Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Madison: The Lost Tra'lapp ❯ The Flow ( Chapter 5 )

5/?

Madison stood next to Roxie as she sipped her drink slowly, standing at the bus stop with other citizens of Kist. It was late-or early, you could say. Demetrius had been absolutely right when he had claimed nobody would notice the way there were dressed; everyone around her was covered in feathers, fur, sequins, and bangles. People laughing loudly or practicing their lines walked past them as bright shop signs boasted their wares. There were cars here in Kist, although different from the ones she was used to on Earth. These were open all around, like a dune buggy, and had a solar panel on the roof to power it.

 

The weather in Kist was tropical, which guaranteed warm days with plenty of humidity, and the occasional five-minute rain shower. Roxie didn't appreciate the humidity at all, but she was distracted by the Vegas-like attitude of Kist.

 

“This city is awesome!” Roxie said excitedly, dark brown eyes flashing eagerly. “We should rent a car. Then we wouldn't have to hop a bus all the time like last night, and we could go anywhere!”

 

Madison rolled her eyes and giggled. Roxie was a sweet girl, but she could do the tourist thing like nobodies business.

 

The brightly painted bus pulled up, and Madison, swaying slightly, managed to snag Roxies' arm and pull her onto the bus. She ignored Roxanna complaints and sat down. Demetrius wasn't with him. He was searching for the Flow headquarters entrance. It was in Kist, he had assured them, but the entranced was be spelled to move all around the city. He was confident that when he approached it, he would “feel” it. He told Roxie and Madison to go out and explore Kist's attractions. It would look strange if they didn't, he'd said, Kist had a night life that boomed until dawn and visitors were expected to boom along with it. Madison and Roxie had, and now were on the bus back to the hotel.

 

Madison sipped her drink, fighting back heavy guilt. How could she have enjoyed anything with the state her family was in right now? She had felt the guilt all night, which led to drinking a bit too much. She was going to have a hang over to kill all hangovers soon. Luckily Kist had a variety of pharmacies; hell they had a variety of everything anybody could want.

 

Four hours later Madison was sleeping it off while Roxie went through the pack on the floor. When Terra Acreage had thrown them into the portal, only Roxie had put on her traveling pack. Madison's and Demetrius' had been left behind in the struggle. Hopefully they would be able to buy another one here in Kist. Tra had large unexplored areas between the advanced cities, mostly because earth users needed unspoiled forest and wildlife to feed their magic. If they wanted to travel anywhere they would need to hitchhike, which meant having enough supplies.

 

Roxie finished rummaging through the pack and decided to contact Demetrius. According to the sign posted helpfully above the phone in the hotel room, all you had to do was pick up the receiver and think of the person you wanted to talk to. The nearest payphone would ring near that person where ever they were in the city of Kist. Roxie picked up the phone and focused her thoughts on Demetrius. The phone rang twice before she heard him pick up.

 

“Madison?”

 

“No, it's Roxie. How's it coming?”

 

“I think I'm close, Miss Roxie. I feel it much stronger here in the packing district.” There was a sigh, and then Roxie heard “I had hoped we could use other forces than the Flow, but with the Hag having found us out so soon after I found Madison, there isn't a choice.”

 

“Why wouldn't you want to, Demy?” Roxie asked curiously, watching how the lights from the flashing sign outside the large window shone on her mocha skin. “The Flow has been a resistance group for awhile now, right? You told me they have accurate reports and everything, and they have been actively resisting the Hag enough to become a formidable force, so why not join with them?”

 

“There's…something I've been keeping from you, Miss Roxie, and Madison too. I'm a member of the Flow already, and-“

 

Roxie noticed suddenly noticed that the lights that had been playing on her skin were blocked out as a body covered the sign. No big deal, until she realized they were on the eighth floor. The window exploded inward, along with most of the wall around it, and Madison woke up with a shriek.

 

“She's here!” she cried into the phone, “what do we do?”

 

“The entrance is in the packing district! Follow the signs, get here now!” Demetrious shouted.

 

And then there was no phone, because it was ripped from her grasp as a soldier in blue snatched the front of her shirt. She drove her elbow backwards into the solders stomach and freed herself from his grip. She grabbed the pack and looked wildly around the room for Madison.

 

Madison was being dragged out of the hole in the wall by three soldiers. She struggled fiercely against them, but there were stronger than she was, and she was being drug inexorably toward it. She could hear the cries of alarm from pedestrians on the street, and hoped that someone would help her. She couldn't get rid of the iron grips on her arms and legs, and she dreaded the thought that she would be taken captive like her mother and father.

 

Madison saw Roxie dive in with a flurry of kicks and punches, freeing her from the grips of the soldiers in blue. The hotel security rushed in, demanding to know what was happening, and gasping in recognition of the blue uniforms of the Water Tra'lapp soldiers. Madison and Roxie ran, shouldering their way past the hotel security and sprinting for the stairs.

 

“Why didn't you feel her coming?” Roxie puffed, “you always said you get tingles when she shows up!”

 

“She's not here, just them!” Madison gasped. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire, and she was glad that it was Roxie, not her that had to carry the bag. They reached the bottom floor and Roxie pushed the door open and ran out onto the bright street. It was still fairly early in the morning, but the street had begun to fill, and everyone was staring at the hotel room. Soldiers in blue were marching in a grim line toward the hotel, and Madison watched with dread as more of them poured in from every street.

 

Roxie got the attention of an older man with green hair dressed as a parrot. “Packing district?” she gasped.

 

“That way,” he said pointing thankfully away from the direction the Water Tra'lapp soldiers were coming. “Are you hurt?” the man asked Madison. His eyes focused on her soldier, and she only had time to shake her head before Roxie was pulling her away toward the packing district.

 

“Why are we going to the packing district?” Madison gasped, pressing a hand to her side. Man, she really had to get on a treadmill more.

 

Roxie puffed and said “Demy is there.”

 

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The Water Tra'lapp soldiers all heard the mental command from the Hag to spread out and search the hotel and surrounding streets. In eerie silence they complied without hesitation. They diligently combed the hotel, scaring renters as they kicked in the doors and shoving past hotel security as they searched for Madison and Roxanna. They had reached the third floor in their search when soldiers dressed in red holding balls of fire in their palms began barring their way. The Hag watched this with annoyance through the eyes of her soldiers, but was unpleasantly shocked when the newly appointed Fire Tra'ayne, Tanwen, stepped out from behind her soldiers. Tanwen was slender, with light eyes and hair so blonde it appeared silver. She was a fairy, as was apparent by the silvery gossamer wings sprouting from her back.

 

She surveyed the unmoving Tra'lapp soldiers with disdain, and then said in a clear voice “Water Tra'lapp Sasha, your equal calls to you.”

 

“Equal?” the Hag cackled through the many voices of her soldiers. It was unnerving to watch, many mouths moving and only one voice coming from them all. “You are not my equal, Tanwen, and nor are the other successors of the original Tras. None of you replacements will ever be able to measure up to me!”

 

Tra'ayne Tanwen narrowed her pale eyes and asked sharply “Why are you here? This is my country, and my city. We have no dealings with you, nor will we ever. You and your soldiers are not welcome.”

 

There was a pause in which the blank stares of the Tra'lapp soldiers never wavered. Tra'ayne Tanwen stood stiffly, and then narrowed her eyes with suspicion as every blue-clad soldier turned abruptly and filed out the front doors of the building. The citizens on the street hastily backed away from the dead-eyed soldiers as they listlessly opened a portal and marched through, sealing it behind them.

 

Tra'ayne Tanwen gestured to her soldiers to put out their flames and opened a portal to her home. The other Tras needed to be contacted and told of this.

 

As she stepped through, her wings fluttering gently, as she wondered “What is the Hag up to now?”

 

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Roxanna and Madison slowed to a jog as they glanced nervously around the packing district. They could hear far away voices of men yelling orders and thuds of boxes being tossed around.

 

“Where is he?” Madison asked in a whisper. “The packing district is huge. Didn't he tell you anything, or-“

 

“Miss Roxie, Madison!” Demetrius called in a stage whisper. Roxie glanced up and sighed with relief. Demetrius was on top of a squat looking building, waving to get their attention. They went inside and climbed the stairs to the top of the building, where Demetrius was waiting.

 

“You found me!” Demetrius said with a strained smile. “I was so worried about you. I wanted to go back and help you, but I was worried that the Hag was transform me into a merman again. If she did, while we're on land, I would be less of a help and more of a hindrance.”

 

Madison shook her head and said “Never mind that now. Did you find the entrance?”

 

Demetrius nodded, gestured toward a darkened door, and said hesitantly, “There's something you should know before we go in.”

 

Madison shuddered as the `Oh Shit' feeling arced up her spine. “She's coming! Damn it, how does she always know where we are?” she snarled.

 

Roxie adjusted the backpack on her shoulders and said “Demy! The door, it leads right to the Flow, right?” At his nod, they sprinted for the door. The soldiers were pounded up the stairs, and Madison allowed herself one brief look over her shoulder. There were already three soldiers on the roof, and they made eye contact with her just before she snarled “God, I wish you out-of-it soldiers would wake the fuck up!” With that she dove through the door after Roxanna and Demetrius and slammed it behind her.

 

The three soldiers stood as the Hags anger raged in their heads. There was a brief, almost nonexistent flash of disgust in their eyes as they turned at the Hags command and went back through the portal.

 

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Madison and Roxanna stared in disbelief at their surroundings. When Demetrius had said the Flow was an underground resistance group, neither of them had thought he meant literally! It was a huge underground cavern, lit by glowing worms set in tiny glass cubes. The door they had come through looked very out of place, set as it was in a frame of earth and rocks. The Flow was as bustling as Kist, but with battle-hardened men and women. Demetrius was already in motion, sealing the door with a series of hand motions so the Hag couldn't use the door to discover the Flow.

 

Soon afterward, they were discovered by dwarves, who were short, stocky creatures with burly arms and gravely voices. After assuring the dwarves that they meant no harm, they were led to a comfortable room with a hot meal and drink. Madison stared at the plate of fried…something…and felt all-to-familiar guilt washing over her.

 

Her mother was trapped with the Hag, as was her father. It seemed that no matter where they ran, she was always found. How long until the Hag found her this time? How long before everyone would one again have to suffer her mistakes?

 

Would all the efforts of so many people ever come to fruition? She didn't even want to dwell on the other half of the problem, this “Tra'lapp” that Demetrius expected her to become. She didn't know how to rule; nor did she want too! She only wanted her family back!

 

She only wanted her family back…

 

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Well, after a very long hiatus because of all the flames I received, I decided that a few aimlessly angry people shouldn't stop me from doing something I enjoy. So, now we have a new chapter! Rejoice, readers, because I plan on resuming The Water Tra'lapp once more!

 

~Asaka_Sama

 

P.S - Dear Flamers

 

While I realize that you have lots of anger inside of you from being talentless, impotent and ignorant, please try to understand that I simply don't care. I live in the good ole U.S of A, and I'm not at all afraid to tell you that I really do love that good old right to ignore the hell out of you and do what I want to do. I'm going to write, and I'm going to appreciate the people who enjoy my fics, and I'm going to hope that next time to want to flame me, you'll leave a name and number so I can respond to you personally. I would just love to have a nice, personal chat with you, dear. Really, I would.

 

Lots of love to idiots who make my day brighter, Miss Asaka_Sama