DISCLAIMER: Derek, Maigrey and everyone else belong to Margaret Weis and her publishing company.
SPOILERS: To understand this, you'll have to have read Star of the Guardians first.
RATING: PG-13
The Beginning of the End
The speeder flew silently across the ground; not disturbing anyone as it traveled around the planet. Its occupants, an old man and a
small child, said nothing. The young girl was staring wide-eyed at her surroundings, trying to make out shapes in the evening darkness.
She clutched her bag tightly, turning her small knuckles white with pressure. Her sea-foam colored hair moved with the wind, but she
ignored it as it flitted across her face. She was too concerned about her trip to care.
When the stone building began to loom over the horizon, the driver slowed down, not wanting to wake up the habitants of the Academy.
The young girl yawned loudly, and the man turned to stare at her in irritation. Covering her mouth quickly, she glared at the side of the
man's head while he piloted the speeder into the clearing. The closer the speeder got to the building, two figures became clearer. A
young man, maybe fourteen, stood yawning next to a middle-aged man, who looked bored. Bringing the speeder to a stop, the driver
helped the young girl out of her seat, saying nothing. The younger man smiled at the girl, walking over to her with open arms. She
yawned and gave the teenager a once-over.
"Platus? What are you doing here?"
"Dean Bratus felt you might want a familiar face when you arrived here."
"How nice of him," she said, sarcasm filling her childish voice.
The older man who stood beside Platus now cleared his throat loudly, startling the girl. "Welcome to the Boys' Academy, Maigrey
Morianna. I hope we don't have any...unfortunate incidents like there were at the Girls' Academy."
"Don't worry, Dean Bratus, I promise not to stab any of the nuns," she responded cheerfully, but ended with a yawn
The driver spoke briefly with the dean and started back to where he came from. Platus watched his little sister worriedly as she stifled
yet another yawn. Turning to Dean Bratus, he spoke quietly hoping to not interrupt his sister's thoughts.
"Dean, I'll take Maigrey to my room for the night. It's been a long day for her."
"Yes, of course. Excellent idea Platus," he then turned to Maigrey jarring her from her reverie, "Maigrey, I hope you find your education at the Academy worthwhile..."
"Me too, Dean Bratus. Thank you."
Platus took his younger sister's hand, leading her off to one of the dorm buildings. Maigrey turned around only once, to see a young
man her brother's age watching from the shadows.
* * *
Outside at lunch, Blood Royal boys from all over the universe sat on the ground, conversing in small groups. They discussed their days
in loud, boisterous voices or argued theories in quiet whispers. Maigrey made her way through bodies to a small clump of three boys.
Her brother, Danha and Stavros all waved as they saw her approaching. She was a cute kid after all; they liked having her around.
Facing away from the sun, Maigrey sat silently, not wanting to interrupt the young boys' conversation. Her eyes scanned the courtyard
and rested on a figure by the rosebush. He wore all black as he hunched over his charge, removing leaves and thorns. Feeling the girl's
eyes on him, he looked up. His face was too stern for that of a fourteen year old, his eyes were too sunken, features too dark. He met
Maigrey's gray eyes with his own black orbs, but did not smile. Maigrey was most perplexed. This was the second time she had seen
this young man in two weeks. Platus never spoke of him however, even though the two must have been in the same classes.
"Platus?"
"What is it, Maigrey?" he asked, a tad frustrated at having been interrupted.
"Who's he?" she asked, pointing the to black-cloaked figure.
The three boys exchanged worried glances. Platus leaned over toward Maigrey and whispered to her.
"His name is Derek. But don't concern yourself with him," he said, a touch of warning in his voice. With that, the boys returned to their
discussion, once again ignoring the younger girl. She gazed at the dark boy again, watching him work. She was surprised at how gently
he handled the delicate flowers. As it happens with six-year-olds, curiosity got the better of her. Standing silently, she moved around a
few young boys who had fallen asleep on the ground. When she reached the rosebush, she watched silently as the boy worked. Feeling
her gaze on him again, the young man looked up to examine his watcher more closely. Raising an eyebrow in question, he placed his
spade on the ground and straightened up. He stood almost six feet tall, black hair falling to his shoulders.
"Yes, child?" he asked softly.
"Hello Derek." Having overheard Platus' comment, Derek was not surprised she knew his name. Nor was he surprised her brother did
not like him. The two had always shared a mutual animosity. Platus thought Derek too war-like. Derek found him to be a poet, too an
extreme. He loved Milton as much as anyone, but he didn't carry a copy of Paradise Lost with him, unlike Platus who would have his
book gilded if he could.
Shaking his head, Derek returned his attention to the young girl beside him. Having placed herself on the ground next to the bush, she
was playing with the grass and humming softly. Derek watched with a mild sense of awe and fascination. Living in a monastery for
twelve years, Derek didn't see a woman until he walked into his Trigonometry class. There Sr. Allysa Rucina had stood, unruly blue
hair and bucked teeth. Derek still could not understand why his classmates were so amused by vid-starlets. This little girl was
something different. She wasn't old, boring or ugly. She was full of life, exciting. She was almost pure energy. And, Derek admitted to
himself, she as kind of cute, the way one might consider a kitten to be cute. *Too bad she's related to Platus*, he thought. He finally
turned to her and spoke
"What is it that you want, child?"
"My name is Maigrey."
"All right, Maigrey. What do you want?"
"You looked lonely. I came to keep you company."
"I don't want company," he said, trying hard to control his frustration.
"I'm going to sit here anyway. You have no choice."
He sighed, having known this little sprite was going to say that. She had a glint of mischief and stubbornness in her eyes, a glint that
wouldn't go away.
"Fine, stay here. Just don't make any noise."
Which she didn't. Verbally, at least. She just sat there, watching him wide-eyed and awake. Mentally however, all he could hear were
her thoughts. They weren't terribly complex, but they filled up his mind. His own contemplations had been lost long before "you have
no choice."
* * *
Stavros sat on top of the Dean's statue, cold and afraid. Danha was shaking his head, while Platus, Maigrey and Derek tried to come up
with a plan. Maigrey regarded the marble statue quizzically and then announced "I can climb up there. Get me a rope."
Danha and Platus stared at her in shock.
"Maigrey, you can't..."
"You'll get..."
"Wait," Derek said, silencing the other two. "If I guide the rope from the bottom, and she gets her end around Stavros' waist, we can get
him down."
"I can do it Platus! Please?"
Sighing, Platus nodded in agreement and Danha went to get a rope. While he was gone, Platus spoke quietly to his sister, urging her to
be cautious and Derek watched Stavros shivering twenty feet in the air. With Danha's return, the rescue began. Maigrey wrapped her
end of the rope around her tiny waist and began to climb up the smooth statue. No one dared to breathe. As Derek guided the rope
from the bottom, he watched the little girl climb effortlessly. Before she reached the left arm, Derek thought to himself that it didn't look too sturdy.
He did not get a chance to call out his warning when an answer reached him in his mind: You're right, Derek. I'll go up the other way.
The young man gasped, almost losing his grip on the rope. Grasping it even tighter, he tried to concentrate on the rope. Platus threw
him a confused glance, but Derek just shook his head. Maigrey reached the top without incident. As she untied the rope from her own
waist, she noticed a fraying about a foot down. She carefully retied the rope around Stavros' waist. She could see the fraying getting
worse and thought: Derek, please be careful.
Yes Maigrey, was the curt reply.
There were no other incidents after that. Stavros was lowered down slowly while Maigrey scurried down gracefully. Once Stavros was
freed from the rope, the three friends went inside to warm up. Maigrey and Derek stood outside staring at each other. Pivoting sharply,
Derek left the girl alone.
The chapel was dark, lit only by two candles near the altar. Derek entered silently, falling to his knees in the first pew. Staring up at the
crucifix, he began to battle with God, a very common past time for him.
*Why have You done this to me? She's an eight-year old child, naive and small. I can't handle this; I don't want this. I've got my classes; there's no time for friends.*
"Derek, what are you doing?" Her voice broke through his silent argument, small and quiet. She walked over to him in her white cotton
nightgown; her hair resting on her shoulders, released from the braid that she always wore.
"I'm arguing," he said, not looking at her.
"With who?" she asked innocently.
"God." There was nothing more to say about that.
"Is this because of what happened at the statue? What's the big deal, can't everyone talk with their minds?"
"Can you talk to your brother that way?" he asked, snapping at her. She remained silent, watching him. Derek turned back to the altar for
a few more minutes, then stood up. Walking up to her, he asked "Shouldn't you go to back to bed? Someone might be looking for you."
She took his hand and smiled "Someone was."
* * *
The four friends stood at the barre, sweating silently through the routine. Master was forever pushing them to the limit of physical
exertion and then a little farther. They were his prize class. Maigrey stood tall at the barre, hardly breathing, barely thinking. She let the
music move her because her own body wouldn't have known what to do. Her mind was filled with only one thought: Where the Hell is
he?
"Maigrey Morianna!" *thwack* "Pay attention to your hand. Do not just let it hang there. It is alive!" *Thwack*
The ruler hit her hand again, harder than before. She forced a smile, made sure her hand was at the proper angle, and let her thoughts
drift back to Derek. She didn't have to think too long before she felt his presence coming closer, looking up at the exact moment he
walked in the door. His mind was in turmoil, full of questions that were not for her to answer or ask about. Master walked over to him,
and spoke to him in hushed tones. Maigrey could only make out bits and pieces, but she did hear her name and something about the
Initiation.
Her body froze at that word. She remembered her brother's terror at having to go through it, Danha coming out shaking,
Stavros being sick for two weeks afterwards. But Derek had not gone through it yet. Because of the mind link, the two had to go
through it together. She was far too young for the challenge, and he was much too old.
"Maigrey Morianna, you must go," the master said to her harshly and her body obeyed without her thinking.
Outside, Derek said nothing to her as they walked toward the Admission's building. Her mind was full of questions, but she asked none
of them, knowing his mind was too upset to answer. She took in the scenery with her eyes and ears, much like she had ten years before.
"Maigrey, we are going to see the Dean. He will answer your questions." She nodded, not surprised he had heard her thoughts; she had
not been hiding them well.
They entered the Dean's offices silently, and were ushered through the solid oak and steel doors to the Dean's personal lounge. Derek
remained standing, while Maigrey sat herself down on a soft chair next to him. They remained alone in the room for perhaps ten
minutes before the Dean entered. His hair had become grayer; his stomach now hung well below his waistline. None the less, he was
still a commanding man who expected absolute obedience from the students. He watched the two young people carefully, and noted
with amusement that Derek had rested his hand on Maigrey's shoulder, an unexpected display of affection from the young man.
He got right to the point.
"Maigrey, you are here because it is time for Derek and yourself to go through the Initiation ceremony. You will be leaving in one
hour for a monastery four systems away. There, Derek's father will perform the ceremony."
Derek gasped, and clutched Maigrey's shoulder tighter. She gritted her teeth and nodded, not letting the pain she felt, or the pain he
felt, bother her.
"I can't tell you anything beyond that, except to say that you will be the only woman ever allowed into this monastery. The brothers
there have informed me of several rules: you must wear a robe walking in, you must talk to nobody, and you must keep your face
hidden. Is that understood?"
"Yes," was her choked answer. Derek still held her shoulder tightly.
* * *
Stepping out of the ship, Maigrey double-checked that her robe would not open. *You only get one shot at this girl don't screw it up,*
she thought to herself. Watching Derek, she saw how haggard he looked, felt his anxiety and…fear. Derek had never been afraid
before.
They walked silently toward the monastery, a dark building against a dark sky. Their guide said nothing, and the two young ones
thought nothing. Maigrey wanted to reach out for his hand, just to make sure he was really there, but something about how he felt to
her mind checked the action. He had his mind guarded; it was like he wasn't thinking at all. Their guide abandoned them at the door to
the monastery, leaving them to the will of a short, hooded man.
Maigrey tried to glimpse underneath the hood, but the monk turned his head away, not allowing her to see in. Sighing, Maigrey took in
the sights of the monastery. The walls were damp and dark. Torches were placed at seemingly erratic places on the walls, leaving some
places in utter darkness, while filling others with intense light. Maigrey took it all in, trying to memorize Derek's childhood home.
This was where he had learned to talk to his God. He would never tell her about it and she could never ask.
The hooded monk left them at the end of a dark corridor, with only a single door. Derek pushed the heavy door in silently, revealing a
candlelit chapel. A man stood behind the velvet covered altered, draped in a black robe. His father, she thought. They looked very
similar, broad shoulders, thoughtful eyes...soul in turmoil. Maigrey wondered if Derek would have been different had his father ever
told him who he really was.
Nodding to the two initiates, Derek's father blew out the candles. Maigrey gasped at the pitch-blackness, startled and nervous. She felt
a hand holding on to hers a moment after she gasped, and even though she could not see him, she knew that he would not abandon her
*We'll get through this, Maigrey.*
"There are two robes on the floor at your feet. Take off your clothes and put these on," a gruff, unused voice said from behind the alter.
The two young people complied. That was all Maigrey remembered about the ceremony. The rest of it passed by in a frightened rush.
At only one instant could she see Derek, and the look in his eyes told her all she needed to know. *He's just as scared as I am.*
When the initiation was done, Derek and Maigrey were led to adjacent rooms where they could sleep for a few hours before theirtransport arrived. Not being able to sleep, Maigrey left her own small chamber and knocked on Derek's door. Receiving
no response, telling her to come or go, she opened the door silently. He was kneeling in front of the altar, staring at the heavens. A
flashback to the night of their mind link ran through her head. They had grown much since then. Before, they had nobody. But
now...they had each other. And that was all.
* * *
"Derek, something's wrong with my ship."
A sigh came over the com and into her helmet speakers. This flight had been floating through problems since it was first conceived.
And now this.
"What, specifically, is wrong, Maigrey?" His voice sounded just like it had the day he had met her. *Frustrated, annoyed...like he's
ready to kill me.*
"There's this big, red, blinking light..." she said sarcastically, and felt his irritation rise. "Seriously, the hyperspace system is making
this ungodly noise and spewing out coordinates I know aren't correct."
"Conveniently, Major, there is a planet below us. Let's land here..." he said, as some coordinates appeared on her screen, "...and get this
done as quickly as possible."
It was not to happen quickly, however. Once the ships were landed, more problems were found. A repair that should have taken an hour
at most was turning into an overnight ordeal. Throughout the remaining daylight, Derek grumbled about her not taking care of the ship.
She grumbled back about him not hiring better mechanics. Daylight disappeared, and the two could do no more. Maigrey had planned
on staying in her ship for the night, but as she walked over to where she had landed, Derek's voice reached her ears, quiet
and…nervous.
"Maigrey...stay." Her heart leapt, and she grabbed onto her ship's hull. Finally, after ten years of wanting to hear him say that, he did.
And she was nervous. Nervous as all hell. Turning slowly, she saw him standing there, waiting for her, and calling to her. Walking to
him on shaky legs, she stood before him and smiled for him a real smile, soft and inviting. He didn't know what he was doing; his body
had taken over. Pulling her to him, his arms around her waist, he leaned forward and kissed her. Harder than he had wanted to, but she
responded in kind, their thoughts crashing together in a moment of surrender and joy. He broke away and led her into the ship.
The next morning, Derek woke up groggy, cramped...and with a beautiful woman lying beside him. He was startled that she was there,
resting in the crook of his arm, sleeping silently. And then he remembered the computer malfunction, the sudden and unexplainable
fear of being alone that night on the deserted planet. He remembered calling out to her, and was so pleased and flattered that she came.
But now...matters were complicated. She could not come where he was going, even though he knew she would follow him. He moved
his arm gently from underneath her body, and went off to take a shower. When he returned, she was back on her own ship, completely
blocked from his mind. They would never speak about this incident again.
* * *
"Derek, you can't go! The king needs us all here," Maigrey cried, disbelieving. He was leaving now, of all times, when the
Revolutionaries were getting more and more hostile. And more importantly, he couldn't leave because of her.
"Maigrey, I can't explain why I'm leaving. But I will be back. Then you will understand." With that, he kissed her hand in cold formality
and walked out of her room, never turning back. He had changed so much in the past few months, after they had battled the Corasians.
Maigrey only hoped that when he returned, they could start over again.
SPOILERS: To understand this, you'll have to have read Star of the Guardians first.
RATING: PG-13
The Beginning of the End
The speeder flew silently across the ground; not disturbing anyone as it traveled around the planet. Its occupants, an old man and a
small child, said nothing. The young girl was staring wide-eyed at her surroundings, trying to make out shapes in the evening darkness.
She clutched her bag tightly, turning her small knuckles white with pressure. Her sea-foam colored hair moved with the wind, but she
ignored it as it flitted across her face. She was too concerned about her trip to care.
When the stone building began to loom over the horizon, the driver slowed down, not wanting to wake up the habitants of the Academy.
The young girl yawned loudly, and the man turned to stare at her in irritation. Covering her mouth quickly, she glared at the side of the
man's head while he piloted the speeder into the clearing. The closer the speeder got to the building, two figures became clearer. A
young man, maybe fourteen, stood yawning next to a middle-aged man, who looked bored. Bringing the speeder to a stop, the driver
helped the young girl out of her seat, saying nothing. The younger man smiled at the girl, walking over to her with open arms. She
yawned and gave the teenager a once-over.
"Platus? What are you doing here?"
"Dean Bratus felt you might want a familiar face when you arrived here."
"How nice of him," she said, sarcasm filling her childish voice.
The older man who stood beside Platus now cleared his throat loudly, startling the girl. "Welcome to the Boys' Academy, Maigrey
Morianna. I hope we don't have any...unfortunate incidents like there were at the Girls' Academy."
"Don't worry, Dean Bratus, I promise not to stab any of the nuns," she responded cheerfully, but ended with a yawn
The driver spoke briefly with the dean and started back to where he came from. Platus watched his little sister worriedly as she stifled
yet another yawn. Turning to Dean Bratus, he spoke quietly hoping to not interrupt his sister's thoughts.
"Dean, I'll take Maigrey to my room for the night. It's been a long day for her."
"Yes, of course. Excellent idea Platus," he then turned to Maigrey jarring her from her reverie, "Maigrey, I hope you find your education at the Academy worthwhile..."
"Me too, Dean Bratus. Thank you."
Platus took his younger sister's hand, leading her off to one of the dorm buildings. Maigrey turned around only once, to see a young
man her brother's age watching from the shadows.
* * *
Outside at lunch, Blood Royal boys from all over the universe sat on the ground, conversing in small groups. They discussed their days
in loud, boisterous voices or argued theories in quiet whispers. Maigrey made her way through bodies to a small clump of three boys.
Her brother, Danha and Stavros all waved as they saw her approaching. She was a cute kid after all; they liked having her around.
Facing away from the sun, Maigrey sat silently, not wanting to interrupt the young boys' conversation. Her eyes scanned the courtyard
and rested on a figure by the rosebush. He wore all black as he hunched over his charge, removing leaves and thorns. Feeling the girl's
eyes on him, he looked up. His face was too stern for that of a fourteen year old, his eyes were too sunken, features too dark. He met
Maigrey's gray eyes with his own black orbs, but did not smile. Maigrey was most perplexed. This was the second time she had seen
this young man in two weeks. Platus never spoke of him however, even though the two must have been in the same classes.
"Platus?"
"What is it, Maigrey?" he asked, a tad frustrated at having been interrupted.
"Who's he?" she asked, pointing the to black-cloaked figure.
The three boys exchanged worried glances. Platus leaned over toward Maigrey and whispered to her.
"His name is Derek. But don't concern yourself with him," he said, a touch of warning in his voice. With that, the boys returned to their
discussion, once again ignoring the younger girl. She gazed at the dark boy again, watching him work. She was surprised at how gently
he handled the delicate flowers. As it happens with six-year-olds, curiosity got the better of her. Standing silently, she moved around a
few young boys who had fallen asleep on the ground. When she reached the rosebush, she watched silently as the boy worked. Feeling
her gaze on him again, the young man looked up to examine his watcher more closely. Raising an eyebrow in question, he placed his
spade on the ground and straightened up. He stood almost six feet tall, black hair falling to his shoulders.
"Yes, child?" he asked softly.
"Hello Derek." Having overheard Platus' comment, Derek was not surprised she knew his name. Nor was he surprised her brother did
not like him. The two had always shared a mutual animosity. Platus thought Derek too war-like. Derek found him to be a poet, too an
extreme. He loved Milton as much as anyone, but he didn't carry a copy of Paradise Lost with him, unlike Platus who would have his
book gilded if he could.
Shaking his head, Derek returned his attention to the young girl beside him. Having placed herself on the ground next to the bush, she
was playing with the grass and humming softly. Derek watched with a mild sense of awe and fascination. Living in a monastery for
twelve years, Derek didn't see a woman until he walked into his Trigonometry class. There Sr. Allysa Rucina had stood, unruly blue
hair and bucked teeth. Derek still could not understand why his classmates were so amused by vid-starlets. This little girl was
something different. She wasn't old, boring or ugly. She was full of life, exciting. She was almost pure energy. And, Derek admitted to
himself, she as kind of cute, the way one might consider a kitten to be cute. *Too bad she's related to Platus*, he thought. He finally
turned to her and spoke
"What is it that you want, child?"
"My name is Maigrey."
"All right, Maigrey. What do you want?"
"You looked lonely. I came to keep you company."
"I don't want company," he said, trying hard to control his frustration.
"I'm going to sit here anyway. You have no choice."
He sighed, having known this little sprite was going to say that. She had a glint of mischief and stubbornness in her eyes, a glint that
wouldn't go away.
"Fine, stay here. Just don't make any noise."
Which she didn't. Verbally, at least. She just sat there, watching him wide-eyed and awake. Mentally however, all he could hear were
her thoughts. They weren't terribly complex, but they filled up his mind. His own contemplations had been lost long before "you have
no choice."
* * *
Stavros sat on top of the Dean's statue, cold and afraid. Danha was shaking his head, while Platus, Maigrey and Derek tried to come up
with a plan. Maigrey regarded the marble statue quizzically and then announced "I can climb up there. Get me a rope."
Danha and Platus stared at her in shock.
"Maigrey, you can't..."
"You'll get..."
"Wait," Derek said, silencing the other two. "If I guide the rope from the bottom, and she gets her end around Stavros' waist, we can get
him down."
"I can do it Platus! Please?"
Sighing, Platus nodded in agreement and Danha went to get a rope. While he was gone, Platus spoke quietly to his sister, urging her to
be cautious and Derek watched Stavros shivering twenty feet in the air. With Danha's return, the rescue began. Maigrey wrapped her
end of the rope around her tiny waist and began to climb up the smooth statue. No one dared to breathe. As Derek guided the rope
from the bottom, he watched the little girl climb effortlessly. Before she reached the left arm, Derek thought to himself that it didn't look too sturdy.
He did not get a chance to call out his warning when an answer reached him in his mind: You're right, Derek. I'll go up the other way.
The young man gasped, almost losing his grip on the rope. Grasping it even tighter, he tried to concentrate on the rope. Platus threw
him a confused glance, but Derek just shook his head. Maigrey reached the top without incident. As she untied the rope from her own
waist, she noticed a fraying about a foot down. She carefully retied the rope around Stavros' waist. She could see the fraying getting
worse and thought: Derek, please be careful.
Yes Maigrey, was the curt reply.
There were no other incidents after that. Stavros was lowered down slowly while Maigrey scurried down gracefully. Once Stavros was
freed from the rope, the three friends went inside to warm up. Maigrey and Derek stood outside staring at each other. Pivoting sharply,
Derek left the girl alone.
The chapel was dark, lit only by two candles near the altar. Derek entered silently, falling to his knees in the first pew. Staring up at the
crucifix, he began to battle with God, a very common past time for him.
*Why have You done this to me? She's an eight-year old child, naive and small. I can't handle this; I don't want this. I've got my classes; there's no time for friends.*
"Derek, what are you doing?" Her voice broke through his silent argument, small and quiet. She walked over to him in her white cotton
nightgown; her hair resting on her shoulders, released from the braid that she always wore.
"I'm arguing," he said, not looking at her.
"With who?" she asked innocently.
"God." There was nothing more to say about that.
"Is this because of what happened at the statue? What's the big deal, can't everyone talk with their minds?"
"Can you talk to your brother that way?" he asked, snapping at her. She remained silent, watching him. Derek turned back to the altar for
a few more minutes, then stood up. Walking up to her, he asked "Shouldn't you go to back to bed? Someone might be looking for you."
She took his hand and smiled "Someone was."
* * *
The four friends stood at the barre, sweating silently through the routine. Master was forever pushing them to the limit of physical
exertion and then a little farther. They were his prize class. Maigrey stood tall at the barre, hardly breathing, barely thinking. She let the
music move her because her own body wouldn't have known what to do. Her mind was filled with only one thought: Where the Hell is
he?
"Maigrey Morianna!" *thwack* "Pay attention to your hand. Do not just let it hang there. It is alive!" *Thwack*
The ruler hit her hand again, harder than before. She forced a smile, made sure her hand was at the proper angle, and let her thoughts
drift back to Derek. She didn't have to think too long before she felt his presence coming closer, looking up at the exact moment he
walked in the door. His mind was in turmoil, full of questions that were not for her to answer or ask about. Master walked over to him,
and spoke to him in hushed tones. Maigrey could only make out bits and pieces, but she did hear her name and something about the
Initiation.
Her body froze at that word. She remembered her brother's terror at having to go through it, Danha coming out shaking,
Stavros being sick for two weeks afterwards. But Derek had not gone through it yet. Because of the mind link, the two had to go
through it together. She was far too young for the challenge, and he was much too old.
"Maigrey Morianna, you must go," the master said to her harshly and her body obeyed without her thinking.
Outside, Derek said nothing to her as they walked toward the Admission's building. Her mind was full of questions, but she asked none
of them, knowing his mind was too upset to answer. She took in the scenery with her eyes and ears, much like she had ten years before.
"Maigrey, we are going to see the Dean. He will answer your questions." She nodded, not surprised he had heard her thoughts; she had
not been hiding them well.
They entered the Dean's offices silently, and were ushered through the solid oak and steel doors to the Dean's personal lounge. Derek
remained standing, while Maigrey sat herself down on a soft chair next to him. They remained alone in the room for perhaps ten
minutes before the Dean entered. His hair had become grayer; his stomach now hung well below his waistline. None the less, he was
still a commanding man who expected absolute obedience from the students. He watched the two young people carefully, and noted
with amusement that Derek had rested his hand on Maigrey's shoulder, an unexpected display of affection from the young man.
He got right to the point.
"Maigrey, you are here because it is time for Derek and yourself to go through the Initiation ceremony. You will be leaving in one
hour for a monastery four systems away. There, Derek's father will perform the ceremony."
Derek gasped, and clutched Maigrey's shoulder tighter. She gritted her teeth and nodded, not letting the pain she felt, or the pain he
felt, bother her.
"I can't tell you anything beyond that, except to say that you will be the only woman ever allowed into this monastery. The brothers
there have informed me of several rules: you must wear a robe walking in, you must talk to nobody, and you must keep your face
hidden. Is that understood?"
"Yes," was her choked answer. Derek still held her shoulder tightly.
* * *
Stepping out of the ship, Maigrey double-checked that her robe would not open. *You only get one shot at this girl don't screw it up,*
she thought to herself. Watching Derek, she saw how haggard he looked, felt his anxiety and…fear. Derek had never been afraid
before.
They walked silently toward the monastery, a dark building against a dark sky. Their guide said nothing, and the two young ones
thought nothing. Maigrey wanted to reach out for his hand, just to make sure he was really there, but something about how he felt to
her mind checked the action. He had his mind guarded; it was like he wasn't thinking at all. Their guide abandoned them at the door to
the monastery, leaving them to the will of a short, hooded man.
Maigrey tried to glimpse underneath the hood, but the monk turned his head away, not allowing her to see in. Sighing, Maigrey took in
the sights of the monastery. The walls were damp and dark. Torches were placed at seemingly erratic places on the walls, leaving some
places in utter darkness, while filling others with intense light. Maigrey took it all in, trying to memorize Derek's childhood home.
This was where he had learned to talk to his God. He would never tell her about it and she could never ask.
The hooded monk left them at the end of a dark corridor, with only a single door. Derek pushed the heavy door in silently, revealing a
candlelit chapel. A man stood behind the velvet covered altered, draped in a black robe. His father, she thought. They looked very
similar, broad shoulders, thoughtful eyes...soul in turmoil. Maigrey wondered if Derek would have been different had his father ever
told him who he really was.
Nodding to the two initiates, Derek's father blew out the candles. Maigrey gasped at the pitch-blackness, startled and nervous. She felt
a hand holding on to hers a moment after she gasped, and even though she could not see him, she knew that he would not abandon her
*We'll get through this, Maigrey.*
"There are two robes on the floor at your feet. Take off your clothes and put these on," a gruff, unused voice said from behind the alter.
The two young people complied. That was all Maigrey remembered about the ceremony. The rest of it passed by in a frightened rush.
At only one instant could she see Derek, and the look in his eyes told her all she needed to know. *He's just as scared as I am.*
When the initiation was done, Derek and Maigrey were led to adjacent rooms where they could sleep for a few hours before theirtransport arrived. Not being able to sleep, Maigrey left her own small chamber and knocked on Derek's door. Receiving
no response, telling her to come or go, she opened the door silently. He was kneeling in front of the altar, staring at the heavens. A
flashback to the night of their mind link ran through her head. They had grown much since then. Before, they had nobody. But
now...they had each other. And that was all.
* * *
"Derek, something's wrong with my ship."
A sigh came over the com and into her helmet speakers. This flight had been floating through problems since it was first conceived.
And now this.
"What, specifically, is wrong, Maigrey?" His voice sounded just like it had the day he had met her. *Frustrated, annoyed...like he's
ready to kill me.*
"There's this big, red, blinking light..." she said sarcastically, and felt his irritation rise. "Seriously, the hyperspace system is making
this ungodly noise and spewing out coordinates I know aren't correct."
"Conveniently, Major, there is a planet below us. Let's land here..." he said, as some coordinates appeared on her screen, "...and get this
done as quickly as possible."
It was not to happen quickly, however. Once the ships were landed, more problems were found. A repair that should have taken an hour
at most was turning into an overnight ordeal. Throughout the remaining daylight, Derek grumbled about her not taking care of the ship.
She grumbled back about him not hiring better mechanics. Daylight disappeared, and the two could do no more. Maigrey had planned
on staying in her ship for the night, but as she walked over to where she had landed, Derek's voice reached her ears, quiet
and…nervous.
"Maigrey...stay." Her heart leapt, and she grabbed onto her ship's hull. Finally, after ten years of wanting to hear him say that, he did.
And she was nervous. Nervous as all hell. Turning slowly, she saw him standing there, waiting for her, and calling to her. Walking to
him on shaky legs, she stood before him and smiled for him a real smile, soft and inviting. He didn't know what he was doing; his body
had taken over. Pulling her to him, his arms around her waist, he leaned forward and kissed her. Harder than he had wanted to, but she
responded in kind, their thoughts crashing together in a moment of surrender and joy. He broke away and led her into the ship.
The next morning, Derek woke up groggy, cramped...and with a beautiful woman lying beside him. He was startled that she was there,
resting in the crook of his arm, sleeping silently. And then he remembered the computer malfunction, the sudden and unexplainable
fear of being alone that night on the deserted planet. He remembered calling out to her, and was so pleased and flattered that she came.
But now...matters were complicated. She could not come where he was going, even though he knew she would follow him. He moved
his arm gently from underneath her body, and went off to take a shower. When he returned, she was back on her own ship, completely
blocked from his mind. They would never speak about this incident again.
* * *
"Derek, you can't go! The king needs us all here," Maigrey cried, disbelieving. He was leaving now, of all times, when the
Revolutionaries were getting more and more hostile. And more importantly, he couldn't leave because of her.
"Maigrey, I can't explain why I'm leaving. But I will be back. Then you will understand." With that, he kissed her hand in cold formality
and walked out of her room, never turning back. He had changed so much in the past few months, after they had battled the Corasians.
Maigrey only hoped that when he returned, they could start over again.