(Grave Yard)well, on the upside...

[Aredhel]

Who was I kidding. Upside or not, it didn't change things, didn't make them better. This was something that no amount of positive thinking could fix. This was a matter of the heart, and not my heart either. Maya's heart.

It hadn't even been a day since she left, and here I was, sitting on the mausoleum I called home, wondering what my slayer friend was doing. Or, more importantly, how my slayer friend was doing. I didn't often buy into the whole 'human emotion' thing, but I was worried about her. Worried about her soul; it would be broken after that encounter, no doubt, along with her heart. But could they be fixed? I hoped to the Gods that they could.

The Celebhith was held loosely in my hand, and I could feel the energies swirling around and inside it. On a whim I could call forth any spirit from the Halls of Mandos, and they would heed my call. I had considered (for a time) calling Joshua back to speak to him, but that hadn't happened, and I now knew why: his spirit was contained in a soul sabre. But why wouldn't he tell Maya? Why?

I sighed, shaking my head. This was too much. I wanted to follow her, but knew that, if I was wanted there, she would have asked me. Something was going on, something I couldn't help her with. Again, I sighed.

"Be safe, child," I whispered too the winds. I hoped my voice and blessing would find its way to her. "Belain na le."

The Valar be with you.

((note: the "Halls of Mandos" is like elvish heaven... technically only elves are supposed to actually STAY there but that's complicated and this isn't middle-earth so... yea.))

[Nicola Next]

Barely a day and I thought I was going to pass out from how worried I was about Maya. I hadn't really been able to do anything and I knew, by once looking in the mirror, I was deathly pale with concern.

Sure Maya can handle herself, but not in the condition she is. When Avalon turned up I thought it was okay. Well I was wrong.

I looked up and a faint smile appeared on my lips as I found who I was looking for.

Del.

I hopped onto the mausoleum and sat next to her. I hadn't properly talked to Aredhel since she came back and now with Mai somewhere out there I couldn't think of anyone else to see

'Hey'

[Aredhel]

I almost smiled at Nicki and the state she was in. Almost. As it was, I found myself unable to really smile due to the fact that I was in the same predicament. The exact same damn boat. And what a boat it was. In continueing with this metaphor, Nicki was starting to look a bit seasick. I knew I was too.

"Hey," I replied. A pause. "So you're worried too, then?"

[Nicola Next]

'Unchallenged' I paused and gave a small sigh 'I just wish I knew how she is, or where she is. And why Charlotte decided to go with her... And possibly how we should deal with Avalon and Joshua. I have a lot of questions'

[Jessy Jackson]

I was agitated. Not a good thing. When I was agitated a lot of animals appeared to have escaped from zoos. At the moment I was soaring across the city, changing form every two seconds. I noticed Nici out of the corner of my eye and shifted into a panter. Then I realised I was fifty feet up in the air and became an owl before the inevitable impact.

As it happened I still landed hard but fortunately was able to walk.

I was agitated. Not a good thing.

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

I stood in the trees, just watching the girls. There was no need to talk to them just yet. I had some things to think of myself.

So I just watched. Making sure they were okay. I do that. Well, that and a mean chocolate milk.

[Nicola Next]

((lol Doc, chocolate milk. Cute))

I looked up as Jessy fell to the floor and gave her a quick nod

'Hey'

The imminent arrival of a headache was coming on at all the damn thinking I was doing. I couldn't help it, I just wanted to see what was... I sighed and looked over at the other two

'I guess I'm just jumpy because I can't really sense her anymore. I mean everyone of you has a unique smell to me, and not smelling one means change and I hate change' I laughed 'Not that we don't get enough of it round here, I mean I think our gang increased loads over the space of about a month and what with all the...'

I trailed off and decided to let someone else speak before I had an aneurism.

[Jessy Jackson]

I understood but I couldn't speak. Words were hard and I couldn't handle them right now.

[tucker]

The air in the graveyard was, to place it in a word, uncomfortable. The silence was awkward and I felt like I shouldn't be here while everyone was in their mourning or their confusion or whatever it was that I had missed.

College had really sucked me in and it was my duty to get an education. I had left my concerns of what goes bump in the night to the people I knew were more capable of defeating it then Scaredy Cat Tucker. But over the weeks I had seen less and less of Joshua and worry had settled in that something was really wrong, around that time I got the mental message from Maya.

I thought it was a one-off, you know save the girl and then be off but in two seconds flat I was at Joshua's funeral. We hadn't been best friends but we knew of each other. And then an already devastated Mai was crushed when he returned as Avalon and all of a sudden I wanted to be there, I didn't care about college because the people I left to cope were mere shells of who they used to be.

And so here I wander through the rows of people who have lost their lives, some to the supernatural, some to the natural and some at the hands of others just like them.

The first glimpse I saw of other people was a tall warrior, someone I hadn't met before sitting near to Nicki and Jessy. Walking over I was hit by the lack of words and the only thing I could manage was a feeble

'Hi'

[Jessy Jackson]

"Hey Tucker," I said, not really noticing anything. "Aredhel, Tucker. Tucker, Aredhel. Come join the party."

Tucker sat next to Nicki. Looking at them they made quite a cute couple.

I remembered what Tucker had told me at the pound so long ago. I wondered if he'd made up his mind. He'd been away long enough.

[Aredhel]

((Ugh I feel like sh*t right now... the fact that I'm out of my room and on my dad's computer (mine refuses to start up) is a testament to how much I love you guys... and I suppose I can bring up Jessy's prophecy, right?))

It wasn't easy on anyone. I though I had it bad, worrying about her, but looking at the others, I could see it clearly. My worry and uncertainty was nothing special. We were all here, players in the same game, and it was killing us. Nothing was simple. Nothing.

I took an unneeded breath, looking up at the stars. They, at least, were familiar to me. I frowned, seeing something. I wasn't an astrology major by any means, but that was plain as day.

"Sh*t," I hissed. "Guys, who here is a bit worried about this whole Avalon thing?"

[Jessy Jackson]

(((The prophesy thing happens after this. Sorry but it does)))

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

((I'm serious about the chocolate milk thing. Everyone I knoe loves when I pull out the chocolate ice cream topping.))

Jessy, Tucker, Nicki and Aredhel. All... well, some of my faveourite people in the one place.

"You could talk to them."

Not yet," I whispered. "Not yet."

[Nicola Next]

((The only thing I can make is jelly muffins I'm afraid... Although I'm currently learning how to make a damn good Virgin Mary))

I shivered and pulled my leather coat closer to me

'One day. One day I am going to leave Los Angeles. I'm going to go somewhere else for a holiday or a road trip or something, but I can't take it here anymore. Every single morning I wake up depressed, every single night I go home with some kind of blood or dust on my clothes and every day I wonder if someone else is going to get killed' I shook my head and lay back on the mausoleum 'I can't do this anymore'

[tucker]

'Well I'm afraid you have to'

As soon as I said the words I instantly regretted them as she sat up to look at me, a slight tinge of menace looking back at me from the purple pools

'Oh really? So where have you been then? Obviously you're one of those special people who doesn't have to do anything'

'No wait, I didn't mean it like that!'

'Y'know Tucker, maybe you should've thought about it then first shouldn't you? But of course you don't have to'

I sighed. It was a deep sigh because I knew I was in deep trouble. I couldn't help it that I had an education to achieve, I couldn't help it that I had no particular grudge against any of the undead except they were a bit annoying. If this was the reception I was recieving then maybe I just shouldn't have come back at all

'Maybe so'

'Don't do that! You're not supposed to just wander in my mind at any point because you want to'

'Oh shut up moron'

I scowled

'You smell'

Yeah, maybe coming back wasn't the greatest choice on the planet.