"Are you still going to go to The League?" River asked the king. 

"Yes, I am still going to The League." The king informed, trying out the power he had just gained. He shot flames into the air and waved his other hand through it, observing how his hand did not burn or even hurt. 

River watched him anxiously. He strongly disagreed with the king on this subject, but when he had tried to argue, the king had threatened to take away his powers too, and River would prefer to keep his powers. 

"I am not going to spy, though." The king continued, letting his hand drop lazily to the arm of his throne and gazing at River harshly. "If they have a meeting today, I need only follow Flame and find their headquarters. Then I will burn it down and kill everyone in it."

River widened his eyes, appalled by this idea, but the king didn't seem to notice. He grinned and slicked his hair back, his brilliant plan blinding him from seeing any sense.

"This world will finally be ridden of the corrupt people who want to take it over." He announced. 

I'm sorry you don't realize that you're the corrupt one. River thought nervously.

~

"Welcome to The League." Flame said with a smile. He had led Maple here limping the entire time. Of course, he hadn't told her just how much pain he was in. If he told her, what would she do? Worry about him? Not let him come?

Her loyalty to him almost annoyed him, for he didn't want anyone to be loyal to him. Then they would expect him to stand by them, and that certainly wasn't going to happen.

Maple smiled as she looked around at the people gathered. The building was so small and having so many people jammed into it made it seem even smaller. It was a rather small wooden shack, with part of the ceiling missing and a huge round red rug in the middle. "This is where we sit." Flame explained, pointing to the rug. 

Maple smiled a little. This was her kind of place. Sitting on the floor, talking before the meeting started, and no strict rules! Wonderful!

"Everybody listen up!" A voice called. The talked ceased immediately as every person in the room looked up at a rickety little staircase in the corner. "Please take a seat." The voice ordered.

For some reason, Maple found the voice rather familiar, almost in a soothing sort of way. She felt like she should be able to tell who it was, but she couldn't.

As Maple and Flame took their seats, a hooded figure wearing all black jumped down from the set of stair, landing neatly on its feet. 

The figure stepped into the middle of the rug, picking her way past people, and then took of its hood.

It was a women, and the first thing she did was glance at Flame. She widened her eyes as she saw his appearance. "What happened to you?" She asked. 

Flame smiled wryly. "Oh, just a little mix up with your husband." He said.

Maple gasped. 

Husband!?

The women looked over at her and broke into a wide grin. "Maple! So glad to see you here my dear!"

"Mom?" Maple squeaked. Ice smiled. "Yes, my dear, it's mom."

"How did you get here?"

Ice frowned. "Well, my daughter, I betrayed your father. As soon as I got word with what he was doing in the kingdom, I came back here and gathered people to help me with The League. Of course, I couldn't tell him what I was doing, because wouldn't he hate me forever? I just played it off like I got stuck between dimensions, it seemed the most logical thing to do."

"AND YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!?" Maple yelled at Flame. Flame grinned. "I wanted it to be a surprise." He said.

Maple threw his arms around him. "Best. Surprise. Ever." She whispered in his ear. Flame shivered a little.

Ice laughed a little. "Well, I see sending Flame after you was a wise decision." She said happily. Maple tilted her head. "I thought the king sent Flame after me." She said.

Ice looked at Flame proudly. "This little soldier does a good job of playing more than one part. I told him to volunteer so the king would let him go. I mean, he already earned the king's trust. He's been relaying the information back to us for the past few months. 

Maple looked at Flame, her respect growing for him. How clever did you have to be to fool a king into thinking you were on his side? Of course, the king was a bit...well, insane, but that didn't mean he was easier to fool, did it? If anything, it made him more cautious. 

Ice turned back to the circle of people. She smiled. "Okay, League, let's see what you've done this week."

As Maple listened to everyone talk, she let her gaze wander. She noticed someone slipping into the building, and at first she thought he was just a latecomer. But then she realized that he was running straight at Ice, his eyes burning in fury. 

"MOM!" Maple screamed. Ice had only a second to turn around before the man barreled into her, taking her down. People scattered as the two fought in the middle of the rug. 

Like water, the mans face and appearance seemed to drip off of him, revealing something much more terrifying beneath the disguise. 

The king was there, wrestling with his wife, his eyes wild and crazy. "YOU BETRAYED ME!" He screamed hysterically. "IS THERE NO ONE LEFT THAT I CAN TRUST!?"

Ice wrestled Shift off of her, her gaze equally furious. "Is there no one left that can make civilized decisions? Tell me, Shift, what did you lose after I left you?"

The king stopped trying to struggle out of her grasp and looked her right in the eye. "You left me and took my sanity with you. When they said you were...lost I broke. And now I can't be fixed."

Maple caught sight of something shiny in the king's hand. "MOM WATCH!" She screamed as the king brought out a curved knife and tried to stab Ice.

Ice dodged as best she could, but the blade still caught her. There was something on it, slimy and green, and as Ice clutched her shoulder, Maple realized that it was poison. 

Her mother fell off of her father, clutching her shoulder and closing her eyes tightly, as if she was trying to resist the pain. The burning. 

The murder. 

The king stood up, his eyes wild. "And now, I will be burning this place down...with my new power!" He yelled, lighting his hands on fire and touch each one to a different wall. 

And then, all hell broke loose. 

People started screaming and running out of the building, their eyes wild and terrified, like caged animals. Maple and Flame followed them, both coughing as the smoke clogged their throats. 

And as everyone was running, no one even thought to help Ice, who was not dead, and would not be dead, if the flames avoided her. 

Once Flame and Maple got outside the small building started to collapse. "WHERE'S ICE!?" Someone screamed. The king laughed evilly as the group started panicking. 

"I have to help her," Flame whispered. Maple stared at him, fear making hear heart jump into her throat. "No, Flame you can't! He took away your powers!"

Flame smiled wryly. "What's life without a little risk?" He whispered, so close to her that she could feel his breath on her lips. 

"Hey Maple?" He asked. Maple didn't have to strength to ask what he wanted to say, but she didn't have to. Tyler kept talking. "If I don't come out of their alive...do me a favor and kick the hell out of you dad." He said quietly, handing Maple his sword. The sword he had used to defend her only a day ago. 

Oh, but how long ago a day could be!

Maple nodded once, and Flame began to walk away. But then he stopped and turned around, running at Maple with a hard look on his face.

And the next thing she knew, he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back. And they were the only people in the world. The only people that ever existed. 

Flame pulled away, a smile on his face. "I've always loved you, Maple." He told her, laughter glowing in his eyes. 

"And I'm not going to stop loving you. No matter what happens, I'll always consider you mine. I know you said that you would never love, but that doesn't mean I can't love you."

"When I'm dead, I'll remember you being mine."

Maple felt tears well up in her eyes. "And I'll keep it that way." She choked out. "I'll always be yours...I can't love you, Flame...but I'll always keep you close in my heart."

Flame backed away from her, still smiling. "I'll keep that in mind, Maple."

And then he turned and ran into the burning building, to save her mother.

So really, wasn't he doing this for her?

~

Maple squared her shoulders and walked away from the building, toward her father. If Flame was going to die, so was he. It was his fault that all of this had happened. 

The king turned his eyes on her. "What are you doing with that sword?" He asked with a sneer. "Are you planning to kill me with it?"

Maple smiled. "Actually, father, I think I am." She growled. 

The king let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, child! You don't have the guts to kill me!"

And then his eyes widened in shock, for he had been so sure that his daughter would never stab him...but now there was a sword through his stomach. 

His eyes went blank as he collapsed, and at the same time, the flames around the building disappeared. The wood collapsed and a cloud of dust shot out from the structure. Maple couldn't see, but everywhere, people were coughing. 

But even if she couldn't see, she was running. Running toward the rubble of the building, hoping that there was still someone alive in there.