So I thought about doing a double update today to make up for having disappeared for so long, and I almost thought against it because this chapter is pretty emotionally intense, but I figured I owed you.

But be warned this is the only time I'm doing a double update for the rest of the story I think. Because the rest of these chapters will be super climatic and need a day to settle in your brain.

So without further ado, chapter 38

Enjoy!

Chapter 38:

Forgive Me Someday

(MK's POV)

I sighed, slowly sauntering out of the weapon's room and finding my way back to Nod's. He was still asleep, and looking much better than he had been. I smiled sadly and sat down on the side of the bed next to him, grabbing his hand.

"Nod... What do I do?"

The idea of asking him whether or not I should go fight an extremely powerful and deadly dictator with supernatural abilities made me laugh. I imagined what the Leafman's reaction would be if he were actually conscious to answer. He'd probably go into some rage-filled rant about how it was the stupidest idea in the history of the world, and how there was no way in hell it was going to happen...

I suddenly felt my eyes stinging. It didn't matter if it was dangerous. The Willhollow soldiers and Leafmen were both putting themselves in danger right now, because of me. What kind of Lady of Destiny would I be if I just let these people die in vain...?

"You're going to go aren't you." I suddenly jumped, turning my head rapidly. Aaron was standing the doorway, hand resting against the frame. I stared at him, wide-eyed, not sure what to say. I suppose I had made my delicious, but still...

Aaron sighed, drawing me out of my thought, and strolled into the room. "Prince Tarren requested for me to keep an eye on you, and make certain that you didn't try and run after them..."

I huffed. "Sir... You're the Prophet of Willhollow for Pete's sake! You have to understand! This... This is my destiny."

"This can be your destiny." Aaron corrected sternly, causing my eyebrows to furrow. "What do you mean?"

"Yes, perhaps it was prophesized centuries ago that you would come and save Willhollow in it's darkest hour, but that does not define you. You're fate is not written in stone child, it is your own. This prophecy is only a roadmap, a path that you can choose to take or not."

I looked down, processing this for a moment, and then looked up to meet Aaron's eyes. "I won't desert these people."

Aaron nodded. "Then I will not stop you... But I will give you one warning Milady... If you go now to face Oren, legend says you will not survive."

My breath hitched. "Wait...what? What do you mean...?"

Aaron sighed. "The prophecy, the original written account from the first great prophet of Willhollow, stated that the Lady of Destiny would not only come to save Willhollow, but to sacrifice her life for it, just as she had done before. Oren warped this tale to make you give up your previous life for a life here in Willhollow, but child... If you go now, it is highly unlikely that you will ever return..."

I felt the air escaping my lips in shallow, ragged breaths as I plopped down into my chair. So... no matter what I did now, I wasn't going to live...

Then what did it matter anyways? I could sit here and waste away while Tarren and Ronin and their soldiers died, or I could face Oren and save countless lives.

I shook my head. "It's still my duty Aaron... I'm sorry."

I saw the prophet's face fall for a moment, but he regained his composure quickly.

"As you wish, milady. I will not interfere." Then, he reached his hand out to mine, and I shook it. "It has been a honor knowing you, Mary Katherine the Lady of Destiny. Your name will go down in legends to come..."

Then, just like that, Aaron turned and fled through the door, leaving me alone in the room. Suddenly, I heard Nod whimper, and roll over slightly, his hand falling on mine, which was resting beside him.

"M...MK..." He mumbled in his sleep. "S-stay... with me..."

I suddenly felt a tear slide down my cheek and land on my lap. Had he heard what has just been said? I could see that he was fast asleep, but his faced squinted in pain as his fingers clutched mine, silently begging me to stay.

If I left now... I would never see Nod again.

I considered waking him for a moment, just to say goodbye, but thought better of it. If I woke him up and told him what I planned to do, he'd never let me go... I couldn't just leave without saying goodbye though! I mean... this was it...

...Suddenly it hit me. I searched the room for paper and something to write with. There was a inkwell pen on the table of medicines, but no unused paper. I eventually grabbed an already used paper with some herbal recipe scrawled on it, and simply wrote my goodbyes on the back.

I hadn't realized I'd begun crying until a teardrop fell onto my inked name, blurring the K slightly. Taking a deep breath and sucking back the emotion, I folded the paper and tucked the letter under Nod's hand. Then, I leaned down and placed one last goodbye kiss on his forehead, before slowly walking out of the room.

I went to the weapon's room and grabbed a bow and sheath of arrows, which was the only thing I really knew how to use. I still had the knife Nod had given me as well. It'd be comforting to have that with me during my final moments...

It was strange. Death of course is something that every man will have to face eventually, but the idea that it was happening now, that I knew...It was strange to say the least, and scary.

The one thing that bothered me the most though, was the idea that Nod wouldn't be with me when I left. It hurt me to think of how much I'd be hurting him, when he awoke and read that letter... But this was something I had to do. For everyone.

Once Oren completely conquered Willhollow, what would be able to stop him from moving on to Moonhaven, or any other place in the forest?

A sudden, horrid thought came to mind. Moonhaven was where Nim Galuu and the Queen kept the magic elixirs that let me grow and shrink as I pleased. If Oren got a hold of those, he could make himself, and his entire army the size of a stomper.

He could take over my world as well.

I began moving at a faster pace. I couldn't let this happen. Not my home. Not my dad...

"Whatever you end up doing, I just want to make sure that you're happy. That's all I want you to do. Be happy."

I sighed. The only way I was going to be happy now was when I knew all the people I cared about were safe...

Suddenly, as I passed by Nod's room one last time, I heard a sob from inside. Peeking in, I found Jenni hiding under the table, knees pulled up to her chest, crying like there was no tomorrow. I rushed inside; surprised the sound hadn't woken Nod. He did sleep like a grizzly bear in hibernation though...

"Awww Jenni, what's the matter baby?" I cooed, trying to comfort the crying child. She looked up, and suddenly lunged at me, arms clasping around my neck like she was grasping onto life itself.

"OH MARY KATHERINE, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE US!" She cried into my shoulder. Oh, so that was what this was about. I probably should've known. I sat down cross-legged and rocked her back and forth in my arms.

"Jenni I'm sorry but I have to go. I'm the only one who can stop Oren from blowing the entire meadow to pieces. I have to do this..."

"B-But you don't really!" Jenni said, looking up at me with tear-stained cheeks and a red nose. "You could let Tarren and the soldiers fight Oren, and you could stay here with us until Nod gets better. Then you could go home and live happily ever after. You don't have to die Mary Katherine oh please don't leave us!"

Then she threw herself back into my arms, and I couldn't speak. For a moment, this idea of leaving and running away with Nod seemed like a dream made real. I envisioned staying with him in Moonhaven, living amongst the flower people and the great trees above and rivers below. I imagined being happy, and living for a long long time...

But the more time I wasted here thinking, the more chance Tarren and his men had of getting hurt out there. If I was ever going to be happy... then I had to do what was right, and I had to think of something to calm Jenni down fast...

Suddenly, it hit me. "Jenni... Do you want to know how I got out of Willhollow after Oren took my powers away?"

This new idea lessened the child's sobs, and she looked up curiously, sniffling and wiping her nose with her finger. "How?"

I smiled sadly. "I got help from a very special person, someone who stayed behind to fight so I could escape to the bunker. Jenni... that person was your mom."

The princess's eyes widened, moth slightly agape, as she stuttered a reply. "B-B-But my mom... She died... She couldn't possibly..."

"She didn't die Jenni, she was poisoned, just like you were. Oren cured her, and locked her in the same dungeon where you found me. Jenni she's still trapped in Willhollow, and the only way she's going to escape is if I can stop Oren..."

Jenni looked down, lips quivered, and I lifted her chin up with my finger. "You have to let me go Jenni..."

Jenni's tears began again as she gave me one last hug. "Goodbye Mary Katherine... I promise, I'm always going to remember you. Always..."

"Goodbye Jenorra... Look after Nod for me please. Tell him... Tell him I'm sorry..."

"I will,"

With that, I took my things, and snuck out, leaving my previous life behind. Before I got a bird and took off however, I whispered goodbye to my Leafman once more, praying he'd find it somewhere in his heart to forgive me...

(Nod's POV)

Ughh... aww why was my head pounding? Where was I? Was I dead yet? Had that hideous poison finally gotten the better of me?

I groaned as my stiff eyes cracked open. There was no way I could be dead. Death couldn't be nearly this uncomfortable. I looked around the distorted room, still pretty disoriented from sleep, my body feeling sore and stiff.

Once my vision began clearing, I could see that I was in a fairly simply room, with stone walls and stone tiled floors. My bed was a simple cot, with a warm cotton blanket, and there was a table across the room from me, covered corner to corner with all sorts of vials filled with different colored liquids.

"Ugh... Where the heck is this place?" I muttered, my voice feeling tight, and throat dry. I guess that was simply the aftermath of being poisoned. I tried to sit up, but got pretty dizzy and nearly fell, knocking a chair over.

"Shit..." I muttered, sitting back down, and hoping no one heard. The last thing I needed was MK or someone else seeing me like this and...wait...

MK!

My eyes suddenly widened. I had seen her! I remembered, seeing her in this room, hearing her voice! I'd still been ditzy from the poison dart, but I had distinctly remembered her being there, comforting me and telling me we were gonna be okay...

Where was she now?!

I tried standing up again, but I guess the blood hadn't been circulating enough, because my vision immediately started going black, and I fell back down into a sitting position, placing my forehead in my hands. "Ugh..."

Suddenly, something I hadn't known was there slipped from my fingers, and I reached down to pick up a wrinkly, folded piece of paper. I looked at the front of it, and it had some sort of medicine recipe on it. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Why did I have this?

Getting that bad gut feeling once more, I unfolded the piece of paper and began reading what was obviously her handwriting, and was also obviously rushed. She hadn't had much time...

"No..." I muttered when I finished, feeling the paper fall form my fingers. "No NO NO!"

Suddenly I jumped up from my place on the bed and rushed out of the room. I needed to find a bird and my sword and find Willhollow and... and... and oh god let me not be too late!

I had already thought Mary Katherine dead once, and I was not prepared to go through that kind of pain again. I had promised not to let Oren hurt her and that was not a promise I was planning to break anytime soon.

"Please MK... Please just hang in there, okay?" I whispered to no one as I ran. "I'm coming for you..."

Nod,

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wish we'd had more time. Tarren's heading for Willhollow with his men, and I have to stop Oren before he kills them, and destroys the forest. According to the prophecy though, if I am to save Willhollow...I have to sacrifice my life to do it.

I wish there was something else I could do, but I can't abandon these people to Oren. Think of what he'll do to them? Think of what he'll do to Moonhaven, or my world if he gets that far? I won't let him do that, even if I have to die to stop him.

By the time you read this, I'll have already left. I may already be gone. If this is the case, then please tell everyone in Moonhaven, the queen especially, that they're incredible and that it was an honor to have known them. Tell my dad that I love him, and I'm so sorry. Tell him that I was happy, because I knew I was taking care of him, of everyone.

And please, please don't do anything stupid or reckless. Don't confront Tarren or Willhollow. He tried to stop me, but this is something I have to do. I hope you'll understand that one day...

I love you Nod. I always have and always will. No matter what I say or do, or whatever happens to me, that will never change. Hold onto that, and please try and be happy without me. Wouldn't you want me to do the same?

Goodbye, Nod. I love you more than life itself, and I'm sorry. Forgive me someday.

Mary Katherine.

T_T And with that I begin an evening of emotions and story writing. If you'll excuse me, I need to go find my iPod and get prepared to stay up until 3am writing XDD. I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow, I promise. No more elongated breaks.

Until then!

~ Macy