Several hours past and still there was no mention of where the gate was. Millenia could feel herself weakening with every second, but she didn't say anything. She wasn't going worry them with this when they were trying so hard to remain calm.
"Anything?" she asked, looking around the room.
They all shook their heads. Millenia sighed and threw the book she was reading aside. The table in front of her was littered with book after book on the subject, and yet still no book mentioned the whereabouts of the gate she so desperately needed to find. She flicked her long red hair back over her shoulder and closed her eyes.
"I'm sure we'll find something…right?" said Elena, looking around the room for support.
"Um…yeah, of course," said Ryudo, trying to smile, "We're just not looking hard enough."
Millenia opened her eyes and slammed her hand down on the table as she stood up.
"That's enough!" she shouted as they all looked around at her, "We're not going to find anything here. If we were going to, we would've found it by now."
They looked at one another. They had all been thinking the same thing, but none of them had wanted to mention it. It was almost a relief that Millenia had said it herself.
"What do you want to do?" asked Tio.
"What can I do?" asked Millenia, sitting back down, "I' m disappearing…there's nothing I can really do about it."
"No…we'll find something," said Elena, "We'll keep looking…we can…"
"Elena," said Millenia, "Don't make this any harder than it already is."
"What do you mean?" asked Ryudo.
"Nothing…I'm going to bed," said Millenia, "If I'm not there in the morning don't hang around waiting for me to show up."
It took a huge amount out of Millenia just getting to her room. She groaned and collapsed with exhaustion onto her bed. She was trying to think of an easier way…but of course there wasn't one. Nothing was easy, it never was. Things had been so much simpler when she was evil. She could just do what she wanted and not consider the consequences, but she wasn't going to go back to that now. There was no way she would give into temptation again.
She rolled over and looked at the dressing table. On it were a few sheets of writing paper, envelopes, ink, a quill and a sharp letter opener. She slowly got to her feet and walked over to the table. She picked up the letter opener and turned it over in her hand. She didn't want to do it, but if it was the only way…
She put the sharp object down and picked up the pen. She sat down and started to write down her feelings onto the pieces of paper. She put it into an envelope and scrawled a few words down on the front.
Turning away, she picked up the letter opener and began to walk through the palace, ignoring the people around her. When she got down to the bottom of the building, she ran her hands across the doors which hadn't opened in months, not since they had been opened by her friends and herself while looking for answers. The doors which had remained locked up until that moment; out of fear of what was behind them.
She pushed hard against them and they slid open slightly. She slid through and smiled gently. The darkness brought comfort to her aching eyes. She raised the blade and said a quick pair before bringing it in with all her strength…
Elena, Ryudo, Roan and Tio all sat around the table in the library. None of them had said anything since Millenia had left the room.
"Someone should go talk to her," said Roan quietly.
"I know," said Ryudo.
"Maybe we all should go," said Elena, "Let her know that we're all there for her."
"She is going to need her friends at a time like this," said Tio.
None of them moved. It wasn't due to any particular reason; it was just that none of them would know what to say once they got there.
"We should go," said Roan.
"But…what are we supposed to say?" asked Ryudo, "What can we possible say or do to make this any better?"
"We should at least try to comfort her," said Elena.
Ryudo stood up. The rest of them followed his example, but they all remained silent as they walked through the dark building. Once outside Millenia's room, Ryudo knocked gently. There was no answer.
"Millenia?" he asked, sliding the door open, "Where is she?"
"Maybe she went for a walk?" suggested Tio as they all entered the room.
"I don't think so Tio," said Elena, picking up an envelope left on the pillow of Millenia's bed.
"What's that?" asked Roan.
"Millenia left it for us," said Elena, slipping it open.
They all watched as Elena's eyes darted across the page, becoming more and more concerned with each line. She lifted a hand to her mouth and her eyes filled with tears.
"Elena?" asked Ryudo, walking over and taking the note from her hand.
He read it quickly and his eyes widened with surprise. He let his hand fall and ran for the door.
"What's wrong?" asked Roan.
"We've got to find her!" Ryudo shouted and Elena ran after him.
Tio and Roan looked at each other and followed them out of the room. As she left, Tio bent down and scooped up the letter Ryudo had dropped. As she read it her normally expressionless face filled with a mixture of indescribable emotions.
"Why?" she asked herself out loud, "Why would she do that?"
"Do what?" asked Roan.
"She can't find the gate," explained Elena, "So she's going to find another way to the other world."
"But the only other way of getting to the other world would be…" he stopped and the message sank in.
The entire palace was filled with hundreds of mixed emotions as the four people ran through the passage ways and down stairs. Ryudo and Elena were both thinking the same thing as they ran, side-by-side, leading Roan and Tio to the main hall:
"I'm not going to lose my best friend again…"
(A/N) As if it's not obvious…well I guess it might not be, but please R&R either way. Please and thank you. Luv Becky.