Title: The One That Remained Chapter 2
Author: Ash
Rating: PG
Teaser: Alayia's Story Challenge!
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. They belong to Studios USA or Whoever owns the Rights to Young Hercules. This is just for fun. No money is being made. The characters of Alayia, Casche, Mimma & Neila belong to their wonderful owners. The other three belong to me but anyone who wants to use them go right ahead its not like they make me any money anyways!


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"I can't explain it you'll just have to listen to me and leave now. Or you will never leave. Alive that is."

"Why should we believe you old man?" Jason asked, angered now.

"You have to believe me."

"Look," Ash said, joining in on Jason's anger " Unless you can give us an actual example as to why we shouldn't be here then we're going to stay. And I think you should leave and stop following us around and go find someone else to tell you story to."

"No, you look little girl!" the old man shouted walking menacingly towards Ashley "I will not take such talk from a mere peasant girl! You will listen to me or you will die. No questions. No one will be able to save you. Do you understand me? Your all going to die unless you leave."

His last words rang in the air as the group was silent not knowing what to do. The earth seemed to stand still as he spoke.

"Why don't you just leave now alright?" Casche suggested, finally breaking the silence

They were all shocked at what the man had said and stared as he retreated back in the woods. No one had wanted to believe what the man said. Yet there was something they couldn't ignore.

"You'll believe me young ones. I only hope it won't be too late," he called as he began to run away.

"Don't worry," Mimma started, attempting to calm everyone. "That guy was crazy. It's not true."

"Yeah he couldn't have seen that. It's not going to happen," Hercules added.

The group had calmed down and they had continued walking trying to get closer to the inn. It began to get dark and they decided to camp. Ignoring the man's story.

They camped near a nice lake and soon everyone as fast asleep. With Jason's snoring the only sound. They were sleeping in the same way they had the night before and Ash was awake because of Jason's snoring. She had fallen asleep quickly but had soon woken up. It had not been long before she heard a loud rustling in the bushes.

"Who's there?" Ashley called out hoping it was one of the other cadets who had gotten up to go the bathroom or something. When no one answered she began to think the noise was just her imagination. Suddenly she heard it again, only this time louder.

"Dracus if that's you I'm going to kill you," Ash said, instantly regretting using such words after the old man had said similar ones earlier. "I mean it stop trying to scare me."

An unreal silence was all that returned to the young girl. She couldn't sleep after hearing those noises so decided to take a walk since she hadn't heard any noises for a good five minutes. She stood up and began walking towards the lake. She sat down on the old dock and put her feet in the water.

'Its freezing' she thought as the water swirled between her toes. The moon was full and shone out over the pristine lake.

"I wish the others could see how pretty this looks," Ashley said out loud The cadets rarely got times to just sit back and take in the scenery. They were constantly doing something. The gods just seemed to never leave them alone. At least so far on this trip they had been left to their own devices.

Out of the corner of her eye Ashley thought she saw something move. But when she looked nothing was there.

"Must have been my........." Ashley began but never got to finish as something from in the water grabbed her ankles and she plunged into the icy water below.

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Alayia and the rest of the cadets we're having a nice swim in the lake. It was night time so they swam by the moonlight. Alayia and Ash decided to race each other to a rock out in the middle. Hercules was staying with Iolaus in the shallow water and the rest of the cadets we're running around and having a great time. Alayia and Ashley were so far out they could barely see the other cadets.

"I'm going to beat you!" Ash called out playfully as the two girls picked up speed.

"Over my dead body!" Alayia yelled back, pushing her body more.

Alayia looked straight and concentrated on the large rock that was slowly coming closer in distance. She looked towards Ashley but couldn't find her. Alayia stopped in her tracks treading water and yelling her friend's name. She dove underwater trying to see if Ashley was playing a trick on her. What she saw made her blood run could. Underneath the water Ashley was floating lifelessly, blood floating in the water around her face.

Alayia awoke with a start. That last dream she had startled her and now she was wide awake. Unfortunately she was the only one. Well as far as she could see. It was pitch black and she could barely see the sleeping forms of Hercules and Neila, who were sleeping right next to her. From where she was sitting, the trees blocked the moon, baring out even that light.

Alayia tried laying back down to sleep but that last dream she had would not let her resume her slumber. She just couldn't get it out of her head. She knew Ash was fine even if the darkness would not let her see her friend. Alayia knew her worrying was fruitless so she decided to take a walk down to the lake. She figured if she saw no one there it would rest her mind. As she was walking towards the lake she heard a rustling close towards her. Alayia stopped in her tracks and glanced around. A young boy about 5 summers old walked towards her crying.

The boy had bright red hair that Alayia could make out even in the darkness. He had the brightest blue eyes that she had ever seen before. Streaks ran down his pale face and he looked scared.

"Honey are you lost?" Alayia said, trying to soothe the young boy. The boy started laughing and that was all Alayia could remember before the world went dark.

__________

Neila tossed and turned in her sleep, trying to find comfort from the strange dreams she was having. She kept waking up and after a few minutes knew she wouldn't find sleep that evening. Slowly, Neila turned over onto her back to look at the stars. Hoping to find comfort in the stars and constellations as she knew her close friend, Celest was the Goddess of Stars and Constellations. Yet tonight Celest was busy somewhere else as no stars showed in Antioch.

Not even the moon would light their camping area as Neila looked around, attempting to make out any of her friends sleeping figures. Unfortunately, the demi goddess could make out no more than shadows of her dormant schoolmates. Though, she, as well as the others, tried to get the old man's warning out her head she just couldn't help but let his words run through her mind. Silently, Neila wondered if the others were as bothered by the man's foretelling as she was.

Neila heard a loud laughing nearby and wondered who it was. It could have been anyone in her group as she could not really see the other cadets near her. She sat up quickly when she heard a familiar voice.

"Is that Alayia?" the young demi-goddess asked herself, out loud.

The laughing grew louder and Neila forced her sleep deprived body to get up. She quickly rushed towards the sound of the laughter and reached an open clearing where she saw Alayia passed out on the ground.

"Alayia!" Neila called out and sprinted to her friends side. No one was around and Neila quickly checked over her friend to look for a reason why she was unconscious. In her panic over her fallen friend, Neila forgot about the laughing she had heard earlier. To her dismay, Neila could not find any marks on Alayia that would cause her to pass out like that. It was almost as if the girl had fainted. Neila didn't know what to do. So she did the first thing that came to her mind. She called for help.

"Hercules! Iolaus!" she shouted, then realizing Iolaus would not wake to a simple yell. She cradled Alayia's head in her lap hoping she would awaken soon. "Jason! Garen! Help please! Casche! Mimma! Anyone! Please!"

Neila had been so determined to get someone to come and help that she didn't notice someone had already arrived in the clearing. Though obviously not to help her. It was a boy, about 10 summers old. He looks a lot like the boy Alayia had seen earlier. Same bright red hair and sparkling blue eyes.

"No yelling will help you, nor your fallen friend," the boy said walking towards her with his hands placed behind his back.

"Who are you?" Neila asked.

"You should have never come," the boy said and that was all she could remember before she plunged into the same abyss that her friend had a few moments earlier.

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"Jason! Garen! Help please! Casche! Mimma! Anyone! Please!" Casche heard as she walked back towards the campsite.

She had been unable to sleep earlier, and went for a walk. At that time she had believed everyone else was asleep. She entered their campsite when she heard it and saw Mimma was already up on her feet.

"That's Neila," Mimma said concerned, answering Casche's unasked question.

Both girls immediately ran in the direction they had heard their friend's cry for help. Not bothering to wake the others, but hoping and believing that they had heard her also.

Casche entered the clearing first and stopped so suddenly that Mimma ran into her back. Both stared in horror as they noticed that their two friends had passed out on the ground. No one was around except for a large animal standing directly behind Neila and Alayia. The large monster was nothing either had ever seen before. It was large like a bear, but also looked somewhat human like. In a grotesque way. Casche reached for a dagger in her boot but to her shock they were both gone. Mimma remembered bringing her staff but suddenly couldn't find it.

"What are we going to do?" Mimma asked, frightened.

"Run," Casche yelled hoping they could run back to camp and get teh others to help them, as well as some weapons knowing that they could not use hand to hand combat on such a beast.

The girls turned around only to find another beast standing and growling at them.

"What do we do now?" Casche asked, frightened.

"I don't know," Mimma replied. "I don't know what to do."

Horror engulfed the young girls' faces as they glanced back and forth and realized it was the same beast it had just transported itself. It was truly huge, but neither Mimma nor Casche could guess how fast the ogre would be able to progress. Sure they figured if they ran the beast would follow them, but what if it didn't. That would leave their unprotected friends. They were unconscious by their feet and could not protect themselves. As if to help their friends out, Neila and Alayia slowly began stirring.

The beast had budged an inch from it's new spot and Casche and Mimma thought it would be safe to go to their friends. The two girls slowly walked to their classmates, never taking their watchful eyes off the monsters.

"Neila! Wake up, please," Casche pleaded kneeling next to her companion.

Mimma did the same next to Alayia and slowly both unconscious girls slowly began to come back to the world.

"What...What...what happened?" Neila asked, putting a hand to her throbbing head. Then suddenly Neila began to remember some of what had happened earlier. "Where's Alayia?"

"I'm ok," Alayia replied, her voice still sounding groggy. As if she had just recently woken up.

"Where'd the beasts go?" Mimma asked suddenly.

"What beasts?" Neila asked unsure.

"They were here a second ago. I know they were." Casche repeated.

"There have been no beasts," a new voice said and all four girls looked to see a young man probably only about the same age as themselves maybe a little older, standing there in dirty clothing. He had bright red hair and the Neila and Alayia couldn't help but think how much he looked like the boy they both had seen earlier.

"Who are you?" Alayia asked.

"You girls should have never come here," the boy said, and began laughing like the other had.

Suddenly a rustling to their left distracted them from the boy who was to their right. The girls looked over and noticed Hercules, Dracus and Iolaus rush into the clearing.

"What happened?" Hercules asked rushing over to everyone.

"That boy," Mimma started but broke off when she glanced over and realized he wasn't there anymore.

"What boy?" Iolaus asked curiously. None of the three guys had seen anyone else when they entered the grassland.

"There was just some guy here, about our age," Neila added.

"Hey where's Jason, Ash and Garen?" Casche asked suddenly realizing they weren't there anymore.

"Ashley wasn't there when we got up so we thought she was with you guys. Jason and Garen went to look for them near the lake," Dracus explained.

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OK even though I only got one review (thank you Kora your the best!) I decided to post the rest of it just in case anyone else is reading it and just didn't review. But if you do read it please review I don't care if you say it sucks just tell me I want to know! I'm not as proud of the end of this as I am the rest of the story but hopefully I will make up for myself in the next chapter!

Ash