Fan Fiction ❯ Penance ❯ Ni/Two ( Chapter 2 )

"Is there anything else you'd like, sir?" The gentle voice of the secretary asked. The business man seemed ignorant of the secretary's question, and merely occupied himself with the files and folders sitting in front of him on his desk.

"Uh...Dr. Palmgate?" The secretary asked again. Palmgate looked up at her sternly, and returned her an urgent gaze.

"Are you sure they don't have any other documents pertaining to Project Aether on file down there, Miss Kurene?" Palmgate asked her inquisitively. Miss Kurene put a hand to her chin thoughtfully.

"Some of the scientists and doctors might still be holding documents related to the Project. Shall I go retrieve them?" Miss Kurene asked. Palmgate shook his head.

"No, that will be quite all right, Miss Kurene. What I have here will do for now," Palmgate replied, "If I need anything else I'll be sure to let you know."

"Very well, Doctor." With a bow of her head, Miss Kurene closed the door behind her as she walked out of his office.

The walls of his office were white, sparse, and without decoration giving the room a lifeless feel. Even the gray marble tiles, polished to perfection, reflected the aura the office emananted. Only a tree made its home in the lower right corner of the office. It was a very small tree and it remained beyond the reach of the moonlight entering the window. If it wasn't for the fact that it was an evergreen, it would have wilted long ago.

Dr. Palmgate, though, was not a man known for his love of nature - or lack thereof. He was more known for his cold demeanor and lack of morality. The lifeless feel of his office suited his nature well. While his dark hair still remained slicked over to the sides of his head, tiny scars made their home on his face. They were fresh on his face and remained a memory of the night before.

In his hand, was a file. In the upper left corner of the page was a photograph of a blond adolescent male. To the right of the photograph was the teen's name.

"Garret Andrews," Palmgate muttered, his voice taking on an almost disgusted tone, "I underestimated you last night." Although he seemed preoccupied with the files in his hand, his thoughts remained fixed on the events that occured on the yacht the previous night.

But you have something that is mine, boy.

Palmgate opened a different file while setting aside the file pertaining to Garret Andrews. Various pictures of a comet blazing through the sky occupied the manila folder as did other documents.

The comet of Aetherus...within its blazing fires contains the means of revealing the location of the Twilight Armaments- relics of untold power. 'When the Key that Opens the Door to the Twilight Armaments is revealed, only then will their true power unfold'...but what was that form that Andrews took on when the comet's power entered his body? The files pertaining to Aetherus never stated shape changing qualities within the comet...

"Still trying to solve the mystery of the connection between the comet and the Twilight Armaments, Arthur?" A voice asked.

Palmgate didn't even look toward the window to know who was sitting in the window sill. A dark haired ponytail blew lazily in the breeze sweeping through the city while hazel eyes fixed themselves on the doctor. A white labcoat also blew through the air. Black suit pants fitted themselves to his legs yet his upper torso was bare and exposed, showing off well defined abdominal and chest muscles. His arms were crossed over his chest, with one foot kneeling in the window and the other sitting against the floor while supporting his weight in that position. A childish smile was plastered onto his lips as his eyes contained an aura of mystery and inquisitiveness.

"How long have you been there, Doctor Matthews?" Palmgate asked. 'Matthews' laughed.

"Long enough to know what you're plotting," 'Matthews' replied with a chuckle. 'Matthews' stood up from the open window sill and strolled around Palmgate's desk in an arc.

"You're still looking for the Key to the Twilight Arms, aren't you?" 'Matthews' asked.

"And what if I am?" Palmgate replied venemously. 'Matthews' laughted lightly.

"TheKey of the Twilight Arms...the comet of Aetherus is said to reveal its location within the soul of a human," 'Matthews' explained, "But the comet also serves another dark and sinister purpose, Palmgate."

"And what is this other 'purpose' that it serves?"

"As it travels across the stars, it takes with it the souls of those entranced by its light...and places it within the body of another the next time it passes over a world." Palmgate raised an eybrow at his fellow doctor, intrigued by the information presented to him.

"Where did you learn this?" Palmgate inquired. 'Matthews' closed his eyes.

"Just like Garret Andrews now, I too am cursed by the comet's power..." Palmgate looked up to glance at 'Matthews' but he was greeted with the drab walls of his office. It was then that he decided to test 'Matthews's hypothesis. He picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Miss Kurene?"

"Yes, Dr. Palmgate?"

"Assemble the quarantine control unit. I want Garret Andrews found and returned to me alive."

"I'm on it, sir."



"That will be seventy three dollars and eighty five cents, sir," the clerk said cheerfully. From his wallet Garret pulled out four twenty dollar bills and quietly handed them to the clerk.

"Six dollars and fifteen cents is your change, sir. Please enjoy your stay." the clerk said happily. Garret nodded, and took the room key out of the clerk's hand. His mind felt out of whack at that moment, as if his mind was caught between here...and somewhere else. He searched through the upper floors to find his hotel room. He glanced at the tag attached to the key; it read '367'. Seven minutes later he found himself standing before the corresponding hotel room. He unlocked the door and stepped inside.

It was a fairly small room, with beige walls and grey carpet covering the floor. To the center of the wall to his left was a bed lined up against the wall, with a small lamp table to its right. Across from the bed was a television set, along with a tall wardrobe that it sat upon. To the right of the wardrobe was a door, which lead to a small bedroom. Garret sat down on the small bed with his head in his hands. His mind felt cloudy and hazy; even more so than normal for him. At that moment, Garret felt a strange sensation well up on his body. WHen he glanced down at his hand, though, his eyes widened in surprise. Like a ghostly aura surrounding his body, an ethereal gauntlet could be seen upon his hand which through the apparition remained as normal as it had when he walked in. Not long after the ghostly image of a leather gauntlet surrounded his hand, a burning sensation swept across the back of his hand. Upon the image surrounding his hand was the symbol of three triangles arranged to form an even larger triangle appeared on the gauntlet like some sort of holy brand that had been inscribed upon his soul.

He held that hand tightly, crying out in pain.

Augh...what's...happening to me?! The pain became unbearable. Garret collapsed onto the floor, the world dimming around him.

You must remember... an almost divine voice spoke to him through his hazed thoughts before the world completely blackened around him.

Far away, in a secluded Buddhist temple three Chinese men sat together in a circle while torches were lit around the wall and near the large Buddha statue that rested in the back of the chamber, his smiling face always keeping a silent vigil over the prayer chamber the three men occupied. The three men sat on small mats while waiting silently in the chamber, looking at each other intently.

"Where is Master Aaron?" The left most man, Li Xun, asked.

"He is probably on his way back now as we speak," The right most man, Quan Yang, replied.

"Quiet, brothers. I hear footsteps approaching," the upward most man, Yun Quen, said. It was at that moment that the source of the footsteps became apparent as the figure of 'Matthews' walked into the chamber.

"Sorry I'm late. Bad traffic coming out of Tacoma," 'Matthews' said apologetically. Quan held up a hand while shaking his head.

"There is no need to apologize, Master Aaron. You have arrived, and that is all that matters," Quan replied. Aaron nodded, and sat down on a spare mat within the circle.

"Now, to the matters at hand, Master Aaron. Does the one called 'Arthur Palmgate' still seek the artifacts you call the 'Armaments of Twilight?" Li asked. Aaron nodded gravely.

"I'm afraid so, brothers. He may even seek to bring more misery to Garret Andrews and the soul which rests within him."

"Then it is as you have spoken. He is just like you when you first came to us for guidance," Yun said sympathetically.

"I know not who is the one possessing his body, though."

"To let him wander the city may put him or others in danger from the one you call Arthur Palmgate," Quan noted, nodding to his fellow priests within the circle as well.

"It may be within his best interest if he is brought to us for guidance. You may also find meeting with him beneficial to yourself as well, Master Aaron, as you seek to recover your own vagrant memories stolen from you by the Heavenly Star above." Aaron stood up from within the circle as the mission laid out to him by the priests became apparent to him just now.

"If bringing Garret Andrews to you is what you ask of me, then I shall not fail you."

"We know of this, Master Aaron. But please be careful in your search for the one you call 'Garret Andrews'."

"I will. Thank you, Quan."

"May you be guided down the path of Enlightenment- in this life, and the next," Li Xun finished.

"And you," Aaron replied. With a bow, he walked out of the prayer chamber, leaving the trio of priests to convene by themselves.

"Will he be all right?" Quan Yang asked.

"He has a spirit of fire, Quan Yang. He will be safe," Yun answered.

As Aaron walked outside of the temple, he gazed at the various apple and cherry blossom trees surrounding the building. Even when he arrived at these very grounds, he was always mesmerized by the greenery around him. Aaron closed his eyes as he became entranced by the memories of the past...

Thunder roared over the skies of the Buddhist temple as the water drained into a nearby creek while others formed puddles around the stairs and tree roots outside. Yun stepped out into the roofed portion of the deck of the temple entrance as the priest watched the storm rain down from the skies.

"Strange and ominous weather we are having today," Yun noted. As he watched the lightning flash in the skies. Even through the continuous droning of the rain against the roof as well as the sound of thunder, there was another sound that caught his attention. It sounded like...someone shivering?

That was when the priest looked over by the northern-most tree on the temple grounds, and saw someone seated against the tree in a confused and exhausted manner. Long, dark hair, bound back by a ponytail that reached to his shoulder blades dripped wet with rain water while other strands clung to his moistened skin and splayed elsewhere down his shoulder. He was dressed in a white labcoat though not much else covered his upper body. Black dresspants, soaked wet by the torrential downpour above covered his legs while muddied dress shoes covered his feet. Hazel eyes seemed glazed over, hazy, and distant, as they merely looked around the grounds in a confused manner.

Yun, concerned more for the well being of the stranger than the issue of his trespassing, ran over to that tree and spoke to him.

"Sir! Are you all right? Can you hear me?" Yun asked as he knelt down by the stranger. The stranger slowly looked toward him with tired and confusedeyes.

"Ugh...where..am I?" He asked hoarsely.

"You are outside of our temple, on the outskirts of the city of Everett, sir. Please, allow me to assist you." Yun took hold of the stranger's arm and pulled him up from the mud and propped him up against his body, allowing him to use his body as a crutch as they walked slowly toward the temple.

"You must be very cold, sir. Why not come inside our temple and warm your body?" Yun asked.

"Ev...Everett?" The stranger asked. Yun nodded. The priest looked at him with an almost fatherly concern.

"I am called Yun Quen, sir. May I ask what your name is?" Yun asked, feeling awkward asking such a question.

The stranger closed his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows in deep concentration. He held a hand up to his forehead as a hoarse cry escaped his lips. His legs buckled but Yun caught him before he could collapse onto the cold and muddy earth below.

"Da...Dar-" Before he could finish, the stranger lost consciousness. From a nearby pocket his wallet fell out. Hoping to shed some light on the mysterious visitor before him, the priest picked up the man's wallet and opened it. The very first thing he saw was a driver's license with the name 'Aaron Matthews' written on it...

Aaron opened his eyes and was greeted with the marveled beauty of nature once more. He never figured out what drew him to this temple on that dreary day, and even to this day he remained grateful to the priests for not only taking him in but helping him in his search for his true self.

"Ah, I see you are still here, Master Aaron. Is there something troubling you?" the voice of Yun asked. Aaron turned to glance at his benefactor and shook his head.

"No, Yun, I was just remembering the day I first arrived here," Aaron replied sincerely. Yun stepped out into the light and closed his eyes.

"Ah, yes. You could barely speak when I first found you," Yun reminisced, "I was worried for your safety. Had I not come to you when I did, you would have come down with hypothermia. But what concerned my brothers and I more was your amnesia." Aaron looked off toward the horizon.

"I'm surprised you even believed me when I mentioned the vague memories I had of my true home, let alone my identity."

"Indeed, it was difficult for us to swallow at first. But in our journey down the path of Enlightenment, there was one thing we quickly learned- the difference between one who speaks truth and one who speaks false truth." Aaron nodded.

"What memories may still lay beyound your grasp won't remain so for much longer. I'm sure of it, Master Aaron."

"Thank you, Yun." Yun smiled.

"Now, good luck on your search for 'Garret Andrews!'"

Aaron smiled, and walked away from the temple grounds.