My Immortal

So many promises I will never be able to keep.

Waves lapped slowly against the side of the ship, rolling it up and down in soothing motions. At first she had been unsteady on the deck, speaking with Statesman, but she’d quickly found her “sea legs”. The older hero had chuckled softly the first time she’d gone flying across the deck, and had held her hands until she regained some semblance of balance. “That’s what you get for coming out here in the dead of night, and in a storm to boot, missy.”

He had clucked gently over her until they had fallen into companionable silence. There had been no one else out there that night, and the two had spoken quietly for some time before the first rosy rays of dawn had fallen across them.

“I respect your decision, Aestas. But going by yourself is suicide.”

“I can’t…do that to them. Trauma enough that I won’t be coming back, but do they really have to see me …die?”

“Respect them enough to allow them to decide for themselves.”

She nodded and left without another word. There were people to find, fences to mend.

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The anger astounded everyone present – at least, those that were not intimately connected to the situation. Heroes at each other’s throats, intent on killing each other for the sake of wrongs long past. Aestas bit her lip, and Khlashtar rose up and brushed against her psyche soothingly, wrapping her in that wonderful, blinding peace. Silently Aestas thanked her Kheldian body-mate for the strength she provided again and again. I am here, always here, Khlashtar murmured softly, and Aestas sent her silent thanks.

The power is safe. Death is not death, not this time.

Both Fyre and E-VAC were still hounding on Masonry like wolves that had picked up the scent of blood. But these three she ignored, looking past to Frost – his pain and discomfort at the current situation were almost palpable around him. Her heart went out to him silently, for here was truly the man she stood to hurt the most; his unassuming innocence and complete acceptance of her both frightened and astounded her. This was her friend, her comrade – the one she most trusted to watch her back out of everyone present.

Shh, child. He will understand.

Aestas shook her head before brushing past everyone and jumping into the submarine headed for Grandville.

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So this is what we’re fighting for, she thought to herself. Khlashtar wordlessly agreed, but her voice was distant and strained. Time was fast approaching when Aestas would simply be Ariel again, but at least Khlashtar would be safe.

Oh, what a surprise I gave you, Duncan. Keep her well, my love, since I cannot.

The flame burned brightly now, no longer dulled by confusion and pain. It was time.

It seemed Recluse thought of himself quite highly, judging by the statues and architecture of his grand city. It had also been evacuated and now only soldiers stood between Ariel and fate – soldiers that fell under her sword with every turn, soldiers that could not touch her or her compatriots. The bickering had quieted long ago, and now, as the six of them stood there, only a sense of purpose remained. Even Star, with her endless lectures and opinionated berating, was silent in the face of the danger.

The air danced with flame and promise and the subtle threat of fear and death. Ariel reveled.

I have been expecting you.

She cocked her head to the side, as if the faint whisper had been riding the wind to her ears instead of straight into her mind. The silence began to thicken around them, broken only she softly chuckled to herself. The looks they gave her were priceless – a long questioning one as to the stability of her sanity, a quizzical one as to what she could find so laughable, and a few of genuine concern. She caught Masonry’s eye and winked, before taking down off the stretch that separated her and destiny, a twisted smile on her lips.

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She felt the sword bury deep within her gut and twist, the mad face of Scirocco staring down at her as she gasped from the shock and the pain. He leaned into the blade, severing her spinal cord and the last ties that bound Khlashtar to her dieing body – oddly, Ariel did not feel the pain of the blade as acutely as she felt the pain of losing her one true friend.

With a savage twist, he gutted her. Entrails began to fall from her in sickening, wet splashes, filling the space between them. Ariel looked down at the devastation of her body, but felt so oddly disconnected from it all. Madness glinted in his eye until he caught hers.

Fire blazed there – the very fire of Prometheus, as undying and unyielding as the woman who was behind those eyes. She smiled and touched Scirocco’s cheek with a bloodied hand in benediction before falling back.

He twitched a little bit as the hot blood ran down his neck.

Even as she fell, she rose up, renewed vigor in her weakened flesh. A harsh cackle caught her ears, and she watched another spirit rise up with her, free of the bonds that had held it for millennia. It didn’t even look at her as it sped off toward the pearly gates, didn’t acknowledge the sacrifice she had made for it. Typical, she grumbled.

Another cry rang out, this one in surprise and fear. Frost stood there, watching the darkness surging towards him, a triumphant Ghost Widow smiling in anticipation.

She leapt between them without a thought, her hands forming a barrier of fire and wind to protect and shield. The darkness fought to break through, but she held her ground long enough for Frost to regain himself and move.

Ghost Widow quirked an eyebrow in her direction and applauded in the most condescending manner possible before turning her back and floating off. Again, the ghost woman’s voice ripped through her head. I have been expecting you.

Mako and Black Scorpion, however, saw fit to keep continue the trend of homicide Scirocco had started. She raised her hands high above her head and concentrated for the briefest of moments before a large bolt of wind flew forth from her, knocking them back enough to allow the five time to run. Scirocco had already followed Ghost Widow’s lead and retreated.

“Our task is done, fools! Fall back!” Ghost Widow hissed at her fellow lieutenants– both Black Scorpion and Scirocco nodded, but Mako was proving harder to dissuade from his kill. Both men had to hold him back as Masonry and the others fled back to their waiting ship.

Ariel sighed and drifted with them, waving a solemn farewell as they went. Masonry looked back of his shoulder and widened his eyes in shock at the sight of her, hovering some feet above the ground and glowing with a ghost’s dignified white countenance. His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he turned back, loudly proclaiming he had a grave to see to.

One day I will be free to keep those promises.

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Ghost Widow watched the heroes flee, still bickering amongst themselves like the idiot children they were. The only thing left to mark their passing was a body on the ramp - limp and seemingly lifeless.

And a shade, that was now staring at Ghost Widow with a calm, level gaze.

“You’re powerful even dead, my darling.”

“As are you, mistress.”

“Mako! Throw the body over your shoulders and take it to Recluse. He wanted it alive, but well…”

The shark man appeared not two feet distant from the pair and grinned wickedly. He rolled her over, exposing the nasty gutting she had endured at the hands of Scirocco, and it made him grin. He looked at her intently for a moment, then frowned, looking at the shade of the woman and back at the body quickly.

“Mako! What addles you? Take the body to Recluse!”

“No wonder you’re fucking dead, you never know when to shut up. We got a problem.”

“What, Mako, could possibly be a problem?”

“She’s not dead.”

The Tears of Phoenyx

Duncan,

I have to go now. I just can’t… I can’t give you time you deserve, the attention you need. I have to make the choice – destiny, or you. I can’t have my cake and eat it too, it seems. I can’t be her. I can’t be just Ariel.

I know you don’t understand; hell, I hardly understand it myself. But there are there things out there at stake that are so much more demanding of the three of us. So, we must be one. I really wish I just be yours, but I belong to the world. I know how you’re feeling right now, I’ve been there. All I can hope for is that we can remain friends through and through, comrades, compatriots.

Rather than let the Guardian consume me, Klashtar and I have decided to replace her. I couldn’t bear an eternity of seeing your face, but having you look at me like I was a monster that had eaten the woman you loved. So, in essence, I will always be here.

I will always be Ariel. But I am more than that now.

I’m --- doing this out of --- desire to hurt you, either. I just ---- ----- --- I can have you ------ me for ------ ---- … I’m sorry, ------.

Goodbye.

With all the love I possess,

Aestas

Tears slid down Aestas’s cheek as she tucked the note into the envelope, sealing it with a wax stamp. She wrote his name on the front in black letters, laying it on the pillow. Her bags were already on the bed, completely packed; she gave the room a once over to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. To have to come back for something trivial would be disheartening, at least in the beginning. She needed to make a clean break.

She just wished she hadn’t gotten tears all over the god damned letter.

She shoulders her bag, reaching into the outside pocket for a moment. She withdraws a pair of brooches, running her thumb over them as she stares at them. She forces herself to lay them on the bed, with her cape, her first cape, the one he had bestowed up on her…

Aestas tilts her head back, willing herself not to cry again.

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Silos was hard at work at looking busy when knock at the door fell.

“Come in,” he calls out, reading over something without really taking it in. A young woman enters the office, shyly staring at him until he lifts his head up.

“A-ariel? What are you doing here?”

“My name is not Ariel. It is Aestas.” She regards him a bit more calmly now, a touch of fire in her eyes.

“I’m sorry for the mix-up Aestas. Last I saw of you, you were throwing your life’s work in my face. What brings you back?” Silos doesn’t attempt to hide the sarcasm and hurt in his words, but she seems not to notice.

“I want it back. My cape, my duties.”

“A tall order. Are you truly ready?”

Her eyes flare brightly with flame. “I am still learning the ropes, but I’ll do all right.”

“I believe you. But forgive me, I have to be sure… Come with me.”

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“The Pillar of Ice and Flame has stood for millennia as a testament to the first hero, Ae. Her bravery in the face of insurmountable odds and total lack of selfish interests were paled only by the incredible fire with which she lived. The Pillar is a reflection of her – the icy exterior barely controlling her inner passion.

“Ae was the first Guardian, and her soul-mate was Phoenyx. Bound to one body, they saved this world many times over; to them we owe the deepest gratitude.”

The young initiate looked up at the pillar, unconvinced. “Sounds like a load of bull to me, you know? Just a story to scare villains!”

“But what if it was true? Wonder who the Guardian is now?” The young girl arches an eyebrow at her friend before returning her gaze to the pillar. “Must be nice, to have all that power…”

“It’s a curse, child. You don’t want it.”

Both initiates spin around quickly. Mender Silos stands a bit back from the speaker, and the initiates nod at him respectfully before concentrating on the woman before them.

The only word to describe her was fire. Her hair was a fiery strawberry blonde, falling to her shoulders in soft waves. Her skin was like warm caramel, sun kissed to a deep bronze… And her eyes, they blazed much like a Peacebringer’s…but they blazed with fire. Dressed simply in a stark white linen robe, she stood there, regarding them solemnly. Around her neck hung a pink stone phoenix on a golden chain, but that was her only ornament.

She approaches the pillar, and both teenagers move away quickly, as if scared she’ll burn them. She pays them little heed as she places a hand the ice in front of her. A tendril of fire shoots out, wrapping itself around her hand, and she smiles sadly.

“Does this prove it to you, Silos? I am ready.”

Silos sighs softly. “All right, Aestas. All right.”

The soft lilt of music fills the air, whispering softly to those around. A sad yet hauntingly beautiful tune… Aestas tilts her head up, singing softly.

“I'm giving up the ghost of love - in the shadows cast on devotion. He is the one that I adore; King of my silent suffocation.

“Break this bittersweet spell on me, lost in the arms of destiny…Bittersweet…”

She explodes into flame, the song of Phoenyx still searing the air around her.

(( © Bittersweet by Apocolyptica. Lyrics edited in terms of pronouns.))

((An OOC Note on the Guardian trilogy))

((Beware, reader, for many plot spoilers await! Like I’ve mentioned in my blog, recent RP events have forced me to show my hand, as it were. So, I said, screw it, let’s do this thing.

At 3700 words and roughly ten pages, it’s by far my longest post; I’ve broken it up as best I could, for ease of reading. The entire story takes place in all of about five hours (also about the time it took me to write it ;) ); and the events take place one right after the other.

And yes, I like to incorporate songs into my posts; usually, it’s what inspires the posts to begin with. Part One was written almost entirely to Pink’s “Lonely Girl”; Part Three to “Drilled a Wire Through My Cheek” by Blue October. Part Two was my mish mash; or, as I like to put it, whatever happened to be playing on my MP3 player at the time.

Just thought I’d mention that.

Happy Reading! ))

The Guardian - Part Three

Atlas Park hummed with its usual level of excitement, making Silos frown. He would have preferred not to be carrying Ariel through such a sea of prying eyes; the new “meat” were always infinitely curious about the strange happenings of Paragon City, but Ariel didn’t deserve to be gawked at like that.

He did his best to shield her, but it still caused a general buzz among the crowds. He spotted Sunstorm quickly, who was, as usual, on his platform, talking to the enthralled crowds about the Kheldians. The crowd oohed and awed in the appropriate places, but Silos could already tell very few of those assembled would make good candidates for the melding. He caught the Peacebringer’s eye and motioned to Ariel as best he could; Sunstorm seemed to understand the need for haste as he quickly abbreviated his lecture.

“Thank you, thank you! Those who wish for more information should seek out one of our representatives…” Sunstorm tries to press through the crowds, but the eager new heroes press questions on him frantically. He feels the need to answer them, but he can see Silos growing impatient, and finally has to tell the young woman trying her best to catch his eye that he doesn’t fuck, sorry. She storms off in disgust, and Sunstorm sighs, but finally reaches Silos.

“Silos my friend, what is so great the need?”

“She needs your help, Sunstorm. Desperately.” Silos looks the Peacebringer directly in the eye as if to emphasize the gravity of the situation.

“Then let us go somewhere more quiet, Silos. She doesn’t need to be subject to these prying eyes.” The man moves off, and Silos silently follows, still clutching Ariel firmly against his chest.

They descend to the basement of City Hall to a well furnished office. Sunstorm closes the door behind them firmly, and indicates Silos to place Ariel on the couch. Silos nods, setting her down with infinite care and moves quickly to let the Peacebringer examine her.

“…You’re sure, Silos?” Sunstorm looks up after a moment, before idly picking up the charm around Ariel’s neck.

“As sure as I’ll ever be. You forget I walk through time, old friend.”

Sunstorm nods, then caresses Ariel’s face gently, brushing the hair from her face. “Ariel? Do you know what I am?”

She stirs a bit, still lost in the torrent of her nightmares. “You’re a Peacebringer, right?”

Sunstorm nods, then continues. “I was fused with a Kheldian long ago, yes. I would like you to meet my people.”

Ariel looks at him, blinking in confusion, but nods. She moves to rise from the couch, but Silos immediately helps her up, wrapping an arm around her waist securely to keep her upright. Sunstorm smiles softly at the two, before leading them out of the office, to a room further down the hallway. He opens it with a soft click, and motions them inside quickly.

The room is large, seemingly endless; the walls bear no distinguishable feature, lost in their shades of grey. Ariel shudders, the room suddenly feeling very, very familiar… Except she wasn’t alone this time.

A handful of Kheldians float about the room, watching them intently. The sight of them is dazzling, their iridescent forms glowing brightly like the moon against the dark night sky. She gasps, clutching at the phoenix and stumbles forward.

“Ariel!” Silos cries out, but Sunstorm quickly stops him from lunging forward.

The nightmare begins to clear as she moves towards them.

One tentatively approaches, but darts away quickly. Ariel frowns as this happens five more times, even with Sunstorm crooning, “They don’t think they would be a good fit, Ariel. It’s nothing personal.” By the final Kheldian, Ariel is about in tears as he too rejects her. Sunstorm looks at Silos for a moment before walking to the back of the room, talking quietly to shadows.

Ariel looks back at Silos, tears streaming down her face. He gives her a thumbs up and points in front of her. She snaps her attention back as Sunstorm approaches, followed by what appears to be shadows.

“This is Klashtar, Ariel. She has been without a host for almost ten years; she’s almost dead. She keeps claiming to be waiting for someone – ” Sunstorm breaks off as the Ariel darts forward.

Rora, there’s someone you need to meet. You will know her name, even if you don’t know her face. She will be your greatest ally and confidant, and the final catalyst for your change.

The Kheldian looks up at Ariel, and begins to tremble before speaking in a rich, lyrical voice. “I’ve waited for you, Aestas. I am greatly gladdened that you were not too late.”

Ariel nods at the Klashtar, smiling brightly at the Kheld. Klashtar reaches out a tentacle to touch the phoenix around Ariel’s neck, and the air around the two explodes in a strange, lilting tune. Silos watches wide eyed, and Sunstorm lets happy tears run down his face, as the two regard each other.

“He told me about you. That I would know you, know your name, even if I didn’t know your face.” Ariel glances around at the rest of the Kheldians, a sad look in her eyes. “I wish I could save you all, I really do.”

Klashtar chortles in glee at those words, and the others take their cue from her. “Little one, one day we will save them all.”

“Yes, yes we will.” Ariel smiles a bit as she looks back at the two men. “So, how does this work?” she asks Sunstorm after a moment.

The Peacebringer regards her for a moment before answering. “We should go upstair-“

“No, we’ll do it here. She’s weak, she needs me now.”

Sunstorm sighs. “All right… I will guide you through the blending, but ‘ware, Ariel. Klashtar will be in control for a little while, to ease the melding of your souls and to give you time to mend yourself.”

“That’s fine…I trust her implicitly.”

Silos regards the company with mixed emotions; ecstatic that Ariel is walking the path he knows she’s meant to do, but saddened also that it means the end is so near.

Sunstorm nods at the two. “Strip then, Ariel, it will make it easier for Klashtar to blend with you.” Neither man adverts their eyes as she hurriedly tosses her clothing away, her flesh glowing with a soft, but bright, light.

The other Kheldians begins to form a circle around the two, swirling and humming. The tune is eerie and alien to Ariel’s ears, but oddly peaceful in its own right. Her body begins to sway in time to the tune, and Klashtar begins to slowly rise up, her form shedding as she becomes pure light. Ariel watches and wonder, rising up as well, reaching out a hand to touch her…

The room seemingly explodes in light, and the two men stagger back from the sheer force, covering their eyes. The Kheldians bring their song to match the intensity… The room is pure light, pure music…

The light dies away abruptly, as does the song.

Silos is the first to his feet, staggering toward the glowing figure in the middle of the room. “Ariel!” He tries to rouse her, pulling her firmly into his arms and cradling her like a small child.

Sunstorm places a hand on his shoulder. “Give it time, Silos. Give it time –” He stops, watching in wonder as the woman opens her eyes…eyes that glow brightly in the faint room.

“Ye of little faith, Sunstorm.”

“Oh, K, I was worried…” Sunstorm reaches out a hand and lays it on the woman’s cheek, smiling gently.

“Pfft. I’m fine, so is she, physically…But Sunstorm…She is…awesomely powerful. Just…terrorized by nightmares.”

Silos helps the woman to her feet, his eyes sliding closed as tears leak out. “Can she recover?” he asks quietly.

“Between the two of us, we can recover from anything…Don’t worry, she’ll wake soon, Silos.” Klashtar bends over and grabs the discarded clothing. “But she has bad fashion sense. Pur-leaze, this is so last century.” She hurriedly dresses, noting how neither man even pretend to look away. That could be a problem…especially if Idaho decides to throw his lot in, Klashtar muses.

Silos looks rather stricken as she turns around again, but hurriedly hides it.

“What now, K?” Sunstorm asks quietly, eyeing her.

“Now…we achieve the dream.”

“The dream?” Silos looks at her, confused.

Klashtar smiles quietly. “Listen to much music, Silos?”

“Not really.”

“Your loss then,” Klashtar chuckles, then begins to sing softly:

“A dream we should all count on, a vision I believe:

Where confidence is found attached to wires on our sleeves;

And where loneliness is history, told to pack its shit to leave;

And where guidance is a fortune, told to help in time of need;

And where crying isn’t secret, it’s the art of how we grieve;

And lessons are the key to every goal we will achieve.

“Call it a good start. Ariel’s vision is much deeper, much more…loving.”

“What do you mean?”

“We walk the path of love, Silos. And we will spread it.”

A little boy, no more than ten, stands beside a pillar of ice shrouded flame. He laughs gleefully, clasping his hands together in merriment.

“And so…the first step is taken! The Guardian has risen; ‘ware be to all that threaten her city…her city of heroes.”

((Lyrics © Drill a Wire Through My Cheek – Blue October))

The Guardian - Part Two

The silence of the red damn was shattered by screams – screams of pure rage and frustration.

Mender Lazarus sat bolt upright in bed, grabbing his shoes as he dashed for the door.

Ariel was back. And was mightily pissed, from the sounds of it.

He found her quickly, just as he knew he would, at the Pillar of Flame and Ice. Madness glinted in her eyes as she pounded on the pillar with flame and fist, digging in desperation as if to crack the pillar in two.

“I’m coming, Sky! I’m COMING!” She screeches into the morning air. Young mender trainees, back from a jump, simply stand there, looking completely out of their depth as they stare at her in complete horror.

“Get Silos! NOW!” Lazarus screamed at them, lunging forward to pull Ariel off the pillar. “Ariel Parker, CALM YOURSELF!” He bellows at her, wrapping her in a bear hug…and then yelps, releasing her. Her skin, always abnormally warm, was fire hot; indeed, the air around her seemed to be burning. He can only stand there, helpless, watching her as his heart breaks for her.

Madness had claimed her, and the pillar seemed to be the object of her obsession.

“Hold on Sky! I’m coming for you!” She cries out again and again.

“Ariel?!” Silos comes bounding down the stairs in naught but a pair of pants, looking horrified at the sight of her clawing and prying at his pillar. “Ariel, love, stop!” He cries out, but to no avail; she has eyes and ears for none but the pillar.

She pounds her fist against the pillar once more, and it erupts into brilliant flame. The crowd gathered back behind the three immediately disperses out of fear as the flame reaches outward, wrapping itself around Ariel. Silos dives for her, moaning as the heat hits him, but refuses to let go of her. With a violent twist, he wrenches her back from the pillar even as Tazz and Lazarus move to mend it.

The land hard, but Silos manages to keep himself wrapped around her. “Ariel, Ariel, come back to me,” he croons to her softly, sighing gently as he feels her temperature drop dramatically. He smiles gently at her as she opens her eyes, the madness only a shadow behind the emerald brilliance. “Ariel, oh Ariel…” He caresses her cheek softly, but forces himself to be content with that. Time enough for history to write itself.

“He’s screaming…I can’t help him, can’t get him out, Silos…” And with that, her resistance melts, and she dissolves in his arms, burying her face in his neck as she sobs. He gently caresses her hair with one hand, keeping his other arm wrapped tightly around her.

“I’m here, Ariel…Shh, it’ll be all right…” He scoops her up gently, and ascends the stairs, not even sparing a glance for his precious pillar. The woman in his arms matters infinitely more, and always had.

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The screaming eased as Silos held her, and for that, Ariel was grateful. She clings to him desperately, the force of her sobs rocking them both a bit. She opens her eyes, astonished to see that they were back in his personal rooms; she had no memory of leaving the pillar. He notices her shock and gives her a soft smile.

“I’m not going to jump your bones, honest.”

She sniffles a bit in response, then curls up against him tightly, her sobs receding to a dim echo of their earlier ferocity. Silos continues to pet her hair, caress her back and cheek, as he stares down at her with a complete look of concern.

She looks up at him, startled as she becomes caught in his gaze. A flutter in her belly...She leans forward….

A knock at the door breaks the reverie. “C’mon in,” Silos calls out, knowing instinctively who it is.

Lazarus enters, looking thoroughly bedraggled. “Me and Tazz fixed the mess, Mender Silos.” His gaze drops to Ariel, curled up against Silos like a cat, and his heart breaks just a bit more. Surprisingly, though, the look of smug satisfaction that he would have expected Silos to have wasn’t there – only a tender look of genuine concern lay across his features.

Silos nods at the man, then turns his attention back to Ariel before speaking. “She speaks of Skylar, Laz. That she can hear him screaming, begging her to save him…and it’s coming from the pillar.” Lazarus nods, then produces a necklace from his pocket. He holds it out to them, the intricate stylized phoenix, carved from a pinkish-brown stone, hanging heavily from a delicate gold chain.

“Found this as we were mending.” He explains.

“Then it’s time.” Silos says firmly, reaching out to take the necklace from Lazarus. Lazarus releases it after a moment, very reserved as he watches Silos slip the necklace around Ariel’s neck. He sighs, but speaks again, this time to Ariel.

“Lass? I know someone who can help…with the screaming. Help to make it stop.”

Ariel perks up a bit, peeking at Lazarus. “You...you do?”

Lazarus nods. “His name is Sunstorm. A very good man, and he may have a solution to your problem.”

“I’ll take her.” Silos looks up at Lazarus. “You forget I know him as well as you do, old friend.”

“You think that wise, Silos? Duncan will not like it…”

Ariel sniffles a bit, murmuring quietly, “He left me.”

“Oh, Ariel, lass, I’m sorry…” And Lazarus genuinely was. Mostly for her sake; no pretty girl should have to go through heart ache, in his humble opinion; partly, because it meant the end was coming.

“As am I, Ariel. I know you loved him dearly; I’m sorry for your loss.” Silos hugs her tightly, and again Lazarus frowns. There was no hint of satisfaction at such news on Silos’s face, again only concern for her. Maybe I misjudged him, maybe he really does love her for her, Lazarus thinks.

“Then take her, old friend. Sunstorm will be delighted to see her.”

((To be concluded.))

The Guardian - Part One

The sky had opened up in a torrent of rain, twinged just a bit with melancholy. People passing by commented on the woman standing in the middle of the square, but Ariel gave them no notice. For over an hour, she had just stood there, head thrown back and eyes closed, letting the rain wash over her as it disguised the wetness on her cheeks. The subtle fire that burned in her, usually a fierce burning light, barely managed to keep the rain at bay.

Her heart lay in shattered pieces littering the ground, haunting the shadows.

She had given up everything for him, the chance to save her brother, her sanity. And he had dumped her.

“I’m so sorry, Sky…” She lapses back to silence, retreating further into herself. His screams of pain had been dulled by distance; they were a but an ache now, both to her head and heart. A whisper amongst the screams, though, had finally broken through.

Sleep, and come to me.

She sighs again, and her fire burns just a bit brighter and hotter. She picks up her bag and slings it once again across her back, setting off at a brisk pace towards the hotel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Enjoy your stay with us, Miss Parker!” The bell man says a bit too exuberantly as he closes the door. Ariel looks around at her room, her heart breaking just a bit more. It would be the pretty much the first time since she had come to Paragon City that she would be sleeping alone.

She drops her bag on one of the chairs, heading straight for the bed. The whisper had become nagging and insistent; her only hope was to surrender… And pray she didn’t remember the dream in the morning. She doesn’t even bother to strip as she pulls back the sheets and slips between them. Her hand hits the radio as she falls into an exhausted sleep…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She stands in the midst of seemingly open space, dark and dank. Her eyes can find no distinguishable feature among the endless shades of grey. Soft crooning words reach her eyes, a hauntingly familiar tune wrapping itself around them.

Do you even know who you are?

A rising dream or a falling star?

Is life good to you, or is it bad?

Do you even know what you have?

She whips her head around, searching for the source of the words; she turns around and around, but finds nothing.

“Oh, Rora, you haven’t changed a bit!” A child’s voice chortles gleefully, and she spins around. A young boy of no more than ten is standing there, staring at her with deep pools of emerald eyes. “You’ve gotten taller, but you’re still a silly little kid.”

“Sky!” She hurries to him, but he motions her to stop. She hits her knees, regarding him closely, before spilling once again into her apologies. “Oh, Sky, I’m so sorry! I…I couldn’t save you both. And I choose them.”

“Silly Rora!” He laughs again, but the child-like aura he had fades away. “You made the choice with your heart, Rora. That makes it right.”

“But Sky-”

“But nothing. You made the right decision.” He regards her kindly, his gaze so familiar, but she can’t place it. It was certainly not the ten-year old she remembered. He was…more. “Blessed are those who walk the path of love, for they shall never falter. Remember that, Rora.

“The old man was right, too. The answers to your questions, even the ones you don’t know you have, lay within the flame. But do not fear, little Rora; the fire only purifies, it does not burn.”

She regards him quizzically, but nods anyways. He smiles benevolently at her, his gaze locked with hers. She gasps, clutching at her chest as a surge of undying love and devotion surge through her. He chuckles softly, and raises his gaze.

“Rora, there’s someone you need to meet. You will know her name, even if you don’t know her face. She will be your greatest ally and confidant, and the final catalyst for your change.”

“My…My change? What?” Sky chuckles softly, and shakes his head.

“The flame, Rora, the flame. It calls for you, even now; your true self can feel it, and interprets it as something your initiate self can understand.”

“You…”

“Yes, me. I’m trapped in there, Rora. One day, promise me, you’ll free us all.”

She nods resolutely, reaching out a tentative hand to brush his unruly blonde hair back from his face. He smiles softly at her.

“Thank you Sky… You saved me that day.”

“Hush, silly! I was doing what any big brother would… Just don’t get me killed again.” He chuckles softly, and presses a stone into her hand. She looks at it, and inhales sharply; the stone is shaped in a tribal style of a phoenix, the pinkish brown hue so reminiscent of…him. Sky smiles brightly at her, she smiles back, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“From the ashes of defeat, the Guardian rises again to walk the path.”

She blinks at him, unsure. He chuckles, and lays his hand on her forehead, as if in benediction.

“Believe in yourself, in your instincts, and you shall never falter. Never hate, Rora, for the path of love is your path; but I warn you, sister, it is the most difficult and loneliest of journeys. That’s what most people don’t get about true love.

“Your fire is bright, you are ready once more; your city calls for you, but will you answer?”

She looks up at him curiously, then murmurs, “My city… My city of heroes.”

He nods.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ariel murmurs sleepily as the dawn filters through the open window, flaring brilliantly across her face. She rubs at her eyes, then her temple, the dull throb of screaming still ripping through her senses. The radio still blares loudly; usually she would ignore it, but the words catch her attention:

“Do you even know who you are?

A borrowed dream or a superstar?

Is life good to you, or is it bad?

Do you even know what you have?”

Ariel just stares at the radio, completely dumbfounded. Suddenly, a piercing whisper cuts through her mind, and she screams.

I know who you are, Guardian.

The pain is gone as soon as abruptly as it comes, but she still sits there for several moments, trying to understand everything as parts of her dream filter through her consciousness.

She glances over at the bed…And stares at the opposite pillow in complete astonishment. There, on a delicate golden chain, lays the stone phoenix. She snatches at it quickly, wrapping her hand around it tightly as she stares at the red dawn.

She murmurs softly, “City…city of heroes.” But the screams rip through her with renewed vehemence, and in desperation, she grabs her Oz teleporter…

((To be continuted.))

((Lyrics © “Lonely Girl” by Pink ))

Healing Time

The library of the Menders was an enormous collection, spread across the million years or so of time that had been traveled; Ariel wasted no time in getting to know it intimately.

Lazarus found her floating some twenty feet off the ground, large book laying across her lap and her eyes darting back and forth excitedly, soaking in the information like a sponge. The dead stillness of the library was only broken intermittently by the soft creak of her turning a page.

“Oy! Ariel, dear a word?” He called up to her.

As wrapped up in her book as she was, the sudden noise startled her badly. The book went flying into the air, and Ariel, forgetting she could fly, fell to the ground in a heap. She grumbled softly as she climbed to her feet, screeching as the book finally completed its earthward movement and struck her squarely on the head. Lazarus chuckled deeply as she blinked several times to clear her head.

“Now that I’ve become a cartoon character…” She grumbles softly, rubbing at her tender scalp. “What’s up, Lazzy?”

“Mender Silos would like to speak with you, dear. I just got done having him chew on my butt, he asked me to find you and give you the message.”

“Uh oh. What’d I do this time?”

“Dunno. Best not keep the head honcho waiting, though; men of his stature get cranky by the minute they’re made to suffer as normal people.” Lazarus winked at her, pushing her towards the door.

She managed to peck his cheek gently as he threw her out of the library, causing the older man to blush considerably. He watched with a deep fondness as she skipped out and up towards Silo’s office. Ariel was a treasure this organization hadn’t seen in awhile, and damnit, he was going to make sure that pig head Silos didn’t do anything to screw that up – again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silos paced the room heavily, unsure even after so many years as to what to say to her.

There was a soft knock at the door, and his heart stilled for a moment, threatening to choke him as it sat in his throat.

“Come in.” He barely managed to keep his voice level and calm.

Gods, but she was still beautiful. Golden blonde hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall caught in sunlight; deep, emerald eyes like forests tree tops that he remembered fondly from his own world. The face of angel, and the heart of one too, with a body that would make most high class strippers green with envy. Just looking on her sent pangs of longing through him, but he quickly buried them. Ariel was as sharp as she was beautiful, if memory served, and in order for this to work, she couldn’t know that side of him just yet.

“You wanted to see me, Mender Silos?” Her voice was a clear note on a cloudy day to him, the sweet tune of angels trumpeting from the heavens.

“Yes, Ariel. I would like to talk to you about your involvement with our organization here.”

“Oh, all right… I didn’t screw something up, did I?” She sounded timid, and regretful, and it almost broke Silo’s heart.

“No, no dear. I am speaking of what I have seen you do for us. I wish to set you on that path.”

“Oh, ah…”

Silos took the opportunity of her standing there, open and confused, to make his move. He pulled her into his arms quickly, bending his head to capture her lips in a kiss. God, he thought, she still tasted like heaven.

Ariel, so startled by this, responded to the kiss before she knew what had hit her. Idaho had caught her off guard so many times, it was just instinct to react to an unexpected kiss; but the moment she realized what was going on, she pulled away fiercely, but Silos was strong, and kept her pulled against him easily.

“Beautiful, sweet Ariel, I have missed you so…” His hand gently cups her cheek, stroking it as he gazes down at her. “Why do you fight? Don’t you…” He sighs softly, releasing her after a moment.

“What. The. Hell.” Ariel pressed her back flat against the wall, staring at him with complete and utter shock in her eyes.

“Oh, Ariel… I forget, now, that you do not know me as you do later… We were lovers, and I have missed you sorely for some years… I loved you with everything, my love, heart and soul, mind and body. I overstepped my bounds; I am sorry.” Silos looked up at her, soft tears leaking down his cheeks.

“But, but… I’m with Idy. I only want to be with Idy. Forever.”

“Ariel, the path you must take to save us all does not lie with that fool. He is not your future. I am.”

“No… I refuse to accept that. He is the other half of my soul…” She trails off, staring at Silos coldly.

“You will see the truth one day, my Ariel. You are the true mender, truest of all of us here. You taught most of them the tricks of the trade; your innate ability to heal… You will heal time itself, with me by your side.”

Ariel looks one last time at Silos, in utter disbelief, before bolting out the door.