Back in Time {an SGE fanfic}

Chapter 5

Rafal stepped back from Rosalind, dazed. "You can sit down, if you'd like," she offered, helping him up. Rafal attempted to smack her hand away, but Rosalind dodged it and pulled him over to the tree. He slumped down by it, and said, "I don't know why I was so shocked by that...I just met several people who were also from the future..." 

Rosalind smiled softly. "Isly, Sophie, Agatha, and Tedros, correct?" 

"How on earth do you know that?!" Rafal backed up as far as he could. "Are you some sort of freaky stalker? They sounded as if they took many precautions to protect their identities!"

"Well, they haven't been as inconspicuous as they let on," Rosalind chuckled. "Tedros yelled something like, "cowards come and fight me" which was rather amusing, to be honest,  and Sophie said something about  "the Witch of the Woods Beyond". Isly has been pulling her friends aside quite a bit to remind them to give nothing of the future away."

Rafal sighed. "I take it you won't tell me anything, either?"

"Correct."

"You do like to be difficult, don't you?"

The girl before him laughed. "I suppose I do, don't I?"

"Well, will you answer any of my questions?"

Rosalind sucked in a deep breath. The white-haired girl look contemplative, as if resolving a difficult decision. "Depends on what you ask."

"How did you recognize my brother and I?" Rafal asked.

"That is a long and complicated story that I cannot tell you or your brother. But one day we will meet again, I can assure you of that."

"Are you Good or Evil?"

Rafal watched Rosalind as she came up with her answer. He could usually read souls fine, but she was giving him trouble. The same kind of trouble that he got when he tried to read his own soul.

Rosalind shrugged. "I don't really know, come to think of it. I never went to your school."

"Who are your parents? Are they Nevers or Evers?" Rafal crossed his fingers, hoping he would get a real answer.

"I can't tell you who they are, but they are Nevers."

Just then, a shout echoed throughout the clearing. 

"Rafal! Did you find her?"

Rosalind smiled. "Better tell your friends your discovery." 

"Aren't you coming?" Rafal asked, clenching his fist in anger.

"Well, that would take the fun out of this, wouldn't it?" She climbed up a tree and disappeared.

Rafal gritted his teeth. That girl infuriated him. And with impeccable timing, Isly bounded into the clearing, followed by Agatha, Tedros, Sophie, and Rhian. All except Tedros and Isly were out of breath. Agatha and Tedros looked less...opaque, Rafal supposed. But why? "Did you find her?" Rhian wheezed.

"Yeah," Rafal replied. "But why-"

"No time for questions. Agatha and Tedros seem to be fading back to the future, and we need her to tell us why," Isly told him, and her stormy gray eyes spoke more than she did. Rafal knew what he needed to say. But he couldn't get it out of his mouth. It was like the words were stuck in his throat. "I couldn't tell you why they're fading, but I could tell you how they're fading," A voice from above said. A girl's voice. Rosalind's voice. 

Rosalind jumped out of the tree above them, and Sophie fell over out of shock. "WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU DO THAT TO MY TWIN YOU MONGREL!!!!" Sophie screamed. She lunged for Rosalind—and Rosalind used magic to push her back against a tree. Sophie fell unconscious. Agatha gasped, and gave Rosalind a death glare. 

"Relax, she'll be fine. I mean, she'll have a nasty bump on her head when she wakes up but still..." Rosalind dusted some leaves off her tunic and continued, "I didn't do anything to you or your friend princey-pants. But I do know that somebody is fading them back to their own time, likely because they have a plan that Agatha and King Blondie aren't a part of anymore. Oh, and by the way, Rafal here can fill you in on all the information he pestered me for. So don't ask me."

"I have a name you know!" Tedros whined. 

Everyone's heads swiveled to Rafal. Rafal held his hands up as if he was surrendering. "Don't ask me, she's the one who's keeping a billion secrets," he said. Once again everyone looked back to Rosalind. She sighed, defeated. "Fine, I'll spill. But I am going to only talk to Isly, since she would be the most...unbiased." 

Isly looked terrified. "W-why m-me?" she stammered. Rosalind smirked. "What, scared of me? And I've got a lot of reasons..." "Fine, fine, just get this over with." Isly dragged Rosalind a little ways into the woods, where they were both sure that they would not be heard. 

Rosalind smiled at Isly, and Isly scowled back at her. "Explain," Isly demanded. 

"I will, but first, take my hand."

"Why should I trust you?" 

"I don't know, but you can."

Isly took Rosalind's outstretched hand. The moment she did, the world went dark.

———

When Isly awoke, she found herself in a wooded thicket, with flowers and plants everywhere. Roses, nightshade, ivy, lupine, you name it. Isly wondered aloud, "Where am I?" 

"My thinking place."

Isly swiveled around to see Rosalind fingering a white-flowered plant in her palm. Enchanter's nightshade. Hilarious, Isly thought "I am a sorcerer, or rather, a sorceress, so I do have a thinking place. And you're in it. I thought it would be an appropriate place for the occasion."

Isly folded her arms across her chest. "Speaking of which..."

Rosalind replied, "Okay, okay, I've stalled enough, I get it. But I warn you, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. And I can promise that I will not lie to you. But first, I take it you have read The Tale of Sophie and Agatha and the Storian's most recent tale? I can't seem to recall the name..."

Isly replied, "Of course."

"Good. Then that makes my job a lot easier."

Rosalind sucked in a deep breath and began her tale.

Sorry this was so short! I'll update soon, I promise!

- RafalStorian