A/n: I just wanted to point out that I don't think this story is appropriate for anyone under sixteen years of age. Not necessarily because of the language or violence. I do however believe the themes to be rather adult and not appropriate for anyone otherwise.

Anyway I hope you enjoy. Please review and tell me what you think honestly.

Chapter 7:

Morrible woke that morning with her alarm going off. She reached over to check the time and yawned. Stumbling out of bed she headed clumsily for the shower. Fumbling through her closet she picked out her uniform and quickly changed. Winter yawned sitting up. As she rubbed her eyes she spotted Morrible and laughed.

Morrible folded her arms. "What is it?"

Winter tried to hide her smile, "Well, it's just that…you're uniform. It's back-to-front."

Morrible looked down as an embarrassed smile set across her face. "Thank you."

Morrible then proceeded to correct her uniform.

Winter looked to her clock. "Why are you up so early?"

Morrible glanced to the clock and smiled softly. "I'm going for a morning stroll. You're welcome to join me if you want."

Winter put her pillow over her head. "I can't believe you're up two hours early just to walk."

Morrible shrugged, "It's more than that. I also won't make it to today's classes I have a prior commitment."

Winter creased her eyebrows and sat back up. "You're not coming. Why not?"

Morrible looked at her gently, "I have to go and do something."

Winter paused in confusion. "What?"

Morrible sighed, "If you come with me you'll find out."

Winter just sat there for a few moments to collect her thoughts. She couldn't understand why Morrible would miss classes and what could be so important. So she gathered herself putting on a soft purple dress with a navy ribbon tied around it. She quickly tamed her hair and tied it back quickly with a red ribbon. She came out of the bathroom looking as beautiful and composed as ever yet as untamed as any wildcat that couldn't be domesticated.

Morrible smiled as she picked up a few books and put them into a brown leather backpack. She closed her eyes and thoughtlessly concentrated. She sat there holding the backpack close to her chest. It was moments like that that she would simply not think about the world at large, about civil wars or even the task at hand. She'd just stop and let memories pass her by. It was probably the only day she let herself not be occupied just to remember.

Winter stared at the other girl unsure of what to do. She'd never seen her so unresponsive before that she was completely is another world. One she could never guess at.

Winter whispered hesitantly, "Morrible…are we going to go now?"

Morrible opened her eyes. "Of course. Let's go. I'm sorry I must of seemed rather strange for a second."

Winter's voice was still low. "Are you okay? You don't seem yourself today."

Morrible smiled, "Don't worry your little head over it. I'm fine…I'm just more venerable today. I've never been one to shy away from stating my fears. I'm just a little afraid. That's all really."

Winter paused, "Why?"

Morrible replied, "Simple really. Today is the day I realise that I'm alone and I'll never see my parents again. This is the day they passed Winter."

Winter moved forward putting her arms around her. "You're not alone. I'm here."

Morrible smiled as the tears fell. "I know but it's not the same Winter. Sometimes I just want my parents. Sometimes I just want to breakdown but I know I can't because I don't have the unconditional love of a parent. I have to move forward and not look back. I know I want to but I can't because sometimes pain isn't the worst thing, sometimes it's realising that you have to go through it alone…"

Winter just wrapped her arms around the girl. She had fought with her parents too many times to count and she sometimes hated them and sometimes loved them but couldn't imagine her life without them. She couldn't imagine losing her parents. In a way they were her rock. She could get here or there but at the end when all was said and done she knew they'd always be there waiting and she loved them for it. She loved them and that was the main thing despite their many differences they only wanted what was best for her. And sometimes Winter hated that she knew that so well.

Morrible was still crying putting her arms around the other girl. She couldn't recall the last time she'd leaned on someone's shoulder to cry on instead of silently in her pillow when things got too much.

Winter gently held on to her. "It'll be okay. I'm not going anywhere. I promise, even if it takes forever. It'll be fine. You are loved Morrible, maybe not in a way that you thought but you are. I'm certain your parents still love you and their watching over you. You're too good a person to hurt so much. Do you know that? Do you that sometimes it's what you lost but the happiness you'd had."

Morrible wrapped her arms around the girl. "I suppose but I never understood why. I mean they wanted no part of it Winter. No part at all. They just wanted to live their lives. They talked so much about everything. About the world, about Oz, about life. They were always full of so much life Winter and it was taken from them. It was just taken and I was so young. I still had so much to learn. I was going to learn so much from them Winter. Their still gone and I hate it.

"I hope I never see the people who did that to them. I hope I never have to hear so many screams again and no more fire. I hope I never see so much fire."

Winter stayed quiet holding the girl to her. She didn't know what to say so she held her and let her cry. After awhile Morrible moved back and looked at the clock.

She whispered softly, "We should go. It's almost time."

Winter paused and looked at the clock. They'd been there for sometime and still the sun hadn't risen. Morrible stood still clutching her backpack to her chest. Winter followed after her barely sure of what to do. They walked for awhile not once stopping. The walked even when the sun rose and walked even longer along the dirt road. Eventually Morrible walked off the track and Winter followed unsure if the other girl knew where they were going.

Soon Morrible stopped walking. She'd stopped in the field of grass where the length stopped higher than your knees and the wind swept through the blades like waves. Morrible stood still and looked down from up a hill, down an all the other steep hills that crowded the area and just stared.

Winter was unsure of what was going on, so she asked gently. "Why are we here?"

Morrible smiled, "My father would always say that the higher up you went the closer you got to a lost loved one. I don't believe it mind you but a part of me thinks that it makes perfect sense. So on this day I get as high up as I can every year just to be that little closer to my parents. I must sound crazy."

Winter smiled, "That's okay because I'm a little crazy too."

Morrible smiled in return and put her arms around her friend. Winter smiled holding the other girl to her.

Morrible moved back and asked, "Did you bring anything to eat?"

Winter gave a small smile, "It would appear I forgot."

Morrible laughed, "It's good I came prepared then."

At that Morrible sat down on top of their hill and gave Winter half of her sandwich. They ate soundly without another word being said. They smiled and laughed. They just got to know each other. Like good friends should. They even understood a little more about one another.

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