A/N: As I promised, one week later, here is the new first chapter. Thanks to everyone who's been sticking with Eternal, and thanks to LittleSpooky for reviewing every single time. Without further ado, Eternal, take two.

Rhea drummed her fingers on her desk, her eyes absently combing the forest outside of her window. She could hear the crackling flames that were burning in the distance and she knew that the Ruler was getting closer. The demon blood she had inherited from her mother was burning inside of her, straining against the force of her free will, trying to reach him. One slip would be all her malevolent heritage would need to come skyrocketing to the surface, overtaking Rhea and her common sense. She couldn't remember how long it had taken her to change back the last time, and with a demon force as strong as the Ruler's, she knew her demonic blood would be content to never change back.

It had been a long few months since the Ruler had returned, stronger than ever and with a strong right-hand man who was infinitely more powerful than the first-rate demons he usually relied upon. This man had power in his own right and, along with the power leant to him by the Ruler, was a worrisome adversary. Together, the two had already occupied several key villages near the capital and were moving outwards in a slow spiral, taking the freedom of every village with them.

Rhea had, years ago, been granted an unofficial Ruling position over the realms. After Sara had rejected the formal position, she had turned it and its responsibilities over to Rhea. Sara was still technically the formal Ruler, though Rhea undertook all the work that the title entailed when Sara was away. Now, with the arrival of the old oppressive Ruler, neither Rhea nor Sara were holding the title. It weighed more heavily on Rhea since she lived the majority of her life in the realms while Sara still spent most of her time in the moral world with the powerless race of people she didn't belong to.

"They're getting closer." Violet, a powerful mind-reader and one of Rhea's closest friends, drooped against the doorframe to Rhea's small office.

"Sit down before you fall over." With a twitch of her hand, Rhea sent a chair skidding away from the desk.

"Neat trick." Violet sunk into the chair with a sigh. "They're razing Garre."

"That's only a couple miles away." Rhea chewed her lip thoughtfully. "We're going to have to move again."

Violet sighed once more. "We've been hopping from hideout to hideout for weeks. We need to make a stand."

"We don't have the power for a standoff - not the magical power, not the manpower. We're stuck in a tight spot."

"I agree, but if we let them keep pushing us around, we'll slip up. Everything's already disorganized because of the last move. We can't keep living like this."

"I know, I know." Rhea wiped a weary hand over her eyes. "We'll...I don't know."

"I have an idea." Violet said, her eyes sparking slightly. "You won't like it, but it'd help."

Rhea saw her friend's plan instantly. "She wouldn't come."

"I know, I know. But we need her. She has duties here that she can't neglect."

"She wants to."

"Hey, if I were in her position, I would too. But the fact of the matter is that this is the hand we've been dealt and we're going to have to make the best out of it."

Rhea looked out the window and sighed. She knew Violet was right. While Rhea was a good leader - strong, fair, powerful and utterly devoted - she wasn't the leader. She wasn't the face or the name of the rebellion, not the person her people needed to see to be motivated. She couldn't will them into action with one word, couldn't ask them to die for her with one action. From her, they needed convincing and a stable base. From their Leader, all they needed was a look.

Outside, a thick plume of smoke rose from the horizon. It was a small pillar, but Rhea knew that it would be massive up close. And that destruction was slowly making its way towards her, her people and her home.

"Fine," She couldn't look at Violet as she said it, couldn't linger on the thought of the choice she was forcing her leader to make. All she could think of was the people here, and she knew the decision was right. "Do it."