Chapter 17: The Orientation
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Wow...It's so beautiful...
It was 4:00 am.
9 is seen sitting on the balcony. His legs are hanging on the edge of the balcony like when he puts his legs on a river, it's quite refreshing. He look up to the midnight sky, numerous stars are twinkling to the midnight sky, the full moon was shining bright in front of him. It's very beautiful. No wonder why Bridget always went to the rooftop in the midnight, the night was so beautiful that you want to sleep in here for a couple of hours just to stargazing.
Too bad she isn't here anymore...
A shooting star crossed to the sky. 9 closes his eyes and he eventually sleeps...
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Memory Fragment: Elijah Oppenheimer
Aliana inspects the stained glass on 9's chamber, it seems that is wasn't complete since there are holes from the glass like a puzzle piece. The only completed piece is a strange artifact on the top of the glass. It looks the symbol that 9 has, but those are just the symbols and not the artifact. Sorta like a device on something important.
I wonder what's the use of that device?
Aliana: The Initiation is almost complete. Now we just need to finish your chamber.
9: What for?
Aliana: Your chamber is quite different. Because of your missing past, there are missing pieces of the stained glass. A LOT of missing pieces, that is.
9: I think that's the way it should be, I think.
Aliana: What makes you say that?
9: I think it says that I should focus on something else besides my missing past. Maybe I should reject them and just move on.
Aliana: For a 52 year old doll, you make a good point of your existence. It's just like the water, we should follow the flow to it and not go to the other direction of the current. It would be all for nothing if one went backwards. No wonder you have Bridget's power, I think she wanted to help you to forget those memories.
9: Except...she isn't here...anymore...
He looks to the other chambers of his classmates which they looked from the glass. Though Dipper is probably now the only one who doesn't have any chamber. On the bottom, he could see some titles of his classmates when they are Vigilantes.
Mordecai Quintel, The Flaming Phoenix of Igniting Embers
Phineas Flynn, The Forged Inventor of Endless Possibilities
Mickey Mouse, The Noble Ray of Justice
Miles 'Tails' Prower, The Illuminated Light of Promises
Lettuce Midorikawa, The Shining Robin of Enlightenment
Dib Membrane, The Crystal Moth of Superstition and Fate
Finn Mertens, The Angelic Eagle of Wonders
Kyoko Sakura, The Youthful Rebel of Traveling Freedom
Aliana does have a point of the problem of missing pieces, all of his classmates have the complete version of their stained glass. He only has few pieces of his own stained glass, it doesn't envied him though. He's lucky to have his recent memories and not his missing past.
It would hurt him even more if he has them.
9 stares at his chamber with his title on it, the missing pieces looks like a puddle of water that gives you the cold, peaceful breeze when you touch it. He could see his title on the runes of his chamber that slowly light up and dims.
Elijah Oppenheimer, The Spirit Butterfly of Hopes and Memories
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
It's 8:30 am.
The students have return to their classrooms after the day of 9 becoming a Vigilante. It's like nothing happened, just a normal school day. He is seating on his chair and read the book that Aliana gave him. It was a pretty interesting book as if the book was in 1968 and she still had it in 2012. He couldn't believe Aliana's book came from a very, very long time and it doesn't have scratches or wrecked pages. It's like a new book.
Though, he never noticed that his classmates were taking a peek behind his back. Which make him almost fall to his chair, it made Kyoko laugh because of his clumsiness.
Kyoko: You should have seen your face! Sorry we scared you by the way.
9: No need for apologies, it's really okay.
Finn: We just want to know what you're reading.
9: Well, it's just a book Aliana gave it to me.
Tails: Seriously?!
Mordecai: No way! You can read Aliana's books?
9: Why's that?
Phineas: I presume you're reading about Alchemy, right?
9: It is.
Phineas: Aliana has books all about Alchemy, she has tons of books about any kinds of Science also. But she's mostly on Alchemy.
Mickey: Once, she read us those books before you come along. It didn't come out as we expected to be.
Kyoko: It's like Biology and Chemistry combined! Two times the headache that we had. And take a look at yourself, you already went halfway to the page that we stopped days ago! I mean, what kind of a doll can read that understands Latin?!
Finn: Dude! She's coming!
The door is opened as the students run to their seats in panic, though 9 seems to be calm from his reading. Which is pretty weird that he read the book just now that made him went to the half of the page.
He stops reading when he heard his classmates burst into laughter. He didn't know why when he lay his book down and is met with a funny face of his rival. He had to pretend to cough because of the weird expression.
Jet has a large neckbrace that almost covers his lower mouth which gave him a hard time to speak because of the constriction. He looks like an old man! Aliana have to silence the students even though she wanted to laugh because of Jet's funny face.
Aliana: Students, may I remind you that Jet has an injury because of the last time. So we have to... *spurts* ...to keep ourselves from laughing. Why does his mother gave him a neckbrace that has the size of her neck?!
Jet: *translated 'Mmphs'* Laugh all you want. Tawa-tawa lang pag may time! Let Karma bite your fat butts when I remove this stupid neckbrace off my neck!
Kyoko: What's that? We can't hear you from all the 'Mmphs' that you kept of yapping about.
Jet: Kyoko Sakura, you are SO on my Naughty List!
9: Come on, Kyoko. It wasn't that bad.
Kyoko: Oh, you care for the Bully-Stein brain? Well, it was his fault that he made me to punch him just to save you.
9: But-
Kyoko: Don't even dare say it! Since you become a Vigilante, we can talk to you telepathically from now on. So you take my advice right now, for it will save your life.
9: You...do have a good point in there.
Kyoko: Thank Goddess! See now, Elijah!
Jet: *enraged* YOU AND ELIJAH ARE IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER!
Kyoko: Say what?!
Finn: Not cool, Jet! NOT COOL!
Aliana have to hit Jet's head with her ruler because of his insult, and to shut her class up because of the noise. After that, she pulled out a small whiteboard with a lace and writes something on it. When she hangs her board to the door, she pulled out papers and give it to Jet even though it took him a lot of upper body strength to carry it.
Aliana: Sorry about those papers, Mr. Zaraphil. But those will be your homeworks for today. You have to work on to something while we are gone.
9: Gone?!
Aliana: Yes. Since Jet is injured, I'm afraid that he will not come to our little trip to the library. The Divine Library, to be exact.
Lettuce: Really? You really mean it?
Aliana: I really mean it.
Finn: YES!
Mordecai: Oh yeah, a trip to the library!
Kyoko: Finally, something that we can go out!
9: What's the Divine Library?
Mickey: It is the largest library in the school. Large enough that the school had to move it to the other place, though.
Phineas: The library is just a few blocks away from the school, we could walk to it.
Dipper: Can I come?
Aliana: I'm afraid not, but you may go to Section Iskuro.
Dipper: Does that mean I can seat with Mabel?
Aliana: Between your twin sister and Ms. Corduroy? Yes. Don't worry about Robbie since he is-
A sudden gush of wind passed to Aliana's table and Dipper was nowhere to be seen, she knew that he already left to Section Iskuro because of a little motivation.
This place is getting weirder than I thought it would...
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Aliana: Elijah Oppenheimer, I suggest that you have to walk faster.
The next thing 9 know is that he was outside of the school, walking behind his classmates probably few few inches...or yards away from them. Since the incident that happened two days ago, it makes him feel to be a few yards away from his classmates just in case something stupid will happen again. At least he wouldn't be blamed on!
When he arrived at the destination, he saw Phineas laying on the ground just to see the full view of the library. And it is big!
The Divine Library took over a few hectares away from school, which it is the easiest library to go when you leave the school even though there is a library. The building is painted white with marble columns on each sections, the whole place is made with cement and glass.
Finn: This place is so huge!
Lettuce: *gasps* It's the Divine Library! I can't believe I see it now. It's so big.
Phineas: So big that you had to lean on your back to see the full view of it.
Mordecai: Or lay on your back...
Kyoko: I just remember something, shouldn't we supposed to train Elijah? Aliana, why are we in the library by the way?
Aliana: That's because the library is my own home. Also, remember to call my last name instead of my first one.
Kyoko: Sorry.
Dib: Really? The library is your home?
Aliana: Of course. I even made The Divine Library as my mansion.
Mordecai: Whoa! Does that mean you also made The Divine Studio too?
Aliana: Use your common sense in my name.
Mickey: You're so rich.
Aliana: Not rich, just a simple woman who did a lot of success in the past.
She opened the large front door of the library. It has a big creaking sound since of how old the library is. The students are shocked at what are they seeing right now, the library has huge bookshelves that any books that you will have to find is right here. The balcony has a computer lab for future researches by using the Internet. There is also a children section for the young children to read near to Aliana's information table. This is where Aliana gets all of the borrowed books to the specific date. Good thing no one is around right now because their jaws fell on the floor.
Kyoko: I gotta say, you had a huge house.
Finn: You mean a humongous house.
Aliana: Forgive me if I startle you all, you never knew that I had this. I will give you the whole tour by yourselves until then, Elijah will have to come with me today.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Aliana and the students went to a large glass door that has a sign of 'Authorized personnel only'. The question here is that why would ever she put that if she's the only around in the library?
As from what Aliana said, the place was her actual home. And what she is leading is her basement, it consists of a large stimulation room with a (Funny thing) room where she can eat like a club. There is also a control panel with a two way mirror.
She led 9 inside of the stimulation room while the remaining students watched as Aliana makes a hand gesture to the window. The control panel suddenly turned on with no one touching it and immediately set the room into an old closet room with mirrors, it also has a sewing machine that which someone can do something with. This made the students feel a bit strange of what will Aliana do to 9.
She make 9 transforms to his Vigilante form while writing something on Bridget's book which she seems that she didn't let go of.
Kyoko: *from the control panel* So what are you basically going to do to Elijah first?
Aliana: Analyzing him, so I may suggest that you all come down to the stimulation room.
All of the students went to the stimulation room and transforms in an instant, this is just in case Aliana will do something crazy for them like a Pop Quiz or something. Though I may not since she has a measuring tape on her neck while writing, no, SKETCHING something.
Aliana: Fascinating, Elijah's suit can be very functional as I might say.
Mickey: What do you mean?
Aliana: *turns 9 around and shows his cloak to the students* You see this cloak? His cloak is a mode of transportation used for flying like Superman. Except that this is quite common...too common, to tell the truth. And it's quite dangerous since he can't control it yet. Allow me to show you what I was really trying to say...just hold still... *bents 9's cloak a little*
9: What? *suddenly feels pain a little* Wait! Stop! It burns!
Tails: Woah!
Dib: His cloak...and him...its-
Aliana: -Responded from the pain to Elijah.
Kyoko: So if the cloak was hit and not him, it means that he'll still be hurt in a way.
Aliana: Correct. Which is why I have a plan so he would tolerate the pain, all I need is scissors.
It made 9 a little scared knowing now his terrible weakness, when something bad happen to the cloak it will do the same to his. When Aliana has the scissors, his classmates had to subdue him since the pain will be...unexplainable that Kyoko had to cover his mouth from screaming until Aliana cuts the cloak she get the thing she wanted. When she reach it, she quickly snatched a large quantity of his cloak painfully. It made a reaction that 9 is shaking like he has slight convulsions until the pain goes away.
The large piece of his cloak turned from Emerald Green to dark green that quickly dims. She looked to Bridget's book again and begin to sew. It's a good thing that it doesn't correspond to the pain that 9 has now. When he looked at the mirror, he saw that his cloak was cut in a weird shape. The most shocking one is that his back lost the number '9' on it, revealing a blank burlap back instead. Aliana finished her sewing and brings something that would help the weird shape on 9's cloak revealing a large clip that would hold the cloak.
The ripped fabric was cut into four ribbons which she tied them on 9's arms and legs, it covers the mark that 9 has on his arms partially. Finally, she put a silver belt on his waist with a weird slot insertion which resembles the device on the stained glass. It was good that Aliana smiles a little and his classmates look in amazement.
Now 9's new clothing now consists of a cloak which actually resembles as butterfly wings that has pins to hold, ribbons on his arms and legs and a silver belt.
Now that's what I call a Spirit Butterfly.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
[BGM: Salve, Terrae Magicae by Yuki Kajiura]
Aliana: This is mostly like an entrance exam in the school. Now, Elijah, try to destroy that barrel with your staff. I want to see what you can do with Bridget's power. When you became a Vigilante, your powers are now connected from your memories and emotions. You have to be careful when having those memories on your head.
9 and Aliana are now seen under the old bridge that is near to the train station, right in front of him is a single old metal barrel. The students are watching at the two-way mirror outside, just in case 9 will do something stupid accidentally with his powers. He concentrates of thinking of a good memory that can destroy the barrel, probably good memories would work.
Though Aliana said that bad memories are powerful, he can't use his recent of Bridget's death. It's too painful to remember that. Maybe he could use the memory of the Sabotage that he was accuse on.
Elijah, your staff! Destroy the barrel before it went out!
He can destroy it now?
When he open his eyes his saw his staff glowing, and that is not good. He remembered the time the staff go crazy. Why did he even forgot that it would go nuts as Jet last time?!
Consider it too late when the staff went crazy, like an umbrella in a Signal Number 4 typhoon or something. His classmates by the outside flip the table and served it as a barricade just in case it explodes. Aliana, though, is calm with the face that says "I don't care if I die by the smelly ragdoll!".
The crazy staff is leading to the barrel with 9 being dragged to it, his heels were scrapping on the floor. Knowing the staff is possibly leading him to destroy the barrel, 9 lifts the staff to the air when it goes to full power and face it towards the barrel a few inches away from it. He prepares for the blast...
But there is no blast in the end.
The light from the staff dims down as 9 fall down to the floor, he hides his face in embarrassment. The staff didn't even give the barrel a dent! His classmates sigh in relief until Kyoko bursts into laughter from what she witnessed being the only one who didn't hide on the barricade.
Kyoko: Seriously?! You couldn't do a single blast to give the barrel a dent?!
9: It's not me! It's my staff!
Kyoko: Well, then why you blast Jet with that yesterday?
9: The thing got a mind on its own suddenly...
Aliana: It doesn't, Elijah.
9: What?
Aliana: You should be the one to control the staff not only physically, but also mentally. That's why it went crazy because you can't think straight!
9: How can I think straight?
Aliana: Whenever I am in stress, I would drink a cup of tea or listening to music or...This.
Aliana spread her arms high as the place turned into a frozen lake. The cold breeze even makes the location more believable.
Aliana: Ice Skating.
9: Why ice skating?
Aliana: It's my favorite sport when I was 10. Not only that, this is sometimes Bridget's fighting style besides Ballet, Contemporary and Interpretative Dance.
9: So I should dance myself to fight?
Aliana: Not necessarily, it's how the feeling of dance has done with thinking straight DURING the fight.
The students watch as Aliana teaches 9 how to ice skate. At first, Aliana drags 9 until he know how to glide as she does gracefully. It was good until Aliana purposely let go of him. He doesn't know why but all he knew that he was slipping. Aliana is watching him while gliding freely in the ice, but for some reason she is gliding backwards. She is shown that she doesn't have any hard time on looking back as she is gliding on the edge. She readies herself for the jump and then she did a Tripple Loop Jump in the air. She lands safely but meets 9 who is laying on the floor.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
While the students were discussing, Aliana called 9 and went to the library to talk about something quite important. They stopped at a section of the library with a 'No Enter' sign on it, which Aliana threw it away. He explores the library more as it has more than a shelf full of books or tables. Some sections of the library have some sculptures and pictures of people from the past decades like Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci. Looks like the Divine Library is not only a library, it's a museum, sort of. Well, it was Aliana's home after all. She can design it the way she wants to.
He stops when he saw a strange pathway of green was lead to a huge mural as size of the maze in the middle of the library. Not only that, the other colored roads lead to the mural; scarlet, orange, brown, silver, gold, indigo, sky blue, red and green, though the green road seems it wasn't finished yet since it didn't reached to the middle that much. The middle of the library looks like it hasn't been enter for a couple of years, there are many furnitures that are covered with white cloth and lots of bucket of paints which it already spills before he awoke.
Aliana is seen wearing old clothing while her hair is still the same, an old gray shirt with jeans along with sneakers which it has paint almost all over it. She looks like a tomboy when she looks like that. She brings out a paintbrush and a bucket of paint beside her and the pathway and begins to stroke.
Aliana: I have decided to make your training tomorrow. This thing today is your orientation.
9: Why?
Aliana: You're too young to understand this one, Elijah. Try to remember what I did to you in the stimulation room. I knew you wouldn't understand what I said earlier in getting know yourself because you just been here for 8 days. You hadn't got any experience yet.
9: Oh...Goddess, I'm so slow! *mental facepalm* So what are you doing right now?
Aliana: Just finishing what I haven't finished a long time ago. I could use some extra help after I finished painting the floor.
9: What are you painting?
Aliana: Try and look at it, Spirit Butterfly.
She does her last stroke of her paintbrush and drags 9 to the balcony to see the full view of the mural, now there is an Emerald colored butterfly on the mural. This could only mean that the mural is complete, which means that 9 have to help Aliana to drag some heavy furnitures...
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Now the middle part is now complete. 9 and Aliana set a large brown round table with white cloth cover over it, 11 chairs with each designs for the students, Aliana and Dipper, and there is a lazy susan in the middle of the table filled with food for the students to eat made by Aliana. But just just for a while, though.
The students are now sitting at the round table based on their chambers from the painting on the floor, they were quite amazed since they saw this section of the library for the first time. Aliana is in her teacher's outfit while serving treats for the students, she mostly serves tea and pastries for everyone. Though she didn't know that 9 can't eat...
Dib: So this is the thing you've been working on for a long time?
Aliana: *sips tea* Longer than Mordecai joined.
Kyoko: *sees a cake on 9's place* Are you going to finish that?
9: *shakes head* You can have it.
Kyoko: *pulls the plate and eats the cake, looks to Aliana* Say, you said the training will be tomorrow. Right?
Aliana: Indeed I am, Ms. Sakura. So this day will be Elijah's orientation.
Tails: But why?
Aliana: Elijah had to get used to live in this world not only inside of the school, but outside of the school also. This will also indicate where your weakness is when your enemy lured to a place that opposes your power. An example of that is when Mordecai is placed in Antarctica.
Mordecai: Seriously, Ms. Divino?! Do you really have to say that to Elijah?!
Aliana: If I don't, then he won't be seen ever again.
Mordecai: She does have a point...
9: *whimpers* Would that ever going to happen to me?
Aliana: *fixes her glasses* Possibly.
Kyoko: *nudges 9* Don't worry, Elijah! Tomorrow's your training, no pressure for that. Just relax for tomorrow.
9: *looks at the floor* Ok….
Aliana looked at the clock, it is almost 6:00. She stands up and cleans the table while the students fixed the place and head home.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
The students arrived in the Section Anima room and get ready for bed, this is the first time that you will see what Kyoko and Finn's room looks like. The room is designed to be like in a traditional tree house like Finn used to live, though there are no branches inside.
The walls are painted in dark silver while the floor his made of plywood, the wall is designed like in an old cathedral. Surprisingly, their beds are in a style of a double deck style. When I mean double deck, I mean double deck literally! No surprise that you could see a second floor where Kyoko sleeps at.
At the top, Finn sleeps in his bed which is similar to his old bed (That is his real bed, actually!) and Kyoko's bed is made of wood designed to be like a small king-sized bed. Their symbols of their necklaces are somehow are in the ceiling, like they are fused or something. They also have a window along with a twin study table, though they only have a small bookshelf while the whole space is took over by a large red couch in front of them with a television and a game console.
Finn is on his orange pajamas while Kyoko is in her casual outfit. The girl is jumping up and down freely, which made Finn on the bottom startle.
Finn: Uh, should we get sleep early for tomorrow?
Kyoko: I know that, I'm just excited. Right after Mordecai discussed that thing, I can't wait for that thing to happen. It's been a while since I beat someone up.
Finn: We are not beating someone up, we are just going to train him.
Kyoko: Whatever.
Finn: Seriously, Kyoko. I could recognize your voice, I know you are going to do something stupid again.
Kyoko: You could say that.
Finn: Kyoko, what are you going to do to Elijah?
Kyoko peeped under Finn's bed with a strange look on her face, which only Finn could understand what Kyoko will do to 9.
And I'm sure it wouldn't be pretty...
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Oh, you'll see...
...And you might like it...
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
End of Day 9