Chapter 3
Surprises and new bonds

Ethan's P.O.V

I gasped and stared at the lone figure in front of me. She looked quite unperturbed by my presence. What the hell?

A hallucination…… it has to be. But it was so realistic that I longed to touch her soft ebony hair, falling dead strait down to her shoulder blades, a few locks of her stubborn bangs falling over her eyes… those same ones that had captivated me… green as fresh picked mint and deeper than the deepest sea.

But I couldn't yield to this trick of my mind. I was going mental now……… yay?

I laughed dryly.

"Haunting my waking moments now aren't you Rochelle! Bloody hallucination. God I'm going crazy!" I said, my voice choking with emotion.

She gazed at me, dead on, almost causing me to cry out in agony of losing her.

"It's not a hallucination Ethan" she said softly.

"Bloody hallucination speaks too" I muttered.

I looked up to see her scrutinizing me… with a look of… wait, was that… pain… on her face.

Just then Arkarian and Isabel came running, closely followed by Neriah and Matt.
"What took you guys so long" I said, standing at the mouth of the door.

"My boyfriend and my brother thought I would kill my self if they winged off. So here I am with an entire parade of guards" said Isabel rolling her eyes.

I gave a feeble smile and glanced back into the room to see Rochelle still standing there.

Isabel pushes forward peering into the door with the rest of her parade of guards behind her. They stopped and stared, Isabel the hardest.

"Oh My God." She swore and ran to literally tackle my hallucination (?) into a hug.

With tears in her eyes she said, "Guys I forgot to mention a very crucial part of my vision. Lady Arabella, having committed suicide, had a chance to bring one dead person to life!"

I gasped audibly, the weight of her words finally registering. Isabel, Arkarian, Matt and Neriah stared from me to Rochelle. I couldn't take my eyes of Rochelle, who was blushing furiously, finding something very interesting in her shoes.

Neriah, with her feminine instincts, immediately took charge. She ushered all of us out and into some other random room from where she bustled Isabel, Matt and Arkarian out with her behind them. I heard Matt yell "Hey! What the……" and Neriah silence him with a warning "Maaaaaaat……………"

--------------------------------------------------

I stared at her, standing 3 feet away from me. What the hell was so interesting in her god damn shoes!
I took a step towards her and she looked up, her eyes brimming with emotion.

I saw a swirling vortex of all she was feeling in those startling eyes. Love- lots of its, sadness for Lady Arabella, joy for her life and pain……

I closed the gap between us, our noses literally touching with her having resumed looking at her shoes.

I tilted her head up, her emerald eyes lifting to meet my sky-blue ones. From the bottomless depths of those eyes fell a lonely crystal tear.

"Why" I whispered, my joy knowing no bounds.

She smiled, her smile lighting up both her face and my heart in the process, and fell into my arms.

I hugged her tight savoring the feeling of holding her. Her head reached my shoulder, her hands against my chest and mine around her.

We were content that way, just in each others arms, just holding each other.
"I love you" she said simply.
I gazed into her eyes, her face mere inches from mine.

I closed the gap between our faces, with a soft, gentle kiss. My heart careened into somersaults as she returned it with equal love. Savoring the sweet taste of her lips I pulled her close.

We stayed that way for a minute or two, before pulling back and walking towards the door, hands and hearts entwined in love.

Neriah's P.O.V

1 Day Later

I sit in my chambers, a brush in my hand. I can't believe Rochelle's back! Ethan looks so happy after such a long time. Seriously I can't believe Matt didn't get the point of me pushing him out of the room! The day Matt stops being so overprotective is the day Dillon stops irritating Rochelle.

I put my brush back on my dressing table; I pick up the letter lying on my table, and started to read it to myself again.

To the Guard,

By the time you read this I should already be across the bridge. I think it is time to reveal many well guarded secrets. I had a past, a past before the guard which intimately involved Lorian. Though we have kept apart since the Guard began, I could not deal with his death. Hence, I make my choice think not of this as and act of cowardice…but of love.

Another hidden aspect of my life is that I am immortal though my power is nothing compared to Lorian's, D'Artemis's or even Matt's, I still have immortality.

My suicide must have come as a shock but I had to. I knew of a choice that would await me as I crossed the bridge. I have seen Ethan suffer and the second I made the choice of joining my love forever. I knew it was Rochelle whom I would resurrect.

All I want to tell you, my children, is to stay united and fight as one. I love you all and wish you every happiness.

Love,

Lady Arabella

Tears touch my eyes as I remember the solemn funeral Matt had held. It had been an intimate gathering of all those who knew her well.

I put the letter away and look at my painting. I pick my paint brushes from the table and start to add the finishing strokes to my canvas. Painting relaxed me, helped me think.

I gazed at the portrait; it was of Lady Arabella and Lorian, one last tribute to their love.

Later that day, the painting hung in the wall of the main tribunal chamber, where it would stay for many years to come.

Rochelle's P.O.V

Ethan and I are walking towards the falls. The sensation of my hand in his is so…… comforting. The whole being-resurrected-back-to-life was so…… strange. I cannot believe Lady Arabella would do such a thing for me, maybe they are actually accepting me, as one of the Guard……as one of The Named.

We suddenly take a sharp turn and Ethan whisks out a black blind-fold. I see a playful grin spread across his face as he ties the blindfold across my eyes.

"Ethan……What are you doing?" I say unable to suppress a giggle. A giggle! I'm actually being bubbly and jovial around him.

"You'll see" he replies, taking both my hands and leading me along a path. After walking for about 10 minutes, interspersed with protests from me, and tickle attacks from Ethan. At long last we reach our destination, and Ethan lets the blindfold fall. What I see before me takes me aback. My face breaks into a huge smile. Almost everyone from the Guard was standing in Arkarian's chambers, with smiles equally huge, if not bigger.

"Surprise!" they yell.

"It's your resurrection party" says Matt walking up to me and enveloping me in a bear hug. Wow, I guess all hard feelings against me must have disappeared with my coming-back-to-life. I should have done this ages ago.

"Oh my god you guys…" I say trying to hug everyone together.
"Dillon, Shaun and Jimmy are still draining out Veridian" said an exited Isabel.
"They'll be here any moment now. I don't think we told Dillon that your back……" she trails off. Arkarian was tugging at her arm towards the dance floor, I smile up at Ethan and he grins at me with those twinkling blue eyes. I live those eyes.

There was no need for words, there never I between us. Just as Ethan was leading me to the dance floor…… the door burst open and Dillon rushes in carrying a scrap of well worn paper.

"I FOUND ANOTHER PROPHECY! IT'S A NEW ONE I THINK………HOLY HELL!" Dillon screams.

"Roh………oh geez" he finishes and collapses to the floor, apparently unconscious.

It was inevitable. I just slipped it out "Oh God No".

Matt's P.O.V

Great Dillon just passed out. We probably should have told him about Rochelle. There goes Isabel…… off to try and revive him. I should probably get on with introducing our new Tribunal member. Dillon gets up slowly and as his mind focuses, Isabel explains everything to him.

"Everyone could you please stop fawning over Rochelle and Dillon, they're fine. I have something very important to tell you" I say over all the commotion trying to get everyone's attention. When they don't even give the indication of having heard, I use my powers to amplify my voice and repeat what I just said. That got their attention. I had refrained from using my powers for tiny instances like this, but hey, I'm immortal. I climb onto one of Arkarian's ancient stools to resume my introduction.

"Now that I finally have everyone's attention" I say regaining my normal voice.

"Due to Lady Arabella's sad departure, we now have a new member of the tribunal." This statement was followed by gasps and looks of bewilderment around the room. I really don't get why they're always so awed when I speak. It's unnerving.

"So…… anyway……here's Lady Alora" I finished nervously, stepping of the stool a tall willowy woman walked in, with long wavy hair resembling purple swirls cascading down to her waist. Her skin was almost transparent, reminding everyone of Lorian. Her silver eyes surveyed the room, taking in everything she floated towards me, her pale satin robe behind her"

"Mmmm…… thank you Matt. I think I'll take it from here." said Lady Alora, her voice sounding like soft ripples in a pond.

"Well, First of all you all may call me Alora no need for such formalities as Lady. I think you all should know that I am a time traveler; I go back in the past and check to see whether anything has disrupted the harmony of time. It's more reliable than the sphere" she finished. This earned a couple of laughs around the room.

Well…… that was Lady Alora I mean Alora. I really hope everyone likes her. They better I mean they just met her! There's still so much they don't know about her.

While everyone was mingling, Dillon now fully revived, timidly steps up from the back of the room.
"Umm… guys, the prophecy?" he said, clutching the scrap of paper.

Oh my god! Everyone must have forgotten about it when Dillon passed out. I quickly try to restore order.

"Dillon…… hand it over I'll read it out" I say my voice strong and commanding, he gives me the scrap of paper and I grab it form his hand and start reading.

The Prophecy

The Named shall reunite again,
along with allies new,
to a land embedded deep in time,
to defeat an evil unknown.

One left out before shall find,
a hidden future in the past,
and a new warrior shall bloom,
to slay the shadow of horror.

A timeless mentor shall arise,
traveling through the ripples of time,
And two in love divided by life,
shall reunite in the darkness of death.

A warrior chained by blood,
shall finally follow his heart's desire.
Another who lived a life of false truth,
shall awaken and follow her true legacy

Two fates entwined by timeless love,
shall accept their true calling,
while one shall defeat the greatest,
the other shall succeed the greatest.

Dillon's P.O.V

Sweet Jesus! Roh's alive! Rochelle is actually alive. When Isabel filled Jimmy, Shawn and me on all the details of what had happened when we were on the three day trip. Wow………

My mind immediately reels back to the time just after Roh's death. God, that hurts. Sure, Roh and I got on each other's nerves, well……… I got her nerves, but she was the only damn person in group who actually acknowledged my existence! For good or for bad……

I recall again in to those hurtful feelings which I'm so used to receiving from everyone. And when I thought I fell in love with Neriah, life was just pure torture; well I guess now it's not much different. Every single bloody person in the guard especially the named thinks of me as different from them. Neriah, who just freaks out, Matt who just thinks of me as that over eager bloody hot-tempered fool whose head-over heels over his 'soul mate', Isabel and Ethan who barely know I exist and Arkarian who cant be bad to anyone so resorts to politeness with me.

I think about this and realize even Roh's going to be distant from me now that she's going to go out with Ethan. Love, friendship, happiness…… I see them standing in front of me and know I am never going to get any of 'that'! A hollow laugh comes on to my lips and I quietly make my way out of the party knowing it won't make a difference. Even though I was the one to bring out the prophecy I don't give a shit cause as usual. I'm probably not mentioned. I don't care…… I really don't……honest.

I walk towards the lake in front of the mountains. It looks extremely beautiful today. I enjoy a few minutes of peaceful solitude when I hear footsteps behind me. It's Rochelle!

"Rochelle" I call out quite surprised, "what are you doing here?"

"Ohh… I don't know maybe to ask what you're doing out of my surprise party?"

This takes me back for a minute and I come out with an answer without thinking, "Just… to get some fresh air"

She looks at me awkwardly, as if she's scrutinizing me for something. I still wonder why she's come out.

She comes and stands next to me staring at the lake intently.
"No need to gaze at your reflection, your still hideous." I just couldn't help saying that. She mock sighs and again gives me that questioning look.

"You passed out" she says, yeah like I didn't already know "so you shouldn't really be talking Dillon". I give her one of those stupid grins which I know she hates.

"Shouldn't you be inside with Ethan?" I ask.
"Yeah, but only if you come back inside…" she responds.
"Naah, it's ok. I'll just come awhile later. Go ahead Roh, I'll come, promise" I insisted.

"I'm not going in without you Dillon" she says.

Why would she wait for me…… it's not like we're friends!

"Well then" I say, "you'll just have to wait for me" I replied.

After a really awkward pause, Rochelle pipes up again.

"Fine, I'll just say it" she said in an exasperated voice," no matter how annoying you may be… I… you're like… well… a friend… one of my only……friends… and I really… you know… would want you to be with me today please?"

I was in shock" What! The great Roh is actually calling me a FRIEND!"

Roh replied angrily "Well, I was just trying to be friendly"

Ooopps what a thing to say "Sorry… I didn't mean that… it's just that it's the first time… you've actually talked to me nicely"

"Well yeah… so I'm going back in, are you coming?" she said calming down.

"Yeah… I'm coming" I reply, my heart feeling strangely lighter… a friend.