Post by Lantlas on Mar 11, 2006 3:45:14 GMT -5
::Neovan is seen backstage with Devon Drake.::
Devon- What the hell's gotten into you, kid?
Neovan- I.... Miss Clanstine... Lantlas....
Devon- One word at a time, Neovan. What exactly was this old lady doing in Lantlas's locker room anyway?
Neovan- None of us know what is going on with Lantlas. I knew of her abilities, and I knew she was the only one who could tell us exactly what's going on with him.
Devon- You don't want to know what's going on inside his head.
Neovan- Yes, I do. He's my brother!
::Devon stands up, and paces a bit. She breathes in deeply.::
Devon- I've seen his eyes when he's at his worst.
Neovan- How?
Devon- I turned on him, a long time ago, even before Terry.
Neovan- Whosajiggawhat?
Devon- You didn't know this, but Lantlas and I were more than just tag-team partners.
Neovan- You mean you were....
Devon- Yes. Lantlas and I had our futures planned together. We were living together, had children's names, everything.
Neovan- I never knew any of this! What happened?
Devon- I did something really stupid. I thought I was falling for someone else, so when the window of opportunity was open, I went through it. It was a mistake. He disappeared, wasn't seen for days. We had a tag team title defense, and though I showed up, he was nowhere to be found. I thought I had it under control... until...
Neovan- Until what?
Devon- The lights went off, and this really eerie music hit. I looked up and saw a pissed off blue-haired elf heading right for me. The two people I was facing were down at ringside, and he threw them away like they were nothing. He stepped in the ring and looked down at me.
Neovan- What did you see?
Devon- There was something in his eyes... Something I'd never seen. Normally those pools of blue crystal had changed. They were darker. Almost green.
Neovan- Green?
Devon- And they were glowing. It was scary as hell, and I couldn't move. It was almost like he had me in a trance. I don't remember what happened after that, but I'm pretty sure it was the Elvish Tale.
Neovan- Is that when he started speaking German again?
Devon- Yes it is. I never really understood that.
Neovan- Sometimes he gets so angry that he goes back to his childhood. Something happened back then that is always in his memory, like I'm sure a lot of things are. Whenever he gets really upset, he starts ranting in German, and he gets dangerous.
Devon- Surprised we haven't seen that recently.
Neovan- I don't think it's anger anymore. I think it's something much deeper. Everytime he's asleep, something seems to happen.
Devon- I know, and it all started with the door incident...
...
I awaken, finding myself yet again in unfamiliar surroundings. I seem to have a knack for waking up in weird places anymore. This place looks vaguely like a bunkhouse though, as if it's owned by the military. Oh no, this can't be good. I fought my entire life to get away from this place. I get up, frantically trying to find the way out. I turn the doorknob, and it's stuck. Doesn't that figure? I try for the window, but it's locked from the outside.
"What the hell do you want from me?"
"To not see my son steer down the wrong path."
Son? No... That defintely was not my father's voice...
"You've let things get the best of you. You've only been looking at one side of things."
I turned around, and saw my beautiful mother for the first time in probably twenty years. I rushed towards her to hug her, but she held a hand up.
"This, I do not understand. A son who shows affection, but one who broods with such hatred inside himself. Why is this?"
I didn't really have an answer. Even I didn't understand why certain things were happening.
"Your inner-most desires come out with the fears of being abandoned. You let that dark side of you take over, and you will lose everything. You think it'll prevent that? Let me show you..."
A flash of light, and I'm standing in the ring. A harsh crowd, all yelling the most hateful things I've ever heard at me. I'm facing them, and I can feel a tear run down my cheek. I start to back up, and feel myself bump into someone. I turn around, and see Seth Sinn glaring at me. He's not alone. Behind him, I see Kri Delastano, Anthony Douglas, Blade, and Al Laiman. Standing on the outside of the ring is Devon Drake, but she's not alone either. I see Pegasus, Johnny Vivacious, Ace Anderson, Grimm, Melissa Malone, damn, is the entire roster out here? I turn and look down to the other side, and I see Tony Brass, the Byrd, Non Compos Mentis, Mr. Showtime, even IceMann is there. Before I can turn back around, I can hear the rush. They all begin to attack me. Even one as strong as I cannot fight back, and the crowd is cheering them... All of them. I am defenseless, and they're all enjoying it. As I'm curled into a ball with what seems like a million feet hitting me everywhere, I hear a voice...
"No one will be friends with a monster. They will all want to eliminate you."
I see a flash, and I see Terry again. God, this is never good. Arm-in-arm with the same guy I saw on that rainy night. She's wearing a white dress. Oh no, could this be...
I look closer, and in the background I see they're walking away from a church. They're getting into a car with tin cans tied to the back. I feel my blood begin to boil as my eyes scan to the message on the back of the car... "JUST MARRIED!" Fuck this shit! I run towards the car, but before I do, I trip to the ground. I hear my mother's voice again.
"No one can love a monster. One who hurts everyone around him is doomed to eternal loneliness."
A flash of light again, and I feel older. I'm in a ragged house, and in a cracked mirror, I don't seem to have physically aged at all. I look out the window, and I see nothing but trees. In the reflection from the window, I see my mother again.
"Humans are the only beings on this planet aware of their own death," she says. "All of them wish for eternity, but none of them realize eternity only means watching those who are mortal, the ones you come to love and care for so much... You watch them grow older, and die. It's the circle of life, but as I'm sure you know, that is not the Elven way. There's a part of you that seems hellbent on convincing you that the only way to avoid pain is to follow your heritage, eliminate your contact with humans, and pursue your darkest desires for success."
This all sounds very familiar. Another lesson, just what I needed.
"To be mortal is the greatest gift there is. You live, and you grow older with those you love. New life takes the place of yours, and you raise them to be good, decent people. Eventually you die, but you know your short time on this earth was well spent raising a child capable of changing the world. I did. When you were given to us..."
Wait, hold the phone. "When I was given to you?"
"Yes, Lantlas. You were adopted. Your father and I were not of the Elven race."
"What about Neovan?"
"Neovan is our blood son. Lantlas, if we were of the Elven race, don't you think we would still be around? Your father wouldn't have died in battle, and I wouldn't have died of a broken heart."
"How is that worth it?"
"It is, my son. My life might have not been that long, but I grew to fall in love with your father, and to have a beautiful child. We also got to rescue you, so you weren't left abandoned."
"That seems to be a recurring theme, doesn't it?"
"Stop it, Lantlas."
"You dare say that I wasn't abandoned? You did abandon me when my father died, and just now bother to tell me he wasn't even my real father?!"
"Your father went to a war that he didn't believe in to try to raise you."
"He's not my father, and you lied to me! You abandoned me, left me to tend for my not-brother alone!"
"There was nothing more I could do for you."
"You LIAR!"
"Lantlas!"
"My father tried to show me the supposed path to happiness, and what happened? My wife died! Then I get to see what would've happened if things had worked the way I wanted them to, and I die, because Sinn turns on me! You show me what happens if I follow my true blood calling, and everyone turns on me! It seems to me no matter what I do, I will be betrayed!"
"Lantlas, that is life!"
"I lived with you abandoning me. I grew to a career and watched not one, but two fiancees stab me in the heart, things I'm not supposed to feel because I'm different than these humans. I'm not supposed to feel inadequate when they leave suddenly the first chance a fling comes along, but this is supposed to be the way to HAPPINESS?!"
"It wasn't the right time for you, son."
"It was! Everything was right, especially the second time around! Everything was right, and it was taken from me! What's to stop Sinn from doing this, or to stop Devon from doing this to me again in a different way, or even for Neovan to stab me in the back first chance he gets!"
"Your brother has never done anything but support you. He loves you!"
"Take your love and shove it! The more I see of this supposed illusion you humans have created, the more I see it only turns to despair!"
"It's not always that way!"
"It is for me, apparently. No matter which path I choose, I end up alone, betrayed, condemned to the eternal emptiness of forever."
"You don't know that!"
"Well, I don't see how it could get any different!"
I stop, and I see that my mother has a tear running down her face. It's red. A tear of blood?
"Mother," I say as I try to reach for her face. She shuns away, turning to the ground.
"I am not your mother, you said it yourself. I'm sorry I couldn't have been a real mother to you. Goodbye, my son."
"No, wait!" I scream, but it's too late. She has vanished.
"Why does it always end this way?"
...
::Lantlas suddenly bursts up from his place of rest. He brings his hand to his face to rub his eyes, but then looks confused. He looks down at his hand, and sees it's covered in blood. He stands up in shock.::
Lantlas- It can't be.
::There's a knock at the door. Lantlas, without even realizing it and still staring at his hand, walks over to the door and opens it. Blake Smith is standing there.::
Blake- Lantlas? What happened to your hand?
Lantlas- I don't know.
Blake- You don't just start gushing blood for no reason!
Lantlas- I know.
Blake- I was coming to ask you about your second PCW Pay-Per-View match.
::Lantlas turns towards the mirror in his room.::
Lantlas- Against S.I.N.?
Blake- Yes. I'm a bit confused.
Lantlas- And why is that?
Blake- Recently, you've done no promotional work whatsoever. No "Back in Blue", no "Up in Section 213", nothing! You were beloved by those fans, and now you've become a recluse!
Lantlas- How's my record?
Blake- Well, you're still undefeated, but...
::Lantlas turns to him, his eyes have turned green.::
Lantlas- But nothing, Blake! I have a spotless record, seven wins, zero losses.
Blake- But you're not yourself.
Lantlas- And what good has that ever done me, Blake? Setting myself up for disappointment? Actually believing that one of these humans is honorable enough to love me?
Blake- What does that have to do with...
Lantlas- I'm more dominant than I've ever been. No one in PCW has been able to touch me, not even one of their best in Johnny Vivacious. I could show up by myself and have this match against S.I.N. over in two minutes.
Blake- But you're not going at it alone. You're with your tag team partner, who's done nothing but support you.
Lantlas- It's funny that I keep hearing that.
Blake- Why?
Lantlas- My mother even said that to me.
Blake- But isn't your mother...
::Lantlas grabs Blake by the jacket and pushes him up against the wall.::
Blake- Lantlas! What are you doing?
Lantlas- Don't you ever speak about my mother like that! You're just like the rest of them, aren't you?! I knew it!
Blake- Lantlas, like the rest of whom?
Lantlas- Thought you could fool me, didn't you? I will not be betrayed by one of you again!
::Lantlas is about to strike, but he accidentally slips. His head goes straight into Blake's, and Lantlas's eyes suddenly go crossed, and he passes out on the ground. Seth Sinn, Devon Drake, and Neovan suddenly come rushing in the door.::
Sinn- Blake? What happened?
::Blake is obviously shaken.::
Devon- Blake!
Blake- Something happened. He accused me of being like everyone else, something about turning on him too.
Neovan- Turning on him?
Blake- He accidentally slipped, hitting his head and passing out.
Sinn- Still from that damn door.
Blake- It's like it wasn't him though.
Devon- What do you mean?
Blake- His eyes...
::Neovan and Devon look at each other, and their faces go white.::
Blake- They were green.
Sinn- There's no telling what could happen when he wakes up. Hopefully he got knocked back to normal, but who knows? We've got a match coming up, and though I'm not that worried about it, I want him to be there.
Devon- His eyes...
Neovan- Green...
Devon- This can't be good.
...
TO BE CONCLUDED IN
CONSEQUENCE - PART IV