Topic: The Travels To The Lands Of Confusion

CaptainTapole

Date: 2008-07-16 21:38 EST
(~This was dated for June 21st. This side SL is kinda a rip-off from Buffy. And for the faithful viewers of that show, ya?ll know which one. ?For Season 6 and 7 was crap to me. But Season 8 TOTALLY redeemed it. Anywho! Here ya go.~)

The Travels To The Lands Of Confusion
Part One ~ In The Shadows, In The Light

"I promise you, for all my life I'll be always on your side; in the shadow, in the light." ~ Enigma

Johnathan had stayed with Zen in her cottage this whole time. Finally gaining a mentor she always needed, Johnathan soon enough learned how to not only see things from the Past, but now watch through observation of the Present while gaining glimpses of the Possible Future. For being an Eye to Father-Time, it meant to know what it around?even when one is not.

Johnathan also had not step a foot beyond the front gardens due to the fear of The Hunter still out there; lurking as if waiting?and Zen knew that something is out there, lying in wait for Johnathan and only for her.

Johnathan had grown accustomed to sleeping?though she did not sleep well most of the time; but there were a few hours here and there where she did not rustle and toss. One night in particular, Johnathan could not sleep.

Summers Solstice. A time for the Sun to rejoice upon the Worlds and one of the many nights from the past Johnathan will never forget. A time before The Hunter came; a time before everything in her life fell apart; a time where she finally realised that Renne is the only one to make her truly happy.

Staring up at the wooden ceiling, Johnathan blinked every now and again; proving that she was awake, but also reminiscing of that day.

A small chirp that was no louder than a hummingbird interrupted that daze. Looking around for a moment while still lying in bed, thinking that it was only her imagination, the small chirp came about once again. Finally sitting up, the blanket slid off of her to expose the dark-green tunic she was wearing while trying to sleep. Quickly grabbing the soft leather dark-brown pants from the floor, she placed those over her legs quickly; forgetting to tuck in her tunic which went down to the middle of her thighs. Slowly opening the door of her bedroom, she blinked as she peeked her head out. It was near the middle of the night, so she knew that Zen was already gone until the sun came upon the cottage like normal. Looking down at the frog-charm for a moment, there was no response from it for the chirp; which it usually calls back in return by now. It?s possible that since Renne and Johnathan have been apart for so long that the frog-charm forgot what Renne truly sounded like. With that, Johnathan went out her bedroom and crept down the stairs.

Now the chirp was a bit louder, but still soft. Looking about on the bottom floor, Johnathan found nothing disturbed. The chirp now started to come a bit more often and a bit louder once Johnathan headed to the front door. Slowly opening the door, there was still nothing disturbed on the porch or even in the gardens. Once Johnathan got to the freesia and honeysuckle area of the garden, she slowly looked up and beyond the white picket fence that surrounded the whole of the cottage. Vaguely seen was the silhouette of a small creature that crouched over a bit; but he was not much taller when straightened out either. Finally, after nearly five minutes of silence and barely any movement, a voice that Johnathan thought she would never hear again finally called out.

"Ca-roo."

She knew it was him. It was Her Renne. Her dark-brown eyes lit up like the sun on a clear day as a bright smile slapped itself across her face.

"Renne!"

Without any hesitation, the silhouette came closer; slowly forming a shadow upon the ground to make it seem more solid. And Johnathan was too happy and relieved to realise that she was moving closer and closer to the picket fence. Reaching right up to where the pathway turns to dirt along the lines of the picket fence, Johnathan reached out her arms and took two steps closer to the now charging shadow. Her face showed nothing but love and joy for the little critter.

"Renne!"

With that, the shadow pounced upwards, and then formed to a net.

"He?s mine!"

And not giving Johnathan a chance to even react or give a look of fear, the net swarmed over her; swallowing her into the darkness.

CaptainTapole

Date: 2008-07-20 17:08 EST
The Travels To The Lands Of Confusion
Part Two ~ This Is Crazy Now
(~This is dated June 22 to Current. May sound like a plot-hole--but it's just Time-Fast-Forward.~)

Bolting upwards from the bed, Johnathan woke with buckets of sweat around her. Heaving from the lack of breath, Johnathan quickly looked about. This was not the cottage. This was not even RhyDin. Ready to pull off the blankets, there was something that was clinging onto her wrists. Shifting a bit, there were restraints on her wrists and her ankles. Now in a panicking mode, she jolted around for moment; letting the metal headboard slam against the wall. Looking back to the headboard, Johnathan blinked. No voices. Whenever she was around metal, there were always voices?speaking to her of their stories. But now, nothing. Looking closer at the metal; but not too much due to her restraints, the odd-ball reflection was not her. It was?but then it was not. It seemed she was back to looking 16 years of age; her hair a chestnut-brown colour with the wavy locks all disheveled. Finally taking a good look at the room?it was a soothing khaki-colour and looked a little

"I just want my Renne back. Please?"

Her voice was definitely not hers. There was more of what some folks call Americanised English in her accent. Her eyes start to swell up with tears, but just then; the large metallic door opened.

Coming in were two female doctors. One was about five foot in height and had so-dark-of-a-brown-it-looked-black hair going to her shoulder. She had the shape of an apple on top and a pear at her bottom. The other one looked like the first one, but with short brown and pink hair and seemed a bit older. The one with the long hair examined Johnathan for a moment while keeping her hands behind her back.
"Will you promise not to harm the other residents?"

Johnathan gave nothing but a look of confusion upon her face. Watching the lady oddly, she gave a hesitated nod before turning her wrists in a sheepish fashion.

With the nod, the pinked-haired doctor undid the restraints from the ankles first, then to the wrists; letting Johnathan move free. But soon realising that her wrists were bleeding due to the constant friction between her skin and the leather; the pink-haired lady removed a couple of cloths from her coat-pocket. Wrapping the cloths around each wrist a couple of times loosely, she then motioned Johnathan.

"Please follow me. I will clean you up."

The pink-haired lady, which Johnathan briefly saw a name on the coat, ?Anna?, led Johnathan out of the room; letting the long-haired lady round-up the three-folk train. Wearing a simple cotton khaki-coloured top that was nearly two sizes too big and same coloured cotton pants, the frightened and confused Johnathan held onto the cloths around her wrists as Anna led her to another room. All the while, there were vague whispers and every now and again a one-sided shouting match. The area that they were in seemed like a hospital ward?but somewhere in the basement due to the lack of natural light and the distinct smell of hospitals; sick folk and the nearly dead. Johnathan dared not say a word as her eyes stared down at the floor, which seemed like one continuous pattern. Once in the room, Anna gestured to the bed-like couch for Johnathan as she went over to some of the cabinets to grab a few things. The long-haired lady stood in the doorway while keeping her hands and arms behind her back.

"Now, Helena. Where did you go this time? We have not seen you since the emotional massacre."

Johnathan shot her eyes up to the doctor at the door. Noone knew that she killed all those sailors at the docks in Port South. And if they did, noone pursued her. Glancing down a bit to see the name on the coat, which only read ?Callahan?, Johnathan looked back up to her and blinked.

"I ran away. I tried my best to avoid?"

There was a pause from Johnathan, surprised at herself. She said her ?V?s without any problems.

"--to avoid what, Helena?"

"To?to avoid any main roads in fear that my name and face would be recognized. So, I traveled into and through the forests. And then this lady named Zen found me and took care of me."

It was most unusual for Johnathan to listen to herself speak in such a manner that was most certainly not a way she talks normally. However, she did glance back and forth between the two doctors when they gave eachother side glances.

"That was Tabitha, right?"

"Correct."

"Didn't she??"

"Correct."

"And that was before her?"

"Correct."

Both of the doctors looked back to Johnathan?who, for some odd reason, they call ?Helena?; but Johnathan is too confused and too afraid to correct them. Anna then took off the cloths and started cleaning the wounds from the restraints waged war upon Johnathan?s wrists. It was only Callahan that was doing the talking.

"And what did you and Zen do?"

"She?she took care of me in her cottage. She soon became my mentor, teaching me how to?"

It was that pause did the unattending hand raise up to her neck. No necklaces. No frog-charm. Not even her necklace bottle of the Oceans Water or the yeti?s claw Renne gave to her. Her ring, her bracelet; absolutely no jewelry on her. Looking back up to Callahan in a panic state, her face then went to a look of desperation.

"Please. I need at least the Oceans inorder to survive."

"Oh, Helena. You should know by now who you truly are. Please do not disappoint me and regress once again. Plus, you were doing so well in Solitude and it gave me time to fix him."

With that, Callahan?s hands came out from behind her back. Upon her hands was a twelve inch plush-looking doll?of Renne!? Yes. It looked dead-on like Renne?the hair, the eyes or lack thereof, even the pants?but just in plush format. Johnathan went wide eyed at that. She wanted it snatch it away and growl with rage and jealousy and yet more confused than ever. Callahan, however, reached her hands out offering it to Johnathan.


"He was broken. So I fixed him for you. But please do not lash out at me because I had to take him away."


"Johnathan!"

Oddly, that made sense to Johnathan. She was angry because Renne, Her Renne, her Angel-Heart was broken. But this was not her Renne. Slowly taking the plush into her hands that now had bandages wrapped around her wrists, she cradled it like a little child before hugging it as if it was her security blanket. Nothing and yet everything made sense to her now. Slowly looking up to Anna and then to Callahan, she blinked; now showing a child-like fear look upon her face.

"Johnathan! Stop, please!"

"Who am I?"

"Well, hop off the bed and I will show all of it to you."

"Johnathan, don't!"

Johnathan blinked as she looked down to the Renne-Plush for a moment and kissed the top of its head. With that, she closed her eyes for not even a second inorder to hop off the bed.

But there was a tug at her shirt, something that was not letting her go. Turning back around and opening her eyes, Zen was holding onto the collar of the dark-green tunic Johnathan was wearing. Finally turning about to face forward, she was leaning forward while sitting on a cliff. Below were nothing but jagged rocks and small chasms. Going wide-eyed, Johnathan quickly jolted back; making Zen topple under her. With the look of confusion back on her face, Johnathan looked about. It was not the hospital-looking place she once was, but now; a cliff under the partially starry sky?though there were signs that the sun was slowly coming up. Rolling off of Zen, she sat upright and looked over to Zen for a moment. Not even a minute went by before her eyes were filled with tears and they started to roll down her face.

Zen, after the said minute that rolled by, slowly got up and grunted. Shaking her head a bit, she looked over to Johnathan and blinked, showing concern for her.

"I have been following you for a month. Please tell me what had happened?"

Johnathan started to curl up in a ball while sitting.

"I want Me Renne back. Please?"

With that, she buried her face in her thighs; letting the straight light-brown hair surround her.

Zen kept silent as her eyebrows furrowed, worried for her dear friend and pupil. Slowly looking up to the still night skies, the blue-and-purple orb slowly changed to a pale-green colour. With that, the frog-charm upon Johnathan started to glow that same pale-green colour. But the glow started to surround all of Johnathan and Zen. And after a few moments, their surroundings were completely pale-green tone. But the tone only lasted no more than ten seconds; for when the glow started to die away, the surrounding was different. It was the cottage. Staying in the same position how they were once the glow started; they were now situated in front of the fireplace. Once the glow finally stopped, both the frog-charm and the orb went back to their normal stable situation. Zen scooted closer to Johnathan and wrapped her arms around her while sitting in the silence of the cottage.

CaptainTapole

Date: 2008-08-19 01:04 EST
The Travels To The Lands Of Confusion
Part Three ~ Everything You Ever
"But it's plain to see the evil inside of me is on the rise." ~ Dr. Horrible

For nearly a month, Johnathan have been bed-ridden and not really responding to Zen; who makes sure that Johnathan drinks water to stay alive. A lifeless look staring up at the ceiling night and day; breathing and letting her hand move from the side to the jar of water and back again. Nothing more nor nothing less.

It was not Zen's generosity or hospitality that Johnathan did not appreciate; but staying in one place yet again did not help her one bit. When Zen fell asleep by the time dawn rose up, Johnathan's head slowly moved to the side to make sure that Zen was indeed sleeping. Hearing the faint snoring, it took a few moments for Johnathan to move. Quietly as possible, Johnathan grabbed the leather pants and the boots from the floor as she tip-toed across the room and to the door. Luckily, Zen is a heavy-sleeper, so she barely stirred when Johnathan left the room. Going down the stairs carefully, she placed on the pants and tucked the dark-green tunic a bit; but it was still loose. Now. To find her bag. Slowly opening the door to the bedroom downstairs--which was Zen's room.

It was actually the first time she saw the inside of it. A simple bedroom; but the bed seems barely worn in. No matter. Digging through the dresser drawers, nothing of Johnathan's. Opening the small pantry door, dust slowly wooshed out in front of her; which Johnathan covered her eyes quickly before giving a small and quiet sneeze. Fanning the rest of the dust away, Johnathan opened her eyes back up and squinted a bit before stepping closer. There was only one article of clothing hanging so neatly and untouched--as if the dust and the moths were in awe of it. A simple bright-blue dress with a three-tiered puff tail hung there; as if waiting to be worn. The bottom of the tail barely touched the bottom of the pantry, but on the floor was Johnathan's old bag; cleaned and repaired from the weary travel that she once took.

Knitting her eyebrows a bit, Johnathan watched the dress as if amazed by it. She took no hesitation to grab the dress from the wall, wad it up and stuff it in her bag. Taking ahold of her bag, she looked around for a moment to see if there was paper and quill close by. But alas, she placed her bag on the rarely-used bed and dug around for a moment before taking out a couple pieces of parchment, the quill and the ink that have not been used in so long. Doing her best to write on the bed without poking a hole through the paper.

My Dear Zen,
The E'il that I know still exists within I and Renne. He alone cannot win, and with Hunter desiring to take o'er I while lingering beyond these boundaries; there is no other way but to face it befere it destroys both Renne and I all together. I am going out in order to do what I was meant to do--keep the promise of Jarrod and sa'e the lo'e of me life. Yer gratitude, generosity, and care will ne'er be fergotten. I am fere'er in yer debt.

Fere'er yer other Eye and Partner,
Johnathan

Letting the letter dry while she placed away the quill and the ink back into the bag; she dug into it for a moment and placed back on the charm bracelet that was taken off during the madness. She then dug up the ring, the ring that represented Renne's heart to her. Slowly placing it back on her left ring finger, Johnathan stared at it longingly before slowly standing up and placing her bag over her shoulder and letting it land against her left waist.

Grabbing the letter from the bed, Johnathan walked out from Zen's bedroom and placed the letter on one of the two rocking chairs close to the fireplace. Keeping silent, she went into the kitchens for a moment and grabbed some cooking twine from the cupboards. Slowly walking past the staircase, she blinked before slowly looking up to the top.

"Mori tow. Mori wot."

With that, Johnathan walked across the bottom floor and stopped at the door for a moment before taking a deep breath and opening it as quietly as possible, slipping out and closing it the same way. Stepping down from the porch and onto the little trail into the front gardens, Johnathan stopped in the middle of the freesia and honeysuckle garden. Looking up to the mostly sun-risen sky, she stooped down to grab one honeysuckle and one freesia. Tying the two together tightly, then tied it around the opposite wrist of the bracelet, Johnathan made sure that the two flowers were secure and close to her.

"I may not be here, but this will fere'er be in me heart. The protection that this has allways ga'e I, please grant I a bit of that."

Her prayers were never heard, for there was no water near. But the skies and the flourished ground believed in her. With that, the one freesia flower and the one honeysuckle flower intertwined and bloomed to be a complete floral wreath-like bracelet; never to wilt or to be destroyed. With that, Johnathan blinked and looked down at her wrist for a moment. Knitting her eyebrows in confusion, she gave a small smile for assurance. Finally looking up to the picket fence that was not too far ahead, Johnathan took the steps with caution until she was right at the edge. She could not see it, or feel it, but Johnathan knew that the black cloud that was Hunter was out there; lingering and waiting for her.

"No more running."

Taking in a deep breath, Johnathan took two steps out from beyond the picket fences. Nothing, but now she felt Hunter somewhere out there; waiting for the right time to pounce. South-West is where Johnathan started to walk, not knowing if that is the proper direction; but it is better to walk somewhere than to be nowhere.