Falling was a universal imploration to find freedom. Humans had come to find various ways to incorporate such feelings into methods of gaining profit. Bungee jumping.. Parasailing.. Skydiving.. All of these created to bring joy to both consumer and provider. However, there are some instances in which falling could bring a negative reaction from the consumer..

This was, unfortunately, one of those times..

Our current, fiercely unhappy consumer was currently several hundred thousand feet in the air, descending at a steady, rapid rate. Slim, small fingers scratched at the skin of her palms, golden eyes wide in fear and shock. No screams left her parted lips, but her breath had slipped through her teeth in a dangerous hiss. Air streamed around her body, forcing her silvery-white hair away from her face, flickering along with the current that pulled at her clothes. The ground was an eery green, blotted with splotches of darker green and even in some cases, black or grey. Her arms were tucked to her chest, legs taut with the effort not to give away how enormously afraid she was at that very moment. She fell for hours, though, she faintly reprimanded herself, the growl in the back of her mind forcing her to be calm, despite the severity of the situation, it could have very well been only a few minutes. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she shuddered, mind becoming foggy as the dark whispers kept the mantra of focus the primary concern.

And then all of a sudden…

It stopped..

She hung, suspended in midair, hair falling gently back down to brush her eyes, neck and cheeks as she felt her heart pound fervently against her chest. She felt a trickle of blood slip down her chin, and she forced herself to keep herself still, not daring to break the precious moment of absolute silence. The air was thin, but she found herself greedily taking it in without thought.

What is it you wish for..?

The words that echoed in her mind were absolutely nothing like the usual, dark whispers that kept her trained on tasks. No.. this voice was deeper.. Soothing.. This voice was louder.. And asking for the answer to a question.. The whispers already knew her every thought, so this was a strange difference.

What is it you desire..?

She bit back a gasp as she panted, shoulders trembling as she focused on the question echoing through her mind.. However, the male -she could only assume it was male by the timbre- seemed to have his answer.

You seek nothing…

You have.. no desires…?

She felt something akin to amusement settle in the corner of her mind, though it was clearly not her own. She swallowed back the dribble of blood that settled on her tongue, gently prodding at her lip to soothe the stinging cut. The voice hummed softly, an ethereal sound that sent a vibration of energy through her body.

Your will is strong..

Though, you lack desires..

Strange..

A soft, golden feather flitted in the corner of her vision, and she ever so slightly tilted her head towards it, watching as it was swept in a small, soft current to float in front of her, before continuing below. She swallowed back a scream as she made the mistake of looking down, her heart thundering as the voice laughed.. Laughed at her..

"Afraid of heights..?" The male whispered, and she shuddered at the feel of warm breath at the nape of her neck. She tilted her head up, away from the drop and toward the sky further above her. There, a pair of green eyes locked with hers, and she was still as stone. This man was floating, quite casually, just a few inches above her, soft blonde locks curling around his chin and falling around his neck and shoulders in a pool of gold. His skin was nearly aglow, his smile sultry and smooth. He appeared upside down at her viewpoint, as she had to tilt her neck back to see him, but she was certain his languid lounging in the air kept him parallel to the far, far ground.

"Such a spirited woman," the voice she had heard was now in the air, no longer in her ears and clouding her thoughts. He smiled at her, eyes lidded lazily as he reached out a single, white gloved hand to trace the curve of her jaw, "So many sins.." he chuckled, his tongue wetting his lips, "So many mistakes.. No guidance, whatsoever.." she flinched as his fingers found her chin, lifting her head higher with a touch that was nearly silk. A small current of air pressed down on her lower back, and she was quickly righted into a more comfortable position, legs dangling towards the ground as she hovered in an almost-sit in front of he man. From here, she could drink in his entire figure.

He laughed openly at her drifting eyes, sweeping out both arms as he gave a mock bow, sweeping the coattails of his pure white coat back in a flourish. His entire outfit, it seemed, was the same pure white, with only the gentle color of creamy gold to line the lapels of his jacket and his leather belt. He looked, she realized, much like an Adonis. His almost seventeenth century clothing, and and a golden crucifix hanging from his neck to rest below his breast. He wore white gloves, a white tailcoat, a white ascot, a golden belt, the gold cross, and a pair of shiny black shoes. "Mi'lady.."

She held her tongue between her teeth, her anxious eyes searching his face for recognition. Unfortunately, she had never seen him before. Of that, she was certain..

"Aah," he straightened out slightly, positioning himself regally as if he were upon solid ground, his smile turning mischievous, "I have not introduced myself, have I..? Pardon my terrible manners.."

She blinked her eyes slowly, the task of closing them much easier than opening them back up to face this.. This glowing male..

"My name, is Arrow," he smiled brightly, and his teeth were nearly glittering, "and I.. am your guardian angel.."

She chuckled, finally, a dry, rasping sound escaping her cracked lips. He seemed surprised by the reaction, tilting his head just slightly to inspect her as her chuckles turned to full blown, disbelieving laughter. "Uh-huh.. Sure.." she cackled, holding her sides as she wiped an imaginary tear from her eye, "Okay.. Arrow.." He frowned suddenly, but he appeared rather subdued, "I can understand this may be a bit strange.. Naturally, a human in your position would receive a visit from either myself or a colleague, in their still-living moments.. However.." he cut off as she started to tilt in the air, waving her arms to find a semblance of balance as she started to tip up, then down, before testing the sides, and flipping backwards into a perfect arch, shooting herself back up in a complete circle, a sudden bright smile on her face, "A flying dream.. Haven't had one of those in a while.." "Miss," he patiently called, watching as she twirled and flipped around like a human acrobat, minus ropes and safety netting.. He tried again, "Unfortunately, there was a miscalculation on your souls stability during the process of what should have been a near death experience.."

"Pardon?" she paused casually in mid air, much more at ease now that she had distinguished the situation as a dream, "I'm not quite following.."

"By any chance," he tried slowly, watching as she positioned her body to appear as if she were leaning against a wall with her shoulder. "You wouldn't happen to be a supporter of 'God' would you..?"

"No," she shook her head, bluntly, and his flinch was almost palpable. She grimaced at him, shaking her head, "I don't follow God, nor do I follow Hades.. So rest assured on that.. I might believe that their is an afterlife, but I sure as hell will not devote myself to someone who holds so little recognition in my life, at all.." "That is.. Very disturbing.." he finally admit, tapping a finger to his chin in slow thought. "For sure, if you did not follow his Majesty, I'm shocked to find I was assigned to you.. Let alone gift you for a mishap on our part.."

"Alright, now you're just speaking Latin," she cut him off quickly, and he returned a surprised expression as she continued, "Listen.. To each his own.. Believe in what you want.. Just don't force it upon me.. Last I checked, America was a religiously free country.. So I should have all the right to pursue and worship whatever I please to my heart's content.." He admired the set of her posture for a brief moment before he let out a genuine laugh, shaking his head at her glare.

"Perhaps I should elaborate on the situation, though, I shall ask first, what do you recall last..?" he smiled warmly as he walked towards her, shoes stepping on a nonexistent floor to be just a few sparse feet in front of her. She leaned back at the proximity, but pursed her lips in thought, taking his words into suggestion. She had woken up late for school, and tripped on the sidewalk, ripping her leggings.. Further in the day, she'd been spilled on by someone's steaming coffee, covered in lasagna in the lunchroom, walked into a pillar… A locker door to the face.. She grimaced as she continued to remember.. Days events current to followed by a basketball to the head.. Being chased by a schizophrenic out of a dollar store.. She shuddered, a terribly modeled car... A car nearly running her over as she crossed the street and then-

She stopped as she stood straighter, brows furrowed as she searched her mind for the rest. She remembered running onto the street, just barely missing being hit by the tiny green buggie, but.. There was a bright light behind her after she'd stood.. That was it..?

"What happened..?" she lifted her hands to her temples, massaging the places lightly as if they would provide her an answer should she please them. "Please relax for what I am about to say," Arrow started gently, actually appearing genuinely concerned as he took one of her hands softly between the two of his. She raised an unamused eyebrow at him scornfully, drifting her eyes between their joined hands before meeting his own, back and forth in silent irritation, though he was either naively oblivious, or chose to ignore her.. And from the maturity she saw leaking from his eyes, she suspected the latter.

"Relax," his smooth timbre floated around her like a blanket of honey, soothing her emotions and giving her a serene feeling. She felt her head bob slightly, and his pleased smile was not wasted. However angry she wanted to be, she physically -or was it spiritually?- couldn't.

"You're no longer in the land of the living," he stroked his thumb along her knuckles gently, bending slightly as she floated into an almost sitting position, her hazy golden eyes focused purely on his own green orbs. "There was a mistake in the fate given to you.." a subtle hint of melancholic annoyance slipped into his tone, unintentionally, "Something that hasn't happened in thousands of years.. You would be only the third case of this.." he cleared his throat swiftly, before regaining his composure. "Because of the unjust brought upon you, in shame for the angels' mistake.. He has given you a series of gifts for the loss of your life.."

"Gifts?" she repeated, blinking away the last of the honey-like glaze. Though, the charm was broken merely by the presence in her mind, without it, surely he would have manipulated her..? After all.. Angels, she reasoned, could also be cruel..

"You will be given the ability to 'travel'," he soothed gently, blinking in surprise when she snatched her hand away, as if burned, to grasp her chest. As if realizing something, she froze, eyes going wide as she gave him a hard look, her hands adopting a fine tremble as she ran them down her chest, grasping at her hips before she finally hissed in surprise, glaring down at her body in fear and immediately scrambling to cover her womanly areas with her arms. "You pervert-?!" her scream caused the blonde to flinch, one gloved hand coming up as if in a peace offering as she continued, "Why am I in a dress-?! Where did my clothes go-?! I need pants-! Pants are essential-!"

"My Lady, please-!" he called shaking his hands in front of him in an appeasing manner, "I did not remove your human garments-! The change was made once your soul had been collected-! I can assure you," his eyes were determined as he stared into her glaring golden orbs. "Pants," she grumbled, her eye twitching in irritation as she curled her knees up, pulling the long, flowing white gown around her body in a sushi-wrap style, "I need.. Pants.."

Arrow let out a slow, deep breath, reaching his alms out as if in mercy, "Should I replace your human garments, will you be pacified enough to hear me out..?"

"Maybe.." she murmured, and at his annoyed glance, she pouted, "Hey, it's an honest answer.." He sighed again, this time in exhaustion as he waved a dismissing hand at her. White mist, similar to cotton candy spun around her body just below her chin in a cyclone of clouds, before disappearing, leaving her in a pair of white leggings and a loose cream colored shirt. He'd also splurged to give her a pair of shiny white scandals and a golden ring for her left hand's middle finger. It was similar to what a male's high school class ring would look like, without the special carvings; however, the stone set inside it was a glimmering emerald, shining and sparkling as she tilted it every which way.

"Thank you," she finally nodded, and he paused to look back at her in vague surprise. His tone low and unamused, "Anything else I should be aware of..?" "I'm.. certifiably insane..?" she offered lightly, and he blinked once before shaking his head, "I already knew that.. I meant to accommodate you.." "Alright," she smirked, tilting her head as he gazed at her expectantly, "How about you loosen up a bit.." at his incredulous look, she chuckled, "And I mean it, thank you for the pants.. I can't stand to have my legs bare.. Let alone without proper under garments.." "

He sighed, again, and put a hand to his heart, bowing slightly with his eyes fluttering closed. "On behalf of His Holy Grace, I present to you, lady Natasha Rose Wolfe, a series of gifts as repentance for our wrong doings.."

"Series of gifts?" she grimaced, and he glanced up at her tone, "I'm not exactly in need of anything presently.. " He raised an eyebrow at her, in an are-you-done-yet?- way, before she rolled her eyes, giving a sarcastic cursty, "My dearest apologies.. Please continue, oh great Arrow.."

He cleared his throat as he stood straighter, and as he lifted his left hand, a well-used scroll materialized, his right hand lifting to unfurl it so he could begin. She got comfortable into an Indian-position, relaxing as she watched him expectantly from her perch.

"Your first gift.." he paused for dramatic affect, smiling at her over the scroll, "Is Travel.. And no-" at her inquisitive look, "It is not what you think.. You will not be able to visit your world's scenery in a living human vessel.." "Then-" she started, but his patience was wearing thin as he cut her off, "I shall explain it all to you, shortly." She was silent after that, and continued breathlessly. "The second gift that shall be received is the ability to Create.." Her ears perked up at that, and he had to bite back a smile. "Yes, I am aware of your.. Avid.. imagination.." She flinched at that, a bright red dusting her face and spreading down her neck, "Wait- you haven't read any of my thoughts, have you..?" "That is left for the demon scum who find enjoyment in others suffering," he quipped, and from the hard look on his face, she settled her nerves for quiet.

"Thirdly," he smiled, though it seemed a bit forced, now, "You shall receive the gift of Choice.." When he had curled the scroll back up and slipped it into a pocket inside his jacket, she waited a full ten seconds before speaking. "Okaaaaayyy," she sighed, lifting up in hand in question. "Let me get this straight.. I died.. And because I wasn't supposed to die-" he flinched at that but she continued without pause, "-I'm getting three gifts from the big man up top..?"

"Precisely," he managed, nodding his head. She scowled, and he bit back a shudder. "And now you can explain these gifts in more detail.." at his pensive look, she sighed, "..please.."

He smiled, slightly, though she could almost swear it was a smirk, "Of course..

"Travel," he started calmly, moving to pace in front of her as she sat dutifully as a child, eyes big and filled with curiosity in preparation for his words. "Travel is the act in which a celestial-power leveled being is able to.. Hop.. I suppose.. From one world to the next.. There are billions upon billions of worlds out there," he turned to grace her with an angelic smile, "And billions more, still.. Each one could be a near copy of your world, or vastly different.. With this gift," he knelt down to one knee, just a foot lower than her floating place so he could be eye-level, "you are able to visit places you've only dreamed of.. Worlds that you've observed, but never really experienced.." "You're getting my hopes up," she cut in bluntly, and his confused look prompted her to explain, "You're making it sound like I can just jump into my favorite anime and play Mary Sue.." He stopped at that, eyes wide as he met her stare calmly, "My," he pursed his lips, pleased, "they said you were perceptive, but this is surprising.."

"What?" she jerked forward, almost launching herself at him in exhilaration, "Do.. Are you saying what I think you're saying..?!" "Alternate realities.." he smiled slyly at her shudders of elation, "Fictional stories.. All of it is possible.. You don't think those ideas just 'pop' into an author's head, do you..? It takes a certain level of spiritual and psychic ability to create such things.."

"If I'm finding out my otome games are real," she whispered softly, eyes going doe-y as she curled into her ball, "I might actually hug the Big Guy for killing me off.." He flinched at her use of wording, before smiling again. "Alright.. You have a firm grasp of Travel.. How about I explain, Create..?" "Please do."

"Simply put," he grinned, holding up a hand, where a bright, luminescent rose glowed in his palm, "Should you dream for it.. It shall be.." She reached out to take the offered flower, smelling the unearthly scent with a smile as she nodded. "What are the limitations to that..?"

"You would need to have a give and take," he chuckled mirthlessly, "Small things aren't too much of a hassle," he gestured to the rose, with a smirk, "But, say.. You wanted.." he rolled his eyes as he pondered, before snapping, "A car..?" A bright, white Camaro suddenly appeared at her side, and she jumped in surprise, giving out a loud cry as she attached herself to Arrow's left leg, "What the-?!" He smiled duly toward the useless, floating contraption, "You would expend too much energy, and likely fall unconscious for two to five hours.."

She gave him a stern look as he giggled, watching her shake her head to show her displeasure at the antics. "And," she started hesitantly, her head tilted away from him, as if another car might appear, aiming for her face.. "What about the last one..? Choice..?" "Aah, that" he grinned, showing his pearly white teeth as he crouched down, "Is the most simple to explain.. Choice-" He bent over, sweeping her into his arms -much to her protests- with one fail swoop, cradling the jittery girl in his arms as he stroked her hair, "...is the matter of controlling your own decisions..."

She stilled at that, craning her neck back to give him a stupefied look, "Pardon?"

"I will be your guide," she heard him repeat the words slowly, gently, as if she would break with too much applied pressure, "I will take you to these worlds as your companion.. Helping you live, learn, and grow..."

"Well," she started awkwardly, shifting in his arms, "Uhm.. Thanks, I guess..?" He chuckled lightly, patting her head as he set her down, the silvery white strands softly running through his fingers like liquid silk, "Of course, my lady.." "Natasha," she stated. At his surprised look, she smiled, "Call me Natasha.." He hummed in thought, before shaking his head bluntly, "Nope. My Lady stays." "What? Why?!" she whined. He grinned, "That's why.."

"I'm going to have to deal with relentless teasing, aren't I?" she murmured offhandedly, feeling his rumbling chuckle through his arm. "Well," he glanced down at her next sentence, his golden eyebrows lifting into his messy bangs at her serious stare. "There's just one more thing.."

"And what would that be?" he chuckled, playing along.

"Arrow," she muttered blandly, glaring pointedly at the miles of space hovering peacefully below them before meeting his surprised face, "Where in God's name are we-?!"

And with that exclamation, the peace was shattered, and her body continued it's plummet towards an oblivious world, churning below her.

The car apparently disappeared, though...

Violet Here. I'd like to thank you all for reading A Thousand Paths: Book One, and making it this far into my awful story. This is merely an intro, as the real story will begin next chapter. I have twelve books planned so far, but I'm willing to stake a bet at there being thirteen, if I am not completely sated with the ending I chose. As for any mistakes and grammatical errors, I encourage you to point them out to me, as I value constructive criticism. Flames, however, will be used as fuel to for my bonfires. Naturally so.

Now, I shall state the obvious.

I do not own Brothers Conflict.

I do however, own my original characters.

Any use of my characters must be gone through with me.

If you have any requests about what you'd like to see, I would like to hear them, though I make no promises about actually finding the motivation.

Fanart is welcome.

Rate and Review, Please~!