Yah, yah, I know, another fic from me. Tell me what you all think. I'm = working on the second part of Amulet of the Ancients, I'll send it to = you if anybody wants it. I'm also working on a fic called Dear Rage that = I'm hoping to post soon, but exams and my b-day might delay that a = little. Anyways, on with the fic! -Celestia Disclaimer: I don't own any of them, except for the archaeologists.=20 Category: Adventure, I guess. Rating: It's decent. You guys know me, I wouldn't do anything = bad=85*innocent smile* Archivers: Go ahead. Stalker (1/?) The week started off normally enough for Estella. She was at a dig in = Mexico, and excavating the recently discovered Mayan temple. Many of her = colleagues had wanted the chance to be the first to lead a team into the = temple that they were calling Ethacora after the name that was so often = repeated on the outside of the temple. Jeremy Thomas still hadn't been = able to determine exactly what the name meant, or whose name it was yet. = She sighed at the very thought. Estella had been disappointed in him = throughout the whole excavation. He was 23 years old, a rookie to the = translating and archaeology scene. He had an enormous amount of = enthusiasm for his work, and often got so caught up in it; he would stay = in one section of a temple or find for days at a time, not pausing for = anything. That part of him was fine with Estella. She enjoyed working = with people who liked what they were doing. The bad part about him was = that he was clumsy, and in his anxiousness to complete a task, he would = sometimes translate carelessly, leaving out a key word or phrase. He = also had a lot of strange ideas about ancient civilizations. Alien = interference, or divine forces interfering with every day life, = monsters, or warped animals. He made her feel like she was Scully on = X-Files, always disproving Mulder's stupid ideas. Oh well, she thought, putting on a grim face, I'll just have = to deal with him. He's the only interpreter I have. An excited voice = called out to her. Thinking of the devil=85Thomas' hair was tousled and = his clothes and face were dirty with dust and soot, but all the grime = could not hide his merriment. His eyes sparkled and his whole being = seemed to shake with it. Estella forced a smile. "Well, what is it?"=20 "They've opened in outer chamber!" he practically yelled, almost jumping = up and down. Estella's smile was no longer forced. "That's wonderful!" = she squealed, her fake smile being replaced with a real one. They both = ran towards the temple like two little kids. ******* Jeremy Thomas watched Estella as she intently examined the temple's = walls. A wisp of her red hair fell forward across her forehead. She's so = beautiful, he thought, and sighed. Estella showed no interest in him at = all. Why should she? He was just a nobody. He'd show her. He'd work = harder and longer at this than anything else he'd ever done in his life. = He bent down beside her, and started quickly translating the = hieroglyphics. The temple was inscribed with thousands of them. There = was that word again: Ethacora. It seemed terribly important, and every = minute something would remind him that he still had not figured out what = it meant. The two worked in silence for two hours, Estella earnestly = brushing rock bits and weeds away from the hieroglyphics, and Thomas = translating them furiously. Sounds of the other people in the group = could be heard, but gradually were reduced as they all retired for the = day. Estella, seeing the sun setting, got out of her crouching position = and stretched. "Well, I'm going to call it a day," Estella yawned. "What = about you?" Thomas grunted. He was absorbed in his task, and probably = wouldn't stop until some unearthly morning hour. Estella knew the = routine, so he didn't worry, she would make sure to bring him things to = eat and drink. This brief thought entered his head, then exited as = quickly as it had came, and he was too far in his own world to hear = Estella sigh and walk out.=20 Several days later=85 Estella quietly looked over Thomas' translations from the outer part of = the temple. Her mind kept drifting off as it had ever since the workers = had told her that they had penetrated the inner chamber at two o'clock = that morning. She had tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't and not = wanting to waste time had opened up the folder of translations that = Thomas had been working on. She threw the folder on top of the table in = her tent in frustration. Who are you kidding, Estella, she thought. You = know that you won't be able to sleep until you see what's in there. She = threw on some clothes, then grabbed a flashlight. Once she got to the = temple, she saw Thomas working on translations again. Doesn't he ever = get tired? She thought, then laughed at herself for indulging exactly = like he was. She brushed past Thomas and carefully stepped through the doorway to the = inner temple. She looked up and gasped. It's beautiful, she thought. = There were intricate patterns on the ceiling and floor. Tapestries of = all colors surrounded her, with scenes of indescribable beauty. But the = middle of the room was where Estella's attention was drawn. There was a = step pyramid built up from the temple floor, made out of some stone she = didn't recognize. She cursed herself for not taking geology in college, = then turned back. At the top, there was some kind of box, balancing = perfectly on the tip of the pyramid. The phrase "curiosity killed the = cat" came to mind, but she totally disregarded it. Archaeologists are = supposed to be curious, it's our job! She climbed the "steps" to the = top, and when she got to it, she looked down and gasped yet again. The pictures on the floor made an even bigger picture that = could only be seen from the top of the pyramid. Incredible, she thought. = It looks like some sort of hunter god. She saw a faint glimmer out of = the corner of her eye, and remembered the box. Carved out of some = beautiful metal (again, her lack of knowledge irritated her) it stood = before her like Pandora's box. To open it could possibly release some = deadly disease or animal. But, then again, there could be the = archaeological find of the century in there, beautiful jewelry, precious = ancient text, or maybe even a preserved head of a Mayan king. Other = people might have been sickened by the thought of finding a head, but = Estella had been an archaeologist too long to feel that way any longer. = There was also the alternative of not opening the box, and going insane = wondering what was in it, and if it was a cure for cancer, or some = weapon that could save the world, or=85She shook her head. She was = torturing herself already. I have to open it, she thought firmly, and = laid her hands on the box. The room seemed to get brighter, and Estella = looked up and saw that this was because there was a tiny hole in the = ceiling, but big enough to frame a single star. It seemed to be lighting = up the whole inner chamber. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, = then opened the box. After a few minutes, seeing that she wasn't dead or = purple, or a lizard, she tentatively peered into the box. Nothing. = NOTHING!!! Estella almost threw the box, but she held her temper in = check, remembering that she was holding a priceless artifact. She tried = to put the box back on the point of the pyramid, but it wouldn't = balance. Dang it! She thought, and laid the stupid thing on the steps, = walked down, and stormed out of the temple. What a waste! Estella's = temper had gotten the better of her. If she hadn't stormed out so = quickly, she would have certainly noticed that the box was now back on = top of the pyramid, balanced perfectly once again. The star above it = seemed to shimmer. This didn't matter. All that mattered was that it had = found the one it needed. It was glad, very glad, as it looked down on = the box, and it couldn't help winking at the thought of the one it would = destroy. ------=_NextPart_000_0039_01BE46C7.D710EF00 Content-Type: text/html Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Yah, yah, I know, another fic from me. Tell me what you all think. = I'm=20 working on the second part of Amulet of the Ancients, I'll send it to = you if=20 anybody wants it. I'm also working on a fic called Dear Rage that I'm = hoping to=20 post soon, but exams and my b-day might delay that a little. Anyways, on = with=20 the fic! -Celestia

 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them, except for the archaeologists. =

Category: Adventure, I guess.

Rating: It's decent. You guys know me, I wouldn't do anything=20 bad…*innocent smile*

Archivers: Go ahead.

Stalker (1/?)

The week started off normally enough for Estella. She was at a dig in = Mexico,=20 and excavating the recently discovered Mayan temple. Many of her = colleagues had=20 wanted the chance to be the first to lead a team into the temple that = they were=20 calling Ethacora after the name that was so often repeated on the = outside of the=20 temple. Jeremy Thomas still hadn't been able to determine exactly what = the name=20 meant, or whose name it was yet. She sighed at the very thought. Estella = had=20 been disappointed in him throughout the whole excavation. He was 23 = years old, a=20 rookie to the translating and archaeology scene. He had an enormous = amount of=20 enthusiasm for his work, and often got so caught up in it; he would stay = in one=20 section of a temple or find for days at a time, not pausing for = anything. That=20 part of him was fine with Estella. She enjoyed working with people who = liked=20 what they were doing. The bad part about him was that he was clumsy, and = in his=20 anxiousness to complete a task, he would sometimes translate carelessly, = leaving=20 out a key word or phrase. He also had a lot of strange ideas about = ancient=20 civilizations. Alien interference, or divine forces interfering with = every day=20 life, monsters, or warped animals. He made her feel like she was Scully = on=20 X-Files, always disproving Mulder's stupid ideas. <Oooh, bad Estella, = you are=20 not getting into the author's good graces by making fun of her precious = Mulder.=20 She will now have to make you do something particularly stupid. > Oh = well,=20 she thought, putting on a grim face, I'll just have to deal with him. = He's the=20 only interpreter I have. An excited voice called out to her. Thinking of = the=20 devil…Thomas' hair was tousled and his clothes and face were = dirty with=20 dust and soot, but all the grime could not hide his merriment. His eyes = sparkled=20 and his whole being seemed to shake with it. Estella forced a smile. = "Well,=20 what is it?"

"They've opened in outer chamber!" he practically yelled, = almost=20 jumping up and down. Estella's smile was no longer forced. "That's=20 wonderful!" she squealed, her fake smile being replaced with a real = one.=20 They both ran towards the temple like two little kids.

*******

Jeremy Thomas watched Estella as she intently examined the temple's = walls. A=20 wisp of her red hair fell forward across her forehead. She's so = beautiful, he=20 thought, and sighed. Estella showed no interest in him at all. Why = should she?=20 He was just a nobody. He'd show her. He'd work harder and longer at this = than=20 anything else he'd ever done in his life. He bent down beside her, and = started=20 quickly translating the hieroglyphics. The temple was inscribed with = thousands=20 of them. There was that word again: Ethacora. It seemed terribly = important, and=20 every minute something would remind him that he still had not figured = out what=20 it meant. The two worked in silence for two hours, Estella earnestly = brushing=20 rock bits and weeds away from the hieroglyphics, and Thomas translating = them=20 furiously. Sounds of the other people in the group could be heard, but = gradually=20 were reduced as they all retired for the day. Estella, seeing the sun = setting,=20 got out of her crouching position and stretched. "Well, I'm going = to call=20 it a day," Estella yawned. "What about you?" Thomas = grunted. He=20 was absorbed in his task, and probably wouldn't stop until some = unearthly=20 morning hour. Estella knew the routine, so he didn't worry, she would = make sure=20 to bring him things to eat and drink. This brief thought entered his = head, then=20 exited as quickly as it had came, and he was too far in his own world to = hear=20 Estella sigh and walk out.

Several days later…

Estella quietly looked over Thomas' translations from the outer part = of the=20 temple. Her mind kept drifting off as it had ever since the workers had = told her=20 that they had penetrated the inner chamber at two o'clock that morning. = She had=20 tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't and not wanting to waste time = had opened=20 up the folder of translations that Thomas had been working on. She threw = the=20 folder on top of the table in her tent in frustration. Who are you = kidding,=20 Estella, she thought. You know that you won't be able to sleep until you = see=20 what's in there. She threw on some clothes, then grabbed a flashlight. = Once she=20 got to the temple, she saw Thomas working on translations again. Doesn't = he ever=20 get tired? She thought, then laughed at herself for indulging exactly = like he=20 was.

She brushed past Thomas and carefully stepped through the doorway to = the=20 inner temple. She looked up and gasped. It's beautiful, she thought. = There were=20 intricate patterns on the ceiling and floor. Tapestries of all colors = surrounded=20 her, with scenes of indescribable beauty. But the middle of the room was = where=20 Estella's attention was drawn. There was a step pyramid built up from = the temple=20 floor, made out of some stone she didn't recognize. She cursed herself = for not=20 taking geology in college, then turned back. At the top, there was some = kind of=20 box, balancing perfectly on the tip of the pyramid. The phrase = "curiosity=20 killed the cat" came to mind, but she totally disregarded it.=20 Archaeologists are supposed to be curious, it's our job! She climbed the = "steps" to the top, and when she got to it, she looked down = and gasped=20 yet again. <Hmm, maybe your stupid thing will be dying from gasping = too much,=20 Estella! *Evil laugh> The pictures on the floor made an even bigger = picture=20 that could only be seen from the top of the pyramid. Incredible, she = thought. It=20 looks like some sort of hunter god. She saw a faint glimmer out of the = corner of=20 her eye, and remembered the box. Carved out of some beautiful metal = (again, her=20 lack of knowledge irritated her) it stood before her like Pandora's box. = To open=20 it could possibly release some deadly disease or animal. But, then = again, there=20 could be the archaeological find of the century in there, beautiful = jewelry,=20 precious ancient text, or maybe even a preserved head of a Mayan king. = Other=20 people might have been sickened by the thought of finding a head, but = Estella=20 had been an archaeologist too long to feel that way any longer. There = was also=20 the alternative of not opening the box, and going insane wondering what = was in=20 it, and if it was a cure for cancer, or some weapon that could save the = world,=20 or…She shook her head. She was torturing herself already. I have = to open=20 it, she thought firmly, and laid her hands on the box. The room seemed = to get=20 brighter, and Estella looked up and saw that this was because there was = a tiny=20 hole in the ceiling, but big enough to frame a single star. It seemed to = be=20 lighting up the whole inner chamber. She shut her eyes and took a deep = breath,=20 then opened the box. After a few minutes, seeing that she wasn't dead or = purple,=20 or a lizard, she tentatively peered into the box. Nothing. NOTHING!!! = Estella=20 almost threw the box, but she held her temper in check, remembering that = she was=20 holding a priceless artifact. She tried to put the box back on the point = of the=20 pyramid, but it wouldn't balance. Dang it! She thought, and laid the = stupid=20 thing on the steps, walked down, and stormed out of the temple. What a = waste!=20 Estella's temper had gotten the better of her. If she hadn't stormed out = so=20 quickly, she would have certainly noticed that the box was now back on = top of=20 the pyramid, balanced perfectly once again. The star above it seemed to = shimmer.=20 This didn't matter. All that mattered was that it had found the one it = needed.=20 It was glad, very glad, as it looked down on the box, and it couldn't = help=20 winking at the thought of the one it would=20 destroy.

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