Thanks for the reviews guys! They are so appreciated! :)

Meant To Be (Chapter 10)

"Yes, Richard! Concentrate on me again…I'm right here!" Kahlan pleaded with a fierce desperation she had never known before, a desperation to return to the man she loved more than life itself. She had made a connection with him twice now. Although brief, Richard at last knew that he had been right. She was still alive and here with him now.

"Kahlan, where are you?" he called, panic filling his voice. "Zedd, why can't we see her?"

"Richard, I…" Zedd hesitantly began as he slowly shook his head from side to side, uncertain about what was happening. He wasn't sure if Richard had truly sensed Kahlan's presence somehow or if he had completely lost his mind from the pain of losing her.

"She is here! I felt her presence," he exclaimed as he turned in tight circles, his gaze frantically searching the entire room. "Kahlan, are you alright?"

Cara and Zedd watched in stunned silence as Richard paced the library, his brow furrowed in confusion, his face a mix of excited relief as well as dread. Something had definitely happened to cause him to suddenly react like he was.

He finally stopped his pacing to look at the Mord'Sith and his grandfather who were staring at him in bewilderment. "I am not going crazy. I am telling you, I felt Kahlan's presence. You have always trusted me, trusted my judgment. Please, I need you to trust me now," Richard pleaded with them.

"I'm not dead! I'm right here! Please, don't give up on me!" Kahlan frantically cried, knowing her words would go unheard, but desperate to voice them regardless of that fact.

Richard knew that he was getting closer to finding Kahlan, closer to being reunited with his beloved. Although he didn't know exactly what had happened to her, he knew he was on the verge of grasping hold of whatever it was that had been tickling the deepest recesses of his mind since he had lost her. Once he grasped hold of that missing piece, he'd have Kahlan safely back with him. He believed it with everything that was inside of him.

"We trust you, Lord Rahl," Cara finally responded as she stared at him.

"Thank you," Richard replied, relieved that they didn't think that he'd gone mad. "Now, we just have to figure out what happened to her so we can rescue her."

Glancing back down at the open book before her, something caught Cara's attention that she hadn't noticed before. "I think I may have just found something," she murmured after several moments, a contemplative wrinkle on her forehead.

"What is it?" Richard came to stand at the table across from her, his hands folded across his chest as he waited anxiously for her to provide them with some clues as to what had happened to Kahlan and why they couldn't see her.

"It says here that many Benders have tried to increase their powers which has had disastrous results, causing death as well as tears in time," she read aloud. Setting the book back down, she asked, "What if the staff caused some sort of tear in time?"

"Yes, that's it!" Richard exclaimed as he felt his fingers beginning to wrap around that ever elusive insight that had been tugging on his mind. "Maybe Kahlan and Brey weren't necessarily transported away from here like we had originally believed. Zedd, you said that the magnitude of that blast should have killed them both, but what if when the staff exploded, it caused some sort of fracture in time?" Richard felt a sense of peace suddenly wash over him. All the pieces were finally beginning to come together.

"Yes, that's what happened!" Kahlan cried again as she came to stand beside Richard. Fatigue was weighing heavily upon her now. It had taken everything she had to communicate with him and her injuries had already weakened her considerably.

"So what should have killed them both instantly instead fractured time and trapped them somehow? But trapped them where?" Zedd stared at nothing as he racked his aged mind for any instances that had happened in the past that was similar to this situation, something that could possibly guide them now if Richard was correct in his assumptions about what had happened to Brey and Kahlan.

"Everything I've read states that a Bender's magic is highly unstable. What if it was the instability in Brey's magic that made the Ta'all Ruk'tan break apart like it did?"

"What are you getting at?" Zedd questioned, his eyebrows narrowing as he attempted to wrap his mind around all the implications and possibilities.

"The Ta'all Ruk'tan has been around for thousands of years and no doubt has been passed through the hands of any number of people. What made it shatter now all of a sudden?"

"Brey's magic," Cara muttered with growing understanding. Things were starting to make sense. She was relieved that her Lord Rahl was not going crazy after all.

"Everything that we've read says a Bender's magic can be unpredictable and no one is more unstable than Brey. What if that volatility didn't combine well with the staff?"

"Alright…but…" Zedd began, still not entirely convinced.

"We need to get back down to the Crypt of Secrets," Richard adamantly announced, his jaw set with fierce determination. He knew that he was right. The only thing he was more certain of was his love for Kahlan.

"Why the crypt?" Cara asked as she stood to her feet.

"That is where the tear in time occurred and that is where we need to be to repair it in order to get Kahlan back."

"How do we even go about doing that? We don't even know for sure if your theory is correct," Zedd questioned again. It wasn't that he didn't believe in Richard's insights as the Seeker, but he was concerned that Richard was allowing his heart's deepest hopes and wishes to overrule reason and logic.

As much as Zedd wanted to believe that Richard was right, he was concerned about the validity of his assumptions. Magic wasn't something that one just started messing around with if all the facts weren't taken into consideration first...especially the powerful magic contained within the Ta'all Ruk'tan.

"I'm right, Zedd. I know it. And I have pretty good idea how to repair it too," Richard revealed. "Kahlan, if you can hear me, you have to follow us down to the Crypt of Secrets. I have an idea on how to rescue you."

Kahlan could feel her heart begin to hammer in her chest, the sweet anticipation of being reunited with her Seeker overwhelming her. Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes again, but this time they were tears of relief, tears of love. She would be able to feel her lover's touch once more.

Soon, she would feel his body pressed firmly against hers, his hands roaming over her flesh, his lips anxiously finding hers in a heated kiss of relief mingled with hunger and passion. They could finally experience and explore every aspect of true love…their love and everything that it could become. Soon, they would finally be husband and wife.

XXX

Richard quickly made his way towards the crypt, excitement bubbling from deep within his core, his mind buzzing with thoughts and uncertainties. While he was still worried about Kahlan being trapped with Brey, Richard now knew that he was getting closer to her. If things went well, though, he soon would have Kahlan safely in his arms.

Following Zedd and Cara, Richard's fingers rubbed small circles on the cool steel of the hilt of his sword. His gaze was narrowed in anticipation, anxious to put an end to all of this. Something still prickled in the back of his mind telling him that there was still great danger about.

Taking care of Brey was next on his list right after getting Kahlan back safely. He was hoping that Brey had been killed in the explosion, but he knew deep down that they couldn't be that fortunate. The monster was no doubt trapped in the same predicament as Kahlan. He was probably wandering the Keep in search of her right now.

He had to get to her quickly before Brey did. It seemed unlikely that Brey was with Kahlan now. Richard knew he would have never allowed her to reach out to him had Brey been right there with her. That thought alone gave him a spark of hope that Kahlan was relatively safe in the void she was trapped in. There was no telling, though, what other things could be affecting her or how long it would take Brey to find her. There was no predicting what kind of reaction all of this would create in the Bender's unhinged mind.

Richard suddenly became aware of a cramping sensation in his hand. Looking down, he discovered he had a death-grip on the hilt of his sword, his knuckles white from the intensity of his grasp, his fingernails digging into his flesh. He quickly relinquished his hold on his sword, his hand aching in gratitude for the release.

He quickened his pace at the thought of getting Kahlan back. He could hardly wait to look into those bright blue eyes, to see her smile, and feel her touch. More than that, he could scarcely wait to make her his wife. She meant more to him than anything else that life could ever offer him.

Walking silently by his side, Kahlan was absorbed in her own thoughts. She was growing anxious with every step that brought them closer to the Crypt of Secrets. While she wanted to return to the world of the living and to Richard above all else, she was fearful of being back where all of this had started. She was also worried about where Brey had ended up. There was no way of knowing where or when the Bender would suddenly appear out of thin air.

Kahlan had been relieved that she hadn't seen any trace of him since the accident. She took that as a hopeful sign that he had been killed. On the other hand, she had learned long ago that things were never that easy for them. She would be ready this time. She had hesitated before and it had cost her dearly. Grinding her teeth, she swore she would not make that same mistake again.

"So what's this brilliant plan to bring the Mother Confessor back?" Cara asked, casting a fleeting glance over her shoulder.

Peering through her blond strands, she could see the Lord Rahl lost in his own thoughts, but could easily guess at what they were by the look of anger that resided in his face. His gaze was narrowed and fierce, his muscles drawn tight, his steps purposeful and determined. He was a Seeker on a mission and Creator help whoever got in his way or tried to stop him. Cara knew it was only a matter of time before that vengeful rage was unleashed.

"Zedd just needs to put the Ta'all Ruk'tan back together. I'll take it from there," he simply stated, his eyes constantly scanning every door and hallway they passed in anticipation of something Cara was not quite sure of, but kept a close hand to her agiels just in case.

"What?" Zedd cried, coming to an abrupt halt, causing Cara to collide into the Wizard's back. Stumbling backwards, Cara frowned with irritation at his sudden stop.

Zedd quickly spun around, his eyes wide with surprise. "You never said that I would have to try to put the staff back together! What makes you think I can even do that? It was shattered into a thousand pieces! Don't you think you should have asked if it was even something I could do before we started this little expedition into the bowels of the Keep?"

"I know you can do it, Zedd. You're a Wizard of the First Order and you're my grandfather. I have faith that you will help me get Kahlan back," he matter-of-factly stated, his eyes filled with confidence.

"No pressure," Zedd huffed in irritation, rolling his eyes as he turned to resume their course to the crypt. "Why don't I just whip up something that'll put the crypt back in order while I'm at it? You know it's still in shambles, no thanks to the Seeker here."

"Yes, we know, Zedd! Let it go!" Cara cried with annoyance. If she had to hear about that stupid crypt one more time, she swore she'd put the old Wizard out of his misery once and for all.

Kahlan chuckled lightly to herself. It was good to hear Zedd and Cara's banter again. She hadn't realized how much she had missed hearing it until she was separated from them. It was also comforting to hear Richard speak so confidently about a way to rescue her from her helpless situation.

It was difficult for her to rely on others to save her. She had always been very self-sufficient and independent. Now, she was powerless to do any more except to wait patiently while Richard worked his plan.

Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, Kahlan became acutely aware of another's presence in the lower level of the Keep. Slowing her steps, she allowed the others to go on ahead of her as she fell back to inspect what she had seen.

Having been trapped here for two days, Kahlan thought that no one else had entered the Keep. Richard and the others seemed completely unaware of anyone's presence with them. Richard would no doubt have picked up on it and would have stopped to check it out.

Staying close along the wall, Kahlan cautiously made her way down the side corridor. Biting her bottom lip, she paused at the end of the hall, her eyes scanning for any more signs of the figure she had seen. She didn't know why she was being so careful. She was a ghost in this Keep - unseen, unheard, unnoticed. It was a lonely existence she found herself in. But she knew in her heart that Richard was going to change all of that very soon.

Peering around the corner, Kahlan's mind began to race. What would she do if there was someone else in the Keep? She would never be able to stop them, wouldn't be able to warn Richard and the others. Reaching out to Richard before had taken a long time and very focused concentration. It had also sapped a great deal of her strength.

Pushing aside her exhaustion and concerns, Kahlan pressed on down the next corridor. Deep down she had a feeling she knew who it was that she had seen, but she didn't want to believe it, didn't want to have to deal with him any longer. She had hoped he was dead, but now she knew that he was still alive…and probably just as trapped as she was.

Kahlan wasn't completely defenseless, though. She knew still had her power of confession. Despite the fact she was a prisoner in this world devoid of time, she could still feel her power curled tightly inside of her, simmering deep within her core, ready to be released in less than a heartbeat.

XXX

Reaching the Crypt of Secrets, Richard waited impatiently as Zedd performed the magical chant that would unlock the door and allow them entrance into the sacred room. The door swung open, light from the corridor flooding the enormous room.

Grumbling under his breath, Zedd entered first, his eyes taking in the chaos, already detesting the grueling task of putting it all back together again. Glass crunched noisily under their boots as they carefully walked through the war-torn crypt.

Cara was stunned by what she saw, but undeniably impressed by what her Lord Rahl's rage had accomplished. It looked as if a pack of wild gars had been set loose in the crypt. Stepping over broken bookcases and shards of glass, Cara proudly spoke. "Impressive, Lord Rahl."

"There is absolutely nothing to be impressed about!" Zedd groused as he bent over to pick up a book lying in his path. The books kept in the Crypt of Secrets were even more dangerous than the books that they'd been searching through up in the library on the main floor of the Keep. Everything in this room was sacred or incredibly dangerous to anyone who did not know what they were doing. Having been in Westland watching over Richard for years, even Zedd didn't know what some of things were that had been stored in this room. He had a feeling he was soon going to have a very intimate knowledge of every item by the time he was done restoring it.

"Zedd, I will help you put the crypt back together, but only after I get Kahlan back safely."

"I still don't know what makes you think that I'll be able to fix the staff. You may have to accept that…"

"I don't have to accept anything. The only outcome I do accept is getting Kahlan back," Richard heatedly interrupted.

"I'll do my best, Richard, but I can't make any promises," Zedd replied with a weary sigh.

Zedd just hoped that his grandson knew what he was doing. He'd had a bone chilling reminder of what messing around with magic could do when he performed the spell of undoing to save Cara. It had caused a complete change in history that had been catastrophic to say the least. It made Zedd more than a little nervous about just mucking about with magic with no real knowledge of the outcome.

"Here…this is it. This was where Brey and Kahlan were standing when the staff exploded," Richard announced as he crouched down to inspect the countless bits of wood that lay scattered at his feet. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as he noticed drops of blood staining the stones of the floor. Blood that belonged to Brey as well as Kahlan.

With his hands, Richard carefully began sweeping the wooden bits of staff into a pile. He had to find as many pieces of it as possible so Zedd could put the Ta'all Ruk'tan back together. Without the staff and its magic, Richard didn't know of any other way of bringing Kahlan back to the world of the living.

Brushing aside the wisp of doubt that floated through his mind, Richard scanned the stone floor for any more pieces of the staff. He prayed that Kahlan had heard him and was here in the crypt with them now. He knew that he would need her right beside him if this had any chance of working.

After having searched for as much of the staff as possible, Richard finally stood to his feet. Looking at his companions, he took a deep breath and said, "Ok, Zedd, see what you can do to restore the Ta'all Ruk'tan."