AN: Someone should really take the mind-control cupcakes away from Troll...

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Early the next day, I got up, dressed, took my umbrella, and stepped out into the hallway.

Once there, I headed out to the courtyard and waited. Plain soon came with the Jo's, and we set out. On our way out of the city, I stopped by the black tree and took one last look.

I stopped by the house where I'd sheltered from the intense fight between the priests and the self-proclaimed god, and found a flaming zombie and a frozen one huddling as far from each other as possible. I grinned, shushed them, then went back on the hunt.

After a while, I found the Tall and his followers, as well as Blacky. Once I made sure they were fine, I told them to follow after me once night had fallen.

With my tasks finished, we headed out of the city. It was refreshing to not have to wear a hood.

I'd written down the directions to the tomb, but they were quite vague. They basically said, "In the forest somewhere."

After walking for half a day, the three guys and me stepped into the forest. I looked up into the tree tops, and felt the bark, taking in the voice and whisper of the forest...

It disgusted me.

All this living, breathing muck, that made my life a hell. I was given my last taste of horror here, and now that I had returned, with power...

When I'm done stripping this forest for everything of worth, I'm going to burn it to the ground. The bark broke under my grip, and I noticed for the first time that I had been unconsciously releasing ice element, freezing the surroundings. Then I got an idea.

I gathered ice element in my palm, then froze all the sap within the tree. With a sound like thunder, the tree split down the middle, dead as surely as if it had been chopped up and burnt.

Take burning it, and scratch that. I'll turn this forest into a frozen hell, so that all the denizens may understand just what I went through. First, I had an old friend to catch up with...

When the sun was starting to dip beneath the treetops, I finally found the lake in which I had been the ball that was juggled by ogres, bats, a vulture, and a kraken.

I put a fingertip into the water, and immediately the gigantic octopus-squid-thing rose to the surface and flapped it's tentacles majestically. I couldn't possibly freeze the entire lake, not to it's depths. However, ice floats. In that case, freezing the top, say, fifty-feet should suffice, right?

I motioned for the guys to step back, and nearly emptied my pool into the lake. Around me, the dirt had split, frozen. My skin was in a similar state.

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Then, like the sunlight moving across a canyon floor as the sun rises, the water rippled and froze, becoming solid. The kraken was soon left flailing around, it's main body trapped in ice and it's tentacles unable to feel water.

I hid my face with the umbrella, and looked at the kraken for a good, long half hour.

It was just an animal. It's instinct was at fault, not it. Did I really need to kill something like this, just because it pissed me off?

I thought back to my life. The pain, the beatings, the fate, the luck, the damned inconvenience of it. Through it all, did anyone ever say, "I don't know...he hasn't done anything wrong. Is it right to just hurt him?"

When I cried out for help, did anyone answer?

When I forged through on my own, and broke everyone's expectations, finally carving out a life for myself, did people respect me?

Has god, even once, ever shown that he in any way cares what happens to me?

No.

I was alone, always. Never did anyone ask me what I wanted, nor did anyone ever try to be understanding.

So...why should I?

I put forth my right hand, envisioning what I wanted. I  created a jagged lance of ice, then hovered it in the air.

They didn't take me in. Instead, they abused me. I created another lance.

She didn't care for my well-being; she cared about her wallet. I created another lance.

He just liked hitting me; I can understand, but I won't. I created another lance.

She could've lived, for me. She didn't. I created another lance.

They cared; they were just terrified. I added another lance.

He could've found someone else. He found me. I made another lance.

They could all have just left me alone, or killed me. They didn't. Instead, they went out of their way to make my life miserable, and for that, I thank them.

I doubt I'd be able to kill so easily if not for them. For that, I must express my most sincere, and genuine, thanks. I took the lances, and doubled their number. Then I raised my hand, the swarm of lances pulled tight in my mind, like a dozen arrows lain on a taut string.

I let them loose.

"Ice Swarm"

I kept my face hidden under the umbrella for a long time. When I looked up, night had fallen. I turned to the guys, and gestured for them to follow me.

Red, Blue, Blacky, and the Tall all followed behind a few hundred feet.

"Come on, guys. Let's go defile a tomb."