Sorry it's taken me so long... I'll keep working on it, I promise. Thanks to all of you who have read this, and will hopefully continue reading this... Now continuing on... This is the start of the second arc of TtF. Things will start to change...
Oh, and a quick extra WARNING: You all know what happened in New York on September 11th. In this story, I didn't make the World Trade Center towers fall, but I did make another famous tower fall. If you're really sensitive to large buildings falling in NY, don't read this part of the fic yet. E-mail me and I'll gladly send you a synopsis of this. I really don't want to hurt anyone's feelings with my writing. Thank you. (Oh, and please take a brief pause to pray for those who died during the attack. Thanks again.)
~blah~ = Telepathy.
blah = Thoughts (I like italics... ^_^)
WARNINGS: There is some violence, strong language and it has the yaoi pairings of Duo+Heero, and Quatre+Trowa, and the yuri pairings of Dorothy+Relena and Catherine+Iria. So if you don't like yaoi or yuri pairings, then don't read this! This also has a completely new and original character, so don't take him, he's mine! ^_~
Wufei was crushed by the the turn of events that had ultimately led to the destruction of Meiran's spirit. But he was a tough guy; if anyone could pull through, it would be him. Sally was with him, giving him moral support. But other than that bit of knowledge, most of us hadn't a clue as to what was going on in the Chang household. I hope their kid was doing okay.
The rest of us were, well, stuck. Apparently something was supposed to happen, but Lucifer didn't leave us with many clues. In fact, I don't think he said much at all. And in the week that had passed since the meeting at Sutro Tower, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Maybe huge cataclysmic phenomenons occur after a certain amount of time or something. The only thing we could do now was sit tight and hope that maybe nothing would happen. That maybe, by some freak chance that the sacrifice of Meiran's spirit would do nothing to this world.
All we could do was wait and hope. [1]
A couple of weeks later, strange occurrences began to happen around the world, which was exactly the opposite of what I had hoped for. I was flipping channels on the television at Duo's house when suddenly a news flash special report came on.
"In Tokyo, Japan, Paris, France, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, New York, United States, and Auckland, New Zealand, an important landmark in each of those cities has fallen with no apparent reason. Strutural specialists around the world are wondering why this is happening. Geologists are pinpointing the problem as a strange and sudden shaking of the earth at each of those points, causing only the towers to suffer serious damage. Approximately nine hundred people have been killed or injured around the world so far in total, the most at the famous skyscraper in New York, the Empire State Building. The locations are as follows:
The Tashkent Tower - Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Tokyo Tower - Tokyo, Japan
Eifel Tower - Paris, France
The Menara Tower - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Sky Tower - Auckland, New Zealand
The Empire State Building - New York, United States
Geologists don't know when or where the next collapse will occur. If anyone lives near a tall tower or skyscraper, please stay alert. Thank you. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program."
Duo and Heero had shown up during the news bulletin. We all looked at each other. Then we all looked in the direction of Sutro Tower.
"I think I know where the next target will be..."
We all rushed towards the tower, bent on trying to clear everyone from the area. We had to save as many people as possible, but with as little commotion as possible. It's already been quite a task trying to convince news reporters and like to ignore the flying folks in the sky and the unknown lights and shiny things. However, that didn't really matter at the moment. As we felt the first quake under our feet, I had a sinking feeling that we would be too late.
Fortunately, there weren't many people there when we got there, and Relena was already asking people to leave due to "unknown foundation problems." Bless her for her excellent public skills.
As the crowds dispersed, the three of us walked towards her.
"Oh, hi you guys," Relena said. "Most of the people are leaving, and Dorothy is looking for any stragglers. Quatre and Trowa are on their way. And I'm not sure where Iria and Catherine are. Wait..." She paused for a few moments, and then continued, "Iria and Catherine are clearing the area in a three mile radius. We don't want anything to happen to the people."
"That's true," Duo said. We all looked around, and waited for... something. We weren't quite sure what we were looking or feeling for, and we weren't really sure what we were going to do after the tower started falling. Were we going to put it back up? Even with our increased strength, I wasn't sure we could hold up a crashing tower. Waiting seemed like a good option for now.
We didn't have to wait for long, however, before a slight rumble in the ground grew to monstrous proportions.
"It's falling!"
And sure enough, the tower where Meiran's spirit disappeared began crumbling to the ground. I quickly leapt out of the way, dodging bits of steel and concrete while trying to stay near enough so that just in case another seraph came...
The dust had settled. We looked around, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary except for the fact that Sutro Tower was nothing more than ash and rubble. At least no one was hurt.
"So... does anyone know what this means?" Duo asked to no one in particular.
Everyone who was nearby shrugged. I had no idea, but I knew one thing: we had to get outta here, and fast. The reporters and the authorities would be here soon, and to see us here would definitely be suspicious. It was best to leave the paper work to them. We all quickly bounded away from the crash site, promising to inform one another of any news that might show up.
Unfortunately, after that time I had to return to the Shadow Lands to work. Mostly just governing and any paperwork related to that. I say unfortunate not only because I couldn't help people on Earth, but because of something else. It wasn't the paperwork; no, that was easy to deal with. The unfortunate also comes from having to deal with Rasial. I didn't know how to face him anymore. Was I supposed to say, "Thanks for nearly raping me, now I know I have the power to kick your ass if I need to," or was I just supposed to forget that it ever happened?
Either way, the wonderful dynamic that had been built between us had crumbled like a dried sand castle in the wind. The way he smiled at me and the way he would touch my shoulder when I was working now had a double meaning to it. I wasn't sure if he would keep his word and leave me alone at night. I really just wanted to banish him to the far ends of the Shadow Lands, but I knew that if he really wanted to get me, a mere banishment wouldn't stop him. I decided to just tolerate his presence for now. Maybe I did it just out of respect for our now suspended friendship.
"What's wrong, Hilde?"
"Nothing."
"C'mon, tell me."
"Rasial, there's nothing wrong."
He sighed. "Hilde, I know there's something wrong. You're so cold to me now."
I glared at him. "Well obviously."
"It's because of what I did, isn't it?"
"My, aren't you brilliant."
"Hilde, I already apologized, what more do you want?"
"Rasial, it's not that easy. It's a human thing."
"But you're not human anymore."
I didn't say anything. I just turned around and walked away. He was right. And I hated him for that.
We pretty much avoided each other after that. Later on, I developed a habit of going out on long walks late at night. Or rather, when everyone else was asleep. In the Shadow Lands, it was always nighttime. A few days after Rasial and I had stopped talking to each other, I walked for who knows how long before I decided to just not go back. I leapt up to a nearby tree and settled myself down on a nice branch. I leaned against the trunk of the tree and fell asleep listening to the winds.
~When the angel awakens, a disaster shall befall the world, to those who sustain life through death...~
"Who's there?" I asked.
~When the angel awakens, a disaster shall befall the world, to those who sustain life through death...~
"I heard that already... who are you?"
~A disaster...~
"STOP!"
I was jolted awake when a weight near me shifted. I didn't think the trees here could move on their own. Once my mind registered that there wasn't any wind with which to move the branches, I came to the only conclusion: someone or something had found me. I immediately jumped to my feet and looked around. I slowly started walking towards the end of the branch and then turned around to face the person or thing who had the guts to sleep near me. On an adjacent branch, Rasial was reclining against the trunk of the tree, his face in the peaceful grasp of sleep. I was touched that he would come out this far to keep an eye on me, but then again, I had forgotten he was a sneaky, hormone-pumped vamp. I hopped out of the tree and traveled farther away.
I knew better than to go too far out into unmapped territory, but tonight my common sense had flown out the window. I kept running, flying, gliding away from the mansion, from the town, from him. Anywhere was better than being tortured by his presence. I admit, I still am fond of him, but it's like when your beloved pet dog attacks you one day. You're wary of him, but you still have that feeling that he's still your beloved pet dog. Not that Rasial was a dog or anything.
Christ on a bike.[2] I really wish I could get my feelings straight. So, do I hate him, do I like him, or do I just not care?
My thoughts wandered back to the dream. Angel? Could that angel have been Meiran? But she didn't awaken, she was... destroyed. Who could it be?
I didn't have much time to ponder that thought, because a rift in the Shadow Lands opened up before me. Or maybe it was there in the first place, I'm not too sure. All I know is that a portal, similar to the portal between the Upper Grounds and the Shadow Lands, appeared before me. I started panicking. What was a portal doing out here? Rasial had said they were portals only in secluded areas, such as caves or on a mountain. A portal out in the middle of nowhere, and a very flat, plains-type area at that, was just bizzare.
I walked around it, trying to see where it led to. Portals emit a soft light that reflects the light on the other side. So wherever this portal led to, it had a nice, bright, yellow light. Much like Earth, except... there was something unholy about it. The light seemed like it was fake, a pseudo-light.
"What the hell is that?!"
I spun around to see Rasial gaping at the portal. "What... why?!" he continued to say in an astonished tone.
"You're asking the wrong person," I said maliciously.
"This is no time to be pissed off, Hilde," he said. I noticed that he didn't use any respectful titles this time. "Portals don't just spring up out of nowhere."
"No kidding," I replied. I stared at the portal, as if staring at it would help me figure out its secrets. Then Rasial screamed.
I never knew pain like the kind I felt emanating from Rasial. He was hunched over, his hands crossed over his chest and clutching his shoulders. He was screaming, a painful scream that just tore through my soul. As angry as I was with him, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt and sorrow. If he died now...
"Rasial!" I could hear myself, but it didn't really click in my mind that I was talking. I just listened in on my own conversation. "Rasial! It's okay! I'm here!" I walked towards him slowly, afraid that he might collapse and leave me alone. No, I didn't want that. Dear God, please don't let him die.
As I made my way forward, tendrils of light sprouted from his back, forming wings of gold. I don't think they were actually physical wings; if I tried to touch them my fingers would probably go through them. But given what I had just dreamed, and also given the image before me, I came to a hasty conclusion: Rasial was the angel who would bring about disaster for my people.
Wait... when had I started thinking of the goblins, ghouls, and vampires as MY people?
The fleeting thought was chased away as I watched Rasial. He screamed for a few more eternal moments, and then he collapsed. I stared at his body for a full minute, trying to figure out what to do. Then I gathered my courage, picked him up, and headed back towards town and the mansion. Sure, he nearly raped me. But he's still my friend.
Am I screwed up or what?
"So there's this portal down in the Shadow Lands, and you want to go investigate?" Duo was staring at me, like a father staring at her daughter who wants to go out on a midnight date.
"Um... yeah," I replied meekly. Duo was like a brother to me; but this was the most protective I had ever seen him.
"Too dangerous," Heero said impassively. I glared at him. How dare he butt into my argument! However, I knew it was true. The portal might lead to a freaky dimension where our carbon-based bodies would melt or something. I sighed in defeat. I looked at the others; everyone was here, even Wufei. He looked better.
"I'll protect her," Rasial said quietly. He had recovered rather quickly after I had lugged him back to the mansion. He seemed to be a bit drained, so I cut my hand and let him have a sip. Even though I know I have the power to throw him off, I was still very cautious. I watched him out of the corner of my eye.
Everyone else looked at Rasial after his soft statement.
"We don't know what kind of stuff could be down there," Duo argued. "I don't care how powerful you think you are, there's a buttload of crap that could attack you! And, not to mention it could be a NON-OXYGEN dimension."
"We don't have to breath, remember, Lord Duo?" Rasial replied with a slight tone of insolence in his voice.
Duo threw his hands up. "Why do you want to go, anyway? Is there something you're not telling us, Rasial?"
"I... just have a feeling, Lord Duo."
"It better be a good one. Alright, so who wants to go?"
I stepped forward. To my surprise, so did Relena, Dorothy, Iria, and Catherine.
"We'll go," Relena stated. "If anything happens, I'm sure Iria and Quatre can keep in contact with each other, right?"
Quatre and Iria nodded to each other and smiled.
"Right," I said, "then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Rasial and I were down in the Shadow Lands again, packing for the trip. We wouldn't need much; just some sleeping bags and a few snacks, er, more like drinks. Some of the food in the Shadow Lands is specially made for vamps like me. It's liquidy, and it's a good substitute for blood. But it tastes really weird. While we were packing, I asked Rasial a question.
"Is there something you're not telling us?"
"No."
"You sure?"
"Yup."
"Positive?"
"Uh huh."
I didn't feel like chasing the subject any further.
The girls met us at the portal between the Shadow Lands and the Upper Grounds. Rasial and I led them out towards the plain where we had first seen the dimensional rift.
"So... where is it?" Dorothy asked in a cynical tone.
It was gone. I looked around, and then I looked at Rasial. He shrugged.
"We could wait here until nighttime," he suggested.
"When's that? It's always dark around here," Catherine asked.
"Um... we'll feel it, don't worry," I answered. Night usually came when the lights in the town died down a bit. I think we run by 36 hour days. "Let's just stay here and wait," I continued. "I'm sure it will show up eventually."
And sure enough, while we were playing cards, a soft yellow light illuminated our game.
"Look, there it is," Rasial said.
"Thank you, Mr. Obvious," I quipped. He glared at me.
"Well, ready everyone?" Relena looked at all of us and took the first step. Then she took another step, and another and another until she was completely engulfed by the light. Dorothy followed her, and Iria and Catherine went in after her. Finally it was just Rasial and me. He bowed and gestured in a gentlemanly manner, but I pushed him in first. I smirked softly as I, too, entered the portal.
Back to:Part 6
[1]: Heh heh, I 'borrowed' that line from The Count of Monte Cristo. It's actually a good book, if only there weren't so many subplots...
[2]: I have a tendency of saying this a lot. Might as well get Hilde to say it too.
Whee, cliffhanger. ^_^ It's been a while, so some of you may have forgotten that the Upper Grounds is what the people of the Shadow Lands call Earth. I mean, I forgot, and I'm the author. ^_^; Anyways, feel free to e-mail me your rants and raves, just don't cuss me out, okay?
Copyright reserved 2001 Top Ace