Author's Note: I FINALLY got around to writing it! REJOICE!

I'm sorry if stuff doesn't quite fit with the books, but I think this will turn out all right anyway. ; It will most definitely be AU… no, wait, it already is. Eventually, a few of my sort-of-original characters will make their way here… so be on the lookout for a guy named Rornir.

Please enjoy. This may be terribly confusing, but I'll try.

Disclaimer: I don't own Seventh Tower or any of its characters. They belong to Garth Nix. Yep. I DO own some later characters, though.

Past, Present, and Future

By Word of a Sayre

Chapter One

Castle

A rogue Spiritshadow roamed the castle.

It stalked through the halls, darting this way and that, diving behind objects and blending with their natural shadow. Tiny balls of darkness that were the Spiritshadow's eyes glanced about. They shone with a brilliance, a hunger… bloodlust. The stray Aeniran was hungry to kill.

It slithered out from behind a statue and made its way down the empty corridor. It did not fear the Chosen of the Castle--the Spiritshadow feared nothing, for it was too driven and blinded by the need for blood to know anything else.

Finally prey appeared—a boy, walking down the hall in the Spiritshadow's direction. He was rather tall and blonde hair fell over his deep brown eyes. The boy was completely unaware of the Aeniran's presence, and he hummed a tune to himself as he went.

Mouth frothing with dark saliva, it slunk back into the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to attack.

The boy passed, footsteps echoing.

In a blur of shadow, the Aeniran leapt, hissing, bearing its teeth and unfurling long, sharp claws…

Clovil let out a sharp gasp and turned just in time to see the Spiritshadow's gaping jaws latch onto his neck. With a cry, he fell into darkness.

"Emperor Tal."

The young boy looked up at the sound of his name, wiping dark, overgrown hair out of his eyes.

It was Gill, one of Tal's closest friends. She stood before him, frowning and biting her lip. He could see her trembling, her hands in fists. "Tal… something's happened…"

Tal stood, concerned as he noticed tears in start deep in his friend's eyes. It was very unlike Gill to act in such a way—Tal rarely saw her upset. "What is it?"

"It's Clovil. He's been attacked… and…" Gill suddenly burst into tears, burying her face in her hands.

Tal leapt to her side, eyes wide. "What… Clovil?! What happened?"

Gill shook her head and sobbed uncontrollably. Her shoulders were shaking with both fear and shock. "T-They don't know! They just found his body… it looked like a creature got h-him…"

The young emperor frowned in deep concern and thought. There weren't truly any creatures in the castle… granted, caveroaches still patrolled the abandoned Underfolk levels, but they couldn't attack… only poison…

Through his thoughts he heard Gill crying, "There were claw marks and it l-looked like he'd been torn to shreds—"

"Where is he now?" asked Tal, gripping her shoulders. A great number of Chosen had gathered around, and whispers darted from ear to ear between them.

"He's being healed," Gill sniffled, wiping her eyes with a sleeve. "Back at home… but they aren't sure--"

Tal nodded and turned to the Chosen around him, eyes fierce with the intensity he'd already learned to boast as Emperor. "Search the Castle for any sort of creature that could have done this. Report to me anything suspicious you find."

In an instant the group had skittered away off through the halls. Tal sat back down and spoke to Gill quietly about the incident, all the while wondering just what was going on… perhaps a Chosen had attacked with some sort of weapon…? It was a possibility. The ex-Underfolk had been a bit militant since their freedom… but why would an Underfolk attack Clovil? He'd once been one of them…

All around Chosen were searching for the culprit, but in truth Tal would be the one to find it first…

Malen hurriedly made her way down the corridor in a highly un-Cronelike manner—but then, the entire Castle was on edge and everything was in disarray, and even Malen was tense and not herself.

All around her she heard whispers and talk of creatures in the Castle. It seemed the report was getting around fast, and it seemed many were even claiming to have seen the beast.

"It had claws the length of my arm…" one would say.

"If I wasn't mistaken I'd say it was a Spiritshadow…" said another in hushed, fearful tones.

Malen frowned and turned the corner to Tal's courtroom. The Emperor was there, with Gill, talking quietly at a table.

"Tal," she said, and the boy looked up.

"Malen," he replied, and gave a slight bow despite himself. He stood. "What is it?"

The girl fought to keep her composure. "I've heard various reports, but it appears there have been multiple sightings of this creature… so many it would seem there are more than one."

Tal stared at her for a moment and then closed his eyes, running a hand through his brown hair. "What's… going on…?"

Malen shook her head, unable to think of something to say. Everything was happening to fast—only a moment ago Malen had been reading quietly with the other Crones when a boy burst through the door and announced that there had been an attack and sightings of a strange creature. Since then all had been haywire and confusion.

Tal looked up, eyes only half open. Malen was standing in the doorway, gaze cast down, fists clenched in worry.

He was about to say something to her when he realized she had… two shadows? He titled his head to the side in confusion and peered forward.

Beside the young crown was a blob of wayward darkness. It was a bit too dark… and it seemed to move and pulse on its own, twitching and wiggling at the edges.

Realization struck hard and Tal sprung towards her, whipping the Violet Keystone from his pocket. "Malen, move!"

Caught off guard, Malen stared at him for a moment and then leapt aside, narrowly missing being struck by a bolt of red light. From her knees she stared at the spot in which she'd been standing and gaped.

There, pulsing and writhing, was a Spiritshadow.

A reasonably small one at that… most likely nothing more than a Hugthing… but a Spiritshadow. An Aeniran was in the Castle.

The first one since Tal had banished them.

Gill shrieked. "It's…"

"Not dead," finished Tal, eyes intent on the thing. It was getting to its tentacle-like feet and recovering from the blow. It was a sickening thing to Tal, and this surprised him--he'd marveled at Spiritshadows as a boy, before his adventure, and now they disgusted him. "Let's get out of here."

But before they could move Malen pointed to the ceiling above and cried, "My Emperor, there—"

Tal whirled. On the ceiling three more Spiritshadows were poised to attack. Three more…

"Run!" the Emperor cried, and he turned and plucked Malen by the cloak to make her go. Gill following, the three sprinted down the hall and away from the creatures.

Bursting into the nearest room, they were greeted by a tall man with a sturdy build. It was Rakirik, one of Tal's guards. His burly face was contorted, strangled, as though in pain.

"Emperor Tal," Rakirik said urgently, crowding the door and not letting them pass. "The Veil is failing."

"Failing?" cried Tal desperately, his head spinning, overloaded with fear and confusion. Failing? How could the Veil be failing? "Why… how? There are Spiritshadows in the Castle, Rakirik—"

"I know," the guard replied, suddenly wincing as though in pain. "I've seen them. They're everywhere—you have to leave. Emperor Tal, go to the Ice—the Far Raiders have heard of our crisis and are coming. The other Crones of the Castle contacted them…"

Tal was about to tell him that he couldn't just abandon the castle when Rakirik gave a scream and toppled forward. Springing back, the three younger ones tensed. Rakirik's back was soaked in blood, and from his flesh erupted a Shadow, claws cutting through skin and beady red eyes swirling this way and that. It was something like an insect, with pincers and antennae that felt along Rakirik's fallen form, prodding his skin and cutting it.

Gill cried out and began to run, panicked and nearly stumbling with every step. Tal and Malen pursued, the Crone crying, "We must go to the Ice. The Castle will be besieged if the Veil fades—the Spiritshadows will be too great in number to stop."

Tal gave a fleeting look and then nodded painfully. "We'll go through the vents—there's a passage on this level…"

"There!" Gill shouted, pointing at a ventilation shaft in the wall. "Crawl through!"

Tal leapt to action at her words, raising his Keystone and firing violet light at the shaft. The metal flashed brilliant red, twisting and melting away, and the hole that was formed was just large enough to fit through.

A hand shoved Tal forward--it was Malen, and she shoved him forward hastily yet gently--such was the way of a Crone, Tal supposed momentarily. "You will go first, Emperor Tal. Do not tarry, there is no time."

"I must--"

Malen shook her head.

Tal looked mournfully at the hallway. He could see more shadows appearing at the end off the corridor, and he knew he must hurry, but for a moment he felt as though he were dreaming. Was he really abandoning the Castle? Tal—an Emperor—fleeing from battle? One he could not grin, granted, but guilt rose in his throat and Tal almost felt tears in his eyes. I am a coward, he thought.

A coward that doesn't have a choice, a voice from inside reminded him.

Another tug at his cloak tore Tal away from his thoughts, and he turned, swinging one leg into the small opening in the wall. From his position he could see the shaft--it led far below at an angle, sloping down into darkness. His eyes wide, he slid down with one last, angry cry, and vanished.

Malen followed, throwing off her Cronelike grace and swinging herself into the shaft. She gripped the metal bar above and looked back at Gill momentarily, her silver hair falling over her face. "Follow." She let go and followed Tal.

But Gill closed the shaft behind them. If the Spiritshadows could see where they'd gone, they would follow and all would be lost. If Gill left the shaft open, they'd all be killed. But if she stayed behind…

A sad smile touched her lips as she turned to meet the Spiritshadows. There was no escape.

Tal couldn't tell if he was screaming or not as he plummeted through the shaft. He might have screamed out of fear, he might have screamed out of anger, confusion, hatred—anything. The Castle was lost. Clovil and the others could be dead—his family, for that matter. Gref, Kusi, his mother and father.

His mother and father, whom he'd just barely regained.

The reality of it all hit him as hard as the hard ground that rushed up to meet him before he could blink. The shaft opened and Tal hit the carpeted floor of what used to be the Red level—it didn't go to the abandoned Underfolk levels. On his hands and knees, Tal groaned and rubbed his arms before he heard Malen's arrival just above him. Gasping, he rolled out of the way, and the young Crone landed hard beside him, crying out and grimacing. "Oww…"

Malen struggled to her knees and leaned back against the wall. She rubbed her shoulder and pursed her lips. Then she looked from side to side—they'd landed in a narrow hallway of the Red Level. She searched the corners and the shadows, where the rogue Aenirans may lay in wait… but Malen could see none. "Perhaps the shadows have not yet reached this Level."

"They may not need to. Nobody really comes down here anymore… not since the old ways were abolished." Tal looked around—the Level had become somewhat dilapidated, and the dust made Malen sneeze.

The Crone got to her feet. "We should hurry—wait! Gill—?"

Tal blinked. The girl hadn't come through the shaft. For a moment he considered everything—she could have slid into a different shaft. She could be stuck. She could have…

But Malen shook her head. Tal felt his heart sink and the back of his neck crawl with images of what the Spiritshadows could do to a human. He'd spoken to Ferek once, and the boy had told him of dreams he had—dreams of insect Spiritshadows that could get into your body and eat you from the inside. He shook the images away (1). "She'll be alright," he told himself, almost forgetting that Malen could hear as well. "She'll find another way."

The Crone had tears in her eyes, but she nodded.

It took Tal a moment to find his voice. He opened and closed his mouth several times and made several guttural noises before he could say, "The staircase to the Underfolk levels is here somewhere." How familiar the Red Level remained in his mind! The memories of his old life here almost brought a nostalgic smile to his face. "Let's go."

Malen looked as though she might protest and beg to wait for Gill, but she took a deep breath and agreed.

Tal turned, wiping his own eyes before he ran down the hall.

"I remember this," Malen muttered. They stood in the abandoned Underfolk levels, where makeshift shelters and old work tools lay littered all around. "We—the Icecarls—came through here. The passage to the Ice is near…"

The emperor nodded. All too recent was the memory he shared with Milla, returning to the Castle through the tunnel. Meeting the Freefolk. Everything…

He'd never planned on returning.

"This way." The Crone moved ahead, sidestepping a pile of rubble that may have once been an Underfolk's shelter. Tal followed her.

The ground grew difficult to tread over and the castle's wall loomed near—Malen could almost see the half-hidden passage in the stones behind a bedraggled tapestry. She wondered if many Underfolk had ever known the tunnel, and if they'd ever ventured out to the Ice. Probably not—they feared the Chosen's authority and what they might do if the rules were broken.

Tal pulled the curtain back cautiously, and a few caveroach shells fell to the ground. Malen jumped before she realized they were dead and threw Tal a nervous glance. If they ran into living ones…

But the emperor frowned in determination and entered the tunnel. Darkness swallowed him and Malen followed.

Tal lit his Sunstone, and the pale yellow light cast eerie shadows on both their grim faces. The tunnel smelled old and dank, wet and cold. Tal wrinkled his nose, but Malen's eyes widened at the drop in temperature. The Ice was near.

"We must find your clan quickly," Tal told her in a hushed tone. "I don't know how long we will last on the open Ice."

"Do not worry. I will contact the Crones and tell them of our location."

Tal could already feel himself shivering, and the cold grew worse as they pressed on. Finally the emperor felt the snow and biting wind upon his skin, and they stepped out of the tunnel and onto the Ice.

Beside him, Malen was actually smiling.

"We've made it…" Tal muttered. He looked up above him and tried to catch a glimpse of the Castle, but through the snowstorm he could only see its distant, flickering lights. He bit his lip. "Contact the Far Raiders."

Malen stood rigid.

Tal looked at her. It seemed she'd already begun the contact—her eyes had turned milky white and her lips moved without sound. After a moment, her eyes focused and she blinked, glancing everywhere, then falling on Tal. "Emperor—they are coming. But there is more…"

She seemed troubled, but a hint of excitement trembled in her voice. "What is it?" asked Tal.

"They… they say they've found someone on the Ice. A Chosen, it appears; he is not one of our own. And Milla says…" she trailed off again, and Tal stared at her, willing her to continue.

"Milla? What does she say…?"

"She says the one they've found is Crow."

(1) - Reference to "Ferek's Story". Haha, shameless plug.

End Note: OMG. I can like… NEVER leave Crow dead. Oh well. I've got a good reason for him to be alive. So… leave a review! =3 Pweeze?