A/N: Hey! If you're reading this, then obviously, you clicked the link to read this story. Now I'm gonna tell you something, this is a sequel, or not a sequel, a... a 'book two' to my other book, Fallen Angels. BUT, don't let that turn you off, I know a lot of you are like "ok never mind, I'm gonna get lost", but really, you don't have to read the first book... nothing really happens -_-. I'll try to make it easy for u to pick up from here. Well, here's a brief summary of the first book.
Long ago, a war erupted between both Heaven and Hell. The heavens, known to be Etheria, fused magic with human technology and had almost conquered their enemy. Little did they know that Hell, or Umbra, had been planning something to defeat the Etherians.
Roen, Trenton, Dustin, and Ara have all been friends since elementary school. It looked as if they were inseparable until both Roen and Trenton had 'mysteriously disappeared', or so the news reported it as. Having human power much stronger than those ethereal, the two sides used their power to fight against their enemy. Miyori, an Umbrian, had used Roen to fight against her angelic enemy, Mayuko, who had been hiding behind Trenton in her battles. And from then, the story starts.
Black Wings – Shooting Star
Silently, Ara stood by the kitchen counter. The air that blew in and out of her nostrils grew more rapidly as the seconds slipped away. The sun was dim, but it was burning against Ara's neck. Her heart was heavily pounding, just about ready to burst.
This was the third time that she had tried to tell Roen that she was in love with him. They had been friends since kindergarten, but for several years, she had seen him as more than a friend. To her, it just seemed like any other conflict a 17-year old girl could face, but in reality, it was much more than just an ordinary conflict.
"Hold on for a second ok? I have to finish some things up," Ara sputtered, trying to buy time for herself.
Still, it was too hard for her to believe what was happening. This was her only chance to tell him how she felt about him. If she didn't tell him now, she wouldn't ever be able to. It was either then or never.
"Ara? Who's on the phone?" Mandy pestered in a bratty tone. She had been listening to her conversation from the upstairs phone; so she came down to see what was happening. The last thing Ara needed at that moment was for her exasperating sister to come around and ask her irritating questions.
"None of your business." Ara murmured; again, speaking empty words.
"Hmmmmm? What are you doing there then?"
"Go away."
"Why should I? And you still didn't answer my question. Not just any phone call would make your face so pale like that. There's something that you're not telling me."
"Go away Mandy... I was just going to go use the bathroom, if that answers your question."
Mandy closely inspected Ara as she walked into the bathroom by the living room. Hands folded behind her back and with the watchful eyes of a hawk, she made sure that the door was fully closed and waited a few seconds for security. Once the time was right, she made her move.
"Hey!" Mandy greeted, putting the phone to her ear.
"...Ara?"
"No. This is her little sister." Mandy grinned.
Roen didn't know much about her. From the 12 years that he'd known her, she spoke very little about her sister, "...Hello."
"I have a secret to tell you."
Judging by the way children whispered things to each other, Roen assumed it was just another game she was playing, so he went along, "What is it."
"You can't tell anyone."
There wasn't a thing in the world that would've prepared Roen for what he was about to hear. For all he knew, Mandy could've been telling him that she hid a jar of buggers in her closet. So, he replied, "I promise."
"You know, my big sister. I read something in her diary, and it said something about you."
Roen grew uncomfortable, "err... I don't think your sister wants you to be telling her secrets."
"She asked me to tell you." Mandy was lying, but her philosophy stated that as long as it would save her butt, lying was ok.
"She did?"
"She can't tell you herself, so she wanted me to tell you."
"...what is it?"
"She says that she loves you!" Mandy yelled through the phone.
There was no reply over the phone.
"Since kindergarten. She writes about you nonstop."
Just then, Mandy realized that Ara had gotten out of the bathroom. The expression her sister had on was an expression that she had never seen before. Her eyes weren't the same as they always were. They looked horrified and betrayed. They looked as if they were so hurt that they would never be able to see again.
Mandy may have been stupid, but she didn't lack common sense. When she saw her sister's look, she scampered up the stairs to safety like a mouse striding away from a hungry owl; but this time, Ara had nothing left inside her to yell back at her sister. She just stood there, stuffing and cramming her brain with nothing but void.
She didn't blink. She didn't breathe. Slowly, her feet slugged themselves up the stairway, finding its way to her bedroom. The soft sunlight, hidden behind the clouds, peeked into the window, lighting it bright enough so that she could find her way. As soon as she walked in, she sat down on the bed.
Ara's heart was like a china glass. It was very fragile and delicate, and could be easily broken, and once it was broken, not even the strongest glue could fix it. Staring silently at the wall, she listened to her breath inhale in, and exhale out. Though her eyes were fixed on the patterns on the walls, they saw nothing but ebony. Silently, and stationary, she sat there waiting for anything that would never come.
Several hours later, Dustin drove back into Ara's driveway. Quickly, he took the keys out of the car, and used another on the key ring to open the door to the house.
Dustin had been Ara's friend since fifth grade. The way they had met was long in the past, but since then, he had a crush on her. Though he had those feelings for her, he never forced them onto her. He figured that Ara probably knew by then, but he always treated her as a close friend.
Recently, he had paid visits to her about twice a week, checking up on how she was doing since the school was being renovated, but even more recently, he had been visiting frequently since she hadn't been doing very well.
The ambience was almost silent. Ara was tired when Dustin had left, which was the reason why she asked Dustin to take Kelly home.
Dustin couldn't help but wonder what Ara was doing. Usually, she was cooking downstairs, or studying.
He slipped off his shoes at the doormat, and walked into the living room. Everything was exactly the same way that it had been when he left. For some strange reason, there was an eerie silence and emptiness that drifted among the corridors. Everything was the same, but the red light beeping from the answering machine. Noticing that there wasn't anyone around him that was conscious, he decided to listen to the messages.
Dustin didn't have to listen much to realize who had called. He was shocked to hear Roen's voice on the phone, but it didn't last long. Then, as the shock faded away, it began to turn to worry. What happened to Ara? How did react when he called her?
Soon, Dustin heard Ara's voice interrupt. Just by the way Ara was emptily talking to Roen, he knew that she was deeply thinking about something else. Then, just as he predicted, she told him to hold on.
He wasn't so sure if Roen's call was a good thing or a bad thing. He knew that either way, it would make Ara uneasy. Would she begin to miss him even more, or would she be happier now that she knew he was all right? From all he knew, anything was predictable with her.
Then, as the message neared the end, Dustin's ears became more keen into the conversation. Then, as it appeared everyone had left the scene, he heard the words left on there, "tell her I love her."
Dustin stood there for several minutes, staring absently at the answering machine. The dim, red light glowed, pulsing as if it was a siren. Dustin stared at it with watchful eyes, pondering what to do. Seconds ago, his life had been simple, but everything had changed. He was the only one that heard the message, and he was the only one that was responsible for it.
Then, without a hesitant, he pressed the button and listened to the robotic voice speak "You have zero messages."
Dustin didn't know whether to regret what he had just done. He didn't even know why he had erased the message. It wasn't that he was jealous of Roen, and didn't want Ara to know about it. He envied Roen, but he wasn't jealous; he got over his jealousy years ago. He actually wished that Roen had stayed, and that he could take care of Ara. All he wanted was for her to be happy, and the one thing that would make her happy was if she was with him. But, the thing was that Roen didn't stay behind, and he was gone. During the months that he had disappeared, Ara had wasted away; worrying herself over things that she really didn't need to be worrying about.
The reason why he had deleted the message was because he had wanted to protect her. Both Kelly and Dustin had known that Ara wasn't getting much sleep since she received Roen's letter. Kelly, being one of Ara's best friends, hated seeing her in that condition. Both of them wanted just wanted the best for Ara, and even if it meant making her forget about Roen.
The house was so reticent that it seemed as if no one was there. At that moment, he wished he hadn't deleted the message; something like that was something that shouldn't be kept as a secret, but what would've happened if she had found out? She probably would have lost her mind, remorse over the fact she hadn't confessed to him earlier; she could even go insane.
Knock Knock – there was no answer.
Ara was still inside her room, but she didn't answer. She knew it was Dustin behind the door because he was the only one that was ever polite enough to knock first.
Once again, he knocked. Dustin wasn't the type to barge in, so Ara answered, "Come in..."
There she was, her body slouched onto the bed with only an empty look in her eyes. Her deep, autumn eyes looked so dark like they were devoid of life; each with a trail of tears running down both of her cheeks.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that something was wrong. If there was ever a rhetorical question that crossed his mind, that would be as far as it would go. The bed lowered as Dustin sat down by her.
For several minutes, no words were spoken. The air was just filled with the sweet essence of silence.
Ara leaned her head against Dustin's shoulder, "I'm tired..."
Dustin didn't answer.
"I'm tired of trying to be myself."
There was a short pause before Dustin said anything, "Maybe... you're not being yourself."
"...I know. I'm just pretending." Ara knew she didn't make sense.
"No one told you that you had to always smile whenever something was wrong. You don't always have to fit into what other people want you to be."
"You know me too well Dustin... You know me better than anyone else I know." She sighed, "I try to fool other people pretending that I'm strong, but I'm weak. I'm tired of acting."
Dustin watched as her eyelids gently covered her auburn eyes. He lifted his hand to put around her shoulder, but he hesitated.
"Dustin..."
"Yes...?"
"I need some time alone..." Ara knew Dustin wouldn't take it offensively, so she didn't feel she had to apologize.
"That's alright..." The bed lifted as Dustin pushed himself back onto the ground. Ara folded her arms, acting as if she was hugging herself, and only herself. Dustin glanced at her once more before he left through the door, "Make sure you feel better by dinner time ok? I'll cook you something you'll like."
Ara gave him a weak smile, but it was the strongest smile she could give at the moment.
Though he didn't show it, Dustin's breath still had the stench of worry clung onto it. The way Ara looked was different than the way she looked in the past; it was worse. He still didn't know whether to tell her about Roen or not. Half of him did, but the other half didn't.
Suddenly, while walking down the stairs, he bumped into Ara's sister Mandy. Unlike her usual self, she looked a little down, as if something terrible had happened. Dustin figured that it was only her right of humanity to feel bad for what she did.
"Dustin... I have to talk to you," She said, as if she was an adult.
"Good. I need to talk to you as well."
Dustin walked ahead of her, continuing down the stairs and eventually leading her into the living room.
"Do you hate your sister that much?" Dustin asked in a serious tone.
Mandy shrugged, "No, I don't." She smiled sweetly, but Dustin didn't seem amused.
"Did you think if you did something like that, that it would be funny?"
Mandy was quite smart for her age. She felt like rolling her eyes, but she knew that it was the number one way to make her look like the bad guy in the situation. She calculated the situation, realizing that since her mother was asleep, Dustin was the only one left to chastise her. He probably didn't know all the details of the situation anyway, so she probably could wiggle her way out of it.
"I don't know... I know what I did was really bad, but... I don't know. I wanted to say something because I knew that she was feeling sad all the time." That was a lie.
Dustin didn't buy it, "That doesn't matter. You still did something wrong, no matter what the reasons were. You should go apologize to her."
"Wait, but I have to tell you something."
"What is it..?"
"I think you should stop coming here."
"...why would you say that?"
"It isn't like I don't like having you here, but I think Ara gets annoyed..." Once more, Mandy lied.
"...what...did you say?" Dustin had to clarify what he heard.
"I read it in her diary... She said that you were coming over a lot, and that it was annoying her, and she just wants to be alone," since she was eavesdropping onto their conversation, she knew the right buttons to push.
Dustin figured he should chastise her for reading through her diary, but it was a matter he could care less about at the moment, "Why would she say something like that?"
Mandy shrugged, "She's not herself lately..." She had everything well thought out. It was all part of her plan – a plan way too big for a girl her age.
Dustin got up and walked to the screen door, turning away from Mandy, "I see..."
"Sorry... I just wanted to tell you before she said something." Then, Mandy took off, disappearing from the scene before Dustin remembered to tell her to apologize.
During dinner, the four of them were silent. The only one that seemed to be enjoying the meal was Ara's mother, who had no idea what was going on; no one bothered to tell her.
"The dinner is very good Dustin," Ara's mother complimented.
Dustin smiled politely, "Thank you Mrs. Chow."
"It's very good," Ara repeated, having that be the first thing she said at the dinner.
"Thank you..." Dustin replied, almost monotonously.
Mandy was observing the two, sensing the tension, which was all so glorifying to her.
"You know, I think I'll be staying home for a while." Dustin announced.
"Eh?" Ara looked surprised. She needed Dustin to be there for her, being the only one that would listen to her.
"Yea... I think I'll spend more time with my grandmother. She probably gets bored just going to scrabble everyday."
"Oh... I see..." Ara didn't want him to leave, but she was just being selfish. He had his reasons for leaving, and Ara didn't have the right to stop him.
After the dinner, Ara's mother thanked him for coming over to take care of Ara before he left. Mandy, being the only one to know the reason why he left, stayed inside her room, excluding herself from the farewell party, or whatever she wanted to call it.
For the next couple of days, Dustin did just as he said, and stayed with his grandmother. He didn't visit her, call her, or even e-mail her. It was like they didn't even know each other. It wasn't long before Ara realized something was different. It was unlike Dustin to cut off communication between them completely. Whenever he wasn't there, he usually called her, but the phone never rang. Cooped up alone in her room, the only one she could talk to was her pillow.
For those days, she substituted Dustin with Kelly. Usually, it would be Kelly calling her, but Ara found that she had been calling Kelly about every other hour. She rarely left her room for anything; only for meals, which she ate twice a day. She took frequent naps, where she could lose herself from reality into haunting nightmares.
"The night is ending. Shadows will soon cover the moon."
"Is it starting?" Ara called out to the echoes.
"Beware, do not lose yourself into distractions. You must be alert, for the time is near."
"I'm confused."
"Ask the girl. She knows."
"She knows what?"
"Everything."
"But what if she doesn't...?" She paused, "Then I am nothing..."
Suddenly, Ara woke. It wasn't the sun that woke her up, or the humidity, but it was herself. Silently, like a ghost, she crept to her bedroom door. The hallway lights shot in through the cracks of the door, brightening as she opened it wider. There she was, the girl.
"Mandy... I need to ask you something..."
"No!" Mandy retorted, then returning back to her business.
"This isn't time for games. I know you know something. You're hiding something from me."
Mandy looked at her with an eerie stare, "What are you trying to get at?"
"Don't try to act clueless. I know you know something."
She smirked, "It's about time you figured out my oblivious sister," She just used vocabulary words to sound smart, "I told Dustin to leave."
Ara's eyes widened.
"You wanted to be alone... so I told him to leave."
"Why did you do something like that? I thought you liked him."
"I do! I really enjoy having him around, he's very nice."
"Then... why did you..." Ara faced the floor, having shadows cast over her eyes.
"It's just what YOU wanted... So he left."
The shadows on the walls didn't move. Ara stood in the doorway, motionless.
"...Ara?" Mandy mumbled, with a hint of fear in her voice.
Suddenly, Ara lifted her hands and forced them in front of her as if she was pushing against something. Her hair flung back as she shot a death glare to her little sister. All in within a second, a light exploded from her palms like a shooting star.
It was too quick for Mandy to react. Before she could move out of the way, the light had already hit her, and engulfed her entire body.
As the light faded, Ara could barely make out what was happening in front of her. If she had seen correctly, she could see a blaze of fire, four feet tall, adorned with the shrills of her little sister.
Ara screamed.
A/N: THIS IS THE REVISED VERSION. Omg.. I knew I should've revised the first time around... it was horrible =_=. Lol, it wasn't exactly 'opening chapter' material -_-. Thanks everyone for the criticism, it WOKE ME UP, it was really helpful advice.
And wow, for you first-timers, I REALLY depicted Ara as a... unstable psycho mental girl =_=. But trust me, those of you that read the first book can back me up, she's a really normal character... really. Geez, now I need flashbacks because you guys don't believe me... "Yea, she lights her sister on fire.. yea, that's normal"
Well, I hope you keep reading this story, because I poured my heart out writing it (although there are a lot of flaws), and well, please, I love opinions, and reviews really make my day, it's what keeps me going. Just write something "Hi, I read your story", and that's all. They REALLY help, and thanks for everyone who's already read. (now think... what should you be doing...?)