Title : Is It Really You?
Summary : What would happen if there had been a girl in Martin's past who had broken his heart when she died? How much confusion would ensue if she were to suddenly reenter his life?
Rating : T for language (yes, you read right I won't be putting any fluff in this chapter. I probably won't put any more fluff in this fic, I HATE writing it! It's too happy for me!)
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FrenchFry : Hi y'all! PotatoPuff and TaterTot are off beating each other up, and should be back soon. Yep, I can hear one of them begging for mercy right now...
PP : GOD NO! PLEASE! STOP! NO! NOT THAT! ANYTHING BUT THAT!
TT : BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THIS'LL TEACH YA NOT TO WRITE STUFF LIKE THAT AGAIN!
(chainsaw is heard in background)
PP : AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
FF : Anyways, ignoring them now. You may be wondering who on earth I am. Well, I am the devoted "Is It Really You?" fanclub president. That's right, from now on, your opinions are said through me! I also work as a stand-in if both PotatoPuff and TaterTot are unavailable at the time. PotatoPuff still writes the stories, I just type them out for her. Oh yeah, and PotatoPuff and TaterTot do not own anything copyrighted by anyone else, they only own this storyline and the OC Rachel. Well, let's get on with the long awaited Chapter 7! I have to do this quick. There's a Jeep somewhere just calling for me to steal it.
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Chapter 7 : The Darkness Within
Martin opened his eyes the next morning to see a roof made of straw and mud over his head. He was mildly confused. Where was he? Why was he willingly awake at 6:00 in the morning according to his watch? And why was he sleeping on straw? He shut his eyes, trying to remember. Disconnected thoughts flashed through his head.
A new mission. New York. Ground Zero. A G.P.S. signal. Phoenix. Rachel.
With that final thought, everything came rushing back to him. He was in a very small village in Kenya. Him, Diana & Java had gone there looking for... Rachel. He bolted upright. They had tracked Rachel's G.P.S. to this remote village, right? It wasn't a dream? He threw off the blanket covering him, and walked out to the main room, praying that it had all been real.
There were 4 smaller rooms leading off the main one, as this was the closest thing the village had to a hotel. Rachel, Diana & Java had the other three rooms.
'At least, I think they do,' he thought.
Hearing no sounds from Rachel's room, he poked his head in to see if she was still asleep. There was no one there, and the room was so clean, he could have swore that no one had ever been there. He sighed, comitting himself to the fact that it was all a glorious dream, and he was about to wake up from it all. He turned around, and saw the note sitting on the table in the middle of the room. His curiosity got the better of him, so he picked it up and started to read it.
Hey guys!
Hope you slept well.
Breakfast is served in the hut to the
left of this one, whenever you get hungry.
If I get back before you eat, I'll join ya,
but there's no guarantee that I will be.
I use the mornings to get
some quiet time.
C ya!
Rachel
He smiled. It wasn't a dream. His memories hadn't been playing some cruel joke on him. He walked back to his room to get dressed before going for an early morning walk.
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Martin was amazed to see how alive the village already was. He guessed that they were all on the same schedule as the sun, and it had just risen. As he was walking, he had to dodge around many people already up and working on chores. The breakfast hut was immediately recognizable by the good smells coming out of it, but he wasn't quite hungry yet. Despite being up so early, the laughter and voices ringing through the air gave the entire village, and all the villagers, an easy going personality, somewhere that Rachel would fit in perfectly. He stopped to ask one woman where Rachel might be, and she just shrugged her shoulders, waving in some vague direction. She said that Rachel got up long before anyone else and wandered away from the village. He sighed, shaking his head. She really hadn't changed at all since he had last seen her, still rising with the sun, and cherishing her alone time. He figured he probably wouldn't be able to find her (if she really wanted to be alnoe, she made it impossible for anyone to find her), so he went for an aimless wander.
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Martin had wandered out of the village, making sure it was always in sight so he wouldn't get lost, when he saw a grove of trees in the distance. Walking there would put the village out of his sight, so he memorized where the village was in relation to the sun, and, seeing's how it was barely even 7:00 yet, he went to see what it was.
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The moment Martin entered the grove, he felt a sense of security surround him, like, as long as he was there, nothing could physically harm him. He followed the path, until he suddenly stumbled into a clearing. He gasped as he saw the crystal clear spring in front of him.
'Just like Rachel's eyes,' he thought.
It was then that he felt it. The wind drastically picked up, swirling around the clearing. A flash of red appeared in his vision, and he blinked, expecting for it to go away. When it didn't, he turned towards it, confused... and saw the source of the flame.
Rachel was kneeling in front of the spring, her back to him, a bright red fireball in front of her. She didn't realize he was there, so he took the opportunity to take a good look at her. Today she was wearing a blue tank top with a pair of slim fitting blue jeans. It seemed strange to see her with short hair at the top of all that. Such a change from her long curls. He had to admit, the spiky ends fit her personality better, but he just couldn't remember having ever seen her without long hair. The shorter hair exposed the back of her neck, where he noticed something stranger than even that. She wasn't wearing a necklace, meaning that she wasn't wearing her phoenix pendant. He had also never seen her without that on before, EVER.
He also took a good look at the fireball that she was slowly enlarging, and once again noticed the gold & black sparkles, and how they looked like they were fighting. It almost looked like control was swapping back and forth between the two of them, the black gaining the upperhand for a second, only to be beaten back down by the gold, but then the black would gain control again. From his point of view, it didn't look like it was worrying Rachel too much though, so he didn't bother too much about it.
'But then, how much can you tell just by looking at someone's back?'
That was when it finally hit him as to what he was doing. He was spying on her. Embarrassed, he walked forward, not sneaking up on her, but not mking any extra noise either. His main problem was fighting his way through the winds that were still swirling around. As he got closer, he could see that all her attention was focused on that steadily growing fireball, frowning at it. That was probably why she didn't hear him approaching.
"Hey there."
He had hoped that he wouldn't scare her, but he had to let her know he was standing behind her, so all he could do was wince when she jumped and the fireball disappeared. He knew that she would probably be spooked, and possibly mad, but he wasn't expecting her to whip around to face him, lightning crackling around her fingers.
"Rach, Rach! It's me! Don't hurt me, please! I didn't mean to scare you!" Martin shrank, positively terrified by the murderous look on her face.
Realizing that it was only him, she quickly backed off, the lightning disappearing from around her fingers, looking slightly embarrassed that she had nearly roasted one of her best friends.
"Oh god! I'm so sorry! I'm just a little paranoid when it comes to people sneaking up on me like that. It serves you right for doing that though!"
Martin flashed back to a high school hall, looking at a young lady standing in front of her locker, hands on her hips, glaring at him with false anger. He smiled. There was another part of her that had remained unchanged. Maybe the only differences in her were physical changes, like her haircut.
"Well, when you've got your back to the only trail, you're just asking for someone to sneak up on you."
She seemed slightly surprised at his response, losing her concentration. He wondered why, but then remembered that he had only started answering back with 'a bit too much attitude' (in M.O.M.'s words) after... No, he wasn't thinking about that now. It looked like he was the one who had changed the most in the past four years. But, he didn't have to refer to his life as before Rachel and after Rachel anymore. No, why would he think something like that? He shook his head. He wasn't going to even think about that fateful day anymore. All that mattered was that she was alive. Even still, he had a few questions for her that he was finding it hard to ignore. She smiled at him.
"I tried facing the trail, but I came out here to get away from people, and that's what the trail reminded me of. Looking at the spring makes me feel much closer to nature, more peaceful, almost like I'm alone out here."
She turned around to gaze into the spring again. Martin walked up to stand beside her. They just stood there in silence for a moment, admiring how peaceful everything was, until Martin just couldn't hold it in anymore.
"How did you come back?"
"Huh?"
Rachel turned to him, confused.
"Like, you were dead, but now you're standing in front of me. How?"
She sighed, turning away from him. Just from her actions, Martin could tell that she was reluctant to tell him the answer. But, why? She turned back to him, reluctance clearly visible in her eyes.
"It's a long story, because, to explain my theory of how I got back, I have to explain more about my life, and to do that, I have to explain more about my father's life, and, well, it'd bore you, I mean, it is a long story."
'So, trying to discourage me from listening, eh?'
Martin sat down, making certain she saw he was making himself comfortable. He smiled up at her, looking sweet and innocent.
"I like long stories, and I've also always wondered what your dad's like. You never talked about him much. There's also the fact that I have nothing urgent to do today, and neither do you."
He gained massive enjoyment from the different emotions playing across her face. She looked like she wanted to run towards the village, jump into the water, sit dwon and cry from frustration, strangle him, and sit down and tell him, all at the same time. She gave a huge sigh, and he could tell that the 'sit-down-and-tell-him-everything' emotion had won, so, basically, he had won.
"You're positive you want to hear it?"
"Yes. Now stop stalling, sit down, and spill the beans."
"It'll probably completely change your opinion of me."
"And you coming back from the dead and revealing to me that you can use magic didn't?"
She sighed again.
"Well, fine, but remember, you wanted me to tell you."
She sat down beside him, wrapping her arms around her knees. She gazed out at the water, gathering her thoughts before she began.
"I've never known my father. That's why I didn't talk about him much. He died before I was born, but my mom's told me all about him. He was the only survivor of an ancient race of people who could use magic, and were known for their connection to animals in any form, whether they were real or mythical. Each person born of this race had a special connection to one animal. Well, Dad was the only one left, so he had the darkest of evils chasing after him, attemping to convert him, wishing to use his powers for their own personal gain. He finally turned to the Center for help, for some protection, because he knew that if they gained control over him, the world was doomed. My mother was the agent assigned as his bodyguard. They were sent to a cabin off in some secluded wood, somewhere that they hopefully wouldn't be found. Well, as we know from movies, a man and a woman stuck together, alone, in a secluded cabin isn't exactly the ideal situation for them to remain strangers, and they got closer and closer until, well, Mom got pregnant. She was pulled off the case, and given a temporary desk job. Another agent was assigned to Dad in her place, a guy this time."
She gulped, and Martin could see her blinking back the tears. It was easy to see that they were nearing the part in the story where you found out that they didn't all live happily ever after.
"Mom was in the director's office when the call for help came in. According to Mom, it started out with the agent requesting backup to deal with some nasty looking creatures that were approaching, when you heard my dad in the back ground, screaming "I won't let them take me!", then a gunshot, as the agent spun around and screamed for him not to do it. By the time the backup from the Center arrived, it was already too late. The door had been broken open, and the cabin was in disarray, with the agent and my dad laying in the main room, dead, lying in pools of their own blood. Dad still had the gun in his hands. Mom had gone with the agents, cause she was worried about Dad. She had just entered the living room and seen Dad lying there when this, shadow, came out of the wall and entered her. Multiple exams were run on her, but there didn't seem to be any effects at all, so they all just shrugged it off, dismissing it as a trick of the light. When I was born, it was almost immediately noticeable that I had gained my father's abilities, as well as my connection to that one special animal. About the time I took my first steps, I also made my first fireball. With that, and the black sparkles everyone could see in it, they all realized why they couldn't find any effects of the shadow with in Mom. It was because she wasn't its target. I was its target."
She took a deep, shaky breath, closing her eyes for a few seconds. Martin could tell that it was causing her a lot of pain to pull up all thees old memories, and he almost regretted pressuring her into telling him, but, he was also curious to see how it all ended. He slung an arm around her shoulders, comforting her at the same time he was silently urging her to continue.
"I still haven't been able to find a way to get rid of the black sparkles, and that bugs the hell out of me. Somehow, the Center's medical staff figured out that the shadow had been some residue of the evil that had been chasing my father, unknowingly left behind after they attacked. It had sensed my ability even before I was born, and entered me, starting early at attemping to convert me to the dark, trying to change me into the being I would be if I had embraced the darkness instead of the light. Mom had been thinking about leaving the Center, but after they told her about all of this, she decided that the Center was the safest place for me. Because of that, I've spent my entire life so far with the Center as a agent, learning more about my powers, and hiding from that darkness. I've got two possible reasons as to why I came back, but they're both kinda tied together. One, it seems as though the special bond I have with an animal, is with a phoenix. That means that I share certain traits with it, like my red hair resembles its red feathers. It's goes deeper than that though, to the point where if the right, or wrong, forces were in motion, I would be resurrected after my death. Reason number 2, is that the only purpose the darkness within me serves is to convert me to the dark, and it's not going to let me die if there's a way around it until the forces that it serves are done with me, so it took advantage of my bond with the phoenix to resurrect me. It would have been so much easier if I had stayed dead though, cause then I wouldn't have to worry about losing control of myself to the darkness, and dooming the world with my powers. For now though, the only thing I've been able to do is lock away the most destructive of my powers, and vow never to use them, but if I lose control, there's no way those powers will remain hidden. I had accepted my fate, that I was dead, but it wasn't my time to die, so I was brought back by this stupid evil when the time was right. I just don't understand why now was the right time."
Silence filled the clearing as she finished. Martin just sat there, shocked into silence.
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Martin's POV
Wow. I can't believe it. While my biggest concerns were whether or not I was going to get good marks, hers was whether or not she'd be able to save the world from herself. I also always thought it was hard trying to get my dad to understand that I had a job at the Center. I mean, it took him nearly sending me to a military academy, and him getting eaten by a huge worm before he understood why I'm so obsessed with the paranormal. At least I HAVE a dad who misunderstands me. I couldn't even begin to imagine what my life would have been like without him. It'd be even worse if he had died before I was born, and, because he was dead, there was evil chasing after me that wanted my powers so bad, they'd bring me back from the dead to get them. To think, while I was celebrating her return, she was being torn apart by a shadow of herself, wishing she was still dead, because everything would be so much easier that way. But, there is ONE thing that she didn't explain.
"What are the golden sparkles then?"
She's frowning. This doesn't look good. But, it's holding back the darkness, right? How bad can it be?
"Well, that's a bit harder to explain. It's also fairly new, so I haven't had much time to examine it. It almost seems like it appeared when Azrael started trying harder to convert me, so that gives me a clue as to what it is. It seems like the harder I try to push Azrael back, the brighter the golden sparkles become, but, the more strength my shadow gains over me, the darker the gold becomes."
What the hell? Azrael?
"Who's Azrael?"
She gives a jerk, startled, almost like I've just amazed her that I've even heard that name before.
"Forget about it. Pretend you've never heard that name before."
Why does she just want me to forget it? Oh well, I'm sure she's got some good reasons for it. Or maybe it just slipped out, like it has nothing to do with this topic, but she didn't even realize she was saying it.
"So what do you think the golden sparkles represent?"
"My best guess is that they represent the light inside of me, like my good side battling my bad side, each one represented by a different coloured sparkle. Even if it isn't right, it still sounds good, so I'm sticking with that."
"Yeah, you're right, it does sound good."
Oh great. Now what's she going to ask me? That pleading look in her eyes doesn't look all too good.
"So, what do you think of me now?"
What? She's WORRIED about that?
"Why would what I think of you change?"
"Well, now that you know who I really am, I figured it might change something."
"Well, I'll be honest, it has changed one thing."
I pause, and pull her into my lap, holding her close. It feels so good, so right, but it also works as physical confirmation of what I'm about to say.
"I now have this overwhelming urge to protect you from anything and everything that threatens a single hair on your head."
Her reply is a soft whisper, nearly lost in the natural wind that's now blowing through the clearing.
"Thanks."
God, she feels good snuggled against my chest. I told her the truth. Maybe that's why it feels this good. I mean, knowing what she's up against, what she's been up against, she suddenly seems so much stronger, and so much more vulnerable, all at the same time. I want to make sure that no one, and I mean no one, ever hurts her. But, knowing what she just told me, that seems pretty much impossible, so I'll do the best I can. I mean, how do you save someone from themself? Oh shoot, I almost forgot.
"Here, I think this is yours."
Well, the U-Watch is hers. The only reason I've got it is because she died, and, well, she's here now. She'll probably need it.
"No, you keep it. You've had it this long consider it yours."
She's fastening it back on my wrist. I guess that means she reall does want me to keep it. Well, no use arguing with her, I learned that long ago.
"Well, at least let me walk you back to the village for some breakfast."
She's smiling at me, that heavenly smile that makes me melt inside.
"Alright, I suppose I can let you do that. I've had enough alone time for today."
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Normal POV
After breakfast, Rachel said goodbye to all the villagers. There were a few tears shed, as no one wanted their 'angel who fell from heaven' to leave. Martin opened a portal back to the Center, and the four of them walked through into M.O.M.'s office. She hadn't expected them back that early in the morning, so she was startled when she saw Martin, Diana, & Java walk in. She stood up, searching for someone she obviously was hoping was there. Not seeing that person, she gave a sigh of defeat, and was about to sit back down, when Rachel stepped out from where she was hiding behind Java. Rachel smiled, seeing the way that M.O.M.'s jaw dropped when she saw her.
"Hey there."
Just like someone greeting a friend after being apart for a couple of hours, instead of Rachel greeting her boss after being dead for 4 years. M.O.M. very nearly collapsed back into her chair. Martin did find it kind of funny to see all the colour drain from M.O.M.'s face, and her knuckles turn white from gripping the desk that tight, while she struggled to find the right words to say. Rachel saw her dilemna, and gave her some help by walking around the desk, and wrapping her arms around M.O.M. in a hug. Martin, Diana, & Java were all shocked as they watched the normally cold woman, whose only distinguishable emotion was anger, smile, care and love clearly showing. She grabbed Rachel's shoulders, and gently pushed her back so she could take a better look at her.
"You look older."
Rachel smiled again.
"Well, so do you, and I would hope that would be the case seeing's how you're 4 years older than you were when I last saw you."
"Smartass."
"Well, that was just the truth, it did not deserve that comment, but it is nice to know that you haven't forgotten my old nickname."
"Now why would I be the one to forget it? I'm not the one that died."
Rachel gave M.O.M. a playful smack on the arm.
"That hurts, ya know that Mom?"
"Of course, it's just so good to have my only child back in front of me again."
"Good to be back, Mom."
Martin thought he was going to faint. Did he hear that right?
Was the name M.O.M. really more than just an acronym?
Was Rachel's Mom really, M.O.M.?
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PP : HA! Chapter 7, finally done! Over 4000 words! It's a new record! I'm so happy! Now, I can go to bed! Sorry it took so long, I hit a case of writer's block.
TT : You did not. It was more like a case of writer's refusal. You've had chances to work on them, but you didn't take them.
PP : Writer's block, refusal, whatever.
TT : There is a difference. And if you don't acknowledge that, I'll cut off Mr. Bear's other arm with the chainsaw.
PP : You wouldn't. Wait, yes you would, you already did it once! Fine, there IS a difference. I had writer's refusal, not writer's block. Changing the topic, I see the readers have met FrenchFry, the newest addition to the Potato family.
TT : She's the one that loaned me the chainsaw.
PP : Well, wasn't that nice of her. FrenchFry is a crazed fan who came to us from the mental asylum that she broke out of last week.
FF : I did NOT break out! My friends in the white coats in the white rooms let me out! I wanna go back! They understand me, unlike you people! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
(FF runs off to her own private room and slams the door)
PP : Whatever helps her sleep at night. Well, please review, and I'll try and get Chapter 8 up as soon as possible!
TT : Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her. Heeheeheehee.
PP : Please, save me from her.
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RAN (Real Author's Notes) : Ok, whenever you see the RAN, it means that I'm talking seriously, and not with my alter ego PP and her conscience TT. This way, you know that I'm serious about what I say, not that I'm not truthful during the PP & TT part, it's just that FF is NOT an escapee from an insane asylum, she is one of my classmates who read my story and decided that the fans needed a voice. Personally, I think it was just because she wanted to be involved in my story, but just to let you know FF's character is written by my friend, I have not created another name so I, being the author, could voice the fans opinions. If you have anything you wish for FrenchFry to address, say it in your review, and I'll pass it on to her. Now don't forget to review!