Hello readers and reviewers alike! I would like to thank-you all of you for reading and reviewing my story. Let's get this story on the road, but first... REVIEWERS!

Chynena- I'm still trying to figure out the time question, but I'm thinking it is about a year after Silver on the Tree. I know the books were written awhile ago, but in my mind, when I read the books, I thought they were modern. So, if that explains that. Hilary is 14, I thought I said that in the last chapter, but if I didn't, there it is now.

Eldrice- Well, a locust tree is a tree that grows near where I live. Its branches start about 10 ft. off the ground and the leaves look like little green lips. Thank-you for giving me such a great review again!

Norah-hunt- I can't answer that question (Mwahahahahahaha!). You findout it in this chapter. If you don't like the explanation I give then ask, and I will give you a fuller one.

FanFan Fan- Thank-you for reviewing!

fudgesuks- Thank-you for reviewing!

Disclaimer: Not mine. Some of the places and events that I mentioned are really, though still not mine...

Okay, on with the story!

My family and I have started a "tradition"; when we go to a hotel, we would find our room, and then go swimming (if the hotel had a pool). It also has become a tradition for me not to go. I love swimming, but I couldn't pass up the chance to be alone, and, besides, Will wanted to talk to me.

The two hotel rooms that we were staying in were a fair size, with a door to connect them. Each room had two beds, four beds altogether. I would share a bed with my littlest sister, Amelia, and my parents would share a bed also. The pictures on the wall showed a sweeping countryside and the occasional tree. There was also a desk, dresser, T.V., and a full bathroom.

My mom got the swim suits out of the suitcase (apparently there was a swimming pool), and handed them to my two sisters and brother. She looked at me, still holding my swim suit. I shook my head "no". My parents both decided to go watch my siblings swim, leaving me alone in the room.

A couple of minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. I scrambled up from the bed and over to the door to look in the peep hole. My eyes saw Will, with his lips pressed tightly together, nervous. I opened the door cautiously and let Will in. He stalked into the room with the nobility of a lion. I closed the door and looked at him.

His face relaxed, breaking into a smile. "How about I just get to the point?" he asked, looking at me. I nodded, slightly unsure. "You've got to promise that you'll here me out," he added, looking into my eyes as if searching for something. I nodded again. He nodded back.

I then noticed a faint glow around his skin. Will was glowing! It was a faint shimmer, but I somehow knew it was there, not just some trick of the light. "You, Hilary, come from a race known as the Old Ones. We are as old as time and exist in all times. I was the last one, but a past Old One betrayed us to the Dark, so now the Light turns to you. Come into your power that has been asleep for the past fourteen years." The shimmer faded slightly and Will blinked.

I was stunned. I'm nothing special, my mind babbled, Sure, I had dreamed of the "unknown" and being "one with it", but I knew it didn't exist. Will is crazy, I thought triumphantly. But, I knew that couldn't be true.

"You think I'm crazy," Will stated, bursting into my thoughts. My jaw dropped, Will chuckled. "Here, let's try something," he said kindly. "Close your eyes, and picture a place in your mind."

"Okay," I said. I closed my eyes, and the first thing that popped into my mind was the ranch my family went to the past couple summers. I thought of the forests of pine and aspen, of the many horses, of the majestic mountains in the background, of the cabin that had been my home for a week, and the many people and staff that had been my friends. I heard Will mutter something.

"This place, you love it. The mountains are beautiful. What is that one with the scoop out of it?" he finally asked.

"It's called Long's Peak. How did you know that?" I asked.

"We are Old Ones. That is one of the many things we can do."

"Oh," was all I could say.

"There are many other things you can do, too," said a voice behind me. I whirled around and saw the man I had seen earlier with the hawk beak nose.

"Merriman!" said Will. He rushed over to the man and hugged him. It looked as if Merriman was Will's favorite Uncle or Grandfather, but he couldn't be, was he, what was it called, an Old One? I watched them for a minute. Merriman broke the embrace and stared at me with those piercing eyes. I held his gaze with my own. He gave me a slight nod of approval. Will, finally over the shock of seeing his mentor again asked, "Merriman, how did you get here?"

"I have my own ways of traveling," he said, scoldingly, but his eyes were still laughing. "How about I explain," he said, but not as a question, more as a statement.

"More?" I blurted out, then blushed. "Sorry," I said quietly.

"You want to learn about your past, don't you?" he asked, I nodded. "Then get comfortable, it is quite a story."

I sat on the bed, grabbing my stuffed dog, and cuddled it. Will sat down on the floor, leaning against the bed, looking like an eager school boy. I realized that he adored, and respected this man, Merriman. Merriman, meanwhile cleared his throat, thinking where to start.

While I waited, I looked at the two males and noticed they were glowing the steady light that Will had shed awhile back. I looked at the arm that was cuddling my dog and saw, with a shock, that I had a faint glow, too. The glow faded before I even was sure it was there. Will's and Merriman's decreased also.

"Back in the 1800's your great-great-great-uncle lived here in London. He was an Old One." Merriman's voice rang out and filled me. I felt like I was watching a movie being narrated by time. "He was 11, or so, still young, and just learning his powers." Seeming to change topic, he added, "There was a lot of unrest in the world at that time. And that would be?" There was a moment of silence as Will and I contemplated what he meant buy "unrest"

Then I said, "The Civil War in America and Abraham Lincoln was shot."

At the same time Will said," Napoleon was conquering Europe."

"As you can see," Merriman continued," the Dark was pushing at many places, and many things, as it does in every time. The Dark had come up with a plan to capture your great-uncle (A/N: I know he is many times great, but I don't want to type that, and I'm sure you get the idea.). Before he came into his full power, the Dark got him." Merriman paused, sighing, and Will lowered his head. So, Dark was bad, I thought, and they -no, it- got my great-uncle. "The Light left your great-uncle and has been searching for the right person to take up your grandfather's job. Not the same job, for that job has been done, nor is the Light wasteful. The Light has chosen you." Two pairs of eyes fell on me.

"Uh, okay," I said, stunned."What am I supposed to do?"

"Your job is to be Watch-er-woman, the same job as Will, and to get rid of the all the Dark in this world."

"Wait a minute," said Will," I thought we got rid of the Dark when we-."

"Yes, Will, but did you really think that one fight would vanquish all of the Dark? We have won the war, but not the battle; there is still much to do." Merriman paused. So I have to defend the world with a boy my age. That sounds logical, I complained to myself.

The room was silent for a moment. I looked at Will, who seemed to have another question. Finally, he asked, "How will she learn? The book of Gramerye was destroyed."

"Yes, I know, but there is a way. Hilary, your great-uncle's job for the Dark was to get a copy of the ancient book of the Light's knowledge, the book of Gramerye. He managed to find it. Meanwhile, the Dark put me, the guardian of the book, under a spell, if you will. I was unable to reach the book in time. But, when your great-uncle finished copying it down, he regained his mind from the chasms of the Dark. He was able to hide the copy somewhere in London. He hid the copy from the Dark, but also from the Light. The Dark reclaimed your great-uncle's mind, but it still hasn't found out where the copy is. If you, Hilary, can find it, you can learn."

"But, sir, how do you know I am an Old One?" I asked. This was happening too fast, I needed to think or run for my life.

"Will gave you the proof already, did he not?" Merriman answered. He looked at Will and both nodded. "Also, you are speaking Old Speech."

"I...what! The only language I know is English and, well, I know a little French, but I'm not very good, and..." I was babbling as much as my mind.

"I know it's hard to comprehend, Hilary," said Will, quietly. "I had trouble comprehending it too, but the world is in need, and you can help."

I was about ready to speak, but then I remembered that fateful September morning; when my mom turned on the T.V., and I saw the World Trade Center crashing toward the earth. "Yes, the world is in need," I agreed. "What do I need to do?"

Did you like it? I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, I hope it shows. Read and Review!