FicWad

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I was at my grandmother's house from Thursday to Friday. Then if you read the authors notes, you would've known that I was away at camp for a week. This chapter is dedicated to Demenior. Yeah! But I must warn you before hand, this chapter is a little darker. Facing the other side of the dust line. I also decided to ponder over Archie's understanding of Atlanta. Not just going all goggle-eyed. I don't know if I did a good job at it but I like Atlanta's comeback. -Nuuoa Eclaire

"I can't open my eyes. I won't open them and believe this is true." Khalil

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"Is the coast clear?" Atlanta whispered cautiously. She lifted her head up from examining the unknown letterings on the floor. She had caught on to Archie's idea quickly, taking the laser crossbow for herself. The striking violet light casting shadows off the enclosed cave walls.

This cave room was a lot like the ones outside. Grand, dense, topaz and jade coloring. Except this cave room's walls were onyx and had shades of sapphire and steel. Almost like Archie's eyes. A perfect blend, milling together in striking contrast.

"No. But we're fine as long as we stay here for now. To many shadow wolves out there." Archie sighed and plopped down next to his best girl friend. NO! Best friend who wasn't a guy. Not that, that made any difference... this really wasn't helping...
"I guess we have time to try to figure out these instructions. Remember how hard it was to find this place? I doubt we'll be troubled. We'll have enough time to figure this out, and help the others finish off those wolves." Archie added.

Atlanta cast their only light source over the deeply engraved letters. They seemed to be like a snake, slithering and itching the letters smoothly. The cursive letters had more sapphire then the rest of the cold surface. They glinted and shone like the moonlight over a lake at night. The tiny fragments of darker blue like gems mixed with the luminous light. Moving the light over them caused a faint reflection on Archie's eyes. Atlanta peered into them fascinated at first... then see saw... confusion? Archie confused? Ha!

"Why did Cronos need these instructions for anyway? It had something to do with that empty necklace stand... but that's all we know!"
"Look," Atlanta scanned her diamond silver gray eyes over the last set of letters, "It says something about trading, and then before that it mentions a necklace. And also a cave..."
"Wait a minute! You can read this?" Archie examined his smiling friend closely in shock. It could've been a dangerous thing to do.
"It's Latin. I'm a little rusty, but I can make out parts of it. Let's just say," she placed a glossy strand of fire hair back behind her ear, "there's a lot you don't know about me."

Archie began to chuckle, "Oh really." Atlanta shot him a glare, "Well mister know it all, tell me my favorite food then."
"Burgers." Archie smiled at her bewildered expression.
"That one was easy." She mumbled. Atlanta picked up a piece of smooth stone and chucked it against the wall. It echoed around the dark chamber, still lit by the crossbow.
"Here's one. Was I excited to join the group?"

"You weren't." Atlanta's eyes widened in shock at his response. Archie continued in deep thought, "Now that I think about it, you were confused. You just wanted to be normal. Yet not be. You wanted to be a child, but you were already to grown up. Everything was new and excitingly alluring to you. You were afraid with this new responsibility. But you knew you had to try. You always have to try."

Atlanta had a light pink blush dabbed across her cheeks; the she shook it off with a snappy remark.
"Thank you for your wisdom oh wise professor Archie. You could have just said no." Then her expression became humble and softer. It was almost unnatural; "I'll take it to heart. Thanks."

"Atlanta heard a couple of 'Yeah's' and then awkward shuffling. Then something caught her eye. The instructions.
"The instructions' mentions a key!"
"Huh? A key to what?" Archie huffed.
"You aren't asking the right question. The real question is: What would the god of time want with a key?" Atlanta was becoming anxious. Archie glanced at Atlanta through the corner of his eye. He cringed. He knew.

Archie put his pale face in his hands. He spoke softly, "The only thing Cronos would trouble himself with is killing the gods... and us. And since he left the work to the shadow wolves this time, means it's the key to the thing that affected Theresa. The Scio Havarti."

Atlanta shot up like lightning.
"Come on Arch let's go!" The urgency in her voice was inevitable.
"But."
Archie!" She fumed, turning red faced in annoyance.
"The wolves-" he stopped mid sentence at her smirk. Filled with a cunning victory.
"I'll start calling you purple one again." Her reply got his attention, and he thought, 'I really need to think of a comeback for that one.' They rushed out the crack in the wall. Stepping on something beneath their feet. Something? They looked up into the gleeful snarling face of Dovn. It was a trap.

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Jay had knots on his stomach when he turned to Theresa. Her painful blank stare. He had a feeling her danger sense was flaring up in a deadly amount. He couldn't let more pain come to her; he had to stop them from passing the dust line! Or at least try to delay it.

"Wait!" Jay was met by annoyed and confused stares. He thought quickly and replied, "What about our friends? What about them?" At this Annabelle seamed a little miffed, but relieved all at once.
"Is now really the time or place to ask such things young hero?" her calm voice swayed through the air. Khalil nodded in an agreement of two pairs of flashing silver teeth, they curled into a brief snarl. Jay smiled weakly at this. And Annabelle Windlow sighed. Theresa was simply unaware of the happenings. Her emerald gaze ever turned towards her impeding doom.
"In what form do your friends imply? Meaning what type of question are you asking about them?"

At Annabelle's answer he leapt for joy inside, then placed his lips in his normal task oriented straight line.
"What is happening to our friends? We've been here for days now! What happened to them? You must know with all your magic." He addressed her formally. Ever since the tale of her life she seemed to be even more mysterious. Even though she was small she had an air of command and power around her. Something that made her alluringly dangerous and wise. She was after all over four thousand years of age.

"What you must understand Jay, is that in the real world time is slower then in here. Or faster here if you wish. Your friends have only been fighting for four hours... unlike you. You have been here almost four days." They all gasped even Theresa. Annabelle's lips curved into an almost smile, "They are fine for now. So let us continue."
"But what about uh..." Jay stammered. Khalil barked at him, his green and yellow eyes sending shivers down his spine.
"Look you may not want to go past the dust line. But I do! I need to know the truth so stop wasting our time!"

Khalil howled angrily into the hungry black sky. He pounded his large black paws against the dead barren ground. He was mad. Annabelle lifted her pale delicate hand into the air. Jay caught his breath. A small gust of wind blew Annabelle's wavy ebony tendrils dancing around her face; her sapphire eyes pierced the unseen enemy. Khalil became quiet and Annabelle's arm fell to her side, her black cloak swaying as she did so.

Silently the group crossed the line. And when they did none wanted to see what they did.

'IT' was a lot like the previous world. But everything was... dead. The sky was a sickly gray and the ground gray dirt. The wind was unmoving. Nothing moved. But as Jay reluctantly looked around further he saw more. A large ghostly lake spanning miles and miles in all directions stood near his feet. But when Jay looked down he didn't see his own reflection. He saw the glazed open eyes stare of an infant child.

"I can't open my eyes. I won't open them and believe this is true." Khalil's eyes whimpered with agony as he shut them closed. The child was barely even two and it was in the utmost despair that a man in an ancient torture chamber would feel. And it wasn't just that little boy but the whole lake was full with millions of faces. Some screamed with the same cry as Theresa when she died... but no words could be heard. Others looked like an undecaying body no sound, no movement. He lurched away in terror. The lake wasn't water... it was dreams... after they faded. And they were staring at him hungrily as if they knew he was alive. The only thing that kept him there was Theresa's trembling form.

Theresa's face was unreadable. Annabelle looked like a war hero who had seen this a thousand times then she spoke softly, "After the fading is complete the dreams come here. For the first few years they have no memory of who they are... then the pain comes. It comes in a steady stream for two thousand years. Then it dies away until there is nothing left of them. They simply lie awake without ever resting. This is beyond my manipulating magic. Welcome to the terror of the endless slumber." And with those words Jay wanted to take Theresa away and hold onto her and never let go. But he passed right through. And he met Theresa's eyes mouthing, 'I'm sorry.'

"Come. Let us go." Annabelle's dark cloak swayed in a ghostly swipe, she seemed almost urgent. Theresa grasped her hands in a fist and turning her knuckles white she turned on her leader. This was not the Theresa he knew. Not the one he had fallen in love with. Her light fire red hair was completely brushed off her face, her light skin was chiseled into an angered expression. But despite that she seemed like a rabbit cornered by a hunting dog, the horses and hollers coming round the bend. She trembled with her cold words tears leaking, and then she gulped and knew what she had to do. But it hurt more then a thousand swords.

"Stop! You can't always protect me from the world Jay! No matter how hard you try! You think I can't take care of myself, that I don't know my fate? Well I can Jay, I do! You have no idea how much pain I feel at this moment. You know nothing. This is my fate so leave me alone! There's nothing you can do! Go away! Go back to New Olympia! Live you godforsaken life! Because I hate you! I HATE YOU!"

Time stopped for Jay the moment the words left her mouth. The only fabric that he was left clinging to fell through his grip. He couldn't take her stare. Her eyes filled with the darkest hatred for him. He wanted so badly to shrivel to the ground and die. To never see her again, to always she her smiling face. This was defiantly not the girl her remembered. She had aged with pain and heartache. And he didn't even know at that moment that she had accepted it. She didn't fear death. She feared death for the fact that she feared his love. And those three words echoing through his chocolate eyes. At that moment she hated him because he loved her. A monster. Not even alive. She hated him for never saying it. And she hated him for him almost saying it. She hated herself at that moment too. A deep self-loathing. She hated herself for thinking that she hated him. Because she knew she never could. But the only way to be happy was saying it. Because if he couldn't love her anymore then she could face her fate. Then he would learn to love another... instead of thinking all his days that his love was screaming nothing. And with the pain of knowing she just killed Jay's heart and her chances at him loving her she crossed the line.

During this time Annabelle's eyes shone sadness. She approached him cautiously and handed him a pure white star... but it was blurry through his unshed tears. Annabelle mouthed the words, 'Her story.' And she turned away and without a sound and rose into the air and floated after Theresa. Khalil had dreamed of this day forever... but it wasn't as refreshing as he thought it would be. Jay seemed even deader then the forgotten dreams. It pained him so he turned away from the tall boy and he and Annabelle left him. But Khalil touched his mind for a second and Jay could barely make out the words.

"She doesn't. Good bye, my friend."

And then he was alone. Alone with millions of faces staring at him.

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This has to be my favorite chapter. Even though I was crying and trembling. I'll update again soon. I doubt I will be able to finish it before the end of summer, we'll see. Reviewing is appreciated. I decided to have a fun little game. The first three people, both sites included, to answer this correctly will get the rest of my chapter titles. You can have so much fun trying to figure out what will happen. Plus! (I feel like a sales person that you want to put duck tape on.) The first draft copy of Theresa's star! Know what she said before all the others.

Here's the question or riddle if you'd like:

'Alive without breath,
As cold as death,
Never thirsty, Ever drinking,
Clad in mail, Never clinking,
Drowns on dry land,
Thinks an island, Is a mountain,
Thinks a fountain, Is a puff of air.

What am I?'

Good luck. -Nuuoa Eclaire