[CH.003] Annabelle’s Transformation

Another year down, another year to plan for. Like all previous years, this one went off without a hitch. As the day was coming to an uneventful end, and with their goodbyes said, Ava and Annabelle were now on their way. Off to their childhood house to fix it up and restore it to its former state. Ava is due to embark on her next voyage aboard the DreamChaser 2. 

 As they were on their way out, a villager from a Tundra biome village quickly approached Ava and Annabelle from behind. He shouted Ava's name a few times as he waved his hand back and forth above his head. They both stopped and turned around to face the villager. 

"Ava," he shouted once more, "wait up."

"Has Vikter agreed to my terms?" Ava asked as the villager stopped running and slowed down. He leans over to catch his breath after being out of it. 

 Annabelle glances over at Ava, curious as to what this "deal" was about and what it was for. 

"What are you talking about?" Annabelle asked, "what deal?"

"For an expedition to travel to the FarLands," Ava answered. 

"For the most part, he has yes," the villager said, "if anything happens to the ship or you or anyone of your crew, your troubles will be generously compensated. As requested, a portion of your pay," he said as he reached back into his inventory. Pulling three golden ingots out, he handed them over to Ava. She graciously accepted the down payment and took the gold bars. 

"And if my ship sinks?" Ava asks. 

"That was not discussed," he replies. "Send a raven. Maybe you'll get a response before you leave?"

"Sure thing," Ava says with an eye roll, "I'll get right on that."

 She then turns her back to him and proceeds to walk away. 

"Hey Annabelle," the villager said, "say hi to your new friend for me, would you?"

"New friend?" Ava asked as she looked to her right at Annabelle. She looked back at Ava. 

"Rubbish," Annabelle responded, "he's high off Swiftness and doesn't know what he's saying."

"Rrriiiggghhhttt," Ava said as she didn't bother further questioning the topic. "Let's get home before it gets dark."

"So the FarLands," Annabelle said, "it's a real place? Didn't think it to be any more a real place than like the End Realm."

"Supposedly," Ava replied. 

"Hey Cap," Thomas said as he approached them and was walking with them alongside Ava to her left. 

"Not my name on land," Ava reminded him. Annabelle chuckles. "We've talked about that."

"Just a habit that's hard to break," Thomas said. "Was just wondering when we needed to return to the ship?" 

"Two days," Ava answered simply. "Until then you have the time to do whatever and go wherever. But if you aren't back on the ship before I return…"

"You'll embark without me. Yeah I know. I'll let Aurora know. See you in two days…Cap—I mean—Java."

"Java?" Ava asks as she looks over at him but he was walking away hastily. 

"Ha, pretty catchy name…Java," Annabelle said as she chuckled. 

"Okay Jannabelle," Ava said as she laughed in Annabelle's face as she hastily rushed off ahead and away from Annabelle. 

"Don't make me give you a horse's ass and tail again," Annabelle shouted as she then teleported the two of them to their childhood home. 

BLIP!

 A red aura glowed around Ava as Annabelle cast the teleportation spell. But the aura around Annabelle was not red, but green. From a short distance away, Mileena witnessed Annabelle disappear. Curious? Yes. Annabelle's magic was normally red, so why the change of color all of a sudden?

"I'm sure it's nothing," Mileena reassured herself inside her head as she returned to the others to say her goodbyes. 

 Ava doesn't like when I narrate aloud, so I'll be brief.  When they arrived home, the sun was almost set. After a long day, they're tired. Wanting to take it easy and relax, they couldn't. There are things that need to be tended to. 

 The small house was very neglected and not properly taken care of over the years. Built by their adoptive mother, Petra (35) years ago, it's one of many ancient, and mysterious old structures. 

"Well…here we are," Annabelle said as they both stood outside looking at the front of their house. In shambles, the glass windows are either cracked, broken, or gone entirely. 

"Home sweet home," Ava mumbled and sighed. 

 The oak wood fence in the front yard was being covered up by vines, ferns and other wild plants. The red rose bushes were half dead from the overgrowth. 

"Is this how you want us to remember mom?" Ava asked as she glanced to her right. 

 Annabelle looks at her, squinting her eyes menacingly. "I'm a witch," she tells Ava, "not a housekeeper."

"You don't say?" Ava chuckles, "then why dress like one then?" Ava continues on to say. 

"I do not!" Annabelle firmly said in a disgruntled tone of voice. 

"Yeah, you do," Ava commented as she looked down at Annabelle's clothes. She scoffed and walked towards the front door. "Well, this house won't fix itself."

 Annabelle stood there with her arms crossed; it's a thing she always did when she was mad or upset. 

"After you," Annabelle said as she held her arm out, pointing at the front door. Ava walks past her and then inside. All while Annabelle stared down at Petra's grave. The last she recalls laying eyes on it was a long time ago. 

"Hey!" Ava said, raising her voice. said as she looked out at Annabelle through the front broken window. "Come inside!" Ava said, her voice now a bit louder..

 Annabelle quickly looked to her right at Ava. Not a minute later, and she rushes inside to safety from the creatures and mobs of the night. After closing the creaky, weathered door, her hand shook. A faint green spark flashed and disappeared. Turning around and walking over to where Ava was; sitting in a weathered chair next to a small, open chest. Digging around in it, things clattered around. 

"Come check these out," Ava said as she looked over at Annabelle. She dawns a subtle smile on her face.

 Annabelle is now facing her sister, but is still standing looking down at her hand. Ava doesn't notice right away however. 

"What is it?" Annabelle asks. 

"It's more of mom's things. Books, empty glass bottles, a painting of her and Daniel from (35) years ago. it's all still here," Ava said as she leaned forward and reached, "and after many years." 

"Thought we got rid of that stuff after she died?" Annabelle questioned as she shook her hands. She walked over to where Ava was sitting. As Ava continued to dig around in the creaky, rotted and old chest, Annabelle sharply inhaled as her hand produced another green spark. It stung, the feeling being similar to a bee's sting. 

"I guess you weren't as thorough as you thought you were," Ava said as she pulled out a painting of her and Daniel. Standing confidently and gracefully in a pose that showed they weren't afraid of anything. That was made when they became King and Queen after saving the OverWorld from the Brine Family.

"This was so long ago," Ava said as she turned the painting around to show Annabelle. 

"Thirty five years ago now," Annabelle said.

"Really?" Ava questioned as she pondered that thought mentally. Annabelle scoffed and turned around. "Guess I lost track of time."

"Maybe if you weren't going out to find the Minetanic everyday, you'd be up with the times," Annabelle says in a rude tone.

You speak of the Titanic, right? 

"No," Annabelle replied, "Minetanic. The ship that hit an iceberg and almost sank."

That's not what happened! Hold the phone. 

"What's a phone?" Ava asked.

Oh well a phone is a brick you hold up to your face and….

"DON'T CARE GODMAN," Ava replies. 

Rude as usual. Just like in real life. 

"I think godman has had too many swiftness drinks. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

I actually prefer fireball. But sure swiftness works too. 

"I'll give you a fireball if we ever meet," Annabelle says as she suddenly hisses like a cat from a sharp pin in her hands. She shrugs it off. 

Okay Jannabelle. 

"Aha, good one Godman," Ava agrees as she chuckles.

Okay anyways… back to the story. 

 Raising her hands, they began glowing red. The hole in the roof was going to be patched up by her and some magic. Outside a few trees were magically chopped down, turning into instant new wooden planks. 

"You okay sis?" Ava asks as she puts the painting back in the chest and stands up. She walks over to Annabelle just as Annabelle lowers her hands, which are glowing bright green. She keeps her back facing Ava. 

"Annabelle?" Ava asked as she reached out to grab her shoulder. But when she did, Annabelle fiercely turned around. Her eyes are glowing green. A green aura starts glowing around her body. 

"Who's Annabelle?" She replies as she shoves Ava's hand away with force that it almost knocks Ava to the floor. Stepping back away from her sister, Ava is starstruck at this sudden shift in mood. One minute she's Annabelle, the next….something else. 

"My sister," Ava replies, "who are you?"

"My master is the Phantom. He controls me now. Whoever you knew as Annabelle, is no more. Besides, the power I now wield is much more than I could've ever asked for. It feels—"

Dumb. 

"Who's that talking?"

"I don't answer to you. I'm leaving and you're not allowed to come with me."

"Who said I wanted to come?" Annabelle asked. "How about I kill you instead?"

 In her head, she could hear a voice giving her instructions. It was the phantom's voice. 

"Kill away!"