Warning: This part contains a Lemon! If you are under 18 please read Trials VIII marked under 18.
The Three Trials for Power
By Lars the Goddess
Part VIII
Chapter 14
Duo followed Cyanea into her room and let the door shut behind him. He was having so much fun, after all; it had been a long time since he got to act like a kid and play in the rain. He looked around the room, taking in the three unmade beds and clothes that lay everywhere as the girls insisted that they were too busy to pick up and put everything away. The braided pilot only shook his head and let his mind wander to Quatre and the danger he was in if Heero decided that he was too much of a risk to the rest of them. However, his mind was quickly eased from these depressing thoughts as Cyanea backed him against the door and kissed him passionately.
She pulled away and looked him in the eye as she turned to start collecting various objects and throwing them in a bag. Raising his eyebrows in inquiry, he let himself stare contentedly in her golden brown eyes. Obviously, she had decided that it was her turn to tease as she gave him a wicked smile and continued her task.
"So, what exactly are we doing?" he asked her, his tone telling her that he expected and answer.
She smiled sweetly at him, "We only have a few more days before the ritual, and you still have yet to master meditation. Were going in the woods to pracice."
He looked at her like she was crazy, "But its pouring rain out there. I thought you didnt want to get wet."
She shrugged his complaint off, her brown eyes dancing with controlled laughter. "By the time Im done here, the rain will have stopped and, even if it hasnt, the place where we are going to is protected. All I have to do is say a word and the ground will be dry," she said, winking at him and placing a small portable cd player in her bag with two speakers.
He nodded and then sat down on Montanas unmade bed to wait for Cyanea to finish. All the while, he wondered if what Cy had told him was true. The only reason the four of them were going ahead with the ritual was because they believed they could help get Quatres memory back in the process of getting strong enough to combat the rising demon armies. Although none of them had been attacked since Saturday, they could still feel the evil energy in the air as the creatures of darkness massed their army together for the final battle between the three witches that were all that stood in their way of world domination.
However, Duo knew that more attacks were bound to happen in an attempt to rid the world of the witches before they gained enough power. Just like any other army, human or not, they wanted to get their goal as fast as possible. That usually meant assassination.
*** The black haired witch entered the dark room quietly and approached the bed, fearful of disturbing the occupant. Her eyes took a moment to become accustomed to the dark, and when she could finally see, she found that Quatre was already awake and sitting up in bed with his head resting lightly on his knees. Stopping in front of him, she waited for him to acknowledge her presence.
Light blue eyes turned to look at her, "Montana, what is it?" he asked as he looked at her. Confusion was painted plainly on his pale features, making him look even more adorable than ever.
Montana sighed as she took a seat next to the Arabian boy on the bed. "Its just I want to see if maybe there is some other way to help you regain your memory. But there si so much that I never got to know about you and your friends dont seem to be willing to make anything about you known. I guess they think its est if you remember the stuff on your own, but I disagree."
"But maybe theyre right. What use is it if you tell me everythign about myself. Then I might just start making memories up about those facts and Ill never be who I used to be again," he said, depression obvious on his face. "What I wouldnt give to be who I was again."
Smiling slightly at him in the darkness, Montana took on a reassuring tone of voice. "Dont worry. I have a feeling that it wont be long before you get your memory back. You just have to," she said, confidence filling her voice once more as she remembered the plan she, Duo, and the other girls had made for when they performed the ritual.
Quatre smield at her, "Im glad you believe that." Silence reigned for a few moments before he spoke up again. "Why why did you kiss me that day in the hospital? Are we suppose to be a couple?" he asked, worry at the possibility of hurting her clear in his voice.
Montana looked at him startled, unsure what to say. "I I dont know," she said truthfull. "Wee never really had the chance to find out. I just sort of did it. If I had known you had lost your memory, I would never have considered making things even more confusing for you."
It was Quatres turn to look at her reassuringly. "You didnt make anythign more complicated for me," he said as he pushed a few strands of hair away from her face. "If anything, you have made me feel better about all of this. And if I was as smart as I hope I am, I would definitely want to be with you," he said as he leaned in to claim her lips as she had done to him.
Montana pulled away, unsure of what was happening and very afraid of what this might mean. "I dont think we should do this. Not with you like this, not before you remember who you are. I could never bear it if you remembered and then decided that I really wasnt what you wanted." With that she quickly stood and exited the room, running from the thing that she most wanted.
*** The haunting tune of a wood flute floated gently through the air as Cyanea looked into Duos eyes and began to explain to him what she wanted him to do. Sitting across from her, he watched as she adjusted the volume on the cd player to a lower level so that they could relax more easily. "Now, all you have to do is relax your entire body and let your mind drift to a half aware state. When youre ready, picture one thing in your mind and focus on it. When you think you are able, picture yourself floating away from your body and onto another plain. I will be waiting for you there.
Duo nodded once and shut his eyes, commanding his body to relax. "Picture on thing," he mumbled silentlyt o himself as his mind began to drif into half consciousness. He did this easily, bringing to mind the beautiful red of her hair and paleness of her complexion. The image of her smilign face and lithe frame sprang up in front of his eyes with little effort. He focused on her for a few minutes and then decided that he was ready to move on to the plain, something he had yet to succeed in doing. He believed that this was because of his training, making him be aware of his body and surroundings even in sleep. It made it hard to let go of his body willingly when an enemy could show up at any minute, but he was almost positive that this place was safe.
Letting go of his worries and focusing on her essence, he demanded tha the let himself go to her where she waited for him on the other plain. He saw himslef leave his body as he released his tight grip to reality and let himself slip into the supernatural world. He felt pure joy as he found himself finally doing it. his spirit self soared through the woods and then flew up to the clouds that hung lightly above him.
Breaking through them, he found himself in a stone temple. The American pilot looked around, taking everything in from the golden sature of a long haired beauty holding a long sword with a crystal ball on the end of the hilt, to the altar that lay humbly at her feet. Looking at the altar, he found Cyanea keneling there as well, staring up at the statue with adoration. H silently approached her, not wishing to startle her.
Without turning around, she spoke up, "Im proud of you, you finally did it," she said as she slowly rose and turned to face him.
"Who is she?" he asked, making a vague gesture to the statue, unwilling to take his eyes from the vision in front of him. She had changed slightly in her spirit form. Her eyes reminded him of a wolf, their yellowish tint glistening playfully, and her skin was more translucent, a shining brilliance that he could hardly keep himself from reaching out to. Her hair had darkened slightly, taking on a more black color and had silver streaks running through it. I wonder what I look like in this form, he thought as he studied her soft features.
She smiled and his heart skipped a beat. "She is Cehtany Prettyangel. She is the one who will determine whether we are worthy of the power we seek. The crystal on her sword holds the power of the God and Goddess, allowing her to pass judgement as she sees fit."
He nodded. "So, shes the one who will put us throught he tests on Saturday night," he said, grasping what she was saying quickly.
"Yes," Cyanea nodded.
"Then I hope we can do well, but until then, we should make the best of our time together," he said, finally giving into the urge to reach out and touch her.
Leaning into him, she responded. "Definitely," she whispered as they kissed each other with a feirce passion.
Duos mind was swimming with thoughts and feelings so fast that he couldnt make sense of them. He felt so warm and comfortable here, as if the Lord and Lady were holding him against them, warming him with their own flesh. He pulled Cyanea with him as he knelt down to the stone floor, his legs unable to support him anymore. He was surprised to find out that the floor was soft and warm as well. Opening his eyes, he found that they were now in another chamber with a homey fire burning hot in a stone hearth. He and Cy knelt on a bed of furs, a curtain of white gauzey fabric hanging down around them.
His eyes widened as he looked at his love for an answer, "It is a gift from the Lord and Lady. We have their blessing," she whispered before giving into to passion once more.
Duo leaned Cyanea into the furs so graciously provided by the Lord and Lady. He gave her a gentle smile an dwhispered, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yeah," she breathed back at him, running her hands over his smooth chest. She then kissed him with all the passion she could muster, feeling his arms encircle her waist, then travel upwards to her shoulder blades. Caressing them, he felt her totally relax into his embrace. He then brushed his lips against the base of her neck, moistening the hollow between her collar bone with his tongue. The red haired witch moaned involuntarily at the things he was doing to her. She ran her fingers through is wild mane and pulled his face up to hers so she could sate her longing for his lips. Cy bodly parted his lips with her tongue to gain entrance to his mouth, and succeeded. I was his turn to moan in pleasure as he felt her hands brush the line of his jaw, then softly proceed downwards towards his chest. A small thrill went up his spine as she grabbed the hem of his tunic and pulled it over his head. He always knew she was a dominatrix. Not that he minded or anything.
He in turn deprived her of her clothing, and stared down at her in appriciation. "God, youre beautiful," he murmured to her. Cyanea grabbed hold of his neck and pulled him down on top of her. Her hands traveled quickly down to his pants and releived him of the troublesome clothing. He gave her a small, almost evbarrassed grin as he kicked off his shoes and peeled off his socks.
"Sorry," he muttered in between kissing her, "Having on my shoes is such a turn off."
Cy grinned at him and wrapped her legs around his so that hr feet were caressing his. "Yes, it is," she mumbled seductively.
Duo propped himself up above her withhis elbows and kissed her forehead gently.
"Ive never done this before, so bare with me, ok?" he asked ocncerned.
Cy nodded, "I understand. Well both have to do this together."
He smiled down at her in wonder. How in hell does a girl like her even acknowledge my presence, much less want to give herself to me? he wondered. I am not even worthy to be near her, but yet, here I am. And she wants me!
He smiled to himslef as he brushed Cys hair out of her face. "Are you ready?" he asked her one more time.
Cy nodded, and he groaned softly. As he entered her, he saw her wince and heard a small yelp of pain that caught in her throat.
"Are you all right?" he asked worrieldy. "We can stop if you want."
Cy shook her head, "No. Keep going. It doesnt hurt anymore."
Cuo sighed and kissed her gently as he pushed against her. Her hips rose to meet his as they ground together time and time again. He clenched his teeth together as he tried to gain control of himslef so as not to hurt her, but Cy was making things difficult for him. She was writhing beneath him, drivin ghim insane with her body. It ws all he could do not to give in to the animal urges that were stirring deep within him.
He gasped as yet another wave of passion flooded them both, and they clung together, Cys hands around his neck and his tangled in her should length hair. As they climaxed, Cy let out a primal scream and threw herself against his body one last time. Duo collapsed onto her in exhaustion and tried to catch his breath. That in itself was a task, they had been going at it for quite a while.
A few moments later, he rolled off Cy and whispered to her. "I know that Ive only known you for like, only a week, but I get the feeling that Ive known you my whole life. Which is why Im going to tell you this. Cyanea, I think I love you."
Cy turned her face in his direction and smiled. "I know. Somehow, Ive always known. And I feel like I love you too."
The both cuddled together under the furs in the room and watched the fire until it was only a glowing ember in the fireplace.
*** Chapter 15
Friday morning, Heero sat in his first period class. He looked around the quiet classroom in an attempt to locate a certain braided pilot, who was no where to be found. His face remained impassive, even as his brain started to work at full capacity. Trowa and Quatre had informed him that Duo never returned after his walk with Cyanea. He couldn't over look the possibility that she was responsible for his disappearance, even if he was warming up to the girls a little. Montana's open concern for Quatre had proven that they were not as bad as they seemed, but it could have been an act just the same.
The Japanese pilot thought about the problem with Quatre. His memory loss was a threat to the security of all the pilots and at any moment, he could remember something and say it to the wrong person, endangering them all. At the orders of Doctor J, the Arabian pilot was to be watched continuously and if he did not remember by Saturday night, he would have to be executed.
They were only lucky that he hadn't let anything spill the one time he was along with Montana after they had brought him back to the school.
Movement at the front of the room distracted the silent boy from his thoughts. Looking up, he saw Duo quickly making his way to his seat while the teacher was writing something on the board. He glared at the late boy as he slid into the seat two rows in front of him. He quickly began to plan the interrogation of the American pilot to find out exactly why he had not returned to his room last night.
As he was taking his seat, Duo simply gave his friend a confused look that quickly melted into one of his large smiles as he flung his heavy braid over his shoulder. Heero made a silent note that Duo's hair was still wet, meaning that he hadn't had time that morning to let it air dry. Something was definitely up because he had never seen the boy with a wet braid before.
Duo had turned to look forward as the teacher began to take role. As the lesson began, the boy's obvious good nature seemed to disappear slowly as boredom began to replace his usual expression. Heero remembered that many times the American had complained about having to attend school. No doubt he'd rather be in the nearest arcade or reading the latest manga.
Deciding to ignore the idiot in front of him, the Japanese pilot turned his cobalt eyes in the direction of the teacher as she began to question the class on what she had just talked about.
Finally, the class let out and both boys, whose minds were elsewhere jumped up, each with a destination in mind. Heero targeted Duo as he rushed to the door and Cyanea, if his friend was really that predictable.
Catching up with the violet-eyed boy, he pulled him to the side of the hall by his school uniform sleeve. "Oi, Heero! What is it?" the braided boy asked as he looked into the other's Prussian eyes.
Never one to beat around the bush, Heero got to the point. "Where were you last night?" he asked in his cold monotone.
Duo gave his friend an injured look at his distrust. "I went for a walk. I guess I lost track of time and just decided to wonder around for a while. I couldn't sleep anyway."
"Hn," the glare Duo received was more than enough to make him take a step back.
"Hey, man. If you don't like me going out like that, I promise I won't do it again," the American said as he looked defensively at his friend.
Heero nodded almost imperceptibly before turning and walking away. He knew that the boy had not told the entire truth, but it would have to do. After all, Duo's greatest pride, aside from his braid, was that he never lied. The young pilot had to trust his friend on that.
***
School had let out over an hour ago and Heero decided that it was about time that he found out exactly what Duo and Cyanea were doing the night before. Knowing that he would get nothing more out of Deathscythe's pilot, he was now headed toward the dorm room of the three witches. Entering the girl's dormitory, he found Duo and Quatre standing in the lounge talking to some girls. Worried looks crossed the two boy's faces as they spotted Heero and they quickly approached him.
"Oi, what's up man!" Duo asked casually.
"I'm going to talk to the girl's," Heero answered simply.
Duo's face changed into an expression of pure anguish and Quatre became confused at what could possibly be wrong with Heero going to see the girls.
"What are you going to talk about?" the braided boy asked quietly, even though he already knew the answer.
The messy haired boy just stared at him coldly and turned to walk up the steps. Duo followed quickly behind, determined not to let Heero get close to the girls when he wasn't there to protect them. Quatre just simply trailed behind them, wondering what the hell the big deal was and wishing he could remember everything so that maybe he would understand this.
As the boys entered the second floor hall, they heard loud music blasting from one of the dorm rooms. Heero placed it as being an early 20th century song, he believed that this type of music was called oldies. Considering it a minor distraction, he tuned it out and focused on his self-proclaimed mission. Stopping in front of the door, he tested the knob and found that it turned. Letting himself in, he stopped completely unprepared for what met his eyes.
Standing in the doorway, he realized that the strange music was coming from this room. Inside, Anika was dancing around happily. Her school uniform was in a state of chaos, the blouse half untucked from her pleated skirt and the jacket laying carelessly on top of one of the desks. Letting his eyes roam further into the room, he found Cyanea shouting the words to the music without a care in the world as she read some sort of book. On her own bed, Montana just sat there taking in the scene before her with her head in her hands. She looked almost embarrassed to be the friend of these two girls.
Suddenly, he felt a shove against his back as Duo tried to get a view of what was going on inside the room. "Alright!" he shouted as he pushed his way past his friend and into the room.
Once he had gained entrance, he too began to dance wildly alongside Anika.
The three witches looked toward the door at the sound of Duo's voice and stared for a second. Then Anika made a quick decision as she bounced over to the door and grabbed hold of Heero, guiding him into the room where she began to dance with him.
Everyone was laughing, most likely at the dumbfounded look on his face as he stood stiffly in the middle of the clothing covered floor. As the shorthaired girl began to guide him around the room, he tried to get his bearings on the situation.
Standing in the doorway, Quatre stood with a look of pure confusion on his face. His eyes were locked with Montana's and neither of them seemed like they were going to move for a while. Duo was off dancing in front of Cyanea and making her giggle hysterically. And there he was stuck in the steel grip of Anika, who was surprisingly stronger than he had expected.
Finally, he had endured enough as a slow song started and Anika moved to dance more closely to him. He stepped back and shoved her less than gently away from him when she tried to get close again. A pouting look crossed her face as she looked at him pleadingly. The Perfect Soldier was not going to give in. Walking over, he turned off the music, causing everyone to look in his direction even as a loud cheer could be heard echoing down the hall in the renewed silence.
He only ignored the disappointed looks from the room full of people as he got down to business. "Where were you and Duo last night," he demanded as he turned his cold cobalt eyes on Cyanea.
Her eyes widened, just a little frightened by what she saw in his eyes. It looked like she was more than willing to tell the truth at that moment and Duo seemed to realize that. "Look, Heero. It's none of your business. Where we were has no effect on you or your..." he trailed off before he could make more of a mistake.
"My what?" he asked as he dared the boy to even say the word mission in front of these girls. "I think it is more than my business because I am your friend and I don't trust these girls."
"Well, if you're my friend, you would think that you could at least trust me," Duo said with hurt written over his face plainly.
Heero's expression didn't change although he realized that the boy had a point. He felt anger coarse through his body as he felt the pure helplessness of the situation. Never before had he felt this way. He deftly swung his fist at the wall, cracking the plaster, before turning and exiting the room.
Everyone exchanged looks before Duo broke the silence that ensued. "Wonder what crawled up his ass and died," he said quietly. The room broke out in laughter. When everyone had quieted down, Montana spoke up.
"Hey, who's gonna pay for the wall? We're gonna get blamed for it."
Quatre quickly stepped forward, "I could always give you the money. Apparently, I'm rich."
Cyanea laughed, "Everyone in this school is rich. That's the main reason girls are sent here, our parents expect us to get an education and a couple prospective husbands. It's almost like an early coming out party for them," she said as she gave Duo a wink.
Duo gave her a big smile, but it was obvious that the comment had bothered him. Everyone assumed that it was the prospective husband part, but little did they know he was as poor now as when he was a street rat on L2. It was almost too bad Quatre didn't remember this, because he could really have used a friend at that moment.
"Anyway, don't worry about the wall," Montana said. "Our parents will pay for it, they just won't be happy about it."
Deciding it was pointless to fight with her, Quatre simply nodded. "Well, then, Duo and I should go check and make sure Heero is alright," he said as he turned and left.
"Goodnight!" the braided boy said as he quickly followed.
"Don't forget about the ritual tomorrow!" Anika called after them.
"Ritual?" Quatre asked as he turned back around to look back into the room. The four witches sweatdropped as Duo answered him.
"Uh...nothing. Just a term for hanging together and all."
"Oh," Quatre said before he turned and left. Duo winked at the girls and followed after him quickly. As he walked down the hall, he heard the whine of Anika as one of the other two hit her for her mistake.
***
Saturday passed quickly, completely uneventful for the most part. Duo had left to hang out with the witches, including Anika, saying that they had plans for the evening. He was jealous that the American had the chance to spend time with the beautiful girl, who he decided that he loved, even if he couldn't show it yet. The braided boy had left about five minutes ago when the door to his dorm opened again.
Trowa looked up to find Heero standing in the doorway. "Did Duo leave?" The green eyed boy simply nodded. "I want you to follow him," Heero said as he came further into the room. "I think he and the girls are up to something and I don't trust them. Make sure they don't get into trouble."
Nodding, Heavyarm's pilot rose to leave. He knew better than to question Heero, especially when he thought something might cause their exposure. "He left just a few minutes ago. If I leave now, I can still catch him."
He started to walk past his friend, but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning to look at the messy haired boy, he gave him a questioning look. "Where's Quatre?" the pilot asked.
Trowa shrugged. "He should be back soon. He went to take a shower."
"Any improvement in his memory?" Heero asked. Trowa shook his head, a small hint of sadness showing through his green eyes, even as the rest of his face remained impassive.
Showing his understanding, he released Trowa to let him go on his mission. Trowa quickly made his way down the hall and outside. Duo said he was going to meet them at their dorm, so that was where he would start. If he was lucky, they hadn't left yet.
He hid behind some shrubs near the door as he decided on his course of action. He would give them five minutes. If they didn't show, he would check out the room. Perhaps he would find a clue to where they had gone if they were not there. Luck was with him, however, and he didn't have to wait more than a few minutes before the small group appeared as they walked out of the doors.
He watched as they turned and began to walk into the woods, obviously having a certain destination in mind. Quietly rising from his position, he followed silently behind them, keeping to the cover of the trees around him at all times. He never noticed as another figure appeared and began to follow as well, laden with a large bag on their shoulder.
When the four teenagers stopped at a clearing, the young boy quickly took cover on the outskirts. He watched closely as they started to empty the contents of a book bag they had brought with them. The girls started to place candles and other objects around them in strategic places while Duo concentrated on making a fire with the damp sticks that were lying around by a small stream. Amazingly, the boy succeeded as he brought the small pile of wood to burning life without as much as a match or lighter.
Trowa's brow furrowed at this revelation. What was going on here, did Duo really have powers too? He watched quietly as they lit the candles and called on the elements to protect them.
***
Duo stood in the south quarter, waiting for his turn to call his element. As Anika called upon hers, he focused on feeling the effects of the Elemental Air as it entered their circle. The winds surrounded the four of them strengthening the circle as they stood there, all of them facing east. Finding that it was now his turn, he turned to face outside of the circle.
Using his powers, he lit the red candle that lay in front of him, not needing a match as the others did. The wick burst into a large, bright flame before shrinking down to a more appropriate size. Duo relished the warmth of the flame that he had created just now and raised his arms in a welcoming gesture to the Elemental Fire. He began to speak...
Elemental Fire,
I call upon thee
To lend us your power and protection
During this ritual tonight.
So mote it be!
The feeling of heat washed over the four witches and they welcomed it almost reverently. Next, Montana went as she and the rest of them turned to face west. As she finished speaking, all of them seemed to be extra sensitive to the water that was underneath the earth, and felt almost as if it was nourishing them. Last, Cyanea turned with the rest of them to face north.
Raising her arms as the others had, she called out to the Elemental Earth. It seemed as if the earth was holding them gently to her as the element entered the circle and when they all opened their eyes, they realized that flowers had sprouted within their circle. They breathed in the sweet aroma as they all turned to face the fire in the center and sat down, making themselves comfortable. When all of them were settled, they began the ceremony.
Before, they had agreed that Cyanea do the beginning of the ritual. Raising an athame into the air, she called upon the Lord and Lady...
Lord and Lady,
We call upon you tonight
To aid us in our task.
We wish to take the test of
The Three Trials,
And summon your proxy,
Cethany Prettyangel,
To pass judgement upon us!
Bless'ed Be!
"Bless'ed be," the others echoed. All of their eyes were now swirling silver, almost to the point of solidity. Their eyes burned with a sort of energy as they watched the flames of the small fire contort themselves into the form of a beautiful woman holding a long sword with a crystal ball on the hilt.
"You have called upon me, Cethany Prettyangel, proxy of the Lord and Lady. State your incentive," she said in a voice that sounded like the crackling of flames. Duo suddenly realized that she was using the fire to speak through into this world.
"We wish to partake in The Three Trials to prove ourselves worthy of more power to fight the evil demons that threaten this world,"
Montana said, the confidence in her voice proving that she had no fear of being denied this request.
The figure nodded once to this statement. "All of you are prepared to risk your lives in this goal?"
The four of them nodded as one, each of them confident that they would not fail the test of good and evil.
"Then you will come to the otherworldly plain, where we will begin the test. I will be waiting for you in the temple," the young woman said through the sound of the flames before fading back into the fire.
Duo exchanged looks with the other three witches before he settled himself and began the meditation. The other three followed suit and soon all were prepared for the journey to the other plain.
***
Kerri watched in shock as the four witches started their ritual. She had a perfect view of the clearing without the occult practitioners having a perfect view of her. She set up her video camera on top of a rock under the cover of some foliage with only the lens peeking out between it, receiving an uninterrupted view of what was happening. She laughed quietly to herself, "Caught red handed," she whispered into the night air.
She quickly shut up as the fire began to writhe and twist, changing into the form of a woman. She was struck speechless as the flames began to form words. Flowers suddenly sprouting from the ground were one thing, but a talking fire with the image of a woman in it was a completely different. She couldn't believe it. The young blond had never believed in magic until now, but she knew that she would never be the same again.
Suddenly, everything grew still as the form disappeared from the flames and the four occupants around the fire shut their eyes and seemed to fall asleep sitting up. As she sat and watched, she could almost swear that she saw their spirit forms rise up from their bodies and take off through the forest, to who knows where.
When nothing else happened for a while, the cheerleader settled herself into the blanket she brought with her, prepared for when the action started again. She quickly fell asleep, the camera still rolling.