The Awakening

Oliver- No Going Back

It worried Oliver enough when Keira passed out with no warning. But when she started whispering the same word over and over again, he yelled for a medic.

"What's going on?" the medic asked.

"I don't know! She just fainted and now she's whispering something!"

"It's probably a memory. We just need to leave her alone until she wakes up."

Then Keira started screaming.

"You have to do something! Wake her up somehow!"

"I can't. We have to wait. Relax."

Keira jolted up in the cot, panting and sweating.

Oliver grabbed her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, shaking. "It was a memory. I was training. It must have been a duel, because I was fighting my instructor. And she kept telling me to focus. When it was over, she grabbed my arm and..."

Oliver looked to Keira's left arm, where there were scars on her shoulder, elbow, and wrist. His eyes widened.

"She cut me at all the places on my arm I was supposed to use when I fought with a sword," she shuddered. "Maybe this was a mistake."

The medic shook his head. "I'm sorry, but there's no going back now. Hopefully they won't all be terrible."

"Oh darling, are you alright? What was it?" Rose appeared from the doorway.

"Just a memory, mom. I'm fine," though Rose rushed over anyways. Oliver stepped away as Keira's mother hugged her.

"It's okay, darling. Everything's going to be okay."

-----------------------

Two weeks past, a few of Keira's memories returned, but they were all from her training. Oliver spent most of his time with her. Training, talking, enjoying donuts.

One night, he was sitting in the hallway between the dorms, shaking off a nightmare.

The girls' door opened, and Keira stepped into the hall.

"Oh, hi!" Oliver said. "Are... you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she sighed. "Everyone's been asking me that, and I am fine, I just wish..."

"That we were actually doing something," Oliver finished.

She sat next to him. "Yeah."

He was suddenly aware of how close she was. She turned to look at him.

"I have a question. Oh, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Alright," Oliver said hesitantly.

She took a breath. "Have you ever kissed anyone?"

Definitely not what he was expecting. "Uh, no? I know, I'm sixteen, I should have by now but I haven't. Have you?" why was he curious?

"Yes. Before you ask, it was Luke."

"Why did you ask?"

"Just curious," Keira shrugged.

"Your eyes, there's gold in them. Like a ring around the outside."

Did she blush? It was hard to tell, there was barely any light.

Oliver went for it. Why, at the time he wasn't sure. He leaned forward and kissed her. A real kiss. Everything felt so... right. Like he was coming together. Like the piece of himself that had been missing had finally been found. And she kissed him back.