The Story:
Kauria's Descision

"Just... destroy it?" Kauria asked. "Won't there be some sort of magical backlash, a release of energy?"

"No," Gedry asnwered. "Just smash it." He took several steps backward, until he was several feet away. "Iwon't try to grab it, either. Just give me your word on the bargain."

"The Pendant for my cooperation?" Kauria asked. "I could just destroy the Pendant, anyway, now."

"I could end the lives of your friends, now, and yours," Gedry reminded her. "Choose now."

"I guess..."Kauria said slowly. "There's nothing left for me to do except destroy it."

Slowly, Kauria reached behind her neck to life the necklace over her head. The pendant rested in the palm of her right hand, reflecting the little bit of light in the room. Gedry made no move to stop her.

This can't be right, she thought. Why would he let me destroy it... unless he's lying about backlash? What if destroying it would kill her? But why would he want her gone, too? What if he was telling the truth, after all, and didn't want the power it contained?

"You want me to do this," Kauria suddenly deduced, the pieces coming together. "You were telling the truth when you said you didn't want the Pendant, after all."

Gedry smiled. "You finally believe me? Then you believe that I love you more than the Pendant?"

"Yes," Kauria sighed, returning his smile at him. "I think... I finally understand. I'm sorry I doubted you, Gedry. I.. I've just been so confused... these past few days... this whole experience... Will you forgive me?"

She held out her free hand, and after a near imperceptable pause, he took it in his. A small chill shocked Kauria at the moment of contact, but it disappeared after a small tingle in her left palm. He pulled her next to him in a familiar gesture of comfort, her resting on his shoulder.

"Of course I forgive you, dear one," Gedry assured her. "I understand what you're going through. You've been badly shaken, but I'm here to help you. We'll work this out toegether, won't we?"

"Thank you, Gedry," Kauria said softly. "I'm happy you're here."

Gedry stepped back from her, holding her in front of him. "So why don't you ahead and destroy the Pendant now? It was part of the bargain."

Kauria shook her head. "No, you don't have to prove anything to me now. We don't need to destroy it."

He looked troubled. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"I'm sure," Kauria replied. "In fact, you're probably more qualified than I am to use it. Why don't I give it to you, to prove that I trust you?" She offered him the Pendant.

"No!" Gedry quickly replied. "No, you should destroy it. It's only caused us trouble, after all."

Gedry let go of her, but Kauria quickly caught his arm. Once again, there was the breif shock and the tingling sensation around the Pendant. This time she saw a momentary discoloration in the pure crystal.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, continuing to offer the Pendant. "Don't you want it?"

"NO!"

Fire laced across Kauria's hand, knocking the Pendant to the floor. She winced back in pain, and Gedry freed himself of her light hold.

She looked at her hand. Blood formed a thin line acrossed her palm, and there was a dark, growing blotch surrounding the wound. The pain was unbearable, and she doubled over in pain, clutching her hand. Her mind was shocked by the sudden resuption of her magical senses, which had been shielding by the Pendant for so long.

Gedry stepped back further, his dagger clutched tightly in his hand. He frowned at her, and expression of anger growing in his face.

"You figured it out, didn't you?" he asked, his voice dark in hostility. "I underestimated you."

"You wanted the Star Pendant destroyed!" Kauria exclaimed. "You couldn't do it yourself, it would have destroyed you the moment you touched it! It's exactly as Aralia told me. It contains power: your power!"

"You should have just destroyed the Pendant," Gedry accused her. "Now look what you've made me do. I hadn't intended it should come to this."

"W-what was on that blade?" Kauria asked through the pain. Her whole hand was losing its color, and she felt weak. "Poison?"

"It's Dark Star poisoning," Gedry nodded. "Very potent, the same type I used on Cor. In a about ten minutes, your personal will should be gone. Don't worry, I'll be sure to stop it before it wipes away your mind as well. Then you'd be as useless as a drudge."

Her eyes flickerd to the dropped Pendant, which might cleanse her hand, but Gedry anticipated the move and stepped in front of it. "Don't try to get it, or I'll cut you again," he warned. "I'll find another way to destroy it."

The tone of his voice was harsh and cold, no longer resembling Gedry's. There was no Gedry, and there wasn't a chance she'd be able to recover then Pendant.

She collapsed to her knees in despair and faintness, didn't try to look up at him. "I s-suppose that's how you took over Gedry, too," she spoke softly. "I was right, after all... you're not Gedry, and you don't care for me..." And unexpected tear fell to the floor. "My Gedry probably never even existed," she finally admitted.

"That's not true!" a voice erupted. "I'm here for you, Kauria!"

Startled, Kauria looked up. The voice... it was definately Gedry's!

Gedry-Torrel stood before her, one hand outstretch toward her. The coldness that surrounded him fluctuated a moment, but he quickly recovered. But his eyes were worried, and he no longer seemed as sure of himself.

"Gedry?" Kauria asked cautiously. "I saw... you changed a moment... what happened?"

"Nothing, dear one," Gedry-Torrel replied in a dark voice. "I just don't want you to think I'm completely cold hearted. I'm sorry I had to do this to you."

"No...I saw something there!" Kauria insisted. "I felt it, too! You lost control!"

"I did not lose control!" Gedry-Torrel exclaimed. "It was your imagination. I'm always in control!" His eyes were still troubled, and Kauria's hope sprung anew.

"I think Gedry- my Gedry- if fighting you!" she exclaimed, fighting against the poison. "I can see it in your eyes. You're fighting something."

"It's not true," Gedry-Torrel clenched his fist. "You're fooling yourself. There's nothing for me to fight."

Kauria forced herself back to her feet and staggered toward him. "Part of you doesn't want to see me like this," she said slowly. "You admitted it yourself. I think- I think that's Gedry inside you, fighting you, Torrel." Her mind was becoming fuzzy, and she fought the urge to let her mind drift away. She invoked what little Healing gift she had to fight the infection, and it gave her a moment's relief.

"No," Gedry-Torrel retreated. "No, I'm the one in control. There's not enough of his personality left to fight me...!"

"But he's been influencing you," Kauria pointed out. "I don't think you realize how much. You were planning on killing me, remember, until you assumed his form. He's been chipping away--"

"Stop it!" Gedry-Torrel shouted. "You're right, I should just kill you now and be done with it!" He jabbed at Kauria with the dagger, but his aim was badly off and Kauria was able to dodge even in her weakened state by falling to one knee. Her hand brushed something on the floor.

"You- you d-don't even have enough control t-to scratch me," Kauria managed a feeble laugh, making her way back to her feet. "Y-you're pathetic."

"And you're nearly out of strength," he told her. "You're barely walking!"

"I can... still... fight you," Kauria said before the world turned upside- down. Her body went limp, and she simply collapsed forward. Her gift was not enough to hold back the poison.

He body refused to obey her commands to brace itself for the fall, but a pair of strong hands caught her before she hit the ground. She didn't lift her head, but her senses told her that this was Gedry, her Gedry, holding her.

But once again, the cold returned, and so did Torrel.

"Now who has control?" he mocked her.

"I do," Kauria said, rousing a final burst of energy.

The Pendant glowed in her hand and someone screamed.

Then everything went black.