Born From the Earth (Ahren and Wingshadow)

[Ahren]

The midday sun beamed down brightly onto the brown-haired head of a young man munching contently on his lunch. One hand wielded the ham sandwich while the other a pen as he put in some effort to multitask during his break from the barrage of scholastic activities. Though was it much of a break when one only continued to do schoolwork in the middle of it?

"Luke, what are you even doing, man?" Spoke another male voice as another, dark-haired student approached him with a puzzled look upon his face.

"Writing you a love note, Josh." Luke replied, not even bothering to look up from his notes. He couldn't see his friend, but the silence suggested he was making a less-than-amused face. "I'm doing my fucking homework, what do you think? We've had this conversation this week already."

"When did you become such a nerd, Denton? Like, the only remotely good thing about school is that you get to see your friends. Now you're spending your breaks doing more work? I literally cannot comprehend your train of thought. All Myers did all lunch hour was talk about how he and his new goddamn girlfriend made out under the bleachers. It's the most cliche thing I've ever heard in my life." Josh whined, slouching his body in a standing position as if he had lost the energy to even stand properly.

"Myers...? yeah, that's harder to believe than my dad's stories about exploring ancient Aztec temples..." Luke Denton muttered, writing out the answer to another math problem. "And I'm doing this now because I'm sick of wasting my time doing it at home. Sooner it's done the sooner I can stop worrying about it."

"Isn't your dad like... a computer programmer for bank software? Probably has to create any sort of fantasy he can to keep his life interesting..." Josh replied as if he didn't even hear the reasonable justification his classmate gave for doing his homework during lunch.

"Dunno, maybe. He sure as hell has a lot of moldy-ass trinkets around the house though." Luke shook his head as if he didn't quite understand, shutting his book and finally looking up to Josh.

"That's some dedication to a fantasy..."

"Better than anime body pillows." Luke's eyes narrowed as Josh suddenly turned red.

"H-hey what... you promised you wouldn't say anything about that here!!!"

"Ah nobody heard. Anyway, feel like hanging at the mall after school? Pretty sure those girls will be working the cell phone stand again. Maybe if we don't sound like real jackasses this time we can get their numbers?" Luke suggested with a bit of enthusiasm. Josh scratched his head in an embarrassed manner.

"Yeah... I gotta start that book report tonight or I'm screwed."

"What a goddamn shock." Luke sighed. "Another time, then. Guess I'll ask Kayla. Though I suppose she wouldn't be into the hitting on girls part..."

"She mentioned having to baby sit her little brother again." Josh informed. Luke merely sighed again. Having siblings must have been a pain.

The junior-year student then checked his watch. Time for the school day's home stretch. He grabbed his books and trekked back toward the school building, Well, seemed like it would be another night at home. What a waste...

--

As Luke arrived home, he glanced around the large residence while keeping his ears open to any sounds. His parents were still at work for two more hours. Nothing wrong with that. The serenity of an empty house was something to cherish. Being so incredibly bored, however, was not. Luke strolled up to his room, dropped his backpack with no sense of grace, and flopped face first onto the bed.

"If I never moved from this spot ever again, I wonder if anyone would notice..." Luke thought to himself out loud, the mattress muffling his voice considerably. Life really did seem devoid of adventure lately. The stories his dad used to tell him about archeological adventure... as bogus as they sounded... really seemed thrilling. How the hell was he supposed to ever do anything like that living in the middle of the goddamn city...?

 

[Wingshadow]

-Several Months Earlier-

Two figures stood in the center of a large, stone disk, a beam of light streaming down on them from the hole cut in the ceiling far above them. One had an older and more majestic feel to her stance, holding a cane made of a jungle branch to help support herself. Her eyes were old and wise, a mysterious dark green color which would capture the attention of anyone nearby in an instant. She wore long, thick robes with intricate stitch-work, listing her various titles and adoration in a long-forgotten language. She had a hood drawn over her head, mostly obscuring her long, dark purple hair which elegantly flowed down her back, from under which those amazing, piercing eyes gazed. She looked toward the other figure, who was somewhat shorter than the other and had her hood pulled back from her head. She wore a similar robe, albeit with much less writing on it as she merely had her name and a few purely affectionate titles. She had a colder and more direct stare in her eyes as she slowly nodded to the older woman and turned toward the distant hallway to the right, leading out of the central chamber.

"Gnome, dearest, I wish for you to live a long and happy life, so I want you to seek out my lover. He told me where to find him should I ever wish to meet him again. He lives in a faraway place inhabited by members of his own race, who have far advanced beyond the level of society and technology as they had when this place was constructed," she gave her a few more parting words before sending her away, "Please be careful, my daughter, for they are a cruel and temperamental race at times. Take that locket with you, which is the sole gift that he bestowed upon me before we parted ways. It should guide your heart to where he resides. I can no longer keep you to myself... You need to live your own life, now."

The younger woman slowly nodded but did not speak a word. In her right hand she firmly clasped a small golden locket, inside which was a picture of a strange young man in an adventurer's garb. Gnome turned toward the hall and began her long journey... One that would take her a great many days to complete.

-Current Time-

A single robed figure stepped along the road leading toward Luke's house, her sharp green eyes narrowed with concentration upon the path before her. She could care less about the stares and whispers of the humans who pointed her out. She was particularly conspicuous due to her short purple hair and thick, priest-like robes which hung down over her small body. She stood a mere four foot, six inches, clearly full-grown but also significantly shorter than the average human woman. Aside from her unusal dress and appearance, there was also the fact that she seemed to hold a grudge against using sidewalks. Instead, she walked down the middle of the road as if the entire thing belonged to her, and held her ground whenever one of those strange human vehicles came her way...

One man was making his way down the road when he spotted this strange girl, swerving out of a direct collision with her while slamming on the brakes.

"What the heck are you thinking?! Use the damn sidewalk, you loon!" he rolled down his window and called out to her, earning him a glare. The small girl simply continued on her way, creating yet more chaos wherever she wandered. She seemed to know where she was going, however, and her resolve never wavered... Even if the jumbled roads and side-streets did, more often than not, make it difficult for her to take a direct path to her destination.

She finally walked up to the house Luke lived in, appearing no more fatigued than when she had started her long journey. She paused for a short while, looking over the design and build of the house before walking up to the front door. She cocked her head to the side slightly, as if unsure what to make of it. Why was this wooden thing blocking the way to her new home? She didn't know, but it was being a pain. She raised her right hand and widened her stance slightly before thrusting her fist forward, splintering the door and essentially blasting it away from the mere force of her strike. Fragments of the door flew everywhere and scattered themselves across the hall. She then entered without a word of greeting and began to look around and make herself at home.

Her father had, indeed, gathered a great many old and seemingly worthless trinkets from his journeys, which were stacked up on shelves in the living-room and mounted on the walls. A large fan hung from the ceiling, which seemed to startle her at first. Why did humans have a decapitation device mounted on their ceiling? Perhaps they used it in order to keep exceptionally tall humans out of the room, as it hung quite a ways above her own head. She saw that it wasn't active at the time, so gradually calmed herself... Eyes turning down toward the couch. She instantly brightened up and hurried over to the soft, cushioned seat and flopped herself down on it, thinking that it was some sort of bed. She knew that her father was not at home at the time, so she decided to make herself comfortable until he decided to show up. She didn't know or care if anyone else was in the house.

 

[Ahren]

Luke had eventually decided that his options for entertaining himself at home were too boring to consider for his current state of mind, and drifted off to sleep instead. Perhaps he'd visit another planet or dimension in his dreams. Unfortunately before he could get there, a loud crash not unlike the sound of a tree falling onto the house echoed from downstairs, startling Luke awake. "What the shit!" He shouted before leaping out of bed and rushing down the steps. He then stopped near the bottom due to his front door being in the way. Yes, his front door was now in the middle of the steps. That was odd, usually it was on its hinges where a door should be...

Luke grabbed the banister and jumped over as he walked over to the space where a door once was and inspected it. It didn't look like someone had kicked it in or anything that simple. No, it looked as if a wrecking ball had ripped it away... Was someone doing construction nearby? Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure laying upon the living room sofa. In a reaction more cowardly than Luke would have liked to admit, he quickly grabbed the nearest thing to him, a broom, and brandished it toward the intruder in a very non-threatening manner.

"Jesus! What the... who..." He stammered before realizing it was a short, female figure with purple hair. Not exactly a burglar or anything of that nature. At least, as far as he could tell. She was just laying there in some strange robes, making no effort to take anything or cause any further destruction. Did that small girl really break down his door to take a nap on his couch...? How did she even manage such a thing?

"Uh.. excuse me...? Who the fuck are you, what are you doing in my house, and how the hell did you do that to my door?" Luke called out, obviously a bit frustrated, but at least calm enough to put the broom back down. How was he going to explain this to his parents? 'Sorry mom and dad, some purple haired girl blew down our door like the Big Bad Wolf and decided to chill out on our couch'. That sure sounded sane and reasonable... He almost didn't believe it himself. Maybe he had managed a dream after all...

 

[Wingshadow]

Gnome slowly turned toward him and sat up, her half-open eyes narrowing slightly to show that she was irritated at his presence. She stared at him for a long while, merely studying him as it where. He had a similar scent to him to that of the locket, but he was distinctly different from her father. He must be offspring from another mother, as he was clearly human and not an earth elemental like herself. He must be... Oh, right, her mother said that such a person was called a brother.

She finally stood up and walked over to him, eyes looking up to where her head was in respect to him then back down at his waist. He also happened to be rather tall and broad, yet much frailer then herself in terms of strength. As yet, he did not know this for a fact, however.

"Brother, I am sister... Mother sent me to meet Father," she said blandly, almost as if she didn't care if he could hear her or not, "It was in my way. I removed it. It was not any trouble."

She hold out her hand and showed him the locket, peeling the front of it back to reveal the picture of her father. She placed it in his hand without another word, leaving him to work it out in his own mind. She walked past him to wander about the kitchen, looking around at the trinkets that seemed to spread out into all the rooms of the entire house, not a single one left unadorned. She had no interest in socializing with this young, frail human who yelled at her and had no sense of respect for guests. Of course, she didn't know that she was the one who was being rude and unrefined, being ignorant of proper human etiquette.

 

[Ahren]

Luke didn't know what to do or say when the girl merely stared at him as if his response was somehow inappropriate. When she approached, he instinctively stepped back a bit. When he gathered she wasn't going to attack like some small, rabid ferret he stopped and just continued to raise an eyebrow in her direction. When she finally spoke, it was surprising how little sense her simple words made.

"I'm sorry I think.. you have me confused with someone else." He began, then continued to be perplexed by her words. So she really did remove the door, and it was 'no trouble'? Obviously he had to know how that was possible, but a part of him couldn't resist being sarcastic despite this completely absurd situation. "Ever hear of knocking...?"

It was then that she placed the locket into his hand, and upon seeing the photo Luke froze. There was no doubt the picture was of his father as a younger man. In fact, it resembled Luke quite well. His brain suddenly repeated the strange girl's previous words. 'Sent me to see Father'. She wasn't really suggesting... Was she...?

In an effort to give himself a few more moments to think, Luke did his best to place the door back against the entryway. Obviously it was a sloppy solution, but he was not really a handyman and there were more pressing matters at the moment, like figuring out what sort of drugs this girl was on and where she got this picture of his dad. Seriously, she had to be on some sort of meth-induced adrenaline kick to be able to take out the door in such a fashion despite barely weighing a hundred pounds soaking wet. He eventually followed the girl into the kitchen, noting that she seemed very curious regarding everything around her. Her way of speaking, the way she dressed, everything suggested that she definitely was not from around here.

"Okay so let me get this straight. You're saying this man is your father? Who's your mother... and where exactly are you from? He's never mentioned you..." Luke questioned, in hopes of piecing together this puzzle. The locket was quite a convincing piece of evidence, but he still wasn't ready to just believe everything this odd robed person said. He had a feeling the answers would only leave him more confused, however...

 

[Wingshadow]

"Ah-ren," the strange girl turned toward him in a solemn manner, "She is the very last of her kind, the queen of the earthy ground and my mother. For many moons she was bound by your kind. They were cruel yet kind. Strange folk. Our father is a kind man. He set her free. He sent her back to her people, unable to keep him to herself. I was born from their union. He doesn't even know I exist."

"You look like he did," she looked up at him, her wide green eyes still only half-open as she continued to stare at him with a blank gaze. Her head cocked to the side slightly, "I do not see what mother saw in him. Where is father now?"

She looked away from him and continued to search the house as if for a clue concerning his departure. She didn't seem particularly interested in the house, as it was quite plain and relatively tiny compared to the grand Aztec temple she had spent almost her entire life in.

 

[Ahren]

Luke just sort of stared as he tried desperately to absorb the words of the girl. She spoke of her mother almost as if she was part of an alien race. The last of her kind? This girl...

She must have hit her head really really hard.

When she remarked about his resemblance to his father, it was almost endearing, until the moment was soured by her immediate dismissal of whatever sort of attraction her mother had gotten out of a similar looking individual. She seemed to have no idea how saying such a thing could cause a negative reaction. That or she didn't care. Her story was still very hard to believe. She took a turn asking a question, which suddenly stirred up nervous feelings inside the young man. 'Where is father now?'

Luke was more concerned about mother at this point. If she got home first, this would be a hell of a thing to try and explain. The brown-haired teen looked down at his watch. It was 5:20 PM. His parents worked different jobs but similar hours, and mom usually got home a few minutes before... Unless...

"He'll.. he'll be home soon. Uh, could you hold on one sec?"

Luke pulled his cell phone from his pocket and quickly dialed his mother. He prayed to any deity he could that she would pick up, and thankfully she did. At least one thing was going his way today...

"Mom! Hi yeah... uh hey you on your way home?... Cool, great, grand... What? No I'm totally.. chill, yeah. Everything is fine. It's just uh, we have a guest! So maybe we should pick something up for dinner? Who is it..? It's uh.. a surprise..."

Luke smacked his forehead. He sounded like a lunatic and his mom wasn't going to buy it if he lied about who it was. Also given the girl's bluntness so far, it was unlikely he'd be able to convince her to pretend to be someone else or, more conveniently, leave. He at least wanted dad to see her so he could maybe set things straight. Say something like 'I have no idea who this crazy girl is or what moon spirits she's talking about' so they could call the cops and get her out of the house.

"Oh, uh anything is good really. She doesn't look like she'd eat a lot...

Yes, she... No she's not my girlfriend!

Okay listen I gotta go, yes on dinner then? Okay great love you bye."

"Jesus..." Luke sighed heavily and slumped to the floor. Why was that so stressful just then? Maybe he should have thought up what to say before calling...

A few minutes past in silence. Luke was unsure of how to make small-talk with the girl, and he also had to figure out just what all this meant. The awkward silence was suddenly interrupted by a large bang as the lazily placed door fell off its hinges once again. In its place stood a middle-aged man in a suit, holding a key up to nothing and looking very confused. He really did resemble an older Luke.

"Lucas... I hope you have a really good explanation for this..." The irritated, fatherly tone was unleashed immediately. Luke, having been startled to his feet by the noise (again) quickly dashed up to his father and chuckled nervously.

"Hi dad... uh.. guess who's here! You will probably never ever guess...

Ever."

Jonathan Denton peered into the kitchen and saw the purple-haired girl standing quietly and he immediately froze. The shock was making it hard to piece together thoughts, so Luke held out his hand. "She gave me this and called you father so uh... please tell me she's crazy and not actually my sister."

John gazed at the locket and the memories came flooding back. His eyes began to water a bit and merely seeing such a reaction made Luke realize that the girl might actually have been telling the truth...

The only thing Luke could think to say were his immediate thoughts. "Dinner is going to be real awkward, isn't it...?"

 

[Wingshadow]

"Well, I guess I'm not getting lucky tonight, am I?" the older man remarked, his voice alone drawing Gnome's attention. She turned and walked right up to him, her wide green eyes scanning him while her little nose sniffed at the air like some sort of small rodent. A small smile graced her lips as she stood before him, father and daughter finally together. The tears in his eyes ran down his cheeks, feeling himself powerless to make a proper reply.

"Ah-ren..." he bent down and embraced the girl, hugging her tightly to himself as he swung her around. Gnome's eyes grew wide in surprise, the only time she had actually opened them fully it seemed.

"Ah-ren is mother," Gnome remarked blandly, "I am daughter and you are father."

"She looks just like her mother," John gently set her back down and patted her on her head, taking a deep breath before turning toward his son, "Um, what a surprise... Turns out you really aren't an only child, hm?"

Gnome's eyes once again returned to normal as she walked around the table and sat down on one of the chairs, once again making herself at home.

"Do you remember when I used to tell you all those stories when you were young about my adventures? Well, it seems like I forgot to tell you one of the most important stories... The one when I met my first love," the older man sat down opposite Gnome and gestured for Luke to sit down as well, "It seems like we have a lot to talk about, don't we?"

Gnome looked up at her father and shrugged, as if she didn't care either way.

"So, why did Ah-ren send you here?"

"She said I needed to get a life."

"A life, hm? She has quite the sense of humor."

"So I have been told."

John let out a nervous laugh, "So, um... What's your name?"

"No-ma," the girl replied quickly, "but its easier for humans to just say Gnome."

"Um... Right..."

Things where quickly becoming more awkward, and John wanted to give some opportunity for Luke to speak as well so he turned to him next and asked, "Is... There something you want to ask me that could possibly make this any easier?"

 

[Ahren]

Luke just sort of watched the interaction between his father the long lost daughter with a completely dumbfounded look. He took a seat when they did, but remained silent. John mentioned something about meeting his first love on an 'adventure' but the words essentially phased right through Luke because he was still trying to come to terms with this odd girl being his sister, or half-sister as it sounded.

She said her name was Gnome, as if things needed to be any stranger than they already were.

Finally the focus was on Luke again as his father awaited the numerous questions he was sure to have, but while he did have many, it was hard to form coherent sentences at the moment.

"You're serious?" He finally uttered, still entirely confused. John merely nodded before turning to Gnome and smiling in a fatherly manner.

"All right. Having a child you didn't know about from an early girlfriend, when you think about it, it's not really that shocking of a scenario... but uh, that combined with her entrance and her use of the word 'humans', it's a little weird... Something is still real off here." He continued, glancing over at the door still laying upon the ground. "That was her doing, so she claims."

"Hmm, that part is trickier to explain..." Luke's father replied, clasping his hands together as he leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. "Her mother was... not entirely human. An Earth spirit..."

The brown-haired teen just gave a perplexed look, glanced to Gnome again, then back to his father. "What's that mean?"

"Well she was the member of an ancient race which had immense control over the Earth and other natural elements. I imagine forcing the wooden door down was a simple task." John chuckled lightly, as if saying such a thing wasn't completely bizarre.

"What day is it? Did I forget it was April 1st again and this is some big prank on me?" Luke groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Don't you have doors where you come from? Where do you come from?! How long do you plan on staying?" He questioned in Gnome's direction.

"Lucas, be nice to your sister." John scolded, prompting yet another confused look from his son.

 

[Wingshadow]

Gnome looked back and fort between the two men as they talked, her eyes scanning them as they argued. She seemed interested with the entire situation, but wasn't acting as if she was personally attached to the discussion at hand, almost as if she were watching a soap opera on TV.

"What is a door? Is it something tasty?" Gnome asked in a straightforward manner, as casually as a young child would ask what sex means, "I came from mother's home. I do not know what the human name for it is. Mother said father called it an Aztec temple."

She began to kick her feet under the table, as her legs were barely too short to actually touch the floor from the tall seats they were in at the time. The way she was making herself at home should have been a clear answer to his last question: she had no intentions of leaving any time soon.

 

[Ahren]

Luke had to wonder if Gnome was making a joke when she inquired whether or not a door was edible. So she claimed to be from an Aztec temple, though she didn't really resemble any mythology he knew from that group. If this was true then perhaps she really didn't know what a door was... It was amazing she could speak English at all.

"She can stay as long as she'd like." John said with a smile in Gnome's direction. Luke had a feeling that could potentially be a while.

"Mom's not going to like you making that decision without her..." Luke warned, leaning back in his chair. "Honestly, it really doesn't bother me. But suddenly having to take care of the daughter of her husband's former lover? That might not go over so well...

Then again she did always seem disappointed that she never had a daughter to do girly stuff with. Maybe Gnome would be up for that.

I still feel weird calling you Gnome, by the way. It makes me think of lawn ornaments." He added, glancing over to his new sibling. Luke's father looked a bit uncomfortable. Mentioning this to his wife, Sarah, would indeed be difficult. He'd just have to be gentle and honest and hope he wouldn't have to sleep on the couch for a month...

It was then that a voice called from outside the door, or where the door normally would be. "John! Luke! Someone help me carry this food. I-.. Hey what happened to our door?!"

"Oh boy.. I better head this off at the pass..." John said as he nearly jumped out of his chair to meet up with his wife, leaving Luke and Gnome together in silence once again.

"This is really weird but.. I suppose it's kinda cool, having a sister. Maybe if you want I can.. show you around the city. Uh, after you get some new clothes, though. Mom might have some you can borrow, though you're shorter than she is... I mean, it doesn't look like you even brought anything with you. Geez, how did you even get here. You're quite the mystery, you know?" Luke chuckled, coming up with more questions by the minute. Outside the house a loud "WHAT!" could suddenly be heard, and it was not a difficult conclusion to make on where or why it came.

"I'm... sure mom will like you."

 

[Wingshadow]

Gnome blinked and slowly smiled when her father declared that she could stay. She was honestly a bit worried that she might have to set up camp outside or something, as there was clearly a disconnect between her line of thinking and these human's. If her mere presence was causing such trouble, how much more so would her living there? However, her fathers words dispelled her unvoiced concerns and she seemed thankful.

"You can call me No-ma if you prefer," Gnome shrugged, "I cannot see why you would confuse me with a decoration."

She visualized a front of a house with stylized versions of herself lined up along the front in various poses. The mere thought confused her. Why would anyone use her as a decoration?

"Was that intended to be a compliment?" she blinked.

Before anyone could reply, John's wife appeared at the front door, prompting him to address the issue before she came to her own conclusions. Gnome looked over at her brother and listened to him intently, not making any audible reply until he remarked how mysterious she was.

"You are the mystery to me," she remarked, "I have traveled many miles. Spent many nights under star-filled skies... With only that locket to guide me. Yet, I have never seen something quite like you before."

She pointed to her father then back at Luke, clearing up any possible misunderstanding of her words almost instantly, "The resemblance is really uncanny."

"WHAT?!" John's wife jumped back as if she had been stung, "Why is this the first time I am hearing about this?! You expect me to just accept this? Can't we have DNA tests done or something, just to make sure?"

"Calm down, honey... Just come inside and think this over, alright?" John made a feeble attempt to diffuse the situation.

"Oh, don't you honey me!" she walked past him and went straight for the kitchen, dropping the bags of take-out onto the counter before turning toward the purple-haired girl who sat at the table before her. Gnome looked up at her, and she looked back at Gnome. From just seeing here there, her wide green eyes staring up at hers she knew she could not send her away. Send her back to what? She couldn't possibly have been happy, all alone with only her birth mother and the harsh, unforgiving wilderness. What sort of person would she be if she sent her away? It wasn't her fault how she had come into the world, so what purpose was there to punishing her?

"She is pretty," Gnome pointed at her and glanced at Luke, just as her arms wrapped around Gnome's small body and held her to her own.

"There, there... I'm sure you are tired from your long journey. Stay here as long as you like, dear," she smiled and stroked her hair.

"Yes... I think she does like me," Gnome sighed.

------------------

(a month later)

------------------

Things were starting to get back to normal, with the whole door incident forgotten and John once again allowed to sleep with his wife. Gnome was given the old guest room, and after they bought her a bed, a desk, a dresser, and a few other essentials (such as casual clothes, among other things) she seemed to adapt well to life in the city. Sure, she still had some of her old odd habits such as sitting outside on rainy afternoons and unintentionally breaking jars when she tried to open them, but she was trying her best to fit in. She enjoyed going on shopping trips with her stepmother, often spending long hours picking out clothes for each other. Gnome had a rather odd sense of fashion, to say the least, but her surrogate mother was doing her best to reel her in.

She bonded well with her father, too. She had an amazing memory and the two of them would sometimes spend long nights talking about ancient Aztec building practices. Apparently her mother had helped them construct some of their more impressive structures, at least according to Gnome. It wasn't entirely clear whether she was just making it all up or if she was being entirely serious.

Gnome still didn't know quite what to make of Luke. She enjoyed the attention he gave her perhaps a bit too much, sometimes intentionally doing off-the-wall things just to watch his reactions. She had grown to act like an older sister, of sorts, who enjoyed playing pranks on her little brother as an end in itself. However, like with many things she did, this was primarily for her own amusement rather than a genuine attempt on her part to bond with her brother.

When she wasn't out shopping with her stepmother or buying food at the supermarket, Gnome spent most of her time indoors. She seemed to dislike large crowds, particularly crowds of humans that she was unfamiliar with. She wasn't used to being around so many people, so this was understandable. The fact that she would often literally bury herself in order to hide herself from view was not quite so easy to justify.

Gnome rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and groggily walked down the hall. She wore a simple nightgown, her bare feet pattering against the flooring as she made her way toward the kitchen. John and his wife were already up and getting ready to go to work, as she was still a late-riser. Some might attribute it to low blood pressure, but it was more likely due to her habit of staying up too late at night. She would spend hours looking at the stars through her window, even after being told to go to sleep.

 

[Ahren]

"No-ma... Yeah.. I think it suits you better." Luke smiled. Her confusion about being called an ornament was endearing in a way. She wondered if it was complimentary, but that was hard to explain.

"Well uh..."

When his mom came charging in, it was all he could do to stop the bags of food from toppling over the counter. He then watched in horror as his mother was now face to face with her new step-daughter.

The range of emotions that played out before his eyes in such a short time frame was almost uncanny. Gnome... No-ma.. called Sarah 'pretty' and just like that everything seemed to have been forgiven, at least on the guest's side. Dad was a different story.

No-ma was embraced by her step-mother and made the obvious comment. Mom liked her. Dad would still probably get in some sort of trouble, but that was his problem.

"Yeah... seems that way." Luke chuckled, rather pleased things had turned out this well.

--

All things considered, things had gone well over the past month. The initial week was quite an adjustment, but Luke quickly learned that his sister (a term that still sounded kind of odd to use after being without one for so long) was actually rather intelligent. Once shown something, she didn't need to be shown again. She wasn't a child. In fact, Luke was surprised to learn that she was older than he was by almost 7 years, or at least that was the estimate. Seeing that he was almost 17 now, that made her an adult while he was still just a teenager. Once you looked past the fact that most every bit of technology was a new experience, she had a quiet maturity to her. A wisdom that only a being not-quite-human could have.

That didn't mean she lacked a playful side. No, quite the opposite. She was turning out to be quite the prankster, though Luke wasn't one to let such things go without retaliation. It was fun to have someone around the house that had time for silly things. As more of her personality revealed itself, the more he took a liking to her. No-ma. He had come to call her that instead very quickly after she initially suggested it. It sounded more exotic and less like the garden variety gnome. A trinket which he decided to show her first hand. Clearly the purple-haired Earth spirit had no clue why such strange things were named after her, but she wasn't having any of it, flat-out refusing to call them gnomes.

During the past few weekends, Luke had spent more time with No-ma than his other friends. For some reason showing her various television programs was a fascinating experience. He tried a wide variety of things, from cooking shows to sitcoms, the latter of which he would repeatedly stress did not accurately reflect how people spoke in real life, so imitating them was not a good idea. It was one of the harder concepts for her to understand. The fact that the people on the box were usually acting, even if the program was so-called 'reality' TV.

But most of all he simply enjoyed talking to her. It was nice to reverse the situation every now and then; Talking about her life and the things she had been taught, rather than just simply trying to assimilate her into this foreign culture. Luke wanted to understand what she was, and where she came from. He had never been much of a geography, religion or history buff, despite his father constantly trying to infuse his son with knowledge on such things. Somehow, listening to No-ma describe her experiences was a lot more fascinating.

Luke had reluctantly rolled out of bed. Like No-ma, he was not a morning person either. Unfortunately he was a high school student and another day of classes beckoned. On the bright side, it was Friday, so the weekend of freedom loomed on the horizon. The brown-haired teen stumbled out of his room in a manner not unlike his sister's. When he noticed her slumber-deprived state, he couldn't help but shake his head in amusement. Feeling a bit energized by this sight, Luke jogged down the hall past No-ma, turning to ruffle her hair a bit as he went by. She may have been older than he was, but he was over a foot taller, so it was hard to resist.

"Morning, fuzzy." He smirked, referencing her hair in its current state of disarray.

 

[Wingshadow]

Feeling his hand on her head, No-ma's eyes opened fully and she reached up to grab his hand, only to miss and her hands land on top of her head. If she had been fully awake, she probably would have had a fast enough reaction time to catch him, but as things stood he had the advantage.

"Good morning, Brother," her cheeks puffed out in a slightly pouting manner, pretending to be upset, "You really don't miss any opportunity to put me down, don't you? I'm older than you, so don't look down on me just because your freakishly tall."

Her height was one of the few things which really bothered her, as she was significantly shorter than most of the humans she encountered (except for children, that is). She had stopped growing vertically a few years ago, and her father assured her that it was probably a normal height for her species but this did little to dismiss her inferiority complex. It made her feel like everyone was looking down on her, in more ways than one. She did not, of course, believe this to be true of her brother. No-ma merely used it as a convenient way to get back at him.

"We're heading out, so you two had better behave," John chuckled as she adjusted his collar. His wife nodded to him and walked out first. They took separate cars to their respective jobs, and his wife had a bit longer of a commute so she often had to hurry out of the house without exchanging many pleasantries with her children. John followed soon after, giving a brief hug to each of them before stepping out the door.

"Have a good day," No-ma waved to them as they left, then turned to her brother with her typical half-opened eyes, "So, what do you want for breakfast?"

Her eyes gleamed, her words presenting Luke a challenge. Would he take her up on her offer to cook for him? She had only watched her own mother cook on a few rare occasions, with small animals roasted over an open fire. She had seen her step-mother cook as well, but it was quite different from the cooking she was used to doing. She had watched many cooking shows on TV with her brother, and due to her amazing memory she could remember all the recipes by heart after having heard them only once. No-ma was eager to try her hand at this exotic skill of mixing and heating ingredients to make dishes fit for gods.

 

[Ahren]

Luke shook his head as he laughed at his sister's response. "You are so full of it. Like you don't miss an opportunity to play your little tricks on me. Besides, I'm not freakishly tall, you're freakishly short. It's literally the only advantage I have upon you. Normally it would also be physical strength but somehow your weird powers give you that edge, too."

Luke and his parents had done an adequate job of stressing how careful No-ma had to be with her abilities. Not just for the safety of others but for her own. Humans could be a sadistic, terrible race when they came across something they didn't understand, and for all her power there was always the chance that she could get captured and studied. Luke and John would have no way to save her if such a thing happened, so they had to keep her safe. That said, keeping her locked up in the house wasn't much better. She was an adult and would be allowed to make her own decisions. They just merely wanted her to be aware of the dangers that could result from letting people know what she was.

Their parents left with a cheerful demeanor and a playful warning about behavior. It was unwarranted. They only came back to the house a complete mess once... Okay, twice. He was well behaved and never had major parties when his parents were gone, but No-ma's early curiosities and lack of awareness concerning her powers made keeping things in order... difficult. She had gotten better since then, thankfully. Still, Luke had learned to expect the unexpected by now, and this morning was no exception. No-ma had almost a mischievous sparkle in her eyes, which was never a good thing. It was then that she offered to make breakfast. She had cooked with mom, and watched cooking programs on television, but she had yet to actually prepare anything on her own.

"That sounds... dangerous." Luke uttered under his breath, but he smiled and decided to accept that challenge. "How about.. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon?"

That wasn't too complicated. Right? "But if you make a mess you'll have to clean it up. Don't forget I gotta be at school in an hour..."

 

[Wingshadow]

No-ma had little knowledge of how bad things could get should her true identity be revealed to the general public. A little teasing would be the least of her worries, as even with her impressive strength and powers she would have a hard time keeping herself from being taken in and studied like some sort of lab animal. Humans were scary creatures when faced with a strange and previously unknown being such as herself... She might as well be a martian.

"Understood," No-ma's eyes slightly narrowed, her eyelids nearly closing, "I'll have it done in less than thirty minutes, or you can put one of those silly pointed hats on me for the rest of the day."

She was referring to the hats that garden gnomes were often portrayed as wearing, and it had become something of a recurring family joke to make references to such things when in No-ma's presence. She knew they didn't think of her as a short little man with a silly beard, but it was still amusing when she thought of herself as such.

No-ma hurried about the kitchen, mixing the eggs and getting them frying as she laid out strips of bacon onto another frying pan. she somehow managed to keep from burning either, and laid them out on plates for Luke and herself... Then came the biggest challenge: pancakes. She stared at the recipe on the back of the instant mix box with mild frustration. She could understand spoken English just fine, but she was not well trained in reading English letters, having learned ancient Aztec script rather than English while growing up. She tossed it aside in frustration and decided that eggs and bacon would be sufficient until she could get her brother to translate the recipe for her so she could write it down for herself in lettering she could understand.

"Here... Sorry about the pancakes," she apologized and handed him his plate, "I don't want to make you late because I can't read very well."

 

[Ahren]

Luke grinned at his sister's self-inflicted punishment if she were to not finish breakfast in time. "Now I'm almost hoping you don't make it. Anyway, I gotta start getting ready. Don't uh, set anything on fire while I'm gone."

He proceeded to go about his normal morning routine. After a quick shower he returned to the kitchen with clean clothes and all school-related items crammed into the unwieldy backpack. There were no flames to be seen, and everything smelled good, so it looked as if No-ma had the right idea. He returned to the table just in time for her to set out the plate, though with an absence of the pancakes. She mentioned she didn't feel like messing them up thanks to still not quite knowing how to read and seemed genuinely apologetic. Normally, No-ma wasn't too concerned with making a mess, and he thought she'd enjoy seeing his pained reaction had she made something truly awful, but this time was different. The fact that she actually wanted to do something nice for him and refrained from possibly disappointing him, or making him late, was sweet.

"No, don't worry about it. You already did more than necessary. Thanks." He smiled, taking a bite of the eggs. His eyes widened and he looked back up to his sister. "Damn. They're really good. I'm impressed. Who knows, maybe cooking is your thing? Me, I can barely make toast without burning it."

He continued by trying the bacon, which was perhaps had the best balance of crispiness and chewiness he'd ever experienced. There were people who would pay good money for that sort of precision. No-ma was already amazing in many ways, so it wasn't a shock she had more hidden talents. Still, he had sensed the disappointment in her voice when she brought up her difficulties with reading. It was something they were aware of and still working on, and one of the main reasons why enrolling No-ma in Luke's high school was initially out of the question. Of course, there were many other reasons as well, but reading was sort of a necessity.

"Don't worry, we can work on that some more this weekend. Though my friends are pestering me to go to the movies with them tomorrow. Maybe.. you'd like to come with us? I suppose it was only a matter of time before you met them anyway. It was hard coming up with reasons for why they couldn't come over the past few weeks. I told them about you but uh, not everything about you, you know?"

 

[Wingshadow]

"Do you think so?" No-ma considered the possibility for a short time, visualizing herself in an apron serving hundreds of humans who where lined up to taste her cooking. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it of such silly thoughts. There was no way she was that good at cooking, was she?

She smiled when he told her they could work on reading that weekend. She was quite an eager student, and due to her photographic memory she picked up on things with surprising ease. He would merely have to go over the basic rules of grammar and help guide her through the pronunciation of words, and after some time she could read through each lesson by herself. It wasn't a difficult task, but it took some time.

"I would love to come," No-ma smiled, even though her eyes hardly changed in shape it was clear to him that she was excited, "Don't worry, I won't make a fool out of myself like last time we went to the movies."

Last time she had been so excited that she had run around the theater like a two-year-old in a 10-cent candy shop, flitting about and asking questions about everything she saw. It was hard enough to get her to sit still, let alone actually pay attention to the film.

"Are you going to introduce me to your girl?" No-ma nudged Luke with a playful grin, "Don't try to deny it... That's why people go to the movies in the first place, isn't it?"

She knew he didn't have a girlfriend... Well, at least she thought she knew this to be the case, and she merely used it as another opportunity to tease the poor fellow who had little to no experience in the romance department.

 

[Ahren]

Luke chuckled as No-ma reassured him she'd be well-behaved at the theater this time. He knew the first time he took her was going to be a strange experience, but he didn't quite expect the reaction she gave. It nearly got them kicked out. He believed her, though, now that she had a better understanding of what movies were, and what was acceptable behavior while viewing one...

They'd be going to a different theater this time, to be safe...

Though when she inquired about being introduced to his "girl", Luke nearly choked on his bacon. She followed up by explaining that it was her understanding people went to the movies with their girlfriends. "Hey-! I don't uh, have one at the moment. I have a friend who is a girl, but that's all it is... Besides, people can go to movies just as friends... Josh is coming too, anyway." He attempted to explain. Now he was a bit concerned that No-ma would spend the entire time thinking Kayla was Luke's girlfriend. She was a cute, red-headed girl who was exceptionally fun and smart and way out of his league. He was content having her as a friend... Not that he sometimes didn't think about asking her out officially. He didn't want to ruin what they had, though. It was tough at times, but it wasn't something he particularly felt like discussing at the moment.

As he glanced as his watch, he realized time was running short, so he quickly finished the rest of his breakfast and slung his backpack over his shoulder, the hefty item nearly taking him back down. "I gotta go. Thanks for breakfast, sis." He smiled before leaning in and giving her a kiss on her forehead. Such an action would have made him feel strange during her first days here, but now he really felt she was part of the family, and wanted to treat her as such. With a wave, he headed out the door.

---

Later at school, Luke had decided to actually use his lunch break as a break this time and chat with his friends. When there was sufficient break in the chatter, Luke decided to inform the others of the invitation he extended without their consent. "Sooo I asked my sister if she wanted to come to the movie with us tomorrow. Is that cool?"

"Ooh, the mysterious sister. Been wondering when we'd get to meet her." Kayla responded with a bit of delight in her tone.

Josh adjusted his glasses as he glanced to the ceiling in thought. "Hmm.. Is she cute?"

"Maybe this was a bad idea..." Luke's eyes narrowed.

"I'm just messing with you! Don't worry, it's cool." Josh reassured while Kayla giggled. This was why he liked his friends. They were very friendly and accepting. Had they not have been, he wouldn't have asked his sister first. "Still can't believe she just showed up at your doorstep. Sounds like something that only happens on TV."

"Trust me, no one was more surprised than I was..."

"I think it's nice. I think your mom always wanted another girl around the house. She always seemed unusually happy when I came over." Kayla reminded.

"Yeah she's taking it well.... but it's still an adjustment. Mostly for No-ma. She's not used to... living in the city. She's very curious about a lot of things, so try to uh, be patient if she asks questions that seem silly. She also likes to joke around so I dunno, be on your guard I guess." Luke chuckled before taking another bite of his pizza.

"...Seriously though, is she cute?" Josh interjected, prompting a glare from Luke.

"Sorry I didn't hear that. You asked me to kick you in the balls as hard as I can, right?"

"I uh.. nevermind."

 

[Wingshadow]

"Alright... I'm reasonably certain that you aren't interested in other male humans, so I'll let it go this time," No-ma raised her right eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest in an almost sagely manner, "I'll be watching you, though... Always watching..."

She never missed an opportunity to mess with him, it seemed, although they both realized that she was not seriously trying to upset him with her antics. No-ma silently nodded and watched her brother as he left for school, her right hand reaching up and touching her forehead were his lips had pressed against her skin just a few moments before. Her own mother used to kiss her in a similar fashion, but the simple gesture meant a lot more to her when her brother gave her it than when her birth mother did... It signified that he had accepted her into his family as his sister, and that alone meant the world to her.

----------

While Luke was away at school, No-ma began to plan what she would wear to the movies. She had several dresses laid out on her bed, but she couldn't seem to decide on which one looked the cutest. She wanted to make a good first impression on his friends, so proper clothing choice was essential. She eventually just settled for her favorite summer dress and a hat to help keep her hair from drawing too much undue attention. Satisfied with her choice, she set it aside lest she forget what she had chosen and have to do the entire process over again.

She then laid down on her bed her eyes looking up to the dappled ceiling, letting her mind wander a bit. What were his friends like, exactly? He had spoken about them on many occasions, but hearing about someone and actually meeting them were two completely different matters... She caught herself wondering if this friend of Luke's who happened to be a girl was cute or not. No-ma wasn't the best at visualizing facial features, but from how Luke had described her she sounded somewhat exotic. Red hair... No-ma began to consider why people thought her hair color was odd when there were people running around with red hair.

 

[Ahren]

The next day Luke and No-ma trekked down to the movie theater, which was thankfully only a 30 minute walk from home. One of the benefits of living in the city: Everything was close-by. That didn't stop Luke from wanting his own car, but at least he could get places without one. He wasn't sure he could ever justify any place being too far to walk to after hearing about No-ma's trek, however. Complaining about walking anywhere now seemed so pathetic. As they arrived, the siblings noticed Luke's pair of friends outside the doors to the theater, idly chatting as they waited.

"Hey guys." Luke called out as he waved them down. They soon approached, eager to meet their friend's new... older sister. Josh had messy, black hair, glasses, and wore a t-shirt spouting some Internet joke that Luke didn't fully understand the context of. He was a decent-looking kid, nonetheless. Kayla had chin-length fiery red hair, freckles and attractive green eyes. Her blouse appropriately matched her hair color while her skirt was a nice summer yellow. She was pretty, for sure, though she preferred to hang out with the guys due to her tomboyish nature. That said she didn't mind making new female friends.

"Hey! Are you No-ma? Nice to meet you, I'm Kayla." She smiled cheerfully, holding her hand out in a friendly manner.

Josh decided to not be so pedestrian. He got down on one knee and took No-ma's hand, kissing it lightly. "I am Joshua. Pleasure to meet you, m'lady."

Luke swiftly smacked Josh upside the head as he glared. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Just greeting a lady with proper respect! How did you do it?"

Luke thought back to his brandishing of the broom and chuckled nervously. "Like a normal person, obviously... Anyway, we better go or else we'll miss the previews."

 

[Wingshadow]

"Um, hello," No-ma accepted Kayla's hand with a shy smile. Thankfully, she managed to contain herself and did not have a sudden urge to bury herself as she used to. Little Gnome was making progress!

When Josh took her hand and kissed it, however, she jumped back as if stung by a bee. Not only was Luke's friend quite bold, but he also liked to taste people's hands! She jumped behind her brother and peered out at Josh in a meek manner. She nodded to Luke's remark, deciding it would be best not to point out the blatant lie and simply go along with it... After all, it might just make it that much more difficult to get to the movie.

 

[Ahren]

As the group entered the theater and took their seats, Luke made an effort to sit between Josh and No-ma. Josh was a good kid, but he got weird around cute girls sometimes and he already proved that within ten seconds of meeting No-ma. Though, seeing her hide behind him completely confused by Josh's actions was adorable. Perhaps such a response would make Josh think twice about trying that silly gesture again in the future. The movie they prepared to watch was the standard affair superhero medley. Luke had already made an attempt to show her a few comic-based films, namely to prove what could happen if someone figured out she had powers like the people in the movies. A lot of terrible people chasing you down and having to hide all the time, etc. It was hard to tell if she enjoyed them after learning such a fact, but the only other things out were the usual G-rated kids slop or the heavy dialogue dramas that made teen brains want to escape their skulls.

As things played out on screen, Luke couldn't help but focus on No-ma most of the time. Her reactions were more subdued than last time, thankfully, but he could still tell when she was confused by something. He'd then make an attempt to explain it the best he could, albeit in a hushed tone as to not disturb others in the theater. Josh and Kayla occasionally talked amongst themselves, but the more perceptive female of the pair noticed Luke's focus on his sister. It made her smile, knowing he was being so accommodating to this new family member. It was a side of Luke she hadn't really seen before, and honestly one that made her feel differently about him than she had in the past... Was it possible they could be more than friends?

After the film ended, the group filed out, though Josh quicker than the others as a bathroom break was now top priority, leaving the two girls and Luke to hang outside and wait. "I'm pretty hungry. Smelling all that popcorn in the theater kills me. If only it wasn't so expensive." Kayla commented, holding her growling stomach.

"Let's go grab something to eat, then. I doubt Josh will have to be convinced of that." Luke suggested. Kayla looked over to No-ma.

"What are you hungry for, No-ma?" She asked, curious about the girl's culinary preferences.

 

[Wingshadow]

"I'll be fine with anything that doesn't try to walk off my plate," No-ma replied with a sigh, eliciting a giggle from Kayla.

"What sort of food was Luke trying to feed you?" she asked, glancing at him with a slightly curious eye.

"Seafood, particularly crabs," No-ma shivered, "I don't want to eat anything that has more than four legs attached to its body... Other than that, I'm not very picky... Where would you like to go, Brother?"

There were only a few foods that No-ma really enjoyed, neither of which were particularly healthy: ice cream and barbecued meats. The family had all gone out to a small joint which served both of these, and Luke probably knew that she loved it since she must have eaten her share in less than two minutes and stared at his plate throughout the rest of supper. She learned later that it was terrible manners to drool over other people's food, but her love for the food was not lessened in the slightest.

"Well, aren't you a little sweetheart?" Kayla gave No-ma a friendly hug, which the purple-haired girl made no effort to resist. She seemed comfortable around her, despite her outgoing personality, "Can I adopt you?"

"Sorry, but I'm already taken," No-ma retorted with a quick come-back, playing along with the joke.

 

[Ahren]

"Kayla, you know she's older than you, right?" Luke chuckled as his friend hugged No-ma. It was nice she didn't mind, but he hoped people wouldn't always treat her like a child because she was short. "Anyway, I think I know where she wants to go. It's not too far from here, luckily."

The three began to walk as Josh dashed out of the theater after them. "Hey! Don't leave me behind! Not cool!"

Pete's Grill was a friendly local place which thankfully wasn't too expensive. They were still teens after all, and while they all tended to take jobs in the summer, keeping that money saved throughout the year was quite a difficult task. Luke considered this a special occasion though, since it was No-ma's first time out with him and his friends. That said, he still had to stress to his sister that there was, in fact, a limit on what she could order. If left to her own devices she'd likely eat him broke within an hour. For such a small girl she managed to have a rather insane appetite. Well, he had to remember she wasn't exactly human, after all...

Josh was content on going on about the movie, retelling every scene and exclaiming how awesome it was. Kayla was a bit more curious about No-ma however, and as they sat around the table waiting for their food to arrive, she began to ask what she thought were innocent questions.

"So No-ma, where are you from, originally? I don't think Luke ever mentioned. All he really said was that you're his half-sister." The red-haired teen inquired. Luke took a sip of his soda as he glanced to his sister with a bit of a worried expression. If he answered for her all the time they'd know something was up. They had discussed the things she might be able to tell people when this question was inevitably asked. He just hoped she remembered the right things to say. Then again, even if she told the truth, people would likely just assume she was joking around...