Ianite - Cursed Blessing

Falling Apart

Sunshine warmed the land, but Ianite felt nothing aside from a deep, hollow kind of chill that seemed to lay like a heavy blanket against her skin. She lay on her -no, Jordan's­- bed and curled up into a ball. She felt empty, as though a large part of her had fallen into the void to be lost forever. Ianita had gone to visit Martha and Syndicate and Jericho had just left the overworld to speak to Jordan...and Jordan; he hadn't spoken to or contacted her for a week.

She drew in a shuddering breath and turned over onto her back. A hand reached into the air and formed a circle with the thumb and pinky fingers. A small green orb flew into the circle and she released it. It expanded into a glowing green eye. Ianite swiped her hand across it and the surface dissolved into a screen.

"Hey Sparklez. You want to talk now?"

It was Syndicate. To Ianite's surprise he sounded gentle and caring, not at all like the goofy, mischievous person that she had met in the end. She pinched her fingers and the screen zoomed out. Her heart withered as she saw the scene.

Jericho sat next to Jordan with his hand on Jordan's arm, while Syndicate was knelt on one knee on the other side. And Jordan...he was sitting with his head between his knees and his arms around his legs in a clearly defensive position. His hair was mussed far more than usual and his clothes were ruffled and slightly ragged. When he lifted his head, a pain so deep and so sharp lanced through her that she physically flinched.

Tears stained his cheeks and as she watched as another one rolled gently down and fell ever so lightly onto his knee. His eyes were bloodshot and tired as they stared half-lidded into Jericho's.

"Hello Tom, Tucker," he whispered.

"Hey, Jordan," Jericho said. "Someone decided to tag along with us because she missed you. She'll be here any moment now."

"Who is it?" he replied in a soft murmur.

"It's Ian-" Jordan's eyes lit up, although Ianite couldn't tell if it was with joy or anger or some other emotion. "-ita"

He flinched and the light died as quickly as it had appeared.

"She doesn't need to see me like this," he said forcefully. "I'm her dad; I shouldn't be acting so weak."

He made to stand up but a firm tug from Jericho kept him on the ground.

"You aren't going anywhere until you've explained to us what happened," Syndicate retorted. "Sparklez, you have your down moments but I think it's been much longer than a moment at this point. Stop being a sausage and get it out, will you? C'mon, we're your friends. We should be here to support you. Yes I'm showing emotion and being caring, but that's because everyone's worried. Please, just at least tell us so we know who to kill - er, I mean talk to."

"It's a stupid reason," Jordan said. "You don't need to know. I don't even really know myself. I overreacted and acted like an idiot. Now I've probably lost my goddess and my daughter. Ianita doesn't need a dad who can't even be stable for her."

Jericho sighed.

"Tom, you want me to get her?" he asked.

A wordless nod from Syndicate was all the answer he needed. He stood with a slight grunt, tapped the selection pad on the portal, and vanished from the specter dimension.

"Jordan, I can promise you right now that it won't be a stupid reason. I won't laugh at you for this, especially if it's causing...this."

He held a hand out in Jordan's direction as though to say see? This is what happened. It's not right.