"What…" Avril tried to stand up but her legs failed her and she dropped back down in the seat. Short of breath, she braced herself against the table and glanced up at Cross. He took a sip from his mug, his eyes closing and his forehead furrowing for a moment. After a few moments of no response Avril took a moment to take in the area around them. The stark nothingness that surrounded them made her stomach churn. "What is this place?"

"A world between worlds," Cross answered as he opened his eyes. "A meeting place of sorts. It will only exist for this conversation then it will collapse back into nothingness."

"How did I get here?" Avril moved her hands to her body, checking for her weapons, but found nothing but smooth fabric. She glanced down and stared at the unfamiliar dress that adorned her body. "What…"

"Sorry about the clothes. I don't really know how to make them and it was hard enough just to create this space so I just… well it was better than having you naked." Cross decided it would be too difficult to explain the dress was one of the many he had seen Kosu in.

"What did you do to me?"

"I took a peek at your memories." Cross shrugged. "I didn't mean to, actually. I wasn't really sure what was going to happen. I've never done this before."

"My memories?" Avril still couldn't stand so she settled for slamming her fist on the table, though even that was weak. "You had no right to do that!"

"Well, I don't think you really get to be upset about anything right now, you were the one to kill me, after all." Cross frowned as a trail of blood began to drip down the side of his face. "Still are, actually."

"What are you talking about?"

Cross waved his hand a ghostly image appeared at the center of the table. Two figures danced around each other. One appeared to be made entirely of light that shone so bright it hurt to look at, but Avril still found herself unable to look away.

"What's the last thing you remember, Avril?"

Avril didn't respond as she continued to stare at the shining figure. A pain began to develop behind her left eye. She lifted up her hand and realized she could see. She could see out of both of her eyes.

"Is that me?" Avril breathed out sharply as the realization hit her. She leaned closer to the image, watching as the battle continued to rage.

"It is and it isn’t," Cross said as he waved the cloudy image away. "Right now, you're not in control of your body. The Eye is functioning on your last desire, which unfortunately was to kill me. Pretty soon it's going to burn through your body and you will die. Apparently, you’re going to explode and take out a good portion of the forest with you.

"Then I will die," Avril said softly. "And you will die with me."

"Seems like it." Cross said as a cut appeared on his neck. His only reaction was a momentary narrowing of his eyes. "Unlike you, I have control of my body and my mind, but luckily it seems time moves differently here. A bit slower, I guess. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to talk."

Avril shook her head. "Our fates have been decided, Cross. I have no interest in talking to you any further."

"You are making this very difficult." Cross flinched, his hand jerking to the side and his ring finger twitching. "Both of you."

"My death with be for the glory of the Queen. I have no regrets."

"You are annoyingly calm about this."

"I have no reason not to be," Avril said as some blood dribbled over Cross's lip. "I have killed for the Queen before. I have risked my life for her before. This is no different."

"Oh, would you knock that shit off?" Cross sighed. "Why don't you drink something?"

"What?" Avril looked down and found a steaming mug waiting for her. "How did you…"

"I control this space, for the most part." Cross closed his eyes.

"Then this could be poison." Avril picked up the mug and swirled the liquid around.

"Could be, but my guild doesn't like killing people."

"I'm shocked you can say that with a straight face considering the bodies the Sleeping Dragon Guild has left in its wake."

"You know we have a saying in our guild." Cross cracked open one eye. Avril noticed it was extremely bloodshot. "You should never wake a Dragon."

"Is that supposed to be an explanation?"

"More of a warning." Cross's hand shook as he lifted his cup to his lips. "We defend ourselves, the guild, and the innocent. We don't kill unless we are provoked."

"So why haven't you killed me?" Avril asked. "I've attacked you. I'm still attacking you. If you control this space, I have no doubt you could kill me right now."

"Maybe," Cross said. "But I felt like you believed you were doing the right thing. After seeing your memories, I know you do."

"Then you know I am not bluffing. How far I am willing to go."

"I guess that's true," Cross said. "So, let me show you something."

The table disappeared and Cross was abruptly in front of her.

"What are you…?" Avril tried to pull away, but suddenly found herself floating in the eternal nothingness.

Cross's hand reached up and gently he flicked her between the eyes. Avril's head jerked back as though she had been shot.

Images flashed through her mind faster than she could even begin to process. The world became nothing more than a blur of color. She wanted to scream, or did she want to laugh? Was that pleasure or was it pain. It all was moving too fast. She couldn't…

Avril opened her eyes.

She was back, seated, in the gazebo.

Cross sat across from her, watching her with a careful eye. Avril opened her mouth to scream at him but only a choked sob came out, followed by a burst of laughter. Her hands came to wrap defensively around her head as she fell against the table and began to shake.

Fear.

Pride.

Anger.

Joy.

Sadness.

Trust.

Hate.

Disgust.

Anticipation.

Lust.

Love.

The emotions rolled across her being one after another. She felt the pain of battles she never fought. The warmth of hugs she had never received.

"What… What have you done to me?" Avril whispered as she finally gained enough control to raise her head. Tears continued to leak from her eyes and a smile tried to force its way onto her face before giving way to a scowl.

"Those are my memories. An entire lifetime in a single moment," Cross said softly. "I saw yours, it seemed fair."

Avril tried to wipe away her tears but they continued to leak out. "I... Everything…"

"Yeah." Cross slumped in his chair. "Ready for that drink now?"

Avril nodded weakly and picked the steaming mug up that appeared once again. As soon as the liquid touched her tongue her eyes widened in surprise and she nearly choked.

"Is this… Hot chocolate?"

Cross shrugged. "It's cold. And you've switched to ice magic. Can't say I'm a fan, honestly. I get enough of that already."

"Makina?" Avril said the name thoughtlessly.

"Makina." Cross sighed before he downed the drink.

"Your hand…" Avril said as Cross put the mug down.

"Hmmm?" Cross looked down at his hand. "Oh. I broke it again when-"

"When you used the Tenchi style. You're still a novice. Without your sword your body can't regulate the energy and it rebounds," Avril blurted the information out, the words tumbling one after the other.

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"Yeah," Cross said, tilting his head to the side.

Avril closed her eyes and rubbed at her temple. There was too much information going through her mind to process. Her memories intermingled with Cross's in a sickening medley of images and emotions.

"You knew," Avril said after a long while. She opened her eyes just in time to see a large gash appear on Cross chest, the fabric of his shirt ripping for a moment before coming back together though the blood stain remained. She felt a moment of triumph that was quickly mired by a twinge of regret. She pushed the feeling down. "You knew for so long."

"I knew." His voice was soft.

"Then why?" Avril shook her head. "If you knew you could have been-"

"I'm a Courier for the Sleeping Dragon Guild." Cross cut her off. "My name is Cross Drachen, son of Jiana Drachen. That's all."

"But… But you…"

Cross shook his head. "I have no interest in being anything more."

Avril's head began to pound and she slipped down lower in her chair. "I don't understand."

Cross leaned his head back. "Yeah, I know."

"This isn't how it was supposed to be." Avril's voice trembled. "This isn't how you were supposed to be."

"Yeah, it’s harder to hurt someone you know, isn't it? Right now, you might know me better than anyone." Cross managed to chuckle. "How was I supposed to be?"

"Not… not like this." Avril bowed her head. "You won't kill me, will you?"

"No, I won't kill you."

"I don’t want to kill you either,” Avril whispered, her eyes closing as fresh tears began to leak out. "But I can't stop this. It's too late. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Cross."

"I appreciate that, but you really shouldn't give up before you try." Cross stood up and walked over to her side of the table. Reaching out he clapped her hard on the shoulder. "You are a soldier of Voy. You are part of the First Powder Regiment. You do not run. You do not surrender. You are the first line of defense between this dark cruel world and the prosperity that is Voy."

Cross smiled and continued walking.

"Wait!" Avril stood up and reached out towards Cross, but he was already fading away into the nothingness. "What am I supposed do to?"

"I don't know." Cross stopped and turned around. He cast his eyes upwards and let out a deep sigh. "You know, you probably won't remember any of this once this place breaks apart. You're not a Void Walker like me, or even a Clairvoyant like Cassandra. I don't think you'll be able to keep these memories." Cross brought his eyes down to rest on Avril and smiled. "But I do know you shouldn't be so willing to throw your life away. There are people that care about you waiting back home. So, the best I can offer is… Survive, Avril."

And he was gone.

Avril's hand stayed stretched out into the nothingness for a moment before falling down to her side. She looked back at the table, but it was gone, as was the Gazebo and the ground she had been standing on.

The world was dark and she was falling, falling, falling.

She reached out her hands, but there was nothing to grasp on as she fell away into the abyss.

Would she drift forever?

Would she die here?

"I don't want to die."

The words slipped out over her lips so quietly she couldn't even hear it.

"I don't want to die."

Louder.

"I don't want to die."

Louder!

"I don't want to die!"

Avril's scream echoed out in the nothingness and began to fade away. With it went Avril's final breath. Her eyes began to close as her body grew light. So, light she would fade away just like her voice.

A single spark burst brilliantly in the distance.

Nothing more than a pinprick of light in the everlasting ether, but even so it burned like a thousand suns in Avril's eyes.

Avril willed her body forward, reaching out as far as she could as new breath filled her lungs.

"I don't want to die!"

The light grew brighter. Or was she simply moving closer?

"I don't want to die!"

Her heart hammered in her chest, so hard it felt like her ribs might crack.

"I don't want to die!"

Her hand wrapped around the light.

"I won't die!"

xXx

Cross was glad to be back in his body, not that he had really left it, but keeping his conscious split between reality and the meeting place had proven to be far more taxing than he had anticipated.

Mostly because he hadn't anticipated it in the first place.

That said, the real world was not that much better. Avril was still doing her best to kill him, and she was doing a pretty good job of it. He was completely out of cartridges, his magic had been pushed far beyond his limits, and his hand was still broken, among many other injuries.

On the bright side he had managed to retrieve Avril's fallen pistol. Clutched in his left hand he wasn't completely sure what would happen if he used it on Avril as she was.

He would have preferred not to find out, but his plan was abruptly cut short as his leg gave out and he came to a skidding halt before dropping to the ground. Breathing hard he tried to push his way back to his feet but was unable to lift himself up more than a few inches before Avril was on him.

With a single kick she sent him flying through the air, his momentum only coming to a halt as he cracked against a tree trunk. Avril caught him before he fell, her open palm slamming in his chest. Cross screamed as his ribs cracked under the pressure. His voice died in his throat as Avril continued to push, holding him aloft against the tree.

"I thought you didn't want to kill me?" Cross coughed out but received no response. His shirt began to smolder as Avril's flesh burned through the fabric. Cross clenched his teeth together and lifted the pistol to Avril's shoulder. "This won't kill you, but it might hurt."

He pulled the trigger.

The bullet slammed into Avril like a sledgehammer and sent her stumbling back, but her face did not change as the bullet failed to even leave a mark against her glowing skin. Cross let the smoking firearm drop to the ground next to him as he slid down the tree.

"Right, then," Cross closed his eyes and leaned his head against the tree. "If you're going to do something, now would be great."

A wave of heat washed over his face as Avril conjured a ball of fire between her hands. Cross didn't bother trying to move. Sucking in a deep breath he forced his eyes open. He watched as Avril lifted the ball above her head and lightning began to crackle across the surface. It would have been an extremely impressive display of magical ability if it wasn't about to erase his existence.

Avril's hands swung down and Cross braced himself. The heat seared against his skin and the electricity set his hair on end. His entire vision blurred as the fireball traveled the short distance towards him….

And abruptly fizzled out of existence.

Cross barely had time to let out a sigh of relief before Avril was falling towards him, her eyes fluttering as the light that had illuminated her body faded away. Reaching out with his left arm he managed to catch her, though the term ‘catch’ was used loosely. In reality she more or less crashed into his chest, knocking him hard against the tree trunk. Holding on loosely to Avril he slid down, his teeth gritting against the pain her simple weight against his chest caused.

He allowed himself a moment to rest before carefully sitting up, keeping Avril resting against his chest as he shrugged off his coat. Though it was blood stained, and now sported quite a few more holes than it had before, he decided it was better than leaving Avril all but exposed against the cold, the majority of her clothing having long ago burned away.

A small groan escaped Avril's dry and cracked lips and her fingers twisted into the torn fabric of Cross's shit.

"Cross?"

"Mmmmm?" Cross closed his eyes.

"Am I dead?"

"No."

"Are you dead?"

"No."

"Thank the Gods."

Cross decided he didn't really feel like thanking the Gods at this moment, or any time in the future, but he remained silent on the issue.

"I'm losing them." Avril's grip on Cross tightened. "It's all slipping away."

"Might be for the best."

"I don't want to forget it all."

"Maybe you won't."

"You don't believe that."

Cross remained silent.

"Cross." Avril's voice was so delicate he was almost sure it would shatter. "She called off my mission. She didn't want you to die. It was… It was my decision to do this, and part of me still feels it was the right decision."

"Yeah, well. You know that doesn't really mean much by this point, don't you?" Cross opened his eyes. The dying sunlight glinted off the snowflakes that were softly falling around them.

"Please… Please don't hate her for this." Avril breathed out as her eyes fluttered and she faded out of consciousness

Cross stared down at her for a long time before letting out a deep sigh. "I never needed another reason."

Pushing her softly to the side, Cross used the tree trunk to gradually pull himself back to his feet. Sucking in as deep of a breath as he could he pursed his lips and let out a single, piercing note.

The sound echoed through the forest and Cross could do nothing but wait. His heavy eyes had nearly closed when he heard the steady 'clip clop' of hooves. Pushing off from the tree he took a step towards the extremely large horse that that came to gentle stop in front of him.

"You must be Moon, pleasure." Cross dipped his head to the great beast as he leaned down and, with great effort, lifted Avril up from the ground. He looked at Moon. "Would you mind?"

Moon stared at Cross for a long time before slowly lowering to the ground. Cross gave him a curt nod before draping Avril across the saddle, keeping his hand on her as Moon rose back to his full height.

"Right, then." Cross took hold of Moon's reigns. "Let's go."

xXx

Avril was woken by the sunlight that streamed through the window. Through bleary eyes she glanced around the unfamiliar room. Sitting up slowly she reached up and rubbed at her head, wincing against the slight pain that seemed to have settled behind her left eye. Rubbing at her eye she gingerly lifted herself out of the bed, noticing for the first time she was clad in not much more than a tattered coat. Reaching up she touched one of the blood-stained holes in the fabric.

"Cross?"

The name passed thoughtless over her lips and with it came a flood of memories that burst like fireworks behind her eyes. Reeling, Avril sucked in a sharp breath as the world came back into focus. She tried to hold onto the memories, but it was like trying to hold water between her fingers. No matter how hard she squeezed, they continued to leak away until she was left with nothing.

Nothing but the feeling that remained.

A deep feeling of regret mired with relief.

A gentle rapping on the door drew her from her thoughts and she made her way to the door. Her legs were weak and she stumbled slightly as she went, just barely managing to catch herself on the door frame.

"Ah, yes?" Avril opened the door to a kindly, pump-faced woman.

"Ah good, you're up." The innkeeper gave Avril a warm smile. "Your boyfriend left not too long ago. He asked me to make sure you didn't sleep to long. I guess he wore you out, huh? Oh, and I was supposed to give this to you!"

"He's not my... We're not like…" Avril felt her face grow hot as the woman handed her an envelope.

"Really?" She eyed Avril up and down, her eyes resting on the tattered coat for only a moment. "Well, you're young. Might as well get it while you can! Ah I remember those days."

"R-right. Well, thank you." Avril forced a smile and quickly ducked back into her room.

Finding her way back to the bed she collapsed onto the mattress before pulling the letter free.

Dear Avril,

Moon is in the stables and has been well taken care of. The package you asked to be delivered is in his saddle bag. Your delivery request is considered complete. Your payment will be expected within the next week. An invoice will be delivered by courier soon. I have gone ahead and charged the cost of this room to your account.

Please delivery your payment promptly to avoid incurring a surcharge.

The Sleeping Dragon Guild thanks you for your business.

Cordially,

Cross Drachen

P.S.

The cost for my clothes and medical expenses will be charged to your account as well. You can keep the coat.

P.P.S.

The magic burned through a lot of your body's energy so your hair color should return to normal soon. I'm not sure about your eyes.

Avril read the last line of the letter then read it again, her hand coming up to touch her hair, then her eyes.

Eyes?

Avril shot from the bed and rushed to the mirror. The face that met her was similar but so very different. A pair of mismatched eyes stared at her. Her right eye that had once been a pure blue was now a bloody shade of red, while her left… her left had become a brilliant shade of gold

The Eye of Voynar.

Taking a deep breath Avril forced herself to remain calm as her hands slowly moved up to run through her hair.

Her completely grey hair.

"Oh." Avril stared at herself for another moment before her face split into a smile and she started to giggle. Slipping down to the floor she broke into outright laughter, clutching at her stomach as tears of mirth began to leak out of the edges of her eyes.

Curling into a ball, she drew Cross's coat tight around her body as the laughter subsided though the tears continued to leak from her eyes.

She was alive.