Chapter 2:
Tno: Well, we are back my little wombats and back with a few answers I might add. As you can see, we couldn't exactly tell you everything in the first chapter because that would be all too easy. And believe me, some answers may lead to even more questions because I love to cause mental agony to each little Emu who reads my stories. So I might as well tell you now that the future relationships may not be, as they seem. Only I can know who will truly end up together in the end. And I love adding an extra twist to every turn now and again. But my little wombats, you will just have to read through the story to understand what all this truly means. And now on to Clarence…
Clarence: hey people, how's it hanging? Well, here is the second chapter in this (if I do say so myself) wonderful story. I hope you enjoy and once you're done reading, don't forget to click on that pretty purple button and tell us what a great job we're doing and how much you love our story because it is so good and you can't wait for more… cough cough yes well on with the story.
Chapter 2:
"Mind telling us what's going on." Kai almost sneered.
"Yes actually." Ari hissed and Sid kicked her lightly.
"We can't tell you everything now." She said quietly.
"Why not?" Tyson frowned.
"That's for us to know and you to wonder about little boy blue." Gwen retorted still holding her head, and trying to eat lying down. (A daunting task for even the better of us).
"Then let's start by who you are maybe?" Kai said sarcastically.
"I'm Gwenevere." Gwen sighed. "This is Arianrhod, and Sienna. And you've met Enni before."
"O.K., now could you explain what happened back there?" Ray folded his arms.
"We could…" Enni began.
"The guys back there as you well know were Balkov soldiers." Sid cut him off before he could make their lives any more difficult. "And as you figured out they're out to kill you, we still have to understand out why. Anyway they've been chasing us for some time now, and then they just stopped."
"That's when we found out that they figured killing you would be easier than hunting us so they'd get the easy job done first." Ari continued. "That meant you were part of a puzzle we've been trying to understand for the past few years."
"So that's why they were trying to kill you people over there by the river." Gwen finished. "And that's why we have to get you out of here as soon as me and Ari are better." Kenny had been pretty silent up till now, but when Gwen finished the explanation he looked up.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" He said looking at the Blade Breakers.
"Like how you did all that crazy water stuff." Max added.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Gwen gave him a fake smile.
"Must have been her evil twin." Ari shook her head.
"I knew we should have kept her chained up in the basement." Enni grinned shaking his head.
"We're still waiting for the REAL answer." Ray said, he's a pretty patient person, considering how long he spends meditating, but right now he doesn't have much to spare. Sid sighed knowing they wouldn't rest until they got at least the basic outline of an answer.
"The thing is, Gwen, Ari and I…" She faltered, not knowing how to put this. "After we were born are parents consented to an operation that was happening at the time. It was well known that the stones that held what you call 'bit beasts' were being hunted and well…used badly. The BBA scientist had then decided that it was no longer safe to hide the spirits inside blades. So they launched 'Operation S' which is short for operation 'Sidhe'." Sid explained.
"This was a Gaelic term for 'spirit', and the operation was to try a new method of saving the spirits. Instead of hiding them in blades, they were going to try and conceal them inside humans." Ari continued. "But they needed human babies so that we would be young enough for our bodies to fully accept having a second presence." Ari stopped and turned to Enni.
"However, considering how many black market organizations were trying to get the stones, they didn't have enough time to work out all the bugs." He said quietly. His usual humor absent. "Many of the babies died so they were forced to stop the experiment. But those who survived, have been trying to cope with they're incredible bit beast abilities. Most of the registered ones we've come across are too scared to even touch a blade in case they went nuts. However, most like these girls love their second presence more than life itself. They have killed to keep their spirits safe." Enni finished and looked at the utterly speechless group of boys. Suddenly, Kenny took out his laptop and began to type at it furiously.
"Would you mind repeating that for me?" He asked half-aware of what he was saying.
"Are you joking?" Was all Max could utter, but the looks on the faces of the girls and what he had witnessed earlier answered his question.
"The BBA authorized an untested operation on babies." Ray couldn't really believe this.
"It was actually authorized by someone you all know very well." Sid added, and the boys didn't even need t ask.
"Mr. Dickenson?" Tyson gasped, watching Sid's solemn nod. Kai was thoughtful, he knew the workings of Balkov Abbey all too well, and something wasn't fitting into place. If there were so many other people who had been experimented on, then why would Boris only go after them?
"You aren't registered are you?" He asked.
"Wow, you figured that out all by yourself." Ari smiled, she was actually enjoying their confusion.
"Why not?" Kenny was still typing away and chatting non-stop to the bit beast in his computer, Dizzy. (Now I know most of you know and love Dizzy, but she isn't really important or relevant to this story so I'm not going into that O.K.).
"For our own reasons." Gwen whispered. Enni patted her head and threw a blanket over her.
"I think we should all get some rest." He said. "Especially if we're all going to be flying to Canada tomorrow night." He added slipping in another twist.
"We're going to CANADA." Tyson practically shrieked. "But what about my blade. I have to completely rebuild it from the ground up."
"I thought you were supposed to be retired." Sid smiled, which made Tyson stop for a minute.
"Don't worry." Enni sighed. "I lost mine some time ago." He reached into his shirt and pulled out a long chain with his own bit dangling on the end.
"Besides we need to hide somewhere safe, really soon." Sid added.
"I'll go get my stuff from the other room." Ari said, attempting to stand weakly. Kai growled angrily but she ignored him.
"Sid, you might wanna stop her before she really hurt herself." He sneered, walking by them.
"He's right you know." She said.
"The day I listen to that jerk is the day I've fallen in love with him." Ari retorted.
"Well you can guarantee that won't happen." Gwen giggled, half asleep. "If you fall in love it will be a miracle." Ari gave her a deathly glare and walked slowly out of the room. She turned the corner and almost ran into Ray who was holding her stuff.
"Here, it'll save you the trip." He smiled and handed her the blankets. She looked at them in mild surprise.
"Uh…thanks." She smiled and went back to the room.
"That was fast." Enni grinned. "Ray help you?" Ari nodded. "He's a good guy. A bit of a flirt but otherwise harmless."
"That reminds me of someone else I know." Gwen mumbled, her face buried in her pillow.
"Anyway, it's time for us all to sleep now." Sid ordered.
"Yes mother." Ari rolled her eyes and flopped down onto her pile of blankets.
"Smart ass." Sid hissed under her breath.
The morning came with a flurry of activity, as the 'Fades' (as the girls had called themselves), ushered the blade breakers to prepare for their 'trip'. There was a lot of cussing as they boys scurried to pack at least a carryon before the girls practically kicked them down the street. Gwen and Ari were still feeling a little sour and light headed but they had recovered well. (To well for the blade breakers liking). The boy's didn't want to leave, nor did they really trust the girls who had saved their lives, but the other alternative was a very slow and painful death under the hand of a balkov soldier, armed with a very pointy object of sorts.
"I still don't get why Canada." Tyson whined.
"Because it's the only place that is still untouched by either the BBA or Balkov Abbey." Sid explained.
"Do you have something against the BBA?" Tyson sneered and Ray whacked him over the head.
"You idiot, don't you remember the conversation last night." And turned back to Sid winking.
"Uh…Sorry about Tyson, he's not really a morning person." He grinned and she giggled, remembering how Enni had called him a flirt the night before.
"Hey, where did Kenny go?" Enni had been looking through the house for any sign of the laptop loving genius dwarf.
"Oh…Kenny's parent's have always been a little on the touchy side about Kenny leaving them." Max explained. "And chances are he's not going to be leaving to a country where Mr. Dickenson has no control.
"So there's no blading in Canada?" Tyson looked pain stricken. "I think I'd rather dye here."
"No you idiot." Ari groaned. "Of coarse there's beyblading in Canada, but on a smaller scale. It's not the biggest sport there."
"I still opt for dying here." Tyson mumbled as Kai came down the hall with his bag slung over his shoulder.
"The taxi's are here." He said bluntly and watched them all scramble frantically to make sure they had everything since they were told they wouldn't be coming back for a long time.
A couple of minutes latter they were all piled into the two taxis that Tyson's grandfather had generously paid for, or at least he would find out he had when he got home that night. The ride was extremely tedious and they were all glad when they tumbled out of the cars and walked into the lobby of the airport, to be pleasantly surprised by Kenny who had come to bid them adieu.
"I just though I'd wish you luck." He blushed.
"You sure you don't want to come?" Enni grinned.
"I can't, I'm positive." He nodded.
"Well then you're a braver soul than I squirt." Ari patted his shoulder solemnly.
"If you die before we ever get to see you again, we just want you to know, you were the most cooperative person we've ever kidnapped." Gwen pretended to wipe a tear form her eye. Enni smiled and began to hum the tune that soldiers play to honor the dead in his throat. Grinning Sid lead the other's in a final salute as they turned and walk through their gate. The blade breakers watched the scene before them in flabbergasted silence.
"Well Kenny, we'll try and keep in touch buddy." Tyson cried as they ran after the fades.
The plane ride was so long and the wait in Detroit for their transfer seemed even longer. As they boarded the next twenty-minute flight Enni checked his watch reading a tiring 2 a.m. He plopped himself into a chair next to Gwen and within minutes drifted off to sleep. Though it wasn't long, he felt at least a little more rested when he and the others got out of the airport. Enni lead them to the entrance of the multy-story parking lot. There was a small car dealership there and Enni went to the desk, speaking to the manager in hushed tones.
"How much money do you think he's got left?" Ari asked worriedly.
"Well, his dad paid for the cars and his uncle pitched in for the tickets so we should have just enough to tide us over till we can get jobs." Gwen answered quietly.
"We need to find a place to live first." Sid reminded them.
"You mean you girls dragged us down here with just barely enough money to sustain us and without a plan." Max looked scared.
"Look we're not used to staying in one country for more than three weeks so obviously we don't really have a clue what we're doing." Gwen answered as Enni returned with two pairs of keys. Well they're not much but they won't break down." He grinned throwing a pair of keys at Ray as Sid leapt for the other pair. "Oh no you don't, I would have to be crazy to let you drive my dear." He laughed holding the keys high above her head.
7 a.m. found them piled, yet again in tow second hand cars and flying down the highway as they followed the river across the south shore. The early morning hadn't been so bad but now the June sunshine was starting to beat down on them and the air-conditioning was nowhere near enough to cool things off. Ari and Gwen were practically hanging out the back window, letting the wind blow by them and watching the cars and buses, fly by. Finally Enni pulled over to a small diner on the side of the highway and they all stumbled into the cool restaurant with in comprehensible relief.
"O.K., where are we going?" Ray asked, he was getting fed up of driving and of the heat.
"We're going to a town we used to live in." Sid responded. "You'll like it I think. It's kind of quiet but it's not bad."
"I thought Canada was supposed to be a cold country." Tyson gasped whipping the sweat form his forehead with his napkin." The waitress showed up then with a tray of water and an annoyingly cheerful grin.
"What can I get you?" She asked robotically.
"Just some sandwiches." Ari nodded lifting the water to her lips. "I just realized how much I hate water." She grimaced putting the glass down.
"You've hated water for years Ari, it's nothing new." Sid sighed drinking hers thirstily.
"So when I do drink it, things must be bad." She smirked taking another quick swig.
"Here you go." The waitress said coming back, that ever-present smile seemed to be super glued to her face. She handed them all some cheap plates and turned away again still grinning at the air.
"Could that smile get any bigger?" Gwen thought aloud, her voice dull and tired. They all chuckled, even Kai smiled for once.
"Wow, the heat must be getting to you buddy." Tyson said in surprise. Kai simply grunted in response.
Before they left, Ray somehow managed to convince Kai to drive the rest of the way, which was going to take at least another half-hour. And they were off again, the heat still pounding on the metal roves of the cars. Sid leaned her head against the window drowsily and turned to look at Enni. He was sweating profusely as he kept his eyes riveted on the road ahead. He signaled left and turned off the highway, much to the relief of all. He lead them down the quiet and very shady residential streets of the town until he came back out on the main road again which ran right along the top of the river bank.
"Well it's not that different from home I guess." Tyson commented watching the wide expanse of water. It was probably five times bigger than the river in Tyson's hometown and it shimmered under the sunshine, giving off the impression of a beautiful metallic blue snake.
Sid was watching the houses flit by the window checking if there were any for sale signs staked into the front lawns. She bolted up suddenly as one in particular approached.
"Enni stop the car." She ordered and he obliged, pulling over as Sid jumped out nimbly. The boys were piling out of the other car eager for the ride of hell too end.
The girls were standing in the half circle driveway of a tall house that looked to them like it hadn't been touched in years. The rose bushes along the driveway and front walk were practically lying on the ground they were so huge. Vines had crawled up the walls of the building and had almost completely concealed the windows behind their foliage. Lilac trees had completely taken over the front door and the grass had grown into a miniature jungle.
"It's hard to tell there's even a house behind all the plants." Ari said cocking her head to the side and inspecting it. "I like it." She smiled suddenly and turned to Gwen. "What do you think?"
"It's roomy." Gwen smiled. "I think it's great."
"I wonder what made old Mrs. Greenwald sell up?" Sid wondered.
"Well she hasn't sold it yet." Enni pointed to a for sale sign hidden under several rose bush branches. He pulled a cell phone from his jacket pocket and began to dial the number on the splintered wooden board. "Hey, I'm calling about the old Greenwald house, I notice it's up for sale." He said into the phone, turning away and walking over to lean on the car.
"Wow, you girls aren't used to luxury are you?" Tyson said looking up at the house, he found it a little creepy personally but what could he do. This seemed to be the only place that was for sale in the entire town.
"Can Enni actually afford this?" Ray's eyebrow rose as he glanced sideways at Sid.
"Well we're about to find out." She answered as Enni began to walk up to them.
"So?" Gwen asked linking arms with him, Ari grabbing onto his other.
"Well it turns out that Mrs. Greenwald died about nine months ago, don't worry she died in hospital. So she dumped the house on her daughter and she's just been trying to get rid of it since then." Enni sighed looking up at the large house. It was about four stories high if you included the attic; the sun glinted dully off what was visible of the dark windows.
"Wow, I never thought it was possible for Mrs. Greenwald to die. She never seemed to age." Gwen whispered looking at the ground quietly her friends mirroring her.
"Uh, I hate to seem like an emotionless jerk, but what's going on with the house?" Tyson asked.
"Oh right." Enni seemed to snap himself out of his trance and looked up at them. "We're gonna meet with her for dinner later at the restaurant next to that boutique you girls used to love so much." Enni grinned, so till then, whose up for a walk he shrugged. And they started to walk down the street going by a lovely shady space by almost right on the river, right across from a huge old church. An enormous statue of Jesus, his arms spread wide to the river, stood on a pillar in the square in front of the church. (No I'm not religious but this church actually exists so I'm describing it to you). There was an ice-cream parlor just a little ways off and they sacrificed a buck or two to get something to help cool them off as the sat on a couple of benches in the shade, sharing stories of their lives.
The large group walked into the greasy spoon at around 5 p.m. and looked around to see the woman they were looking for who was staring into the dark depths of her cheap coffee.
"Hi." Sid smiled, walking over. The woman looked to be in her late twenties with short black hair and deep brown eyes. "Uh…long time no see."
"Yeah." The woman smiled slightly and then got up and hugged Sid tightly pulling Ari and Gwen into the embrace as well. "How are you girls?"
"Well we're homeless but otherwise fine, and how are you?" Gwen gave her a worried look. Ray and Max looked at each other; this was entirely too lucky that they happened to be buying a house from someone the girls knew. Kai as usual was silent and Tyson…well Tyson was busy drooling over the menu.
"I'm all right." The black-hared woman answered. "I'm actually really looking forward to getting rid of that house so I can go back and live my life in Europe." The woman smiled quietly.
"So what are you selling it for?" Enni asked sitting down. (Now I'm no good with how business deals work so I'm just going to move on to after they got paid for the house).
"Enni, where did you get all that money?" Max asked worriedly as they walked back up the street to the house.
"You remember that my parent's are rich right?" Enni looked at the boy. "Well, my dad has been sending me some money since I went off on this crazy adventure." Enni smiled. "I've been using almost none of it for the past three months."
"Wow, that must have taken some willpower." Tyson said quietly.
They walked up the drive, ducking under thorny branches and pushing past the overgrown lilacs. The somehow managed to find the front door through the massive jungle of green foliage and Enni unlocked the door leading them inside.
The entryway floor had developed a thick layer of dust that rose around their every footstep, and the living room carpet was in desperate need of a good vacuum. All the pieces of furniture were covered with huge white sheets and the setting sun streamed onto them from the window, giving the house that haunting empty feeling. A huge old wooden staircase lead upstairs between the kitchen and living room. Ari grabbed Enni's arm and began to drag him up the steps eagerly.
"Come on, let's check out the attic rooms." She said in a hushed tone, she somehow felt that it was more appropriate to whisper for the moment while she dragged her friend up to the fourth floor. She went slowly to the door at the back of the left-hand side of the last staircase. She had to admit she was spooked, but she wasn't going to say that in front of Enni or especially the guys. Walking into the room she was immediately hit with an almost blinding flash of orange light from the window at the other end. It was a very rectangular room with a closet near the back and the furniture was arranged neatly against the walls. She walked to the window looking down onto the front yard. She opened it slowly and felt the breeze rush into the room, rustling the sheets on the furniture, and disturbing the dust. She turned to the closet door looking at it with intense fear. 'I'm such a fraidy-cat.' She scolded. 'What would Kai say if he saw you now.' Actually, she wouldn't have minded if he were there right then. At least she'd have the courage to open this goddamned door.
"So do you want it?" She jumped at Enni's voice by the door.
"What?" She asked absently.
"Do you want the room?" he asked more clearly as Ari opened the closet, nothing.
"Yeah sure, I guess." She smiled.
Gwen had been almost clinging to Sid as they wandered through the house. She wasn't embarrassed about being afraid in front of the blade breakers. Sid opened one of the doors on the second floor, of which there were four. Wow, these rooms aren't bad she said, her voice echoing off the walls of the large square room. It was very Elizabethan with a wardrobe in the corner rather than a closet and the large window with a view of the river.
"I like it." She whispered whipping the sheet off the bed and coughing at the rising dust. "Wow, this place needs some air she coughed pushing the window open breaking some of the ivy branches restraining it. "That's more like it." she smiled feeling the breeze float through the screen. 'Now let's see what's in here.' She thought and wrenched open the wardrobe doors.
Gwen had lost interest in the room before Sid pulled the sheet off the bed. She wandered back outside and opened the bedroom door nearest her. This one was facing the back yard, which had no fence or any kind of separation from the empty field behind it. The room was also covered in dust, like everything else in the house. She looked around at the moth eaten curtains and sheets, the stained white walls and creaky floorboards.
"And we thought we got a good deal on this place." She sighed. It's gonna cost twice as much just to make it look lived in." She looked around and slowly pulled the sheets away from the furniture piling them on the floor. She finally moved the dresser, or at least that's what she thought it was considering it's odd, shape. She reached up and pulled the cloth down letting out a quick yelp and jumping at her own distorted reflection in the broken mirror that confronted her. 'Silly me, afraid of my own reflection, she almost laughed.' She gathered up the sheets on the floor and walked out, bumping into Ray and dropping them all.
"Oops, sorry about that." He laughed embarrassed and bent to pick them up at the same time as her, bumping heads and falling to the floor, laughing. That was when they heard a shriek from the next room and Sid ran out with a terrified look on her face.
Tno: Mwahahahaha. What could have set our little Emu off now? I wonder. Oh wait, I don't have to cuz I already know. But you don't. Hehehe. Well anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's a bit more toned down than the first one, that for sure but that's because you always need some explanations and stuff. And besides, they needed somewhere to live so I got this idea in my head of this big old house but I'm not going to go into my inspiration because when I explain it seems so much less inspiring. And now, Clarence, hi, how are you, whatever, don't care, have I forgotten anything, and your adoring fans await your holy word so speak woman, speak I say. (Lets not forget to review my precious little wombats.)
Clarence: so there you have it, the amazing second chapter to our even more amazing story. Hope you enjoyed it, I did. (Yes, yes I know what your all thinking I'm a conceited, harebrained idiot who is extremely full of herself, well I have one thing to say to you… your right!) Well don't forget to review or I might just come after you with a chain saw and/or pitchfork. See ya next chappie!