Chapter one: Ice Hearted Goodbye
"Tai-sans back there." Lex said before taking off back towards the mall "…And May." Trudy said reluctantly, Pride nodded before running to catch up with lex, turning Trudy looked at the battered form of one of her oldest friend as he waited for her, it seemed every time she looked at him he was stood further and further from the city "Midnight wait up!" she called
Midnight stopped dead, turning tapped his foot sarcastically "I'm only taking you as far as the farm house Trudy I have a sister to find you know." He said not meaning to sound as viperish as he did, but having all but recovered from what happened to him during the chosen he had decided to leave the city again and continue his search for his sister
Trudy nodded, she now saw why he had been so quick to leave the city after the chosen "Life goes on I suppose, but even you, a Greek like warrior can see how much you owe to Amber?" she asked, at this Midnight tensed
"I owe her nothing but my contempt, she said she would never go back to the city, and what does she do? Not only goes but drags me along for the nostalgia ride." He replied "there is no reason for me to involve myself in the affairs of a city dweller and her lover boy." he said,
Trudy sighed, they walked in silence for some time till finally Trudy spoke again "If things had been different Midnight… you know if I hadn't been on death row, would you have…you know?" she said gesturing to the quiver of arrows across his back that covered his sword
Midnight shrugged, suddenly he registered what she had asked and had to double take "Come one Trudy your asking me if I would run through the only City dweller who, other than Tai-san ever believed me in. I can't believe it." He exclaimed
Trudy sighed "Well you don't seem to care about bray, and he believed in you, so did amber." She said
Midnight choked a laugh "They are totally different Trudy," he said stopping, moving to her side he lifted Brady up into his arms
"Amber only believed in me because she missed the city and bray and bray only believed in me because he needs someone to play against the other mall rats."
Trudy didn't believe him but she didn't want to push him away by forcing the subject and so once again silence fell over the two
When they reached the gates of the old farm Midnight shuffled "I guess this is goodbye then." He said
Trudy turned to him and smiled "Not where I'm concerned she said as she removed a feathered necklace from around her neck, taking midnights hand from his side she ran her middle three fingers down his palm causing him to instantly close his hand, forcing it open again Trudy pushed the feathered necklace into his grasp and closed his fist back,
Midnight looked at his closed hand he frowned "Trudy I…" he said but then he realised something, and smiled "I will guard this with my life." He said
"I'm sure you will Midnight," Trudy said "what I want to know is that you won't forget the mall rats, forget me," she continued, "I'll miss you." she said in a clipped emotional way
Midnight sighed how could he make her see that since Patsy's death she, Brady and tai-san were the only things holding him to the city, and that she was the most important suddenly it hit him, removing a small dagger from the sheath on his boot it was jewel encrusted on the hilt, when Trudy saw it she knew what it was and who had given it to him
Handing it to Trudy midnight said "That was given to me by Patsy… it is as dear to me as my locket, you want to know I won't forget you, and that one day I may come back, then that is it, keep it with you whenever your in danger or feel sad, hold it to your chest and think of me and I will be with you wherever you go, and…by Ares I WILL return one-day" he said
Trudy took the dagger holding it lengthways she studied it
"Only use it in self defence Trudy, just because I have given you a dagger doesn't mean you can become the next ebony." Midnight said, Trudy strained a tearful laugh as she place the dagger into her bag, suddenly without warning she threw her arms around Midnight not bothering about his weapons or scars and hugged him as tight as she could, releasing himself from her grip Midnight turned and bent down as close as he could to Brady's level
"My how you've grown little lady." He said "I can see your going to be as beautiful as your mother when you grow up." He continued stroking bradys hair sighing he continued "I know you probably can't remember me, you were so young when I left, but if you can… keep that memory forever," he said before getting to his feet, turning to the dust road ahead he began to move when he was far enough away he turned "I won't forget you Trudy, I love you." he called back quickly,
As Trudy watched Midnight leave she smiled she had heard both references to his feelings about her.
Midnight however was sceptical about her reactions "She didn't seem bothered." He mused as he hunched his quiver up onto his back, picking up his pace he headed for Eagle Mountain "Two more people to say goodbye to, and then I am dead to the world again."
As he walked Midnight thought over the destination ahead of him "Ares knows I never thought I'd feel so at home up there." He thought
Flashback
Midnight knelt by a wooden star, as he knelt there he cried, for the second time in years the young 'boy' warrior was allowing his tears to flow freely, his tears fell on the freshly laid stones of the makeshift grave,
Weather it was his grief at the loss of a trusted friend, or the fact that the friend had been only a few years younger than his missing sister, the reason didn't matter all that mattered to the young warrior was that the young girl whose grave he had dug himself would never brighten up his dark life,
She wasn't laid at the bottom of the stones but she was as good as, he had not been present in her final days but he knew she had brightened the world for the last time during the chosen's occupation,
As he knelt their they young warrior swore a blood oath, one that could only be broken by his own death, "I swear by the blood of every Karovan who has gone before me, I swear that the guardian will die for what he did to you Patsy!" he sobbed, slowly he began to talk as though the littler girl were sat before him on the stones "you were so young… you would have liked my home planet pats you always loved playing and picking flowers… when I finally return home I'll bring you some star orchids, their beautiful in winter!" he said getting to his feet,
Brushing the dirt from his jeans he placed his deep tinted shades over his eyes and turned to the city "you took her from me jaffa… a life for a life!" he hissed, as he got to his feet Midnight of ko-35 didn't know what he was going to do but as he stared at the wooden star he was determined to see justice was done,
End flashback
But patsy was the only person buried on that mountain
"She wasn't as close as Patsy but she still meant something to you, you sentimental old fool." Discord mused, as she appeared beside him Midnight didn't turn but rather guessed to whom he was speaking as he replied
"Whatever Discord, she still helped me settle in and sort of made me feel at home in a mall full of strays and innocents."
"She was slaggy, it was her job to make guys feel 'at home' as you call it" discord replied, Midnight shrugged
"Was there a reason you showed up goddess discord, or do you usually appear to warriors on quests and slag off their deceased friends?" Midnight asked, Discord smiled
"You're not like other warriors Midnight of KO-35." She said, again Midnight shrugged
"No reasons then leave me alone." He said, and so with a annoyed huff discord vanished
Midnight continued walking through the night, sleep and rest were for the innocent and the weak he thought, as he walked he thought about what lay past eagle mountain what was it he needed to do, what would he do, Lachesis had said he was looking to hard and that his sister would come to him, so what would he do? "A warrior without a quest is like the mall rats without bray amber or salene," He said with a strained laugh "and redemption is for those whose pasts don't enjoy biting them in the butt." He continued
When he reached the top of Eagle Mountain he dropped his weapons by the ruins of the observatory and headed to the grave marker nearest the ruins, it had a name scrawled into it, to a stranger it would seem unreadable but Midnight didn't need any writing to know who was buried there,
"Hi Zan." He said as he knelt at the bottom of the grave, growing up with his family no matter how short a time he had with them he had learned that if you speak of or think of the deceased they can hear you even if they couldn't reply.
As he knelt there staring at the pile of rocks that were supposed to be a grave he thought of the first time he had spoken to Zandra, he had seen her one time before he had joined the rats, but that wasn't it
Flashback
Midnight sat on the stairs trying desperately to tie all his hair backs Zandra sat down beside him
"Do you know why the children are scared of you?" she asked pointing over to Patsy and Paul who were once again trying in vain to spy on him
"No, but I'm sure your gonna enjoy tell me." Midnight replied
"Because you still dress like you're a loco." Zandra replied, Midnight turned "What has how I dress got to do with Chloe, Patsy and Paul being scared of me?" he asked
"You wear dark colours children are automatically scared of dark colours… I read it in a magazine once." She replied, Midnight sighed
"And I suppose you have the answer?" he asked dreading that she would say yes, he wanted the children to stop fearing him but he didn't like bright colours,
Zandra smiled, getting to her feet she pulled midnight to his
"I certainly do, I've spent all day picking out an outfit for you," she said
"Oh woopie." Midnight sighed as he followed Zandra to her room, once inside Zandra busied herself gathering the clothes she had picked out for midnight, turning to him she tapped her foot
"Its not like I haven't seen your chest before is it midnight? You were kind of topless when you first came here." She said looking displeasingly at Midnight who was stood in the doorway, shrugging Midnight entered zandras room and pulled his top over his head accidentally releasing his hair, luckily for him at the same time his locket was pushed to the back of his neck and was now covered by his hair, Zandra surveyed Midnights numerous scars and smiled "girls like a guy who can protect them." She said before throwing him a t-shirt, unfolding it Midnight studied the design, it was green, which luckily was not what he had expected, as he pulled it over his head he noticed it had a triquatra in the centre "Where did you get this Zandra?" he asked,
"The clothes shop." She answered before looking him up and down, her eyes caught on his jeans which where tattered and stained with blood, she guessed it wasn't his own " now the bottom." She said, Midnight shuffled it wasn't that he was uncomfortable taking his trouser down in front of a girl it was only that there was no door on zandras room
"If lex… he'll think I'm…"
"You can probably take lex with one hand tied behind your back, and besides, you heard him yesterday." She said before throwing him a pair of blue denim jeans, as Midnight began to change Zandra turned away, when she turned back Midnight was fully changed into his new clothes "perfect." she said "stick with me Midnight, and you'll always be the height of cute." She continued, Midnight wasn't listening, he was studying his reflection in the window
"Is that?" he wondered but he shrugged the thought away he knew the boy he had once been was gone forever, zandra smiled before shooing him out of her room so that she herself could get changed.
End flashback
"If only you could have lived long enough to see Ryan married, from what I hear zandra he was a stunning groom, you'd be proud of the plank." He sighed; bowing his head Midnight spoke a prayer in his native Karovan, which to anyone who heard who knew their history would sound like ancient Greek with something added.
Every now and the Midnight glanced from his prayer up towards the only other grave on the mountain that had a cover, it seemed that the person that had laid the grave had taken weeks making it, perfecting every detail, there were a ring of flowers surrounding the rocks and earth that covered the hole, on top of the rocks lay a seal forged in gold, the seal was of the warrior prince himself, Midnight knew this because… well the warrior prince was him.
Finally Midnight dropped his guard and moved over to the grave, paying every attention not to ruin the flowers planted there he knelt at the bottom of the grave, he still had Trudy's feathered neck piece with him, pulling it out he rubbed his neck
"I know she was part of the reason you're no longer here pats, but think, if it wasn't for Trudy we may never have met." He mused to himself.
After silent period of some hours Midnight rose to his feet "Goodbye Girls." He said recovering his weapons before turning and walking in the opposite direction than which he had came
He walked for days, rest only to collect berries or to collect flower seeds,
It had been seven whole days since he had seen a or even signs of another 'human' but on the eighth day as he stood surveying a clearing, he heard a shrill cry from somewhere in the distance, without thinking twice Midnight rushed to the sound, what he found both horrified and excited him, in front of him were half a dozen would be warriors with hand pounded armour he guessed had been made from trash can lids and the cans, and in their midst cowered three children each a little older than the last,
As he watched the would be warriors circle the children a chill ran down his spine and his heart began pounding like a jack hammer "The thrill of the battle." He thought,
Suddenly the youngest of the three children spotted Midnight "My hair reflect the sun… now that's what I call having a reflective personality." Midnight thought as the warriors turned to see what the girl had been looking at, one of them must have seen Midnights weapons array because on his word the others attacked
Midnight drew his sword and began deflecting move after move "Where did you guys learn to fight? Kinder garden?" he asked
As the metal of the combatants weapons clashed, the oldest of the three children dropped to his knees, Midnight glanced over holding his sword out ready to fight "You alright kid?" he asked, the two remaining children looked up "Thanking the god." The youngest said pointing at his kneeling sister, Midnight turned again to the fight "I'll bet dollars to denary she isn't praying to Zeus." He thought,
Suddenly one of the 'warriors' lunged at Midnights middle section, the only part of his body he wasn't guarding, he hit home, midnight went sprawling to the floor, The warriors huddled expecting Midnight to submit, but Midnight didn't, after regaining his vague and uncaring posture on his feet he threw off his top and ran back into the fight,
As they fought the leader of the makeshift banned grabbed Midnights shirt in mid throw and stuffed it into his satchel,
Finally it seemed to midnight that the warriors were getting the idea that he wasn't going to go down easily, but just to make sure midnight decided to give them a scare, as the warriors were re grouping Midnight embedded his sword in the ground and removed one of the arrows from his quiver and lit it, aiming it at the leaders trousers he fired, as the leader of the band jumped around screaming and trying to get away Midnight turned and walked over to the kids, as he neared them the eldest introduced herself and her siblings
"I am Cade, my sister is called keena and my brother is called martin." She said, Midnight bowed a little
"Thank the great one you came when you did" the youngest said Before he could say anything he saw the youngest girl, she had a chain round her neck in the shape of a letter than on one side brought him nostalgia and laughs and on the other pain
"Your children of zoot!" he exclaimed,
The eldest look at midnight as if he had expected Midnight to already know this "And you, my weary traveller, who do you swear to if not the great one?" she asked, Midnight shivered but regaining himself he stood his ground, they were younger than him what harm could they do that the guardian had not already done
"My life belongs to no one but me, but my destiny is in the hands of the fates." He replied, as Midnight talked the youngest was circling him, carefully she ran her hand down a scar on midnights back causing him to flinch
"He has the mark." She said looking at her older sister, who immediately moved to midnights back
Midnight span not letting Cade see his scar "The mark? What in Zeus's name are you talking about?" he demanded, but the minuet he opened his mouth the three children dropped to their knees
"Nightmare has returned." The eldest cried looking to the heavens, now midnight knew what keena had meant, the scar on his back from his last training battle with zoot
"I'm not nightmare, he died with the last wave of the virus kid, and zoot died before him, he's no god." He said,
Cade covered her sister's ears as best she could "The guardian spoke of nightmares denial." Martin wasn't really listening he was staring straight at the blade that was still embedded in the ground
"The blade that slew the leader of the pie-rats." He exclaimed, midnight turned to his sword, giving Cade and keena a chance to see his scar, pulling his sword from the ground Midnight spun it round and round in his hand as if he was trying to get the feel of the old weapon "He moves like he was meant for greatness and yet he denies it." Keena said, Midnight bent down to speak to keena but as he was about to speak a injured voice called from the distance, Cade jarred it seemed she had forgotten someone
"You are Nightmare, you carry zoots blessing, you can heel my sister kern." Cade said pulling midnight by his weapon less arm towards what looked like a farm, the barn was on fire and the fences were ruined as they reached the door midnight recovered himself and set himself free of Cades grip, but zootist or not the girl inside the hut needed help, and if his journey was about anything it was goodness and doing the just thing, stepping over the bodies at the entrance he had to lowed his head to get through the broken door looking around he saw nearly a dozen bodies laying contorted and limp around the farmhouse, there in the corner of the hut he saw her, it looked like she had been thrown
"Cade." The young woman moaned, Cade rushed to her sisters side and explained who she had brought with her to help, at this the injured woman tried to stand, Midnight resolved to speak
"Stay down, both your legs are broken, those idiots are dumb but their not stupid," he said as he knelt down, as he began to tend to their sister Cade, Keena and martin began to gather up the dead bodies it seemed they had seen death before
"This just keeps getting more and more like one of Hera's little war tests." He thought.
He spent the next few days training and meditating and talking with the children, always under the bed ridden watchful eye of their zoot washed sister, Midnight had expected to help the elder and be on his way but the healthy children would not let him leave whenever he tried to disappear they knew where to find him and every time with the same answer
"We are zoots chosen, we know all about your mysterious exits", Midnight was getting tired of the way he was being treated, also, he had the strange sensation he knew their elder sister from somewhere in his past but as he kept reminding himself a lot of ex chosen and locos had fled the city after brays performance as zoot.
Finally one day Midnight sat down beside the bed ridden elder with Cade, keena and martin beside him and finally after so many months re-lived what had happened to him during the chosen occupation and what had happened before to make him leave the locusts, when he was finished he looked around, as he had expected the youngest didn't believe him but the girls did and they were horrified
"But…" kern tried to think of a reason for the atrocities the guardian had caused, all apart from kern (obv) rose and left to ponder what the 'great' warrior had said Midnight turned to kern "The guardian fooled a lot of people, even… Trudy." He said, at this Kern smiled "The reason you are here, ice flees from fire like a river from the mountain." She replied, Midnight shrugged "She's just one of many reasons, but no matter, the fact is I have to continue my journey, you cannot hold me here, Kern nodded "But will you pass this way again oh Night… I mean Midnight?" she asked
"I may, I do not know my path, all I know is it is my path and if I am to find true peace I must follow it by Ares." He said as he rose "If I do I shall return, and together we shall venture into the city." He said before gathering his weapons and turning for the door "May Z...Eus watch over you old Warrior." Kern called after him, Midnight stopped "Zeus hasn't watched over me since before the virus kern it is Ares I yield to." He said before continuing on his way, he didn't stop to say farewell to Cade as he passed her, his eyes were set on the dust road in front of him.
Back in the Gaian camp Trudy was stood with Brady in her arms looking into Midnights empty hut from the open door, since she had been taken in by the gaian's they had begun treating her like one of them, and she was beginning to wonder if she should leave the city behind and settle there, because she knew that the Gaian camp would be midnights first stop when he returned…. IF he ever returned.
Deep in her heart she knew he would "This is where Midnight lives Brady, he's your…" she couldn't think what to say, all the other boys who were her friends where known to Brady as her uncles but midnight…. Midnight was different he was… well Midnight, he had been there for her since her traumatic time after Brady's birth, one minuet he was a evil twisted locust bent on fulfilling zoots dream of power and chaos, then suddenly there he was stood at the foot of her bed looking as meek and sorrowful as a stray, but twice has handsome as any normal stray
But Trudy had never told him that, she had preoccupied herself with her Childs fathers brother, trying to convince herself that she still loved him and that going with martin had not been in vane, she didn't like admitting that her heart had been stolen from day one by the vengeful and revengeful soul of the 'warrior prince' as the province tribes called him she kept her feelings secret but she knew Midnight kept his even more of a secret, oh yes, she knew he had them, she had heard his words as he had left her side that day "I love you." he had called back thinking she wouldn't hear him, but she had.
END OF CHAPTER 1