Chapter 1

- Remembrance -

"Finally! We've all graduated!" Dee exclaimed stretching her arms out.

I chuckled a little bit, "Yeah, it's good. I was surprised when they called you up though…"

"Okay, now that is cold!"

I sighed and shrugged.

"Most everything in life is," I told her.

Our little conversation wasn't as annoying as it was last year at school but when I had collapsed then woke up in that field I felt like a completely different person.

"I've gotta ask you a couple things, how come you've been so calm this year? Ever since you disappeared for those two weeks you've been completely different. You don't get mad at the teachers anymore, you don't fight people anymore, you actually smile and laugh. What happened during those two weeks?"

I sighed, "It was a life changing two weeks, I can say that much."

"Okay, vague but whatev, so who gave that ring to you? Another secret admirer?" she asked.

"Well, I wouldn't say secret," I told her.

She rolled her eyes.

"Then why won't you tell me his name?"

"Because, you wouldn't believe it was his name."

"Try me."

"Roido."

"That's not a name!"

"I told you, you wouldn't believe me!"

"Whatever…"

I looked down at the ruby ring around my ring finger and was flooded once again with the memories of the painful and joyful moments of heir hunting. Once again, my heart ached to see Roido's smiling face and Kinnder's warm welcome along with Enick, Sec and the rest of the gang.

"Emma, you're crying again," Dee informed me.

I sighed and wiped away the tears.

"I'm sorry… just remembering something," I told her.

She laughed, "You've been having flashbacks a lot! So what memory is it this time?"

I shook my head and walked ahead of her.

"Aren't I driving you home?" she asked stopping next to her car.

"I'll walk, I need the exorcize anyway," I told her giving a warm smile.

She nodded and jumped into her car.

"I still think you should get a boyfriend," she told me starting up the car.

I ignored that comment knowing she wasn't going to listen or understand why I wasn't trying to find one so I just watched and waved as she pulled out and sped past me. I didn't speed though; I walked at a normal pace.

While I was on my way home a convertible filled with some guys I knew from school drove up next to me.

"Hey, Emma! Need a ride?" the driver asked.

"I'm fine," I replied not even glancing at them.

"C'mon babe!" the passenger up in front begged. "We could really use you right now!"

"First off, my name is Emma, not babe and secondly, the only thing you need help with from a girl is "innocent fun" and I am no one's playmate," I responded a bit apathetically.

The guy in the middle of the backseat spoke up.

"We just thought you could help us do some heavy lifting," he told me. "It's nothing serious like that."

I sighed, "No, sorry, I'm just going straight home."

"Whatever, see ya at Dee's party tomorrow," he said driving away.

"I'm not going!" I yelled as he left.

"Yer loss!"

I shook my head at their laziness. They were the boys that always threw giant parties and invited everyone except their enemies. I used to be one of their rivals but then when I came back to school they seemed to notice my change and found it was to their liking.

My friends were surprised that I had stopped talking about great adventures and how I stopped complaining about having a boring and painful life. It made sense to me why I had stopped but they were left completely confused.

I reached the end of the familiar bridge but then stopped. I looked over and stared into the trees deep in thought.

The sound of a car beeping right behind me scared me to death so I jumped and turned to see Dan Koren in a black eclipse.

"Emma?" he asked sticking his head out the window.

I sighed, "Hey Dan, what's up?"

He smiled and parked the car in front of me then got out and walked up to me.

"I can't believe it! You're so beautiful!" he said going to hug me.

He stopped though thinking I was still hateful with people touching me.

"Go ahead," I said hugging him. "I'm not sour 'bout it anymore."

He hugged me back for a moment but then pushed me away and stared at me in the eyes.

"Anything bad happen to you? Anything that caused emotional stress?" he asked.

I sighed not sure whether I should say yes and tell him about the little journey I had that last summer or to say no, nothing happened.

"Yeah, something out of this world, literally, but according to my friends, they say I've improved in personality," I told him.

He smiled and sighed, "That's good. So why were you just standing there staring into the forest?"

I shrugged, "I've been having flashbacks lately."

"Anything negative?" he asked.

I shook my head, "Just remembering what I did last summer for the first two weeks."

"Well, doing anything tonight?" he asked. "Maybe we could go to dinner or something."

I shrugged, "I'm not sure. I doubt I'll be around for a while, but I'll call you when I come back."

"Where you going?"

"Just a little trip," I answered.

"Well, here's my number," he told me handing me a piece of paper. "Call me when you get back."

I nodded, "Okay."

"See ya," he said getting in his car.

"Bye."

I watched for a moment as the car disappeared behind the hill and I took the moment of no one being around and no cars passing to run over into the woods. I ran forwards for some time and as I ran I smiled making up my mind.

"I'll go back and say hello to all my friends! They'll be real happy to see me!"

I found the gates that I had discovered last time I made a trip there and opened them up.

I walked over to the stone and looked at the runes to find that… they said something different then the so-called translations below it.

"I am the priestess, and I have returned to fix a mistake," I read. "Wonder what that could mean…"

This time when my vision went white, I didn't have a heart attack.