“Leona? Leona! Leona, wake up silly!” A young, familiar and comforting voice roused Leona from her slumber, tired eyes opening slowly as she was brought to the sight of an adorable bronze skinned child with deep purple hair and equally beautiful azure eyes “Come on, you’ve been asleep all day!”

“Huh,” sputtered the large girl as her tired haze slowly cleared, wiping a bit of drool from her cheek before speaking. “Sorry Selly,” Leona pulled herself into a sitting position against a tree. Upon inspection Leona remembered where she was, beneath an oak in a forest clearing not far from New Krayan. “What time is it?” she asked

“Time to get up!” Selina answered, followed by shoving a bright, juicy red apple right into Leona’s face “Eat!”

“How’d you get it?” Leona furrowed her brow and asked, peering into the other girls face. Noticing the way Selina lightly brushed at her hair, Leona pushed it away “We should take them back.”

“Aww, but why, who cares, it’s not like the vendor needs all of his apples.” Selina huffed, still grasping onto the apples.

“They’re not ours, if we want something to eat we have to earn it.” Leona stated matter of factly “We'll take them back and find some chores in town. And, the sisters said they'll be passing stew out at the church for everybody, so we'll have food.” Selina frowned once the church was mentioned though Leona didn’t seem to notice “Actually, they usually have a bunch of work. We should go there first.”

Looking for a way out of going back to the church Selina smiled to herself as she recalled a conversation from earlier that day “Actually, I know something better.” Selina offered, though the other didn’t seem convinced. So, with a fair amount of skepticism Leona crossed her arms and glared at Selina “I talked to a man earlier, he said he can give us two whole gold pieces!”

Two gold pieces was a lot, especially for two hungry children like them. Knowing this, Leona naturally knew to ask “What does he want?”

Selina began to rub her arm uneasily with one of the apples, twisting her ankle a bit nervously “Well, we just need to get him something, that’s all.”

Leona’s eyes closed to slits, forcing their way into Selina pervasively until the brown girl sighed in defeat “Come on Leona, two whole gold pieces! It’s better than the copper we could get from the church.”

“The church offers honest work and we won't get yelled at for doing it, or worse Selly.” Leona insisted, but the eastern girl huffed defiantly to no avail

Taking an offensive stance, Selina began “It doesn’t matter what we do, everyone will always hate us, we might as well make some real money, it’s not like the church cares about us anyways!” she argued, but Leona shook her head.

“Please Selina, trust me, Mia Morey will help us I know she will.” she offered. Selina, still unconvinced, didn’t press the issue further and gave into her friends wishes.

“Here, you can have the rest of mine.” Leona offered the rest of her apple to Selina, more concerned with her friends health than her own grumbling stomach. The two had returned the apples, though were given a vicious tongue lashing alongside several threats for it. The two had then took to the church, sweeping, cleaning and washing the bed clothes of the entire temple. When they were done they were awarded several copper before rushing out to pay the apple vendor who, despite his annoyance, accepted their money.

Now the girls were below a tree in their favorite spot, the same clearing Leona was resting in before.. Selina, though hesitant, accepted the rest of the fruit, biting into it slowly. “Thank you.” she muttered softly, balled up next to Leona and leaning into her

The gentle breeze of the day washed over them delicately, the rhythmic sounds of both nature and Selina’s chewing ringing out softly. The two girls sunk closer into one another, Selina herself giving a few small yawns as she chewed, each enjoying the others company as they always had. As time passed by, Leona turned to the sky, an endless sea of blue, not a single cloud in the sky to mar it’s beauty. Thinking to herself about things, far too many things for a girl her age she’d later grow to admit, she turned down to her small friend with something particular in mind.

“Selina…” Leona began, the other girl replying with a soft hum “What do you want when you grow up?”

“Food,” she half joked

“No, I mean, if you could have anything in the whole world, or be anything in the world, what would it be?” she asked, staring back into the sky dreamily.

“Huh, hmm… I’d wanna be a princess.” Selina answered honestly, caressing the half eaten apple between her palms.

“A princess? Why a princess?” Leona had to ask.

“Because, then I wouldn’t be hungry and everyone would love me, and I’d have a bunch of adoring subjects and then I could marry a big, strong brave knight who’d always be there to protect me and make me smile.” the young girl raved tiredly, her words beginning to blend into one another as she slowly began fading into sleep after a hard day of work.

“You know… I could be a knight.” Leona blushed, looking out the corner of her eyes down at the half asleep girl next to her.

“Mm-hm.” Selina hummed, drifting off with the half apple still in her palms. Once the soft snores of the girl began to fill the clearing, Leona turned away, resolutely staring into the heavens.

“In fact, I will...I’ll be the greatest knight in the land, and I’ll protect you from all the bad people forever… I promise” Blushing and smiling down at Selina, Leona shifted a bit to make her friend more comfortable before falling asleep beside her.

“Selly!” Leona shouted, looking around for her friend at the clearing, carrying two bowls of stew in either hand “Selina, I’ve got the stew! We have to take the bowls back when we’re done so we should hurry and eat.” she looked around the clearing, trying her best to find her friend only to come across something that made her chest tighten furiously. Blood. She looked down and saw the blood leading deeper into the forest, and as if running on primal instinct she dropped the bowls, running full force into the trees and greenery until she was met with the sounds of screaming and grunting of her dear friend.

Running further, Leona came upon something that caused her eyes to shrink, and her heart to begin wildly beating. There she was, Selina, her best and only friend,covered in bruises, eyes blackened, blood running down her form, all the while surrounded by several young boys, only a few years older than they by a small body of water. The boys taunted her, calling her an ‘Eastern Freak’ and a ‘Brown skinned outsider’ as they laid kick after kick into her huddled being

Suddenly, the world went dark. Leona, though younger, was bigger than the boys, and they quickly learned that when she had grabbed one from behind, strangling him violently as he spasmed in her iron-like grip, ears ringing from the bloodcurdling screams that she unleashed. The other boys grabbed onto the girl, completely helpless to free their friend. In a panic, one picked up a particularly large stick and broke it against the back of her head, leaving her unphased. The boy in her grip gasped and flailed and shook, and upon finding his strength no match for the girls, he opened his mouth, hoping to get out a single plead or cry for mercy only to gurgle painfully. Throwing her weight in one direction, the boy in her arms stopped his screaming with a sudden and earth shattering crack as she left him to flop to the ground, dead. In a panic one boy picked up a rock and tried much the same as the boy with the stick only to be stopped by the girls fist as it broke his nose on impact and sent him back a good foot.

Blood thirsty and angry, Leona turned to the next boy as he backed away, broken stick in hand. The boy turned to run, desperately trying to escape, however, before he could move he was grabbed by the back of his shirt, his skull bashed against by her elbow before she dragged him over to the pool of water, forcing his head in as he struggled, flailing violently to bring himself back to life giving air, throwing all of his weight into breaking free only to splash some water around fruitlessly. The boy cried, his breath slowly being replaced by water as his lungs began to take in the liquid, but eventually the bubbles stopped as the boy went limp, no longer of this world as he drowned. Unsatisfied, Leona turned her unforgiving rage back to the other, wide stretched mouth dripping with drool as she bore down on the last boy, roaring like a wild beast as he sat in sheer terror.

The boy felt his heart beat quicken, fear began to tear at his young chest, he looked to the boy whose head was in the pool of water then, then to the boy on the ground who’d been strangled, then back to his attacker who continued her roars down at him. With no other choice, he begged, pleaded, slowly kicking away like a worm beneath the eyes of a hungry raven “P-please… I’m sorry, it’ll never happen again, please I beg you, I didn’t mean it, I don’t wanna die, I want my mommy, m-my daddy!” he cried, tears and snot staining his face as he shook furiously “Daddy… mommy!” he yelled out “Someone, help me, I don’t want to die, please!” but his words fell on deaf ears as Leona’s humanity was snuffed out by her rage. She latched onto his shirt, lifting him up against a tree, bashing her fist into his face over and over again, blood violently splattering against her entire frame, all the while her face steadily creeped into a wild smile complete with manic, unsettling laughter. Before long the boys skull gave way with a gross crack, and though dead, she continued her assault on the clearly lifeless body for several minutes until the skull was not but a mangled mess of flesh and bone, she’d grown tired of beating him eventually, letting his now headless body flop to the ground unceremoniously.

Her prey torn apart, she looked in hopes of finding more to hurt, still smiling before releasing a loud, animalistic howl in victory, however, her madness was quickly broken by terrified shuddering from Selina, the sound of which seemed to break her violent trance. Brought back to consciousness, Leona turned to her friend, slowly inching her way over, only for the other to grip her ears and seal her eyes, screaming to block out what she’d just seen. Looking back at the carnage that surrounded her Leona gaped, and for a brief moment she felt ashamed, but then her head began to race with thoughts, the thoughts cheered her on, congratulated her victory, praising her as a hero. The thoughts crept in, each one justifying her actions ‘They deserved it.’ one said ‘Yes, they were monsters, you were protecting your friend.’ another spoke ‘It was right, they were evil, they died for their sins’ slowly any sense of regret she felt was buried beneath self righteousness as she accepted her acts as being truly for the best “They were scum…” she murmured to no one in particular. Looking at her huddled friend she sat beside her, reaching an arm over her “It’s ok, they can’t hurt you or anyone else ever again.” she whispered gently, stroking the girls rich purple hair.

“A-are they…” Selina mumbled, asking despite knowing the answer.

The two fell into silence as they held each other until dark. For hours they stayed, unmoving until eventually someone came looking for them “Girls! I know you’re here! We’d like our bowls back! Come with me and we can get you into…” the priest stopped dead in his tracks as he walked into the horror of the scene. Three boys, all dead, one whose face was completely unrecognizable from an untold number or blunt wounds, the next who laid face first into a small pool of water, and the last whose neck was bruised and throat was crushed. .

Looking up in terror, Selina found her voice lost in her throat, swallowing desperately to try and make sound but to no avail, however Leona was different. Her eyes stared not at the man, but through him, not in fear, but in an empty, dead stare that filled him with an unknown chill. As the man looked back at her he felt his chest began to knot, and even that his own voice was lost inside of him. Slowly, Leona’s lips begin to move as she let out in cold, unloving monotone “They hurt her…”

“Hang her! Hang the whore!” one woman, tears falling down her cheeks, screamed “She took my son away from me!”

“May the southern filth rot!” a man this time shouted, tossing a stone that bruised Leona’s cheek

Leona wasn’t what you’d expect from a child about to die, instead of a crying sniffling mess, she was steadfast, eyes looking down at the crowd with bitterness, with hatred. Leona's hands were bound by rope, much like her neck as she stood atop a wooden platform with a trapdoor beneath her feet. Moment by moment she drunk in the crowd, the people around her and felt a weird mix of pride, fear, and hatred as they voiced their loathing. “They were only children!” one screamed. ‘Children… like me? Am I not a child… was Selly not a child? Is it because they were children? Or because I’m not from here…” she thought, mouth now slightly agape as all feeling slowly drain from her head.

After many more stones had been laid into her, a man stepped onto the stage, dressed in fine clothing, with a long mustache and beard but no hair. The man turned to the crowd and motioned for them to calm themselves down.

As this went on, Selina was cloaked in the crowd besides a roguish looking man with a stern, serious look on his face, the rest of him hidden beneath a cowl. Selina was crying of course, scared for her friends life. She turned to the man who turned down to her in return, they looked at one another before the man spoke “Like I said, it’ll be fine.” he assured her. Nodding at him, Selina turned back to her friend on the platform.

“Today, we gather to sentence this monster for murder on three accounts, for one Dick Todd, one Jason Drake, and one Tim Grayson. She has accepted her fate and admitted to these acts and has shown no remorse for her crimes, for this we have no choice but to rid our streets of her evil.” the crowd went into an uproar, cheering for the death of the child “So, without further ado, we will hear her last request, so, what will it be girl?”

Looking up , Leona said loud enough for the crowd to hear “I have no request, I only want to say… Your bastards deserved to die.”

With an angry glare the man pulled a level, causing the door beneath the girls feet to open up, dropping her down until the noose was now strangling her. She spasmed violently, hacking, coughing, desperately trying to find breath as she slowly slipped into unconsciousness, her eyes raced through the crowd, inch by inch until her gaze fell upon a cloaked Selina, smiling Leona thought ‘I’m sorry, maybe someone else’ll be your knight…’ tears began to drift down her cheeks as her vision went black and that’s when she felt everything fall, her endless sinking felt as if lasting an eternity as her form freely rushed towards the and ever deepening pit. With a crash Leona inhaled sharply, her eyes funneling in the days sun as she quickly came to lucidity The crowd stood in awe as the girl hit the ground, hard, conscious, but in pain. Suddenly, what noise the crowd made was completely snuffed by the appearance of a woman with multicolored hair, ablaze with life as it moved on it’s own accord.

“People,” her voice was strong and authoritative, demanding the attention and respect of those around her, clearly the voice of someone with great power and wisdom “I have come here for the girl,” the crowd went into an angry roar at this, many questions thrown, each ignored as with but a single motion everyone went silent “From this moment on, she will be under my care, to do with as I see fit. If any of you even dare raise a hand against her, all I can say is may Mia have mercy on your soul.” the crowd went dead, not a single person willing to challenge the words spoken

While that was happening a pair of priests had gotten to Leona’s side, lifted her up and began taking her away into the crowd, a crowd that, while angry, wouldn’t dare defy their grand priestess.

Selina looked on in awe as everything happened before her, head darting up to the man at her side and back to the woman “What’s going on, isn’t she going with us?”

He shook his head “No, she’s not. You have your own path to walk, and so does she. Be happy I pulled such a great favor for you.” he said coldly before turning away and walking “Now come, you have much to learn.”

Body shooting up, Leona cringed at the sharp pain that exploded with her sudden movement. Falling back to a resting position, the women grit her teeth and inhaled sharply. “Was that…” she pondered the reality of her day thus far, but was reminded that it was all too real when the sounds of battle rang from the city around her, accompanied by the tightness of many bandages that clung to her body. Leona was out of her armor and dressed in her bed clothes, laying down in her quarters at the church. Feeling the strain of the day build rapidly Leona sighed, letting herself have the moment of rest.

As Leona lie on her bed she received a knocking at her door a few minutes later, lifting herself back up, painful as it was, she answered “I’m awake.”

As the door pushed open, Leona was annoyed to see Selina walk in, her body covered in bandages as well “Hello dear, I hope I didn’t wake you.”

Turning her head away Leona replied “No.”

“Oh…” Selina looked down at the ground dejectedly but decided, despite Leona’s defiance, she’d continue the conversation “So, are you doing well?”

“Fine.”

“Oh… do you need anything?” Selina asked, doing her best to look as kind as she could

“Nothing from you” Leona spat, making it a point to be as hostile as possible to the other woman.

Selina turned to the ground, eyes half lidded as she fought back tears “I just… I mean…” Leona said nothing, nor did she turn to the person speaking to her “I didn’t know what else to do…” she admitted shakily.

Leona, curious, turned to Selina, though remained silent “I mean…” Selina left her mouth open for but a moment, closing it and rubbing her arm anxiously “I just wanted to…” her voice trailed to a faint whisper.

Leona’s face went awash with a smug smile “To what, spit on your parents grave? To betray me?” her voice was unloving and cruel, deliberate in hurting the other woman

“No, that’s not-” Selina began before being cut off

“Oh, that’s not what now? Cause if you were to say that it wasn’t true you’d be a much a liar as you are scum.” Leona face now twisted into a scowl as she directed it at the other woman who, despite her best efforts, began to shed several tears, hand clung onto an arm as she backed away “Oh, are you running again? Lying, cowardly scum, oh, and let’s add murdering whore while we’re at it.” every word seemed to run it’s way through Selina’s chest as she began to shiver. “What were you hoping for, I wonder? Did you expect me to play nice? Did you think I’d be impressed because you did a few good deeds to try and make up for your crimes? To save your own skin? You sicken me,” Selina had never felt smaller next to Leona, by this point her face was covered in tears as she froze, wanting nothing more than to run but feeling unable to move “Just get out of my face before I arrest you, you’re not even worth talking to.” Completely broken Selina turned, bursting out the door, nearly toppling a young,brown haired boy who’d been carrying a silver platter with food.

Concerned, the squire pushed his way into the room, “Leona, are you ok?” he asked

“Fine,” she turned away from the boy

Swallowing, the boy set the tray on a nearby desk “I, um… I don’t think…” he began, but it didn’t seem like Leona was listening “M’lady, uh…” Leona turned to the boy, and she looked distraught, sad even “Leona?”

Sighing, the woman curled into a ball on her bed. The two stood in awkward silence, neither willing to move or make a sound.

Finally, gathering his courage the boy sat beside Leona on her bed “I, I um…” he gulped “I think you need to apologize!” he finished, instantly flinching in preparation for what he assumed to be an upcoming tongue lashing

“I don’t think I can.” Leona spoke, avoiding eye contact

“Why not?” He asked

“Because I’m still mad.” she sighed and curled up tighter

“What did she do? It must have been pretty-” he was cut off

“Nothing…” the room was silent again, the boy shifted uncomfortably “It’s not proper for you to be on a bed with a lady.” Leona muttered, causing the boy to jump up off the bed

“I-I just, I mean… ugh, excuse me if I’m out of line, but, that’s stupid.” The boy said, his remark replied to by a chuckle

“Yeah, I know…” Leona looked tired, yet she wore a smile, a smile that spoke volumes to the confusion she was feeling “It’s hard for you to understand I guess…”

“What is m’lady?” He inched closer

Slowly Leona’s smile faded into a dead gaze “Being me… perpetually filled with so much anger… so much… you know, I killed three boys… a little younger than you. I was young too, younger than they. They were attacking her… Selina I mean, and I just lost it, I barely remember much besides this overwhelming sense of life. I reveled in it, killing them that is, the way they screamed and begged, the way they slipped into death, never before had I felt so real.” Leona paused to gather her thoughts “I still want it, that feeling. I want to hurt people, I want to kill, and before I thought it dealt with, but in all of this I realize I need it more…” Leona slowly eased herself onto her feet as she spoke. Moving over to the door she placed a hand on the knob, stopped as the boy quickly followed suit

“Leona, where are you going?” he asked, knowing full well he couldn’t stop her physically

“I’m going to go back out there, it’s where I need to be,” her grip on the knob tightened, hair lining it with cracks

“Don’t you think you should finish resting before…” Leona just shook her head

“What’s the point… better die in battle then live a shame of a life, eh?” she smiled back at the boy who just gaped at her.

“Leona…” he whispered, gritting his teeth he pushed himself in front of the door, blocking it “You can leave when you’re better.”

Leona just looked at him “You know you can’t stop me.”

“I can’t just let you kill yourself…” he said resolutely

“Hmph, since when did you begin to defy me?” she asked, still smiling “It doesn’t matter,” she said, returning to her bed

The boy remained at the door, almost expecting her to get back up and try again, but, he calmed himself, his nerves on pins and needle. “Well, that was nerve wracking.” he said gratefully

“Hehe, Daniel, why don’t you bring me that platter.” Leona asked, causing the boy to perk up, quickly retrieving the food and placing it before his dame “Thank you, also, one more thing?” she waved for the boy to get closer, as if she was going to whisper something. When the boy was close enough she grabbed him by his shirt, flipped him over and onto the opposite side of the bed with a thump “When dealing with someone dangerous keep your guard up.”

The boy, now rolling on the ground in pain muttered “Of course, thanks…” he coughed before getting back to his feet. “You’re all over the place today, you know that?” he complained

“Maybe, I’m just glad I’ve done such a good job with you.” she smiled at the squire once again, provoking a blush from him “You’ll me a great knight before long…” she began, looking down at the platter of steak and potatoes “Is there enough food for everyone in the church?”

“Oh, uh, of course, the clerics are creating food and drink downstairs.” he replied

“Good,” cutting a piece of steak she brought it to her mouth, but just as quickly a feeling rose in her chest, a sudden fleeting moment, and in that moment she flung her tray off her lap and dove onto the boy, collapsing onto the ground as a bolt of energy tore into her window, causing debris to fly every which way.

Bursting in through the door, Starstorm and Wrathtail looked hurriedly to check on their friends “Are you two ok?” Starstorm asked as Wrathtail moved to help the two up.

“Fine,” Leona brushed herself off before moving to the opening to see a horde of shadow hounds, large menacing humanoids and what looked like men, some in armor some in robes, and in the far back was something she’d never believe.

“What’s going on out…” Wrathtail began as her eyes fell upon the large, wolflike form of Teronidus, followed by Starstorm and Daniel who both saw him immediately

“Teronidus lives again!” the massive beast roared, now twice his size from before “And you wenches will die tonight for defying me!”

“Daniel,” Leona spoke, eyes still locked onto the marching enemy forces “Get me my armor and run.”

"But…” with a sigh the squire gave in “Right away m’lady.”

Author's Note

Another chapter done. Let's all give a thank you to good ol' dependable http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Breakfateschain ain't he a swell guy?