Hi!
Here I come with a new chapter... The only one I'm going to give you this week. MY BIRTHDAY'S SPECIAL EDITION! CHII! Strange chapter, indeed. It has been divided into several parts, since several things happened... While ones were doing something, others were doing something else.
Once again, you are going to meet an old character from one of our previous campaigns, though this time things turned out a little bit different from the last time he appeared.
But, first of all I would like to thank those good friends who always support my story:
DemonDragonJ: Hey! I was starting to think you have forgotten about me! Buju! Anyway, it is good to see you're still reading!
Wow! Do I really use a descriptive, vivid language? I have always thought my descriptions are awful! But I think I have improved them, specially at the very ending of chapter 6 and beginning of chapter 7 (chapters 8 and 9 in the web)...
I hope you keep your story going! I am really waiting to see what is going to happen! Hey, don't worry about that! I just hope you keep your promise to be nicer to Kisara.
Anyway, I would like to know what you think about what happened in the Shian mansion and my special bonus chapters... specially about the little couple we're beginning to form between Sianodell and Gea. Keep on reading! And don't get lost for so long!
S. Black Sanders: Hey, girl! Not to worry, you'll get the document soon (and I also hope to get that image soon enough. We need it)... The celebration was great! I hadn't had such fun on one of my birthdays for years! Though I cannot get in many of those games... I cannot spin round myself because I get dizzy. But you should try The Tower. It's incredible!
I just hope we can get those three subjects together so our story can keep on going... Not only for Altair and Jared's sake, but for Deneb, Rigel, Vega, Antares, Kira, Darien, Andrómeda, dead queen Dana, dead king Alderabán, the witch, the dark knights, the 4 wise old people, Craig, Irieth, Bellatrix, and all the Reichis, Darkeheirs and Litkendians, too... I apologize if there is anyone missing.
Now, here we go with chapter 8. I hope you enjoy it!
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Chapter 8: Happy Birthdays.
Now that our little volleyball match was finally over, we had a little more time to enjoy the festival.
It was about 6:30 p.m. I was just wandering around the fair when Sianodell came to me and said:
-The karaoke contest begins at 7 o'clock- he told me. –But- he lowered his voice. –If you really want to have fun, the real games begin at 8:30 o'clock behind the gym. Hope to see you there!
He left... Said he had something important to do and went away.
Anyway, I spent another half an hour walking about the fair until it was time for the karaoke. Many people had decided to participate in the contest... I even found that Taltos and Bahamut were also going to participate!
I really enjoyed myself during the contest... I did not win anything, though (had a little trouble with my song), but I had a lot of fun listening to those great singers, those who had a little trouble with the songs they sang and those who had just entered the contest to have fun and give all the others a laugh.
As soon as the karaoke contest was over (around 8:25), I walked over to the gym. I must say I was curious about what Sianodell had told me, so I went to have a look. But I was not the only one heading that way... the whole party was also walking that way, as well as many other University and High-School students.
A very large shadow dome extended behind the gym. Everything was dark... yet the dome's inside was very different from what anyone could have imagined from the outside... It was a large field, just like a football field, surrounded by flights of steps and very well illuminated indeed.
It was until Mr. Strauss spoke that we understood what it was all about:
-Welcome to this year's festival's closing activity. This is a special activity for those who have special abilities to practice with them. These are the rules: There are going to be two teams: one made up by the teachers, the other made up by students. One person from each team will be carrying a flag. The first team to get the other team's flag will be the winner. Obviously, each team will have to do whatever they can to stop the members of the other team from getting close to the one who carries their flag. That is why we have called this game "Everything's Valid", though there are some exceptions: First of all, no sharp-cutting weapons are allowed. Second, each movement you make will be on the intent to stop the other team; which means you are allowed to stun them, but never kill them- he made a brief pause. –To make things fair, I will be on the students' side. Now, let the game begin!
The game began and each team started to make their best to get to the other side of the field, where the flag bearers stood. Our flag bearer was Mr. Strauss; the teachers' team flag bearer was Professor Drake.
Things were not going to turn out easy... specially after that dust barrier appeared between our team and the other, just in the middle of the field. But the dust suddenly settled down in a great quagmire, since the semi-elf's classmate, Yayoi, used her watercaster skills to create a small amount of rain to make it happen.
We tried to keep on our way to get the flag, but they were too strong and got to hold us back. There was only one way to keep them away from out team's flag and out of our way, and Árama had the answer: She performed an Entangle spell and left half of the teachers trapped within tangleweed. But there were still many others blocking our way. If we wanted to get to help the others, we had to stop the other teachers, and that was a particularly difficult task, specially now that another dust storm was blinding us again. On the other side of the field, Bahamut and Timmy were having a lot of trouble with the firewall that surrounded Professor Drake.
-I have an idea- a familiar voice said. It was the young man we had met when we were in New Shanghai. –But I need your help- he told Árama.
His plan was basically to send a group of small animals into some kind of kamikaze attack, carrying a small amount of a powerful explosive (A/N: Sorry for those animal lovers like me, but that guy really likes to blow things up). I was sure Árama was not going to accept that; she was a druid after all.
-Ok- she answered against what I had thought. –But if you want to blow up any animal, it would rather be a cat. (A/N: Sorry for those cat lovers, but Árama has really got a special phobia to cats).
Incredibly, his plan did work. Árama casted her spell and several kittens came to her. The young man put a small amount of explosive substance on each of them and the animals set up for the attack... and they blew up, leaving the floor and many people covered in blood and guts, but also leaving an open path to reach Professor Drake. There was when things got difficult... He created a firewall around himself whenever we tried to reach for the flag.
Árama tried and Invisibility spell so he would not notice her when she got close to him, but something did not go completely fine and her clothes were still visible. So, she decided to take her clothes off ("No one is going to notice, anyway" she said)... That is how we went past the firewall, and began to fight face-to-face, but Professor Drake was still too strong... It was our new companion who finally got to take the flag away from him with a swift, fast, strong movement.
That marked the ending of the University's sports and cultural festival... That, and Árama's reappearance, wearing our new companion's coat, since Timmy stole her clothes before she could reach back for them... And, obviously, Taltos' videos gave both Taltos and Árama some good profits when they sold them (A/N: They both made a deal: they would split the profits 50-50).
It was a little late when we got to our room that night. Anyway, we were preparing to get to bed when someone slid a letter under our door. It was a letter for me... a letter from Sianodell.
Now that I thought about it, I did not recall seeing him during the second half of the game, though he had been with us when it began. I opened the letter immediately and read:
Gea:
I apologize for the way in which I had to leave, not even making sure if you got this... but I have got very important things to do. That is the reason why I am going to be absent for a couple of days.
I also want to invite you for a special party I am planning for next Saturday. Everything is already settled and your plane tickets are attached to this letter...
I opened the other small envelope and found a pair for plane tickets: Von Frederich University-Mexico, Mexico-Von Frederich University. Then, I turned back to the letter:I will be waiting to see you again next Saturday.
Aramir.
°°°
It was still very early in the morning when someone knocked the door. It was a guy from a flower shop, and he was carrying a pair of dozens of roses: a dozen of black roses for Árama and a dozen of white roses for me. They had been sent by Kaworu Agata, the young man we had met in New Shanghai.
I honestly never thought he would be doing something like that but maybe he was trying to make it up for the bad impression he might have caused the first time we met. (A/N: Actually, I still don't know why he decided to send roses to all the girls in the party, since Mashauri also got a dozen of pink roses from him).
Anyway, it would have been a nice day if I did not have to study that much and had that much homework. That is why I had to stay in the room almost all day long (except for the while I decided to go out for a walk around the gardens –after I bought something for Sianodell, my birthday twin- and saw Kaworu fighting against a High-School student... He's got a really strange symbol tattooed in his chest, I am curious to find out what it means).
Árama, on the other hand, had gone out for a walk and returned a while later just to change clothes and fix her makeup to go out again.
-Got a date- Vanessa asked her before she went out again.
-Sort of- Árama answered. –I am going to flirt with a guy I met before we came here. He is a nice, red-haired elf, who always wears blue clothes.
I could not help to let out a small giggle. I could not believe she really liked that guy!
-And... does your friend have any friends you can introduce me to- Vanessa asked again.
-I do not know... Well, there is a guy... one of his teammates: another red-haired guy who likes to dress in red. You can meet him if you come down with me.
-I do not know... I think I am going to stay here. Got loads of things to do.
So, Árama went out again, while Vanessa and I stayed there, working on all the stuff we had to have ready for the next week.
Suddenly, as my eyes wandered once again over the essay I had to deliver for Humanities' Arcane Arts, I could not help to remember the horrible incident that happened during our first class... But I also realized that I was sitting in the same room as someone who could maybe help me to control the horrible curse upon me.
-Vanessa... may I ask you a question?
-Of course. What is it, Gea?
-I remember you once told us that you are studying the Dark Arts...- I made a brief pause. I still did not know how I was going to ask her what I wanted. –I suppose you remember our first Humanities class, when I almost got kicked out from the class for a certain spell that made four girls run away from the class...
-Yes- she answered. –That was a great display of a Cause Fear spell. I still cannot manage to do something as great as that- for some reason, she sounded really excited about it. –I wonder if you can teach me how to do it!
-Well... that is what I wanted to talk to you about... I cannot control it and I am really getting tired of that. What I want to ask you is... if you could please help me to control it.
-I am sorry- she answered. –But I cannot do that... I am still learning how to control my own power and I do not think I will be able to help you... But I know someone who can help you: Ian Strauss. He has helped me very much with my own powers; maybe he can help you, too!
-Really?
-Yes. He is a very busy man, and he only comes to Elizabeth campus for very special occasions, but maybe I can get you an interview with him...
-Thank you so much. I would really appreciate it!
We kept on with our works until a great explosion sounded not so far away from our building. I looked out the window and saw a giant robot (like the one we had fought a few days ago, but a little bit smaller) running across the school fields, followed by Bahamut, Taltos, Timmy, Kaworu and a girl I had never seen around the campus before.
I could not understand much of what was happening down there, since there were explosions everywhere around the robot (A/N: Though they were told not to destroy the mecha, Kaworu kept throwing shurikens with small amounts of C-4 at it)...
Finally, the robot stopped... Strange place to stop, indeed... If my reckoning was correct, it had just stopped in front of Taco Bell... Actually, I was right. It suddenly blew the restaurant's ceiling up and took something away from it as several food products were thrown everywhere around...
I still do not understand how but, as suddenly as it had begun, it was finally over... As far as I could see, Taltos did something that stopped the robot for good. (A/N: I know you may not understand this part, so I'm going to explain it at the end of the chapter... Sorry about that but, as you can see, I wasn't supposed to be there... Actually, I wouldn't be supposed to write this part, but I did).
°°° (A few minutes later)
(A/N: Specially for you, Bahamut! I may have made up a little bit, but I hope you like it, though it is a little bit short)
Someone was knocking on our door again. Vanessa got up and went to see who it was...
-Hi- I heard her say, though I could not see who was standing behind the door. –You are one of my roommates' friends, are you not? Gea is here, if you want to talk to her...
-N..no- the person at the door answered. Was it Bahamut? –I just came to... flowers...
-Are they for me? Really? Thank you- she reentered the room with a small bunch of flowers and then went out again.
-I was... wondering if... you wanted to go out with me.
-Sure, why not- she answered. –I am kind of hungry right now... And I would really like a taco. How about Taco Bell?
-Er... I think we would rather go somewhere else... Taco Bell is closed right now- I heard him say as she closed the door behind her back, leaving me completely alone.
°°° (Saturday, January the 29th)
The sun was shinning high up in the sky, but it was not hot, though. There was a soft, fresh breeze running through the atmosphere. Nice day to turn two hundred and sixteen.
Bahamut, Timmy (who had got horns and a tail overnight) and I took the plane that would take us up to Mexico. Kaworu, the young semi-elf and her friend Yaashi (who did not seem very happy) decided to take another plane (A/N: a private jet, actually). Taltos stayed in the University; said he had something to do (guiding the girl I had seen through the window the day before around the University). Árama was nowhere to be found.
When the plane finally landed, my mother and Sianodell were already waiting for us in front of an Amusement Park: Mundo Feliz. It was just like the fair that had been settled for the University's festival, but larger, filled with music, attractions, games... Great place, definitely.
The park's pathways suddenly became crowded: music and color filled the place as a large parade passed by with its musicians, allegoric cars and costumes (one of which –a purple dinosaur with green spots... I think he is called Barney- suffered an "unfortunate accident" when Timmy hit it with his horns, leaving the costume with a pair of holes in its back part...). (A/N: Yes! He achieved what we had always wanted: torture Barney! Actually, we want to kill him, but we didn't achieve that).
When the parade had already passed, we headed to a building at the west side of the park. It was a large hall, specially decorated with red roses and illuminated by several fire spheres. Many of my closest relatives and my mother's friends were also there. I really did not think I was going to get a birthday celebration like that one.
Then, for the first time, I realized something: Sianodell looked terrible that day! His clothes were torn, mud and blood stained, and his skin revealed several wounds and scratches.
-What happened to you? Are you alright- I asked him.
-I am Ok- he answered. –I just had to go through a lot of things to get your birthday present.
-Why don't you open it now- my mother asked and handed me a small box.
The tag in the box told me it was not just Sianodell's present; it was also my mother's present. I opened it immediately and found a small crystal stone with a small flame inside.
-This is a fire stone- my mother told me. –With this you can begin to cast powerful flames, but you can also alter the atmosphere around you.
Wow! Great gift! I could not believe it!
Anyway, that was not the only gift I got that day: Kaworu called me and gave me a single rose and a large warning: "Do not get it close to burning fire, do not let it fall or hit it too hard. I made that rose with a very powerful explosive. If you are not careful enough, you will unleash a chain reaction that will blow Mexico up". Mashauri, the young semi-elf, gave me the cutest thing I had ever seen: a large teddy bear wearing a bow tie and a hat... She had already named him Mr. Teddy Bear (A/N: Yeah, I know. Quite original name. Ain't my fault: I love teddy bears). Bahamut gave me a tape recorder (A/N: Very useful. He knows that's exactly what I need right now) and Timmy... Well, he gave me a souvenir he got from one of the small shops in the park (sort of a baseball cap with a pair of clapping hands on top of it). (A/N: Yeah, I know, that's the most original gift I had ever got, though I did not get it really).
While I opened my presents, at the other end of the room, Mashauri handed Sianodell his birthday present.
-From: Ma... Mashau... Mashauri- he read out loud. –You have a terrible calligraphy, Achu! But thank you.
I could not help to smile. He looked just as excited as a little kid when he gets a Christmas present... Well, I guess I was the only one who understood why, since he had never had much of a birthday gift before.
There was a sudden explosion at the other end of the hall. A smoke cloud filled the place. As it settled down, the nice scene I told you about had changed completely. Yaashi had been thrown against a wall and laid unconscious on the floor. Mashauri was laughing out loud and Sianodell, whose clothes were now almost completely torn and was completely covered with ashes (some of his wounds bleeding again), was looking at her with his eyes filled with anger as he walked toward her, beginning to draw out his flaming sword.
Kaworu tried to defend the young girl, but Sianodell said a single word in a language I could not understand, made some gestures with his hands and, a few seconds later, Kaworu had left the hall, running as fast as he could (A/N: Sianodell infected him with diarrhoea).
Sianodell would not let anyone stand in his way, I knew that. He was too stubborn, and Mashauri had hurt him so, he would have his revenge.
Anyway, I ran over to them and stood in his way before he attacked the semi-elf. He rapidly sheathed his sword again and looked at me, still angry.
-I am sorry- I told him. –But I once told you: to kill her you should have to get through me first.
He did not answer. He just walked away from the hall.
He returned a while later; talking to Kaworu (apparently apologizing for what he had done), who had borrowed him some clothes to wear.
-Sianodell- I said, as I approached him. –I apologize for what I did, but I...
-You did what you thought you had to do- he answered. –I also have to apologize... I just could not control my own anger.
-I know. I... brought you something- I told him, as I gave him what I had bought the day before.
-Great- he said as he took the knife out of the box and unsheathed it. –A Tanto was exactly what I needed to get my collection complete- he fastened the knife to his belt, at the opposite side from the one in which he kept his two swords. Then, he took my hands. –I would like you to come with me. There is a game I want us to try together.
I followed him across the park until we reached the Horror House. Was that the game he wanted to try with me?
We got in and had a great time but the small cart in which we were suddenly stopped in the middle of the ride. There seemed to be no one around and it would take some time for someone to make the game start again.
-Gea, I really apologize for what I am going to do... Your father is willing to see you and I... Well, I arranged a meeting here. I really hope you forgive me- he got off the cart. –Do not worry. I will be back in... five minutes.
-What? Oh, no. You cannot just leave me here!
Too late. He went away, running with an incredible speed.
I was definitely not going to stay there! I did not know what Sianodell was thinking of, but I was not going to stay there to see my father. He was the last person I wanted to see that day.
I was about to get up when I felt a hand running down my hair. I turned slowly around, feeling a terrible shiver running down my spine. There he was: my father, Aust Donnodel... Achernar Kihlstrom, I mean, but I had only met him as Aust Donnodel; I had never seen what he really looked like.
-Happy birthday, my dear Gea- he told me, as soon as I had faced him.
-Why don't you show yourself as you really are- I asked angrily. –I think I deserve that at least!
-I really should not do this for my own safety, but I will...
A great shadow covered him and, seconds later, I found myself sitting beside a very tall, short-haired dark elf. The shiver running down my spine began to grow in intensity.
-Is there something you want to ask me, Gea?
Hundreds of different questions ran through my mind, but the most important one was the one I had been asking myself for years:
-I always wanted to know...Why did you have to choose precisely her, when there were so many other women in the world?
-Siren is an amazing person- he answered. –She is powerful, she is smart, she is beautiful, she is sexy... It took quite some time for her to get to trust me but it was certainly worth it: I really loved her, and she knew how to make me happy.
-Why don't I believe you?
-You are perspicacious...- he said, and he made a large black fire sphere appear in one of his hands. –Impressive, is it not? Do you know what this is- I shook my head, as he made the sphere disappear. –Hell's Black Fire: One of the most powerful fires that can be casted- I remembered that. Sianodell had told me about it once. –But, I still cannot control it... I needed a firecaster to manage to get it, and Siren was precisely what I was looking for: a very strong and prodigious firecaster... Though it took quite some time for her to accept the power I had offered her...
-Then, you just used her- I interrupted him, angrily.
-Technically speaking... Yes, I did- he answered. –But that does not mean that I did not get to love her... and that it did not hurt me when she decided to leave my side- he made a brief pause. –Have you got with you the stone she gave you a while ago?
-Yes- I took the stone out of my pocket. –What for?
-I just want to borrow it for a while- I looked at him suspiciously. –I want to give you a birthday present, too.
With my hand trembling a little bit (a little bit? I mean a lot!), I handed him the stone... What was I doing? I still do not understand what I did when I was so angry with him for what he had said about my mother... But he had been honest, at least.
Once again, the black fire sphere appeared in his hand and, I do not know how, he kind of inserted it inside the stone. The crystalline stone suddenly lost all the brightness of the flame that used to shine inside it, which had been momentarily substituted by a small black flame. Suddenly, the black flame disappeared and led the small dim light back.
-There you go- he said, as he handed the stone back to me. –Anyway- he suddenly turned back to the topic he had been talking about before. –I think things are better the way they are now... She is much better now than she would have been if she had stayed with me... I will have to be gone soon. Is there something else you want to talk about?
-There is something... my curse...?
-The curse...- he said, and stood quiet for a long while. –Well, our curse is very special.
-Wait a minute- I said, a little confused. –Our curse?
-Yes. Our curse- he remarked. –Maybe someday you will understand what it is about... Necromancers like us have the gift to play with death, but death also plays with us...- he gave me a strange look, I could tell it was kind of sad. –You are still young and, if you keep on studying and becoming stronger as a firecaster, you may find a way to beat it... But my time is almost over and there was not much I could achieve- he got up. –I have to go now. I am sorry if I had to do all this to get to see you, but your mother would not let me close to you... It is also more safe this way- he kissed my forehead. –Happy birthday, my dear Gea.
Once again, as he had done all the times I had seen him before, he turned into some kind of shadow and disappeared immediately.
I took a deep breath and waited, sitting there, for my fear to drop a little bit so I could walk out of that place.
-Gea- my mother entered running, followed closely by Professor Drake (A/N: what the hell was he doing there? Please, don't ask me because I don't know). I had never seen her so angry... high burning flames surrounded her whole silhouette. –You were with him, right- she asked, her voice filled with anger. –I know your father is around here! Where is he?
-He was, but he has already left- I answered... my mother can get pretty scary sometimes.
-Are you alright- she asked, slowly calming down.
-So, I see I was not mistaken and she is really your daughter, Siren- Professor Drake said, as he gave both my mother and I a terrible, piercing look. Then, he left the place.
-Come on- my mother told me. –Let's get out of here.
-Mother? May I ask you something about that man?
-Well, Julian used to belong to the Fire Circle, too.
-That is what I have heard- I said. –I met him at the University, but I could not understand why he seemed to hate me so much.
-He was kind of... in love with me- she said, a strange smile crossing her face. –He was obviously not happy when I got involved with your father... and least of all when we had you. He got too foolish and got himself kicked out from the Fire Circle so, he began to dedicate full time to his part time job at the University. I am really sorry that you had to meet him that way...
As soon as we went out of the Horror House, we found Sianodell, who was about to enter it again. He took one of my mother's hands, knelt before her and apologized for what he had done.
-I should not forgive you for what you have done- she answered angrily, making a fireball appear in one of her hands. –But I will- the fireball lowered down and disappeared. –Do something like that ever again without my permission and I am going to fry you up!
°°°
The night had already fallen over the park when we took the plane back to the University (just after we watched the fireworks).
Sianodell and I were not the only ones who had got gifts that day, after all. Apparently, Mashauri had got a pair of fur animals from Kaworu, which did not make Yaashi very happy... I think even Vanessa got something from Bahamut when we returned, and I think they even got to have a second date...
As for myself, I had a lot of time to think about what I had talked with my father... Specially after the conversation I had with Sianodell while we were on the plane back, though, as he always did, he filled my head with much more questions. Why did I talk to him after what he had done?
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Sorry for the terrible way in which I ended this chapter... I am starting to think I am running out of ideas for chapter endings.
Now, about that explanation I had promised you:
Árama went to see the blue Sentai Member, but her date did not get any lucky... Timmy ended up leaving him unconscious after a fight they had... you must suppose she as not very happy after that happened.
The Sentai Members had been guarding the hangar from which the mecha came out. Taltos had been sent to work there with Dita, a young woman who worked for the government. The mecha suddenly walked out the hangar by itself and started making its way back to where it was built, in Japan, but it had also been infected by a computer virus (named Nacho) which made it stop when it reached Taco Bell, looking for nachos (I know it sounds stupid, but that's what those viruses do. Last year, during one campaign, my party had a lot of trouble when one giant robot –a member of our party- got infected with the virus named Taco). Anyway, when the robot was stopped for good, was because Taltos found a way to also infect its main computer with the Taco Virus so, the robot just shut itself off when it could not deal with all the tasks it had to complete (return to Japan, get nachos and tacos)...
I hope you understood something of what I just wrote... Still complicated, though.
Anyway, thank you for reading. Keep on reading and reviewing! (You know I love that)...
Next weekend I will bring you "What About...?" (Bonus Chapter #3). Someone owes Gea an apology... Interesting facts about love, life and death.
And... for the week after: "Terrorist Attacks". Things can get a lot more complicated when a mercenary with a very strange sense of humor steals University's property and gets us involved in the middle of a battle against the government.
Ok. That's all.
Ruby.