I'm at the gym, the basement of Clarissa and Kilian. They haven't used it for a decade, but aren't tearing it down because of my frequent uses. I'm using the spinning machine to work my legs, listening to music at the same time; Seventeen, BoomBoom , and think about the vision both Xander and his mother had. I contemplate whether I would have the guts to do such an act against the Higher Council. But what does getting our powers mean exactly?

My legs go faster. And if both the Oracles have had the same vision, then the future is set into stone, inevitable. Does that mean they were right, that I am a failure? My legs stumble off the spinner and grazes my right thigh.

"Ouch-"

"I thought I'd find you here." Clarissa. She came in and sat down on the bench against the wall near the door and motioned for me to join her. I sat next to her, not letting on the fact that I am troubled, but her motherly intuition is too strong. Motherly. I scoff at the word.

"What's wrong? You seem stressed." She puts her arm around my shoulders, and just for that minute, I let myself relax a little. My real mother up in Heaven always taught me to be independent and never look weak and as a result we weren't close. But the bond I have with Clarissa is one that defines what a mother and daughter should uphold. Even if she knows nothing about me?

"I am a little. Just an assignment that I have to get done." I lie, swiftly and with ease. And yet I wonder why I was banished from Heaven! She looks at me, as if she can see what goes on in my head, all the lies stacked up, forming a border around me.

"You know you can tell me anything, right? I am your mum." And I hug her tighter, taking in what I could have had if I wasn't destined to fail in life. "Oh and by the way, Xander is here." I sit up straight and glance at my phone. 17:07. "Why didn't you tell me?" I stutter and rush all the way up to my room to wipe and clothe myself. I rush downstairs and its 17:15.

"Xander, I'm so sorry-" I start, before I see his face; upset and lost in thought. I walk in, unsure what to do, to say and so I just go and squeeze his shoulder. He jumped three feet in the air. "Oh, I didn't see you!" He gasped out, and grabbed my hand, tugging me out the house with a brief goodbye to Clarissa. He tugs me down the drive and down the street and into an alcove of trees. He still didn't let go of my hand. The wind howled and bristles the yellow-orange leaves on the trees, making a few fall on the ground.

"What happened? Did you have another vision?" I scour his face, affirmation burned bright in his eyes. "Tell me."

"There's this...this other Fallen Angel. He is going to come to the university from next Monday. He will be in all of your classes. And-" he stops unable to utter the next words.

"And what, Xander?" I squeeze his hand harder. The wind stood still.

"And he asks you if you want to join in his league; The League of Fallen Angels. His plans and intentions were unclear...and so was your answer." He drops his gaze, unable to meet my eyes.

"Is that what you're worried about? Really?"

"Yes...no. I don't know. I just have this bad feeling that you're going to accept...you're not? Are you?" And I think about it, I really do but when it comes down to it, I would accept. I have had enough of being looked down upon and being the one that is betrayed. I have had enough of failing. And I can't lie to him, either.

"I don't know what I would say. But if I did say yes, that wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't change you and me." His face is stricken, as if I had slapped him across his face. I scramble to find the right words. "We'd still be together all of the time." I anticipate his response.

"But we wouldn't be the same, would we? You'd be different, someone else entirely. And we wouldn't be together, you'd be with him – I mean them." His cheeks go ablaze, ashamed by the true meaning behind his words. I start to snigger, and he playfully punches my arm. "It's not funny." But he starts to laugh a little too. I hug him close and whisper in his ear.

"You know, that in this world, you are my everything, I have nothing left. Everything I do revolves around you. Without you...I'd - I'd be a mess." I choke on my words, never being able to say what I am thinking. He squeezes tighter, and we stay like that until I break away.

"Come on, let's go test our powers." And we run, hand in hand, against the force of the wind.

We stop, 40 minutes away from the alcove of trees near my house, and look around to see if there are any people around. I ground myself, my core and centre, and zoom out of range, honing all my senses, as I scour the perimeter and extend my range as I go. "No one in sight." I call back.

"Same here." We come back to the middle of the clearing and commence testing. Back on Heaven, all Fledgling Angels were required to do at least 58 hours of training a week, to maintain good practice in all the fields. Me and Xander used to train with the best, his father. So, to test out our powers, we are using the same methods we did up in Heaven. I face Xander, looking for his weaknesses, the areas which he left open. I smile. Too easy.

I create fire balls in my palms, shaping them and making them grow bigger as I do. Xander retaliates with creating waves of water in front of him, making them go higher as he goes. He shoots his water at my now beach ball size fire ball. I quickly change it to a ball of water, making his wave disintegrate and making my ball larger. I laugh. "Out of practice I see."

"We'll see who's out of practice!" he turns the remaining water into a ball of light, twice the size of my ball of water, and orders its release into the ball of water, extinguishing it completely. Xander wins.

"Ha! Who's the one out of practice? You!" He punches the air and I just roll my eyes, refusing to let him know that he beat me. "Well...You've done this more than me so-"

"Admit it; I beat you!"

"No.

"Admit it." he sings.

"Fine...you beat me." I sulk and he just laughs at my inability to admit my failure.

"Come on, let's try again. And maybe this time I'll try to beat you." I playfully punch him on his arm and start to construct a powerful whirl-wind of fallen leaves.

·  ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  · ➳ ───────────── .°୭̥ ❁ ˎˊ˗

Xander walks me home, sulking after being beaten 7-5, but being used to it after his time in Heaven. We reach my house by the time it's quarter-past-seven. Kilian invites Xander in, being acquaintances since I first moved in with them, which has now become 3 years. We sit and eat spaghetti bolognese and talk about nothing and everything. And this feels so natural and simple, I wish everything would stay like that. But like my mother once said up in Heaven, simplicity just shows weakness and failure, and I will never fail again.

Soon Xander leaves and I watch TV with Clarissa and Kilian for a while and go to bed after a quick shower. I lie on my bed, feeling a big mix of emotions that I don't know what to do with; anger, content, embarrassment, confidence – what good can come out of this?

I stare up at my ceiling, the little wings that I had stuck up there to remind me of my origins, my roots. That no matter what anyone else says, I am an angel. I am not a failure. But I'm not sure that I can live up to it. Bleed it through my veins. I am a failure, it's what I do: fail.

I stare for some time, and drift off to sleep, not knowing when. And I dream.

"Xena! Wait for me!" I fly, soaring through clouds and passed others as I quicken the pace of my wings. I take it all in; the wind billowing against my face, the feel of my out stretched wings and limbs, the feel of my hair waving in all directions but not irritating me for once because I am doing the thing I love: flying.

I suddenly remember Xander's out-cry and loop backwards, arching my back to stop my flight and face Xander who was still trying to catch up to me. When he finally reached me, I was off again, but I held back enough so that we could fly together with enough space between us for our wings. We spoke to each other telepathically.

As we flew onwards, we could hear wings beating towards us from behind. We didn't take any notice and carried on laughing in each other's minds. The beating became louder, forcing me to turn around, Xander doing the same. But before we could see our pursuers, a screeching sound: ear-splitting and skull-crushing, making me dizzy and unfocused. Someone grabbed me around my waist, and another pair of arms grabbed my hands. I could hear Xander's protests being blown my way through the wind, and then suddenly the direction of the wind changed: we were being flown the opposite direction.

The screeching sound continued and became higher in note, making me too weak to protest or fight. I opened one eye with effort and looked ahead; the High Court was in view but getting blurry as I strain for a closer look. I can just about make out a figure in the distance in a red cloak ushering our captors to go closer. My eye closed against its own will, but my hearing stayed intact. My head drooped to the side and my strain gave way. Voices spoke in low whispers.

"No one saw you did they, Lucius?" An urgent tone.

"No, Flael, do you doubt my abilities?!" Frustrated.

"Keep it down. We do NOT want to get caught! And no, I do not doubt your abilities, old acquaintance." A pause and some shuffling. "Come on, we need to conceal their bodies before we are questioned for our whereabouts." My body is dragged across hard marble floor, and if I strain my ears, I can hear another body being dragged too: Xander.

"Flael, what did they do? These fledglings?" Curiosity shone bright in his voice.

"THEY didn't do anything. They are being framed." Smug and sound. If I had the strength, I would kick him where it hurts.

"So, they didn't steal the Dropa stones and send it to the humans?"

"No. In fact, that was their parents!" They suddenly dumped us in a heap and Xander's knee knocked me out on my head.

·  ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  · ➳ ───────────── .°୭̥ ❁ ˎˊ˗

I woke up with a start, my hand shooting straight to my head. The screeching sound still ringing in my ears and echoing through my mind. I look through the window; bright daylight shines through the gaps in my blinds. My hand flies to my phone. 9:45am! I jump out of bed and grab my robe, cold spreading through my veins. I jump the stairs three at a time and burst into the big kitchen. "I'm late! "I'm late! Why didn't anyone wake me up?!" Clarissa and Kilian stop in their tracks of making breakfast and stare at me until Kilian gets out his phone.

"Did you check the date on your phone? It's a Saturday! Saturday 13th November." I stare at him, puzzled. I look closer and he is wearing his pyjamas too, along with Clarissa.

"Oh...sorry. I guess I was confused." I run back upstairs and brush my teeth and run back down to see a plate of fried breakfast on my seat. I sit and start gulping it down, hungry after my nightly encounter. Kilian and Clarissa notice my hunger and start shoving more food on my plate.

"Tired are you Xena?" Clarissa asks me.

"Very." I stop eating long enough to speak. "I had a bad dream last night, that's all."

"What was it about, your dream?" Kilian looks curious.

"Me and Xander got captured by these men and then we got dumped somewhere with a marble floor. And the men, they said that we were being framed for something our parents framed us for it. Apparently, we had stolen the Dropa Stone Disks. Then Xander's knee knocked me on my head when we got dumped and then I blacked out." I finally take a breath, and Kilian laughs.

"You? Steal something? Wouldn't dream of it!"

"But it is weird though, that you had a dream about your parents framing you." Clarissa's eyebrows knitted together, in confusion or surprise, I didn't know.

"I'm sure it's nothing." Kilian said and we started to eat again. Although, I didn't really agree with him on that.

We spoke no more about dreams, but instead of the day ahead. Kilian's family were organising a mountain hike to raise money for sufferers of Alzheimer's disease, working with the Alzheimer Society of Canada as his grandfather was a sufferer. Kilian had promoted it through his business and Clarissa had helped organise the event. I had put up posters in campus and sent flyers round the neighbourhood with Xander. The point was to hike with your family, closing any distances and feeling loved and remembering, what sufferers of Alzheimer's are unable to do. Xander and his foster family are coming along; his older foster brother Blake, his foster mother Jean and his foster father Levi.

I put on my hiking gear; heavy boots, a fleece-lined coat and jeans. Clarissa had packed a bag which Kilian was carrying, but I still packed my own just in case; a weapon (disguised as a water bottle), extra clothes, food and a smoke bomb flare in case of an emergency.

When we arrived at Dundas Peak, Kilian's parents were already there, putting out flags and a few supplies for just-in-cases. Xander arrived a few minutes after us and we started to split the hikers into groups. We were in a group with Xander and his family and we started to climb.

The trees around us were auburn mixed with fiery orange, any traces of green engulfed. The ever-present wind causing havoc among the colonies of leaves. The wind beat at my face, at times causing me to stumble backwards, but I wasn't irritated, it made me smile more.

Footsteps advanced quickly behind me. Xander. My smile falters, but I keep it powered. A hand brushed mine as it stepped into the step with my fast-paced feet. "Are you trying to ignore me?" Sarcasm.

"Truth?" I swallowed hard, but there was nothing to swallow.

"Yes." He looked up at the canopy of trees, analysing much like me.

"I- I am ignoring you."

"Why?" Confusion.

"I couldn't tell you. I can't tell you."

"But you can't hide it- whatever it is."

"No, but I can delay it. Because I can't tell you, not here, not now." I whispered my reply, not trusting myself for all I was worth. He tugged my hand, turned me to face him, his eyes pleading in ways his mouth was unable to do. I had to tell him.

"Our-our parents. They framed us. Said we stole the Dropa Stone Disks and gave it to the humans. So, we were captured and - sentenced to life as humans." And I couldn't hold it back anymore. My tears spilt and I ran. I ran as far as I could, away from Xander, who was pursuing me. Tears ran free down my face. I couldn't remember the last time I had cried freely. Xander's feet had become quiet, so I collapsed against a giant ash tree and sobbed. Sobbed until I couldn't breathe anymore. But the tears didn't stop. They had been held back for so long. Then his footsteps became louder. I forced the tears to stop and buried my face in my knees.

"You can be upset. It's me." He sounded weakened. You had done this. A voice in my head reminds me. I wipe my face on my knees and look up as he slumps down against the tree.

"I'm not upset. Just angry." I shrug, and part of it is true; I am angry at our parents. Yes, they have a duty up in Heaven, but they have a duty to us to. The fact that they overrode those duties for something so meaningless boils my blood.

"I'm angry too. But I know you're upset. You don't always have to hold the strong act around me you know." I try to believe him; I really do but if I don't be the strong one then who will? So, I sit up straighter and say what I really think will help us the most: separation.

"Xander. I think that we need a new strategy." I look into the trees and think of how to word my ways in which won't hurt him. I lick my lips. "I think we need to separate." Silence. I finally conjure the courage to look at him. He looks calm enough. "Us staying together is just getting...difficult for so many reasons."

"Is that what you really want? For me to go away?" He didn't look at me and I didn't blame him. I can't believe half the words that are coming out my mouth right now. But my motifs are to rid myself of the stigma that I had the misfortune to fall with. I don't want to put him in danger any more than I want to fail the mission, but my priorities have to change. I have to clear our name from the Book of the Sinned, but it has to be done in a way that won't hurt Xander anymore or put a worse title on us. The only way to do this was to separate, and for me to do this alone I would have to join The League of Fallen Angels - but with my own motif. All things said, it was still hard for me to do what I had to do.

"Honestly Xander? Yes. I feel I can work better without you. My plan only has room for one and to be honest I just can't risk failing – not again." I paused. "And I hope you understand that I need to do this, and you can't stop me." I stood up, hearing footsteps in the distance. "So, this is where we part ways." I walk off, finding my way back to the path and see Blake, Xander's older brother, walking my way but I don't want to talk to him in this mood, so I walk faster.

The trail was longer than I anticipated and with what just happened I started to slow down a little. I slowed my pace down, which allowed Blake to catch up with me.

"Hey. Why aren't you with Xander?"

"Do I have to be with him all the time?" I kicked the small rocks in my path. They skidded very far away, and I think startled him a little. Good.

"No, I'm just saying: you two are usually inseparable. I even thought you were dating." He laughed and I did too. This was why I liked Blake. He didn't make things difficult or awkward.

We walked some distance in silence and I helped him over a fallen tree (Blake is anything but athletic) and started talking about cookies and music and books and just everything. Blake told me about his problematic band and how his boyfriend insists upon being the lead singer even though he cannot sing. I told him about how hard engineering is and a little about my problem with Xander.

"So, you don't want to be a distraction to him?" He squinted into the distance, his vibrant green eyes as bright as the sea of monsters. "I mean, if that's what you think." He shrugged and looked at me, like right at me.

"Yeah, it is. University is important, and I don't want to ruin it for either of us." We stayed quite for some time, taking care not to trip over any of the roots or fallen branches.

"Yeah, well...If you're asking me, I'd say breaking up with him will just make things worse".

"We're not dating, Blake. He's practically my brother. And what do you mean, make things worse?"

"Ouch, your brother?" He looks at me with a disbelieving look on his face. I just nod.

"Okay think of it like this; you have a pet seahorse-"

"Why would I have a pet seahorse?" I laughed.

"Use your imagination. So, you have a pet seahorse that you love and you always play with it to make yourself feel better, or just because you want to. Then your parents get mad at you for not doing enough homework or something, so they take your seahorse away and give it to your cousin. And every time you go around to your cousin's house you see the same seahorse and you feel sad and unmotivated to do anything."

"I don't see how that links to me and Xander-" He held his finger up to indicate that I should shut up and we stopped walking.

"You are that seahorse. Imagine Xander sees you everyday at uni, but he can't talk to you or hang out with you, but can only watch you from afar – just like that seahorse. Imagine how down he would be." I thought about it, because it did make sense. But the again it didn't link to an army of Fallen Angels at all.

"Well...Xander is stronger than you think. He'd much rather prefer that I get lost and leave him to do his own thing." Blake rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I give up. I don't know how a person can be as smart yet as dumb as you are Xena, honestly." I just laughed and we continued to walk down the path.

"About your boyfriend, Lee, how bad of a singer is he?"

Blake sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Our drummer almost quit because his earplugs didn't work."

We laughed and continued walking, but faster.

"By the way," I said looking back over my shoulder "where are our parents?" He just shrugged.

"Beats me."

A/N: Sorry to make you wait.
I hope you enjoyed this very long chapter.
And, as always, thank you for your support. It means the world.

Adieu 💛💙✨

(Word Count; 3849)