NRPG:

The BIO's are a little out of date. Both are a year older and Key has 
realised his ambition and become a WingLeader (of Alpha no less!!).

[DL-J] Ghost Leaves Alone

8< *** SNIP *** >8

"Come with me Key?" her tone begged as she got up to cross the room to kneel 
beside him. She took the chance and reached for his hands. "Come with me. We 
can start over and put all this behind us."

8< *** SNIP *** >8

Mc'Key's head was spinning. She was leaving! The thought of life without her 
couldn't form in his head. He tried to imagine it, but there was no way he 
could even conceive of the emptyness. But to go? With Argent only the 
WarrenLady for five minutes? She didn't know what she was doing yet. She had 
been relying on him so much. Geode was a warren in trouble and needed his 
help. He groaned inwardly.

"Why must you leave here? Can't we make a fresh start?" he almost begged.

She looked hurt by his reaction.

"So you won't come?"

"I want to be with you, but the Warren..."

"Key, you've never done anything for yourself in the whole time I've known 
you. The Warren this, the Warren that... When are you going to look at 
yourself. At me..."

He had never really thought about it. He lived to serve the Warren, to 
shield her friends and battle her foes. He had set his life to the task of 
building the Warren and seeing her strong. The only person who had ever been 
more dedicated to that task was Phaedra. Now, he was being asked to leave 
this place. The question was, did he love her enough to abandon the 
responsibilities he had here?

"If you wanted to go, you would have said yes already," she said.

"Don't put words in my mouth, Ghost. You know how much I've given to this 
Warren. You know how much people need me here..."

"You have to decide whether their need is greater than mine and yours. Self 
sacrifice is one thing but I don't want to live my life alone. Don't you see 
why I can't stay?"

And he did see. He knew how she was regarded. He'd heard the talking which 
hushed as he came near. The girl had been so close to Phaedra...

"I know you won't understand this and might even resent it or hate me for 
it, but I need to consider this. I can't decide right now..."

"I do resent it, but I don't hate you Key. I am jealous of the Warren's hold 
on you, even while I love you all the more for your devotion. But I'm 
leaving tomorrow morning, with or without you. I hope it will be with you."

She stood up and left the room. Key heard her fling herself onto their bed 
and cry. He stood up, the weight of the world on his shoulders, and went to 
Vasleth.

They flew. They flew in a wide spiral up and up the mountain slopes, Key's 
eyes streaming with ice cold tears. He looked through the veil of water over 
his eyes at the landscape around him and at the Warren. He was not Warren 
bred, but no one loved it more than he did. Vasleth remained silent. He 
could have said much, but he knew his rider must make the decision of his 
own, good or bad.

Flying downwards once more, they finally settled at their favourite spot. 
The spot at which he and Ghost first made love after Mc'Key had brought her 
there what seemed like an age ago. The trouble was, he couldn't clear his 
head. Duty and love were reacting in his mind, producing a swirling fog. He 
had to think...

[The next morning...]

Ghost woke up early, if she had even slept at all. Most of the things in 
their apartment were Key's or no one's. She did not take long to pack. 
Mc'Key wasn't there and Kiki had received no word from Vasleth. As she 
continued to fill her small bag, she began to cry. She knew, more certainly 
than she'd ever known anything, that Key had chosen the Warren. The Warren 
had finally done its last to her - the most bitter pill she'd had to 
swallow.

Kiki was on the ledge of their apartment facing outwards.

<Any word?>

<<No my rider. I cannot feel Vasleth's presence at all>>

And so she hauled herself on to the pink's back, but she couldn't move. She 
hugged her neck tighter and tighter.

<What have I done, Kiki?> she sobbed.

<<What you had to do my love,>> she replied, sadly.

What life would be like she couldn't know, but it was too late to turn back 
now. What would it accomplish anyway? Staying with him here would be almost 
as bad as leaving without him. She had to go.

<Let's go Kiki. We don't have a home here anymore.>

The small pink beat her wings and took off from the apartment where they had 
once been so happy. As she beat her wings faster, rising into the updraughts 
of Geode, they began to fly away from that place without looking back.

<Well, this is it my love,> Ghost said, sniffing back the tears.

<<We'll be OK, you'll see,>> Kiki replied. But even the dragon didn't 
believe her rider would ever be the same again.

She was going to see her mother before she left. What would the woman say to 
her? She didn't know, but she knew that they would only wish her well.

Suddenly a great shape rose up before them with startling speed. Both dragon 
and rider had to execute an evasive manouver. As she rounded on their 
assailant, Ghost's tears began to flow uncontrollably.

"If that's the best you can do," the man began sternly, "I'd better make 
sure I can keep an eye on you."

She looked at him and saw the love on his face, the tears in his eyes and 
the passion that she loved and few others knew.

"I am never going to leave you, in life or in death - if you still want me?"

"Of course I do," she said, no longer crying but smiling. "Do you really 
think I'll be able to explain this to mother without you?"

They duly arrived and left the Lord and Lady of Lago Vista. The couple 
understood their decision and wished them well. Her mother's tears were both 
of sadness and joy as she watched her daughter, so long lost to her, fly 
off. 'But', she thought as she clenched her husband's hand and placed a hand 
on her tummy, 'she has the man she loves'.

NRPG:

There's my contribution, either as a separate post or combined, it's up to 
you. I don't know about you, but I almost shed a tear myself!

Respectfully submitted,

Peter Shillan
ObjectWiz@hotmail.com

aka

Mc'Key and Vasleth, *former* Alpha WingLeader, Geode Warren.

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com