The Chosen - 6. The Parliament of Dreams

[Chapter 6]

I sat on the hood of my car looking up at the sky. A quick glance at my watch confirmed it was almost four. I heard a car honk and glanced to my left looking past the hundreds of kids clustered around the parking lot of Centennial High. A sleek silver Porsche convertible pulled up. Killian was behind the wheel. He leveled with me a look through the big designer shades he wore. I wanted to flick him off but refrained. I nodded at Kevin who was grinning at me from the passenger seat.

"Hey, bro, I'm going to Killian's house to play some ball," Kevin said, his voice raised slightly over the hum of the speakers. "I'll see you tomorrow morning okay?"

I half waved and called back, "See you then, Kev."

I wanted to say something else but suddenly the music turned up and the rattling bass boomed through the parking lot, drowning out the rest of the crowd's noise. I rolled my eyes when Killian smirked at me and with a rev of the engine peeled out the parking lot.

"Dick breath," I muttered, shaking my head.

I hoped he wrecked. Not today of course. My best friend was in the car too after all. I glanced at my watch again. Ryan better hurry or Nathaniel was going to have our asses cleaning out his potions closet. The dude was nicknamed the Training Emperor for a reason. In my head of course. I would never call him that to his face. I talk about people behind their backs. I was raised right, hello, its called manners. I looked to my left and smiled. There he was. Ryan waved and jogged over.

"Hey, sorry it took me so long," Ryan said, pushing the glasses up his nose that slipped from jogging. "I got caught up with tutoring."

I frowned. "I thought you were really smart or something?"

He nodded looking at the ground to hide his reddening cheeks. "It's not for me. I tutor some of the students having trouble with English and Math."

I remembered the Cohen twins telling me that he was in their English 4 class, and only seniors usually took that. Ryan was only a sophomore like me. I wonder if he would help with my homework too.

"Plus, Edwin, the kid I tutor, just got a kitten and since I have a cat he wanted some advice..." he trailed off seeing the frozen, strained smile on my face. "Umm...is something wrong?"

"Can we cut the cat talk?" I pleaded desperately.

Ryan nodded slowly, unsure. "Okay," he said hesitantly. "I guess..."

I quickly changed the subject. "So did you like my friends at lunch today?" I asked, pushing the unlock button on my keychain.

He climbed into the passenger side as I got into the driver's side. Ryan's smile was sunny. "They were really nice. I've seen some of them around school but I didn't think they would be so friendly."

I turned the car out of the parking lot. "We're a pretty outgoing bunch."

"I thought Killian was giving me a cold shoulder at first, but I think I liked him the most," Ryan admitted happily.

I almost slammed on the brakes but instead, hands tightened on the steering wheel and my teeth clenched. I think the eye twitching and the profanities grumbled under my breath was what made him scoot over until he was practically hugging the door. I stopped at a red light and gave Ryan the sweetest smile I could muster.

"Please never mention Killian nice and like in the same sentence again?" I requested in what I thought was a pleasant voice. I could still feel my eye twitching, so I probably looked like I just had a botox injection.

Ryan nodded hurriedly, his head bobbing up and down so quick that his long hair fell into his face. He swept back his bangs and looked at me nervously. He licked his lips then rolled his lower lip between his teeth. I could see the question forming in his head.

"I guess you and Killian aren't friends?" he asked slowly.

I snorted. Understatement of the year. "Think World War II. I'm the US and Killian is Nazi Germany. Our friends are Switzerland and are just trying to stay the hell out of our fight."

Ryan's eyebrows rose in surprise. "I picked up some tension between you two at lunch..." he admitted, then followed it up with a shrug saying, "I just figured it was sexual."

I did slam on the brakes this time. My head flew around and I glared at him, hard. "You shut your gorram mouth!"

Honks and the sound of tires screeching registered. I looked behind us to see cars slam on their brakes as traffic came to a standstill. Fuck! With a start, I realized that I had come to a full stop on the goddam highway. I quickly slammed my foot on the gas and pushed the Blazer to 80mph. I turned toward Ryan and could see him trying to hold in laughter.

"I was just kidding," he giggled, yes, giggled. "Gorram?"

My mouth screwed into a defensive scowl. "What? You never saw the late-great show that was Firefly created by the demi god himself, Joss Whedon."

Blank look.

"Creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer," I breathed out, maybe a tad bit worshiping. Another blank look was my answer. I sighed. "Guess not."

Did this kid not know the joy of great television? It was endearing yet amusing. It was like he was a Martian, or homeschooled. I took his cluelessness as a sign that he must be educated. The rest of the car ride was spent with me giving him an overview of the greatness that was Buffy. By the time we pulled into the driveway and parked, Ryan's eyes were glazed over and shiny. I swear I never saw someone jump out of a car and run into a house so fast.

"Wow, he must really be excited about training," I muttered to myself, blinking at the passenger door he just ejected himself from.

I shrugged and followed him into the house, but at a more leisurely pace. I found the two of them quickly enough. Ryan had already run into Nathaniel, and the two of them were at the staircase leading to the basement.

"Waiting for little ole me?" I asked, batting my eyelashes.

Nathaniel let out one of his famous sighs. "Can you ever take training seriously?"

"Are Mac computers expensive and a waste of money?" I shot back.

Ryan let out a choked cough and raised his hand. "I have a Mac..."

I hissed at him and stepped back, my fingers reflexively flying together to form a cross. I pointed my crossed fingers at him threateningly. "First you think Killian is nice. Second, you have a cat! And now, now, you actually own a Mac computer... I'm so disappointed in you."

"I barely know you..." Ryan replied, scratching his head and giving me a nervous blink. He looked at Nathaniel saying with his eyes, is he like this all the time?

Nathaniel caught the look and nodded tiredly. "Chad, stop your foolery already and let's get down to Command."

"Whatever you say, Zordon," I responded obediently with a sharp salute.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at the way his eyes narrowed. Really it was just too much fun provoking him. The man made it too easy. We followed Nathaniel down into the basement and then from there we took the secret elevator to the sub levels.

Ryan "Ooohhed" and "Awwed" at all the shiny walls and seamless doors. I had made all the same faces and sounds when I saw all the advanced technological marvels the Command Center was equipped with. It was like something out of a comic book or TV show. I had a feeling that some of it was modern human ingenuity, but most of it was recreated Atlantean technology. Or maybe it was original... that was a thought. I would love to take a peek inside the mainframe but Nathaniel always gave me the evil eye when I went to a terminal unattended. As if I would break anything. Honestly. Did that man think that I was so immature?

Nathaniel waved his hand at the control panel mounted on the wall. The door opened soundlessly. Very Star Trek like. I wonder how much did all this cost him. We stepped into the training room with its domed ceiling stretched up high above us.

"This is the training room," Nathaniel explained for Ryan's benefit. "This room is inlaid with spells that project real time holographic training scenarios. While your enemies and surroundings are merely made of proto matter from the ether, they can cause you pain and injuries."

"Don't worry," I said, clapping Ryan on his back, as he rapidly paled. "As soon as the simulation is over, all injuries are gone." At least that was the gist I got from Nathaniel's explanation to me, but alas I had tuned him out as he went into specifics.

"He is correct," Nathaniel said, giving me a pleased smile. "The room has safety spells woven into the simulation that protects from being physically killed in the real world."

He gave us today's instructions, which was basically only, work together as a team and don't get killed. Gee, thanks. We transformed wordlessly into our Chosen uniforms. I lowered the hood of my cloak. Could I transform with it down for once because really was that too much to ask? Ryan or the Executioner now stared down at his fists, curling and uncurling his fingers in amazement.

"This is going to take some getting used to," he said, turning his now glassless face toward me.

I snorted. "No arguments from me, buddy."

"Simulation engaging now." Nathaniel's voice drifted through the speakers from the observation deck above. He chanted the spell that activated the spell matrix and the room disappeared in a rainbow of colors, as magic spread across like a cool breeze.

We now stood in the middle of a downtown city. The sun was bright in the blue sky and the wind blew gently, ruffling my cape and hair about. Everything was real and lifelike down to the last detail of a city.

"This is a good simulation, but weird," I said softly, gazing about.

Ryan nodded, standing beside me. He looked confident and collected in his black suit and trench coat. "All the people are gone."

"At least no one will get hurt," I said with a shrug. Although it was eerie to be standing in the middle of a downtown metropolitan at daytime with no one around. "Even if they are fake people..." I paused and tapped my chin in thought. "I wonder would they bleed jello?"

Ryan laughed. "Are you normally this weird?"

I beamed. "When I act normal is when you need to start worrying about me."

The sound of rushing wind filled the air and we looked up. I wasn't sure but I think the girlish scream might have been from me. Descending from the sky was an abomination. It landed on the street, concrete breaking and flying everywhere at touchdown. We gazed at the creature, frozen in place. It was nine feet tall, with the body of a man, head of a bull, and pinned on its back were a huge pair of gray wings. Its eyes stared at us glowing gold in the sunlight.

"Umm hi," I said smiling, stepping forward with my arms raised. "We come in peace."

I screamed and rolled out the way as suddenly a Volkswagen was plucked from the ground and sent hurtling at the spot I once stood in. Ryan cursed and dodged the car as well. We both looked at the creature and it took a menacing step forward, its muscles popping and I suddenly felt fear. He had just thrown that car as if it were a paperweight. We were screwed.

The creature looked at me and growled, "Blood."

Fuck that. I quickly racked my thoughts for the first spell I could think of.

"Angels above me,
Clouds circling thee.
Lend me your wings
So I can jump higher
Than the tallest tree."

I clapped my hands and quickly thrust them back toward the ground. "Leap of faith!"

My boots glowed as in a burst of sparkling light a pair of white wings appeared pinned at my ankles. The creature lunged at me and I lept eight yards away, the speed of angels at my heels.

The creature's wings flapped mightily and it suddenly appeared before me faster than I could track. What the Dragonball Z! No one mentioned it moved like Sonic the Hedgehog. Its arm came up and backhanded me. I flew into the door of a Toyota and then collapsed on the ground. Pain flared through my skull and white spots danced behind my eyes. I coughed and winced in pain a little as my ribs howled at the sudden jarring.

"Take that!"

My head snapped up and I stared in awe as Ryan landed a wicked uppercut across the beast's jaw. It rocketed back in the air. Its landing shook the ground when it hit the asphalt and slid for a good five yards.

Ryan smirked and crossed his arms. "That was easy."

I clapped loudly. "Bravo! Bellissimo!"

There was a blur of color and the sound of flapping wings. I blinked as a smacking sound filled the air followed by a cry of pain, then Ryan was flying back into a bench, and the creature was standing in his place. It turned toward me and I hopped onto to a car roof. It spun around and lunged at me. I jumped with all the power in my legs and landed on the rooftop of an office building. My chest was heaving. I placed a hand on my racing heart and peered over the edge. This thing was like one of the usual monster simulations but on steroids.

"Some asshole definitely set the setting higher today," I muttered glaring in the general direction of where I assumed the observation deck would be.

I screamed as a figure landed beside me. My hand came up, fireball forming before I regained my senses and realized that it was just Ryan. His jacket was smoking and a lock of his black hair was singed.

"That fireball won't do much good." He pointed to the flames gathered in my palm. "It can control fire."

I scowled. "Well isn't that fun-forking-tastic!" I gave him an odd look. "How did you get up here anyway?"

"I jumped," he said simply.

Remembering his abilities a blushed spread across my cheeks. I was slow sometimes. "Forgot I was working with a Sailor Senshi," I muttered quietly.

"Senshi?" Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow.

I blushed harder. Somebody should put super hearing on his resume. "Nothing. A little anime reference. It involves a princess from the moon that transforms into a super warrior with a crystal along with her friends. There are these two advisors from the planet Mau..." I trailed off seeing his eyes glaze over again. "Nevermind. It's a thing."

"Right..." he agreed, still looking bewildered. "You got a plan?"

I shrugged. "Teamwork usually works for the Power Rangers."

"Then that sounds good to me."

The sound of wings beating heavily carried across the air again. We both backed away from the edge moving toward the center of the rooftop. The beast appeared and I immediately began readying a spell on instinct. Really, what else was new?

"Hell wont have you,
neither will Heaven.
To the fog of limbo
I banish thee to."

Garnet colored light filled with mist from the sixth dimension gathered in my palm. And how the fork did I even know where limbo was? I pushed the thought aside as the light congealed into a swirling globe of deep purple.

"Soul Reaper Reprise!"

I snapped my arm down and it launched forward at near the speed of sound. The attack caught the monster in the gut. It screeched in agony as the globe's momentum carried it back into the building behind it. It exploded through the building, smoke and debris falling from the impact.

Ryan stared at me, eyes wide. "Your memories aren't all complete you said?"

"Not even," I replied. "I just kind of go on autopilot."

We jumped to the ground and Executioner stuck a superhero three point landing. I however almost klutzed out and landed on my ass, you know, the usual. I willed away the mercury wings on my heels, almost positive I was going to wind up and hurt myself with all the agility that I wasn't used to.

"Incoming," Ryan warned, pointing at the building I had knocked the monster into. Heavy slabs of concrete fell from the hole. It was stirring. And it was probably pissed. Oh boy.

I turned and watched as Ryan did some kind of mini spin. When he completed it a short metal cylinder was in his hands. I frowned. Where in the hell had that come from?

"Subspace," Ryan answered my unspoken question. He was staring at the cylinder as if it were familiar and yet completely foreign at the same time. "It came from subspace."

I looked at the sky and gulped as the monster arose in the gaping hole. It let out the loudest roar so far that had me covering my ears. I gathered magic at my fingertips and power jumped between my fingers in tiny blue lightning currents.

"Chain lightning!" I yelled throwing my arms forward. A huge shaft of blue electricity charged wind poured down from a nearby cloud and sped toward the monster.

It evaded and plowed me into the ground with a brutal tackle. My right shoulder popped and I almost bit my tongue in agony. I knew that it was dislocated. Fuck.

I squinted as Ryan snuck up behind the monster. Even though my vision was swimming I rose to my feet.

"Hey, you ugly monster thing person," I said, lamely, but fortunately getting its attention. "Take this."

I snapped my fingers and a spark of light appeared before his eyelids and promptly exploded in a blinding flash. It screamed painfully holding its eyes, wings beating in fury and agitation.

"It's party time!" Ryan yelled.

There was a loud crunch and a long, metal pole exploded out of its chest throwing chunks of meat and spraying blood. What the hell! I took a step back as the monster's eyes rolled back in its head and it fell over, dead.

I dragged my eyes away from the body and spreading pool of blood to openly gape at Ryan. He was holding onto a metal staff. He flicked it and all the blood and bits of flesh flew off leaving it clean as new.

"Where did that thing come from?" I asked, confused.

Ryan pressed something on the staff's surface and it collapsed, the ends sliding in, to become the metal cylinder that he pulled from subspace. The downtown scenery around us warped until the training room was left in its wake. The doors opened and Nathaniel walked in with a huge kool-aid drinking smile on his face.

"Well done you two!" he beamed, clapping. He was positively delighted. "You discovered the key to ending the fight. Teamwork."

I shrugged. "Works for every single buddy-cop movie."

Nathaniel blinked cluelessly but his anal retentive self immediately was back to business. "And you Ryan, you discovered an old weapon from your past life."

"Spirit Staff," Ryan murmured, recognizing the weapon now for what it truly was. "I feel like I had other weapons, more powerful ones too, but I can't remember how to get them."

"I'm positive as your memories start to complete themselves, you'll remember how to access other weapons from their place in subspace," Nathaniel assured him.

I cleared my throat interrupting their play by play. "So subspace is real?" I asked. "Let me make sure I understand the term right. In fiction, subspace is an extradimensional pocket used for storage."

Nathaniel's face fell open with surprise. "I wasn't aware you knew the term but that's correct. Modern humans are thousands of years behind Atlantean technology. Subspace was mastered long ago."

"Super duper," I said uncaringly.

I really wanted to go home now. I was exhausted. Thankfully my shoulder wasn't dislocated anymore and my back felt fine. Fatigue though seemed unfixable, unlike our injuries. I tuned the two of them out as they began discussing metaphysical concepts. I was almost interested then something that sounded like M theory was mentioned and I zoned out. I was a nerd, with my intense like of all things science fiction. But I was a low budget nerd. It didn't interest me that much.

"Let's move this to the infirmary so we can test your reflexes," Nathaniel said excitedly. "I bet we'll learn that they're superior to even cats."

I tuned back in with surprising quickness. "Did someone mention cats?!"

Nathaniel cocked his head. "Did you just growl?"

I nodded sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Anyway," Nathaniel slowly, studying me suspiciously. "We have more things to do let's get to it."

I bit back a groan and followed along. We spent the next three hours testing our powers and also improving on our hand to hand, well my hand to hand. Ryan was beyond my basic fighting skills, so Nathaniel had him learning Jujitsu, which he was picking up at lightning speed. The boy was like Captain America, except stronger and faster, you know, what Captain America would be if he were on crack. I think by the time we left Nathaniel's house it was five hours later and going on nine o'clock.

I would not make curfew if I drove to Ryan's and then to my house, so we decided he would just sleep at my house. He was a bit taller than me, but I had some clothes that would fit him. Our parents were fine with it when we phoned them up and ran it by them.

"Welcome to my house," I said, showing him through the living room.

Morgan was on the couch watching some teen show. It was a period drama about Mary, Queen of Scots but with a sexy twist. I didn't get it.

"This here is Lucifer's favorite minion, Morgan," I stage-whispered to him.

On cue, Morgan spun around and gave me the finger. "Kiss my ass, loser!"

I tapped my chin with a finger contemplating the insult. "Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?"

We got into a brief shouting match and poor Ryan didn't know whether to stay out of it or attempt to break it up. Luckily, Mom saved him the trouble. She stormed out of the kitchen like a blonde tornado, eyes flashing.

"If you two don't stop it right now I will make you stop." Her gaze turned frosty, classic mom look. "And you wouldn't want me to make you stop. Now would you?"

We recognized a threat when we heard one. Morgan and I shook our heads simultaneously. "Nope," we intoned in unison.

Mom suddenly smiled. "Smart choice." She peered over my shoulder and saw Ryan standing in the corner looking like he was trying to blend into the background, wishing he were anywhere but here. "Hello there. You must be, Ryan. Come on out the corner, dear."

He slinked forward, looking awkward and out of place, a small, shy smile on his face. "Hello, ma'am."

"Such manners! Maybe you can teach my kids some," Mom laughed, smiling warmly at him. "No need for the formalities. Look at you. Aren't you the cutest thing with that blush."

Ryan chuckled in embarrassment and if anything began blushing harder. Mom thought it was cute. She wore a similar expression the girls did at lunch when they saw Ryan. I'm sensing a pattern here.

"Mom, this is harassment. Be on the lookout for a lawsuit from my lawyers," I said, taking his arm and dragging him up the stairs, causing him to stumble along. "We're going to my room now. I bid you good day."

"Don't forget you promised to clean your room."

"I said good day, madam!" I shouted back.

I shoved him into my bedroom and closed the door behind us. He collapsed onto my bed staring up at the ceiling, his blush finally fading. I laughed at his dazed expression.

"So that's my family."

He laughed with me. "You guys aren't like I expected."

"Trust me," I responded. "You'll get used to it. I think everyone is a bit thrown off at first meetings."

I moved over to the chair in front of my desk and plopped down on it. "This superhero business is tiring, huh?"

Ryan shrugged. "A bit. I can't stop thinking about how you can't remember much. So then how do you know so many spells?"

It was the same question I often asked myself. "I have no idea. I just get pumped with adrenaline and words kind of tumble from my mouth. Its like I go on autopilot."

"I feel almost the same way," Ryan nodded as if confirming something. "I fight well and I have all this new strength and speed, but it's almost like I instinctively know how to use it."

"I guess since we've already had these abilities before, and our souls know how to use them, it's like our bodies have to slowly catch up."

Ryan blinked with surprise. "That makes perfect sense. Maybe it's a good thing we don't have all our memories. We probably would have overloaded ourselves."

"Do you think we'll find the other two soon?" I asked, looking out of the window.

He sat up and nodded. "I think so. They'll be powerful too if my dreams are an indication."

"I've had dreams of our time in Atlantis too," I murmured, remembering the man blurred by shadow, who completed me. Even now I could feel that he was my everything. I wondered what happened to him. "I wish I remembered more. There's so much I feel like I'm missing."

The bedroom door was kicked open and I reflexively called up my magic to the surface, and Ryan shot up from the bed falling into a defensive stance.

"Hello, bitches!" Kevin strolled in carrying a tall box.

The box was so tall that it blocked his vision and luckily he didn't see me dissipate the fireball I formed or saw Ryan hurriedly sit back down on the bed.

Kevin dropped the box near my closet and sighed heavily. "That's the last time I clean out my closest," he said, eyeing the box with disdain. "You can use this junk for the donation the student council is doing." He grinned at Ryan. "Hey dude, Ms. S, said you were up here."

"I'm staying the night," Ryan said quietly with that shy, half smile.

Kevin snorted and sat on the edge of my desk. "Don't expect to get any sleep. Chadboy here is like nocturnal. He'll keep you up to crack head hours of the morning."

I tried retorting but he gave me a knowing smirk. I sighed with defeat and looked at Ryan, "It's sad but true."

"So what have you guys been up to?" Kevin asked, crossing his arms, looking back and forth between us. "Anything fun?"

Damn it. I was so bad at lying. "We err... met up with Ryan's... mentor."

Ryan squinted at me and then nodded at Kevin after a beat. "This guy is teaching me how to prepare for my future," he lied smoothly, but I noticed the subtle truth behind his words. I had to learn that.

Kevin nodded so I guess he bought it. "Sounds cool in an after-school special kind of way."

Ryan's phone suddenly chirped and he looked so relieved that I almost laughed. He flipped it open and I figured it was a text message since he stared at the screen and quickly began tapping away on the screen.

"Something wrong?" asked Kevin.

Ryan shook his head and grinned. "No, my dad's at home and was wondering how much food should he feed Link."

"Link?" Kevin asked, "Like Legend of Zelda, that Link?"

He chuckled. "I named my cat after him."

I growled. "Do you want to live to see tomorrow? Then you don't mention those foul creatures of the pits of Hell again!"

Ryan nervously backed up putting enormous distance between us. "What's up with you and cats?"

Kevin sighed, tiredly. "Uh oh. Now you're about to get him started again."

I sneered and he gave me the finger. My eyes took on a haunted look. "It started in darkness...

"I remember it like it was yesterday. I was eight years old and it was my first time camping. Granted it was in the backyard, but screw that, camping is camping. So there I was a cute, little kid of eight, sitting in my pup tent playing with my flashlight. I kept turning it off and then on, for some reason that amused the hell out of me."

"Ryan has a weird fascination with shiny objects and things that light up," Kevin explained to Ryan.

Ryan nodded seriously. "It makes sense."

I scowled at the two of them. "Anyway, as I was saying before I got interrupted by you two clowns... I was playing with the flashlight and was making those cool hand shadows on the wall, just getting laughs from kiddish things, you know?"

"I guess," Kevin muttered.

I rolled my eyes and continued. "I was really starting to have a good time too but I was eight and what eight year old stays up late. I suppose it was probably close to midnight when I passed out and fell asleep. That's when I began to have the coolest dream. It was a dream that you wished you wouldn't wake up from if you do, you immediately close your eyes again and try to jump back into it, buts its impossible to. I was playing in a park kicking a soccer ball around. It was a cool ball too because no matter how far you kicked it, the ball would always return. I was so hyped up." I shifted in my seat, as goosebumps appeared on my arms. I cleared my throat and whispered, "That's when they came."

"Who?" Ryan asked leaning in to hear better, riveted.

"The cat. It came from nowhere and began to just meow at me. I told it I didn't have any food but it kept hounding me. I tried to go back to playing soccer but it attacked me scratching the fuck out of my leg. So I kicked it and ran like hell. Suddenly, the sun vanished and the moon came out, bringing the night along with it. The wind began to howl and sounds, like the noises of thousands of hissing cats filled the air. I stopped at a bench to catch my breath. That's when the cat came back. It glared at me with its creepy eyes, the moonlight reflected strangely, making them glow and revealing its true nature as a creature of EVIL!"

"Oh, for fucks fucking sake, you fucking moron!" Kevin yelled. "Shut the hell up already!"

I grabbed a pen from the desk and threw it at him. I missed. "I'm still telling my story!" I scowled until he rolled his eyes and looked away. "I tried to run from the evil cat but as I turned around more of them appeared. There were so many. They hissed at me and then as one they attacked. They clawed, scratched, and bit me, no matter how much I begged and pleaded. The last thing I remember was the evil cat stepping onto my bleeding body, lying on the green park grass. It raised its paw, claws out, and it tore open my throat."

"Whoa," Ryan gasped.

Kevin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whoa..." he said sarcastically.

"The creepy thing is," I continued, ignoring Kevin. "Is that when I woke up I left the tent and went running to the house. There was a cat right outside my tent. The moonlight was glinting off its eyes too, as it stared at me. I screamed and it hissed at me and I hauled ass into the house." I pulled down my shirt. "And where the cat tore open my throat in the dream I now have this!"

Ryan looked closely, inspecting my neck. "There's nothing there, Chad."

I frowned. "Well... I guess... it must have healed," I said, pulling my shirt back up and sitting back in the chair. "The point is. That's why I hate cats."

There was silence. If someone had opened the window the sound of chirping crickets would have filled the room.

"That was so freaking stupid!" Kevin exploded, shaking his head.

I glared at him. "Hey! He asked!"

Ryan, poor, poor Ryan, looked as if he didn't know what to think. Finally, he nodded and said softly, "I suppose I did ask..."

"Exactly!" I smiled, clapping him on the back.

Kevin groaned. "You might as well had shot me in the brain. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight." He left the room still shaking his head.

"Um...do you have some sleeping clothes I can change into?" asked Ryan.

I reached into a drawer tossing him a pair of mesh shorts and a Comic-Con shirt. "Those should be fine I think."

He thanked me and went into the bathroom to change. I changed too and set up a little pallet on the floor for me to sleep on. Contrary to popular belief I am not nocturnal. Especially these days. Now that I had training after school I was feeling the days catch up to me quicker than I used to. I sleepily said goodnight to Ryan when he settled himself on the bed. I could see that he was also exhausted if his drowsy goodnight was anything to go by.

Once more, I was dreaming of a memory.

He was there again. The man in the red robes. The one who held the other half of my heart. His face was blurred, obscured by the mists of incomplete memories. We stood in a bedroom with sunlight reflecting off sharp, silver furniture and sleek metallic walls. I have been here before.

"I have heard whispers from some of the marines saying we devote too many resources to the defense of the continent," I said with a sigh. "They fear we cannot protect the humans and our people here in the city simultaneously."

The man frowned and sat on the bed next to me. "But we must. It is our duty to guard all life against the dark ones. It is why They Above All granted us these powers."

"They will see humanity's potential in time," I murmured. Something in his eyes caused me to smile. "What is that look for?"

"You are about to find out, my love," he said, kissing along my jaw, neck and down my stomach. I gasped as he went lower and then I let out a moan of pleasure.

"Admerion!"

He looked up with a grin and his features started to clear and become distinguishable. Hazel eyes, not quite green or brown, were recognizable first. There was a sort of electric buzz when we locked eyes and I licked my lips anticipating.

That's when I woke up to the sound of my morning alarm.

I glared at the alarm clock then slapped my hand at it. My heart was beating so loudly I was surprised Ryan hadn't awoken out of sleep from the pounding. I reached down to my tented pajama pants and then stared at the ceiling with a sleepy smile.

"Now that was a dream."