Unforgiven

Chapter 4. Communication problems

"Yes." What am I saying? I spent decades hiding my secrets and my mouth decides to open itself before I can think it thought, "Stay away from him."

"Not yet," she doesn't give up an inch of her grip, "Did your powers kill Kent?"

"Yes." I can't stop myself. But Lloyd's at stake. And something inside of me risks my secrets for his safety.

She looks at his hair as it loses it's bright blonde shine, "So what am I getting wrong? You say I'm a liar but you've agreed with all my questions." She doubles her power as Lloyd starts gasping for air. She looks at me as small flurries of snow surround me, "Am I lying or are you just afraid to your past?"

"I'm not afraid." I bite my lower lip. I need a plan and fast.

"SO WHAT DID I GET WRONG?"

"Nothing!" I can't stop my mouth. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to keep tears far away from my face, "It's all true."

The new rose pushes Lloyd over, "That's all I wanted." She picks up her sword as Lloyd curls in a fetal position.

I drop my weapons and start checking on him. Thin black lines are slowly disappearing as I push him onto his back, "Lloyd? Talk to me." I bend over, listing to his heart. There's a strong steady beat but he doesn't respond.

"He's fine." The new rose sheaths her sword as she looks up at Milo, "Got it?"

Milo nods as he shuts off the camera. "Everything. I start editing this in time for tomorrow's video."

"Psst," Lloyd slowly opens one eye. He slowly holds a finger over his lips.

"You're ok," I whisper. He doesn't look fine, his eyes aren't their bright energetic green, just dull and on the verge of fainting, "When I count to 3, get off of me and stand back."

"What no. Who knows how much she took from you."

"1."

The new rose catches the camera as Milo drops it, "Awesome." She pulls out the shurikens of ice, forming an ice motorcycle with her on it. "Get on. I'm sure Kit and Aquila could use some company about now."

"2." Lloyd starts pulling himself up as the new rose places the camera on her belt pocket.

Milo gets ready to jump off the ice platform as Lloyd keeps tensing up.

"3!" Lloyd shoots up as I roll out of the way. A huge ball of energy wrecks the ice platform, trapping Milo under piles of ice.

"Gah," the New Rose covers her face, "Forget this!" She revs then zooms off without her partner.

Lloyd by some miracle gets to his feet, "She's getting away." He tries taking a step only to collapse.

I catch him, geez he's heavier then I thought, "We can't catch her and there's no way that you can make your dragon now." I glance over at Milo, he's knocked out and sleeping on a chunk of ice.

"A ninja.." He winces while trying to get out of my arms, "Never quiets."

"And a ninja needs to rest when his powers nearly were sucked out of him." I start carrying him with his arm over my shoulder, hobbling him to an unfrozen spot on the grass, "You nearly got yourself killed."

"And what did you do during that? You were practically wearing her sword on your face the whole time." His voice flickers, like he about to fall asleep.

I lay him down, holding his hand as mine light up in healing him. He knows. I've killed a man. I need a story. It was self-defense. I had no choice. Literally, anything is better than the truth right now.

The black veins fade as his eyes returns to its bright cherry color, "Was she telling the truth? Did you kill, Keven? Kurbet? Kermit?" He snaps his fingers trying to think of the name.

"Kent." My grip gets weaker as painful memories resurface, "He was my 'personal' boot camp Sargent."

Lloyd stays quite but that can't excuse the elephant in the room right now.

My stupid mouth seems to move on its own again, "You know those power she talked about, they were based all on my emotions. I made a nasty habit of keeping them locked up. That habit persisted to this day." What am I saying? SHut up! Shut up. Shut up. But I just seem to keep spilling out everything.

"I'm sorry."

I lick my lips as I pull off my hood, "It was snowy, I couldn't see where I was going, I had my sword out for defense." When I blink I can see it all over again. I thought I burned that out of my mind long ago.

The snow behind me.

The sound of my sword piercing flesh.

The blood. The blood is the most visible part and drenches my sword.

I feel a warm hand wiping tears away from my face. Lloyd softly smiles, "Sounds bad." He manages to sit up, leaning on me for support, "Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really." Out of every reaction out there, I wasn't expecting that one. "You're not mad?"

"A little freaked out and surprised," he kisses the side of my head, "But I just wished you'd told me sooner."

"Really? How am I supposed to work into a conversation that I k....that I....I" I can't even get the words out I get so choked up.

Lloyd shrugs as he leans on me more and more, "Ok, mabey not sooner but you yourself." His thumb starts making little circles on my glowing hand, "I wanted you to tell me so I can feel like you trust me."

After everything, we've been thought he still sounds like a little kid needing his security blanket, "I do. I just wanted to-"

"Forget?"

"Yeah."

"That happens a lot with us, hun?"

I hum yeah. I feel like something was violently ripped from me but it feels more real now. The fight catches up to me as a wave of tired washes over me, "Hey, greenie?"

"Yeah."

"Don't tell the others. I promise to do it myself." I still have a few more things I can keep to myself but all of them, and I mean all of them, need to come into the light. It's long overdue for that. "I just want to do it on my own terms."

"I promise, Rosie." He moans in pain. "Too bad we couldn't catch the New Rose. Kit might be on her way home by now."

Milo starts to stir.

I watch him as he holds his head, "I think there's still a way for us to find Kit." I get up, my skin missing Lloyd's heat. I help Lloyd up as the sky looks like it's twilight now, "Milo was it?"

He looks up, rolling his eyes, "The black king's daughter. I never thought I'd met you. I must say, I'm unimpressed with your fight."

Lloyd stands on his own as I drag Milo out from under the ice, "What are you thinking?"

"Oh," I twist his wrist as I walk him forward to the village, "Just a few questions. Could you grab my swords, Grennie?"

Lloyd smirks as he slowly and carefully grabs the weapons, "I'll catch up. Just give me a minute."

Milo doesn't even put up a fight, "Where are you taking me? None of your friends' bases are nearby."

"Who said anything about one of my friend's bases? I've got another idea."

Now, where is that ultra dragon?