intro I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X epilogue

"Step inside the past, and one may discover uncharted territory..."

Chapter II: Visions of the Past

After walking for so long, Onyx decided to take a break, and so she sat down on a bench in that temple she had seen earlier (while wandering downtown). Looking at the main building of the place, she saw that girl with the long black hair that she had noted earlier. Why she noticed her in particular she didn’t know, but Onyx had the feeling that they had met before...

Deliberating this idea in her mind, she reached into her pocket and took out the choker with her namesake that the doctor had found. Holding it, she felt a sudden surge of power coursing through her veins. In shock, she threw it to the ground, afraid to touch it again. However, curiosity got the best of her, and so Onyx put the mysterious necklace on.

images...swirling in my head...who’s that woman with red hair...the darkness, the pain...I’m just a little girl!!!...Black Daughter...Moon Kingdom...Princess Serena...what’s happening...no I don’t want to leave! NO...

In pure agony, she ripped the choker off, breathing hard and sweating. The girl at the temple came over to her, concerned about her condition.

"Are you okay?" she said, worried. "I mean, you seem to be feeling pain, and I thought that maybe you needed help.."

"No," Onyx gasped in-between breaths, "I’m..I’m all right. Thank you."

The girl wasn’t convinced. "Well, if you need my help, come to the temple, and ask for Raye."

"Okay..."Onyx ran off, wondering, why on earth does she look familiar? Hurriedly, she walked away from the temple towards the stores downtown. She went looking down, amazed at her visions, and didn’t realize where she was going until she crashed into a tall girl with a ponytail and hands in a fist.

Onyx realized, this is one of the people I saw yesterday! The girl started to shout, "Hey, why don’t you watch where you’re going? I could’ve been trampled --" Meanwhile, Onyx just pondered the thought of who she was --

"Hey," she said, stopping the yelling fit, "who are you anyway?"

Onyx was reluctant. Who knows who this girl was?

The girl looked smug, then smiled. "All right, I’ll go first. I’m Lita. And now who are you?"

"I...I have to go. Umm..see ya," stammered Onyx.

"Fine, go off," shouted Lita. "But if you run into me again, like at school, at least tell me your name!..."

Onyx wandered around, looking towards the pavement, pondering these two names in her head. Raye...Lita...I know these names? But how? And as she thought about this, she walked into a clothing store, where many girls were shopping, going ga-ga over clothes. One girl in particular was rampaging the aisles, yelling her head off. Wait...these are the other three girls that I recognized. I must be strong...I must see who they are without infuriating them! Onyx walked up to the one with long blonde hair. "H..Hello," she stammered.

"Oh, hi! Who are you? I’m Mina," said the girl.

Wow, she’s friendly. I hope the others are just like her.

"I’m... I’m a foreign exchange student, and I just...just got here," she said. Yeah, that’ll work. "I’m just trying to meet some people, get a feel for the place."

Mina smiled. "Well, I don’t know them very well, but you see those two girls over there, mooching around the aisles? and that other one sort of on the side there?"

Onyx looked...two of them were familiar faces, the other she didn’t recognize. "Yeah. I see them."

"Well, they go to my school. The school I go to when I’m not in England, anyway. Are you enrolled there? It’s Crossroads Junior High."

"Why, umm...yes," said Onyx, trying not to blow her cover, "yes I am."

"I gotta go. It’s nice meeting you!"

"Same here..." and she walked up towards the girls.

Onyx decided to walk up to the quiet one first. I better not intrude too much. "Umm...hello," she said softly.

The girl appeared to be startled. She blushed, surprised. "Do I know you?"

"No. You see, I’m an exchange student, and I’m trying to meet some people. That girl over there said that you go to the school that I enrolled in?"

"Crossroads Junior High?" she sounded relieved. "Yes, I go there. So you met Mina? Nice isn’t she? I wish I could at least be half as pretty as her..."

Onyx looked surprised. "But you are pretty." Her attitude seems familiar. Maybe it was my attitude during the time of those...those visions?

"Why, thank you. Mina doesn’t come much. She’s usually in a boarding school in England...well, anyway, I should introduce myself. Hi, I’m Amy. And you?"

"I’m..."she trailed off. "Well, before I get to that, who are those girls over there?" she asked, pointing at the two loud, obnoxious teenagers.

"Oh, them? That’s Serena and Molly. I’m not really good friends with them, but they go to my school too --"

"Thanks!" Onyx said, cutting her off.

Amy said, "Hey wait...", but Onyx was too preoccupied. The girl with the meatballs is the most familiar. I must speak with her.

She strolled up, confident, to this girl. "Hi there!"

The girl looked back at her, smiling broadly. "Oh, hi! I heard you talking to Amy over there (god isn’t she smart?). So, you’re an exchange student. That must be wicked cool!"

"Yeah," said the other one, "awesome!"

"Oh, yeah. I’m Serena and this is Molly."

"Charmed!" said Molly.

Onyx said under her breath, "I’m sure..." In a lighter tone, she said, "Well, I’ve enrolled in your school. I guess I’ll start on Monday."

"Well, come on, what’s you’re name?" pushed Serena.

Onyx thought for a minute. I feel I can trust her. I don’t know why... "My name? My name...is Onyx," she said.

Serena looked down at her watch. "Oh my god! I’m super late! Mom’s gonna kill me... see ya around!"

Onyx looked back at the wailing girl. "Uh, bye." WHY IS SHE SO FREAKING FAMILIAR! Wait, I gotta calm down, she thought as she walk away from the stores complex. But who is she?...

Later that day, Onyx enrolled at Crossroads Junior High. I guess I will see her on Monday. She also got a job for after school (to afford food and other necessary goods).

That night...

Onyx opened the door to the place that she’d been staying (an abandoned home on the outskirts of Tokyo). Alone again, she decided to put on the mysterious choker again. I need to understand...

I see...four girls...Raye, Amy, Lita, Mina, they look like...four warriors! are they who I saw before...a princess, Princess Serena...meatball-head!?!...Beryl...Serenity...NO, I don’t want to leave! No....

She ripped it off again, seeing more clearly remnants of her past. But she would not realize any more truths until her first day at Crossroads Junior High...