The warm breeze blew through the caravan, inviting them into the sacred lands of the past. Never in their eleven years of life had the boy and the girl seen something so beautiful. Ever since they were little, they had been looking forward to the day that they could travel with their respective guardians to the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria. They traveled on lumback to the capital city of Aquios. The girl's uncle, the captain of the Storm Brigade, and the boy's father, the captain of the Dragon Brigade, were to meet with the queen to discuss a treaty to end the war that ravaged both of their lands for the past several years.

The gates of the divine city rose up to meet them in the distance. Four armed Aquarian guards guided them through the city to the castle. The guards told the two children that they weren't allowed to join in on the meeting. The girl's uncle and the boy's father told them that they could roam around the city if they wanted to, but not to go outside the city walls.

After walking around for a bit, the girl noticed two other girls, one with red hair, the other with silver, playing in a small field of flowers next to the river. The girl dragged the boy down to the river to meet them. The three girls strung flowers together to make wreaths and necklaces while the boy resorted to striking a tree with a wooden sword and claiming that "men don't play with stupid flowers."

So the three girls hatched a plan. Together, they snuck up on the boy. The two Aquarians held him down while the Glyphian child tightly fastened a wreath of daffodils to his head. The boy squirmed and snarled and eventually ripped the wreath off of his head while the girls doubled over in laughter.

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How long has it been since then? Thirteen years . . .really? It seems like it was just yesterday . . .

Have we really changed that much? He used to be so much more fun. What happened to those kind, gentle years that we spent training to reach their expectations?

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They were thirteen when the Dragon Brigade Captain let them ride his dragon for the first time. He helped them up; the boy sat in front, she sat behind him, and the captain sat in the rear, reaching his protective arms around them both to keep them safe. The dragon spread its wings and lifted them high into the cerulean blue sky. It lurched higher and higher, soaring above everything and everyone. The girl closed her eyes and tightly gripped her friend's waist as he laughed. The landscape cowered beneath them with the clouds themselves at their feet; they flew to heights that only the gods themselves should be allowed to reach. The feeling of absolute power and superiority penetrated his very soul. So this is what freedom truly felt like.

The world shrouded in a fluffy white impossibility. And even as the wind carved through their clothes all the way to their bones, the urge to go even higher and farther over came him.

That night as they sat under a large oak tree gazing at the sky that they had conquered, he made the vow that would change his life forever:

"I'm gonna do it, Bella! I'm gonna master the greatest dragon in the Urssa Caves and take Father's place as the best Dragon Brigade captain ever!"

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We were so naive then. We could not even fathom the danger that awaited him in those accursed mountains, and how it would affect me as well.

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The girl was picking medicinal herbs from the garden behind her uncle's estate. She listened to the distant clanging of swords as the Storm Brigade members trained. She would rather be with them than picking herbs from a stupid garden with the other women of the house.

The boy had already left. She remembered giving him a big hug and wishing him luck on his journey. He smiled as he told her that luck was for weaklings and he had no use for it. She couldn't wait to see him return on a great black dragon. Or perhaps it would be green? Knowing him, he'd take on the biggest one in those caves.

It was moments later that she heard the screaming. The fearful sound rebounded throughout the streets of Kirlsa. Dropping her basket, she hurried to the gates to see what was the matter.

A cluster of townsfolk had gathered around the middle of the street. She navigated herself around them to the heart of the commotion. Her beloved friend had collapsed in the middle of the road. A river of blood streamed from the stump that used to be his left arm. She slumped down next to him; it couldn't be real. This was all wrong! He was supposed to fly home valiantly with his father smiling proudly behind him! They were going to go fly together, and later they would sit under the very tree that they always talked under, and then she would tell him how she felt. She would tell him how much she loved him . . .

Five or six soldiers pushed through the crowd and lifted his mangled body. They carried it to the mansion as she somberly followed.

The doctor told her that he lost too much blood. There was nothing anyone could do. He would be dead by morning. Only a miracle could save him now.

She tore out of the room. There was one thing that could save him. There was a book on her desk that she stole from the Aquios library when she was younger. It was a book on runology. She had been told that Glyphians couldn't use runology, but she didn't care. It was worth a shot.

She ran back to his room with the book and a quill pen. She skimmed through until she found the healing spell she needed. It wouldn't bring his arm back, but it would save his life. She jabbed the quill into her arm where the book indicated and carved the necessary symbols with it. She held the bleeding arm over her love, and focused all her energy to helping him survive.

"Please, heal him. . ." she whispered.

Nothing happened.

"Heal him. . ."

Still nothing.

Tears streamed down her face. "HEAL HIM, DAMMIT!"

A burst of green light flooded from her hand and encircled his body. She screamed in pain as all her energy flew from her body. Moments after his eyes opened, she collapsed next to him.

She awoke in her own bed. Her uncle sat next to her with a worried expression on his face. The two soldiers who guarded her door glared at her with contempt. She didn't know why . . .

Seconds later, her world came tumbling down. Her beloved uncle told her the secret of her parents; how his nephew had secretly married an Aquarian commoner and paid the price with his life. He told her that by royal decree she must leave the city, lest the same thing happen to her. She asked to see her friend one last time.

He sat up in bed, but his eyes never met hers. Not the whole time she was there. There was a long, awkward silence; he spoke first.

"What do you want?" he growled.

"Albel, I . . ."

"Why did you save me?"

Tears once again filled her eyes. "Because, Alby, I-"

"DON'T EVER CALL ME BY THAT NAME AGAIN! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO, YOU MAGGOT! I HATE YOU, SABELLA! YOU AQUARIAN WITCH!"

She unconsciously grabbed her bandaged arm. The tears fell like waterfalls. If only he knew . . .If only he would listen . . .

"Now get out of my sight. I can't even stand to look at you, worm."

She left that night, clothed in the white cotton robes that were customary for criminals of the highest degree. Her uncle guided her to the gates. The triplet moons shown down on the sleeping town. The town that now hated and distrusted her with a passion turned their formally loved daughter out into the desolate mountains to die. She stopped for a moment and stared at her garden. The flowers were blooming so nicely in the spring months that felt like the winter days in the land of her mother's birth.

"Sabella, I'm so sorry. I tried to plead your case but the king wouldn't listen-"

But she wasn't listening, either. The cruel natures of the world weren't present in the gentle curves and colors of the flowers.

The world with a speck of innocence left behind.

Before leaving, she turned to him and spoke softly.

"The daffodils . . .they look so lovely today . . ."

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The smoke swirled around her like a serpent. It entranced her and caused all these painful memories to flood back. Truly, she was a mental masochist.

But then again, maybe things wouldn't be all that bad today, after all. Her new pet had just barged into her room.

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Yay! A bit of characterization! Eh. . .

Someone coughcoughBluePersuasioncoughcough wanted me to do a bit more characterization for Bella-chan (as I so affectionately call her . . . I think this is the most I've ever spent on a character. For serious) I'll be responding to your reviews by e-mail now, seeing as the fanfic Nazis decided to make my life more difficult. . But don't tell them I said that. . .xD

Thanks to all who reviewed! I promise I'll update again soon!