DISCLAIMER: YOU KNOW THE DRILL.
-----------------
Author's Notes: Nothing much to say, really, except that I don't have author reviews for this chapter. It took forever for me to finish this chapter, and I'm really sorry! REALLY SORRY!
Without further delay, here is Chapter 7.
-----------------
(In the last chapter...)
"You see, they saw Gene Starwind in the future. They saw what he would do to their plans to discover the Leyline. And they automatically knew what they had to do. They knew that you two would fall in love and that they had to prevent that, prevent it from happening. They knew that if you loved him, you would stay by his side and help him as best you could. So the Pirates did something that was cruel, almost cruel enough for me not to comprehend.
"They placed a limiter inside your body, yes inside your body. It wasn't just something physical, but something made up of very, very powerful Tao magic. They made it so that love hurt you."
Melfina was now in a severe state of shock, and her eyes glazed over as these words exited the speakers that stood on both sides of the computer.
"When you realized how much you cared for Gene Starwind, you would feel nothing more than pain, yes pain. You would be overcome with agony, to the point that you couldn't stand to be around him anymore. You'd leave the XGP, never to return, never return, if only to keep yourself from even more ache."
His face was once again lit up with maniacal glee.
"But, so far, you seem to be handling the hurt quite well, Melfina, yes quite well indeed. But, then again, you know it's only a matter of time before you leave. The Pirates never read the future incorrectly, you see, but you probably know already, of course. So I'm only calling to tell you that when the pain becomes completely unbearable, that you may always join me. I'd appreciate it so much, yes so very much.
"But this message is getting too long, much too long indeed. I must go now, but please think about my offer, my generous offer. I would appreciate that as well. Farewell, Melfina."
The screen went black.
(WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? READ ON TO FIND OUT!)
----------------------
Prince Charming: Chapter 7
----------------------
Melfina sat there, staring at the darkened computer screen in shock.
She didn't understand. How could this happen? How did....when did...
....
What was she going to do? How could she overcome Tao magic? In all her confusion she failed to notice a slight shadow that had fallen over the light springing from the charged screen. But it disappeared almost as soon as it appeared, and even if she had managed to catch sight of it, it probably would have seen like a car passing by.
In an almost trance-like state, Melfina rose to her feet and clutched at her bare shoulders like a frightened child.
"No..." she whispered. "No...it can't be true..." Her voice began to rise. "It just can't be!!!"
She began shaking, her fingers desperately clutching at her biceps and bruising the skin of her slim arms. Her head shook back and forth, refusing to let herself believe what Gwen Khan had told her.
"NO! IT'S NOT TRUE!!!"
"Mel?"
Melfina turned around slowly, fearing the person behind her.
Her chocolate eyes met a worried pair of blue-gray skies and she felt her entire world crumble around her.
"Mel? What's wrong? What the hell is going on?" His eyes flicked over the computer and then to the overturned chair.
"Gene..."
It left Mel's lips like a frightened admission. She didn't want him to be here...not now! How was she supposed to face him? She was the one thing created by the Pirates intended to be HIS downfall! She...she couldn't....she just...
"Mel? I asked you a question. What ... is ... wrong?"
"Gene, I..." Mel stuttered, glancing around for someone to help her, but no one was there – no one but him.
She rocked back and forth as Gene stepped forward, reaching out one hand. He gently placed it on her shoulder and she bit back a scream as she tore off out of the building.
'It's just not fair!' she told herself as she raced in a direction she didn't know of. 'It's not fair!'
---------------
What was wrong with Melfina anyway?
Gene immediately got up to take after her, but a calm, cool hand was laid on his arm before he could leave.
"Gene. Before you jump to conclusions, perhaps you should take a look at that message."
------------
"Dear? Is...is that you, Melfina, dear?"
The next time Mel looked up, she found herself on the bench in the park. It was around noon, and someone had their hand on her shoulder.
' "Mel? I asked you a question." '
"NO!" she screamed, twisted away from the hand.
The hand, this time joined by another, clasped her around both shoulders.
"Melfina! Calm down! It's me, Retsuna!"
Mel stopped thrashing around and looked up into what was, indeed, the gentle face of Retsuna. Suddenly a large pair of blue eyes appeared beside the first.
"Hey, pretty lady! It's Melfina! What's wrong? Are you sick?"
Retsuna, as though to test her daughter's theory, placed the back of her hand against Melfina's forehead.
"Oh dear, you're burning up! Why aren't you wearing something heavier? The temperature must have sunk 30 degrees during the past hour alone! You shouldn't be out in those kinds of clothes in this weather! Come, we shall take you back to our house where you can rest. You may lean on me."
-------------
' "When you realized how much you cared for Gene Starwind, you would feel nothing more than pain, yes pain. You would be overcome with agony, to the point that you couldn't stand to be around him anymore. You'd leave the XGP, never to return, never return, if only to keep yourself from even more ache." '
Gene stared wide-eyed and furious at the computer screen as Gwen Khan's words played for the second time that night.
' "But this message is getting too long, much too long indeed. I must go now, but please think about my offer, my generous offer. I would appreciate that as well. Farewell, Melfina." '
"THOSE BASTARDS!!! I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL KILL THEM!!! I'LL KILL THEM ALL!!!"
----------------
Hoo hoo hoo! Never saw that coming, didja?
*Silence*
...
*Crickets chirp*
...
Okay, so maybe you did. OH WELL! I don't care! I'm still proud of meself! It took me so very long! I had horrib-ible writer's block. So anyway, no pressure, right?
*Sighs*
Please just tell me what you think of this installment.
Ja ne.
-----------------
Author's Notes: Nothing much to say, really, except that I don't have author reviews for this chapter. It took forever for me to finish this chapter, and I'm really sorry! REALLY SORRY!
Without further delay, here is Chapter 7.
-----------------
(In the last chapter...)
"You see, they saw Gene Starwind in the future. They saw what he would do to their plans to discover the Leyline. And they automatically knew what they had to do. They knew that you two would fall in love and that they had to prevent that, prevent it from happening. They knew that if you loved him, you would stay by his side and help him as best you could. So the Pirates did something that was cruel, almost cruel enough for me not to comprehend.
"They placed a limiter inside your body, yes inside your body. It wasn't just something physical, but something made up of very, very powerful Tao magic. They made it so that love hurt you."
Melfina was now in a severe state of shock, and her eyes glazed over as these words exited the speakers that stood on both sides of the computer.
"When you realized how much you cared for Gene Starwind, you would feel nothing more than pain, yes pain. You would be overcome with agony, to the point that you couldn't stand to be around him anymore. You'd leave the XGP, never to return, never return, if only to keep yourself from even more ache."
His face was once again lit up with maniacal glee.
"But, so far, you seem to be handling the hurt quite well, Melfina, yes quite well indeed. But, then again, you know it's only a matter of time before you leave. The Pirates never read the future incorrectly, you see, but you probably know already, of course. So I'm only calling to tell you that when the pain becomes completely unbearable, that you may always join me. I'd appreciate it so much, yes so very much.
"But this message is getting too long, much too long indeed. I must go now, but please think about my offer, my generous offer. I would appreciate that as well. Farewell, Melfina."
The screen went black.
(WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? READ ON TO FIND OUT!)
----------------------
Prince Charming: Chapter 7
----------------------
Melfina sat there, staring at the darkened computer screen in shock.
She didn't understand. How could this happen? How did....when did...
....
What was she going to do? How could she overcome Tao magic? In all her confusion she failed to notice a slight shadow that had fallen over the light springing from the charged screen. But it disappeared almost as soon as it appeared, and even if she had managed to catch sight of it, it probably would have seen like a car passing by.
In an almost trance-like state, Melfina rose to her feet and clutched at her bare shoulders like a frightened child.
"No..." she whispered. "No...it can't be true..." Her voice began to rise. "It just can't be!!!"
She began shaking, her fingers desperately clutching at her biceps and bruising the skin of her slim arms. Her head shook back and forth, refusing to let herself believe what Gwen Khan had told her.
"NO! IT'S NOT TRUE!!!"
"Mel?"
Melfina turned around slowly, fearing the person behind her.
Her chocolate eyes met a worried pair of blue-gray skies and she felt her entire world crumble around her.
"Mel? What's wrong? What the hell is going on?" His eyes flicked over the computer and then to the overturned chair.
"Gene..."
It left Mel's lips like a frightened admission. She didn't want him to be here...not now! How was she supposed to face him? She was the one thing created by the Pirates intended to be HIS downfall! She...she couldn't....she just...
"Mel? I asked you a question. What ... is ... wrong?"
"Gene, I..." Mel stuttered, glancing around for someone to help her, but no one was there – no one but him.
She rocked back and forth as Gene stepped forward, reaching out one hand. He gently placed it on her shoulder and she bit back a scream as she tore off out of the building.
'It's just not fair!' she told herself as she raced in a direction she didn't know of. 'It's not fair!'
---------------
What was wrong with Melfina anyway?
Gene immediately got up to take after her, but a calm, cool hand was laid on his arm before he could leave.
"Gene. Before you jump to conclusions, perhaps you should take a look at that message."
------------
"Dear? Is...is that you, Melfina, dear?"
The next time Mel looked up, she found herself on the bench in the park. It was around noon, and someone had their hand on her shoulder.
' "Mel? I asked you a question." '
"NO!" she screamed, twisted away from the hand.
The hand, this time joined by another, clasped her around both shoulders.
"Melfina! Calm down! It's me, Retsuna!"
Mel stopped thrashing around and looked up into what was, indeed, the gentle face of Retsuna. Suddenly a large pair of blue eyes appeared beside the first.
"Hey, pretty lady! It's Melfina! What's wrong? Are you sick?"
Retsuna, as though to test her daughter's theory, placed the back of her hand against Melfina's forehead.
"Oh dear, you're burning up! Why aren't you wearing something heavier? The temperature must have sunk 30 degrees during the past hour alone! You shouldn't be out in those kinds of clothes in this weather! Come, we shall take you back to our house where you can rest. You may lean on me."
-------------
' "When you realized how much you cared for Gene Starwind, you would feel nothing more than pain, yes pain. You would be overcome with agony, to the point that you couldn't stand to be around him anymore. You'd leave the XGP, never to return, never return, if only to keep yourself from even more ache." '
Gene stared wide-eyed and furious at the computer screen as Gwen Khan's words played for the second time that night.
' "But this message is getting too long, much too long indeed. I must go now, but please think about my offer, my generous offer. I would appreciate that as well. Farewell, Melfina." '
"THOSE BASTARDS!!! I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL KILL THEM!!! I'LL KILL THEM ALL!!!"
----------------
Hoo hoo hoo! Never saw that coming, didja?
*Silence*
...
*Crickets chirp*
...
Okay, so maybe you did. OH WELL! I don't care! I'm still proud of meself! It took me so very long! I had horrib-ible writer's block. So anyway, no pressure, right?
*Sighs*
Please just tell me what you think of this installment.
Ja ne.