Thanks again to Angels 'n Dreams and Lady Kyra 13, who I might mention has an awesome story...
Viv: Shut up already and get on with the Chapter!
Glow Frog: Okay, Okay...Don't be so impatient...
Jordan: Hurry, I haven't all day
Verdana:This is my sequel after all, so hurry up and get me back into it!
Glow Frog: Sheesh, here it is...
"She be gone now, though not fully. Her spirit still live in forest."
"Abuela, I also came to ask a reading of you." Viv said quietly. The old woman led her into the hut and left the others to ponder her words. A few seconds after, they rushed over to the window to listen in. The old woman had seated herself in an old armchair behind the table. She pulled out some sticks of incense and lit it. Then she meditated for a few moments.
"Look you must for something hidden. What once was, must be made again. All is not as it seems. The past becomes the future and all things tie together. Ware of old returning once more. The ancient battle relived. Ware of evil, a shadow stalks the land. He has awoken!" Viv pressed a button on the tape recorder in her hand. The old woman collapsed back and slowly opened her eyes. "I trust you got everything you needed to know. That was unusually hard, I must ponder the meaning of this. Go now, it is getting dark and panthers stalk the unwary." Viv got up and walked out.
"She talks fast, so I recorded it to ensure I got it. She's right, it's late."
"Does she always speak in riddles?" Aelita asked as they went back to the house. Viv just smiled.
"There you are. I have been worried. Get to bed, you have a big day tomorrow."
"Oye!" Gigi exclaimed when they entered the house. She sent them off to bed with out another word.
The Next Morning . . .
Viv sat on her bed, writing out every line of the reading. She wondered as she reached the line about a shadow . . . if Abuela meant it literally. Viv figured that it fit into her puzzling dreams.
"The past becomes the future and all things tie together. That refers to the RTTP trips. Looking for hidden things, that might mean the link to Verdana's world. After all, she did show up somewhere in this forest," she thought aloud. This was so confusing. Abuela never used to give out readings so complicated. "I'd better tell the others. They might know more." With that, she leapt off the bed and made her way to the kitchen. Aelita and Yumi were helping to clean up breakfast. The guys were out helping Uncle Juan and Aunt Gigi was playing with her daughter. There was so much happiness that Viv hesitated to break to euphoria surrounding them. Nervously she went to find Jeremie. He was helping Uncle Juan to program the computer.
"Jeremie, I have something to ask you. It's private."
Uncle Juan shrugged and replied, "Go ahead, I think I have the gist of it now." They wandered off a ways.
"Okay, Viv what is it?"
"Ya know the reading that I got last night? I think it might pertain to the Shadow. The line about a shadow stalking the land and the line about he has awoken have to do with the fact the Shadow is back. The part about hidden things must refer to Verdana's system. She did come from here, didn't she?" Jeremie was silent trying to digest the information. "There is something about the past becoming the future and everything ties together. That refers to the RTTP trips doesn't it?" Viv mentioned uncertainly.
Jeremie sighed and answered. "It makes sense, but I have no idea how he came back. I thought it was impossible, otherwise, I would have resurrected Verdana. We should tell the others and start looking for this hidden scanner. It might reveal something about the Shadow that will help us defeat him." Viv nodded and raced off to find the others. Jeremie walked back slowly to Uncle Juan, where he pulled Jordan aside. They spoke in French so they would not be understood.
"I think the Shadow is back. This could be serious. Ya remember the dream Viv told us about? He said that it was time to call his minions back. That might be all the viruses that he conscripted into service. It would include X.A.N.A. If he comes back, there's no guarantee that we can defeat him again. Not to mention that he might be under the Shadow's control." Jeremy whispered hurriedly. Jordan just nodded.
"You go tell the girls, I'll try to find a map of the forest and find places that are mysterious. That might give us a clue. Viv should ask Abuela again." Jordan furthered the idea. Jeremie headed off in the direction of the house. Jordan looked at his receding back for a moment then turned in search of Viv. He found her hanging around the edge of the forest.
"Viv, I know there is something you're not telling us…" he trailed off. "What did the whole panther thing mean, because there sure as hell ain't any real ones here." Viv pursed her lips, but did not speak.
"The panther she referred to is the leader of a forest cult. He captures people after dark and tortures them for fun. Some they sacrifice to the heathen gods." Her voice was low as she related the details. "That's how my family died. Ironic, isn't it?" Her face wore a twisted smile, full of hatred. She snorted through her nose at the hilarious sight of a little frog stalking a bug as big as it was. "I saw him once, after he killed my parents. I almost killed him then and there, but he held my little sister in his arms, knife at her throat. I should have loosed my arrow, but I was afraid of hitting her. He slit her throat right in front of me, as if he knew I was there." Her eyes clouded at the memory and her hands twitched.
Jordan was feeling a bit nervous about this, but his internal virus sensor was going crazy. This guy was probably a devirtualized virus, here to destroy earth. A snapping branch pulled him from his thoughts. He whipped around and was face to face with a native dressed in nothing but breach cloth.
"Uhmm…Viv?" Viv jerked her head up to see Jordan and the boy nose to nose. She rolled her eyes and walked over to them.
"Carlos¡déjelo ir¿Qué usted está haciendo aquí de todos modos?" (What are you doing here?)
"Carlos here because he have news of evil one." The boy spoke in broken English for the benefit of Jordan. Viv's eyes lit up as she grabbed Carlos's arm.
"Tell me what news."
"He go down to cave. He go in. he turn something on and bright light flood forest. Then everything back the way it was before, only no one but me remember. He go in to cave again." Viv sat down again and mumbled to herself.
"Get packed and tell the others to as well. We're going into the forest first thing at sunset." Jordan turned to go and saw that the native boy had disappeared. Shrugging he headed off to tell the others.
Later . . .
Viv sat in her room. Well, what once had been her room. Her Aunt and Uncle had left it exactly the way it had been when the men had shown up and taken her to Kadic. She was sitting on the bed. It had a bedspread with clouds and sheets with stars and moons. As she ran her fingers across the soft bedspread, Viv remembered how she had huddled in it after her parents died.
Outside the window, Ulrich and Odd played with Juanita. Viv stood up and walked over to the window. She pulled the curtains closed and retrieved a small box from her bookshelf. She returned to her spot on the bed and placed the box on her lap. Viv opened it and set the contents gently on the bed. Among them was a small silver heart-shaped jewelry box. The other box she set aside and the label on the bottom was readable. It said made in Egypt. Viv picked up a small bracelet made of pearls and caressed it. It was from Hawaii, brought to her by her father. The other items consisted of silver and aquamarine jewelry, a sliver and garnet ring, and Austrian crystal angel, a gold necklace, and a golden heart necklace with a diamond in the center on a very fine chain. The necklace was sort of cheap, but it had enormous meaning to Viv. It had belonged to her sister, just like the other jewelry had belonged to her mother. - -I want you to have these when I die, hija. They'll look just fabulous with your hair and skin. Yep, madre, I have them, but a lot sooner than you thought. Too soon, in fact.- - Viv did not notice the tears that ran down her cheeks silently. She placed the bracelet and the jewelry bak into the silver box, then put the rest of it in the bigger box. She carried it over to the bookshelf. There she returned it to its place among her other treasures.
Those treasures came form all over the world, Baboshka dolls from Yugoslavia and Russia, a Russian egg, assorted pewter and glass figures, a sand painting from New Mexico, a little notebook from India, and several boxes of various shapes and sizes from all over the world. These came from her mother and father's trips. The only reason she had lived with her Aunt and Uncle was because her parents were away so much. Going over to the other bed that occupied the room, Viv sat back down upon it. This bed had fluffy pink covers that depicted horses. There was a large collection of stuffed animals lined up along the pillows and Viv picked one of them up. It was a little bunny that had a bell inside. Viv just sat there, bunny in lap, facing away from the door.
Aelita had decided to see how Viv was doing and wandered in. There she found Viv staring at the wall, with the stuffed bunny in her lap. Aelita walked over and sat by her on the bed. She put her arm around Viv and just hugged her. Viv just stared out into space, tears running freely down her face. After a while, Viv stirred and wiped her tears away.
"I'm sorry, I ...I just-" Aelita nodded sympathetically and helped her to stand up.
"Let's go outside and play with Juanita." she suggested and Viv nodded. Then she smiled, a bitter smile, but a smile.
"Yeah, let's." They wandered out the door.
Far, Far, Far away . . .
The Shadow paced back and forth in front of the computer screen. He was furious! He had managed to locate the backups of all the viruses save one. The others he had under his control, no sweat. But this one, this one presented a major problem. Frowning, he stopped in front of the screen and began typing furiously, to no avail. Frustrated, he slammed his palms down onto the keyboard. Something beeped loudly and he screamed. It would take him another half hour to fix this mess. The Shadow glared at the computer, as if he could will it to melt down before his eyes. The man came rushing into the room.
"My lord, My lord!" He said breathlessly. "I think I've found what you've been looking for!" He showed the Shadow a chart that caused him to smile.
"I think you're right. I have him now. This time he will not escape my clutches." Then he threw back his head and laughed maniacally. Glancing back at the computer, he chucked the tool in his hand at it, cackling with glee as it hit the screen.