"Bleu! Time to get up! Another busy day awaits!"

Bleu cringed and gripped her pillow tightly at the sound of Jade's nasal voice. She hated the Mystic and prayed that she'd just go away.

No such luck. The door to her room opened and Jade bounced in. "Rise and shine," she said cheerily. Bleu wanted to strangle her for her tone of voice alone. Like she could be in a chipper mood when she got up.

Jade patted the bed. "Lots of training to do today," she continued. "Today you learn to combine magic and weapons."

"Oh, goody," Bleu said sarcastically. Jade responded by slapping her hard across the face. Bleu didn't even flinch, used to this sort of thing.

"Don't mock me," Jade said angrily. Bleu shrugged.

Jade walked away, back towards the door. "I expect to see you in the dining hall in a few minutes, dressed and ready. Don't be late." She slammed the door hard.

Bleu got up, yawning. She got dressed and went to the mirror. She picked up a brush and started brushing her long, black hair. She arranged it carefully to hide the points her ears had grown into, though they were still small. They were her only Mystic characteristics, besides the dark blue blood that flowed through her veins. She touched her cheek where Jade had slapped her. It wasn't even tender, having been through such blows many times before. There wouldn't even be a bruise later. Setting the brush down, she left the room.

"About time," Jade said, scowling as she entered the dining hall. Bleu just shrugged. She sat down and ate her rather tasteless breakfast.

Ozzie needs to get a real cook, she thought, not for the first time.

Bleu stood outside, sword in hand, waiting for the training to begin. Her face was its usual expressionless state, but there was weariness in her pale blue eyes. She'd experienced countless mornings like this in the past five years since her training had begun. She was only a little stronger than she had been, though she was something of a fast learner. But she was definitely better at magic than sword-fighting. A tall, thin, awkward twelve-year-old, she wasn't exactly the best at handling a sword.

"Prepare yourself!" Shade, her other teacher, suddenly appeared, his sword glowing with fire magic Jade had cast on it.

Unprepared, Bleu tried to block the blow, but she was unable. His red-hot blade cut across her arm as she raised her sword.

"Aaah!" Bleu cried out as her skin was simultaneously cut and burned. She dropped her sword and stumbled back, falling onto the ground. She held her wounded arm close to her, blinking back tears, her sharp teeth biting hard into her lower lip, drawing blood. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Wow, that's gonna leave a mark!" Shade exclaimed as he stood over her. "You're gonna have a nasty scar when that heals!"

"What's another one?" Bleu muttered, her voice choked up and barely audible. She had so many already.... Casting a minor healing spell on herself, she stood up and walked shakily towards the mansion.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Jade demanded. "Training's not over yet!"

"Shut up, Jade," she snapped, her voice trembling as she held back tears. "Can't you see I'm hurt? There's no way I can continue with the lessons!"

Jade started to say something, then changed her mind. "I can't believe I ever took pity on that little freak," she grumbled. "I should've just let Ozzie kill her."

"For once, we're in agreement," Shade muttered. "She's just a pathetic weakling who'll never amount to anything."

Hearing them, Bleu squeezed her tear-filled eyes shut and gritted her sharp teeth. Her heart pounded as the pain and fury coursed through her aching body. She wanted to march back there and tear them to pieces, but she was far too weak. She'd have to wait to get her revenge. Trembling with pent-up emotion, she kept walking into the mansion.

Opening a drawer, she pulled out a bandage and began to wrap it around the still-raw wound. She winced as the rough cloth touched her burnt skin, and gritted her teeth. Then a wide, familiar shadow loomed above her. She sighed. "Hello, Ozzie."

"Hello, Bleu." The fat green Mystic rubbed his triple chins. "Training not going well, I take it?" he asked, looking at the arm she was still bandaging.

"It's going fabulous," Bleu replied through clenched teeth as she taped up the bandage. "Couldn't be better."

"Why must you always be so sarcastic?" Ozzie sighed.

"It's a great way to deal. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Ozzie frowned sharply. "What do you mean by that?"

"You cause pain, you don't feel it. Not like me." Her voice lowered. She started to leave, but he stopped her.

"Hold it, Bleu," he said in a hard voice. "Just because your training is over for the day, doesn't mean your work here is."

"I wasn't aware that I had any other duties besides eating, sleeping, and training." Her voice was tired.

"Well, today you do. I want you to go into Truce and do some shopping for me."

Bleu frowned. "What for? We have everything we need here in Medina. There's no reason to go to Truce."

"Yes, there is. You can nose around and try to hear some information about what the humans have been up to. Filthy beasts," he snorted. Bleu didn't even bother to remind him that she herself was half-human. What good would it do?

She sighed. "Fine. Just give me a list of what you want me to pick up -- besides information -- and I'll be on my way."

"Oh, just get anything," Ozzie said, waving a flabby hand. "Here's some gp, just go and be back sometime before nightfall, I don't really care when." He pulled a small coin purse out of his robes and tossed it to her. She caught it with her good hand and headed towards her room to get her jacket.

She gingerly slipped her jacket on, careful with her injured arm. She pulled the hood up over her head, her face hidden by the dark folds and the shadows they cast. Placing the purse in her pocket, she left the room and the mansion.

It was chilly in Medina, as usual. A cold wind whipped her dark hair around under her hood. Wrapping her arms carefully around herself, she got into a rather junky skimmer and took off for Truce.

As she walked into town, she noticed a bunch of kids gathered around a large, strange-looking machine. A short, blonde girl wearing big glasses and beat-up work clothes was fiddling with it while three other kids watched.

"Is it gonna work this time, Rydia?" a girl asked. "Or will it just blow up like the last one?" The other kids snickered. Bleu's eyes hardened with anger.

"Oh, it'll work," the girl answered, wiping a bit of sweat off her forehead. "It's going to work great, you'll see."

"Whatever you say, Rydia," a boy snickered. The other two laughed.

"Why don't you believe me?" Rydia asked, her voice tremulous. Bleu could tell she was trying not to cry.

"Cause nothing's ever worked right. You're just like your famous ancestor, Rydia -- neither of you can get anything right!" The kids laughed cruelly. Rydia tried not to cry, and failed, tears starting to run down her cheeks.

"Oh, look at the little crybaby," a girl jeered. "Bawling her little eyes out!" The kids laughed and jeered at her, which only made Rydia cry harder. Which, of course, made them laugh harder.

"Why don't you leave her alone?" Bleu snapped. The kids stopped laughing and turned.

"Why don't you just butt out?" one of the boys asked her.

"Who's this weirdo?" the girl asked.

"Never you mind. Just leave her alone," Bleu replied.

"Why should we?" the other boy said defiantly. "What business is it of yours, anyhow? You don't even know her!"

"Because no one deserves to be treated like that, so I'm making it my business. And who says I have to know her? I may not know her, but at least I'm being nicer than you lousy brats who do know her!" Bleu glared at them from under her hood. It still obscured her face.

"Aw, come on, let's just go," the girl said, disgusted. "This freako's not gonna let up, so we should just go have fun elsewhere." Snickering, the kids left.

When they were gone, Bleu walked over to Rydia and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" she asked quietly.

Rydia sniffled and took her glasses off so she could wipe her eyes. "Y-yeah, I, I'll be okay," she stammered. "Th-thank you for sticking up for me."

"No problem," Bleu said quietly. "I hate seeing anyone get treated like that."

"Wh-what's your name?" Rydia asked, replacing her glasses.

"I'm Bleu." She reached up with her good arm and pulled her hood back. "You're Rydia, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," the girl said sadly. "The failure."

"Just cause things don't go like they're planned doesn't mean you're a failure. Besides, you'll show those idiots someday." She smiled hesitantly at Rydia. She never smiled anymore, and it felt strange. Rydia smiled shyly back. She looked to be a little younger than Bleu, about eleven.

"So what is it you're working on?" Bleu asked, referring to the machine.

Rydia shrugged. "Nothing much, just a duplication of a machine my ancestor made. It's called a Telepod. It's supposed to transport people from one place to another. I want to see if I can fix the mistakes she made." She sighed. "So far, it hasn't gone very well at all. I may just give up on it."

"That's silly. There's no reason you should give up completely."

"What should I do, then?"

"Set it aside. Go on to something else and come back to it later. Don't just give up on it. You could come back to it and have better luck with it, you never know." Bleu smiled, a little easier this time. Rydia smiled back, a little more sure of herself this time.

"You're right." Then she paused, frowning slightly. "Would, would you mind doing me a small favor? I know I already owe you, but...."

"What's the favor?" Bleu asked.

"Come with me to Guardia Castle. I'm seeing a friend there, and I'm afraid those jerks will try to bother me."

"To.... Guardia Castle?" Bleu gulped. There had been a lot of problems between Guardia and the Mystics lately, and the last thing she, a half-Mystic, wanted to do was to walk into the lion's den, so to speak.

Rydia looked curiously at her. "Most people would be excited to go to the castle. Why not you?"

"No, no reason. I'm just a little nervous, that's all." Her heart racing, Bleu prayed the girl wouldn't guess her secret.

"Oh." Rydia nodded. "I understand. I was too, the first time I went there." Bleu nodded, her relief overwhelming. "So will you come with me?" she asked hopefully.

Bleu hesitated, then nodded. "Sure. I just have to do a little shopping first. My -- um -- I have to pick up a few things." She didn't want to explain her situation.

"No problem. I'll put this away, and wait here for you. Okay?"

"All right." They headed off in their separate directions.

Inside the store, Bleu picked up a couple items, not caring the least bit what they were. Counting the money Ozzie had given her, she realized she'd have some left over. So she picked out some candy for Rydia and paid for the stuff.

"All done?" Rydia asked as she walked up.

She nodded. "Yeah. And I bought you this." She pulled the candy out of the bag. Rydia's blue-gray eyes lit up.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that."

"No, I didn't have to. But I wanted to."

Rydia smiled warmly. "Thanks again. Let's go, shall we?" They walked off together towards the castle.

"Hey, Rydia. How've you been?" A dark-haired girl in regal clothes greeted them inside the castle with a warm smile. Then she glanced at Bleu. "Who's this?"

"This is Bleu," Rydia said with a smile. "I met her in Truce. She helped me deal with some bullies. Bleu, this is Daria, the Princess of Guardia."

The Princess? Oh boy..... Bleu tried to smile. "Nice to meet you."

"The same," Daria replied breezily.

Bleu looked around the castle, swallowing hard. The people walking by were staring at her. Normally she would've just passed it off, since people back in Medina were always staring at her, but she was too paranoid to do that now. She was filled with the fear that they knew just by looking at her what she was.

Bleu was very self-conscious about her appearance. In Medina, the Mystics were constantly mocking it for being so human. She knew very well how odd she must look, with her dark hair and clothes and pale skin, her thin, sad face. Eyes that were far too haunted for a twelve-year-old girl. She wanted nothing more at the moment than to pull her hood up again and hide. But she couldn't. It would look too suspicious. So she pushed her fear aside and followed the girls up to Daria's room.

They spent some time there, just hanging out and watching some television, then Rydia had to go home. Bleu left with her, and then was on her way back.

Before she went back to Medina, though, she decided to go to one of her favorite spots. She flew the skimmer to the base of the Denadoro Mountains and landed some distance away. Then she got out and walked a little ways through the forest.

To a small waterfall at the base, emptying into a small pool. She loved to go swimming here, though she didn't get to come here often. Slipping her clothes off, she got into the water, keeping her bandaged arm above the surface.

She sighed deeply as she sank into the water. No matter what, she always felt better when she came here. Today was no exception. She reached up and slid some of her hair behind one of her ears, her calloused fingertips sliding over the small point. She'd have to be careful to hide this trait from her new friends. She didn't trust them enough to accept her for who she was, what she was. After all, nobody else did. There was no way she'd ever let them know.

Four years later....

They sat around the table in Rydia's house, just hanging out and waiting for the young inventor to finish her latest project. Daria munched on some snacks, Bleu fiddled around with the tools on the table, and their newest friend Schala, a visitor from another time, just sat there.

The three had changed somewhat in the past four years. Daria had gotten a little more spoiled, and Rydia was having better luck with her inventions. She'd also, thanks to Bleu, learned to stick up for herself better against bullies.

Bleu had changed the most, however. No longer awkward and weak, she was becoming quite strong. Her skill with swords and with magic was improving vastly, and she was becoming more and more sure of herself in that respect.

Picking up a small knife, she twirled it around in her hand as someone else might twirl a baton.

"Maybe you better not do that," Schala said. "You could cut yourself."

"I know what I'm doing," Bleu replied. The minute she said it, the knife slipped and she cut her palm. "Ouch!" she exclaimed, dropping the knife onto the table with a thunk and clutching her hand. Actually, it didn't hurt that much, but she didn't want them to see the dark blue blood that was welling up from the cut. It would raise too many questions, questions that she didn't want to answer.

"Oh, let me see that," Rydia said, getting up from the floor where she'd been working on a new invention.

"No, no, it's okay!" Bleu said hastily. "I'm fine."

"No, it's not. You could get an infection. Let me clean it and bandage it up for you."

"No. Just give me what I need and I'll do it."

"You don't know how. Let me at it."

"No!" A bit of panic had begun to leak into Bleu's voice.

"Yes." Rydia reached out and grabbed her hand and opened it. Her mouth fell open in surprise as she saw the blood smeared across Bleu's palm.

Daria gasped. "What the..." She looked sharply at Bleu. "What are you?!"

"Daria!" Schala exclaimed. "What kind of a question is that?!"

"A perfectly valid one!" Daria snapped. "Look! Look at that! No human has blood that color!"

"So?" Schala said.

"So?! So?!" Daria gaped at her. "Don't you know?! The only people who could look like this and have blood like that are Mystics!"

"You're right," Rydia said, a small frown creasing her face. "But, I thought Mystics had green blood...." Her voice trailed off, a thoughtful frown on her face as she stared down at Bleu's hand, which was now shaking. She pulled it out of Rydia's grasp and covered the cut with her other hand.

"Whatever," Daria said, waving her hand. "They must have different colors, like a rainbow. But they're all basically the same." She glared at Bleu.

"That's impossible," Rydia said. "No one race can --" Her voice was cut off by Daria continuing.

"You're a spy, aren't you?" she said in an accusing voice. "You only made friends with us to get information on me and my kingdom for Ozzie, didn't you? You used us!"

"No," Bleu protested. "I didn't, I swear. I just wanted to be friends."

"Some friend, lying to us!" Daria snapped.

"I didn't lie! If you'll just let me expl--"

Daria cut her off. "I'm not interested in more lies and neither is Rydia!" she sneered. "Are you, Rydia?"

"Well, actually I," she started to say, but Daria interrupted her again.

"See?"

"Daria, just shut up and let Bleu explain!" Schala snapped. "I want to hear what she has to say."

"I don't," Daria retorted.

"Then plug your ears!" Schala snapped.

"It's Rydia's house, and she doesn't want to hear it either," Daria countered.

"Yes, I do!" Rydia snapped angrily. "If you could manage to keep your mouth shut for one freaking minute, I'd have told you that already. Now could you try and do that?!" Daria merely nodded, stunned.

Her voice shaking, Bleu told her story, right up to that day. She was near tears when she finished.

"That's why I kept it from you," she whispered. "Because I was afraid you wouldn't want to be friends with me anymore." She looked at Daria, her face hard. "And you proved me right." She glared at the younger girl, who shrank back, an ashamed look on her face.

"You mean you didn't trust us enough to accept you." There was some hurt in Rydia's voice. Bleu looked at her with irritation in her face.

"Where do you get off being hurt?" she demanded. "As she showed today, I was right. And besides, I'm just not a trusting person."

"Not a trusting person?" Rydia repeated. "That's not an excuse for not trusting your close friends."

"For crying out loud, Rydia!" Standing up, she kicked her chair back into the wall. "Didn't you hear a word I said?! If you had to go through what I did and do every single day of my life, do you think you would trust people easily? I don't think you would!" She pushed her jacket sleeve up angrily. "Look! Look at this! I got this the day you met me! My whole body is covered with scars like this! Look at this and tell me how trusting you would be if you went through such things! Tell me!" She glared at Rydia and shoved the sleeve back down. "I'm going back to Medina. Goodbye!" She slammed the door behind her with a hard finality.

She walked quickly away from the house, almost breaking into a run as she headed towards the skimmer that had brought her here. Hot tears gathered in her eyes, and her throat ached with the effort of holding them back.

"Bleu! Wait!" She turned to see Schala running after her.

"What is it?" she asked in a tired voice.

"Are you really leaving?"

"Of course I'm really leaving."

"Will you be coming back?"

"I don't think so," Bleu replied.

"Won't you please?" Schala pleaded. "I still want to be friends with you, even if they don't. Won't you at least come back and see me?"

"No, because I can't do that without seeing them."

"Bleu, I'm not the only one who still wants to be friends with you. Rydia does. And Daria is completely ashamed, totally guilt-ridden."

"Who cares?!" Bleu snapped. "Let her wallow in her guilt, if she's even capable of feeling such emotion, or any emotion. That's exactly what she should be doing."

"Bleu, please," Schala pleaded. "I really do want to remain friends with you. I'm sure once we all cool off things will be back to normal. Better than normal, because you don't have to be afraid of us finding out your secret. You can trust us now."

"I can trust you." Bleu's voice was cold. "You were the only one to really stick up for me."

"What about Daria and Rydia?"

"Rydia, maybe. Daria, never again."

"So that means you'll come back?" Schala's voice was hopeful.

"Yes. But not right away. I need some time. Understand this: you're the only reason I'm going to ever come back here. Because you're the only real friend I have, that I've ever had. Ever will have." Her voice dropped.

"Now, I'm sure that's not true."

Bleu sighed. "Schala, everybody but you hates me. It's been this way for most of my life." She looked very sad. "The only thing I've ever wanted was to have friends, to be loved. Today two people I thought were my friends turned on me. I've gone for over half my life without being loved. And I'll spend the rest of my life never hearing those words." Her voice breaking, she turned away. "I have to go. See you later."