(A/N: And you thought it was over! Tricked you! I have one last little treat, a preview! That's right! I've decided to go forward with a sequel after all. After all my slaving and whining, I'm not getting paid! TT, I got over it and decided to do it for the sake of you lovely people! … funny thing is, this story is on over fifty favorite lists, and about half those people I haven't seen review. glareglare So, look for a final farewell at the bottom for those that reviewed for the last three chapters! And a special thanks to those who've been here AAAAAAAAAAAALLLLL along. All these… long… excruciatingly… extended… wonderful… three… fragging… years. That's right. Three years in the making. And here comes a sequel. Maybe I'll just have to get the royalties and send it into Camelot before they make a manga that clashes with my stuff. Grr… This fic will have an Author's Definitive Edition, all the AN's from before will be clumped away at the ending. Scenes I thought about writing and didn't realize their place until now will be added. Mercury Lighthouse will be extended by almost a full chapter, and I found a printed version of the original prologue! YAY! That will be going back in. So look for a REALLY completed version of 'Eyes,' soon to come. For now, a nameless sequel is underway…. BTW, don't give me title ideas. I'll think of something…
I MEAN IT! NO SENDING ME REVIEWS THAT SAY "YOU SHOULD CALL IT THROUGH THE OTHER EYES II!" imitating Morgan Webb Stop it, stop it, stop it! And now for something completely different.)
Preview:
Work in Progress- TTOE II: Untitled
Prologue:
Birds scattered across the cream-colored morning as a scream echoed in the trees. Fingertips were deep in the ground, holding the soil and grass hard, face twisted to avoid the sobs clawing at the back of his tongue.
Jenna watched Kraden in pale silence, her hands hard on Alex's shoulders, keeping him from moving. He squirmed, groaned in pain as Kraden turned his face away, swallowing hard. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a damp sleeve, blood-stained hands trembling. "There…"
Alex's breaths were short and tight, eyes shut tightly, head in Jenna's lap. She swallowed hard, looking at Kraden. "Was this really neces—"
"It wasn't completely broken," Kraden said, lowering his voice to a whisper as Alex's breathing slowed. "If I hadn't the bone wouldn't have reformed correctly, or it would have just broken again." He sighed, in exhaustion looking up at Jenna. "Either way, he won't be walking for some time."
Jenna smiled sadly as she removed her hands from Alex, slipped away, leaving his head on the ground. "Already asleep."
"And well he should be," Kraden murmured. "He kept watch all night. Poor man must be entirely exhausted." He shook his head, reaching up and grabbing hold of his sleeve. He pulled hard, the material pulling loose from his tunic. He sighed. "Are you well enough to start a fire.
She hardly nodded. "I think so."
Kraden nodded slowly. "We'll need to boil this fabric before I use it. The last thing Alex needs is to get sick. Especially with Felix and Satu…" He stopped, words hanging in silence.
Jenna stared off into space again, her expression changed.
Kraden sighed. "Jenna… are you—"
"It's been two days now," she murmured. "Two days tonight."
"I'm certain he's fine," Kraden whispered. "Wherever he is… And Saturos and Menardi are there with him… and Sheba."
Jenna's chin fell, staring at the ground intently. "I suppose…"
"For now," Kraden murmured, standing and wiping the blood off his hands onto his black trousers. "I suggest we worry about our own survival. And that requires water to boil and wood for a fire."
Jenna frowned. "But we lost everything in that cave. The pots, the pans… how are we going to—"
Kraden plucked up a piece of armor from where it was strewn on the ground. The breastplate Alex had been wearing was rounded, a deep arc that Kraden turned over and set on the ground to demonstrate. "And there you have it. A make-shift pot."
Jenna smiled dryly. "Alright, I'll get the wood."
Kraden nodded. "And I'll fetch the water."
TTTTT
Alex lowered his dagger, holding the long piece of wood to the light for a moment. A few more tiny movements and he set the blade down and struggled to stand.
"I wish you wouldn't do that," Kraden muttered from where he was mixing plants in the breastplate over the fire. "It hasn't even been a day and already you want to ruin your leg again."
"It won't get any better by just sitting there," Alex muttered.
Kraden looked at him dryly. "Actually, as nature intends it, that is what happens."
"I just… can't stand sitting here… waiting," Alex said softly, catching his balance with the long stick, jamming it under his arm where he had carved it flat. "I need to be moving."
"You need to be resting," Kraden muttered.
"I'm going out for a while," Alex said softly.
"Where to?" Kraden laughed. "There's nothing around here—"
Alex's eyes narrowed. "To the beach," he muttered. "If I'm being forced to sit for a long period of time, I'd like to go somewhere I can relax. Besides, a little sun might do me well."
"Will you at least wait for Jenna to get back?" Kraden asked. "I don't want both of you getting lost and leaving me here by myself—"
"I don't get lost," Alex said softly. "I'll be back…" He thought a moment then bent over, grabbing a stick. He jammed it into the soft earth, drawing a line a ways off. "When the shadow hits that line."
"Fine," Kraden sighed. "But if you ruin your ankle, I refuse to fix it again."
"Fair enough."
Off-beat steps echoed into the forest, leaving Kraden alone with his mortar, pedestal, and thoughts. He crushed a handful of berries in silence, mixing them with a few leaves from a plant, added water and dumped them into their 'pan,' waiting for them to boil. Jenna walked into camp, playing with her hair tiredly. "Oh, Kraden… how long will this island continue to drift?"
"Until we find a group of fishermen that can row fast enough to dock here, or until we crash into another landmass and become their new peninsula," Kraden murmured dryly. When he looked up to see her face, he sighed. "I don't know, Jenna… I wish you could tell me."
Jenna shook her head, throwing herself down on the ground. "You're no help at all."
Kraden rounded on her, eyes narrow. She was staring at the treetops, the blue that peeked down at them. He sighed, looking through the plants he gathered into his bag. He pulled out a small pouch of berries. He thought a moment, then tossed them to her.
She started, looking at the pouch. She pulled it open, cheeks flashing red.
Kraden cursed as the berry pouch nailed him cleanly in the back of his head. He turned to see Jenna, eyes narrow. "How can you even think of food at a time like this!"
"I was thinking of you—!"
"Well, stop!" Jenna shouted, slamming her fist on the ground.
Kraden turned away, going back to his potion. It was boiling furiously now, turned from green to a brownish purple. He groaned, flinging up a hand and dumping the mixture into the grass. "Well, it's no good now."
Jenna stared as the grass where the potion fell promptly turned yellow and died. "I'd say so."
Kraden threw her a dirty look. After a moment his expression softened. He was playing with the trinket around her neck, the tiny necklace. He sighed. "What are you thinking about?"
She shrugged, seeing him eyeing the necklace and quickly turned away from him. "I… just wonder what happened to Felix… and the others, that's all."
"Well, at least we know they have lit the Venus beacon," Kraden said softly.
Jenna scoffed lightly. "I know. That's how we ended up adrift at sea in the first place, isn't it?"
Kraden's patience was wearing thin. He bit his tongue, starting on a new potion. "Well, you certainly are cranky today," he grumbled darkly. He wiped the remnant of the old potion off with the corner of his tunic and flung a few leaves into the metal. Time passed in silence, Kraden feeling suddenly awkward. He turned, seeing Jenna staring at him, necklace still in hand. He sighed tiredly, scratching the back of his neck. "I… I'm sorry, Jenna. I suppose you're just worried about Felix and the others."
"… Isaac and the others must have been there, too."
"I suspect you're right," Kraden sighed.
Jenna sighed, staring at the spots of sky above her. "I miss them… Isaac… Felix…"
Minutes passed in silence until a familiar uneven rhythm pattered into the camp again. Alex stood in the grove staring at them with wide, sea-colored eyes. "Come with me."
Kraden frowned. "What?"
Alex shook his head. "Quickly… there's something you must see."
(A/N: lol, I know, uber short, but get over it, cause it's only the beginning! I'm thinking about doing a story that follows Lost Age, and one that follows 'The Others.' It'll be another long three years, but it'll be good! Last shoutout to readers, look for your name if you've reviewed in the last three chappies! Luvs and suches!
Raine: Thank you so much! And… Well, as you can tell, there IS going to be a sequel! Surprise!
Judgement Flame: School blockage… I hate it as well. It's beastly. If you read some of the AN's, you see I had the same problem. Dumb school safety systems. glad to know you didn't mind it was long. A lot of people check the story out, but never stick to it because it's long.
"…": Adamantium! Uber powerful metal stuff! Or Orihalon, like on GS:LA! Hooray for metal!
Spirit Seer: lol, YAY! It's over! It feels like a load is off my shoulders. sigh It's kinda nice. I'll just have to keep going with the moment I do have.
The Appreciator: I like you just cause you quote George Lucas and I like Star Wars. You're my new favorite… looks around cautiously Okay, but… don't tell anyone, because they all think they're my favorites too.
Azalee: Here it is! I actually wasn't going to do anymore, but I saw your plee and figured, well, now I have to do it. So I did. Now for part 2…
Gingy Mittens: I know, the Jenna and Alex action hasn't happened yet, but there's… starting to be some sexual tension. Maybe a few more days on the island will fix that.
Raitei: I have to admit… violence makes me happy. Especially when it's pretty violence… like God of War… ALL THOSE WITH PS2's GO GET IT NOW! … pretty violence.
Corycian Muse: Yup… I'm all about the action and drama… And the violencia! Hence why I loved Gladiator… and Halo…and Halo 2… and God of War… and… well, I could go on, but there's too much.
Hanri Quetton: well, I'm glad you like my spin-offs. Some people get all weird with me and don't like them… but I do. Alex, is admittedly, my guilty pleasure. He's so fantastic, yet so dark and morbidly twisted on the inside! I love complexe people. And Alex is going to be getting even better come TTOE 2!
Fan fic lover: … have I won you over to the dark side now? PLEEEEASE? I can't be a real bad$$ until I have an evil sidekick…
WhitterZ:… pats her on the back I know… I know.
kd7sov: well… the way I figured it, is that the Mars clan in Prox has probably already gone through the lighthouse, they just can't do anything. They would have found the Sol Blade. Maybe in the rewrite I'll put it in there… somewhere…
Hiei17: YAY! I know, since my laptop is broke'ded I can't do e-mail, but I do know who you are! I just haven't been able to check anything! I hope you enjoyed this, cause I have to go right on into the next one. This chapter isn't even a for sure, yet. So many plans… so little time.
Semaj Fallen: … I'll have to look more into the character development when I do my readthrough… blush I have to admit, I haven't ever read it all the way through. I go back sometimes, but I've never done more than check something I wrote in a previous chapter. Hence the necklace suddenly returning out of no where. … did you point that out as well, or am I hallucinating? Aw, well.
Libby: No more stress, no more scariness… it's nice to have it over, but now… It's kinda sad… like how my mom'll feel when I move out… sniff
Menardi: … lol, that was weird, like I'm writing to a character. No! I'm not yet on FFXI, but once the Xbox 360 comes out, I will be. I don't know if the nets will be linked or not, but I'm crossing my fingers. I'll e-mail my screen name if they turn out to be… otherwise, I'll just have to get a better computer.
Malteser99: …wow, that was short. Don't think they get much short than that.
Trixe's girl: I was wrong. This was shorter… btw, thanks for pointing out the error. Twill be fixed.
Graficcha: I got someone to cry! MY LIFe'S WORK IS COMPLETE! YAY!
And it looks like that's all folks! Tune in for the new story soon. Be on guard.)