PEGASUS (FARSIDE SAGA: BOOK TWO)

"Hyaaaaa!!" Frankie screamed as he ran towards his opponent with his Bo raised. Dropping the end of the long pole into the ground, he vaulted above his opponent's head and let go. Instead of continuing the Arch's momentum, he dropped head first. His opponent, already seeing the next move, simply sidestepped and waited. Frankie, seeing this and already anticipating the counter move, grabbed the still standing pole and swung his legs around. Caught off guard by the unexplainable laws of physics taking place at the moment, the opponent was sent flying across the mat from Frankie's kick as he swung back around and landed on his feet. Frankie lifted the pole and ran at his opponent again, aiming the end of the pole at his throat. The opponent, regaining his senses, saw the attack just in time. He reached up, catching the end of the pole, just as Frankie got close, and yanked it to the side. Throwing Frankie off balance, he used his momentum to pull Frankie forward and kick his legs out from under him. He rolled out the way into a fighting stance as Frankie landed face first on the mat. Rolling on to his back, Frankie laughed as he tried to hide the embarrassment he felt. He took the hand offered by his opponent and was pulled up straight, using the pole to stand all the way up.

"You've improved." His opponent said. "I see you mastered your balance, but one question..." He said, placing his pointy chin in his orange three-fingered fist before continuing."... How did you get the pole to support your weight while you were spinning?"

"Seems you're getting old Ariol my friend. I could've sworn you saw me drilling it into the mat. I thought you were going to kick it out which is why I didn't grab it til the last second. You sidestepping is what gave me the room TO swing around, but that was a good come back in the end though. You're getting better." Frankie said.

"I see, and thank you. The thought WAS to kick it out at first but then something else came to mind which is why I sidestepped. I was only distracted because of the way you came down the pole." Ariol said. They suddenly stood at attention as the trainer came around.

"Ariol... you are exceeding very well. Your form has improved I see." He said looking at Ariol sincerely in his jet-black eyes, then at Frankie.

"You... I really have no words to describe, but you still have one flaw..." He threw a punch at Frankie so fast that it was almost impossible to see it with the naked eye. Frankie, already anticipating some form of attack, simply moved his head to the side as the fist flew by. Just as quick, Frankie threw a punch to the body. The trainer swung his hips around letting the fist pass as he swung back, hitting the inside of the elbow causing it to hook around him. At the same time he grabbed the back of Frankie's head and pulled him into a tight embrace, whispering in his ear..."you have way too much confidence in yourself." Releasing his head and patting him on the shoulder, he stepped back and admired him. Frankie, still trying to recover from his counter punch ending in an embrace, simply stood there.

"keep up the good work, both of you!!" the trainer said as he walked off with a smile, addressing the other students. Frankie and Ariol started walking to the exit.

"Always admired the guy but just a little on the weird side for me." Ariol said as he looked back at the instructor. They continued their walk and made their way to Frankie's room.

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The room looked like a 2045 version of a studio apartment, or at least the appearance of one. He manipulated the environment more suitable to his liking. They sat down on the black leather wrap around couch in front of the 52" holomonitor. Grabbing the transparent remote, Ariol turned it on and started going through the channels, finally stopping on an old show of The Three Stooges.

"Never did get your Earth entertainment, specifically humor. I get the jokes but how do you find humor in harming one's self or others?" Ariol asked.

"It's the irony in which they're subject to. Sometimes the looks on their faces when they realize they messed up and can't do anything about it. Or the anticipation of one thing that ends in another and the impending result. For example, a foot race. Your opponent is beating you. You're almost to the finish line but just before he crosses, he slips and falls. You keep running and beat him but when you turn around and check on him, he's OK but now he has grass all in his face and he's spitting out dirt. The look on his face could be anger, embarrassment, or confusion as to how did he fall, but it would be that priceless look that would make it funny." Frankie answered.

"Ah....still don't get it." Ariol said, looking back at the television. He flicked through a few more channels and stopped on a wrestling match. "Now this I like." he said, leaning closer to the holomonitor.

"Fake." Frankie said as he glanced at the screen. He nonchalantly waved his hand and the screen changed to a UFC fight. "Now this is what you want when it comes to fights." He said as he turned towards the monitor.

"It still amazes me how you're able to do that." Ariol said, looking at Frankie.

"What?" Frankie asked, slightly distracted.

"How is it that you have the powers of a Watcher but yet you're not ascentient." Ariol asked.

"Oh, that." Frankie said as he slumped down playfully exhausted but not minding sharing the information. "Those are natural abilities that humans don't yet know they have. They range from telekinesis, extra sensory perception, mind reading, precognition and so on. Some have discovered a few but as a species, we're blind to the whole idea. I was doing an unrelated experiment that resulted in my evolutionary change and unlocked those abilities in me. There's also a few other things that I'm capable of that the Watchers can't do. For example, my room. All of this is molecular manipulation. A Watcher can influence people to bring him whatever he wants whereas I can create what I want from the environment around me. The only other to have that ability under Falron is Maylar." Frankie said, turning his attention back to the fight.

"OK I can see that, but that's the other thing, how do you remember all of your human life? I thought once they bring you into the Nexus you're purged of your past life so it doesn't interfere with your duties as a Guardian or Watcher. you MAY hold on to a piece of your existence but it's almost like being born again. " Ariol said.

"Aaah..." Frankie said as he pointed his finger at Ariol, turning to face him now with his full attention. "....that there is the trick. You see, YOU transcended. I only evolved."

"But, isn't that the same thing?" Ariol asked, still confused.

"Ummm yes and no. Yes, because it's both a change to the next step, but no because the change is in different aspects. OK.... " still seeing the confused look on Ariol's face. "You changed from flesh to corporal and you work more on a metaphysical level. I, on the other hand didn't leave my flesh. My flesh adapted to a form of energy and frequency and I operate more or less on a quantum basis. In order for me to transcend, I would have to shed my flesh, but since I still have my flesh, sorta speak, I also still have my memory. " Frankie finished, hoping he understood it.

"I see now. Same direction, different roads. Different ending, same results...sorta speak." Ariol said as he examined his orangish arms, then at Frankie. Frankie suddenly sat up right and his eyes began to glow a bright whitish blue. His skin began to glow it's bright blue as Frankie seemed to stare off in space.

"Frankie?" Ariol asked concernly. He knew about Frankie's visions and the degree of trouble that usually followed. Normally his visions would last four or five minutes, but no sooner had he asked, Frankie stood up, then looked at Ariol as he began to dim down to his normal self.

"It's time. "