CHAPTER 12: Secluded
"So- we mention this to Jana first thing in the morning," Buffy said simply, resting her body against the wall. "I really do bet it's nothing."
"Yeah," Matilda agreed, moving a candlestick with her eyes from one table to another, and then back again. "We should get our rest."
"Mmh," the boys mumbled and headed out lazily.
Matilda turned to Buffy. "So... you ready for tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I'm ready. I just kind of want to get it all over with. Not having memories is no fun." Matilda watched as Buffy combed through her blonde hair in front of a mirror. She could not figure out how Buffy could be so casual, so persisted on conversation.
"Of course you're not afraid, you've fought many battle's before." Matilda said. "And you've won, so I guess one like this shouldn't be too hard for you."
"Well... sometimes you can fight and never really win. Battle is really not winning and losing. Not the battles I've faced, and not the battles I'm going to face."
"Then how do you know when it's over, when there's no winner?" Matilda asked.
Buffy looked in the mirror at Matilda, whose curiosity was beyond most girls her age's limits. "Exactly." Matilda only frowned. Buffy sighed. "I'm sure that if we kill most of the bad guys, and get the box and destroy it or bring it to a better place then it's over, and we'll all go home, smile on our faces, job well done, drowning in other people's gratitude. But- battle's aren't always like that, right?"
"Right," Matilda said softly.
"You know that because you've read many books, and not just those phony happy fairy tale endings. I mean, can you call something a complete victory when you're the only one left standing?"
Matilda sat up. "You think- you think that some of us are going to die?"
Buffy finally tied her hair in a ponytail. She saw through the mirror Matilda's fear. "I- I don't know. I just don't know. The plan is to go in this old factory place, while it's swarming with who knows what, and then we have to find one door out of the whole place to go into. I just- I can't imagine- I just- don't know."
"Don't you hate it when you don't know?" Matilda said.
Buffy smiled and nodded. "We're just going to have to wait and see. What ever comes- comes, and we'll face it and we'll try our best to fight it."
"Right," Matilda said, lying back down while Buffy crawled into bed also. Buffy blew on the large candle that lit the place up and the two girls lay in darkness for a moment.
"And we are not going to worry all night, right?" Matilda said.
"Right."
***
"You'd better put on something warmer, we're traveling in the mountains." Jana said, when both groups made it out of the hall. They mumbled their greetings to each other. "Sorry to wear you out on such a big day. But we must hurry, so hand me your key's and we'll be on our way."
The group obeyed and then huddled outside waiting for Jana to lead them in the right direction. Jana finally made it to them and started to lead them north.
"I'll mention it now, ok?" Jake said in a low voice. The group nodded and Jake started to step up to Jana.
"Mention it casually!" Jack told him and the whole group glared at him. "What? Stop staring, it's rude."
"Mention what casually?" Jana said to Jake, a smile forming.
"Well, we noticed something's last night. One being our lack of- recollection." Jake said gently, daring not to blink as if to miss a reaction or word from Jana.
"I'm not sure what Scrauss told you but I think the story starts out something like there's a door at the end of a corridor-"
"Oh, no, no, not that." Jake said quickly. "No- it goes before that. You know... our real lives."
"Oh?" Jana said. "Didn't I tell you that when you get back to your separate lives that you will forget everything that you encountered in this reality?"
"Of course you told us that," Jake said on the edge of frustration. "But I- we- mean opposite from that."
"You may all be powerful, but you're not all that smart." Jana said. "I thought that you would've figured out that it works vice versa. When you go back to your reality you forget this reality and in this reality you forget your own reality."
It took a while for the group to process this, being tired.
"We managed to make sure you remember some things- like why you have your powers, when you got them, some of your physical and mental battles associated with it... I'm sorry for not making it clear. I hope you all weren't too bothered by this."
"Oh, no, no." The group replied, mumbling in their own things.
"Ahh," Jana said. "Anything else you're fuzzy about?"
"You really asking us that?" Jack asked.
"Well, I'm sorry if some things in this mission are confusing, I guess Scrauss and the others felt that you didn't need an overload of detailed information, for what ever reason. I suppose that they believed that you need to focus on fighting for the box and destroying it."
"How do we destroy it?" Jesse asked.
"I don't know. I'm sure you'll know when you get it."
The group exchanged glances. Jake fell back into the group. They left the town, and started traveling towards the mountains. The group knew that Jana didn't know as much, and she was simply guiding them there, not to explain or ruin anything. But there were so many questions forming in the group's head, that one got frustrated.
As they started to reach higher elevations, they cuddled closely together. Buffy found herself against Jake. "Hi."
"Hi," Jake said simply. When they both fell silent, Jake said, "Thank you again, for-"
"You already thanked me," Buffy said gently.
"I know but- just to say it again." Jake said. "Just to let you know that I appreciate- you."
Buffy smiled. "I wish we were from the same reality. Except for that whole Yeerks thing or whatever, what is the deal with that?"
They progressed very quickly, to everyone's surprise. Soon, Jana was saying things like "Almost there." and "Do you see it?"
Their feet made crunching noises through the thick snow. "I hope they got heat in there." Jack said, looking paler then usually, and wiping his apple red nose.
"I bet there's going to be a lot of heat." Harry said.
"What?" Jack said.
"You know- with the battle, it'll be fierce and- and- hot." Harry said.
Jack started to laugh. "Well, that was my first laugh all day. Seriously is it hot and fierce at your school of magic tricks? Are you hot battling- Lord whatshisname? Sounds pathetic."
"You have no idea," Harry said strongly. "What about your excuse for being here? You were in a jungle that made you crazy and savage? You can't get more feeble than being feeble yourself."
Jack bit his tongue. "If you were put in some place like that..." those were all the words that he could say.
"Look, the factory!" Jesse pointed.
Both Jack and Harry took their eyes off of each other to see the large, castle like factory just several feet away.
Jesse looked around. "Well- looks very- ancient."
"And very secluded." Maitlda said.
"Not at all prosaic." Buffy said lightly.
"Of course not," Jake said. "There's major power in there. Major power that's wanted by others."
Jana nodded. "Correct." She turned toward the group. "Now. This place is full of demons that hurt anyone that enters. They do some sort of work here, they have no idea about the box. But the dream catchers might already be there, putting together some sort of enchantment to get the door open. Remember- when you find the door, you will be able to open it if you cross it together. All of you have enough powers, or enough powerful futures to. Do not waste time wandering, or fighting demons that are not getting in your way. Simply get in, through the door, get the box and destroy it." Jana looked at all of them. "Questions?"
Everyone was quiet, hands on weapons, backpacks and things out of the way.
"Okay," Jana said. "Are you ready?" Everyone nodded quickly, wanting that tall, black door to open, to see all the action going on inside. Jana reached her hand and pulled open the large doors.
********************
"So- we mention this to Jana first thing in the morning," Buffy said simply, resting her body against the wall. "I really do bet it's nothing."
"Yeah," Matilda agreed, moving a candlestick with her eyes from one table to another, and then back again. "We should get our rest."
"Mmh," the boys mumbled and headed out lazily.
Matilda turned to Buffy. "So... you ready for tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I'm ready. I just kind of want to get it all over with. Not having memories is no fun." Matilda watched as Buffy combed through her blonde hair in front of a mirror. She could not figure out how Buffy could be so casual, so persisted on conversation.
"Of course you're not afraid, you've fought many battle's before." Matilda said. "And you've won, so I guess one like this shouldn't be too hard for you."
"Well... sometimes you can fight and never really win. Battle is really not winning and losing. Not the battles I've faced, and not the battles I'm going to face."
"Then how do you know when it's over, when there's no winner?" Matilda asked.
Buffy looked in the mirror at Matilda, whose curiosity was beyond most girls her age's limits. "Exactly." Matilda only frowned. Buffy sighed. "I'm sure that if we kill most of the bad guys, and get the box and destroy it or bring it to a better place then it's over, and we'll all go home, smile on our faces, job well done, drowning in other people's gratitude. But- battle's aren't always like that, right?"
"Right," Matilda said softly.
"You know that because you've read many books, and not just those phony happy fairy tale endings. I mean, can you call something a complete victory when you're the only one left standing?"
Matilda sat up. "You think- you think that some of us are going to die?"
Buffy finally tied her hair in a ponytail. She saw through the mirror Matilda's fear. "I- I don't know. I just don't know. The plan is to go in this old factory place, while it's swarming with who knows what, and then we have to find one door out of the whole place to go into. I just- I can't imagine- I just- don't know."
"Don't you hate it when you don't know?" Matilda said.
Buffy smiled and nodded. "We're just going to have to wait and see. What ever comes- comes, and we'll face it and we'll try our best to fight it."
"Right," Matilda said, lying back down while Buffy crawled into bed also. Buffy blew on the large candle that lit the place up and the two girls lay in darkness for a moment.
"And we are not going to worry all night, right?" Matilda said.
"Right."
***
"You'd better put on something warmer, we're traveling in the mountains." Jana said, when both groups made it out of the hall. They mumbled their greetings to each other. "Sorry to wear you out on such a big day. But we must hurry, so hand me your key's and we'll be on our way."
The group obeyed and then huddled outside waiting for Jana to lead them in the right direction. Jana finally made it to them and started to lead them north.
"I'll mention it now, ok?" Jake said in a low voice. The group nodded and Jake started to step up to Jana.
"Mention it casually!" Jack told him and the whole group glared at him. "What? Stop staring, it's rude."
"Mention what casually?" Jana said to Jake, a smile forming.
"Well, we noticed something's last night. One being our lack of- recollection." Jake said gently, daring not to blink as if to miss a reaction or word from Jana.
"I'm not sure what Scrauss told you but I think the story starts out something like there's a door at the end of a corridor-"
"Oh, no, no, not that." Jake said quickly. "No- it goes before that. You know... our real lives."
"Oh?" Jana said. "Didn't I tell you that when you get back to your separate lives that you will forget everything that you encountered in this reality?"
"Of course you told us that," Jake said on the edge of frustration. "But I- we- mean opposite from that."
"You may all be powerful, but you're not all that smart." Jana said. "I thought that you would've figured out that it works vice versa. When you go back to your reality you forget this reality and in this reality you forget your own reality."
It took a while for the group to process this, being tired.
"We managed to make sure you remember some things- like why you have your powers, when you got them, some of your physical and mental battles associated with it... I'm sorry for not making it clear. I hope you all weren't too bothered by this."
"Oh, no, no." The group replied, mumbling in their own things.
"Ahh," Jana said. "Anything else you're fuzzy about?"
"You really asking us that?" Jack asked.
"Well, I'm sorry if some things in this mission are confusing, I guess Scrauss and the others felt that you didn't need an overload of detailed information, for what ever reason. I suppose that they believed that you need to focus on fighting for the box and destroying it."
"How do we destroy it?" Jesse asked.
"I don't know. I'm sure you'll know when you get it."
The group exchanged glances. Jake fell back into the group. They left the town, and started traveling towards the mountains. The group knew that Jana didn't know as much, and she was simply guiding them there, not to explain or ruin anything. But there were so many questions forming in the group's head, that one got frustrated.
As they started to reach higher elevations, they cuddled closely together. Buffy found herself against Jake. "Hi."
"Hi," Jake said simply. When they both fell silent, Jake said, "Thank you again, for-"
"You already thanked me," Buffy said gently.
"I know but- just to say it again." Jake said. "Just to let you know that I appreciate- you."
Buffy smiled. "I wish we were from the same reality. Except for that whole Yeerks thing or whatever, what is the deal with that?"
They progressed very quickly, to everyone's surprise. Soon, Jana was saying things like "Almost there." and "Do you see it?"
Their feet made crunching noises through the thick snow. "I hope they got heat in there." Jack said, looking paler then usually, and wiping his apple red nose.
"I bet there's going to be a lot of heat." Harry said.
"What?" Jack said.
"You know- with the battle, it'll be fierce and- and- hot." Harry said.
Jack started to laugh. "Well, that was my first laugh all day. Seriously is it hot and fierce at your school of magic tricks? Are you hot battling- Lord whatshisname? Sounds pathetic."
"You have no idea," Harry said strongly. "What about your excuse for being here? You were in a jungle that made you crazy and savage? You can't get more feeble than being feeble yourself."
Jack bit his tongue. "If you were put in some place like that..." those were all the words that he could say.
"Look, the factory!" Jesse pointed.
Both Jack and Harry took their eyes off of each other to see the large, castle like factory just several feet away.
Jesse looked around. "Well- looks very- ancient."
"And very secluded." Maitlda said.
"Not at all prosaic." Buffy said lightly.
"Of course not," Jake said. "There's major power in there. Major power that's wanted by others."
Jana nodded. "Correct." She turned toward the group. "Now. This place is full of demons that hurt anyone that enters. They do some sort of work here, they have no idea about the box. But the dream catchers might already be there, putting together some sort of enchantment to get the door open. Remember- when you find the door, you will be able to open it if you cross it together. All of you have enough powers, or enough powerful futures to. Do not waste time wandering, or fighting demons that are not getting in your way. Simply get in, through the door, get the box and destroy it." Jana looked at all of them. "Questions?"
Everyone was quiet, hands on weapons, backpacks and things out of the way.
"Okay," Jana said. "Are you ready?" Everyone nodded quickly, wanting that tall, black door to open, to see all the action going on inside. Jana reached her hand and pulled open the large doors.
********************