Sometimes you need to break down to build yourself back up again... thanks for the review.

Angsty swearing warning. The title of this fic...this chapter starts it all...

The Power that Lies within the Dormant

I stumbled into the Teapot wearily, wishing I could just let my mind go blank in the grasp of sleep, instead of going from reality to dreamality and back again. Damian was curled up on a pile of carefully spread blankets. I leaned against the cold porclein wall and watched him mindlessly. Suddenly he opened his eyes and held my gaze. I couldn't find it in me to say anything, even a hello.

"You're wilting on the inside," he remarked sombrely. I rubbed the side of my face with heartfelt fatigue and smiled bitterly.

"Spot on, Damian..." My voice sounded hoarse. "I'm so tired of this all." I looked at the young boy and found myself holding my arms out to him.

"Can I get a hug, please?"

He willingly got up, picked his way towards me and hugged me without another word. He felt so small and fragile in my arms, yet I was the one asking for comfort, I was the one cracking into pieces. My eyes pricked painfully, and warm tears flowed over again. Oh gosh, I thought I had reached the tear-duct limit, but this...I embraced him tightly.

"I hate it, I hate it, I freaking hate it!" I blurted out hoarsely, trying to vent out all the slag I bottled inside, "Everytime she does that...I can't do anything to defend myself but run like a damn chicken. She's got March Hare, Daisy, hell, and now Cheshire on her side, all wanting to flush me out like I'm some piece of shit. And they're making feel like shit! I realize I'm not as tough as I want to be...I c-can't...I don't have anything..." My emo rant was broken off by Damian pulling out of my deathhug to kiss me on the side of my mouth. Just a clumsy, but genuinely concerned little boy kiss. But it was enough to blow all the shadows out of my mind with a soft explosion of light. I looked down at him with startled eyes, completely stunned speechless.

"You've got me," he smiled, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement at my flabbergasted expression. I could start seeing all those galaxies in the spaces of his black orbs again.

"You've got me on your side, Eris, and a special ability within. You just need some help unlocking your power, which is exactly what I'll do."

"Power? What power?" I sniffed, rubbed the tears away and looked at him incredulously.

"This..." The boy reached up and touched my forehead. When he took his hand away, there was a necklace in his hold. I raised my eyebrows, smiling.

"Magic trick?"

"Don't underestimate Miss-Piece-of-Pretty-Apple," Damian warned. Indeed, on the end of the delicate golden chain was a thin slice-of-an-apple charm. I studied it curiously. As a girl, I couldn't resist admiring jewellery, no matter how down in the dumps I was. The fruit-slice looked almost edible: its skin was the alluring red of Snow White's poison apple, the 'flesh' made out of a material that glistened with small, grain-sized sparkles, and the pip was a shiny teardrop diamond.

"It's lovely," I breathed, enchanted.

"And you can have this and the power it contains...if you're willing to bear the price."

"Price. Powers always have to come with setbacks, huh?" I noted glumly.

"Of course. Or else, they'll never reach their full potential."

"Right, fill me in."

"Sickness, insomnia and a whopper of a headache for three days. But when you return to this place, you'll have gained something."

"So... this can help me fend off Alice?" I asked doubtfully.

"Yes."

"Alright." No hesitation. "Deal."

Damian smiled and whispered. "Good luck, Eris. I'll be waiting for you." And he gently clasped the pendant around my neck.

BEEP BEEP BEEP CLOOOOOOP WHOOOOP

"Argh!" I grunted. I reached out and gave Car-Z a hefty thump on the hood to shut it up. My head hurts...I cracked open my dry eyes. I'm in...my bedroom. Someone comes in and sits near the end of the bed.

"Morning, hon."

"Mom?" I squawked. Oh gobstoppers, my head is cracking into pieces! And my throat is on fire. I winced and covered my eyes from the searing sunlight with an arm.

"Honey, why were you sleeping in the kitchen?"

"Huh, what? Oh, I, um, didn't mean to." Oh fudge, my entire body aches like hell.

My mother sighed.

"Well, you've caught a very bad cold from doing that. I'll have to ask a few days off from school."

"Sorry..." I suddenly broke off to cough like crazy.

"Your dad's gone to get some medicine. You'll have to take it after you eat, okay?"

Ugh, cough syrup...

Thus I begin to bear the price.