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.
Friday, February 29, 2008
A Life Returned
“There is a way…But it is a difficult path to forage. Are you sure this is what you want?”
Ariel looked up at the man, a look of youthful indignation on her face. “Of course this is what I want.”
“But you will not know him, or any of them. Can you live with such a price?”
“I…I know. But, if it’s really meant to be, I can…I can relearn them. Relearn their names. Relearn the reasons I love them.”
“Aurora Ariella Parker, we only say we can do this because you were taken before your time…and because of the events that you still need to unfold in flesh. But that is the price…you will have no memory of anything once you reach the mortal plane again.”
“You mean, I won’t know how to read, or anything like that?”
The man before her chuckled deep in his chest, gazing down at her with such a fatherly expression of love, it made Ariel’s heart clench. “Nothing like that, child. Everything since coming to Paragon will be gone. The only thing we’ll leave you with,” he produces something, handing it to her, “Is your hero registration card. Child, are you sure? Once our work is done, only your death can undo it.”
Ariel shivers again, closing her ghost eyes. “I do not wish to die. I only wish to be free, free to live my own life.”
“Even if it means being free of the man that is your soul mate?”
“That’s over-rated, you know, the whole soul mate thing. Don’t know why you guys came up with it.” This elicits another chuckle from the man, and Ariel smirks. “Especially if you don’t make the same two people soul mates. That just sucks.”
“Child, child, you have so much to learn.”
“I’m sorry I don’t have the wisdom of a so called guardian angel, Asterio.”
“Oh, hush. You were a hell of a charge, Ariel. I’ll enjoy having you back to causing havoc.”
Ariel squawks. “I was not THAT bad…was I?”
“Only because you have one of those horrifically important destinies in front of you. You won’t remember any of that either, once we return your soul to flesh.”
“I know, I know. I wouldn’t want to either…that kinda pressure might kill me. Who would really want to know…Before they needed to?”
“Not many, you’re right. But to answer you one thing, Ariel…he is your soul mate. He just doesn’t know it.”
A complete look of shock passes over Ariel’s face, which is hard to achieve on a ghost’s face.
“Are you still sure? If the Dark Goddess were to return you, you could keep those memories, that knowledge.” Asterio searches her eyes for a moment, trying to discern the battle that was going on in her head.
Ariel speaks after a moment, her tone determined…but resigned.
“I could not live with the knowledge. I need…we both need to move on. And…as everything else stands, I cannot afford the distraction of having my heart broken again.”
“Oh, Ariel…death has changed you so much. I’m so sorry, child…” Asterio holds out his arms to her, and she falls into them, sobbing on his shoulder for several moments. The angel does his best to comfort her, not letting her see the tears that slide out of his own eyes. He loved her dearly…and she wouldn’t remember that soon. He had thought it wrong for his brother to love his charge…but now, he could understand why his brother had done what he’d done. Officially he condemned his actions; but in his heart, Asterio embraced them.
“Listen to me closely. We will return you to your flesh on neutral grounds, only problem is, we can’t really, you know, recreate clothing. So…I’ve asked my brother to step in. He’ll help you get clothed and fed, but then it’s up to you. Last chance, Ariel…are you certain?”
“More than I’ve ever been in my life. I can’t keep haunting him, Asterio. I just…I can’t. And I still have so much work to do…” She trails off, sighing softly. “Let’s get this over with.”
“This will hurt; thankfully, you won’t remember any of it.”
Ariel nods a final time…then screams.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ky paced silently in the monkey bar at the D; his brother’s charge was already late, and he didn’t want to keep Raven waiting much longer. He peered as his watch again, just as a scream reached his ears. Two seconds later, a woman seemingly fell from thin air, plopping on the ground just in front of him. Ky bent down, checking her pulse, sighing as he felt her timid heart beat. At least she was alive.
He hurriedly drug her over to one of the couches in the corner, trying to disguise her nakedness as best he could. He pulled off his coat, draping it over her just as another couple entered the bar. They turned red and huried out as they spotted Ky and the woman, causing Ky to scowl. He shook her fiercely, knowing he didn’t have long till she did start remembering things.
“Ariel…Ariel! Wake up!”
The woman stirred, staring at him with unfocused eyes. She seemed still incredibly out of it, but she managed to understand she didn’t have much clothing on and she pulled the coat tighter around herself.
“Ariel, listen to me. Here are clothes and food for you, as well as your hero license and swipe card into Safe Havens. There’s nothing more I an do for you.”
She looks at him blankly, but finally nods as she takes the bundle from him.
“Good luck, kiddo. You’re going to need it.”
Yellow Lilies
It was too idyllic a day to be so filled with death.
The sun shone down bright on the gathered funeral party; even the endless sea of black of mourners seemed too bright to Max as she squints over the crowd. But it seemed to speak to the beauty of both the life of her fallen friend and the final resting place of her body - no more beautiful place could have been chosen to lay Ariel to rest, in Max’s opinion. Even if it was a bit dangerous.
Like every good hero, Ariel had kept a current will. Her wishes had been very clear; she did not want to be taken back to
Inevitably, Max lets her gaze fall back on Alex; he squeezes her hand gently in his own comforting way. As always, her breath catches in her throat as she looks at him, and she manages a weak smile; Alex’s unobtrusive, silent comfort had been the only thing that had gotten Max through the past few days.
People are getting antsy, slowly edging towards their assigned seats. It was almost time.
Max glances once more at Alex, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. He pulls her close, hugging her and kissing her hand before gently brushing away her tears. She nods, then makes her way to the front of the congregation, hand still clutching her yellow lily close to her chest.
The preacher nods at her as she makes her way to the seat next to him, eyes watchful for the first sign of the burial procession.
A soft nicker and sharp clop-clop of hooves on stone are enough to get every to their feet. A moment later, two beautiful black horses come into view, pulling an open carriage intricately woven with soft, white lilies. On a slightly raised platform rests one of the most dazzling displays of metal smith workmanship that Max had ever seen.
She had been told that Ariel’s coffin was a sight to behold, but nothing like this had ever crossed Max’s immagination. The metal had been tempered to such vivid hues - at one end, the deepest, purest ruby, the other a sunshine bright yellow - that it left the viewer dazzled. The simple arrangement of white lilies on top were such a perfect accent of simplistic elegance… The entire sight brought fresh tears to Max’s eyes.
Six pall bearers follow behind the carriage, each pinned with a pure red lily on their coat. Max squints, just making out the features of Nick Steele, Alex’s cousin, and Duncan Idaho, Ariel’s fiancé, at the front of the two columns of men. The carriage rolled to a halt, and the men carefully slid the coffin from its resting place, settling it upon their shoulders as they start the trek towards open grave.
With a shake of her red hair, Max bolsters herself. Everyone’s eyes are on the men except Alex’s; his eyes are all for her, and only he sees the tears as she begins to sing…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound!
Kitty silently congratulates herself on a job well done as she watches the pall bearers wind slowly forward along the path; the past three days of planning the ceremony had been fruitful indeed, if the simple elegance of the scene around her had anything to say. So far, everything was running smoothly, just as a well oiled, well planned machine would.
That saved a wretch like me!
Unconsciously Kitty presses the yellow lily to her heart, eyes still locked on the coffin as it slowly moves toward her. Three days, days filled with lawyers, paperwork…Kitty had not allowed herself to drown in her sorrow, there was too much to be done. Her best friend…dead. Ariel…Oh Ariel…
I once was lost…
And the there was Idy, poor heartbroken Idy. He had tried his best to help with the arrangements, but had mostly left it up to her. The only thing he had insisted upon was the selection of the pall bearers. His eyes lock with hers as they move past; Kitty reaches out a hand, touching his shoulder gently in comfort. Both clench their eyes tightly as tears threaten to spill forth, and the procession keeps moving on…
…But now am found…
Instinctively, Kitty reaches for her daughter, pulling her from her carrier and cuddling her close. The baby reaches out, her tiny hand curling around the stalk of the lily, eyes curiously studying the sunshine yellow petals. Kitty smiles down at Rory, kissing her forehead before turning her attentions back to the pall bearers.
…Was blind…
Poor Max is crying silently as she sings, but the tears do not deter from the bright clarity of her voice. Kitty’s respect for the young girl increases immensely in that moment…but movement near the coffin once again catches her eye.
…But now I see…
Idy is still standing there, hands braced on the casket, his head bent as he whispers furtively to the ground. Kitty’s heart goes out to him silently as he raises himself, sitting in his seat across the way, fingering the soft petals of the lily at his breast. Nick slides in next to her, kissing her cheek as he picks up an uncharacteristically calm and quiet Johnny from his carrier. As the preacher begins to speak, everyone turns their attention to him, listening to his quiet words…everyone except Rory, who is staring curiously at Idy…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ariel had to admit that attending one’s own funeral is just about the most unsettling experience anyone could possibly go through.
She had chosen a spot just over Idy’s shoulder to hover, close enough to lend him her comfort through this hard time, but far enough so that she didn’t set him shivering if she accidentally was blown forward a bit. She had let him brood the entire walk over, not wanting to disturb his reverie…And now, even as she was trying to comfort him, tell him that she loved him, he was pointedly ignoring her.
The frightful preacher finally stopped yammering (he had done a rather poor job of singing her praises, Ariel thought) and Kitty rose, walking forward with a quite determination. She produced a piece of paper from her jacket, smoothing it down on the podium thoughtfully for a moment before beginning to read.
“I had never been bathed in real sunshine before I met Ariel during her stint as a criminal justice student in the Zigg. Even in that dark, dank prison, she filled me with hope and the promise of a brighter future. Nothing could ever dampen her spirits, not even death.
“She buoyed me through the darkest time in my life; for that, I was ever thankful. She was my best friend, my confidant…my hope, my savior. She was there with balloons, flowers, and keys to a flat the day I was released, and ever since she has been the rock that has held my life together.
“She has been this and more to everyone who’s life she touched. She gave everything she had to the people she loved and never demanded anything in return, for that was her nature. She fought the good fight, and in her name, we will continue that fight in her name.
“Today we celebrate the life she led, the work she did, and we mourn with those who have been left devastated in the wake of her untimely death.
“She was a sunshine lily, elegant in her beautiful simplicity. To you, Ariel…I hope that heaven is big enough for an angel like you.”
And with that, Kitty lay her lily across the top of the casket, dissolving completely into tears.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A soft, smug look crosses Twist’s face as she watches Kitty collapse in front of that twit’s coffin. And poor Ariel, still hovering around that fool clone, desperate to comfort him even as he ignores her. Such sweet justice, she thought idly, such sweet justice. The mourners line up diligently to lay their flowers and pay their final respects; Twist takes this as her cue to leave. With a swoosh of her leather coat, she walks down the path towards the train, casting one glance over her shoulder.
“Good luck, you two. You’re going to need it.”
The Dead Smell of Roses
WARNING! Piece deals with adult content. Reader discretion is advised.
need need it want it have to have it give it to us hot river of life need need it
A chime. Then another.
Ariel looks up from her inventory, bleary-eyed, and squints at the clock. She groans, having lost several hours in there somewhere if it was already two a.m. Soon the ferries would stop running, and she didn’t relish having to try and find a place to stay for the night here in the Isles. She stifles a yawn as she marks her place in the ledger, laying it softly on the counter. She spins around once, smiling at her newest acquisition. A magic shop would be harder to run than just a bookstore, but, Ariel tells herself, a business is still a business. And she knows business. She hums softly to herself, smiling at the remembered lyrics.
“I feel you on my fingertips…my tongue dances behind my lips…for you…”
Drunk wasn’t even in the same ball park with how she felt at the moment. It didn’t help that insanely beautiful woman who smelled of summer roses kept buying her drink after drink, encouraging her libations. The woman smiles down at her, bright sapphire eyes gleaming with a twinge of dark lust as she looks at her.
“You are so beautiful…Too beautiful to be wasted on the likes of men…” The woman leans in, kissing her softly, undemanding. But she yields under the kiss, parting her lips and slipping her tongue in the sapphire-eyed woman’s mouth. The woman inhales sharply, then pulls away put wraps her arms around her, urging her to the other side of the bar. “Let’s get out of here, yeah?” She nods slowly, grinning like a maniac.
How could someone so beautiful be interested in her?
Ariel laughs softly, clasping her hands together in soft, child-like glee. Everything was working out so wonderfully, it was almost like a fairy tale. She had her store back, with this nice little addition, thanks to Idy. Mr. Summers had been so apologetic that afternoon, telling her he had had no idea the place meant so much to her…and why’d she sell it in the first place? She gave him back his money, and he had given her the deeds to both places. He silenced her protests quickly.
“Someone younger than me needs to look after it. ’Sides it will make a good nest egg for the two of you love birds when you do tie the knot. That young beau of yours was most…forceful this morning. You obviously mean the world to him, and I can‘t say no to young love.” He smiled genuinely at Ariel, and she had took the deeds with promises that he wouldn’t be sorry, no sir.
now we stalk now we hunt the night is ours to feed on live on who will die to sate our lust
“Now then, should I even ask your name, lovely, or would you prefer the anonymity?”
She looks up at the sapphire-eyed woman, then speaks slowly. “My name is Satine.”
“Satine, huh? Pretty name for such an extraordinary girl, I’ll tell you. Mmhm, so beautiful…” The woman slips her hands under Satine’s shirt as she leans into to kiss Satine again, this time more forcibly, eliciting a soft moan from Satine. The perfume of roses seemingly intensifies around the two, and Satine can’t help but moan again, her own pale blue eyes starting to darken with lust and need.
“Do you want me?” The woman asks, nipping at Satine’s neck.
“Yes…”
“Then let me in…let all of me in, I promise you won’t regret it…” The woman croons in her ear, hand exploring the supple body beneath her.
“All...all right.” Satine relaxes completely, letting down the remaining remnants of her guard and loses herself in the woman‘s touch.
there there she’s a pretty morsel stalk her hunt her eat her make her yours
A nest egg, he had called it…a nest egg for their marriage…a marriage that would never happen. Ariel closes her eyes tightly against the impending tears, willing herself not to let them fall. Deep, deep down, she knew…even as much as he said he would,
Despite her best attempts, tears roll down her cheeks in swift, silent waves.
The woman smiles again, her ruby lips teasingly running up and down Satine’s neck. “There, there, m’dear, doesn’t that feel better? All relaxed, all ready for me…”
Satine didn’t even have time to scream as a darkness blacker than midnight invaded her body, spreading outwards until it controlled her, wrapped securely around her mind. I’ll let you watch, the darkness whispered, But not interfere.
feel her heart beat feel it race soon her blood her life will be yours
Angrily she brushes the tears away, herself for letting her emotions get the better of her. Ariel brushes back her hair, sweeping it up out of her face and securing it behind her head. She grabs her coat and keys, flipping off the light switch as she heads out the back door.
Satine struggled against her invader, but it was to no avail; the woman had her consciousness bound back tightly, only allowing her to view the events unfolding. That did not stop her determination to shake the darkness. Idly, she noted that they were passing through the streets of
may we have her eat her feed on her watch her die watch us kill her screams as sweet as the blood running across our tongue
The bolt slid home, but its soft click did not satisfy Ariel as she had thought it would. She sighs softly, breathing in the cool fragrant night air. A sudden chill runs up her spine, and Ariel instinctively pulls her coat closer, a small ball of flame resting in her hand. The alley, while perfectly innocent and pleasant in the day, was a bit too creepy for her this late at night. She sets off at a brisk pace down the alley towards the street, but a cold chill comes over her, accompanied by the smell of lilies…
The darkness seemed to chortle with laughter as they turned the corner into the alley, bloodlust screaming at the feel of a heart beat just down a little ways. A flash of strawberry blonde hair and a swish of a coat…Satine damn near groaned, the thirst torturing her body…
“Satine? What are you doing here?”
She flinched in horror, recognizing the voice. And you’re going to kill her, Satine… No, no! But it was no use, she was walking forward resolutely, and nothing she could do could stop herself.
Ariel watches as the dhampir approached her, smiling gently. “You sure did scare me, my friend. I’m glad that out of all the creeps that stalk alleys, it was you sneaking up on me, not someo-” Ariel grunts in surprise as she is scooped up in a hug, and she sighs gently, resting her head on the other woman’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she says softly.
feelthepulsefeeltheheattakehermakeheroursfeedandbefreed TAKE HER NOW
A shiver of elation and disgust runs through her as she feels her teeth slip soundlessly into Ariel’s neck, and the warm, rich flow of blood runs across her tongue.
Ariel whimpers softly as the pain rockets through her uncontrollably. Instinctively, she hits Satine with a hand full of flame in the abdomen, but it doesn’t seem to deter the woman from drinking deeply at her throat…Ariel sinks down, immobilized, wincing as a voice cuts through her mind.
“You were never worthy of the love he gave you; he sees that now, and will never marry you. You are worthless, disgusting…and not worth the scum on the bottom of his shoe.”
Ariel closes her eyes tightly, tears slipping out once again.
Satine winces, feeling Ariel’s spirit slipping away without a fight, going gently into the waiting arms of death…
Ariel can hardly breathe past the pain in her chest; her heart is racing at an extraordinary rate to circulate her barely there blood. She watches in horror as Satine pins a teleporter disk to her chest, then kisses her forehead just as she disappears in brilliant flash…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)