Twin Souls, Twin Worlds

Emma and Jade (A.K.A An Unexpected Friend)

 Emma cowered away from Garin frantically, throwing her arms over her head to protect it from the blows raining down on her. Pain exploded in her stomach, and she knew immediately that he had kicked her there. Sorrow filled her at the thought of the bruises she would have to try and hide from her work colleagues tomorrow.

 Unexpected white light filled the room briefly, and then disappeared, leaving Emma still cowering in the corner. When the blows raining down on her stopped, she cautiously lowered her hands and gaped at the sight before her.

 A girl with long blonde hair had hold of Garin in a choke hold, the muscles in her arms clearly defined as she tightened her grip. A snow leopard at her side hissed its anger, swiping its claws across his legs when he tried to kick backwards at the girl. Even from across the room, and despite the hold she had on Emma's husband, the girl was able to meet and hold Emma's gaze. Her mind blanked in shock as she saw blue eyes, blue as the sky on a clear summer's day, and a silver circlet with a star sapphire set into it on her forehead.

 'Are you all right? Did he break anything?'

 'I-I... W-Who are you..?'

 'Wait a moment and I'll throw out this trash.'

 'No, wait! He's my husband!'

 Disgust filled the girl's eyes. 'You let your husband beat you? No wonder the Goddess wanted us to help you. Princess, go and open the door.'

 'Right.'

 Emma almost passed out at the sound of the cat talking, but then quickly recovered. 'Wait! I, um...'

 'What is it? I would rather talk to you without having to deal with this fat lump.'

 At that moment, Garin lurched forward and broke the girl's hold. With a roar of anger, he turned on her, striking out with his meaty fist. The girl ducked under it, punched him once each in the groin, the stomach, and, finally, in the jaw, sending him flying away from her and onto the table, smashing it into tiny pieces. Emma gaped at the sight as the girl straightened up.

 She had a dancer's grace, tempered by the hardened steel of a fighter, and Emma immediately felt a suspicion take hold of her heart. Garin groaned from where he lay on the floor, but she ignored him, instead keeping her eyes on the girl.

 She can't be more than fourteen at most... Emma was amazed by this girl who had appeared without warning in her home. It was at that moment that the snow leopard reappeared in the doorway.

 'Anya, I can't open the door. And this place is too small for me to shift into my battle form.'

 This was the final straw for Emma, and her eyes rolled up into her head as she passed out cold on the floor.

 When Emma came around, it was to find herself in the master bedroom with the snow leopard on one side and Jade, her cat, on the other. Jade purred, jumping to her feet and pushing her head against Emma's chin happily.

 'Your cat is beautiful. Is she your Bonded Partner?' Anya smiled as Emma's gaze jumped up and collided with her own.

 'That's a term I haven't heard in eight years. I used it in a series of stories that I wrote back then.'

 'Stories? Ah, I see. So that's why the Silver Lady called you a Weaver of Tales.' The girl tilted her head, and her hair shifted, revealing slightly pointed ears. Emma's eyes widened in shock.

 'You're really her, aren't you? You're Rose Anastasia Irthis... Which means that that's your snow leopard, Princess, on the bed. Right?'

 'I thought this was a different world. How do you know my full name?' Anya asked, confused. Emma met her gaze a moment, then set Jade down on the bed before getting up and leaving the room. When she returned, she was carrying a book with the image of girl wrapped in a snow leopard's fur on the front.

 'This is how I know your name. I wrote this eight years ago for some friends.' She held the book out to Anya, who took it and examined the cover before opening it about halfway through and started to read. Emma sat back down on the bed and stroked Jade, who promptly rolled on her back so Emma could rub her belly for her.

 A few minutes later, Anya snapped the book shut, her face pale.

 'How do you know all of this...?'

 'I didn't. I used to sit down and just write for hours on end. It was like the story was already there in my mind, I just had to write it.' Emma met her gaze. 'You were the main character, Anastasia. Well, you and Princess.'

 Anya stayed quiet for a moment, thinking before she spoke. 'From what I remember from my lessons with the elves, a Weaver of Tales is someone who's dreams takes them to other worlds. When they're awake, they write down those tales for others to read and learn from.'

 'I wouldn't know, Anastas-'

 'Anya. We can both feel how awkward your using my full name is,'

 Emma nodded. 'You're right, Anya. All right. Anyway, I wouldn't know, because I didn't write about the year you spent with the elves. Instead, I jumped from the night you received your names to the day you fought with Oakfall.'

 Princess snarled at Emma's use of the name, and Jade jumped away from her nervously. Princess immediately lowered the lip she had lifted, relaxing enough for Jade to settle once more.

 'If this book is correct, then your name is Emma, right?' Anya gave her a small smile, and Emma smiled back at her.

 'Yes. And this little madam here is Jade.' Reaching over to the little cat, Emma scratched her under the chin, making her tilt her head back happily as she closed her eyes. A moment later, and Jade had rolled onto her back. Emma obliged her silent command, rubbing her belly. She didn't look up as she sighed.

 'What did you do with Garin, Anya?'

 'Garin?'

 'My husband.' Emma met her gaze calmly.

 'Once I figured out how to open the door, I threw him outside and placed a shield around the building. He gave up trying to get back in after an hour and left.' Anya shrugged her thin shoulders, and Emma swallowed nervously.

 'Anya, he is going to be so angry. He won't stop trying to get back in, not until he gets what he wants.'

 'Why do you put up with him, Emma? Why let a male as twisted by evil as he is take over your life?'

 'Because he wasn't when we first met. He was so nice back then, and I thought I was in love. When he asked me to marry him and move to a new country with him, I said yes. And... I've regretted it ever since...'

 'Then why not leave him?'

 'I tried. He just dragged me back here again.' The sadness in Emma's eyes made Anya wonder just what had been done to her. She glanced at Princess, and then stood.

 'I'm sure you must be hungry, Emma. I healed all your wounds while you slept, and you were unconscious for the entire night.'

 'The whole night? Goddess! What time is it?!' Emma lunged for the bedside table and the little clock that sat there. 'Oh, no! My boss is gonna be so mad! I'll have to call and tell him that I've had to stay off sick...'

 Anya blinked in confusion as Emma scooped up a rectangular object covered in bumps and started pressing them. After a moment, she put the object to her ear, frantically pushing her back out of her face as she did.

 'Mr Gold! Yes, it's me. Sir, I am so sorry I didn't call in before. I-I've come down with a cold, so I thought it best to stay home today. Yes, Sir. I'll make sure to do that. Oh, and a sister of mine has arrivied from New Zealand. Would it be all right if she came into work with me when I come back in? Yes. Yes, of course. Thank you, Sir! Goodbye!' With a sigh of relief, she lowered the odd looking object, rubbing her forehead.

 'Emma? What is that?' Anya pointed at the phone, and Emma glanced at it, blinking.

 'This? Oh, of course. You've never seen one before. It's a mobile telephone, Anya. People use it to talk to each other, even if they are thousands of miles apart.'

 'Like telepathy?'

 'I... suppose so... Only, it's through a machine, not your mind.'

 'I think I understand. What is that?' Anya pointed next at Emma's bedside clock, and Emma smiled, settling in for a long day of explaining things to Anya and Princess.