Eeeeee...it's been a while since I've updated. Sorry, folks, I had
Writer's Block. ^_^;;; Really, really bad. ^_^;;; All I've been able
to write is my happy light-hearted stories that Midnight C and the rest
of you love so much. But here I am, with Chapter 10! Be happy!
Chapter 10
Ivan sighed, his hands clenching and unclenching.
He had tried everything, EVERYTHING, but Hama wasn't waking up.
"Aunt Hama," he muttered. She looked very peaceful, as if she
was asleep. Garet had moved her to the bed, and in a sign of respect,
had closed her eyes. The old woman was pale, the lines around her eyes
and mouth far too obvious, as was the silver in her hair shining in the
lamp light. It scared him half to death that his aunt, his aunt that had
seemed so ageless, could suddenly appear so ancient.
"You have to wake up," he pleaded. "Please, you have to wake
up."
"Ivan, Isaac's leaving."
It was Mia, standing in the frame of the door, something deeper
than sadness in her eyes.
"Alright," Ivan got to his feet, and managed to somehow grin at
her. "It's going to be alright."
"Yeah," Mia returned the gesture, but her smile was so weak she
might as well have not bothered. "Everything will be alright."
They left Hama on the bed, walking the twisted corridors of the
school until they were at the front door.
The entry way was still a complete mess, even two days after
Picard and Sheba's merciless attack. Broken boards and rock still
littered the ground, and several holes in the ceiling were a testament to
Felix's Gaia.
"Maybe it's a good thing that Aunt Hama isn't awake," Ivan
commented. "She'd throw an absolute fit."
Mia's smile was genuine this time. Ivan looked at her for a
moment, before turning to the frame of the front door.
Isaac was standing there, in a newly pressed General's uniform,
dark indigo and the purest white. A cape was pinned to his shoulders,
small golden sun-shaped disks holding the cloth in place.
"We'll miss you," a tearful Jenna had a hold of one of his hands.
"We'll never forget you."
"And I'll never forget you," he smiled.
"Thank you, Isaac," Alex looked rather awkward addressing the
soldier before him. "I owe my life to you."
Isaac almost blushed, but managed to nod firmly. Ivan looked
around. Everyone was there, Alex, Jenna, himself, Mia, Picard and Felix
were discussing something in the background, Garet turning to look at
Mia, and Felix doing the same with Jenna.
"Ivan," the Jupiter Adept turned at the sound of his name. Isaac
had a sad smile on his face. "You turned out alright."
"Thanks," Ivan almost laughed. "You didn't turn out too bad
yourself."
"Isaac," Mia crossed the gap separating them and hugged him
close. The Venus Adept stiffened, but slowly relaxed. "Isaac, I'm never
going to forget you, or what you've done."
"I haven't done anything," Isaac pushed her away gently. "Take
care of yourself, Mia."
"Take care of myself?!" Mia choked, tears in her eyes. "What
about you?"
"Worry about me, then," his eyes held some amusement in them. "I
suppose someone has to."
"You suppose."
"Take care of her, Garet," Isaac looked over her head to where
the Mars Adept was standing.
"I won't be able to," Garet admitted. "I'm going with you."
***********
"I still think you made the wrong decision," Isaac glared at his
childhood friend.
"My mind's made up," Garet leaned back against a wide tree trunk.
"I know that," Isaac looked over to the small fire Garet had
conjured up. "You're stubborn, but I still think that you made the wrong
decision. Did you see Mia? She was completely heart broken-"
**********
"You-you're going?" Mia had stared at Garet, her world shattering
in her eyes. "But why? WHY?!"
"You'll understand someday."
**********
"She'll get over it," Garet shrugged. "It was for the best."
"No it wasn-"
"You don't understand, Isaac," something in the Mars Adept's eyes
made Isaac shut up, and fast. A fire seemed to be raging in Garet's
mind, a fire that couldn't be tamed or controlled, only a fool would try.
Or someone who had nothing else to lose.
"It will take us another three days to get to Xian at the pace we
are going," Picard sat next to Isaac.
"It'll be cold," Isaac looked up at the star studded sky visible
beyond the tops of the trees. He knew fall was coming, the leaves had
yet to change their color, and the true cold had yet to set into the air,
but he knew. The trees sang their soft song to him, of shedding their
summer coats and going into deep slumber. It was quieter than it usually
was, but he could still feel it, still hear it.
"We have the Mars Adept, I'm sure we'll be fine," Picard nodded
to Garet.
"Having me might be a risk you're not willing to take."
**********
"Mia?" Jenna opened the door to Mia's room, the lamp behind her
mutting a path of light into the darkened room. The Mercury Adept was
sitting in her windowsill, the moonlight that flooded through the glass
panes turning her hair silver. "Mia?"
"W-why?" Mia choked, turning towards Jenna. Even in the half
light of the lamp, Jenna could see her tears gleaming. "He was so cold,
and distant, and now he's gone. He's gone."
"I think Garet has some things to figure out," Jenna crossed the
room and sat next to her. "I know there are things I don't understand
about the Mars element, and I think when he went berserk like he did a
lot of things he didn't want to think about fell into place."
"I could have helped him," Mia glared at the far wall. "Ivan
could have helped him."
"Some things you have to find out for yourself," Jenna carefully
put one arm around the other woman's shoulders, squeezing reassuringly.
"I think that's what Garet went to do. He'll be back, Mia. He'll be
back."
Mia sobbed, and Jenna resolved to stay there by her, no matter
what it took.
**********
The ground beneath him trembled slightly, but that was all.
"Damnit," Isaac growled.
"What's wrong?"
He whirled around, his heart beating hard against his ribcage.
"Garet, you scared me! You think you'd make some noise when you're
sneaking up on poor innocent heart-attack prone Venus Adepts!"
"It's not hard to sneak up on someone when they're trying to
cause earthquakes," Garet said dryly. "What are you doing?"
"It's my Psynergy," Isaac glared at the offending ground. "It's
not working right. It's too weak."
"You just BARELY preformed a miracle using your Psynergy three
days ago, give it time," Garet advised him.
"Garet, why did you come?"
Garet paused, as if trying to decide exactly what to say. Just
as Isaac thought he wasn't going to say anything, he began. "I realized
something, when I lost control of everything back at the school, and
nearly killed you and Mia.
"That was an accident," Isaac said quickly.
"I realize that," Garet nodded. "But my element, Mars. Mars was
the God of War, and all fire is capable of is destruction."
"That's not true," Isaac argued. "Fire does good things!"
"Like what?"
"Well, it gives warmth, and it cooks things," Isaac cast about
for ideas. "And it burns useless stuff like dead leaves and old clothes
and Ivan."
Garet smiled slightly. "Fire also causes death, destruction. It
destroys everything it touches, including lives."
"So, you left because fire burns things?" Isaac asked, trying to
understand. Garet had changed in more ways then he could possibly have
known.
"I left, because there are things I need to know," Garet looked
up at the trees. "Things I need to find out myself. And things there
were things I didn't want to face yet, back at the school. Not so soon
after."
He shrugged.
*Isaac, Garet!* Sheba's voice rang in their minds. *We're moving
out!*
"Yes, mommy," Isaac muttered, and Garet laughed.
*********
"Okay, children, we're going to play 'let's fix the house' now,"
Ivan announced.
"I don't like that game," Felix said solemnly.
"It's not fun," Alex agreed. "And without Garet or Isaac around,
Felix and I have to do the grunt work. You just have to sit there and
pretend you're being useful."
"It's what I do best," Ivan smiled.
"And Alex will run off and leave me to do the grunt work," Felix
glared at his friend.
"That would be what I do best," Alex returned his glare with a
Cheshire Cat grin. "Plus, you owe me one."
Felix bit his lip and looked at the ground.
"I was JOKING," Alex looked exasperated. "JOKING."
"Well, it isn't funny," Jenna threw a board at him, and he caught
it with some difficulty, the end still knocked the wind out of him and he
ended up on his back.
"Hey, where's Mia?" Felix ignored Alex's attempts to get his
attention from where he was on the floor, trying to breath.
"Up in her room, crying," Jenna shook her head. "I miss Garet
too, but it must be so hard on her."
"I'm sure it is," Felix sighed, then looked down at Alex, who had
been hitting his leg with the board. "WHAT?!"
"Your sister's mean," Alex said matter of factly.
********
Alright, just because I can, I'll tell you where the inspiration came
from. The soundtrack for the chapter was Jars of Clay, "Much Afraid",
mostly number 2 ("Fade to Grey", a really shway song for all of you that
don't listen to JoC) and the inspiration came from Elena forcing me at
gunpoint to write the chapter. No, not really, but she DID threaten to
do so...she's kind of scary.
Garet: KIND OF scary?
Okay, VERY scary.
Garet: Oh, yeah.
Anyway, review! And stuff...
Writer's Block. ^_^;;; Really, really bad. ^_^;;; All I've been able
to write is my happy light-hearted stories that Midnight C and the rest
of you love so much. But here I am, with Chapter 10! Be happy!
Chapter 10
Ivan sighed, his hands clenching and unclenching.
He had tried everything, EVERYTHING, but Hama wasn't waking up.
"Aunt Hama," he muttered. She looked very peaceful, as if she
was asleep. Garet had moved her to the bed, and in a sign of respect,
had closed her eyes. The old woman was pale, the lines around her eyes
and mouth far too obvious, as was the silver in her hair shining in the
lamp light. It scared him half to death that his aunt, his aunt that had
seemed so ageless, could suddenly appear so ancient.
"You have to wake up," he pleaded. "Please, you have to wake
up."
"Ivan, Isaac's leaving."
It was Mia, standing in the frame of the door, something deeper
than sadness in her eyes.
"Alright," Ivan got to his feet, and managed to somehow grin at
her. "It's going to be alright."
"Yeah," Mia returned the gesture, but her smile was so weak she
might as well have not bothered. "Everything will be alright."
They left Hama on the bed, walking the twisted corridors of the
school until they were at the front door.
The entry way was still a complete mess, even two days after
Picard and Sheba's merciless attack. Broken boards and rock still
littered the ground, and several holes in the ceiling were a testament to
Felix's Gaia.
"Maybe it's a good thing that Aunt Hama isn't awake," Ivan
commented. "She'd throw an absolute fit."
Mia's smile was genuine this time. Ivan looked at her for a
moment, before turning to the frame of the front door.
Isaac was standing there, in a newly pressed General's uniform,
dark indigo and the purest white. A cape was pinned to his shoulders,
small golden sun-shaped disks holding the cloth in place.
"We'll miss you," a tearful Jenna had a hold of one of his hands.
"We'll never forget you."
"And I'll never forget you," he smiled.
"Thank you, Isaac," Alex looked rather awkward addressing the
soldier before him. "I owe my life to you."
Isaac almost blushed, but managed to nod firmly. Ivan looked
around. Everyone was there, Alex, Jenna, himself, Mia, Picard and Felix
were discussing something in the background, Garet turning to look at
Mia, and Felix doing the same with Jenna.
"Ivan," the Jupiter Adept turned at the sound of his name. Isaac
had a sad smile on his face. "You turned out alright."
"Thanks," Ivan almost laughed. "You didn't turn out too bad
yourself."
"Isaac," Mia crossed the gap separating them and hugged him
close. The Venus Adept stiffened, but slowly relaxed. "Isaac, I'm never
going to forget you, or what you've done."
"I haven't done anything," Isaac pushed her away gently. "Take
care of yourself, Mia."
"Take care of myself?!" Mia choked, tears in her eyes. "What
about you?"
"Worry about me, then," his eyes held some amusement in them. "I
suppose someone has to."
"You suppose."
"Take care of her, Garet," Isaac looked over her head to where
the Mars Adept was standing.
"I won't be able to," Garet admitted. "I'm going with you."
***********
"I still think you made the wrong decision," Isaac glared at his
childhood friend.
"My mind's made up," Garet leaned back against a wide tree trunk.
"I know that," Isaac looked over to the small fire Garet had
conjured up. "You're stubborn, but I still think that you made the wrong
decision. Did you see Mia? She was completely heart broken-"
**********
"You-you're going?" Mia had stared at Garet, her world shattering
in her eyes. "But why? WHY?!"
"You'll understand someday."
**********
"She'll get over it," Garet shrugged. "It was for the best."
"No it wasn-"
"You don't understand, Isaac," something in the Mars Adept's eyes
made Isaac shut up, and fast. A fire seemed to be raging in Garet's
mind, a fire that couldn't be tamed or controlled, only a fool would try.
Or someone who had nothing else to lose.
"It will take us another three days to get to Xian at the pace we
are going," Picard sat next to Isaac.
"It'll be cold," Isaac looked up at the star studded sky visible
beyond the tops of the trees. He knew fall was coming, the leaves had
yet to change their color, and the true cold had yet to set into the air,
but he knew. The trees sang their soft song to him, of shedding their
summer coats and going into deep slumber. It was quieter than it usually
was, but he could still feel it, still hear it.
"We have the Mars Adept, I'm sure we'll be fine," Picard nodded
to Garet.
"Having me might be a risk you're not willing to take."
**********
"Mia?" Jenna opened the door to Mia's room, the lamp behind her
mutting a path of light into the darkened room. The Mercury Adept was
sitting in her windowsill, the moonlight that flooded through the glass
panes turning her hair silver. "Mia?"
"W-why?" Mia choked, turning towards Jenna. Even in the half
light of the lamp, Jenna could see her tears gleaming. "He was so cold,
and distant, and now he's gone. He's gone."
"I think Garet has some things to figure out," Jenna crossed the
room and sat next to her. "I know there are things I don't understand
about the Mars element, and I think when he went berserk like he did a
lot of things he didn't want to think about fell into place."
"I could have helped him," Mia glared at the far wall. "Ivan
could have helped him."
"Some things you have to find out for yourself," Jenna carefully
put one arm around the other woman's shoulders, squeezing reassuringly.
"I think that's what Garet went to do. He'll be back, Mia. He'll be
back."
Mia sobbed, and Jenna resolved to stay there by her, no matter
what it took.
**********
The ground beneath him trembled slightly, but that was all.
"Damnit," Isaac growled.
"What's wrong?"
He whirled around, his heart beating hard against his ribcage.
"Garet, you scared me! You think you'd make some noise when you're
sneaking up on poor innocent heart-attack prone Venus Adepts!"
"It's not hard to sneak up on someone when they're trying to
cause earthquakes," Garet said dryly. "What are you doing?"
"It's my Psynergy," Isaac glared at the offending ground. "It's
not working right. It's too weak."
"You just BARELY preformed a miracle using your Psynergy three
days ago, give it time," Garet advised him.
"Garet, why did you come?"
Garet paused, as if trying to decide exactly what to say. Just
as Isaac thought he wasn't going to say anything, he began. "I realized
something, when I lost control of everything back at the school, and
nearly killed you and Mia.
"That was an accident," Isaac said quickly.
"I realize that," Garet nodded. "But my element, Mars. Mars was
the God of War, and all fire is capable of is destruction."
"That's not true," Isaac argued. "Fire does good things!"
"Like what?"
"Well, it gives warmth, and it cooks things," Isaac cast about
for ideas. "And it burns useless stuff like dead leaves and old clothes
and Ivan."
Garet smiled slightly. "Fire also causes death, destruction. It
destroys everything it touches, including lives."
"So, you left because fire burns things?" Isaac asked, trying to
understand. Garet had changed in more ways then he could possibly have
known.
"I left, because there are things I need to know," Garet looked
up at the trees. "Things I need to find out myself. And things there
were things I didn't want to face yet, back at the school. Not so soon
after."
He shrugged.
*Isaac, Garet!* Sheba's voice rang in their minds. *We're moving
out!*
"Yes, mommy," Isaac muttered, and Garet laughed.
*********
"Okay, children, we're going to play 'let's fix the house' now,"
Ivan announced.
"I don't like that game," Felix said solemnly.
"It's not fun," Alex agreed. "And without Garet or Isaac around,
Felix and I have to do the grunt work. You just have to sit there and
pretend you're being useful."
"It's what I do best," Ivan smiled.
"And Alex will run off and leave me to do the grunt work," Felix
glared at his friend.
"That would be what I do best," Alex returned his glare with a
Cheshire Cat grin. "Plus, you owe me one."
Felix bit his lip and looked at the ground.
"I was JOKING," Alex looked exasperated. "JOKING."
"Well, it isn't funny," Jenna threw a board at him, and he caught
it with some difficulty, the end still knocked the wind out of him and he
ended up on his back.
"Hey, where's Mia?" Felix ignored Alex's attempts to get his
attention from where he was on the floor, trying to breath.
"Up in her room, crying," Jenna shook her head. "I miss Garet
too, but it must be so hard on her."
"I'm sure it is," Felix sighed, then looked down at Alex, who had
been hitting his leg with the board. "WHAT?!"
"Your sister's mean," Alex said matter of factly.
********
Alright, just because I can, I'll tell you where the inspiration came
from. The soundtrack for the chapter was Jars of Clay, "Much Afraid",
mostly number 2 ("Fade to Grey", a really shway song for all of you that
don't listen to JoC) and the inspiration came from Elena forcing me at
gunpoint to write the chapter. No, not really, but she DID threaten to
do so...she's kind of scary.
Garet: KIND OF scary?
Okay, VERY scary.
Garet: Oh, yeah.
Anyway, review! And stuff...