Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-39317174-20200104025045

Prologue

The right side has been waiting, waiting and waiting for a plan to come. Their only source of information has been cut off and the mental state of their precious Moonlark is in question. The wrong side however, is ready, have been forever and will be making their move in a day. '''Right. Wrong.Wrong. Right. Edges and borders burn in the Song of Night.  Chapter one:

Sophie '''   Sophie was home, in her bed. Her face was wet and buried in something soft. A pillow. She felt warm arms wrap around her. She dreamed, or rather tried but she only got nightmares and ghosts. The words on the screen, Grady's shocked face, slowly turning red. Edalines, paling and becoming shadowed, as if she had seen this before and knew what was next. And eyes, always eyes, sky blue, periwinkle, teal with eyeliner forming the perfect cat eye, a warm but ice blue and then a beautiful teal that turned colder when she herself read the words on the screen.

"Unmatchable." She said and the eyes repeated it back, over and over like cold mantra.

She was waking up, getting ready in a trance. She even took Vertina's advice and put her hair in an elegant waterfall, her eyes lost their puffiness and she applied a simple streak of gold eyeliner with some light eyeshadow. There was no sense in worrying her friends about anything as small as a huge event that will probably affect her whole future. A small part of her knew everyone would notice the change in her style but she wanted them to think she was just changing her style.

'''Chapter two: Duana

Project name; Dark Song Species; Elf Natural abilities; Shade and Flasher Added (Telepathically); Telepath, Phaser, Vanisher and Pisonpath Parentage; Illegitimate Project length; Fifteen years and counting History; Was relocated and taken in by Member 314 (Passed) and trained and meant to be a special agent of the Neverseen'''

"Duana," Gisela says in that cold way she does. Here we go. "Since Umber has died, she has left you without a teacher." Please, please, don't remind me. Duana could feel herself try and disappear, to find comfort in letting the light pass through her and let out the tears that fought to be let out. Umber hadn't been her biological mom but she had been more than that, a teacher, a friend and as close to a mother figure as she was about to get.

Zilla had brought Duana from wherever she had come from before and to the new hide out when she was three and began training and teaching her how to use her two abilities. Eight years went by and she was moved to a new hideout. Zilla had always been a comfort to her through all of it, a way to hide in the shadows while still completely visible, tucking Duana in when she had night terrors.

Then she was gone, a mission where she was just supposed to do a few things had left Zilla with a crushed skull, brain fluid and blood leaking across the paved stones of a Vacker estate. Duana had been there, had actually seen Zilla's eyes widen as the huge door fall and the monsters trample on top of her pale hand, the shadows on her nails slowly fading to an unextraordinary, dull pink. Duana had kept quiet in the shadows like a good girl as she saw the human girl fight threw her own tears as drama happened all around.

"Yeah, I know. What are we going to do about that?" Duana asked, trying to stop the flash back, her arms crossed and tried to push past the flashback. She knew about the new boy, Tam was a strong Shade but he was also a liability, they had him on the leash for now but they didn't know how long.

"Well, as you know we have acquired a new member, Tam Song is a powerful Shade but he also needs a teacher." Gisela answered.

"So you want me to put on a pair of spectacles and teach him how to use shadow vapor to do what he wants? That would just give him more power right?" She was interested in Tam and seeing what he could do but having to teach him things that Zilla had taught her. She didn't think she could handle it.

"Yes," She answered after a pause. "teach him how to mask, deflect and grab. Just what he would need to make an appearance and show improvement."

"So teach him how to do what I learned when I was 7? Zill-- Umber taught me that, she was the teacher, not me." Duana remembered the classes in the hideout, they had taught her what she needed to know about her Shade abilities, as well as the agility training.

"You will have time to prepare, two nights are all you'll need to complete your first solo mission and start the basics. Tam is being kept in Choirmeyer right now so you will need to light leap there after you drop your quarry off." Gisela answered before continuing to explain the plane of attack. As she went on, Duana couldn't hide her grin, this plan was as good as it got, hits two birds with one stone.

 Chapter three: Sophie

She was at school, doing her homework, taking notes, answering questions and having lunch with her friends, laughing at Keefe's jokes, even if they weren't funny, the only difference that might have occurred was the lack of any real emotion. She was acting the whole time, she didn't even blush when Fitz held her hand and people stared at her face, her hair. She saw girls in the halls gasp and look at their friends in horror, she couldn't bring herself to even smile or duck her head. She remembered talking to Fitz and Keefe about how girls would be crying in the halls when the two boys began to date.

She was home again, collapsing in her bed and sinking away again. not caring. She had the same dream again, this time though, after the manta of cold words, there was a pure white eye, the center seeming even darker, like a black hole. "I am your nightmare, I can destroy you with a thought, but I can be saved. Help me and I will become an excellent ally." it seemed to say to Sophie. It gave her an insane sense of euphoria and terror. "Who are you?!" her dream self called to the eye. "I am Duana, the dark one." Duana said, Sophie knew it was a she, it had the voice of a girl her age, only much colder, more calculated.

Chapter four: Duana

She made her way, shrouded in shadows, any noise, scent or other tells of her presence, completely erased by a single command from her palm, all it took was a flick of her wrists and even microns and air currents passed through her or avoided her. Up the stairs of the Ruewen house, Havenfield, Duana could see a burly goblin, she had already finished with the parents. She only had to get into their room, make her way soundlessly to their bed, bend her wrists back and let the shadows in her create two stingers, slide them out of the tendons in her arms and into the adorable couples necks. She probably didn't need to do it but better safe than sorry, she watched as they convulsed and went still. She felt the cold sensation of her shadows form another one.

Duana had already dealt with most of the other bodyguards, they had to up their game, it had only taken her a couple of thorns and some phasing to get under the dwarf, infect a couple of roots for the gnome to collect and inform Sophie later and she was done. All there was left to deal with was the goblin and ogre. She slowly walked up the stairs, even as an 'anomaly' she still had to save her mental energy. Half of the way up she let her shadow fall away from her, the two oafs saw her stalking up the stairs, they separated and got into defencive positions. The ogre was the first to strike, he shouted as he threw knives, throwing stars and any assortment of bladed, studded or poisoned weapons. Looks like the ogres and goblins have been updating their arsenal. She dodged and caught each of the first volley of weapons, grabbing the smaller ones that were about to hit and jumping, twirling and all the time running. Throwing aside the blades she had she couldn't help a cold sneer. "Come now, you can do better." She snarled.

She was getting bored with games so she decided to narrow down the focus a little, Just the goblin I think. "Come on, boys," She sneered. "lets dance." She said, prepping for whatever came next.

Ignoring her, the ogre kept them coming. They're strategy was smart, one keeps the door guarded while the other attempts to capture the enemy. The second volley was a bit more of a challenge, the weapons were bigger this round. She allowed a single dagger to slice into the skin just above her cheek bone, just to show that she wasn't weak and wouldn't cow at the first sign of blood.

At this point the yelling was becoming distracting. Oh, the profanities the two uttered were amazing, all about her mother, Duana's character and a million different awkward situations. So she put up her shields and kept on, almost gliding up the stairs. No one should have to listen to that.

Rolling her eyes, she charged at the ogre with a snarl and a flick of her wrist. The next second, she had a thorn in her hand, a jump and a flip later, she had a thorn in the ogres chest. 3,2,1 and out. She pulled the shadowy stinger out and looked at the goblin who had taken up a more offensive stance with four throwing stars in his right claw and a broadsword in his left.

As she made her way up the delicately decorated staircase she fought the urge to roll her eyes, honestly, what a useless creature to stand guard, all she needed was a few calculated bursts of shadow to the chest, head and neck and the second oaf was out of the way. Catching him with a flick of her wrist to stop the crash a little longer, just to make sure the target had a warning. It would be so much more interesting if the girl put up a fight. Letting him drop to the ground, hitting his head with a small whump on the carpet with a small grunt and a moan, she stepped over him. He would live, most likely, goblins were strong.

Duana let the door to the girls, Sophie's room, slide through her and she saw the girls body. Duana's mind was as powerful as Sophie's, so with a single look and a small mind trick involving brain activity, she could tell she was awake and trying to hide it. She was completely failing however, her pulse and breathing were abnormally fast and she was tense, even on her back. Her golden hair was spread out like a halo around her head. Instead of just walking over the petaled carpet and leaving footprints, she leapt over, only boosted a little by telekinesis. She landed perfectly on the girls bed, pinning her arms and hands down with her knees. It would only take a second to put her under, the shadow thorns weren't as messy as shadowflux, more controlled but just as painful and the echo's would only move when she told them to, unlike the parents, she would leave the thorn in Sophie's neck long enough for the shadows to seep into her bloodstream.  Chapter five: Sophie

Her chest was the first thing to register that something was there, a weight on her chest, her wrists. Only then did her impenetrable mind register what was going on and tell her eyes to snap open. With a small gasp she saw the same, pure white eyes that looked like pearls with black and silver, framed by dark lashes and shoulder length hair braided down her head and ending at the nape of her neck.

Then, a stab in her own neck and then, there was pain, spreading through her veins and into her heart, pumping out and going through it again. It was almost worse than what Umber had done to her but not quite there, a tie if she counted out the fact that it kept coming in waves. Just before she blacked out she heard three words that shook her brain.

"Who the…" Sophie gasped, but a hand came up and snapped her mouth on her tongue, the metallic taste of blood kept her from saying any more.

"I am Duana." She said, her voice the same cold growl as before. Sophie gave one last shudder and she sunk into the comforting blackness.

Chapter five: Duana

A small tug sucked the thorn out of the artery in Sophie's neck and the girl under her gave a small sigh as the thorn left a black hole in her neck. A normal response, honestly, anomaly to anomaly, the Black Swan needed to be prepared for a rival for their poster child. This one is weak and broken. Duana knew of the visit to the matchers and rolled her eyes every time she thought of it, maybe Sophie had drama but the Neverseen are preparing for something big while this girl is crying for her lost love life.

Let's get this done. She thought, levitating off the girl and landing softly beside the night table. With a bag over her head and a few new sedating additions to her jewelry collection, Sophie was dead to the world. Truly, toxins are the easiest way to get things done and the Black Swan didn't get the memo! There was such a thing as a telepathic shield you know.

After grumbling about the incompetence of everyone involved with Sophie and the Black Swan. She sent Vespera the go ahead for the rendezvous point. That done she set about "framing" Alden. He knew it was happening and he also knew that it would be proved "wrong". He had given Duana hair and fingerprints for her to use as she wanted. Might as well have some fun. So she did, making it look like Alden had played fashionista with Sophie's clothes and vanity, even sneaking past her little mirror game and smashing it with a shadow thorn, just to add enough evidence that Alden "wasn't affiliated with the Neverseen." He was of course but he was too vital right now to risk him doing it himself. ''Either Vespera is playing her game as usual and keeping a power play by keeping him safe or he is a coward. Probably both.'' Of course Tam would also be suspected but that would just add more anxiety on his sister,. Poor girl, she had no idea what was going on.

Duana decided that it was best not to waste the trip to her room in one of the abandoned hideouts to change, besides, the black hooded sneak suit was handy. Taking Sophie over her shoulder, she barely needed to channel because of the endless training and strengthening. With only a thought she phased through the flowery carpet and levitated to the Leap-Master.

"Everglen!" She yelled, and stepped into the light of the moon the crystal reflected.

After a few detours into the house and doing some simple sedating, just enough for the kids and mother to be kept asleep for an hour or two. Phasing back out of the house and saw a figure waiting for her, keeping herself invisible, she came up next to him. Appearing behind the figure within the gates of the beautifully designed grounds with Alden waiting at the entrance. He looked stressed and kept glancing over his shoulder.

"Worried?" She asked, tapping Alden on the shoulder of his elaborate nightgown. No one needed to look that good while they are sleeping. "Don't be, you're adorable family is perfectly asleep. Though they might be having some suspicious dreams about dancing imps and mercats."

"You sedated them?" He exclaimed before slumping his shoulders and shaking his head. "I guess I will have to get used to that, now that I'm working with you guys."

"Well, you have been for at least half a year now, better late than never." She paused and smirked. "To be honest though, you're son and daughter have gotten their share of the good looks, not a lot of them to go around though, huh?"

Of course, he gave no obvious response other then a slight tense to his jaw and a clench of his fist.

"Yes," He began to counter. "but I am guessing that since you have been raised in a school house, training room and bedroom you don't have much to compare him to."

"Hmmm," She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of a response. That remark had been meant to sting it had, a bit more than it should have. Alden was right either way. This was her first official solo mission and she knew that it had been a success, her fellow anomaly lying peacefully on a couch as they spoke. "Come on, Vespera has a new game for us to play with a certain little Moonlark." She said, reminding him why they were there.

This new game was complicated but would work in their favor. Physical pain was a last resort, since they need Sophie intact but they also needed her to be closed off from her abilities. In theory a traumatic or earth shattering realization might give a person with enough stress over them would crack. Their mind wouldn't break but it would bend. With any amount of luck, Duana could break into Sophie's impenetrable mind and see what she needed to see, maybe even some interesting little tidbits that even the mind's host didn't remember.

Chapter six: Sophie

Sophie woke up to pain, a heavy throb that started in her throat and pulsed through her veins, all she could do was thrash and shake, trying and trying and trying to get it out. This was worse, so, so much worse than anything she could imagine, even after Umber. Cold coursed through her head, limbs and heart, it burned and would not let go. It repeated over and over and over, each new wave renewing in intensity. She couldn't let it out, she couldn't even scream. The only thing she could compare it to was the shadowflux in her hand. This new pain purged all the energy and life out of her body. Then, it stopped. The pain it left was still there but didn't layer onto the existing hurt. She could finally relax and stop convulsing.

"Wake up sleeping beauty," A voice, cruel, cold and taunting. Did she know it? She thought she did, she didn't know. "I have something to show you, it'll be fun."

"No, get away from me." Sophie scrambled back, eyes darting back a forth and tried to get away but only succeeded in falling off the couch to the floor, too weak to get up again. Duana, that was her name, right?

"Its alright silly,"Duana purred,amused. She moved silently as she dropped into a crouch in front of Sophie. "I think we have a friend of yours who wants to see you."

"I said get away from me!" Sophie slurred, she tried to summon her inflicting but her head was still foggy. She tried and tried and tried to get through it but this was different than most of the other times she had been sedated. This felt like her head was being filled with water and becoming waterlogged.

"I would like to do that, leave you here to be found weak and helpless but my mission is to break you." Duana taunted and rose. With a simple curl of Duana's finger, Sophie could feel herself rise with her. She was completely limp, her feet barely dragging on the flawlessly polished and strangely familiar floor. Duana ignored her and reached for a door knob across the room, it clicked and opened to reveal Alden. In black robes with the white eye that had haunted Sophie's dreams since she had seen it on the cliff years ago. "Unfortunately, we can't do that just yet. We have some pictures to send you."

"Alden! What is she talking about? Wh--" That was all she managed to get through her numb lips before the pale white eye gleamed and Duana's arm shot out and Sophie could feel all of the poisoned atoms in her body started to send all the wrong senses to her brain and she started to convulse in the air. There was only one thought that kept circling her head, one with too many bad answers; What side? What side? What side? What...

Chapter seven: Alden

Alden saw the pain and betrayal in Sophie's eyes a single dreaded question as Duana controlled her atoms. And for a moment he experienced misgivings. This was the girl who he had watched grow from a scared girl to a confident young woman. A young woman who his son was dating. This is for the best, the quickest way to heal or fractured world.

"Was that strictly needed?" He had to ask, turning to the dark girl standing next to him.

"Yes, it was." Duana answered shortly, dashing to the girls side and putting her hands on her temples. "We need the break in to occur immediately after a world shaking event in the subjects life, such as the betrayal of a close friend or relative."

The tone of her voice had changed into a voice that he had heard from all of his children at ob point or another, the way they memorized the stars or recipes before exams. As if they weren't there but were looking at a list on the back of their mind. Alden couldn't help noticing the faraway tone of voice and the look in her eyes, as if Duana was remembering someone she lost

"It helps when the initial confusion is followed by a complete sensory overload, primarily the nervous system.It is when her mind needs the most time to reset and recover."

"Well, looks like you have this under control. I'll hail Vespera and check the cell." He needed to check on them, for now he was their father He would be found out. ''Hopefully after we succeed in dividing the council. The elves are the go betweens and the eye of the storm, we always have been. We must use that to gain absolute kings-manship of all the species of the world, our fractured world needs a lasting peace. ''

Chapter eight: Keefe He dug into his mind, desperately trying to put the peace together. There was nothing that he hadn't already seen. The night before Keefe had seen a giant clock tower with a glowing, yellow clock. This time there was a letter with an address too blurry to make out.

With a whoop of triumph, he dove deeper this was what he had been searching for. This time he could actually do something right and convince the people who mattered most that he wasn't a broken boy with the past but nothing to do with it other than try to avoid it.

😉🐨 