Sorry about the long wait everyone... was really busy. (am still, so lol)

R&R!

Take Me

As we fell, I tried to change into Phoenix, but strangely, in my fear, I could not. I truly panicked then, and I twisted in mid-flight to see Thor and Karim land on the floor. The floor drew nearer and nearer, and, instinctively, I stuck out my hands to break my fall. There was pain in my left hand, and I drew it back as I rolled on the ground, panting and trying not to cry out for the burning pain in my hand.

I heard Thor breathing somewhere to my left and Karim getting up. Then, Thor got up, but I lay on the floor. I felt sick with fear. Why had the Phoenix deserted me in my time of need? I tried to change again, but could not.

"Zia, are you alright?" Thor asked, kneeling next to me. I let go of my left hand and got up abruptly. "I'm fine," I replied, and smiled to hide the pain and fear.

I put my left hand on the floor to get up. It hurt badly, but I managed to bite my tongue to keep the sharp cry in me.

"Are any of you hurt?" Thor asked the both of us. I started to shake my head, but Thor grabbed my left hand and bent it. I yelped, and snatched my hand back, glaring at him. He smirked and wrapped my hand with a bandage. "I am not as blind as some of you may think," he said. I rolled my eyes in response, and after he had wrapped my hand, he turned to Karim. "Are you hurt, Karim?"

She shook her head moodily, and continued to stare blankly at the wall. Thor turned back to me. "Can you change into Phoenix?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I already tried," I replied in a small voice. "She has left me."

Horror filled his face, and he asked, "How can we get out?"

I shrugged.

"No!" He ran to one wall and began to attack it with his beam-blade. "We have to get out!"

I sighed, and went to stand next to Karim. She was watching him. He kept trying, but at last, he slumped to the ground. "No… just a little water…"

Karim spoke up. "Is life really that pleasing to you?" He looked at her, surprised, as he stood up. "It's not my life I'm worried about," he responded.

"Hers?" Karim jerked her head to me.

"Yours," he corrected.

Karim's eyes flashed and she exploded. "What do you care about me?" she screamed. "We barely know each other!" With that, she attacked. Arrows flew out her sleeve, as before, and I threw myself in front of Thor. "That's enough!" I yelled.

She took no notice, but kept trying to hit us. "Get down, Top!" I told Thor. I didn't look back to see if he got down, but I felt his hand on my shoulder. I paused, and was hit in my stomach with one of those arrows. I grimaced. "Zia, it is my fight," Thor told me. "Move."

He pushed me away, and powered up his blade. Arrows flew after him as he ducked and dodged. One knocked his blade from his hand, and then, he was hit in his shoulder. I watched helplessly as I tried not to pull out the arrow, in case something should happen. Thor fell on one knee. Karim gasped and ran to him. They murmured something, then I saw Thor try to pull out the arrow. Karim stopped him and pulled his out. They exchanged another few words then Karim went to me. "I'm sorry about that," she said, and pulled it out. I grinned at her. "It's alright."

Thor looked around for his blade. He saw it sticking out of one vine. "Hey!" He went over to it, and the both of us followed him. The vine was covered in mould and he pulled his blade out. "This mould… it weakens the vines!" He started to slash at it, and then, he opened it. I stared in disgust. It made squelchy noises as he opened it, but then, on the other side, we saw water. Thor was about to jump in, but I stopped him. "I better do it, Top," I said, softly.

He nodded mutely, and I slipped through it. I landed with a splash, and could see for yards in front of me in the clear water. It was wonderful, but my lungs soon screamed for air, and I surfaced, gasping. "All clear!" I called up to them. There was another splash as Thor leapt inside. I saw him surface, but I went under again, holding my breath. I swam to where he was, and pulled him under. We surfaced, one laughing, the other in scowling in mock anger. "Right," he said, as Karim slipped through the water. He grabbed my shoulders and dunked me once or twice before swimming away. Karim caught him on the legs and winked at me before hopping onto him. "Hey!" he yelled.

Laughing, I swam next to him, and mounted him too. Thor slid out from under us, then we fell into the water with a scream. When we surfaced, Thor was already almost on dry land. We followed him silently.

Once on dry land, Karim's smile faded, and the usual gloomy face returned. We pressed the water from our hair and clothes, then I sat on the ground to dry. Thor did likewise, but Karim remained standing, eyes filling with tears.

Thor sighed, stood up and went to her. I shivered, not from the cold. I knew something was going to happen. They talked together for a while, then, suddenly, Karim shouted, "You're a thousand times more beautiful than me!" Thor went to her, and laid a gentle hand on her cheek. They stared into each others eyes, as I slipped away. I dove into the water again, and when I surfaced and looked behind me, they were kissing.

Tears swam in my eyes and I did a duck-dive, and swam until I was on the point of passing out. I didn't care. What was Tiz going to say? Third? And he chastised me for kissing Zagi, when it wasn't even my fault! Face it. You're always going to be alone. Thor's going to marry Karim, Tiz will probably find another man, and Third and Chen are getting really close. This is your fault for loving him. I surfaced, gasping and shuddering. I was far away, now, from them, from him. I have to find my way back out myself. I should be used to it now.

………………………….

I came out of the place, to see no one there. I was shivering. My wrist was nothing compared to the ache in my heart.

I sat down, and cried. As Chen would say; No man is worth your tears. But to me, this one was. I wished I had listened to my conscience and not loved him. I wished I had no feelings, then I would not be sad. There was a slight puttering as a hover-bike landed next to me, and someone ran over to me. "Zia? Are you alright?"

It was Tiz, and Third. I shook my head, and threw my arms around Tiz. I couldn't bear to break her heart after seeing her worried, excited face. She loved Thor so much… how could she cope? Third came over to me, and said gently, "I think you've had too much excitement in one day." Excitement? I felt like laughing sarcastically. To see the only man I love kiss another and they call it excitement?

Third put me behind him on the hover-bike, and Tiz was behind the other man who was following Third. I calmed down as we flew. I laid my head on Third's back, and sighed. "On the ground!" Someone called suddenly, and we landed. Tiz ran forward, but I hung back, not wanting to see another scene that would break through the thin ice that was already encircling my heart. But Third pulled me along, saying, "Come on, Zia, you'll want to see our handsome Top, don't you?" I stared at him dumbly. Did he know? He smirked at me, and confirmed what I had thought. He knew. Like Zagi did.

Tiz had stopped somewhere in front of us, and when we went closer, I could see why. Thor had one hand on Karim's shoulder, but then, he looked up. "Tiz!"

Tiz smiled in relief, and ran over to him. She still trusted him, but I felt sick. The worst was yet to come.

"Tiz, this is Karim. I'm taking her back to the Ochre Ring with me."

Tiz's face crumbled, but she quickly put on a brave face. I wanted to scream, "Look at her, you selfish twit! Look at the woman who has loved you since you came, and had saved you from the Varaconas! Do you see past that brave face she's putting on for you? Do you?" But I shut up. It would be useless anyways. Thor's eyes shone as he smiled at Karim. Then, Tiz couldn't hold her sadness anymore from her face. "Am… am I not good enough?" she whispered.

Thor put two hands on her shoulders, and bent close to her. "Tiz, I do love you, but only as part of my family."

"What about Zia?" she whispered again.

Thor shook his head slightly and I didn't want to hear anymore. I brushed past Third and ignored his surprised look as I stalked away. It hurt so much. I hadn't been walking long when someone brushed past me, sniffing. It was Tiz. Chen was trying to catch her and I ran after her. "Tiz, wait up!" She stopped, and sniffed.

"Stop Tiz!" Chen called out. I caught her by her arm and she sat down. "How could he?" she wept. "How?"

"Tiz," I said awkwardly. I looked behind me to see that Chen was still out of earshot. "Tiz, I know how you feel," I said, softly. "Because… I…"

"You love him too?" Tiz asked, probably shocked. "I knew it! It was the way you were looking at him, and how you didn't want to marry. But why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I didn't want to," I replied stubbornly. "It would have been a mess, and I won't be far from where you are right now. Scared. Shocked. Betrayed. If I kept it to myself, I could believe that my love for him is a fairy tale. A story no one else has heard. It wouldn't be real."

"But it is." By this time, Chen had caught up with us, and I left Chen to cheer Tiz up. I went away, for a walk. Why did I tell Tiz? So that I could show her that she was not alone? Was it connected to anything? I was soon caught up with Thor, who was practically jumping up and down in happiness. "Zia!"

"Top," I returned shortly. If he was going to chatter on and on about how he and Karim were going to get married, or who they will name their first child after, I was going to scream.

"Zia, listen to me," Thor said, taking my shoulders. Was this his trademark gesture? Take other people by their shoulders? "If anything happens to me, I want you to look after Karim. Promise?"

Promise?? I screamed in my mind. To look after the woman who has taken away Tiz's hope, and my happiness? How could you?

"What's it in for me?" I asked wearily.

He smiled at me. "My complete trust."

"You'll be dead by then, so why bother?"

"Because," he sighed, "because I love her." My whole world seemed to go in slow motion, and the words echoed strangely in my head. I stared at him, unable to believe what I just heard. I was right. If I was taking this badly, how would Tiz react? "Zia?" Thor asked.

My hand flew up on it's own accord and struck his cheek. His head snapped to a side and blood trickled from his mouth. Fear ran up and down my spine, and I shivered. I just hit my Top. Now I'll have to leave. It was a sole rule that if you hit your Top outside the Try, you'll have to leave to find another Ring. The only other Ring was Blanc Ring.

I backed away slowly, unable to believe what I've done. He looked up and stared at me, as if to say, what was that for? I shook all over, turned, and ran. "Zia!" he yelled after me. Blood pounded in my ears, and I ran to where I knew Zagi was. I yanked the door open, surprising him, and fell at his feet. "Take me!" I begged him. "Please!"

……………………….

Thor stared at Zia's departing back. He was shocked into silence, but he managed to call after her. As he prepared to run after her, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, and he whirled around, fists clenched.

It was only Third. Third glared at him, and said, in a low voice, "And you don't even know why she left." Thor shook his head.

"I would tell you, but it is up to her to tell you or not." Third sighed, then left Thor to ponder on his words.

……………………….

I made up that rule of when you hit a Top, then you gotta bla, bla, bla… Sorry! XD Okay… please R&R!! .