The Blacksmith's Apprentice

by backtosmith

Sam Evans is the innkeeper's son. He was left at her doorstep and has no memory of his parents. When the life of one of his friends is threatened by a corrupt monarchy, Sam finds himself on the run, a fugitive. Along the way, he finds that he's not alone, hurt by these people. As his army grows, he finds that everyone has a story to tell and a life to fight for. Together, they can.

11. Chapter 11

Hey! So, I'm putting Mike into the story. But, I don't have enough plans for him that I can have him be a large part of the story, so when the team leaves Starryville, he's going to stay behind, because I really don't know how to fit him in and make him a good character after I've already gotten everybody some complete story lines. But he's there! So love me!

watch?v=avYxiIRG4xQ

watch?v=f7NENSbrSl4

watch?v=WLTI2rWAlV4

Starryville

Kurt Hummel groaned as he rolled out of bed and thunked on the floor next to it. He mumbled incoherently and grabbed for his blankets, attempting to curl back up to sleep.

"Hurry up!" His assistant yelled up to him.

Kurt groaned and stubbornly rolled his way over to the mirror. He groaned even louder, for his assistant's sake, as he stood up and looked at himself. She had light, unblemished pale skin, and a swoopy mop of perfectly coifed hair atop his head. He smiled at himself and arranged his hair so that it was presentable before he slumped down the stairs, making as much noise as possible so that his assistant knew just how much it annoyed him to be awake at such an early hour.

"Oh don't blame me." The Asian man said tiredly. "It's not my fault you're a guard."

"No, it's mine, Mike Chang." He groaned. "I knew I should've pretended not to be as awesome as I am."

His assistant laughed and Kurt cracked a smile and sat down as Mike poured him some coffee from the kettle. Kurt thanked him and took a sip, letting it sit for a moment before washing it down.

Without coffee, Kurt would no doubt fall asleep at his post, and then he wouldn't be surprised if the King found out and had him executed or something. He considered coffee to be his life saver in that regard.

"One day until Festival." Mike smiled at him, attempting to brighten his day.

It worked.

"Oh yeah!" Kurt beamed, practically vibrating with excitement. "One more sleep!"

"Yep!" The other man smiled, and then sighed. "How doesn't it depress you?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Kurt stood up and walked towards the front door, his assistant stepping along behind him.

"Oh I don't know, only getting to see the sun once a year is kind of a downer." Mike drawled sarcastically.

Kurt sighed as he stepped outside onto the normally crowded streets of Starryville. Normally the city was filled with the 'different' citizens of the Kingdom, but no normal 'different' citizen got up before six in the morning.

"Well?" Mike asked expectantly.

"I don't know." Kurt shrugged.

He crossed to the dressing rooms set up for the Elite Guard just outside of the gates. "I guess I just think it's only temporary. One day there'll be equality for everybo-"

"Oh not your equality kick again..." Mike groaned and Kurt glared at him as he stepped inside, almost hitting Mike with the door.

"What's wrong with equality?" He demanded as he changed in private.

"Nothing! We're just not going to get it! We've all been stuck in this God-forsaken city since the old King died. We're different Kurt, and that means we don't get the same rights as normal people." Mike said spitefully.

"Hey!" Kurt snapped as he slipped his gear on, leather knee and elbow pads, and a leather chest guard. He grabbed his Imperial sword and set it in the scabbard, then slipped his Imperial shield over his shoulders. "We are normal people!"

"Not in the King's eyes." Mike said dryly.

Kurt rolled his eyes and stormed back out of the changing room, walking towards the gate and pausing at the bottom of the ladder.

"Our day will come. I'll get equality if it kills me." He said and began climbing.

"With that attitude, it will." Mike said. "Remember, you're performing tomorrow! So make sure you're at the Festival on time!"

"I always am." Kurt rolled his eyes again and looked out at the exit to Whitemist Forest.

He sighed to himself, time for another day, sitting atop the city walls, looking to keep away people that never came. Though...he was almost positive that Whitemist Forest had been looking different of late, almost like the mist had dispersed.

Kurt shook his head.

That didn't make any sense. That mist had been there longer than Kurt had been alive. He was probably just overtired.

---

Quinn frowned at Blaine as she looked up at the sky; the sun seemed to be slowly fading from view.

"The days feel like they're getting so much shorter." She complained.

"That's because they are." Mercedes frowned, looking up at the sky beside her. "That means we're getting closer..." She sighed.

"What do you mean?" Tina asked.

Mercedes sighed.

"It's kind of a long story, I'll tell you later."

The three girls moved forwards and Blaine stayed behind, looking up at the waning sun and smiling. He was in a good mood. In fact, he couldn't remember a time when he'd been in a better mood! He'd had the best dream ever the night before, and it had inspired him to the point where he didn't feel like he had to worry about being loved anymore!

He looked ahead to find Rachel walking by herself beside Santana who was shamelessly attempting -and failing- to flirt with Brittney. Blaine grinned and walked up behind his sister, grabbing her by the waist and startling her.

"You're the worst." She laughed, slapping him away and falling back to walk beside him.

He grinned cheesily at her.

"Maybe." He said.

She shook her head and smiled at him.

"How are you?" She asked. "I feel like we haven't talked in forever!"

"We haven't!" He nodded. "So much other stuff has happened, first with Violetedge being torched, then the whole Santana thing, then back to Ostvale, Quinn dying, Tina and that witch. We haven't really had much time to just hang out, brother and sister, you know?"

"Yeah, we really haven't!" Rachel frowned.

"Quinn and I are official!" Blaine offered.

Quinn, hearing her name, turned and smiled broadly, thumbs up-ing.

"That's great!" Rachel burst out, staring at them both. "Though, I guess it shouldn't really be that surprising to me...I mean, you were almost eating one another's faces when you brought her back from the dead..."

"We were not!" Quinn called out, aghast. She turned back to her conversation with a huff.

"You so were." Rachel snickered to Blaine and he rolled his eyes and elbowed her.

"Well how about your love life?" He asked quietly.

She turned to stare at him, wide-eyed.

"What love life? I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about Blaine Anderson!" She squeaked.

He raised his eyebrows.

"Blaine Anderson? Really? You're going to try and hide it from me? Me?" He asked.

Rachel deflated.

"You should go for it!" Blaine said. "Sam's a great guy! You deserve to have love in your life."

"I have-"

"From more than just me." Blaine laughed. "But seriously, what's the harm. We could die tomorrow, and then you'll never know what could've happened."

"What if what happens is bad?" Rachel hissed, a million awful scenarios steaming through her mind.

"Than at least you'll know."

Rachel fell silent and Blaine smiled at her, practically watching the wheels in her head turn. She sighed, clearly more confused than ever.

"Hey!" Blaine laughed, rubbing her arm and pulling her close to him. "I love you big sister." He grinned.

"I love you too little brother." She grinned and shook her head.

---

Tina looked pointedly at Finn as he attempted to bore a hole in the back of Kitty's head with his vision.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Trying to see through her skull, into her brain, and into her thoughts."

"And how's that going for you?"

"It will work I tell you!" He insisted.

Tina smacked him and he scowled, but stood upright.

Night had fallen long ago, but the moon did not appear to be going anywhere fast. Tina had contemplated this as they walked. She was an educated girl, but she saw no reason for the moon to stay perfectly still. Surely in the span of five hours its position would've shifted, at least slightly! It also felt like it had gotten dark far earlier than was normal...

"Stop worrying so much!" She snapped at Finn. "It's not like she's going to kill us all in our sleep!"

"I know..." Finn frowned. "I just have a bad feeling-"

"Hey!" A voice called out. "Stop right there!"

---

Kurt couldn't believe it. In all of his years working as a member of the Elite Guard, nothing exciting had happened. Like ever. Not since his friend had left him behind... though it wasn't like Kurt blamed her, he'd encouraged the escape.

Now, there were ten odd people in front of him. He didn't linger too long on any faces, but stared at the ones in the front, the clear leaders; a cute blonde haired boy, and a mousy looking girl with brown hair and daggers.

What was he supposed to do? Kurt had no idea, he knew that the King told him that she was supposed to turn any normal people away, for fear of intercultural contamination, but...this was exciting! He didn't want to let them go!

But if he was caught, he'd be killed, and then he'd be of no help to anybody in his fight for equality.

"You have to leave." Kurt sighed.

The brown haired girl stepped forwards, clearly with a sense of direction.

"We need to get through!" She said.

"Then you'll have to go around, I'm sorry." Kurt frowned.

The blonde boy stepped forwards, looking up at him.

"Why can't we just pass through?" He asked.

"Because you're white." Kurt said plainly, frowning.

The group of people looked around at one another, blinking in a stunned confusion.

"But you're white…" A lanky muscular boy said uncomfortably.

"Yeah, but I'm gay." He shrugged.

"Oh hell no!" A fiery looking Latina girl with half-swords stepped forwards, finger waved in preparation for sassiness.

"Kurt!" Another voice rang out.

He looked through the crowd, trying to place it. Slowly they all parted, stepping slowly away from a girl who had been hidden near the middle. A girl with darker skin. A girl who was all too familiar.

"Mercedes..." Kurt whispered.

It was her. It was his old friend, from so long ago! Kurt had been the main proponent of Mercedes's flight from Coal, and it had worked. When Mercedes left, Coal stopped returning to Starryville. In fact, he hadn't seen him since! He wasn't even sure he was still alive.

"Let them through." Mercedes said.

And he did.

---

"Kurt, I have to advise against this! This is strictly against the orders of the King! You could be killed if anybody were to find out!" Mike as he walked onwards.

Kurt ignored him as he stepped up the steps of his house. He opened the door and beckoned for the ten of them to walk through ahead of him. They all cast irritated glances at his assistant as he continued to ramble on, except for Tina, who looked at him with a peculiar expression.

"I'm in charge. I'm an Elite Guard member, and I say, you tell nobody. Besides, it's not as if anybody in this town is going to care. We have nothing against white people, just the King and his court. For all they know, most of them are gay, and the others are Latina, Black and Asian, so there."

"Yes but-" Whatever else the assistant was about to say was cut off as Kurt slammed the door in his face.

He closed his eyes and leaned against the wood, breathing a deep sigh of relief. He could almost feel Mike's voice grating against his skin. He meant well, but he was so annoyingly logical sometimes.

Kurt opened his eyes and looked at the group assembled in front of him.

"I don't want to be rude, but what the hell is going on?" He snapped, overwhelmed. "Who are you people?"

Mercedes stepped forwards and looked around at the other nine.

"I'm Sam!" The tall, cuty blonde haired boy said, leaning against the table beside a pretty dark haired girl.

"Rachel." She said.

"I'm Blaine." A dark haired boy sitting cross-legged on the ground raised his hand.

"I'm Quinn." A girl with beautiful wavy blonde hair sitting next to him said primly.

"Tina." A smiling Asian waved lightly from the opposite side of the room.

"I!" The muscular one started. "Am Finn."

"I'm Brittney."

"Santana."

"I'm Kitty."

"And you already know me." Mercedes said.

"Nice to meet you all." Kurt smiled. "So what the hell is going on?"

"Umm..." Mercedes smiled, almost guiltily. "We're all sort of a little bit on the run from the entire Imperial Army."

Kurt stared at her, open mouthed.

"Oh well if it's just a little bit." He said sarcastically. "How are you all-?"

"We may be trying to dethrone him." Mercedes continued. "Quinn, Rachel and Blaine are all escaped prisoners. Finn's an illegal mage. Sam, Brittney, Santana and I all aided fugitives. Tina and Kitty really don't need to be here but..."

"The King's a fucking asshole." Kitty supplied.

"Yeah..." Mercedes shrugged in agreement.

Kurt slid to the ground. Not only had he just illegally let ten people into the city, eight of them were wanted criminals!

"That can't be the only reason." Kurt shook his head.

"The King is destroying the lives of innocent people." Rachel started. "It's because of him that Blaine and I have no real parents. Maybe they'd have been normal if they never worked for him. Maybe they never would've tried to sacrifice us to send a message to the rest of the Kingdom."

"He killed his own daughter!" Tina said. "And he cut off Fayhaven's main industry, sending the entire village into economic instability."

Kitty and Finn nodded in agreement.

"He steals children from their homes to discourage people rioting up against him." Quinn added. "Well, because of those actions, he's started a riot. We don't have a choice, somebody has to stop him!"

Kurt let all of this sink in. Not rejecting the idea; after all, he had always vowed to make a difference. Maybe this was the chance he'd been waiting for. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

"If the King is killed..." Mercedes started. "Light will return to Starryville. His magic, the spell, it would be lifted."

Kurt gasped and looked up.

That was true. He'd never thought about it but...the King's death would mean equality for everybody, and that was what he truly wanted, right?

But was he really willing to risk his life that openly? What chance did they have against the Imperial Army?

"You should join us." Sam stepped forward.

Kurt swallowed nervously.

"Stay here. At least until the Festival of Light is over tomorrow night. I'll come up with a decision by then, I promise."

---

"Mercedes?" Kurt knocked lightly on the door.

It swung in and he looked in at where Mercedes was looking around at her old room. It hadn't changed since she'd left; Kurt had refused to change it. Even if it was tacky and over-the-top with a terrible color pallet.

"Yeah?" Mercedes asked, sniffling slightly.

"Are you alright?" Kurt asked.

"Fine!" She smiled and waved off her friend's concern. "Just...it's so sad to think of all he took from me."

"Well, look on the bright side..." Kurt smiled. "You'd never have met those guys if he hadn't!"

Mercedes smiled again and nodded.

"You're right." She said. "What did you want?"

"Could you go pick up some blankets from the general store? We don't have enough."

"Sure!"

---

"One of these things is not like the other ones..." Blaine sang awkwardly as Mercedes led him through town.

"I feel your pain bro." Sam said awkwardly.

Brittney nodded in agreement.

Blaine paused.

"Three of these things are not like the-"

"Stop it!" Mercedes laughed.

It was true; every single resident of Starryville stared at the three white people shamelessly. Mercedes had almost never seen a white person walking with a local in Starryville who wasn't Coal, and most citizens had been too scared of him to stare for too long. Most white passerbys who were let into the city just sped through to the other side, too afraid of the King's wrath to stick around for too long.

Kurt was white, but he was clearly gay, and the few other white males were just as clear. Gays who could pass as straight hadn't been caught by the King, so most lesbians had escaped this issue as well.

"Why did we have to come?" Blaine asked curiously.

"I need you to carry blankets!" Mercedes said.

"Liar. It's because you're in love with us." Sam said.

"That's true." Mercedes nodded. "I'm gonna marry all three of you, and we'll have beautiful blackish babies."

"You'll have to run that by Quinn, Santana and Rachel." Blaine laughed.

"Why?" Brittney asked, totally confused.

"No you won't." Sam said simultaneously.

"Guys, are you serious?" Mercedes stared at them like they were stupid before shaking her head and leading them into the store.

It took them a while to pick out blankets. Mercedes was surprised by how picky the others became when she gave them free reign. She was just getting ready to pay, when something stopped her short.

"Hello Mercedes."

Slowly, she turned to face the man who had haunted her nightmares for years. One by one the others turned with her.

"Coal..." Sam whispered.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered.

"What was that?" Coal smiled coldly at her. "I couldn't quite catch i-"

"What are you doing here!" She yelled.

He blinked and took a step back. Blaine reached forwards and touched Mercedes's arm, not to hold her back, but to show her that she was among friends. Nothing was going to hurt her anymore. Least of all Coal.

"I...you belong to me!" Coal said.

"Excuse me?" Mercedes glared at him. "Boy, I am tired of you thinking I'm your plaything. That's why I left you in the first place! I left everything I knew just to get away from you."

"You don't just leave me! Nobody leaves me!" Coal snapped.

"Come on Mercedes, let's go." Sam said, trying to avoid a showdown.

"No." Brittney stepped forwards, stepping between Coal and Mercedes. "Let her talk."

"You think any of these peasants can give you what I could. One isn't even a man! You don't love them. As hard as you try, you'll never be able to let me go! You're obsessed." He snapped; his words so sharp that Mercedes recoiled, staring at the ground.

"Hey! Shut up!" Brittney growled, stepping forwards.

"Was I talking to you?" Coal said coldly.

"Maybe you're right." Mercedes looked up, glaring at Coal. Brittney stepped out of the way, as if her vision could burn a hole right through her. "Maybe I'll never stop loving you, but I can still move on, and one day, I'll find true love. Somebody who deserves all the love I have to give, and who's willing to give it back times ten. That somebody isn't you, Coal."

She turned and began to walk towards the exit, the boys leading the way.

-Musical Cue-

-Kelly Clarkson: Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)

"You're nothing without me!" Coal snarled after her.

Mercedes stopped.

I'm nothing with you. She realized.

"You know the bed feels warmer..." She sang softly. "Sleepin' here alone."

She felt the others slowly back away, giving her space.

"You know I dream in color," She nodded to herself. "And do the things I want."

She whipped around and glared at him.

"You think you got the best of me. Think you've had the last laugh, bet you think that everything good is gone." She tossed her head. "Think you left me broken down. Think that I'd come running back. Baby you don't know me cause you're dead wrong."

She put a hand on her hip, flipped her hair and began strutting to the beat, marching Coal backwards.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone!" He shoved at her and she ducked under it, shoving him back. "What doesn't kill you makes a fighter! Footsteps even lighter! Doesn't mean I'm over, cause you're gone!"

She turned away from him and smiled at her three friends, who smiled proudly at her.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger! Just me, myself and I!" She tossed a sassy look over her shoulder. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone."

Blaine stepped forwards and she skipped towards him.

"You heard that I was starting over with someone new." She crooned, pivoting into a dip from Blaine and smiling up at him.

"They told you I was moving on, over you!" She grinned as Sam pulled her hand and snapped her back to her feet, pressed tightly against him.

"You didn't that I'd come back, I'd come back swingin'!" She sang, stepping away and walking in a circle around Brittney. "You tried to break me but you see-"

She whipped her head back towards Coal, who was watching in shock.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone!" She started strutting towards him again and he cringed. "What doesn't kill you makes a fighter! Footsteps even lighter! Doesn't mean I'm over, cause you're gone!"

She stood strong in front of him this time, staring him in the face.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger! Just me, myself and I!" She took another step forwards and he stumbled backwards. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone."

She reached out and shoved him backwards.

"Thanks to you I got a new thing started!"

She shoved him again.

"Thanks to you I'm not the broken hearted!"

She shoved him again.

"Thanks to you I'm finally thinkin' bout me."

She shoved him once more and he fell backwards, landing roughly on the floor.

"You know in the end, the day you left was just my beginning."

She smiled pityingly down at him.

"In the end..."

She turned away and practically leapt out the doors of the store, grinning and belting out the rest of the song with the others laughing and cheering behind her, and village people belting out the background parts.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" She belted as loudly as she could as she ran down the streets, leaping through the air with glee. "What doesn't kill you makes a fighter! Footsteps even lighter! Doesn't mean I'm over, cause you're gone!"

She'd done it! She'd shown Coal that she wasn't his to command.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger! Just me, myself and I!" She looked back at the store and scoffed to find Coal standing in the doorway, trembling with rage. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone."

She knew in her heart that Coal wasn't going to give up their whereabouts. That would mean admitting that he'd lost. And oh, how he'd lost.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger! Just me, myself and I!" Mercedes smiled cheerily back at him just before turning the corner. He was out of sight, and out of her heart. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone."

As horribly as he had hurt her. She was stronger because of it.

"When I'm alone."

---

Brittney yawned as he threw a blanket over one of the beds in Kurt's unusually large house. As a member of the Imperial Guard he'd scored one of the biggest plots of land in the 'Mutant City'. There were six bedrooms scattered about the house. Kurt had offered to bunk with Mercedes, and Sam had managed to score his own. Blaine and Quinn had decided not to room together, and he'd gone with Finn, while Quinn went to bunk with his sister instead. Kitty and Tina had taken another of the rooms, and Brittney had managed to wander her way into the last one available.

She heard somebody clear their throat and turned to find Santana leaning innocently against the doorframe, dressed for bed in a nightdress that barely went to her mid-thigh.

"Hey!" Brittney smiled cheerfully.

"Hey." She nodded back, voice low and gravelly. "All the other beds seem to be full." She smiled softly and batted her eyelashes. "And I'm just so tired...looks like I'll just have to sleep in here..."

She left the 'with you' unspoken in the air between them.

Brittney shrugged, not picking up on it at all.

"Oh alright! I'll go bunk with Sam!" She smiled warmly at her and walked out.

Santana groaned and fell back onto the bed, smacking herself in the face.

She really needed to step her game up. Or Brittney had to get less clueless. One or the other.

---

Kurt looked up at the sky as the thinnest hints of sunlight began to filter through the magic and into the city. The roof beneath her was cold, and uncomfortable, but he couldn't help but smile when she saw the sun in the distance.

Living in Starryville was a depressing way to live. He craved the sun; it was a symbol for him! A symbol of light, and hope! Every year he would crawl out onto the roof and watch the sun climb over the horizon, bathing the town in a new light.

He hated the King for what he'd done to them.

It was this hatred that made him pause and wonder about Sam's invitation.

Kurt sighed, frowning and leaning back. He heard the sound of a window opening and turned to find Mercedes clambering out onto the roof with a smile on her face that could melt ice with its warmth.

"I thought I'd find you here." Mercedes smiled, edging down the slope until she was resting near Kurt, looking out at the sun. "You always came out here to watch the sun."

"What's it like, seeing it shining every day?" Kurt asked, turning his head to look at his friend.

Mercedes considered this. The first day she left Starryville, the sun had filled her with such promise, such hope and belief that she was doing the right thing. After that, its significance had faded, for a while.

When Sam and Quinn arrived in Violetedge, and started telling her that the Crystals of Hope had lit up, she had looked at light in a different way. She considered it the embodiment of hope. As long as the sun still shone, there was still a world to protect, somewhere. There would always be shadows lurking in the darkness, but after every night there was a day. That was something she wouldn't ever take for granted.

"Inspiring." She finally decided.

Kurt sighed wistfully.

"You can see it, you know." Mercedes smiled at him.

"I'm seeing it now." Kurt said defensively.

Mercedes looked at him pointedly and Kurt sighed.

"It's almost certain death." Kurt said.

Mercedes shrugged.

"Maybe. But you're a soldier. You fight for a cause, right?" She asked. Kurt nodded. "Well than join us, fight for the people in Ostvale who have to live like criminals all because some innocent people got caught up in an ugly situation. Fight for the people who lost their homes in Violetedge because the King didn't care enough to properly search the area. Fight for the Fayhaven people who have no economic stability. Fight for the people from Starryville who only want equality."

Equality... Kurt sighed and leaned back. That was what he wanted more than anything. Equality for him and his people. It wasn't fair that one man and his court stood in the way of that! People deserved the same basic human rights regardless of skin color, or gender, or background! There was no such thing as a perfect person, so it was useless for the King to shun all those who didn't meet the standards of his court.

Kurt set his jaw and nodded.

"I'll do it."

Somebody had to bring the King down, if not for him than for all the people of Starryville, and the rest of the Kingdom beyond that.

Mercedes smiled at him.

"I knew you couldn't resist."

Kurt laughed and nodded.

There was a lot of overdue ass kicking he had to make up for.

---

The Festival Of Light

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Kurt paused dramatically at his front door, hand on the knob. The group before him all snickered slightly at his dramatics. "The Festival of Light!"

He opened his door and they all gasped.

"Holy shit..." Finn stepped out first, into the town plaza.

The town, in the daylight, was beautiful. The sun glinted off of onyx roofs and cherry wood. The people of Starryville gave off such joy that they couldn't help but smile. The sun itself may have been commonplace to them, but witnessing such joy at something so simple was not.

Kurt watched as the others filtered through the door, gasping in awe at his city. Mercedes smiled at him as she passed and Sam nodded as well. Kurt followed him out and closed the door as he passed.

"This is the town center!" Kurt said. "Starryville is a pretty lively place anyways, but the people really come alive during the Festival!" He smiled.

He began leading them forwards into the town, pointing out a few people or places here and there. After a while, they all lapsed into a contented silence and he found himself walking next to Sam.

"I'll join you." He said.

Sam looked down at him as if he'd known that she would come around. He probably had known actually.

"You will?" He asked.

Kurt nodded.

"Great!" Sam clapped him on the back. "Happy to have you aboard!"

"This way, everyday can be this great!" Kurt smiled looking around. "As long as you allow it. And if it isn't, maybe the next one will be!"

Sam chuckled, legitimately touched by his optimism.

"I'm tired of being oppressed anyways." Kurt smiled.

He and Sam both looked around as several passing townspeople chimed in.

"I feel that!"

"Preach!"

"Yes! Finally!"

"About time somebody trounced that asshole."

Kurt laughed. "My people seem to agree with me."

There was an impatient huffing noise from nearby and the group turned to find Mike Chang looking frustrated.

"Oh!" Kurt jumped. "I totally forgot! I have to go to the stage now, you guys feel free to look around! The Starryville people are friendly I promise! They don't bite! Well...only a little."

He ran off into the crowd, with Mike struggling to keep up.

Meanwhile, Santana was watching Brittney intently. She had a plan, and perhaps it was time to act it out. Step one of her plan, was to get Brittney to a cheerful, cut-loose environment where they could both loosen up and forget that they were fugitives for a while.

She looked around, scanning the storefronts and jumped when she spotted a bar with a loudly painted sign proclaiming it the Dark Horse's Bar.

"Hey! Brittney! Come with me!" She grabbed the other girl's arm and began hauling her away.

"Alright." Brittney smiled a smile so friendly that Santana wanted to punch her in the face. "Why?"

"Cause...I...Never mind why!"

"Think she'll finally clue in?" Blaine asked aloud as Brittney and Santana vanished.

"I doubt it." Sam shrugged.

"Girl's kinda clueless." Mercedes agreed. She shook her head and turned around. "If anybody wants, I can be a tour guide!"

"Oh!" Tina perked up. "Okay!"

She skipped over to the dark-skinned girl and turned to look back at the others. Finn was watching Kitty so intently that Tina was pretty sure he might bore holes in the side of her head.

Sighing in exasperation, she leaned over to Quinn and told her to entertain Kitty while Tina kept Finn from jumping her until he forced a real-talk out of her. Quinn nodded, laughing and Tina reached out for Finn's arm.

"Come on Finn, join us!" She smiled and began to follow Mercedes off into the crowd. When they were far enough away, she leaned in again. "Calm down and enjoy the day. You can talk to her tonight, but don't ruin this festival for yourself."

---

Kitty watched as the other three left and looked around at Sam, Rachel, Quinn and Blaine. She frowned, slightly uncomfortable to be away from Finn, who was her only real link to this group. But Rachel had shown her a lot of kindness, and so had Sam! She still didn't know why, really, but they had...

"Kitty!" Quinn yelled for the third time and she jumped, startled out of her thought process.

"You wanna come bet on how long it takes Brittney to figure out Santana's into her?" Blaine asked toothily.

"You guys, really?" Rachel asked.

"Yep." Quinn nodded.

"It's funny!" Blaine laughed and the couple reached out for Kitty's hands, pulling her along with them.

As they passed, Blaine leaned in to whisper in his sister's ear.

"Go for it!" He hissed. "You only live once!"

"Tell that to Quinn." Rachel hissed back.

She sighed, scowling as Blaine, Quinn and Kitty walked away. She looked up to find Sam looking at her peculiarly.

"Tell what to Quinn?"

"...That her...hair...is...pretty." Rachel stammered.

"Ah...yeah, it is pretty." He agreed, though it was clear he didn't believe Rachel's lie. "I guess we're on our own then."

"I guess so." Rachel nodded.

"Alright everybody!" Kurt yelled suddenly from the stage and Rachel and Sam turned to face him. "I'm gonna kick off this festival with a slower song about feelin' good, so pair up and have a good time! It's gonna be a great day!"

Pair up and have a good time...

Pair up...

Pair up!?

Rachel and Sam both froze.

---

"You have to wait for the right moment!" Tina finished and Finn nodded, though it was clear that he was still confused.

"How will I know when the right moment is?"

"It'll come." Tina promised him.

"-and that's where the creepy flasher guy lives so we'll go down this side street because really, nobody needs to see that." Mercedes continued on with her tour that neither Finn nor Tina were really paying attention to.

"What if I miss it?" Finn asked and Tina groaned and looked away.

"You won't!" She insisted, letting her eyes wander over the stalls. "Oh..."

She stopped short and Mercedes turned around, looking at her curiously.

"What?"

"That's just...that's such a pretty cross!" Tina stepped forwards towards a jewellery storefront set up in the shade of the bazaar. "You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up." She said absently as she approached.

Finn shrugged and Mercedes hesitantly led him away into the crowd.

Tina smiled softly as she looked at the beautiful silver cross necklace set up on a wooden podium. There was a ribbon made of sapphire carved around the cross itself, glinting in the light that pierced through a small rip in the awning overhead.

She looked around at the other jewels for a moment, taking in everything from bracelets to hair pieces to engagement rings all over the stall. None of them drew her eye as much as the silver cross with the sapphire ribbon.

"You!" An old woman called out and Tina squeaked in surprise as a withered dark skinned woman stepped out of the shade. Tina hadn't seen her as she approached the stand, too focused on the cross to pay much attention to anything else. "You have it!"

"Umm...not yet! But I'd like to buy it, how much?" Tina reached around for the opening in her bag and began to fish through for some silver coins.

"No, not the cross." The woman said. "The ability!"

Tina paused, hand still half stuck in her bag.

"...What ability?"

"The ability I've been waiting for! I can see it!" The old woman said. "I'll tell you what, you can have that cross for free if you accept a small gift from me."

"Umm...okay?" Tina was so confused, she looked from side to side but neither Mercedes nor Finn were anywhere in sight.

"Providence!" The old woman cheered before hurrying into her shop and bustling around for a few minutes. She came out again covered in dust, with a book in her hands that looked even older and more brittle than the woman herself.

The woman handed it to Tina and then grabbed the cross necklace, walking out from behind the stall and behind her. The woman draped the necklace across Tina's chest and clasped it in the back.

"This necklace is supposed to help the user harness their manna." She said.

"Manna?" Tina was totally rattled at this point.

"You'll learn as you go." The old lady said. She smiled, turned and walked back into the building behind her. "Goodbye child!"

Tina shook her head and looked down at the book in her hands. Two words were carved elegantly into the thick cover.

"White Magic...?"

Shaking her head, she slipped it in her bag and turned to find her way back to town square.

---

-Musical Cue-

-Michael Buble: Feeling Good-

"Birds flying high..." Kurt sang, close her eyes and letting the music sink into his body. "You know how I feel..."

Rachel swallowed nervously.

"Sun in the sky." Kurt opened his eyes and looked up at the sky, smiling brightly. "You know how I feel..."

Sam took a deep breath.

"Breeze driftin' on by...You know how I feel."

Sam stepped forwards.

"It's a new dawn."

He offered his hand.

"It's a new day."

Rachel accepted it.

"It's a new life..."

He pulled her in.

"For me... And I'm feelin' good." Kurt smiled and began to groove to the music as more instruments jumped in. Rachel and Sam slowly began to sway as well. "I'm feelin' good."

Rachel felt her heart begin to race as she looked up into Sam's face.

"Fish in the sea, you know how I feel." Kurt nodded and smiled as he looked out at the dancing couples. "River running free, you know how I feel...Blossom on the tree! You know how I feel. It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, for me... and I'm feelin' good."

Sam couldn't deny it, dancing with Rachel made his pulse quicken, and his face felt hot. He looked down and found her looking at him and his breath caught in his throat.

"Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean don't you know! Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean!" Kurt sang, getting even more into the song. "Sleep and peace when day is done, that's what I mean. And this old world, is a new world and a bold world for me!"

Rachel felt her mouth go dry.

"For me!"

All of her doubts felt like they were flying out of her mind as she looked up into Sam's eyes. She saw undeniable love looking back at her. She could barely hear Kurt's singing over the beating of her own heart. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

Sam was so lost in the moment that he was almost positive that if Rachel let go, he would fall to the ground. When he looked in her eyes, he saw how much she wanted him back, and that was all the indication he needed.

"Stars when you shine, you know how I feel!"

Sam reached down and tilted Rachel's chin up.

" Scent of the pine, you know how I feel!" Kurt belted, nodding fiercely and raising his hands into the air. "Oh freedom is mine! And I know how I feel! It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life!"

Rachel gulped nervously.

"It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life!"

Slowly, Sam began pulling her towards him.

"It's a new dawn! It's a new day! It's a new life! It's a new life, for me!" Kurt wailed. "And I'm feelin' good..."

Rachel paused just as their lips were about to touch.

"I'm feelin' good..."

Rachel shook her head and pulled away, covering her mouth with her hand.

"I feel so good..."

Sam sighed and covered his eyes in embarrassment.

"I feel so good..."

As the music faded away, Sam and Rachel looked at one another with almost tangible awkwardness lingering in the air between them.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-" He started, but Rachel shook her head.

"I love you." She said quickly, because she knew that if she took time to debate saying it, she'd never say it. "I've loved you since I tripped over that rake in Santana's barn and you caught me. You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now."

"Then-"

"No." Rachel shook her head. "Let me finish."

"Okay."

"I love you, but I don't want to have to worry about you every time I'm running for my life, which is often! I already worry more than I should, but if we become something, then I'll never be able to go on if something were to happen to you!"

"Nothing will happen-"

"You don't know that." She shook her head. "I've lost so much in my life already, and I don't want to let you in just to have you ripped away again! We're going into battle Sam, and we all know that we could die. Any one of us! The stronger my feelings are, the less I'll be able to keep living if you die."

She fell silent and he sighed, but nodded.

"I see where you're coming from. If the idea of the two of us worries you that much, than you don't have to think about it. At least not yet, alright?" He asked. She opened her mouth to respond but he cut her off. "And I love you too..."

Rachel closed her eyes and sighed.

"Thank you." She said.

"Here, let's go find the others." He turned and walked off into the crowd, Rachel trailing close behind her, both possibly even more confused than they'd been when they began. All of the information was out there...and now they just had to figure out what to do with it.

Slowly, Tina crept out of the crowd behind them, practically squealing at the cute, flustered situation. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face as she watched Sam and Rachel walk off. She'd seen the whole thing, and she was not about to let her knowledge go to waste. Maybe neither of them knew what had to be done, but Tina had an idea, and Tina, being Tina, had a plan!

---

Blaine sipped casually from his glass as he, Quinn and Kitty sat at the bar watching Santana attempt to seduce Brittney.

"Wait..." Brittney started. "If I fell from heaven, wouldn't I have had to die? If I were already dead, why would it have hurt when I fell from heaven? Let's ask Quinn!"

"No Brittney..." Santana slumped forwards, banging her head on the table that they were sitting at. "Just...never mind."

Blaine held out his hand and Quinn scowled as she fished another copper coin out of her bag to hand over.

"That makes twelve." He said.

They all looked to the door as Mercedes and Finn walked in.

"Where's Tina?" Santana asked.

"She went to find Sam and Rachel." Mercedes answered.

As if on cue, Sam and Rachel stepped through the doors. Blaine and Quinn looked to one another, set their drinks on the counter and practically leapt off of their stools on the way to the twosome.

Blaine grabbed Rachel's arm and pulled her to one side of the room while Quinn dragged Sam off to the other side.

"You two are so subtle." Sam said sarcastically to Quinn.

"See, because I'm drunk, I don't have to be subtle." Quinn said seriously.

"I see your logic." Sam said flatly.

"Thanks!" Quinn smiled. "So how'd it go?"

Tina walked into the bar as Sam began to explain. The preacher's daughter looked around, taking in Kitty observing everybody from the bar, Blaine looking disappointedly at his sister, Santana banging her head against the table with Brittney, Mercedes and Finn ordering drinks, and finally, Sam talking to a very dissatisfied looking Quinn.

"Sam!" Tina called out.

He turned, looking relieved for the interruption. If he was looking for a reprieve from talking about Rachel, he was going to be quite disappointed.

"Can I talk to you outside?" She asked.

"Sure!" Sam nodded and the pair made a hasty escape.

Quinn scowled and stomped back over to Kitty, sitting down next to her and folding her arms.

"I take it Sam and Rachel are not a thing?"

"Why can't anybody see how great it is to have somebody to love?" Quinn slurred.

"Like you and Blaine?"

"I mean, his love brought me back from the dead? Why wouldn't you want something like that in your life?"

Kitty looked over at Santana and Brittney, then to Rachel.

"Well, maybe they do, but they're just scared. Maybe they're scared to trust somebody that much, to let them in. It's just like friendship, sometimes it's hard to know who to trust, and who is lying to you just so you go along with their plan!" Kitty frowned.

Quinn also frowned.

"I don't really follow...Are you alright?" Quinn asked, scooting closer. "Here, talk to me, I'm secretly sober."

She promptly fell off the stool.

"Mmhmm..." Kitty nodded doubtfully.

"Ah!" Santana screamed. "I don't mean that I'm actually planning to rearrange the alphabet! I was trying to...agh! You know what? It's time for my last resort!"

-Musical Cue-

-Nicki Minaj: Turn Me On-

Santana stood up and stormed away from the table and onto the stage, shoving chairs that were set up for a string band out of the way. The instrumentalists scattered and Santana whipped around, staring directly at Brittney as the others turned to watch in disbelief.

"Doctor doctor need you bad, hold me babe." She sang, center stage, feet planted. "Doctor doctor where you at? Gimme something. I need your love, I need your love, I need your lovin', you got that kinda medicine that keeps me comin'!"

Santana extended her arms and caught Brittney's eye, trying to finally convey her attraction. Mercedes jumped up and led the others in clapping to the beat and Brittney looked around, bewildered.

"My body needs a hero, come and save me! Somethin' tells me you know how to save me!" Santana lowered her eyes and began tapping her foot. "I been feelin' real low, oh I need you to come and rescue me!"

As she oohed, Santana closed her eyes and folded in on herself.

"Make me come alive! Come on and turn me on!" She snapped her eyes forwards and began bobbing sharply to the beat. "Touch me, save my life, come on and turn me on! I'm too young to die come on and turn me on! Turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on!"

She leapt forwards and strutted towards the front of the stage, flipping her hair.

"Make me come alive, come on and turn me on!" She reached the end of the stage and leapt forwards onto their table. "Touch me, save my life, come on and turn me on! I'm too young to die, come on and turn me on! Turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on!"

Brittney looked up at her, eyes widened as Santana grabbed her shirt and pulled her onto the table with her and slowly began circling her.

"Girl I'm achin', make it right! My temperature is super high! If I scream, if I cry...it's only cause I feel alive!"

Santana stopped in front of her and looked at her through lidded eyes.

"My body needs a hero, come and save me! Somethin' tells me you know how to save me!" Santana shrugged and looked at her bashfully. "I been feelin' real low, oh I need you to come and rescue me!"

As she oohed, Santana raised her hands to Brittney's chest. As soon as the music picked up she shoved her off the table and turned, jumping back onto the stage.

"Make me come alive! Come on and turn me on!" She popped her chest and then whipped her hair and Mercedes whooped loudly, Rachel and Blaine followed suit. "Touch me, save my life, come on and turn me on! I'm too young to die come on and turn me on! Turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on!"

She strutted back to the front of the stage, snapping sassily and leaning down to get in Brittney's face.

"Make me come alive, come on and turn me on!" She grabbed her and pulled her onto the stage and spun out and then into a dip. "Touch me, save my life, come on and turn me on!"

Santana popped her up again and turned to back Brittney up again to the front of the stage. Brittney stumbled and fell onto the ground.

"I'm too young to die, come on and turn me on! Turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on!"

Santana knelt down to her level and grabbed her hand as the music softened.

"You've got my life in the palm of your hand." She sang honestly. "Come and save me now, I know you can."

She stood up again and took to the center of stage as the others cheered loudly.

"D-d-d-don't let me die young, I just want you to fatha my young! I just want you to be my docta, we can get it crackin' chiropractor, I-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i I know you can save me...and make me feel alive!" She broke back into the chorus and the entire bar began jumping along to the high energy song, except for Brittney who sat on the floor looking overwhelmed.

"Make me come alive, come on and turn me on! Touch me, save my life, come and turn me on!" She grabbed Brittney, pulled her to her feet and pulled her close, looking at her insistently, moving almost close enough to kiss her. "I'm too young to die, come on and turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on!"

The music faded out and Santana whipped sweat from her face and turned, storming away from Brittney, blowing kisses to the others as they led the crowd in a huge round of applause.

"So..." Mercedes sidled up next to Brittney as she watched her go. "That was pretty good...eh?"

"Yeah..." Brittney said absently. "You know, I'm beginning to suspect that she might have some sort of feelings for me."

Quinn cheered loudly from off to the side and Blaine grumbled as he fished coins out of his pocket to hand back to her.

"And?" Mercedes pulled Brittney's attention back to the situation at hand.

"I think I might have feelings for her too..." He said.

"Finally!" Mercedes cheered.

---

"Tina, where are we going?" Sam called out, struggling to keep up with her through the crowd of people.

"You'll see!" She yelled back.

He shook his head and scrambled past a large group of excited teenagers who clapped him on the back and told him they respected him sticking up to the man and coming to visit. He turned to thank them and promptly ran directly into Tina.

"Oh! Sorry!" He said, startled.

"We're here!" She smiled and gestured to a small jeweller's storefront.

Sam approached it slowly with a look of blatant confusion.

"You wanted to talk to me about jewellery? I don't know anything about jewellery."

"Do you know what these are for?" Tina asked casually, pointing to the engagement rings.

Sam looked at them and then back to Tina like she was stupid.

"I know what an engagement ring does Tina, why are we looking at them?"

"Well, I know it's still early, but I doubt there are any other jewellers between Starryville and Ironmount Point so...I thought we could buy one here."

Sam frowned and his eyebrows creased. He raised his hands and looked very uncomfortable.

"What?"

"Look, I like you Tina...but, we're just friends!"

Tina sighed and shook her head, looking like she wanted to hit him.

"The ring is for Rachel."

Again, Sam frowned.

"I don't know that you're her type..."

This time Tina actually did hit him.

"It's for you to give to Rachel!" She spelled it out slowly. "When the time is right, I mean!"

Sam hastily shook his head and backed up.

"She's not interested in a relationship right now." He said quickly.

"And you're stupid if you believe that. I saw everything Sam, she wants a relationship, she's just scared of having one." She reached out and grabbed one of the rings from the table. "Trust me!"

"I...I don't have the money to waste on a ring!" He said.

"Then I'll buy it. My treat!" She turned and handed her money to the vendor, who was different from the woman who had been there earlier.

"No, Ti-"

"Stop it!" Tina shook her head and pressed the ring into his hands. "Sometimes you just have to have a little faith."

---

Kitty looked at the ceiling of the room she was sharing with Tina, tracing lines in the cracks in the moulding with her eyes. The night played back in her mind like holograms moving about in front of her. There had been so many smiles, so much laughter, so much joy. Being a part of it...she hadn't been a part of something so happy, so pleasant, since her brother had vanished into the fog.

Her brother...

He was the variable. The other factor. She wanted to trust in these people, but she had to look out for herself and her brother first! Family was important to her, and if there was anybody in the Kingdom that Kitty loved, it was Puck.

She sighed and tossed the covers off of her, gently standing up so as not to awaken Tina who was sleeping peacefully on the other side of the bed.

Kitty grabbed her locket from the bedside table and held it tight in her fist as she crept out of the room, slowly closing the door behind her. She stepped down the hallway, freezing when a board creaked too loudly for her liking.

---

Finn looked up from his bed as a loud creak echoed through the house.

He couldn't sleep, he was positive that there was something going on with Kitty, and he kept waiting for the right time to present itself, but it never did! Or, maybe he'd already missed it, in which case, he wondered if there was another right time, like how there were two one o'clocks everyday.

Slowly he got out of bed, freezing as Blaine tossed slightly, readjusting his position. Finn looked to the door and watched silently through the crack as Kitty crept past his and Blaine's room.

Setting his jaw stubbornly he stepped out and followed along behind her. This was the right time, he decided, and this time there was nobody to stop him.

---

Kitty reached the kitchen and deemed herself safe as she sat down in one of the chairs. She set the locket down on the table and took a deep breath before flicking it open.

"What the fuck?" Riker hissed out at her from a magic mirror inside the pendant.

Kitty thought she heard a gasp and whipped around, but Finn ducked back inside the hallway before she spotted him.

"Shh!" Kitty whispered, pleadingly. "They're all sleeping!"

"Where the fuck did you go?" Riker snapped. "Do you know how stupid you made me look? I brought half of the fucking Imperial Army to Fayhaven because you told me there were fugitives there! You know who we found? Abso-fucking-lutely nobody!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Kitty whispered. "They escaped! I followed them for you! We're in Starryville now and...I..."

"You what?" Riker growled.

"I'm starting to feel bad about lying to them...they're all so nice and-"

"I didn't save your pitiful ass just to be betrayed!" Riker snarled and Kitty winced. "They are fugitives for a reason, and as a member of my army, it's your job to hunt them down!"

"But...they-"

"Listen here you little coward. If you want to be reunited with your brother, you'll stay true to the crown."

"They said that they would reunite me with him..." She said feebly.

"They won't be able to protect you against the Imperial Army though will they? So what? You find your brother and then you both become fugitives, then you're all hunted down and killed. What a good idea! What a good, selfish, ignorant idea. You backstab me, I won't hesitate to stab you right back."

"Fine!" Kitty yelled, and then immediately looked around worriedly before lowering her voice to a teary whisper. "Fine...what do I need to do?"

"Good girl. Now I can't enter Starryville, the King doesn't want his best swordsman contaminated by lesser races." Riker smiled evilly through the mirror. "So you, to prove your allegiance to me, are to kill one of them. Right now."

Kitty gasped.

"But that's not ri-"

"This is war; right and wrong don't matter here. Do you want to see your brother again or not? Because I can personally guarantee you'll never see him again if you turn from me!"

Kitty took a deep breath, blinking back tears. Finally she nodded and grabbed her dagger.

"Who?" She asked, so quietly, so pitifully, that she barely made any noise at all.

Riker smiled sinisterly through the glass.

"Mercedes." He spat.

She nodded and moved to close the locket.

"No!" He yelled. "I want to watch."

Kitty closed her eyes in resignation and picked up the locket, setting it around her neck so that Riker could see where they were going.

She stepped back into the hallway, but this time, the journey seemed much longer. She knew that she wouldn't be coming back from this. Once the deed was done, she would not be accepted anymore. She didn't even know how she would live with herself...

For Puck...

She reminded herself of her brother. She had to do this to make sure that the two of them were kept safe!

Before she knew it, she'd travelled all the way through the house and was standing beside Kurt and Mercedes's bed, looking down at the two of them as they slept. Kitty felt tears dripping down her face as she looked at them, so peaceful and content looking in their sleep.

She closed her eyes; she couldn't watch herself as she raised the dagger into the air.

"Now!" Riker hissed, and Kitty's dagger plummeted down towards the sleeping girl.

It stopped short as Finn's hand closed around her wrist.

"What?" Riker yelled. "No!"

Finn turned Kitty around and looked at her harder than he'd ever looked at anybody. She was a wreck. Sobbing, afraid, devastated, alone. He put one hand on her back and pushed her out of the room and into the hallway, away from the sleeping friends.

Kitty looked at Mercedes one last time before Finn closed the door, and the thought of how close she had come to killing the older girl was unbearable. Kitty doubled over and threw up, she was so disgusted with herself. She felt sick, like she shouldn't even exist anymore.

"What are you doing?" Finn asked.

Kitty shook her head and looked back towards Mercedes.

"I had to! I have to!"

"No you don't." Finn said. "Not if you don't want to. You're a good person, I know that!"

"He doesn't know what he's talking about! Kill him, and then get back in there!" Riker yelled, but both Finn and Kitty ignored him.

"How can you say that?" Kitty asked. "That I'm a good person when I just tried to kill a girl that hasn't done anything wrong."

"I remember. I remember you, and I remember Puck." Finn said. "Puck ran from the King, Kitty, how would he feel knowing you were working for him?"

"But it's to keep him safe!"

"Puck would rather die than be a part of something he opposes so strongly, you know that."

"I...You're right..." Kitty whispered. "I'm so sorry..." And she meant it. She was so sorry. So sorry that she'd ever listened to Riker, that she'd let him verbally abuse and control her, that she'd betrayed good people for selfish reasons, and for so much more.

"Stay with us." Finn said.

She looked up, concern etched on her face.

"What?"

"Stay with us." He repeated. "Help us fight the King, help us find your brother, help us fix this Kingdom!"

Kitty sniffled and shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

"I don't understand why you're so nice to me!"

"For the same reason that everybody else is. You deserve it. We all know that, and I know that the you that I saw in there, is not the real you. Stay with us, be true to yourself, know who you really are. You always were a smart person, now prove it."

"Knowledge has nothing to do with this!" Riker yelled. "You turn your back on an army, you become a criminal!"

"You're wrong." Finn said, finally addressing him. "Knowledge has everything to do with this."

"Nobody will want me around, not now. I tried to kill somebody."

"No you didn't. That wasn't you in there, that was Riker. Nobody needs to know about any of this, I still trust you completely, maybe even more now than I did before." Finn said seriously, looking into her eyes. "Now close the locket."

Kitty nodded and reached for the latch.

"One day, this little resistance will fall apart!" Riker yelled, panicking. "When that day comes, you'll be begging me to save you!"

Kitty clicked it shut.

"Thank you." Finn smiled.

"Thank you." Kitty reached out to hug him.

"How did you get involved with Riker anyways?" Finn asked, pulling away.

Kitty sighed and closed her eyes, losing herself in the memory.

"It was the night of the Footloose dance. I couldn't find you or Puck anywhere, so I went home to look there but my parents hadn't seen either of you. The soldiers broke in and my parents told me to hide in the barn so I did..." She took a shuddering breath and Finn felt a sense of dread as she continued. "I could hear their screams even when I tried to plug my ears."

"Oh Kitty!" Finn pulled her closer as she began to sob.

"They found me. They were going to kill me too, but Riker stopped them. He said-he-he said that if I helped him, and kept an eye out for any fugitives, than my brother and I would have the King's protection..." She took a rattling breath and began to beat against Finn's chest. "I'm so, so, sorry! I'm so dumb!"

"No! Hey!" Finn shook his head. "You're not dumb! You did what you had to to protect your family! But you don't have to listen to him anymore; we'll protect you and Puck!"

Kitty sniffled but nodded.

"Okay..." She whispered and then smiled at him. "You really are a sincere friend Finn..."

"And you're smarter than he gives you credit." He laughed. "I always knew you'd come around."

---

Where Monsters Dwell

The first thing Sam realized when his eyes snapped open was that something was digging into his back.

He groaned and sat up, running his hand through his hair. He turned around and blinked in confusion. Lying on the ground was Kitty's locket, blackened with soot and splattered with blood.

With a shaky hand, Sam reached down and picked it up, holding it gently.

"Sad isn't it?"

Sam turned around and found himself face to face with...himself?

The other Sam smiled bitterly, sitting atop the trunk of a tree that had been destroyed.

"Who are you?" Sam asked, holding the locket protectively in his hands.

"Call me Thought." The other version of himself said. "You've been ignoring me for a while now."

"Where am I?" Sam asked, looking around.

"You don't recognize it?"

No... Sam recognized it. They were atop a massive hill, looking out over the burned remains of a once grand forest. In the distance, Sam could make out the ruins of his hometown. He'd sat on this same hill once before, it was where he'd first been compared to his father. Where he'd sat with Bruce, and with Quinn, and thought about life as it now appeared.

"Why am I here?" He asked.

Thought looked up at him and rolled his eyes, leaning casually against the stump of the once great tree.

"This isn't like your other dreams. You haven't saved anybody Sam."

For whatever reason, that stung so harshly that Sam took a step back.

"You've been looking at this world through rose coloured glasses Sam. Tell me what you've done to save anybody. "Thought looked at him with bored eyes, like he knew Sam's answer wasn't worth his time.

"I...I'm working on saving the entire Kingdom!" Sam said pointedly, pointing into the distance where he knew the castle still was.

"And how are you planning on doing that?" Thought said judgementally. He was intentionally leading Sam into the darkest parts of his own subconscious.

"I'm planning on fighting." Sam insisted, tightening his fist around the blood covered locket.

"Tell me Sam, how can you possibly defeat the King?" Thought asked, standing up and reaching towards the base of the tree, the place where Sam had first found his Cupid's Rose. There, planted in the same spot, was a blackened, sickening looking flower.

Sam didn't answer, he pursed his lips and swallowed hard.

Thought reached down and plucked the flower, casually plucking off the petals, one after another.

"You can't!" Thought cried, tossing another petal over his shoulder. "Your father trained for his entire life to be a Warrior! The kind of person who might be able to stand up to a King and win! You fell into the life of a fugitive by accident after a bit of Blacksmith training. You think that makes you strong enough? You are destined to lose Sam! You'll die! This is the future you've set out for yourself!"

He threw his hands out, throwing the rose.

As Sam watched it fall, he saw flashing images of people that he knew; Santana, limping, foot shattered beyond repair. Finn falling to his knees, and then to his chest in the dirt, eyes closing slowly. Brittney laying on the ground, surrounded by shattered glass in a pool of blood.

The rose hit the ground and Sam found himself standing in the middle of an enormous graveyard. He looked down at the grave in front of him and gasped, dropping to his hands and knees to claw at the inscription.

The writing was faded, worn from time, but Rachel's name was evident even then.

"This can't be the future!" Sam whimpered. "The future can change!"

"Who are you to change it?" Sam's cruel doppelganger asked, sitting casually atop a tombstone with Tina's name scrawled across the top.

"I...I have to!" Sam whispered.

"You can't come out of this battle alive Sam. You're leading an army of the damned. Quinn, Blaine, Mercedes, all of them. Once you fall to the King, nobody will stand in his way. They'll be executed, one after another. Those that escape initially will be on the run forever, but they won't have numbers on their side, and they will be caught. You brought them into this, and now there's no way out." Thought snapped and reached into his pocket.

Sam felt his heart race, he couldn't stop staring at Rachel's name on the tombstone in front of him. His throat felt tight and he felt dizzy.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" He asked.

Thought smiled slowly as he drew the note from Sam's parents out of his pocket.

"You tell me. After all, I'm your thoughts. You've just been blocking me out. You can't go through life naively telling yourself that everything will be okay. News flash Sam, it won't be."

Sam's thoughts snapped his fingers and the note began to burn.

"No!" Sam screamed, leaping to his feet and scrambling forwards. "No!"

"No!" Sam snapped up in bed, arms outstretched to grab the burning paper.

He didn't stop to think, he jumped out from under the covers and scrambled for his pants, digging through the pocket as frantically as he could, hyperventilating with fear. His fingers closed around the familiar worn paper of his parents' note and he felt his breath slow.

"Sam?" Brittney was at the door instantly, already fully dressed and wide awake. "Are you alright?"

"What time is it?" Sam asked instinctively.

"Morning, we thought we'd let you sleep in before we leave Starryville." Brittney said absently. "Are you okay?"

"F-fine..." Sam whispered, and then swallowed deeply and repeated it again, louder and with fake cheer. "Fine!"

Brittney didn't look like he believed it, but she nodded anyways.

"Alright...well...we're all in the kitchen when you're ready." She backed out and closed the door, giving Sam his privacy.

Sam sighed and leaned back against the wall, pressing the note to his chest.

"It was just a dream..." He whispered to himself. "Just a dream..."

And he almost believed it.

Almost.

---

"Alright!" Kurt clapped his hands together, looking out at the group assembled before him in the kitchen. "So what's the plan?"

Kitty sat up straighter as she became the point of focus.

"We have to head to the Silver Shore to find Puck." She said.

"The Silver Shore?" Kurt asked uncertainly.

Kitty nodded.

"The only way to get to the Silver Shore is through an old abandoned mining tunnel; the Vertglass Mines." He said. "Nobody's used them in forever. There's no telling what's down there."

An uneasy silence fell upon the fugitives.

"I mean..." Kurt frowned. "I don't want to scare anybody but..."

"No." Sam shook his head, leaning against the wall of the hallway. "We should know."

Tina jumped in her seat, startled by his sudden appearance. She hadn't heard him approach. She knew that she wasn't the only one looking at him curiously. Brittney had practically sprinted to Sam's room, but when she came back she brought with her little consolation for the other worried fighters.

Tina had been pleased to find Kitty and Finn both in higher spirits when she awoke that morning, but if Sam was on the verge of a breakdown then they were all in trouble!

"Right..." Blaine started slowly, tearing his eyes away from his friend, deciding to let sleeping dogs lie for the moment. "It's better that we know what we're getting ourselves in for."

"Right." Sam nodded.

"Alright..." Kurt nodded. "If there's nothing else to discuss...I guess it's time to go underground."

Kitty felt naked without her locket on. She hadn't taken it off since she got it years ago, and now that she'd slipped it into the bottom of her bag, she was still adjusting. None the less, she felt freer than she'd felt in a long time. Since their Footloose performance, even!

Now she was so close to being reunited with her brother, and she didn't even have to get blood on her hands.

She looked guiltily towards Mercedes but Finn smacked her arm and shook his head at her, clearly indicating that she wasn't to feel bad about it.

She sighed and nodded, looking up. She smiled as they walked, the only thing standing between her and her brother was a cave full of unknown monstrosities.

She paused as they neared the edge of town.

A cave full of unknown monstrosities, it seemed...and a mob of foreign people.

It looked like the entire population of Starryville had gathered to see them off, and as the fugitives approached, the citizens let out an ear shattering cheer.

"What's happening?" Mercedes laughed, stepping out front beside Tina.

"We had to give you our support!" A gruff looking dark skinned man boomed.

"How did you all find out about us?" Tina asked.

"Word gets around in this town! 'Specially when a bunch of white folk show up!" Another man laughed genuinely. "You're gonna go fight for us, least we can do is give you a proper send off!"

This statement was met with another raucous cheer as people rushed in to shake hands or bear hug the little army.

"Don't forget what I've shown you, my dear." An older voice spoke in Tina's ear.

She turned around, blinking in confusion. She felt recognition wash over her as she looked down at the woman from the jewellers. Tina instantly touched the cross around her neck.

"It's in you. Don't let it go to waste!"

"Tina!" Finn reached out and grabbed her arm, dragging her away from the woman and to the city gates where the others had all accumulated.

"Citizens of Starryville!" Sam yelled, cupping his hands over his mouth. A hush fell over the crowd. "We want to thank you for this support, I know it's brought my spirits up a lot!"

He wasn't lying, but the doubt and the fear was far from gone. The note from his parents, his safety blanket, was folded neatly in his pocket, over and over again to make sure that it didn't spring out.

"We promise!" Kurt started, stepping forwards. "That we will fight to free you all! There will be no more 'Mutant City, we will live in a world where discrimination doesn't exist, not like this. Not for different races, or ideologies, or working classes. I will find equality, even if it kills me."

He let the unspoken 'which it might' hang in the air.

Mike Chang stepped forwards to the front of the crowd, smiling proudly.

"I'm gonna miss you." He said. "You were better than any King. All of you, are more inspiring, more deserving, than any of the royal family. I would never bow to them, but I will kneel before you." Slowly, he descended to one knee, and bowed his head.

Slowly, every other member of Starryville lowered to the ground before the fugitives.

Kurt felt his heart swell with determination, and with pride. He was representing a town that deserved so much, but had so little. If it was the last thing he did, he would pay them back for the kindness that they had shown him.

He was sure of it.

---

Brittney Pierce was not happy as she watched her best friend walk along after Kurt. In fact, Brittney was downright sad.

When people called upon Sam to act as a leader, he smiled and his eyes sparked and he was the leader they needed. The minute the spotlight was off of him, however, the minute he didn't have to pretend anymore, his features fell.

Sam's face was taught with stress, and tanned from all of the sun he'd been forced to get. His eyebrows furrowed almost constantly as he tried to figure out some problem or another, and with their mission as daunting as it was, there was never anything not to worry about.

Brittney was aware that there was a good chance that they would die. All of them. That they would never even reach the castle, because they would all be cut down by something along the way. In fact, it was more likely that they would fail than it was that they would succeed, and Brittney knew that.

Brittney also knew that they would never succeed if everybody acknowledged how totally screwed they all were, because then everybody's sprits would drop off the face of the planet. Furthermore, Brittney knew that it was Sam who kept everybody in such high spirits, and finally, Brittney knew, without a shadow of doubt, that Sam's spirits were falling.

Without Sam to lead, and believe, and be brave, then the entire group would fall apart. Brittney knew Sam hadn't asked for any of his responsibilities anymore than the rest of them had. The only difference was that Sam had to worry about all of them, about keeping his army together, like a well oiled machine.

Brittney flashed back to when the pair of them would play sports in their free time back in Ostvale. When the only stress in her life was when her father would act like a dick. Now she had no father.

Crying wouldn't solve anything, Brittney knew. But something had to be done. The problem was that Brittney knew Sam, and she knew that it wasn't that easy to get her friend to talk about his feelings. Sam just wasn't a sentimental person. It made him uncomfortable.

So somehow, Brittney had to help Sam, without Sam really understanding what she was doing.

Naturally, Brittney decided that she should shirk this responsibility onto the shoulders of a different female.

"Rachel!" She called out and the brunette turned, looking perplexed.

"Hi?" She nodded civilly at her.

Despite being part of the same team, Rachel and Brittney had never actually spoken.

"Sam's sad." Brittney said.

They both looked up at where Sam was smiling broadly at Mercedes.

"Mmhmm." Rachel said doubtfully.

"He's faking happy." Brittney insisted.

"Okay." Rachel nodded. She believed that, mostly because she did it herself. To an extent, she suspected that they all faked happiness. Nobody was totally okay with what was happening, some just managed to hide it better than others.

"You need to fix him." Brittney continued.

"Me?" Rachel asked. "Why me?"

"Cause you're in love."

"How can you see that, but not see when Santana is practically throwing herself at you?" Rachel asked dryly.

"Is that what she was doing?" Brittney paused and looked up to where Santana was chatting with Blaine and Quinn. She shook her head. "Not the point, if Sam gets sad, then our whole team falls apart."

Rachel frowned, considering this. It wasn't untrue. Sam was the central component of their machine. He was the adhesive that pulled them all together. The issue for her, was that she didn't know what was making him sad, so she couldn't help fix it.

For a heart-stopping moment she worried that it might be her fault, but she ruled that out relatively quickly. Sam wasn't that easily upset, and her admitting her love for him was a huge step for her!

She looked over to her brother for a moment and a flicker of remembrance appeared in the corner of her mind.

She thought back to when Sam had sprinted out of the bar back in Fayhaven. Blaine had been the one to follow him. Was it possible that Sam had been worrying over that all this time? Whatever that was...

She had just decided to go and get some answers out of her brother when Kurt stopped them all. There before them, in the center of a small glade, was an old, definitely abandoned, boarded up mining tunnel.

Santana slowed as they neared it. If nobody had been inside for years, there was no telling what they might find down there... and as Sam and Finn stepped forwards to rip off the boards, she couldn't help but wonder if they would all come back out.

"After you..." Quinn mumbled.

"No, no..." Santana swallowed nervously. "I insist."

The final board fell away and Kitty stepped forwards to take the first step, Finn right behind her and Sam falling in behind them both. Rachel, Blaine, Quinn, Brittney, Mercedes, Kurt and Tina stepped through after that, and Santana allowed herself one last look at the sky before crawling in after them.

She had a bad feeling about this.

---

As Finn slowly crept down the rickety wooden staircase that had been installed who knew how long ago, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming. Something bad. Something that was his to deal with and his alone.

He looked at Kitty nervously.

He had helped her, just like he'd been helped. This group...there was something about them. They stood strong when others were falling, they'd all faced something. They all still had something to face. Finn however...he was finished. He didn't have another lesson to learn, he realized. Maybe...maybe his purpose was to help somebody else!

He stopped short, almost tripping at the sudden thought. His foot went through the wood and he yelped in fear as he plummeted through into a large crevasse.

"Finn!" Kitty yelled and he reached for her, but it was Sam's hands that clasped around his wrist and hauled him back out again.

Nobody moved for a moment, as Finn sat on the step below, shaken by the close call. It had happened so suddenly...death happened so suddenly...it made Finn wonder. Would he get the chance to say goodbye? Whether his time was in this mine, or years down the road, would he know?

"Are you alright to keep moving?" Sam asked.

Finn nodded nervously and they all continued on down the stairs without another incident. Finn was still shaken, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had a greater purpose than he'd thought initially, and he wasn't sure that he was ready for it, not yet...

The cave opened up at the bottom into a glittering mine. The walls sparkled with emerald gems, and light from the opening bounced off of them, providing enough light to see, but not enough for any of them to be particularly comfortable.

They walked in a single file, just in case something else happened, and again Santana found herself at the back. She turned to glance behind her, unable to shake the feeling of being watched, and stumbled over a sudden incline.

She yelped slightly and pressed her hand against the wall for support as Brittney turned around.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

Santana nodded, the sudden jolt had just scared her. She felt a tingling on her hand and turned to find a spider crawling down her wrist.

This time Santana's shriek was piercing as she wrenched her hand away and smacked the spider to the ground.

"Santana!" Brittney reached out and grabbed her as she danced with fear and disgust. "It's just a little spider, it won't hurt you!"

As if to prove her point, Brittney reached down and crushed it.

"See?"

Santana swallowed thickly and took a shaky breath. She didn't like being in this mine.

"Sorry, I just...I hate spiders." She shivered with repulsion and Brittney nodded in understanding.

"Let's catch up with the others." She said, taking her hand and jogging slightly faster than before. Santana was careful to keep her eyes on the ground this time.

When they caught back up with the group, they appeared to have hit a dead end. The rock rose far above any of their heads by at least ten feet.

"What now?" Tina asked.

Kitty pursed her lips and stepped forwards, putting her hands on her hips.

"Does anybody have any rope?" She asked.

"Yeah, actually!" Kurt spoke up, taking out his bag and hauling out a thick coil of rope. "I thought it might come in handy!"

Kitty took it without a word and clamped her teeth down on one end of it, leaving the rest at the bottom. She grabbed onto two rocks jutting out of the surface and hauled herself up off of the ground.

"Be careful!" Quinn called out as she began to climb.

Kitty grunted in acknowledgement, eyes scanning the surface for hand and feet holes. She grabbed onto a large rock and pulled against it as she pried her leg off of another hold. The rock promptly came loose and left her flailing in the air.

Instinctively, Kitty reached for her dagger and stabbed it into the empty slot where the rock had slid out. Using it as a makeshift handhold, she swung herself up and over to the top of the ledge.

"Made it!" She called down, spitting the rope into her hand and she heard her friends cheer from below. She looked around and wrapped the rope around a stalagmite. "Climb up!"

Once again, it was up to Sam to take the lead, as he walked up the wall, digging his feet into the rock and pulling tightly on the rope. He made it to the top and gave the others a thumbs up that they were good to go.

One by one the others followed after him, and again, Santana found herself at the back. She grabbed the rope but paused as a sound echoed through the mine. She was almost positive she'd just heard a scuttling noise behind her, but when she turned around, she saw nothing.

Her skin crawled as the feeling of being watched from just out of sight fell over her yet again. She shook it off and climbed to the top with the others.

They walked in silence for almost an hour before they were forced to stop again. The trickling of water had been echoing through the chambers for twenty minutes before they came across a large gap in the floor, leading down to a torrential underwater river far below.

"Now what?" Rachel asked, frowning.

"Sam." Brittney looked to her friend. "You can do it."

Sam frowned, sizing up the crevasse before him. He could probably make it, but he wasn't sure that anybody else could, and somebody would have to leap it after him.

"Rachel." He said.

She looked surprised to have her name called, unsure of how she could help the situation.

"You go last. I'll tie the rope to this end and then to another stalagmite on the other end so people can cross. You jump it after everybody else has gone." He suggested, laying out his plan.

"Umm...alright..." She frowned nervously.

"You'll do fine." Blaine reassured her as Tina secured the rope.

Sam took several steps back and took a few deep breaths before sprinting at the edge and leaping out into midair.

He was about halfway across when he realized he wasn't going to make it.

His chest hit the wall hard, but his arms lurched out, clawing at the ground attempting to hold onto something as he slid down. He managed to get his feet on a jutting gem beneath him and wrap one hand around a small stalagmite, hauling himself up and over the end.

"Oh my God, I thought you were going to die." Quinn exhaled deeply, kneeling down and sucking in some air.

"It's fine..." Blaine reassured her, patting her back, but even he looked less confident as Sam secured the other end.

This whole mine felt like they were walking on glass, tempting fate, but without Puck and Marley, they didn't stand a chance against the Imperial Army. Though at the moment, it felt to most of them like they were just choosing which way they would die.

"Okay, cross!" Sam called back and Quinn looked around to find herself the closest one to the front.

"You're light, you'll be fine." Rachel stated and the others nodded.

"Okay..." She murmured and Blaine squeezed her hand supportively as she got down on her hands and knees and crawled up to the rope. She grabbed it and lay down, crawling forwards as slowly as she could, so that she was straddling the rope.

Eventually her balance gave out and she was crawling upside down, but she managed to reach the other end and drop to the ground with a relieved sigh. The others all made it with similar success, and eventually Rachel found that it was her turn to jump.

"I'm nervous." She admitted.

"Its fine, we've got you." Sam reassured her, stepping up and grabbing hold of the rope, ready to pull if she didn't make it all the way, as he suspected she would not. "Just don't let go of the rope."

Rachel nodded, still uneasy as she untied the rope from her side.

Taking a deep breath she ran forwards and leapt for the other side.

Miraculously, she did manage to land one foot on the other edge, unfortunately, she'd almost turned horizontal in the air, and had no traction as she slipped over the edge and plummeted until the rope hit its maximum tension and stopped her.

Nobody noticed a small tear appear in the middle of the rope as they pulled her back up.

Rachel was shaken from her close call, but she trekked forwards none the less, unfortunately, it had not been ten minutes before a second gap stopped them short.

They all peered over the edge. It was clear that this ledge was much larger than the first, and Sam frowned, shaking his head.

"I can't jump that." He admitted.

"I definitely can't jump that." Rachel added.

"What about the wall." Blaine pointed out, stepping forwards and running his hands along the worn surface. "Can somebody climb across using the wall?"

He turned around and everybody was looking at him expectantly.

"Good luck!" Kurt called cheerily.

He scowled, but accepted the rope and began searching for handholds.

"Make sure you don't grab a loose rock!" Kitty called out helpfully and he nodded, picking carefully over the selection of holds. Once he was out over the open space, with the water far below echoing up at him, he felt light headed and had to press himself against the wall and close his eyes for a moment until it passed.

Thankfully, it did not reappear and he made it to the other side without incident.

He paused as he looked around.

"There aren't any stalagmites..." He called back.

Sam frowned; it was like the universe wanted them to fail. He looked around for anything that might help them and spotted Mercedes's weapon; the bo staff she'd relieved a soldier of.

"Use Mercedes's staff!" He called out. "Stab it into the ground and tie the rope to it."

"Will that work?" Blaine asked.

"We have to try, there's no way I can climb over there." Tina said.

"Me neither." Finn gritted his teeth nervously.

Mercedes stepped up and lined up her spear, javelin tossing it almost directly to Blaine on the other side.

"Good throw." Brittney remarked.

"Thanks!" She grinned.

Blaine dug out a trench and stabbed the bo staff inside as deep as he could get it. When he was done he filled the trench again and patted it down hard.

"Alright Quinn, you're our tester." Kurt smiled and Quinn scowled, but again, stepped up to the plate.

Miraculously, the staff held, and she made it all the way across. Finn, Kurt, Rachel, and Santana all following behind.

Mercedes stepped up next, nervously eyeing the rope. It seemed less supportive than it had been on the first cavern as she started across. She realized with a start that the rope was ripping in the middle.

Unfortunately, she only realized this as she reached the center and the rope snapped.

Mercedes screamed as she plunged towards the wall and braced herself as she hit it. The force of her hitting the wall snapped her bo staff, and before she knew it, she was falling.

"Mercedes!" The others screamed as she vanished into the darkness.

The entire event had lasted under twenty seconds, but nobody moved as her screams stopped short.

"...Mercedes..." Quinn whispered, staring down.

Finn snapped his fingers, fire jumping into his palm. He leaned over the edge and attempted to illuminate the darkness, but it didn't reach very far. He tilted his hand and let the fireball fall, but Mercedes was nowhere to be seen as the rapids sped past the jagged rocks below.

"What do we do now...?" Kurt whispered, shell shocked. They hadn't lost anybody, not yet...why now?

Finn couldn't help but flash back to his earlier thoughts. Mercedes hadn't had the chance to say goodbye...she had just fallen and...and now she was gone.

"We have to keep moving." Kurt said, startling everybody. "Mercedes would want us to get out of this cave. We can't stop here." He insisted, stepping up to the wall that Blaine had scaled.

Sam, Kitty and Brittney stepped up behind him, all three looking uneasy, but resigned. They too made it to the other side and soon the entire group had clumped together.

"Let's get away from here and take a break." Sam suggested, and the others mindlessly followed until they reached a larger, more open area. They scattered about it and sat down, many of them resting their heads in their hands.

"We have to move on." Kurt said, putting on a brave face.

"She's not dead." Rachel snapped.

"She might-"

"We don't know that!"

They both fell silent and everybody looked away, staring at some piece of cave or another. Only Sam looked over his army, resigned to watch the impending implosion. He was surprised when it was Brittney who set the ball in motion.

"Alright." Brittney said, clapping her hands together. "Let's go find her."

She stood up and Quinn blinked, looking up at her.

"Find her with what?" She snapped. "We don't have any rope."

"We can all climb, we've proven that." Blaine responded irritably.

"Umm...I'm not climbing." Tina said.

"Mercedes would want us to get out of the mine." Kurt repeated.

"Yes, well Mercedes would also want to get out of the mine herself." Rachel snapped at him. "That probably won't happen if we don't help her. What if she fell and got knocked out?"

"Well...let's be logical. What if we go look for her, and we fall and also get knocked out?" Finn reasoned.

"Exactly!" Quinn nodded.

"We won't." Brittney said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well I'm pretty sure she didn't plan on it either." Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Hey!" Rachel started. "It's not her fault she wants to help her friend!"

"I thought that's what we did." Blaine snapped, standing up and running a hand through his hair. "We looked out for one another, we helped one another! All for one and one for all."

"Unless it's inconvenient for the all I guess." Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Just because we don't want to go off and get ourselves killed-" Quinn started.

"Hey!" Kitty yelled and the others quieted. "We have to stick together right now! We can't turn on each other because things are confusing! The minute we stop being a family is the minute the King wins. If we can't help one another, how can any of us help ourselves! I'm not saying we should look for Mercedes, I'm saying we should stay here and see if she can get to us. That way nobody else is in danger, but we can still help her if she calls out to us. If she's unconscious than she's probably safe until she wakes up, and we'll be here if she does, but we won't hear her if we're all screaming at one another!"

There was a tense silence as everybody absorbed Kitty's rant.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Finn started, and the others all murmured their apologies as well.

Rachel shook her head and walked off and Quinn sighed and followed her. Santana stood up suddenly and began walking off in a different direction as Kitty sat back down, running her hands through her hair and looking at her bag.

"Where are you going?" Brittney asked.

"I just need some space." She said.

"I'll need space with you." She said and they walked away from the group, sitting down in a small offshoot of the main cavern.

Santana was shaken. She was afraid. She was worried that if she ever lagged, if she ever became inconvenient to the group, people would be okay with the idea of leaving her behind. Maybe that was selfish of her, but being alone...it still scared her, even if Sam had convinced her that she belonged. Mercedes belonged too!

"Are you alright?" Brittney asked.

"No." She admitted. She explained to the other girl how she felt and Brittney frowned sympathetically and reached out to hug her.

"Nobody's going to leave you." She said. "And we're not leaving Mercedes either, we just haven't figured out how to find her yet."

Neither of them wanted to entertain the thought that she might be long gone.

Santana sighed and nodded into Brittney's shoulder, opening her eyes and glancing behind the other girl.

There, standing in the middle of the cavern directly behind Brittney's back, stood a massive, dog-sized, hairy, fanged spider. It tensed its legs to pounce and her scream echoed throughout the entire mine.

---

Coal stumbled drunkenly through the darkness, snickering and rubbing his arms. He could see Mercedes in his minds' eye, and the thought of her destruction brought a giggle to his lips.

Nobody said no to Coal.

Nobody!

He growled loudly as his destination came into view before him. She would find him, he knew it. She would be caught by Riker, the new leader of the Imperial army, and then led to him, and when she was, he would be waiting to destroy her.

It occurred to Coal that he should probably be upset that he had been deemed clinically insane and unworthy of leading their troop, but it didn't. He was no longer held back by such trivialities as morals. The old Coal sometimes worried about the consequences of his actions, the new Coal only reacted.

He had been publically humiliated, and he had been left speechless. Speechless! Beaten! Humiliated! Humiliated! Humiliated!

He cackled into the night, letting his eyes roll back in his head.

His family had a history of insanity, but Coal reasoned that he wasn't insane, just free. No, it was everybody else that was insane! To worry about consequences and results! There was only one result that Coal had on his mind now; he wanted blood on his hands. And he knew just whose blood he wanted.

---

Santana instinctively shoved Brittney out of the way as the spider leapt. She felt her breathing tighten and she couldn't stop screaming and crying as the spider smashed into her and took her to the ground, its fangs clacking together above her.

"Santana!" Brittney grabbed the spider and shoved it aside, helping Santana back to her feet.

They both turned as five more spiders crawled out of the darkness towards them, all murderous, all massive, all terrifying.

"Stay behind me." Brittney said, pushing her behind his back.

She drew her sword as the spiders approached, hunters circling in on their pray. Brittney heard a thump and turned to find Santana had fainted to the cave floor.

"Santana!" She looked out towards the cavern holding the others. "Help!"

Brittney grunted as a spider landed on her back. She swung her sword up at it, but another beast latched onto her arm and weighed it down. Brittney tried to shake them loose, but a third spider landed on her back and the weight dropped her to the ground.

Brittney's head hit a rock and her vision went black.

Blaine perked up as Brittney cried out. He looked across the cavern and locked eyes with Sam, both of them alert.

"Brittney?" Sam yelled, standing up. "Brittney!"

The two of them sprinted towards the smaller area where Brittney and Santana had vanished. They both stopped short, there were spiders everywhere! Pouring out of the walls of the cave and culminating on the bodies of their friends.

"Santana!" Blaine ran forwards and drop kicked a spider as it attempted to bury its fangs in her skin.

Sam ran past them as a spider jumped on Blaine's back and he stabbed it with an arrow. Sam skidded to a stop at Brittney's side and a spider immediately began crawling up Sam's leg. He whipped out his sword and stabbed it through, and then continued on, bisecting one of the fiends on Brittney's chest.

He heard the battle cry of another spider and turned to find it leaping at his face, fangs at the ready.

A ball of fire smashed into it and it splattered against the side-wall of the enclosure.

"Get into open space!" Finn yelled, beckoning Blaine and Sam both.

Blaine knelt down and tossed Santana's arm over his shoulders, dragging her along with him as he ran. A spider leapt at him, clinging to his shoulder, but holding Santana, Blaine could only crane his neck away from it.

"I got you bro!" Finn summoned another fireball as the girls in the larger chamber began screaming.

The fireball struck true and Blaine continued forwards, bypassing Finn and rushing Santana into the larger chamber.

Sam stomped down hard on one of the spiders, kicking it roughly away from Brittney's body and grabbing her under the arms to drag her backwards as quickly as he could. A spider leapt onto his back and Sam cried out as it dug its fangs into him.

He felt a jet of heat from one of Finn's fireballs and the spider was launched over Sam's shoulder. Sam turned to glance at Finn, and felt his mouth go dry.

"Finn!" He started to warn him as at least five dog-sized spiders leapt onto him, burying him in a writhing pile of legs and fur. "Somebody!" Sam yelled. A spider bit his hand and he yanked it back, dropping Brittney on the ground.

Kitty appeared then, cutting nimbly into the pile of spiders atop Finn. In the shower of blood and limbs that followed, she couldn't help but pray that she hadn't lost him. She didn't know what she'd do if that happened.

She found his face and pressed her bloody fingers against his throat. He was still breathing; there was a pulse.

A spider leapt on top of him, hissing at her and she screamed, falling backwards.

Sam panted from fear and adrenaline as more spiders filtered out of the cavern, backing him away from Brittney's body. With nothing else to do, Sam turned and grabbed Kitty's hand, pulling her into the larger chamber.

Blaine was in the center covering Santana's body, his bow drawn, firing arrows all around the clearing. He seemed to be doing fairly well, but only because most of the spiders had yet to target him. The highest concentration was chasing after Sam and Kitty as they ran towards him.

The second highest concentration had cornered Kurt and Tina in one rocky corner.

Two spiders simultaneously leapt at Kurt but he bashed one in the face with his shield and sliced the other one in two. Tina, who had abandoned her dagger in favour of a large rock, crushed the head of another spider that had been poised to attack into the wall of the cave in a surprising show of brutality.

"Kurt! Tina!" Sam yelled, beckoning them over. They stood a better chance if they were together.

The two managed to fight their way over through what had steadily become a sea of writhing spiders. At one point Tina had been overpowered and disappeared under the mass of bodies, but Kurt had refused to let in and dove in after her, emerging victorious with Tina still conscious at his side.

When the five of them had culminated in the center, an intense rumbling began, growing louder and louder, huge, earth-shaking thumps.

"What is that?" Kurt yelled.

"The spiders!" Blaine pointed out.

The beasts before them had stopped, even those atop Brittney and Finn had frozen in place.

Sam looked around as the spiders slowly began to creep back into the walls.

"They're retreating!" Kurt cheered.

"No they aren't. They're fleeing..." Kitty said nervously.

"From us?" Tina asked.

"I doubt it." Kitty frowned.

"Where are Quinn and Rach-" Sam was cut off as two piercing shrieks cut the air and both girls in question came hurtling around the corner, arms pumping and feet a blur.

A huge black leg came swinging around the corner and ploughed into both of them, sending them flying into a wall.

They both slid to the ground unconscious as the other five cried out in shock and surprise.

"What is that thing?" Tina whispered as another stalky leg appeared, then six more. They all followed the legs up to the top of the massive cavern. Standing before them, drooling from fangs larger than a farm animal, was a spider as big as a house.

"Holy shit..." Blaine barely breathed.

The giant spider raised one leg, a spear like point at the end, and drilled it down towards the five of them.

Kurt, Blaine, Tina and Kitty all dove to the side. Sam stood in shock, staring straight at it, stunned. As it neared him, he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye.

It was a boy, around their age. He took a running leap from a high up cave and flipped through the air, drawing a huge wood cutter's axe out from some sort of strap on his back and digging the weapon into the spider's head.

They all watched in awe as the massive beast swayed and the boy got his footing, ripping his axe back out. With a loud bellow, the monster crashed to the ground, the boy jumping off at the last minute to land nimbly in front of them.

"Sam..." Kitty barely dared to whisper. "I'd like you to meet my brother; Puck."

---

So there you go! Lots of close calls this chapter, and you have to wonder how many close calls the group can have before they lose somebody for good. In the next Chapter, Kitty reunites with her brother and Puck adjusts to the group. Quinn and Blaine share a loving duet, and the team takes to the sea, where darker things lurk in the deep. Having to find one another once more on the opposite shore, feelings are tested, and somebody might not make it back from the accident. Sam finally reaches his breaking point, and when an unexpected death rocks the group, another teammate questions their allegiance.