I had to stop myself from panicking the entire way there...I was going to see my sister.

It took us hours to get to get to the specific set of mountains me and Erin had taken refuge in over a year previously. I was practically shaking with nerves.

Then, my jaw dropped. The mountain top...wasn't a mountain top anymore. Floating in thin air was the top half of the mountain, the front of the ice palace peeking out the side like the last time I had saw it.

"Oh no..." I muttered.

"Uh...I'm guessing it wasn't like that before?" Jimmy said from behind me.

I didn't answer him. I pulled up on the reigns and began to descend our dragon. I looked behind me and saw the others following.

We landed and I slid off the saddle, Jimmy fell off after me.

"What is this place...?" Gem asked after she had gotten off her, Pearl and Fwhip's dragon.

"Where me and Erin stayed in the months before the war." I said and ran a hand through my hair.

"You lived, up there?" Fwhip asked skeptically and pointed up at the floating mountain.

"It was not floating the last time I was here." I said.

"So what do we do?" Katherine asked.

"Well...we can fly up there, I'll get off at the island and try to talk to her...you guys circle in case she uh- in case something goes wrong." I answered.

"Okay." Lizzie said nervously, and we all climbed back into the saddles. I had to help Jimmy up again. That flight had to have been one of the most awkward things I have ever done.

As soon as we launched, Jimmy grabbed tightly around my waist again to keep from falling off. I froze, but I didn't say anything. I really, really hated this.

I turned the dragon in the direction of the "floating island". We swooped towards the ground and landed on the very edge of the land mass. That's when I saw her.

She was standing in front of the entrance to the palace with a stunned expression. I saw what Fwhip meant...why did I let her leave?

I slid off the dragon and Jimmy clumsily flew the dragon off the island and began circling it with the others.

"Hey." I said quietly and started to slowly approach her. For only a year and a half, she looked much older. She seemed almost an inch taller than the last time I saw her. But her eyes...that red was not the airy red of her magic, but Xornoth's red.

"S-Scott?" she asked, her hands shaking.

"Yeah...it's been a while hasn't it?" I said, I was less than ten feet in front of her now.

She glanced up at the dragons and took a step back, her eyes flickering.

"It's ok." I said. "No one is here to hurt you."

She looked me up and down slowly. "Scott you should leave." She said.

"Hey, we're here to help you." I said, taking a few steps closer. "We can bring you back and-"

"No- Scott- Scott I can't- you have to leave before-"

I grabbed her hand before she could finish her sentence. "We're here to help you." I repeated. But then her red eyes widened in fear.

"I-" She stuttered, but then she looked down at the ground and her arms seemed to fall limp. "Scott." She said in almost a whisper.

"What?" I asked her.

"Fwhip was right." She said, looking back up, her eyes narrowing. "You should have let the crystal take me."

At that moment, everything seemed to go in slow motion as Erin ripped the Xornoth crystal from around my neck and red swirls of magic exploded from her body. Suddenly, everything was getting smaller, and smaller as her magic expanded, throwing me from the island, much stronger than the last time I had seen her. I was flying through the air until I felt my stomach drop and I was falling. The island was above me now, and I saw a flash of a deep blue before I completely blacked out.

My back ached... so did my shoulders.

I kept my eyes closed, trying to remember what had happened. I remember falling...Lots of red...Erin.

I opened my eyes a sliver. Everything was blurry. I shifted my weight, trying to sit up, but my wing joints sent painful jolts up my shoulder blades.

"Scott?" I heard, but their voice seemed distant.

I forced my eyes open all the way, propped myself up on one of my elbows, and looked around. I was laying in the snow at the base of the mountain. Evergreen trees were all around us, and the five dragons were a good distance away. Jimmy, Katherine, and Gem were crouched down beside me.

"What?" I mumbled. Then I remembered the island, and I looked up...but the mountain top was in place again. "What?"

Katherine bit her lip. "Are you ok?" she asked, and reached out a hand to help me, but I grabbed her wrist before she could.

"I'm fine." I said sharply and sat up. "Where's Erin? Is she still up there-?"

"No." Gem said. "After- After she launched you off, the dragons went...weird, and landed, and then...it's much more powerful than the last time we saw her Scott. She lowered the mountain and disappeared."

I buried my face in my hands. "No, no, no, no, no." I muttered to myself feeling panic start to settle in again.

"Scott it's going to be ok-" Katherine started.

"No, it's not going to be ok!" I snapped, I heard rumbling in the air, and I looked up and saw dark storm clouds circling. "God damn it." I mumbled. "Where's everyone else?"

"By the dragons...we didn't want to overwhelm you when you woke up..." Jimmy said quietly.

"Hm." I said and stood up. My back still hurt, a lot. Then... I grabbed at my chest...the crystal was gone. I swore loudly and looked around frantically to see if the crystal was lying near me, but It wasn't.

"What?" Gem asked in a panicked voice.

"She got it- she got the crystal-" I said, I had to stop myself from hyperventilating, but I couldn't stop my panic.

"Scott what-" Fwhip started as he walked over.

"Erin has the Xornoth crystal." I said.

"WHAT?" Pearl shrieked.

"Your right." Katherine peeped. "It's not going to be ok."

"She- she's going to let him loose." I whispered.

"Not if we can help her before she finds a way." Jimmy reassured, but even I could sense his nerves.

"Scott..." Gem said slowly. "Do you think there'll be something in the elven library that could help her...?"

My eyebrows raised. "There might be...I'll go straight there." I said.

"I'm coming with." Gem said.

"Uh-" I started, but Jimmy cut me off.

"So am I."

"Do you really think that's the best-" I started again.

"The more eyes looking for a cure the better. Let's go." Gem said.

"Alright. But make sure to bring your coats." I said grimly.

I was sat at the back of the saddle behind Jimmy as we circled over the entrance to the ancient elven library.

Right before we landed I slid off the dragon's side and landed on my feet. The dragon landed right after me.

"Why did you-?" Gem started, but I ignored her and headed towards the door. I flicked my wrist and the door flung open. I heard the other two hurrying after me. I glanced behind me and saw them looking around the ice-covered room in shock.

I recited the saying and started to jog down the spiral staircase as it opened. Once I entered the room, I raised my arm and a thick spell book zoomed into my outstretched hand.

"What is that?" Jimmy asked as I scanned the lines.

"The book we found the spell to defeat Xornoth in." I muttered as I read. "I'm seeing if it has anything else..."

"Oh." He said.

"Come here Jimmy, this section has ones that aren't in elvish." Gem said and led Jimmy over.

There was nothing useful in that book, so I started picking books from shelves, a few feet from Gem and Jimmy.

"So...how's it been? We haven't talked for a while." Gem said. Not this again.

"I- um..." I mumbled. "Nothing really..."

"Scott, I can tell when you're lying. What's up?" she asked.

"Like I said, nothing." I snapped.

"People are trying to kill him." Jimmy said, and I glared at him.

"What!?" Gem cried. "People are trying to kill you!?"

"No..." I said, while I continued to glare at Jimmy.

"Is that how you got the cut?" Gem asked.

I smacked my forehead off the bookcase. "Can you stop?" I asked.

"We're friends you can tell me-" Gem started.

"No. We're not." I said without looking up.

"Wha-" Gem started.

"We're not friends Gem!" I snapped. "So don't tell me to trust you!"

"Scott I-" she started.

"NO, Gem." I roared. "You can't just waltz back into my life after a year and a half and claim to know how to solve ALL MY PROBLEMS! Don't you DARE pretend to know what's going on!"

"So tell us what is going on so we can at least try to help!" Gem cried. "I don't understand why your making this so difficult for yourself-"

"YOU THINK I'M TRYING TO!?" I shouted and took a step towards her.

Jimmy stepped in front of Gem so that we were nose to nose. "Don't touch her." He growled. I grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed him into one of the wooden beams of the bookshelves.

"SCOTT STOP!" Gem screamed and grabbed my wrist, trying to tug me away from Jimmy. I glared at her and slowly let go. "Now tell us what's going on."

"No."

"SCOTT MAJOR, YOU WILL TELL US, NOW!" She shouted in rage.

My nostrils flared. "Gem..." I said, trying to stop an outburst from occurring.

"NOW!" She shouted again, angry tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

"Fine!" I snapped back. "It's been happening since the trial. Four times a group of elves have broken into the palace and tried to murder me."

"Wha-" Gem started.

"You asked." I said. "As you can imagine, everyone hates me now." I pulled another book from the shelf and began flipping through it.

"I don't think everyone-" Jimmy started.

"Everyone." I cut off. "I'm destroying the empire."

"Your not-" Gem said, but I cut her off again.

"Gem." I said sharply. "You can't deny I am. So, if- when we bring Erin back, I can train her up in how to rule and..."

"And what?" Gem asked quietly.

"And disappear. You'll never have to see me again." I answered.

"No one wants you to leave." Jimmy said. I actually laughed.

"That's the dumbest thing you've said today." I ended up snapping. "Which is saying something."

"She wouldn't be a better ruler than you." Gem said.

"Maybe, but at least she wouldn't ruin the city just by being there." I said and continued to scan the pages.

"Scott, we don't want you to leave." Gem said. I rolled my eyes.

"Save your breath."

"Scott, can you stop being a depressed git and actually listen to what we're saying?" Jimmy said and crossed his arms. "Your starting to piss all of us off with your pessimism."

"Oh I'm aware." I growled.

"YOU'VE GOT TO GIVE ME A REAL ANSWER ON WHY YOU'VE CHANGED!" Jimmy suddenly shouted. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE SCOTT THAT WANTED TO HELP PEOPLE!?"

I looked up from the book and glared at him. I felt my eyes begin to glow and icy blue, but he kept going.

"We are all trying to help, but you're not trying to change." Jimmy snapped.

"I. AM." I shouted back.

"I DON'T THINK YOU ARE. AT LEAST NOT. HARD. ENOUGH!"

That was the breaking point. Something blinding white flew from my hand as I dropped the book and slashed my arm down towards him.

I heard Gem scream as Jimmy was blasted down the hallway of books and into the stone brick wall. Ice had exploded from where I was standing into sharp spikes pointing outwards in a circle around me.

I froze, my chest heaving. Not again.

"JIMMY!" Gem screamed and sprinted down the hall, while I stood there in shock. I could see his left sleeve tattered and the black mark of frostbite on his upper arm. He pushed himself up against the wall, breathing heavily, and wincing, clutching his arm. She sat down right next to him, it was hard to hear but I heard her faintly say, "It's not bad, you'll be ok. He only got your arm..."

Both of them looked up at me and I took a step back, glancing at the exit. "Not again." I whispered to myself. Gem got up slowly.

"Scott...its fine. Don't do this again." She said. The look on her face was stern. I ended up backing into a bookshelf behind me and sliding to the ground, burying my face in my knees.

I heard Gem's running footsteps as she raced down the hall and kneeled down next to me, putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Scott-" she started as I heard Jimmy coming down as well.

"I can't do this anymore." I whispered as I felt my nose start to sting.

"Hey, Scott, I'm fine, don't-" Jimmy started.

"No, no, this happened with Erin- it's happening again." I said, feeling tears freezing in the corners of my eyes.

I felt one of their hands try to pry my arms away from my face, but I kept my face resting in my knees. Then their hand brushed the side of my head above my ear.

"Hey." Jimmy repeated in a gentler voice and lifted my head up. "It's ok."

I glanced around at the amount of ice that had covered in the room in my moment of panic and at where I had hit Jimmy. He was right, I had only grazed him...but the mark was still there, and it had torn through the scales and flesh underneath. Blood had started to crystalize around the edges.

I started to shake my head, my legs relaxing just a little bit and sliding across the sleet covered floor. I ran my fingers through my hair. "No- no its not."

"Why isn't it?" Gem asked patiently, but that just made my anxiety sky rocket, and almost like a heartbeat, frost began to form in a circle going outward around me, getting thicker every second. Where my left hand rested on the ground, little icicles formed pointing upwards, almost encasing my hand.

I saw Gem's eyes flicker from it then back up to me, but I began to shake my head again.

"Scott come on." Gem sighed. "Why?"

"Because." I said, trying to stop myself from hyperventilating. "It's- it's too much now- I don't- I don't just want Erin to takeover because I don't think I'm doing a- a good job. I- I'm hurting more people- people are dying- there's nothing I can do to stop it- and it's all my fault and-" I was about to keep going when...he kissed me.

I just sat there in shock as Jimmy pulled away, absolutely speechless. "For the record. That was just to shut you up." He said, glaring at me. "You know, the world doesn't revolve around you, not everything is your fault. Most of us took part in this whole mess. Sure, you helped, but so did Fwhip and Sausage, and Erin."

"I-" I stuttered.

"He's right." Gem said. "I started this. I pushed you too hard."

I was still speechless, I didn't even bother to close my mouth which was hanging slightly open, and I didn't bother to try and hide the tears falling down my face, for once, unfrozen.

"Oh Scott." Gem said, her expression faltering. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a hug. For a good ten seconds I just sat there before I hugged her back, lightly. At this point I was just staring at a random spot on the ground in front of me trying to process what was happening. I hadn't been this overwhelmed in a long time.

She let go after a moment. Then Jimmy held out a hand for me to take to help me to my feet. "Now let's find a way to save your sister."

Three hours later I had started to panic...even more.

I had gone through dozens of spell books about dark magic and several history book about the corruption war near the beginning of time when Exor reigned. There was several ways I could kill her in these books but no way I could save her...

Frost spread from my every step, and I started to pull at the roots of my hair, pacing back and forth down the hall.

"Scott." Gem said with an irritated tone. I looked up to see Gem still staring down at a book, her finger running underneath every line and her foot tapping against the stone brick floor.

"What?" I asked.

"Stop. Pacing." She said, looking up, her eyes narrowing.

"Oh. Right." I said and froze where I was standing. Then I heard Jimmy scream from a few halls down. Gem instantly dropped the book and darted around the corner, calling his name. Her braid whipped around the edge of the bookcase before I followed.

The first thing I saw was Jimmy sprawled out on the floor. The book he must have been reading was on the ground with pages ripped out. The second thing I noticed was a large black bird perched on his chest. I couldn't help it. I laughed. "Did the bird scare you cod boy?" I asked. He glared at me.

"No- it just- startled me." He said. Gem rolled her eyes with a smile on her face, before leaning down and holding out her forearm for the bird to climb onto. She pulled a roll of parchment tied to its leg attached by a pink ribbon. I recognized the flower wax seal as the House Blossom seal.

Gem unrolled it and her eyes scanned the handwriting. But then her green eyes widened.

"What is it?" I asked her.

She looked up at me, with a fearful look. "Shrub's back."