Chapter 28
I
will not make
the same mistakes that you did
I will not let
myself
cause my heart so much misery
I will not break
the
way you did, you fell so hard. - Kelly Clarkson "Because of
You"
"Ska-rae!"
She nods, a stern experssion on her face. I just stand there staring at her. She's a legendary figure to me. Never in all my existance did I ever think I'd come face-to-face with her. I mean the story of her love and loss never told what ultimately happened to her so I figured, after being exiled from Willocia, she had allowed her star to die out.
"Wait a minute! You mean she's the broad who that law was made because of?" Harper explains, breaking the silence and my unblinking stare.
"Harper, don't speak of her like that." I scole, but Harper isn't having it.
"No, Trance. It's because of her that your people put you on trial, I'd figure you'd be angry as well."
"And she should be," Ska-rae says, breaking her silence, "I know what our people have done to those who've dared to love another outside our own species. Everyday I feel the guilt about the innocent people hurt because of my mistake, but Mr. Harper, I'm afriad you do not know everything. I may have been the cause of your strife, but I may also be able to end it. I know what you must do because what happened to you happened to Ezraa and I."
That last statement catches my attention. "Wait, the story my people tell of you says that the Drago-Katzov murdered him."
"Woah, wait a minute, are we talking about the same Drago-Katzov who made my life on Earth a living hell?" Harper says.
Ska-rae crosses her arms, a frown tugging gently at the corners of her mouth. "I see that both of you have yet to hear the true story," she pauses and waves her arm, "Sit and I'll help you to understand." Suddenly, beside where she had originally been, two more chairs appear.
"To begin, Mr. Harper, you are correct. Trance was speaking of the very same Drago-Katzov who caused your people such pain and I sadly am responsible for allowing them."
I look at Harper, I can see anger filling his eyes, as can Ska-rae, so she continues, "I was assigned to protect your planet, make sure that it had a perfect future, but love found me first. I fell in love with a half breed named Ezraa. My love for him eventually caused me to be blind to what was truly happening. Unbeknownst to me, the Drago-Katzov was threatening Ezraa with my death. They told him that if he did not relay what information I was telling him, that they would kill me. Fearing for my safety he told them everything."
"For hundreds of years my people have claimed he betrayed you to gain acceptance from the Drago-Katzov."
Ska-rae gave a brief sad smile, "They would, makes their law more believable. Ezraa despised his Nietszchian half, he wanted nothing more than to see the Drago-Katzov perish, but they started threatening me and he believed he had no other choice but to aide them. If only Ezraa had known it wasn't up to them to decide when my star stopped burning. When he told them everything I knew, I couldn't stop the Nietszchian reign. When I saw what was going to happen to Earth, I planned to flee, taking Ezraa with me. I was going to leave Earth behind and start a new life with Ezraa, but our people found us before we could even board his ship."
"They put me on trial and I was found guilty, just like you, and just like Mr. Harper, my Ezraa gave his life to protect mine. We tried to flee before my execution. We were cornered before we could and he took the shot meant for me. I tried to help him, but the Elders took my powers away as I tried. I could do nothing but hold him in my arms and watch him die. I pleaded with the Elders to save him and take my life instead, but they refused, telling me this was punishment enough for me. They said that having me watch Ezraa die was a punishment worse than death for me. They were right. It's been years but I can still remember everything, our final kiss, his final words to me, his final breath." She looked at her hands, "No matter how many times I wash my hands...I don't think they'll ever be clean of his blood."
She paused again, her eyes beginning to glisten with tears. I was stunned at how similar her story was to mine. Our crime was basically the same. We had both fallen in love and did what was needed to try to assure our love's safety and we both failed.
"You said you went through what we are now? Does that mean Ezraa returned like Harper is now?"
"No, I'm not sure why Harper has returned. His love for you must be strong to keep him from crossing. I fled to this planet after Ezraa's death. There was a shaman here who told me of this temple. He said that I could find here what I had lost. I came here and came so close to getting him back, I followed everything the shaman had told me to do but I was so embittered by everything that I failed the final part. I lost Ezraa and in hopes of finding repentance, I created that wall and the riddle to aide the next who came...to aide you."
"You did all that...for us? How, you said the Elders took away your powers?" I ask.
"Only my power to heal others, much like how they took only your power to repeat and alter timelines. They knew that like my power to heal, your power would be essential to saving Harper if the need abounded. You may feel completely powerless, but in time you will regain your strength. That's why you were able to see the vision I sent you. Years after I failed, I had a very vivid vision of you and Harper. I still don't know why, but I did. It was like I had gained access to what was to come in your lives. I saw your love grow over time only to be taken away when he died from the infestation. I saw your transformation and what you had sacrificed to assure his survival. I saw your love grow again and knew what that would bring. I saw what you went though because of the law my love created...and in the end, I also saw what would happen if your love was unable to survive. I was determined to stop this all. That is why I went to Patrick all those years ago. I knew you would come to his planet before our people found you. Now, you are here and it is time to see if you can accomplish what I could not."
I stand. "Ska-rae, I know we have made similar mistakes and lost because of them, but please tell me what that riddle said was true. Tell me that I can get Harper back."
Ska-rae stands and closes the distance between us. She leans forward, whispering in a volume only I can hear, "I am simply a guide, much like Morrighan. She was destined to lead you here as I am destined to take you on the next part. Whether you get Harper back is up to you and you alone. Trance, you must continue this journey...alone."
My eyes go wide as I realize that her words mean. "No!" I gasp as she flings her arm towards Harper. I turn just in time to see his eyes go wide with surprise as he begins to vanish. I throw my hands out, hoping to cling to what little is left of him, but as usual, my hands go through him. Our eyes lock as he completely vanishes. I turn back towards Ska-rae and scream, "Why did you do that? I need him and now he may never come back!"
Ska-rae remains calm. "Trance, if you are successful he will return and in a more solid form. I am sorry I had to sever his link to you, but as I said, this last part you must finish on your own. He is not gone forever...not quite yet...but I sent him back to his plane of existance...for the time being I hope."
I look back to where Harper had just been. "Three times! Three times I've lost him and not been able to tell him goodbye!" I advance her, "Do you know how that feels? You only lost Ezraa once and I know that's hard enough, but do you now what it feels like to lose the person you love THREE TIMES!"
She's still calm. I can't believe it. I just screamed at her and she didn't even flinch!
"Trance, you need to focus. I know you've lost Harper more times than I lost Ezraa and I know it must have hurt just as bad everytime. Must have felt like your soul had been ripped out from within you and stomped upon. I know our people don't have a physical heart, but over the years I've learned that once we love someone, we gain a heart of love, a heart of passion, a heart that can be broken," she placed a hand over where my heart should be and continues, "It is this heart, Trance, that you must use now. Not all of our kind are cold and uncaring, we're among that exception, so please listen to this "heart" and tell me what it tells you."
I take a deep breath. She's right, I need to calm down. My outbursts are just wasting what little time Harper has left. "It's telling me that there is hope. That Seamus needs me just as much as I need him. I just wish I could have told him just how much I love him."
The hand on my chest goes now to my shoulder as Ska-rae says, "Trance you already told him that, if you hadn't, my wall would have never opened. I set it up to only open when those in front of it show their love is true. He knows you love him and he loves you. Now if you are to save him, you must remove all doubt from your mind. This final part will be difficult, but you must remain strong for not just Harper's sake. If you fail this final task, Harper's soul will be stuck in the Middle Plane for all eternity and you...well, you'll find out soon enough."
That must have been the final part of the riddle. I look back at her, "What must I do to get him back?"
"Not here, child. For the final part we must go elsewhere."
She waves her arm and suddenly my vision is filled with swirling colors...then darkness.
