Chapter One: Family Ties
I am born
from grieving. I am

as afraid as you.
-- Katie Condon "Origin"

"So, yeah... that's it. That's the whole story," Karina finished.

Bleu looked down at the table, her stomach twisting in knots. It was easier than looking at Karina and her sharp, black teeth and blue-tinged skin. She felt Magus take her hand and squeeze it. She looked over at him and tried to smile.

Magus sighed inwardly at the grimace on Bleu's face. Truthfully, he was more than a little shocked himself -- he'd heard nothing of the disaster that had occurred just two years prior to his birth before, nor of the demon that caused it -- but his world hadn't been upended as Bleu's had. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. No. I don't know." Bleu took a deep breath. "This can't be real," she whispered, very quietly, as she exhaled.

"It's real. Here." Karina pulled something out of the bodice of her dress and skidded it across the table. Bleu caught it before it sailed over the edge.

"What? ...Oh." Bleu stared at the object in her hand: a gold, heart-shaped locket, attached to a delicate black chain. She turned the locket around, carefully avoiding the latch on its side.

"That opens, you know," she heard Karina say.

"Shut up," Magus snapped back.

It's just like the one in the story, Bleu thought. If this is a trick... She fumbled with the latch, then batted Magus's hand away when he tried to help. "How did you get this?"

"Mom snatched it from your mom's neck," Karina answered. "She wore it for years. That's not the original chain, of course -- since Mom broke that one -- and you won't find another one like it topside: it's made out of --" The half-demon made a strange, sharp sound. "Its name means 'thorn.' It's a metal found in the Underworld; it grows almost like crystal, in sharp spikes. Anyhow, you should thank me for rescuing it from Ankara. She wanted to replace the picture with one of our father. Don't ask why."

"Oh." Bleu looked back down at the still-closed locket. She thought about her father; the Mystic she'd thought was her father. He'd raised her and loved her as his own daughter. She'd known who her father was, and known his face. And now? And now... She took another deep breath, then thumbed open the clasp. A picture of a handsome, black-haired man with pointed ears and golden eyes looked back at her. Her vision blurred with tears. She closed the locket and slipped it into her bag, next to the frog. "Thanks."

"No problem." Karina shrugged.

"If all this really happened, why haven't I heard about it before?" Magus asked. "I can understand why Mother would have covered it up... but Schala's never mentioned it, either. You'd think she would've reacted to your name, Bleu."

"You're right." Bleu narrowed her eyes. "You made this up, didn't you," she continued, now addressing Karina. Her voice shook and she couldn't be certain whether it was from shock or anger or fear. Karina stared wide-eyed back at her, lips parted and -- she realized -- teeth bared. "That whole story was just a lie based on my name... you made up a lady with Mom's name and lied about her loving a half-demon with my last name and --"

"I --" Karina began. Bleu cut her off with a snarl.

"Shut up! If you're telling the truth, why didn't Schala say something? She's my best friend!" Bleu dug her hand in the bag and closed her fist around the locket. Part of her wanted to throw it at Karina, while another... "I just want to talk to Schala," she sighed, standing up with the locket still clutched in her hand.

"Yeah, go do that." Karina said to Bleu and Magus's retreating figures. "I'll just wait here."

"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," Schala said.

"Sort of," Bleu replied. She held the locket out at arm's length. Schala looked at it, brow furrowed. "It opens," she finished lamely.

"Lockets usually do," Schala said and took the locket. She thumbed it open. "Where... did you get this?"

"You know who it is?" Magus asked. He stepped closer to Bleu, who leaned into him for support. He could feel her trembling despite all her attempts to hide it and he wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her up for what came next.

"Yes, of course... that's Decamerone," Schala murmured. "Decamerone... Nightshade." She looked at Bleu, almost as if seeing her for the first time, her expression thoughtful. "He was a magic teacher in Zeal. He was the best, but... he died before I could be his student. His last student was named... Orina... oh, Bleu."

"Oh, god... it's true..." Bleu mumbled. Her knees sagged and Magus half-led, half-dragged her to the couch. She cradled her head in her hands.

Schala looked to Magus, who sighed. "Tell us everything you remember," he said.

"Um... okay," Schala said, a little unsteadily. "I only met Decamerone a few times and I don't think I ever actually spoke to Orina. I remember her sisters, though; Guru Alyse was one of my tutors, while the other one... I didn't like her, but I felt sorry for her. I remember Dalton pursued her for a while, but she turned him down because she didn't like his eyepatch. And I only remember that because the other ladies of the court talked about it being ironic later." She frowned. "What was her name?" she wondered aloud.

"Ithonie," Magus and Bleu said.

"That's right," Schala said. "How did you know?"

"Just keep going," Bleu said. Schala nodded.

"I don't remember much about Decamerone, except that he seemed like a nice man. He was just... separate from the rest of the court, you know? But he was very polite, very businesslike. Very handsome, too." Schala smiled. "I think an awful lot of the court ladies had a crush on him, though he only loved Orina. I didn't hear much about that until I was older, of course, but I remember Guru Alyse canceling lessons so that she could take care of her sister after his death. Guru Melchior filled in for her during those times. She -- Orina, I mean -- was pregnant when the disaster happened. So was Ithonie."

"The disaster?" Magus asked.

"It's not clear what happened. There was a demon loose in the kingdom -- some say it was Ithonie who released it, some say it was her husband -- and it captured Orina and Ithonie. Guru Alyse tried to stop it, but it opened up some sort of gate and she, her sisters, and Kezmet were dragged into it along with the demon. There weren't actually any witnesses. The other three Gurus were able to deduce some of it, but it was just... strange, very strange. Due to the nature of the incident, Mother and Father tried to cover it up to protect the integrity of the Kingdom. They were successful, but they couldn't stop all of the gossip."

"Which explains why I've heard Orina's name before," he said.

"That's right." Schala nodded. "'Don't be like Orina.' In other words, don't dally in what's forbidden. Or, as Daria would say, 'stay in your own lane.'"

"Good thing I didn't listen, then." Magus smirked.

"Because you didn't know," Bleu muttered. "Why didn't you say anything before, Schala? Why didn't you react to my name?"

"I was surprised when you told me your last name, but there had been other Nightshades in Zeal. By the time I heard your middle name, it just seemed more coincidence than anything else. Would you expect someone from the golden age of Zeal to end up in the future?"

"Why not? It happened to you." Bleu forced a grin. "So that's it: Mom ended up in the future, Ithonie in the Underworld... some time, and no one knows what happened to Alyse."

"And the demon wasn't released by Kezmet, it was Kezmet," Magus said.

"That explains why he gave me the creeps." Schala murmured. "No offense," she added to Bleu, who sighed. "Sorry." "Whatever. I don't even care anymore," Bleu said moodily. Schala looked over at Magus, who shrugged as he folded his arms. Schala sighed, then walked over to where Bleu was sitting.

"Bleu, can you tell me what's going on... please?" Schala asked gently, touching her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner. I didn't know."

"I know." Bleu sighed again. "This is all just so weird... I thought I knew who I am... what I was... am. Whatever. Anyhow, remember those crazy DuFarr sisters Katra and Ankara?"

"Unfortunately," Schala answered.

"There's a third one and, god, I hope she's the last. She showed up in the library and told us this long, long story and that's how we found out about that... about my mom and my fa--" Bleu paused. "-- About Decamerone and Alyse and Ithonie and Kezmet. She gave me that locket, too."

"But where did she get it from...?" Schala asked.

"From her mom," Bleu said. "Ithonie."

Schala gasped. "Orina's sister?! That means you're... they're your...?"

"Cousins. Yeah," Bleu confirmed. "Seems hard to believe, right? So that's why we wanted to talk to you: we wanted to check with you before we believe her."

"Believe her... for what?"

"She wants us to stop her father," Magus replied. "He's the one that killed Decamerone," he added in a whisper.

"Thanks, but I can still hear you," Bleu said under her breath. "I just wish it wasn't true."

"You and me both," Karina said from the doorway. She walked across the room and flopped down on the couch next to Bleu. Once seated, she crossed her ankles primly and laced her fingers at her lap. It was the sort of finishing school frippery that bugged Bleu enough when Schala did it, but from a DuFarr? Infuriating.

"How nice of you to join us," Magus said acidly.

"Isn't it just?" Karina smiled sweetly at Magus, ignoring the gasp it elicited from Schala. "I got tired of waiting and sick of being stuck in that library, so I decided to save you both the trouble. That, and people were starting to stare. Apparently, there's a time limit on how long a person can rock hypothermia chic." She rolled her eyes. "I'm Karina DuFarr, by the way. You must be the famous Princess Schala of Zeal."

Schala nodded, her expression uncertain. "Are you the one that Ithonie was pregnant with during the disaster? You look like her."

Karina opened her mouth a bit, then shut it and pursed her lips. "Thanks," she finally mumbled. "But, nope, that was Ankara. We're like Mom and her sisters: Ankara was the oldest, with the brains and the talent, I'm in the middle, and Katra was the beauty who barely knew her mom."

Magus raised an incredulous eyebrow and Bleu snorted. Even Schala looked taken aback.

"Really. Katra. The beauty," Bleu deadpanned and Karina nodded. "Ugly, monster-faced Katra DuFarr was the beauty?!"

"To a demon, yes," Karina said. "Well, at least to my father's kind. She already favored our grandmother Korazon in looks, and her few humanish features made her even more eye-catching. She was like you, Bleu, except in reverse: demon enough to be pretty, but human enough to be interesting."

"Oh. She really was hideous, then..." Bleu murmured.

"Yeah, I'm not even going to try and unpack that baggage," Karina muttered. Magus scowled at her. "So! Moving on! Any more questions now that I'm here? I told you everything you'd care about back there --"

"You never said why you're doing this," Magus interrupted.

"Interdimensional world peace?" Karina shrugged. "I may be a DuFarr, but that doesn't mean I'm evil. What my father's doing is wrong, and you're the only ones who can stop him. So that's why I came to you: we can round up your buddies and have an adventure. What's a little patricide between friends, eh?"

"Just because you're my cousin... that doesn't make us friends," Bleu spat. "You don't even know me! You don't know what I've faced because of your father and your sisters --"

"Your uncle and your cousins," Karina echoed. "You don't know me, either."

"I don't care! Just tell me what we're supposed to do and I'll decide if I want to trust you."

"Okay, okay!" Karina held up her hands. "Okay. Like I said before, you need to round up the rest of your crew -- you all took down Katra and Ankara, so you've got an idea what you're in for. My father's like Ankara, but worse. Way worse. Way, way worse." She took a deep breath. "And he's not in any of the worlds you've seen before; he's in the Underworld."

"Oh, this is a great plan," Magus said sarcastically. "Basically, you're planning on delivering us to your father's home, where he can kill us at his leisure."

"No," Karina snapped back. "It's not like that at all! I'm risking my life, too, you know: do you really think he'd spare me? I'm boring to him; breaking me would make me fun! It was bad enough before Mom died and it got worse after she did."

"I believe you," Bleu said quietly. "I don't trust you, but I believe you."

"I'll take that," Karina said with a shrug. "I guess I should warn you about the Underworld: you won't understand anyone, unless they want you to. I grew up there, so I know the language... but I've got a terrible, uh, human accent. Which is why we'll be meeting with an associate of mine next time. His name is Ashlynn Drakkshan, and he's... I guess you could say he's a fan of humans?"

Magus raised an eyebrow.

"Culture. Fan of human culture. He's kind of embarrassing, really, but he's a good guy. He'll be acting as a liaison for demon/human relations in the Underworld... and that sounded much dirtier out loud than it did in my head."

Bleu snickered despite herself.

"So it's settled?" Karina's voice was hopeful.

"For now," Bleu said. "But if so much as breathe a word of betrayal, it'll be the last breath you take."

Karina nodded. "Fair enough. So when should I meet you?"

"Truce. 2300 A.D."

Karina nodded again, then disappeared in a bluish puff of smoke. Bleu wrinkled her nose, both at the smell and at the memory it brought of Ankara. She had to be doing it on purpose, she figured.

"We're really doing this?" Magus asked her.

"Yeah," Bleu sighed.

"You'll want this back, then." Schala held the locket out, her expression unreadable. Her hand shook and the locket swung in a wobbly circle. Bleu reached out to her with both hands -- one to still Schala's hand and the other to take the locket -- and quickly found herself in a tight hug. She awkwardly patted her friend's back. "I'm not going with you, but I want you to come back to me. Both of you. Just... take care of my brother. You know how he is."

"I will," Bleu promised. She slipped the locket back in her bag once Schala pulled away.

"Well? What now?" Magus asked.

"We'll go to 1000 A.D. first to talk to our friends there, then use the Epoch to split up and contact the others. I definitely want to be the one to talk to Skye. Then, I guess we'll go to 2300 A.D. and figure out who's going from there. It'll be nice to see Rydia again and by then we'll have enough firepower on hand to blast Karina if she tries anything funny."

Skye sighed, then angrily crumpled up the page of her sketchbook. She'd been drawing a portrait of Setzer, but why bother? It's not like he'd ever see it back in his own world. In Moblitz. With Terra. She threw the wadded-up paper against the wall.

"Skye, honey?" her mother, Noelle, called up the stairs. "There's someone here to see you."

"If it's Terran or Reggie, tell him to go away," Skye yelled back. "I don't want either of their pity. Same goes for anyone else," she added, too quietly for her mom to hear. She'd returned home after the world-hopping fiasco, even though her year hadn't yet been up. She didn't have any answers, but at least she'd done what she promised her dad and seen the world. Several worlds, actually.

"She says her name is Bleu. Should I send her up?"

"Yes!" Skye put the sketchbook back on her desk, then wiped her eyes and smoothed her hair. She took a deep breath before opening the door.

"Hey," Bleu said.

"Hey," Skye replied. "I wasn't expecting to see you again. How are you... how's Magus?"

"We're fine," Bleu said, then winced inwardly. "I'm sorry about Setzer. He was a cowardly prick."

"Nah." Skye shrugged. "Why should he leave his world for me when he's got someone there? He's a gambler: the odds were stacked in Terra's favor and I rolled snake eyes."

"I'm still sorry," Bleu insisted. "Which makes what I'm about to ask you even harder."

Skye tensed. "What?"

"Remember the DuFarrs?"

"Like I can forget."

"There's a third sister... Karina," Bleu began, a little haltingly. "She showed up yesterday and, god, I don't know where to start or how to begin. The short of it is that she's my cousin. So were Katra and Ankara."

"But they're demons. You're a half-Mystic."

"Half-demons. Their mother was human.... Mom's sister. And I'm not even a half-Mystic: my father was a half-demon, too. Which I guess explains my blue blood."

Skye nodded.

"She wants us to kill her father Kezmet. Apparently, he's even worse than Ankara. She wants us -- Magus and I -- to gather up the same people who defeated her sisters. We're the only ones who can take him out."

"And you agreed to that cockamamie scheme?!" Skye stared at her, incredulous.

"I had to." Bleu looked away, biting her lower lip. "Kezmet killed my father. I'm doing this for me... and Mom. Not for Karina."

"I'm not helping a DuFarr," Skye said. "But I'll help you. Even if it means seeing Setzer again. Besides, we Scorpios know all about revenge."

Bleu nodded. "Thanks. I know how hard this must be."

"I'll live. So where are we going?"

"The Underworld."

"Speaking of hard things..." Skye smirked.

"Which brings me to another tidbit: our guide."

"Oh?"

"Karina said that she'd arranged for someone to help us out there. She said that we'd need an interpreter and her accent would give her away or something." Bleu shrugged, then grinned. "I haven't met him yet, but I heard he likes humans."

"So? Karina's half-human He's probably her boyfriend," Skye muttered.

Bleu's face fell. She... hadn't thought of that possibility. Crap.