Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga, Lady Adellandra Dratianos [reading tree .TXT] 📗

don’t understand it. Why would she use that thing around her neck to give my power a little oomph?”
Ariana was confused. “Oomph?”
“Well, my Clairvoyance has gotten stronger, and that’s my main power.” Luna explained.
“How do you know it’s her doing that, and not yourself?” Ariana wondered. “You could be getting stronger on your own, you know.”
Luna supplied. “I know it’s her, because that black jewel glowed in my visions of her, triggering it.”
“Black jewel?” Ariana asked. “You don’t mean the Dominionite Crystal, do you?”
Luna shook her head. “Not even close. This one is shaped like a diamond.”
“Do you think this diamond crystal is the one that did it?” Ariana asked.
Luna shrugged. “I don’t know what to think." She sighed, and then took a sip of tea. Ariana was patient, thinking over what her sister was saying.
"Did she do anything to you?" Ariana asked gently. "Tease you, or taunt you in any way?"
Luna gave it a thought before saying anything. "She wanted me to use my Empathy."
"That's it?" Ariana was confused.
Luna stared at her twin. "You don't understand, Ariana." She spat. "I'm afraid of the Empathy. I always have been."
"Why? It's one of the most basic Ancient Mystic powers." Ariana explained. "I use it all the time."
"You're not afraid of it."
"Why are you?" Ariana prodded.
Luna was silent again and sighed before opening her mouth. "I was aware of everything you went through in the Orphanage. I couldn't help it." She began to explain. She shook her head, trying not to cry.
Ariana sensed her sadness and stood to hug her from behind.
Luna leaned in her sister's comforting embrace and grasped her hand before going on. "I fought the urges of pain as you were being beaten constantly. When I -- we -- turned thirteen, those feelings only got worse. I turned it off, and have been afraid of the Empathy ever since."
Ariana kissed her sister's head. "That's all over now." She whispered, hugging her. "We're together at last, raising our children with loving husbands and caring friends. No harm will ever get us like that again."
Luna stood, facing her. "I wouldn't be too sure of that."
"Why do you say that?"
"According to the feelings I got in the Mirror with Sabrina, we’re going to be in trouble soon.”
“Excuse me? We?” Ariana was interested.
“Our sisters and us.” Luna supplied.
Ariana closed her eyes, trying to sense where each of their sisters were at the moment. “Anna’s with Jake, but I gave her the message. Claudia’s working on a project at home for school, and Mary Ellen is at the Clubhouse, a local teen hangout.” Ariana opened her eyes again, looking at her sister. “Well, if Brad and Kelly can watch the kids, do you think we can get them together?”
“Maybe they’ve had weird experiences with their powers as well?” Luna asked. She stood up. “Where to first?”
“My house.” Ariana replied. “Your kids are there, and I promised Kelly I’d tell her what’s going on with you.”
Luna put her cup in the sink as she dried her tears. “I hate to wake up Logan.”
“I’m sure he’ll understand.” Ariana kidded.
When the baby was ready, Luna smiled at her sister, wrapping her free arm around her twin. “Let’s go.”

III

Thirty-two-year-old Annabelle Woods, known as Anna, walked along Parker Commons, a local park in the heart of Hill View’s Rich District. With her, hand in hers, was her recent boyfriend, Jake Reading. She smiled, remembering when they met, and how. She hadn’t realized when she giggled.
“What’s so funny?” Jake whispered in her ear, kissing it.
Anna shook her head. “I was just thinking of how we met.”
Jake laughed. “Oh yeah, your brilliant premonition at work.”
Anna nudged him. “Jake!” She cried.
They stopped, kissed and sat on a nearby bench.
That’s when she got the vision.

The thoughts of Aaron Schmidt, her sister Ariana, and her niece ran through her mind. It nearly brought her to tears. She nearly became the vision of her sister, Ariana, feeling her emotions along with the vision.
The image of Aaron came up to the bench, sitting next to Ariana. “Hey, are you okay?” He asked.
Ariana stared at him. “I’ll be fine once Kelly’s back in my arms for good.”
He hugged her; she hugged him back, bursting out in tears. He’d always been the one to comfort her in the orphanage, Anna knew.
That’s when Anna became Ariana...
“It’s going to be alright.” Aaron whispered in her ear. He kissed her head.
She snuggled in his warm embrace. All worries were gone once she began to relax and enjoy his company. That’s how it’s always been between them; even Aimee noticed that.
Something didn’t feel right.
Anna’s eyes looked at him. It was his image all right. Thing was, how did he get where she was now? An image of a necklace ran through her mind, and this image of Aaron blankly stared back.
“What’s up?”
Anna as Ariana stared at his eyes, whispering. “How did you get here?”
His answer was a short one.
“This is my Dream Realm.”

Anna snapped out of the vision when Jake touched her shoulder. “Anne?”
She looked at her boyfriend. “I’m okay. Just another Vision.”
Why would she have a Vision like that? Her Clairvoyance has never been that strong before in her life.
“What did you see?” Jake pressed in a whisper, kissing her ear.
Dare she tell him? “I saw when Ariana and Aaron were searching for Kelly.” She looked at him. “I was able to feel her feelings and emotions as she felt them in her vision.”
“Her Vision? What are you talking about?" Jacob Paul Reading was beginning to worry for her now. "Out with it, Annabelle Woods. What just happened?”
“I had a Vision of Ariana having a Vision.” Anna said. “I became my sister Ariana when she had a Vision on this bench.”
It took a moment for it to sink in, with the lovers staring at each other.
“It sounds crazy, doesn’t it?” Anna groaned.
“You’re right, Anna. It does sound crazy.” Jake teased, wrapping his arms around her waist. “But I love you anyway.”
He kissed her, making her feel as if she were in heaven. When they parted, she leaned against him, closing her eyes.
Another Vision popped in her head. This time, it was urgent.
She jumped up like a shot. “I hate to do this to you, but I have to leave.” She kissed him again before she ran off, leaving him shaking his head.
“I don’t know about you, Annabelle Woods.” Jake Reading muttered as he followed.

IV

Twenty-three-year-old Claudia Woods stood at the top of the stairway, looking down at her twin brother, Christopher. “‘O Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love and I'll no longer be a Capulet.’”
“Claud, you’re not in the play yet.” Christopher interrupted, sounding bored. “Why practice?”
“I want to get the words right, just in case I make Juliet.”
“I think you know the words to all Shakespeare’s plays by now.” Christopher jibbed. “He’d be proud.”
Claudia stepped down to his level. “So what? I still want to be prepared.”
“Believe me, Claudia, you’re prepared.” Christopher joked.
Claudia smacked her twin brother. “Come on, Chris. Please help me? Be Romeo.”
“Fine.” Christopher sighed, reciting the words from memory. They’d gone over Romeo and Juliet so many times, it would seem he knew the entire play by heart. “‘Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?’”
“No! Not yet!” Claudia cried. She raced back to the top of the stairs. “Now.”
Christopher rolled his eyes as he leaned on the banister. “‘Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?’”
“‘'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.” Claudia continued dramatically from memory. “‘What's `Montague'? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name; and for thy name, which is no part of thee, take all myself.’”
Chris was bored, but continued anyway. “‘I take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.’”
Christopher happened to look up at his sister. Something in his gut told him something was wrong. Usually, she’d continue, but when looked up at her, he found her in a trance, staring into space.
For Claudia, the Vision was astonishing, if not amazing. She hadn’t had what she called an “attack” from her Photographic Memory in years. In her Vision, she saw an old enemy, Sabrina, taunting Luna from within her Ancient Mystic Mirror. She felt Luna’s sure terror when Sabrina suggested she used Empathy. Everyone in the family knew Luna was afraid of it, though only her twin Ariana knew why. Claudia focused Luna’s eyes to stare at the strange black necklace hanging at Sabrina’s bosom. It was black but it glowed white. When Ariana sent her an urgent message, Claudia knew. Her sisters were in need of her.
“Claud, are you okay?” Christopher asked, worried now. Whenever she went into a trance like that, her Magic was triggering trouble, and he knew it.
She was still staring into space when he went up the stairs, tapping her shoulder.
“Claudia.” Just the mention of her name was enough to get her out of the trance. “Hey, what happened? What did you see?”
Claudia shook her head, looking at her Sisterhood ring. “Uh, the twins need us. I mean, they need me to meet them at the Clubhouse.” She turned to Christopher with a grin. “You’re off the hook for now, little brother. I’ll be back later to finish, so you’d better be prepared.”
“Claud!” Chris yelled as he watched his sister race out of the house and into her car. He sighed for a second time. “I’ll never understand you, Claudia Marie.” He mumbled under his breath as he began to pick the Playwright Room up.

V

We’ve grown up so quickly, Twenty-eight-year-old Mary Ellen Woods thought as she peered out the window. The twins are back in the family, raising their own children, Anna is engaged to Jake Reading, and even Claudia has found her love in Craig Richardson.
Mary Ellen sighed, playing with the French fries still left on her plate, keeping an eye on her Sisterhood Ring. Right now, her ring was a calm pink, symbolizing harmony in the Dream Realm and her own.
For the five sisters, Anna, Ariana, Aluna, Claudia, and herself, the Sisterhood Ring was more than just a ring. It symbolized the Ancient Mystic Sisterhood, their magical family. Each member had various powers, hidden in the very colors of their eyes – silver-blue. The five basic powers being telepathy, clairvoyance, telekinesis (Mary Ellen’s strongest), empathy, and premonition.
She was startled out of her reverie by a voice.
“Good. You’re still here.”
Mary Ellen looked to see the four of her sisters gathered around her. They sat down, each taking a seat beside her or in front of her in the booth.
It was Ariana who spoke.
Mary Ellen smiled. “What’s up?”
Neither Ariana nor her twin smiled back.
“Sabrina’s back.” The twins chorused.
Mary Ellen stared at them, listening as they and Anna explained their visions.
For Ariana and Luna knew their enemy very well. Too well