FicWad

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I think that everyone in the pairing sections will like this one. But before I start I'd just like to say a quick word about people always telling me to update fast. I'm trying my best and surprisingly enough I actually have a life outside of fiction writing. Weird, I know. I'm not trying to be mean. I just want to tell you that I really am doing the best that I can. Thank you very much for all the support. This one is for ALL OF YOU! And so to do that I have the parts for the people who love action, not much humor though. Sorry. Oh and suspense, mystery and people who love, love. Like me! -Nuuoa Eclaire

"I feel like I'm looking into a pool of water. I can barely see my own face and I think I can see hers. But when I turn around no one is there... and I'm all alone. But more importantly she is alone and she... doesn't even have herself. I did that to her Atlanta... and I loved her." -Jay

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Click, click, click

"Yes... I have finally won!" A cry of pure triumph echoed through and about every corner. Yes, he had finally won. And Zeus couldn't stop him this time.

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Atlanta stormed away from her friends and raced down the hall. She could hear a faint 'Atlanta!' in the distance. She didn't care. Theresa was dead. Really dead. And for the second time no less. How many people wanted to get a second chance to save their friend. Well they had, had that and failed again.

She had wanted so strongly to talk to Theresa again. But Jay had said he'd be the one to go. She didn't protest. And now for the second time her friend was dead. It had hurt her so much that her friend had died... but something had come out of it. In that period of time she had, or before, fallen for a dork. Yes, that's right, a dork. Atlanta didn't just fall for anyone, and certainly not a dork. But a loveable dork no less. And she couldn't do anything about it. Atlanta had felt to guilty about Theresa's death that she had avoided her feelings. And then when she heard that Theresa could be saved... she had thought maybe she could acknowledge it... but now? Wait! She had also wanted Theresa back to be with Archie? Archie!

"How could I have been so selfish!" she wailed pounding her fists against the strong gemmed wall.
She panted, tears stung strongly at her eyes, biting fiercely, crying for a way out. But she couldn't cry anymore. They still had to beat Cronos, get home and defeat those stupid wolves. Then she could cry... and cry hard.

Finally she could feel her sense of reality soak back in. How long had she been running? She looked around at a room that looked like all the others. Except it had less light and corners of it were in shadow. It would be a challenge even for her to find her way back to the others. But she felt herself sigh and sag her shoulders. She didn't want to face the others... then she heard the rough padding of feet make its way up behind her. So someone had followed her.

"What do you want?" she spat without any hint of the pounding of her heart and the weight that she felt on her shoulders.
"No need to be so edgy. I just wanted to tell you that I was impressed by your actions back there. Nice move kid."

She shivered and she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck shoot up. This wasn't one of her friends. She felt an unfamiliar contact with her brain. Like someone was 'speaking' through her thoughts. She had only experienced this once with that rugged shadow wolf Dovn. No this wasn't a human... it really was a shadow wolf.

She shot up and skillfully yanked out her weapon, that she had grabbed from the sleeping shadow wolves before. Aiming the bright violet beam at her target, panting with unwanted fear. But then she felt herself tense up and hesitated. She met her threats eyes. And counted three yellow... and one green. But that wasn't what stopped her.

One yellow eye held a look of pure fury. That was probably why she thought that it was an enemy... and it was wasn't it? But another yellow eye held the look of loyalty and compassion. Like the wolf really wanted to talk with her. And the third! It actually seemed to be wounded. Like a scar from the past that was a part of the face. But the green eye. The one that was rich in bright neon and emerald was what really stopped her. In it she saw an actually tear that wouldn't shed. Much like her own.

She drew back the weapon and noticed that the shadow wolf had to relax his bristly dark back. 'Was he actually afraid of me?' she wondered. This was probably painted all over her face as the wolf snarled. She raised her hands up defensively and pondered about what to say.
"What do you mean?" Atlanta finally inquired brushing her bold fire hair behind her ears. She could feel the tension of rage that partially consumed the wolf's body engulf him again.
"I meant when you kicked down that bastard!" her thoughts rug with the unknown wolf's laugh. Atlanta chuckled a bit with the memory of her first reaction of hearing Jay's unemotional voice speak.
"Yes but... I'm still confused as to why he was soo..."
"Disoriented." He laughed again; he seemed to be uncomfortable in his body. Theresa noted that it looked awkward.

Atlanta could feel a little bit of the pain leave her as she looked at this 'thing'. She could tell even though he was in a terrible mood, that she liked him. Then he brought his left nose up to the air a growled. Atlanta was a little taken a back at this.
"What?" she demanded.
"So smell sad. I don't like sadness."
"But aren't you sad too." She snapped. A hurt look took over the wolf's eyes. She nodded slowly and whimpered. This really was surprising.
"You're the wolf you saved Theresa that day weren't you?" she sank down to his level and met his steady gaze. Again he nodded solemnly, but the mood quickly changed.
"Little good that did considering what happened later. She actually threw herself at him and pushed him into the portal! Stupid girl! And then s-she faded away." The tear held in the green eye still glistened.

Atlanta suddenly felt ashamed of her act on Jay. He had seen her die and it was to save him.
"You know... she's not the only one who died." She started slowly, "Jay did too." At this the shadow wolf brought down his heads and rested them on his large paws.
"But you didn't see the place that she went too." At this Atlanta felt her rage for Jay come boiling back. She pushed it away quickly though and put a hand on his, she decided it was male, surprisingly soft fur. He tensed like he had never gotten used to touch.
"What's" Atlanta began unsurely, "your name?" The moment was gone and he thrust himself out of her gentle caress.
"Wolves don't need names. Never have. But I guess you can call me 'runt' or 'mutt-face'. Just like all the others."

Atlanta looked at his face once more. The pain had consumed it and turned him into a snarling beast. But she had dealed with the rough ones before. She thought of when she had first met Archie and pushed that thought away violently. 'Again, not the time and place for this Atlanta.'
"No. I think I'll call you..." she put her finger to her lips and put on a concentrating face. A slight scrunch of the nose and forehead.
"Hmm... sweetie, cutie no wait... fluffy!" she beamed with a plastic grin. At this 'fluffy' smiled a little.
"And you must be Atlanta. Theresa..." his mood changed all over again and his perky ears sagged, "told me about you."

Atlanta and him remained quiet for a while as the passing remembrance of Theresa took hold of them once more. Then he suddenly raced forwards and snarled, racing into the corners of the shadowed room.
"Fluffy wait!" she yelled racing after him. Then she saw him looming over two unmoving figures leaning against each other side by side. Two shadow wolves were sleeping and their mouths had a drooping look to them. 'Fluffy' stared at them for a long time.
"Did Cronos do this?" he asked quietly. The contact sent Atlanta off guard and the mind communication made her shiver with the hint of ice in it.
"See that coopery device that looks like a ball on their shoulders?" Atlanta motioned to the two sleeping forms and even though he didn't reply she continued. Anything was better then thinking about Theresa and Archie.
"We think that Cronos can make them do whatever he wants with it. Even sleep."

The shadow wolf beside her stared at the dark wall in front of him for a while and then finally looked down at the forms again.
"These two bullied me a lot you know. Back in my clan. But they never deserved this fate... being puppets." He looked down at them with a smile.
"I forgive you."

Atlanta was bewildered at this. After everything he had been through because of them he still cared. He was forgiving them! For something terrible. But before any more confusion could enter the wolf said something again.
"But this isn't the only thing that bothers me..." he started, "Why would he let you escape so easily and put them on sleep mode? Unless he didn't care if you escaped and had something greater planned?"

Atlanta thought of this in shock and shook her in bewilderment causing a wave of red to fall in a cascade down her face. 'What could that be?' But once again she was interrupted as 'Fluffy' got down on one knee at lick his comrades faces. He screamed in a way that only a canine could... with passion.
"They're dead! He must've killed them... what if my whole clan is dead?" he screamed and raced out. Atlanta's heart wrenched in two. 'Cronos must've killed them a little while ago with the push of a button... but that means that he really does have something greater!' Then she noticed that 'Fluffy' was gone and had to race after him. She glanced once more at the sight of death. Death... that stupid word!
"Wait Fluffy!" she wailed.
"The names Khalil."

She raced furiously after the speedy wolf. But even though she was faster... he was black amongst shadows. Then she hit something and fell hard against her bum. She rubbed it in annoyance.
"Oww!" And she could barely hear a 'Sorry'. That was Jay's voice. And another hiss of blind rage consumed her. But then she looked again at his slupped form and averting eyes and felt it evaporate.
"Why are you here?" At this Jay cringed for an unknown reason as if past words that still haunted him lingered in the air. (A/N: Chapter's 17 and 18.) But he took a deep breath of air and replied meekly.
"I want you to hit me again."
"Meet my eyes." She said firmly for his reasoning. And he did. Lively twilight meeting dead brown.

Jay's brown eyes were very dead looking indeed. More then she could have imagined. It sent her scooting a little further backwards. Then it occurred to her. She thought of Khalil forgiving the terrible deeds of the now dead wolves and the look in his eyes when he had learned his abusive clan was dead. Maybe she could put away the hardships with Jay and forgive him. Even if it meant grasping the fact that Theresa was gone for no reason.
"I won't do that Jay. But I will talk."
"Talk." His unemotional voice laughed, "about what?"
"Tell me about it." She seated herself neat to him. She felt bad about leaving her fluffy wolf out there, but she couldn't leave him in this empty lost state.

They sat there for a while letting it all sink away and then he spoke.
"I feel like I'm looking into a pool of water. I can barely see my own face and I think I can see hers. But when I turn around no one is there... and I'm all alone. But more importantly she is alone and she... doesn't even have herself. I did that to her Atlanta... and I loved her." Atlanta was caught off guard at his confession of love and turned away to let the blush subside. Jay seemed to realize what he was saying at turned away too.
"I mean! She was my best friend and everything!" the hue of red consumed his face even in the shadows. Atlanta had to smile genuinely at this and had to keep a laugh at bay. 'At least he's somewhat back to normal.'

"I know Jay. And it will be ok? I promise. I know it's really hard but-"
"Don't be a counselor!" emotion touched his voice in rage. And she looked shocked.
"You didn't see what happened to her. Where she is and what..." and then he feel into her arms and she could see that his tear ducts had permanently dried up, but he was still crying on the inside. And she did the same right along wit him and welcomed the comfort of human contact and a warm embrace. She barely heard the next set of footsteps.

"Atlanta! There you are I was..." And the now appearing Archie caught himself looking straight at Atlanta and Jay in a tight snuggled position in the corner. His head on her chest, brown locks covering his face and cheek touching her neck. This was not good.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Archie's form was now silhouetted against the background. His tone was beginning to change from shock to rage, skipping the hurt. Atlanta flustered, got out of her embrace with their empty leader.
"No!" she rushed forward trying to explain herself to the angry warrior, "We were-"
"Look!" Archie turned on Jay thoughts reeling away from reality, "Just because you lost your girl doesn't mean you have to steal mine!" he yelled. And all progress with Jay was gone.

"Archie don't say..." then the words of 'My girl' sunk in and she stopped short a breath. She felt joy, sadness and a weird emotion. She felt anger. She wasn't someone's property!
"I don't belong to anyone Archie!" she screamed up at him. Despite her small height she was provided with that extra boost of being in another blind fit of anger.
"And how dare you accuse me of doing what I think you thought!" she added in vehement.
"I can say whatever I please!" Archie yelled back down at her, their faces almost touching.
"And you want to know why?"
"NO WHY?" she demanded with a hiss.
"Because I love you." He yelled.

Atlanta drew back and put a hand over her mouth, her lower lip trembled and her twilight eyes grew to the size of the moon.
"Y-you what?" she whispered.
"You heard me," he said firmly gripping her shoulders so she winced a little, "I love you."

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A dark light consumed everything in the barren wasteland. The light roared amongst the thunder and the vultures shrieked and yelled wildly failing off into the murky depths. Ominous, commanding and deadly evil. It was there stronger then before. And then the shadows consumed everything and nothing could be felt, seen or heard. Then after what seemed to be the darkest eternity a laugh was followed by a bone-chilling cry. And orange eyes burned through the illusion of endless darkness.

This was not a place for any one to ever enter, it was only there not to be existed upon. The barren crackling depths served as a guard... so that no one my ever obtain the ultimate power of "Scio Havarti". The power in the form of a beast, to perish into an eternal slumber, trapping souls and feeding fear. Yes, the "Scio Havarti" was well guarded, but then again how will anyone ever know?

Because now. Now it could roam freely once more.

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'Gulp!' Yes romance, a little action, suspense and the already thick plot thickens. Do you think Theresa is dead? Or is she alive? Then how? Or how will she come back? Or will remain in the dream world forever? Ok I just re-read those two ending paragraph and now I'm shivering... I need to go- eek!! I'd blab on more about Archie admitting his feelings and everything but, still... eek! -Nuuoa Eclaire