Welcome! Here be chapter 29! Thanks for the reviews. Almost done it is... Almost done... *goes to cry in a corner* I'll miss you guys! Enjoy!


I don't remember waking up at all. I don't remember watching my mother die, but the images still stay in my mind. I don't remember running into Tinsi somewhere in the city and being handed a letter. I don't remember the last week very much.

Grief has taken over my mind and I still haven't opened that letter. I walk around the city in a trance, always flanked by either Rein or Somfar. I still await that raid that will save me, but every day my hope dwindles and finally I give up, falling into a repeating day forever.

It seems like it's only been a few days since the voice talked to me last, but I don't think it will come back to me.

Still, I haven't opened the letter yet. Still I hope for one last glimpse of them, smiling and practicing. I'm lost in this trance.

Someone tells me that I no longer need to run, I think it was Somfar. But still one day, I will run.

There's going to be a ball tonight, they tell me. One that will celebrate the new ruler. I will back away from this trance tonight and come back into existence.

I pull the white gown over top my undergarments and slip into a pair of flat, white slippers, the Alwaysdream now in a hidden pocket with the unopened letter. The Alwaysdream still fills my nose like it has everyday. Rein flanks my right and Somfar flanks my left once I leave my room. "Are you alright?" one of them ask.

No, I am not. "Yes," I reply.

They lead me onto a path that leads into the city, away from the house built on the outskirts of the city that I requested.

"Its been two months," Somfar breathes. "Two months since all this began."

"Don't remind me," I whisper. I walk into the city with perfect posture, like I was taught to many times. I hear cheers, but it seems so far off. Many people congratulate me, but I keep walking straight ahead and keep smiling at them.

Outside, I am happy and free, but inside, I am depressed and caged, and screaming. Screaming to return to the home that I will not return to. I will forever stay here until the day I die.

I dance and eat. I dance with strangers and talk about things. I meet many new people that I will soon forget. All too quickly for everyone but me, my speech comes.

I walk on unwilling feet to a raised podium and begin to talk. I have no idea what I am saying, something like, "I am thankful that you have all taken me in as one of you. Even though I do not share your skin color. Even though I am from another land."

They eat up the false words and I get down from the podium. The ball resumes after many more words from others. Rein comes up, all dressed in fancy clothes and asks, "May I have this dance?"

I nod and he wraps his arm around my waist and on my shoulder. I do the same and music starts to play. It's slow, like all ballroom dancing and we spin around the room.

"You need to find someone soon," Rein whispers after a moment or two of dancing.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"You don't want this land to end up in ruin, you need to marry soon."

"And who shall I marry? I suppose you have an idea in mind as to who."

"Yes, and no."

"Well then."

"I think you should find someone that's been with you all this time."

"And who would that be?" All the while we still dance.

"Me." He says it so quietly that I'm not sure I heard him correctly.

"What?"

"I think you should marry whoever you feel like," he lies.

"You want me to marry you?"

He doesn't answer and that makes me feel all the more worse. "Rein, it's not that I don't like you. I just don't like you in that way."

"Yeah, I know. I've heard it all before."

"Rein, listen I like you, but... but I don't like anyone here!"

"It's alright. You'll find someone, hopefully." Rein lets go of my waist and walks off the dancing floor, leaving me all alone with dancing couples.

Arcissa, why haven't you looked at the letter yet? It's the voice and I thought it was gone.

"I just didn't want to look at it," I whisper as I walk away from everyone.

Why?

"I felt bad telling Firefoy to leave and move on."

It's only natural, feeling this way.

"And what way it that?"

You still have feelings for the hunter.

"No, I don't."

You can't lie to me.

"Yes, I can."

No, you can't.

"Leave me alone!" I yell. The dancing and music stops and everyones' eyes are on me. "I said leave me alone!" And I run toward the woods again. I run with all my might and pull the letter out of my pocket.

I hide behind a tree far enough away and begin to read with tears threatening to come out.

Dear Arcissa,

If you ever do get this letter, I would like to say, I love you. I always have, but now I might have to get over that and move on. I will, eventually, move on. I hope you will too.

We can't live like we always thought, now can we? War, war will happen. Or so Tinsi tells me. I give up, I give up on trying to be sane! I give up on my hopeful dreams that will never come.

I hope that we will meet again and never forget me. Please never forget the story of the girl that will never see her friend again.

Forever,
Firefoy

A single tear falls down my cheek, but more are soon to come. I laugh a little inside at Firefoy's sloppy writing and the tears begin to fall all over the parchment.