AN: I told you I would update quickly! –snort- Or, I told you I would update quickly but I didn't and now I'm gonna get flamed! YAY! Again, Soz for the most recent cliffhanger. I promise not to do it deliberately again… not that that one WAS deliberate or anything… gah. Whateva. There will be a lot of skipping between parts of this chapter, that is because I'm not very good at these POV things.

Btw, the next few chapters will be in Jesse's POV. I hope you like it since I most definitely cannot write as a guy character... PLEASE GO EASY ON ME! –shoots puppy eyes which fail dramatically-

-gulp-

L l u v i a

Chapter Fifteen

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to see Melanie, one of my many friends in Carmel Hospital – a patient that suffers from epilepsy. I smiled for a moment but then I realized that she wasn't. My eyebrows furrowed with concern, seeing as Melanie was almost always cheerful and smiling – a joy to be around.

'Doctor de Silva,' She cleared her throat and tossed some of her coffee brown hair over her shoulders. Bright hazel eyes were full of what seemed to fright – this heightened my senses. Something was wrong. I could feel it.

'The police are on the phone,' She paused, eyes going even wider than beforehand, 'They want to speak to you.' Oh, that is what it was. Melanie, of course, was a complete perfectionist at age sixteen, so I guess that is why she was troubled that I was asked for by the Carmel PD.

'Any predictions?' Melanie claimed to have visions of her friends future sometimes – when she had her seizures. Her head nodded up and down vigorously, like one of those bobble dolls that Susannah and I bought for her step-father – the ones that were placed at the front of the headboard in a car.

I smiled inwardly when I thought of Susannah. Susannah Simon – to be de Silva. I could not believe it when she agreed to me becoming her husband. I felt like the luckiest man alive at that moment. When I saw the smile spread across her face and her reply to the ultimate question, I mean.

Melanie was speaking, I caught the gist of what she was saying, 'I know why the police are on the phone.' Her tone was dark. Again, thoughts of dread plagued my mind. What could it possibly be?

I knelt down on one knee so I was shorter than her… I was twenty one and she was sixteen so I was a great deal taller than her. 'What is it, Melanie?' I hoped she did not go into another seizure. Melanie was a strong girl… like Susannah, really, but she was not invincible and could not fight off her own medical conditions.

Hazel eyes faded into complete ebony – this surprised me. It was most definitely not a symptom I had ever seen happen before. Neither was her voice, it seemed like two people were speaking. Melanie's original high voice was replaced by a low hiss. But it was what she said that scared me.

'Your Susannah has been in a car accident.'

I stood up straight away. Just as I did, Melanie's eyes turned back to their normal hazel. As I ran, she followed me, yelling. 'Jesse! What did I do? Did I say anything?' I knew it was rude – but I ignored her.

Susannah was in danger.

The phone almost slipped out of my hands – I was clumsy. But that is what you tend to do when your one true love may be being harmed right at that instant. 'Hello?'

'Mr de Silva,' the gruff voice replied. I could tell just by hearing his voice that he was most probably a man in his 40's, with a brown beard and mustache with russet hair on top of his head that was going grey. Don't ask me how I knew this, I just did.

'Yes officer, want is it that you need?' My hands were shaking as I gripped the receiver, waiting for the answer the police officer would give me.

A sigh was emitted along the phone, 'I have some terrible news. There was a car crash involving your fiance, Susannah Simon, who seemed to be travelling to Marina to visit a friend. We need you to come and ID the car. The chief also wants you to talk to him about something else as well.'

My voice was cold, hollow – unlike me. 'I will be there in fifteen minutes.'

-(§)-

Once at the site I ran as fast as I could to where I could find the police tape. Immediately on sight, police officers tried to pull me away from the wreckage but I proved that I was Susannah's fiancee by showing them my ID on my hospital uniform.

They let me through and what seemed to be the chief officer, came up to me and started talking about the accident. 'Apparently,' his voice was accented, I recognized through it that he originated from Texas. 'The crash was a hit and run job. Your fiance was hit by an unknown vehicle – even now we cannot track it – and it sped off. Her car did several 360 loops before hitting the telegraph pole right there.'

He pointed to the pole next to the car crash. No longer was it standing – in fact, It was dead fallen onto the grass behind. If that had have fallen the other way and onto Susannah's car, she would have been dead for sure.

I asked him desperately, 'Where is Susannah? Surely you must have found her by now.' The man averted his gaze from my face, to the road and then to the car. His voice dropped to a whisper.

'That's the thing I wanted to talk to you about so desperately.' He sighed out loud and fixed up his shirt so it was completely straight before saying…

'There was no one in the car.'

-(§)-

Susannah turns to me, bright green eyes alit with her own passionate fire, 'All the mediators I know, Jesse? Well, there is Paul, Father Dominic, you and me and… oh! Ophelia! Now I remember. She's my newest friend. I think she'd love to meet you.' I tell her it is a good idea and on a small slip of paper she writes:

Ophelia – 54 Mallee Street, Marina, California.

'Thank you,' I reply to her. She just smiles which lights up her face even more and kisses my cheeks. I dare hope that she does not see my face glow red or it would be the end of me…

-(§)-

It was hard, when I came to the door of "Ophelia's" house, not to look around in amazement. The wooden house was perhaps as old as the one Susannah was currently living and adorned with strange dark blue walls. The house looked as if it were a mansion – back in it's early construction, the owners would have to be rich to afford something like this.

Until the figure of an elderly lady appeared behind the white screen door, I had not noticed that I started knocking, or making any noise of the kind to alert my presence there on the doorstep.

This, it appeared, was Ophelia.

Her white hair and piercing blue eyes stood out and so did her wide lips, all together they created a strong face and wise demeanor. But this strong and wise woman looked at me, with a briefly confused look, then smiled.

The screen door opened in front of me. The look of her filled my vision. I was about a foot taller than Ophelia so I was looking down a little, eyebrows raised. This was the psychic friend mi querida was talking to me about? The one she held with so high regard? If Susannah trusted this woman, than I was obliged to do as well.

'I was not expecting you, Hector.' She let out a few short laughs, 'Even psychics can be surprised. Please, Please, come in.' She walked back into the house, leaving the screen door ajar. I contemplated for a brief moment but followed her in after those few seconds, closing the door quietly behind me.

Inside, my mind was forced from it's sleep and buzzed to life. This woman, Ophelia, knew my birth name was Hector. What else did she know about me?

'I know a lot about you, in fact, almost as much as you know about yourself.' I blinked in surprise. Not only did Ophelia know my name, but as much as I knew about… me?

'Yes, it is very surprising. Hector. But that is not why you are here, I know.' It clicked in my mind. She was a mind reader. Then another thing dawned on me – she might know how and where mi querida was!

'Your dear Susannah is not in very good shape, I must say.' Ophelia continued, eyes averted to the floor. This caught my attention. She knew where Susannah was after all?

'Do you know where she is?' I asked, hope forming within me. A sigh was emitted from Ophelia in front of me as she lead me into a wide dining room with a rosewood table.

'I am afraid not, but…' She paused to sit on one of the chairs, 'I do know who took her. But I will tell you that later. For now, I'm sure you have many questions about your time as a ghost and revitalization that we may or may not talk about.'

I felt nervous, I didn't want to sit down here and talk when Susannah is in danger! 'My dear Hector, your Susannah is not in immediate danger. I have connections which are scanning her location in purgatory right this instant. I will not be long in my talk with you.'

'Hector, Susannah told me you liked to be called Jesse, so I will call you that. Unless, of course, you don't want me to?' I tried to relax, let her do the talking, so I just nodded in reply. 'Good, good.' And then she proceeded.

'I am right to say that I am here to tell you about the origins of your birth in the afterlife and your rebirth here on earth. The reason, why you have been a ghost for so long, lies within your true love, Susannah.' With a wave of her hand, Ophelia stopped speaking. 'Would you like anything to drink?'

I shook my head, 'No thank you.'

'Alright then,' And she continued to speak. 'Your name is Hector de Silva not only on Earth now, or in the 1850's, or as a ghost – but in Alegion as well. Do you know what Alegion is, Jesse?'

'The moon.' I found myself saying, Ophelia nodded and smiled a little bit. I liked her, I decided, and listened to whatever else she had to say. She knew the answers to my questions.

Ophelia proceeded to tell me, in great detail, about everything I had ever wanted to know.

'The reason why you did not move on is split into three reasons. The most basic – you had never loved anyone in your first life, Susannah Simon was to come along and slowly you both learn to love each other.' I nodded and couldn't resist smiling a little, this was true. Susannah and I had fallen in love.

'The other two reasons are more… complicated. The second, love being the first, is that Susannah is to have a baby. It has been scheduled already. Every event in history has a scheduled date – every event in the future is scheduled already. Which brings me to the last point. This schedule rests in Alegion, the moon, where it's own history is still being written. One page at a time. Based on the connection between the Earth and itself.'

I was a little confused, I guess it showed on my face (or I might have thought it) because Ophelia shook her head lightly and smiled, 'I thought you were a little baffled, don't worry. I'll explain. In a fairytale format, if I will.'

'There was once a queen of the moon labeled as Helena. Of the Alegion royals – the Nightmare family. Don't let the name fool you because "Nightmare" in Alegion is what has been described as the most highest of sub-conscious activity, moving on. Queen Helena had a baby named Susanna. Spelt S – u – s – a – n – n – a. Unlike your Susannah, who has a 'h' on the end of her name. Helena is really, on this earth, Helen. Susannah Simon's mother.'

'Susanna of Alegion was the perfect brethren, as had been the line of Alegion royals. Only, unlike her mother or any of the other sovereigns in the past, she had green eyes. This was because of her father, Peter D'eexta, who shared the gene with his child. When Susanna was six hundred years old, he died.' My eyebrows raised.

'Six hundred years old?' Ophelia realised her mistake after I inquired, perplexed, what it could mean.

'I'm so sorry, I have been a part of Alegion so long that I have forgotten our age differences on Earth towards that of the moon. When she was six, he died. In Alegion years, a person grows every hundred years. But Alegion time goes faster than ours – much faster.'

She sighed before continuing: 'This had an affect on Susanna, she changed. Her ways became much quieter, she was irritated easier and learnt how to defend herself. No one understood why. Until the day her mother told the whole of Alegion that she was to retire and let Susanna take the throne. Susanna was to become the Lua Bela. The name for the ruler of the whole of Alegion. This was before it was separated into two parts – blue and black Alegion.'

'It is Ancient Alegion tradition that a princess must marry before she becomes the queen of Alegion and eventually, this husband – king, will be the one she mates with. To support this tradition, as the Nightmare's did in the past, Helena organized a celebration night for her daughter.'

She looked up at me from her gaze on the table below us. A smile crossed her face. 'And that is how Susanna Nightmare met Hector Jesse de Silva. They fell in love, she grew pregnant and he asked her to marry him, she said yes. Everything that happens on Earth happens in Alegion.'

My eyebrows raised. This was perfect information. 'Does this mean that you can tell our futures just by rereading the history of Alegion?' I asked, aspiration once again swelling inside of me. I longed so much to hold Susannah in my arms and make sure nothing else ever hurt her. I felt as if I failed her – I was so caught up in my job, being alive, that I didn't protect her. If I was still a ghost…

If I was still a ghost, I could have always been there for her. I would have nothing to do. No job. No one but her, Father Dominic and Paul Slater to talk to.

I'd give everything. Even my life. Just to have her back again.

Ophelia looked down at the table again, 'No, Jesse. I am afraid not. Of all the circles in Alegion, the physics can only predict what is happening at the exact moment in history. Such as when Susannah was telling you of her pregnancy - your new child, Susanna in Alegion was doing the same. That was all I could see at the time it was happening. Most of what I predict comes off as talent and chance.'

I nodded. Now I understood.

As if on an exact cue, an alarm was sounded. It was high pitched and very hard on the ears. Like a smoke alarm or something similar. Ophelia, as fast as she was old, ran like wildfire into what seemed to be the living room in her mansion.

Tailing her, I stood from my chair, tucked it in and followed her. Eventually, I found her in a place that was definitely a living room. She held a white phone in her hand. I blinked at it. Was that what was making all that noise? A phone?

'Yes?' Ophelia answered, there was a long pause before she started to speak again. 'Understood.' Another pause 'Yes.' Ophelia looked relieved. 'What was that?' She asked, striving to hear.

A moment later, she said her goodbyes and apparently the person who called did as well. She straightened and turned to me. 'They have found where Susanna is located. But only the world, co-ordinates and description of where she is being held. They have been very faithful to their cause and they apologise if this information is not enough.'

I was lost in the moment. One of Ophelia's words stood out in my mind.

World.

Susannah was on a different planet? For some reason, it was hard to believe. Despite all the Mediator issues and the fact that I had just been told about life on the moon.

'Believing is the first step in finding your Susannah. Here, let me give you a visual.' My eyebrows furrowed. Visual? I didn't understand.

I didn't have time to understand. Ophelia placed two soft hands on both of my temples. When her hands came in contact with my skin, I felt a jolt of energy power through me.

'Close your eyes,' Ophelia instructed. I did as I was told. I shut my eyes.

And promptly after doing so, reopened them.

Inside my mind, I could see almost every single world that held inhabitants. Some of the words were vague and quite intellegent, some were just completely beautiful and others were like our own.

'Woah.' Was all I could seem to say. I smiled after I said it, however, because I realised who I had learnt it from. Susannah. 'I certainly believe it now.' I told Ophelia, who was in a daze. Concentrating.

She closed her eyes. Like I had, she reopened them a second later. Her body straightened. She seemed nervous about something – or was it excitement?

Her vivid blue eyes turned to me, 'It is time, Jesse. To bring back, perhaps recreate, the resistance.'

'What?' I asked, dumbly and quite rudely.

'Radian.' And then, with a swishing white from the skirt she was clad in and her pallid hair, Ophelia left the room.

-(§)-

A note was handed to me an hour later, 'Do you know who these people are just by reading these descriptions, Jesse?' Ophelia asked. I looked down on the note.

Minister of awakening

Slayer of darkness

Man of honorable intentions

Alegion protector

Astute messenger

I shook my head. 'No.' But after I said it and reread the names, I noticed something.

Man of honorable intentions.

I shrugged. 'What could I do? I tried to explain myself as best as I could. After all, it's not as if my intentions are dishonorable.'

She looked thoughtful. Then surprised. Then slightly scared – freaked out, as she put it. She spoke a moment after, 'You have intentions?'

My eyebrows furrowed. Could this be correct? 'The man of honorable intentions…'

'Is you.' Ophelia finished for me. I nodded. She took away the paper and finally, wrote my name next to the 'Man of honorable intentions.'

I gazed at the paper again. Rereading all the other members on the list…

Minister of awakening

To awaken… to give life… my mind was working at a million miles an hour. Minister… I kept thinking.

Then it hit me - What was another word for Minister? Priest.

'The minister of awakening is Father Dominic at the Mission Academy.' Ophelia nodded, smiling still, as I took the pen and filled it in. My writing was very much different from Ophelia's, I noticed. Yet I did not let it bother me as I continued.

No matter how hard I tried, I could not get the last three names. Eventually, Ophelia just shook her head whilst grinning and asked for the paper from me.

Then, she filled in three names.

Slayer of darkness - Paul Slater.

Alegion protector - Ashwinder.

Astute messenger - Ophelia.

And… just like that. We bought Radian back together.

-(§)-

I thought this as we all stood, in Father Dominic's office after a few hours work. I slumped back in my chair as I watched them all. Ophelia was describing everything to Paul and Father Dominic. I felt a presence next to me.

It was Ashley. Or should I say – Ashwinder. She whispered to me, 'I think I should talk to you outside.' Then she stood, excused herself, and left. I followed soon after.

AN: Oh darn. –flushes- I did it again. I. Am. So. So. So. So. So. Sorry. I swear I didn't do it on purpose! Please don't kill me:o( It just came out that way! Wondering what I'm talking about? Oh, you didn't notice?

C – L – I – F – F – H – A – N – G – E – R!

Gah x a million. Oh well, I'll just have to write up the next chapter – cough – fast. Pfft. I'm not promising ANYTHING. Because promises always seem to backfire to me. Gah. Argmh. Meh. Char. Floop… And the NEXT will be a Jess Chapter too… Hard… -pouts- …

Review.

Hahahahahahaha. Please? I'll give ya your chapter after I reach at least 130 in my review books:o)

Love,

L l u v i a.