Shadowsblade: Testing finals...old memories

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Shadowsblade a Whateley Tale: Written by Shadowsblade

Created for war and forged in pain, dealing with demons within and without.

This is the story of a man who finds a magic box, one that changes him into a Teenage Drow girl (a dark elf) and he has to deal with the very sudden change. Then handle all the memories of a Drow that was 'made' for a long lost war. This new part of him, has 40,000 years of memories of fighting that war. She has to deal with all that pent up PTSD, her enemy is here, but she loves her. Her old Queen is here and she wants to kill, that Queen ohh so bad!

So far in the story, Rohanna is being sent to a high school for mutants. While in school, she has to learn to keep that temper in check and her vast skills at killing others! She has been attacked in Boston while shopping, by her new lover by accident of fate and by an assassin that nearly kills her.

The last major hurdle in her short new life, is that a science project gone mad! Has made an exact clone of her and linked it mentally to her every thought, it reacts like an extension of her body now.

Now the end of the school year comes and the tests it brings...One is the film she will work in. But the first hard one is this Dance The newest is the Sims that bring up sad memories of her past, ones that hurt too much.

This chapter gets a little rough at times and be warned has evil parts in it---I will not spoil them--but you have been warned!

~o~O~o~

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Wednesday, May 23 1:20 PM
Whateley Sim ranges, building 99

There I was looking down from the top of three story building, as the all clear or Sim over horn blared out and what I was looking right at was Rascal. Or I should say at his 'Butt' as he walked away from me hidden atop the building and what a fine one or 'Butt' it was.

He and I had gone out to the Grove last Saturday night for more than fun! He was great, I loved every second of it and being with a fellow Sidhe is what I craved that night for sure! After the sun came up, both of us ran off into the deeper woods playing 'tag' elf style amongst the high tree branches.

My mind faded to that wonderful morning, us elves hopping from tree to tree at a fast pace and him trying to catch up to win his prize! The prize was winner's choice, but he was having a hard time keeping up with the Drow, that Rascal was chasing amongst the tall trees and he fell behind till Rohanna seemed to let him win! They kissed high up on the top of a tree, till she gave him a playful shove, "TAG, you're it. Now you have one minute to run...run!"

Rascal bolted as fast as he could away, he knew that failing on purpose might be what he wanted deep down, but Drow females can not stand weak mates and he knew that he must at least 'try' to win! Or that Drow that would be chasing him very soon, she would get very mad with him and maybe end the game plus the prizes!

That is when he spotted a Were hunting party from the Medawihla tribe, they seemed to be hunting the local deer for meat or fun. This group of Were's running fast through the forest was perfect and he leapt down to their level to use the noise they all made and the scent of the whole pack to cover his own up!

As he kept up easily with the hunting party, it surrounded a very large buck and one of the Were's, a wolf leapt at it and shifted form mid fight to crash heavily on top of the poor soon to be dead creature. He ripped at the deer's hide, as he gripped it's long back then he spun on it's back, swiped at the spine and snapped the deer's strong neck in a single blow.

Rascal took all that loud sound to his advantage as he just found a hollow in amongst the fallen trees and slid silently into it, then waited desperately trying to silence his breathing from all the running he just did. As the WereWolf who fell the deer, tore out the choicest parts of meat that was his right for making the kill. The last of the other Were's caught up and shifted shapes from Bears, cougars, other wolves and a few other animals to a more human shape, then waited their turn at eating the kill.

A Drow fell from nowhere above the wolf, then landed without a sound and shushed him, "Quiet we are hunting Elmers!" she jested a line from a bugs bunny cartoon, "I know you will not tell me where he is, so shussh!"

The group of Were's stood as silently as they could at her request, most knew by now not to mess with the Drow twins and those who did, they quickly gained the wrath of the tribal leader! They watched her closely now, most here had never seen her in the deep woods at her play or her hunting for practice. She never killed the game here, she could not eat the meat she would take. She only ''tagged' the target and let it go alive for later fun.

The younger Were's watched her closely, the way she stood with ease in the woods. The way her feet would fall on the ground and not one leaf snapped or a twig! She was utterly silent, her movements a symphony of hunting and she almost 'hovered' over the nosy ground below her feet. Her head swiveled, her ears twisted slightly each second and she would stand there still as stone, as she moved her head all about listening for her prey to make a mistake!

A lone deer suddenly ran into the small clearing, making too much noise and she only pointed at it with a single finger! The beast stopped and instantly laid down at her warning, all the forest seemed to obey this one Drow.

Then she started sniffing the air, letting the small breeze play against her nose as she raised it into the wind. Next she walked slowly a few paces and sniffed hard on her next breath, then sighed all that pent up tension out. "Good one Rascal, hiding near a pack of Were's on their fun hunt from the village. You have been paying attention to me in class!"

The Drow moved slowly past the hunting party, as she did, she nodded to the eldest for her interruption of their fun and moved to a tree nearest the kill, "You are good today Rascal, but you made one mistake...that mint gum in your pocket!" she yelled out and leapt to the pile that he was hiding in.

Both elves rolled all about the soft forest floor playfully, till she was on top of him, then he flipped her over with a leg, "Well what did you want for your prize then!" he asked her with a sly grin.

She kissed him hard, most of the Were's looked away. But not in shame, but wanting to leave the two alone. Then she bit him on the lip for fun and yelled playfully at him, "You're buying lunch!"

"But my lady, lunch is hours away?" he asked and seemed confused.

"I know!" she barked at him, then flipped him over and ran off at a breakneck speed, "You have to win eating lunch with me!"

"Darn it!" he sighed now, then stood up and leapt to a tree.

The leader of the Were's shook his head to him, "Good luck hunter, that catch looks hard...but worth it!"

Rascal nodded back, "She is!" and he jumped off to a far tree chasing after his prize again.

Wednesday, May 23 1:40 PM
Whateley Sim ranges, building 99

"HEY earth to Ro? Earth to Rohanna, come in please?" the Green haired elf behind the still form of the twin Drow yelled out.

"What...what...what?" the Drow stuttered, as she regained her senses.

"Sheesh girl one night out dancing and you are messed up for a week!" Gwen barked at her friend.

"Shit Gwen, sorry...but what?"

"Not 'but' I am sure....more like 'BUTT' as in Rascal's nice 'BUTT'!" she laughed at her, "I have seen you watching him these last three days, or is that lusting after him. So did ya?" Gwen's eagerness was showing by her bouncing all about, as she questioned Rohanna.

"And what if we did, so?" I questioned her back.

"Ohhhh!" she grinned ear to ear at me, "Now you have two lovers, Rascal and Roz! Way to play all the bases girl!"

The twin Drow just stood silently, staring at the small green haired elf and saying nothing.

"So does he know all the tricks of the trade yet?"

"As any good Sidhe should?" I ask her, "Maybe I should show Collin how that works?"

"Ohh no you don't!" Gwen barked at the tall Drow next to her and made a move to slap her shoulder.

The Drow moved with ease away from the swipe, "Just for that, one night this week that boy will get educated on pleasing Sidhe girls..." I winked at her, then jumped down to the street below.

Wednesday, May 23 1:20 PM
Whateley Sim ranges, building 99
Debriefing room

Gunny Bardue watched over the room as all the elves entered the room, then filed past him and sat down. He had to yell over the pack of them to get the room's attention onto him standing at the podium, "Quiet and lets start this!" he barked only like the marine he is could.

The kids in the room fell silent instantly, then stared at him waiting for his next commanding bark. "So you all made it this time!"

"We made it this time?" Constance questioned the Gunny, "But Ro was out of it within the first minute?"

"She was doing exactly what I told her too!" he barked back to the girl.

"And what was that and why?" she sarcastically asked him, with a little 'humph' at the end of her question and she crossed her arms in protest.

"Rohanna was told to take the first hit and fall out. All of you have been depending on her far too much for saving your bacon and it shows!"

"Gunny, I think they are doing just fine?" Rohanna said quickly in their defense, this was her team for the most part and not his. So she defended it, as she should.

"Well I don't think or agree with that Rohanna, they need lots more work and it shows dearly!" he gave her a quick harsh stare of disapproval.

That is when the twin Drows stood up and took their place as what they really were down deep...the trainers of elves from time long forgotten, "Listen Gunny, I think my opinion on training the Sidhe is far more valuable than yours!" she barked back at him.

"You do! So tell me what my mistakes have been then?" Gunny barked and crossed his arms to show his displeasure.

"Well first off, I have to un-train all the human crap you have trained into them over the last months or years! What you showed them is a great lesson, but will do them almost no good in the long run and once that is mostly gone. Then I will have something to work with..." she informed him with the authority that only a trainer of fighters has.

"Shut-it Rohanna...enough of that!" he interrupted her with a yell.

"You don't order me, not on this subject of training us Sidhe...ever!" Both Drow barked back in stereo and took a step towards Gunny. One step that could not be taken for anything but a full challenge to his authority that it was meant as.

Sam Everheart stepped from her place on the sidelines of the room and placed a gentle hand holding one of the now very mad Drow in check, "Clam down Rohanna, Gunny was just trying to teach the class and you got a little hot at him there with the 'crap' remark?"

"I only used one so called bad word, to all of sarcasm he had to my opinion on training Sidhe and who do you think is a better teacher of my kind...him...or me?" One Drow asked Sam.

Sam sighed as she admitted the logic of what the teen just said, "You are for sure."

That is when Bardue must have lost his mind just a little or wanted to check on something. He tossed a small stack of paper notes at Rohanna, as he spat his next words at her, "Well then show me all your certifications, awards, paperwork, employment history, whatever else? That proves to us that you know, what you say you do?!"

When Gunny finished up his retort, Sam grabbed the Drow twin in front of her and the other leaned menacingly his way. At the same time, tables and chairs flipped all over the class room with a huge clatter. As Rohanna's team took offense at Gunny's last words and stood up to act on the insult made against their leader. One of the other Sidhe was already moving it's way towards Gunny Bardue, that 'one' was Rascal and he seemed really mad at gunny, not his normal calm self.

Sam knew the fact that she could not keep Rohanna in check at all, but now there was a full team of angry Elves and that included Nikki who was watching from the back of the room. As she was a team alternate, plus experienced tactician via her team Kimba efforts.

Nikki stood up from the chair she was sitting in, nearly leaping to her feet from her rage, "Bardue!" the fiery red haired teen shouted from the rear of the class, "that was uncalled for, that insult of Ro's honor you just made and apologize to her...to us now!" she growled out.

Gunny was certainly mad at his students, for being so disobedient right now and took it upon himself to correct this matter now, "I will not, that is my opinion and till proven wrong? I will stand by it!"

"Vith Dos!" Rohanna barked out, then called her Pixies to her with a thought and vanished!

"What did she say?" Gunny questioned the remaining students.

Gwen spoke up first, to give him an answer "She said...Fuck You in Drow and I agree with her!" and she stormed out the rooms doors, with most of the team following her lead.

As Nikki was on her way out following the rest of her friends, she walked past by Gunny still standing at the head of the class. Gunny took that chance to speak to her, "I will apologize to her later, I was testing her to see what her reaction would be and she passed. Not as good as I hoped, but passed."

A still very angry Nikki spun on the man standing there at his podium, "That was stupid, playing with fire like that and in front of her peers!"

"It had to be done, we need to know if she is improving on that temper of her's. This time she held back her anger and if this had been February or April, I am sure she would have hurt me for saying that right to her."

"Bardue, you are a moron. She did not stop because she learned anything. She stopped because her team would have jumped into any fight she started and got hurt....like I just said to you...her peers and long after you're just dust. They will still be her peers, so embarrassing her in front of them...that was moronic at best!"

"Nikki don't take that tone with me!" he ordered.

"You don't get it at all Bardue, that is not Rohanna's Temper boiling up. That is her training plus the Geas that holds her and let's not even talk about her curse not to lie...ever! Honor...her personal honor, you insulted that too!" she hissed his way and quickly left the room slamming the door behind her.

Sam stood there for a minute weighing what Nikki just said, then spoke to the Gunny, "Bardue you are going to have to fix this mess, that was a huge mistake calling her out like that in front of others and Nikki was right in her opinion...that was low."

Sam walked away thinking about what Rohanna had said to her more than once, that Nikki would have to face someday, that her only longtime friends in life would be fellow Sidhe and that is why she said 'long after you're dust' to Gunny. She was accepting that fate. Rohanna was teaching the Sidhe of the school at a fast rate, it showed now and who knew what that might lead to someday?"

"Sam I will fix this with her, what do you suggest as a peacemaker?" Gunny asked near silently.

Sam stopped her walk out the door and did not even bother with turning around to say her next words to Gunny, as she was that disgusted with him right now, "Tell her you're sorry in front of the kids, you offended them more than her today and that is why they all jumped up to join in whatever she started. You offended all the Sidhe of the school today, save Jobe, Belfy and the other Drow she made...if you even count them?"

After Sam left the room and the door shut behind her, Caitlin leaned up from her spot relaxing against the whiteboard across the room. Then walked up behind Gunny and slapped him on the back, "I don't want to be in your shoes this week, that was a mess and fixing it will take some planning on your part...dad?" she finally joked at him.

Wednesday, May 23 11:20 PM
Whateley Sim ranges, building 99

The group of tired, and somewhat looking ragged Elves filled into the empty meeting room. One of the tall twin Drows walked up to the podium, as she began, "Good guys very good run that one was! Bree is getting very sneaky there, you are going to be as good as I am soon and very soon! Then hacking the code on the locked door, you will have to teach me some of that soon!"

"Rohanna, that is more the machines in me, than my current skills. But we will have a few more tutor sessions before the summer starts!" Bree sang back.

"Thanks Bree, I need that badly. When it comes to techy stuff Gaea I suck at it! But good run, Gwen pulled off that fainted the guards onto her and Constance blowing the last group out of the windows! That was a smooth move and one I would not have done!"

"We running again Ro?" Rhia the elf who was in charge of healing and shielding the team

"Nope...I think we are good for today. Sorry about my walking out on the team when Gunny put it too me and us not doing more practice time because of my doing that?" one Drow said and you could tell she was truly sorry about the subject.

"No way Lady Rohanna...he should say sorry to all of us and very soon!" Rascal growled to the room and gained nods, plus a few shouts of 'yep' from the team.

Twin Drows raised their arms to the pack of fellow teammates, "Guys, girls, let's call it a night and meet up the next time the Sim schedule is open?"

"It's open after Friday? Nikki said as she checked a computer panel on the wall by her.

"Well unless someone is busy? Let's call it Friday...at six?" a Drow asked.

After nods all around and some 'yeses' Nikki puts the team in for the open slot with a swipe on the screen "All set!" she grinned back to the room.

"Okay team, cya during the week and have fun...but most of all good luck in your class finals!" Rohanna said next.

Wednesday, May 23 11:20 PM
Laird hall

After I left all my fellow Sidhe behind at the Sim building, I ported over to Laird for my stunt practice and maybe some acting practice at the same time. My mind was going over the script that I had memorized the hour it was sent to me, but revisions came almost weekly and now sometimes daily!

Once I opened the main door, my eyes laid on a very pleasant surprise for the night...Bill just starting to stand up from his seat and smiling right at me! I had to run over to him showing my joy at the surprise visit and I even added the 'girl' squeal to show it "Hey Bill glad to see ya!" I shouted in that squeal and hugged him to death.

"Hey you senior!" he just had to jest with me my old nickname, from that first day.

"So why the visit?" I had to ask, I grabbed my practice uniform that was already laid out for me off the bench he was just sitting on. The production gave me a new one or cleaned last nights each day for me, this outfit was weighed and looked similar to what I will be wearing on filming days.

"Well the main reason to come see ya tonight was, I had to tell you that I set a date!" he grinned at me like a nut and that confused me to no end.

"What date?" I had to question him with a tilt of my head showing my confusion.

"THE date, the only date! My wedding date, Jen and finally set one!"

"And?" I said sarcastically.

He threw up his arms to show how excited he was to me, "July fourth!"

"Now that makes some sense, now there is a wedding anniversary date you can not forget Bill!"

"That is why I chose it!"

"Well congrats and what did you want for a wedding gift?" I had to ask now, so I had time to find it.

"You already gave me one, the rings you silly elves!" he played with me.

"Well then, I guess I will have to clear that day?" I jested back to him, knowing that he was my escort to New Zealand and I had to go where he was.

Bill laughed at me then, "Yep that might be a good idea! But I want you there for two things, since there are two of you now?"

"For what Bill?" I was nearly dying to find out now.

"One of you will be a bridesmaid and the other will be a groomsman." he smiled at me.

"I love that idea Bill!"

"Thought you would!"

Soon enough the crew that was standing by, they called me over to start tonight's practice, so I gave him a quick hug and ran off to workout with them.

Thursday, May 24 7:20 AM
Crystal Hall

This morning I choose good old cold cereal for one of me and the other was saddled with pancakes at the Pixies insistence for the third time this week! I sigh mentally about that, 'I am letting those two run right over me somedays? Might have to actually grow a spine and say no! But why, it makes them happy, so I am happy to take the burden for them.'

I had to grab a small second plate for a few pancakes just for them, Carson had warned me by way of Mrs. 'Hardass'! That I was the only one on my food card and that adding two Pixies was not normal! But I got her good with a logical retort, "Name something normal about Whateley?"...she stood there thinking as I walked off.

But to make her happy, I relented that the Pixies...any of them with me. Would only eat in full sized form on special days from now on and that they could have small parts of what I was having during that meal...No special orders just for them, unless I bought it at the store and spoiling them all the time like that. It seems to be one of my little failures?

Most of my tests were done for the year! Mostly because I had a very small class schedule to start with, but I read on into the next years subjects out of habit gained from the human part of me. Mom always bought me the books for next year and sometimes the year after that. All trying to keep me in pace with my classes or ahead. One reason she did that, was because if she did not? I would being the garage wrenching on my go-kart or mini-bikes all summer!

As I read up a little, Gunny Bardue came into Crystal Hall, then walked up both flights to the top most level and stood by the rail where Carson made announcements sometimes?

"Students!" he only barked once and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, "Good and I see the ones I was here to talk too!" he looked down at us all sitting at the nearly all Sidhe table.

That is when I closed my book till he said more to the room, I did not care what he said for the most part anymore after that Wednesday's insult to me and my team.

"Well students this is hard for me, very hard. I made a mistake and insulted the honor and abilities of one of you yesterday. That fellow student was Rohanna and her team. I insulted her knowing how to train the Sidhe far better than I will ever do, even if I do live to be a thousand! Me doing such an insulting act, would have been much like anyone telling the sprit of Aunghadhail how to teach Sidhe magic and we all knew that she was the expert on the subject! So sorry again to those I offended...have a good day at finals!" and he walked away from the rail.

As Gunny walked away from the rail, the other students went right back to being rowdy and nosy as was the normal here. He made a change in his path back to the doors he entered from and walked up to my table.

"Well Rohanna, you heard my speech and I am sorry for that. I was testing your temper, to see if you would blow up on me and I was wrong to think of using your honor as how to do to that test. Nikki, Sam, and finally Mrs. Carson schooled me on that not so small fact."

"All is good with us Sir." is all I said, deep down I was still fuming! But I could not show it to him right now.

"You used 'sir' this time, in the classroom you did not?"

"Was not warranted after what you said to me...sir?" I slowly gave him and he could see that he was pressing the issue again by my tone. Then by the fact that most of the table of Sidhe was staring daggers at him now...apology or not.

"Well then, see you in the sims?" he said as he started to walk off.

"Yes see you in the sim's...sir."

Thursday, May 24 11:20 AM
Building 99 meeting room

"Okay gents and lady. That was all for my input on testing the students tomorrow and next week?" Ito sighed as he regained his seat again.

Sam Everheart stood up next and took to the podium, "Well what is the plan for the all Sidhe team tomorrow? I have some suggestions, but the main challenge has to be fleshed out still?"

Gunny Bardue tapped on a rather large stack of files in front of him, the older marine preferred to use good old paper for ideas like this. Less chance the students can 'hack' into them, he always gave anyone who asked why with a evil smile.

"Well my idea is a simple rescue and to get Rohanna flowing on all cylinders. Let's make the victims all kids, as I know she will move heaven and earth for saving one."

"And for the villains Gunny?" Sam asked the man very interested in the sim he had just laid out.

"I have my plans and I have been programming something for a few weeks to challenge that team of elves and especially her." he smiled to the room like a cat that just ate the canary!

"That is a good idea, but can I add a simple twist?" Ito asked as he sipped his usual hot tea.

"Go ahead Ito?" Sam questioned the man's plan.

"I am sure that Gunny will limit what weapons that Rohanna can use, but my suggestion is full capture of the villains...the reason is that they are controlled someway and not responsible for their acts?" he said then sipped the last of his tea and then poured yet another cup for himself.

"Ahh people!" Dr. Bellows almost shouted as he stood up, "that might be a bad idea there?"

"Why Doc?" the Gunny queried.

"That idea of villains being held to act against their wishes is too much like what Rohanna went through in life and....let's just say too close?" Bellows answered, but still kept to his vow that what was said in his office by his patients, it STAYED there forever.

"Anymore Al?" Sam asked as she took notes on the whiteboard.

"That is for me and her only. You know why Sam."

"Yep, Sometimes we have to keep quiet and influence via our acts, not our words."

"So do you want to counter that Sim of mine Alfred?" Gunny had to ask to get it off the table and move on.

"No, it sounds okay so far?" he wondered to himself, "But if I see an issue, the sim is off or stopped."

"Noted Alfred," Sam said next, then wiped the board clean, "So while we are on Rohanna as a subject. What about her personal test?"

"Her verses Fey?" one of the other trainers suggested.

Circe laughed from her corner of the table, almost spitting up her coffee, "What the two hardest magic hitters in the school! That would be silly?"

Bellows spoke up next, "Won't work at all!"

"Why Alfred, they are Sidhe, plus magic users and we could limit the attacks to magic, plus what Nikki has for personal weapons?"

"Still won't work, Nikki and Rohanna will not fight each othe,r unless one of them goes mad or something? All you will get is two or three Sidhe standing at the Sim rooms center flipping a coin on the winner or playing rock, paper, scissors for it." he laughed like mad thinking about it all coming down to that!

Circe joined in his laughing, barely taking a breath, "Alfred is correct on that outcome, the Sidhe will most likely not fight one another outside of basic practicing."

"Have you had that issue in your classes Ito?" Sam had to ask the martial arts trainer of the school.

"No, since we are training and keep to less lethal means most of the time. The issue has never come up?"

"Okay then, any other candidates for going up against the twins?" Sam said and slowly looked around the room at most of the staff flipping through paperwork looking for a answer to the question.

"Ohhh I got one!" Lt. Colin Forsyth, one of the sim trainers nearly shouted at the room, "Nex, he thinks he is the perfect assassin. So lets put him against a real one!"

"Hummmm! I like that one, that boy needs his butt taken down a peg or two before he graduates!" Sam said very pleased with the idea at hand.

"What about a teammate, the Drows are twins and I really doubt we can get them to fight in singles?" Gunny asked the most obvious question dealing with the pair of Drow.

"I have one for that too, Iron Star. This will let him see what his armor can take, as well let the twins fight a tech based mutation and one they have not fought or practiced with just yet?" Forsyth added to his standing suggestion.

"Good all done for now, back to work!" Sam said as she flipped the light switch on the wall to light up the room fully and officially end the session.

Friday, May 25 11:20 AM
Crystal Hall

Most of the table that I was sitting at, their class based finals were over for this session of the year, so the group was for the most part chatting about what scores or grades they all received and about the combat finals happening all this week onto the end of the month.

I was listening to Gwen talk on about what the summer plans were for her family, sitting beside her was Bree and she was adding to those plans with maybe flying out military air from her New Mexico home, then out to Gwen on the far northwest coast.

I just had to interrupt Gwen right then for something that came up the last time I chatted with Bill, "Gwen make sure to leave independence day open, the days before and after."

"What Rohanna, why? That fourth is the most fun holiday of summer!" she groaned more than disappointed to me.

"Because of Bill and his simple mind! He chose that day, the fourth! For his wedding day, so that he will never forget it." I almost laughed.

The now cheery Gwen shot back at me, "That is great, the white knight finally got caught by his maiden!"

"Yep he did and that wedding will be great. Lots of fun for all of us and I finally get to meet his family from Florida!"

"That might be fun, do they know you...or what you are?"

"I am sure they do by now, or they will get educated real fast!" I grin.

That is when the information display that hung in several places in Crystal hall, came to life and sounded out a light chiming tone to the room. Then it displayed the next match up in the schools sim finals "Grove protectors VS the kidnappers' then showed our team list and now a countdown clock clicking towards zero in an hour.

"Well I guess it's our turn in the grinder, lets see what damage we Sidhe can do!" Gwen chirped to the table, as most of the others stood up.

Friday, May 25 12:20 PM
Sim building 99
Standby area

After our group of Elves filed into the ready room and sat on the benches there, Gunny began to bark at us all loudly, "Well this is you sim and these are you rules for the sim...so listen up! Or you will lose?" said then pointed at the screen behind him.

"The kidnappers chose as a target...children, all under the age of ten. So they are not trained to help you and need full assistance to escape the area. Their numbers are twenty-five and that is fact. No more, no less! Your time is not limited for this one, but is capped at two hours and with that cap don't waste time!"

"One. The 'villains' are not to be harmed in a deadly way, only subdued! They are suffering from mind control or blackmail or whatever you can think of, so they are not bad people. They are only the unwitting tools of bad people!
Two, No gases, spells, powders or anything that knocks out an opponent is useable. Reason...you don't know who or what the kidnappers are, so you don't know what effects them?
Three, That means no offensive spells, poisons, blades, daggers, or what ever else you know, or use that kills!"

He was staring right at me all during that last line of rules, that had to be there only because I was on the team.

Gunny flipped a page in his notes and then looked right at me after he was done reading something, "Sorry Rohanna. But no porting, that option for you is out on this one...none allowed at all."

"Owwch Sir that hurts and why?" I cringed at the limitation, it killed off my speed, my surprise, my scouting from heights while falling and most of all...that was my 'bailout' in case. ALL GONE!"

"Many months ago in Boston, you had that power to port taken away from you. We want to see if that really affects your abilities?" he explained onto me.

"But sir? That spell limited it, or slowed it down, it did take it away fully and I have never encountered a spell that could?" I reasoned back to him.

"Well things change, one day someone might figure out how to trap you and do you want to go through life unprepared for that happening?"

"No sir."

"What if any spells, can we use Gunny?" Rhia asked him with an outstretched hand.

"I will say it again, as that might not have been clear enough before? In your case, your shielding, healing spells are just fine. Any hiding, invisibility, or distraction spells are fine also." he aimed that last part at Gwen and Bree for the most part.

"And students, the enemy will be Sim ANTS robots wrapped in hard light holograms and so will be the child victims! So Bree, no hacking allowed as normal, please turn all those functions off before leaving the ready room! Any questions?" he had to ask and there were none from my team.

After Gunny had searched all over the room once more, for any indication that one of the still gearing up kids needed questions answered...he left the room and the team to it's own planning for the coming match.

Around the small ready room the team of elves was slipping on their armor or quickly finding the only weapons that might workout within the rules. Gwen made her artificer dagger flow lengthwise from it's normal dagger size to a spear, then twisted the point till the sharp point vanished within it.

Most of the other teammates pulled staves from the weapons rack on the wall, all save Thorn, who pulled two clubs from his bag that were modified police batons. He spun them all about his body to get used to the weight of them again as he readied himself for the coming fight.

I shrugged to the team around me, "Well team, I guess we all were right on one BIG assumption! That with me being on the team, they would try to gimp us all to hell. We planned ahead for it and trained to counter it!"

Constance laughed at my statement, as she slipped her weighted gloves on her hands and finally adds two very well made 'brass' knuckles that shine in the room's light very unlike normal brass, "Too bad they do not really know, how well we all planed for this outcome. Practicing secretly on week nights, out in the Grove was a great idea!"

"Only place I knew that no one could spy on us?" I shrugged once again.

Constance scanned over the room quickly and found most of her teammates were no ready, then balled up her fists and smacked a palm to test the knuckles out, "So normal plan for now?"

"I don't see why not?" I said.

"Who is lead on this one?" Gwen asked the group of elves around her.

"You want it? As Bree and I will very be busy as team scouts, just like normal. Then with my porting taken away by the rules, I can not see the whole area like you and your Pixies can? " I asked her.

"Okay, I got the lead...unless?" she looked at each of her teammates in turn and received a nod of their approval at her taking the top slot.

"Hope we get forest or something cool as a sim place?" Rhia questioned.

"Fake trees, might as well be all plastic and none of the dead branches they hang off of the sim ones!" I growl out at how little they try to do a true natural playing field at times, then pull my 'skull' facemask over both of my heads to finish up getting ready for this test.

Just then, the ready room darkened down to near blackness, "Well that tells us we are getting a night setting or some sort?" Gwen told her team.

Then five minutes later, the door to the room opened, all the elves spilled quickly from the room wrapping themselves in invisibility spells or simply fading into the available shadows that the darkness of the area made easily available.

All about them, a small town center came into view as they moved about the end of the street where their challenge started. The town for the most part was a all business district, a few parallel streets with a few one story buildings lining them, then two story ones made up the rest of the street for the most part. There looked to be a few four, to six story ones in the middle. Those might be office style ones, the team would not be sure till they were checked out fully.

Once the full team was out of the room, the door slid quietly closed behind them, Gwen whispered out like a breath of wind, "You three scout out the town, we will wait in the second two story market on the left!"

"Got it Gwen!" whispered via my concealed radio, "See if that place has any 'ding dongs' the Pixies are hungry!"

Bree giggled on the radio at the same time, then added to the fun, "leave me the Chocodiles!"

Ten Minutes later

After leaping from building top to building top on both sides of the street and wandering down a few side streets. Us Drow had found nothing, not even a scout or lookout from the baddies side? That was very strange for a good team, not to put some people outside?

I stopped on one tall four story, to take time to listen and the other Drow checked out a dead end ally for any tunnels that might hold our prey tonight!

Bree's voice broke the silent I was in as I listened to the town for clues to where they were, "I gotem! Over three streets from main south, the largest six story, all kids on floor five at the center maybe? With most of the baddies on floor below and some above!"

When I heard that, I leapt off the building and quickly made my way over to her and found Bree sitting on the roof of next four story building over, she was keeping to the edge of a large staircase shed that led into the building below her.

I made a quick loop around the target, several buildings out from it and searched for a good spot for the team to group in, then hold with the kids if needed. On that search, I found a few, but only one stood out. It must have been a bank at one time or a cold storage long time ago, by its thick walls on back?

Bree warned me on my radio, "Ro, keep to the shadows, these guys are not amateurs and I swear they can see me at times! One guy even starred at me for a solid minute! I was sure, that he was thinking about me being there or not? Never met too many others in this school that could see me that easy under one of your invisibility spells?" so I took heed to her warning and landed softly behind her.

When I landed behind her, I took a quick peek out on the far side of the shed from where she was. That is when I swore that she might be right? The guard on that corner of the building glanced my way for a second, then his eyes moved off me and kept to his guarding those below him.

"Woof, Bree's right guys. Gunny must have every sensor in the building tuned into these guys testing us, this is not going to be easy!" I now warned and informed the team that our stealth is going to be tested today.

"What looks good as a meet up place?" Gwen asked me just as one of her illusion Pixies showed up and flew up to my face.

Gwen could see the world via any number of the small essence made Pixies of her's, not only did they carry her personal Glamour for her as a makeshift weapon. She found out over her time at Whateley, that she could spy on nearly anything or anyone via the little Pixies! The little winged wonders, were incredibly hard to detect by most students.

I moved to the far edge of the building, then pointed at the second building over to the south, "That building is a nice two story, it has a very thick rear wall that might come in handy?"

The small Pixie gave me a small hand salute and flew off in that direction. Below me, I watched over the team as they filed into the building, I kept an eye on the whole building making sure that we were not entering a trap.

After my patrol loop, I studied the building and it's guards. I was sure Gwen would want to know more about what we all faced and so did I! As I studied the building, I found out why they chose it. The whole lowest floor was sealed up by under construction panels that covered each window very well and each floor above was covered too, but still had an open floor plan for the most part.

When I was done with my assessing the building, the next step was the guards and our enemy was no joke! As I watched one guard from two places, I noticed that one guard kept him in sight and another kept that one insight, but from great cover. We were facing pros.

What hit me as strange, was the older style of weapons and armor they wore? The armor looked like leather and some added metal? All the bad guys, covered their heads fully, with strange helmets. Then the weapons made even less sense to me, some guns, some assault style rifles and a whole bunch of swords, or other edged weapons?

"Bree keep an eye on this place, keep moving while I go tell Gwen what I found." I informed my partner scout of my next action, with a huge caution added in. Just in case someone 'was' watching me, I leapt to the building past where we would hold up in. So that I would intentionally 'skip' our hiding spot and not draw more attention on it.

"Watching them, got it mommmm" she whined at me.

"Bree, please be careful. These targets are strange ones, Gunny took his time programming them and that is not making me happy...get it tech elf!" I warned her and she quickly gave me an answer over the radio

"Got it!" Bree realized with all our training, that I knew my stuff and if this was strange to me...that was bad.

For a good ten minutes we twins ran down what we had found and let Gwen digest it all along with most of the team. Gwen spoke her idea before I did, "My idea is to have Pixies, mine and Ro's scout in the building by what I am sure is open AC ducts all over the building and let's see what we got for a prize inside this piggy bank...Because if I was in charge of this evil, my troops would be here and the kids elsewhere!"

I nodded my agreement to her plan and the fact that all of this could be a trap for us. "That makes sense, but we should pull back if any of us get spotted?"

For several minutes, we all sat, watched the building and made plans while the scouts were out. My Pixies kept me informed all the time, Gwen on the other hand. She had to control each one of her's slowly and very personally. As they were just magical extensions of her glamour and self in a strange way.

When all that was finished, Gwen wrote out in marker on the cleanest wall we could find the quick facts, Floor five held the target and the only way up to that fifth floor was stairs or the elevator for the most part. But Violet had found during her scouting for us, a huge air vent that passed from floor one all the way to floor Six! That was not normal to find inside a building, but the vent seemed to be a construction crew made passage for building materials...our way in and out if it worked!

The plan was working!

Not even ten minutes later, we had snuck onto floor five, that is where Bree zapped a guard quietly and we tied him up to keep him very quiet! Next we moved the kids via a game we played with them, into the duct and even had some of the kids all the way down to the first floor. Most of that effort was done via a good levitation spell, that Rhia had altered from one she used to make medical stretchers out of!

This was going too easy and fate rolled the dice...it came up snake eyes.

That zapped into unconscious guard was posted with a buddy, that was now swapping out with a partner and both of them spotted us on their search for the missing third! The alarm sounded, via a radio being clicked open by one of them and now the whole building was alive with men looking for us.

"Shit!" I barked as we Drow jumped at both men, "We got this, get them moving now!"

"In what, this set-up is one kid at a time at best?" Rhia asked me, while she dropped a shield over that side of the room just in time. As several bullets splatted into the shield a second later with a glow of magic. The poor kids were in terror now and the simple hide-n-seek game we tried to play with them fell apart fast.

Both men took a few blows that I tossed at them with ease and the speed they had at blocking me, it kept up with mine! "They are exemplars...team!" I shouted a warning to the pack behind me.

When I found a split second between their attacks on both of us Drow, I spun my stave from nowhere and used it to bust the first mans legs. It only took two blows to break them, a hard thing to do to an innocent man. But I had children to worry about and all their crying in terror was getting to me on a personal level now...that was not good.

Constance saw on the far wall across the room, a elevator door that was open just a crack and she made a quick plan in her head right there. The metal box was big enough for the rest of the kids and but the building's electrical supply was already cut along with most of the town this sim was in...how to get it to work?

She jumped into the large box and opened a floor service panel, then ducked her head into it quickly. She came up smiling, her plan to cut the cables and use her wind to slow the fall of this elevator right to the bottom floor should work?

Rascal was just joining me in defense, when four more baddies joined the fight from the next room. Constance spoke to me on our radio, while Rascal and I traded fierce blows with the bad guys at the door, "Hey Ro, can you cut this elevators cable and the emergency cable at the same time?"

"Ya...but why?" I asked her...then it dawned on me, 'metal room, nice free fall, then stop it just before SMASH and we all get out of here!'

"Ohhh ya girl that sounds like fun, just blow these guys off me and let's start the fun!" I grinned ear to ear!

Conie ran from the elevator, as Gwen and the rest of the team shoved the children into the box. They closed the door a little to help shield the kids and waited for us to make our move. When Conie finally arrived at my side, she blew the four in front of Rascal and me down the unfinished hallway of this floor.

I spun away from the group, slid quickly into the elevator with the kids and up the inspection hatch after I kicked it free with a jump. On top, I yelled down to them "Ready?"

Constance ran back over to the nearly sealed elevator door, while Thorn helped Gwen close the doors just after her getting in. Then Rhia dropped a shield on both the top and bottom of the car to cushion it farther just in case, as she yelled up at me, "Ready"

I pulled out a very sharp blade of mine from storage and took a quick moment to ready myself, "Gaea I know this is only a test, but guide my hand!" and I cut to main cables in one twin, as the other cut the back-up safety set that slowed the elevator via a huge set of counterweights.

As the car started to drop away, I stepped off it and watched it fall. The car only fell a few feet when the huge safety weight shot past me and was catching up with the car below it. Wind rushed up the shaft as Conie slowed its fall and that large safely weight set passed right by the car to smash at the shaft bottom. That weight hitting the elevator car at the bottom was my only worry I had and now it was done-n-gone. Then the car slowed to a stop at the bottom floor and we as a team, we were in a better place now... So I hoped?

We Drow jumped back over to the fifth floor, as I told Bree and Rascal to get over here to the elevator shaft. "We are kind of busy?" Bree tried hard to calmly laugh back at me, but she seemed really worried at best.

Since I had lost sight of the fight while I was cutting the cables, things had become much worse in our fight and very worse at that for us Sidhe! Six more baddies had joined in the fight, but those two brave Sidhe held the door for now and were being slowly pushed back by a volume of gun fire being shot at them both.

"Bree, flash bang now!" I shouted an order for action as I ran over to both of them.

She snatched it instantly from her pack, tossed it into the next room and ducked around the corner as it blew. The none-lethal grenade did it's job in the next room with a large bang, followed by a nearly sun bright flash and stunned them all for a second. As I ran up to the doorway, I snatched one more grenade off her belt of them and a smoke one at the same time too!

"NOW GET MOVING!" I shouted and tossed the smoke one into the next room, thus faking out the room filled with bad guys to duck at nearly nothing, as all it did was 'poof' then smoke like mad!

The grenade smoked on as it covered up us elves in it's thick smoke and we elves did not have issues with seeing in the stuff. But a more than worried Bree pleaded with me, "What about you?" after I told her to leave me behind.

"I'll figure it out and keep them busy. Now get going you two!" I ordered them both.

"My lady?" Rascal started to question my reason and made me very mad.

"Don't make me put a foot up your butt boy!" I warned Rascal of my growing displeasure with him right now.

Both took my word at its value, ran to the open elevator shaft and started hopping floor by floor down to the rest of the team. I on the other hand was in deep trouble and that trouble became worse when the two elves left the room.

As they left the room, a whole wall vanished in a huge explosion, as a grenade was shot at it by my attackers and now I had a room with two doors. A small one that was easy for m to hold alone and brand new shiny car sized one that certainly was not!

"Great guys great...thanks now have a gift right back at ya!" I barked out, as I tossed that last flash bang over at them, my luck seemed to hold a little longer now. When most of them thought 'just' more smoker and not BOOM! So that one shot of mine stunned a whole lot of them, but four more just came up the stairs from below to quickly replace those staggering around...'I can't win?' my mind thought!

When those four fresh baddies came into the room I was in and they noticed the kids were already gone. So they spun right around in their tracks, then quickly ran down back down the stairs to re-capture the kids again or worse? With that pack of them leaving, I only faced Five baddies for right now and not nearly a dozen like before!

As we fought on, us two Drow versus a room of baddies. One man sprayed me from time to time with bullets from his gun as his partners gave him an opening to do so. Most of the bullets shot my way, they hit my arm shields and fell to the floor harmlessly. The ones that did not hit the shield, they hurt me badly as they smacked into me. But happily none of them penetrated my hard leather armor!

The Pixies pleaded inside my head to join the fight and help me, but I told them both no! Because I wanted to save them incase I needed them for later and reminded them that being 'big' only lasted an hour, a very short hour I might need every second of soon enough!

It was too bad that Gunny said no to any knock out gases or poisons, because I sure could use the Pixies and them picking these guys with their small spears into sleep or pain. Then add I knew that the darn Bots were not programmed to act like humans when a Pixie stabbed one in the 'right' spot!

But soon enough, the baddies had fought me over to a corner of the room and away from the shaft leading down to the safety of the rest of my team. As I passed by a huge pile of construction material, a little girl stepped away from the pile that she was hiding under and right into my sight "Where are my classmates?" she cried up to me and was certainly in some fear that her friends had gone on without her.

I gazed down at the cute face of the little one as I ducked a sword swipe of the nearest bad guy, she was about six or seven, had long brown hair, large green eyes and was dressed in a thin dark coat that covered her up well from the cold of the night. "Get over behind me!" I yelled at her and hoped she did not freeze up like most kids that age do in situations like this.

But...She froze up instantly at my bark and from seeing the madness of the fighting that was going on all around her. The guy I was currently dealing with, took a vicious swipe right at her and I blocked it with my metal covered stave. With him now distracted by the kid, I spun up onto his back and started to choke him out with the huge stave.

I struggled hard to get the darn stave up under his helmet and against the flesh of his neck where I could choke him out with it. "Darn it give up, I got you dead to rights now!" I warned him with a growl of anger, but received nothing from him in reply.

He was not giving up anytime soon and was swinging wildly at the kid or me glued onto his back. My other twin was far too busy right now to help, she was taking out one more bad guy and keeping more of them off the kid, plus me!

I tugged and tugged at his neck with that stave to no avail...till I felt and heard a huge 'pop'

Shit, I had just busted his neck by accident and he dropped to the floor, like a rag doll out from under me. That stupid little mistake on my part, it had just cost us all a good grade! Plus made me look very bad, I had to wonder to myself some?

When his body bounced off the hard floor, that is when his helmet finally slid off his head and I saw his face for the first time, or for that matter any of the bad guys faces for the first time.

It was a Sidhe male and a very attractive one to me.

I had just killed a fellow Sidhe, even though this was a test. I still did it and it hurt my head to even consider the thoughts. That stabbing pain from the past, it filled my head as the kid cried once again to me and she tugged on my hand, "Where is mommy and daddy, are they okay?" she cried on and the pain grew. My Pixies tried to talk to me, find out what was the matter with me? But all their attempts, they were like whispers on the winds during a hurricane of pain now filling my head.

Right now I did not even see her as a human child anymore. I saw a vision of the past replace her, it was of an Elvin child asking me that very same question of her parents laying in the next room just behind me. Both of my twin bodies froze thinking of her, remembering her, remembering that question and that horrible night. She stood very still, looking up at me with those sad eyes, just like the one from so long ago, cute, not knowing what is happening all around her, innocent and totally defenseless to the world.

As her hair was stirred up by the winds of the room, just like the child's long hair did from my nightmare from back then. She looked up at me with those trusting eyes, "Is mommy coming?" she pleaded with me.

That is when a grenade landed at the feet of my twin standing nearest the outer wall of the room. My twin was blown through the temporary wall and was falling down to the street five stories below. I snapped out of it, made a leap at my twins foot that was just passing the windows edge. But I missed it, as I flopped onto the floor.

The kid cried again and the terror started all over again in me, "Mommy I need you!"

As I watched my body fall away from my outstretched hand and it's safe grasp. The horrific memories flooded on again and I saw my falling self as that Elvin child! As she fell from a window in a fancy royal mansion and toward the rocky garden below that surrounded her home.

My falling body did not even try to twist or flip to land on it's feet, I was mentally suck inside that old terror and it held onto me for everything it had!

My body landed on a large pile of broken blocks, then bounced up and back to the ground hard. This twin me, she cringed at that sudden pain and tried to stand up. But with one body unconscious, getting up was not working out too well and I staggered around blindly as I tried to stand up.

Next came blast number two, that blew me out the window to join my twin on the street below and that is when the lights came up fast inside the Sim building.

A few minutes ago

Nikki was sitting with most of the other Poe kids and next to her was most of Rohanna's current group of friends. She cringed at every blow and tried to figure out why the bad guys strangely reminded part of her of something from the past?

When the elevator fell free and landed safe on the ground floor, Nikki took a breath and nudged Roz next to her, "See I knew that team would do it!"

Roz was just nodding, when it all fell apart. The kids were safe and the rest of the team was leading them off to safety into the next building over. But Rohanna was trapped, with no way out close at hand and surrounded by four of the enemy in the room with her. But Ro could not see what Nikki saw, yet another five coming down the stairs now and right at her.

Rohanna was defending not only herself, but a little girl that had snuck off from the main group and was missed in the team's count.

When Rohanna made the bad guy drop, as she was keeping him from hurting the kid. Nikki knew right away it was bad by how Rohanna reacted to it, both twin Drow were stiff as a statues and when one of the cameras moved in closer to show the audience that it was an elf that Rohanna had killed by accident in the sim.

Nikki gasped out in shock, "No not that!"

Roz was about to ask why, from the red headed elf sitting next to her. When Nikki shot out of her seat and yelled out, "Ro's in trouble...st....." but Nikki never finished her demand.

Because before she could be heard, the next blast blew the last twin from the building.

Back on the Sim floor

With all the lights now up, all the bots froze in place instantly! Both Violet and Lilac flew down from the building to their charge or partner in their new life. Once there, both grew to full size and moved quickly over to a very still bodies of both Drow.

Inside the building, the team was puzzled at all the bots not moving anymore and the lights coming up all at the same time, "What just happened guys?" Gwen asked the rest of the team, as this for the most part was her first end of the year sim run.

"If the lights came up like this, we either won or lost bad?" Constance shrugged her opinion to the group of what the situation might be now.

Lilac made it first to the one Drow twin that was laying face down right next to the building. This Drow lay just off to the side of a pile of cinder blocks that she had landed on first and then bounced over to this spot right onto her face. Lilac did not dare move her body till a healer said it was alright to do so and that healer is what she yelled for now..."Rhia come quick she is hurt!"

Rhia heard that yell from inside the building and she knew the voices of the Pixies like all the team did. She knew that if they were yelling for her come now, that was bad for Rohanna or one of them! So she started to run out of the building and right towards where the shouting came from.

Violet was coming up on her target, a Drow that was rolling around in the middle of the street in pain. This is where this twin was blown to by the force of a blast and her armor had held during the fierce force of the grenade blast, yet the armor was still smoking from the blast still. She had fallen that fifty odd feet to here. Violet tried to help, but the Drow was more shaking in fear, than moving from the pain of her injuries.

Rhia made it to the nearest Drow first and quickly checked her over. Rhia's power of healing magic flowed it's glowing magical tendrils into the still Drow and found she had several broken bones, but nothing she could not heal in a few days or week at best. Rhia rolled the body over next, to find no other injuries on the Drow, save the nasty concussion that had knocked this twin out cold.

"Lilac, This part of Rohanna is fine. She will heal up just great in a few days. I am going to check on the other now?" she nodded the Pixies way and received a happy nod in return.

The next twin that Rhia ran over to was in much sadder shape, the body was still smoking from the blast, but most of that smoke came off of her overheated armor. Rhia placed a hand gently on the still shaking and twisting from pain Drow. When her magic looked into this one, Rhia found in a few concentrated seconds via her healing magic, that this Drow twin had a busted right shoulder, several shattered ribs and a very nicely broken leg.

With a basic assessment done now, she could safely roll the Drow back over to her face. Violet notices what Rhia is trying to do and tries to help in the effort. Once the Drow was face up again, this twin seemed to be awake but mumbling incoherently about a little girl and being ordered to do something...then add to the mumbling with her shouting out once an awhile, "I am sorry" or "That was your order?"

Dr. Tenent, was just kneeling down from her short run from nearest emergency door and she was doctor of most of the schools Sidhe, plus the healing magic instructor. She asked one of her best students, Rhia "How is she?" as Tenent opened her large bag of medical goods.

"Well Doc, this twin is the worst one of the two. She has many broken bones, shoulder, leg, several ribs and seems to be out of it?" then Rhia pointed at the other twin, "That one is unconscious, a few broken ribs and maybe a real bad concussion?"

"Good Rhia, you keep healing this one and I will go help the other?" the Doc asked and ordered at the same time.

"Yes ma'am!" Rhia yelped out happily, as she refocused her efforts on healing her new charge.

Nikki had finally made her way down to the Sim field with Roz following right behind her. Nikki seemed to be searching for someone at the same time, as she filtered into the large pack of fellow students watching over the effort to help the fallen Drow twins.

Roz spotted Gwen standing to one side with her team and dragged Nikki off to see of they could get more information on how Rohanna was doing. That is when the feisty teen elf saw who she was searching for and she yelled at him, "Gunny what were you even thinking, that it was a good idea to put Rohanna and her team up against elves...even robot ones!" she howled at the instructor across the growing crowd of kids.

"That was my call!" he barked back as both came walking closer to one another.

"Well that was a stupid idea to even think of, do you have any clue how us Sidhe even work? Or a Drow for that matter!" she questioned the wisdom of the old marine trainer.

"Please tell me Miss Reilly and stop with the insults at the...same ...time!" he ordered the redheaded teen.

"In Rohanna's mind, Sidhe do not kill each other! In a training fight, or one meant to answer a challenge, or testing. We may fight each other... BUT never to the death! And poor Rohanna's mind might not see the Sim from reality. That is why she froze up, she had to come to grips with what she thought she did on some level!"

As the now burning mad Nikki, made the whole world around her know she was truly mad by the tone of her yelling voice. The one Drow that was still conscious, but twitching about in pain. Her eyes popped wide open and she cried out sadly toward where Nikki was standing at. Where Nikki was busy yelling at Gunny Bardue for this whole mess.

The Drow Rhia was working on cried out with thin streams of tears raining down her face, as she tried in vain to 'skitter' back from the direction that Nikki's voice was coming from, "Sorry amin tari, amin ume il- merna a' hurt he`...nan' lle orders tanya n'uma er sinta amin nae eller!. Amin ere' khile vee' amin nae taught a'..forgive amin?..ten'..ona. amin saesa...mercy!"
(Sorry my Queen, I did not want to hurt her...but your orders that no one should know I was there! ...I only obeyed as I was taught to ...forgive me? ...for...give...me please... mercy!)

Rhia was having a hard time trying to keep that one Drow calm right now and getting her back onto the stretcher again that she had just rolled off of. Rohanna kept trying to slide off the stiff board of the med-stretcher, even with a broken leg and shoulder. She was trying to get away from where she heard Nikki's voice! All the while crying in out in Elvin, a language that Rhia was just starting to learn.

When Nikki heard those cries in Elvin, she knew that Rohanna was mistaking her for Aunghadhail once again. So she went instantly silent and moved away from the fallen Drows before one saw her and reacted even worse.

Once Nikki stayed quiet long enough, Rhia was able to get her charge on the backboard and with the help of her team loaded up into a waiting medical cart. Soon the other Twin followed and the med cart moved off the sim field on it's way down a tunnel towards Doyle med center.

Saturday, May 26 1:20 PM
Doyle med center

For most of the last day, Dr Tenent and Rhia treated both twins for their extensive injuries. When the healers were finally done, both Drow were still trapped in what seemed to be a waking nightmare that had no end and all the twins ever did was yell out once and awhile. "I had no choice!" or "That was my order!" But they never fully woke up to the world.

A few fellow Poe students stood watch over the whole thing all night, Gwen when she could, Roz was in the room most of the time and Nikki would check in when she could. But Nikki never entered the room or spoke near it, thinking that her voice being heard near the Drows might make things even worse.

The only non-Poe student allowed into the room by the Pixies, was Rascal and most of the Poe kids knew why that was the only exception.

Off in one corner of the treatment room, Dr Bellows and Fubar (Louis Geintz) talked over what they could do for the twins. For the most part the huge question at hand was 'Fub' going inside the Drows mind without their permission and trying to help. Dr Bellows had an opinion of 'no' for the most part on the matter, but without Sara here to help and no reason to think she was going to show up soon. Alfred Bellows was starting to think that 'Fub's' Idea was best and apologize to the Drows later?

With Alfred's mind finally made up, he nods to the apparition of his friend Fubar, "I will go with what you are suggesting Louis, but lets both hope she sees it that way? Or this might get really messy for both of us!"

"Yes I agree with you Al, she might not like me doing this and told me so many times. But I don't see a way past it all, unless Sara comes back and comes back right now?"

"Shall we start then?" the image of Fubar asks.

"Yes, let me get all the students and the staff out of the room first just in case?"

Bellows leans up close to Tenet as she goes over her paperwork on the twins and tells her the plans for their next act in helping the Drows out. She stares at the older doctor when she realizes what he intends to do, "Alfred, you are going to have to convince the two Pixies that this is a good idea, they know what Rohanna would say about it and she never liked 'Fub' one little bit and she told me that more than once!"

"We will try?"

"I hope you can convince them too? But they will fight you, if they feel you're going to or trying to hurt Rohanna and that is a fight I do not want in this building!" Dr Tenent said as she nodded, as if pointing over to one of Rohanna's Nymph servants in the room. Who stared back at the doctor with eyes of fire from her womanly form made up of shiny volcanic black Obsidian stone.

"I will get them to agree even before we start Ophelia."

Dr Tenent nodded her agreement back to Bellows, then moved to get Roz and Rascal out of the room. She 'mother henned' the students out of the room as she said. "Bellows and 'Fub' have work to do and we can not be here while they do that. So let's get going!"

With all the students now gone and the door locked. Bellows walked over to the bedside and the tiny Pixies that sat there waiting for Rohanna to reawaken, "Violet, Lilac...I have to ask you if Fubar can help Rohanna out by going into her mind and try to help fix her or help her deal with what is holding her back from waking up?"

When Bellows finished his question, Violet stood up instantly and slammed her spear into the tabletop, "You know as well as I do healer, that she does not like his intrusions on her personal mind one little bit!" she shouted up at him.

Lilac being the calmer of the twin Pixies, stood up to her sister and pulled her into a hug, "Sister this might be the only way to help her, Sara is gone for now and no one else can help us all?"

"Fine then, the human can help! But if Rohanna is hurt...I will...." Violet started to say, but Lilac stopped her, "We will not, this happened and they are trying to help us?"

Lilac glanced up to Bellows as her sister stood silent in her arms, "Do what you think is best healer, we will wait to see if that helps. I only ask this, because Rohanna would ask for it."

"Yes Lilac?" The older doctor asked gently.

"A promise that whatever he sees within her, it stays with him past his death?"

"Well 'Fub' buddy, she asked you a question?"

"She has my word as well as you both Drow do, I will never speak of it to anyone but her and will drop the subject at her request if we have to speak of it again?"

"Is that enough for you Lilac?" Bellows asks and gets a short quick nod back as his answer.

With both of the Pixies giving him permission and them being the closest thing that Rohanna has as real family. Fubar slowly and as carefully slips into the Drows mind. The first of many obstacles comes into his path, this first one is what is keeping the Pixies out and once he finds a way past it. 'Fub' sees why it its there, Rohanna is so embarrassed at what happened in her past, she locked the Pixies out of ever seeing it within her and that is why they can not help her...her issue today lays right past this part of the past!

After 'Fub' was past that, he found the start of why Rohanna was in such pain and could not cope with what had happened so long ago. She was standing before a mid level raked Elvin general, one that wanted, no CRAVED higher office and prestige for his family in the royal court. To gain that, one must step up higher through either beating the enemies of the court in war, or marriage and the last one...the lineage of another line ending!

This man had his plan set, the latter and he planned to end the line of a family that was in his way to greatness. His tool was a Drow that had done many assignments like this verse the enemy of the courts in her life and was an expert. She had recently been added to his command and He called her into his home office.

Fubar stood in this place now, a representation of that time within Rohanna's memories.

Rohanna strode at a quick pace into his office then kneeled down before him, "By your orders, I came!" she said quietly.

"I have a job for you one that you must not fail and must never be known!" Then he told her the whole plan, where she was to go to in secret, who was to die and how. But most of all, no witnesses, none what so ever that she was even there!

"By your orders I do sir! Save one issue commander of mine?"

"What is it!" he demanded now.

"Sidhe can not hurt other Sidhe except during war, that is the code of us all." she warned him as best she could, then stared that carpeted floor waiting for his reply in her total servitude.

"This is an order and this is my personal war. You are my tool in this game and must do as I asked....OBEY YOUR GEAS!" howled down at her, then he slid the golden engraved cover of his punishment baton down to the bottom and taped it to the top of her head.

The Drow howled in pain like a trapped animal, twitching like mad, but she never faltered from her kneeling in a head down position. Because if she did, more pain would come...much more!

After he was done and the pain stopped he gave the Drow a second to recover from the agony of that punishment, "So you have my orders, what say you now?" he asked and ordered at the same time.

"I obey by the Geas!" was the expected reply and the soul within the Drow. Fubar saw it sulk even lower than it was before. She had no choice in her life and even basic laws of her life could be broken...by orders.

The days passed around Fubar quickly

The Drow made her way in the darkness to the huge mansion of a prominent family in the court of the West, she snuck past the wards and magical barriers with the ease of centuries of practice. Rohanna made her way to the correct floor at the right time of night, checked the whole floor for issues, added spells to cover herself and did her dark deed.

She killed both of the heads of the family in their bed in a manner that would shed the blame on outsiders! She checked the room again, then started to leave and that is when 'Fate' came to ruin her life!

A little girl stood up from her crawling out of a small tunnel that surely came from her room and into her parents room. She looked up at the tall Drow as she asked, "Where is mommy and daddy, are they okay?"

That is when Fubar saw it! this child looked exactly like the one in the sim, same age, size and hair color. Then she said the exact same thing, as this one did long forgotten by ancient history. This is where Rohanna's current problem started.

Fubar now overheard what was going on inside Rohanna's mind. She was panicking and panicking badly, she had failed...failure meant death to all Drows! She had missed the child's hideaway and tunnel, she did not drop a silence spell on the child in her bed and make sure she stayed there. Rohanna figured that the child's bed was too far away for her to come here unnoticed?

Rohanna gazed down at the child not knowing what to do, this was not covered in her plans or her orders. This one was not to be hurt, because girls in this family did not have line of succession to the top, so she was nothing till married and that was not happening with both parents dead behind her.

Killing the child like her parents was out of the question, the enemy to be blamed never would do that and making this look like an accident was not going to work at all. Removing the child's memories of this happening was far beyond Rohanna's impressive skills and her drugs that could do that...they could be found out!

The poor Drow had two parts deep within her fighting it out now, not hurting a child, a innocent Sidhe Versus the Geas to obey orders no matter what! The Geas won in short order and Rohanna's soul died a little more with it's victory.

She picked up the child in her arms, as how to fix this mess came into her mind. Then took the child back to her room, opened the window and looked out from the shadows of the room at the world past the windows edge. No one would see what came next, and the window was high enough up.

With the plan checked and rechecked. The Drow picked up the child again and then stunned her to unconsciousness. Now came the hard part and even Fubar had to look away at what the Drow was being forced to do by fate. Rohanna dropped the child from the window and watched the small body fall to the ground.

That fall looked exactly like her twin falling from the Sim building and it was the second key, the last key to why Rohanna was currently stuck thinking, remembering, punishing herself with this act over and over again!

The Drow went over in her head what would happen next, the parents would be found dead, the guard would get called out and the child found dead outside...having killed herself after finding mom and dad dead in their bed.

That is when the pain grabbed at the Drow once again and the whole play of torture stated to play again. But this time Fubar spoke and stopped it from restarting, "Rohanna it is done and you had no choice in the matter?"

She spun on him as she stood in the child's window, "What are you doing here Fubar, I told you, that if you ever did this again I would skin you alive!"

"Rohanna, please?"

"Please what!" she demanded and he felt his grasp in her mind slipping fast as her mental shields came up.

"Rohanna what happened, this. It happened so long ago and you had no choice, but to do it!"

"I could have stopped it, was too weak!"

"By doing what, jump out the window yourself? You know darn well you could not do that, then or now? The other Drows needed you and the other elves did too. You fought for them even if they did not appreciate it!" he pleaded with her.

"But I am so embarrassed at all of his, it showed how weak I was. How easy it was for me to break the rules of life!" she cried to him.

"Those rules, those rules....and who obeyed them? The ones who made you obey certainly did not obey them and you did...to...the...letter!"

"But I did this, you see her down there...I did that!" the Drow points out the window towards the hard earth below.

"Her fate was not yours to choose. The one who sent you here chose that fate for her, so get past it and help the ones still alive! Help the Sidhe around you right now, they need what you know. Besides you laying in a bed for the rest of your days, or mentally confining yourself to this mental prison, that helps no one?"

"But if anyone found this out, I would be a monster to them forever!"

"No you would not be a monster, look at Germany during WW2. Those men chose to obey, they might die for not obeying and that is a fact. But you never had that choice and still do not have that choice and maybe some day soon...you will gain back that choice?"

"I am sick of waiting for that choice to come. I want it now, I deserve it now!"

"I know, but all of that will come someday. But for now, forgive yourself and come back to us at Whateley. Talk to your Pixie friends, you shut them out of your mind and they might have been able to help you through all of this pain?"

"Violet, Lilac don't deserve this pain, to know one they trust so fully ever did this in her life!"

"They will not care, they understand you far better than I will ever do and they will stick by you by choice...just ask them that question after you give them freedom to leave you if they choose too? I bet they will stay by your side forever!"

"I have to think this over for a few more days, please leave Fubar and move me back to my room for now?"

"I will see that you are moved over to your room and let them...your pixies talk to you...please? he asked the Drow and faded from sight. After he left, the torture started all over again inside the Drow's mind.

Sunday, May 27 1:50 AM
Poe cottage, in Rohanna's nightmares

Both Drow had been physically moved back into their personal room many hours ago, but even with the far improved peaceful atmosphere that Rohanna's room contained for most Fae creatures, she was still trapped within her own mind and the nightmares within.

She had let the Pixies into her mind as promised, Both of them found themselves surrounded by the horror that was holding on to Rohanna and it played on around them like some crazy play over and over again.

Both Pixies held on to each other for mutual support and waited for that small break between the madness started to replay over again and it took them several tries to even get Rohanna to admit they were even there.

On this dozenth time watching the mad play, that small short break came as Rohanna starred down out the window at the body below and the Pixies jumped on Rohanna, pleading with her to stop all of this! That is when Rohanna shook in terror and embarrassment at what her two new best friends or newest sisters learned what she had done so long ago.

"I never wanted you two to ever see this in me, this is unforgivable of me doing that vicious act!" Rohanna stuttered out to both, not even able to say what she did, let alone think of what she has done.

"Why would you even think like that, let alone say it to us!" Violet demanded.

Then Lilac started her plea, "We Pixies knew what the royals made all of you Drow do in their name. Even the Spirits of the Grove know what happened back then, they just don't speak of it or lay judgment on those held to act by force."

"I hear you my two little ones, but I am so very confused by all of this again and don't know what to? All I want is a safe place, a place that tells me I am home and a safe?" Rohanna cries to the twin Pixies in her mind.

"The Grove offered that, the safety you ask for, the home, the not judging you for past deeds that you could not stop?" Violet adds in next.

The confused Drow screams out like a little child at the pain filled world inside her head, "All I want is to go home!"

Sunday, May 27 1:50 AM
Poe cottage, in the real world

Both Drow sit-up suddenly in the huge fold-away bed they had in their room and scream out in stereo, "Ilya amin merna naa aut- eska!" (All I want is to go home!") in Elvin, then repeat it several times over and over.

Inside her room, Rohanna is very confused at waking up where she is and why there are two of her in bed and her...being a girl? Being a 'her', a girl right now they even question that idea. Then the door swings open to the room, the doorway is filled by a large boy and a few other girls staring at her sitting up in bed...one of them in the back even has a gun!

Rohanna thinks that this place is where she should not be, or even near and can only think of one safe place right now...HOME as she screams it loudly. That is when the twins vanish from sight.

That place called home is something the Drow within Rohanna never had at all, then the Drow that she is now? She does not really have one yet, Bill offered her his place and that was real nice of him...but that is not her home. Nikki's family offered a place to call home, Nick Reilly even gave her a code and key for the door to his house...but still not home. That left one place to call home...what the human part of her called home for nearly two decades!

Down the hallway from Rohanna's room, at the same time.

Mrs. Horton comes running out of her room, the second she heard the scream in terror and she ran down the hallway with a shotgun at the ready that would make Burt Gummer proud! Most of the other students pop their heads out to see what is up and the elves along the hallway, they come out running ready for a fight.

Nikki holds back, just behind Mrs. Horton and Gwen is right up in front with the first kids that hit the door. Hank is the only 'tanky' boy there and takes it upon himself to open the door.

Inside the kids see a very confused set of twin Drow starring back at them from the bed, bundled under the sheets, that confused stare changes to one that looks like she is in terror and both twins yell out "ESKA!" in unison, then vanish.

Hank looks over his shoulder at Gwen the only elf near him, "What did she say?"

Gwen appears to be thinking about it and trying real hard to remember what that word meant, but it's just not coming to her now, "Safe...house...fam...ohhhh ya Home...she said Home!"

Nikki confirms her answer with a nod, "That is right, Eska...Means home in basic Elvin."

"Yaaa, but isn't this her home?" Bunny asks and thinks about it more.

"Well I guess it is?" Nikki says as she contemplates about it more, is this cottage or the school really Ro's home now?

"What about Bill's place, she popped up there once?" Gwen asks as she thinks about the complicated question herself.

"Gwen you call Bill, I will call my dad or Troy at my place and then we can go from there?"

"Got it!" the green haired speed demon elf sings, as she runs back to her room for her forgotten phone.

Nikki rushes back down to her room and the still sleeping Tony that lays in the bed across from her's. Toni who slept through the whole thing and still snoring away? She guesses that, no one said 'Ninjas', so Toni does not care what happens or happened just now?

Nikki gets her brother on the phone finally after several rings and he is mad that someone would call him this late! He asks instantly or grumbles out, "What Nikki, its F...O'clock in the morning!" his code for Fucking early!

"Where is dad?" she asks her brother.

"At work, some late night or early morning test thing? Why something go wrong again and you need me there quick!" he asks now more than worried and his anger left quickly behind by his new worry.

"Nope, I am fine. But is Rohanna there?"

"Is she missing?" he asks and Nikki can tell Troy is out of his bed right now. Troy sounds like he is now searching the huge house by the creaking open, then slamming sound of doors the in her house.

"Is she there?" Nikki asks again.

"I don't see her and I checked most of the house out. Her room, yours, dad's office, and outside a bit?" Troy answers.

"Well I guess she is not there, but keep checking and call me immediately if she shows up?"

"You got it sis, but should I call dad up?" Troy asks what to do next.

"Not just yet?" and Nikki hangs up, just as Gwen comes into her room with her phone still in hand.

"She is not up at Bill's or ARC at all and Bill, plus Jineen are looking for her too!"

"Gwen do you have that man's number? The one that Rohanna knew from her human past, maybe he has an idea what or where home is?" Nikki questioned the younger elf.

"Now that is a great idea, she might have gone home...as in old home as a kid!" she sang out and started dialing a number on her phone.

While Nikki was brooding about what to do next, a very worried Roz walked into her room wearing her night robe, "I just heard about Ro, any word on her yet?" she said as she crossed her arms in worry.

"None and I was just about to go checkout the Grove for her?"

"I'll do that, it likes me better than you right now?" the black haired beauty smiled at her evilly knowing the red headed elf was just dying to ask why?

"What? Why would the Grove like you better than me, a Sidhe?"

"Rohanna introduced me to it's spirits, then because it loved my plant powers and I swore to protect the Grove always." she said with some of her pride certainly showing.

"Alright, I would get on that as soon as you can!" Nikki urged her along and out her room's door!

Out in the hallway

Gwen just got through to Art and was telling him what had happened to Rohanna, "That is a bad one Gwen, but honey? Jack never told me where he lived as a kid, we met up long after that time of his life. He sold that house and moved right into rentals that were cheaper for him and easier for him to keep up with al of his strange hours. Heck that boy did not even rent a place during some years, all because he was working overseas and the company paid for all of that!"

"So you have no idea then Art?" she questioned him one more time before hanging up.

"I am very sure he lived in the North San Fernando valley somewhere? And why I know that is because, he knew that part of the city without ever using a map! But call me if you need more and I will be waiting up all night till you call me!" Art told the elf and they both hung up.

Gwen then called Bill next, just incase he might know? But soon enough, he told her the same thing. That his digging into the old history of the human part of Rohanna's life stopped at a certain point and he did not dig any deeper. But he was on the ARC computer network right now and would find out as fast as he could. After Gwen told him what Art had given her as a clue, he barked at Jineen to get to work as fast as she could and get ARC looking for strange occurrences out in the valley north of LA!

Gwen walked back into Nikki's room with her head hung low in defeat, "Art does not know where she lived as a kid and Bill did not dig that deep into his or her past. But he is working on it right now. Plus Jineen is going up to ARC to get a search started for her or anything weird where she might show up at?"

After Gwen told Nikki what she had done during her calls, she started to pace the room out and think. Then it came to her...Josh! His dad would have a file as thick as a phone book on Rohanna by now and in that mess of paper would be that very info!

Nikki quickly put her phone to her head after she hit is number, A very sleepy Josh answered the phone, "Nikki? What do you want this early on a Sunday?" he yawned out to her and she realized it was an hour earlier there in Ohio right now.

"Josh, I need your dad as fast as you can get him!"

"What's up, something bad happen..." then some silence as he thought about it, "IS Rohanna fine!" he demeaned to know and right now by his tone.

"She was hurt in one of our tests this week and the physical part is the healed part. But her..."

"HER WHAT!" he yelled out now over the phone, because of his impatience to hear if the girl he was seeing seriously is hurt in anyway!

"Her mind, she was confused by something she saw and that long past that bothers her at times. It came back with a vengeance and confused her. She ported away and we have no idea where to...the only clue we have what so ever? Is that she said one word...home...in Elvin just before she left?"

"Isn't Poe her home, or where her parents are at?"

"Josh, we did not tell you everything about Ro, her parents are dead and have been dead for over fifty years. She disappeared for about thirty years and popped up in LA suddenly, then changed into a Drow up here at ARC."

"Her parents are dead, that I kind of knew or figured out when she never mentioned them? But them both being dead that long, that I did not know and how old was she or is she?" he questions now and thinks about what Rohanna's life is like now without family that he depends on most in life.

"That is a weird question Josh and one I hope you will understand? She was nearly thirty, then changed to a teenager and is acting more and more like a teen each day that passes. Then the Drow part of her, it is tens of thousands of years old. Just like my Aunghadhail was and she even knew Aung from back then...but not in a good way?"

"All of that, I will ask about later and deal with it then. So you have no idea where she is at right now?"

"None at this time Josh?" Nikki says flatly a sad fact, she has no idea where to start looking for the Drow. At least till the cops start asking about dead bodies showing up that is?

A now fully awake Josh barks back at the phone, his attention is now fully with Nikki and he wants to help, "I will wake dad up and get him on this, call you back in a few!" and he hangs up instantly.

Saturday, May 26 11:50 PM
Across the whole nation in Los Angeles
The far Northwest section of the San Fernando Valley

A teen girl is watching the last of 'Saturday night live' play off her delayed DVR of the show and loves tonight's episode so far. As the regular commercial break comes up and she picks up the remote to fast-forward over the silly things.

Her room shakes for a second, almost unfelt and she thinks for a second that the Dr Quack or his real name Dr Quake...That his anti-earthquake machine finally gave out and all the missed quakes that LA was supposed to have over the last forty years? Are they happening right now!

Once the rattling stops, she hears a large bang inside her walk-in closet and the sound of a lot of her books falling off the shelves inside it. She stands up to go see what happened to her stuff inside there, when her dad opens the door quickly, "Sammi honey what was that!" he demands.

"I don't know dad?" Sammi says back to him, then both of them hear something moving around inside the rather large closet and it is talking?

Her dad grabs her arm and hurriedly drags her down the hallway. Where he tosses her to the bed and fetches his pistol out of his locked dresser, plus the phone off the top of it to call the cops. "Stay here honey!" he asks her and starts to dial the phone in his hand.

"Dad, I don't think anyone is inside my closet, I have been in that room all day and how could they sneak in past me, the dogs, and you?" she reasons with him.

"You heard voices too!"

"And I bet it's one of my old I-pods that fell and turned on somehow? So why call the cops and go in blasting up my good clothes!" the fourteen year old demands and stomps her foot to prove a point!

"Okay, I give. But we send in Wolfy in first to see who or what is in there?" he suggests.

"My dog, the German Shepard, the one that almost helped the buglers take the TV two years ago? Mom's Yorkshire 'cuddles' is more vicious than my dog!" she reasons back to her dad and stares at her father like he is a moron.

"Well if 'cuddles' was here, or your mother, I would toss that beast into the closet like a hand grenade!"

Sammi thinks about that sight and laughs back, "Yep that might work, that little dog scared the crap out of John the marine next door! Mom's darn dog is like a razor blade with paws and a pink bow on its head!"

That is when both of them hear even more sounds come from the closet in the next room over, "Well lets go see if there is something in there and you hold onto the phone Sammi...Run and call if anything is really in there? I will hold it off while you..."

"Run Dad, I don't run!"

"Do as I ask dear?" he pleads with her and she gives in with a nod. Her dad is right on this, that is the only plan that sounds even logical.

Sammi and her dad, slowly enter her room, then move quickly over to the closed closet door. Both hear from the other side of the door, "What is all this stuff, none of this is mine. But this is my closet and these are the shelves I built for my books?"

Her dad looks quickly over to her and nods. Sammi flips the light on, as her dad opens the door. As the light fills the small room, both of them see a set of tall teen girls dressed in night things, both fall to the floor from tripping on all the books and the sudden light coming on, plus the unexpected shock of it!

"EEEEPPPP" they both shout out in stereo, as they both fall to the floor in a pile of clothes and books.

Sammi's dad points his gun at the strange twins and yells out, "Freeze or I shoot!"

The twins Growl back at him like trapped bears in a cave, while two little winged missiles hit his extended hand holding the gun and the hand goes instantly numb! He drops the pistol, one of the twins grabs it and before he can even say a word. That twin tosses the gun barrel, the slide, the dissembled magazine, the loose bullets and all the other small parts of his pistol back at this feet.

Dad's mind thinks about what he just saw, that teen girl just took apart a loaded gun in less than ten seconds and right down to the screws! If she had wanted to with that much skill in firearms, both him and his daughter would be dead right now!

Sammi was about to say, "Don't shoot!" till she saw the twin make a 'kit' from her dad's gun and now all she can do is stand there dumbfounded till one of the strange twins speaks.

"What are you doing in my house, this is my closet and where are my belongings?" both demand in a huff! As both of them toss the loose pile of clothing off their bodies.

"Ahhhh this is my closet and has been my home for thirteen years?" Sammi looks at her dad to agree.

"Yep, we bought this place off the Madisons in 1994 or so?" and Rohanna can tell that he is telling her the truth.

"Madisons... Madisons, I remember a family called that here? But things are so confusing for me today. I don't feel right, me being twins is strange, looking so different...why is that? The only things I feel that are right about today...are the Pixies there Violet and Lilac!" one twin points to the twin missiles that hit her dad's hand, that are now standing on a shelf over the rows of hung up jeans on the rack below them.

The look of utter confusion and near emptiness in both of their faces, plus the sad eyes gets to Sammi and she goes to hold one of the twins, "Come lets go sit on my bed and talk about all of this and you are an Elf too?"

"Some humans call my...I think my kind, you call us that or Sidhe?"

As Sammi guides one twin out to her bedroom, the other follows closely behind and the two Pixies hover close nearby all three. Both of the small flying Fae, seem to be watching over her dad very closely as he shakes and rubs his hand to get the feeling back into it.

One Pixie stops in a hover near her dad, as she notices him flex his hand over and over, then she moves nearer to him so she can be heard, "The feeling in your hand will comeback in a few minutes. We never do permanent damage unless it's required to be done?" she says, then flies off across the room and lands on a shelf over his daughters bed.

With all the girls sitting on the bed and chatting, Sammi's dad asks or says to them, "Should we call the cops? Someone must be looking for both of them."

"Not for now dad, she seems lost and handing her over to the cops? I think that would be a bad idea at best!" she insists to him.

"Hey I will go get you all a snack and maybe a soda?" he asks.

"Do you drink soda...ahh you never said your name? I am Sammi and this is dad or my dad Todd." she introduces both herself and her father to the twins.

"VeldrinVelve," one twin says quickly,

Then the other says, "Rohanna or is it...Rehanna?" she ponders.

"Okay Rohanna for now, because I will never say that first one right!" Sammi laughs quickly, then asks, "But what kind of soda do you like?"

The twin nearest Sammi says, "Orange or fruity tasting?" and she ponders that question again.

Then the other repeats, "Yukin xor nau'shindcal rez?" in a strange language.

"That sounds like Mountain dew to me dad?"

"Yep it does to me too!" and he leaves the room to fetch some.

While her dad is gone, Sammi talks to the twins and finds for the most part. Both seem very confused at all of this tonight and where they are right now? Then add, Sammi thinks that there is more than one personality at work inside both twins at times, one speaks of old long past Elvin things and slides into a language she does not understand? One seems to be a teen girl from today, the last seems to think it's an older guy from decades ago?

Sunday, May 27 1:55 AM
Cleveland Ohio Area

Josh runs into his parents room and finds both asleep, that is normal for both on a Sunday off from the affairs of being in Government. He shakes, then yells at his dad till he wakes up, "Dad I need you up now, Rohanna needs you up right now!" he shouts till his dad finally rolls out of bed.

His dad Senator Earl, listens to what the boy is saying? But it takes a few times of his son shouting the whole thing, to get through his dad's 'fog' of just sleeping! Then when Earl finally understands the shouting boy, he stands up quickly off his bed and grabs a robe to walk with his son towards his office

"Well lets get into my office and see what my papers have on Rohanna's old human part?" the older man yawns out.

"Go faster dad, who knows what troubles she is in!"

"Son never worry about her, she can handle a whole lot more than you think!" he laughs at his boy and unlocks his inner office door.

Josh follows right behind his dad into that inner office, a place he has rarely ever seen in life. Most of the Senators highly classified files were kept in here and the room was alarmed at all times!

The teen watched as his father keyed a few locks open to turn off the alarm and open the huge thick doored safe that made up most of the rear of the office. His father, pulled open a large drawer on a file cabinet and he sifted through a few files, till he pulled out a very thick one!

The file that his father laid on the desk was as thick as the LA city yellow pages of the 70's! Nearly a foot! "All of that is Rohanna dad?" he questioned the size.

"Yep, her...her change, what she can do and her family history. Her dad did machinist work at Lockheed Skunk works and had very high clearance for that work. I can't tell you what he worked on, even thou it is thirty years old, it's still very classified work my boy!" he smiles, then flips through the stack of files.

"Well dad...dad...faster!" Josh urges his father, "And why is this not on a computer?" he wonders that small fact.

"Because son, the best secrets are kept on paper so that hackers can't get to them easy!" he grins and finds the file he was looking for.

"Well dad!" Josh says after he watches his dad paw through that last pile of old paper.

"Here it is, this was her parents place just before she was born and she sold it just months after they died to the Madison family, now the Solberg family is there in the home!" he smiles.

Josh grabs the page off the desk and takes a quick picture of it to send to Nikki, "Thanks dad, I owe ya one!" he says fat and quickly runs back up stairs.

"Just tell me she is all right and safe....that is what I need to hear josh!" he shouts at the boy's backside.

Once Josh is back inside his room and the door firmly locked again, he dials up Nikki's phone that she picks up on the first ring, "Nikki I got it all and I just sent it to you as a JPEG file!" he happily chirps out.

Nikki checks for the address her phone and then sends that information over to the waiting Gwen. Who pounces on the info instantly, then sends it all over to Bill for verification that Rohanna is there! "Thanks Josh, we will know shortly if she is there!"

"GET back to me, I am going to be waiting up all night and if you need more...like my dad's help? Please call me and I will ride the old man like Paul Revere's horse!"

"Got it Josh, will do and bye for now!" Nikki runs over to the green haired elf's room and right inside without even knocking!

Gwen was sitting on her bed and she was talking a fast river of words over to Bill on the other end of the phone as Nikki entered the room, "Well is that the right one...so call them!...so what if it's late...well then get a porter to take us there...No Nikki does not make gates that fast anymore, most of that was Aung and she has to relearn it all?" As Gwen said that statement, Nikki walked in and Gwen mouthed out 'Sorry, had too?'....Nikki nodded back, Gwen was right and Aung was the core of most of what she did at one time.

.....as Nikki waits for Gwen to finish with her call to Bill.
Outside in the Grove

Rosalyn walks slowly into the Grove, one of the few times she has done this alone and she is feeling a bit apprehensive about doing it tonight. As she walks forward, the Grove flows out of her path and seems to welcome her in just like the Grove has done many times before.

Roz reaches the near center of the Grove, very close to the hot springs that she loves to soak in and next she chooses the path towards the center, so that she can speak to the Sprits better tonight. Once in the deep center of the Grove, the air, hangs with the scents of fresh clean earth, Roz feels full of magic buzzing deep within her bones and that peace that always welcomes her so far, it washes over her body in waves.

"I have a question?" she states to the area.

"Yes?" the ghostly wind whispers through the trees.

"I know you protect Rohanna and she does the same for you. But if she came in here tonight and you are shielding her? We...her friends all need to know she is safe and well?"

"She is well as far as this place knows and is not here, or close by enough to call on?" it whispers again to her.

"So you feel that she is alive and well for the most part?"

"Yes...but very far away. Too far for this place to call upon her?" the trees groan in displeasure of being asked a question twice.

"Thanks, I have to find her and help her, I will be going now." Roz says as she turns to leave the dark eerily glowing area of the deep Grove.

"Look to the west, child of the green and understand we can travel you there in the west, if there is need?" the wind whispers to her.

"You can take me out west?" she asks very surprised that the Grove can do that!

"Yes we can move you to 'Grove final lights descending'..." it sings softly to her.

"Final lights descending?" Roz ponders then it hits her, "that must mean LA!" she shouts out to the Grove.

"Humans call it many things...angels city is one?" it almost asks her.

"That sounds about right, Los Angeles!" she giggles to the Grove.

"There is one more near there, 'Fairgrove final waters burning, leviathan rest'?" it questions her.

"Ahhh the first one sounds like the one we need! So let me go get the rest of her friends and we can get going?" Roz says happily and quickly runs off out of the Grove.

Back inside Poe

Gwen finally stops to take a breath, so Nikki asks Gwen the question that has been bugging her since she entered the room and before the elf can take a breath to start rambling again! "Gwen, does Bill know this? Are there any reports of something strange from that area of LA?"

"No, but Bill is going to call that number that Josh had on the address paper!" then Gwen starts bugging Bill once more at a rapid pace, "Bill did you call them yet?...So what if I have been talking to you for ten minutes, call them....ya I know...I will shut up and you can call me back?...ohh call Art up and give him the address too, good idea!"

Gwen hangs up to call Art and give him the newest information, once done with that she waits till someone makes a move and Nikki sits beside her, "It will be alright, Rohanna has the Pixies with her and they are something not to mess with on good days!" the red head says to Gwen.

"I know, but I have to worry about her?" Gwen sighs.

Sunday, May 27 12:30 AM
Across the whole nation in Los Angeles
The far Northwest section of the San Fernando Valley

The house phone inside Mr. Solberg's pocket rings, just after he fetched a soda for his daughter Sammi and the twin elves that sat on her bed talking about things he did not understand right now...mostly because leaving the room for even five minutes left you wayyyy behind when two teen girls chat it up!

He answers the phone after a few rings, 'Who could be calling this time of night?' he pondered, "Hello?" he questioned the caller.

"Hello, Mr. Solberg? This is Bill Varney, I hate to call you so late at night with a strange question?" the voice on the phone asked.

"Go ahead, this night can't get any weirder!" he laughs back.

"So if you are saying that this night is strange? Then me asking if twin girls showed up at your home is 'not' a strange question then?" Bill asks the man.

"Ahh yep, we have two new guests here, can you describe them...just incase two other twins are doing the same thing tonight?" he laughs again at the phone, 'might as well make fun of all this strangeness!' he thinks to himself.

"Teen girls, sixteenish, tall, dark purple skin, white hair, all white eyes and they are elves?" Bill tries to sound serious to Mr. Solberg, as he states his answers to the strange question.

"Let me guess, named Rohanna or Rehanna?" Mr. Solberg recalls the twins name and there is no way he can even pronounce the first word they called each other!

"Ohh thank GOD for small favors, are they okay?" Bill asks the man on the phone and sounds really relived to hear the information.

"Physically they look fine, but they are really confused to where they are and sound confused at what happened to them?"

"Good...good...GREAT! I will get a local friend to come over and help you out with them as soon as I can!"

"That sounds like you are far away from us here and please tell me how they got into a locked house, then into a closet at the center of a large home without anyone seeing them?"

"Ahh sir, can I have your first name so I can address you better?" Bill asks.

"Well Bill you can call me Scott and let me guess that this is your set of twin daughters?"

"Nope Scott, but I take care of them for now and a few others help me. But how they got into you home was...they can teleport." Bill says and cringes at admitting to it.

"So this is a regular thing with them and you are not an elf too?" Scott thinks to ask.

"Ahh this is the first time they did this and no I am a regular human just like you I suppose?" Bill chuckles out a little

"And how far away are you and when can I expect your local friend?"

"I am in New Hampshire and both of the twins go to a boarding school near here?"

"Humm a school for elves and they can teleport that far...really?

Bill chuckles some more, "No Scott the whole school is not elves, most are humans and yes they can teleport very far distances."

"Okay, but I will wait for your friend to arrive, what is their name?"

"Art Bassett, he will be there as fast as possible and we are leaving very soon!"

"So I guess you will get here in three or more hours then?"

"We will try for sooner, but who knows what I can get this time of night. Plus it being fast! But bye for now and keep this number for getting back with me?" Bill gives him a contact number and hangs up.

Sunday, May 27 12:45 AM
Across the whole nation in Los Angeles
Simi Valley, west of Los Angeles

Art finishes up writing down all the information that Bill just gave him and rechecks it, his wife Linda has been up all this time dressed, ready for action. Art hangs up and his wife stares his way, "Well!" she demands of him.

"Well, we get moving! She is over in the San Fernando valley, near the 118 freeway and the Santa Susanna pass!"

"Well is she okay?" she worries now.

"Rohanna is confused, but fine physically...so says the owner of the home she landed in?"

"She landed in?"

"Yep, she wound up inside his daughters closet and Rohanna claims that she lives there?" Art says as he starts walking towards the garage door and he grabs a coat off the rack of them by the door. This coat was one of many studio ones he had earned working as a crewperson and each has the huge logo of the film on the back of it.

His wife follows close behind him and grabs two more longer ones just in case the twins need them. Then she stands at the passenger door of the large Mercedes in the four bay garage.

Art walks right past her and the Benz, as she asks "Honey we are not taking the larger car?"

"Nope!" he says, as he whips the cover off his pride and joy. A new style Ford GT40 "hope in honey, speed is what we need tonight!"

"What if we need a back seat for the twins? Linda questions how wise his choice of car is.

"Bill is having the ARC center here in LA, send over a security team and they will have a dozen SUV's for the girls. So lets move honey!" Art says as he gets his belt on and starts the car.

While Art and wife drive over to the home where Rohanna is at

Roz runs out of the Grove and right into Poe cottage, then straight into Gwen's room when she overhears both Elves are inside it. "Hey guys, I got us a ride to LA and the Grove is taking us there!"

"What the Grove is taking us to LA, I have never heard of such a thing?" Nikki questions the out of breath Roz.

"Well I asked it where Rohanna was, it said out west in LA and it then said it can get us all there to 'Grove final lights descending' it called LA?" she huffs out still winded by her run from the woods.

"Well if it can do that for all of us, Gwen call Bill back and have them get a porter to down here!" Roz nods back, then sits to regain some of her 'wind' back.

"On it ohhhh queen!" Gwen laughs and makes the call.

~o~O~o~

Shortly, Bill has ported down to Whateley with Jineen and both are waiting just inside the entrance of the cottage. Nikki, Gwen and finally Roz went to get cleaned up and fully dressed for the night.

Just before One AM, Roz leads the small team through to the center of the Grove and that is where the team of friends finds one of Rohanna's sworn waiting for them on bended knee.

The one Rohanna calls Joan tilts her head down to stare at the earth in submission when they come near enough to hear her, "I was told to guide all of you to 'Grove final lights descending'...Are all of you ready my Lady Rosalyn?" she asks Roz, who is standing at the lead of the group and might be the one the Grove called Joan to serve as a guide for.

"Ahhh ya Joan? We are all ready, lets go...please?" Roz quickly says and seems not quite sure of it all.

"Good, I will walk in front and guide all of you. Please for all of your safety, stay very close to me and please I beg of you listen to what I say. This can be dangerous if done wrong?" she warns and starts walking away slowly guiding them deeper into the Grove.

She leads the small group to a very large Banyan tree that must be a hundred feet across, she points towards a section of the tree that looks like a glowing door made of fog, "That is where we must go, but heed this first. Stick to the path you are on right now, do not step off of it while I hold the door open for all of you from this end. Then wait for me in the center, where all the paths come together, Pleases for your lives...no wondering?"

As Roz leads, the rest follow very close behind and seem to be obeying Joan's suggestion to the word. Near the foggy door, Roz sees the path is lined with small polished stones that must mark it's edges. She walks into the glowing fog when Joan nods to her and points.

Joan stands there at the door of fog, with her arm extended through it till each of the group has entered and then finally she goes in last herself....the glowing door of fog fades inside the Grove near Whateley...it's job done.

Just past the fog that blinded Roz for a second, she sees the path that goes on straight for a few hundred feet and on each side of the path, are smooth polished stones that mark it and just beyond the line of stones...just a few feet is solid fog, much like a tunnel made of fog.

The path seems to end up in the middle of a UTTERLY HUGE Banyan tree, one that is far larger than the one they entered at? And Roz thinks it strange that here at the center, see can see hundreds of yards to the tree itself and the fog is nowhere to be seen?

All the fog lined paths converge at the center where a large polished stone disk lays exactly at it's center, along the far edge of the disk is lines of engraving that Roz can not read and symbols that glow in the night. Roz glances up and sees that the tree is hollow in the center and the night sky is far above them, but the stars look very strange to her.

Bill notices the sky too and questions the sight to the group, "I have been stargazing since I was a kid and I even navigated by them in the marines. But that sky is not on the earth that I know of!"

None if the small group steps off the disk and soon enough Joan walks up to them, she waves her hands over the disk and the symbols glow each time her hand passes over them. When she is done, one set is the only one left glowing and it hovers in the slight wispy fog of the still air.

"This way follow me and just like before. Please stay to this one path or you might have troubles that I can not fix?" she warns the group again.

At the end of the path after a short walk of about two hundred yards, they see a set of five glowing fog doors just like the Grove near Whateley had and Joan goes to door three from the left. She waits for all of the group to catch up and she counts silently that all of them are here with her.

"This door please, same warning, stick to the path and do not wonder out into the fog." Joan makes that same warning again, like this is a matter of life and death for all.

After Roz exits the door of fog, she sees the lights of downtown LA crossing the sky in front of her and she realizes that this smaller Banyan tree is deep inside Griffith Park in the center of LA!

After the whole party exits the smaller tree, Joan exits and points to a nearby road. "That street has the best access to the city and I can wait for all of you to come back with me...if that is your orders?"

"Well guys should we have her wait or take a plane back?" Roz laughs to the group.

Bill speaks up first, "Well if it is that easy then, lets have her wait in case Rohanna can not port all of us home?"

Nikki chirps in next, "Makes sense to me Bill, Ro's port is getting better? But porting all of us might be too much of a strain on her tonight?"

Bill nods to the plan and makes a call over to the local ARC branch for the group to get picked up.

Sunday, May 27 1:30 AM
Across the whole nation in Los Angeles
The far Northwest section of the San Fernando Valley

Art checks the in-dash navigation system and sees that he has the correct house. Plus he recognizes it from some pics of Jack from his mom's photo album. So he parks the GT in the long driveway of the huge lot, both he and Linda exit the car while grabbing a few things, the coats that maybe needed and some personal things in case.

Art knocks at the front door a few times and a tall thin man answers the sound, "You must be Scott?" Art asks the man.

"You must be Art and Linda that Bill said were coming right over, you got here real fast?' he questions, then spots the sports car in the driveway, that is still making metallic 'tinging' sounds as it cools off in the night air.

"We drove a little fast to get here?" Art mumbles, and his wife just stares at him silently.

Scott chuckles a little, "I guess your are the 'Winston Wolf' that Bill uses...like from the 'Pulp Fiction' movie?" he asks and takes the huge mans hand in a offered greeting.

"Yep, that is my main job, fixing the messes left by others." Art says and enters the home just after his wife goes in the large front door.

Far past the living room where Scott is taking the coats from both of his two newest guests, the keen ears of the twin Drow hear Art's voice and one of them sniffs the air for a second, "Art is here! Now he can tell me what the hell is going on and he will help me!" the one twin states and both leap off the bed running.

Both twins run into the living area with a blanket that Sammi had wrapped around them both, one squeals out loudly, "Art you're here! Now someone call tell me what is going on, I don't understand all of this?"

Art hugs for a moment, then the twins and both sit both down on either side of his wife, that had taken a spot on the large couch. "Tell me what is wrong Rohanna?" he asks as he takes a seat in a large chair across from the couch.

"That name, being twins, being girls, being Drow, and why is this not my house anymore?" one twin rolls out the questions in a fast stream right at the large man.

"Okay, lets start with what got you upset not to long ago?" he asks.

"I did something bad?" both say and then look down at the floor in shame.

"Was it something bad from now, then, or the ancient time?" Art asks like an expert on the mater.

"Way back then?" one mumbles to Art.

"Then it is forgotten and no one knows of it, or can do anything about it...right?" he tells her, then adds the last question.

"But it was real bad, I did it and I never should have. That...my doing that...was unforgivable!" she nearly shouts.

"Bill has talked to me for days about you on the commuter and on the phone. He told me most of what ever you did from that time, it was not your choice and you could not change that...So forget it, you were forced to act...you did not choose to act...Am I right?" Art asks and tilts the Drows face with a finger guiding it's moves up to his.

"You are right Art, just like most times I ask about things. But is this my house or what?" she asks...almost pleads with him.

"This was your home, you sold it decades ago when your parents both died and maybe you need to face that time some more to get over it? Maybe that is why you came here when you got more than confused by the last few days?"

"Okay I kind of remember that now, just after you said it?"

"Good now stay calm and lets slow things down so you can think some. You are just fighting all three of your mental parts and need some time to ponder what is what I bet?"

"Yep, I am calm and slowing things down a little seems like a good idea to me?" the other Drow on the couch says out slow sigh.

Sammi enters the room after taking time to get dressed fully, as she did not want guests to see her in her night things! She spots one of the logoed jackets that Linda had with her, tossed over the back of one of the living room chairs. She ponders the logo of the film, plus Art's name and it dawns on her suddenly.

"You are Art Varney, one of the FX gods of Hollywood! And that set of twin elves must be the Leigh Twins...how could I have been that stupid not to put that together by now! she slaps her forehead in shame.

Linda smiles to the young lady, "That would be correct, that is Art and those are the Drow twins you said they are."

"WOW, I have important guests in my house and this is the house they owned way back when too!" she bubbles out to Linda.

"Yes that is correct too and we should keep all of that a little personal secret...just among us new friends that is?" Linda asks the teen.

"Ohh ya I can keep a secret...for the right price?" she grins slyly back to both Art and Linda.

"We can talk over deals later, lets just try to keep Rohanna happy for now...shall we?" Linda asked the girl.

Right then, Scott stood up when he heard a commotion outside somewhere in his driveway and he left the group chatting to go see what it was? As he peeked out the window nearest the front door, he saw a group of five SUV's in his driveway or parked out in front of the house.

Scott moved over to the front door to open it, when it opened he was greeted by a smiling man, "Hi Scott...I am Bill, I called an hour or so back about some elves I lost?" he tried to chuckle.

"Ahh yep, Art is over there, with his wife and the twins are sitting on the couch talking to my family, along with rest here....So please come in?" he asked.

As Scott let Bill slip past him, Bill introduced the rest of the pack behind him... Jineen, Gwen, Nikki and a raven-haired girl he called Roz.

As all of them passed by Scott he had to jest at all of it, "I should fire up the Bar-be and lets have a party!"

"No thanks Scott sir, us elves don't eat meat." the green haired one they called 'Gwen' stated to him.

"Ohhh I should have noticed the ears on all of you, now I have five elves in my home?" he questioned the group.

Roz spoke up with a slight giggle at his statement, "No sir, I am no an elf like them...just a good old regular mutant that they all happen go to school with!" she boasted.

"Ahh now it all makes sense to me what Rohanna said and Art? All of you go to a boarding school, Mutant, elves and alike, that makes sense to me now!" Scott says and goes to the kitchen to fetch water and glasses for the now much larger group of guests now in his home.

A short time later....

Soon enough Art says to the group, "Well this has been nice and I think that Rohanna is over the worst parts of what jumped at her from her past. So lets all of us be going and let this family get some sleep like all of us need to get!"

After most the group nods back in agreement, Scott goes to open the door for them all and Sammi helps Rohanna plus Rehanna into the long coats that Linda brought. It seems that Linda was correct in foretelling their need for clothes or both twins would be nearly naked in their night things!

With most of the group now packed up into the waiting SUV's and Linda warming up the GT for the drive back because she felt less tried than Art did right now. Art and Bill told the Solberg's that they would be indebted to them for the kindness shown to the twins and that Art would send something over that was 'Real nice!' for Sammi to have.

With the excitement over, Sammi went back to her room to get out of her clothes and get ready for some much needed sleep. After she undressed, she went into the closet to clean up most of the mess that the twins made of the small room when they 'ported' into it.

As Sammi put clothes back on hangers and hung them up. Or placed the small pile of books on the large set of shelves at the rear of the closet and as she placed each book on the wooden shelves. She finally noticed for the fist time that the shelves, they did not match the rest of the house at all, as they looked better finished and surly handmade just like Rohanna said they were.

Once she was happy that most of the mess was cleaned up, she stood up slowly with a sigh and flipped the light switch to the room off. But as darkness filled the room, the far corner was filled by a glow that she had never seen before.

Sammi realized what the glow was coming from and rushed over to kneel down by a large cardboard box that Rohanna had nearly crushed when she ported into the room. When Sammi opened the lid to her prized box that she had hidden from mom, plus her dad. She spotted that the glow was coming from the strange bronze box that she had dug up from the back yard, a box that was obviously put there years ago and on purpose!

The bronze nearly golden metal box hummed at her and on it's normally perfectly smooth surface,it was now covered in magical looking runes that glowed in patterns! Then what caught her eye the most, was a girl sized hand print on the top of it. A print that surly Rohanna had left as she touched it there. That was the only thing that made any sense to her now.

Sammi ripped the now ruined cardboard box from around the very heavy 32 inch long by 16 inch wide and 16 inches high golden box and she searched allover the large box now. "What are you doing now and why did you only start after an elf touched you?" she said out loud to herself and the box at her knees now.

As she searched over the box to see if the symbols had any meaning to her, she thought about the day she dug it up in the backyard. It was placed in line with the edge of the house and directly inline with a large tree. Like someone wanted to find it easily again someday?

When she dug it up, the box must have weighed well over a hundred pounds? Because it took her all day to get the darn thing into her wagon and rolled into her closet. Where she flipped it end over end to get it inside that now ruined box and hide it from her parents better!

"So my house used to be home to a human that became a Drow or elf and then I found you?" she said to the box now, "And I have to wonder now, did she put you here or are there other magical treasures hidden in, around or under this home...or maybe inside it?!"

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~o~O~o~

~o~O~o~

~o~O~o~

Shadowsblade here.

This story in a joint venture with a group of fan fic authors, so far this group is made up of Nuuan, then Branek and finally myself. We all got together and after a jumpy start decided to make a group of stories that all take place within the Whateley fanfic universe.

To have an idea about the main protagonist this story's will develop
around here is a short introduction.

Angels Peril a Whateley Tale: Written by Branek
Tormented by the past, Angel is struggling between light and dark.

Melvin a Whateley Tale: Written by Branek
They say old soldiers never die, Melvin is about to learn that the hard
way.

The Way of the Dragon a Whateley Tale: Written by Branek
Born for eternity but vulnerable like a child, dragons shouldn't leave
their nest.

Every Rose has it Thorns a Whateley Tale: Written by Nuaan
Watch what you say around rose, could give you more trouble than you ever
asked for.
This one is coming soon, bug him for it! lol

Kelly a Whateley Tale: Written by Nuaan
Struggling with fate, Kelly has to deal with love and loss.

Shadowsblade a Whateley Tale: Written by Shadowsblade
Created for war and forged in pain, dealing with demons within and
without.

Vantier a Whateley Tale :Written by Shadowsblade
Ancient and Powerful Vantier awakens in a foreign world, struggling to
find her place in it.

You might ask yourself what is the Whateley Universe? To make it short,
here is a abstract straight out off the wiki.

Whateley is a Prep School for different teens. VERY different ones. Where else could a kid go to a school that has a resident demon living in the furnace? Or meet magic users, mutants of every imaginable kind, get trained in how to handle some rather odd abilities, and worry about
flunking Freshman English? Come visit Whateley Academy, nestled in the
lovely hills of New Hampshire. Just down the road from a town named
Dunwich... (Mythos jokes purely intentional).
This is the Whateley Academy Universe, a shared universe with over a dozen authors and more than a hundred stories (and counting). The stories range in size from vignettes to novels. It's a Mutant High scenario with both a strong transgender theme and a slightly watered down Cthulhu Mythos theme.

It's also very much a work in progress.'
If you want further information you will find them on.

http://crystalhall.wikia.com/wiki/Whateley_Academy_Wiki

or

http://whateleyacademy.net/

But I have to thank, Both Branek and Nuuan for their vast input and the ability they both have to 'bounce' off ideas and improve them!

To all my readers who have e-mailed me and given support--THANKS!

Please feel free, to add a review to this story and others. As those kind words are 'cookies' that keeps that muse well fed on the 'sometimes' long breaks between stories!

Copyright © 2016 by Shadowsblade

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods,
without the prior written permission of the Author, except in the case of
brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other
noncommercial uses permitted

this warning is for our story stealers off site, not the BC family of readers we all know and love!

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Comments

Gunny has to learn...

...a lesson in the Sidhe way of life and very quickly as I doubt Mrs. Carson or anyone will be able to stop Rohanna when she totally loses it when she gets back into fighting shape. Her sense of Honor will not let him cause her more grief and he forced her to break her vows. The next chapter will be interesting as Fubar and Dr. Bellows will be working overtime trying to help her over this, while Nikki and the others will be very wary of his actions for the next few months. The biggest question to be answered has to be what will happen with Sammi and the mystery box she has in her bedroom? I hope the answers will be coming out soon! KUDOS!

humm have we seen that box

shadowsblade's picture

humm have we seen that box somewhere before?
I wonder where that was??

Proud member of the Whateley Academy Drow clan/collective

I get the Idea

Sammi's picture

that Shadowsblade is setting the scene for a separate story with Sammi and the plots merge later.

Though the gold box is an interesting twist.


"REMEMBER, No matter where you go, There you are."

Sammi xxx

this was a difficult read

to be compelled to commit such an act ...

the person ordering that act should have been roasted over a slow fire.

DogSig.png

New Drow?

Looks like there may be a new Drow in the future. I wonder who she has been.

Rohanna

Just can't get away from her past and most of the reasons she can't is because of the actions or rules placed upon her by the Whateley Staff, Teachers and Administrators. Also those damn Geais placed upon her. This was a great read Shadowsblade one of your best chapters.

Can't wait to read the next one.

SDom

Men should be Men and the rest should be as feminine as they can be

Wolfy

Why was Wolfy a no show? First, you tease us then, nothing!

Who let the dogs out--woof

shadowsblade's picture

Who let the dogs out--woof woof woof!

Ohh my! But Wolfy was outside and I felt that adding in a little scene with him in it, as I hit 25,000 words was getting a little long winded? But the girl might be back and who knows what or the why?

Proud member of the Whateley Academy Drow clan/collective

Read the riot act

Jamie Lee's picture

Someone needs to take Gunny out behind the wood she'd and beat a lot of sense into him. Bellows told him what he planned was a bad idea, and was proven right.

Because of Gunny, Rahanna froze during the sim battle, which got her and her twin blown out of the window. Causing both to lock themselves into their minds while in hospital.

Rahanna is so conflicted by what she was forced to do and knowing it was wrong. But had no choice because being able to choose was taken away from her. Had a regular human had this happen they would have committed suicide. Rahanna went home, to the place that felt like home.

And in the process, touched a box a young girl dug up and kept to herself. A box that now glows and makes her wonder what's inside. Telling Art she can keep a secret for a price, says a lot about her character. And it ain't good. Should this little girl get the box open, she might find that she doesn't like what happens to her. That her greed gets her involved in something that either mutates her, kills her, or gets the wrong people interested in her. People who will kill her and her father just to get the box. Stupid little girl is about to open a can of worms which might have nasty teeth.

Others have feelings too.

Owh I am a bit surprise.

So Caitlin the artificer is Gunny's daughter. What a small world.

actually

shadowsblade's picture

actually
If you go by full canon and I do for the most part, Catlin is a mutated guard that used to work at the school and not a full blood relation. Her old team when she was a he/marine...was the dragonslayers.

Just for info sakes

Proud member of the Whateley Academy Drow clan/collective

To clarify a bit

Caitlin used to be Corporal Mahern, one member of a special team codenamed "The Dragonslayers". Their speciality is taking on special targets that nobody else can, like ragers. Mahern has probably always been off-center his whole life, but he has to face a traumatic situation in Darwin, where the ship he and his team are on is docked. I won't continue that, but it is a story that should be read. A few years later he and the rest of the team are discharged as unfit for duty, with a letter in their files that insures they won't be hired anywhere, and won't even be able to get veteran's benefits.

Mahern has been just knocking around since he was discharged when out of the blue Carson offers him a job. He is the rangemaster and is universally known as a hardass ballbuster. His fiancee is killed during the Halloween invasion. This pretty well knocks him off the tracks. Not long after he unexpected goes into burnout and he turns into Caitlin. He is no relation to Gunny.

I hope I didn't spoil anything, but you really need to read the canon stories. The Whateley Universe is rich in details, and at times you may need to know information from a story written ten years ago.


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

Well no worry

Nothing spoiled. Thanks to both. Obviously I have not read Caitlin story.

Wondering

Gunny needs his ass handed to him.. Period!

Sammi and her golden box, who wants to bet on she becomes a male drow!... Any takers...