"So, what was it like in the woods at night?" Isabella asked as she and Lilac walked through the lunch line. They pulled their fur shawls tighter around their shoulders as a cold winter breeze passed through. Snow made a soft layer on the ground, fresh from last night. The girls collected their baskets and moved on.
"It wasn't bad," Lilac answered, shrugging. "The challenges toyed with my mind, but that was the brunt of it. What about you guys? How was the outside?" Isabelle frowned and turned away.
"Do you think Amanda would still be in our room if it had gone well?" Lilac got the idea. Apparently, Edward and Jerald had made camp by the list of competitors, watching it intensely. Once Kergy had exited, he had joined them also. No one knew who they had been rooting for, but every girl was thinking of one possible solution.
"I swear, Edward doesn't like me," Lilac defended. "I don't know why he stayed by the list, but it wasn't because he had feelings for me."
"Figured that out." The girls turned to see Stephan, a thick wool sweater over his usual uniform. He smiled at Lilac. "Every prince knows you're my girl. So why didn't you make yourself known to me?" Lilac blushed.
"Garth had gotten injured. He needed me more." She smiled at the prince as she finished, "Besides, I knew you could handle yourself." Stephan took her hand gently.
"Yes, but I must protect you. And that is difficult when you're asking for trouble."
Garth watched a short distance away. Close enough to hear everything, but far enough to not be seen. He knew she was telling the prince the truth. That's what she did. But he knew she was hiding something also. He just didn't know what.
"Glad you made it out alive." Garth turned to see Edward, navy sweater dusted with snow.
"You were watching the list to see if I would make it," Garth remarked. Edward turned to the sky for support. Finding known, he went to the ground.
"Sort of. That's one reason." Garth groaned, crossing his arms.
"You were avoiding her." He could hear Edward's heavy breath, practically see him gulp with difficulty. "Lost your nerve."
"I'm an awful prince if I can't even talk to the girl I like," he scolded, falling to the ground. Edward lay down in the snow. Now Garth could see the slight tint of red in his eyes.
"You are an awful prince if you cry about not talking to a girl," he noted. Edward covered his face with his hands.
"It's heartbreaking to see her and not be with her," he said simply. Garth kneeled by his friend's side, trying to find something to say.
Without even thinking, he said, "I know how you feel." Edward uncovered his eyes and stared at Garth. The Never kept his gaze off the prince.
"That's why she didn't ever go and find Stephan." Garth moaned and lay down in the snow.
"I tried to get rid of her a dozen times. She wouldn't go away."
"'Cause she likes you too." Garth shot up and glared at the prince. His gaze softened, though, when he realized the prince's words were true. He did still sort of, in a way, like her. Then reality hit.
"Incorrect sensations that are meant to confuse my true soul," Garth answered, going straight to the books. "Moment of weakness. Years of getting the special attention. I'll get over it." He knew Edward was going to say something, so he made a run. The easiest way to avoid poisoning his mind further.
The days went by in a flash. Princesses were fretting over the Ball, the night after the Circus. They were plotting for every possibility, unsure who would ask them to the Ball. Lilac went through the days in the same blur, mystified to what she really wanted.
In Professor Anemone's class, she had drawn a weird blank during the proposal practice. Gloria had asked her, she had closed her eyes, and pictured her dream prince. It had started out as Stephan, but had shifted to someone else. In an instant, she had only a blank and decided to give Gloria a chance.
Professor Dovey's test wasn't affected by her lack of finding her prince. Dance lessons went peacefully and were rather enjoyable. History had gotten interesting when the Twelve Dancing Princesses had arrived to teach about the customs at a Ball. It ended in a huge arguement that no Ever would forget. But Lilac was still confused.
"I don't think you have to worry." Lilac awoke from deep inside herself and looked up. She was sitting in the Clearing, just staring at her lunch. Garth had snuck up behind her. As he sat down, she pulled a coat out of her bag.
"Here," she said, handing it to him. "This is for you." Garth took it and pulled his thick arms through the sleeves.
"Thanks. Don't worry about who's asking you to that silly Ball."
"Why do you say that?" Lilac asked.
"It's really obvious," he replied, resulting in a few giggles from Lilac. "You're not failing." Lilac frowned. As she sighed, she leaned against Garth's shoulder. The gesture left the Never tense.
"I know who's asking me," she replied, watching her breath crystallize in the cold. "I just don't know if he's the right prince." Garth relaxed enough to put an arm around the girl's shoulders. He squeezed her arm as he held her close.
"Hey, doesn't a prince fight for his princess?" Lilac nodded. "Then the guy who's asking you is the right one. 'Cause he's been fighting for you every since you two met." Lilac nodded and then giggled unexpectedly.
"Why aren't we naming the prince?" she asked. Garth smiled.
"'Cause fan girl is nearby." He gestured to Gloria, talking to her friends in a hushed voice. The Never and Ever laughed. When the laughter stopped, Lilac sat up and stared at Amanda a few yards away. She and Isabella had finally been able to convince her to come out of the room. But the girl still had a somber face and was keeping to herself.
"I wonder why Edward was watching the leader board while we were in the forest," Lilac mused aloud. Garth bit his lip. He knew why, but he didn't want to tell her. That answer would lead to a bigger connection which he couldn't afford to be known to others.
"Maybe he's shy," Garth replied ambiguously. "Princes can be shy, right?" Lilac turned to the Never with an awkward expression.
"Why would he be shy? Amanda's sweet and kind and generous. Nothing to be afraid of."
Tell me about it, Garth thought to himself. If only he could get her to talk to him. The Never smiled.
"Why don't you ask him?" Lilac stared at him incredulously.
"Me?" she asked, pointing at herself. "No, no. It's not my business. And how would I ask?" Garth had to bite his tongue. So close to getting his fraidy cat friend some real help. He didn't want to say anything though. His friendship had to stay a secret.
* * *
The Circus of Talents was on its way. As was the Snow Ball. Garth only cared about the Circus of Talents because both of his friends were in it. He had spotted Edward once in a while practicing combat with the other princes. Kergy would sneak up behind Jerald as a bat just to get a squeal out of him.
Jerald freaked out for the fifteenth time in their room while Garth was trying to read. Kergy cackled in his squeaky bat voice as he changed back into a vampire. And even then, he didn't stop laughing.
"Do you have any idea how old that's getting?" Garth groaned as he flipped a page in his spell book. Kergy scoffed.
"Don't care. It's still funny. And I'm getting better at the transformation part." He morphed into a bat once more, flying around the room in crazy patterns. Garth waved his hand in the air, finger glowing. Kergy the bat instantly became Kergy the moth, grey wings and all.
"Hey!" he squeaked in his tiny voice. Jerald laughed while Garth laid down in his bed, trying to get comfortable as he continued reading. "Change me back into a bat, Garth! I'm serious!"
"You'd be more threatening if you were a monster-sized bat," Garth replied. Kergy landed on his nose.
"What are you even looking at that's so important?" the moth squeaked.
"Something that's been bothering me. Now shoo." The Never swatted at the vampire moth, but the winged critter wouldn't leave him alone. He flew around his head, tickling Garth's skin. "Seriously, quit." Garth dropped his book and started running around the room, trying to find something to hit the moth with.
While in his haste, he tripped on the number of books he had borrowed and stacked on the floor. Pages were ruffled and book covers torn. Two or three pages were scattered on the floor, completely ripped out of the texts.
"Look what you did!" Garth groaned, glaring at the insect.
"You're the one who tripped!" Kergy squeaked. Garth's finger glowed and he pointed at the moth. The moth became Kergy, who fell on his rump when he lost his flight. Garth went straight to picking up the books when he noticed one of the pages that had fallen out. It was written in braille, colorful dots all over the page. Probably from the history book written by August Sader, who was blind.
"What's that?" Jerald asked, picking up the paper. He traced his finger along the page. Suddenly, a hologram of the history professor appeared off the page. It started to speak as Jerald kept running his fingers along the dots.
"I, August Sader, believe I have discovered something interesting in the concept of Nemesis Dreams. This will not occur until later in the future, but I find it beneficial to write an account of it now. The concept is a Nemesis Dream that is shared. What I mean by this is that the Ever and Never, whom are nemesi, see the same vision. The same Nemesis Dream. They, however, do not know each other's identities. This would be caused by-"
The page ended there. Garth almost screamed. Caused by what? What did it mean? Was he the future source Sader was referencing? He needed more details.
"What page number is that?" he asked, searching through the books for Sader's name on the cover. He came up with two books, both in braille. He turned to Jerald, who still hadn't given him a number. His roommates were staring at him incredulously. "What?"
"What happened in your Nemesis Dream?" Kergy interrogated. Garth turned to both of the boys. They wanted answers. And fast.
"I saw me," Garth replied flatly. "And not a mirror version. A prince version." Kergy and Jerald turned to each other. "Lilac was there too. And I...prince me...he..." His roommates stared at him crazily. The Never really didn't want to say it, the idea bizarre and awkward. "Something invisible took Lilac and stabbed prince me in the chest." Silence filled the room.
"You think you were sharing a dream?" Jerald asked. Garth shrugged.
"Maybe. First thing I've found on Nemesis Dreams that isn't status quo." Someone banged on the door of their room.
"Hey! I'm trying to sleep!" someone shouted through the door.
"Get earmuffs!" Kergy shouted back. He turned to his roommates. "We should hit the hay, guys." Jerald handed the page to Garth, who stuffed it in a random book.
"Who would you share a dream with?" the hog mused. "Another Never?" Garth shrugged.
"As far as I know, it could be a dumb mind game." Kergy looked at him as he curled up under his covers.
"Have you still been getting the dreams?" Garth shook his head, setting the books under his bed.
"Glad I haven't too," he replied, laying down. He sat up immediately. "Don't tell anyone," he ordered. Kergy and Jerald nodded.
"No problem," Kergy replied, laying his head down on his pillow.
"Got it, boss," Jerald yawned as he fluffed his pillow. Garth, satisfied with the answers, wrapped himself in his blanket and jacket and fell asleep.