Sometimes people get what they asked for. And I hate it when that happens. Not only did Zoe teleport the group straight to my favorite mountain clearing, they were fully equipped to distract me, even though they didn't know why. But the sadistic looks on their faces took the cake.
After three hours, I was exhausted. With torture devices ranging from stones to cattle prods, I was hard pressed to find a way to focus and shield. I was actually happy that none of the girls realized that I could harden my skin, because the look on their faces when I had perfected the technique would be great. Just as I started to find my zone while being hit with stones and fireballs, the sun began to set. I began to run sprints back across the mountains, leaving the girls behind.
The girls began to come with me less frequently, settling in on once a week. But Kuchiki would come by herself every few days. I'd stop and take a break, and we'd walk through the hills, just talking. One day we found a beautiful waterfall, and from then on we'd go there daily to relax in peace. It wasn't long before the other girls start harassing me, and Misery would cackle for hours afterward. I denied all accusations, but the girls didn't seem to believe me.
An occurance that began to happen more and more often was that I began to dream. I would be at rest with my other selfs, and suddenly I would faze out and enter a dream. The dreams were ambiguous, mostly swirling colors and voices that would drift across my conciousness. But one night the dream was different.

I stood on a grassy clearing in a wood. Kuchiki stood across the clearing, smiling as always. But then a look of terror shocked onto her face. A tall dark figure grabbed her by her robes and lifted her up. I didn't recognize the face, but the man had a large, ropey scar across his left eye. He blinked, and the scar even covered the eyelid. He laughed a dark, haunting rumble that rolled through the air and sent shivers down my spine. Then he rose into the air on huge black wings....

And I woke up. Misery looked at me with a grin and said, "Lovers always do meet tragedy, don't they?"
Before I could tell Misery to stuff it, Love defended himself.
"Very funny Misery. But she's just a friend."
I was amazed. It had been so long since Love spoke, I'd forgotten his voice. But there was a ring to Love's voice that I had never heard. And when I looked into his eyes I was met not by pale grey wells of despair, but by breathtakingly blue gems that looked like they belonged to a god.
Love grinned at my dumbstruck expression.
"Friendship is a kind of love, too."

The next morning I decided I was ready. As Alisha went to get herself some milk, I called from the table,"Alisha, see that knife? Throw it at Zoe's head." Everyone froze. Zoe looked at me with this look on her face.
"What?" I asked,"I'll stop it." But Zoe still looked pretty miffed.
You have to realize, this was no ordinary knife. It was one of those big knives chefs on TV use to cut vegtables. Reluctantly, Alisha gently tossed the knife in Zoe's general direction. I moved from the other side of the table in the blink of an eye to catch the knife just in front of Alisha's hand.
"No, no, no. If you're going to do this, throw it as hard as you can. Use your magic and everything."
I thought Zoe was going to kill me. But me sitting down back on the other side of the table probably didn't help.
Gathering her magic, Alisha focused and paused. Then, quick as lightning, she threw the knife. But not quick enough. Faster than anyone but me could follow, I lept over the table, landing next to Zoe between her and Alisha. I got there so fast I had to wait a little for the knife, even though for even a magical observer, the knife took an instant to reach Zoe. As the knife closed in, I shielded and swung my arm. The knife shattered as it hit my arm. In the same motion I grabbed the pieces of the shattered out of the air. To anyone in the room, I appeared by Zoe's side and swung my arm, making the knife disappear.
"What just happened?" asked Greta.
"Holy s***!" exclaimed Kuchiki.
Alisha almost fainted, and Zoe looked at me in both loathing and amazement.
Zaak didn't say a word.
I dropped the slivers of knife on the table, and walked out of the room, knowing I made the day interesting.