New Year!!!

HAPPY 2011!!!!!!!!! LOVE AND KISSES AND ALL THAT KINDA STUFF!!!!

also welcome home to all our US troops who are home for the holidays! :)

Taking A Break

But not forever!!!! Just until the end of the holidays. Ciao!

Chapter 9: First Mission

"Nice landing," Ford said.

"Thank you," Sheppard answered, sounding a little hurt.

"So I we flew too close to the energy field?" asked Akire.

The mission had been going fine until McKay had detected an energy field. They had decided to go closer to check it out, when they started experiencing turbulence. The jumper's systems had completely shut off, and Sheppard had been forced to crash land it. Luckily, no one had gotten hurt, but Sheppard, McKay, Ford, Teyla, and Akire were sitting inside, trying to figure out what had gone wrong.

"Yes, Sheppard took us too close to the energy readings," McKay said scathingly.

"And whose idea was that?" Sheppard retorted, turning in his seat to look at McKay.

"I make mistakes, I make mistakes. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not perfect."

"Just fix the ship."

McKay gave a snort and peered at the console next to his seat. "None of my diagnostic equipment is working."

Akire leaned towards Ford. "Is it like this every mission?"

He grinned. "Not usually."

Meanwhile, Teyla had walked forward to look up at the sky from the puddle-jumper's windshield. "The sun is still high in the sky," she announced. "We should be able to make it back to the Stargate before dark."

"So we should start now," Akire suggested. "We can always have McKay come back and fix the jumper."

"Oh, yeah," McKay said, still fiddling with his equipment. "The only problem is that nothing is working."

"I like Akire's idea better," said Sheppard. McKay opened his mouth to reply, but Sheppard cut him off. "Alright everyone. Let's gear up."

☆☆☆☆☆

"Sir, I think my compass has gone crazy." Ford was studying the compass in his hand. The needle was spinning in different directions each second. [[OMG IT'S JACK SPARROW'S COMPASS!!!!!]]

McKay laughed. "You brought a magnetic compass to another planet in another galaxy?! You have no idea if the planet's magnetic field is the same as Earth's!"

"I think it's cool," Akire said defensively. McKay waved his hand absently, then snapped his fingers together quickly. "Let me see that," he said. He took the compass from Ford. "It looks like the disturbance is electromagnetic. That would explain why all our equipment is out. It must be an electromagnetic field!"

"Like the Bermuda Triangle," Sheppard offered.

"Exactly," McKay said excitedly. "Now, I think we should go that way." He pointed towards the sun.

"I believe the gate is this way," Teyla said, tilting her head in the other direction.

"Yeah, but I might be onto something here," McKay said, heading off into the forest.

"I bet you're glad Ford brought it along, aren't you?" Akire suppressed a smile.

"Whatever," McKay called back over his shoulder.

☆☆☆☆☆

Akire looked up at the ruins around her. The team was standing in a clearing, complete with large pillars carved with intricate runes, most of which had faded. McKay was intently studying the compass, tapping the glass from time to time.

"These ruins are very old." Teyla ran her hands over a pillar. "Several hundred years at least."

"So the population is extinct?" Sheppard asked.

"Most likely," McKay answered. "Check it out." He handed the compass to Sheppard. Sheppard looked at it for a few minutes. "Ok, I give up."

"You see how the needle is flicking between north and south?" McKay didn't stop for an answer. "If the disturbance is man made, as opposed to naturally occurring, it's probably emanating from within these ruins. Somewhere....over....there." He looked to his left.

"So if we find it, we can shut it off?" Akire said.

"It's worth a shot. If we shut down the field, we won't have to walk back to the gate--"

"And we can save a perfectly good puddle-jumper," Sheppard interjected.

"That too," McKay agreed. "Now, if we go this way--"

Suddenly, a boy, no older than thirteen, jumped out from behind the ruins and pointed a bow and arrow at the team, Other children, the oldest at about sixteen and the youngest at ten, emerged from the shadows with their weapons fixed on the five adults. They appeared to be wearing some sort of war paint. Ford and Sheppard instantly pointed their guns at the newcomers.

"What's going on?" Akire asked. Sheppard lowered his weapon, but Ford was less eager. "Come on Ford, they're just kids," said Sheppard.

"Kids that have bows and arrows pointed at us," Ford said resiliently.

"Lower your weapon, Lieutenant." Shepard ordered. Ford reluctantly put down his gun.

"Hey....kids," Sheppard began. They stared at him in silence. Teyla cut in. "We are not here to harm you in any way. We just wanted to return home through the Stargate."

"Yeah. What Teyla said." McKay muttered.

"You're a full grown," bone of the boys said, staring at Sheppard.

"Excuse me?" Sheppard replied.

"You need to see the Elders," the boy said, turning his gaze to Akire.

"Elders.....riiiight..." McKay said. Sheppard threw him a glance. "Lead the way," he said to the boy.

They backed off into the forest, still keeping the team at arrowpoint.

This is not how I imagined my first mission going, Akire thought. Ford seemed to hear her thoughts, because he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

[[to be continued....]]

Chapter 8: Belonging

Akire woke in her room and hugged her knees to her chest. She loved that she had her own room on Atlantis now. She had been here two weeks, and she knew so many people that her brain could hardly handle it. She had been introduced to Teyla Emmagen, the leader of the village formerly on Athos, and Dr. Rodney McKay, the chief scientist of the expedition, who was arrogant, but funny, along with so many others.

Ford had brought her a bar of something he called "chocolate" for a present to celebrate her getting better. This chocolate food she had found to be delicious, and she had eaten it in one sitting.

But the best surprise of all had come the previous day. Akire had been down in the sparring room, going through the sword drills that Xerin had taught her when she was little (she had picked them up surprisingly fast) when Sheppard had come in....

[[flashback time!!!!!]]

"Knock, knock." Akire turned around so fast that she almost lost grip of the sword. "Oh. It's you," she said, relieved. "I was just going through some drills."

"Yeah, what I came to talk to you about is kind of like that," Sheppard said. He straightened up from leaning against the doorframe and came over as Akire took a cloth and began wiping down her sword's hilt. "I'm wondering if you would be interested in being a part of my off-world team."

"Define 'off-world team'," Akire said, interested.

"An off-world team is a group of usually four people who go to other habitable planets through the Stargate to look for trading opportunities, or allies," Sheppard explained.

"So what does this have to do with me?" Akire asked.

"Well, I already have Ford, McKay, and Teyla on the team, but we've had a pretty bad time so far," Sheppard said.

"I've heard," Akire said. Sheppard and his team had encountered a life-sucking bug similar to the Wraith, survived a stuck puddle-jumper [[a kind of small spaceship, see here]], and destroyed a Wraith tracking device, all in two weeks.

"So I talked with Weir, and she said that I could ask you if you would like to be a fifth member. Ford is certainly keen to have you on the team." Sheppard gave a supercilious half smile.

"Me?" Akire said in disbelief.

"I can't take Carson with me, can I? It's bad enough we have to put up with McKay." Akire laughed, then said, "I would be honored."

Sheppard had a confused look on his face. "Is that a Pegasus Galaxy thing? Cause Teyla said that too."

"No, it's called being polite," Akire smirked.

"Hey, I can kick you off the team anytime I want," Sheppard said, turning to go.

"But really, Sheppard," Akire said in a more serious tone, "Thanks."

[[un-flashback!!!]]

"So where are we going today?" Akire asked Ford. They were walking towards the puddle-jumper bay. Both were dressed in Atlantis personnel attire, complete with bullet-proof vests (in case they needed them) and guns (only as an absolute last resort) but Akire also had her sword, strapped to her left hip.

"M7G-677," Ford rattled off the gate address. "Sheppard wants to take a jumper....I wonder why..." He rolled his eyes, and Akire chuckled in agreement. Sheppard possessed the ATA gene, a gene that allowed him to operate Ancient technology. McKay had had the gene artificially imposed on him, but Teyla, Ford, and Akire hadn't tried the treatment yet. Flying a puddle-jumper was one of Sheppard's favorite past-times, as before the expedition he had been a helicopter pilot.

"Has Teyla been there?" Akire asked. Teyla had been on several journeys to planets that the team had visited, seeing as she used to be her village's embassador.

"I don't think so," Ford said as they rounded the corner to the doors that led into the jumper bay. "But she'll be able to tell once we get there." He ran his hand in front of the crystals on the left side of the door, and it slid open. He and Akire walked inside.

☆☆☆☆☆

"So this is the new girl, hmm?" McKay was sitting in one of the front chairs, which he had spun around. He held a tablet in his hand, and his attention was divided between pushing buttons on the screen and glancing up at Akire.

"Yes," she said. "I'm Akire." She held out her hand. McKay waved her away. "I know who you are," he said irritably. Akire was a bit taken aback.

"Don't worry," Ford whispered in her ear, his breath stirring her hair. "He's like that to everyone."

"If you two kids in the back would stop whispering, then maybe we can start," McKay said. Akire took the empty seat behind Sheppard, while Ford stood behind her. Akire caught Teyla's eye. The light brown haired woman was sitting across from her, and when she saw Akire's gaze, she offered a smile. Akire smiled shyly back, feeling very intimidated, despite Teyla's gesture. The only person she really knew on the team was Ford.

"Okay, sit tight," said Sheppard. The puddle-jumper started to vibrate, then it rose into the air. Sheppard was controlling the jumper with his mind--that was how Ancients had operated the ships. He steered the jumper to the middle of the room, and the floor below them slid away. The jumper descended until it was in the middle of the gate room, in front of the activated Stargate.

"Maj. Sheppard, you have a go," Weir's voice crackled over the intercom.

The puddle-jumper flew into the gate, and they were through to the other side.

[[Did you like the flashback scene? Also, I am working on a page that entails the episodes of SGA that will be featured in this blog. Aaaand, a page that tells you about the characters of Atlantis. Yay!]]

Coffee Mug Throwing Ninja?

I updated the playlist, and it's title is now "Magical Song Box of Doom!" I thought we needed a little more comedy in this blog, since Part Two is going to be *really* dark.

But fear not! I am going to go sneaking around Youtube and try to get a couple of Stargate clips as the story goes on (one of which includes Ford as a coffee-mug-throwing-ninja, but this will not be featured until the end of Part Two) so that you can get a sense of people's manners, behavior, interaction with each other, etc.

But for right now, I am working on Chapter 8 (the name of it is Belonging), and the poll seems to be going nicely: we have a tie between Athan and Xerin for first, with Ryda behind them.

And we have 9 days until the end of the contest, and 5 days until Christmas Day!

Chapter 7: Waking

[Just a note: I will say everyone's first name, last name, and rank when I introduce them. After that, I will call them by one name in the text, but in dialogue, they may be called something different. If you are unsure of who a character is, I am going to put up a list of them. Thanks!

Spyre: FORD IS IN THIS CHAPTER!!!! *goes insane from awesomeness*]

The world was a blinding, dizzying swirl of light. Akire blinked her eyes. Is this the afterlife? She looked around. Doesn't look like it. In fact, it looks kind of like--

"How are you feeling?"

Akire turned her head. A man dressed in a white coat was standing beside her. Akire realized she was lying on a white bed, her body covered by a white blanket. Around her, people carrying cases and equipment seemed to be unpacking. She blinked again, and rubbed her eyes. "I assume I'm not dead?" she asked. Her voice sounded scratchy and distant. She shook her head and looked at the man.

He laughed. "No, you're not, but you had us worried for a while." He looked down at what he was holding in his hand: a large book-sized tablet, then back up again. "I'm Dr. Carson Beckett."

"Akire Zyll Flickerclaw," Akire said. "What's a doctor?" she asked.

"A doctor is...someone who helps others," Beckett said. "I fix broken bones, heal sickness, that kind of stuff."

"A Healer," Akire's violet eyes lit up.

"I guess you could call it that," Beckett smiled.

"By the way, where am I, if I'm not dead?" Akire added. Beckett's smile faded slightly.

"You are in the city of Atlantis. Actually, I was wondering if you could tell us about how you got here. We found you in one of the city's corridors. You were unconscious, vey close to death."

Akire took a deep breath. "I...I came here from a planet called Lewil. My parents dialed the gate and sent me through, to protect me from the Wraith."

"Ah, the Wraith," Beckett said, his face clouding. "We've just met them."

Akire stared at him in disbelief. "You are very lucky. I haven't heard of anyone who didn't know what the Wraith were until recently. Can I ask, what planet are you you from?"

Beckett looked nervous. "The fact is, Akire, we aren't from any planet near here."

"What do you mean?" Akire asked, confused.

"We come from another galaxy, from a planet called Earth. We discovered the dialing address to Atlantis in a pyramid, and we journeyed here through our Stargate."

Akire opened her mouth to ask a question, but she was cut off.

"She's awake?"

Three people entered through the doors of the room: a woman with short, dark red hair, a man with brown hair that looked like he hadn't brushed it in a while, and the youngest, a dark skinned man wearing a blue hat. The woman was the one who had spoken, and she looked at Akire inquisitively.

"Yes, she's awake," Beckett said. "We were just talking about how the Atlantis Expedition got here. Her name is Akire Zyll Flickerclaw."

Akire wanted to say something, but she was too busy studying her new companions.

"Good," said the woman. "Akire, I am Dr. Elizabeth Weir. This is Major John Sheppard," the brown haired man inclined his head, "and Lieutenant Aiden Ford." The other man smiled at Akire, and she couldn't resist grinning back. "It was Lieutenant Ford's team that found you," Weir explained

"Pleased to meet you," she said politely.

"Same," answered Ford. "Glad to see you looking alive."

Akire nodded her head, and then addressed Weir. "But, I still don't understand. How do you not know the Wraith?"

The four exchanged looks. It was Sheppard who spoke. "We just met them today. We were visiting a planet called Athos in order to seek out trading partners when they attacked. We lost one of our men, but we are now taking care of the people of the village we stayed in."

"At least for now," Weir added. "Oh, sorry, I have to take this." She turned away and pressed a button on her headset. Beckett went back to pressing buttons on his tablet.

Sheppard smiled at Akire. "Nice to see you back in good health. Now," he turned to Ford. "I have to go and see if Teyla and her people are okay." He walked away.

Ford pulled up a chair and sat down beside Akire's bed. "Thank you," she said.

"Oh, it was nothing," he said, sounding a little embarrassed.

"Seriously," she said. "If you hadn't rescued me, I would be dead by now."

"Well, when you put it that way..." They both laughed, and there was a silence. "Anyway," Ford said. "When my team and I found you, we also noticed that you had this." He pulled the Book of Tiroulau out of his pack and gave it to Akire. She held it in her hands and looked at it. "Thank you--again," she said. "It seems I am indebted to you and your people. This is the Book of Tiroulau--it has the history of my parent's home planet in it. My mother told me that one day I would give something to the book."

"Well maybe you could write about Atlantis in it," Ford suggested.

Akire looked up. "Yes...I suppose I could..."

She looked down again at the book in her hands, wondering...

Chapter 6: Arrival

[So far, Dawnfeather is winning the follower contest. But remember, they/you must comment as well!]

Akire looked around in wonder at the huge room. Directly in front of her was a set of stairs, leading up to a window that looked like stained glass. There were two staircases off of this landing, one leading to a balcony overlooking the gate, with a window-encased office farther along it. She tilted her head up, and saw a metal roof that looked like it could open and close. To either side of her were two tunnels that led farther into the city

Akire stepped farther into the city, the gate's watery light behind her casting her shadow onto the floor. Small horizontal lights around the room gleamed dimly. The gate's portal behind her disappeared in a flash, but she did not notice. She turned to her left, and followed the tunnel down.

She walked slowly, taking in the sights around her. The horizontal lights that she had seen on the poles in the original room were here as well. She turned to one of the windows and gasped. The sight before her was of a great city, with spires and towers, but that was not the most shocking thing of all. The whole city, herself included, was underwater.

Akire sat down on the cold floor. This was too much to handle right now. The Wraith culling, the separation from her parents, and now being stuck in an underwater city for who knows how long? She put her head down on her pack and fell into a fitful sleep.

A few hours later, she awoke slowly. Where am I?

The events of the past day came rushing back like floodwaters, and she gave a little moan of defeat. She sat up and opened her pack, rummaging around to see what Xerin had given her. Her fingers touched a leather cover, and she shook her head in disbelief.

No, this can't be it. He couldn't have...

She pulled out a worn, leather book. Emblazoned on the front, in purple cloth, was a strange symbol Akire had seen many times. This was the Book of Tiroulau, or at least a copy of it. Ryda and Xerin had brought it from their home planet, and it contained the broken history of Tiroulau, as well as family trees, legends, and maps. When she was younger, each night Xerin would read something from it.

She couldn't count how many times she had opened it's yellow pages and studied her family tree. Ryda had told her that someday, at her wedding, she would write her partner's name in the space next to hers. Akire couldn't imagine this, and she was still unable to grasp the concept that sometime, in the not so distant future, she would find someone that she would want to spend the rest of her days with.

And now, looking at the pages in the darkness of an alien city, that day seemed farther away than ever.

Seven Weeks Later

She had journeyed farther into the city as time went by, and now she was lost. Her supplies were gone, despite her careful rationing, and each day she grew weaker. Around her, voices whispered and images flashed across her subconscious.

Hunger visions, that's what they were called. She remembered it from hanging around Healer Dawkin's cart at the fairs. He had called her exceptionally smart, and she had looked up to him. It had been her life's dream, to become a Healer. But now, survival was her main goal.

She heard voices again.

Mother? Father?

And footsteps.

Have you come to bring me away? I don't want to die. Please.

The lights got closer and closer, the voices louder, but Akire was no longer listening. Her body was curled into a ball, and her vision faded to black.

☆☆☆☆☆

"Sir?"

"Go ahead, Lieutenant."

"I think we have something here."

"A way to raise the city? An alternate power supply? Food? Water? What is it?"

[static] "It's a woman, sir. She's unconscious."

"An Ancient?"

"Doesn't look like it. She's unarmed, and barely breathing."

"Bring her to the infirmary."

"Yes, sir."

Part Two Intro: Flashforward

(Some teasers [small scenes designed to get an audience excited about something] for you!)

☆☆☆☆☆

Her breath came fast and quick. She could see nothing in the enveloping black, and her mind flashed back to a time a year ago, when she had run like she ran now. But then she had run for her life. Now, she was running for another's.

☆☆☆☆☆

She laughed lightly. The woman sitting opposite her smiled, the gesture lighting up her hazel eyes.

"So, tell me about this place," she said, more seriously.

"Ah, but that would be giving away the surprise," the woman said, leaning back in her chair and brushing the dark red hair out of her eyes. "You must see it for yourself."

"But, the IOA--"

"I will make arrangements," the other woman interjected.

"Really?"

"It's a promise."

☆☆☆☆☆

Her fingertips traced the thin, yellowed pages. The writing on them was a variety of different styles, from all-caps, to thin and spidery, to, at the very bottom of the page, sturdy and clear. She stroked these last few words, reading the three names over and over again.

The name Xerin Flickerclaw was printed, with two horizontal lines drawn to another name, Ryda Arbed. From this, a single line traced down to the bottom of the page. There her name, Akire Flickerclaw, was printed, along with the horizontal lines next to it. She turned to the man sitting next to her. His dark eyes watched her, and he did not speak because he knew there was no possible way to comfort her.

"There was a time when I thought, one day, I would print his name next to mine," she said softly. "But now I know that it is too much to hope for."

There was no response, but he put his arms around her. She leaned into him, her violet eyes darkly gleaming with tears. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he kissed the top of her head softly. Together, they stared out at the lights of the city below.

☆☆☆☆☆

(Depressing, but real. We can't all go around wearing happy smiles all day, can we?)

Yay!!! End of Part One!!!

If this blog was a book, I would call Chapter 5 the end of Part One. That is one part out of four, maybe five others, but technically the later parts have a lot more chapters. (And they are a lot darker)

But anyways, this is the longest a story blog of mine has gone!!!!! Yay!!!!! *blows party horn*

{{Also, I'm sure you have noticed the new look by now, this will be staying for quite a while. If you want to see the full background picture without all the blog stuff, click here}}

So...in celebration, I have decided to have a contest!

Now I know that at least two people come on regularly and comment. But I need a lot more people than that. The contest is to get as many people to follow as possible. Tell people to come, read, and comment saying that you have sent them.

But you are probably wondering what you get if you win this contest. Well, the person to have the most followers after two weeks (that's Dec. 29th) will get a button, made by me, as well as a cameo appearance in this blog!

I will talk to the winner about who their character is and how they fit into the story after the results are announced.

Good luck, and happy holidays!

Chapter 5: Egress

(Anyone who has read The City of Ember knows that "egress" means exit. For those of you who haven't...well...now you know :P)

Akire did not know for how long she and Ryda ran through the ebony trees. It seemed like an endless journey, and it was dotted with intervals at which Ryda would pull her daughter to the ground, or crouch behind a bush and a tree. Akire held her breath at these moments, afraid that even the sound of her exhaling would bring the Wraith down on them.

But, at long last, the two women emerged from the woods into a grassy clearing. Akire's mouth dropped open. The clearing was dominated by a large, circular ring with the height of about two and a half grown men.

A short ways away from that, her father was crouched over near what looked like a large tree stump that had been carved and inlaid in the middle with a large, orange stone.

[[whoa, that was a bad description of a DHD, but I couldn't think of anything else, I hope the pictures help]]

[[<~~DHD]]

"Xerin," Ryda called out, her voice soft but carrying. "I've brought Akire." Xerin looked up from the device, and met his daughter's eyes. "Good," he said in the same tone. "Bring her over here." Ryda and Akire walked swiftly towards Xerin, Ryda's hand still clasped tightly around her daughter's arm.

"Father, what is this?" Akire said, finally regaining her voice. She stared up at the large circle, and saw that elegant symbols were carved around the inner ring. On the outer circle, seven large triangles, all of their top points facing inwards, were placed evenly around the circle.

"It is called a Stargate," Xerin said. "But some planets refer to it as the ring of the Ancestors, or the Ancestral Ring, or other names of that sort."

"And what exactly does it do?"

Xerin beckoned her over to the device on the ground. "This is called a DHD. You see these symbols? Each of them is a number. When you press each key, you dial one number. Seven symbols, each for one triangle, make an address. One the gate is active, you can walk through it."

"Where does it go?"

"To whichever planet's gate address you have dialed. It's like a portal."

"A portal..." Akire breathed, and a little shiver ran down her spine as she looked at the gate with new eyes. Then, regaining her thoughts, she asked, "Are we going to go through it to a different planet? To escape the Wraith?"

"No," said Ryda. "You are."

Akire was stunned. "Me? Only me? Why aren't you coming too? Can't we stay together? Why--" Xerin cut her off. "It's too dangerous," he explained in a soft tone. "If you go through alone, no one will suspect anything or wonder why you're gone. They will just assume you were culled by the Wraith. But if we disappear as well, along with three sets of gear, people will talk. And that is something we must avoid."

Akire's violet eyes started to cloud with tears. "Oh no, Akire, please don't cry," Ryda said, taking Akire's face in her hand. "It's for the best. And perhaps," she smiled here, a little dreamily, "we will see you again."

She hugged Akire to her chest, then held her at arm's length. "You'll be fine," she sniffed. Tears were streaming down Akire's face now. Ryda waved her hand, almost as if she was brushing a gnat away from her body, then walked quickly over to stand next to the DHD.

Xerin slid the pack off his shoulders and handed it to his daughter. "This contains a month's worth of supplies," he said. "Use them wisely. We will be sending you to the only gate address that we know is safe, but I can't guarantee that there will be more supplies waiting for you there. The place you are going to is the city of the Ancestors, a large complex that they sunk underwater many thousands of years ago to protect it from the Wraith."

"Father--"

"I love you, Akire. And so does Ryda. Remember that." Akire buried her face in her father's shoulder, and they rocked back and forth for a moment before breaking apart. "Go and stand next to the gate," Xerin said, no longer able to conceal the break in his voice. "Once we dial the gate, go right through, okay?" Akire nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and did as her father bade her.

Xerin pressed in one of the keys on the DHD, and one of the triangles lit up, as did a symbol. He did this six more times, and with a whoosh of air, a watery, blue-ish substance appeared in the Stargate. Akire walked up to it cautiously, then turned. "By the way," she called back. "What is this place you are sending me to called?"

It was Xerin who answered, and his words were the last thing Akire heard before she stepped through.

"Atlantis."

something that might be of interest

I was going through my old *old* files on my computer, and I found a draft of Akire's story that I had written last winter (almost a year ago). I thought that you might like to hear it, seeing as it brought a smile to my face as I read it.

~~~~~~~

I am running down a dark hallway. Something is pursuing me, getting closer and closer, and I can’t be caught. But then I trip and land on my back. Before I can see the face of my pursuer, I wake to face the dark night. Twenty four years old and still stuck in this place, I think to myself. To tell the truth, it isn’t so bad, except for the fact my family seems intent on living as far away from Lewil as possible. Lewil. Loo-will? You’ve never heard of it? What about Lewihaih (loo-eh-high)? No? Oh, I’d best start at the beginning then.

Lewihaih is a planet in the Pegasus Galaxy. We are pretty self-independent. We have adequate defenses against the Wraith-what? You’re telling me that you don’t know what a Wraith is?!?! What world are you from?

Basically, all you need to know is that Wraiths are the most inhumane creatures anywhere. Period. Oh, another little fact you can add to your notes on the Pegasus Galaxy is that Wraiths are like what you call vampires—they suck the life out of you. With their hands. Yes, I did say with their hands. They have these little oval shaped things like suction cups, except a lot stronger, but anyways, they are really evil (duh) and basically intent on making the lives of humans here miserable.

They come and “cull” us every generation or so, basically, they come and drink our life source—what? Oh. I can see that you’re getting a little sick. Uh…would you like a bucket? Okay, ALL THOSE WHO ARE FAINT OF HEART LEAVE NOW!!! Oh, okay, I guess you’ll brave the storm.

To continue, my parents used to live in Lewil. In fact, they were some of the many servants to the Emperor and Empress of Lewihaih. But several years ago, when I was about a year old, they quit their jobs and moved into the wilderness with me. I don’t mind that much.

Yeah right. I mean. It’s great and all living out here in the wild, being so close to nature or whatever, but sometimes I fell like there’s something more. Like the place in my dream. I feel like it is more than a dream. Whoa, I can see that almost twenty-four years in the wilderness haven’t made me any less crazy!

Yep, I’m twenty-four. My parents always say that I can move out by myself if I ever get married, but I don’t think that they would let me go for any reason. Another problem that presents itself is that there is a stunning lack of men my age in the wilderness.

So, back to what happened that morning. I woke up in a cold sweat from a dream in which I was being chased by someone who was probably an axe murderer, to find that it’s the middle of the night and I am being eaten alive by Wraiths in bug form. (A.K.A. mosquitoes)

~~~~~~~

There are several things I decided to change in this story.

1. The dream scene

-I decided to cut this out because it didn't really seem to fit with the story. Creepy dreams? It's really been done to death.

2. This story starts way after the finished one does

-I wanted to explore Akire's childhood, and give her more life before I threw her into action.

3. Akire was originally from Lewihaih (and Lewil was the capital of this planet)

-Nope. She's not. To protect her from the *spoiler*, it would make more sense for her parents to send her to another planet.

4. Akire & her parents live in the wilderness

-This kinda goes along with the reason above. If Akire stayed on the same planet, she would have to go into hiding. On another planet, she would just have to be as inconspicuous as she can be.

5. She is 24

-Meh...I guess I could have kept this the same, but I wanted to make her a little older.

6. I am more funny!

-This reason is hard to explain, but I'll try to break it down. One thing you have to understand is:

This. Is. Not. A. Happy. Go. Lucky. Story.

In fact, it is quite dark. Lots of things that I cannot say for fear of spoilers happen to our young Flickerclaw, things that made me take out the light-hearted tone in the story. I felt that if I made Akire's voice too cheerful, the abrupt change would be...well...abrupt.

Not to say that I don't like writing like this (believe me, the endless opportunity for throwing in jokes is ridiculously addictive) or that nothing good will happen in the story, or Akire turned into a less funny character, I just wanted to set a darker tone to prepare readers for what was coming.

And Akire is hilarious in her own way. She has a great personality, a good smile & laugh, but horrible things happen to her. Let me borrow a phrase from Sirius Black:

You're a good person that bad things have happened to.

~Sirius Black, Harry Potter 5

Couldn't have said it better myself :)

Chapter 4: The Razing

(Sorry that I haven't written in so long! I am working on a script version of a *much* later chapter(s) and I also had homework :P

**SPOILER** Say goodbye to Lewil in this chapter *evil laugh* && sorry that it's so short)

The whirring sound of Wraith darts flashed by outside the window. In a small cottage near a large forest of tall trees, Xerin Flickerclaw opened his eyes. Outside, Lewil was ravaged. Darts swept over the villages, scooping up unwitting victims in their beams. Fires raged, families were torn apart, and animals ran free, trampling anything in their way.

~~~

Akire was shaken awake by her mother's bony hands. "Akire! Akire!" Ryda's thin voice called. "Wake up!" Akire's violet eyes shocked open. "What?" she asked.

Ryda's blue eyes were wide with fear, and Akire could see her confusion reflected in their depths.

"It is the Wraith," Ryda explained in a voice fraught with worry.

Akire sat up immediately. A Wraith was the worst thing that could happen to a village. The Wraith were vampiric creatures who drained their victims by placing one of their hands on the unlucky person's chest. Wraith had indentations on their hands, almost like mouths, that sucked the blood, as well as the life force out of a human, leaving an old, empty shell behind. There had not been a culling in Lewil since three generations before, but all her life, Akire had heard stories.

"When did they get here?" Akire asked. "Is everyone alright? Where's Dad? How--"

Ryda shushed her. "Be quiet," she said. "I've doused all the lights so they don't know we're here. Put on your boots and coat. I've packed supplies."

Akire obiediantly pulled her boots on, and hastily swung her coat over her shoulders. Ryda grabbed her hand and pulled her downstairs and out of the door. "Mother, are you crazy?!" Akire asked. "We'll be killed! Where's Father?" Ryda whipped around. "Akire, please," she said, her voice tense. "Just be quiet for now. You'll be alright."

Akire didn't question her, but as she was pulled along, she wondered, Will I ever see our house again? Will I ever again wake up to my mother's voice?

They ran long through the forest, while their world fell into pieces around them, to be replaced by a much darker universe. Fire lit the sky, and screams fueled the atmosphere. The dark pine trees were ominous in their dignity, and the stars shone bright and cold above, burning into the hearts of two women, an mother and a daughter, who ran through the forest as phantoms whirled overhead.

(epic description ending!!! XD & in the next chapter or so you will see the eventual place where Akire's daily life is set *cough* erthawuijtloihlqueramuoinreswtlpjiinmuts *cough* [that's a riddle!])

YAY!

I just thought that I'd tell you that this is as far as I have gotten in any story blog! *blows party horn*

But, I need to ask you to do something.

COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't see if you like or dislike my writing, or your opinions, or if anyone comes on this blog at all, besides me. I love comments, and I have a button to prove it. Thank you!

Chapter 3: Restless

[If anyone can guess what movie scene this chapter is modeled after, I will give you a button :D]

Akire burst through the doors, her eyes bright. "Mother!" she called. "Guess who's looking for a new assistant?"

Ryda Flickerclaw looked up from the steaming pot of stew she was scooping into three bowls. She was a short, slender woman, with wispy yellow hair, done up in a shawl at the moment, and clear blue eyes that took in her daughter's excited expression. "Is it a gypsy caravan?" she asked. "Because with your hair in that state, that's all you'll amount to."

Akire ran her fingers through her short, brown hair quickly. "Nope," she said. "It's Healer Dawkins."

"Healer Dawkins?" Ryda asked, though she knew full well who he was.

"Yes, Healer Dawkins," Akire replied, coming over to stand by her mother. "He's the one who travels the villages, healing people and giving them medicine. He's the one who told me that I would make a good healer someday, and now here he is in town, looking for an assistant!" She smiled widely, but Ryda's face was stormy.

"Akire, you can't be his assistant. Xerin needs you in the fields, and we can't afford to pay for other workers," she explained, stirring the soup and avoiding her daughter's gaze.

"But, Mother--"

The back door opened, and Xerin entered, stamping the mud off of his boots. "The pumpkins are almost ripe," he announced, and then saw Ryda's face. "Ryda, what is it?" he asked quickly. Akire opened her mouth to speak, but Ryda beat her to it.

"Akire wants to go off and become a Healer. Apparently Dawkins is looking for an apprentice," Ryda said, then sat down at the table and began to spoon soup into her mouth.

"An assistant," Akire muttered. Xerin lowered himself into a chair and addressed his daughter. "Akire, you know that I need you, especially right now. The harvest season will be here in a week or so, and I don't have anyone besides Ryda to help me."

Akire sat down, her face as chaotic as Ryda's. "You could ask Cadahn," she suggested.

"We have no way to pay him back. We need all our crops for either money or provisions for the winter," Xerin said, sipping the soup off of his spoon.

"Dad, I am twenty-four years old now. You can't keep me here forever! Athan is already married and has a child!"

Ryda looked up sharply, "So what you're saying is you want to go off and get married, do you?"

"No," said Akire loudly. "The men in this village, and probably on this whole planet, are stupid! None of the people I've met understand me," she sulked.

"Well, the Ancestors aren't going to send you a husband anytime soon, and one isn't just going to come and rescue you*, Ryda retorted.

"Then I'll just die unmarried!" Akire yelled, standing from her chair. "And the Flickerclaw line will end with me! Is that what you want?!"

Dead silence.

"I'm going outside," Akire said quietly. She stalked off to the back door, slamming it and leaving her stunned family, her dreams, and an untouched bowl of soup behind.

*hee hee hee hee remember that line later on [hint hint]

Chapter 2: A Climb

(Enjoy & also vote on the poll!)

It was a crisp autumn morning. The trees' gold and red leaves flamed against the robin's egg blue sky, and the black birds flying overhead cut sharp slices out of the clouds. The air was cold, and frost made paintings on the windows of Akire's house.

Xerin was out in the fields, chasing the chickens back into their coop, when Cadahn Werthyn rode by on his gray-dappled horse. Cadahn was Estelle's husband, and the father of Athan, Akire's best friend. He was a part of the council of Lloches, as well as running a trading post. Xerin didn't know Cadahn that well, but Estelle often talked about him.

Cadahn caught sight of Xerin, and reighned in his horse. "Xerin!" he called.

"Hello Cadahn," Xerin replied. "What brings you out to the Flickerclaw farm?"

"I am looking for my son," said Cadahn.

Xerin was speechless. Thinking of that....where is Akire???

☆☆☆☆☆

"I wonder what the view looks like from the top of that tree."

"I bet you can't climb to the top of it."

"Yes I can!"

"No you can't!"

"Yes I can!"

"Then climb it."

"Alright. I will."

In the middle of a forest, two young children stood in a sunlight filled glade. Although the boy, Athan, was older than the other by one year, two months, and seven days, he was the same height as the girl. Athan's sandy hair was lit up by the sunlight streaming through the trees. Akire sat on top of a large boulder. Her hair was long and brown, and her violet eyes were sparkling.

"I'll climb that tree and bring you down a twig from the top," she promised, getting up and grasping the lowest branches.

"No good," said Athan. "You have to tell me what you saw when you looked down from the top."

"Fine." Akire started to climb. As she ascended, the stray branches in her way thinned out and it got lighter. At one point, she shook a branch and two angry redbirds flew away in disgust.

Finally, Akire reached the last branch. And there she was, overlooking the woods. To her left, her farm and Lloches lay. To her right, a river ran like a band of silver. But ahead, towns were dotted against the road, and forests covered much of the land.

She breathed deeply, and sighed. This is my home, she thought.

This is where I belong.