A tall man dressed in black armor stood before us, his chestnut stallion pawing the ground and snorted beside him.
"I am here for these two." the knight said, pointing at Faalan and Khanna.
"Why do you want us?" Faalan replied cooly.
"These two are demon children and by request of the villagers, are to be executed. If you do not comply, you will be taken by force."
"We will never come with you!" Khanna shouted, eyes blazing with fury.
"Then I have no choice." He unsheathed his sword, the metal blade glinting in the light.
"Leave him to me." Kaija murmured quietly, pulling out twin swords.
"I can't let you do that, Kaija." Faalan said quietly, with sad eyes. His arm jerked up suddenly and his hand smashed into Kaija's head. Kaija's eyes widened, then closed as he collapsed to the ground. I scurried to his side, making sure if he was going to be okay.
"I'm sorry, my friend, but I can't let you get in trouble on my account." he whispered mournfully. Both he and Khanna sunk into defensive poses, Faalan with his fists up and Khanna with her palms facing the man. The knight let out a battle cry as he charged towards my two friends, holding his sword above his head, ready to slice them down. I watched, concerned and worried about what would happen. I wanted to interfere, but if I did, I might end up like Kaija. I would rather watch and try to assist them by telling them if there was an attack coming. Or...maybe not. I was never so great at predicting movements.
Khanna's fingers twitched ever so slightly, and a portal appeared in front of the knight. As soon as he disappeared into it, another one appeared in the air and he fell out, falling towards the ground. He landed with a loud thump and he muttered to himself as he stood up.
"I didn't want to do this, but I guess I have to." he said. He lifted an arm and all the armor became like water, flowing to his hand. Apparently, the man's gift was to do with metal. His sword's blade, which was lying on the ground, also became liquid and flowed to his hand. A large mass of quivering metal lay in his hand. What he could do with it, I had no clue.
Suddenly, the metal jerked out and struck Khanna, piercing through her chest. Her eyes grew big and blood spurted out of her mouth as she fell backwards. The metal shot back to the man, now stained with Khanna's blood.
"Urg... Faalan...." she choked out, blood spilling down her chin.
"KHANNA!!!" he screamed, running to her side, cradling her in his arms. I followed suit, gently stroking her head to try and calm her shaking.
"I...I'm dying aren't I? Yes...of..course... Re...member... Faalan...brother...I... I love you." she gasped out, her life blood pouring out of her heart and mouth, staining the vibrant, green grass underfoot.
"Khanna..." I whispered, looking into her pain-filled, golden eyes.
"Fa..fala... I lo...ove...you too..." she sighed out with her last breath. Her eyes dulled, and a filmy white mist covered her them. Her body grew limp and she moved no longer.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! KHANNA!!!! You can't die on me! You can't, NO! I promised I would take care of you, I promised..." he sobbed, tears streaming freely down his anguished face. I said nothing, only stared at Khanna's still form, my own tears flowing to the ground. I couldn't say anything. My throat constricted with sadness. The world was spinning around me. Colors blurred and the last thing I remembered was looking at the ground before it was all dark.
"Fala?" came a shaky voice. I forced open my eyes, trying to remember what had occurred.
"Thank goodness you're awake now." I found myself staring into worried, silver eyes. It was Kaija.
"Wha' happ'nd?" I slurred, my mouth unable to function properly.
"Khanna's dead. Faalan killed the knight in a fit of fury. When I regained conciousness, I found him hugging her body, shaking and whispering that he loved her." I jerked up, looking around at my surroundings. The knight lay face forward in a pool of blood. The corpse was pitted with holes and massive cuts ran deep into it. His horse stood nearby, looking peacefully around and chewing on a clump of grass. Faalan was covered in blood, crying over Khanna's body. I couldn't say anything. My stomach turned at the gory scene and I couldn't hold the feeling rising in my throat. I turned my head away, bringing up what I had eaten. As I convulsed, Kaija rubbed me gently on my back, not joking at all.
"Ugh... Sorry..." I whispered, voice quivering.
"No biggie." he murmured softly into my ear.
Nearby, Faalan lifted up his tear stained face. The pain and agony in his eyes was enough to break anyone's heart.
"Please. Help me bury her." he choked out. No explanation was needed to know that the person he was referring to was Khanna.
He lifted up a section of dirt with his mind and both Kaija and I lowered Khanna gently into the pit.
"I love you, Khanna." Faalan whispered softly, stoking her pale cheek one last time. Then, the dirt lowered over her and she was gone.
Kaija pulled Faalan into a hug, silently comforting his friend. I could do nothing but close my eyes and hold the tears in.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
5. Shopping
"Where exactly are we shopping?" I inquired. We had been walking for a long time, longer than I had ever walked before in such a short amount of time. I wasn't tired, but my legs were beginning to feel sore.
"Oh, you'll see." Khanna replied, smiling mischievously. Faalan remained silent. His eyes were slightly unfocused. He seemed to be thinking about something.
Presently, we saw a cave and a man sitting nearby, staring off into the distance. His long golden-almost white- hair fell to his shoulders, swaying in the breeze.
"Oi! Kaija!" Faalan hollered, hands cupping his mouth. The man whipped around, searching for the the source of the noise.
"Oh, Faalan!" Kaija shouted back when he realized who it was. The two apparently knew each other well, for as soon as they came closer, they pulled each other into a bear hug.
"Where have you been?" Kaija chided Faalan jokingly.
"Nice to see you again too, Kaija!" Faalan replied, rolling his eyes.
"So, what brings you here again? And who is the newcomer?"
"Oh, her. She's Fala."
"Nice to meet you." I said quietly, looking down and fiddling with the flute in my hands.
"Ah, a shy one." Kaija said, smiling gently when I looked up again.
"Getting to the point," interrupted Khanna, "we need to buy some instruments. Or at least try some out."
"Instruments.... I have a lyre and a drum." Kaija declared after rifling through various boxes in the cave.
"We'll try the lyre." Faalan said firmly, stretching out a hand to take the lyre. Kaija muttered something about it improper to try an instrument and not buy it, but Khanna shut him up with a glare that could send shivers down anyone's spine.
"Try it." Faalan urged, holding out to the lyre to me. Not complaining, I took the simple wooden lyre from his hands. It was made simply, just the bare essentials. There were no elaborate carvings or paintings, but it was carved with loving care. At least, that was the sort of emotion I was getting from just holding it.
The lyre seemed to call out to me as soon as I touched the smooth wood, just like the flute had. Once again, I found my body moving on its own accord, shifting to play the instrument. Chords drifted through the air. Breathing in deeply, I felt an inner calmness; it was just so peaceful and beautiful in this past world. I also felt the love and dedication it took to make the instrument.
When I finished, the last few notes seemed to hang in the air as if they didn't want to leave. The last echoes of the music faded and I looked around to see Faalan, Khanna, and Kaija with calm expressions on their faces.
"That music...it seemed to calm the soul..." Kaija murmured, losing the joking tone he had before. His face had the expression of a completely relaxed person.
"I can't feel angry at anything at the moment." Khanna remarked.
"The melody was enchanting. It was like a spell. I found myself breathing with the ups and downs of the tune." Faalan said. "It seems that you can work your powers through other instruments."
"That's her power?" Kaija questioned.
"Apparently so." I smiled lightly, still in a happy state of bliss from playing.
"Ironic...." I looked toward Kaija, confused at what he meant.
"How so?"
"Mines is dancing with weapons. They're both forms of art." His eyes glowed silver; I hadn't realized his eyes were that color until that moment.
"I see what you mean now...sort of."
"Perhaps this means we were meant for one another." he said huskily, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me to his side, his hand starting to slip downwards into my skirt.
"LET GO OF ME YOU PERVERT!" I screamed, tearing myself from his side. My heart pounded and my breath caught in my throat. It was way too sudden and I had only known the guy for what, two minutes?
"Kaija, I never knew you were that kind of person..." Faalan chuckled. Khanna let me fall into her waiting arms and pulled me close her her protectively.
"What is wrong with you, Kaija?!" she yelled at him. "You've only known Fala for such a short amount of time!"
Kaija's face flushed bright red in his embarrassment.
"Aww.... But she's cute...." he stuttered. Then my own face burst into shades of red too. To tell the truth, he was a little cute too, but I loved Tahi. At least, that's what I told myself. But Kaija was the opposite of myself, playful, fun, and cheerful. I'd always admired people who could do things that I couldn't bring myself to do. But Tahi... And I always thought that boys with long hair were cute. But I couldn't possibly...could I? Had I fallen for the boy that I had only known for such a short period of time? I hoped not. I always considered myself faithful to Tahi.
The days past as we spent more time where Kaija lived. He constantly got new merchandise to sell and more instruments passed through my hands. Every one that I tried was compatible with my gift. Kaija showed me his own gift, the graceful dancing with deadly weapons. It was incredible to watch him, the weapons flashing in the sun. His favorite weapons were the twin swords he carried on his sides.
Faalan and Khanna helped me to train. They eventually eased me off of wearing my shoes, and soon, I felt more comfortable without shoes than with. I found that I didn't have to submit to the wills of my gift drawing me to the instruments. I learned that I could control it so that I could play as usual, just not controlling the listeners.
They also helped me with my fighting skills. For Kaija, it came naturally, so he couldn't really help to explain. But the two siblings had trained themselves. They mainly used daggers, and that was what I was taught to use, but they had decent skill with other weapons, so they taught me all they could with swords and things I couldn't figure out what the name was. I suppose that's unimportant, seeing as you don't really need to know the name of something to defend yourself or kill someone. Although, I really hoped that it wouldn't come to that. But deep inside, I had the feeling something bad was going to happen.
I settled on the flute and lyre, for they were the first two that I played with my gift. Kaija found me a pouch that could hang in front of me, holding the flute snugly within. For the lyre, he produced a side belt of sorts that crossed in front and in back, allowing the lyre to hang by my side.
Over the days, I became stronger than I ever had been, and I found my strength was in my speed. In all other areas, I was lacking, for I was small and weaker than the other three. However, with my speed, I could dodge most of the attacks that were directed toward me in training. Still, I tired easily, so I learned to defend myself well and attack only when it was advantageous. I trained mostly with Khanna, for she and I understood each other the most. Although I did practice with Kaija a couple times, I ended up trying to avoid him because he was much stronger than I was. When I trained with Faalan...something made it awkward for me. I enjoyed being with him, but whenever I touched him, it was as if a bolt of electricity ran into my system. It was confusing for me at the time because I considered him my great-grandfather, which would have been incest if we had gotten into a relationship.
Even with my discomfort with being around Kaija and my awkwardness with Faalan, I began to feel as if I had been around them my whole life and treated them as if they were my siblings. I never had siblings, and the closest I ever had to one before I met these three had been Tahi. I enjoyed my days with them, feeling an inner calm as I never had before. However, I suspected it wouldn't last. And I was right, for the black knight came, like an angel of death swooping down to take us away.
"Oh, you'll see." Khanna replied, smiling mischievously. Faalan remained silent. His eyes were slightly unfocused. He seemed to be thinking about something.
Presently, we saw a cave and a man sitting nearby, staring off into the distance. His long golden-almost white- hair fell to his shoulders, swaying in the breeze.
"Oi! Kaija!" Faalan hollered, hands cupping his mouth. The man whipped around, searching for the the source of the noise.
"Oh, Faalan!" Kaija shouted back when he realized who it was. The two apparently knew each other well, for as soon as they came closer, they pulled each other into a bear hug.
"Where have you been?" Kaija chided Faalan jokingly.
"Nice to see you again too, Kaija!" Faalan replied, rolling his eyes.
"So, what brings you here again? And who is the newcomer?"
"Oh, her. She's Fala."
"Nice to meet you." I said quietly, looking down and fiddling with the flute in my hands.
"Ah, a shy one." Kaija said, smiling gently when I looked up again.
"Getting to the point," interrupted Khanna, "we need to buy some instruments. Or at least try some out."
"Instruments.... I have a lyre and a drum." Kaija declared after rifling through various boxes in the cave.
"We'll try the lyre." Faalan said firmly, stretching out a hand to take the lyre. Kaija muttered something about it improper to try an instrument and not buy it, but Khanna shut him up with a glare that could send shivers down anyone's spine.
"Try it." Faalan urged, holding out to the lyre to me. Not complaining, I took the simple wooden lyre from his hands. It was made simply, just the bare essentials. There were no elaborate carvings or paintings, but it was carved with loving care. At least, that was the sort of emotion I was getting from just holding it.
The lyre seemed to call out to me as soon as I touched the smooth wood, just like the flute had. Once again, I found my body moving on its own accord, shifting to play the instrument. Chords drifted through the air. Breathing in deeply, I felt an inner calmness; it was just so peaceful and beautiful in this past world. I also felt the love and dedication it took to make the instrument.
When I finished, the last few notes seemed to hang in the air as if they didn't want to leave. The last echoes of the music faded and I looked around to see Faalan, Khanna, and Kaija with calm expressions on their faces.
"That music...it seemed to calm the soul..." Kaija murmured, losing the joking tone he had before. His face had the expression of a completely relaxed person.
"I can't feel angry at anything at the moment." Khanna remarked.
"The melody was enchanting. It was like a spell. I found myself breathing with the ups and downs of the tune." Faalan said. "It seems that you can work your powers through other instruments."
"That's her power?" Kaija questioned.
"Apparently so." I smiled lightly, still in a happy state of bliss from playing.
"Ironic...." I looked toward Kaija, confused at what he meant.
"How so?"
"Mines is dancing with weapons. They're both forms of art." His eyes glowed silver; I hadn't realized his eyes were that color until that moment.
"I see what you mean now...sort of."
"Perhaps this means we were meant for one another." he said huskily, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me to his side, his hand starting to slip downwards into my skirt.
"LET GO OF ME YOU PERVERT!" I screamed, tearing myself from his side. My heart pounded and my breath caught in my throat. It was way too sudden and I had only known the guy for what, two minutes?
"Kaija, I never knew you were that kind of person..." Faalan chuckled. Khanna let me fall into her waiting arms and pulled me close her her protectively.
"What is wrong with you, Kaija?!" she yelled at him. "You've only known Fala for such a short amount of time!"
Kaija's face flushed bright red in his embarrassment.
"Aww.... But she's cute...." he stuttered. Then my own face burst into shades of red too. To tell the truth, he was a little cute too, but I loved Tahi. At least, that's what I told myself. But Kaija was the opposite of myself, playful, fun, and cheerful. I'd always admired people who could do things that I couldn't bring myself to do. But Tahi... And I always thought that boys with long hair were cute. But I couldn't possibly...could I? Had I fallen for the boy that I had only known for such a short period of time? I hoped not. I always considered myself faithful to Tahi.
The days past as we spent more time where Kaija lived. He constantly got new merchandise to sell and more instruments passed through my hands. Every one that I tried was compatible with my gift. Kaija showed me his own gift, the graceful dancing with deadly weapons. It was incredible to watch him, the weapons flashing in the sun. His favorite weapons were the twin swords he carried on his sides.
Faalan and Khanna helped me to train. They eventually eased me off of wearing my shoes, and soon, I felt more comfortable without shoes than with. I found that I didn't have to submit to the wills of my gift drawing me to the instruments. I learned that I could control it so that I could play as usual, just not controlling the listeners.
They also helped me with my fighting skills. For Kaija, it came naturally, so he couldn't really help to explain. But the two siblings had trained themselves. They mainly used daggers, and that was what I was taught to use, but they had decent skill with other weapons, so they taught me all they could with swords and things I couldn't figure out what the name was. I suppose that's unimportant, seeing as you don't really need to know the name of something to defend yourself or kill someone. Although, I really hoped that it wouldn't come to that. But deep inside, I had the feeling something bad was going to happen.
I settled on the flute and lyre, for they were the first two that I played with my gift. Kaija found me a pouch that could hang in front of me, holding the flute snugly within. For the lyre, he produced a side belt of sorts that crossed in front and in back, allowing the lyre to hang by my side.
Over the days, I became stronger than I ever had been, and I found my strength was in my speed. In all other areas, I was lacking, for I was small and weaker than the other three. However, with my speed, I could dodge most of the attacks that were directed toward me in training. Still, I tired easily, so I learned to defend myself well and attack only when it was advantageous. I trained mostly with Khanna, for she and I understood each other the most. Although I did practice with Kaija a couple times, I ended up trying to avoid him because he was much stronger than I was. When I trained with Faalan...something made it awkward for me. I enjoyed being with him, but whenever I touched him, it was as if a bolt of electricity ran into my system. It was confusing for me at the time because I considered him my great-grandfather, which would have been incest if we had gotten into a relationship.
Even with my discomfort with being around Kaija and my awkwardness with Faalan, I began to feel as if I had been around them my whole life and treated them as if they were my siblings. I never had siblings, and the closest I ever had to one before I met these three had been Tahi. I enjoyed my days with them, feeling an inner calm as I never had before. However, I suspected it wouldn't last. And I was right, for the black knight came, like an angel of death swooping down to take us away.
4. Found
"So.... Why do you two live alone? And why do you live so high up?" I questioned, as we stood on the highest level of the intricate tree-house.
"Well.... The villagers never exactly trusted us, so we left." I was a little confused why they would be treated in that manner, and so I asked.
"Why didn't they trust you?" She looked thoughtful for a moment before answering with carefully chosen words.
"Our mother was considered a demon of sorts, since she had been raised by the woodland creatures of the woods. Our father was reckless and easy to anger. When our father died in battle and our mother succumbed to her long-term illness...." Khanna's voice faded and her eyes dulled with sadness that had not been there before.
"Oh.... I'm sorry..." I murmured, not knowing what to say. I knew the pain that she must have felt at the time, for my own sense of loss welled up inside of me. I had only been very young when my parents died, but I remembered the affection I felt for them and the tender way that had treated me. I still missed that sense of family and belonging that I never felt anymore. Even with Tahi, it wasn't the same. He was too...rough sometimes.
"Don't worry about it. It happened a long time ago." Khanna said, smiling brightly. But her eyes still contained an inner sadness, something that time had not been able to heal.
"So.... That still doesn't explain why you live so high up." I blurted, trying to change the subject.
"Ah. That. The villagers came after us for a while, so Faalan and I decided that we would live up high so that we wouldn't be found." Looking down, I saw a small figure moving higher and higher up.
"Thinking of Faalan, I think that's him." I pointed out. He popped up in front of us, with a grin on his face.
"Khanna, Falandra!" came his cheerful voice. He had a nasty looking black eye on his left from who knows where. We didn't even hit him there and he had a black eye. Probably gave it to himself to make us feel guilty. As if that would happen.
"Faalan." Khanna replied simply.
"I thought I told you to call me Fala..." I muttered venomously.
"Err.... Oops. Sorry. I forgot..." he replied hastily.
"No worries." I said, shrugging, losing the anger that was in me. I couldn't help it. Those golden eyes just looked so pitiful and sad when he apologized. If I hadn't known what his powers were, I would have guessed that his powers had to do with emotion control. I would think that Khanna had that as well, but I knew what her power was as well.
"So.... You've showed her around?" Faalan said to Khanna, his voice cutting through my thoughts.
"Well.... Almost." Her eyes caught his eyes and there was a moment where I think she was trying to tell him something without words.
"What do you mean almost?" he said, cocking his head inquisitively. He clearly didn't get whatever she was trying to tell him.
"We didn't see....that room." They looked at each other for a moment before he spoke.
"Oh.... That room. But she has the right to know I suppose, since she is related to us." He sounded as if that wasn't really the reason, but I wasn't sure what. The reason he gave seemed reasonable to me at the time.
"If you say so, Faalan. C'mon Fala!" Khanna said, pushing me towards a door that I had not noticed before. It had been hidden by the shadows of the leaves, and until you looked carefully, it seemed like any normal bunch of leaves.
Pushing aside the leaves as I got closer, Khanna stopped pushing me and swept around me, opening the door in the same swift motion. I peered into the dark room, and as the door opened wider, I gave a little gasp at what the light illuminated. It was an intricately carved flute, sitting on a small stand. Nearby, there were articles of furniture and clothing, but all my attention was focused on the instrument at that point.
I felt my feet moving themselves, bringing me closer and closer to the flute. My hands acted on their own accord and lifted the flute to my mouth.
What's going on? I thought. I took a breath, hoping to calm myself down, but somehow, my lips formed a shape that I had never done before, and I blew out gently. My fingers flickered up and down as the eerie sound of unfamiliar music flowed around the room.
And then, I was lost in the music. My fingers acted on instinct, playing a tune I had never heard before. My lips shifted positions and I took breaths quickly to continue the music. Soon, the music ended and the last notes drifted away with the wind.
"Wow..." I breathed out, completely shocked at what I had just done.
"What was that?" Khanna said, letting out a breath.
"I-I have no clue." I stuttered. I then realized I was still clutching the flute.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" I yelped, placing the flute back onto the stand. It was only then that I noticed Faalan.
"What's wrong, Faalan?" I asked, concerned. Tears trickled gently down his face, his eyes watery.
"That...song. Mother...she played it when I was a child. When Khanna was just barely 1...." he choked out, voice full of emotion.
"Then...the flute...that was your mother's?" I cried out in realization. He gave a sad nod as Khanna wrapped an arm tenderly around his shoulders. There was a moment of silence before Faalan wiped away his tears in a quick, sudden motion, jerking free from Khanna.
"Well, at least we know what your gift is, right?" he noted with a sad smile. He must have read Khanna's mind, because I sure didn't remember telling him about my lack of a gift.
"Do you really think...?" I thought about it a little more and I decided that it sort of made sense, but I still was doubtful.
"Yes, I do." his now calm voice replied.
"So do I." Khanna added.
"Then exactly what is it?" I wondered aloud.
"Well, it's time to figure out what it can do!" Faalan declared, as he stuck an arm towards my direction.
"Ah, wait!" I screeched as I found myself lifted off the ground.
"No worries, Fala! I got this under control!" Faalan laughed, smiling confidently, all traces of sadness gone from eyes. I considered that he might be hiding it for a moment before the world around me blurred. As I screamed and squeezed my eyes together, I felt wind blowing past me as I moved to the side, up, and then down.
"You can stop screaming now, Fala..." came a slightly annoyed voice. Upon opening my eyes, I found that my feet were on the ground and Faalan's golden orbs stared deep into mine.
"Uh... Right..." I said, flushing with embarrassment.
"I wonder...what can your gift do?" Khanna asked as she landed beside Faalan, also carried by his powers.
"And I'm supposed to know?" I said sarcastically.
"Eh he...." Khanna laughed nervously, scratching her head. "No...."
"Exactly." I replied curtly.
"Now... Let's make you a flute." Faalan said, picking up a couple of branches from the ground and whipping out a knife that seemed to come from no where. I supposed that it must have come out of underneath his cape. Though I attempted to see what was underneath the cape while he was whittling away at the hunks of wood, I couldn't see much.
"I'm done." he said simply, holding out the finished instrument in his hand.
"Thanks..." I murmured, feeling a jolt of adrenaline rush through me as I picked up the smooth, wooden flute.
"Well, play it already! I've been waiting long enough!" Khanna cutting in rudely as she leaped down from a tree she had been waiting in.
"A-alright." I stuttered nervously as I lifted the flute to my mouth. My hands shook as I took a shaky breath in.
Uncalled for, thoughts rushed through my head. Feelings that I had quashed down earlier resurfaced. I wanted to get revenge on Faalan again even though I had already beat him up enough to satisfy my need to hurt something. For no reason what so ever, the thought of how funny he would look dancing crept into my mind at the same time.
And then I played. A quick, lively tune floated through the air as my fingers flew across the flute.
"What's going on?!" Faalan shouted as his body unwillingly began to dance. My eyes widened, but I continued to play. Khanna looked like she was going to burst from trying not to laugh.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!" he screamed, looking like he was trying to stop. But he continued to dance. Beads of sweat poured down his face as he kept on going. By then, I had figured it out partially. The music was making him dance. I wanted to get revenge, and thus this had happened. This was my revenge. Somehow. I wasn't really sure how I was doing this, for I had never tried playing music before, and I hadn't heard much music in my life.
With a smile threatening to take over my face, the music intensified and Faalan danced even faster than before.
"Make....it....stop..." he panted, managing to rip off his cape while dancing. Khanna could take it no longer. She collapsed in a fit of laughter, clutching at the ground, tears beginning to stream down her face.
"Please...stop..." Faalan said, gasping in exhaustion. When I decided that my revenge was complete, I lowered the flute, a grin spreading across my face. I was still a little perplexed, but I didn't really care.
"So.... I take it that you can control people and learn songs of the past with your music." Khanna said when she recovered from her laughing fit.
"Perhaps..." I murmured, unsure of how to respond.
"Well.... How did you feel when you played the flute?" Faalan inquired.
"Uh... I wanted to get revenge at you for pushing Khanna so that she would fall on me and was also vaguely thinking of how funny you would look dancing." I said hesitantly, but laughing internally.
"So then we must assume that your feelings when you play influences what occurs. The music must take over the mind through the ears. If it is true that your feelings and thoughts influence what your music does, then you have to learn to control those two." he decided.
"I suppose so." I said, unsure of whether his theory was right or wrong.
"Now the question at hand is whether or not you can do this with other instruments."
"Then we go shopping!" Khanna yelled, right into my ear. Yelping, I clutched at my ear and winced until the last of her words stopped echoing through my head.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" I screamed at Khanna. I had sensitive hearing and her loud words had really hurt my head.
"Just wanted to see how you would react." she replied smoothly, her eyes twinkling.
I growled softly before I whipped the flute to my mouth. I wasn't sure what would happen, but as I imagined her spinning around like a top, I guessed that that was what would happen. Or at least, I hoped that it would happen. I still was relatively unfamiliar with my gift, and I was a little unsure of how it would work. But I tried to think about it in the way I did for Faalan and waited for the results.
Before Khanna could cover her ears, music flowed once again from the wooden pipe. The pony-tailed girl began to spin around and around, not stopping. Occasionally, you could see her pained face before it disappeared in a whirl of color. Convinced that she was properly punished, I stopped. Khanna's face was green and she looked like she was going to...well...you know. Her eyes were unfocused and her legs buckled underneath her. She crawled behind a nearby tree. Momentarily, retching noises filled the air.
"Ugh..." she moaned, wiping her mouth off with her hand.
"Revenge..." I laughed.
"It wasn't fair revenge!" she protested.
"Hmp. Fine. Do what you will with me." I sighed. I closed my eyes and waited for the blow to come. I heard a slight chuckle and something hard smashed into my stomach. My breath whooshed out of me and I keeled over, hands covering my middle in pain.
"Now it's fair." came Khanna's smug voice.
"What..in...the world...did...you hit...me with?" I gasped, trying to recover.
"My elbow. I got a running start." She smirked, eyes twinkling.
"Ow...." I murmured. "But fair enough."
"Now that that's settled," Faalan's amused voice cut through the air, "we go shopping, right?"
"Yes. We go shopping." Khanna declared, heading away from the their house.
"Uh...right." was all I could say. Hoping that my gift would be able to help me, I picked up the flute from the ground where it had dropped after I had been so mercilessly hit. A light, airy melody whispered through the breeze and the pain began to recede.
"Wow... Useful." I murmured softly to myself, my words lost in the wind. Faalan and Khanna walked in front of me, their bare feet padding softly on the ground.
"Now that I think of it," I started, wincing as my words came out louder than expected, "why don't you wear shoes?"
"Shoes?" Khanna laughed.
"They're so troublesome." Faalan told me.
"How are they troublesome?" I asked, completely confused.
"You can't feel the earth underneath. Our powers come from within the earth, in its core. Shoes cut you off, making your powers weaker." he explained, increasing his pace. I had to increase my speed as well, so I could keep up.
"Huh.... Interesting..." I thought aloud. This was never taught in school.
Why didn't they teach it? I shrugged and ran a bit to catch up, for Khanna and Faalan were moving faster than they were before.
"Well.... The villagers never exactly trusted us, so we left." I was a little confused why they would be treated in that manner, and so I asked.
"Why didn't they trust you?" She looked thoughtful for a moment before answering with carefully chosen words.
"Our mother was considered a demon of sorts, since she had been raised by the woodland creatures of the woods. Our father was reckless and easy to anger. When our father died in battle and our mother succumbed to her long-term illness...." Khanna's voice faded and her eyes dulled with sadness that had not been there before.
"Oh.... I'm sorry..." I murmured, not knowing what to say. I knew the pain that she must have felt at the time, for my own sense of loss welled up inside of me. I had only been very young when my parents died, but I remembered the affection I felt for them and the tender way that had treated me. I still missed that sense of family and belonging that I never felt anymore. Even with Tahi, it wasn't the same. He was too...rough sometimes.
"Don't worry about it. It happened a long time ago." Khanna said, smiling brightly. But her eyes still contained an inner sadness, something that time had not been able to heal.
"So.... That still doesn't explain why you live so high up." I blurted, trying to change the subject.
"Ah. That. The villagers came after us for a while, so Faalan and I decided that we would live up high so that we wouldn't be found." Looking down, I saw a small figure moving higher and higher up.
"Thinking of Faalan, I think that's him." I pointed out. He popped up in front of us, with a grin on his face.
"Khanna, Falandra!" came his cheerful voice. He had a nasty looking black eye on his left from who knows where. We didn't even hit him there and he had a black eye. Probably gave it to himself to make us feel guilty. As if that would happen.
"Faalan." Khanna replied simply.
"I thought I told you to call me Fala..." I muttered venomously.
"Err.... Oops. Sorry. I forgot..." he replied hastily.
"No worries." I said, shrugging, losing the anger that was in me. I couldn't help it. Those golden eyes just looked so pitiful and sad when he apologized. If I hadn't known what his powers were, I would have guessed that his powers had to do with emotion control. I would think that Khanna had that as well, but I knew what her power was as well.
"So.... You've showed her around?" Faalan said to Khanna, his voice cutting through my thoughts.
"Well.... Almost." Her eyes caught his eyes and there was a moment where I think she was trying to tell him something without words.
"What do you mean almost?" he said, cocking his head inquisitively. He clearly didn't get whatever she was trying to tell him.
"We didn't see....that room." They looked at each other for a moment before he spoke.
"Oh.... That room. But she has the right to know I suppose, since she is related to us." He sounded as if that wasn't really the reason, but I wasn't sure what. The reason he gave seemed reasonable to me at the time.
"If you say so, Faalan. C'mon Fala!" Khanna said, pushing me towards a door that I had not noticed before. It had been hidden by the shadows of the leaves, and until you looked carefully, it seemed like any normal bunch of leaves.
Pushing aside the leaves as I got closer, Khanna stopped pushing me and swept around me, opening the door in the same swift motion. I peered into the dark room, and as the door opened wider, I gave a little gasp at what the light illuminated. It was an intricately carved flute, sitting on a small stand. Nearby, there were articles of furniture and clothing, but all my attention was focused on the instrument at that point.
I felt my feet moving themselves, bringing me closer and closer to the flute. My hands acted on their own accord and lifted the flute to my mouth.
What's going on? I thought. I took a breath, hoping to calm myself down, but somehow, my lips formed a shape that I had never done before, and I blew out gently. My fingers flickered up and down as the eerie sound of unfamiliar music flowed around the room.
And then, I was lost in the music. My fingers acted on instinct, playing a tune I had never heard before. My lips shifted positions and I took breaths quickly to continue the music. Soon, the music ended and the last notes drifted away with the wind.
"Wow..." I breathed out, completely shocked at what I had just done.
"What was that?" Khanna said, letting out a breath.
"I-I have no clue." I stuttered. I then realized I was still clutching the flute.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" I yelped, placing the flute back onto the stand. It was only then that I noticed Faalan.
"What's wrong, Faalan?" I asked, concerned. Tears trickled gently down his face, his eyes watery.
"That...song. Mother...she played it when I was a child. When Khanna was just barely 1...." he choked out, voice full of emotion.
"Then...the flute...that was your mother's?" I cried out in realization. He gave a sad nod as Khanna wrapped an arm tenderly around his shoulders. There was a moment of silence before Faalan wiped away his tears in a quick, sudden motion, jerking free from Khanna.
"Well, at least we know what your gift is, right?" he noted with a sad smile. He must have read Khanna's mind, because I sure didn't remember telling him about my lack of a gift.
"Do you really think...?" I thought about it a little more and I decided that it sort of made sense, but I still was doubtful.
"Yes, I do." his now calm voice replied.
"So do I." Khanna added.
"Then exactly what is it?" I wondered aloud.
"Well, it's time to figure out what it can do!" Faalan declared, as he stuck an arm towards my direction.
"Ah, wait!" I screeched as I found myself lifted off the ground.
"No worries, Fala! I got this under control!" Faalan laughed, smiling confidently, all traces of sadness gone from eyes. I considered that he might be hiding it for a moment before the world around me blurred. As I screamed and squeezed my eyes together, I felt wind blowing past me as I moved to the side, up, and then down.
"You can stop screaming now, Fala..." came a slightly annoyed voice. Upon opening my eyes, I found that my feet were on the ground and Faalan's golden orbs stared deep into mine.
"Uh... Right..." I said, flushing with embarrassment.
"I wonder...what can your gift do?" Khanna asked as she landed beside Faalan, also carried by his powers.
"And I'm supposed to know?" I said sarcastically.
"Eh he...." Khanna laughed nervously, scratching her head. "No...."
"Exactly." I replied curtly.
"Now... Let's make you a flute." Faalan said, picking up a couple of branches from the ground and whipping out a knife that seemed to come from no where. I supposed that it must have come out of underneath his cape. Though I attempted to see what was underneath the cape while he was whittling away at the hunks of wood, I couldn't see much.
"I'm done." he said simply, holding out the finished instrument in his hand.
"Thanks..." I murmured, feeling a jolt of adrenaline rush through me as I picked up the smooth, wooden flute.
"Well, play it already! I've been waiting long enough!" Khanna cutting in rudely as she leaped down from a tree she had been waiting in.
"A-alright." I stuttered nervously as I lifted the flute to my mouth. My hands shook as I took a shaky breath in.
Uncalled for, thoughts rushed through my head. Feelings that I had quashed down earlier resurfaced. I wanted to get revenge on Faalan again even though I had already beat him up enough to satisfy my need to hurt something. For no reason what so ever, the thought of how funny he would look dancing crept into my mind at the same time.
And then I played. A quick, lively tune floated through the air as my fingers flew across the flute.
"What's going on?!" Faalan shouted as his body unwillingly began to dance. My eyes widened, but I continued to play. Khanna looked like she was going to burst from trying not to laugh.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!" he screamed, looking like he was trying to stop. But he continued to dance. Beads of sweat poured down his face as he kept on going. By then, I had figured it out partially. The music was making him dance. I wanted to get revenge, and thus this had happened. This was my revenge. Somehow. I wasn't really sure how I was doing this, for I had never tried playing music before, and I hadn't heard much music in my life.
With a smile threatening to take over my face, the music intensified and Faalan danced even faster than before.
"Make....it....stop..." he panted, managing to rip off his cape while dancing. Khanna could take it no longer. She collapsed in a fit of laughter, clutching at the ground, tears beginning to stream down her face.
"Please...stop..." Faalan said, gasping in exhaustion. When I decided that my revenge was complete, I lowered the flute, a grin spreading across my face. I was still a little perplexed, but I didn't really care.
"So.... I take it that you can control people and learn songs of the past with your music." Khanna said when she recovered from her laughing fit.
"Perhaps..." I murmured, unsure of how to respond.
"Well.... How did you feel when you played the flute?" Faalan inquired.
"Uh... I wanted to get revenge at you for pushing Khanna so that she would fall on me and was also vaguely thinking of how funny you would look dancing." I said hesitantly, but laughing internally.
"So then we must assume that your feelings when you play influences what occurs. The music must take over the mind through the ears. If it is true that your feelings and thoughts influence what your music does, then you have to learn to control those two." he decided.
"I suppose so." I said, unsure of whether his theory was right or wrong.
"Now the question at hand is whether or not you can do this with other instruments."
"Then we go shopping!" Khanna yelled, right into my ear. Yelping, I clutched at my ear and winced until the last of her words stopped echoing through my head.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" I screamed at Khanna. I had sensitive hearing and her loud words had really hurt my head.
"Just wanted to see how you would react." she replied smoothly, her eyes twinkling.
I growled softly before I whipped the flute to my mouth. I wasn't sure what would happen, but as I imagined her spinning around like a top, I guessed that that was what would happen. Or at least, I hoped that it would happen. I still was relatively unfamiliar with my gift, and I was a little unsure of how it would work. But I tried to think about it in the way I did for Faalan and waited for the results.
Before Khanna could cover her ears, music flowed once again from the wooden pipe. The pony-tailed girl began to spin around and around, not stopping. Occasionally, you could see her pained face before it disappeared in a whirl of color. Convinced that she was properly punished, I stopped. Khanna's face was green and she looked like she was going to...well...you know. Her eyes were unfocused and her legs buckled underneath her. She crawled behind a nearby tree. Momentarily, retching noises filled the air.
"Ugh..." she moaned, wiping her mouth off with her hand.
"Revenge..." I laughed.
"It wasn't fair revenge!" she protested.
"Hmp. Fine. Do what you will with me." I sighed. I closed my eyes and waited for the blow to come. I heard a slight chuckle and something hard smashed into my stomach. My breath whooshed out of me and I keeled over, hands covering my middle in pain.
"Now it's fair." came Khanna's smug voice.
"What..in...the world...did...you hit...me with?" I gasped, trying to recover.
"My elbow. I got a running start." She smirked, eyes twinkling.
"Ow...." I murmured. "But fair enough."
"Now that that's settled," Faalan's amused voice cut through the air, "we go shopping, right?"
"Yes. We go shopping." Khanna declared, heading away from the their house.
"Uh...right." was all I could say. Hoping that my gift would be able to help me, I picked up the flute from the ground where it had dropped after I had been so mercilessly hit. A light, airy melody whispered through the breeze and the pain began to recede.
"Wow... Useful." I murmured softly to myself, my words lost in the wind. Faalan and Khanna walked in front of me, their bare feet padding softly on the ground.
"Now that I think of it," I started, wincing as my words came out louder than expected, "why don't you wear shoes?"
"Shoes?" Khanna laughed.
"They're so troublesome." Faalan told me.
"How are they troublesome?" I asked, completely confused.
"You can't feel the earth underneath. Our powers come from within the earth, in its core. Shoes cut you off, making your powers weaker." he explained, increasing his pace. I had to increase my speed as well, so I could keep up.
"Huh.... Interesting..." I thought aloud. This was never taught in school.
Why didn't they teach it? I shrugged and ran a bit to catch up, for Khanna and Faalan were moving faster than they were before.
3. Treehouse
Wading across the tranquil stream, we continued through the woods in silence, just enjoying the air and nature. There was no place like this where I lived. Maybe occasionally a plant or two, but essentially, just cold, hard buildings. The only place I had seen anything like this was in pictures and photographs of the past. Without those photos, I never would have known I was in a forest and what trees were.
"So... You really from the future?" Khanna asked, casually doing a couple front handsprings.
"It would seem so..." In all honesty, I wasn't completely sure, but I guessed that I must be in the past, since I was pretty sure we weren't in the future.
"What's it like in the future?" I thought a little bit, lost in my thoughts for a moment, before answering.
"No woods like this. It's all buildings... Cold, hard buildings..." It was the best I could do to describe it at the time, for I was at a loss of words.
"What?! No lovely green trees? No fluttering butterflies, no soaring birds? No flowers?!" She seemed shocked, and I laughed a little internally at her reaction.
"There's an occasional plant here and there for decoration purposes... We do have some animals that are kept for research and a few birds in the wild that managed to survive without trees."
"How do you survive in such a cold world?" Her eyes were wide with curiosity and surprise, and I wondered what I looked like at the time.
"Now that I'm here, I'm wondering that myself..." I really felt as if I was at home in this place, even though I had only been here for a very short while.
Khanna jerked to a halt and I crashed into her, not able to stop fast enough.
"What is it?" I whined, rubbing a sore spot from the collision.
"It's our house." I looked in front to see a large tree.
"It's a tree..." I muttered under my breath. She heard anyway.
"No, silly! Look up!" Straining my neck, I searched higher. At first, I only saw greenery, but my eyes widened as a giant complex system of ladders, platforms, and roofs came into view. They covered several trees, the leaves cleverly hiding all of the structures behind them. Unless you looked carefully, it looked like a normal clump of trees.
"Wow..." I managed to say, jaw dropping open. Looking around, I found no way of getting up.
"Uh... How exactly are we supposed to-" I started to ask.
"To get in?" she interrupted. "Well, normally Faalan brings us up using his mind powers, but since we ditched him earlier.... We'll use my powers." I went rigid, remembering my past experience with her powers.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine!" she insisted, seeing my worried expression.
"If you say so..." I squeaked, throat closing up in my nervousness. Khanna's eyes closed in concentration and her mouth turned into a thin line. Holding up a hand, a glowing portal appeared. But it was a brilliant shade of green.
"Green?" I whispered. The portal that had taken me here had been blue. Perhaps the color had something to do with it.
"Okay, let's go!" Khanna chirped merrily, yanking my hand and jumping into the portal.
"But, I-" starting to protest. My voice was cut off as I fell forward and my mouth opened in a soundless scream. Swirls of emerald surrounded both Khanna and me. Before I had time to recover, I was thrust forward once again, landing on top of Khanna.
"Owie...." Khanna whined underneath me.
"Well, you fell on me last time, so it's only fair, right?" I retorted, wincing at my scraped knees.
"True... Well, let's get going!" Once again, she began to drag me around, taking me from room to room. I didn't ask, but I wondered why they would need so many rooms.
As we moved along, I desperately tried to remember all the different ladders and rooms, but to no avail. There was just too much to remember.
"What's your gift, Fala?" Khanna asked suddenly as she whipped around a corner.
"Erm...." I didn't know what to say. I was afraid to lose her as a friend, but I didn't want to lie to her. Plus, if I made up a gift, she would ask to see it, and I would have no way of showing her.
"You are of age, right?" I twiddled my fingers a little before answering.
"Yeah, I'm of age. I just turned 17." I sighed quietly.
"Then...?"
"Well, the truth is, I don't really know my gift." I murmured.
"No worries, you'll find it soon enough, right?" I stopped abruptly. She was the first one to take the news without turning away in disgust. That is, other than Tahi. He had been a little uncomfortable at first, but he had taken it well.
Khanna just continued on, oblivious of the fact that I stopped, and when I realized that she was going farther and farther away, I ran after her, trying to keep up. I didn't feel like it was the right time to ask why she wasn't repulsed by me, so I followed her silently except for when a reply or comment was needed as she showed me even more rooms.
"So... You really from the future?" Khanna asked, casually doing a couple front handsprings.
"It would seem so..." In all honesty, I wasn't completely sure, but I guessed that I must be in the past, since I was pretty sure we weren't in the future.
"What's it like in the future?" I thought a little bit, lost in my thoughts for a moment, before answering.
"No woods like this. It's all buildings... Cold, hard buildings..." It was the best I could do to describe it at the time, for I was at a loss of words.
"What?! No lovely green trees? No fluttering butterflies, no soaring birds? No flowers?!" She seemed shocked, and I laughed a little internally at her reaction.
"There's an occasional plant here and there for decoration purposes... We do have some animals that are kept for research and a few birds in the wild that managed to survive without trees."
"How do you survive in such a cold world?" Her eyes were wide with curiosity and surprise, and I wondered what I looked like at the time.
"Now that I'm here, I'm wondering that myself..." I really felt as if I was at home in this place, even though I had only been here for a very short while.
Khanna jerked to a halt and I crashed into her, not able to stop fast enough.
"What is it?" I whined, rubbing a sore spot from the collision.
"It's our house." I looked in front to see a large tree.
"It's a tree..." I muttered under my breath. She heard anyway.
"No, silly! Look up!" Straining my neck, I searched higher. At first, I only saw greenery, but my eyes widened as a giant complex system of ladders, platforms, and roofs came into view. They covered several trees, the leaves cleverly hiding all of the structures behind them. Unless you looked carefully, it looked like a normal clump of trees.
"Wow..." I managed to say, jaw dropping open. Looking around, I found no way of getting up.
"Uh... How exactly are we supposed to-" I started to ask.
"To get in?" she interrupted. "Well, normally Faalan brings us up using his mind powers, but since we ditched him earlier.... We'll use my powers." I went rigid, remembering my past experience with her powers.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine!" she insisted, seeing my worried expression.
"If you say so..." I squeaked, throat closing up in my nervousness. Khanna's eyes closed in concentration and her mouth turned into a thin line. Holding up a hand, a glowing portal appeared. But it was a brilliant shade of green.
"Green?" I whispered. The portal that had taken me here had been blue. Perhaps the color had something to do with it.
"Okay, let's go!" Khanna chirped merrily, yanking my hand and jumping into the portal.
"But, I-" starting to protest. My voice was cut off as I fell forward and my mouth opened in a soundless scream. Swirls of emerald surrounded both Khanna and me. Before I had time to recover, I was thrust forward once again, landing on top of Khanna.
"Owie...." Khanna whined underneath me.
"Well, you fell on me last time, so it's only fair, right?" I retorted, wincing at my scraped knees.
"True... Well, let's get going!" Once again, she began to drag me around, taking me from room to room. I didn't ask, but I wondered why they would need so many rooms.
As we moved along, I desperately tried to remember all the different ladders and rooms, but to no avail. There was just too much to remember.
"What's your gift, Fala?" Khanna asked suddenly as she whipped around a corner.
"Erm...." I didn't know what to say. I was afraid to lose her as a friend, but I didn't want to lie to her. Plus, if I made up a gift, she would ask to see it, and I would have no way of showing her.
"You are of age, right?" I twiddled my fingers a little before answering.
"Yeah, I'm of age. I just turned 17." I sighed quietly.
"Then...?"
"Well, the truth is, I don't really know my gift." I murmured.
"No worries, you'll find it soon enough, right?" I stopped abruptly. She was the first one to take the news without turning away in disgust. That is, other than Tahi. He had been a little uncomfortable at first, but he had taken it well.
Khanna just continued on, oblivious of the fact that I stopped, and when I realized that she was going farther and farther away, I ran after her, trying to keep up. I didn't feel like it was the right time to ask why she wasn't repulsed by me, so I followed her silently except for when a reply or comment was needed as she showed me even more rooms.
2. Changes
I had been sitting at the cafeteria table, reading a book in silence. No one would sit with me, so the table was my own. It had been a normal lunch, a noisy cafeteria with a small section of quiet where I was. But then a sapphire light appeared out of nowhere and sucked me in. "What's happening?!" I screeched, as a disk of shining blue light swirled in front of me and pulled my arm in. I struggled uselessly as it swallowed me in. What's going on? I wondered as I floated in the middle of swirling aqua waves.
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!" I heard a scream, only to realize it my own, as I was shot out of the blue and onto the ground. From what I could make out in the first few moments after my landing, I was in a forest. Or some sort of woods. The thing that seemed to stick to my memories the most was the fact that everything was green.
"It actually worked!" a melodic voice cut through the air.
"No kidding..." came a sarcastic voice. "Are you alright?" I looked up into clear golden eyes with soft brown hair drooping over them. An offered hand came up and hovered in front of my face. I studied the boy for a moment. He was wearing a simple pair of brown leather pants, a foresty-green shirt, and a dark brown cape. The girl standing nearby also had brown hair that was put up into a ponytail and golden eyes. She wore a rather revealing shirt that was low cut in front and even lower down her back and a pair of shorts that stopped at mid-thigh.
"I'm fine, thank you..." I murmured, as I took his hand. I blushed a little as I averted my eyes from his; he was more attractive than any other guy I had ever seen, and plus, this one was willing to talk to me. Of course, he didn't know that I had no gift at the time, and so I assumed that he would avoid me as soon as he found out.
"Sorry about that. My sister was testing her gift. I'm Faalan nu Azamoni and my sister is Khanna nu Azamoni."
"Uh...I-I'm Falandra...nu..nu...Azain! But call me Fala! I-It's nice to meet you!" I stuttered nervously as I lied about who I was. This boy...he was my GREAT GRANDFATHER?!
He must be, so I thought, for my mother always said that I was named after my great grandfather, despite the fact that he had killed so many people. I wasn't sure why she would want to name me after someone like him, but she claimed that it was true. At least, that was what I seemed to recall from the fuzzy memories I had of her.
"Liar!" he accused, which cut through my thinking. I shook my head a few times to clear my mind as he continued.
"Sorry, couldn't help it. I'm a mind reader. Well, kind of. I specialize in controlling things with my mind. And what's this about being your great grandfather?" He had a playful, teasing sort of tone, the kind that made one feel welcome.
"Oh...Well..." I managed to choke out in my shock. "My real name is Falandra nu Azamoni. I believe that somehow, your sister brought me here through time." There was something about these two that made me feel as if I belonged, even though this clearly wasn't my time.
"But that's impossible!" I jumped, then whipped around to see Faalan's sister in a one-handed handstand.
"I can barely control my gift!" the girl continued. "Plus, my gift is moving things through portals!" Kneeling down, I lowered myself to eye level with her.
"Well, technically, you moved me. It's that you moved me through time. Isn't that right, Khanna?" I teased, half serious, half joking.
Somehow during the time that Khanna and I had been talking, Faalan had walked up behind Khanna.
"Girl got a point." he stated simply, pushing Khanna over. She let out a hoarse shout as she failed to maintain balance, her body crashing into mine, making me lose balance as well.
"AAH!!" I yelped as Khanna's body came down on top of mine.
"FAALAN!!!!!!" shouted Khanna, as she got up again, smashing my head into the ground with her hand in the process. I saw stars for a moment as my head collided with the ground for the second time.
"MGHF!" I protested, my voice muffled by the ground. As Khanna's weight came off of me, I stood up abruptly and spat out dirt.
"Disgusting..." I choked out, trying to get rid of the dry dirt in my mouth.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Faalan laughed, clutching at his knees. "Can't...breathe!" he gasped, leaning against a tree for support, tears streaming down his face in his mirth. That was a day when I really hated boys.
"You..." I began.
"are..." Khanna joined in.
"so..." I continued.
"DEAD!" we shouted together, fury raging in our eyes. We both leaped for him. Desperately trying to escape our grasp, he flailed in every which direction as we gave him a good pounding.
"Owowowowowowowow!!!" he screamed, when I rammed my fist into his vulnerable stomach, feeling satisfaction as my hand connected with flesh. For a moment, I was a little surprised that I play-fighting with a boy who I had just met. I hadn't been this close to anyone since...since...I couldn't really remember. I had basically no friends other than Tahi, and even now, I was relatively distant from him. He was always off somewhere and I never really saw him except for in the morning and at night. Plus, Tahi would have hurt me more than I could have ever hurt him.
Although, I was a little shocked at myself as well, because I had never had the urge to hurt anyone before. But as that need to inflict pain upon someone came, it was almost as if I was getting revenge for all the times that I had been pushed down by people in my old schools, or when I had been shoved against a wall and beaten up.
"SO DEAD!" I yelled, an evil grin forming on my face, thoroughly enjoying myself.
"That's what you get for pushing me down!" hollered Khanna, who sent him flying with a kick to the chest.
Leaving the beat-up boy leaning against a tree, Khanna slung her arm over my shoulder and started walking towards a stream, taking me with her.
"Now that that's done with, you have to come with me!" she insisted, her golden eyes sparkling.
"Uh... Sure... Whatever you say..." I allowed her to take me, not protesting as she dragged me along. I was a little concerned about Faalan now, and worried if I had acted too rashly, but I wasn't left much time to think about it as Khanna began to pull me away from him.
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!" I heard a scream, only to realize it my own, as I was shot out of the blue and onto the ground. From what I could make out in the first few moments after my landing, I was in a forest. Or some sort of woods. The thing that seemed to stick to my memories the most was the fact that everything was green.
"It actually worked!" a melodic voice cut through the air.
"No kidding..." came a sarcastic voice. "Are you alright?" I looked up into clear golden eyes with soft brown hair drooping over them. An offered hand came up and hovered in front of my face. I studied the boy for a moment. He was wearing a simple pair of brown leather pants, a foresty-green shirt, and a dark brown cape. The girl standing nearby also had brown hair that was put up into a ponytail and golden eyes. She wore a rather revealing shirt that was low cut in front and even lower down her back and a pair of shorts that stopped at mid-thigh.
"I'm fine, thank you..." I murmured, as I took his hand. I blushed a little as I averted my eyes from his; he was more attractive than any other guy I had ever seen, and plus, this one was willing to talk to me. Of course, he didn't know that I had no gift at the time, and so I assumed that he would avoid me as soon as he found out.
"Sorry about that. My sister was testing her gift. I'm Faalan nu Azamoni and my sister is Khanna nu Azamoni."
"Uh...I-I'm Falandra...nu..nu...Azain! But call me Fala! I-It's nice to meet you!" I stuttered nervously as I lied about who I was. This boy...he was my GREAT GRANDFATHER?!
He must be, so I thought, for my mother always said that I was named after my great grandfather, despite the fact that he had killed so many people. I wasn't sure why she would want to name me after someone like him, but she claimed that it was true. At least, that was what I seemed to recall from the fuzzy memories I had of her.
"Liar!" he accused, which cut through my thinking. I shook my head a few times to clear my mind as he continued.
"Sorry, couldn't help it. I'm a mind reader. Well, kind of. I specialize in controlling things with my mind. And what's this about being your great grandfather?" He had a playful, teasing sort of tone, the kind that made one feel welcome.
"Oh...Well..." I managed to choke out in my shock. "My real name is Falandra nu Azamoni. I believe that somehow, your sister brought me here through time." There was something about these two that made me feel as if I belonged, even though this clearly wasn't my time.
"But that's impossible!" I jumped, then whipped around to see Faalan's sister in a one-handed handstand.
"I can barely control my gift!" the girl continued. "Plus, my gift is moving things through portals!" Kneeling down, I lowered myself to eye level with her.
"Well, technically, you moved me. It's that you moved me through time. Isn't that right, Khanna?" I teased, half serious, half joking.
Somehow during the time that Khanna and I had been talking, Faalan had walked up behind Khanna.
"Girl got a point." he stated simply, pushing Khanna over. She let out a hoarse shout as she failed to maintain balance, her body crashing into mine, making me lose balance as well.
"AAH!!" I yelped as Khanna's body came down on top of mine.
"FAALAN!!!!!!" shouted Khanna, as she got up again, smashing my head into the ground with her hand in the process. I saw stars for a moment as my head collided with the ground for the second time.
"MGHF!" I protested, my voice muffled by the ground. As Khanna's weight came off of me, I stood up abruptly and spat out dirt.
"Disgusting..." I choked out, trying to get rid of the dry dirt in my mouth.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Faalan laughed, clutching at his knees. "Can't...breathe!" he gasped, leaning against a tree for support, tears streaming down his face in his mirth. That was a day when I really hated boys.
"You..." I began.
"are..." Khanna joined in.
"so..." I continued.
"DEAD!" we shouted together, fury raging in our eyes. We both leaped for him. Desperately trying to escape our grasp, he flailed in every which direction as we gave him a good pounding.
"Owowowowowowowow!!!" he screamed, when I rammed my fist into his vulnerable stomach, feeling satisfaction as my hand connected with flesh. For a moment, I was a little surprised that I play-fighting with a boy who I had just met. I hadn't been this close to anyone since...since...I couldn't really remember. I had basically no friends other than Tahi, and even now, I was relatively distant from him. He was always off somewhere and I never really saw him except for in the morning and at night. Plus, Tahi would have hurt me more than I could have ever hurt him.
Although, I was a little shocked at myself as well, because I had never had the urge to hurt anyone before. But as that need to inflict pain upon someone came, it was almost as if I was getting revenge for all the times that I had been pushed down by people in my old schools, or when I had been shoved against a wall and beaten up.
"SO DEAD!" I yelled, an evil grin forming on my face, thoroughly enjoying myself.
"That's what you get for pushing me down!" hollered Khanna, who sent him flying with a kick to the chest.
Leaving the beat-up boy leaning against a tree, Khanna slung her arm over my shoulder and started walking towards a stream, taking me with her.
"Now that that's done with, you have to come with me!" she insisted, her golden eyes sparkling.
"Uh... Sure... Whatever you say..." I allowed her to take me, not protesting as she dragged me along. I was a little concerned about Faalan now, and worried if I had acted too rashly, but I wasn't left much time to think about it as Khanna began to pull me away from him.
1. Rejection
"So...I'll see you later, Fala?"
"Yeah. Bye, Tahi!" Tahi, was, I suppose, my boyfriend. We had lived together ever since my parents passed away. My mother had died from a mysterious illness that even the healers could not fix and my father had slowly wasted away with grief, his face becoming more drawn and gray until he faded away completely. I had been powerless and helpless, and the only thing that kept me from doing the same as my father was Tahi. I moved in with him after my father passed away and we'd been living together ever since. I loved him in some ways, and he would kiss me on the lips when I left the house, as he did right before I left for the school. I wasn't sure if I liked him that way though. I saw him more as an older brother and protector than a boyfriend. Still, I couldn't complain because he was the one taking care of me. I was afraid that if I did, I would have no place to go.
And so began my first day of school. For the fourth time. But this was my first all-girls school. Slipping through the door, I made my way through the hall, listening to my footsteps echoing through the empty hallway. I flickered my eyes around, fidgeting in the quiet. Upon finding the principal's office, I knocked quietly and opened the door slightly. A tall, slender woman sat in a stiff wooden chair, looking over her rimmed glasses. Though she had straight bangs, curly light brown hair cascaded over her shoulder in a ponytail. Glancing quickly around the room, I decided that she must be Principal Bukiri. After all, that was what the small plaque on her desk said.
"Are you..." The principal paused, looking down at her paper.
"Falandra nu Azamoni?" I watched as her piercing green eyes quickly looked me over, probably making some sort of decision as to what kind of person was. Despite the fact that people always said they didn't judge by appearances and first impressions, they still did.
"Yes, that's me." I squeeked, my throat tightening in nervousness.
"Please, come in." She gave a gentle smile and gestured for me to sit down.
"Thank you." I murmured softly, not knowing what else to say in such a situation.
"Here's your schedule." She passed a slip of paper to me over her desk and gave me a moment as I stared at the paper, trying to decipher the millions of little words floating on the page.
"Don't worry about it, you'll figure it out later." she chuckled. "Now, follow me."
She led me through halls, turning right and left. How was I supposed to remember all this?! I looked down at the paper again, trying to keep up with the woman's fast pace. Flipping it over, I found that there was a map. I gave a sigh of relief. At least I wouldn't need to try and memorize the place.
"Ladies, settle down!" the principal called out to the class.
"Yes, Principal Bukiri..." came the murmured reply.
"This is Falandra nu Azamoni."
"Just Fala, please." I stammered. Whispering floated around the entire room.
"Nu Azamoni?!"
"Then she's...?"
"Shhh!" I gave a sigh before I let the speech I had prepared for all my schools flow from my lips.
"As it appears, you all know about my great grandfather. I'm sorry if he caused your families any pain, but that was in the past. I cannot reverse what happened." I didn't even bother to try to forge any friendships with anyone. This happened at every school I went to, it didn't matter where I went. I wanted the ground to open and swallow me up. But it didn't.
The other three schools had been too much for me to handle, after the students there had started physically abusing me, and though I knew I had no chance of making any sort of friends here, I hoped that I would be able to attend school without being hurt.
"Your great grandfather killed thousands of people!" came an accusing voice.
"He was a murderer!" A whole angry chorus of voices flowed over me. Closing my eyes, I waited for the torture to end.
"Quiet, please!" the principal beside me shouted over the din. The noise receded, but quiet murmuring still was there.
"Now, Fala, what is your gift?" she questioned softly.
"Uh..." This was the moment where I lost all the rest of my potential friends. Not that I would have had any anyways. I took a deep breath and said it.
"...I don't know my gift." I smiled nervously, my body shaking like a leaf. Dead silence followed. A person without a gift was like a person without a head.
I didn't know my gift. Everyone found out what their gift was when they turned 17. Everyone but me. I'd been 17 for around a month already, and still no sign. People went to school to cultivate their gift, which determined how they would spend the rest of their life. There were people who entertained, people who fought, people who worked for the welfare of others, and so many other occupations.
The rest of the day continued to be torturous. No one would talk to me. The people all stayed on the sides of the halls when I passed. No one wanted to touch me or even come closer than a couple of feet. I was an outcast. Running outside, I collapsed into Tahi's waiting arms.
"Tahi! I can't stand it anymore!" I cried, tears streaming down my face, dampening his clothes and my own.
"Shhh..." he consoled, brushing my hair gently, his own raven black hair brushing his eyes.
Tahi was the only one who understood, the only one who accepted the fact that I didn't know my gift. He wasn't repulsed by my defect. He saw who I was inside. Or, at least that's how I felt at the time.
Putting on a bright face, I forced myself to go to school, day after day, even though I didn't know my gift. Even though everyone refused to look at me. Even though there was no point in me going. The teachers tried putting me into different classes, to see if my gift would bloom and appear. I went through cooking, planting, fighting. Nothing worked. It was all hopeless. Still, it was better than at the other schools, where I'd been hurt by others physically. And then, something happened that changed my life forever.
"Yeah. Bye, Tahi!" Tahi, was, I suppose, my boyfriend. We had lived together ever since my parents passed away. My mother had died from a mysterious illness that even the healers could not fix and my father had slowly wasted away with grief, his face becoming more drawn and gray until he faded away completely. I had been powerless and helpless, and the only thing that kept me from doing the same as my father was Tahi. I moved in with him after my father passed away and we'd been living together ever since. I loved him in some ways, and he would kiss me on the lips when I left the house, as he did right before I left for the school. I wasn't sure if I liked him that way though. I saw him more as an older brother and protector than a boyfriend. Still, I couldn't complain because he was the one taking care of me. I was afraid that if I did, I would have no place to go.
And so began my first day of school. For the fourth time. But this was my first all-girls school. Slipping through the door, I made my way through the hall, listening to my footsteps echoing through the empty hallway. I flickered my eyes around, fidgeting in the quiet. Upon finding the principal's office, I knocked quietly and opened the door slightly. A tall, slender woman sat in a stiff wooden chair, looking over her rimmed glasses. Though she had straight bangs, curly light brown hair cascaded over her shoulder in a ponytail. Glancing quickly around the room, I decided that she must be Principal Bukiri. After all, that was what the small plaque on her desk said.
"Are you..." The principal paused, looking down at her paper.
"Falandra nu Azamoni?" I watched as her piercing green eyes quickly looked me over, probably making some sort of decision as to what kind of person was. Despite the fact that people always said they didn't judge by appearances and first impressions, they still did.
"Yes, that's me." I squeeked, my throat tightening in nervousness.
"Please, come in." She gave a gentle smile and gestured for me to sit down.
"Thank you." I murmured softly, not knowing what else to say in such a situation.
"Here's your schedule." She passed a slip of paper to me over her desk and gave me a moment as I stared at the paper, trying to decipher the millions of little words floating on the page.
"Don't worry about it, you'll figure it out later." she chuckled. "Now, follow me."
She led me through halls, turning right and left. How was I supposed to remember all this?! I looked down at the paper again, trying to keep up with the woman's fast pace. Flipping it over, I found that there was a map. I gave a sigh of relief. At least I wouldn't need to try and memorize the place.
"Ladies, settle down!" the principal called out to the class.
"Yes, Principal Bukiri..." came the murmured reply.
"This is Falandra nu Azamoni."
"Just Fala, please." I stammered. Whispering floated around the entire room.
"Nu Azamoni?!"
"Then she's...?"
"Shhh!" I gave a sigh before I let the speech I had prepared for all my schools flow from my lips.
"As it appears, you all know about my great grandfather. I'm sorry if he caused your families any pain, but that was in the past. I cannot reverse what happened." I didn't even bother to try to forge any friendships with anyone. This happened at every school I went to, it didn't matter where I went. I wanted the ground to open and swallow me up. But it didn't.
The other three schools had been too much for me to handle, after the students there had started physically abusing me, and though I knew I had no chance of making any sort of friends here, I hoped that I would be able to attend school without being hurt.
"Your great grandfather killed thousands of people!" came an accusing voice.
"He was a murderer!" A whole angry chorus of voices flowed over me. Closing my eyes, I waited for the torture to end.
"Quiet, please!" the principal beside me shouted over the din. The noise receded, but quiet murmuring still was there.
"Now, Fala, what is your gift?" she questioned softly.
"Uh..." This was the moment where I lost all the rest of my potential friends. Not that I would have had any anyways. I took a deep breath and said it.
"...I don't know my gift." I smiled nervously, my body shaking like a leaf. Dead silence followed. A person without a gift was like a person without a head.
I didn't know my gift. Everyone found out what their gift was when they turned 17. Everyone but me. I'd been 17 for around a month already, and still no sign. People went to school to cultivate their gift, which determined how they would spend the rest of their life. There were people who entertained, people who fought, people who worked for the welfare of others, and so many other occupations.
The rest of the day continued to be torturous. No one would talk to me. The people all stayed on the sides of the halls when I passed. No one wanted to touch me or even come closer than a couple of feet. I was an outcast. Running outside, I collapsed into Tahi's waiting arms.
"Tahi! I can't stand it anymore!" I cried, tears streaming down my face, dampening his clothes and my own.
"Shhh..." he consoled, brushing my hair gently, his own raven black hair brushing his eyes.
Tahi was the only one who understood, the only one who accepted the fact that I didn't know my gift. He wasn't repulsed by my defect. He saw who I was inside. Or, at least that's how I felt at the time.
Putting on a bright face, I forced myself to go to school, day after day, even though I didn't know my gift. Even though everyone refused to look at me. Even though there was no point in me going. The teachers tried putting me into different classes, to see if my gift would bloom and appear. I went through cooking, planting, fighting. Nothing worked. It was all hopeless. Still, it was better than at the other schools, where I'd been hurt by others physically. And then, something happened that changed my life forever.
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