A/N: 2/21/06:This is the next chapter of ZCIM. I'm not sure which one it will end up as, though, because I'll be taking out the first few chapters in place of of the rewrite I'm going to do, and am too lazy to figure it out. You'll know soon enough anyways...here's the next chapter. I'll call it the sixteenth chapter for now, I might change it later, but I'll probably be too lazy to do so.

A/N 3/04/06:I should explain my lack of contact to those I have it with. Practically nobody, but still. There are...three or four that I'm emailing frequently that would read this. It is due to my Internet service, which sucks even worse than the very first chapter of this fic, if you remember it. If not, I advise you to NOT refresh your memory...anyway, the point is my Internet sucks, and that is why I haven't been responding to PMs and emails and stuff like that. Yeah...you probably just want me to get on with the chapter, so I'll do that.

A/N 3/10/06I love Spring Break! In commemoration of this joyous week off from school, I'll update! Nothing else to do, anyway... It probably won't be up anytime near today because of my crappy Internet...yeah.

: A footnote, commented on in the author's note after the end of the actual chapter. Just wanted to make sure you remembered, if you even care. If not, then why the hell are you reading this? Continue to the chapter! They're in bold...if you care...which you probably don't.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Everything else, however, is mine! Except for Marc and Sarah. They created themselves. But everything ELSE is MINE! Just ask if you want to use the characters. Odds of me saying yes are 1 out of 1 if you ask! If not, then I...won't really care...but please ask. It makes life so much easier.

- ARK -

ZCIM 16: Painful Memories, Denied Feelings

Alex looked at Kimitsu with a deep sense of hatred, mixed with flowing emotions of pain, sadness, wonderment, and anger. He began to change to his dark form involuntarily as he spoke.

"What did you do to him?" Alex spoke with menace and anger in his voice.

"Merely ended his pathetic life. An unimportant casualty in the whole scheme of things." Kimitsu responded. Marc and Sarah could only stare in bewilderment and confusion. Realization finally dawned on them like a tidal wave of horror.

"You killed our father!" Marc shouted as Alex completed his transformation. A wave of pure force knocked Kimitsu back, slamming him into the far wall.

"LEAVE NOW OR YOU'LL SUFFUR THE CONSEQUENCES!" Alex bellowed, yet it seemed not to come from his mouth, but from deep inside his chest, like somebody was possessing him.

"Ugh...what strength...how did you ever come across it?"

"I SAID LEAVE!" He shouted again. His voice now sounded metallic and hollow.

"No." Marc said.

"What? He killed your father? Why don't you want him to leave?" Zack asked.

"Actually, let us deal with it. It's a personal matter." Sarah said.

"LEAVE!" Alex bellowed again. He seemed intent on staying right where he was.

"I said to back OFF!" Marc shouted, blasting Alex with a supremely powerful psychic blast. Alex flew across the room, bashing his head against the north wall and falling unconscious, reverting back to his normal form.

The two telepathic twins turned toward Kimitsu. The flames of anger in their eyes were evident. Could this be the same person who had killed their mother and 2nd sibling? Suddenly Marc grabbed Sarah's hand.

'NOW!' Marc said telepathically, and the two went flying at Kimitsu only to be blasted back by his extreme power, as their shock from their father's death had weakened their strength and therefore their attacks. Falling to the ground, Marc and Sarah fell into the vast mist of unconsciousness.

"You're going to regret that!" Alex yelled, rushing at Kimitsu with what little strength he had left in his cut and blood-deprived figure. Kimitsu, suffering an equal deprivation, rushed at Alex as well. They collided, slashing at each other. Then something happened, something that nobody had, or would have expected to happen at all. Amy smashed through the wall, and Kimitsu, being startled slightly flinched, which provided Alex with enough time to stab him in the back. Kimitsu disappeared, and reappeared by the door.

"You thought you had me beat? Think again. I shall return more powerful than ever before, elementalist!" He shouted, fading away as if he were some sort of ghost.

"Damn! Why the hell does everyone call me that!" Alex shouted, violently forcing his sword into the blood-stained carpet.

"I suppose-" Sarah said, breathing deeply, "I suppose we should explain everything."

"Ya think?" Cody said sarcastically.

"That'd be nice." Amy said.

"Where'd you come from anyway?" Alex asked her.

"Over that-a way." Amy pointed the opposite direction of the wall she crashed through.

"I could have guessed that. Now are we gonna start explaining anything or not?" Zack said, with an obvious intent of getting to the point.

"Okay, fine. I'll start from the beginning." Sarah said.

"Of course you will! There's no point in starting from the middle, is there?" Zack responded.

"Will you just shut up and let her explain?" Alex asked Zack, with hints of anger amid his sea green eyes.

"Alright, alright, fine. You can start now." Zack said, glaring at Alex.

"Very well.. It all started when..." She trailed off.

"Are you going to tell us?" Alex said.

"No. I'm going to show you." Sarah responded

"Show us? How?" Cody asked.

"Close your eyes." Marc said.

"Well, okay." Alex said. "I just hope this isn't some kind of trap..."

Everybody closed their eyes and waited for something to happen. Something did. They fell into a deep state of unconsciousness without even realizing it. They began to dream, with Sarah sending out a mental description to their subconscious of what was supposed to happen. It was recreated right in front of them, or so they thought.

FLASHBACK

"Wha...what are you doing here? Who are you?" A little girl, about five years old, questions the stranger who is in the living room. Just then a small boy around the same age, maybe a few months older, walks in as well.

"Who are you? Are you here to rob us? I can call servants!" The boy shouts.

"No, no. I am merely here to explain your destiny." The strange old man says. He appears to be very old, at least 90 years, and holds a cane. A dense gray beard grows from his chin, and travels downward like wispy smoke

"Destiny? What are you rambling on about, old geezer?" The boy questions harshly.

"You mean you don't know? Haven't you even the faintest idea?" He asks them.

"No. We haven't noticed anything strange. Sure, we can communicate with thoughts, but we noticed nothing unusual about that. We figured all twins are able to do it." The girl told the old man.

"Yes, all twins are, but only in their subconscious. You two are...different. You are destined. You are chosen." He replied.

"Chosen? What are you talking about? You mean...like...we're special?" The young boy's eyes glitter with excitement as he soaks this in.

"Yes, that's a nice way to put it. You two are special." He replied.

"Didja hear that, Sarah? We're special twins!" The boy shouted with enthusiasm.

"Yeah, but I don't wanna be special, Marc! I wanna be normal! I wanna be normal, like everybody else..." Sarah begins to cry.

"She'll get over it, won't she, Marc?" The old man asks, almost tiredly.

"Yeah, she'll eventually get over it." Marc responds quietly, almost a whisper. "She's just tired."

"I'm not tired! Besides, bedtime isn't for another 3 hours!" She tells Marc.

"Very well, then. I suppose I should tell you what your role is." The old man tells them quietly, in barely even a whisper. They can hardly hear him, and have to really strain.

"You...two-" The old man coughs violently, "-have been chosen-" He has a violent coughing spell again. "- for the role of 'Guardian of Twins', the most sacred role of all. You must-" He coughs once again, even more violent than before. "-discover and strengthen your Earth and Psychic abilities."

The old man then kneels down, and falls over, laying flat against the stone floor. He isn't breathing.

"Hello? Mister? Please wake up, mister? Mister?" Marc carefully picks up a stick, found on the old man's robes, and prods him with it gently.

"MISTER! WAKE UP!" Marc yells, and then begins to cry as the scene fades out. "Please wake up...please...come on, Mister..."

"It's going to be okay, Marc. Don't worry..." Somebody starts to walk into the room as the scene fades to black.

"Alright, dad. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Marc." The scene then completely fades out.

END FLASHBACK

Alex, Zack, Cody, and Amy return to the conscious world, with the pain of that memory still fresh in their minds.

"I...I'm sorry. That must have been very traumatic to go through, especially at such a young age..." Amy says.

"I agree with her. That must have been...devastating, experiencing the death of a complete stranger in your own home." Alex replies.

"It was back then, but we're over it now. It is, however, hard to bring up that memory. We found these two pendants in his robe sealed in an envelope, along with a note. It was from our mother." She says, pulling the old and faded paper out of her pocket while gesturing to the pendants she and Marc wore around her neck. "Here, you read it. It is still...hard...to read it to myself."

"Umm...okay." Alex responds.

"Why'd you keep it? The note, I mean?" Zack asked.

"It was...the only thing we had of that night, except for the pendants. We kept the note, as well, so that we would always have proof. Proof that she still thought of us, proof that she loved us. Even as she was dying..." Marc said.

The group gathered around to read the note.

To my dear children, Marc and Sarah:

If you currently cannot understand this note, keep it and read it in a few years time. You may understand it then. If you are reading this, I am most likely dead. If not, I will be in a few months. It doesn't matter, not with this illness. I am writing this note to let you know that what this man says is true. All of it. You two are destined to be the Guardians. You must discover, tame, and strengthen your Earth and Psychic abilities. These pendants will help you to do that

Your duty is to guard twins with special abilities. Twins like you, with abnormal powers. You will know when they are near, as you and they will be connected. Marc, you are entrusted with the elder of the two. Sarah, you are to guard the younger.

Of note especially are the two twins I am about to describe to you. They are the companions of the fabled elementalist. They are, or at least will be, two male twins, the same age you are, with blonde hair, blue eyes. They are unique, in that they do not share the same power. The younger, Cody, has the power to shape the calm, collected element of water, and the elder, Zack, shall control the aggressive and powerful element of fire. This, however, is a special case. Marc, you are entrusted with the protection of Cody, and Sarah with Zack.

I do hope that you are able to, one day, meet them and protect them. Tell your father that I wish him well.

-Your mother, Sasha

"The fact that you two are here now confirms that our mother was right." Sarah said.

"Well, then, I suppose you are to come with us then." Alex said.

"We have to, in order to satisfy our mother's last request." Marc said.

"Good. She would have wanted that." Cody responded.

"Well, then, does anybody have any clue about where to go now?" Alex asked

"No, none at all." Sarah responded.

"Not me." Marc said.

"So, what do you propose we do?" Alex asked the group.

"Umm...how about we just stay here? It's better than anything else...I think..." Zack suggested.

"Okay, then. We'll stay here for now. Maybe we'll think of something later on." Alex said.

"Who made you the leader?" Zack asked.

"Nobody. If you want to suggest something better, go right ahead. I'm not stopping you." Alex replied.

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't just calling the shots without being open to opinion. Or something..." Zack said.

"Well, you have your answer." Alex told him.

"So...how about we get to know each other better? Let's start with...you." Marc said, pointing at Amy.

"Well...alright. I'm fourteen, and have these powers...it's pretty cool, but sometimes sucks. That's all, really." She said.

"You seem to be hiding something." Marc said.

"I'm not. I swear." Amy replied.

"Very well. I'm Marc. Over there is my sister, Sarah. We, together, have powerful Earth abilities. Apart, however, we have to rely on our Psychic powers." Marc informed the group.

"Yeah...he said everything I was going to say." Sarah said.

"Umm...I'm Zack, that's my twin brother Cody." Zack said.

"They know that already!" Cody said, half shouting at his brother,

"Well, I don't know anything they wouldn't!" Zack replied, with just as much loudness in his voice.

"How about the time when we were three and you-"

"They don't need to know that!" Zack interrupted his brother quickly.

"We don't need to, but I sure am curious now." Alex said.

"I agree with him." Sarah said.

"Anyway, it's getting boring. I'm going to go check this place out, who's with me?" Cody asked.

"I am." Zack replied.

"Sure, why not?" Alex asked to nobody in particular.

"I'll see you guys later, I...need some time alone." Sarah said.

"Alright, then. See you later." Cody said.

They run off to explore the run-down castle as Sarah heads off somewhere deep within the castle to do whatever it is she needed to do.

Zack and Cody quickly found a hidden passage. It seemed dangerous, with something the couldn't quite make out written at the top.

"Should we go?" Cody asked.

"Of course!" Zack replied.

"I don't know...look up there." Alex pointed to the inscription.

Ejp,rbrt fodvpbrtd yjr drvtryd joffrm eoyjom yjod sddshresu od vsiyopmrf. Yjru ;rsf pm;u yp frsyj smf frdytivyopm. -- (1)

"What does it mean?" Cody asked.

"I'm not sure. It doesn't look very good, though. I'm sure if I had a computer, and possibly some internet, we could research it, and see if it can be decoded." Alex responded.

"Considering this is written on a whole other world, I highly doubt any form of internet could help us." Zack commented.

"Anybody could have figured that out! He was obviously being sarcastic. We don't have a computer anyway..." Cody said.

"Should we go down it or not? I vote yes." Zack said.

"Okay, we can go, but don't touch anything!" Alex said, putting a strong emphasis on 'anything'.

"Sweet!" Zack shouted as he rushed down the passageway. Cody, however, hesitated. Afraid to move, he stood, seemingly rooted to the ground.

"Anything wrong, Cody?" Alex asked.

"I've just...I've got a really bad feeling about this. A really, really bad feeling." He replied.

"Okay. Somebody has to go and keep Zack out of trouble, though. I guess I'll see you later, then." Alex said as he took off after Zack.

"Yeah. See you later" Cody called after him. "Might as well try to find Sarah." He thought to himself, and set off to accomplish this new goal of his.

Sarah ran to the secret spot of hers. Underneath the hidden corridor, behind a revolving wall, and up in an enclosed cave on the side of the mountain, where the revolving wall led her. The front was covered in vines, hanging down from a tree, so that nobody could see it by just looking at the mountain cliff itself. She was the only one that knew about this place. She often came here to think, and when she didn't want to be disturbed. She began to think deeply.

"I've wondered about many things in my life, but this deeply troubles me. What is this feeling I have for him? Is it love, or just because of our little connection that I feel this way about him? I'm not sure. I don't think I'll ever be. Even if it is love, I'm not sure how he feels about me. I won't tell him. Not yet, not when we've just met."

"Are you okay?" A voice startled her out of her thoughts. She turned, to find the one person she thought she'd never see. At least, not all the way up here.

"Cody? What are you doing here?"

"Hey, I was just looking for you. I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" He inquired.

"No, not at all. Come sit down." Sarah motioned next to her.

"Alright." Cody sat down next to Sarah.

"How did you find this place, anyway?" Sarah asked.

"I guess I just...wandered here. Exploring, kind of. I was feeling along the wall for any hidden passageways, and kinda fell through. I broke the fall with my nose, too. Man, that hurt..." Cody said, rubbing his nose gently. By this time, Sarah was doubled over in laughter.

"I can imagine that! It must have been hilarious. From a bystander's point of view, I mean." Sarah said when she'd calmed down a bit.

"Yeah, I guess. It sure hurt like hell, though." Cody said, laughing as well now. They talked, and got to know each other a lot better.

"Do I love him? It's all so confusing..." Sarah thought to herself.

"This note. It's so painful to keep around...yet I can't get rid of it." Sarah said, painful memories evident through her eyes.

"Why not?" Cody asked.

"My mother...I'd never met her. My father had only shown me a few pictures, but that was it. Then one day, he disappeared as well, leaving Marc and me all alone." Sarah told Cody, on the verge of tears.

"I'm...sorry...that must be really hard on you." Cody whispered, embracing her slightly. Sarah embraced him as well, her heart shouting something, and her mind denying it.

"No, this...isn't right. I don't. I can't. Not...so soon. It's not true. It isn't. You know it is...just accept it. Accept it and move on! No...it's not true." Thoughts, conflicting each other, raged and battled throughout her head. Cody, meanwhile, was engaged in the exact same battle, his thoughts about Sarah the same.(2)

"So, you come here often?" Cody was once again sitting beside Sarah.

"Yeah. I thought nobody knew about this place, except for me."

"Now at least three people are going to know about it." He told her.

"Three? I thought it was only you and me that knew about it. Who else?" She asked him.

"If I found this place, my brother will find it too. You can be sure of that." He told her.

"Well, should we go back?" Cody asked her.

"Sure." She said. They headed back, and when they reached the place Alex and Zack headed down, Cody stopped her.

"Is anything...bad...down there?" Cody asked curiously, fearing for his brother.

"Yeah, very bad stuff. An old emperor is buried in his tomb back there, why?" She asked.

"Damn. I've gotta stop him, before anything bad happens." Cody said, drawing his sword and rushing down the passage.

"Cody...wait up!" Sarah said, rushing after him.

DEEP WITHIN THE SECRET HALL

Zack ran ahead of Alex, eager to explore this new territory.

"Hey, there's lots of cool stuff here. Check this out!" Zack said, touching the double-bladed sword with an ebony black blade, resting upon a statue's hand, and pulling it out, free of the statue's iron grip. A person, dressed in phantom white colors, fades into view in the center of the stone marked circle, criss-crossing in a zigzag pattern in the middle of the chamber.

"Who dares disturb my prized possession?" The figures asked, his transparent eyes blazing with anger. Alex walked in the room to be greeted with this sight.

"Zack, what did you do now?" He asked rhetorically.

"I didn't DO anything! Just pulled out this cool-looking sword...thingy."

"He has moved my prized possession from its resting place. For that, he must be punished."

"Um...was this yours? I'll put it back...sorry." Zack murmured.

"No, the damage has already been done. You must be cursed. You may take anything you wish, but...t"

Eyes rolling into the back of his head, the ghostly figure took on a possessed look, and stood rigid in a catatonic state. He disappeared, and blood red writing appeared on the wall.

Yjr ,ptr upi yslr. yjr htrsyre upit ytpin;rd ;syrt pm/ -- (3)

"What the heck's that supposed to mean?" Zack wondered.

Cody rushed into the room, with Sarah right behind him.

"Zack...what did you do now!" Cody shouted.

"I didn't DO anything! This weird guy came and said something...something something...I wasn't really listening." Zack mumbled. Sarah stood, overcome with fear, staring at the wall's writing.

"Zack, did you touch anything. I shouldn't even be asking that, of course you did."

"Hey, that guy said I could take whatever!" Zack said.

"He did, but then went on to curse you...or something like that." Alex said.

"Just...take what you want. But not too much." Sarah sighed.

"Really? Sweet! I'll take this thingy!" Zack said, waving around the sword he'd originally taken.

"I won't take anything. I'm not sure how this is going to affect anything, but I'm not risking it." Alex said.

"I agree with him. It's too risky. Besides, Zack needs to be cursed. It might teach him something." Cody smirked as he said this.

"Ye-Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Zack rhetorically asked.

"Can we just go?" Alex asked.

"Sure, we can show you around town!" Sarah said enthusiastically.

"Town? You mean there's more than this castle?" Cody asked.

"Of course!" Sarah said.

They head into town, where Sarah shows them everything. Marc was back at the castle, saying that he'd seen the town enough...so here they were. Amy had, strangely, disappeared. Sarah spotted a back alley she'd never noticed, and headed down it, Cody following her.

"Wow! Look at this! It looks so..." Sarah trailed off.

"Yeah, it does look like a very valuable necklace."

"Look at the price of it though...I could never afford it." She sighed.

"Here, I think...yeah, I've still got it!" He said, holding up what remained of his gold coins from Zeta. He had more than enough to purchase the item, and gave it to Sarah.

"Thanks! You don't know how much this means to me!" Sarah told him.

"Thank you for making that fine purchase. Perhaps now I'll be able to sell even more!" The shopkeeper spoke, joy evident in his blue eyes.

"Oh, thank you Cody!" Sarah said, as she hugged him in joy. Cody blushed.

"Umm...your welcome." Cody said.

"Come on, let's go!" Sarah said, pulling him along to speed back to the others.

"Yes...very nice." The shopkeeper said as his form began to change. After about thirty seconds, Kimitsu stood in place of the shopkeeper. "Very nice indeed. Our plan shall be in full swing soon. Are you ready, my young apprentice?"

"Yes, master. I shall not fail you." The apprentice spoke from the shadows, hiding.

"Very good. Once the guardians are out of the way, the elementalist will be easy to take care of." Kimitsu said, an evil smirk making its way across his face.

3/13/05: Well, that's another chapter down. Kimitsu has an apprentice. Who is it? Why do you need to know now? Why do you care? Any guesses? Wait until a future chapter...now for the footnotes.

(1): If anybody can decode this, please tell me what you think it means. If you get it right...something good will happen to you...I just don't know what yet. You can give me some ideas.

HINT: Alex's dialog afterward could be a subtle hint...I guess it's not so subtle now...oh well.

(2): Awwww...yeah...will they ever find out? Maybe...maybe not...oh well. What do you think?

(3): See footnote (1)

Hopefully I can get this up soon. If not, just know that it's not my fault! Somebody who shares my Internet server got a virus onto it! Blame them...It'll be up when they get that fixed. It could be tomorrow, or it could be next year. (if it is, I'll go crazy!) Now to work on the next chapter! I'm so bored...

- ARK -