Dear Shadow (and the Resistance),

I'm going on a long journey. You will not hear from me for a while. I cannot say much more than that, but if you wish to send me letters, that is fine. I may not be able to keep in touch as much as I want to. 

Stay strong and keep fighting for what is right.

Mina  

Fwum says aack. Fwum, have you been hanging out with Bill the Cat?! Shame.

(Points to those who get the reference) 

I traveled farther south today. Passed through the area that the locals call 'The Very Bad Lands'. Yeah, not the place you want to hold your five-year-old's birthday party. The place is made up of strange, jagged rock. The only road is whichever one you blaze, and the only road signs are ones that have been erected by travelers past. I'm happy to say I will not have to spend my night there, but I will be sleeping in a meadow in the middle of nowhere. I hope to reach Nurmi Bay by sundown. Yes, I found out the name of the previousy unknown village. 

It's hot.

I never knew that Kyngdom could get this heated, but the temperature rises the farther we go. But just as I think that we're lost, we suddenly come across a random meadow and the temperature drops.

We go for about an hour, following a forest path, and they use body heat to detect where Shadow is. It's night time now, so we have to use the spot light once we detect her.

Sure enough, Shadow can't hear the helicopter blades appearantly, so the heat sensor starts beeping rapidly, and the spot light glares on. I see her firgure looking up, surprised, her hand in front of her face to sheild from the light.

She senses she's in trouble and flutters her wings, preparing to do a low dive and skim across the forest floor.

But one of her wings gets caught on a bag, and a guy tosses me a gun.

"It'll knock her out so we can take her. It's appearantly a Friendly, so it won't kill her, but it will stun her long enough for you to get blood samples back at base."

I hesitate, but he yells at me to hurry.

I take a deep breath and aim, my eyes dialating as I focus on Shadow. She looks up, her pleading brown eyes desperatly looking for help. 

I inhale sharply and close my eyes.

I can't. I can't shoot her again.

"SHOOT!" the guard yells. "OR I'LL DO IT AND NOT USE THE FRIENDLY!"

The gun goes off, and I find myself firing.

Shadow's figure drops, and I hold back a gasp, opening my eyes.

The helicopter lowers, and there is a lot of shouting and other commotions, but everything in my world is inaudible. The guard compliments me on my aim, but I barely take it in. How far do I have to go?

~~~~

I watch Shadow, suspended in a bed with a glass dome cover on it. She's in a square white room, and I'm with other officials and scientists who read her vitals, take notes, and observe. We can see her through a huge window, but she can't see us.

She seems to be at some peace, but I know it's all artificial.

I fiddle with my pen and hold it to my mouth, thinking.

There's no way I can get her out without blowing my cover. Is there some way I could commicate to the Resistance what is going on? That's really risky, but... wait. I can send a message through a Communicator.

I'm about to walk out when someone touches my shoulder.

I look back to discover Headmistress Rigga.

I try not to act startled, so I don't let my face give away anything.

"Wait, dear. We need you to draw blood."

I play along. "Well, won't that be difficult, ma'am? She could awake and attack-"

"The guards will be in the room, Miss Talbot. There isn't much you need to worry about. Besides, she's out."

I hesitantly nod my head, and shakily gather the materials. Quill taught me how to, and I studied, but to think I'm doing it to my best friend....

I take a deep breath, putting on a cap and gown, with gloves, and I walk into the room. Everything is so shiny, and I'm afraid my perfectly clean shoes will make a mark. But has blood ever made a mark before?

I press the button so the case above Shadow hovers and then moves to the side, finally clicking down.

I look at her, her face still frozen in peace.

My hands slightly shaking, I lift up her arm gently, and insert the IV into her veins.

Suddenly her eyes flutter open, her black pupils shrinking at the light on the ceiling.

"What's happening?" she asks.

I restrain myself from helping her. "We're taking your blood."

Her head cranes over at me. "Why? Are you BIG? SOCS? Haven't you taken enough?"

The experiments. Alexandria.

"Just sit still," I reply quietly.

She has to. She has so many restraints on her.

She lets out a shaky breath and winces in pain as the IV starts to draw the blood.

My eyes water, but I look down and write the reults on the clipboard.

Suddenly she laughs softly. "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"

I don't reply and take the IV out, shaking and tapping the small bottle to clear the blood up.

"Well? Will you kill me? Just let me know!" she says, her voice raising.

I put the blood through a small slot that connects to the window, and then gather my clipboard.

"TELL ME? ARE YOU GOING TO KILL ME?"

I force myself to ignore her, and start to head for the door. She's fighting her restraints.

"KILL ME IF YOU'RE GOING TO KILL ME! JUST STOP! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? KILL ME LIKE YOU KILLED ALEXANDRIA! KILL ME-"

I shut the door, and the guards leave also, her screams trailing behind us.

The guards go ahead of me to the other room, taking my gloves, cap, and gown, but I stay behind and sigh, taking off my glasses and rubbing my temples. This is the Black Skull's method of torture. Lonliness.

I put my glasses back on, and exhale, straightening my coat and walking forward. But I stumble, and end up pacing back to my dorm, where I slam the door, lock it, and sink down, crying.

Who knew that this would kill me too? 

I let Shadow have this one, but not next time I won't. She isn't worthy to kill, so she can rot in her cell for all I care.

"Check the background of Miss Talbot," I mutter to one of my guards before walking into my office.