Born Bad

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Koronah was walking aimlessly. She held the note in her hand. She looked down at it every now and then to make sure that the words written were still there and not her imagination. She couldn't help but smile.

Everything seemed to be coming together.

Koronah could see a park a few blocks away. She decided to consider what her next step would be while sitting on an old park bench. She walked past an antique shop on the way. In the display window she saw many objects that teenagers nowadays would render ratty, or uncool. They were the sort things that they would see in their grandparents' house.

Right next to a beautiful porcelain doll with a Victorian style green dress, glass green eyes, and blonde, curly hair, she saw a very elegant chess set. She remembered she and her mother would always play chess. She taught her how to strategize and how to plan and predict your opponent's next move. The chess set was a wonderful wooden board with white and dark brown pieces, craved with the greatest care. It was polished to perfection and looked too good not to be played with every day, unlike common plastic pieces.

Koronah wondered if Albedo would like chess. She imagined he would. After all, it was all about strategy. She imagined he would be quite the master. Koronah wanted so badly to purchase the chess set, but she didn't have any Earth money on her at the moment, plus the store was closed. She put the note in her pocket and continued to walk.

The park was empty, thank goodness. Koronah walked over to one of the swing sets and sat down. She started to sway her legs back and forth. The next thing she knew, she was swinging slowly.

The moon was above her, silently looking down, like a watchful deity of the people of Earth. Koronah watched lone cars pass by. Whatever business they had at this hour, could only make for interesting anecdotes. The people of this planet are lucky. They have it way too easy. Koronah thought to herself. If it weren't for Ben Tennyson and the Plumbers, they all would have been space dust by now.

As Koronah swung to and fro, she thought about her relationship with Albedo. They only met a few days ago. The first night they did meet... Well, it was unforgettable on her part. He made her feel like no one ever made her felt before.

She knew he had a dark side, but she knew that deep down there he had a good side as well. When she researched him on the Extra-Net, she read that Albedo used to be Azmuth's apprentice. So he was there when the Omnitrix was created. She wondered what caused the spark that lit the fire of determination to take it from him. Was it envy, jealously?

Shaking her head, Koronah switched the topic and thought about how on Earth, people - a male and a female - who kiss and touch each other intimately are considered a couple, who connect on an emotional level. Was that what they were? No, Koronah didn't want the weight of another relationship pulling her down. She still didn't live down the pain of the first one.

How did Albedo view it? Surely he didn't think of them as boyfriend and girlfriend? That would only complicate things even further for both of them. The arrangement was only temporary, but they had never openly discussed it. It was swept under the rug along with the fact that Albedo never bothered asking her about her past.

Koronah walked past the antique shop again. The sign said: Ye Old Antiques in fancy calligraphy. The logo was a cartoonish picture of a knight is shiny silver armor posing with a shield and sword. Knights... The Forever Knights! "That's perfect!" Koronah exclaimed silently. "They'll most definitely have all the parts I need. And a few weapons to boot."

Remembering things seemed like such an easy task for Koronah these days, especially the location of one of the Forever Knight castles. Walking all the way across the city wasn't what Koronah considered to be pleasant, even in her worn out sneakers, so she used the teleportation spell she used to get away from the plumbers. She first went into an empty alley to make sure there was no one watching her. She recited the ancient language and focused on not using all of her mana.