Fayar tentatively knocked on the door of the deputy's office. The headmaster hadn't answered, and she wanted to ask if she was permitted to go to Earth over break even without a guardian.

"Come." The door opened, whether magically or not she wasn't sure. The young deputy Minbari showed worry even as he smiled warmly.

"How can I assist you?"

"I was hoping to go to Earth over break. For my mother's funeral. Please."

He nodded understandingly. "I apologize, but I cannot allow you to do that. Our first priority is our student's safety. However, we have decided to allow you father to be recognized as your legal guardian. He has made arrangements for you to stay with him on the station over break. I'm sure if you talked to him, he would be more than happy to escort you to earth."

She nodded, wiping tears from her face. "Thank you."

As soon as she left, the soldier materialized next to the Minbari. He sighed deeply.

"How long must I keep this up?"

"Until she is convinced." The being replied cryptically.

"She will know you aren't her father the moment she meets you."

"She's a fleshling. She'll be too distraught to notice. Besides, she only met him what...once?"

The deputy glared at him.

"You don't want to end up like the old headmaster, do you?"

"You manipulative little…"

"I could have the Masters reduce your precious school to nothing. Keep that in mind." The soldier faded out.

Fayar stumbled down the hall, carrying only a small duffel with her, having opted to leave Jax at school over break.

She knocked on the door to brown 10-3. It opened, and she slid into the small space. It was completely blank. A soldier materialized next to her, and she reached out to it. She couldn't feel it.

"Where's my father?" She asked it, not quite alarmed yet.

"I'm right here."

"You're not my father."

"Fayar, think reasonably." He reached down and grabbed her hand, the one with the ring on it, and brought it up to eye level. "Haven't been using the ring, I see."

"I haven't had time. Now Where. Is. My. Father?"

"Fayar, think rationally. Your familial bond was damaged by your mother's death. You can't feel me because it's damaged."

"That's not true. If I make an active effort, I should be able to feel him anywhere. Where is he?"

"I did not think you had cultivated your bond so fully yet. Nevertheless, you are not leaving this room. You are one of us now. One of the more powerful ones of us. The Masters desire your service."

"Who are the Masters?" She looked around, trying to buy herself time to escape.

"The Shadows. We will serve them until we are terminated."

Fayar walked to the side wall and attempted to phase through it. It remained solid.

"Did you really think I wouldn't think of that?"

"I could hope." She spat back.

"Kid, listen to me. We can do whatever we want. Our masters will take over the universe and everything in it. And they will do it from within! That is why they need your help. The first in to the Wizarding world. With the Wizards at our backs, we could get earth out of the way easily. And then use them as a shield. We would be unstoppable!"

"Shut Up. I'm not going to listen to a madman."

"But you will. I became your mentor when your father passed. And while he may have been too weak to take advantage of your powers, that ring gives me the ability to use any of your abilities."

"Then I'll take it off."

"Have you forgotten? It's part of you, and because of that I can use it until you become an adult. Unless, of course, something were to happen to you. So you have two options. Serve the masters, or die and I'll do it for you."

"My Father is dead too?"

He slapped Fayar across the face. "Is that all you got out of that? Fleshling, I'm giving you the opportunity for true power."

Fayar narrowed her eyes. "You didn't think of one thing though. Fiendfyre!" She pointed her wand at the wall, smugly watching as the unstoppable fire ate through the metal. She jumped through the hole in the wall that was rapidly forming, smiling. The soldier followed through the hole, and was struck with a jet of water to the chest. He merely let it pass through him, them put the fire out behind him. Or at least moved it elsewhere.

"Now Fayar, this was to be a quiet visit. Look what you've gone and done." He gestured sweepingly to the crowd that had assembled. Fayar hurriedly shoved her wand into a pocket, alarmed by the amount of No-majes around. She dove through the legs of several stunned people, trying to lose the soldier. He just faded and appeared right next to her.

"You know you can't escape, right?"

Fayar phased herself through a set of walls at random, almost running into the moved fire, before popping back into visibility. She dashed madly for the Zocalo, trying to get anywhere security personnel would be hanging out in force. An arm reached out and caught her as she almost crashed into a store.

"Miss, watch where you're going. You shouldn't be running in such a crowded area."

The brown uniform caused her to relax slightly.

"I'm sorry. He's chasing me. The soldier."

"Who is? I don't see anyone?"

"The soldier of darkness! Please, I have to leave."

"Miss, calm down. Why don't you come with me to file a report?"

Fayar nodded numbly. She tried to keep her pace even as she spotted the soldier closing in on her position. She tapped the guard on the shoulder, pointing to where the soldier was. He jumped slightly, eyes widening.

"And just why is he chasing you?"

"Erm...That's a long story."

He pulled his PPG, firing across the crowd. "Chief, we need security in the Zocalo. Now."

The soldier kept pressing forward, walking through people like they were no more than insects. Garibaldi easily wove his way into the crowd, and Fayar had never been so glad to see someone in her life.

"Fayar, get behind me." He ordered, and she was quick to comply.

"Fayar, why is he after you? Why doesn't your dad show up to stop him?"

"It's complicated. Sorry, sir."

"The girl is mine!" The soldier hissed. Fayar crouched down and drew her wand, slowly enlarging the ring until the skin on her finger could no longer hold onto it, grimacing in pain as the skin ripped. She took the ring off, now distorted, and chucked it at the soldier's head.

"Not anymore. I belong to no one."

"Girl, even without the ring I am still your mentor."

"But now I have one more option: Refuse."

"So do I: Kill you." He lunged forward, but Fayar discreetly put up a shield charm, knocking the unsuspecting soldier back.

"Sir, what's going on?" She heard one of the younger guards ask very confusedly.

Deep red and purple blood was streaming down her hand and pooling on the floor, staining her clothes, but she could care less. She pulled a fist back and punched the soldier in the face, sending it far enough away from her that it could be shot at again. It wailed in pain as several blasts hit it at the same time.

"Mark my words, girl, the Masters will not give up. We will be back." The soldier faded out unhappily.

Garibaldi turned to Fayar. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Thanks, sir."

"For the last time, just call me Garibaldi." She smiled. He bent down so only she could hear him. "You should head back to school. I'll take care of things here. Then I want an explanation."

She nodded again and started to wander off. She climbed into the shuttle and began the slow descent to the school. She grimaced through the pain, glad that the shuttle magically cleaned itself.

She got patched up, and thankfully the healers didn't ask too many questions. She proceeded to check in with the deputy, then go to her dorm. She waited hours, which turned into a day, for Garibaldi to show up. She had shed her share of tears, shut in her room, and wished she could talk to someone. Now, Garibaldi was the closest thing to a friend she had. At least until her friends came back from break. She headed to the station to seek him out, not wanting to be noticed, she stayed translucent and in the shadows. He wasn't in his office. He wasn't in his room. She even tracked down CNC and checked there. Finally, she found him in the med lab, knocked out and secluded. She walked through the walls to sit beside him, reaching out slowly mentally, for her mind to brush his. This was on her head too. If she hadn't left...Maybe she could have done something. Gotten him to the magical healers. Now...now her whole world was falling apart.

A/N:

Hello again! Sorry for the wait. I hope you enjoy what is now the conclusion of the first season. As always, please feel free to review. I know this chapter isn't the best, I just needed to get it out there so I could keep going.