Ancestors

By EEQ

Chapter 1

Pyralis moved quickly through the crowd, occasionally using an elbow to gently nudge someone out of her way. She was in a hurry, and did not really feel like waiting.

No one took any notice of her. They never did. She was small; short and slender, with brownish blond hair, and brown eyes framed with heavy lashes. There was nothing very distinctive about her; she tended to fade into the background. She was fine with that, most of the time; she could watch everything from the sidelines and not have to worry about getting dragged into other people's business. Sometimes, though...Sometimes she wished she was a little more outgoing, at least enough to have a few friends; enough to fight back when she was shoved out of they way or knocked flat by people who didn't even see that she was there...There was a small part of her crying to be let loose and free to roam.

She quieted that part of her. The truth was, it frightened her...

She laughed at that thought. What could I possibly do?

What are all these people doing here, anyway? There isn't usually a huge crowd like this gathered in the hallway. I really need to get to class, and all these PEOPLE are in my way...

She stood on tiptoe in order to see what everyone was looking at.

Merrick, the boy with the biggest reputation for picking fights in the school, was at it again. Today, he stood face to face with Zarek.

"You think you're too good for the rest of us, don't you?" he taunted. Zarek just stood there with crossed arms and closed eyes, completely calm. Pyralis admired that ability; she herself had a fiery temper and had a hard time holding back her anger. She also had a lot of pride.

"Well, answer me! You and your friends just sit out in the corner and act all superior! I'm sick of it!"

"We just keep out of the way," Zarek said quietly. Pyralis loved his voice, it was so deep and soft...She had seen him before, with his group of friends. They kept to themselves most of the time, but Pyralis understood that did not necessarily mean that they thought they were superior. She kept to herself most of the time, because she had trouble socializing. She did not consider herself superior, and she didn't think Zarek was the type to do so either.

"Just fight me!" Merrick exclaimed. He was proud of the fact that he was in martial arts classes, and tried to show it off as much as possible.

"No. I will not fight you."

Merrick got angry and attacked.

Pyralis had never seen anyone win against Merrick. She was angry that he loved picking fights so much, and that little voice inside of her cried out in protest...Then she saw what happened next.

Zarek swung, and with one blow to the stomach, Merrick was down.

"Please, just leave us be," Zarek said. He started to walk away, but something caught his attention. He turned around and looked straight into Pyralis' eyes.

Why...No, he can't be looking at me...

The little voice inside of her was responding to his gaze. Let me out, it cried.

Hush.

Zarek lowered his eyes, and walked away. Pyralis wondered what all that had been about...

*****

"Did you hear about Zarek?"

"He got Merrick with one punch!"

"What a lucky swing!"

Pyralis didn't think luck had anything to do with it whatsoever. Something about Zarek was different than other people. A hidden strength...

Pyralis, what are you thinking? Stop trying to be wise, it doesn't suit you! He's just a guy with a strong punch There must be hundreds like him.

But...Why did he look at me?

It must not have been me. Some girl was standing behind me and she was smiling at him.

Pyralis slammed her locker shut. Why couldn't he have been looking at me? Why am I just a blob? It's so unfair!

She could see him now, walking towards her.

Now I am hallucinating! This is what happens when you give in to useless fantasies.

He kept coming.

That is really him!

"Hi, can I talk to you?"

Pyralis looked behind her to see who he was talking to. There was no one there.

"Talk to me?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, if it's not too much trouble."

"I guess not." It was at times like these she wished she was more skilled at socializing.

"I noticed you were alone, and I wondered if you would like to join my friends and me at lunch?"

He...noticed...me?

"I'm really not hungry."

"You don't have to eat."

She didn't want to go. Eat with complete strangers?

He's being so nice, though. He actually noticed me...

"I wouldn't mind meeting your friends," she said.

"Great, then come with me."

She followed after him, feeling very short. He had to be at least six feet tall, almost a full foot above her.

He's so good looking, too. All that black hair...and those eyes...and even though he's wearing a loose shirt I can tell there are muscles under there...

Stop it. Right now.

"I saw you get Merrick," she said, desperate for a topic of conversation.

"Yes, I saw you there in the crowd." He shrugged. "Merrick is going to get hurt one of these days, if he keeps it up."

"He deserves it," Pyralis said. "I was quite glad when you knocked him flat. I wished you had done more than that..." She stopped, not wanting to sound bloodthirsty. "Maybe it will teach him some humility."

"I doubt it. People like him don't learn easily. Here we are."

Three people were already seated at the picnic table outside, two boys and a girl. All of them were about a year older than Pyralis, like Zarek.

"This is Makoto." The boy with the short blond hair and friendly blue eyes. "Raidon." The boy with the long brown hair and eyes that were gray in color. "Hoshiko." The girl, with black hair and blue eyes, who had an unhappy expression on her face.

"Everyone, this is..." Zarek trailed off , as he realized that he had not asked for her name.

"Pyralis."

"That's unusual," Raidon said. "Very pretty."

"It means 'of fire'." She smiled. "It suits my temper."

"Someone as pretty as you has a temper?"

Was Raidon trying to flirt with her? Pyralis felt flattered. She blushed slightly.

"Don't mind Raidon. He thinks he's such a ladies' man," Makoto said, grinning. "We tell him otherwise but he doesn't listen."

"The ladies just love me," Raidon said, winking at Pyralis. She laughed. She liked these two.

"Why'd you bring this girl?" Hoshiko asked, her sour expression growing even more sour.

"She was alone, and besides..." Zarek leaned over and whispered something into Hoshiko's ear. Her eyes widened.

"No. I don't believe it."

"That's why I brought her, so that Makoto could check it out."

"Don't we have enough?" she asked.

"The more the better, because we become stronger. You know that. In any case, she may refuse to join us."

Pyralis looked back and forth between them, wondering what they could possibly be talking about.

"What is your last name, Pyralis?" Makoto asked.

"Bokatai," she replied automatically. Why did he want to know?

Makoto pulled out a laptop and started madly typing away at it.

"Bokatai...Well, Zarek, she is definitely descended from one of the originals," Makoto said. There was a strange note in his voice.

"Who?"

"Vegeta," Makoto replied, closing the laptop. "Just like Hye."

"Uh oh. This could get tricky," Zarek said. "This could get tricky."

Pyralis finally snapped. "Could someone please explain to me what is going on?"

"Do you think it's safe?" Hoshiko asked. "What if telling her makes her want to join Hye?"

"It's her right to know," Zarek said. "Have a seat, Pyralis, this is a long story. It all started about a thousand years ago, when a boy named Goku was sent to Earth to destroy it..."

*****

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