Chapter Seven

Memories from the Past

Dew was completely dry on the leaves above their heads as the sun continued to rise. It was noon and the birds were chirping madly in the bushes that surrounded them.

After the long invigorating flight on the unicorns, Crystal felt strange back on the ground. It was like the time that she couldn't get her sea legs when she rode on a boat when she was merely a child.

Aiden gave her a reassuring smile and leaned over to kiss her cheek. Meanwhile, the unicorns that they rode walked naturally down the long almost endless path that they took.

It seemed as though they could not speak to one another as they travelled. Every word that Crystal tried to speak would sound random and awkward so she chose to stay silent. The silence was irritating to both of them, though.

Finally, the awkward silence was overwhelming Crystal and she decided to ask a question.

"Where does this path lead?" she bit her lip nervously.

Slowly, Aiden raised his head to gaze out into the path that stretched for miles. "Eventually," he said, "It leads to my home of Salcurien and a tiny town nestled within these great trees that surround it."

Crystal sighed. "Does this forest have a name?"

Aiden gave her a look of concern. "I guess you were right when you said you weren't from around here," he said, laughed alittle and then replied, "It is the forest of the Whispering Trees."

With overwhelming curiousity, Crystal looked at him, "Whispering Trees?"

Aiden gave her a solem look. "This forest borders Sinister's kingdom and all around his kingdom is dead. For years, the trees lived in peace until Sinister began to trespass over the border and hacking away at the trees and burning them to the ground. The trees were insulted of his cruel nature and began to spread the news until the forest was alive with whispers from the trees. Although you cannot always hear a tree communicate, they do in secret ways."

"Is the forest old? You said that they are called the Whispering Trees because of Sinister. And you said that Sinister hasn't ruled for that long."

Aiden gave her a wink. "You are sharp, Crystal. You see, the Whispering Trees is just a nickname we give this forest. Most of the forests are nicknamed and never has a forest's original name been known." he shrugged as he said, "And just like the forest the name keeps changing!"

******************

For hours they rode. Each mile past was another hour from their day. But Crystal didn't despair when she saw that the rode went on forever, it seemed.

On and on the stories of his land and jokes Aiden told her lifted her heart. She didn't notice how close she rode to him as he spoke until their shoulders collided. They blushed alittle and rode their horses more seperately afterwards.

To Crystal, it seemed that she would have been riding forever when up ahead on the path their was a huge door.

When they finally reached the door Crystal titled her head up to see that it was much taller than many of the buildings that she had seen in New York. It stretched towards the sky like the great skyscrapers did.

"This, is the door to Sacurien and a huge gate stands between the forest and the kingdom itself. It was built to keep Sinister out although, it does not do a very good job," Aiden explained and scanned the area for something, although Crystal did not know what.

"Here it is!" Aiden exclaimed as he clambered off of his horse and crouched down to pick something up. Crystal looked and in his hand was a beautiful, black orb. It resembled a black pearl and was perfectly round as if a machine created it.

"Insincretano elsepora aolimba!" chanted Aiden into the orb.

The orb responded quickly and gases inside the orb began to swirl, creating a funnel of black color. Suddenly, a flash of green twisted through the gases and mixed with them. The color was now a black-green and shook as it levitated off of Aiden's hand.

Crystal stared into the orb of strange color and it completely disappeared from site with a bright flash of green light. Crystal shielded her eyes from the light with her arm. Breathlessly, she lowered her arm.

Aiden walked over and helped her off her horse, and carefully untied the egg from the saddle. Crystal took the egg from Aiden once it was untied and put a strap over her shoulder.

********************

The horses were gone and the door had opened. Hand in hand, they walked into Sacurien.

Salcurien was a marvelous place. Small houses, inns and marketplaces lined the streets and people buzzed around merrily within them. Each person seemed peaceful.

As Crystal and Aiden walked through the city, the crowd that surrounded them, shot looks of hatred and disgust towards Aiden. They scowled and frowned as he walked by. Mutters broke the silence and then shouts of anger polluted the peace.

Crystal gazed around at the people. Forever she has hidden from crude people like those and yet again they had crowded around her, leaving her uncomfortable.

"Get out of here!" one shouted. "You don't belong here!" another one yelled. "Why don't you go back to the forest where you were raised by nymphs elf-boy!" a bearded man snapped at him.

Aiden tried to ignore their screams and walked with Crystal, hand in hand, past them.

The same bearded man ran up in front of them and stood in their path. "Why do you come back, rat? You don't belong among the NORMAL people here!" the man shouted into his face. Each syllable sent a wad of spit at Aiden.

Unfortunately, Aiden knew this man. His name was Buearlo. He was a brutely man and was mid-aged. He always held a grudge against Aiden for something. Aiden tried to forget what happened the day that the grudge began, and ever encounter with Buearlo ever since.

She did not know what it was but something snapped inside Crystal. Normally, she would do like Aiden was doing. She would ignore them, but there was something different inside her that screamed at her.

In a burst of a mixture of tears, screams, and her own spit, Crystal snapped back at the man, "You think you are so much more powerful because you have a beard in all but let me tell you one thing, Mister, you don't know Sh*t! Aiden could whip your tiny a** anyday! In fact, I bet you and your little friends that I of all people, a girl, would kick you a**, f*ckin b*stard!"

Whether it was the fact that Crystal stood up for him, or the fact that she cussed every other word, Aiden was shocked. Eyes wide and mouth gaped, he stood staring at her.

Even the man seemed taken back by Crystal's outburst. "What did you say, little Miss?"

In a tone almost as bad as her outburst, she said, "You heard me, b*stard!"

The crowd that steadily gathered around them 'oooed' at that comment.

"Well," the man said, straightening his posture and stroking his beard. "If you could prove that you could beat me up, then we will let your little boyfriend go."

The crowded giggled and muttered when the man said 'boyfriend' and it sent a shrill wave of anger through her veins the mocking way that they did.

"Fine," she said calming down a bit. "We will fight right here, right now, bare hands and no weapons! Face to face and inside a circle that the crowd will form. And, believe me, you will run THROUGH the crowd to get away from me when I am done with you."

**************

Crystal set the knapsack down next to where Aiden stood. "You don't have to do this to clear my reputation. I deserve this, you don't," he said sincerely and took her hand. With those clear green eyes, he stared into hers. "They have hated me all my life. That is my battle to fight not yours."

Crystal scowled. "I know that you want to protect me but I must insist that you let me carry through with this."

Crystal's glare at Aiden took him back. It was intense and determined although dangerous and demanding. "I just don't want you to get hurt," he said.

As they stood with their hands together, Crystal stroked the top of his hand with her thumb assuringly. "I can do this...besides, if I don't, I will have a reputation along with YOU."

They both laughed slightly at her comment before going over to the circle that the crowd created. Crystal walked into the middle and faced the bearded man. The man stood calmly, not at all intimidated by his opponent.

"GO!" someone screamed and the man charged at Crystal. Crystal raised her hands and grabbed his neck. The man choked and tried to release himself from Crystal's grip.

She looked over to see if Aiden was cheering and was appauled to see that he was not among the faces in the crowd.

Crystal straightened herself and released her grip on the man's neck. The man sighed with relief and tried to catch his breath. "You are quite a strong opponent, Miss."

Crystal gazed up at him and smiled. "Thank you but sweet talk will get you no where," she yelled as she charged over to him.

A grunt, a groan, and a shattering fall. The man threw Crystal to the ground and she gave out a cry.

The man was going to attack again and threw himself on top of her. Although, he would have been on top of her if she was there. Somehow, she disappeared from sight. The man growled and scanned the crowd for her. "Where did she go?" the man pondered. The crowd muttered and shrugged. "She did not even come through here," they said. The man punched the ground in anger and growled. "If I see that girl again she and her boyfriend will rot in hell!"

***************

A rope rubbed against her back. She blinked her eyes open from a foggy dream and almost screamed. She was being elevated above the ground.

Before she got startled, she noticed Aiden's legs wrapped around her waist and glanced up to see him climbing the rope. He was holding her firmly with his legs as he used his powerful arms to climb.

"Where are we going?" Crystal asked.

Aiden struggled to speak as he climbed, "The Moondrip Garden," he replied shortly and stopped speaking.

Crystal figured that it was best to let him climb before asking him what had happened.

**********************

"First of all, why did you do that, how did you do that, and what were you thinking???" Crystal said finally when they reached the top.

"I was getting you away from that foresaken city," he said and untied the knapsack from his belt and handed it to Crystal.

"I figured that you weren't making friends that well," Aiden said.

Crystal went scarlet. "I was doing fine! I was kicking his a**!!!"

Aiden smiled and calmly stated, "Didn't deny that. BUT, if you happen to be an elf, you will never make many friends in that city."

"YOU ARE CALLING ME AN ELF!!!" Crystal screamed and almost went purple. All her life she was ridiculed because of her ears and now he was making fun of her.

"Yeah, I am calling you an elf," Aiden said and smiled. "It is because that is what you are."

"OH! What now? WHY DON'T YOU NEXT CALL ME A LEPRECAUN!!!" she screamed in his face, tears dripping off her cheek, and surprised that he didn't seem bothered by her screaming.

Aiden put his hand on her face gently and wiped a tear with his thumb. "Why must you get upset knowing what you are?"

Crystal closed her eyes and started to cry more. "It can't be. I am a human!"

"Perhaps you have thought all of your life that you were one of the NORMAL people but I assure you, that you are anything but normal." He smiled and his smile made her reflect a smile back. "You are special. You are one of the elves and magic folk. You were taken from our world and you were stranded in your old world. There, two humans took you in, mistaking you for their child. Believe me, that the luck of them finding you was not just mere luck. Being an elf is much more than pointed ears."

*****************

"How much farther is it until we reach Moondrip Garden?" Crystal asked as she walked behind Aiden. All of the long travelling she had done was teedious and very tiring.

Aiden walked up to a large bush blocking their path. "We are here," he said softly almost whispering. He pulled back a branch and the bush began to shrivel into a few dead sticks.

Taking her hand in his, Aiden led her inside what seemed like a large circular street lined with colorful and thriving flowers. Minstrils could be heard playing music on the borders. The street was covered with cobblestones and a few pansies peeked through the cracks.

*******************

As Aiden led her into the middle, Crystal felt a drop of water hit her cheek and then another and another and another. Steadily the drops fell and soon it was pouring and Aiden did not budge as if his feet were nailed to the cobblestones.

Crystal felt herself dampen all over and it felt refreshing. Aiden grinned and shook his head as lots of water flew from it. The minstrils continued playing in the background under tarps set up.

Looking out into the sky as water drenched the ground, Crystal suddenly saw the picture of Chad flash. And then, the lightening, and the dark room. And suddenly, she gasped slightly seeing the gun and the hole through the wall.

She tried to shake the thoughts from her head but all tries were unsuccessful. Everytime she shook, another image flashed. Her parents, the drugs, the blood dripping from her mother's dead body. Then, before her eyes, she saw the body of a dead man around 20. Dark brown hair and clothed in a tshirt with jeans and blood dripped drom his mouth. She screamed. He gave her a pale stair, the "death stare" she had called it in her diary and his eyes were fogging to white. A pill bottle laid loosely in his hand and pills spilling from it. His chosen death...

Aiden became alarmed at her scream and as if he could see what was troubling her, he put his arms around her and held her close. She dropped the egg in the knapsack on the ground and wrapped her arms around his waist.

The minstrils in the background began to play a slow, beautiful ballad. Aiden moved his feet slightly while still holding tightly onto Crystal. Crystal moved hers too and together they spun slowly in a tight circle to the music of the minstrils.

Crystal closed her eyes in peace. It felt so right, she thought to be standing with Aiden.

Then, she felt his warm lips touch hers, a spark seemed to run through her and they stopped moving all together. They stood still kissing as the rain dripped down and drenched them.

************************

Aiden closed the door to the inn behind him. The room was completely empty and there were no people outside.

Crystal walked over to a table and set the knapsack down gently. She wrung out her hair and her dress and lit a fire using firewood left in the fire place.

Aiden walked over to her and she lifted her eyes from the fire and although she was not looking at the flame in the furnace, she could see a burning in Aiden's eyes. She backed up hesitantly but Aiden drew her close and their tongues danced.

Crystal moved her hands down Aiden's shirt and undid the strings that kept the shirt together.

Aiden touched her head and ran his hands through her hair affectionately. He knew that he could not let her go.

********************

A flash again. This time more disturbing. The 20 year old man stroking her cheek affectionately before beginning to tear at her clothes. She squealed and he would continue to come towards her. Chad would not give up. She tried to run sometimes, but he would chase her and get inside her without her permisson or desire. She would cry for days. She felt used...Chad was the only one that had her although Chad would never let her be...

A look of terror was etched on her face. Aiden stared into her face and stopped kissing her. Crystal backed away without a word and walked over to the knapsack. Quickly, she grabbed it and ran out the door and into the pouring rain.

Aiden ran to the door and watched her disappear. "I shouldn't have..."

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