Chapter 11: Astray

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             I was running. No... I was flying-whizzing through the clouds with a freedom only the birds and the marked ones knew.

I laced my fingers into the sky and watched it shift, threatening to be ripped open if I prodded any further.

Clouds lined up before me one by one in cascades of magical drops of dew. Eager for the touch of their pillowy folds I grabbed for them, only for them to vanish.

As if I pushed the kindness of the sky too far, I fell through it plunging in darkness's endless nothings. Flipping uncontrollably, swirling, diving.

Falling.

Falling...

Falling......

I snapped my eyes open feeling pain everywhere as if I had smacked hard on the ground. I stared at the familiar surroundings of the plane remembering we were finally heading home after a very long but fun Christmas.

"She was horribly drunk here." Fabian saw the worst of me this weekend and made sure there was no end to my embarrassment as he showed the videos of me commanding him around at the top of my lungs.

'Look you maniacal kitty! you will stay on that side of the bed tonight!' I couldn't help but curse myself to pieces for ever giving into my guilt with the wine.

"Ah, the sleeping lioness has awoken from her slumber." Thomas's eyes were glistened over with tears that fell onto his cheeks. "For a sweet little doll like you I never thought you'd have such a feisty persona." He giggled further clearly tickled.

"You have to send that to your mother she is going to love it. It'll make for a good laugh during the wedding." Fabian scoffed with pretense hurt.

"Who do you think I am? I did that as soon as she was asleep." They roared like viking's relishing the stories of their victories. While I cowered lowering further in my seat for once, staying silent to avoid further embarrassment.

The planes speaker popped to life "Due to the turbulent air space over the marked lands we will be taking an emergency landing." I straightened up in my seat watching as Thomas rose from his seat and directed Fabian to sit with me.

"Relax little one." Fabian eased into the seat next to me and I laid my head on his shoulder. This Christmas was one of the funnest I've had in a while. We went to the ice sculpture parade and various temples and sights.

Later in the trip we ventured to Tokyo to meet up with Thomas.
Around my neck lay a crystal necklace with a single round crystal pendant with a small one leafed twig entrapped in its clear depths, it was a gift from Fabian.

Despite it's clear mockery of my pet name it was gorgeous and I now treasured it. It was clear to me I was softening toward him more now. I became more vulnerable in his presence no matter how ruthless he was to others.

Maybe it was because I never had a crush or fallen in love, but with him I felt invincible. The threat on the ground below would never compare to the fortress I lay next to.

I snuggled to him allowing myself to drown in his scent.

"Tired?" I smiled threatening him with mischief.

"When the parents are away the kids will play." I joked as I shifted to sit on his lap leveling my face with his. "What if I'm not?" Taking pleasure as his face turned dark yet again letting me test his flames.

"You know little one I'm starting to think you like losing." I've tempted him twice again since my tragic loss and each time I've been left burned, but like a moth to a flame I tempted him again.

"It is the fact that I hate to lose is why we are here again."

The speaker popped to life yet again interrupting our game. "Please take your seats and put on your seat belts we are now landing in Port Shelly."

I didn't budge, but I did buckle Fabian in and place his hands around my waist. "Hold on tight." I was straddling him now and being bold as possible tempting him further.

His eyes bored into mine as the plane began to decline through the sky. "How much further are you going to push before you just ask my little tree nymph?" He closed his eyes as I started playing in his hair.

I looked out the window noticing how close the landing port was to the scepter wall. The large encapsulated force field spanned far into the reaches of the sky as guards lined the top of the wall.

I looked over the seat seeing Thomas back in his seat snoozing slightly resting on his hand.

"That was quick."

Fabian opened his eyes confused. "What was?"

I pointed to Thomas, making Fabian shift his gaze to his father.

The plane lurched to what felt like the wheels hitting uneven pavement and Thomas leaned unnaturally in his seat. I felt Fabian go rigid; something was not right, his grip on me tightened and he pulled me to him and began whispering in my ear.

The plane was tilting and outside the window smoke and debris rushed through the air at dangerous speeds.

"Are you listening!" I nodded frantically, but I knew he could see my fear.

We started to tumble smoke filled the plane compartment in thick lung clenching clouds. Fabian held onto me with ease even as I coughed violently struggling to breathe while the planes body tossed about.

The plane came to a slamming halt lurching the both of us deeper into the seat. Fabian was scarily calm taking the knife from his pocket cutting himself out of the seat belt restraints. He stood slowly examining the wreckage, and I stood behind him gripping his hand for dear life.

"Father!" He pulled us forward urgently, letting go of my hand to examine his father who was out cold. "He is alive." He said lifting him placing him on his shoulder. "But he was drugged and whoever did it will be back."

We began cautiously making our way toward the break in the plane. The smoke in air was angry, black and blinding our passageway. Fabian held onto my hand leading us out. There were countless voices ahead and Fabian squeezed my hand as if reassuring me. "Take my father."

He lowered him easing him down placing his arm around my shoulder making sure I was handling his weight. He reached in his pocket removing a pen and clicked it. After a few seconds the transformatronic weapon revealed itself as a black firearm with an advanced digital silencer. "Let's go."

I trailed closely behind him trying my best not to drag Thomas through any hazardous debris. The plane shook and filled with unbearable screeching forcing us to cower where we stood to cover our ears.

The thundering sounds of footsteps became clear as well as the sounds of the war that awaited us. Fabian was ready as I sat paralyzed behind him holding Thomas who was starting to come through.

My head snapped from the sharp sound the newly created smoking bullet hole next to my head made. Fabian dropped several bodies firing with no hesitation or fear.

"Move now Ambrosia!" He began advancing forward with me and Thomas frantically moving behind him. "Ambrose-AMBROSIA!" Thomas pushed me as a large bionic slammed into Thomas pushing him back into the thick of the damaged plane.

"Thomas!" I felt myself being lifted. I began to claw but stopped when I saw Fabian shoot the next advancing bionic dead in between its beady yellow eyes.

I stood on my feet. "Was my father awake?!" I frantically nodded struggling to hear him over the volume of the chaos.

"But he was still drowsy." Fabian lurched forward grabbing a blood shot eyed man by the neck breaking it with a swift flick of his wrist.

"He is fine! Let's go!" He pulled me forward as I gagged. "These are the curse'd marked!"

We finally reached outside of the plane and it was an all-out onslaught. The plane created a massive hole in the wall and the marked bionic and human alike were pouring through in relentless waves. The wall Rangers and port security were being over run as the deranged ran free and the knights of our wall fell.

I felt a hand grab my shoulder mid sprint and panicked making Fabian turn in a flash after quickly annihilating his previous target. Thomas dodged his son's bullet deflecting it with his own weapon and then shot behind us. "Move! There is a viper on its way!"

A guard clad in dark a mold green uniform made his way to us. "Fabian! Thomas! Ambrosia! I am here to escor-" Fabian placed the barrel of his gun to the man's forehead.

He began shooting out a series of numbers. "What is my code?" The guard paled stunned unable to respond and Fabian fired, I screamed.

Fabian and Thomas willed me forward.

"The viper is inbound at 3 o'clock." Thomas tossed Fabian another transfomatronic. The two were dragons in the chaos; well at home in the blazes of the fire, dodging bullets like they were dodging dodge-balls. While one fired the next pushed or pulled me bionically as if they were reading each other's cues. One refusing to overdo or undo the other, perfectly balanced as a blacksmith prized double blade.

A sharp howling was slicing through the air forcing us to come to a jolting halt. "Criers!!!" I felt my blood run cold as the deranged voice announced their presence, both marked ones and guards began to scatter.

"We have to go NOW!" Fabian face was grim but focused as he picked me up throwing me over his shoulder.

The viper was visible in the sky now loosing its camouflage covering to notify us of its presence. The speaker of the viper popped to life spewing out numbers, and both Fabian and Thomas began sprinting toward it with zero hesitation.

The howling was becoming louder vibrating through the air as if their lethal air wasn't enough. The site of them wasn't meant for the weak stomached. I watched as Thomas waved his hands frantically behind Fabian indicating for them to lower the step port before what felt like a truck slammed into Fabian throwing us to the ground.

The man look deranged his skin was yellow and peeling in various places and he was brutally beating Fabian into the ground "Fabia-" I was yolked up and Thomas fired several bullets into the marked man.

"Get on the plane!" The planes step port was open and extended and there were two guards waiting, one with their hand extended the other firing cover fire.

I scrambled running like I never had in my life and I extended my hand and jumped toward the plane guard. My foot caught, and I tumbled to the ground and felt myself being dragged under the viper. I kicked with all my strength as the bionic that took hold of me continued to ensnare its grip on me.

"Sorry princess but you're coming with me." It's raspy electric voice was vile and I could no longer contain the contents of my stomach as it clenched in fear.

"Ugh come on I know Jafar is vile but I don't think he is that vile." A female who couldn't be no older than me with blazing purple hair and clad in the same moss green attire as the security guard Fabian offed joked.

"Come on, Trish we need to go, we have already lost enough men." I struggled more in Jafar's grip but saw it was useless. Trish began firing a beam based cannon clearly aiming for the guard that came down in an attempt to rescue me, but they quickly fell back overwhelmed by her weapon.

"Ambrosia!" Fabian was racing toward me as Jafar who now had me over his shoulder raced toward the wall where the Criers were pouring in. Their decaying bodies mixed with matted fur created an ungodly stench that rolled through the air with the sound waves of their howls.

Trish war cried and met up with another one of her green moss suited friends. He was of medium build but slightly older and had stark green hair. "It's crunch time boys, put little miss spit up to bed! I don't want her royal barf to get me killed!" Trish ordered the green-haired one, and he came racing toward me and Jafar.

"Sup Joffy."

Jafar groaned. "Just put the gal to bed." I felt tears well up in my eyes feeling absolutely powerless. I watched in the distance as the plane turned and the sniper attempted to fire toward us only to be stopped by another guard. Thomas was holding Fabian back who was struggling in his father's grip screaming my name at the top of his lungs.

"Inhale deep please." I refused glaring at him. "Welp." I felt a sharp pain in my leg as Jafar constricted tighter around my ankle and screamed forcing me to take in a mouthful of the chemical laced in whatever fabric he held to my mouth. "Night night princess."

My world started to slow. Everything dragged as if time itself had begun to freeze, and the only thing I could manage to still see was the anguish on Fabian's face. The desperation in his voice would haunt a thousand dead souls making them turn in their graves.

I felt a single tear drag down my face as I watched my fortress lose its first battle in a way neither of us ever wanted.

My body began going numb and my vision blurred til there was nothing.
I was nothing.

Who am I?

"Ambrosia." It was but a whisper in my ears, but it made me smile.

I am Ambrosia....

I was being rocked, gently swaying. I was floating adrift with the waves of the ocean, following their currents to the ends of nowhere and everywhere. I rose my head looking around at the vastness of forever.

Recognizing the gondola I whipped my head around to see the mighty stag standing gloriously behind me as my guide. Slowly but relentlessly it all began to set in and I began to weep.

"Why now?! Why do you show up now!" I splashed my hands in the water to toss it toward the stag. It stared at me in pity as if apologizing for its poor timing, but still remained still.

I was furious, I didn't feel like being in this wondrous dream when everything outside of it may as well be hell. "Answer me!"

The surrounding water exploded, and we began falling together just as I had before when I was in the sky. Though this time with a single circling of the stag's majestic antlers the gondola was floating along a passageway through the thick of some very bare woods.

I stared seeing my body laying limply across Jafar's shoulder, whom was loosely holding me while Trish and several others walked.

"Lol she really did that? Joffy is not that revolting." The kid was young no older than 10 and laughing along with the mass of them.

"That's what I said! But boy is princess sleeping beauty a snoozer, it's been well over 15 hours and she is still out cold." I watched as Trish touched my bodies hair and fold it neatly behind my ear and somehow the hair on my current head did as well.

The revelation shocked me. I turned to the stag who continued looking forward as we sat in the gondola before turning back toward the scene that surrounded us.

"Lol. Caz here probably didn't want to see what would happen if she saw the rest of us." The blue-haired ten-year-old joked to Caz who was walking beside him stone faced.

"I say we wake her up, after all we can't leave her hungry." Some giggled and others groaned.

"Nah I think we should let the tonic wear off. It'll be even more of a killer headache if we wake her, and I'm not only talking about for her." Caz stated grumpily

"Awe come on Casper you know it'll be funny- hold up I got it. Where is Ruth?"

Trish began cackling out her laughter loudly. "I am with Gus on this one." She said through gasps of her own laughter.

Casper grunted finally breaking his stoic persona before asking. "Where is Ruth?" The smile on his face was pure fun; kinda like a kid who just discovered superheros, but super bashful giving him the air of utmost innocence.

"Somebody call me?" She had a strong southern accent and her hair was a natural cherry-wood brown though the rest of her was anything but. Her eyes bright yellow from her bionic enhancements. She looked like one of those puppets from horror movies with the body of a professional bodybuilder, I felt myself shudder in horror.

If I woke to that the way they were thinking, I even didn't know what I'd do but be besides myself in fear and disgust.

"Ruth dear could you wake the princess please?" Casper asked almost too sweetly, and just like that she strode up to me started shifting around my hair prodding my lips and all the while I felt and reciprocated all of it on my current body making me laugh in amazement.

I turned to the stag who seemed to be smiling "Til we meet again." My eyes widened as the ancient voice cooed out his words.

My eyes snapped open at the feeling of her finger in my nose, and I just stared.

"Good morning!" Trish happily exclaimed. My eyes bored into hers as I gave her the most unimpressed expression I could manage. Nothing could compare to the discovery I just made; not even a giant bionic scare crow lady with a southern accent, or the fact that I've been kidnapped and am being dragged off to God knows where.

Nothing!

"Oh now that is a surprise." Trish said clearly disappointed. I looked passed Ruth to see Casper frowning as if I ruined his one good thought of fun.

"Land ho! Boys and gals, we have arrived at Marktrocity Cove!" Jafar bellowed out with pride.

All the faces of disappointment vanished. I shifted on Jafar; whom had reaffirmed his hold on me, to get a look of the land I've heard of at campfires during my school days.

To my utter devastation, it didn't disappoint.

Casper coldly walked up to me with a smug smirk and waved toward the massive city before us

"Welcome to hell princess."


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