Fragmented Afterthoughts Chapter Eleven:
When Hearts Turn to Stone

Chapter 11:
When Hearts Turn To Stone

Joey sat next to Magick, shaking her from sleep. The dark-haired girl uttered
several confused sounds in a sleep-like trance, and opened her eyes blearily.

"Joey?" she asked through a yawn, doing nothing to cover it up.

Joey nodded solemnly, and gave the V-sign of victory to her friend as she looked
at her, smiling. "I have a nice surprise for you. I think you'll like it."

Magick shook her head, putting her palms to her eyes and rubbing them in sleep-
loss. "Nyeh. What's so important?"

Joey mocked the image of a stern woman as she stood, turning and pausing for
her friend. "You've got to come see it for yourself. I'm not going to waste a perfectly good
surprise on you. After all, I've been working on it for a while."

Magick shoved herself off the couch and stood on wobbly legs, eyes half-closed
in delirium. "Fine," she yawned, and shuffled after her friend, who happily waited beside
her as she walked slowly.

It wasn't long before they came to one of the many doors in the HQ. It stood out
from all the others, as a red label at the top blatantly stated, "Danger". There was a
sickened feeling in Magick's gut as she looked after Joey, who promptly stepped in, and
motioned for her friend to follow. Reluctantly, she did so.

Joey strode past a number of machines, all varying in size, shape, colour, and
structure. She looked back at Magick smiling, and the girl followed, trying to stay awake.

"We figured you'd be gone for a long time, and that was a good opportunity for us
to get something done for you," Joey said, purple hair in a hanging state as it drifted
lackadaisically behind her. "With such ample time, we took free moments to make this
for you." They reached the end of the room, and turned, where a little gray curtain hung.

Joey pulled it back, and a little scrapbook lay on a chair. Magick looked
disdainfully at it, then back to her friend. "Wow, Joey. A scrapbook. Real nice. I'd prefer
sleep, 'f ya don't mind..." She slowly began to fall over on the chair.

"MESSUPTHEBOOKANDDIE!"

Magick jerked into conciousness, Joey's left eye narrowed, the other twitching.
Magick looked at her friend, grinning nervously. "Eh..."

"Now... please... open it," Joey said slowly, hands curled into fists.

Magick's eye began to twitch, but there was a certain lacking quality of anger
there. More of fright, of what Joey might do should she not open the book.

Turning and bending slightly to open the front cover, Magick felt the delicate,
fake-gold coverings on the sides of the green leather, smiling slightly. The first page was
nothing but a short note, signed at the bottom with a loopy, dark blue pen. Ignoring the
note, as Joey's eyes urged her to do so, Magick turned the page and looked at the first two
pictures.

A little girl sat on the lap of a large, muscled and skinny fellow with dark purple
hair that came down past his chin and rested on his collarbone. He wore a white lab coat,
showing that he was a scientist, but his tireless, flawless, and fine features showed him to
be young and new to the proffession. His shining royal blue eyes showed he internally
smiled, but his face remained neutral. The two sat by a window, the little girl looking out
as the man held her firmly by the waist. The girl had hair cut nearly exactly like the man
she was with, save for it was a dark, undefinable colour, and it came down to her
shoulders in the back, shorter in the front. The picture was nothing in comparison to the
other.

The same little girl was holding the hand of the man as he walked with her, the
light in the photo showing it to be midday, and almost seeming to sparkle, despite the
fact that it was photography. The girl was happy, smiling as she looked up to him, eyes
closed, and the man looked back down at her, a slight smile gracing his not handsome,
but rather beautiful features. He was not dressed in his lab coat this time, but a blue shirt
that showed his arms and came loose in the front. He was rather handsome this way.

Magick stared blankly at the pictures, then turned unblinkingly to Joey. "And?"

Joey looked, moot, back at her. "Keep going."

Magick sighed as she flipped the page, only revealing more pictures that showed
the little girl with the man, and nearing the end of the rather thin scrapbook, she saw a
picture of the little girl crying, standing next the the man who was doubled over, his face
reflecting immense pain. He held his stomach, leaning against what looked to be a table.

The last two pictures sent a cold chill down Magick's spine. The man was laying
in bed, his hair shadowing his eyes as he looked pale, his eyes looking, darkened, to the
girl, now slightly older, and Magick guessed her to be a few years older. He held her
hand, smiling faintly, and tears stramed down her face.

The last picture in the album was dated, 09-07-1995, Earth time, and the man's
eyes were closed, tears showing on his now lifeless cheeks. The girl clutched his hand,
her face near to his as she cried with him, fingers resting on his right cheek.

This only brought Magick up short as she choked slightly. "Who are these
people?.."

Joey looked down at the album, then flipped back to the first page, showng her
the letter. Magick took it in stable hands, beginning to shake as she read.

My Dearest Magick,

It appears that you have come of age to be reading this letter. Your friends
have watched over it for the last years of my life, and then some, for they now hold you
and this letter. On this page, I write my last confessions, and I shall tell you of where else
you may find your past.

You must, like all teenagers, wonder from whence you came. You, of all
people, should have the most questions of all the children amoung you. I do not hesitate
to tell you, Magick. I am not your real father, no, for there never was such a thing in
your case. You are a creation of mine, a mixture of human and pokemon. One of the first
to be mixed with so many breeds. As follows, you are this, my dear child. Keep these in
mind.

Human, Mewtwo, Umbreon, Mew, Quilava, and Lugia. Of these, you were
taken from the samples of such creatures during the adventures of many others. Perhaps
at one time you will read the story of them, and understand their cause.

I'm so sorry you never had a parent to guide you. I tried, to God, I
honestly tried to be yours, to keep you safe, to hold you, to love and care for you. I failed.
I know I am failing, even now. My blood is ceasing to run through my body, my heart is
slowing, skipping its beats. But never forget who I am. I have asked your friends to take
care of you, to show you all I had to offer you.

You must have grown up to be beautiful. When you were with me, I felt as if there
were nothing better than just being there, with you. Always so happy. Always so lovely.
You gave inspiration and love to those who knew you. Never give up faith, Magick.
Never.

Once again, on this page I write my last confessions. Read it well, it holds within
it your story. It's a story of those who've always loved you... I gave my life for you, and
gave you to your friends keeping. So young, my child, so young you are, and still you
don't understand.

I love you. Please, never forget me. My name was Ryuzoku..

Scrawled underneath the letter was the signature of one Ryuzoku Kanashimi, and
Magick could feel a shudder of breath go out of her as she stared in disbelief at the letter.
Tearing eyes looked to Joey, who nodded with sympathy and collected the book and note
together, setting them down on a table nearby. She held out a hand, but it was forgotten
as Magick stood, then hugged Joey tightly, lower lip trembling as she sobbed, and
whispered words traveled to her ears, a male voice she recalled from so long ago,
melodious and wonderful.

"Now you know who you are..."