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Chapter 30:

Willow angrily tossed the dagger at the target. Nothing. Not even an inch close to the board. It has been a month since she arrived here at RiverPlain. Alicia had warned her that the Ganashes in the mission to Elador were coming home today. They were supposed to come home a week after the ball, but their return was delayed.

It wasn't the fact they were coming home that made Willow particularly short tempered that morning, it was the fact, that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't land the stupid dagger on the target. Michael had endless patience as he watched her, and Willow silently wished he didn't. Maybe if he screamed at her that she was a failure and never would get this right, maybe then she would get it right.

Over the course of the first month, she had learned skill combat without weapons, with weapons, and learned the recorded history of the UnderWorld. But, a month wasn't a lot. Wasn't a lot at all in Willow's case. She still wouldn't be able to take down anybody in the UnderWorld with her bare hands. She still would never win a weapon combat against anybody. She had improved, though. What used to be soft skin at her stomach, was now hard muscles. It hadn't come easy, to have gained the muscle she gained. It was those endless days of pushups and sweating her forehead off throwing and swinging the heavy blades.

She had worked with hay filled manikins, and real-life combat with her team and wooden blades. Yet, by UnderWorld standards, she was no where ready to go outside of RiverPlain's walls.  

UpperWorld life seemed to wear off day by day. When in danger, she would automatically lift her hands up to a punch, not light her hands up with powers. Her strength was growing, but her powers were weakening. Pretty soon, she probably won't even be able to use her Amnesian powers.

Her lifestyle here in RiverPlain seemed normal, now. She couldn't imagine waking up in her own bedroom anymore. Couldn't imagine eating Lucky Charms for breakfast. You couldn't leave this place without changing, could you?

Her thoughts twisted into what if she were to go home? To be home? She had never thought about that. What if she were the One? What would happen? What would she do? Would she just go home and see where her fate takes her? Or go straight to war?

Willow shook her head. She was way ahead of herself. She shouldn't think -or worry- about this until she could actually prove that she should be worrying.

Grabbing the dagger, she flung it to the target. Not even close to the target. "Willow," Michael said, walking up to her. "You have to take the time to aim."

Willow grabbed another blade and stood at the line painted on the floor. She wondered how Michael could hit the pin-point of the target every time. She took her time to place her eyes to the middle of the target. She took the time to set her slippery-with-sweat fingers precisely where they should be. Taking a deep breath, she actually thought that maybe (just maybe) she could make it this time. Without thinking too hard, yet not too little, she pulled her arm back and threw-

"Guys!" Alicia barged into the room, making Willow jump and miss the target even more.

Willow looked at Alicia, without trying to hide her annoyance. She had learned -over the month- that you didn't have to care about being proper and hurting people's feelings around here. It was okay to show annoyance or pain. It was okay to be giddy (although they would probably laugh at your giddiness, but that's a different story), or to be sad. They were easy-going and light at everything. Willow wasn't sure if that was a good thing or bad thing yet.

"What?" Michael asked, grabbing a dagger and launching it at the board. Willow snickered, it landed perfect. Michael smiled at her annoyance. Willow knew it was irrational to be so annoyed, but she couldn't help it. She knew Michael had been training since he was five and it would make sense for him to do right every time. But, yet, something unnerved her. She knew why, it was the way he was eerily quiet. All day he has been quiet, almost depressed looking. As if something bad was coming today, Willow couldn't help the thought of the Ganashes returning from Elador coming home tonight. It was the only thing that his mood pointed to. Maybe there was somebody he disliked in the group coming home, who knows?

Alicia had a weird mood today, as well. Not depressed looking like Michael, more like dreading. Willow didn't want to start thinking about what Alicia would be dreading.

"Time to eat." Alicia said, grabbing a dagger herself and launching it at a manikin. It landed right at the heart of the manikin. Alicia shot nice, but Willow couldn't help but think Michael was more graceful when he shot it.

At the word 'shot', she wondered whether the UnderWorld had guns....

"Let's eat, I guess." Michael replied. He plucked the dagger that he had thrown and put it back on the shelf.

"Does the UnderWorld have guns?" Willow asked the group they were walking to the cafeteria.

"No." Michael replied.

"Why not?" Willow asked.

"Because," Alicia replied. "We haven't introduced guns to the UnderWorld." They entered the cafeteria, which was right next to the training room. They got there food and sat down.

Chelsea (apparently overhearing the conversation) noticed Willow's confused face and said, "We don't want a weapon like that to go viral here. Our world is much less...civilized than yours. Guns would go viral or the death rate will be much higher."

Willow nodded. She picked at her roll of bread and dipped it in her soup. Soup was the usual thing they ate here, but they also ate things like steak (Or what Willow thought was steak, but she didn't know if cows existed here in the UnderWorld) and salad...etc..

Over the months, she had made friends with other people other than her group. Like Jack, a tall dirty blond haired guy. And Kane a sweet, yet absolutely feisty little Ganash. There were some (like Cirestain said) that avoided her. They were the ones more sensitive to Amnesians. With the past horrible things her species has done, she could understand why.

 ~~~~~~~

"Oh," Alicia groaned, throwing her head back and looking at the ceiling.

"It's not that bad," Chelsea replied. Willow watched them both curiously, they had been ranting about something for the past half-hour, but she couldn't tell about what.

"What's wrong?" She finally asked, when she knew they weren't going to tell her.

Alicia's face twisted as she looked at Willow, "Oh," She said, bitterly. "You're going to meet the joyous Katrina." Her voice dripped disgust and evil sarcasm.

"Joyous Katrina?" Willow asked.

Chelsea dug her elbow into Alicia's rib cage, "She isn't that bad, it's just Alicia has a particular dislike to her."

"Who is she?" Willow knew she was probably being annoying with all her questions, but she couldn't help it. She never truly saw Alicia go out of her way and dislike someone.

"Her name is Katrina-" Chelsea started, but Alicia interrupted her mid-sentence.

"Or, do what we all do and call her the 'sexist pig'." She didn't even bother putting air quotes at that.

"'Sexist pig?'" Willow repeating, her eyes narrowing. "Sounds lovely."

Alicia started to reply something but Chelsea kicked her ankle. "She is fine. Ignore Alicia, she just has strong feelings about Katrina."

"Why?" Willow asked. At that, they both fell quiet and Chelsea threw an accusing glance at Alicia.

"Yeah, Alicia." She said. "Why don't you tell Willow why you don't like Katrina."

Alicia hesitated, but didn't answer.

Willow didn't push the subject. Oh well, Willow thought. She'll learn eventually. 

The library door opened and  a girl walked in.

There was one way to put it, she was beautiful. Her eyes were dark against her tan skin and she had thin lips curled up in a smile. She wore typical Ganash gear, although there were blood stains here and there on it. She wasn't tall, but wasn't short either. She wasn't curvy, but wasn't like Willow and flat, either. More of smug in the middle. Her hair was indescribable. It was the most particular color. Not blond, but not brown either. Not even in the middle, it was like a dark, dark blond on the verge of being brown. Her particular colored hair was up in a messy bun on the top of her head.

Willow glanced at Alicia tight face and she immediately guessed this was Katrina.

~~~~~

"Is that Glasspiers?" Katrina asked, glancing over at Willow. She had had a small talk with Alicia and Chelsea. Alicia -to Willow's surprise- was actually behaving around Katrina. After all that ranting, Willow thought Alicia would be especially rude to Katrina, but Alicia mostly just stayed quiet. Willow blinked at the new Ganash's glance at her. This had been the first time Katrina actually acknowledged Willow's presence.

"Yeah," Chelsea replied. "Our newest assignment." Katrina's smile disappeared into a ghost of a grin. She looked at Willow from head to waist and back up again (if Willow were standing, and not sitting at a desk like she then, Katrina would've looked at her toes, too).

Then, Katrina abruptly smiled and held out a hand to Willow. Willow took it and shook it.

"I'm Katrina." She mused, her voice like wind chimes. "Katrina Korrull."

"Willow." Willow replied.

Katrina rolled her eyes and looked at her like she was a child, "I know what your name is."

Willow didn't know what to respond, so she was thankful when her answer was saved by Michael walking in. Michael took a brief glance at Willow, then at Katrina.

"What's up?" He asked, directing the question to Katrina. "How was your trip?"

"Good," Katrina replied, walking up and giving Michael a brief, unaffectionate hug. Willow caught Katrina whispering something to him. Michael glanced up at Willow and shook his head. Willow knew Katrina had asked a question about her, and Willow's curiosity burned.

"I'm going to change!" Katrina said, throwing her hands in the air dragging Michael to the door.

The door closed, but not before Willow could see what was behind it. The second before the door blocked Willow's view, Katrina pulled Michael into a kiss on the lips.

"Is that why you don't like her?" Willow asked, after a moment of awkward silence. "Because she is with Michael?" Nobody had said she was with Michael, but Willow doubted Ganashes kissed each other in a greeting.

Alicia snickered, "Yeah, that's the only reason." So, she was with Michael. Willow didn't know what to think about that.

Chelsea sighed, "I guess we should tell you, shouldn't we?"

Alicia smiled sarcastically, "The stage is yours Chelsea...."

Chelsea twisted her fingers on her lap, "You know how I said that the legend bounds two people together?" Willow nodded, immediately guessing what she was going to say next. "Well, yeah...Michael and Katrina are two of them that are bound...."

"Bound?" Willow asked in disbelief. "Like the legend?"

Alicia huffed a puff of air, "No, like SpongBob."

Willow was momentarily distracted by Alicia's comment. "You know about SpongBob?"

"Everybody knows about SpongBob." She replied, bluntly.

Willow shook her head as if to shake off the distraction, "Why didn't you guys tell me?"

Chelsea shrugged, "It wasn't my information to share. Ask Michael why he didn't tell you."

~~~~~~~

"Why didn't you tell me?" Willow demanded the next day in the training. Michael was training her, again. Willow swore it was Alicia's turn, but, when Michael showed up, she didn't question it.

Michael shrugged, "It never came up."

"It never came up," Willow scoffed. "I can find a million pieces to where it could come up." Willow couldn't tell why she was angry. Something boiled inside her, hot and lively. She didn't know why and didn't go into wandering why, either.

"Why would you want to know anyway?" He asked, his back to her. He was sharpening a wooden blade Willow used to practice. But, today she was back to throwing knives, mostly because she failed epically last time.

"I don't know!" Willow said sarcastically. "I guess it isn't important to know when someone is in a relationship!"

"It isn't a relationshi-" Michael cut off mid-sentence, realizing the magnitude of what he had said.

Willow fell a little in her anger. She bit her lip at his response.

It isn't a relationship.

She thought back at when Chelsea was teaching Willow about the bound ones. About the disrupts.

Once in a thousand years, or so. But...once in a while...the legend bounds two people who don't love each other.

She couldn't help but connect Michael's response with Chelsea' description. Was Michael a disrupt? Did he not love Katrina?

Willow shook her head fiercely. Chelsea would've told Willow he was a disrupt. She felt deflated at that thought. She felt deflated at the thought of Michael with someone. She shouldn't feel deflated, shaking her head, she aimed and tried to launch the dagger. It actually hit the side of the target.

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Chpt 30, how do you like it?

What do you think of Katrina?

I feel like a deflated party balloon today. I was re-reading chapter 29 and trying to edit it, but my mind was blank. I think I need a break from writing, writing 24/7 can't be good for anybody....

Don't forget to vote!
-I.B.