~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is it me that stands alone?
breathless
hushed
severe and waiting
for
the one thing I have no voice to call for
the one thing for which my heart longs for
you---
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
untitled
Title: Mysterious Time
Chapter 6
Author: nat-chan
Genre: Romance/Alt. Reality
Disclaimer: standard
E-mail: natia_99@yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darien became aware first of a blinding light to which his eyes
could not adjust and then to an overwhelming sense of familiarity
of the feel and smell of the place he and Rini stood in.
He had Rini clutched tight and felt her poor body shaking with fear.
But then the light gradually dimmed and everything came oddly into
focus. It was still very bright, but trees could be discerned. A
forest...a silvery forest.
Darien shook now. It was so familiar. Like his dreams, but so
vivid. The sight of it brought memories back with a shock.
They way it felt to the touch, the sound of it in the night.
~How do I know? Where are we?~
A flash of light caused both he and Rini to look over with a start.
But then a tall woman emerged from the light and the trees.
She was stately and beautiful, with strong, determined eyes.
"Welcome." She said, though without much sincerity. She was being polite
and nothing more, "I am sorry to frighten you by bringing you here, but
it appears your daughter is of this world and not yours so she must
be removed immediately and kept here."
Darien's eyes widened and his grip on his daughter tightened.
"Papa....?" Rini whispered.
"Where are we?" Darien asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
The woman smiled, "That is difficult to explain. It involves time.
You see, you are on the other side of time so to speak, the place
within it where it moves neither forwards nor backwards, but...ebbs."
She frowned, "I do not know how to explain to you any better than
that. The creatures here are mystical and magical--fables and faerytales
in your world. Sirens, faeries, elves, mermaids....these creatures
are the over idealized memories of your people of mine."
She looked at Rini, "Your child possesses abilities that can only
be of this world. She has been smuggled to your world, but she
cannot continue to exist there. You," She indicated by
pointing at Darien, "however, are NOT of this world, so you must
return to your own."
"No!" Cried Darien, "You can't take my daughter away from
me!"
The woman ignored him and her attention flickered elsewhere, as
though she were listening to someone else, "Someone of this world
has been in contact with your child. This is strictly forbidden.
I believe I know who it was. And she knows the punishment."
At this moment, another woman emerged from the trees. Her large,
sad blue eyes downcast. She moved slowly forward and both Rini and
Darien gasped.
The woman from the drawings. Her slender, ivory form was shorter and
softer than the taller woman's. Her long golden hair was streaked with
ethereal silver and trailed to her feet.
"Serena..." The woman said, "You have been contacting your daughter."
She met the taller woman's eyes then and shook her head, "I haven't. I
haven't I swear! I would never place them in danger!" She looked
at them then and Darien nearly fell to his knees, "I love them too
much!" She finished in tears.
Darien felt his heart burst in his chest. The sound of her
voice....he knew it. He knew her.
Serena looked at Rini and ushered her over softly.
Rini looked at Darien and then walked over, "Mama?" She asked
uncertainly.
Serena's eyes filled with tears, she took Rini by the shoulders
and looked at her as though starved for the very sight of her.
"Enough!" The taller woman commanded, pulling Serena away from her
daughter.
"You lie." She said simpy to Serena, "You have contacted them both!"
Serena looked at Rini sadly, and then, ever so slowly, she turned
to Darien, whose eyes had not left her since she emerged.
As soon as their eyes met, memory shocked through him like electricity.
Here, in this place, his mind was able to remember.
Serena...his lover...his forbidden lover. He had stumbled across her in
the woods when he shouldn't have and they had fallen in love. She
had brought him here and made memories he could not keep. Memories
in the forest. That last night....that last night they had made
love....and she had given him Rini....
Her eyes filled with tears as she saw the recognition fill his eyes,
"My love..." She whispered to him.
His own eyes filled with tears and he fell to his knees truly, "You..."
Serena buried her face in her hands.
Rini watched them both with her own silver tears falling. It was falling
into place clearly now. Her mother and father had shared a forbidden
love...and it had tortured them both all these years. Now, here they
were....
"I thought it was you Mama..." She said softly, "I thought you were
teaching me to fly..."
Serena shook her head.
The tall woman was unmoved, "Have your tears. Communicating
with the other world is forbidden and you know it Serena. The
punishment is death."
Rini and Darien both choked out 'no' together.
Serena paled, "I swear to you...I did not contact my daughter..."
The flash of light caught Rini's attention again, and this time, it
stopped in front of the tall woman and settled into the ethereal
appearance of a young boy Rini's age. His fiery red clothes
contrasted his white skin and hair.
"Helios..." The taller woman addressed, "My son...what are you doing
here? This is no place for you!"
"It was me." He said simply and Rini gasped.
"That voice!" She cried, pointing dramatically at him.
"What?!" The tall woman said in shock.
"It was me mother. I contacted her. I felt a tie to her.
She is one of our own....I just knew where she was and reached
out to speak to her."
The tall woman contemplated this a moment. Then she turned
to Serena, "I apologize." She said strongly, "You did not lie,
I will never doubt you again. Obviously my son felt a prophesy.
Your daughter does not belong in the other world. I realize
you sent her their to protect her, but she must remain here.
She is one of ours."
Serena nodded slowly. Then she looked at Darien meaningfully
and gestured ever so slightly.
The tall woman shook her head, "You know it is forbidden. He
cannot simply be removed from his own time and world. He will
have long standing connections with others that will be
unnaturally disrupted. He must be returned, without memory, as
he was before, alone."
Darien's face crumpled in agony, "No! Be merciful! Give me death,
but do not return me empty, to that life! You're wrong! I have
no one! I have no family or friends or any of that! I have only
my love and my daughter! Without them, I want nothing. I do
not wish to live!"
Serena and Rini stood side by side. Their eyes wide and
tear streaked. They gazed in horror at him.
Rini broke into a run towards her father, "Papa!"
The tall woman gestured her son to take Rini away and he pulled her,
kicking and screaming for her father, to the woods.
Darien's eyes filled with tears.
The tall woman turned on Serena, "You have caused this. The misery
of this poor man is entirely of your doing. Do you see?"
Serena nodded in anguish, "I know. I am sorry. But....but
I love him." She finished in a whisper, she broke down and
fell to her knees, "I can't help it!" She cried, "I love
him!"
The tall woman's face registered a brief flicker of sympathy,
but then she hardened once again, "Your love cannot be...."
She could not understand why Serena would love this man of the
other world--though her peoples had long ago found love in the
other world....it was not natural and had not happened for centuries.
Why did she seek out this man when it was strictly forbidden?
She knew Serena took the sacred gateway to the forest often,
fascinated by the feel of time on the other side. She had always
seemed lonely and kept to herself. But now, she had sought the one
person she could not have. It was so frustrating! He had to go
where he belonged!
Darien looked desperately from the tall woman to his crumpled
lover in despair on the ground.
For twelve years she had suffered in silence, watching over
him and her daughter. Filled with love and longing and
unable to reach them. Now, she must lose him again.
Darien was filled with anguish and sympathy. All this pain
just for their love. It couldn't be for nothing. He had
to do something. He had to fight for it.
But the tall woman gathered up magic to her hands, creating the
gateway behind him.
"You must return to your own time. I truly am sorry..." She said
sadly as he paled and shook his head desperately at her.
She lifted her arms to force him through....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is it me that stands alone?
breathless
hushed
severe and waiting
for
the one thing I have no voice to call for
the one thing for which my heart longs for
you---
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
untitled
Title: Mysterious Time
Chapter 6
Author: nat-chan
Genre: Romance/Alt. Reality
Disclaimer: standard
E-mail: natia_99@yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darien became aware first of a blinding light to which his eyes
could not adjust and then to an overwhelming sense of familiarity
of the feel and smell of the place he and Rini stood in.
He had Rini clutched tight and felt her poor body shaking with fear.
But then the light gradually dimmed and everything came oddly into
focus. It was still very bright, but trees could be discerned. A
forest...a silvery forest.
Darien shook now. It was so familiar. Like his dreams, but so
vivid. The sight of it brought memories back with a shock.
They way it felt to the touch, the sound of it in the night.
~How do I know? Where are we?~
A flash of light caused both he and Rini to look over with a start.
But then a tall woman emerged from the light and the trees.
She was stately and beautiful, with strong, determined eyes.
"Welcome." She said, though without much sincerity. She was being polite
and nothing more, "I am sorry to frighten you by bringing you here, but
it appears your daughter is of this world and not yours so she must
be removed immediately and kept here."
Darien's eyes widened and his grip on his daughter tightened.
"Papa....?" Rini whispered.
"Where are we?" Darien asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
The woman smiled, "That is difficult to explain. It involves time.
You see, you are on the other side of time so to speak, the place
within it where it moves neither forwards nor backwards, but...ebbs."
She frowned, "I do not know how to explain to you any better than
that. The creatures here are mystical and magical--fables and faerytales
in your world. Sirens, faeries, elves, mermaids....these creatures
are the over idealized memories of your people of mine."
She looked at Rini, "Your child possesses abilities that can only
be of this world. She has been smuggled to your world, but she
cannot continue to exist there. You," She indicated by
pointing at Darien, "however, are NOT of this world, so you must
return to your own."
"No!" Cried Darien, "You can't take my daughter away from
me!"
The woman ignored him and her attention flickered elsewhere, as
though she were listening to someone else, "Someone of this world
has been in contact with your child. This is strictly forbidden.
I believe I know who it was. And she knows the punishment."
At this moment, another woman emerged from the trees. Her large,
sad blue eyes downcast. She moved slowly forward and both Rini and
Darien gasped.
The woman from the drawings. Her slender, ivory form was shorter and
softer than the taller woman's. Her long golden hair was streaked with
ethereal silver and trailed to her feet.
"Serena..." The woman said, "You have been contacting your daughter."
She met the taller woman's eyes then and shook her head, "I haven't. I
haven't I swear! I would never place them in danger!" She looked
at them then and Darien nearly fell to his knees, "I love them too
much!" She finished in tears.
Darien felt his heart burst in his chest. The sound of her
voice....he knew it. He knew her.
Serena looked at Rini and ushered her over softly.
Rini looked at Darien and then walked over, "Mama?" She asked
uncertainly.
Serena's eyes filled with tears, she took Rini by the shoulders
and looked at her as though starved for the very sight of her.
"Enough!" The taller woman commanded, pulling Serena away from her
daughter.
"You lie." She said simpy to Serena, "You have contacted them both!"
Serena looked at Rini sadly, and then, ever so slowly, she turned
to Darien, whose eyes had not left her since she emerged.
As soon as their eyes met, memory shocked through him like electricity.
Here, in this place, his mind was able to remember.
Serena...his lover...his forbidden lover. He had stumbled across her in
the woods when he shouldn't have and they had fallen in love. She
had brought him here and made memories he could not keep. Memories
in the forest. That last night....that last night they had made
love....and she had given him Rini....
Her eyes filled with tears as she saw the recognition fill his eyes,
"My love..." She whispered to him.
His own eyes filled with tears and he fell to his knees truly, "You..."
Serena buried her face in her hands.
Rini watched them both with her own silver tears falling. It was falling
into place clearly now. Her mother and father had shared a forbidden
love...and it had tortured them both all these years. Now, here they
were....
"I thought it was you Mama..." She said softly, "I thought you were
teaching me to fly..."
Serena shook her head.
The tall woman was unmoved, "Have your tears. Communicating
with the other world is forbidden and you know it Serena. The
punishment is death."
Rini and Darien both choked out 'no' together.
Serena paled, "I swear to you...I did not contact my daughter..."
The flash of light caught Rini's attention again, and this time, it
stopped in front of the tall woman and settled into the ethereal
appearance of a young boy Rini's age. His fiery red clothes
contrasted his white skin and hair.
"Helios..." The taller woman addressed, "My son...what are you doing
here? This is no place for you!"
"It was me." He said simply and Rini gasped.
"That voice!" She cried, pointing dramatically at him.
"What?!" The tall woman said in shock.
"It was me mother. I contacted her. I felt a tie to her.
She is one of our own....I just knew where she was and reached
out to speak to her."
The tall woman contemplated this a moment. Then she turned
to Serena, "I apologize." She said strongly, "You did not lie,
I will never doubt you again. Obviously my son felt a prophesy.
Your daughter does not belong in the other world. I realize
you sent her their to protect her, but she must remain here.
She is one of ours."
Serena nodded slowly. Then she looked at Darien meaningfully
and gestured ever so slightly.
The tall woman shook her head, "You know it is forbidden. He
cannot simply be removed from his own time and world. He will
have long standing connections with others that will be
unnaturally disrupted. He must be returned, without memory, as
he was before, alone."
Darien's face crumpled in agony, "No! Be merciful! Give me death,
but do not return me empty, to that life! You're wrong! I have
no one! I have no family or friends or any of that! I have only
my love and my daughter! Without them, I want nothing. I do
not wish to live!"
Serena and Rini stood side by side. Their eyes wide and
tear streaked. They gazed in horror at him.
Rini broke into a run towards her father, "Papa!"
The tall woman gestured her son to take Rini away and he pulled her,
kicking and screaming for her father, to the woods.
Darien's eyes filled with tears.
The tall woman turned on Serena, "You have caused this. The misery
of this poor man is entirely of your doing. Do you see?"
Serena nodded in anguish, "I know. I am sorry. But....but
I love him." She finished in a whisper, she broke down and
fell to her knees, "I can't help it!" She cried, "I love
him!"
The tall woman's face registered a brief flicker of sympathy,
but then she hardened once again, "Your love cannot be...."
She could not understand why Serena would love this man of the
other world--though her peoples had long ago found love in the
other world....it was not natural and had not happened for centuries.
Why did she seek out this man when it was strictly forbidden?
She knew Serena took the sacred gateway to the forest often,
fascinated by the feel of time on the other side. She had always
seemed lonely and kept to herself. But now, she had sought the one
person she could not have. It was so frustrating! He had to go
where he belonged!
Darien looked desperately from the tall woman to his crumpled
lover in despair on the ground.
For twelve years she had suffered in silence, watching over
him and her daughter. Filled with love and longing and
unable to reach them. Now, she must lose him again.
Darien was filled with anguish and sympathy. All this pain
just for their love. It couldn't be for nothing. He had
to do something. He had to fight for it.
But the tall woman gathered up magic to her hands, creating the
gateway behind him.
"You must return to your own time. I truly am sorry..." She said
sadly as he paled and shook his head desperately at her.
She lifted her arms to force him through....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
