Times New Roman

Times New Roman 4 - Convergence

​-August 2002 -

-​Archen

​There's been a subtle shift in the air, a flux of motion and energy, as if the beginning of a vortex is forming, a burgeoning storm. In stark contrast to this phenomenon, my friends seem to have mellowed out. Both Gray and Meredith seem to have lost a chain holding them down, as if the shadow looming behind them has become less dark.

Fay, on the other hand, hasn't changed much, at least on the surface. She keeps dragging us along on whatever flights of fancy she has. Her countenance remains the same, but some of her subtler actions and words betray a change.

When she drags Meredith on one of her adventures, it no longer feels like she's merely showing off something she found. Instead, she gives the impression of wanting to share the experience together. Rather than taking us along for the ride and letting go at the destination, she wants to keep holding on.

I might be assigning more meaning to their actions than I honestly should, but all these small changes, these tiny transitions in our relationships, they seem so obvious to me. It's hard to explain where these feelings and thoughts are coming from.

At the same time, as our friendship deepens, I've started to notice a difference in how people in this town are treating Gray. In the past, I assumed they were just weirdly traditional in showing noble heirs their respect, but their contrasting reactions to Fay, who is apparently of an even higher rank, are striking.

Where Fay gets treated like any other girl her age, albeit respectfully, Gray's words carry an unusual gravitas in the reaction they receive. One gets fond amusement, the other something close to reverence. They both have servants, but while Fay receives some guidance and assistance, Gray is being waited on hand and foot.

Take the current situation as an example. Meredith and Fay are here again, and Fay decided to go into town since we actually have some sun today. Once there, she explained that her brother had told her about a fun and new game in the arcade.

Apparently, he took his girlfriend there. Fay looks at her etiquette teacher who is also her attendant, waggling her eyebrows at the maid.

Huh. A noble and a servant love story.

When I glance at the maid, I notice a dusting of red on her face. She doesn't look away, but she neither confirms nor denies it.

Such actions, speak more than a thousand words.

Her brother apparently mentioned that the game was a good way to train balance and footwork while the arcade ambiance was useful for testing focus in distracting situations.

That seems like an extremely roundabout way of saying he enjoyed it, but I guess propriety is important for people like them.

Once we arrive, Fay leaves us at the entrance to gawk at the machines while she gets Elaine, that's the name of the maid, to exchange their bills for coins.

"Anyone been to an arcade before?" I ask.

They exchange glances, then turn to me simultaneously.

"I don't like computers or machines," Meredith responds with resignation.

"I'm not sure about these, but I'm willing to learn!" Gray pumps her fists.

I hope Fay has some kind of plan. These two seem completely hopeless.

Fay returns with Elaine, who carries a small bucket filled to the brim with coins. Fay skips toward the middle area, waving us along. Over the noise of the machines, she calls out, "Come on, come on, the Dee-Dee-Arr game is here."

I shrug and glance at my two technologically challenged companions, thinking to myself that it's still early. They can still learn the way of the future.

As we arrive at the center area, I spot the latest popular arcade fad—an honest-to-God Dance Dance Revolution machine. Unfortunately, a little white paper taped to the screen announces bad news. It seems Fay didn't take possible renovations into account.

She looks crestfallen, and Elaine consoles her, pointing out other machines. Fay shakes her head. "Wait a moment, I'll go ask the owner about it."

Meanwhile, Gray and Meredith start a game of air hockey. At first, they comment on how "quaint" it is. That changes the moment Gray scores the first point. Meredith's posture stiffens for a moment before she turns serious. Gray, still in a lighthearted mood, doesn't notice the shift until Meredith evens the score and gives her a smug look.

I see realization settle in—this is a competitive game now. Gone is the chatter, replaced by two hyper-competitive idiots vying for victory. Watching their serious expressions over such a silly arcade game is amusing, but it's also nice to see Gray express more emotion in public.

As their match continues, I wander toward the counter to eavesdrop on Fay's negotiations.

"No, sorry, little miss, we can't install the new machine today. We need people for the configuration," the manager patiently explains.

"Can't you get someone else to do it right now? I can pay for them if they come as soon as possible," Fay insists.

"No, no, no. It's not just about the right person. It's mostly a safety concern."

On and on they go—one politely but firmly denying a young girl her insistent wishes, the other speed running the spoiled rich kid experience.

Do they sell popcorn around here? I've never seen this type of conversation in person before. I see Elaine is irritated at the display, but won't interfere in her charge's behavior in public. Once they get back home, Fay is most likely getting a scolding.

As I watch this comedy unfold, the other two finish their match and join me, observing the train wreck. Gray laughs softly at all the rich-girl tactics Fay employs.

Then, the arcade manager notices Gray standing next to me. His eyebrows shoot up, and his entire demeanor changes. In a complete reversal of his previous stance, he turns to Gray and asks, "Young mistress, I did not know you graced our establishment today. Were you and yours planning to use the Dance Dance Revolution machine?"

His voice takes on a simpering tone, and his eyes regard her as if she were a holy artifact.

I feel her stiffen beside me as her facade snaps back into place. A quiet sigh escapes both her and Meredith, as if they've seen this behavior countless times before.

Gray responds in a detached tone, "Yes, my friends and I planned to partake in its use after a recommendation from a family friend."

"If the machine is broken, you don't have to disparage yourself. This is not your fault."

"That is not the case, young mistress. I simply did not know you were with them. In that case, we actually have the new machine in the staff area for testing purposes. That section is usually not open to the public, but for the young mistress, we can always make an exception."

Still in that distant voice, she gestures toward him. "Lead the way."

As he takes us to the back of the arcade and opens the "Staff Only" door, he continues his over-the-top flattery. "What we had in the front was the first edition of the game, but it has already been in use for a few years. Here in the back, especially for you, young mistress, we have the newest version, Dancing Euro MIX2."

And on he goes, trying to ingratiate himself.

Once inside, he shows us how to turn it on and inserts a key, as it would be unthinkable for Gray to pay for something like this.

Gray simply says, "Thank you for the hospitality. You can leave us now."

He departs, looking immensely pleased with himself.

I glance at the despondent Gray and attempt to lighten the mood.

"Was that as exhausting for you as it was for me to watch? Because that was mildly, nay, extremely uncomfortable."

"You have no idea. A third of the people... never mind. Yes, that's almost par for the course. It's why I only visit certain parts of town."

"Maybe next time, we can do something at the orphanage. I've never seen the staff act like this toward you, and the matron always asks me how you're doing." I add thoughtfully.

Thinking back on all the times the matron showed interest in our outings and my retellings of some of our funny conversations.

That manages to perk her up. She nods. "Yes, I think I'd like that."

Behind us, Elaine glances at Fay and nods subtly. Fay, who had been deflated from the manager's behavior, suddenly brightens.

She bounces between us, grabbing our arms and dragging us toward the machine. "Enough gloom and doom. It's time to dance!"

She laughs in that infectious way of hers, and I can't help but laugh along.

There is definitely something wrong here. Something that I don't know about. Something I can't fix yet, but I for sure will. In time.

For now, "Let's dance."

-December 2002-

I'm preparing the small living room next to the matron's office when, earlier than expected, Meredith and the gang walk in.

"Ohohoho, it is your great honor to be in my royal presence. If you wish to profess your eternal loyalty and service to me, now is the occasion. I will be magnanimous and forgive your past transgressions."

That's... what?

I look at the three of them. Fay just rolls her eyes good naturedly while Gray's lips keep twitching in mirth.

In contrast to their lackadaisical attitude, Meredith stands there, hands proudly on her hips, looking at me imperiously.

None of it has the desired effect. If anything, it only makes the scene more hilarious.

"Did—did you learn to laugh like that from Japanese comics?" I manage to stutter between hiccupping laughter.

"They are not... Ahem." She coughs and barely manages to catch herself.

"Someone of my status and peerage does not concern themselves with third-rate literature," she continues.

I have to sit down to keep myself from toppling over from laughing so hard. I look up, and she's still watching me expectantly, while the other two are starting to crack, thanks to my knee-jerk reaction.

After a minute, I finally manage to get my laughter in check. Clearly, it's been too long for her liking—as she's now impatiently tapping her foot.

I cough to clear my throat. "So... what's this about?"

"You are looking at a true and blue heir to the throne of the British Isles. A princess in the flesh." She responds grandly.

Okay...

"C-congratulations?"

She deflates at my lackluster response.

"That is not how this was supposed to go." She stomps her foot. "Aren't you supposed to be more in awe? A princess!" She pouts. "I even had all these silly things planned for you to do."

"I kinda forgot you weren't already a noble's daughter. You act with more propriety than her." I gesture to Fay, who waves back happily, clearly agreeing. "And she's a duke's daughter. They both are."

"Two duke's daughters, a princess, and an orphan walk into a bar." I blurt out.

She just looks confused.

"It's a joke... Never mind."

"But what I mean is, I've been treating you the same as them. I don't know what you want." I shrug.

"It's not as if this changes my opinion of you either," I add distractedly.

That stops her in her tracks.

At this point, the other two step forward to help set up. We prepare for our biggest possible conflict—the ultimate test of friendship.

Monopoly.

We sit around, waiting for the tea and biscuits to arrive, engaging in inane chatter. They gossip about some ridiculous family drama.

The matron walks in, pushing a trolley filled with all the classic British tea-time necessities. She chats with the three of them while I finish dividing the money and shuffling the cards.

I'm not really paying attention, but I catch snippets of their conversation. "Next year... historical... arc... interested... castles... school..."

"My name's already short enough, right? No need to shorten it even more." I interject.

Fay quickly pipes up. "It is, but it doesn't roll off the tongue as easily. That's why I'm campaigning for everyone to use the nickname."

I smile ruefully. "I can't stop you either way. Do as you please."

She just sticks her tongue out.

They all glance at the matron, who turns to me.

"They told me you've been bored in the tournaments you joined last year. That they don't challenge you, and you want to hold off on competing until you're eligible for the older divisions."

Yeah, I did tell Gray that. Winning against them doesn't mean anything anymore. I only do it for the rewards I get at home.

"The three of them have also been trying to convince me that you should be tested for the advanced lessons at the Golden Dawn branch here." She continues calmly, though I catch a hint of distaste.

That's the mega-corporation their parents are part of. Do they have an advanced schooling system too?

"I agree that you're being held back by the current pace of teaching, so the schooling part makes sense. But you're already signed up for next year's nationals at the end of May. I think that should be your last competition. If you still feel the same afterward, you can join them at the preparatory academy."

This sounds amazing. I can relax on tournament training while ditching middle school classes and joining them in whatever advanced education they receive. Considering how much smarter they are than my other peers, it can't be worse than what I'm dealing with now.

"I'd really, really like that. It would be more fun if I were in the same class as them. I get along with them better than the others."

"Good. I'll contact the dean and your coaches." She ends the discussion with finality.

"Fay also told me you're interested in historical items and famous landmarks?"

Interest is the wrong word. It's more of a curiosity—a need. Ever since the events near the graveyard at the beginning of the year, I've become more susceptible to sensing anomalous energies. Not in the same way as back then, but I can feel certain items or buildings calling out to me.

"Mostly just castles," I hedge. Definitely not for the reasons they think.

Yes, mostly castles. They shine like torches in the dark compared to the flickering fireflies of old armor and weapons or the barely perceptible motes from antique furniture.

"Your last competition is on the Isle of Skye, which has a lot of historical landmarks. As a reward for your victories, I thought it would be a nice change of pace for all of you to visit the island a week early for sightseeing. You'll be accompanied by Tor as the trip leader, along with the coaches and other participants."

A free vacation is a free vacation, and Tor is good company. Plus, this aligns perfectly with my desire to visit historical sites. If I'm lucky, I might get some answers about this... calling.

"Think about it, and once you've made up your mind, let me know. Preferably before the end of the year." She pats my back.

Before heading to her office, she stops by Gray, her tone softening. "It's good to see you here more often. Remember, you're always welcome. You're among family here."

She hugs her gingerly and leaves.

It's becoming more and more obvious that Gray's family is split into multiple factions, all with vested interests in her. Thankfully, at least one of them seems to genuinely care about her well-being.

Clan politics, and I'm smack dab in the middle of it.

For now, I set that aside and focus on what's important.

Making these idiots regret ever inviting me to play Monopoly.

-May 2003-

"You are telling me you haven't had fish and chips the entire time since you've been at the mansion?" Tor asks me in incredulity.

"Before we go to the last stop of the day, we are going to get you something hot and greasy. The touring bus will make a pit stop near a good chain pub. You can enter with me as long as you don't try to sneak some alcohol. Mum will never let me live it down if I got you drunk," he jokingly adds.

"I've been meaning to ask this earlier, but why are we in a guided bus tour? Since the others didn't want to join, I would have expected us to take your car. That would have given us more freedom and less hassle."

He sighs. "I don't like to drive, and taking the touring bus adds to the holiday spirit. I can't take as many pictures if I have to be focused on the road."

This is as much a vacation for him as it is for me. I didn't think of it that way.

After we have some classic British fast food, we head to the final landmark of the tour. According to the guide, we are in luck. Today we will be seeing a sight not many can claim to have witnessed.

With a sky completely clear of clouds and a warm spring breeze, we will see the castle Dún Scáith bathed in a solar eclipse.

Not that the solar eclipse matters to me at all. It's just a natural phenomenon that happens all the time.

No, what I'm really after is the coup de grâce of the tour. A visit to a castle straight out of mythology. Human mythology.

While visiting all the remnants of history, I can feel something inside me building up. No, awakening or repairing. As if a diminished part is slowly becoming whole. With every visit, it swells and pulses, slowly expanding, accumulating, and I can feel it coming to a head.

Tor hands me a pair of shades and explains, "When you look at the eclipse, make sure to wear these, or you might go blind from the light."

The mundanity of our talks is keeping me grounded. Without our inane conversations, this rush of power would have had me in a fugue state the entire time. All the sites, all the wonders.

Well... except those fairy pools and mountains. They looked normal, felt normal, and acted normal. There was absolutely nothing to see there. Yet behind the seeming normality, there is something. Something almost indescribable, and only one word I can think of fits—alien.

With a low rumble, the engine of our bus stops at the foot of a hill. An unhardened yet reasonably maintained path leads to the top. As we all exit the vehicle, our tour guide explains, "We are almost at the final stop of our three-day round trip of the Isle of Skye. As you can see, our last destination is at the top of the hill. The path is safe to use. We will convene at the top for the explanation after the solar eclipse. You can buy some sunglasses from our..."

I start to slowly walk up the hill. The call is getting stronger the closer I get. As I move upward, I can feel the change begin. In contrast to the historical monuments, where the surrounding aura felt dead, this place—while the most ruined of them all—still feels alive.

At the foot of the castle, where the gate should have been, stands an arch, decaying and broken. It feels like a boundary, yet it is unopened, as if a catalyst is needed to see beyond the smoke and mirrors.

As I ponder how to continue, the other visitors pass by me, walking to the top. None of them notice or pay attention to this divide.

"At the top here would be the best area to see the solar eclipse," the guide dutifully continues his spiel.

Once they have all passed me and I am once more alone, I gingerly touch the arch to see if it might spark something.

As I touch the stone gateway, my stick appears in my hand unbidden. Instantly, the seven leaves vanish in a sparkle of blue, and I hear a feminine voice.

  Only when brightest day 

 Turns to blackest night 

 Shall the lands of shade and gray 

 Be reached by mortal might  

​With the hauntingly clear voice still in my ears and the eclipse nearing its highest point, I can feel the build-up reach its end. As the sun is almost completely blotted out by the moon, my stick starts to twist and change. Gone is the branch-like feel and structure. In its place, black and white wood twist around each other in a helix pattern, ending in a key.

As the zenith is reached and the transformation almost complete, I see what once was a ruined castle return to its former glory.

But you know the age-old adage—if you look behind the curtain, it might just... look back.

I can feel a monstrous presence behind me, filled with the same type of malevolent energy I felt earlier this year. I turn around just in time to see a hulking figure—an abomination of rot and decay.

With the veil slightly lifted, a shade from the other side has managed to manifest. Even in its diminished form, I stand no chance of actually beating it.

I turn my stick toward the filth, hoping... and praying, no, willing for something to happen.

  Awakening complete

​As two faces appear near the tip of the staff, I can feel the build-up explode, sending a blast of purples, crimsons, and blues into the monstrosity, sundering its form and sending it back where it came from. The blast rockets me backward through the arch, slamming me into the restored gate behind me and knocking me unconscious.

  Balance Breaker

 Duality – Staff of End and Beginning

​-?-

​In a place where time and space have very little meaning, a place just within grasping distance or impossible to reach, an existence untouched by the passing of millennia sits on their throne, passing their time in simple solitude.

That is until a single day when, once more, the two worlds are closest to each other, and they must take care of the pests that wish to enter the mortal world. Their duty is sacred. Theirs is the task of guarding the gate.

This time is no different from the last. The castle is more in ruins than before, its faded glory barely recognized by those who look upon it. Eras may pass, but people remain the same.

Except this time, there is a difference. A boy, no older than fifteen summers, stands on the boundary. Unlike the others, he isn't looking at the ruins. He is looking at something the others can't see. He looks at them. This gives them a slight pause.

That slight pause is enough for a faded god of pestilence, one from a pantheon forgotten even by the current gods, to manage to send a flicker of their power to the other side. Materializing behind the boy, they prepare to strike the monstrosity down with impunity. No shade shall harm the mortal world.

But they don't have to act. The boy notices the disturbance and manages to turn around just in time to see the curse lunging at him. He is inexperienced, yes, but in the face of danger, he does not run from something beyond his understanding. No, he brandishes his weapon and wills it to strike.

Good. Act with courage. Even in desperate situations, do not falter.

The temporal blast he sends at the monster is strong for one of his age, yet the faded remains of a god are too much for a mortal boy to handle.

As the wretched abomination continues its lunge, they strike in a gale of crimson, their spear obliterating the remnant with laughable ease. The combination of the blast and their strike rockets the boy backward through the gate.

Into their domain.