Chapter One - On The Outside

Woah, look who is back! :o It's me, Dagger, and instead of updating one of my already up stories, I decided to put up a new one instead. Great idea, right? :o Not really, but I've been getting a whole lot of inspiration to put this story up and so I thought I'd hop on it. Go me! xD

Yes, this was one of the stories I told you guys to vote for when I said I was going to put Spotlight on hiatus. Now, this story did not get first place. Seeker of My Heart actually did, however upon further reflection, I do not think I'm ready to sequel Killer of My Heart. As I stated on that story, I originally wasn't even intending to sequel the story (in fact, the original ending was for Mina to shoot herself after she finished telling the story to Nix and Ever's children, but that was a bit darker than what I decided I wanted to go for), so I'd like more time to think about how I could do a well done sequel, since it obviously is wanted. That left this story, the Frozen quest, and the twist on the Cinderella quest stories left. I decided that - seeing as I've been contemplating how Simple Bronze Key would go even while writing Little Black Star - I would go with this one. Plus, if I remember correctly, this one got second place when it came to votes. So, even though I have other stories to update (that I am working on the updates for, don't worry), I decided I would get this one out to you guys first because I really want to get it started.

Also, here's a warning in advance. This story will likely be darker than some of my other ones. I know Little Black Star in itself had some kind of "dark" moments - and while I don't necessarily see this as all this dark I think it's better to overstate that than understate it - but this one is likely to have more of those. I will try and put a specific warning on chapters that will have those elements, but you have been warned ahead of time.

I know I normally would respond to everyone's reviews here, but seeing as it's been over a year (oh my gosh, that's so weird! D: It feels like I was writing Little Black Star and wrapping it up like a month ago), I'm not going to respond to any expect for one. Plus, this little blurb is also already incredibly wrong and most of you will probably skip this so I want to keep this as brief as possible.

"Guest: it was good ,but i dont think the real Teague would give those nicknames" Yes, I understand that. However, part of the point of this story is that it's au. c; This isn't the real Teague, and so how he acts will be different than book Teague. Hopefully that makes sense!

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this story! I'm super excited to see what you guys think of it. Hopefully it'll be able to invoke the feels all over again. *insert evil laughter here* Oh, I mean, um, I hope that everyone is super content at the end of each chapter and not crying at all! Yup, that's exactly what I meant. :D

Also, look! I actually kept my promise (it's just not in the first story and it's over a year late) and am giving you a chapter from Teague's perspective! This will be one of the only ones though, because most of the chapters would show too many spoilers if they were from Teague's perspective, and I can't have that.

Teague's Point of View

I'm actually rather surprised when I walk into the bedroom I left Mina in only to find her still sound asleep in bed. I suppose that the stage of the curse she just completed - which is the most physically challenging one in my opinion - was hard on her, so her long sleep is only natural. Still, that doesn't stop me from being shocked to see her still snoozing the day away.

It's actually quite astonishing for another reason. She looks incredibly peaceful while she's sleeping. I've seen her wear such a wide range of emotions these past few days alone, but I've never seen her look like she's at peace. The way she's curled up - having fallen asleep in the clothes that she was wearing in the Grimorie - makes her seem even smaller than she usually does. Not to mention it makes her look incredibly delicate, and I'm almost afraid that I could break her, if I haven't already. Not that I should be afraid of that. She has to be able to be resistant and unbreakable in order to beat the curse. Not to mention she has a small smile on her face. I wonder what she's dreaming about that makes her so happy?

I doubt she'd let me see her like this any other time. In fact, I almost wish she'd let me see her like this at other times. She looks quite adorable right now, although I'll admit that this isn't the only time I've thought that. After all, when she gets embarrassed or flustered, the faces she makes are adorable.

Oh gosh, did I think that? Did I really, actually, just think that? How embarrassing!

Well, since she's looking so adorable, there's only one thing I can do in response. I'll just have to wake her up in a fitting way. I say rather loudly, "Hey Kitty, are you done playing the role of the princess in Sleeping Beauty yet? Because I don't intend to wake you up by kissing you. Sorry." My apology isn't very sincere, and I snicker a little at my own joke.

What can I say? After all, I have a reputation to uphold here of not being a softie. I'm not going to throw away my title of the Dark Prince because some stupid, cursed, Grimm girl had the nerve to look cute around me. I learned my lesson about falling for that, although to be fair, that one wasn't cursed.

She opens her eyes slowly in a sleepy way, and after taking a moment for her surroundings to sink in, the smile slips off her face to be replaced by a look of horror. Her cheeks flush red as her eyes land on me, and she jumps. "Gosh! Teague, what the heck are you doing in here? Watching me as I sleep?"

"As entertaining as that would be, no I was not." Okay, so maybe I was, but that wasn't why I came in here! I chuckle to ease the mood, and offer her my most charming smile - which is probably more of a smirk, but that's my signature so she can't really blame me there - in response. "I was just coming to check on my favorite cursed Grimm in order to make sure she didn't die over night. Is that alright, Princess? Do I have your permission?"

She scowls, crossing her arms, although I note that her cheeks are still rather red. She mutters something under her breathe about how she's the only cursed Grimm alive so it doesn't count. If only she knew. Yes, she is the only one currently going through the curse. But there are still other, firstborn, Grimm girls born who will step up to take on the curse when she dies.

Since she doesn't answer my question, I decide to try and rile her up. After all, that's the best decision I can make here in this situation. "You know, for someone who hates me so much and never wants to see me again, you seem to be responding very well. Not to mention you were certainly quite pleased to see me again in the Grimorie, when I showed up and pulled you out."

"That's not fair! I was dying and scared." She pouts, but her blush - which had started to die - creeps back as bright as ever. "Don't think I forgive you, by the way."

"What?" I say, jaw dropping. "How the heck can you not forgive me?"

"You were a jerk." She argues, the blush dying as she puts her hands on her hips, looking rather angry. "I'm quite fabulous, and instead of admitting that you enjoyed my company, you decided that you would say I had made you stay with my Lure. Which, I state again, you made me forget about, and I wouldn't want to waste that on you anyways." I open my mouth to argue, but she plows ahead, keeping me from saying anything. "I actually thought maybe we were connecting, and that you had to go and be a stupid, pig-headed boy. So don't go saying 'how the heck can you not forgive me' to me."

I gape for a moment, but my argument is quite lame in comparison. "But I saved your life."

"Actually, you showed up a little late for that. We don't know who saved my life, remember?" Now it's my turn to scowl in response, and she smirks, seeming to be feeling rather confident now.

"But I did get you out of the Grimorie." I point out. "That's got to get me some points right?"

She snorts. "Hmph, barely."

"Well, if that's how you feel, I could always send you back..." I say, pretending to look as if I'm actually contemplating that idea.

"What? No! No no no, that's not necessary at all." She says, shaking her head furiously. In fact, she shakes it so vigorously that I'm actually concerned that it might fall of. "I never want to see that book again. I will do anything besides even look at that book again, let alone go inside it."

I shift rather uncomfortably. "Good, because there's more to the curse."

She sighs, sliding back so that she's lying down again. "Of course there is. You told me that. But do we really need to discuss that right now, so soon after getting out of the Grimorie?"

I sigh. "Sadly, yes. The curse waits for no woman." Not necessarily true, but I want to continue with this curse before I get too attached to Mina. Or, even worse, before I start actually hoping she might beat it. That's setting myself up for heart ache. "You see, this part of the curse might be a bit harder on your mind."

"Great. That's exactly what I wanted to hear you say, Teague." She grumbles, and I don't blame her. I'll admit, I feel a tiny bit of sympathy for her. Only a little though. If her ancestor hadn't tried to assassinate me, then we wouldn't have this issue.

I roll my eyes, deciding not to express that I can be any kinder than I've already been to her. "Look, if you can stop hating me, I can at least prepare you for what's going to happen. Not a lot, but I can give you a bit of hint - more of a warning - at what's to come."

"Alright, fine." She sits back up, her game face on once more and all traces of her previous vulnerability gone. "What can you tell me?"

"This part of the curse is, in a sense, designed to be more psychologically trying then the last part-" I begin, however sh quickly adds her own commentary.

"Great. Wonderful. That's exactly what I wanted to hear from you." Her sarcasm is quite astounding. Can she calm down? I'm trying to help her. "Fantastic."

Rolling my eyes, I continue, "-and so you will hopefully be in less physical danger than when you were in the Grimorie."

"Hopefully?" She practically shouts the word, looking quite unamused with me. "I will hopefully be in less physical danger? What the heck, Teague, do you want any Grimm girl to fail this curse?"

I decide not to answer that. Instead, I say, "If you keep interrupting me, I'm not going to explain this part of the curse to you, and you'll fail. If you have any questions for me or any of your delightful commentary to make, please raise your hand and wait for me to all on you." I make sure to glare at her as I say it, and that shuts her up pretty quickly. "Thank you."

"Anyways," I continue, "I'll be traveling with you the whole way this time. Well, most of it anyways, but that's practically the same thing." I don't know if I'd be able to do the whole way. I'm already too attached to her, which needs to stop. She's going to die eventually. They all do, no matter how I feel for them. "Periodically along our journey, we're going to reach places where you are going to have to make important choices. These choices will determine your fate, and whether or not you survive this leg of the curse." She raises her hand, and sighing, I nod. "Yes?"

"So basically you are saying that I could get myself killed just by answering 'no' to the wrong question?" She asks, trying - and failing - to raise one eyebrow as she does.

I decide that the question doesn't warrant an answer, so I continue with my explanation as if she didn't ask, "Depending on what you do, this key," I pull out a simple, bronze key out of my pocket to show her, "will change. You must not lose this key, because without it you might as well just give up. Let me repeat that. You can not get past this part of the curse without the key. You also must make the right choices along the way, as they will affect how this key looks at the end of this journey. If the key doesn't look right, you will not be able to complete this part of the curse. If you do not complete the curse, you die, and it moves on to the next Grimm girl."

She swings her legs to the side of the bed, standing up and frowning. "Lovely. So-"

"Excuse me, Princess? I said raise your hand." I cross my arms and try to look angry with her, but she doesn't seem very terrified. If anything, she looks rather bored with me. However, she humors me - although she's not very amused while she does - and raises her hand, and I nod to signal that she can continue. "Now you can speak, Kitten."

I can tell that I almost make her snap with that last statement, but she holds her tongue. Smart girl. Instead, she speaks in a very restrained tone, "So do we have to go now, or can I at least have something to eat first? After all, I don't think I ate anything while I was in the Grimorie. And will you please give me that key? I don't trust you with it, if my life hangs on it."

I hand her the key, trying to look offend. "You wound me. I wouldn't rig the game so that you lose." When that doesn't get a reaction - unless you count a skeptical look that says she wouldn't put it past me as a reaction - I just ask, "What do you want to eat?"

"Um..." She bites her lip in thought, "how about buttermilk pancakes, scrambled eggs, a hash brown, and a glass of milk?" At my wide eyes, she takes the opportunity to steal my signature by smirking at me. "What? Are you going to criticize a girl for eating food and not paper?"

"No no no, I'm not a jerk." I say, but before I can take back the comment, she takes the opportunity to shoot back the insult I lined myself up for.

"Really? I never would've guessed." She gives me a completely innocent look - although her eyes give away how smug she is -as she folds her hands in her lap.

Shaking my head and groaning, I wave my hand so that the food appears on a tray in front of her. "Eat up. Then we'll get started on your curse."

Hey, at least she's currently not hating on me like she was before she encountered Annalora. I should've followed her and apologized. I know that was the right thing to do. However, I'm the Dark Prince. I don't go back to someone groveling and begging for forgiveness. I have a reputation to uphold, don't I? That's what matters.

Woah, so what did you guys think of a chapter from Teague's perspective? Was it everything you hoped for? xD I hope that gives you a little insight into his character, and I hoped you liked his conversation with Mina. Do you think Mina's completely forgiven him for what he's done? What do you think of the bronze key? How do you think that'll play into this part of the curse? And what do you think he means about this part of the curse being more psychologically hard on the cursed girl? What do you think that'll mean for this trip? I promise you, it will definitely be fun. *evil laughter goes here* Do you think Mina and Teague will bond during this time? Or will they just get pulled apart?

Ahhh, I can't tell you guys how excited I am for some of the plot twists I will - hopefully - be pulling in this story. You guys will definitely have to think a little outside of the box on what will happen, if you are trying to predict stuff. Also, if you remember how I included Charybdis and Scylla in Little Black Star, then you should know I'll hopefully be including some other mythical creatures in this story (I'd love for an excuse to use an abaia in a story again), so get excited for that! I am especially hyped for that, because I just read the first two series of the Percy Jackson series (I'm currently reading the first books of The Trials of Apollo), so that's given me all sorts of ideas.

Anyways, hopefully that gives you guys some stuff to chew on. I hope you guys are as excited as I am for this follow up story and for what's going to entail! I'm sorry if you were hoping for a different story, however I think that this is the best decision for me to make on which story to do next. I can't wait to see if you guys like this story! We're going to have a lot of fun. Let's see what feelings we can invoke this time!

See you at the next update I release that you read. c;

~ Dagger