fandomania | The Adventure continues... (Reply)

This one has less than two days:

Our eggs:

Our hatchlings:

The story:

“LOYSA IS YOUR IDENTICAL TWIN SISTER. WHEN THE DOCTOR CUT YOUR MOTHER OPEN IN ORDER TO DELIVER YOU, HE FOUND TWO BABIES IN HER WOMB, NO JUST ONE. HE TOOK YOU OUT FIRST AND WHEN HE WENT TO TAKE LOYSA OUT, SHE VANISHED BEFORE HIS EYES. SINCE HE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO KNEW HOW MANY BABIES THERE WERE, HE DECIDED NOT TO TELL ANYONE, LEST HE BE THOUGHT CRAZY.”

I was stunned. “But how can this be? I am almost twenty-four years old. Loysa is fifteen months old. “

“LOYSA IS A TELEPORTER. IT IS AN INNATE THING FOR HER, BECAUSE SHE DOES IT SO YOUNG. ONE MINUTE SHE IS IN HER CRIB, THE NEXT SHE IS BY YOUR FEET, ASKING TO BE PICKED UP. SHE HAS DONE THIS QUITE A FEW TIMES. REMEMBER? SHE IS DRIVING NORA CRAZY.

“I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING THROUGH HISTORIES AND JOURNALS FOR MENTIONS OF TWINS WITH MAGIC. WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME STORIES ABOUT FRATERNAL TWINS HAVING POWERS, THEIR MAGIC APPEARS TO HAVE NO MORE CONNECTION THAN WHAT IS USUAL FOR REGULAR BROTHERS OR SISTERS. BUT WHEN IDENTICAL TWINS HAVE BEEN MENTIONED, THAT IS WHERE THE INTERESTING STUFF HAPPENS. SOME TWINS CAN ONLY DO MAGIC IN CONJUNCTION WITH EACH OTHER, AS IF THEY ARE TWO HALVES OF A WHOLE. OTHERS CAN DO INDEPENDENT SMALLER MAGIC, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO BIGGER, MORE COMPLICATED MAGIC, THEY HAVE TO SHARE IN THE PROCESS, MERGING TOGETHER THEIR SKILLS OR TALENTS. I HAVE NOT YET FOUND ANY MENTION OF IDENTICAL TWINS HAVING TOTALLY INDEPENDENT MAGIC. THEY ARE ALWAYS IN CONJUNCTION WITH EACH OTHER.

“I THINK THAT YOU AND LOYSA ARE THE LATTER KIND. YOU HAVE THE INNATE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH DRAGONS. LOYSA HAS SOME OF IT, WHICH IS WHY SHE CALLS ME ‘DODO’. LOYSA HAS THE INNATE ABILITY TO TELEPORT. YOU HAVE IT TO A LESSER DEGREE.”

“But I have never teleported anywhere.”

“YOU TRIED TO AFTER THAT THIRD NIGHTMARE YOU HAD THAT NIGHT. IF DONAL AND I HADN’T BEEN HOLDING ON TO YOU, YOU MIGHT HAVE TELEPORTED AWAY. WHERE TO, I COULD NOT HAZARD A GUESS, BUT YOU DID TRY.”

“Alright, if that is so, then can you explain the age difference?”

“THAT IS A PUZZLE. MY GUESS IS THAT HER NEWBORN BRAIN, NOT BEING ABLE TO PROCESS OR CONTROL WHAT SHE WAS DOING, MAY HAVE UNWITTINGLY ADDED TIME TRAVEL TO HER FLIGHT. WE WILL NEVER KNOW. SHE MUST HAVE TELEPORTED TO THE FUTURE AND WAS FOUND BY THE RAJHAI, WHO ADOPTED HER. WE WILL NEVER KNOW THIS FOR CERTAIN, AS THEY ARE DEAD AND SHE IS TOO YOUNG TO KNOW WHAT SHE DID.

“YOU CANNOT DENY, PATRA, THAT YOU AND LOYSA HAVE A BOND. I KNOW THAT YOU FEEL IT. SHE FEELS IT TOO. THAT IS PROBABLY WHY SHE CALLS YOU ‘MAMA’ BECAUSE HER IMMATURE BRAIN DOESN’T UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF SISTERS YET. SHE PROBABLY CALLS DONAL ‘PAPA’ BECAUSE SHE CAN FEEL THE BOND YOU HAVE WITH HIM. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR EVEN NON-MAGICAL TWINS TO FEEL CLOSE BONDS TOGETHER.”

“True. I have noticed that Melia and Melisant often finish each other’s sentences, feel pain when the other gets hurt and talk with each other in ways no one else can understand.. When they were babies, they slept better and cried less when they slept in the same crib.”

“YES, MY POINT EXACTLY. AND TWINS TEND TO RUN IN FAMILIES. IF YOU HAD TWIN DAUGHTERS, IS IT SO UNBELIEVABLE THAT YOU ARE A TWIN YOURSELF? THERE MIGHT BE OTHERS IN YOUR FAMILY HISTORY.”

“Come to think of it, Granny did talk about a twin sister of hers. They did the same things, liked the same things, and would finish each other’s sentences…”

“I HAVE NO REAL PROOF THAT THIS IS THE WAY IS IT. THESE ARE ONLY MY GUESSES. BUT WHEN WE GET TO RAWN-DEVU, I WILL CONTINUE TO RESEARCH THIS AS BEST I CAN. THE COUNCIL LIBRARY WILL BE OF GREAT HELP IN THIS.”

“Can you explain to me how I did what I did to Jaizel? How I did what I did for Donal? I am at a total loss as to what and how I did.”

“THIS IS JUST A GUESS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES MUCH MORE RESEARCH, BUT MY FEELING IS THAT YOU MUST HAVE EXPECTED JAIZEL TO ATTACK AND KILL YOU. FROM WHAT YOU SAID PRIOR TO TODAY. I THINK YOU WERE EVEN RESIGNED TO DYING AT HIS HANDS. AM I NOT CORRECT, PATRA?”

“Yes.” I answered reluctantly. “It was better than having to go back to him. I tried to push every button he had. What I didn’t know was that he was going to harm Donal. That surprised me.”

Orlando sighed. Donal looked at me worriedly.

“SO AT THE MOMENT OF YOUR WORST ANGUISH, WATCHING DONAL DIE, YOU UNCONSCIOUSLY SUMMONED UP ALL YOUR POWER AND REVENGED DONAL’S DEATH. WHEN LOYSA FELT YOUR GRIEF, SHE CAME TO HELP YOU. YOU HAD EXHAUSTED YOURSELF IN KILLING JAIZEL, SO LOYSA GAVE YOU HER POWER TO HELP YOU BRING DONAL BACK TO LIFE. PRECISELY HOW YOU TWO DID WHAT YOU DID, I CANNOT SAY AT THE MOMENT. IT WAS FASCINATING TO WATCH.”

“You have given me much to think about.”

“AS YOU HAVE GIVEN ME MUCH ALSO.

“CHANGING THE SUBJECT, WHAT WERE THE TWO OF YOU TALKING SO INTENSELY ABOUT OUTSIDE?”

I felt myself blush.

Donal answered, “I have asked Patra to marry me and she has consented. Just as soon as I can find a priest to agree to marry us, Patra and I are going to be married.”

Orlando had a twinkle in his eye, “WHY THE HASTE? CAN’T YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL THE OFFICIAL MOURNING PERIOD IS OVER? OR IS THERE SOMETHING YOU HAVEN’T TOLD ME YET?”

Donal blushed and took me into his arms, protectively. “Yes, there is.”

“WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED? THE TWO OF YOU HAVE BEEN AT EACH OTHER LIKE RABBITS IN HEAT. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SURPRISING IF YOU WEREN’T.” With that Orlando walked off chuckling.

Donal and I went off to bed shortly thereafter. We both were tired.

Several hours later, I awoke. I could hear Donal lightly snoring next to me. I felt different. It was like nothing that I had ever experienced before. Trying to focus on it, it dawned on me that I was feeling an entity or life force inside of me. I don’t know how I knew this, but I did. And it wasn’t one entity, but two. Could it be from my baby? None of my other children gave me this feeling when I was carrying them. What could it be? I needed to speak with Orlando about this. I got up from bed carefully, so as not to wake Donal. But when I stood up, the feeling intensified. It almost overwhelmed me. Then a wave of total depletion washed over me and I passed out.

I briefly regained consciousness to hear Loysa crying. In the distance, I heard Donal call my name. Then the darkness returned.

Somewhere I heard Orlando’s voice. “BREATHE, PATRA, REMEMBER TO BREATHE. STAY WITH US, PATRA. HELP IS ON THE WAY. COME ON, PATRA, KEEP BREATHING. THAT’S A GOOD GIRL. I KNOW THAT YOU ARE TIRED, JUST BREATHE FOR US. BREATHE FOR DONAL AND FOR YOUR CHILDREN.” His voice died away as I faded into nothingness.

[I AM!!!!] [I AM!!!!]

[LET ME LIVE.]

[I AM!!!!] [I AM!!!!]

[LET ME LIVE.]

[I AM!!!!] [I AM!!!!]

[IF I AM NOT, THEN YOU ARE NOT. LET ME LIVE.]