A/N WARNING!
I suggest you grab a box of tissues, because this chapter is deeply emotional and sad.
I cried while writing it and my friends cried too. So you have been warned!
Title: My one and Only Pearl
Author: Fox of the Nova
Chapter 8: Orianna
Harpers POV:
I couldn't believe it. I won't believe. Can I believe it? NO!
I walked out of Hanger 4. I needed to get out of there; I couldn't stay any longer and look at someone who was a double of my sister.
I walked down the hallway, my feet taking me somewhere but not really knowing were.
I barely listened to Pearl as she explained to them that she was from another dimension. A parallel dimension is all that I remember, after that…blank.
When I heard her speak, it was like a jolt of lighting. When she smiled…that smile that I use to love…it felt like my very soul was crumbling.
It all fit into place. Her smile, her soft voice, even her fiery hair gave out all the clues. And than there was her name, Pearlana Orianna Harper, that alone made my heart drop.
How could you be so stupid Harper! How could you forget that you use to call Orianna, Pearl? 'Your one and only Pearl'!
Could it be fate? HA! Fate my eye! If it was fate than I would not be the one to blame for Oriannas death, and I know that is not true.
It was my fault…my fault the Orianna died…my fault that brought her to her death…my fault… mine…
I stopped as the tears came. I roughly rubbed them away. I was NOT going to cry like a sissy. But the tears came anyway and with them the memories and anguish of something that I have tried so hard to forget.
I had reached the Observation deck, somehow my feet leading me right towards it. I tried to ignore the tears as I stepped inside.
The smell of trees and many different types of plants and flowers that Trance had been growing is what welcomed me as I step in.
The tears had stopped, much to my relief, but the memories remained.
I walked towards the end of the room, where the railing overlooking the stars was. I leaned over the rail and just stared out into the many stars.
Back home, when the nights were calm and there were no raids from the Nietzscheans, me and Orianna would sit on the roof tops of abandon buildings and see if we could count the stars.
She was smart, the smartest of her age. She was two years old when she began to talk. And after that, well…you could say she was a little genius.
I smile to myself as the good memories of building small probes together and digging around in the dump sites for anything useful came into mind.
But there was something different about her. She knew the dangers of everyday life; I mean all the kids knew. But their parents tried to keep the truth from them. But Orianna, she was different.
She knew the risks whenever we walked out into the open. But even during the tuff times, she always found a way to brighten our lives. Even if it was just by dancing around the room, or giving off her smile for no reason, she always found a way to help us find the good things in life.
I was so clouded by my thoughts, that I didn't hear the doors open or the soft footsteps of someone coming up behind me.
I jumped when a delicate hand rested on right shoulder.
"Sorry." A soft voice spoke behind me.
I didn't need to turn around to know who was talking. I knew it was her.
"Are you alright?" I heard her ask me.
"Leave me alone." I stated
There was silence for a while and at first I thought she had actually left. But then I suddenly feel a hand rap around my right hand and give it a small squeeze.
"I'm sorry Harper if I have caused you grief. I myself know what you're going through…"
But she was interrupted when Harper suddenly turned to face her.
"You don't know what I'm going through! You don't even have an idea how it is too lose someone at a young age!"
"You're wrong. I do. There is something else about our dimensional selves. We have a connection with them, a connection that spans our dimensions!" Pearl stated, her voice rising with every word.
"It allows us to feel each others feelings, share thoughts and ideas, understand things that are not understandable to others. So yes Harper, I do know what it feels like to lose someone.
For when my dimensional double died, your sister, it felt like a piece of me died as well. In a way Harper, Orianna was my other half. The same she was for you."
Harper was speechless. Here this girl was a complete double of his sister, from a different dimension that seemed to somehow share the same pain he went through.
"So…I guess you know how she died." I asked.
I watched Pearl shake her head from side to side. "I lost the connection with her when I was five years old. I don't know how she died." Pearl explained.
Harper turned away from her and leaned over the rail. Thinking that Harper wanted to be alone, Pearl turned to leave but stopped when she heard Harper speak.
"It was on a Thursday." He began. "Every Thursday, you and I would go to the junk yard and pick off anything we thought we could use."
Pearl noticed that whenever Harper spoke of Orianna, he would address her in reference to Pearl.
"You were five years old, but pure geniuses…like me." He said with a smile. He turned towards me and smiled at me, than his smile disappeared and he turned back to face the stars.
"They weren't supposed to come back for another month." He said in remorse.
"Who?" Pearl asked.
He turned towards me, but wasn't looking at me. "The scumbag Nietzscheans, the Drago-Kazov pride." He spoke out with pure venom in his voice.
He was breathing hard now, anger was clearly rising. He turned once again to the look at the stars. But he wasn't seeing them. He gripped the bar tightly as he began to tell Pearl what happened to his sister and Pearls dimensional double.
Flashback…
A younger version of Seamus is seen digging around in a pile of junk and garbage in the lovable planet that we all know as Earth.
But it doesn't look like the way it does now. The place looked disgusting, polluted, and like one giant pile of garbage.
But to the two figures digging around in the garbage with excited faces, this place was a haven for junk that was useable.
Orianna Harper, Seamus younger sister is seen digging deeper into a pile of garbage to her brother's right.
She pulls out something raggedy.
"Seamus…Seamus!" She calls out in excitement.
Harper turns towards his sister and smiles at the sight.
Orianna, with her flaming red hair and bright green eyes, was holding up a muddy yet in good condition rag doll.
She began to climb up to meet with her brother. Harper watched her come up with a grin on his face.
Her face was smudged with filth and dirt, but he still saw her as a beautiful little girl that he loved so much. Her hair was filthy, but even with dirt all over it you could still sees the color of flames within all of the smudge.
She was wearing a brown dress with many pockets. Something she had done herself saying that you could never have too many pockets.
She had black boots on, that were too big for her. But she didn't care, she loved them, and everyday she would try and get them as clean as possible.
She slipped while climbing up and was about to tumble down the hill, when Harper reached out and grabbed her arm.
He slowly pulled her towards him and sat her down.
She smiled up at him with her million dollar smile and brought up the doll for Harper to see.
The doll had black yarn hair and dark brown eyes. Harper took the doll and rubbed the dirt away from the dolls face as much as he could.
When the face of the doll was revealed, Harper gave a glance towards Orianna.
The doll had a serious face and was looking up at Harper like it was about to reach out and grab him.
"Um…Orianna, I don't think this is a good doll for you." Harper finally said.
Orianna immediately pouted. "Oh Harper, don't worry about the bone blades. I like them." She stated.
Harper quickly looked at the arms and sure enough the doll had bone blades. The doll was a Nietzschean doll.
"Now we will most definitely not take this doll home." Harper stated in a firm voice.
He then tossed the doll over the hill and watched as it fell unto to the bottom of the hill.
Orianna watched with longing and sadness as Harper through the doll over the side.
She then turned towards Harper, tears in her eyes and a stricken face.
"Why did you do that Harper? I liked that doll!" With that she ran towards the edge of the hill and slid down.
Thinking that she was going to go after the doll, Harper was about to catch her, but he was wrong. She was running in the direction of home.
Harper gave out a deep sigh and decided to go home himself. No doubt his parents will want to know why Orianna was crying.
They will understand why Harper did that though. Orianna had too much heart, and didn't understand the whole deal with the Dragons.
He slid down the hill and walked towards home, not knowing as he passed by a particular large mound of junk, that a pare of green eyes were watching him as he took the turn towards home.
Slowly creeping out of her hiding space, Orianna peeked out and waited to make sure that Harper was not coming back.
When she was sure she lifted up her dress to her knees and ran back towards the junkyard.
She knew all the tunnels, and ways to get where she wanted without being seen.
Finally reaching the junk yard she ran towards the hill where Harper through the doll at.
She slowly climbed up. She slipped a couple of times, but she was determined to get the doll.
She had finally reached the top and saw the doll. She picked it up and looked at it with satisfaction at finding it again. She hugged it and was about to slide back down when she suddenly heard the sound of engines.
She looked up towards the sky and watched in horror as three ships appeared from behind the clouds.
They had spot lights and were scanning the area. Orianna knew that she must not be seen.
Without another thought she jobbed off the hill. Her body tumbled down the hill and she felt something stab her arm as she fell. Pain went up her arm and she felt something warm slide down her arm, but she would not let go of the doll.
When she was on the ground she hid inside an old Earth cars skeleton and made sure that she stayed absolutely still as the search lights passed over her.
She hugged the doll close to her chest and tightened her body up in a ball. She closed his eyes tightly and counted to twenty as the lights scanned all over the junk yard.
Don't panic Orianna. This will pass and you will soon be in your nice warm bed back home. Keep thinking that…keep thinking that.
Orianna waited for what felt like hours until she was sure that the search lights had moved on.
She peeked out of the window and looked around and up at the sky. She didn't see anything that could mean danger. She slowly crept out of the car and crouched down.
She opened one of her pockets and pulled out a long piece of rope. She tied it around her waist tightly, and slid the doll into it. Now the doll was snug tightly next to her waist.
She pushed a layer of her hair away from her eyes and looked around making sure that the coast was clear.
Orianna looked straight ahead towards the tunnel that she had used to get here. She could run towards it and dive in. From then on it was 'smooth sailing' as her father says.
She looked down at her arm and noticed that it was bleeding really badly. Once she got home, her mother would know what to do. Even though she was probably going to be grounded till she was sixteen.
She ripped off a piece of her dress and tides it around the wounds. It burned really bad, but Orianna knew that it would slow down the bleeding.
After all, the blood was the giver of life. That's what the Bible says and Orianna knew it to be scientifically true too.
When she knew she was ready to run, Orianna bent her knees and prepared herself to sprint towards the tunnel.
"One…Two…Three!" With that Orianna sprang up and ran as fast as she could go towards the tunnel.
Immediately two smaller ships zoomed from above and chased Orianna. They began to shoot at her, but she tried to dodge them.
Garbage spilled and blew all over the place whenever the ships would shoot at Orianna and she would dodge them.
Orianna saw the tunnel come closer and dived in just as a blast erupted from behind her.
She landed at the bottom and didn't wait long. She immediately started to crawl through the tunnel. The tunnel was quite narrow and only a small body, such as Oriannas, could fit though it.
She was half way through the tunnel, when she suddenly heard something.
She looked behind her shoulder and once again heard the sound. It sounded like hissing. Like a snake…but different.
Orianna knew that there were no snakes on earth anymore. So the only other thing that could make that sound would…gas!
Orianna began to crawl faster down the tunnel, but not fast enough.
Orianna didn't see the gas nor smelt it, but she soon found herself getting incredibly sleepy. And the fact that Orianna could not smell or see the gas made her heart plummeted.
Because she knew that there was a gas that could slowly make your lungs collapse.
She knew the affects of gas and tried to make herself stay awake. But it was terribly difficult.
Her eyes were drooping and she would occasionally fall down, but thinking about home and Harper gave Orianna the strength she needed to stay awake.
"I must stay awake…for Harper…stay awake…awake…awake." Orianna would repeat this to herself as she crawled down the tunnel.
She saw the light at the end of tunnel and she knew that she was almost out of the tunnel, but deep within her heart, she knew that it was going to be the last thing she saw.
She reached the end of the tunnel, and crawled out. She barely had any strength left within her so she fell to the ground.
She lay there, not noticing that her skin had turned yellow or that her eyes were neon.
It began to rain.
The rain felt good to Orianna, and she knew it would clear up the gas, but it was too late for her.
Orianna felt the poison in her lungs expand. She could barely breathe and she slowly began to close her eyes.
"ORIANNA!" She heard someone scream out her name.
She had not one ounce of strength left to even turn her head to see who was calling her name.
She heard running footsteps and than a sound like someone falling to their knees next to her.
A moment later, Orianna felt arms rap around her. She was pulled into a tight embrace and noticed that the person was rocking her.
She heard crying and with great sadness knew it to be Seamus.
She suddenly felt something wet fall on her cheek and roll down. Orianna slowly opened her eyes and saw Seamus above her crying and cradling her in his arms.
"Seamus." Orianna hoarsely whispered.
Harper quickly looked down and Orianna could see his tear streaked face.
"Orianna…you're aright." He said while smile as he smoothed out Oriannas hair.
Suddenly Orianna coughed and blood spilled out of her mouth.
"NO!" Seamus screamed as he wiped away the blood. But Orianna coughed again and more blood came out.
"Seamus…" Orianna tried to speak but Seamus shushed her.
"Don't say anything Orianna, safe your strength." He told her.
"I already have." Came Oriannas response.
"I wanted to see you…one last time." She said her voice breaking.
Seamus moved his head from side to side and whispered out over and over again, "no".
"I wanted to say (coughing)…that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not listening to you (coughed again, this time rocking her body). I'm so sorry Seamus (eyes slowly closing). Please…forgive..."
But Oriannas voice slowly began to fade away as her eyes closed, and soon after her breathing slowed down to a stop.
Orianna Harper, younger sister of Seamus Harper, breathed her last breath.
Harper looked down at the lifeless body of his sister. His hands shook uncontrollably as he brought her to his chest.
He stared straight out, his face twisting with rage. Tears were streaming down his face and his eyes were blood shot red. He gripped unto Orianna body, raised his head towards the heavens, and screamed.
End of Flashback…
Pearlana Orianna Harper found herself shaking uncontrollably and crying as Harper finished speaking.
Harper was crying now, and he didn't care. He had never told anyone about his sister's death. On that very same day, he had buried Orianna were her favorites plants were. She uses to grow tulips there. Tulips were her favorite flower.
After that he didn't look back, because three days later Beka came into his life and he took the job without question. He needed to get away from Earth, away from the memory…
Harper slowly sank to his knees and gripped the rail as he cried. For eleven long years he had kept this secret buried in his heart.
Suddenly he felt arms rap around his neck and pull him closer to an embrace. He accepted it.
He knew it was Pearl, and for the first time in years he cried on someone's shoulder.
Than he noticed that Pearl was shaking just as much as he was. She was crying. Crying hard just like he was.
He rapped his arms around Pearls waist and they both cried. They cried for the loss of a special girl whose life was cut short.
But in Harpers case, his tears were different. He cried for his sister, but he also cried with relief because in a way, Orianna had come back to him.
They both rocked themselves as their crying slowed down, but they didn't leg go. They stayed in this position, both of the kneeling on the floor their arms rapped around each other, and just being together was enough.
Pearl cried for the loss of her dimensional double. Now she understood why she had gills, and why she had lost her connection at the age of five.
She cried for Harpers loss. She just couldn't believe that Harper, Shamus' dimensional double, had been without his other half for eleven years.
On this day, as she held Harper and he held her, she vowed that she will stay with him. That she will be his sister once again.
It wasn't right that Shamus got to spend so much time with his sister and Harper so little with his own. Well Pearl was going to change that.
What the dimensional sister and Harper didn't know was that they were being watched silently.
Beka could not contain the tear that dropped from her eyes. She wiped them away, but still was mourning for Harpers loss. She had no idea that he had a sister, or that she had died in such a matter.
No wonder he was very silent about his family. Beka thought to herself.
Dylan stood there, his eyes misted with tears that did not fall, as he watched the tender moment. In a way, Harper was united with his sister.
Trance was crying, tears fell from her eyes and she didn't wipe them away. But they were happy tears. Happy tears because everything had worked out. Harper was reunited with his sister and Pearl was no longer alone in this new universe.
Tyr & Rev were no longer a part of the group. Rev saying that the two needed to be alone, and Tyr, taking one look at the two, walked out of the room.
Dylan, Beka and Trance followed the two out of the room. Trance taking one quick look behind her and watched as the two embraced. She smiled softly and walked out of the room, the door closing behind her…
Ok, I'm deeply sorry for the late chapter. Hehe, but there is no excuse. So I promise I will update faster.
A Special that you to Reviewers:
Fwe – Thank you for reviewing. Yes, I did misspell Seamus' name on purpose. It was essential for his dimensional double. I got a lot of confused reviewers for my choice of names, Oh well I think everybody understands now. I think… Thanks again for reviewing!
P.S. Fwe, if you were to pull a prank on one of the crew members on the Andromeda (including Rommie), who would it be and what will you do?
LittleRedhead – Thank you for telling me what Harpers port is called. Well thank you very much and thanks for reviewing!
P.S. LittleRedhead, if you were to pull a prank on anyone of the crew members of the Andromeda. Who would it be and what will you do?
Prin69 – I had fun writing that chapter. With the guards and everything, Hehehe. Thank you for reviewing! I'm so glad you are enjoying it.
P.S. Prin69, if you were to pull a prank on a crew member of the Andromeda. Who would you choose and what will you do?
Kaitins – Well, you were close about Harpers sisters' death. But not exact. I cried so hard writing this chapter. (Sniffles) But we did get some interaction between Harper and Orianna. In the 10th chapter, we will have some more interaction with Harper and Pearl. Thanks for reviewing!
P.S. Kaitins, if you were to pull a prank on one of the crew members on the Andromeda. Who would it be and what will you choose to do to that person?
ZELINIA – Ouch, grounded? That sucks. Well since I know you will be reading, THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! You could always e-mail me if you like. My bio has my e-mail.
P.S. ZELINIA, if you were to pull a prank on someone on the Andromeda. Who will it be and what will you do?
Jade Rhade – PLEASE! PLEASE! Give me all the ideas you have dealing with Rhade! Both Rhades too! I SO LOVE HIM! I was already planning a fic for season two dealing with Pearl and Telemachus, in a way. I'm more than welcome for any suggestions. Thank you for reviewing…it means so much to me.
P.S. Jade Rhade, if you were to pull a prank on any member of the Andromeda. Who will it be, and what will you do?
ATTENTION ALL REVIEWERS!
Do you have any ideas for Pearl do go through in next stories to come?
Or
Do you have an episode that you wish Pearl to be a part of?
Just send in your ideas in your reviews, so that I may start forming a new fic. Thank You!