"I really messed up this time, didn’t I?" Anita said with a sad smile.

Lucive walked slowly over to the rock that she sat on. "There was enough of you left that I could find you. Ryan was upset that it was I who could bring you back and he could find no trace of you."

"I’m glad you didn’t listen to him," Anita commented. A confused look crossed Anita’s face. "Who is Ryan?"

"Ryan is the cleric Freean recruited to join our cause. He doesn’t quite like me. Necromancy apparently go with his holier than thou attitude." Lucive sighed. "We should be heading back. Dimitri was hysterical when we thought you were dead."

Anita looked down, a troubled expression on her face. "I’d like to stay here a little while longer. There are things that have changed. I’ve changed."

Lucive hesitantly walked closer to Anita. "You probably won’t remember anything that we’re talking about here, but there is something that I want to say to you." He reached for her hand.

Anita smiled. "Then why don’t you wait and tell me when I wake?"

Lucive returned the smile. "This is something I could never say to you in the real world." He stared into Anita’s emerald eyes. "Anita, I am in love with you." Without waiting for a response, he leaned over and gave Anita a gentle, lingering kiss. He slowly pulled away, his gaze never leaving Anita’s eyes.

"Lucive…" she whispered. Lucive placed a finger over her lips.

"Please don’t say anything. While you may not remember this I will, and I would like for nothing to ruin this perfect memory."

Anita nodded. "I think I am ready to go back now."

Lucive guided her away from the rock and towards the mist. "All you have to do is walk this way until you wake up."

* * *

Lucive opened his eyes as he returned to the living realm. His comrades were anxiously gathered around the sleeping Anita. "She is on her way back to us," he declared.

Dimitri breathed a sigh of relief. "I was so worried she was lost to us forever. Thank you for finding her."

You would not thank me if you knew what happened in the other realm Lucive thought sadly. “There is no need to thank me. She would have found her way back without my help, I just sped the process up a little. It may be a while before she wakes. We should probably set up camp here for the night.”

Dimitri nodded. “I will go gather some firewood. Ronan will go find us some food, Freean set up the tent. And Lucive, watch over her.” No one argued with Dimitri. He was their leader after all.

As everyone went about their tasks, Lucive waited patiently by Anita’s side. While he waited, he wondered if he had done the right thing by telling Anita that he loved her. Speaking truths in the realm between life and death can be dangerous. In all likelihood, Anita would not remember their conversation and no harm would be done. But what if she did? Lucive shuddered at the thought. It was a well-known fact that Dimitri held claim to Anita’s heart. It was not as well known how she felt. Everyone simply assumed she returned the adoration Dimitri showered upon her.

Only Lucive doubted the truth. Love is reflected in the eyes of the beholder, and Lucive saw nothing reflected in Anita’s eyes when she looked at Dimitri. And what did he see when she looked at him? He preffered not to think of that.He sighed and continued on his vigil.

The light of the day began to fade and still Anita did not wake. Dimitri paced in front of the campfire he had built. Everyone else simply sat in silence.
            Ryan wore an amused smile. It seemed the Necromancer has not be as helpful as everyone thought he would be. Ryan has expressed his dislike as Lucive’s involvement in the mission, but Dimitri had brushed his concerns aside. Lucive was here because Anita wanted him to be here, and whatever Anita wished Dimitri granted.
            She had begged to travel to a nearby town on her own, promising to catch up to the group in a few day’s time. On her way back to them, she was attacked by minions of the Dark Lord. She defeated all of them but used all of her energy in the process. (this is where the original version ends.)

2nd version (notes first and then the story)

• different take on the Anita/Lucive story
• Anita is from a very different Earth.
• People are tested for magical ability and if they pass are allowed to travel to other worlds.
• Anita is one such person and she freely passes between Earth and the realm where Lucive resides.She is mistaken as a
• person in an ancient prophecy. The prophecy links her with Dimitri and his traveling companions. In this world prophecy is taken very seriously. The people who believe in it are often pulled along in its fulfillment.
• It is this belief that causes Dimitri to believe he has fallen in love with Anita.
• Anita faintly feels the pull of the prophecy until she meets Lucive.
• From the moment she meets him and affection she felt for Donovan is gone.
• She is confused by this and takes a detour from the group to visit a Seer.
• He confirms her suspicion that she is not the person the prophecy is talking about.
• With her new knowledge Anita decides to return to Earth. Before doing so, she will make sure Donovan meets up with his real love.
• On her way back to the group she is attacked and left for dead.
• She is found by the group and is brought back by Lucive (the same conversation occurs in the realm between life and death.)
• In the next town they visit, Anita introduces Donovan to another woman of extraordinary magic power.
• She returns to Earth that night. She leaves a note for Lucive with a crystal that will enable him to contact her.
• With Anita gone, Lucive has no reason to stay with the group. He returns to his home to think over his options.
• Lucive is the son of the man Donovan and his group are trying to stop.
• Although he is a Necromancer, Lucive is not evil and has spent much of his life trying to stop his father in any way possible.
• He wants to contact Anita, but is afraid of what his father might do. She may not be part of the prophecy that is destined to bring along his downfall, but she is still a mage of great power.
• Lucive decides to use the crystal to track where Anita is. He will then be able to travel to her location. This will make it harder for his father to find her.
• Using his magic, he is able to see a vision of Anita and listens in on a conversation she is having with a friend.

Anita is sitting on a park bench facing a lake. Her friend Alex is sitting next to her chatting nonstop. Her mind is not on the conversation at hand. A gentle breeze disturbs the surface of the water. She closes her eyes, remembering a different lake and a very different companion. Anita… She sighs longingly and wished his voice were clearer in her mind.

“Anita!” Alex breaks into her daydream.

She turns to look at him. For the smallest moment she doesn’t seem to recognize him. The moment quickly passes. She had always been prone to daydreaming, but it had become worse since her latest trip beyond the realm of Earth.

The expression on Alex’s face is one of concern, and Anita can see the sadness in his eyes. It bothered her that she was the reason. “I’m sorry Alex. I didn’t mean to let my mind wander.” She smiled and shifted so she was facing him. “I promise I am listening now.”The concern disappeared from his face, replaced with a large smile as he continued with his story. “I got a letter in the mail the other day from the magic society. I go to take my test in two days.”

“That’s wonderful Alex!” It was easy to be excited about the potential to travel to other worlds.

Alex was obviously excited. “And when I pass we can go to Lavana together.”

Anita’s smile instantly faded. Lavana was the last place she wanted to go. “Alex… I won’t go back there.”

“Anita, I’m sorry.” He paused, knowing it was a touchy subject. “I guess you haven’t heard back from him yet.”

Him of course meaning Lucive. “No, I haven’t heard from him. I’m sure there must be a good reason.”

Alex gave her an uncertain look. “You know I believe everything you have told me about Lavana, right?” Anita nodded. “But when you died…” He didn’t like the idea that his best friend had been dead, even if it was for a short while. “Are you sure you remember what happened between you and Lucive correctly?”

Anita blushed. If she tried hard enough she could still feel Lucive’s warm lips against her own. “I’m very certain. I’m sure I didn’t misinterpret his intentions.”

            Alex sighed. Anita didn’t normally allow herself to indulge her imagination this much. Necromancers were incapable of love. Lucive must be some sort of monster to play with her mind this much.

“Anita please listen to me. I’ve done some research, and no one who has been brought back from the brink of death remembers how they managed to come back.”

            Anita shifted uneasily and turned to face the lake once again. “That may very well be, but I do remember.”

*this is where I stopped writing and then added this:

So how does the story end? Probably not the way you think. Anita does leave Donovan, but not to be with Lucive. Sorry to disappoint you.

Lucive brought Anita back to life. He saved her when no one else could. But he wasn’t for her.

*This is where I intended to stop. But, inevitably I keep getting drawn back to this story. I still don’t know if anything more will be written, but Anita is always in the back of my mind. “But he wasn’t for her.” Those words seem pretty definitive at first glance and for me they were until I started thinking about them. I started asking myself the question “but what if he was”? What if Anita and Lucive really were meant for each other? As far as I can see it leaves her with two choices. Does she fight to change what has happened? Does she risk having her heart broken again and again, putting the pieces back together and losing a little of herself each time for a chance at true love? Or does she move on? Maybe she finds someone else and it’s only a shadow of true love, but still love. Or maybe I just think too much. Either way, I don’t know where Anita’s story leads her and probably never will.*