Chapter 30: Out of The Blue
|Real People Offices|9:12 am|
"Good morning, everybody." Karen said, as she entered the offices. "Girls, I'm so sorry about Friday. I don't really remember what happened - just that you girls got me home safe."
"Karen, it's fine. Are you better now?" Amara asked.
"Yes, much better. I'll be more careful next time. I'm glad you all were there - I might already be planning wedding number five!" Karen said, shuddering. She went into her office, and Amara gulped. She didn't remember meeting Roger at all...
"Just who was that guy who helped her, anyway?" Lucy asked as Karen returned to her office.
"Well, that's quite a story..." Amara said. "But that man was her first love. Roger Martin! The same guy who runs Solar Ray Mall! They haven't seen each other for fourteen years..."
"Seriously? So Mr Martin's her ex?" Lucy said, stunned. "Amazing! I have to get an interview with him now!"
"Lucy, it's not that simple. Karen doesn't know that the man that left the city fourteen years ago returned! She might not want to deal with him again!" Stella said, angry.
"Um, Lucy, how was your date with that Blaine guy?" Colette asked.
"Don't change the subject! Um, well..." Lucy blushed. "It was nice. He wasn't too flirty, and he took me for a ride on his motorcycle. Which was kind of scary. I had to beg him not to do a wheelie. It was fun, though. In fact, he just asked me if we can meet for lunch! I'm going to see him again!"
"Love's young dream." Stella said, with a small chuckle. Lucy blushed even more, whilst the girls started laughing. Just then, Karen left her office holding up a letter.
"Where did this letter come from?" Karen asked, looking bemused.
"I don't know, it was delivered with all the others today. Why?" Juan said.
"It doesn't have a name or return address. It simply says 'Aurelia Park at 6:30pm. Meet me there.'" Karen said, looking at the letter again. "Any of you know what this is about?"
"Um...no!" Lucy said, shaking her head. "Sounds like someone's got a secret admirer!"
"Even if it is, it's hardly romantic. Where are the flowers? The box of chocolates?" Sheila said.
"So that's what you find romantic? Guess I'm going to the mall tonight, then!" Juan said, winking at Sheila.
"You do that and I'll have you buried in the Grand Canyon!" Sheila said, annoyed.
"Calm down, Sheila. Aurelia Park is so romantic, though. It must be someone with his eye on you." Amara said, with Sheila shaking her head and Lucy biting her lip.
"Maybe. Well, I didn't have anything else to do tonight, so I'll see what this is all about. If it's a prank, might as well get it over with." Karen said, returning to her office.
"This is exciting! Do you think Roger sent that letter? Ooh, maybe he wants to get back together with her! That is so sweet!" Colette said, giddy with excitement.
"I wish I had a girl to take to Aurelia Park." Juan said. "Then again, there are a lot of fine women here. Colette, how about you?"
"No way, creep!" Colette said, annoyed.
"Okay then. How about you, Sheila?"
"Piss off!" Sheila said, focusing on her computer without even looking at him. Amara couldn't help but wonder about Zao - she was meeting him at the harbour after work. Just thinking about him made her heart soar.
"Why do Fools fall in love?" Stella said.
"Huh?" Amara asked, utterly confused.
"I'm just musing to myself. Pay me no heed." Stella said, diverting her attention to her computer. Amara shrugged, and began sharpening her pencils.
|Legarte - Coffee Cabin|12:34 pm|
Blaine was having a quick coffee at the riverside Coffee Cabin. A small, but inviting, place. It suited Blaine's unrefined tastes well. Alongside his coffee, he was eating a ham and cheese panini.
"Hello, handsome." Lucy said, as she came up to him. "Oh, you got me a coffee already?"
"Yup. You're lucky Amara remembers how you like your coffee." Blaine said. "Although...I didn't know what sandwich you wanted."
"Forget about it. I'll pick one later." Lucy said. "How's your day been?"
"If I'm being frank...a fucking nightmare. Every customer has to find a fault with their food, and I'm the only waiter without the family connections to avoid getting fired! But I suppose I'm having coffee with my sexy girlfriend, so that's brightened up my day." Blaine said, and he gave her a wink.
"Sexy? I could get used to being called that. As long as you do as well." Lucy said, smiling. "I really enjoyed Saturday, you know. I didn't think I'd like spending time with the middle-aged."
"Easy, girl. I've got at least fifteen more years before I'm that old. How's your day been so far?" Blaine asked.
"Not as bad as yours, I think. Karen got a letter from a man asking her to come to the park after work, so we're all wondering who sent it to her. Most of us think it's this Roger person." Lucy said. "Oh. Roger Martin, the guy who runs the mall."
"Oh, him. He's kinda cool. I've had a drink with him a couple of times." Blaine said, shrugging.
"Really? Even better! I wanted to write an article about the mall. If I can get an interview with him, that would be really amazing! Maybe you could pull some strings?" Lucy asked.
"Well...alright. You know I can't say no to a pretty face!" Blaine said, and the two of them laughed. The two of them stayed there for a while, enjoying the coffee. The whole time, Blaine kept looking at Lucy, smiling at her, whilst they talked about silly things, like the glamour model TV show that was on last night or what 'protein fractionation' meant.
"Damn, I need to get back to work! I'll pay for this-"
"No, let me. You go and have fun. Say hi to Amara for me!" Blaine said.
"I will! Bye!" Lucy said, quickly blowing a kiss at Blaine before darting off. If only he had the time to see her tonight. Alas, he and the others had to go to the other world. Fighting Shadows could be a pain in the ass, but it had to be done. He left to return to his own work, prepared for another aggravating afternoon.
|Albion HQ - Nathan's Office|17:30 pm|
It may have been half an hour since the end of the working day, but Nathan still had work to do. There was something he needed to do, thanks to today's schedule. There were tough meetings to get through, and a rather heated discussion with a major client. His father, upon hearing of his commitment during the day, privately congratulated him. Nathan felt guilty about what to do next - but he had to find out. Who was Josephine Johnson?
Thanks to his high rank within the business, he was able to search through the entire Aeternus Employee Database and leave no trace whatsoever. He searched for Josephine's name, and she came up. "Ah...there you are."
Josephine had worked at Aeternus between April 1994 and October 2000. She had done very well in the Marketing Department, but information about her capabilities was scarce. The photograph of her looked older than she did in the other world. Which had to have meant she used her vile powers to prevent her body from aging. Such misuse of her power sickened Nathan to his very core. Yet the more he stared at Josephine's picture, the more it felt like a different person. She merely looked like a mature woman, with an air of professionalism. No malice. No inflated ego. Vanity would seem foreign to her. No one would believe she would go on to terrorise the entire vity for an entire decade.
"...What did the old Josephine use to be like?" Nathan said to himself. Only one person could possibly tell him - his father. But there was no evidence of an affair at all. What could he possibly do next? Leaving things as they were, with the doubt in his mind, was not an option. There had to be something that could settle this once and for all. Nathan logged out, and locked his office's door.
"Ah, you're still working hard?" Nathan's father said. "It's time for you to go home, my boy."
"I...was heading home now. Don't worry." Nathan said.
"You look exhausted. I'm afraid I'm going to insist on me driving you home." Nathan's father said. "You deserve to relax tonight, after everything you've done tonight."
"Thank you, father." Nathan said. "Actually, I want to buy some flowers on the way home..."
"So not only do you dedicate your life to the family business, you want to shower your lady with gifts? It's amazing." Nathan's father said. "You and her are just like me and Daphne. Please tell me you've thought about proposing!"
"I..." Nathan said. "Soon, Dad. I'd love to."
"Good. I promise you won't regret it. Now come with me, son. We don't want to keep Priscilla waiting." Nathan's father said. The two of them left, driving home, whilst Nathan tried to fight off thinking about that wretched woman.
|Aurelia Park|18:30 pm|
"It's really nice here. But...where am I supposed to meet him?" Karen wondered, as she arrived at Aurelia Park.
Whilst she wandered around, without any general direction, she passed by endless happy couples. One of them consisted of a fair skinned lady with a beautiful floral dressed and her Asian boyfriend, and it was obvious to the whole world how absolutely delighted they were to be in each other's company. Karen, upon reflection, realised she had never had a single moment like that with any of her husbands. All of them were one huge mistakes, and it had taken her until now to learn her lesson. She sat down on one of the white benches. Where was this secret admirer? Was this a joke at her expense?
The minutes felt like hours as they went by. Even playing her smartphone games did nothing to alleviate the boredom, although she did manage a few new high scores. Yet on her mind was the mystery man. Another couple in a moment of bliss went past her - the woman had her arm lovingly around her partner's waist, and he was gently kissing her between soft laughter.
"If only that could be me..." She muttered.
To tell the truth, she had met someone who she shared special moments with. Fourteen years ago since he had left the city, and surely he had forgotten all about her. Yet she hadn't. A stupid argument had ended everything, and now her love life was in ruins.
"Oh Roger...where are you now, I wonder?"
"I'm right here, Karen."
Karen leapt up with right, and turned around. She gasped at the man. Fourteen years had changed him quite a bit. He had his hair cut rather short, and he had put on a little weight. Yet there was no mistaking it. She had spent too many evenings with him to forget every detail of his face. This was Roger Martin, clad in a black shirt and red tie.
"Roger?!" Karen shouted. People nearby stared at her, but she paid no attention to them. How could he be here, fourteen years after that horrible fight? "How did you know where to find me?"
"You...don't remember much about Friday night, do you? I was at the club, by myself, trying to unwind after a stressful day. You were there too...with your employees." Roger said. "And...I'm the one who paid for your cab home. I'm glad you got home safely."
"You saw me drunk?!" Karen said. Roger nodded. Karen, shaking, was mortified. "I...can't believe it. After all this time, you saw me making a fool out of myself in that stupid club! I..."
"I thought you looked fantastic." Roger said, looking serious. "You were having the time of your life, as far as I could tell. Me, I've been working too much to really enjoy myself."
"...But why are you even back here?!" Karen shouted. "This is insane! You were supposed to go off, study at some big name college, and make a fortune! Why are you here now?!"
"Well, Karen..." Roger said. "I actually returned here ten years ago. I'd completed my course by then. It was a lonely period of study, however. I couldn't help but think about you. I came back to visit my parents, and I tried finding you, but you had moved. So I found a job, and before long I owned a pretty successful supplies company."
"Lucky for you! Ten years ago, I got married and divorced in the same year!" Karen said bitterfly.
"What?!" Roger exclaimed. "Married? To who?!"
"Someone who wasn't you. I didn't care, as long as I didn't have to be on my own!" Karen said. "I couldn't get past what Victor...did! But you weren't there. I was too afraid! And it wasn't just him. Marriage after marriage, all ending soon after. None of them could ever hold a candle to my memories of you!"
"I'm sorry." Roger said, softly. "But I couldn't stay and hold your hand. I had to get out there and fulfill my dream. I wanted to prove that Kanaloa folk could make it in the real world. And...I did. The supplies company was a stepping stone - now, I own Solar Ray Mall. Now of that could have possibly happened if I hadn't taken a chance and left home."
"Are you...serious? You're the one responsible for turning that mall into what it is today? That can't be right. I've been inside plenty of times, and never saw you once!" Karen said.
"It's busy work. There's so much to organise, so many people under my supervision...it's far harder than that job in the bookstore I had. Looks like you've done well, too. You always said if you ever were an employer, you'd treat them like family. Looks like you did." Roger said, with a faint smile.
"With the sheer amount of work it takes to run that mall, I barely have the chance to browse it's wares. There's so many things to organise. That, and the mall employs hundreds of people. This is the hardest job I've ever had. But I have to say, you've done quite well yourself. You told me once that you wanted to treat employess like family, not tools. It's good to see you stay true to your promises." Roger said, with a faint smile.
"Maybe...but it's too late. Ken, Russell, Dean and Graham, neither of them were enough. Look at me. I'm not good enough for you anymore!" Karen said, sobbing. "You managed it! You became a huge success, just like you always wanted. Look at the Mall! It's thriving, all because of you! But what have I done? Nothing! Just a bunch of small-time papers! You were right to have left me!"
"Please, Karen. Don't cry. It's true that I've done well since my return to this city. A self-made man, one might say. In fact, I bought a rather expensive property in Nova Albion for myself, and one for my parents. Even so, it's a lonely life. There's no one to come home to, to help me unwind. Or for me to help them. With my work, I can't get out and meet people. Which is why...I'm glad I saw you again. Please, I don't want to let you go. Let's start over. You and me, Karen." Roger said.
"No we can't. Roger, you were right all along all those years ago. You told me you couldn't let me control your life." Karen said, calmer now. "I need to be stronger on my own. Friday night taught me that. Roger, this is goodbye." She started to leave, but Roger ran in front of her. "Roger, stop!"
"Please, don't go just yet. I know I hurt you a long time ago, and I'm sorry! Here." Roger shoved one of his business cards into her hand, and now he looked more desperate than ever. "Take it. I missed you. You might not believe it, but I really did! I can't go another fourteen years without you!"
"Let me go. I missed you too, but this is for the best. You'll find someone better than me." Karen said, slowly walking away. She wanted to look back, but couldn't. Seeing his heartbroken face would only tempt her to go back to the way things were. And...if she ruined his life, she could never forgive herself.
This was for the best, or so she kept telling herself.
|Legarte Harbour|18:40 pm|
"Howdy!" Zao said, running over to Amara. Before she could say anything, he gave her a big kiss. "I've been waiting all day for that..."
"Me too." Amara said, smiling. "Hey, I have to meet some friends tonight. Before then, can we go see a movie?"
"Actually...I probably should have said this sooner, but a friend of mine's coming here to hang out. It's just been ages since I saw him, so -"
"It's okay! There's always tomorrow." Amara said, tweaking Zao's nose. It always surprised him, which made her laugh. "Who is this guy, anyway?"
"It's this guy I used to know way back in elementary school. You've probably never met him. He's actually kind of famous these days." Zao said.
"Really, Zao? You know celebrities?" Amara asked.
"Yeah. He hasn't got thousands of Twitter followers or anything, but he's a pro soccer star now." Zao said. "In fact, he was in the newspaper today."
"He was?" Amara asked, surprised. "I didn't read the sport section today. We don't really cover sport at Real People."
"Oh, well...you can't really see him in the picture they took, but he was awesome. Two goals, all thanks to him!" Zao said.
"Ah. So who is this sportsman you know?" Amara asked.
"Karl Davenport!" Zao said, smiling.
"Karl...Davenport?!" Amara couldn't believe what Zao just said. His smile dropped, as he saw how shocked Amara was. Zao was acquintances with the man she used to love...could this really be happening?
"Yeah. What's wrong?" Zao asked.
"Zao, you should have told me about this! It's not your fault, you lovable dummy, but -"
"But what? Have you met him before?" Zao asked.
"Yes, of course I have! He was my -"
"Zao!" a familiar voice said, running up behind Zao. The gelled spiky ginger hair, the soft brown eyes and the athletic build were all too familiar. It was indeed Karl Davenport, a talented soccer star and Amara's old flame. No...why now?
"Karl! You got tall, man!" Zao said, grinning. "I should have known you made the team! Next time, I'm going to watch from the front row!"
"You better! You'll see a master at work! Now - Amara?!" Karl couldn't believe his eyes. "You...and Zao?!"
"Y-yes." Amara said, looking away.
"Whoa! You two know each other?" Zao asked. "You didn't go to the same elementary school, did you? That would be so awesome!"
"No, Zao. Amara and I used to go out. You know, like you and her right now." Karl said.
"Seriously?! That is awesome!" Zao said, happy as ever. "I was worried about bumping into any of Amara's exes, but this is so cool! Amara, the cutest artist in the city, and Karl, the greatest soccer player ever! Woohoo!"
"Zao, it's not..." Amara sighed. Didn't he notice how uncomfortable she was? Why did he have to act like such a little kid? "Look. We had a bad break-up."
"I should probably go..." Karl said solemnly.
"What? We haven't seen each other since we kids, and you're bailing on me?" Zao said, annoyed.
"You can see how awkward this is, can't you?" Karl said.
"Well, I..." Zao trailed off. He looked so disappointed, and Amara felt sorry for him. Seeing Karl, however, brought back a lot of negative feelings. His constant over-protectiveness was what ruined the relationship, and she had never quite gotten over it.
"I'll talk to you later, Zao." Karl said, forcing a smile. "You have my number, right? See ya." Karl left, and Zao looked to Amara.
"What...happened between you two?" Zao said, worried.
"Zao, I didn't want to talk about this, but...when we were going out, Karl was really clingy. He'd get worried if I was late calling him, he couldn't find me, and just wouldn't give me any breathing space. That's why I finished it with him! He was nice, but I didn't want to see him again. We haven't seen each other since I told him it was over."
"Oh." Zao said, for the first time looking glum. "I'm sorry about that. Karl never used to be that way. When we were kids, we used to play all the time, without a care in the world. Me, him and his sister Aimee. Then I had to change schools, so I never saw him after that."
"Aimee? I didn't know he had a sister!" Amara said. It couldn't be the Aimee we know in the other world...could it?
"Well, he probably didn't want to talk about it. Ten years ago, in some huge explosion, Aimee got killed. It's a shame...she was a sweet girl. She was a lot younger than us, but we always let her join in. Those were good days. I wish I could have seen her again." Zao said, staring at the sky.
"Wait. You think the reason he acted that way is because of his sister?" Amara asked.
"I dunno. I'm a fisherman, not a psychologist!" Zao said, shrugging and smiling. Looking at Amara's serious face, he stopped. "I wouldn't get upset about it. He's a great guy. With me around, he'll be just fine!"
"I'll leave it to you, then! Perhaps the three of us could hang out sometime." Amara said, trying to hide her sadness. "Might be awkward with just us three, though."
"Well, then the answer is obvious! We get a girl for Karl, then we can go with that multiple group date idea! Huh?" Zao said. Now, he was back to his usual self - not a care in the world.
"Sure, why not! Zao, don't ever change." Amara then gave Zao a huge hug, and for the first time, she didn't want to let go.
"Change what? My great sense of fashion, or my hair? If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Zao said - giving Amara one of his winks. "Anyway, let me tell what I caught today!"
|Secret Base|19:30 pm|
The gang had arrived at last. They were delayed by fifteen minutes, as Serena was stuck with a grocery run and got confused by the various brands of toilet paper. 'First World Problems', she explained. In the base, Aimee and Seraphina were present, but the others were away.
"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. Sir Dan is at The Mole once again. However, he was training rather intensely before, so I believe he deserves the rest period. Provided he does not carry a repugnant odour of alcohol upon his return." Seraphina said. She nibbled on some smoked salmon. Amara briefly wondered where they got the food from...
"Priscilla's in her room...again. It's worse than when Kyle had his breakdown! I can't get her to talk at all. Maybe I just don't understand adults." Aimee said. "Amara, why are you looking at me like that?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just pumped to beat up some Shadows tonight!" Amara said. So you're Karl's little sister. In this world, Karl is...
"Where's Kyle, then?" Serena asked. "I brought him some pretzels - the really salty kind!"
"Oh, he's taking a nap in his room. That aside, He noticed something strange earlier. There were a lot of people entering the Farawell Shadow Development Centre." Aimee said.
"Really? What's going on in there?" Nathan asked.
"I do not know. All I could pick up were over thirty Ornatu Legion resonances. This troubles me. It never rains, but it pours. Perhaps it's related to Karen." Seraphina said.
"No way! They're building her base in that weird hotel! Where was that, anyway?" Serena asked.
"In Saragel. This is different - wait! The situation changed! Someone just appeared in a room with an NDD!" Seraphina shouted.
"What?" Blaine said. "Who is it?"
"I feel something. An incredible resonance, like a Persona! It lacks any hostility, either. Rather, fear, confusion... You have to go find them." Seraphina said. "Use the code, quickly. We will stay here. Yet we will rendezvous if you end up in trouble!"
"Okay. Looks like we're going back to where it all began, guys." Amara said.
"Almost brings a tear to my eye!" Blaine said.
The four of them returned to the NDD that had taken them to this world for the first time.
|Farawell Shadow Development Centre|19:36 pm|
Amara and the otheres were the only ones in the room. Yet it seemed like someone had been here earlier - a table was overturned, and one of the light fixtures had been smashed.
"Sheesh." Blaine said. "Did we do anything like that?"
"No...but I was pretty spooked." Serena said.
"Well they're not here now. We should get a move on." Nathan said. They left the room. In the south end of the hallway, they could see someone heading in that direction. The opposite of the route Amara took, which led to the rest area. Before, every door on this hallway was covered with a red emblem. Now they were blue, and looked slightly different. Perhaps they were unlocked. Something was very different tonight...
"Let's find that guy, and fast!" Amara said. At the end of the hallway, there was a giant door that apparently granted access to 'Database Server Room'. They opened the door, anxious as to what might await them.
|Database Server Room|19:47 pm|
"Whoa!" Amara screamed.
A powerful Shadow was before them. It took upon the guise of a shadowy, emaciated man hung from the gallows. His face was covered by a mask resembling an upside down face.
"Okay, this is one of the coolest Shadows yet." Serena said. That's her idea of cool? Weird... "Wait a second - look!"
Behind one of the servers was a young man, cowering in fear.
"Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me!"
"Who's that - Zao!?" Amara didn't want it to be him. But there was no mistaking that blue hair. He wore the same silver jacket he wore earlier that day, too. "Why are you here?!"
"Amara?!" Zao stood up, his face white with terror. "What the hell are those things?!"
"How did he get in here? Amara, did you tell him about this world?!" Nathan shouted.
"No! I had no idea he was coming! I -"
"Enough babbling. It's time to save this guy!" Blaine said. "Zio-"
"Holy crap, my head! ...Philemon?! Huh?" Zao said, very disoriented. The Shadow, disturbed, menacingly moved towards Zao, and was about to send a wave of fire at him. Before the flames could connect, however, a blue aura burst from Zao's body. The force of the light sent the Shadow to the ground in a crumpled heap.
"What's this?! Per...so...na?!"
No! This can't be happening! Not Zao!
Sure enough, something burst out of this body, striking the Shadow with supreme energy. Floating over Zao's body was a male figure, clad in a white naval uniform with blue lining and cuffs, bright angel wings, white boots, and a sword in his hand. Most of his head was obscured by a golden metal helmet, which was almost bird-like, with white feathers coming out at the back. Yet, he had blue hair beneath the helmet.
"Oh my god...what is that thing?!" Zao screamed. Startled by the being of power in front of him, he fell over, jaw agape.
I am thou. Thou art I. I cometh from the sea of thy heart. I am Rashnu, one who shall take the souls of the dead and determine their worth!