[[Thank you for the reviews, oh-beautiful guests! And, of course, tolkienlover ;D you are beautiful too. Your words make me happy ;-;
I see you're all Wizard/Angela (or Molly) shippers! That is good. I am too. I'm also a Chase/Angela shipper, though...
Well, we'll see how the story pans out. I'm ashamed to admit I don't actually have a planned out plot line... D: Meh. It should go well, regardless... maybe...]]
Approximately five minutes into their walk, Angela figured that Luke was in love with Molly.
Which was quite sad, actually. Like a tearful romantic novel. The kind she'd write.
Angela studied the blue-haired boy quietly as he rambled on about his latest project. Something about making a nice wooden horse. She wasn't sure.
It wasn't hard to see the sparks in Luke's eyes when he looked at Molly, nor the way he smiled at anything and everything she said. Poor boy. She understood his feelings; she'd felt that way once before, too.
Difference was, the boy finally noticed her. Angela doubted Molly would notice Luke, and even if she did...
Well, the ring on her finger was enough to remind them that it was too late.
But still, Luke was nice company. He was cheerful and told jokes (admittedly quite bad ones, but all the same), and generally just seemed like a good person. Perhaps not the kind that Angela herself would be good friends with, but possibly still just friends.
"Hey, did you know? Owen was in the mines the other day and found something really cool! There was like this weird red bell and it was on fire?"
Angela didn't miss the odd look that passed over Molly's face at the mention of the red bell. Before she could interpret it, however, Molly asked, "On fire?"
"That's right! And there were these weird glowing symbols around it."
"He didn't try to... pick it up, or anything, did he?" There was alarm and intrigue in Molly's voice, but it wasn't hard for Angela to figure out that the alarm wasn't for the boy, but rather something else.
"Nope! He just left it there. Refuses to go back. For such a huge guy, he sure can be a wimp sometimes." Luke grinned. "Kathy said she went in the other day to take a look but there wasn't anything there."
Molly rolled his eyes. "He was probably just lying. But hey, why don't we go check it out?"
"That's a great idea! I've got nothing to do, anyways." He glanced at the two of them. "Are you both free today?"
Molly considered, slinging an arm through Angela, who smiled. "I think so! We might go to Candace's to get a fitting for Angela, but that can wait." Molly grinned, leaning slightly on her sister's shoulder. "If you're okay with that, Angela."
"Sure." Giving a nod, Angela contemplated the idea of exploring the mines. A fiery bell seemed rather far-fetched, but it couldn't hurt to take a look around.
They were in town, now, having finally left the Forest. They were into the afternoon now, and suddenly Angela felt hungry. She glanced around at the various shops, and sheepishly asked, "Can we get something to eat first, though?"
"Good idea!" Luke beamed, swinging his axe. Both sisters winced. "Anyway, if we were to head to the mine now, we'd have to double back. Do you guys want to come to mine?"
Molly opened her mouth (Angela assumed she was going to accept) before she paused and gasped. "Oh, my God! I'm so sorry, Luke, I promised I'd make lunch for Gill!" She threw her sister an apologetic look. "Sorry, Angela!"
"No, no, it's perfectly all right." Angela grinned, pretending she hadn't seen the look of sadness that crossed Luke's face. Knowing Molly, she probably hadn't seen anyway. "Go spend time with your fiancé."
"I insist that you eat with us." Molly smiled. "It'd be a good time for you and Gill to get to know each other."
"I haven't had your cooking in ages... I think I'll take you up on that offer," Angela mused. Her sister's cooking was legendary. She almost sighed just thinking about it.
Molly giggled, and glanced at her blue-haired friend. "If you like, you can come with!" She grinned.
Oh, dear, oblivious Molly, Angela thought, sighing inwardly. She glanced at Luke (who had very imperceptibly winced) and felt for him when he shook his head and offered a smile. "It's all right, Molly. I have stuff to attend to, anyway."
"If you're sure..." Molly pursed her lips. "Afterwards, we'll meet you at yours, and then we'll go check out the mine together! Okay?"
"Sounds good!" Luke gave a wave and a wide smile and jogged off, his axe swinging dangerously from his hip. "See you later!"
They both waved in return (Angela's was an awkward, half-wave) and made their way to Molly's farm. "This is a good idea." Molly nodded. "This way, I can show you my farm and get you to like Gill!"
Angela began to laugh. "Two birds with one stone, am I right?" she teased.
"Precisely!"
"I don't not like your husband-to-be, anyway. He was all right, yesterday."
"That's the problem." Molly pointed an accusatory finger at her sister. "You need to think he's amazing. Like I do!"
"If I thought he was amazing as you think he is, I'd attempt to marry him instead." Angela raised an eyebrow, and the other twin paused.
"Good point. Almost as amazing as I think he is." She winked, and finally they were there, on Molly's famous farm.
It was, in fact, famous. Well, not exactly. It was the kind of farm you'd hear people talking about in the background: hey, did you hear that some girl on a foreign island became a farmer and made the whole island rich? Rumour is she also brought the Harvest Goddess back to life! Can you believe that?
Admittedly, Angela wouldn't have, if she hadn't known that Molly had in fact done those things. When Angela had first been told that the Harvest Goddess was real ("She recruited me to save her, Angela!"), she hadn't exactly been believing. However, she knew that Molly was not one who'd lie for the fame, and eventually grew to believe her sister.
Angela didn't doubt that her sister had brought this island back to life. No, not for a second.
She was still thinking about this when several loud barks interrupted her. She looked down in surprised to see multiple dogs coming towards them, their tails excitedly wagging. They jumped Molly, who laughed aloud and bent to pet them. Angela raised her eyebrows as they licked her face, her arms; anywhere, basically.
"They love her a lot," a familiar voice commented. Gill appeared beside her, looking rather amused at the display. "Every afternoon when she comes home, they attack her like this."
"'Attack' is most certainly the correct word." Quite entertained, Angela watched, and didn't notice when another person appeared beside her.
"Can't be," Chase said. "They have no antagonism."
Angela stiffened, ignored the flash of pain that went through her at the sight of him. She said, coldly, "'Attack' doesn't necessarily mean there is antagonism. It could just mean aggressive. That's most certainly aggressive."
"'Aggressive' implies antagonism," Chase countered, turning to face her. His violet eyes, too, were frozen. He regarded her with a smirk on his face. She stared impassively back.
"Not necessarily. It could mean 'with force'-"
"All right, that's enough." Gill raised his eyebrows and stepped slightly in between them. He pushed the pale haired man back. "Chase, stop being a dick."
"Tut tut tut." Chase's smirk widened. "Is that suitable language for the mayor's son?"
"How does anyone enjoy being in your presence?" Angela asked, rolling her eyes. "You're just the most terrible company ever."
He mocked a bow, his purple eyes narrowing. Something in her felt sick at the image. "It's my pleasure to be such a-"
"Chase! Stop it." Molly glared fiercely, coming to stand beside them, holding a (rather large) dog in her arms. She must have become really strong, with all that farm work, Angela thought, smiling at the sight. "Honestly. There's no need to be rude."
"I don't know, it feels rather required for me-"
Molly stomped on Chase's foot. Angela felt a savage satisfaction at seeing the man's face twist in pain and seeing him stumble back; she couldn't resist a smirk as he scowled. "Molly, that's called violence. It's frowned upon in most communities."
"Only when it's used on nice people." Molly grinned slightly, and bent to place her dog down. He (was he a male?) barked once, twice, before speeding off.
"And you!" Chase pointed at Angela, who rolled her eyes. "Finding pleasure in others' pain! How horrific. You're terrible company."
Twisting her lips into a wider smirk, she bowed. "It's my pleasure," she said, mimicking his words from earlier. His scowl deepened, and he turned to Molly.
"Your sister's a bitc-"
"Don't even say it," Angela said sweetly. "I'm pretty good with knives, you know."
Not even a lie. After her... incident, she'd become acquainted with self-defense.
Molly laughed nervously, sensing the rising antagonism between her sister and her friend. "All right, let's just... go inside the house, shall we? I've no desire for anyone to die right now."
"You're not the only one," Gill muttered. Angela shot Chase the coldest look she could manage before following Molly into her house. She admired the beauty of her sister's cottage; it was most certainly looked like a nice place to live.
An 'ow!' came from behind her. Refusing to turn around, Angela ignored it but couldn't help but hear Gill hissing at Chase. She couldn't quite make out the words, but she assumed that he was scolding his friend. She smiled at the thought.
A cat greeted her with a 'meow' when she entered the house. Startled, Angela glanced at it. Not only did Molly have multiple dogs, but a cat too? No, make that three cats. Was it even legal to have that many pets? And she had a farm full of animals too! That's just like Molly, Angela thought fondly. Always going to the extreme.
She sat herself on the sofa, watching as her sister began to prepare their lunch. "Would you like some help?" she offered. She wasn't the best in the kitchen, but she wasn't terrible either.
"No, no, it's perfectly fine!" Molly grinned, turning to face her. Angela watched with something like alarm and amusement as she brandished the small knife. "Gill usually helps me, but he's a bit... preoccupied right now."
Angela followed her sister's gaze to the doorway, where the fiancé and the friend were staring at each other, exchanging words. One had a pissed off look on his face (the husband-to-be) and the other something of an apologetic expression (the friend). Angela couldn't help the surprise that she felt; the people she had known who'd had personalities like Chase had never, ever been sorry.
Never.
She swallowed, hard. There it was again; the painful memories pushing so hard at the wall she'd worked so hard to build around them. It was his fault, she thought, taking a shuddering breath as she glanced at the handsome violet-eyed man. Otherwise this wouldn't be happening.
Crack.
The wall she held so tightly around her mind was beginning to break. She shot up from her seat, again faced with the feeling of suffocation. Except this time she needed to get the air out. She needed them out. The memories.
"Angela? Are you all right?" Molly darted to her sister, taking her hands in her own, her expression worried.
"F-Fine," she gasped, clutching at her chest.
"Is she all right?" Gill asked, stepping inside.
"Having a heart attack at such a young age is a rather impressive feat," Chase said.
And then it broke.
That dam that she made crumbled into dust, into nothing.
"I-I need s-some air," Angela stumbled forwards, wrenching her arm out her sister's. "S-Sorry!"
She pushed her way through the two men, shoving the purple-eyed one aside more roughly than the other.
She ran. She ran through the fields, tripping a few times, unconsciously making her way towards the woodlands nearby. She felt weak. Broken. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she drew in ragged breaths.
Why am I crying? she screamed at herself. Why? It's been three years! I should be over him by now. I should be over this...
She found herself by a shimmering blue pond with a large, beautiful tree sprawling over it. Nearby there was a tall mountain. But she didn't see any of that. She only saw him.
Pale-haired, violet-eyed, beautiful. The one she'd loved.
Damn it, she thought she was done with this! She'd mourned for so long, and so hard...
Perhaps she was being punished, because she had moved on. Perhaps she was being punished for what she had done.
She'd never forget that night, even though she only remembered it in flashes. The confusion, the alarm and panic and horror that had overwhelmed her. The fear and the terror and the hatred that she had felt. The unbelievable, crushing pain. Not physical. Emotional. It had destroyed her.
No one had come to save her. No one had saved him. And by then, it was too late for her love. She could only save herself.
It had been an accident. Sobs racked her body as she buried her face in her arms. She'd never do anything like that on purpose, never. It had been an accident.
It had been an accident, when she'd killed someone.
[[Ouch. Poor Angela. Chase is a jerk, isn't he? No wonder you're all Wizard/Angela (or Molly) shippers~
Who did she kill?
Now, that would be telling. I meant to make this longer, but it came out this way instead and I think I like it. Have some angst, friends.
Hope you liked this chapter... :')]]