From: Zephyr: The Falling Star You Cannot Live Without (zephyr@1stconnect.com) Subject: [PW!] Deception Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Date: 2000-09-05 20:45:47 PST It was the end of summer, if had been months since Julia left Rosetta University. Her departure was abrupt, but she found it necessary. She missed them, but she had to handle her problems herself. The various places Julia had visited seem more like a distant past to her, she went seeking answers and all that was found was the inevitable truth that she woke next to everyday. There was no point in running anymore, if she couldn't handle her problems now, her future would be a bleak one. The leaves rustled across the floor, like lost wishes disappearing from their owner. A feeling of disappointment washed over Julia, she had asked and had gotten no response. There was no point in continuing, but what if there was hope. Hope to live on, hope to continue and perhaps settle down. Glacier was released a few weeks back off the icy coast of the Sea Foam Islands, along with his airborne companion, Cyclone. A week later Julia heard about an oil spill that had devastated the area, there was no way they could have survived. Like so many other things, this event didn't leave much of an impact with Julia. She had experienced too much to even care anymore, as much as to even bother to try care. The sky turned to a crimson color as the setting rays of the sun pierced the air, leaving trails of pink and purple in their paths. The harvest moon would rise soon, and Julia had come to accept that fact that she had to reap what she sowed and collect her broken self along with the empty friendships she had made. The ecstasy of death, a perpetual carefree state. Julia had contemplated the matter numerous occasions, but delusional as she was she kept convincing herself that the world needed her and her death would be the new tragedy of the ages. The warm southern wind blew as Julia stood silently by the bus stop. She had decided to go home and maybe pick up the pieces there while trying to leave a normal life once again. An elderly couple arrived holding hands, obviously still madly in love with each other from the moment they met to the current time. Love...something she never really thought about. Maybe because she was tired of being hurt every time she tried to make friends, or she didn't want to accept the fact that maybe someone didn't want her. As lonely as she was, the thought of her with a significant other never came across her mind. The bus arrived, its brakes squealing as it came to a complete stop. It was empty and few people were getting on. With the route being a direct one, it wouldn't take long before Julia was back in her home town of Celadon City. She took a window seat near the back of the bus. A few more people boarded the bus before it took off. The sun's light soon disappeared into the deep black night. The stars were abundant and their light showered down on the earth providing a celestial aura for all to hold comfort in. "You girl, you play that guitar well?", asked a short man as he ran his fingers through his long beard. "Well I barely started up on the whole concept of playing it, so I guess not", replied Julia as she moved her guitar case to under her seat. "Hrmph, well there's always a time and a place to try out what you've learned. Why don't you give it a whirl, we're going to be on this damn bus for awhile and music will help time pass by much faster", said the man as the other passengers looked at Julia with pleading as they too agreed with the man. "Well don't say I didn't warn you", replied Julia with a reluctant look in her eyes, before taking her guitar out from its case. "So what kind of music would you like to hear?" asked Julia as she tuned her guitar. "Any music is fine, just as it comes from the heart", replied the man with a look of hope in his eyes. 'Perhaps not all youth have been corrupted', he thought to himself. Julia brushed back her hair as she cleared her throat. She was nervous as she never had performed in front of anybody before. The fear of what they would think is what frightened her the most, but then again its not like she had anymore to lose. "Blinded by your lies....I went to seek, but did not find", the last word slowly rolled down her tongue as she continued to sing softly. "So hard to believe, all this time...your false hope was my passion and your lies, my dreams", as if a knife was driven through her heart Julia forced the last word out of her mouth. Her music was truth, but the truth was painful indeed. "And you want me to scream, and you want me to cry....benevolent murder...love denied", a small gasp followed as she raised her voice on the last word. As if to emphasize its meaning, so that people could be perhaps warned... "I saw what you wanted me to see...and you said it was the right way, you carried me to places out of my reach..so fast I could not stray", the crowd was in a trance, the heads followed every beat and every rhythm that were played. "I've been there too many times, fear to live and the fear to cry...and yet I've come to deny...what I could be if I tried", the last phrase pained her, but she had to continue singing, continue her pseudo therapy that would perhaps save her sanity. "Perfect life, perfect surprise, you've come to betray.....and you've come to lie", Julia's fingers delicately strummed the guitar as the words slowly rolled down her tongue, as they appeared capable of controlling the crowd's mood and behavior. "And I want you to see me, I want you to believe me....I want you to love me. Love lost....hate gained...your lies will never take away this pain....", Julia paused as a tear rolled down her cheek. The crowd remained silent. The ominous silence pervaded the bus for quite some time until the noise of a clap was heard. The single clap soon turned into a standing ovation as the crowd cheered and whistled the young girl on. "You see what you did, you spoke from the heart and you were able to capture people's body and soul. You have truly created music", said the short man as he nodded in approval. "Thank you..everyone..thank you for listening", whispered Julia as the world around seem to become more and more surreal by the moment. It was an emotion Julia wasn't very familiar with, and with it coming back to her life she was unprepared on how to handle it. Happiness, once a nemesis to Julia, it was now her closest friend. OOC: It's sort of late, and I have Bio AP work to do so sorry for not being able to proofread it..