Tia's POV

Floating down towards a clearing, I spot Rythian with Zoey and Duncan with Kim arguing loudly. "As if you think your pathetic magical powers can hold back an army. You know science will be the way" Duncan argues, his mechanical glove waving around menacingly in the air. "Don't lie to me, I know you use magic too" Rythian growls, ignoring Zoey's desperate tugging. "How can your magic stand up to a bomb?" Kim asks innocently, and Rythian hisses at her, making her flinch. "I can soften the impact and protect those I need to. So if a bomb hits you two, don't come crying to me" Rythian retorts, trying to walk away from it, anger blazing in his mystical purple eyes. 

"We have forcefields!" Duncan yells after him. Rythian just shrugs and storms off until Duncan aims a powerful ball of energy at his head. He stumbles forward from the impact, turning on him, his hand reaching out and using magic to choke him. "Yeah, that's right, try use your science now!" Rythian jeers, and Zoey tugs his hand down, releasing the gasping scientist. Kim suddenly steps forward, activating her flying ring and uses a smaller power glove on Rythian's red headed apprentice. She isn't fazed, though, and she steps up bravely and focuses on the glove with her hand, and the ball of energy growing at the end of it rebounds, blasting backwards, making Kim stumble. 

The two men face each other glaring, until a breeze grabs at my cape, catching their eye. "Settle this for us. What's better, magic or science?" Rythian asks fiercely. "They're both good. I cant decide." I admit with a light laugh, trying to clear the tension. Needless to say, it didn't work. "How can you even say that? You used to be my apprentice, for gods sake!" Duncan snaps, aiming his glove at me even though it wouldn't do anything anyway. "But I'm not now, am I?" I retort, calmly lowering myself onto the ground. "Oh, you thankful then?" he snaps, Kim glaring at me from behind him. "Why are you being like this?" I ask softly, watching Rythian take advantage of the situation and walk away with his apprentice in tow. 

"Because you went back to that idiot! What the hell were you thinking?" he hisses angrily, sending Kim away. "He's changed." is all I can muster up. I don't feel like arguing today, not with this massive war hanging over our heads. "Are you two dating or something? Because you sure as hell better not be." he demands angrily. My head snaps towards him-why should he care? "It's none of your business." I say calmly before beginning to drift off, getting tired of the angry scientist.

"I knew it! I knew you were dating him! How can you betray us like that? He locks us up in arenas and makes us fight to the death!" he yells after me, making me turn. My temper was flaring-I was losing my patience with him very quickly. "He apologized and promised not to do it again. The past is the past." I finish before soaring up into the air. "I'm going to tell everyone you are dating him! You won't have any friends left by the end of today, are you happy?" he roars after me, his voice getting quieter and quieter. 

Flying towards a lake, I sit down on a fallen log and hold my knees. What if Duncan was right, and everyone rejected me? Surely some of them would understand...right? Ridgedog had done terrible things to them but he had changed. I knew it would be hard just to forgive him straight away, but still. 

Rubbing my head, I sigh with frustration. I was getting a headache with all the stress that had been going on. Leaning back onto the cold grass, I stare up at the sky, which is pure white. Like someone had taken a rubber and erased the sky. A fresh start. That's what Ridge was having. A new start on life. I didn't use magic or use science. I didn't ship dirt or jaffa cakes. I didn't have a forest spirit or a heart for music. I was immortal, and the only person I really fit with was Ridge. And I would stick by him to the end.

A small twirling shape stops my train of determined thoughts. I squint at it. It was hard to make out because of the white sky. But it twirls and dances closer to me, teasing me just out of reach. A snowflake. A tiny, crystal snowflake, with intricate patterns. Smiling, I reach out with my hand and catch it on the tip of my finger, watching it glitter and shimmer as it melts onto my hand. It was soon followed by many more, a slow rhythmic dance at first, like ballroom dancing, swirling and circling each other, then a faster flow, more and more drifting down around me. I twitch as one lands on my eyelash and I blink it away. The first snow of winter had arrived. 

I stayed there for hours, letting the snow fill up around me, creating a small barrier round me. It felt so peaceful, so clean, so quiet, so perfect and pure. I had to keep brushing at my face to make sure it didn't start suffocating me. It was cold, but I felt perfectly warm inside and so I happily emptied my thoughts and just watched the snowflakes.

At some point Ridgedog came to join me, lying down beside me, gently sliding his hand into mine which was deliciously warm, squeezing it gently. When I turn to look at him, he was already watching me, his blue eyes shining in the white background of the snow. The trees were covered in snow, the buildings in the distance with towering factory chimneys were covered in snow, and I was covered in snow. Like a white blanket, keeping us safe from the outside dangers. Safe from the dangers of war. With just two more days to go, it was almost time to fight.

Rolling into Ridgedog's arms which don't hesitate to pull around me, I nestle in further to the warmth and let sleep take me away from the nightmare of reality.

Note: Awwww :D Now back onto the more serious stuff...

Liam's POV

Our swords slam together with a clash of metal which hurts my ears, leaving them ringing. Pushing it away, I parry his next blow, pulling my legs together as he aims for my legs, and my sword swings out with a flash to try and hit his neck. Mitch pushes the sword away on the flat side with his palm. He puts his own sword next to my throat before backing away. "That was better. Don't underestimate your opponent. Sometimes, people with no strategy are the most dangerous. You can't predict them, so be ready for anything." Nodding thoughtfully, I suddenly surprise him by shoving him onto the floor and aiming the sword at his chest. He grins sheepishly. "OK, I didn't see that one coming" he admits, and I grin back, rolling away and getting up, still alert. 

"Let's go have a break now. I'm pretty tired" I admit, stretching and smirk as I block his sudden attack. He rolls his eyes. "Sure, I guess." Glancing outside, I groan. Snow coats everything like icing sugar on a cake. "Nice battlefield conditions!" he chuckles, also peering outside. Sky suddenly walks past, making both of us jump. "He looks pretty serious." I joke nervously before going to open the door and try to remain polite. 

"Sky, what's up?" I ask and he pushes rudely past me to talk to Mitch. "Change of plan. We are attacking earlier on today, around 6 o'clock so be ready at the boundary line by then." he says harshly. I stare at him, jaw dropping. "B-but we need to prepare!" Mitch stutters. Sky shrugs. "We are all prepared and I have heard rumours someone told the Yogscast of our attack date..." Sky glances at me with suspicion in his eyes and I continue to stare back innocently. 

"I don't want to hear any more excuses. Now, prepare yourselves. You have one hour." he says before slamming the door shut. "What the hell? Why is he hurrying it up for?" I spit out as soon as he has gone. "I don't know. Something's not right about him. He's never usually like this..." Mitch murmurs, looking worried. "Look, we'll worry about that later. We have one hour before we have to be at the boundary line! We have to warn Ridgedog and Tia!" I snap, jumping up, adrenaline pulsing. 

"It's too dangerous! If they catch us over there we are finished!" Mitch snaps. "DEAMON!" I yell loudly, and the demigod appears, exaggerating deafness, putting his hands on his ears. "What?" he snaps, rubbing his seemingly sore ears. "Sky is going to attack in one hour! He moved the date back, you need to go warn them!" I tell him quickly. His face pales. "But the others are in a meeting with Mexxy! There's no one to protect Jerome" he frowns, before nodding. "Alright. Thank you for the warning." he says, before disappearing. 

Deamon's POV

Teleporting quickly, Tia and Ridge are lying down in the snow, both asleep. "Wake up! C'mon, quickly!" I urge them, shoving them hard and then kicking Ridge in the back hard. He groans, snapping awake. "What do you want?" he snaps, hugging Tia tighter to his chest and shivering as snowflakes keep falling. Tia's eyes flutter open and she immediately yawns. "Liam and Mitch said Sky moved the attack back! They are going to attack in one hour!"

Note: Sorry for the short pov and moving things along quickly-just want to get to the fight as soon as possible xD