A/N 2/4/06: Hey, it's the 14th chapter already! Cool. In this chapter, we meet a new character. Once. Then he goes away until the sequel. I thank my few fans for reviewing this fic, I wouldn't be updating this nearly as soon if it weren't for these people: amylovestakuya, YoungCloud, and ExtrmEagle. I know that I can always count on them to read and review this story. THANK YOU ALL! And anybody else I forgot to mention that reviewed.

-ARK

Chap. 14: An Old Friend?

POV: Alex

"Dude, wait up!" Zack yelled after me, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop, not until I was far away from that book. It had shown me something I never thought I'd see. Something I would have preferred not seeing. I never thought he would have to be dragged into this horrid fate of ours. He couldn't be. I wouldn't let it happen! I couldn't possibly let him face this torturous life. This life of danger, misery, and general unhappiness.

Flashback:

I looked at the picture in the book, and saw immediately that it wasn't a still photo, like most pictures a camera would record. It was as if somebody had recorded it, and somehow put it on paper. I was shocked for a moment, but even more so when I focused on what the picture was actually showing.

"No! NO! Please...stop. Aggh- no...don't...please. Please stop it...ergh."

"Not until you tell me what your connection with the elementalist is."

"Please, stop! I'm his partner...that's all. I'm worth nothing to him. Please st-stop, ugh..."

"You lie. Tell me the truth!"

"I am! Will you ple-urgh."

Patrick fainted as Kimitsu smacked him with the blunt end of his sword, causing blood to gush from his forehead.

I was shocked. I couldn't let that happen to him. I instantly dropped the book and ran out of the building.

End Flashback

"Alex? What happened back there?" Zack asked me.

"Yeah, man, what happened? You look like you've seen a ghost." Cody said

"It's...nothing. Nothing at all." I responded

"There's got to be something you're not telling us." Zack persisted

"No...there was...he was being...can't let it happen..." I then ran from them. I ran far, far away. They couldn't know, and wouldn't understand. Nobody could understand. I wasn't even sure I comprehended the full meaning of it yet. I needed time to think.

POV: Third Person

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Cody asked Zack as they watched Alex run through the village away from them.

"He'll come around eventually. I just wish we knew what could have possibly made him react like that." Zack said, heading toward the lodge they were renting for the three days it would take for their weapons to be upgraded.

"Yeah...he'll come around." 'I hope.' Cody thought as he followed his brother.

POV; Alex

I continued to run. I knew I'd have to go back sometime, but I couldn't face them yet. Not with what I'd just seen. I needed some time to think. I ran to the outskirts of the village. I finally collapsed in an alleyway, and sank to the ground, letting unconsciousness claim me.

Dream Sequence

I woke up, back at the Tipton. I looked around, glad to finally be back...home. This had been my home for six months now. I wondered why it was still so hard to call it that; but I shrugged it off and walked into the hotel. I saw Patrick standing there, and ran towards him. He saw me, and began running away.

"Patrick! Why are you running, it's me! Alex, your best friend, don't you remember?"

"You're not my friend, anymore."

"What! Don't be ridiculous, Pat. We're friends, don't you remember me?"

"You hurt me. Left me to his desire. Left me to submit to his pain! How could I call you a true friend after what you did!"

"I never did anything like that!"

"Why do you still deny it. You know the reality. You can't take it back. Not now, not ever." He coldly responded.

"But I-"

Patrick pulled out a knife and stabbed me with it.

"Goodbye, Alex. I wish I didn't have to do this, but after what you did to me, it only seemed fitting."

"Patrick...please! Don't...leave me...like this..."

"I'm sorry..."

I watched him slowly walk away as I sank to the floor, letting death and darkness take hold of me.

End Dream Sequence

I woke up in a cold sweat.

"Phew, it was only a dream." I said to nobody in particular.

I walked back to the lodge, and headed to our room. I climbed into the bed, and eventually fell asleep.

The Day After Tomorrow

POV: Cody

I woke up. I looked at my brother, sleeping peacefully in these dry heat conditions, and proceeded to head downstairs. I found Alex down there, sitting on a chair. I walked over to him.

"Hey there." I spoke

"Meh." Alex responded

"Do you want to talk about what happened yesterday?"

"I suppose so..."

He repeated what he saw to me. I felt horrible, and I wasn't quite sure why.

"That's gotta be hard to take. Sorry about pressuring you to talk about it yesterday."

"It's alright. I needed to talk about it with you guys sometime. You'd better wake your brother up, we're supposed to see P- His Majesty today." I caught myself just in time. You weren't ever allowed to speak His Majesty's name unless he gave you explicit permission.

"Alright. I'll head upstairs and wake him up."

Cody heads upstairs, and Alex slowly gets up, and stands beside the door, waiting for his friends to come down.

POV: Alex

Zack and Cody finally came down the steps. Zack came first, and sort of tripped about halfway down, so that he fell, rolling down the rest of the stairs to do a face plant at the bottom.

"What's so funny?" Zack said hotly as I began laughing.

"He's not usually this uncoordinated. Maybe he's nervous." Cody responded, chuckling slightly.

"Or he's just never seen these thing called 'steps' before." I laughed.

"Not funny, guys." Zack responded. "Can we just go."

"Sure."

We headed to the palace to receive our weapons, and I thought about my dream, as well as what I had seen in the Book of Prophecies. It was that book that I was frightened by the most.

END OF CHAP. 14

A/N 2/4/06: One chapter in one day. That's something that rarely happens now. So, there's another chapter. I hope you all liked this one. Nobody's said anything about my blog thing, so I'm assuming you haven't read it. Please comment on it! Was it good or bad? Does something need to be added? What do you think! Link is in my profile. I'm sorry this chapter is so short, I'll make the next one longer.

-ARK