Tancred was upset. Life should not be this complicated. He hated it. Maloree sat next to him on the bench, complaining about the school play, and how the directors picked favorites. Tancred looked at her then, and she took it as a sign to continue talking. It was the first time he'd actually looked at her, analyzing her face, he thought it was...pretty. He could like this girl, very much, if he could only get over the one before. 'The one that got away,' he laughed to himself, but his laugh sounded dead, hollow. He wasn't happy. He looked at the girl again, wondering if he was justified, using her. There was no denying it, he was using her. He was selfish.

She stopped talking, suddenly. She was looking at him, deeply into his eyes. She leaned forward, and Tancred instinctively leaned also. She didn't mind, did she? She liked him, so why would she mind why he liked her? His conscience awoke. It sounded annoyingly like a mix between his mother's voice, and Emma's.

"This is wrong Tancred," the voice said, somewhere in the back of his mind, but getting louder. "She deserves better than this. You have to at least try to explain. Just try." He hated that voice. This was peaceful...enough. He was happy....relatively. Why would he spoil that? No, he wouldn't. It would hurt her feelings. He didn't want her to suffer; he lied. He didn't care. She was a stranger to him, nothing more. He leaned back.

"I need to talk to you."

~~~***_***~~~

Show time! The lights, the butterflies, the action! Everyone was excited, ecstatic, overjoyed. Everyone, that is, except the normally most dramatic person in the school, Olivia Vertigo. She was in the back, putting on her costume and makeup, staring dully at the mirror, not seeing anything.

"Olivia! OLIVIA!" The Drama Director was shouting, and Olivia thought the person should answer soon. It took another five times for her to recognize her own name. She turned. "Finally! Are you ready? You look a bit...off."

Olivia smiled dully. She probably looked a little more than off, more like she'd never been on. "I'm ready," she faked a smile, thank goodness she was such a good actress.

"Perfect, then let's GO! SHOW TIME EVERYBODY!" he bawled to everyone, cuing music and stage placement. Olivia took her spot. Star of the show, as usual. She had never wanted to sink into the ground more than this moment. She hated being here, at this moment hated acting. The curtain withdrew. Blinding lights, eager faces; normally she'd be exhilarated, but it didn't seem real, or right. This was so beyond wrong. A figure from the audience leaped up onto the stage. Odd, they hadn't rehearsed that...it strode towards her, and she saw its face.

Charlie Bone stood there, holding a microphone. He grabbed her hand, hauled her to the front and then turned to the audience. What was he doing?!

"Does everyone know who this girl is?" he began, speaking to the people, who were plainly confused. This normally dressed boy, recognized vaguely as one of the 'endowed' or whatever, was looking very out of place with all of the costumes. Surely this was a joke. Some even cracked a smile. "Well, let me tell you. She's Olivia Vertigo, beautiful, smart, brave, loyal...and...a great kisser." People laughed here, and a few of the teachers moved forward to stop him form saying something inappropriate. "I'm not ashamed to say, I like her...a lot. She liked me yesterday, and I'm hoping that it hasn't changed to much in one day." He turned to Olivia. She was staring at him, incredulous, and blushing scarlet. "Olivia," Charlie smiled, taking her other hand, "Will you please be my girlfriend?" Someone shouted "KISS HER!" and then the crowd began to chant. Charlie laughed a moment then looked at Olivia. She had tears glistening in her eyes, and she nodded once. Charlie smiled, pulling her towards him and kissing her fully on the mouth, more passionate than before because they both missed each other. Olivia was far from objecting. The crowd cheered, but neither Olivia, nor Charlie heard them. They were lost with each other, knowing of only the other loving them. This was their happily ever after...

~~~***_***~~~

Emma sat on her bed, flipping through a magazine aimlessly. Her day was beginning to drag horribly, and she hated the afternoons. A knock sounded at the door, and she rolled her eyes. Lucas was beginning to get a little annoying. She, nevertheless, rolled off her side to get the door. When she opened it, there was nobody there, just a small folded slip of paper at her feet. She reached down for it, and noticed her name on the first page. Her heart stopped beating for a moment. She knew that handwriting. She flipped the paper open hurriedly, eager for what Tancred had to say.

Emma, I want to talk to you. I miss you. Please, I know I screwed up, I'm sorry. Please meet me in the King's Room.

Yours, Now and Forever,

-Tancred

She ran. What else could she do? She tripped, but then got right back up again. Time seemed to slow as she flew down the corridors. She had never noticed how very far the King's Room was. Finally she was there. Tancred would be inside, waiting for her, wanting her. Could life be any more perfect? She opened the door.

A figure leaned casually against the table, arms folded across its chest, as if waiting for something, and getting impatient.

"Finally," it said, lazily. Emma froze. That was not Tancred's voice. Lucas stood, smiling at her, his teeth, she noticed for the first time, pointed cruelly and flashed in the firelight. The hearth held flames of a newly lit fire, which cast horrible shadows on the walls around them. "Oh, surprised?" He laughed, a little to loudly, and his face remained cold. "You were expecting perhaps, Tancred Torsson? I must admit, girl," he spat the word, "That you made this a little too easy. Hardly any fun. You're very shallow, you know? One look at my face, one taste of my lips and you were lost to me. I could kill you and you'd beg for more...just too easy."

"What...happened to you?" Emma was confused, the despair was taking a moment to sink in. Fear was only a small thing in the back of her mind. All she could think was 'he's not here'.

He laughed again, she hated the sound. "Oh, dearest Emma," his sarcasm was thick, "You put to much emphasis on yourself. I changed who I seemed to be, to fit who you wanted. You wanted Tancred, but a Tancred who wouldn't hurt you. I became that Tancred. Well, this time excluding, of course. Now, the wrappings are pulled away. You see me, what I really am, and you cannot escape."

"And what is that, exactly?"

"A copier. I could fly, like you. I could, well momentarily I will be able to, call up a storm. I can do whatever I wish, as long as I have physical contact with the creator. I saw Tancred write something, and I can copy his handwriting to perfection, you saw an example of that yourself. Yes, now you realize...Tancred did not write that note. He did not call you here. I did. Oh, but don't worry, he'll be here shortly. His is not the only handwriting I can do. You may die together."

"Wh-why?"

"Well, I can't have people running around, being able to do everything I do. Then I wouldn't be special, you see. The Bloors favor individuals. And now..." he smiled, and Emma saw, for the first time, the hideous twist of his features. He was not an angel, but a demon. Had he not come...it didn't matter. She was going to die, and she had brought Tancred with her. Fate was cruel. The door opened behind her.

"Emma!" Tancred's arms wound around Emma from behind, his breath blew on her neck, and he embraced her. He then spotted Lucas. "Oh," his voice was hard, he was angry now. "Listen, if you were going to invite him, why did you bring me? To gloat?!" he disentangled himself and backed towards the door. Lucas smiled.

"No, I invited you. And, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to shake hands with you. Friendly competitors, you know." Lucas was smiling so wide now, it looked as if his face were about to cleave in two.

"No Tancred!" Emma shouted, shoving him with her hand as he had begun to move warily forward. She launched herself at Lucas, punching furiously. He backed away, still smiling. Tancred stared at Emma, bewildered.

"You VILE HORRIBLE THING!" Emma was thrashing uselessly, until Lucas finally got tired of laughing, and launched her effortlessly across the room. She collapsed on the floor, unconscious. Tancred stared in horror, wind swirling already around the room though he did not consciously decide to call it.

"What did you...do to her?!" Tancred was horrified, and the wind intensified.

"Nothing compared to what I will do." Lucas was laughing again. "If you really cared for her that much, I wonder why you gave her up. She's okay, I suppose, but I don't see how she can have such a hold on you...she's surely not that physically appealing..."

Tancred's jaw clenched, his hands balled into fists, and Lucas was no more than a problem in the back of his mind. All he could see was Emma's face, looking at peace but so horribly dead, nothing else mattered. Vaguely he heard Lucas move forward, felt something touch his arm. Lucas sighed.

"Yes," he said, "finally. Now I don't need to be nice anymore..." he hurled Tancred across the room.

~~~***_***~~~

Emma awoke, slowly, not wanting to open her eyes. She had had a good dream. Tancred had saved her. He carried her close to his chest, trying to muffle the screams that had been deafeningly loud before he came. It had been a nightmare, but it turned into a fantasy as soon as he appeared, his hair sparkling and glowing with electricity. She had felt safe. 'Everything was alright,' he had whispered to her, pulling her closer. She silently agreed. Yes, much better than alright...

There were bright lights, and an anxious face staring down into hers. Oh, she must not have woken up after all, she didn't mind. Tancred stood, suddenly grinning when he saw she was awake. He carefully took her face into his shaking hands, and he laughed. The noise was like ringing bells. So full of joy, of life. She hoped she would never wake up.

"Emma, you're alright! Oh thank goodness! I felt for sure...oh my god!" he kissed her with more force than he meant to, suddenly pulling back and staring worriedly into her eyes. "Sorry, I'm just so...so happy!" Emma liked that word. It made her smile. This expression seemed odd somehow. She wondered when was the last time, before the dream, she had smiled. Too long, she decided, letting her grin stretch until it hurt.

"Tancred," she rasped, surprising herself. For a fantasy, her voice sounded bad. Like after it sounded after being ill. It didn't matter, because Tancred sighed, leaning towards her and kissing her on the forehead. She wound her arms around his neck, keeping him there. He chuckled, moving so he could see her face.

"Lucas won't hurt you again," he said, surprising her. Who was that again? It didn't matter, she decided. She must have looked unsure because Tancred went on. "I took care of him. He didn't get my ability, and he's gone now, forever. You see, he had to touch my skin..." Tancred grinned, pulling his arm up so she could she a tightly wound bandage on his arm. It was skin colored and could only be noticed by staring particularly at the little breaks where the two strips joined. "I didn't hurt myself, but I've been wearing this for a while, just as a cautionary thing. I recognized what he was, and dind't want to be caught of guard..."

"How?" Emma didn't like this conversation, it was a little depressing. She only wanted Tancred to kiss her again.

"The way he looked, the things he did. My father, when he went to school here, met one like him. I was always half watching every endowed child to see if they developed other...talents. I thought....I thought you knew otherwise I wouldn't have ever let him come near you. I--I'm sorry." He hung his head. This was definitely depressing.

"Tancred," Emma said, lifting his head with her hand, which seemed weak and feeble (this troubled her a little), "I didn't see, but that's not your fault. I didn't want to, he was right...but don't blame yourself. It's done..."

"Right about what?"

Emma hesitated. "I am shallow. I couldn't see past him to notice what he really was. I..I wanted to be loved, and that was all that mattered. I didn't stop to think of who. I was selfish, stupid..." Emma looked down, ashamed.

"Emma," Tancred was staring at her furiously now, and she tried to realize the reason for the change. "You. Are. Not. Selfish." Wind swirled around them, a sudden loss of control, but Tancred quickly calmed himself again. "Don't ever believe that! You wanted to be happy...if anything I'm selfish. All I cared about was making you miserable....and I hate myself for it..." he glared at her, willing her to agree with him, and wishing she would forgive him.

"I don't care. It doesn't matter. Don't hate yourself, because otherwise you can't like anyone else. Please, for me..."

"For you?" Tancred said, suddenly smiling, "Anything."

And whether Emma was really dreaming or awake she never knew, nor did she care. She had her happily ever after, her Prince, and so life was nothing more than a sweet succession of lovely dreams.