The doctor sat silently, looking at Rosa as she lay so helpless in the bed. The redness had gotten worse. It was amazing to him that one human being could bear such a horrible shade of crimson, let alone even survive such a fever this long. He and his wife had done everything they could to try and help her but she just seemed to be spiraling further and further into nothingness.

"Cecil..." The doctor did not flinch at her words. He had gotten used to it now. Cecil was the only utterance that had left her lips during the past several hours. She occasionally stirred, occasionally pursed her lips, occasionally squeezed her eyes tighter than they were already wound. There was nothing he could do for her anymore. Nothing. Sweat continued to pour down her forehead. His wife continually patted her hot skin with a wet rag in an effort to help her body retain some of it's much needed moisture. Giving her water was not an option. The White Wizard's unconscious mouth just would not accept it.

And then another occurred. Rosa's ravaged body began to convulse violently, for what seemed like millionth time that day. The doctor's wife cried out for help and was joined by her husband. They did not try to restrain the seizuring White Wizard but only protect her head and limbs from becoming injured. It was only a matter of seconds before her body calmed down again and was reduced back to the vegetative state she had previously inhabited for so many hours. The doctor smoothed her blonde hair away from her ensanguined face, sighing sadly. Her breathing, although still there, became shallower.

"I don't know how much longer she is going to last," the doctor stated, allowing his head to fall into his hands. His wife's voice comforted him, but not well enough. Never in his life had he seen such an illness. Every doctor had to learn about the Sand Fever, and how to cure it, but there had only been a mere five cases of it ever-recorded in history. Now six. And there was nothing he could do to help her. Pulling away from the bed in frustration, he walked over to the window and gazed out into the desolate desert.

"Hurry, Cecil. There is not much time left."

* * *

There were voices...yes...there were definitely voices, but they were so far away. Rosa tried to reach out to them, but she had no hand. Abstractions...flashes of red...no...there were flashes of yellow...now orange... They are so bright!

She tried to cover her eyes, but she had no hands.

Sand...the sand was pulsing, pushing, tearing at her skin, but she had no skin. She had nothing...Where am I?! The White Wizard squeezed her eyes shut, forcing her being away from the colors...but they followed. The sand followed. Then the pain came. She felt the immense heat upon her forehead...she reached up and tried to shield the agony but once again, she realized she had no hands.

What is this?

Her thoughts were miserable. She could see nothing but blackness around her...then the colors again. They screamed by her face with intensity, sending a dizzying flash through her mind. Her mind...the only thing she seemed to have...

What is this void I am in?!

Heat...the heat was so unbearable. It pounded through her skull, ripping at her skin, tearing at her consciousness, exploding through her sanity. Hallucinations...they had to be hallucinations.

Did I just think that?

She began to move her legs, or what her mind made out to be her legs, in an effort to escape whatever was causing her to question her prudence. She wasn't moving...looking down, she saw that she had no legs.

Where is my body?!

An inferno. Her void had turned into a blazing inferno that she could no longer bear. It singed her skin, or what she thought was her skin, as she tried to flee from the darkness. Then the colors. Her head felt as though it was impaled with...Colors! The colors were so terrible.

Oh Shiva, what is happening to me?!

She couldn't get out. Her escape was so close, yet so far. Her heart, her lungs, her gut, her brain...they all felt like they were going to explode out of her body...

But I have no body...

It was all in her mind...her mind made up the illusion of legs...her mind made up illusions of hands...GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM THE COLORS...AWAY FROM THE HEAT! An intense pressure pounded at her skull, ripping and tearing at her reason. She thrashed around frantically, trying to seek comfort...trying to seek a release from what had overpowered her mind...her soul...her body...oh the heat...she couldn't get away...

There. An image exploded in her optic nerves, shooting a searing pain into her brain...but the image was there...her savior.

Help me...

The coolness was so close to her...just out of reach...if she had hands. The figure that held her hope was blurry at first, hindered by the rushing of the massive and terrible colors. Was it him? The figure reached out to her, and she could feel the love came from his fingers...as they extended towards her. His lips moved, as if they were trying to speak to her...but she could not make out his words. She wanted to scream out...rush into his arms...feel his coolness...have him take this pain from her soul...from her body...from her mind...but she couldn't...the hallucination gripped her very existence with an unimaginable force...but he held her coolness...her savior...her being...her survival.

Cecil...

* * *

"Oh, horrible justice!"

The destruction was terrible. Cecil knew from the second that he laid eyes upon Damcyan from across the field that the Red Wings had gotten to the kingdom before them. They had all sprinted across that field in hopes of finding some sign of life within the castle. Repeatedly, the Dark Knight had told Tellah to slow down, for the old man was running at an unbelievable pace for someone his age. The old sage wouldn't listen and kept pushing himself to get to Damcyan. Horrified curses had spewed from his mouth, damning the bard over and over for taking his daughter. At one point, Cecil had to pick up Rydia and carry her while he ran, her tiny heart and legs unable to continue the long journey. Now here they were upon the battered drawbridge that led into the castle. Tellah finally stopped sprinting, his chest heaving with exhaustion.

"Tellah!" Cecil cried, setting Rydia down and struggling to regain his own breath. "Are you okay?"

"Of...course...I...am..." the old man sneered, although he could hardly talk. The Dark Knight put his hand on his shoulder and asked him to sit for a second, but Tellah adamantly refused. His eyes were plastered on the destruction that surrounded them. The last flames of a dying fire fed upon anything that would harbor it. Bodies. Cecil had never seen so many bodies in his whole life. He parted his lips in horror as his eyes fell upon the broken foyer but no words came out. The stench of fresh blood drifted through the air, hitting his nose with incredible force. Rydia whimpered from behind him. The Dark Knight barely heard her as he stepped into the mass of death.

What the hell happened?! Cecil thought, stricken at the site of what they had come upon. Soldier upon soldier lay injured, bleeding and dead upon the cold hard castle floor. Agonized moans of pain filtered into the air.

"Who...did...this?!" Tellah cried suddenly, a wild look in his eyes. His breath was haggard and raspy, his long white hair untamed upon his head. He shook his staff with fury, so horrified at what he saw. "Cecil, we have to find my Anna!"

The Dark Knight's heart lurched in his chest, overwhelmed with what he saw before him. Damcyan. It was the carrier of the Crystal of Fire...desert kingdom... survivor of past attacks... No more. Cecil staggered forward, his mind racing, his ears filling with sounds of the suffering soldiers of the kingdom. Blood was streaked across the stone walls, staining the royal flags that were placed there to display the strength and unity of the desert establishment. Who would do something like this? He already knew the answer though. The terrible, devastating answer.

The Red Wings.

"Damn you King Baron!" Cecil growled, overcome with so much anger that he felt like his heart was going to burst. How could I have ever been part of something so inhumane?! The smell of the blood and death was so irrepressible that he felt like he was going to throw up. He could not look at them...he could not bring himself to face the injured and dead troops knowing that he very well could have been a part of something so wasted...so sickening.

There was no more hesitation after that few seconds in which they stood there surveying the death. The old man took off through the foyer, bounding over bodies as if they were nothing more than worthless grains of sand. Cecil picked up Rydia and followed him carefully, holding her head into his shoulder so she did not have to look at the scene around them. Light, how could this happen...

The next utterance of words that Cecil heard held the most devastated tone he had ever encountered in all his years as Captain of the Red Wings. Tellah quickly diverted his course through the room and sprinted to his left. "NOOOO!!!!!!"

The old sage fell to his knees next to a young woman that Cecil saw had been impaled by an arrow. The Dark Knight stopped dead in his tracks and held Rydia close to him. The little Caller clung to his neck, saddened by what she saw.

"It's Anna, isn't it?" Her voice was barely audible to him through his helmet, but he still heard her. He didn't want to admit it but it was the truth.

"Yes, Rydia...it's Anna." A tiny whimper escaped the Caller's lips and she buried her head in his shoulder.

Tellah looked down upon his daughter, unable to believe what he saw. Her body lay lifeless in front of him with an arrow embedded deep in her stomach. The soft yellow dress that covered her body had long been stained with her crimson blood. Her fiery hair was awry, plastered to her skin by the sticky redness. With a cry of sadness, Tellah grabbed her shoulders and shook them with all his might.

"Anna! Wake up Anna, please!" Tellah's voice was desperate but there was no answer. A lump formed in the back of his throat as he stared down at his bleeding baby girl. His wrinkled hand gripped the arrow but he didn't budge. She can't be dead. His mind raced at an uncontrollable speed, unable to comprehend much of what was going on. Hate began to boil deep within his stomach.

How could this happen? Cecil thought, his stomach churning. The young woman laid so limp in his arms, her eyes close, her face covered in blood. How could the King of Baron DO this?!

"Noooo!" Tellah pulled Anna closer to him, his voice laced with sorrow. He leaned his head over to see if she was still breathing. There was nothing. The old man shook his head violently, refusing to believe that she was dead. Cecil stood silently with Rydia still in his arms as Tellah proceeded to try and cure his daughter.

Then something caught the Dark Knight's eye. A door across the hall opened slowly. A young man who Cecil recognized as Edward von Muir, the Prince of Damcyan, entered the foyer with a panicked look on his face. In his hands he held a wet rag and a bottle of some sort. Even through his blood soaked clothes, Cecil could tell that he was dressed as a bard. The man stopped dead in his tracks when he saw who was knelt over the Anna's body. He parted his lips slightly but no words came out.

Oh Shiva! Cecil thought, eyeing Tellah, then eyeing the Prince. Edward must be Anna's lover! Rydia shifted in his arms. The young man's blue eyes looked dull against his tanned skin and ragged blonde hair. He was covered in blood, much of it around his stomach area.

"Are you okay mister?" Cecil cringed as Rydia spoke out. He knew that as soon as Tellah saw Edward, there would be a confrontation. The Prince opened his mouth again to speak but he was cut short when he met eyes with the old sage.

"YOU!" Tellah screamed. The old man was on his feet with lightening speed. Edward tried to speak but it only came out as a sputter. He backed away from Tellah, his eyes widened with fear. He held out his hands in protest but the old man responded only with a weak swipe of his staff. A wave of obscenities flew from Tellah's mouth, hindered by the devastated lump that had formed in his throat.

"Please don't!" Edward cried, stumbling backwards. His foot caught upon the body of a dead soldier and he was sent sprawling into a pool of blood. Tellah's eyes gleamed with hatred as he approached the Prince.

"You took my Anna!"

He held up his hands as the old man glowered over him but it was no use. He swung his staff down with anger. With a cry, Edward ducked to the side and slid out from it's path, slipping in the crimson liquid that covered the floor. He quickly pulled himself to his feet again and turned to the old man. Tears filled his eyes as he pleaded.

"Please Tellah..."

"DON'T CALL ME TELLAH!" The Prince cringed as the old man's voice echoed throughout the hall. He relentlessly approached him, his staff raised high into the air.

"We wanted your approval!" Tellah's eyes burned with insanity.

"You are damn right you wanted my approval." He swung the staff again but Edward dodged it. "She was a BABY! Do you hear me bard?! A baby!"

I have to stop him, Cecil thought, setting Rydia down. Tellah is not thinking clearly. He marched over to where Tellah had Edward pinned in the corner, a game of cat and mouse ensuing. The Prince's blood stained face stared frightfully at his angered nemesis, his hands extended outwards.

"Please, sir," he whimpered, cowering away. "Please don't do this!"

Tellah laughed bitterly. "My daughter is gone because of you! Do you think that I am going to spare your worthless life?!"

"Tellah, stop!" Cecil cried, grabbing onto the old man's arm. He spun around furiously and jerked his arm away.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do, Cecil! This is not your battle!"

"But I will not stand by and let you hurt him!"

"You know what? I don't care what you want or don't want to do!" Before Cecil could react, the old sage swung his staff hard into his gut. An explosion of energy released on contact and sent Cecil flying through the air. He hit the hard castle floor with incredible force and skittered to a stop next to a dead soldier. Tellah turned back to his enemy.

"Now..." he hissed, stepping towards the Prince.

"Don't do this!" Edward cried, tears streaking his bloodied cheeks. "Anna loved me and I loved her!"

"Wrong thing to say!" Tellah rushed forward with an animal like cry and swung his staff. Once again, the Prince slid by the attack and ran across the lobby. He knelt by Cecil and placed his hand on his shoulder. Rydia was also at his side.

"Are you okay?" Cecil coughed violently, a burning sensation in his midsection. He looked up into the Prince eyes. They were so blue...so sad...so sensitive... The Dark Knight nodded slowly, allowing Edward to pull him into a sitting position. Damn you Tellah...

"You spoony bard!" The Prince looked up and saw the old man charging after him. He pulled away from Cecil and dodged yet another swing of the staff. He ran to the center of the foyer and stopped, pointing his finger at the old man. Tellah stopped also and faced off with the Prince. He licked his lips irately. Tears continued to stream down Edward's face as he tried to keep the old sage at bay.

"Please listen to me! Anna told me that she had your consent!"

"Liar!"

"Why would I lie about that?" He wiped the tears from his face. Wracked sobs fell from his throat as he tried to speak. Tellah scoffed.

"You have a lot of nerve crying! You aren't worthy enough to cry for her!" He turned away from Edward and pressed his clenched fist into his forehead. There was a frustration inside of him that felt like it was going to explode at any second.

"Sir...I told Anna that...*sob sob*...that we couldn't get...*sob sob*...couldn't get married unless we had...*sob sob*...your consent!"

"FOOL!" Tellah whipped around and threw his hands in the air. "If you really knew Anna that well enough, you would have known how God damn head strong that girl is! You..." He stopped for a moment, overcome with emotion. "You should have known that."

"I'm so sorry Master Tellah."

"Boy! Your apologies mean nothing to me!" He shakily swiped his hand towards his daughter's body. "Look at her!"

The Prince stared at his feet, his shoulders heaving with devastation.

"I SAID LOOK!!!" A bolt of uncast lightening flew from Tellah's fingers and exploded against the wall behind the Prince.

"Stop!" The sound of a weak voice suddenly filled the room. Tellah's eyes widened when he realized whose it was.

"Anna!" The old man ran to his daughter's side and fell to his knees. Her face was pale with loss of blood. "You are alive!"

The young woman flinched in pain as she struggled to speak. She slowly turned her head so she could face her father. Her fiery hair lay matted against her soft forehead, contrasting the light color of her skin. With the tiny bit of strength she had left, Anna lifted her hand up towards her father. She looked at him with a dying gaze. Tellah quickly gripped her hand.

"Please don't move, dear Anna! You need your strength!" Edward moved closer to them, hoping to get a chance to hold his lover.

"Father..." Anna's voice was both harsh and desolate, dry and labored. "I'm so...sorry that I left Kaipo..."

"Oh baby, it's okay. All that matters is that I am here now."

Edward stepped towards them again. The slightest glimmer of a sarcastic laugh rumbled softly in the wounded girl's chest. Pain wracked her body.

"I'm going to die..."

"Don't say that!" The old sage looked around furiously as he tried to think of something to do. He whispered the words of a cure spell and watched hopefully as the green magic flowed onto her body. There was no avail. The arrow was still there, and Anna was still bleeding...dying...

"Father...I am too far gone..." She coughed violently, dark blood trickling from her lips. Tears pricked the corners of Tellah's eyes. He valiantly fought them back, though, because he did not want to show weakness in front of her.

"Who did this?!" She did not answer as a searing pain shot through her midsection. The ridged arrow that was embedded in her stomach ripped and tore at her insides, creating the most horrible pain ever known to her. She just wanted it to end...

Edward's voice rang out from behind him. "It was Golbez, the man who was leading the Red Wings when they came."

Golbez?! Cecil thought as he pulled himself to his feet. Who in Shiva's name is Golbez?!

"Bard!" Tellah cried as he gently pulled his daughter into his arms. She coughed violently. "You shut your mouth!"

The Prince looked heart broken as he watched his lover bleeding in her father's arms. He wanted to take the arrow from her body and impale himself with it. Anything to take away her pain. He would give his life. Oh Gods, just give me the opportunity and I will give my existence for her!

Anna clenched her eyes shut and reached out for Edward "Please don't father. I love him."

Tellah tried to speak but he could not find the words. His gaze fell upon the crying Prince, and then back to his daughter. "Anna...you can't mean..."

"Yes....father...I mean it with all my heart..."

Tellah clenched his fist and held it to his mouth. The tears were coming and he could not stop them. He kept silent as Edward approached them and knelt by her side. The Prince grabbed his lover's hand and held it to his face.

"Dear, sweet Anna," he cried, his voice full of sorrow. "Why did you shield me from...*sob sob*... those arrows? Why?!"

Tellah choked on the air, unable to believe what he just heard.

"Because I love...you..." Her words became thinner and weaker as she drew closer to her death. Edward let out a sob.

"I love you...*sob sob*... so much sweet Anna! I can't believe you would *sob sob* do something like that for me."

Anna looked up at her lover through dying eyes. They were full of love and affection. "I would...do anything...for you...my love..."

The old sage could not hold back tears anymore. They created tiny rivers as they flowed down his aged cheeks. His felt his daughter's body shudder as he held her in his arms. Edward continued to speak through his cries.

"Please Anna...*sob sob*...don't leave me!"

"I must...I can't hold on...my love...the pain is too great..."

"But I love you...*sob sob*...we were supposed to start...*sob sob*...our lives together!"

She smiled slightly and blinked her eyes slowly. Stroking his wet, dirtied, bloodied cheek with her hand, the dying girl continued to speak.

"You...must move...on...with your....life..."

"Anna...*sob sob*...no..."

Then she looked towards her father. The old sage pushed her red hair from her eyes and cradled her just like he had when she was a baby. How can this be happening?

"Father...Edward is not....a bard...he is the Prince...of...Dam...cyan..."

Tellah couldn't speak, for he was too stunned by what Anna had just told him. His gaze fell upon the crying Prince, who was looking back at him with sorrow.

"I wanted her to...*sob sob*...tell you but she wanted you to ...*sob sob*...accept me for who I was."

The old sage looked back at his daughter. The look in her eyes told him that she meant every word of it. How could he have been so selfish and not listen to her? "Anna, I am so sorry baby! I never should have doubted you!" He felt like a terrible person...a terrible father.

"It's not...your fault..."

"But Anna! Why did you throw yourself into such a dangerous situation?!"

"I...shielded him...from...the arrows because...I want him...to live..."

Edward sobbed grievously. "I don't...*sob sob*...want to live with out you!"

"You...must...sweet Edward..." She reached up with her other hand and ran her fingers through her father's beard. It had long been dampened by tears. "Father....forgive me..."

"Anna, I forgive you! Please, just hold on!"

Her body jerked again as more agony consumed her. Her breathing continued to shallow. "Let...me...go....my pain...Shiva...it's hurts..."

"Anna..." Edward leaned over and laid his head next to his lover's ear. "Then go...sweet Anna...I will not...*sob sob*...have you in pain..." She turned her head and looked into his eyes, their faces so close together. A warmth passed between their gazes. Their love was like no other. He cared for her so deeply that he did not want her to suffer. She loved him so much that she would allow herself to feel the wrath of arrows before they even so much as grazed his skin.

"Live...on...Edward...I...love...you...and...please.....live...on..."

Anna's body fell limp and her eyes closed for the last time. Edward's buried his head in her neck and continued to sob. "I love you...*sob sob*...so much...Anna..."

Tellah felt sick to his stomach. He shook his head in disbelief. His daughter...his baby girl...was gone. An indescribable anger exploded within him and he backed away from her, pulling himself to his feet. His body shook with fury. Edward lay crying against her body.

"Golbez will die!" he screamed, shaking his staff. His deep voice bellowed throughout the hall, reverberating against the cold stone walls. Cecil stood with Rydia behind him.

"Tellah, please..."

The old sage whipped around and faced the Dark Knight, his eyes burning with hate. "Dark Knight, you stay out of this! This is my own affair!" Cecil closed his mouth, knowing how upset the old man was. There was an almost insane look as he stood there staring back at him. A miserable sadness radiated from Tellah as he struggled to grip the fact that his daughter had been killed. Edward continued to nestle against his lost love, crying like his own heart had been ripped from his chest. Tellah ran his hand through his hair wildly.

"I will avenge my daughter!" His voice shook with anger and grief. He backed away from Anna and Edward, his eyes never wavering from them. He stumbled over a body but quickly recovered. The old man's stomach heaved like Anna's wound was his own. "I will find this bastard, Golbez! I swear to it!"

Cecil stepped forward with his hand held out. Rydia continued to cling to her his leg. "Master Tellah, please don't go. It's so dangerous out there and..."

Another explosion of lightening left the sage's hand and shot towards Cecil and Rydia. The Dark Knight grabbed her and fell to the ground. The thunderbolt erupted into a shower of electricity as it made contact with the wall behind them. Rydia whimpered in fright as Cecil covered her. He felt the heated sparks hit against his armor. Once the shower was over, he looked up and watched as Tellah sprinted out the door.

"Golbez! I will avenge my DAUGHTER!" With those words, the old sage walked out of he and Rydia's lives just as fast as he had walked in.

The crackle of a small fire sounded behind Cecil where the lightening bolt had struck the wall. He lifted himself to his feet and then helped Rydia to hers. The little Caller brushed herself off and gazed at Cecil with a sad look in her eyes.

"Poor Anna..." she said quietly.

Cecil nodded in agreement, saddened by what had just happened. They had not gotten to Damcyan in time. Poor Anna...poor Tellah...Poor Edward... The site of Edward sobbing miserably over his lost love hit the Dark Knight straight in the heart.

No one deserves this! he thought angrily. How could the King of Baron do such a thing? And who is this Golbez?

"An...*sob sob* ...na..." Edward pulled his lover's body close to him, ignoring the massive amounts of blood that covered her. With a shaking hand, he reached up and gripped the arrow. He took a deep breath, ripped it from her body and threw it across the room. Cecil cringed as it clanged against the ground and skittered to a halt next to his feet. He bent over slowly and picked up the bloody weapon, twirling delicately in his hands. A glint of light reflected off the sharp metal at the end and reflected into his eyes.

Why? Why did she have to die at the hands of the Red Wings? He looked back at the grieving Prince and imagined himself being in his place, only it was Rosa that was dead in his arms. His shoulders shuddered. With that thought, an overwhelming wave of anger crashed down upon him. Someone will pay for this...If by the Gods it has to be you, King Baron...then so be it...

"Edward..." Cecil said with hesitation. The Prince looked up at the Dark Knight. His tears had long cleared paths through the blood and dirt that had been caked upon his face. The blueness of his eyes were surrounding by red from the amount of crying he had done. He blinked slowly and Cecil continued. "Edward...listen, please try to take a breath."

The Prince obliged but it did no good. The tears continued to fall and his shoulders continued to shake. "I'm sorry...*sob sob*...sir...but my Anna...she is gone!"

"I know she is, and for that I can not apologize enough." He knelt next to Edward and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Why should you... *sob sob*...apologize...you didn't do this..."

Cecil felt sickened. It could have been me. He looked down at Anna's pale face and thought about Rosa lying back in Kaipo, so close to her very own death. "You are the Prince of Damcyan, am I correct?"

The Prince nodded miserably.

"I need your help."

"My...help?"

Cecil chose his words carefully, and spoke them slowly. How am I going to get this guy to help me when he is so distressed? "I have to get the Sand Ruby, Edward."

"Why?"

"My dear friend Rosa is dying in Kaipo."

"The Sand Fever?"

The Dark Knight nodded, pulling his helmet off. The cool air hit his sweating face with relief. "Yes...it's the Sand Fever. With out it, she is going to die."

The Prince was silent for a moment, his sobbing beginning to subside. He wiped his face with the back of his hand. "Only Damcyan Royalty can get to the Sand Ruby."

"That's why I am here...you are the only Damcyan Royalty...unless I could enlist the help of your parents."

The tears burned in Edward's eyes once again and the images of his parents' murder flashed through his head. He held his fist to his forehead and allowed the tears to fall. "They too...have been murdered..."

Oh God... Cecil thought. Though he had not known about the death of the von Muirs, he still kicked himself for bringing it up. He is so unstable...

"I can't go...*sob sob*...now...my whole kingdom has been...destroyed...the Crystal of Fire is gone...my parents...my dear...sweet...Anna..."

The Dark Knight cursed the King of Baron. "You can't stay here Edward."

"Why not? I will not leave Anna!"

"I understand how devastated you are, but you can't stay here among so many..." He stopped himself, not wanting to say the word dead.

"Stop crying!" Edward's head snapped up and faced the gaze of Rydia. She stared back at him with her hands on her tiny hips. Cecil's heart skipped a beat. His mouth parted to scold her but the Caller spoke first. "You are not the only one that has lost loved ones! You are a man! Why are you crying so much?!"

"Rydia!" Cecil hissed, appalled at what she was saying. She ignored the Dark Knight and continued.

"She is gone, Prince Edward. She is gone and there is nothing you can do to bring her back. There is nothing any one can ever do to bring any one back! Stop being a cry baby!"

Edward looked down upon the face of his lost love. It was true...the words that the little girl spoke to him were so true. "Dear Anna..." He reached up and slowly grazed his fingers upon her pale skin. Her last words rang clear in his head.

I love you Edward...and please...live on.

But how can I live without you?

Cecil took a deep breath and spoke again. "I beg of you, Prince Edward. You are my only hope for saving a woman that I care very deeply about. My only hope."

Edward's eyes were so sad as he met the gaze of the Dark Knight. "I...am your only...only hope?"

"My only hope."

"Then..." He looked back down at his lover as his tears began to subside again. A numbness had begun to replace the burning sadness that ached in his soul.

Live on...

"Then I will help you." Cecil's heart rejoiced but he contained himself out of respect for the loss the Edward had just endured. "No one deserves to..." He paused. "No one deserves to lose someone that they love..."

"How do we get there?"

"Damcyan..." He took another deep breath in an attempt to gather himself. "Damcyan has a hovercraft that we can use to get to the Antlion's cave."

"Thank you, Edward...thank you so much."

The Prince ignored the thank you and leaned over. He whispered gently in Anna's ear.

"You shielded me from those arrows...for a reason...dear Anna. Please forgive me for leaving you here...but they are right. I can't stay, knowing that you will never again open your sweet eyes and gaze at me with all the love that we have shared...my heart breaks for you ...but I know that you are in a better place. I will live to your words...though it will be the hardest thing I have ever done...I will live on...please stay with me wherever I go...for the thought of knowing that you are not looking down at me from above would only twist my heart further into the void that has now forever surrounded it...I will love you until the day that I die...Anna...may that day come swift so we can once again...be together..."

With those words, the Prince stood up, shed his bloody tunic, laid it upon her body and with tears of broken sorrow, led the way out of the castle.