Arine was dumbstruck. She could not believe what Johan had just told her. "I'm...the elf?" the blonde repeated Johan's words to herself. "The Jewel Summoners have deceived you, my dear Arine," Johan said, "But..." Arine continued thinking out loud, "...how is that possible? I've seen Mia's powers. She can use the Jewel Summoners' crystals." "Open your eyes, Arine!" Johan exclaimed. "Mia is a Jewel Summoner. Probably a bastard child from the Dagomars." Arine looked up at Johan with a resentful look on her face. "I don't believe you," she countered. "You said it yourself back in Oceanside, the Red Ruby of Alvara was searching for the elf. It homed in on Mia!" "Granted, Mia's powers are great," said the Finn. "She was powerful enough to affect the power of the Ruby, tricking me into thinking that the mystical energies that I was sensing were coming from her. Unintentionally maybe, but it truly made me believe that she was the elf." Arine sat on the floor, again at a loss for words. "You're still trying to make sense of the situation," Johan said. "My family originated in France," Arine said. "The Sylvens lived there since the Renaissance. How could I have any elfin blood in me?" Johan smiled. The time had come to show Arine his findings. "I want to show you something," he said. Arine was too stunned to do anything other than simply watch Johan as he walked to the corner of the room. At the corner was a table with several objects on it: a stone tablet, a smooth tablet, and several sheets of paper. Johan picked up the stone tablet and said, "This tablet was recently excavated from an ancient ceremonial chamber of the elves. Perhaps what is written on it should shed some light on the subject." Johan started reading the text, "Written here is the last account of Alvara, son of Aelfhere. It has been seven thousand and five hundred years since our last contact with the race of humans. But several months ago, humans have returned to our territory. They have sent powerful sorcerers to destroy our race. I believe it is because of a new religion spreading through the continent and that our existence threatens that religion. Even with the powers that the elves have been granted, we cannot hold off the Jewel Sorcerers' raid. There is not enough ruby or sapphire in our part of the world to use against them. My family and I have spent the past two days in this cave of crystal. There were two crystals that were loose enough to pull from the walls, a Red Ruby and a Blue Sapphire. These crystals were more brilliant than any other crystals I had seen." "The Red Ruby and Blue Sapphire of Alvara," Arine realized. "I knew that their powers were great," Johan continued reading. "But I was not able to use their power to drive the Jewel Sorcerers away. With the power of the Ruby and the Sapphire, I was able to send my daughter away without the Jewel Sorcerers' knowledge. I am almost sure that Olivia will be the one to bring about the new age of the elves after the rest of us have been destroyed." "Olivia?" Arine wondered. "Alvara's daughter," Johan explained. "The only pureblooded elf to survive the Jewel Summoners' raid." Johan put down the stone tablet and picked up the smooth tablet. Arine saw that the tablet was composed of many multicolored crystals. "Along with the last account of Alvara, we found this tablet. As you can see, it is composed entirely of corundum, many different colors of rubies and sapphires. Only with the power of the Ruby of Alvara were we able to reveal the image hidden within." Johan demonstrated by holding up the Red Ruby of Alvara. The Ruby started glowing red, and the tablet lit up as well. Unlike other crystals Arine had seen, the crystals in the tablet glowed different colors than in their non-active state. Arine was even more startled than before when she saw the tablet shine the image of a blond-haired woman that looked so much like Arine that the 18-year-old thought she was looking into a mirror. However, she had ears that looked exactly like Mia's! "She looks just like you, doesn't she?" said Johan. "It was this image that first clued me in as to your true origins. Just to be sure, I had our information specialist run a search through the internet to see if there were any other images of her that had been found. There were." Putting down the crystal tablet, Johan picked up the sheets of paper that were on the table. Arine saw that the first sheet of paper had a painting of the woman with her hair down, hiding her pointed ears. "This is a painting made in the middle ages," said Johan. The man showed Arine the next sheet of paper, which showed a painting of the woman with clothing indicative of Europe in the 1400s. "Here is one made during the Renaissance." The next page showed the woman wearing a kimono. "This is one made in feudal Japan." The final sheet of paper that Johan held was not a painting, but a photograph of the woman. Her clothing was more modern, the type that someone would most likely wear in the early 20th century. "This is the only real photograph we were able to find of her. This was taken in France, 1915." Arine tried to deny what she was seeing. "It's a trick," she said. "Tell me, Arine," said Johan. "What exactly happened atop the Eiffel Tower when you touched that Sapphire? What was that blue light that came from the crystal?" Arine stared blankly at Johan. "What did you see when the Sapphire reacted to your touch?" After a moment of silence, Arine answered, "I saw a cave. Hundreds of crystals lined the walls." "What else," asked Johan. There was a pause as Arine tried to recall the images that she had seen. Eventually, she had to reply, "I don't remember." Johan looked at Arine for a moment. "Hold out you hand," he said. Arine looked at Johan. She did not show much emotion in her face, but she still conveyed the message that she would not do what Johan demanded of her. Then, a completely new tone came into Johan's voice. "Don't worry," he said. "I won't hurt you." Johan was speaking with compassion, a tone that Arine was surprised to hear coming from this man. "The truth may be hard to accept," Johan continued in his kind-hearted voice, "but the future of the elves depends on you knowing it. Please. Hold out your hand." Arine hesitated for a moment, but then did as Johan told her. She held out her hand toward Johan. Johan revealed the Blue Sapphire of Alvara. Carefully, he placed the blue crystal in Arine's outstretched hand. The Sapphire suddenly glowed a bright blue. Arine gasped as the strangest feeling came over her, the blue glow engulfing her body as well. Although it was difficult to notice, Johan could see what looked like grains of sand sparkling in Arine's golden mane. ---------- All of the Jewel Summoners stared at Mia. Despite the fact that Yvette had helped Mia get to the meeting room, they were surprised that even in her weakened state, Mia had gotten out of bed to join the meeting. "Why?" Lord Giovanni asked Mia. "Why do you think Johan abducted Arine?" "The Blue Sapphire of Alvara didn't activate because of me," said Mia in a weak voice. "It only reacted when Arine touched it." The Jewel Summoners gasped at Mia's statement. "It reacted to ARINE'S touch?" asked Fredrika. "After that," Mia continued, "Johan grabbed Arine and vanished. He didn't have any interest in me at all any more. I don't know how, but somehow, Arine is the elf that the Prophecy of Awakening speaks of." "How is that possible?" cried Pierre, jumping to his feet. "We've seen your powers." There was a pause as everyone looked at Pierre. "Lord Pierre Doulin," said Felix, indicating that Pierre could speak AFTER Pierre had done so. Realizing that he had spoken out of turn, Pierre said, "Forgive me, Lord Felix." It was then that Sam stood up. "Sir Samuel Lancestor," said Lady Alana. "I just realized something," Sam said. "At Mia's birthday party, Arine came to Mia's rescue. She sensed that Mia was in danger, so she came for her." "That's because Mia used her powers to call out to the one she loves," said Pierre. "No, don't you see?" Sam explained. "It couldn't have been Mia. In order for Arine to get to Mia in time to save her, she would have had to have sensed the danger BEFORE Mia had her attack. If it was Mia's power, by the time Arine got there, it would've been too late. Arine has to have the power of foresight. There's no other explanation." Pierre knew that Sam had a point. But still, the professor had to ask, "What about Mia's bursts of strength that contradict her heart condition?" Mia said, "I realize now that every time I felt that kind of strength, it was always during or right after I came in physical contact with Arine. Somehow, that strength flows from her into me." With nothing more to say at the moment, Sam and Pierre sat down. "The question now is," said Alana, "what happens next?" ---------- As the power of the Blue Sapphire engulfed her, Arine saw the cave that she had seen in her vision atop the Eiffel Tower. The walls were lined with brightly glowing rubies and sapphires of many colors. This time, allowing the vision to continue, Arine noticed that there were people in the cave, all of them with pointed ears, indicating that they were elves. One of them was the blond-haired elf that Arine had seen in the pictures that Johan had showed her. The woman was at a small cavity at the corner of the cave. There were flashes of red light coming from within the cavity, each flash accompanied by a crumbling sound. The woman knew that the sorcerers sent by the Christians were using the power of spinel to break through and enter the cave. "Father," she said, running to an older male elf, "they're coming." "I know, Olivia," said the woman's father. "I do not believe we will survive the Jewel Sorcerers' raid." "Isn't there anything we can do to survive?" Olivia asked. "There is only one way," said Alvara. "I believe that with the power of the Red Ruby and Blue Sapphire, I can send you out of harm's way." Putting his hands on his daughter's shoulders, Alvara said to her, "You must listen to me very carefully, Olivia. Once you are out of the cave, you must run. Run as fast as you can. Make your way south. No matter what it takes, get to the harbor and take a boat to Denmark. You should be safe from the Jewel Sorcerers on the mainland." "What about you, Father?" asked Olivia. With a solemn look on his face, Alvara answered, "I am afraid that I cannot come with you, my dear. I must stay here to send you off." "But father--" "Olivia," Alvara interrupted, "one day a new age will come. I foresee a time in the future when the elves have repopulated the world and live in harmony with the humans. You must survive to see that day. Do all you can to fulfill this prophecy." "Yes, Father," said Olivia, her voice beginning to crack. Olivia and Alvara embraced each other one last time. "I love you, Olivia," Alvara said. "I love you, Father," said Olivia. As they stepped back from one another, Alvara held up the Red Ruby in one hand and the Blue Sapphire in the other. "Good bye, my dearest," were his last words to his daughter. The Ruby and Sapphire started glowing and Olivia stretched her arms out to her sides, ready to accept the blast of energy that her father was about to send to her. With the power of Alvara's two great corundum crystals, a purple flash of light engulfed Olivia, shooting her upward, straight through the roof of the cave. The beam of purple light hit the ground a hundred meters away from the ground that it had erupted from. As the light subsided, Olivia appeared. Obeying her father's orders, the blond-haired woman started running south. ---------- With the strength that she had as an elf, Olivia had unrivaled endurance and could run for hours on end. However, even for Olivia, running from morning until sundown was tiring. The blonde found a tree and sat down against it, catching her breath. However, Olivia's time for rest was short-lived. She heard two people talking several meters away. She poked her head out from behind the tree and saw two Jewel Sorcerers walking her way. 'Oh no,' Olivia thought. 'They're going to find me. What am I going to do?' Knowing that it was only a matter of time before the Jewel Sorcerers found her, Olivia had only one option. She always carried a small dagger with her in case she needed it. She brought the dagger to the left side of her head and cut off the point at the end of her left ear. Olivia cried out in agony as the dagger sliced through the ear like butter. Despite the pain, Olivia knew that she had to endure it so that the Jewel Summoners would not identify her as an elf. She quickly brought the dagger to the right side of her head and cut off the point of her right ear. She cried out again as she felt the blade slice through her other ear. Hearing the cries of agony, the two Jewel Sorcerers ran toward the tree. "You. Who are you?" one of the Jewel Sorcerers asked at seeing Olivia, having fallen to her hands and knees. "Please," said Olivia. "You must help me. The elves thought I was a Jewel Sorcerer. They attacked me. Please, save me from the elves!" Deceived by Olivia's innocent and victimized voice, the Jewel Sorcerer said, "Don't worry, Miss. We'll help you." The Jewel Sorcerers used their spinel crystals to summon crystal vehicles. One of the Jewel Sorcerers picked up Olivia and drove off with Olivia on his vehicle, the other Jewel Sorcerer not far ahead. As the Jewel Sorcerer held Olivia in his arms, the injured elf realized that she had just told the Sorcerers that the elves had harmed her. A deep sense of guilt filled the maiden's heart. 'My people,' Olivia thought, 'forgive me.' ---------- Several years later, Olivia had made a new life for herself on the European mainland. Her ears had healed nicely, but without the elfin points, they looked like ordinary human ears. Despite the life that she had found, Olivia still felt empty, being the only elf in a human world. 'Was I the only survivor of the Jewel Sorcerers' raid?' Olivia wondered. 'Did other elves escape? How am I supposed to bring about the new age of the elves?' The elf maiden then realized, 'I have to search. I have to search the world for others of my kind. Please, let there be other survivors of the massacre.' The first place that Olivia searched was her homeland, Scandinavia. She searched all over, but could not find any other elves. She began searching the rest of Europe, but alas, she did not find any other survivors. She made her way east, searching the Middle East, Russia, and India. She searched the orient, China, Japan, and Thailand. She had searched all of Asia and had not found any of her own kind. Olivia caught a boat and crossed the Pacific Ocean, finding herself in the Americas. She searched from San Francisco to New York. It was when Olivia found her way back to Europe in the late 1800s that she realized the truth. She was the last remaining elf. Having no choice but to accept things as the way they were, Olivia found herself a home in northern France. As she looked at herself in her full-body mirror, she saw that the points of her ears had grown back since that fateful day 14 centuries before. "Fourteen hundred years I have been searching. Searching for any survivors of the massacre," the heart-broken elf said to herself. "After fourteen hundred years of searching the world, I have found none of my own kind. Am I, an immortal elf, doomed to spend the rest of eternity wandering this small world, completely alone with humans as my only companions?" Olivia shook her head, trying to shake some sense into herself. "No," she said. "I won't give up. I can't give up! Father said that I would bring about the new age of the elves. My life cannot end until I have fulfilled that destiny. Please Father, give me the strength to continue." ---------- When the Nazis invaded France in 1941, they showed Olivia kindness that she had never before experienced from humans. It seemed that the Germans praised people like her, strong people with blond hair and blue eyes. She belonged to a group of people known as the Aryans, and the Germans showed her kindness because of it. However, on the night of June 5th, 1944, Olivia regretted having accepted the Nazis' kindness. In the middle of the night, Olivia was awoken by gunfire no more than a few hundred meters away. With her elfin powers, Olivia sensed what was happening. "The Allied Forces have invaded," she realized. "Thay've taken the Ranville Bridge. They're going to plunder the village!" Knowing that she had to escape, Olivia jumped out of bed and ran to the front door. However, when she opened the door, three British soldiers were standing in the doorway. "Well, what have we here?" one of the soldiers said. "Looks like one of them Aryans that invaded in 1941," said another soldier. "You shouldn't be here, young Missy," said the third soldier with a large grin on his face. "You're likely to get raped by some British soldiers looking for a good time." The three uniformed men slowly entered the house, advancing toward Olivia. "Don't come any closer!" Olivia demanded. "I have special powers." The soldiers simply stared at Olivia for a moment and then burst into hysterical laughter. "I bet you do," said the second soldier. "I bet your powers are great when it comes to fucking." "I've always wanted to fuck an Aryan chick," the third soldier said. "I got a soft spot for blonde bitches." "You asked for it!" said Olivia. Using the superhuman strength that her elfin powers gave her, she threw a punch at the first soldier. Much to Olivia's dismay and horror, the soldier blocked her punch by grabbing her first with one hand! With his free hand, the soldier slapped Olivia across the face, knocking the woman to the ground. "Hey fellas," he said, "this kitten's got claws!" "Feisty!" said the second soldier. "I like that in my women." It was then that Olivia realized why her elfin strength had not activated. It had been 1400 years since she had had to use that strength and she had forgotten how to use her powers! The soldiers advanced. ---------- "Whew! That was something else!" the first soldier said as he buttoned up his pants. "I told you," said the second soldier. "These Aryan bitches are hot!" Olivia lay in front of the three soldiers with a glazed look in her eyes, her nightgown ripped and torn beyond recognition. She did not move as the three soldiers left the house, leaving her lying on the floor. After the three men had left, Olivia, as if asking God for an answer, inquired in no more than a whisper, "Why?" ---------- Because elves had a much longer lifespan than humans, the gestation period was longer as well. In August of 1945, Olivia was still pregnant with the child of one of the three soldiers. Olivia was in Paris when the newspapers were released saying that the Allied Forces had won the Second Great War. The elfin woman read about the death of Adolf Hitler and of the atomic bombs dropped of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Olivia thought to herself, 'So much war. So much bloodshed. So much death. First the elves, now their own kind.' After experiencing almost 1500 years of nothing but hardship, what little trust Olivia had left in human beings disappeared. ---------- Olivia gave birth to a healthy baby boy in a hospital in Paris. Olivia sighed in relief as Doctor François Sylven handed the newborn to her. For a moment, she smiled at the child as she cradled him in her arms. However, looking upon her child reminded her of the horrible way that the child was conceived, and just as quickly as her smile had come upon her face, the smile disappeared. "Miss?" Doctor Sylven asked at seeing Olivia's expression change. "I can't have this baby," Olivia said solemnly. "What do you mean?" asked Sylven. "I was raped," Olivia explained. "This baby is proof of my dishonor. Please, take it away." "But Miss--" "Take it away!" Olivia demanded. For a moment, Sylven sat, stunned by Olivia's enraged demand. Although the baby cried for his mother's milk, Sylven took the baby from her and prepared to exit the room. Sylven stopped as he reached the door. "Does he at least have a name?" he asked the woman. Not even looking back at her child, Olivia replied, "Avery." With that, Sylven exited the room. ---------- Recovering quickly from giving birth, Olivia fled the hospital, wanting to get as much distance between her and Avery as possible. As Olivia ran, a vaguely familiar feeling came over her. She could not remember what the sense was because it was so long ago since the last time she had felt it. Olivia followed the sense to a large house that looked like it belonged to a wealthy family. Olivia walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. A moment passed and an elderly man answered the door. "Can I help you, Miss?" the man asked. "Maybe," Olivia replied. "There is something inside your house that I need. Can I take a look inside?" The man gave Olivia a look of bewilderment. "What are you talking about, Woman?" "Sir, please." "You are not coming inside this house without giving me a good reason!" The same sense hit Olivia again, this time with a vengeance. Wanting, needing to find out what it was that was causing the feeling, Olivia had no choice put to remember her elfin abilities and burst into the house. She pushed the man away with so much force that he flew across the room. Olivia ran inside, following the direction of her sense. "What devilry is this?" the man wondered as he came to his senses. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pyrite crystal. He concentrated on the jewel and it started glowing yellow. ---------- Olivia ran through the halls of the massive house, searching desperately for the one object that could possibly serve as a connection to her hazy past. As she turned the corner, she came face-to-face with a small boy, probably about 10 years of age. In his naivety, the boy simply asked, "Who are you?" Distracted by the boy for a moment, several Jewel Summoners converged on Olivia. "Don't move!" one of them said, holding a red spinel crystal toward Olivia. A female Jewel Summoner said to the boy, "Young Felix. Go to your room. We'll tell you when the woman has left." "Yes, Lady Michelle," said the boy. With that, Felix ran off to his room. Michelle said to Olivia, "Leave right now and we won't hurt you." Using her newly revived elfin strength, Olivia blew past the Jewel Summoners, continuing her dash through the house. The Jewel Summoners ran after her. ---------- Olivia's sense brought her to a large vault, guarded by two Jewel Summoners. "Who are you?" one of them asked. 'It's behind that door,' Olivia realized. 'I can feel it.' Olivia approached the vault. The guards jumped in front of Olivia, blocking her path. "Hold it right there, Miss!" the second guard commanded. Olivia simply knocked the guards' heads together, rendering them both unconscious. Olivia gathered up her strength and dashed toward the vault. She threw herself against the door, breaking it down. Inside the vault was a pedestal with a small, gold box sitting on it. Olivia ran to the box and opened it. Olivia stared in awe at what she saw inside the box. She reached inside and picked up the brilliant blue sapphire that was protected inside. "The Sapphire!" she cried, memories of a time centuries ago flooding back into her. "It's Father's old Sapphire!" The Jewel Summoners caught up with Olivia. "She has the Blue Sapphire of Alvara!" One of the Jewel Summoners cried. "Put that back right now!" Michelle demanded. Olivia was too lost in her reverie to hear Michelle's words. "After all these years," the elf said to herself. "I find something from my past." Lady Michelle held up a spinel crystal. As the crystal glowed red, a crystal soldier materialized in front of her. When Olivia saw the soldier charging toward her, it no longer mattered whether she lived or died. Finally remembering everything about her past, Olivia felt a sense of completeness and allowed herself to be impaled by the spinel soldier's sword. ---------- Arine sobbed as her vision ended and the blue glow of the Sapphire stopped. Having Olivia's life played out before her filled Arine with so much sadness. She could not stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks. "Grandmother..." Johan, who had been watching Arine, knelt down in front of the blonde and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Arine?" he asked. "What did you see?" "I saw..." Arine sniffled. "I saw Olivia. I saw what happened fifteen hundred years ago. I saw her entire life flash before my eyes." "What happened?" "She was in Alvara's Cave. She was with her father. Alvara used the power of the Ruby and Sapphire to send her away. When she escaped, she kept running and running until she saw a couple of Jewel Summoners. She cut off the points of her ears so that they wouldn't know she was an elf. They took her south where she got on a boat to the mainland. She started searching the world for other survivors." Arine was beginning to lose her composure. "She searched and searched and searched. Fourteen hundred years. So alone!" Arine broke down and threw herself into Johan's arms, crying harder than she ever had before. "I can still feel the loneliness in my heart," she wailed into Johan's chest, all of Olivia's sadness pouring out of her. "So alone. So alone." Johan held the girl tightly in his arms, rubbing her back. Arine did not care that it was Johan that was comforting her. In her misery, Arine was willing to accept comfort from anybody. Johan waited until Arine had calmed down and had regained her composure. "What else?" he asked. Arine continued. "She was in Normandy during World War II. The Allied Forces invaded Normandy to liberate France from German rule. Olivia was attacked by British soldiers. It had been so long since she used her elfin powers that she had forgotten how to use them. She was raped. She gave birth to a boy after the war ended. No longer innocent, she gave up the baby. After being raped by humans, after seeing the atomic bomb created by humans, after seeing the bloodshed caused by humans, Olivia lost all trust in the human race. Soon after Olivia left the hospital, she found the household of the Doulin Clan. She sensed the Blue Sapphire of Alvara inside. She broke in and searched, following her senses. She found the Sapphire. She felt such happiness from being in possession of something she had remembered from so long ago." Arine paused for a moment, as if experiencing a happy memory. However, her expression then become solemn again. "She was killed by the Jewel Summoners when she refused to give the Sapphire back to them." Johan stared at Arine in amazement. "You saw all of that?" he asked. "Yes," replied the blonde. "Why? How long have we been here? "Five minutes?" Johan guessed. This time, it was Arine's turn to be amazed. "I witnessed fourteen hundred years of experiences in a matter of seconds?" "When your vision ended," Johan spoke, "you said, 'Grandmother.'" "The child that Olivia bore," Arine explained. "She named him Avery. She gave Avery to the doctor that delivered him. His name was François Sylven. My father's name is Avery Sylven. Johan realized, "The Jewel Summoners were responsible for the death of your grandmother. All because of the Sapphire?" Despite all that she had seen, Arine still had some desire to defend the Jewel Summoners. "They protected the Sapphire to make sure that the Prophecy of Awakening came to pass," Arine said. "Do you think so?" asked Johan. "If that was true, why did they not let Olivia keep the Sapphire? She was an elf, don't you think that she would have known better than anyone how to bring about the new age of the elves?" "What are you saying?" "The Jewel Summoners didn't care about the Prophecy of Awakening coming to pass. Instead of letting nature take its course, they killed the last remaining elf and took the Sapphire back from her. In all likelihood, all that the Jewel Summoners are interested in is learning how to unlock the power of corundum. It's the only crystal besides diamond that they have been unable to use effectively." "They didn't give the Sapphire back to the elves..." Arine said to herself. Despite her best efforts, she was starting to believe Johan's words. "Now, we have both the Ruby and the Sapphire," said Johan. "Doesn't it feel good to know that these two great crystals are back in the hands of elves? Back in the hands of those who truly deserve them?" "Yes," Arine said. It difficult to admit, but it did feel good to know that the elves were back in possession of the Ruby and Sapphire of Alvara. "The new age of the elves is at hand," said Johan. "I now know how the Prophecy of Awakening will come to pass. I have foreseen it. But in order to fulfill Alvara's prophecy, I will need your help." Arine looked at Johan and asked, "What can I do?" "Simple. Take revenge on those that killed your grandmother." "How?" "I can teach you to use your powers. Once you have awakened, you will have all the power of the elves at your fingertips. You will have the power to take revenge on the Jewel Summoners, and the elves will be reborn." Suddenly a fire started burning in Arine's blue eyes. "Teach me, Johan," she beseeched the Finn. "Teach me how to avenge the destruction of the elves."
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