Okay, everyone has been up to one shots and updations… so my turn now! Except for the one-shots, I don't do those quite yet, must finish my first fic first. Much thanks to all who reviewed, including my dear Saphalina, who will be introduced in Chapter 15 of my Pirates of the Caribbean fic, titled: Jealousy. Check it out, you know you want to! This Chapter is putting a whole new angle onto my fic, and all of these recent one-shots and stuff gives me an idea for all of these. I must say that the bad guys do need to outright win sometimes, but I will not say whether this includes my fic or not. It will be quite a ride people! Fasten your seatbelts for major adventure… and romance of course! What is a good fic without some little hint of romance?

After consideration and editing, I have decided to re-do Chapter 4, which is now shorter, and not as quick-paced and crammed together. Much gratitude to all who reviewed, y'all are so helpful and nice! Couldn't be a fic without you! I am also going to insert a Candy chappie in between, I just like to alternate, makes people mad and curious at the same time. Anywho, hope that this chapter is better. Please review and let me know what you think!

Chapter 4: Alive

Carrion washed up on the island of Qualm Hah at 9:00 in the morning, one of the outer islands of the Abarat. He was on the barren half of the island onto which none ventured. His half dead body was awkwardly positioned on the top of a smooth boulder. His Nightmares were long since gone, eaten away by the mantazacs only a few days before. There was a slow breeze, and Carrion could smell smoke. He lifted his weak neck to see over the small bushes that surrounded him. His Grandmother had apparently set fire to all of Yebba Dim Day. Who else could have done it? No one else could have had a fire spread so wide and fast, consuming an entire island all at once. Anger coursed through his veins at the thought of his grandmother. How could she not have told him about his precious Boa? The only woman he ever loved? And that Candy girl, he wasn't really sure if he loved her also. Was it only because she had Boa in her, or did he love them both? Candy and Boa both had never showed him mercy, so why did he still care so much, even when they had almost caused his death? Perhaps he was dying. He had never felt so weak and vulnerable in his life.

His eyes were so heavy… No! don't sleep! Stay awake! Maybe for only a minute….

Carrion was in the dreaming world. He knew it, and he had to find Candy. He had to find her. She must be somewhere in the Abarat. She wouldn't truly leave it would she?

After many minutes of soul searching he found her asleep.

She was there. Dreaming away her sorrows on the island of Huffaker. Her short shoulder length hair casually blew in the breeze. He sat down on the light sandy shore beside her. He reached out to touch her tan shoulder, then Candy's dreaming presence appeared and knocked his hand away from her.

"You're alive."

"As are you, my love."

"I'm going to destroy you Carrion. I'm not your love. I've never loved you, and I think it is high time you understood that," she said firmly and surely.

Her words pained him, and he felt his cold, damaged heart ripping at the seams all over again.

"Your words cut like knives for one so gentle and fair."

"Stop talking to me that way. You cannot use mere words to take back everything you have done to me and to the Abarat. Words cannot save you anymore."

"I am not trying to weasel my way out, dearest. I am trying to talk with you."

"Well, I never want to speak to you again until I have you at my mercy and about to finally do away with you and your evil!"

"I can understand why you are so upset. But, you are my only salvation! You are the only one that can right my evil ways, the only one who is able to show me kindness and mercy. I do not wish to continue on in this manner. I want to marry you Candy, I want to rule the islands with you at my side. I don't want Absolute Midnight as my grandmother does. All I have ever known is darkness and cruelty at her hand. Save me, Candy!" and he threw himself at her feet.

"Get away! Carrion, I cannot save you. Despite what you may think, I am not your salvation, and I will never marry you. Never. Got that? It won't happen! Your obsession with me is getting ridiculous; how many times must you hear the word no, before you finally comprehend it?" she cried out in frustration at him.

Carrion knew it was for sure now. He would have to force her to marry him, no matter what he had to do, he had to make her love him, make her see how honest and in love he was with her. "You will understand in time, Candy. I am going to wipe away your memory of this, I will see you eventually, my love."

"What?! You-"and Candy's mind was wiped and Carrion disappeared in one fleeting moment.

For the next day and a half Carrion slept on, dreaming only of Candy, his Candy, and his plan to capture her heart. This would work out nicely…

When Carrion awoke smelling the salty air of the Izabella. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was so weak, and the sun was foreign to him, but oddly enough, it gave him energy. He was finally able to lift his head and remain conscious long enough to eat from the plants around him. One was terrible to the taste, but Carrion had had worse things from his grandmother, and it gave him more energy than the others did.

Once Carrion had eaten all of the green pods on the plant, all of his energy soared to its peak of strength, as he had never remembered feeling before. What kind of a plant was that? It looked to be just a plain little plant. It was a pale green plant with yellow flecks all over it. Strange little thing that it was, he couldn't help but feel grateful. He felt alive.

Carrion shook his head and found that it wasn't sore. He remembered his plan to win Candy's heart at last and rule the Abarat together. Christopher knew the Sister of the Princess Breath, she was nothing short of a talented and beautiful witch. Sometimes her spells had terrible prices on them, but he did not care, he only wanted to have his Princess to love him forever. He wasn't sure if it would even work. She was beautiful, but was quick to temper like his dear old grandmother, and he wasn't keen on having someone like her in his life anytime soon.

Carrion had more than enough energy to conjure a Tunnel. A tunnel was much like a door that you would cross through that transported you to your desired destination. It lit up like a thousand colored stars, and Carrion had to shield his eyes from the iris of colors as he crossed over to the island of Yzil at the peak of the day at 12:00 in the afternoon.

He already knew where the witch resided. Rumors proved to be true if they were about those sorts of people, and it had never failed him before. It was supposed to be hidden deep in the forest underneath the Black Wrango-Peach Tree.

Carrion did not take a liking to the idea of walking in this disgustingly damp place, but you couldn't Tunnel from one point to another on the same island. It could only be used to travel between the islands of the Abarat. He was forced to walk and struggle though the undergrowth. The thick tangles of thorns and vines snatched at him and made the journey all the more difficult and unpleasant for him. Carrion had to cut down many vines using magic because they were so thick; it was almost impossible to cut them by manual means. Cursing profusely and trying not to fall to the ground he kept going.

Carrion's breath was heavy and panting by the time he reached the only Black Wrango Peach Tree in existence in all of the Abarat. He took one of the black as midnight peaches and bit into it. It was the best thing he had ever tasted. It tasted juicy and rich, and it reminded him of the scent of Princess Boa when he had first met him.

Archmid appeared, and she looked angry. "Why are you eating the blessed fruit of my Black Wrango-Peach Tree?!"

"I have come with a proposition, my princess… and a desire."