Chapter up!

Raine: ...That was like a rejected Power Rangers line...

-Snort- No. Just me being weird. Any-who, in this chapter answers get quiestioned! I mean...quesitons get answered! There, that's better. Bwar! (I'm a staple!)

Raine: Get on with it! Honestly!

Fine, Miss Grumpy Pants.

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Was this it? Would everything end with the closing chapter of her story? Listening to her own slightly labored breathing, feeling the wound sting with dust and dirt, she knew it would. She was fading fast - though ironically awake enough to recognize such.

Slowly, she reached for the letter to finish the final chapter. Another cough brought about a corrosponding pain in her abdomen and she winced. But she had to set that aside for now...Yes. The letter was her very top priority. Nothing was going to get in the way of finishing the much-deserved explanation to her husband. Death would simply have to wait to get his hands on her, if only for a little while longer.

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Very well - the conclusion. Forgive me in advance for any mistakes I might make, again. I know this day is my last, and therefore my present state of mind is not exactly excellent. I just hope I can remember it well enough.

So, then, we made our way to the coast of continent Fooji. And I still wanted to know what they needed the three jewels for. "Alright. You have your trinkets - tell me the extent of the damage I've done for you," I snapped.

Wein regarded me with something close to amusement on his face. "I find it hard to believe that a scholar like you doesn't know, My Lady. These stones are not ordinary gems."

"Of course not - you wouldn't have gone to so much trouble for 'ordinary gems.' Not to mention the fact that I'm certain you knew what the crest in the castle looked like, and thus would know that it had many other jewels in it as well. Yet you only wanted this one. Obviously these three are special. But I want to know why."

"She's quite demanding, isn't she, boys?" Wein regarded me for a moment before deciding to give me whatI wanted. "Water. Fire. Wind." He held up each gem in turn, then brought them together and cupped his hands over them. Through cracks in the cage I watched light grow. "Seperately, they're nothing but elements. Together, however, and with a certain book..."

Tudok brought out a horifcally familiar book. "What are you doing?" I cried, my eyes widening. It was the book of Niflheim. Oh, yes - the book of the Underworld. And what were they doing with it?

"Unleashing the power of Niflheim." Needless to say, this response didn't make me very comfortable. "We don't want to turn the Underworld loose, of course. That would destroy this world. But it will give us power - because so many will fear what they think we could do."

"You're going to risk turning our land into the next Underworld so you can have authority?" I asked, incredulously. They really were insane. "You have no idea what will happen if this gets out of hand!"

"We don't have to, because it won't. I know what I'm doing, My Lady. Just sit back and enjoy the show." He smiled at me, though it wasn't quite the same as Damae Tudok's infuriating grin of idiocy. Wein held out the three glowing jewels, and Tudok opened the evil book.

I think that was when I decided it was time to make my move - to warn the authorities, possibly save our reality, and get back to you. I raised my palm and cast my spell at his, the one holding the gems. It was rather rewarding to see them shatter with my call of, "Photon!"

Immediately, I took off running. It wasn't exaclty easy, as the only was I could run was along the side of a cliff overlooking the ocean. And we both know how well I get along with water. But here on the coast was said cliff, and I could see in front of me a waterfall.

So I was running. Trying to get away from them, and ultimately back to Meltokio in order to alert someone that Wein and his possy were in posession of the book of the Underworld. But I could hear footsteps behind me - they were definately chasing.

I heard Wein shout, "Stop her! The King wil have our hides if she tells him!" I heard them stop, and thought I'd won. but I was wrong. Very, very much wrong.

One minute, I was practically sprinting and trying not to think about what might happen if I slipped and fell. The next, I heard something strange - something I knew I should recognize, but couldn't at first. When I turned around, however, to investigate the source, I learned the hard way.

The arrow hit dead-on, perfect center of my middle. With a cry, I stumbled. The next part is somewhat hazy, but I'll describe it the best I can.

I know I ended up losing balance and falling into the wide, rough stream that led into the fall after I'd extracted the arrow from my abdomen. That in itself terrified me, I must admit. The rapids tossed me around like an infant's rattle and off I went, over the waterfall.

On the way down I must have been hit against the cliff-side a dozen times. At last I was dumped into a lake - or something of the sort - at the bottom of the fall. I suspect it led off into the ocean, but thankfully I was washed up on some rocks near this little cave.

There I lay, completely still. I don't think I could have moved if I'd wanted to, I hurt so much. I was certain I'd broken several something's in that tumble. I suppose Wein and the others gave me up for dead and left - I really don't know. But what seemed like an eternity later, I managed to drag myself into this hole, and I've been here since.

I am so very glad I got to the end of this letter, Regal. I'm glad I could give you the gift of a better explanation than a few hastily written sentences. I feel a little better about things now...I can let go in peace.

But like I said, I want you very much to know that no matter what you thought, I loved you - and continue to love you dearly. Would I have married you, if I didn't?

Oh, I am still so sorry. I lied so many times directly to your face. Bold-faced deceit. Please forgive me...I only wanted to protect you. That's all I've wanted since this began. You have to believe me.

I can tell that now I must bid you a final farewell. I wish I could go back and change things, Regal. But the reality is, what's done is done and there's no redoing anything. So all I can do is hope you find this, and say a sincere goodbye. It's really time I stopped cheating Death.

Love in life or afterward,

Raine

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As she finished writing her nam, the pen slipped from her grasp and rolled along the cave's floor. She tried to summon the energy to fold the paper and toss it out, but she never got that far With the letter clutched in her hand, her head dropped back against the rock wall.

This was it. Her time had finally come - it was over. Her violet-blue eyes slid closed and her lips parted. Vaguely, she could have sworn she'd heard something. But her mind was in such a state that it didn't register. It was the same way when she felt herself being...lifted? No. It was simply her imagination...

She gripped the letter and took a deep breath as conciousness left her, genuinely believing that it would be her very last.

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BumBumBum! Woah. What's going on?

Raine: I would guess that this means your deluded story isn't over yet...

Nope. Notchet! Kep a'watching.