A/N: Thanks goes to goonbot86 and calwitch for the reviews. Chapter 3 is here, hope you enjoy it. R&R.

Chapter 3:

Facing Destiny

Shae was dumbfounded by what she was seeing at that moment. The wooded area they arrived in was littered with sunshine through the greenest leaves she had ever seen in her life. It was beautiful and all she could feel was a sense of completion. It was like she belonged there. She questioned the reality that maybe what they Abby was telling her was indeed the truth.

Her hand unconsciously fumbled with the hem of her shirt, flattening out the wrinkles that weren't really there at all. The sound of happy birds chirping and rushing water made her feel even more at ease. She turned a full 360, taking in all the details of her new surroundings. "Welcome home." Abby said cheerfully.

"We must continue on." Finn stated, taking steps towards the north side of where they all stood.

"Where are we going?" Shae asking, sprinting to catch up.

"We are going to where your mother is in hiding with what remains of your people. There is a lot of this world you don't know." He answered.

She immediately turned to look at Abby, looking for some kind of answer as to what he meant by that; but all she could see was concern. The world she was now in may be beautiful; but there was a danger she could feel underneath it all. It brought back the dream she had before her whole world was turned upside down.

The piercing cries of the baby in the night created a tightness in her stomach. Somehow she knew deep down who that baby had been. Tears started to burn the corners of her eyes as they continued to walk through the forest. Her chest tightened. A hand instinctively went up to rest between her breasts, gripping her fingers into a tight fist.

"So that baby I saw...in my dream...was that me?" Shae asked between gasps of breath.

Finn stopped walking and Abby was at Shae's side in a split second. He turned to see the fear on the young woman's face. The reality of what she had seen and what she was told was sinking in. Panic struck her at the worst possible time. He narrowed his brows, listening for the dangers that lay beyond. "I promise you will get the answers you want when we get to our destination; but right now we need to keep moving. The hellhounds are approaching." He stated pleadingly.

"Hellhounds?" Shae asked confused.

She had heard the name before; but only in myths she read over the years to keep her mind off the hardships she lived with. Her adoptive parents weren't exactly the nicest people and most of time she felt trapped within their walls of confinement.

Abby placed a gentle hand on her arm, giving her comfort. "Come on, we need to keep moving." She urged.

The urgency didn't matter anymore for the sound of rustling leaves and snapping branches alerted them to what lay beyond. Shae quickly snapped her head to the side, eyeing the threshold between several trees about fifteen feet away from where she stood frozen. Finn immediately pulled her behind him.

She eyed him suspiciously, not fully understanding the danger that was closing in on them. The blue sky quickly turned dark, covered with thick gray clouds. Shae could see several creatures walk through the thick brush. Dark phantom like dogs came into view, snarling with foaming white saliva dripping from their open mouths.

Abby turned around to see several more come from the other side. They were now surrounded by at least a dozen hellhounds. She knew that in her current state, her magic would be weak. It would take days for her magic to return to normal. Finn's dark red aura appeared as a threat to the underworld creatures that threatened to do harm to the princess. "What do you suggest, Finn?" Abby asked, taking several steps back until the three of them were pressed up against each other.

"We do what we must. The princess must be returned to the Queen." He replied, pulling a silver dagger from the inside of his coat pocket before discarding the garment altogether.

Shae could see him now in just a thin white t-shirt that clung to him, detailing every curve of muscle that composed of his flesh. Blinking several times, to rid herself from the inappropriate thoughts that instinctively came into her mind, she felt as though her body was being pulling in a different direction. "Shae…." A voice whispered.

Desperate to find the source, she frantically turned around to see even more hellhounds closing in slowly. For whatever reason, they never attacked. A subtle turquoise aura flickered around Shae's body as the glamour that had once been projected onto her was now fading. A scream erupted from her mouth as magic that been forced into dormancy was now released in all it glory.

Abby knew that it must have been time for the magic to wear off, which meant it was her princess's nineteenth birthday. She knelt down in front of Shae, who clenched her hands into tight fists in front of her.

"This couldn't have a come at a worse time." Finn stated, realizing their element of surprise was now shattered into pieces.

The hellhounds had seen first hand and would go back to the tell Roman, crown prince of the underworld, exactly what they had seen. Finn knew that he couldn't let that happen. He lunged forward, gripping the dagger's hilt tightly in his hand. He twisted his body around the first swipe of a clawed paw. Finn easily plunged the small weapon deep into the side of the head of the first hellhound then quickly retracted the blade and ran it across the throat of the second.

Gurgled yelps and screeching cries could be heard between Shae's own screams. Biting down on her bottom lip, she forced herself to stand back up. Abby could see that her eyes were glowing white before returned back to her normal blue.

"Shae…." Abby said softly.

Shae turned to see Finn's desperate attempt to keep her secret safe by killing every last hellhound that stood around the three of them. A sudden urge to help came to her, tightening a knot in her stomach. Instinctively, she held out her hand. The air around her palm was increasingly getting hotter with each passing second. Flames licking around her fingertips before forming a ball in her hand.

"Oh...my...god…" Abby said speechless.

Folding her other hand on the ball of flames, she spun in a full 360 degrees, spreading the flames outward. Each hellhound was engulfed in the heat, singeing each one alive. Finn turned to see Shae standing on wobbling legs. Her eyes rolled behind her eyes, falling to the ground behind her. "What the hell was that?" He asked, demanding an answer from Abby.

"She's the one…."

"What do you mean, the one?"

"She's the one from the prophecy, the one who will forever keep the underworld bound."

Finn had heard the prophecy many times as a child. His parents believed it so much that they aligned themselves to Queen Olenna, with the hopes that her child would be the one to liberate them once and for all. They believed it so much that they died in the war nineteen years ago, to save the infant princess from imminent death.

He looked down at the unconscious woman and realized the he would have to protect her in order for his people to see liberation. They were still a day's journey to where the Queen was in hiding; but they needed to find shelter for the night. He knelt down and scooped Shae into his arms, her head resting against his chest.

"We should probably find somewhere to sleep for the night." Abby suggested.

"Where should we go?" He asked, not really knowing exactly where they would be welcome.

There were no words exchanged, he simply followed her. She lead them deeper into the forest and into a deep cavern. Abby used what little magic she had to create a few balls of light to allow them to see. Finn laid Shae down on the dirt floor, placing his discarded coat under her head. "I'm going to get some water and berries to eat. Watch over her for me please." Abby said walking out of the cavern leaving Finn and Shae alone.

He rolled his eyes, not bothering to gripe out loud. His mind wandered back to earlier on. He should have known that the enemy would be everywhere the second they returned to Ehearon. Staring into one of the light balls, he didn't notice that Shae had stirred awake. She watched him silently, knowing that there was something off about him.

"My dearest parents, I almost let you down today. I was careless and damn near got the princess killed." He said aloud.

Shae listened, wanting nothing more than to argue with him that it wasn't his fault; but now wasn't the time. She could hear an underlining pain in his voice when he spoke. It got her thinking that maybe he wasn't this cold hearted dick that she first perceived him as. He shifted and turned to look at her, catching her dead in the eyes. "How long have you been awake?" He asked rubbing his palms against the fabric of his pants.

"Long enough to tell you that it's not your fault. How were you supposed to know that we would be ambushed almost immediately after coming here?"

"That shows how very little you know about this world."

She sat up, slightly still dizzy from all the events that happened. Pushing those thoughts back for a later time, she crawled in her hands and knees to get closer to him. "Then tell me about this world."

Finn looked down at the smaller girl sitting in front of him. There was a mix of fear and determination swirling in the endless sea of blue of her eyes. He reached out to tuck a stray chunk of her hair behind her ear. An ear that was now pointed thanks to the glamour wearing off. He chuckled low in his throat. "You are asking me about this world, instead of asking me about yourself..."

Immediately, she reached up to touch the same ear that he had tucked hair behind. They were no longer rounded like a humans. They are at a point, much like Abby's were. It made her realize that she hadn't come to terms with everything that happened yet. She was a princess of this foreign place and it made no sense to her. "I don't understand any of this…" She replied softly.

Shae felt the tightness in her chest return just as footsteps could be heard from the entrance of the cave. Abby walked into view carrying two pitchers made of magic full of water and a bowl of similar magic filled with a variety of berries. Her stomach rumbled uncontrollably. It only mady Abby laugh. "Go ahead and eat." She offered.

"Before I do...will one of you tell me exactly who I am? I'm obviously not human, so what the hell am I?"

"I was wondering when you were going go all frantic." Finn commented, almost amused by the display.

"Do you blame her? We took her from everything she's ever known and in the blink of an eye it's all gone." Abby replied, filled with much sympathy.

Finn looked at the girl in front of him. She was even more beautiful now than she had been when he first met her with the glamour still intact. It was hard to judge exactly what kind of power she now possessed; but if he had to guess it would be the power over the four major elements of life. "You are a Light Elf, daughter of King Ridick and Queen Olenna. You were born during a war that had been going on between The Underworld and Eheareon, thanks to a prophecy stating that a child would be born that would liberate the world from The Underworld and keep it forever bound." He started to explain.

"You were sent to the human realm with me as a means to protect you…"

Shae listened. Everything they said added up with the dream she had. There was no reason for her not to believe what they were telling her. She was a Light Elf and on some level that was pretty neat. A laugh escaped her mouth. She always knew that she was different and this only confirmed it. "You know...I always knew that I was different. I always felt like I didn't belong. Abby, you were the only one who ever gave a damn about me."

"Maybe in the human realm...here, there are so many who give a damn."

"Eat and rest, we will talk more in the morning. I'll take the first watch tonight." Finn said getting up from the rock he had been sitting on.

He walked out of sight and leaned against the entrance to the cave, looking up with a half moon high in the sky. Letting a soft sigh escape his lips, he mind swirled with erratic thoughts to raced back and forth from one time to another; but eventually settled on one with his parents.

"Finn may we speak with you a moment." A woman's voice called from behind.

He turned to see his mother standing the doorway of the gathering room. Her long silverish platnium hair was pulled back in long braid down her back. Soft olive green eyes connected with his blue ones at a distance. Alayna Balor was a woman of compassion and empathy. She was loving ruler and was known for her mercy. Finn loved her dearly for it.

They walked into the room where a large wooden table sat in the center. His father always sat at the head, while his mother sat on the left side of him. His most trusted advisors were also sitting at the table, which meant this was a military meeting. "What's going on?"

"Take a seat, son." His father directed. Edward Balor was a man the both harsh and compassionate. He did what he needed to in order to protect his people and his family. His blue eyes mirrored his own and long brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail to keep from invading his eyes.

Finn did as he was told, pulling the chair on the right side of him out. It was odd for him to be involved in meetings of this caliber, which made him worry. "I'm sure all of you have heard the prophecy by now. The mermaids have seen it. A child will be our liberator from The Underworld's reign on terror on Ehearon. I assume they know by now as well, which has been the reason for the increases attacks on all lands."

"So what do you suggest we do?" A man asked.

"We align with King Ridick of Insa. The Queen is pregnant, due any day and they strongly believe the child she is carrying is the child from the prophecy. If it is, then we must do all we can to make sure he or she remains protected."

"There is no guarantee that the child is indeed the one." Stated another.

Finn had heard the back and forth arguments all before for different things; but this one was crucial. He looked across the table at his mother, who remained silent until she stood up and whistled a screeching sound that made everyone stop speaking. "There is no harm in aligning with Insa, they are thriving and we are struggling. We are a near extinct race. I want what's best for my son and his future children. We will align with them."

The men at the table started to argue. Finn narrowed his brows and slammed his hands on the table, red aura surrounding his body. "My mother has spoken, no need to argue her." He said with a snarl.

Finn knew that their race had been losing numbers over the years and perhaps aligning with Insa would get them back on their feet. If the Queen indeed was carrying to child of the prophecy, then it was in their best interest to keep the child safe until adulthood when he or she could liberate them all from The Underworld's terrany.

Little did Finn know that protecting the child would end his parent's lives on the battleground. He now ruled a race that was so little in number, ruling in their memory and trying desperately not to screw it up. They had been right to align themselves with Insa, because the child had indeed been the one. Shaelynn River Almasi was the future he looked forward to in the end. Her liberation was what his people needed and that's all that mattered to him.