The New Candidates, New Dangers

By Fallen Angel

Chapter 5

      Inside of the tent, it was pitch black. Lilly could still find her way around by the sound of everyone’s footsteps. They saw a small fire in the middle of the tent. Jason and Chris bowed toward the fire. “Did you bring them?”, someone asked, “Are those two Lilly and Crystal?” “Yes”, Jason said, “They are indeed Crystal and Lilly.” As Lilly’s eyes began to refocus in the dim light, she saw that there was an old man sitting at the fire. He looks familiar, Lilly thought, and so does the smell of the tent. “Lilly and Crystal”, the man said, “Sit down. Jason and Chris you too. They all sat across from the man. Lilly was still confused, but Crystal knew who the man was. “You probably don’t remember who I am”, the man said, “I am the elder of this village. I was the elder when you two stayed with me when you were younger.” “I remember”, Crystal said, “Why did you want to see us?” “The villagers had sensed that you were back on Zion, so they wanted to see you both”, the elder said, “They have finally seen the evil in what they did to you. They wanted to apologize for it in person. They asked me if I would send someone to get you. Jason and Chris volunteered for the job. I let them have it because they were the ones that knew you best out of everyone in the village.” Lilly got up and left. “What is the matter with her?”, Jason asked Crystal. “Don’t know”, Crystal said, “I don’t think she knows who any of you are. She probably doesn’t remember.”
 

      “We’re going to be holding a party in your honor tonight”, the elder said, “Will you and your friends be joining us?” “Of course”, Crystal said, “But we will be wearing these kind of clothes. We don’t have anything else to wear. Well, it won’t be a problem for me and Lilly as you already know.” “That won’t be a problem”, the elder said, “The others are getting measured, so they have something nice to wear to the party.” “So when should we be back”, Crystal said standing up, “I’m going to get Lilly and see if she remembers anything yet and we still haven’t eaten lunch.” “Why don’t you stay here and have lunch”, the elder said, “You can go to Jason and Chris’s to eat if it’s all right with them.” “I don’t mind”, Jason said, “It will be nice to be together again like in the old days.” They all got up and left the tent. When they got outside, the others were waiting for them. “They took us to this one tent and got us measured”, Kizna said, “They said it was for some sort of party later on.” “Their right”, Crystal said, “The elder just told us about it. The villagers feel sorry for what happened to us, so they’re throwing a party in our honor.” “Hey where’s Lilly”, Saki asked, “Wasn’t she with you?”
 

      “Yes”, Crystal said, “She left because of something. I don’t think she remembers anything yet.” Or it’s hurting her inside to think about it, Crystal thought. “I’m getting hungry”, Roose said, “When are we going to eat?” “In a few minutes”, Crystal said, “Jason and Chris are going to feed us at their place.” They continued walking until they were out of the main part of the village. “We live on the very edge of the village”, Jason said, “We just don’t like being very interactive with everyone.” They went in and sat down. “When do you think Lilly will be back?”, Jason asked Crystal while he was looking around for his spear, “Should we leave her a note saying that we’re going to the river to catch some fish for lunch?” “No”, Crystal said, “She’ll find us.” Jason found his spear and they all went down to the river. On their way to the river, they heard a scream. “Let’s go check it out”, Chris said. “I know who screamed”, Crystal said, the color draining from her face, “It was Lilly.”
 

      When they finally got to the river, they found Lilly laying face down on the ground. Crystal ran up to Lilly and lifted her head. “Lilly”, Crystal said shaking her, “Lilly wake up. Come on and wake up. It’s me Crystal.” Lilly’s eyelids started to open slowly. “Crystal”, Lilly said weakly, “What happened? How did you find me?” “We heard you scream”, Crystal said, “When we got here, you were laying face down on the ground. Do you remember what happened?” “Not really”, Lilly said sitting up, “My head feels like it just hit a brick wall. All I remember is sitting looking at the fish when they all scattered. After that I don’t remember anything. What are you doing here anyway?” “We were going fishing”, Crystal said, “Are you sure you’re okay?” “Positive”, Lilly said standing up, “I feel fine.” So you brought them with you or did you come with them?”, Lilly asked when she saw the others. “We all came to fish”, Crystal said, “Want to join in?” “Sure why not”, Lilly said.
 

      They started fishing, while the others watched and played around near the river. When they had caught enough fish to feed everyone, they started a fire and fried the fish. Crystal, being an excellent chef, cooked the fish. Pretty soon, the air smelled like cooked fish. The fish were done in a matter of minutes. Everyone sat down around the fire and started eating. While everyone was eating, Crystal was watching Jason, Chris and Lilly eat. She couldn’t help but notice how down Lilly looked. I’ll talk to her later before the party, Crystal thought, then I’ll see what’s wrong with her so she can enjoy the party. When everyone was done, they put out the fire and went back to the village. Lilly went back to the place where they were staying to modify it and get some sleep. The others went to Chris and Jason’s tent and talked until it was time to start getting ready for the party.
 

      They were getting ready, when someone brought the clothes that were made for the others to the tent. There were beautifully decorated kimonos for the girls and different colored robes for the boys. “Wow”, Kizna said once she had changed, “These are so cool. Do we get to keep them?” Crystal nodded. “When are you going to change?”, Kizna asked. “I’ll change once I go and get Lilly”, Crystal said, “We’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t start without us!” Crystal flew off in the direction that Lilly was walking in.
 

      When she made it to the house, she went inside and woke Lilly up. “It’s time for the party”, Crystal said once Lilly got up, “We’re going to be late.” “I’m up already”, Lilly said getting out of bed and stretching, “What party are you talking about?” “The elder told us after you left”, Crystal said, “The villagers are holding a party in our honor to make up for all the stuff that happened.” That woke Lilly up fully. “Well what are we waiting for?”, Lilly asked, “Let’s go!” They flew to the village again.
 

      When they got there, evening had come and the village was like a huge light bulb. There were lights every where. Lilly and Crystal flew to where the others were at Chris and Jason’s house. “I didn’t expect this”, Crystal said, “Where’s Jason and Chris?” “They said they would meet us at the party”, Hiead said, “Do we really have to go?” “Yes”, Lilly said, “You should enjoy this because if I remember correct you are the sourpuss of the group and needs to get out more.” Crystal snapped her fingers and her clothes changed into her kimono. Lilly did the same. “Now we’re ready”, Lilly said, “Let’s go!”
 

      They started walking to the main part of the village where the party was going to be held. When they got there, they were astounded. The village looked unrecognizable compared to when they first came. There were decorations on every tent and lights every where. While everyone was admiring the decorations, Lilly got an idea. “Hey guys”, Lilly said, “Why don’t we split up and check out the party. From all the things I could get in the atmosphere, this is suppose to be a good one.” “Lilly!”, Crystal said, “You weren’t supposed to do that.” “Oh well”, Lilly said, “How about it? Who ever is in raise your hand.” Everyone raised their hands. “Then it’s settled”, Lilly said, “We’ll each go our own way or in a group. I’m going to check out the food. When the party’s over, let’s all meet up at the food stands.” Then they all left in different groups.

      “Hey Crystal”, Lilly said, “I’m going to try and find Chris and Jason. Are you coming with me?” “Sure”, Crystal said, “They probably won’t be able to find us much less recognize us.” They went to the main part of the party. They grabbed a snack and continued their search. They found them sitting near the stage. “Hey Jason”, Lilly said walking up behind them. Jason and Chris turned around. “So how do we look?”, Crystal asked, “Do we look okay for the party?” Jason and Chris were speechless. Lilly was wearing a red kimono with yellow flowers and a golden trim around it. Her hair was pulled back in a bun in the middle of the back of her head. Crystal had a dark blue kimono with yellow flowers on it and a golden trim. Her hair was pulled back like Lilly’s.  “I guess that means we look fine”, Lilly said, “What were you doing over here? You should be enjoying the party.” Lilly grabbed Jason and Crystal grabbed Chris. They led both of them back to the party. “What is there to do?”, Lilly asked, “This is sort of boring.” “Well there’s a couple of shops over there”, Crystal said pointing to one of the more decorated tents, “Want to check them out?” “Yeah”, Lilly said, “Let’s go.” Crystal, Lilly, Jason, and Chris walked to the shops. “This is just like the street market”, Lilly said, “I wonder if any of the shops have anything good on sale.” They did a little window shopping. Then Crystal found a shop that had jewelry. They looked around while Jason and Chris waited. Lilly found a red pair of earrings that matched the color of her outfit and Crystal found a necklace that matched her outfit. They both bought their jewelry and rejoined the boys.

      They walked around for about a half hour. “The elder is going to be at the party and there’s going to be a play”, Jason said, “It should start in a few minutes.” “I guess it’s time to go to the stage area again”, Crystal said. They walked back and took their seats in the front. Soon the seats behind them were starting to get filled. The others in the group were sitting behind them, then the villagers. Once everyone was seated, the elder stepped up and began to talk. He was speaking in the village language, which Lilly and Crystal had forgotten. So Chris and Jason interpreted for them. “The elder says that he welcomes everyone and is happy everyone came. He says that he wants everyone to give a warm welcome to their special guest, Lilly and Crystal. He wants you to stand up.” Lilly and Crystal stood up and the villagers clapped as one of the other villagers walked up to them with flower necklaces. After they were put on them, they sat down. “He says that there is going to be a special play in honor of our guests. He’s talking about the events that happened when you lived here. Do you want us to tell you what he’s saying still?” “Yes”, Lilly said. They continued. “He says that a long time ago two angels fell from the sky from the gods. They were found at the river by a fisherman. They were raised as one of us. As with all angels, no one liked them. Everyone would pick on them and cause trouble for them. Then one day, misfortunate came to the people who raised the angels. Those people were burned in their own living quarters. The people were trying to kill the angels. The angels cried for three days. Then they found two other children who were in the same kind of spot they were in. They formed a friendship that even today still remains. This play will tell that story.” Then the elder got off of the stage and the play began. It went exactly to the story. Lilly and Crystal were watching the play with interest. When it came to the scene where their guardians were burned, Lilly couldn’t watch.
 

      When the play was over, everyone left to enjoy the party some more. Lilly got up and left. Jason followed Lilly. Lilly stopped at the edge of one of the cliffs that was outside of the village and sat down away from the edge. “Why did you come all the way out here?”, Jason asked. Lilly jumped in shock and turned around. “Oh”, Lilly said sitting back down, “I just needed to think about things.” “What kind of things”, Jason asked sitting down next to Lilly. “I don’t know any more”, Lilly said, “What I mean is I’m not sure who I am anymore. At one time I can be one kind of person and the very next second, I can be the exact opposite. I’m starting to think that it’s because of the bands.” “It’s happen to me before”, Jason said looking out at the full moon, “It happened right after you left. You were the first friend I had in a long time. When you left, I felt a piece of me leave too. I thought I would never see you again. But just yesterday, you came back. Why did you come back?” “A mission for G.O.A.”, Lilly said, “After we left here, they took us to one of the colonies. From there we were transported to different places for the only one purpose- to become the ultimate goddess pilot. Me and Crystal are both part of the program. We can’t really help it.” “So when are you leaving?”, Jason asked. Lilly noticed the slight sign of bitterness in his voice. “In two months”, Lilly said, “After I become a goddess pilot, I won’t be able to come to Zion at all. So I’m going to make them promise me one thing.” Jason’s head jerk up. “I’m going to make them promise that once every year I can come to Zion”, Lilly said standing up, “If they won’t make that promise, I’ll never become a goddess pilot.” “Why are you going to do that?”, Jason asked, “Your dream that you first told me about was becoming a goddess pilot. Why are you willing to throw it away with one decision?” “Because some things are more important to me than my dreams”, Lilly said, “What good are dreams if you can’t enjoy them to their fullest because you know deep down inside you’re hurting because of something?” Jason stood up in surprise. Lilly started walking back toward the village. Jason followed her.
 

      When Lilly and Jason got back, the candidates and repairers were waiting for them. “See ya tomorrow”, Lilly said as Jason left. Crystal appeared soon after. “Let’s go home”, Lilly said, “I’m beat. I definitely want to sleep.” “Me too”, Crystal said, “What about the rest of you?” Everyone nodded their heads. Lilly had modified the house, so her and Crystal could share a room. They walked back to the house and went to bed.
 

      The next morning, everyone got up late, expect Lilly. Crystal tried to get Lilly up before they ate breakfast. “Hey Lilly”, Crystal said, “It’s time for breakfast.” “I’m not hungry”, Lilly said burying herself more under the blanket, “It’s freezing in here. Could you turn up the heat?” “Yeah sure”, Crystal said, “Are you sure you’re not hungry?” Lilly had fallen back asleep and didn’t answer. “Oh well”, Crystal said. She left the room closing the door quietly behind her. “Where’s Lilly”, Zero asked. “She’s not hungry”, Crystal said sitting down and taking a piece of toast (the girls had cooked again), “She went back to sleep.” “Are we going back to the village”, Kizna asked. “Don’t know”, Crystal said, “If you guys want to I guess we could.”
 

      After she finished eating, Crystal went back to her room to try and wake Lilly up again. “Hey Lil’”, Crystal said shaking Lilly, “Lilly get up. We’re going to the village. Are you coming?” “No”, Lilly said, “You guys go without me. I’ll meet up with you guys in a little bit.” “Okay”, Crystal said doubtfully. She left the room closing the door behind her again. “She says she doesn’t want to go”, Crystal said, “She’ll meet up with us later. I guess you’re ready.” They left and went to the village.
 

      When they came back around one o’clock in the afternoon, Crystal found Lilly still in bed, this time complaining about the room being too hot. Crystal turned the heat down and felt Lilly’s forehead. It was burning up. “Lilly you have a giant fever”, Crystal said. Then she saw that the sheet was bloody. She looked at Lilly’s arms and found the cut. It was right above her elbow. Crystal looked at the blood and knew that she had to have been poisoned. “Lilly how did you get poisoned?”, Crystal asked. Then it hit her. It had to be Shadow’s poison needles. It looked like it had only grazed her arm. She tied the sheet around Lilly’s arm and lifted her up out of bed. “Hey you guys”, Crystal yelled through the house, “We have to go back to the village. Lilly’s sick.”
 

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