Chapter 5: Connections
Gabe saw himself in the garbs of many different times and places. He also saw the girl. The images flashed by quickly as if on speed rewind. They were somewhere he didn't recognize. It was dusk, the girl - Nikki was sitting on a rock crying. She looked a little younger than she looked now. He got the impression that his past self did not yet know her. Past Gabe walked over to the crying girl to comfort her, he had felt inexplicably drawn to her. When she looked up at him, he say twin Witchblade gems staring back at him.
He saw flashes of other lives, many other lives. Then, he saw himself in the garb of a warrior, and saw Nikki dressed as a lady, something that seemed a little out of place considering how she acted now. But then maybe she hadn't always been this way, maybe this was something that time had done to her. Past Nikki was crying again, her eyes glittering like diamonds. She was pleading with Past Gabe. Duty and honor were making him leave. She got angry and physically pushed him away. She yelled and he flinched. Gabe couldn't hear what was being said, but he could feel that his past self was hurt and deeply.
"Fine then. Go to your death! Ignore me. Know that if you go, you will never see me or hear from me again! You won't be coming back. I know that. why can't you see it?" Past Nikki screamed, her voice full of anger, sadness, and despair. Past Gabe shook his head solemnly, said "I'm sorry," turned, and walked away. Nikki stood there watching him leave her. Staring at his back until he was gone from view. Then, she collapsed to the ground crying.
Then, as suddenly as they had been thrown into the visions, the memories, they were thrown back out into reality. Both just stared at each other for what could have been an eternity. Gabe looked down, feeling something odd on his arm. The Witchblade had snaked a tendril around his wrist and seemed reluctant to let him go. Sara watched amazed. She had watched as the Witchblade made a connection to him. Why hadn't it done that through her? Maybe it was because Nikki had a stronger connection to him.
Nikki felt tired. She had bared her soul, opened her memory, her heart to Gabe - the angel whose wings she had tried to clip so long ago. She would forever regret that moment. It was bittersweet to see him again, especially after that incident. It may have happened over a thousand years ago, but the pain of that loss was still fresh upon her soul. The Witchblade retracted into bracelet form and fell from her wrist. Nikki collapsed onto her couch soon after.
Gabriel was stunned, he did not know what was going on. He had seen someone other than Sara wield the Witchblade, and quite expertly at that. The Witchblade had connected to him, and it wasn't hurting him. He been shown his past lives, he had been told that he was a part of the inner circle surrounding the Witchblade. Then there was the strange woman - Nikki. It was obvious that in his past lives they had been connected, but what now?
"Are you okay Nikki?" Sara asked, snapping Gabe out of his introspection.
"I shall be fine. I have not done that in a very long time. It took a lot more out of me than I remember, but then it has been so long. It is nothing though, I shall recover."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I know that you are wondering why the Witchblade would do this to me. You have to understand that the Witchblade is a deeper part of me than you can understand and when I opened those doors to help Gabe, it was me that hurt me, not the Blade. In fact the Witchblade tried to shield me, to protect me, but that would have limited what Gabriel was able to see. It was better to do it this way so that I would not have to repeat this in the event that he needs space." Nikki replied, her voice tired.
"Is it alright if I go get some air? My head's still swimming." Gabe said softly.
"Go out on the fire escape, it is safer there and you'll be near by if we - if Sara needs you or you need us - her. The knight is not yet our ally so keep alert." Nikki said, her voice still drained. Gabe wasn't sure what Nikki was talking about, but he hadn't wanted to go too far anyway. He had questions, and he'd probably have more after he sorted his thoughts out. That's why he needed air, to take all of this in and to process it. He climbed out onto the fire escape and sat down. Inside, the girls were having a talk.
"So, how are you really?" Sara inquired.
"Tired. My heart feels heavy with the weight of past guilt. I am happy to see him, but I am worried that I will hurt him again. I am worried that after seeing what happened, he will leave again. You have to understand Sara, the angel was my first and only love."
"Ohhh."
"I did not understand it then. I couldn't figure out why it hurt so much when he told me that he had to leave. I only came to realize it, to understand it long after he was gone. I looked for him every time I found that you had been reborn figuring that he had too, but I couldn't find him. I kept thinking that if I hadn't let him walk away, if I hadn't fought him, that maybe I'd still have him. All I had was his ring. and one of his war buddies had brought it back to me at his dying request. That was a sharp pain indeed knowing that my vision had indeed been correct. I still have the ring, but then it too is a part of this. I wanted to give it back to him, but this is the first time that I have seen him since it was returned to me so long ago." Nikki sighed.
"How is the ring a part of this?"
"It is a part of the collection. It is a talisman like the Witchblade, though not nearly as powerful. It is how we stay connected. Each piece is connected directly to the Witchblade. It is how we are able to find each other and know when there is trouble."
"How many pieces are there? And what are they?"
"There is the Witchblade and it's three counterparts. The Dragon Ring, The Angel Ring, and The Phoenix Crystal." Nikki replied.
"Okay."
"Let me explain."
"Please do."
"The dragon ring is given to the blade knight. It was formed from the blood of the knight mixed with the blood and tears of the wielder. The Witchblade itself forged the item using an ancient magic that only I can use, and even I cannot do it now. I think it was only because the blade had wanted a way to keep in touch with the others that it allowed this to occur. The ring has never left him, even though he is not timeless. It is his unique identifier and it connects him to the blade and binds him to us. It allows him to access some aspects of the blade. ones our knight would need - speed, stealth, healing, his danger sense. among others."
"So that's how Notting - Ian does it."
"The angel ring is given to the blade angel. It was forged by my own hand, my tears, my blood, the angel's blood and the prayers of the universe went into it. The design is ancient, made to mirror the more heavenly aspects of the blade. The magic the blade used to forge the ring was different than what it used for the dragon ring. It is more for support, protection and healing. abilities and duties more befitting of an angelic soul."
"Wow."
"Last, but not least is the Phoenix Crystal. It was made from my blood and the blood/magic of the Witchblade itself. The crystal resides within me where it was created by the blade. It is the Witchblade inside of me. Forever a part of me, I have only seen it in dreams the blade has given me."
"Wow."
"Is that all you can say is wow?"
"Sorry, that's just.. Wow." Sara laughed, Nikki joined in. It was good to see that Nikki was recovering.
"You won't have to worry about Gabe. He won't leave. I think you'll be surprised at how he reacts to this. I don't think he can fault you for your actions. Besides, that happened a long time ago, the past is the past. it's beyond time to move on."
"I know, but I can't."
"Why not?"
"I need to know he forgives me before I can forgive myself. But I won't ask for his forgiveness, I can't. I don't. it's hard."
"It always is. We should see if Gabe is okay."
"You're right Sara, we should."
Gabe saw himself in the garbs of many different times and places. He also saw the girl. The images flashed by quickly as if on speed rewind. They were somewhere he didn't recognize. It was dusk, the girl - Nikki was sitting on a rock crying. She looked a little younger than she looked now. He got the impression that his past self did not yet know her. Past Gabe walked over to the crying girl to comfort her, he had felt inexplicably drawn to her. When she looked up at him, he say twin Witchblade gems staring back at him.
He saw flashes of other lives, many other lives. Then, he saw himself in the garb of a warrior, and saw Nikki dressed as a lady, something that seemed a little out of place considering how she acted now. But then maybe she hadn't always been this way, maybe this was something that time had done to her. Past Nikki was crying again, her eyes glittering like diamonds. She was pleading with Past Gabe. Duty and honor were making him leave. She got angry and physically pushed him away. She yelled and he flinched. Gabe couldn't hear what was being said, but he could feel that his past self was hurt and deeply.
"Fine then. Go to your death! Ignore me. Know that if you go, you will never see me or hear from me again! You won't be coming back. I know that. why can't you see it?" Past Nikki screamed, her voice full of anger, sadness, and despair. Past Gabe shook his head solemnly, said "I'm sorry," turned, and walked away. Nikki stood there watching him leave her. Staring at his back until he was gone from view. Then, she collapsed to the ground crying.
Then, as suddenly as they had been thrown into the visions, the memories, they were thrown back out into reality. Both just stared at each other for what could have been an eternity. Gabe looked down, feeling something odd on his arm. The Witchblade had snaked a tendril around his wrist and seemed reluctant to let him go. Sara watched amazed. She had watched as the Witchblade made a connection to him. Why hadn't it done that through her? Maybe it was because Nikki had a stronger connection to him.
Nikki felt tired. She had bared her soul, opened her memory, her heart to Gabe - the angel whose wings she had tried to clip so long ago. She would forever regret that moment. It was bittersweet to see him again, especially after that incident. It may have happened over a thousand years ago, but the pain of that loss was still fresh upon her soul. The Witchblade retracted into bracelet form and fell from her wrist. Nikki collapsed onto her couch soon after.
Gabriel was stunned, he did not know what was going on. He had seen someone other than Sara wield the Witchblade, and quite expertly at that. The Witchblade had connected to him, and it wasn't hurting him. He been shown his past lives, he had been told that he was a part of the inner circle surrounding the Witchblade. Then there was the strange woman - Nikki. It was obvious that in his past lives they had been connected, but what now?
"Are you okay Nikki?" Sara asked, snapping Gabe out of his introspection.
"I shall be fine. I have not done that in a very long time. It took a lot more out of me than I remember, but then it has been so long. It is nothing though, I shall recover."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I know that you are wondering why the Witchblade would do this to me. You have to understand that the Witchblade is a deeper part of me than you can understand and when I opened those doors to help Gabe, it was me that hurt me, not the Blade. In fact the Witchblade tried to shield me, to protect me, but that would have limited what Gabriel was able to see. It was better to do it this way so that I would not have to repeat this in the event that he needs space." Nikki replied, her voice tired.
"Is it alright if I go get some air? My head's still swimming." Gabe said softly.
"Go out on the fire escape, it is safer there and you'll be near by if we - if Sara needs you or you need us - her. The knight is not yet our ally so keep alert." Nikki said, her voice still drained. Gabe wasn't sure what Nikki was talking about, but he hadn't wanted to go too far anyway. He had questions, and he'd probably have more after he sorted his thoughts out. That's why he needed air, to take all of this in and to process it. He climbed out onto the fire escape and sat down. Inside, the girls were having a talk.
"So, how are you really?" Sara inquired.
"Tired. My heart feels heavy with the weight of past guilt. I am happy to see him, but I am worried that I will hurt him again. I am worried that after seeing what happened, he will leave again. You have to understand Sara, the angel was my first and only love."
"Ohhh."
"I did not understand it then. I couldn't figure out why it hurt so much when he told me that he had to leave. I only came to realize it, to understand it long after he was gone. I looked for him every time I found that you had been reborn figuring that he had too, but I couldn't find him. I kept thinking that if I hadn't let him walk away, if I hadn't fought him, that maybe I'd still have him. All I had was his ring. and one of his war buddies had brought it back to me at his dying request. That was a sharp pain indeed knowing that my vision had indeed been correct. I still have the ring, but then it too is a part of this. I wanted to give it back to him, but this is the first time that I have seen him since it was returned to me so long ago." Nikki sighed.
"How is the ring a part of this?"
"It is a part of the collection. It is a talisman like the Witchblade, though not nearly as powerful. It is how we stay connected. Each piece is connected directly to the Witchblade. It is how we are able to find each other and know when there is trouble."
"How many pieces are there? And what are they?"
"There is the Witchblade and it's three counterparts. The Dragon Ring, The Angel Ring, and The Phoenix Crystal." Nikki replied.
"Okay."
"Let me explain."
"Please do."
"The dragon ring is given to the blade knight. It was formed from the blood of the knight mixed with the blood and tears of the wielder. The Witchblade itself forged the item using an ancient magic that only I can use, and even I cannot do it now. I think it was only because the blade had wanted a way to keep in touch with the others that it allowed this to occur. The ring has never left him, even though he is not timeless. It is his unique identifier and it connects him to the blade and binds him to us. It allows him to access some aspects of the blade. ones our knight would need - speed, stealth, healing, his danger sense. among others."
"So that's how Notting - Ian does it."
"The angel ring is given to the blade angel. It was forged by my own hand, my tears, my blood, the angel's blood and the prayers of the universe went into it. The design is ancient, made to mirror the more heavenly aspects of the blade. The magic the blade used to forge the ring was different than what it used for the dragon ring. It is more for support, protection and healing. abilities and duties more befitting of an angelic soul."
"Wow."
"Last, but not least is the Phoenix Crystal. It was made from my blood and the blood/magic of the Witchblade itself. The crystal resides within me where it was created by the blade. It is the Witchblade inside of me. Forever a part of me, I have only seen it in dreams the blade has given me."
"Wow."
"Is that all you can say is wow?"
"Sorry, that's just.. Wow." Sara laughed, Nikki joined in. It was good to see that Nikki was recovering.
"You won't have to worry about Gabe. He won't leave. I think you'll be surprised at how he reacts to this. I don't think he can fault you for your actions. Besides, that happened a long time ago, the past is the past. it's beyond time to move on."
"I know, but I can't."
"Why not?"
"I need to know he forgives me before I can forgive myself. But I won't ask for his forgiveness, I can't. I don't. it's hard."
"It always is. We should see if Gabe is okay."
"You're right Sara, we should."