I was back in the academy with a month to spare before the finals. Thankfully Lucard and Maria came by as much as they did with my endless pile of homework. I took notes from Maria and Lucard gave me his "cheat" sheets for weaponry. I copied them word for word. There was no sense in leaving anything out.
There were a few things I noticed different once I came back. The academy was more quiet. Perhaps since it was so close to finals everyone cracked down and took their studies more seriously. Also, I wasn't bullied...at all. Word was that none of the students wanted anything to do with me after hearing about me getting whisked away by a pirate. However, Maria, Lucard and Lynn paid no attention and continued to associate with me, and I never doubted that they wouldn't. Honestly, I preferred this.
"The finals are in a month." Are you ready, Briar? Lucard asked me while we ate our lunch.
I was in the middle of eating an orange when he asked me and quickly finished chewing. "I think I'll be okay. With all the notes you two gave me it really helped me out."
A small smile spread across Lucard's face as he picked at his tray of food. "Even without our help I think you would have been just fine."
I was surprised to hear this. Curious to know why he thought this I asked him why. "I'm not that smart." I half jokingly said. "What makes you think I would be able to pass without any of your help?"
Maria cut in. "I've seen the way you study, Briar. Yours is a cramming art style." She laughed a little.
"She's not wrong." Added Lynn.
I looked back to Lucard to see if he would say anything.
He mumbled something, suddenly looking distraught. "You don't give yourself enough credit. Here you are, calling yourself stupid. With an attitude like that you won't pass and all of our hard work will have been for nothing." He stood up abruptly and left the table with his tray.
"Now wait just a minute, Lucard!" I said. "What the heck has gotten into you?" Maria and Lynn stayed silent. Lucard never answered me and dumped his tray, leaving the cafeteria.
"Shoot," Maria stood up fast. "I better go after him and see what his problem is."
I grabbed Maria's hand. "Did I say or do something to piss him off?"
Maria shook his head. "It's not you, honestly. It's close to finals so everything is setting off. I'm sure that's what it is." She took her tray and walked off.
I grumbled. "No reason to act like a girl raging on her period. He wouldn't last one day with those cramps!" Lynn spit out her milk and laughed which made me laugh too. Maybe he really was just stressed because of finals. Still, that was no reason to up and leave so suddenly...unless its something else?

Lucard's POV

As soon as I dumped my tray I ran up the stairs and down the hall and away from prying eyes. I needed some time to myself and I found some solitude in the courtyard. I sat hunched over on the bench and buried my face in my hands.
"What was that all about?" I looked up to see Maria. She was none too happy with me. "Stand up," she told me. "What makes you think you can just lounge around after an act like that?"
I stayed seated but I looked up at her. "You know why."
She pursed her lips together they way she did if ever she was upset with me. I knew what I was in for and I had nobody but myself to blame for it. "This was your idea." She said to me. "You wanted to do this. Whatever happened to just lying low? Watch from a distance?"
I scoffed. "And then what? Just up and leave once everything is said and done? You know as well I do that is not possible."
Maria crossed her arms. "'Stick to the plan". That's what you told me when we first arrived. Keep to ourselves."
I cut her off quickly. "Keep your voice down."
She bent down next to my face. "Then stand up and get closer to me. My back is hurting staying hunched over like this." She stood back up, straight and tall.
I sighed, standing up and inching closer to her. "The plan was to observe. And then, when the time is right, jump into action and be the hero's everyone needs." I wasn't angry telling her this. I was being sincere.
"I know," she said. "But you're getting too involved. Even I am."
I shook my head. "This wasn't supposed to happen. The reason I'm upset is because we did something that didn't need being done. Briar would have been just fine without our help. I just hope we didn't screw something up by doing that."
Maria caressed my face. "Don't you think we've already done that by coming here? I mean, what we're doing is a big no-no."
I grabbed her hand and held it close. "But it's worth it."
Maria smiled, tears forming in her eyes. "Yes, for family it is worth every danger."

Back to Briar's POV

I sat at the desk in my dorm room that night and studied away but I was soon interrupted when Maria came in. "I didn't see you at dinner. Where did you go?" I asked.
Maria sighed and flopped on my bottom bunk, her arms stretched out as she lay on her back. "Oh, Lucard and I went out to the city. I figured the fresh air would do him some good and not eating the crummy cafeteria food."
She had a point. "I would have loved to have joined you two."
Maria gave a short laugh. "Nah, you wouldn't. You would have spent the whole time listening to us bicker."
I was a little surprised to hear this. After lunch Lucard seemed normal again and Maria seemed fine too. Was I wrong to assume? "Ah, I can't imagine you two fighting."
Maria stood up and walked over to her dresser to pull out some pajamas and clean undies. "I'm going to take a bath. Care to join?"
My face flushed red out of embarrassment. "What?!" Maria looked confused and I suddenly felt the need to tell her how foreign of an idea that was to me. "I've never bathed with anyone before. I've heard of Japanese families doing that, but I don't have any Asian blood in me whatsoever. I mean, not that you have to be Asian to bath with people, but I mean...what I'm trying to say is...I've never done that." I was speaking so fast I wasn't sure how much Maria understood.
Maria smiled. "It's okay. Maybe where you are from family and friends don't bath together, but it's normal here?"
"Really?"
Maria nodded. "Yeah, almost everyone does it. They even have public bathrooms in the city. I've never been to one though."
"REALLY?" I was more curious than ever now. "I'm interested in seeing if this true. And to answer your question...no. I've already washed up for the night."
"Ah, well, too bad. Maybe next time." And she walked into the bathroom.
It was nice of Maria to offer. I'm sure she would be able to scrub my back better than me, but I wasn't ready for anyone to see me naked. I couldn't even get naked in front the girls in the locker room. And then I thought about the public bath in the city. Had Jim been there? I blushed at the very thought! I set my pen down and rubbed my head. It was getting late and I didn't need to be imaging a naked Jim. Or maybe something like that was exactly what I needed. I had been studying for so long I thought that maybe my brain stem would snap. But if I did delve deeper into the idea of Jim being naked I'd never get any sleep. Thus I got into bed and literally counted sheep until I fell asleep.

I was walking. Fog was everywhere; more walking. I was surrounded by nothing but fog. The ground was stone, my only guide to tell me where I was going since It was difficult to see even five feet in front of me.
"Briar!"
I heard my name being called out by multiple people. I listened closely to try and figure out the voices but no such luck. And then a small figure slowly came into view, It was a young girl and he back was to me. She was wearing a pale pink nightgown with long puffed sleeves. Her light brown hair was long reaching almost to her bottom.
"Hey," I said, "what's going on. Where am I and who are you?"
The little girl spun around quickly, her blue eyes calm and her face almost expressionless. She wasn't surprised to see me at all. "You came." Her voice was nice and unwavering. "I didn't think you would."
"Umm...what?"I walked closer to her, noticing something glowing a bright red in her pale white hands. "Uh, what's that you got there?"
She clenched her hands and opened them up for me to see a small red stone resting in one of her palms. "It's only half of it. Big brother has the other half."
"Whose your big brother?"
She totally ignored y question when she said, "I shouldn't be here, but I wanted to see what you looked like."
I was really confused now. Why was she talking about me in the pass tense?
She looked down at the red stone. "A few years back I saw daddy, too. I think he knew who I was because he gave me a big hug." She looked up at me and said, "He died before I was born."
I opened my mouth to say something and then closed it, reconsidering debating with a child who was maybe ten to twelve years old about meeting her dad after he died. "Are you lost, because I am, so I hope you're not. And if this is a dream I'd really like to wake up now."
"It's not a dream. Not really." The little girl told me.
"What's your name?"
This time I got a reaction out of her-a confused one. "I thought that maybe you would know if you saw me." When I said nothing she answered me next with her name. "Auriel,"
"Well, Auriel, that's a really pretty name. My name is Briar. Now, can you tell me where I am?"
She looked back down at the stone again. "I think this is limbo. I don't always come here when I try to contact others."
"L-limbo?" I stuttered. "C-c-contact others?"
She shot her head up and looked at me. "I shouldn't use the power of the stone for too long. Who knows what could happen?" She held out her hand. As I reached up slowly she was quick to take mine and gently squeeze it. "I'm going to stop focusing on the stone. When that happens you'll wake up exactly where you were before coming here. I've done something very dangerous, but it was worth the risk!" She was beginning to fade from my view and i was getting light headed. What was going on. "If my big brother finds out what I've been doing he'll be very upset with me." She grinned. "IF he finds out." She was almost gone now. "I'm glad I got to meet you. Goodbye!"

I woke up on the floor. All lights were out and Maria was sleeping soundly. I put my hand to my chest to feel the rushing beat of my heart. I'm never counting sheep again, I thought.