SHONEN ALLIANCE

CHAPTER 36

Teresa and Dordan

A SECRET PAST REVEALED

Teresa was leaning against a tree deep in the forest, lost in thought. Reaching into her armor, she pulled out a photograph. The photo was of her family from before the battle began. Flora and the other seven were all there along with thirteen other women and their mother. Standing beside her in the photo, with his arm around her shoulder, was a young man who bore a startling resemblance to Dordan.

"Are those your other sisters?" a voice asked from behind her. Teresa didn't have to look behind her to know that Clare stood over her.

"That's correct. The seven that still stand as well as the thirteen who have already gone," Teresa replied returning the photograph to her armor.

"Who's the man?" Clare asked, "the two of you looked close."

"It's a long story, Clare," Teresa replied. To Teresa's surprised, Clare walked out in front of her, stabbed her sword deep into the ground and sat down, leaning against the blade.

"We have time."

Teresa hesitated for a moment, but at last began to begin her story. "It happened about a year before the Dark One's seal began to break. It was a day I'll never forget."

"What do you mean?"

"It was… my wedding day, Clare."

….

One and a Half Years Ago

"Owie, Teresa, stop fidgeting! I just stuck myself with a pin!" Flora whined.

"I'm sorry little sister," Teresa responded in unusually joyful tone for her. Young Flora was busily working around the gown of Teresa's beautiful white dress. The dress was much longer then Teresa liked. It stretched all the way to her ankles and the dress had no sleeves which left her arms and far more of her chest exposed then she usually liked, but today was special. "It's just…"

"I know your excited sister," a young woman with light brown hair said, "but try to contain yourself for a few more moments. It's difficult to accurately size a moving target." The woman, Shantella, was Teresa's only older sister and Teresa admired her. She was beautiful and strong. Far stronger then she could ever hope to be, thanks to her… condition.

"I don't understand any of this," Teresa said suddenly sounding far more like herself, "why would he choose me, Shantella."

"Hmm, I guess it couldn't be that he loves you," Shantella replied teasingly.

"I mean, why choose me. He could have chosen any of us. He could have chosen… you. Why would anyone pick me over you?" Teresa admired her sister, but she new that they were a far cry from being equals. Shantella outshone her in every way. Deep in her heart, Teresa knew that Shantella always would.

"Well, A: I would have said no," Shantella replied smiling, "B: It doesn't work like that. Just because I'm the oldest doesn't mean I get the first shot. Maybe that's how it happens in some kingdoms, but not in ours. He choose you because he loves you. There's no duty in it, there're no politics in it. Mother would sooner go to war then allow something like that to happen. Not, mind you, that anyone would be stupid enough to go to war with a kingdom full of beautiful Saiyan warriors." Teresa laughed at the thought, but Flora obviously didn't get what was funny.

"I guess you're right, thank you Shantella," Teresa replied looking down at her sister.

"I'm always here if you need me," Shantella replied.

"Owie! Stop moving Teresa!" Flora whined again sticking the finger she had just poked in her mouth, "that really hurts." Both Teresa and Shantella laughed at their adorable youngest sister.

A couple of hours later, Teresa stood at the doorway to the castle, trying desperately to peek in at the ceremony, taking place inside. Suddenly, a rough hand hit her in the back of the head.

"Keep peeking and I'll knock you out," Renee said irately, "you know it's bad luck."

"I'm sorry, I'm just… so nervous," Teresa replied rubbing her head.

"Don't knock her out Renee," Flora protested from where she had been standing beside her older sisters, "she's supposed to go out there in a couple of minutes."

"Teresa, breathe. You don't want to pass out in front of the entire kingdom," Shantella ordered.

"Yeah, I'd never let you live that down," Renee declared cheekily.

"Renee, you're such a jerk," Flora said kicking her older sister in the shin.

"Oww," Renee moaned, "stop doing that, you're getting way to strong for that!"

"I keep telling you I'm gonna surpass you one of these days," Flora declared glaring up at her sister.

"That'll be the day you brat," Renee declared bending over until she was at eye level with the younger girl. Flora wasn't that much shorter then Renee was but Renee still liked to tease her about her height. It made Flora really mad when she did that. Next thing they knew, they were both laying on the ground with a sharp pain in the back of their head.

"I don't care how old you two get," Shantella declared cracking her knuckles, "you'll always be my younger sisters, and I'll always be around to keep you in line. Now behave yourselves."

Teresa froze as she heard music from inside and the castle doors began to swing open.

"It's time," Shantella declared grasping her younger sister's hand tightly, "are you still nervous?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I'm still nervous," Teresa replied.

"Well, you'd better get up there. They're waiting for you. Knock 'em dead, Teresa," Shantella ordered smiling. Teresa nodded once, took a deep breath, and began to approach the throne where her mother and her husband-to-be were waiting for her.

"I was worried you weren't gonna come up," the man whispered teasingly.

"Oh shut up," Teresa replied softly.

"Both of you hush," Queen Fiona ordered, "don't make your mother smack you in front of the entire kingdom," she continued in a kind but threatening tone. Teresa didn't speak again until she said 'I do'.

….

Teresa and Shantella stood on the castle wall overlooking the party below.

"Well, feel any different now?" Shantella asked.

"Not really," Teresa replied, "should I?"

"Couldn't tell ya, that's why I asked," Shantella replied smiling.

"Ah, there you are," Teresa's husband called out from below. With a single powerful leap, the man leapt up the wall and stood in front of Teresa and Shantella, "lovely lady, may I have this dance?" the man asked offering his hand to Teresa.

"You say no and I'll push you off," Shantella threatened.

"So what, I can fly," Teresa replied.

"Don't worry, you'll find I'm more then capable of handling that minor detail."

"I don't think I have a choice," Teresa replied fearfully taking her husband by the hand. Teresa was caught completely off guard when, instead of descending to the ground below, the man took flight. Pulling her behind him.

….

Teresa gazed out over her peaceful kingdom from the window. The sun was beginning to rise over the mountains and Teresa loved to watch it as it came into view, giving light to a new day. Her first day as a wife. Behind her, her husband rose from his bed.

"Sleep well?" he asked as he spotted her over by the window.

"That's impossible. You snore so loudly it's like trying to sleep next to a freight train," she declared teasingly walking over to him and poking his chest.

"So this is how it begins," the man replied taking his wife in his arms.

"I guess so, for better or for worse, we're married now," Teresa replied.

"I won't go back on my promises, Teresa, I will always take care of you."

"Thank you, you may never know what that means to me… Dordan."

….

Present Day

"What happened?" Clare asked as the gravity of the tale that Teresa had told her began to sink in.

"To this day, I'm unsure, but I know this. I will never forgive him for what he has done," Teresa declared.

"What…" Clare began as Teresa clenched her teeth and closed her eyes tightly.

"That monster… murdered my older sister Shantella!" she almost shouted as tears began to show themselves in her eyes, "he tried to kill me, but Shantella stopped him so he killed her instead. Then he swore his allegiance… to the Dark One." There was complete silence for several minutes, then finally Clare broke it.

"I'm sorry," she began looking up at Teresa. Teresa stood up.

"Don't be," Teresa replied, "it is all in the past now." Clare couldn't stoop a wave of memories that came flooding into her mind. A young claymore sent to kill Teresa of the Faint Smile suddenly awakening and her beloved guardian's head being separated from her shoulders by that monster, Standing up, she put her hand on Teresa's shoulder.

"Those kinds of memories, never stay in the past," Clare said understandingly, "I know how you feel. I know how painful it is, to lose someone you love." Clare's sudden opening up startled Teresa, but she did her best not to show it.

"I'm… not really the best at this," Clare replied, "but… I can tell you what someone told me when we first arrived. I've discovered it to be true. Good people who will be your friends surround you. You just have to let them in." Having said her piece, the former Claymore began to depart, but stopped short as a scream pierced the night air.

"That was Shion!" Teresa declared, "come on, let's go!"

….

Author's Note: Just a quick update on the poll. For those who haven't checked it out yet, the poll is to determine what theme music would be fitting for Shonen Alliance were it an anime. I've selected two songs from each of the seven major series to choose from. The first place will be selected as the opening theme and the second place song the closing. The songs are: DragonBall Z/ DragonBall Z Kai: Dragon Soul and DragonBall Z. Naruto/Naruto Shippuden: Haruka Kanata and Hero's Comeback. One Piece: Bon Voyage and Towards the Light. Claymore: Raison D Etre and Danzai No Hana. Bleach: Velonica and Alones. Yu-gi-oh/Yu-gi-oh 5D's: Yu-gi-oh and Hyperdrive. Rosario+Vampire: Cosmic Love and Discotheque. The links are connected to video's for reference but only the songs are being voted on. Currently, Dragon Soul holds a huge lead with 55% of the votes. DragonBall Z is in second with 22% and Hero's Comeback and Velonica are in third with 11 apiece. All the others currently have 0, but the poll will continue until the beginning of the next Shonen Alliance saga so that can definitely change.