A/N: Yeah . . . it's been a while. Sorry about that.

Lots of crazy stuff have been happening, with high school and everything. But now I'm finally getting around to this, and this is becoming a priority now that other stories of mine have been completed. If everything turns out well, then there should be a new chapter around a biweekly basis. Again, my apologies for abandoning this for a while, and I'm going to do my best to ensure that chapters will come out soon after another.

Shoutout to SladeRavenFan for reviewing!

Chapter 6: Aftermath

The next time I woke, I found myself lying down on my bed. A tender hand was placed on my wrist, watching over me, caring for me.

Wait . . . Mom?

I hopefully looked over to the source of the touch, the smooth, reassuring touch. . .

My spirits drowned in the familiar black depression I've become so used to. It wasn't the hand I'd been longing to see. It was a slender, washed, and coffee-colored hand.

Sophia. Of course - she was my maid. It was only common sense for her to watch over me.

After I glared at her for a few moments, Sophia cautiously smiled. "Your highness. I'm glad to see you're awake."

I had no time for this. Immediately the question that had been dancing in my hand burst from my mouth. "Where's Brion?"

Sophia regarded me in what was supposed to be a reassuring way. "Don't worry. He's going to be just fine."

"Where's Brion?" I pressed again.

Annoyance found its way into her voice. "Princess Tara, your brother is going to be-"

"You aren't answering my question."

Sophia pursed her lips. "The infirmary. But-"

It was too ate for her to say anything more. I had already thrown the purple covers aside and bolted straight to my destination, barely even pausing to yank the door open. Tapestries, coats of arms and Markovian flags fell behind me as my eyes narrowed into slits of concentration.

How was Brion, really? What were his feelings toward me now? I had to personally see him in order to be reassured of anything.

Finally, I reached the infirmary, slamming the door aside and sparrowing my way through various medics and doctors and nurses. A lot of people gasped in sudden shock and leaped away at the last second to dodge me.

Soon enough, I was able to find the two rows of white beds, parallel to each other and resting against the walls. And on one of them was none other than Brion, with doctors flocking around him.

I asked people to step aside as I made my way through them. Then I was able to see my brother.

My heart sank at the sight. He was dressed in a hospital gown, a needle buried into his left arm. Wrapped around his right arm was a cast resting in a sling. Eyelids hid his bright blue eyes, and a monitor nearby showed me his heart rate.

I swerved to face a doctor sporting a name tag that read 'Dr. Marshall'. "What happened? I asked. I desperately tried to project strong force into my voice, but it was unsuccessful when it emerged with a quivering tremble.

Dr. Marshall pushed thin, round glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. "I don't know the full account, Princess, but I do know that you didn't appear to have been harmed. But as far as Brion . . . his right arm snapped in two, and he suffered quite the concussion."

So it was just as I thought. Brion was heavily injured . . . and I'm the one who injured him. I was the one who caused this.

I took a deep breath. "How long has he been out like this?"

"Same as you, Your Highness," Dr. Marshall answered simply. "A little over twenty-four hours."

My breath hitched. A full day? I was out for a full day? And Brion would be taking an even longer amount of time.

All because of me.

I shook my head like that could somehow get the topic out of my head. Perhaps it would help to focus on a different subject. "What about General Immortus and Dr. Jace?"

"Ah, yes, those two," Dr. Marshall said. "We discovered Dr. Helga Jace's loyalty to General Immortus, and the Markovian Army was able to take custody of her. General Immortus, however-he summoned most of his troops and retreated during the earthquake. It was unfortunate that we couldn't capture him, but to our luck, he did withdraw the forces that placed Galebrook under siege. It's a big thanks to Geo-Force that General Immortus has left Markovia alone."

I clenched my teeth.

"Yes," I said quietly. "Yes, it is thanks to Geo-Force that he's gone. But . . ." it's also thanks to Geo-Force that Brion is in this bed, injured!"

As if on cue, the world became a bright gold, and I felt that same tug on my hair, just like they did in my showdown with Immortus and Dr. Jace.

My knees sank to the ground, and I drowned in horror as I gripped my head. "No no no, this can't be happening, this can't be happening!"

Dr. Marshall and the other doctors backed away as I accidentally reached down and tugged at the earth's energy. As a result, the entire earth swayed and danced as I reached down again. I tried not to focus on the shrieks of fright, the objects that shivered before falling down to the ground and shattering, all the commotion I caused. I was more than relieved when I put the energy back into its place. Immediately the swaying ceased, and the world lost its golden hue.

Silence.

Heads swiveled to me as I stood up. "I . . . I'm . . ."

I clamped my eyes shut.

Finally I pushed through the crowd and sprinted away, attempting to flee from . . . from . . . I wasn't too sure. Perhaps it was to run away from myself.

But of course, there's really no way to do that.

Two sentries dressed in purple stood guard in front of a large, black, iron-bounded set of double doors. I strode to them with as much dignity as I could muster.

I lifted my chin. "I am here to see Dr. Helga Jace."

One of the sentries shook his gold-helmeted head. "Sorry, Your Highness, but we were given specific orders from King Viktor to not let anyone in at the time being."

"And I'm Princess Tara." I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "Now. Unless you want to experience a rattling earthquake, let me in to see her."

The sentries exchanged nervous looks as I added, "Sometime today would be nice."

They parted, each gripping a handle of a separate door. Slowly the doors broke apart to become a gateway as I dropped my hands. I strode in, acknowledging both of the sentries with a nod.

The castle dungeons were, in short, dreary. A steep staircase led down into the stone floor. Almost all of the cells were empty, but every now and then I could make out one of Immortus's soldiers sitting solemnly behind the array of rusted black iron bars.

After a few minutes of walking, I found Dr. Jace. She was sitting patiently in a chair, legs crossed. She seemed calm-amused, even.

Dr. Jace regarded me. "Ah. Hello, Tara." The edges of her thin lips suggested a perfectly polite smile.

I wasn't in the mood. My face was already set to be stone-hard and unbreakable. Blue eyes bored into the dark ones as the next words, the ones I had practiced to myself over and over while coming here, came.

"Change me back."

Dr. Jace tilted her head ever-so-slightly. "Sorry?"

I gritted my teeth. "I want," I began, "these powers," I stretched out every word, as though she were an idiot, "out of my body."

Dr. Jace just shook her head. "Sorry Tara, but I do need to remind you that these powers are permanent."

"I don't care! Change me back, get the geokinesis out."

"Again. Tara, this is permanent."

"You were able to get the powers in, you should be able to take them back out! Now do it!"'

She began to look quite annoyed. "Look-you must understand that I know of no way to undo this," she explained. "The geokinesis has become a part of you, Tara. Trying to remove them is the equivalent of chopping off one of your arms."

I took a deep breath, stopping myself from yelling at her again.

I gripped the bars of the cell tightly, as if I were the one inside. I narrowed my eyes dangerously, leaning in so closely that I was almost pressing my face into the spaces between the bars.

"Dr. Jace," I said quietly, "if you can get these powers out, then by my crown I swear that I'll find a way for you to be released."

Dr. Jace was silent for a long moment.

In the end, she sighed. "I wish I could. But they're permanent."

Slowly, my fingers unraveled from the bars. I lowered my eyes, unwilling to look at Dr. Jace. Lost more than ever in defeat, I left the scientist without another word.

Why did I ever agree to check out the 'harmless' science experiement with Brion? Why had I subjected myself to this whirlwind of pain, to let them tell me who to be?

Now look at what I've become.

I exited the dungeon, forcing myself to keep myself to keep my head up, and I forced down tears as I passed the sentries. Dr. Jace, Father, Brion . . . they'd all believed that I'd turn out to be a superhero once I obtained powers. But hurting someone you loved wasn't something a superhero would do.

It's something a villain would do.

The thought stopped me right in my tracks.

I can't be around them anymore, I realized. For as long as I don't have control of my powers, for as long as I hold the potential to hurt them . . . I couldn't be around them.

My chest hardens with an impenetrable resolve.

I know what I have to do.

I have to run away.