Well. It's been a while since I've updated this story, I'm very sorry about that. This is a sad chapter, but if you read carefully, you'll pick up lots of important information for the upcoming Threshold. Plus I introduce my beloved Kate--she'll have a great time in this story, you can count on that. If you want more info for what happens to Lulu after this chapter, you'll get it in a while, but check my profile for a blurb while you're waiting. Just look for Threshold.

CHAPTER SEVEN: Nothing Gold can Stay

During the night, Jack had a dream that his cow had turned into Rock and had chased him all over the barn while throwing milkers at his head. The early morning sunlight woke the sweating boy from his nightmare and brought relief to his face. What a stupid thing to be scared of, really! Rock? Milkers? Pfft, that was the last time he watched Morphinators: The Skin-Changers' Revenge before going to bed. He took his time eating breakfast before leisurely walking out to the barn and standing at the back door. Listen, Jack. When you walk into this barn, Bessie is not going to have turned into Rock. Cow's can't even hold milkers; you're being asinine. It was only a dream induced by creepy Sci-Fi B movies. Deep breath. You can do this…Nami could do this. In fact, Nami would be laughing herself to death if she saw you right now. Go inside the barn!

Rock smiled and observed his appearance in Bessie's water trough. Indeed, it was a treat for the lowly cow to be able to see his handsome face first thing in the morning. He glanced at Bessie who was standing near the door. Thinking that she probably needed to go outside like a dog, he held the door open for her until she ambled out. Feeling proud of himself for figuring that out, he trotted over to her feed box and picked up a strange contraption that was lying beside it. A sticker indicated that it was a "Heavy Duty Cow Milker" bought from Hogan's Supplies. Suddenly Jack walked in though a door opposite the one that Bessie had gone through. He saw Rock and stopped, turning white. The blonde boy waved at the farmer with the hand that held the milker and watched confusedly as his friend dashed out the door again, as if he had seen a monster. Rock lowered the tool and shrugged, figuring that maybe Jack wasn't used to such hotness so early in the morning. This barn was actually a pretty sweet place to hang out for a few weeks…or months…if Jack would let him borrow his mirror.

The messy-haired farmer was too busy hyperventilating in the chicken coop amongst the chattering fowl to think logically. His dream had come true! What would Nami do? She would be brave! Nevertheless, he crawled behind the incubator and curled into a fetal position. Oh, cruel world!

Celia turned a page in a thick book labeled "High School Class--Shaywood High". Her room was filled to the moldings with fresh, clean light that bounced off of the laminated pages and into her eyes. Sighing, she closed the book and rolled over on her back, her bed creaking beneath her. Her mind was still mulling over what the Goddess had said at the pond yesterday…about how someone loved her, but was ebbing away bit-by-bit. It was so confusing. Who? It obviously wasn't anyone in Forget-Me-Not Valley. I mean, Rock was obsessed with Muffy, Jack was her brother, Gustafa was staying single forever and Marlin…ugh. No. Never. Why hadn't she just asked his name as a question?

Lumina sat miserably in the foyer of her Gramma's Villa. The doctor had been attending to Romana for over two hours. What was the matter with her? Romana had suddenly contracted a fever of massive proportions earlier, followed by drastic weakness of the limbs. Sebastian had found her collapsed in her room and had run for Dr. Hardy before informing Lumina. Lumina didn't care at first--so her Gramma was sick. So what? Now she wouldn't be able to fuss about messed-up hair or clothes or manners or…or…anything! Great!

But when Dr. Hardy came out for water, he told her that he really wasn't sure what the problem was. "I don't know what I can do for her…I'm trying to reduce the fever but…do you have any other family, Lumina?" He had asked her, suddenly sounding like a concerned father. Yes. She did have other family. An uncle who was in jail. But surely Romana wouldn't die. Romana was too cantankerous to die.

Muffy was cleaning counters and glaring in the Inn's direction that morning. Throwing my Rock out. Imagine that. She thought angrily. Who would throw him out? He's so sweet and funny…maybe Ruby has…what's it called? Oh yeah, brain problems. Her displeased thoughts were cut short by an angry yell from her left, in the direction of the Villa. She dropped her cloth and ran outside, high heels clicking. She ran past the Twins' loft house avoiding Patrick's adoring gaze, tripped twice on the way up the hill and finally poked her head into the huge house.

"Hello?" She called out tentatively. A moan answered the summon--Lumina was huddled in a corner, her face red. "What's the matter, Lulu?" Muffy hurried over to the girl. When she didn't respond, the barmaid sat down beside of her until Dr. Hardy appeared out of Romana's room.

"Mmm…greetings, Muffy. Did Lumina tell you why I am here?" Muffy shook her head and the doctor proceeded to tell her what had happened. "I just don't know what to say. I've never seen these symptoms in the same place before. It's like an entirely new disease. She's getting weaker and weaker…but the fever is quite gone now. Nothing seems to be causing hr illness. I don't know if it is contagious or not. You two should both leave. Where's Sebastian? He needs to be told as well." A groan from Romana's room hurried him away after he excused himself.

Lumina sat up straighter and wrinkled her brow. "Oh, I haven't seen Sebastian lately. Maybe I should go find him." Muffy turned to her and shook her head of magnificent curls.

"No, you stay here. I'll look for Sebastian, don't worry." Helping the young woman made her feel maternal, a warm, wholesome feeling. She hurried away on her task. Lumina felt her cheeks for any signs of fever and strode over to a mirror hanging on the wall. Her face was flushed with anger and her eye was twitching. Romana had always admired her remarkable golden eyes that weren't just a light brown color, they were a true, sparkling golden like the small hoop earrings that Vesta wore. Sebastian called them 'hawk eyes' and had bought her a portrait of a stately hawk as proof.

Suddenly a screech rent the air. Knowing full well what it meant, Lumina followed it slowly to it's creator. Muffy was clutching her skirts and staring at a collapsed Sebastian, whose eyes were open. Dr. Hardy barreled in through the door behind her and gaped. "Out! Everyone out! It's contagious!" He howled.

Two hours later Romana also passed. Lumina didn't know what to think. Her entire world was going to be taken from her at the leaving of her guardians. Well, not her entire world. " I do have one brother," She said quietly, seated at the Blue Bar counter with all of the young adults of Forget-Me-Not gathered around her, some with their hands on her shoulder, offering sympathy or just being there. (Jack was still gazing warily at Rock, though very relieved after he had learned the real truth of how his 'friend' had come to be in his barn. Celia had found him curled up behind the incubator like a scared puppy and had dragged Rock into the coop to explain.) "his name is Clifford. I believe he lives in Mineral Town, north of here. But his last letter was seasons ago…I know he's married and has a small daughter named Alex. I shall call him--I can't stay here." Lumina finished.

Marlin sighed. "You don't have to leave, though. We'll take care of you, you're like a sister to us. You wouldn't be among strangers in this valley." Celia glanced at him and raised her eyebrows. It was unusual to see him showing any kind of affection.

"No," Lumina shook her head. "it's okay, truly. I'll call Clifford tonight. He and I used to be the best of friends…until right before my parents died. He said that he needed his space, but he was only sixteen. I was eleven at the time; I didn't want him to leave, but he did anyway. But it was my fault!" She began to turn red and raise her voice in anguish. "If I had not followed my mother when she told me not to, She wouldn't have seen me and Cliff wouldn't have left." She then turned and fled to the back room, closing the door behind her.

Jack and Marlin left to attend their farm duties, Rock trailed behind Jack and Celia stood up and paced the floor. In the sad excitement of the day, they would forget to watch the weather channel that day and miss an important event. "What was she talking about? What was her fault?" She asked her best friend in a hushed whisper. Muffy shivered and shook her head.

"I don't know. Everything is strange today. Did you hear? Ruby threw Rock out of the Inn!" She cried, sounding wounded.

Celia made an amused grimace. "That's actually kind of…er…not funny." She changed her wording around mid-sentence when she noticed Muffy shaking with indignation. Suddenly she put her finger to her lips and pointed towards the back room's door.

Lumina had begun talking. "Hello? Is this the Camellia Inn? May I speak to Clifford Sachar?" She was silent for a minute while her brother was contacted. Then she spoke once more, hesitatingly. "Bunny? Is it really you? Yes…I know we haven't talked in a while…I know, not since I was eleven. No, I'm fine…but I need you to come pick me up. Why? Because Sebastian is dead. Of course Gramma is, too. No, I already told you that I'm fine...it was a sickness…the doctor couldn't diagnose it…I really do not want to discuss it. Will you come pick me up or not? You'll be here tonight? That's fine. I'll be waiting at the Blue Bar…don't be silly, Bunny, I don't drink. Goodbye." The phone was hung up sharply and the two eavesdroppers retreated to the bar, acting as if they'd been there the entire time.

But the girl didn't come out of the room that entire afternoon. It was around ten o'clock that night when Celia, who had been watching out the window, suddenly gave a delighted squeal. "Muff, come here! Clifford's here and boy is he a hunk. Holy turnip greens…look at that butt!" Her friend was at the window in a flash.

"Oh, my gosh! He's amazing! Did he dye his hair or do you think that it's natural?" The duo tried not to stare as the boy opened the door and came inside. He was dressed in dark brown slacks and a blue shirt, over which a raggedy brown jacket was worn. His dark brown hair was bleached at the tips and was long, though not ponytail length.

"Hey," Clifford said pleasantly, the girls' hearts fluttering. "I'm looking for Lumina Sachar. Is she around here?" The female in question opened the back room door and sprinted into her brother's arms. He held her tight and planted a kiss of the top of her head.

"Oh, Bunny, I've missed you," She murmured, standing back to inspect him. "you look so old!"

Clifford laughed and pulled a lock of her hair. "Thanks a lot, Lu. Now I feel old. Do you have all of your things?" His sister nodded her head. "Good. You'd better say goodbye to your friends, then. I have reservations at a hotel, but it's out of the valley, in Caman Plateau. I'll wait here until you return." Lumina nodded again and left the Bar resignedly.

"So is it true that you're married?" Muffy accosted Clifford hopefully. When he nodded, she pouted momentarily. "Can I see a picture?" She asked.

He grinned good-naturedly. "Sure," Out of his pocket he produced a wallet and plucked a few photographs from it. He held out one of them, a picture of a blushing redhead with one long braid, dressed in overalls. "That's Ann…but that was taken five years ago. Here's a more recent one…she's holding Alex, our daughter. She's two years old." Another snapshot found it's way into Muffy's hand. It contained the same redhead, only her hair was shoulder-length and gently curled. Instead of overalls, she was dressed in a yellow and blue dress with rick-rack all over the sleeves. In her arms was a beaming little girl with matching red hair and bright green eyes, dressed in a playsuit of green.

The three chatted lightly until Lumina returned an hour later. "I'm ready to go, Bunny," she mumbled, turning to Celia. "Goodbye, Celia. Good luck with your life. Goodbye, Muffy. I'll miss you so much…and if you ever see Nami again…tell her I said goodbye, please?" The two girls agreed sadly and hugged her tightly before she returned to her brother. He looked down at her without emotion and put his hand on her shoulder. Without another word they left the Bar and walked slowly out of the valley. Lumina would never return--alive, that is.

As if to replace the girl that was leaving, a new family passed her on their way into the Valley. Among them was a young teenaged girl with straight brown hair, partially pulled up into two bunches on the top of her head. Her eyes were bright red and her clothes were spotless and crisp, a bleached white button down blouse was tucked into a pleated royal blue skirt, matching her blue necktie and the blue ribbons in her hair. The two adults were tired looking, trudging along beside of their daughter. The woman had on a colorful kimono and her hair was in a strict bun. The man looked like he just came from an office--he was dressed in a black and white business suit. It was a strange bunch. They came to the house beside of Chris and Wally's, unlocked the door and entered.

Much later at around one o'clock in the morning, a familiar face dashed into Forget-Me-Not. She stopped and twirled, seeming to revel in the sight of her beloved home. Without a sound she ran to Jack's farm and gently turned the knob of his farmhouse door. She would sleep there tonight and surprise him in the morning--he wouldn't mind. Good old Jack.

88888

Ah, who is it? You'll have to wait to find out. I promise you'll love Kate…trust me. She has an interesting history.