Disclaimer: These are not my characters and this idea was inspired by Tamora Pierce's wonderful books.

Chaos

Uusoae, goddess of chaos and discord, peered through a small opening between the realms. She saw the sleeping girl and could not stop the chuckle that seeped up through her throat. This was almost too easy. Take the girl-child that was one half of the threatening opponent and her chances of conquering everything would widen. It only helped that the man-mage with her would be too distraught to even dare to oppose her. The Divine and mortal realms would be hers at last! After so many thousands of years trying, it all came down to this moment. The girl was caught in the throes of delirium and delusion; it would take very little power for the thrust that would send her into the reality of the hallucinations. Slowly she reached out her hand and touched the girl's life force. There was a strange sting, but she ignored it. Certainly it was only the way the poison interacted with her magic. With a twist of her chaos and deftly moving fingers, she grabbed and threw the child's energy backward, and knew something was wrong.

Numair eased out from under Daine's head. There had been no change for the half hour he had waited and talked to her. Slowly he dropped his head into his hands and grabbed at his hair. He pressed his palms against his eyes and moaned. Why did it seem he could never hold onto the ones he loved? Why was this happening to her? He loved her and she had so much left in life to live for. She could not die, could not leave him, and could not leave without saying goodbye. He shook his head and forcefully wiped the few tears that clung to the end of his dark eyelashes away. The last words he had said to her were a promise that he would save her; that he would give his soul to saving her if that is what it took. He would not go back on his word. Carefully he laid his fingers over her eyelids and whispered, "Rest, my magelet, let me worry about everything."

The sun burned overhead with a soft but insistent intensity. Slowly the girl lying prone in the dirt stirred and shuddered. She sat up and looked into the sky. "The-the sun? Where am I? Numair, what's goin' on? I-" she stopped and felt her stomach drop out. He was not there. Almost instantly her stomach twisted and clenched, and she barely had the strength to lurch to her behind the bushes before she vomited. She struggled to clean herself up, and as she did so she realized exactly how alone she was. This was not the Divine Realms; this was not Tortall. At least it was not anywhere she knew in Tortall. Numair was gone, she was lost, and she was exhausted. Daine bit back a sob and wished she could wake up. Wished she could stop the dreams that haunted her. The hallucinations and the delirium were too much. All she wanted was to go home, to wake up and have Numair holding her hand. Maybe he would be asleep and she could watch the way he breathed. She could remember that perfectly even, deep rhythm and fall into it. Sobs ripped their way from her throat and she shuddered from their force. She could not hold her own against them, and slowly they drove her back to the ground. This was not fair, but this was her life.

Along the road, a young man stopped. From his own alternate universe, he could have sworn he heard someone crying. There, he heard it again. Thank the gods I'm not really losing my mind! He thought as he began to move on. After all, it was probably just a child who had been scolded by their mother. A few steps along, his conscience gnawed at him. It sounded really distressed. Maybe there was a chance it was serious, and there was no one there to comfort whoever it was. That decided him. He had been through enough lonely nights without anyone to hold him while he cried out all the unfairness. He would not wish that on anyone else. The tall boy walked off the path and into the trees.

As he followed the sound, he noticed it seemed to be losing strength. Mithros, how long have they been crying? How long did I not notice? He pushed on determined to help this person. Suddenly he stumbled over a small stone and fell onto his face. He looked up and saw a girl lying in front of him. She rubbed at her face and lifted an inquisitive eyebrow. It felt like he had been punched in the stomach. She was beautiful, it was the only way he could think of describing her. She was not beautiful in the traditional Carthaki way, but her personality shone from her. While her eyes were red and swollen from crying, the tears only enhanced their brilliant blue-grey. Her chin was strong and stubborn, but her soft mouth said otherwise. Her soft brown curls fell in lazy waves around her stunning face and shoulders. He suddenly realized how foolish he must look. His black hair was starting to become shaggy from its need of a good cutting, and his clothes looked like they should have been washed and ironed a few days ago. His bag of books had fallen open upon his undignified landing and spilled out beside him. "Umm, hello," he began, but before he could go on the stranger interrupted, "Where am I?"

Odd, she does not know that she is outside the school. "Outside the University. The courtyard?" he added when she looked confused.

"That's not in Tortall, is it?"

"No it is in Carthak. If you don't mind my asking, where are you from?"

Daine did not know how to answer. If she was in Carthak, then she would be in danger until she could get to Emperor Kaddar. He would help her get back to Tortall or at least contact someone. However, if this stranger was one of the renegades, then he would possibly try to kill her or certainly hold her hostage. Yet, when she looked at him, he seemed so familiar. She wanted to trust him, she felt she could but was still a little cautious so she replied, "I'm from a small town called Snowsdale in Galla. I went to sleep and then I woke up here, in the sun with a headache and the world keeps spinning. I didn't know where I was and I am still alone," it wasn't really a lie. It was just simply not all the truth.

Daine watched as the boy's eyebrows drew into a familiar expression as he said, "I'll help you, you are not alone anymore."

"Numair?" she whispered incredulously as she mentally added years to the face the boy wore. "What-"

"What are you talking about?" he responded with such a dignified air that she would have laughed at how much he looked like Numair if he hadn't appeared so serious. She shook her head and sniffed as she scrubbed at her eyes. That brought his attention back and he sat up carefully checking himself for injury. "Here, I'll help you up," he said while he offered a hand to her. Daine felt the corners of her mouth tilt up as she noticed how lanky and stretched he looked. Very handsome, yes, but he looked more like a stork man than ever. That is, if he was Numair.

"What's your name?" she asked hesitantly. She just had to know if she was crazy.

"Arram Draper, I'm a student at the University. What is yours?"

"Uh-um-uh-" she choked out as she realized, if this was the past, then Numair, or Arram now, could not know about her if he was to meet her years later. "S-S-Sarra Weirynsra," she stumbled.

He smiled warmly at her, "Well, Sarra, it is very nice to make your acquaintance."

Together they walked back to the road. When she stumbled, he grabbed her above the elbow and helped support her until they were on even ground. Then Daine gently pulled away; her pride would not let her be escorted, especially in an area a part of her mind insisted on calling enemy territory. She smiled somewhat apologetically up at him. He had to be six feet, and probably about three inches. Gods, he's so tall! She thought almost giddily. They were so close; if she reached up she could touch his cheek. It suddenly became hard for her not to brush the tangle of dark hair out of his eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered and looked away. He was not Numair, not yet. He nodded and did not ask what she was thanking him for.