The Guardian Chapter 47: Stronger, a song of the lioness fanfic

UMMMMMMM...

well. I hope everyone is enjoying the story. Please excuse Romeli. She's being a bit melodramatic.

Song for this Chapter: The Little Things Give You Away -- Linkin Park. Perfect mix of bitterness and determination.

Ch 47: Stronger

In the last chapter...

Wowsers. Most definitely a lot happened! Well Romeli wakes up from the previous night, in which James kissed her and she ran away. That night she had a meeting with her Guardians and they had an argument over the whole situation. She's freaking out about the fact that James' fate is in her own hands, though we don't know why.

Anyways, She wakes up and is in Maryann's room. The two talk for a little bit. Maryann gives her a bit of advice about following what her Guardians have to say. Romeli confesses to her that not only is she worried that James is now in trouble, but she doesn't want to get hurt again (concerning her previous relationship with D'mitri). The two decide that the best thing for her to do is not become attached to James anymore. They then have a little bit of dagger training.

Next, Romeli visits Numair for a little bit of Gift training. Numair's and Romeli's plan of action is to focus on her ability to work with glass and expand the endurance of her Gift. They then duel, Romeli faints and bla bla bla.

Romeli then runs into King Jonathan and they start with a conversation about what she knows about Scanra and the bad thing that is going to happen. The whole situation turns into an all out epic argument as they start fighting over their relationship and Romeli's situation/her form of handling it.

So that sucked majorly, and then she runs into her friends in the mess hall. She and James exchange a look and she immediately turns into a panic, can't think, and has to leave the mess hall in a total immobile and shocked state.

Long summary, but majorly important.

In the midst of events that had wracked her brain the day before, Romeli had completely forgotten her Guardians mention that she would be training with them every night.

She was of course soon reminded when she found herself in the same forest she always was when speaking with Old White and Sclythe. The forest felt relaxing upon her body, as if for whatever reason she had been placed in an area with no stress or pressure—just a serene state of being.

Thinking about it now, this particular meeting with her Guardians felt strangely unlike all meetings she had had previously. For whatever reason, the whole sense of the forest felt more real. Romeli brought her hand to the mossy ground and felt the dirt slip between her fingers. It was velvet soft, unlike any other ground she had touched before.

The reason everything seems so much more real right now is because you're actually here, said Old White quietly as he sat across from her. Romeli looked at him, and then at Sclythe with a confused expression.

What do you mean 'I'm actually here'?

Usually when you come to meetings with us, you're here in a mental state of being. We talk through your dreams, kind of like when you transfer your mind to other beings of the People, while your body remains in one spot, explained Sclythe patiently. He was coiled on the ground in front of her, situating his head on top of his lean body.

Romeli nodded slowly, as the information sunk in. So...I'm not in my bed right now.

Exactly. You are in the Divine Realms.

Uh huh... she said gradually. But...why?

Well you're training now, said Old White. If we were training with only your mind here to accompany you, it would still work, but not as effectively. With your whole body here, you have the advantage of going back to the Mortal World with the same routine. At this point, we need all the advantages we can get.

Romeli looked at the two of them horrified. Her voice was a squeak. Are you serious?

The two of them did not deny their previous words, and that fact alone made Romeli increasingly nervous. She was already working so hard. She had been working nonstop since she had the logic to be able to. It was spectacularly incomprehensible that all of that work had been exerted, and yet compared to whatever was coming, it was not enough.

She decided to shrug it off for now. Training with her Guardians seemed the most effective means of improvement and preparation at the moment. Her time with them in the night was the most valuable, and she could not let it slip.

Well then, where do we start?

We start with explaining a few things to you first, started Old White cautiously.

Sclythe nodded. There is a downside to bringing your body to the Divine Realms. While time between the Divine Realms and the Mortal Realm is relatively different, it is important to point out that your body is actually here and not back in Tortall. You aren't sleeping right now, you're actually awake. So when you do return in the morning, you wont be any more energized than when you 'went to sleep'. You'll be spending every night like this, spending hours training with us instead of sleeping. And I mean hours. Sleep is approximately 8 hours in the Mortal Realms, and in the Divine Realms, 8 hours is approximately 20 hours.

Romeli's eyes bulged. Are you kidding me?!

Sclythe and Old White looked at her, completely serious. No kidding.

How the hell am I going to do this. I'm training 20 hours with you? Every night?!

Old White nodded. It is the only way. You will grow stronger after every session. Though I have to warn you that the first week is going to be the hardest week of your life.

Gods...I can't do this! I'm going to die!

Sclythe looked amused. You're not going to die.

Romeli rolled her eyes. Yeah? Says who? The Gods? Because they really know what they're doing right now. They don't even know what's going to happen to me!

Neither of them decided to say anything. It seemed to be their new technique in notifying her their answer to this question was out of bounds. This made her immensely frustrated.

So, if I'm not going to die...how, if you would please explain, am I going to sleep? Last time I checked, you need sleep to survive. There isn't going to be much surviving if I'm training for...Gods...forty-four hours in a twenty-four hour day!

Old White answered her question easily. Over the week, we're switching your sleeping schedule around. You'll be sleeping every day, from around seven at night to eleven, and then coming back to the Mortal Realm at seven in the morning. That leaves you with four hours of resting time.

Oh well great. Thanks for the that, she said dryly. Four hours.

Honestly it's not a big deal, pointed out Old White with an exasperated tone in his voice. You've lived with less before. Remember your nightmare? You hardly slept at all. Last time I checked you weren't exactly a good sleeper anyways.

Romeli didn't deny it. That's true, Old White. But last time I checked, a day had twenty-four hours in it, not forty-four. The two of you are out of your minds.

Romeli, please, Sclythe scolded. Stop freaking out about it. You need this time right now, and I think you know that. If you're going to be complaining and panicking about it, your rate of improvement will be handicapped and we'll be going no where. You need to be on full focus right now.

Romeli sighed heavily, realizing that he was right. When considering her current priorities, making sure she lived through this ordeal profoundly outweighed her hours of sleep per night.

And anyways, added in Old White. This gives you the perfect opportunity to practice your meditation. Minutes of it is equally as energizing as sleeping for an hour.

She began to relax considerably. Well then, where do we go from here?

Today, we're going to be working strictly on plant magic, started Sclythe as he stared deeply into her eyes. She knew his sight was nearly blind, as was the nature of his species, and yet she felt his serious gaze upon her—it was as clever as it was sightless.

Romeli nodded. I feel like it is the weakest aspect of my powers.

Neither of them disagreed. The reason why it is the weakest has nothing to do with your power. In reality, your Plant Magic is equally as strong as your Gift and your Wild Magic.

Romeli's brows rose. For whatever reason, her plant magic being powerful seemed foreign to her. It only had so many advantages, and when she could use her plant magic, it had to be under certain circumstances.

Old White continued. Since you are basically the only person in the Mortal Realm who has plant magic, extending its powers and what not is all experimental. No one has seen anything like it before, so everything that you have learned through your father has just been his theories. He knows nothing more about plant magic than you do. ...at the moment that is.

So you're saying that you know about plant magic? Romeli asked curiously.

Old White nodded. Yes. Being a part of the Divine Realm, we know practically just as much about plant magic as an ancient oak tree. And, to be frank, there is much to learn.

Numair has done a flawless job, added Sclythe. You know the basics of plant magic, which makes our job twice as easy. But that's the thing...you only know the basics.

Romeli looked impressed. All this time she had considered her plant magic merely be the icing on the cake—something impressive and talented, but not in the least immensely helpful during dire situations.

Teach me, she said excitedly as she looked at them both with driven eyes. She could practically hear their laughter in her mind.

Well then, let's get started shall we? spoke Old White with amusement in his voice. He repositioned himself comfortably and pawed her knee before speaking again. Plant magic, in many ways, is a lot like Wild Magic. As you've experienced, when you focus in on your plant or wild magic, outside forces begin to close in on you. It can be anything from a distant plea of help from far away People, to cries of suffering from a dying plant. Either way, the outside forces are there, and they can either be helpful or a nuisance.

Romeli nodded. She knew exactly what he was talking about. Whenever she was about to heal a plant, its need for her magic practically drained it out of her before she had a chance to control it.

We're going to work on controlling that first. It is the simplest task of the night, and also creates the foundation for using the rest of your powers. What we need you to do is put yourself in a meditative state, and open your mind to your plant magic and the plants around you.

Romeli took a big breath and nodded her head again. She sat up straight and placed her hands on her knees. With her posture perfectly placed, she gave them both a lingering look before letting her eyes flutter close. It didn't take an immensely great effort to slip into a state of serenity. The already calm atmosphere around her seemed to be a catalyst to her meditation. Focusing on her breathing, she slowly found herself forgetting her surroundings and began to feel lifted and weightless.

With her newly found relaxed state, Romeli entered her inner being and found her pool of plant magic deep within the confines of her soul. It looked to be the form of an intricate fire, constantly blooming and wilting within her—forever a cycle of life connected with death. She pulled it out of her and spread it across the forest she sat in, casting it upon all the flowers and trees around her like a net.

Suddenly, she was connected. While sometimes throughout the day she heard muffled melodious whispers from the plants around her, it was never a dominating factor of her day. Now, the plants around her were her being and she felt just as connected to them as she was to herself. She heard them crisp in her mind. They were singing, laughing, talking, in their ancient creaks and moans within their branches, and the quiet whispers of wind against their greens. It was a sensation unlike anything she had felt before. While this open state of mentality was not foreign for her, the plants around her had never sounded so strong, ancient, and powerful. They were all divine of course, which was the obvious reason as to the sensation, but nonetheless it was breathtaking.

Good. Sclythe's voice was distant in her mind, but still audible amongst the songs of the plants around her. His voice sang to a different tune. Now I want you to focus in on the tree that is right behind me.

Tree right behind him? Romeli's brow creased in focus as she zoomed out tuned in to the picture ahead. Right in front of her there was two forms of bronze and gold lighted threads that represented her two Guardians. Right behind them was a massively ancient tree wrapped in emerald and gold. Undoubtedly, it was the tree that Sclythe was talking about.

Romeli channeled all of her energy towards it, staring deeply at it and blocking all the other plants out of her ears. This single tree creaked contently to the rhythm of the gentle breeze, its leaves blew delicately in the wind. Her plant magic wrapped around it tightly, until the magic and the plant were one and the same. She was one and the same.

How old is this tree?

I am three-thousand five-hundred and fifteen years old, she said. Her voice was monotone, the inflexions and tenor of her voice came from the creaks of the tree.

What type of tree?

Willow.

How many leaves?

Romeli frowned, digging deeper into her own being. Finding every aspect of her identity, stretching to each limb and each leaf. Still the answer to Old White's question evaded her. A ripple of frustration entered through her and she felt her focus loosen and fade.

Her connection dropped and she opened her eyes.

Romeli shook her head, massaging her temple as her soul situated into place again. She felt dizzy and the voices of the plants around her were louder than usual, do to the stretching and use of her plant magic upon them. She was tuned into them, and it left her slightly disoriented.

I don't know, she said with an apologetic look.

Old White peered at her wisely. His gaze looked anything but merciful, but when he spoke, his voice was soft. Plant magic is very fragile. The whole idea of a plant's state of being is focused on harmony, both in a musical sense, and a united sense. A breach in this harmony, in this case your human form's frustration, causes a blockade, keeping you away from the answer.

Romeli shook her head. I don't see how this is useful. If using plant magic is so fragile, how am I going to be able to use it in emergencies and my ordeal? If I was cut off because of a little frustration, how am I supposed to focus when I'm dominated by adrenaline and panic?

Sclythe stuck out his tongue, tasting the air. Both of them seemed to be deep in thought.

With practice, you'll be able to master this harmonious state under any circumstance, pointed out Sclythe positively. Remember, this is just your first try. You'll get better quickly. We promise. Old White nodded in agreement.

But how is this useful? She asked them.

As we said before, this practice of meditation is the foundation of plant magic, explained Old White. If you center yourself on a forest, a tree, a shard of grass, anything, like you just did a minute ago, you can control it, make it bloom, make it die, and connect with it in ways that are impossible to human kind. The better you get at controlling this meditation, the better you will be at controlling your powers.

And remember, pointed out Sclythe knowingly. This is just the beginning of your potential capabilities. You can do much more than connect and control. But we will get to these other abilities when you have mastered this.

Romeli nodded in understanding. Well at least now she knew what she was working for, and what she was working towards.

Well then, spoke Old White conclusively. We have eighteen hours of practice to burn, and we are going to practice this until you get it down.

A trickle of dread dripped down her body, starting at the pit of her chest and diffusing to her hands and toes. This was going to be one of the longest nights of her life.

She refused to complain though, and when Old White motioned for her to try again, she closed her eyes and focused on the plant life around her once again.

OOO

Romeli's eyes snapped open. She was lying on her bed, on top of her covers, and not under them, proving to her that what had just happened was definitely not a dream.

The weariness that hit her seconds after notified her that she had definitely just undergone twenty hours of training with her Guardians. Despite the exhaustion that consumed her, she willed herself to sit up and hang her legs over the side of the bed. She stared at the wall in front of her, not bothering to do anything at all as the mental aftermath hit her.

That was by far the most exerting training she had ever had. They had spent hours focusing on meditating and connecting with every plant around her, until eventually she felt like she had gotten to meet each shard of grass individually. If she were to go back to that forest, she would know each tree, each branch, and each story, by heart. It was horrifying, and it was frustrating. She remembered snapping at her Guardians multiple times for no reason whatsoever except for the fact that frustration and anger was surfacing and began to sink her into delirium.

Recalling the training session now, she felt like she had grown significantly with her plant magic from the night before. Even now, she felt connected, powerful, and awake to the plant life around her. It was uplifting, but it was also horrifying.

If she was going to be spending every night like this, she was going to die. She was going to die, or she was going to kill something. Either way, it was not a healthy state of living, and it failed to put her in a good mood.

As well as the fact that now she was out of reach from the serenity she had been training in, the real world seemed to be crashing in on her now. As she entered reality once again, her current circumstances sank into her. She felt weighed down—burdened, making her want to return to the peace and quiet that she had grown accustomed to in the Divine Realms.

But she had no choice, the day, in all reality, had just begun. At the moment, there were a few things that she knew were true:

1) She had Gift training with Numair once again by the lake this afternoon, 2) After the massive argument with Jonathan yesterday, she was now facing a political tear between her, Tortall, and Scanra that was practically inevitable, but also highly unfavorable, and 3) for whatever reason even looking at James, much less thinking about him, put her in an inescapable mental breakdown, a factor that she had to avoid at all costs.

Romeli could already tell that this was going to be a horrible day.

She stood up wearily and got dressed. Sleep seemed like a tempting thing to give influence to, and yet she knew she had a lot of work yet to do today. She would sleep later.

First thing was first, she had to talk to Neal and Faleron before matters with Jonathan grew out of control.

OOO

"Yeah we heard you two had a little conversation," said Neal quietly. The three of them were sitting in the infirmary. Neal was at his desk, and Faleron and Romeli sat across from him on the nearest cot.

Romeli looked at the sheet bitterly, her legs crossed as she sat on top of the bed. "I guess I'm not surprised. What all did he tell you?"

Faleron looked at her confused. "Nothing."

Her brows furrowed in puzzlement. "What?" She had been so convinced that the minute she left his office he had gone to tell the world what she had just confessed to him.

Neal too seemed to be in agreement with Faleron. "He only told us that you two had a rather large argument concerning your current position regarding whatever is going to happen. He concluded that he was unsure whether or not to repeat the information that you had...blatantly...told him."

Romeli breathed out heavily. If she wasn't so frustrated with the king at the moment, she would have thanked him. Instead she concluded to say nothing and only nod.

Faleron leaned closer towards her. "What exactly did you tell him?"

Romeli bit her lip. "Maybe a little bit too much. I was really mad, so my judgment was impaired. He kept on...making false accusations about me! I told him...I told him that he had no idea what he was talking about, and that I had been through hell and back as he sat on his throne, basking in his glory. Because of this, I told him, this involved Tortall as much as it involves Carthak—which is not at all. I told him about my scars and that I went back to Scanra to find their meaning. I told him I knew what they meant and that I knew more than he could ever dream of. When asked me what my scars meant, I walked out."

Neal's brows rose, obviously impressed. "You, my dear, have the bravery of a lion. I salute you."

Romeli smiled weakly. Brave was hardly what she would consider herself.

"What do your scars mean then?" asked Faleron curiously.

She looked down. "I honestly don't feel comfortable in saying. I have only told Maryann on the basis that she understands—she was there with me my whole stay in Scanra, whereas everyone else was not. Maryann was there with me every step of the way—we both understood what happened and why they're there. No one else could possibly grasp it the way we can."

Faleron nodded understandably. "May I ask a vaguer question then?"

Romeli looked up again, meeting his eyes. "Sure."

"Does the meaning of your scars have anything to do with Tortall?"

She shook her head. "It has absolutely nothing to do with Tortall. It strictly involves only me and Scanra. I'm not saying that Tortall is not in the midst of things—I honestly have no idea what's going to happen. All I know is that what will happen involves these scars, and since these scars involve Scanra, it's all connected."

"How are you feeling right now?"

Neal's question threw her totally off guard, and she caught herself looking at him strangely, as if he knew something she didn't know he knew. His question alerted herself to her weariness and melancholy, leaving her considerably darker than five minutes ago.

"I'm fine."

Neither of them believed her, and she knew it. Strangely enough, she didn't care.

"What about your leg?"

What? She creased her brow in confusion and then she remembered. During her brief adventure in Scanra one of the attacking guards had stabbed her mercilessly in the thigh. She passed out in Neal's arms when she finally made it back to Tortall due to the blood loss.

"It's completely healed," she answered, attempting to seem nonchalant.

"But you...have not," said Faleron slowly. He was staring deep into her eyes, confirming that they both knew what he was talking about.

Romeli couldn't stand to look at him any longer, so she averted her eyes to the sheets again. Had she healed? From Scanra? From James? From everything? How could she? The process of healing was a long one, and to be honest, during the brief intermission between her Guardians informing her about her next project and her escape from Scanra, she had only gotten slightly better. Her relationship with James was there to bring her down in the process. And it wasn't that their failing friendship was a nuisance—it was more that his denial of her existence sucked all the sunshine out of her life, making happiness a rare thing to come by. Now that she was in the midst of her newest challenge, she felt herself slowly coming to pieces again.

Was she healed? No. She hadn't even stopped bleeding yet.

It was a raw question to ask, and Romeli felt her throat tightening up as she tried to find the words to reply to his statement. Her mind was telling her to refute his statement, but her heart could not lie any longer.

A tear slipped down her cheek and she wiped it away, frustrated with herself. What was happening to her? She was supposed to be a machine. She and Maryann had already decided this. She was supposed to forget everything: forget her emotions, forget her friends, forget James. She was supposed to be a rock—a spy, and lately she was falling short of the expectation. This wasn't like her...she wasn't supposed to cry because of a small statement. She wasn't supposed to freeze at the sight of an old friend, or fall weak because of a little training session.

"What's happening to me," she whispered miserably, trying to talk within her silent sobs. Tears began to flow down her cheeks quicker now.

Neal looked at her alarmed, and immediately stood up from his desk to sit next to her on the cot. He placed his arm around her and pulled her into his hold. She rested her head on his chest, letting his shirt dry her tears. Faleron placed a hand on her knee comfortingly.

They sat there for a while, waiting for Romeli's sobs to subside before speaking again. When Romeli had finally calmed her tears, Neal decided to speak first.

"Romeli, what's going on?" he asked her, full of concern.

Romeli sat up, disentangling herself from their arms. She stared at the wall ahead of her, keeping her eyes off of the both of them. She couldn't handle it anymore; she wanted to run. "I'm scared."

"Of what?"

Romeli shivered, her lip quivering as she focused on the white-washed wall ahead of her. "That feeling... you don't know what's going to happen. I'm...scared of what's going to happen. I'm scared of not knowing...anything...knowing too much..."

Neal wrapped an arm around her again, but she still looked forward, completely transfixed by the wall ahead of her. "It's going to be okay," he assured her as he lightly rubbed her back.

She shook her head. Fear was beginning to bubble up again, she felt hysterical. "No...you don't know that. No one knows that. Even the Gods...the Gods don't even know what's going to happen. They asked them—they didn't know. It's all up to me..." A tear slid down her cheek again.

Faleron wiped it away with his finger. "Of all the people I would trust with the fate of the world, it would be you," he told her strongly, looking at her deeply.

She turned towards him, her eyes drowned in tears and her lips quivering in silent shivers. "I have a feeling."

He blinked, obviously expecting a different reaction. "What type of feeling."

"Like I might die."

Neal leaned closer to her. "What?"

Romeli blinked, turning back to the wall again. "It's a look you get in your eyes, there is a scent, a smell of death. Some kind of sixth sense. When the great beyond is headed for you, you feel it coming."

He looked deep into her eyes for a moment, his face expressed a ripple of fear, but he hid it smoothly under his complexion. "You can do this." He had no other words to say but that.

Romeli shook her head. "No...I'm going to fail. Something bad is going to happen. I...I'm going to...James..."

She couldn't even finish the sentence. She was engulfed in hysterics once again.

Neal held her again, quieting her and calming her with the slight use of his Gift. Romeli's breaths calmed, but her tears did not slow. Neal looked once at Faleron; the both of them exchanged looks of unease.

"Romeli...what about James?" asked Neal. His voice was shaking; for he knew what Romeli would say was by no means good.

Romeli's hysterics grew worse as the picture of his face entered her mind. She couldn't help the memories of his kiss sweep through her, making her shiver hysterically. "Neal! I'm—so sorry!"

Neal shook his head, not understanding. "Shhh...Romeli, what is it?"

She sniffed as she wiped her eyes. It was a challenge to look at him, and she shook weakly as she did so, but she could not look away. Those green eyes, so much like his son's, were captivating. Of all the things in the world that she could handle right now, looking into a pair of green eyes so magnificently structured like his was not one of them.

"He's...going to die," she whispered under her sobs, barely able to say those four words, much less his name.

Neal's expression crumbled slightly, but he quickly collected himself. "You don't know that," he told her, attempting to sooth both himself and her. "Anything is possible. You said yourself that even the Gods don't know what will happen."

This wasn't the same... she thought silently as she turned away from him. Gods...she couldn't do this. What was she doing? Why was she breaking down so easily like this? She was beginning to feel slightly dizzy as reality washed through her. She was going to fail: pure and simple. What other way around was there? Success? Fate was a cruel thing and success was rarely achieved through a happy ending...

For whatever reason she had a feeling that a happy ending was an idea that was not meant for her life.

No...she was wrong. How would she know anyways? This was just the journey, with just as many ups as downs. Well...perhaps more downs, but both either way. There was always the slightest chance of success, and if she had learned anything from her past experiences, she had learned that winning against all odds was definitely her forte.

But at the same time...James' death seemed inevitable. She couldn't think of it as otherwise; Romeli now knew enough to know better.

At the same time, couldn't she just try? Romeli wiped her eyes as the thought entered her mind. Well, of course she would try. She couldn't just let him go without a fight...that alone was true. Especially because it was all her fault that things got so messed up in the first place...

Romeli bit her lip as she looked at Neal again, her eyes reflecting a slightly stronger expression. "You're right," she said slowly. "I assure you that I will do everything in my power to keep him alive. But...it's all my fault." Guilt washed through her infinitely. There was no other way to place the blame, and it really truly was her doing that put them all under this circumstance. "And I'm sorry."

Neal shook his head. "I do not accept your apology," he told her sternly. "Because you have nothing to apologize for. You will get through this. All of us will. And we don't know what's going on—only you do. But at the same time, we trust you, and we trust your decision. When you need our help, if you need our help, and when you need our support, we will be here for you—undoubtedly." Faleron nodded in agreement.

Romeli sniffed. She gave them both an apologetic smile, before standing up. Her whole body was shaking and it was a challenge to hold herself steady. There was no doubt that the culprit to her weakness was her training session with the Gods accumulated with the emotional stress of reality weighing down on her. Romeli couldn't hold herself up any longer, and she collapsed.

Faleron caught her steady and lifted her into his arms.

Neal stood up concerned and put his hand on her forehead. His expression deepened. "Romeli, when's the last time you slept."

Romeli closed her eyes. Of all the questions he could have asked, it had to be that one. "Yesterday," she said tiredly.

"And what about last night?"

Romeli bit her lip. "I was training with my Guardians all night."

Neal shook his head, muttering something about irresponsible Gods underneath his breath. "You're kidding me. All night?"

Romeli nodded weakly, not bothering to open her eyes to look at his outraged expression.

Faleron did the math in his head and realized why Neal was freaking out. "So you're saying you trained with your Guardians for...twenty hours," he stated flatly.

She didn't say anything.

"I can't believe this," Neal said angrily. "Faleron, put her down on the bed right there. Yes, that's great, thank you." Neal leaned over and placed the sheets over her. "You, my dear, are resting here for a while."

She was asleep before she could even respond.

OOO

Romeli's eyes fluttered open. The first thing she realized was that she was definitely not in her room. She sat up quickly, holding her head as she looked around in panic. It was only until the memories washed into her did she remember where she was.

Neal was sitting next to her at his desk. He was writing furiously on a piece of parchment, obviously aware that she was awake but deciding not to make a big deal.

"How long have I been out?" she asked as she looked over towards him.

Neal put down his quill and looked up at her. He looked slightly angry. "Two hours," he said flatly. "A nice and healthy amount of sleep for a young growing girl." He threw his hands up in the air.

Romeli ignored his comment as she looked over at the nearest candle to look at the time. It was twelve. "Shit," she said as she got quickly out of bed and put on her shoes, which had been set next to her bed. "I'm late."

Neal stared at her unbelievably. "For what may I ask?"

"Training with Numair," she replied quickly as she put on her other shoe.

He looked at her with a deadpan expression. "You're kidding me."

"No, I'm definitely not kidding you," she said with a laugh as she worked on the lacings.

"You know, I have the right to keep you contained here for another six hours," he stated blatantly.

Romeli looked up at him desperately. "Please don't," she said pleadingly. "I'll go to bed right after training, I promise."

He muttered something inaudibly under his breath. Romeli decided to ignore it and walked down the row of cots towards the exit at a near run.

Right when she was about to make her escape, fate decided to take a turn, and James walked right through the exit, making her nearly collide with him.

Their bumping of shoulders lasted only seconds, and yet she felt that they were staring at each other for hours. The way he looked at her, his eyes more magnificent than any she ever saw, were masked with concern. It was obvious that he was wallowing, and the guilt began to burden her. She could not help it though—it was the only option she had.

The emotional repercussions of him being in the same room as her began to surface and she found herself begin to shake uncontrollably, quickly breaking at the seams. One glance at him and she felt like she had been punched in the stomach, no matter how quickly she had averted her eyes.

She was out the door much too late for her liking. Breathing heavily, she turned the corner, but not quick enough for her to catch a fraction of the argument that had commenced in the Healing Wing.

"What was she doing in here?"

"Nothing, Jameson. She's just a little drained that's all. None of your concern."

"Oh bull sh—."

She closed her ears to the sound of his voice, unable to stand it any longer. Instead of standing around to overhear the conversation, she slipped into the nearest room—an empty classroom.

Romeli couldn't help it. She doubled over, propping herself up with her arms as she stood over a table. Silently gasping for air, she succumbed to the sensation of the hole in her middle expanding and throbbing painfully. She held her middle tightly as she slipped to the ground in the corner, still trying to retain her breath.

The feeling would only last a while. All she needed to do was fall to pieces privately. It was nothing dramatic—she was bound to pull herself together eventually.

What was dramatic was the fact that no matter how hard she tried, the affects he had on her were severely inescapable.

And that was very, very stupid.

OOO

"You're late," stated Numair bluntly. She wasn't just late however, she was thirty minutes late. Thirty minutes of precious training time had been sacrificed because of the takeover of her emotions—thirty minutes wasted because she could not be stronger.

To say the least, the guilt she felt now as Numair blatantly looked disappointedly at her, was enough to throw her off for the whole training session.

Her father rubbed his hands together as she walked up to him. It was obvious that he was searching her eyes for an explanation, but she gave him none. Her expression was hard as stone, and not even her eyes alerted him to the fact that she had been crying. She would give him no excuse—there was none to give.

"Well," he said finally. "Let's get started then. We're going to do the exact same thing as yesterday—drain you. Only this time, I thought of a few things that you can think of while dueling to keep you from getting tired so quickly. Understand?"

Romeli nodded. "Yea. What are your ideas?"

"Well the most important thing to focus on right now is not to necessarily to win, but to pace yourself. Try your hardest not to think of losing or winning right when you start any duel. It's more important to be steady and consistent than be spontaneous and out of control. In the end, slow and steady wins the race," He grinned at that. "Who knew such a cliché saying could apply to so many aspects in life."

She decided not to say anything.

Numair continued. "Another philosophy that I thought of is to apply your Gift to each attack with as little exertion as possible. This is much like pacing yourself, but with more focus. Center in on each attack—then reflect it. Don't think of anything else. And if you do, be conscious of the diversion and steer yourself back on the road. If you get tired, ignore it. Weariness is your body telling you you're pushing the limit—but it doesn't mean you're going to die. When you're going to die—you can feel it." He looked at her deeply. "I think we both know that. Focus is vital.

"And one more thing," he added. "Give it all you got, because in a real duel, with a real enemy, you are fighting for your life, and they are too. There are no draws—it's lose or win, and you must win. Embrace your adrenaline and your nerves, it kick starts your reflexes and stimulates your mind. But at the same time it is vital to remember my other two points. Don't let your adrenaline make you discard your pacing or your focus. Make sense?"

She nodded again. "Mmmhmm."

"Great. Let's get to work then shall we?"

The two of them walked in the opposite direction, preparing themselves. Romeli shook her hands, trying to loosen her arms and shoulders, but her nerves refused to budge. She had highly considered the ideas that Numair introduced to her, but at the same time she couldn't shake away the fact that she just simply couldn't do this again and win. She wasn't in the right state—her weariness was a constant reminder of that.

Nonetheless she gave Numair the nod of confirmation showing she was ready. Romeli was prepared to give it all she had, she just knew it wouldn't be enough.

Numair's first attack hit her hard. She knew it was coming, but her reflexes were sluggish, and her mental capacity to think strategically was handicapped by the fact that she hadn't slept in the equivalent of two days.

The shards of glass flew at her with an alarming rate that she was completely unprepared for. She had no idea how she blocked it—instinct perhaps.

As much as the hostile attack should have woken her senses to the impending danger, she felt no more motivated than she had minutes ago. Part of her felt the need to succumb to Numair's next attack, knowing it would bring her down or even destroy her. The idea practically seemed welcoming. How nice would it be to sleep forever in serenity?

She knew that Numair sensed the defeat in her eyes, but still he did now lower his hands. Romeli wondered what he was doing. His gaze looked emotionless, alerting her to the fact that he meant business.

For the first time, Romeli felt afraid of her father.

Perhaps it was the fear that held her steady as he attacked again. This time, his maneuver held no glass. Instead, it was a gust of his black Gift, like his magic had taken the form of powder that could easily blow with the wind.

As she stared at the wind coming towards her, she didn't know what to do. In fact, she didn't even know what it was. She stared deeply at the black wind carrying towards her at an alarming rate. It felt like it was suddenly consuming her, sucking all life and happiness not only from her, but everything surrounding her.

What the hell...?

Romeli did the only think she could think of in such a short amount of time. She brought up a blockading shield made of glass. It flashed in front of her, conjuring right at the second of impact. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth as the wind hit her mercilessly. A shiver of pain diffused through her body, as if the wind not only hit the shield, but her as well.

When she opened her eyes, realization dawned. The dark wind hadn't touched the shield at all. It passed right through, colliding with her instead.

She fell on her knees as pain swept through her. What was this stuff? She felt like she was dying, like her life was being sucked out of her. Strangely enough...it made her feel angry.

"Get on your feet Romeli," Numair told her. "Remember what I told you. Focus."

Focus? How could she focus after that? Her whole person was trembling weakly, like that black gust of wind had placed a weight on her chest that could not be budged. Breathing heavily, she put her weight on one foot and then the next until she was standing once again, leaning on a thick tree for support.

Romeli looked over at the tree as if she were looking at a friend letting her lean on it for support. That's when she realized that this tree, in all reality, was her friend. The previous nights training session with her Guardians flooded back to her rapidly. One factor of that night stuck with her incessantly: she was as much this tree as she was herself, if only she would allow the connection to be so.

Feeling slightly stronger than previously, she looked over at Numair incredulously. "What the hell was that?"

"That." He started simply as black fire appeared in his hands again. "Was your first glimpse at dark magic."

Romeli's eyes widened. Well that explained everything.

Numair refused to give her any further time to speak however, and he attacked again. Romeli closed her eyes quickly, ignoring the sound of the next dangerous strategy flying towards her. With as much speed as she could muster, she connected herself to the plant life around her, until she settled in on an oak tree directly behind her competitor. She drew in a hasty breath as her plant magic began to engulf her and the tree until it started to move.

There was a brief interruption as she brought her hands up to flash a shield against Numair's attack. After that threat was over however, she began to continue her work again. When she opened her eyes, Numair was constricted tightly by the branches of the tree that had previously been behind him.

Romeli used the temporary moment of Numair's handicap to embrace a short respite. She doubled over gasping for air as a deep wave of weariness hit her. She put her hands on her knees to prop herself up as the dizziness became overwhelming.

Gods...I can't do this, she thought morosely as she attempted to stand up straight. In all reality, she hadn't even hit the half way mark of her endurance yesterday. Something told her she was never going to.

A rip of pain tore through her and suddenly she felt like she was on fire. When she looked up at Numair she realized why. Numair, out of the means to escape her trap, blasted the tree with flames. It stood behind him now, burning its wooden exterior as much as it was burning her.

She glared at Numair. Previously, she was peeved, but now she was legitimately angry. She used her Gift to dump a large amount of water on the large tree, quenching its intense thirst and washing out the flames.

Romeli rounded on him. She brought out her Gift and shot out beams of fire from her hands towards him. Let's see how he feels being burned alive.

He was never given the opportunity. Numair shielded her attack with effort, but it held. He then turned on her with another glass attack as shards of glass came towards her quickly.

She felt an intense pressure on her right shoulder, making her looked down instinctively. A large shard of glass had pierced straight through her shoulder. She looked at Numair in time to see a horrified expression before she fell to her knees in defeat.

There was only one thing she could do, and she had to do it before any permanent damage to her arm took place. She put one steady hand on the intruding glass deliberately, and began to pull it out slowly.

One thing was for sure. It hurt ten times more coming out than it did coming in. She held in the scream, her head roaring as she felt shocking amounts of blood creep down her arms. When it was out, she threw it aside and collapsed on the ground.

Numair crouched over her and ripped a thick strip of fabric from his shirt. He began to apply pressure to the rapidly bleeding wound. Romeli looked up at him, wincing at his tending. Miraculously, her head was clear—she wasn't on the verge of fainting.

"What happened?" he asked as he ripped off another strip. The first was already soaked.

Romeli shook her head. "I couldn't block it in time."

"No," he replied icily. "The whole duel. What were you doing? I've never seen you act so poorly before."

Ripples of guilt rushed through her and she winced, this time not because of the wound. "I just...couldn't do it."

"Why?" he challenged blackly.

Why? If only he knew the reasons as to why. She hadn't slept in two days, she was physically and mentally afraid of her best friend, she pretty much ruined any relationship with her friends, and she was most likely going to die.

Despite all of these applicable reasons, she settled on none. Numair wanted no excuse, and she wouldn't give him any.

"I don't know," she replied emptily.

Numair gave her no mercy as he once again ripped off another strip. "Your performance in that duel was unacceptable. Was this some sort of joke?"

She shook her head with closed eyes. "No, it wasn't. You are really hard to duel. I couldn't act..."

He looked at her alarmed, a hint of anger in his eyes. "Do you think a competitor will be any easier, Romeli? Do you honestly believe your enemy will give the mercy I am giving you now?"

"What mercy?" she hissed back. "You could have killed me!"

"And if I were not your trainer and father, you would have been killed," he countered.

Romeli clenched her teeth. "Fine then. I give up. I can't do this. I'm not good enough."

Numair stared at her darkly. "No...maybe you're not. Certainly if you can't beat your father in an elementary duel, who are you to challenge anything else?"

Romeli tried to sit up but he pushed her back down. "Elementary duel?! You used dark magic on me! You never taught me anything about dark magic! How was I supposed to defend myself when I don't know what I'm fighting?!"

"You adapt and overcome," he replied darkly. "Every duel you face you are going to see some spell or maneuver that no one else has. What are you supposed to do then? Give up because it's too hard? When you give up in a real duel, Romeli, you die. There is always a counter to each attack. If you had been focusing, you would have realized this."

Romeli closed her eyes, not bothering to reply.

"I am deeply disappointed in you," he told her pointedly. "The basis of this lesson was to focus on the three important factors I discussed with you at the beginning of this session. You blatantly ignored them. I'm not here to hold your hand and baby you to victory. This is the real world now, and what you're bound to face has no rules.

And not only did you ignore the purpose of this lesson, you came to it already defeated. Do you honestly expect to improve with a losing attitude? I told you to not focus on a victory or a loss, and you ignored me again.

Do you mean business? Do you even want to win? Because right now you're not trying hard enough. What happened during this lesson is inexcusable, and I do not want to see it again. Now answer this question for me. Are you ready to work for your victory?"

Romeli's breaths were shallow as she began to tremble. She still kept her eyes closed. "I will work for my victory," she replied steadily. There was an edge of pain in her voice.

Numair nodded. "Then show it to me. Walk to the infirmary. Stand on your own."

Romeli clenched her teeth again as she forced her eyes to open. With an immense amount of effort, she sat up, trembling severely. She placed her weight on her knees as she held her limp, injured arm.

At last she was on her feet, her hand clutching her still bleeding shoulder tightly. She put one foot in front of the other, not bothering to look back as she left the clearing. Only one thought ran through her mind:

Right foot, left foot, and repeat.

Numair watched her leave the clearing, a single tear staining his cheek. This was the only way.

He had to make her faster...better...stronger.

OOO

Romeli found it oddly coincidental that every time she found herself in the dining room for some meal or another with the full intent of avoiding any human contact, she always ran into her friends...

And him.

It was almost like fate liked to tease and mock her. Her life these days seemed to reflect one of those melodramatic novels—the one where everything that could possibly go wrong does

Fate that dinner did decide to display some sort of mercy upon her however. Tonight she was neither sitting across from, nor next to James. Instead, he sat on the other side of the table, with Whave and Sereem obstructing her view.

Like all nights such as these, Romeli did her best to ignore all conversations, speaking only when someone asked her a question. This night, above all others, seemed exponentially more challenging to keep her cool.

Her first strategy of portraying normalcy was to absolutely stuff her face with food. In all honesty, she was starving, the hard work she exerted both during the day and in her 'sleep' contributed to the growth of appetite. But when she grabbed her knife and fork to dig in, her hands were shaking too much to function. They clattered, much like shivering teeth, with the glass plate, making unnecessary noise that would alert her friends to the emotional overdrive she was trying to subdue.

Another tactic she used was trying to pretend that she was listening to the conversation. She attempted to laugh at all the right places, nod, and smile—almost like everything was as it should be. But the process of discarding the fact that she was not all right was more painful than actually expressing her distress. Not to mention the fact that acting normal implied eye contact—and that was not acceptable.

So she settled with acting as she usually did, avoiding all conversations and trying her best to hold herself together.

However, at the rate that she was going right now, falling apart at the seams seemed inevitable.

Romeli was trembling, severely, and she tried to hide it, but there was no doubt in her mind that Ryoku, who sat next to her, could sense her despair. She knew Whave did, for every once in a while during a conversation, he would look at her from across the table with a concerned expression. She sensed his eyes upon her, and yet she always managed to avoid eye contact.

The sensation she felt was exponentially more severe than any melancholy, fear, and defeat that she had experienced. She felt like she was bawling, right there in the dining room in front of her friends, but she had to keep it bottled inside. Every once in a while, a dry sob would escape and she would hide it in a cough. Tears would slip down her cheeks, but she always looked down to take a bite of food when she felt it coming. Her throat was tight, and the uneasy ball of nausea in her stomach made her feel uncomfortably edgy.

When she tried to pin point the reason for these inescapable emotions coursing through her, she knew that there wasn't just one reason. Perhaps it was the fact that she hadn't slept (albeit she took a brief nap right before dinner), or she was scared—scared for what was to come, knowing that she wasn't ready now, and certainly wouldn't be ready soon. Maybe it was because the fight with the king held political repercussions she could not grasp, or that she was overwhelmed by the support of Neal and Faleron. And just as much as it could be the support of Neal and Faleron, it could be the fact that she had failed her father—and both of them new it. It could be that she knew she was going to fail in general, and that was that.

Simply put, she just couldn't succeed, and she knew it. She was going to die.

As much as those factors explained her reasons for falling apart right on the table, she knew one factor of her life held the accountability for her confused and torment above all others:

Him.

And she couldn't help it. She loved him—more than she had loved anything. But at the same time...she hated him to. Hated him for loving her, hating him for being so concerned, for being here right now, for having those beautiful green eyes that she couldn't help but steal glances at. She hated him for being so dedicated and committed to making this relationship work, when she knew it wouldn't. She hated that she was scared she would be hurt again just like the last time. Above all, she hated the fact that she was responsible for his life right now—and he didn't know it.

She shook her head. He doesn't know it, and he shouldn't know it, she told herself sternly. None of them need to know it. This is a personal affair, remember that.

Romeli bit her lip. Her inner monologue was confident, how come she wasn't?

She heard his voice. It was a reply to one of Sereem's questions that she hadn't quite caught. Romeli frowned and shivered at the same time. The way his smooth tenor words entered her ears made her want to touch his lips...kiss him...

Romeli closed that side of her thoughts immediately.

But why was he wallowing? His tone was mournful, like he was equally as lost as she was. She shook her head at that. It wasn't right to hear his pain. The sound of his voice tempted her to look at his face that was only feet away. The enticement was dominating, and after a minute of debating, she threw away all reason and leaned forward slightly, looking towards his direction.

James was looking down, his food just as untouched as hers was. His hands were in his lap as he stared down at his food. His hair covered his eyes from her—a factor that made her angry. Her fingers itched to push his soft brown hair away from his eyes so that she could stare at him—his emerald eyes were so mesmerizing and beautiful...

Romeli closed her eyes as a ripple of pain coursed through her body. Once again she stopped her thoughts rapidly, determined to shut him out of her mind completely before she went insane with love, with worry, with fear. Her chin began to quiver as she felt another crying jag coming on. A tear escaped and she brushed it away furiously. One fell right after the next until she didn't even bother wiping them away any more. She looked down at her plate and let them fall.

He's going to die.

She could feel it. The two of them were done for—it was inevitable. And it wasn't so much herself that kept her in such a state of depression, but the fact that he would be gone as well, all because of her.

The morning's conversation with Neal and Faleron swept through her, resonating shivers of dread throughout her body.

"I have a feeling."

"What type of feeling?"

"Like I might die."

Neal leaned closer to her. "What?"

Could James feel it now? Did he feel the same apprehension that coursed through her veins at this very moment? Was this why the two of them looked down at their plates, one in the same?

Romeli bit her lip as she attempted to suppress another sob. It was a shame. They were going to die, and the opportunity to make amends would no longer be needed.

It was strange, for she always heard her parents tell her the cliché moral saying that you never know what you have until it's gone. When she was captive in Scanra during the time of the Peace Ball, she had no idea that that last week would be their last hug, their last moment of sincere friendship, and their last adventure together.

As obscene as it sounded, part of her wanted to return to that moment. She wanted to go back to Scanra and relive it all. Not just to turn back time so things would end differently, but to embrace those last days with James with her conscious mind knowing that it would be their ultimate finale.

Her hands began to shake severely, and she wrapped them around her middle to hold herself together. From the corner of her eye, she could sense Ryoku staring at her, and then looking at James with the same awareness. She had caught on. It was definite that Romeli would be regretting not hiding her emotions later.

But at the moment, she didn't have the capacity to care. In fact, she could not handle another second within this torture. She felt like she could barely function she was trembling so hard. Romeli was falling apart, and quickly. The only thought that ran through her mind was the fact that she needed to find a haven before it was too late.

She stood up hastily and left the room without taking a single glance back. When she was out of the dining room, she sprinted up the stairs and through the hallways towards her room at breakneck speed.

OOO

Romeli, we're both going to be honest with you, started Old White frankly as her two Guardians sat in front of her. They were back to where they were the previous night: another training session.

Romeli looked at them, not much in the mood for talking.

You're being dumb, he said with the utmost candor.

Romeli's brows rose. How, may I ask, did you extract that idea? She asked icily, not exactly in the mood to debate with her Guardians over her state of intelligence.

Because, explained Sclythe. The direction you are going right now is leading you right towards failure. If you keep on doing what you're doing, you will be defeated.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. For the first time that whole day, she stood up for herself. What the hell are you talking about?! Are you telling me to work harder? Are you telling me to make more sacrifices? Are you implying that not only do I need to spend twenty hours training nights in hell, Gift training with my merciless father, and the rest of my spare time working on everything else, but do more on top of that? Just because you're a God, doesn't mean you have the right to make people suffer. Look what you're doing to me. I'm dying. I'm hurt. I have half the confidence I did the day before. If you're going to say that I need to work harder then I am out of here. I don't give a fuck about my third Guardian anymore. I want out.

Old White looked at her surprised. What are you talking about...?

Romeli threw her hands up in the air and stood up angrily. I'm out of here.

Stop.

Sclythe's assertive voice made her halt in her tracks. She exhaled angrily before turning around, her eyes burning. What.

We weren't talking about your training, explained Sclythe smoothly. He looked just as patient as always, which played games with Romeli's fragile emotions.

Romeli clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to vent some anger without punching something. Eventually she sat back down again. Then why am I horrible at everything right now?

What she was talking about was nearly implied. Her Gift session with Numair hadn't exactly gone as planned.

It's easy to explain, started Old White with a nod. Your emotional strain and lack of confidence during the training was inevitable. After your training session with us, it's very hard to adapt to longer days and less sleep. You aren't used to it. But things will get easier, I promise. The second day is always the hardest. You have hit rock bottom, and it can only get better from there.

Romeli bit her lip. I don't see how I'm ever going to get used to this.

You will, assured Sclythe. It doesn't seem possible now, but just wait until a week from now. You will be at least twice as stronger as you are now. All you have to do is persevere and fight. Don't let your emotions get the best of you next time. Numair is hard on you for a reason. His knowledge and teaching is essential to your success, so don't give up.

Fine, I understand, she snapped, still a little irritated. But then what's with the insult?

Because your inability to share the load with anyone is going to be your ultimate defeat, stated Old White frankly. There is no way around it. If you carry all of this on your own, you're done for. No one will understand. You'll be fighting solo, and that, Romeli, is impossible. Even the Gods have to fight side by side now and again.

Romeli shook her head. You're wrong though. I am sharing the load. I told Maryann everything a few days ago.

And that's great, Sclythe said with agreement. But leaning on one person isn't enough. You can't see Maryann every day, and you need someone to lean on when she isn't there.

Like who? Romeli asked hopelessly. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly the type of person that flaunts their problems.

We've noticed, stated Old White with a laugh. But have you considered the support of your friends?

Out of the question.

Why? Asked Sclythe.

Because they'll be in danger. If they aren't already. Because they'll worry too much, they'll work to hard to support me. It's just not a possibility.

You're wrong though, countered Old White. Yes, you're friends may be in danger protecting you, but aren't you in danger right now protecting them? Protecting the whole country? This can't be a one-sided relationship, Romeli, and you certainly can't control the fate of your friends. You should let them help, because if you don't explain things to them, this weight on your chest will grow heavier with each day and the risk of you failing will become increasingly more possible. How ironic would it be if you died for the safety of your friends, when in reality, if you put your friends out of this safety, you'll be saving them?

Romeli stared at him. Her eyebrow twitched. You're not making sense.

Old White pawed the ground a single time. Do you understand the repercussions of not venting your emotions?

No.

He sniffed. That's quite a denying reply, considering you've experienced these repercussions first hand.

What are you talking...

He interrupted her. You always try to solve every problem by yourself. The first time was solving The Prophecy. And sure, you were able to take care of that solo, but that, my dear, was just the beginning. During your servitude, you again were forced to carry the load of a Scanran slave. You were captured in a country not your own, surrounded by no friends, no happiness, only torture. If you continued in that manner, you would still be there right now. But since you gave in to the help of Maryann and D'mitri, not only did you acquire two friends, but you had a hint of fun and adventure, as well as your life.

She shook her head a second time. I did share the load with D'mitri. I gave him my love, hoping for happiness in a place I was not familiar with. He helped me, and look what happened to him. She tried her best to suppress a wave of sadness and hysterics as her throat began to tighten up.

Sclythe tasted the air with his tongue before speaking again. Fate is often times cruel, he explained. What happened to you and him expresses a grief and remorse that is hard for anyone else to grasp. But remember my words very carefully, Romeli. Your actions in the past will help you face the actions you will make in the future. Now you are prepared to defend who you truly love. Don't you forget it.

Romeli shivered. For some reason, she understood. I just don't feel comfortable in telling people...

Which makes perfect sense, concluded Old White with a nod. The pain in your actions is disregardable. In the end, the outcome will be worthwhile. If things were easy, it wouldn't be memorable. Do you understand what I'm saying?

I guess so... she smiled weakly at the two of them. But she shook her head. I will try, but I have a feeling that what you're asking of me is too much. The thought of me actually telling anyone else...I physically feel a defensive block...editing my words...paralyzing my logical thought and unleashing my emotions. What you're asking may be impossible.

They both seemed to understand. All we ask is that you give it an effort.

So...shall we start training? Sclythe asked her, obviously taking note of the apparently scarce time they had left.

Romeli sighed heavily. Sure. What are we working on tonight?

We, Romeli...are going to turn you into a tree.

Romeli's brows rose and her mouth twitched. This was going to be a long night.

FINISHED!!

(tackles computer)

First place!

Anywho. Thank you everyone for reading!! Woop.

Fluff is coming soon. Mwa ha ha.

Replies:

x17SkmBdrchiczxx: lol. I know I'm probably killing everyone! I actually feel really bad. I'm going to try and update as fast as possible. But once you find out you'll be like 'oh shit'. The reason why James is connected with this we still don't know. Only Romeli does. But we will find out really soon! Lol! You mean, Numair SOUNDED like a cool dad. I'm not sure you'll think he's cool after reading this chapter...

xxTunstall Chickxx: haha. Don't worry! Fluff is coming really soon. Like seriously. It's actually so crazy. I've dreamed of writing this part of the story for five years...and now that I'm actually here, it's really crazy. THANKS!! Omg. I HOPE my writing has developed since the beginning of this story... seeing as I started in like...seventh grade! Lol

itachihater13: she's going to TRY and ignore him lol...but as well all know...James is way too sexy. No one can ignore him. Lol. Well okay. Mono must really suck. Is it gone NOW?

BlackWidow12: YOUR STEP MOM WENT THERE!! Omg. Crazy! I'm really excited to go, but I'm also SUPER scared. I'm sure I'll like it and everything, but it's just the idea of leaving and everything. You know?

Dreamer404: thanx gurl!! Keep readin'!