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By: Jen
Rating: PG-13 ///// Category: Past life/future fic. Zan/Chara, Max/Liz, respectively. Mainly past life.
Spoilers: None. This story probably feeds up to 'Viva Las Vegas' since it was written before I stopped liking Tess again, and that was after this episode.
Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me, etc. I'm just borrowing them for my own purposes. I'll return them when I'm done!
May 11, 2011, Antar.
Liz Evans shifted her five-year-old daughter, Claudia, in her arms. Her husband, Max, was in the other room taking care of Claudia's twin brother, Xander, who was sick with a cold. She gently tucked a strand of Claudia's light brown hair behind her ear, and then repeated the same action with her darker hair. Claudia moved around again to face her mother. "Mommy, tell me the story about when you and Daddy first met," she whispered, eyes meeting eyes.
Liz placed the small girl gently on the huge, old bed. "You mean the one where I was shot at your grandpa's café, and your daddy healed me, even though he knew it meant risking his life, as well as your Auntie Izzy's and Uncle Michael's?"
Claudia quickly pulled the deep red blanket and pearly white sheet over her fuzzy pink nightgown. She settled her head on one of the many pillows and shook it in disagreement. "No, not that one. I want to hear the one Larek always insists on telling Zanny, Jamie, and me whenever you and Daddy get him to baby-sit. The one about when you and Daddy met here, on Antar." Liz quickly tried to remember what her daughter was talking about.
When Larek had found out how serious Max's connection with Liz was, he decided to do some research in the Antarian database, trying to remember a name his king, Zan, had once told him. He discovered that Zan had had another love; not Ava as they had all thought, but an enchantress named Chara. The enchanters were a special class on Antar, who were able to wield magical abilities aside from the normal Antarian shape-shifting and molecular manipulation skills. Chara had aided the young king and the rest of the Royal Four on one of their missions to end an early uprising.
When Max, accompanied by Liz, his sister, Isabel, and their friends Michael Guerin, Tess Harding, Maria DeLuca, Alex Whitman, and Kyle Valenti, had finally made it to Antar after defeating K'hviar's forces on Earth, Larek brought news of Max's history to him and Liz. Although Liz remembered nothing of her past life on this planet, she still kept Larek's words in her heart and mind. Liz smiled at the memory of finding out their past. She, Maria, Alex, and Kyle had been nervous, maybe even petrified, about going to Antar, but the Royal Four had refused to leave without them. Finding out news like that had helped ease Liz's mind, and quickly, she and the others had adjusted to their new surroundings.
"And tell it like Unka Alex always tells it, with the voices," Claudia demanded, substituting the Antarian word in for the English form of uncle. "And start with once upon a time, like in the Earth movies."
Liz chuckled softly. Claudia could be so picky, a lot like her aunt. "If you insist Claudi. All right, let's see, once upon a time…"
"Your father, King Zan, as he used to be called before we went to Earth, became King at a very young age. He was only eighteen when his father had died and he became ruler of Antar. Within a year, Zan, along with rest of the members of the Royal Four, his sister Vilandra, her betrothed Rath, and Zan's betrothed, Ava…"
"You mean Auntie Izzy, Unka Michael, and Tess, right? And Xander was named after daddy!" Claudia interrupted.
"Yes, well, that's how you know them now. Anyway, the four of them became beloved by the people of Antar, as well as those from the four accompanying planets in this system. On the outskirts of Prima Giedi…"
"Where we live!" Claudi shouted.
Liz sighed, this always happened whenever she, Max, or anyone else for that matter tried telling Claudia a story. When Claudia and Xander's best friend Jamie, Tess and Kyle's five-year-old son, was present, fights would always break out between them because of Claudia's outbursts. Luckily, the Valenti family was on Earth, visiting Roswell Sheriff Jim Valenti, who was Kyle's father and Jim's wife Amy, Maria's mom. With Xander being confined to quarters by his parents, the royal palace of Antar was safe from the adventures of the five-year-olds for a couple of weeks.
"Can I get back to the story now?" Liz asked.
"Yes Mommy."
"Anyway, on the outskirts of Prima Giedi, Chara, and yes Claudi, that was me," Liz added in before the girl interrupted again, "was attending the Amastas school for enchanters…"
Day 1
Nineteen-year-old Chara Sargas stared out the window of her classroom as her teacher rattled on about the history of Antar and the rest of the Valan system. It was the same lecture every time, and frankly, Chara was getting sick of it. Her brandy brown eyes drifted to the window.
From this classroom, a perfect view of the palace could be obtained. Chara loved looking at its towers, white and shiny, peeking a tiny bit above the clouds. The many stained glass windows that adorned the palace depicted the history of Antar's royal family, though from where Chara sat, they were only colorful points that caught the sun. She watched the small Dundu birds fly around the school in circles, while others headed off in the direction of the Prima Giedi castle.
Countless times Chara's mind had wondered what it would be like to be one of the Royal Four or at least live in the palace. Life for them must be grand, much better than practicing magic two to five hours a day, Chara thought. Sometimes she wished she was like all the other Antarians, without any special gifts, just ordinary. Then she could live out her life the way she pleased. When that fantasy began to develop in her mind, Chara imagined all the adventures she could have on Antar or maybe on one of the other planets.
"Hello? Antar to Chara? Are you there?" her friend Taran Lavis nudged her, trying to signal the end of class. "You were daydreaming again, weren't you?" She giggled.
"Yeah, I was," Chara said, grabbing her papers. "I just wonder sometimes, you know, what it would be like to be normal?"
"Uh huh," Taran replied. "Are you sure it wasn't another one of those silly adventures you're always making up?"
Chara blushed at the comment, not answering. The two girls walked out of the classroom, heading towards the lawn. History was the last class of the day and the two girls always went to the lawn afterwards to meet up with their friend K'hivar for a ride home.
"I'll be right there," Taran shouted as she stopped into one of the rooms to speak with a teacher.
Instead of going ahead, Chara decided to wait for her. She turned around outside the room and faced herself in the glass. Chara's reflection didn't please her for hair was long and brown, unlike Taran's short golden hair. Her deep brown eyes reflected back at her and she sighed. Like all other enchanters, Chara was dressed in the deep green and purple cloth that showed their allegiance to the Royal Four. The outfit was comprised of a long green skirt, reaching down to her ankles, with purple trimmings. The blouse was cut an inch or two above the skirt, the fabric forming a criss-cross from shoulder to shoulder. No matter how flattering Chara knew it looked on her petite frame, she hated it. She hated being designated as a certain person and not being able to achieve a higher or lower position in life.
Enchanters were the highest class on Antar. No matter what social status the family held, a child born an enchanter rose to the top. After finishing their schooling at Amastas, or one of the other enchanter schools in the system, the special group was sent to one of the five planets in the v-constellation as advisers and peacekeepers to the Royal families. Chara hoped she would not have to leave Antar. It was her home, but she knew her time at Amastas was ending quickly.
"Are you done yet?" Chara yelled into the classroom.
"Yeah, give me just a few more seconds," Taran replied. True to her word, the tall girl hurried out and the two friends walked down the empty hallway to meet up with K'hivar.
Outside, on the aqua-green lawn, K'hivar was leaning against his hover-car, waiting impatiently for his two friends. He was a year older than the two girls, and in his last year at Amastas. Brushing a hand through his silky black hair, K'hivar squinted his eyes against the glaring suns' rays as the outline of his two companions came into view from the building.
"About time," K'hivar Taygeta called, as they came into view. Getting out of class a half-hour earlier than Taran and Chara some days, he easily became annoyed if they showed up late. Today was one of those days. K'hivar hopped into the driver's seat, while Chara took her place in the seat next to him.
"Sorry," Taran muttered as she climbed into the passenger seat of the hover car behind them. "I had to talk to Professor Dulan about an assignment."
"So why didn't you send Chara out to tell me?"
Chara shrugged. "We didn't think."
"Fine," he said, his anger cooling down. "Straight home to the dorms?"
The Amastas dormitories, where the students and professors lived, were located a half kilometer from the school building, providing a scenic ride as they traveled to and from classes.
Taran replied in agreement while Chara dug out a torn piece of paper from her green shoulder bag and dangled it in front of K'hivar's face.
"Have to go to the market," she told him.
"Move that paper out of my face!" K'hivar shouted, trying not to laugh. He was always more fond of Chara than Taran, and usually it showed. If Taran had been waving something in front of his face while driving, K'hivar would not have thought it funny at all.
Chara refused. "Not until you promise me that you will take me to the market. I have to pick up some of the stuff on this list and I don't want to have to take the public hover-car."
"First we drop Taran off." With the hidden promise, Chara placed her list back into her bag.
Too quickly, they approached the dormitories. "Thanks for the ride K'hivar. See you later Chara!" Taran smiled and left the car. She waved good-bye and walked toward the room that she shared with Chara.
"Next stop, Prima Giedi," K'hivar told Chara as Taran disappeared from view. "I know how much you love going into the city."
"It's just that… there, I lose myself in the hustle of the big city life, and I forget that I have some predestined purpose in life. I become normal…until someone spots my outfit and begins questioning everything about life as an enchanter."
K'hivar looked at her face. He could recognize the longing it held, as he felt the same way many times himself. He often wondered if this was the reason that he was so drawn to Chara. As far as K'hivar could tell, Chara had never given any indication of similar feelings. Again, the ride seemed to fly by for the two friends, talking about everything they would do if they were just average citizens of Antar.
"Should I pick you up?" K'hivar asked, willingly, as he pulled up along the outskirts of the city.
"I don't know how long I'll be, and I really don't want to keep you waiting."
K'hivar clambered up out of the hover car and grabbed Chara's arm as she was about to turn away. He spun her around back to him, pulling her closer than he intended. "I don't mind, really."
Chara, looking down, smiled at her feet, feeling a bit of a blush. Regaining herself, she looked back up at K'hivar. She had known him for a long time, since she and Taran had come to Amastas at age eleven to beginning her schooling as an enchantress. K'hivar befriended her and Taran quickly. Lately, Chara wondered if this friendship could be blooming into something more.
"K'hivar, I really should be going," she whispered softly.
"Chara," K'hivar couldn't take this anymore. He needed to know. "Chara, I really care for you."
"I know," came the soft reply. "Tomorrow, I need to show you something. We don't have classes, so please meet me in front of my vehicle. It's really important."
Chara glanced around at all the people passing them by. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and instantly disappeared into the crowd.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Zan! King Zan!" Larek Nishara shouted down the corridor of the Terris Palace. He knew he looked like a disaster, his auburn hair messily brushed down, only to stick back up in spikes and his formal attire quickly becoming sweaty from his dash down the hallway. Larek, an enchanter assigned to the nineteen-year-old king, had quickly become his loyal advisor and second closest friend, aside from Zan's second-in-command Prince Rath. Frankly, he was getting sick of the job, especially when it came to the Zan search.
"Why can't you ever attend the court meetings like everyone else!" Larek shouted into the empty hallway.
"Larek?" Zan Kiltalpha poked his head out of one of the rooms, his face full of disbelief.
Larek quickly hurried over to his king, trying to straighten out his appearance while he walked. "There you are. Now, if you could only tell me where your sister is, as well as Prince Rath and Princess Avanda, maybe we could get back to the conference that the four of you are supposed to attend."
Zan glanced up and down the hallways. No one else was in sight, not even the guards who were supposed to be stationed at every corridor. He grabbed Larek by the shirt and pulled him inside the room. Upon entering, Larek noticed that all of missing people were present in this room.
"What? Are you having your own private convention?" Larek asked annoyed. "Because, if you were, the Royal Four could have had the decency to inform the rest of the court…"
He was about to continue before Rath uttered a 'shut up,' accompanied by a glare. Zan looked between his two friends and knew an explanation was in order before anything got out of hand.
"Larek, the reason none of us were at the meeting," Zan gestured at Vilandra, Ava Gavil, Rath Sargas, and himself, "is because a messenger informed us yesterday about a possible rebellion."
"Nonsense," Larek stated. "The Valan system has lived in peace for centuries now. No one in their right mind would dare try to threaten this order, especially threaten the Royal Four."
Ava arose from her seat next to Vilandra and walked over to Larek, placing a hand on his shoulder. The short, pretty princess, with the curly blond hair and caring blue eyes was one of the most compassionate people Larek had ever met. He had taken an immediate liking to Zan's betrothed.
"Larek, I know this is hard to believe, but just say it is true. We have to do something. We owe it to the people to take preventive measures. Maybe you are right, and this is a false alarm, but if it isn't…" Larek listened carefully to Ava.
"So, when do we leave?" Larek assumed that the four leaders were going to investigate this rumor themselves, rather than take the chance of a possible spy. As always, he assumed he was going to accompany them.
Vilandra spoke up. "We're not going anywhere. Larek, we need you to cover for us and to take over my brother's responsibilities while we are away. You're the only one we trust. Please."
Zan looked at his friend. His easy to read, deep brown eyes proved that they were desperate. Larek sighed. When any of them were like this, it was impossible to stop the headstrong leaders. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "When do you leave?"
"I'm going into the Prima Giedi market this afternoon to get clothes and supplies that we can't find in the palace. Rath, Vilandra, and Ava will meet me at the outskirts in two hours." Zan explained.
"At least take an enchanter with…"
"Larek!" Rath yelled. "Do you not understand? No one can know about this. And no one can come with us!"
Larek glanced around the room at all the serious faces. "How could anyone rebel against them?" he thought.
**********
Chara walked quietly around the open market, taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells it offered. Shouts from different merchants could be heard. Their alluring items, such as trinkets of precious metals and stones were at one end of the market, while right next to those stalls was the Dundu bird vendor. This place was alive. Chara could feel it right down to her bones as she took a deep whiff of some smoked hartog meat, which made her stomach rumble. It took all of her will power not to abandon her shopping but enter the tavern instead.
"Let me see," Chara mumbled absentmindedly while looking around. "I bought the Dundu eggs Taran wanted. Hmm, what's next?"
Just as she was about to take out the crumpled list from her pocket, a man bumped into her, spilling the contents of her bag, as well as his, everywhere.
"I'm so sorry," they apologized to each other at the same time, causing Chara to giggle. The man was kneeling as he placed his items and Chara's into two piles. Chara bent down to help.
"My name's Chara Sargas," she said softly. "What's yours?"
The man turned to look at her and the instant their eyes met, Chara forgot all previous thoughts of K'hivar. The man had deep brown eyes and dark brown hair, with bangs curled slightly over his right eyebrow. His whole face gave Chara a sense of mystery…and longing. His features were cut sharp, giving him a serious look.
"It's not important," he muttered quietly. He stood up, handing Chara one of the piles. "Here are your belongings, I had better be going."
She looked at the stranger again as he disappeared from view. Who ever he was…Chara never really felt like this before. Taran had always been talking about love at first sight, but Chara never really believed it until now. Not knowing what else to do, Chara decided to go into the tavern to reorganize her belongings while she ate some of the smoked hartwog meat that they served.
Inside the tavern, Chara could barely see any of the customers in the dark, foggy room, which gave it a gloomy, dangerous atmosphere. "Definitely not coming here again," she thought, taking a seat at one of the tables. As she was reorganizing her materials, a waitress came over and Chara ordered hurriedly, so she could get back to her work. She became so absorbed in her task that she did not even notice when the waitress returned with her food.
"You better hurry before their gone, Chara," a mysterious voice spoke, causing Chara to jump.
She glanced behind her. No one was there. She turned around, trying to steady her heartbeat and scolding herself for hearing voices. Sitting on the opposite end the table was a man in similar deep green and purple clothes, marking him as an enchanter. He had a small smile hidden in his long white beard that reached to his chest. Long white hair was tied back behind his head with a clasp. Emerald green eyes seemed to smile at her. Although he looked friendly, the man had scared Chara half to death.
"Who are you?" Chara asked, quickly putting away her papers and books. Before she could place a small brown parcel in her bag, the man grabbed her hand.
"That doesn't belong to you." It wasn't a threat, just a statement of a fact.
"You didn't answer my question," she told the man, trying to pull her hand and the package away from his strong grasp, but to no avail.
"You better hurry before they are gone."
Chara sighed and looked at him. The enchanter did not seem menacing, and if need be, she knew how to protect herself from a fellow magic user. Deciding on a new tactic, Chara let go of the package. To her amazement, the man didn't grab her hand as long as the package was left on the table.
"Before who are gone?"
"The people who need your help. Hurry Chara. Go to Rilan Rim. They will be waiting. Bring the parcel."
His eyes and face smiled and the enchanter placed the package in her hand. Chara looked down at it and quickly placed it on top of everything else in her shoulder bag. She looked up to question the man once more, but he was gone, leaving Chara all alone and puzzled.
********** "He's late. Zan's never late." Vilandra paced around nervously, only stopping for a few minutes to gaze at the suns setting in the distance. Her straight long blond hair flowed loosely down her shoulders. She wore a headband to keep it out of her oval face. Vilandra was tall and beautiful, not too skinny, but not fat either. She had the same brown eyes as her brother, which now were full of worry.
"You worry too much Vilandra," Rath told her.
Rath was sitting casually on top of a pile of boxes at the curb of Rilan Rim. The street was abandoned except for the three royals. Of course, know one knew that they were part of the Royal Four. The peasant clothing they wore took care of that problem. Vilandra and Ava were each wearing simple dresses, scarlet and pale blue, respectively, with brown shawls. Rath was wearing identical clothing to Zan, green pants and a long white shirt. His normally spiky sandy hair was brushed down flat to his head, and Rath wore his face in a continuous smirk.
"You can be so infuriating sometimes Rath!" Vilandra shot back.
He grinned at her. "I know. You and Ava tell me that all the time. As well as being blunt, rude, impatient, mean…And if my sister wasn't an enchantress, and actually grew up with us all these years, she'd join right in with you." Rath began to start down the list of adjectives the two princesses often used to describe him.
"It's true though," Ava pointed out matter-of-factly.
Rath was about to reply when a small brunette rushed onto the scene. She stopped upon reaching them, panting, out of breath. It was obvious that she had been running. She brushed her hair out of her face, her fingers getting stained red with blood as she went by a cut on her cheeek. The three studied her and upon seeing the purple and green outfit, recognized her as an enchantress. Rath hopped off of his seat on the box and walked over to the girl.
"You can go back and tell Larek that we said not to send any help!" he scolded her.
The girl looked up at him, eyes puzzled. She then looked at the two blondes standing behind the angry man. "Larek? I don't know anyone by that name. I'm looking for someone…"
"Chara?" Zan asked from behind her, cutting her off. He had been walking towards them from the opposite direction, when he had seen the girl from the market dart down the alleyway and run to his friends and sister as if someone was chasing her. He had picked up his pace, in order to make sure that she was okay. Obviously, she was.
"You know her?" Ava asked Zan curiously. The girl, Chara, as Zan had called her, twirled around upon hearing his voice and was now unknowingly smiling. Zan was smiling at her too. Ava looked at the girl and noticed that her face was cut. "When did that happen?" Forgetting all about Zan for a moment, helping Chara became Ava's primary concern.
"I fell when I was running. I didn't bother with it. The man, the enchanter, he said I had to get here before you leave."
Rath was about to go over and yell at Chara again, but Vilandra grabbed his arm to hold him back. Ava placed her hand on Chara's cheek and closed her eyes to concentrate. Instantly, the cut vanished. Zan and Vilandra smiled at Ava's friendly gesture, while Rath just glared.
"What do you think you were doing?" Rath said as he rolled his eyes.
"I think she was trying to make Chara feel welcome," Zan replied, speaking for Ava.
"Thank you." Chara ran her hand up and down her cheek as if to prove to herself it was gone.
"What were you saying about an enchanter?" Vilandra questioned, trying to return the group to the previous conversation.
"I bumped into you," Chara pointed at Zan, "in the market…" Zan nodded his affirmation as Chara carried on with the events following their encounter. She took out the parcel. "…I don't know what's in this, but the man said it was yours. He said I had to get to you before you leave. But I don't know any of you, or why you're all here."
Zan took the wrapped box from Chara. "Thank you for retur-" His faced turned pale.
"Brother, what is it?" Vilandra looked at him, then followed his gaze to a small group of Antarians burning the royal seal.
"It's all ready begun. The source was right. We must be going," Zan whispered to his companions. Grabbing Chara's hand, he led the rest of them to the hover car parked nearby. Chara did not object to joining them as they sped away from the small fire.
**********
Taran stood outside K'hivar's room at the Amastas dormitory. It was late, the moon and stars were out, and Chara wasn't home yet. Taran was worried for her friend, and wondered that if perhaps, she was with K'hivar. So here she was, waiting for him to answer after knocking five times.
Footsteps were audible as she twirled her blond hair nervously. The door was pulled open and K'hivar stepped out into the moonlight. "Taran? What are you doing here?"
"Have you seen Chara?"
"Not since I dropped her off at the marked hours ago. Why?"
"She's not home yet, and the last bus has all ready departed from Prima Giedi to Amastas." Taran shivered in the night air.
"Maybe you should go home," K'hivar suggested. "I don't want you to get sick. To make you feel better; I will go out and look for Chara, okay? I won't let anything happen to her."
"Thank you." Taran gave him a quick hug and then turned to run back to her room. K'hivar stood on his doorstep for a few more minutes before retiring as well. He knew what he must do as the clouds covered the night sky.
**********
"Zan, where are we going?" Vilandra asked as the hover car sped across the road. It had been approximately an hour since the incident at Rilan Rim and no one had spoken a word since, too busy with their own thoughts. Vilandra was the first to break the silence.
"A lodge," he replied at the same time Chara began to speak.
"Were you named after the king?"
Rath shook his head. "He is the king. Isn't it…"
"Ignore Rath, Chara. He's always like that. I'm Princess Avanda Hadi. And that's the king's sister, Vilandra Kiltalpha. We're sorry we didn't tell you earlier, but we just assumed Larek sent you. He's an enchanter, like you, and kept insisting that we take an enchanter with us. You can call me Ava, please, since we've dragged you along on our quest."
Chara blushed. Ava had thought her a full enchantress, not one still in school. And the King- Zan- the realization hit Chara. He was the man in the market, he was betrothed, and she was falling in love with him. These thoughts began to consume her, until Zan's voice interrupted them. It seemed to Chara that his voice could wake her up from anything.
"…to have you become involved with this situation. Maybe it will be good to have an enchantress on our side. We have been getting reports of unrest in this area and have heard that there might be a possible rebellion. We don't know who is causing all the problems, but Rath and I thought it best to stop them before a full-scale war breaks out. Ava and Vilandra agreed, which is why we're here."
"Oh," was all Chara could utter as she stared at every feature of his face.
"Looks like someone's in- hey!" Rath jerked in his seat as Ava elbowed him in the side.
"Be nice," Vilandra warned. "We appreciate your willingness to help."
"It was something about the enchanter. It seemed so urgent, that this was something I had to do." Chara laughed. "I know this sounds so…so crazy, but I feel like I have to be a part of this."
"Thank you," Zan replied in all sincerity.
"It must be hard," Chara stated, trying to keep the silence from returning. "I can't imagine running a planet at my age, and you four have to do so. It's hard enough being known as an enchantress everywhere I go, but I think it might be harder, you know, to be the four of you."
"You have no idea," Vilandra laughed: thinking of all the times she and Zan had tried to explore Prima Giedi without any of the guards, only to be recognized and sent back to the palace.
As she and Zan began to tell their three friends about all the misadventures they had been on when they were kids, no one noticed when Zan stopped the hover car in front a small lodge on the outskirts of a town.
Day 2:
"Tarannius." Rath stated, recognizing the town from one of his and Zan's outings years ago. "This is the place."
"What's the place?" Chara still wasn't quite sure of all that was happening.
"A friend of Zan and Rath's, Kev Salm, lives here. He was our informant about the possible uprising. He says that there have been a lot of anti-Antarian royal feelings here." Ava explained.
"If he's right, and we stop whoever's in charge, we owe him a lot," Vilandra told the rest.
"Right now, I don't care if he's right or wrong. It's late, I'm tired. Zan, let's get some sleep and discuss everything in the morning, all right?" Rath suggested.
The other man nodded and they walked into the lodge. It reminded Chara a lot of the tavern in Prima Giedi, where she had met the mysterious, old enchanter. Walking up to the desk, Zan asked for two rooms; one for him and Zan, the other for the three girls. The stout man at the desk handed over two keys and Zan returned to the others.
"Here Vilandra," he said, giving her one of the keys. He handed the other to Rath. "I'll meet you upstairs in a minute, okay?" Rath yawned and walked up the narrow staircase located in the back of the main room. Vilandra, Ava, and Chara followed, but Zan grabbed Chara's arm to pull her back down to him.
"Can I speak to you?"
Chara nodded and Zan led her outside the lodge. They walked a short distance in silence, until they reached a bluff that overlooked the rest of Tarannius. The lights from the town shined brightly in the dark night, making them look like grounded stars.
"Chara, this might sound weird…"
"Weird has been an understatement of my life since meeting the old enchanter this afternoon," she interrupted.
"I mean, I've only known you for a day or so, but I feel like I've known you forever."
"I know," Chara whispered. "I mean, I feel the same way, too."
"You do?" Zan felt like the wait of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. "That's terrific, it's great. And I know Ava won't mind if I call off the betrothal when we get back!"
"Zan, slow down." Chara couldn't help but giggle at his excitement though. "I still have another year to complete at Amastas, and then I will be assigned to one of the Valan planets."
"I don't care, I'll fix it so you'll work as one of the Antarian enchanters." Zan's voice suddenly turned serious again. "Someone once told me a story that the gods create one soul and when people are born, they take this soul and split it up into two distinct bodies. It may take many lifetimes for the two souls to find each other, but once they do, they are never separated in any reincarnation again. I…I think that I might have found my other half."
"Zan," was all Chara had time to say before he tilted her face up to his and kissed her.
Unbeknownst to either, Chara and Zan were being watched. K'hivar had arrived in Tarannius a few hours before, leaving Amastas immediately after Taran had arrived on his doorstep. True, the news of Chara not being present worried him, but what worried him even more was the message he had received prior to his departure. The Royal Four had been informed of his plans. Watching Chara kiss the king made K'hivar's blood boil even more.
**********
Day 3:
The suns rose early on Antar the next morning. With it came decisions that would affect Antar for the rest of time. Zan and Chara had taken the rest of the Royal Four to the bluff that they had discovered the night before to discuss plans of action. Ava, Vilandra, and Chara had packed a picnic breakfast, while Zan and Rath gathered the necessary supplies. Although they knew time was of the essence, none of the five could bring themselves to discuss military plans until after enjoying a breakfast of food and laughter.
After an hour or so, Zan began telling them his plans to sneak into the compound on the outskirts of the other side of town. According to Kev Salm, this site was where the main seat of operation for the rebellion was centered and where they would find the leader. Ava tried suggesting reasoning with this person, but Rath flat out refused, stating that: "any Antarian who thinks he's above the system, royal or commoner, should be executed." In the end, the team agreed to attempt to sneak into the compound, confront the rebel leader, and decide on a course of action from thereon.
They were packing up to go back to the lodge and prepare for the attack, when Chara stopped them. "I think I hear someone," she warned.
"Aren't enchanters supposed to be good at sensing spies or something?" Vilandra asked.
Chara nodded her agreement and quietly headed toward the forest side of the bluff. She raised her hand, and mumbled a few words. An electric violet beam shot out from her palm. The Royal Four knew that this must be part of her enchantress powers. As she walked back toward Zan, Rath, Vilandra, and Ava, an old, white beard enchanter appeared from the trees, ensnared in the violet lasso. She looked at him and smiled. It was the old enchanter from the tavern. Zan and Rath walked over to grab his arms, apprehending their eavesdropper.
"I know you," she stated. "You're the one who sent me to meet Zan, Ava, Vilandra, and Rath. What are you doing here?" She couldn't believe he was here again. When the man disappeared at the tavern, Chara was convinced she had seen the last of him.
"This is a much bigger task than the five of you can full fill alone. We must stop the uprising. I was right to send Chara with you, but I fear now, it's not enough."
"Who are you?" Rath growled. "How do you know her name?"
"I think it be wise to know my pupil's name. I've been watching you for a long time now."
"What do you mean?" Chara asked, confused.
"When we reach a certain age, and are no longer able to perform the normal duties of an enchanter, we are assigned a younger one to watch over and protect. We are only to interfere with your life after you complete your schooling, but I made an exception in your case due to this rebellion.
"I can get the five of you in the compound unnoticed, but you have to trust me."
Zan and Rath let the man go. Zan went over to Chara and pulled her to his body as if to protect her. "How do we know you're telling the truth?"
"You don't. But you have to follow your instincts. The four of you let Chara into your plot, did you not?"
Glances were exchanged. "I think we should trust him. He's all right, I can feel it. The man's really on our side," Chara told the others.
"I'm Zan," the king extended a hand in welcome. "Who might you be?"
"Rahry Toprep at you service." The enchanter shook Zan's hand. "I've heard the plan already, when you were discussing it earlier. When do we leave?"
**********
"We're here," Rath whispered to the rest of the group. "Now what?"
"Each of you, grab onto each other. As long as we are connected, I can maintain a cloak long enough for you to find who you are looking for King Zan." Rahry explained.
Before the connecting, Zan pulled Chara away from the group. "I don't know what will happen in there, but I want you to know now that I love you. Nothing will ever change that."
"I love you too Zan, always," Chara promised, and lead them back to the group.
With that, Chara and Ava grabbed the man's hand. Zan grasped her other free hand, as well as Vilandra. Rath took hold of Vilandra and Ava. With the help of Chara and Rahry's powers, the group was instantaneously connected. Deeply concentrating, Rahry focused on becoming invisible and the group vanished from sight.
*Now where to* Rahry's voice echoed in all of their thoughts.
*How can we hear you?* Ava's voice rippled through their heads.
*We're connected,* Chara explained, *It allows us to communicate telepathically.*
*Cool,* Rath replied, actually igniting a true smile on his face. *Now, fearless leader, let's find the creep and go home.*
*This way* Zan told them and the six people began to make their way down the hallway.
It was a narrow, brightly-lit corridor, the ceiling covered with rectangular lights. Guards were stationed in front of every door, making it impossible for the Royal Four, Chara, and Rahry to figure out in which room the leader would be. They wouldn't need to though, since the end of the passageway led into an elaborate, empty throne room. If they had thought that the halls were bright, being inside this chamber was like gazing at the sun. The room was circular in shape with a huge dome in place of a ceiling, and pillars around it. A red and yellow marbled floor caused every footstep to echo throughout the rest of the room.
*Might as well loose the invisibility,* Zan ordered. *It will not help in here.* He let go of Vilandra's hand, breaking the connection between the six. In a flash, Chara, Zan, Vilandra, Ava, Rath, and Rahry appeared.
"This room is amazing," Chara gasped, gazing around, never letting go of Zan's hand.
"I thought you might think so." A voice spoke out from behind one of the pillars. A tall, young, handsome man with silky black hair and emerald eyes appeared. "You see, Chara, this was supposed to be our throne room. But you turned on me."
"K'hivar?" Chara shouted. "You're behind the rebellion? How could you? You're an enchanter, you're supposed to…how could you?" Though her voice had started out strong, it ended lamely.
"How could you kiss him?" he pointed at Zan, trying to choke back his anger. "I loved you Chara, you knew that. Antar was going to be ours."
"Not if we have anything to do with it!" Rath shouted at K'hivar, charging towards the enchanter.
Reacting quickly, K'hivar sent out a blood red beam that hurled Rath back against the wall. Vilandra screamed and rushed toward her fallen friend, and betrothed. "Anyone else want a try? You can't beat me, King Zan. Your reign is at an end."
"K'hivar, don't. If you call off your rebellion now, I'll let you walk."
Before K'hivar had a chance to reply, he was hit by an ocean blue blast. Living in the moment, K'hivar had forgotten about the old enchanter who had accompanied the Royal Four and Chara, probably because he did not seem to be an adversary. K'hivar had guessed incorrectly.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ava, Zan, and Chara rushed over to make sure Rath was okay. "That was an incredibly stupid thing to do," Zan scolded as Vilandra and Ava helped Rath sit up.
"Shut up, will you!" Rath retorted. "I have a headache."
"You're lucky that that was all you have," Ava reminded.
Chara was the only one not chastising Rath for his foolish, yet brave act. Instead, she was transfixed with K'hivar. He was standing up and chanting, his palm raised at Rahry. Without thinking, Chara rushed over to the old enchanter. The beam hit both of them. K'hivar took one look at Chara's body lying on the floor and ran out of the room, unable to deal with his action.
Zan had seen everything too. He had stood up in time to see Chara and Rahry being hit by K'hivar's energy blast. His anguished cry could be heard throughout the compound as he rushed over to his soul mate's body. Turning her over, Zan pulled her close to his chest, hugging her tightly. He didn't hear the rumbling of the collapsing compound. Instead, he placed his hand over Chara's chest, trying to form the connection as the life slowly slipped out of the girl.
Rath, Vilandra, and Ava rushed over to the scene, their faces grim. "Zan, we have to get out of here!" Ava warned. "The place is going to collapse."
Zan did not hear them, nor did he want to listen to their words. All he did was concentrate on trying to bring Chara back from the dead.He never remembered the next few moments either. Somehow, Ava, Rath, and Vilandra got Zan, as well as Rahry's and Chara's bodies, out of the compound before it collapsed killing all of K'hivar's followers.
********* The funeral pyre burned in the night. Zan stood watching them, immovable and unemotional. Vilandra walked over and placed a hand on her brother's shoulder, watching with him.
"It's over now," she whispered. "I'm just sorry it cost so much."
And as the Royal Four mourned their lost friends, the twin suns of Antar set in the painted sky, taking noble heroes along with them.
Ava walked out of one of the tents solemnly and went over to Zan. "It worked," she whispered so only he could hear. "You saved her."
********* The week passed quickly, since the fall of the would-be rebellion. Ava, Vilandra, and Rath had taken care of the technicalities, media, and politics that surrounded the incident, since Zan was too busy constantly checking in on the recouperating Chara. Rath too would spend a lot of his free time in the medical wing of the palace. Upon returning back to Prima Giedi, he had found out that Chara was indeed the enchanter sister his parents had mentioned. Rath vowed to spend as long as needed to make up for lost time. That was when he'd be able to pry Zan away from her side.
The weeks passed quickly, and eventually turned into years. There had been no sign of any future rebellion and life was peaceful on Antar and the planets of the confederation. It was a time of celebration: King Zan's wedding to Chara Sargas was to occur within the week. No one was more overjoyed than Zan, Rath, or Chara. It was a dream come true…
Day 2259:
"I'm sorry Zan, I tried to save her," a lanky soldier with reddish brown hair explained to the king. "She had just made it back to our base before she died. Her last thoughts were of you and her brother."
Zan cursed at himself. He knew that he should have never sent Chara on this mission. But no, she convinced him that if anyone should go, it should be her, because of her former friendship to the rebel leader K'hivar. And now, he just couldn't believe this news. It was horrible. Rath had hit the roof and Ava and Vilandra were depressed. But Zan…what Zan felt went beyond words. He had lost his soulmate for good this time, and only a few days before their wedding.
From that moment on, Zan had locked himself up in his room. He refused to come out, to eat, to speak to anyone. Ava, Vilandra, and Rath all had tried to speak to him, Rath especially. But Zan had refused to listen to anyone. The world had ended the day Chara was murdered. He was checked on frequently, but Zan dismissed them all.
Day 2263:
"I knew her, you know." Larek stated, walking in to the king's quarters one afternoon. "Chara Sargas. Her friend Taran is my sister's daughter. Chara was a wonderful girl to know."
Zan, who had been staring out the window, turned around at Larek's words. "Larek, do me a favor. Don't ever forget her. Remember her always, even when I'm not around anymore."
"I will my king. She will be known."
**********
"…Unfortunately, I can't say that they lived happily ever after in that life Claudi." Liz said, shifting her daughter in her arms again.
Claudia yawned. "Why not Mommy?"
Liz sighed. She had never told Claudia the true story before. She had always made up a false ending where everyone lived happily ever after and demanded that Larek do the same. Tonight though, it had slipped her mind. She put on a smile and continued to talk.
"It turned out that K'hivar had gone to Subr a, one of our neighboring planets, and resurrected the rebellion there. Chara's warning was never heided since she died before she really had a chance to explain K'hivar's full plan. A few years later, on Zan and Ava's wedding day, K'hivar attacked and killed the Royal four: Zan, Rath, Vilandra and Ava. He took over Antar and was close to taking over rest of the Valan system as well. But-"
"I know! Grandma made clones of Daddy, Auntie Izzy, Unka Michael, and Tess and sent them to Earth. Just like in Daddy's stories about the gods and souls, Chara became you. And you, Maria, Uncle Alex, and Kyle helped to stop the bad man. Now you and Daddy are the rulers of Antar. Larek told that to Zanny, Jamie and me hundreds of times."
"That's right Claudia. You have an excellent memory." Liz glanced at the clock alongside the bed. "Now it's time to go to sleep."
She got up from her position on the bed and pulled Claudia into her arms. Liz carried Claudia to the adjoining door and placed her on the floor. Before opening it to go into the twin's room, Liz warned: "Be quiet Claudia. You're brother might be sleeping." Claudia nodded in agreement.
As they entered the room, Liz flickered on the lights to see not just Xander asleep, but Max as well. "Get into your bed and I'll wake up your father," she whispered.
"Good night Mommy." Claudia ran to her bed and squirmed her way under the covers.
"Liz?" Max asked as she approached him, waking up from his nap. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep dealing with…"
"It's okay Max. Shhh, I think they're both asleep now. I love you, you know that."
"I love you too, always." Max whispered. Finally, in this life, Zan and Chara were together, forever, surrounded by a loving family and caring friends.
"If you were the ocean and I was a sailboat Would I find the gumption to let myself sail? For lovin' and leavin', you're gone for a season Is not what I'm looking for
If you were the laughter I'd hear ever after The sound of your voice would make me sing For lovin' and leavin', you're gone for a season Is not what I'm looking for
I never thought that you would come I never thought that I could love like this This feeling inside me is growing I never thought that you would come
I've been watching the sunrise whether you are the sunset And I thought our faces would meet But now that I found you Like a wave on the sound you've washed my fears away
I never thought that you would come I never thought that I could love like this This feeling inside me is growing I never thought that you would come
You are the voice I hear in my ears You are the one that is prone to these tears And you are the one that has stolen my heart And I'm telling you from the start
I never thought that you would come I never thought that I could love like this This feeling inside me is growing I never thought that you would come
I never thought that you would come I never thought that I could love like this This feeling inside me is growing I never thought that you would come
I never thought that you would come I never thought that you would come"
-"I Never Thought That You Would Come" by: Loni Rose
The End