Disclaimer: I don't own the Newsies. And, uh, the idea of Aeons (and the terminology) and relics are from the games Threads of Fate and Final Fantasy X and are the properties of Squaresoft. Sorry if I had to use the idea. Can't come up of anything good. I'm crappy when it comes to that. And please don't sue me. Go ahead, I won't give you anything if you did because I don't have anything.
After what I have thought to myself last night...I feel awkward. Now, I can't talk to Jack properly. This morning, he said 'Good Morning' to me. And do you know what I said back? 'Good Afternoon.' It was embarrassing. I shouldn't thought about it. It only makes me feel awkward and strange. Me and Hallie told the others about the weird red-haired guy and his wife. They all agreed on going to their small shop and ask them about who the man mistook me from. We decided to skip selling newspapers today. We went on first thing in the morning because Hallie was very curious about it. We went along with the boys and split up on the way. Finally, we reached the shop where I first met Walter. He was sweeping outside. We walked towards him.
"Hey, uh, Mr. Walter? Do you remember me?" I said. He turned around too fast and cricked his neck. He dropped his broomstick and fumbled around.
"Oh...h-hey Milady-I mean...uh, what's your name?"
"Haylie."
"Yeah. Uh, what do-do-do-"
His small eyes bulged again. He was looking strangely at Hallie.
"W-why is there two of-of-of you?!?" He stuttered.
"It's because they're twins, Walter." A voice spoke from behind. It was Ms. Lucille, standing on the doorway.
"What?"
"Take a closer look."
He looked at us, from me to Hallie, then he repeated the process over and over again.
"Here's a clue. The other has longer hair while the other has shorter."
Walter took another look at us. Then, he crossed his arms and said with indignation, "I knew that!"
"How perceptive." Taylor said sarcastically.
Ms. Lucille walked towards us.
"Well, well. Look who's here. It's Haylie, right?" I nodded timidly.
"We want to ask about-"
"About who my husband mistook you from, isn't it?" She interrupted. Wait a minute...how did she know that...it's exactly what I want to ask?
"Y-yes, but how-"
"Come inside." She said, then she and her husband walked inside the shop. Dawn and Gail looked reluctant to go inside.
"I have a bad feeling about this..." Gail said.
"Me too." Dawn added.
We followed them inside. The interior was actually larger than what it looks like outside. I never would have imagined that this was actually a bookshop. It looked so different from outside. Probably because it looks so dark and gloomy. But inside, it's quite comfy and warm. Books of different sorts are lined up everywhere. Hallie looked pretty glad to be here. She would be able to read some of these. She just loves to read books.
"Take a seat." Ms. Lucille pointed to five chairs behind us that I haven't noticed before that it was there. We did what she said and took a seat. Walter came in with a tray of biscuits, a teapot and cups. He looked so twitchy and nervous that he almost dropped the tray and the pitcher. He placed it on a table in front of us. He took a seat beside his wife. We just stared at them, not making any sound. I eyed the tray of biscuits suspiciously.
"Well, why haven't you touched the tea and the biscuits? Do you think they're poisoned?" Ms. Lucille spoke, a mysterious half-smile curving on her lip.
"Uh? They aren't...are they?" Gail said, her mouth full of biscuits. We never noticed that she already took a handful of biscuits.
"Gail!"
"What?!? These biscuits seem pretty harmless! And they're yummy!" She said, grinning with satisfaction. Ms. Lucille laughed.
"Anyway, may I ask about all of you?" We gave each other anxious looks. The others introduced themselves to Walter and Lucille (Of course, they already know about me.)
"Where are you all from?" She asked. I felt even more nervous. She keeps looking at us mysteriously, like she's reading our minds.
"We-we're from-"
"Ah, England, right? I don't think so. You already used that so many times." She said, smiling. W-what?!? Then, is my hunch true? Is she reading our minds?
"Are you spying at us?!?" Dawn burst into an anxious, uneasy state.
"No, my dear girl. I'm not spying on you. We already know you all about you." Ms. Lucille said, looking at Walter, who nodded happily in agreement. Okay, what did she mean by that?
"What do you mean?!?" Hallie said, panic ringing in her voice.
"We already know all about you. I saw beforehand that you will be sent here in our time." She said calmly. But we were not in a calm state. This is a serious situation! How come...this man and woman, whom I've met only two days ago, already know about us when we haven't told her anything?
"You mean...you know all about us...that we're from the future?" Taylor asked, her face paler than usual.
"Exactly." Walter and Lucille said in perfect unison. That was it. I'm panicking now.
"How could you know?!?" I said loudly, anger and panic rushing all over me. "I never told you anything about it!"
"Even if you haven't, we already know about it. Now, sit down all of you and I will tell you everything." Lucille said, an air of impatience around her voice. I was reluctant if I would do what she says and listen, or just walk out that door. After a few minutes, I made my decision.
"Okay, but we still don't trust both of you." I sat down quietly. Hallie looked at me. It's as if she's saying that, "These people can't be trusted!" through eye contact. I nodded and tried to make her understand what I'm trying to say without the use of words. She seemed to understand. She sat down quietly as well. The others did the same. Well, except for Dawn. She stood still, eyeing the couple suspiciously. Taylor pulled her down and made her sit quietly on her chair. Angered, she looked ready to burst out loud and pick a fight with Taylor. But before she could, I gave her a look that suggested that she should just keep her mouth shut and listen to Lucille. And finally, she slumped back into her chair and kept sulking.
"Now, are you all ready to listen?" Lucille said. We nodded to her.
"Alright then, here it goes."
"The reason why we have known about you is that...I have predicted that it would happen." We gasped at what we just heard.
"Wait, wait, wait...are you saying that, you, like, already know all about this weirdo stuff that's happened to us?" Gail interrupted. Ms. Lucille nodded.
"Okay...Oh my freakin' God." Then, she kept quiet again.
"As I may continue, I knew that you were not her when I first saw you." Lucille said, looking at me.
"Who is that 'her' you're referring to?" I asked, curiosity possessing me. She didn't say anything. She continued on.
"And then, when I saw your twin sister, Hallie...I knew that you were the ones. Her possible reincarnations." She said, looking at us both. Reincarnations?!? Of whom?
"Who are you talking about?!? Will you please tell us?" Hallie asked persistently. Lucille paused for a moment. Then, finally she said it. The person she was talking about.
"The daughter and the successor of the Aeon family we are serving. Selene Evergrand."
It was none other than Selene, that girl Jack mentioned when I was in that so-called Field of Souls in my 'vision'. The name he kept calling me. The name he said that he has lost forever.
"Selene?!?" I burst out loud. I couldn't believe what I just heard.
"Why, do you know her?" Lucille said, the usual misty voice broke into a surprised one.
"Y-yes...I think." I said feebly. I can feel Hallie's and everyone else's eyes looking at me.
"But how? How did you know about her?" She asked, her eyes widened.
"Because...I had, I mean, we had this vision, that we were in some sort of field called..." I said. Everybody seems to be listening attentively.
"The Field of Souls." Hallie finished the sentence I was going to say. Lucille gasped and Walter almost fell out of his chair.
"D-did you just say...the Field of Souls???" Walter stuttered. We nodded. Then, we told them about what we saw...what I saw...and about Jack.
"Inconceivable!"
"I-I can't believe it!"
"What? What? What are you guys talking about???"
Yeah, I know it's hard to understand, but we couldn't understand it either.
"This is interesting. How could you two have the same vision at the same time? And that voice you kept hearing...describe it." Lucille said, unable to believe what she heard. We told her about it as well. But I added that along with it, I also kept hearing Frank's voice.
"Your friend?" Lucille asked. I nodded. Then, she stood up and paced around the room.
"Perhaps it might be him?" I heard her whisper to herself, but enough for us to hear her. Walter grabbed some biscuits from the tray and poured himself a cup of tea. Gail did the same. Then, she told us the story of Selene, after a few moments of pacing around the room.
"A few years ago, when she was about seven years old, her family moved here to New York City. At a first look, her family just looks like one of those rich families who can afford anything. But unbeknownst to the people, they are one of the noble families of a race called 'Aeons'."
"What are 'aeons'? " we asked.
"Aeons are powerful sorcerers with abilities to rearrange the stars, move mountains, empty oceans, or destroy continents. But, despite their godlike powers, they weren't immortal. Their race are quickly dying as of today, and their powers are weakening. Now, Selene, who does not know anything about this, thought that she was just another ordinary girl, when the truth that she's not. One day, she met a young boy named Francis Sullivan that she befriended very quickly. The two were almost inseparable; they were like brother and sister. But, even though she was young, Selene developed feelings for the boy. And, in my own opinion, I think the boy also had feelings for her. But, her parents suddenly found out about her feelings for the boy. They were against it by any means. I suspected that it was because he's human and Selene is an Aeon. They didn't want her to fall in love with a human and soon marry him. So, without telling her the reason why, they sailed back to England. Her father removed all the memories of the people that knew Selene. She kept crying and crying to me. All I could do was to comfort her, and...nothing else. She asked her parents why they did what the have to do. They finally told her of her heritage, that she isn't an ordinary human being. She is an Aeon. At only ten years old, she managed to control her magical powers quickly and efficiently. But that was her parents' biggest mistake. Selene sneaked inside her father's atelier and used one of his relics to create an astral clone of Francis and imbued all of his memories into it. Her father caught her eventually and threatened to obliterate the clone, but Selene stole one of her father's relics. The Key of Chronos. It is a golden key with five Chronos stones attached on its upper part and a Chronos sphere in the middle."
Wait a minute, 'The Key of Chronos'...I found a golden key before...and it also has five stones attached on its upper part...is that the Key she's talking about? But wait, she also mentioned another thing...there is a sphere on the middle. The key I found doesn't have one. It might be a different one. But can two different keys have the same use?
"I remember that he built gateways in each of their houses. And there was one in their mansion back in England. She used it and sent the clone into the future. Before she did, she removed all of his memories, and imbued him with fake ones. That was the last time we ever saw him again. And then, she never smiled again."
After what she told us, we were confused. It was too unbelievable to say that you can believe it. But there's still a few unanswered questions.
"Wait, is there two Keys of Chronos?" I asked. Lucille turned around and spoke to me.
"No, there isn't. As long as I can remember, there is only one Key."
"How come we're the possible reincarnations of her?" Hallie asked this question. Lucille looked at her, then turned her eyes away.
"Because that's what I saw. If she was ever reborn, she would be both of you. Truly, the resemblance is striking."
We still couldn't understand. How could one person be reborn into two?
"But, how could that be? She's only one person." My sister asked.
"I don't know. But, I think that she also longed to have a sister. She was an only child." She said, a hint of sadness in her voice.
"But, she's still alive, isn't she?" Walter asked. Lucille looked at him sadly.
"Barely."
"Why? What happened?" We asked, but it seems too painful for her to say. We decided not to bring up the subject again. Suddenly, something came up in my mind.
"Could you show us a picture of her?" I asked. Hallie nodded in agreement. We have to see what she looks like at least.
"Alright. Walter, could you go and get a picture of her?" Lucille asked. Walter stood up from his chair and went into the other room. Soon enough, he came back, clutching a picture frame. We all looked at it. It was true. We do look like her. She has long hair that curled at the ends, the eyes shaped like ours, the same nose, and the same lips.
"She was seven in this picture. Such a beautiful child." Lucille said, sniffing slightly. Then, I wondered what do they do for their family.
"You said that, both of you served their family, right? What did you do?"
"We are guardians for them, especially for Selene. Since their powers are weakening, we have to protect, even if it costs our lives." Lucille said. Then, she explained how they protect them.
"Other magical races would exploit the fact that their powers are weakening. They are jealous of the Aeons' powers. So, we have to protect them. I am a black mage, a witch to be exact, while Walter is a warrior. I am also skilled in Divination, while Walter is skilled in alchemy." That explained it. They themselves have magical powers as well.
"It must have been hard." I said. They both nodded in agreement. Suddenly, I remembered about the newsies. We have to go back.
"There are still more I could tell you, but I think you all need to go." Lucille said. We said yes and bid goodbye to them. As I walked out the door of the bookshop, I remembered something. Selene loved a boy named Francis Sullivan. Yesterday, when we were being chased by Snyder, he called Jack 'Sullivan'. Does that mean that he's...no, I might be wrong. 'Sullivan' is a common name and it's probably someone else. But still, there's something that bothers me. It's that we, me and Hallie, are the possible reincarnations of her. Suddenly, I felt like I wasn't real anymore. They said that she's still alive, but barely. What does that mean? That when she dies, we will be her in the future? For now, I wouldn't think about it. It's causing me a headache.
