Title: The Prophecy
Disclaimer: Nothing is my own, it all belongs to Philip Pullman!
Summary: Everything they were told was a lie. Now it is up to Lyra to make things right and to fulfill an ancient prophecy...
Chapter 1: Midsummer's Day…
It was Friday, June 24th, Midsummer's Day. The wind blew sharply, the trees swayed back and forth gently. The cherry blossoms dropping a rose hued flower every now and then. A young girl in a garden was sitting upon a bench. She just sat there as if lost in deep thought. A cool breeze blasted her hair so that it whipped in the air like a cloud of golden wheat.
She was Lyra Belacqua. She was Lyra Silvertongue. Lyra placed her hand on the other side of the bench, it was empty but it was as if someone should have been sitting there beside her. "Will…" she whispered, closing her eyes in longing. A pine marten of dark burgundy gold fur crouched by her feet. Its big amber eyes gazed up lovingly at Lyra. He was Pantalaimon, or Pan, as Lyra would call him.
"Lyra!" A voice called behind her. Lyra looked around and saw Julianne waving to her from the open gate of the Botanical Garden. "Well Pan, I guess we have to go back now. Do you think Will remembered to come today?" Pantalaimon sprang up onto the bench and onto her shoulder, "He and Kirjava wouldn't have missed it for the world." Lyra ran her fingers through Pan's silky soft fur, "I thought I felt him touch me when the wind blew." Pan snuggled close to her, "I'm sure he felt you touch him too when you put your hand on the bench." Lyra smiled, she took the keys to the garden out of her pocket and walked to the gate.
"Why did you come here, Lyra? Class started more than an hour ago." Julianne stared at her as Lyra locked the gate to the garden, "You can't just take off like that!" Lyra shrugged, "Who cares? I don't care much for Arithmetic anyways." Julianne rolled her eyes and walked with Lyra down the street, "It doesn't matter if you care for it or not! Dame Hannah will be so cross! You know, you do this every Midsummer's Day. Why? I've seen you in that garden…You just sit there…Like in a trance or something." Lyra kept silent, she could feel Julianne's daemon, a robin, watching her intently. Julianne stopped walking and grabbed Lyra's arm, "How come you never give me a straight answer? I thought I'm your friend!" Julianne's robin gave a sharp chirp of frustration.
Lyra yanked her arm out of Julianne's grasp and looked at her with a defiant look she had learned from Will, "Some things I'll never tell you or anyone, Julie! You're always trying to pry into my life; if you're really a friend then you'd understand that things that make me sad are best left alone!" Julianne frowned and her robin cowered against her neck at Lyra's ferocious temper. Pantalaimon bared his teeth over Lyra's shoulder at Julianne as Lyra stalked away.
Lyra ran up the steps to the oak door of her boarding school for women, St. Sophia's. She quickly slipped into her class as it was just beginning, "Good morning girls. Please take out your books and begin studying the symbols." Dame Victoria ordered dryly. Lyra dug through her rucksack and pulled out a black velvet case and a leather-bound book of red. Out of the case Lyra extracted a magnificent golden compass, or so it appeared. In actuality it was a truth meter. It had been four years since Lyra had been able to read it naturally, but when she was "tempted" and Dust once again fell from the heavens, she lost her power.
Lyra opened her book and studied that symbols and their various meanings. The ant: insignificant, diligent, or scarce… The anchor: steadfast, loyal, or true…And so on. After studying the symbols the class was assigned to, Lyra closed her eyes and concentrated on a question that included those symbols. "Can I ever see Will again?" she thought. Pan watched as the needles of the alethiometer jolted feebly up and down, the compass wanted to answer, but Lyra was distracted.
"Concentrate, Lyra." Pan encouraged placing a paw on Lyra's hand. Lyra looked into Pan's eyes, "I can't Pan. 'S no use. It en't easy no more." Pantalaimon nodded understandingly, "I know, I know. Try asking an easier question…Like what day it is today." Lyra bit her lip, "I'll try. But if I don't remember right, the alethiometer won't answer a question you already know the answer to. It becomes irritated like a person, remember?" Pan sighed, "I wish we could go now, this is irritating." Lyra looked up at Dame Victoria with her bifocals reading a rather large tome on her desk. "I can't sneak out. She'll catch me and I'll be caned." Pan leaned closer to Lyra, "Say you're feeling ill." Lyra gently put her alethiometer back into its velvet case. "'S too risky, Pan." Pan's golden red fur bristled angrily "You know, I think Julianne was right. You're different. You're forgetting who you are…You are Lyra Silvertongue!" he hissed at her reproachfully.
Lyra glared at Pan, she knew he was right. "Alright, I'll prove to you I'm the same Lyra!" The old woman looked up from her large book, "There is no talking with daemons, Lyra. Come up here." The other students turned around and stared at Lyra's blushing face. Lyra got up slowly and walked to her desk. "Lyra, can you not follow rules? You are the only girl I have that I must cane every two weeks or so." The class tittered at this last remark. Lyra's face blushed a darker shade of crimson, "I-I'm sorry, Dame Victoria." The old woman's thin lips tightened even thinner "Come over here. Maybe if you are corrected in front of your classmates you'll learn your lesson." Lyra followed the headmistress and stood in front of the class as Dame Victoria caned her sharply three times.
"You sure are the same Lyra…" Pan murmured as they walked to their dormitory after class ended. "Shut it, Pan!" Lyra choked as angry hot tears poured down her rosy cheeks. Lyra took off her rucksack and threw it into the corner of her room. She lay down upon her bed and closed her eyes. Pan felt ashamed of what he had said and just sat upon the floor sulking. He knew how Lyra felt; they both didn't belong here at St. Sophia's, they should have never accepted Dame Hannah Relf's invitation to study here. Ever since their adventure they both knew their spirits were meant to roam free. Lyra had just turned seventeen and was changing…The artificial life she was living was changing her…Changing her spirit. Pan leapt up onto the bed and curled around Lyra's neck.
Chapter 2: Admission…
Will sat at his desk and stared at his homework. He hadn't completed it; in fact he hadn't completed any homework for the last 2 years or so. This was probably responsible for his continuous D's and F's. Mary had offered to tutor him in science, but he just didn't have the time. His mother needed him, that's all that mattered. He only had Mary Malone to help him with his mother now; it had been two years since his piano teacher, Mrs. Cooper, had died. Times were changing, and too often he'd think of Lyra, which distracted him.
"William. Someone's here." Will turned and saw his mother standing at the door of his bedroom, "Who, Mum?" Will's mother beckoned him to follow her with a wave of her hand. Will got up and followed her. His mother pointed to the door, Will went to the door and looked through the eye hole…No one was there. The television was on. "We know you're in there! Come out with your hands up!" The TV cop shouted menacingly at the TV criminals. Will's mother jumped nervously and stared at the door, "Will…" she whispered shakily. Will understood immediately. His mother had mistaken the voices in the television for real people.
His mother was mentally ill; she was often delusional and paranoid. Will had first begun to notice the obvious symptoms when he was five years old. But Will had seen the phantoms for himself five years ago when two men continued to harass him and his mother. They had been after letters from his father. The letters contained written proof of the existence of other worlds. It was then that Will had accidentally killed one of the men. Will gently grabbed his mother by the arm and steered her to the couch, "Sit down, Mum. Are you hungry?" Will's mother looked lovingly up at her son, "Yes I am, William." Will smiled warmly, "Good, so am I. I'll fix us some lunch." His mother nodded slowly and began to watch the television once again.
Will got some ham and cheese out, and was in the process of making two sandwiches when he thought of Lyra again. 'If she were here, I'd make another sandwich' he thought. Spread the mayonnaise on the bread, Lyra, cut a piece of ham, Lyra, place a piece of cheese on top of the ham, Lyra, pour a glass of milk "Damn it!" Will had missed the glass and spilt the milk all over the counter.
Suddenly the door bell rang. "William!" His mother called feebly from the living room, "They're here!" Will went to the door and saw his mother's eyes wide with horror as if expecting her phantoms to appear at any second. Will looked through the eye hole and saw Mary Malone standing there holding a paper bag. "It's alright, Mum. It's Mary." Will's mother frowned, and wrought her hands in silent distraught, "Mary?" Will nodded, "Yeah, you know Mary Malone. Lunch will be ready soon." Will opened the door, "Hey, Mary." Mary smiled brightly and stepped through the door, "Hello Mrs. Parry! I brought groceries." Will's mother smiled wanly and touched her hair distractedly. Will took the bag from Mary and placed it on the counter, "She hasn't been feeling good today. Come on, Mum, let's turn on something else." Will lead his mother once again back to the couch and changed the channel to a nature show, which was less exciting.
Mary helped put the groceries away. "How are you?" Will grabbed a paper towel and began to mop the milk off the counter, "She's doing alright its just today she's"
Mary put a hand on Will's shoulder, "No, I meant you." Will blushed slightly, "Oh. I guess I'm alright. It's just school is not going well. I got another disciplinary report."
Mary frowned, "Will, that's the fourth time this month. Is it Eric again?" Will nodded. "Oh Will, why do you let childish teasing get to you?" Will opened his mouth but nothing came out. "I know you're frustrated, but a little teasing shouldn't lead to a broken jaw." "Broken nose." Will corrected as he poured a fresh glass of milk for his mother. Mary glared at him, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I got mixed up with Jason Meckler's injury from last month. Will, you're almost 18 years old. If this nonsense continues you'll be liable for a lawsuit."
"William!" Will's mother called from the living room. "Yeah, Mum?" he asked patiently as he could. "Look, look!" Will's mother pointed excitedly at the television screen where the nature program was showing a pine martin…Exactly like…Pantalaimon.
Will stared at the animal for a moment or two then remembered the sandwiches on the counter. Will walked back into the kitchen. "How's your mother getting along with Kirjava?" Will smiled, "She likes her a lot. She thinks her coat is beautiful." Mary smiled as well, "Where is she anyways?"
Will placed the sandwiches on the dining room table, "She went out this morning…I don't know where. She'll be back soon, though."
Mary closed the refrigerator door that Will had left open. "Will, as a friend, I'm going to tell you this. You have gone on too long. This responsibility of taking care of your mother is too much for a young man like yourself. Right now you should be studying, having fun with friends…Enjoying life."
Will jutted out his jaw defiantly and glared at Mary, "Mum needs me. Nobody knows how to take care of her like I do. You wouldn't understand"
Mary interrupted him angrily, "Yes I do understand, Will, and it's very unfair of you to tell me that I wouldn't. I've found a wonderful care facility that will take care of your mother. I went ahead and admitted her."
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