Chapter Two: Meeting Old Friends
Part One: Angela
I paced the corridor anxiously, biting my nails and running my hands repeatedly through my long hair. I was awaiting the arrival of my two bestest friends. The two people who had taught me the greatest gift of all, a gift I had never known until I met them, the gift of frienship.
My heart panicked in fear as I heard the door to the castle swing open, and my guards calling out the arrival of the Queen of the Wind Kingdom, Rolante.
I stopped where I stood, and a big smile enveloped my face. And then there I was, running, faster than I ever thought I could run. Lise stood, tall and proud, her eyes searching for mine. The minute she saw me running towards her, she broke out into a grin, and she was running herself. We tackled each other, covering the other in hugs, kisses, and meaningless words of happiness.
Lise grabbed me by my shoulders and pulled herself back, inspecting me. She herself had hardly aged, although, her once orange hair, was now more of a reddish colour. She raised an eyebrow at me. "What?!" I exclaimed. She only laughed at me and shook her head, "You just haven't changed one bit." she said, smiling.
"Now! That's a lie!" I whined at her, frowning, "I've changed and so have you!" Lise laughed again, and then stopped, her eyes on mine, and mine on hers. She looked so intently at me, I was afraid that she could see into my very soul. Lise always had the ability to do that to me. She knew me better than I knew myself, and sometimes that scared me more than anything else.
"Where's Carlie?" she asked, her voice full of question. I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know. She hasn't gotten her yet."
"Do you think she's coming?" Lise asked, her voice full of hope.
I nodded, reassuring my dear lost friend, "Yeah. I got a letter back from her yesterday evening. She left on a ship early this morning. She should be here soon."
Lise breathed a sigh of relief, then her eyes went back to studying me, a blank look on her face, an unreadable one, so that I couldn't possibly know what she was thinking. It was an ability Lise had always had and it used to drive me nuts. Still did.
"How's life been going for you?" she asked, her voice as serious as death. "Are you happy?"
I nodded slowly, turning my back to her, and looking out at the beautiful blue sky. "Yeah, I'm happy. I guess, I'm happy..." my voice trailed off, and then I couldn't hold myself back any longer, I whirled around to face her, my eyes glistening with tears, "No!" I cried, throwing my arms around her, suprising her, "I could never be happy without you guys! Not a day went by that your two's name didn't cross my mind! Not a day without at least a hundred different thoughts about you, about your whereabouts!! I was so afraid that you guys had forgotten me! What we went through! I was terrified that you guys didn't care anymore! And wanted to leave the past behind!"
Part Two: Lise
I stood there, shocked by Angela's sudden outburst of emotion. I had never seen Angela cry. She was sobbing now, clinging to me as if her life depended on it. I slowly wrapped my arms around her, and held her as tightly as I could, without hurting her. "Shhhh," I whispered, "It's going to be okay...I'm here now..."
My mind reeled with confusion. I had thought the very same thoughts about her and Carlie. I had wanted to cry the moment I saw her. I wanted to drop down on my knees and proclaim that, even though I had my castle, my brother, and my friends, I was miserable.
But, instead, I stood strong, still holding Angela, whispering comforting words in her ears.
"What's going on here?" came a female voice, which caused us to stop and look up, "Why's everyone so sad?! This is a happy day!!!" My mouth dropped open, Angela's too, and our now full-grown beautiful Carlie let out a laugh and smiled at the both of us, "What? You shocked I'm all grown up now?"
Angela and I released our death grip on each other, we were in complete shock. Carlie was no longer a little girl. "Hey! I'm still Carlie, the little girl from Wendel!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air, as if trying to prove her innocence.
A grin suddenly filled my face, and we both tackled our Carlie. She laughed as we all three tumbled to the floor. "I missed you guys so much!" she cried, hugging both of us tightly. Suddenly, her glittering eyes turned serious, "We should never be away from each other for this long ever again! It's dangerous to our health!" "I'm serious!" she exclaimed when Angela and I laughed.
Soon, we were all three laughing and crying over our memories together. "Hey!" Angela cried, turning to face both of us, "You remember when we were in the Molebear Highlands and it was dark out and we didn't know about the holes until I accidently stepped in one?"
The image was as clear as day in my mind and I couldn't help but laugh. "Yes!" I cried, smiling, "You screamed like a little girl, I laughed, and Carlie just stood there with her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised."
Carlie giggled. "I thought I was dead!" Angela proclaimed, making all three of us laugh even harder.
It was so good to see Angela and Carlie again, it was as if we were never seperated. I looked at the both of them, and suddenly I went back in time. We were no longer adults in Altena. We were just young girls, all alone, with a big mission on our hands. We were searching for the Guardian Spirits, defeating the Mana Beasts.
The look in the other's eyes told me they felt the same, and I felt a big lump rise up in my throat. I quickly looked away, the tears burning hot under my eyelids. I took my hand and brushed them away, trying to ignore the painful feeling of lonlieness that took hold of me.
"Where'd all the time go?" Carlie asked quietly.
Angela shook her head, "I always thought about you guys... every day... all the time..."
"Me too," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
Carlie nodded, her eyes filled with tears.
Angela opened her mouth to say something, but just then the door swung open and a breathless man stumbled in the room, clutching his side.
"Alex?!" Angela cried, rushing to the man that was probably her husband.
Carlie and I rose, sending each other curious glances. 'What's going on?' I thought to myself.
Alex gasped for breath, and grabbed ahold of Angela, forcing her to look directly at him. It was obvious that it was hurting Angela to do so, but she never broke her look from Alex. "Darling," he said, his voice ragged and pain-filled, "The Mana... it's back.... the magick.. it's back.. the evil..." his voice faltered, and my heart filled with fear. Mana? Back? But, the Faerie had said it'd take a thousand years, it had only been ten! It was impossible!
"What are you talking about?!" Angela cried, her voice fully of worry and concern, both for her husband, and the world.
"Dragon....emperor....son...mana...restored...world...danger..." Alex was clinging for dear life now, and it was painstakingly obvious that he wasn't going to make it much longer.
"Shhhhhhh," Angela whispered, stroking Alex's hair, "It's going to be alright. You're going to be alright."
Alex offered her a weak smile, and shook his head, gasping for breath, "I love you, darling... take care of our Lise Carlie for me... I'm sorry...."
And just like that... Alex was gone.. Everything was silent for a moment, I think we all were holding our breath. Then, Angela let out one of the most horrid screams I have ever heard. It turned everyone's insides into ice, and it shook the walls, threatening to bring the castle down on all of us. "Noooooooooooooooooo," she wailed, holding her dead husband closer to her, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Part Three: Carlie
My heart was caught in my throat, I couldn't breathe. We had just witnessed the death of Angela's husband, so this was to be expected. But, I didn't even notice it. My mind reeled with what he had said before his death. Mana? Back? What was going on?
Angela held Alex in her arms, sobbing. Then, after a few moments, she rose, wiping the tears off her face and smoothing out her dress. She turned to look at me and Lise. Our eyes met, and even though none of us spoke a word, we held an entire conversation.
We knew what we had to do. We knew what had to be done. And only we could do it. Just like before... Guiltly, I felt happiness. Not because Alex was dead, or that the world was possibly in danger again, but, because, if even only for a few moments, we'd be back where we were. Or would we? Would we still be lost? We'd be fighting for different causes now. Heath was safe, so I'd still be fighting for him, but not to save him, only to protect him. Lise had her brother and her kingdom back, but she'd still be fighting for honour. Angela wouldn't be fighting to stop her mother, but to revenge Alex's death. But, I still hoped with all of my heart, even though we had different causes now, even though we had changed so much, even though we were practically strangers to each other now, that, once we got out on the battlefield, just the three of us and the open world, things would be exactly the same as they had been those ten long years ago.
Lise stood up, and walked over to Angela, draping her arm protectively around her. I, too, stood, and put an arm around Angela's shoulder. We hugged each other tightly, and it was if we had melted into one. I didn't know where I ended, and they began. Not even when we were fighting, did I feel as close to them as I did right now. All the lonliness, all the pain, all the unshed tears, drifted away from us. We were back together again. The three of us. And nothing would ever seperate us ever again.
Fate had brought us together the first time, and it was our need to be with each other that brought us together the second time. We knew, that even after we fought whatever was plauging the world now, we'd still come out together. There'd never be another moment of wonder, of sorrow, of worry. For, we'd never leave each other's sides, and we'd always be there to comfort each other when we were needed.
Part One: Angela
I paced the corridor anxiously, biting my nails and running my hands repeatedly through my long hair. I was awaiting the arrival of my two bestest friends. The two people who had taught me the greatest gift of all, a gift I had never known until I met them, the gift of frienship.
My heart panicked in fear as I heard the door to the castle swing open, and my guards calling out the arrival of the Queen of the Wind Kingdom, Rolante.
I stopped where I stood, and a big smile enveloped my face. And then there I was, running, faster than I ever thought I could run. Lise stood, tall and proud, her eyes searching for mine. The minute she saw me running towards her, she broke out into a grin, and she was running herself. We tackled each other, covering the other in hugs, kisses, and meaningless words of happiness.
Lise grabbed me by my shoulders and pulled herself back, inspecting me. She herself had hardly aged, although, her once orange hair, was now more of a reddish colour. She raised an eyebrow at me. "What?!" I exclaimed. She only laughed at me and shook her head, "You just haven't changed one bit." she said, smiling.
"Now! That's a lie!" I whined at her, frowning, "I've changed and so have you!" Lise laughed again, and then stopped, her eyes on mine, and mine on hers. She looked so intently at me, I was afraid that she could see into my very soul. Lise always had the ability to do that to me. She knew me better than I knew myself, and sometimes that scared me more than anything else.
"Where's Carlie?" she asked, her voice full of question. I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know. She hasn't gotten her yet."
"Do you think she's coming?" Lise asked, her voice full of hope.
I nodded, reassuring my dear lost friend, "Yeah. I got a letter back from her yesterday evening. She left on a ship early this morning. She should be here soon."
Lise breathed a sigh of relief, then her eyes went back to studying me, a blank look on her face, an unreadable one, so that I couldn't possibly know what she was thinking. It was an ability Lise had always had and it used to drive me nuts. Still did.
"How's life been going for you?" she asked, her voice as serious as death. "Are you happy?"
I nodded slowly, turning my back to her, and looking out at the beautiful blue sky. "Yeah, I'm happy. I guess, I'm happy..." my voice trailed off, and then I couldn't hold myself back any longer, I whirled around to face her, my eyes glistening with tears, "No!" I cried, throwing my arms around her, suprising her, "I could never be happy without you guys! Not a day went by that your two's name didn't cross my mind! Not a day without at least a hundred different thoughts about you, about your whereabouts!! I was so afraid that you guys had forgotten me! What we went through! I was terrified that you guys didn't care anymore! And wanted to leave the past behind!"
Part Two: Lise
I stood there, shocked by Angela's sudden outburst of emotion. I had never seen Angela cry. She was sobbing now, clinging to me as if her life depended on it. I slowly wrapped my arms around her, and held her as tightly as I could, without hurting her. "Shhhh," I whispered, "It's going to be okay...I'm here now..."
My mind reeled with confusion. I had thought the very same thoughts about her and Carlie. I had wanted to cry the moment I saw her. I wanted to drop down on my knees and proclaim that, even though I had my castle, my brother, and my friends, I was miserable.
But, instead, I stood strong, still holding Angela, whispering comforting words in her ears.
"What's going on here?" came a female voice, which caused us to stop and look up, "Why's everyone so sad?! This is a happy day!!!" My mouth dropped open, Angela's too, and our now full-grown beautiful Carlie let out a laugh and smiled at the both of us, "What? You shocked I'm all grown up now?"
Angela and I released our death grip on each other, we were in complete shock. Carlie was no longer a little girl. "Hey! I'm still Carlie, the little girl from Wendel!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air, as if trying to prove her innocence.
A grin suddenly filled my face, and we both tackled our Carlie. She laughed as we all three tumbled to the floor. "I missed you guys so much!" she cried, hugging both of us tightly. Suddenly, her glittering eyes turned serious, "We should never be away from each other for this long ever again! It's dangerous to our health!" "I'm serious!" she exclaimed when Angela and I laughed.
Soon, we were all three laughing and crying over our memories together. "Hey!" Angela cried, turning to face both of us, "You remember when we were in the Molebear Highlands and it was dark out and we didn't know about the holes until I accidently stepped in one?"
The image was as clear as day in my mind and I couldn't help but laugh. "Yes!" I cried, smiling, "You screamed like a little girl, I laughed, and Carlie just stood there with her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised."
Carlie giggled. "I thought I was dead!" Angela proclaimed, making all three of us laugh even harder.
It was so good to see Angela and Carlie again, it was as if we were never seperated. I looked at the both of them, and suddenly I went back in time. We were no longer adults in Altena. We were just young girls, all alone, with a big mission on our hands. We were searching for the Guardian Spirits, defeating the Mana Beasts.
The look in the other's eyes told me they felt the same, and I felt a big lump rise up in my throat. I quickly looked away, the tears burning hot under my eyelids. I took my hand and brushed them away, trying to ignore the painful feeling of lonlieness that took hold of me.
"Where'd all the time go?" Carlie asked quietly.
Angela shook her head, "I always thought about you guys... every day... all the time..."
"Me too," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
Carlie nodded, her eyes filled with tears.
Angela opened her mouth to say something, but just then the door swung open and a breathless man stumbled in the room, clutching his side.
"Alex?!" Angela cried, rushing to the man that was probably her husband.
Carlie and I rose, sending each other curious glances. 'What's going on?' I thought to myself.
Alex gasped for breath, and grabbed ahold of Angela, forcing her to look directly at him. It was obvious that it was hurting Angela to do so, but she never broke her look from Alex. "Darling," he said, his voice ragged and pain-filled, "The Mana... it's back.... the magick.. it's back.. the evil..." his voice faltered, and my heart filled with fear. Mana? Back? But, the Faerie had said it'd take a thousand years, it had only been ten! It was impossible!
"What are you talking about?!" Angela cried, her voice fully of worry and concern, both for her husband, and the world.
"Dragon....emperor....son...mana...restored...world...danger..." Alex was clinging for dear life now, and it was painstakingly obvious that he wasn't going to make it much longer.
"Shhhhhhh," Angela whispered, stroking Alex's hair, "It's going to be alright. You're going to be alright."
Alex offered her a weak smile, and shook his head, gasping for breath, "I love you, darling... take care of our Lise Carlie for me... I'm sorry...."
And just like that... Alex was gone.. Everything was silent for a moment, I think we all were holding our breath. Then, Angela let out one of the most horrid screams I have ever heard. It turned everyone's insides into ice, and it shook the walls, threatening to bring the castle down on all of us. "Noooooooooooooooooo," she wailed, holding her dead husband closer to her, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Part Three: Carlie
My heart was caught in my throat, I couldn't breathe. We had just witnessed the death of Angela's husband, so this was to be expected. But, I didn't even notice it. My mind reeled with what he had said before his death. Mana? Back? What was going on?
Angela held Alex in her arms, sobbing. Then, after a few moments, she rose, wiping the tears off her face and smoothing out her dress. She turned to look at me and Lise. Our eyes met, and even though none of us spoke a word, we held an entire conversation.
We knew what we had to do. We knew what had to be done. And only we could do it. Just like before... Guiltly, I felt happiness. Not because Alex was dead, or that the world was possibly in danger again, but, because, if even only for a few moments, we'd be back where we were. Or would we? Would we still be lost? We'd be fighting for different causes now. Heath was safe, so I'd still be fighting for him, but not to save him, only to protect him. Lise had her brother and her kingdom back, but she'd still be fighting for honour. Angela wouldn't be fighting to stop her mother, but to revenge Alex's death. But, I still hoped with all of my heart, even though we had different causes now, even though we had changed so much, even though we were practically strangers to each other now, that, once we got out on the battlefield, just the three of us and the open world, things would be exactly the same as they had been those ten long years ago.
Lise stood up, and walked over to Angela, draping her arm protectively around her. I, too, stood, and put an arm around Angela's shoulder. We hugged each other tightly, and it was if we had melted into one. I didn't know where I ended, and they began. Not even when we were fighting, did I feel as close to them as I did right now. All the lonliness, all the pain, all the unshed tears, drifted away from us. We were back together again. The three of us. And nothing would ever seperate us ever again.
Fate had brought us together the first time, and it was our need to be with each other that brought us together the second time. We knew, that even after we fought whatever was plauging the world now, we'd still come out together. There'd never be another moment of wonder, of sorrow, of worry. For, we'd never leave each other's sides, and we'd always be there to comfort each other when we were needed.
