Hi people! I'm updating over a period of time now, because there's no way I
can update all at once and get all of those callouts ready. Hope you like
this chapter, it's all going to get dramatic again veeeerrry soon.
Mwahahaha. Actually, that was pretty feeble, MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Chapter 9 - Trouble
Asha almost ran into the kitchen, hoping that maybe some of her fears would be vanquished. The Oracle looked up as Asha entered the room.
"Well, well," she said, surveying the half fearful, half hopeful teenager in front of her, "Asha. Haven't seen you for a few weeks. You're my most regular visitor."
"You always have something different to say," smiled Asha, looking around hopefully for cookies. She glanced back at the Oracle, to find her holding out a plate already. Asha took one, but didn't eat it straight away.
"So," said the Oracle, "You've seen the Matrix: Reloaded."
"Uh, yeah..." said Asha, "It said..."
"I know what it said," said the Oracle, "Some of my kids went to see it."
"Oh." Asha took a bite out of her cookie.
"You're wondering whether it's true," she said.
"Well... maybe."
"That's not important," said the Oracle. Asha blinked. "What's important is whether you will still believe what I told you, and what I may tell you in future."
"But you already know whether I'll believe you," said Asha.
"I do," said the Oracle, "But you still need to understand why you think that."
"I'll believe you for certain when something you tell me comes true," said Asha.
"Sensible," said the Oracle, "You truly have your great-grandfather's mind." Asha beamed. She hadn't known him, but if he was like Neo, that was a compliment. "I can't keep you long."
"I'm not in danger again, am I?" moaned Asha.
"You will always be in danger," said the Oracle, "You will never find safety anywhere, not while you're aware of the Matrix."
"Great," said Asha, "Fabulous."
"Is there anything you want to ask me?"
"Uh, yeah," said Asha, wondering what to ask first, "Um... do you know what's happening in the Matrix?"
"No," said the Oracle. Asha blinked. "Because it's not definite what's going to happen yet. Your actions have yet to determine it."
"Oh. Um. OK. Hey wait-" She suddenly thought of something, "This doesn't have something to do with my choice, does it?"
"You'll have to decide that for yourself," said the Oracle. Asha felt like screaming. This was getting too confusing for her.
"Don't worry," said the Oracle, "It'll all start to make sense soon."
"But that could be good or bad," protested Asha, "You're not being very helpful."
"Remember, I'm not a prophet," said the Oracle, "I'm a guide."
"Hmph. Great."
"You must leave now," said the Oracle, glancing at the clock on the wall, "Your destiny is waiting."
"My - what, sorry?" said Asha, "Are you trying to be cryptic?"
"What's the fun of being an Oracle if you can't be cryptic?" said the Oracle, "Really, though. If I told you straight out, it could affect your fate, and that could affect the whole of mankind."
"Oh," said Asha, suddenly feeling about two inches tall, "The entire world depends on what happens to me?"
"Not what happens," said the Oracle, "The choices you make."
"Oh," said Asha again. She started to leave, when the Oracle called out,
"Asha, whatever choice you make, this will be the last time I ever see you. So I need to tell you now. Soon, you will have the chance to be the heroine. It won't be your time. What seems heroic at the time will cause the reverse effect. You will have to get out."
Asha had given up trying to figure out the meaning of the Oracle's words. She just nodded and went back into the living room. Falcon was chatting with one of the little girls, who was showing him how she could levitate a block into the air. He looked fascinated. Asha watched for a moment with amusement, then cleared her throat. Falcon jumped to his feet, reddening slightly. "I think it's time to go," she said, a smile creeping onto her face.
"So?" said Falcon as she walked out into the hallway with him, "How was it?"
"Uh..." said Asha, "Not great, but, um, not too bad."
"She didn't talk to you for long." She and Falcon headed towards the lift. Morpheus hadn't bothered to come up with them, believing Asha to be perfectly capable of looking after them both.
"I know, she said that she couldn't keep me long." They stepped into the lift, and started to descend to the ground floor. Asha could feel her heart sinking as well, though she wasn't sure why. "She said that my destiny was waiting or something. What could she mean?"
Falcon shrugged. They stepped outside into the glorious America sunshine. Morpheus was waiting outside. They got back into the car, Morpheus learning from Asha's face that he shouldn't ask.
*****
Jon was on the Internet, as he so often was nowadays. His parents thought that he was coping very badly with Asha's disappearance; especially since he was spending most of his time trawling news websites for news of her. They thought it was because he was looking for any clue as to where she was. This was half right - he was checking to see if she'd been killed. He doubted he'd be able to find out any other way.
One time he'd gone onto Fanfiction, where she updated regularly, and posted on her bio that she wouldn't be back for a while. There were some regretful messages from her frequent reviewers - she had a certain branch of strangeness that seemed popular.
Suddenly his phone rang. He checked the number and saw that it was his sister. Frowning slightly, he answered - why would she be calling him? She was out with her friends, wasn't she? "Hello?"
"Jon?" came her voice. She sounded really quite worried, so Jon sat up immediately.
"What is it? Are you OK?"
"Well, this'll sound really weird, but - you're a big fan of the Matrix, aren't you?"
"You could say that. Uh, why?"
"It's just - I've only seen it once or twice, so I thought I ought to check. There's some middle-aged looking guys across the street from me and Carla, parked in a black car, and they keep on looking at us..."
"Yes?" Jon had a very bad feeling about this.
"Well, they look kind of like those guys in the Matrix - do you know which ones I mean? In suits, and sunglasses, and receding hairlines..." Jon rolled his eyes. Only his sister could use things like that for comparisons. "Do you know which guys I mean?"
"Agents?" said Jon, feeling his stomach tip slightly.
"Yeah - they're bad guys, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, they look so similar, and the car's been following us all evening, we're just getting really scared..."
"Kathryn, listen, where are you?"
"Outside the club. Oh no, Jon, they're getting out of the car, they're coming towards us-"
"Look, stay calm, all right?" Suddenly her phone clicked. "Kathryn? KATHRYN!" Frantically he redialled her number.
'The phone you have dialled is switched off. Please try again later..." came the recorded message. Right now, it was the least welcome thing he could ever have heard - Kathryn never turned her phone off. What could he do?
One thing came to his mind. He immediately labelled it as ridiculous and shoved it to the back of his head, behind all of the French noun endings he'd had to learn a year ago - but not quickly enough. Once it was there, it was difficult to ignore. He sat there fidgeting for a moment, trying to think of something else, but it was like trying to think of a different film to go and see once you've decided you can't go and see the film you've really wanted to because - well, because the film was now on the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar.
Giving up, he raced over to his cabinet drawer, and fished out a phone. Not just any phone - the phone he had been given on the road outside his house just over a month ago, just after being shoved out of the way of a lorry. He hadn't used it since, and still had the number he'd dialled that morning saved on there - he never thought he'd need it again. Dialling it again quickly, he waited, then shouted, "Morpheus? Is Asha there? I need help!"
*****
Yes, we're back to evil cliffies. And they're not going to get any better for a while - coming soon is the ULTIMATE cliffie. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Yes, that was evil enough.
Im a Brandybuck - I'm just as big a fan as I was. I'd heard of Lord of the Rings before it came out, but after the films a massive sign appeared above my head saying THIS IS A LORD OF THE RINGS OBSESSIVE and then I read the books, which are just as cool as the film!
Theshiz - I don't know whether it's going to happen. Haven't decided yet - I haven't decided a lot about the ending yet actually.
Huntress - (pictures Spoon Boy in an ice cream sundae with a cherry on top of his head) Hehehe.
Luna - My Christmas was cool! I got a SWORD!!!
Tanuki Yasha - Whoa, you are smart. Don't talk to me about English though, I just had my mock. Halfway through analysing a novel, I realized that it was really depressing, so I was sitting in the middle of the exam room feeling really bummed out. Great.
KnowInSight - All right, it's not a cliffie compared to all the others in this story. To me cliffie means "OH DEAR MUFFINS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT???" That wasn't one of those moments.
Alocin - Hmm. suppose that could happen. maybe not, though. David tricksssy? David falsssse? Never, preciiioussss! OK, he may be being tricksssy (oh damn, I can't say it any other way now) and he may not be. But I'm not going to tell you yet! MWAHAHAHAHA!!! OK, I should stop doing the evil laugh.
MollyJean - Well, you're just going to have to wait and see! Actually, even I'm not sure what she meant. she meant SOMETHING, but which particular SOMETHING I haven't decided yet.
Sirocco.flow - Yes, there is. Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. 'Tis most excellent, but not as funny as the first. For one thing, how can it be funny if they DIE?
Becca, Claire. and Nancy? - Where do you get all these film characters from? All right, that's it, next week I'm going to capture Legolas to help me with callouts. And Nancy, no killing people. Or no muffins for you. EVER. Actually, that's too cruel. No muffins for, uh, two weeks.
Sci-freak GrodySpork - I'm just trying to get it into everyone's heads that this ISN'T A MARY-SUE. No matter how much it may look like one.
Kit19 - Maybe I need a DURN DURN DURN fairy for the next Matrix parody. And I will get the story to you as soon as possible!
Jack Cole - Because it wasn't an EVIL one! It was just marginally diabolical, but considering donating money to Amnesty International. Angelically devilish. Or devilishly angelic. Like me. And GCSEs are tests you take in England when you're sixteen. Now those are EVIL and should be SMOTE. With PINEAPPLES from the SKY. SEVEN TIMES???? That's over a day of their life spent watching it!
See y'all soon! For more NOT-Mary-Sueness and evil cliffies that you seem to love so much!
Chapter 9 - Trouble
Asha almost ran into the kitchen, hoping that maybe some of her fears would be vanquished. The Oracle looked up as Asha entered the room.
"Well, well," she said, surveying the half fearful, half hopeful teenager in front of her, "Asha. Haven't seen you for a few weeks. You're my most regular visitor."
"You always have something different to say," smiled Asha, looking around hopefully for cookies. She glanced back at the Oracle, to find her holding out a plate already. Asha took one, but didn't eat it straight away.
"So," said the Oracle, "You've seen the Matrix: Reloaded."
"Uh, yeah..." said Asha, "It said..."
"I know what it said," said the Oracle, "Some of my kids went to see it."
"Oh." Asha took a bite out of her cookie.
"You're wondering whether it's true," she said.
"Well... maybe."
"That's not important," said the Oracle. Asha blinked. "What's important is whether you will still believe what I told you, and what I may tell you in future."
"But you already know whether I'll believe you," said Asha.
"I do," said the Oracle, "But you still need to understand why you think that."
"I'll believe you for certain when something you tell me comes true," said Asha.
"Sensible," said the Oracle, "You truly have your great-grandfather's mind." Asha beamed. She hadn't known him, but if he was like Neo, that was a compliment. "I can't keep you long."
"I'm not in danger again, am I?" moaned Asha.
"You will always be in danger," said the Oracle, "You will never find safety anywhere, not while you're aware of the Matrix."
"Great," said Asha, "Fabulous."
"Is there anything you want to ask me?"
"Uh, yeah," said Asha, wondering what to ask first, "Um... do you know what's happening in the Matrix?"
"No," said the Oracle. Asha blinked. "Because it's not definite what's going to happen yet. Your actions have yet to determine it."
"Oh. Um. OK. Hey wait-" She suddenly thought of something, "This doesn't have something to do with my choice, does it?"
"You'll have to decide that for yourself," said the Oracle. Asha felt like screaming. This was getting too confusing for her.
"Don't worry," said the Oracle, "It'll all start to make sense soon."
"But that could be good or bad," protested Asha, "You're not being very helpful."
"Remember, I'm not a prophet," said the Oracle, "I'm a guide."
"Hmph. Great."
"You must leave now," said the Oracle, glancing at the clock on the wall, "Your destiny is waiting."
"My - what, sorry?" said Asha, "Are you trying to be cryptic?"
"What's the fun of being an Oracle if you can't be cryptic?" said the Oracle, "Really, though. If I told you straight out, it could affect your fate, and that could affect the whole of mankind."
"Oh," said Asha, suddenly feeling about two inches tall, "The entire world depends on what happens to me?"
"Not what happens," said the Oracle, "The choices you make."
"Oh," said Asha again. She started to leave, when the Oracle called out,
"Asha, whatever choice you make, this will be the last time I ever see you. So I need to tell you now. Soon, you will have the chance to be the heroine. It won't be your time. What seems heroic at the time will cause the reverse effect. You will have to get out."
Asha had given up trying to figure out the meaning of the Oracle's words. She just nodded and went back into the living room. Falcon was chatting with one of the little girls, who was showing him how she could levitate a block into the air. He looked fascinated. Asha watched for a moment with amusement, then cleared her throat. Falcon jumped to his feet, reddening slightly. "I think it's time to go," she said, a smile creeping onto her face.
"So?" said Falcon as she walked out into the hallway with him, "How was it?"
"Uh..." said Asha, "Not great, but, um, not too bad."
"She didn't talk to you for long." She and Falcon headed towards the lift. Morpheus hadn't bothered to come up with them, believing Asha to be perfectly capable of looking after them both.
"I know, she said that she couldn't keep me long." They stepped into the lift, and started to descend to the ground floor. Asha could feel her heart sinking as well, though she wasn't sure why. "She said that my destiny was waiting or something. What could she mean?"
Falcon shrugged. They stepped outside into the glorious America sunshine. Morpheus was waiting outside. They got back into the car, Morpheus learning from Asha's face that he shouldn't ask.
*****
Jon was on the Internet, as he so often was nowadays. His parents thought that he was coping very badly with Asha's disappearance; especially since he was spending most of his time trawling news websites for news of her. They thought it was because he was looking for any clue as to where she was. This was half right - he was checking to see if she'd been killed. He doubted he'd be able to find out any other way.
One time he'd gone onto Fanfiction, where she updated regularly, and posted on her bio that she wouldn't be back for a while. There were some regretful messages from her frequent reviewers - she had a certain branch of strangeness that seemed popular.
Suddenly his phone rang. He checked the number and saw that it was his sister. Frowning slightly, he answered - why would she be calling him? She was out with her friends, wasn't she? "Hello?"
"Jon?" came her voice. She sounded really quite worried, so Jon sat up immediately.
"What is it? Are you OK?"
"Well, this'll sound really weird, but - you're a big fan of the Matrix, aren't you?"
"You could say that. Uh, why?"
"It's just - I've only seen it once or twice, so I thought I ought to check. There's some middle-aged looking guys across the street from me and Carla, parked in a black car, and they keep on looking at us..."
"Yes?" Jon had a very bad feeling about this.
"Well, they look kind of like those guys in the Matrix - do you know which ones I mean? In suits, and sunglasses, and receding hairlines..." Jon rolled his eyes. Only his sister could use things like that for comparisons. "Do you know which guys I mean?"
"Agents?" said Jon, feeling his stomach tip slightly.
"Yeah - they're bad guys, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, they look so similar, and the car's been following us all evening, we're just getting really scared..."
"Kathryn, listen, where are you?"
"Outside the club. Oh no, Jon, they're getting out of the car, they're coming towards us-"
"Look, stay calm, all right?" Suddenly her phone clicked. "Kathryn? KATHRYN!" Frantically he redialled her number.
'The phone you have dialled is switched off. Please try again later..." came the recorded message. Right now, it was the least welcome thing he could ever have heard - Kathryn never turned her phone off. What could he do?
One thing came to his mind. He immediately labelled it as ridiculous and shoved it to the back of his head, behind all of the French noun endings he'd had to learn a year ago - but not quickly enough. Once it was there, it was difficult to ignore. He sat there fidgeting for a moment, trying to think of something else, but it was like trying to think of a different film to go and see once you've decided you can't go and see the film you've really wanted to because - well, because the film was now on the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar.
Giving up, he raced over to his cabinet drawer, and fished out a phone. Not just any phone - the phone he had been given on the road outside his house just over a month ago, just after being shoved out of the way of a lorry. He hadn't used it since, and still had the number he'd dialled that morning saved on there - he never thought he'd need it again. Dialling it again quickly, he waited, then shouted, "Morpheus? Is Asha there? I need help!"
*****
Yes, we're back to evil cliffies. And they're not going to get any better for a while - coming soon is the ULTIMATE cliffie. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Yes, that was evil enough.
Im a Brandybuck - I'm just as big a fan as I was. I'd heard of Lord of the Rings before it came out, but after the films a massive sign appeared above my head saying THIS IS A LORD OF THE RINGS OBSESSIVE and then I read the books, which are just as cool as the film!
Theshiz - I don't know whether it's going to happen. Haven't decided yet - I haven't decided a lot about the ending yet actually.
Huntress - (pictures Spoon Boy in an ice cream sundae with a cherry on top of his head) Hehehe.
Luna - My Christmas was cool! I got a SWORD!!!
Tanuki Yasha - Whoa, you are smart. Don't talk to me about English though, I just had my mock. Halfway through analysing a novel, I realized that it was really depressing, so I was sitting in the middle of the exam room feeling really bummed out. Great.
KnowInSight - All right, it's not a cliffie compared to all the others in this story. To me cliffie means "OH DEAR MUFFINS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT???" That wasn't one of those moments.
Alocin - Hmm. suppose that could happen. maybe not, though. David tricksssy? David falsssse? Never, preciiioussss! OK, he may be being tricksssy (oh damn, I can't say it any other way now) and he may not be. But I'm not going to tell you yet! MWAHAHAHAHA!!! OK, I should stop doing the evil laugh.
MollyJean - Well, you're just going to have to wait and see! Actually, even I'm not sure what she meant. she meant SOMETHING, but which particular SOMETHING I haven't decided yet.
Sirocco.flow - Yes, there is. Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. 'Tis most excellent, but not as funny as the first. For one thing, how can it be funny if they DIE?
Becca, Claire. and Nancy? - Where do you get all these film characters from? All right, that's it, next week I'm going to capture Legolas to help me with callouts. And Nancy, no killing people. Or no muffins for you. EVER. Actually, that's too cruel. No muffins for, uh, two weeks.
Sci-freak GrodySpork - I'm just trying to get it into everyone's heads that this ISN'T A MARY-SUE. No matter how much it may look like one.
Kit19 - Maybe I need a DURN DURN DURN fairy for the next Matrix parody. And I will get the story to you as soon as possible!
Jack Cole - Because it wasn't an EVIL one! It was just marginally diabolical, but considering donating money to Amnesty International. Angelically devilish. Or devilishly angelic. Like me. And GCSEs are tests you take in England when you're sixteen. Now those are EVIL and should be SMOTE. With PINEAPPLES from the SKY. SEVEN TIMES???? That's over a day of their life spent watching it!
See y'all soon! For more NOT-Mary-Sueness and evil cliffies that you seem to love so much!