Ach, forgot to mention for the prologue it was inspired by Celtic Woman's version of Fields of Gold. Er and since the prologue for this is a detached one-shot... I recommend you go and read my story Promises, which is the prequel/prologue to this. I mean sure you can not read Promises, but this has a lot of spoilers in it I mean a lot of spoilers, right off the bat too, so go on, go read PRomises if you haven't already and then come back to this one. I'll be waiting right here for you to come back so don't worry. Did you read it? Ok then go ahead and read this then, enjoy.

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"Gilbert! Get your ass out of bed, you're going to be late for school!"

Gilbert Beilschmidt, 17 years old and a junior in high school, lay awake in his bed as he heard his father screaming at him to get up. To be honest he'd been awake for hours, the dried tear-stains on his cheeks proof of that. He'd had another dream, more like a nightmare, about that other life. The one where he couldn't save his princess. He threw an arm over his face and tried to block out everything as he held back a chocked sob. He heard his door open and the heavy footfalls of someone entering his room.

"Bruder?" His brother lets out a sigh and Gilbert can almost see him running a hand through his perfectly pulled back blonde hair. "Vati isn't going to let you miss the first day of school."

"Don't care, not going."

"Bruder." The blonde walks closer and settles down on the bed next to his brother. "You had another one of those dreams didn't you?"

Gilbert pauses for a moment before nodding and uncovering his face, his brother nearly gasps at the tear-stains. "I had to watch her die again."

Silence was his answer as the blonde averted his gaze. It had been years that the older of the two brothers had been having these dreams. They always started out wonderfully. He would dream about meeting his princess and spending long happy hours with her, but it always ended the same. After a few months of happy wonderful dreams he would always dream of the villain killing his princess as he stood by unable to stop it. It always left Gilbert depressed for weeks, weeks in which he wouldn't dream. Then after he had finally recovered from his bought of depression the dreams would start up again.

"Hey, Luddy? Do you think they'll ever stop?"

"Mmm. I don't know. Perhaps we should talk to Vati about it again. We could find a therapist or something that could help you."

Gilbert frowns at the suggestion. "No way. I ain't going to some shrink. That is so unawesome."

"Then I suggest youget ready for school. Vati won't be happy if you miss the first day."

Grumbling out a 'fine' Gilbert gets up and quickly pulls on some clothes before heading down to grab something quick to eat, then it was out the door where Ludwig was waiting for him in their shared car.

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Madeline Williams sighed heavily as she sat beside her brother in his red pick-up truck. She let her forehead fall against the window and watched the scenery drift by.

"Hey, sis, you ok?"

"Hmm, yeah. I'm fine Alfred. Just, uh, missing Ivan. It was a long weekend and we didn't get to see each other at all during it because of that family thing he had."

Alfred scoffed, "I don't see what you see in that guy. He's a total ass and he's always telling you what to do, which is so not cool."

Madeline turned to glance at her brother. Her sweet, innocent, happy-go-lucky, little brother. True he was only three days younger than her but that was beside the point. To be honest they weren't even blood related. Their parents had gotten married when they were each just barely walking. Even so they were very close. Which was why Madeline let herself get into the situation she was in. When they were in middle school Alfred had been bullied mercilessly. He liked comics and superheroes with such a passion that everyone else in the school shunned him and treated him like trash. Things were only made worse when Alfred made a very public confession directed at his one close friend Kiku Honda. Kiku hadn't reciprocated the feelings and the two managed to remain friends, but the whole school then knew that Alfred was gay. The teasing became too much at that point and Madeline had been the one to walk in on Alfred attempting to take an entire bottle of sleeping pills. That had been right before they finished eighth grade. Their parents had pulled Alfred out of school and let him finish the grade in summer school, privately.

When summer was coming to an end Madeline began to worry that the bullying would begin again when they started high school. That was when Ivan Braginski, captain of the school's hockey team, approached her and asked her out. At first she was going to turn him down, but just as she began to decline he interrupted her. He told her that if she went out with him that he would make sure no one ever bullied Alfred again. She thought about it but was still going to say no until he once again interrupted her answer, this time with a threat. 'Go out with me or I will make the bullying worse and he will be dead before Christmas break.' She couldn't refuse him.

That had been three years ago. Ivan was a senior now and herself a junior. She and Ivan were still a couple and Ivan had kept his end of the bargain. Alfred may not have been super popular but the bullying had stopped completely. He'd even made a few friends aside from Kiku. She truly loved her brother and if the price for keeping him safe and happy was for her to be with Ivan, then that is what she would do.

"Yo, sis. We're here."

Alfred was waving his hand in front of Madeline's face, trying to get her attention.

"So sorry Al. I just spaced out there for a moment."

"Alright, I guess that's fine. Oh hey, Arthur's invited me over to hang out tonight and study for that English test on Wednesday, so do you think you can find another ride home?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

"And make sure it isn't with that creepy boyfriend of yours. I don't want him doing anything weird to you."

Madeline smiles, and if anyone had been paying attention they would have seen it didn't quite reach her eyes. "He isn't that bad Alfred. He'd never make me do anything I didn't want to." It wasn't a complete lie. He had made her do quite a few things she hadn't wanted, but Madeline knew her brother was referring to a specific something and she could only be grateful that Ivan had not wanted to cross that line, yet.

"Whatever you say. Well see ya."

With that Alfred took off and rushed towards his friends. Madeline waved after him before heading off towards the old teacher's lounge near the gym. That was always where Ivan expected her to meet him. Madeline shudders at the thought of him but if she didn't show up he could make something bad happen to Alfred.

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Surprise! Yeah Maddie really died in Promises, poor Gilly. But he's gotten a second chance it seems.

Not very long but this is only meant to introduce our main characters and give you an idea of their histories. I hope everyone is enjoying this so far, I know I am. Review please.