Into The Mistby NeptuneGalaxyChaptersChapters 1 & 2Chapters 3 & 4 Chapters 5 & 6Chapter 7Chapters 1 & 2Cold wisps of night air still hung around as the sun peeked over the horizon. A unicorn sat on the bank of a river thinking this would be her last day alone. Clove flipped onto her back and stared up at the stars that weren't shrouded by mist. As she studied the constellations, she didn't notice a figure approaching her. So it was a surprise when somepony spoke out behind her. "I think it would be hard to stargaze right now. I mean, with the mist and all." Startled, Clove turned around to see who went with the voice. "Oh, Deryll, you scared me." "I definitely didn't mean to startle you." The black unicorn sat down beside Clove. "Like I said, isn't it hard to stargaze with the mist?" "I think it's quite easy, thank you. As if you knew how to do it anyway." The green unicorn smirked at Deryll. "Don't mock me. After all, today is your last day here, right?"Clove looked at the ground. "Look, I'm sorry, ok? It's not my fault that your parents signed you up a few years ago-" "MY PARENTS ARE DEAD!" Deryll stared at Clove. Although it was hard to see through the mist, he could see there was a stream of tears running down her face. "I'm sorry for the outburst, Deryll." Clove looked at the ground. Deryll saw the hurt in her face and embraced her in a tight hug. "I'll come with you," he said. "They'll stop you from coming. I have to go by myself." "I bet I can find a way." The hug lasted for a few moments, then they let go. "I'm sorry the armies had to take them. They just came into town and took them away. You're lucky you got out." The green unicorn stared at the ground, not saying anything but sobbing quietly. Deryll looked at her and said, "Cheer up, Clove. We have a whole day to kill." "I know, but i dont want to be sent to training camp." Clove stared at Deryll through the mist. "C'mon, let's get something to eat. 'Ill walk you home." And the two unicorns set out towards the city and into the mist. As Clove and Deryll walked into the city, they decided to get something to eat. They stopped by Sugercube Corner, and walked in. There was a very bouncy pink mare at the counter. "Welcome to Sugercube Corner!" Pinkie Pie said with a big grin. "What can i get you today? OOH! The special today is donuts!" Deryll looked at Clove and rolled his eyes. Clove laughed, and they ordered their food. Pinkie said, "Ok, I'll be right back!" And with that, she zoomed to the back of the store. Clove motioned to a table and they went to sit down. They didn't have to wait too long for their food, and when it came, Pinkie set the food down on the table and sped back to get their drinks."Typical Pinkie," said Deryll. Clove laughed again and Pinkie brought back their drinks. They ate, paid, and walked out of the restaurant. The two unicorns then went on their way to Clove's house. They got inside and Clove fumbled for the lights. When she got them on, a vast room appeared before both of them. They walked to two chairs in the corner of the room and sat. They chatted for a while, and Clove decided it was finally time to pack. "I'd better go upstairs." "I'll come keep you company." Clove led the way upstairs, and Deryll followed behind. They got upstairs and Clove fumbled for the lights once again. She got them on and walked into the room. There were things strewn everywhere. Clove used her magic to pick up the checklist she had and looked at it. "Let's see... what's first on my list? My uniform." She looked nervously at the closet. Seeing she didn't want to go, Deryll offered, "I'll go for you." Clove gladly took the offer. Deryll walked to the closet and opened the doors. Right in front of him he found a box. He considered opening it, but pushed it aside in his mind and walked in to get the uniform. He glanced at the box on his way out, but forgot it and walked out of the closet. Things were flying around him, putting themselves into suitcases, and in the middle of it all stood Clove, checking things off her list. "Thanks, Deryll," she said and threw the uniform aside into a suitcase. After she was done, Clove went downstairs to get something to eat. Then Deryll his attention back to the box. It was a big blue box, and when he opened it he say many things. A ray gun, and many other guns, an emergency food supply and... "CLOVE!' Derryl called over his shoulder. "YOU MIGHT WANT TO COME SEE THIS." Chapters 3 & 4 Chapters 3 & 4 Clove came up the stairs and looked in her bedroom. She saw Deryll sitting by a box she'd never seen before. "What's that?" she asked. "It's a box," said Deryll "Full of many interesting things." Clove looked in and saw the things Deryll had seen before, and one other thing. "Is this what you were calling me up for Deryll?" "Yes it was." Clove saw, in the box, a notebook labeled, Sunny And Dave's Journal. Those were her parent's names!! Clove glanced at Deryll, and picked up the book. He opened it to find a picture of her mother and father on the first page. There was a paragraph under it that read, "This is our journal. We wrote it for you, Clove, knowing you would find it later. We hope you enjoy our entries in this notebook, while reading about our wonderful adventures." Clove suddenly shut the book. Deryll looked at her, confused, and said, "Why'd you shut it? I thought you'd want to read the rest of it." "I-I do, but, I'm also afraid to read it at the same time." Deryll understood and looked back at the notebook. He stood up and said, "If you're hungry, you can get something to eat." "I'm, I'm not hungry anymore." "Let's go outside, Clove. You look like you need some fresh air." They put the notebook back in the box and walked outside. The sun was up and eveypony was bustling around, chatting, going to shops, eating, and many other things. Clove looked around, nervously, and spotted her pegasus friend, Dazy. She called to her, and Dazy walked over. "Hiya, Clove! What's up?" "Not much right now. How about you?" "I'm just fine." They chatted some more, and Deryll slipped away, leaving them to talk. He walked about a yard, then turned swiftly into a dark alley. "I'm glad you came, Deryll." "Likewise to you, Duncan." The Pegasus looked at Deryll and took his cloak off. "Now that we are here, let's discuss some things. Where was the thing you were bringing me?" Deryll took a beautiful jewel out of his bag he was carrying. He rolled the jewel to Duncan, and Duncan caught it and brought it close to his face. He examined the jewel, and finally said, "Good enough for now, but next time, bring something better." Duncan put the hood back on, and with a swish of his cloak, he disappeared. Deryll walked out of the alley and back into the sunlight. He spotted Clove and Dazy still talking where he had left them. He briefly thought about his conversation with Duncan, but pushed it to the back of his mind as he got closer to Clove and Dazy. He overheard part of their conversation. "So, Deryll has been acting mysterious more than usual lately," said Clove. "How much so?" "Well, he's been slipping off somewhere I don't know about-" Clove stopped talking as she spotted Deryll. "Oh hi! Where have you been?" Deryll thought again about his conversation with Duncan, but said, "I went to get something to eat." Clove looked suspiciously at him, and Deryll was afraid she'd ask him here he had been again, but instead she just said, "Ok." and turned back around to talk to Dazy. Deryll sighed in relief, and walked behind the two mares. They continued talking, and then Clove abruptly stopped. "What's wrong, Clove?" both Deryll and Dazy asked. "I heard something,..." Clove turned around. "Deryll, look." She pointed at a thing that had just darted around the corner. Deryll started to go after it, but Clove stopped him. "Don't, I can tell its something that's not worth chasing." Deryll looked at her, but cooperatively stopped. He knew something was up, but he didn't bother to ask Clove about it. They went on walking, and Dazy said she had to go. They said bye, and Dazy departed from Clove. .Clove looked at Deryll and said, "What now?" Deryll shrugged and they just went on walking. As they were walking, Deryll brought back to the front of his mind the conversation with Duncan. Deryll thought about the way he studied the jewel, and in his mind Deryll saw that the pearl glow, with a bright light, before fading to its normal color. He thought about that for a while, and they just kept walking for a long time. Chapters 5 & 6Clove saw the burning buildings. She saw her mother, and her father, in the street. "Go! Get out!" her mother screamed. "I can't let them take you!" Her mother Looked at her with sympathy. "I love you, Clove." Sunny turned around abruptly. She looked around and said, "Clove! Get in here, Now!" She overturned a box and pointed to it. Clove ran over and got in the box. Her mother shut it and pushed it under a bush. Through a hole in the box, Clove could see older ponies come and grab her parents. They tried to fight back but there were too many guards. They disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Clove woke up with a start. "NO!" she screamed. Deryll came rushing up the stairs. "What's wrong, Clove?" "I- just a bad dream..." Clove said. She was breaking out into a cold sweat. Deryll hugged her tight. "It's ok. It was just a dream." Clove nervously hugged him back. Then she glanced at the clock. "5:04 A.M. It's early. I won't have to go until 6 P.M. tonight." Clove stood up and walked over to her suitcase. She closed it because it was hanging open from the day before. Deryll glanced at Clove and decided to go outside. Clove agreed and the two of them set out the door. When they were walking outside, the sun had just risen and the sunrise was beautiful. Only a couple ponies were outside and everypony stopped and stared at the beautiful sight. Clove and Deryll passed by Deryll's friend, SparkBeat, said hi, and they went on walking. There was a chill in the morning air and Clove shivered. Deryll glanced at her and said, "Do you want to go get something to eat and drink?" "Yes, please." The two unicorns walked into a restraunt and bought donuts and hot chocolate. They went outside to sit at a table and ate their food. About an hour later, after they had finished eating, Clove and Deryll went on walking. They passed Kutya and as they went past him, said hi. As they were walking, Deryll said he had to go do something. "Where are you going?" Clove said. "Um, I have to fill out a paper," said Deryll. Clove looked suspiciously at him and said, "Is it possible for me to come with you?" "Um," Deryll racked his brain for an excuse. "No, because... It's a surprise for you." Clove looked surprised. "Really? Well then, I can wait." Deryll sighed and went off, turning down the same dark alley he went down before. "Deryll! What took you so long?" "My friend almost found out about this." "WHAT?!?" Duncan screamed. "You know you can't let anypony else know, Deryll. Because if you do-..." Duncan left the threat hanging in the air. Deryll shivered and pulled his bag out. This time instead of a jewel, he produced a beautiful gold necklace. "Amazing. Good work, Deryll." Duncan took the necklace and threw his cloak back on. This time, instead of disappearing, he said, "Deryll," "Yes?" Deryll had started to walk off but turned around at the mention of his name. "Bring me something sooner. At 5:30 P.M. Tonight." Deryll, surprised, said, "But Duncan, I brought you something today and yesterday. That's my pay's work for at least the week." Duncan looked at him. "Do not whine. Do it, or else." and with that, Duncan disappeared. Clove waited for Deryll and wondered what the surprise was he was talking about. She kept thinking about that until she spotted her friend, Confetti Swirl. Clove called her over and they sat at a table to chat. "Hiya! What's up?" said Confetti. "Nothing much. How about you?" "Eh, normal day. Walking around. So far this is the highlight of my day!" Clove laughed. "Glad to hear it." They chatted for a while until Confetti said, "I've got to go." At that same moment, Deryll appeared, carrying a box. Clove said goodbye to Confetti, and ran to Deryll. "You weren't joking about the surprise, were you?" Deryll laughed. "I would never lie. Open it." Clove took the box and opened it. "Wow..." Clove stared at the necklace in the box. It was a gold chain necklace with a purple pendant on it. "It's wonderful. Thank you!" Clove tackled Deryll playfully and hugged him. Deryll thought to himself, "It's my own little secret. She doesn't know, so she won't get hurt. She doesn't know. She doesn't know..." Clove and Deryll were sitting at a table. They weren't doing anything In particular, just sitting. Clove was thinking about how in a few hours, she would be leaving for military camp. Deryll was thinking about what Duncan had said earlier. Clove said, "Deryll, you said you would come with me." Deryll recalled what he had said the day before. "I did, didn't I?" Clove nodded. "My question is: how will you come with me? They check everypony who goes on that train, and everypony who gets off." Deryll said, "I have no idea how I'll get on. I just know I will." Clove smiled. The silence fell over them again. Deryll thought about two things now. How he would get on he train, and the conversation with Duncan. "5:30. I have to bring something at 5:30," he thought. Clove broke the silence once again. "Thanks again for the necklace, Deryll." "You're welcome." Clove glanced at a clock hanging in a shop window. "It's 4:00." "4 o'clock?!?" Deryll turned to the clock. He had an hour and thirty minutes to find something to bring to Duncan. "Why so frantic?" asked Clove. "Uh," Clove laughed at Deryll. "Let's go to my house," she said. Deryll agreed and they set off in the direction of he two-story house that belonged to Clove. When they got to the house, Clove unlocked the door and they went inside. The large grandfather clock in the hallway was ticking loudly. Deryll glanced at it and saw the time. 4:15. He was frantic. "It's ok, it's ok," he thought to himself. Clove looked over her shoulder at him. Deryll forced a smile, and Clove turned around again. Deryll looked around for something small and valuable that Clove wouldn't notice if it disappeared. He saw a small elephant made out of marble and secretly slid it into his bag. Clove was upstairs, looking around her room she wouldn't be in for a long time. She was going to burn the surroundings into her head so as not to forget her home. Deryll hurried up the stairs quietly and when he got up he gasped for breath. He had run up he stairs. Once he caught his breath, he went into Clove's bedroom to find her sitting in the closet beside the blue box. She had opened it and was taking out the things in the box and laying them in a circle around herself. She had taken out everything, except for the notebook which she just stared at. Deryll walked in and said, "What are you doing, Clove?" Clove jumped at the sound of his voice. Just a moment ago it had been so quiet. "Oh, nothing. Just looking at the contents of this box," said Clove. Deryll nodded and said, "Seems fine to me." Clove said, "You're right. Considering I only have about an hour left before the train comes-" "AN HOUR?!?" Deryll gasped. He looked at the clock, frantically said, "I've got to go!" and quickly dashed out the door. Clove considered following him, but decided against it since she knew he was very fast. Deryll raced through the streets, weaving himself through the ponies that littered them. He found the alley he was looking for, but lots of ponies blocked his path. Deryll found a clock and glanced at it. 4:49. He had 31 minutes. Deryll had to find a way around the crowd, through the town and into the alley the back way. He spotted a gap in the ponies and rushed to it. He ran through to the outskirts of town and turned around. Deryll was in top of a hill and looked down over Ponyville. As he was looking, Deryll was planning out a path to get around and to the alley. He glanced back up at the clock. 5:15. "Ok," he thought. Deryll kept planning his course and then started down the hill. He remembered his mental map and ran around the edges of town. When he found the alley it was 5:29. He had made it. "You made it," said Duncan. Deryll was trying to catch his breath. "I did." Duncan stared at Deryll. "So, what do you bring?" "Hold on," said Deryll. He pulled the marble elephant out of his bag and handed it to Duncan. Duncan said, "Small, but valuable." Deryll wished under his breath it was acceptable. He was holding his breath until Duncan said, "Good job." Deryll let out a sigh of relief. "You did good. Your weeks pay," and Duncan gave Deryll a couple of coins. While all this was happening, Clove was sitting in her room, thinking, and staring at the clock. She watched the minutes tick by and thought about what Deryll might be doing. She eventually stood up and walked to the window. Clove looked at the crowd on the ground. They were all excited for the autograph signing of the famous book writer, Paisley Gearheart. Clove had most of her book series, but she was missing one book. Clove stood up and walked to her bookshelf. She decided to take a couple books, and opened up a small bag. She pulled out her three favorite books, which were the first and second book of the Daring Do series and the newest book that Mrs. Gearheart had written. Clove started to flip through this book and got caught up reading it. The minutes passed and Clove came back to reality when she heard a knock at the door. "Hello?" said Clove. "Hello," said the voice outside. "Is this the house of," the voice paused for a moment. "Ms. Clove Leafwall?" Clove answered, "Yes. It is." She opened the door to find one of Celestia's royal guards. "Thank you. I understand you have either signed up or have been singed up to join the military?" Clove choked back an irritated scream and said, "Yes. My mother and father singed me up." The guard looked at a clipboard he had levitated in front of him. "The train departs soon. Are your bags packed?" Clove once again pushed back the impulse to yell at the guard that she didn't want to leave. "Yes, they are." "We need them to check through." Whenever somepony's luggage went on a train, somepony had to check through the bags to check if there was anything dangerous. Clove thought it was silly to check for who would get on the train for military camp. They would be using weapons in a few hours anyway. Clove nodded and went upstairs to get her bags. She got to her room and the bags lifted off the floor and bed to float in midair. She walked downstairs with her bags floating close behind. "Here they are." In a force that she didn't mean to use, Clove slammed the suitcases on the floor in front of the doorway. Clove noticed her mistake and looked at the guard, who didn't seem to notice the force her magic had slammed the bags on the floor with. He used his own magic to lift the bags in the air and carried them off to the cart he had outside the door. Clove watched as the guards outside started towards the next house and saw the guard who came to the door nod his head at her. She admired the respect the guards had for everypony, and not just the princesses. Chapter 7Deryll went faster walking back to Clove's house. He had seen Celestia's royal guards on the way back, and they were at SparkBeat's house. He knew why. They were checking the bags for the military camp departure in 30 minutes. They had already stopped by Clove's house, and he knew because they were going down the list in alphabetical order. SparkBeat had told Deryll that he thought about joining the military a while back, but he never told Deryll that he had actually joined it. Now he thought about Clove again. How was she faring now that they had taken her bags? Did she leave her house? Was she in her house and if so, where was she in her house? Deryll thought up so many questions and got carried away with them, that he almost skipped over this last question he asked himself without thought. Why do I like Clove? He realized what he thought to himself and color flooded into his cheeks. "I like Clove," he thought to himself. "I like her," he whispered. Deryll turned the thought over in his mind. He realized he now thought of her differently than before. Clove started to go outside when Deryll came in the door. She accidentally ran into him. Deryll's cheeks felt hot, but he attempted, successfully, to push the thought away for now. "Hi, Deryll," said Clove. "Hi," Deryll said back. "I was just coming to look for you, but here you are." Deryll nodded. "Yep." There was an awkward moment of silence. Finally, Deryll said, "So, thirty minutes, huh?" Clove nodded. "Have you figured out how you're going to come with me?" she asked. "Not yet. I'll figure something out. Trust me." he replied. Clove nodded and turned back towards the stairs and started walking. Deryll followed Clove to the stairs and walked up them behind her. The thought came back. "Gosh, she's cute," he thought again. Clove was walking in front of Deryll up the stairs when she thought of something she never had thought of before. The thought just appeared in her head, Deryll is cute. She knew the color of rose petals had come to her cheeks. "Um, Deryll?" she said. "What?" he replied. "I need to go do something alone for a sec. Ok?" Deryll suddenly stopped. She knew because she heard the stairs creak under his hooves. "Uh, sure, I guess?" he said. "Thanks," she said and darted off around a corner at the top of the stairway. She went down a hall and touched what looked like the wall with her horn. It turned out it be a door that opened inwards to a small room, decorated with posters all over the walls and ceiling. She walked in and shut the door behind her. "Goodness, Clove. You need to come in here more often," a small voice piped up. "Shut up, Bianca," said Clove. A small, mechanical spider appeared on the edge of a small desk in the corner of the room. "I didn't come in here to chat. It was meant for me to think," said Clove. "Oh," said Bianca quietly. "What are you thinking about? A book? That camp you're going to later? That I need a new adjustment?" Clove looked at Bianca. "You need an adjustment? And no, I wasn't thinking about any of those things." Bianca looked puzzled. "What were you thinking about, then?" she asked. "None of your business. Go back to your web or something. Don't bother me." "Oh, come on, Clove. Tell me! Pleeeaaasseee??" Bianca started getting on Clove's nerves. "No." "Please?" "No." "Pleaase?" "NO!" Clove's shout startled Bianca into silence. Clove sighed. "Your questions got me off my train of thought. What was it you needed an adjustment on?" Clove said. "Oh," said Bianca. "I'm out of web, and my back leg is twisted." Clove levitated a pair of pliers. "I'll fix your leg first," she said. Bianca cooperatively stood still. Clove walked over to Bianca and looked for the leg the small metal spider was talking about. She found it, and used the pliers to twist it back into place. "There," said Clove. Bianca Moved the leg that Clove had fixed and said, "Thanks." Clove set the pliers down and walked over to a little cabinet. She pulled out a spool of thread, and sent it floating over to Bianca. "You are taking me with you, right?" she said. "Yes, I am. You'll come with me. You can sit on this necklace," said Clove as she held out the gold necklace Deryll had given her. "Ok!" said Bianca. She jumped lightly into the air and floated back down slowly. "I'll tell you what I came up here for, Bianca," said Clove. "I had a, weird, thought.. I like Deryll." Bianca jumped up in the air, excited this time. "Ooh! Ooh!" she said. Then she started chanting, "You like Deryll! You like Deryll!" Clove glared at her and Bianca suddenly quieted down. "I made you, I can just as easily crumble you to pieces," said Clove. Deryll watched Clove disappear around the corner. Then he heard a small creak, and he knew it was a door opening. He waited for the quiet thunk of he door shutting, and after it shut, sank to the floor in relief. Now he was free to think all the thoughts in the world. "I like Clove." he said it out loud that time, but not too loud, for he was worried that Clove might hear. The thought of it bounced around in his mind. "I like Clove," he muttered. Bianca was squealing quietly. "You like Deryll!" "Shut up!" Clove said, a little louder than she meant to. Color flooded Clove's cheeks. Bianca jumped off the desk and slowly glided to Clove's nose. "You like Deryll!" she squealed. Clove said, "Yes, I do and you need to be quiet because he's outside in the hall." "Ooh! I'm going to go tell him!" said Bianca. "NO!" shouted Clove. "You can't do that! I don't want him to know and I'm not sure if he likes me back." Bianca thought for a moment. "Well, let's go find out!" Before Bianca jumped of the desk and went out of the room, Clove caught her in her magic and said, "No! We can't do that! I don't want him to know!" Deryll heard Clove shouting. "No! You can't do that!" "What..?" he said. She had been in there for a long time and he had glanced at the clock a second ago. She had 15 minutes before she had to leave. But who was she talking to? "Clove!" he called. "You've been in there forever and you have fifteen minutes before you have to go!" Clove heard Deryll. "Clove!" She perked up her ears and Bianca was quiet. She heard him say she had fifteen minuets. "Oh no!" Clove said. She dropped Bianca and started for the door. "Eep!" Bianca said. Clove looked over her shoulder, saw Bianca, said, "Oh, sorry," and caught Bianca before she hit the floor. Bianca had an annoyed expression on her face. Clove smiled slightly and pushed the door open. She shut the door silently behind her and walked back out into view with Bianca on her back. "Ok, Deryll. I'm done." Deryll looked at her back and saw the little metal spider. "Are you aware there's a spider on your back, Clove?" he asked. "Oh, yeah," said Clove. "This is Bianca." "Hi," the little voice piped up. Deryll furrowed his brow and said, "Hi.." back. Bianca jumped up, and using the tiny engine that gave her the impression she was flying, floated over to Deryll and landed on the floor in front of him. She then jumped, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Clove rolled her eyes at the sight, for she knew all of the tricks Bianca could do. Deryll stared at the spot Bianca had disappeared from, but Clove looked up to the ceiling. "Bianca," she said, "stop showing off." "Ooohhhh! I'm a ghost!" said Bianca and she giggled as Deryll looked around, trying to find her. "Where'd she go?" he asked. Clove rolled her eyes again. "She's on the ceiling, Deryll." He looked up. Right above him was Bianca, and she was laughing her tiny mechanical head off. "Hahaha! You thought I disappeared!" she said. Deryll looked embarrased because he had fallen for such an obvious trick. Clove got Bianca to calm down, but she was still laughing. Deryll stood up, and looked at Clove. Bianca poked Clove in the leg. She understood what Bianca was trying to say. "Um," she started to say. "Clove, I have to tell you something," said Deryll. Clove's eyes lit up. "You need to go," he said. "It's almost six." "Oh," Clove said. Her spirits drooped. "Will you walk with me to the train?" "Yes," said Deryll. They started walking toward the door. Bianca jumped onto Clove's back and said, "Don't forget the necklace!" Clove remembered, and ran back up the stairs to get it. She came back down a minute later and put the necklace on. Bianca jumped up onto the necklace and curled into a ball where the pendant was. They walked out the door and towards the train station. They arrived at the train station, and Clove said goodbye to Deryll and started walking towards the train. "Clove," Deryll said. She turned around. "What?" "Come here, I need to tell you something." Clove walked back towards Deryll and they stood facing each other. "I, um.." Deryll started to say. Color flooded both their cheeks, though neither Seemed to notice. "I... I, um.. Dang it I can't put it into words." Deryll looked at the ground. Clove stood, waiting for what Deryll was going to say. Her cheeks were hot, and she knew he was blushing also. "I, I, ...," Deryll couldn't say what he wanted to. "I can't say it. Here's the best way to explain it," he said. Deryll leaned forward, and kissed Clove. For Clove, everything slowed at that moment. She couldn't believe it. Deryll liked her back! He had kissed her, and to Clove, that was proof he liked her. The kiss only lasted for a moment, but it seemed like more than Clove could ever imagine. When the kiss was over, Deryll stood back. Both of them were blushing, and it was noticeable. "I..," said Clove. Deryll looked at the ground. "Sorry." "No, it's.. I like you too." Deryll looked up. "Really?" As an answer, Clove kissed him. She then stepped back and both smiled at each other. They gave each other a hug, and Deryll said, "I love you Clove." "I love you too, Deryll." The train whistled. They stopped hugging and Clove turned towards the train again. Deryll walked with her as far as he was allowed, then watched her get on the train. She stepped on, and disappeared for a moment, then poked her head out a window. She waved at Deryll, and he waves back with a smile. The train was about to depart. "Bye, Deryll!" "Bye!" Deryll shouted back. The train started down the tracks. It was very misty out, but not too misty that one couldn't see. As the train went down the track, Deryll shouted, "I'LL FIND A WAY!" hoping Clove knew what it meant. And the train disappeared into the fog.
Chapters 1 & 2Cold wisps of night air still hung around as the sun peeked over the horizon. A unicorn sat on the bank of a river thinking this would be her last day alone. Clove flipped onto her back and stared up at the stars that weren't shrouded by mist. As she studied the constellations, she didn't notice a figure approaching her. So it was a surprise when somepony spoke out behind her. "I think it would be hard to stargaze right now. I mean, with the mist and all." Startled, Clove turned around to see who went with the voice. "Oh, Deryll, you scared me." "I definitely didn't mean to startle you." The black unicorn sat down beside Clove. "Like I said, isn't it hard to stargaze with the mist?" "I think it's quite easy, thank you. As if you knew how to do it anyway." The green unicorn smirked at Deryll. "Don't mock me. After all, today is your last day here, right?"Clove looked at the ground. "Look, I'm sorry, ok? It's not my fault that your parents signed you up a few years ago-" "MY PARENTS ARE DEAD!" Deryll stared at Clove. Although it was hard to see through the mist, he could see there was a stream of tears running down her face. "I'm sorry for the outburst, Deryll." Clove looked at the ground. Deryll saw the hurt in her face and embraced her in a tight hug. "I'll come with you," he said. "They'll stop you from coming. I have to go by myself." "I bet I can find a way." The hug lasted for a few moments, then they let go. "I'm sorry the armies had to take them. They just came into town and took them away. You're lucky you got out." The green unicorn stared at the ground, not saying anything but sobbing quietly. Deryll looked at her and said, "Cheer up, Clove. We have a whole day to kill." "I know, but i dont want to be sent to training camp." Clove stared at Deryll through the mist. "C'mon, let's get something to eat. 'Ill walk you home." And the two unicorns set out towards the city and into the mist. As Clove and Deryll walked into the city, they decided to get something to eat. They stopped by Sugercube Corner, and walked in. There was a very bouncy pink mare at the counter. "Welcome to Sugercube Corner!" Pinkie Pie said with a big grin. "What can i get you today? OOH! The special today is donuts!" Deryll looked at Clove and rolled his eyes. Clove laughed, and they ordered their food. Pinkie said, "Ok, I'll be right back!" And with that, she zoomed to the back of the store. Clove motioned to a table and they went to sit down. They didn't have to wait too long for their food, and when it came, Pinkie set the food down on the table and sped back to get their drinks."Typical Pinkie," said Deryll. Clove laughed again and Pinkie brought back their drinks. They ate, paid, and walked out of the restaurant. The two unicorns then went on their way to Clove's house. They got inside and Clove fumbled for the lights. When she got them on, a vast room appeared before both of them. They walked to two chairs in the corner of the room and sat. They chatted for a while, and Clove decided it was finally time to pack. "I'd better go upstairs." "I'll come keep you company." Clove led the way upstairs, and Deryll followed behind. They got upstairs and Clove fumbled for the lights once again. She got them on and walked into the room. There were things strewn everywhere. Clove used her magic to pick up the checklist she had and looked at it. "Let's see... what's first on my list? My uniform." She looked nervously at the closet. Seeing she didn't want to go, Deryll offered, "I'll go for you." Clove gladly took the offer. Deryll walked to the closet and opened the doors. Right in front of him he found a box. He considered opening it, but pushed it aside in his mind and walked in to get the uniform. He glanced at the box on his way out, but forgot it and walked out of the closet. Things were flying around him, putting themselves into suitcases, and in the middle of it all stood Clove, checking things off her list. "Thanks, Deryll," she said and threw the uniform aside into a suitcase. After she was done, Clove went downstairs to get something to eat. Then Deryll his attention back to the box. It was a big blue box, and when he opened it he say many things. A ray gun, and many other guns, an emergency food supply and... "CLOVE!' Derryl called over his shoulder. "YOU MIGHT WANT TO COME SEE THIS."
Chapters 3 & 4 Chapters 3 & 4 Clove came up the stairs and looked in her bedroom. She saw Deryll sitting by a box she'd never seen before. "What's that?" she asked. "It's a box," said Deryll "Full of many interesting things." Clove looked in and saw the things Deryll had seen before, and one other thing. "Is this what you were calling me up for Deryll?" "Yes it was." Clove saw, in the box, a notebook labeled, Sunny And Dave's Journal. Those were her parent's names!! Clove glanced at Deryll, and picked up the book. He opened it to find a picture of her mother and father on the first page. There was a paragraph under it that read, "This is our journal. We wrote it for you, Clove, knowing you would find it later. We hope you enjoy our entries in this notebook, while reading about our wonderful adventures." Clove suddenly shut the book. Deryll looked at her, confused, and said, "Why'd you shut it? I thought you'd want to read the rest of it." "I-I do, but, I'm also afraid to read it at the same time." Deryll understood and looked back at the notebook. He stood up and said, "If you're hungry, you can get something to eat." "I'm, I'm not hungry anymore." "Let's go outside, Clove. You look like you need some fresh air." They put the notebook back in the box and walked outside. The sun was up and eveypony was bustling around, chatting, going to shops, eating, and many other things. Clove looked around, nervously, and spotted her pegasus friend, Dazy. She called to her, and Dazy walked over. "Hiya, Clove! What's up?" "Not much right now. How about you?" "I'm just fine." They chatted some more, and Deryll slipped away, leaving them to talk. He walked about a yard, then turned swiftly into a dark alley. "I'm glad you came, Deryll." "Likewise to you, Duncan." The Pegasus looked at Deryll and took his cloak off. "Now that we are here, let's discuss some things. Where was the thing you were bringing me?" Deryll took a beautiful jewel out of his bag he was carrying. He rolled the jewel to Duncan, and Duncan caught it and brought it close to his face. He examined the jewel, and finally said, "Good enough for now, but next time, bring something better." Duncan put the hood back on, and with a swish of his cloak, he disappeared. Deryll walked out of the alley and back into the sunlight. He spotted Clove and Dazy still talking where he had left them. He briefly thought about his conversation with Duncan, but pushed it to the back of his mind as he got closer to Clove and Dazy. He overheard part of their conversation. "So, Deryll has been acting mysterious more than usual lately," said Clove. "How much so?" "Well, he's been slipping off somewhere I don't know about-" Clove stopped talking as she spotted Deryll. "Oh hi! Where have you been?" Deryll thought again about his conversation with Duncan, but said, "I went to get something to eat." Clove looked suspiciously at him, and Deryll was afraid she'd ask him here he had been again, but instead she just said, "Ok." and turned back around to talk to Dazy. Deryll sighed in relief, and walked behind the two mares. They continued talking, and then Clove abruptly stopped. "What's wrong, Clove?" both Deryll and Dazy asked. "I heard something,..." Clove turned around. "Deryll, look." She pointed at a thing that had just darted around the corner. Deryll started to go after it, but Clove stopped him. "Don't, I can tell its something that's not worth chasing." Deryll looked at her, but cooperatively stopped. He knew something was up, but he didn't bother to ask Clove about it. They went on walking, and Dazy said she had to go. They said bye, and Dazy departed from Clove. .Clove looked at Deryll and said, "What now?" Deryll shrugged and they just went on walking. As they were walking, Deryll brought back to the front of his mind the conversation with Duncan. Deryll thought about the way he studied the jewel, and in his mind Deryll saw that the pearl glow, with a bright light, before fading to its normal color. He thought about that for a while, and they just kept walking for a long time.
Chapters 5 & 6Clove saw the burning buildings. She saw her mother, and her father, in the street. "Go! Get out!" her mother screamed. "I can't let them take you!" Her mother Looked at her with sympathy. "I love you, Clove." Sunny turned around abruptly. She looked around and said, "Clove! Get in here, Now!" She overturned a box and pointed to it. Clove ran over and got in the box. Her mother shut it and pushed it under a bush. Through a hole in the box, Clove could see older ponies come and grab her parents. They tried to fight back but there were too many guards. They disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Clove woke up with a start. "NO!" she screamed. Deryll came rushing up the stairs. "What's wrong, Clove?" "I- just a bad dream..." Clove said. She was breaking out into a cold sweat. Deryll hugged her tight. "It's ok. It was just a dream." Clove nervously hugged him back. Then she glanced at the clock. "5:04 A.M. It's early. I won't have to go until 6 P.M. tonight." Clove stood up and walked over to her suitcase. She closed it because it was hanging open from the day before. Deryll glanced at Clove and decided to go outside. Clove agreed and the two of them set out the door. When they were walking outside, the sun had just risen and the sunrise was beautiful. Only a couple ponies were outside and everypony stopped and stared at the beautiful sight. Clove and Deryll passed by Deryll's friend, SparkBeat, said hi, and they went on walking. There was a chill in the morning air and Clove shivered. Deryll glanced at her and said, "Do you want to go get something to eat and drink?" "Yes, please." The two unicorns walked into a restraunt and bought donuts and hot chocolate. They went outside to sit at a table and ate their food. About an hour later, after they had finished eating, Clove and Deryll went on walking. They passed Kutya and as they went past him, said hi. As they were walking, Deryll said he had to go do something. "Where are you going?" Clove said. "Um, I have to fill out a paper," said Deryll. Clove looked suspiciously at him and said, "Is it possible for me to come with you?" "Um," Deryll racked his brain for an excuse. "No, because... It's a surprise for you." Clove looked surprised. "Really? Well then, I can wait." Deryll sighed and went off, turning down the same dark alley he went down before. "Deryll! What took you so long?" "My friend almost found out about this." "WHAT?!?" Duncan screamed. "You know you can't let anypony else know, Deryll. Because if you do-..." Duncan left the threat hanging in the air. Deryll shivered and pulled his bag out. This time instead of a jewel, he produced a beautiful gold necklace. "Amazing. Good work, Deryll." Duncan took the necklace and threw his cloak back on. This time, instead of disappearing, he said, "Deryll," "Yes?" Deryll had started to walk off but turned around at the mention of his name. "Bring me something sooner. At 5:30 P.M. Tonight." Deryll, surprised, said, "But Duncan, I brought you something today and yesterday. That's my pay's work for at least the week." Duncan looked at him. "Do not whine. Do it, or else." and with that, Duncan disappeared. Clove waited for Deryll and wondered what the surprise was he was talking about. She kept thinking about that until she spotted her friend, Confetti Swirl. Clove called her over and they sat at a table to chat. "Hiya! What's up?" said Confetti. "Nothing much. How about you?" "Eh, normal day. Walking around. So far this is the highlight of my day!" Clove laughed. "Glad to hear it." They chatted for a while until Confetti said, "I've got to go." At that same moment, Deryll appeared, carrying a box. Clove said goodbye to Confetti, and ran to Deryll. "You weren't joking about the surprise, were you?" Deryll laughed. "I would never lie. Open it." Clove took the box and opened it. "Wow..." Clove stared at the necklace in the box. It was a gold chain necklace with a purple pendant on it. "It's wonderful. Thank you!" Clove tackled Deryll playfully and hugged him. Deryll thought to himself, "It's my own little secret. She doesn't know, so she won't get hurt. She doesn't know. She doesn't know..." Clove and Deryll were sitting at a table. They weren't doing anything In particular, just sitting. Clove was thinking about how in a few hours, she would be leaving for military camp. Deryll was thinking about what Duncan had said earlier. Clove said, "Deryll, you said you would come with me." Deryll recalled what he had said the day before. "I did, didn't I?" Clove nodded. "My question is: how will you come with me? They check everypony who goes on that train, and everypony who gets off." Deryll said, "I have no idea how I'll get on. I just know I will." Clove smiled. The silence fell over them again. Deryll thought about two things now. How he would get on he train, and the conversation with Duncan. "5:30. I have to bring something at 5:30," he thought. Clove broke the silence once again. "Thanks again for the necklace, Deryll." "You're welcome." Clove glanced at a clock hanging in a shop window. "It's 4:00." "4 o'clock?!?" Deryll turned to the clock. He had an hour and thirty minutes to find something to bring to Duncan. "Why so frantic?" asked Clove. "Uh," Clove laughed at Deryll. "Let's go to my house," she said. Deryll agreed and they set off in the direction of he two-story house that belonged to Clove. When they got to the house, Clove unlocked the door and they went inside. The large grandfather clock in the hallway was ticking loudly. Deryll glanced at it and saw the time. 4:15. He was frantic. "It's ok, it's ok," he thought to himself. Clove looked over her shoulder at him. Deryll forced a smile, and Clove turned around again. Deryll looked around for something small and valuable that Clove wouldn't notice if it disappeared. He saw a small elephant made out of marble and secretly slid it into his bag. Clove was upstairs, looking around her room she wouldn't be in for a long time. She was going to burn the surroundings into her head so as not to forget her home. Deryll hurried up the stairs quietly and when he got up he gasped for breath. He had run up he stairs. Once he caught his breath, he went into Clove's bedroom to find her sitting in the closet beside the blue box. She had opened it and was taking out the things in the box and laying them in a circle around herself. She had taken out everything, except for the notebook which she just stared at. Deryll walked in and said, "What are you doing, Clove?" Clove jumped at the sound of his voice. Just a moment ago it had been so quiet. "Oh, nothing. Just looking at the contents of this box," said Clove. Deryll nodded and said, "Seems fine to me." Clove said, "You're right. Considering I only have about an hour left before the train comes-" "AN HOUR?!?" Deryll gasped. He looked at the clock, frantically said, "I've got to go!" and quickly dashed out the door. Clove considered following him, but decided against it since she knew he was very fast. Deryll raced through the streets, weaving himself through the ponies that littered them. He found the alley he was looking for, but lots of ponies blocked his path. Deryll found a clock and glanced at it. 4:49. He had 31 minutes. Deryll had to find a way around the crowd, through the town and into the alley the back way. He spotted a gap in the ponies and rushed to it. He ran through to the outskirts of town and turned around. Deryll was in top of a hill and looked down over Ponyville. As he was looking, Deryll was planning out a path to get around and to the alley. He glanced back up at the clock. 5:15. "Ok," he thought. Deryll kept planning his course and then started down the hill. He remembered his mental map and ran around the edges of town. When he found the alley it was 5:29. He had made it. "You made it," said Duncan. Deryll was trying to catch his breath. "I did." Duncan stared at Deryll. "So, what do you bring?" "Hold on," said Deryll. He pulled the marble elephant out of his bag and handed it to Duncan. Duncan said, "Small, but valuable." Deryll wished under his breath it was acceptable. He was holding his breath until Duncan said, "Good job." Deryll let out a sigh of relief. "You did good. Your weeks pay," and Duncan gave Deryll a couple of coins. While all this was happening, Clove was sitting in her room, thinking, and staring at the clock. She watched the minutes tick by and thought about what Deryll might be doing. She eventually stood up and walked to the window. Clove looked at the crowd on the ground. They were all excited for the autograph signing of the famous book writer, Paisley Gearheart. Clove had most of her book series, but she was missing one book. Clove stood up and walked to her bookshelf. She decided to take a couple books, and opened up a small bag. She pulled out her three favorite books, which were the first and second book of the Daring Do series and the newest book that Mrs. Gearheart had written. Clove started to flip through this book and got caught up reading it. The minutes passed and Clove came back to reality when she heard a knock at the door. "Hello?" said Clove. "Hello," said the voice outside. "Is this the house of," the voice paused for a moment. "Ms. Clove Leafwall?" Clove answered, "Yes. It is." She opened the door to find one of Celestia's royal guards. "Thank you. I understand you have either signed up or have been singed up to join the military?" Clove choked back an irritated scream and said, "Yes. My mother and father singed me up." The guard looked at a clipboard he had levitated in front of him. "The train departs soon. Are your bags packed?" Clove once again pushed back the impulse to yell at the guard that she didn't want to leave. "Yes, they are." "We need them to check through." Whenever somepony's luggage went on a train, somepony had to check through the bags to check if there was anything dangerous. Clove thought it was silly to check for who would get on the train for military camp. They would be using weapons in a few hours anyway. Clove nodded and went upstairs to get her bags. She got to her room and the bags lifted off the floor and bed to float in midair. She walked downstairs with her bags floating close behind. "Here they are." In a force that she didn't mean to use, Clove slammed the suitcases on the floor in front of the doorway. Clove noticed her mistake and looked at the guard, who didn't seem to notice the force her magic had slammed the bags on the floor with. He used his own magic to lift the bags in the air and carried them off to the cart he had outside the door. Clove watched as the guards outside started towards the next house and saw the guard who came to the door nod his head at her. She admired the respect the guards had for everypony, and not just the princesses.
Chapter 7Deryll went faster walking back to Clove's house. He had seen Celestia's royal guards on the way back, and they were at SparkBeat's house. He knew why. They were checking the bags for the military camp departure in 30 minutes. They had already stopped by Clove's house, and he knew because they were going down the list in alphabetical order. SparkBeat had told Deryll that he thought about joining the military a while back, but he never told Deryll that he had actually joined it. Now he thought about Clove again. How was she faring now that they had taken her bags? Did she leave her house? Was she in her house and if so, where was she in her house? Deryll thought up so many questions and got carried away with them, that he almost skipped over this last question he asked himself without thought. Why do I like Clove? He realized what he thought to himself and color flooded into his cheeks. "I like Clove," he thought to himself. "I like her," he whispered. Deryll turned the thought over in his mind. He realized he now thought of her differently than before. Clove started to go outside when Deryll came in the door. She accidentally ran into him. Deryll's cheeks felt hot, but he attempted, successfully, to push the thought away for now. "Hi, Deryll," said Clove. "Hi," Deryll said back. "I was just coming to look for you, but here you are." Deryll nodded. "Yep." There was an awkward moment of silence. Finally, Deryll said, "So, thirty minutes, huh?" Clove nodded. "Have you figured out how you're going to come with me?" she asked. "Not yet. I'll figure something out. Trust me." he replied. Clove nodded and turned back towards the stairs and started walking. Deryll followed Clove to the stairs and walked up them behind her. The thought came back. "Gosh, she's cute," he thought again. Clove was walking in front of Deryll up the stairs when she thought of something she never had thought of before. The thought just appeared in her head, Deryll is cute. She knew the color of rose petals had come to her cheeks. "Um, Deryll?" she said. "What?" he replied. "I need to go do something alone for a sec. Ok?" Deryll suddenly stopped. She knew because she heard the stairs creak under his hooves. "Uh, sure, I guess?" he said. "Thanks," she said and darted off around a corner at the top of the stairway. She went down a hall and touched what looked like the wall with her horn. It turned out it be a door that opened inwards to a small room, decorated with posters all over the walls and ceiling. She walked in and shut the door behind her. "Goodness, Clove. You need to come in here more often," a small voice piped up. "Shut up, Bianca," said Clove. A small, mechanical spider appeared on the edge of a small desk in the corner of the room. "I didn't come in here to chat. It was meant for me to think," said Clove. "Oh," said Bianca quietly. "What are you thinking about? A book? That camp you're going to later? That I need a new adjustment?" Clove looked at Bianca. "You need an adjustment? And no, I wasn't thinking about any of those things." Bianca looked puzzled. "What were you thinking about, then?" she asked. "None of your business. Go back to your web or something. Don't bother me." "Oh, come on, Clove. Tell me! Pleeeaaasseee??" Bianca started getting on Clove's nerves. "No." "Please?" "No." "Pleaase?" "NO!" Clove's shout startled Bianca into silence. Clove sighed. "Your questions got me off my train of thought. What was it you needed an adjustment on?" Clove said. "Oh," said Bianca. "I'm out of web, and my back leg is twisted." Clove levitated a pair of pliers. "I'll fix your leg first," she said. Bianca cooperatively stood still. Clove walked over to Bianca and looked for the leg the small metal spider was talking about. She found it, and used the pliers to twist it back into place. "There," said Clove. Bianca Moved the leg that Clove had fixed and said, "Thanks." Clove set the pliers down and walked over to a little cabinet. She pulled out a spool of thread, and sent it floating over to Bianca. "You are taking me with you, right?" she said. "Yes, I am. You'll come with me. You can sit on this necklace," said Clove as she held out the gold necklace Deryll had given her. "Ok!" said Bianca. She jumped lightly into the air and floated back down slowly. "I'll tell you what I came up here for, Bianca," said Clove. "I had a, weird, thought.. I like Deryll." Bianca jumped up in the air, excited this time. "Ooh! Ooh!" she said. Then she started chanting, "You like Deryll! You like Deryll!" Clove glared at her and Bianca suddenly quieted down. "I made you, I can just as easily crumble you to pieces," said Clove. Deryll watched Clove disappear around the corner. Then he heard a small creak, and he knew it was a door opening. He waited for the quiet thunk of he door shutting, and after it shut, sank to the floor in relief. Now he was free to think all the thoughts in the world. "I like Clove." he said it out loud that time, but not too loud, for he was worried that Clove might hear. The thought of it bounced around in his mind. "I like Clove," he muttered. Bianca was squealing quietly. "You like Deryll!" "Shut up!" Clove said, a little louder than she meant to. Color flooded Clove's cheeks. Bianca jumped off the desk and slowly glided to Clove's nose. "You like Deryll!" she squealed. Clove said, "Yes, I do and you need to be quiet because he's outside in the hall." "Ooh! I'm going to go tell him!" said Bianca. "NO!" shouted Clove. "You can't do that! I don't want him to know and I'm not sure if he likes me back." Bianca thought for a moment. "Well, let's go find out!" Before Bianca jumped of the desk and went out of the room, Clove caught her in her magic and said, "No! We can't do that! I don't want him to know!" Deryll heard Clove shouting. "No! You can't do that!" "What..?" he said. She had been in there for a long time and he had glanced at the clock a second ago. She had 15 minutes before she had to leave. But who was she talking to? "Clove!" he called. "You've been in there forever and you have fifteen minutes before you have to go!" Clove heard Deryll. "Clove!" She perked up her ears and Bianca was quiet. She heard him say she had fifteen minuets. "Oh no!" Clove said. She dropped Bianca and started for the door. "Eep!" Bianca said. Clove looked over her shoulder, saw Bianca, said, "Oh, sorry," and caught Bianca before she hit the floor. Bianca had an annoyed expression on her face. Clove smiled slightly and pushed the door open. She shut the door silently behind her and walked back out into view with Bianca on her back. "Ok, Deryll. I'm done." Deryll looked at her back and saw the little metal spider. "Are you aware there's a spider on your back, Clove?" he asked. "Oh, yeah," said Clove. "This is Bianca." "Hi," the little voice piped up. Deryll furrowed his brow and said, "Hi.." back. Bianca jumped up, and using the tiny engine that gave her the impression she was flying, floated over to Deryll and landed on the floor in front of him. She then jumped, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Clove rolled her eyes at the sight, for she knew all of the tricks Bianca could do. Deryll stared at the spot Bianca had disappeared from, but Clove looked up to the ceiling. "Bianca," she said, "stop showing off." "Ooohhhh! I'm a ghost!" said Bianca and she giggled as Deryll looked around, trying to find her. "Where'd she go?" he asked. Clove rolled her eyes again. "She's on the ceiling, Deryll." He looked up. Right above him was Bianca, and she was laughing her tiny mechanical head off. "Hahaha! You thought I disappeared!" she said. Deryll looked embarrased because he had fallen for such an obvious trick. Clove got Bianca to calm down, but she was still laughing. Deryll stood up, and looked at Clove. Bianca poked Clove in the leg. She understood what Bianca was trying to say. "Um," she started to say. "Clove, I have to tell you something," said Deryll. Clove's eyes lit up. "You need to go," he said. "It's almost six." "Oh," Clove said. Her spirits drooped. "Will you walk with me to the train?" "Yes," said Deryll. They started walking toward the door. Bianca jumped onto Clove's back and said, "Don't forget the necklace!" Clove remembered, and ran back up the stairs to get it. She came back down a minute later and put the necklace on. Bianca jumped up onto the necklace and curled into a ball where the pendant was. They walked out the door and towards the train station. They arrived at the train station, and Clove said goodbye to Deryll and started walking towards the train. "Clove," Deryll said. She turned around. "What?" "Come here, I need to tell you something." Clove walked back towards Deryll and they stood facing each other. "I, um.." Deryll started to say. Color flooded both their cheeks, though neither Seemed to notice. "I... I, um.. Dang it I can't put it into words." Deryll looked at the ground. Clove stood, waiting for what Deryll was going to say. Her cheeks were hot, and she knew he was blushing also. "I, I, ...," Deryll couldn't say what he wanted to. "I can't say it. Here's the best way to explain it," he said. Deryll leaned forward, and kissed Clove. For Clove, everything slowed at that moment. She couldn't believe it. Deryll liked her back! He had kissed her, and to Clove, that was proof he liked her. The kiss only lasted for a moment, but it seemed like more than Clove could ever imagine. When the kiss was over, Deryll stood back. Both of them were blushing, and it was noticeable. "I..," said Clove. Deryll looked at the ground. "Sorry." "No, it's.. I like you too." Deryll looked up. "Really?" As an answer, Clove kissed him. She then stepped back and both smiled at each other. They gave each other a hug, and Deryll said, "I love you Clove." "I love you too, Deryll." The train whistled. They stopped hugging and Clove turned towards the train again. Deryll walked with her as far as he was allowed, then watched her get on the train. She stepped on, and disappeared for a moment, then poked her head out a window. She waved at Deryll, and he waves back with a smile. The train was about to depart. "Bye, Deryll!" "Bye!" Deryll shouted back. The train started down the tracks. It was very misty out, but not too misty that one couldn't see. As the train went down the track, Deryll shouted, "I'LL FIND A WAY!" hoping Clove knew what it meant. And the train disappeared into the fog.
