Since one of my reviewers decided to rat me out on not having 1,000 words, I'm going to update today. Don't expect this often.

IzzyQuagmire0907: I never hate long reviews unless they're full of hate. I had someone rant on and on about how great my story was, and, trust me, that was one of the best memories in my life.

1379: Are you happy now?

Guest: YAYYYY! I'm so happy right now! (You know I'm happy when I add a lot of exclamation points)

.3: I like the idea, but I finally have the last few chapters planned out. (I am so sorry rosalee. rogers. 3 , but it won't let me write out your whole pen name!)

WARNING: BLOODY SCENES FROM TEENS AND KIDS AGES 4+. IF EASILY SQUEAMISH, READ UP TO THE WORD "Narrator" AND STOP.

Kim

Don't bother, my mind tried to persuade me. He's too upset to talk about it. Don't bring it up.

I bit my lip as we silently rode out.

Birari was collapsing. I could see it, and I was two leagues away. (A/N: I think a league is three miles, so she's six miles away.)

"Jack, move!" I cried out in desperation.

Not needing to be told twice, Jack hurried his horse.

The fighting that was going on was chaotic.

"We'll need to fight to get to the castle!" I heard an enemy shouted.

"Rhiamon!" My head snapped to the side. A Firezi Assassin was watching her. "You came!"

"Back away," Rhiamon snarled.

"What became of your parents?" the Firezi inquired pleasantly, not caring.

Snarling even more, Rhiamon ran a sword through his heart, also severing his head.

"Ride the horses out to the woods!" Lianna called as she turned Bella away and riding her away.

Tying Bella and the other horses to a tree hidden in a grotto, Lianna began to pull several weapons and flasks out of Bella's saddlebags. "Kim, here's a bow and a quiver of 20 arrows, don't waste them. Rhiamon, a double-tipped spear, be careful not to kill any one of us. Brianna, two swords, seeing as you're too fast to hit. Alexa, a dagger, don't give me that look, you're going to look all innocent when you stab them in the gut. Jack, here's your favorite sword, I polished it so people can see their face before death, and I have my sword and shield with the Birari emblem to show who I stand for," Lianna finished supplying all of us.

"What about the flasks?" Brianna asked. "No... you didn't get..."

"Yup!" Lianna giggled. "The finest, honeyed mead! It tastes so wonderful, it could heal! And it won't transform you into a unresponsively irresponsible man!" Lianna exclaimed as she passed out flasks.

"Great. Are we ready for battle?" Jack asked, clearly exasperated.

"Not yet," Rhiamon said solemnly. Going to her saddlebags, she pulled out several cloaks. "No metal can pierce it, but it can get caught."

As we each fastened the cloaks, the overlarge heap of fabric magically shrunk (or, in Jack's case, grew,) to better accommodate our heights.

"Now we're ready," I said seriously.

We're going into battle.

Narrator/squirmyorchid/me, the author

To a normal Birari native fending for his life and his kingdom's freedom, he would have found the sight alarming and strange: six hooded figures, all in varying heights and ages, brandishing several weapons: a double tipped spear, daggers, swords, shield and bows. Then the hood of the tallest figure slipped off, revealing Prince Jackson of Birari.

"HUZZAH!" A great cry came from the crowds of civilians and guards alike, as they fought against the fearsome magical creatures and Firezi Assassins.

All fighting ceased as the Firezi Assasins and the magical creatures paused to gauge the reason why their enemies would be so uplifted by six figures, no matter if one was royalty or not.

Until one of them killed seven Firezi Assassins with one arrow from a powerful bow.

Until one of them killed four goblins with one sword, and this one had two.

Until one of them charmed a Firezi Assassin with his or her heartbreakingly adorable eyes before plunging a dagger in his chest.

Until one of them sliced the throats of a circle of ten enhanced wolves with a powerful, whirlwind-speed spin of his or her double-tipped spear.

Until one of them pushed down two Firezi Assassins with his or her shield and plunged his or her sword into the two of their chests in a fluid movement.

Until one of them destroyed fifteen enhanced bears with a quick, almost graceful movement.

"ONWARD, BIRARI!" They all screamed at the same movement.

The battle resumed, deadly and yet powerful.

Birari had its spirits again.

Grace

I whirled around, swiftly burying the sword in an Firezi Assassin's chest. We had made the journey in time, but weren't at the castle, as that was still so far away.

Suddenly, I was roughly pushed down by a wolf, ready to rip out my throat. Ready for my death, I was shocked to see an arrow plunge itself into the wolf's side, killing it immediately. Freeing myself, I turned around to see Kelsey, armed with a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a knife. Jerry was by her side.

"Thank goodness for sibling loyalty and love," I breathed.

Kim

In the thick of the battle, I shot arrow after arrow, even whacked a few wolves on their noses if I had to. And when I ran out of arrows, I managed to miraculously learn how to throw knives. And when I ran out of knives, a spear from a dead Firezi Assassin was a big help.

Nothing could stop me from defending my new home kingdom.

Except for my fiance's interference.

"Kim! Watch out!" Jack's face was contorted into a face of fear and worry.

Pushing me roughly out of the way, Jack suddenly disappeared.

Under a wall of stone and mortar.

"Jack! NO!" I screamed. Dropping the spear in my hand, I began to dig him out.

I don't know what gave me the strength to lift the heavy rocks. I guess it was the fear of losing Jack, after having lost him so many times. Or it was the love I had for him. The fact that he didn't have an emerald to wish him eternal good health (which I was sure was the reason I was revived after that incident in the Wiseman Barn.

"I'll help," I turned to face Stacy. I'd forgotten she was riding with Lianna.

"Lianna didn't arm you?" I asked, glancing at her empty hands.

"No, but I enjoyed distracting the wolves and bears with wolf and bear meat. They are absolute cannibals!" Stacy attempted to joke.

Giving a weak smile, we refocused on pulling Jack from the rubble.

When we found him, he was almost dead. Bruised, bloody, barely breathing.

"Jack!" I cried, tears flowing freely.

"...K-K-Kim," Jack groaned.

"Jack, you can be so stupid sometimes!" I sobbed, burying myself in his chest.

"Now... N-now we're... we're even," Jack gasped out. My mind flashed back to when I had saved Jack from Girangi and Micheil.

"Jack, please don't leave," I pleaded.

"The mead!" Stacy finally said, glancing at me.

"What are you talking about?" I stared at her.

"Didn't Lianna imply..." Stacy trailed off, as a wolf began to approach her. Lifting a huge chunk of rubble, Stacy threw the piece at the wolf, crushing it under its weight.

"The mead," I whispered. "The mead!" It clicked.

Pulling out the flask, I poured a thin trickle of the mead into Jack's mouth. I could hear him swallowing, and then I physically saw Jack's bruises and wounds heal themselves.

Helping him to his feet, Stacy handed him his sword. Before he could take off, I grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. It lasted for a few seconds before pulling away.

"Sorry," I gave him a shy smile. "I had to kiss my knight in shining armor."

Jack gave me a quick smile before throwing himself back into the battle.

That's when I found him.

The leader of this battle.

It had to be him, he was wearing a deep purple cloak and a royal blue ensemble under his gold-plated chain mail armor.

"YOU!" I screamed as I launched myself at him.

And avoided a blow from his bejeweled sword meant for my head.

"You pathetic girl!" The man screamed. Firezi King, I decided to call him. "You think you can defeat me with no weapon?" He laughed.

I inwardly gasped. I had no weapon. I'd forgotten to pick up my spear.

"It doesn't matter," I growled. "I only want to know why you feel it necessary to destroy my native kingdom and my new kingdom."

"Why?" Firezi King laughed maliciously. "I've always hated a magic-less kingdom, so I plotted against Teril. I slowly began to form my army, sucking the hope out of Teril by ruining their crops, killing their livestock, destroying the shops, and the greatest of my plots, assassinating the queen, your mother."

"You killed my mother!" I shrieked. "She died of sickness, not from wounds!"

"Not with a sword, silly girl. I charmed her food so it was infested with sickness," Firezi King revealed. "And you, my dear girl, will pay. You and your brother will pay for bringing hope to Teril!"

"NEVER IN THE NAME OF BIRARI AND TERIL!" I screamed. A brilliant flash of gold light. A whirl of soft wind. I'm carried off my feet. The wind rushed, louder and harder around me, until it formed a cocoon, hiding me from sight. My cloak and clothes are ripped from me, and my hair is unbraided. I feel the softness of silk, and the toughness of leather. I'm dressed into a one-shoulder silk robe the color of soft sunshine. It stops at my knees, where a pair of laced up sandals begin their descent, wrapping themselves around my calves and feet. A golden rod is thrust into my hand.

My memories are awoken. My true self arises.

Slowly, I feel myself lowered until my feet hit the ground. The cocoon falls apart, and all those within eyesight gasp in both awe and terror.

"Firezi King, do you know who I am?" My voice, magnified and laced with the immense power I wielded brought the Firezi King to his knees.

"Lucilla, the goddess of light, and daughter of Althaia, the goddess of healing," the Firezi King trembled.

"Indeed. I can blow out that candle of flame that is your life," I threatened, watching the King began to shake in complete fear.

"Please have mercy, oh great Lucilla!" he begged, throwing himself at my feet in sorrow.

"However," I continue as if he had not spoken, "I will not kill you."

"Thank you, oh wondrous Lucilla!" The Firezi King attempts to get up, but I harshly push him down.

"I will send you, the rest of the Firezi Assassin race, to my brother, Adrastos. I'm sure he'd be delighted to deal with you in his intolerable, inescapable prison," I sneered at the Firezi King's horrified expression.

Thrusting my rod into the ground, I watched as a deep purple and black whirlpool dragged my mortal enemies down under. The wolves and bears, suddenly confused, ran away, in the direction of the forest. The goblins, ran away, screaming their fear of us once more.

I closed my eyes, and I could almost see my mother. Princess Kimberly's mother and Lucilla's mother were one and the same.

"Darling Lucilla," I heard my mother whisper in my ear. "You have done the right thing. Adrastos will take care of them. Go live your life with Jack. I'll be here when Princess Kimberly... ceases to breathe."

Smiling, I turned around to face my friends and sisters-in-laws.

"It's over," I uttered.

"I knew you were different," Rhiamon offered.

"I knew that too. That's why I'm engaged to you," Jack joked as he came over. "And now, I'm the future husband of a goddess."

"The battle is over, and yet our lives have just begun," I smiled, and we watched as the sun began to set. "Hold on," I held up my rod and paused the sun's setting. I rearranged the colors, making them more vivid and lovely than ever in the history of the world. "Now it can set. It can set, and end the bloodshed that was today."

Grace

I saw it. The Firezi Assassins, whirled away. The goblins, scrambling to get away from us. The wolves and bears, racing to their native lands. And Jerry, coming up to me.

"We made it," is all I can say before Jerry crashes his lips to mine.

Kelsey

"I cannot believe this is over," I murmured to Eddie.

"This part of our lives has ended," Eddie agreed. "But a new portion of our lives has just begun, and I have but one question to ask you."

"What?" I turned to face him.

"Will you marry me?" Eddie's face broke out into a wide grin.

"I-I-I- Yes," I whispered. I threw my arms around him and kissed him.

Kim/Lucilla

"I love the sunset," I commented as we watched from a balcony. Below us, in the palace courtyard, everyone in the towns were celebrating. My new father-in-law reunited with his daughters, and his newest addition, Rhiamon. Stacy finding her true parents, who had lost her recently. Birari and Teril celebrating the survival of their kingdoms.

"Well, you made it, so you must be proud of it," Jack teased, his head on my shoulders.

"Oh, I love it. But never, ever as much as I love you," I said, turning to face him.

Slowly, tenderly, we leaned towards each other. Finally, Jack lunged, and our lips met.

We kissed passionately until the sun set.

Oh, this isn't over just yet. There's still the wedding! I mean, I put some of you through all that suspense, waiting to hear what the wedding dress looked like, you should at least read about the wedding! Here are the meanings for the Greek and Latin names in this chapter:

Adrastos: A Greek male name for inescapable.

Althaia: A Greek female name that might mean healing.

Lucilla: Diminutive female form of Roman Latin Lucia, meaning light.

You better be happy this is WELL over 1,000 words. I had to convince my mother to stay up!

~squirmyorchid~