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ANOTHER chapter dedicated to AAA1800 (ApplesAreAwesome1800) for all the support and EPIC conversations!

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Chapter 32:

Sunlight poured into the bedroom and Willow got up grudgingly. She stretched and cracked her back before looking around.

Today was Sunday, no training, no learning. As if to make her point, her entire body ached from the endless weeks of exercising and discussing why she could touch Ganash Blades. It had been a week since Katrina has been home, now.

Katrina was kind to her, but mostly ignored her whenever came the chance. She wasn't particularly fond of Willow, but she never truly showed it.

Evelyn came in and set some clean clothes on the edge of the bed. "Good morning, Willow."

"Good morning," Willow replied.

Without another word, Evelyn left. Evelyn knew Willow wasn't a morning person and that it was safer to leave her alone this early. Willow got up from the bed, and winced as all her sore muscles screamed for pity.

She stumbled like a drunk toward her window and looked outside. It was a fairytale morning, with birds chirping and sun bright. She felt like a princess looking from her castle window out toward her kingdom. Though, the way she was hunched and how her eyes were scrunching because of the sun, she probably looked far from a princess. On top of it all, her hair was probably a hay stack.

She was a little more on her balance by the time she was in the bathroom getting ready for a shower. They had plumbing here in the UnderWorld, with hot and cold water. But, it was a much different system than the ones in the UpperWorld. She had learned that Ganashes and Elves were the only two species that had the luxury of a shower. Other villages had aqueducts and things to transport water, but nothing like a shower.

She had also learned that Ganashes are really the only thing like the UpperWorld. Almost all of the UnderWorld was just poor villages or strong kingdoms. There were no guns, or bombs, or tanks and definitely not cars. The UnderWorld was much less advanced than the UpperWorld.

Willow got into the shower and turned the rusty faucet on. The water came out freezing at first, but Willow was used to that, now. Slowly, the warmth seeped into the cold and the shower was steaming. She let the warm water wash over and sighed. It relaxed her sore, tense muscles and this was the time she wished RiverPlain had baths, or a hot tub, either one.

Once the water started to turn cold, (which was all too soon) Willow got out and dried herself. She got dressed in plain, boot cut jeans and a plain blue light t-shirt.

She looked outside and furrowed her eyebrows. A raise of black clouds covered the sky and came somewhere near the mountains and near RiverPlain.

Willow swore it looked like smoke.

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Katrina suited up and half-ran to the weapons room. There was her group, Julie, Kevin, and Jack getting suited up. A help fire message had been sent to RiverPlain not too long ago. A village was being attacked by Smoulders. Smoulders were nasty fire breathers, but they never came anywhere near here, more near Juquiq Volcano.

It wasn't only her group in the weapons room, there was also Michael and his group. Michael looked up when she walked in, but didn't say anything. She never cared he never looked at her with any emotions, it wasn't like she did, either. He didn't have to act madly in love with for eight years now. He still, though, had to act that he cared about her life and she had to act that she cared about his. They still had to maintain the picture of the two of them together, and they definitely could not fall in love with anybody else. It was why she held something against Willow.

Willow was sweet, stayed out of Katrina's way. But, that wasn't who she should stay out of the way of. Michael was, she should be avoiding him!

She wouldn't care if Michael had a little crush on her. She wouldn't mind if they kissed, or more than kissed, or whatever. The one thing she would mind was the way he was falling for something they both shouldn't be even imagining. He was playing with fire and soon they would be all ashes.

His face wasn't aloud to light up like the sun when she walked in. Her face shouldn't be showing him that she had emotions for him, too. She wished Willow hated him, maybe then he would wake up. But, it wasn't easy to hate someone like Michael.

And man, was Willow brave. If she was in Willow's position she would be avoiding Michael at all cost. The fact Michael likes Willow so much can make her end up dead. All of them dead, for that fact.

She loaded weapons in roughly, instantly mad at her situation. Why didn't Michael and Willow be bound? Why did have to have to be two people who have no feelings for each other whatsoever? It would make so much more sense if the two lovebirds were bound, wouldn't it?

"What did the weapons ever do to you?" Michael asked, walking up to her. She didn't mind the fact that Michael had to act like they were dating -which included the whole kissing and sleeping together package-, mostly because she could show it off to her friends. She thanked the universes that she had at least ended up with Michael and not like, Uriah. Michael was fun to show off, all her friends dreamed that he would at least take a glance at them.

But, Michael was a gentleman, and he was traditional, too. He wouldn't sleep or even take a glance at any girl. Despite making his intentions clear to everyone, girls still tried to get his attention. It never worked.

She wondered how Willow got it so quickly....

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Alicia looked up as they portaled to the village being attacked. She looked around, it was a wreck! Bodies were strewn everywhere on the streets, buildings were ashes and some were in the process of being ashes. The village had called some Watter Tulips. The Tulips did a mild job trying to extinguish the flames.

Watter Tulips had always been so graceful to Alicia. They were small, like the size of a twelve year old child. They wore various shades of blue and shot water out of their hands and eyes. They were peaceful folk. And their underwater home was absolutely gorgeous.

"Kill the Smoulders!" Our Ganash leader, Eric, yelled.

Alicia, Chelsea, Michael and Chris all ran out to the battle field. They killed in complete corporation. In unison. They knew what each of them were going to do next, mostly because every battle they had ever fought since they were twelve was together.

The were tons of Smoulders. Here and there and everywhere. Alicia would be taking care of two and a third one would come up.

One Smoulder came charging towards her, his mouth ignited in flames. Smoulders looked like a pile of ashes, really. But the ashes had a silhouette if a human. They had lots of teeth and low-pitch screeches.

Alicia held out her blade and dogged the flames the Smoulder had shot at her. She then twisted on her back and stabbed the Smoulder through the chest. With a gurgle, the Smoulder hit the ground. The blade, though, was far gone. The fire and lava coursing through the Smoulder's body burned it. She threw the hilt of the gone blade irately down and kicked the Smoulder who had ruined her blade.

Reaching into her thigh sheath, she produced another blade just in time to stab another lunging monster.

Her eyes swept the village and landed on the mountain. She gasped in horror.

They'd been tricked. "Michael!" She yelled, just as Michael stabbed another one. He looked up at her, but she didn't look back at him. And slowly he raised his eyes to the RiverPlain building.

Alicia looked around the chaos and knew they had been tricked. They had been tricked in leaving RiverPlain low guarded.

She looked back at the flaming RiverPlain building. Then, -with Michael straight at her heels- went into a dead bolt run towards home.

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OUUUUHHHH cliiiffffffff hhhaaaannnngggeeeeeerrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!

How'd you like the chapter? Do you think Willow's okay? How do you feel about Katrina's motivations and thoughts?

Around ONE MORE CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Willow's Legend is doneeeeeeeeeeeeeee !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-I.B.