A/N: Sorry, guys. I had this finished, but I trashed it. Five times. I didn't like it. =/ Avo help any beta readers I get. And just so you know, I usually send direct mail in reply to reviews (for privacy reasons), so check your mail. But I'll answer them here anyway.
Kassandra Black: Thanks. I hope I didn't kill it the other chapters. And you spelled "next" wrong, no offence. I have a problem with spelling.
MrsDarcy14: Thanks, but I try to avoid ze cliffies if possible. And what's so funny about broken arms? I've never had a broken bone, of course, but I know they hurt! BTW, I already read your fanfic. I'm much too speedy for my own good. And the name was a random thought in the air that sprouted this. I didn't know it was a star. Or that it was a rarely seen red star. Or that it was so shiny. The funny thing? Mira's favorite color was already red. The pure irony!
And, of course, the quote of the chapter! Hmm... Well, it's depressing, so pull out the tissue box. This won't end well.
"Remember when I told you those stories, of the great hero Queen? You'd never get tired of those. And, after each one, do you remember what you would say?" "Teach me how to be a Hero." "*laughs* Every single time." -Walter and Princess, back at the castle, WAY back when. XD It's Queen for me, so I put Queen. Longest A/N ever. -Sam B. ;)
Screw the rules, I have sadistic plotbunny armies.
Mira stormed out a few seconds after Ben, furious beyond imagination. Ben knew better than to look back at her. He hadn't known her for 6 years without knowing that it was a literally fatal mistake. So he simply loaded his rifle and shot at the Hollow Men. Mira shot combination after combination of weaved spells, which made it clear she was hyped up on anger and adrenaline.
After fighting numerous waves of Hollow Men, Mira stopped using her Will and went into the thick of it all with her sword, still refusing to say anything. Ben didn't speak either, not wanting to make anything worse than it already was. So he kept any (which was quite a large sum) smart aleck comments to himself.
It took about half an hour to finish off the Hollow Men, but a nagging question played in both of their minds: Where were the Balverines?
Mira was panting, surprising both Ben and herself that she didn't keel over after that many weaved spells, when the unmistakeable call of a Balverine went out through the air. They both went on guard, looking for anything to indicate a Balverine attack. But nothing came. Mira gave up on seeing any and went back in the cabin Jacob had designated for them. He had owed them for stopping Connor during her preparation for the Crawler, but after what had just happened, he still owed them. Ben ran in after her, already formulating what he was going to do. If there's anything that would stop Mira from killing him immediately, it was blackmail/bribery.
And he knew just what to do it with.
A/N: So? It is indeed a short chapter, but I need this quick transition. Besides, who would want to wait extra long to see what Reaver does to her? The sadist army of my plotbunnies has been disbanded from the inspiration of a truly evil plot twist I was so disgusted by, I had a hard time breathing for several minutes. This is a really low blow, guys. And the beginning of the Ben/Princess relationship, but it comes with some heavy consequences. You'll see. Oh, you'll see it, and feel nauseous from simply reading it. I think I'm getting a stress-related ulcer from preparing it. My stomach feels shrunken. Well, I guess if it disbands this maddening group of evil rodents, I'll survive. You didn't cry from the quote, did you? I just looked at the hits and visits for February. Oh, my God. I feel so appreciated, I'll take to dancing outside, in the cold, the snow, the dark, and in my T-shirt and sweatpants. That's just how great you all make me feel! I'm literally glowing. But this Reaver thought is making me feel sick to my shrunken stomach. Now this is a long A/N. Off with me, then! Shoo! Begone with me! -Sam Belk ;)
