Oh my goodness, I don't know if I am capable of apologizing enough for practically abandoning such a wonderful world of such talented writers! I've held onto this document for so long, wondering if I would ever have the courage to post it. I suppose I've gathered up what little courage I have left. ;) Anyways, you'll probably be expecting an explanation, and I am prepared to give you one. I have been writing, a real full out novel, not fanfiction. And it's been taking up much of my time and efforts to complete. I'm hoping to have it finished either by NaNoWriMo, or early next year. And if by some miracle, you actually see my book on the shelves and happen to pick it up to read, you will see some similarities to the characters that I've been developing here, but I swear to you that these characters were not created as I was writing Fanfiction. These characters are mine, and wholly mine, and were first created when I was about ten years old, long before I ever discovered this Fandom or the amazing people in it. The plot may have some similarities to this one as well, but it's taken a very different turn than I had thought it would. (Lol, sorry for practically ranting here, I just wanted to be clear.) I know you'll probably never forgive me for abandoning you as I did. You may not even accept me back into the Fanfiction Realm, but I hope that you do. I've missed all of you so dearly. And so, with that, onto the reviews!

Ahsokazami2001: I'm so sorry, for a time I suppose it did seem like I was dead. I hope you'll forgive me for disappearing. You've been such an amazing and wonderful friend! I will never be worthy of your friendship!

Newborn Hope: Oh goodness, we've been through so many ups and downs it's unbelievable. You've helped me through so much. You were really what got me open back up again to the wonderful Fanfiction Realm. As for Komba, tell him I'll see what I can do, ;)

Guest Reviewer: You've been so faithful in reviewing to my every chapter. I hope you'll to forgive me for disappearing. I can't imagine that my writing would ever be that good, but it's so wonderful to know that it maybe actually is. Thank you so much! :D

Hi: I hope that Bob returns soon! Lol! Gosh, I cannot explain how much your reviews have meant to me. You've given me such honest feedback and I hope that I'm improving though I don't really know. Yes, I agree. My first stab at this story was not entirely good at all. I've gone through many revisions and done my best to revise it. I will be revising the other chapters as well in the near future. As for Shun and Fabia's love, it will be coming up soon. Soon, but not yet. They're not quite in love yet,

We Smile: I would absolutely love to help you! I hope that I'm not too late! If you would like to tell me in detail what you're looking for, I'd be happy to help! Thanks for the review!

Penand Kay: I'm so sorry that it's been such a long time since my last update! I really hope this latest chapter makes up for all that I've missed! Thank you so much!

Sigh, well, here we are I suppose. I apologize if this chapter is sloppy as I'm sure it will be. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy. Honest feedback is always welcome!

…

(Flashback)

Shadow tightly gripped the ivory railing of the balcony, steadying himself. His gold eyes wavered and closed as he struggled to calm his breathing.

Lifting his trembling hands hesitantly from the railing, he lowered them slowly to his sides and then turned to gaze out over the horizon.

The forest nearest the palace was blanketed by the sparkling white snowflakes that fell there so often. Rarely did the sun peak through the thick gray clouds above his head. Rarely did he feel its warming rays seep through the pores of his skin.

The prince sighed as he remembered his parents' warnings and how they had chided him to not be outside.

But he couldn't help it. Somehow the sharp sting of the cold winter air made him feel as though he were still whole. Surely he deserved some sort of freedom, it was his birthday after all. His 1700th birthday.

He could try to make it through most of the party as long as he kept to himself. He bit his lip softly and glanced wearily to the mirror on his dresser as he walked back into his room.

His face was a stark white. He frowned at the paleness, the weariness of his features. He looked tired, spent, but because of something that he couldn't help.

The poisoning had brought with it a sickness that had inflicted the prince for nearly a hundred years since. He was determined to keep it hidden. Of course though, his parents and the servants and guards of the palace knew well of this, but he didn't care.

As long as his secret never left the kingdom and reached the ears of his people...

The hard knocking at his door startled him. His father, whom he hadn't been expecting until later, entered without an answer from his child and shut the door behind him.

"How are you feeling?" He asked gruffly.

The simple question confused the prince, but he sighed and answered anyways. "Well, I don't feel well..." He laughed softly at his own joke then frowned when his father didn't join with him.

The prince pushed the nagging thoughts out of his head. They had seemed to be warning him, but Shadow paid them no attention. He was focused on his father.

The prince turned to him, a ghost of a smile beginning to form over his lips, when the King roughly gripped his shoulders and turned him to face him.

Zephyr placed a finger beneath his son's chin and lifted his head, studying his wellbeing. Shadow stared, startled, into his father's stone gaze.

The King drew his fingers gently across his child's cheek, frowning at the coldness of his skin. His son's usually vibrant golden eyes were dimming, draining of their light.

"Shadow," The strained whisper barely escaped the lips of the King before he harshly backhanded his son, sending the prince stumbling to the floor.

Zephyr sighed in frustration, watching as the prince stared confusedly up at him, a trembling hand held to his cheek.

"Don't give me that look," Zephyr hissed. "She is after me...she is after you...you don't understand...!" He knelt before Shadow, and reached out to him in an attempt to stroke his hair. He wasn't surprised when his son flinched from him.

The King sighed and stared upon the trembling form of his child. "Do not recoil in fright from me...it is not I who you should fear...it is that witch you poisoned you-

"Sapphirah."

Zephyr looked to his son surprised. It was the first time he had spoken since the King had entered the room. "What?"

"Her name is Sapphirah," Shadow hissed, turning slowly to face his father. "And she isn't a witch...she didn't know what she was doing-

"How dare you try to even utter that?!" The King demanded, gripping his son's wrist tightly in his fingers. "She almost had you killed and yet you aim to defend her?!" His grip tightened quickly around the wrist of his child.

Shadow winced and pulled in attempt to free himself from his father's grasp, only to have him hold tighter. Staring wearily into his father's gaze he whispered, "I still believe there is good in her...she couldn't have just turned all of a sudden-

Zephyr rose, roughly hoisting Shadow to his feet to which the prince let out a soft cry. "Father-

"No!" The King shoved his son to the floor and paced angrily beside him. "She crushed you Shadow...she broke you...!"

Shadow stared disbelievingly at his father as he fell into a fit of coughing, his body breaking under the strain of his fall and sickness.

Zephyr turned abruptly and looked upon the fallen form of his child. His gaze softened and he once again knelt and stroked Shadow's hair as he desperately attempted to breathe.
This time the prince was too weak pull away.

"My sweet little Shadow..." The whispered words escaped the King's lips as he gently wrapped his arms around his child, soothing him as he gasped and choked for air. "Look at what she has done to you..."

Shadow stiffened in his father's embrace and fought not to pull away.

"You were strong, and now you are weak..."

Shadow trembled and began to pull from his father's grasp but the King held tighter preventing him from escape.

"You walked proud...and now you limp..."

His son was becoming decreasingly comfortable in the King's ever increasing hold.

"She has broken you...she has crushed your heart..."

The prince's breath caught in his throat. He closed his eyes and willed his soul to fight back against the control his father's words seemed to have over him. 'I am not broken...I am not weak...!'

Crystalline tears fell from the prince's hurt eyes. He didn't realize his father had left; he didn't care. He lay on the floor trembling, crying.

His father was right. He was broken. No prince would act like this. No warrior would cry like this. The King's words forever embedded themselves in his child's already shattered heart.

Shadow gripped a post on his bed and shakily rose to his feet trying to stand. The sickness wore heavily on him.

His eyes fell on a neatly woven basket on his bed, overflowing with cards sent to him from the children in a nearby village.

The prince, holding dependently to the post, so as not to lose his balance, carefully made his way around and sat on his bed. He gently picked up the basket and placed it in his lap, fingering the cards with his hand.

He lifted one of the cards out of the basket and opened it, placing the basket beside him. He carefully placed the envelope aside and read over the slightly sloppy, excited writing of the child.

'Dear Prince Shadow, I hope you have a great party today! Would you save me a piece of cake? Happy 1700th birthday!'

Shadow swallowed hard and placed the card back in its envelope.

'Yes,' he thought remorsefully. 'Happy Birthday Shadow...'

(End of flashback)

The memory stung like knife to my heart.

I knew my father couldn't have meant what he said, but it still left a lasting impression for the next hundred years after. 'He hadn't always been this way...'

After the palace doctors had determined that I would have to live forever with the illness, my father changed.

He became harsher, stricter. He didn't allow me outside the palace the walls. He would constantly tell me during training that I wasn't good enough, that I wasn't the benevolent, flawless son his once had.

I was a weakling, powerless, fragile, as a piece of glass, or of tarnished paper. Easy to break.

And I believed him.

He hadn't always thrown me, or hit me as he sometimes did. It was only when he became upset, angered, or worrisome. He would turn his grief into such emotions. Hurting me, seemed to be his outlet; his portal away from the horrible situation we were in. And I let him.

He was upset after what had happened. I knew he didn't want to lose me, and yes, I knew he loved me. This is what I would tell myself whenever he became upset such as he did. I forced myself to learn not to flinch. It didn't make the pain of being thrown around lessen any, but it didn't give my father a reason to suspect weakness in me.

I had to learn, I had to do all that I could.

Whatever I thought would bring him back to me...

"Shun?"

I looked up and saw Fabia sitting across from me, watching me worriedly. "You haven't touched your plate at all, are you alright?"

I looked down and saw that she was right. My plate hadn't been touched. I smiled softly up at her and gently pushed my plate aside. "Yes, I am fine, I am just not very hungry." She didn't seem to buy this excuse so I continued. "My parents provided such an extravagant breakfast this morning, I don't think I have room for anything else until this evening."

She rose an eyebrow, and I prayed that she would accept what I had said and not push any further. She smiled after a while and nodded. "Alright, I don't want you starving to death now, Shun?"

I stared at the table, at the cup which held my drink and faltered for words. I swallowed hard and fought to stop the memory of my parents disappointment at my sudden fear of eating or drinking anything served to me that I did not make myself.

It had taken years after the poisoning for me to become comfortable once again with eating meals prepared by our chefs.

It was one small step towards the ever long road of healing. Then again of course, there were some scars that never fully healed...

"Shun?" Fabia's voice was urgent now, and full of a great concern. "Are you sure you're alright?"

I nodded numbly and did my best to return my thoughts to the present. It had been a long time since I reflected on the events that occurred in my life, and I didn't want to revisit them any longer.

"Are you sure?" Fabia pressed. "You don't look well...are you sick? You're very pale." I flinched at the words she uttered and looked to the floor.

This was something that she could never know of. I could not fathom what would happen if she ever found out.

I took in an inaudible breath and smiled to her. "Yes, I am very sure," I answered, with a voice as unwavering as I could muster. "I am just naturally very pale, I burn easily in the sun, and therefore I stay indoors quite often." She frowned at my reply.

"Shun, you're paler, if that's even possible..." She trailed off and pressed her hand against my forehead. My body went rigid and I stared. I could not bring myself to remove her hand from my skin, and it seemed I didn't need to as she pulled her hand away, staring at me in shock.

But I had barely heard her. An uneasy feeling had come over me, and I now gazed around the vacant cafeteria looking for...

"Vacant?" I whispered. I looked again. There was no one here except for Fabia and I. Something was wrong.

"Shun," She breathed, grasping my hand in both of hers. "You're freezing-

"Hush, Fabia, there is something-

"No! What is wrong with you?! Shun, I can't-

"Fabia please, you don't understand, I need you to be quiet-

"Not until you tell me what's wrong-

"Fabia!"

She froze and looked at me uncertainly. I hadn't intended to use such intensity in my voice, but it needed to be done. There was something off. I could feel it in the air. It was cold and crisp, but blew lowly, as if in warning.

Wind didn't blow inside of a school cafeteria.

I didn't flinch when the knife embedded itself in the table. I wasted no time and tore it from the table brandishing it beside me. Thanks to whoever threw this, I was now armed.

Fabia stared at me with widened eyes as I quickly pulled her from her seat and pushed her behind me. "Fabia, I need you to stay calm, get down-

Another knife landed near my feet. But it wasn't like the other that I was holding. This one had an intricately carved cherry wood handle, with but a few emeralds embedded in the wood.

I smiled as I picked it up and cast a glance beside me to Michelle. She was holding my sword, and in one synchronized throw, we switched weapons.

It appeared that Fabia had listened to what I had told her before, as she was now crouched beneath one of the tables, pushing chairs in front of her to form a sort of barrier. A relieved sigh escaped my lips and i averted my attention back to the two mean that had emerged from behind two of the cafeteria pillars.

The first brandished a sharp looking blade in my direction and spat. "Drop your weapons! We have strict orders to bring you to her Ladyship."

I cocked an eyebrow and pretended to examine my nails. "Shouldn't you be bowing to me or something?" I asked innocently. The man didn't seem very amused and he advanced again.

I shot a quick glance at Michelle and she smirked back at me. We shared a silent conversation before turning our gazes back towards the two advancing men.

As one, we trust ourselves forwards, raising our swords to attack.

...

Well, I'm sure that was completely awful but I suppose I don't know. Again I apologize for any mistakes and or just plain awful writing. I hope you'll forgive me and once again I give my sincerest of apologies! I love you all! Please Review!

#I'm sorry!