"Past the Walls."
Disclaimer: I don't own YOUNG WIZARDS!
A/N: I have on thing to say...FINALLY!
Also, I dropped some clues here as to a possible 'future' fic...watch closely, and if you think you've got it...well, don't say anything...It shall be a surprise...sorta..
Please enjoy, and sorry for the loooong wait!
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It was useless to say her dreams hadn't bothered lately. Besides the fact that they seemed to show the future, and if not that, the present somewhere else, they seemed to hold a remote symbolism. Contradicting colours, usually black and white, and even fading. It always seemed that Kit was somehow grayer than the things that surrounded him, which didn't really matter anyway, considering her always seemed to be enveloped in darkness
But this....this wasn't just weird or symbolic...it was both and it was disturbing.
Arkel wasn't with him this time, although it seemed his presence was everywhere, and he was standing close..too close. Almost as if Nita were watching a home made movie, and Kit was taking up the whole frame the camera could capture.
He looked almost like those faces she always saw in theatres, the drama/horror, happy/sad, faces that kept popping up everywhere.
Half of his body was clad in black, except for the sock, which was so brilliantly white in contrast that it almost throbbed with intensity.
'That's symbolism for you,' she thought 'a sock.' (A/N: Go away Tyson...^_-)
But there was no humour in this observation. The colours matched that of his hair, and although Nita had always believed that Kit looked extremely good in black, she knew she never wanted to see him where it again. His eyes were dead, there was no life, and they were shadowed in a thing coat of eyeliner. It felt as though she was looking at a picture.
But then, her eyes followed their observation to his other half. It was so bright in conflict to his surroundings, in hurt Nita's eyes to look at and she could hardly make out what exactly it was he was wearing. She could make out one of those white muscle shirts he wore as pyjamas, and she could see his dark skin underneath. It looked real, alive. She could see the black sock sticking out of it all, and she noticed with minimal amusement that he was wearing his normal skate shoes, despite the fact that one was black, and it reminded her that she was still looking at Kit Rodriguez. The only evil espionage in the world who would insist on keeping his own shoes.
But his light face brought back old memories. His dark hair was flipped defiantly across his forehead, just like it used to. His lips were twitched into his soft grin, and it reached his eyes. His eyes that were once again filled with life, mischievous in it's sparkle.
The two sides brought to her a new horror, and even more confusion. And before she knew what she was doing she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his upper frame.
His body tensed and untensed in conflict with each side, and after a short moment she felt one arm reach up to hold her close. The feeling,one side of his body being warm and the other being cool was a strange sensation and she shivered.
"A thousand thousand possibilities," She heard his distant voice whisper. "Count 'em, Neets!"
And drenched in a cold sweat, she woke up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walking. It was something Nita had always taken comfort in. When she had been little, she had always pestered her parents to take her on walks at the busiest of times, and although her mother often protested, her father could never say no to the idea of a walk. And so for many years, she had hopped, skipped and jumped the same route, her small hand in her father's large one.
And once she had been a little older, when she began to earn her own independence, she had gone for walks on her own. Always the same path. Always. It was a way to work off her anger, her steam, her depression.
And for some reason, maybe the unknown wizardry she had in her heart, the people who made her life living hell never seemed to interrupt her during those walks. She never had to run, she never had to fear, she could go on her own pace. She could walk as far as she wanted.
But when Kit had come in to her life, her anger, her steam, her depression had disappeared. He had taken her world in those life-calloused hands of his, and turned it completely around, turning it in a direction near Timeheart.
But now...now it seemed he had taken that life and whipped it against a wall. Broken..shattered..
Kit had made things seem simple. Made her think she could do anything. He had always been the calm, collected one. Nita had been the one to act, Kit was the one who thought things through. It usually annoyed the hell out of her, but in the end, it always proved helpful.
This didn't mean he didn't loose his temper easily, Kit was a fregin rocket when he lost his patience. But he always took the time to try to calm her or himself before the situation got out of hand. And when she was feeling self-conscious, he was always there, thinking about her before himself.
His words always seemed to hold some sort of hint. He never really said what he meant out loud, but the point he meant always seemed to get across.
When she was about to give up, he knew how to prick her, knew how to annoy her just to the exact point where she would do anything to prove him wrong.
"You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is 'never try'."
His sarcasm...it got her every time...
And then, there were the times when she was depressed, felt there was no possible way she could solve whatever problem was in her face. And always, even when they were only friends, he would wrap his arms around her shoulders and smile.
The point was...she needed Kit. Not in the lame way that had often made them laugh and gag whenever they watched old romance movies from the sixties..she wouldn't shrivel up and die without him, no matter how much it felt like it at the time. (1) but he supported her, more than anyone else did. And she needed that.
"You're so dependent on him," Her sister's voice haunted her. "You're going to get hurt."
And as usual, her sister was right.
*~*~*
Sighing, she halted her feet, turning towards the ocean she had so accustomed to turning to whenever she was upset. Memories, she had so many memories on the ocean. But she had reached the point where she couldn't walk any farther. Resting her arms on the railing, she looked out on to the horizon, expecting to see something she didn't understand.
But sudden laughter interrupted her reverie, and she turned towards the loud cackles and couldn't help but stare. Being who she was, she had never really cared about the rules of popularity. But then again, she had never liked to draw attention to herself either.
Laughter and amusement was so boxed these days. You didn't laugh unless everyone else thought it was funny too. That rule didn't apply to her, not since Kit had come into her life. But as loud and obnoxious as they could be on their own, they had never been as loud and care free as the two people she was seeing now in public.
At first, she saw herself and Kit standing their and looking out on the ocean. But then, when she blinked in confusion, two totally different people took their place in her vision.
They must have been really close, they even dressed pretty much the same. And then, upon watching them in closer observation, she realized they were twins.
She watched them in fascination for a long while. They had the same color hair, dark brown. The girl's cascaded down to her shoulders and rested their, while the guy's was short and slightly spiked, in the same popular style that made it look as if he had just gotten out of bed. They had the same eyes, eyes that seemed familiar some how. Grey and bright, they shown out in contrast to their darker skin. They looked partly Spanish, and she blinked in amusement when she realized she never could have made that judgement before knowing Kit.
Even their style's were slightly the same. Their shoes were visible, obviously the same skateboard company, and were covered in snow. They were bundled up in snowboard jackets, and the same hat covered their ears. They looked maybe three years younger than her and she grinned. They were adorable.
They were also, in a mock shoving match.
"Hey," The girl was laughing. "Watch your back, kid."
The expression on his face told her exactly what he thought of this advice, and two seconds later, he had jumped her, clasping her head in a headlock.
"Say it," He commanded. "Say it! I'm perfect!"
"You?" she snorted, pushing against his chest. "Never!"
This only caused farther aggression, and the girl laughing, finally gave in.
"Say it!" He laughed.
"Okay!" She murmured. "Your perfect."
He released her in satisfaction, only to be met with a huge snowball that dripped down his neck. There was a moment of silence, which the girl grinned triumphantly and they guy glared at her dangerously. Then, there was a burst of movement, and Nita, grinning for a reason she wasn't quite sure of, turned back to the ocean.
But as the twins ran past her, she felt a chill rise through her.
She didn't know it was because the twins watched her expectantly as they ran past.
And with that, her eyes lit up with hope and determination. Slapping her book open, she set the detailed and complex settings for Timeheart.
*~*~*~*
"I can't really tell you anything that Kit already hasn't."
Nita glared at Ro.
"Ro," She grumbled. "Kit didn't tell me shit."
Ro sighed, turning from his position and propping his feet up against the wall of the small classroom they were sitting. He didn't want to tell her anymore than she wanted to tell Dairine. But as bright and forceful as Dairine was, Ro didn't have the same emotional effect on Nita, and he knew the girl wasn't going to give up until she got an answer.
His face pained, he spoke quietly.
"He told you about the sacrifice?"
When she nodded, he took in a breath and continued.
"Well...every once and awhile, fate is thrown out of balance. I'm not talking about the little things, like people getting sudden feelings not to cross the street, and then two seconds later an out of control car speeds down it. All that has to do with Wizardry. Fate, as it is, hates Wizardry already. He believes that the universe will run out when it runs out, and that it how it shall be.
"But...sometimes, when it comes to special cases, Wizardry can change fate so much that fate fights a little back...you know? It..well, He I guess...likes it call it The Foreordain Redemption..or in the speech...Fordestsla. It all started with...oh, I don't know. The start of creation, or at least creation on the Lone One's part. When people started disappearing, when people started to change, people blamed it on the Lone one...but for once, it wasn't him, and we didn't discover Arkel until many times later. See....The thing is...Arkel doesn't really care about anything except his job. If people get in the way, he disposes of them."
Nita stared. "In other words...Ronan?"
Ro shook his head. "Not Ronan. In fact, the reason Ronan is the victim here is because it's not him..well, at least not in the way it is everyone else."
"You're joking." Nita laughed, despite the situation.
Ro grinned. "No..fate owes him one, anyways. His ordeal, he could have changed the fate of those people, and that could have changed the colonization of the United Kingdom, and that would mean the United States and Canada, and then the wars most likely wouldn't have been the same. And who knows? Maybe slavery wouldn't have been abolished, maybe the world wars would have turned out differently..."
"Okay," Nita nodded. "I see your point..."
"Anyways, Neets...the world is like a dominoe affect kind of thing...and since Ronan decided, rightfully of course, not to change what is...he saved a lot of trouble for Fate. Debts are to be payed back, even for him. Anyways, it's you bunch who have changed fate so much, don't ask me why. But the thing is, the reason Ronan was the victim here...is because Arkel wants one of you out of the way...because getting one of you free of his problems, will probably stray all you strayed back in order. And the only way to do that, is to tempt the right person into doing the sacrifice. Which is where Kit comes in to play. Kit is being pulled by strings, he does certain things, that would influence the obvious decision of who would perform the sacrifice..."
"Me.." Nita whispered in dismay. "It's me...that's why he..."
"No," Ro interrupted. "Kit doesn't want you to be harmed....quite the opposite..."
"Ro..." She looked at him sharply, "What..."
But he raised his hand to silence her, and she obeyed, watching as his eyes flickered to the ceiling. There was a long while where neither said anything before Nita spoke up in a quiet voice.
"Ro..this sacrifice...do they lose their wizardry?"
"No," Ro answered softly. "No...they lose their minds."
"What?" She gasped. "They lose...."
"Memory, grasping of conception...they don't lose any brain cells, or any capabilities. I guess it's sort of like losing your wizardry, only you don't know anything about it..sounds the same doesn't it....but it's not.."
"I don't understand..."
"The sacrifice is sort of like putting your own mind in a coma, in order to let another come out of it. When a person is in a coma, they're alive, they're bodies function well enough, at least in the case of Wizardry. If the sacrifice was made, Ronan would get his wizardry back, but he would also obtain knowledge...knowledge that belongs to whoever it was who made the sacrifice. They'd have no memory of Wizardry, no memory of anyone who was involved in their wizardry, and they'd also suffer from permanent amnesia."
"That's....but why?"
Ro sighed. "It's impossible to explain, even in the Speech. Think about it...You have this killer party to go to one weekend, the biggest of the year, say. But suddenly...that girl...what was her name...Joanne? She shows up and suddenly has means to make sure you don't get to the party, and you know you must get to this party at all costs, let's say Kit is in trouble, and you absolutely have to attend. And so you take a spell from your book that enables you to make sure Joanne doesn't carry out her plan. Maybe it would make Joanne move to another city the night before the party or something. In result, you'd get to the party smoothly, just like you had planned."
"So," Nita whispered, suddenly understanding. "If the person who makes the sacrifice is out of the way for good, that means Arkel will be able to carry out the plan that she or he had interrupted in the first place?"
"Right," Ro said sadly. "And fate will happen, just like it was supposed to."
Nita clenched her jaw shut in anger and frustration, and she stared fixedly at the ceiling.
"Say Ro," she said casually. "The outcome that happened with whatever we changed...what did we change in the first place."
Ro shrugged. "Not sure. Could be anything."
"Oh...but wouldn't that outcome be what was meant to happen, if it did?"
Ro shook his head. "Not necessarily...Fate has a plan for everything...pre-determined."
"But that doesn't make any sense...what if..."
Ro's brow furrowed and he stared at her hard.
"Stop it, you're confusing me. I don't know everything, ya know? Geeze...you're giving me a.."
"Do powers even get headaches?" She mused.
"Nita!"
"Sorry."
They lapsed into another long, companionable silence. Nita knew what she had to do, Ro knew that Nita knew what she had to do, and somehow it was more calm than they had both expected. After awhile, Nita stood, helping Ro to his feet also.
"I'm going." She said, meaning it in more ways that one.
"Are you sure about this Nita?" He asked quietly, gripping her arms.
"I..." Her eyes cast to the floor, and then met his in determination. "Yes."
"Then...that's all that matters." He said sadly, and she knew what he was thinking.
"It's not your fault," She whispered. "I don't blame you for keeping Dairi from doing it."
He looked at her sharply. "You're far to perceptive."
She grinned slowly. "I know." and she set the timing in her head for the practice universe. He gripped her arms tightly, not willing to accept that it was goodbye. It was so sudden. She didn't move, didn't leave, just stood silently in his hold.
"You notice," She said quietly, "That it always seems to be me who makes the sacrifices?"
He smiled. "I warned you that time..."
She sighed, and glared at him in mock accusation. She was trying to be humorous, trying to put off her own fear, and after a moment's hesitation, he pulled her into his arms.
"It'll be okay, tura hi en," He murmured. "I promise."
She smiled, and the tears she had been holding dripped on to his "shirt." He held her close, and it was exactly what she needed. She had always been nicer to Peach than the others had, which wasn't hard because the others were positively abusive. And when she thought about it, it was always Peach that broke her and Ronan apart. He had known it wasn't right, known that they belonged to Dairine and she was better for Kit. She always felt safe and protected around him, and she smiled. He had called her little sister, she didn't think any term would be more fitting.
"Thanks," She murmured. "Not just for this...but for everything. For always being there for me...and for protecting Dairi. You and Ronan really do make her happy. She deserves it."
He smiled, and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "She does. And you know what, so do you."
She sniffed, smiled, and was gone. And with a last, sad look at the spot where she had been standing, Ro disappeared into the Abyss that was Timeheart.
*~*~*~*~*
"I'll do it."
She had never seen a more happy look cross Arkel's face. She stood, pale and terrified in the darkness, and uttered the words that made her final decision really final.
"I'll perform the sacrifice."
There was a shocked, slightly expectant silent from around the darkness, as if Arkel and Kit had been on the brink of lashing into something usual, and had been quite surprised to have their dreams become true so sudden and unexpectantly, without any big hassle or climaxing event. Kit watched her stonily, his body tensed. She shuddered, he looked empty. Arkel was bouncing on his feet watching her. Nita paused for a moment. It all seemed so fast, too fake. Fate was everything, and suddenly all the problems were being solved without the big battle she was used to...it made her feel that maybe her sacrifice wouldn't work.
But it was worth trying.
Bringing up her hands, she placed one on her head and one on her heart. It hadn't taken her very long to memorize how to perform the sacrifice....not like it had for the Silent Lord's part. That had been just as important.
As she glared at Arkel, as she was aware of Kit's cool gaze, she realized something crucial.
This was personal.
But as she felt the tugging at her mind, as she felt the pain and suffering leave her heart, as images of Ronan began to flash in front of her eyes, four loud voices startled her, and the transformation ceased.
"NO!"
She opened her eyes to see Mr. God man, so much unlike Arkel, the one she had seen in the forest. Beside him, Kit was looking as empty and cold as before, but she knew the outburst had come from him. And over to the side, was Kit's mother.
"It took so long for Kit to become happy, to forgive himself." She said quietly, looking deadly at Arkel. "I will not have the cause of his unhappiness fall to the same 'fate."
And as Nita's head pounded with pain, she watched as Arkel glared back, as Kit's eyes warmed slightly at the sight of his mother, and as Mrs. Rodriguez put her hand to Kit's forehead.
"I promised I would make it right again..."
"And I will."
*~*~*~*
Okay, people...now the action REALLY starts.
News!
We are starting a punch-the-brother a gram. Tell me to punch him in my review, and I will in real life. (Don't ask why, it's our thing right now.)
And about the whole sock symbolism...he seemed to find it funny that I was wearing two different colored socks one day, thus the quote:
"Your socks give off this whole symbolstic thing..."
Yeah, wanna punch him? You know what to do!
Umm...that is all. Goodbye!
Haha...please review!
Disclaimer: I don't own YOUNG WIZARDS!
A/N: I have on thing to say...FINALLY!
Also, I dropped some clues here as to a possible 'future' fic...watch closely, and if you think you've got it...well, don't say anything...It shall be a surprise...sorta..
Please enjoy, and sorry for the loooong wait!
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It was useless to say her dreams hadn't bothered lately. Besides the fact that they seemed to show the future, and if not that, the present somewhere else, they seemed to hold a remote symbolism. Contradicting colours, usually black and white, and even fading. It always seemed that Kit was somehow grayer than the things that surrounded him, which didn't really matter anyway, considering her always seemed to be enveloped in darkness
But this....this wasn't just weird or symbolic...it was both and it was disturbing.
Arkel wasn't with him this time, although it seemed his presence was everywhere, and he was standing close..too close. Almost as if Nita were watching a home made movie, and Kit was taking up the whole frame the camera could capture.
He looked almost like those faces she always saw in theatres, the drama/horror, happy/sad, faces that kept popping up everywhere.
Half of his body was clad in black, except for the sock, which was so brilliantly white in contrast that it almost throbbed with intensity.
'That's symbolism for you,' she thought 'a sock.' (A/N: Go away Tyson...^_-)
But there was no humour in this observation. The colours matched that of his hair, and although Nita had always believed that Kit looked extremely good in black, she knew she never wanted to see him where it again. His eyes were dead, there was no life, and they were shadowed in a thing coat of eyeliner. It felt as though she was looking at a picture.
But then, her eyes followed their observation to his other half. It was so bright in conflict to his surroundings, in hurt Nita's eyes to look at and she could hardly make out what exactly it was he was wearing. She could make out one of those white muscle shirts he wore as pyjamas, and she could see his dark skin underneath. It looked real, alive. She could see the black sock sticking out of it all, and she noticed with minimal amusement that he was wearing his normal skate shoes, despite the fact that one was black, and it reminded her that she was still looking at Kit Rodriguez. The only evil espionage in the world who would insist on keeping his own shoes.
But his light face brought back old memories. His dark hair was flipped defiantly across his forehead, just like it used to. His lips were twitched into his soft grin, and it reached his eyes. His eyes that were once again filled with life, mischievous in it's sparkle.
The two sides brought to her a new horror, and even more confusion. And before she knew what she was doing she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his upper frame.
His body tensed and untensed in conflict with each side, and after a short moment she felt one arm reach up to hold her close. The feeling,one side of his body being warm and the other being cool was a strange sensation and she shivered.
"A thousand thousand possibilities," She heard his distant voice whisper. "Count 'em, Neets!"
And drenched in a cold sweat, she woke up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walking. It was something Nita had always taken comfort in. When she had been little, she had always pestered her parents to take her on walks at the busiest of times, and although her mother often protested, her father could never say no to the idea of a walk. And so for many years, she had hopped, skipped and jumped the same route, her small hand in her father's large one.
And once she had been a little older, when she began to earn her own independence, she had gone for walks on her own. Always the same path. Always. It was a way to work off her anger, her steam, her depression.
And for some reason, maybe the unknown wizardry she had in her heart, the people who made her life living hell never seemed to interrupt her during those walks. She never had to run, she never had to fear, she could go on her own pace. She could walk as far as she wanted.
But when Kit had come in to her life, her anger, her steam, her depression had disappeared. He had taken her world in those life-calloused hands of his, and turned it completely around, turning it in a direction near Timeheart.
But now...now it seemed he had taken that life and whipped it against a wall. Broken..shattered..
Kit had made things seem simple. Made her think she could do anything. He had always been the calm, collected one. Nita had been the one to act, Kit was the one who thought things through. It usually annoyed the hell out of her, but in the end, it always proved helpful.
This didn't mean he didn't loose his temper easily, Kit was a fregin rocket when he lost his patience. But he always took the time to try to calm her or himself before the situation got out of hand. And when she was feeling self-conscious, he was always there, thinking about her before himself.
His words always seemed to hold some sort of hint. He never really said what he meant out loud, but the point he meant always seemed to get across.
When she was about to give up, he knew how to prick her, knew how to annoy her just to the exact point where she would do anything to prove him wrong.
"You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is 'never try'."
His sarcasm...it got her every time...
And then, there were the times when she was depressed, felt there was no possible way she could solve whatever problem was in her face. And always, even when they were only friends, he would wrap his arms around her shoulders and smile.
The point was...she needed Kit. Not in the lame way that had often made them laugh and gag whenever they watched old romance movies from the sixties..she wouldn't shrivel up and die without him, no matter how much it felt like it at the time. (1) but he supported her, more than anyone else did. And she needed that.
"You're so dependent on him," Her sister's voice haunted her. "You're going to get hurt."
And as usual, her sister was right.
*~*~*
Sighing, she halted her feet, turning towards the ocean she had so accustomed to turning to whenever she was upset. Memories, she had so many memories on the ocean. But she had reached the point where she couldn't walk any farther. Resting her arms on the railing, she looked out on to the horizon, expecting to see something she didn't understand.
But sudden laughter interrupted her reverie, and she turned towards the loud cackles and couldn't help but stare. Being who she was, she had never really cared about the rules of popularity. But then again, she had never liked to draw attention to herself either.
Laughter and amusement was so boxed these days. You didn't laugh unless everyone else thought it was funny too. That rule didn't apply to her, not since Kit had come into her life. But as loud and obnoxious as they could be on their own, they had never been as loud and care free as the two people she was seeing now in public.
At first, she saw herself and Kit standing their and looking out on the ocean. But then, when she blinked in confusion, two totally different people took their place in her vision.
They must have been really close, they even dressed pretty much the same. And then, upon watching them in closer observation, she realized they were twins.
She watched them in fascination for a long while. They had the same color hair, dark brown. The girl's cascaded down to her shoulders and rested their, while the guy's was short and slightly spiked, in the same popular style that made it look as if he had just gotten out of bed. They had the same eyes, eyes that seemed familiar some how. Grey and bright, they shown out in contrast to their darker skin. They looked partly Spanish, and she blinked in amusement when she realized she never could have made that judgement before knowing Kit.
Even their style's were slightly the same. Their shoes were visible, obviously the same skateboard company, and were covered in snow. They were bundled up in snowboard jackets, and the same hat covered their ears. They looked maybe three years younger than her and she grinned. They were adorable.
They were also, in a mock shoving match.
"Hey," The girl was laughing. "Watch your back, kid."
The expression on his face told her exactly what he thought of this advice, and two seconds later, he had jumped her, clasping her head in a headlock.
"Say it," He commanded. "Say it! I'm perfect!"
"You?" she snorted, pushing against his chest. "Never!"
This only caused farther aggression, and the girl laughing, finally gave in.
"Say it!" He laughed.
"Okay!" She murmured. "Your perfect."
He released her in satisfaction, only to be met with a huge snowball that dripped down his neck. There was a moment of silence, which the girl grinned triumphantly and they guy glared at her dangerously. Then, there was a burst of movement, and Nita, grinning for a reason she wasn't quite sure of, turned back to the ocean.
But as the twins ran past her, she felt a chill rise through her.
She didn't know it was because the twins watched her expectantly as they ran past.
And with that, her eyes lit up with hope and determination. Slapping her book open, she set the detailed and complex settings for Timeheart.
*~*~*~*
"I can't really tell you anything that Kit already hasn't."
Nita glared at Ro.
"Ro," She grumbled. "Kit didn't tell me shit."
Ro sighed, turning from his position and propping his feet up against the wall of the small classroom they were sitting. He didn't want to tell her anymore than she wanted to tell Dairine. But as bright and forceful as Dairine was, Ro didn't have the same emotional effect on Nita, and he knew the girl wasn't going to give up until she got an answer.
His face pained, he spoke quietly.
"He told you about the sacrifice?"
When she nodded, he took in a breath and continued.
"Well...every once and awhile, fate is thrown out of balance. I'm not talking about the little things, like people getting sudden feelings not to cross the street, and then two seconds later an out of control car speeds down it. All that has to do with Wizardry. Fate, as it is, hates Wizardry already. He believes that the universe will run out when it runs out, and that it how it shall be.
"But...sometimes, when it comes to special cases, Wizardry can change fate so much that fate fights a little back...you know? It..well, He I guess...likes it call it The Foreordain Redemption..or in the speech...Fordestsla. It all started with...oh, I don't know. The start of creation, or at least creation on the Lone One's part. When people started disappearing, when people started to change, people blamed it on the Lone one...but for once, it wasn't him, and we didn't discover Arkel until many times later. See....The thing is...Arkel doesn't really care about anything except his job. If people get in the way, he disposes of them."
Nita stared. "In other words...Ronan?"
Ro shook his head. "Not Ronan. In fact, the reason Ronan is the victim here is because it's not him..well, at least not in the way it is everyone else."
"You're joking." Nita laughed, despite the situation.
Ro grinned. "No..fate owes him one, anyways. His ordeal, he could have changed the fate of those people, and that could have changed the colonization of the United Kingdom, and that would mean the United States and Canada, and then the wars most likely wouldn't have been the same. And who knows? Maybe slavery wouldn't have been abolished, maybe the world wars would have turned out differently..."
"Okay," Nita nodded. "I see your point..."
"Anyways, Neets...the world is like a dominoe affect kind of thing...and since Ronan decided, rightfully of course, not to change what is...he saved a lot of trouble for Fate. Debts are to be payed back, even for him. Anyways, it's you bunch who have changed fate so much, don't ask me why. But the thing is, the reason Ronan was the victim here...is because Arkel wants one of you out of the way...because getting one of you free of his problems, will probably stray all you strayed back in order. And the only way to do that, is to tempt the right person into doing the sacrifice. Which is where Kit comes in to play. Kit is being pulled by strings, he does certain things, that would influence the obvious decision of who would perform the sacrifice..."
"Me.." Nita whispered in dismay. "It's me...that's why he..."
"No," Ro interrupted. "Kit doesn't want you to be harmed....quite the opposite..."
"Ro..." She looked at him sharply, "What..."
But he raised his hand to silence her, and she obeyed, watching as his eyes flickered to the ceiling. There was a long while where neither said anything before Nita spoke up in a quiet voice.
"Ro..this sacrifice...do they lose their wizardry?"
"No," Ro answered softly. "No...they lose their minds."
"What?" She gasped. "They lose...."
"Memory, grasping of conception...they don't lose any brain cells, or any capabilities. I guess it's sort of like losing your wizardry, only you don't know anything about it..sounds the same doesn't it....but it's not.."
"I don't understand..."
"The sacrifice is sort of like putting your own mind in a coma, in order to let another come out of it. When a person is in a coma, they're alive, they're bodies function well enough, at least in the case of Wizardry. If the sacrifice was made, Ronan would get his wizardry back, but he would also obtain knowledge...knowledge that belongs to whoever it was who made the sacrifice. They'd have no memory of Wizardry, no memory of anyone who was involved in their wizardry, and they'd also suffer from permanent amnesia."
"That's....but why?"
Ro sighed. "It's impossible to explain, even in the Speech. Think about it...You have this killer party to go to one weekend, the biggest of the year, say. But suddenly...that girl...what was her name...Joanne? She shows up and suddenly has means to make sure you don't get to the party, and you know you must get to this party at all costs, let's say Kit is in trouble, and you absolutely have to attend. And so you take a spell from your book that enables you to make sure Joanne doesn't carry out her plan. Maybe it would make Joanne move to another city the night before the party or something. In result, you'd get to the party smoothly, just like you had planned."
"So," Nita whispered, suddenly understanding. "If the person who makes the sacrifice is out of the way for good, that means Arkel will be able to carry out the plan that she or he had interrupted in the first place?"
"Right," Ro said sadly. "And fate will happen, just like it was supposed to."
Nita clenched her jaw shut in anger and frustration, and she stared fixedly at the ceiling.
"Say Ro," she said casually. "The outcome that happened with whatever we changed...what did we change in the first place."
Ro shrugged. "Not sure. Could be anything."
"Oh...but wouldn't that outcome be what was meant to happen, if it did?"
Ro shook his head. "Not necessarily...Fate has a plan for everything...pre-determined."
"But that doesn't make any sense...what if..."
Ro's brow furrowed and he stared at her hard.
"Stop it, you're confusing me. I don't know everything, ya know? Geeze...you're giving me a.."
"Do powers even get headaches?" She mused.
"Nita!"
"Sorry."
They lapsed into another long, companionable silence. Nita knew what she had to do, Ro knew that Nita knew what she had to do, and somehow it was more calm than they had both expected. After awhile, Nita stood, helping Ro to his feet also.
"I'm going." She said, meaning it in more ways that one.
"Are you sure about this Nita?" He asked quietly, gripping her arms.
"I..." Her eyes cast to the floor, and then met his in determination. "Yes."
"Then...that's all that matters." He said sadly, and she knew what he was thinking.
"It's not your fault," She whispered. "I don't blame you for keeping Dairi from doing it."
He looked at her sharply. "You're far to perceptive."
She grinned slowly. "I know." and she set the timing in her head for the practice universe. He gripped her arms tightly, not willing to accept that it was goodbye. It was so sudden. She didn't move, didn't leave, just stood silently in his hold.
"You notice," She said quietly, "That it always seems to be me who makes the sacrifices?"
He smiled. "I warned you that time..."
She sighed, and glared at him in mock accusation. She was trying to be humorous, trying to put off her own fear, and after a moment's hesitation, he pulled her into his arms.
"It'll be okay, tura hi en," He murmured. "I promise."
She smiled, and the tears she had been holding dripped on to his "shirt." He held her close, and it was exactly what she needed. She had always been nicer to Peach than the others had, which wasn't hard because the others were positively abusive. And when she thought about it, it was always Peach that broke her and Ronan apart. He had known it wasn't right, known that they belonged to Dairine and she was better for Kit. She always felt safe and protected around him, and she smiled. He had called her little sister, she didn't think any term would be more fitting.
"Thanks," She murmured. "Not just for this...but for everything. For always being there for me...and for protecting Dairi. You and Ronan really do make her happy. She deserves it."
He smiled, and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "She does. And you know what, so do you."
She sniffed, smiled, and was gone. And with a last, sad look at the spot where she had been standing, Ro disappeared into the Abyss that was Timeheart.
*~*~*~*~*
"I'll do it."
She had never seen a more happy look cross Arkel's face. She stood, pale and terrified in the darkness, and uttered the words that made her final decision really final.
"I'll perform the sacrifice."
There was a shocked, slightly expectant silent from around the darkness, as if Arkel and Kit had been on the brink of lashing into something usual, and had been quite surprised to have their dreams become true so sudden and unexpectantly, without any big hassle or climaxing event. Kit watched her stonily, his body tensed. She shuddered, he looked empty. Arkel was bouncing on his feet watching her. Nita paused for a moment. It all seemed so fast, too fake. Fate was everything, and suddenly all the problems were being solved without the big battle she was used to...it made her feel that maybe her sacrifice wouldn't work.
But it was worth trying.
Bringing up her hands, she placed one on her head and one on her heart. It hadn't taken her very long to memorize how to perform the sacrifice....not like it had for the Silent Lord's part. That had been just as important.
As she glared at Arkel, as she was aware of Kit's cool gaze, she realized something crucial.
This was personal.
But as she felt the tugging at her mind, as she felt the pain and suffering leave her heart, as images of Ronan began to flash in front of her eyes, four loud voices startled her, and the transformation ceased.
"NO!"
She opened her eyes to see Mr. God man, so much unlike Arkel, the one she had seen in the forest. Beside him, Kit was looking as empty and cold as before, but she knew the outburst had come from him. And over to the side, was Kit's mother.
"It took so long for Kit to become happy, to forgive himself." She said quietly, looking deadly at Arkel. "I will not have the cause of his unhappiness fall to the same 'fate."
And as Nita's head pounded with pain, she watched as Arkel glared back, as Kit's eyes warmed slightly at the sight of his mother, and as Mrs. Rodriguez put her hand to Kit's forehead.
"I promised I would make it right again..."
"And I will."
*~*~*~*
Okay, people...now the action REALLY starts.
News!
We are starting a punch-the-brother a gram. Tell me to punch him in my review, and I will in real life. (Don't ask why, it's our thing right now.)
And about the whole sock symbolism...he seemed to find it funny that I was wearing two different colored socks one day, thus the quote:
"Your socks give off this whole symbolstic thing..."
Yeah, wanna punch him? You know what to do!
Umm...that is all. Goodbye!
Haha...please review!