Kairocksrainbow: Here's your song: Steve Conte, Living Inside the Shell. Do you have a preference for what kind of songs I give you? What genres are your favorite? (have I already asked that?) Did you like that big cookie? Heh. You probably had to share it at a party or something. It was a bit big for one person... :3 Ahhh! What, am I in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs or something? Thankfully, I survived that cookie tornado. Phew. Here. (Hands you a dozen cookie dough truffles) Enjoy! Thanks for the review!

Pushing Against the Mountain

Fifteen years prior

Despite the heat of the setting sun, Hrymerv shivered as she pushed her way through the rubble of what had only two days ago been her village.

Overlord's orders had been clear, given to all of the slaves he now commanded. Hrymerv, your group will gather all of the salvageable rubble. You are going to construct new buildings before the stormy season comes. Eilonwy, your group will follow these designs and construct my underground fortress. Come now. There are enough of you, and my stone warriors will assist you. If you work hard, this will only take three months.

And so, here Hrymerv was, helping her sister Sarnai carry ash-stained bricks to the new building site. Her burned hands stung as she grasped their sharp edges, but she set her jaw and pushed past the pain. Sarnai needed to see her big sister strong.

But oh, it was hard. Weighed down by the grief of losing her parents, her home, her beauty…

…John…

He escaped, Hrymerv reminded herself, fighting tears. He will come back for us soon. I know it.

"We're almost done," she panted, setting her brick on a stack. She took Sarnai's smaller brick and set it next to hers. "Then we can go get a drink and rest for the night. All right?"

"Mmm." Sarnai sniffled and wiped her nose. She was a small, delicate girl; always had been. Hrymerv remembered the doctor telling their parents after Sarnai was born that she might not live until sunrise. But she had. Her whole life, though, she'd been sickly. Her nose was always runny, and whenever a cold or flu circulated through the town, Sarnai was one of the first to catch it.

She was physically weak, too. Hrymerv feared Overlord was pushing Sarnai's limits with all this work. Bricks were heavy. They were even heavier when the sun beat down on her back, and she was not allowed to break for water whenever she needed it.

"You okay?" Hrymerv whispered close to Sarnai's ear. "We can take a break now if you're feeling dizzy."

Sarnai glanced around the clearing, where dozens of other women and children worked under the scrupulous eye of stone warriors.

"No," Sarnai whispered back. She sniffled again, then sneezed. "We can't stop. Come on." She grabbed her older sister's hand and pulled her through the trees, back toward the demolished town.

I hope she isn't coming down with an illness, Hrymerv thought, fear filling her heart. There's no medicine anymore. If she's bedridden, she may never get up again.

She pushed the thought away.

"Hrymerv!" a sharp voice called out, and Sarnai and Hrymerv froze. "Sarnai. Come here. Both of you."

The sisters turned. Hrymerv squeezed Sarnai's hand. Across the clearing stood Overlord, arms crossed. All the slaves around them continued their work, though Hrymerv could feel the tension rising. Surely Hrymerv and Sarnai were in trouble for something and were about to be punished.

"I'm waiting," Overlord growled.

Hrymerv pulled her sister past the brick piles, slaves, and soldiers, heart beating wildly in her chest. What are we in trouble for? She racked her mind for a reason. The only thing she could think of was just now, when she'd suggested they break the rules and take a rest. But Overlord couldn't have heard that…could he?

Finally standing before Overlord, Hrymerv set her eyes on her shoes. She waited, completely tense, for her master to speak.

"I've decided you two will have a different job," he said.

A different job? Hrymerv realized she was holding her breath, but for some reason she had no desire to release it yet. Does he want us to dig? The thought horrified her. The only thing worse for Sarnai's health than this heat would be work in the suffocating hole Overlord was making the second group dig.

"You won't be going to the second group," Overlord assured her. It was uncanny how well he was able to guess their thoughts. "You will be with me."

"With…you?" Sarnai asked, blue eyes glazed and distant.

"Yes." Overlord examined her with a frown. "I need two slaves to attend to all of my needs. You two are the best candidates."

The best? Hrymerv felt something off about that statement. Looking at herself- covered in healing burn scars- and her sickly little sister, she felt like they were the worst candidates. There were so many other stronger, prettier girls for Overlord to choose from.

It's because of John, she realized. It has to be. We're the only ones still alive who knew him personally. But why would he care about that?

Even if she'd wanted to ask the question, she never got the chance. Sarnai's knees buckled, and she released Hrymerv's hand, falling on her face in the sand.

"Sarnai!" Hrymerv gasped, rolling the unconscious girl onto her back. Her face was warm and flushed.

Without a word, Overlord scooped Sarnai into his arms and turned, walking away. "Come, Hrymerv," he said. "She needs healing."

Terrified and confused beyond all reason, Hrymerv followed.

When Nephilim awakened, Overlord was there with her. He had not moved from her side since his return to the underground keep several hours before. He needed to be there when she regained consciousness.

Nephilim coughed weakly as her eyes opened, and she groaned. Then, noticing her father's presence, she seized up and began to cry.

"Neph," Overlord murmured, stroking her hair to soothe her. "Shh. Just rest. Collect yourself."

Nephilim grabbed Overlord's hand and held it close, tears wetting her pillow. "I…I was dead," she said hoarsely.

"I know."

"I can't go back there," Nephilim sobbed. "Is that your home?"

"A prison is closer to the mark," Overlord said, kissing her forehead. "Put it out of your mind."

"What monster would build such a prison?" Nephilim whimpered. "Who is that cruel?"

What a fragile thing, Overlord thought with some sadness. She is only fourteen. She cannot comprehend what's going on.

"Neph, please," he whispered, offering her a glass of water. "Rest. Once you are strong enough to stand, we are going after the one that sent you there."

Nephilim calmed a little. "Sanguine?" she said.

"Yes. We will hunt Sanguine together. And then you can kill him."

Nephilim looked better already. She dried her eyes.

"Unfortunately," Overlord said, "they took your Blade."

"What?" Nephilim sat up in her bed, expression caught between anger and despair. "But…that was my Blade. Now what will I use? Another Gem? A plain stone warrior's sword?"

"Hardly," Overlord said with a smile. Reaching under the bed, he pulled out a box and set it on his lap. "I've been meaning to do this for a while, Neph. I think you're ready."

"Ready for what?" Nephilim leaned close to the box, intrigued. Then her eyes widened. "Is that…"

Overlord unlocked the box and opened the lid, holding it up for Nephilim to see its contents. An inexplicable warmth filled his being as the girl's hands went to her mouth. "Do any of these appeal to you?" he asked.

Blades. There were many of them- at least a dozen, their Gems glittering in a rainbow of colors.

All troubles temporarily shoved to the back of her mind, Nephilim swung her legs over the side of the bed and reached her hand into the box. "Thank you, Father," she whispered, breath stolen from her lungs.

"You can thank me after you choose," Overlord said. "Come now. One of these has to have the appropriate Bond. Do you feel a special attraction to any Blade?"

Nephilim ran her finger over each of their Gems in turn. A white one, a blue one, a red one, an orange one.

"This one," she said, touching a Blade with a green Gem.

Even as she said it, the Blade began to glow. Nephilim pulled it from the box, holding it in her hands as the light grew more intense. Overlord eventually looked away to preserve his eyes, but Nephilim kept watching it, her young gray eyes wide with wonder.

At last the light was snuffed out, and Overlord looked back to her, smiling. "Well?" he said, closing the box. "How do you like it?"

Nephilim pulled the Blade from its ornate sheath and tested its balance, then flipped it. She caught it between two fingers deftly- she had always been good with knives- and smiled back at her father.

"Truethorn," she said. "Its name is Truethorn."

"Wonderful name," Overlord said. "Now. Do you feel strong enough to stand?"

Without hesitation Nephilim stood, taking a deep breath in through her nostrils. "I have never felt stronger," she said. "Let's go hunting."

When intense stomach pains awakened Besai, the sun was just peeking over the horizon. She groaned quietly, rolling over. Grains of sand clung to every part of her: eyelashes, ears, hair, under her fingernails…

That's one thing to be thankful for in my fifteen years of isolation in Overlord's fortress, she thought wryly, sitting upright and rubbing the sand carefully from her face. I never had to deal with this.

There was a whoosh over her head, and she looked up just in time to see a large bird fly by. Brown and gold, and with a wingspan longer than Besai was tall, it landed in a tree. It looks like its eyes are glowing. But that can't be right… She shuddered, looking away from the bird's piercing green gaze. On instinct she reached out to touch Kai. Her stomach's churning worsened when she realized he was not there.

She rose to her feet quickly, turning in a circle. Cole and Sage slept nearby, curled around each other as if their nearness would keep the night terrors at bay. Chedva snored softly between them. But Kai was not anywhere in the glade. What had happened? Had Overlord-

She did not allow herself to complete this thought, instead turning in another circle, hoping to find a clue to his whereabouts.

Her efforts were rewarded when she saw a set of tracks in the sand, heading toward the distant river; she knew its direction because of the whisper of the stream, like wind swishing through leaves. She would have missed it if she hadn't been straining her ears.

The large bird raised its wings and lifted off, startling Besai again. It flew east, swiftly vanishing from her sight.

Good, Besai thought with another shiver. She began following the tracks, glancing back at Cole to make sure he was still asleep. Though, she wasn't sure why she so wanted to keep her actions a secret from him. Perhaps because he was a stone warrior. I know that Cole is the same man he is now that he was before the Transformation, but…his appearance brings back many bad memories. I can't bring myself to trust him just yet.

Kai was not as far away as the river. Besai found him about a hundred yards from camp, sitting under an orange tree.

Kai noticed her approach from a distance and watched as she came close. When she stood only a few paces from him, he looked down at his lap. At his Blade, which sat unsheathed in his hands.

"Hi," he mumbled.

"…Hi," Besai replied, surprised that he had spoken first. He'd been so quiet all day yesterday…

"Can I…?" Besai began.

Kai shrugged. "Sure." He touched the ground beside him, gesturing for her to sit.

Besai did, drawing her knees under her.

Kai's gaze drifted away, and it soon became apparent that he was having a conversation with his Blade. Every few moments his face would twitch. He shook his head once, sighed another time soon after that.

Besai watched in silence for a while. But the tension grew too unbearable, and she exhaled a soft sigh. "Kai?"

Kai turned his soft, detached brown eyes to her. His expression was unreadable.

Besai's fingers trembled, and she dug them into the sand. "You…remember yesterday, when we were escaping Overlord?"

Kai nodded.

"I…asked you a question," Besai continued, feeling her face flush.

There had been a time not too long ago when she'd been able to talk to him about absolutely anything without shame or embarrassment. Now even that small comfort was gone. It was as though their relationship had contracted a disease. It was only a matter of time before it wasted away completely. What would happen to them then? Besai was determined to keep them together, though at times it felt as though she were pushing against a mountain.

What can be done to save us? Tears pricked Besai's eyes, though she was determined not to let them show. She blinked several times and took a deep breath in.

"You said you would answer my question when we were safe," she said on the exhale. "Are we… Can you…do it now?"

Kai stared at her expressionlessly for so long that Besai was afraid she'd done something to upset him.

Right when the tension reached its highest point, Kai nodded again. He picked up his Blade and played with it, running his thumb along its edge.

How does he do that? Besai wondered. She had seen him do it many times before. When Cole had given her Nephilim's Blade, she had tried to mimic Kai, but had only succeeded in cutting her hand. The scab remained on her fingertip to remind her of it.

"You asked me what had changed," Kai said.

When he made no move to continue speaking, Besai nodded. There seemed to be a lot of nodding in the conversation. "Yes," she said. "Because you were so alive then, when just a few minutes earlier you had been…not caring."

"Apathetic might be the word you're looking for," Kai said. He plucked a piece of crab grass and began to splice it with his knife, cutting it in half longways. Then into quarters. Besai waited patiently for him to collect his thoughts.

"I'm sorry," he said at last.

"For what?"

"For a number of things. For letting Overlord hurt you like that. Are you…" He hesitated, looking at her belly. "Are you hurt?"

Besai shook her head. "I don't think he hurt the baby. I am bruised, but that will quickly heal."

"Good." A hint of relief crossed Kai's face, though he hid it a heartbeat later.

"What are the other things you wanted to apologize for?" Besai prompted him as gently as she could.

Kai ripped the shreds of grass with his fingers, letting each little piece flutter to the ground. His hands shook; all this fidgeting was probably just a feeble attempt to hide it.

"I also want to apologize because…I don't have an answer for your question," he said. "I have no idea what changed."

Besai set her hand on his knee and squeezed gently. "What were you thinking when you made the decision to come back for me?"

"I don't know," Kai growled, startling Besai. An angry light entered his eyes. He tamed it with a sigh. "I don't know. It's just…one moment I felt as though I were in a nightmare, watching Cole fight with Sage and Overlord and Nephilim, and…" There was a long pause. "…and then something snapped, and I woke up. It's happened before. I'm really sorry, Besai. I should have-"

"It's all right," Besai said, stopping his words with a hand on his arm. You're talking to me. We are having a conversation without fear of Overlord punishing us. That's all that matters. Don't stop talking, please.

Kai stood suddenly, reaching into the tree above his head. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Y…yes," Besai said. Some food would probably help settle her stomach.

Kai sat again, an orange in his hand. "I ate already," he said. "A while before you showed up. So…go ahead."

"Thank you." Besai took the fruit, soft and overripe. "Um…it needs to be cut open."

"You have a Blade," Kai said. "How helpless are you? Can't you cut it yourself?"

Why is he being so harsh? Blushing, Besai pulled her knife from her pocket and slid it from its sheath.

The Blade was so…plain. Shiny, and she could see her reflection on its smooth flat side. But it lacked any of the ornate decorations that Besai had come to associate with Blades: the shining gems, and the ornate patterns all along the blade and hilt. It also possessed no intelligence. There was no doubt in Besai's mind that it had no special power beyond the ability to cut a stone warrior's skin.

Kai set his hands on hers around the orange and the Blade's hilt. "Here. Like this." And he helped her cut the orange. "Keep your fingers clear. You don't want to hurt yourself… No, put your thumb here for leverage. There. Isn't that easier?"

At last, four quarters of an orange sat on her lap, and she moved to put away her knife. Kai stopped her. "Clean the blade before you put it away. You can't have a bunch of gunk getting stuck in your sheath."

"Y-yes," Besai stuttered, then wiped the juice on her dress. After receiving a nod from Kai, she put the Blade away and bit into the first slice of fruit. It was warm and a little bitter. But it was better than nothing. She ate the rest of it wordlessly, Kai watching blankly.

"You feel better?" he asked when she was done.

How did he know I was unwell? Besai wondered, licking the sticky juice from her fingers. These manners would never be acceptable in Ninjago. But they were about as far from Ninjago as one could get, and Besai could not care less how she looked as she greedily sucked the orange's remains from under her fingernails.

"Besai?" Kai pressed. "You better?"

No, she wanted to say. Fruit was good- it would give her some energy. But what she really needed was some meat. Fish, or maybe poultry.

"Yes," she said out loud, offering Kai a grateful smile. "Thank you." And she really was grateful. You're trying to hide it, Kai. But I can see that you care.

"You're welcome," Kai said bleakly, eyes on his hands again. At last he pulled his knees close and set his head against the tree. He seemed deep in thought- or maybe he was just talking with Moonsong again.

Whatever he was doing, it did not last long. He soon furrowed his brow, forcing the emptiness from his eyes. He steeled his jaw and turned to Besai, but his resolve wavered and he stuttered. "H-hey. Um… To be fair, I guess, I have a question for you."

"Yes?" Besai took a chance and touched his hand lightly. He did not shrink away.

Kai struggled against himself for a moment, then took a deep breath. "The earring," he blurted. "You still have my earring?"

Besai's heart skipped a beat. She nodded, feeling the small lump in her pocket. She had pierced it through the material of her dress to ensure that she would not lose it.

"Can I…see it? Please."

Besai nodded eagerly and took it from her pocket, setting it in his palm. A small, simple thing. Too simple, considering all that it represented.

Kai reacted as though the earring might burn him, almost dropping it in the sand before composing himself. He fingered it, held it to the light. It glittered between his thumb and forefinger, and his eyes softened.

"Have you decided what to do with it yet?" he asked.

"Wh…what?" A sharp stab of panic blazed through her chest as she recalled Kai's words a few days before.

You can do what you want with it, Besai. Keep it, to remember what we had once upon a time. Or throw it away and forget. Or…maybe, one day, if you're brave enough, you could give it back to me.

I always knew what my answer would be, Besai thought, calming herself. Don't be nervous. He asked you honestly, you can answer honestly.

We could try to start over, Kai's voice echoed in her mind. Fall in love again.

Kai gauged her reaction carefully. "What do you want?" he asked. "Don't think about me or my feelings. Just ask yourself, honestly, what would make you happiest."

What do I want? Besai held out her hand, and Kai gave her the earring. Not what he wants, or what's best for both of us. Just me. That's all he cares about.

When Besai thought about it, she realized this had always been Kai's way. When she'd first given herself to him on the night of his father's feast, his reaction had been to make sure that she was ready. To assure her that they didn't need to do it then, that they could wait, if that would make her more comfortable.

When Besai insisted that she wanted to have a proper marriage ceremony, Kai thought it was a little foolish, but agreed anyways. Because she was his priority.

And then Ahlie unexpectedly entered the picture. Kai accepted her warmly, though Besai was sure that Kai had been a little disappointed that he had to suddenly share his wife's time with someone else. Besai was sure that Kai had grown to love Ahlie, but he had mostly accepted her because it was what Besai wanted.

I have made him jump through so many hoops, Besai thought. I must do the same for him, for once. He couldn't carry all of her load, and she couldn't carry all of his. But they could work together, as a team.

What do I want? Besai thought once more, a smile creeping onto her face. "Well…" she began. "What do you want?"

Kai blinked, looking slightly confused. "That's not funny," he said. "I asked you first."

"Yes, but you always ask me what I want. It's your turn to answer the question."

"But…" Kai fought a smile that had crept onto his face. "That's really unfair. And this isn't a joke, Besai. Stop giggling!"

Besai had no intention of restraining herself. She needed to laugh. He needed to laugh.

"Besai!" Kai grabbed her shoulder. "What's so funny? Come on, I was trying to have a serious conversation with you."

Besai realized that she was losing him, so she sobered with a sigh, all levity snuffed out. "Sorry," she murmured. What would it take to make him laugh? Or at least smile nicely. I want to see his smile…

"Don't be sorry," Kai said, his mask up once again. "I'm tired of saying it, tired of hearing it. Can we promise not to say it again in this conversation? Please?"

Besai nodded, folding her arms over her belly with a heavy sigh. She desperately wanted to get through to him- to make him the man he had been before this whole mess began. Was that even possible?

Even if it was possible, was Besai strong and smart enough to do it? Pushing against a mountain…

"You want a straight answer?" Besai asked softly. "Okay, Kai. I want my best friend back."

In the following silence, the distant river gurgled. A small bird twittered in the trees behind them. Besai noted that the sun was a little higher in the sky. Kai's hair quivered in the warm breeze.

"I want our child to grow up with a father," Besai continued. "I don't want to be lonely anymore. I don't want our child to be lonely." She took his hand, tears pricking her eyes. "And I don't want you to be lonely."

Kai swallowed, his Adam's apple rising and falling. He looked away.

"I've made my choice." Besai touched his cheek, prompting him to turn his face back to her. His eyes, moist and uneasy, locked on hers.

"I want you back, Kai," Besai whispered, touching his face. "Don't you want me?"

"I want you back, Kai." A tear crawled down Besai's cheek. She caressed his face with her thumb, touching his nose, his lips, his ear. "Don't you want me?"

Kai found himself hard-pressed to maintain his composure. Yes, yes he wanted her. He wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life. He needed her. Her smile, her warm embrace…

"I love you," Besai said, another tear following the first. "I hope you realize, I never stopped loving you. And I forgive you. Not because you did anything wrong, but because there was never anything to forgive."

"You're wrong," Kai said, hating how his voice wavered. He pulled his face away. Besai let him, and her hand drifted to her lap.

No, she's not, Moonsong said. Listen to her.

"You're wrong," Kai said again, to both the Blade and Besai. "I… This is all my fault."

"H-how could it be your fault?" Besai asked. "How could you have had any control?"

That's just it, Moonsong sighed. You had no control. But since you've always been such a control freak, you needed to find some way to prove you actually did have control over what Overlord did to you. And now look where you are.

Just admit it, Kai. You had no control.

I had no control… Kai felt his composure slip away, and he tried desperately to retrieve it. But the harder he tried, the faster the tears fell.

I can't do it, Moonsong, he thought as Besai wrapped her arms around him. Make me stop crying. Use your power and make me calm. Please!

Moonsong thrummed comfortingly against his side. No, the Blade whispered. You need this, Master. It's for your own good.

…I have no control. Kai let himself go, screaming full-throated into Besai's chest. I still have no control.

"There it is," Pixal said, pointing at a rocky hill on the other side of the river. It looked slightly out of place in the landscape, like a wart. "Cole's cave. We can cross here."

Jay sank into in the sand, breathing hard. "S-sorry," he panted. "I just need a breather before we cross. A few minutes. That okay?"

Pixal shrugged. "Sure. I could use a moment to check on Suki. Merv, you all right?"

Merv realized how she must have looked, staring at the water as if it were about to grow teeth and swallow her whole. Pixal and Jay never said anything about crossing the river. She'd assumed the cave was on this side!

"I'm…fine," she murmured. She sat next to Jay, hugging the bundle of blankets- Momo tucked inside- close to her chest, feeling queasy. How am I supposed to do this? Do I tell them about my fear of the water? Or do I just…cross? Any confidence she'd gained around the water had been shattered the moment she pulled Kyle's hand out of the river.

Merv resisted a strong urge to puke.

"Merv?" Jay touched her arm. "Are you-"

She was saved from further questioning by a sound behind them. An eerie howl that carried through the trees, raising the hairs on the back of her neck.

Pixal turned in an instant, looking like a startled rabbit. She stood still, eyes intense, facing the direction the noise had come from.

"What was that?" Jay asked.

It came again, much closer this time. Merv held Momo's blanket closer.

Without warning, a large gray creature leaped through the brush and landed on Pixal. Merv screamed.

"Pixal!" Jay stood, stumbling over his bad leg, and freed his Blade from his pocket.

Pixal threw the animal off of her and staggered back. Her eyes were on fire as she stood tall, arms outstretched. Trying to make herself look big and intimidating.

The creature stood on four powerful legs, clawed paws digging into the sand as it crouched. It snarled, baring a set of sharp yellow teeth, triangular ears flattened against its skull, wild yellow eyes flashing.

Pixal snarled right back at it.

"Cross the river!" Jay said to Merv. "Maybe it won't follow us."

"What?" Merv whimpered before she could stop herself.

The creature must have sensed that Merv was the weakest link, because after hearing her pitiful cry, it turned on her and charged, hackles raised, its long mouth open wide to grab her neck.

"No!" Jay jumped on the creature. In the process he dropped his Blade. Finding himself unable to harm the creature, he screamed Pixal's name, holding onto the thing's hair to keep from falling.

Pixal scooped up Jay's Blade and slashed the creature's shoulder. It yelped, then reared onto its stocky hind legs, stumbling, and fell on top of Jay. It was on its feet again in an instant.

Pixal jumped over Jay and attacked the creature. She struggled to get any blows past the thing's thrashing claws. It cut her arm, she stabbed its leg- it howled with pain and rage. They backed away for a moment, circling each other.

Jay got to his feet and grabbed Merv's shoulder- both to get her attention and to regain his balance. "Come on," he wheezed; the wind must have been knocked out of him when the creature fell on him. "There's no way we'll beat that thing without hurting ourselves. Help me across the river."

"What about Pixal?" Merv asked, desperate for any reason to not enter the water.

"She'll follow once we're safe. Come on!" He pushed her to the riverbank.

Merv nearly screamed again as the water swelled around her shoes. It was cold.

"Merv!" It was Pixal's voice. "Get moving! I can't hold this thing off forever!"

Swallowing a mouthful of bile, Merv held Momo's blanket tightly in one hand. She grabbed Jay with her other. They steadied each other as they took another step into the stream. She slipped on the slick rocks beneath the churning current, and would have fallen if Jay had not caught her. He gripped her hand with a strength she didn't know he had and pulled her back up.

"You can do this," Jay said. "Come on. Another step."

Shame washed over Merv as they took another step. Jay was injured. Why was he the one supporting her? It should have been the other way around. Behind her the creature yowled.

Chilling panic and overwhelming exhaustion washed over Merv as they neared the center of the river. Here the water beat against her thighs. It was all she could do to find purchase on the rocks beneath her feet, which seemed to get larger the deeper the water became, and keep herself and Jay from washing away. She also feared that, if she was not careful, the sleeping pup in her arm would slip from his blanket and wash away in the current. She wanted to hold the blanket tighter, but she knew doing so would suffocate the poor dog.

So much pressure. It weighed down on Merv's mind, bringing tears to her eyes. Each pull of air was a struggle. Water sprayed her face as Jay slipped, slapping his arm against the surface before Merv pulled him back up. Only halfway, she thought, despair filling her body like a bitter poison. I can't go any further. How did I even make it this far…?

"Come on. You can do it."

At first Merv thought these words were Jay's- it was hard to tell with the river's roar- but then a hand grasped her shoulder, and she saw Pixal coming up beside her.

"Let's move it, Merv. This is definitely not a good time to give up."

Somewhere in the midst of all the chaos Merv found a place in her heart to still hate Pixal. I should never have to rely on her. I can get Jay out of here myself. Another little part of her chastised herself for these thoughts: Pixal was being nothing but helpful. But emotions trumped her reason. She channelled her anger and pushed herself and Jay to the other side of the river, where they collapsed on the sand, short of breath.

"A…are you okay?" Jay asked. "Pixal? Merv?"

"Yes." Unlike her companions, Pixal stood, shaking water out of her hair, seeming unperturbed by everything that had happened the past few minutes. "You?"

"I…I'm fine." Merv rolled onto her back, hating how the water made sand stick to her skin and clothing, and looked across the river. On the opposite bank she saw the creature, teetering with one paw above the ground, trying to get into the water. It let out a high-pitched whine and, head low, limped away from the water.

Then, to Merv's bewilderment, a similar- but smaller- white creature toddled from the brush and approached its larger counterpart.

"The mother," Jay said, transfixed by the sight. "Those must be dogs. Like Momo. Look at that pup. It's so…skinny."

Even from the distance, Merv could see that Jay was correct. And, when she squinted, she saw that the mother looked no better under that coat of fur.

"They're so furry," Pixal noted. "How do they survive this heat?"

Jay looked up at the sky. "It's twilight," he said. "Maybe they only come out at night, when it the temperature drops."

"You could be right." Pixal's eyes softened. "She was only trying to feed her pup. I feel kinda bad for injuring her now."

"Yeah," Jay said. "And…I'm sorry for leaving you behind. I just figured…"

"You did the right thing," Pixal assured him, handing him his Blade. "Don't sweat it."

Jay nodded gratefully, then sat up in the sand and took Momo from Merv. Opening the blankets, he let out a sigh of relief. "Good. He didn't get wet. He probably won't get sick." He bundled the pup- which shivered and whined- back into its blanket. "Merv, I'm really sorry."

Merv scraped sand from her ears, wondering if she'd misheard him. "For what?"

"I should have guessed you were afraid of the water: most of the girls that escape Overlord are. I should have been kinder back there." He smiled apologetically. "You were really brave."

Merv shivered, drawing her arms close. "Let's just get to this cave you've both been talking about," she said. "I want to get warm."

Next chapter is #100! Yikes! :D That makes me so happy. Look at all my hard work! I think I'll reward myself by writing some more. XP hahaha. You're welcome. I'm so in love with this story. I don't know what I'll do with myself when it's over...

Oh, wait! Yes I do! I'll rewrite the whole thing and attempt to publish it. Yaay. But don't worry. I won't leave you guys. As a matter of fact, I've just completed the first chapter of a brand new story, tentatively titled The Ties that Bind! I'm so excited to show it to you. It's just gotta get red-penned by Kira, and then I've got to figure out a good summary, and then you can read it! It'll be so much fun. And, unlike True Grit, most everything's being planned beforehand. That should make it easier to write. In theory. We'll see what happens. 0~0

But seriously, I think it'll be an epic story. It's a headcannon fic about what I think might happen in season 6. Sans pirates. And it will have a...much lighter plot. A lot closer to the way the actual show is written.

Also, I DO plan on finishing CfaC. And I've just finished the outline for the Newt one-shot. I'll hopefully start writing it today or tomorrow. So...yeah! I won't abandon you after TG is finished. And the end will come kinda soon. Maybe twenty more chapters. (I said that twenty chapters ago, whoops.) So we'll see how that goes! It's getting super difficult to write TG because I've got all these elements that I've been tossing in the air the whole story. And now it's almost over and I've got to catch everything before it falls. (*Sokka voice* Heh. Poetry...)

Mk. I'm done boring you with my somewhat repetitive rants. ^^; Thank you so much for reading! If you'd be so kind as to leave a review, I would be so thankful. Even if you think you have nothing to say, say...something, please? It really helps. Seriously. *hugs* Thanks in advance. Have a good Thanksgiving! I'll see you in two weeks for the next chapter, if not sooner for The Ties that Bind! Bye!