*^Shattered Stickers^*

[Stingsticker]

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/eclair9/anime/2A-ATR-ReturnOfTheSakura_1600x1200.jpg

Through wailing winds and raging rain, they fight and run to save their land. They are the runners, people made to carry messages to neighboring countries, as fast as possible. They have been depended upon for generations, but the new arrival of drums and dragon messengers, the runners are a dying breed. While they wait for the final decision of their fate, two runners who have grown up together, continue their duties, delivering messages and important documents as is their duty.

[Stingsticker]

Template:

Name:
Age:
Appearance:
Bio:
Dragonling: (Color and name)
Other:

[ShatteredDreams]

((Oh whoa, what a awesome story! ^ ^ Sounds like it'll be fun.
I love the name.. "Shattered Stickers". XD
I'll have my template up soon.))

[Stingsticker]

Name: Celcius Dagroe
Age: 16
Appearance:http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/DarkDreamer162/Hatori.jpg
Bio: Celcius grew up in the large Castle, being trained as a runner. The dragons had recently been discovered, and domesticated, whispers of replacement going about. He had always dreamed of traveling farther than the neighboring castles. He had earned his Dragonling through a Fighting Tournament that was held at the castle during a fair. He has never parted with it since.
Dragonling: (Blue, Mako)
Other: Despises the heat.

[ShatteredDreams]

((Sorry it took so long.. ))

Name: Ariella (Or Ariel) Lershire
Age: 16
Appearance:
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj180/Sailor_snake/Angel-2.png
(Minus the wings)
Bio:Ariella is an orphan, both her parents killed in war.She lived her life with her grandparents, in a small house in the mountains. Her life has been very lonely, and she prefers it that way. At the Dergus Castle, she was being trained to be a runner when she turned 12. Before then, she trained to fight in the war, as her parents did. She is excellent with swords. Her grandfather taught her all she had to know about sword fighting. When she reached her final stage of fighting, her Dragonling was given to her from him as a present.
Dragonling: (White and black, named Crytias)
Other: She is shy when meeting new people. Ariella also prefers night over day, and winter over summer.
She also has had a crush on Celcius, ever since she first met him. She hopes that someday he will feel the same way, although she she highly doubts this.

[Stingsticker]

(Mkeh, the Castle we're in is called Dergus Castle, and it's a Lord system. We've grown up together being rained as Runners, and we're about to do another run before they decide our fate. Ready?)

[ShatteredDreams]

((Oh.. I suppose I should change my bio then. XD Ready, you go first. ))

[Stingsticker]

Celcius stood in the main hall next to Ariella, waiting for The Lord Hartis to come in and tell them the messages they would be sending, along with any parcels or baggage. He bumped Ariella with his elbow and leaned closer. "Hey, do you think the rumors are true? The ones about the Drums and Dragons replacing us?"

[ShatteredDreams]

Waiting for Lord Hartis was agonizing. He would make the two wait forever, and when he would finally arrive, he was one of the biggest cowards she had ever known. His demanding words would echo throughout the castle.

Ariella shuttered at what Celcius said. "I-I.. certainly hope not." She frowned, shuffling her feet back and forth. "I don't know what I'd do if that ever happened. But I guess I could join the war, like I've been training to. I saw this day coming." She looked at Celcius. "If anything happens... we'll always be together.. right?" Her eyes were hopeful. She didn't want to loose him- he was the only friend she had.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius nodded and smiled. "Of course, what else would we do? We only work well together, I suck when I run alone." He looked at the door, hoping The Lord would come soon, he always hated waiting for him.

[ShatteredDreams]

She smiled and threw her arms around him. "Yay!" She thought for a moment. "We can only work together... That makes us pretty much one person." She laughed, but instantly stopped when she could hear the Lord's thundering footsteps. Time for him to come and break my happiness. Ariella sighed as he approached the two, his icy glare sending shivers down her spine.

[Stingsticker]

Just as Celcius was about to say something about her remark, the Lord had arrived and stood in front of them, ready to give out another long and arduous speech. Lord Hartis puffed up and crossed his arms behind him. "It seems that there has been some trouble in the Northern regions and we need you to run up to Castle Arden and deliver some messages and receive any news about there situation." He then turned around and exited the room, leaving them no time to ask questions. Celdius was puzzled by his short orders, wondering why they didn't get the usual long speech.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella looked at Celcius in amazement. "Wow.. we must be getting on his nerves, if he can't stand to be in the same room as us for 10 seconds. Not that it's a bad thing." She took a seat on a nearby chair and stared at the floor, puzzled. "He didn't even tell us the messages we were supposed to deliver."

[Stingsticker]

Celcius walked over next to her and sat on the floor. "I don't think it's about that... I think he has other things on his mind..." He knew Lord Hastis loved drilling his anger into people, and this was unlike him. Celcius sighed and leaned back against Ariella's leg. "I don't know anymore... Let's just get ready to go after a nap..." He closed his eyes, feeling somewhat tired now.

[ShatteredDreams]

She blushed a light pink as his head brushed against her leg. "Oh great. I don't know how long this will take.." Ariella couldn't sleep at the moment. She had too much energy locked up inside. But she also didn't want to leave this room. She was afraid of running into someone. She wasn't exactly the princess of the castle - nobody wanted her around, and she didn't even know why.
"Make it quick, Cel. If the Lord decides to walk his ass back in here, we're dead." She leaned her head back against the chair.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius remained in his spot, smiling at her worrying. "If he comes in, he'll probably just send us away and over to the next Castle... You really shouldn't worry so much..." He poked her other leg and chuckled a bit at her reaction.

[ShatteredDreams]

"Alright, alright, just close your damn eyes already." She kicked him lightly and giggled quietly. "You really shouldn't worry about my worrying." She smiled and once again leaned her head back on the chair, closing her eyes.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius grumbled something unintelligible as he started drifting off. He was quick to sleep, but was a very energetic riser, ready to go as soon as he awoke. His head began to lean to the side, slowly inching closer to falling to the floor.

[ShatteredDreams]

Unexpectedly, Ariella managed to snooze a little herself. Deep into the sleep, she was having a strange dream again. Almost as bad as a nightmare. She squirmed around in the chair, changing positions - leaning this way and that way, until finally she had fallen off the small wooden chair and onto Celcius, with a loud boom.
"Ouuchh." She said, yawning, rubbing her now sore head. She opened up her heavy eyes and saw she was on Celcius, and instantly stood up, a dark red colour rushing to her cheeks.
"I-I-I'm sorry!"

[Stingsticker]

Celcius had fallen to the ground as she squirmed and woke up with a start when she fell on top of him. He groaned softly, rubbing his back as he looked at her. "It's alright, just woke me up a bit early. What, did the Lord come in and knock you off the bench?" Celcius smiled and slowly stood up next to her, noticing her red cheeks.

[ShatteredDreams]

"No.. I just... fell. Next time, we'll just have to sleep farther away from each other, so that doesn't happen again." A smile appeared on her blushing face. "Can we be on our way, or do you still need to catch up on your beauty sleep?" She laughed, while rubbing her sore head.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius smiled, propping his hands on his head. "Me? No... I wa sjust worried about you, seems you haven't been getting enough beauty sleep yourself." He laughed and turned to the door, opening it quickly in case she got the joke.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella glared at him, her mouth wide open. "Why.. you...!!" She ran up behind him and pounced on his back, knocking him over onto the hard wooden floor. While he was underneath, she jumped up and down on his stomach. She gave an evil grin while doing so. "Does it hurt?" She snickered.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius groaned loudly, clutching his back. When she jumped on him, she forgot about the stuck up board in the doorway. "Of course it does you ninny, I hit the doorway board..." He tried pushing her off and roll over.

[ShatteredDreams]

"Heh heh." Ariel finally jumped off of him and helped him to stand, the sweet revenge making her happy. She gave him a hug. "There, all better! Let's be on our way now." She dragged him out of the room.

[Stingsticker]

Celcious held his back as he was dragged along, groaning as they reached the steps. "Just hang on... It hurts more than you think..." He pulled back his hand, then stretched slowly, feeling the crack that sent relief through his spine. He sighed happily, and smiled. "There, now we can go..."

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella laughed. "Do you forgive me already? 'Cause I don't forgive you." She grinned and continued down the castle's corridor.
"Hmm.. I've forgotten the extremely short instructions the Lord gave us." She pondered, looking at the ceiling. "Something about going north... right?" The little nap had wiped her brain completely.

[Stingsticker]

"Castle Cardin... or is it Ardin?" He stood there thinking about it. "Ah well, I just know we have to stop by the gateman to pick up what we need." He walked past her, stepping into the main hall, the lights shining in through the tall open windows.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariel let him lead the way. "All right, ladies first." She laughed at her stupid joke. Sunlight was beaming through the windows, it's light was a contrast to the darkness of the castle. Finally they reached the towering wooden door. She watched as Celcius opened it, and they continued through it and out to the castle courtyard.

The sunshine of midday was beating down on them. Ariella un-knotted a ribbon that was around her wrist, and tied up her long cerulean hair into a ponytail.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius closed his eyes as he continued forward, stretching out his arms and feeling the cool breeze on his body. "Now this.... This is what I live for." He twirled slowly, trying not to look to girly. He just couldn't help but feel good in this weather. He stopped, looking up as a huge shadow loomed past them. He stared into the sky as a Dragonrider flew past with his Golden Dragon. Celcius whistled and followed him with his eyes. "Wish we could fly..."

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariel smiled. "But I thought you didn't like the heat?" She continued behind him. She preferred the rain over sunshine, but it was alright once in a while. The soft breeze was calming. She swept her hair out of her eyes so she could look around at the gently swaying trees, the fast moving clouds, and the dragons and birds flying above. The breeze quickly vanished. Her long black dress was attracting the heat, so she rolled up her sleeves and began fanning her face with her hand. "Too... hot.. " She drooped foreward and leaned her other hand against a fence for support. She glanced over at Celcius. "What? Fly..?" She sighed.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius shook his head and smiled. "Oh nothing... I was just thinking..." He walked over to the fence and pulled at her dress. "How ae you supposed to run int that? Come on, take it off..." He tucked at the black fabric, smiling as he did.

[ShatteredDreams]

She sighed. "But that means I have to go back inside.. and get changed again." She groaned and headed off towards the castle again, dragging him along by the hand. "I don't know what to wear now. This dress is my favourite." When they finally reached the room Ariel stayed in, she began rummaging through her wardrobe in search of something pretty.

[Stingsticker]

He walked after her reluctantly. "Oh please don't drag me in there... Just pick out some running jeans and let's go!" He crossed his arms and stood in her doorway, waiting impatiently for her to get ready.

[ShatteredDreams]

She threw clothes all over the room. "Running jeans? Who can run in jeans? You're no help." A skirt she threw had landed on his head. "Alright.. I think I found something." She tugged something out of her closet, walked over to the door and closed it. She slipped on the clothes and opened the door, now wearing shorts and a corset with lots of bows and ribbons.

[Stingsticker]

Ceklcius remained standing, motionless from when she threw the skirt on his head. He stared vacantly at her, one eye cover by the cloth. " You're really going to run with ribbons... We're going North, as in Cold, as in freeze you're tiny little legs off..."

[ShatteredDreams]

"I think I can manage. Do you have to criticize everything I wear?" She frowned and took the skirt off his head. "Let's just go, don't worry about me."

[Stingsticker]

He turned and started walking down the hall. "It's not criticizing if I don't want you freezing, it's very cold up North, and it's a very long run..." He continued walking, a bit angry at her nonchalant attitude. He knew she would get cold, then he would have to give her jacket and end up having to carry her. He sighed heavily, opening the door to the outside again.

[ShatteredDreams]

"I won't! I'll promise! I've been up there before, and If I do get cold, I'll just have to suck it up." She smiled and jumped onto his back. "Cheer up! You're such a worrier. Some day you're gonna make a great mommy." She laughed and jumped off his back, her happiness suddenly drifting away. "I'm sorry... I'm so annoying. I think from now on I'll just keep quiet." She realized everything she was doing was starting to piss him off. She knew that she wasn't this bad usually. Ariella had a surplus of happy energy today, and she didn't know why.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius smiled and turned around. "It's alright, I know you're just happy, but I can't figure out why..." He poked her nose and squinted his eyes at her, pursing his lips. He snickered as he walked backwards, rubbing his chin in playful contemplation.

[ShatteredDreams]

"All I know is that this joyful mood of mine won't last long.You should try to be as happy as I am!" She considered that maybe she was just excited, but she knew that couldn't be right, because the "mission" - as she liked to call them, sounded like a boring one. They continued through the corridor and back outside. "How can you walk backwards like that?" She examined him, completely clueless. Now she decided to give walking backwards a try, but immediately tripped over a rock and fell on her bottom. "Oof!"

[Stingsticker]

Celcius stifled a laugh, stopping and walking back over to her. "You just have to feel where you're going. Come on..." He held out his hand for her to get up. He never understood why she had these silly mood swings, it always happened with different parts of the day though.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella burst out laughing at her own stupidity. Finally when she gathered the energy to stand up, she took his hand. It's warmth was somehow.. comforting, and she didn't want to get go. She found her cheeks growing hot while holding onto his hand like this, so she finally let go and placed her hands behind her back. "T-thanks." She gave a cheerful smile and continued walking. It had been a while since they were given the guide lines from the Lord, so she thought it would be best if they left soon. "U-uhm.. think we should finally be leaving now?"

[Stingsticker]

Celcius rolled his eyes and smiled. "well yeah, I think it's time to go, I thought it was time before you had your heart set on changing your whole wardrobe out before we go." He put his hands on his hips and stuck out his tongue, trying to be playful. He wasn't normally like this, but the thought of travelling up North with her was exciting.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariel nudged his arm with her elbow. "Hey, that was you're idea! You're the one who was complaining." She stood like Celcius did, her hands on her hips like his were, and tried her best to make her voice sound like his. "Don't wear that, it's too hot. You can't run in a dress! You're gonna freeze if you wear shorts. I'm gonna act like I'm your deceased father. I'm so worried about you!" She laughed after she was finished mocking him and rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'm done. Lead the way ma'am!"

[Stingsticker]

Celcius cringed a little when she mentioned the deceased Father. He dropped his arms back to his side and turned to the gate. He walked over to the gate man and held out his hand. "Hey Grey, let's have it... I know it's nothing much..." Grey, the Old Gatekeeper smiled and turned around to rifle through some papers. He pulled out a small wooden box, many seals stamped into it's surface. Celcius raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "This? We're carrying a box?" Grey nodded and smiled, handing him the box as he opened the gate.

[ShatteredDreams]

"Finally we can be out of here..." Ariel looked at the box cluelessly. "I wonder what's inside it. We should open it to find out!" She grinned, but knew that he wouldn't want to open it. She followed him through the gate. "I know what it is! A bomb! Their going to send us up there, and when we're halfway - BOOM! Our destined death." She was only joking around, but she considered this. What if it was? They wouldn't do that... right? She chuckled at her over reactive imagination.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius sighed knowing she was be her imaginative self. He frowned, looking over the box over and under. There were no seems, and no cracks where it looked like it would open, just a wooden box. He took out a small cloth from his pouch and wrapped it inside. He turned to Ariella and sighed. "Let's just go, I'm getting a little frustrated with all this..." He began walking, hanging the box over his shoulder in the cloth.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariel followed closely behind him. "Aww, don't be glum my friend!" She smiled and patted him lightly on the head. "Your mood swings scare me! Just don't worry about it."

{Sorry for all the lame replies. u . u ~ extreme writer's block.}

[Stingsticker]

(It's alright...)

Celcius groaned loudly, moving his head away from her hand when she patted him. "Mood swings are for girls, which may I remind you, you have a habit of..." He continued walking, not caring to look back as he spoke.

[ShatteredDreams]

She frowned, wondering if she had said anything to put him in this mood. She knew that she must have. Ariella decided that from now on she would keep her mouth shut about stupid things, and only speak after he spoke first. What did I do? Her heart sank at the sound of his voice. She shuffled along quietly behind him.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius walked on, not uttering a word for a long time. He knew being in a foul mood would upset their trip. He sighed loudly, making it very loud for her to hear. "Geez, I wish the sun would give up already... I'm too hot as it is... Practically melting!" He waved his hand in front of his face, turning his head slightly to see her reaction.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella nodded, not saying anything else. She didn't want to get on his nerves again. But he was right. The heat was scorching now. Still, she treached along behind him, observing the plants as their lives were slowly being taken away by the sun. She just wanted to start running. She wanted to get their soon, so she wouldn't have to suffer any longer.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius groaned loudly, not getting the response he wanted. "Come on, let's start running, it's practically all we're good for..." He began picking up his feet, his legs sprinting forward and digging into the trail. He waved for her to hurry up, a playful smile on his face.

[ShatteredDreams]

She cringed at the sound of his groan. "I'm sorry!" Finally... Ariella picked up her feet and darted foreward, catching up to him. Still, she was never quite as fast as he was, so she was always a few steps behind. Most of the time, Celcius had to slow down to be next to her. Ariella sighed, thinking that he would probably be better off on his own. What was the point of her even being there? He carried the packages, he was faster, he new where he was going. All she did was slow him down...

After a short while, she could feel her hair getting damp with sweat. She hated the feeling. The Lord had to pick the worst day for this, and he did so successfully. Ariel gave a depressed moan. She was hoping that soon, when they were further north, it would be at least a little colder.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius took in his breaths at his usual pace, keeping his heartrate at it's specific timing. His head began to speck with sweat droplets, and the package seemed to get heavier as they went along. He looked back and slowed down a bit. "Hey, I think we'll take it easier now. The box seems to be getting heavy..." He started lessening his steps, so that he was now just at a brisk walking speed. He could see that she was miserable, and he didn't like her that way.

[ShatteredDreams]

"Alright." Ariella slowed as well,but she was still a few steps behind him. She wondered how much longer this was going to last. She sighed. Maybe a day of running? Maybe two days? Would they be that cruel? She shook the sad thoughts out of her head. Besides, they had run for weeks before. Just... the weather wasn't this hot. Still, she looked around, noticing how the plains turned into mountains, and the maple trees changed to evergreens as they walked farther.

[Stingsticker]

They continued, and he knew that the box was getting heavier. He let it fall to the ground and sighed. "It's getting heavier... I don't understand it..." He kicked the box, barely moving the heavy object. He looked at Ariella and frowned. "I can't keep carrying it if it get any heavier..." He sat down, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

[ShatteredDreams]

"Getting heavier?" At first she just thought that he was imagining things. It can't be... "I'm worried about what's inside it." A sad expression appeared on her face. "I.. I think we should just open it. We can break it open, and if there's nothing bad inside.. we can just tell them... we dropped it." Ariel went over to a tree and picked up a sharp,heavy rock. She ran back to Celcius, waiting for what he had to say to her idea.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius stood up in shock. "No!!! We can't! You know he's testing us! He would surely get rid of us if we didn't deliver it in it's perfect state... I guessed it when he sent us off without the specifics." He frowned, waving for her to put the rock down.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella frowned, a little heart-broken. She was really in the mood to smash something with a rock. It would make her feel better. She dropped the rock and continued walking. "I don't want you to hurt yourself carrying such a heavy thing.." She was really worried now. Her stomach felt like it was going into a knot. She anticipated that he was going to tell her it was fine, that he could handle it. Ariel sighed and just kept walking.

[Stingsticker]

HE held onto the box in front of him in both arms. "It'll be fine, but it won't be for long... I'll have to roll it if it keeps on..." He knew she was depressed now, and he didn't like her that way. "I think we might break it after this. So keep your rock handy." He smiled, the sweat dripping from his brow.

[ShatteredDreams]

"Okay. Just don't hold onto it for too long." She smiled, knowing she must have sounded like a mother, and picked up the rock. "Ouch..." Somehow it's rough edges cut open her right hand. Ariel wiped it off on her shorts, now stained a dark red. She held the small boulder in her left hand now, being careful of the ridged edges, and continued walking at a fast pace.

[Stingsticker]

They started heading upwards, the heat dissipating as they continued on. He smiled, the cooler air making it easier for him to carry the box. "Oh wow, that breeze is nice... You still ok back there?" He looked back, spotting the blood on her shorts. "What happened?" He stopped and dropped the box, looking her over to see any injuries.

[ShatteredDreams]

The cold breeze felt nice. Ariella's sticky hair blew out of her face. She looked at Celcius, smiling nervously. "Oh, nothing!" She blushed and hid her bloody hand behind her back. Looking down at her shorts, she pretended to be surprised. "Oh darn! That's.. uhm... ketchup.."

[Stingsticker]

Celcius frowned and walked closer. "Oh, so you won't mind if I taste it..." He ran his finger across it, feeling it's texture. He knew it was blood, he just wanted to gross her out. He put his finger to his mouth, ready to lick it.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella giggled quietly as he put his finger in his mouth. She wasn't ready to give up on it yet. "Yeah! Strangely the ketchup I had tasted a little like blood, so I don't think you'd wanna try it!" She quickly took his hand out of his mouth.

[Stingsticker]

He grimaced when she saw through his bluff. "Aw, you're no fun... Girls are supposed to be freaked out by that kind of stuff." He frowned and rolled his shoulder. "At least the air is nice, or I might not be able to keep going like this..." He turned around and looked at the box. It seemed light enough, but looks can be deceiving.

[ShatteredDreams]

She didn't understand why he had given up so easily. "Why would I be freaked out if you licked ketchup? I mean.. it would be you're own fault." She laughed and kept walking, the palm of her hand still seeping out blood. It was so little of a cut that she felt no pain, but still something to stop the blood from dripping would be nice. While he wasn't looking, Ariella leaned down and picked up a long leaf and wrapped it around her hand like a bandage.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius stared at the box, a little frustrated now. "You know, how can something get heavier? Doesn't that defy all logic? Do you think it's some kind of magic?" He kicked the box lightly with his foot, rolling it over.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariel quickened her pace so that she was next to him. "I dunno... but whatever's inside... I don't like it." She kneeled down next to the box and leaned her head against it, so that she could hear inside. There was no sound. She looked up at him. "Maybe it's something living. Something growing..." She thought for a moment, staring into space, before getting up off the ground.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius frowned and rubbed his head. "But, if it's growing, wouldn't it have to eat to grow?" He nudged the box again, trying to figure it out. He nearly broke down and wanted to tell her to bust it open, but he had a better idea. "Let's just sit here for a while. It'll give us time to rest, and we can see if anything happens while we wait."

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella sighed happily and agreed to take a rest. She sat across from Celcius, the box in between the two. They were underneath a huge spruce tree, it's shade was relaxing. With her hands behind her head, she leaned back against the tree's base. She closed her eyes, but didn't intend to sleep. She just listened carefully to the sounds of the birds and the swaying trees.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius stared at the box, intent on finding out what it was. The breeze was nice, but the rock he sat on wasn't too comfortable. He moved off the rock, sitting closer to the box. He yawned loudly, tired of watching it. "So, why do you think we're going on this Run?"

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella spoke sofly, her eyes still closed. "I don't know, but I guess we'll find out soon, right?" Right now she didn't have answers to any of his questions. This made her feel useless. She opened her eyes and looked at Celcius. "Why.. why am I here? What is the point of me running with you? Don't you ever think I'm good for nothing?"

[Stingsticker]

Celcius slowly turned his head around and looked at her in shock. "Worthless.... How can you say you're worthless? You... matter to me. I can't think of a better reason to come along. I couldn't dream of ever running without you..." He was starting to get upset by her mood, and he stood up and walked over to her. "Is something wrong? Did someone say something to you about me?"

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella instantly smiled, somewhat surprised by what he had said. The words he spoke echoed through her mind. She shuffled over a little so he could sit next to her. She shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. I just needed to know." She hugged him closely, and then let go. "You'll always be my best friend. I promise."

[Stingsticker]

Celcius sighed, looking back over at the box. "That's good to know, and you'll always have me, whether you like it or not." He stared for a while, his eyes slowly closing and he started to fall asleep.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella closed her eyes again as well, drifting slowly into sleep. After a while she leaned her head to the side, and it hit Celcius' shoulder. She woke up at once, seeing him still sleeping. She had to stay awake - She had to keep her eye on the package.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius felt her head hit his shoulder, mumbling to her. "I... love..." He groaned loudly, falling to his side, still deep in his sleep. The package remained stationary, the cloth around it blowing in the breeze.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella took her eyes off the package to look at him, completely clueless on what he meant. He's probably having a strange dream. Maybe he's kissing a hippopotamus. She giggled, wondering about his dream. She laid down, still keeping an eye on the package.

[Stingsticker]

The package remained silent and still, the cloth on the other hand did not... It slowly changed colors, from red to green to blue, then quickly vanished. The box remained unchanged, it's texture and look the same.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella looked at the package shocked, terrified. She leaned over and nudged Celcius' shoulder. Her soft voice was now quick and panicky. "Cel! ... Celcius, wake up!" Once his half open eyes met hers, she pointed to the box. "Something's wrong. The cloth... it was changing colors! A-And then it just... disappeared! We have to find out what's inside it. Ariella picked up the rock and was ready to smash it open. But something in her heart told her nothing was going to harm them. She knew she was just being her over-reactive self. She looked at Celcius. "If any thing goes wrong... I just want you to know.. I.. I..." She stopped speaking, her voice getting so quivery and her pale cheeks fading to deep red.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius rubbed his eyes and watched her freeze before she hit it. "You what? Stop being silly, the cloth must have just floated away..." He stood up slowly, walking over next to her and noticing her red cheeks. "Why are you blushing? Are you upset or something?" He tilted his head, still rubbing his eyes from sleep.

[ShatteredDreams]

"No, I saw it! It changed colors first.. red, to green, to blue." She grabbed a hold of his shoulders and started shaking him like crazy. "We have to open it." She quickly picked up the rock once again, ready to burst the box open.

"I-I'm not blushing..." She dropped the boulder hard onto the package, shattering it open.

[Stingsticker]

The box shattered into pieces, Celcius covering his eyes as it did. The shards of wood splayed out across the ground, nothing other than that could be seen. The box was empty, and now it was ruined. Celcius looked around, then back at Ariella. "It looks like we're in trouble Ariella..." He sat down on the ground, sad about the outcome. They would probably be jobless when they returned, knowing that it was their fault the item was broken.

[ShatteredDreams]

One of the wooden shards hid her shoulder, cutting it open a little. But she didn't care. Ariella knew there job was in ruins now, and it was all her fault. Everything was always her fault. She couldn't help but burst into tears. She turned away from Celcius, not wanting him to see her like this. The cold tears falling down her warm cheeks. She hastily wiped them away with the back of her hand.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius was still a bit upset, but he stood up and hugged her anyways. "It's alright, don't cry..." He held her close to him, staring at the mountains in the distance. He never understood her, and he probably never would. He looked back down at the box, shocked at the sight it was back to normal and intact. His eyes widened and he let go of Ariella, turning her around. "Look..."

[ShatteredDreams]

She cried into his shoulder silently, her arms locking him close at his back. "I'm so sorry. This whole time has been hell for you." She sniffled. "And now you have to deal with me being a baby.." She let go when he did, turning around. A shocked expression now appeared on her face. She stood there, starting at it, speechless.

[Stingsticker]

He stared at the box, not a scratch on it. "What.... just happened?" He looked at Ariella, turning his head slowly to look at her. His amazement was only increased when the box started humming. Not a weird, strange noise kind of humming. A full out human voice humming. Celcius looked back and forth from the box to Ariella.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella wiped away the last of her tears and stared at it, amazed. Was it magic? What was causing it to make that sound? She was a little afraid, so she backed away from the box a little. Maybe her earlier prediction was right - maybe it was going to blow up. Maybe this was the Lord way of killing us off, so he doesn't have to deal with us himself...

[Stingsticker]

Celcius tilted his head, listening to the harmonic humming. It sounded like a song, but he couldn't quite tell. He walked closer, crouching down and trying to listen to the hum.

[ShatteredDreams]

"Don't, Celcius! Don't get to close to it!" Her wide eyes and trembling hands showed how afraid she was. She took his hand and pulled him away from the box.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius pulled his hand away, wanting to know exactly what it was. He walked back over to it, tapping it with his finger. "Hey... quit humming..." The box went silent, making him jump in surprise. He stepped back to where Ariella was and watched it intently. "What do you think it is?"

[ShatteredDreams]

Whoa... The box's humming had come to a stop when he asked it to. She knew this was no joking matter, but she couldn't help but crack a joke; "Maybe there's a tiny little genie inside. Maybe she'll grant you you're life's wish." She chortled silently to herself, less afraid now. "More importantly, how heavy is it now? Should we get going soon?"

[Stingsticker]

Celcius frowned at her joke, walking back over to it. He crouched down next to it, tapping it again. "Why don't you touch it Ariella? I think it's your turn to carry it." He smiled to himself, continuing to poke it's surface.

[ShatteredDreams]

"Alright... I'll give it a try, I guess." She leaned over and picked up the box, and surprizingly it wasn't very heavy at all now. She pulled it close to her ear and listened inside as she shook it gently. There was still no sound...
The package was a very frustrating one. She began walking, holding the box to her chest.

[Stingsticker]

He walked after her, remaining next to her and looking at the package. "So, is it heavy? Does it feel weird? Is it humming again?" He asked very quickly, wondering if it was different now.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella shook her and told him that it wasn't heavy at all. She couldn't hear it humming, but when she pressed her ear to the wood she could hear it humming very silently. She held it up to Celcius' ear, letting him hear it too. "It's very faint... you have to concentrate to hear it." She smiled a little, thinking that maybe the box wasn't so bad after all. That maybe she had shed tears for nothing.

"Are we almost there?"

[Stingsticker]

Celcius closed his eyes, listening to the faint hum. He frowned, grabbing it and looking at her. "I'll carry it, I still don't think it' safe."

[ShatteredDreams]

She sulked as he look it away. "Aww..." She closed her eyes as she walked up the rocky, tree-lined, mountain pathway. It was colder now, as she thought it would be. Ariella shivered, but in some way it was refreshing. It felt like the breeze blew away all her worries. She guessed that they had walked quite far now. "Are we getting close?"

[Stingsticker]

Celcius held the box, walking up next to her. "We're closer, just one more mountain to cross." He knew it was going to be a while longer, but he wanted it to sound easy. The box hummed again, this time louder. He looked strangely at it, not knowing if he should drop it or not.

[ShatteredDreams]

"Alright, not too far, I suppose." She opened her eyes now as she felt the terrain underneath her feet getting bumpier. She didn't want to trip. The slope of the ground seemed to be at more of an angle, and she found herself grabbing onto tree branches so she didn't loose her balance and fall back. She looked at Celcius, wondering. "Hey.. you were having a weird dream earlier, weren't you?" She smiled.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius continued walking, listening to the box. "No... I didn't have a dream..." He shook the box next to his hear, practically ignoring her silly question. "Why do you ask? Aren't you more interested in this box?"

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella pondered for a moment. "Hmm. Well, you said something funny in your sleep. Sorry for asking..." She wasn't more interested in the box. It could fall off a cliff and never be seen again, for all she cared. All it had done was cause them worry and trouble. She wanted to get there fast, so they could figure out what was up with it.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius frowned, thinking she was mad at him for some reason. "What? Did I say something bad? Or did I touch you in my sleep?" The box stopped humming and grew heavy again. He lurched forward, nearly falling off the steep path and down the hill.

[ShatteredDreams]

She shook her head, laughing at his comment about touching her. "No, nothing bad. You just said something about love, so I thought you might have had a dream." Ariella gasped as he almost fell down that path. But she knew he couldn't fall... something about his balance was amazing. "Are you alright?! The box is heavy again, isn't it?" She held onto his arm to support him. "What's wrong with that thing...?"

[Stingsticker]

Celcius was a little frustrated with it by now, so he snapped off an answer at her. "How am I supposed to know? It's just getting heavier!" The box's weight was unbearable now, and he dropped it and it rolled down the hill. He watched it tumble down, remaining intact as it rolled to the bottom. He hung his head in defeat, knowing it was going to be a longer trip than he excpected.

[ShatteredDreams]

The anger in his voice scared her. She had never seen him so frustrated before. But deep down she felt the same way, like she could yell and scream and things would be better. But she didn't want to take her anger out on him. Instead, she just collapsed. She fell over onto the spiky rocks, but she didn't care how painful it was. A stone was digging into her back now. She wanted to make a snow angel in the rocky ground. Because the pain wouldn't hurt as much as the situation did. She was just about ready to give up.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius looked over when she collapsed and sighed. "I'm sorry for snapping at you... It's just hard thinking about not being a Runner anymore. I know this whole delivery was a setup, and The Lord wants us out of his Castle. It's just upsetting..." He sat down next her her, holding his knees to his chest.

[ShatteredDreams]

"It's alright. I don't blame you." She looked at him. "I don't know what we should do. Maybe it's our time to throw in the towel. Maybe it's the end of this job for us. They must have figured out a better way." Ariella wanted to run. Run far away, back to the Lord, no stopping. She wanted to punch him in the face, but she knew that if she ever tried something so absurd, she would be arrested in a second, maybe even executed.

Ariella got up off the rocky ground and walked over to a patch of over grown grass. She lay down in it, looking up at the sky. She felt safe, hidden under the grass's tall green blades. She wanted to lay there forever, just watching the clouds go by, never having to worry about the stupid box and her stupid job.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius listened to her talk, a little miffed about how upset she was. He looked down the hill, the box still intact. He sighed sadly, walking over to her and putting his hands on his hips. "Well we can't stay here forever, we have to keep going." He crouched down next to her, knowing she was in a foul mood.

[ShatteredDreams]

She sat up now too, looking at him with enlightened eyes. "But what if we don't have to keep going? We don't have to serve the Lord like this anymore... Because when we get back he will just be disappointed in us anyways." Ariella looked hopeful, and hoped Celcius would see her through. But she knew he was going to think it's a bad idea.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius closed his eyes and frowned. "You know we should complete our run. The Lord at the next Castle is expecting us. I know he is nicer than ours, maybe he'll let us serve him until we decide to take off." He looked at her intently, hoping she would understand why he felt a sense of loyalty.

[ShatteredDreams]

She nodded, feeling like she was giving in. "Yeah, you're right. He's probably been waiting long, though. Do you think the box is at a normal weight now?" She glanced over at the box. It was at the bottom of the hill, somehow without a scratch.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius raised an eyebrow and looked down the hill. "I think it would be best to get their as soon as possible. The lord is a very nice man, and he'll understand if we're late. But I think our lord might have sent us after a long time it was supposed to be sent..." He knew he was right, after all the times they got in trouble for being late.

[ShatteredDreams]

She nodded, lifting herself off the ground. Ariella walked down the the steep hill. She proceeded to picking up the box, and with a few grunts, she did. It was very heavy, probably heavier than herself. "Eugh... It's... not that..... bad." She shuffled slowly down the hill, one foot in front of another.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius caught up with her and frowned. "Damn thing needs to be lighter..." He grabbed the box from her, almost throwing it as he misjudged the weight. It was now as light as a feather, and he looked at it strangely in his hands. "Ariella... It's light again..." He rolled it around in his hands, looking for any clue as to what it could be.

[ShatteredDreams]

"In that case, I should be carrying it!" She snatched the box from his hands, laughing. "I have to make myself useful somehow." Giving a sly smile, she continued down the arduous pathway, using tree branches as a railing.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius shook his head, watching as she trudged on. "Well, at least she's in a better mood..." He followed after her, grabbing the branches as he walked.

[ShatteredDreams]

"A better mood?" She turned to look back at him. "I was in a bad mood? I'm sorry..."
Ariella sighed and continued down the hill until she reached the end of the hill. The trip felt endless. "Are we there yet?" She knew asking that would annoy him. She started running, doing the thing she was best at. She wanted to get there soon, and they hadn't ran much this whole trip. She figured that they should run while the box was still light weight.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius was about to answer when she started running. He frowned and began running after her. "Why you..." He caught up with her, passing her with ease. "By the way, we're almost there." He stayed in front of her, knowing that he would annoy her more that way.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella gave a gasp as he ran past her. "Why must you be so cruel!" She sulked as she tried to catch up to him, her ponytail whipping around in the cold wind. She had just realized how cold it was. The icy wind felt nice while running, it kept her from sweating. She noticed that another hill was coming up soon, and she sighed. Mountains were now officially her enemy.

[Stingsticker]

"I'm not being cruel, I'm being fast!" He continued running, slowing his pace a little so he could run beside her. He knew she wasn't as fast as him, but he enjoyed running by her too.

[ShatteredDreams]

"Once again, may I ask why do you need me? You're so much faster. If I wasn't here, then maybe you'd already have this done by now." She didn't stop running. She wanted to be faster so that he wouldn't have to slow down.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius frowned, knowing he wanted to tell her, but decided against it. "Because it wouldn't be the same without you. I really like doing this beside you. I probably wouldn't have the heart to keep running if you weren't with me." He smiled, trying to show how much he cared.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella smiled, taking his hand and running faster now. "... I wouldn't have the heart to either. I wouldn't have the heart to do anything without you." Her cheeks turned the color of a rose. "Because... I need you. It's like... my life has a box - just like this one. And it's always changing between light and heavy. And when it's heavy... you take it away. You take the pain away from me." Ariella smiled at him, hoping he understood what she meant.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius kept running, taking in what she had said. "Ariella, that was very poetic what yoou just said. And I think I understand now how you feel..." He squeezed her hand as they sped up the hill. "I feel the same way, without you, the weight is unbearable." He smiled, knowing that he could keep ruunning like this forever.

[ShatteredDreams]

She nodded, happy that the message had gotten through to him. But he still didn't know how she really felt, deep down in her heart. It felt like her heart was chained down in a prison cell. And now it was time for it to be free... she just couldn't find the key anywhere. She just needed a hint as to where the key was finding...

Ariella was about to say something but she was cut short when the box grew heavy again. She held onto it, but then it became unbearable, and she dropped it hard on the ground. She let out a deep sigh.

{Whoops.. it looks like I mixed up the names of my characters in my last reply. XD}

[Stingsticker]

Celcius skidded to a halt, turning around quickly. "Is it heavy again? You alright?" He looked her over just to make sure. He crouched next tio the box and tapped the top of it. "Hey, be a nice little box and cooperate. We really need to deliver you quickly." He smiled, knowing it was pointless talking to it. The box hummed softly, then started rolling on it's own up the hill. He stared at it, amazement on his face. "Ariella, I'm beginning to think this box isn't all it seems." He grabbed her hand again and walked after the box.

[ShatteredDreams]

"W-what the... How's it doing that?!" Ariella looked at it, astonished. She burst out laughing at how funny it looked, rolling up the hill by it's self. "Now... don't run off on us now, little box!" She longed to find out what was inside it, so she kept running, keeping behind it.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius laughed a little too, wondering what exactly the box was. "Maybe it is a genie, and we've wasted our wishes on making it lighter and roll up a hill." He smiled happily, knowing that in all actuallity, he could be right.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella laughed. "Maybe we should have wished for more wishes." She pondered on that thought for a moment. She knew she wouldn't be able to wish for anything... she had everything she could ever want.

Once they got to the top of the mountain, she noticed the sun was setting. The view was so beautiful, and she couldn't help but stare out at the scenery, wishing she had a camera. She finally broke away from the beautiful landscape and looked at Celcius. "It's getting a little late. Pretty soon it'll be dark. Should we keep running or rest for the night?"

[Stingsticker]

Celcius stretched behind her, a little tired from all the happenings of the day. "I think sleep would be nice, as long as the box decides to stop..." With his words, the box halted in place, remaining stationary. He shook his head, pulling out the bedroll from his pack. He spread it out along a soft place on the ground and smiled.

[ShatteredDreams]

With the box no longer moving, Ariella unrolled her bed and layed it down facing the sunset over a small villiage. She took a seat on it and rested her head in her hands, still watching the sun go away. The sky seemed like the most beautiful part to her - It was now pink and orange. Finally she spoke, not turning away from the great scene. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

[Stingsticker]

Celcius watched her as she looked at the sunset. He smiled as he stared at her answering her question dreamily. "Yes it it..." He realized what he said, shaking his head nervously. "I mean, yea. The sunset, it is rather nice." He looked at the sky, peeking at her back and forth as he watched.

[ShatteredDreams]

The sun was still sinking, now only a sliver of it remained over the mountain horizon. the sky's colors slowl faded to black. Ariella finally leaned back on her bed, which was rather uncomfortable, and looked over at Celcius, unable to see him very well in the surrounding darkness. "Is everything all right?" She smiled.

[Stingsticker]

He looked over in her direction and laughed. "Of course, as long as you're warm enough. It's starting to get very cold..." He shivered slightly, not wanting to look weak.

[ShatteredDreams]

"I'm just fine. If I don't think about the weather it is, I don't get cold. I just have to focus on something else." She wrapped the blanket around herself and closed her eyes. She was strangely very sleepy, and she wanted to wake up early, so she thought sleeping now would be a good idea.

[Stingsticker]

He sighed, still shivering under his blanket. "Ok, I'll just try to do the same." He didn't mind the cold, he just hated BEING cold. If that made any sense at all.

[ShatteredDreams]

After a laugh, Ariella finally fell asleep. She was having a dream about flying on a Dragon. It was more like a night mare because the dragon was evil... It was trying to knock her off of it's back. The thing was flying so fast and she lost hold of it, and tumbled down to the ground. The feeling of falling made her sick. She awoke in the middle of the night, somehow sweating even though she was freezing. She stood up, huffing and puffing, like she had lost her breath after that dream.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius remained awake, too cold to sleep. He looked over at her when she awoke, wondering if she was alright. "You O.k>? Have a bad dream?" He crawled over to her, feeling her head with the back of his hand.

[ShatteredDreams]

She nodded. "Yeah I'm fi-" She jumped when she felt his hand, and gasped, as she didn't know it was him. She turned to face Celcius. "Oh! I couldn't see you in the dark." Ariella held onto his hands, a little frightened. "I just had a bad dream. But don't worry, I've had worse." She shivered as a cold breeze swept by.

[Stingsticker]

His skin remained cold, as he set back onto the ground. "Would you like my blanket?" He grabbed it from his roll and placed it over her. "There, now get some sleep..." He crawled back and laid down, wishing it was warmer.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella shook her head, putting his blanket back over him. "No, you can't. You're going to get sick if you give me this." She held her blanket over herself like a cloak and walked over to the cliff, and took a seat there once again. With the sun now completely gone it was pitch black over the small town. "I'm awake now. I can't sleep anymore." She looked back at Celcius and told him that he should get some rest. "You're the one who needs sleep. You worked hard today, not me."

[Stingsticker]

He shivered still, not able to sleep. "I don''t think I can... It's so cold..." He covered up the best he could, curling up in a ball and snuggling underneath. He tried to focus on warm thoughts, but the cold intervened each time.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella laughed as she saw Celcius sitting there like that. "You look like an egg. You need your mother chicken to come sit on you. Aww... Cute little abandonned egg." She smiled and walked over to him, taking a seat next to him. "Maybe we shouldn't rest. Maybe we should just keep running. I wonder what time it is... How long was I sleeping for?"

[Stingsticker]

He grumbled beside her, snuggling up next to her and taking her heat as much as he could. "Not very long... only about two hours or so..." He remembered vividly, the box humming as she snored. He closed his eyes, slowly starting to fall asleep while he was next to her. She was warm, and it comforted him.

[ShatteredDreams]

"Two hours?! You did nothing for two hours?" Ariella felt bad as she heard this. She could see him finally getting sleepy beside her. She rested her head on his shoulder. It was like ice, but somehow it felt warm to her. She closed her eyes aswell, but knew she wouldn't be able to sleep at the moment.

[Stingsticker]

He soon fell asleep, starting to dream of a cool meadow where the sun shone brightly. He saw Ariella standing next to an Old Willow tree, her hair blowing in the warm breeze. He walked up to her and whispered in her ear. "I love you..." His actual self muttering "Love yu..." Trailing off as he went deeper into sleep.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella still sat there beside him, waiting patiently for the sun to rise. She knew it was bad for someone to sleep sitting up, so she raised her head off of his shoulder before laying him down on the bed softly. She caressed his forehead gently with the back of her hand, and then stood up. She picked up the box and walked away through some bushes, hoping he wouldn't wake up any time soon.

[Stingsticker]

He continued sleeping, dreaming of being somewhere warm and with her. He wanted nothing else. He curled up, shivering at the loss of her body next to him. His dream slowly faded away, giving way to a cold nightmare.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella walked through a dark forest, holding the blanket around her neck and the humming box to her chest. The only thing showing what was in front of her was the full moon's white glow. Soon enough, she tripped over a twig and fell face first into the rocky soil. "Ouch..." She slowly got up off the ground, ashamed at her clumsiness. She picked up her things and continued on through the woods, desperately hoping she wouldn't get lost. Finally, Ariella found what she was looking for. - Berries, a large bush loaded with them. She took off her blanket and folded it up into a sack, and threw berries inside it.

She then returned to Celcius, as the sun was rising, and she took a seat next to him, laying the sack of berries out infront of them. She waited for him to awaken.

[Stingsticker]

The Nightmare haunted him, unable to wake from it. He remained motionless in a sheet of ice, watching everyone around him burn alive. Their screams shook his bones as he was unable to do anything. He felt Ariella's body again, and he curled up as close as possible around her. The dream slowly faded away, and he slept soundly from then.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella could tell that he was having a nightmare by his sharp movements. She wanted to wake him up so he wouldn't have to suffer anymore. But she knew that he needed the sleep, so instead, she snuggled up close to him as the sun's warm rays finally reached them. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat, which was faster than normal.

[Stingsticker]

He slowly calmed when he felt her body, his subconscious knowing what it was. His arm reached up and wrapped around her, pulling her as close as possible. "Oh Ariella..." A tear rolled down his cheek, happy she was there.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella smiled and wiped his tear away. "Did sleepyhead have a night mare?" She held him close for a moment and then pulled away to show him the berries that she had picked. "Look, last night I got us some berries." She picked a raspberry off of the heaping pile on the blanket and put it in his mouth, smiling. "Yummy!"

[Stingsticker]

He rubbed his face, then was about to say something when she put the berry in his mouth. He chewed it softly, smiling as he did. "They're very nice, just the perfect ripeness. Were there any other kinds? I love blueberries..." He looked through the small pile, like a kid at a candy shop.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella nodded, searching through the pile. "I think they're at the bottom, they're the first ones I picked." She gave him a handfull of blueberries. Ariella ate a few blackberries herself and then started rolling up her bed. "A nice find, isn't it? Well, maybe we should get going soon." She attacted the bed to her pack and opened it, pulling out a small two-handed sword. "The path we have to take now is very bushy, so I think I'll take this out just in case. We wouldn't want the thorns to harm us, right?" She un-sheathed the sword and whiped it around, slicing at the air. She had missed her sword, and she missed training with it.

[Stingsticker]

He smiled coyly, shoving the berries into his mouth. He watched her swing the sword, knowing she just wanted to use it as much as possible. After he took a large gulp, Taro stood up and rolled his bed too. "I think you just like having that in your hand..."

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella laughed, knowing he was right. She smiled as she tossed the sword through the air, like she was juggling it. "Well, if a wild creature attacks, I'll protect you! I'll be your knight in shining armor." She winked at him, smirking. "Come on, let's go." She picked up the blanket still half full of berries and started walking, still playing with her sword.

[Stingsticker]

He stood up and raised an eyebrow. "Shining armor my butt..." He filled his pack quickly then ran after her. "You got the box?" He looked around, seeing if she had left it somewhere.

[ShatteredDreams]

"Yes, sir! It's in there." She pointed a finger at her back pack. "I would have a nice set of shining armor if I had joined the war, like I was planning on doing. I wonder if I'd be dead by now..." She looked up at the clouds, thinking deeply.

[Stingsticker]

He stared at the ground, following her as he thought about what she had said. He really didn't want to think about it... "Ariella... Did you want to leave me and go to war?" He could have punched himself for asking, but he had to know.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella turned around to face him. "No. Never." She smiled and put her arms around him. "Why would you ask such a silly thing? I could never leave you."

[Stingsticker]

He turned his head away, staring at the ground. "Then why talk about it? If you didn't want to go, then why even mention it? Admit it, I was just holding you back from doing something great... Now all we do is run around delivering packages."

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella sent him a look that said 'are you insane?' She let go of him, backing away a little."Doing something great?! Killing people... that's so amazing! But I guess it's the right job for me because it's the only thing I can do properly. Wouldn't you say so?" She sharply turned away, now somewhat annoyed. Ariella shook her head and started walking, putting her sword back in it's sheath.

[Stingsticker]

(Hey, you can join Metroid. Just make a bounty hunter charrie and be happy. You is so gloomy, I is scared)

Celcius sighed, watching her walk away. "I'm not the one carrying the sword..." He wanted to cry, knowing that she really had wanted to go fight in the war. He followed her, walking slowly behind. "Ariella..." He said her name softly, practically to himself.

[ShatteredDreams]

{Oh nooooo. D= But I'm gonna screw everything up. I've never played the game before. I don't even know what a metroid is. > . < *Sigh* Wikipedia time. XD
Sorry for being gloomy? o.o}

She wanted to run away. She wanted the day to be over, even though it had only just started. And she wished she hadn't brought up the stupid subject about war. Ariella quickened her pace. "This job is fine. It's completely fine. I'm not joining the war any time soon, okay?" She sighed, taking her sword out once again and started voilently slashing at a rose bush that was blocking the path ahead.

[Stingsticker]

(It's Ok, just be happy)

He walked faster, stopping at the cut rose bush. He picked up a small rosebud, still unable to open. He pet the closed petals, starting to cry. "Ariella..." He fell to his knees, not wanting her to see him. He covered his face with his hands, the rosebud on his lap.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella stopped, slowly turning around, frightened by his sad sounding voice. She saw him on the ground and instantly dropped the sword. She kneeled down next to him and stroked his shoulder, unsure what to say, and unsure why he was upset. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..." She sighed sadly, the sight of Celcius this upset making her want to cry too. She pulled his hands away from his face and looked at him. Still, she didn't know what it was that upset him. "I'm sorry, I've been so rotten lately.. I should just learn when to shut up." She looked sorrowfully at the rose bud that was resting on his lap.

[Stingsticker]

He shook his head, trying to look away. "It's just... I don't know what to say anymore... We've gotten... so complicated" He pulled his hands away and put them in his lap, rolling the rosebud in his palm. "I just saw this bud and... it reminded me of how I'll always keep you from blooming..."

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella shook her head, trembling as she began to cry. "N-no! You don't keep me from blooming!" She wiped her tears away quickly, almost smiling. "You're the only one who makes me bloom. You're the only person I have anymore." She took his hand and stood up, helping him up as well. "And you are the only person I ever want to be around. Don't you see that? Don't you see that I..." She wanted so badly to tell him how she truely felt. She didn't want to lock her feelings inside anymore. Ariella looked away, afraid of what he would think after she told him. "I... love you."

[Stingsticker]

He lidtened to her speak, looking away as she did. He turned to look at her when she said it, his heart leaping into his chest when she did. "Do you.... Do you really love me? No joking?" He couldn't believe she said it, he was so happy now, he could lift her up and fly away with her if he had wings. He wanted to say it to now, but he had to wait for her to confirm it.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella smiled now. "Yes! I always have..." She looked into his eyes, finally glad she had told him. She put her hands on either side of his face, and pressed her lips to his. She held them there, not wanting to let go, but finally she did. Afraid of what his reaction would be, she looked at the ground, blushing a deep red.

[Stingsticker]

He was about to say it back when she grabbed him and pulled him into the kiss. He practically melted in her hands, his eyes closing as they kissed. When she stopped, he staggered slightly, his knees weak from the heart jerking shock. "Arie... ella.. I..." He smiled widely as he fell backwards and fainted. A goofy grin on his face as he lay on the ground.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella held onto her stomach, feeling like she was soon going to throw up butterflies. But instead, she was instantly beside him on the ground. Maybe my lips taste like poison to him...?
"Celcius..." She shook him around by the shoulders. "You're okay.. right? Right?!" She looked at him, worried, her heart beat extremely excellerated.

[Stingsticker]

He woke up shakily as she shook him. "Oh... Ariella... I'm so happy..." He lolled his head, still a little woozy from fainting. "I... I love you too. I've loved you since the first day you spoke to me. You were so cute... I couldn't help but love you..." He leaned up, kissing her softly.

[ShatteredDreams]

She held on tightly to his hands as they kissed. She slowly helped him up, not taking lips away. When they were both standing straight, she pulled away, laughing. "Well, I could have known that a little earlier." She narrowed her eyes at him, still laughing. "I've loved you too. Since the first day. You're good at hiding your emotions, you." She smiled sheepishly and poked his chest lightly, where his heart would be.

[Stingsticker]

He pretended it hurt, cowering away. "Ow... just because you can't tell... Doesn't make me hard to read." He poked her chest, missing the center and poking her breast. His eyes widened and he put his hand to his mouth.

[ShatteredDreams]

She could feel her cheeks growing hot when he poked her. She shyly folded her arms over her chest, wanting to pretend that hadn't happened. "Uhm... W-well, we still have to get going. Come on. Eheh.." She continued down the pathway quietly.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius blushed then followed her silently, happy that he had said it. After so long of being together, he beat himself up at night for keeping it in. He caught up with her, walking beside her. He looked down, glancing at her hand now and then. He finally got up the courage and reached down, gripping it in his. His stomach jumped as he held on.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella smiled, interlocking her fingers with his. She had to get used to this. She had never seen him so happy, so caring. She rested her head against his shoulder as they walked, looking up at his face every so often, to see if he was still confortable. She didn't want to run anymore, she only wanted to walk forever, with him at her side.

The silence was disturbed when Ariella fell backwards onto the ground. She layed there, trapped like a turtle on it's back. "Awh... the box is heavy again.." She squirmed, trying to gather the strength to lift up the box that was now heavier than she was.

[Stingsticker]

He was so happy when she held his hand. He sighed happily as they continued to walk along, her head on his shoulder.

He almost fell with her when she did, looking back in shock. He had to giggle when she sprawled out on her back. He unstrapped her pack and helped her up. "You know, I could have totally tickled you right there, and you wouldn't have been able to do anything."

[ShatteredDreams]

She laughed, looking at him, a little frightened. "Yes... but you won't tickle me... 'cause you're nice." She giggled shyly, secretly afraid. She dragged the bag a good two steps before running out of breath. "Too... heavy..." She collapsed onto the ground, and sat up, smiling up at him. "I think I'll take a little break." She began to look through the sack of berries for any more black berries.

[Stingsticker]

He smiled, sitting down next to her as she collapsed. "It's alright, maybe we can convince the box to roll again." He poked her bag, thinking maybe it would work. Celcius looked back at Ariella and smiled. "So... what now?"

[ShatteredDreams]

"Anything." Ariella popped a blueberry into his mouth. She rested her head on his lap, looking up into his eyes. "So you like blueberries. Is blue you're favourite color?" She laughed at her funny question, wondering if he would see where she was going with this.

[Stingsticker]

He chewed on the berry and smiled. "Yep, but that's not why I like them so much. Why do you ask?" He picked another berry out and nibbled on it as he watched her eat. He really didn't know where she was going with it.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, no reason." She sat up, looking at the sky. "Blue is my favourite color too... so many things are blue, like the sky. And your hair. And my hair." She laughed quietly.

[Stingsticker]

He looked up, trying to see the color of his hair. "I guess you're right, but for some reason I don't really believe you..." He chewed on another berry, the blueberries all gone from the bag. He sighed loudly looking around them.

[ShatteredDreams]

"No, really! I was just wondering." She stood up and went over to her pack that was spread out on the ground. "What are we going to do about this thing?" She dragged it a few more feet, before picking up the bag and flipping it over, dumping it's contents out on the ground. The box layed there, seeming like if it could speak, it would be snickering evilly. "I hate you!" Ariella kicked it, but it didn't move an inch. "What can we do while we wait for it to be nice again?"

[Stingsticker]

Celcius watched her dump it out, laughing as she kicked it. "I don't know what we'd do, why not just be nice to it again..." He sat back on his hands, leaning back and smiling.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella sat on him, his torso like her own portable chair. "Beng nice can't solve anything." She sighed heavily, not wanting to wait for the box to be light again. "Well, I'm bored. And a bit cold. Do you appreciate my complaining?" She snickered, knowing that she was probably annoying him at least a little.

[Stingsticker]

He coughed, trying to lift her up. "Not as much as your weight..." He knew that would make her mad, pinching her butt.

[ShatteredDreams]

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, you're just weak." She stood up, picking up a dress that had fallen out of her bag. "I'm gonna go get changed into something warmer." With that, she walked away. A few steps later she hid behind a tree, quickly slipping the dress on and taking the ribbon out of her hair. She walked back to where Celcius was, and started looking through the contents of her pack.

[Stingsticker]

He blushed slightly when she changed, turning his head away just in case he would be able to see. He sat up slowly, rubbing his chest when it began to ache. "God... How can one girl hurt me so..." Celcius stood up, brushing the dirt from his jeans. He looked down into her pack as she rummaged through it and smiled. "What you looking for?"

[ShatteredDreams]

"You would never guess all the crazy things I have in here.." Ariella pulled out a bow and arrow quiver. "I need to pass the time doing something exciting!" She smiled, pulling back the string of the bow and placing an arrow between. She raised the bow to her eye level, concentrating on her target - the base of a tree. She let go, and the arrow flew past the tree, and quite far away. "I need more practice. I have such terrible aim..." She shook her head in shame and laughed.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius smiled and stepped closer to her. "Something exciting..." He watched her pull the string back, ready to pounce. When she finished talking, he tackled her to the ground, rolling until he was on top. He laughed happily, haking his head.

[ShatteredDreams]

Ariella screamed as she was unexpectedly attacked. She giggled, butterflies swarming in her stomach at how close they were. Looking up into his eyes, she grinned cheerfully. "Hi there." She brushed her nose against his.

[Stingsticker]

He laughed, blushing slightly. "Hey... What's up?" He remained on top of her, smiling warmly. His heart beat quickly, just now noticing how close they were. He resisted the urge to get up, staring down at her.

[ShatteredDreams]

"It looks like you're up. And the sky. The tree branches..." Ariella rolled over so that she was on top of him. "And now I'm up." She blushed and rested her head on his chest, but remembered what he had said earlier. "Oh, am I too heavy for you, weak little boy?" She snickered.

[Stingsticker]

He laughed at first, then when she rolled on top, turned a brilliant red. "I... no... I'm not... weak..." Celcius looked up at her, wanting to do something so badly. "Ariella..."

[ShatteredDreams]

She looked at him, a little concerned as to why he was so nervous. "What's wrong? Why're you so red?" She giggled and rolled off of him, so that she was at his side now.

[Stingsticker]

He laid there for a moment, then nodded. Celcius rolled back over on top of her and kissed her, pressing deeply into her lips. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see her reaction. He didn't care if it was weird, he felt that he dneeded to.

[ShatteredDreams]

Her eyes widened in surprise as his mouth came crashing down on hers. Slowly, she closed her eyes and threw her arms around his neck, holding him there. The feeling of Celcius so close to her made her heart melt despite the freezing air.

[Stingsticker]

He shivered slightly as the cold air shot up his shirt, but he didn't care at the moment. He was lost in the kiss, her arms wrapped around him keeping him there. HE wanted so badly to caress her, but his position prevented him from doing so.

[Stingsticker]

(did you want to quit? It's ok if you do...)

[ShatteredDreams]

[ Nope, no way! I mean only if you do. Sorry, I've been taking forever to reply lately. I'm in so many other RPs. @ . @ And sorry if I'm boring you. ]

Ariella blushed, knowing she was no good at kissing. But she always had an excuse - She had never been in love before, hence she had never kissed anyone before. Still, she stuck to it untill a previous sound had started up again. She pulled away from his lips to stare at the box, which was now humming again. "Do you think it's light again?"She looked at him, smiling.

[Stingsticker]

Celcius stared at her in amazement. He hung his head and sighed, knowing he had been bested by the box. "Probably Ariella.. Why don't ou pick it up and start walking again?" He flopped his hands down into his lap out of aggravation. No matter how hard he tried, she always found an excuse.

(No no, I know the feeling. I have 24 active ones. I'm lucky if I get to reply to them all on a active day)

[ShatteredDreams]

{ Wow. O.O And you say your 'bored'. Haha.. ]

"Uhmm..." She blinked, a little depressed by his tone. She knew that she had angered him somehow. "..Okay." Ariella stood up and picked up her bow and arrow quiver and shoved them inside her pack, threw the bag over her shoulder, picked up the box and started walking. She took out her sword and sliced at the thick bushes that were obstructing the path.

[Stingsticker]

(Boredom is my middle name. I have a funny picture that explains it all)

Celcius watched her walk away, shaking his head. "Geez... pointless kisses I guess..." He stood up slowly, brushing himself off. He fetched his pack and began walking briskly after her. "Do you not like kissing me Ariella?" He was a bit upset by the way she acted after kissing, more or less like it didn't happen.

[ShatteredDreams]

{ A funny picture? That sounds frightening. O.o }

She turned around, now walking backwards. "W-well, yes! I'm just new at it... I didn't think you would want to kiss me much longer, 'cause I suck at it." She frowned, a little disappointed in herself. "I'm sorry." She felt as though she had already screwed everything up. She felt like this relationship was going down the drain already.

[Stingsticker]

(It's very amusing, but inappropriate)

Celcius walked after her, hanging his head and shaking it. "You know... I haven't kissed much either... So would you feel better if I never kissed you because I thought I was bad at it?" He folded his arms and looked at her.

[Stingsticker]

(Bumping into you)