A/N: FINALLY! Sorry about the wait, I had to start working on summer homework. I have SO MUCH. There is an important Author's Note at the end, so if you enjoy reading my baby, read the bolded print at the end! And now, with further ado, after nearly two months of preparation, the Quest begins! R&R!

After a few minutes of climbing downwards, Ren sets me down. I take Nik from a terrified looking Nilima, and smile at her. She seems to calm just a bit, but I notice that her grip on Sunil's hand could be cutting off his circulation.

I leave Kishan muttering quietly to Sunil, and trot up to Ren.

"You scared Nilima," I accuse quietly.

His answering look is very confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been so overprotective of me and Nik that she's worried."

He smiles. "It's not overprotective if it's justified, iadala."

"You're right," I say at a normal volume, "but this time it's not, so it is being overprotective. You're worse than my dad was."

Ren smiles at me. "I don't really care."

I grin back. "I know."

Ren takes my hand, and we keep walking, and I can't help but feel a mounting tension in the pit of my stomach.

~TR~

When we finally break into the grey haze outside of Kishkindha, I squint into the fog to see what is ahead. I notice that Ren has the gada held in the hand that is not latched onto mine, Kishan has the chakram held in his hand, and Sunil is nervously holding on to the trishula. Nilima has the backpack with all our weapons and the two gifts that I'm not wearing. The Necklace is around my neck and the Scarf is threaded through my belt loops. I silently ask the Scarf for a backpack, and go over to Nilima. I feel the last of the threads whispering across my shoulders, forming the straps to my back pack, and unzip Nilima's.

"I'm just taking some of your load," I say. I take out the brooches, bow and arrows, and the kamandal. "There. All you have is the Rope and the Fruit. If you want, you can tie the Rope around your waist; make a sling bag with the Scarf for the Fruit, then get rid of the backpack all together."

"Thank you, Miss Kelsey," Nilima says with a smile. "But I am fine. It is not that heavy."

I smile, and keep in step beside her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Miss Kelsey. I am just... nervous. I was not planning on interrupting my wedding plans to go on a magical quest," she says bluntly.

I smile, knowing that if she had said that to me two years ago, I would have been very offended. Now, it is just the Nilima that I have come to know, and love.

"I'm sorry about that. I'm honestly not even sure that's what Durga was going to say. I'm really sorry if we were wrong."

"No, Miss Kelsey, do not apologize. It is not you I am irritated with. Sunil has been... distracted lately," she admits. "After living just the two of us for so long, and him not knowing anyone outside of my work, I had grown used to him having nothing to do but love me," Nilima confesses I suppose it... bothered me when he had something else to work towards, to think about. I know it sounds slightly selfish, but I can't help but wish... never mind," she says hurriedly.

"You know, that's how I felt. When I was dating Ren in Oregon," I say thoughtfully. "He could only be a man for six hours a day and he had to go to school. After spending at least three of his hours at school, then we had at least two hours of homework, then I made dinner, and then I would read to him as a tiger. It was nice to be able to see the tiger for a long time without knowing I was in danger, but I wanted to be able to talk to him," I finish.

"Well, he was still spending every second he could with you," Nilima says softly. "I never planned on falling in love. It never seemed to fit into my plans. But Sunil... He was like a little boy, needing to be taught everything. He was fiercely protective of his sister, when anyone would talk about her. He was in awe when we saw a statue of her, and he couldn't believe that people would worship her. He was so... juvenile that he stole my heart," she admits quietly.

"Nilima, I don't think that is the correct phrase. You gave our heart to him as soon as he landed on the floor. You were blushing and stammering from the first time he looked at you. Ren and I both knew that you two would end up together before we started planning our wedding."

Nilima smiles. "I suppose. It is still...odd... to not have his undivided attention all day and every day."

I take her hand. "It's okay to not be completely in love with him every second, to the point where he is the only thing you can think about. You know Ren and I haven't always gotten along. You saw what happened when Kishan said that Nik would have to come along."

Nilima smiles. "That is nothing compared to when you were searching for the Necklace," she says gesturing to my neck.

I grin. "Nothing will ever compare to that. At least, I hope not."

Ren looks up from their huddle as we near them, and he motions for us to hurry up.

We trot over to them, and Kishan begins whispering.

"Ren and I can hear monkeys. We aren't sure exactly where they are, but we need to be careful. We were thinking that Nilima can take the extra weapons and gifts that aren't being used or that Kelsey isn't wearing and Nik, and then the four of us will form a circle around her to protect them," Kishan explains. "Is that okay with everyone?"

"Absolutely not1" Nilima says.

"I told you," Sunil says smugly.

"Oh, be quiet," Nilima says harshly. "I am just as good at fighting as any of you are."

"Probably better, in my case," I mutter.

"Nilima, I know," Ren interrupts. "And, sorry, but I wish you and Kelsey were switching places."

I glare at him, and, knowing what I could do to him, wisely stops talking.

Kishan picks up where Ren left off. "Kelsey is more experienced with the mythical creatures here. Everyone is. And you are the one Nik likes most, besides Ren and Kelsey."

Nilima nods tersely. "Fine. But only for Nik."

Ren and I lock eyes, and I walk over to him. "No matter what happens on the quest, remember that I love you, more than life itself," I say fiercely.

Ren tightens his arms around me. "Do you know something?"

"No," I answer truthfully. "I just feel like if I said that before the other quests our lives would have been a lot easier."

Ren chuckles. "Rajkumari, when are you going to learn that I am glad we went through all that. We wouldn't be the same without it."

I sigh. "I know. And I know we discussed this already. It was hard. And now we are dragging three more people into it, one of them is our infant son."

"I thought you were glad that he had to come with us," Ren say, taking the front of the circle as I take the bow and quiver of arrows out of the extra backpack. I slip the brooches into my pocket, slip the kamandal over Kishan's head, and let the Scarf absorb the backpack.

"I was pretending. I hate that he's here, I think it's pointless, but Kishan and Durg-Ana said it is necessary, so I figured I couldn't really argue," I say as I kiss the top of his head.

"The same goes for you, little man," I whisper in his ear. "No matter what happens on this quest, remember that I love you, more than life itself."

~TR~

After trekking through the foliage for a bit, we come upon the "thorny grasping dangers". However, they are all oriented differently than when we came through here years ago.

"Ren, what do you think that is?" I ask, pointing to the leaves that are all pointing to our right.

Ren scratches his head. "Well, the prophecy said that the thorny dangers will thank us. Maybe that's the direction we need to go."

I think for a moment before Kishan voices my thoughts. "We are blocked from going that way. There are kind of bushes in the way."

Nilima laughs. "We could just walk out of here and then turn right. It doesn't have to be difficult."

Ren laughs. "No, I don't suppose it does. Thank you, Nilima."

Sunil crosses over to Nilima and kisses the top of her head. "What would we do without you?" He says jokingly.

She blushes and turns away from him, but Sunil doesn't see the blush. He looks bewildered, and then retreats back to his place in the circle.

I sigh.

We keep walking, and usually don't keep up conversation very much. An hour passes, then two, and after about three hours, we come to the end of the "dangers" and to the Kappa river.

"Ren, are the Kappa and the jewels still there?" I ask, moving over to the river.

"Don't get close to it!" Ren shouts anxiously. "Yes, they are still there."

"Why?" I ask, sidestepping away from the water.

"Kells, don't you remember what happened when we were leaving?"

I nod, wondering where he is going with this.

"Why would you get any closer to them than absolutely necessary? It isn't safe, iadala."

"Ren, we aren't exactly in the safest environment anyway. I don't think getting close to it is going to matter very much."

Ren scoff. "Kelsey, there is no need to purposely endanger yourself, and everyone else here for no reason. I would like for us all to get out of here alive."

"Ren, that won't be an issue. There are twice as many of us and we've already gone through the trials of both realms. There really isn't any risk," I argue.

"Kells, there is. The Kappa could still sneak up on us. We could face something completely new. There are infinite possibilities. I refuse to be comfortable," He says surely.

I open my mouth to continue the argument, but Kishan gets there first.

"Okay, you two," he says. "As entertaining as this is, you need you need to stop. Let's make camp here for the night."

I look up at the sky and notice that the sun is setting, and agree, but Ren tries to argue.

"No," Kishan says surely. "You will listen to me for once, Dhiren. I have seen much more of this world than you have."

Ren grumbles while he builds I fire, but ignore him as I direct the Scarf in making a tent big enough for all of us.

I cradle Nik gently, and think of what we have to do in the very near future.

"Kishan, do you think this is big enough?" I ask him.

Kishan glances over at the tent sitting near the fire and nods.

"Bilauta, is Ren okay? He's acting weird."

"When isn't he acting weird," I snort. "He's just being overprotective. As usual."

Kishan nods. "I hope so," he says ominously. "Are there sleeping bags in there?"

"That would be a bad thing to forget," I mutter to myself as I jump up and count how many we need. "Do you know where Ren went?" I ask.

"He just went into the jungle after he built the fire," Kishan says, pointing over to near where Sunil and Nilima are quietly talking.

I sigh, and adjust Nik on my hip as he gurgles. I ponder going after him for a moment, but then decide to just let him be.

"I'm going to feed Nik, okay?" I tell Kishan after pulling a small log into the tent.

"No, Kells. You are not allowed to feed your son," Kishan says sarcastically.

I smile. "Good to know. You want to feed him?"

Kishan looks up in alarm. "What are you implying, bilauta? That I have the capability to breast feed a child?"

I nearly drop Nik at the look on his face. It's a look of complete shock, mixed with some anger. It's hilarious.

"Okay, you caught me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to let you see that I thought that," I apologize, completely insincere.

Kishan grins. "I forgive you. It's nothing I haven't heard before."

I decide to ignore that comment, and situate myself against the log as I hear Ren come through the forest.

He enters the hut just as I rest my head against the fabric behind me, and I jolt upright, startling Nik, and causing him to wail.

"Ren!" I admonish.

"I was just seeing if you wanted me to take Nik, but never mind," he says meanly. "Forget it."

I stare at him, not understanding why he is acting like this. "Ren, what's wrong?"

"It doesn't matter," he says shortly.

"Yes, it does!" I say loudly. I'm going to go give Nik to Kishan and come back. I expect you to still be here and we will deal whatever is making you be mean," I say as I exit the tent.

I approach Kishan and hand Nik to him. "I need to talk to Ren. Watch him for a little bit?" I ask.

Kishan looks wary, but nods. He takes Nik from me, and I storm back into the tent.

"Alagan Dhiren Rajaram, you had better have a good reason for acting like a two year old," I say, crossing my arms and glaring at him.

"Kelsey, it is nothing different than it has been before. This is ridiculous that we should still be going on a quest. We finished the tasks we had to, and now we should be at home raising our childr- son," he finishes softly.

"I knew it," I breathe. "You blame her, don't you?"

"No, I don- actually, yes. I do. If she had had the sense to get what she 'needs'," he says furiously, "when we could have gotten it fairly easily, I wouldn't have had a problem with it. But now she 'needs' it as soon as I find out that you are pregnant, and you had only found out a week before me, and all of a sudden, my brother, who we thought we would never see again, shows up here, saying we need to endanger everyone we love, and lo and behold, there goes our family," he finishes, breathing heavily.

"Dhiren," I say, trying to stay calm. "I am going to say this as nicely as I can. I. Do. Not. Care. What. You. Think. Not now. Maybe not ever. We are doing this, and the only thing making it more dangerous is your refusal to be nice. You could help a lot by being slightly normal about this."

"No! Kelsey, we may not be married in the time where what the man says, goes, but I cannot let this go on! We are going back home, and we will never talk about this again!" he yells.

A tear slides down my cheek. "If that's how you want it," I gasp. "You can leave. But I am staying here. And since I assume you won't be leaving until morning, I won't be sleeping in here. I'll keep Nik with me, since he hasn't taken a bottle yet. Don't bother coming back," I sob as I run out of the tent.

I take Nik from Kishan after wiping my tears away, and Kishan asks me if I'm okay.

"No," I say softly. "But I will be."

I ask the Scarf for a second, smaller tent. There is a small hammock close to the ground for Nik, and I rock him in there for a moment to put him to sleep before lying down and crying myself to sleep.

A/N: I feel awful. Really, really, truly. I knew that if I wanted to post this chapter anytime soon, it would have to end here, and I would have to give you this news: hiatus. I have way too much work to even think about writing AT LEAST until the end of the summer, if not longer. I will hopefully be able to post semi-regularly come mid- or late-October, but you will get maybe two chapters before then. I am way behind, and writing for an hour or so to finish this up is the first time I have written in two weeks. And I haven't. Stopped. Working. EVER. I have thought about this for awhile now, and I know it is the only way to not fail all my classes. I won't stop though. I promise. I may promise things about posting timelines that fall through, but even if it takes three years, I WILL finish Tiger's Redemption. I am sad that it will become AU once Tiger's Dream is released, though... I'm not the big of a fan of AU stories... D': I'M SORRY! If it helps, I want to drop out of school just to write 24/7, so this isn't a decision I make happily...