Pieces of glass dug further into his flesh, and yet he could not find the strength to care. The man in front of him, pale with the darkest of eyes promising death and glass shards growing out of his hands, stood defiantly.

" Look, whoever this Summer Maiden is, I'm not her." He yelled with a voice that wasn't his.

" Lying again little Maiden? Is that what you teach your student these days? " The man said mockingly but his eyes were as emotionless as ever. " Maybe I should pay a visit to your student, give him a bit of re-education."

For a split second all he could think about was Tawny, bloodied and empty, and a fire course through his body. "Don't you dare touch him!"

Pure destruction erupted from his skin in waves, slamming down on the Queen's servant. The man shattered like the glass in his hands.

Then Billy opened his eyes.

Sand surrounded him, holding his body down with heavy weight. Around his body, dying vines cling to his body. Billy knew he could easily break free from the sand and tear away the vine.

But even half covered in sand he just didn't think he was ready to do it.

"You still feel guilty, child."

" So you told me before." Billy didn't need to look to know who was talking, just like he didn't need to look to see the sun glaring down at him.

"It's the truth is it not?" The woman, the Rosewood Witch, said.

Billy tilted his head to a familiar site. The Rosewood Witch was looking down at him. Her burned face morphed into a look of gentle concern and underneath her feet pink dahlias bloom to match her dress.

"Yes." He admitted, like he did many times before. " There was so much I could have done."

"True." She admitted, like many times before. " But we both know that the past can not change."

At that moment something broke from the normal flow of this conversation. Another creature appeared.

Billy's eyes widened when a little rabbit, barely bigger than his hand, hopped up to him. The tiny thing gave his hair an experimental sniff before nibbling on it. Wind began to pick up around him and Billy could tell it wouldn't be long before a sand storm began. Such a small thing would not survive the duration of the storm.

" The things you could have done in the past are meaningless, William." The Rosewood Witch began to walk away, her snowwhite hair flutter in the wind. " The present demands your attention. So please, let it go."

With that she disappeared into the scattering sand leaving behind only a trail of pink dahlias.

Waves of sand picked up speed and grew more ferocious. The tiny rabbit huddled against Billy's shoulder, trying to find shelter from the raging wind and sand. Billy sighed.

'Life is precious' an unspoken rule in Vacuo. And there was a life in need of his help. Slowly Billy got up, breaking the constraints of the sand, and as carefully as he could Billy scoop up the small rabbit. He holds the little thing close, finding his cape unfortunately missing.

" I suppose it's as good as any time to move forward."