Momo: He's probably a rapist.

Amy: Funny. That's exactly what I was thining.

Katie: Oh ha ha. Let it be known that while you two were riding on the Judgmental Express, I was eating the last of the cookies. That's right. Who is laughing now?

Momo: You mean the cookies that fell on the floor?

Katie: I hear nothing.

"I said stop! Who the hell do you think you are? You're not even from this world, so don't go on believing that you'll be accepted! By me or by anyone else!" Bertrum yelled in anger. His face was beet-red and his fists were glued to his side to stop their decent to my throat. I gulped. What the hell?

"What do you mean…How can you tell that I am not of this world? I'm alive, aren't I? I can breathe, eat, sleep, and bleed can't I?" I asked, whirling around, about to get myself into further confrontation with this guy.

"It is because you stand out too much. Your aura, your relationship with the Royal Family, your aura, your essence just screams foreign. It screams strange. It screams unnatural. I can smell it on you. I can tell you just don't belong. You act like an immature brat, and you are always condescending things in that annoying way of yours. You can doubt me if you wish, but I see the prince and that other man doting on you, and it just pisses me off! I wanted to let you know--," Here, he pulled me close to him, and wrapped his arm around my waist, bringing my ear to his lips, which brushed it ever so softly,

"You will not be able to stay here forever. You do not belong. Your very presence here is throwing the world off balance. You may very well be the final cry of men…"

My blood ran cold at his words. I stiffened up and thrust my hands against his chest.

"No! I don't believe you! Leave me be! You LIAR!!" I struggled against Bertrum's grip, but he held me fast, probably intent on making me feel even more uncomfortable than normal.

That's when Bertrum was slugged hard from the left and from the right. I was shocked. I gasped and stumbled backwards, knocking into one of my rescuers. I felt hot tears prick me eyes, but forced them back. This resulted in my eyes becoming slightly blood-shot. I looked up into Jakob's angry eyes which were glaring at Bertrum who had stumbled and landed against a wall.

"What the hell did you say to her?" He asked angrily, holding me to his chest. I felt comforted and let out a shaky sigh. Geoffrey ran up and grabbed Bertrum's collar and twisted it so he could barely breathe.

"You scum! Answer hm! He's the fking prince, you bastard! What did you say?!" He seemed pissed. His mouth twisted into a sneer and he seemed to find some kind of satisfaction in hurting this Clavatian male. Perhaps it was something he'd picked up in the River Belle Path woods…Bertrum's face was turning blue and Geoff showed no signs of letting go.

I jumped. "Geoff! NO!!"

He seemed slightly startled at my exclamation. His grip on Bertrum loosened and the Calavat took this moment to run for it, darting in and out of the crowd which was still burbling loudly around our little secluded corner. My heart thudded in my chest and my pulse raced. I felt all the blood rush out of my head at once, and stumbled forward.

Geoff turned around, a look of indignation spreading across his handsome features. Geoff's sword swung wildly on his hip, almost knocking into me. I fell forward into his arms which were wide open, the better to gesture angrily at me. I cried into his chest and gripped the fabric of his clothes tightly in my wet fingers.

"Please…please…Don't kill anyone. I-I-I don't think I could s-stand it if I saw you kill…another…please…!" I sniffled pathetically. All the while, the bandit leader just stood there awkwardly. Eventually, his red flush went away and he patted my head lightly. Jakob looked on indifferently.

"Katie…What did he tell you? Was it anything…indecent?" he asked me, bending down to peer into my watery eyes.

I shook my head roughly. "It was nothing. He just…told me that I didn't belong. He said that I…was upsetting the balance of the world…"

The prince and the bandit exchanged perplexed expressions. Jakob pried me off of Geoff with a thought of, "Well. We should be getting on now. That festival is tomorrow after all. We should buy the necessities before you spend all that money, eh, Kate?" He asked jokingly, ruffling my hair.

It made me feel better that neither of my friends was bringing the matter up again. I didn't like to talk about my feelings. To anyone; not even Amy. I brushed away my dried tears and snapped, "Don't mess with me!"

"Hehe. Now that's the Katie I know and—well, you know what I mean," Geoff flashed me a cute smile and grabbed my hand.

"Urm…Does anyone know where the blacksmith's at?"

Sarah and Gaia had been looking around the city for the three of us for about ten minutes now, poking their heads into pubs and asking random passerby if they had seen the prince, a girl dressed in boy's clothing, and a man with a ponytail pass by. None of them had.

"Dammit. That little tramp's probably shacked up with the both of 'em!" Sarah snarled to herself, only half-joking.

"Oooh, kinky!! 3" Gaia chirped happily, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Sarah whacked him hard against the side of his overly-perverted face.

"Dumbass! She is so not like that, so don't you go thinking she is! Eesh!" Sarah shivered like she was having bad thoughts and went to ask a crowd of Selkies if they'd seen us.

"? ."

"Uh…Don't speak English? Thank you anyway," Sarah hurried away, embarrassed.

"Why don't we go on ahead to the smithie anyway? I'm sure we'll probably find them on our way," Gaia said.

"Huh! That's probably the smartest thing I've ever heard you say, Gaia! Why don't you tell me something…If I am to give you our Katie…How old are you?" Sarah asked bluntly. She had sort of a bad habit of saying exactly what was on her mind, not caring if it hurt someone else. She was a straight-forward kind of girl; brutally honest and would tease the hell out of you, but she was more loyal than a thousand dogs.

The corner of Gaia's mouth twitched in annoyance. (Sarah can do this to people.)

"I'm 19. What of it?"

Sarah's mouth hung open in slight surprise. She gaped like a fish while Gaia looked at her with a grin masking his features. She gestured for him to lead the way and he did so with a graceful stride.

'Dammit, Katie! You have it too good! Since when did you start attracting such cute older guys?!' Sarah began thinking of what she could do to me when she found me and got lost in her daydreams while drooling. 'Fine! I make it my mission in life to find a man hotter than the ones that are tailing you! Ahaha—,' her evil laugh trailed into the real world, gaining some stares from citizens who skirted her.

That and the fact that her slim bear legs were twitching and intimidating.

"You were checking me out, weren't you?" Gaia asked over his shoulder in a haughty voice. His hand swished in the air over his head. Sarah flinched.

"No way! You're a whole four years younger than me! I want a man older than me, taller than me, and waaaaaaay more mature than someone the likes of you!" She snapped.

Wait…does this mean she likes Jakob and Geoffrey too?! (RAC: Me: clutches the two to me. MINE!!)

Gaia stopped and turned around.

"Hell! You know I'm sexy! You know you want me! You loo-oove me!" He said in a sing-song voice.

"GOD DAMMIT, YOU IMMATURE LITTLE BASTARD! GET THE HELL BACK HERE SO I CAN KICK YOUR EFFING ASS!!"

"Nyahaha! 3"

Gaia took off through the cobble streets, trailing Sarah behind him like a dog on a leash.

"Hey…Do you hear an awfully familiar evil laugh?" I asked my friends, cocking my ear to the sky at the low-but-high cackle that just managed to reach my ears.

"Yeah…and I'm afraid…," Geoff said in false-fear, heading towards it.

All of a sudden, all the people in front of us parted and we, too taken aback to get out of the way, got careened into by Gaia and Sarah. Gaia saw me from a distance and screeched.

"KAA-AATIE!!!!! 3"

And proceeded to jump into my arms. Me having the thinnest, weakest arms ever—not saying I'm not strong! (RAC: I really did give this guy a bloody lip yesterday ;;;) –collapsed with him on top of me. My head hit the stone and I passed out.

"O-M-G! Katie! Speak to me! Here, let me revive you with a kiss!" Gaia said, cradling my head in his hands.

Jakob and Geoff hit him at the same time.

"Do it and I'll kill you!" they said in unison. Gaia twirled and fell down next to me. Not passed out, just on the border between life and death. He held my hand as Sarah ran up slightly out of breath.

"Damn…him…!" She panted. She put her hands on her knees; the better to get more oxygen into her lungs. Then she dropped down next to me and lifted my head. She jabbed a pressure point in the back of my neck and I woke up instantly. (RAC: She really can do this. She's a black belt in karate!)

I sat there, just really dazed for a second or two, and then turned to Gaia.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?!" I cried indignantly.

"Oh, have no fear, precious. I was only running from the she-devil!" Gaia explained, pointing dramatically at Sarah. I realized I was the only thing separating the two and gulped. I hoped this wouldn't come down to a fist fight.

"Forget that! C'mon, you guys! It's already 11 o'clock! We've got no time to spare with your petty arguments!" Jakob snipped irritably from above us, yanking me out from between the sparring duo and out of harm's way. I winked at him in thanks. "Gaia, lead us to this shop."

Gaia jumped up and bowed mockingly. "Yes, your highness…," He drawled spectacularly.

Jakob snarled. "I can have you killed for this, Clavat, so watch your tongue…!"

"Oh please! Katie, don't you think that fights between children are so petty?" Sarah asked me loudly enough for the others to hear. They threw her dirty looks, but she ignored them. A rather short person by nature, though not as short as Mo (Morgan), Sarah was being her usual haughty self. I smirked.

"Yupskerdoodles!" I chirped. "Now, Gaia, lead the way!" I marched up to him, linked arms, and together we ran off, singing random junk and attracting attention.