Chapter Nine: A Soul's Outpour

"Melissa…Please don't look at me like that," Sean said, he saw that only common decency was keeping her there. He saw it hurt her. But he was desperate to make all the pain go away.

"Why not Sean?"

A question he didn't expect…why did he try to rekindle a good past that had been repressed for months?

"Because…because I am being true to you, and myself for the first time in months. We had a lot of fuming fights in the last few days of our relationship, but they were all my own arrogance, my own stupidity. You were right, I had regressed into something I never wanted to become," Sean said.

"You see? It was plain to everyone except you," she said. Sean looked to the ground and nodded. Melissa had put up a wall, and Sean had only a small hammer to pound through it with.

Yeah, but even if I have to use my hands, I'll get back to you, Sean thought.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want, Sean? You just come up to me after months of neglect of the worst kind, after the most horrible times in my life, and expect to make it better?" She demanded.

Sean was stunned. He could tell Melissa was forcing the words out of her, but they were still logical questions. "…I…what do you want me to say? What can I say? I can only ask for you to hear me out and please trust that of all the moments I could choose to be believed undoubtedly, I would choose this one. I lost you because of me, but with myself renewed I want to ask you to be with me. I would swear my life on never hurting you again, Melissa." He felt that it was the opportune moment to stroke her beautiful face, but when his hand moved he stopped it. He was thinking of the past's moments.

"So you do think you could just come up and make our sorrows go away? With promises? You've broken enough of those already, Sean. Just stop, okay? Get rid of those thoughts, I cant take the thought of staying with that person, and if you went back to him, I would be crushed into a pulp. We're better off on our own, and no other way!" She sputtered out, tears ran down her face, and Sean watched this all unfold in horrified shock.

"But Melissa, he is gone and never coming back. Melissa, I love you," he said helplessly. The next moment the beautiful romantic night sky, full of stars turned into a hideous black shade, littered with ruinous spies, uncountable spies watching all this happen and laughing, mocking Sean, as Melissa slapped him.

"You should have shown it better," She said through gritted teeth. She turned her back on Sean and walked away, waiting until she was out of sight to burst into tears. She had to find Mike.

Meanwhile Sean was dumbstruck, and did not move until she was gone. Something about that slap had numbed his entire body, and his vision blurred, but he wasn't passing out, no. No, tears welled up in his eyes, the most powerful yet. Sean turned away and looked over the vast countryside and gasped and tried to regain composure, but it was to no avail. He pounded the ledge of the walkway until his hand was red with blood.

He quickly poured a Healing Potion on it, and sat down and buried his face in his hands, giving no mind to the few passing travelers. There he sat for who knows how long, crying silently, praying for a quick death, right away, if Melissa would not have him, what was the point to living? All the while the Divine Dragon was silent, he could not have even seen this coming, but knew Sean would scorn any comfort.

Sean's eyes glazed over, and all he felt inside him was the same emptiness he'd felt weeks before, he'd worked so hard, but only made things worse. Now, terminating all thought, he sat down and stared straight forward into nothingness, not wanting to think of what he'd just done, or what the events of the night would portend...

Brittany was setting on Brad's lap, next to Mike as they exchanged jokes and stories of anything they thought up that would be entertaining. After all, it was a night to celebrate for the reunion of the Dragoons, right?

However they stopped when dim footfalls became louder behind them, and a sniff and a sob echoed out. They turned to find Melissa, walking forward, but her upper body was curled up and she was staring at the ground. Mike was the first one to his feet, quickly followed by Brad and Brittany, all shocked to see her like this.

"Melissa, what's the matter?" Mike asked.

Brad and Brittany looked at each other and joined the worried Mike in nearing towards the sorrow stricken Melissa.

"H-He came to me a moment ago," she breathed through the most painful sobs she'd ever encountered. "He sa-said that he-" She meant to say loved me, but it was only a whine that lost the feeble foundation it had, and merely became another sob.

"Sean?" Brad asked. That was great, he'd always wanted Sean and Melissa together, they were perfect for each other and he always had the inclination they'd get back. Brittany agreed with him as well. But something was incontrovertibly wrong, Melissa shouldn't be crying so desperately.

"And then?" Brittany asked, placing a worried hand on Melissa's shoulders. It seemed to add weight to her, and she sank to a sit on the side walk.

"I was furious, what else would I be?" Brad, Mike and Brittany rolled their eyes, Sean had overcome his stubbornness, but would Melissa rid herself of hers? She had always been independent. She looked up into their questioning gazes.

"I told him that we were better off on our own, that if we tried it and, and if he became like that again…I-I wouldn't stand for it," She said, Mike helped her up and onto a stool. She laid her soaked face on his shoulder. "But I regretted it so much, so much…Mike I still love him, and I cant live without him, I cant…" She repeated the last two words over and over, fading each time into inaudible sobs.

Mike wrapped an arm around his crying sister, and Brittany hugged Brad in a worried embrace. Tears filled her eyes, but Brad's face was frozen. This was the biggest shock of his life, Sean and Melissa had been battling wills for so long, but Sean had set aside his own to try to win her back. But…she denied him with her own stubbornness.

"I cant believe this," he said in a whisper that was too quiet for anyone but himself to hear.

"Now he hates me, I know he does," She mumbled.

"No, no he wont," Mike said comfortingly, but Melissa wasn't listening, she wasn't speaking to them for help, she was punishing herself with her own words.

"He'll never look at me with love in his eyes again, it's really gone, all gone." She said in a pained whisper. For so long Sean had been the only person she could have ever thought of living with for the rest of her life, but she'd ruined it.

"But…maybe it's okay," She said. Everyone snapped their heads around. She was not smiling, and the look in her eyes was clearly an unconvinced one, but she spoke nevertheless. "Maybe now we can finally move on…"

Mike grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him sternly. Sean had been helped, and now it was his sisters turn. "Melissa, don't you ever say that again."

"But-"

"No! Look what you and Sean have been through, everything you've sacrificed for each other and what you know very well is love. You were happy, for years, and you're willing to throw it all away because you think that sometime in the future you'll be happy? That is not how it will end. I'm going to go talk with Sean, stay here and think for a little bit okay?"

Melissa hiccupped and nodded sadly.

Mike stood up and walked off in the direction that Melissa had come.

When he was gone Melissa merely buried her face in her hands and Brad and Brittany stared in awe, but the silence wasn't meant to last.

"Melissa? D-do you regret saying those things to Sean?" Brad looked to Brittany, who had let go of him and stepped toward her slowly. "I mean would you change it if you could?"

A loud sob erupted from between Melissa's fingers, but she nodded slowly. She looked up and sniffed. "I said I still love him, and Mike's right, I think I always will…" She said helplessly.

Brittany sat on one side of her and Brad sat at the other. Brittany threw him a glance that told him that it was his turn to say something.

"Then why not go after him? Why should you two deny it any longer? Pride is your enemy, not each other. Sean's thrown his away. Knowing him, what he's feeling right now isn't anger. No, but it is the biggest defeat of his life. For two weeks he was all alone sorting out his own problems and now he knows that he will never again be truly happy without you. Please don't let pride demolish what you have," Brad said softly.

Melissa and Brittany both were watching him, awestruck. Apparently, Brad had a useful tongue when the necessity was present.

Melissa nodded and gave a weak, yet true smile. "Brad, Brittany, thank you so much, you're right. I shouldn't have done that, but Sean wont be so quick to take me back after what I did."

"Yes he will, love is the most powerful thing in the world, and two people would put aside anything for it, no matter what it is," Brittany said. Behind the stool, her hand slipped into Brad's.

Melissa finally seemed to have stopped crying. She perched her elbows on her knees and looked forward thoughtfully, taking in what her friends said, because she knew very well it would be foolish to block it out. Very foolish indeed…

Unbeknownst to Mike, he found Sean exactly where he'd slumped down, still staring into space, just as Ben and Christie were walking by as well. All three of them rushed to his side, and shook him quickly.

Sean looked to all of them like a beaten dog. Watery eyed and defeated he stared into each of their eyes as if he'd met them for the first time.

"Sean what happened?" Asked Christie. Sean opened his mouth, but no sound left it. He slowly closed it and bowed his head, breathing deeply to steady himself.

"He tried to talk to Melissa, but that didn't work out so well for him," Mike explained. In a sudden jolt Sean was on his feet, holding Mike's shirt, and Mike for that matter, a few inches of the ground.

"I did nothing but try to revive the love I had with the only person who I will ever love, Mike. And if you are here to taunt me about that and say I did something wrong-"

"I came here to talk to you, Sean, not yell," Mike said unworriedly. He stared into Sean's eyes, seeing the flames of fury just behind them, and watching them subside. Sean set him down.

"About what?"

"Melissa, she came up to us and was in a wreck.

"Is she okay?" Ben asked. Mike paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, and that's why I'm here. Sean, to tell you that she regrets everything that just happened. The words came from her own mouth. She was so defeated and could only talk about how she still loved you, that she thought it was best-what she did-but knows that it wasn't," Mike said.

Sean was sitting down staring at him with a very curious gaze. Was he joking? Melissa couldn't have been that quick to break down over…him…

"She wants you back, I left her with Brittany and Brad. They're probably taking care of convincing her finally that it has to be this way if love is what you two have," Mike said. Ben saw this the opportune moment to jump in.

"And love is what you two have, Sean, everything I see that make's my life with Christie so perfect, it's what you two had. You guys simply slipped, but you can get back up." He said.Christie nodded.

Sean looked into the eyes of his three friends, and then back down. When everyone's shoulders sank in defeat, however, Sean hopped up to his feat and shook his head.

"You guys are right, you're right," he said with a weary smile. They beamed and helped him up.

"How about a bite to eat? Give Melissa a little time to gather herself?" Mike offered, Sean realized that his stomach was totally empty, and thought some food would to him well. He nodded and they entered the nearest restaurant.

Sean was nearly finished with his bizarre, yet tasty Wingly meal, as a very ruffled guard of Charle's home burst in the room. He spotted them and ran to meet the group.

"Dragoons! You must go to Charle's home, she has an urgent message to share with you, Mayfil is alive and something strong is leaving it in great numbers," he panted.

The Dragoons were on their feet, and once they learned that the others had been alerted and were on their way, they were too.

Everyone met in the silent front lobby of Charle's mansion, and as soon as the door shut behind them, Sean's and Melissa's eyes met, and they peered into each other until the silence was interrupted by Charle's voice. "Dragoons, a vast army has gathered within Mayfil, and is marching on the human cities! Their ruler has placed a field over the city and we could not even know of its existence until now," she said urgently.

"What?"

"Impossible!"

"Oh, come on!"

"Alright, when do you want us to go check it out," Sean said.

"We fear that transporting you to Mayfil would get you noticed or captured, or may be totally impossible. However, if you wish to infiltrate secretly, we can teleport you just outside of Mayfil. This is an urgent matter! Are you ready to go?" She said.

They all nodded, and Charle turned to Caron. "Sound the alarm, everyone is to meet at the teleporter spires," she ordered.

Caron teleported away and soon a loud alarm was ringing through the streets of the city, speaking in a Wingly tongue, evidently ordering them to gather at the pad.

The Dragoons burst out the door and jogged the short distance, joined close behind by the brilliant lights of a numerous amount of Winglies.

Authors' Note: Thanks once more for the reviews, thanks something ENORMOUS for the positive reviews, please keep it going!