| Phase 4 � So how old are you now?� � Twenty.� � No way!� Bart yelled. � How can you age an extra three years?!� I put my hand over my face and shook my head, sighing. � Bart, Shevat�s aging is three years faster than everyone else�s, remember? I pulled that on the whole ship for months until I trusted you.� � . . . Oh yeah.� I rolled my eyes. � Bart, sometimes you�re too audacious for your own good.� � What do you mean �sometimes�?� Sig quipped from behind Bart. Bart whirled on Sig. � Stop! You�re always on her side!� Sig gave him a suffering look. � Young Master. By this time you should have learned to cover for your own a---� He cut himself off and glanced at me, then finished with: � attitude.� � Don�t start that again!� � What do you mean?� came the innocent reply. � You started it, as usual.� My eyes rolled again. I wonder if they do this all the time or just when I�m around. I hopped down to the lower area of the bridge and Fei followed. � Kris, how old are you really?� � What do you mean I started it?!� I shrugged. � I�m seventeen.� � Well you usually, and have, started every fight I can think of.� He frowned. � Weird . . .� � . . . ?! Yeah right! And you tell me not to lie!� � What?� I asked. � As I�ve said before, it�s your temper.� � I was just . . .� Fei paused to think. � You�re awfully mature for seventeen.� � My temper?! What the hell are you talking about?! I don�t have a temper!� � And you aren�t particularly mature for eighteen?� I shot back. � How can you say that? You�ve let it control you since day one!� He shrugged thoughtfully. � I don�t think so.� � And you would know . . . how? You weren�t even around for day one!� I gestured up at Bart. � Well look at him.� � Who said I wasn�t?� � Yeah, but . . .� Fei trailed. � He�s Bart.� � I did!� � True. However, he�s pretty close to a normal teen. Argumentative, rebellious, brash . . .� � Well you�re completely wrong.� � Oh, I see.� I looked up at the upper bridge. Bart was standing totally still, staring disbelievingly at Sig. Fei leaned toward me. � Is he okay?� I nodded. � Sig said �The Word�.� � Wrong?� Fei inquired doubtfully. � Yep. Bart doesn�t like to be wrong. It�s like a cuss word to him.� Bart�s visible eye glinted and I knew what he was going to do right away. I leapt up onto the bridge in front of Sig as he lunged and took the full force of his right hook. My head snapped to the side and my neck ached protestingly. Sig caught me as I stumbled back. I straightened and put my jaw back together. Everyone on the bridge winced at the noise. I narrowed my eyes at Bart (who looked positively horrified), then turned my glare on Sig. � Quit arguing. Besides the stir it�ll cause with command, people�ll think you�re father and son.� � I look nothing like him!� both snarled. � I don�t care what you think. I�m telling you what other people will think.� That made Bart mad again. � Stop defending everyone!� � And it�s a wonder I�m not psychotic from the verbal abuse.� � Damn it, Kris!� � Yes?� I asked pleasantly. � You . . .�--He started to let out a string of curses and names, but then realized he�d only be proving me right.--� Fei, Citan, and I are going into Bledavik.� I pointed at him. � You almost said it!� � Kris, please. I don�t want to have to rip out your lungs.� Undaunted, I continued. � You almost said it! You almost said it!� � Kris . . .� � Let�s go!� I shouted, catching the warning tone. � I love Bledavik!� � What are you talking about?� Bart snorted. � You�ve never been there!� � Who says, Prince Bartholomew!� He scowled. � Don�t call me that!� *>*<* � You wait here,� Bart told Fei and Citan quietly. � I�ll go in and wake Kris to tell her that we�re at my hideout.� � Okay, but what�s the water for?� Fei inquired, pointing at the glass of water in the prince�s hand. Bart grinned cruelly. � It�s why you two should wait against the wall while I wake her.� � And why would you be doing such a thing with a glass of water?� Citan questioned. Fei caught on. � No, Bart!� he hissed. � Kris hates it when people wake her up with water!� An even more devilish look appeared on Bart�s face. � I know.� He turned and disappeared into the room.Fei grabbed Citan�s arm and pulled him against the far wall. � Just so you know, Doc, Bart�s attempting suicide. Start thinking about something to say at his funeral.� *>*<* I half-registered the coldness that filled my mouth. Then I breathed in. I sat up, coughing violently. Looking around, I spotted Bart holding a glass of water that was two-thirds full. I could guess about the other third. � Hi, Kris,� Bart said, standing in a fencing position. His left arm was in the air and his right was in front of him, the glass in his hand. � Just dropped by to tell you that we�re at my hideout.� � Bart!� I roared. He thrust his arm forward, throwing the water in my face and silencing me. Then, with a satisfied smirk, he tore from my room. � Clear the way!� I heard him yell. � The tidal wave�s coming!� I raced after Bart, easily keeping pace with him. � You die, small fry!� � Says you!� � Hey Sig!� I called, drawing his attention. � Prepare Bart�s casket!� � Sure thing, Kris,� was the distracted reply. � Oh, good one, Sig! Encourage her, why don�t you?!� � Well if you do, why can�t I?� � Never mind,� Bart muttered. � You�re mine!� I cried. He stopped and turned as I jumped. � Oh~h shit.� I tackled him on the gun room floor and straddled his waist. � Try and get out of this one.� I pulled my knife out of my belt and held it at the side of his neck, poised to kill. He watched it fearfully. � Nighty-night,� I said maliciously, pushing the knife into his neck. His eyes shut and he went limp under me. I stuck the gag weapon back into its place, then tried to wake him. � Bart. Hey, Bart.� No response. � What�s wrong, Kris?� Sig asked as he and Maison came over. I looked up. � I think I killed him.� � What?!� Both dropped beside me. � Yeah.� I nodded as I felt along his throat for a pulse. � I used that gag knife that I have---� I stopped. � Kris?� I looked up at them again. � He fainted. He fainted! Like a prissy little girl!� They sighed in relief. � Little scaredy-cat,� I continued. � Bart. Bart. Hey, Prince Bartholomew! Wake up!� Of course, he woke up after I strung his title and full first name together. � Wha---? The knife . . . Kris!� I rolled my eyes as I sat back and drew the weapon again. � Bart, remember when I told you about how I faked my own death against the enemies I couldn�t beat? Well this is the weapon of choice I showed you before.� He reached up and felt his neck, then checked his hand. � But . . .� I stood and went to the side. � A demonstration?� Pulling the knife away, I held it pointed toward me. � No, Kris, it�s---� I jammed the weapon into my stomach, let my eyes roll back into my head, and, faking choking and gagging noises, thumped heavily to the floor and laid perfectly still. � Kris!� Uh oh. Fei. I rolled to my back, up onto my neck, and flipped to my feet. Spinning, I was face-to-face with my terrified brother. � Were you trying to kill yourself?!� he wailed, twisting one of my waterlogged locks around his finger nervously. Which brings me to the conclusion that old habits never die, even if you lose your memory. He did that all the time when we were kids. I gently untangled his finger. � No, Fei. Calm down. It was just a gag knife.� � It looked real,� he whimpered. � The entire thing did.� � I�m glad I�m such a good actor.� � Kris!� � I�m sorry I scared you. I didn�t mean it.� As soon as I finished freeing his one hand, the other shot up and worked on the other lock. I sighed and let it go. � Promise you won�t ever do it again?� � I can promise I won�t kill myself. As for not faking it, I won�t be able to keep that one.� � Kris!� he cried. � What if I ran into trouble I couldn�t handle? Like Grahf? Would you want me to fake suicide or let him kill or take me away?� Fei wrapped his finger tighter and pulled on the lock at the sound of Grahf�s name, making me wince. � Just promise to never fake your death around me unless it�s an emergency.� � Promise, Fei. Now please let go of my hair before you tear it from my head and make me bald.� � Huh? Oh. Sorry.� With a small flick of his wrist, his finger was free. He was still shaking, so I hugged him. � Calm down, Fei. Everything�s fine.� � I know,� he murmured. � But it looked so real.� � Here.� I pulled back and put two fingers against his temple. Shutting my eyes, I found the scene replaying over and over in his head. It did look quite real. I placed a temporary block around the memory. � There.� � What�d you do? I can�t even think of it. Not that I mind, but . . .� � There�s a block around it. It�ll last until tomorrow morning. Hopefully, you will have calmed down by then.� � Thanks.� � Anytime.� I went to Bart and offered my hand. � Why in the world did you faint?� � Dehydration?� he answered, shrugging. � Did you actually think I�d kill you?� � You never know.� � Come on, Bart. Was I like that before?� � People change.� � Well I�m not �people�!� I snapped. � I�m Kris! The one who�s a born klutz and is even more highly flawed than any of the other characters of Creation! If that isn�t good enough, I�m sorry!� I stormed out and returned to my room to flop down on my bed. I buried my face in the pillow and tried not to cry. Faintly, I heard the door slide open and a moment later a strong, reassuring hand rested between my shoulder blades. I took in a shaky breath and let it out in a huff. � I feel real stupid now, Sig. Why did I blow up at him?� � Stress, Kris. He understands.� I turned and looked up at him. � I guess. I might as well go find him.� He smiled and patted my back comfortingly. � I think he�s in the Gear bay preparing to move the Gears to the hideout for repair and upgrade.� � Thanks, Sig.� He bent down and kissed my forehead. � You�re welcome.� <--Phase 3 Phase 5--> |