Chapter Six: Inez's Perspective (Legend of The Sand Crystal)

Author's Note:

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't worked on this story for such a long time! My computer just recently crashed so we had to get a new one, since it didn't work anymore. All of my files were deleted along with the old computer, so I have to continue on from the stories on FanFiction. Anyway, I'm gonna tell you guys that I've thrown some Atlantis history into the series itself. If you'd like to find out more, then wait until my website is up, which will have the Atlantis Timeline up. Thanks to my supporting authors, the real Violet Parr, lightening816 (my penpal!), and XxAngel of DarknessXx. You guys are the ones that keep this story going! Thank you! And I'll see ya guys at Chapter Seven: Matt's Perspective (My Girl), featuring Phil Collin's version of "My Girl." I think we all know what's gonna happen next. I'll be putting up a website for this very soon, with original manhwa versions of the characters. I'll try to put up graphic novel excerpts up as well! ;-) I'll see ya guys later at Chapter Seven! ;-)

-Avalons-Healer

Inez felt her hair being whipped past her shoulders, and her eyes stung from the windy force of the portal.

Inez never really liked portal travelling. Her guts always seemed to feel like they were turned inside out, and her stomach felt sickening. Her eyes dried up even though she wore glasses, so she was forced to close her eyes and miss the light show spectacle, and she didn't know for sure where she was heading at the end. After all, Motherboard's portals were always seemingly having surprise endings. Who knew where this one might lead? Last time, they landed in a cememtary with a ghost pirate.

Inez shivered at the old memory. First snakes, and then a ghost.

But, this one was different... way different.

Inez felt her body lurch forward almost sickeningly inside, and landed hard on her back on the familiar floor of Motherboard Control Central.

"Owww..." Inez muttered, standing up and dusting her clothes.

"Could work on your landing, Nezzie." Matt teased, as he stood up after landing gracefully on the ground like an acrobatics master. That's what you get when a boy's a sports type who decides to take on dancing lessons as well. Flexibility.

"Thanks for the tip, Matthew." Inez replied sasrcastically. She knew how much Matt hated being called Matthew.

"Guys, c'mon." Slider frowned.

"Stop arguing for once!" Jackie snapped.

Matt and Inez both huffed and turned our backs at each other.

"Grrrr!" Jackie growled, slapping her forhead, "The quest's hopeless if they keep this up!"

Can't Matt have some sense in his brain for once! Inez thought fiercely, And stop calling me Nezzie! I don't know why he still calls me that anyway!

To be honest, Inez really had a small crush on Matt, even if she tried to deny it, the thought would always come back to her. She had to take serious classes to take her mind off of it. But when it came to sleeping at night, sometimes she couldn't sleep. Not to mention that Matt's bunk was right below hers, so, yeah, you could say it was difficult. Really difficult.

Ah, but what about the classes with him? Sometimes she'd add to much chemicals from staring at him when he wasn't looking, or she won't pay attention to what the teacher is saying because she's looking at Matt, who's taking notes almost every second. Sometimes Inez couldn't believe how much this boy has changed from the first time they met. Matt was always the carefree kind, the kind that didn't really like school except for Math and Gym. Now, he was not only Harvard's best sports player and sports team captains, he was even one of Harvard's best students, the same ranking as Inez. He's come a long way, and Inez was proud of him. Well, that is, except for the past week. Apparently, Matt wasn't really enjoying the classes anymore, so he started skipping them. He wasn't caught until today. But, either way, he was a good student... if he could regain the trust of his teachers again. But even so, Inez was proud of Matt. But now, she also started liking him more than friendship.

"Hello?" Jackie's voice rang in Inez's ears, "Earth to Inez!"

"Huh?" Inez had been so deep in thought that she completely forgot where she was and that Jackie was even talking to her.

"Did you even hear a word Motherboard said?" Slider asked.

"She said something?" Inez frowned, ashamed of herself that she was losing focus in her college years.

"Don't worry." Matt smiled, holding a notepad and pencil, "I wrote down the notes, so everything's fine. You can catch up easily."

"Oh, um... thanks." Inez smiled back, feeling her cheeks tighten as she blushed.

"Okay..." the cybird named Digit LeBoid frowned with confusion, "First, Inez and Matt are calling each other names, and the next thing you know, Matt's being a gentleman and Inez is blushing?"

Inez gasped when she found out she was blushing. "N-no I'm not!"

"Don't try to hide it, girl." Jackie smiled, pulling on Inez's cheek so much that it hurt, "With your skin tone, pink stands out a lot."

"Ow ow! Let go!" Inez cried.

Jackie snapped Inez's cheek back, causing her cheek to burn painfully. Inez rubbed her burning cheek to subside the burning.

"So, when do we start, Motherboard?" Matt asked, grabbing Inez's wrist that was rubbing her cheek and touching it himself instead.

"Right away, if that is okay with you four." Motherboard replied, "Digit will be your guide throughout the missions."

As Motherboard spoke, Inez's heart was beating rapidly and her mind was racing. What was Matt doing?

As Matt's fingers touched Inez's burning cheek, the burning was disinigrating, along with the itchiness that she had from rubbing it too hard.

When Matt's fingers pulled away, Inez was feeling a lot more better. Too bad she could barely speak.

"Better?" Matt asked quietly, smiling softly, his face only a feet away.

Inez squeaked and nodded in reply, and watched him walk away with the others and Digit.

Inez was about to follow, until Motherboard stopped her.

"You like him, don't you?" Motherboard asked with a smile.

Inez froze and turned to face Motherboard sheepishly, "Of course I do! He's my friend!"

"You know exactly what I mean, Inez." Motherboard replied.

Inez's sheepish smile turned into a small frown as she sighed. "Is it that easy to see?"

"Judging by the way you replied Matt, I would say, yes." Motherboard answered with a smile.

Inez groaned in embarrasment, her cheeks bright red.

"He'll find out eventually you know." Motherboard warned, "So, enjoy your secrecy while you still can. I can tell you that it won't last long."

"Let's hope it's otherwise." Inez replied.

"Very well, just stay on your toes." Motherboard advised, "You never know. Now, go on. You have a mission to complete."

Inez thanked Motherboard and rushed out the door, only to bump into-

"Matt!" Inez exclaimed, "What were you doing, eavesdropping? Spying?"

"No, and no." Matt replied.

Inez sensed he was lying, but she had to believe that he really was telling the truth. Otherwise, she was gonna be really embarrassed.

Inez must've been staring at Matt as if he was telling a lie, because Matt said, "Really!"

Inez sighed, rolled her eyes, and walked to the Cybercoupe. Matt soon followed.

And they were off.

"So, Digit, what's the story of the Sand Crystal?" Inez asked, remembering what Principal Linwards said.

Digit groaned. "You really weren't listening, weren't you?"

"Afraid not." Inez replied shyly, blushing madly, remembering the reason why she didn't listen.

"Ask Matt, he wrote down notes." Digit replied, "'Cause, I'm not the best at explaining these things. Motherboard told the whole story."

Inez turned to Matt, who was flipping through his notes. "Here we go." he said, "The Sand Crystal is called the Sand Crystal because it was forged by sand when lightning struck. It actually looks like lightning made of glass or crystal, almost like a bare tree. But really, it's a lightning fork on a crystal base."

"But don't you mean the Lightning Crystal?" Inez wondered out loud, "Because, the Mayan Lightning Crystal is forged by lightning when it hits the sand, causing the sand to be somewhat mutated into a unique shape of crystal. Of course, you'd have to dig it up from where the lightning last hit. And they're usually scattered, since lightning never hits the same place twice or more. It's always different. So, don't you mean the Lightning Crystal?"

"Unfourtuantly, no." Matt replied, "Those are extremely rare, and are crafted by the ancient Mayans and Aztecs. It'll take years or decades to forge a perfect replica, even with the advanced technologies and science that we have today. And also, I doubt they're magical. And, why would a Mayan Lightning Crystal be in Luminaria in the first place? Unless they had Aztecs and Mayans there, then I doubt it. According to Motherboard, the Sand Crystal is a strange, lightning-shaped crystal, forged by sand, magic, and nature itself. It's not brown like the sand, but they were created from the particles of sand. Much like the same way we take sand and meld it all together to make glass. And if we grind them all back to powder, it becomes sand."

"Okay, but how did magic and nature work together to forge the Sand Crystal from sand and create it into a magical statue?" Inez asked, her mind racking, "Which, when broken and scattered into 20 shards, create portals in the barrier between Cyberspace and Luminaria?"

"The sand is the same thing that is made to use Portal Dust here in Cyberspace." Matt replied, "Luminaria has the same technology as Cyberspace, only some are more advanced and still uses some traditional remedies and science. Almost like the Atlantians from the Lost Empire of Atlantis."

"They created electricity before Benjamin Franklin in the 1700s." Inez reasoned, finally making sense of things.

"Yeah, but what does Atlantis have to do with-" Matt cut off, as Inez saw the realization on his face, "Didge! When did the Luminarians create electricity?"

"Millions of years ago" Digit replied, "Sometime before 100,000BC in Earth time."

"That's the exact same time when the Heart of Atlantis landed on the City of Atlantis itself." Inez exclaimed, "The same time they created electricity. When did they lose to the ShadowLands, Digit?"

"6586BC." Digit replied.

"The same year that both Princess Kidagakash was born, and the same year that Atlantis sunk into the depths of the ocean, while other parts of the city were destroyed by the Big Wave." Matt exclaimed.

"I get it!" Inez exclaimed, "Luminara is a modern version of Atlantis and the Mayans put together!"