* ssp47's Corner * Wow, almost three weeks! Ahhhhhh!! I'm behind. Well
actually this story is wrapping up and I never was good with endings. But
I'm getting real close to the end. Today since school was out I've been
writing for HOUUURRSS!! Not minutes but HOOUUUURRSS!!! I swear I must've
written twenty chapters today. * sigh * Thank you, DarkDragonX, Alex "wa",
shike77, Striker, and Freefall Insanity for the reviews. ^_^
CHAPTER 21: "The Secrets Unknown" Part 1
Kay acted as if he had given the end of the world revelation right there in Christa's apartment. He said nothing more, so the blond figured he had finished his speech. For a moment she pondered on what to say and then her eyes wandered to where the Blue Sea Dragoon had stood. To her surprise, the young girl wasn't there.
"Where's Ariel?" Christa asked suddenly. Everyone's thoughts changed but no one could answer. Finally Jett, as usual, had his casual two cents to put into the coke machine.
"Relax, Chris. Ariel probably just went for a walk." Christa stared at Jett as if she remembered something but pushed the thought out of her head.
"I'm going to go look for her." Christa said gathering her blue jean jacket.
"And what are we supposed to do?" Hawk asked in a bored tone.
"You're all adults. Go see a movie." The teen said shutting the door. For a moment a shimmer of amusement fell onto Hawk's face, but it faded quickly and his eyes went back to Kay. The Dark Dragoon had remained completely still and his eyes were on the floor.
"If you're thinking about melting the carpet, you're out of luck. It's rare for any human to have super laser vision."
"At least it would look better than this crap." Jett remarked scratching his ear.
*~*
* I've never really had a place to go. I haven't had that feeling that you really belonged. I've only been rejected by society because they don't understand me. People have tried but I don't know how to let them. I feel so alone. *
"You understand." Christa murmured. "You know all about me."
Ariel crossed her arms over her chest and pushed her legs tightly together against her arms. Her back was against a trash bin in an old alley right next to the apartments.
"What do you mean?" Ariel asked keeping her eyes on her knees.
"What you said about nobody understanding."
"I didn't say anything."
Christa frowned but couldn't help feeling accepted and understood by this young girl. When Ariel began to speak again Christa sat down beside her.
"I only came here so I wouldn't frighten you."
"What do you mean?" Christa asked.
"There's something wrong with my body." Ariel replied quietly. "I have seizures every ten hours. Sometimes they're so bad, that my eyes glow and the power of the Winglies has to protect me." Christa said nothing but horrified eyes watched the girl continue. "Doctors can't understand me. They said that I have a lucky life, but they're wrong, I know they are. I have had every disease known on this earth. But each one made me weaker and the seizures only got worse. My mother told me that the Blue Sea Dragon chose me because I'm weak."
"Dragoon spirits are very interesting things." Christa said. "I still don't know why I was chosen."
"Because you know how to lead them." Ariel replied. "But you think that you don't know how."
"I don't!" Christa yelled suddenly. She was quickly on her feet and her eyes glared hotly at Ariel. Ariel didn't move and kept her eyes on her knees. Slowly tears gushed from her eyes.
"I feel your pain." Ariel said without whimpering.
"How?" Christa asked taken off guard.
"I just saw your parents die when you yelled at me."
"You saw them??" Christa asked in complete shock.
"It's a thing I've always had." Ariel wiped the tears from her eyes. Christa didn't say anything. Her eyes slowly looked around the dark and rusty area.
"You know this is a very rank smelling area. Let's go somewhere else." Ariel didn't move until Christa gave her, her hand. Without warning Ariel wrapped her arms around the tall teen like how a child embraced her mother. It felt strange and Chirsta stared back with blank eyes.
*~*
"And over here you'll see the armor of king Albert the third."
"I've heard that, that armor was never penetrated by arrows."
"That's right Mr. Keith. You seem to know your myths." The museum tour guide said with a smile. The museum of Harrleson had many glimpses from the past and that made it a very popular tourist attraction. Mr. Keith and his family stood admiring all the suites of armor while the tour guide gave them a brief analyses on each one.
"Oh Logan, come over and see this." Mrs. Keith called to her eighteen-year- old son. Logan continued to stare at an exhibit away and ahead of the tour guide.
"It's alright. Museums all over now have trouble attracting teens, now these days." The tour guide smiled again. "Your son though, has happened to find the best part of this whole exhibit, the Serdian Crest."
"The what?" Logan asked turning his face from a suite of armor that had a long gold chain dangling over it. On the chain was an emerald green orb.
"The Serdian Crest. It is the orb you see on the chain there. In history it is read that Serdians believed it had great power. It has been handed down from the kings of old to their heirs."
"Serdian Crest." Mr. Keith said thinking to himself. "Alright son, I want a four page essay on the Crest when we get home."
"Um, no, I don't think so." Logan said walking away. "I have enough homework as it is." He stopped short at the exhibit exit and stared ahead. For a second his jaw dropped and his eyes went wide.
*~*
"The Museum?" Ariel asked looking at Christa with a raised eyebrow. "This is what you call a better place?"
"Why not? You're a kid. You need your history lessons." Christa said with a hint of humor in her voice.
"Well you're a high school drop out. 'You're' the one who needs the history lessons." Ariel shot back. Christa cringed.
"That's harsh."
"It fits you well though, doesn't it?" Christa turned her head and saw a very handsome young man leaning against a ceiling support beam with crossed arms and a bent head. Slowly he raised his eyes. His eyebrows were frowning over his eyes but his lips formed a slight smile. Ariel watched Christa stare back at him with a readless face.
"You're still here." Christa asked. Logan blinked at her.
"Is that all you can say? 'You're still here'? What about, 'Oh I'm so glad to see you'?" The blonde rolled her eyes and it made Logan smile. He walked up to her and nudged his fist gently over her face.
"Well I'm glad to see that you're in one piece."
"I'm hanging on." Christa said looking back at him.
"Where have you been?" Logan asked. "There has been rumor after rumor at school."
"I'm not surprised."
"Some say that you committed suicide, obviously not." Christa didn't reply and looked at Ariel.
"Oh this is a friend of mine. His name is Logan Keith."
"I know." Ariel smiled. "I can tell."
*~*
"They have been gone for a long while now." Daphne remarked staring out of a window. Clouds were starting to gather over the city.
"Just like a woman. Always having to worry about everybody." Hawk remarked sitting in the couch. Jett chuckled, until Daphne threw a pillow into his face. That attack quickly turned into a pillow fight between the two. Hawk rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Kids."
Erica was with Kay in the kitchen fixing him a sandwich.
"What do you like on sandwiches?" She asked pulling out bread.
"Anything is fine." Kay couldn't remember when or if he had received any kindness from a woman before. It felt very weird to have someone want to help you. "Thank you." Kay said. "But I'm not used to charity." He grabbed two pieces of bread and popped them into the toaster. Erica smiled and they continued on their projects.
"Well they seem to be getting along." Daphne remarked calming down from the pillow fight. Jett and Hawk looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"Just like a woman." Hawk said rubbing his forehead.
*~*
Logan decided to join Christa and Ariel on their museum tour, as his parents were occupied in conversation with the tour guide. Together they explored the museum completely unaware of Ariel's restlessness. The girl nervously stayed close to the walls facing away from the exhibits. Her fists were tight and yet she said nothing.
"This one is great." Christa said admiring a suite of princely armor.
"Why did you leave? Where were you?"
"Why do you care? It's my deal what I do in my life." Christa snapped.
"Why do I care?" Logan asked in exasperation. "Well how would you feel if-"
"You wouldn't understand anyway." The teen interrupted him. She had rarely seen Logan's temper and she wasn't sure if she wanted to start a fight with him now.
"You don't have to be sp protective." Logan said. "You've known me what, Only all of your life? Don't you trust me?" Christa looked over at Logan who was wearing a long sleeved white shirt and regular blue jeans.
"No." She said sternly. Logan just stared at her, lost for words. Ariel shivered and quietly whispered.
"Don't fight, it hears you." Christa turned and faced the girl.
"What's wrong?" She asked. A small fleck of aqua light appeared followed by a red glow. Christa said nothing and stared into space with that feeling that something was about to happen.
*~*
Kay grabbed a knife and slowly chopped a tomato. Erica suddenly looked over at his job and gasped. The knife slipped from the warrior's hand and fell blade first onto his hand. But there was no blood, the knife didn't touch him and it fell to the floor with a clang.
Erica slowly picked it up and looked at Kay who was slightly shaking. The room was suddenly illuminated with Dragoon light.
"Where's Christa?" Kay asked aloud.
*~*
Slowly the earth began to tremble. They saw the ceiling crack. Ariel ran to Christa's side.
"It's coming." She said. Suddenly the floor started to split and chunks of ceiling fell to the floor. One huge piece of wood and plaster fell right down on Logan's head. The young man quickly fell to the floor unconscious.
Christa grabbed Ariel and shielded her and Logan from the collapsing ceiling. Suddenly the room felt burning hot and freezing cold at the same time. Christa felt her Dragoon spirit glow.
Out of the moment of terror came the Red Eye Dragon in its glory and power. Immediately the quaking stopped and the temperatures calmed. Christa looked up and the Dragon left in a gust of flame.
Christa sat up and held her Dragoon spirit. The flames sparkled inside the orb. Ariel watched her and pulled out her own spirit. A cold laugh came from in the shadows.
"Dragoons dare oppose me." The voice said. "Go on and challenge me then."
"Do you know what that is?" Christa asked Ariel.
"We had better transform." Was all the girl said. Ariel stood up and centered the orb on her chest and the Blue Sea Dragoon appeared with a mallet over her shoulder. Christa in a surge of flame was in her armor with her sword at her side.
"Show yourself!" Ariel demanded twirling her giant mallet in her hands. It amazed Christa that such a timid girl could have such physical strength.
Suddenly there came a dark purple light that flooded the remains of the museum. And the source came from a tall white haired man.
CHAPTER 21: "The Secrets Unknown" Part 1
Kay acted as if he had given the end of the world revelation right there in Christa's apartment. He said nothing more, so the blond figured he had finished his speech. For a moment she pondered on what to say and then her eyes wandered to where the Blue Sea Dragoon had stood. To her surprise, the young girl wasn't there.
"Where's Ariel?" Christa asked suddenly. Everyone's thoughts changed but no one could answer. Finally Jett, as usual, had his casual two cents to put into the coke machine.
"Relax, Chris. Ariel probably just went for a walk." Christa stared at Jett as if she remembered something but pushed the thought out of her head.
"I'm going to go look for her." Christa said gathering her blue jean jacket.
"And what are we supposed to do?" Hawk asked in a bored tone.
"You're all adults. Go see a movie." The teen said shutting the door. For a moment a shimmer of amusement fell onto Hawk's face, but it faded quickly and his eyes went back to Kay. The Dark Dragoon had remained completely still and his eyes were on the floor.
"If you're thinking about melting the carpet, you're out of luck. It's rare for any human to have super laser vision."
"At least it would look better than this crap." Jett remarked scratching his ear.
*~*
* I've never really had a place to go. I haven't had that feeling that you really belonged. I've only been rejected by society because they don't understand me. People have tried but I don't know how to let them. I feel so alone. *
"You understand." Christa murmured. "You know all about me."
Ariel crossed her arms over her chest and pushed her legs tightly together against her arms. Her back was against a trash bin in an old alley right next to the apartments.
"What do you mean?" Ariel asked keeping her eyes on her knees.
"What you said about nobody understanding."
"I didn't say anything."
Christa frowned but couldn't help feeling accepted and understood by this young girl. When Ariel began to speak again Christa sat down beside her.
"I only came here so I wouldn't frighten you."
"What do you mean?" Christa asked.
"There's something wrong with my body." Ariel replied quietly. "I have seizures every ten hours. Sometimes they're so bad, that my eyes glow and the power of the Winglies has to protect me." Christa said nothing but horrified eyes watched the girl continue. "Doctors can't understand me. They said that I have a lucky life, but they're wrong, I know they are. I have had every disease known on this earth. But each one made me weaker and the seizures only got worse. My mother told me that the Blue Sea Dragon chose me because I'm weak."
"Dragoon spirits are very interesting things." Christa said. "I still don't know why I was chosen."
"Because you know how to lead them." Ariel replied. "But you think that you don't know how."
"I don't!" Christa yelled suddenly. She was quickly on her feet and her eyes glared hotly at Ariel. Ariel didn't move and kept her eyes on her knees. Slowly tears gushed from her eyes.
"I feel your pain." Ariel said without whimpering.
"How?" Christa asked taken off guard.
"I just saw your parents die when you yelled at me."
"You saw them??" Christa asked in complete shock.
"It's a thing I've always had." Ariel wiped the tears from her eyes. Christa didn't say anything. Her eyes slowly looked around the dark and rusty area.
"You know this is a very rank smelling area. Let's go somewhere else." Ariel didn't move until Christa gave her, her hand. Without warning Ariel wrapped her arms around the tall teen like how a child embraced her mother. It felt strange and Chirsta stared back with blank eyes.
*~*
"And over here you'll see the armor of king Albert the third."
"I've heard that, that armor was never penetrated by arrows."
"That's right Mr. Keith. You seem to know your myths." The museum tour guide said with a smile. The museum of Harrleson had many glimpses from the past and that made it a very popular tourist attraction. Mr. Keith and his family stood admiring all the suites of armor while the tour guide gave them a brief analyses on each one.
"Oh Logan, come over and see this." Mrs. Keith called to her eighteen-year- old son. Logan continued to stare at an exhibit away and ahead of the tour guide.
"It's alright. Museums all over now have trouble attracting teens, now these days." The tour guide smiled again. "Your son though, has happened to find the best part of this whole exhibit, the Serdian Crest."
"The what?" Logan asked turning his face from a suite of armor that had a long gold chain dangling over it. On the chain was an emerald green orb.
"The Serdian Crest. It is the orb you see on the chain there. In history it is read that Serdians believed it had great power. It has been handed down from the kings of old to their heirs."
"Serdian Crest." Mr. Keith said thinking to himself. "Alright son, I want a four page essay on the Crest when we get home."
"Um, no, I don't think so." Logan said walking away. "I have enough homework as it is." He stopped short at the exhibit exit and stared ahead. For a second his jaw dropped and his eyes went wide.
*~*
"The Museum?" Ariel asked looking at Christa with a raised eyebrow. "This is what you call a better place?"
"Why not? You're a kid. You need your history lessons." Christa said with a hint of humor in her voice.
"Well you're a high school drop out. 'You're' the one who needs the history lessons." Ariel shot back. Christa cringed.
"That's harsh."
"It fits you well though, doesn't it?" Christa turned her head and saw a very handsome young man leaning against a ceiling support beam with crossed arms and a bent head. Slowly he raised his eyes. His eyebrows were frowning over his eyes but his lips formed a slight smile. Ariel watched Christa stare back at him with a readless face.
"You're still here." Christa asked. Logan blinked at her.
"Is that all you can say? 'You're still here'? What about, 'Oh I'm so glad to see you'?" The blonde rolled her eyes and it made Logan smile. He walked up to her and nudged his fist gently over her face.
"Well I'm glad to see that you're in one piece."
"I'm hanging on." Christa said looking back at him.
"Where have you been?" Logan asked. "There has been rumor after rumor at school."
"I'm not surprised."
"Some say that you committed suicide, obviously not." Christa didn't reply and looked at Ariel.
"Oh this is a friend of mine. His name is Logan Keith."
"I know." Ariel smiled. "I can tell."
*~*
"They have been gone for a long while now." Daphne remarked staring out of a window. Clouds were starting to gather over the city.
"Just like a woman. Always having to worry about everybody." Hawk remarked sitting in the couch. Jett chuckled, until Daphne threw a pillow into his face. That attack quickly turned into a pillow fight between the two. Hawk rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Kids."
Erica was with Kay in the kitchen fixing him a sandwich.
"What do you like on sandwiches?" She asked pulling out bread.
"Anything is fine." Kay couldn't remember when or if he had received any kindness from a woman before. It felt very weird to have someone want to help you. "Thank you." Kay said. "But I'm not used to charity." He grabbed two pieces of bread and popped them into the toaster. Erica smiled and they continued on their projects.
"Well they seem to be getting along." Daphne remarked calming down from the pillow fight. Jett and Hawk looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"Just like a woman." Hawk said rubbing his forehead.
*~*
Logan decided to join Christa and Ariel on their museum tour, as his parents were occupied in conversation with the tour guide. Together they explored the museum completely unaware of Ariel's restlessness. The girl nervously stayed close to the walls facing away from the exhibits. Her fists were tight and yet she said nothing.
"This one is great." Christa said admiring a suite of princely armor.
"Why did you leave? Where were you?"
"Why do you care? It's my deal what I do in my life." Christa snapped.
"Why do I care?" Logan asked in exasperation. "Well how would you feel if-"
"You wouldn't understand anyway." The teen interrupted him. She had rarely seen Logan's temper and she wasn't sure if she wanted to start a fight with him now.
"You don't have to be sp protective." Logan said. "You've known me what, Only all of your life? Don't you trust me?" Christa looked over at Logan who was wearing a long sleeved white shirt and regular blue jeans.
"No." She said sternly. Logan just stared at her, lost for words. Ariel shivered and quietly whispered.
"Don't fight, it hears you." Christa turned and faced the girl.
"What's wrong?" She asked. A small fleck of aqua light appeared followed by a red glow. Christa said nothing and stared into space with that feeling that something was about to happen.
*~*
Kay grabbed a knife and slowly chopped a tomato. Erica suddenly looked over at his job and gasped. The knife slipped from the warrior's hand and fell blade first onto his hand. But there was no blood, the knife didn't touch him and it fell to the floor with a clang.
Erica slowly picked it up and looked at Kay who was slightly shaking. The room was suddenly illuminated with Dragoon light.
"Where's Christa?" Kay asked aloud.
*~*
Slowly the earth began to tremble. They saw the ceiling crack. Ariel ran to Christa's side.
"It's coming." She said. Suddenly the floor started to split and chunks of ceiling fell to the floor. One huge piece of wood and plaster fell right down on Logan's head. The young man quickly fell to the floor unconscious.
Christa grabbed Ariel and shielded her and Logan from the collapsing ceiling. Suddenly the room felt burning hot and freezing cold at the same time. Christa felt her Dragoon spirit glow.
Out of the moment of terror came the Red Eye Dragon in its glory and power. Immediately the quaking stopped and the temperatures calmed. Christa looked up and the Dragon left in a gust of flame.
Christa sat up and held her Dragoon spirit. The flames sparkled inside the orb. Ariel watched her and pulled out her own spirit. A cold laugh came from in the shadows.
"Dragoons dare oppose me." The voice said. "Go on and challenge me then."
"Do you know what that is?" Christa asked Ariel.
"We had better transform." Was all the girl said. Ariel stood up and centered the orb on her chest and the Blue Sea Dragoon appeared with a mallet over her shoulder. Christa in a surge of flame was in her armor with her sword at her side.
"Show yourself!" Ariel demanded twirling her giant mallet in her hands. It amazed Christa that such a timid girl could have such physical strength.
Suddenly there came a dark purple light that flooded the remains of the museum. And the source came from a tall white haired man.