Okay I'm really sorry for not having updated for several days. I haven't abandoned the story. I just... I just had a couple bad ex-related run-ins this weekend and was sorta sulking in my room for the past couple days, unwilling to find the will to do anything "XD That's no excuse though, so I'm back, and regular updates will continue.

This chapter is kind of filler/ kind of not filler. There's some cute stuff in it though (MKxNod and MKxTarren both XD because I'm evil.) Then shit goes down next chapter... I think. XDD I'll need to read ahead.

OH, and among other slightly related good news, I've been bombed with some new plot ideas for that possible IDBIL sequel. Again, like the Frozen story, it would take a lot of time, but I think it could be really cute and interesting. I'd be bringing back the Boggans I think, and a couple new characters of my own ^^

You'll discover as more stories start appearing that I basically only write oc stories. I'll occasionally spit out a canon-character story, but for the most part, I enjoy taking the skeleton of an existing story, and expanding from there. XD I guess that's why Fanfiction was made for me.

But yeah, for now we can stick to this story. Chapter 37 guys!

Enjoy!

Chapter 37:

You Did This

(MK'S POV)

I decided to land a little farther out, and walk the distance, in case the soldiers mistook me for an enemy and shot me down. I was sure they'd be on high alert at this point.

While we were down in the dungeon, Rheina had told me about the bunkers that the people of Willhollow had built when it was first founded. They were meant to be shelters to retreat to if the Boggans moved from the fallen Master City to attack Willhollow, but after one of them caved in, almost killing some children playing inside, the people decided to abandon them.

Now, years and years later, they were being used to house Willhollow's last stand against Oren.

I trudged forward, feeling my feet growing heavier and heavier. The disoriented feeling I'd had when Rheina had first awoken me before was starting to come back, and each step seemed to move slower and slower than before.

Finally though, I managed to reach the place Queen Rheina had described to me: Two large grey boulders, forming a large crevice between them. That was where the entrance to the bunker was, or so the queen had said.

Feeling a new sense of relief wash over my, I found it in myself to speed up, though the feeling resembled dragging your shoes through thick mud. Still, my pounding heart gave me the will to keep moving.

Rheina hadn't been able to get here before going to save me, so she hadn't accounted who was here yet. Who had survived, and who hadn't...

Nod...

What if he was hurt? What if Oren had gotten a hold of him, or someone had gotten him during the fighting. What if...?

No! He was fine. I was going to find him at the front gate, waiting for me when I got there. It was this image that pushed me to a run as I gained up on the rocks.

Rather than Nod however, I was met with the point of an arrow right in my face.

"Make one move and you're finished."

"Whoa!" I yelled, staggering back. In the darkness I couldn't make out the face of the person aiming their arrow right at me, though the voice sounded familiar, but I did recognize the helmet as that of a Leafman. "Hey relax it's just me! Mary Katherine!"

The arrow pinpointed on my face immediately fell. "MK?"

My eyes widened, and I gasped in relief. "Ronin!"

Before I knew what I was doing, I threw my arms around the man that had become a second father to me.

"God, we thought you'd been killed..." He mumbled. I pulled away.

"Where's Nod?" I asked urgently. "He's here isn't he? Is he okay?"

To this, Ronin sighed, which wasn't a comforting response. "Yes, Nod's here, but..."

"Well where is he?!" I asked, not caring for long explanations. I just needed to see his face right now. Something in my gut told me it was urgent.

Ronin pointed into the crevice, where a long narrow stairwell descended down. "He and everyone else are down there, but MK-"

Nodding with a new sense of determination, I started for the entryway, not bothering to listen to Ronin's comment or wait for him to lead the way.

"MK!" He shouted, but his voice was already too far. Right now, seeing Ronin didn't matter. I was glad to see him, but there was someone else that I needed to see more...

The way in was long, but after descending the steps, I found myself in a huge room filled with soldiers, both of Willhollow and Moonhaven. Some were more injured than others, but all held an heir of depression. I sighed. With my powers now in Oren's hands, their chances of saving Willhollow were dwindling down.

"Mary Katherine!" I heard the familiar shout of the prince of Willhollow, and turned to see the blond boy running towards me. I smiled; glad to see that he wasn't too hurt, as he suddenly gathered me up in his arms.

Suddenly he pulled away, looking me in the eyes. "I thought... you weren't breathing back there and we thought..."

I laughed. "I'm fine Tarren, thanks to..." But I trailed off. Queen Rheina had asked me not to tell either of her children about her surviving yet. As much as I wanted to, I knew it'd be better to let her tell them herself.

Tarren hadn't seemed to notice my hesitation though, and smiled back. Despite the confusion between us, I was still really glad to see him...

Suddenly I remembered my Leafman, and grabbed Tarren's arm. "Tarren, do you know where Nod is?"

Tarren's face fell slightly, but he still spoke heartily. "Yes they're keeping him in one of the bunk rooms."

"Where?" I asked, anxious now. They wouldn't be keeping him away from the others away from him unless something was wrong... No, I couldn't think like that! He was fine, he was fine, he was fine...

Tarren pointed to a door several yards away, and I rushed towards him, not waiting for the prince to answer. I opened it swiftly, and covered my mouth when I entered.

The room was small, with a long table covered in first aid items on the left wall with a chair next to it, and on the other side, sat a bed. Nod lay on the bed, looking pale, twitching and moaning in pain and deliria.

"Nod!" I shouted, running to his side. Aaron sat next to him, stirring a little wooden bowl of some sort of dark liquid. He moved back as I sat on the side of the cot and rubbed his face. "Nod, can you hear me?"

His head rolled back and forth as me muttered delirious, inaudible sounds. I turned desperately to the prophet. "What's wrong with him?!"

Aaron grimaced. "He was hit with one of Oren's Hemlock darts, but the monster must've altered the poison somehow. It's made the boy paralyzed and delirious for the last hour or two."

I turned back to the Leafman, and stroked his cheek. Delirious as he was, he still leaned into my touch, and a small whimper escaped his lips. I sighed. "Well is he gonna be okay?"

Aaron's face darkened slightly, washing me over with a shot of fear. "... The poison had a lot of time to spread before Prince Tarren and the others were able to get him to me. He's definitely improved since when he first got here, and I think he'll be able to pull through but...if he's going to make it out of this, he's gonna need to fight pretty damn hard..."

Suddenly, I felt frail fingers curl around my hand, holding it closer to his cheek, and Nod's eyes cracked open.

"M-MK...?" He whispered, his voice sounding distorted, almost like he had just come up from under anesthesia. I gasped, completely thrilled that he was awake. Aaron smiled, and quietly strolled out to give us some privacy.

"Y-You're okay... I thought you were dead..." Nod choked out.

I shook my head, running my hand over his cheek again, as though I were comforting a child. "No, no baby. I'm fine, and you're gonna be okay too. I promise..."

Suddenly. He started grabbing onto my arms, still feeling limp and weak in his deliria. "Mary K-Katherine... I'm s-s-sorry...I let him h-hurt you..." He tried to choke out, though he could barely speak. I shook my head, and suddenly pulled him close to me, resting my head on top of his.

"No, no, shhhhhhh you didn't do anything wrong... It's okay, we're gonna be okay."

He persisted though. "I... didn't want to h-hurt you... thought... you were... better off...with him... Tarren..."

My mouth fell open the slightest bit, and I almost felt like crying. I raised my head and placed my forehead on his. "Nod..."

He let out a ragged breath and reached hesitantly up, his fingers brushing my cheek. "Didn't... m-mean it...N-None... of it..."

Suddenly, without warning, even from myself, I pressed my lips to his, holding his face in my hands. His hand brushed from my cheek and rested itself at the base of my neck.

Of course he hadn't meant it! I, in my fury and guilt, had let myself believe that someone like Nod would ever say such horrible things to me, and actually mean them...

It felt like we sat there forever, frozen in our own little eternity, before we finally broke apart, and I smiled. "Nod... we're going to get out of here okay, alright? I promise we're gonna go home..."

Nod let out a sigh of content, before his eyes closed again, and he began drifting to sleep. I sat next to him for a long time, comforting him when he started tossing and turning. He muttered and whimpered most of the time, and said my name a lot. It felt bittersweet to me...

You did this, a little voice in my head kept taunting. You brought him here. You let Oren do this to him...

Nod, please be okay... Please...

(Later...)

Ugh... I began peeling my eyes open, groggy from sleep. How long had I been out? Why was the room so bright, and hazy?

I heard a soft laugh, and squinted to see the figure next to me. The person in question placed her hand on my cheek and laughed again.

"It's time to wake up dear." It said. "You still have things to do."

I tried to raise my head the slightest bit, but it made my already foggy vision that much blurrier. The figure was tall and slender, and familiar. "M-Mom...?"

The woman sighed sympathetically. "No I'm afraid not."

I suddenly recognized Isabelle's voice, and jumped up, the fog rushing back, but the former head maid simply smiled and started strolling out of the room.

"Isabelle wait..." I whispered, feeling myself going under once more. The blurred figure of the fairy woman stopped at the door. I reached my hand out to her. "Please don't leave yet... I need your help. I... I don't know what to do...How to stop him."

Isabelle smiled. "You will. When the time comes for you do decide... you'll know. Now you need to wake up child."

I shook my head, trying to fight back the heavy waves of blackness dragging me under once more. "Isabelle... no. Stay!"

And just like that, I closed my eyes, and suddenly started. "Wait!"

I was sitting up in a chair next to Nod's cot. I must've fallen asleep next to him. I stood up from my chair and rubbed my forehead, trying to clear my foggy head. It took me a moment longer than it should have to realize that there was someone else in the room. I spun on my heels.

Sitting nearby, looking around curiously was Jenni, holding a bag of some sort. As she stood up and smiled, her cheeks looking as rosy and healthy as they had when I first met her, I gasped. "Jenni!"

Suddenly, I rushed over to the little twelve year old and scooped her up in my arms, causing her to drop whatever bag she bad been holding. She laughed and wrapped her arms around my neck as I spun around.

"Oh my goodness!" I cried, quietly to not wake up Nod, who was finally sleeping peacefully. "I'm so glad you're okay! I thought... oh Jenni I'm so sorry I made you fly so far to find the Leafmen!"

Jenni laughed again. "It's fine Mary Katherine. Besides, I'm all better now! Aaron gave me some medicine for the poison and it made me better real fast."

I pulled away, and cupped her cheek in my hand. I really was so glad to see her...

Suddenly, the little one jumped, as if remembering something, and reached down for the bag she had dropped. It took my still-slow mind a moment to realize that it was my backpack; the one I'd left in my room back at Willhollow.

My jaw dropped slightly. "I... How did you...?"

Jenni giggled. "One of the maids grabbed it for me before we fled the castle. I thought you might want to change out of that dress."

This comment brought to mind the fact that I was still, in fact, wearing the tattered wedding dress that had once looked so beautiful. Wait...

Frantically, I suddenly reached for my throat, and upon feeling the cord still clasped around my throat, sighed with relief. I hadn't lost Nod's necklace.

Jenni smiled softly. "I'll show you where the washroom is. You probably want to clean up."

I laughed. "Yeah..." But then glanced back worriedly at Nod. Aaron had said that he would be better when he awoke, and I wanted to be the first one to see him when he did...

"He's not going anywhere Milady." Jenni said almost jokingly, and took my hand, leading me out of the room. She then pointed down a hallway to a small room on the left.

"That's where the washroom is. If it makes you feel better, I'll stay here and watch Nod for you."

I smiled. It did make me feel better. Thanking Jenni, I then rushed down the hall to the bathroom and got all cleaned up, changing out of gritty, mud-ground dress, washing up, and changing into a pair of clean jeans and a long sleeve shirt. I pulled my favorite, dark pink hoodie over my head, laced up my boots, and pulled my hair back into a ponytail.

I looked into the mirror that was supplied in the room, and smiled softly. I looked almost exactly like I had that day I first came to Moonhaven, and at the same time, I looked nothing like that girl at all.

Something in me had changed since then. I looked stronger, more mature maybe. Or maybe just more worn down... Either way, I didn't feel as helpless as I'd been when I'd first been shrunk down to two inches...

The sad truth however was that I was still weak. Without my powers, I was as useless as I had ever been. I couldn't fight, or defend myself, or do anything...

Sighing, I packed everything back into my bag, and exited the room. I had to be quiet as I tiptoed back to Nod's room, because it was late, and quite a few people had gone to sleep in the main ward. Small lanterns were lit here and there, and people were gathered around them, whispering and worrying about what was going to happen next. It dampened my spirits, seeing more innocent people so afraid...

I had almost reached the room Nod was staying in when I heard two voices from round a large lantern nearby. Recognizing the prince's raised voice, I cautiously tip toed over, being careful to stay hidden behind a nearby pillar.

I could see Tarren standing before Aaron, looking angry about something. Aaron sat before a blanket covered in different vials, browsing through the array of glass bottles, seeming indifferent about the prince's anger. His eyes looked tired though. Tired and concerned. A few other men sat around, not appearing to even notice the two arguing men as they stared absent-mindedly into the flickering light of the lamp.

"C'mon old man, there has to be something you can do. Anything!"

Aaron sighed. "I wish there was your highness... But now that Oren has sealed the bond with the Lady of Destiny through her power, he'll be able to keep draining her of life, no matter how much distance is put between the two..."

My eyes widened. I spun around to lean against the pillar and covered my mouth to avoid making any sound from shock. So... Oren was still draining me of energy? Even here? Was there anywhere in this nightmare where I was safe?!

I looked back towards the group., and saw Tarren sit down in a chair in the corner, looking paler than usual. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "So that's it then? Mary Katherine's going to die no matter what?"

I flinched, shocked by the idea being tossed around so casually, but shook it off.

"Well... maybe." Aaron replied, causing both Tarren and myself to both perk our ears.

"What do you mean maybe?" Tarren asked incredulously. "You just said-"

"There is the possibility that if we can somehow capture Oren, perhaps we could find a way to relinquish him of those powers, and return them to the Lady of Destiny?"

Suddenly, all the surrounding men came to life, and I recognized one of the worn faces as that of Arthur, the sniveling records-keeper who had said such horrible things about me. Tarren's breath hitched. "Can you do this?"

Aaron sighed. "I am not sure your highness. I would try of course, but even with my knowledge I would not even know where to begin extracting the energy from him. Still..."

Suddenly, Tarren stood, as did the other men sitting around. "Still, it's the best chance we have of saving Mary Katherine, and regaining Willhollow... Arthur, gather what men we have and tell them to ready their weapons. We're going for a surprise attack tonight, to take back the home that is rightfully ours!"

"Wait!" I cried out, jumping up from behind my hiding spot before common sense could tell me not to. Everyone's heads turned towards me, surprised. Tarren's eyes widened, before narrowing suspiciously.

I ran down the steps over to the group of men. "You can't go Tarren. Oren... He's too powerful, now that he has the power of the Lady of Destiny. You guys... you'll be slaughtered."

Tarren groaned. "What else do you expect us to do?! Sit here and watch you die?!"

"Well what do you expect me to do?! Sit patiently while you and your men are murdered in cold blood?!" I shouted. "Tarren I know you want to save your home and everything, but you guys are no match for Oren! Trust me, I've seen what he can do..."

Tarren let out a humorless, dry laugh. "Well what do you propose we do about that? Because in case you didn't just overhear, even Aaron, the great prophet of Willhollow, doesn't know how to get your powers back. No one can-"

"I can." I stated, cutting the prince off and surprising the whole group. Tarren's eyes grew wide with horror. "No..."

"If I can get to Oren, I know I can stop him."

One of the nameless faces that had sat around the light laughed. "Girl, without the power of the Lady of Destiny, you're weaker than any of us. What makes you think you could take on the general of Willhollow, especially now that he's tripled in strength?"

I hesitated, knowing he should be right. I had never been trained to fight like these guys had. I was as weak as a child without my powers. What could I do to help...?

"It's true that you were not brought here to marry Tarren, but the legend of the Lady of Destiny joining with the Leader of Willhollow to save it, still stands. Not for you to marry him, but to fight with him."

Suddenly, the Queen's words echoed in my mind. Powers or no powers... My destiny still stood.

And I wasn't going to leave Tarren to die alone.

"Tarren... you have to let me come. This is our destiny. The prince of Willhollow and the Lady of Destiny join forces to save Willhollow. This is it!"

Tarren shook his head violently. "No! I'm not bringing you into the middle of a warzone, okay?!"

"Tarren, I have to-!"

"NO!" He suddenly boomed, causing me to curl back like he had struck me. He took a few ragged breaths, before standing taller.

"I'm sorry Mary Katherine... But my decision is final."

My breath hitched, and I stepped back as Tarren began ordering the men to ready themselves. They were leaving or Willhollow ASAP.

It wasn't until Tarren headed for the weapon's room that I was able to move, and run after him.

"Tarren wait!" I shouted struggling to keep up with his long strides. He didn't turn around or slow as he threw the double doors open. One almost swung back and hit me as I trudged in after him. The room was darker than the ward outside, and dimly lit by torches. It appeared void of anyone besides the prince and me, for which I was thankful for because I was ready to start yelling at the boy.

"I mean, why do you think Oren hasn't attacked us yet? Now that he's got my powers, what's stopping him?" I suggested. This made Tarren slow for a moment, thinking. I had a point after all.

"He's afraid of me. He wasn't able to get every last drop of my energy, and he's afraid that I'll be able to retrieve it, with you. That's why he's staying cooped up in the city. He's afraid of the prophecy Tarren..."

Tarren still didn't look at me, but continued busying himself with loading up weapons. "I don't care what any stupid prophecy says, you're staying here."

"UGH!" I shouted, before walking right next to the blonde boy. "Tarren you know I'm right! You can't do this without me."

Tarren still didn't turn to me. "I can, and I will. You're. Not. Going."

"Look I know it seems crazy, but I'm sure I'll be able to stop him! I mean, I know... God Tarren will you look at me?!" I yelled, grabbing his shoulder and turning him to face me.

"Geez I'm trying to tell you something important and you're just- Mmfff!"

My voice died as Tarren suddenly pulled my face towards his and pressed his lips to mine. Shocked for a second, my eyes widened, and I pulled away harshly.

"Tarren!" I yelled, and would've continued, if I hadn't seen the look in his eyes as they stared into mine. He looked afraid and desperate, like a child begging their mom not to leave their room at night. I came up short with a response.

Tarren sighed. "Look... I know you don't feel the same way about me Mary Katherine... but I care about you more than I have anyone else, ... and I won't justwatch you die at the hands of someone I once trusted... I can't lose you..."

I couldn't think of anything to say, and simply stared back. Tarren turned back to the large wall of weapons, hooked a shining sword to his belt, a bow on his back, and throw a sheath of arrows over his shoulder. He then stormed past me, just like he had the last time he kissed me...

I turned and watched him walk away, and he turned back once before he left, eyes sad. "I'm sorry Mary Katherine... But I'm not risking your life for this. Not again... We'll be back soon..."

And just like that, he disappeared, leaving me alone in the weapons room, letting fear and worry creep over me like a creeping fog.

What was I going to do now?

Okay I do ship Nod x MK with a passion, but I really enjoyed this little moment between Tarren and MK. XD My friend pointed out that Tarren's sort of like Gale, and I was like "O_O... OMG YES! :O"

So yeah, I believe the next chapter we'll get back to Nod's POV. See how poor little sick boy's been doing, huh? ^_^

Until then!

~Macy