Snow winced as Lariat's blade cut sharply into her left arm. She hit the padded floor with a thud, clutching her arm and crying out in pain. Lariat knelt down beside her, his piercing blue eyes narrowed in concern. "I'm sorry, Snow." He gushed. "I didn't mean to - " Snow cut him off. "Don't apologise, Lariat. It's my fault. My mind wasn't on the fight." Helping her up, Lariat silently examined her arm. Luckily, the cut wasn't too deep. Pushing back his thick, dark red hair, he asked her quietly: "What was in on?" "Huh?" Snow asked, puzzled. Lariat's eyes met her baby blue ones. "If your mind wasn't on the fight, where was it?" He asked mysteriously, arching and eyebrow and stretching to his full six feet and two inches. Snow shrugged, avoiding his eyes. Pulling off her studded gloves, she let loose her short, light blonde hair and made her way towards the exit. "I'm going to go get this checked out. You know, just in case." She told him, her eyes on the open wound. "Good idea." He sighed, already feeling guilty. "I'll see you at tomorrows training class. That's if your arms okay by then..." He trailed off. She had already left. "Great. Just great..." He muttered, picking up his sword. Sitting down and turning the silver blade in his hands, he went over the fight again and again, until he was almost reliving it. Snow had insisted they train together. She was failing some classes, she had explained. Needed the extra credit. He had been surprised and a little put off when she had asked him, afraid he might hurt her, but had agreed anyway. He didn't really know Snow, but had seen her around. He had always thought she looked so small and delicate, with a slim body, a height of only five foot and two inches and pale skin. Thinking he could easily win the fight, he hadn't even bothered practising. Mistake number one. Snow was a good fighter. She didn't quite have as much power as he did, but had the speed and agility nailed. There had been several times during the fight when he had thought he was toast. That's why he had been stupid enough to lash out with his sword. To prove himself. He had wanted to win so badly, to have her congratulate him, say what a good fighter he was, how much she liked him... mistake number two. He would never forget the way she had tumbled and cried out his name. Shaking his head, he made his way towards the library, dragging the sword along the floor as he went. Instead of heading towards the infirmary, Snow made her way towards the dorms. Realising how much the fight had zapped her energy, she decided to get some sleep before her afternoon classes. When she finally reached her room, she found her best friend Shake there. "Hi, Shake." She greeted him, flopping down on her bed. He smiled warmly. "How'd the fight with Lariat go?" He asked. She sat up and rolled her eyes sky bound. "You were right, it was a bad idea. He was way too advanced for me." Shake smiled wearily. "I hate to say I told you so..." She pulled up the sleeve of her uniform and showed him her bloody arm. "Check this out." Shake sat next to her and studied her arm carefully. "Shouldn't you get that checked out?" His deep voice was full of worry, and his dark green eyes full of concern. "It looks pretty bad." Snow shrugged. "I'll live." Standing and reaching his full six foot and five inches, he walked towards the door. "I'll go and let you get some rest, then. You must be exhausted." Snow watched him leave in silence. There had been times when she would long to run her fingers through Shake's fine, dark blonde hair, or reach out and take his hand. But those feelings had long ago vanished. Now she saw him as a friend, her closest friend, and nothing more. To tired to even change or shower, Snow buried her head in her pillow and willed sleep to come. It didn't. I wouldn't. Instead, her mind started to race. Back to the fight, yesterdays class, chocolate, bubble gum, Lariat... She punched at the pillow angrily. She had to sleep, not day dream about boys she hardly knew!
Late that evening, Lariat found himself heading towards the Quad. There was a formal dance being held there, or so he had heard, in honour of the latest students who had passed their SeeD test. Apon reaching the Quad, Lariat was greeted by happy, dancing couples, classical music and free drinks. The Garden Committee had really out done themselves. The hall was beautifully decorated. Near the dance floor, he spotted a familiar face. It was Gem, a quiet girl from his registration class. He had talked to her only a few times during the past year, and she had seemed very friendly. And tonight, she also looked very pretty. She was wearing a long, low cut pink dress which flared at the bottom, with matching three quarter length gloves. Her dark chestnut hair was piled high on her head, and she was wearing only a hint of make up. Pity she wasn't his type. Deciding there was no harm in talking to her, he walked over and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. He was met by her deep, intent hazel eyes. "Hello, Lariat." She said warmly, genuinely glad to see him. "I didn't expect to see you here." He chose to take the statement as a compliment. "I'm not usually the type of guy who comes to these events, I know. But I thought tonight, I'd give it a go. Nothing else to do." "Oh..." Gem breathed. She really was shy, he decided, and it was starting to make him feel uncomfortable. "Well, I'd better be..." He trailed off, his eyes glued to the entrance as Snow breezed in. She was linking some guy he'd never seen before. He looked a lot older than her. If Gem looked pretty, Snow looked absolutely stunning. She was wearing a tight pale blue, ribbed dress, one with a split up the side. Her hair, for once, was loose. It bobbed above her shoulders, tucked behind her tiny ears. The high, crystal shoes she was wearing gave her a lot more height, and to complete the look, he could just make out a glittery snow flake on her forehead. "Lariat?" Gem looked concerned. "Are you okay?" He shook his head. "Fine. Sorry about that. I zoned out there for a sec."
"This place looks great!" Snow declared, spinning in a tight circle. "Come on, Shake, lets dance!" Shake grinned and took her in his arms. "Sure." Most of the students present where older than her fifteen years, or Shake's sixteen. In fact, the only students she could see from her year group where Gem, Lariat and Bolt. The song ended, and Snow and Shake went their separate ways. Snow found herself chatting to a SeeD named Selphie. "Was you SeeD exam hard?" Snow asked her worriedly. "You bet!" Selphie exclaimed, flicking at her curled hair. "It's a good job I had Squall and Zell with me, or I would never have passed!" Shake found himself talking to Bolt, a new student at Garden. "Wow, Snow looks great!" Bolt cried. "I might even ask her to dance with me later..." Shake instantly became defensive. He didn't want Bolt anywhere near Snow. Bolt was... well... in with the wrong crowd, and Shake didn't want Snow to become involved with those people. "Don't bother." He told Bolt icily. "She told me earlier that she thought you where too old for her." Bolts eyebrows rose sharply. "Really? But I'm only older by a year!" Shake shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I don't know what to tell you."
Lariat had grown more and more withdrawn as the evening had progressed, but Gem didn't mind. She had her eye on someone. He was tall, strong looking, and wearing a SeeD uniform. She had over heard Instructor Trepe address him as Squall. Squall looked so sad and lonely, and Gem found herself feeling sorry for him. She wished he had someone - "I'm going to go now, Gem." Lariat interrupted her thoughts. She smiled sadly. "So soon?" He nodded, causing some hair to fall into his eyes. "Thanks for a great evening, Gem. We should talk more often." He kissed her cheek lightly, and left as quickly as he could. Gem sighed loudly. Now she was alone again. Maybe she could ask Squall to dance... She shyly made her way over to the post he was leaning on, hiding just out of view. Her heart was pounding. It was now or never - Before she could make her move, a slim, dark haired girl walked up to him and began talking. Less than a minute later, they were dancing. Gem's heart sank, but she cheered up almost instantly. At least Squall now had somebody.
The next morning, Gem struggled to get to class on time. She made it to her desk just as Instructor Darkness entered and sat at his desk at the front of the class. "Students," he addressed them, standing and pacing slowly, "today, I would like you to get on with your own work, quietly - if that is at all possible." The class cheered, and moved to sit next to their friends. Gem stayed where she was. There was no one she *could* sit with. She had no real friends here at Garden. "Gem." Instructor Darkness called from the front, where he was talking to Lariat. "Could you come up here, please?" Gem unsteadily made her way up to his desk. What did he want? "Yes, sir?" She asked quietly, smiling at Lariat. Lariat returned her smile. "Gem," the teacher explained, "you and Lariat - along with three other students from other classes in your year group - have been selected to attend a training mission at the Migdar Mines." Gems face lit up. "Really? That's fantastic! I could do with some extra training." Lariat looked equally as pleased. "How soon do we leave?" "That's up to your Squad Leader to decide." The instructor clarified. "There will be a meeting at seven tonight, in the library, to decide who will captain your squad. It is vital that you attend this meeting." His face softened a little. "I'll see you then."
At seven on the dot, Lariat entered the library. He was the last to arrive. His instructor motioned him over to where he was standing. "Lariat, let me introduce you to the other members of your team. Gem - you already know. Now these are: Snow, Shake and Bolt." Lariat brightened. Bolt he knew, Snow too. And Shake was the boy he'd seen with Snow at the dance. "Now that we are all here," another instructor spoke up, "we can decide on a squad captain and answer any questions you may have." The five students sat and listened carefully as the third instructor continued. "We have narrowed down the Captain position to Lariat and Snow. I will speak to these two after the briefing has ended. Now, onto the mission." Lariat smiled broadly as Instructor Darkness stood. They really thought he was squad leader material? "Your mission will be too: one, make your own way to the Migdar Mines. Two, find a way into the mines. Three, make your way to the end of the mines, fighting and destroying any monsters you encounter. Four, make your way back to garden. Any questions?" The room grew silent, all five students avoiding Darkness' eyes. "Good. Dismissed." Bolt, Shake and Gem hurried out, leaving Snow and Lariat with the three instructors. "This is how we will decide on a captain." The third teacher told both Snow and Lariat. "You two will fight at the Training Area, and Instructor Darkness, Kellaway and I will mark you on power, magic, speed etc." She narrowed her chocolate eyes. "The student with the most points at the end of the battle will become the squad leader." Snow closed her eyes briefly. She didn't stand a chance against Lariat. "Understood?" Kellaway, a tall blonde man, asked sharply. "Yes, sir's." Snow and Lariat answered in unison. "Good." Darkness answered. "Kellaway, Bradley and I will meet you there. You have an hour to prepare."
Taking a deep breath, Snow entered the Training Centre. She ran over to the duel area, a deep sand pit set underneath a stormy sky. Rumour had it that this was where Seifer had kicked Squall's butt. Lariat was busy preparing opposite, and for a moment their eyes met. Lariats eyes looked troubled, almost... afraid. "Good. I see you're both here." Instructor Kellaway's harsh voice startled Snow. "Then let's begin." Darkness called loudly, straining to be heard over the storm. Quickly pulling on her gloves, Snow ran to meet Lariat at the centre of the pit. He was wearing a determined grin, but his eyes remained troubled. "Begin!" Bradley cried. Lariat swung back his sword, as Snow guarded her face and took a few shaky steps backwards. The sword missed, barley, the blade swinging only a couple of centimetres away from her right cheek. She could feel the air breeze past her face as the sword passed. Snow stood straighter and dropped her hands to her sides, raising them slowly, almost seductively. She then swung them quickly infront of her, creating a blue/whitish glow. Lariat stood rooted to the spot, unable to move. He watched, memorised, as Snow slowly raised her arms even higher, until they were well above her head. Her right hand began to glow again, this time brighter, and with more force. With all her might, she then swung that arm forwards. Ice fired towards Lariat thick and fast, there was no avoiding it... Lariat snapped out of the spell, just as a block of ice hit his chest, sending him sprawling backwards. That's it! he thought angrily, climbing to his feet. She shouldn't play with magic! She could get *burnt!* Tossing his sword to one side, Lariat pressed his left hand against his forehead, his eyes focused on Snow. He watched, amused, as she tried to struggle free. But she couldn't, he knew that. He was holding her there using his mind, just as she had done to him. Now to hit her where it really hurt. Now that Lariat knew that Snow used Ice magic, he also knew that she was weak against Fire magic. Luckily, Fire magic was his speciality. Raising his right arm, he pointed his index finger at Snow. A bright, orange light shone, and fire spiralled towards her. The fire slammed into her, and she fell back, crying out as she did so. That really hurt. She jumped to her feet and lunged at him, kicking him harshly in the ribs. This winded him, and he fell to the floor, gasping for breath. Picking up his sword, Lariat rose again and swung the weapon with all his might. It hit right on target, slicing Snow across her stomach. Lariat watched, horrified, as Snow clutched her bloody stomach and fell to her knees, crying out his name as she did so. The three instructors rushed over as Snow, moaning softly, hit the floor face first.
Snow awoke to the sound of birds chirping. Her head hurt, as did her stomach. She opened her eyes slowly. She was in the infirmity, that much she could tell. Sunlight was streaming in through an open window, and she could just make out the sounds of students laughing and talking around Garden. Shake was sitting beside her. "Good. You're awake." He said quietly. He studied her silently for a few seconds. "How do you feel?" She groaned loudly. "Terrible." Shake kissed her hand gently. "You really had me worried. Are you going to tell me what happened?" Snow frowned slightly. "Didn't any of the instructors tell you?" "Only that there had been an accident. That's all they told me." His face hardened. "And I couldn't get a hold of Lariat. No one's seen him since last night." "It wasn't his fault, you know." Snow spoke up defensively. "Why are you defending him?" Shake exploded, standing quickly. "I mean, first of all, he goes and hurts your arm like that. And now..." His voice dropped, and he knelt down beside her. "... I was terrified, I thought... I thought I was going to lose you." Snow felt tears slowly sliding down her cheeks. "Shake..." "What happened?" he demanded. "If I find out that he did this on purpose, God help me I'll -" "Shake!" She cried, not angrily, only firmly. After all, he was only looking out for her. "It wasn't on purpose. It was a fight! Someone was bound to get hurt, and..." She paused. "... I didn't really stand a chance at winning, did I?" Shake shook his head. "The instructors should never have made you fight him..." He stood again, and peered at her through tear stained e1yes. "I'll be back later, to see how you are." With that, he spun on his heel and left.
Shortly after Shake had left, Lariat arrived. Snow was surprised, yet happy to see him. "Lariat..." She breathed. He pressed a single white rose into her left hand, and gave her other hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm here to apologise." He said softly, sitting down onto the straw visitors chair. "There's no need to." She answered sternly. "Yes, there is." He corrected her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did to your arm, and I'm sorry for what I did last night." She smiled sadly. "I guess they made you the squad leader, huh?" He nodded slightly. "Yeah... but Snow, I want you to know that we're not leaving until you're better, okay?" "That'll be at least a few days..." She warned him. "I had a nice SeeD named Zell perform a cure spell on me, but I still won't be able to fight until next week." Lariat touched the tip of her nose with his index finger. "That's were you're wrong. Do you know Gem?" "Sort of..." Snow answered uncertainly. "Well," Lariat continued, "Gem is excellent at casting cure spells. She can even bring people back from the dead." Snow's eyebrows rose sharply as Lariat plundered on. "She's so good, that if she cast a cure spell on you right now, I'm sure you'd be ready to fight again as soon as tomorrow morning." "She's really that good?" Snow asked, amazed. "Yep. And since she's such a nice person, she agreed to come by and cure you later this afternoon." "Lariat, that's great!" Snow cried. "If she's as good as you say she is, I bet I'll even be able to train later tonight!" Lariat smiled slightly, glad to see her happy once again. "Don't push yourself." He warned, half teasing, half serious. "How do you know Gem, anyway?" Snow asked suddenly. "Is she your... girlfriend?" Lariat grinned. Was Snow... jealous? "No. She's just a girl from my form class. Wait. You might have seen her with me at the ball." Snow frowned. "No, I didn't..." Lariat made a hasty exit, shouting over his shoulder as he left: "Girlfriend... I haven't really decided yet." Bolt trained for most of that evening. Afterwards, around eleven p.m or so, he decided to pay Lariat a visit. To say Lariat was surprised to see him would have been the understatement of the century. "Hi, Bolt." Lariat said curiously. "What's up?" "Nothings 'up'." Bolt spat. "I was just wondering what time we were leaving tomorrow." Lariat looked confused. "I told you less than four hours ago." "So I forgot!" Bolt cried, taking a menacing step towards Lariat. "Is that okay with you?" Lariat shrugged. "Okay, okay... don't start on me, Bolt. We leave at seven." Bolt gave Lariat an even look before finally walking towards his room on the next floor. Sighing with relief, Lariat decided to get an early night. He didn't want to get in trouble for being late.
"Are we there yet?" Bolt moaned around eight the next morning. The five had left Garden at seven, as planned, and had been travelling non stop ever since. Lariat sighed. "Almost." It was a beautiful, clear day. The sun was shinning brightly, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. They were trekking through a small forest, with dark green, tall trees and chattering wildlife. The whole forest seemed to be teeming with life. Gem, who was wearing a short pink dress with brown suede boats, trailed a little behind. She felt a tad awkward talking to these students. She hardly knew any of them. Luckily for her, no one seemed to notice her absence. Lariat was wearing black combats and a red t-shirt. He proudly led the way, only talking when he was spoken to. He was silently putting together a mission plan. Snow was dressed in blue combat pants and a white, tight tank top. Her gloves were tucked under one arm, and the map under the other. She couldn't wait to get to the Migdar Mines. There was some new magic she wanted to try out. Shake and Bolt were talking softly. Bolt, who was wearing a silver vest and black, ripped jeans, had silently decided to cause as much trouble on this mission as possible. He was only half listening to Shake ramble on about Quake magic. Shake, dressed in long green shorts and an over sized lime top, seemed oblivious to Bolt's lack of enthusiasm. Snow fell back a little, and began talking to Gem. "Gem," she spluttered, the older girl's quietness making her nervous, "I just wanted to say thank you. You know, for healing me yesterday. I'm really grateful, and you really did a great job..." Realising she was rambling, she quickly shut up. "You're very welcome, Snow." Gem reassured her, smiling slightly. Snow shyly smiled back. She decided to change the subject. "So," she began, "I hear you and Lariat are really getting on... well." Gem grinned. "He's a great guy, isn't he? But I don't think we'll ever amount to anything more than friends." "Really?" Snow breathed. "If you don't mind me asking... why?" "Oh, he has his eye on somebody else." Gem answered simply. "When we were at the ball the other night, all he did was stare off into the distance... poor guy. He really has it bad." "Here we are." Lariat announced, stopping just outside of the Migdar Mines. He peered in, seeing nothing but darkness. "It's about time!" Bolt hollered. "If we'd taken my short cut, we would have arrived he an hour ago!" Lariat let the comment slide. "Come on, then. We should get a move on... who wants to go first?" "I will!" Shake shouted excitedly. He walked in slowly, silently taking in his surroundings. The mines were low, but still high enough for the students to walk without crouching. Even from here, Shake could see different tunnels leading away from the main tunnel. The whole place was like a giant maze. A giant, scary, dark maze. Bolt was the last one to enter the Mines, and the last to turn on his torch. "Great." He muttered as he spotted the alternate paths. "What do we do now?" "Simple." Lariat replied. "We split into three groups." He looked at each student carefully. "Okay, here's how we'll do it. Bolt and Shake will take the left path. Gem and I will carry on following this tunnel and Snow will take the right one." "I can't go by myself!" Snow cried. Lariat turned to face her. "I have every confidence in you, Snow. I believe you can do this, I know you can. You're a great fighter, and magic user. You can handle any monster, alone." By now, an unhappy looking Shake and a bored looking Bolt had began to make their way down the left cave, leaving Snow with Gem and Lariat. "Okay..." Snow sulked. "But if I die, it's all your fault!" Lariat and Gem started walking, and Lariat shouted over his shoulder, "You are *not* going to die!"
Lariat and Gem walked in silence, both deep in thought. It was Gem who finally broke the uneasy quietness. "Lariat?" She ventured. "Yes?" "I'm worried about Snow." She admitted softly. "Do you really think you should have let her go on by herself?" "Absolutely." He answered confidently. "But -" Lariat stopped walking. "Listen, Gem." He spoke harshly. "You haven't seen her fight like I have. She'll be fine." He continued walking, and Gem hurried to catch up to him. She knew he was kidding himself. There was something in his voice that told her so... "You don't believe that for a second, do you Lariat?" The words slipped out before she could stop them, yet she was glad she had spoken her mind. She was rarely wrong about these things. Lariat sighed deeply. "I don't -" A low rumbling cut him off. He spun quickly. "What was that?" He asked worriedly. Gem shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we should -" More rumbling cut her off. How distant it sounded... almost like thunder. Lariat picked up his pace. "Let's hurry. The sooner we leave, the better."
Shake kicked at the ground angrily. What did Lariat think he was doing, sending Snow alone? He was so angry, he could hardly see straight... "So," Bolt spoke quietly, and almost unfriendly, "what do you think caused that rumbling before?" Shake shook his head and shrugged hopelessly. "How the hell should I know?" Bolt paused. Not facing Shake, he declared angrily, "Listen. I know you're upset about Lariat sending Snow alone..." He turned, and Shake's stomach turned as he saw how angry Bolt looked. "But don't take it out on me!!!" Bolt hollered. His words echoed down the tunnel, and a moment later the rumbling started up again, this time it was much louder. "Now look what you've done!" Shake threw back, taking a step towards Bolt, "You stupid -" The rumbling continued, but now the whole tunnel seemed to be vibrating. Rocks and boulders fell from above, and dust covered both boys. "I didn't do anything!" Bolt hissed. "Lower your voice!" "Are you going to make -" A large bolder struck Shake from behind, sending him to his knees. "This is bad..." he murmured worriedly. "Lets get out of here!" Bolt shouted, running towards the exit.
Gem screamed as the first rock fell. All at once, the whole roof started to fall, and her world came crashing down around her. Everything was red... blood red... and she couldn't move... or talk... something was pinning her to the floor... She screamed again, a piercing scream that only Lariat could hear. The large boulders and rocks didn't let the noise carry very far. She tried opening her eyes... couldn't... she couldn't feel anything... the red was fading... a kaleidoscope of blacks, greys and browns... now explosions... With a strangled cry, Gem surrendered herself to this surreal world.
Hearing strangled screams around her, Snow automatically raised protect. She was just in time, for less than two seconds later, the roof collapsed on top of her. The barrier protected her from most of the falling debris, but small stones and tonnes of dust and sand still managed to cover her. With a cry, she fell to the floor. The small stones were pelting her back now. She bit her lip, and a few moments later the pelting ceased. Luckily, she wasn't too hurt, only scratched. She shakily rose to her feet and cast a water spell. The water ran from her fingers with ease, and then continued on down the cave system, clearing the rocks and boulders from her path. With a determined grin, she continued on down the tunnel.
"Hello?" Gem called timidly. The darkness intimidated her, and the distant music and voices filled her with curiosity. "Is anybody there?" She shouted with new born confidence. "Hello?" The place seemed familiar somehow. She'd been here before, that much she knew. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it... The whole thing was very frustrating. All at once, the music grew louder and the voices closer. New sounds also filled her ears. Birds singing, children playing, running water... As quickly as it had all began, it ended, and she felt herself being harshly jerked from this strange world and into another. She was lying down, and couldn't move. She felt quite heavy here... She could hear someone talking softly. "Gem, please wake up. You have too! Come on, come on, why isn't this working..?" It was Snow, and Gem sensed that the anger filled girl was trying to cure her. Gems eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw was Snow's worried, scratched face. "Snow..." she murmured weakly. "What happened to you?" Snow's worried expression turned from worry to relief. "Gem, thank the Gods, your okay." She smiled weakly. "For a minute there -" "Snow!" Gem interrupted. "Please, stop babbling and tell me what happened!" Gem rose to her feet and took a look around. Somehow, the younger girl had managed to clear the tunnel *and* cure her. "Well," Snow continued, "I was caught in a cave in. I think we all were. Don't you remember, Gem?" Gem shrugged helplessly. "Everything seemed to happen so fast..." she decided to keep quiet about her little visit to the other world. It would only confuse and worry Snow. Besides, she could never understand. "Where's Lariat?" Snow was asking worriedly. "And Bolt, and Shake..." "I don't know..." Gem stammered. "Lariat was right here..." "Oh!" Snow gasped. "Look! There's Lariats sword!" She frantically pointed to the broken weapon that lay ten or so metres down the tunnel. "Lariat must be around here somewhere..." As if on cue, Lariat staggered towards the girls. "Snow, Gem... you're both okay..." He fell to the wet floor with a thud. Gem rushed over, and sprinkled some pink magic over his cheeks. "That should help." She said softly. "Who cast the water spell?" Lariat asked, dazed. "That would be me." Snow spoke up timidly. "I, um... heard you all shouting, so I protected myself with a protect spell and then cast water." Lariat grinned. "I knew it..."
Pushing off the small stones that partly covered his legs, Bolt rubbed his head and cursed loudly. Why was he soaking wet? What happened after the cave-in? And where was Shake? "Shake?" He shouted, his voice echoing down the tunnel. "Shake, where are you, man?" No answer, just deadly, unnerving silence. Bolt sprinted in the direction of the exit.
"Bolt?" Shake called for the tenth time. "Bolt? Lariat... Gem? *Snow*?" Still nothing. Shake wished he could move around, search the area, find Snow and the others... but as long as he was covered in these rocks, the idea seemed pretty doubtful. A single tear fell down his cheek and slapped the cold, wet floor. He was all alone here. He could *die* here. Perhaps the others already *were* dead. Another tear fell, and then another, until he was sobbing loudly. He'd never cried before. He'd never let himself, even after everything that had happened to himself and Snow. He'd tried to be strong for her, but now... "Shake?" The voice sounded far away, and yet he could *sense* someone right there beside him. "Shake? Do you remember me?" Now the voice had a face. The voice belonged to a beautiful, blond haired and clear eyed women. The women was trying to clear the rocks from Shake's legs. She seemed very familiar, but he couldn't... Suddenly, Shake could remembered the women clearly. It was Snow's mother. But as much as he wanted to believe that, he couldn't. "But you're dead..." His voice came out in a croak. Snow's mum smiled sadly. "Shake... you have to stay strong, hunny. If not for your sake, then for Snow's. She *needs* you..." The voice remained distant, yet clear. "I'm sorry for what happened, Shake... but your parents and I had no choice... I hope you understand and respect the decision we made that night..." "Where *are* my parents?" Shake groaned. "Not here." She answered simply. "But they wanted me to tell you how proud they our, of everything you've accomplished -" "Without them." Shake finished sadly. He peered down at his legs. The rocks had gone. "Now..." Snow's mum continued, "go find your friends, hunny. And remember what I told you..." "Wait!" Shake cried. But it was too late. Snow's mother had already faded into the surroundings.
To be continued...
So what did you think? *Please* let me know! If I get enough positive feedback, I promise to complete the next part a.s.a.p! :) - Quistis