Valentine's Day (Prologue-Chapter 4)

Prologue-Val

The most overwhelming key to a child's success is the positive involvement of parents.

-Jane Hull

I’ve watched her. Watched her sitting on her huge throne all day. Citizens come in, she acts interested in their problems but in the end sends them away insulted with an excuse why their problem isn’t important, or can’t be fixed. The only thing I hate more then her is that stupid throne. It’s a hiding place from the world. It’s a barrier between power and powerless. Between royalty, and royal subjects.

My mom sits on it, acting all mighty and awesome. But you can tell by that look in her eyes: she’s afraid of something. But what that is, I dare not think about it. If there’s a threat out there that scares her, then we’re all goners. Because my mom is the queen. I’ve always wondered what it’s like to be her. To have the nerve to do nothing for the kingdom even when she knows that people are counting on her.

How she came to sit on that throne is such a mystery to me that it hurts my head just to think about it. A villain, a thief! How could someone like that become queen? Simple, the same way my mother did. An evil person she is, but she always gets what she wants. I have vague memories of watching her in a different way than I do now. I watched her steal and lie, and run. From the law possibly. Or maybe just maybe, from what she left behind. I’m not a daughter to her. I’m merely a pawn on the chessboard that we call life.

Part 1: The Battle Rages On

~Chapter 1~

Magic-Chi Chi

I think that the ideal space must contain elements of magic, serenity, sorcery and mystery.

-Luis Barragan

Ramon and Val were fighting again. Val was using her magic powers against him which put her at a huge advantage. So, Ramon was defenseless and started ducking behind trees and rocks.

Rosa, Ramon’s earth mother, had been knocked out by the magic. She wasn’t yet accustomed to the strong energy that invades the air when magic is used. I remember the first time I felt it. I was only five and had just learned about my powers….

“Chi Chi. You must learn to control the power that now burns inside you.” my teacher said. When my power was discovered, my life changed. I was sent away to a reformatory for sorcerers. The teacher was supposed to steal our magic and turn us into ordinary humans. I didn’t find out until that day of practice, she was actually a sorcerer herself. She was training us how to use our powers. Then setting us free with an odd new name. Hard to believe, before I got there, I was Gazel. (And you think Chi Chi is weird.)

“But it’s hard!” I whined.

“Chi Chi!” my teacher said sharply, annoyed at my constant complaining. She looked me deep in the eyes, a trick Val could use. I looked away, but she used magic to turn my head. My eyes caught hers immediately and the magic locked. Then my teacher used a trick I’d seen her use on other students, and I always prayed she wouldn’t use it on me. She opened her hand like an alligator, then clamped it down, abruptly closing my mouth. But as the trick was used, the energy grew and I fainted.

Now I’m more professional and skilled with my magic. I spent eight years with my teacher, unlike everyone else who left after the mandatory five years. I spent the extra time practicing how to endure the energy. At the end of the eight years, I was still feeling fine as my teacher fainted from the energy she created.

Anyways, I stayed to help Ramon’s earth mother get up off the ground. I had my hand under her head and was watching the fight.

I shook my head. ”No. Not today,” she said, and stuck out my hand. It was scarred as if it had been in a fire. I hated that it was so ugly, but that was what happened the more I used my signature trick. I was going to have to use that now. I watched as a fireball started swirling in my hand. Then darts flew out of it. One just barely missed Val but the other hit Ramon right in the foot. He toppled over and layed there clutching his foot. I hated to hurt him, but had to. Val didn’t have any honor, but there was one thing she wouldn’t do: Finish a battle without a fight. She wanted to finish Ramon, but she wouldn’t do it now that he wasn’t a threat to her back.

”No!” Ramon’s mother shouted as she woke up, and pushed me away. I fell back hard.

”Stop!” I shouted, and immediately sent a fireball dart flying her way. She ducked to avoid it causing Val to get hit in the arm.

”Go home and forget what you saw here today,” I ordered.

”No. What have you done to my son?” Ramon’s earth mother asked, starting to panic now. Ramon’s eyes were closed shut. I ran over to her and she nervously stepped back.

“You have to protect Ramon. Promise we you will do that.” I said.

She quickly nodded, and fled.

~Chapter 2~

Life Saving-Chi Chi

If somebody cares about you and believes your life is worth saving, how can you give up?

-Geraldine Ferraro

When Ramon’s earth mother walked in, she was so scared to see me that she dropped her groceries.

“Don’t freak out,” I hurriedly said.

“What are you doing here?” she screamed.

“Is Ramon here? I told you that he’s not safe with you.”

“Give me one good reason to trust you,” she said.

“I could, or I could remind you that you’re son was recently attacked,” I said, tilting my head.

“And I could remind you that you’re the person who attacked him.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I saved him from Val!” I replied defensively.

“Oh so now shooting people with fire-darts is considered saving?!” she practically exploded.

“I don’t think you understand the gravity of this situation.”

“The only gravity I care about is the gravity that pulled my son down to the ground and left him unconscious! Oh wait a minute, that wasn’t gravity, that was you!” she shouted at me.

“Well I can assure you, being unconscious is a whole lot better than being dead! And that’s what Ramon would have been if he continued fighting Val! I stopped the fight!”

“And there isn’t any other way to do it?!”

“This is unbelieveable! Just let me talk to Ramon.”

“You can’t.”

“What? Why?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about!" she accused me.

“I don’t,” I replied honestly.

“Don’t you see? Look around, Chi Chi. Do you see my son anywhere? No, you don’t, because he ran away and it’s all your fault!" she yelled, and then started to cry. I flinched.

“Fine then!” I yelled. “And to think I was going to help you.”

I stormed away, hoping that wherever I ended up, I wouldn’t have to face a life threatening battle which I seemed to always meet.

~Chapter 3~

Deal?-Chi Chi

It takes two sides to make a deal, two sides to negotiate and two sides to make it go bad.

-Gary Bettman

“You’re no match for me, Chi” Val said smiling.

“Don’t call me that.” I said poking my head out from behind a tree. With the risk of getting attacked at any moment, it helps not to be in the wide open.

“So be it. Why’d you call me here? You know I don’t have any business with you. Unless you attempt to impede my effort put into my plan of taking over the world, then I won’t harm you. Deal?”

“No.”

“No?”

“You heard me. I’m not making that deal again.”

“Do you care at all about your own life? Or our you concerned about Ramon? He can’t hide forever. Neither can you.”

“Val, you know what I’m capable of. You want me to make the deal so you can avoid fighting me. As for Ramon, you won’t tell him that he has magic powers because again, you want to avoid a fight. At the end end of the day, you’re a worthless, sorry excuse for a sorcerer.” I spat the words in her face.

“I’m shocked you think I’m such a coward. Now I’m giving you one last opportunity Chi Chi, take the deal.” Val said gritting her teeth.

“You don’t scare me. I'll fight you any day.”

“Oh I’d love to see you try.” she said shaking her head. Then she held out her hand like she was holding an apple out in front of her. She slowly turned her hand and forced me to the ground.

I tried to get up but she forced me back down.

“That wasn’t fair.” I said rolling and standing up.

“And neither is this I said reaching into the air and pulling out a cloud. I love that trick. I shot the cloud at her and she launched into a sneezing fit. Then I snapped my fingers and the cloud turned from pollen to knock out gas. Val toppled over. But before I could further show her just how incapable she was of beating me, I heard dogs. And even if it was Val, all sorcerers swore under an oath to protect one another from Landlord. Landlord’s dogs meant Landlord. We had to get away from here. So I picked up Val and rushed away. I’m not sure if she would do the same for me. Who am I kidding, of course she wouldn’t. But I have honor.

As I sat there with Val, I thought about when I first met Val……

“Hi. I’m Chi Chi.” I said holding out my hand.

“Unless you’re going to help me take over the world, then, I could care less.” she said eyeing my hand like it was covered in maggots.

“I’m not going to help you. But can we still be friends?” I asked.

Those were simpler times. Val and I were each 5. I hadn’t left for sorcerer school yet so I was just a regular girl, in regular school. Val was also, but she didn’t have any friends. After that conversation with her, I knew why.

~Chapter 4~

Without A Bad Guy-Ramon

Personally, I just tease people a lot.

-Alex Meraz

(Sigh) I’ve been waiting for Val for hours now. It’s been so long I carved my name in the bench I'm sitting on: Ramon Boxworth. Suddenly a light flickers in the church across the street. Curious, I stare where the light had come from. But I didn’t see anything so I looked away. Then I heard an evil cackle. I looked again and didn’t take my eyes off of it this time. Finally, after what seems like hours of me staring into the darkness, I hear a crack of lightning. It lights up the whole street and the church. For a split second I see an image. I got so scared I practically jumped 10 feet in the air. I told myself I could be imagining it but I knew I was wrong. She always made her entrances like this. She can't just walk up and say hi. Nope. She has to scare the heck out of you first. I laughed at that. Even walking up and saying hi is scary when it comes to Val. That girl could scare the Devil. Actually, her father might be the Devil himself. Then suddenly more lightning came. This time I jumped even higher than before. Her dark, green eyes were staring at me.

“Hello Ramon,” I heard her voice call me.

“H-how am I hearing you?” I stammered.

“I’m making you here me,” she answered creepily. I rammed into the double doors of the church trying to run with my wet pants. Her voice made me pee a little. I stopped. There stood Val standing high and mighty on the altar.

“Ramon, how nice of you to drop in and say hi.” She smiled at me.

“Well the skies darkened and I heard the devil screech in fright. Who other than you could be around?” I replied just as sweetly.

“Ah Ramon, you’re such a comedian.” Val’s smile grew as she laughed a fake laugh.

“Hey, you can tell yourself that if it helps you sleep at night.” I said laughing.

“Well you’re so weak that you certainly don’t keep me up.”

“Ah, yes, and if I ever couldn’t get to sleep then I might just invite you over to read me bedtime story, oh wait a minute! I can’t do that because you might attack me!”

“Well you know my motto, no story’s any good without a bad guy!”

“That’s literally the first time you’ve ever said that. And it’s not even catchy!”

“Get out."