Souls of the Fallen

Lost Princess

Phase 1 Episode 7
Lost Princess

Pretty eventful day, huh? Tragic start for the boys but it was the kick in the butt they needed. They took the next few days to recover Toga's body and to recover from their injuries and loss. They held a funeral for their fallen teacher and the entire town attended. The classmates were supportive of each other, even Darren! After the funeral, Reno was given the letters that Toga had from the brother's parents. He's holding off on showing them to Riku until he's in a more stable mental state.

Riku's fit of rage hasn't been cleared up. They're still in the dark about what made him lose control. The clown is back to his playful self but still gets a little nervous around others. He's allowed to heal while Reno, Tasha, and Lucas work on making sure the school is in good order. Tasha will be the new lead teacher of Toga's class. This was decided upon by the current support teachers and the other elders of the town. Reno was nominated first but declared that he will be leaving the town soon. His nomination of Tasha shocked her but after a few words of encouragement, she owned up to the responsibility. A handful of students felt overlooked and separated from the school but the majority was in support of the decision.

The reason Reno gave for leaving was to find his and Riku's mother and father. Surprisingly, Lucas asked to accompany them. He felt the urge to travel and explore his new powers with someone with great control of their own. Reno approved to keep things fresh and to get some assistance with Riku's recovery. They began making sure everything is in order for them to depart. Once everything was punctuated there, of course, was a heartfelt goodbye between the boys and Tasha. She cried in Reno's arms for a bit while Riku and Lucas jested about them being a cute couple. Reno kisses her on the forehead and they part shortly after a few adorable inside jokes.

What? Why am I rushing? Well... I found Shoda. He's over there. Remember the friend of mine I told you about when we first met? He's free now. I want you to speak with him and have you hear the story of his daughter. It all ties in together, I promise! I just figured, who better to hear it from than the man that helped make her, right? Haha, don't worry! I'll be back! Are you ready for me to send you his way? ... Great! Hang tight and enjoy yourself over there!

Gentle winds pick up around you and the force behind them slowly lift you. Their careful caress sends you floating away from Kilik. The area grows brighter as you move slowly. He playfully waves as your point of view rotates away from him. Mountains of misty crystal formations coast past your peripherals. Their colors change from one hue to another. You see every color that your mind can register. Above you is an aura that also reflects the colors around you. It's a soft light, making the natural darkness just barely tolerable. In the distance, you see a figure flickering like the lights above him. As you get closer, his figure appears more solid but still ethereal. He turns to you slowly. His long dreadlocks flow around him and his face is revealed. A Green eye glows strongly against his dark complexion, while the other is covered by an eyepatch. He is dressed in formal tribal garbs. A warm smile welcomes you.

Eh! Ya must be da soul that Kilik spoke of... Welcome, friend. You're an anomaly to put it simply but I'm not one to shoo away a curious mind, ya know? I'm sure Kilik informed ya of who I am but lemme formally introduce myself. I am the... Wait... I WAS the leader of the Magi from the kingdom of Genesis! Dammit... Dat sounded loads better in my head. Oh well... Ya here for a story, right? Lemme give ya a quick rundown on... Huh? My dialect? Oh... I guess I gotta use my kingly speech for ya. Ahem! Is this better for you? Geez... I sound like my wife. I'll keep it professional.

Back to what I was saying... I'm going to tell you about my little girl. She's had a rough upbringing but luckily she got hit by a car and forgot most... wait... that sounded bad. Let me try again. Shina, my beautiful daughter lived a great life in our kingdom up until Damien put his plans into action and disturbed our peace. I sacrificed myself to protect her from a deranged scientist and my vizier when they attempted to take over the kingdom in Damien's name. My wife took care of the rest but she sent Shina out with an elderly couple and her best friend, Akira, to escape the threat to her life. They sailed far away and landed on a new continent in hopes that it was far enough. At the age of eight, she was separated from us... It hurts every time I think about it. The elderly couple that escaped with her were found days after landing on the new land.

They soon suffered the same fate as I. They bought the girls time by holding off the attackers while they escaped. Even those two ended up getting separated. Shina ended up in another nearby city but was not aware of their technological advancements. You see... In Genesis, we do not rely on vehicles for transportation. We use magic, scroll, scripts, and portals. Our bodies are infused with the powers of our ancestors and we have a connection to the souls here in The Flow. Our strength is displayed through markings on our bodies that form as we gain power. Even at a young age, Shina had a few markings of her own. Made me a proud papa! But I digress...

She wandered the streets of this city alone until she was struck by a speeding vehicle. Normally, a child wouldn't be able to survive such a collision to their tiny body. Fortunately, her strength allowed her to hang on long enough for her pursuers to see her out on the road. They left her for dead but grace stepped in as Jorja, a nurse on her way to work, scooped her up and took her to get care. She sat at her side for weeks, barely getting her work done. The hospital was in amaze as she didn't have any broken bones. Her skin was scratched up, cut up, swollen, and bruised. Amnesia and a large scar from the back end of her left eyebrow all the way behind her left ear were the only things notable.

Jorja took her in as her own and even gave Shina her last name, Reyes. Luckily, she was wearing a charm bracelet Akira gave her that had her name on it or that would've been lost too. The nurse became a teacher to Shina as she assimilated her into this continent's methods and cultural norms. Having a fresh slate made it a little easier. The two grew extremely close but five years after their fateful meeting Jorja fell deathly ill. Shina cared for her as she did Shina. Even through her sickness, the selfless woman made sure my daughter understood that her losses are not the end of the world. She kept her spirits high and when it finally came time for her to join us here in The Flow, Shina didn't fall into a strong depression.

The woman knew Shina would always be in good hands, because Sabrina, my wife, visited her regularly. She didn't inform Shina of their connection but made sure Jorja knew of our gratefulness for her sacrifices. Jorja exists here as well, a pure heart can easily maintain their worldly form and I'm not sure I've seen anyone more deserving. Shina has been staying in the house that Jorja willed to her and is faithfully going to school and even running an ironic business that she started at fourteen.

She's a mechanic! Bwahaha! Go figure, right? She's good too! Shina has always been a tomboy and even the amnesia didn't change that. The city that she's living in isn't the best but it's bustling enough to keep her busy. It has a risky law against Eons that are found there. My girl won't be confused as an Eon but she has this friend that she helped out of a sticky situation. Now, that friend is staying with her and that's illegal. Eons, regardless of age, are to be turned in to authorities and housing them can lead to as harsh a punishment as being one. Here... Kilik showed me a while ago how to open windows in time. I'll show you how that became a serious issue for my little knucklehead.

He also informed me that you'll need descriptions of the happenings in these windows... No worries! I got this. Here we go! The scene opens up with Shina returning home on her motorbike. One she built from scratch, I might add! I promise I'll stop bragging about my baby eventually. Forgive me... She enters the house through the garage door. It opens into a large living room. Stairs up to a kitchen on the second floor are set on the left while on the right is a hallway that leads to a few rooms and the bathroom. The front entrance of the house is also on the left but they rarely use that door.

Shina is fairly short. She gets that from her mother. Her hair is cut low and her scar is mimicked by a design that she cuts herself. Talented, huh? Her features are soft with eyes that are more sharp than round. She gets that from her mom too. Her skin tone is a tone lighter than mine and I was a good milk chocolate color... I rainbow now, baby! Haha... Let me stop toying around and get my story going.

"Oh! You're back!" Naru yells from the couch. That's her Eon buddy, pale skinned beauty with orange eyes and hair. She sports freckles and a green headband the holds her long hair in place. She hops off the sofa and runs up to Shina. The Eon gets excited as Shina pulls out a box of frozen food from her backpack. "Yes! We're eating good tonight!" Naru squeals. She scurries up the stairs in her green tank top and white boy shorts to put the food in the kitchen.

"I'll actually do some shopping tomorrow," Shina says. "I had to hurry to the shop to work on something for a client."

"Gotcha, girl! I ain't complainin'," Naru replies happily. "I'm sure Teru won't say anything either!" Oh! I forgot to mention the other person she's taken in. A young boy in a similar situation as she was at eight. She found a sunburnt kid wandering the street alone. His black mop top hair was mangled and he could barely stand on his own strength. She took him in four years ago; a year after Jorja passed. She was in for a shock once she got to his hand and found a cluster of shards similar to an Eon.

The kid was a special case. His growth of shards kept increasing over the years but has finally slowed as it has become a malleable glove of crystals. Little Teru calls Shina 'Sis' and feels as if they are blood relatives. She's become extremely attached to him as well. Reflecting the relationship between her and Jorja. Naru does the cooking, Teru the cleaning, and Shina handles the money making and outside dealings. They're a great team.

"Where is Teru?" Shina asks. She tosses her bag next to the couch and flops on it. Exhausted from school and working on the client work.

Naru replies, "He's studying, as always..." The kid is a scholar. He reads Shina's school books and even the extras from the library that Shina brings home for him. "TERU!!! SHINA'S HOME!" she screams fro the open second-floor kitchen. The excited girl leans over the railing and asks Shina, "Should I start cooking?"

To her surprise, Shina has fallen asleep. Teru walks in looking up at Naru. "My door is open... You don't need to scream, Naru." The twelve-year-old wanders the living room until he reaches Shina's side. "She's out cold. Must've been a long day. I'll go run some bath water for her. What used to be a messy head is now an adorable pompadour. Shina works hard on his appearance even though he doesn't get out much. He leaves her and prepares a bath for his big sis.

Naru suddenly lands on the sofa next to Shina's head. Shina springs up in terror from the fluff of Naru's landing. "Hey!" Naru whispers. "I started talking to this guy last week, right?" Shina nods, eyes red from lack of rest. "He invited me to go see him at the park. Can you take me?"

"No!" Shina grips her friend's right wrist and turns it upright. She points at her orange shard that's glowing very faintly. "Have you forgotten?"

"Of course not!" she whines. "I just need some affection... you know what I mean?"

Shina shakes her head while sitting up. "Teru lets you cuddle him while you force him to watch chick-flicks all the time..."

"I don't force him!" she yells.

"Yes, you do!" the kid says, returning into the room. Shina kicks and extends her arms. Teru runs into her embrace. "I could write better movies than the junk you make me watch."

"Teru... You're twelve... ACT LIKE IT!" Naru yells after getting scolded by the kid. "Shina... I need a man's attention. A girl can only do so much alone." Shina frowns and covers Teru's ears. "He's seen a sex scene before! We watched it together!"

"What the fuck!" Shina screams, shocked at her friend. "Stop tainting my little brother!"

"He liked it..." she replies. "He's almost at puberty anyway..."

Shina scoots away from her friend and says, "That is the most pedo thing I have ever heard in my life. I thought I knew you."

"You know I wouldn't dare harm my movie buddy," Naru replies. "Can you help me though?"

After sighing and rolling her eyes, Shina releases Teru and says, "Sure... When?"

Naru claps happily. "Now-ish?" She knows she asking a lot since Shina hasn't eaten yet.

"Can I eat first?" she asks.

"No, he told me eight..." Naru answers with a worried look. Shina is usually very stern about these types of things.

"Put on something presentable... and hurry up!" Shina replies to Naru's surprise. Without hesitation, Naru becomes an orange blur as she bolts to her room. "Am I too nice to her?" Teru nods and they share a laugh. "We'll be back quickly, okay?"

"I'll be fine," Teru says smiling. "I'll steal some of her chips to hold my bellyaches until you guys get back." They high-five as Naru makes it back in the room.

"Ready!" The happy teenage girl yelps. The slightly less happy one lifts herself from the couch, kisses her brother on the forehead, walks to the garage. She's quickly followed by Naru. They hop on Shina's bike and shortly after the garage door opens, they ride off into the night. Naru wears a large assortment of wristbands that match and contrast her headband. It helps hide her shard so things don't get ugly. "Over there," she says as they get near the place she was told to meet the dude she's interested in. They spot him near the fountain, waiting alone and fiddling his fingers. "Okay, wait here! I won't be long!" Shina shuts her bike off and lets it rest on the kickstand.

She watches Naru adjusts herself as she approaches the guy. Shina laughs to herself and takes in the sights. It's actually pretty nice out here at night. The pond behind her shines with the reflection of the moon and it illuminates the outlines of the trees around it. She starts to draw in the dirt with her feet. She looks back at the couple and they're already all over each other. He's holding her hands as she's leaning into him. She awkwardly yanks away from him suddenly. Shina tilts her head and watches more closely as she stands upright. The guy snatches Naru's right arm and Shina immediately starts sprinting towards them.

"I know what you are!" the aggressive fellow yells. He pulls Naru into him and lifts her right wrist. "I can feel the heat here, dummy! I was looking for some ass but I'll take the bounty instead!"

Naru struggles to break loose. "Let me go! You don't know anything!" He lets go of her left hand and pulls her wristbands down, exposing her shard. Just as he does, Shina reaches them.

"Let her go!" Shina yells to the attacker. "Christian?" she says, surprised that she knows the creep.

Christian looks at Shina with shock. "You know this Eon, Shina?" he asks.

"No! Just let her go!" she pleads. He shakes his head. Shina clenches her fists.

"Nah, fam..." he replies. "This is money! A lot of it at that!" Naru frowns and stomps on the ground next to his foot. He looks at her and laughs, "You missed, idiot." Roots suddenly start wrapping around his leg and he begins to freak out. Unfortunately, he doesn't release his grip. "Ah! Get this shit off of me!" Shina charges forward and palm strikes Chris on the arm that he is still holding Naru with. Two snaps ring out. One from the tree bark cracking apart and the other from his arm breaking from the force of Shina's attack. Naru falls backward from pulling away from his hold. The attacker screams in agony.

"Let's go!" Shina growls while pulling Naru from the ground and towards the bike. They hop on quickly and Shina revs her engine before peeling out. They leave the bounty boy on the ground to fend for himself.

"And THIS is why you don't need male attention!" Shina screams over the sound of her bike to her friend that she is rightfully upset with. "I go to school with him, Naru! SCHOOL! This messes up everything!" Naru weeps while holding Shina tightly. "Dammit!"