Hanso's Journal

by Reese S. Quill

The thief needs a story too, right? So how did Hanso become the oh-so-charming one that saved Neopia? This when he's 7 to 18, when TFR starts. Written with the permission of amethyst3232.

48. December at Age 11

A lot of good-byes in this one…but a lot of hellos, too. :)

The Month of Celebrating (December) Age 10

Week 1

"So you're Tyler's dad?" I said quietly.

When Juliet found him in the cave last week, he nearly skewered us in pieces. I mean, for a guy who was known to be mild-mannered, this Gelert can move. I don't know exactly what he did – Razor said something about pressing our acupuncture points, like my uncle did with my mom – but whatever happened, we were literally paralyzed. It was one of the scariest experiences I've ever had, not being able to move and have this Master Thief coming up at me with a very pointy dagger.

Luckily, Jacques, Morgana, and the pirates came just in time and managed to explain to him what we were doing here. I suppose it helped that Morgana was using a persuasive voice…but whatever. When I realized who he was, though I was happy for Tyler and his siblings, it was like a stone dropped at the pit of my stomach.

Even when we checked the place Tyler told us (Salsom, I think) and nobody was there, even when I knew Flynn wasn't trustworthy anymore, his prediction was the thing that kept me going, hoping that we'd find my Dad somewhere. Kayley's words haunted me.

"There's someone else in that Mountain. Alive. You remember a certain mission which got destroyed soon afterwards, don't you?"

"It's nothing. Just…he never exactly said your dad's name, right?"

Now I realized what she was getting at. Yes, someone did survive the mission. But it wasn't my dad.

He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "You know Tyler?"

"Uh, sort of. We run into each other a few times."

"Have you run into him before I went on this expedition…?"

I frowned, thinking about it. "I saw him a few times, I guess, but I never really talked to him or noticed him that much."

"Ah." He let out a breath. "Sometimes the universe wants us to find someone in exactly the right time, no earlier than necessary, but never afterwards to be forgotten."

"What?"

"Nothing." He gave me a smile.

"You've been hiding here for months?" I asked, changing the subject. "Could you tell me…what exactly happened?"

"I know who you are," he murmured, staring at me. "You're Peter's boy, aren't you? Hanso Laron. Well…I suppose you deserve to know. We were attacked."

"Really?" said Morgana sarcastically. "That never occurred to us!"

"Surrounded on all sides," he continued grimly. "Slaughtered and killed. They gave me a bloody gash on my back." He winced. "The only thing lucky about it was that it looked a lot worse than it actually was—the blood had seeped in my coat, making it look like someone had cut me open. I spread my Chi around long enough to leave awhile-"

"Wait a minute," Razor said skeptically. "Leave?"

"Leave my body," he said matter-of-factly, as if we were discussing the weather. "Only the most experienced with Chi can do that and come back to their body unharmed…even though I wasn't technically 'unharmed.'" He took a deep breath. "Well, they beat us lot, but I didn't really feel it. I can't confirm who died and who lived—it was so blurry, and whoever they killed was stacked together and burnt. Others did survive, but they did so by swearing to betray the Thieves' Guild."

I sighed. No. Even if it was a matter of escape, Dad would never do that.

"I managed to crawl away, unnoticed. No one in the stack was alive," he added. "I did a Chi search just before, and they were all gone." He gave a bitter laugh. "Lucky devils."

"Who was responsible for the attacks?" Morgana questioned.

He glanced at us and stared at his boots. "I can confirm this much: It wasn't Masila." That's one thing she'd been telling the truth, then.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I eavesdropped on her conversation with Vlade when she got back," he said sadly. "I've never heard her so angry—something about killing kids' parents not being part of the plan…" He shrugged. "I assume she meant Peter and I, as none of the rest of our team had children."

"Why didn't you try to contact the Guild?" Jacques asked.

He looked at us, surprised. "Don't you know where we…oh. Yes. You went through the ceiling."

"What?" Jacques pressed.

"You see, the only exit here is through the former hideout of the Thieves' Guild," he said. "And if we want to get passed that, we're going to have to go through Masila."

"So you haven't gone out in months?" Razor said with horror.

"But how did you eat? Or…er, do your business?" Julius asked.

Tyler's dad shuddered. "You do not want to know."

"Did you hear of any guard girls 'round here?" Kayley interrogated. It was the first time she had spoken.

He blinked, staring at her hard, and then shook his head. "Do I-no, never mind. Uh, no. No guard girls, per se, but Sam…." He gave us a small grin, a little reminiscent of Tyler's goofy, lopsided one. "I'm guessing that a plan you guys had at Brightvale had gone horribly, horribly wrong."

"Not our fault," Jacques muttered, glaring at Morgana. She pretended not to notice.

"As for any other 'guard,' well, there's Masila's friend that comes and goes, but I don't think he's really her ally. In fact, what I've managed to dig up so far is that he's trying to talk her out of it, but you know, no one ever 'out-talks' the Mistress of Double-Cross." Under his breath, muttered, "Though that guy sure came pretty close."

I frowned, deciding to worry about 'that guy' later. "Okay. How about Marie?"

"She arrived a few days ago," he informed us.

Kayley and I glanced at each other. "Has she…given her sister anything?"

"That's funny," he noted. "They were arguing about it just a few hours ago. Masila said that she'd let Sam go if Marie would give her some necklace." He frowned. "Not a bad deal, if you ask me. I'd give anything for my kids. That lady must be really, really attached to her jewelry if she won't sacrifice it for her son."

We couldn't help but laugh, especially when his face became confused. It was hilarious, in a way. "Um, sorry, sir," I wheezed, "But if she hands over the necklace, it'll be the end of the world as we know it."

"….Oh," he said, more confused than ever.

"Masila's given her a time-limit," Razor remembered. "If she doesn't hand over the necklace by the New Year…" He didn't finish.

"Do you think she'd actually do that?" Julius said skeptically.

"Maybe not," I admitted. "But Marie wouldn't risk it, I know that much." Deep down, I thought that something else was going on, something deeper than what was happening. As if Masila had a different agenda all together, and this was just a setup. But then, wouldn't that make the duel a setup for the setup? Gah, totally confusing.

"What about Kanrik?" Juliet said. "Can't forget about our Guild Leader."

"No sign of him, either," he told us.

"But he'll be coming soon," Kayley guessed. "He went before us—he's probably biding his time, so we'll have to figure out some way to warn him."

"Let's get this straight," Julius said. "We have to save Sam, warn Kanrik, stop Marie, and possibly find the guard girls?"

"Cross the last one off the list and I'm fine with it," Kayley told him.

"And how are we supposed to do that?" I asked.

She arched an eyebrow. "We make a plan, of course."

---

The plan went all wrong immediately.

Jacques and Garin paused mid-step. The rest of us looked at them quizzically. "My Hannah senses are tingling," Garin told us. Jacques nodded in agreement. "Do you think she's here?"

"For the last time! HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"

"She's here," they said together.

Juliet crept a littler nearer to watch, dodging her brother's attempt to pull her back. He glowered at her, but she didn't notice. Her big brown eyes widened. "It's the guard girls," she murmured. "Masila is saying that it'd be evil she locked them in different cells..." Wait, what? I thought. That doesn't sound like her. That sounds like a villain from a soap opera or something. "Whatever's happening, Sam and her are arguing…" She gasped. "We have to save them!"

Kayley face-palmed. "You're right," she said grudgingly. I stared at her in shock. "We can't leave them here, now that they've stupidly thrown themselves in Masila's clutches."

"Kanrik's there too," Juliet said, a bit of a mischievous tone in her voice. "He pretended to be an Assassin, but somehow Masila knew it was him and pulled his hood down."

Razor snickered. "You just called the Leader of the Thieves' Guild stupid."

She slowly turned to look at him. He whimpered, cowering behind me. "I've no doubt he did that to save Hannah and the guards," she seethed. "I don't think he would've actually put himself in front of Masila like that if he was alone."

I went nearer to Juliet. She whispered to me, "Apparently, Sam convinced Masila to let him say good-bye to the guard girls. Look."

Sam, Violet, and Brynn were talking softly together. I guessed that they were telling him why they had come, and he filled them in on the fight. I really hope he didn't mention my part in the whole mess. Masila called him, tapping her foot impatiently, signaling that his time was up. I think he said a few hurried farewells—and then Brynn grabbed his arm and gave him her sword.

I raised my eyebrows. What's that going to do? I guess she thought that Sam had nearly won, but by some trick of fate didn't. Um, no. Masila could have slaughtered him the moment they began the duel. Yet for some reason, she didn't. I still couldn't get my mind wrapped around that fact. Anyway, even with the element of surprise, I seriously doubted that Sam could do any lasting damage with yet another sword. Masila proved quickly that it was no match for her.

"But what about another weapon?" I murmured to myself.

"What?" Kayley said, frowning. Our original plan of distracting the Assassins and getting Sam out while sending a kind of signal flare for Kanrik had pretty much backfired, and I knew she was trying to think of a way to get us all out of here safely. I told her my idea. She blinked. "That could work," she conceded. "Give me your dagger."

"What? Why can't you use your own?"

"Because, idiot, most people would have a very hard time…controlling it," she told me.

"Huh?"

"Oh, just hand it over!" she snapped. When she uses that tone of voice, it's just best to obey. I gave her my dagger. Glancing upwards, I saw that someone had already taken the guard girls and Kanrik away. Kayley put the dagger on the floor and, before Sam could turn back to his aunt, threw a well-aimed kicked at it. It slid right to Sam's feet.

His jaw dropped when he saw it, and he caught a glimpse of us. He gave us a small smile and salute, and then turned around. Suddenly, Kayley hissed, "What the heck is she doing?" I turned to see Morgana walking towards Marie and Masila.

"Dears!" she said.

They stared at her. "Auntie?" Masila gaped.

"W-what are y-you doing here?" Marie stammered.

"Helping," she said sweetly.

"Aunt Morgana," Masila seethed, "I think you've helped enough. Now can you please…go away?"

"You'll never be rid of me, my dear," she told her. "At least never completely. Now. As for this whole scheme of yours, it's working rather nicely, though Marie hasn't given her necklace yet...pathetic little girl, I always said so." Masila's eyes narrowed, although I doubt anyone else saw it.

At least she wasn't revealing our location. I'm not sure if this was to distract her and keep Sam from doing something stupid or because she actually wanted to help.

Sam looked outraged. "Ya know what? You're even worse than Aunt Masila when in comes to insults against family. I mean, at least we know what her game is. What side are you really on?"

"The winning one," she said dryly.

"You never know which that could be," Masila told her. Was it my imagination, or did her eyes dart to my location just before they transferred back to Morgana's?"

"Please," Morgana stated. "You're almost there. The only thing you have to do is-"

"Sammy," Masila interrupted, "Would you care to resume our duel?"

There was absolute silence.

Marie and Morgana looked gob-smacked. Sam, however, didn't seem surprised. He had a slight grin on his face. "With pleasure."

"Don't be a fool," Morgana snapped, grabbing Masila's wrist.

"What?" Masila had a mocking, hurt tone in her voice. "Do you actually think he has a chance of winning?"

"I'm thinking that he wouldn't agree without a trick up his sleeve."

"Auntie, you underestimate Marie."

"I am?"

"She is?" Marie said, staring at her.

"Yes," Masila snapped, glaring at her sister. "You'd never hand over that necklace, even for your own son."

"What? Oh, right," Marie said, turning red.

"Then what was this whole thing even for?" Morgana snarled.

"Apparently, dearest aunt, you've misjudged my plan," said Masila. "I needed Sam and Marie to be here together…to make, what you say, a counter-offer."

"A counter-offer," Morgana repeated.

"We duel again," Masila explained. "Legal, actually, since the last one didn't finish with either of us dying. But now…on my terms." She smirked at her aunt's baffled expression. "No deaths; I don't want my nephew to be killed, no matter what. I win, Marie gives me the necklace. As you have probably guessed," she said dryly, "I have no real use for the Thieves' Guild, besides getting Kanrik out of it. But, on the slight chance that Sammy wins…" She nodded at him to state his conditions.

"You leave the all of the Thieves' Guild alone. Forever," Sam said emphatically.

"But that's not fair, sweetheart," Masila complained. "What if someone tries to attack me?"

"Then you're allowed to defend yourself," he replied. "But if you do the same to someone without provocation, you…"

"I lose all your respect," she finished. "Which is very, very important me," she added, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

But it was.

No matter how she said it, it was the truth. His confidence in her was important, and everyone knew it.

"You do know I can find about a million ways to loophole this, right?" she asked him.

"I'm trusting you not to," he said quietly.

She shrugged. "Fair enough."

"Fair enough?" said Morgana, outraged. "Why, I have never seen such a poorly-"

"Perhaps you should have thought of that first, Aunt Morgana, before you jumped out of your hiding place," Masila snapped. "I have no idea why you're here, nor even how you got in, but you can't make my decision. Ready, Sam?"

The moment her nephew nodded, she pounced, making a show of easily blocking his (Brynn's) sword – she didn't even question how he got it – and swiping past it. But like before, she wasn't as aggressive as she could have been; something was holding her back. It couldn't be that she was scared for her nephew's safety; all she had to do was disarm him, and the whole prize could be hers. Or maybe she was unsatisfied with the deal, and decided to kill him anyway to get what she wanted? Unlikely, but possible.

Or something else might have happened entirely.

Masila had at least one week with Sam before Marie or anyone else came.

Who knows what she had said to him?

But if they somehow cooked up a plan together, neither showed it in their faces. Sam slashed forward more offensively. Masila might have been able to slit his throat then and there, but I had a feeling that he was a good enough fighter to at least hold his own for a few minutes. Marie and Morgana had retreated to the back of the room, the former having a curious frown on her face and the latter a furious one.

And the fight started all over again.

Dodge.

Slash.

Duck.

Swipe.

Block.

Dive.

Flip.

Turn.

Throw.

I blinked. Sam threw his sword at her. Now, what was that going to accomplish? He was absolutely weaponless. Until I remembered….he still had my dagger.

Masila looked at him, disappointment etched on her face. "That was a silly move."

"Not as silly as you think," he remarked coldly. With that, he took out my own dagger and slashed at her with it.

Taken by surprise, Masila stumbled backwards a few steps, but quickly stumbled backwards. A small smile played across her lips. "Resorting to that, aren't we?"

"You were a good teacher," he conceded.

She blinked. "A few years of my training were equal to almost eight years' worth of the guards? What are they teaching you?" she said indignantly.

"Doesn't really matter now," he said, swiping at her. And here's what shocked me: He was better with the dagger than the sword.

He was better with a thief's weapon than a guard's. I wondered what his father would have said about that.

But good enough? I'm not sure. His attacks were fiercer with it, but I wasn't certain it would match Masila's skill; to my surprise, he seemed to be holding his own, and more. She was still managing to block him, but this wasn't playtime anymore. She was glaring at him, for the first time taking him seriously as a foe, not someone she was just holding off until he got tired.

"Oh, enough of that, Samuel," she snapped when he manage to rip the cloth of her sleeve. "Let's end this." Odd thing was, he looked confused for a moment. As if he was going to do something he really, really didn't want to do. Seeing that, Masila smirked and remarked something to him that no one else could hear. But I knew what she was saying. Why? 'Cause I heard those words before, and it didn't take that much lip-reading to know what they were.

Go on, Sam, just like I showed you.

"Whoa," Juliet said behind me, which pretty much summed up what we were all feeling.

No way.

It couldn't have been that easy.

Right?

He had disarmed her, quickly and ferociously, doing a complicated move with his dagger ("Man, I have got to learn that," Julius marvelled), forcing her to drop her own weapon for fear of her hand becoming completely sliced off. Then, before she could get her bearings, put a knife to her throat. Those were the fastest, most brilliant moves I've ever seen anyone do.

But was it enough to beat Masila? Maybe she wasn't as invincible as I thought.

To my shock, I felt a little disappointed. It wasn't like I respected her or anything, but I always thought that she'd be…well, tougher. She seemed almost impossible to capture permanently, and to make a deal in these circumstances was really foolish. She almost got what she wanted.

But in the end, she had lost.

That's how it's supposed to be, and in any case, I should've been happy. At least no one died…not anyone important to the Guild at least…

"Keep your promise, Auntie," he told her firmly.

She sighed. "Oh, fine. You have my word that I will never touch a member of the Thieves' Guild…unless someone attacks me first, of course."

He released her, and she breathed out. Morgana was staring at her, angry. "Well, of all the stupid-"

"It's done, Auntie," said Masila in a low voice. "No use rubbing salt in old wounds. Or new ones, for this matter."

"I wonder if I was mistaken which one was the stupid niece," she seethed. Masila flinched, but didn't say anything. Without a word, she left the cavern and left. I almost felt sorry for her.

"You know," Sam said casually to Morgana, "I still don't know what side you're on. On one hand, you seem very disappointed that Auntie didn't beat me. On the other, you didn't reveal your group's hiding place." Loudly, he called out, "You can come out now, guys!"

Kayley was the first one to do so. "How did you know we were there?"

"It's a trick my aunt uses," he told us. "You have to check your five senses, with sight the shadows, with your hearing any unusual sounds plus the course of the wind…"

"Giving away trade secrets?" Morgana asked disapprovingly.

"Whatever. You still didn't answer my question."

She smiled at him sweetly. "Ambiguous. As always."

---

We decided to camp there for the night, and then leave next week. Sam decided to spend it with us, deciding to get the guard girls later. When I asked him why (I mean, Brynn would hardly be pleased being locked up in a cell like a common criminal), he said, "Well, I don't feel like it right now. Besides, they have to have some kind of punishment. They have to learn that they can't just keep following me every time I go to face danger."

I'm pretty sure that Brynn will never learn this lesson, and told him so.

He just put his pillow over his head, blocking me out. Besides conversing a bit with me, he hasn't said much to anyone, even his mother. I was okay with that. I mean, who knew what this guy was feeling, beating his Auntie and all. Still, we couldn't not communicate with each other. The former hideout of the Thieves' Guild was downright spooky, and I kept having fears of finding the corpse of Galem Darkhand. Razor assured be that by now it would have probably disintegrated, either naturally by his skin and skull slowly becoming part of the environment (so we wouldn't even be able to tell whether we're actually sleeping on him!) or have been eaten by flobberworms.

That didn't exactly help.

Anyway, in the light of that, we decided to camp out in the main hall and had a kind of campfire, with all of us putting our sleeping bags around it. The moment Jacques called lights out, everyone dropped off, even the twins. Everyone except me. I kept looking up at the ghostly surroundings and wondering if there had been someone like me had done the same, had some crazy adventures like I did.

There was also my mom I was worried about. Charlie said he'd look after her, but technically, she was all alone in her battle on not getting the family fortune. I bit my lip, thinking that although she'll probably be glad to see me and not expect much, I'll always hate myself for failing her. I mean, I practically promised that Dad would be with her that Christmas—that we would all be together. I know she'd never in a billion years blame me, but I always would.

I sighed. There was another reason why I couldn't rest easy.

I still had no idea where Masila went when she had left. To a nearby lair? Completely off Terror Mountain? I wasn't sure. I also wasn't too confident in the promise that she made Sam. I'd feel sorry for anyone who had displeased her and then got kicked out of the Guild—that would mean no protection from her wrath. But to people who she particularly hated (like Kanrik or, I think, me), even a promise to her nephew wouldn't stop her if she got really mad.

Almost as soon as I was thinking that, I spotted a light from one of the caves. I stood. Something was up. Glancing at my friends, I considered waking one of them (the adults would never let me do it myself). Nah. Julius and Juliet had enough for today, I knew, and Razor would only be a hindrance in this case. And Kayley...no matter how cold she can be, she'd usually be my ideal choice. But she's sick. I can't risk her getting even more unwell.

Call me stupid, I went off on my own.

I tiptoed through the halls, quickly going from one part of the Guild to another, trying to find the source of the light. When I finally did, I wish I hadn't.

It was Masila. She wasn't waiting for me with a knife to slit my throat, though. Instead, she was holding something small and round. It actually looked a lot like a powder-makeup-thing that my mom sometimes used—but instead of make-up, it had a communication device installed in it. At least, that's what I figured. I didn't think that Masila was so crazy as to talk to herself.

My suspicions were confirmed when I heard a faint, though distinctive, voice. He – I was pretty sure it was a he – was asking her something. She chuckled. "Oh, yes, it all went perfectly. Okay, yeah, it was a little rough at the start when Sammy first came. I had to convince him that I wasn't trying to kill him; how he could think that is beyond me, if I wanted to kill him I would've done it then and there in front of the whole Guild…what? No, I am not bluffing!" She sounded slightly annoyed, but had an affectionate edge on her voice. "You didn't have to go all saintly on me last week, though. I always have a plan. Hey, that's no excuse!"

She smirked as he said something else. "Well, that's easy to answer. You see, a few months before this whole mess started and when I escaped, some person got it into his head that I'd find it pleasing to have Sammy all dead and gone; you know, because he's a guard. I suppose I can't really blame him—I've ranted on quite a bit on my dearest brother-in-law, and how annoyingly, stupidly 'heroic' he was." There was silence, and for a moment her eyes widened. "I didn't mean you! I thought we were over that, I didn't mean…"

There was a distinctive peal of laughter from the other end.

"Ugh. Why do you always manage to wind me up?" There was a cheeky reply on the other end; Masila rolled her eyes and smiled. "So, anyway, this person thinks I want Sam dead. Luckily, my nephew managed to defend himself, although worse for the wear for a few days. When I got the report on what happened, I was furious. Still, I couldn't say what happened to all the other Assassins. They might think that I meant for them to do it when I said don't. My orders are sometimes like that—never straightforward." She sighed. "Yes, that was a bit stupid at times, but I wanted them to think for themselves. I never imagined for it to backfire that spectacularly."

There were a few minutes when the guy on the other end said something and asked her a few questions here and there, before she continued. "Then came the attempt on killing me. I don't think Kanrik ordered it – at the very least, I would've thought he'd chosen someone smarter than that idiot who tried to poison me – but that put fear in a lot of people. Some did…bad things after it. Yes, I'm talking about the stupid massacre. A complete waste of life." She paused. "Yes, and that. I didn't mean for it to happen. When he said to break the stone last time, I didn't know I was signing that little girl's death warrant. I would never have done that. Yes, sweetheart, for once I seriously don't have an answer. I'm just hoping that someone in that crazy Guild would find an cure for her."

"Oh, don't say that to me. I knew this foolish feud had to end, I don't need you proclaiming 'I told you so' every time I say this. At that point, and even now, I don't think I can kill Kanrik. I haven't realized how well-protected he was, not least because of that incorrigible Ixi thief." Her jaw dropped. "No! He is not like…oh, shut up. But then I had Aunt Morgana on my back, and you remember how she is, plus I couldn't just surrender, they'd have never believed me, and that still wouldn't have stopped the attacks. So yes, I devised this whole scheme for that."

There were more words. She blinked, and then looked slightly insulted. "What are you talking about, darling? Of course I'm fully aware of him listening to me behind my back."

Say what?

"What? Yes, that's part of the plan, too. You see, I noticed him looking very disappointed earlier, and, well, I really don't want to fail my audience. I rather like to keep my reputation of the villainess who always somehow manages to get out of everything. I know he'd never say so, but I think that a tiny part of him respects that."

I opened my mouth to protest, but then shut up. She'd know I was lying right away.

"Mmm. Well, see you in a bit, my dear," she said, hanging up. She smirked at me, but didn't say anything, waiting for me to piece it together.

But my head still couldn't process what she had said. She was saying that it was all part of the plan, that we all did exactly what she expected. Was she just lying about it to save her pride? No, I would've sensed it, and she wasn't the type to do that anyway. This was impossible. I mean, Sam disarmed her. She had to leave the Guild alone forever. She'd lost….

Then I realized.

It's not that you win, it's what you win that counts.

Masila had said that to me right after her meeting with Sam, before the duel. And what did she get out of all this? Her nephew's respect; I had a feeling that after this, they'd keep more in touch. She had officially won his trust. Same with Marie, probably. The members of the Thieves' Guild wouldn't try to murder her anymore; in turn, she wouldn't have to be too bothered to make up some scheme to kill Kanrik (the last part was probably her only loss). Oh, and her auntie would finally, finally leave her alone.

What would she have gotten if she had killed Sam? Nothing. The Thieves' Guild would have never stood for her as a leader, and she'd never get to Kanrik through them.

She had won.

I stared at her in horror. Understanding that I had gotten it, she smiled at me and put a finger to her lips. Then she stepped back into the darkness, and vanished.

Week 2

I woke up early in the morning, even before the sun was up. Surprising, really, since I stayed up really late last night. Maybe I was overreacting. This was technically a win-win, situation, never mind that Masila had gained something as well. What else were we supposed to do? Let her kill Sam just to say she had lost? That'd be really stupid. Still, part of me was still shocked. Against all odds, she prevailed yet again.

I guess I did respect her, in a way.

Not that I'd ever say so out loud.

Sam had already left. We had a short discussion before he did. "And if anyone asks…" I began.

"You were never here," he finished, flashing me a cheeky smile and then running off to get the guard girls and Hannah. I hoped they were okay, though in my opinion, Violet needed to rough it up once in a while.

To my surprise, Kayley was up, too. Her sleeping bag was empty. Slightly worried, I went out looking for her. Walking outside the cave, I found her sitting by the edge of a cliff, her eyes almost wistful as she looked at the approaching dawn. The sky turned from a pale pink to a bright orange, and then a fiery gold. For a moment, she seemed almost peaceful. "What're you doing up so early?" she said to me without turning around.

"Found out that the Mistress of Double-cross has been playing us all along," I said casually. "Kinda hard to sleep after that."

She didn't even blink. "I knew we underestimated her. Ah, well. We both won something, and she'll not bother the Guild again. That's something I'm happy for." There was a brief silence. "So, are you happy?"

"What? Me? Of course? Why would you think I wouldn't be….?"

"You like adventure," she said calmly. "Challenges. Someone you can match wits with. In our first year, I suppose that was me; but then we had to go and rescue Kanrik, and that kinda taught us to work together. Then after that, we had to fight Masila. Now, she's officially beaten. Are you sorry for that?"

I was quiet for a while before I answered. "No," I said truthfully. "I guess I'm a little annoyed that she never actually lost to us, but I'm not that regretful for it. I have no shortage of problems I have to solve." I paused. "But that's what makes it all the more fun," I said thoughtfully. "Challenges and impossible problems. At least that's what my grandmother said."

"Your grandmother?"

"Granny Leslie. You know, from my dad's side." At the mention of my dad, I winced. "Though I suppose I don't like problems being too impossible."

"Like your dad's rescue mission?"

"Yeah. And you. I'm never gonna figure you out." She smirked at that. "But then, I might not even have time to."

"Don't worry about it, Hanso," she said tiredly. "It was my fault."

"Why did you bind your life to the stone?" I asked her angrily. "That was really, really foolish-"

"I didn't," she said.

"What?"

"Well, not really….it's, well…kinda required for me…oh, you wouldn't understand," she snapped. "It's a complicated mess, and trust me, none of this will help you figure something out. Let's make this clear: You don't have to do anything for me, okay? I'll do this by myself."

"Do what? Die?"

She didn't answer.

"You would never have given up if it was me," I muttered.

"Yeah, well, you're not me. I don't care, honestly."

"Don't care? What the-"

"Let's try this again once more. Shut up. Don't do anything. Don't feel guilty. You're making this a lot harder than it really is."

"And you're making it seem as if it's easy! You can't just die! What about your family? What will they say?"

"Nothing," she said in a cold voice. "Absolutely nothing." She was telling the truth. In a somewhat nicer tone, she said hesitantly, "It isn't just because of me, isn't it? It's your dad?"

I kicked a nearby rock. "There's no saving him anymore. He's gone—it was Tyler's dad who survived."

"Funny," she said dryly, "I don't think the pawkeet said anything about there being only one survivor."

"What are the chances of there being another? I'm not about to ask all of you guys to stay in this stupid Mountain a few more days to do some crazy search that'll probably end up in tears."

There was a long, long silence. She looked at me sadly; there was a note of regret and apprehension on her face, though at the time I didn't know what it meant. "You've really given up?" she said softly. "You've really lost hope?"

"Yes," I said firmly.

She looked at me right in the eye. "You really want him back?"

I stared at her. "What kind of question is that? Of course I want him back, although that'll never-"

"Shut up," she snapped. "That's not what I asked. You want him back."

"I…" I hesitated. "Yes."

She took a deep breath. "All right." Her gaze turned to the sun again, but this time, her eyes shone with that eerie, silver glow I saw a few months ago. She muttered something under her breath, but I didn't hear. A chill crept up my spine. And suddenly, I remembered what Tyler said. Oh, and I might also suggest not to let her use her powers. If she does, it'll speed up the dying process a lot faster, since she's actually using her life force….

I had just shrugged off about Kayley having powers. I mean, it's impossible. She's no magician. But if this was anything, it was magic.

"No!" I cried when I realized what she was doing.

But it was too late. She sank to her knees, breathing deeply. She stumbled and clutched at the cavern wall. "At…least….wasn't….too far…this time. The other side….of Guild….nearer to Salsom…cavern…go. Nearly dead."

"What?" I shrieked in panic. "You're nearly dead? Hold on, I need more time-"

Her eyes flew open. "No, you idiot! Your dad's nearly dead. You have to go to him fast, now! Bring Razor!"

"But…but what about you?"

"Don't worry about me," she snarled. "I'll limp my own way back. Besides, even I have a longer time left to live if you don't get him." She snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Don't you understand? Your dad's alive, but he's dying! You can save him! You have the means to save him if….you…just..." – She emphasized each pause with a push – "Go….NOW!"

I ran.

Partly get to my dad…and partly to run away from scary Kayley.

---

I could tell about how I went to our campsite and dragged Razor out of his sleep ("Oof…what's the big idea…Hanso?"). I could tell how I summarized what's happening, and how his expression turned grim as he grabbed his first aid kit, and turned even grimmer when we found my dad lying on the floor, slumped against the wall. I could tell how he awesomely did his thing, mixing up medicines and putting it to my dad's gaping mouth, how Dad woke up coughing, how shocked he was ("Hanso? Wha-What the heck are you doing here?").

How, while on the way back, I explained to him what happened—except how Kayley found him, because that seemed private. How I told the story to everyone at the camp-site, how I said that it was really because of Kayley that I found him. How they cheered, and how Tyler's dad gave Kayley a curious, careful look, as if sensing something odd about her. I could tell about that.

But I won't.

Because that's not important.

What's important is that one of my friends, a good one, though she'll never admit it, was dying even faster than I expected. After the whole power-spell-casting thing, she was even weaker than usual, and for the whole while we went back to the ship she had to lean on one of us for support. Master Jacques noticed this. "Anything wrong, Kayley?"

"J-just tired." She shivered.

"Well, that's hardly surprising," he said, a smile on his face. "What with you finding Hanso's father, then going back and telling him." I think Master Jacques was under the impression that Kayley had sneaked out at night to track my dad down. At least he wasn't worried about her that much yet. "You're to go to sleep as soon as we get on the ship."

"Okay," she said feebly. She was leaning on Razor at this point, and I spotted him discreetly checking her pulse. His expression told me that it wasn't good. Tyler's dad didn't look too happy, either. I knew he was sensing something was terribly, terribly wrong with her, but he wasn't speaking up about it just yet.

"Screw this," Garin said loudly. "Little Kayley here might be need of a break, but I say this calls for a celebration. I say, we get to Brightvale before the week's through."

"B-but it's a gazillion miles away, Captain!" one of the crewmembers said.

"Nonsense. I've seen you guys get from Mystery Island to here to Meridell in the same amount of time. What I think you need is just a little bit of competition."

"Competition?" Jacques said warily.

Garin nodded, grinning. "I take the crew members in the Black Pawkeet. You take the kids, Peter, and, uh…Norbert, right?" He meant Tyler's dad. "Yeah. Take them on the other ship that Hannah forgot, and whoever gets to Brightvale first has to buy us Christmas dinner."

Jacques's eyes narrowed. "You're just trying to lure me back into the sea."

"Can't hurt to try, can it?"

"But this isn't fair!" Jacques said exasperatedly. "You have a crew full of experienced seafarers. I have a bunch of kids with one of them sick, and two half-dead men who never had to navigate a ship before. How am I supposed to compete with that?"

"Well, my friend," Garin said, patting Jacques on the back, "I hope you've been saving your neopoints."

Jacques spluttered in protest, but Garin and the crew already swung himself up. "Come on, slow-pokes!" he said cheerily. "Or else we'll get a head-start."

We climbed on to the other ship. Jacques immediately ordered Kayley, my dad and Norbert to bed rest, which they agreed with little complaint. Then he glanced despairingly at us. "You've never navigated a ship, have you?"

I raised a tentative hand. "Well, Garin let me control the Black Pawkeet for a bit on the last trip. But he grabbed it immediately when we nearly crashed into a pile of rocks."

"Thank you, Hanso, for that piece of useless information," he grumbled.

"Um, I do know how to navigate a little bit," Razor said carefully. "My uncle was a ship-owner, and he taught me a little-"

"Good. You'll get the wheel. Now, you guys," he said, gesturing to all of us. "You'll have remember what I say very carefully and apply it." He then went through a load of information that I seriously couldn't understand at all, he was saying it so fast. The twins, however, got it at once, and began doing all kinds of things to the ship that I had no idea of. Jacques stared at them. "Even I didn't expect them to get it that fast," he marveled. "They're naturals." He sighed at me. "Just do whatever Juliet tells you to do."

Juliet, it turned out, becomes very bossy when she has a chance. She told me to raise the anchor, secure the sails, swab the deck (snickering, because she remembered what Flynn said) and then actually telling me to cook the meals. "Uh, I'm not sure that's a good idea…"

"Just do it!" she barked.

After we all threw up after lunch, we decided that the twins would alternate in doing that from now on. Jacques was the captain of this ship, and instructed all of us carefully while doing a number of things himself. Dad and Norbert managed to come up for a few days, and helped out a bit. Kayley was still bed-ridden—but since we were all too excited for this game, nobody noticed.

The week wore on. After a bit, while the twins' talent assisted us a lot, the grown-up pirates were still in the lead. It really wasn't fair, but I suppose I wasn't helping much by tripping over stuff and giving the wrong instructions that I had to relay. Juliet said that she knew I was trying my very, very best but could I pretty please not get in the way and let more experienced sailors finish the contest for us?

She started sailing the same day as I did!

But she was sweet when she asked, so I backed off. Then we had a bit of good luck. Once, when we were particularly tired, and the twins were plainly exhausted, the ship still somehow managed to pick up speed. We looked at each other, confused. Then Jacques realized something and ran to the edge of the deck. Caylis was there, her hands glowing with warmth. She smiled at us. "Need some help?"

"Definitely," stated Jacques with relief. With our new advantage, we managed to motivate ourselves enough to keep moving.

And just like that, we were ahead of the Black Pawkeet.

"Hey, that isn't fair!" Garin cried when he saw us. "Caylis is a brilliant, powerful sea-witch! Isca is just…"

"Isca is what, Garin?" said the mer-girl herself dangerously. She was following us, too.

"Uh…pretty?" said Garin weakly. "Row faster, men! ROW!"

---

It was the last night of the week. We were almost at the harbor for Brightvale. Then Garin comes up with a white flag. Apparently, he wanted a discussion. All of the inhabitants of the ship managed to go to the edge of the deck, even Kayley. We were in shouting distance, so that was okay; but we weren't going to slow down or anything, in case this might be a trick. Garin held his arms up in surrender. "I think we should disband the competition," he told us. "I mean, we're all tired, and we could all use rest…"

"You're just saying that 'cause we're going to win," Jacques said.

Garin gave a pleading expression at us. "Do you know what will happen to our reputation if word gets out that a bunch of kids beat us?"

"I'm guessing," said Juliet slyly, "That you're going to say that you disbanded the competition early because you felt sorry for us. Am I right?" Garin looked at her sheepishly.

"I don't know," Jacques said. "What do you say, team? Should we show them mercy?"

He was really referring to Julius and Juliet. They looked at each other. "They have to say it was a tie," Julius said finally.

"Deal!" Garin replied, clearly relieved.

"Least we'll get some rest," Razor said gratefully. "I think we can slow down a few days before we get there. It's pretty much guaranteed that we'll get there before Christmas, Hanso," he told me. I nodded in acknowledgement. "Finally, I could use a nap-"

"Jacques," Caylis called from below.

Jacques and Garin looked down. "Yeah?" he asked. Whatever's happened these past few days, it became clear that both Caylis and him had forgiven and forgotten.

"Um, I just had a dream," Caylis began.

"We both had a dream," Isca continued.

In unison, they said, "The teaching period is over."

Jacques stared, confused. "Huh?"

"Whatever you have to teach, you've taught it," Caylis explained. "Now your students have to stand on their own two feet."

"But that means…" He trailed off.

"You can finally come home again!" Garin said delightedly.

"But…my students…" He looked at us.

"It's okay, Master Jacques," Juliet piped up. "We know you're happier in the sea."

"In fact, this is the happiest we've seen you," Julius commented.

"Go for it," I said, and Razor nodded.

He turned to Kayley. She managed a small, weak smile. "We'll be okay," she promised. "You've taught us well, and I do think it's time we should learn by ourselves. Do it."

His face was conflicted. He knew that what he decided would change our lives as well as his. He took a deep breath. "Okay." There were loud cheers in the other ship, especially from Garin. "I need to talk to you privately," he told to us, before calling over, "It's time for bed. 'Night, crew!" There was a chorus of goodnights from the other boat, but Jacques ushered us below deck quickly. Soon, we were all in Jacques's quarters.

He looked at us each in turn. "Kayley already knows this," he started. "And Hanso probably does, too, as he's been eavesdropping. But there's a reason why I left the sea in the first place. And it's you guys."

"Us?" Razor said blankly.

"Yes. One of you is destined to save the world."

There was a stunned silence. Then Julius said, "You're kidding, right?"

"No," said Jacques gravely. "And I suppose it seems I can't advise you any longer. So I'm giving you gifts that might help. Kayley," he began, taking out something from his pocket. "Another spyglass. It does what the old one did, but please don't give it to Lilia again."

"I won't," Kayley pledged, smirking slightly.

"Razor," he said. He gave him an empty glass vial. "Put any potion in it, and it will always be full that particular one. You can reset it by dunking it in salt water."

"Thanks," Razor marveled, staring at it.

"Hanso." His eyes locked with mine. "My compass. It won't show you exactly what you want; in fact, it's quite unpredictable, and it won't always work."

"Gee, thanks," I said cheekily.

"Nevertheless, it will show you where you need to be."

"So if I'm late to class…"

He rolled his eyes, and then turned to the twins. They looked nervous. "Look, guys," he said. "I know I haven't been the nicest teacher to both of you. In fact, I've frequently underestimated you. I wish I didn't. There was a lot more I could've taught in these past years. But…I'll try to make up for it now. Juliet, I don't exactly know if he's mine to give, but Flynn is yours." Juliet's brown eyes became huge. "You're the best one with him anyway. And as you're the common sense of this group, he will be yours. I don't know why, but I do think " She nodded.

"Julius." The older Wocky twin looked at him curiously. Jacques brought out his own sheathed dagger.

Julius tilted his head. "I always knew there was something special about it, though I'm not sure what it was."

"It turns the battle in your favor," he explained. "That's why I often called it my 'Lucky Dagger.' It's the only reason I managed to defeat Masila about a year ago–and by the way, Julius, it's not allowed in real duels so make sure you keep your old one. You see-"

"Cool!" Juliet chirped, grabbing it and began attacking Julius. He deflected her blade easily. "Hey! It doesn't work."

"Enthusiastic, I see," he said dryly. "That's something that's never changed. Anyway, my dear, it takes ten seconds to change its owner. So it should work for you…now." She swiped at Julius, and to everyone except Jacques's amazement, the blade went right off the elder twin's hands.

"Give that to me!" Julius snapped, grabbing the dagger. "You have your own present."

"But we'll share, right?" Juliet insisted.

Jacques sighed, but a small smile appeared in his face. "I hope these will help you in whatever's to come—and I'll stop by myself, while I can. But I want you to promise that you'll never completely rely on those items. You survive by your own merits; those are just tools. And besides," he added, "There are things more powerful than magic."

"Like what?" said Juliet skeptically.

"Love," Jacques answered. "Friendship. Selflessness. More can be accomplished with those things than anything else; remember that, all right?"

We nodded.

Then Kayley groaned.

"Kayley?" Jacques said with concern. "Are you all right?"

"Just…a slight headache," she said. Liar. Her eyes were dim, as if she couldn't see us. She sank to her knees, and I knew with certainty that the effects of rescuing my dad were finally catching up with her. I raced to her side, and caught her just as she leaned backwards.

"Kayley?" I said fearfully.

She collapsed.

Week 3

Thank Fyora we had rescued Tyler's dad.

He walked inside the chamber, wanting to ask Master Jacques something, just as Kayley fell over. His eyes widened, and he ran to our side. He muttered something under his breath, holding her wrists. His glare told us we had to keep out of his way, but I couldn't drag myself away. She had stopped breathing; she was very still. I had told Kayley I wanted my dad back, and she got him for me—but at a very, very high price. How was I suppose to know that I was choosing between my dad and my friend?

Then she groaned loudly, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Tyler's dad, however, was frowning. "How did this happen?" he asked me. The others were listening in, but for once, I didn't care. This wasn't a time to keep secrets.

"She tied her life force in an object," I replied. His eyebrows flew up; Jacques's jaw dropped. "I know, it sounds impossible, but she did. I left that object in the care of someone powerful, hoping to give her enough time. Your daughter told me to."

He smiled. "Ah. Bridgette. Yes, that was a wise decision, but I do not think it will help her now." He looked at Kayley's face, damp with sweat. "Her Chi – her life-force – has almost run out. I only managed to stop it from flowing outwards; a dangerous gamble, but the only way to buy her more time."

"What? What did you do?" I asked, scared.

"Her Chi can't flow out of her anymore," he said matter-of-factly. "It will build up inside of her until it overflows, and then it will go out at once—though I'm not sure when will that be. If you cannot find a cure for her that point, then you will have a chance at least to say good-bye."

"What?" Jacques broke in, horrified. "You mean she's dying? Hanso, how could you have kept this a secret?"

"She asked me to…" I trailed off. No, she never told me to keep this a secret. But because she said that to me every other time, I assumed that this was the case again. Gosh, I felt stupid; but I was still sure that even if I did say what happened, the adults couldn't have helped.

"Foolish girl," Jacques said, his worried expression betraying his true feelings. "I don't think even Caylis can help her."

"What should we do?" Juliet asked.

Norbert's face was serious. "I am sorry, my children. But nothing short of a miracle, or a most powerful magic, can save her now."

I bit my lip, looking around at my class. We all had the same thoughts in our heads. Master Jacques said that there were things more powerful than magic, I thought. Would they be enough to save Kayley?

---

It became even more of a problem once we actually landed in Brightvale. It took us a little longer than we thought, as there were a few unexpected storms, so we arrived on Christmas Eve at night. None of us had any idea where Kayley's house was—well, Juliet did, but she was playing dumb and I wasn't in the mood for saying that she was lying. Besides, I didn't want to be separated from Kayley. If she really was only going to wake up once more, I wanted to be there.

"Um, I have an idea," Juliet said timidly. "Why don't you take her with you?"

I frowned at her. "What?"

"Well, it's pretty obvious that your mom's gonna be forced to spend Christmas in that rich kid house," she told me, "If only for Charlie." At that, Dad winced.

"Never really met the in-laws," he said sheepishly. "Just Mrs. Daley. What're they like?"

"Um," I said.

"Never mind," he said, seeing my discomfort.

"You'll have more than enough room to house her. And besides, I don't think she really wants to go back to her family." She looked a little sad when she said that.

I did think it was a good idea; bringing Kayley, I mean. I looked at my dad pleadingly, and he smiled. "Well, of course she can come, if your other grandmother will allow it. If not, then she can sleep in our guest room." He looked at her, almost affectionately. "'Sides, I owe her one. Not everyday a little girl would save my life."

We couldn't go right away, though. As soon as we reached the dock, Master Kanrik was waiting for us. He exploded the moment we went on shore. "What were you thinking? Heading off to sea with some pirates! A group of kids! I could understand if it was a group of Master Thieves, but Jacques, what possessed you to…"

"They needed to be there," he said firmly. "And besides, they didn't do to bad of a job. They were the whole reason Sam succeeded in the first place, I'll have you know." He looked at us regretfully. "Too bad I won't be able to help them anymore."

"What?" Kanrik said blankly. "Why-?"

"I'm going back to sea," he said simply. "Please give them a good teacher—or at least, a better one than me. They deserve it."

"But-"

"Besides," he cut off. "Not only did they save the Guild once again – they'll be needing a reward for that, by the way – they also found the survivors of the old rescue mission."

My dad and Norbert stepped into view.

There was a gasp behind Master Kanrik. "Daddy?" Bridgette's eyes were huge. She squealed when she saw him, dropping her precious clipboard and running into his arms at once. She began sobbing, though she tried to control herself.

"It's okay, my girl," he murmured, hugging her. "I'm home now."

She pulled herself away. "I-I have to help-"

"It's all right, Miss Shuriken," Kanrik said tiredly. "The Christmas Feast is canceled anyway. Go spend the night with your family."

"Really?" she said breathlessly, looking grateful. "Thank you, sir."

I had a feeling there was going to be a lot of reunions like that at their house.

"As for all of you," he said, looking at us. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to elevate you all to a rank again. Thank you." We all smiled, realizing we were just promoted to Bandits. With that, he disappeared into the snow.

"Doesn't waste that much time, does he?" Dad said. He was carrying Kayley. Lying like that, she really did look just like a little girl. I felt a pang of guilt. "We better go home now, too."

Jacques looked wistfully at us. "Home. Yes." He glanced back at the Black Pawkeet. "It feels wrong leaving without saying good-bye," he said, referring to Kayley. "Especially since she's done so much. She's not going to have a mentor next year."

At that, Norbert turned around with an arched eyebrow. "Perhaps I can apply."

"Really?" Dad asked. "I never thought you were a teaching type.

He shrugged. "There is much I can teach her. She is powerful, that much is clear, and intelligent. She also saved my life." Bridgette gaped at him, and then suddenly looked guilty. "I will instruct her. If she is still around next year." He sighed. "Come, daughter. We most go back. Has Jordan been causing more trouble lately?" Both of them walked off, talking to each other.

"Yeah, we all better get going," Julius said, grabbing his sister's arm. Morgana, fully agreeing with his sentiment, simply walked off without thanking us or anything. I don't think she was pleased on how the trip ended. "Tell me if there's any news about Kayley, okay?"

"Me too," Juliet said.

"Me three," Razor said. And they were gone, too.

Jacques bit his lip. "I suppose it's time to go, then. At least if I want to head off before the ice starts to set in." His gaze traveled to Kayley one last time, and he stroked her hair. I think he was more of a dad to her than anyone else I've known, including her own family. "Farewell, my student. Fair winds until we meet again."

---

"So," Dad said, as we trudged to Uptown. "Your really did use your snooping skills."

"Not really. I mean, it had more to do with the outburst from Mom," I confessed.

"She's okay, right?" he said worriedly. "Hasn't been overworking herself?"

"We-ell…."

He sighed, but gave me a smile. "Well, that's just Lizzie. Elizabeth. Whatever." He shrugged half-heatedly, which was hard to do as he was still carrying Kayley. She murmured in her sleep. I think she was having a nightmare. "So, you really like this girl, huh?"

"Um, yeah," I said, wondering what he was getting at.

"She risked her life to save your old dad's. That's quite a loyalty. She must really, really like you."

I realized what he was saying, and looked at him with a horrified expression. "No, Dad! Not like that!"

He burst out laughing. "You sure?"

"Yes!" I said emphatically. "She's awesome and all, but she's like a sister. A big sister," I added thoughtfully. "Even though she's younger than me. I'm pretty sure she feels the same way." Juliet was another matter, but I so wasn't going to say that out loud.

"Suspicious, you said. Smart. Good with the dagger." He frowned. "She reminds me of somebody that I used to know."

"Janice?" I said before I could stop myself.

"Now how did you know about her?" he asked, smirking. "Ah-ha! So you have been using your snooping skills. I should've known."

"I haven't seen the whole story yet," I said, turning red. "Just a half."

"Hm? Well, keep snooping, son, because it's a rather interesting one; and amazing too, on how an Uptown girl like Liz can fall for a common, petty thief." He grinned at me. "Though I can assure you it did not happen right away. She thought me rather big-headed, as I recall. Oh, here we are." We stood outside, looking nervous. "Well, go on, Hanso. Press the doorbell."

"Me? You're the adult!"

"It's not like it's dangerous. Besides, you're the son. You're supposed to do as I say."

"Yeah, and where is that written?"

He stuck his tongue out at me, and we both laughed. I gave in first, ringing the doorbell. A new butler got it—and he wasn't impressed. I don't think he really believed that we were family members. In fact, he was about to slam the door on our faces when a hopeful voice said, "Hanso?"

I grinned. I had forgotten than Hazel was coming home for Christmas. "Haze! Mind telling the butler to let us in?"

"What? Of course! Let them inside, please," she said in a sweet voice. The butler didn't look happy, but he stepped aside. She ran and hugged me. "Good news!" she said excitedly. "Dad was mad that Violet didn't show up – well, that's not exactly good news, but still – so he ordered Mother to make a calming draught. But Ebony really wanted to go the Christmas party because…" For a moment, her face darkened "…Because Emerald is here, so he 'accidentally' put in a bit more sleeping powder than necessary. Mother 'apparently' didn't notice, so Father dropped off the moment he drank it. Then we all decided to come, so here we are."

"That's great," I said emphatically. "Hey, um, you know any rooms where we could put Kayley?"

Hazel titled to her head. "Um, okay. Sure. Jarvis," she said to the butler, "Would you please put her in one of the guest rooms?"

"My pleasure, my lady," he said distastefully when he got Kayley.

"One of the nice ones," she added. "Not the one infested with spyders and such."

"Yes, my lady," he said in an irritated voice.

"Come on," she said enthusiastically, grabbing my and my dad's hand. "You've got to see-"

"Hanso?" Emerald said, spotting us. "Oh, you've found your father." She smiled politely at him. "Your wife's near the fireplace in the ballroom. May I talk to Hanso for a minute before you go?"

"Uh, sure," he said.

"Lady Hazel," Emerald said crisply, addressing the younger girl.

"Duchess Emerald," Hazel replied just as curtly.

"Hanso," Emerald said, taking my aside. "I must tell you something."

"Can't it wait? I have to see my mom-"

"Mrs. Daley and her husband are dead."

"What?" I said, gob-smacked.

"Oh, not in spirit," she said. "They can never rest in peace until the Tradition is fully abolished."

"But what about the stones?"

"Stones?"

"The ones that I gave her to take care of!" I said exasperatedly. "They're really important!"

"Oh. Those." She took them out of her pocket. "She gave them to me before she left. Is that what it looks like to normal people?" she questioned curiously. "Ah. Never mind."'

"To normal people? What are they?"

"I don't think she'd like it if I told you."

"But…" That's when I noticed. The stones weren't broken anymore. They were whole, intact, and gleaming. "What the heck-?"

"You needed to sacrifice yourself to make the stone whole again," she said grimly. "And that's exactly what she did. And here's her message: I hope you know what you're doing, my dear. This girl is obviously going to play a role in your destiny, so I've saved her this time. Take care of Charlie, will you?"

"But…but why did she give the stones to you?" I blurted out. What I was really wondering was: If the stones were whole again, why isn't Kayley any better?

She smiled slightly. "Well, I happen to be very charismatic. I can hide my feelings—for example, I can be friends with someone I absolutely loathe."

I frowned at her. "Wait a moment. Are you talking about Ebony?"

She shrugged. "He is a useful friend, even though he's just a lord—cold, manipulating, able to see each situation clearly and without bias unless it's for his own gain. I have a feeling that he'll one day rise up very high; if I ever need assistance, I could use his help."

"So you really don't like him at all?"

"I did not say that," she said coldly, warning me by her tone of voice that she would not appreciate me repeating what she said. She smirked at my confused expression. "I can be a very useful ally, Hanso. I think Mrs. Daley gave me the stones as a signal that you should trust me."

"I'll think about it," I said. I would. She really did seem to be a good ally…but I'm going to look over anyone who Hazel has a low opinion of.

"Hanso," Dad called, tapping his foot. I could see why he was impatient. He'd waiting more than eight months to see my mom, and there she was, on the other side of the door. Despite all that, he looked nervous. I could relate. I wasn't sure if I could fit in to all the rich people stuff, either. I wish they had a manual or something.

And we entered.

We spotted Mom at once. She near the window. Grace was chatting to her a bit, but she had a distant expression on her face. That changed, however, when she saw us. At first, her eyes were blank. Then her jaw dropped, as she registered what she was seeing.

She wasn't the only one that I saw, though.

Near her was a group of people that were definitely not rich. A tall, strong Shoyru was near the front as well as a slightly chubby Kiko lady. There was a Wocky, and a Uni. They weren't only ones there, just the people I could see. But the one that really caught my eye was a blue Ruki with an old wrinkled face and a head filled with grey hair—but despite all that, her eyes still had a youthful, mischievous look. "Granny Leslie?" I whispered.

All of them ran forward to greet us, but Mom got here first, embracing Dad enthusiastically. "Hello, my lady," he murmured after he kissed her. "Did you miss me?"

She laughed, and for that one moment, I knew that we were going to be okay again.

Week 4

"That ungrateful stupid hag!" was the words I got up to in New Years. I stretched sleepily. Ever since Christmas, Mom thought it best, at least for a while, to stay in Charlie's house; at least with Granny Leslie was also visiting, counteracting Grandmother Anne's unpleasantness. I still didn't have that much of a chance to talk to her – as much as she used to love to spoil me, I can see why she was fussing over Dad more. She had thought he was dead.

Surprisingly, Kayley's family didn't seem to care whether she came home or not. At least, no one had been knocking on our door asking where she is.

Jacques, however, had been sending nemails daily, asking "Is she awake yet? Is she awake yet?" Honestly, he was acting like the twins when they were hyper. But the answer was no. Kayley was still in her prolonged slumber, although I had a feeling that she would be waking up very, very soon. Her room was right across from mine, fit for a princess, I'd say. I had been visiting her everyday, in case she woke up, and instructed the butler (Jarvis) to keep an eye on her at all times and warn me if she did.

I don't think he liked being ordered around by me, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Really, there are perks of being a rich kid. The down-side, though, was that Emerald was also staying for a while. Apparently she had finally given up the bank key, but had decided to stay put in Charlie's house—and they were only too happy to let a duchess stay. There wasn't anything wrong with that. What irritated me was that Ebony kept coming to visit, and he was prone to very loud entrances.

Emerald was sitting on a couch, reading a book. She was probably the only one in the whole of Neopia not bothered by his outbursts. She didn't even look up. "What did Violet do now?"

"What did she do? Nothing! It's what she didn't do that mattered!" he snarled. "She barely even looked at me. She couldn't even say my name. What the heck is wrong with her? And yet she's all lovey-dovey and nurturing to Hazel here." He shot a glare to his younger sister. She shrank back slightly. "She called me an idiot! And her friend, some Kougra or another, nearly gored me with her sword."

Hm, I wonder who that can be?

Emerald turned a page on her book. "Well," she said reasonably, "I don't think she liked it much when your father came and asked her to come home with him. Have you tried to see her by yourself?"

He spluttered. "By myself? Why in Neopia would I do that?"

She laughed. "You two remind me of a poem. As much as you argue, as much as you fight, you always turn it around by the end of the night. You really do love her-"

"What?"

"You really do care," she continued smugly. "You really do hope that she'll always be there. Author, Ebony?"

"Zach Watson. And that is so not what I think," he seethed. "I spend the better part of the last three years shoving her and Hazel in a shed."

"Uh-huh," she said skeptically, her green eyes locking on his dark ones. He quailed a little, backing away nervously. I don't blame him. Those emerald eyes are intimidating.

The doorbell rang, and Jarvis went to get it. Emerald left to get a glass of water. Hazel glowered at her path. As soon as I was sure Emerald was out of earshot, I turned to her. "Okay, Princess," I said. "What's with you and all the enmity with Em? She isn't that bad, as least as far as I can tell."

"Not bad at all," Ebony interjected, giving his sister a warning glare.

"Leave off," I told him.

"You can't tell me what to do."

"And I suppose Timmy can?"

"That little Wocky will get what's coming to him one day," Ebony muttered, but he didn't say anything else.

Hazel frowned at me. "Nothing wrong with her? Really?" I shrugged. "Don't you find her kinda…disturbing?" I shook my head. "You don't know who she is, do you? Who her mother is...was?"

"No," I replied.

"And I forbid you to tell him," Ebony snapped. "Em doesn't need someone else bringing that up."

"Em this, Em that," Hazel said irritably. "You stick up for her more than your own friends—or your own sisters."

"She's certainly a lot less annoying than the lot of them."

"You don't even really like her," Hazel continued. "You just became her friend because Daddy said so."

"Hazel!" he exclaimed, sparing a glance at me.

"Wait a minute…you mean you don't really like Emerald?" I said, utterly mystified.

He glared at me. "Being friends with a duchess – especially a royal one – can be very, very beneficial, even more so if you want to be successful at court. I do not want to be stuck here forever."

"Court? What?"

He rolled his eyes. "The court of the monarch. Duh. Courtiers are allowed to live in the palace and help with royal matters. There's no way I'd ever get in the Brightvale one—I mean, that stuffy old king only likes the best of scholars to help him, and no matter how manipulative I am, I am not bookish. There's a chance in Meridell, but the other stuffy old king there doesn't even take his duties seriously. All he does is munch on a drumstick. There're the other nearby kingdoms, but my father has his sights set of Richmond; the third largest kingdom. And like I said, having a duchess for a friend can be a big help, especially if she herself rises."

"So you really don't like her at all?"

"I did not say that," he said coldly, warning me by his tone of voice that he would not appreciate me repeating what he said. I blinked. I had the strangest feeling of déjà vu.

"Lord Ebony," Jarvis called out. "You might want to see our guest."

"Who is it?" Ebony asked. Jarvis didn't reply—just held out the door. Ebony sighed, and then dragged himself up to see this so-called important person. He returned with a pale face.

By then, Emerald was back, too. She gave him a small smile. "Who was it?"

"Your father," he said.

Her eyes widened, and she stood up immediately. "Oh, dear," she murmured. "Is he in a good mood?"

"No," he said flatly.

She cursed. "How am I supposed to speak to him?" she said breathlessly. "I'm a mess! I'll be stammering out phrases-"

"Don't be silly," Ebony said, steering her out. "You'll be brilliant, as always." She smiled a little. I went to follow her curiously, albeit hidden behind a few marble pillars. I wanted to see what this duke would look like.

Fat, apparently. He was a Skeith (are all powerful aristocrats Skeiths?), a red one, dressed with an ermine cloak and a serious expression. Emerald was almost trembling—and believe me, before this that girl seemed fearless. Try as I might, I couldn't picture her stealing his bank key. Hazel, who had followed me, saw my confused face and guessed what I was thinking. "She probably stole it from his secretary," she told him. "She's not as scared as him as she is of her father."

As soon as she saw him, Emerald curtsied low. "Hello, Your Grace," she said softly, not daring to look at him in the eye.

A head poked out behind the king—a green Chomby, around Timmy's age, grinning t her. "Hello, sister!"

The corner of her mouth twitched, but she still didn't look up. "Hello, Duke Ekanite," she said. "Your Grace."

"Don't look like that," he scolded her, rising her up. "Not 'Your Grace.' Brother."

She smiled at him. "Hello, brother." She gave him a hug, and he grinned delightedly.

"Papa, can I tell her the news? Please?" Ekanite said hopefully. His father favored his with an indulgent smile, and I realized that the reason Ekanite was liked better was because he was a boy. I frowned. So he was one of those dads. It wasn't fair. "Em, you'll never believe it! Papa was made Lord Protector!"

Emerald's eyes widened. "Oh, my," she said, forcing a smile on her face. "That's…excellent news, brother. We have a cousin?"

"Uh-huh! The King of Richmond just made it known today. Her name is Princess Jewel."

Emerald's eyebrows flew up. "Princess? It's a girl?"

"Well, yeah," said Ekanite, confused. "So?"

"Ah, nothing," she said carefully. But from Ekanite's adamantly curious expression, she knew that she was beaten. "You see, there has never been a Queen who ruled by herself that hasn't been overthrown."

Hazel muttered, "And they usually lost their heads." I gulped.

"Oh," said Ekanite, understanding. "Then Papa should be really, really careful with Princess Jewel, right?"

"…Yes, of course," Emerald replied, not telling him that if Jewel died, their father would be next in line for the throne. I frowned. That meant Emerald was fifth in line now.

I did some calculations in my head, wondering who the heirs were in order. There's Princess Jewel, the duke…I'm guessing the next one would be Ekanite, since Uptown apparently preferred boys…but I didn't know who the next was. Who was before Emerald?

I shrugged. It didn't seem important.

"We should go home now!" Ekanite said chirpily. "Then we can meet the new princess."

"Yes…we should," she said softly, looking at her father. He gave her a nod. Emerald looked behind her and waved briefly at Ebony, and then turned her eyes at me. I nearly gasped. She knew where I was? She just gave me a small smile, as if saying again, I can be a useful ally. Then she went on her way.

"Still think nothing's wrong with her?" Hazel asked.

---

The moment Jarvis told me that Kayley was waking up, I bolted for her room (even if it was in the middle of the night), clutching the useless stones as if they could be of any help. When I got there, she still seemed in a place between dream and reality—and her dreams didn't look pleasant. She struggled, as if she was in a nightmare, but slowly, surely, she was waking up. Maybe for the last time. I swallowed nervously.

Her grey eyes were sharp as she looked at her surroundings; but to my alarm, they were fast fading again, becoming dimmer and dimmer the moment. A visible sign that her time was running out. "Where am I?" she murmured.

"Um, in Charlie's house," I said carefully, half-afraid she'd freak out. She looked at me questioningly, as if she couldn't even summon up the energy to talk. "You fainted after Master Jacques's talk with us," I elaborated. "And, well, Juliet suggested my dad and I take you in for Christmas."

She gave me a half-smile. "So, your dad's okay, then?"

"Yeah," I said, choking up. "Because of you."

She hand-waved, as if that part didn't matter to her. "Is Master Jacques gone?" I nodded. "Good. I was worried he'd stay in hopes he could help."

"Could he have helped?"

"No," she said firmly. "No one can help now. Put the thought out of your head, okay? In fact, I better get going...unless you want to explain to your relatives how I died in this house?" she asked dryly. "Hm. Not a bad idea. I could haunt you for all eternity."

"Kayley!" I snapped. "Not funny. You can't die."

"Hm? And what's going to stop me?"

"I don't know. You tell me," I pleaded. "Come on. You're better with plans than I ever was. You know something that can help."

She hesitated, then shook her head. "Nope. The only other option would be a fate worse than death, and I certainly don't want that. Like I said, you're making this too hard. You'll manage fine without me. Just keep your head up a teeny bit more for schemes and stuff, okay?"

"Oh, come on!" I groaned. "Tell me. Please."

"Hanso, the only way you're going to save me without that 'worse-than-death' thing is if you fix the stones, and that's certainly never going to happen," she said matter-of-factly.

"But I did fix the stones," I complained. "See?" I showed them to her.

Her jaw dropped, as if she couldn't believe it. Then her expression turned angry. Her eyes narrowed. "Who died?"

"What?"

"Someone had to sacrifice himself or herself for one of the stones. Since you fixed both, it was guaranteed that two people would die. Who were they?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Daley. I didn't ask them to do it," I said quickly. "And…I think they wanted to."

"Huh?" I filled her in on the whole 'immortality' thing. "Oh, Fyora. I knew something was odd about her, but I didn't think that'd be it." She shook her head. "I'll owe her for life."

"Which is not going to be very long," I said angrily, my voice rising, "If you don't tell me what I can do to help!"

"You've helped enough, Hanso." Before I could protest that I didn't, and that if I hadn't been so stupid she wouldn't have been dying in the first place, she grabbed the stones. At once, they shimmered brightly, blinding my eyes. Before I put my hands on my face to shut the light out, I saw one was the color of molten gold, the other of silvery moonlight. More importantly, I felt power.

Those weren't just sparkly magic tricks, like I felt when I was holding a potion or standing by the Kiss-the-Mortog stand.

They really were powerful, so much that it kinda scared me to think about it. What frightened me more was that apparently, Kayley could wield the power. I remembered Mrs. Daley's warning. If my instincts are correct, then she can be very, very dangerous one day…if she lives. Perhaps it's better that she doesn't.

I hope you know what you're doing, my dear.

Do I?

No. But she's my friend, and fear of something she might do shouldn't stop me from allowing her to live.

Then the light faded. I peered at her face, hard, and I saw that finally, after all the worrying…she was all right. I sighed with relief. "So all you had to do was touch it?"

"Yep," she replied. "No person of another family would do." I frowned at this new piece of information, but decided to let it slide. "So," she said, a little awkwardly. "Um, thanks for taking me in for Christmas. I do think I should get going, though."

"Okay," I said, a little at loss.

Then suddenly she grinned, and all I could think about for the space of five minutes was that I never really saw her smile, and if I did I would've thought she was the prettiest girl I've ever seen; prettier than Sophia, Violet, Brynn, and yes, even Juliet. But in a different sort of way. Her smile was warm, real, if a little surprising, and I couldn't help but smile back. It was such a nice change from her usually glowering face, too. For a moment, it seemed that her whole face lit up. "You really think I'd leave without saying thank you properly?"

"Well, I'm sorry to say I've mistaken you for the ungrateful type, Miss Halvard," I said cheekily. She rolled her eyes, and then gave me one of her stones. "Hey, wait," I said, realizing what she was doing. "I screwed up big time the last time you gave me this. And you're doing it again because…?"

"Because, idiot, I trust you. Even if you didn't know what it did you still tried to take care of it, though maybe not as diligently as you should have. Nevertheless, you made up for it anyway. You should have it again." Her face made it clear that she wasn't going to take no for an answer. I took the stone. "And just so you know, I will never repeat that sentence again."

"What? That you trust me?" I said, grinning. "No matter. I have it stored for life. I can't wait to tell the whole class, no, the whole Guild, no, the whole of Neopia-"

"Shut up," she groaned. And that's how I knew she was really back.

"If you're going to give it to me again," I said slowly, "Can't you at least tell me what it does?"

"What do you mean?"

"You once said that it did so much more than let us communicate. You said that there was only one more power I could control. What is it?"

She titled her head. "It's won't be much use to you…wait. You said that Masila destroyed Marie's crystal ball, correct?"

"Yeah," I said, wondering where this was going.

She nodded and frowned, as if thinking about something. Then she straightened. "Okay, then."

"So you'll tell me how to use it?"

"Better. I'll show you. A warning, though: Don't fight it. You can burn your brain up."

"Okay. Wait—burn my brain up? What the-?"

She smirked, and hummed an unknown tune. It took me awhile to process that. Kayley. Humming. Before I could ask if the stones really cured her, the world disappeared in a flash of silver light.

---

It was a bright day in Brightvale, warm and sunny. There had been a few tragedies of late, but of course, they had been quickly ignored; they were caused by thieves after all. The only reason people acknowledged it was because Summer Vines, the late Captain of the Guards, was praised for stopping the worst of it. That the same Captain had perished in an overseas did not seem to impact her former glory. A black Acara, about six or seven years old, rolled her eyes as she heard yet another compliment for the Captain.

She was getting tired of this.

Making her way near the Guild entrance, she hesitated when she saw a Kyrii. But before she even had a chance to turn away, he addressed her. "You here to sign up for the classes?" he said in a bored voice. "Of course you are. No one wanders here but thieves and those hoping to join us."

"Mmm," she mumbled.

"Okay, kid. Where are your parents?"

She turned red. "Um…"

"Sorry, little girl, you can't sign up with your guardians' consent until you're eighteen…"

"I have their consent," she snapped. "They just couldn't come with me."

"Oh, really? And how do I know you're not lying?" he said dryly. "I don't usually trust people I see on sight." Without a word, the Acara girl produced a necklace; a cobrall surrounding a piece of the Heart of the Mountain. The Kyrii's eyes rose up. "They gave you the necklace?" he said, surprised. "Why would they go through the trouble of doing that and not go with you?" The little girl just shrugged, her eyes downcast. "I'm sorry, kid," he apologized. "Tell you what, you're really not supposed to sign up without your parents, but I think we can bend the rules just this one time. What's your name."

"Kayley Halvard," she replied.

"That's nice," he commented, writing it down. "You'll probably be in my class."

She blinked. "You're a teacher?"

"And why is that so surprising?" he asked in a teasing tone. "Do I look that immature?"

"No. You're Jacques," she said flatly. "Aren't you supposed to be on the Black Pawkeet or something?"

He nearly dropped his pen. "And how in Neopia did you recognize me?" he asked, shocked. "Most people usually remember Garin, but…"

She shrugged again. "I like adventure books. And I liked you better than him in the stories," she said honestly. "You always seem a lot more sensible than him."

At that, he chuckled. "Got that right."

"So why aren't you there now?" she asked him.

He bit his lip. "It's kind of a long story," he murmured. "A fight between me and my friend – not Garin – caused most of it. I suppose I should just get over it, but I'm a bit of a stickler for old grudges."

"Even if it keeps you out of the sea?" she said in disbelief.

"It's not just because of that," he said defensively. "Like I said, it's a bit of a long story."

"If you say so," she said skeptically.

"Haven't you ever gotten to any fights with your friends?"

It took her a long time to answer, but when she did, her response was a slightly sad one. "You've got to have friends to 'fight' with them."

"Oh." Jacques frowned. "Maybe you'll make some this year."

"Unlikely," she said, not in the least because she didn't want any—she knew how each person who associated with her ended up like. She shuddered, not wanting to think about it.

"Well, we'll see. In the meantime, count me as one," he said, squeezing her shoulder. She arched an eyebrow, but gave him a tiny grin. "There! You look nice when you smile."

"So they say," she muttered.

He beamed at her. "Say, don't tell anyone who I am, okay? I'd like to see how long it'd take them to figure it out."

"If they can," she countered.

"I'm betting two years."

"I'm betting never, unless you tell them yourself," she told him.

"Deal. And whoever wins has to buy the other a soda."

"Okay," Kayley said. Although her morose mood didn't completely leave her – would never completely leave her, really – she felt a bit more light-hearted, better than she had a long time.

He smiled and addressed her formally. "Farewell, my student. Fair winds until we meet again."

---

It took me a while to come back to reality, but when I did, I was completely amazed. "That was awesome!" I cried. "It was even better than Marie's crystal ball. I mean, I actually got inside your head."

"And," she added, smirking, "Magic barriers don't affect it. Even if someone blocks a memory, it won't work. There is a downside, though."

"What?" I asked.

"It only works when there's a moon, for one," she said.

"Wait. There's no moon now-"

"That's a limitation for you, not me," she explained. "And you've got to have someone who was actually there's permission to view the memory. If all the people who were there are dead, then it's free, but before that you'll have to ask. Besides that, you really, truly have to concentrate on the memory. For me, it helps if I sing...or hum...a tune.""

"Well, that sucks," I said, deflating.

She rolled her eyes. "It still gives you quite a bit of an advantage."

"As long as I don't fry up my brain."

"As long as you don't fry up your brain," Kayley repeated, nodding approvingly. "Oh, look, it's almost midnight." I knew my mom and dad would be downstairs watching the clock – they probably thought I had gone to sleep – and I began to do the same.

"Five…" We heard the crowd say below us. Yeah, it was that loud. "Four…three…..two…one….HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

"Happy New Year," Kayley said half-heartedly. "Now I really have to go."

I grabbed her arm before she could exit. "Can you at least say we're friends?"

"Oh, come on. I already said I trusted you."

"Please?"

"We're allies," she conceded. "I can definitely say we're allies."

Unsatisfied, I began protesting. "But that's not fair-"

She smiled at me again, and I let go of her. But that was okay. Something in her smile reassured me, saying something that she might never do with words. For once, no matter what impossible task I'd have to do next, no matter how many people hated me, I was sure that I'd at least always have her to back me up.

And because of that, I knew everything was going to be all right.

---

Compared to Hanso's last New Year with Kayley ended, I think they're relationship improved quite a bit, right?

For those of you who might have figured it out, yes, Emerald is slightly based on Elizabeth I; at least, she has a lot of her backstory. At one point Em's tale will swerve a lot from Good Queen Bess's (her personality isn't that much of what I picture the Virgin Queen's to be), but until then, you can enjoy a bit of a history lesson. Oh, and I changed the poem into second person; it was originally in first.

And so ends season 4. Did you like the finale? Due to something unexpected (classified for now, but I'm hoping…), there won't be updates nor refurbishments for a bit. See you in a while. ;)