Thread:Aspen the leafwing-rainwing-sandwing tribrid/@comment-38091275-20190618032337/@comment-38480398-20190620082807

Happiness indeededly indeedyness

Lol (YAY OK NP I WILL WHY IS COPY-PASTE NOT WORKING RIGHT NOW OK SO HERE'S JUST THE PROLOGUE (UNEDITED THOUGH))

Prologue

Bad experience had made Tara absolutely hate rain. Tonight, it was as rainy as it got and it was making her feel on edge. Normally she would have stayed inside, but she didn’t really have much choice. Unless she wanted three years of work to go to waste, she would have to put up with it. She should be fine. She just needed to be careful. Huddling deeper into her raincoat, she crossed over a street. When she finally made it into the park, no one was there. Her heart skipped a beat as she checked her watch. They were late. Her grip tightened on her dagger.

“Ten minutes,” she whispered. Ten minutes she would wait. Otherwise… well she didn’t really know. She just knew she wasn’t going to stand around as an easy target for longer than that. She moved under a tree whose leaves offered some shelter from the downpour and stood there, waiting. Nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds later, she was about to leave when the sound of a very soft, but slightly misplaced step made her stiffen. By now it was raining so hard she could barely see. She raised her dagger again, ready to throw- or strike, if whoever was out there got too close for her to throw before she could see enough make sure she would hit them. She relaxed again as the rain parted suddenly, like a beaded curtain being pushed aside. Completely dry despite the torrent, Freya silently joined Tara under the tree, letting the rain fall normally the moment she stood under cover.

“And?” she asked.

“You’re the first,” Tara replied.

“That’s bad. How long have you been waiting?”

“Ten minutes.”

“How much longer were you going to wait?”

“I was leaving when you came. But now that you’re here, should we maybe wait another ten?”

“I think so. This weather makes it hard.”

Tara nodded. “I don’t like it. Not at all.”

“Me neither. It’s getting worse too.”

“The fear or the rain?”

“Both,” Freya said softly. Tara found she had to agree with that. The rain was gradually becoming a waterfall, worsening the visibility and drowning out other sounds, increasing her nerves. It would be far too easy to sneak up on someone in this weather. You simply wouldn’t notice anyone until they were right next to you.

“Sorry I’m late.”

Tara started, nearly throwing her dagger at Kaitlyn as she suddenly joined them under the tree. Case in point, she thought grimly.

“Charlie isn’t here?” Kaitlyn asked. “I thought I would be last.”

“Nearly.” Charlene appeared out of the rain. For a moment, they all just stood there, then Tara took a deep breath. “Ready?” One by one, her sisters nodded hesitantly.

“We should hurry. I don’t think it’s safe to stay here too long,” Freya warned. She reached inside her raincoat, rummaging around before taking out a dark blue stone dangling on a pale chain. Even with the light barely detectable, Tara could see it gleaming faintly. Charlene moved next, drawing out a clear stone set in gold. They placed their stones on the damp ground. Kaitlyn bent down, laying a deep red jewel alongside the other two. Now only Tara was left. She took out the emerald first. Once it was on the ground next to the other stones, she got out the moonstone. The white jewel seemed to almost glow. She held it aloft. Just for a second. She placed in the center of the circle that had been made by the first four jewels. After a moment’s delay, in which a strange shimmer went through them, they flashed blindingly, white light sweeping outward.

The first thing Tara noticed as she cautiously blinked her eyes open again was that the familiar, comforting weight of her necklace was gone. She would never wear it again. It filled her with a strange sort of loss. The necklace was something she had become used to. It was always there and uncomfortable as it had been at first, she’d grown it attached to it. Next, she saw that the stones they had laid on the ground were gone too. Success. At least for now. It was a temporary solution. But hopefully, the delay would suffice. Hopefully. With whispered good-nights, the sisters departed.

Please let this work, Tara thought. ''Please. It has to.''