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 Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:46 pm
Ilandere’s mind had gone into lockdown. She couldn’t move or speak; Themba’s death was so sudden. It was too much for her to handle. As Lily picked her up from the floor she didn’t fight. She felt as if she couldn’t. She just continued to stare at Themba’s lifeless body, tears running down her face, until he was gone from her sights.
Ilandere felt as if someone had pulled a bag over her head and she didn’t understand what was going on. Where was she? Was this the flume? She couldn’t tell. She felt Lily at her side but in her mind she was utterly alone. What she saw confused her and it was as if her hearing and touch were dulled to the point of uselessness.
When her feet were back on solid ground Ilandere let herself fall to her knees. She could see Themba’s blood stains on her front and on her pants. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see them. She could hear voices. Who was there? Is that Lily?
When Lily pushed the clothes towards Ilandere she looked at them and placed them in her lap. She felt as if she had a total mind wipe. Ilandere didn’t know that her mind was trying to protect itself by taking things in slowly. If she was left with raw senses then the emotion trauma would be too much to handle. She was protecting herself, though in a strange way.
Ilandere ignored the sounds of the flume behind her and put her face in her hands, shaking her head slowly.
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 4:16 pm
Artemis leaned toward Ilandere. He put his hand on her shoulder.
"Ilandere. Snap out of it. There was nothing we could have done for him. I may not have had someone that I was engaged to die, but I also had someone I loved dearly die. His name was Press Tilton. My father. I have an impossible standard to meet because of him. But I don't care. Yes, I cried for him. But you're not honoring Themba by crying and doing nothing."
He got up and stared at the flume, awaiting the one who would come through. When they did he was shocked. The person who came out was a beautiful girl. Strangely enough, she was wearing some gray clothes.
"Why, uh, hello. My name is Artemis Xard."
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 5:18 am
Lily looked towards the girl that the flume had deposited. IT wasn't Izzy, that was for sure. When Artemis went to greet her, Lily turned her attention to Ilandere. "C'mon, get dressed. WE're going to leave the flume as soon as Izzy gets here, so we should be ready." Digging again through the pile of clothes she found two more outfits, for Izzy and the newcomer, and the small cellphone Jake had left among the clothes. Pressing the 'talk' button, she called out "Jake? Jake, it's Lily. We have a bunch of travelers here, colud you please come pick us up?" After she had waited for a reply, she was going to try again, but she realized that the power wasn't on. For that fact, neither was the power of the lights in the flume, which should have run eternally.
"Ilandere, Artemis, something is really wrong here..."
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 11:43 am
Before Izzy jumped into the flume, she paused. Not wanting to join the other group members just yet, she stared at the dark tunnel of the flume before her. What waited on the other end...?
"Why does someone always get hurt?" She said aloud to no one in particular. "I know I didn't want this job."
Deciding, that before she left, Izzy needed to say her good-byes to Themba. Kneeling beside the body of one of the greatest allies and friends anyone could ask for. Izzy let the tears she had held in earlier gently roll down her cheeks.
"Themba." She said softly. "You were our voice of reason in the darkness. I don't know how we will go on without you. I know they always say that this is the way it was ment to be, but it that's true, why were we chosen? Us. Random selections. People with nothing in common but the will to try and save everyone and everything from chaos. And nobody knows. We are the unsung heros..." Feeling rather pathetic and lost, Izzy whiped the tears on her sleeve. "Well, I better get going. Things to do, people to save. I'll miss you Themba. I shall keep you in my heart and mind. Thinking before I act, so something like this won't happen again." Standing, Izzy's posture was confident. She knew that she would do everything in her power to protect those who needed it.
"Third Earth!" She said into the flume. Her voice was strong. "Thanks Themba." Smiling weakly, she looked back at her friend and let the flume take her to the next challenge.
((Sorry. Izzy needed a little closure. She can't always be happy. xD))
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 1:15 pm
Cyra Hakkai
((Sorry. Izzy needed a little closure. She can't always be happy. xD))((No prob. I have the feeling that once there's some quiet time, Lily's gonna have a nice, peaceful breakdown))
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 1:56 pm
Hearing the musical notes get louder, Charade knew the flume ride was over. She prepared herself for the landing, but she did not prepare herself for what she saw next. People standing all around the flume. Were these people travelers?
"Umm, hi. I'm Charade."
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:32 pm
"Pleasure to meet you Charade."
Lily said his name and he instinctively turned. He wished he didn't. He saw the worried look on Lily's face, and instantly turned sober. He went up to Lily and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Lily? What's wrong? Wait. Didn't this place used to have light?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:32 pm
"Exactly. The lights don't work. Neither does this," she said, holding up the cellphone. "This thing has three failsafe devices. But it's connected to a mainframe computer, as is nearly everyother device on Third Earth. So do the lights. The only thing I can think of..."
She couldn't even say it outloud; the consequences were too horrible. "We have to hurry. What are you guys waiting for? Get dressed! If the auto isnt' working either, it'll take us a while to get to the my house and the computer center. As soon as Izzy gets here, we'll need to leave."
This was her home territory, so Lily took charge. And a nagging suspicion told her this wasn't just a regular, quick power failure. She smelled Saint Dane.
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:45 pm
"I think that Izzy might not make it here in time. I mean, we can't wait here forever. We should leave now. "
Artemis pulled on the shirt that was in his hands since Lily and Ilandere arrived. He stepped out of the flume and headed toward the subway platform. Since it was dark he groped his way there. When he arrived the usual breath-taking sight awaited hem, but he ignored it as he bounded up the steps into broad daylight. I've been ready to go for a while now. But I'm sick of waiting. The more we wait, the harder it is to stop Saint Dane. He brought up the laptop case he brought with him from Second Earth and started to power it up.
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:55 pm
"Artemis!" Lily called out, but the door slammed just as she said it. "Shoot. We can't get separated! Um, hi Charade. I'm Lily, that's Ilandere, and that's Artemis who just stomped out on us. Ah... Shoot! Ilandere, could you..." she started, but then saw the still blank expression on her friends face. "I wish Themba was still here," she muttered under her breath, hoping that Ilandere couldn't hear her. Turning to the flume, she shouted, "Izzy, hurry up!". AS soon as her last syllable echoed off the stony wall, the flume came to life.
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 5:15 pm
Once the laptop was booted up Artemis began to type. For years I have been waiting for the turning points of any territories, so I can prove to pop that I wasn't the scared little kid he had little faith in anymore, but that I was an able Traveler. But little did I suspect that the territory whose turning point came close to was none other than the future of the territory I am proud to call home. I am nervous guys, trust me. I am. I never intended for this to happen. I met the Travelers, from what I can tell, from Cloral, Zadaa, Quillan, and Third Earth, and some of them accused me of being Saint Dane! I... Someone started to watch over Artemis' shoulder as he was typing. When he turned around he saw none other than Saint Dane.
"Hmph. I wondered when you would show yourself Saint Dane. But why to me? And why now?"
"Well, you see Artemis. I showed myself to you so you would start to overthink of what to do to stop me. You may be the most famous, and intelligent writer in Second Earth, but that brain of yours will be your failure. Plus, I wonder how your friends are doing. What are their names? Oh yes, Taylor and Nick. I think they are doing marvelously at the time. But when I show up, you'll wish I didn't."
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 6:13 pm
Izzy arrived in the nick of time.
"Sorry guys!" She said as she hurriedly apologized. "Why is it so dark?" She looked around rather confused. Usually there was some light sorce, but it was almost to dark to see. She gently ran into someone. "Oh sorry...wait. Have we met before?" Izzy looked at the newest additon to the team with interest.
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 6:53 pm
Charade looked in shocked at the new arriver. "No, I don't believe we have. I'm Charade." She looked around nervously. She lowered her voice, then said, "Umm, you must be a traveler right? Are the others that were here travelers?" Charade took a deep breath, and hid her emotions on her face. She was scared that the others that were here were not actually travelers, and she just flumed right in frount of them! Then again, they didn't ask about her mysteriousy appearing. I guess Press was right, she thought. Third Earth was really where I needed to be.
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:32 pm
"I think that your new Traveler 'friends' are still waiting at the flume. I think I should pay them a visit. And it will be all of your fault Artemis." Saint Dane sneered.
After being told that his friends, both the Travelers and the ones back on Second Earth, were going to be threatened, and Saint Dane attacking his ego, Artemis did the only thing that was unexpected. He started to laugh. It sounded like a guttural noise at first, then became more discernable.
Artemis noticed Saint Dane's confusion. He said, "You really must be getting desperate. The only way to try to stop me is to threaten my friends and me? You are really pathetic Saint Dane. I will never falter. You should know that by now. I am more like my father than you will ever know. And that is the way it is meant to be. You sick hellion from hell."
Saint Dane started to back up in fear of Artemis' mention of his father. Artemis started to laugh again. Artemis started toward Saint Dane in a threatening gesture when something snapped in Saint Dane. He ran toward Artemis, in a rage. Oops., he thought. He leapt out of the way, and catching his laptop before it hit the ground. He set it down and moved out of Saint Dane's next attack. He brought his fist up into Saint Dane's chin as he rose.
Laughing Saint Dane backed up and said, "Very good Artemis, very good. You are learning to use rage. But I have to go, so i bid you adieu."
((Uh, guys? Can you hurry up to the surface? I'm getting lonely crying ))
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:12 pm
Ilandere barely heard Artemis’s words to her before he had left. She didn’t hear much of anything. It seemed as if her mind was too crowded to take in anything. The realization that Themba was gone was slowly coming to her. Her thoughts became clearer and so did her vision and hearing.
What’s going on? What happened? Where am I? Where’s Themba? Themba?!
Ilandere stood weakly, suddenly feeling very sick. She stumbled forward and ran into the wall of the flume. Her stomach lurched and she threw up . . . twice. She collapsed to her knees, clutching her stomach.
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