Chapter Seven
Out of nowhere a message came to me. It was in Zanna's words and it was really weird. Her voice was like exactly the same but it had a faint echo to it, making it sound all spooky and stuff. I was really going to have to get used to this stuff.
'Raksha, Sweety, It's Mom. You need to visit Sorsha. She's your Bengal Tiger. She's feeling lonely and someone told her you were home. She's going crazy. Please hurry. You can visit your other animals too. Sorsha needs a walk and so does your monkey, Nikey. Love you. Bye!'
I sent my reply back, saying I'd be there once I remembered where there was... "Jesse, my Mom wants us to visit Sorsha. She said I have to walk her. Can we go to her first? After we get Michael, of course." I added, glancing at Carli.
"Sure." Jesse said, turning into a room that was three times as big as my library. "Do you wan't to come Carli or do you wan't to stay with Micahel?" Jesse asked, leading us down a row of books.
"Actually, maybe you guys can go get Sorsha and meet us down at the Garden. Me and Micahel have some... Catching up to do. It'll give you guys some... Catching up time too."
Carli and I laughed together, as Jesse led us down an isle, then we were in a reading room. A fireplace was warming the place and it's light lightened the place. It was a perfect reading spot. A teenage boy about Jesse's size, but a little smaller, was reading a book and petting a dog, on a couch, right next to the fire.
An old looking witch kept peering around a shelf of books at Michael and his dog. Seeing Jesse and Moonstar in her library put a big look of disgust on her face. "Make sure the long haired wolf stays off the couches." Ordered the librarian, in a croaky voice.
Michael snickered and looked up. "So the princess returns to her castle. What's up Raksha? How's the memory?" Fang jumped off the couch and licked my ankles. His pelt shimmered red in the firelight, glowing like a red hot coal.
"Since when do you read in a library? And since when has she let you in the library?" I asked sarcastically, looking at the librarian. The librarian looked offended and stomped away. Moonstar jumped on to the couch, next to Michael.
"Since my grades wen't down. Did you know you had to pass math with a C average at least? I can barely get a D let alone an A. I only have an A in archery and athletics. My teachers told my parents and now she has to let me in. She's pretty ticked about it. Fang howled at the door untill she let him in." I knew Jesse passed his classes only because of flattery. Michael was too sarcastic to even try.
"We were wondering if you wan't to go to the Garden with Carli. Me and Raksha are going to get Sorsha and then meet you down there. Can you leave the library?" Jesse asked, as Carli came out of the shadows, as red as Fang, and sat on the unoccupied side by Michael.
He put one arm around her and the other under her chin and kissed her, passionately. "Well... Technically I'm not supposed to leave the library until my grades go to a C average so technically I can't leave. But I'm pretty sure I can sneak out. That'll be easy. Fang can knock something over and we can leave. Go do something Fang." Michael ordered, patting Fang on the side.
Fang barked, licked me one more time, and ran down the isles. Us four teenagers and Moonstar got up, ready to make our escape.
About thirty seconds later we heared a crash and Michael said, "That's our cue. Let's go!" He ran down the isle holding Carli tightly by the hand. Jesse, holding hands with me, ran after him calling for Moonstar to follow. The librarian screamed on the other side of the library and Fang came running to them. "Come on Fang!" Michael said. Then we were running down a corridor, laughing loudly, like we used to do, before life got complicated.
About two corridors later, Michael slowed and turned around. "We'll meet you at our usual spot in about thirty minutes."
"'Bye!" Jesse called taking a right down a random corridor. I looked around and the last I saw was Michael holding Carli in a tight bear hug. Carli smiled and mouthed "Thanks." She had tears of joy in her eyes. I knew how she felt. We were with our boys at last. But how long would that be for...
Jesse and I slowed down and held each others hands tighter. I felt tears coming from my own eyes, for the first time since I was seven. Well at least what I remembered as seven years. They ran down my face and splashed on to my hands. Jesse felt them and stopped. "Raksha? Darling, are you okay?"
I nodded, trying to wipe my tears away, but it was hard because they kept coming and I was holding Jesse's hand. There was no way he was planning on letting go for a while though. Jesse, refusing to believe I had burst out in tears for nothing, let go of my hands, wrapped them around his muscular body, and held my body, while Raksha cried into his shoulder.
This was so embaressing. Never show signs of weakness. It was a rule and an order. I was a soldier. Why was I crying? I had no clue, but I knew I never wanted to leave my new found Jesse's side again. This was my new world and I was going to stay here no matter what. I hoped everyone felt the same.
I don't know how long we stood there, but soon my tears left and they were replaced by hiccups, but Jesse still held me. My hiccups dissolved into the air and were replaced by more crying and still he held me. Then I stopped crying and hiccuping. I wiped my eyes and said, "I'm sorry. I just got caught in the moment. They weren't sad tears, though." I added, looking up reluctantly.
"They were tears of joy. I saw Carli crying and they just came. I don't wan't my memory to ever disappear again. Life's too long to keep forgetting it. I don't want you to ever disappear again. I don't wan't to forget Moo-" Just then I felt a warm lick on my leg. Looking down, I saw Moonstar, her eyes watery, staring up at me with knowing eyes.
"And I don't wan't to forget our Moonstar either. I don't know if I have said this before, but... I can't see my future without you there. And Moonstar. You're the first ones I've truely remembered and I know, somehow, that, even if my memories modified again, if I see you I'll know for sure who you are. In my heart at least. And Moonstar." I added, knowing Moonstar was listening.
Moonstar layed down at my feet and wrapped her paws around one of my legs. She layed her head down and started to howl quietly. "We know how you feel." How many times had I heard that line? "While you were sitting at Sullica's, me, Moonstar, Carli, Michael, Fang, Papa Papya and Grandma I, and everyone else here at the castle had to wait and wonder if you were ever going to return and if you were okay. We've done it more than once and I'm positive noone here will stand for it again.
"We'll never let you leave. If we have to I'm not staying here, in the shadows, waiting to see if you or a lifeless body comes back to us. Carli would break down. Michael would have noone to pick on and I'd have noone to love and kiss like this." He put one hand around my head, holding my neck steady, while the other caressed my chin.
He pulled my face gently closer, but with enough force to let me know his words were true. When our lips touched a shock went through both of our lips. I pulled away slowly. "What was that?", I asked, cautiously.
"No idea." He answered and gently pulled my head towards his. I felt his emotions clearly. He was in love. We were in love. This is what love was. At this moment, oddly enough, I realized my Raksha hadn't shown her voice in quite a while. Oddly, it was scary. Then, my mind lost thought. Opening my eyes, I saw myself kissing myself. Was I in Jesse's body? Holy Crap, I'm lost, is all I could think.
I pulled his lips away from mine and said, "Jesse? Are you in my body?"
"I... I think so... What?..." He asked, or she. My body let go of Jesse's and I felt myself going into my own, personal, body again, What a releif!
"Did... Did that just happen?" I asked, wondering if I had hallucinated or something.
"I think so, but I'm not sure. That wasn't normal though. We need to see the parents. Come on." Jesse said, taking my hand.
"Hold on, I think I can contact her. Wait just a minute." I said, realizing my telepath was probably better than I thought. If I was as powerful as everyone made me out to be then telepath should be easy. I hope...
Mom, I thought,hard, trying to put all my heart and strength into it. Mom, can you hear me?
Yes, Sweety. Is something wrong? Zanna asked kindly.
What's wrong? I could hear Raksha. You don't need to use so much of your energy to telpath. It just makes your telepath louder. Mason's voice joined in.
Me and Jesse need to talk to you. Something... Weird just happened. I can't explain it, but we really need to talk to you. It's important. I told my parents, not using so much energy this time.
Thats a lot better Raksha. Okay, where can we meet you? Where are you? Mason asked.
I opened my eyes to Jesse and asked him. "Down the hall from Sorsha's and my other animal's room." I told the parents.
Okay. We'll be in there in about five minutes or so. Zanna said.
Then I felt them leave my mind. It was like a weight being lifted, but I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. They kept one ear open for me though. Their slight prescence reassured me more then their absense did. I took Jesse's hand and walked down the hall. "What was that about? Can you speak to your parents through your mind? Like telepathically?"
"Well, yes. I can do that and they can too." Thinking about it made me realized that Jesse was a Witch. Witches could telepath but the story was that Raksha had never learned. I totally blew that one. He didn't know my shift was a Dragon, though. I couldn't live without him knowing. It was too big a secret for me too keep. How could Raksha have? I was going to have to talk to the parents about it.