Karl, David and Cyrus stumbled down the stone hallway, clutching their bags of sunstones. Marion followed close behind, dragging Zippo along.

After much arguing and discussion, Cyrus had allowed Marion to come along, just so that he could keep and eye on her.

"Well, this is it"

Karl looked up, the confusion evident on his face.

"This is what?"

If possible, Cyrus Crabbe smirked even more.

"The end"

Karl set down his bags, David following suit.

"Haha. Joke's over. You can't leave us down here"

"I think you'll find I can"

"How?"

In one swift motion, Crabbe pulled Marion to him and wrapped an arm around her waist, pressing an ancient looking dagger to her neck.

"You stay here, or the girl dies"

David stepped forward.

"So you take us down here, then leave us?"

Crabbe nodded.

"The submarine was only built for two people. When it was new, it probably could have taken two people and sunstones, but not anymore. Not after it rusted for 300 years"

"Then come back for us"

Crabbe smirked again.

"I'm afraid not. The submarine can only hold up for another trip"

Karl tried to make a grab for Marion, but Crabbe pushed the knife closer, causing her to flinch and a small amount of blood to dribble down the blade.

"Don't touch her" He hissed.

Then, they were interrupted by a large roar.

A sea monster was emerging from the pool, climbing over the bank.

"Run" David said.

Cyrus grabbed Marion and ran down a passageway, still holding the knife to her.

Then, a man appeared from the shadows, brandishing a flaming torch and coming between the monster and the boys.

The monster screamed, then slithered back into the water, disappearing underneath the surface.

"Dad?" Karl said.

The man turned to them. He was tall, about Karl's height, with a shaggy beard covering most of his face.

The boys hugged him, then turned around.

"Where did they go?"

Marion and Crabbe were gone.

----

Crabbe rushed down the hallway, then took a sharp right. They ended up in the deserted room they had just left, the boys having gone to look for them.

"And now milady, I bid you adieu" He took the knife off her throat and held it loosely in his hand.

"Bastard" She whispered, touching her cut throat.

"Now, now milady. No need for language"

Crabbe tried to step around her, but tripped over a large rock, falling into Marion.

He looked down and saw that the knife he was holding had stabbed into her stomach when he fell.

For a moment, a sad look came across his face.

"I am sorry, milady"

Then, he was gone.

Marion convulsed once and tried to pull the knife out, but failed, the blood staining her white shirt and porcelain skin.

Karl, David, and their father came in a few moments later, Karl letting out a cry when he saw her laying there.

"Marion"

She gasped as he gently removed the dagger, causing more blood to spread across her once white shirt.

The cut was about an inch wide, just above her hip.

Quickly, Karl ripped off his shirt and tore it into pieces, wrapping them around her waist and trying not to think about the effect her smooth, pale skin was having on him.

Marion's face was pale, her eyes closed and breathing faint.

"We have to get her out of here"

His father nodded.

"I think I know a way"

David reached to pick Marion up, but Karl got there first, giving him a look that said it all. David smiled, but let his brother pick up the fallen girl.

As Karl carried Marion, he realized that she was really light. He used to be a weight lifter, but she was barely heavy.

Wherever this pace was, Karl hoped that there was enough time.

---

The first thing Marion felt was the pain in her side.

She could remember Crabbe falling, and his apology.

Now, she felt something warm holding her.

Was she in heaven?

Marion opened her eyes and saw the tan skin of Karl's chest. Why was he carrying her? She shut her eyes, wondering if it was a dream.

Then, she was being set down.

She could hear water, and low voices.

"We have to swim Karl, you need to try and wake her"

Now she felt herself being propped up on something...A wall perhaps?

"Marion"

She tried to open her eyes, but felt herself slipping back into unconsciousness.

"Marion"

Then, she was gone.

---

Karl stood up. He had been trying to get Marion to wake up for the past few minutes, but she was so far gone that he couldn't revive her.

David and his father had gone to try and find some food, leaving him and his pent-up emotions.

He shouldn't stayed in the room, or had David stay. Anything to keep that monster away from his girl.

His girl.

His girl.

He should've been there.

He sat down on the steps leading up to the pool they had found.

He leaned back, resting his head on the cold marble.

Then, as he looked at Marion, he thought he saw her eyes flicker.

No, he was imagining things.

Wait. Her eyes had flickered open again, he was sure of it.

He stared, holding his breath.

Then, her eyes opened, looking straight at him.

"Karl" she whispered. Then, she was in his arms.

"I was so worried" He said, stroking her hair.

Then, as he looked at her face, her brown eyes clouded over in pain.

"I'm sorry" He whispered, touching her face.

Then, the other two came back.

David rushed to Marion's side.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded faintly.

"Let's go" their Dad said.

Karl pulled Marion up and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"It'll be quick. I'll make sure you don't drown"

Marion just nodded.

The four of them plunged into the water, surprised at it's warmth.

Marion held tightly to Karl's hand, trying to stay conscious.

Just when she thought she would pass out, they broke the surface and gasped down great gulps of air.

Karl picked her up and carried her out of the pool, setting her down next to it so she could catch her breath.

At first, he thought that she had passed out again, but then she opened her eyes.

"We should go"

He nodded, then picked her up again.

The four of them came out of the tunnels into the twilight of the Rainy Basin. It was humid, but there was a chill of danger to it.

"It's so quiet" David's voice broke through the silence, cutting it like a knife.

Then, they heard a shriek.

A giant Pteranodon was waiting for them on the roof of the temple. Karl was about to make a run for it when David's face lit up in recognition.

"It's freefall. He's here to save us"

The giant dinosaur launched itself into the sky, then landed gracefully in front of them, bowing down to David.

"Karl, give me Marion"

Karl backed away.

"No way"

David threw his hands up in frustration.

"Don't you see? I have to go back to the city, take Marion to the hospital and replace the sunstone"

David climbed onto Freefall's back.

"Do you want her to be okay?" He said quietly.

Karl thought about it for a minute, then handed Marion's still body to David.

"Be careful"

Then, they were gone.

David held Marion's body close, one arm wrapped around her waist.

"Hang on" he whispered in her ear.

When they got to waterfall city, David hardly recognized it, it was like a city in a horror show. Buildings were crushed, people were screaming, and fires were beginning to break out.

He was almost to the Sunstone tower when two other Pteranodons swooped in on either side of him.

Quickly, he dodged, heading down the river and going under a bridge.

He lost them for a few minutes, but then they were back on his tail.

He reached in his bag and brought out a sunstone, holding onto it with his right hand and Marion with the other.

The Pteranodons recoiled, their eyes burned by the pure, white light.

He slipped the sunstone back into the bag, heading his course back to the tower.

They were across the square from it when another Pteranodon swooped in, knocking him and Marion out of the seat.

Quickly, David put Marion on top of him so that he would hit the pavement before her.

Then, they landed on something soft.

They were laying in a hay cart that one of his friends had quickly rolled underneath them.

He nodded to the driver and picked Marion up, being sure that he had the sunstone.

He ran for the tower and switched Marion onto his back, then started running up the stairs as fast as he could.

The screams from outside were growing in number. He had to get there soon.

Then, just when he thought that his legs would give out, he came out on the landing.

Quickly, he set Marion down by the wall and dove for the pedestal, just as a pteranodon smashed the window, throwing him into the wall.

---

Marion woke up for the third time that day. she felt a draft on her face, and saw David's still form by the other wall.

"David!" She cried, she dove for him, but a giant Pteranodon had smashed into the wall, making it impossible for her to reach him.

Then, by her foot, she saw a gleaming sunstone.

Marion picked it up and set it on the pedestal.

As she set it in it's rightful place, she felt a surge of power that almost knocked her off her feet.

She shut her eyes against the brilliance, tears starting to seep down her face.

"Marion!" David called. he had been woken by the light.

She had heard storied of people binding with sunstones, but the only person who had was Arthur Dennison.

Her whole body started to pulse, the energy overtaking her.

No one knew what happened to William Denison.

Maybe it had killed him.

David called her name again, but it sounded far away.

She tried to take her hand off of the flaming sunstone, but it was almost like her hand was glued there.

Then, she was floating.

Or was she falling?

Then, strong arms caught her, and gently held her in a sitting position.

"Marion...Marion, are you alright? Can you hear me?"

David's voice broke into her unfamiliar mind.

Was she dead?

Then, she felt herself being shaken.

"Marion!"

David's voice was getting fainter.

"I love you" She whispered.

The shaking stopped.

"Tell Karl...That I love him too"

Then, she was gone.

She felt her body disappear, and she was floating.

--------

David sat back, not feeling the shards of glass cutting into his hands and knees.

She was gone.

He didn't even have to check.

She was gone.

He gathered up her body and stood up, wincing as he put weight on the ankle that had been sprained when he had gotten knocked into the wall.

His mind was blank.

She had saved him.

She had saved them all.

He loved her.

Slowly, he carried her down the many steps, coming out just as the sun was rising.

The people were coming out, rejoicing in the streets.

Then, people were there, taking Marion away from him.

He tried to hold on, but they took her away.

He was led into a hospital room, then given a sleeping draught.

And that's all he knew.

---

When David woke up, he saw Marion's mother sitting by his bed, looking out the window.

When she heard his short intake of breath, she turned around, her lond hair falling around her shoulders.

"How are you feeling?"

Her quiet voice was indifferent; did she care that her daughter died?

"Fine" He said, looking to the wall.

"David, I want to thank you"

"Why"

"Because you helped my daughter"

David looked away, afraid he might cry.

"Big lot of help I did"

Rosemary took a chair from the corner and pulled it up.

"Did I ever tell you about how Marion was before you came?"

He shook his head.

"She was quiet, obedient, thoughtful. All in all, the perfect child. But she wasn't happy, David"

He stared out the window. Was this true?

"I watched my daughter from the moment she was born. She was in every way the perfect leader, but she wasn't happy"

"Why?"

"Because she was alone. She as the daughter of the magistrate had people, but no one that understood her"

She continued.

"When you came along, I noticed immediately that something had changed. Someone understood her, and that was you and Karl"

He nodded, unsure of what to say.

"That is why I wish to thank you David, you may not have saved her, but you made her happy"

And with that, Rosemary left.

----

Karl walked through the main square. It was quiet, too quiet.

Then, a servant came out of the palace, ushering them inside.

"Thank god you two are safe, please come in" His said.

They were led into the palace, His father taken to find some new clothes, while Karl was taken into the dining room where David and Rosemary were sitting.

David looked up, and Karl was shocked. Those eyes looking at him were not David's, they were someone else's.

He sat down, still looking at David.

"What happened, where is everyone!?" He asked.

"The people are in mourning" Rosemary said, looking down at her plate.

"What? Why?"

David sat up suddenly, walking out. He couldn't bear to hear them say it.

Karl watched him go, astonished.

Rosemary leaned forward, taking a breath in.

"What happened?" Karl asked again.

"The people are in mourning for their princess"

Karl was confused.

"Princess?"

Then he got it.

"No"

He stood up.

"No"

Then he ran.

Please please please please Review!!!!!!!! Tell me what you think!!! There will be a chapter two coming soon.