Matarra: Alright! Time for Alit to have the spotlight!
Alit: YES! I get a serious story!
Misael: Unlike the other one where you're the main character, which she has not updated in almost a YEAR.
Matarra: Whoops, sorry Alit, I'll try to work on it.
Misael: Aka she'll open the document, then get distracted, work on something else, and forget about it.
Matarra: You know, it's a funny thing you brought up the other Alit-centric story. I'm actually using some characters from that story in this.
Misael: Oh joy.
Alit: Well, at least I'll get a good story! And I'll have a relatively easy time in this, right?
Matarra: *starts snickering, then laughs darkly for a long time*
Alit: *in a nervous tone* ...right?
Misael: You're going to be tortured. Have fun.
Alit: *whimpers*
Alit slowly walked through the ruined village, taking notes in a spiral notebook. Sometimes being an alien who could teleport to any place in this world or even galaxy in less than a minute really rocked! He paused as his phone dinged and he glanced at the text he had received from Dumon.
SeraphShield: Are you doing research for your history project?
Alit grinned as he honestly texted,
Battlin: Yeppers! Doing research now!
SeraphShield: Alit, you are not at the library or at home. I know because I am at the library and I was just at the BARian and not even I could do research there at the moment with the insanity going on at home.
Battlin: I know, I'm doing field research!
It took a long time for Dumon to respond, Alit assumed the megane was was reeling in awe of his incredible genius.
SeraphShield: You still have to do actual book research, but continue.
Battlin: Will do! Be back by eight. Or sooner. Or later. Depending on time zones.
Alit grinned as he put his phone away and kept walking. Rocks crunched beneath his feet every time he took a step. He walked down an overgrown path, taking in a deep breath. Oh yeah, this was the type of research he liked! Out here in the open air, enjoying the scenery. He looked up ahead and saw a ruined farmhouse. He broke into a run and jogged to the house, feeling the need to get to that house as soon as possible.
He glanced around the ruins and slowly pushed open the old door. It fell down with a loud crash on its hinges. Alit took a step inside and glanced around the ruined old home. Then gasped as his chest tightened up and cut off his breathing.
Alit fell to the ground, struggling to breathe. He was sweating heavily and his muscles were shaking. Wha- What's going on?! Alit thought, Why can't I breathe?! Oh God, someone help! He tried to reach his phone but his hand shook too badly so he just focused on trying to breathe. Eventually, he got his breathing under control and lay trembling on the floor, coated in a cold sweat.
"The hell was that?!" he cried to an empty room, getting no reply. Shaking, he stood up and looked around again, noticing for the first time a sword embedded in the wall. He took another cautious step, still shivering. After a while, he convinced himself he wasn't going to have another attack and proceeded to explore the house. He had a few more attacks for every time he entered a room, but none were as bad as his first.
Eventually, he entered a bedroom and managed to fight back an attack. He frowned down at the object he saw lying on the bed. It was a book. It looked like it was a little worn, but not as worn down as it should've been after all this time. Even Alit knew that. He carefully walked over to the book and opened it. There was no writing in it at all except for the first page. Alit glanced over what had been written,
Hello? HELLO?! Is anyone there?! Please, let someone be there. Please...
Alit raised an eyebrow. Okay, that was probably not normal. Was the previous owner a crazy person or something? Still... he felt the need to answer this message, if only to give closure to the question. He set the tip of his pencil to the old parchment and wrote,
Yeppers! I'm here, hiyas!
Alit looked at what he had wrote, before it suddenly faded and vanished. Alit blinked a few times. Um, that really wasn't normal, right? Then he saw the writing in ink that had appeared.
Is- is someone really there?!
Alright, THAT was definitely not normal. "Holy crap!" Alit gasped. He wrote,
Holy crap! Hey, how the heck is writing appearing?! Are you a person?
Yes, well, I used to be. I don't know if I am anymore. It's kinda hard to understand.
Alit's eyes were wide as he read what was written. As before, his own writing had vanished. What the hell?! First the attacks, now this book that talked?! This was weirder than normal, even for him! But, did that book say it used to be a human?
So wait, you used to be human?
Yes-
And you're a book now?
Basically. I suppose it isn't that hard to understand.
Alit stared at the writing, before slamming the book shut. This was so creepy! He was talking to a book! Dumon would probably enjoy it, a lot. But Alit was more of a sports kind of guy. Hesitantly, he opened the book again, peaking at the new message.
Hello?! Are you still there?! Please don't leave! Please! I been alone for so long! It feels like I've been screaming for an eternity!
Alit felt bad for slamming the (probably possessed and possibly demonic) book shut.
Sorry! Just got a little creeped out. I'm good now! So, hi! What's your name?
...my name isn't important. I don't need to know yours either.
Come on! Then can we play 20 questions? Pretty please!
I have no idea what the heck that is.
It's a game where I ask a question and you have to answer truthfully, then you ask me a question and I have to answer truthfully!
Alright, as long as "what's your name" or any variation of it isn't allowed to be one of the questions.
Alit grinned. This book person wasn't so bad!
Okay! I'll go first! Are you a boy or a girl?
Boy, but more like a man based on my age when I was sealed into this book. My turn now, right? Why are you here? I thought the village would've been abandoned by now.
School report. I have to do research on ancient settlements and I got ones in this region. I HATE doing normal research so I came to do some field research.
A- Ancient?! I know it's been a long time, but exactly how long has it been?!
No idea. I don't even know when you're from and because of conflicting calendars and whatnot I don't think I'll be able to tell you even if you told me the year you were sealed. But it's my turn. How old were you when you became a book?
Almost 34 summers. How old are you?
Um, well, 700 years old.
You're HOW old?!
Heh, heh, long story. So how did you become a book?
This story is going to sound really cheesy, just a heads up. One day I was sitting at home after a long day of working in the fields with my wife and two of my kids, the third, my eldest, had left the house a few years ago. Then I heard a knock at the door. My wife went to answer it and a man with whitening blond hair entered. I'll never forget his face, ever. He said he wanted my family, as in my wife and children. He openly stated he had no want nor use for me. I told my wife to run and take the kids with her. I grabbed a sword from the wall, but he pulled out a staff and the word flew out of my hand and into the wall and as far as I know, it's still there. Then he just laughed and said, "Silly boy, your thinking is so two-dimensional. Why don't I make you as well!" then he thrust his staff towards me and a green beam of light emitted from it and pile-drived into me. The next thing I knew, I couldn't see anything for a while. I tried to shout, but found my shouts just appeared in front of me in writing. Then other words, as I figured out very quickly, his, appeared. They said 'Books are fun, right? I can only imagine what fun it is being one!'
Alit hissed through his teeth in rage. That was just plain messed up! He knew some humans were able to manipulate energy in various ways that could be considered magic, but they weren't supposed to abuse that power like that! Attacking an unarmed, unsuspecting, peaceful family with children! Alit almost wished that bastard was still alive so he could take a crack at him! A nice round-house punch followed by a back fist and an uppercut to the gut sounded good as a warm up.
Wow, that guy is a bastard!
Preaching to the choir on that. I screamed for a while after that, but nobody ever responded. I have no idea what he did to my family after that. I've been screaming, crying, and begging for what feels like centuries, and sadly probably is.
Ouch... that's gotta hurt.
It has, a lot. My turn, how have you survived for seven hundred years?!
I'm an alien. I used to be human and whenever I come to earth, like right now, I look 100% human. So what do you look like? You know, when you're not a book.
I- I believe I had dark skin, green eyes, and dark red hair. I couldn't tell you much else, it's been that long. What happened to make you an alien?
Oh, basically an alien bastard called Don Thousand had a genocide fetish and wanted to have some people to help him, or aka he manipulates them into helping him without their knowledge or consent. So he targeted some powerful humans with potential, seven to be exact, and orchestrated their premature demise. I was one of those seven. Basically he managed to get me framed for a crime, and cut off my freaking head! He then took my soul and made me into an alien without my memories of my past life, same with the others. We're just now remembering our past lives. The others and I rose to the rank of the seven emperors who rule over all of our home world, although Don Thousand probably orchestrated that too...
Ouch. Looks like we both had bastards messing with our lives. At least you had company and weren't imprisoned in an object like, say, a stupid book!
Yeah, that's really gotta suck. So what did you like to do? You know, before the book thing.
Ironically, I always liked a good story. I would read books and then recite them to my kids. I also loved to play sports. Running, climbing, catch, sparring, you name any athletic sport, I loved it! Although, there are probably a lot more sports nowadays.
Alit grinned. Awesome! This guy loved sports just like he did! And he loved sparring, too! Sweet!
Suddenly, Alit's grin slipped off his face and a sad frown replaced it. This guy loved to be active, but he couldn't even move! Heck, what he perceived as talking was just writing on a page. Alit himself couldn't imagine the torture of being fully conscious but unable to move anything! And to not even be in a living body, or as a spectral being... Alit swallowed and wrote,
Yeah, there are a lot more now. I like them all! Except for bowling, I don't like that too much.
I'm going to use my question to ask why.
A comrade of mine, one of my fellow emperors, thought it was hilarious when we were going bowling to throw a bowling ball at my head. And those things are really heavy! When I came to, I was gagged and tied to a moving ceiling fan, which happens more than I am proud of.
This guy sounds insane.
He is! He's bat sh*t crazy!
Ouch, and you have to put up with him?
Yes! I am absolutely terrified of him and have some serious trust issues with him too. And it's my turn.
Alright, what's your question?
Can I help you get out of that book?
Alit had to wait a very long time for a response. Then,
You'd do that?
Yeah! I don't like it when assholes with power try to screw with other people's lives! Especially not like this.
...thank you. I don't know how much you'll be able to do, though.
Just try me! I can do more than people give me credit for when I actually put my mind to it!
There's one thing you should know before you do anything. That guy who sealed me in here, he may be still alive. I don't know how long ago it was since I have no concept of time, but his writing has appeared sometimes, so I know he's visited. Of course, the last time he wrote, it could've been weeks or centuries for all I know.
If he is alive, then great!
Why?
I wanna deck him in the schnoz!
Alit had to wait, again, for a long time before he got a response.
Something tells me he should probably steer clear of you.
Yeppers! I'm a lean, mean, punching machine!
With emphasis on the punching, right?
Right! Hold up, I'm going to close you so I won't be writing for a few hours.
Alright then, and thank you again.
No problem-o!
Alit shut the book and hugged it to his chest with his notebook. He needed to tell Nasch, immediately.
…. (^0^) ...
The purple haired barian kings rubbed his temples. How the hell did these things keep happening?! He drummed his fingers on the golden arm of his throne which reflected the soft red light that issued from the chaos lights which were floating up serenely into the sky. "Let me get this straight, you promised to help a guy who was trapped in a book by some energy manipulating human? How the hell do you expect to follow through with that?!"
"Well, Dumon will research and preform some tests and stuff, right?" Alit asked.
"Yes, it is the right thing to do besides, I am intrigued by this case," Dumon commented eagerly.
"There we go! Problem solved!" Alit exclaimed, the dim light shining in his emerald eyes.
"And if Dumon cannot figure out a solution?" Nasch prompted.
Alit was silent and he tilted his head downward so he stared intently at the floor. "If he can't, then I'll hunt down the person who did that to him, whether he's dead or alive." Alit looked up so suddenly Nasch could've sworn he got whiplash. A fire seemed to burn deep from within him and the light was visible from his viridescent eyes. "I promised to help him and I will. No one deserves to have something like that happen to them!"
Nasch was taken aback, but slowly nodded. "Alright. Alit, give the book to Dumon so he can get an energy scan of it."
"Kay! Let me tell him what we're doing first!" Alit 'grinned' and he pulled out a pencil, opened the book, and scrawled out,
Hey, just a heads up, a comrade of mine, Dumon, is going to do an energy scan on you. That basically just gives him a complete copy of your makeup in every detail including the unique energy signature you give off.
Not quite sure what that is even after you explained it.
Yeah, took me a really long time to get it too.
The fact that you're seven hundred and still making that statement says a whole lot.
Heh, yeah, kinda does. I don't know if you're going to feel anything being a book and all, but most people feel tingly. Just thought I should let you know ahead of time so you don't freak out because you can't see anything, right?
Do you see any eyes on this book? No, I cannot see a thing, except when someone writes, and then I only see what is written.
Okay, this will only take a moment.
Alit shut the book and turned to Dumon. He hesitated, then handed the book gingerly over to the grey barian. "Be careful with him."
"Of course I will, Alit, do not worry," Dumon assured him. He took the book from Alit carefully and teleported away to do some tests on it/him. Alit was silent for a long time, then he left as well, except he went to his palace. Gilag glanced over at the empty space Alit had just occupied a moment ago, worry flickering across his features.
... (^0^) ...
"Alit."
The red barian glanced up from his throne to see a certain brown barian. He 'grinned'. "Hey Gilag, what's up?"
"About the guy you're helping, why do you want to help him?" Gilag said this not in an accusatory way, but inquiring tone.
Alit 'frowned'. "Well, he lost his family, like I did. But unlike me, his family was probably enslaved or killed by that bastard. If I can figure that one out, he has sure as hell realized it by now. Then he's been imprisoned like that, not even able to move. He didn't deserve this. No one deserves to have their family stricken from them and then have to live the rest of their lives imprisoned in what has to be one of the worst ways possible. I can't bring his family back, but I won't let him spend eternity as a piece of leather and some paper!" Alit took in a deep breath, "He is just as much of a victim to that asshole as we ever were to Don Thousand."
Gilag had to admit he had a really good point. "What do you want me to do to help?"
Alit 'smiled', glad his best friend was prepared to assist him. "Well, I thought maybe we can look around that village a bit. It's been a while, but maybe there's something we can go on."
"Alright, when do we leave?" Gilag asked.
"Right now, if you want," Alit 'grinned'.
"Let's go!"