chapters 1 through 4 may 26th 2013

8/13/2019 Chapters 1 Through 4 May 26th 2013

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Chapter 1

The Doctor



March of the Humble

This is truly a noise from hell itself. Its meaning is nothing less than the definition of utter

horror. It's almost impossible to explain how destructive that noise really is, or how much peace is

annihilated by that one unnatural wailing.

Yes, an alarm clock is truly evil. linging to the fading sensation that was my peaceful sleep, I

yell out for it to stop. !ll in vain, as this "ust wakes me even more. #nable to take anymore of the

torture, I $uickly sit up and stare blankly at the menace as it beeps.

%&e're never going to see eye to eye, are we( !fter $uestioning my relationship with an

inanimate ob"ect, I flip the switch to the alarm and shuffle my way into the bathroom. )y hair is

standing at cra*y angles, some bits curled and others flying straight out from the top of my head. I send

out a la*y yawn, before almost tripping and smashing my face into a wall.

%Dammit...( )ornings are rough on me.

I go to a private school. +chool uniforms, fancy food, strict teachers, the works. I hate it. It's

boring, it's unnecessary, but most of all it's a pain in the ass. r, at least it was. Things have gotten

better this year, which I'm thankful for considering it's my last. )y homeroom teacher is a rare being

who understands I don't sleep in class because I'm bored. I sleep in class because I'm always tired.

-e's come to expect this of me and, thankfully, doesn't mind as long as I have passing grades.

%#ghhhh....( I groan out in disdain. )y morning hair makes me look like !/'s retarded

cousin. )ore than anxious to get rid of the nasty sight, I splash my face and wet down my hair.

ontinuing my usual morning routine, I get dressed and run down stairs into the kitchen to grab some

food. pting for 0optarts and a banana, I shoulder my bag and head outside. 1ot a single other sound

is made throughout the house. ess than enthusiastic towards the new day, I begin my walk to school

as I have hundreds of times before this. 2ven though it's my last year, it doesn't feel any closer to being

over. I "ust hope it goes by faster than the last few have.

I pull out a small notebook and look at the list of things I have to keep me busy today.



%34 patients, all after school. /igures.( I guess I should explain this bit. I'm called 'The Doctor'

by the people at my school. 2veryone calls me Doc for short. +tarting in middle school, I began

helping everyone I met with almost any problem they had, whether they asked for the help or not. It

started out rough, of course, but very rarely did things end up in failure. +uccess after success landed

me a reputation for being able to help anyone with anything. +ooner or later, I was stuck with being

called a doctor though I'm not sure where it originated. Then they got in the habit of calling themselves

my patients, though I bitched at them for it as much as I could. 2ventually, the name stuck with me and

I saw them as my patients as well.

I like what I do. I like being able to help people. 5eing able to look into their lives and help

them see the things they can't see is something I appreciate, and I like the gratitude I receive from

people after a good day of work. +till, it's hard to do and not something I take lightly. /rom

relationship and family struggles to academic and club issues, I've helped solve almost every kind of

problem. +ometimes I make their enemies into my enemies, but that's fine by me. I was never much

interested in what others thought of me.

The road to school filled up with others at some point, all wearing the same uniform as myself.

0eople laughing, people walking in pairs, people walking with friends. !s always, I walk alone. It's

not that I dislike being alone. +ilence and solitude are a treasure of mine. I'd say I love the time I can

have with "ust myself. There are few moments where I wouldn't rather be somewhere $uiet, reading or

sleeping as time flows by. !s if on $ueue with those thoughts, and bent purely on destroying this

serene moment, a rough voice calls out,

%Yo, Doc6(

7od dammit. %Yo, what's up( )y agitation is only "ust hidden. The guy's name is 8yle end,

pronounced 'send'. -e's roughly 9' :(, weighs 4:; pounds, and looks like he's made of steel. That

being said, he's a total idiot. ne of my former patients with severe family issues, though I helped

clear things up well. 5ecause of this, he won't leave me alone.



%+top walking and let me catch up to you, dammit.( -is own agitation isn't hidden as well. I

forgot to mention something. 2very minute spent with him turns into some stupid comedy routine. +o,

as is tradition, things need to be as difficult as possible. I start walking faster.

%-e<... -ey6 &hat the hell, man6 &ait for me6(

%h, sorry, didn't see you there.( -e stands several inches taller than me and weighs hell of a

lot more than me, but that doesn't bother me very much. 0er re$uest of a certain individual, I took up

)uay Thai for almost five years. It's helped in more than one occasion, and to my surprise, I en"oyed

doing it. Thanks to this, I can face down anyone I want, whether they're the si*e of a semi<truck or not.

%You "ust spoke to me6 The hell, man( -e finally catches up, so I slow my pace back down.

&e're still $uite a ways away from the school. #nfortunately they don't have a bus system here, so we

have to commute by car or on foot. '=ich school' my ass. I'd drive to school, but getting my license

would be a bit of a pain, and buying a car seems like a waste of money.

%h, so I did.( I stop to turn and face him, but then turn away as fast as I can. It takes all my

strength to keep a straight face. %I see you're trying something new. I hope it doesn't catch on. !s

much as I like to keep on top of things, I don't know if I could pull that off.(

-e's very confused by this sudden swerve in the conversation. -e stares at me for a few

seconds, confused, before looking up and down his uniform. I don't know how he didn't notice it

sooner. -e's completely covered in pink flower stickers, all of them varying in si*e, and all of them

looking like they're straight out of a Disney movie. The number one suspect would be his younger

sister.

%&hat the hell6( -e yells out half horrified, half pissed. %I can't go to school like this6 If I do,

I'll never get a girlfriend6 1o, I'll never be able to talk to another girl6 h man, what do I do &hat

the hell, man6( 8yle has had a long trend of being completely unable to get a girlfriend despite

looking like a bodybuilder and having a somewhat 'puppy<dog' personality.

%This is a shot in the dark, but have you ever thought of trying something like...( I pause like



something to say. I have few people I would consider friends. -e's not a friend, he's more an

ac$uaintance. &hether he'd call me a friend or not is another thing altogether. )ost of the people I

help would say I'm a friend. I'd call them ac$uaintances, peers, classmates, or even associates. It's not

that I don't like those people, it's "ust that my idea of friendship is a little glorified. +o when he says,

%1othing, "ust came to bug you. +ee ya man6( -e then runs off to a group of his friends up

ahead, leaving me a little more annoyed than before. I stop dead in my tracks and my hand goes flying

into my forehead. 8yle end, ladies and gents.

%Dammit 8yle6 +top bugging me with your stupid shit6( h well. !t least things have finally

$uieted down. !nd he took up $uite a bit of time, I'm almost half way to the school's gate. /or a

couple minutes I think about school, the patients I'm supposed to meet with, the beginning of the year

practice exams, and what I'm going to do in class. I'm fooling myself with that last one> the obvious

answer is sleep. It's not like there's anything better to do with my time. ?ust as I'm finally catching up

to my own rhythm of thought, another voice calls out.

%-ey Doc6 &ait up6(

I sigh and come to a stop. %&hat was that The wind h well, I doubt it's anything important

or useful. I should probably start running, don't want to be late to school.( 1ao I*umi. -alf ?apanese,

half everything from 2urope. 39 to my 3@. A' :(. &eighs something between 3;; and 33;. 1ot sure

exactly, I'm terrible with weight. 5rown hair, ha*el eyes, soft features, small pigtails, and somehow

makes everyone around her happy. +he's a horrifyingly cute girl. ! while ago I helped her with some

boyfriend issue and from then on it's become a ritualB +he gets a terrible boyfriend, I point out that he's

cheating on her.

%If you start running, I'll cut off your legs and feed them to you.( ike I said. -orrifyingly

cute.

%Tha... That didn't sound like a "oke.( 1ervously, I turn to find an unpleasant surprise. +he's

smiling. %... +cary.(



%!ww, don't be scared Doc. You know I could never hurt you.( I manage to give an uneasy

laugh at the response.

%f course you can't. If you hurt me, who else is going to help you with your terrible

relationships( This gets me a punch to the face. %www... Damn that hurts. It's not my fault your

choice in guys is terrible6 Don't take it out on me6( !nother punch to the face. I lean over, holding my

hands on my nose to stop any bleeding I'm pretty sure isn't there. %&hat the hell happened to never

hurting me Dammit... if you weren't a girl...(

%h, what a gentlemen you are. I'll keep that in mind.( I take my hand off my face and look

back to her. +he's giving a goofy smile, and I reali*e how stupid I must look. I sigh again, straighten

up, and we continue our walk.

%+o, what's up( It's always the same. +he shares her stupid relationship problems, and I listen

almost apathetically and tell her the same advice I've told her every other time. It always ends with the

same, 'Yeah, he's cheating on you,' but I'll save that for later. -ave to make sure it looks like I'm

actually listening. 0eople get mad when you're able to read them so well that they fall into a pattern.

+he starts talking about the guy she's dating, and goes on and on with unnecessary details. I nod

every now and then, and throw in a grunt when it's suitable. +he gives the obligatory, %-ey, are you

even listening( to which I respond without a second thought. +he continues her little rant. I kind of

appreciate the time I spend talking to 1ao. -er problems are so simple that usually I can "ust think

about other things and wait for her to finish talking. )y mind begins to wander and the voices around

me become a little fu**y.

+o why do I do what I do To be honest, I'm not really sure. I have a few excuses, but I

wouldn't call them reasons. /or one, I don't like taking part in society. !s I've said before, I have many

ac$uaintances and few friends. 5y few, I mean none. The reason I prefer to sit on the sidelines,

noting and detailing what happens around me rather than taking part. I view the world very cynically,

and because of this I find the ma"ority of life to be pointless. It's not that I find life itself pointless,



more to say certain aspects of living make no sense to me. I struggle to feel the things other people feel

and strain to think of things the way other people think of them. 5ecause of this, I've never felt the

need to acknowledge an attachment between myself and any other person.

r at least that's my theory. I think that's why I started helping people so much, so I could come

to better understand different emotions and scenarios. It's helped me develop as a human being, even if

that's not what I wanted. r was it something I wanted I don't know. Introspection is an extreme

shortcoming of mine. I guess I've always wanted to know what love was like. I've always wanted to

feel the desire to protect another person, the desire to be with that person every minute of every day. I

"ust never have. I think that's part of why I like talking to 1ao. +omeone who falls in and out of love

all the time might help me understand it a little better. 2ven though I know her 'love' is usually half<

assed, it's still a type of love all the same.

%... !nd before I said a word about it, he looked deep into my eyes and said, '1ao. I will always

love you. You are my everything. 1o matter what happens, you're the only one for me. You are the

only one I want. I will never hurt you.'( #gh... so damn cheesy. 0eople who come up with those kinds

of things deserve to be shot. I'm sure 1ao feels the same way about it. %+o ama*ing6( This girl... %+o

there's no way he's cheating, right There's no way he'd say something like that if he was, especially

before I said anything.(

I prepare myself for what's coming up next. This is a regular pattern with 1ao. +he always gets

so dramatic about these things, but sometimes it's worse than others. The only way to handle it is to be

dramatic about it back. That makes her think I'm serious or something, not too sure why it works. It's

a secret techni$ue developed after months of study. I stop and look her in the eye.

%-e's cheating.( 5lunt, but effective.

-er "aw drops in disbelief. %1o, there's no way he is6 -e said that before I even said a thing6(

I have no idea how she can be so simple minded. %-ow can you know &hy would you even say

that6(



I sigh again. Three times today already. Today's going to be a bad day. %1ao.( I say her name

again to gather her attention and, once again, show her I'm being serious. -er face looks a little red,

and her eyes seem a little swollen. &as she crying

%&ha... what( 7ee*... how can she be so innocent after dating so many guys /rom what I

understand, she's never willing to go further than simple kissing. That's why anyone she dates ends up

going for more... willing women. I feel bad for her in a way. Innocence of both kinds are a good thing,

but they're abused so easily in our society.

%You're being naCve. 0eople lie. It's part of being human. -e said that because he knows his

friend told you what was happening. -is friend had no reason to lie. In fact, he had every reason to

tell the truth. If he says 7ary is cheating on you, he is. /ind out when it happened. If it only happened

once recently, and you think you can, try and fix things with him. If it happened a long time ago and

keeps happening, end things with him. &hile that might seem harsh, it's for one reasonB -e won't stop

cheating on you. If he's been cheating for a long time it means he's using you for himself, and his

feelings aren't real.(

To anyone else this might seem a bit much, but it's the best way to get things through to her.

-er eyes begin to water a little. nce again it comes to this. I prepare myself for the worst.

%D... D... Do... Doc... &hy does this always happen to me &hy( Tears start to fill up in her

eyes, and she shoves her head into my chest and wraps her arms around me. I've heard most guys

would en"oy this kind of thing. I have no idea why. )y shirt always gets covered in tears and snot,

and it feels like she's about to break my spine. &e've "ust gotten to the gate and for the second time

today I'm drawing a crowd to myself. +uch is the life of a fake doctor. +he continues with the

waterworks.

%5<... but... but he said he loved me6( +he begins bawling, tears flowing even more than they

were before. I'm pretty sure she "ust used my shirt to wipe her nose, but I try to pretend I didn't notice.

%!nd he does. ?ust not in the way you love him. -e loves... something else.( /or some reason,



I feel like she should retain a bit of her innocence. %5ecause of that, he also loves someone else.

!lthough with his reputation there's probably even another...( I start to trail off in thought again. ne

of my patients was complaining of something of the sort. 7uess I'll find out more later.

+he begins wailing even louder and starts shaking her head in my chest while repeatedly hitting

me. Dammit, now I look like the bad boyfriend. This is too much. To make things worse, I can't take

any of it seriously. I even catch myself ready to laugh, and do my best to force away the feeling.

%&hy are you always so mean &hy can't you "ust say what I want to hear &hy can't you "ust

let me be happy You "erk...( I know she said this because she's upset, but she doesn't understand how

hard this hits me. I don't do what I do for myself. I don't know why I do what I do, but for someone to

say something like that to me... I tense up and push her away, "ust enough to give myself breathing

room. +he's pissed me off, but I know better than to be a dick about it.

%1ao, look at me.( +he stops crying, sobbing every now and then. +lowly she tilts her head up,

her eyes red and face covered in tear streams. I sigh again. That makes four. +he looks kind of cute

like this, for some reason. )ust be some old instinct to protect those in pain or something. %1ao, why

do you come to me for help(

+he stares at me for a couple seconds, like she's never thought about it before. &hile she's

naCve in more ways than one, she isn't dumb. +he's pretty good at viewing her surroundings when it

comes to things that aren't romance, and she analy*es people extremely well when they aren't the one

she has her eye on. I don't get how that works, but that's "ust something I've come to accept about her.

!fter staring me in the eyes for a couple seconds, her expression widens and she looks away $uickly.

ooks like she's finally reali*ed something. +he starts to say something, but suddenly changes her

mind. -er expression calms and it's obvious she's in thought again. I'm not sure what she'll come up

with, but it should help me explain things further. I wait for her to answer as patiently as I can.

%5ecause... because you help me. 5ecause you've helped everyone. 5ecause you've made

everyone happy. I "ust want to be happy, and everyone says you've made them so happy... I want to be



happy too.( -onestly, this catches me off guard. f all the things I was expecting, this one had a hint

of something I wasn't. I can't place my finger on what it is, but...

%Then try to understand thisB I don't lie unless it's completely necessary. #nless the situation

absolutely demands it, I will never tell a lie. That's my own rule for myself. The things I tell you to do

are the things you need to do to be happy later on in life. &hile they might seem hard to do now or

even heartbreaking, they are the things that will ultimately bring your mind peace and keep your future

bright. Do you remember what I say to everyone who comes to me seeking help( I say this more to

keep myself from being liable, but other kids have given it another meaning. +he spouts it off as if it's

a well known saying.

%'You're not going to get my help. I'm "ust going to show you the best ways to help yourself.'( I

guess both meanings are true in the end. +he says this almost "okingly, but then turns to me again with

some kind of reali*ation in her eyes. -er expression looks more serious, and she starts staring at me.

-er conclusions are scaring me. +omehow I feel like the things she's coming up with aren't what I was

trying to get across to her, but she hasn't said anything out of the ordinary yet. It feels like she's reading

me more than I'm reading her. 7uess I'll try to push the conversation back to my pace.

%That's right. I tell people so they know I can only do so much. I can't make the bad things in

life go away. &hile I can be here when someone needs a shoulder to cry on, while I can be here when

someone needs advice on how to handle a situation, I can't live their life for them. I can only guide

them. The things I tell people are nothing more than advice, but if they aren't willing to listen to

anyone nothing will get better.

%+o 1ao, please understand. I only want to help you. I can only do so much. If I could make

things better like magic, I would. If I could make it so it didn't hurt, I would. !ll I can do is be here

and give advice. That's the best I have. !ccusing me of only saying things to hurt you is cruel. I do

what I do for free, so I don't want the burden of people hating me for my advice when I go home and

try to sleep at night. I do this because I care about everyone as a human being. I think everyone



deserves a helping hand, and I'm "ust doing my best to make sure everyone gets it.( That's the truth of

it all. r at least, I think it is. ike I said, introspection e$uals a no<go.

+he stays $uiet for a couple minutes, her head buried in my chest and arms again. I hold back

the urge to sigh, thinking that would "ust make things worse. +he continues to sob a little, and the

random onlookers start whispering whispering and pointing. The school is used to sights like this.

&hat I do is well known, and results like this are surprisingly common. 2specially when it comes to

1ao. That being said, it doesn't make it any less awkward for anyone. +he pulls her head away and

looks up, her serious demeanor still present.

%I'm sorry Doc. I'm sorry. It's "ust... This always happens to me. I thought maybe you were the

reason why. I thought maybe the things you told me to do were why things like this kept happening.(

Talk about not holding back. 1ot what I expected when I told her to be honest about

everything, but I guess I'm glad I know what she's thinking. If it's something like that, it should be

addressed.

%You know that's not true. You've had bad luck with guys. It's only natural you'll get problems

like this. You're a cute girl, it's to be expected. -ow you handle all of this is what matters the most.

!ll I can do is say what I think. &hat you think and what I think aren't always going to be the same,

but hopefully it gives you another way to look at things. +ometimes a shift in perspective is all people

need. =emember 1aoB I'm always here for you, and I'm always here to help. &henever you're not

sure what you should do, you can come find me. I might not always have an answer, but talking about

it is infinitely better than trying to keep it locked up inside yourself.(

+he nods, and then lets go of me entirely. &ithout another word, she walks away and heads to

the front door of the building. &hat an eccentric girl. I stay standing by the gate, slightly da*ed by the

large shift in this mornings events. +omehow I find myself staring at clouds in the distance, marveled

by how they always seem so far yet so close. !s she opens the door, 1ao turns to me and says the one

thing that makes me feel better about the things I say, and what I do.



%Thanks for everything, Doc.(



The Meek and The Bold

!fter the events with 1ao and 8yle I find my way into class and sit at my desk. ! few people

wave to me, and I kind of flop my arm in the air in response. Then I let my head fall into my arms and

close my eyes. +leep, peace, serenity. /inally. There's nothing I love more than this moment where I

can lower my defenses and don't have to worry about anyone's problems but my own. 0eace and $uiet

at last.

%!lright, alright. 2veryone to your seats, we're going to have a $uick review and then take a

small test.( 1o sleep for now. /igures. ! pile of paper finds its way to me. I take one off the stack,

and pass the rest back.

1ormally we're supposed to keep the paper face down until the review is over, but I get curious.

I lift the corner and look at what's on the other side. Immediately, I regret this decision. In response to

the sight I smack my head into the table and leave it there. In the corner of my eyes I see people

pointing at me and whispering like I'm some kind of idiot, but I don't care. I'm too busy hating math.

%&hy is it always math &hy( I cry out, a little louder than I meant.

%&ell, if you'd prefer it, I could start waking you up when you fall asleep in my class.(

)y heart skips a beat. %1o, please. I love math. Truly. I couldn't be happier. Thank you for

this wonderful opportunity.( +tifled laughter rings out around me, and the teacher raises one eyebrow

before continuing with his explanation of the test.

It's not that I'm bad at math. I wouldn't say I'm bad at any sub"ect. If I had to pick my weakest

sub"ect, I'd say it's history. 5ut math... math is so damn boring. I don't know why. The moment math

comes up I feel like "umping off the school roof. It's a difficult relationship, and one I don't plan on

putting time into. &e spend about thirty minutes on the review, and it takes another thirty for me to

actually finish the test. That's an hour too much spent on trigonometry if you ask me.

The rest of the class was spent sleeping. I slept even through lunch to the end of school, waking

up only when a girls hair met the flame of a 5unsen burner because she used a little too much



hairspray. 2ven then I ended up going right back to sleep. +oon enough, the final bell is ringing and

I'm on my way to the rooftop as usual. +taircase after staircase leads me to a rope with a sign that says

'ff imits' in bright red letters. 1ext to the door is a small pla$ue that reads my name, %The Doc(. !s

a "okereward for helping solve some of their problems, the school "anitor had it made and installed. I

thought it was funny more than anything else, but it did help me feel what I was doing was more

legitimate.

I slowly push open the door to the roof. The change from dim hallways to real sunlight is

overwhelming, and I have to turn and s$uint my eyes as they ad"ust. I walk past the crowd of 3; or 34

people, all of them focused on me, some of them angry and others looking ready to cry. These people

come to me with issues they consider their biggest burdens. +ometimes they really are life changing.

ther times it's as simple as studying for an exam. I take all of them as seriously as I can, and expect

all of them to take things "ust as seriously. Thankfully, most of my work is "ust giving advice. It's a

rare scenario where I need to physically take part to help people out, but when those times come up, it's

usually pretty big.

I pull a tarp off of the table and chairs I set out almost a year ago. 5efore me stands an anxious

crowd. %2veryone, listen up. I take all cases confidentially. 0lease, step into the stairwell and shut the

door. &hoever was first to arrive, come to the table and take a seat. &hen they make their way out,

the next person comes in. I'll be here until the school closes, so don't worry about time. If you can't

wait, write your situation and address on a piece of paper and put it in the box in the stairwell. I'll get

back to you as soon as possible.(

ne person gives a bit of a golf clap, and someone else gives a cough. I'd say tough crowd, but

none of them are here for good reasons, I'm sure. +lowly, they fall back into the stairwell, and a young

girl finds her way over to the table. !s is the norm, all of the problems involve relationships. 2ven

though I've never really had one myself, what I say seems to work. I guess my understanding of a

relationship and human psychology is enough to help. r maybe an unbiased, outside perspective



helps people see things more clearly. It's certainly my most popular service, so I must be producing

some kind of results. I can't complain either. -elping someone solve boyfriend or girlfriend troubles is

a lot better than trying to save someone from a loan shark's wrath, that's for sure.

ne by one, I send each person on their way after telling them things they already know but

don't want to hear. !fter helping the last person I make my way home. 5y now it's already seven in

the afternoon and the sun is setting in the distance. I take a look in the little box by the stairwell and let

out the breath I was holding in. 1o papers. I head down the stairs and make my way out the school,

once again drawing the day to a close with nothing exciting. +ay what you will, but I find reality

extremely boring. 1othing exciting ever comes up, and when it does it's nothing but terrible. I don't

hate this, though. If things in my own life are boring, that means there's nothing really wrong. If

there's nothing wrong, I should be happy. 2ven the problems I deal with are extremely common. 8yle,

along with a couple others, are the few exceptions to this. They had actual problems, some of the 'life

or death' situations I was talking about before.

1ormally you'd call the cops in such a situation, but sometimes the cops can't get involved or

the situation is "ust too unbelievable. I hate taking such responsibility for myself, but cases like those

are what gave me the reputation I have. I've saved the lives of some people, and I've made $uite a few

enemies in the process, but I've never regretted what I do. Those few words make it all worth while,

those words everyone uses to part ways with me. ! simple 'Thanks' means a lot to me, a lot more than

it does to most people.

!fter another trek from school to home, I make myself an instant dinner and then head to bed.

?ust another boring day. )aybe I should be more thankful of that. )aybe...

!s I think the lack of events in my life, another thought drifts through my mind. ! sad,

innocent thought. ne that always grips me before sleep at home, the thought that makes it so hard for

me to stay asleep in my own bed. ne that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

1ot a single other sound was made throughout the house.



nce again I meet my worst enemy. -e screams a horrid war cry, tipping me closer to the edge

than ever before. +lowly, I pull myself up to face he who dares destroy what's dear to me. 1ever

before have I felt such rage and utter contempt for something of this 2arth.

%You bastard6( I yell as loud as I can, sending out my emotions before they build up enough to

make me explode. #nwavered, he continues his cry. I don't know how much more I can take. I can

feel myself succumbing to the madness, my mind slowly slipping away into the black abyss. I resort to

my last option. +lowly, I walk over to the disgusting creature and reach for its head. Then with a $uick

motion, I slide over a small switch. +ilence at last.

%This clock... has to be the most evil clock in existence.( I walk over to the mirror and find

myself looking, once again, like a complete idiot. )y brown hair stands out at cra*y angles once more,

and my eyes are half shut, one more than the other, showing only a glint of green. I turn on the shower

and let it heat up before I get in. +omehow I start thinking of my talk with 1ao the other day, and

begin wondering how she handled things with... what was his name 7ary I "ump in the shower and

wash up, then head out once more with a 0optart and banana. !s usual, there's no other noise in the

house.

+eems I left a little early today. There are only a couple other students on the street, all heading

the same way as myself, all looking "ust as bored as I do. I start eating what I can hardly call breakfast,

and again find myself thinking of 1ao. Irritated that she keeps popping into my head, I start ripping

into the 0optart with a little more energy and find myself rewarded with pastry trying to s$uee*e into

my lung. I start coughing, drawing glances from the people around me. !fter what feels like forever, I

manage to clear my throat, and for some reason start thinking about 1ao again. I wonder if she broke

up with that guy...

Dammit. 1ow I'm annoyed. &hy should I care about that &hy am I hoping for that I'm the

last person that should be hoping for that. I should be doing what I can to help her as her... doctor 1o,

it's fine for me to hope she breaks up with him. !fter all, he was obviously going to hurt her. It's better



this way. =ight +hit, now I'm trying to rationali*e things for myself. &hy am I so wrapped up over

this I start eating the banana hoping to take my mind off things.

5y the time I'm half way to the gate I reali*e I haven't run into any old patients. It's definitely

unusual. I almost always run into someone, and half the time I do they're looking for me for some

$uick advice. The lack of morning conversation is letting my mind roam around a little more than it

usually does, which must be why I'm thinking of things I normally wouldn't. I try to think about

different ways I could have helped the people who came to me yesterday, but unfortunately, 1ao falls

into this category.

%7od dammit6( I scream out, holding my head. ! couple of girls who were coming up from

behind me "ump aside in surprise. I give a small apology and $uicken my pace. This is unbelievably

irritating. I, someone who prides myself for having answers to almost everything, can't figure out why

the hell she keeps popping up in my head. 1ormally this would happen if I were unsure about advice I

had given someone, but this isn't a guilty feeling. It makes no sense. There's no reason for her to be in

my head like this.

)y shout from before gathered more attention than I thought, and a girl from school starts

walking towards me. 5rown uniform, so she must be a second year student.

%Doc... are you okay( This is way out of character for me, this much anxiety is way out of

hand. +he seems genuinely worried about me because of it. I'm known to be pretty calm and collected,

so seeing me like this must be putting a lot of people on edge.. I take a deep breath to try and calm

myself down.

%Yeah, I'm fine, really. I seem to be having some problems of my own. Don't worry about it,

I'll figure things out eventually.( I reali*e I said something I shouldn't have. If I make it clear that

something's bugging me, she's "ust going to want to find out more. The problem is that I don't know

what's wrong, so it'll $uickly become awkward and confusing for the both of us.

%&ell... when you helped me, you told me talking about things helps make them easier to



understand because we're hearing them from the outside. )aybe... I mean, if< uh... if you don't mind,

you could tell me what's wrong. )aybe I can help... or something...( It's kind of cute how nervous she

is about this. I doubt she, herself, can help me out, but she's right about how talking about things can

help solve them. It's not like I have any other choice at this point anyhow.

%+ure, I guess I can try to explain things a little.( -er face lights up a and she gets a bright

smile. I think that was the right choice. If helping me out makes her feel a little better, I'm all for it.

%Yesterday I helped a girl with her relationship, like I have for do*ens of girls before, do*ens of times

before. -er boyfriend was cheating on her, and she wanted advice and needed confirmation.( The girl

looks at me with her head slightly tilted, and an extremely bewildered expression. +he looks kind of

like a dog like this. I hate that I can't remember her name, but I'm sure it'll come up sooner or later. I

continue with my explanation.

%/or some reason I started thinking of her and her problem. +he won't get out of my head, and I

have no idea why. The first thing that pops into my head is that I hope she broke up with her boyfriend.

!t first it didn't make sense, but when I think about it that's only natural. !fter all, I want people to

have what's best for them, and right then it was<( I don't get to finish my sentence.

%1o6( +he yells at me, and this time I'm the one to "ump in surprise. That was unexpectedly

vicious. %That's not<... that's... That's wrong. That's not what it is at all. Doc, you really don't get it( I

look at her, confused. Is it something that obvious &hy did she notice it so $uickly %Doc... this is

funny in a way.( +he starts giggling a little. 1ow I "ust feel like I'm being made fun of. I also can't

help but think her laugh sounds somewhat... scary.

%If it's so obvious, why not "ust tell me( I say a little annoyed, my cheeks half puffed in

frustration. /or being so shy earlier she seems pretty sure of herself. +he gives another little giggle. If

I weren't so annoyed it would be adorable.

%&ell, Doc, do you want a dry answer or do you want me to help you( +he asks with a smile.

I think about what that means for a couple seconds, and look at her with a single raised brow.



bviously, she means if she helps me she can't tell me the answer, but that's oddly obscure for someone

like her to say. I let out a sigh and look straight up to the sky, swinging my arms behind my head like I

don't give a care in the world.

%-elp me out. If it's something you shouldn't say, then don't say it. It sounds like you think I

should figure out myself.( +he smiles at this answer and nods her head a little. Then she s$ueals like a

little kid and runs in front of me, blocking my path, and sticks her face right in front of mine. %&ha<...

what the hell &hat do you want(

%I have to know. &ho is it you helped yesterday &hat's her name Tellme tell me tell me tell

me6( +he machineguns the same two words over and over until I can't take it anymore. That's all she

wanted to know &hy make a big deal out of something so simple

%It was 1ao6( I yell and try to force my way around her. %1ao I*umi6 &hy is that so

important( +he s$ueals again, louder this time, and runs around in a circle laughing before walking

next to me again. &hat the hell is wrong with this girl 5efore I can say anything else, someone calls

for her.

%i*, come on6 &e're supposed to meet up with everyone else6(

+he snaps back to reality, and I can't help but become even more confused. If I remember right,

i* is a good friend of 1ao's. That means... I look over and sure enough, 1ao is the one calling her.

+he sees me and gives a smiles and wave. I smile and wave back. i* runs over and tackles her for a

hug. &hat a weird girl. They rush ahead to meet up with whomever they said before, and I find

myself walking at a slightly more relaxed pace than before. )aybe I feel a little better after talking to

i* about it, but I'm still as confused as ever. I guess it's not important. I "ust need to keep my cool and

do my best to ignore it. 2ventually, the answer will come to me. It always does.

I head to class and the daily routine begins again. +ome people wave to me on my way in. I'm

here earlier than usual, so there are only two others in the room. I wave back, sit down, and rest my

head in my hand. I turn my ga*e to the window next to me and stare off at nothing.



-ow long can I "ust keep sleeping days away I should be looking at colleges or careers. I

guess I've already got a decent idea of what kind of field I should be looking into, but do I even need to

work I have enough money to last the rest of my life. I could even profit off of interest if I play

things right. I start to drift off and as a result my head falls out of my hand. I stop myself from

slamming my face into the desk, but "ust barely. !t some point the other seats in the room filled up,

people whispering and laughing about random things.

+econds later the teacher walks into the room. %Today we're talking about heredity and

dominance of certain features over others.( I assume we all did fine on our test, then. There's nothing

stopping me from going to sleep now, but I'm interested in this. It's probably best to try and stay awake

for a bit.

The teacher covers everything starting with how certain pea plants have different colored

flowers, to how many peas are in a pod, to our own eye and hair colors. !pparently my green eyes are

relatively rare, and not a very dominant feature. 7uess you learn a little more every day.

+uddenly uninterested in what's around me since the lesson switched to the 8orean war, I rest

my arms and head on my desk and start to sleep. I don't know exactly why, but that little bit of

information on heredity makes me feel good. 5efore I know it, my thoughts drift back over to 1ao.

I'm not as annoyed by it anymore, but it's still frustrating. Thoughts of how I met her and the different

times we've spent together are playing through my head like a silent movie. ! wave of nostalgia

washes over me, and I regret that in "ust a few months these leisurely days will come to an end. I guess

everyone needs to move away eventually.

%Yo, Doc.(

It's peaceful thoughts like these that keep me sane. It's a welcome bittersweet feeling, and one I

want to linger for a while longer.

%-ey, Doc. &ake up.( &hoever you are, prepare yourself for death.

%&haaaaaat( I respond la*ily, rolling my head over to look at my attacker. I'm too la*y to kill



anyone, who am I kidding &hy can't I "ust get some peace and $uiet &hen I'm asleep is the only

time my thoughts stay my own. I can get glimpses of self<understanding I so rarely see when I'm

awake, and I can push away reality. !fter all, your problems can't follow you into your sleep.

%1ao asked me to come grab you. +he wants to talk to you about something. +eemed

important.( -is tone confirmed this. +omething was up, but he knew more than he was willing to

share. 2ven still, there's no point in trying to pry it out of him.

I look at the clock and see lunch has "ust started. %Thanks for letting me know.( I get up and

head into the hall, where I see a cute girl with pigtails standing with her hands behind her back,

smiling.

%-ey 1ao, something wrong( Is all I can think to say. It's rare for her to talk to me about

anything that isn't her boyfriend trouble. I assume this time is no different.

%1o, not really. I wanted to talk to you about a few things real $uick, and then I'll be on my

way. &ere you sleeping( This is... different than usual. I become a little more intrigued.

%Yeah, but that's not a big deal. +o what'd you want to talk about( -er expression looks a

little pained when I say this. +he has an idea of how important sleep is to me.

%+orry... uh, I wanted to let you know I broke up with 7ary. You were right. -e was cheating.

-e'd been cheating for a while now, with two other girls. You were right.( +he says that part twice, as

if she still has to convince herself. +he glances away a little, thinking of what to say next. I can tell

she's having trouble thinking of something, so I take over.

%I'm sorry, 1ao. I know you're tired of this happening. ?ust remember that I'm always here to

help you out, alright You'll find a good guy sooner or later.( I wasn't really sure what to say at this

point either. It's not often she'd pull me aside during school to talk about something like this.

%&ha... no, wait. I...( +he looks confused, like she's having more trouble trying to think of

what she's going to say next. Then a wave of confidence washes over her, and her expression switches

to something a little more serious. %I thought about what you said yesterday, and about the stuff you



said to be before. It made me think about a lot of different things.( &here is she going with this

%I started thinking about why you do the things you do. It took me a lot of time, but I think I've

figured out a lot about you, Doc. The more I thought about it, the worse I felt. I felt good about it too,

though, because someone like you was still giving their all to care about everyone else, even someone

like me. You take care of everyone at the school, even though...( I really don't see where this is going.

+he continues with her strange revelation.

%Doc... why do you help people( +he took what I asked her yesterday and completely flipped

it around. 2ven though I asked her so easily, an answer isn't coming to me. &asn't I "ust thinking of

the reasons the other day It all seemed so logical and obvious at the time.

%5ecause... I... 5ecause I...( I can't think of anything proper to say. 1othing comes to mind

like it normally does. &hy do I go out of my way to help people, is what she's really asking. &hy do I

sacrifice so much for other people =eali*ation slowly sinks in. +he's figured out way too much. This

is going to hurt.

%Doc... how many friends do you have( /uck. This is going right where I hoped it wouldn't.

&hat's the best way to handle this I can't lie about it, but there's got to be a way to turn this in another

direction. -ow do I turn this around I don't want to deal with this. There has to be something, some

way out. Yet... I can't think of anything. The best way to handle this is answer everything honestly. If

I don't try to stall it'll end $uicker and I won't have to deal with it anymore.

%I don't have anyone I'd call a friend, 1ao.( I say, trying to sound as calm about it as possible.

)y furrowed brow and shaking hand says everything I didn't, unfortunately.

%&hat about your family, Doc Don't you have a family( -ow much did she think about

This is bad. I took too long to respond, so I can't talk my way around this anymore. +he asks me

again. I have to tell her at this point.

%I don't have any, 1ao. I don't have any.( I say this a little more firmly. I'm not happy, but I

don't want to be a dick about it. !s long as I keep my cool it can pass without much effect. I'm sure



there's a reason for her bringing this up.

%I know why you do what you do.( +he says with $uite a bit of certainty. Does she, now I'd

be impressed if she has a reasonable answer. +omehow I feel like she's "ust wasting my time and

bringing up bad topics for no reason. %You do this because you're all alone. You've always been alone.

2ven if everyone considers you a friend, which they do, you think you're alone. You don't have any

family, and you don't have any friends in your eyes. 2very day you go to a $uiet home and do nothing

but sleep, because when you're asleep you don't need to think about how lonely the world is. You don't

need to think about how hard it is to take part in reality. You make everyone's problems your own so

that you can keep your mind off of how you can't solve your own problems. You can feel like you're

accomplishing something, and like it doesn't matter how lonely you are. The more you help other

people, the less lonely you feel. You don't even have a name. 2ven the teachers "ust call you 'Doc'. It's

like you don't even exist. It's like you aren't real, and you're afraid because eventually everyone you've

helped is going to forget about you. 2veryone talks about you a lot, Doc. They talk about the guy with

no name, and how none of it makes sense. 2veryone is trying to piece together your pu**le, and learn

the story of the guy who helps everyone of himself, the story of the guy who's never seen outside of

school.( +he walks up to me and wraps her arms around me. I don't even notice this at first because

I'm standing in shock, unable to even blink.

+he didn't "ust figure out I had a few of my own problems. +he pulled out all the stops, and said

everything about me. +he figured out what makes who I am and why I'm like this, and stated it as

bluntly as possible to make sure I couldn't deny it. I usually think she's a dit*y girl, but this was

unbelievably cunning. It hurts so much that I can't even work up the energy to move or talk. &hy the

hell would she say all this to me &hy would she bring everything I've been hiding from and throw it

in my face like this &hy would she shove so much pain into me at once after I've done so much for

her

%I'm always here for you, Doc. I don't care what you think, I<...( +he hesitates for a second, but



A Shadow of Doubt

+lowly, I pull my head off of my desk at the ring of the final bell. I feel like crap. 1ao hit me

somewhere I didn't even know existed, and then left me to soak in my own misery. I know she didn't

mean for it to be that way, but that's exactly how it feels. 2ven so, I'm not mad she said it. It helped for

some reason. 0ushing myself up as much as I can, I head to the staircase I climb every day and once

more push my way past the rope barricade and empty %=e$uests( box. utside, six people stand

waiting.

%&hoever was here first, come with me. The rest of you wait in the stairwell until you see this

person come back. Then the next person can come see me. There's only a few of you today, so don't

worry about running out of time. I'll be here until we've gone over everything.(

I sound like crap. 1ormally I'm a little enthusiastic about it all, but today I'm "ust droning on.

The six seem to have noticed as well, and are giving me odd looks and whispering to each other. I do

my best to ignore them and walk past. ! girl from my year breaks off from the group and follows me

to my table on the other side of the wall while the rest trudge back into the school. I pull the tarp off

the table and chairs and sit down. +he sits across from me, and I stare at her for a few seconds showing

almost no interest whatsoever in what's going on. !ll I can think about is what 1ao said to me.

%#m... +hould I start, or...( +he asks, confused that I'm being so distant. +he's been here before,

so she knows I'm normally not like this. I need to snap out of it. I can't let the truth push me down so

much. /orcing a smile, I turn my full attention to her.

%+orry, sorry. I was thinking. -ad something come up a little while ago, but it's no trouble at

all, really. +o how've you been Things been getting any better( I need to try and be as upbeat as

possible. 2motions transfer extremely easily. If I act like I feel terrible, she'll end up feeling like crap

too. If I at least pretend I'm happy, she'll feel better than she has been, or at least that's the hope.

+ure enough, it's another relationship problem. +eemingly reassured by my sudden transition,

she starts talking about a flurry of problems with some guy I've never heard of, and how she's unsure of



everything she should be doing. The answers are always so simple, but people never seem to notice

when they pertain to themselves. I guess I'm not one to talk.

ne by one, the six people walk away satisfied with a little more insight. I lean back on the

metal chair and stare at the sky for a few minutes. nly six people today, but already the sun is starting

to set. It's kind of weird that it takes two times as long to finish talking with everyone when I'm

worried about my own problems.

The sunset drags away my thoughts, and soon I'm completely out of it, staring past the chain

link fence into the hori*on. +omewhere, this view is the happiest thing in someone's day, and

somewhere else it's the most depressing. /unny how that works.

+tarting to feel a little tired, I head into the stairwell and look into the '=e$uests' box. To my

surprise, there's a piece of paper in it. 1ot a good sign.

The re$uest box never has anything simple. 1ormally, they're situations too harsh or

embarrassing for people to outright say, or they're things that take a lot of effort and thought to explain,

and are best put into writing. 2ither way it means a lot of work for me. I pop it open and pull out the

paper, somewhat interested in what challenge awaits. )aybe it'll help keep my mind off of what 1ao

said earlier.

2xcept it's from 1ao. n the outside of the note is a little heart with %Doc( written through it.

#nfolding it, a couple short lines of swirly handwriting reveals itself.

' Doc,

Sorry about before. I think I said that all wrong. I didn't mean to make you

upset. I wanted to let you know I care about you, and I wanted to tell you that

if you're ever having problems, you can come talk to me. Somehow things took a

weird turn, and I started saying stuff I didn't really understand.

I don't want you to be mad at me, and there were a few other things I wanted



to say.

I wouldn't mind talking to you tonight. Could you come over later?'

The letter closes with her name written with a flourish and a little heart. )y first thought is that

her handwriting is really childish. The second thought is that it's really odd for her to make a re$uest

like this, and even more unusual for her to use the box to do it. I'm beginning to worry something

might have happened. )aybe she feels a little worse about the break<up than I thought r maybe she

really does "ust want to talk to me about my life some more. I guess I wouldn't really mind that. I'd

rather not leave it the way it is.

0ocketing the note, I grab my stuff and head home. It only takes a couple minutes for me to

clean up and finish eating, and soon enough I'm on my way to her house. It's still kind of early, but late

enough for dinner. )aybe she wanted me to eat with her and her family. h, that's right, her family's

gone for the next few days. They left on some kind of business or something like that. )ore and more,

I begin to think about what she might want to talk about, and why she couldn't "ust talk about it on the

roof. r hell, why not "ust write it on the note

!s my mind wanders through different possibilities, one finds its way in that I'm pretty sure

makes me blush a little. 0ossibilities was a key word, dammit6 There's no point in thinking the

impossible. &hy am I even thinking something like that There's no way. I'm not her type, and I'm

not exactly the most fun guy around. I spend most of my time reading and sleeping. There's no way.

1ever.

!s I'm thinking this, a small shop catches my eye. )aybe... )aybe I should get her something

That wouldn't be too much, would it It seemed like she wanted to apologi*e about something, but if I

get her this, maybe she won't feel like she needs to. !fter all, what she said "ust caught me off guard.

It wasn't that bad. +ure, this is fine. I'll step in and try to find something nice.

I thought it was "ust a "ewelry store, but there are a lot of different anti$ues as well, and almost



everything looks like it has $uite a bit of age to it. ooking for something she'll like might be a bit

harder than I thought. To make matters worse, the shopkeeper happens to be an extremely disgruntled

old woman. +he peers at me with half closed eyes, and coughs roughly before speaking.

%1eed help findin' somethin', kid( -ow charming. +ounds like she's been smoking since she

was ten, and that would had to have been seventy years ago.

%1o, that's okay. I'm trying to find a gift for a friend.( &hen I say this, she gives me an odd

look. ne of disbelief, mixed with worry, maybe. &ait... did I "ust say friend 5efore I can think on

this anymore, she starts talking again.

%?ust so you know, everythin' here is pretty pricey.( +he notices I'm checking the "ewelry, and

then continues, %The "ewelry 'specially. )ost of 'em are original pieces made with precious metals, and

some of 'em are a couple hundred years old. There's no point in you lookin' there if you ain't got the

money.(

/or some reason I find this a little offensive, but I try not to let it show. Instead, I respond with,

%)oney isn't a problem. Do you have any other displays( It came out a little sharper than intended,

but thankfully, the statement wasn't too sharp in itself. +he "ust shakes her head a little and then gives a

sigh.

%&ell, I do have this...( !s she says that, she pulls out a large wooden box, maybe three feet in

length and a foot wide, yet only three or four inches thick. It's obviously old, yet well kept and

polished. +he cracks it open and inside are some of the most ama*ing pieces I've ever seen. I think my

mouth opened a little, but I'm too distracted to notice.

%h, wow...( I walk over to the box slowly, and start ga*ing at all the different pieces of

"ewelry laid out in front of me for something she might like. Then I feel really stupid. -ow the hell am

I supposed to know what she likes &hat would she even be willing to wear h man, this is dumb. I

guess I should "ust try to imagine her wearing one of them, and if I think it looks good, "ust give it a

shot. &hy am I even buying something for her in the first place



that much cash to blow on "ewelry, and partly because I'm sure she didn't think I was seriously looking

for something to buy.

%I said I'll buy it. Do you take debit( I try to act as nonchalant about it as possible. 2ven

though I have $uite a bit of cash, it's still a stupid investment. 2ven still, I feel like I owe 1ao a lot. I

don't $uite understand why yet, but that's "ust how I feel. I mean, I even called her a friend earlier.

That has to say something in itself.

%h Yeah, I do. 7imme "usta' moment.( +he takes her time getting out what looks like it

could be the first machine to ever read a credit card. The thing is absolutely ancient, but it somehow

swipes my card without a problem. 7rateful for the purchase, she wraps it up for me. It looks $uite

nice, wrapped with real care which saves me a lot of trouble, and makes it easier to present it as a gift.

I take the small box and slip it into my coat pocket, share salutations with the slightly da*ed old

woman, and continue on my way to 1ao's. !ll I can think about is whether or not she'll like it.

I start getting nervous and start thinking stupid thoughts. &hat if she doesn't like it &hat if

she hates it &hat if she hates me for getting her something so expensive It's a little bigger than most

things, maybe it's not her style It's actually really weird, could I say it's anyone's style &hy the hell

did I spend so much money on this )aybe she was calling me over to tell me something terrible, and

I "ust got her a present. h man, what if she's allergic to the metal it's made of Then this is worthless.

!s stupid thought after stupid thought creeps through my head, I start to get more and more

nervous about meeting her. !t the same time I reali*e something. I'm getting more and more excited to

see her, "ust as excited as I am nervous. !m I really that anxious to see 1ao again &hy is she

suddenly such a big deal to me

I push aside all thoughts of 1ao and why I'm rambling in my own mind like a madman, and

start to walk a little faster. The best way to figure all of this out is to "ust talk to her about it all.

&hatever she says might help me understand what I'm thinking. !fter all, she's the one who picked me

apart until nothing was left.



I smile a little and look at the hori*on in the distance. The sun is "ust barely poking over it. In

another hour or so it'll be gone completely, and night will have settled in. &hat an odd day it's been.

I've never had a day so wrapped around myself before. It feels different, but in a good way. )aybe

1ao was right. !s I think this, I think back to what she said. +orry for waking me up, huh

!fter what seems like an eternity spent walking, I end up at her apartment building. These

places always seem so big from the outside. I head in and look at the name list by the bu**ers, and

after looking for a few seconds, find 'I*umi' written on a piece of paper across one of the buttons near

the bottom. +he lives $uite a few floors up. I hold the bu**er for a few seconds and then hear a bu**

back. ooks like she was waiting for me. 0ushing open the door, I head into the massive apartment

complex and start trying to find an elevator.

The more I wander around the place, the more I reali*e how nice it is. &hat exactly do her

parents do to stay at a place like this ?ust before I think I might be lost, I find an elevator that can take

me to her floor. I push the button and head up, trying to block all predictions of what kind of scenario

is waiting for me. There's no reason to work myself up for nothing. ?ust let things come as they are. If

it's bad then so be it. 7et it over with now, and deal with it later.

The elevator stops and I make my way out, now searching the different halls for her room

number. /or some reason all the numbers are in a random order. &hat's with this place It seems

kind of abstract for such a nice hotel.

I swear I've been walking around this hotel for hours now. 2ventually, I find her door. I give it

a few light knocks, but before I can finish, the door cracks open. &as coming to try and find me

%h... -ey Doc. ome on in.( I look at her carefully. -er face seems a little red and puffy, and

her hair is kind of messy. +he's also dressed in what I'm assuming are pa"amas. It's only been a few

hours since we last talked, but this a drastic change.

%#h... sure. 1ao, are you... okay( I'm a little hesitant to ask. 0artly because I'm afraid I might

be the reason she was crying and partly because I'm afraid of whatever could do this to her. /or some



%Did you say something, Doc( +cary...

%Yeah, these movies look lame. &hat the hell, 1ao &hy are you trying to bore me to death(

This might end in pain.

+he stares at me for a while, with that same wicked smile, hardly moving. I can't even tell if

she's breathing. This is almost disturbing. +uddenly, I feel a flash of pain and everything goes dark for

a second. I close my eyes and open them, but she's "ust laughing. It takes me a while to come to the

conclusion that she hit me, but at the same time... that wasn't normal. It's like something happened

inside my head. &hat the hell was that

%Don't "udge my taste in movies. I promise you'll like them. 5esides, even you can't deny

sitting next to such a cute girl to watch some horror movies.( +he winks. I happened to be taking a sip

of my coffee when she did, so when I try to laugh, I start choking on the extremely hot li$uid. It feels

like I "ust burnt the inside of my lung. +he panics a little and starts patting my back, but that doesn't

hide the fact that she's laughing.

%&hat the hell, you trying to kill me6( ?oking around with her for a while is probably the best

way to keep her happy, but at this rate I don't think I'll leave in one piece. +he looks at me and starts

laughing again, and before I know it, I'm laughing too. )y shirt has coffee stains on different parts of

it, but luckily nothing landed on the couch. +he puts her finger to her chin like she's in thought.

%1o way, if I were trying to kill you, you'd already be dead.( +he says this with a smile, and it

catches me completely off guard. +he's always so friggin' out there with what she says. +cary... but

she giggles a little, and leans back onto the couch. I give a small sigh and set my coffee on the table,

before leaning back into the other side.

&e start watching the first movie she puts in, but even "ust as it starts I can tell she's starting to

nod off. +he keeps tilting sideways before snapping back up, her eyes almost closed.

%Tired( I ask, amused by the sight. +he looks like a little kid like this. Different from her

usual 'sub<murderous' personality. +he looks over at me, half asleep, and then smiles la*ily and closes



her eyes.

%I haven't been sleeping well lately, sorry. I'll try to wake up.( I laugh at this a little.

%You're already drinking coffee, stupid. If you're still tired, "ust try to sleep.( +he looks at me

for a few seconds, and then yawns $uietly. &hy is everything she does so attractive

%Yeah, that*a good idea, Doc. I think I'll do that...( !nd before I know it, she lays her head on

my shoulder and closes her eyes. 1ot $uite what I meant when I told her she should get some sleep,

but I guess this is fine.

I look around the room a bit. !ll around are different pictures of her and her family. -er

mother, a charming looking woman with a bit of an elegant air. -er father is a ?apanese man, and looks

very serious even though he's smiling. !nd between the two of them is a little girl with pig tails, bright

eyes, and a brighter smile. +he' must be only 9 or @ in this picture. I find it touching, but I can't help

but feel a pain looking at it. +he already figured out I didn't have a family. &hen do I tell her why

ater tonight when we're talking, maybe It's not exactly a pleasant story.

ne day I woke up in a hospital. The doctors would come in and out, doing different checks

and replacing different IF's, but they never said a word to me. 2very now and then there was one nurse

who'd talk to me a bit, but when I asked if I was sick she'd "ust look sad and leave. 2veryone at the

hospital acted the same way. !t the time, I was probably four or five.

I was there for almost eight months. I had to go through different physical therapy to be able to

walk, and another doctor would always come in asking me if I remembered anything. I couldn't

remember a thing, not even my name. I was listed as an unknown, and they had no way to contact any

family or friends. !pparently, no one came through even after police searches and news broadcasts.

1o one even claimed to know me. /rom then on, I was considered an orphan and more or less

forgotten. The few doctors I had to work with would talk to me about things like foster homes,

orphanages, and other things of the sort. I wanted nothing to do with them.

ne day, as I was walking through the hospital courtyard, a doctor came up to me with a strange



woman. -e looked at me for a minute or two, and then looked back to her.

%!re you sure about this( -e asked her, obviously worried about something. I "ust stood there,

half smiling, while I waited for some kind of explanation. I didn't understand why they both looked so

serious, the weather was too nice to be upset and there were flowers everywhere. I looked at the

woman and got a bit scared, but tried not to react.

+he nodded her head, and the doctor let out a strong sigh in response. +he looked to be an older

woman, perhaps in her A;'s. +he was completely covered in burn scars, and her sleeves were tied off at

her wrists where hands should have been. I didn't remember much, but from my time at the hospital I

knew normal people didn't look like that. I started to get a little more scared. The doctor let out

another sigh, and then looked at me again.

%!lright little guy, come with me. &e've got some papers to fill out and you should at least be

there for them.( I gave him a $uestioning look, but he ignored it and started to walk away. The woman

gave me a smile and then walked away with the doctor. I didn't know what else to do, so I followed

them like he asked. &e came to a small office, which I'm guessing was his, and stepped inside. -e had

us both sit on the opposite side from her, and it made her look really lonely.

%You know, I can get into a lot of trouble for this. !re you completely sure( -e asked the

strange woman again. +he seemed friendly, but I couldn't help but be put off by her appearance. +he

"ust looked at him, smiled, and then nodded once. Then she looked at me, still smiling. The doctor

started talking to me this time.

%I know you're probably wondering what's going on. I'll explain a few things, but I can't say too

much. /or starters, she was in an accident. Trapped in her car after a collision, the fuel that spilled

around her ignited. It burned her horribly, all third degree burns covering almost her entire body. The

fact that she's alive is a miracle. -er throat was burned too badly for her to be able to speak, and she

ended up losing her hands.( -e lets out a small cough and looks to her. =eali*ing I'm staring at him

with my mouth hung open in shock, he speaks again, but doesn't look at me this time. %+orry for



saying it like that, but I figured you should know exactly what happened.(

That's what he says, but what the hell I was "ust a little kid at the time, something like that

shouldn't be able to happen in my world. I didn't $uite understand it, but I nodded my head anyways.

-e continued.

%+he's going to be adopting you. !s it turns out, she's $uite wealthy. &hile she has a lot of

money, she doesn't have any proper heirs. +he's going to adopt you so that you have a home, and so

that you'll inherit her wealth. You can finally leave this hospital. You should consider yourself lucky.

You're getting a new family, and you're going to become $uite rich. Your life should be pretty good

from now on.(

I was a little more confused by this. &hat did he mean by 'new family' &here was my old

family &ait, I don't even have a name. &hat is this 5efore I knew it, I was walking out of the

hospital with some woman I had never met or heard of. I didn't understand at the time, but I was the

target of an illegal adoption. !ll records of the adoption didn't exist. I was given her last name,

lairemont, and never given a first name. 2veryone she interacted with knew me as 'The young

lairemont.(

ife with her was short. /or the first few years, she'd "ust drop me off at school and wave

goodbye. &hen I got home, she'd make some dinner, have me take a bath, and then put me to sleep. It

was surprising how well she managed to do every day tasks with "ust prosthetic hands. -er main way

of getting my attention was to ring a small bell she had, since she couldn't speak. I didn't mind it at the

time, but when I look back it seems kind of degrading.

During those few years of living with her, I started noticing a few things. /or starters, no one at

school ever tried to talk to me. They'd flat out ignore me. Teachers only knew my last name, but for

some reason never even used that much. ther students asked me what my name was, but when I

wasn't sure what to say, they kept me secluded and assumed I was stupid or ill. I was kept at a distance,

like some kind of mistake no one wanted to acknowledge.



ater on I learned why even the teachers seemed distant. +he had paid off different schools not

to ask $uestions. They were to give me an education, and nothing more. 5y all technicality I was

never even registered in a school. It was "ust accepted that 'someone' would be there to attend the

classes. They only knew the name lairemont because of their dealings with her, but even then it was

simply an assumption. Year after year, I dealt with the same thing. 0eople ignoring me, people

pretending I wasn't there.

!fter dealing with it so much, I became afraid. I started reading books on social interactions

and books that defined different relationships. I studied them as much as I could, hoping I could make

some friends if I could "ust understand why they didn't like me so much. Yet I never found a real

answer. &hen my first year of middle school came around, the old woman's condition became much

worse, very $uickly. Thankfully, a doctor came every now and then to check on us. &hen he came

around this time, she was able to let him know the situation. The doctor was the same as before, the

one who set me up for the adoption. -e looked at me with sad eyes, and then back to her.

%Yes, I understand. I'll work out the details. ?ust try to get some rest.( The old woman nodded

and smiled at him, a beautiful and elegant smile that showed more pain than anyone should ever know,

and then the doctor left. I still never got used to seeing such a beautiful smile on someone so scarred.

! month later, she ended up dying. I was told it was from her old in"uries, due to some

complications from the original operation that were known about but not monitored closely enough.

The woman I had lived with for so long as such a dis"ointed family, whose name I had never even

known, whose voice I had never heard, had disappeared from my life. Twelve years old, I felt feelings

of loss for the first time. I looked at the doctor as he tried to explain things to me, and asked him an

innocent $uestion. %&hy(

I think it was the first time I had ever said anything in front of him. It was the first time I had

talked in a while, since I lived with a mute woman and never had to talk to anyone at school. -e

looked at me with his sad eyes again, and said something I'll never forget.



%In this world, there are a lot of different kinds of pain. The worst pain of all comes from

feeling alone. You're going to have that pain for the rest of your life. I'd help you if I could, but I can't.

You're going to feel this pain for your entire life, and for that, I'm sorry. ?ust do what you can to keep

yourself happy and you won't always feel that pain. ne day, you'll find someone you love to help

numb the agony you feel, but it will always be there. I "ust hope there's a day where you and I can talk,

and that pain doesn't ring in your voice. 5e strong, and let life take you where it leads. You'll find your

peace eventually, be it through death or family.(

!nd then he went on to talk about my schooling situation, how college and high school were

planned out for me, and how I was going to be inheriting all of her wealthB 2ighty<six million dollars.

I didn't understand any of it. I didn't grieve over my loss, the loss of the one person who was as close

to family as I'd ever have. I "ust accepted it as reality and continued on like it was something everyone

should "ust accept without $uestion.

&hen school started the next day, I read more books than ever before, hoping to understand

myself and my situation. +lowly, I learned more and more about what was going on. I learned how it

was an illegal adoption, I learned who 'lairemont' was, and more technical knowledge on relationships

than I should ever have needed. 2ventually I started to find myself helping other people with that

knowledge. I'm not $uite sure how the transition happened, but over time more and more people would

come to me for help, and I slowly worked my way into normal society, though I could only sit on the

sidelines.

!s more and more of those people asked for my name, I started to feel bad about not having an

answer. ne day, someone was trying to explain who I was and referred to me as 'that doctor guy.'

&ith my experience of doctors, I didn't $uite like it at first. !fter a year or two, however, the name

stuck with me. 0eople started calling me 'Doc' for short, and I found myself attached to it. )ore and

more, people became more interested in who I was and what I did. 0eople would talk to me, ask me to

spend time with them, and ask me to help them with more and more problems.



I loved every minute of it. It made me feel like I wasn't some shadow in existence. I felt like a

real person for the first time in my short life, so I kept doing it. I'd help people with problems they

didn't $uite know how to solve. That eventually leads to now. The situation really hasn't changed. The

doctor who took care of the old lady still checks in on me every few months, lets me know my bank

balance and budgets, and then leaves when he's sure everything is okay. I got used to living alone

extremely $uickly.

!fter all, I started at the age of 34. I made my own food, reprimanded myself when needed,

and set my own goals. 1ever once did I think about how lonely I was, and never once did I think about

the pain that doctor told me I'd feel. I ignored it as much as I could, until it became a shadow cast over

my mind spread so thin you could barely tell it was there at all.

It never once occurred to me how lonely I really was until I was sitting with this girl sleeping on

my shoulder. I feel tears starting to well up in my eyes as I rest my head on top of hers. /or the first

time in my life, I figured out something I thought I could never understand. The reason she kept

popping up in my head, the reason I keep thinking of her, the reason I wanted to protect her from

whatever things hurt her. It's the one thing I never thought I'd find so easily.

Tears begin to to flow down my cheeks, and at this moment 1ao starts to move. +he yawns a

little, and looks around confused. Then her eyes widen a little and she looks up at me. I close my eyes

and pick up my head and look away "ust a little. I'm sure she understands, but I don't want her to see

me crying.. I wipe my eyes and try to look back at her with a smile.

%Did you sleep well You've only been out for an hour or so.( I can't think of anything else to

say, so I "ust say whatever to try and draw the conversation away from the obvious topic. This doesn't

stop her, though. +he looks at me for a minute, a little worried, and seems unsure of what to say.

Then she gives me a soft smile. %You're not alone anymore, you know. I'm here for you. ?ust

like you've said to all the people who come to you for helpB I'm always going to be here for you. If

you ever need help, come to me first. I'll give my all to make things better. I promise, Doc.(



This girl... she's ama*ing. +he really is. I can't believe what she's saying, so I "ust keep smiling

and look at the TF. The movie had ended, but I hadn't watched a minute of it. redits were rolling on

the screen to a lame rock song. 1ao starts talking again.

%I'm gonna "ump in the shower, Doc. ?ust wait out here. -elp yourself to the kitchen if you

want. I'll be right back. &e can talk about everything, okay( +he says, again with a soft smile on her

face, her eyes almost closed. I "ust smile back and nod my head.

%I'll be right back, Doc. ?ust wait for me. I want to help you like you've helped me, so...( +he

almost doesn't finish, but I hear her say it under her breath, %Don't forget about me, Doc.( !nd with

that, she heads down a hall and around a corner.

This is a pretty big apartment. I look at the picture of her family again, thinking back to class

today. 7reen eyes aren't dominant or common, huh I smile at this thought a little, and then lay my

head on her couch. Try as I might, I can't keep my eyes open. h well, I'm sure 1ao will wake me up

when she comes back. +he really wants to talk. There's no reason she wouldn't wake me up. !t least,

I really hope she wakes me up.

h yeah, I got her that necklace. )aybe I should give it to her when we start talking. )aybe I

can tell her what I figured out, how I feel about her, things like that. )aybe things will get better from

here. )aybe, "ust maybe, things aren't so bad after all. +lowly, my own thoughts drift into a dark

abyss and I embrace an old companion of mine, one who kept me safe and sheltered me from

everythingB +leep. )aybe, after this, I won't need sleep to keep me safe anymore.

)y eyes snap open. I look at the window and see it's still dark outside. onfused, I look

around the room. &here am I That's right, 1ao's. I fell asleep at 1ao's. It's almost three in the

morning. &hat the hell +he said she'd be right back, but all the lights are on and our cups are still on

the table. Did she fall asleep too

I force myself to get up off the couch, and start to walk down the hall. The lights are off around



the corner, but light from the other room helps me find my way a little. !round the turn, there's a

whole other room with doors branching off. I see the bathroom door is open, and her clothes are laying

in a basket next to it. It's really dark back here, but I try my best to find where her bedroom might be.

Then I notice one door is cracked open slightly. +he must have fallen asleep again. I walk towards the

door and peek through the crack. It takes a while for my eyes to ad"ust. It's even darker in here than it

was in the other rooms for some reason. I s$uint my eyes, trying to get an image of her room. I can

almost make out some shapes in the shadows. &ait, what is that I can't $uite make it out, but

something seems to be moving.

h god. &hat the hell &hat the hell is this This can't be real. This isn't real6

!lmost hidden by the dark, pools and pools of blood and gore are strewn about the room.

!lmost every inch of the rather large room is soaked, covered in red turned black in the dark. The

ceiling, her floor, the walls, everything. I almost mistook it as the color of the room. )y nose picks up

an unbearable stench of death, and the blood gives a heavy, metallic smell. -ow the hell is this even

possible &hat is this6 &hat the hell is this6 kay, calm down. )aybe I'm not seeing things right.

et's "ust take another look through the door, I'm sure everything is fine. -uge mistake.

I stifle a scream, but still make a small noise. I fall back from the door again, covering my

mouth. Inside the room in a corner is a shadow, covered in heavy armor. !t the end of what I can only

describe as arms were enormous blades covered in strange symbols and etchings. It was completely

unnatural, and "ust looking at it pulled a primal fear out of my system. That wasn't what made me

scream. It was what he had in front of him. That was, without a doubt, someones head, horribly cut

and mangled. I "ust barely stop myself from throwing up. I try to take one last look, hoping my mind

is "ust playing tricks on me, hoping this is all "ust some "oke and that there's nothing in the room at all.

I place my eye to the crack of the door, hoping to see her room completely spotless and 1ao

peacefully sleeping on her bed. That's what I want to see, but this time I can't see anything at all. I

thought my eyes had ad"usted well enough to the dark. I could see all of... that , before. &hy can't I see



a thing now

! cold iron grips my heart. )y eyes grow even wider, and I want to scream but I'm too afraid

to let out a sound. +lowly, I turn my ga*e towards the top of the doorway and my eyes meet with a

bright blue light, small orange lights dancing around it. !n eye, staring at me, cold and empty. Then it

shifts into a sharp expression and the strange being gives an ungodly howl, but I don't hesitate any

longer.

I stand and start sprinting to the exit, throwing everything I can behind me to try and block the

path. 1ao's bedroom door slams open so hard that it flies off the hinges, and the horrific being darts

through the halls to try and catch up with me. I run to the front door as fast as I can, swing it open, and

pull myself through. The last thing I see is a horrible mass of shadow, shaped like two massive hands,

reaching out towards me. I slam shut the door and run as fast as I can down the flights of stairs.

I don't stop at the exit of the hotel. I run the entire distance, as fast as I can, without a second

thought, until I reach my home. !ll I can think about is running. =un faster. /aster6 Don't let that

thing catch me. 2ven when I get to my house, the only thing on my mind is running. I slam shut my

door and lock it. I run to all the windows in the house and make sure they're locked, making sure to

turn on every light in the house. &hen I'm finally sure the house is secured, I try to calm myself down

by taking deep breaths.

I throw up. Then again. That moment on the couch with 1ao comes to mind, how she was "ust

laying next to me, how I was "ust laying with her, and then that image of blood strewn everywhere. I

throw up again. I can't take it anymore. I scream as loud as I can, trying to let out all the horror and

anguish built up inside of me. !gain and again I yell and scream, louder than I've ever heard anyone

yell before, and then fall to my knees crying.

&hat the hell was that &hat the hell "ust happened I try to wrap my mind around it all, but I

"ust feel that sudden terror I felt before. I think back to when I looked into its eye, and its horrible

howl, and I throw up again. ?esus hrist, what "ust happened6 &hat the fuck was that I ask myself



over and over, hoping some answer will float up out from nowhere, but silence is the only response.

#nsatisfied, I scream the $uestion again at the top of my lungs.

%&hat the hell6 &hy does this have to happen to me6 1ao6 0lease... please... 1ao6 7od

dammit6( I scream her name over and over, hoping to hear her voice, before finally I give way to

exhaustion. I crawl as far away from my filth as I can. )y mind is almost blank. I spend a large

amount of time staring at a corner, unthinking and unmoving, before I notice something I didn't see

before. )y eyes go wide again. &hy does all this weird shit have to happen to me +tanding "ust in

front of the light so I can only see their silhouette is a woman. They take a few steps towards me and

say something I barely can understand.

%+ounds like you met 1octurne.(



The Mark of Umbra

%&hat the hell6 eave me alone6 Don't come near me6 7et out6 7et the hell out6( I start

screaming frantically, wishing for nothing more than to die or be alone. )aybe I shouldn't be trying to

push them away !fter all, anyone willing to break in like this is probably willing to kill me.

%alm down. You're still affected by his paranoia. You need to relax.( &hat the hell do they

know &ho are they to tell me to calm down 1ao... I lost 1ao6 The minute I understand, the minute

I reali*e that I love her, she's torn away from me forever6 7od dammit6 &hy me6 &hy is it always

me6 &hy can't I "ust have one person in my life &hy did she have to... dammit6

%1o... this isn't paranoia... this is you, isn't it( )y attention is drawn back to the stranger in

front of me. They step forward a little more, letting the second light fill in the shadow cast from the

first, giving my first view of the trespasser. +he's a tall woman with tanned skin, and light hair almost

white in color. ! single white stripe runs across her cheek at an angle, contrasting her almost orange

eyes. ne shoulder is heavily armored, while the rest of armor is entirely some kind of leather. It cuts

off into a skirt that looks as worn as the rest of her armor. +he's wearing a massive glove, and in that

hand holds an e$ually massive blade, maybe two feet long. It starts off thick at the hilt, and then breaks

into a 'v' shape, with one edge of the blade reaching out further than the other. n the sword and her

glove are green markings that appear to be glowing.

The markings look similar to that monster's, in a way. Don't tell me she's the same as him. I

stand and take a step towards her. %+o you're a friend of his, huh !re you gonna cut me up like that

You "ust took away everything I had6 You think there's anything left to take6 &hat more can I even

give you6 &hy did I deserve this6 &hy did... &hy did... why did she deserve that6( I break down

and start crying again. %&hy did I have to lose everything all over again(

+he looks at me for a second or two, and mutters something under her breath. Then she looks

away and back again. %I didn't take anything from you. 1one of that was me,( is all she says. Does

she expect me to believe that +he came from the same place as that... thing. I know she did. I know



she's with it. +he's full of shit. +he's the same as it is.

I firm my stance as much as I can. %You're lying. You're a filthy liar. That damned shadow

killed her, and you're the one who brought it here. You're the one who hurt me6 You're the one who

killed her6 You bastard6 +crew you6 This is all your fault6( I run at her as fast as I can to close the

distance, then shift my weight forward to place a heavy kick at her knee, hoping to pop it from its

socket.

That doesn't happen. +he simply swings her leg away, and uses the momentum from the turn to

turn her whole body. I let myself fall forward more and fall under the swing of her sword, and then

come up as fast as I can to try and catch her in the chin. That was the plan, but for some reason she's

not there. I know what's coming next, but I can't stop it> my center of gravity shifted too far back. h

well, at least I didn't die to that disgusting shadow. !t least I died fighting. )aybe I can see 1ao after

this I wonder if she hates me.

I hear her blade cutting through the air followed by a $uick grunt from her, then feel a sharp

impact on the back of my head. )y balance is completely taken away, and my vision goes dark. The

last thing I hear is, %You have some guts, but you're pretty stupid.( I can't fight it any longer. The

room around me is beginning to fade into black. h well, I'll get to see 1ao soon. That's fine by me.

1ow we can finally have that talk. 1ow I can give her that gift. 1ow... 1ow I can finally be with

someone I love. 1ow I can be with someone who loved me.

%#gh...( I sit up slowly. )y head is killing me. &hat "ust happened I try to think back as far

as I can. I remember walking to 1ao's... wait, no. I got to 1ao's, and she fell asleep. !nd then... and

then...

/lashes of pain start shooting through my head. /ast paced images and horrible noises. I saw

blood, gore. I saw 1ao, I saw her face... and that fucking shadow. I saw that shadow. 1o, shadow isn't

the right word. +hadows can't hurt people. It was a shade, an embodiment of the dark itself, evil



incarnate, and it killed 1ao. It tried to kill me. h god... 1ao...

)y head starts ringing, and it takes all my energy "ust to sit upright. !ll the times I spoke to

her, all the times we got in stupid fights, they all come back to me at once. This isn't fair. I remember

all the times I held her while she cried, and how she'd throw little fits when she got upset. This isn't

right. Then I remember the last thing she said before she vanished around that corner forever.

Don't forget about me, Doc.

/or the first time in my life, I recogni*ed that I loved someone. The minute I did, they were

torn away from me. The moment I felt something was worth living for, it was taken away. &hat's the

point in living now &hy should I even bother I grip my chest as hard as I can and feel something

hard against my hand.

%&ha...( I stick my hand in my coat pocket, and pull out a small box wrapped in white paper

with light blue floral patterns covering it. The gift I bought for 1ao. It's what I bought when I reali*ed

she was more than "ust some other person to me. +he died, never knowing how I really felt. )aybe I

should have said something before she walked away. If I said something then, maybe she would have

stayed by me. If I didn't pretend I wasn't upset, she wouldn't have walked away. +he wouldn't have left

my side. +he wouldn't have...

It was all my fault. If only I said what I needed to say. If only I were more honest, but instead I

tried to hide from what I was feeling. ?ust like always, I fell asleep to hide from what I felt. +leep, the

thing I en"oyed so much, was the reason I couldn't protect someone I loved. &hat sheltered me all

these years from the horrible feelings I had ended up killing 1ao. It's all my fault.

%You know, that was pretty amateur. &ere you thinking I couldn't move my legs or

something(

&hat I look over to my right, and sure enough, there sits that strange woman from before. I

take a deep breath to calm myself. There's no point in snapping on her. If she wanted to kill me, I'd be

dead. 5esides, how bad would death even be at this point There's nothing to lose in talking to her,



bviously, you've lost a lot. )aybe you never had anything to begin with. You got caught up in our

war even though you want nothing to do with it, yet even when everything was gone, you stood up

through your own misery and gave everything you had to attack me.( +he looked back at me, but her

expression was hiding whatever she might have been thinking. +he continued on.

%&hat happened to you to make you so hurt You were obviously a strong willed person, so

what happened to break that will( +he asks, completely focused on me. Does she want me to tell her

what happened =eally &hat the<... why &hatever, it's not like I can go to school. 8nowing 1ao

isn't there waiting, I "ust can't do it. There's nowhere else for me to be, anyway. I'm sure people will be

upset if I don't show up, but it's not the first time I've been absent. 5esides, my own problems are a

little too extreme for me to be helping other people.

&ait, why am I even thinking of helping anyone else I have no reason to help anyone but

myself anymore. -elping others got me nothing. ther people "ust get taken away from me, or do

what they can to hurt me. I don't have any friends. I don't have anyone waiting. They can all rot.

They're nothing to me anymore. &hy should I help them !ll they did was push me away until I had

something to give. They aren't friends. They're "ust using me for themselves.

I look back to the matter at hand. +he's still waiting for me to answer her $uestion. +he hasn't

looked away from me even once. +he really wants to know. &hy is it important &hy does she care

+he knows what happened, she and her friend are the ones who killed her6 1o, stop it. I know that's

not true. I need to calm down. Think rationally. The best way to learn more is to earn her favor. The

more she trusts me, the better off I am.

!ctually, this is good. This is really good. +he's not "ust waiting for me to talk because she's

interested. /or some reason or another, she needs me. +he would have "ust left if that weren't the case.

1o, she would never have been here at all. I have the upper hand. I "ust need to find out what cards

I'm holding. )aybe there's a way... yeah, maybe I can kill that shadow. )aybe I can turn this around.

I'm sure that thing is still out there, and I'm sure 1ao isn't its only victim. It's probably going through



the night, cutting anyone unfortunate enough to be alone with it. I have every right to stop it. I deserve

to stop it. I can help people in a different way. I can prevent more death, I can prevent more fighting, I

can prevent more grief.

)ost of all, I can feel like I paid back 1ao. I can feel like she knows how I feel, like she knows

how much I cared about her. I don't know why, that's how it seems. I can do this for 1ao. I'm seething

with anger, a deep<rooted hate that can drive me forward. I'll kill that shadow. I'll never let it hurt

anyone ever again.

)y expression must have changed $uite a bit. The light haired girl... should I say woman +he

looks older, but honestly not by too much. +crew it, she's a girl. 1othing else matters other than

killing that shadow. !nyways, she's staring at me, obviously worried.

%You know, if you don't say anything, I can't tell you what you want to know. You should at

least explain why you look ready to kill someone.( +he... really does look worried. 1o, worried isn't

the word. +he looks more like she feels a wave of nostalgia and guilt all rolled in one. =egret, maybe

1o, that doesn't make sense. 2ither way, it's best to "ust try and explain what happened. I need to learn

as much as possible.

I don't $uite understand why, but I start all the way back when I was in the hospital. +he looks

surprised that I'm starting so far back, but also kind of relieved. I talk about how long I was there, the

doctor with sad eyes, the late lairemont, and my struggle through school. I talked about how I got my

current name. I even talked about some of the different things I helped people with, how I met

different people, how sleep became a tool more than anything else, and even how I met 1ao.

%1ao was different from everyone else to me. I felt that from the start, I really did, but I didn't

understand it. 2very time she came to me for answers I felt better than usual. I en"oyed talking to her,

I en"oyed knowing I could help her, and it felt good thinking she relied on me. &e grew closer, but I

never noticed that until...( I start to feel more pain talking about this. /or some reason I dumped my

entire life to this complete stranger, yet this is the only part that hurts to think about. I feel a lump in



my throat, but I try to keep talking anyways.

I explained the talk we had in the hallway, how I found the note, the necklace I bought on the

way there, and the events that happened when I arrived. Then it comes to this. )y chest tightens a bit

as I try to think of how to start.

%I was afraid of how I felt, and tired from everything else that happened during the day. 5efore

she came back, I ended up falling asleep. &hen I woke up, everything was still in place. The movie

was playing, the coffee was out, and the lights were still on. I got a little worried and confused, so I

headed towards where I thought her room might be.( )y chest got even tighter. I thought I'd start

crying when I got here, but I don't feel sad. I feel angry. I'm completely pissed.

)y voice was a bit shaky, but I sounded more pissed than sad. %-er room was completely

covered in blood. 1ow that I think about it, there wasn't even a body. -e was holding her head,

laughing a disgusting laugh. &ispy, airy, disgusting laugh. I panicked and backed from the door.

&hen I tried to look back in, my eye met with his. -e yelled out, and then smashed the door open to

chase after me. !ll I could think about was keep running. I ran and ran until I came here. That's when

I saw you. r rather, when you saw me. I didn't even get to say what I was thinking. I couldn't tell her

how I felt. +he died because of me. +he died because I always tried to hide myself in sleep. If I was

awake, maybe I could have saved her. )aybe she'd still be here. Instead...( I pause, sadness finally

drifting in.

%Instead, I "ust get a memory of her smile and her last words. 'Don't forget me.' That's what she

said, but memories fade. 2ventually, I won't be able to see that smile anymore. I won't remember how

she used to hold herself to me and cry about her problems, or how she used to hit me when I said

something stupid, or how...( I start to lose all energy, and can feel myself dropping out of

consciousness. %r how much she cared about me. I won't remember any of it. !fter enough time,

she'll be nothing but a distant memory. That's not what I want. I wanted to be with her.( !nger started

to set in once more, but tears still found their way in my eyes.



-er expression never really changed, but she leaned back in the chair and looked away to the

corner of the room as if thinking, and as if she understood.

%It's name is 1octurne. It lives in dreams, normally, driving people insane as they try to sleep.

&hen they tried capturing and binding him, he killed everyone in sight. -e was only held back by one

of our most powerful summoners. I can't believe you got away...( +he seemed to be thinking of

something. +he obviously had a decent amount of knowledge behind what the hell that thing was. It

pissed me off that she was talking about it so halfheartedly. I could tell she was used to this kind of

thing. The air around her was heavy with that of war and death, so there was no way it affected her as

much as me, but it didn't make me any less pissed. +he started talking again. %Do you still have that

necklace(

%#h...( )y anger was $uickly replaced with confusion. I wasn't expecting to hear that. %Yeah,

it's wrapped up in here...(

%Take it out.( &hat &here did that come from I guess there's no point in arguing about it. I

start to rip open the paper wrapped around the box. !s I do, I start to get a really weird feeling. The

more I pull away, the warmer I start to feel. onfused, I hold the black box in my hand. I look back at

the strange person in front of me. +he's "ust staring at the box, like she's waiting for some kind of big

reveal. I don't get it.

I flip a small latch on the box, and then lift the lid. +lowly, it reveals a gleaming silver pendant.

5right wings span from the hilt of the blade to the tip. Yeah, blade. 1ow that I look at it, it's definitely

a blade. Different parts are inlaid with gold, creating the effect of shadows and highlights on the blade,

while other bits are laid out to show beautiful detail. It gives off a warm feeling, and my head starts

filling with thoughts of 1ao. 2ven when I looked at it in that shop, I started thinking of 1ao. ver and

over, her laughing, her smile, her cry, everything about her courses through my mind. I stare at the

thing, taking in every memory, every minute I've spent with 1ao. I don't ever want to let this go. I

don't ever want to lose this feeling. I feel tears start to build up in my eyes. The woman in the corner



stands up and leaves.

5ut I don't care about that. I "ust keep crying, holding the pendant as close to my chest as I can,

s$uee*ing it tightly. Thought after thought, conversation after conversation, everything about 1ao,

from her smile to her smell, fills my mind. 2very memory I've ever had with her feels like it's being

burned into my head. Then the last thing comes into my memoryB That soft smile, her eyes half shut,

and the last words she saidB Don't forget about me, Doc.

I won't. I won't ever forget. 1ot as long as I have this. I'll always remember. I'll always have

her with me, and nothing will ever take that away. +he'll be my strength, and as long as I have this with

me, I won't ever forget. I wipe my face with my sleeve and sit up, looking around the room. I didn't

reali*e that girl left. Then I look at the pendant in my hand. +omehow it left a picture perfect imprint

in my hand. I didn't reali*e I was s$uee*ing it that hard.

I slip on the necklace, stand up from my bed, and make my way out of my room. +he's out

there, leaning against the wall, waiting.

%/eel better(

I laugh at this a little. I s$uee*e the pendant around my neck and look at her.

%Yeah, a lot better. Thanks.( +he knew that would help. I don't know how, but she knew this

would happen. I look at my hand again, surprised to see the imprint is still there are detailed as ever.

Did I really s$uee*e that hard

%You shouldn't thank me. You bought that while thinking about your feelings of her. You put

all those memories there, not me.(

I thought about it for a minute. It doesn't really make sense. +he was saying that like memories

were some kind of data, like they could be planted into an item, rather than "ust a creation from our

mind. -ow'd she even know that was what had happened

%&ho... are you &here are you from &hat's going on &hy are you here &hy do you

know about that... thing( I ask her a stream of $uestions, giving her no time to answer any of them.



+he "ust shakes her head at me, annoyed, and waits for me to finish my ramble.

%I'm =iven. 2x<1oxian aptain of the :4nd standard, /ury ompany. I'm a champion in the

eague of egends, and currently a stranger in a weird world with some snot nosed kid.( +he paused

there and looked at my face, as if she was expecting some kind of reaction. 1ot sure how I should be

reacting, I "ust tried to roll with things.

%#h... huh. 1oxian. Is that... are you from somewhere in 2urope( I have no clue what she's

talking about. +he gives a sigh and tries her best to explain.

%ooks like I was right. &hat is this place called, anyways( +o she's actually from another

world That makes sense... I think. 1o creature like that 1octurne thing could exist in a place like

this. +he has to be from another world. /or some reason, that's the only thing that seems to fit.

%2arth. This is 2arth.( I say, trying not to acknowledge how weird it is that I "ust used that

sentence. It's painfully obvious to me now that she was trying to lighten her own atmosphere for my

sake. The air around her is surrounded with a heavy burden, and for some reason I can feel it more

than I ever did before. +he lives in her own solitude, breathing every last air of it, never forgiving

someone or something.

%2arth... I'm from a place called =uneterra. It's a place that's been torn apart by its own magic

and wars. 1oxus is a country there. The eague of egends was made by the most powerful beings of

our world, summoners, to try and keep balance. riginally, they'd unleash their power on the land with

no second thoughts. 5attle after battle and war after war caused the world to begin to tear itself apart.

)agical storms, earth$uakes, unnatural beings, contamination, all of these came out as a result of The

=une &ars.

%!fter years spent trying to heal the world with the magic they used so much to destroy it,

things finally stabili*ed. +till, the damage was done. ne more =une &ar would completely destroy

our world. +ummoners created the eague of egends and used that place to solve any debates or

political arguments, doing their best to avoid another great war. 2ach +ummoner would command a



champion, and we would fight in their stead. Death isn't permanent there, but the fights were all the

same. )any battles had heavy meaning, and the pain is all too real.

%+ummoners used this to keep themselves out of war, but war still happened recently. !s I said,

I was a captain for the 1oxian military. &e were trying to take over a country known as Ionia, and to

do so, we allied ourselves with a country known as Gaun.( !s she started talking about this, her

expression grew more grim and I felt and saw more of what I felt before. It was definitely regret, but

something else was mixed into it. &hat exactly happened to her

I reali*ed she wasn't "ust explaining her world to me. +he was going to explain something about

herself. +he was letting me know something few people knew. I don't understand why, but that's what

she was doing.

%/rom birth, we're told that only the strong survive. 1oxus lives by that rule, and anyone can

climb to any position of power as long as they have strength.( =eminds me of the +partans, in a way.

+he stops for a second, and then continues. +he's obviously pushing herself past her own walls to talk

about this, but I still don't understand why. %&e were slaughtering the Ionian military. Fictory was

completely assured, or so we thought. They were considered a passive country, filled with pacifists and

religious types. &e thought we could take them over with minimal casualties and little resistance. &e

couldn't have been any more wrong. They stood up to the 1oxus war machine with all their might, and

fought harder than any soldiers I had seen before. I was ama*ed. I respected them greatly for it.

%&e weren't the only ones fighting, however. Gaun filled our forces with machines called

)elters.( &hat a gruesome name. %They worked exactly how they sound. They launched an

explosive chemical that caused excruciating pain, leading to death. The toxin would melt you away

until there was nothing left. It was horrifying, honestly. I hated the things.

%&hen we were split from the rest of the :4nd standard, we tried to make our way back to the

rest of the battalion. &e "ust followed the path of bodies, told that they'd be waiting ahead. =eports

said they had cleared all resistance, so we didn't look at our surroundings as much as we should have.



That was when we were met with a young girl. +he was scared, crying, and ran in front of us,

yelling for us to stop the fighting. I sent over two soldiers to try and deal with her and move her aside,

but with the stress of war, they were having trouble figuring out how to handle it. I went to step in and

take care of it myself, when she suddenly lashed out her arm. I saw streams of red fly across its path,

and before I even knew what had happened, someone yelled out to warn of an ambush.

%The bodies around us stood and started attacking, showing they were still very much alive.

The Ionians had set a trap, and by all means they should have killed us. That was their victory.( +he

started to grit her teeth. %They were stronger, they should have won, but then the )elters opened fire.(

+he looked at me, her eyes... heavy. It looked as if she wanted to cry, but was too angry and confused

to remember how.

%They killed everything. ne by one, all of our men were slaughtered along with theirs. Gaun

wanted no one alive, and 1oxus had approved of this. It went against everything I knew. I escaped

from the carnage somehow. #nsure of what to do next, I went back to command and got into an

argument with my superiors about the battle. !s punishment for $uestioning their authority and

running from a battle, they exiled me and broke my blade. Years later, I found myself at the eague of

egends. I still don't know why I went there. 2ven when they asked, I couldn't give an answer. I

think... I wanted to find something worth fighting for. I wanted something that gave me meaning again,

and reassure my own beliefs. It helped, but it wasn't enough. I still hate everything I did in that war,

and what 1oxus did, but I still love my country. I want to bring back the 1oxus that I remember, the

ones who believed in strength above all things.(

The air was filled with so much of her regret, I can feel it choking me. !gain she looks towards

me, her eyes reflecting all too well how she's feeling.

%&e were all sent here. !ll of us. 2very champion of the eague of egends. !ll I remember

is a bright flash, and then I found myself outside this house. 1ormally, a champion and summoner

have a link. &hen we're not in combat, that link is bound to the eague of egends. That's what



allows us to be summonedB ur bond to a 1exus. &hen we were sent here, that bond broke. It

snapped and the pieces of it looked to reattach themselves. )ine attached to this house, and was saying

to wait here. I don't know enough yet, but I know I'm here for a reason.(

+he finishes talking and turns away. +ilence fills the air between us. I can feel my hand

burning hotter and hotter. It gets to the point where I can't take anymore and let out a cry of pain,

which makes =iven look over in surprise. #ninterested, she turns and faces the wall again. )y hand's

burning more and more, and I swear I see smoke rising from it. It's all I can do to press it against my

chest and try and stifle another scream.

%&hat the hell is this, =iven( +he knows what was going on. +he's being way to carefree

about it.

%I told you, we were given a bond. &e were attached to a 1exus at the eague of egends.

&hen one end of the bond breaks, it has to attach itself to something. ooks like you're the target.(

+he says with a half smile, still facing the wall to hide the expression that shows so clearly she's upset.

%&hat &hy( This doesn't make sense to me. &hy is it binding to me instead of something

else &hat stops her from binding to my fridge or coffee maker The burning becomes, somehow,

even more intense. The smoke rising from my hand turns black, and all I can hear is static. I scream in

pain, and =iven "ust looks at me with the same indifference she always seems to show.

%&hy'd it have to be someone so stupid( +he mutters. 5efore I can say anything back, I fall

over, and for the second time dark creeps into my vision. I've only known her for a few hours, but she's

knocked me out twice now. +he's inconsiderate, mopey, rude, and as far as I can tell she hates my guts.

This is going to be rough.

1ao's smile flashes in my head, and is then $uickly replaced by that sight of 1octurne standing

in a room soaked with blood.

It doesn't matter how rough things get. 2verything that happens from here on out is going to

help me kill that shadow. I know it is, and I'll take every opportunity I can get.



Chapter 2

=aw Talent



Little Heart

%It's a shame she died, truly. It could never have been expected. 2ven that poor boy didn't see it

coming, and he was in the same house as 1octurne for $uite some time. hhh, maybe he was the one

who killed her(

%1o, it wasn't him. You know that too, don't you( I know that. -e knows that. If he didn't

know that, he would be laughing more. I smile, happy I learned his tells so well, so early. -im and I,

we get along $uite well.

%h &ell, do tell. If it was him, what would happen( -is smile is always there. I don't

think I've seen him without it. It's like its a part of him, "ust as much as his clothes give away how he

thinksB 2verything is another game, everything is a "oke, and everyone is "ust waiting for the

punchline.

-is hat is really tall, split at the end with two bells hanging from each side, half black, the other

red. -is clothes look like he was clown of some nice circus, and they're all black and red too. -e's

really funny, and he likes to help me a lot. -e was scary, but when he met my mom and dad he became

a lot nicer. -e's like a big brother, in a way. It makes me really happy that he likes to help me.

%If it was him, I'd have to kill him. Then I'd kill myself. !fter all, no one can hurt him. 1o

one. If they hurt him, I have to kill them. !nd if they want to hurt him, I have to kill them. ?ust like I

always have, for him and for 1ao. 1o one can touch him, either. nly me or 1ao could.( I'll kill

anyone that tries to. -im and 1ao, they're mine. nly mine. I was so happy when we talked the other

day, so happy he liked 1ao, but he must be pretty hurt now. I wonder if he figured out what he felt

-e probably doesn't even know the school was shut down. r that people are looking for her killer.

&hat would make him feel better

The "ester gives another cackle, clapping his hands a little, rocking back and forth in his chair.

-e's so much fun6 %Yes, of course. &hat was I thinking )e oh my, what a vicious girl you are.

You're right, everyone would have to die, wouldn't they( -e starts another laughing fit. I look out the



window of the apartment into the night. It's only been one day since she was killed, but we're so close

to finding it. %+o, my dear friend, what next( -e fakes a bow, and looks at me from under his cap

with the same wicked smile he always has. -is eyes glow a weird color and look like they're empty,

but I can always tell when he's looking at me.

I put my finger to my mouth in thought. +hould I tell Doc I'm watching him 1o, that might be

bad. )aybe we should kidnap Doc so he can't hunt the shadow 5ut he might hate me if I do that.

h6

%et's kill the shadow for Doc6( That should make him really happy6 !nd then he wouldn't be

in danger, he could "ust let me protect him. -e wouldn't need to worry about anything anymore. -e

could "ust be with me.

The clown breaks out into heavy laughter, slapping his knees. %5rilliant6 h, you are fun

indeed. 5ut how -ow does one kill a nightmare( -e looks at me with fake worry, betrayed by his

constant smile.

%8nives work well, don't they( 8nives always work. They let me kill all the people hunting

Doc before. They should let me kill this shadow, too.

%-!6 Yes6 f course6 8nives6 &hat better than a blade to cut through the night &ell then,

if that is your wish, I'll be on my way with my work.( -e gets up slowly from the chair, and slowly

makes his way towards the door. +lowly, he begins to fade from sight. %7oodnight, madame. I'll

return in the morning.( Then he disappears completely, and his laugh bounces through the room. -e's

"ust like that cat. The purple one, with the ?abbawock. &hat's it called It doesn't matter, I guess.

-ow does he get out of the room without opening the door Is it some kind of magic trick

&hat a weird clown. I'm glad he's my friend. 1ow I have so much help protecting Doc. Doc... Doc...

Doc... I'm tired...

%I'm backH(



It takes me a couple seconds to understand, but as soon as I do, I shoot up from the bed with a

big smile. &here is it &here's the head &here is its head &hy... why doesn't he have its head

-e said he could kill anyone in the eague, so why didn't he kill it &as he lying

%I'm ashamed to say, but I couldn't find him tonight. This will take some time, it seems.( -e

always has good reasons. %1octurne is $uite hard to track. !fter all, he used to be a nightmare. 1ow

he's no different than a shadow, and this is $uite a large city. &e will not find him until he starts killing

again. !nd your friend... If we wait until then, it may be too late. &hat will you do &e can't have

him finding 1octurne before us, can we( -e asks, laughter barely stifled. -e couldn't find it That

makes sense, though. It looks like it's made of dark, so it hides in the dark. It's gonna be hard to find.

5ut that's not good enough.

%1o6 That's not good6 The longer it takes to find it, the more chances Doc has to get himself

hurt6 Doc wants to kill it himself, but he isn't strong enough6 If he finds it before we do, he'll die6 &e

can't let that happen6 &e have to find it before it kills again6 &e have to find it before Doc has a

chance6( &e have to find it before Doc. I can't let Doc get hurt. I already let 1ao get hurt, I can't let

Doc get hurt too.

%ohhh, I had never thought of that.( -e laughs a little. %5ut he's almost impossible to find.

&hat will you do( he looks at me with interest, leaning forward with his hand on his chin. -e bats his

eyes slightly. -e's such a good friend. -e's always so worried about me, but he still listens to

everything I say. I wonder if Doc would listen to me. I think about the shadow. &here is it &here

would it go &hat does it need

%-ey, +haco. Is there anyone from the eague that's good at finding things( -e loses his

smile slightly, and looks at the ceiling for a second.

%7ood at finding things... 1o... 1o, he's "ust annoying... no, he's blind... no, yordles are "ust

worthless... Twisted /ate 1o no no, that would be no fun...( I start to get a little worried. If he can't

think of anyone, we'll be stuck for a while. )y heart sinks. %1o, I don't believe there is. 2veryone's



talents are either killing or healing. +ome of them aren't even talented in those regards... !h, there is

one. Yes, even before he was in the eague, his specialty was finding people. I think he'd be perfect,

but... well...( -e gets his smile back but tries to hide it behind his hand. %I don't think he'll want to

help us. -e doesn't like other people. -e's also $uite hard to talk to.( That doesn't matter.

%&e'll make him help us. &e won't give him another choice.( That would work. )ost people

don't like helping without a reason, so we'll "ust give him a reason. It's always worked before.

%)ake him help us !re you sure -ow do we do that, I wonder( -e turns his head away,

smiling, but I can see him looking at me in the corner of his eyes. -e's always so worried about me.

+uch a good friend.

%If he doesn't help us, we'll kill him. That should be easy, right( That's what I normally do.

There's no reason it wouldn't work like it does for everyone else.

%5ahahahaa6 -ooooo... that's good. Fery good.( -e laughs so hard tears look like they're

streaming down his face. %It "ust so happens I know where he is. !ren't you a lucky girl( -e gets up

and heads towards the door. %ome, come. &e mustn't waste time6 -e'll smell us coming from a mile

away6 h, this will be fun6( -e walks out the door, laughing at what he said, and waits for me

outside. &ait, I can't leave like this6

%+hacoH, wait6 I have to clean up6 &hat if I run into Doc( I have to look my best. !lways

need to look my best. I hear him groan from the other side of the door, but he starts laughing again and

responds, %5ut of course, what was I thinking( -e's always so happy. I'm glad he's here to help. It

makes it much easier to take care of Doc.

I walk away from the living room and head towards the bathroom. n the way there, I pass up

my mother and father. %-ey, mommy, daddy. I'll be leaving for a bit today.( 5ut they don't answer.

They don't talk very much. That's okay though, they let me do whatever I want. I go into the bathroom

and try to get myself looking as good as I can.

+haco sure is weird, but he finds all the same things as me fun. -e's a really good friend too, he



Mu!!in! The Monter

It's hard to walk with him. -e turns invisible, so I can never tell where he is, but it also makes a

lot of things fun. -e says people from the eague are looking for him, and he doesn't want them to

find him before he finds them. That makes sense. If I were playing hide and seek, I'd turn invisible,

too. If I could. I wonder if he can teach me how.

I start humming a favorite song of mine, listening every now and then for +haco to say where

we should go. +ometimes he stops and sets down a little box, but those disappear too. I can't tell if he's

supposed to be a magician, or a clown. an a clown be a magician &e keep walking until we end up

in a part of the city that looks really run down. ! group of people walk up to me and start talking. I

can tell +haco is getting annoyed, but I stop to listen to what they have to say.

%-ey girl, you're pretty cute. &here you headed( I don't like him very much. -is friends are

standing next to him, smiling. 5ut it's not a friendly smile like Doc's, or a funny smile like +haco's. I

should probably hurry. +haco said that his friend might run if he smells us.

%-ey, where do you think you're goin' +tick around with us for a while, we'll show you how to

have a really fun time.( -e starts laughing and his friends laugh too, and then starts walking towards

me. I look at where I know +haco is standing, but he stays invisible, waiting. -e doesn't want to play

this time.

%/un h, okay. +ure, where should we go( I wonder if they have fun the same way I do.

)aybe that would make this even more fun I hope they do, then they'd be really happy. -e looks a

little confused, but he starts to laugh. -is friends start laughing too, and then +haco starts laughing a

little, but he's trying really hard to hide it. The leader of their group looks around, confused a little, but

he decides it's not worth worrying about.

%!lright kid, follow me and my friends. &e have a game set up in this alley. Don't worry, you

won't get hurt.( ! game +ounds fun. They must play it a lot together. I still don't like them, though.

They still have that 'not Doc' smile. It's annoying. &e walk around the corner of an alley, but I don't



want to play their game anymore. 5esides, I have to hurry. Their game is probably boring, anyways. I

decide to play my game instead.

%Don't be so shy, we'll show you a real good time.( ne of them tries to grab my shoulder, but I

cut off his hand. -e doesn't like that too much. -is friends yell and try to pull out their own knives, but

I stab one of them in the throat. The other one gets out his knife, but it's still my turn. -e's cheating. I

don't like cheaters, so I punish him. -e doesn't seem to like it too much. -e's yelling a lot louder than

his friend was. I twist my knife and he yells out more. -e really doesn't like this game. I guess I'll try

to play with him again later. !fter all, his other friend is still there. I'm sure he wants to keep playing.

-e's holding where his hand used to be, crying. -e's like a little kid, upset because he lost. I

played fair and s$uare, I'm "ust better at the game than they are. They don't need to be such sore losers

about it. -is mouth is open, so I put my knife in it. -e stops crying, but looks at me with really wide

eyes. I push the knife further into his mouth real slow, and he opens his mouth wider so it doesn't cut

his cheeks. 2ventually, it stops. I don't want it to stop though, so I push really hard. The man makes a

weird noise and then falls over.

I look at the one who wanted to stop playing before. -e fell asleep, so I decided to wake him

up. I stick the blade between his fingernails and then push as hard as I can. -is eyes open and he starts

cheering really loud. -e does like this game6 -e likes this game a lot more than his friends6 I'm glad I

picked him. -e's a good leader, his friends could learn a thing or two. I decide to keep playing with

him, listening to him cheer as he sees how thin I can cut things. -e's cheering so loud, he must really

think I'm talented6 It makes me happy to hear people cheer like that.

!fter a couple minutes, I remember that +haco was waiting. I start to feel bad that he couldn't

"oin in on the fun, so I leave the alley. )y dress got covered in stains6 If Doc sees me like this, he'll

think I'm gross6

%+haco6 &e have to hurry and find your friend6 If we don't find him fast, Doc might find me

and see me like this6 -e'll think I'm messy6( I don't want that to happen. Doc needs to see me when



I'm perfect.

%/rom what I saw, you are $uite the messy girl. &ell done.( -e finishes with a chuckle and we

start walking again. I'm glad I can meet people who cheer for me. It's a shame they die after cheering

so much. +haco says that means my performance knocked them dead. I'm glad +haco teaches me so

much. !s I think this, +haco turns visible next to me.

%&e're almost here6 -ooooo, I'm sure he'll be so happy to see me.( -e says this with a hiss,

but starts laughing again. I'm glad he's always in a good mood. %1ow, I plan on talking to him first.

5ut you're going to play with him, understand -e loves your game almost as much as you do, so I'm

sure he'll be really happy if you do. If you do well enough, I'm certain he'll help us6 h, but I do

wonder, can you beat him -e's $uite good at this game, after all. I'd say he's almost half as good as I

am6( -e starts laughing and then starts coughing a little, but then he starts laughing even harder.

%I can win. 1o one can beat me. I already told you that.( -e doesn't believe me, but I'll show

him. I can do things faster than other people, so I can beat him. +haco will be so happy when he sees

how good I am6

-e loses his smile for a couple seconds. %I wonder about that, indeed I do. &ell now, i*. If

you do happen to win, you and I are going to have a little chat. I'll be sure to tell you all kinds of

wonderful secrets6(

-e'll tell me secrets6 -e's gonna tell me how to do his magic tricks, isn't he h, now there's

no way I can lose6 I wanted to have some fun, but now I have to try as hard as I can6 )agic tricks6 I

get to learn a magician's magic tricks6 0eople will like my game even more6

%I'll beat him for sure, now6 Thank you, +haco6(

-e loses his smile again. %Don't thank me $uite yet. You know what happens when you lose,

right( -is smile grows back, more crooked than before. -is eyes start to glow brighter, and his hat

casts a shadow over his eyes. %I'll take you away and play my own games. I'm no amateur like you,

mind you. I'll show you all the tricks you'll never get to use.(



I don't like this. -e's being scary. I've never seen him scary before. I don't want to lose. 1ow I

can't lose. If I lose, he's not going to play games. -e's going to hurt me. I don't want to get hurt.

7etting hurt is scary. I wish Doc was here, he'd know what to do. -e'd be able to help me. I look at

the ground and start thinking about when Doc helped me before. -e's such a good person, he doesn't

deserve to play any of these games or get in any fights. -e's too weak and too smart to be fighting. -e

should "ust hide and let me protect him.

5efore long, we end up at a large building. It looks like it used to be an old slaughter house, but

the butcher must have moved away. !ll the old machines inside are rusted, and there's old meat

hanging on hooks in different places. I look at all the things around me and get confused. &hy would

+haco's friend want to live here

%ome, come6 &e're not $uite there yet. &e have to keep going6 #p up up6( -e does a little

"ig and laughs, then starts running up the stairs. I thought he was worried about being found. &hy isn't

he worried now

%&ai< &ait for me6( I try to run after him, but trip on some basket on the floor. %ww... 1o

fair.( I puff out my cheeks. +haco's not telling me something and it's no fun. I get up and dust myself

off, but the blood on my dress is still there and sticks to my hands. I guess I am pretty messy...

I head up the stairs where +haco went, and see him running around the halls. -e's making

boxes appear on the floor in different places, and then watching as they disappear again. -e's really

weird when it comes to those boxes. &hy make something appear if it's "ust going to disappear again

It's like it was never there at all.

I start walking towards +haco, but turns and looks at me. -is eyes glow extremely bright, and

his smile even bigger. -e tilts his head to one side.

%&here do you plan on going, little one Do you remember what I said before( h, he wants

to talk to him first. I guess I should wait here, then. %If you take one more step... hehe... -ehehe...

!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!6( -e starts laughing louder and louder, and then I hear a voice.



%&hy, clown &hy are you here( It's a really raspy voice, and I can't tell where it's coming

from. +haco's laugh fades to a chuckle and he responds.

%&hy, is it so wrong for me to come and visit such a dear friend It feels like it has been years

since we've last had a good talk6 I thought I'd stop in and say,( -e laughs again, %-ello.(

%/riends 2ven as a "oke, that's $uite low for you. You've killed do*ens of the people I was

hired to hunt, do you expect me to be happy you're here( They're both $uiet for a couple minutes, and

the voice starts again. %1o, I suppose I am happy you're here...( -is voice seems to be gathering at a

single spot, now. +haco's looking around the room anxiously, trying to find where the voice is

originating from.

The voice yells, and suddenly there's a massive wolf mauling +haco. 5ut it's not a wolf. It's a

wolf<man<thingy. That's not good. I think about coming out from the stairs to help, but then I

remember what +haco said, and stop. !s soon as I decide against helping, +haco lets out several

laughs, but they aren't coming from the 'him' under the wolf. They're coming from the air around us,

"ust like the wolfs voice did before he "umped on +haco. It makes me want to learn how to throw my

voice. It seems like a lot of fun6

%)y, my, &arwick. You seem to be letting yourself go while you hunt these puny people. +ome

time ago, you could have picked the difference between a real me and a hundred clones. &hat

happened to make someone, so revered for his skill, fall so far I do wonder.(

The +haco underneath the wolf explodes, and about a do*en small knives fly out and pierce into

him. -e howls pain, and tries to run into a doorway, but a box appears and starts shooting at him with

something. The wolf doubles over backwards, and looks around the room in panic.

%Damn you and your stupid boxes6( -e keeps looking, trying to find +haco, but his eyes end

up meeting mine. %+o you're what smells of blood. +haco, why have you brought this child( -e

starts to drool a little as he says this.

%h, her Don't worry about her. +he's... hmm... +he's... well,( -e starts laughing. %n



second thought... i*, feel free to "oin in the fun. &arwick, if you can kill her, you can eat her and I'll

be on my way. 1o harm, no foul. I'll let you do as you please and never bother you again. h, this

does seem like $uite a fun game6 5egin6(

+o now he wants me to play, too I look at the wolf and check how he's laying. -e ad"usts

himself so that he's on all fours, and pushes all his weight backwards. -e's getting ready to leap at me.

-is movements are so predictable. I ready my knives, and wait. &arwick is staring at me, obviously

hungry, but he lets confusion slip into his eye. -e slowly shifts his weight back.

%&hy bring someone so weak for me to kill &hat game are you playing Is she a trap

0oisoned( That's what he's worried about This wolf has no respect.

%! trap &hy, not at all6 +he's "ust a regular girl6 5esides, why would I tell you it's a trap

because you asked I'd "ust keep $uiet and let things take its course. r would I( +haco starts

laughing. %I don't even know what I'd do some times. Dear &arwick, are you afraid of such a little

girl(

%Don't toy with me, clown6 You've seen !nnie. You know there are dangerous things out there,

things much more vicious than you or I could ever hope to be. You know "ust as well as I do that there

are things even we should fear. &hat is your game(

%It's no game, &arwick. This world has no magic, I assure you. +he is a perfectly normal

human girl. +he seeks your head. +he plans to kill you, &arwick. Do you plan on granting that wish

h my, that's very thoughtful of you. Don't be afraid, i*. &arwick will lay down and let you cut his

throat.( +haco's laugh fades into nothing, signaling that myself and the wolf are the only ones in the

room at this point.

%&ell, child, do not think you can kill a hunter without a fight. You are $uite foolish to come

here, yet +haco has taken a liking to you. I will not take you lightly.( -e shifts his weight to his back

limbs again, ready to "ump forward.

I remember what +haco said to me before, and his face. I don't want to get hurt. I want to learn



magic tricks. I have to try my hardest. I have to save Doc, too6 I'll do things as fast as I can. I have to

stop the wolf<man without killing him, that way he can help us find 1octurne.

I close my eyes and listen to my own breathing, and put myself into my special place. I can

hear my heart beating, and the wolf's heart too. -e's breathing really fast, like he's scared. +haco is

here too, but he's outside. -e's trying not to laugh, but $uick bursts of air in his lungs show me that he

still is. I open my eyes and look at the wolf.

-e pushes himself off the ground like it's a springboard, and charges straight at me, but I can

see everything he's doing. I shift forward and line myself up with his path in the air, and then point a

blade upwards. -e tries to dive on top of me and dodge the blade, but I change the direction the knife

is pointing at the last second and catch his leg as the rest of his body flies over me. I hear a snap as I

cut through his tendon. 5efore he lands on the ground, I turn and cut his opposite arm. There goes

another tendon. 1ow he shouldn't be able to move. I giggle a little, because it's a funny wolf. -e

looks pretty mean, but he's not that good at this game. I hear +haco let out a heavy burst of laughter.

%#nbelievable6 Incredible6 &arwick, you fool, you've been completely crippled by such a

young girl in almost no time at all6 &ell done i*, well done. I'll be sure to show you a few tricks, as I

said I would. I'll be honest, I didn't think you stood a chance, but, my oh my, you are filled with

surprises6 I'm so happy I didn't kill you, what a waste that would have been6 h, this is so much more

fun6( -e cackles with "oy and dances around the rooms, picking up the boxes no one else could see.

%+haco6 &hat is this &hat kind of trick did you use6( The wolf<man seems really upset. I

guess I'd be upset if I lost, too. !fter all, he thinks he's really good at this game.

%!lright, alright, I'll let you in on my little secret. This girl is not an ordinary girl. 1o, I

suppose that's not true. +he's completely ordinary. 2verything about her, other than her personality, is

horrifyingly normal. 5ut she's not normal at all. h no, she's $uite odd. -er bloodlust is much

stronger than even yours, &arwick.(

&arwick howled in pain, and began cursing me and +haco. I thought it was fun, I don't



understand why he's so angry.

%-ey, +haco &hy'd you tell him I was here to kill him &e were "ust here to ask him to help

us find 1octurne.(

&arwick's eyes widen and then turn bright red. I "ust cut his tendons but for some reason he's

right on top of me6 I can't block his next strike. I don't know how he moved so fast, but I'm stuck like

this. ooks like I lose the game.

%&arwick, do you know what happens to those who break my toys( +haco says, all "oy gone

from his voice. &arwick stops himself mid<swing, and his eyes turn back to normal. %i*, you let your

guard down. You won our little game, so I'll keep my promise, but the next time this happens, I'll let

you die. I do not like babysitting.(

I don't know what to say. I should have died right there. It was my time to lose the game, but

+haco is saying that we weren't playing then. I thought we were always playing. I'll have to ask him

more about the game later. +haco's smile returns, and he starts laughing a little. I look at &arwick.

%5e a good dog and help me find that shadow6( I don't want to play anymore. &e're taking too

long. &e never know when Doc might find him.

%Did... she "ust call me a dog( -e asks, more agitated than angry. +haco's threat definitely

kicked in, and reali*ing how entertaining things will be, +haco gives his signature cackle.

%You are a rather filthy mutt, don't take it too personally. +he "ust calls them as she sees them.

-ere, I'll make things easier for youB /ind him, or you'll become my newest toy.( -e continues his

laugh, and &arwick makes it apparent he's upset.

%Damn clown... I'll find him by tomorrow. I'll come to you after I do.( Then he looks at me. %If

you ever let your guard down around me, I won't hesitate to kill you. +haco may have protected you

this once, but only because you won his little game. -e won't do it again.( I don't like that. I don't like

that at all. I like letting my guard down. &hen I talk to Doc I let my guard down. &hen I go home I

let my guard down. I let my guard down all the time. 1o, I don't like that.



+o I cut his throat. -e tries to stop my hands, but he tried to use the arm that couldn't move.

ut tendons don't work well, though he moved when he went berserk before. )y knife slides across

his neck, and he starts to bleed out, his arms and legs kicking for something to grab as if trying to find

something so his soul doesn't drift away. I stand and smile.

%+orry )r. &arwick, but I don't like threats.( +haco is laughing really hard at this point.

%I was only kidding before, but you really laid down and let her cut your throat6 &arwick, how

undignified. !nd here I thought you considered yourself an honorable hunter.(

&e walk out of the building and head home, letting &arwick bleed out. 1o one lives after

something like that, and we need to get back before the sun sets. I promised my parents I'd be home

soon.

!fter a long walk, we end up back at my house. I head inside and say hello to mom and dad,

and +haco waves and laughs. &hile I'm sitting on my bed, a thought crosses my mind. ops.

%+haco6 I killed &arwick6(

%Yes, yes you did6 uite impressive, even I wasn't expecting that6 &ell done. h, you're so

much fun6 +o many surprises out of you.( -e doesn't seem to see the problem, or he's at least

pretending not to. 1ot good.

%5ut if he's dead, he can't find 1octurne6(

%You're "ust now figuring this out &ell... as interesting as you are, you're $uite slow. &e'll

come up with a new plan in the morning. In the mean time, come, sit down6 I have much to show you.

You have plenty to learn.(

&e talk about different things, from the rules of the game, to different tools to win with, to how

to play it the best. -e shows me a lot of things, and I feel like I'm getting better and better. If I keep

this up, I'll be able to protect Doc forever6

I can't wait to show Doc all the things I'm learning. I wonder if he would like this game, too.



Two of a "ind

/inally, the runt sleeps. +he may be great entertainment, but I have my own errands. I can't

afford to spend the day playing, can I 1o, I have to keep tabs on everyone else. I need to keep

watching. I'll do what I can to en"oy the time I'm trapped here, but until I know how I got here and

why... I'll play more later. 1ow is the time for work. -mm... Yes, three should be enough. ff we go.

Don't die too soon, i*. I need you for my little game to work.

%+haco +hacoH, where'd you go +haco6(

This isn't good. -e's been gone for a long time now. I wonder if he started the game he was

talking about before. If that's the case, I won't see him for a long time. &ait, that's not good6 -e's

supposed to help me find 1octurne6 1ow what do I do This isn't good, this isn't good at all. &hat do

I do &hat can I do

I can't... I can't do anything. I can't find 1octurne, and I can't protect Doc without +haco. 1ot

yet. I'll "ust have to keep practicing everything he showed me. If I keep practicing, I can protect Doc

by myself. I "ust have to keep trying. I won't let anything hurt him.

%-ey, kid. You're gonna answer me a couple $uestions.( That doesn't sound good. -e's got a

really deep voice, and an even weirder accent. -ow did he get behind me There aren't any doors

there. &hile thinking about the sudden increase in people I've met who don't use doors, I turn around

and look at the odd man.

-e's a thin man with long hair and a beard, holding several cards in one hand while others float

around him. -e's wearing clothes that make him look like kind of like he's a magician, but he has on a

cowboy hat. ! cowboy magician That's weird. I don't get it.

%+haco was here for a while now, but you're still kickin'. -e even brought you with him to kill

&arwick. &hat's the big idea, kid &hy's he like you so much( -e's been watching us That's not

good... does that mean he's watching Doc too I'll have to be careful.



%h, +haco didn't kill wolf<man. I did.( -is eyes grow wide and he takes a step back.

%The hell... +haco tell ya' to say that &hy'd he do that &hy'd he kill &arwick( &hy does

he seem so scared -e's panicking a little and asking a lot of $uestions. %&ait a minute, what's...( -e

looks like he's about to be sick. h, he saw mom and dad. That's no good. They don't like other

people very much.

%-e kill them, too &hy are you helpin' someone like that if he killed your ma' and pops -e

threatenin' to kill you if you don't 1ah, that's not like him. &hat's the deal, kid(

%-e didn't kill them. They were fighting too much and yelling too much, so I put them on the

wall so they couldn't hurt each other anymore. 1ow they can't fight6 +ee They're happier now. !nd I

killed wolf<man, not +haco. +haco said he could help us find 1octurne, but I got angry and killed him.

+haco said it was funny, but now I don't have a way to find 1octurne so I'm in trouble.(

The man backs away another step. -e looks surprised. %&hat the hell... reckon that makes

sense, when I think about it. nly a freak could get a freak to like 'em. &ell, tell me this. &hat's

+haco been sayin' to ya &hat's he plannin'(

I don't like this. +haco said not to tell people about him, and that people who asked about him

were enemies from the eague. I focus and listen to his breathing. !ll the cars driving by are making a

lot of noise, but I can hear his heartbeat. -e's really nervous about something. h, maybe he's really

good at this game. This might be fun6

I try to dash at him with my knives, but he throws a card at me. ! card That's stupid. I'll "ust

let it hit me and cut him up.

%Don't throw cards, you'll<( I'm cut off at mid sentence and can't finish yelling at him for

making a mess. The card hits me in the chest and sinks in, cutting me. I scream out in pain and try to

cover it, but I can't move my body. I'm stuck. It's some kind of magic, and he got me with it.

%You're a really scary kid, ya know that I'll ask you again, and if you don't tell me what I want

to hear, I'll make sure you ain't a problem later on. 7ot it( I can't beat a magician. -e's too strong,



1octurne before he does.(

%You said 'before he does' that time. You're not tryin' to protect him, you're tryin' to make him

like you. You're "ust a little girl with a crush... &hat the hell was +haco tryin' to help you for This

makes no sense. Damn that clown, he's always got an ace up his sleeve.( -e's right... that's really what

it is. I like Doc, don't I 1o, I love Doc. I don't want Doc to get hurt, and I want him to like me.

That's love, right It must be. I love Doc. I have to do everything I can for him, that way he loves me

too.

%/ine, whatever kid. That's not important. Tell me about this 'Doc' guy. &hat's he look like(

+hould I tell him that That seems like something I don't want him to know. This isn't good. I don't

want to tell him that. I stick my tongue out at him instead.

%If you don't tell me, I'll kill you here and now. I want to have a chat with this 'Doc' guy, so

what's he look like

%#m... -e's got bright blonde hair, blue eyes, and he's kind of fat. -e also smells kind of bad.(

0lease work.

%You're lyin' to me. I don't like liars, kid. Tell me or I'll get angry. &ho is Doc( That's not

good. -e could tell right away. I guess I'm still a bad liar, but +haco didn't explain it very well. 1ow I

have to tell him... but...

%If I tell you, you have to promise you won't hurt him.( The cowboy magician sighs. It sounds

kind of like how Doc does it all the time. I'm starting to miss talking to Doc... maybe I should see him

soon.

%Yeah, yeah. f course I won't. I promise.( -e says this while rolling his eyes, but I don't

think he's lying. -e doesn't have a reason to hurt Doc, and if he liked killing he would have killed me

instead of asking $uestions. #nless he's good at the game like +haco. Then he would ask $uestions

first, and then kill me. +o if he kills me, he'll try to hurt Doc. !t least I have a way to tell if he's lying,

now.



%-e's a little shorter than you are. -is hair is brown and kind of shaggy, and he has green eyes.

!nd he's not fat, either. I lied about that. -e also doesn't smell... I lied about that too. -e's probably

really sad right now...(

%&hat's his real name( -is real name 1ao said she didn't think he had a real name, but that

doesn't make sense. -ow can someone not have a name 2veryone has a name.

%I don't know... but... someone said he doesn't have one. +he said that's part of why he always

looks so sad.(

%-e doesn't have a name This Doc guy's startin' to sound like fun. Yeah, I found a no<name.

Thanks.(

%Don't hurt him6 You're not allowed to hurt him6(

%+omethin' tells me you don't lie too much. You're way too easy to read, might as well be

showin' me your hand... I won't hurt him, don't worry. I'll let you know this, thoughB -e ain't sad.(

-e isn't sad &hy &hy isn't he sad %-e's also got a partner. -er name's =iven, and she's pretty

scary in her own way. I wouldn't worry too much about protecting him, kid. -e's already got one of

the best bodyguards he could find... but why is she with him( -e stops talking for a bit and starts

pacing, thinking about something. -e looks at me and starts talking again.

%!lright kid, why'd you kill &arwick You said he was gonna help you, so why'd you kill

him( &hy'd I kill him... &hy did I kill him again +omething he said... h.

%h, yeah... I forgot. It's because he threatened me. -e said that if I let my guard down around

him, he'd kill me. +o I cut his neck. I like letting my guard down. It lets me do things I like.(

%You like lettin'... you're kinda stupid for someone like +haco to like. ike lettin' your guard

down... how idealistic can you get 8id, never let your guard down. You can always en"oy the things

you do, but the minute you let your guard down is when you'll get caught. Didn't +haco tell you that

much I'm sure he tried explainin' the 'rules' of his little game. You should know better than that. 1ow

that I think about it... I threatened you, didn't I( -e looks at me with a smile, and takes another step



back. I start to feel my body come under my own control again.

%&ell, it's been a real pleasure. +ee ya' kid. 7ood luck with your boyfriend or whatever the

hell he is... poor guy.( I try to dive at him again, but he sinks into the ground and disappears with a

bright light.

&ow... I want to learn magic tricks now. 1ot knowing magic has me at a real disadvantage.

2verything I can do to help protect... no, to help make Doc like me, I need to know as much as I can.

I'll "ust have to practice what +haco showed me some more.



Chapter #

/lame and +hadow



Burnin! The Calendar

&ake up. 2at. &ork. 2at. +leep. =emember to breathe in between, unless you feel like

bringing that cycle to a halt. That's how I live my life. It's boring, almost tortuously so. 2very day is

the same thing, repeated over and over. That's how it's been since I started living on my own, and that's

probably how it should be.

&hen I think about it, though, I don't really mind. I redirect traffic for a living. I'm the guy you

see standing in the middle of the road with a neon vest, waving around two florescent orange sticks,

hoping someone doesn't decide to hit me. 5lack hair that's a little lengthy, definitely shaggy, and I've

got a bit of a stubble, I like to think I'm the perfect example of a normal guy. I've got normal problems,

too. !t any moment, without any warning, someone could replace me with a traffic light. The only

time I really get work now is when a light goes down, or when there's been a rough accident.

+o when a giant monster, like something straight out of a horror film, starts stomping around

and destroys cars with a single swing of its ridiculous clawsarms, I do my best to pretend it never

happened. I mean, why does it even matter It doesn't concern me, and it never will. -ell, when it

appeared out of that bright light and started smashing everything in sight, I "ust walked away then and

there. 1ot my problem, not what I'm paid to deal with.

+o here I am, coming home to a less than average apartment with less than average furnishings.

I figured my days would return to normal after the spontaneous monster attack, but no. f course,

something like this "ust had to happen. !nd so we pick up where I left off. &hen I opened my

bedroom door today, I was welcomed with the sight of a little girl sleeping on my bed. ! lot of

different problems come to mind.

1umber oneB I don't know this girl. I've never seen her before, and I'm pretty sure I don't have

any siblings. +he doesn't belong to any of the neighbors, I'm almost certain of that. +o why the hell is

she here +omething to figure out.

1umber twoB This is illegal in so many ways. +ome random girl, probably reported as missing



by now, somehow got into my locked apartment and is passed out on my bed. I now have the makings

of a pedophile, molester, rapist, and kidnapper all rolled up into one. +omething tells me 'I swear I

found her there.' isn't going to fly with the cops.

1umber threeB This is now my problem. +omething "ust ruined my daily cycle. 1ow, not only

do I have to find out what the kids story is, but I have to take care of her until I can find a solution.

&hat a pain... There's a reason I like my regular scheduling so much.

h, I know6 I must be on a reality show. )TF's iving !andom "ids to Strangers# Yeah, that

makes sense. They're always doing stupid shit like that. I'm sure there's a camera around here

somewhere. The moment I start trying to find one, however, the kid wakes up. &ell, let's see how this

goes.

+o far, so good. +he yawned, rubbed her eyes, and now she's staring at me. It's a little weird, so

I'm trying not to stare back, but I have no clue where else to look, so I "ust look at the ceiling. !lright, I

have to say something. This is too much tension for me to handle.

%+o... uh... 1ice weather, huh( 1o response. +he's "ust stari< oh, wait, her eyes are getting

wide. -uh... what's that smell +mells like... smoke &hy do I smell smoke I don't think I was

cooking anything. &ait, is she holding fire &ell, that can't be good.

%#m... your hand. Your hand is on fire. Is... !re... uh... huh. !re you okay( I mean, what the

hell else do you ask someone whose hand is on fire I can't think of anything clever, and I'm pretty

sure that's not normal unless I missed the 0yromancy part of my chemistry class in high school. It was

only J years ago. I don't think I'd forget something like that so soon.

+o here I am, standing in my bedroom after leaving work early because of a giant monster

attack, to find a little girl laying in my bed, asleep, who has a knack for making fireballs appear in her

hand out of thin air. It's fair to say I suddenly miss my old lifestyle.

%#hhhh... !re you hungry I was about to cook dinner, so... I can make something for you too,

if you want.( !lright, step oneB )ake her not want to kill me with fire. +tep twoB /ind out more



about the little demon child. +tep threeB 7et her out of my hair as soon as possible. Three step plan to

victory and a peaceful life, which hopefully doesn't involve me dying in a horrible fire. I like it.

5ut she's still "ust staring at me, fire in her hand. I guess this is awkward for both of us. I mean,

if I broke into someones house and fell asleep on their bed, and they woke me up asking if I wanted

dinner, I'd be pretty damn confused myself.

%Dammit kid, you're creepin' me out. !t least say something, do you want dinner or not

ops... I probably shouldn't swear, huh 5ad words and all that. +etting good examples and whatnot.

Yeah, I'll be more careful...( +he's looking at me, still, like she's half scared and half not caring. I don't

really get how that combination is possible. &ait, I probably look the same. &ell, it's weird for that

expression to be on someone who's not me. !hhhh, I'm rambling...

%!nyway, you want some food or not( ast offer, then I'm "ust walking away and pretending I

never saw you. The best way to handle a monster is to pretend it's not there. I'm sure I learned that in a

movie or something.

+he doesn't say anything, but her stomach growls ridiculously loud. &hat the hell, is this a

cartoon or something +he puts out the flame in her hand and nods. Then gets up and skips into the

other room by the kitchen, her arms extended to keep her balance. &hy does this day "ust keep getting

weirder I try to ignore my urge to scream at the top of my lungs and bash my head into a wall

repeatedly, and follow her out of the bedroom.

%+o... uh... you like pi**a I'm not really a good cook, and I'm a little low on food, so I was

planning on ordering until I went to the store again. !nyway, pi**a, is that alright( +he looks

confused by this, her head tilted to the side and her finger by her mouth, her eyes focusing on

something I can't see on the ceiling. Then she loses her semi<cross eyed glare, and nods her head. +he

looked like she had to think that over way too hard. I thought all brats loved pi**a, why was it even a

$uestion I'll never understand kids.

I call up the nearest place and start to place my order, but then I reali*e, I don't have a clue what



this kid would like. %-ey, what do you want on the pi**a( +he stares at me, then tilts her head again,

in thought, as if I asked her the meaning to life. I stand there, patiently, waiting for a response. The

guy on the other end of the phone starts talking.

%-ey, you gonna order or not, man There are calls waiting.( -e sounds a little pissed. )ust

be a bad day with that monster thing roaming around.

%+orry man, sorry, the kid can't make up her mind. ?ust make it -awaiian, large. -and<tossed.(

%+ure thing, it'll be there in :A to an hour. Total is E33.4@. Thanks for calling +tud's 0i**a, hope

you en"oy... asshat.( &ell then. &asn't expecting that one. I look back to the kid that seems, already,

to be the source of so much new stress.

%You know, you're going to be a lot of trouble, aren't you( +he "ust looks at me blankly for a

bit, and then does something else I wasn't expecting. +he stuck her tongue out at me. I sigh and look at

the ground, then place the phone back on the handset. %You don't plan on making this any easier for

me, do you !lright, well, we're gonna have to talk about a few things. /irst off, the most important

one.(

I look at her, making sure she understands I'm trying to be as serious as possible. !fter all, this

will define whether or not I can stand being in the same room as her. %&hat's your favorite TF show(

Yes, this will define our relationship from here on out. &hether I help her or shun her lies completely

on this answer.

+he "ust stares at me, confused, wondering what in the world I could be talking about. That's

seriously what it is. +he doesn't know what I'm talking about. %&ait, don't you know what a TF is

ome on, kid6 You're living in the 43st century and you've never seen a TF6 That's not even possible6

&hat the hell...( I start thinking about different scenarios that could make this a possibility, from her

belonging to an !mish family to her belonging to one of those weird, secluded, cult towns that hate

technology. &ait, what's the difference between them and the !mish &hatever.

&hoa, whoa, whoa, that's the same look she gave me when I asked her about pi**a6 %Don't tell



me... you don't know what pi**a is6 +eriously -ow &here have you been living all your life It's

like you're not even from the same planet. 1o, even another planet would have TF's and pi**a, it's a

re$uirement for all of life. ne of the great necessities.( I nod to myself in agreement, then look back

to the child before me. -er eyes are still wide with confusion.

%!lright, first thing's first. &e're watching some TF.( +he tilts her head to the other side now,

and then pulls up a teddy bear and s$uee*es it by her chest. This tugs at my heart a little. )aybe I'm

not taking this seriously enough I sigh again.

%Ya know, I'm sorry kid. I'm not handling this well. I should be acting more like an adult.

!lright, let's do things like this instead.( I sit in a chair opposite of where she's sitting. %&hat's your

name, kid( +he looks at me for a bit, and I feel like chewing through the cushion I'm sitting on out of

frustration. You can't tell me she doesn't know her name, it's impossible for someone to "ust forget their

name. 2ven people with minor amnesia have some semblance of connection with their name. This is

getting stupid. %ome on, you can at least answer that much. I even bought you pi**a.(

%!n...( !n !nn +he stopped talking half way through... this is so annoying.

%!nn Is your name !nn( 1o response. %!nn... !nnie Is it !nnie( +he nods her head a

little and then hugs her bear again. &ell, at least we're getting some bit of progress. %!lright, !nnie.

I'm sorry for scaring you earlier. You scared me a little, too, though. I came home to a stranger laying

in my bed. That's pretty weird. !nyways, I'm sure you're lost, so I want to help you get home. kay

+o !nnie, what are your parents names( +he looks at me for a second or two, thinking again, but in a

different way than before. Then her eyes get a little more shape and she starts talking.

%7regori... and... and !moline. 0eople called them 7regori -astur the 7rey &arlock, and

!moline the +hadow &itch. They were my parents.( The hell !re those stage names or something

&ait... oh... wow. &asn't expecting that. +he definitely said, 'were'. &ell... what do I do now

%&ere +o you mean... they aren't anymore !re they, you know...( It's a tough thing to ask a

kid, but it's something I should probably know if I'm going to help her.



+he stays $uiet for a minute, "ust hugging her stuffed bear. It looks really worn out, like it's

been cut to shreds and torn up, but it doesn't look like the fur has aged at all. &eird. +he nods her

head, a slow nod, almost not enough for me to notice. That makes this a lot harder. If she doesn't have

any parents, I have no idea how to start handling this. It's possible this "ust happened recently, and

that's why she came into a strangers home. +he might have been looking for help, or trying to get away

from something dangerous. This brings in a whole bunch of complications I don't need. et's stick

with the most probable, though.

%I'm sorry, !nnie, I know how hard it can be to lose your parents. ?ust do what you think they

would have wanted you to do, and remember that they're always with you no matter where you are.

They'll help you accomplish any goals you set, and they'll be there to help you through any struggle.

%+o, if your parents are... well, who have you been living with( )ost logical first, cra*y after

thoughts later.

%-igh ouncilor 8iersta )andrake.( The hell kind of name is that6 !nd what's with that

position -igh councilor -igh councilor of what This is making things more and more difficult.

It'd be easy if I could bring in the cops, but, 'h look, I found this eight year old in my bedroom for

some reason,' doesn't seem like it would bode well. !lright, gateway $uestions, then more real

$uestions.

%-ow old are you, !nnie(

%2ight. I'm ten.( 2ight, I'm ten... &hat the hell does that mean +he's eight and she's ten

This kid is giving me a headache.

%2ight and ten, huh That would make you eight<teen, and that would make all of my problems

go away if it were true. &hich one is it(

%8iersta said eight. That was two years ago, so I'm ten.( !t least she knows basic math. &ait,

I can't think so lowly of her. This isn't a TF show, kids aren't innocent and stupid. They have enough

of an understanding of the world. Treat her with semblance of respect, dammit.



%&hat's your name, mister( )ister h come on, I'm not that old6 Dammit... I guess I'm old

to a kid like her. #gh... I felt old enough as it is. I sigh again.

%)ark. )ark 2lliott. I'm 43 years old.( +he looks at me and tilts her head again. Then she

asks a really annoying $uestion.

%-ow come your parents are dead(

I can't help but let out another sigh. This kid is definitely graying hairs. %That's a pretty

personal $uestion to ask someone.( 5ut it works to my advantage, in a way. +he's curious about my

family, and I'm curious about hers. %If I answer, you have to tell me what happened to your family too,

alright( +he s$uee*es her bear a little and thinks, then nods her head. &here's the pi**a !nything to

lighten the atmosphere "ust a little. I feel like I'm suffocating.

%It's nothing too unusual. ! couple years ago, my parents got into a car accident. 5oth of them

died on impact, and before I knew it, I was living alone with my grandfather. It "ust so happened he

had cancer, and after a year, he ended up dying as well. &hen that happened, I took what I could and

chose to live on my own. I've been living a normal life ever since. 1othing too over the top.( I never

thought of my parents deaths as spectacular. In fact, it didn't really bother me that much thinking about

it. It was "ust annoying. They're gone, no need for people to always bring it up. ?ust let them rest in

peace, no need to have them worry about me while they're gone. I want them to be happy, not

troubling themselves with me for all eternity. Though, that's contradicting what I said earlier... aww,

man, whatever. It doesn't matter.

%!nyway, that's what happened. 1othing too cra*y. +o, I told you what happened to my

parents. &hat happened to yours, !nnie( +he's "ust sitting there, hugging her bear, looking around

the room a little. It doesn't look like she doesn't want to talk about it, it looks more like she doesn't

know how. !fter a couple minutes, she finally gets resolve from something and shares her story.

%1oxus. 1oxians. They banished my parents a long time ago. 8iersta said that didn't stop

them, though, and they worked really hard to live in the swamps. It took a long time, but things started



she's thanking me for saving her life. -ow do I... what do I say This isn't good, I don't want to say I

didn't save her, but...

%!nnie, I wasn't the one who saved you. -ow could I have saved you if I "ust learned you were

here You "ust ended up here by chance. I'm sorry, but... I don't have that kind of power. I can't use

any magic. I can't save people, all I do is direct traffic for a living. I can't do the things you're talking

about.(

+he hugs her bear a little harder and tears are starting to well up in her eyes. h man, I didn't

reali*e it before, but that 8iersta person is probably dead. This isn't good. +he's smart enough to know

that's the case. 5efore, she had the idea that I was a savior of hers. +he was scared and didn't know

what to expect, but when I asked her if she wanted food, she thought she had things figured out.

h man, this isn't right. This kid needs someone to hold her up. +he's way too young for this.

+he lost what I'm assuming is her best friend, she lost some woman who was probably like a mother to

her, and she lost her birth parents, all within a relatively short amount of time.

1oxus, huh The source of all her problems. This is definitely a name I should watch out for.

If there's a place we should avoid, it's where ever this 1oxus place is, but I feel like that's not really a

problem right now. !ll TF shows would dictate she's from another dimension, where magic and super

powers are a lot more common than they are here. 5ut that means she wasn't the only one sent here.

There are her enemies here too, and maybe a few of her friends.

%&ell... I might not have saved you. )aybe that wasn't me, but that doesn't change anything.

You're here now, and I'm going to make sure no one can hurt you anymore. You don't need to worry

about anything anymore. &e'll find out a way to get you back, and we'll send you home as soon as

possible, but while you're here I'll do everything to keep you safe. 5esides, I'm sure 8iersta's waiting

for you. +he's probably really worried about you.(

+he looks at me for a bit, and then smiles a soft smile. %Yeah... worried.(

The door rings. /inally6 h man, that atmosphere was way too thick. %h thank 7od. I'm



starving.( I open the door, tip the guy, take my pi**a, and set it on the coffee table next to where we

were sitting.

%1ow then, you've never had pi**a before. =ight( +he nods her head. I start to laugh a little,

though it sounded a little more evil than I intended. +he backs away a little, and her hand starts on fire

again.

%!h6 +hit6 1o no no, calm down6 It's "ust food6 ?ust food6( &hy do I get so scared when she

does that +he's horrifying. h... that's why that 1oxus place wants her. -er power, huh This is a

political thing... I take a deep breath and sit down.

%-ere, look.( I take a slice and take a bite. %+ree Irt's rally groo... !-6 !hhhh6 !hhhhhhhhh6

Irt's rally hot6 !hhhhh..... hooo, hoooo...( I start trying to blow to cool down the food in my mouth.

!nnie's looking at me like I'm retarded, but then she starts to laugh, a cute little giggle that almost

makes me forget what kind of trouble she's been going through. I get up to get a cup and pour myself a

drink.

%?ust make sure you blow it first, or you'll burn... your... self... huh. )aybe you wouldn't burn

yourself, since you play with fire and stuff...( +he laughs a little at this again, and then takes a bite

from a slice. -er eyes get wide and her smile grows bigger, then she starts eating a little faster.

I start thinking of the different possibilities you have when you can control fire. &hat kind of

training... no, what kind of life do you have to live that you become so attuned to fire you can freely

control it +omething tells me magic is linked more to a persons own soul than it is something that "ust

does what you want it to. +o does that mean her soul is burning I finish my drink.

This is too deep for me. I "ust need to go with the flow of things like I always do. There's a

new element in my life, but as long as I take care of her, nothing needs to change. &e'll do what we

can to find out how to get her back. h, that monster probably came from the same place. That must

mean other people came from there as well. )aybe there's someone who knows something about her

+omeone who could help her more than I could.



&e'll worry about that when the time comes. /or now, pi**a. 0i**a and Dr. 0epper. !nything

to keep her from thinking about the past. &hatever I can do to keep her happy.



%I'm sorry !nnie, I was only "oking. I didn't think you'd get that scared. -ere, I'll tell you what.

You can hit me as hard as you can to make up for it.( +he looks at me for a minute, and I start standing

spread<eagle with my eyes closed. %7o ahead, hit me as hard as you can. It's payback for scaring

you.( Yeah, that's only fair. &ait. %&ithout fire6( I shout and open my eyes to see she was winding

up a literally bla*ing fist. That was really, really close.

+he puts out the fire in her hand, looks at me, and then walks away. %I don't wanna.( +he

doesn't wanna 1ow I feel even worse.

%5ut I want you to forgive me, I don't want you to be upset. 7o ahead, hit me. I deserve it,

right(

%1o. I don't wanna hit you. I forgive you.( &hat &ow. This ten year old is more mature

than I am. I feel a little proud of her, knowing that, but I also feel really ashamed of myself. I also feel

like crap still for playing such a cruel "oke. !fter some thought, I resign the feelings and grab her now

empty cup and clean up the table. Then I pour her a glass of apple "uice.

%-ere.( +he looks into the glass and swirls it around, before taking a sip. The hell +he did

that like she was a fine wine connoisseur. +eemingly pleased, she gives a small smile and drinks it all

down. This kid hasn't been drinking, has she &hat the hell has this 8iersta person been teaching her

%/inished !lright, the bathroom's down the hall on the left. lean yourself up. &e're leaving

in J; minutes.( I head into my room and she skips her way into the bathroom. Yeah, there's a lot of

different things to do today. Thankfully, I don't have work. )ost of the roads where I'd have to go

were closed off completely because of that monster. I haven't heard if they killed it yet or not, but I'm

not too worried. ?ust ignore it and it won't bother you. I change and try to make myself look as clean

as possible.

Yet !nnie still isn't done. I wonder if she's alright %-ey, kiddo. &hat're you doing in there(

1o response. %!nnie !re you okay( +till nothing. +hit. +he said people were after her, but there's

no way they got in here without me noticing, right 1o, it's completely possible. !fter all, she came in



here without ever opening a door or window. &ho's to say no one else did This isn't good.

%!nnie6 I'm coming in6( I open the door and swing it open. &hat I see is really hard to focus

on without laughing. +he's sitting on a footstool up against the wall, sleeping, with a brush stuck in her

hair. -er teddy bear is laying on her lap. %Damn kid... scared me.( I walk up to her to give her a small

shake and wake her up, but she says something before I do. I almost couldn't here it.

%&here are you, Tibbers(

)y heart sets cold a little. I look down at the bear in her hands, thinking. +he definitely said

that bear fought people to keep her safe. !nd she definitely said it hasn't woken up yet. Is it possible

it's dead an a stuffed bear even die !lright, let's think this through. +he said that she was

kidnapped while it was fighting. +he got put into what I'll assume is a truck, and then saw a bright

flash. &hen the flash was done, she was here.

kay, so then Tibbers is still in her world, and she's here. &ait, she has that stuffed version of

him. -ow'd she get him back I stare at the bear a little longer, thinking about the possibilities.

et's assume the bear in her hands is the same bear that was fighting. +omehow, this bear was

fighting. )y guess is that it grows bigger. That would mean this bear isn't actually her bear. It's a

vessel for it. +o, the vessel might disappear when the bear is out, but when he's not a bear, the vessel

comes back. +o... she has the vessel. !nd it hasn't woken up.

I can only think of three possibilitiesB ne is that the bear is still there, sleeping like she said.

That makes a decent amount of sense. Two is that the bear was separated from whatever bound it to

her, so the vessel came back to her empty. Three is that the bear... well, the bear lost. It died. That's

the only other thing I can think of. I hope it's number one or two, but three is "ust as possible.

&ell... she shouldn't sleep like this. +he'll wake up with a kink in her neck. +uch a stupid kid...

it's going to be like this for a while, isn't it I pick her up and bring her back to the bed, then lay the

blanket over her. I guess we can wait a while before heading into town. +he deserves some rest.

I walk into the main room and clean up the dishes left out from dinner, then sit down and turn



on the TF. I flip over to the news, wondering about that weird monster.

%... <ports have claimed the creature is still moving through the town, but visual contact with it

has been lost. It is recommended you stay inside. +tandard firearms have proven ineffective against it.

It is extremely aggressive and extremely destructive. ! military curfew has been set, and all civilians

must be home between the hours of 33B;; 0) and AB;; !). 0eople breaking this curfew may be

detained for further $uestioning.( That's all it says, with a standard emergency tone, before it starts

repeating the same message.

It's that big of a deal, huh Didn't seem so bad. I was able to "ust walk away. It didn't even

notice me. It "ust started smashing cars and eating people. &eird. h well, guess we'll worry about

that later. &hen the runt<

I hear a little grunt and look over to the hallway to see !nnie smiling, her hair brushed.

+omehow her dress doesn't have any wrinkles like it did before. &ait... controls fire... oh come on, she

can iron her own clothes That's "ust too convenient.

%-ave a nice nap, la*y &e're gonna get going.( +he puffs out her cheeks.

%I'm not la*y. If anyone is la*y, you're la*y. +tupid la*y.( +tupid la*y h man, talk about a

wombo<combo. I'm not sure I can take that much abuse at once.

%Yeah yeah, I'm la*y. I know. et's get going, we've got a lot of shopping to do today.( +he

runs up to me next to the door, while I'm trying to kick my shoes on past my heel. +he starts humming

an odd tune. I stop and listen. !fter a couple seconds, she notices I stopped moving. I keep my eyes

on the door.

%&hat's wrong( &hat's wrong I must look upset.

%1o, nothing's wrong. ?ust... &hat was that song( I know I heard it before. &hich is weird,

since she's from another dimension and all. -ow could we both know the same song I can't $uite

remember how it goes or what it's from, but I know I've heard it.

%I don't know. It was "ust in my head.(



?ust in your head, huh &hatever, I guess it doesn't matter. I open the door and we head

outside. %I really like that song. Thanks for reminding me of it.( +he nods her head and starts

humming again, but this time it's something I've never heard before. It's a more uplifting tune than the

one she was humming before.

%Do you like to sing, !nnie( +he has a good voice, I can tell that much from her humming. It

has more control and emotion behind it than most girls her age should have.

%Yeah, 8iersta used to sing to me a lot so I started singing too.( 8iersta... 0oor kid. I need to

stop bringing up $uestions that can remind her of what happened. et her figure things out herself,

there's no need to keep bringing back reality.

I don't say anything after that. +he "ust keeps by my side and we walk into the heart of town. I

look around for the store I'm trying to find. I've never really had to go there before, so I can't

remember where I saw it right away, but after a couple minutes I find itB ! big white sign with pink,

cursive lettering. I can't even really read what it says, but I'm assuming it's some well known brand or

something.

%!lright kid, we're here.(

%-ere(

%Yeah, here. &e're buying you clothes and shit like that. ops... I mean 'stuff' like that.( +till

not used to holding back my language. That's a problem I'll have to work on.

%&e're buying clothes( &e're 1o, I'm buying clothes. The con"unction of 'we are' assumes

you're taking part in this, but I guarantee you don't have any cash. !hhh hell, I never thought of that.

I'm too low on cash to come straight here. &e have to buy what food we can, and then spend the rest

here.

%!ctually, we're going to the grocery store first. &e'll come back here in a bit, alright( +he

lets off a little 'hmph' and turns away. The hell &as she really this spoiled %-ey, hey, hey, hey6

&e'll come back later. &e have to get food first. Then we can get you new clothes, alright( 7ee*.



You'd think I "ust shot her dog with how she's... hmm, bad expression. !nyways, she ain't happy. I

start walking away, and get put in a good 4; foot distance before she notices.

%&ah... wait6( +he tries to run after me. This is getting ridiculous. It's like I have a kid now. I

don't want to be a parent, I'm already a terrible role model for myself. It doesn't need to stem to two

people. +he catches up and starts yelling.

%Don't leave me alone6(

%isten to me and I won't have to walk away6(

%1o6 I want new clothes6(

%&hat the hell, aren't you 3; +top acting A6(

+he kicks me in the shin, hard. I almost fall over, but catch myself on a street light. That'll

leave a nasty mark, I can tell already.

%-ey, don't hit people6 You should know better6( +he looks at me for a second, and then her

eyes start to get a faint glow. ! small flame starts around her body, and starts growing bigger. 0eople

around us start backing away, catching sight of the strange event.

%I am one of the most powerful champions of the eague of egends6 Do not treat me as a

mere child, fool6 I'll turn you to cinder here and now, and scatter your ashes in the sewer6( The hell6

&here'd this change come from Is she really that pissed off The flame around her is growing bigger,

and she's starting to come off the ground a little. +he doesn't look like she's ready to kill, more like

she's "ust trying to scare the living hell out of me. +o, in response, I walk up to her, grit my teeth

through the flame, and smack her in the back of the head.

-er eyes get wide, and she drops to the ground. )y hand got burnt slightly, but it's nothing too

bad. The flames around her are drawn back inside her, and tears start to well up in her eyes. &hat a

stupid kid...

%-ey. ook at me.( +he looks up from the ground, sniffling, her eyes wet. %Don't act like that.

You might have been trying to scare me, but you didn't. 1ot only did you not scare me, you scared



everyone else. ook at them.(

0eople are absolutely horrified, and a makeshift circle was made around us, the radius

something close to A; feet long. They really distanced themselves from us, and that's completely

understandable. ! girl with bright red hair "ust rose off the ground with flames spitting out from her in

all directions, as she threatened to turn a man to ash. If I had cared, I probably would have backed

away too.

5ut that's my advantage. aring "ust creates regrets and problems. !s long as you're sure of

your actions, you don't need to care. ?ust do what you need to do. +o I punished a child who needed to

be punished.

%!nnie, you might not like me. You can hate me for all I care. 5ut I'm not going to "ust let you

do what you want. Your parents aren't here anymore. 8iersta isn't here anymore. 1othing says I need

to be here either. 1o one who was raising you is around anymore, but I'm here now. I'm going to do

what I need to do to make sure you're a good person, because that's what I decided to do. Don't think

you can scare me with flame, !nnie. I've experienced far worse situations, and laughed at things much

more brutal. I'm going to make sure you grow up right, at least until we find out what happened to

8iersta and get you back to where you need to go. 7ot it(

+he sniffles, her eyes pouring tears. %I'm sorryH6 I'm sorryH6 Don't leave me alone6 I'm

sorry6( The people around me start letting out sighs of relief, while others run away screaming. I can't

help but laugh a little. 1ormal people can't handle anything they deem impossible. h well.

%ome on, we need to get some food.( I grab her hand and start walking.

%&ait. I want to talk to you.( &ell, that's a new voice. I look over to my right to see a guy

standing next a girl. +he's dressed kind of funny, and has almost white hair. The guy looks like he "ust

came out of high school, but his eyes are bright green and buried deep, burning with wisdom. -e's not

a bad person, I can tell already. The girl has... serious problems, but she's not bad either. !ctually, they

both have serious problems. -e's "ust hiding it better than she is. -is feelings are fierce, though. -ers



are more subtle, and feel like an old memory.

%1eed help with something( 7uess there's no way out of this one. !nnie looks at the girl with

white hair and her eyes get a little wide. The white haired... woman 7irl &hatever, she looks back,

pretending to be uninterested, but her emotions betray her. I can tell she's upset, surprised, and

worried. +he looks ready to fight at any second, and her massive glove is clenched like a fist. 1ormally

that's a more subtle expression, but with a glove like that...

%1o, "ust thought I'd have a $uick chat. -ere.( -e holds out an envelope, and then looks at

!nnie. %Don't worry, I'm not with 1oxus. !nd =iven isn't part of 1oxus anymore. You know that.(

!nnie's eyes calm a little, but she keeps herself ready. I can feel the tension coming from her. +he's

ready to start the whole block on fire if she needs to. It'd probably be best if that didn't happen,

considering I'm one of the people on said block.

I feel out the contents of the envelope, and find a stack of paper. )oney !nd it feels like a lot

of it. &hat the hell &ho is this kid

%&hy so much &hat's the catch(

%1o catch. You're going to need it to take care of your new family member, aren't you Instead,

I leave a re$uest. You can ignore it like you normally would, or take it up and see what happens. It's

completely up to you, but before you decide to ignore it, let me say thisB It's your best bet for getting

!nnie home. There's an address in the envelope. If you decide to hear what I have to say, stop by

tomorrow in the morning. There's a lot to talk about. -ave a good day.(

-e gives a slight bow, waves his hand to !nnie, and then walks away. =iven and... he never

said his name. +eems a little rude, in a way. &hatever. I look to !nnie, and she's staring at me and the

envelope.

%They gave you money(

%Yeah, they gave me money.(

%&hy( &hy is definitely a good $uestion to ask. &hy would you "ust give a stranger money



1o, I wasn't a stranger. -e knew enough about me to change my decision. -e knew !nnie too. !nd

that girl with him, !nnie knew her. h man, things are getting way too complicated for me. I don't

want to deal with this.

%To help me take care of you, kiddo. ome on, let's buy you some clothes.( !nnie smiles at

this and we start walking towards the shop we "ust left. 1o matter how I look at things, I have to go

talk to that guy. -e knows way too much, and presented the perfect opportunity to share that

knowledge. There's no reason not to. I know it's not a trap. They didn't have a reason to trap us, and

!nnie understood that right away. &hatever the case is, things are going to start getting harder. The

money should help though.

&e head inside and I look around, confused. !w man, what the hell. I've never shopped for a

girl before, how am I supposed to know what she needs !lright think... +he needs... #h... hmm... I

feel really stupid right now. &hat the hell does a little girl need I look over to what she's already

wearing. It's a pretty plain shirt with a pretty plain skirt, not a dress like I thought before. 8iersta

probably did all her shopping. !nnie notices I'm looking at her, and her eyes meet mine.

h hell, I never thought of that. +he's not at... that age, is she )an, I don't know the first

thing about that6 !lright, whatever, let's "ust assume she's not. Ten is way too early, right &hy am I

asking myself6 I don't know6 !hhhhh, dammit6

!lright, whatever. /irst thing first, shirts. I grab some shirts I think look nice, and try to keep a

balance between how many are long sleeved versus short. 1ext are pants. +kirts 0ants and skirts I

guess. !lright, we'll get mostly pants and a few skirts. That seems fine. I guess she needs something

nice, too, so... these two dresses seem okay. Dammit. +o it's come to this, eh &ell... time to bite the

bullet.

I grab a bag of underwear, all with random patterns and designs. #nderwear shopping for a ten

year old. )y eye cringes a little. &hat the hell... this is retarded. h, wait, don't tell me... I look over

at her $uickly, trying to make sure she didn't catch me glancing.



Yes6 I'm safe, don't need to buy training bras. !lright. 1ow... socks. These should be fine.

!nd these. &hat else is there I stop to think for a minute or two. I look back over to her, and she

looks at me, confused. I've been running through the store like a madman, and I'm sure she's noticed

that I'm embarrassed and annoyed. I look at her hair, and remember one last thing. -air pins and crap

like that. ?ust a couple.

I head over to the register, worried the cashier will think I'm some kind of freak or pervert.

!nnie follows me over, and I place everything onto the conveyor. They start ringing things up, without

so much as a word. It's an older woman. +he doesn't look particularly interested in what I'm buying,

but then she looks at me and then to !nnie. h crap.

%!wwww, you're such a good father. ut buying clothes for your little girl -ow sweet. Is it

your birthday( &ha... what6 /ather h come on6 I can understand brother, but father6 I'm not

that old, dammit6 This "ust isn't fair.

%h, no. 1ot her birthday. ?ust thought I'd spend some time with her is all.( I give off a

nervous laugh. This seems so surreal. !nnie is "ust staring at the lady, her eyes wide and her "aw

dropped. +he's shocked someone would say I'm her dad. +he even looks a little angry. &ell, this

might end worse than I thought.

5ut her expression relaxes. In fact, I'd say her eyes get softer than they were before. -er

shoulders drop, she lets out a little sigh, and looks at the ground. +afe for now.

%!ww, she's so cute. You have her eyes, you know. You too even look alike6( ady, if only

you knew what you were saying.

%h, yeah, I hear that a lot.( I let out another nervous laugh. +he's finally finished ringing

everything up. I cringe a little at the total, but pull a few hundreds from the envelope and hand them to

her.

%-ere you go6( +he hands back my change. %I hope you guys have a wonderful afternoon.(

Then she looks at !nnie. %heer up, sweetheart. 1ot everyone gets a dad as nice as him.( I flinch a



little as I hear this. I turn slowly, scared of how !nnie might react, but I don't see flying fireballs or a

raging inferno.

%Yeah, he's really nice6( +he smiles brightly and nods her head, waves goodbye to the lady at

the counter, and then skips over to me. &e start to walk out of the store, and I hear the cashier give off

another, %!wwwwwww, she's so cute6(

%h thank god we're done. I don't know how much more of that I could take. That was way too

much...( I'm holding four bags, filled with different clothes for the ten year old next to me. There's no

way we could go to the grocery store right now, so I decide to make a second trip later. I look over to

!nnie, expecting to see her excited for the new clothes, but instead she's "ust looking at the ground as

she walks, dragging her feet, lightly kicking any pebble unfortunate enough to get in her path.

%-ey, you okay( I don't like seeing her like this. I know she has every right to be sad, but it

makes me sad when I see her that way. It "ust makes me want to find a way to cheer her up.

%+he said you're my dad. +he said I was lucky to have such a nice dad.( That lady was weird.

&hat kind of person randomly says crap like that, anyway &ell, it was better than her thinking I'm a

creep. That's mostly what I was worried about. Though she did say I'm old... old enough to have a ten

year old kid. Damn her, I'm only 436

!nnie's still looking at the ground, barely keeping up with me as she walks. I need to say

something. !nything to make her feel better about this situation.

%Yeah, she said I'm your dad. Don't worry about the little things. &e'll find a way to get

Tibbers back, and we'll find a way to send you back to 8iersta, okay(

I thought I said what I needed to, but she "ust tilts her ga*e further down and stops walking. I

stop too, and set the bags up against a wall. I try to think of what I might have said to make it worse,

but it's not registering. &hat happened in there to make her like this It's because the women said I

was her dad, right 2ven though I'm not her<... h, that's what it is.

I kneel "ust enough to put myself at the same height as her. Then I wrap my arms around her



shoulders and s$uee*e. +he's confused at first, and stammers a little. !t first she sounds pissed, but

then she hugs me back.

%isten. I might not be your real dad. I'm not 8iersta either. !nd I know you're smart. You're

thinking it's possible you'll never see them again. !nd maybe you're right, maybe that's how things will

be. 5ut I know thisB I'm going to keep doing what I think is right. =ight now, there's a little girl who's

in a lot of trouble, and I can do a lot to help her. !nd I know I'd be proud if she were my daughter. I'll

be here for you until you can get back. 1o matter what happens, I won't let anyone take you away or

hurt you. kay( I doubt the little girl who shoots fire from her hands was looking for someone to

protect her, but I "ust said what I felt a father would say. =eally, it's not that far from the truth. I do feel

like that. )aybe I kind of am like a dad to her. I'm fine with that. That's good, actually. I wouldn't

mind that at all.

%ome on, we need to start walking. &e still have food to buy.(

+he smiles a bit and nods her head, her stuffed bear pulled to her chest. +he looks like a little

demon half the time, and as I saw earlier, she can act like one, but now I reali*e, she's "ust a little girl.

+he's not some machine of death or all<powerful being. +he's a little girl who lost her friends and

family. I have to give her what I have, and make sure it's enough.

%7uess you can't always ignore the monsters, eh kid(



Trail Bla$in!

!fter dropping off the clothes, we made a second trip and bought some food. I grabbed

everything I could from macaroni to some popsicles, everything I thought a kid would like to eat.

&hat's weird is, as much as we spent getting her clothes and buying food, we barely put a dent in the

money that guy gave us. &e even bought a couple board games. -ow much money does he have if

he's able to "ust give away wads of cash like that

+o here we are now, at home again, getting ready for the next day. !nnie and I came to a bit of

an understanding about each other, but if I tried to explain that in words... I'm not sure I could. !ll I

know is that I'm happy, and she's happier than she was before. +he really is a good kid.

%!lright, it's getting late. &e can keep playing tomorrow.( +he whines. It took her a little

while, but I taught her how to play battleship. +he's been having a blast saying she's setting my ships

on fire rather than "ust sinking them. It creeped me out a little at first, but it made sense when I thought

about it. ! girl whose soul is burning is bound to have a little pyromania.

%1o fair, you're "ust saying that because you're losing again6( Yeah, I forgot to mention. +he's a

natural at the game. I haven't won since the first game we've played, and we've been playing for a

couple hours now. It's almost disheartening.

%1o6 =eally6 ook, I'll even leave everything out. et's "ust close the games and we can pick

up where we were tomorrow, okay( I hate losing, but I'm not that low. It's almost midnight now, and

we're supposed to be meeting that guy tomorrow. I look at the address written on the fridge and think

back to when he walked up to !nnie and I. -e seemed... really caring. -e seemed like a really, really

good person, but he had something really bad welling up inside him. It was almost scary. I couldn't

feel it at first, but that's because the feeling was "ust so overwhelming at the time. It took a couple

hours to grasp that much about him, and when I came to the reali*ation, I almost got sick.

%If I leave it out here, you'll cheat6( h no, don't even start with me6

%heat6 I'd never cheat6 I can beat you without any stops6 You're no match for my adult



mind6( I start laughing an evil laugh, but she "ust gives a smirk.

%I've beaten it ten times already.( I stop my laugh, staring at the ceiling. Dammit, she's so

cruel.

%an't you let me "ust feel good about that much !ll I have going for me right now is that I'm

older than you6 I don't want to have to admit you're smarter than me too6(

+he starts laughing. +he really does seem like an ordinary kid, no matter how you look at

things. +he's even sitting with a stuffed bear on her lap, pink pa"amas and all. It's hard to believe she's

spent her entire life fighting political battles and makeshift wars. There's not a trace of that in her

personality at all. +he's way too collected, way too modest, and way too cute of a kid to have been

fighting life or death battles. I still can't wrap my mind around that idea.

%-ow about this Tomorrow we'll learn another game. You're pretty good at this one, but I

don't think you can beat me in the next one. /or now, though, bed. &e have to go talk to =iven and

her friend tomorrow. There's a lot of things we still have to figure out, and it sounded like he knew a

lot more than either of us did.( +he places her elbow on the table, and her face on her hand, staring at

the board in front of her. +he's barely tall enough for me to see her over the top of the shield.

%-e "ust wants to use us. -e has a plan, and so does =iven. That's why they were looking for

us.( 0retty observant for a little kid. )akes me wonder how much of reality she really grasps.

%Yeah, you're probably right. -e definitely wants to use us for something. &e have a couple

advantages, however. ne is that we can always refuse. Two, is that you have some cra*y powerful

magic. I'm pretty sure you know you can take them both out. That's why you're not too worked up

about it. You almost look excited for it.(

%1ah, I'm not excited. I'm "ust happy. If =iven's here, that means some friends are here, too.

!nd maybe Tibbers is here somewhere... &hat's number three(

%I never said I had three reasons.( I look at her with a smile. +he's figured out my regular

pattern by now. 2very time I think of a problem, think of solutions, think of scenarios, etc., it's always



in threes. That's what they say about life in general, though, right It always comes in threes.

%There's always a third...( +he says with puffed out cheeks, looking towards the wall next to

her. +he's getting grumpy because I won't tell her h man, that's too good. I'll have to abuse this

more often.

%1ah, no third. +orry. an't think of one. 1ot worth it. Too boring. 7o to sleep, we'll talk

tomorrow.( f course there's a third. There's always a third, but this is way too much fun to "ust pass

up. +he looks back to me, her brow furrowed with little kid anger. It's adorable in a way, except for

her nasty habit of starting herself on fire. That part worries me a little.

%1o6 There's a third and you know it6 +top being a "erk6( I can't help but laugh at this. +he's

so worked up over something so simple. &hen she sees me laughing, she stops for a couple seconds,

"ust staring. Then she "ust smiles and hugs her bear a little.

%Yeah, !nnie. You're right. There's always a third. The third is that we don't have anything left

to lose. -e has all kinds of information. 1o matter what, we're going to end up learning more than we

knew before, and every bit is going to help you get back to your own world. +ince we have nothing to

lose, we can do pretty much anything. It's a pretty big advantage, when you think about it.( +he gets

mad again as I'm saying this. 1o, she's not "ust mad. -er eyes are filling up a little. +hit, did I say

something that wrong h man, what happened

%That's not true... That's not true...( That's not true h... 1o... she's right. It's not true. I guess

we do have something to lose now. I'm so stupid some times.

%Yeah, !nnie, you're right. That's not true. I'm sorry.( I feel like an ass now. !fter I "ust said

all that earlier to comfort her, I started acting like I forgot about it. +he's not going to forgive me for

that one.

%If something bad happens to you, then there's no one left. +o don't say there's nothing to lose.

You're "ust lying if you say that.( Yeah, I was lying. I don't want to admit I have something to lose

now. That's what helped me live the way I did for so long, not worrying about what's going on around



me or how I acted. I was able to think to myself that there's nothing left for me to lose. +o what if I

die +o what if I go broke I don't have any family left, and my friends haven't talked to me since high

school ended. There was nothing for me to lose.

5ut that's different now. 1ow, I'm a makeshift dad. If something happens to me, she's left all

alone. +he'll have no one left, and despair will probably take control of her life. &hat's worse, if

something happens to her... if something happens to her, I don't know what I'd do. I wouldn't let that

guy get away with it. I know that much. I get up from my chair and walk over to her, and kneel down

so that I'm "ust above eye level.

%Yeah, we have everything to lose now. Don't we +orry, I won't make that mistake again.( I

pat her on the head, and then walk over and lay down on the couch. %7o get ready for bed. &e have a

long day tomorrow.( +he's "ust sitting there, holding her bear, looking at where I was before. !fter a

couple seconds, she looks at me with a half<smile and nods her head. Then she heads into the

bathroom, cleans up, and goes to sleep in the other room. ucky brat, she is, that I'm willing to give up

my ama*ing bed. &ell, I guess the couch isn't too bad.

I lay awake for an hour or so, thinking about different possibilities for tomorrow and what

problems we might run into. There aren't too many bad possibilities, and most of them are extremely

improbable, so I'm not too worried about it. &hat I am worried about is what he wants us to do. It

can't be something easy. If it were, we wouldn't have been given so much of a reason to help them. -e

could have "ust hired someone more capable with that kind of money. That means he has to have

!nnie for whatever it is. That thought makes me a little nervous.

I hear something coming from my bedroom, and it takes me a couple seconds to figure out what

it is. 0oor kid. +omething tells me she'll be crying herself to sleep for a while, before things start to

feel better. I wish I could help somehow, but I honestly can't think of anything. I stay awake a little

longer, waiting for that crying to stop before I go to sleep. &hat kind of person would I be if I could

sleep at night, knowing someone I cared about was crying I'll always make sure she gets to sleep



before I do. That's only right.

&hen I open my eyes, it's still pretty dark outside. I look at the clock. It's only five in the

morning, but I don't think I'll be able to fall back to sleep. I sit up and think back to last night. 0oor

kid... I should go check on her.

I crack the door, "ust barely, and see a little red<haired girl sleeping peacefully on a bed way too

big for her. +he's wrapped herself up in the blankets like some kind of caterpillar. -er bear's head is

barely poking out of the blankets, almost strapped to her with how tightly the blankets were wrapped.

=ed streaks stain the skin around her eyes, and the look a little puffy. It "ust makes me wish I could

stop the crying. I hate knowing there's something I can't help her with. +lowly, I close the door,

making sure not to disturb the sleeping child. +he deserves all the rest she can get.

I grab a new change of clothes from a laundry bin, clean up as much as I can, and start cooking

breakfast. Thankfully, cooking is something I'm good at. It helped living with people who couldn't

cook for their life. It made me want to cook my own food, because I was tired of eating things that

were made so poorly you could say they weren't meant for a human stomach. It was gross, eating crap

people would "ust carelessly throw on a stove and call food.

I decide on making biscuits and gravy, with a side of bacon and eggs. It might help cheer her up

a little if there's good food laid out for her when she wakes up. &aking up to a good meal can make

anywhere feel like home. 2ven the little stuff should help her feel better. ! couple minutes after I

finish cooking, I'm greeted with the familiar sight of a little girl shuffling her feet, bear in hand, as she

rubs her eyes and yawns.

%7'morning sleepy. -ere, a breakfast fit for a king. &ell... a really southern king, maybe.( +he

looks at me a little confused, her eyes still almost shut from "ust waking up.

%+outhern king... so there are kings here( 8ings here -uh... +o she's used to a matriarchal

government. I wonder what kind of world they have out there. +omething to think about for later.

%&ell, we had a lot of kings a long time ago. !bout a thousand years ago, there were several



kings all with land right next to other kings. They fought a lot amongst themselves to take over the

land and grow bigger. !fter a while, it became accepted that fighting each other was a bad way to

handle things. ne of the largest kingdoms claimed control over the others, but left them with their

own laws and order for things. It worked for a while, but wars still broke out for control.

%&e haven't had kings for a while now. +ome smaller countries still have kings, and a couple

larger ones have kings that are more "ust a figurehead than actual power, but most royalty has

disappeared.( +he blinks a couple times, looking at me, then back to the food. Then back to me.

%You're stupid.( &ell... That was unexpected. I'm stupid. 7ood to know.

%&hat the hell er... heck... &here did that come from( I'm trying not to laugh, but I can

barely contain it. I'm sure she sees my smile.

%1o one wants to learn history while they eat. That stuff doesn't matter, anyway.(

%You're the one who asked6 7ee*... that's the last time I try to teach you anything.( I sit down

next to her and start eating. +he laughs a little, and then starts eating herself. That was the last thing

we said until both of us had finished. 1ot an eventful breakfast, but it was enough to make her feel

more at home, I'm almost certain.

earning history, huh If she stays her long enough... would she have to go to school That

might be something worth looking into. 5ut how would that work If something goes wrong, there's

not too much to stop her from setting other students or teachers on fire. Yeah, that wouldn't end well.

There has to be something I could do, right -omeschooling #gh... I can't do that. I have to start

working again soon. The money that guy gave us will only last for so long.

Yeah, that's right. &e have to hear more from him. That's what I should do before thinking

about anything else. /ind out as much from him as possible. It didn't seem like he wanted to simply

use us. -e wanted to help us. There was something in it for both of us, and that's a definite advantage.

%!lright, go brush your teeth. &e need to leave soon.( +he looks at me for a second, and her

eyes slowly climb to the ceiling. +he looks up and twirls her foot slightly.



%I already brushed 'em. et's go6( +he runs to the door, but I grab her arm. I'm not falling for

this one, every kid does the same thing.

%&hoa, whoa, whoa. You already brushed them You sure about that( +he looks down, her

eyes in their corners. It's so obvious she's lying that it hurts.

%Yeah, when I woke up...(

%h That was only a little while ago. &ell, guess I'll go check.( -er eyes get wide. +he

panics a little and starts stammering, but I walk past her and head towards the bathroom. +he's still

stammering, trying to come up with something to stop me from walking. I try not to laugh. It's way

too funny watching her get worked up over something like this. I turn to her "ust before I go in the

bathroom.

%+hould I check r maybe you'll "ust brush them again( +he puffs out her cheeks and looks

at the floor.

%I'll brush them...( Fictory6 )aybe I can be a good influence. This might not be so bad after

all. I laugh a little, then walk back over to her and ruffle her hair.

%You know, it's faster to "ust do it than try to lie about it. It's better for you, too. You don't want

your teeth to rot out, trust me.( +he looks at me and nods her head.

%Yeah, I know. There's a man named )undo who has really bad teeth. 8iersta says if I don't

brush them, my teeth will look like his. -e doesn't have a lot of teeth but the ones he does have a really

gross.( )undo &hat the hell is with these names

%&ell... uh... yeah, you should probably brush them.(

!fter our weird little discussion, and of course after she brushes her teeth, we head off into

town. The morning air is pretty cold, so I made her wear a sweater I bought the other day. n our way

to the strangers home, we walk past some of the destruction left by the still<rampaging monster.

)assive footprints are scattered around the roads and sidewalks, and several cars have been beaten and

torn. +ome buildings are even damaged. It looks like a war *one out here. +cattered around are



different )0's and cops, along with what look like medics and firefighters. They're all scattered

around, but they're ready to take off at a moments notice.

It takes a while to find it, but we wind up outside what looks like a massive mansion. &hat the

hell is this This is way too huge. I didn't even know a house like this was in town. &hat does this

guy do for a living -e looks way too young to be owning a business, but that has to be the case for

sure. There's no way someone without a 2 status is making that kind of cash. h, maybe he's

famous

Deciding there's no point in trying to figure out useless crap, I grab !nnie's hand and we head

through the gates. Though there's a guard<box, no one is taking post and the gate is open. dd. You'd

think someone with those kinds of resources would have every position filled.

&e make our way through some impressive garden work until we reach the main door. I look

for a doorbell, but all I can find is a standard knocker. I pull it back to swing it against the solid wood,

but the moment I do, I hear a bell ring. +o the knocker is the doorbell Isn't that a bit redundant I

follow through with my swing anyway. I hear the bell ring again, and it's accompanied by the heavy

knock I made. That should be more than enough to let them know we're here, even in a house this big.

The door swings open, and on the other side of it stands the girl from before. I speak first.

%=iven, right Is now a good time( +he looks a little annoyed by something, but her face

lightens up a little when she sees myself and !nnie. +he steps back from the door, granting us entry.

%Yeah, you're fine. Doc is talking to someone right now, but he should be done soon. In fact,

you should probably "oin them.( +he signals for us to follow her, and the door closes with a loud slam

behind us. !nnie s$uee*es my hand a little, and I look over to see she's worried about something.

)aybe I should keep my guard up a little more.

+he leads us through a large hallway, up a small flight of stairs, and into a large lounge room.

5ookcases line the walls of the room, with a large TF centered on the far end. In the center of the

room is a large green area rug with a pool table on top. +ticks are lined up against a rack nearby. !t



another end of the room sits a chess table, laid out as if someone were in the middle of a game. n the

same table sits a book with a bright red cover with '8asparov' written in bold white letters. +o he's an

avid chess player, huh ooks like he spends a lot of time studying. I look at the shelves around me,

and they're all odd psychology books about relationships and social experiments, along with some

others I can't $uite understand. There are several other chess books mixed in between. This guy is nuts

with the chess.

+itting at a rather nice dining table, two men are talkingB The guy who gave me the message

from before, and someone new. This new guy is dressed with some pretty fancy clothing, but tops it

off with what looks like an old cowboy hat. 2verything about him says 'refined', but the hat with his

long hair and beard say, 'watch out.' It's a weird combination.

5oth of them ended their conversation the moment the door opened, and now they're staring at

myself and !nnie, waiting. I spent a little more time gawking at my surroundings than I would have

liked, and I'm sure I look like a complete idiot to the both of them. =iven follows us into the room and

shuts the door behind us. The guy sitting across from the cowboy is the first to talk.

%You're here a little early, aren't you &ell, don't be shy. Take a seat. There's a lot to talk

about, and you'll probably be here for a while. You didn't make any other plans, did you( -is voice is

really calm and smooth, but I can hear "ust the faintest amount of pain behind it. It's a side effect of the

rage I could feel coursing through him earlier. This guy is dangerous in a lot of different ways, but he's

no enemy.

%1o, please. &e can be here for as long as you need us to be.( -e clasps his hand around his

mouth and chin, resting his head on it, his elbow placed on the table. -e's deep in thought, but the look

of serenity never leaves his eyes. I "ust barely notice a scar burned into his hand, but I can't $uite make

out what it looks like or how big it is. The only thing that shows it's there is the sudden change in

lighting across the back of it.

%&ell, no need to wait for me to ask again. ome on, sit down.( ops, I forgot he had already



offered. This is a really bad first impression. I "ust walked into a room filled with intelligence and I'm

fumbling around like an idiot. !nnie's still holding my hand, s$uee*ing a little harder than before. I

look at her face, and she's staring at the man in the hat with suspicion. I try to bring her over with me

so we can take a seat, but she's following reluctantly. The two men are facing each other, sitting at

opposite ends of the table, so I decided to sit on the edge between the two. !nnie drops into the chair

next to me, but furthest from the cowboy. The other gentleman speaks to her.

%1o need for suspicion, !nnie. Twisted /ate has nothing to gain by bringing you to someone

from 1oxus. !s it stands now, there's no way for him to bring you there in the first place. -e's stuck

here "ust like you are. &e've also come to a little agreement, so breaking his promises would end rather

unfavorably for him. #nderstand(

+he looks away from the rustic magician to the man sitting across from him, her suspicion still

present. The man sighs, closing his green eyes as he faces towards the table "ust in front of him. -e

looks to me and begins speaking again.

%+orry for all the mystery. I'll clear up most of your $uestions, and if anything else comes up,

feel free to ask. /or starters, my name is Doc. The woman leaning against the pool table is =iven, and

the gentleman sitting over there is known as Twisted /ate. 5oth of them are from the same place as

!nnieB =uneterra. They also share in common that they're all champions of the eague of egends.

%=iven is my partner, as !nnie would be yours. Twisted /ate stated he doesn't have a partner,

but his lingering bond would say otherwise.( The man in the hat scowls a little as he hears this, but

doesn't otherwise respond to the statement. %!s it turns out, all 33; champions of the eague of

egends have found themselves on our little planet. +ome are peaceful in nature, some are more

neutral, and some...( I think to the monster attack from earlier.

%!re more chaotic( Doc nods.

%Yeah, chaotic is the best word for it. I'm trying to gather as many of these champions as I can.

The fewer roaming around, the less trouble there will be later on. #nfortunately, some of them



disagree with this. &e've "ust learned from Twisted /ate that a man named &arwick was killed

recently.( !nnie's eyes widen a little. %This is no simple feat, though I'm sure you've figured out that

much. f course, if it were done by another champion, this would be all done and over with. 1o

problems whatsoever. 5ut that's not the case.(

1ot the case -e means this &arwick guy was killed by someone or something else &hy

does that matter &hat does that mean

%It's not really relevant he was killed by someone not a champion. &hat is relevant is that the

champions here are in as much danger as we are by them being here. 5onds are going to be made,

others are going to be broken. &ar is a possible outcome. The goal I've set is to stop this from

happening. If news of champions dying starts spreading to the others, they'll become paranoid and

block themselves off from all outside sources, focusing only on how they can get back by themselves.

5ut that's where the problem lies.(

%They can't get back by themselves, can they( -e nods, then rests his head on his hand again.

-e closes his eyes, thinking, though it looks more like he's sleeping.

%Twisted /ate has $uite the wonderful talent. 1ot only can he send himself to almost any

location instantly, but he knows the identity of every person within a certain distance of him. That

distance is about the si*e of this country, but he can limit it as he needs. !ll he needs to know is the

name, description of, and demeanor of whoever we're trying to find.(

%+o then you already know where all the other champions are.( I say, looking to Twisted /ate,

who's been hiding his face under his hat for the most of the conversation.

%Yeah, I've got pretty much all of 'em tracked.( -is accent is heavy southern. I don't know how

that's possible since he's from another dimension, but I won't argue with it.

%+o... what's the problem then &hy are we here(

%-ow much have you figured out, )ark( )ark &hat the hell, he knows my name h, of

course. The guy in the corner. If he knows !nnie, he can probably figure out who the person next to



her is with his weird ability. They must have been talking about me for a while.

%&hat do I know so far... &ell, I've figured out they're not from this world. 0robably not from

the same universe.(

%Yes, that's correct. &hat else(

%I know that the eague of egends is a political arrangement to prevent wars from breaking

out. It's probably a neutral territory or state that acts as a mediator for all the others.(

%Fery good, you've thought through even that much. -ave you figured out anything else(

%!nnie said she was being kidnapped when she was sent here. +he said there was a bright

flash, and she wound up in my house. That means they were all sent here at around the same time, to

random places, but within a certain distance of something. +omething acted as a guide for them when

they crossed over.(

%Impressive. &hat else(

%+o... if we find that guide, we can probably use it to send them back. The only thing I haven't

figured out is how they were sent here. If they were sent here because some ass... er... "erk... was doing

it for kicks, there might not be a guide here at all. The spell could have "ust centered around this area,

meaning it'd be close to impossible to send them back. Though, if someone in the eague had the

power to send them here, there's a good chance someone has the power to bring them back. +o the fact

that they haven't been brought back brings up some arguments...

%7aaaaah, I don't know6 It's too much. I don't know enough about the eague, the people in

charge, or magic to come up with something that makes any sense.( -e smiles a little and looks over

to Twisted /ate.

%&ell, guess it's good that we have some people here who do know those things. I came to

most of the conclusions you came to, but I figured out a few other things as well. /or starters, someone

is pulling all the strings.( I hear a voice come from behind me.

%You never told me that. &hat did you figure out( =iven seems interested now. I guess that



makes sense. It concerns her as much as everyone else, even if she doesn't feel like sitting to "oin us.

Doc leans back in his chair, rocking it back and forth on two legs, looking at the ceiling.

%The magic used to bind you to the different nexus at the eague is extremely stable. If it

wasn't, it wouldn't bind itself to other things when you arrived. !n outside influence sent you here.

&hen you were sent here, the binding was cut. 2verything keeping our chaotic friends in check was

removed, and that was exactly what someone wanted. If the bond is cut, they can do as they please

without immediate retaliation.( &hoa, that's not good. I'm starting to understand what he's saying a

little. Doc continues with his explanation.

%They've been planning this for a while now. It was far too well played for it to have been "ust a

spontaneous decision. They picked the location, and picked the timing as well. /rom what I

understand, it was done late at night. During this time, all hell broke loose.( I grunt and glare at him.

-e gives me a $uestioning look. It takes him a couple seconds to understand, but he rolls his eyes and

says, %I mean 'heck'. !nyway, !nnie was being kidnapped, Twisted /ate was talking to an old friend of

his, and =iven was in the midst of a high tension conversation with an old 1oxian commander.

Different events that would demand attention from the eague appeared all at once, diverting the

attention from whatever it was they were doing to set this up.

%)y guess is that when there's an emergency involving champions of the eague, they're all

summoned at once to different chambers with a respective nexus they're bound to. These bonds were

sabotaged, and somehow, when they were called to those chambers, they were sent here instead.(

=iven growls a little, annoyed about something. Twisted /ate also slams his fist against the

table, and even !nnie looks pretty upset. They've all come to some conclusion I haven't reached. Doc

looks at me and laughs. %ooks like you're the only one who doesn't understand. That's fine, it took

me as long as now to figure it out without any connections to the eague. You've only "ust found out

some of these details.( -e might be smart, calm, and collected, but he's pretty damn condescending.

%-ey man, I'm only going to understand what you're willing to explain. This is way too much



work for a guy like myself. I don't have the energy for it.( -is smile fades to a smirk, and he closes

his eyes again, slamming his chair back to all four legs.

%Yeah, that's true. ! person can only know what they're told. 5ut if that's the case, why do you

two both know that song(

kay, someone's definitely fucking with me here. There is no possible way for him to know

that. This doesn't make any sense at all. -e knows way too much. %&ho the hell are you( I ask this

as a serious $uestion, but I almost yell it. I hear =iven reach towards her sword, and even Twisted /ate

pulls out a deck of cards. !nnie starts brimming up with flame.

%That's too much, Doc6 There's no way you should know that much about me6 &ho are you

really, and what do you want &hy are we here right now( -is smile never wavers, his eyes always

looking the same. They're deep wisdom, but shine with the mischief of a child. -e's extremely

dangerous, but I never got the feeling he was an enemy until "ust now. I'll have to keep an eye on him.

%alm down =iven, T/. -e's right to be upset. !fter all, he believed that to be a private

conversation, I'm sure. &e shouldn't know about something like that. 5ut we do. )ost of that is

because of Twisted /ate's surveillance. The rest of it is because you're as easy to read as one of the

books on that shelf. an I ask you something, )ark(

This is getting annoying. %&hat(

%&hy not "ust sleep with !nnie at night( )y mind blanks a little. &hat

%+orry, could you repeat that. It sounded like you "ust asked why I don't sleep with a ten year

old girl.( I'm sure that's not what he said. -e's not that kind of freak, there's no way. I look over to

!nnie expecting her to be "ust as weirded out as I am, but reali*e she wouldn't really understand this

conversation. Twisted /ate is "ust laughing a deep laugh, playing with a deck of cards, performing

flourishes that would make most magician's cry.

%&ell gee*, )ark. I didn't mean it like that. I didn't think you were into that kind of thing.

That's pretty nasty, you know.( 1ow I'm pissed. &hat the hell &here does this guy get his kicks,



saying shit like this

%alm down, I'm only kidding. Though, /reud would wonder about your first impression of my

statement...( I grit my teeth and was about to start yelling, when he starts talking again.

%I'm talking about as a parent. Does a parent not sleep with their child when they're afraid

&hen they wake up at night from a nightmare, or can't sleep out of fear, doesn't a parent stay with them

to comfort them +o why haven't you done that yet( I lose the urge to start yelling at him, and start to

think of what he's saying. -e's right. It never even crossed my mind, but that's probably the best way

to handle it. I look over to !nnie. +he's fiddling her fingers and playing with Tibbers, pretending not

to pay mind to the conversation ongoing. +he thinks so too, huh

%It's because you're afraid to accept full responsibility for her. =ight now, you can treat her as

you would a stranger. &hen the time comes to say goodbye and part ways, you can do it, because you

never let the bond grow. You were never honest with yourself, and you're doing your best to hide from

the reality of your situation. You still wish she wasn't in your life, and wish you didn't have to deal

with these problems. You'd be happy if she disappeared.(

%That's not true, you fucker6( The room gets tense again, and =iven puts her hand on the hilt of

her sword again. This time, T/ does nothing. 5ut I don't care. I get up from my chair and grab the

little shit by the collar. %&ho the hell are you to say how I feel about the kid, huh6 &hat makes you

think it's okay to say shit like that &hat makes you think I don't care about her, that I wouldn't protect

her I would die for her6 I would rather die than see her fight. If I could give my life to send her home

to a loving family, or back to 8iersta, I would gladly do it6 There isn't anything I wouldn't do for her6

&hat would a shitty little kid like you understand6(

I hear =iven running up to me from behind, and I can feel !nnie burning up behind me, but T/

is "ust sitting there laughing. Doc smiles and holds his hand out to =iven, signaling for her to stop.

!nnie must have seen it too, because I can feel her flames dying down.

%That was a lot of swearing, man.( -e pushes aside my hands with a $uick movement, kicks



away the chair, brings his arm to my chin and strikes hard. Then he pushes his hand forward, hard, and

shoves open<palmed into my neck. I should have gone flying backwards, but don't because the table

"ust behind me digs deep into my back. I hear a crack, and get scared. I can't tell if that was my spine

or the table. &hat the hell is this kid -e's way too strong.

!nnie starts burning furiously, fire pouring out from her, and the entire room heats up to a

ridiculous temperature. I see her as though she's upside down because of how I'm laying on the table.

+he's crying, but her eyes are empty of all vision and emotion. This must be how she looks when she's

fighting. This must be how she's able to fight. +he blocks it all out and lets the flame take over. Doc

stops and looks at the burning child, unflinching, uncaring.

%That's pretty scary. +he could probably kill us all in a matter of seconds.( !fter Doc says this,

Twisted /ate stands up and ad"usts his hat. Doc "ust nods at him, flame licking at his body. -e doesn't

seem to feel it, though. -e doesn't even look phased. 2ven though she's not trying to hurt me, it seems

like I feel the heat more than Doc does. I look back at Twisted /ate to see him holding a card that's

shining with a bright yellow color. intently =iven is obviously struggling not to take action.

The card disappears when it hits !nnie, leaving no sign of it having been there at all, and she

suddenly drops to the ground. !ll the flames in the room disappear, and Doc is completely unharmed

other than a few holes burnt into his clothes. &hat the hell is this guy

I look back towards !nnie, worried. I still can't get up for some reason. )aybe that really was

my spine. !nnie's laying on the ground still, and hasn't moved yet. )y heart stops for a second, but I

calm down when I see she's still breathing. +he's "ust unconscious.

%I know these things, )ark, because I already went through them.( -e holds up his hand,

showing an image burned into both sides of his hand. It looks like an angel's wings stemming from a

cross. It also looks like an extremely brutal burn. The flesh is bright red, and the scar goes so deep

you'd think it hit bone.

%If you truly opened up to !nnie, you'd have this as well. Yours wouldn't be the same as mine,



but you'd have something showing that her bond reconnected to you. Did you know that when

someone wants to "oin the eague of egends, they're forced to go through a room guarded by a single

summoner In that room, the summoner pulls every horrible memory they can find from the

champions mind and forces them to relive the most horrific events of their lives, to learn their true

motives and feelings. That's only one reason, however. The second reason is to open up a connection

for the bond to reach to.

%If they strum the right cords, they can connect that bond. +ome champions disregard these

memories out of sheer will, but they still feel the emotions they bring, or the memory of those

emotions. That's enough to form the bond. +o when I see you swearing you'd give your life for her,

that you'd throw everything away to make her happy, yet I don't see that bond marked into you, I begin

to wonder. !re you really telling the truth, )ark Is that really how you feel about her r are you

"ust saying that so you can feel like you're a good person, like you're doing the right thing

%Think long and hard about this, )ark. It's going to define the course of your life. Do you

actually care for !nnie, or is she "ust another escape from reality If you choose the former, open up to

her and let the broken bond connect. If you choose the latter, leave her here and go home. I'll take care

of the rest, and you won't have to burden yourself with her anymore..(

I push myself off the table, slowly. Thankfully, it was the table that snapped, and not my

nervous system. It hurts to move, and my legs can barely hold my weight, but I force myself to walk

towards Doc. %You know, you're a manipulative little shit. I'm not sure how I feel about that.(

I take another step towards him. =iven relaxes her grip on her sword and T/ sits down at the

other end of the table. Doc walks towards me, and extends his hand. h, is that what he thinks I'm

trying to do +hake hands &ell then.

I turn around halfway to look at the magician. %!nnie... she's okay, right( -e nods his head.

f course, I knew she was fine. This was "ust an excuse to bring my arm back. #sing the momentum

from my turn and the space I gave myself for movement, I swing my arm as hard as I can, putting all of



my body into it. I lose my balance as I do this, but I don't care.

)y fist slams into Doc's head, hard. =iven yells out, and he flies back a good distance, crashing

into the chair he kicked away before and knocking a few books off of the shelf. That felt really fucking

good.

=iven goes to grip her sword again and starts to walk forward, but when she sees I can't move

anymore she relaxes. Twisted /ate is laughing again. This =iven chick really needs to lighten up. I

lay on the ground, "ust a little away from Doc, and let out a little laugh.

%+orry, but you piss me off.(

-e lets out his own little laugh. %ooks like there's still a lot of things even I can't predict.

+orry about that, but it's the truth. You needed to hear it.( I think about this for a second before saying

anything. )y legs hurt, and my hand is killing me because of that punch.

%Yeah, you're right. I needed to hear it. It was true. I was lying to myself, "ust trying to ignore

the monster in the room like I normally do.(

%Yeah... 5ut you know, sometimes you can't ignore the monsters.( I said that when I was with

!nnie earlier, didn't I )an, why did I put it off for this long

%Yeah, sometimes you can't ignore the monsters.( &e're both laying on the ground. Twisted

/ate got bored of laughing, and I can hear cards riffling in the background again. -e gets up from

where he was sitting and speaks.

%&ell, you two lovebirds don't go nowhere. Imma' go get our little inventor friend.( !nd he

sinks into the ground before disappearing completely.

%h, that's right. &hat's your choice !re you going to leave her here, or are you going to

bring her with you(

%That's no good Doc. You're the one lying now. I can tell, you invited me here to ask me to

stay here with her. !fter all, you want to keep an eye on all the champions. The more pieces you have,

the better game you can play.( I look at the chess books lined up on the wall. -e gives a short laugh.



%You play too, huh(

%Yeah. It's been a while, but I play too. I was gonna teach !nnie when we got back, but I guess

I'll "ust have to teach her here instead.(

%+o you'll do it then( This is easily the most awkward conversation I've had with someone.

!fter punching each other out, we're laying on the ground in a pile of books, chairs, and pieces of table,

talking to each other about me living with him and his weird group.

%Yeah, I'll stay. !fter all, I can't leave my kid with a stranger.(

-e laughs at this. &e continue to lay there for a couple minutes, and I feel myself drifting out

of consciousness. 5efore everything goes dark, I hear him say one last thing. -e gets up and looks at

me, his expression as calm as ever.

-e smiles and says, %I'll send someone to go get your stuff, and we'll get your room ready.( I

smile back, and close my eyes. )y head really hurts, and I can't move my legs or arms. -e hits way

too hard.

%!nd one last thing.( I open my eyes again, but my vision is really blurry and it hurts to keep

them open. I shut them, and dark swallows my mind. !ll I hear is an echo of what he said.

%&elcome to the game.(



Li!htin! the Choir

7od, my head is killing me. w, ow ow ow. I can't even think straight. This hurts way too

much. !lright, first thing first. I need to open my eyes. 1ope, bad idea, not gonna happen. w... it's

way too bright. )aybe I'll "ust lay here forever. Then I don't have to worry about it. Yeah, that's a good

idea. If I sleep, I don't need to think about my problems. It's like they were never there at all. 1o, I

can't do that.

!nnie is here, I need to wake up. I open my eyes and look around the room. 1othing looks

familiar. There's a beautiful dresser, ornate mirror, and the bed is much larger than mine was. It's much

nicer, too. The room is probably three times bigger than my room was, maybe four. I try to sit up, my

head still screaming in protest against the idea. I know the guy hit me in the neck, and my back hit the

table, but my head still hurts more than anything else. I don't think I ever hit my head, why does it hurt

so badly

I look up and down my body, though I can't really see anything through the blankets. Then I

look at my hand. There's a massive scar on the back of my hand, mirrored on my palm. It's in the

shape of what appears to be a horses head, but it looks more like a dragon. It's surrounded by flame,

and it has small marks that look like scales. -orns curl out of the top of its head. )agic, huh

This is a really messed up scar. -ow the hell does something like this even get so detailed It

looks like some kind of monster. -is scar was nothing like this. If anything, his was serene and

meaningful. !ngels wings at the end of a cross, reaching towards the other end. It was symbolic and

beautiful. This is "ust fierce and destructive. I don't like it, honestly. I'll have to ask about it later.

!s I'm thinking about this strange turn of events, and how this would make a great TF show, I

notice there's another bed on the other side of the room from me. n it, I can see "ust a small lump

under a mound of blankets. I've become used to seeing it by now. The little girl's red hair is barely

poking out the top, her bear following her lead, facing towards her. &as that thing really alive at one

point



I walk over to her bed and look at the stuffed animal, poking out from the coil of blankets "ust

by her head. It's definitely scratched up $uite a bit. !ll over, stitching and patches cover the bear,

showing it's history the same way scars would on a veteran of war. +ome of them even looked like

mini cuts from swords or spears, though it's hard to say because of how they're stitched. &ait, would

that even make sense This is "ust a vessel. -ow can I even say it fought with her if this isn't the real

thing

&ell, it makes sense. +he likes it way too much. I've never seen her even set it down. +he

always has it with her, and she treats it with more care than some people would treat fine china.

Tibbers, right I sit down on the bed. )y head is still killing me.

That was her best friend, and now he's gone. )aybe he's still alive somewhere in her world, or

maybe he's still sleeping, but my gut is telling me otherwise. I get the feeling she won't see him again.

That vessel is "ust a memory for her, a remnant of the past. /irst her family, then 8iersta, now the bear.

+he doesn't get to keep much. It's unfair.

&hat was it I thought before -er soul was burning. That's what I said. That's a lot of sadness

for a little kid, but she does her best to keep herself from being sad. That might mean it's turned into

something else, like anger. If that were the case, I could understand why her magic is fire. +he does

her best to control her emotions on the outside, so they go rampant on the inside. 0oor kid.

I shouldn't keep pitying her like this. I'm sure she'd be upset if she heard me saying it over and

over, but I can't help it. I "ust feel bad. 2very time she pops up in my head, the following thought is

how she's "ust a poor kid. It's my "ob now to make sure she isn't like that anymore. I need to make her

life better, and make sure she's raised right and raised happy. I need to help keep bad thoughts and

memories away.

I lay down on the bed, a little away from her. +he's got all the blankets wrapped up around her,

so I "ust fold my arms back and look at the ceiling. )y head is still pounding. Doc said the mark

signifies a bond between her and I, right !nd before T/ knocked her out, she heard everything I was



saying. &as that really enough

I'm still so tired from today. 1o, not "ust today. The past couple days have been a lot more

active than they usually are. )onsters attacking the city, a random kid appears in my apartment, and

now magic and a cra*y kung<fu master called 'Doc.' It's been way too much for me, and it'll take me a

while to get used to it. I close my eyes and try to sleep. I'm worried about what Doc will want myself

and !nnie to do, but for now, I should probably "ust ignore it. &hen the time comes, it comes. &e can

take care of it when it gets here.

%You know, he handled that a lot better than you did.( =iven, as usual, wants to test my

composure. It seems as though she's made a game out of it. Time and time again, she attempts to find

faults in my decisions or points out my flaws, hoping to find a string to pull. +he wants to find a

weakness, for one reason or another.

%-e didn't lose as much as I did when you had shown up. In fact, he's lucky. -e gained more

than he's had in the past. -is is more than "ust a bond between allies. -e's made himself a family out

of all of this, and sees himself as a father and protector. That should steel him for what he'll have to

face later on.( =iven doesn't like my answer. It doesn't show a weakness she so much desires to see,

nor does it show my motive, which she has yet to understand.

I've made my motive more than clear enough, but when I tried to explain to her, she took it as

simple revenge at first. That's not really the case. f course, I can't wait to kill that shadow. It's on the

top of my mind all the time, ways to trap it, ways to fight it, ways to kill it. It might always be a

thought I'm having, but it's never going to be a priority. It will always be "ust an afterthought,

something to act upon if the opportunity presents itself without extra circumstance.

!s much as she picks and prods at my person, I can tell she trusts me. +he has faith that I'll

make the right choices, and that I'm going to do the right thing when the time comes. I respect that

about her, her faithfulness and understanding. It helps keep me from making mistakes, and helps me



keep my thoughts and priorities in check.

%+o this scientist... -eimerdinger, was it Is he that important( +he's said a lot about the

inventor, but never really explained why we need him. )aybe it's more a presumption of hers, or hope

that he's created solutions or conclusions to help the rest of the champions.

%-e's one of the greatest minds in the eague of egends. Though he can't really fight, he's an

important ally, and one we should find before someone else does.( +he seems sure of it, so I'll "ust

leave it.

I look back at the board in front of me. In the book next to me are symbols of a game between

8asparov and Deep 5lue, along with his own analysis and speculation on the results. -e makes it clear

the only reason he could win is because Deep 5lue analy*ed possible moves by list, and not actual

outcome, which is impossible to reach with an algorithm. This was, of course, his match during 3MM9.

-e won three games, lost one, and they reached a draw for two.

In 3MM@, he lost to the same machine. -is speculation was that it was assisted by a human being

during one of the games, and that it was thinking in a way impossible for a machine to think. -is

accusation meant the machine had either surpassed the ability of a human mind, or that a greater human

mind was assisting it from the sidelines. It wasn't that he was a poor sport, it was that he knew the

game too well. -e understood how the computer should have been thinking, and understood the

patterns and repercussions of every decision he made, to a degree.

f course, this started all kinds of controversy, but the fact remains the same. 8asparov is one

of the greatest human minds of our century, and a master of the game. That game can be applied to all

things, beyond chess, to business, war, and even simplicities like love, in the same way !rt of &ar can.

The more you know one game, the more you know the other.

%+ay, =iven. You said he's 'one of the greatest minds'. !re there people you'd say are greater(

&ith the events that unfolded before, it's fair to say someone intelligent is pulling the strings behind

their mass relocation and the string of distractions for eague authority. Their understanding of the



magic, and ability for prediction and manipulation suggests as much.

+he closes her eyes in thought. %There's $uite a few that are close, but they all have their own

specialties. I don't think I could say one was greater than another, but some are definitely more

practical.(

%+o when I was talking before, all three of you reached a conclusion at around the same time.

+omeone came to mind, or something came to mind, and it made all of you upset at once. +omeone

betrayed the eague. The $uestion now, is who( +he's bound to have an idea of who we should be

looking for.

%The only people I can think of that are smart enough would be +wain, -eimerdinger, Giggs,

Fiktor, Gilean, and ?ayce. ee +in was once a summoner, so that's also possible.( +even people,

including -eimerdinger. The only ones I see as actual suspects would be +wain, Fiktor, ?ayce, -eimer,

and ee +in. ee +in only because he'd do something like this for a cause, to prevent a worse

catastrophe or perform a greater good, in which case I should respond by doing nothing at all. The rest

could all have ill intentions.

%&e'll talk to our yordle friend and try to learn more from there.( The amount =iven was able

to tell me was extremely helpful. 7eography of their world, their communication systems, political

systems, everything she knew, she told me. 2ven small amounts of their history, which has helped me

reach different conclusions about several champions.

!s I'm thinking, Twisted /ate returns with an unconscious furball in his hands. n closer

inspection, I see it's a ridiculously proportioned man with a large head, expanding past what should be

possible. This is almost too much, his appearance is far too comical. ooks like T/ knocked him out,

thanks to his gold cards. That makes things a lot easier. Turns out the eague limits $uite a bit of the

champions powers for one reason or another.

%+et him on the chair in the corner. &e'll wait for him to wake up. &as he upset( !n angry

inventor is the last thing I need. -is help is extremely important if we plan on doing anything. -is



technology should help keep )ark alive for longer than five seconds, at the very least.

%1ah. +eemed like he was expectin' it, if anything.( 2xpecting it Did he notice us making

our moves That's not good. +wain and Fiktor might start retaliating sooner than I thought. n the

bright side, that means we'll be getting some visitors soon.

%+o why'd you knock him out, if he was willing(

%+'more fun that way.( -e lets out a rough chuckle. This guy... he's $uite the character.

!s he laughs, we hear a small groan come from the chair across from me. ooks like we can

start putting pieces together. -e ad"usts himself and holds his head for a couple seconds, saying

something about a dirty card<shark. Then he regains his composure and looks at me.

%I suppose you have some in$uiries.( -is voice is high pitched, almost whiny, but it's somehow

fitting. -e groans at he straightens himself out more.

%Yeah, there are a few things I need to know. /or starters, how much of your technology can

you replicate on this world( -e thinks for a second, placing his hand on the side of his oddly shaped

head.

%I'm surprised you'd be so uncivili*ed. You sneak up on me, knock me unconscious, and then

kidnap me, bringing me to an unknown location. You then demand answers from me without first

answering my $uestions, while still hoping you may see me as an ally.(

%)y apologies. )y original instructions were to bring you here with as little conflict as

possible, but I see he translated that to 'as little resistance as possible.' !llow me to introduce myself. I

am known as The Doctor, or Doc for short. I'm sure you're ac$uainted with the rest.(

-e nods his head. %Yes, $uite. &ell then, Doctor, would you care to share your true name(

)y true name, huh Interesting re$uest.

%I would if I could.( -e sits in silence for a couple seconds, before responding.

%I doubt your speech is being limited by a superior, and I can not see your name being hexed.

!re you implying you have no name( Implying. I guess that's one way to put it.



%Yes, I suppose that would be the case. /or a while, I was given the false name lairemont, but

this had no meaning to me. It was disposed of.(

-eimer sits in thought, shifting uncomfortably. It doesn't look like he's pleased with the recent

events, though I'm "ust happy he's not completely pissed about it all. &e didn't exactly ask him if he

felt like coming here, though that's what I told Twisted to do.

%&ell then, 'Doctor,' I suppose it would benefit us both if I answered as succinctly as possible. I

can recreate nearly all of my previous advancements here. Though the passive magical energy is weak,

it is still present.( +traight to the point, complete understanding, no complications, total resignation.

This went remarkably well.

%&hat reasons do you see behind the mass relocation( This is the key to everything that

happened.

%I have put $uite some thought into this, and my own understanding of it is much more limited

than I would like it to be. I will say the main purpose of the transition was likely to remove a

secondary limiter created by the summoners of the eague of egends.(

%! secondary limiter(

%!s you most likely know, champions in the eague of egends have their power and ability

limited as needed to make the competitions more fair, though the powers that be often have trouble

determining what fair is. I digress, some champions willingly limit their powers. thers are limited

against their will, or with secondary conditions. )ost of these conditions are $uite severe, some of

them getting cut down to almost no power in comparison to their original power. +ome champions are

powerful enough to be considered pseudo<gods.( That's what I was afraid of.

%+o someone waited for this opportunity. They stalled time in the eague until it was suitable

for them, and then cut all ties to regain their full power. )eaning someones plan is coming to fruition,

or someone gained new power they wish to use. -opefully it's the latter...( -eimer "ust nods his head

as I talk. That brings up one last $uestion for me to ask.



%+o then... -ow much of a priority should 8arthus be right now( -e lowers his head and

shakes it. 1ot a good sign. %-ow much time is left(

%If he isn't found within two days time, life on this planet will be erased. The lack of magical

energy in this world has made all of its creatures extremely sensitive to its impact. The influence of the

lich would be enough to destroy all life, should he finish his spell.(

%That's what I thought... Twisted /ate6 &here is he( -e grunts in response.

%1ear the edge of town, on toppa' some building.( -e's out of town. -e's definitely

channeling. /or a spell as massive as he wants, it'll take some time, that's for sure. &e have to stop him

from finishing, but if we get too close... this could be a problem.

%T/... how's the population density look around him( -e looks at me, a little confused.

-eimer shakes his head.

%0opulation density The hell are you talking about(

%ook at how many people are in different areas, and compare that to the area around 8arthus.(

-e understands why I'm asking, and stays $uiet for a moment, focusing.

%1one. ! half mile is empty, and maybe four hundred are missing.( /our hundred !lready,

four hundred people died to the lich. I didn't reali*e his defile would be so strong. -ow can we close a

distance of half a mile That's ridiculous, we can't stop him if we can't survive going within half a mile

of him.

%/our hundred people... and that was entirely accidental. -e killed four hundred people by

standing there. &hoever made this plan, I hope they knew this was coming. -eimerdinger, what are

the chances of 8arthus being behind all of this &ould he do something to wipe out a planet( The

little man shakes his head.

%1o, the lich doesn't have the means nor desire to create such an event. This was purely

coincidental, and he is taking advantage of the current predicament. -e obsesses death, but he does not

do so preemptively.(



Chapter %

+leep +ong



A Hi!h &ote

%+o let me get this straight. ! godlike lich is channeling a spell to destroy the entire planet, and

around him, for a full half mile, is a defiled aura that kills anything it touches e$cept us. +o you, a kid

with a ton of problems that we should probably go over with a therapist, and myself, a guy with no

particular skill or talents when it comes to fighting, have to go stop him from channeling. !nd not "ust

stop him from channeling, no, we have to kill something that's already dead6( -e "ust stares at me

blankly as I yell all of this.

%I mean... yeah That's what I said.( -e leans back in his chair, kicking onto and off of the

table over and over.

%!re you retarded -ow are we supposed to kill something that's already dead -ow are we

supposed to kill anything at all I don't have any secret weapons or magic, and I don't know how to

fight6 &hat about you !ll you have is your shitty kung<fu6( -e raises an eyebrow.

%8ung<fu It's )uay Thai, not kung<fu. 5esides that, -eimer is making us some weapons as

we speak. 8illing a lich isn't really my cup of tea either, but someone has to do it.( -e closes his eyes

and continues to kick off the table again. %5esides, if we don't stop him, the entire planet dies. It's not

like we'll lose anything by trying even if we don't succeed. &e might as well try something.(

%1o6 -aven't you seen any movies or read any books(

%1o, not really.( -e says, uninterested.

%&e'll succeed. h we'll definitely succeed, but I'll be the one to die6 I'm the comedic relief

with no real practical use6 You're the main protagonist, and I'm "ust a supporting character6 If we go in

there, I'll die some horrible death and you'll be left alone to finish this with nothing but a memory of

my last words, with nothing but bitter feelings to guide the way, yet it will be enough to guide you

down the path of righteousness through the rest of your struggles. I don't wanna die man6 +crew that

noise6(

%That already happened, more or less.( -e states, nonchalantly kicking off the table as he has



been.

%+orry, what( !lready happened I'm pretty sure I'm still here. -ow could anything like that

have already happened Don't tell me he's already saved the world. I'm not sure I can handle that

much stupidity all at once.

%The girl I loved was brutally murdered right under my nose by a shadow named 1octurne.

-er last words were, 'Don't forget me, Doc.'( &ell... I feel like an ass. I should have figured he had

some personal reasons to be getting involved in something like this.

%&ow... I... #h...( I don't have a clue as to what to say. I "ust feel like a total ass.

%Don't worry about it. It's not your problem, it's my own. I promised not to lose anyone else,

and I promised to kill the shadow and punish whoever brought their world into ours. You won't get

hurt. &e'll get in, stop the lich, and get out. -e can't move or do anything else while he channels his

song. Don't be too afraid.(

=iven closes her eyes and says, %That might not be the case, Doc. The rest of the shadow isles

may want 8arthus to finish his song, which means he might have some guards. You can expect to see

)ordekaiser, -ecarim, Thresh, and Yorick. They'll be hoping for a new army, and do what they can to

stop you.( That doesn't sound good.

%T/, see anyone(

%1otta thing. 8arthus looks like he's alone. )orde, -ecarim, and Thresh are together, but not

with him. Yorick's off doin' his own thing. 2lise is walkin' through town, but it doesn't look like she's

grabbing too much attention.(

+o that's it then, huh &e have to go walk up to this almighty and powerful lich, and try to kill

him. Isn't that the point of a lich That they're unkillable That seems like it would be a problem, but

I "ust don't know enough about any of this.

%et's go now, then.( They look at me like I'm cra*y. %I want to go before !nnie wakes up,

otherwise she'll want to come with me. et's go now.( Doc smiles and lets out a sigh.



%&e can't go $uite yet, we're waiting for -eimerdinger to finish building some e$uipment.( -e

says. That's true, we can't kill the thing if we don't have weapons, right &e'll have to figure

something out.

%Do not underestimate my ability, Doctor. This is enough, should you decide to go now.( I

look over to see a little man with a massive brain<shaped head. &hat the hell -e's kind of scary

looking. %I've made you both weapons suiting what I believe to be your talents, based on your marks

and your personalities. /or you, Doctor, I believe a blade is the correct choice. You prefer close

$uarters and your mark would suggest an affinity for them.(

%&ait, a blade Isn't his mark a cross with wings( I could have sworn that's what I saw. I

look over at Doc, trying to get a glimpse of his hand. -e "ust laughs.

%It's all perspective, )ark. )aybe it is a cross. &ho knows Thank you, -eimerdinger. Your

speed and precision is truly remarkable.( The small man simply nods his head in response, and then

looks to me.

%You were an odd case, )ark. It took me a long time to figure out what would be suited to your

abilities and marking. !fter some $uick research, I found your mark is the mark of who you would call

!dramelech, a being of fire from certain mythos. This made things only harder to work with. In the

end, I decided on this.( -e holds out a wooden staff, charred black, with knots and "uts sticking out in

a fierce pattern towards the end. +everal red crystals of some kind or another line the staff near the

end.

-e continues, %This staff should amplify the power given to you by !nnie, though I can not say

for certain what that power is or how much it will be amplified. 0lease, be careful while using it.(

Doc's eyes widen a little. %-eimerdinger6 Isn't that a big risk -e has no experience with

magic, yet you're giving him something that draws out his magic power and refocuses it. -e could

burn himself away completely with "ust one mistake. That staff could even pull out his soul if he's too

weak.(



%True. This is $uite a dangerous item, )ark. #nless you are completely dedicated and

determined, and unless you can focus your desires to protect, you may destroy yourself with it. Do you

trust your own ability as much as I do, )ark( Trust my own ability The hell I don't have any

ability6 I'm "ust a normal dude living what used to be a normal life6 I don't know shit about magic, or

super powers, or whatever. -ow can I make a call about what I'm ready for or not

This is bullshit. They're basically asking me if I think I'm strong. 1o, I don't think I'm strong,

but they know I have to protect !nnie. -e's basically saying, 'If you don't take this staff, you don't

deserve to protect her because you have no right to.' That's "ust messed up. I don't want anything to do

with this shit to begin with.

%Yeah, gimme the staff already. et's "ust see what happens.( Twisted /ate gives a chuckle.

=iven seems more or less uninterested in anything other than convincing Doc that there's probably a

better way of dealing with this, rather than "ust throwing ourselves to a powerful lich. If she comes up

with anything relevant, I'm more than okay with staying here or following that plan instead.

%uite brave of you, )ark. r perhaps stupid. I suppose we will learn soon.( -e holds the

staff out towards me. It's slightly taller than I am, and looks ridiculous when held to the side by

someone as short as he is. I reach out for it, but then stop.

%&ait, isn't this a bit out of style for you I thought you were an inventor. +houldn't there be

cra*y guns or robots coming out of the rooms around us or something 1ot a sword and a stick, right(

Doc starts waving his hands to try and cut me off from saying something I probably shouldn't,

worried. =iven face<palms, and Twisted /ate starts laughing. They're all expecting some kind of

horrible result from me asking that $uestion, and maybe there should be one.

5ut there isn't, to their surprise. -eimerdinger looks at me, carefully, and says, %There is more

to techmaturgy than gears and servos. It all stemmed from basic magic, and so, I would say I know as

much as one of the eague's master summoners when it comes to spells and enchantments. #sing the

resources and time provided, I gave you the most powerful items I could.( -e said this with a calm



tone, but I could tell it annoyed him. -e takes a lot of pride in his work. /or me to ask something

stupid like that probably pissed him off.

%h...( is all I can think to say. %Thanks for trusting me, then. I'll do my best.( -e smiles at

this, and T/ loses his smile in response. That guy "ust loves seeing conflict, huh =iven also relaxes, a

smile on her face.

Doc shakes his head a little. -e pulls the sword out of the sheath and looks at the blade,

holding it in the air. To be honest, it looks like any other sword. n the base of the blade is a gold

symbol, exactly the same as the one on Doc's hand. -e stares at the symbol for a couple seconds, and

for "ust a split second, I see anguish creep into his expression. -e s$uee*es his chest, grabbing

something hidden under his shirt, and then sheathes the sword with a swift movement. dd...

I look back at the staff being held before me. It almost looks evil, the way the blackened wood

and patterns contrast against the red stones. -eimer pushes his hand out a little more, insisting I take it.

!lright, I've seen enough movies to know how this works. I'll grab it, and light and fire is going to

shoot out from it, symboli*ing my sudden "ump in power and its bond to me. They're all going to freak

out, and someone's going to say something about me being 'the chosen one'.

I reach out slowly, anticipating something ama*ing happening. I can feel pins and needles on

my hand as it reaches towards it. I stop for a second, worried about what they said before, but then

grab it $uickly to stop myself from thinking of it. )y hand goes numb a little, and then back to normal

again. !nd that's it. That was the extent of it. 1o colorful flame, no sudden explosion of power. )y

hand tingled. I feel a little disappointed.

I look at the markings on the top of the staff. !t the end, where the wood fans out into strange

knots and patterns, I see the same symbol that was on my hand, carved in almost perfect detail. It's a

beautiful staff, but I really don't think it's my style. It's dark looking and seems angsty. I don't much

like the marking either. I feel weird about it all. I push the end of the staff onto the floor and hear a

loud smack, and to my surprise the crystals at the top start to glow. They look like hristmas lights.



%You naturally give off excess magical energy when you move. This is a side<effect of your

bond with the dark child, and uni$ue to you. The carving and crystallite on the fray of the staff collects

that magical energy and stores it. The capacity is $uite massive, and may never fill in your life time.(

+o I have magic &hatever, this all seems fake. I'm still looking for the hidden cameras.

%&ell, what are we waiting for et's go finish this. I want to get back before !nnie wakes

up.( It'd be worse to go without her if she wakes up before I even get back. I don't want her to worry.

%!lright, if you're ready. Twisted, take us "ust outside the circle.(

%&hy am I even helping a guy like you( he mutters, before throwing cards at our feet. There's

a bright flash, and I see Doc and T/ sink into the ground and disappear completely. 5efore I know it, I

do the same. Things go dark for a second, and then I find myself rising up in the middle of town. !

couple is sitting on a bench, "ust outside of 8arthus' influence, staring at us in awe.

%You guys might not want to stick around here. It's not safe.( Doc says, with a bit of firmness

in his voice. The guy "ust nods his head, his "aw dropped, and pulls the arm of the girl who is still

staring at us in shock. This is actually a really nice part of town, and we're "ust outside of a small park.

T/ gives a mocking salute to Doc and vanishes into the ground again, supposedly back to the mansion.

%?ust us, huh( It seems bi*arre. &e're "ust two dudes who weren't anything special, but we

have to go kill a lich to save the planet. +eems like a really shitty story to me. Definitely b<movie

$ualities.

-e looks at me and responds the same. %Yeah, "ust us.( -e doesn't seem to happy about things

either. In fact, he looks downright pissed about the entire situation.

%Doc, you okay( I need to know he's still collected. I don't think he's the kind of person to

snap under pressure, but I want to make sure I'm not going into battle with some guy that doesn't care

anymore.

%+orry, "ust thinking of a few things.( ! few things

%ike what( -e thinks it over for a couple seconds, staring at a flower on the edge of the park.



I didn't notice before, but about :; feet into the park, you can see plants starting to die. It's only a

subtle change, but it's visible.

%?ust thinking about this whole thing. +trange people with strange powers from another world.

-ow it's up to me and someone I've never met to try and stop a lich from killing all life on the planet.

-ow much I hate whoever brought everyone here. &hoever they are, they'd better understand the

conse$uences of what they've done. They threatened all life on our planet, and the lives of everyone in

the eague of egends. )ore importantly, though, they're the reason 1ao is dead.

%I'm going to make sure they know what I'm feeling right now. I'm going to beat them at their

own game. They can sit back and try to play behind the scenes all they want, but I'll find who they are

and what their goal is, and I'll kill them with my own two hands. 1othing they say or do can change

that.(

%=evenge, huh( 2very time I've heard the word used, it's resulted in pain and suffering for

everyone. =evenge has never been a good thing in my book, but it's something I understand.

%1o, not revenge. I wouldn't call it revenge. =evenge is too convenient. 'I'm going to make

them pay for what they did to me,' is a classic revenge card. 1o, that's not what this is. I'm going to

make sure they can never hurt anyone like they hurt me. I'll make sure they can't hurt anyone like they

hurt 1ao. 1ever again.(

%+ounds like "ustice.( -e s$uee*es the hilt of his sheathed sword, now slung around his back in

response.

%I always hated that word, but maybe that's what it's called. 2ither way, I'm going to do what

needs to be done. !s long as I have memories of her in my head, I'm going to keep pushing forward

and finish this. !nd thanks to this scar... those memories will never go away. /itting for those words,

eh, 1ao( -e finishes by talking to himself, or to her. &hichever it is, I start to feel a lot of pain

flowing out of him. 5efore, I could feel a deep seated anger and hate, but the emotions underneath it

are flowing out. !nguish, remorse, melancholy. The sadness breathing out from him is overwhelming.



%&ell, then, let's go do what needs to be done. The sooner, the better.( ! tree in the far distance

falls over, drained of all life. &ind blows past, carrying the scent of death. +lowly, the land in the area

is turning into a wasteland. &hile the outer edge still shows plenty signs of life, the inside is filled with

black grass, dead trees, and even the sun looks paled. +ome cops are along the edges of the circle in

the distance, making sure no one wanders in, but the circle is much too large for them to cover all of it.

1ot that it matters, normal people aren't going to start marching into something like this.

%Yeah, you're right. The sooner the better.( &e start walking into the circle, and I feel a shroud

push away from my body. I look at my hand to see the mark glowing lightly. Doc's hand is doing the

same.

%ooks like -eimer was right about us being resistant, huh(

%f course. If he wasn't, we'd be dead already.( I frown a little. -e's not one for smalltalk. &e

keep walking through the dead grass and trees, slowly making our way through the half mile distance.

Doc doesn't say a word the whole way. -e's constantly checking his back, and looking around the tops

of buildings and trees. -e's worried about something, though he won't say what it is. I guess that

makes sense. The moment T/ disappeared, we lost any way to track who's here or not. /or all we

know, everyone T/ said was moving idly or gathered somewhere else is rushing their way here. &hat's

worse, Twisted can't teleport in here to tell us. -e'll "ust get hit by the defiled ground if he does.

!s we walk closer to where 8arthus should be, hints of death become even stronger. The trees

around us have turned to dust. The grass is nothing but mud and muck, black and brown from death. It

looks a lot like tar. orpses litter the ground, from people to animals, flesh already taken from the

bones. The smell is disgusting, and I stop to dry<heave a couple times. Doc doesn't seem to notice,

however. -e "ust keeps walking, and his expression gets angrier and angrier as we go on. r maybe he

"ust looks like that because of the smell 1o, he's definitely pissed.

&e come to what looks like an old school building, but the structure has aged so much it looks

like it's a thousand years old. The building is dying -ow is that even possible I look at the mark on



%Don't be afraid $uite yet. Your souls are yours to keep... for now.( -is voice echoes out, as

though there are several others buried under the first voice, all trying to say the same thing. %&e've

come merely to speak with you.(

!s he says this, a large horse appears next to him, fading in like a mirage, as does an enormous

armored man. The horse looks like your traditional centaur, but he's covered entirely in armor, light

pouring from the gaps of metal. -is spear is horrifying, a wicked curved blade on both ends. The

chest of his armor forms a massive face, and the same cool light that seems so common pours out from

its eyes and mouth.

The large metal man is holding a massive mace, putting Doc's sword to shame. The weapon

couldn't weigh less than a couple hundred pounds. -is armor is built with the same style as the other

two, but the gaps in his armor reveal only dark. Doc is the first to say anything.

%Thresh, )ordekaiser, and -ecarim. To what end do we deserve such a lively audience(

Thresh and -ecarim laugh at the pun, but )ordekaiser "ust tilts his mace slightly. Thresh is the first to

respond.

%&e simply wished to make a few things clear. &hile 8arthus may be one of us, his goals do

not always follow our own. -ecarim, )ordekaiser, and myself, are bound to the will of the +hadow

Isles. 8arthus, being a man who willingly came into undeath, does not have such bindings. &hile we

will not stop him, we do not always approve of his actions.(

%You're saying you don't want him to kill everyone( Thresh gives another small laugh in

response.

%h no, I $uite like the idea. It's "ust not how I would do things. You see, )ordekaiser and

-ecarim desire an army. I gather souls to strengthen this army, slowly, over hundreds of years. The

souls I've collected scream in such lovely agony, but eventually, they lose the will to resist. ! beautiful

process indeed.

%+hould 8arthus finish his song, all life here would end simultaneously. If all life is gone, there



are no souls for me to harvest. 8arthus is a dear brother to us, one who loves the $uiet of death and

serenity of passing, but he does not see the flaw with all souls leaving existence at once.(

%+o really, you're hoping we stop him. If we stop him, you can keep harvesting souls, is that

it( Doc says, his tone showing he finds this all kind of funny. Thresh gives a hearty laugh. r at

least, as hearty as a dead man can.

%Yes, you could say that is our goal. !fter all, I can't harvest all the souls at once. It would be

$uite the waste if his song were permitted to finish.( -e swings his chain around a couple times,

before bringing it to a rest again. )aybe I should say something.

%You guys are pretty confident, you know. &hy shouldn't we "ust kill you before we kill

8arthus( +eems like a legitimate $uestion to me, but Doc "ust shakes his head as I ask this.

%Do you believe you can slay all three of us without harm, and still have the strength to finish

off 8arthus r rather, do you think you can kill us That's rather bold of you. 0erhaps we should test

this !fter all, death of all life is only an inconvenience for us. Though this isn't our own world, our

goal remains the same. The ability to harvest souls here, untouched by the eague, would be $uite

advantageous indeed.(

Doc clicks his tongue, and sets the tip of his sword into the muck that covers the ground around

us. %I figured as much. /ine, you'll get your way. I do have one re$uest, however.( Thresh smiles a

wicked smile.

%h !nd what might that be(

%!nswer me three $uestions. !s you say, it would be $uite terrible if life on 2arth were to end.

-owever, myself and )ark don't have anything left to lose. &e don't have family, we don't have

friends. If life on 2arth ended, we would lose nothing. &e'll stop 8arthus from finishing his song, but

on the condition that you answer our $uestions.(

This time it's )ordekaiser's turn to laugh. -is voice is deep, scratchy, and doesn't echo like

Thresh or 8arthus. -e says, %You expect us to believe that You didn't come here because you wanted



to. You came here to stop him. If you didn't plan on stopping him, you would have never showed up at

all.( Doc is $uick with his response.

%=eally Is that what you think I'm sure you all know Twisted /ate's ability. &e saw where

you three were. &hy are we here 5ecause we knew that if we came here, you'd also come. &e

predicted this, and were waiting for you. &e have nothing to lose if everyone dies. You do. 5esides,

how much do you lose by answering some simple $uestions !nd only three, at that. +urely, there's

nothing I could ask that would affect you.(

The metal giant stays $uiet for a minute, thinking. This time, -ecarim is the one laughing. -e

speaks with an echo like Thresh and 8arthus, but his voice is much deeper than either.

%You're $uite bold, mortal.( )ordekaiser seems less pleased, but it's hard to tell since he

doesn't have a face. Thresh finishes for the rest of them.

%Fery well. &e shall submit to your re$uest. &hat is it you wish to know( Doc let's a $uick

grin slip out. -e really likes his little 'game,' doesn't he

%/irst thing first. &hy do you think you were sent here( The three specters stand in silence,

monuments to the death that surrounds us. I notice small lights traveling through the air, slowly, before

they disappear into the lantern held by Thresh. The glow in the lamp increases, only slightly, before

settling back to its normal, steady shine.

%&hy 5ecause we can be. &e were not sent here because someone willed for us to be. &e

were sent here because when one is sent, all of us are. The one who sent us predicted this, but it did not

change their plan. &hen they tried to send themselves here, everyone sharing his bind was sent here as

well. 5ound as one, we were sent as one. -e walks here among us, unphased by our presence, and

surely continues as though it never happened at all.( Doc looks pleased with the answer, but I hardly

understand it. Thresh continues. %There isn't a reason for us to be here. &e are here because we must

be.(

%uestion twoB &hy would someone want to send themselves here( That's the ticket



$uestion, isn't it

%-e sent himself here because he has things here to do. -is goal, while similar to our own, is

much more gruesome in the end. This world has magic beyond our own world. Their goal relies

entirely on this latent magic. +hould they be unsuccessful in awakening it, they may find themselves

brought into 0urgatory. f course, they'll succeed. That's "ust how they are...( Doc points his sword at

the specter.

%You know who it is, don't you( -is voice is clear cut and stern. The hilt of his sword and his

hand are glowing a bright gold, contrasting the dull blue of the demons in front of us. %&ho is it

&hat is his name(

)ordekaiser laughs this time, and steps forward, closing twenty foot gap between us only

slightly. %You ask who he is, and I will tell you he is a champion of the eague of egends. You ask

his name, and I will tell you you've already asked three $uestions. 7ood luck, mortals.( Doc lowers

his sword, letting the end land in the disgusting li$uid covering the ground around us. The spooky

threesome disappears, fading from vision until nothing is left.

%Damn it...( Doc raises his sword, slipping it back into the sheathe. %Damn it6 They knew6

They know6 Damn it6 I messed up6 I let them slip away6( -e yells, falling onto his knees. The pool

of mud and life soaks his "eans, and he slams his fist into the ground, creating a splash of the slop.

+mall bits land on his cheek. ! statue to our right stands, ever watching. It's a statue of an angel, its

swords tip planted in the ground, its wings tips meeting the ground near it. Its ga*e looks directly unto

Doc, as if placing "udgment. The aura of 8arthus has taken its toll on even the statue. Its wings are

broken and chipped, and dark stains cover the half that's closest to where the lich is singing. &hat a

terrible sound.

&hat a beautiful song.



H'mn of (ain!

%ome on, Doc. 7et up. et's "ust finish this.( I walk over to him and grab his shoulder. -e

slams his hand into the ground again, more gunk splashing him. +lowly, he climbs back to his feet, his

"aw clenched and his eyes filled with rage. %Doc, you alright(

-e completely ignores me and starts walking to the building we know 8arthus waits in. -is

mark gives off a small spark, glowing intensely. I'm not sure I can keep up with this atmosphere. -e

was perfectly calm a second ago, but something made him snap.

I run to try and catch up to him, his pace much faster than when we were walking before. -e

pulls out his sword when we reach a metal door, and cuts clean through it. &hat the hell Doesn't he

at least have respect for the laws of physics +parks fly out as the door fights the blade in protest,

before falling inwards with a slam, half still hanging on the hinges. &e step into the building, and I see

my original hunch was correct. It's an old school building. 2xcept, it's not that old. It "ust looks old

because of the death magic. -ow do I know this &ell...

!round us are hundreds of skeletons, all varying si*es of children, laying in the pool of muck

that found its way into the building. The only thing I can think is that this must be -ell on 2arth, as

cliched as that is. Doc looks up and down the halls, staring at the stained bones of the hundreds of

children.

%This... this is much more than :;;.( I hear Doc's teeth grind as he finishes the last word. -e

finds the pace he entered the building with and marches up a flight of stairs. -is mark is spitting out a

li$uid gold every couple of seconds, which disappears "ust before it hits the ground. )ine is still "ust

giving off a faint glow. I don't $uite understand these yet. !s I'm staring at my hand, dumbfounded by

the detail even the light follows, Doc starts yelling.

%8arthus6 8arthus6 Today you die, you bastard6( I don't think the dead man is worried about

dying, Doc...

-e climbs the second flight of stairs, though I'm scared to follow. The structure of the building



looks like it's about to give way, and the walls and ceiling are filled with cracks and holes. !s I come

around the corner of the stair well, I get my first sight of the third floor. !ll of the walls have been

broken down, and the roof of the building is missing completely. ! massive black circle is rotating

fiercely, centered around what I can only compare to as Death himself.

-is staff raised in the air, a leather bound book in his other hand, his skeletal ga*e is directed at

the sky, his mouth moving slowly. The air rings out loudly with his song, echoing fiercely on the walls

of nothing that surround the scar he placed on the world. 2very now and then, faces and shapes of

people spring up from the circle surrounding him, all feigning a scream, clutching their heads in horror,

their mouths stretched forever in a curdling cry. 5ut you can't hear their voices. nly the voice of the

dark choir, sung by a single being.

Doc looks around us in horror, his eyes watering slightly. It takes me a couple seconds to

understand. The shadows popping in and out of the dark mass surrounding 8arthus are the souls of

everyone who died in his shroud. 1o, there's far too many. It's everyone who's died while he's been

channeling. The entire room and sky are filled with screaming figures and faces, all from different

parts of the world, all begging us to release them from their unholy prison.

/or some reason, this doesn't phase me. all me an ass, desensiti*ed, whatever you want to say,

but it doesn't effect me. I see what used to be people around me, mouths open to scream out the pain

they can never announce, and I "ust feel pity. 1o sudden urges, no rage, no hatred, "ust pity. I raise my

staff slightly, and feel the urge to raise it higher. ! light shines out from the gems placed atop it, and

the shadows around us part. The spirits in that specific part of the shroud fade away, and for a split

second, you can hear their screams and cries all at once, followed by a massive sigh of relief.

+omehow, I released them from the lich's prison.

This gets his attention, however. -is mouth shuts, and he lowers his staff, his ga*e slowly

shifting towards us. The song disappears, slowly getting $uieter, until there's nothing at all. !s it fades

away, something else takes its place, much louder and much more terrible. The screaming of the



shadows around us are unmuted, and cries of terror fill the air. It's the most horrifying and disgusting

sound I've ever heard, thousands upon thousands of people all screaming, crying, and begging for

mercy at the same time.

The lich continues to lower his arms, slowly, as the new choir continues to increase in volume,

until his hands are completely lowered to his sides. The room falls in complete silence for that split

second, and the floating shadows around us fall to the ground. Then, with a single movement, he

raises them as $uickly has he can. The massive shadow on the floor rises with extreme force, and dark

explodes around us. +creams of horror rage even louder than before, so loud I can barely hear myself

think. I raise my own staff higher in response to this, but I hardly clear away enough air for us to

breath.

I can feel myself falling downwards, slowly. The entire sky and building are completely filled

with raging shadows, erupting from the ground and air like flames, hurtling around us with the fury of a

hurricane, the screams clawing at my mind. I can't take much more of this. I can feel my life being

pulled from me, and my limbs are starting to feel cold. I try to keep my hand in the air, staff raised, to

fend off the shadows, but I don't know what I'm doing at all. It's completely futile for me to even try. I

start to feel my own soul rip into the torrent of shadow and death around us.

Then I see a golden light, burning away the shadows around it. 2ven though the entire room

has gone dark and it looks like nothing more than a void in existence, I can see that single golden light,

expanding into a raging flame of its own. It faintly looks human, but I can't see any defining features

other than that glow. It dashes into the shadows, disappearing from my sight, going from a glow as

bright as the sun to something as dim as a candle in a storm.

/or a couple seconds, there's nothing but that small candlelight and the screams of anguish

around me. I fall to my knees, using my staff to keep myself upright. 1o, I can't die like this6 I have

to protect !nnie, dammit6

=ed light shines out from my hand and staff, contrasting the black that has trapped us in. Doc's



light is still faint, off in the distance, swerving around the center of the dark. I push my hand into the

sky as high as I can, forcing as much of my life into the staff as I can. I start to get a feeling of what

my soul is as it passes through my pores into the dark air around me, and use that feeling to keep a flow

going into the staff. ! blinding red light pierces through the dark, and maybe one eighth of the shadow

around us burns away completely, before being filled again.

Try as I might, I can't beat his power. -e's probably hundreds of years old, and all those years

have been spent training and improving his own magic. There's no way I'll ever be able to fight this. I

fall back to my knees, the screams of the shadows around me still filling my ears. I start to hear a

heavy laughter fill the same air.

%Your soul is forfeit. You are naught but another source of my power.(

1o. I don't want that. I want my soul dammit. )y soul is mine6 I need it to keep her safe. I

can feel it being pulled from my body, and the large portion I put into my staff is being pried at. 1o,

this is bad. I can't let this happen. 5efore I reali*e it, I'm fighting a tug<of<war with the air around me

and my own soul. I can't win this, however, and I start to drift into the madness around me.

!s I'm about to fall, the small golden light in the center of the circle explodes into a fierce

torrent, almost matching that of the shadow around me. I hear a scream, and the shadow slows its

fierce rotation. The screams grow $uieter, and I can start to make out the details of the building again.

+uddenly, the shadows rage into a flame and torrent beyond even what it was before. The

screams are almost silent around me, cut off by the wind it produces as they rotate. The golden light

burns brighter as well, peeling away the layers of the shadow. The more and more it tries to push

outwards, the more the dark tries to resist. It spins faster, trying to seal in the golden glow.

I hear a yell stand out from the torrent, much more alive than the rest, and a bright flash fills my

eyes. I close them to try and protect them, but it's so bright that it passes straight through my eyelids.

The shadows around me start to dissipate into the air, the screams coming back at full volume for a

moment, and then vanishing entirely. The dark in the sky starts to fade away, and the golden light



Doc, appears, and the dark she was made of is replaced by a dim glowing blue. -er arms are wrapped

around his side, her head resting against the shoulder of his arm, still holding the sword against the

ground where he cut clean through 8arthus. +he whispers something, but he stands there, rage still

filling his eyes, staring at the spot where the lich once stood.

Then the ghost raises her head, and kisses him on the cheek, before shimmering out of

existence, like a mirage in a dessert.

Doc looks over to her, his eyes now wide with fear and shock, and he starts trying to grab the

small lights marking where she once was. -e stumbles a bit, and falls onto the floor, landing on his

knees, his eyes still wide. I hear one last noise, but I can't make out what it says. It sounds like

someone talking backwards, yet, Doc looks like he understood. -is expression relaxes slightly, and he

closes his eyes. Tears start to stream down his face, and he lets the rest of his body fall, now resting on

his hands and knees, his sword stuck in the ground where he cut through 8arthus, pointing at the angle

he was holding it before. The last bit of light of the symbol at the base of the blade dims, and the

normal gold it is made of replaces the light once more.

I "ust sit there, unable to think of what I should say or do. Doc continues to cry, sobbing and

screaming, s$uee*ing his hands into fists and letting his head fall against them. The sun shines down,

rays of light piercing through the clouds above, landing on the area around him and his sword.

'Don't forget about me', huh



to take this on &as it really all for that girl This guy is messed up... I'll have to talk to the others

about this. I don't think we can win if he doesn't get better soon.

! hole opens in the floor next to me, surrounded by what look like cards. Twisted /ate rises

from the center of it, and then the gate closes underneath him. Talk about timing. -e looks at me, and

then to Doc.

%&hat in the hell happened to you( !s insensitive as always, I see. +tupid cowboy...

magician... thing.

%&e "ust fought something I can only compare to the embodiment of Death itself. -ow do you

want us to look( -e "ust shakes his head in response, and grabs my arm and Doc's. 5efore I can say

another word, we're back in that same room of the mansion. -eimerdinger is wandering around,

looking at different books while giving off a 'tutting' noise. =iven is nowhere to be seen. !nd... uh oh.

n the opposite side of the room, a little girl "ust got up from a couch. +he turns around to head

out the door, but stops. This is because she sees three men standing there, two of them brutally beaten

and demorali*ed, and one of them the man who knocked her out a couple hours ago. I expect the

worst. I expect burning, I expect death, and I expect nothing less than the most horrible pain.

Instead, she "ust gives a little smile and then walks towards us. I stand perfectly still, trying to

stay alert, afraid of any sudden flames or movements. +oon, she's "ust in front of me, smiling. I feel a

lump in my throat. -ow the hell do I explain this without getting burnt to a crisp +till, she stands

there, smiling. This is unnerving.

%+o, how was your little trip(

%#hhh... huh... uh... good6 It was good6 &e had a lot of fun6( )aybe she doesn't know6 h

man, that would be too lucky.

%&ow, you guys look pretty beat up. Did you get into a fight( +he gives a suspicious look,

her eyes prying into my soul.

%1o6 1o fights6 1one at all6 &e "ust had such a good time that things got a little out of hand.



I feel myself getting angry at her for saying this, but I take a deep breath and calm myself down.

%That's bullshit, and you know it is. -is morals might be out of whack, but he knows right and wrong.

-e's not only out for himself. I can tell, even before this bullshit, he spent his time helping other

people. )aybe it is "ust revenge he's after, but he still stopped 8arthus because it was the right thing to

do. If he really didn't care, he would have let 8arthus blow everything up. !fter all, it doesn't effect

his revenge if everyone on 2arth is dead. -e would have lived, and he would have kept hunting.

-e has guidelines and morals, even if you don't want to think he does.( I grab her hand.

+he stares at me for a couple of seconds, thinking. %+o you're okay with helping him, even if

you don't know if you're "ust a tool or not &hat about you, why do you fight &hat do you have to

gain( +he pulls me up.

%I'm a dad now, right I need to set good examples for !nnie. 5esides, if everyone dies, how's

she going to live a normal life 1o, that wouldn't have been any good for her.( I walk over to the door

and open it, looking back at =iven. %+ometimes our reasons aren't always good, but isn't that how it

always is The little stuff in life is what keeps us going. The big things are "ust extra, something to

keep it interesting. If something big comes up, but we can do something about it to preserve the little

things in life, it's something worth doing. That's how Doc thinks.( I walk out of the room and close

the door behind me. Damn, she's annoying.

I was planning on going to find !nnie, but I don't think I have the energy to roam around this

place looking for her. I feel like I'll fall over at any second. I decide to head up to the room I woke up

in before, though it takes me a while to remember where it is. I went from directing traffic, to being a

makeshift dad, to fighting Death himself. I deserve a little bit of a rest. !nd some good food, but that

can come after the sleep.

&hen I push open the door to the bedroom, I'm greeted with an odd sight. There's a little girl

sitting on what I assumed was my bed. 1o, little girl is wrong. +he's probably Doc's age. I slam the

door shut and walk away. I'm sure my face is bright red right now. &hat the hell &ho the hell is she,



and why is she getting changed in my room 7od dammit... I "ust wanted some sleep6

I hear a noise on the other side of the door, and then it swings open. The stranger, fully clothed

fortunately, walks up to me nervously.

%I... sorry... I "ust picked a room. I didn't mean to scare you.( +he sounds really nervous, but I

can't say I blame her.

%1o, I'm sorry. I should have knocked. I guess Doc never did say how many people were

living here.( I think about that for a second. %&ait, does that mean you're his...( I point at her, and she

"ust stares at my finger for a couple seconds. Then what I'm asking clicks in her head, and chaos

ensues.

%1<... 1o6 1o6 I'm not<... uh... we're not... no, nothing like that. -e doesn't even know I'm here

yet.( +he's panicking, waving her arms around while she explains herself.

%I guess that would make sense. +he did die only a couple days ago...( -er head tilts a little in

curiosity. +he looks a lot like a dog like this.

%You knew 1ao( 1ao h, that was her name.

%1o, I didn't know her. Doc was talking about her a little bit, but he never really told me too

much.( +he lowers her head a little and stares at the ground, and starts twisting her foot around. +he

has way too many cute mannerisms, people like her aren't supposed to be real. &hat the hell, Doc

-ow come you know so many nice girls h, right. -e's not even 3O yet... he's still in school...

dammit, why do I feel so old now6

%Is he... okay( Is he okay &ell... right now, not really. -e "ust passed out after fighting an

all powerful lich, but I can't really "ust come out and say that.

%kay &hat do you mean(

%-e's not too sad, is he( h, that's what she means. +he wants to know how he's grieving,

huh -e's lucky to have such caring friends. I catch the scent of flowers from a pot next to us. The

hallways are massive, but hardly an inch of them are bare. 0aintings, plants, and tapestries cover



almost every inch. -ow much money does this guy have

%1o, he's not too sad. I mean, he's sad, sure... but he seems like he's getting a little better.( The

moment in that school comes to mind as I'm saying this. an I really call that getting better The girl

raises her head and looks at me for a second, before giving a little smile.

%That's good.( +he holds out her hand. %I'm i*, I go to school with Doc. r, used to. They

kind of closed it down.(

%I'm )ark. I "ust met him a little whi<... wait, they closed it down &hat for( I've never

heard anything about schools closing down, what's been happening in this city

%They said a bunch of dangerous chemicals went off in the school, and the cloud put a lot of the

teachers in the hospital along with a few students. They've closed off the grounds since then until they

can figure out the source and how to get rid of it.( &ow, that's cra*y. I wonder if Doc has heard about

this yet. %&hy do you look so beat up !nd what's that( +he points to the mark on my forehead.

Dammit !nnie6

%h, we "ust got back from... uh... huh... hmm... there was...( I try to think of an excuse, but

nothing is coming to mind. +he's giving me a weird look, and I'm starting to panic a little. &hat the

hell do I say There's no excuse for why a person should look like this. Then her expression changes

to reali*ation.

%+o you guys were the ones who killed the lich, huh(

%Yeah, that must be<... wait, what &hy do you know about that -ow do you know that

&hat the hell( +he "ust laughs a little.

%I could feel his magic from here. ! couple hours ago, he disappeared completely. Then I felt

you and Doc come back. +o that's it, huh You guys killed him &ow, he seemed really strong...( +he

seems to drift into her own thoughts for a couple seconds before coming back. %&ell, if Doc trusts you

enough to let you fight with him, I can trust you too6(

%h, that's good. &ait, you didn't trust me Do I really look that suspicious( +he "ust laughs



at me again. )an, it seems like I can't talk to a girl without them laughing at me over and over. r

anyone, for that matter.

%! man in torn clothing walked in on me while I was changing while holding what looks like a

magic staff. +uspicious is the nicest word I could use.( 0oint taken. %Don't worry about it.(

%f course I'm going to worry about it6 I don't want to be some suspicious guy, I'm a dad6 I

can't walk around with her if I look suspicious6( +he tilts her head again and again I think she looks

like a dog. I said a little too much there.

%You're a dad &ow, you look really young6 -ow old is your kid &hat's their name( #gh...

not where I wanted this conversation to turn. I still don't even think of myself as her dad, it's "ust the

role I took up. I'm not father material.

%-er name is !nnie. +he's... uh... ten. +he "ust turned ten a little while ago.(

%!www, !nnie &hat a cute name. Is she here &ait, she "ust turned ten &hen's her

birthday( h man, will you "ust drop it I don't know when her birthday is6

%Yeah, she's running around here somewhere... and her birthday is...( I think for a bit. +he's

looking at me funny because I'm taking so long, but I don't have a choice. &hat day is it +eptember

4;th +o then, I found her... J days ago : days ago 1o, it was only two days ago. )y sense of time

is so thrown off. %+eptember 3Oth. +he was born on the 3Oth.( +orry !nnie.

i* gives off a 's$uee'. %That's the same as mine6 &e have the same birthday h, I have to

meet her now6 &here is she( That's what I'm trying to figure out.

%I'm not sure, she ran off a little while ago. I was kind of looking for her when... well... sorry

about that.( +he closes her eyes, and her breathing changes. Did I say something wrong -er

breathing is really slow, and she's swaying back and forth a little to match it.

%+he's three rooms down, hiding in a wardrobe.( I stare at her blankly for a couple seconds.

+he opens her eyes and looks at me. %!re you okay You sound like you're in a lot of pain.( !m I

okay I feel... like complete shit, but... yeah, I'm not okay, but whatever. I "ust need some sleep. I "ust



stand there, staring at her. %&hat You're giving me the creeps.(

%1othing, it's "ust that, for a minute there, I thought you said she was three rooms down and in a

wardrobe. &hich would be funny to hear, because that means you have some kind of super human

senses. That, or you've been pulling my leg and knew her the whole time.( +he puffs her cheeks and

yells.

%I'm not lying6 I heard her breathing6 +he sounded like she was crying a little, and it was stuffy

so it had to have been inside of something... that's all.( +he kicks the ground. Doc, don't you have any

normal friends +he can sense the lich, she could hear !nnie breathing from a mile away, what the hell

is this girl

%&ell, let's go check on her then.( I start walking down the hall, and i* follows "ust behind.

%This one( I point to the door she said. +he nods her head. &ell, guess we'll find out if she's telling

the truth. I push open the door to reveal a bedroom almost identical to the one I was staying in before,

but this one only has one bed. In the corner is a wardrobe with a large mirror on the front of it.

+omething like this must cost a fortune.

I walk up to it, slowly, and set my hand against the mirror. It feels a little warm. h come on,

there's no way... and of course, when I pull it open, a little red<haired girl is sitting inside, hugging a

teddy bear. i* lets out another little s$uee and runs over to hug her. !nnie looks over to us and sees

i* right in front of her face, and panics. +he starts to kick and yell a little, but the eccentric girl grabs

hold of her and pulls her out, giving her a massive bear hug. !nnie tries to let out a little yell for help,

but it sounds like all the air has been s$uee*ed out of her lungs.

%7ee*... you should probably let go, it looks like she'll snap in half soon.( i* looks at me and

blinks a couple times, then drops her to the floor. !nnie looks at her attacker and starts to yell.

%&hat the hell was that6 !re you trying to kill me &ho are you, anyways( h no, I won't

let that slide.

%!nnie6 anguage6 &atch your tongue, you're not allowed to talk like that. I might yell like a



sailor at every opportunity, but that doesn't mean you can too, dammit6( &ait, that probably didn't

help. This will take a while to get used to. i* "ust laughs at us and then looks at the little kid in front

of her. +he bends over and starts rubbing her head.

%I'm your new sister6 Your dad said he's adopting me, starting today6( &hat the hell #h oh...

%1o6 7et your own dad6 This one is mine6( h come on, she's playing along with the stupid

"oke6

%5ut he said he was adopting me6 -e said 'You're too cute to pass up, you'll "ust have to come

with me6' That's what he said, and that's how it is6(

%&hoa, hey6 I never said that6(

%!lright, he didn't call me cute, but still. I'm your sister now, and I won't let you get away.

You're mine forever6( i* lets out an evil laugh, and !nnie's eyes widen with fear a little. !ll I can

work up the energy to do is facepalm. The second I swing my hand to my head, however, I feel the

energy drain from my body

chapters 1 through 4 may 26th 2013

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