Rain Child: Wow…nine reviews…that's better than I expected…now, for Chapter I of Part II. Part II is mostly concentrating on bringing together the eight adepts in one place, and developing Isaac and Jenna's relationship. There is a plot, but that's not coming down heavily until Part III. Now, without further ado, I hope, here is Ch. I of Pt. II!
*Ivan pops in* WAIT!!!!
Me: What?
Ivan: Disclaimer!
Me: Oh, you can do it then…
Ivan: Rain Child does not own the wonderful Camelot that made their games heavily
suggest Isaac/Jenna, or anything else, just the plot. She doesn't even have
much control over her life, as she is being forced to go to a different school
away from all her friends.
Rain Child: *wielding anime frying pan of doom* IVAN!!!! I DON'T NEED THE WORLD TO KNOW MY PRIVATE LIFE!!!!!!!!!
Ivan: Oops!!! I better leave!!! Alex!!! I need to use Transport!!!!!
~*~*~*~*~*~
Recommended Theme: Dig by Jars of Clay
Someone Searching by Ginny Owens
Let Me Show You the Way by Michael W. Smith
Prologue:
The tiny wedding of friends and relatives had been one not of happiness, or joy, or anything usually associated with weddings. Instead, the main feeling was that of relief, or maybe a tad of bittersweet regret. Even if the marriage was not truly of love, the couple still looked wonderful, as most do on their wedding day. Jenna appeared radiant in her white dress, tinged with red-to show alignment with Mars. Her ring was gold, a tiny ruby embedded, and vines engraved around it to show the bonding of Mars and Venus. Both Jenna and Isaac's mothers cried.
Gossip quickly flew around, whispering behind hands that Isaac had married Jenna to stay sane. But whatever had possessed him to do so, the fact remained thus: it had not been a joyous wedding…
~*~*~*~
Jenna lay in the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. She twisted the ring upon her finger absently. 'Garet really did do a wonderful job on it; f he ever wanted to, he could be a smith,' she figured quietly. Isaac left peacefully on, something she ought to be doing so late at night. The Mars Adept felt a wave of sadness sweep over her. Why was she so unhappy? She was married to the only person she would ever love.
'…Because he doesn't return your passion… He hasn't even kissed you since the wedding.'
Jenna rolled over onto her stomach, and drifted into the blissfulness of dreamless sleep. Yes, her marriage was a curse and a blessing rolled into one.
~*~*~*~
Isaac creaked open a single eye. Jenna was asleep. He smiled fondly at her as he propped himself up on his arm, watching her sleep by the light of the pale, silver moon. The Venus Adept touched her cheek gently, caressing it. He would learn to love her. Quietly he whispered to himself,
"My Jenna, my sweet Jenna, my cure."
She deserved so much better than him; he knew it. But she still loved him, even though he still felt the pangs of the heartbreak Mia had never meant to deal him. Mia with her new son Merric-- a blue-eyed version of his father, Garet. Isaac sighed sadly.
Turning towards Jenna, his lips pulled themselves just enough that he appeared to be smiling, if only a little. The Venus Adept kissed her forehead, before lying down beside her, his arm draped protectively around the Mars Adept. Moments after, he succumbed to the siren's tempting song of sleep.
Overhead, a tiny Venus djinni was beside itself with happiness.
"Isaac, you've done it!" it squeaked, before hopping out the window and back to its rightful place.
"Flint…" murmured Isaac, the wind having whispered the little djinni's message into the Adept's sleeping ears.
~*~*~*~
The now familiar sound of Baby Merric's crying woke Mia. She sat up, smiling as Garet pulled the Mercury Adept's pillow over his head, groaning in protest of the early wake-up call. Mia, however, slipped out of bed and pulled on a robe. The Mercury Adept tiptoed over to the baby's little crib (courtesy of Felix), pulling Merric out and into her arms. She cradled the little boy, humming softly to calm her son.
Mia looked out the window, gazing upon her new home, Vale. It was so different from the cold Imil, where she'd lived her whole life before joining Isaac and Garet on their journeys. It had been lonely for a while, being the only girl, but she'd grown to love Garet and to think of Isaac and Ivan like brothers. The blue-haired Adept sighed as her son whined for breakfast. Sighing, she sat down and nursed her child, her thoughts drifting beyond their room and throughout the slowly increasing size of Weyward.
The young woman's thoughts finally settled towards all the kind people to whom she owed so much. Kyle, Dora, Garet's family, Jenna and Felix's parents. So much had changed since they were the naïve travelers they had once been. Was that what had made Isaac how he had been, the battling, the pain? No, he had been old beyond his years already, and fatherless, or so it appeared. Surely it hadn't been—no, that was crazy, all he had been able to talk of for the longest time during their travels was Jenna. A pang of guilt zapped her, however, as Kyle's bitter face hit her mind's eye. She directed her thoughts away from that quickly--back to Isaac and Jenna.
Isaac and Jenna, who would never be able to be intimate, she figured, unless a miracle occurred. Jenna, who kept Isaac sane in his insane world, and suffered for it all the more. Isaac, who had withdrawn, his once clear eyes clouded, and cold, like a stormy sea.
"You're thinking about them again, aren't you?"
Mia smiled up at her husband, nodding, "They won't be able to understand what we feel, unless Isaac lets down his guard."
"Jenna can get through to him. There's no way she can't. She's always been able to pull through anything; she's strong."
Garet smiled encouragingly, and took a contented Merric from Mia's arms.
"He grows an inch everyday, I swear."
"They always do."
"It's a shame he doesn't have any friends."
"It's not their fault. Sheba's much too young, and Ivan and Picard both live too far away for visiting them and either's wives, if they marry, and well…" She trailed off, they didn't need to go into that again, "We really should invite Ivan and Picard here sometime, don't you think?"
"Yeah…"
An uneasy silence, occasionally stirred by Merric echoed through their home. Finally, Mia broke it, shakily nevertheless.
"He loved me…didn't he…?"
"…Yeah…I guess he forget her, you know, since he never could see her, and, well, he was always a bit, taken with you…"
"I'm a fool to have never noticed."
"Well, you're my fool, and I love you all the same."
Mia hugged Garet, kissing his cheek.
"I'll go make breakfast," she said, rather briskly, and hurried down the stairs, ignoring how cold her feet were.
"Wha'd I do!?!" He called, confused.
"Nothing, dear," she answered back, as the clanging sounds of pots and pans drowned out further conversation.
Garet sighed and looked down at tiny Merric,
"Do you understand her at all?"
Merric just cooed….
~*~*~*~
Sunlight peeked in the second floor window, nearly hiding within the night again for shock. Jenna cracked open an eye, groaning in complaint to the sun, as her waking mind became acutely aware of the arm draped around her. She screwed her eyes shut, as if against the thoughts now pounding into her waking mind. Finally, after what seemed forever to Jenna, and in reality was five minutes, later, Isaac stirred, freezing as his mind became aware of his arm as well. Both awkwardly clambered out of bed, Jenna to go downstairs and start on breakfast, Isaac to go through his little wake-up routine and dress. Ten minutes later, he came downstairs, calmly greeting her, if a little sleepily,
"Morning."
She smiled and nodded, plopping down in a chair across from his. Tentatively, she asked, "Isaac, how about we go somewhere today?"
"Sure, where?" he asked, though he already knew.
"To see Garet…and…his wife."
The blond Adept visually stiffened, his eyes looking straight at Jenna. His dark blue eyes were startlingly piercing today. Jenna glared, her chocolate eyes determined.
"I think we should," she added.
They locked in a staring contest, until Isaac gave in, "Fine."
"But only for a little while," he added, his voice unsure.
"Thank you!" she said, her eyes reflecting her happiness, even if just for a moment. Jenna took his hand, serious again.
"You need to do this, make your peace," she encouraged. Isaac's eye clouded again. His wounds had lain open and salted for a long time. She knew he needed to heal. Sighing, the Adept went upstairs, the blond Venus Adept's blue eyes watching her go.
"Only for you…" he whispered, blinking rapidly against his fears. He feared seeing her again.
~*~*~*~*~
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Garet, get the door! I'm trying to get Merric up from his nap!"
"Okay, okay!"
The Mars Adept's light brown eyes widened in shock. Before him stood two people he'd thought he'd never see at his door—Jenna, smiling up at him, and Isaac, standing there blankly, as if he was still in shock at being there. Garet watched, still in shock, as Jenna went pink, and explained to him,
"I thought it was time we visited, if that's okay. I won't let him hurt anyone."
He nodded, plastering on a grin as he greeted them both, "Isaac! Long time no see, either of you! Umm…come on in, and I'll go get Mia, she's trying to get Merric up. He'll be a year old soon."
"That's great, Garet. Wow, it really has been a while," Jenna replied, half-pulling Isaac inside, inwardly amazed he hadn't broken every bone in her hand.
"Hey, Mia!" We've got company! Come on!"
"Okay."
A nerve in the blond-haired Adept's face twitched at the sound of Mia's voice, but he sat down calmly, if a little stiffly. Suddenly realizing how tight his grip on Jenna's hand was, he abruptly let his hold on her hand go, murmuring a quiet 'sorry.' The three Adepts sat awkwardly, waiting and unsure of what to say. Finally, after what seemed to them had been forever and a day, Mia was coming down stars, Merric in one arm and a mug of something steaming and hot in her other hand. Upon seeing Isaac and Jenna sitting in her house, the mug promptly fell.
"Oh my…" she whispered.
Impulsively, Isaac used a little psynergy to catch the falling mug in midair, floating it to the table.
"Sorry…" Isaac mumbled, looking awkwardly at the spilled liquid.
Mia sighed, "It's times like these I wish I had the use of Parch…*" she told them after cleaning up the spilled liquid.
Isaac nodded, smirking. Slowly, the tension and awkwardness began to chip away…
~*~
Isaac found himself discussing psynergy techniques with Garet, just like they'd used to. 'To think…no, I won't think of it!' He talked faster, pushing back old feelings of enmity. 'Not in front of Jenna,' the Venus Adept found himself reminding himself many times.
Jenna talked politely with Mia, and thrilled about playing with Baby Merric. But her nervousness didn't get past Mia, who noticed the auburn-haired girl's worried glances toward Isaac.
"You know, we should invite Ivan and Picard back to Vale sometime."
"We really should. Don't you think so, Garet?"
"Invite Ivan and Picard? Sure, Mia. What do you think, Isaac?"
"Sure, why not, we can remember…old times."
The silence was broken as Merric began to cry.
"We'd better go," Jenna announced quietly. Isaac nodded, obviously relieved. Garet called a 'good-bye,' and the door shut.
~*~*~*~
"You promised," a voice whispered, filled with anticipation.
"It's not a good idea," a deeper voice countered, obviously worried.
"I'm almost eighteen," the first voice whined.
"Yes, but--"
"But what?"
The second voice finally replied, "…them…But…"
"She chose to give it up. Besides, it won't be long now."
"Long until what?"
"What will come will come, as long as Isaac learns to read his soul…"
"Sheba, I…"
"You what?"
"I…never mind…"
~Mind Read~
~Sheba, get out of my head! ~
The young Jupiter Adept took a step back, "You love…me…?"
"Since the Venus Lighthouse…"
"Felix…"
"…I'm sorry…"
"No, don't be…"
~*~*~*~
Isaac lay on his side, propped by his arm, watching Jenna sleep, as he did every night. 'She looks happier when she sleeps…' he thought, a wave of guilt passing over his face. 'My fault, always my fault.'
Mia had finally dropped her siren's allure from him, as he called it. Yes, things might be better now.
The blond-haired Adept tentatively brushed a strand of her dark auburn hair from her face. Something stirred in his frozen heart, but he pushed it away quickly. True, he had long fallen out of love with Mia, but something in him wasn't quite ready to let anyone come close again, not that he would admit, even though it was true, and Jenna loved him. It was her he couldn't hurt more, not him, never him. He'd rather die than put himself first again**. To bring her hopes up, he couldn't do that again, ever. Still…
The formerly asleep Mars Adept opened her eyes, surprise etched upon her face to see blue eyes staring into hers, mere inches from her own. Jenna smiled sleepily, as though she still thought she was dreaming, and touched Isaac's face with her hand.
"…Isaac…"
His lips brushed hers lightly before the blue-eyed Adept rolled over onto his stomach and slept, whilst Jenna, now wide-awake, touched her lips, her pupils dilated slightly in shock. She shook her head sadly. 'It's just the early morning light, fooling his eyes, he thinks its Mia beside him' she thought sadly, whispering aloud her loneliness,
"How long must I wait?"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Okay, well, umm…yeah, that's it. Now puh-lease push that little button labeled review, and I'll post quicker, now that I have the time, since exams are over (three B's and an A in English! WOO-HOO!!!!) and school is out. And, err…if you got problems with the pairing and flame, you're just stupid. S-T-U-P-I-D, because I already told you in the first segment what the pairings were. So PIFT TO YOU!!!! (pift is my new word.)
*Parch—psynergy that Picard gains from Aqua Rock that he can use to dry up liquid.
**If you won't admit it, you're more stubborn than I am. It is quite obvious that Isaac and Jenna have feelings for each other in Lost Age. And according to my not-so-accurate story, Isaac's had been discarded in order to pursue his feelings for Jenna, accidentally stringing her along. So pift!
Until Next Time,
Rain Child the Depressed and Insane