Nightmare" it was called.

Speaking of sympathy, it appears there is another in this world who I feel understands me... the funny thing is, it's a cat- a small, regular feline that walks on four legs, not a humanoid being like that of King Tom Tildrum (though, ironically, there's a cat here that looks just like him). It referred to me as a 'kindred spirit', and I have reason to believe that we could be soul-mates, as Oliver and his group described them, though I find it odd. We have both been neglected and abandoned, and will only work with others in order to make sure the Azen is in safe hands... but seriously, a cat?! (I suppose God has a sense of humor when it comes to this sort of thing...)

Mr. Drippy brought up a couple paradoxes- apparently, since the Azen was sent through time, bypassing the day I recieved it, there could be a chance that, if Alicia had passed it down to Oliver before her death, I'm no longer its Keeper. If that turns out to be the case, I couldjust abandon this mission and resume my life... if I wasn't worried that something may happen to it. Whether it's my inheritance or not, I still feel the responsibility in taking the Azen to a safe place... especially if Swaine is still around it.

Secretly, I find that Oliver would be a worthy Keeper of it... such is why I wonder whether or not I should leave it with him in his world. Whoever else is after it in our world certainly couldn't find it in his own. And there is the fact that the young wizard may have little chances to visit our world again, as his caretaker has him on a curfew, and this 'agent' makes talk about sending him away. I must confess, I shall miss him- out of the rest of the group, he is the only one I found to be more wise.

I hope he will find a way to come back with us- if I have to go back alone with Esther, Drippy, and the Swine Prince, chances are there will be, what I would define as, 'a lack of cooperation'.

I still wonder who else could be after the Azen, for there are few people who know about it- only those who have acquired it (thanks to that rotten thief) yet only Ki and Alicia were the only ones who knew of its power. My parents are probably long dead (good riddance), as I never saw their faces again, anywhere.

I have only one suspect, as I spotted him on the streets of Hamelin... and I almost feel that I should remain with the group.

Yet how else would I prove I can manage myself?'

*0*0*0*0*0*

Marcassin looked into the crystal ball, getting a view of Motorville, particularly a living room where Esther, Swaine, Mr. Drippy, and Abyssa were. Ever since he met the drifter, and learned of her grudge against Swaine, the young Sage felt he should 'check up' on his older brother, to make sure he hadn't caused any trouble. He was relieved to see his sibling was lying on a couch, possibly taking a nap or just thinking to himself.

Esther was reading Oliver's Wizard's Companion, possibly reading stories from it, as she liked to do from time to time- the young wizard, before leaving their world to resume his own life in Motorville, had given her some copies of some of the stories, particularly the ones based on romance.

Mr. Drippy was sitting by a large cat (which reminded Marcassin of King Tom), watching them both bat a jingle-bell ball back and forth. The young Sage had to chuckle- the Lord High Lord of the Fairies deemed himself of high pride... yet always enjoyed simple things.

Then he looked at Abyssa, writing in her journal. Despite he had been momentarily stunned by her beauty, the young Sage felt a form of caution towards her, especially since she had threatened his brother. Yet at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder what had made her so bitter in the first place...

Granted, the Azen was a powerful gem, as the others told him, and if he had a responsibility of looking after something so powerful, he would feel aggravated if someone had stolen it from him as well. Yet, Swaine was willing to make up for it, all of them going through the trouble in searching for the amulet, why couldn't Abyssa let go of her grudge after seeing how serious his brother was about making amends? Why could she not trust them?

What exactly happened in her life that caused her to act so ungrateful? Marcassin wondered. She is with the group of heroes who had saved the world, lead by the most trustworthy wizard anyone could meet... yet she tries to keep herself distant. What secrets does she have that causes her to shut everyone out?

He thought back to his own predicament, when he had been brokenhearted- having spent years alone in the castle, his captain of the guards watching over the city until he was old enough to handle the kingdom's affairs, yet eventually he began to worry if he was good enough, eventually losing faith in himself. Soon he was shutting everyone out himself, going as far as wearing a pig-mask, and ordering everyone to do the same, as well as making a law to avoid eye-contact... all because he couldn't stand to look anyone in the eye, without feeling shame- shame that he was unfit to rule, shame that he felt so weak, shame that, in his mind, his own brother left because of him and didn't want to return...

Yet Oliver had mended his broken heart, and had even helped the two brothers reunite, opening his eyes to how foolish he had been. Now, the kingdom was back in order, the young Sage and his brother ruling it wisely. Hopefully, the young wizard could help the drifter as well.

The image went back to Swaine, and Marcassin sighed. Please come back soon, brother. he mentally wished.

*0*0*0*0*0*

Around 6:00, Oliver walked down the street back to his old house, the others coming with him in case the cat had changed her mind about staying with Angus. They walked onto the porch, where the cat hopped on the railing, meowing. Oliver reached his hands out, though the cat just hopped down and stood beside him, as if too dignified to be carried. He then rang the doorbell.

Angus answered. "Oh, Oliver... I didn't think you'd be coming," he replied, and Oliver noted he still had a sad look in his eyes.

"Miss Leila said it was alright, as long as I'm home by 7:30," Oliver replied.

"That's not what I... n-never mind." Angus looked down, seeing the cat sitting right by Oliver. "You... you got the cat back? How?"

"I... I just talked to her. I guess she's just cautious around others- she must have been mistreated by someone. Once you show how nice you are, she'll warm up to you."

Angus reached out his hand, and the cat backed away.

"She doesn't like to be touched... I think she was abused."

"I guess... so what should I do?"

"Well... open the door, see if she'll come in,"

Angus shifted. "My dad's home... he won't let us bring stray animals into the house, unless we have permission." he winced. "He's... he's pretty strict about that. What else could I try?"

"Try setting milk out for her for a few days. That's how Miss Leila managed to adopt Timmy Toldrum,"

"I thought of that... Dad doesn't want us wasting the milk,"

"Miss Leila has cans of cat food you can use. I'm sure she'll let you borrow some,"

Angus nodded. "Okay. ...Oh! Um, come in," he opened the door wider, allowing Oliver to step in- the others quickly following, while the cat remained on the porch.

They walked into the living room. They could hear Molly and Janice playing upstairs; in the kitchen, their mother was setting the table; and in a chair sat their father, a man with short black hair with gray sideburns, a thin mustache, and wearing reading glasses as his eyes skimmed the newspaper.

"Father, um, Oliver's here." Angus announced, shifting slightly.

The father looked up, giving a smile. "Hello there, Oliver. A pleasure to meet you- I've heard much talk about you," he said, then went back to his newspaper. "The girls couldn't stop telling me about their day with you, apparently you're quite a nice lad."

"Thank you, Mr... um..." Oliver said, a bit embarrassed. He never found out the family's surname!

"Stonewell, my boy. Perhaps you've heard of my company- we have a chain of snow-cone businesses from here to Manhattan."

"Snow-cones? Neato!"

Mr. Stonewell chuckled. "I like to see such a reaction- it's great for business, ha ha!"

Mrs. Stonewell walked in just then. "Dinner is ready!" she announced. "Angus, go get your sisters, would you please?"

"Yes, mother," Angus said, quite quick to leave the room and head upstairs.

Oliver looked at the others. "We'll wait out here," Swaine said with a shrug.

"Crikey, what's th' harm in joinin' 'em? I'm starvin', mun!" Mr. Drippy scoffed.

"We weren't invited, so it would be rude," Esther told him.

"They can't see us anyway," Abyssa added.

"Come along, Oliver. I'm sure there's a lot you'd like to talk about," Mr. Stonewell said.

"Coming, sir," Oliver replied, then nodded to the others and walked into the kitchen.

The family sat around the table, Oliver sitting next to Molly (who insisted eagerly) and was right across from Angus, both boys sitting near the end of the table where Mr. Stonewell sat. Mrs. Stonewell brought in a roast, mashed potatoes, and peas from the kitchen, serving everyone a plate. "So, tell us a little about yourself, Oliver." she said, starting conversation.

"Well, I work down at the Milk Bar with Miss Leila and Myrtle, and I like to build cars with my friend, Phillip,"

"I've met Phil's father- he claims you two know quite a bit about automobiles," Mr. Stonewell commented.

"Yeah, we have a dream to build the fastest car the world's ever seen,"

"And you live with Miss Leila, correct?"

"Yes, but... only temporarily. Miss Angeline, an agent for social services, said Miss Leila can't really afford to take care of me too long, even though she claims she can try to manage."

"Miss Angeline? I believe I know that woman... yes, she used to be our neighbor, before we moved from the city. She is a pleasant woman, always willing to help,"

"I know. She came over with the first agent the second time social services sent him to visit, and she claimed she would try to introduce me to some families, so he could go to New York."

"That sounds like Angelina, alright." Mrs. Stonewell said with a smile.

"We heard you ran away, too, and she was calling around-" Janice said.

"Janice!" Mr. Stonewell said, firmly. "I'm sorry about that, Oliver..."

"No, it's alright. I don't mind talking about it," Oliver replied.

"I could understand why. You're not the first child who tried to run away from foster-care," Mrs. Stonewell said, then sighed. "A lot of kids, Angelina told us, had ran away for different reasons- they were either rebellious, or were too scared... or, sometimes, the families weren't very nice."

"But, Angelina always does background research, so you won't have to worry." Mr. Stonewell said. "She's actually helped kids who were growing up in bad families, and once worked for a special program for kids suffering from severe traumas,"

"Was it the kind we once had to sign up Angus for?" Janice asked.

"Janice, not in front of company!" Mrs. Stonewell whispered, firmly.

"Sorry..."

Oliver glanced over, noticing Angus had been very quiet. "She sounds like a nice woman. She'll be coming down tomorrow, I think." he said. "Maybe you might run into each other,"

"That would be nice. We haven't really spoken to her much since we've moved here," Mrs. Stonewell said.

"So, how do you like living in Motorville?"

"I think it's great," Molly replied first.

"Yeah, we're making a lot of new friends at school!" Janice added.

"Um, yeah, it's pretty great here," Angus put in, meekly.

"Are you still going to school here, Oliver?" Molly asked.

Oliver shook his head. "Not really. After Miss Angelina said I would be leaving, I had to be pulled out of school, and said my records would be transferred to whatever school I'll be going to next, if I go live with a new family,"

"'If'? Oh, Oliver, I told you, you have nothing to worry about! Angelina will find a good family for you... Maybe she'll even find one close to Motorville, so you can visit!"

"That would be great! Then you can do more magic tricks!" Janice exclaimed.

"Janice, shush!" Molly hissed, though it was in vain.

"Magic tricks?" Mr. Stonewell asked.

"U-Um, yeah... I, uh, practice being a magician. I... I took it up, after my mom died. She was good at it, so it helped me cope." Oliver explained.

"Ah, I see. I can understand that."

"(no you can't)," Oliver heard Angus mutter under his breath, quietly.

"Well, now, is everyone ready for dessert?" Mrs. Stonewell asked, once she noticed everyone's plates were cleared. "I hope you like chocolate pie, Oliver,"

Out in the living room, Oliver could hear Mr. Drippy cry out, "Oi! Chocolate pie! Ya gotta let me in there, mun!"

*0*0*0*0*0*

Once dinner was over, everyone walked out into the living room, Molly and Janice heading back up to their room, urging Oliver to come see it. "That's our dollhouse, and our toy trunk. The bed on the left is Molly's, and that one is mine-" Janice was saying excitedly.

Oliver looked around his room. The others were with him, and Esther took his hand, showing a little support, having been thinking earlier about how upset he would feel if he ever had to see his old room again. "Nice. ...You know, this used to be my room," he said to the girls, in an upbeat tone.

"Cool! Were there any hidden passages, or secret trap doors?" Molly asked.

Janice rolled her eyes. "Molly asks that about every house we move to, because she's seen a lot of mystery movies," she whispered to Oliver.

"Heh heh, that would be cool," Oliver replied, then noticed Angus down the hall- the boy was waving him over, secretly. "I'll be right back,"

"Okay," Janice and Molly went back to their dolls.

Oliver followed Angus into his room. Being in his old room was one thing... being in his late-mother's old room was different. Despite the change of bed-spread, the clothes littered about on the floor, and a bookshelf, it felt like he could still find her here, memories of her still alive in his mind.

Angus shut the door quietly, then pointed at the window. "Look," he whispered.

Oliver turned- seeing the cat was at the window! "Huh? How'd it..." he paused, seeing Abyssa was on the roof, standing by the cat!

"How'd she get outside so quietly?!" Swaine sputtered.

"Must've stepped out while we were comin' upstairs," Mr. Drippy guessed.

"Are you... are you going to let her in?" Oliver asked.

"I'm not sure... what if she runs away, or if my dad comes in?" Angus replied. "I'm just wondering why she came all the way up here,"

"Wel... we could open the window and see what she does. And if she comes in, you can just keep the window open and tell your dad she came in by herself,"

"...And that you and I were talking and didn't notice, brilliant!" Angus walked over to the window, opening it.

The cat hopped through, landing on his bed, while Abyssa climbed through. "You brought the cat up here?" Esther questioned.

"I figured we would need the extra motivation to get the Azen," Abyssa replied with a shrug.

Angus sat on the bed, watching as the cat lied down. He sighed heavily. "I'm, um... I'm sorry about the way I acted today," he said to Oliver. "You shouldn't have had to use your magic on me, either."

"Magic? I, uh..." Oliver replied, trying to think of a good excuse.

Angus shook his head. "You don't have to make up an excuse. I... I saw it, that glimmer that came out of that locket you had,"

"You... saw?"

Angus nodded. "Yeah... At first, I thought it was just an illusion, because I had been seeing things... ever since..." he let out a heavy sigh. "I shouldn't talk about it. You'll think I'm nuts,"

Oliver shook his head. "I won't, I promise... Keep in mind, you're talking to a wizard... *ahem* or, magician."

Angus looked at him a moment, then nodded. "Okay... you see... I had an older brother- we weren't really related, he was actually a kid Miss Angeline had found living on the streets, and my parents offered to take him in until she found a permanent home for him. Well, eventually she decided to let him stay with us, since we seemed to be the perfect family for him, and he trusted us quite a bit.

We always used to go camping, and he used to tell me stories about magical lands filled with wizards and sages, princes and thieves, dragons and fairies... he was really into that sort of stuff. He used to tell me that those kinds of things once existed, and sometimes you could see their ghosts, if you had magic in you."

Oliver nodded, intrigued. The others sat around the room, listening as well- even Abyssa's interest was piqued.

"My dad, though... he didn't like him talking about it and filling our heads with 'hogwash'. It made him pretty mad... so mad, he started hanging out around the house less- but he always took me on camping trips with him, and kept telling me stories. He then said he was going on a hike with a new friend of his, Jairo." he paused, taking a deep breath. "But... he never came back. I didn't know why at first, until I got older, and Mom and Dad finally told me the truth... *ahem* Anyway, after his disappearance, I just kept thinking about the stories he told me, having dreams of magical places, seeing him there...

Then, I started seeing things like it in real life. I saw this man dressed as a wizard, saying he was searching for something important. I asked him what it was, and he said it was a boy, and I asked him if he was looking for Maverick... my parents caught me, and asked me when I had an imaginary friend, because they couldn't see him. When we moved, I saw him again, this time with a funny-looking animal at his side. I told my parents he was a ghost, when they thought I was talking to myself, and they told me there was no such things and I had to stop pretending. When I told them I wasn't, they believed I was just traumatized, and sent me to a specialist..."

Angus sighed heavily, before continuing. "We went to three specialists in three different towns, every time I 'saw' something. We lived in the city for a while, but then I saw the same ghost there, and I felt nervous because I was feeling haunted. Finally, my father got sick of it and..." he stopped, clearing his throat. "Well, he claimed the sessions weren't helping. We then moved here, because he felt living in a quiet little town might help... but he won't let me go to school, not until I 'gave up' on these 'fairytales'."

Oliver nodded, waiting for Angus to finish.

"But... then I saw what you did. And, since everyone else can see you... I figured I wasn't really crazy. I heard voices in my house, yet you claimed you never snuck in... and I saw you talking to someone who wasn't there... Oliver, what exactly am I seeing?"

Oliver paused, then looked over to his friends. "Should... should I tell him?" he asked, not really bothering to keep discrete this time.

"He must be quite sensitive in th' eyes 'n' ears..." Mr. Drippy stated.

"Yeah- plus, the way he's talking, he can't accuse you of being crazy," Swaine replied, and Esther nudged him. "Ow! I was just making a point!"

Angus' head jerked up. "There's... there's someone in the room now, isn't there?" he stammered.

Oliver took a deep breath. "Yeah... it's a long story, but you can't tell any-" he began.

*Knock knock knock!*

"Angus! Is Oliver in there with you?" came Mr. Stonewell's voice.

Angus gasped, then motioned to the cat. Oliver motioned to Abyssa, who woke the cat from a nap and motioned to the window, the cat getting the message and diving out.

"Um, yes!" Angus replied, walking over and opening the door. "We were just talking,"

"I see. ...Oliver, Miss Leila called, wondering where you were at,"

Oliver looked at his watch, seeing it was a quarter to eight. "Jeepers! I lost track of time!" he gasped.

"I can give you a ride home, if you'd like,"

"Thanks, but I can walk. I appreciate the offer, though,"

"Alright, I'll let Miss Leila know you're on your way home," With that, Mr. Stonewell walked off.

Oliver turned to Angus. "Listen... I believe you, but I have to get home now,"

"Okay... thank you, Oliver." he replied, sighing.

Oliver walked out, heading down the stairs and to the front door. "Wow, who would have guessed?" Esther stated, surprised. "Someone who might know about our world- and can see us!"

"Aye, most are quite sensitive like that, Esthy-girl," Mr. Drippy replied. "It's quite th' surprise though, never thought I'd see it happen!"

"I just hope it doesn't land him in trouble..." Oliver said quietly.

They began walking out the front door. "Oliver, wait!" Angus called, running down towards him. He reached into his back pocket. "I... I almost forgot," he then pulled out something from his pocket- it was a large gem with a cross-like pattern, incased in a diamond-heart shaped gold frame.

"The Azen!" Abyssa exclaimed.

"Azen? ...Wait, who said that?"

"Um, I'll tell you later. Where'd you find it?" Oliver asked.

"When we moved here, I was loading stuff into my closet, when I noticed a loose board inside it. I lifted it up, and found this in there. I kept it around because... holding it in my hand... I just felt a peaceful feeling. I don't know if it has to do with..." he paused, looking around. "Well, you know... but a deal's a deal, and I know it rightfully belongs to you. Here you go,"

He handed Oliver the gem, and everyone looked at it. It didn't have a chain anymore, possibly lost over the years, but it still shined as if brand new. "Thanks, Angus! It really means a lot to us- I mean..."

Angus nodded. "I get it. ...So, um, want to hang out tomorrow? Maybe before Miss Angelina comes by?"

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, maybe. I'll try to come over once I get the chance,"

"Okay. See ya!"

Oliver waved to him as he exited the house.

Angus waved back... and for a moment, saw a faint image of a few others with him. "Huh?" he gasped, then rubbed his eyes, but the image was gone.

*0*0*0*0*0*

A/N: Yeah... I know I probably stretched out Angus' character too much... please don't shoot me! I promise, it won't distract from the other plots! Actually, his story is going to tie in somewhere... but no spoilers! (and if any of you had a clue, please hold back for the sake of the other readers)

Well, now they've got the Azen! Yay! ...But, the story is far from over, for there's still the matter of the strangers stalking them, getting the gem to a safe place, Casseopeia making a council, Swaine making up for his past, Oliver and the agent, and... holy crud, I'm surprised no one's lost track by now! 0_o

Here's the Reviewer Thanks, before I lose track of it!

Mike AZ 2: Don't worry, sometimes we all forget the description of an OC; Yeah, I suppose, I just couldn't decide what to put there at first.

Please review, nit-pick if you must... but PLEASE hold back on the flames!