I see the end of a dangerous and perilous journey, on which each and every one of your companions will eventually be lost. First to fire…then water…then air…then earth…then love…then lust…then anger…then bunny rabbits. After all of your companions have fallen, and you are left alone, you will find your one true love dangling under your nose. It will be up to you to acknowledge your feelings, and choose a life of happiness, or fall into eternal misery. – Emma the Fortune Teller to Neal.

It took about ten minutes to haul the both of us back to the surface, and another hour to tramp back to the town, by which time we were so exhausted that we collapsed. The others insisted on returning home immediately.

"Journey over Neal." Fal told me over dinner, with an air of finality. "Even if you didn't find your 'one true love'". He hesitated before muttering "I knew it was a stupid idea from the start", earning himself a glare from Merric, who spent the rest of the evening making pointed remarks about bunny rabbits.

Incidentally, the bunnies in question had, in the end, been removed by the weary local surgeon. The very sentence presents painful graphic images.

Our well meaning friends were always with at least one of us, insisting that as I'd fallen down a pit, and you had fallen down a pit after being shrunk, we were neither of us to be trusted and they were not going to allow us to burn the ship down or slaughter the horses in our sleep.

The talk therefore didn't come until the day after we arrived back in the capital, when I visited your rooms.

I cleared my throat and tapped on the open door. You glanced up from cooing in a blatantly ridiculous way at the baby sparrows on your windowsill and flushed.

"Ah, Neal."

"Me." I said, with a shaky smile. "Can I come in?"

"You have to ask?" You said, trying for a light tone as you gestured for me to close the door behind myself.

I smiled faintly and crossed to my usual seat, slouched on the end of your bed, making a huge dent. I was suddenly aware of the physical implications and ducked my head to hide my uncomforting feeling.

"So…" I said, trying to distract the attention to some other topic of light interest to begin with. The weather perhaps. We never usually seemed to run out of things to talk about.

"Yes…" You began, clearly feeling the tension. There was an uncomfortable pause.

"We ought to discuss…erm…" I trailed off, hoping that you had been about to interrupt me. You hadn't. I struggled valiantly on. "Er…what…happened…you know."

"Yes." You stared at the carpet. The baby balls of fluff hopped around on the windowsill, squeaking for bread crumbs and attention.

I watched you, trying to discern your mood from the way you were holding yourself. Impossible. Your face was hidden to me by the fall of thick hair around it. Still, I could tell that you were hardly ecstatic.

Any vision I'd had of the two of us getting together had always involved you looking happy.

It dawned on me suddenly that I may have made the biggest mistake of my life. I'd expected you to fall into my arms, with undying promises of love and a wry smile. Who was I to want you to act the part of the damsel in distress and the tough warrior at the same time? You were Kel of Mindelan, an individual.

I sighed, miserably, and you glanced up at me, expression unreadable.

I'd ruined the best friendship of my life with a stupid kiss. Wrecked it. A flat kind of despair, ten times worse than anguish, filled me. I couldn't impose though. I rose to leave.

"Don't go."

Two blatant words and I froze, and relaxed slowly back into my seat. You stared back at me. Your face was still impassive, but your voice held undercurrents of unhappiness.

"I meant to ask you." You began, "In the pit, before you interrupted me, where everyone else was, whether you'd come alone." You paused, still ignoring the sparrows. "Then I talked to Merric on the ship over here, and he told me that they'd been subject to some sort of…" You struggled to find the word " of magic…of sorcery. He told me about the prophecy."

My heart rate suddenly picked up, beating a rapid rhythm against my chest.

"About the last part." Your voice dropped, almost to a whisper. I sat, tense, my neck straining, my hands twisting in your quilt cover.

"We…we need to talk about that."

I nodded dumbly. Abruptly you surged to your feet and began to pace the room, as the birds fluttered in alarm.

"Neal." You said, still pacing, uncertainty and apprehension written across what I could see of your face from behind the curtain of hair. I watched you, and you spoke.

"I do love you."

I do love you.

I love you.

Love you.

You'd said it. It echoed around the surprising stillness of my mind…there was a moment of warmth…then, nothing.

Nothing?

I searched my feelings. Nope, nothing. I'd known for years that you loved me, but as a-

"As a friend Neal, a brother."

Oh Mithros.

"I love you as a friend." You were still pacing. Punching your hand to make your point.

So here it was. This wasn't what was supposed to happen, surely, I wondered, dazed. I was supposed to sweep you off your feet, we should live happily ever after. Well, ever after, at least.

Something should have happened, I feel now. There should have been an explosion…someone should have shot at us through the window…the living dead should have rebelled…something.

Nothing. The birds twittered outside and the floorboards creaked as you approached me and tilted my chin up, to gaze into your eyes, flickering through your stony face with worry and confusion.

"Neal?" You asked, the concern intensifying painfully across your face. "Say something."

There was a moment of silence and stillness. I tried to read something beneath the surface emotions. Your face grew hazy as I focused on your eyes, your lips, and leaned in.

I kissed you thoroughly, pulling you down with my hand cupping the back of your head, relishing the contact, the thrill that burned through my chest. I pulled back after a few more seconds and looked you in the eyes. You gazed back in bemusement.

"As a brother?" I asked, voice low, before pulling you back to kiss me again, deep and warm. You pulled back, breathing hard.

"As a friend." You managed to say, as I tried to pull you down again. You tugged out of my grip and stumbled backwards. I straightened and followed you, keeping the distance between us minimum.

"Neal, stop!" You protested, still backing away. "You can't make me love you!"

"You already do." I pointed out. Quite validly I thought.

"It's different." You growled in exasperation.

"Love is love." I stated, as you hit the wall. The similarities between our current situation and many bad romance novels which I'd read in my earlier years struck me as I reached up to grasp your shoulders and leant in again.

"The only reason you're doing this is because of that stupid prophecy!" You fumed suddenly. I must have looked surprised, because your face darkened. You pushed my arms away and crossed the room, your movements tight and strained, shooting accusatory glares at me.

"Wha-"

"All these years." You intoned, in an almost frighteningly calm tone. "And I've only ever been a little sister to you."

I stared in confusion, which dawned into slowly growing realisation that this was about something else entirely.

"Kel-"

"You wanted a little sister, so a little sister was what you got." The fire dimmed suddenly, and you looked strangely…not sad…weary. "Neal, you never saw me."

Ah.

"I'm not going to be one of those…once a week lovers which you just brush off when you feel like it."

Neal, I told myself, you are a prize idiot.

"Kel," I said, "this is ridiculous." The glare snapped back onto your face. Better that than the mask at least.

"You know perfectly well," I continued, "that I haven't been unfaithful to a woman for years. We're not adolescents any more."

"Yuki-"

"You said yourself that everyone knew Yuki and I weren't going to last." I pointed out, spreading my arms. You remained stubborn.

"I'm not something you can…pick up just because you feel like it Neal." You said gently. I could see resolve in your face.

Desperation gripped me. I had to make you understand that what we had was unique.

"Kel…that prophecy…it meant nothing." I crossed the room and you turned away from me. "I came to find you before I'd even heard it. Because…"

I hesitated before plunging on.

"Because I care for you…in a different way from my regard for my sister or any friend."

You gave me no response.

"And all I'm asking for is a chance Kel. To be a best friend to you…and more."

You were stony silent.

I ground my teeth into the quiet as I observed you, back turned, unmoving.

Nothing.

I crossed to leave, letting the door blow shut behind me. My head buzzed, my chest dragged at the silence. Being rejected was painful, but what made the agony exquisite was knowing that you were the one doing it to me.

I was a way down the corridor before you yelled.

"Neal!"

I turned back quickly. I could hear you pressed up against the other side of the closed door. Your voice sounded through it, muffled by wood.

"I…I need time. To think."

I was taken aback. The princess never said maybe to the prince in any of the stories. But then, you'd always been a better knight than princess. I came to one of the finest decisions I've ever made.

"One week Kel." I called through the closed door. "One week and then I'm back. And you won't get rid of me so easily next time."

I heard your automatic response, a muffled snort, through the door, which made me grin. Already the weight was gone from my shoulders, replaced by giddy golden relief, and I wandered off, to frighten passing nobles by whistling a loud tune about bluebirds.

And I knew we'd be fine.

Fin.

A/N: More OOC and fast pacing, yes, I know. I was considering having Kel just reject him, but that would have spoiled the mood of the story.

Incidentally, I probably won't be writing many more Tamora Pierce fics. I really grew out of her style about two years ago and carried on through habit. The bad humour is also starting to grate, so I'm off to explore the wide world of more serious writing, with perhaps the occasional trip back here. For some light relief. Wish me luck!

Thank you lovely wonderful brilliant reviewers. Please throw me all the criticism you can (with perhaps the odd bit of praise if you feel this humble author is worthy) for this last chapter. I don't have time to respond to all the reviews…just the more…original ones, but be assured that I treasure them all.

CrystalLili: Thank you for lovely reviews, and support. I'm not entirely sure where the bunny rabbits came from. Somewhere in the primordial sludge at the bottom of my brain. I think there's something growing down there. (p.s, thanks for latest review, corrections have been made.)

Lynsi: Glad you've enjoyed. Yes, I imagine Fal would make a cute sixsome with the bunnies…I've got a picture round here somewhere…must upload that onto my website. I loved your bunny musings. If Fal didn't have a phobia, he certainly will after what he's been through. Fal dressed up as Anya in Buffy…now I'm frightened.

The ORIGINAL Meathead: Lol, glad you liked. Thanks for the great reviews.

Gray Rain: Apologies for all and any errors, and all ambiguity. My only excuse is that I'm rushing this fic a little in order to get onto a story that's been brewing in my mind. Thanks for the great reviews.

Thanks especially to lovely regular reviewers like Annmarie Aspasia, PsychoLioness, Wake-Robin, Lady Angelique of mystiqu, and of course, Sammy, aka Nawat Crow, and everyone else whose name I haven't written down.

-Rowana