I'm not Tammy. But you already knew that. I don't own IT.
Okay, Review time. With all my lovely reviewers (that means you) I felt both incredibly loved and irritated that I had to take up so much effort to write you all responses. But I will. Because you're WORTH IT! That's it, feel the LOVE!
Lady Merlin: A new reviewer! Don't kill me please! For one my cats would be sad, for another you'd never find out the end! I am torturous but at least I'm staying at it. I'm sorry it's been awhile, I hope you really like this chapter! Please review again!
Person: another new reviewer, yay! Look, I updated! I hope you like it, be sure to review it for me!
Noc and NC: Woah! Happy belated Birthday! I hope it brought you birthday-goodness. And yes, things are gonna get better, but of course the rest would be boring if nothing happened, so yes…something is going to happen…but not really in this chapter, although there is something akin to foreshadowing in my unworthy piece of literature. And I like Rikash too! Not as much as Gainel though. He's still my favorite. Unfortunately he doesn't appear in this chappy, (sigh). But anyways, I hope you like this chapter, and please continue to review me!
James is mine: Heya, Mage Queen! Nope, that was not the end, as you may or may not have guessed from that last chapter. Is there going to be an S/G pairing? Well…I suppose I can give you a little morsel of info…and say that this is going to become a means of conflict as 1) Sarralyn is a mortal and only the gods are allowed to live in the Divine realms and 2) something else which has not been disclosed yet is going to do something else which is also undisclosed (haha, yes I know that was uselessly cryptic) and 3) Mithros is going to get a little pissed-off at Gainel and maybe do some hindrance-work. Maybe. I haven't decided yet. So I'll leave the decision as to the S/G pairing up to you. Review again please!
Ace Ryn Knight: Wow, even better than Harry nekid? You must really like Rikash, (that's good, so do I. I'm continually trying to think of ways to get him into the story line!) I'm glad I made your month! As for your homework, I suppose that I'm supposed to say something about being good and responsible and that school work is important and blah-di-blah-blah…but you know what? I say 'Go Ace! You made the right choice! Screw homework, read my fan fiction and review instead!' So okay, that wasn't the most mature response, and all I can say now is glad you liked it, hope you like this, and review again! Woo hooo!
Lady Knight 1512: Tee hee, I had fun writing the big Great-Gods conversation in the chapter before last even if it was mostly filler and not that integral or necessary to the plot or anything, sometimes you just got to have fun, you know? And you liked it so there. I'm Justified. I'm glad you liked it. Hope you like this chapter, please review it!
Sophia: Wah? Weeping! I guess I better get my butt in gear. I can't have anyone crying over lack of updates. If it's any consolation, I know your remorse. I practically cry over the fack that my favorite stories remain un-updated day after day. Sigh. Well, I hope this helps, I'll try to be faster if I can, but I get moods where I'll write a whole bunch at once and then I'll have times when I can't even bring myself to type a word of the next chapter. Please review me again!
Silveni: The end? Nope! What else can happen? Oh, we haven't even begun to explode the multitude of things that can go wrong. And you know what they say: whatever can go wrong will go wrong. Although I think Lynn and Gainel's are safe for now…I think…Mwahahahaha! Check James is Mine's review response for more insights into what is coming up in the future. I hope you like this chapter, please review!
Feifiefofum: I'm not even going to LOOK at that list Fei. Forward all your complaints to my Beta-reader Nyx Nox Night. But aside from that, yes, 'well' is classic. It's such a convenient way to end things, although I don't like to use it too often because it reveals how I hate trying to find decent ways to end chapters. I HATE having to write the end of chapters! It's HARD! Gah!
I'm sorry it took so long writing the chapters. The last one I had but I didn't want to post till I'd had a regular chapter to post with it, but the next chapter was giving me so much trouble it was taking to long, so I finally just posted. This chapter was kicking my butt for a while there, but I finally wrestled it into how I wanted it. I'll leave a little side note that might make you forget my past transgressions: Next chapter: contains vast quantities of Provy. Yeah, I knew you'd like that. Anyways, hope you like this chapter, and remember to review (but email your complaints to Nixy, It may be childish but once I send it off for her to beta, I hold no responsibility toward the state of it's grammar and spelling.) and remember that the special guests of this chappy have natural speech impediments, and give me a break.
Nativewildmage: Haha! My mom and my sister give me funny looks when that happens, too. I start cracking up and my sister is all like "stop laughing over your stupid fan fictions, you idiot!" and then I go off in a grandiose speak on how she couldn't possibly grasp the greatness of literature and somehow manage to go off on tangent and I forget what my point was, get back to my story and do it all over again. I LOVE that you LOVE my story! It makes me grin stupidly whenever I read the reviews! I hope you like the new chapter, please review again!
Numair's Lover: Nice to see me? Well, it's nice to be seen! Yes, the last was a short lil' thing, but this is one of the longer chapters. I hope it makes up for it a little. I promise I won't get tired of writing this story, I'm gonna stick it out as long as I have you guys to keep me going. And you can boss me around all you want, I just can't promise how I'll react, it'll be something sarcastic though, have no doubt. I hope this isn't too late to be considered soon. Please read and review the new chapter!
Black Heart of Darkness: New reviewer! Yes! Welcome! Sorry it took so long to get a new update. I hope you enjoy the new chapter, please review!
Everyone review! PLEASE!
Providence Smiles
By LGR
(Beta-reading done by Nyx Nox Night, thank you Nyxy!)
Part IV: Downtime
Lynn slowly became aware of her surroundings as her mind drifted from the World of Dreams to consciousness. She pulled the sheets over her head and shifted under the covers to find a more comfortable position. Sighing in contentment she went back to sleep.
Gainel had somehow managed to bring her to his chateau by himself. He'd probably had to carry her, or maybe used some sort of godly-magic. By that time, Lynn was so tired that she couldn't spare a thought to wonder why they weren't at the trial. Apparently she'd mumbled something along those lines anyways, because once she awoke enough to realize what was going on, Gainel had said she'd slept through it.
A chiming cry had made her aware of Fancy's presence, and before she could doze off again, Gainel had manifested writing implements and parchment, and Lynn hastily scrawled a letter to her parents. It hadn't needed to be precise, they'd talk later when it wasn't a chore to keep her head up. Upon finishing, Gainel put the note into an envelope for her, then placed a stick of wax (mysteriously melted without the means of a fire) on the closed lip, and pressed into it a large ring she'd never seen before. The completed seal was that of an open eye; she remembered that very clearly.
She didn't really recall when or how she'd wound up in a bed, but she didn't really care. It was so comfy; she didn't want to leave it. Besides, the shape shifter was still so groggy that no device known to either Man or Immortal could have pried her lids open. Slowly however, the fogginess receded and she noticed how terribly weak she felt. Her muscles were liquid, and despite the warmth of her bed, a cold feeling periodically shot through her spine; a hyper-sensitivity and sickness invading her core.
Testing her eyes once more, she found them bleary and unable to focus, and trying to move her hands, they proved to be uncoordinated and they shook violently; not to mention that they were paler than she'd ever managed to be with both her parent's complexions on the darker side of the Luarin spectrum. After cataloging all of her ills, Lynn decided she felt terrible, but knew it could have been worse. She'd seen her brother, father and Thom suffer from sorcery-backlash sickness, and it made you sick just to look at them in their pitiful states.
She shivered underneath her blankets, and tentatively placed a shaking, jelly-muscled hand to her forehead. As she'd suspected: she had a fever.
"Blanket?" a tiny voice piped from near her shoulder on the bed.
Blink.
Blink. Blink.
"Hello?" it piped again.
It was a…a thing; a gooey looking blackish thing; wearing a tin thimble like a cap on a protrusion that could have resembled a head. Next to said 'Thing', was a smaller 'Thing', but instead of a thimble, this one had a stick of crystal suspended inside its gelatin-like body.
The blinking continued until the smaller of the two bits of goop turned its knob of a head to the other, produced something that could vaguely be called a mouth and whispered, "Is she asleep?"
"No. Eyes open," the other whispered in return.
"Maybe sleep with eyes open?" the crystal imbedded one speculated.
"That's stupid! Can't sleep with eyes open!" the other shot down.
"I sleep with eyes open."
"Darking don't have eyes!"
Darkings…I've heard that before. She mentally smacked herself. Alianne had a whole bunch of them in The Copper Isles, or Kypriang Isles, as they now called themselves. Lynn had seen them upon her visit, and her parents had told her stories of them, and how they'd been a key effort in the Immortals War. What were they doing here?
"You're Darkings?" she blurted.
"See! Awake!" the larger of the two said triumphantly, and the other somehow managed to look disappointed despite the fact it had made no contortion of its jellied body.
"What are you doing here? Do you have names?" she asked them.
"Quartz!" the Darking sporting the stick of crystal proclaimed grandly.
"Thimble," the other said, bowing its knobby head, "And Dream man asked us. Dragon Lands got boring."
"Dragons got boring," Quartz clarified in a long-suffering tone.
"Really?" she'd always thought it would be wonderful to see a dragon. They hardly ever left their area of the Divine realms, known as the Dragon Lands, even with the barrier between the realms down again after the Immortals War. She wondered if they really were as stuffy as everyone made them out to be or if they had a legitimate reason for cloistering themselves away from the rest of the universe.
Forwarding this question to the Darkings, she was immediately surprised by the darkings' superior ranting abilities. The Darkings, apparently, could expound for hours on the many boring qualities of the reptilian race. In fact, Lynn had half a mind to recommend they go to the university and take a debate class. She could see it now, the Darkings lined up in the front row. The sheer awkwardness such a thing would cause was laughable. Beyond laughable. So beyond laughable she was already laughing, causing her companions to become indignant.
"No, no. I'm not laughing at you. I just thought of something funny. That was all." She defended herself and they changed tactics, pestering her to share her joke. She managed to hold out against the dynamic duo and keep the joke to herself; she didn't think they'd appreciate it the same way a human would. They'd probably demand to know what was so funny about it, and what she had against Darkings.
Eventually they gave up and turned to continue their dragon-bashing.
Lynn shivered and pulled up covers up to her chin. Her teeth were chattering. She didn't have burns anymore, but their effects on her body must not have fully worn off. This wasn't backlash-sickness; it was more like residual-bodily-memory sickness: the body remembered it was supposed to be burned and was duplicating its effects on itself because of the extremity of the injury. Apparently Gainel hadn't had the same problem if he was traipsing around only hours afterwards or, wait…how long had she been out?
"—and Dragon's always think you the one who caused trouble. Even when you didn't—" Thimble was saying.
"Yeah!" Quartz agreed, jiggling enthusiastically, "I always blamed for steeling Rubyflame's pen. I was borrowing it—"
"Um, guys, how long have I been here?" Lynn queried, not really sure if she wanted to know. With her luck it would probably have been weeks.
"Er…Thirteen hours?" Thimble petitioned, turning to consult with its companion.
"No, fifteen hours!" Quartz countered.
Thimble made a jiggling motion akin to a shaken head, and turned back to her saying decisively, "Fourteen hours."
"Thank you." Fourteen hours? That wasn't too bad at all. Now she just needed to translate that into Mortal Realm terms and pray to the Gods…or whoever…that it wasn't too ridiculous a time span. Or maybe it was too late for that?
Wait…hadn't Gainel offered to keep her there? Why did she care if it was a long time? She smiled religiously as she realized she really didn't have anything to be worrying about. Except for maybe…what they would do while they had this time together.
Lynn had never been the kind of girl that most of the ladies at court were: completely entranced by men and what was the newest gossip. But right now, she just felt like giggling to a best friend about all her fantasies, and she was almost disappointed that she didn't really have the opportunity to do so right now, she was alone except for the Darkings, and they had no gender and it would be difficult for them to put everything into context. Besides, there was nothing like the electricity between two females bent on entertaining conversation which was three parts incomplete information and two parts fantastical fabrication and imagination.
Not that she had much experience with the feeling, but not even the most book-nosed university-goer or shy-eyed little doe could make it through seventeen years of life without being dragged by the scruff of their necks into a girl-talk group at least once or twice, especially if they lived at the palace more often then not.
Yes, even gloomy, boring, can't-pry-her-nose-out-of-a-book, can't-be-bothered-to-pay-attention-to-the-real-world Lynn could not manage to escape from a friend determined to chat her ear off. She'd been cloistered among a group of healthy gossipers at the sanctioned 'Vagina-proprietors' table at the Queen's Riders mess more than a time or two, and heard enough to make the most stalwart and knowledgeable pervert blush their ears off; Things that would put the questionable propriety of the table's nickname to utter and complete shame.
She was sure they had said most of it on purpose.
Some might say it was pathetic, but her best friend was probably her younger brother, and she only ever blathered at him when she felt he deserved punishment for some insipid crime against her that was neither important enough, nor annoying enough, to bring 'The Parents' in on the issue. She didn't really talk to anyone else very often if she could help it.
This being said, she was wondered where this need to spill her guts out and squeal was coming from. After a moment, she assumed it was probably something that was imprinted into her gender, and left it at that.
"Did Gainel leave a message or anything of that sort?" She asked the Darkings, (who had moved on from the Why-dragons-are-boring topic to the apparently even more exciting Which-dragon-is-the-most-boring.)
"Message? Did Dream-man leave a message?" Quartz repeated, turning to Thimble for the answer, but the other Darking had already turned to Quartz for the same reason.
"Message?..." there was a pause as Thimble seemed to be deciding on a better way to present its answer. It apparently couldn't think of anything because its response was a rather cryptic, "er…Maybe?" in a tone that seemed to be asking her what it should be saying.
And Lynn was fairly certain she wouldn't have asked if she'd known the answer.
"'Maybe?' what is that supposed to mean?" she badgered them in a slightly displeased voice. They should really have known if there was a message and what it was if it existed, as she suspected it did.
"Dream-man said something about…something," was Quartz's rather useless contribution, then turned to Thimble, continuing by adding an uncertain "Something about…clothes?"
All Thimble said was a repeated, "er…Maybe?" It didn't sound very confident.
Fortunately for Lynn, Quartz seemed to be picking up the slack by saying, "Yes, yes! Clothes. Dream-man said to tell Dream-lady—"
"Dream-lady?" she interrupted, not knowing how she should be reacting to this description. They weren't even courting…were they?
"Yes. You are his lady, right?" Quartz prodded.
"Well, I-ah…ah…" she stuttered; why was this so complicated a question?
"Ri-i-i-i-i-ght?" the Darking pressed.
"Er…Maybe?" she spat out, caving under the pressure.
When all else fails, stick to the traditional phrases. She supposed she couldn't now blame Thimble for falling back on this ever so conversationally-distracting one. But she could however, blame Gainel for making her do the same. Lynn vaguely remembered a promise to have a talk, and as soon as he got back from whatever he was doing, she was going to make him sit down and explain. Logically. And in Order.
"Anyways, what did Dre—er, Gainel say?" Ack, now they had her doing it to.
"Dream-man say-said," it corrected; she wasn't the only one getting tongue-tied (jelly-tied? Did they have tongues?) "That when you wake up, the closet has clothes. And that he'd delivered your letter…and that he wouldn't be gone long."
"Anything else?" she asked the glob, more in jest than anything, but Quartz nodded and continued.
"Yeah, and that the sending outside the room will help you with anything you need. And that if anyone stops to visit, you should feel free to tell them to go away. Think Dream-man thought someone he didn't like might come," it shared.
Someone he didn't like? She wondered who that could be, although if yesterday was anything to go by, it could literally be anyone and everyone. Apparently Gainel was quite the druidic, privacy-loving bachelor.
Opening her senses to her surroundings, Lynn now easily saw the currents of power rushing everywhere. Unseen forces going about their work in layers and layers of dimensions, each spell and construct with its own unique design and function. So complex was the sight that it boggled the mind. And every single one had Gainel's mark on it, was infused with his essence, a little piece of that multihued light she'd seen emanating from his persona in a halo of power.
It was a humbling scene on her part. What was she to such radiance?
He said I was everything to him. Gods can't lie, and Gainel wouldn't to me. She told herself before her spirits could drop. This thought however, got her into a romantic mood. She thought it would have been a perfect opportunity to swoon dramatically, except that her prince-charming was currently absent.
Besides, she knew all of Tortall's princes personally and though they were nice enough, and not at all bad-looking, they just didn't compare.
Oh yeah, she had been checking in on the Sending situation. Yes, there it was, right outside the door. Maybe it could run her a bath? Reaching out with a thought, she got its attention easy enough, and the door immediately opened.
It was a small and colorful construct, with humanoid features of indeterminate gender. The Sending's face was completely hidden by an extremely elaborate head-dress and mask which was covered in shimmering, boldly hued fins, scales, and feathers, its tiny fingers and toes ending in enameled, claw-like nails. It looked like nothing so much as a child in a ceremonial tribal costume.
The Sending cocked its head in question.
Requesting a bath wasn't difficult, and it nodded good-naturedly even as the Darkings shot it annoyed glances, angry that it was trying to take over their charge. The construct disappeared, then returned a moment later to usher her through the halls, with only a little bit of help, thank-you-very-much, to the floor below where there was a very beautifully tiled bathing room with large ceiling windows and potted plants everywhere.
The décor was definitely nice but she was paying more attention to the hot water which was doing wonders for aching limbs, seeping into her core and chasing away the sickly shivers she'd been suffering. Breathing in hot steam, she had half a mind to sit in there all day.
She briefly entertained a scenario where Gainel came back and—well. Lynn dunked her head under the water telling herself she shouldn't be thinking things like that. After all, she was mature.
Yeah, tell that to my blushing face, she thought savagely, blowing air bubbles as she squealed into the heated liquid. Sometimes maturity was overrated. Damn a five year habit of suppressing runaway daydreams; indulgence was so what she needed right now.
After a few more relaxing minutes in the bath, Lynn sighed, realizing it was probably rude for her to leave the Darkings alone for too long a period of time. Not to mention that their inquisitive natures might lead them to get into mischief. With that in mind, she bid the baths a reluctant adieu, accepted a robe from the Sending, and followed it back to the room she'd woken in.
Sarralyn was welcomed back enthusiastically by the Darkings, and she listened idly to their squeaky voices as she made her way across the room, wet hair leaving a trail of droplets on the floor. She opened the closet, not really knowing what to expect, to find—
—Nothing. It was empty.
She blinked. Well, she thought, now what? It wasn't as if she could keep dripping herself all over the place. When she'd woken up, she hadn't been in her other clothes, but a cotton nightgown stripped with ribbons instead. And besides, the sending had taken that away, even if she'd wanted to change back into it.
Closing the door to the wardrobe room with a sigh, she leaned against it, staring at the wall and trying to pretend that a sickly feeling wasn't creeping back into her system.
What she needed, was something comfortable for a lay-about day; even she knew that she probably shouldn't be on her feet so soon after that ordeal. But then she still wanted to look nice for Gainel once he got back…she groaned let her head go suddenly limp, then straightened it, knocking the back of her head against the closet door in frustration.
Could she ever just not think and worry about things? Why couldn't she be care-free, air-headed and dumb? You could, but you don't want to, the traitorous voice told her. She had to agree, because if she hadn't been such a curious child she would never have stumbled upon that opening into the Dream realms so long ago. And also she could hardly see Gainel liking anyone who was anything short of genius intellect. This made her wonder why he tolerated her.
"I just want something decently comfortable to wear!" she grumbled.
Lynn flinched as she felt a strange shuffling from within the closet. She frowned and backed away from it, watching the door suspiciously. No audible or visual disturbance could be distinguished, but threads of unseen power were feeding some energy to the empty wardrobe closet.
Formerly empty wardrobe closet. She flung the door open and found that it now housed an array of clothes for both genders and in all sizes. In fact, the only thing about them that was remotely similar was that they all fell under the broad category of 'decently comfortable'.
A smile crept onto her face as she closed the doors: Trust Gainel to have a magic wardrobe in the room she was staying in. She thought she knew what to do now and, projecting her thoughts on what she was looking for, she waited for the magic to settle, and then opened the doors again to find something more her style, although it took a few more tries to get the size measurements right.
Finding herself dry and fully clothed in a shirt and pair of breeches that were both soft and of fashionable cut, she sunk back on top of the bed that had somehow been made up again to wonder how things could get any better.
She felt magic shifting as the essence of a God other then Gainel made itself known and the Realm and everything within it turned its attention upon the intruder. If this was how Dream always was to outsiders she didn't really blame them for not coming very often. It was like walking through a room full of silent, glaring people; very disconcerting. At least it wasn't aimed at her.
Shivering, she suddenly began to feel veryill indeed: nauseous even and sickeningly week limbed. A small whine escaped her as she rolled over on the bed and said a muffled, "I don't think Gainel wants you to be here."
There, standing in front of the window, was Apfel, self-proclaimed Goddess of Love and Karma in all her radiant splendor and in full blandish mode.
As she struck a pose, Lynn frowned at the goddess. An unnatural amount of sunshine poured through the windows and bird calls could be heard twittering in the background though no winged creatures were in sight. Gainel would not approve of her messing with the atmosphere of his home and realm.
"Ooooo-oo-oo!" the Darkings admired.
"Dream-man's place much more fun than Dragons!" Quartz whispered to Thimble, who nodded its gelatin-like head in agreement.
"Hello my acolyte of Love! Is thy Patron present?" she asked sweetly with a smile like a fox. She was definitely up to something, absolutely guilty.
"You know he's not," Lynn answered, wincing as her stomach took a jump.
"Oh, I'll just wait for him, then," Apfel said as if disappointed, and she sat down in a red silk, upholstered chair that Lynn knew hadn't been there before. The goddess turned to twiddle her fingers at the two Darkings who looked entranced, spouting a little, "Hell-oo!" They responded like zombies.
"Hello."
"Hello."
"I see you have company. What's the occasion? Gainel hardly ever has visitors." She drew herself up indignant, blood red and pale cream skirts shifting as she crossed her ankles. "He's been holding out on me! My own brother!" she declared with her lower lip suck out in a pouting expression. Lynn half-expected her to swoon dramatically in a supercilious parody of a faint.
She didn't. What she did do was pull out a handkerchief from somewhere, dab her eyes as if she was about to cry then said with a few sniffles, "I always knew he needed a good woman to set him straight! Oh, Lin-Lin, I knew you could do it!" Then in a half-embrace, half-tackle, she hugged Lynn, who paled at the random usage of her childhood nickname.
Was this real? How was she supposed to react?
Lynn was stopped (saved?) from having to decide as she had a violent gag-reflex and Apfel pushed the spluttering girl over to the bed. Oh Mithros, she felt awful.
"You're sick?" Apfel asked her confusedly.
Lynn nodded as she struggled to keep her mouth closed against her bodily instincts. "I was feeling pretty bad when I woke up, but it went away; then right when you came I felt nasty again; worse." Lynn choked out.
Apfel frowned "Lay back down, no use making it worse. It's probably just a stomach flu. Gods don't get ill, but I have known a few wayward mortals to do so here in the divine realms, and the germs here are the Gods of germs. They work faster. Humans. So excitable." She scoffed haughtily.
She lay back down on the bed and the Darkings handed her blankets and she curled up underneath them as Apfel spouted some gossipy nonsense. Lynn might have wanted to chat before, but that compunction was completely gone now, so she tried to just listened.
Unfortunately, Apfel was determined to draw her into the conversation.
"So…you and Gainel have a chat yet?" she asked too casually.
"No, I just woke up."
"Oh, that's right. You missed the trial. You might want to know that Violence and Discord were sentenced to imprisonment within their realm. Phinity got off. She's been instated as a goddess of Logic in the Tortallan area. It will be quite some time before she's strong enough magically to appear in the human realms enough to gain any influence. She's going to have to get used to being a minor goddess." Apfel smirked, "A very minor goddess."
Well, Lynn hadn't liked her much anyways. And anything looked better than going back into that wasteland they called a Realm. "Are Violence and Discord the Top Gods of Chaos now? Since Uusoae is gone." She wondered.
Apfel shrugged, "Yes, I suppose; unless someone deposes them, or Chaos makes a new incarnation. Either way, it will be a long time before they bother our realms again. I am so looking forward to the vacation. I invited Phinity to tea tomorrow; I want to invite you and my brother and maybe some other minor being, I have to go through and find someone to match with her. It'll be simply grand! Please say you'll come! Please?" she begged.
Lynn was shocked: a God was asking her to a tea party. "Oh, I don't know…" she managed to spit out. Apparently Apfel had very human tendencies.
The goddess huffed, "Fine. I suppose I'll have to find another way of make him come, since his bonded is being uncooperative…"
Lynn frowned. That word again; it was everywhere! Now was her chance to get the truth. "Bonded. What is this 'bonded' thing you all keeping talking about?"
The Love Goddess immediately pouted, "I don't know if I should say…Gainel said he'd tell you. You should just wait until he's finished. He's having a little chat with our parents right now. He's so lucky: he's the favorite."
Later, later, it was always later. Gainel better hurry his dreamy-ass up. "Isn't there anything you can tell me now?" she realized she was whining, but she didn't care. She wanted answers.
"No," Apfel said firmly, and then seemed to get an idea. It must have been good too, because she was grinning like a fox. "Unless…you promise to go to my party…"
"I'll just wait then."
"Aww! You're no fun!"
The being known as Providence continued to watch the pair, striving to see the lines of fate, destiny and choice and how their interactions would manifest themselves in the future. It strived to find someway to set the course of the events that needed to take place for what the Balance demanded, but he could find none so apparent as to need little coaxing. And this saddened him for he knew he would have to intervene once again.
But he had little doubt that they wouldn't thank him for it. Was it right to destroy a life to create a new one? There was a part of him that cared, but he knew he had no choice.
