The TIMELINE
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Return to Home: Do you know me?
Knock, knock, knock.
Castel looked up to see Analyn peeking through. "Hi
"
she smiled weakly, "can I come in?" Castel gave a nod
and continued to leaf through a scrapbook Nyre had made her.
The newcomer sat down on a chair a few feet away. "So, what're
you doing?" She asked softly.
"Nothin'." The hybrid answered blankly, still fingering
the pictures and memorabilia stuck onto the pages. She listened
as Analyn simply watched her silently. "You're from Florida,
right?" the girl nodded. "Momma's favorite band is
from Florida." Castel murmured softly.
"Look," Analyn started softly, "I'm sorry I'm causing
you this pain
"
Castel smiled slightly, looking up at her mother's lookalike.
"It's
okay. You don't have to feel sorry. I don't
blame you for anything." The hybrid patted the space beside
her and Analyn shyly approached. "Mom had a great life
"
Castel suddenly choked out and blinked at the moisture forming
quickly in her eyes. Analyn reacted and pulled her close, cradling
the young hybrid his her arms.
"Shhh
hush now
." Analyn began to hum softly.
Soothingly
then suddenly Castel froze in her arms. "Castella
?
What's--"
"You called me
Castella." Castel stared back,
pale as could be. "How did you know
?" the hybrid
suddenly grabbed Analyn's hand and pushed back the sleeve of her
shirt to see her wrists.
"What the?!"
"Ohmigod."
Analyn looked back up as she saw Castel let go and run out the
door. "WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!" What the heck?!
Why the reaction
Anayn glanced to what Castel had seen.
It was a scar
one barely seen
cut in a vertical fashion.
Where on Earth? She stood and walked out the door.
"Are you sure kid?" Duke frowned and glanced in Nosedive's
direction. Mallory hugged Castel and glanced at Tanya and the
others. If Castel was right
"I'm sure." Castel whispered softly.
"It
it could be a coincidence." All eyes turned
sharply in Wildwing's direction. He looked away and placed his
palms on the table and inhaled. "What?" Drake frowned
and left his place by the doorframe. "What're ya talking
about Wing? We all know that on Nyre's left wrist there's a vertical
cut made by a knife. It may have scarred over and faded so that
it's barely seen
but we all know that Nyre has that mark!"
"Wing, what's wrong with you? You brought her here in the
first place. You
" Dee looked away. "You made
us hope that Analyn
is her."
"Well maybe we thought wrong. Nyre couldn't have survived
that crash, much less the explosion that came afterwards. For
cryin' out loud!" Wing faced them, "that thing exploded
a hundred feet above the ground!"
Silence.
The tall white duck sat somberly on the couch and sighed. "I
want her back too guys. You know how much
"
"We know Wing." Duke sighed and left the room.
"I just want to be able to hold her again
."
Analyn listened as the conversation continued inside. She crouched
in the shadows, listening as the group of friends comforted each
other. Wildwing was the one being comforted now. He glanced
up his younger brother who smiled sympathetically.
"We know Wing."
"Eavesdropping actually
was her style." Analyn
shot up and saw a tall figure standing in the shadows.
"Wh-wh-who's?" she stammered, blushing a deep crimson.
"Nyre's." the tall grey duck she'd come to know as Duke
stepped out and smiled weakly. "Never got rid of that bad
habit." He sighed wistfully, "hey, let's walk."
"Walk?"
He nodded. "I wanna have my turn to talk to ya."
"Okay."
* * *
Later, up by the rink. "When we warmed up to each other
I immediately took it to mind that she'd be sorta like a kid sister.
But well
Dee was the lucky one according to what I've been
told by Drake and the rest of Strobe. Her family adopted Nyre
in the next year after they'd first met." Duke had explained
to Ana all that she had to know about her 'double's' life before
the
event of her death.
"Uhm
DK?"
Duke glanced up suddenly at her calling him. "W-wh-what
was that 'gel?"
Analyn blushed. "Uh, nothin', hey
since you've told
me about Nyre and Dee and all the others
how about her relationship
with Wildwing
? I know they meant a lot to each other an'
all
but how much
exactly."
The duck smiled wistfully and looked away, a distant look came
to his eyes. "Angel wasn't just any girl to Wing. She was
"
"Everything?"
"Somethin' like that." He nodded and smiled slightly.
"They'd gone through a lot. She'd gone through most of
the hard stuff. The press scrutinizing their relationship
the break-up
but they got back together y'know. They always
came back."
"Oh."
"Well
if it wasn't Castel bawling her eyes out and
not speakin' to them both for a week or so
it was the feelings
they couldn't erase whenever they saw each other y'know."
He glanced to her and smiled gently. "Can't blame him for
wanting her back huh? So what's your story?"
"I have a brother in Florida, friends
a home and things
to do."
"No parents?"
"Kevan explained to me that they died
we've been hiding
from welfare since
" She sighed, "he doesn't want
them to split us up y'know
he means well." She smiled
up at the one-eyed duck who nodded.
"Wing said you don't remember anything except what's happened
in the past months
is that true?" She nodded. "I
was in an accident
a car nearly ran me over."
"You sure?" she glanced up in question, "what?"
"Are you sure that's what happened?" Duke asked. Analyn
suddenly turned beet red. "Are you implying that my brother
was
is lying to me?" she backed up and narrowed her
eyes.
Uh-oh, wrong words Duke. "No, hey kid, I didn't mean that!"
He reached out to her but she ran off into the darkness. Oh man...
this is not going well.
He sighed and made his way back
to his quarters.
Analyn dropped to her knees once she entered the bathroom.
Kevan wouldn't lie
would he? She leaned on the door and
hugged her knees close to her. Why would he
the picture
and the things
they said it all. Besides, Nyre has ebony
hair
I have light brown
.
She glanced up at the shelf and saw a blue bottle, the same blue
bottle Nosedive brought along when he had a prank to play on Mal.
Unless my hair *isn't* light brown. She stood.
* * *
The next day.
"I'm sorry Wing, I didn't know she'd freak." Duke winced
at the expression on the younger duck's face. Wildwing sighed
and slumped back on the couch. "Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Wing waved his hand dismissively.
"Dad," Castel hugged the taller duck and rested her
cheek on his arm.
"I just thought of something." Tanya glanced to each
of them.
"What's on your mind Tan-tan?" Ace leaned over and frowned
slightly. The blond duck ran a hand through her hair and then
answered, "well
it's just a possible theory on how
Analyn could be Nyre."
Grin glanced up and stopped what he was doing.
"Explain. Now." Drake said firmly.
"Well, actually there are two theories. One where she could
be Nyre, the other is that she really could be who her brother
says she is." Several nods as replies. Okay
here goes.
"You see, it's possible that she could have gotten out of
the craft before it crashed and exploded. You know Nyre, she'll
jump at the opportunity to live. IF that's the case she might
have hit her head in the process of leaving the craft or due to
trauma
her brain decided to block out all memory of the
event." Nods again. Good. "But if you ask me
I have no clue as to how she got to Florida. It's too far off.
But there are a number of reasons and possibilities that she
could have gotten there."
"What's the second one?" Mallory asked glancing a moment
at Dee, Castel, Dive and Wing.
"Well
if she isn't Nyre and she is Analyn, her story
would fit. Car accident, same circumstances, severe trauma or
a hit to the head
a bad one."
"What about the ring?" Another voice entered the conversation.
Castel stood and ran to Dee and Nosedive. Grin's eyes widened.
Duke stepped back. His hand reflexively went to his saber.
Mallory, Ace and Hacker grabbed their pucklaunchers and Drake
narrowed his eyes and went into battle stance. Tanya stood in
shock and Wildwing paled under his feathers.
And in the doorway stood Analyn
or they assumed was Analyn,
her light brown hair a rich ebony and tied in a half-ponytail,
matching ebony eyes searching each of them. She was dressed in
Nyre's full uniform, the blue, black and silver bodysuit with
the hood. On her left leg was a pucklauncher and on her right
arm a silver blade was strapped tight.
"Ohmigod
" Castel felt her knees go numb and Dive,
anticipating this reaction pulled her tighter into his arms.
"Analyn
?" someone whispered.
"No." She replied, smiling weakly and blinking twice.
"Nyre."
* * *
A few hours later
The team was quiet as Kevan Garcia entered the room. Analyn/Nyre
stood and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hello Kevan."
She whispered.
"Ana
" his voice trailed as he gave her a once
over. "your hair
is
"
"Back to the way it originally was." His gaze dropped
to the ground. "Why Kevan? Why did you do this to me?"
"I
didn't know what to think." He sighed and looked
around. Drake offered him a seat then returned to where he sat
with Mallory. Duke crossed his arms over his chest and whispered
something to Hacker and Ace. Castel glanced to Wing, then to
Dee and finally to Dive. Their expressions were the same. Nothing.
"Explain Kevan. We won't hurt you. I won't say anything
until you finish." She smiled, touching his cheek lightly.
He sighed and he began to explain.
"So, what you're saying is
technically she was in
a hit and run." Ace rested his chin on his fist, his frown
deepening.
"Yes. I was with my friends for a trip to here in Anaheim
when we witnessed it. At first I just didn't know what to do.
I was shocked to see her. She resembled Ana so much." He
glanced weakly at Nyre who smiled kindly. "A few hours after
we brought her to the small motel we were staying in she woke
up," He glanced to Nyre again, "you woke up. But remembered
nothing."
"Oh." She dropped her gaze to her hands.
"I did what I thought was best. I had no idea she had a
family
a wonderful caring one. I took it up to be the family
she needed and took her back to Florida when we had to go."
He paused. He smiled fondly, looking at the ring she'd placed
on her finger. "You wouldn't let me put that away y'know."
"What?!"
"You probably don't remember the times you'd lapse back into
a confused, disoriented state back in the first two weeks. I
tried to put that away in a safe place. I was going to tell you.
But you
" he smiled sheepishly and rubbed his neck.
"You
*ahem* *defended* it." Nyre's ears turned
light pink.
"So what happens now?" Mallory asked softly, pulling
away slightly from Drake.
"She stays with you." Kevan said firmly. He turned
his attention to Wildwing. "I would offer to care for her
but she is yours, not mine."
"I'm sorry for your loss. It must be hard. I know."
"Yes, my friend. You do."
* * *
"So what do we do now?" Nosedive asked Hacker and
Ace as they made their way to Captain Comics. Castel, Dee, Tanya
and Mallory had informed them that they'd be going to the mall,
and since the boys had been itching for a trip to the comic shop
they'd all gone to the Anaheim Mall together.
"I don't know actually Dive, for once, you shouldn't ask
me." Ace replied as they entered the shop.
"Hey you guys! Got some new stuff at the back isle!"
Thrash greeted the three.
"Hey Hacker, I just got the newest magazine of Cyber World.
Wanna see?" Mookie asked. The tall blonde smiled and walked
over to the girl who offered him the magazine and a seat.
Dive paused as he picked a comic off the rack. "I just wish
"
"
we could do something y'know?" Mallory browsed
through the rack of clothing. "Hey Tanya! I think you'll
like this!" She tossed the blond a pair of denim capri pants
and a nice three-fourths blouse. The blond shot her best friend
a 'thank you' smile and made a beeline for the dressing room.
"Well what can we do exactly?" Lavender eyes glinted
as they caught sight of a light pink sundress. "Oooo! I
like!" She strutted over to the dressing room and rapped
lightly on Tanya's door. "After you, me, Taunny!"
"Otay!" the duck replied from within. Castel laughed
softly and shoved a pair of pants at Mallory. "This'll shock
the boys." She smiled mischievously. Mal examined the suit
and tie, her green eyes glinted in reply. "Yeah
I
think
TAN! Me after Dee!"
"Enough you tow! Let me finish!" Tanya glanced at the
mirror and suddenly got an idea. Hmmm
she tugged off her
headband and let her hair down. "Guys?"
"Wha?!" They asked in unison from outside.
"Can we stop by the optical shop?"
"Finally! Lemme guess!"
"Uh-hm!"
"Tan's getting contacts!"
Duke ignited his saber and charged at Grin. "Release
your anger my friend." The hurculean-duck dodged the attack
and threw him halfway across the training room.
The grey duck blinked his good eye and got up quickly, dodging
an attack from Grin this time. "It ain't anger I'm lettin'
loose Grin, you know that."
"It seemed like a good phrase." Was the reply.
"Is this an open party?" A third voice entered the conversation
as Drake jumped into the fray. He ignited his own saber and took
Grin's place in the sparring.
"Actually Drake, no," Duke blocked an attack. "You
just barged in my friend, as if anythin' else is new." After
several minutes they ended. Drake plopped down on the floor and
rested his elbows on the floor. "How's Wing doing?"
Duke asked, sitting down beside him.
"Same."
"One must learn to accept what has passed and continue with
the present." Grin sat in crossed-legged position and shut
his eyes in meditation.
"I agree with you Grin." Drake replied smiling half-heartedly,
"but it's gonna take time. Afterall
Nyra-girl's just
come back from the dead."
Wildwing aimed and shot at the target, trying to ease himself.
He missed. "Darn it!" He punched the wall and shut
his eyes. A small hand clamped over his, "Hey
"
He opened his eyes and gazed down at 'Nyre'. She isn't the same
Wing. Nothing's the same. She doesn't remember who you are.
She isn't who she was before. "Hey." He replied trying
to smile, and failing to do so. He turned away and began to walk
out the door.
"Wing!" Came her voice as she followed. He spun and
stopped her. "Don't." He said stiffly. She eyed him
with a mixture of emotion showing in her eyes. He looked away.
Why did this have to happen. Stars
her eyes
they
are what they are. Wide open windows to her emotions. They give
her away to quickly
and as much as I'd hate to admit, I
wish right now they didn't. This is too
Seeing she could do nothing she ran out the door, tears forming
in her sad eyes.
Painful.
Wildwing sat down and thought for awhile and shut his eyes.
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To be continued