Under the stars [Private: Lance and Rita]

It was the middle of the night and Lance was still awake. Lea had gone to sleep and so had the rest of the guild. As he stared out the window of his room he looked at he beautiful night sky with gleaming eyes. He eventually snuck out of his room and out the doors of the guild.

The slight, cool breeze hit Lance as soon as he was out on the streets. Lance closed his eyes and let the breeze flow through his hair, making it wave a little. He walked through the quiet town and saw that the streets were empty because everyone had gone to sleep. He looked through the weapon shops and the armor shops. His face wore a calm smile as he looked at all the cool weapons and stuff.

Ever since the happenings in Era Lance couldn't sleep at night so each night was spent like this. It wasn't all that bad really because he was alone and it was quiet.

Eventually he came to a hill with a lone tree on it and laid underneath it. The night sky shone in his eyes as he closed then and just let the quietness and the soft breeze drift him off to sleep.

She sat up from bed, her body sore and stiff. Rita had learned that Inn beds were always cheap and were sure to leave you hurting in the morning. She let out an exausted sigh sitting up from bed. She drowsily crawled over the window stretching her acing back.  The girl gazed outside: stone streets shined silver under the illumination of the moon and stars that shimmered like glitter.

Rita Looked back at the bed, She no longer felt tired or exhausted. She panned back outside thinking a late night stroll was a good idea. Rita pulled her clothes on and ran a brush through her hair before she sneaked out of her room in the inn. She crept down the steps trying to make sure the boards didn't screech from under her. Rita finally made it to the lobby making minimal noise.

Getting away from the Inn she followed a one of the many roads that cycled through Magnolia. The street trailed parallel to the towns canal. Rita steeped up over the bridge looking off into the water. The rippling rush off the stream Shimmered off the silver blue of the moon light. She almost always came here at night when she had something on her mind. The restless wizard did in fact have some thoughts that have been irritating her. she strewn her arms limp over the railing looking up in the sky trying to lure out her thoughts.

Rita had been thinking allot about her decisions lately. One of the bigger things she was thinking about was why she killed Meiyo. she mentally remembered the whole confrontation;

"I-I am-" Meiyo began but her voice was cut off when blood splattered against the wall around them. The surrounding towns people began to panic some stood there frozen with fear and yelled while others were gathering up their children and ran. Rita's weapon was now  priced through Meiyo's chest, and her hand firmly griped the hilt of the blade. Her eyes shook with panic and began leaking a stream of tears "I-I..." Rita shuttered with absolute panic and confusion. "...I Am Sorry..." Meiyo whispered weakly to Rita with her dying breath, in tears she fell to her knees as she remembered there time together when they were young. Rita looked down at her lifeless corpse then to her blood splattered hands as she trembled with fear of what she had done.

Rita blinked refocusing she had cold sweat running down her neck  and her for head and she felt herself breathing heavy, and her heart raced it was practically hitting up against her ribs. She felt like she had woken up from another bad dream. Rita had hoped that It was all a nightmare- But this was her reality. "Why did I have to kill her..." She sadly muttered hoping things could go back to the way they were before she drew her blade on Meiyo. "How could I..." She whispered sadly as she hung her head down looking into the water. There was a small splash of water that shimmered with starlight as a tear slipped from her eye into the cold pool.

Lance sighed as he got up and decided to start walking out of the town. Memories of Era and the rebellion base played on through his head. His brother dying was the first one then the time he got the scar on his chest. His breathing got quicker and faster as one final memory filled his head.

The memory was of Van and his gang of members almost killing him multiple times. Lex decided to show him a glimpse of what was to come and it showed Van killing everyone in his family including Melody. "I have to stop him before that happens..." Lance muttered as he clenched his fists "Even if it means ending myself in the process!" He said in a angry tone. Lex decided to step in now and calm Lance down "Calm down Lance... We can get through this together... Besides what do you think she will think if you die..." Lex warned him as memories of his times with Rita when they first met in Rose Garden and then met again in Clover Town. After the year Lance had disappeared Rita had joined his guild and he was happy to see her again.

As he walked through town he reached a bridge and saw Rita crying. Lance slowly approached and as he did he placed a hand on her shoulder as he stood next to her. "What's wrong Rita cant sleep either?" Lance asked with a smile toward Rita as he tried to hide how scared he was at the moment.

Rita was shaken up as a familiar voice sounded in her ears as she felt something gently meet her shoulder. Startled, she whirled up to see Lance giving her a smile. Rita steeped back and turned away from  him where she drew any stray tears away from her eyes. Rita really wasn't a fan of letting herself be weak let alone cry in front of anyone. Straightening herself out and getting her emotions in check, she turned back to her guild mate.

"Y-Yeah" Rita quietly responded answering his question. She avoided any eye contact with Lance as she shifted her gaze to the ground. Silence grew between the two as she tried to think of something to say. Suddenly, It came to her. Rita nervously slipped her hands in her jacket pockets before she spoke. "Lance..."She started out soft as she looked back over to the canal lit with moonlight. "Back at the guild that day... I didn't really get to hear your story, What happened?" She muttered to the floor. "If you didn't really die in Era...Why didn't you come back for me. I really wish you were there- or at least let me know that you were okay." She said looking up to meet Lance's gaze. The look she gave was a very hurt and betrayed one.

Lance smiled at Rita as she talked but the smile faded when she asked him the question. "I can ask to the same thing..." Lance muttered as he leaned back on the railing of the bridge. "I didn't come back to you because I forgot everything that had happened in Era... When you told me about it when you joined the guild all the memories came flooding back." Lance said staring up at the sky. "When I was in the under ground town I was in they protected me and I was with my family so I didn't want to leave." Lance said as he stopped leaning on the fence and walked over to Rita "You wanna know what happened when I disappeared?" Lance asked as he grimaced at Rita.

Lance remembered everything from the rebellion base and although he remembered a lot of Era now some of it was still hazy in his mind. He sighed and started "When I arrived there I was in a good mood because I was with my family. I played around everyday with Melody and I drank everyday after that playing with her." Lance said then grimaced "I was in a good mood until one day I had a knock on my door and when I opened it I got cut with a knife... one of Van's men..." Lance muttered as he pulled up his shirt and revealing the scar that went across his chest. Although he was kind of scared to show anyone this he felt like he could trust Rita.

There was still some stuff Lance was hiding and he made it painfully obvious that he was hiding some of it from Rita. "Now its your turn... Why didn't you come back for me?" Lance said with a sigh and his voice starting to shake again.

Rita Listened to his story, This didn't make anything better between him and her. Lance seemed a bit fidgety something was defiantly on his mind. He was keeping something out of the story because It didn't add up. "Now its your turn... Why didn't you come back for me?"

This set Rita's short temper off almost immediately as she darted at Lance. Rita grabbed hold of him by his shirt dragging him down to eye level with her. She met Lances gaze up close and personal. Rita was now only a only few inches from his face. Her eyes stared into his intently quivering with a vibrant rage and intensity.

"No." Rita said shortly strengthening her grip on his collar. "I wan't to know why your still breathing. Why you didn't have enough of your memory to come back to me when I needed you the most-I thought you would come through in the end, but you forgot about me instead..." She whispered to Lance hanging onto her words.

She remained up close to Lance as she continued. "I didn't come back for you..because you died on me. How was I supposed to know your heart was still beating?" She looked down trying to keep any tears back. "You were with your family...While I was killing mine..." Rita whispered in a hurt and hushed tone.

Lance got pulled close to Rita's face as she was pretty mad and Lance tried to hold back getting mad. As she asked him questions he just kept quiet until her last statement "You were with your family...While I was killing mine..." She said in a quiet voice and Lance couldn't hold back any longer. He pulled her inside his embrace and he silently said "I may have been with my family but in the end all of them died... all of them except my dad and my friend... Griffon died when I was back in Era because he sacrificed himself for me..." he muttered as he kept Rita close to him. "I am sorry I didn't go back for you Rita... I had magic cast on me that made me forget all memories except a few..." Lance said with tears rolling down his face as he buried his head in Rita's hair and cried "I am sorry..." Lance said through his tears.

Rita was suddenly taken into Lances arms. Her eyes grew wide with surprise as he held her  she listened intently as Lance explained the rest of his story keeping her in his hold. Her heart began to hammer in her chest as Lance was now in tears. Her expression eased up a bit as she lost all anger she had before replacing it with sympathy. She put a brought a hand to Lances head trying to ease him by sweeping her fingers through his hair.  His hair twined around her finger, fine and like silk.

Those words: "I am sorry..." brought back a brief wave of sadness through her that chilled her to the bone for those words where the last that made it off Meiyo's tongue. Rita cringed feeling cold at the touch of those words but she forced a smile for Lances sake. "No- I'm sorry... If only you had told me." Rita said into his ear.  "If it makes you feel better. I'll find the people that did this to you. My enemies are still out there, but that ca-" Rita stooped mid sentence as she grew wide eyed with disbelief.

Her grip on Lance slipped  as she grew limp collapsing into him causing them to fall against the ground. There was silence. Rita's face was buried into Lance's chest beneath a mop of brunette hair. A minute passed and she still lie on top of him, only moving to lightly breath. She had been knocked unconscious. Suddenly, A silver glint of moonlight struck something on Rita's back.

Wedging out of her mid-back was a dagger.  A dark red stain was growing around the bade through her clothing. Laced on the hilt of the blade in red string was a note;

Lance stared at Rita smiling when all of a sudden shit whent down. As he read the letter he shook in fear as he finished reading. When he was finished he crumpled up the paper and stuffed in his pocket in anger " GOD DAMNIT" he yelled as he picked up Rita and put her on his back.  

As he ran through town his anger only rose higher as he ran faster and faster towards the guild. Lea heard the score Lance had made and awoke from her sleep only to see the window was open and Lance approaching the lake. "Dad?" She muttered rubbing her eyes only to find he was carrying Rita on his back.

Lance arrived at the river and placed Rita down on the ground. "Alright I brought her! He called out as he sat down on the grass and waited. If the person who wrote this letter thought that he was going to leave her side... they were wrong.

Silently, and out of sight a cloaked silhouette followed Lance watching closely. They kept a watchful eye as he ran her to the destination. He was making quite the ruckus with his yelling. "Should of told the sport to do the job quietly while I was at it." They thought to themselves.  Soon enough their target had been taken to the coast of the lake like they had asked.

"Alright I brought her!" He called out upon setting Rita's body down on the shore line. Their eyes trailed following after Lance as he left the scene. Something didn't sit right with them though they looked down at Rita who was left where they had asked. The stranger hadn't thought this would of been so easy and there never thought Lance would of done it all like they asked.. The stranger scanned the area seeing that there were plenty places that he could of hidden.

They let out a faint 'tch' at this. Cautiously, The cloaked stranger decided it was best to remain hidden and they slipped out a pen where they wrote a few words on the side of the building they hid behind. The words faded out with a glow as they appeared on the parchment that was in Lance's pocket with the same glow.



The shadowed figure crawled out of their hiding place at that moment. Approaching the downed Rita. Pausing They looked down a her nudging her with their foot. From beneath the cloak they sprang a smirk. The cloaked being brought Rita up by the throat to get a closer glance. "It's been a while, Stebern." They whispered in her ear through a grin. "I was going to get double the amount If I brought you back alive, but getting payback is just as satisfying." They lowly hissed tearing the dagger from her back.  The figure looked down at the crimson stained blade before they ran it through Rita's arm sending a burst of blood into the air. Rita cringed even though she was out she still felt the damage being done. They  yanked the blade of Rita's arm still holding onto their smile. "This is way better than blowing you to shreds, although that is still an option..., But this way you suffer."  They said in too positive of a tone as they ran he blade down her face lightly applying pressure until they drew blood.

The stranger began to laugh deviously turning to the grass where Lance hid. "So your still around, I'm guessing you didn't get my message maybe this will give you the picture." They called out to Lance as they brought the blade down to Rita's throat. Notably the figures voice was feminine it couldn't belong to a guy, But now the main question was what was her problem with Rita and how cold Lance get her out of this situation alive?

Lance watched in horror as the brought the knife down on her throat. He had to do something quick so from his hands he made ropes made of shadows seeing as it was dark out the ropes would be invisible to the person. He made the ropes grab onto the knife hard and as soon as they did he yanked the knife away.

Lea who had snuck around behind the lady and had gotten the antidote from her pocket stabbed Rita in the leg with it as soon as Lance pulled the knife away.

"Lea take Rita somewhere safe!" Lance said as Lea nodded and dragged Rita off. Now that the problem was all fixed Lance closed his eyes and started laughing a bit. "You know people like you really piss me off..." He said and his voice was a mix between his own and Lex's voice

Lance erupted in black and purple shadows as he opened his eyes. His left eye was golden but his right eye was now red. Lance made his sword appear in his hand and lunged towards the lady‚ ending up knocking her down. Lance had one foot planted firmly on the ladies stomach as he put the sword on her stomach "Fight back if you want... Either way you will die." Lance said as he smiled evilly at the lady "Tell me who you are and what the hell you are trying to do!" Lance yelled as his voice kept getting angrier and angrier.

Back at the guild Lea dragged Rita up stairs and placed her to Lance's room and flopped her down on the bed. "She is so heavy..." she said a bit out of breath.

Before She knew it Lance had knocked her down And Lea had ran off with Rita and the antidote. Her hood slid back as she hit the ground forcefully. It was revealed that this girl was about a year older than Lance 18 or so. She brushed a lock of her red brown hair out of her face showing her emerald eyes. Lance now had his foot and his blade on her stomach. She gritted her teeth as He demanded answers from her, She was in no place to refuse. So she fessed up.

"Fine I'll tell you...You damn fairy." She growled through clenched teeth. "I'm Rieko Sencsh..." She muttered addressing herself. "and your friend is my damned half-sister. Now I assume you want to know what my little problem is with her." She continued glaring at Lance. "....Well, she single handedly murdered my other half-sister..." She growled. "I'm here to avenge her for my family's sake, I was told to bring her back with me, But I'd rather finish the job of here so they don't need to dirty there hands." Rieko said. She didn't bother trying to fight back with him considering she was disarmed and If she tried anything she would get herself.

Meanwhile,  Rita weakly batted an eye open. "Oww. Oww. Oww. Oww. Oww." Was all Rita could mutter as she sat up. The first thing she saw were Lea's cat ears. "Lea? what happened?" She asked remembering she was with Lance in town just moments before. Rita sat up out of bed bearing the pain of her wounds. "I hope your alright at least your not hurt are you?." Rita mumbled walking over to the corner of the room. She sat down laying her back against the wall where she placed her hand in the shadow of the corner and let herself be healed. Rita let the shadows slowly mend her wounds together as she turned to Lea again. "Do you know what's going on? Where uhm- Where is your 'Dad' at?" She asked feeling concerned about Lance.

Lance saw the girls face and immediately blushed, but it wasn't Lance blushing but yet it was Lex who was blushing. Back inside Lance's mind him and Lex were having a conversation "Hey uhm Lance... forget about Rita... Lets be friends with this girl..." Lex said through a think blush and Lance sighed "If it really means that much to you I wont hurt her as much as I was planning to..." Lance said and Lex nodded.

Back inside the real world Lance stood over the girl and smiled "Due to unfortunate circumstances you will not die you will just be... Badly poisoned...." Lance said with a grin as he unsheathed his claws and created a small slit on the side of the girls neck and hopped off of her "I wouldn't get up for at least a few hours..." Lex muttered to the girl "If you stand up it will make matters worse..." he then muttered as Lance walked away.

Lance, now back to normal started his walk back to his room. On his way he thought about the hell just happened... should he have killed her? Lance ignored the question and continued walking until he reached the Guild doors and pushed them open.

Inside the guild it was quiet and he liked it that way. He really did hope he handled the situation correctly but next time she attacks Rita like that he wont listen to what Lex had to say and will kill her. As he reached his room he saw a note left by the door:


Dear Lance,
Sorry I could help you in that fight, I guess I was just trying to test your might. Since you succeeded I wont kill you yet. Getting stronger before you face me is your best bet. With Love, Gannon

Lance read the note but shrugged it off before putting it in his pocket and opening his door only to find Rita and Lea there. Rita sat on the bed now awake and Lea sat by the window looking at the outside. As he entered Lea turned her head with a huge smile "Dad you are alright!" she said as she hugged him and Lance nodded and laughed tiredly. When he finished hugging Lea he sat down on the bed next to Rita "I am glad you are safe..." Lance said as he smiled at her.

"Badly pois-" she echoed in question, she was stopped in the middle of her statement when  Lance unsheathed his claws and scraped her on the side of the throat. She cringed as she felt a burning pressure swell up in her veins, her heart felt like it was on fire in her chest and her body went numb. "I wouldn't get up for at least a few hours...If you stand up it will make matters worse..." Lance muttered in a differentiated tone as he stepped away from her and left.

In the mean time back at the guild, "I'm gonna be sore for a while but at least i'm not bleeding to death anymore." Rita said with some spite as she stretched her arm and back, admiring her handy work. Rita took a glance at the blood splattered T-shirt she wore with a distasteful expression."Perhaps I should find something clean to put on." she thought to herself, Curious as to why she was bleeding from her arm and back in the first place. Rita looked around and saw that Lea was occupied peering through the window out to the streets of magnolia

Rita walked past her over to Lances dresser. "Hope he doesn't find...but Id rather not wear  this." She thought looking back down at her blood stained shirt. Rita a let out a sigh as she looted his drawers for a clean shirt. Within a minute Rita managed to track one down. Rita stripped off the blood stained top and swapped it out for the clean one she had stolen from Lance.

The shirt was a bit big on her but it was far better that what she had on before. Rita turned back to Lea as she took a seat on Lances bed. Rita was about to say something but the door swung open. "Dad you are alright!" Lea shouted as she charged Lance. Lance dismissed Lea and took a seat next to Rita. "I am glad you are safe..." Lance said to Her with a smile. Rita looked at Lance confused. "Safe from what...?" Rita said. Rita had been out when the whole mess took place and only remembers being with Lance by the canal and then darkness.

Out from the shadows a woman appeared and slowly approached Rieko. The woman looked somewhat aged in her late twenties or so. Her hair was a dark shade of blue while her eyes where a charcoal black. Rita had only confronted this woman, Seiygo, once before and that was int the middle of some huge mess that she can hardly remember.

"S-Step mother..." Rieko muttered weakly looking up at her while she looked down at her with stern and disappointing black eyes. "D-Did father not come with you?..." She asked a bit frightened. Seyigo just stared down at Rieko bitterly. "You didn't get the prototype did you..." Rieko paused now feeling a bit scared to face her step mother. "No..." Within a second Seyigo stepped back only to send her boot into Rieko's side.  Rieko cringed and spat out blood. Seyigo knelt down  and dragged her beatten step daughter up to face her.

"You and Meiyo both you were both so useless...Why cant you be more like Isoko." she growled at her with displeasing eyes. "But shes dead-" Rieko sputtered as blood trailed down her lip.  Seyigo stomped her down into the ground fed up with her excuses. Seyigo approached the downed Rieko still craving to beat her more. Seiygo slipped Rieko's dagger out of the grass and came crosser. "What... are you pl-planning to do with t-that?-" Rieko asked hesitantly. Her step mothers only response was a sinister smile as she dived the dagger through her chest. She wanted to yell out in pain but couldn't find the air in her lungs. "So your just going to kill me- my dad won't let you get away with killing me..." Rieko muttered coughing more blood. Seiygo hit her in response. "Killing you? Your not worth the effort. I'm just going to give you the injuries you deserve for failing me again...I'm gonna say you got in an accident on your mission, Then I'll bring you back to daddy." She said laughing in response. "I can't believe my father would fall for a bitch like you..." Rieko said weakly. "And I cant believe he had such a pathetic child like you." Her stepmother said with a smirk before knocking her out cold and knocking her out and hauling her away

Lance thought in his mind about how Rita couldn't know what she was safe from until Lea butted in "Dad... uhm Rita went through your drawers to get some cloths to wear!" Lea said. Lance smiled as he thought about the first time him and Rita met. She had been in trouble and Lance saved her by tying his shirt around her wound. "That's fine Lea..." Lance said as he closed his eyes "She has worn cloths of mine before..." He said, making Rita wander what her dad was talking about "Wh-What!" she said and Lance laughed and collapsed on the bed, finally getting around to Rita's question with a sigh.

This night had been a long night for both Lance and Lea and they thought the trouble for them was over until a shadowy figure jumped into the room through the open window. The figure was wearing a black cloak with a hood on so they were unable to see his face. Lance got up and was about ready to attack when the figure pulled out a bag off dust and as Lance ran at him he blew a handful at him, making Lance immediately drop to the floor. "Sleeping dust..." Lea muttered as she stared at the bag.

The bag was a thin cloth with a weird symbol on it. Before she could say anything else more dust was blown but this time in Lea's face, making her drop to the floor. The man took off his hood and showed his face. The man had turned out to be a teenager. The boy carried a sword inside of a sheath on his back and had pitch black hair.

The boy held up his hands "I mean no harm... they are just asleep..." he said quietly as sat down on the bed "My name is Clash Angelhunter and I am the 14th demon general of the Union of Galaxies." he said as he looked down at the two "I will take my leave once you answer this question..." He said as he stood up "What do you feel about this boy?" he asked as he approached the window and looked back "Goodbye Rita Stebern, we will meet again soon but in more... drastic circumstances, but until then think about that question" the Clash said as he jumped out the window, leaving behind a small card fall to the ground with the symbol that was on the bag.

Lance woke up and got back up, scratching his head a bit confused about what just happened.

Symbol that was on the bag and the card:

Rita slowly reached for her sheathed weapon that rested on her upper back as she looked at the downed Lance and Lea then back to the intruder. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.  "I mean no harm... they are just asleep...My name is Clash Angelhunter and I am the 14th demon general of the Union of Galaxies." They began glimpsing down at the two on the floor before turning back to her. Rita began to weave her fingers over the hilt of her short sword. She wanted to say soothing- perhaps threaten him or demand an explanation but there was a lump in her throat that ceased her ability to speak. "I will take my leave once you answer this question... "What do you feel about this boy?" They asked heading towards the open window. "Goodbye Rita Stebern, we will meet again soon but in more... drastic circumstances, but until then think about that question" Rita would under a normal circumstance attack this boy to the ground and beat the reasoning out of him but all she could do was stand and watch as he left abandoning a card that bore a foreign symbol.

drawing her hand away from her sheathed weapon she trailed toward the window where he had stood and retrieved the card that had fluttered to the floor. She looked down at the card then out the window pausing observantly as she scanned the streets. Rita heard the faint rustling as Lance sat up from the floor behind her. Back still towards him, she slipped the parchment in her pocket

She turned to Lance staging a concerned look as she knelt down on the floor beside him. "I was worried, are you alright, you just passed out." She began in a tone that your mother would speak to you with when you were ill before she forced foul tasting medicine into you. "You must of been exhausted. I can ask my questions later you need to lie down." Rita said in her faked motherly tone.

She clambered back to her feet taking a seat at the window sill as she glimpsed outside trying to analyze what happened tonight. She only remembers being with Lance, exchanged a few words regarding what had happened since last year after Era- but then Rita remembered a pain in her back and she spaced out. She glimpsed over to Lance trying to find answers but to no avail.

She sighed Letting out a sigh, she tried to connect the dots he had arrived and left withina mere instant. "Clash Angelhunter?" She muttered quietly to herself and remembered the question he had asked. what could it mean? "How do I feel about Lance?" She echoed in her head frustrated with confusion. That's when she realized she didn't know all that much about him let alone his past.

She let out a tired and painful sigh as she turned back to Lance and Lea who were still sitting on the floor. "Like I said you should just lay down or something." She muttered lacking her sympathetic tone from earlier.

Lance grimaced as he got up and laid onto the bed. Although he was unconscious he could still hear the stuff that was going on around him. "Rita... that boy... I know him..." He muttered as he relaxed as he started to think about what to say. Should he reveal his story and true identity to her or should he still stay secret. "Be carful who you trust Lance..." Lex's voice echoed through his head. Lance sighed a bit as he began.

"That boy, Clash, works for my uncle." Lance muttered as he turned his head and started at Lea who was still on the ground unconscious. "Now let me tell you my story and shed some light on the situation for you..." Lance said as he sat up and played with his fingers "I was born in the dessert village. My family was poor and not that healthy. My dad was part of a group that taught a special summon magic that he soon taught my brother." he said as the memories started flowing back into his mind. His voice started to become a bit shaky now "I was mad that my dad loved my brother more than me... but little did I know that I had already learned a magic of my own. One day my uncle visited and sensed this power in me and kidnapped me." He said as he carful watched Lea to make sure she didn't wake up while he was telling Rita this story. "I stayed the next couple years in my uncles secret base and when I finally had enough of it I broke free and killed almost everyone in the facility..." Lance said as he winced at the word 'killing'. "Once I learned that my brother had died I decided to join the guild he was in to see just what about it made him feel loved." Lance said with a sort of smile as he looked at Rita in the eye then back outside "I think I know why he felt that way now..." he said laughing a little "Sorry about that... that was a little cheesy... force of habit..." Lance said as Lea got up and grumbled a little.

Although it was true that Lance did love Rita he wasn't all that sure that he could protect her and Lea both. "While I was at the base I learned one thing in particular..." Lance said bracing himself to say his actual identity "There is another realm called the shadow realm..." Lance begun "Inside this realm lives the shadow king and he chose me to be his predecessor." Lance said as he took a deep breath "Or to be the Shadow king when I grow up..." Lance said finishing "I don't know why he chose me... I cant even protect the people I love..."

"Lance." She sighed and shook her head. " I don't care...who you were or even who you are going to be. As long as your here now I could care less." Rita responded briefly brushing a stray hair out of her face. She paused for a minute letting her gaze sink to the floor before she said anything else "I bet your a hell of a lot better at defending people than I ever was." she said recalling the day it rained blood.

"But, At least you haven't deliberately killed anyone you cared about." She muttered unsheathing a hollowed blade. The fairy gripped the hilt of her weapon as she looked back to Lance. "This Last year has been a living hell you can say." she said as joking as a tone possible trying to shrug of her uncertainty. "I've made new foes and destroyed the only allies I had" Rita quietly said slowing down into a whisper. "So at least:" she started, sliding the weapon back in it's sheath "You don't need to live everyday knowing you killed that person...All because you knew they had deceived you, but really they had your back the whole time." Rita looked out the window Lance had been glancing at. "I should leave I've said enough. L-Lets just forget we had this conversation" She said cutting herself off, refusing to  get in depth on the subject as she hated telling her stories. Rita slowly started for the door and pulled it open quietly making sure she wouldn't stir up any of the sleeping fairies. "Get some sleep." She whispered not even bothering to look back as she left sliding the door shut behind her.

Lance was glad that Rita had tried to calm him down but after saying what she had to say she left him feeling a bit uncomfortable. As she slid the door closed he laid back in his bed and sighed "Hurting someone you love..." Lance thought about it and then he thought deeper into it and as he thought he clenched his fists and stood up. He carefully walked to the door being careful not to make a lot of noise, he carefully opened the door and caught up with Rita.

"Rita, thank you for sharing that with me... I really appreciate it..." he said as he rubbed the back of his head "You see when I was with my family during the time skip most of them died... I could have saved them but I didn't and I decided to save two people out of the whole bunch of people that were in the crowd..." Lance forced a little laugh as he tried to hide some tears rolling down his face but failed. As one tear drop hit the floor he smiled at Rita "Good Night Rita‚ oh and you didn't destroy the only allies you had... you still have me..." he said as he turned around and walked back into his room.

As he entered Lea looked at him "You must really like Rita don't you Dad?" she asked as she lay in her bed and looked at Lance with a smile and Lex appeared as a small shadow in the corner of the room "Yes, I would like to know the answer to that as well." he said quietly. Lance sat on his bed and smiled at them both before simply nodding and turning over to go to sleep.