Turtlelove POV

Midnight comes slowly, every minute creeping along like hours. We pass the time going over the plan over and over, Shade's only problem had been with who was in the tower with me so he switched places with Meredith in favor of making sure I get through the portal.

"You're our strongest fighter. I want to know you'll be there with us." I can't tell if he means it or not.

Meredith and Amanda take turns using a nearby tree for target practice, Amanda showing her a few tricks with the bow and arrow to try and up her accuracy.

"Just look straight down the shaft." Meredith raises the back of the arrow to her face. "If you're holding it straight you won't miss."

My thoughts wander as I sit leaning against Shade in front of our dirt plan. They wander to Kit and the way she died, with the horrible image of all of us dying that way, not even close to killing Him. They wander back to when I met Kit, the sweet, innocent girl from the burned out village that just couldn't leave me alone. The memory is a happy one and I smile softly.

The memory of the last time I saw Kitsune is the next one, and also the most vivid. I remember the vile stench like a swamp filling the entire dimension, the permanent darkness that came from endless could cover and no sunlight. Then I remember the valley. The rocks that came jutting up from the ground like knives to form mountains and the portal, raised slightly from the ground, activated and ready to whisk us back to the overworld, saving us from the monster giving chase.

But that's not what really happened. Is it?

No. We ran, and ran, and ran. The thing kept coming, never losing track of us and never slowing down. I remember the excitement we'd had, building the only portal to the only dimension no one else had ever been to and I shudder. When we had gone through we both knew we were in trouble. The way the dimension looked, the way the castle a little ways away had been able to somehow cast a dark shadow in an already dark world, terrified us.

We had walked some ways away from the portal and the castle to just explore a little bit but I could tell then as I can now, there was a disease there. The entire dimension reeked of it. It was everywhere: the rocks, the water, what little plants were able to gain purchase on the hard ground, all of it reeked of sickness. Now as I look back on it, I suppose that's the way He wanted it. Dark, isolated, corrupt.

We had been walking for what seemed like hours when we came upon a pile of rock that seemed out of place. It sat in the middle of a particularly flat area and appeared to lead into a cave. I tried to stop her but as soon as she caught sight of it, Kitsune wanted nothing more than to go cave diving with me. She ran up to it very excited, beckoning for me to follow. I hesitated as she pulled out one of our spare torches and placed it at the entrance. A deep, low rumbling slowly started, getting louder and more intense with each passing second.

I yelled to her when it got to the point I had to shout to be heard. "Kitsune get out of there!"

She was way ahead of me, running at me full speed, grabbing my arm to drag me along as she flew past. "What is it?!"

I only got a glimpse. A half-second look at the beast, but I know the image will stay long after I forget all the other details of this day.

It was as though rock had come to life in an evil form. It was like an iron golem had put on armor made of dark rock and taken on the disease that hangs in the air as its own. Mold and stagnant water dripped from the beast as its eyes glowed an eerie green that was noticeable but at the same time, matched the dark, ominous landscape around us.

She had known the way back to the portal better than me, retracing our steps as easily as a wolf might have followed our scent. When the valley came into view, I had started going faster, staying next to her rather than behind. I could hear the thing following us, each of its giant steps thundering around us and shaking the ground. Then it was happening, the part I didn't want to think about.

"We can't do this for much longer! It's going to catch us!" She looks at me, tired and scared.

"We don't have to outrun it," I shout back. "we just have to make it to that portal!"

"How will we make it in time? It's are already halfway to us!" She yells over the ever following, booming steps.

"We just need to have faith Kitsune. Just have faith." I had been convincing her at the time as much as myself.

The beast, I see out of the corner of my eye, has leaned forward to try and grab her tail. He misses, but only by a hair. The beast lets out a fierce, frustrated howl and we both screamed. The portal is close now but the beast is too. He makes another grab at Kitsune and this time, gets her. Lifting her high into the air, then throwing her at the side of the valley. She slams against it with a sickening THUMP! and just lays there. When I reach her, I touch her arm softly. I know I can't heal her, but I don't care. I can tell how much pain she's in and I would rather die here than leave without her. A single tear had rolled down my face as she looked at me.

"Turtlelove..." She coughs out, her breathing ragged. "Run."

I shuddered, snapping out of the memory like a nightmare. Goosebumps cover my arms and legs and water hits my knees. At first I think it's raining, but then I realize what's happening. I'm crying. Shade looks at me and I refuse to return his gaze. I don't want him thinking I'm weak. I didn't want him to see me cry.

He doesn't say anything. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his chest. I sit there like that for a few moments, getting a hold on my emotions and stopping the flood of tears. When I do, I notice a wristband on Shade's hand I hadn't before. It had several different buttons and I had no idea what any of them did.

"You okay?" He speaks quietly like he's trying not to disturb me.

"Peachy." I smile. "Just reliving my awesome past."

"Sounds amazing." He mimics my sarcastic tone.

Meredith speaks from the other side of our little camp. "Hey lovebirds," She smiles at her joke, then it disappears. "it's time."

Kitsune POV

He was anxious. That much was clear. Herobrine is pacing outside of my cell and has been for a while now. He'd sent Mr. Strong away when he showed up and hasn't said a word since. This isn't the kind of pacing someone does when they're nervous though. It's the kind of pacing someone does with a look on their face that says 'I'm waiting for what could possibly the best news I'll ever get in my life.' I don't like the look.

"What the hell do you want?" I smirk. "Or has a cat stolen your tongue?"

He stops as soon as I start speaking, not looking at me, waiting for me to finish. "It's amazing. How much attitude you can fit in such a small body."

"It's one of my many talents."

He chuckles a dark laugh. "If you really want to know, I'm waiting for word from my son. He and your little friend," He spits the word like a curse. "showed up outside the tower of one of the portals today."

I freeze, a chill racing up my spine. Turtle? Here? I couldn't think of a worse hell. "She would never trust your damned offspring." There's no longer a bite to my words like I wanted.

"Not only does she trust him," He laughs again, harder this time. "I've heard they're in love."

No. No no no no. She wouldn't. She couldn't. He's lying. She would never do that willingly. Ever. "I don't believe you."

He begins pacing again, slower this time. "I don't particularly care." Then I hear an alarm go off and his eyes widen but I can't tell how much is nerves and how much is excitement. He feverishly presses several buttons on a wristband I didn't see until now because his arms were crossed, then smiles. Laughter takes over his face and I'm truly frightened of what he'll say next. "Guess what?"

I don't reply as he opens the door to my cell and comes to knock me out.

"You're going to have a visitor."