"If you don't do it soon, I'll do it myself." Phillip spat at Kabos. "And I won't be nearly as gentle."

        "You think I'm some soft-hearted boy?" Kabos snarled in response, "I'm just a ruthless as you are. I'm just smarter than you, so I know how to wait."

        Phillip ignored the jab and started pacing, "If you think I'm joking, I'm not. People are waiting, Kabos. Important people." he stopped in his tracks, his face inches away from his son's. "People we can't afford to let down."

        Kabos backed away.

        "I might be able to...speed up the process." he muttered, thinking hard. "She's not hard to fool...she's never even had a boy interested in her before." Kabos looked up at his father, his eyes set.

        "How about tonight?"

***

        "Dawn, door's for you!" Rissa called. When no reply came, she turned back to the young man standing on the doorstep. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

        "Of course." Kabos replied, smiling graciously. Rissa rushed off down the hallway, calling out Dawn's name and opening random doors. She was happy that the boy was becoming closer to Dawn. She was going to need his help if they were going to take down the Fairling.

        "Dawn!" Rissa cried, opening the door to the Light princess's bedroom. Dawn was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

        "Yes?" she replied polietly. 

        "Kabos is here to see you."

        Upon hearing Kabos's name, Dawn sat straight up in bed.

        "He's here? Right now?"

        Rissa nodded.

        "Oh, wonderful!" Dawn exclaimed. She rushed past Rissa and into the hall, slowing to a walk just before she came into sight of the front doors...she couldn't look overly excited to see him, despite her racing heartbeat.

        "Hey." Kabos smiled sheepishly as Dawn approached the front door. "I have something to ask you."

        "Yeah?" Dawn asked, her heart speeding up even more.

        "I was wondering...if you'd like to come over for dinner tonight."

        Dawn couldn't help but feel her heart drop a little. She had been expecting something much more dramatic and romantic.

        Kabos must have seen the look on her face and amended himself.

        "I know it doesn't sound like much, but trust me, it really does mean a lot." he rolled his eyes, "My dad doesn't exactly approve of every girl I've ever talked to...not that there's been that many. He told me that the day he invited a girl I was dating to dinner was the day that he would finally approve of one of my dates. And, would you look at that...it's you."

        Dawn felt her chest swell with love.

        "Of course." she whispered. "It sounds marvelous."

        "Wonderful!" Kabos looked relieved, "Can I pick you up at 7?"

        "Definitely." Dawn smiled. Kabos planted a quick kiss on her lips and departed, waving back to her as he walked down the steps of the castle.

        Dawn closed the door and slid down to the ground, her eyes misty and her heart full. Kabos was the one. He just was.

***

        "I also don't think that a person should identify another person as "The One" too quickly. It makes them seem desperate and clingy."

        Adriana laughed, thinking of Dawn and how lovesick she was over that monster, Kabos. "I couldn't agree more."

        James was growing on her. His completely forward attitude and complete lack of a filter suited him, and Adriana was glad that he wasn't just another crooner who whispered sweet things in her ear during the day and stabbed her in the back at night.

        "You seem to be agreeing with everything I say. Do you actually agree? Because not many people agree with me very often. They say I'm too outspoken and have too many opinions."

        "I actually agree with you." Adriana consoled him, "I've never heard someone just speak their mind like you. It's...refreshing."

        James smiled, paused for a brief moment, and then slipped his hand into Adriana's. 

        "You're the first person to like that about me."

        Adriana blushed slightly, her hand growing warm in James's. She had never held a boy's hand before. It was strangely comforting, and slightly...sweaty.

        They walked in silence for a little while, hand in hand, looking like any regular couple. Adriana's mind drifted to Dawn, and as hard as she tried to, she couldn't think of anything else.

        But then the thoughts changed. They weren't thoughts, they were scenes. She could see Dawn, and not in the blurry way that thoughts usually appear, where you know what you're seeing but you can't actually picture it, but almost like a dream; Dawn was leaving the castle with Kabos, hand in hand, her eyes glittering in the light from the setting sun. They went to Kabos's house, went inside, his father greeted Dawn warmly. But there was something in his eyes; a veiled anticipation, a vague sense of triumph. 

        The threesome sat down to eat dinner, but Kabos almost immediately excused himself and asked Dawn to accompany him to his room. As he let her walk in before him, he shot his father a triumphant look, one mixed with glee and excitement and just the smallest hint of guilt, something you wouldn't have caught if you weren't looking for it.

        Adriana felt a sense of forbodding, her ears barely hearing the words that James was speaking beside her. Kabos was going to break Dawn tonight. He was going to turn her Dark.

        "Adriana? Are you alright?" James asked in concern, and Adriana realized that she had been completely blank for the past couple minutes.

        "Yeah, I'm fine...but my sister's not." she gripped James's hand with more force. "Come on."

        The two tore off towards the castle, James not asking any questions, Adriana not ready to answer any. All she could think of was the danger that her sister was in and her final chance to save the kingdom.

        Adriana opened the door of the castle and charged through it, but she was met with the heavy impact of someone else slamming into her. James caught her just as she was about to topple over, and Adriana straightened out her dress before turning to tell off whoever had just knocked into her.

        But upon seeing the girl, her eyes widened.

        "Skylar?" Adriana cried out, not believing her eyes.        

        The Fairling smiled.

        "Yes, it's me. Look, I know we should exchange pleasentries like normal people, but we can't. I had a vision."

        "Me too---"

        "No, you don't understand." Skylar interupted, her eyes set and her fists clenched. "We were wrong."

        "What?"

        "We were wrong about Kabos. He isn't trying to turn Dawn Dark."

        "Yes he is, I just saw---"

        "Listen." Skylar ordered. "He isn't trying to turn Dawn Dark. He's trying to take her powers. He's part of the final generation of Ariesian descendents. 

        "He's trying to take over Gregoria."

---

A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Do you like James? Personally, he's one of my favorite characters.

4 chapters left!

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-Katherine