[Track Insert - Seether feat. Amy Lee "Broken"]

We all want companionship, we all hope for the best out of life. Some of us really don't get that. Some of us spend all our lives alone, because who we are doesn't allow us to connect to other people. We spend our time wishing we had things, that we never will, and we try create things, create bonds, create relationships that we know aren't real. We fool ourselves into believing that we can lead normal lives, but in the process we give up what we truly want, what we truly need, losing our ability to feel in the process. We're left empty, and not happy, and never will we be, until we try and change back to who we are. Some of us are lucky, and we know right away what we have to do, to get ourselves back, but for some the answer is not quite clear, so we become trapped in our fake lives. Duty binds us to the relationships we've created, and morals, and values hold us down. These we wil never give up, because they are who we are. But still, we try to change things, try to make this facade better, try to make it a real life, and then we make worse. Never live life this way, never force yourself into something like this if you do not have too. Protect who you are, be who you are.

For those of you who are lucky to have a life that is not like this, hold onto it. For those who can surround themselves we people whom you know love you, and give you that feeling of being loved, cherish it, protect it. There are those of us out there who dream of that life, and those people, because ultimately, that is the life we do not have, that is what we are missing. Being a Ranger is the most incredible thing I have ever done, and I do not regret a single moment of it, not even losing to Evan. I would never do things different, and I would never be someone else than who've I been. But not having those feelings in my life, has made my job so much harder, and maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't mind if it just got a little bit easier.

It was dark when I awoke, the bus had pulled to a stop at the great city of the western edge of Pennsylvania. Many would wonder why afterwards I had chosen Pittsburgh to run too. Did it serve some special meaning, did it have some sort of place of familiarity. The answer though was much simpler. It was the least expensive to get too. I dug my hands into the pockets of my coat as the frigid air of February rolled into the cabin of the bus. With my backpack slung over my shoulder, I slowly filed out down the aisle. I had been numb the entire ride, and now it felt like I was just waking up. What I had done was now real, and I had gone through with it. I was no stranger to traveling, having done it so many times before, including to several different cities before my conflict with Evan, helping as many people as I could. Fortunately it seemed that during that time, my presence in this world still had gone unnoticed, and since my conflict with Evan had been all I could devote myself too, I'd practically dropped off the radar altogether.

Early morning in Pittsburgh left the streets, and roads quiet. I had taken some money with me, but no one my age really had that much money. I had planned on getting a job or something, but for the moment, all I could do was find shelter. My best bet was to find some sort of motel, or cheap hotel or something, and as I left the bus terminal, I was greeted by someone.

"How's it going tonight?" he asked me. His an older man, African-American in descent. He wore dark clothes, and was a little overweight. His eyes were soft, having seen many years it seemed, probably some not in the best of the times. The warrior part of me was suspicious though, I didn't know what he wanted, or what he was capable of. Appearances, especially in mine or Evan's case were deceiving, that much I knew.

"I'm alright," I said.

"You look lost," he said. "Just get in town."

"Yeah," I replied. "Coming out to visit some friends."

"My name is Michael," he said, offering his hand in a friendly gesture. I shook his hand calmly.

"I'm Keith," I replied.

"How long are you in town for?" he asked.

"A little while," I said.

He looked at my jacket and smiled. "I use to have one just like that."

"Yeah," I said, "I'm a big fan of it. Keeps the cold out." Well that, and my thermal field did.

"Your friends nearby?" he asked.

"Staying in the city for the night," I said. "Gonna go find a place. Might just stick around the terminal."

"Its not safe here," he said. "Everyone coming and going." He had a point, but I wasn't sure whether or not to trust him. I reached out mentally, and felt his emotions. I could feel honesty behind his words, and that at least meant something. "I know a place just around the corner." If he was being dishonest, and planned to jump me or something, it wasn't like I couldn't defend myself.

"Alright," I said. "Lead the way." I followed him into the night, and for several minutes we walked along the streets, the area deserted. Part of me wondered if this was a good idea, but I was already heading somewhere. I just wouldn't follow him if he tried to take me down any dark allies. He talked about his life some, and part of me listened, the other part just being cautious about my new surroundings. True to his word though, he did lead me to a hotel. The desk clerk was probably only several years older than I was. I turned to Michael and thanked him, he wished me well, and left.

"He's a good guy," said the clerk.

"I wasn't sure I could trust him at first," I said.

"A lot of people feel that way," said the clerk. "But you can." I filled out some paperwork for the room, and he led me to the elevator and to a room several floors up. I survey my new shelter for the time being, as he pointed all the features of the room. Something was better than nothing I guess. He bid me good night, and closed the door behind him.

"This is home now," I said to myself aloud. "This is home."

I woke the next morning, a hunger in my stomach. I knew where I was, no doubt about that, but I didn't feel numb anymore. There was pain, and I think from that moment on there would always be pain. Seeing to my immediate needs though, I forced myself out of bed, and got dressed. Locking the door behind me, I left my room, and headed outside in search of food. It was bright out, the clouds gone from the winter, and I took this immediate sign of things to come, maybe the world could get better. Stopping at the local McDonalds, brought temporary relief, but now, I had to figure out a plan. Part of me was surprised to see the world still turning this morning. Part of me wondered if the world had changed while I was sleeping. Evan now with no one standing his way had ultimate access to fulfill what ever plans he may have. I only wondered at what they could be, and as I picked up a newspaper at a drug store, I half expected it to say something crazy like, "Teen takes over school." Strangely and advance of Evan's was absent from the headlines which while puzzling, was somewhat refreshing. It probably meant that he was only biding his time.

I called my father next. I let him know that I was alright, but not where I was. That was all, I didn't have much to say to him, and I never would. His life was a set path he walked for a long time, and he lived his life simply. What he was going through, he wouldn't understand, or at least, he couldn't anymore. I wondered the streets for a while, just thinking over things that had happened, and wondering what was going to happen next. I left my lens visible on my wrist, no desire anymore to keep it hidden from public view. Occasionally my gaze fell to the jewel, and I questioned my abilities, and my heart that went into the powers. What I was no longer mattered to me, because who I was, was not that person. I wasn't this young half-alien prince who could just save his world because of the very virtue of his birthright. My simpler human half was the very core of my being. In essence, I was just a guy, and I had failed, just like humans do sometimes.

I had stepped at the edge of an ally as I stood deep in thought with my gaze on my lens. I turned to look down it, remembering the first time I had come to someone's aid. Helping someone for the first time was amazing, and it was what I wanted to do originally. Now though, things had become so complicated. My eyes traced through the alley, across the dumpsters, and the chipping bricks of the sides of the buildings and to several people that stood at the far end. One looked like he was explaining himself to others, and then suddenly they shoved him into a wall. My left fist tensed, and clenched, and softly the lens on my wrist glowed. I blinked, and my gaze fell to the pavement. This wasn't my fight, and this wasn't my world. I left the entrance to the alleyway, still in deep thought, and found my way back to my hotel. There I retreated to my room, and decided the only way to kill time was to watch movies. I loaded up some DVD up and tried to lose myself in it for a while, hoping to just not think. It didn't work, and before I knew it, I was overwhelmed, and I just broke down crying.

A presence filled the room, and slowly a soft feeling filled the room. I sat with my head in my arms, crying, when I heard. "I'm so sorry."

I looked up, my eyes stained with tears, and what I saw was almost beyond my recognitive abilities. Standing before me was an impossibility, something that shouldn't be. "Mom?"