Shelby tucked a snowy blond lock behind her ear. Her head hung down as she sat on the edge of her bed. She felt cold and distant.

It seemed that after her last story about Tishian ended everything went to hell. She sighed and shook her head. How could Shane do such horrible things? How could he turn against his country? Despite her being in a whole other world she felt somewhat responsible. Shen was her creation, and the product of her imagination.

Shane was one of the older characters. She had loosely based him on herself. Shelby sat straight up and licked her lips. This was terrible news. But why would Michael put all this effort into finding her? What could she do? The answer she came up with scared her.

Shelby rubbed the back of her neck. Sudenly her face was hot and her hands were damp. She wiped them on her shorts.

Michael sat next to her. His eyes rested unwaveringly on her face. Nick had revealed to him just a few months ago that their realm had not been created by the gods they worshipped, but by a young girl. In the back of his mind Michael had always felt that there was something different about Tishian compared to the realms around them. Like Neonel, Rockshane, Tortall, Scanra, Tusaine, and Famisa just to name a few. According to Nickolas she had only made a few of them, specifically Tishian, Neonel, Rockshane, and Famisa. They had been placed by the other countries merely by chance. Or so that's what Nickolas had theorized.

Michael studied Shelby's face; her soft lips and the unusual color of her hair. He felt a need to stroke the soft looking locks, but kept his hands in his laps. It was hard to restrain him self though. He was a curious little devil. Michael distracted himself by watching her hands fiddle with the bottom of her shorts. They fit the name given to them: They were short. The women at Court never showed so much flesh. Michael liked it though. Her smooth skin glowed in the light he had made. Michael looked away. Was she a temptress? Nickolas had assured him she wasn't but something about her drew him in.

She was thinking, and Michael didn't want to interrupt. But he needed something to do or his hands might do something he would regret. Michael looked down at his lap. There he had his hands. He interlocked them so as to keep them from escaping. But his eyes were harder to keep down. He looked at her from the corners of his eyes. Her face was dark and grim. His wrenched at the sad sight. He felt horrible now. He didn't like being the cause of her saddness, and he had brought her whole stinking pile of it.

"A copper for your thoughts?" He finaly interrupted. The air had grown thick and melancholy. Trying to comfort her he placed a warm hand on her lower back. He leaned over a tad bit, bringing him slightly closer to her. Her shirt had ridden up a bit in the back. Michael's fingers gently brushed against her warm skin sending chills up her spine- And his.

"Um, it's just. It's a lot to digest at once." Shelby said. She looked up at him for a moment. But her eyes were almost instantly looking back down at her lap.

Michael nodded his head.

"I'm sorry." He felt he needed to apologize. A small smile spread across Shelby's lips and she looked up at him. Her blue eyes glowed even in the dimly lit room. Michael's hand was half way to her face when he caught himself. Instead he rubbed the back of his neck and returned the smile. There was something entrancing about her, and something oddly familiar. The familiarity didn't faze him, but he made a note to remember.

"Shelby." His oice was warm and sweet in her ear. He had moved closer. Their thighs were now slightly touching. His hand was no longer on her back, but beside her. He was nearly wrapped around her.

"We need you." The sound of his voice melted her heart. It was so convincing- To convincing. Shelby's hands ran through her hair. She tugged the end of one lock nervously, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She had built up a very reasonable argument for why she wouldn't- No, why she couldn't go. She opened her mouth and turned to him, ready to refuse. But she wasn't prepared for what she saw.

His soft gray eyes looked at her. The looked at her and through her, into her soul. Shelby felt her heart flutter as she looked back into his eyes. When breathing became hard she looked down. She couldn't take that pleading look anymore. Not when it was Michael's.

She thought about her friends, her family, her pets, her school. She would have to leave it all behind. She didn't mind the school part but the friends, family, and pets part she did. She would leave behind sixteen years of work. Taking in a shaky breath Shelby closed her eyes once more. Then slowly she looked at him once more.

"Alright. I'll go."

Michael excitedly stood up. Then reaching back down he pulled Shelby up with him. His big arms wrapped around her. Shelby bit back a nervous giggle as she was held against his hard chest. He was warm and tender with her. For a second Shelby forgot he was about to sweep her off to a whole other world.

"Thank you Shelby. You have no idea what this means to me."

Shelby let out a little giggle, figuring it was safe enough. Finally after a few moments Michael released her. Shelby just smiled and shook her head. Thoughts of leaving all she loved behind flooded into her head once more. She immediately found something to distract herself.

"So how does this work? Do we have to go somewhere or what?" Shelby asked curiously. She placed her hands on her hips and grinned at Michael.

"Actually no. we don't even have to leave your room." He said while he gazed behind her at her wall. It was the only wall with a window. Shelby glanced behind her and then back at Michael.

"Um, ok? And that means what to me?"

Michael chuckled.

"We go through a portal that I have to make. It'll take a few minutes for me to get it up. It's a difficult spell." His voice sounded strained as he talked about the portal.

"Ok. But let me change first."

She brushed past Michael and walked towards her closet. There was no way she was going to Tishian in pajama shorts and tank.

"Why do you need to change?" Michael asked her, turning to look at Shelby. He was dissappointed at the thought her taking off the shorts that showed off her lovely flesh.

"Hey! No peeking!" Shelby told him. She was whispering but she raised the tone a bit for emphasis.

"Oh, yea. Ok." Michael turned back to the wall with the window. He stared at the blind that covered it. He sighed and raised his hands. He sucked in a deep breath and started to whisper words in some alien language. Shelby paused as she was opening a drawer. The whole wall Michael was facing started to glow. It was dim and barley visible at first. Then, starting at the center, it got brighter and brighter.

Shelby went back to gathering her stuff. She had a brown shoulder bag with a yellow peace sign on it. She filled it with some undergarments, a couple T-Shirts, and several other items. She then pulled on a pair of jeans and grabbed a black jacket. She zippered it up a little bit and pulled the hood over her head. Then opening another drawer she pulled out a pair of socks. She put them on her bare feet. She looked next to her dresser for a pair of shoes. She chose a sturdy pair of tennis shoes. Then bending down picked up her ug boots and stuffed those in her bag. She was grabbing the things she knew she wouldn't be able to get in Tishian. When she turned back Michael he was doubled over.

Shelby rushed over to his side. She bent to look at his face and tried to help support him.

"Michael! Are you ok? What happened?" Her voice was filled with worry.

"Oh nothing, it's just- It takes a lot out of me."

Shelby remembered Michael was supposed to be the best mage in Tishian. But she must have not thought about this kind of situation. Slowly Michael stood back up. He took in another deep breath and smiled at Shelby. She could see the strain in his eyes. Dark rings had formed under his them and he looked like he could hardly stay awake. She could see droplets of sweat forming on his brow and his face was gray under his tan. Shelby nodded but she still looked worried.

"Ready kitten?"

Shelby looked at him. Why was he calling her kitten? Shaking her head she looked down. She felt her heart race as she thought about leaving the home she had lived in since she was a babe.

"You have to promise me one thing before we go." Her voice was meek in the dimly lit room.

Michael raised an eyebrow and looked at her, obviously confused. But the look faded just as quickly as it had appeared.

"What is it?"

Shelby took in a breath. "Promise me you won't- Oh never mind." She lost her nerve.

"Ok, let's do this thing." She walked towards the portal, her chin lifted stubbornly.

Michael's big hand wrapped around her arm and he pulled her back. Shelby turned to glare at him. The look on Michael's face was more serious than she had ever seen it. At least in the short time since she had met him.

"I won't let anything happen to you. I sware it." His voice was warm and sweet. Shelby blushed deeply and looked away.

Michael smiled, amused at her bashfulness. It was cute, and he favored it to the bold flirtations of the Court maidens.

"Alright. Now let's go." He said. He grabbed Shelby's hand and faced the portal. Shelby glanced down at the hand, then back up at him, and finally at the portal. She sucked in a last deep breath.

"Ready?"

Shelby nodded, to nervous to speak.

"Ok, let's go." Those were the last words Shelby heard before the two plunged into the portal.

The two hadn't noticed but a small black shadow had crawled out from underneath the bed. It breathed heavily as it waddled out from it's cover. It watched as Shelby and Michael disappeared. Then, before the portal closed, it hoped in after them.