Times of Change 6

Chapter 6 The shooting star she saw

A/N: You should be proud of me! Straight on to chapter 6 after chapter 5! And yes, it's back in my pov...votes on who's pov it should be for TOC7???

     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many believe there is good and there is evil, separate but easily told apart. Yin and Yang state there is balance, without good there can't be evil. Logic states there is no such thing as good or evil, just human value and emotion. But all of these are fickle are ever changing with new ideas, only those contemplating their own existence would come up with these ideals. Ruling by emotions, by what they deem as right or wrong as good and evil. Emotions are weak, but no one has the right to decide the fate of another's life. Whether they die or live is their choice. However, if your existence and theirs depends on choice, what can you do? Is there such thing as evil and good? Can we ever be freed from our emotions that bind us?

     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I lifted my eyes, swollen and dulled with aching pain to stare into darkness.

It has been days. Days since we were captured. As always, if I couldn't forget, events played in my mind.

Jennifer.

Vivian.

And a man I didn't know.

They probably had different names here too. They took us here. Bundled us like potatoes, wrung our necks with power trapping collars as I found out later and threw us into this cell. One of darkness and shadow, one of light. I blinked slowly in the darkness, calling out with a rasping throat, refusing to wince, refusing to be as weak as to admit to the pain.

It was my retreat, always in my mind. Pain was a weakness. I hated to feel this weakness.

"Imrhien?"

Angelina, the healer, the only one that barely kept us healed after each torture attempt, and guilt hit me every time I was healed, at the expense of her own power and health, but no matter how I refused, she would continue relentlessly. The shimmering of light came in the form of the cage.

Catsyile was by far the worse off as she was drilled every time for more information, forced to betray her people. We could hear her screams from here.

I tried to call out again, but figured it was useless. I was a very pessimistic person. I well and truly lived in depression. It was my focus in life, and I was settled in it even back in my reality. My world. But I didn't want to die like this. Dying like this held no honor.

No matter how much pain they threw my way, I would rather die fighting in an over dramatic display of fireworks than having my senses over loaded in torture. It was a pitiful way to go.

The wind picked up around us again.

"Kayashi, it won't do any good. Stop it." Catsyile said tiredly, her head between her knees.

The grim line of the Wind Master's lips softened in defeat as the sweat dripped from her brow of overcoming the collars for that short time. If we concentrated, we could over come the collars but it drained us, and our meger attacks did nothing to the cages. "I have to try," Kayashi said tiredly.

I don't know what prompted it. I started laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world. I laughed until my sides ached and I could only lean against the cell walls, numbly feeling the Light bars dig and send electric shocks into my back. I laughed until my throat ran dry, shoulders shaking. Until I sounded like I was crying. But I couldn't cry. I couldn't in my own reality and I couldn't now. The chilling sound of my own laughter filled the room, erupting the depressed silence. My eyes were dry as I looked up at the faces staring at me with somewhat perturbed looks.

I leaned, looking up at the shimmering bars of our 'ceiling'. The words ringing back to me, one of my favourite quotes, passing my lips in whisper. "How sad, a woman that cannot cry."

Pain lashed across my cheeks. Jocelyn's hand wavered infront of me as the sound of a slap resounded in the room. Her eyes were harsh, tired as mine were. "Snap out of it Alita! I won't let you kill yourself!"

I just gave her a look. Whoever said anything about killing myself? It was one of Jocelyn's annoying traits. She would jump to conclusion, but I never had any patience left afterwards to correct her. Let her think that.

Catsyile's hand touched my arm in silent understanding, her strength reserves too depleted to do much else. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Jocelyn frown at this.

The other person sharing a cell with us, Bibi, just sent a small reassuring smile my way, which meant more than words ever could.

With a tired sigh, I lean away from the Light bars, my back already too numb to feel the pain. I tried a smile but my lips wouldn't lift. Instead, I just nodded at Kayashi. "Sorry. You can try it if you want. It could help, " I said as a way of apologising for my mental break before.

"I'm too weak to do much anyway..." Kayashi trailed off as the clanging of metal doors was unlocked, her face turning to a dark scowl at the person that entered. The others in the other cage, Xas, Imrhien, Nando, and Ai looked up with akin expressions. In one other floating globe of power Leesha banged against the curved surface from inside with her fists, her voice muffled but still audible, hair stuck in permanent red.

The swirly chocolate brown dress simmered in the dark as the girl closed the metal door behind her, eyes darting around the room and finally to us.

Kayashi narrowed her eyes. "Get out traitor. I'd rather die in peace then talk to backstabbers like you."

Samiya's face froze, eyes pleading, looking at Kayashi. Then her face changed as she walked. Cold and angry. But the difference was startling. All eyes stared as she approach, clearly making her nervous. The dark skinned girl stopped a metre away from the cages and stepped to the right one step, eyes darting back at the wall.

Something was in that corner.

"Leesha, I need..." Samiya directed at the globe in front of her, her expression changing again to one of pleading.

"You think I'm going to do any favours for you after you threw me in here!?" the Change Mistress shrieked angrily.

"Hell, I don't even KNOW you and I already don't like you," Nando muttered.

Ai looked away in disgust.

"I..." Samiya's eyes turned almost desperately toward Xas.

The man looked at her with a frown and remained silent. The tension was thick enough to slice.

"You betrayed us Samiya. I'm afraid I can't trust you anymore," Catsyile said quietly, "If you've come to seek forgiveness before we die, you should know that none of us are willing to grant it. What you have done has killed thousands of your own comrades and turned Blackstar into darkness."

Samiya looked down and bit her lip. "I..."

If we were going to die any way, it wouldn't hurt to listen to her. A painful death and quick death ended at the same result anyway. "Let her speak," I said aloud.

Samiya leapt at the chance. "I have a plan to get you guys out," she said in a whisper.

I raised an eyebrow. How? I've thought about it for all the days we were trapped here. The cages were fool proof and just reflected our power with no effect.

"But I need Leesha's help."

"Why should we trust you? You could be leading us into some dramatic end those two have planned for us," Kayashi snapped.

Leesha crossed her arms sulkily in her globe. "Yeah, screw you Samiya, I ain't doing any favours for you."

Surprisingly it was Bibi that spoke up. "It doesn't matter if we die dramatically or not." Her face was impassive as she looked at her counter part, Silence versus Sound. "Tell us."

With a rustle of his cloak, Xas stood, stretching slightly in the enclosed space, his hand reaching past the Shadow bars, resting on Samiya's head. I watched his face strain, eyes moving under his closed lids.

Finally, he proclaimed, "She won't betray us."

Most of the room noticeably relaxed, well as relaxed as you could get when you're trapped like hamsters in a cage.

Imrhien's eyes lifted slightly with renewed hope. "Just get us out of here."

I closed my own eyes, absorbing and only wincing a few times as Samiya talked. The pain made this real, but all of it, all that I've gone through here is surreal. A story that I created, a reality I dreamed. This hell on Earth ruled by two women who were my friends and enemies, where magic was common place and the impossible turned to the stuff of nightmares in perfect angst. I wish I wasn't so damn imaginative. Why couldn't I go back to writing about fluff and trashy romances?

I know I should pay attention, but what was the use? Samiya talked, and talked and pleaded her case, while I half listened, eyes closed in exhaustion.
If I wasn't involved actively I really don't care.

     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As I said, I wasn't involved. I stay inside my cage, then I run like mad.

It was all up to Leesha, Samiya, if we could trust her at all, and strangely enough Jinga. Every time I see her, a chill comes up my spine. Jennifer Luo, the girl I knew was a complete opposite from Jinga. This woman was a parasite. Her power was only a copy of someone else's, her personality ever changing. And we relied on her for our escape. And I'm ashamed to say that Jinga deserved her fate. No other person took pleasure in wearing us down, using our own techniques against us in torture, and smiling while wearing our faces, a handy little trick she learned from Leesha.

To put it simply, Jinga would be blamed for setting us free.

The only hitch came in getting Leesha out. Her globe was set so her power was void and unusable inside it. I could just HEAR the Who Wants To Be a Millionaire music playing as the rest put their minds together. Life line please? Literally? If we don't get out of here soon, we are going to DIE. And as of right now, I did not welcome the thought.

"Any ideas?" Samiya inquired of our brain dead mass.

"You tell us. You want to get us out, YOU tell us how to get out Speech girl," Nando demanded. You can see how much we trusted Samiya at the moment.

Samiya looked miffed. "My power is SOUND not speech. I know your cages are made by Opal and Harlequinn, but Leesha's one can't be made by them since her power can copy theirs easily, which is why she has to get out in the first place!"

"How yeah, THAT helps," Nando muttered.

Xas suddenly smirked from a cage beyond. "Wait, it does. We all know each power needs a counter part correct?"

News to me, but it made sense, Shadow and Light, Thunder and Lightning, Water and Fire...wait, where did that leave me? Ice and Fire wasn't the same was it? Ice was only an extreme of water, meaning I had no counterpart, there was no extreme of fire. I was not of this world and all of this was getting more confusing by the second. This world I created really had no place for me.

"Battle Angel, don't space out on me or you'll miss the fun," Xas directed at me lightly.

"Huh?" Great, I was caught up in a mood swing again. I have got to stop hanging around Catherine, or Catsyile, whatever. Mood swings were her thing.

"As I was saying, the balance of Blackstar needs a counter for every power in whatever shape or form. It's safe to say that..." Xas looked awfully smug as he explained.

"To contain Change you need Mimic to hold her. And to get us out, Light and Shadow have to be used against each other." Ai interrupted, taking his moment of glory away. Xas sighed.

Samiya nodded eagerly. All heads turned to Catsyile, Oh Mighty Decision Maker.

But Jocelyn spoke up first. "Then what are we waiting for? Get Jinga down here pronto woman!"

Samiya looked at her strangely before turning to stare hopefully at Catsyile.

"I know I'm not the most reliable person to you guys right now but you HAVE to believe me..."

Catsyile interrupted before she could continue. "Very well. It's up to you Leesha." It looked like she was ignoring Samiya. Well, it was better than open hostility.

Leesha displayed a 'victory' sign with her fingers. "Can do."

I looked at the faces around me, all of them determined and confident they could get out of here. Even Bibi and Imrhien in their silent approval. It was one thing I learnt from movies. Don't underestimate any situation to get worse. It was after all, Murphy's Law, and there were plenty of things that could go wrong in this scenario.

I stared Samiya down for a moment, voicing what most of us were thinking just this once. "If we die, it's on your head."

Samiya looked away, face shadowed as she walked out, glancing at that spot in the wall again as she left.

     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So this is how I die.

I looked at the man named Slayer, the person that trapped us here in the first place. Then at the gleeful faces around me. Anticipating my death. And as luck would have it, I was first.

Whoopee.

Samiya stood to the side, a look of pleading on her face that stood for a second before going blank. Good for nothing bitch.

FINE!!! STARE AS I DIE!!! I said to her with narrowed eyes.

The doors behind me banged open, in strode Opal with dramatic flare, her eyes lingering on me. I stared at the void of those eyes and recognised something.

"Oh, you."

I felt my eyes widen. Opal never said that to me! Only Necie did! I glanced at Jocelyn who had the same recognition on her face.

Hopefully, I looked back at the expressive features that suddenly took hold of Opal's face. Never have I seen them do that. Opal was either expressionless or insane. Could it be...?

If Jocelyn could cross over then why not?

"Necie?" I asked desperately. Please, please, puhleeease be you in there!

I saw her face freeze in shock, then twist in pain. Eyes betraying her, shut against whatever plagued her. "Take them away," I heard her rasp harshly.

Harlequinn gestured at Jinga. "You heard."

Elation was probably the only feeling I felt as we were dragged away unceremoniously. There was hope after all! If it was Necie that was Opal then everything will be alright!

The heavy door of our cell loomed infront of us like a beckon to safety.

The heavy door shut behind Jinga and Samiya. Samiya closed the door behind her, stealing a glance over at Catsyile.

Two purely magical keys jingled in Jinga's hands as she slammed the light bars close after throwing us in like a potato sacks. "Well dudes, ready to die?" She taunted, assuming Opal's decision to spare us was just temporally.

"How bout NO?" For effect, Nando rattled the 'bars' of her cell. Don't ask me how a cell of magic can rattle.

A menacing smile crossed Jinga's face. "That's too bad..." her sentenced ended with a strangled choke.

Faster than I would've though possible for Jasmeen, Samiya had leapt onto Jinga's back arms slinging themselves around her neck, legs binding Jinga's hands to her side. A horrid scream filled the air, causing all of us to wince as we cupped our ears as the walls wobbled from the power of Samiya's voice. I saw a force field go up around cupping those inside with blessed silence. I glanced gratefully at Bibi who already looked strained from the effect of her collar.

Jinga staggered, ears starting to drip red in blood from the force of Samiya's power. Eyes shut even as the blood rushed over the lids with Sound that could've killed any other person. Clearly gritting her teeth against the painful ongoing scream, the Destroyer slammed her back against the wall, crushing Samiya between her and the rock. The force field around us disappeared, sound reaching our ears again as Bibi's power gave out.

Disoriented, both of them stood facing each other.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!??!" Jinga screamed, most likely deaf with the shock waves of the Sound blast ringing through her brain. You could almost see the pieces fall in place in her eyes. Dark energy spiralled into her hands.

Samiya grimaced and ran.

Bat wings spread in anger as Jinga attacked. "Traitor!" With a shriek, a blast of venomous looking mist struck out at Samiya.

At the last second Samiya moved diving to the floor as the blast sailed past, and struck the simmering globe with the near panicking Leesha inside.

The room filled with light, blinding all of us even as we hurried to turn away. I slowly opened my eye as the glow dimmed down.

"We dead?" I asked to no one in particular.

From the shouts of "I'm free! I'm Free!!!!!" I didn't think that was the case.

And then, the blaring alarms sounded.

I saw Samiya, stumbling, drag Jinga away, slamming the magic collar on her which was previously on Leesha's neck and knocked the girl out against the wall with a little too much enthusiasm.

Leesha immediately took Jinga's form, bat wings and all, cackling in delight as her hands charged with power aimed at us!

"AHHHHH!!!" We screamed as a dark blast of Shadow shattered the Light cage around us, then heard equalled scream from the other cage as Leesha totalled that as well.

This was the part where we run like hell.

Leesha threw open the door, by far the first one out, followed by the rest of us as best we could. Being trapped in a cramped space for days on end did nothing for your running legs, besides being already exhausted from battling our collars. Samiya solidly slammed the door shut behind us.

"Why the hell couldn't you use the goddamn keys?!" I heard Kayashi yell over the echo of the floor at Leesha as we galloped down the hallway, Samiya unlocking our collars as we ran with said keys.

Leesha didn't answer, morphing as she went, coursing with adrenaline, as were the rest of us and let out a whoop as the shadows of guards came into view. All of us were out for blood after days, weeks even, helpless in magic binding collars.

Said guards were dispatched into what was somewhat resembling a puddle by the time we went past, going down several stairs as Samiya led us.

Suddenly she stopped. "I need to leave you guys here! I can't break my cover!" With that hurried scream, Samiya left us, an all too sudden departure. I was actually feeling nice towards her for once.

All the time, the alarms blared.

But we ran on. The walls rushing past us went from marble to rock then moss covered outcroppings as we went deeper and deeper, running on adrenaline and fear. Finally a light shone at the end of the tunnel. My face broke into a pained smile, eyes adjusting from the light. How I ran in darkness without seeing anything was beyond me.

"Master!"

A man ran at us from the exit, making us slam into a stop, I for one totally giving in to panic. We were too close! No!

The light behind him made him only into a silhouette. But even then I could see his arms move in an arc and white power took the shape of a bow and arrow.

"Quami!" One of us answered. I turned and saw that it was Imrhien, glowing unnaturally in the darkness, a look of relief on her face. I didn't see why she was so relieved, THE GUY WAS SHOOTING AN ARROW AT US!!! At the last minute, the arrow separated into what seemed like a mass of glowing 5 pointed stars going through our bodies without pain like we were nothing but air.

A sensation of intense joy shot through me, making me stop any bodily processes completely and make me almost fall to the floor.

"Master!" The male voice said again, happily.

I opened my eyes, realising I had closed them and found I wasn't sore anymore or drained of my power. Actually. I felt great! And seemingly out of my mind as I voiced this, "YES YES YES!!! I FEEL GREAT! I CAN DO THIS!!! YES YES YES!! I'M AWAKE!!! I'M WIDE AWAKE!!!"

...

...

Thank god everyone else was screaming in astonishment or I would've been REALLY embarrassed. It was bad enough that Jocelyn noticed and was giving me her version of the raised eyebrow.

"Meet my apprentice, Quami. His power is still developing, though quite strong. He can heal those with pure hearts and hurt those with evil in their hearts with his Star power," Imrhien said, smiling at the man standing beside her. He in turn was giving her a look of reverence. They both gave off the same glow too.

Well, at least I can see him clearly now.

A helmet glinting blue adorned his head, very ornamental as it swept back and covered his hair, which was completely hidden, though the tips of familiar pointy ears did show through. Eyes of happy elm green shone in their glow as well as the one jewel on his silver chest armour that was a deep red. Gold rimmed the bottom of the plate, glowing with the rest of him in the dark. Long baggy and slightly flaring pants covered his armour plated shoes, white as well as the armour. Plated gloves covered his knuckles to mid arm. He was also taller than Imrhien, and if that adoringly worried look wasn't been directed at his 'master' he would have looked dangerous.

All this I took in at a glance.

"Master, I came as soon as I heard you were captured! of course I was training like you told me to in the mountains and news travels pretty slow. When I heard, I knew I needed to rescue you! I was so worried..." Quami began hurriedly.

Nando cut him off. "No time for idiotic hero stories. We need to go!"

"I have transport outside..."

Again, the male elf was cut off.

"MOVE!!!" Kayashi snapped.

I had actually started running ages ago from Quami's "Master...", ignoring the screams of my tired body, though healed, was still unused to running after sitting for so long. I was never a fan of running, but freedom was the top thing on my mind at the moment. So close I could taste it. And people say never to run towards the light.

I heard the hurried steps of those behind me.

"Battle Angel."

I knew that voice.

My eyes widened and I nearly screamed as a guy came slithering from the shadows, longer hair but not much different. Still as tall. I knew he wasn't on our side. His presence was too evil, and overwhelming. Hot.

I spun, shaking the absurd feeling off, falling into a fighting stance. "You. Have you come to stop me Vince?!" Actually, I realise that is a stupid question. Why ELSE would he scare the hell out of me with his slithery entrance?

The man smirked. "I don't recall being so familiar as to tell you my name. Vincenzo to others. But I do like you calling me...'Vince'."

The others were catching up. I couldn't believe I ran that fast for them to actually have to catch up. Steering myself away from random thoughts I snarled at 'Vincenzo.' " If you're not going to stop us get out of the way!"

I backed away as he casually walked forward, finally trapping me against the rock. My eyes widened, realising the stereotypical ending to this scenario. I looked up at him and blinked rapidly. Was it getting warmer?

"I think you've figured my power already." He was awfully close, making the blood rise to my cheeks. "Love. Lust. I have the power to drive women crazy with my mere presence, but I have an interest in you dear Battle Angel."

I could feel his warm breath on my lips. I couldn't break away. Only watch in part fascination and resisting horror as he drew nearer, knowing he was going to kiss me and not do a damn thing about it.

Drive women crazy... what about guys?

With that thought I shoved him away with a yell, too angry to think straight. UGH. To think I could've let him KISS me. Thank god my yaoi centered mind pulled through. I was breathing heavily, eyeing him warily as he met my eyes calmly.

Finally, after a eternity of charged silence, Vincenzo bowed gracefully. "Think of this as a favour. Bui and the others are currently...distracted," he said, hinting his hand in that. "I will let you go. All I ask is that you remember me."

"Fuck you."

"That's what I hope." With a smirk he melted back into the shadows just as Leesha ran past me.

"Come on lady!" Jocelyn called, way ahead by the time I snapped out of my red, anger ridden mind.

I growled under my breath muttering about horny men and ran after them.What the hell was THAT about? EW! I kept shaking my head as I ran.

Finally light bathed us, and the forest of trees looked wondrous in nature, shining emerald and gold in natural beauty. Thoughts about Vincenzo and his 'power' flew easily from my mind as the sun heated my skin deliciously and the cool wind blew out no doubt greasy hair. Leaves shone a brilliant green, birds sung heck, even the DIRT looked good.

Perhaps I'd thought these things as I'd yearned for them in my imprisonment. Freedom felt great.

"Come, my wagon is this way." Smiling Quami led us to a hidden wagon led by what looked like unicorns. We all clambered in, weak physically and mentally from the adrenaline. Imrhien sat up front with her apprentice.

The last thing I saw before giving in to exhaustion, panting away against the rumbling walls of the carriage, was the sound of fireworks as stars shot into the air, burning against the angry, dark swirling clouds as a testament to freedom, curtesy probably of Quami. But by then, I didn't care. Sleep called.

Blessed silent, darkness.

     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The bell rang in an endless noise that made me just want to walk over to the thing and rip it straight off the walls. But then I didn't have the strength in this world.

Alita Battle Angel, about to face this elusive thing named the HSC.

Was I afraid? Not really.

Were any other people afraid? Most definitely.

There is something very disconcerting in seeing over 100 people panicking over something invisible. Mass panic in the face of death I can understand, but why would these people worry over something as idiotic as a TEST!?

Running around like mad, headless chickens. Noise rising in pitch as the bell stopped it's god awful ringing.

I shared a glance with Liathano who was really starting to get worried for the sanity of this school. Boy did I feel the same way. For one thing, Catherine, Catsyile as she was known to me, my sister and friend, who I knew to be calm and serene at the worst of times was currently melting into a puddle of nerves, eyes twitching and I swear that was a vein throbbing in her forehead.

All these people from Anita's memories clustered on this small enclosed quad, threatening to bring about their own self destruction by being absorbed into their textbooks. Geez, I'm even starting to sound depressed. That's not like me at all.

This was what peace was. Where the most one had to worry about was some stupid test. When death wasn't common and reared its ugly face upon the bodies you kill, or the corpses in the street, the fallen comrades you failed. Death was something far into the distant future here and all you had to worry about was how to make that future as comfortable as possible, not whether you would see it at all.

With a sigh, my eyes wandered over the quad, skipping past all the panicked and nervously sweating faces, which were plenty in number.

She sat there on the bench.

Almost immediately I sensed something wrong. Eyes that looked devoid of life stared out blankly, body sitting bonelessly on the bench, leaning against the wall. Dark hair shadowing most of her face, though I doubted any expression was there. The girl named Necie wasn't in there. She was alive, but no soul was in there.

"What is it?"

I shook my head, turning to Liathano and gesturing to the counterpart of Opal . Liathano narrowed her eyes and looked away. I continued to stare with a frown. "Something..."

The bell blared, interrupting me.

I saw, even from this distance Necie twitch, then her eyes started to darken as she looked up, consuming her pupils with life. Her hands clenched and unclenched as the girl took a long breath of air, looking up at the sky for a moment.

I felt apprehension twist somewhere inside me.

For a second as her eyes ran past over me, I saw an expression flicker over her face. One I knew too well. A smile. A smile of malice that was so cold and menacing that only one being could be insane enough to do it with such natural ability. Opal.

No.

"No." I spoke aloud. It couldn't be. It couldn't. IT CAN NOT.

When I looked again, she wasn't there anymore.

"Girls, please line up to enter the hall alphabetically," pronounced the woman on the raised walkway infront of the school's auditorium, the Principal herself, Ms Knott.

I saw Necie, at least I hoped it was her, step into alphabetical order near the front of my class, me being near the end. Liathano left for her own place. I ignored all the frantic people around me, staring at this woman on the walkway. Her suit was ugly.

"As you all may well know, this will be the beginning of your Higher School Certificate exams... young lady, may I ask why you have stepped out of your place?" Knott said as a girl with black hair pulled herself up onto the walkway from the grass. She turned and looked directly at me, smiling.

With shock, I recognised her. With dread, I saw her eyes become wholly black, pinpoints of red only slightly noticeable, accompanied with a sickenly familiar smile.

"Opal!" The name tore out of me as I suddenly started to push at the stunned people around me, blocking my way.

Her hand shot out and clenched around the Principal's neck. With a delighted chuckle, her other hand came around. A sickening snap of bone ripping through skin was heard as the woman's neck was broken, her murderer's mirthful eyes following as the body fell lifeless to the ground. The horrified faces of the teachers who had come to watch mirrored by the students.

Silence reigned in the quad.

Then the screaming began.

I stared up at Opal in horror, hating that sound of a body crumbling into dirt, of death. Liathano was moving through the screaming mass to get to the walkway, but I felt too numb to do anything.

How did she get here? HOW!?!

Laughter rang. Hateful laughter that pierced through the tension filled air. My fists clenched, nails digging into the palm enough to draw blood as the sound, the very sound of her laughter rang inside my ears filling me with intense hatred.

I knew.

By switching with Anita I had opened a portal from my world into this one. My fault. My fault that this peace would be shattered as Blackstar's had been. My fault that people would die for no other reason than entertainment and the petty enjoyment of pain. All. My. Fault.

She looked down at me. "Oh. You." Smiling, she turned to the panicked masses, stilling them with her gaze. Her voice deepened with her cruel mirth. "Let it be known, this is my world now."

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When I awoke, it was night. My body ached from excessive strain. I did not like running period and right now, I seriously didn't want to get up. Wafts of a succulent smell poured inside the dimmed interior from outside. Damn I was hungry.

Closing my eyes, I rested for a moment in the only peace I have known since I came here, though no longer tired mentally. I did the thing I always did after any ordeal I didn't like.

I forgot.

Memories of things, especially pain that happens are wisps of thought I push to the back of my mind, to be remembered a different time in vivid detail, but for now, I would forget. Forget the torture, the pain, all of it. It was just the way I coped. Like many others, when looking back on my life I only remembered the good things, never the pain, never the unhappiness or the splitting hurt. It was better this way.

I breathed softly, eyes closed, and at peace.

Slap.

"Wake up."

I opened my eyes and stared up at Jocelyn. "That was not necessary."

"Believe me, that wasn't the first time I slapped you to try and wake you up. You sleep like the dead," she drawled. That was a tad unfair since I was already AWAKE this time.

I sighed, sat up and smiled. "True." But the sleeping like the dead thing was true. I felt better. After a nice rest on over strained muscles though the waking up part needed a little work.

Jocelyn pulled me out of the wagon with a growl of annoyance. "C'mon lady, we've been waiting for you to join the table. We can't stop evil bitches without full stomachs right?"

I glanced at her and said nothing, following the demands of my stomach. That comment slid my good mood down a few notches.

Stop them? It was impossible. I wrote this story. Opal and Harley were made to be the exact opposite of any ordinary evil emperors. They were too strong, too smart and powerful to be beat over by some small rebellion group with a good on their side like some bad clich�. I made them that way. It is futile. Sometimes I hated my sense of fairness.

All thoughts drove from my mind as the first taste of food entered my mouth. The filling sensation and juicy tenderness of meat as it slide down my throat. Oooh...yummy.

"Isn't master's cooking superb?"

I gave Quami a weird look. This guy I didn't invent. If I did, I'd be pretty sure not to make him so gay...er...weird. Then again...

I shifted my eyes elsewhere. Jocelyn chose to sit down next to Xas and was smiling openly at him. He looked a little shocked and frightened first, staring at her like she grew a second head. But that didn't last long. Both of them were now smiling madly at each other over their food.

I had to look away in case I lost my appetite in nausea. Ahh young love...isn't it sickening?

"Still a pig, eh, sister?" Catsyile spoke over the flames of the fire.

I looked at her, cheeks full. "Wot oo alfing afouft?" Translation: What you talking about?
I swallowed quickly without chewing as I usually did, snatching water from a pig skin water bottle. "And why do you keep calling me that anyways? We're not blood related."

"Budimon, our Temple was closer than that!" Nando cut in as Catsyile opened her mouth. I winced slightly at the name. Why did Nando still call me that anyway? Even in this world. Can't I just get a break?

"How much of us are left?" Kayashi spoke softly. We all went silent, not wanting to remember how the information was taken from us.

Quami looked down at the ground. "The remaining rebellion are split into bubbles of resistance. The former Temple of Blue is gone, or so Eye told me to tell you. Nothing is left but ruins." Nando's and Ai's face sullened considerably. "And, we have only one main base is left. Eye is in charge there. Without Catsyile's joint leadership and the constant raids...there isn't much hope."

I silently wondered why it was so important to beat Opal and Harley. Sure they were evil and tyrants but now that Necie is Opal, shouldn't that stop? I grimaced at the last thought. Would it really change anything? Necie wasn't herself, and seemed as insane as Opal was...perhaps more so. It would be overly optimistic to think anything would change.

"We make our way to Eye in the morning." Catsyile pronounced.

"Huh?" I said intelligently, no doubt having gone into my own thoughts again.

"You say the last base is in the mountains right? Wouldn't that take some time to get there?" Ai questioned, chewing absentmindedly on her food.

"No problem! I can get us there in no time! Fly with Dragon Leesha air! It's the only way to go!" Leesha said enthusiastically.

"Your magic will be noticed too easily," Imrhien pointed out. Leesha's face fell.

"But," she began.

"And your sense of direction is bad," Kayashi said bluntly. Leesha slumped to the ground.

"And..." Bibi started quietly.

"OK! OK! I GET THE IDEA!!! YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUB IT IN!!!" Hair blazing orange in sheepish anger.

Catsyile, Nando, Jennifer and I laughed.

"Guess we'll have to walk," Xas commented. "If we fly by magic, we will be noticed too easily. Even though apprentice boy healed us, we shouldn't strain ourselves so much. "

Quami 'hmphed' and turned to Imrhien. "Master, we can take my wagon. The base is near the mountains where I trained so we can go as far as the ice fields..."

I had stopped listening by then, fiddling with a small rock I had found in the dirt. It was a shiny black rock that kept changing colours from the light of the fire. Blue, grey, red, yellow flickers flashed across the dull surface of the stone. Ooh...pretty colours...

Well, everyone needs a lucky charm.

"Rock, I dub thee Betty," I said too softly for anyone else to hear, and pocketed my new lucky charm.

"Good. Then it's settled," Catsyile said in finality. No doubt I had missed another important load of information. "We should get our rest."

Xas leaned over to Jocelyn. "That's true, though I wouldn't mind if you should happen to sleep near me for the night..." Jocelyn punched him in the face.

The poor guy had that coming.

Strangely I was getting tired, the comforting weight of a full stomach and the soft noises of the forest lulling me to sleep. Usually I would scream bloody murder before lying down on grass...I mean think of the bugs crawling into my hair, my clothes, the dirt, the DIRT! Or even thinking of going to bed with anything less than two thick blankets and 7 pillows, but in this case...I just wanted to rest.

I fell into my second dreamless sleep of that day.

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I guess we'll have to skate across," Catsyile pronounced.

I stared at the huge expanse of ice, the mists of the part snowy and part grassland mountain peaks that lay beyond, at the end which lay Catsyile's last main base. And I slowly shook my head.

"No."

Jocelyn stared at me with a knowing smile. "Still can't do it can you?"

I just kept shaking my head. "Uh. Uh. Not a chance in freaking hell are you making me skate across that thing."

Weird looks all around me.

"Battle Angel, your power is Ice. Why are you so against a simple thing like skating?" Kayashi asked with raised eyebrows.

"You are a fantastic skater and you know it!" Catsyile's eyes flashed blue and started in a chant, "Water, come forth." Swirls surrounded our feet, encasing them with ice over our shoes and lifted us up as blades formed. It didn't feel cold at all.

I dug my feet into the dirt, shaking my head harder. "No."

"It's the only way." Catsyile stepped onto the ice with elegant grace...and fell straight onto her butt. With an embarrassed look, she got up unsteadily. "It seems I'm not that great a skater myself."

"Fun!" Ai, aka Jennifer Wong and Leesha dived and twirled over the ice with wide grins.

One by one they all stepped onto the ice as I watched with my lips pressed in a thin line. My hand reached to touch my chin and the scar there and found none.

Oh. That's right, Alita's body didn't make a great fool of herself like I did and fall on her face, getting a near concussion and three stitches like the last time I skated.

You can see the source of my reluctance. Never. Again.

Jocelyn skidded infront of me. "Get on here already."

With a cold feeling in my stomach, I skated forward uncertainly on the ice. I wasn't a BAD skater so to speak, just a wreck of paranoia and fear. While thinking this, my feet stumbled over a bump and my arms started to flail wildly trying to regain my balance.

Pain shot up my spine as I landed on my back.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!"

Jocelyn put a hand over her eyes in embarrassment. "Idiot."

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Who is Eye?"

"Hm?" Xas answered, though the question was for Catsyile. Oh well.

"I've been hearing about this person named Eye. Who is she....I'm going to guess it's a 'she', I get the feeling she's important."

"I could be mystical and say she's a guide..." Xas started, only to stop at the force of my glare...weakened as it was by my constant skidding on the loose rocks on the steep road. He kept his eyes ahead, "Okay, okay, Catsyile and Eye are the two leaders of the resistance. Catsyile, as you can tell, is the main boss and figurehead. Eye is the genius behind the screen so to speak."

"Huh. So what's her power?" I was curious. I didn't invent anyone named Eye, and I didn't know if I knew this person or not. It's a logical question. Infact, all these new people didn't have anything to do with the story at all when I wrote it.

Xas slid backwards a little. "As Skye is the seer of Twilight, Eye is the seer of the Blue. But," he waggled a finger. Just what did Jocelyn see in this guy anyway? I mean really...he's such a dork. "Eye is not limited to that. She's also a master genius of the old technology, and a great strategist. Seeing the future helps in that part. Her active powers are paralysis and x-ray or just about any kind of vision. Her dress size is..."

"General, how do you know so much?" Catsyile trudged past. "After all, you have never met her."

Xas stumbled. "Well...I did a little snooping..."

"See to it you don't do so again. It is none of your business." Catsyile said in a suddenly hard voice.

I pondered over this. The scenery around us was covered with sparse forest, cut by the one dusty, steep path we were currently hiking upwards on. And from the looks of it, we had still ALOT of mountain to cover.

"Just WHERE is this base anyway? And who's stupid idea was it to put it this high!?" Nando complained, huffing up the trail beside an equally annoyed Jocelyn.

Hehehe.

"Mine actually," Quami said brightly.

Both women shot him a look of imminent death.

"Uh..." The male elf grinned. "The mountain base is well hidden and even flying on disks, the altitude is too high, and the wind velocity is too high for anyone other than those that know where they're going to find it. Most get utterly lost. The base is more of a vacation cabin than anything really. It's set away from any kind of civilisation and cannot be seen by the naked eye unless you're standing RIGHT infront of it."

"Good thing Leesha didn't take us then," Ai commented.

Leesha, still adorning orange hair, smiled in apology. She was currently tied by a length of rope to Ai since the lost girl had kept wandering off with the worst sense of direction you could ever imagine.

"How much longer?" Jocelyn asked between rasps of breath.

Catsyile looked up and pointed.

Our eyes wandered up all the way up the mountain following her finger. It was pointed at the highest snow covered top, shadowed in the clouds.

"WHAAAT!?!"

The Water Master laughed in that throaty giggle of hers. "Don't worry. It isn't as hard as it seems."

"Says you." I heard Jocelyn mutter. I just stared at the far off slope in horror.

Kayashi stared and smirked. "No problem."

"What....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" My feet flew from the ground wildly as the winds lashed around me, turning everything around me into a blur. I took a deep breath before I let out another scream. This was NOT the best way to travel...

Ugh...I think I'm going to be sick.

"Thunder! Obey my command!" A voice roared over the winds, though I barely heard through my churning nausea. "Cloud wave!"

The next thing I knew, I was sitting on something soft and fluffy, Jocelyn sitting beside me like a plank of wood and no doubt wearing the same shade of green. I looked down and nearly choked.

We. Were. Sitting. On. A. Freaking. Cloud.

And just about a gazillion metres above ground level, staring right at the rock face.

"Pretty impressive huh Budimon?" Nando said cheekily atop her own cloud, flashing brightly every now and then with her power.

I dared to glance down again and recoiled. That is way too far for comfort. Jocelyn looked like a pale, green iron bar now. Oh yeah, the heights phobia. "THIS is what you call masking your power?" I managed to choke out.

Kayashi kept her eyes closed as she floated past, going ever upwards. "Wind and clouds are normal. A giant, fire breathing dragon is not."

"Nando, go more to the left," Catsyile instructed.

The Thunder Master shrugged. "Sure, but I can only take these so far. The density needed to hold us needs too much moisture and oxygen to be supported that high. Bout 3/4 of the way I guess."

"Now this is how travelling should be all the time," Xas was laid out, arms resting behind his head and sunk into the dewy softness of his cloud, a annoying smile on his face.

Ai, who shared a cloud with Catsyile was fidgeting nervously, grabbing onto the Water Master for support. Leesha and Bibi looked uncertainly down on their own cloud, Leesha taking the time to spit down at Blackstar. Quami and Imrhien were serenity made real as they sat in lotus position on theirs.

And here I was with a stone granite block of a partner, me pretty freaked out, Jocelyn scared out of her wits, and looking forward to MORE mountain climbing. Wonderful.
Just freaking great.

     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Actually it wasn't so bad. Sure the winds were a little harsh up here, but it was pretty warm. At least I thought so. The people behind me were shaking and huddled behind me as they struggled in the snow.

Kayashi was shivering and chanting to lay the winds off us.

Actually I kinda liked the winds.

"H-h-how can you stand it?" Ai stuttered.

I looked at her, confused. "Stand what? The weather's fine. I dunno why you guys are so cold. It's just a tad chilly, more like spring breeze. Not even cold!"

They stared at me incredulously.

"O-o-one thing about t-t-this base is that only sorcerors like my Sister who's p-p-power is Ice can stand the extreme temperatures for long," Catsyile wrapped her shawl closely around herself.

I shrugged again. Though I couldn't see much as a blizzard was roaring, turning the surface and the air into white nothingness, what I could see was beautiful. Having never seen or touched real snow, being able to watch as the soft flakes floated down was so pretty. I was in my element so to speak.

My hand reached in my clothes to pull Betty the rock out, not sure why I was doing so. Slowly, the surface of the stone shifted to a pale blue, and grew warm in my palm. I tore my eyes off it, waving an arm in a sudden urge. "Stop."

The air shifted, and it was no longer even the slightest bit chilly, though snow still fell in a silent roar. A shadow shone through the snow. Don't ask how a shadow shines, that was the best way to describe it.

"Come on!" I shouted down at the still shivering hikers before trudging uphill vigorously, on edge and brimming with curiosity.

I didn't look back as I walked, surroundings of the blizzard blurring as I slowed to a fast walk, what I did best really. I realised we were nearing the top of the mountain, and the atmosphere was getting thinner. Yet I breathed with no trouble. Warmth emitted from the rock in my palm.

My eyes widened as I saw the sheer pale cream my skin had become. The snow that landed was being absorbed! Uh...is this good?

A sudden breeze shot by, but my hair didn't move. I ran my fingers along the top of my hair, shakily taking in the sight of what looked like a living statue's arm moving. The whole length of my hair had frozen solid. I realised so was my eyes. I couldn't blink anymore, but still moved with fluid solidity, but the small movements of my body had stopped, and I felt no pain from them stopping or the need to move them. My vision was getting better as well seeing easily through the snow as if it was only a thin mist, not a blizzard.

I was getting freaked out.

The shining shadow ahead was growing brighter, the air was thinning, but it didn't bother me as I'm pretty sure my lungs had stopped moving, and that I wasn't breathing. Strangely this didn't bother me as much as I would've thought it would. I turned my unblinking eyes backward slightly and waved an arm. I felt magic come over my friends in a shield, blocking them from the snow.

I looked at my arm again, and only my palm remained skin tone from the warmth of Betty. The rest of my arm was now as pale and white as ice, but I could still move it normally. I was expecting the rush of skipped heartbeats any moment signalling my panicking, or possible death. It was surreal.

My legs took me to a vertical wall that went straight up from a smooth plane. The shadowy glow was coming from the top of this wall, that barely had any holds, a wall of ice as it happened.

Without hesitation my hand dug itself in the wall and went into it like a hot knife on butter. So did my feet. I didn't fall. Betty I encased in a box of ice, which I circled around my neck, the warmth still heating my skin just below my collar bone.

Briefly I thought about what would happen if I fell, would I shatter the way I was now?

I just looked up and started to climb, my hand digging into the ice easily and holding, never feeling strain, only the slight acknowledgement of movement in my body, like a statue. It was perfect calm and perfect silence, besides the wind, not even the sound of my own breath or heart interrupting this bliss as I climbed.

"ALITA! You're crazy!"

I looked down for a moment, and saw the very tiny figure of my friends, encased in a blue bubble. I stared longer and the cloud of snow blocking my vision parted, and I saw them watching me with worry, centering on my black clothes.

"It isn't safe to go that way!" Catsyile's voice carried through the moisture in the air. Kayashi having being the first to call in the wind.

I spared another glance as I moved further up. Their voices were annoying. I wanted the perfect calm again. The state of unfeeling, and just being.

"ANITA!!!"

That was Jocelyn's real voice, shouting out in panic.

A rumbled sounded around me. I looked up and saw the ice start to shatter and fall toward me, large lethal chunks. Avalanche. I moved a hand, palm open towards the falling debris.

"Ice beam."

A blast of ice sent the debris back, welding it back into the perfect wall it once was. I glanced again down to the group below, Catsyile who was searching for the hidden way up.

"Baka." My voice was a rain of snow on Jocelyn.

Again, without turning, I continued, clearing thoughts from my mind, returning to my bliss, centering on the glow that grew steadily brighter.

Finally, my hand reached into nothing but air and I levelled my palm against the new found plain, pulling myself easily up. I stood, a statue unmoving, staring in awe.

The top of the mountain was actually a crater, surrounded by a rim of solid rock, coated in ice. In the centre, a deep chasm, kilometres thick was lighted below by thousands of lights, like a city, and in the middle, where the tops of the spires stretched towards the sky, stood a castle of pure ice, coned in a shield of magic and protected from the elements. The magic gave off a sense of familiarity that told me it protected something precious. Something more than just a base for some rebellion. Treasure encased in ice.

The soft light shining from the castle brightening the whole crater, but it was not the thing that gave off the shadow glow that perked my curiosity.

Atop the tallest tower spire, was a globe of power, holding inside a woman. Her long hair imprisoned much like Skye's was swirling in a pool around her kneeling form, eyes of iridescent green staring directly at me curtained by stunning amber brown hair. Her clothing, layers upon layers of robes in a formal match of white, red and pink, spread angelically. But it was her power that gave off that glow, a shadowy shine atop that globe of hers, like a bubble mixing in all colours at once.

I met her gaze unblinkingly, the wind and snow having weaving around me, controlled in lazy patterns by my power. I knew this woman.

"So we finally meet, Alita Battle Angel, Master of Ice, traveller and deceiver from another world. I am Eye. Welcome to the new Temple of Blue, welcome home." She smiled.

I looked at her indifferently, pulling memories from my mind. Memories of a girl with shining shoulder length brown hair and dark chocolate eyes, laughing at her own twisted yet funny jokes.

In front of me was a woman, a Seer.

Ailee.

Eye was Ailee.

With the barest thoughtless smile, never taking my gaze from hers, I stepped off the edge of the rim and dropped.

Warmth flooded me as I shattered through the barrier, plummeting like a vase pushed from the edge of a table, making no attempt to slow or heighten my fall.

Slowly I started to feel again.

But all I wanted was the cold stillness again, even as heat bared on my marble sheeted body. But for once, I didn't want to forget. But to remember.

This place...this place is mine.

END CHAPTER 6

Beta readers, do ya stuff. Next pov has been decided...and now I have a plot! Good on people if they figure it out! I can still fit a few people in name, power and description to those that wanna piece of the action. Oh yes, sorry about the Vince scene, that had me shrinking away in disgust while I wrote, and Betty the rock is actually a person who wanted to be, you guessed it, a rock. Deal with it. Hopefully I'll get TOC7 out soon. Don't get your hopes up, I need to work on my other fics.

~Anita.D.