It’s time to go back…
Sophia found herself alone, in the dark, hearing the voice all around her.
“No…” she sobbed. “I’m not ready to go back.”
It’s time, Sophia. You have to go back…
“NO!” She slammed her hands over her ears, grinding her palms against her head to drown out the noise, and the priestess dropped to her knees. A scream tore from deep within her throat, echoing all around in the emptiness.
You have to go back…
-----
Sophia awoke with a start.
“Hey, we thought you’d never wake up.”
There was a voice she shouldn’t have heard. The priestess looked up, and through foggy vision, saw a figure with pink-and-blonde hair.
“A-ashe?” Sophia mumbled, rubbing her eyes sleepily. The girl came into focus, and the healer’s guess proved indeed to be correct: she looked straight into the face of Ashe Branford. “Are you dead? Am I dead? Are we in Heaven?”
Ashe laughed. “No, you’re not. We’re alive.”
“We?” Sophia repeated dumbly.
The priestess realized she was lying in a comfortable bed, and Ashe sat upon the edge. The healer sat up, and looked around. The bed was pushed up against the wall, but the room was decorated in swanky fashion: balloons, crepe paper, glittery signs, party favors, and confetti—all of the trappings of a good old-fashioned get-together. Sophia’s eyes fell upon another girl, whose hair happened to be blue, and who was sitting quietly in a chair.
“Sage!” Sophia cried happily. “Is…is this a party?”
“Yeah, for you,” Ashe beamed. She suddenly had the look of remembrance, and grabbed something from a nearby table, handing it to Sophia. “By the way, this is for you.”
“W-we didn’t open it,” Sage added.
Sophia’s brow furrowed in confusion as an envelope was pressed into her hands. She tore it open, and pulled out a letter. It read:
“Dear Sophia,
Words cannot express the cruelty of losing a life. To die quickly, that is a gift. To die slowly, that is a curse. Allow me to make it up to you, for you have given me exactly what I required of you. By now, you have noticed that you are still alive. I cannot prolong your borrowed time forever, so you will eventually return to Heaven, but I can give you what I promised in your invitation. I have gathered your closest friends for a party, in your honor, to celebrate your return to this world. As an added gift, I have made a deal with an Earth witch, and any time you so choose, you may revive yourself, and return to the mortal plane permanently. I hope that you sharpen your fighting skills, because they are matched only by your compassion. Farewell.
She folded up the letter, and smiled. “My closest friends.”
Sophia slipped out of bed and looked around, seeing only Ashe and Sage. Somebody was missing. “But then, where’s…?”
Kaden stepped out, having been crouched behind a jukebox trying to figure out how to plug it in to an outlet.
“Hi,” he said simply with a grin, giving a little wave.
He let out a grunt as Sophia glomped him in a huge bear hug before he had a chance to react. Ashe, seeing the jukebox turned on, selected a song, and it began to play. A steady beat of techno-dance music filled the room.
“They actually have some pretty good stuff on here,” Ashe commented, flipping through the song list.
“I like metal myself,” Sage commented quietly.
Everybody turned and stared at her, and she shrank in her chair, her cheeks flushing red.
“Uh, do you want some punch?” Kaden suggested, and Sophia nodded, the two of them proceeding to the snack table with every known party food to man.
Ashe went to retrieve her bag and pulled out a sleek-looking camera. The bubblegum blond rushed over and snapped a picture of Sage, who was not paying attention and made a funny face of surprise at Ashe rushing her. Ashe looked at the camera screen and laughed. Kaden finished off a handful of chips and leaned over Ashe’s shoulder to take a look.
“That’s a keeper,” he laughed.
“Very funny,” Sage pouted. She seemed a bit uncomfortable, as though she was still trying to get used to the idea that her friends were alive and well.
“I was told that they would develop our photos for us, and send us all copies. They gave me the camera and like a zillion memory cards,” Ashe explained. She turned and pointed the lens at Kaden, who flashed a cheesy smile.
Sophia, of course, was simply bursting with happiness. She posed for the camera as Ashe came and took a picture. “You guys, I’m so glad you’re here!” she gushed, walking around and giving hugs to everyone. “We should take a group photo! Group photo!”
The healer clapped her hands together and herded Kaden to a specific location with the perfect background, and then grabbed Sage by the wrist and led her over, positioning her just right. Ashe stepped back to snap the shot, adjusting the camera according to the best lighting.
“You should be in the picture, Ashe. It’s a group photo,” Kaden insisted.
“Yeah, come on!” Sophia encouraged, waving her over.
“Umm…okay, let me figure out the timer,” Ashe agreed. She fiddled with the settings for a second before setting it on top of a large stereo speaker.
The four of them stood, wrapping their arms around each other’s shoulders, and the camera flashed.
In the picture, from left to right, they stood happily. Sage was beaming her first genuine smile in a long time; Sophia glowed radiantly; Kaden grinned while giving Ashe bunny ears; and Ashe was approximating something of a parodied MySpace pose.
For them, the tournament was long over.
Sophia found herself alone, in the dark, hearing the voice all around her.
“No…” she sobbed. “I’m not ready to go back.”
It’s time, Sophia. You have to go back…
“NO!” She slammed her hands over her ears, grinding her palms against her head to drown out the noise, and the priestess dropped to her knees. A scream tore from deep within her throat, echoing all around in the emptiness.
You have to go back…
-----
Sophia awoke with a start.
“Hey, we thought you’d never wake up.”
There was a voice she shouldn’t have heard. The priestess looked up, and through foggy vision, saw a figure with pink-and-blonde hair.
“A-ashe?” Sophia mumbled, rubbing her eyes sleepily. The girl came into focus, and the healer’s guess proved indeed to be correct: she looked straight into the face of Ashe Branford. “Are you dead? Am I dead? Are we in Heaven?”
Ashe laughed. “No, you’re not. We’re alive.”
“We?” Sophia repeated dumbly.
The priestess realized she was lying in a comfortable bed, and Ashe sat upon the edge. The healer sat up, and looked around. The bed was pushed up against the wall, but the room was decorated in swanky fashion: balloons, crepe paper, glittery signs, party favors, and confetti—all of the trappings of a good old-fashioned get-together. Sophia’s eyes fell upon another girl, whose hair happened to be blue, and who was sitting quietly in a chair.
“Sage!” Sophia cried happily. “Is…is this a party?”
“Yeah, for you,” Ashe beamed. She suddenly had the look of remembrance, and grabbed something from a nearby table, handing it to Sophia. “By the way, this is for you.”
“W-we didn’t open it,” Sage added.
Sophia’s brow furrowed in confusion as an envelope was pressed into her hands. She tore it open, and pulled out a letter. It read:
“Dear Sophia,
Words cannot express the cruelty of losing a life. To die quickly, that is a gift. To die slowly, that is a curse. Allow me to make it up to you, for you have given me exactly what I required of you. By now, you have noticed that you are still alive. I cannot prolong your borrowed time forever, so you will eventually return to Heaven, but I can give you what I promised in your invitation. I have gathered your closest friends for a party, in your honor, to celebrate your return to this world. As an added gift, I have made a deal with an Earth witch, and any time you so choose, you may revive yourself, and return to the mortal plane permanently. I hope that you sharpen your fighting skills, because they are matched only by your compassion. Farewell.
Regards, Your Humble Host,
Damon Dukes”
Damon Dukes”
She folded up the letter, and smiled. “My closest friends.”
Sophia slipped out of bed and looked around, seeing only Ashe and Sage. Somebody was missing. “But then, where’s…?”
Kaden stepped out, having been crouched behind a jukebox trying to figure out how to plug it in to an outlet.
“Hi,” he said simply with a grin, giving a little wave.
He let out a grunt as Sophia glomped him in a huge bear hug before he had a chance to react. Ashe, seeing the jukebox turned on, selected a song, and it began to play. A steady beat of techno-dance music filled the room.
“They actually have some pretty good stuff on here,” Ashe commented, flipping through the song list.
“I like metal myself,” Sage commented quietly.
Everybody turned and stared at her, and she shrank in her chair, her cheeks flushing red.
“Uh, do you want some punch?” Kaden suggested, and Sophia nodded, the two of them proceeding to the snack table with every known party food to man.
Ashe went to retrieve her bag and pulled out a sleek-looking camera. The bubblegum blond rushed over and snapped a picture of Sage, who was not paying attention and made a funny face of surprise at Ashe rushing her. Ashe looked at the camera screen and laughed. Kaden finished off a handful of chips and leaned over Ashe’s shoulder to take a look.
“That’s a keeper,” he laughed.
“Very funny,” Sage pouted. She seemed a bit uncomfortable, as though she was still trying to get used to the idea that her friends were alive and well.
“I was told that they would develop our photos for us, and send us all copies. They gave me the camera and like a zillion memory cards,” Ashe explained. She turned and pointed the lens at Kaden, who flashed a cheesy smile.
Sophia, of course, was simply bursting with happiness. She posed for the camera as Ashe came and took a picture. “You guys, I’m so glad you’re here!” she gushed, walking around and giving hugs to everyone. “We should take a group photo! Group photo!”
The healer clapped her hands together and herded Kaden to a specific location with the perfect background, and then grabbed Sage by the wrist and led her over, positioning her just right. Ashe stepped back to snap the shot, adjusting the camera according to the best lighting.
“You should be in the picture, Ashe. It’s a group photo,” Kaden insisted.
“Yeah, come on!” Sophia encouraged, waving her over.
“Umm…okay, let me figure out the timer,” Ashe agreed. She fiddled with the settings for a second before setting it on top of a large stereo speaker.
The four of them stood, wrapping their arms around each other’s shoulders, and the camera flashed.
In the picture, from left to right, they stood happily. Sage was beaming her first genuine smile in a long time; Sophia glowed radiantly; Kaden grinned while giving Ashe bunny ears; and Ashe was approximating something of a parodied MySpace pose.
For them, the tournament was long over.
![[Image: 3nyxortbSM.jpg]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/waffuru/3nyxortbSM.jpg)