Interweapon:

This story is a fictional work created for the amusement of others. If you are not the age of 18 or the legal age the law conveys, please stop reading. If you find Homosexual sex offensive, stop reading. If you do not like stories with a violent nature or images stop reading.

Again, this is a work of fiction. You have been warned.

-         Thank you Dream Janus for helping me with this. I appreciate this tremendously!

-         And a huge thank you to Red for stepping in on such short notice on editing this chapter, I'm very grateful!

[Contact Info]- I always appreciate comments telling me if you like my work or not. Please e-mail criticism to my account at Aaron.Jay.W@hotmail.com or at Jouous_fruit@yahoo.com. Thank you

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Chapter 5: Rachel, Zeke, and Sapphira

The late night breeze gently gusted with a grace signifying it knew peace was broken on the icy ground it hugged. The trees swayed in the winds outstretched arms, and the snow gathered up and ran, finding a new home only a short distance away. Only those who truly knew the wind intimately could understand her mournful song.

Traveling on the lightly snow covered paths of the forests was indeed one of those individuals. In a group of three, a woman with long, braided, black hair and twinkling eyes suddenly stopped walking in mid-stride. The woman's pale blue, plump face was contorted into a look of concern and of frustration. She raised her head to the stars and moaned out a loud, throaty hum that reverberated off of the trees surrounding her and her companions; To her two companions, this hum was very much similar to the sounds the wind would make.

"Sapphira?" the companion closest to the blue woman asked in a feminine growl. "What is it? What has happened?"

The woman now identified as Sapphira turned to her cloaked companion, the one who asked Sapphira previously. "Mother wind prepares for battle. She tastes blood." Concern was etched along Sapphira's pretty face... "The seedlings of these parts need some representatives. A new race will be born."

The cloaked companion gasped. "How can this be? Written lore has stated that the old one made us all as his last creations. There would be no more!"

The third to the party, silent until now, decided to speak. His voice slid across the darkened night like a snakes hiss trained to form words. "Oviousssly... whe where not meant to be the onthy onesss."

_ _ _ _ _

Kevin looked at Tim in surprise. "You know how to read Tarot?"

Tim smiled at Kevin's look of shock. "Yeah. I wish I had a deck. Whenever I read Tarot or just held the cards, I felt closer to my mom." Tim sighed and looked down. "Just another thing this place took away from me."

Kevin put a comforting hand on Tim's shoulder, yet again. "Look Tim, if we ever get out of here, and I'm sure we will..." Tim lifted his head up to look into Kevin's eyes. "I swear I will help you find your mother." Kevin thought for a second and added while smiling. "And I promise to get you a Tarot deck."

Tim smiled a big smile. "Thank you. That means a lot, even if I never find my mother again, I can at least feel close to her again."

_ _ _ _ _

While Kevin and Tim were talking about Tarot, and Sara was walking around in her precog state, Drew and Commander Jonathon West were busily talking about life. Both were extremely bored and agreed to answer questions from one another about the other. Very quickly, the two became friends.

Ari marched next to Xy, maniacally laughing, with an almost demonic glee in his eyes as he raised his automatic weapon and shot at the fleeing faculty members before them, not caring who he hit in the process. Xy could hardly focus on the fun of the situation before him. He kept glaring at Ari, cursing Kevin under his breath.

Tim tried to get through to Sara, but all he got was her repeating the same thing over and over again.

A Shadow follows,

One becomes two.

Yet another follows unseen.

To see is not to see

But an enemy doesn't follow at arm's length.

The biting pests multiply

Two more take host.

Soon all will be forgiven." Soon became her personal favorite prediction. Tim knew that her words were very important, but he was starting to get annoyed with her. Growing tired of talking to Sara, Tim turned back to Kevin and asked how far it was to Rachel's room.

Kevin decided right then and there to have a meeting.

"Tim, we aren't that far away." Kevin announced to the boy next to him. "Can you go gather the troops and have them meet right here?" Tim looked at Kevin and nodded his head before scurrying off.

"Time is of the Essence." Came the very familiar voice of Sara.

Kevin smiled her way, and assured her that time would be stopped.

Within a matter of minutes Xy, Ari, Drew, Commander Jonathon West, Sara, Tim and Kevin stood around in a circle. Kevin made sure to tell Tim what Sara reminded him of. Tim immediately understood and took action.

Kevin began the meeting. "Rachel's room is close to the exit of this facility." He looked around the group as he spoke. "The problem is that she is going to be hard to rescue." Kevin's eyes started to crackle with electricity. "It seems the people here have put her into a metal strait-jacket thing. It covers her entire body and makes her unable to move. Either we have to, somehow, cut her out of it. Find the keys, or carry her out."

Xy looked at Kevin with sadness. "I have gathered enough puppets to carry her."

Kevin looked back at Xy and smiled. "Thank you for the offer Xy, but I'm going to leave that as a last resort. "Kevin then looked around the group of assembled friends and acquaintances. "I would like to have her walk out of here. If that means we have to cut her out..." Kevin's eyes looked at Drews briefly as he said this. "Then so be it. Drew, how much Earth would it take to cut through metal?"

_ _ _ _ _

Asa followed close behind the ghostly entity that roused him. Asa couldn't help running the scenario of the nights events, so far, through his head, over and over, trying to make sense out of what was happening to him. "Why did the Seedlings send their messenger out for me?" Asa thought to himself as he was led away from his grave. "Why is my opinion important?"

Looking around, Asa could tell that this defiantly was not his snow covered grave. The trees around him and the grass below him were indeed covered in snow, but the comforting, rotting stench of death was nowhere present. Behind him he could see various other beings from his home following, also interested in the Seedlings prediction.

"Why would the Master show himself again?" Asa thought to himself again. "Why would he rise up to power after his last fall? It doesn't make sense!"

"We are near." The poltrigiuest suddenly announced, snapping Asa out of his thoughts.

A voice behind Asa giggled a childish laugh, "Good. I've been meaning to ask those children a few things."

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Drew started to panic as he made his way to the end of the precession. To him, it seemed that Kevin was putting all the pressure of Rachel's escape on him. He knew in his mind that he couldn't cut through metal.

Commander Jonathon West watched his new friend walk with him to their usual place in line. West was concerned about Drew. "Why so quite? Are you feeling okay, Drew?"

Drew looked over towards West and put on a fake smile. "I'm fine, really."

"You don't look fine. Wanna talk about it? I'm sure it has something to do with this Rachel girl." West stopped for a second and then asked. "Is she really that bad to put you in such a solemn mood?"

"No... it's not that. I just can't cut through metal or shape it." Drew let out a sigh." Kevin, although he makes a great leader, forgets sometimes how far people can exert themselves." Drew started to play with a thread that was unraveling from his shirt. "But I understand why he thinks I can do it! I just..."

West help up a hand and interrupted Drew. "No need to say anymore." Then he smiled at Drew. "Besides, I am the ranking officer on this base. I'm sure that once we get close enough, and if Xy can get that screaming under control... I'm sure I can get a key."

Drew looked at Commander West in confusion. "How? I mean, you can't just walk up to..." then it dawned on him. "Oh! I get it." Drew smiled as he ran ahead to talk to Kevin.

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"Zeke." The master commanded. "I'd like for you to make sure that no one enters or exits this facility. Do anything and everything in your power to stop anyone, and I mean any one, from exiting."

Zeke got down on one knee and bowed his head once again till it touched the tiled floor. "Yes master, anything you command." Zeke lifted his head and stood, leaving the room in a blur of bright orange.

"Jade. I'd like for you to contact these numbers," A piece of paper rose from the desk and hovered over to the tall vixen. She accepted the paper with a bow of her head and a smile. "And make sure each one of these people understands that I am wanting to meet with them here, one week from today. Those who refuse to arrive here at the time I wish will automatically become an enemy to me and my advisors... You three."

Jade's eyes sparkled as she bowed a very deep bow, her long black hair hugging her entire body even closer in the process. "As you wish my master. It is a privilege to serve you." Jade walked gracefully over to where the phone was positioned in the room, sat down at the chair in front of it, and started instantly to make the calls asked of her.

"Ezra. Your abilities are in need. Every `human' staff member here needs a change of mind, or the removal of one. I charge you with gathering up every scientist, every guard, every soldier, and anyone else you can find. I trust you in either deeming them trustworthy or otherwise." Ezra had a look on his face that was hard to decipher, but the master knew Ezra was pleased.

Ezra bowed slightly and rose back up; saluting in the direction he thought the master was. Of course he was completely off, but the master was pleased with the effort. "I will use extreme prejudice. Thank you my master! You will not be let down!" The young Israeli boy left security room B with a stride of confidence.

"Master?" Jade asked, holding the phones in her hand away from her ear and mouth. "It seems that Tier, of the Tantorn wants to verify that you indeed have returned. What should I say?"

The master was furious. "If he indeed ever believed, he better come to my little get together a week from today. Tell him that I expect him to be there!"

Jade put the phone back to her ear and spoke in the calmest voice she could. "The Master tells me you'll be there. You and all your delegation should be. It would be a shame to see an entire race being erased over such a silly matter." The voice on the other line grew deathly quiet.

_ _ _ _ _

West planned every detail out in his head and revealed half of the information to Drew. Drew told Kevin what West and him were planning, and Kevin broke into a huge grin, saying how proud he was at keeping the commander alive, and that Sara was right about him.

The makeshift army of Xy's human puppets, who were now ordered to be silenced, Kevin and their friends stayed far enough away from Rachel's room so not to cause trouble to West's plans .West and Drew, alone, walked forward watching as the room and its two guards came into view. West knew these men wouldn't recognize him at first, so he thought of a way to announce his presence, earlier on he smiled at the idea.

The two guards looked at the two approaching people coming down the hall and moved closer together, blocking the door entirely. Both were glaring at the two people walking towards the room they were charged in guarding. "Now is this any way to treat your commanding officer!?" the taller person, a man with a goatee, who looked like their Commander, but was out of his uniform. "Just because I'm in my civilian clothing does not mean you are to disrespect me!"

Both men instantly knew this was Commander Jonathon West now and clumsily brought up their hands to a salute, sweating profusely. "Sir! We did not realize you were here, sir!" One of the guards responded very quickly.

"And why should you two know my every move?!" the commander glared at the two sweating guards. Drew was trying to hide his laughter, he knew this was the only way to spare a couple lives in this base, but also to see his friend in his element.

"Sir! We shouldn't, sir!" The two guards responded at the same time.

"Good. Now that you know you are certain about where you stand." West began, while sizing up the two guards. He wanted to find an easy way into this room, and it was obviously going to be easy if they were going to be this cooperative. "Will either of you tell me what you two are doing here, in front of this room, instead of in the barracks?"

Both of the guards paled. Neither knew how to answer the question. "We umm... we were told to stand guard over the terrorist inside this room." One of the guards spoke out before the other. Then quickly added. "Sir." When the other guard glared at him.

"The problem here, boys, is that I have no knowledge of any terrorists being kept here. I am the commanding officer of this base, I would know if a terrorist was being held within its walls. The truth, now!" West screamed at the men with a very gruff sounding roar. Both men cowered, but neither made a move to tell him why they were there. "I'll take that as insubordination! Stand aside!" His roar was heard hallways away. Kevin heard him bellowing out orders and smiled a wide smile. "Give me the key to this room, now, or the U.S. government will officially get involved!" The two men paled even more at the thought of the government getting involved. What would the master say?

The two unspoken, agreed to hand over the key and go into hiding away from the master. "Sir!" Both guards saluted once again. One of the guards pulled out a bright yellow key card from his cameo pants and handed it to West. Both guards then ran down the hall for the exit of the facility. West was extremely happy.

_ _ _ _ _

Rachel was not comfortable. Well, she wasn't ever really comfortable, but her last bit of crying and the fear of not knowing why the sirens were going off was making the little bit of comfort she had disappear. In the past couple hours she stopped crying, and decided that the guards were ignoring her pleas to know what was going on in this place. Her hopes in life and of an escape have grown fainter ever since they wrapped her in the metal body cast she now had on. What was there to dream of when she couldn't see the room around her, when she couldn't move her arms and legs?

Her thoughts have been leaning on death for a long period of time, but because of being in the type of prison she was in, time had no meaning to her. She had no idea what day it was, how long she had been in the metal cast, or how long the guards were ignoring her. All Rachel knew was that she was not comfortable, and she was defiantly not happy.

Rachel tried her hardest to think of the positives in her life. "Hey, at least I'm alive." She thought to herself. " I'm alive so they can keep torturing me over and over again..." it seemed like nothing she thought of could cheer her up.

Just as she was seeping into a deeper depression then before, she heard a gruff male's voice yelling right outside her door. "The problem here, boys, is that I have no knowledge of any terrorists being kept here. I am the commanding officer of this base, I would know if a terrorist was being held within its walls. The truth, now!"

Rachel couldn't help but be a little happy at hearing a voice reprimanding the guards who were ignoring her. "Serves them right!" she thought.

"I'll take that as insubordination! Stand aside! Give me the key to this room, now, or the U.S. government will officially get involved!"

Rachel's eyes started to tear up. "This man is coming in here to help me?! Is that why he's yelling at the guards?"

Rachel heard a muffled sound that sounded a lot like one of her guards talking, than she heard the sound of this mysterious man's muffled gruff voice. "is he really coming to save me?" Rachel started to cry tears of happiness.

Rachel couldn't see the door open, but she heard the familiar "whoosh" sound it made as it slid into the wall. "Rachel?" a familiar voice said from an unseen place. "Rachel it's me and I brought a friend. We're here to rescue you. Kevin, Sara, Xy, Ari, and I are escaping this place with the good Commander Jonathon West, here. He's coming behind you right now and is undoing this... thing they put on you." The voice said to Rachel as she silently sobbed out of happiness.

"Thank you, Drew. Oh god, Thank you!" Rachel said in between her tears.

Commander West managed to slide the key card into a slot in the back of the full body cast surrounding Sara. A clicking sound was heard as gears were set in motion. The front of the metal sarcophagus split open with a well pronounced line, and letting out the stink of human excrement and sweat and stale air. The two sides to the front of the metal tomb slid into the back of its metal encasing, revealing a very pale, matted, scared and weak looking Rachel.

"Thank you. I thought I was going to die in there, Thank you!" Rachel started to sob out of happiness yet again, and flung herself at both men before her. She clung for dear life.

"You Rachel... need a shower." Drew stated to the crying girl clinging to him with all her energy.

She stifled a laugh. "I know. And I also forgot how bright these lights are."

"You'll get used to the lights again. But first things first, We have a spare set of clothes for you, mind the bullet holes... Ari had too much fun. There is a bathroom close to here, I'm sure you're dying to take a shower out of a sink. I know I am!" Drew put on a serious face as he said his last sentence. Rachel Giggled.

"Thank you Drew. Thank you Mr. Jonathon West."

"Call me West, I prefer West much more than Mr. anything." The commander looked at the frail girl who was about as tall as he was. She looked like she was fresh out of a concentration camp. Her matted blond hair was tangled impossibly and ratty looking, her body looked as if she was a skeleton. West wondered why she looked like this and the other's looked only slightly starved. Maybe it was because she was in that metal casing. But whatever the reason, he swore to himself right then and there he would do anything in his power to protect these children from this type of harm ever again.

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Shadows wandered throughout the snow covered forests of the nearby military complex. Lots of shadows passed into the trees, and traveled into the heart of the dense woodland, none were named, but anyone looking would swear they saw nothing. Each shadow knew their purpose for coming to this exact location. Each shadow knew what was going to happen in less than hour, but each entity had their own prerogative and didn't risk in idle gossip with one another.

Besides the shadows lingered the wood sprites. Each wood sprite was, in their own right, terrified. The seedlings made it clear that three of them would not continue existing in this forest. All of the woodsprites were frightened as to who would "not exist anymore," more so because they were a peaceful race. The wood sprites never bickered or argued, All they ever did was sit around and tell stories while munching on the barks of the trees surrounding them. In their minds, their peaceful lives were being turned upside down.

The seedlings were very quite. All six of the seedlings residing in the forest, at the moment, were busily preparing themselves, mentally for the new race to visit them, along with all of the representatives to the races asked. All six were very nervous, but very excited in being the ones to make the first connections to this new race. The most frightening thing to them, was that one of this races peoples was sensitive to what they themselves found to be their own races treasure, Future sight. The seedlings agreed that they would have to learn to share with this individual. The immense importance of this race was too valuable to waste on such petty arguments.

_ _ _ _ _

Drew and Commander Jonathon West lead Rachel to the woman's restroom, which was located, conveniently four doors down from her room. Before the three of them journeyed to the girl's lavatory, Drew and West brought an eager Rachel up to date of the on goings of their small group. They also decided that West would be heading back to where everyone else was waiting and give them the all clear to catch up to them, while Drew stood guard outside the bathroom and made sure Rachel was safe in her delicate state.

The first thing Rachel noticed when she entered the restroom, was that it was bright. Her eyes were still used to the dark confines of her metal enclosure. Everything was white and pristine, which reflected the bright light, almost blinding. She felt a migraine coming on.

Quickly, Rachel stripped out of her smelly, soiled clothing and turned on the nearest sink to her. She rotated the cold and hot handles, and tested the water until it was just right. She then went to the paper towel dispenser on the wall and balled up ten or so paper towels into a tightly compacted wad, and let it soak under the flowing water from the sink. She squirted some soap from the dispenser attached to the sink into the paper towel make-shift sponge, and lathered it up as best as she could. Then she commenced to clean herself of the grime and stink that festered on her pale skin.

When finished, she splashed clean water from the sink all over her body, washing away the left over suds and whatnot. Rachel walked over to the paper towel dispenser once more, and pulled out a couple more towels and began to dry herself before she dressed in clean... well, fairly clean clothing. When finished, and fully dressed, she exited the bathroom to a crowd of soldiers and several smiling, familiar faces.

"Whatever they've been feeding you, hasn't been working Rachel." Sara said as she reached out and smiled at the skeletal figure before her.

"Really, I think it fits her fine." Ari said seriously, as he looked Rachel up and down.

"Oh shut up you brat!" Sara turned towards Ari and snapped. Then turned back in the direction of Rachel and added. "Come here and give me a hug already, girl!" Rachel couldn't refuse and fell into Sara's arms, sobbing into the little girls shoulder.

"Rachel," Xy started to say. "Before we leave here, do you want me to make you all better? I can make you look like before." Xy looked at Rachel with concern in his eyes. These people gathered around him, with the exception of Ari, were like his family. He grew up in an orphanage before he was brought to this base, and these people were the closest he has ever had, Xy would do anything for anyone of them.

Rachel started to cry harder, and she smiled. "What's wrong Rachel?" Tim asked out of concern.

"Nothing. I'm just so happy." She pulled away from Sara and wiped away her tears. "I had given up on hope and on life. All of you came for me. My family cares." Everyone was surprised with the emotions Rachel was showing, she never before showed them, and got angry when anyone showed them in front of her. Obviously, this experience was traumatizing enough to change her. "You all are the closest I have ever had to a real family." Rachel barreled towards Xy, almost knocking him over, hugging him with a all her strength. "Thank you."

"I feel the same way, you know. You are like my older, wiser sister." Xy didn't know what to do to comfort the older girl who was holding onto him for dear life. All he could think of was to pat her back, so he did. "Just sit down for a minute, okay? I'm going to heal my sister." Xy managed to pull Rachel away enough to look into her eyes and smiled warmly at her. She nodded her head and started to sit on the tiled floor.

Xy's eyes turned from their deep hazel to a pure, unearthly blue. He placed his palms on both of Rachel's temples and massaged all the way up her head. Instantly, Rachel's migraine disappeared and the lights no longer bothered her. "Better?" Xy asked.

"Yes. How did you know the lights were hurting me?" Rachel asked while Xy continued to heal her.

"You were cringing when you looked towards them." Xy took his hands off of Rachel's head and hovered them in circles around her body. As if a miracle were taking place, the bones that were sticking out of her skin started to disappear from view. Her pale skin started to stretch over a light layer of muscle. "You had no muscle; your body ate it all and was starting to eat your organs. I'm working on repairing them right now. You'll be as good as new." Xy smiled a huge, innocent smile, which only a child could make, and Rachel saw that it wasn't innocence that was behind his smile, it was care and compassion. He felt the pain she was going through.

Within a matter of minutes Rachel was completely healed. She looked just like she did before her imprisonment, except a lot paler, and more war torn. It was decided that she was well enough to travel. So she, Drew, Commander Jonathon West and Xy marched at the rear of the precision. Ari held the front, Kevin, Sara and Tim marched in the middle, as usual, and no one was unhappy, except Ari. He was sore at having the army of forced soldiers getting their vocal chords snapped, but it had to be done. Xy didn't even think about Ari being in their group, he was just happy he was able to help Rachel.

With ten minutes to spare, the whole party made it to the front doors, which were fairly easy to get through. Xy decided to leave behind most of his army. He wanted to keep his favorite three. He even named them; Bob, Tom, and Rob. He said boring people deserve boring names, but when the soldiers heard what was going to happen to everyone else but them, all three of them let out held in breathes.

Kevin blew the double doors wide off their hinges with an electrical boom that echoed down the halls. The seven companions started to leave the threshold of their nightmare and smiled at the thought of being free. Commander Jonathon West looked at the youth he was helping and smiled at seeing them happy. They deserved it after what they went through in that hell-hole.

Bob, Tom and Rob were the first to exit, closely followed by Ari and Kevin. Commander Jonathon West said his good-byes to the base he was stationed in as he left next with Drew and Sara. Tim was the next to leave, but as he exited he felt his neck itching more than usual; he brushed it off as nothing special. Xy and Rachel were the last and they were animatedly talking back and forth. As the two exited, three shadows followed.

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@ Copyright by Aaron Jay. Do not reproduce without permission.