AN: Welcome to our story. We don't own Rangers Apprentice. Please don't sue us; we don't have any money. This is a group story written by three people. We hope you enjoy it and remember to review.

Prologue

Crowley shuffled through the papers on his desk, casting several unlucky sheets to the stone floor in his tower office. As he bent down to pick them up, he noticed a twinge in his back. "Oh, I'm getting too old for this." He said, groaning. As his hands moved to his back to rub his sore backbone, he moved to a chair by his open window. He looked out at the marvelous grounds of Araluen, talking to himself. "Now, where did that stupid scroll go?"

He sighed and stood up again to look for his document. He prowled around his office for the next hour to no avail. Not to denounce Crowley's searching skills, but there were a multitude of hidden niches that littered the room in the form of false bottoms, hidden closet floorboards, and secret compartments in his desk. However, for the life of him, he could not find the one sheaf of paper he needed most of all.

Crowley was just about to collapse onto the window chair again, thinking about his younger days, as he heard a knock at his door.

"Who is it?" He yelled, attempting to jam the files into some semblance of order. He considered putting them all in a hidden compartment to make his office look clean, but then realized that would only make things harder to find. Upset, he went for the door, hoping that it was someone that wouldn't judge him to badly for the mess. Grudgingly, he opened the door.

There stood Lady Pauline, dressed in her white courier gown. They embraced, then separated fondly.

"Lady Pauline, how great it is to see you! I haven't seen hide nor hair of you since the good old days at Redmont."

Her fair face lit up as she smiled then looked around his office curiously. Papers lay crumpled on the floor, desk, and chairs, weakly fluttering in the breeze from the window. "I see you're completely overwhelmed by paperwork."

"Oh, yes, milady. I've just been looking for the Gathering papers for the past couple of hours. I just can't remember where I put it. You know, there are so many secret places in this room I couldn't hope to know them all."

"Hmmm… a Gathering paper… that sounds important. I guess we need to find it." Crowley was taken aback.

"Did you come here just to see me or was there something else?" Pauline looked at him knowingly.

"There was something else…" Pauline said mysteriously. "Crowley, you need to retire."

Crowley stepped back in shock. "Pauline…?"

"You've never liked these dank castles. And not to mention, I could hear your back cracking from all the way down the hall!"

Crowley quickly came up from his crouching position and unfolded his back as he stood up. He groaned as if to prove her point. Weakly, he said, "Well, you do have a point there…"

Quickly, he changed the conversation to the newest potted plant he had acquired as a gift in the last Ranger Gathering. He moved over to the plant, describing the vibrant color of its flowers. Pauline was not buying it.

"Crowley, you don't even like plants! Why do you even have… oh…"

Pauline was struck with inspiration as she moved over to the plant on his desk. She carefully lifted the pot up from its dish and raised it into the air. She peered through the hole in the bottom and scowled.

"Crowley, you old draft horse, it's in here!" Crowley creaked his way across the room to his desk, papers flying in his wake. Pauline held the pot as Crowley used his small fingers to pull the paper out of the false bottom.

Pauline set the plant down on its dish and followed Crowley, who walked to the front of his desk. He swiped with his forearm, clearing a place for him to lie the paper down. Lady Pauline set two inkwells on either end as paperweights and blew a fine layer of dust off of the parchment.

"Crowley, is this it?"

"No," he said incredulously as he scanned the paper. "I don't believe my eyes! This was my apprentice graduation letter from the Corps!"

Pauline cupped her forehead with her hand and sighed. It had been close. Quickly, she pulled herself together and concentrated on her primary mission. However, Crowley spoke first.

"Pauline, while we rest, would you like something to drink?" Pauline turned back to him, saying,

"No, thank you. But I would like to talk about the next Ranger Gathering."

"What about it?" He asked, feeling she was up to something.

"I also came to deliver this year's oakleaves. May I see yours?"

"Yes…?"

He fumbled around his neck for the necklace, then unclasped it and gave it to her. The metal itself, Pauline thought, was well cared for and untarnished, but was chipped and cracked from the many years he spent in the wilds. She then investigated the chain. It was unflawed, except for the small ring that kept the oakleaf pendant on. In Crowley's last fight, a knife had nicked it and cut part of it. The crack had expanded and now threatened to break altogether. Pauline frowned at it.

"Crowley, it's breaking. It won't last another month."

Crowley sensed the symbolism and angered slightly. "I'm not done here!" He responded darkly. Pauline was ready for another blow, however.

"Well, you will be in four weeks."

Crowley stood up, pain racing along his spinal cord to his brain. "Pauline! You can't do this!"

In response Pauline lifted an eyebrow, a skill she had learned from Halt. "I can, indirectly." Shifting her position closer to Crowley, she gave her case.

"Crowley, I've been your friend for many, many years. I have never doubted you. But have you ever doubted me?" I am making a decision for you, one that will undoubtedly help you and the Ranger Corps in the long term. Being Commandant is a very stressful occupation.

"You've held this position for years and years. You've led the Ranger Corps through so many impossible situations. You may not know it, but you are starting to lose your agility, your acuteness. Not to be demeaning," she said, responding to the angry look on his features. "You are still better in those categories than most others in our world, but you have served for many, many years as one of the best Rangers the world has ever seen. Now it is time for you to relax. Plus, I'm not sure if I could suppress Gilan's happiness. He would be an excellent Commandant. And also, I've taken the liberty to arrange your retirement party, which will be held at the Ranger Gathering in four weeks."

"Pauline… Halt put you up to this, didn't he?" She ignored him.

"Additionally, I have arranged another, less-strenuous job for you that will still benefit the Rangers."

Crowley was utterly conflicted. "Milady, I don't know what to say."

"A thank you would be nice." She responded.

"Thank you, milady."

She turned to leave then remembered the necklace she still held. She put the necklace back over his head, eyes lingering over the broken ring. And as quickly as a Ranger horse she was gone, leaving him feeling very stupid.

AN: CAUTION! THIS FANFICTION HAS BEEN BOOBY-TRAPPED SO UNLESS YOU REVIEW YOU WILL BE TURNED INTO A GIANT PLATYPUS. (Please review.)