Chapter IX - Phoenix awakened (1/3)

"What is the deal with this world, man?" Jay sighed.

"It is all a path to the end… Rahambose," Varun said.

"What is the deal with him and you?" Aria asked.

"To end him I was chosen. They say it was meant to be, I'm the one connected to him. Me and him are destined to happen. They tried to stop him from happening, they knew they'd fail, but trying gives hope," Varun said.

"And hopes break, but people will keep going on and on and somehow he'll be stopped," Fara said in an eerie tone.

"Thanks for the scary tone of confidence Farr," Varun said, without looking at her.

"Far off Farr," Fara said.

"Scary… but it is better if you are far though," Varun laughed, still walking.

"Everything alright…?" Aria asked putting her hand on Fara's shoulder.

"They killed me… in different ways each time. I'm fine, but there is no clear question on defining my pain or I would answer," Fara snapped, pushing Aria's hand away.

"Relax, what is wrong with you?" Varun asked as his smile faded away and he finally looked at Fara's pale face. Did she catch a zombie flu or what?

"I'm the one responsible for causing Rahambose, and you blame yourself," Fara scoffed.

"I didn't blame myself. And what the fish? How are you responsible? What do you mean?" Varun asked.

"Well, you must do something other than just complain," Fara yelled at Varun.

"Well, I was given this stone to do something and I will," Varun said showing the stone-gem.

Just as Fara saw the stone and heard the words she went into a position… an avian-trance?

Everyone was confused of what was happening. Aria tried to calm Fara and put her hand to Fara's shoulder but a jolt hit Aria, knocking her down. Just as Fara saw Aria fall, she went back to normal and rushed towards Aria.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Fara said holding Aria.

"I'm fine. But, what is wrong with you? What were you doing?" Aria asked.

"I… don't know," Fara said trying to remind herself what just actually happened.

"It was too dark for a prank," Aria said.

"Dark as the timeless horizon… a place filled with possibilities," Fara said under her breath.

"Ok, you got to stop before you get me a cardiac arrest," Aria and Varun said.

"There is no stop to him," Fara said.

"Oh my god," Aria said.

"Fara, stop!" Varun screamed.

"What in the world is happening to me?" Fara asked.

"That must be our question. Makes it harder and scarier when you ask it," Varun sighed.

"Whatever was with the dialogues, avian-trance and a jolt, where I died for a second," Aria said.

"More like a Phoenix trance…" Varun said and his expression turned to shock. "Why would I say that?" Varun asked to himself.

"Rustizen Villers," Fara said.

"Who?" Adam asked.

"He used to call me as Phoenix," Fara said.

"Wait… Villers, as in Samantha Villers…? I heard Alias say that she had this stone-gem before Psycho," Varun said.

"I know that already," Fara said.

"You… you are Fara, the Theorist of the dragons. Said to be the first dragon," Varun said.

"Ok, what in the world?" Jiant asked.

"We will know," Varun said.

***

"Wow, all this time we only knew about her being on Earth and nothing more. But in your team…? This is all coming to one picture now. Didn't I tell you it would?" Manasie said through the stone.

"I know… this is just all coming together for some reason," Varun (wearing a helm) said.

"I have seen your face, and no one is around. You can chuck on the 'secret identity' thingy," Manasie said.

"Fine," Varun sighed and removed his helm.

"Ok, I change my mind. It's better to not look at your face," Manasie laughed.

"Always with the mockery," Varun said.

"Always falling for it," Manasie laughed.

"Can't help… never mind. Why didn't you tell the others about you seeing my face by the way?" Varun asked.

"What, must I have described your face and told them? It was better not to, I felt. I saved you the embarrassment so thank me later," Manasie said.

"Ok… back to the Fara topic then," Varun said.

"Ok, ask it out," Manasie said.

"What is the whole deal with her?" Varun asked.

"Well, she was one of the first dragons, the other two being Max and Sam. Max by now is probably dead, the first one I mean. But Sam and Fara are not. What happened is that, Max had an idea to revert time and made a machine. By the time it was finished, Max and Sam had fallen in love. Their reason for making the machine was to stop their past selves from becoming dragons," Manasie said.

"That… wow. But there are still dragons," Varun pointed.

"That's the story. They both were in love, of course they didn't want any of that to change after that. Given paradoxes and stuff, they could get separated if they weren't dragons in the first place. All they had was a secret great invention with them now. They had a kid and he grew up to take things negatively and think that bad can only be stopped by bad," Manasie said.

"Fire to fire, is that where the saying came from? Well, he was just a kid though, what possibly could go wrong?"

"He formed a team of hundred people whom he had shared the idea with and they had changed due to that. Max tried to stop him but died in the process, the guy didn't care because he thought it was for the greater good. When Sam ran, she found the device and used it to change the past. She found her past self and destroyed the machine, only one of them survived but in paralysis," Manasie said.

"Wow, that's some damned thriller," Varun said.

"When she woke up, Fara and Max were in love and she couldn't do otherwise but drop about it. She just wanted Max to be safe. It all repeated yet again and Sam had no way to go back with the machine being destroyed. Her heart raced and she being a red dragon, the energy from the machine was absorbed by her and she travelled back in time again," Manasie said.

"Beautiful cliché" Varun said.

"She tried and tried different approaches but he kept happening, Rahambose, Fara called him. Which means guardian of time, in that ancient language, she used to talk in. And then by Fara's help she wanted to put an end to this. They went to outer space and found a place called the timeless horizon where they decided to keep Sam's stone. But it was a bad idea since the stone was one to manipulate time and the place had no time. Many said rifts broke into the place and they found the first four Primevel warriors through one."

"Wait, timeless horizon. Fara mentioned about that a while ago."

"The H.O.D., the two AODs or assistants of death and a girl with the alias 'A bird who can fly forever'. They put their life at risk and found a way to 'seal' the stone. They used their urge of lightning, or the lightning thingy from your gauntlets to seal the stone. In the process they were sealed too and died of course."

"Ah, his stone throwing ceremony happened, right-right."

"Fara decided on stopping Rahambose from ever happening and returned to Earth. Sam decided on looking after the stone to be sealed forever and still stays in that place. Fara has died since then and kept on taking a re-birth just like a Phoenix. And now the one you are looking at, your friend, is Fara. I'll take my five marks now."

"You aced the whole test girl, congratulations," Varun scoffed.

"I'm telling you, this is bad and serious, Varun. First Psycho, then Phobetor and Morpheus, and now it'll be Rahambose. You must be very careful. With everything happening when your team isn't at its fullest yet."

"What does he want exactly from me?" a voice from behind Varun came, it was Fara.

"I thought I said 'I wanted this to be private'," Varun said.

"It is about her Varun," Manasie said.

"Yeah and regarding my death," Varun said.

"You seriously want to debate on death with the one with many lives?" Manasie asked.

"Yeah, and I have only one," Varun said.

"Not Trigon, at least truth," Fara said.

"Fine," Varun sighed.

Fara came and sat beside Varun and looked into the stone.

"For some reason, two out of us three are connected to Rahambose. And we have no idea why," Manasie said.

"Thanks for making it sound so anonymous," Varun sighed.

"Technically all three of us are but well," Manasie said.

"So, not sure of why it is. At least whatever was with me blabbering so many things I don't even know I know?" Fara asked.

"That could be because you died so many times but you still remember the memories, at least not clearly. And you can even show them to whoever you want," Manasie said.

"By going into an avian-trance," Fara said.

"Phoenix trance," Varun corrected.

"Maybe… about that part I don't know properly," Manasie said.

"I was going to the trance but then Anu fell down and I snapped out of whatever was happening," Fara said.

"Well, never heard of that. As much as I know about the visions… yes, there are certain 'triggers' to get a vision. What made the vision almost start?" Manasie asked.

"Well, this stone did and maybe my blabbering," Varun said.

"Oh, the universe better die out then. Ok, we need a new 'trigger' for this, is what I mean," Manasie said.

"Rahambose has happened… H.O.D. has happened… I can transform into an Attear. Nothing's working," Varun said.

"You are not good enough to make it work," Manasie said.

"One thing he is good at," Fara laughed.

"Right, right, let's concentrate here first before the mockery," Varun sighed.

"You can try doing it without triggers… it is possible probably," Manasie said.

"I'll try," Fara said.

Fara got up, closing her eyes and spread her arms wide and looked up.

"You want a hug?" Varun asked.

"You want to be kicked in your-?" Fara asked.

"-concentrate you both… concentrate," Manasie said.

Fara concentrated as Manasie and Varun looked at her and everything blurred out to them. They were going through a dark place and saw light finally and dropped down to it. Fara was sitting on a chair, sipping from a cup of tea.