Hey everyone! I am sorry it is taking so long to update, but, I was trying to work on Hurt, homework, and a whole bunch of other stuff at the same time. Thank you to FangsGirl823 for her awesome reviews, which are fairly consistent in all of the chapters! I'm sorry for not putting you up sooner, but I had a bunch of stuff. (Lame excuse, I know.) VERY IMPORTANT! READ THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE! Ok, I have a challenge for everyone. I want everyone who likes this story to go and look at Hurt, and review, telling me what I could do better. I want/need more people to look at it, so GO LOOK AT IT! Umm, I know I have been talking about posting a few new stories, yada, yada, yada, but, I am putting those on hold for the moment, until I can sort my thoughts out and put something on paper. Other than that, I have NO new announcements, other than that AGK is finished.

Drink Chai, Live Life, Love Fax
~Stardust

~ /) *-*(/ ~ I am a line break, FEAR ME! For I am Darth Vadar! ~ / ) *-* ( / ~

*Three days after previous chapter*

Narrator's P.O.V.

The regiment had been riding for a full day, following secluded deer paths and streams if they were available. The path was often narrow, so they rode single file, the horses' hooves clattering against the river pebbles and squelching through the soft grass. Fang was leading, flanked by his top guards, and then came Max, then the carriage, and lastly, the rest of the soldiers, all of them grumbling about the strain of the trip.

Fang and Max seemed to be holding up the best, though even they were slowly wearing down. However, they were no longer speaking to each other. Max was being the proper, reserved princess that she was always taught to be; cold and intimidating. Fang was not going to start a conversation with her, if she was going to ignore him, then surely she had her own reasons, those he could not intrude on. The entire company could feel the tension rolling off of the two, and the black passion that connected them.

Suddenly, Firestorm's ears pricked up, and Max nudged her gently, taking her cantering up to Fang. The guards flanking him moved back, not wanting to be near the two when all Underland broke out. (That is their kind of Hell, it's kind of confusing.) Max rode silently for a few moments, taking in everything around her, away from the hubbub of the main company.

She looked at Fang out of the corner of her eyes, "I am riding ahead. I will be back soon," And with that she cantered off, hardly able to hear Fang's, "Of course, Princess."

She rode out of sight, letting Firestorm keep track of where they were going. Even if Max got lost, she would know the way back. Firestorm went off the path, plunging into the woods, towards a hidden grove, littered with foxglove, daisies, and other wild flowers, as well as a large amount of sweet grass.

Max giggled as she swung down, laying back and resting in the gargantuan patch of clover, trying to sort her thoughts into links that she could understand. It was her own form of meditation, she supposed, besides sleeping. Soon, she thought that she had her thoughts organized, but then something intruded on her state of mental contentment.

It was Fang.

What was she going to do about him? He was an amazing person, and they had a connection that wasn't just about saving each other's lives, although that certainly could be a part of it. It was something…different, she guessed. It was something strong and compelling. She could understand how he felt, and she was fairly sure that he understood her. The first few nights, where their insomniac personalities got the better of them, they would stay up talking until Lord Night's eye had just touched the horizon. (She is thinking about Venus, not a completely different planet.) They were inseparable, talking, laughing, and just being normal fifteen year olds. Important AN! There is a reason I am making them so young! 1) That's just how things were then. They would marry young people off, and often they would have arranged marriages. 2) I don't want to make them too old, because that would throw off everything. And 3) I don't want to go too far away from the books, even though this is nothing like the books… 0-0. They just wanted to be free of everything: responsibilities, titles, and anything else that was holding them down, and with each other, they could just…let go.

The midday sun was warm and welcoming as Max gently closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep.

And THIS is a page break!

Fang's P.O.V

I was trying to keep the rest of the regiment in line, but it wasn't going too well. My own anxiety over Max didn't help. I was getting more and more antsy by the second, and I still hadn't come on a trail of hers. I called the second-in-command over, and told him I was going to bring the Princess back. He looked at me, solemn and tired, before nodding, and saying, "I will stop here, so that you will be able to find us."

He was a good guy; I clapped his shoulder once, and took off after Max. I trotted forward, keeping my senses high and alert, hoping and praying for some sign of her. Just as I was beginning to worry, thoughts somewhere along the lines of I shouldn't have let her go alone, it's my entire fault. Where is she? And Court's Heart! What am I going to do if I can't find her? Not just for the Kingdoms', but for me as well…, Blaxton picked up a scent. I swear that horse has the scenting capabilities of a bloodhound. However, in this case, it was positive, and not when I was trying to coax him into doing something with treats…

Blaxton sped up to a particular gait called a 'pace', which was a very smooth trot, and almost soundless. We seemed to glide through the trees, and soon came to a tiny clearing. I saw Firestorm grazing at some sweet grass with her tack still on, which consisted of a light saddle and blanket as well as a light bridle that had no bit. (For all you non-horse people out there, blankets go under saddles; saddles are what you put your butt on. Bridles are the things that go around the horse's head, and a bit is what goes into the horse's mouth so you can 'rein it' which is pulling left or right on the reins, telling it which way to go. If you have any questions about horses, and that includes what you put on them to ride, review or PM me.)

I was taken aback at the sight of Firestorm without Max at her side, but then I saw Firestorm swing her head over, not to look at me, but to look at something that was behind and to the right of me. I turned, and my cold blood warmed; for about two seconds before it froze.

Max was lying still on her back, completely still, looking as though she wasn't breathing. I rushed to her, gently picking her up in my arms. I was about ready to rush back to Blaxton, when she twisted in my arms and looked at me with big, bleary, beautiful eyes.

"Fang?" her snarky, half-asleep voice snapped me out of my trance, "Why the hell are you here, and not taking care of the regiment?"

I quickly glanced at our shadows, and mentally compared them with those we had when she left. About a 45 degree angle change, that equated to about a three hour time lapse, "Because you have been out here for three hours. We were starting to get worried."

I looked into her eyes, she looked into mine, "Yeah," she snorted at me, half sad and half angry, "I'd bet you all were. Couldn't wait to see the 'Indestructible Maximum Ride' get hurt, could you? Just wanted to show me that men really were better than women, wanted to see me in pain, didn't you?"

By the end of her mini tirade, tears were rolling down her face, unbeknownst to the beauty herself. I smiled at her gently, she was so oblivious sometimes. She looked at me, horrified, "It's true! You hate me! I am an awful person, aren't I? Just another girl you want out of a man's world, aren't I?"

"Shh, shh," I whispered to her, "No, you have it all wrong. Do you have any idea how much we all care about you?"

"Ha! If you cared about me, if my parents cared about me, if anyone besides Firestorm really cared, where would we be? I would be at home, loved instead of feared, friends instead of allies," she was so upset, I don't think she could have stopped herself, "my parents wouldn't have to pay people off just to come meet me! I would be accepted for me, not who I was supposed to be. I wouldn't have to break off arranged marriages every two seconds, and I would be able to do what I want without being reprimanded, and no one would be constantly trying to turn me into a 'proper girl'."

All I could do was hold her, listen to her sob her heart out. I knew that no words could help her right now; she just needed another person to be there for her. As she cried, I rocked her and slipped into my own thoughts:

"Brenner!" Mother called, "It's time to eat!"

I pouted, being only six at the time, and wanted to work more with the colt that I had gotten as a present from the Southern Kingdom ruler, King Jarmon. The colt was completely black with tiny feathers on his feet. (Feathers are tufts of hair that hang over certain breeds of horses hooves. Most that went into war had theirs cut off because it was seen as a liability.)

I went inside through the smaller side door, hoping not to attract attention to myself, or, at least not as much as normal. Unfortunately, Father was home, and had seen me work with the colt all day, which he was not happy with.

"Brenner!" he roared, "What have I told you about being with that horse all day? I told you that you need to start acting like the prince you are!"

/) ~*~ (/ Hewwo! Ma name ith Gertwude! I am thwree! / ) ~*~ ( /

*Evil laugh* So, we learn a little more of Fang's past, and a little cliffie, and a little Maxykins drama! LOLz. R&R!