It's that time again! =-)

ohtheclevernessofme: Man, I really love your reviews...you're really getting into this story aren't ya? :-) That's me, burster of H/T kissy bubbles! If you think that one time of rememberence was hard, you haven't seen anything yet! Remember she still has Tribunal. Horrible, fatal accident huh...well, you'll have to wait to see if anything like that will happen....I mean there's lots more to come! Thanks for the happy birthday wishes...it was fun!

Paradox9: Glad that you've liked it so far, hope you like what's to come!

chrmd red black rose: You asketh and I shall updateth!!! :-)

Brat: you know I always love your reviews. :-)

Well, I guess it's on with the show!
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Chapter Nine:

This love has taken its toll on me
She said goodbye too many times before
And her heart is breaking in front of me
I have no choice becasue I won't say goodbye anymore~~Maroon5: This Love



Click-clack.....Click-clack......Click-clack. That's the only sound I hear as we walk to Tribunal. Not a word has been spoken since we left mine and Harper's room. It's been nearly three minutes and Harper hasn't uttered a single word. It would be funny, if not for the situations ahead. Azaelia was leading the way with Harper and I behind her walking side by side.

No matter how silent it is as we walk the chatter in my head makes up for it. I can't stop thinking about mine and Harper's almost kiss. I can still feel his lips on mine. If I had a heart it would have skipped a beat. I experienced a sensation that I thought would never return. So many emotions were running through me and as we walked I could sense the same feelings were now running through Harper.

I think this to be his reason for his silence and lack of eye contact, but there is only one way to find out. I sleekly slow my steps so that within seconds I am a few steps behind Harper, he doesn't even notice my absence. Now I can freely look at him without him seeing. I focus on Harper and start to delve into his emotions. I can already sense some emotion, even before I truly focus. When I do this, reading his or anyone's emotions, at first they appear as colors, but if I really focus hard enough, I can go further. Suddenly, I see light blues, light purples and then a dark grey. The first two mean happiness and excitement, but with the colors being so light I can tell there is doubt in the emotions, and then the grey appear and I know why. Grey repersented confusion. Harper is confused over his feelings about the near kiss.

I start to go further, but I stop myself before I could. What I will be doing is invasion of his privacy and I repect Harper too much to do this. I am not about to lose his trust now that I have just gotten it back and if I am going to die, I want to die knowing that Harper trusts me and I am once again his golden goddess that can be trusted and not feared. I never again want to see that look of fear in his eyes when he looks at me.

Even though it was my decision to stop, I still feel somewhat saddened by the fact that I may never truly know how Harper feels for me. I can sense old feeling awakening within but Harper is hesitant to act. I only wish I could tell him how I feel, but he would discover the truth soon enough. I speed my steps up once again and take my place beside Harper.

I start to look around at the hall we are walking through. There are wall hangings of all colors ranging from vibrant golds to radiant purples. The walls of the halls are showing their age as the material shows signs of wear. The beige material have specks of brown scatter throughout revealing the wall's true color. This building has been here longer than I have and many great people have walked this same hall, some to a new future other to a fate not unlike my own. I look at the floor to see the multi-colored tiles arranged in an non-objective pattern but for some reason I think it's beautiful. Funny how things you would have never thought were beautiful suddenly become so when you believe it to be the last time you will see them.

I look over at Harper, his eyes looking straight forward. I can tell he's thinking of other things as I am. I look at him and wonder if he'll understand my decision. Will he be able to cope with the idea that I chose his life over mine? I wonder if he'll even care, but then I realize that he will because he's human. This still doesn't stop me from wondering how he will grieve my passing. Will he show anger like he had the first time I "died?

After I returned from my "death" Harper was overly protective of me for the weeks following. When I asked Beka why, she told me of his reaction to my "death." I was shocked. I hadn't expected him to act that way but now that had me wondering if he would show his grief through anger trying to avenge my death. I can only hope not, my people are allowing him to live, seeking revenge would mean certain death and all that I have fought for would be for nothing.

Then my mind wanders back to wondering if he truly loves me. If he isn't certain now, will he be after my death? What will he do once he realizes that I won't be coming back this time, thinking that I never knew how he felt, always wondering if I felt the same now? I wonder if he will be ok once I am gone, will he hide his feelings or let them show, will he help the others through their grief or will he become a hermit in his machine shop?

Then I wonder about the others. How will they deal? I've never truly left them. Will they make the right choices without my guidance? Will Beka deal with it, will she act like she had in my future over Harper's death? Will my death replace Harper's already postponed death? I can only hope that Harper will help her through this and help her understand that I had to do this.

My mind runs so may possibilities but none are ever perfect. Suddenly I find that I have stopped in front of two large wooden double doors. I look them over to see that carved in the middle is the symbol for infinity. I hear Harper take in an audible breath as he looks over the door. For the first time since we left our room, Harper looks at me and says, "Trance, I know that symbol. It means infinity, that's the same symbol we used on Earth. Trance, did your people visit Earth?"

I look at him with pleading eyes, silently begging him not to make me answer. How can I tell him that it was one of my kind that caused his life to be such hell? Because of a mistake one of my kind had made, the Drago Katov and Magog had been able to take over Earth or raid Earth never to release that hold. Her name was Ska-rae. Her mission was to make sure Earth didn't fall, but she was also blinded by love. She fell in love with an orphan Drago Katov/human half-breed who was stranded on Earth. Ska-rae thought she was helping Earth but her love for the half-breed blinded her from seeing the truth and she revealed things to her lover that he in turned relayed to the Drago-Katov Commandor, in hopes of acceptance.

Ska-rae's lover, named Ezraa, never got that acceptance and soon realized his mistake when Ska-rae was kidnapped as punishment for his genetic fault. Tragically, Ezraa sacrificed himself, trading his life for his lover's in hopes of redemption. Because of the leaked information Earth fell to the Dragons and the Elders soon made love relationships with humans or those not of our kind illegal. Hence the reason my loving Harper was one of the reasons I was brought to Willocia.

Harper realizes I don't want to answer so he quickly drops the subject. Azaelia pushes the doors open and we enter. The Tribunal room is incredibly large. I am in awe. I have never been in here before so I am seeing this for the first time. Azaelia leds me to a slightly raised platform in the middle of the room. "Trance you'll be here and your human will be here," she finishes, pointing at a chair next to the raised platform.

I can see Harper cringe at Azaelia calling him human again and I quickly said, "Thank you, Azaelia. I'll stand here and *Harper* will sit beside me." Azaelia shakes her head and takes her place. I look around. In front of me, attached to the platform is a clear viewscreen with a visor attached. This was the Tribunal Memory Gatherer. In front of my platform is another larger raised platform where the Elders are to sit. It raises ten feet in the air with the Elders sitting at the top. Currently these nine seats are empty. Beside the Elder's platform, on either side, is huge screens that my memories will play on for the others to see, for Harper to see.

I take a deep breath as I hear another door open and a hooded figure say, "All rise for the Elders." Suddenly a door in the Elder's platform opens and nine robed figures emerge, all in different colored robes. They take their seats and Harper sits back down. The Elders throw back their hoods revealing their different colored faces.

The head Elder, a green skined woman, looks at me and says, "Trance Gemini, you have been accused of drastically altering a timeline and breaking the Law of Ska-rae. How do you plead?"

I look at Harper, who's looking back at me with worried eyes. He has no clue what is to come yet he is trying to stay strong, for me. "Ms. Gemini, how do you plead?"

I look at the green skined woman and say, "Guilty, but with reason."

The lead Elder looks at Harper and says, "Ms. Gemini. You and your human have broken the Law of Ska-rae, but you have decided to take the punishment for the both of you, am I to be correct?" Harper jumps up to say something realizing partially what is happening. Even though he has no idea what the punishment is or why or what he's guilty of, he doesn't want me to take it for the both of us. I stick out my arm, brushing against his chest and sitting him back down.

"No, Harper, it will be ok" I whisper to him and then look back at the Elder and say, "Yes, you are correct."

"So you are prepared for the punishment if we find your claim of guilty valid. And you do realize that your human will have to watch your punishment take place as means of his own punishment."

I look at Harper with saddened eyes and say, "I agree."

The head Elder looks at me and says, "Well, then let the Tribunal commence."

TBC

Ok, I told ya I'd update....but I didn't say I wouldn't give you a cliffy. *evil grin* Ok, guys, press that little purple button over there and tell me what you think...and don't be afraid to make your review more than two lines...come one, really get into it! =-) I'm very pleased with the four great responses I got for the past two chapters...give me that and more and you'll get the next chpater...maybe in the next few days....maybe. I mean I did ask for constructive reviews...come on...I might take some of your ideas when it comes to writing what isn't written yet. As I said, I have through Chapter 21 written and ready but after that....if my muse ever returns then you'll get it!

Now review and I'll give you a nice cold Sparky Cola! :-)