Awakening on Wings

Introduction
I had felt it coming for months.  What mattered was what was about to happen.  It was a maelstrom and it was one of the strongest storms ever recorded in history.  If you don’t know what a maelstrom is, then I’ll tell you the definition.  It is a violent or turbulent situation.  As all maelstrom’s go, you don’t always sense them.  Even if you do, you may have no idea why you felt that way.  However, I do know why I feel this way but I don’t know what will happen.  I can make a few guesses as I am seer, but the future is always shifting.
The maelstrom that I’m referring to had changed our world.  It changed many of us, who weren’t from this world in the first place.  I’ll have to start from the beginning though.  I think the best way to begin, is to begin from the beginning.  No, no, not my birth.  My life before I knew about my other self is quite boring and I would bore you to death with it.  The beginning I’m talking about is referring to gaining the knowledge that I wasn’t who I thought I was.  But before I begin, I should tell you about I was.
I will tell this tale with a few others.  They will be those who are closest to me.  I will tell you our names beforehand so you do not get confused.  My name is Asherah, I’m mostly known as Ash.  My brother is Darius.  My friends that are closest to me then and now are, Matthew, Kitty, Rhia, and Alice.  

Chapter 1 – Otherkin

Ash

  I sat on a bench looking at him.  I studied him.  I had only known him for a couple of months, but we were close.  His hazel eyes looked distant as he stared off in the woods.  His eyes were so cold too, full of hate.
  Darius turned to look at me as I began to sing softly to a song.  It was a song I had made up for the band I was in.  The lyrics were that of my sorrow, an echo of a past I knew naught.  For the moment I was at peace.  He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and squeezed gently.  I rest my head on his shoulder, still singing.  I let my voice fade out and he smiled.
  "You have such a pretty voice Ash," he said.  I smiled at him, he was always commenting about how amazing I am.
  "Thanks, bro.  Hey, what is it that you wanted to tell me," I asked, curious.  I looked up at him and straight into his eyes.  I rarely did that, as I feared what I would see in their eyes.  He looked down at his knees, not being able to keep eye contact with me.
  "Does this have something to deal with the astral realm and crap that you are involved in," I asked bluntly.  Darius avoided this subject often with me unless it was important.  He didn’t want me involved, he was afraid of what would happen to me.  Darius remained silent.
  Before the silence was completely unbearable he spoke up, "Otherkin.  You are otherkin.  You are just like me when I was younger."
  All I could do was nod.  Pure shock flowed through me and it showed on my face.  I was different from most people; I knew it that, not exactly though…I just felt it.  This though, was far harder to even grasp.  All that I knew had become a lie.  I wasn’t human, for Jesus Christ!  My brother just stared at me, waiting for me to calm down.  I quickly got my emotions under control.
  "H-H-How?  Bro, how can that be?"
  "Ash…I do not know why so many Otherkin are reincarnating into human form, even reincarnating at all.  It is probably because the demands of souls have increased with the ever increasing population of the human race on this world."
  "I see…" was all I could manage.  I never really believe in this stuff.  I was quite a skeptical person…but it could explain certain incidents: like the aches I have in my shoulder blades that the doctors could never explain.
  "Ash, you are the same thing that I am," he continued.  "You’ll need to be trained.  I hate to admit this, but I can’t be everywhere at once.  Your aura, your power, it has begun to attract attention.  I had to save your butt one night.  You probably felt a great fear last Friday night, am I right?"
  I nodded again, lost in thought.  Yes…I remember that night.  I nearly burst into tears crying from the fear.  I am rarely scared mind you.  I’m a very fearless person, a daredevil at times, but knowing my own limits.  But back to the night, I had felt things.  Something out there with evil intent, I dismissed it, being the skeptic that I am.  However as bro pointed out, I had feared it; even being skeptic I feared it.  I had chided myself for having such fear, it was childish.
  My brother could tell from my eyes that I knew what he was speaking of, "You are a potential student, but I will not be able to train you.  You know how Mother and Father so dearly hate me.  I’m going to see if one of my friends will be able to hang around you and train you."
  I nodded dumbly and mutely.  My brother seemed to understand that I needed time to think.  He gave me a piece of paper with his phone number, his Yahoo screen name, and his e-mail address.  Then he got up and left, leaving me to the bench.  I knew if I needed to ask something, I could just contact him, or call him back right now.  But I wouldn’t…I couldn’t…I was like that though.  Then I went back to the problem at hand.
  My mind was going to being back to a skeptic.  No way was I an angel!  But…things weren’t always as they seemed, were they?  I was confused, conflicted inside.  I didn’t want to buy into what my brother was saying, but a part of me wanted to buy into what he was saying.  Closing my eyes, I tried to calm the storm of emotions running through me.  It didn’t work.
  I sighed and opened my eyes.  I walked into the forest.  Maybe if I walked I could forget about this.  Maybe if I took this walk my emotions would stop rampaging in me and running me all over the place.  The forest was an escape, I reasoned.  Oh how very wrong I was soon proved.
  I passed by strangers and then took a detour, feeling a tug to go off the path.  I liked following what my heart’s desires were as long as they didn’t mess with the laws or my morals.  Today was no exception for going off the path.  I noted different markings that would help me to get back onto the path once I was done.
  I continued to walk on, oblivious to the sounds that someone was following me.  When I heard a twig snapped, I dismissed it.  I heard the creaking of a tree branch, as if some weight as on it and I thought that was strange.  As I walked on it was getting closer.  This…was strange and something was up.  I glanced back, but nothing was there.
  I heard a voice scream at me in my mind, "Run Ash!  Run!" and that advice set me off.  I ran hard and fast.  It was like something was following me.  Fear ran through my heart, but not paralyzing.  It only gave me more strength to keep running.  As I stopped for a second in the path, I was wheezing.  I was having an asthma attack.  However, there was no time to stop it, I was still being followed.
  I closed my eyes, for a moment, gathering my strength.  Whatever it was, it was getting closer.  Tears gathered in my eyes from the fear.  There was no time for tears or any more time.  It was only time to run again.  
  I began to run again, fear was on my mind.  Whatever it was, it was scaring me half to death.  If you knew me, you would understand why this fear is so rare for me to feel.  In fact, I’m hardly ever scared.  I’ve been surprised, or just a bit jumpy, but never this fear that is nearly paralyzing me.
  My feet pounded on the dirt path, kicking up dust.  The people around me probably thought I had forgotten something or that I had somewhere to go that I had forgotten about.  Whatever was the case, they didn’t know I was being chased.
  I pulled out of the forest.  I quickly glanced around, analyzing the faces and everything in the clearing, the beginning of this park.  My brother wasn’t there.  I quickly bounded into the parking lot doing the same thing.  Oh gods, I was surely in trouble.  I needed him.
  I could feel the evil thing approaching me.  Fear was choking my voice.  I set out again, running as fast as I could.  I had to find him.  My breaths were beginning to come into gasps as I ran out of the parking lot and down the street.  That’s when whatever it was following me stopped.  I was safe, for now.  I sat down on a bench in front of a store, trying to catch my breath.  I saw some of the humans around me glance at me.  I was shaking and breathing harshly and in short gasps.  I looked down at my feet, my muscles ached badly.  I’ve run before, I was on the soccer team, but even with soccer, I never ran that fast in my life!
  A shadow stood over me and I glanced up.  It was one of my brother’s friends.  His name was Matthew.  His girlfriend was with him, she was one of my best friends.
  "Ash?  Are you okay?" he asked, concern was in voice as well as eyes.  I shook my head, I couldn’t answer.  I was still trying to be able to breathe normally.  I saw my brother advancing towards them.  Ah…there was my brother, where was he?  Oh wait…I forgot that he had gone to let me think.
  He was instantly by my side, "Ash, what happened?  You are out of breath."
  "Eh…" I said my vision was beginning to blacken.  I couldn’t see his face.  Mentally I heard a cry of, "save me!"  Then I knew no more.


Darius

  I watched the sleeping form of my sister.  I didn’t know what had happened to her.  I had never seen her so out of breath before.  It might have something to do with the traces of fear I felt in her.  My best guest was that she either might have been attacked or chased.
  I closed my eyes.  I guess I would have to train her after all, unless Matthew could.  I opened my eyes and glanced at the clock.  It was already 3:35 pm.  I got up and dialed the phone number to my Mother’s house.  Hopefully she wouldn’t’ recognize my voice.  She hasn’t seen me for 3 years, I had moved out at 20.
  "Hello, who is this," my mother said.
  "Your daughter had an asthma attack.  I’m taking care of her.  She’ll be fine.  Your daughter just needs to rest.  I promise she shall be with you by the afternoon," I said and then hung up on her.
  I turned to face my sister.  I heard footsteps come to the doorway.  I looked up and I saw Matthew.
  "How is she," Matthew asked.  I glanced over at my sister.  She seemed fine.
  "She’s fine.  Her breathing is normal, she must be tired and that is why she is sleeping so long, Matt."
  "Darius, have you any idea of what could have caused her to be afraid and run like so that she would get like that?"
  "Not really Matthew.  I’m thinking of it, but nothing seems to come to mind."
  "So you asked me if I could do you a favor.  What is this favor that you need," Matthew asked, finally getting to the subject that I wanted to talk to him about.  Talking about my sister and what happened was just small talk.
  "Here is the thing; I need you to train my sister.  She’s like you and I.  I do not have the time to train her, I’m busy.  I would love to, she has potential."  Being straight forward about this with Matthew is the best.  I would order him if he refuses.  I’ll wait and see.
  "No, I won’t train her.  I have a lot to deal with."
  "Matthew, you can’t refuse!"
  "I can and I will Darius."
  "Matthew, listen to me.  My sister needs to be trained.  You have to train her!"
  "No.  Why can’t you?  You are pretty strong and you trained me."
  "Our parents hate me, remember?  My mother and father believe I am going to hell.  They wouldn’t want to have their precious daughter go to hell, now would they?  They wouldn’t want me around her.  They don’t want her having anything to do with me.  That is where you come in," I told him.
  "Why me," he asked.  He already knows about the family situation that I was in.  That was why I was living with him and his family.  At least they had accepted me into his family.  I couldn’t do this to my sister; ask her to live away from mother and father.  But what would happen if they found out?  I didn’t want to think of that.
  "Darius, why me," he asked again for I had been too lost in thoughts to answer.
  "As long as you kept it secret about being otherkin and pagan, you’ll be able to be close, keep an eye on her, and train her.  They’ll think you here friend and as long as you don’t appear out of the ordinary, you’ll be fine.  I have work and I have college…so I’m not able to train her.  Both of you are in high school, you are only two grades higher then her.  It’ll be fine," I answered, my attention turned back to my sister who has shifted so she was curled up.
  "I see, but I don’t-" he started.
  I cut him off, "You are going to do it, or else."  I turned to glare at him and he seemed to think twice.
  "Fine…I’ll train her.  What am I going to do after I’m done training her," Matthew asked me.  Maybe he was thinking I was going to dump her on him.  Not so.
  "She’ll be able to take care of herself.  If she asks for help, please help her," I answered.  Matthew nodded and then left again.  He would listen to me; he knew what I was capable of.  My sister would be in good hands.  At that thought I glanced back over to her.
  I walked over to her and checked her pulse.  It was fine, just like her breathing.  Nothing was wrong, and yet it seemed so.  It was very confusing.  I sat down next to her and brush a strand of silver hair from her face.  I wish she had never dyed a bit of her hair silver, she was pretty as is.  Silver hair…that reminded me of someone, the memory overtook my mind for the first time in a long time.


  There she stood.  I faced her and there was fear in her eyes.  I was angry at her and she knew it.  She had broken out of my place and ended up in a fight with a vampire.  She had a few broken feathers, but I knew how much pain she was in.  Angel wings were very sensitive, but at least her wings were still in tact and not broken.
  "I…I am sorry, but I have to do this brother.  I can’t stay there safe and sound.  I have duties and a destiny to fulfill," she said to me.
  "No, you are supposed to stay out of the way.  I am here and I will watch over you.  You destiny is not like Azuriel’s!  Now stay out of the way!"
  "No Darius, I’m not going to stay out of the way.  You do not understand and I do not have a hope that you will understand what I am doing.  Now you get out of my way so I can continue with what I must do," she told me.  Her eyes had turned silver, not the soft blue-grey eyes that were so full of life.  These silver eyes of her were cold and dead.
  Before I could even react, she had thrown me across the field.  She only gave me one glance as she began walking away.  My body shook from the anger deep within me.  In an instant I used my magick to bind her.  My sister couldn’t move at all.
  "Hey," she cried out in anger.  Even her wings were bound to her body.  Her limbs couldn’t move.  The only thing she could do was talk, breathe, and use her eyes.  I glared at her as I walked over to stand above her.  She glared back at me.
  Something was wrong, this wasn’t right.  I placed a hand on her forehead. I destroyed all the shields protecting her mind from being read and began to search through her memories.  I hated this, but I needed to find out what was wrong, even if this was an invasion of privacy.
Ah, there it was.  Someone had possessed her.  I sighed, this was nuts.  I thought she was very safe in the void unless she broke out.  But I guess not, after this.  She hadn’t gone out for months and yet someone had possessed her, taken over her mind.
  Pointing my finger at her head, I chanted, "Entai soul min-o tayla kentai!" A white light came from my hand and penetrated through her mind and into her entire body.  It released the guy who had taken over her.
  The guy looked down at my sister and then left.  That was weird, I was expecting a fight.  I picked my sister up and flew to Azuriel’s fortress.  If she wasn’t safe at my void, she wouldn’t be safe at Azuriel’s fortress, but at least people would be around to note any strange behavior.  They could even stop her.

  I blinked a few times.  I remember what happened afterwards too.  Azuriel reluctantly took my sister in.  The two had many clashes which eventually led to my sister leaving and going out on her own.  I remember that day as well.  The memory popped up in my mind.

  I arrived at Azuriel’s fortress to find Azuriel and my sister fighting.  Azuriel’s small angelic army stood around watching the two.  Azuriel was beginning to actually loose to my sister.  It was amazing; I never knew she had become so strong!
  In one quick move, she twisted Azuriel’s arm and flung him to the ground.  She held her sword at Azuriel’s throat, her eyes flashing in anger.  Her face was flushed from the battle and hair was all over the place.
  "Give up, Azuriel," my sister asked in a cold voice.
  "Fine, Loriel!  Get out and away from my fortress right now," he screamed at her.  My sister, Loriel, smirked at Azuriel.  She let go of Azuriel and put her sword away.  Loriel looked over to me and waved with a small smile.  She took to the air and flew away.
  Azuriel got up from the ground and stood beside me.  We watched, all of us (including the army), my sister fly into the distance.  The feelings were many in all who lived in the fortress as she left.  Many didn’t want her to go or just didn’t know how to react.  I know Azuriel was indifferent, because he never liked Loriel anyways.
  Loriel faded into the distance and I was just shocked.  She really did mean to go.  I remember having talked to her at our last visit that she was certainly going to leave sometime, but she never said when.  I guess Loriel just got too tired of having to deal with Azuriel.  I wish they had been able to get along.

  Now why did all of a sudden those memories come up?  Oh yeah, my sister’s dyed silver strands of hair.  I knew Matthew was Azuriel.  Was my sister Loriel?  I dismissed the idea.  I mean, the only reason why those memories popped up all of a sudden was because of Ash’s silver hair reminded me of Loriel.  Just because Ash had silver hair didn’t mean all of a sudden that Ash was Loriel.
  I sighed, my head aching from all the reasoning.  I glanced down at my sister and then left to go fix some dinner.  I doubt my sister would be getting up any time soon.

Ash

  Ash stared at herself in a mirror.  Wait, no, that wasn’t Ash…this was someone else.  Ash didn’t have that long blonde hair, perfect blue eyes, 4 angelic wings, or wear a white robe.  Wait…WINGS?
  And why the hell was I just talking about myself in third person view?  Anyways….who the hell was this person that I was staring through her eyes.  Then the girl disappeared drowned out by color and sound.  I heard two voices.
  "No, I won't train her.  I have a lot to deal with.
  "Matthew, you can't refuse!"
  "I can and I will Darius."
  "Matthew, listen to me.-"
  But those voices were soon drowned out by color and sound.  And once again I was seeing through this girl’s eyes.  I was this girl, like I was myself.  I could feel, smell, see and other senses that pretty much everyone had.
  I could feel blood drip down and my shoulder blade hurt.  I guess she was injured.  She was facing someone in a purple robe.  She let out an inhuman scream and threw the guy in the purple robe a football field away from her.  She let out a gasp, from the pain that just increased in her shoulder.
Out of nowhere an arrow whizzed by.  Inside she was scared, but she didn’t show it in any way.  She was tired.  I could feel that too.  The girl who I was was exhausted to the point of nearly blacking out.  But she was struggling to stay awake.  In a last resort she teleported away into a fortress.  Then she blacked out.  I knew no more of her as everything became lucid.

  I opened my eyes.  What?  Now I was confused.  What the girl did, felt so real.  I was even more confused now, then before.  Was that girl real or was I?  Was it just a dream?  Now I just didn’t know.
  I let out a silent scream in frustration.  Okay, to the point.  That was just a dream and I’m real.  With that decided, I could now go on with my life.  Now I could sit up and study where the heck I was.  Well, how would I know where I was?  I just hoped I wasn’t I some stranger’s or some adult pervert’s house.  
  I got up and heard some noise in the house.  I have such good hearing it led me to the kitchen.  Isn’t that very funny, huh?  In it was my brother.  I jumped up and shouted for joy.  I hugged him tight.  I was happy; I wasn’t in some adult pervert’s house.
  "Uh…Ash…can’t breathe," he said.  I let him go.  He stared at me in wonder.  Why was he staring at me in that way?
  "Stop staring!  It’s rude," I told him.
  "Sorry…I didn’t think you would be up by now, sis."
  The alarm went off in the stove and Darius took pizza out of the oven.  Now that I think about it…I am quite hungry.  Pizza right about now sounded good.
  "Ready to eat, sis," my brother asked me.  I nodded and grinned.  For the first time in a long time, I was hungry.  I sat down at the dinner table and began to eat together.  It was also a first time in a long time, which Darius and I got to sit down and eat dinner together.  I never wanted to go home.

Author's Note

I have not written anything new for this story in a while. This is as far I ever got.