Work, work work...at least I have
a three-day weekend to type most of this.
Thank you!
Magicalflyingdragon: the clans
uniting (even if some people don't like it) leads to a lot of good
things!
Wolfy129: I hope you're just as pleased with this chapter!
Dark Star Dragon: We'll get back to Piers soon enough. I do love that man!
Shadowthewindadpet: On Fanfiction.net, it SAYS it's chapter 14, but it's not really considering the first
entry for this fic was the prologue. Believe me, with
another one of my stories it really through me off.
Wild Fox of the Wasteland: I didn't realize that at all! Although with the
title of this chapter the rhyming was intentional. =)
Hyper Basketcase: I hope this one is just as good!
Jupiter Sprite: There you go! Felix/Sheba is Lighthouseshipping!
XD I forgot. I don't know, with me, I just can't seem to leave characters in
their normal setting. I always throw them in the middle of some odd place and
it works. I actually have more trouble leaving them in the original world. I'm
just weird like that.
Net Strife: I'm updating! I'm updating! Felix gets some screen time in this
chapter too, and we'll see Piers soon.
Suh: Don't worry, there's a major plot shifter in
this chapter! It's gonna be big! And your right, it is
a bit rushed, I'm trying to slow down. S-L-O-W
D-O-W-N! It'll kick in eventually. And you're right about the stupid italics, I
did have them there, I just forgot to save it as an html file. I hate my
computer. We're supposed to be getting a new computer so I'll be very happy
soon. Don't worry, I like getting advice, it helps me write better!
Dark Ice Dragon: Yes, the Wise One is in it. I don't like him very much. But
hey, who am I to judge. Hopefully this chapter will answer most of your
questions!
-----------------------------------------
Chapter Fourteen: Cloudy Vision, Crucial
Decision
The
old man was on his hands and knees before the great stone that loomed before
him. A legion of dark soldiers surrounded them as the stone shifted and
revealed a large green eye in the center of its rugged surface. The man looked
up hopefully.
"As planned, the oracle's
capture lead to an upscale war, they will be too busy to notice that the stars
are being snatched from under their noses," he said, "their guardians can no
longer defeat our shadow soldiers. We already took out one of them. The rest
will be easy."
The stone was silent for
several minutes.
"The chosen one knows his
fate, and soon the others will too," it rumbled.
"Yes, but they're too young,
too incompetent to figure out how to stop us on their own," the old man said.
The boulder closed its eye.
"You underestimate them.
Besides, the oracle is wise beyond her years, she will guide them," the stone
replied.
"Can't you do something to
limit her?" the man asked frantically. The stone slowly opened its eye.
"Perhaps," it said slowly. It
glowed with psyergenic light for a few minutes,
sparks forming as he carried out his task.
"It has been done. Her power
to see the future is suspended for a short amount of time," the stone said to
its eager follower.
"How long?" the man inquired.
The stone closed its eye.
"I cannot say."
The elderly man stood up and
slammed his cane on the ground. The dark soldiers were ready for his order.
"You heard the Wise One! We
don't have a lot of time! Get to work!" he cried. They rushed out of the
cavern, ready to carry out their evil deeds.
Sheba
jolted from her deep sleep. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. Something
was wrong, she felt it. She looked around the dark room. She sensed no evil,
but something was amiss, and she couldn't put her finger on it. What was it?
Her mind felt fuzzy, and she felt a little numb something must have gone wrong
with her powers. The oracle crawled out of her bed and placed her bare feet on
the cold, stone floor of the Martian palace. Her footsteps sounded softly on
the ground as she made her way down the hall to Felix's room. She pushed open
the large wooden doors to his room and stood over his bed.
"Felix, Felix wake up," she whispered as she gently shook the sleeping
prince. Felix grunted and rubbed his eyes.
"What, Sheba?"
he mumbled.
"I don't feel right..." she
said warily. Felix sat up, revealing his bare, well chiseled chest, and grabbed
her arms.
"You're not sick are you?" the
older boy asked nervously. Sheba
felt her face growing hot as she shook her head no.
"Then what's the matter?" he
said motioning for her to sit on the bed. The oracle folded her legs, curled up
on the blankets and sighed.
"I...I think something's wrong
with my powers," she said quietly. Felix placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Well, let's test them, send a
message into my mind," he said. Sheba
nodded. 'Can you hear me?' she asked.
"Loud and
clear. Try reading my thoughts. What was I dreaming about before you
woke me up?"
"Pink...Fluffy...Ninja
bunnies?" she said in a confused voice. Felix nodded.
"That sounds right," the
prince said decidedly, "Now...hmm...I don't know, make a prediction and we'll
check it tomorrow. What are we having for breakfast in the morning?"
Sheba
concentrated. A simple prediction like that should be easy...but she was
getting nothing.
"I don't know," she said in an
astonished voice.
"You can't see what's going to
happen at all?" Felix asked.
"I can't see anything...not
even a vague hint...I...I can't see the future..." she gasped. The oracle
stifled a sob as reality hit her hard. The future, their destiny was no longer
hers to see.
"No..." the oracle whispered
as tears streamed from her eyes. 'What am I going to do?' she thought as she
stared absently out the window.
"I'm sorry Felix, I can't help
you anymore...I can't see your future…" she said sadly, as she got up to leave,
"You can return me to my people when we go back, I am
of no use to you anymore."
Felix grabbed her wrist. Sheba
turned suddenly, tears streaking her face.
"All the times you helped me,
and you expect nothing in return?" the prince said calmly. He smiled and gently
sat her next to him on the edge of the bed.
"I don't want to take you back
to your people. I still need you," Felix said wrapping his arm around her
shoulders.
"Why? I can't—"
Felix placed his index finger
on her lips.
"Sheba,
I need you," he said, "I love you."
Sheba
felt a small smile form on her face as Felix softly caressed her cheek. He
sighed and leaned his forehead against hers.
"I love you too, Felix," Sheba
said gently. Felix slowly pressed his lips against hers. What started as a
gentle kiss gradually grew more and more passionate with every passing second.
When the kiss was finally broken, Felix held Sheba
protectively.
"Stay with me," he said. She
nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Felix?" the oracle asked
after a few minutes.
"Yes?" the prince replied.
"This may ruin the moment, but
I'm very tired..." she said drowsily. Felix grinned and lay back on his
pillows.
"Nope, not at all," he said. Sheba
nodded and started to get off the bed.
"Where are you going?" the
older boy inquired.
"To my bed," she answered. The
Venusian prince grabbed her from behind.
"I asked you to stay with me,"
he whispered into her ear. Felix nuzzled against Sheba's
neck as she gradually fell asleep in his arms.
Jenna was uncommonly hyper
that morning. She bounded down the halls of the castle with an extra spring in
her step and woke up almost every one she could.
"Who else shall I share my joy
with?" Jenna asked herself as she leaned against a pillar, "Isaac has already
been my first victim."
She cocked her head a little.
"Garet's too worried about Mia
to be bothered about anything else. Maybe Felix would like to receive a wake up
call," she said playfully and skipped over to her brother's room. Jenna giggled
as she opened the door. She peaked in and a mischievous grin spread across her
face. Felix was already awake and he had that angel wrapped protectively in his
arms. 'What is this?' Jenna asked herself as she silently leaned against the
doorway.
"Well, well, what have we
here?" she said in a deceptively innocent voice. Felix jumped and Sheba
suppressed a giggle.
"Looks like you have no reason
to be jealous of Isaac and me anymore," Jenna said patting her older brother on
the head. She turned to Sheba
and put her hand on her shoulder.
"Take good care of him!" the
dragon girl said happily.
"I will!" Sheba
chirped.
"Come on, let's go have
breakfast!" Jenna said. She smiled brightly. 'Finally, it only took him long
enough to find someone!' Jenna thought to herself as she skipped down the hall
to the dining room. She stopped in the
middle of the hallway. There was
something she had forgotten...
"Oh yes, I'd better go tell
Garet that breakfast is ready," she said and headed towards the dragon prince's
room.
Mia wasn't doing well at all.
Her face had become as white as a sheet and her temperature rose a little every
day. Everything that touched her skin seemed to make her scream in agony.
Unless it was water, anything that touched Mia felt like it was on fire,
despite her fever. Garet stood over her as she struggled to breathe and she
cringed in pain.
"Mia..." Garet mumbled. Her
eyes shot open. They were bloodshot and Garet could tell she
probably still delirious. She turned to him and grabbed his hand.
"Garet, it's so hot," Mia
said, "it burns."
"I'm sorry," he said. Her grip
on his hand tightened.
"Let me go home!" she begged
frantically. The Martian prince closed his eyes and pulled away.
"Please..." Mia whispered
hoarsely before she before she became too weak to stay
awake any longer. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. Garet left the room and
closed his door. He took a deep breath and leaned against it for a while.
"I don't want you to go," he
said quietly.
"Garet!"
Jenna shrieked. The dragon boy looked up sullenly.
"What?" he asked gruffly. Jenna
looked shocked.
"No jumping up in surprise? Nothing? God, what's your problem!" she inquired grabbing
his shoulders.
"Nothing," Garet replied.
"Garet..." Jenna said sadly,
"This is about Mia isn't it?"
"You don't need to know my
business," he huffed, and pushed her away from him. Jenna watched as he stormed
down the hallway.
"Garet, I don't know what to
do about you," she sighed.
Isaac grumbled as he sat to
breakfast. He had only been back with Jenna for one day and she already made him
her first "victim."
"Jenna never sleeps late like
most normal people," Isaac muttered as he piled pancakes onto his plate. Jenna
plopped down in the seat next to him with a dismal look on her face.
"What's the matter? You were
ready to 'share your joy' with the world a few minutes ago," the young
commander asked of the dragon girl beside him.
"It's Garet, he's starting to
worry me," she said, "He seems bent on keeping Mia, you know the Mercurian princess?"
"Yeah, we heard about how he
captured her," Isaac acknowledged, although a little disinterested.
"Well, she's really sick, and
it's very obvious that she has to go home, but Garet doesn't want her to
leave,"" Jenna added, "He doesn't listen to anyone, no one. I think it's
because he feels they don't understand. Isaac, will you do me a favor?"
"No, I won't talk to him. If
he didn't listen to the ones he trusts then why would he listen to me?" Isaac
spat out right away.
"It'd be different if he's
hearing it from a boy his age!" Jenna pleaded. Isaac raised his eyebrows.
"He's our age?" he asked.
Jenna nodded slowly.
"He looks like he's twenty
five or something," Isaac muttered, "Alright fine, only for you."
Jenna gave him a toothy grin.
"Thank you!" she said
brightly.
Menardi stared at the table as they held another meeting in their fortress. Agatio was still in the infirmary from the wounds he received. The dark soldiers were stronger, and it seems that they had the Wise One on their side. The question was, why had the Wise One agreed to help them light the lighthouses?
"Well, it seems there has to be a slight change in plans," Kraden said, "We have to keep the chosen one out of this for as long as possible. Karst?"
"Yes?" the younger dragon girl responded.
"You and Saturos go move the Mars Star. Alex?"
"I'll hide the Mercury Star," the indignant advisor confirmed.
"I'll talk with Lady Uzume, Susa and Kushinada about the Venus Star," Kraden finished, "Menardi, try to stay safe."
The blonde dragon nodded silently. Saturos put his arm around her waist.
"Don't be so worried, Karst and I can take care of ourselves," he whispered to her.
"I know, it's just—" Menardi stopped. Something was in the room, she could hear it sneaking around. Saturos and Karst must have heard it also because they drew their swords.
"Menardi, you leave and get the Star as far away from here as you can," Saturos ordered. Menardi didn't ask to be told twice, she left the room as fast as she could. She could hear some of them following her. The dragon woman rushed to the inner dungeon in the bottom of the fortress and swiped the Mars Star from the jaws of a stone skeleton. The sound of an unsheathing sword made her scream at the top of her lungs.
"Don't come
any closer!" she cried spinning around. The black, red-eyed figure didn't seem
to listen as it raised the black blade over its head to strike her.
"Inferno!" she cried. She
skulked out the back entrance as the black creature was engulfed in red-hot
magma. The sounds of the night did not muffle the sound of more dark assassins
chasing her. Menardi knew she was in no condition to
fight, not now. Her best bet would be to get into the castle walls, that way if
she screamed someone would come and help her. But that would also risk getting
the chosen one involved.
"There are some risks you have
to be willing to take," Menardi panted as the castle
lights came into view. She leapt into the air and flew behind the sturdy walls
of the castle and continued running through the inner courtyard. As she
expected the tall, stone structures were no obstacle to the dark warriors that
pursued her. She was tired from running and she couldn't muster up the strength
to fly. One of them swooped down and tackled the exhausted dragon woman.
"Give us the Mars Star," it
said in an unearthly voice. Menardi clutched the orb
tighter.
"Never!" she screeched.
"Then it's the end of the line
for you," another one said. Menardi looked around
her. Their had to be at least seven or eight of them.
There was no way she could win. One of them came forward with a long sword and
raised it above his head. The heavy sound of the sword swinging downward cut
through the air, but it was interrupted by a loud cry.
"Cycle Beam!" a female voice
cried. The beam hit the assassin head on. Menardi
opened her eyes and saw Jenna and her brother Felix standing back to back
prepared to fight.
"Don't mess with my friends,"
Jenna growled. Without another warning, all eight of the shadowy creatures that
had followed her were attacking the brother and sister duo. Menardi
got to her feet and ran inside the castle.
"They need help," she
whispered as she took down the dark halls. The first room she ended up at was
Garet's. Menardi kicked down the doors.
"What's the meaning of this?"
Garet snarled as the panting dragon woman leaned against the doorway for
support.
"They're attacking Jenna and
Felix," she said breathlessly.
"Who's attacking them?" Garet
asked, standing up.
"The shadow warriors," she
answered. Garet grabbed one of his swords.
"Let's go, lead the way," he
said. She nodded and they rushed down the hall. As they made their way to the
battle the two dragons ran into Isaac.
"What's going on guys?" he
inquired, noticing Garet's sword.
"Jenna and Felix are being
attacked," the dragon prince replied.
"I'm coming with you," the
blonde boy said.
"No, you're not," Garet
snapped.
"There's no time for this!" Menardi yelled. The two were silent as they continued to
Jenna and Felix's aid. When they got there, they Felix had taken a serious
amount of damage, and Jenna had been knocked out.
"Flare
Storm!" Garet cried. That kept them distracted enough to allow the two
to get to the sibling's side. Isaac then used his djinn,
Quartz, to revive Jenna.
"Thanks, Isaac," she said.
"No problem," he answered. The
black fighters were slowly closing in around them.
"Watch out!" Jenna cried,
"Serpent Fume!"
"Well that takes care of one
of them," Isaac said.
"Got any other tricks up your
sleeve?" Garet asked readying his sword.
"I'm sure I do," she said
confidently.
"Work your magic," he said
winking at her.
"For my next 'trick', I call,
Reflux!" she said, "and I cast him on Felix, since he has the least amount of
health."
"But Reflux doesn't restore
his health at all," Isaac said.
"Don't question me now, heal
my brother and keep silent!"
One of the shadow warriors
threw several black ninja stars at Felix. They didn't even pierce his skin, but
were sent flying back at the black figure. Jenna smirked evilly at Isaac.
"Don't you ever doubt me, I
know what I'm doing!" she cried. Isaac rolled his eyes.
"I don't think you should have
a lovers' quarrel now," Felix suggested as the creatures' red eyes started
glowing.
"Give us the Star," they said
holding out their hands.
"No, we can't give it to you,"
a female voice said calmly. They all turned to the source. Standing next to a
distressed Menardi was Sheba holding a red orb. They
let out an otherworldly shriek as they rushed for her.
"Sheba!"
Felix yelled desperately.
"Halt," she ordered. All of
the shadowy creatures were stock still in midair.
"I summon, Zagan!"
the oracle cried. Jenna and Isaac looked at each other with shocked looks on
their faces.
"It's the—" Isaac began.
"—thing from my dream," Jenna
finished.
"You too?" the young commander
asked. A loud rumbling was heard in the distance as a large minotaur
with an ax appeared. He swung it down hard on the group of halted warriors and
they were vanquished in a blast of heat. As the smoke cleared, the oracle
looked solemnly at the group that stood before her.
"It's about time you all knew
what was going on," Sheba said a far off look glinting in her purple eyes, "I
can no longer say exactly what will happen, but I will tell you all you need to
know. The decision as to what to do, is up to you."
"Decision?"
Garet prodded.
"Are you all willing to change
the fate of the world?" Sheba
asked the group of young adults, "Because tonight you will have the choice.
Will you hide and let your whole world crumble, or unite and save your
civilizations?"
-----------------------------------
Things get serious now! All of Weyard gets involved
as the Wise One and the "mysterious" old man conspire something evil and
devious!
Next Chapter: And So It Begins…