-One Hundred Forty Two-

The group was already into their spell when we showed, so Sam directed us around the circle already gathered in strategic spots to add our strength in such a way that we wouldn't hinder their progress or spell.

He didn't have time to explain what they were doing, and the way we were adding our powers, we didn't have to know anything, so I tried to not think about it as I closed my eyes and carefully added my energies to the mix.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and more energy coursing through me, adding to the effect, and somehow I knew that more people were showing to add to this giant spell.

I continued to pour my energy in, in and ever in, and I found I had bigger wells of magic than I had ever anticipated having, but somehow I could feel it... could feel the fact that even this great well in me might not be enough in the end.

I continued to add my magic, trying not to think about how this might end as I felt something start to break, though I couldn't tell if it was them or us, so I quickly added another spike of energy, only to realize that was, well, the end of it. If I added any more I'd faint, I knew then, or worse.

Luckily that sprint seemed to have done the trick, and we all found ourselves staggering back, pale and depleted of energy and magic.

"Everyone here has been excused from classes for the next three days!" One of the guests called over the crowd. "So go home, and get some well deserved sleep!"

No one argued as we all left the area without much being said, myself included. I fell into bed almost literally and fell almost instantly asleep.

I woke up just as instantly only to see it dark outside and my sister standing, talking to Sam, though I couldn't make out the words yet.

They both seemed to notice that I was awake at about the same time, though.

"You feeling okay?" My sister asked.

I nodded and sat up, slowly.

"You need to stop overusing magic." She insisted.

"What happened?" I asked. "What was that?"

"The elven king tried to raise the tree under us." Sam said. "But the explosion before was something Talnon devised. I don't know enough about magic to know what it was, just that the visitors planned on the attack changing once we stepped things up, and combatted its effects just fine. It just gave off a good show to the rest of the world as far as what we could handle. The US government will think twice before sending anything after us even if your speech hadn't been successful."

"I just hope he doesn't attack again." Ler muttered. "He does, we're fucked."

"We're not fucked." Sam insisted with more assurance and bravado than he'd shown, well, ever, as far as I could remember.

"You know something." I muttered.

"I just hope it hasn't changed." Ler said.

"You're missing a few key pieces." Sam insisted. "It'll be fine." He looked at me. "Sun should be coming up in a few hours, you've only been asleep a day, and you haven't missed much. The news and government are still freaking out, though for different reasons now. They've been talking and analyzing last night since it happened, and the outward signs appear that nothing happened."

"I can't help but notice that you said outward signs. And what was that about not letting us watch the news last night?"

Sam just smiled slightly. "Don't worry about it, it would have just distracted all of you, and the speech and the explosion changed it all anyway."

I sighed. "I really feel like I'm in the dark and everyone else seems to know everything I don't. I really can't wait for this to all be over."

"Same here." I heard Kai say from the doorway, and looked to see her walking in through the open door like knocking was completely unnecessary. Though sometimes, Talnorr, I feel like we're the only ones who think so."

"That's not true." Ler insisted. "Most of us didn't even want this to start in the first place."

Kai sighed. "I know, I'm just grumpy. It just seems like we all keep having to make all these sacrifices for--"

Ler narrowed her eyes. "Has something happened?"

"Not really, I've just been meeting and talking to a few of the transformed students, is all. It hasn't really brightened up my outlook on a lot of this."

"If you talk to the right ones, yeah." Sam agreed. "Course I tend to avoid the really grumpy ones cause they just get worse around me cause I'm still human, for the most part. Sometimes I wish my hair had turned green or something, it might help."

I chuckled. "I still can't believe that suddenly I'm not the anomaly around here anymore. I don't know if I'll ever get used to that."

"Well, we'll all be the anomalies once we join the rest of the world." Kai pointed out.

"I know. I'm just sorry the rest of you have to deal with that."

Kai smiled. "I was already used to that. But I didn't show up to exchange depressing monologues about life, I came cause your fiance insisted I find the three of you and drag you to the lounge in her dorm. Honestly I don't know why she called me and not you, but I figured she has her oracle reasonings and didn't even ask."

"Probably safest." I said. "She doesn't even know half the time why she does or says things, and asking her about it just makes it harder on her."

Kai nodded.

"Let's go." Sam said, seeming very nervous now that Kai had made her declaration.

"Do I even want to know?" I asked.

Sam didn't say anything as he threw on a pair of shoes.

I sighed and did similarly. By the time I looked up Ler looked almost deathly pale. "Oh god, don't tell me--"

Sam shrugged. "I hope not. It better not be." He muttered. I said nothing as I grabbed my sweatshirt, the four of us left, and Sam locked the door.

We quickly left down the stairs, out the dorm, and into the early morning breeze. I still had no idea how we'd created this dome so that the weather passed harmlessly through. Honestly, I was just glad that I didn't have to know exactly how all of it worked, just that it worked.

We quickly made our way to Connie's building and into it, going to the lounge where Connie and Tarl sat riveted, staring at the TV. When we got up to them I looked at the TV and was shocked to see what was plastered all over the TV. Apparently we weren't the only altered university to be hit by the trees and the explosions, but we were the only ones who had come out completely unscathed. I found myself swearing, as I heard Sam curse louder behind me and start pacing. I didn't even turn to look, I was still too riveted by the images of half formed trees growing through the sides of the energy domes, making them sputter like they were dying and one shield was already completely down and destroyed.

"This wasn't supposed to happen." Kai muttered, voice barely above a whisper. "Harmony--"

I turned to look at her, who now had her hands to her forehead and looked to be on the verge of a mental breakdown. "All the planning, the sacrifices, the strategies, only to have it undone now--"

"It's not undone." Connie insisted as she looked at them. "It's just beginning. This changes nothing."

"Nothing?!" Sam and Kai exclaimed in unison.

"Nothing." She insisted, perfectly calm. "It just... moves things up a bit." She looked back at the TV. "The dragons will have to show up soon."

"Wha--?" Kai started to say.

Connie stood up, turned, and stared at us. Tarl even unglued her eyes long enough to stare at Connie's weird behavior. Connie looked at me. "We need to get married."

"What?!"

"You heard me. We need to get married, now. We have both Tarl and Ler here, so the witnessing part of this is covered, and as for the ceremony, the dragons don't care what it is as long as it's official, and--"

"Don't we need a priest?" I asked, trying to get some sort of bearings on this whole thing. "And--"

She smiled. "The guests can perform it, I talked to one earlier about this. It's really important that we do this, Matt, today, I don't know why but a lot depends on this."

"And you don't--?"

"Want something more romantic? Matt, I don't really care. Okay, part of me really does, but the rest of me is quashing it by reminding it that we get the rest of our lives to make up for it. Besides, I really want to have sex with you."

I felt myself blush crimson.

She smiled and laughed as she walked around the couch and hugged me. I hugged her back. "We'll have to postpone the elaborate honeymoon, though, but consummating it is definitely happening, that might actually be the most important part."

"Wha--?"

I felt her turn her head and look at Sam. "You and Mandy need to do the same. I don't know why, but you two need to finish getting married and consummate your own marriage."

"Wait, you two haven't--?" Tarl asked, sounding amazed. "Why the hell not?!"

Connie and I released.

Sam shrugged and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "There were always so many other pressing things, plus it wasn't legal anyway, and doing it in the dorms with these walls and everyone listening wasn't really a thrilling idea, and--"

"You don't have to give me your life story," Tarl insisted. "I'm just surprised you haven't taken the opportunity to jump her yet."

"We both found out and had to deal with things the day we got married, and it hasn't really worked out, timing wise, since. We have discussed it, though, and because of the nature of these sorts of marriages Mandy said it might be best until after it was legal anyway, just in case--"

Tarl nodded. "Point. Gray areas can get messy."

"Well, regardless you two need to finish this." Connie said. "There shouldn't be a problem to arrange sleeping arrangements and the like."

"But what about legal--?"

"That's taken care of." Mandy said as she entered. "Connie started talking to me before about this, and now that this has happened I see why. It's a good thing she talked me into getting the legal stuff in order. Was way too easy, really. They didn't ask for nearly enough documentation and I didn't have to cut through any red tape or time."

"That's cause it needs to happen today, before anything else happens." Connie insisted.

"Why?" I asked, still confused as ever.

"Because it signals the coming together of great forces." Mandy said. "It will make the shield stronger, for one, and doing it at the same time will make it stronger still, as well as our internal bond as friend and--"

Sam looked at her. "You sure about this?"

"As long as you don't mind getting married without your family." Mandy said with a look of regret.

Sam sighed. "Mom was going to be mad, anyway, I might as well deserve it. We might have to have another ceremony to placate her, though."

"I can live with that." She said with a smile.

I looked at Connie, I didn't say anything, I really didn't know what to say, really, just looked meaningfully at her.

She laughed, smiled, walked up and kissed me. I kissed her back.

We released moments later. "Is that a yes?"

I nodded. "I was already yours, you know. I will always do whatever it is you need me to, this is no exception."

She smiled warmly at me. "I suppose we should go find the visitor then and get him to--"

"No need." One of the squiggle dudes said as he walked in. "Word of your questions have gotten around, Connie, so I decided it best if I stopped by. I happened to hear most of the conversation, and I can perform the ceremony whenever you need."

"Thank you." Connie said.

I looked at her suddenly. "Connie?" I asked, as a thought occurred to me. "You aren't taking my last name, are you?"

She blinked back her confusion. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because to be honest, I have no real desire to keep it."

"Oh, right." She said like that was a problem. "What were you thinking, then? I mean--"

I sighed. "I'm not sure, I just really don't want to be associated even remotely with my foster parents anymore."

"I can understand that." Connie said. "Do you want to take your mom's--?"

"Ah, well... I wouldn't mind except I have this feeling she wouldn't be too thrilled. She doesn't exactly have much love for her own parents, and I have this feeling she would love it if the name died with her. You should hear the way she talks about them, and--"

"So that pretty much leaves two choices, either you two make one up or you take hers, right?" Tarl asked.

I nodded.

Connie sighed. "And here I'm not even talking to my dad right now."

"He'll live." Tarl insisted.

"And your parents have been really good to me." I said. "I really wouldn't mind at all taking your name."

"But what about the certificate? Mandy already--"

"I can fix that." The squiggle guy insisted. "Easily."

She blinked, shook her head, then laughed. "Alright. I should have guessed this wouldn't go according to plan." She smiled at me. "I should have guessed you wouldn't stand for tradition."

"Is that a good thing or a bad one?" I asked dubiously.

"Neither, it's just funny."

"But--"

"Don't worry about it."

"Are you okay with keeping--?"

She smiled and nodded. "Perfectly."

"Alright then." I said, noting that she seemed perfectly serious.

"You aren't going to try that on me, are you?" Mandy asked Sam like he would regret it if he said yes.

"Wasn't even thinking of it." He said. "I'm keeping my name, you can either keep yours or take mine. I mean, unless--" He suddenly added like he realized what he'd just said and how he'd said it.

She laughed. "Good, cause I like your last name a lot better than mine."

He chuckled. "You would."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." He said innocently.

"Great minds think alike, I guess." She said. She looked at me and Connie. "How is that you two didn't talk of that before?"

"Could ask you the same thing." Tarl said before either of us could speak.

She smiled. "True, but--"

"Let's just get married, huh?" Connie asked.

Mandy nodded and smiled. "Absolutely."