"Everything is going according to plan I assume?"

"Yes, even better. Things are starting to fall into place and we can start moving soon. Contacts are already being set up."

"Good. Make sure everything goes without a hitch. I don't want anyone to notice what is happening until it is too late. This is a delicate matter so make sure no detail is over looked. I don't want to have to start cleaning up messes so soon."

"Don't worry, everything will run smoothly. Our first few pieces are already beginning to move and should be done within the next few days. I have the heartless out in full force setting all the last details up. Nothing should go wrong."

"I trust you. I want to be updated on everything though. Even the small details you might feel are of no use. I don't want some oversight screwing up my plans. This is a very delicate situation and everything must be done properly."

"If you wish. I will have everything reported back to you as well."

"Thank you. Now get on with the plan. I have a meeting soon for The Council. Be gone."

------

Katie looked at her surroundings with disgust. This was so very much below her. She was a princess, not some lowly servant. However, she needed some freedom every once in a while from the life of royalty. So she continued along her way down the streets in what she would consider normal clothings. Of course, they were of high quality material and looked trendy on her. Trying to fit in was not one of her strong points. But she was able to move in a way that didn't bring attention. It was a skill that she was just good at, as if it came to her as nature. She never learned it from her trainers. They only centered on self defense and simple combat. She also had help from a better trainer, Sensei.

She wandered the streets watching the people go about their lives. She thought about what her sensei told her earlier:

"Are you prepared for everything? Will you accept whatever destiny has to give you or are you content with your measly existence as it is right now?" The old man might be a good trainer but he certainly could be brutal as well. Is he calling her existence measly? How dare that bastard!

"Of course sensei. I am prepared for anything. I am royalty, I have been raised and taught to expect the unexpected."

"My dear girl, you have learned nothing throughout your life and you believe you are prepared to take on anything? You are young and stupid and you think you can take on the world? How much of an idiot you must be."

Katie's eyes narrowed as her anger started to take a hold of her. But she buried it and spoke harshly to the old man, "I am not scared of the future or change. I will take life as it comes. That is the way of royalty. I am prepared for that."

"The way you talk I can tell you are not. Everything you speak of comes back to who you are, not what you may be in the future."

"You trying to say I will lose my throne!?"

"Yes, there are many possibilities and that is one of them. You are a narrow minded girl. You have learned everything I have to teach you in combat but refuse to listen to my lessons. What happens from her on is on you. I can only show you the way, you must take the path for yourself."

"I have no fucking clue what you mean," Katie answered slipping into a crude speech. She may be royalty and might look down on the commoners but she did pick up on their speech patterns. "You talk in riddles. I can handle myself. And I will NOT lose my throne."

"You think I was training you because you are royalty? You think I wasted my time on you because you were born to some man with fake power? Of course not."

"Fake power?" Katie's voice dropped deadly quiet as she glared at her sensei. Now she was really upset, she could feel her anger swirling around within her. If it was anyone else she would have taken them out then and there. But this old man was no push over who she could handle easily.

"I taught you because you have something bigger in you. You will be someone special. You have something special in you. Don't suppress it and accept what others tell you to become. Become what you want to. Use your abilities and powers."

"I can take care of myself. I make my own destiny." And with that she turned and left. She had enough of that old man for one day. She didn't go there to get more stress but to relax and just be free for a few hours in the week. This time it had the opposite effect.

What was that old man trying to get at. There were more to his words, there always was. But she couldn't get quite grasp it. Was he telling her to move on? That she shouldn't just be a Princess? She would never be ruler of the planet, that would go to her dear brother. Her older sister was bitter about that as she was the heir until their parents had a third and final child who was finally a boy. But Katie never was going to be ruler so it didn't bother her. Her throne will always be that of a Princess.

Was he saying to become ruler and not just be a Princess? That wasn't like the old man. He had values, as screwed up as they might be. He would never condone fighting for personal gain like that. Especially against a loved one. There had to be some, and she was frustrated with him for not going and telling her outright. Why did he have to make everything so much more complicated?

The sun was about to set and the city of Albernan was not exactly the safest of cities to be in by oneself. Katie didn't mind too much, she could handle herself well enough. But other people on the street showed signs of picking up the pace. And the local police were out in full force watching the streets just waiting for their chance to get someone. They weren't the most upstanding citizens.

She walked to an alley and walked in. It was dark with only a few stray beams of light coming from the fading sun left to penetrate the darkness. She walked up to a door and knocked twice. The door opened and a giant of a man came out looking down at Katie.

She was only 14 years old and was small even for her age. She had a cute face, although it was also attractive and didn't make her look babyish but kept her innocence and youth. She had light auburn hair that was a bit short of shoulder length and framed perfectly around her face. Her dark blue eyes showed maturity beyond their years, though, and almost ruined the look of a young child.

"Can I help you little girl?" The voice was deep and the man gave a smirk waiting to see the reaction from Katie.

"Yeah, I'm here to see Joe."

The man frowned down at her. He paused for a few moments as it looked like he was trying to think about something important before finally letting the door open all the way and moving out of the way. She entered with a smile that lit up her face and made the man frown even more. Obviously this man thought little of letting such a young girl in.

-----

Katie was bored. Usually the underground night club would lift her spirits. Here were hundreds of other people dancing, taking drugs, and just having fun. But today something was on her mind. She couldn't get herself into it. Even with a caffeine shot she didn't feel very energetic. Something felt off. Wrong. But she couldn't put her finger on it.

Katie sighed. Maybe she should just head back home and go to bed. Maybe she was starting to get down with something. Deciding it was time to go she finished off her drink and quickly left the club. Outside it was well into the night. The moon was high and gave off little light. She made her way down the street and quickly pulled out her phone. She called for a reliable cab company to pick her up and waited.

She looked around, something still felt wrong and it was starting to grow. Like a shiver down her back but it wouldn't go away. It just continued over and over again getting more and more noticeable. What was it? There was no way she was making it up now. And something started to creep into her mind. As if someone was whispering it to her. Her family was in trouble. She didn't know why she thought that. It was a feeling, a thought that flashed past her mind and then vanished and she was almost certain that it was correct.

She forgot about the cab. It would be faster to run it by herself. She ran as fast as she could, dodging traffic and people with ease. She moved with great speed, using techniques to quicken her speed beyond that of a normal human that she learned from her sensei, the old man.

She was coming up to her house and the feeling got worse. But something was a miss. Like something wasn't in the house. Or maybe she forgot something. It was a terrible feeling as she picked up her speed even beyond what it was. An onlooker would have had a difficult time keeping up with her movements as she made her way towards the house.

Even before she opened the door she new something was terribly, terribly wrong.