A/N:

This is the very last chapter. I will be continuing this as another story, okie? =D And thank you so much for your reviews!!! I wasn't expecting that much since I thought that only three or four people were reading this, so I was pretty much surprised and really, really ecstatic. I have an embarrassing story to tell, but you'd have to go to my other story (A Happy Ending?) to read it, since I don't want to repeat it again. Anything else to say? Thinking…thinking…nope. Don't think so. Read on…

Recap:

It's my fault. A girl died because of me. An innocent little girl. I'm… a…a… murderer…

She didn't notice the tears that streamed down her cheeks. The word "murderer" kept on replaying in her mind. Thunder boomed at a distance. It was her fault. Her blood's fault. If she wasn't a fairy, this would never have happened. It was because of her being a damn fairy…

Suddenly, she heard someone. "Tania?! Is that you?"

The voice sounded so far-off…

The rain was too loud…

Chapter Thirteen

She vaguely heard footsteps. Then she felt someone gently grab her by the shoulders, shaking her slightly. Who was that? Why couldn't they leave her alone? She slowly looked up, her mind in a lost trance.

She blinked once, and when she did, the beads of rainwater that clung to her eyelashes fell off.

She saw deep pools of midnight ocean. Someone's eyes…

Darrin?

Yes, it was Darrin. (A/N: Cookies for whoever got it right!) Darrin was here. His blond hair was completely drenched, and it was the same with his clothes. He didn't seem to care.

He reached out and gently slid his fingers over her visibly broken jaw. His touch was barely there. "What happened?" he asked softly.

A strangled noise erupted from the back of her throat. She looked down and avoided his gaze as tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks.

"What happened?" Darrin asked again. He lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his intense eyes.

Tania pulled away from him. She shook her head.

He nodded. "All right. We'll talk later. Let's get out of this rain." He gently took her by the arm and pulled. She wouldn't budge. "Come on, Tania," he said in slight frustration. "We have to get out of here."

He was not sure if she had heard him. Her head was bowed down and her eyes were closed. She acted as if she didn't notice the rain.

"Tania," he said, more loudly and gruffly this time, "let's go. It's raining!"

She slowly looked up, and her purple eyes met his blue ones. Darrin softened. The emotions playing in her eyes were readable. She looked so…lost. And scared.

She broke the gaze and bowed her head once again. Darrin sighed softly.

"Tania, I don't know what happened that made you this upset, but can we please leave? Do you realize that we're both wet and shivering?"

She ignored him. Darrin let out another sigh.

"If you don't move right now, then I'll be forced to carry you."

She still ignored him. This worried Darrin. When he said that teasing remark, he had expected her to glare at him and yell, "I think not!" Anything but this deafening silence. It bothered him. What was wrong with her?

Then it hit him. She was in shock. He mentally smacked himself. Why didn't he see it before?

"Tania," he said strongly, "I'm going to carry you, all right?"

No answer.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Still no answer. He sighed.

"Fine." He paused. "Don't get mad at me afterwards." With this, he bent down and scooped her up easily. Tania did not protest. She was still as silent as ever.

"You're no feather," he teased, trying to get a reaction from her.

There was still none.

He sighed. "All right. Let's go."

They left the alley with her in his capable arms.

Darrin reached the manor after a few minutes of walking in the rain. He stopped at the front door and was about to set Tania down when he noticed that her eyes were closed. Her chest was rising and falling slowly.

She was sleeping. He decided not to wonder how that was even possible. (It was raining hard, for crying out loud.)

The door opened and Georgia's face came into view. Her eyes swept over Tania's sleeping figure. "What happened here?" she asked frantically.

"I just found her. She's sleeping," Darrin said half-heartedly.

"But what happened?!" Georgia demanded angrily.

Darrin glared. "I don't know!" he shot back.

Georgia opened her mouth, about to retort something, but the moment her eyes took in Darrin's exhausted face, she shut up. "All right," she said quietly. "Bring her in."

Darrin nodded and entered the house. He silently followed Georgia up the stairs, down the hallway, and into Tania's bedroom.

"Just set her on the bed. I'll change her clothes," Georgia instructed.

Darrin walked over to the bed and gently set Tania down. His eyes swept over her very pale face. He let out a heavy, shattered sigh.

"You may leave," Georgia said.

Darrin nodded. "I'll be back in the morning. To see how she is."

He left the bedroom, but not before stealing one last look at the sleeping girl.

Tania's eyes fluttered open. She winced when she was greeted by the overly bright sunlight pouring through the window. Where was she?

She took one look at her surroundings. Oh. She was in her bedroom. How did she get there?

She tried to go back to last night's events. She frowned. Why couldn't she remember what happened? She remembered eating supper, but that was it. What happened after supper?

AND WHY DID HER JAW HURT A LOT?

She rose from her bed. She changed into a simple blue dress that had a tight bodice and flowing skirt. She glanced at the looking glass and was startled at seeing her reflection.

She looked absolutely horrible. Her wavy, chestnut-brown hair was a complete mess. It was slightly damp as well. She wondered why. She had dark circles under her eyes (which were puffy for some reason) and her cheeks were paler than usual.

She walked over to her vanity table, took her brush, and began to untangle the knots. When she was somewhat satisfied with her hair, she placed it back down on the table. The crystal necklace caught her eye.

Without thinking, she picked it up and placed the crystal over her jaw. She closed her eyes and waited.

A cooling sensation seeped through her skin. It felt so soothing and gentle. Tania opened her eyes and saw that the crystal was glowing brightly. A pure, golden light was bathing her skin.

A few seconds later, she pulled the crystal away. The light disappeared. And so did the pain in her jaw. She smiled appreciatively at the rare crystal.

The stone necklace, Kylee's gift, then caught her eye.

No use wearing two cords at the same time, she thought. Picking up the stone necklace, she took off the blue stone pendant from its leather cord and placed it in the crystal pendant's leather cord. Now she had two pendants in one cord. Satisfied, she fastened it around her neck.

She went down the stairs in high spirits, despite her rugged appearance.

"Tania!"

Tania turned and saw Georgia heading towards her.

She smiled. "Good morning, Georgia," she greeted cheerfully.

Georgia frowned at her. "How can you be so happy? Care to explain what happened last night?"

Tania knitted her brow. "What are you talking about?"

Georgia growled in frustration. "Darrin took you home last night. You were soaked to the bone, Tania! Where were you last night?!"

Tania stammered. "I…I-I can't remember…"

It was the truth. She couldn't remember what happened after eating supper. Everything was just lost to her.

"How can you not remember? I—"

"I have to go," Tania cut in. She sidestepped and rushed off before Georgia could say another word.

Tania scampered down the hallway as she ran over to the front door. She opened it, and before she knew what was happening, she crashed into something hard and lost her footing. She yelped and braced herself for an impact with the hard ground.

It never came. A hand shot out, grabbed her by her arm, and steadied her. Tania looked up, startled.

Blue eyes.

"Darrin!" she said in surprise.

She didn't give him a chance to speak. Instead, she grabbed his hand and dragged him off with her. Darrin didn't resist. He just let her lead him to…wherever.

He found himself in the manor's huge garden. Tania released his hand and looked at him with an intense gaze.

"What happened last night?!" she asked tersely. "Georgia told me that you took me home. WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?!"

Darrin arched an eyebrow. "I was just about to ask the same thing."

Tania blanched. "But…I-I don't remember…" she whispered.

He nodded. "That's understandable. You were in shock when I found you."

"Found me?" Tania echoed.

"You were in an alleyway, crying." He paused. "And I saw blood nearby. It wasn't yours was it?"

Tania stared at him. "What are you talking about? Blood?"

Wait a minute…

It all flooded back to her in an instant, hitting her like a strong wave. She paled. Being drugged…the men…break of her jaw…

The little girl. Dead. Gone. A corpse.

"I'm a murderer," Tania whispered.

Darrin gave her a look. "What?"

She began to breathe heavily. Hellfire, the girl! The girl…the little girl… "I-I…"

She fell on her knees.

"Tania!" Darrin cried out. He stooped down and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her. "Don't go into shock again! Calm down!"

Tania, still breathing heavily, stared at Darrin. Her eyes were full of terror. "I-I c-can't…," she panted. "M-murderer…" She began to sob loudly. Tears poured down her cheeks. She then let out a strangled cry and buried her face in her hands.

"Tania…" She felt Darrin shake her by the shoulders. "Calm down and tell me what happened."

She sobbed louder. She began to rock back and forth, back and forth.

"Tania!" Darrin shouted. He grabbed her wrists and pulled them away from her face. Then he cupped her chin and tilted it. "Look into my eyes," he ordered.

Tania closed her eyes and shook her head. Her lips quivered. Her breathing was rugged. "I-I'm…m-murderer…murderer, murderer, murderer," she chanted softly. Her eyes were still closed.

"Look at me, Tania. Look at me," he said sternly. He was still holding her chin. "Open your eyes."

Very slowly and reluctantly, she opened her eyes. She stared into his blue orbs.

"You're shaking," Darrin whispered. "Calm down." He placed a thumb over her cheek and wiped a stray tear away.

Tania gulped. "I-I…"

"Calm down," he whispered again.

Before she knew what was happening, Tania found herself enveloped by his two strong arms. Her eyes widened slightly; she was startled to find that his embrace was very warm and comforting.

Shrugging of the thought that this was Darrin holding her intimately, she let out a soft sob and buried her head in his solid chest. "I'm a m-murderer," she whimpered.

Darrin released her from his embrace, though reluctantly. He then placed his hands at the sides of her face and looked deep into her eyes. "Tell me what happened," he said firmly.

Tania gulped, then slowly nodded. Darrin released her from his hold.

She took a deep breath and began. "I went to the marketplace. It was empty. I heard this noise from behind, and before I knew what was happening, I was hit in the head. When I woke up, this drink was immediately thrust to me. Without thinking, I drank. The drink sealed my powers." Tania paused, using this time to mentally scream at herself for such stupidity.

Darrin spoke up. "And…?"

"And there were men…five or six…they told me they had a job for me. They wanted me to rob the royal palace." She paused and swallowed. "I…I said no. Then they showed me this little girl and told me that if I refuse, they will kill her. I said yes after that. The leader, I think, then told me to meet them tomorrow—or rather today—same time, same place."

She paused. The girl's death was nearing. She couldn't bear to say it. Darrin was going to see her as a murderer…but it was true, wasn't it? She was a murderer…

"Continue," he said.

Tania nodded. "They were about to leave, but they did this one last thing." She gulped. "They…th-they killed her," she whispered. "The girl. They told me that it would act as a reminder if I'm thinking of doing anything stupid."

"So you didn't kill her," Darrin said.

"I did!" Tania protested. "It was my fault she died!"

"But you didn't stab her, did you?"

Tania shook her head. "No, but—"

"You're not a murderer, Tania," Darrin cut in. "Stop blaming yourself."

Anger instantly flashed in Tania's eyes. She bolted up and shot him a hot, furious glare. "IT WAS MY FAULT!" she screamed. "DON'T YOU SEE, DARRIN? SHE DIED BECAUSE OF WHO I AM! IF I WAS NOT A DAMN FAIRY, THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED! I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE! I WOULD NOT HAVE CAPTURED THEIR ATTENTION!"

Darrin rose from the ground. "No," he said sternly. "It is not your fault! Stop this, Tania! Just stop!"

"NO!" Tania screamed. "I HATE BEING A FAIRY! I HATE BEING HERE! I WISH I COULD JUST LEAVE THIS STUPID PLACE AND NEVER COME BACK!"

Tania suddenly paused as it all registered into her. Leave this place and never come back…

Of course. Why not? I can just leave this all behind. Start a brand new life.

"Tania…" Darrin said quietly.

Tania looked up and met his gaze. "I can leave," she whispered.

"Tania, don't—"

"I can just leave," she said, more loudly this time. "Leave all this behind and never look back..."

"Tania, I—" Darrin gasped. "Why did you just do that?!" he demanded.

Tania's eyes were now a chocolate brown. All of the purple, the hint of her heritage, had vanished.

Now, she looked fully human.

"So that people won't know that I am a fairy," she said softly.

"But people already know that you're a fairy," Darrin protested.

"No. I'm not talking about here."

He gave her a look. "Where then?"

"Somewhere else." Tania gave him a sad smile. "Goodbye, Darrin," she murmured. "Thank you for everything. And say goodbye to Kylee for me."

Darrin started when he saw that the image of her was dissolving. "No!" he cried out. He instantly reached over and made to grab her arm.

He caught nothing but air.

Tania had teleported out. The scary thing was that he did not know where.

Teleporting was such an odd way of travelling. The moment Tania used her power, a brief moment of darkness overcame her. Then she found herself hovering in what seemed to be in another dimension for a split second. Another brief moment of darkness followed, and then she found herself standing at an empty, grassy clearing. Not a person was in sight. In fact, not a sign of civilization was in sight.

The world spun around her and she collapsed to the ground. She felt really queasy…

She let out a strangled sound and retched out last night's contents. Another wave of dizziness hit her. The scorching sun burned her skin like acid.

Then she lost consciousness.

When Tania opened her eyes, she was surprised to see that it was slightly dark, as if the sun had just finished setting. She had been out of it for a whole day? She didn't realize that teleporting required a lot of her energy. But how come Lucinda didn't get sick when she did it? She even had a scent of lilacs going on, for crying out loud!

She sighed and remained lying on the ground. She was still feeling slightly dizzy.

Her thoughts strayed towards the life she just left behind. She had no intention whatsoever on coming back. Darrin, Kylee, her life at the manor, and everything else were all behind her now.

She frowned. Never see Kylee or Darrin again? That seemed…hard.

All right, she thought. I could visit in five years or so…

She sighed and stood up. She felt much better now. She dusted her dress and looked around.

Where am I? I had been lying in a…field?

She shrugged to herself. She then bent her knees, jumped, and hovered in the air. Hmmm…where to? she thought.

Wherever you want, an inner voice answered.

She smiled. I like that.

Lights up ahead caught Tania's attention. She realized that it was a town. Finally! A sign of civilization!

She landed on a rough-looking path just at the outskirts of a tame forest. The path led straight to the town. That's where I'm going to start my new life, she thought, gazing at it.

As a human. And humans don't have powers, do they?

No, they don't.

Tania paused. She stared at the town before her. I'm a human. I'm not a fairy!

Humans don't have powers.

That thought led to Tania's next action. Closing her eyes, she did the last deed that only a fairy would do. Release my power. Release my power. Release my power.

There was a sudden gust of strong wind. Tania felt something invisible leave through her mouth. It was like feeling soft smoke come out in swirls.

When this was done, she felt a very powerful force hovering lazily in the atmosphere. Tania started, realizing that it was her fairy power. It was now lingering in the air, waiting to be stolen by a new owner… No, not stolen. Accepted.

For some reason, she tried to levitate. Nothing happened. Her power was really gone this time. Sighing, she went on her way towards the town.

She barely took two steps when she felt an abrupt gust of wind from behind. She immediately turned around.

Darkness and an odd, eerie silence greeted her. Everything was abnormally still and silent. And there was also this feeling…she felt as if she was being watched.

Odd, Tania thought. Really odd. She shuddered. I better get out of here. This place is starting to scare me.

She turned back around. She only took three or four steps when realization on something dawned on her.

She could no longer sense her power. It was gone.

Tania finally reached the town. It was a quaint little town, with tidy streets and decent shops. She saw that there were still a couple of people walking about, but most of the streets were already empty.

She felt a small tap on her shoulder. Tania turned and found herself looking at a short, plump woman. She had a kind face, with soft brown eyes and a pleasant smile. She was clad in commoner's clothes.

"You should be getting home now, little missy," she said gently.

Tania smiled. What caused her to smile was based on two things. One was because of the woman's kindness. The other one was because the woman was not talking in Geldrin's tongue.

Tania was no longer in Geldrin.

No…she was in Kyrria.

And here, in this country, was where her brand new life would start.

A/N:

That's the end of this!!! Part I is over and done with! Please review! I'm searching for possible titles for Part II. Any suggestions?