Author's Note: I know it's been a while since I've updated this story. I originally only wrote 7 chapters and discontinued this story because it was going downhill. Unless I get reviews hint hint I'm not putting in the new(or should I say, old) chapters. I don't see the point. If you take the time to read it, you can take the time to review it. I'm not asking for long reviews but I only ask for reviews with some form of constructive criticism. I already had one retard leave a pointless review(more like a flame) that obviously didn't know what they were talking about. But since some people want me to continue it, I'll put up the third chapter. If I get to the point where I put up all 7 chapters, I'm gonna do a questionare type thing where I'll ask everyone overall on what they thought of it. Remember, I suck at plotlines but I was trying my best when I wrote this. Anyway, enjoy...and review.
Disclaimer: I don't own the world of The Dark Crystal; Brian Froud does. Aletha however, is my own character. :)
Part I
3
"So what did you feel?" Aughra had asked the day after Aletha returned from her journey. Aletha was at a loss with her emotions, not really sure of how she felt. Both Aughra and Aletha were sitting in the central corridor of the Castle, in sight of the Crystal of Truth. Aletha's reflection was clear in the Crystal of Truth's interior, a mirror image that Aletha could never be. Aughra was sitting almost with her back angling against the ground. Her single eye was the only eye that Aughra had left, her other two lost long ago during the Great Conjunctions.
"I didn't feel anything," Aletha finally replied. Aughra's single eye narrowed. "You lie, Gelfling," spat the old hunched harridan. "When I sent both your mother and father to those hills years ago, they felt a connection. Kira said that she felt like some unknown entity was calling out to her. Jen had a similar experience, except he said he felt like the ground beneath was swallowing him. All the Gelfling I had known in the past centuries went to those hills; and all felt something unique. Why then, wouldn't you?"
Aletha could sense that Aughra was disappointed. The harridan's facial features had a puzzled look to them. Aughra struggled to get to her feet. Aletha held out a hand, insisting on helping Aughra get off the ground. But Aughra had made a "bahhh" sound, and shook the Gelfling's hand off.
"Fine," Aletha shouted. Her noise echoed off the walls of the giant corridor. "No, I didn't feel anything. But I saw something." Aughra paused in her movements, and slowly turned around. The disappointed look on her face had vanished, replaced by the look of confusion. "You saw?" The old harridan had put the emphasis on that last word, all in wonder and a sort of awe. Aughra never had any Gelfling say that they saw something on the hillsides, not in her almost immortal life. She was truly flabbergasted by the child's response.
"A storm came," Aletha continued, this time more quietly. To her surprise, her parents hadn't come running to see what was wrong. That eased her heart, knowing that her parents would cause even more of a raucous. "I don't know if what I saw was real or not. Thunder plays tricks on your eyes, flashing to make things light again when there was only darkness and rain. I was already traveling back home, riding Fijj through the twisting hills of the Valley. There was one flash…" Aletha paused, almost at a loss of words. Why does this scare me now? she thought. I never paid particular attention to it before.
"Yes, there was one big flash. I saw some things moving out into the far distance when I looked back. I don't know what made me look back; my reaction was almost instinctual. I'm not sure how many there were of Them, maybe a couple or so. I don't know what They were." Aletha's eyes drifted towards the Crystal of Truth. She tried to avoid Aughra's haunting stare at all cost, afraid of what she might find in that single eye. To avoid it even better, Aletha walked out of the central corridor without ever saying another word.