Akaies, (yes, I think I made that up. Oh well.)
Firemoon;
If you don't update Love or Hate soon, I'll take this cookie, and shove it down your throat. HURRY UP!!!! And thanx for the cookie!!! Interesting... good word to describe my work...... interesting. I usualy go for 'mentally screwed up' or something like 'a load of time wasting rubbish that goes nowhere' Oh, beta stop going on, THANKS!! (lurve ya work!!)
Sanity-Stealing-Lawn-Gnome; Michiko; That's a good thing to hear, it makes me happy!!!! Ja'ne means something like bye, right? Sorry, I'm..... well, not educated in other languages. The futherest I've gotten is Baka, which I think means stupid, or in my mind, things a bit harsher then that!!! Oh well, Thanx!! And hurry up with ur work!!
Taltos; Fight scenes not being bad? *bursts into laughter* if only you knew!! *wipes tear from eye* Oh crap, that's rich. Anyways, thanks for reviewing this!! You kept me going long enough to get MORE reviewers!! But, thanks!!! Then again, I should be jelous. Why? Have you even looked at how many you got for Aluhobia?! I nearly had a heart attack!! I should have expected it, but wow!!! You're lucky.... and I'm jelous!! But then again, to get your review, that's kinda better, 'cause you got all their reviews, right? Did that make sense? Hope so! Oh, I think the start of Dreams might have been one or ur's that I lyked..... T_T I dunno....
Disclaimer; I am turning this into an owner. I don't know if I thought of this, or saw it somewhere, so whatever.
Owner; Um, let's see............. I own Thorn, my storyline, myself, *when I'm 18*, and my two Linkin Park CD's. Happy?
Now, that all aside, take this cookie, (hands readers a cookie each) and enjoy my story.
*~**~*
"Done."
Fiona blinked furiously, while resisting the urge to rub her eyes. "What the hell was that?"
"Oh, some stuff, it's a bit stronger then mascara..."
"Damn right it is!"
"Stop your whining, and let me get a look at you!"
Sighing, Fiona stood, slowly turning, so that Thorn, who was seated on the ground in Fiona's room, could make sure she was ready.
She was wearing the clothes she had worn on her initiation test, though she hadn't known it then, and seemed to have memories with these clothes, no matter how stupid it sounded, even to her. She nervously smoothed her baby-blue halter top, then stood, her red flares falling to her ankles, her chained belt jingling at her hip. They proceeded down the hall, meeting with various other girls, all dressed suggestively in mini- skirts and the likes with only a few like Fiona, good looking, but not over- doing it. Thorn greeted them all cheerfully, and Fiona felt excited, although totally exhausted.
Outside, where the party seemed to have originated from, they found O'Connel, who raised his eyebrows. "Reice said to tell you, Thorn, go back now and put something on, and Fiona, that you look great."
As Thorn mock-pouted, Fiona laughed, then asked, "And how did she know to say that?"
"I know you two too well, by the sounds of it!" They heard her before they saw her, as Reice was...well, in a stunning outfit. You know those dresses that people can only pull off when royalty, or on T.V? Well, Reice was pulling one off, at a gang's party: it was a black dress, tight at the top, and then at the thighs, it turned into a skirt sort-of thing, lightly billowing out to her ankles, where she had (cute!) sandal type shoes, with straps that wound around her leg to the knee.
"Wow."
She grinned, and dipped a curtsey, ignoring the catcalls others sent her way.
"Stunning. Hey, what about your belly?" Fiona was right; Reice looked normal size, not starting to show as she had before...
"I got some tips from old friends, there's a few ways to hide it, until it's there and not leaving, then you show it off as much as you can!"
Fiona tipped her head to one side, thinking, and then asked, "So, what are these tips?"
Reice smirked, flicking her on the nose. "When your time comes, I'll tell you."
Fiona scowled, complaining, "But I want to know, and I'm *certainly* not getting pregnant any time soon...that's not fair!"
"Then you don't need to know, if you're not going to need it!"
Poking out her tongue at Reice, Fiona found herself being dragged around, and introduced to anyone and everyone around. By about eleven, the younger people started to leave, and Fiona made the accident of sitting down.
"Fiona, want to get a...Fiona?" O'Connel stared at her, and then burst out laughing.
"What?" Thorn, who had been talking to some others, had arrived at that moment.
"She's asleep."
"Asleep?"
"Asleep. Should we wake her?"
Thorn's answer was in mock question, dripping of sarcasm, "Hm, let's think. Would you have liked for someone to wake you after your first day here?"
O'Connel smiled slightly, and asked, "Then what'll we do with her?"
"Ah, I'd carry her, but yeah, Reice is pregnant, you're not allowed in her room, or even her floor level. How do we get her there?" They stood in thought, wondering how they'd go about getting Fiona to her bed, when Thorn saw a familiar grey haired guy pass...
"Raven!"
He stopped, turned, and gave her a look that said, What?
"Hey, Fiona fell asleep, and I can't lift her, O'Connel isn't permitted to go into her room, or her floor level, could you please give us a hand?"
An eyebrow rose, and he spoke to Thorn for the first time. "Asleep?"
"Yeah, she's all worn out. Can you?"
He shrugged, allowing Thorn to lead him over. After he looked at her for a short time, Raven scooped Fiona into an undignified lift, over his shoulder, and headed for the building.
"There." Placing her down on the bed, Raven smirked when she rolled over, nearly out of bed. He pushed her back into the middle, and watched her briefly, before leaving an astonished Thorn in the doorway.
She removed Fiona's shoes, mumbling, "I didn't even think he'd agree...he watched her...talked to me..."
*~**~*
Fiona gasped for breath, and pulled her legs even closer to her chest. It was Saturday, and she was sitting under a tree outside, oblivious to anything. Her cheeks were stained with dry tears, hours ago she had ran out, now she was just sitting there, thinking, sobbing.
Why? Why had it happened like this?
Memories of that morning came unbidden into her thoughts...
// It was morning, at breakfast, and though worn out, everybody was eager, anticipating. Fiona was with them, wondering what her first Zoids lesson here would be like.//
Fiona sighed, wondering if she'd ever feel that type of enthusiasm now...she felt so empty...alone...
//She was inside a Command Wolf, with a teacher yelling at her what to do through the communications link.... She was speeding around a bowl track, feeling the blood rush through her veins, feeling alive for once, seeing the track zoom by gave her a sense of security, of home...//
She felt that rush again, but now, it only made her feel worse, it just wasn't right, how...?
//The teacher was yelling at her, but she wasn't listening. She was giving the now parked Command Wolf a longing look, just one more lap...//
She remembered that longing as though it was years ago, not hours...so much had changed...
//She was talking to Thorn, then felt someone touch her shoulder. Spinning around, she came face to face with Karl...//
She felt that painful twinge in her guts, the one that reminded that as a mortal, she could be broken very easily, by only a few words...
//Karl was looking at her, crying unashamedly as he talked, but she wasn't listening. She...she was dumped? No more Karl? Suddenly, her whole world was spinning, and as she fell, she managed to make out Karl running away...//
The last time she'd seen him...even his memory could finish her off now, she was on the verge of a breakdown, or possibly way past it...
//She woke up, and saw that she was in her room, but as she sat up, Thorn and Reice bombarded her with questions, then she remembered, Karl, gone.... It had been too much, so somehow she had gotten out, away, and after a good hearty weep, she looked around, with hollow, withdrawn, dead eyes, to find herself under that tree....//
The tree, where she had found herself hour ago, where she was now.
Why? Why had he dumped her? What had she done? It was her fault. It had to be. But what was it? But as the day settled into night, Fiona's mind could only replay those memories, again, and again, and again, and again...
"Fiona?"
She blinked, still deep in her thoughts, to see O'Connel in front of her, looking worried.
"Fiona? Are you alright?"
She shrugged, wondering what he'd do.
"I...are you sure? I was walking past ages ago, and you were up here, and you're still here. Is everything all right?"
Fiona sighed deeply, no, nothing was all right, but decided to play along, she didn't need the others to be worried about her. Trying to speak, she found her mouth parched, and throat dry, so nodded instead, and slowly stood, ignoring all her sore limbs. She left then, headed for her room, and some time alone, leaving a very confused O'Connel behind.
Fiona ended huddled up on the floor, in the shadows, without any lights on, staring at the wall, deep in thought as she had been before.
*~*
It was ten the next morning, and after not showing for breakfast, Fiona became the first in history, excluding those with serious injuries, to miss a Zoids lesson. Thorn, after her turn, was sent to look for Fiona, and, of course, checked her room first, finding the girl on the ground, in the shadows, staring mindlessly at the wall, her legs pulled up to her chest, looking almost dead.
Thorn gasped, and ran over. "Fiona, are you alright?!"
The girl didn't respond, apart from raising her cold gaze to Thorn's.
"Fiona... I'll get Karl, he'll-"
"No!"
This startled Thorn. The girl who had been longing to see Karl was rejecting an offer to be near him? "Why? Did something happen?"
"He..." Fiona's voice broke, and it was then that Thorn saw how bad Fiona looked.
Her eyes were red and puffy, with big marks under them from lack of sleep, and her eyes that normally would shine with so much happiness were...dead, gone, and empty.
"He...dumped..."
"He dumped you?"
Slowly, Fiona nodded, still sitting there as Thorn enclosed her into a warm hug. "Oh! Fiona, you're frozen!" Her only response was a shrug, and to see Fiona's gaze back on the wall, lifeless. Thorn left to get a blanket, and some help.
*~*
"Fiona?" It was Monday, and though she hadn't bothered to show up to breakfast, Fiona had managed to arrive at her class, gym, which was mainly sprints. She spent the whole lesson by herself, sprinting around the track, ignoring any tiredness she felt, emotions were lost on her, Fiona's mind and heart were so full of emotions that a little tiredness had no effect whatsoever.
At morning tea, Fiona left to go outside, gazing over the grounds until the bell warned her of the next class, sword.
Raven was there, waiting for her.
Without a word, the two resumed her training, Fiona not even flinching when her hands slid from position, and Raven whacked them. Fiona didn't notice anything, not Raven's smirk, not how the teacher kept glancing over at her, not at how the whole class stopped for a few minutes to watch, nothing.
*~*
Kickboxing came next, but Fiona didn't show for that, she was in her room and hadn't heard the bell. After lunch, where Fiona had sat under the tree again, it was time for archery.
Her first lesson had been all positioning, all because she couldn't hold the bow steady, and her arms had ached. Now, she couldn't even tell that her arms disagreed with her actions, no matter how loudly, and so Raven started her on targets.
She let the first arrow fly. It missed the board by a few inches, and her next shot landed on the outside ring.
Raven adjusted her stance, showed her ways to judge where it would go, all without speech from either of them.
By the end, Fiona had one bull's eye, and nearly every other was close to it.
They had a break, then Fiona was due in history class. Instead, she returned to the now familiar tree, sitting like she had before, knees up to her chest, thinking. She heard the bell for dinner go, but ignored it, not realising she was hungry, still not listening to her body's protests to any movement she made, not noticing that her legs were stiff, and her arms were screaming.
*~*
Irvine sat up late that night. It was Monday, but he'd been doing some serious thinking lately, and the night before, he'd come to a conclusion: He should have dumped Dom a long time ago.
Why? Because he hadn't believe in their relationship. Pure lust didn't get far, and it wasn't healthy.
But then Irvine remembered what had happened when he went to tell Dom, and how he had reacted...
//He glanced over at Dom. "Ah, Dom, can I walk the rest of the way?"
Domitan shrugged, then pulled over.
"Also, Domitan, I think we have to stop this, it isn't going to work, so...."
He watched as this sunk in, then cringed as Dom smiled, and unlocked the door for him. "Fine. Go. Good bye."
"Um...bye."//
Irvine sighed. Was that all he was? Some guy's toy? An object that could be forgotten, or forfeited...and it wouldn't matter?
*~*
Thorn was worried sick by Wednesday. It had been over four days since Fiona had eaten, yet she didn't seem to even notice it, she hadn't spoken to anyone, either, but in her lessons, Fiona was far beyond anyone, her defences effective by the fact that she didn't even feel any pain if she messed up, and her attacks were fuelled with an anger she never had before. Reice shared her fears, as did O'Connel, and they were talking about it, outside at lunch on Wednesday, when Raven approached.
Thorn ignored him, and O'Connel didn't know what to do, but Reice turned to him. "Raven." He stared at her, and she knew that was all the response she'd get. "About Fiona. I know that you enjoy her being a perfect student and all, but if she doesn't eat soon, she'll starve, but she doesn't even appear to know she's hungry. She hasn't slept at all, hasn't eaten or anything but thought and trained."
Raven waited for Reice to let it all out. Even though he was a quiet guy, he knew that she needed to say this, then answered the unasked question, "I'll talk to her."
Reice bowed her head slightly to him, murmuring, "Thank you, Raven."
He shrugged, walking off.
*~*
None of them knew what it was he said to her, but the next day she joined them for breakfast, not talking, but eating all the same. Friday morning, Thorn was startled by Fiona, who she had seen grab breakfast and sit next to O'Connel and Raven like normal, but she saw Fiona engage them in conversation, startling O'Connel so badly he choked. Thorn smiled, and returned her attention to her friends, who were just glad to see her happy again.
*~*
Class went as planned that day, Fiona went to basics, then gym.
After gym, it was sword practice.
Fiona picked up her practise staff, after a quick five-minute break Raven had granted her for water, and readied herself for the endless training. "Strike one high, two mid, three low, change, block one high, two mid, three low, change!"
All of a sudden, he stopped talking, but she didn't notice. His voice was in her head saying what he had been.
A sharp nudge got her attention, and Fiona quickly blocked another attack to her legs, then head. "Good. You were aware."
'No I wasn't...' Fiona smirked at this thought, but kept it to herself. If he wanted to believe she wasn't away in her thoughts, good on him.
Raven lowered his practise staff to the ground, and then returned his attention to her. "Sword technique."
He showed her how to stand, marked where the sword hilt would be, and all the little things to improve her. While doing so, he was for the first time, talking first in a conversation. "So, you've told your friends?"
"Uh, I told you." She did her best to keep from being preoccupied by thoughts of her now ex-boyfriend, and watched as he mirrored her stance, then took a swipe at an invisible enemy.
Imitating his movement, she asked, "I told you, and I think I mighta told Thorn, can't remember."
"Are you going to tell them all, or just your close friends?" It was more of a statement then a question, making Fiona feel something weird from Raven, he never talked this much, and when he did, it never had this sort of...guard about it...but she shrugged off his inquiry, deciding to take advantage of his speaking instead.
"So, Raven, what've you been up to? In this gang, I mean?"
"In the gang?" He contemplated this for a moment, then answered ever- so-casually, "Not much, just training and shit."
Hn, she hadn't known he swore. But he was the leader of a gang, it was to be kind of expected, wasn't it? "What else? I mean, I've got no idea what you're into and stuff, I hardly know you."
"Few know me." With this answer, Fiona felt a pride swell, it had sounded like he was battling himself to tell her. She was getting through to him! Thinking of another thing to say, always trying to get him talk in the past, and now he was she was out of things to say, Fiona was bet to it.
"So, are you going to tell your old friends? Moonbay and Van and them."
She froze, earning herself a whack in the middle, but didn't notice it. She had to tell them, didn't she?
*~**~*
Soooo........... Oh!! I nearly 4got!! Sorry Taltos!! ^^
Ahem, Ladies and Gentlemen, *coughyeahrightcough*, I would like to give, um, half of the credit for this chapter, and probably most of the ones to come, to Taltos.
She has been oh-so kind enough to take what I had, and shape it into something understandable!!! Couldya tell the difference? Bet ya could!!
Nah, she basically beta'd this, a lot, so let's all give her a round of....... well, applause won't do much, so thank her in a review!!! *hint- hint-nudge-nudge*
-Dark_lil_Devil
Firemoon;
If you don't update Love or Hate soon, I'll take this cookie, and shove it down your throat. HURRY UP!!!! And thanx for the cookie!!! Interesting... good word to describe my work...... interesting. I usualy go for 'mentally screwed up' or something like 'a load of time wasting rubbish that goes nowhere' Oh, beta stop going on, THANKS!! (lurve ya work!!)
Sanity-Stealing-Lawn-Gnome; Michiko; That's a good thing to hear, it makes me happy!!!! Ja'ne means something like bye, right? Sorry, I'm..... well, not educated in other languages. The futherest I've gotten is Baka, which I think means stupid, or in my mind, things a bit harsher then that!!! Oh well, Thanx!! And hurry up with ur work!!
Taltos; Fight scenes not being bad? *bursts into laughter* if only you knew!! *wipes tear from eye* Oh crap, that's rich. Anyways, thanks for reviewing this!! You kept me going long enough to get MORE reviewers!! But, thanks!!! Then again, I should be jelous. Why? Have you even looked at how many you got for Aluhobia?! I nearly had a heart attack!! I should have expected it, but wow!!! You're lucky.... and I'm jelous!! But then again, to get your review, that's kinda better, 'cause you got all their reviews, right? Did that make sense? Hope so! Oh, I think the start of Dreams might have been one or ur's that I lyked..... T_T I dunno....
Disclaimer; I am turning this into an owner. I don't know if I thought of this, or saw it somewhere, so whatever.
Owner; Um, let's see............. I own Thorn, my storyline, myself, *when I'm 18*, and my two Linkin Park CD's. Happy?
Now, that all aside, take this cookie, (hands readers a cookie each) and enjoy my story.
*~**~*
"Done."
Fiona blinked furiously, while resisting the urge to rub her eyes. "What the hell was that?"
"Oh, some stuff, it's a bit stronger then mascara..."
"Damn right it is!"
"Stop your whining, and let me get a look at you!"
Sighing, Fiona stood, slowly turning, so that Thorn, who was seated on the ground in Fiona's room, could make sure she was ready.
She was wearing the clothes she had worn on her initiation test, though she hadn't known it then, and seemed to have memories with these clothes, no matter how stupid it sounded, even to her. She nervously smoothed her baby-blue halter top, then stood, her red flares falling to her ankles, her chained belt jingling at her hip. They proceeded down the hall, meeting with various other girls, all dressed suggestively in mini- skirts and the likes with only a few like Fiona, good looking, but not over- doing it. Thorn greeted them all cheerfully, and Fiona felt excited, although totally exhausted.
Outside, where the party seemed to have originated from, they found O'Connel, who raised his eyebrows. "Reice said to tell you, Thorn, go back now and put something on, and Fiona, that you look great."
As Thorn mock-pouted, Fiona laughed, then asked, "And how did she know to say that?"
"I know you two too well, by the sounds of it!" They heard her before they saw her, as Reice was...well, in a stunning outfit. You know those dresses that people can only pull off when royalty, or on T.V? Well, Reice was pulling one off, at a gang's party: it was a black dress, tight at the top, and then at the thighs, it turned into a skirt sort-of thing, lightly billowing out to her ankles, where she had (cute!) sandal type shoes, with straps that wound around her leg to the knee.
"Wow."
She grinned, and dipped a curtsey, ignoring the catcalls others sent her way.
"Stunning. Hey, what about your belly?" Fiona was right; Reice looked normal size, not starting to show as she had before...
"I got some tips from old friends, there's a few ways to hide it, until it's there and not leaving, then you show it off as much as you can!"
Fiona tipped her head to one side, thinking, and then asked, "So, what are these tips?"
Reice smirked, flicking her on the nose. "When your time comes, I'll tell you."
Fiona scowled, complaining, "But I want to know, and I'm *certainly* not getting pregnant any time soon...that's not fair!"
"Then you don't need to know, if you're not going to need it!"
Poking out her tongue at Reice, Fiona found herself being dragged around, and introduced to anyone and everyone around. By about eleven, the younger people started to leave, and Fiona made the accident of sitting down.
"Fiona, want to get a...Fiona?" O'Connel stared at her, and then burst out laughing.
"What?" Thorn, who had been talking to some others, had arrived at that moment.
"She's asleep."
"Asleep?"
"Asleep. Should we wake her?"
Thorn's answer was in mock question, dripping of sarcasm, "Hm, let's think. Would you have liked for someone to wake you after your first day here?"
O'Connel smiled slightly, and asked, "Then what'll we do with her?"
"Ah, I'd carry her, but yeah, Reice is pregnant, you're not allowed in her room, or even her floor level. How do we get her there?" They stood in thought, wondering how they'd go about getting Fiona to her bed, when Thorn saw a familiar grey haired guy pass...
"Raven!"
He stopped, turned, and gave her a look that said, What?
"Hey, Fiona fell asleep, and I can't lift her, O'Connel isn't permitted to go into her room, or her floor level, could you please give us a hand?"
An eyebrow rose, and he spoke to Thorn for the first time. "Asleep?"
"Yeah, she's all worn out. Can you?"
He shrugged, allowing Thorn to lead him over. After he looked at her for a short time, Raven scooped Fiona into an undignified lift, over his shoulder, and headed for the building.
"There." Placing her down on the bed, Raven smirked when she rolled over, nearly out of bed. He pushed her back into the middle, and watched her briefly, before leaving an astonished Thorn in the doorway.
She removed Fiona's shoes, mumbling, "I didn't even think he'd agree...he watched her...talked to me..."
*~**~*
Fiona gasped for breath, and pulled her legs even closer to her chest. It was Saturday, and she was sitting under a tree outside, oblivious to anything. Her cheeks were stained with dry tears, hours ago she had ran out, now she was just sitting there, thinking, sobbing.
Why? Why had it happened like this?
Memories of that morning came unbidden into her thoughts...
// It was morning, at breakfast, and though worn out, everybody was eager, anticipating. Fiona was with them, wondering what her first Zoids lesson here would be like.//
Fiona sighed, wondering if she'd ever feel that type of enthusiasm now...she felt so empty...alone...
//She was inside a Command Wolf, with a teacher yelling at her what to do through the communications link.... She was speeding around a bowl track, feeling the blood rush through her veins, feeling alive for once, seeing the track zoom by gave her a sense of security, of home...//
She felt that rush again, but now, it only made her feel worse, it just wasn't right, how...?
//The teacher was yelling at her, but she wasn't listening. She was giving the now parked Command Wolf a longing look, just one more lap...//
She remembered that longing as though it was years ago, not hours...so much had changed...
//She was talking to Thorn, then felt someone touch her shoulder. Spinning around, she came face to face with Karl...//
She felt that painful twinge in her guts, the one that reminded that as a mortal, she could be broken very easily, by only a few words...
//Karl was looking at her, crying unashamedly as he talked, but she wasn't listening. She...she was dumped? No more Karl? Suddenly, her whole world was spinning, and as she fell, she managed to make out Karl running away...//
The last time she'd seen him...even his memory could finish her off now, she was on the verge of a breakdown, or possibly way past it...
//She woke up, and saw that she was in her room, but as she sat up, Thorn and Reice bombarded her with questions, then she remembered, Karl, gone.... It had been too much, so somehow she had gotten out, away, and after a good hearty weep, she looked around, with hollow, withdrawn, dead eyes, to find herself under that tree....//
The tree, where she had found herself hour ago, where she was now.
Why? Why had he dumped her? What had she done? It was her fault. It had to be. But what was it? But as the day settled into night, Fiona's mind could only replay those memories, again, and again, and again, and again...
"Fiona?"
She blinked, still deep in her thoughts, to see O'Connel in front of her, looking worried.
"Fiona? Are you alright?"
She shrugged, wondering what he'd do.
"I...are you sure? I was walking past ages ago, and you were up here, and you're still here. Is everything all right?"
Fiona sighed deeply, no, nothing was all right, but decided to play along, she didn't need the others to be worried about her. Trying to speak, she found her mouth parched, and throat dry, so nodded instead, and slowly stood, ignoring all her sore limbs. She left then, headed for her room, and some time alone, leaving a very confused O'Connel behind.
Fiona ended huddled up on the floor, in the shadows, without any lights on, staring at the wall, deep in thought as she had been before.
*~*
It was ten the next morning, and after not showing for breakfast, Fiona became the first in history, excluding those with serious injuries, to miss a Zoids lesson. Thorn, after her turn, was sent to look for Fiona, and, of course, checked her room first, finding the girl on the ground, in the shadows, staring mindlessly at the wall, her legs pulled up to her chest, looking almost dead.
Thorn gasped, and ran over. "Fiona, are you alright?!"
The girl didn't respond, apart from raising her cold gaze to Thorn's.
"Fiona... I'll get Karl, he'll-"
"No!"
This startled Thorn. The girl who had been longing to see Karl was rejecting an offer to be near him? "Why? Did something happen?"
"He..." Fiona's voice broke, and it was then that Thorn saw how bad Fiona looked.
Her eyes were red and puffy, with big marks under them from lack of sleep, and her eyes that normally would shine with so much happiness were...dead, gone, and empty.
"He...dumped..."
"He dumped you?"
Slowly, Fiona nodded, still sitting there as Thorn enclosed her into a warm hug. "Oh! Fiona, you're frozen!" Her only response was a shrug, and to see Fiona's gaze back on the wall, lifeless. Thorn left to get a blanket, and some help.
*~*
"Fiona?" It was Monday, and though she hadn't bothered to show up to breakfast, Fiona had managed to arrive at her class, gym, which was mainly sprints. She spent the whole lesson by herself, sprinting around the track, ignoring any tiredness she felt, emotions were lost on her, Fiona's mind and heart were so full of emotions that a little tiredness had no effect whatsoever.
At morning tea, Fiona left to go outside, gazing over the grounds until the bell warned her of the next class, sword.
Raven was there, waiting for her.
Without a word, the two resumed her training, Fiona not even flinching when her hands slid from position, and Raven whacked them. Fiona didn't notice anything, not Raven's smirk, not how the teacher kept glancing over at her, not at how the whole class stopped for a few minutes to watch, nothing.
*~*
Kickboxing came next, but Fiona didn't show for that, she was in her room and hadn't heard the bell. After lunch, where Fiona had sat under the tree again, it was time for archery.
Her first lesson had been all positioning, all because she couldn't hold the bow steady, and her arms had ached. Now, she couldn't even tell that her arms disagreed with her actions, no matter how loudly, and so Raven started her on targets.
She let the first arrow fly. It missed the board by a few inches, and her next shot landed on the outside ring.
Raven adjusted her stance, showed her ways to judge where it would go, all without speech from either of them.
By the end, Fiona had one bull's eye, and nearly every other was close to it.
They had a break, then Fiona was due in history class. Instead, she returned to the now familiar tree, sitting like she had before, knees up to her chest, thinking. She heard the bell for dinner go, but ignored it, not realising she was hungry, still not listening to her body's protests to any movement she made, not noticing that her legs were stiff, and her arms were screaming.
*~*
Irvine sat up late that night. It was Monday, but he'd been doing some serious thinking lately, and the night before, he'd come to a conclusion: He should have dumped Dom a long time ago.
Why? Because he hadn't believe in their relationship. Pure lust didn't get far, and it wasn't healthy.
But then Irvine remembered what had happened when he went to tell Dom, and how he had reacted...
//He glanced over at Dom. "Ah, Dom, can I walk the rest of the way?"
Domitan shrugged, then pulled over.
"Also, Domitan, I think we have to stop this, it isn't going to work, so...."
He watched as this sunk in, then cringed as Dom smiled, and unlocked the door for him. "Fine. Go. Good bye."
"Um...bye."//
Irvine sighed. Was that all he was? Some guy's toy? An object that could be forgotten, or forfeited...and it wouldn't matter?
*~*
Thorn was worried sick by Wednesday. It had been over four days since Fiona had eaten, yet she didn't seem to even notice it, she hadn't spoken to anyone, either, but in her lessons, Fiona was far beyond anyone, her defences effective by the fact that she didn't even feel any pain if she messed up, and her attacks were fuelled with an anger she never had before. Reice shared her fears, as did O'Connel, and they were talking about it, outside at lunch on Wednesday, when Raven approached.
Thorn ignored him, and O'Connel didn't know what to do, but Reice turned to him. "Raven." He stared at her, and she knew that was all the response she'd get. "About Fiona. I know that you enjoy her being a perfect student and all, but if she doesn't eat soon, she'll starve, but she doesn't even appear to know she's hungry. She hasn't slept at all, hasn't eaten or anything but thought and trained."
Raven waited for Reice to let it all out. Even though he was a quiet guy, he knew that she needed to say this, then answered the unasked question, "I'll talk to her."
Reice bowed her head slightly to him, murmuring, "Thank you, Raven."
He shrugged, walking off.
*~*
None of them knew what it was he said to her, but the next day she joined them for breakfast, not talking, but eating all the same. Friday morning, Thorn was startled by Fiona, who she had seen grab breakfast and sit next to O'Connel and Raven like normal, but she saw Fiona engage them in conversation, startling O'Connel so badly he choked. Thorn smiled, and returned her attention to her friends, who were just glad to see her happy again.
*~*
Class went as planned that day, Fiona went to basics, then gym.
After gym, it was sword practice.
Fiona picked up her practise staff, after a quick five-minute break Raven had granted her for water, and readied herself for the endless training. "Strike one high, two mid, three low, change, block one high, two mid, three low, change!"
All of a sudden, he stopped talking, but she didn't notice. His voice was in her head saying what he had been.
A sharp nudge got her attention, and Fiona quickly blocked another attack to her legs, then head. "Good. You were aware."
'No I wasn't...' Fiona smirked at this thought, but kept it to herself. If he wanted to believe she wasn't away in her thoughts, good on him.
Raven lowered his practise staff to the ground, and then returned his attention to her. "Sword technique."
He showed her how to stand, marked where the sword hilt would be, and all the little things to improve her. While doing so, he was for the first time, talking first in a conversation. "So, you've told your friends?"
"Uh, I told you." She did her best to keep from being preoccupied by thoughts of her now ex-boyfriend, and watched as he mirrored her stance, then took a swipe at an invisible enemy.
Imitating his movement, she asked, "I told you, and I think I mighta told Thorn, can't remember."
"Are you going to tell them all, or just your close friends?" It was more of a statement then a question, making Fiona feel something weird from Raven, he never talked this much, and when he did, it never had this sort of...guard about it...but she shrugged off his inquiry, deciding to take advantage of his speaking instead.
"So, Raven, what've you been up to? In this gang, I mean?"
"In the gang?" He contemplated this for a moment, then answered ever- so-casually, "Not much, just training and shit."
Hn, she hadn't known he swore. But he was the leader of a gang, it was to be kind of expected, wasn't it? "What else? I mean, I've got no idea what you're into and stuff, I hardly know you."
"Few know me." With this answer, Fiona felt a pride swell, it had sounded like he was battling himself to tell her. She was getting through to him! Thinking of another thing to say, always trying to get him talk in the past, and now he was she was out of things to say, Fiona was bet to it.
"So, are you going to tell your old friends? Moonbay and Van and them."
She froze, earning herself a whack in the middle, but didn't notice it. She had to tell them, didn't she?
*~**~*
Soooo........... Oh!! I nearly 4got!! Sorry Taltos!! ^^
Ahem, Ladies and Gentlemen, *coughyeahrightcough*, I would like to give, um, half of the credit for this chapter, and probably most of the ones to come, to Taltos.
She has been oh-so kind enough to take what I had, and shape it into something understandable!!! Couldya tell the difference? Bet ya could!!
Nah, she basically beta'd this, a lot, so let's all give her a round of....... well, applause won't do much, so thank her in a review!!! *hint- hint-nudge-nudge*
-Dark_lil_Devil