Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Final Chance ❯ Chapter Six: Visions on Halloween ( Chapter 7 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
Disclaimer: The plots gonna get even thicker in this one, wee for plot depth! Warning: there's a bit of, erm, `sadness' in this chapter… bah you'll see! Just go read! *zips lips*
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Chapter Six: Visions on Halloween
The apartment was completely black, not a single light turned on throughout the main areas of the living space. The only place that light came from was where it seeped out from under Ryleigh's bedroom door, casting eerie looking shadows on the nearby furniture. The blonde herself sat on her bed, knees pulled up to her chest as she stared at the costume hung on the back of the door, biting her lip.
At that particular moment in time, Ryleigh would've given anything to be able to get out of going to Glen's Halloween party. It wasn't the party itself that she wasn't looking forward to, it was the high possibility that she would wind up running into Zade.
Cheeks flushing red at the very thought of the arrogant man, Ryleigh clenched her eyes shut and put her head down on her knees, groaning softly. She didn't understand it; she'd only met the guy a little over two months beforehand, and they hadn't really gotten off to a good start in the first place, so what was this? She'd dealt with tons of guys in the past, so why was Zade any different?
Was it because of the paintings? Ryleigh frowned at this thought. How he'd managed to mirror every one of her paintings was a mystery to her and the rest of the class, as well as to himself it seemed. It was almost as though they had an invisible bond of some sort, drawing them closer and closer…
Ryleigh whacked herself on the head when her thoughts drifted that way, cursing herself as her cheeks flamed up once more and her heart began to beat more quickly. Ryleigh had always told herself that she didn't believe in soul mates and destiny and love at first sight, that it was a bunch of mumbo jumbo that romantics made up to appease themselves.
But now… now she was starting to wonder if she had been wrong. What if soul mates and destiny and love at first sight did exist? What if Zade was her-
“No way!” Jumping up, Ryleigh forced the thoughts from her mind, ignoring the sudden redness of her face, “Even if soul mates do exist, there's no way in hell that that arrogant bastard is mine!” Nodding to herself and glancing at the time, Ryleigh squeaked, grabbing her costume and getting changed.
Nathaniel and Kaelyn would be there to pick her up soon, and if she wasn't ready she'd get an earful from her `brother'. The costume itself in place, Ryleigh dashed into the bathroom and carefully put on the ear extensions, followed by the crown-type head ornament. Applying only a tiny bit of gloss to her lips, Ryleigh nodded once at her now elven appearance and grinned, heading out to the kitchen just as a knock sounded at the door.
Opening it, she grinned at the costume-clad Kaelyn and Nathaniel.
“Hey you two,” she greeted, stepping back and flipping on a light, taking a good look at their costumes. Kaelyn's she'd already seen, but now the blunette had fake pointed ears and fangs as well, clear contacts giving her eyes the look of a cats. Zephyr's was a male, blue and white version of Aceline's general costume, with slightly different designs and a decorated sword hung at his waist. His long blonde hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and he wore ear extensions similar to Ryleigh's.
An image of the neko-jin and elven general from her visions flashed past her eyes, but Ryleigh simply smiled at her friends, dismissing it.
The two grinned at the blonde, waiting until she had slipped on her shoes before each grabbing an arm and dragging her out the door.
“Hey! I can walk on my own you know,” Ryleigh huffed, pouting at her friends as they lead her towards the stairs. The two laughed.
“We know,” Nathaniel stated, winking at his `sister', “but we figured you might be a bit hesitant to go after the incident with Zade a few days ago.” Ryleigh blinked up at him, feigning confusion.
“What incident?” Kaelyn laughed, rolling her eyes.
“Oh, just you freezing up when he showed up at the costume shop and then forming a permanent blush on your face till you got home?” This comment caused Ryleigh's face to, once more, turn bright red. Sighing, the blonde pulled away from her friends and continued silently down the stairs, exiting the stairwell and turning right on the sidewalk.
Catching up, Kaelyn and Nathaniel walked on either side of Ryleigh, the three chatting idly as they headed towards Glen's house. The 21 year old still lived with his parents, but why not? The house was a mansion, less then ten minutes away from the university campus; what reason would anyone have to move?
They reached the mansion fairly quickly, having been stopped once by a trio of amazed elementary kids whom had inquired as to whether Nathaniel and Ryleigh were real elves.
Heading up to the front door, the three weren't surprised when Glen himself opened the door, flashing them a lopsided grin, blue eyes flashing merrily from under his blonde-black hair.
“Welcome to the party!” he commented, Ryleigh laughing and looking over his costume. His was very similar to Nathaniel's, just less decorated. Another image flashed by her eyes, this time of a brown haired elf, but Ryleigh ignored it, following Nathaniel and Kaelyn inside, immediately swept up by the volume of the music and the talking of the people inside.
Ryleigh did her best to move through the crowd without loosing an eye, bumping into several Draculas and almost running into a very drunk Jack Sparrow. Finally reaching the wall, she sighed and leaned back against it, looking back into the crowd. She smiled when she spotted Kaelyn and Nathaniel dancing, in the middle of it all, Nathaniel's eyes not straying from the blue haired girl once.
Maybe he's actually starting to get better, she mused, looking around to try and locate the snack table.
“Hey, Ryleigh!” Blinking, the blonde looked to where her name was called.
“Oh! Hey Rica.” The brown haired girl moved into view, accompanied by Angelika and Jared. The two girls were dressed in similar costumes, armors of red and black, while Jared was dressed in what looked like a rogue's clothing. Once more, an image flashed past her eyes, this one of two fairly similar looking demon women and one demon male, Ryleigh blinking to get rid of it when she heard Rica speak again.
She acted as though she'd been listening, and nodded, glancing out at the crowd again. She gasped when she suddenly spotted a spot of red hair, pushing herself off the wall.
“Uh, I've gotta go, see you guys later!” she stammered, hurrying off in the opposite direction of where she'd seen the red without waiting for a response. Ryleigh found herself on the balcony over looking the backyard, and sighed in relief, moving over to lean on the railing. She didn't want to face Zade yet; not after what had happened at the costume shop.
Ryleigh tensed when she heard footsteps behind her, keeping her eyes on the sky. Zade noticed this, and smirked, moving forwards to lean against the railing roughly four feet from her, not nearly enough space in Ryleigh's opinion. Slowly, she began inching away from him, cursing when he noticed and started doing the same, only moving closer instead of further.
“Ryleigh…” her name spilling from his lips, Ryleigh turned and started quickly towards the door.
“Hey!” pushing off the railing, Zade followed quickly, frowning, “Come back!”
“Why should I?!” she didn't slow, then gasped when she felt him grab her arm, forcing her to stop. She spun, glaring, “What do you think you're do-?!”
She froze, gasping again as she suddenly felt herself being pulled into a vision, Zade's face mirroring her shock as she slipped away, her eyes both becoming light blue, his sapphire..
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Ryleigh gasped, glancing around her wildly. Where was she? A battlefield, it seemed, bodies strewn everywhere and cheers of victory coming from the distance. Hearing soft sobbing coming from behind her, Ryleigh whirled and gasped, taking a step back.
A neko-jin knelt, cradling the body of a dying elf in his arms, tears streaking down his face. What had made her gasp was their costumes; the elf's her own and the neko-jins the one that Zade had been wearing at the party.
“We'll get you to a healer… you'll be fine…” the neko-jin was saying, but even Ryleigh could tell that the elf was going to die. The blonde watched as the elf reached up and drew the males head down to hers, kissing him silently.
“I… I'm sorry, Zealous,” she coughed, Zealous holding her closer as he tried to still his tears.
“N-No, don't say that Fayria, you'll be-“
“You know that's not true, Zealous.” The knight stopped and stared at her, the hope draining completely from her eyes.
The elf took a shaky breath, tears gathering in Ryleigh's eyes as she watched.
“Zealous… I… I love you… I have no regrets.” Eyes fluttering closed sleepily, Fayria sighed sadly, “goodbye…”
“N-No, don't say that Fayria, you'll be-“
“You know that's not true, Zealous.” The knight stopped and stared at her, the hope draining completely from her eyes.
The elf took a shaky breath, tears gathering in Ryleigh's eyes as she watched.
“Zealous… I… I love you… I have no regrets.” Eyes fluttering closed sleepily, Fayria sighed sadly, “goodbye…”
Zealous watched as her chest stopped rising, as her lips stilled. Fayria was gone.
Trying to still the sobs rising from his chest, Zealous leant down and pressed his lips against her cold ones, leaning his forehead against hers as he choked out the words.
“And I you, my priestess of light…we'll meet again; I swear it.” Ryleigh held back a gasping sob, putting her hands over her mouth to keep back the hiccups, tears running down her cheeks as she watched the scene fade away, a flash of red catching her eyes before her vision faded into blackness.
Trying to still the sobs rising from his chest, Zealous leant down and pressed his lips against her cold ones, leaning his forehead against hers as he choked out the words.
“And I you, my priestess of light…we'll meet again; I swear it.” Ryleigh held back a gasping sob, putting her hands over her mouth to keep back the hiccups, tears running down her cheeks as she watched the scene fade away, a flash of red catching her eyes before her vision faded into blackness.
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The first thing that Ryleigh noticed when she came back to reality was that Zade was still holding onto her wrist, and that he looked as shocked and sad as she felt. The blonde felt a tear slip down her cheek as she stared at him, the vision coming back to her. Zade's reaction was to pull her to him, wrapping his arms around her slim waist as she began to sob, clutching onto the material of his costume.
She didn't care who it was that she was clinging to at the moment; all Ryleigh could see was the dying elf and her love, wearing the same clothes as she and Zade were currently. Soon realizing who it was that held her, Ryleigh gasped and pushed away from him, Zade stumbling slightly in surprise.
“I'm sorry!” she cried, turning and dashing back into the crowd before he could stop her, not noticing how Zade stared after her, eyes filled with sadness. She wasn't the only one who had seen the vision.
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I… really, don't have much to say about this chapter. *sweatdrop* I think it kinda speaks for itself, sooooo… till next time!
Amariahellcat
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Beta'd by Snowy