"Uhhh."

Lot could see that he had stumbled upon Megan in the last stages of getting dressed. Probably she'd expected Tabby or Corrie... Not her classmate who happened to be a boy.

"S-sorry!" He made an attempt to hide behind the door without appearing to be doing so. "Uh, uh, Megan, I--"

He took a deep breath. He had to pull it together. Megan was already upset enough about her parents, right?

Coming out from behind the door, he looked at the girl in front of him, though his face was still beet-red from embarrassment. At least she was dressed enough to be decent. "M-my parents are here. Sorry, this must be hard for you, but... they'd like to talk with you and your brother before the reading."

He bobbed his head awkwardly. Staring at his feet, he added, "I'm really sorry about this, Megan."

Then he turned to leave, but just then:

Blue. Pain. Searing emotion that would break even the most hardened heart...

"Augh!" Lot cried out, clutching at his head. Falling to one knee, his eyes clenched shut as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

Megan... Megan...

"Megana?"

What was that supposed to mean?

The feelings gradually faded, enough for him to be able to stand again. Taking several deep breaths, he started to make his way out the door, still disoriented and forgetting for the moment that Megan was there.

Megan's eyes shot open, it was a simple transition from one plane of being to the next. But such a fast change does things to the psyche. A searing pain went straight to the girl's temple, and she groaned in response. The first thing I need, right in the bloody morning. Groaning and grumbling, with a hand to her head, she stumbled towards the bathroom.

In there she found sweet relief in the form of water- really the liquid of the gods'- and a bottle of Tylenol. Megan put two and two together, and began the process of looking presentable for the public. That meant the brushing of teeth and de-tangeling of knots and washing of face. As Megan scrubbed her face, she noticed a zit forming by her hairline. Just my luck, her thoughts echoed, as a sigh escaped her lips.

Heading back into the so called 'bedroom', Megan grabbed her purse from the ground and pulled out her iPod a pair of portable speakers. She connected the cables and powered up, selecting a playlist called "Mother's Favorites Classical". It was six hours of pure classical, a calming selection of piano and accompanying orchestra. Megan knew few of the pieces by heart, but her Mother knew most of them, and could recall them with such a passion inside her, it lit a flame inside others.

Now that flame burned the insides of Megan, bringing hot tears to the surface once again. Would this pain ever go away? Even the thought of her parents, the mere mention of them in her mind was hellish. Meg tried to remember what her parents always said now., Keep Calm and Carry On. Yes, that was it, that old British saying. As the words came floating to her head, she straightened her posture and lifted her chin. If anyone could decently fake being fine, it was Megan Edwards.

She pulled out fresh undergarments and a white tank top, and began putting those on as she hummed to the music. As she finished buttoning the navy blue, short sleeved top, she was la-de-daing to the piano. Megan put on a pair of tight darkwash blue jeans as well as a white cardigan with navy blue stripes. The knock came on her door as she was putting on her navy blue TOMs. Having been drowning out the background noise with the classical music, she didn't realize that there was anyone else in the house. So when the door knocked, Megan replied with a relaxed "come in".

But when that door opened, she was in for a big surprise.

Corrie Morgan was not a lion, Lot saw; she was an unabashedly headstrong little girl, and she returned her mother's glare with an oh-so-innocent look.

Jason Browning chose to ignore Corrie and shook Tabitha Morgan's hand, as did his wife Laura. Lot stepped inside the house with his parents, doing his best to hide his dismay. Did Tabby Morgan really have to live here with her daughter to support? Being the son of two successful lawyers, he knew that he was lucky in many material respects. Seeing a house like this, though obviously kept as well as was possible for its state, drove that fact home.

"Yeah, Meggie's sleeping," Corrie piped up, squirming to be put down. "I know, I'll go tell her they're here!"

Lot looked at the little girl and winced again. If he was Megan and had to put up with--well, had to be waken up by the shrill-voiced kid, on top of everything else that had happened, he would NOT be happy. At all.

"No!" He exclaimed before he realized. His parents turned to look at him, and he flushed. "Uh, I mean, I'll go knock on her door and let her know we're here. W-we're in the same class, and--"

His mother nodded, smiling a little. "That would be fine, Lot. We'll be meeting briefly with Mr. Edwards, so don't take too long."

"Sure," Lot mumbled before hurrying up the stairs. Then he realized that he had no idea which room was Megan's. He knocked on the first door. No answer.

"Uh, Megan?" He knocked on the second door down. Still no answer.

There was a small door to the left that looked more like the door to a closet than to a room. Anxious to be done with this and back downstairs, Lot didn't bother to knock before opening it.

The sound of footsteps almost tripping down the staircase came from inside the house, as Tabby Morgan raced to get to the front door before her five year old daughter managed to cause more trouble.

Being a single mother was hard work, but somehow, Tabitha had been managing well for awhile now. Child support came every month, even though it wasn't enough. Nothing was enough, and now that Megan was living with her for the time being, things were going to get worse.

Tabby got to the front door, sweeping her daughter into her arms. She hadn't had enough time to get ready- her strawberry blond hair a tousled mess, and the sweater she was wearing was wrinkled and creased. Tabby's eyes were heavy, and oh so tired. In another life and time, she would have been beautiful- as lovely as Cinderella with a bright future ahead of her, but that was only for storybooks.

"Corrie, you hush now and be nice. This is Mister and Missus Browning, we met them at the funeral yesterday, don't you remember?" Tabby moved her daughter's weight to her hip so she could extend a hand to the couple. "Mister Browning, Missus Browning, I'm so glad you could make it today. Forgive my daughter Cordelia, she's only five, and already has a bright mind, and a loud mouth to match. Sadly, she doesn't think before she speaks." Tabby eyed her daughter with a look that would make lions cower in her presence.

"No, come inside. That November air must be chilly. I'll pour some tea. Spencer Edwards is already here." She invited the family into the house, hoping and praying the wouldn't judge her from its poor condition. She tried to keep it as clean as possible, but she didn't have enough money to hide that it was practically falling apart at the seams.

"Megan is still upstairs, asleep I assume. Hopefully she'll be down in a few minutes." Tabby smiled, a nervous wreck for both herself, and Megan. Poor girl didn't know what was coming.

Two days later...

Lot shot up in his bed, breathing hard. He put a hand to his forehead; he'd broken out into a cold sweat.

What WAS that crazy dream? He tried to think of what it had been about, but already it was slipping away from him. All he could grasp at were glimpses of blue... the faint strains of music... something... cold... then dreadful pain.

And also...

...No, that was it. It was gone. Shaking his head, he decided to push it from his mind. It had only been a dream. But despite the barest snatches of it that he still retained were so... VIVID. They seemed too real to--

Lot laughed, his lip twisting with displeasure at how shaky his voice was. That must have been a really intense dream.

Swinging his legs to hang over the side of the bed, he sat there for a few moments, concentrating on what the day would bring. Then he almost wished that he was asleep again.

Today was the reading of the will. The will of his classmate, Megan Edwards', parents, to be exact. The will for the daughter they'd left behind. And HIS parents wanted him to go.

"Dad, do I have to go? It... would be really awkward, and she probably won't want me there anyway--"

"Lot," his dad had said over morning coffee a few days ago, "you know that you're posed to take over Browning & Frederick when you get older, don't you? This is the perfect opportunity for you to see part of what we're about."

Now, Lot swallowed hard, feeling sick. Was this just another business deal to his dad? People had DIED, the parents of his classmate no less, and it seemed that his dad didn't care about the feelings of either his son or Megan Edwards. Not only did Lot not have the faintest interest in taking over his father's law firm...

...Not that it mattered, anyway. As long as Lot lived under his parents' roof, he did what they told him. End of story.

That included going to the reading of the will for the girl that nobody in his school really knew, or liked regardless.

-----

Mister Browning rang the doorbell of Tabby Morgan's house, and Lot's stomach twisted for the third time that morning.

"Mrs. Morgan? It's Jason and Laura Browning. We came a little early just as we said we would."

Instead of Tabby, a little girl opened the door. Staring up at them for a moment, she then turned and shrieked into the house, "MOMMY."

Silence.

"MOMMY. MOMMY? MOOMMYYYYY!!!"

Lot winced, and he could see that faint tic in his father's eyebrow that meant he was displeased.

"MOM-MY. It's those PEOPLE."

Megan sat up, letting go of the prince as the shadows began to collect him back to his private chambers for healing. She really did not want to leave Zachariah, she wanted to stay and make sure he was well. She grasped his hand, just to let him know that she was here, and ready to help.

Where was this flood of emotion coming from? All through her life, when push came to show, Megan was cold, annoyed. She had the prettiest mask of ice that she had ever seen, that most had ever seen. She held an air of maturity that most her age could not grasp and keep like she could. Megan, in her eyes was a princess, and knew that people would adore her, but never understand her. So she wouldn't allow them to get close in the first place. But now in her naked vulnerability, she longed for the touch of another soul to warm her heart.

She wanted people to understand.

When Zachariah croaked that measly word of Megan from his lips, it broke the brunette's heart in two all over again. The tone that came from his throat matched her pain perfectly, she wanted to cry all over again. But instead, she responded calmly. "Yes Zachariah?"

Oh, that boy. That prince. He was apologetic, and earlier she would have felt that it was about time for him to be as such, for his words had been cruel and uncalled for. Megan would have turned her nose up to him, crossed her arms and refused to listen to another word for all that needed to be said was said. But now, now she listened, and squeezed his hand. "I forgive you, if you forgive me... I'll forgive you even if you don't... How do I find my way back, that is, if you want me to come back? I'd like to come back and see..."

But with that, Zachariah was gone. Megan fought to hold back some tears. She didn't even get her question answered and then Raphi was leaving too, until he turned back to Megan, one last time.

"Until we meet again, friend." And as the Shadows took Raphi like Zachariah, so did a golden multi coloured light... the gates of mist and being consumed Megan's body...

And she woke up.

Zachariah lay there, not resisting as Megan sobbed into his chest.

Raphial stepped forward, calling out, "Brethren, quickly. Take Prince Zachariah to his chambers, where we will begin the healing process immediately."

Shadows moved towards the young man, but stopped as the Blue Rose Prince spoke up hoarsely. "Wait..."

"My Lord?"

"I... Megan." Zachariah paused before continuing. "I am sorry, as well. I spoke harshly, without hearing you out... I remember the past, even if you do not. I did not realize that..." He closed his eyes, took a few breaths.

"It is morning in your world," he murmured. "Your mortal body will be waking soon... but if you find your way back to Magara, you will not be cast out."

With that, the shadows once more writhed towards the prince until they enveloped his wounded body, bearing him into the castle.

Raphi was about to follow them, then turned and bowed to Megan. "Lady Megan, thank you. Before, My Lord was so confused... but I believe this has brought him some peace. As he said, you do not remember, but," he added with a small smile, "I hope that we can become friends as we used to be."

The servant nodded and hurried into the castle himself, casting back over his shoulder, "Do not fear the roses. They do not act without reason... and in this case, their reason was you. They will protect you if needed. Please do not forget that.

"Goodbye, until we meet again."

"I- I..." The tears were streaming down her face, dripping like much needed rain onto the blue roses that laid at her feet. "I still do," Megan whispered hoarsely. "And that's why it hurts so much." With that, she began to speak, telling the roses, Raphi, and especially Zach about everything. The crash, the drugs, the hospital visit with the doctors. Those long hours where she would cry in the darkness and feel so alone.

Releasing that internal pain helped to release The Prince from the physical restrains of the roses. It was a slow and painful process for both individuals, but it was theraputic.

"And I am so sorry for all the pain I ever put you through Zachariah, I really am. I didn't know any better, and I still wouldn't if this madness had never happened. I feel like such a terrible person for doing this to you." Megan was still crying, but she didn't seem to notice.

All that she saw were the last of the rose vines letting go of his body. It was still torn and bloody, but atleast he was free. Megan helped to grab him from the ground, to finally escape. She hugged the boy, repeating apologies over and over into his chest and she cried.

"Just speak," Zachariah told her with a hint of irritability in his voice.

The branches around him tightened.

Wincing, he spoke again, this time more evenly, "Just speak to them with what is in your heart. That is what they desire."

He fell silent for a moment, his eyes closing once more. When he opened them again, it was with a sigh.

"...your pain. It is what these thorns in my flesh are making me feel. Your agony binds me as these branches do. It is inside of me now; I can neither ignore it nor pretend to."

The Blue Rose Prince looked at Megan, as if seeing her for the first time.

"You loved your parents," he murmured, as if to encourage her words to the roses.

"Me?" Megan squawked, taking a step back. "Uhm... I don't know... I have nothing good to say and erhmmm..." This was an uncomfortable position, just like with the mersharks. Though she loved fantasy, she wasn't good with interacting with it.

Not like before.

But not that Megan even remembered any of it.

"I guess I can, erhm... try." She crouched down next to Zachariah, looking at him with confusion.

"How do I... uhmm... speak with them?" She asked, bending her knees slightly to stop them from falling asleep.

"My Lord!" Raphi cried out when the shadows writhed away from both him and Megan. He dropped her hand and rushed forward, drawing a small knife from inside his jacket.

Zachariah's eyes widened. "Raphi...? How did you know? Why did you return?"

"I myself did not know, My Lord... It was Megan who felt you in danger. But as for why I returned for you... You are my prince, Lord Zachariah. I know you, and I know that somewhere inside of you is the Zachariah who would have defended me and kept me 'til death and beyond." The shadow-man grabbed a branch that was wrapped around Zachariah's torso and began sawing at it with the knife, but to no avail.

The Blue Rose Prince looked at Megan, then Raphi, silently.

Finally, confused and exhausted, Raphi let go of the branch, staring at his now-dull knife. "My Lord, I... I don't understand. The branches... they are like steel."

Zachariah's eyes drifted closed.

"My Lord... My Lord!"

"Be calm, Raphi. I am all right. The roses are speaking to me."

"...you always did have a bond with the roses, My Lord, but... speaking to you how?"

"You would not understand. But... they tell me that no blade, only a soft word, will convince them to release me."

"You mean, we are to talk them into letting you go, Lord Zachariah?"

The Blue Rose Prince's eyes opened once more. "Not you, Raphi."

The dark-haired young man's gaze flicked over to the girl near the manservant.

"Megan is the one whose voice they want to hear."

"I'm not sure, exactly. I don't know the castle very well, but I saw a few blue roses. I hope that helps." Raphi nodded, seeming to know where she was talking about. Megan grabbed his hand, and the shadows engulfed both of them, transporting them back to where they had been exiled from.

The Prince's Castle.

Raphi smiled as Megan spoke of Zachariah meaning something to him. The smile was filled with memories, and it seemed that his doubt was gone. "You are right when you say this, Lady Megan... Even if you forget that he once meant something to you, as well."

The shadow-man held out his hand to her. "I may be cut off from my prince, but I am still of the shadows and their power, including traveling by their means.

"If he is indeed in danger, then we should hurry. Take my hand and I will take us both there. Where is he exactly, do you know?"

Megan looked to Raphi. "You've been very kind to me since I've been here Raphi. You saved me from the mershark. You saved my life, because I don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't gotten out of there. Can you say shark bait? Probably."

She sighed, and for the third time, ran a hand through her hair. "I can tell that Zachariah means something to you. I don't care for the bigot arse, but he means something to you. And since you saved my life, we might as well save his. Besides, I hate feeling indebted to people." With that, she grinned widely, remembering how her parents used to scold her for thinking that way. As quickly as that smile came about, it went away again. Megan would never hear her parents scold her again.

"Look, he's in trouble. We have to go, or we'll never get to the castle in time. Do you think you can shadow teleport us there, or are we going to have to make a run for it?"

Raphi had begun to walk with Megan, but he stopped short as she told him of his former prince's plight.

"He is? But... I felt nothing, I..." Then he nodded, his eyes sorrowful. "I see. He cut the bond between us when he cast me out with you. But for some reason, the bond between you two remains."

Shaking his head quickly, he strode up to Megan. "Let us go to him. But--are you sure? After he treated you so callously?"

Raphi himself was showing signs of being conflicted. He had been hurt, but he still felt loyal to the Blue Rose Prince.

Megan snapped her head at Raphi, a little annoyed that he asked if she was ok, if she was able. "Look," the brunette said, placing her hands on her hips. "I can do this. I'm perfectly able. I've been getting the same lip from everyone all day 'Oh Megan, are you sure you're ok? Can you make it? Poor Megan. Poor, pathetic Megan.' I don't want your sympathy as well, ok?"

Running her hand through her hair again, she began walking, not looking to see if he would follow. "If you don't want-" Megan gasped, feelings of panic and warning began running through her veins from some foreign source. She felt prickling pain on her ankle and lower leg, and upon investigating this (pulling up her pant leg) noticed tiny red dots, almost like the skin breaking and bleeding.

"What the-?" She was panicking, wondering what had overcome her, and where it came from, but then she saw it; tiny flashes in her mind's eye. It was a garden, and Zachariah, with pain in his eyes and a large azure bloom looming over his face.

She turned back to Raphi, fear overcoming her. "Zachariah- he's in trouble. We have to go help him. "

Raphi could not help looking at Megan, his brow furrowed. She had been in such obvious pain only a moment before... now she spoke as if that pain were just a minor annoyance. Raphi knew that Megan had always been adept at concealing her emotions, but before now--before she forgot--she had never felt the need to when she was in Magara, her land of dreams.

"W-well," the former manservant finally spoke up, choosing to honor Megan's holding back of her emotions, "Kadan is not too far away, only about half a day of walking. We are on good terms with them, so we should be able to find a place to stay, if only for the night, once we're there."

He paused before going on, "Lady Megan, you could wake at will before now. Can you try to do so again? I do not want you to endure such discomfort in this realm..."

He bit his lip before finishing his sentence, but it was apparent what he was going to say: When you are already in so much pain.

Zachariah looked down at his foot, his eyes widening slightly. A thorny branch from the nearest rosebush had snaked its way over to him and latched on to his pants leg.

"What is it, my roses?" He turned back to face the garden. "What do you wish to tell me? Are you unsettled, as I am? Does thinking of the girl also--AAH!"

A cry of shock and alarm broke from his lips as the branch suddenly whipped around to bind his leg in a painfully tight grip.

"My roses, what--"


Then more branches, and more, some with blossoms attached and some bare, rushed towards him to wrap around his limbs. Zachariah winced as he felt some of the thorns pierce his skin.

"What is wrong? I did what I had to, I sent the girl away! Raphial, too..." He squeezed his eyes shut, though whether out of remorse or pain from the thorny embrace he was caught in it was hard to tell.

"I sent them both away. Why do you turn against me? My roses!"

He flicked a free finger, his eyes widening once more as nothing happened.

"Even you, my shadows?" He called out. "Why do you not come to my aid? Am I to be bound here without reason?"

A large, brilliant blue blossom suddenly reared up in front of the Blue Rose Prince's face. He stared into the depths of its chambered petals.

"You do wish to tell me something... very well, then. Tell me," he murmured before closing his eyes.

A moment passed before his lips opened.

"...you share my pain," he whispered. "...and you share Megan's, as well...?"

The large rose bloom swayed in front of him, as if with a non-existent breeze.

"...you wish to make me feel her pain." The sapphire eyes of the Blue Rose Prince slowly reemerged from behind the closed lids.

"I think... I understand more now," he murmured to the rose. "Why do you still have me captured thus? Why continue to stab me with these thorns and suffocate me with your branches?"

"Is there something else you want?"

When Raphi shook Megan's shoulder she stopped crying. The world around them stood still, in anticipation of where her emotions were to go. She wiped the tears from her face, and used the blond's hand to help herself get back up on her feet.

"I'm so sorry, I've been an emotional wreck this week. It's been really hard to keep myself in check. They- the doctors- had me on a major amount of medication to help me keep sane, but all they did was keep me numb. I can't live like that." Not anymore, Megan thought to herself.

"So what now? What happens now that His Royal Arse-ness has kicked us out of the castle? Where do we go, what do we do? Are we to sit her for eternity or what? I should probably get back home soon... I have a wake to attend tomorrow..."

Megan ran a hand through her brown hair, sighing in frustration.

"Lady Megan?"

Raphi did not know whether or not to try to reach out to the distraught girl in front of him. Feeling movement beneath his feet, he looked down, then around, eyes widening at what he saw.

The ground underneath him was shaking.

The branches of the tree on the hill were writhing wildly.

The dark liquid in the pond was rippling strangely.

"The land of Magara always did react to... Lady Megan, please! Are you all right?" Although he knew inside that she was not, that there was nothing he could do to reach her. However, that didn't stop him from trying.

"My Lady, please answer me..." Taking a deep breath, Raphi reached down to grasp Megan's shoulder and shake it gently.

Megan slowly pushed her body out of the snowy ground, pain spreading when her muscles worked. This wasn't like the pain that she had felt in the darkness. This was a more concrete pain and it connected within her cells just as badly as the crash had. The brunette groaned, pulling her self to her knees. "I wish I had the tongue of a sailor", she murmured. Raphi then was at her side, helping her up to her feet.

She thanked him as he rambled for a few moments about the boundaries of the kingdom and asking her about her mortal body and food and the like. But then he asked about her bruises. Those ugly reminders of the week that had past.

"Oh." Megan's voice dropped to a whisper. "Those? There not important. Really. They were just from a car crash. Nothing more. An automobile accident." She was fighting back the tears. Fighting as hard as she could, but she could only hold them in for so long. "I- I lost both my parents in the crash. I was the only survivor, it was all my fault. Oh god, what have I done?" Megan's knees let out and she feel to the snowy ground with her face in her hands, her heart rent asunder.