It was morning, post breakfast, and Crystal was going to team JSPR's room. Her walk was quick, and she did not stop to talk to anyone. She worried about Peri and if her arm was okay.

There were a lot of other things that worried her too—like how it was a little over a week since they deposed Forester and they still didn't have a headmaster. Had it really been just a week since her father announced the staff was leaving? It felt like it had been longer, much longer, since this whole thing began, but as she looked back, she realized how it had gone from day to day with something notable happening every day since then. She was looking forward to a quieter time.

And what about Haven; were they going to move or stay? The battle had proven that Haven would be on the front lines of any attack, but at the same time proven that the students could easily defend it, with help from the cannons. But really, it was up to the Council whether they moved or stay. All Crystal could do about that was hope and try to influence the decision of her own Council member.

She came to JSPR's dorm room and knocked on the door. She was answered by Jasper. Inside she could see Peri, Sakura, Rowan, and a woman she didn't recognize sitting around looking very serious. Crystal asked, "Is this a bad time?

Jasper shook his head. "No, I think you should be in on this too. Come on in."

She stepped in and Peri spoke. "As I was saying, there's something I think I should tell you two. You see, my arm is, well…"

Rowan put a hand on Peri's mechanical shoulder. "You don't have to say anything. We know."

Peri looked confused. "You know? How?"

For a moment, Peri looked to Crystal accusingly. Fortunately, Sakura interjected. "Don't blame her. We knew long before her."

Peri looked back to them. "When?"

Rowan spoke first. "I knew after you faked getting your arm torn off."

Peri then looked to Sakura. "I knew after our first battle, when you patted me on the shoulder."

She looked confused. "That was with the left…"

Sakura smiled. "I have my ways, Peri." Crystal wasn't sure if Sakura was kidding or not. "Besides, your arm always felt hard when I hugged you." Peri nodded in understanding.
Now that the matter of her arm was out of the way, Crystal was to address the elephant in the room. "And who are you?" she asked the woman sitting next to Peri. She looked almost enough like Peri to pass as a cousin or something.

"Oh, right, you weren't there," Peri said. "This is my sister, Wini."

"Wini?" Her named was "Wini"?

"Winifred," the woman corrected. "I just don't like it, so call me Wini." That made sense, somewhat.

"She's one of the people who worked on my arm," Peri noted. "Her and my dad." So that was how she got her prosthetic. Her father must have come from Atlas to live here, but while in Atlas, he learned to make mechanical limbs, or at least arms. Crystal thought Peri looked a little Atlesian. "She'll be staying to look after my arm for a bit and make sure I'm adjusting well enough."

Wini added, "And to make sure this isn't one of those times where you fake a speedy recovery just to get out of the house. You remember last time."

Peri shook her head. "This time's different, Wini. Besides, I'd give up my arm to get away from Mom. She's always fussing over me. Can't she see I'm fine for once?"

Crystal felt a little sad to hear someone talk about their mother that way. While she had been fine with Storm's mother being around, to think someone wanted to get away from their mother was… She would have given more than her arm just to see her own mother again.

She hid her feelings and said, "If you'll excuse me. I'm not feeling well."

Jasper looked concerned. "Are you alright?"

Crystal nodded. "I'll be okay. Just… I'm going." And she left as quickly as she came.

Storm and Faye were talking in their room, sitting on their beds, trying to plan their third date, when there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it," Storm said, getting up. "But remember, I'm not eating fish, cooked or uncooked." Faye nodded. When Storm opened the door, he saw Crystal, her eyes betraying sorrow that her face hid. "What's wrong?"

Crystal went in and sat down on Azura's bed, which was fortunately unoccupied. As Storm closed the door, Crystal explained. "I… I've been holding this back but… I miss my mother." She hung her head.

Storm and Faye exchanged glances. With nothing but made up signs, Storm communicated that Crystal's mother was dead, and had been for some time. Faye nodded and turned to Crystal. "I know how hard it is when there is someone you loved very much is gone. I lost someone to the White Fang."

"No," Crystal said, snapping up. There were tears there that weren't there before. "I don't want comfort. I don't want sympathy. I want to know how to get rid of this."

Storm sat down next to Faye. "There's no way to get rid of your own emotions, Crystal," Storm said. "Everyone knows that. No matter how hard people try to lose them, they always find a way back. You've got to face this, Crystal. You've got to…"

"I have, and it didn't work!" Crystal said. "I faced it when I was six and I still can't shake it. What do I do?"

Storm sighed. "There's no way to get rid of that part of you without losing who you are. You need to realize this."

Crystal glared at him. "What do you know? You've been given everything you wanted from your parents—plural. You've lived in comfort and had a choice about fighting. How can you compare yourself to me, who gave up comfort a long time ago when my father chose to make me a warrior?"

Anger boiled in him and in his voice. "You were forced by your father, Faye chose. Neither happened for me; I was forced by myself."

Crystal looked confused but angry at the challenge. "What does that mean?"

"The person I am is separate to the part of me that made me decided to become a Huntsman. I've made mistakes, and became stronger, more careful. You want to know why I'm doing this? You can't begin to understand what makes me do this when I barely understand it myself. It's so confusing that when I think I have the answer, it turns out wrong because there are a million reasons why and only one reason why not, and I've learned that I can face death."

Crystal sneered. "You're a fool."

"Then same goes for you too." As Crystal was about to say something, Storm added, "Only a fool doesn't realize who's there for her."

Crystal broke down and sobbed. "Why? Why do you have to be right?"

"I don't," Storm said. "I just guess and hope I'm right." He switched beds and sat beside Crystal. He put his arm around her shoulder. "We're here for you, and so will everyone."

"Thank you," Crystal said as she stopped sobbing. "But that doesn't change that my mother's dead."

"Nothing can change that. All you can do is try to make sure no one else has to go through what you did."

Crystal's eyes met his. "But she died of sickness."

Storm sighed. "Well, then you should have been a doctor I guess."

Crystal chuckled and hugged him. "Thank you, Storm. You've been a real friend." When she drew away, she turned to Faye. "Hang on to him, Faye. He's worth twice what a man like Rusti is."

"I'd argue against that, but whatever," Storm said.

When will it end? When will this story end? Actually, that was the last chapter. Stay tuned for the epilogue on Thursday.