Song: My love will never die by Claire Wyndham

Hours later I stir awake. My head rest on his chest that slightly rises and falls each time he inhales and then exhales. I can't help but notice the softness of his skin. Just hours ago he was full of hair and now nothing, not one strand on his body except for the luscious thickness on his head. His body is rock solid and I know I shouldn't be looking but the structure of his body gives me chills. He takes in a deep breath and lets out a yawn before tightening his hold on my arm.

 I look up to see if he's awake and those eyes of his stare back into mine. For a split second I see a glimpse of red glowing in his eyes but when he blinks again it is gone. "Hi!"

"Hi," I whisper back. The way he looks at me gives me chills along my body. I quickly look away because I feel that if I don't something will happen between us and I'm still a little scared of that feeling.

When he sits up all the way, I stand up and walk around. "I guess we need to be going before it's too late."

"Yeah...I guess you are right. I hate to say it but a part of me is going to miss this place."

"Really...you mean to tell me that you enjoyed the giants and everything else that has tried to keep you here?"

"No, I won't miss that but I will miss the beauty of this place. I can't believe how different it is here you know. I mean this place is like it came right out of a storybook how is that possible. And did you see the bottom of the pool of water those gems are like priceless. I mean look at this." He opens up his hand and there in the middle of his palm is one of the gemstones.

"Silver you can't take that with you?" I say alarmed.

"Azurite it is only one gemstone...it's not like anyone is going to notice it missing."

"True, but it's not right and even if you were to take it...you can't tell anyone where you found it. This place is sacred...you just can't."

He leans in and grabs my hand with his other hand and pulls me into him. "Hey...stop worrying so much." He leans the rest of the way in gracing his lips along mine.

 I lick my lips afterwards and back away from him. "We better be going." I turn and walk out of the cave.

The sun has gone down all the way. As we step into the open I get a sick feeling as I look up towards the entryway to Onyx Quarters. It is completely straight up and the side of the mountain is covered only in vines. The climb doesn't really bother me that much; I have been climbing trees and vines for years. What bothers me is getting out of here alive. I have a feeling that something really bad is going to happen before we actually make it out.

"What are you looking at?" Silver comes up beside me and looks up the mountain side. "This is nothing really...I've climbed worse. Come on we got this." He nudges me and walks on over and takes hold of the vine and starts climbing up.

I just shake my head and follow after him. We stop half way up and catch our breath before going the rest of the way. Once he is at the top he turns around to look down at me and holds his hand out for me to grab. I let him pull me the rest of the way up. He is still looking out at the land before us. "You sure you want to go back with me, there is no coming back to this place?"

"Do I really have a choice? There is nothing left here for me." I sit down let my feet dangle off the edge. I look up and a zillion of stars shine the skies. There is a full moon tonight and in cast enough light on the land below. In the far distance you can almost see the land of Orestes. I take it all in knowing that this will be last time that I ever see it. I try to think back on all the good times that I had here.

Many nights Scolecite and I would sit on top of the trees to gaze at the night stars. So many times we had made wishes when one shot across the sky, making wishes of the future of us together. I grew up with him always being there and now he has Jade all because of the stupid quest. If only I had kept hold of the Painite none of this would have ever happened. If I had only won the quest, Rowan would still be alive.

 I watch in the distance as a family of dragons sweep the sky. Rowan was faithful to me. From the moment he came into my life he made my life better. He was always there for me when I needed to talk to someone. He is the only one that ever really knew how much I loved Scolecite. I wish he got to know Silver; I think he would have approved of him. I let out a long crying howling sound, the sound that I always used to call for Rowan.

Silver sits beside me saying nothing. A part of me feels that he truly understands the pain I feel. He sits back calmly just sitting there and letting me have my moment. I wait for a long drawn out minute hoping that Rowan would pop up out of nowhere like he use to do but nothing. I don't know why it hurts so bad but it does. When Silver pulls me into him, I can't hold it in any longer and I let it all come out. I cry silently in his arms.

I love this place. This is my home and I just can't imagine never being able to come back, never seeing my mum and dad, never seeing my other friends or Scolecite or even Rowan. But what hurts more than anything is never being able to fly again. What I would give to stand up right here and jump off the ledge and fly through the sky letting the wind carry me away.

All the thoughts and memories are torn away from me when I hear a loud bellow behind us. Both of us jump up at the same time. I already know who it is. What I don't know is why in the fiddlesticks is he here. "I see that you made it all the way here but I can't let you leave with him," he says coldly.

"Excuse me...you said that I was no longer a fairy...you took that from me and...and...now you want me to stay here. You can't be serious."

My dad comes up landing by Malachite side. He seems excited to see me but frightened for me st the same time.
"Azurite...we all talked and Malachite says that you should stay."

My mind thinks of what-if's in my head, maybe I should stay. I mean can I really make it in his world. Would his side even really accept me for who I am? Then again if I stay here, it's not like I will ever fit in. I'm an outcast...I no longer belong. I feel like I don't belong anywhere in this land or his land; I'm nothing. I look up at my dad with tears in my eyes. I have to tell him the truth. I no longer belong here. "I'm sorry."

 I look over at Silver and I see a different look in his eyes. He looks sad almost and uncertainof what I am about to do. I look back at my dad and then Malachite. "I'm sorry...I have to go with Silver. He is the only one that has ever stood up for me and...and...I think I love him."

Malachite steps closer to me; swinging his arm back and slapping me right across the face forcing me to fall over,  landing on the floor of the cave. "You can't love him he is not one of us. You will stay he will go back," he bellows so loud that the echoes rattle the inside of the cave.

I shake my head no, as I force myself to stand back up. Silver holds out his hand for me and I take it and stand next to him, close by his side.

I was just about to tell him no again when Silver speaks for me. "You so much as touch her like that again and it will be your last time. You had your chance to keep her here. You took her wings, killed the only true thing she ever loved...her beloved dragon. You told her to leave and never come back. And now...now you want her to stay here."

Malachite voice comes out harsher than before, like he rules over Silver as well. "She can't go to your land. They will find out about this place and we can't have your beings coming here and destroying this place."

"I promise you no one will ever come here." He turns to look at my dad. "Sir...if you love her the way you say you do you will let her go with me. I promise I will always take care of her."

My dad actually looks sad, almost lost for words. He shakes his head a few times and then looks at me but talks to Silver. "She can't go with you; she doesn't belong in your land. She will never survive there or be accepted for what she is."

Some of the other male fairies fly toward us and surround us as I let his words sink in. He is right I don't belong there with him but I will never belong with the winged beings ever again either. I know they will never really let me go. Maybe I should stay and defend for myself for once. I fear that they will hurt Silver and I can't let that happen. I turn to him while letting go of his hand. It takes everything in me to tell him that I should be fine here. I don't have the heart to tell him goodbye because if I do I know for a fact that I will never ever see him again. "Silver just go...I will be fine here."

The look I see in him is one of mystery and confusion. I know he will not go alone. "I am not leaving you here...no way in hell." He looks around at all the others, than back at me, staring me down. "Azurite...I love you. I'm not leaving you here."