Memories

Memories

By Kyra

Rain drizzled down the window pane as Kitty sat on the couch, watching television, her bowl of popcorn discarded on the floor. In it’s place lay her kitten, Ty, warming her stomach with her purring. Beside her sat April, sweet, naïve April. Honey blonde hair to her shoulders, dark tanned, slightly smaller then slender Kitty. Flinging a strand of fire red hair over her shoulder, Kitty fixed the waist length mop into a messy bun.

"Come on, Kit!" April exclaimed for the seventh time in half an hour. "It’ll be fun." Kitty shook her head, flicking the channels rapidly. "You may find out about past lives," April continued.

For the past six months, April had been trying to learn tarot and hypnotism, and now, finally, she felt experienced enough to try it out. Unfortunately, Kitty seemed to be the only one she wanted to practice on. "If I let you try it once, will you leave me alone?" Kitty asked, turning to stare at April, who nodded violently. "Fine," Kitty replied, switching the TV to mute. "But you tell me I was a fly in another life, I’ll tell everyone what a quack you are."

Overly excited, April went to her bag and pulled out her tarot cards and her bag of crystals. "If we find out about your previous lives, we can hypnotize you to relive your favorite memory of it." Kitty shrugged, sitting down at her dining room table.

Watching April set up the black velvet table cover, Kitty felt her breath catch in her throat. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to do this. But April was ready to begin, pulling cards up off the deck, and laying then down. Slowly, she read off each thing they meant.

Half-listening, Kitty watched the rain pelting against the glass. It made interesting shapes against the glass, as if trying to communicate. "Are you listening," April’s voice interrupted her thoughts, scattered though they were. Turning her over glazed eyes back to her friend, Kitty nodded. "Good, now watch the swinging crystal," April said, holing one of her large crystals on a chain.

Startled, Kitty glanced down at the arrangement of cards before her. She gave up, and leaned back in the chair, watching the swinging crystal. Listening to the sweet voice crooning to her, Kitty’s eyes began to droop.

Emerald grasses faded in around her, then trees and several stones. She found herself sitting in the midst of a field, lined with eldwood. Furrowing her brow, Kitty lay down, watching the clouds drift above her. A soft whoosh was heard, and a large dragon settled beside her. Rolling over, Kitty tried to ignore the flop as Tyla lay beside her. "Go away," Kitty muttered.

"Can’t," Tyla answered softly. When Kitty didn’t roll back over, Tyla continued. "Troi was worried when you stormed out. He sent me to make sure you were all right."

Growling, Kitty flung herself over, and scowled up at her dragon guardian. "You’re my guardian, you’re supposed to be on my side," she muttered up at the large dragon head hanging above her.

A frown crept unbidden over Tyla’s face, as she replied, "He’s your garrison, he cares too." Kitty snorted and rolled back over onto her stomach. "Kitara, you get up this instant!" Tyla nearly roared. Kitty didn’t so much as move a muscle. "Kitty," Tyla continued, through gritted teeth. "You’re being childish!"

"Childish," Kitty screeched, rolling over and leaping to her feet. "I’m allowed to be childish! Haven’t you heard! I’m the All-Seeing Ancient Adolescent!" she screamed, pointing wildly at the Caydon de Desine behind her. "I sit there all day, watching people I don’t know as they live their miserable little lives! Then I come home, and I have to deal with you two! Don’t do this, don’t do that! This isn’t right! No, that’s wrong! Is nothing I do right!"

A soft voice came from behind her, and she froze. "Everything you do is right, Kitten," he said. Turning slowly, she found Troi standing there, his dark eyes glimmering in the amber skylight. "You just push too hard for acceptance," he finished. Kitty glared at him. "Kitty, I didn’t mean it!"

"Say it," she whispered to him, "Say it and mean it."

Troi glanced to Tyla, who nodded. "No one deserves the Realm of the Forgotten," he said softly, watching her. She arched an eyebrow and waited. "Not even Etheain," he finished, looking somewhat subdued. Without another word between them, Kitty started toward the far end of the field, where her house rose, a huge oak tree.

Within the house, Kitty glanced about quickly. Kale, her house gnome, levitated above the stove, stirring the contents of a pot that had come to a boil. "’Ello, Miss Kitara," Kale babbled, looking up to her as she strolled across the kitchen. "Glad to see you back so soon… You’ve had a visitor," he said, as she tasted a bit of the creamy sauce. Her eyebrows rose in unison, and he smiled. "Miss April is upstairs."

April Heartwood was the heir to the Realm of Stars, and Kitty’s newest friend. Ever since Etheain’s disappearance, Kitty had been taking time off to travel the realms, the ever vigilant Troi by her side, and April had been the first one to invite them both for a drink in the Gateway Of Dragons.

Jogging up the fourteen stairs to the loft that hung above her kitchen, she found April sitting on her bed, talking into Kitty’s lamp. "Yes, I understand," she was saying. "But I have work to be doing… Of course, the moment I return." She glanced up and saw Kitty smiling at her. "Talk to you when I return, Basil," she said sharply, clicking off the light. "Duty calls," she continued, smiling sheepishly at Kitty.

April’s realm dealt solely with giving other realms light in the dark. Sometimes they used pure sunshine, like Kitty’s lamps, sometimes firelight, that was mainly for romantic restaurants, and sometimes even star light, for darkened pubs like Gateway.

The two women embraced, just as Troi jogged up the final stair. Instantly, April spun on him. "What’s wrong with you! Saying that someone deserved to go to the Forgotten! No one deserves that!" April screamed, lunging at Troi.

"Whoa!" Kitty cried, grabbing April’s waist, yanking her back with surprising strength. "He apologized, April, he apologized!"

Stopping instantly, April smoothed out her gown of saffron, and replied, with her head high, "In that case, you may live." But she couldn’t remain straight faced; she grinned, causing Troi to laugh. That trademark laugh, so deep, so serene.

"Dinner!" came a soft and squeaky voice from downstairs.

Turning to look at April, Kitty joked, "We’ll talk about the long distance call later!" April grinned.

The rich white sauce that Kale had prepared ended up to be a fey dinner. Full course dinner, topped with a red wine. Troi sat across from Kitty, April between them at the stunningly carved cedar table. Kale sat on the table, along with the assortment of salt, pepper, and spices.

Watching Kitty eat, Troi felt a stirring in his heart. Everyday that went by, she healed a bit more from Etheain’s enslavement. She no longer asked permission to travel to the fey realms for the ingredients she required for her magic, nor did she wait for him before she went to bed. She was growing slowly from the child that Etheain had forced her to be. He didn’t know what all he did to her, but from what he knew , he deserved the Forgotten.

Kitty and April sat, joking about several of their new friends. April was born from the realm of stars; her long silver hair shone with the fire of a dozen novas, and her dark eyes flickered with firelight. Kitara had been born of the elements. Scarlet hair of the Fire Realm, emerald green eyes of the Earth Realm, skin soft and creamy from the Realm of Air and Sky, her body sculpted of the Realm of the Sea, and the very breath in her body given by the Troika themselves, the gods of the realms.

Just sitting beside her was enough for him, as he watched her giggle with April. As they finished their dinner, Kale quickly whooshed all the empty dinner plates away. Only seconds later, he followed them into the kitchen, leaving them to the chatter.

"Tell me about the Forgotten," Troi said, before he realized it. Both girls fell silent, and they didn’t move, until April motioned for Kitty to tell him.

Kitty shook her head vehemently. "You’ve been there, Kit," April whispered.

"Only by accident!" Kitty exclaimed. But April gave her another look. "Forgetting is very painful, slowly losing your mind, piece by piece. That’s what the Realm does, it removes your memory bit by bit," Kitty whispered into her cup, just before she took a sip. "It tears a mortal apart." April shuddered in the firelight. "Nobody deserves to have their soul ripped apart," Troi’s eyes fell to his plate, as Kitty finished, "Not even Etheain."

No one spoke as the fire died to glowing embers. Finally, April quietly excused herself, and left them to their thoughts. Kitty stared at the fire for another ten minutes, then got to her feet, crossed over to her apothecary table to look through her sacks. Moments later, she pulled a powder from a green velvet purse, and strolled to the hearth.

"Fire, Earth, Air and Water," she muttered, tossing the dust into the flames. "Bring me ‘cross the land of my father to where my mortal heart still beats." Troi turned to see an orb in the fire sweeping across the plains of the mortal realm.

"Darling," he whispered, reaching to touch her. "Join me when you wish it," he whispered, kissing her forehead. Then he turned and started up the stairs toward the bed loft.

Kitty sat on the stone flagged floor before the fire, watching the flying orb. In only moments, the orb came to rest above a house not far from her memory. Through the living room window, she could see two girls, sitting, one holding a swaying crystal, the other with her eyes closed. Suddenly, a blinding flash of light from the fire zoomed toward her, and she fell backward, blinking.

"What’d you see?" came April’s excited voice, as Kitty opened her eyes. "Anything?"

Rubbing her creamy forehead, Kitty picked at the fine red hairs at her hairline. "How long was I out?" she questioned, her voice cracking with exhaustion.

"Only five minutes," came April’s reply. Snapping awake, Kitty stared hard at the teenager in front of her. "Why?"

Startled, Kitty glanced around at her living room, the TV still on mute. TRL’s Carson Daly stood on the screen, moving his mouth like a dying fish. A soft purring at her feet made Kitty jump. Glancing down, she found Ty sliding along her leg. "What’d you see?" April asked hungrily.

"You were there, in this beautiful realm. Ty was a dragon, you were heiress to a realm," Kitty said, glancing around the room again.

Rummaging in the kitchen made her whip around in time to see her little brother, Cale, come from the swinging door, sandwich in hand. "Keep your boyfriend in check, sis," he said, heading for the stairs.

Moments later, Troy came from the same door, carrying a similar sandwich. "Saw Ethan today," he said.

"Oh… What’d he do," April begged, losing interest in Kitty for a second.

A laugh rebounded from Troy’s throat as he replied, "What would you do if your ex girlfriend’s impressive new boyfriend came into your view?" April shrugged. "He walked a large circle around me, then darted behind a friend." He bent over to kiss Kitty, who seemed to be in a daze. "What’s wrong with her?" he asked.

Turning back to her friend, April went to speak but Kitty beat her to it. "When April hypnotized me, I saw you, and April, Ty was a dragon, Cale was a gnome, Ethan had been banished to something that resembled hell…."

"We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto…" Troy joked, a smile on his face. When Kitty didn’t smile, he spun towards April. "You hypnotized her! Are you nuts!" April looked surprised. "Who knows what she saw!"

"I told you," Kitty whispered, "I saw you, April, Cale, and Ty. Ethan had been banished to the Realm of the Forgotten, and you were my garrison… whatever that is." Troy and April exchanged glances, just before Kitty passed out.

As Troy carried her to the couch, he looked to April and said, "At least she remembers us now…" April nodded calmly, conjuring a wet washcloth from thin air.