Melanie's POV

"What?!" I asked bewildered. Ales looked down.

"I-It could just be a funny coincidence. My name means 'Defender of Mankind, and I couldn't attack a sleeping deer." She assured. I breathed in heavily.

"I hope! I was attacked by a Shadow Soul once, and let me tell you, it wasn't pretty!" I said, tugging on the permanent blackness in my blonde hair. Ales sighed.

"Listen, it'll be fine. It's just a funny coincidence, like I said. You're probably the sweetest girl I know, and I've only known you for a couple of minutes." Ales said.

"HEY!" Sam cried, frowning. Ales shrugged.

"What? It's not like your 'sweet'. No offense." Ales said. Sam nodded in agreement.

"Anyways, the point is, you're not dark, I promise." Ales assured me. I nodded.

"Let's just change the subject please." I asked.

"Well, how about that chicken? How'd you get it?!" Sam asked in disbelief as she took the bird from Ales' hands. Ales smirked.

"A magician never reveals her secrets." She replied simply.

"Yeah, but you're not a magician! Tell me now!" Sam commanded, crossing her arms.

"Ok, I was in the trees, like you taught me, when out of the blue a chicken flew down into my shooting area. So, I quickly used my bow and BAM! Dinner." Ales explained, grinning.

"You climbed the trees?" Asked Sam, smiling with pride. Ales nodded.

"Yeah, duh!" Ales said.

"I didn't think you would actually do it, but I'm not complaining. I'll cook this up and we'll have a feast tonight." Sam said, walking into her tent.

Ales and I were left alone.

"So, how'd you meet Sam?" Asked Ales, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, I was running--"

"Running? From who?" She asked. I swallowed slowly, and Ales' eyes softened.

"Oh.... A lover." She said. I didn't respond, but something else wandered it's way into my mind.

"H--How did you k-know?" I asked. Ales frowned.

"I've never experienced it before, but I know someone who has." Ales said, her eyes wandering to the tent. She quickly snapped out of her daze and stared back at me.

"A-Anyways, what's the rest of your story?" Asked Ales. I sighed.

"How about I tell you while we eat?" I offered. She grinned.

"Ok! We'll tell you our story too." Ales said, skipping to the tent that housed Sam. I sighed.

How am I going to explain my story to these two girls?

<<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>>

We sat around the campfire, munching on chicken. The stars and the moon were out, but we were well protected by the light of the fire.

"So, you promised to tell us the rest of your story." Sam said.

"Right. Well, my brother got stuck in Lady Irene's dimension with Zane... Long story short, I need to get him out." I explained.

"What about you running from a... Well, you know." Ales said, reminding me of the whole, running away from a lover thing.

"Right. Uh... My old boyfriend was a Shadow Knight, and he recently got attacked in the head to snap him out of it. The hit was so strong, he lost his memory of me when he woke up yesterday morning." I explained. Ales nodded, but a look of 'That's not all of it' was still in her eyes. I sighed.

"One of my good friends, Jack, had apparently grown feelings for me, and showed them earlier today. He, um... Kissed me. I didn't want a relationship just after losing someone, so I ran... And found Sam." I said, eyeing Sam. She kept her attention on her chicken leg, but I could tell she was listening.

"I'm sorry about your ex... If it makes you feel any better, we can have you stay with us." Ales said. I smiled.

"I'll take you up on that offer." I replied. Sam didn't respond. Only ate her chicken.

"Ok, we.l now it's our turn!" Ales exclaimed. Sam finally had an initial response and stood up straight, looking Ales dead in the eye.

"No. I'm not letting you tell her our story. We've only known her for half a day." She said. Ales sighed.

"But Sam--!"

"No buts! Ales, I just don't want you to get hurt. We never know who could find out that me and you are..." Sam trailed off. Ales frowned, biting her lip.

"Alright, fine. I won't say anything." Ales said.

Who were these girls?

I dismissed the thought and decided to send myself to bed.

"Uh, I'm gonna go... To... Sleep..." I said, standing up. Ales' head snapped up and walked to me.

"Oh! Here, I'll make you a tent." She said, waving her hands to the tent next to Sam's. A light blue tent was made, and I smiled at Ales.

"Thanks Ales. You're the best." I said, walking into my new tent.

I lay in bed, and the first thing that popped into mind was about my nightmares.

Don't think about Garroth... Don't think about Garroth... Don't think about Garroth...

Of course, that just made me think of Garroth.

<<<NIGHTMARE>>>

"Hey Mel!" I look up and see Garroth smirking at me. I'm in a bed, and Garroth is standing next to me, as if trying to wake me up. Neither of us have our helms on, so I can see his blue eyes. I had just had a nightmare, and Garroth is trying to comfort me.

"G-Garroth?! You're back!" I cry, sitting up and hugging him.

"I'll never leave again, Mel." He promises, kissing the top of my head. "Now, how about we talk about your nightmare?"

Suddenly, a blast of dark magicks goes through the room, and a black vortex appears on the floor.

"Garroth, run!" I yell, grabbing his arm and pulling him away. The vortex seems to be sucking us in, but I don't let it. Then, my foot slips and I fall backwards. I fall to the floor and quickly use my instincts to grab a table stand. I see Garroth slowly get sucked in by the vortex, so I quickly grab his hand.

The table stand starts to break loose, and I look down at the vortex of certain death.

"Mel! You have to let me go! The table isn't going to hold us both!" Garroth yells. I blink back tears.

"No, Garroth! It will!" I yell, gripping Garroth's hand tighter. He shakes his head.

"No it won't, Mel! You have to let me go!" He orders. I ignore his every command to let him go. I wouldn't do it. The table stand cracked even more.

"MELANIE!" I freeze. He never uses my full name unless he meant it. I let tears stream down my face as I look down at him.

"Garroth, I won't do it. You promised not to leave me." I say.

"I'm going to have to break it to let you live." He says.

Then, with a blink of an eye, Garroth lets go of me.

"GARROTH!!! NO!!!" I yell as he falls into the vortex. Before he's engulfed inside, he sends me a small salute and a wink with a faint smirk as he falls.

The vortex closes and everything is back to normal. I stand up and run to where the vortex was, poipunding it with my fists.

"GARROTH COME BACK PLEASE!!!" I scream before my vision goes completely white.

<<<END OF VISION>>>

"What the Nether is going on?!"

"She's screaming and crying, help me hold her down!!"

Two voices yelled at each other and I quickly opened my eyes. I sat up straight. Ales and Sam looked at me. Ales with concern, and Sam with second thought.

I was tired of these stupid nightmares that could kill me. 

I wanted them over with.

I wanted Garrith back.

"Where's Garroth." I said.

"W-Whose Garroth?" Asked Ales. Sam bit her lip like she had heard that name before.

And I noticed.

"Sam. You know something I don't. Tell me now." I ordered. She stayed silent.

"TELL ME NOW!" I yelled balling my hands into fists. Ales noticed, and grabbed my hands for me, holding them in hers.

"No. Melanie, remember. Your name may mean darkness, but that doesn't mean you're going to become that." She warned. I glared at Sam.

"If I'm going to save my twin brother, I need her to tell me what she knows!" I cried. Ales nodded in understatement.

"So Garroth is the twin." Ales said. Sam frowned.

"Not the time, Ales!" Sam yelled. I flung my hands towards Sam, causing her to fly backwards and out of the tent. Ales yelled out in shock and ran after Sam. I stood up slowly and walked towards Sam, slowly.

"Ok, listen here Melanie. I know I thought you were a good person, but now, I think you just need to calm down." Ales said. I rolled my eyes and flicked my hands towards Ales, causing her to get tied up in a tree. Vines tied her back and a branch gagged her. She struggled against the restraints, but I ignored her.

"Quiet. I need to know where Garroth is." I ordered. Then, I walked towards Sam. She quickly pulled out her black, obsidian sword.

"I will use this. You're hurting Ales. I will keep my promise to the Kingdom of Corona." Sam said, her voice quavering.

Kingdom of Corona...?

"I think you hit your head on a log." I said, snapping my fingers. Tree roots grew out of the ground and wrapped around Sam's legs, holding her in place. An eagle flew towards Sam and took her sword. She looked up at me with anger in her eyes. I could once again see the Nether's fury in the brown orbs.

"Let me go. Now." She said, trying to step towards me. I laughed, walking towards her.

"And whose gonna make me?" I asked, lifting my hand above her head.

"Tell. Me. What. You. Know. Now." I said, threatening.

"MMMMMHHHHHHRRRRRRMMMM!!!" Ales's grunts were heard. I bit my lip hard to stop myself from going over there and shutting her up myself. Sam still didn't say anything.

That's when I realized I was doing this all wrong. I lowered my hand, smirking.

I'm supposed to be doing this to someone else.

"No." I whispered. Then, I turned around and faced Ales.

"We're going about this all wrong, aren't we?" I asked, stepping towards her. Ales' eyes were filled with fear.

Perfect

"How about you sacrifice yourself for Sam, Ales?" I asked, raising my hand. Ales squeezed her eyes shut.

"WAIT!!!" Sam yelled. I turned, smiling.

"I-I'll tell you!" She yelled, frowning.

"Tell me how you know." I ordered, walking away from Ales. Sam sighed.

"I don't like to talk about it, but... I know Zane." Sam said.

Zane

The simple thought sickened me.

"How?" I asked. She sighed, her eyes ridding of the fury and filling them with innocence.

"I-I used to... H-Have the same feelings for him as you did the guy you ran away from." Sam said. Ales swallowed as if she knew what Sam meant.

It took me a while to process what she meant. But, I eventually got it.

Sam used to love Zane.

A/N Ok, I know it wouldn't make any sense because of the whole time thing and the Lady Irene's dimension, but can't we just pretend? It's a fanfiction after all.