I'm sorry for the late update, I would have had this chapter up sooner, but a combination of school and an evil older brother takes its toll, you know. Thank you for all your reviews anyway, you all are so nice to me!

Okay, anyone who hasn't voted on the should-Marc-die poll must vote now (Oh, and my friends, will you hate him) When I put the next chapter up, I'll have a new poll, 'cause I'm planning a PMD story (but I have several ideas). Check it out when this is done!

By the way, HopeThePixii…I had an interesting thought…how do you think Synth would react to this tale? XD Heck, he could probably relate to Rose. Except I don't think he's killed anyone…

Chapter Six

Who I Am

"The world breaks everyone and afterward many are stronger at the broken places." –Ernest Hemingway

The soft wind rattled the tent.

The only sounds I could hear was the Elder's smooth even breathing and my own faint giggles of anticipation. Something had snapped in my head; maybe I was finally going crazy. This adrenaline had come on so suddenly, I didn't feel like me right now.

But in the moment, I liked it.

It was the hour for revenge to strike.

Instinctively, I shifted forward into a crouch and bared my teeth, grinning. My muscles tensed and I glanced down, randomly admiring my claw's strange gleam. So lovely, so deadly. Iron would never know how like him I would become tonight.

My tail blazed with a white light.

With another giggle, I slammed my tail (which had suddenly become as strong as iron) against the sleeping Elder-there were some horrifying cracks, and then he flew into the air, smashed against one of the tent poles, and slid to the ground. I smirked as he forced his eyes open with a groan of shock.

"Valentina Petal?" He choked out.

I let out a piercing cry and slammed my tail into him again, sending him soaring. All of my amusement was gone. "I am not Valentina anymore." I growled. "I will never be Valentina again. I am…I am Rose!"

Rose-the name who defined who I am. Mostly who I was, the flora girl, the young woman with a rose around her neck. And who I would become-I had been a bud for my life. Now…my petals were unfurling, showing what was really inside, beautiful and, well, different.

"Val- Miss Rose!" The Elder coughed. "Wh-why are you doing this?"

My face ripped into a snarl.

"You took my life away from me." I hissed, a white glow beginning to lick the edges of my tail. "I could have had a normal life, with friends and a family who loved me. I could have had Marc! I could have had kids! I could have had that life that I had dreamed about! And now, you've taken it all away, leaving me to be beaten, struggling for survival and fleeing for my life! And now, I want revenge!"

I let out a shrill howl and pounced on him, clawing at the air until I felt skin was torn; something shiny and warm soaked my paws. I leapt off and prowled around him, the smug smile on my face again. His eyes watched me-first with fear, and then…it faded to resignation as my tail burned for the last time, as strong as iron.

My last blow, and the last thing the Elder would ever feel.

I smashed my tail into his chest once again, forcing all of my fury and rage into that final attack. The red liquid waved out of his sides, and he started choking out his final breaths.

I watched with horror. I had seen no death before.

The Elder looked up into my eyes and smiled slightly.

And then the light vanished from his eyes.

The deed was done.

My anger dissipated and I spun around, striding out of the tent and out, out through the forest. I was leaving, and what I had done wouldn't stop me. Even if I was monstrous, repulsive. Even if I had murdered someone, and the blood was on my hands.

Death was the beginning.

I glanced into the stream as I sped walked.

I couldn't recognize myself anymore, this woman in the place of my reflection. This woman with calm hate in her eyes, and impatience that narrowed them. Her legs were splattered with blood and she walked too briskly along…

Behind me, I heard light footsteps. I stopped and sighed, turning once more to face him.

"What is it that you want, Marcus Victor Icebir?"

Marc's eyes were full of pitilessness. The Marc I had once loved had given himself over to the worse side for good. I knew this Marc would not waver from his side, like he almost had before Isabella. He truly, beyond a doubt, hated me.

"Rose, my grandfather!" He shouted, in agony. "How could you?"

I glared back into his face.

"It was necessary."

"Necessary to kill someone innocent? You killed him without a thought! He never did anything to you, Rose! You're just a lying, murdering girl who destroys all that's good in your path! Nothing like that was necessary!"

"Marc, I can't stay here. I can't live the life I once led. I'm not…Valentina Petal anymore. I'm someone else now. Someone better."

"Better!" He snorted. "So you went to being a freak to a killer. So much better. Ugh, why can't you just leave? Why couldn't you have died so long ago? Everyone would have been so much better off! How was I ever your friend?"

"Marc, no matter what, you will always be my friend, no matter how many times you rip my heart to shreds." I closed my eyes. "And good will come to me. Somehow, someday. I'm on a path, a path I must follow."

"And Goodness knows the wicked's lives are lonely…Goodness knows the wicked cry alone! Nothing grows for the wicked, they reap only what they've sown!" He backed away from me. "Look at you! You're a wicked, selfish Eevee! I can't feel anything for you but hate!" His face twisted in his total detestation. "And to think, I once loved you!"

That broke into my concentration

"You…what…you loved me?" I whimpered.

"Yes, of course I did!" Marc snarled. "No one could understand how blind you could be to not see it! And now, it's the opposite. I don't anymore."

He loved me…

I had to try, one last time, though I would fail.

"Marc…come with me! Think of what we could do! Together!" I pleaded one last time. "Unlimited… Together we're unlimited…Together we'll be the greatest team there's ever been…Dreams, the way we planned them…If we work in tandem…"

Marc let out a low hiss.

"There's no fight we cannot win! Just you and I defying gravity! With you and I, defying gravity! Oh, Marc! They'll never bring us down!"

Marc shook his head, enraged. No! I will not go along with such childish fancies! You don't deserve to have anyone's love! You will never defy gravity! And Goodness knows the wicked's lives are lonely…Goodness knows the wicked die alone! It just shows when you're wicked, you're left only on your own!"

"Marc, please…I loved you!"

He gave me a final glare.

"No one mourns the Wicked! When at last she's dead and gone-then at last, there's joy throughout the land!" He spat, infuriated. "Goodbye, Rose. Let's hope our paths never cross again. Goodbye."

And he twisted around to start walking away.

I backed up a step, blinking.

And suddenly, the last verse of my song came exploding out of me, combined in hate and rage and passion and love and emotions impossible to describe. And I was singing, singing out my dreams, singing out who I was.

"So, if you care to find me, look up into sky! As someone told me lately: everyone deserves the chance to fly!"

Marc let out a wild cry of anger as his words were reused.

And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free! To those who'd ground me, take a message back from me! Tell them how I am defying gravity! I'm flying high, defying gravity! And soon, I'll match them in renown…And nobody in all the world-no person that there is or was-is ever gonna bring me down!"

Marc's cruel eyes turned back to look into mine one last time.

"I hope you're happy."

His head whipped back around and walked away from me.

Away from me forever.

I blinked back tears, but…found that they weren't there. There were no more tears. It was like the argument was nothing. I turned around and kept walking, the opposite direction of him. Now I walked toward my destiny, and I didn't look back.

Because now my petals were unfurling, and I was going to show everyone who I really was inside. What Valentina Petal wanted was no more. Now I was Rose, and what Rose Petal wanted was to fly. With Marc I could only be a bud. I would never become all that I could be with him. And now I could easily see that this was what had to be done. Now I was off to see the world, be in the world, show the world.

And I would show the world who I am.

H/P