Authors: Teri, Stana, Ian
Title: Post Collapse
date: 4/12

>> >Teri stood off to the side now, watching the royal
Healer attend Emily.
>> >She'd fainted in Teri's arms, to the seeming relief and
concern of her
>> >companions, and now lay on one of the chairs in the
chamber.  Teri was
>> >both surprised to find Emily in this world, and
worried.  She had
>> >thought only those in Paul's room at the time had been
dragged here--
>> >how did Emily wind up in Narada, too?
>> >And with such an overblown ego?
>> >
>> >Teri narrowed her eyes at Emily's companions, fussing
over her with
>> >almost viscous worry, and she clicked her tongue. She
didn't know these
>> >people, but there was something strange about the way
they acted
>> >towards Emily... something.. beholden. And Teri didn't
like it.
>> >
>> >She also hadn't liked the strange crawling sensation on
her skin when
>> >Emily had hugged her.  It had lessened considerably
when the girl's
>> >face had softened before she fainted-- but it had still
been there.
>> >
>> >Teri turned to Shinji, about to make a comment, and
stopped at the
>> >distant expression on the boy's face.  Clouded and
distant, he felt as
>> >if cloaked by something thin...  She called his name
softly and her
>> >eyes widened as he turned to look at her. Recognition
flittered across
>> >his face and she swore she saw a shadow slide from him
and dissapear.
>> >
>> >"Teri?" he said, and she shook her head.
>> >
>> >"Yeah- nevermind. I forgot what I was going to say."
She tugged at the
>> >silver hoop circling the middle of her ear and looked
once more at the
>> >now-thinning crowd around the chair.
>> >
>> >"Some spectacle," he said, moving a bit closer and
dropping his voice.
>> >Teri nodded.
>> >
>> >"Yeah.. I knew her from home. Never expected she'd be
here, though."
>> >
>> >"And an Elemental at that. Your world must be pretty
damned special,"
>> >he said, a touch of awe in his voice. Teri glanced
sideways at him.
>> >
>> >"Not half as special as Narada. Granted, the toilets
here could use a
>> >little bit more technology, but aside from that, this
place is
>> >amazing." She smiled and pulled absentmindedly at the
shoulder straps
>> >of her modest, but fitted dress. Shinji smiled in
response, and Teri
>> >began to doubt what she'd felt moments before. Perhapd
he had simply
>> >been daydreaming. She certainly wasn't knowledgeable
enough about her
>> >gift yet...
>> >
>> >She noticed Shinji scratching his arm... "Are you
feeling it, too?" she
>> >said softly, and he looked at her.
>> >
>> >"Ever since that crew came bumbling in here, yeah. It's
like they put
>> >me on edge."
>> >
>> >Teri nodded. "I think it's because Emily's the element
opposite us.
>> >Well, I guess me... unless you want to be my Guardian?"
She tried not
>> >to sound hopeful, and for once refrained from
projecting anything. She
>> >wanted this to be his decision...
>> >
>> >"I'm not sure, I-"
>> >
>> >"That's fine! Don't worry about it," she cut him off
reassuringly.
>> >"Anyway, I don't know what to make of this crew. I
don't know what to
>> >make of her being here... and certainly not of her
fucking barging in
>> >like that."
>> >
>> >"I thought you'd be glad to see someone from your
world. After stana
>> >and all that.."
>> >
>> >"Yeah, I am.  But," she scratched her shoulder, "I
don't know. It's
>> >just weird."
>> >
>> >"That's a cute dragon, though," Ian said, and then
seemed surprised
>> >he'd said it. Teri nodded.
>> >
>> >"Kinda small," and shrugged.  "When the HELL are we
getting on with
>> >this show?"
>> >
>> >her stomach rumbled and she turned mischevious eyes on
her friend. "I'm
>> >starving-- let's get something to eat..."
>> >
>> >Shinji chuckled and pointed towards a servant entering
the chamber with
>> >a tray.
>> >"You and your stomach- grab me something," he said as
she was already
>> >on her way.
>> >
>> >
>> >Stana and Clip stood back away from everyone else.  The
meeting and
>> >recognition between this new girl and Teri had not been
missed  by
>> >either. When Emily had fainted, Stana had rushed
forward while the
>> >servant ran for a healer.
>> >
>> >She shooed Teri and the others away with an impatient
wave, having Clip
>> >help her lie the girl flat.
>> >
>> >Stana snagged a fan and began waving it to get some air
circulating
>> >while she felt for a pulse.
>> >
>> >The healer entered in at that point and Stana yielded
to superior
>> >knowledge with gratitude.  But as she stepped away she
saw Teri's eyes
>> >on her and both Earth Keeper and Unicorn had masked
their expressions.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >*****
>> >
>> >Teri kept her eye on the crowd as she determinedly
cornered the
>> >servant. She popped a few of the hors d'oevres into her
mouth while
>> >twirling her pendant in her other hand before grabbing
one of the linen
>> >napkins and filling it with more of the pastries.
>> >
>> >"M..m..my Lady, these are for--" the servant began, and
Teri looked up
>> >sharply.
>> >
>> >Smoothing her features, she smiled and imagined a
tendril of rose-gold
>> >winding towards the man.  "I'm so terribly sorry, it's
just that I was
>> >so hungry. I didn't want to faint or anything like
that. I'm sure you
>> >understand," she beamed at him again before turning
coyly and moving
>> >back towards where she had come from. 180 degrees away
from the
>> >servant, her smile dropped and her eyes
>> >found Emily. The girl was still unconscious. Nodding a
promise of
>> >pastries to Shinji, she detoured towards the entourage.

>> >
>> >Closing in on the now-smallish group, she assumed her
coldest demeanor.
>> >*Like Stana* she thought, hiding a wry smile.
>> >
>> >"Excuse me," she said, annoyed when the dirty mercenary
and the dusty
>> >young man remained in her way. They looked up, almost
startled to see
>> >her.
>> >
>> >She looked once at their dress and wrinkled a nose.
They smelled. Oh,
>> >sure, it wasn't their fault-- they'd probably been
travelling a long
>> >time, and well.. men would be men..
>> >
>> >"I think it best that, under the circumstance, you
allow the kind page
>> >to see you to your rooms," she said, emanating whatever
authority she
>> >could muster in such a daunting palace. "You're
certainly not helping
>> >her any by hanging around."
>> >
>> >The two men exchanged glances, the tougher looking one
mumbling
>> >something about who was she...
>> >
>> >"I'm Teri Lin," she said, using her middle name as her
last as she'd
>> >done various times back home, "and the Chosen of
Flame." She saw their
>> >confusion.
>> >They obviously didn't know about the prophecy, and
probably had less of
>> >an idea what they were doing here, in S'kae. Not that
she herself had
>> >much information. In fact, that was the whole point of
the meeting
>> >they'd crashed. She smothered the anger building inside
her.  "You'll
>> >understand in time. I'm sure Emi-  Estela will explain
it all to you
>> >once she's well."
>> >
>> >he page bowed profusely and motioned for the two
gentleman and the
>dragon to follow.  Bubbles chearfully trotted to the
page's side, but the
men  still looked hesitant. Teri's temper
>> >snapped. "Listen! I don't know who you are, and frankly
right now I
>> >don't care. Estela is from MY  world, and is joined in
the same
>> >prophecy as me. I'm sure you've all been through some
important stuff,
>> >but right now that's of no concern. She needs care, you
can't
>> >give it to her, and you smell. You've interrupted an
important  udience
>> > of the Queen and King. Now follow their suggestion and
get to your
>> >chambers."
>> >
>> >They blinked, and actually acquiesced.  Teri wondered
vaguely what
>> >would happen when they realized that she didn't hold as
much authority
>> >as they assumed she did.  And so what if the Queen and
King hadn't
>> >suggested that they  leave...
>> >
>> >She watched the two move stiffly and resentfully off,
the younger one
>> >looking back once at estela. It didn't matter. She was
too  nnoyed and
>> >bored right now to care whether they resented her.
Teri turned to the
>> >Healer, who offered quiet thanks. Teri nodded. "I'm no
healer, but my
>> >mother was a nurse-- I can't stand useless people
hovering around."
>> >
>> >The healer nodded, and felt Estela's pulse a final
time. "She'll be
>> >fine- she's just exhausted and has over extended
herself.  Her magical
>> >channels are  burnt out-- she won't be able to use her
powers for a few
>> >days at the very least. She needs signifigant rest."
>> >
>> >Teri nodded, concern for her friend etching her face.
"Get her out of
>> >here, then. And.. if possible, please notify me when
she's awake?" She
>> >smiled at the Healer, her annoyance replaced by respect
for this man.
>> >The healer nodded, and started ordering the servants to
remove her.
>> >Teri saw their Highness's personal
>> >page report to the thrones, and saw them nod.
>> >
>> >"I think."began the Queen "In light that the Water
Gaurdian is too ill
>> >to contribute to this discussion-that we continue
without her? Once she
>> >regains her senses she can be informed."
>> >
>> >Stana nodded, brushing the dust from the knees of her
pants.  "You said
>> >only the Elementals can retrieve this book. How so?"
>> >
>> >"Before the Rending, " she began "there were men and
women gifted with
>> >the ability to journey pathways unknown to us in the
waking world. They
>> >traversed these paths as you an I a garden walk. The
Dreamers travelled
>> >in sleep. After the Rending, this Talent, like others
diminished and
>> >died out, save a strain that we in S'Kae have preserved
and protected
>> >for this time. He is the last of the Royal Dreamers. "
She raised her
>> >voice. "Step forward Dreamer."
>> >
>> >A figure from the back of the chamber made his way to
the thrones with
>> >an eerie grace. Looking into his eyes Stana could
almost believe he was
>> >not awake. There was a somnulent look about him,
langorous and slow.
>> >Every move appeared sluggish, yet his pace was quick.
>> >
>> >He was pale, with hair so flaxen as to be white. Grey
eyes with flecks
>> >of blue in them met hers briefly and a tired smile
wilted his lips
>> >upward slightly.
>> >
>> >"I am called Oraiyas " He said in a voice so rich and
vibrant that it
>> >nearly brought her to tears. She had her the term
"Svengalized" before,
>> >but never before understood the impact of it. The
desire to close her
>> >eyes and drift in that voice was overwhelming.
>> >
>> >At the brink she pulled back, seeing Teri and Clip and
Shinji slowly
>> >doing the same.
>> >
>> >"This day I fulfill the purpose of my being. I will
guide you to the
>> >book of Prophecy, you both and your fallen comrade. I
will show you the
>> >Dream road, the Tel'aran'riod."
>>
>> * * *
>> Shinji's face became as hard as chisled stone as the
Dreamer continued to
>> speak. The words were flying past him. He barely heard
any of it, and
>> although he was sure it would be important later on, he
cared very little.
>> Something in him grinned in antisipation.
>>
>> Something was waiting. Something that had been waiting
for a very, very
>> long time to get out. And now, it's ticket to freedom
was so very very
>> close. Perhaps that was why it was grinning. Perhaps it
was grinning for
an
>> entirely different reason. Either way, Shinji knew, was
very, very bad.
>>
>> And for the first time in a long time, Shinji was scared