I was floating in darkness. I looked down at what I was wearing to see a long, flowy white dress. It reached my ankles. I grabbed the hem to lift up the long dress. I looked at my knee, no bandages. I pulled it up higher to look at my belly. No blood and nothing on my side, either.

I had no wounds, at all. My body didn't even hurt.

I felt my hair, it was soft and not puffy like it always was. I would really love it here. . .

If it wasn't for all this darkness.

"Child. . . There's no need to be scared. . . You are not alone." A voice told me. I didn't act shocked in the least bit.

"Are you Death? The same Death that spoke to Mo?" I ask.

"Yes. . . You sound more excited then anything. . . Now, you do know that it wasn't your time, right?"

I looked around me.

"Really?"

"Yes. . . Anyone else, I would keep them here, but since your from another world, I couldn't keep you here. So, would you like to go back?"

"No catch? No else will die because of me? No trick that if I don't do something then I die for sure?" I heard a chuckle from all around me.

"You are a smart girl, but no. You don't got to do anything for me. . . So, you want to go or not?"

I got a big smile on my face.

"I do! I do want to go back!"

"Okay, then. . . Close your eyes and you'll be back."

I nodded and closed my eyes. I didn't feel anything for the longest time, so I opened one eye and saw that I was still in the darkness.

"It's not working." I said.

"That's odd. . . Try again and think about the people you want to see and the place."

I tried that, but it still didn't work. I tried a second time, but nope.

"It's not working! Why won't it work?!" I yelled. Then, I was sitting in a meadow. A white tiger came walking over to me and laid down my me. "Why won't this work?!" I yelled.

"Child. . . It's okay. . . Just calm down. . . I will find out why this is not working." I leaned down, wrapped my arms around the white tigers neck and buried my face in her fur. She put a paw on my back like she was hugging me.

"I know that I did this not thinking that I would come back, but when you told me that I could, I got so happy. But when it wouldn't work, my heart just broke and I realized that I would never see my family, Farid or anyone ever again." I cried.

"I know. . . Now, rest while I find out why it is not working. When you awake, I shall be back." She told me. I nodded and closed my eyes.

When I woke up, I could still feel her softness.

"Did you find out yet?" I ask her.

"So, your awake. . . It turns out that your body is too damaged." I sat up and looked at her.

"How long until I can go back? I am going back, right?"

"I don't know. . . There's only one way I know that you can go back and that is without your real body." She told me. I looked at her sadly.

"What? I won't be in my real body? Am I going to be a ghost?" I ask, about to cry. She licked my cheek.

"No ghost. . . You can go back, but I have to go with you. . . Is that alright with you?"

I nodded.

"I'm alright with anything as long as I can see everyone again." I told her. I, then, wrapped my arms around her neck. "Oh, thank you, Death! Thank you so much!"

"Please. . . You should not call me that while we're in your- I mean when we're with your friends, alright?"

"Okay. . . But, what shall I call you? What animal will you be?" I ask. Even though she's a white tiger, it looked as if she was smiling.

"Well, what animal do you wish me to be?" She ask. I sat there thinking. When I got an idea, I got a big smile.

"I wish you to be a black or black and purple butterfly!" I told her. She nodded. I closed my eyes, then opened them again. Everything was the same. "Eh?"

"Child, I have to bring you back, which I need to go first. Then, you will come." I smiled and nodded.

"Okay. . . But, please don't take too long."

She nodded, then disappeared. I sat there for a little bit, waiting. . .

Until I started getting tired. I laid down and went to sleep.

"Child. . . My child, it is time to wake up." Death whispered.

I opened my eyes to see a black and purple butterfly on a leaf in front of my face. I smiled.

"Hello. . . Lucy."

"Lucy? Why that name?"

"Because, it's the first thing that popped into my head." She sighed. I giggled as I sat up. I looked around. "Where are we?"

"I do not know. . . I was hopping that you might know."

I thought about everything I was seeing until I finally straightened up.

"I know!" I yelled as I got up and started running as fast as I could. Lucy flew up to me, landed on my shoulder and hung on. "Dang it! I'm barefoot!" I whispered. The thing's that were under my feet were hurting without shoes. When I burst out of the trees, I saw the motley folks camp.

I laughed and smiled as wide as I could.

"Now. . . I may or may not talk around people, but when we're alone, I might."

"Okay." I said. I was just happy that I was back. When I stopped, I was freezing. I ran into camp and stopped to look around for anyone I knew. The first person I saw was Prince. "Prince!" I yelled. His head popped up to look at me. He looked at me with total shock. He looked like he had seen a ghost.

I ran over to him and gave him a huge hug that almost knocked him backwards. I giggled like a two year old.

"But. . . Lexi. . . It can't be. . . You have been dead for two or three months. . . Are you a-"

A ghost? No. I am very much human and alive. . . Where's Dustfinger and Farid?" I ask. His face turned to a sad one real quick.

"Farid's with Dustfinger and Dustfinger's at Roxane's House. They haven't left there since you died. Neither of them will even do any tricks. Roxane says that they are both very depressed." Prince told me. I looked at him sadly. I got off and sat next to him.

"Really? I have to get to them. . . I have to let them know that I'm not dead." I stood up, getting ready to run, but Prince grabbed my wrist before I could run.

"Wait."

"What?"

"What about your-"

Before he could finish, I had already pulled up my dress, showing him not only my knee, but also my side and belly. And yes, he could see my panties.

"No blood. I'm not hurt at all." I told him.

"But it is cold. It is winter and your in a dress with no sleeves. You'll freeze. . . At least wear this." Prince said while taking off his coat and giving it to me to wear.

"Thanks. . . Well, off I go." I told him as I put it on and started running. When I finally saw Roxane's house, I was freezing. Yeah, I had a coat on, but my feet were still bare. I walked the rest of the way. I opened the gate and went up to her front door. I knocked on the door until I heard someone moving in there.

I just stood there, hoping it wouldn't snow on me. Who answered the door was Roxane. When she saw me, she looked shocked.

"L-. . . Lexi? But I thought you were-"

"Dead, I know. . . Can I please come in? I am barefoot and I am freezing."

"Oh, yeah." She ushered me inside. Her house was nice and warm. Roxane left me to go get some blankets, but I went in search of Dustfinger and Farid.

I opened a door slowly and peeked inside.

I found them! Farid was laying on the bed while Dustfinger sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his hands, once in awhile making flames pop up, then disappear.

I felt so happy to see them. To me, a few hours. To them, a few months. I sneaked in and jumped on Dustfinger.

"Dustfinger!" I yelled, happily. I had knocked him down onto Farid's feet, who sat up and stared at me. I sat up and just sat on Dustfinger's lap. They looked at each other, at me, then back at each other and back at me in total shock.

"Lexi? Are you a ghost?"

I glared at Farid.

"Why does everyone think I'm a ghost? I am not a freaking ghost!" I told him. Farid hugged me and so did Dustfinger. I hugged them both as tight as I could. Then, something popped into my head. I pulled away and looked at them. "What ever happened to Tristan?"

"He disappeared after he got Dustfinger." Farid told me. I looked at him, then I looked at Dustfinger.

"What did you do with my body, anyways? I could have come back sooner, but something had happened to my body." I said.

Dustfinger looked away from me.

"Almost everyone in your world burns they're dead. . . So, I thought. . . You would want that, too."

My jaw dropped.

"You cremated me?!" I yelled. He nodded. I got up and looked down at myself. "Well, I do like this body better. . . I look pretty and my knee, side and belly doesn't hurt anymore." I smiled at him. The next thing I knew, though, Farid was lifting up the hem of my dress. My eyes widened and my cheeks reddened. I then smacked his cheek.

"What was that for?"

"No using puppy-dog eyes on me and your not supposed to look up or lift up girls dresses!" I yelled.

Yeah, I know. . . I lifted up my dress high enough for Prince to see my panties and didn't do anything, but I freak out when Farid barely lifts the hem. I have no clue.

I walked back over to Dustfinger and plopped down on his lap.

"So, you do love Dustfinger and not me. . . I knew it." Farid pouted.

Dustfinger sighed.

"She's not going to fall for that, boy. . . She's smarter then-"

"Aw! Farid, it's okay. . . I saved your life, didn't I?" I babied him. I was sitting on the floor by him, hugging his head close to my chest.

"Well, I guess I was wrong. I guess she is stupid enough to fall for it."

I looked up at him and smiled.

"It's okay, Dustfinger. . . I love you, too!" I told him.

Well, that's the story of how I met Dustfinger and Farid. I now live in the inkworld, but I do wish I could go home sometimes.

And that's it. That's how it ended. . .

Or is it?