The Chronicles of Earth and Time

Chapter 8

Terra quickly ran out of the cave into the nearby forest. She was just about to teleport away when she noticed someone teleporting nearby. She hid behind a nearby tree just in time to see Ustrina appear in a swirling mass of fire. Terra sighed in relief and approached Ustrina quietly.

"Ustrina?" Terra questioned as she tapped her shoulder gently. Ustrina jumped and quickly turned armed with a fire ball glowing in the palm of her hand.

"Terra?" Ustrina questioned back as she flicked her wrist causing the ball of fire to disappear. "What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to have a meeting with Aqua today?" Ustrina asked curiously.

"Aqua never showed up so I came here looking for her. What are you doing here?" Terra asked still nervous about the way Ustrina had reacted upon seeing her.

"I actually came looking for Aqua as well. I wanted to apologize for making her so nervous during the Gathering Feast the other day since she apparently thinks that I am the rising threat. I was hoping I could catch her before she left to see you." Ustrina answered quickly. Terra raised an eyebrow at her not really believing that this was the full story.

"Are you alright? You seem pretty nervous plus you almost hit me with a fire ball." Terra asked curiously as she felt the heat radiating off Ustrina intensely.

"Well," Ustrina gulped nervously as she glanced around to make sure the cost was clear, "have you seen the cave?" She asked in almost a whisper.

"Yes," Terra admitted as she clutched what she found in there even tighter and hid it behind her back.

"I was nervous because I thought whoever did that to Aqua was still around. I mean it's horrible and Aqua is nowhere to be found. I searched the cave, but I didn't find anything." Ustrina sighed. "Did you look? Have you found anything?"

"I did look, but I found nothing." Terra half lied not wanting Ustrina to find out that she did find a massive clue. "I am going to go ask around and try to figure out what happened. If I find anything I will come find you." Terra quickly disappeared leaving a confused Ustrina behind staring at the falling leaves left behind by Terra's cyclone.

Terra stormed down the stone path that led toward Father Time's Castle. Terra could feel the earth rumbling and the plants beginning to grow out of control as she walked. As she approached the castle, Terra could see briars beginning to wrap around the castle. She tried to calm down, but the vines continued to grow in accordance to her anger. Terra did not even bother to knock as she threw the castle doors open. Aevum looked up at her in surprise. He had been walking down the grand staircase reading different documents when Terra suddenly slammed the door open.

"Terra? What are you doing here?" Aevum asked genuinely confused by what was happening. "Is something wrong?"

"Do you know what happened to Aqua?" Terra asked in a low, dangerous tone that frightened Aevum a bit. Aevum walked slowly down the stairs toward Terra who showed no emotion in her face what so ever.

"What do you mean?" Aevum questioned getting increasing more worried by the minute. "Did something happen to Aqua?"

"She was supposed to meet me this morning at my home." Terra began as she felt the plant life outside become more erratic. "I awoke at noon to find that she hadn't even showed up. She was hours late so I decided to go to her cave to check on her." Terra paused her explanation and looked Aevum in the eye for the first time since she arrived. "I found her home completely destroyed with Aqua nowhere to be found. However, I did find something." Terra held out the small object she found so Aevum could see it.

"My time watch!" Aevum gasped in surprise as he dropped all his papers and looked in his drawstring bag that he kept tied around his waist to find a perfectly smooth rock. He pulled out the rock in confusion. It was the exact same size and weight of his pocket watch. Terra watched as realization began to dawn on her. She could not believe it. Aevum was framed.

"Wait? You didn't know you pocket watch was missing?" Terra asked in a confused tone as she took the stone from Aevum's hand.

"I haven't checked on it since I showed you and Aura at the Gathering Feast." Aevum responded as he took his watch back. Terra examined the stone. It was a dark grayish black color that was very finely grained and covered in many small voids. Terra knew this type of rock, but she could not place exactly what it was. "Wait, Aqua is missing?" Aevum asked urgently as he quickly picked up the papers and set them on a nearby table.

"Yes, Ustrina is searching for her right now. We think the rising threat may have something to do with her disappearance." Terra explained as she felt her anger calm down causing the plants outside to slowly sink back into the earth.

"What I don't understand is how someone could have swapped my watch for a stone without me even knowing about it. How could that happen? I haven't seen anyone besides you, Aura, Ustrina, and Aqua. I mean I have seen Aion and Gaia, but I know they couldn't have done that. They are the ones in danger." Aevum questioned out loud as he placed the watch back into its rightful place.

"Well, now I know that it's not you since it seems like you have been framed. It's obviously not Aqua. So that leaves Ustrina, Aura, and me." Terra reasoned as she counted the number of suspects on her fingers.

"I hate to say this, but what about Aura?" Aevum suggested in a disappointed tone.

"Aura? You think Aura could be the rising threat?" Terra asked in denial to what Aevum could be suggesting.

"I don't want to think it's her. I think of her as a daughter, but she is the only one who we haven't thought could be the threat and she could have easily switched out my pocket watch. She was sitting near us at the feast and was walking with us afterward. That could have given her the perfect opportunity to make the switch." Aevum explained even though he really did not want to think about the young girl he treated like a daughter would be the rising threat.

"Now that you mention it she could have easily destroyed Aqua's home. She is the elemental of air. Aura might have been able to dry up the water in Aqua's cave." Terra concluded as she reasoned out the facts in her head.

"We need to confront her." Aevum pointed out as he made his way toward the castle doors.

"Wait!" Terra cried just as Aevum reached the doors. He stopped and looked at her with concern. He could see the sadness written all over her face, but it appeared as though she was trying to put up the tough front. "I need to go myself."

"But..." Aevum began until he was cut off.

"No buts. This is something I need to do myself." Terra stated as she walked passed Aevum and out the door. Aevum looked after her worried and contemplating whether he should go after her regardless of what she told him to do.