Watching Zeno explode at Kahlo, I shrunk up against the wall. I'm only afraid of a few things, and Zeno is one of them. But, when he walked out, since no one else looked like they were gonna do anything, I walked out after him.

When I stepped out of the cave and looked around, there was no sign of him anywhere. Confused, I turned in a slow circle. Still nothing. There was nowhere to go, since we were on the side of a cliff, so how did he just disappear?

A voice called out "Up here." Squinting in the dark, I looked towards the cliff face above the cave for the source of the voice. Then I saw a flicker of motion about 4 feet to the left of where I was looking. Zeno's hand waving at me.

"Geez," I said "either you blend right in with the dark or I'm blind." Holding out one hand away from my face, I ignited it, and a ghostly bluish white light washed over everything. I walked around to the very edge of the cliff where a couple of obvious foot holds were.

Digging my feet into the cliff side, I pulled my self up towards Zeno who was around 15 feet above the cave, my muscles straining to hold my weight. When I reached the ledge he sat on, Zeno extended his arm to me, and pulled me up all the way to safety, while I made sure not to touch him with my ignited hand.

Sitting there next to him, panting and out of breath, I asked "How did you get up here so fast?" Zeno tore his attention away from the ground below and motioned to the darkness surrounding us, and I frowned, still confused. He sighed at my ignorance and said "It's dark down there, and dark up here."

Still confusion. Then... OHHHHHHH pshhh yeah I knew that, so obvious. "So you..shadow stepped?" He clapped his hands sarcastically. "The princess figured something out for herself." I glared at him, "I was going to come up here and ask you what's wrong, but apparently you don't need my presence here.

Leaning over the side of the edge, I turned and swung my feet over it, preparing to climb back down. Letting go of the ledge with one hand to grab onto another protruding rock, my hand slipped, and time seemed to slow down, my life flashing before my eyes, but so slow it seemed like I was living it over again, and I fell.

My brain seemed to shut off, and I watched my arms flailing in the air as I plummeted to my death. Squeezing my eyes shut, I prepared for the impact. But it never came. Was I dead? Opening my eyes, I screamed out. Black was all around me, I was completely blind.

A voice said right in my ear "It's okay, calm down." And I screamed again, louder. Then light came back to my eyes, and I realized I was hugging someone tighter than I thought was possible for my level of strength.

They gently pulled themselves out of my grip, and I looked up and locked eyes with them. Him. Zeno. "You saved my life," I gasped. "And you almost squeezed me to death in the process." He stated.

"How-" "Well," he started, cutting me off "I watched you start to climb down, your hand slipped, and you fell. I wasn't fast enough to grab your arm to keep you from falling, so I jumped off after you. I collided with you in midair, and you grabbed onto me. I had to hold onto you too for it to work, so I held onto you as we plummeted towards the ground, building up my power until I had enough, and then I pulled us both through the darkness to the cave."

Not caring about all the people watching from inside the cave, and my nerves still exploding from the fall, I said  "I'm not usually a caring person, but-" stepping forward, I kissed him. "Thank you, and don't expect me to kiss you ever again." I said, pulling away.

Zeno looked surprised as I walked back into the cave and so did everyone else. Ignoring them and Torren's comment of "So I just have to save a girl, and she'll kiss me?" I went back to my corner and curled up on the ground. What a day.