Wow, it'as been a while since I wrote anything. Sorry about that. To tell you the truth, I was not going to write this series because I thought it sucked. At the time I went to fanfiction.net I was questioning why I wrote anything at all. Then I saw my reviews.
I'd just like to say thank you to Chriz, please tell me which story is yours at fictionpress.net, because when I searched it up there were two other stories with the same title, thank you to Protectress of Dalidon, and I guess sorry for keeping you waiting... ^_^" Thank you to Aleandra Alyra Sarienna, I'm not really crazy about myths and legends, but I do love them a lot! I don't know much about them unfortunately, I have to thank the web for that!
Thank you to Animagus2, though you didn't actually READ tha fanfic, the review made me happy... If you by some strange chance read this, I'm pretty sure there are only eight books, and Mary Stanton's not writing another.... To DSRockStar, sorry for keeping you waiting... and to Brekke, here is the next chapter! I hope you like it!!!!!! You guys made my day!!! ^_^
Illusion of Peace
by yours truely
chapter 2 - The Passing
All was quiet. It had been quiet since the end of the war. Arianna looked around. Yes, so very quiet. Nothing stirred in the darkness of the night. No birds, no wind, and since the end that strange feeling of dread and death that only she and the Sunchaser seemed to feel hung in the air, like a shroud, decieving all those who could not sense it's presence.
She stood at her bedroom window, thinking of her family. Where were they? She had not seen them in so long. Were they okay? Were they still alive? For all she knew they had died the moment the Shifter had kidnapped them. And what if they had? What would she do then? What SHOULD she do then? Count the minutes, the seconds, the days that passed?
Or would fate bless her, and her parents still be alive? And her brother as well?
Much of the damage the Shifter and Kraken inflicted had been undone. But what of the damage done to Ari? Yes, her wounds had healed. There were still the memories, the hopes, the losses. So many people and unicorns had been lost in that war. Why did freedom always come down to the battle for life? Why was there always war?
The air was cool against her face as she looked out the window. It was a crisp, chilly night. It always was in Balinor. Closing her eyes, she tried to relax, but was bombarded with thoughts and questions left unanswered. And Atlanta? Did she feel it?
So much had been at stake for so long, that to Ari it seemed strange, to be able to sleep, to be happy, just to live without wondering what the Shifter was planning next. As she thought, that sense prickled the back of her neck, sending chills down her spine, and making her shiver even though she was wrapped tightly in thick blankets.
....and the dreams?
The end of the Shifter had been the calm before the storm. Could this be the next?
Ari mounted Sunchaser and looked over the horizon at the rising sun. It was beautiful. Shades of violet shone like fireworks, the sun lighting the darkness. And all the things that could not be seen at night came into view. There was the garden, full of roses and lillies, dasies and tulips. It was another world during the day. Another place, another time, and the burdens seemed less to Ari, though they never changed and stayed with through out the whole day.
The townsfolk were calling this the passing. The days when things were calm, celebrations were natural, and hope for a new and better life rested in their minds as they went about their chores, tending to the garden, cooking, cleaning, reading, writting.
'They do not see it. It's as though they're blind.' Arianna thought to herself.
'They are not blind.' the Sunchaser assured her. He felt that it made no difference. He sensed this. All around them the world was changing. Things were happening that had never happened before. Arianna could feel it in her bones, racking her soul, twisting and turning her mind and her stomach. The Sunchaser had felt it as well.
'Sunchaser, let's ride.' Arianna thought quietly. The Sunchaser nodded in agreement. They galloped through the open fields, feeling the breeze. They slowed and went into a particular part of the woods.
'It seems like so long ago we came here, and I was Arianna Langley. Just a girl from a ranch who got lost.'
'You were never just a girl from a ranch who got lost.'
Ari sighed. She put her ear to the stone wall, remembering. A small smile graced her lips. The first real smile in weeks. But then tears came to her eyes, she stomach began to turn, and she pulled away quickly. So much had happened, and so much was still left undone. She felt like something was killing her inside, something she couldn't find, couldn't fight, couldn't destory. It felt like a dream, this life. To everyone she had won, she was great, she was royalty.
No one really understood. No one but the Sunchaser, who seemed to be the one friend who could make a difference to her. She was alone in so many ways, and it hurt to be alone, it hurt to be watching from the outside where no one could see you, feel you, touch you. The outside, looking in. Only the Sunchaser could possibly understand. The only difference was, he felt that way too. The bond between them was closer than ever, but so very far apart that no one could know, no one could ever feel, not without entering insanity and never returning to the life they had before. Never being able to return, like Ari.
This was the passing. Days, seconds, minutes, counting down, to the days when everything was normal again. They didn't seem to understand, they didn't seem to see, things could never be the same.
"You're up early." Finn said happily. He grinned at her.
"I couldn't sleep." Arianna confessed.
"So you've been awake all night?" Finn asked amazed.
"No. Yes. Maybe. Why?" Arianna asked, confused.
"How can you do that?" Finn asked. He had a look on his face that seemed to make Ari questions his sanity.
"Finn, what are YOU doing up this early?" Ari asked, evading the question.
"Uh... Checking on the stables!" Finn thought up quickly. Arianna grinned. He wasn't very good at lying.
"Were you looking for me?"
"I said I was checking on the stables! I think I'll go do that now! Check... on the... stables..." Finn said. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he backed away and began to walk toward the stables.
"Well, Finn hasn't changed." Arianna said to Chase. He nodded in agreement.
*****
sorry about the chapter being so short!!! Anyway, check back soon!!! I'll have another one posted!
I'd just like to say thank you to Chriz, please tell me which story is yours at fictionpress.net, because when I searched it up there were two other stories with the same title, thank you to Protectress of Dalidon, and I guess sorry for keeping you waiting... ^_^" Thank you to Aleandra Alyra Sarienna, I'm not really crazy about myths and legends, but I do love them a lot! I don't know much about them unfortunately, I have to thank the web for that!
Thank you to Animagus2, though you didn't actually READ tha fanfic, the review made me happy... If you by some strange chance read this, I'm pretty sure there are only eight books, and Mary Stanton's not writing another.... To DSRockStar, sorry for keeping you waiting... and to Brekke, here is the next chapter! I hope you like it!!!!!! You guys made my day!!! ^_^
Illusion of Peace
by yours truely
chapter 2 - The Passing
All was quiet. It had been quiet since the end of the war. Arianna looked around. Yes, so very quiet. Nothing stirred in the darkness of the night. No birds, no wind, and since the end that strange feeling of dread and death that only she and the Sunchaser seemed to feel hung in the air, like a shroud, decieving all those who could not sense it's presence.
She stood at her bedroom window, thinking of her family. Where were they? She had not seen them in so long. Were they okay? Were they still alive? For all she knew they had died the moment the Shifter had kidnapped them. And what if they had? What would she do then? What SHOULD she do then? Count the minutes, the seconds, the days that passed?
Or would fate bless her, and her parents still be alive? And her brother as well?
Much of the damage the Shifter and Kraken inflicted had been undone. But what of the damage done to Ari? Yes, her wounds had healed. There were still the memories, the hopes, the losses. So many people and unicorns had been lost in that war. Why did freedom always come down to the battle for life? Why was there always war?
The air was cool against her face as she looked out the window. It was a crisp, chilly night. It always was in Balinor. Closing her eyes, she tried to relax, but was bombarded with thoughts and questions left unanswered. And Atlanta? Did she feel it?
So much had been at stake for so long, that to Ari it seemed strange, to be able to sleep, to be happy, just to live without wondering what the Shifter was planning next. As she thought, that sense prickled the back of her neck, sending chills down her spine, and making her shiver even though she was wrapped tightly in thick blankets.
....and the dreams?
The end of the Shifter had been the calm before the storm. Could this be the next?
Ari mounted Sunchaser and looked over the horizon at the rising sun. It was beautiful. Shades of violet shone like fireworks, the sun lighting the darkness. And all the things that could not be seen at night came into view. There was the garden, full of roses and lillies, dasies and tulips. It was another world during the day. Another place, another time, and the burdens seemed less to Ari, though they never changed and stayed with through out the whole day.
The townsfolk were calling this the passing. The days when things were calm, celebrations were natural, and hope for a new and better life rested in their minds as they went about their chores, tending to the garden, cooking, cleaning, reading, writting.
'They do not see it. It's as though they're blind.' Arianna thought to herself.
'They are not blind.' the Sunchaser assured her. He felt that it made no difference. He sensed this. All around them the world was changing. Things were happening that had never happened before. Arianna could feel it in her bones, racking her soul, twisting and turning her mind and her stomach. The Sunchaser had felt it as well.
'Sunchaser, let's ride.' Arianna thought quietly. The Sunchaser nodded in agreement. They galloped through the open fields, feeling the breeze. They slowed and went into a particular part of the woods.
'It seems like so long ago we came here, and I was Arianna Langley. Just a girl from a ranch who got lost.'
'You were never just a girl from a ranch who got lost.'
Ari sighed. She put her ear to the stone wall, remembering. A small smile graced her lips. The first real smile in weeks. But then tears came to her eyes, she stomach began to turn, and she pulled away quickly. So much had happened, and so much was still left undone. She felt like something was killing her inside, something she couldn't find, couldn't fight, couldn't destory. It felt like a dream, this life. To everyone she had won, she was great, she was royalty.
No one really understood. No one but the Sunchaser, who seemed to be the one friend who could make a difference to her. She was alone in so many ways, and it hurt to be alone, it hurt to be watching from the outside where no one could see you, feel you, touch you. The outside, looking in. Only the Sunchaser could possibly understand. The only difference was, he felt that way too. The bond between them was closer than ever, but so very far apart that no one could know, no one could ever feel, not without entering insanity and never returning to the life they had before. Never being able to return, like Ari.
This was the passing. Days, seconds, minutes, counting down, to the days when everything was normal again. They didn't seem to understand, they didn't seem to see, things could never be the same.
"You're up early." Finn said happily. He grinned at her.
"I couldn't sleep." Arianna confessed.
"So you've been awake all night?" Finn asked amazed.
"No. Yes. Maybe. Why?" Arianna asked, confused.
"How can you do that?" Finn asked. He had a look on his face that seemed to make Ari questions his sanity.
"Finn, what are YOU doing up this early?" Ari asked, evading the question.
"Uh... Checking on the stables!" Finn thought up quickly. Arianna grinned. He wasn't very good at lying.
"Were you looking for me?"
"I said I was checking on the stables! I think I'll go do that now! Check... on the... stables..." Finn said. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he backed away and began to walk toward the stables.
"Well, Finn hasn't changed." Arianna said to Chase. He nodded in agreement.
*****
sorry about the chapter being so short!!! Anyway, check back soon!!! I'll have another one posted!