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Jared carefully drove down the street both amazed and worried that he had driven past the gate house with out even a nod from the guard inside. The homes in the area were what he would consider extravagant. Huge homes with ten foot bay windows that captured what little light filtered down through the forest of trees. Driveways that dodged around large trees and hugged the curves of the uneven landscape.

He had heard of Lybred Estates before, who hadn't. The wealthiest and just plain rich had slowly claimed areas of the forest carefully picking out spots that could be transformed into some of the most elegant summer and retreat homes with minimal disturbance to the surrounding environment. Once again he let out thoughts of worry and unease, he shouldn't be here. They weren't rumors but truth to the tales that persons, trespassers had disappeared around here.

"I am going to die." He muttered to himself.

'Trust'_His little voice spoke, _'Turnand park.' Jared did as he was bid. He had lived with this other self for as long as he could really remember constantly receiving opinions or advice. He had learned over the years to out right ignore it but there were times when it was so strong he could do nothing but give in.

No one could really imagine the awkwardness or down right insane feeling he had at times but the one thing he could not deny was his other self, Cassie she called herself. In the time after the accident that claimed his parents he began to believe he had a special friend inside, one who only he could hear. At the age of six Jared's special friend was believed to be a way to cope with the loss of both his parents. When he turned seven and still insisted that Cassie was real he was sent to several child counselors to help him adjust.

By the time he was nine he was taken from his adopted uncles home and placed in an institution because not only was Cassie real but she talked with him in his head. It took three years and multiple experimental experiments before Jared realized the truth, he had to lie. Even so it took nearly another year before he was allowed to leave all the while trying to silence and ignore Cassie and all she did. Since then he had learned to keep his mouth shut about the voice and the things he heard, while Cassie figured out just how hard to push to make him obey.

They co-existed because they had to, they worked together because it was the only way they could live normally. Jared shook his head as he turned off the car, she was breaking their arrangement. He was now seventeen living on his own and three months from turning eighteen and finally able to shrug off the last few lines or chains that the court system held on him and the things he could still not do because they said so.

'Cassie we could get into real trouble, even jail.' He told her.

'We're going!'_Her voice was firm. _'This is my one shot I can feel her, she's here!'

"Who?" He asked aloud for probably the billionth time. They had been arguing over this for three days now. Cassie leaving Jared without a moment of real rest. She had deliberately distracted him at several key moments causing him several problems at school, a huge mess at his job, and last night a call from his advocate trying to find out if something was wrong.

Cassie had been ultra silent the entire phone call allowing him to make the right excuse and properly appease the man. He had no choice when he had hung up the phone, 'We are going tomorrow or I will make things worse especially next time he calls.' He might have thought it was a bluff and even called it if it wasn't for the solid wave of conviction as she spoke again, 'I swear on both of our lives.'

"Where now?" He whispered quietly in his private voice that was near inaudible.

'To the water, we have to go to the river.' Jared shivered for just a moment running his paws across his muzzle and head as he looked in the rear view mirror. "I am so dead." He spoke out, wandering the hillsides and slopes was asking to be caught but the river. Only the absolute rich and powerful could have a house on or next to the water. His own fear and worry were pushed aside by her excitement.

He didn't care how many times she called, 'Today's the day.' Today was going to be their last. Jared walked slowly trying to pretend to enjoy the beauty around him as he walked along the road turning twice when it seemed to head down slope and closer to the water. Twice a car passed him; big, luxurious, and tinted windows. It was only going to take one person to call and have him picked up, he knew there was no way a ferret dressed in short pants and a light blue shirt looked like he belong in such an exclusive area. He cursed himself for a second wishing he had thought of bringing a towel but Cassie hadn't even told him where they were going in fact he wasn't even entirely sure she knew where they were going.

_'Wait. Go back!'_She literally screamed at him. Jared paused looking at the high wooden fence that looked like it had been there for decades, grown with ivy and plants that were trimmed in a perfect neat line along the road. Several feet back there was a gate set in the fence.

_'I thought you said we have to go near the water?'_He questioned.

_'We are near the water but, she's close. Go IN!'_He stood there for nearly a minute knowing that obeying her now would surly be risking his life, forget jail he would be cut down with out a question. He was so shocked that his hand reached out and opened the gate that he was able to do nothing as his body walked through. "NO!" he shouted to loudly covering his mouth and stopping his legs as the gate clicked shut behind him.

For the first time ever in his life Jared was now fighting to stay in control of his body while Cassie cursed him from the inside. _'Would you just stop and LOOK!'_She finally called out, he hadn't expected his head to move but his eyes were drawn down the slope to a large green umbrella. _'She is right there. Please Jared, Please. I have to see her!'_She had given up struggling with him using a desperate plea instead. He scanned the area around him as she let go of control. This side of the fence was nothing like the other.

There was a long house that was set a ways back from the water and off to his right. Several slow slopes lead down to the river that was still several hundred yards off. Besides a few trees that were left behind the rest of the area had been cleared and replaced by many exotic and unusual plants that grew near head height creating a lush garden area.

Jared could see the path he was on run right heading towards the house with a branch off not far away that might take them to the green umbrella where Cassie wanted to go. "You have killed us both." He muttered out as he started walking slowly down. The ferret took the cut off stepping down through a sharp steep turn and hopping down on to a stone path. It seemed the umbrella and house were in a direct line of site connected by the rock pathway.

His 'end is near' feeling was overwhelmed by Cassie's excitement and sheer joy at seeing a figure sitting at a nice lawn table under the umbrella. She was a fox and looked to be the same age as he was wearing a soft blue dress holding a book in her lap. Jared got the feeling she had been watching or maybe waiting for him as he approached. The only thing that ruined it was the look of surprise on her face.

He had almost walked up to the table when a body moved in between them causing him to stop. "Florence move." The voice was feminine but full of command. The older female canine gave a little jump turning to look back at the vixen.

"But Lady Nessandra you can't..." Her words were stopped by a simple wave of a paw and she moved aside.

Jared stepped closer studying the vixen, "I um, I don't know you..." he started then stopped, how could he possibly explain he was hear because a voice in his head told him to be. The two waited both just watching each other.

"WHO are you?" She asked.

"It's me Cass." Jared's paw flew to his muzzle to cover it shocked she had done it again. 'Stop you're going to get us in trouble or worse!' He took several steps back hearing the growl emitted from the seated female.

"WHO are YOU?!" She demanded.

"Well you see I just..." Seeing her grow angrier brought him to a stumbling halt. "Jared. My names Jared." Her glance over his shoulder caused him to turn just in time to see the two swift silent moving hares tackle him. _'SEE!'_He shouted in his mind as he was slammed to the hard ground with a cry and a quieter whimper. _'Let go and let me try. You have to trust me.'_She pleaded. _'NEVER!'_He gave a mental snarl ending with a verbal cry as his arm was twisted back.

_'Please Jared. That is my sister!'_Of all the things, all the arguments, of all the words that could have been used that small phrase literally blew his mind. How could a voice, even one that seemed to think on its own possibly have a real sister. It almost felt like he was pushed aside.

"Ness please help me, I'm trapped." Fear made Jared grab control back she had just used his voice, no not his voice it had sounded different more feminine.

"Let him GO!" The fox jumped out of the chair. Three others had charged up the path two lean felines and another lapine who grabbed and held on to the vixen pulling her back.

"Princess please step back." With a claws unsheathed she lashed out catching the hare on the cheek.

"Release ME!" The growl carried with it a hint of danger as a light flash of yellow surrounded her clenched paw. "Stand back! Let him be. You will not harm him." Every person was watching the vixen now and they did stand and move back although they were slow to respond, leaving the ferret behind on the ground. Jared slowly stood hunching his shoulders as one of the felines chuffed behind him.

"What did you call me?" She asked softly stepping up to face him.

"I umm. I didn't." So much for saving himself, _'Your fault!'_He blasted at Cassie before continuing, "I didn't call you anything, She did and she called you Ness." The paw gripped his chin almost painfully as she stared into his eyes.

"WHO is she?!" The vixen demanded.

"Cassie, she's inside. She says that she is your sister." Jared could feel his whole muzzle tingle under her paw as the vulpine's other paw touched his chest causing an echoing tingle.

"Silence!" She stated out already anticipating an argument to stop her from those standing by. "Tell me again who are you?" She said focusing on Jared. 'It's me I'm here, I'm here, I'M HERE!!!'"J...Jarrred." He mouthed out.

The glow and tingle stopped the pair locked eyes for several seconds before she grabbed his shoulders in a crushing hug. "I see you." She whispered in his ear.

~~

Jared looked up from where he knelt at the end of a raised half of the room and the four foxes seated on cousins. The oldest male and Nessandra's older brother Drentan was speaking, "I don't see why we are even here listening to this foolishness!"

"Shut up Drake. She is MY sister."

"Nessandra please remember your place." The eldest female, Lady Queen Lindara, spoke with a slight displeasure.

"Yes I know Sister, you would love to see your twin returned but this is just... Stupidity, true stupidity and I won't waste my time on this." He spoke out beginning to rise.

"Drentan stay seated." The voice commanded quietly. "This is just what your father means. It cost you nothing but time to listen which IS what you need to learn." Her eldest son had his head lowered but his lips pulled slightly back darting several strong glances at his sister.

Amidst the glares and silence Jared looked over the family again with Cassie running commentary. 'Nessandra although they call her Ness, and Cass, in private. Drake is Drentan Mintof Reylexion and the next in line for High Lord. The first born is always given an elder name. My mother is Lady Queen Lindara Valquine, in the middle of course. Then on the left would be Nicholas although he was born after I left.'

'There's others.' Jared stated. He had done well in his political science and history classes. 'That should be Teressa and Alexander? There are seven in the royal family.'

Her hiss of anger and frustration was like a slap that rocked through his head. 'EIGHT! Or did you forget me? Alexander is older than Nicholas and Teressa is my little sister who is ten, but there are more than that in the royal family.' Cassie began rattling off dozens of names adding places with figures as she thought of them. Jared was catching glimpses of tall people and places he had never seen as a child even though the seemed like places he had been.

"Child are you going to listen!" Jared nearly fell back in surprise from the hard voice meant to get his attention staring back at the queen.

"Sorry.. umm, Lady" He quickly added on trying to remember proper decorum. "I am very sorry High Lady."

Drake gave a little snort. "Still mother I don't know why you would listen to such lies."

"It's not a lie!" At first Jared was sure Cassie had spoke out loud as her voice cried out into his mind but when the male turned his head towards his sister he realized Nessandra had spoken aloud, "Under the light!" The princess added.

The sneer the male fox gave sent Cassie boiling through his head as she ripped control of his voice. "You're nothing but a liar and a bully! You think I forgot how you broke Charles arm? How you were the one who actually destroyed the lighting in the great hall?" Cassie continued through his now shocked look with a voice that warped more to a feminine sounding one as it continued. "I was hiding in the side chapel when you pushed Charles in and beat him up for trying to tell on you. You took the broken part of the statue and hit his arm. THAT'S how it broke, not in the stable. DON'T look at HER!!" The growl that issued from the ferrets throat was nothing like any noise he had ever made before.

Jared finally yanked back control falling to his side as his body had started to surge upwards, he could already feel the restraining hands from those behind him as he was dragged even further back from the fox family. He gave no resistance and everyone waited for the guards to finally let go and him to slowly made his way back to his knees.

"Drake is this true?" The High Lady asked.

"Mother several people already know that story now... even you." He replied quietly.

"That was not what I am asking. All you ever admitted was that there was a fight. Did you actually strike Charles with something?" Drake sat there thinking as his tail fluttered behind him several times.

"I'm not sure." He finally answered.

"She remembers." Jared spoke. "I can see bits and she was scared. She was playing a game, hiding from the stalker behind the red cloth when she heard you yelling. She peeked out seeing you two knock over the statue and a bench. She didn't see you until you stood back up and ordered Charles not to say anything. He said something about you not being a king and she saw you pick up something and hit him. She spent hours hiding even after he stopped screaming. She cried the whole time." Jared took a deep breath before doing what Cassie asked. "She wants me to tell you. You're nothing but a bully with a mean spirit and you obviously shouldn't be ruling anything."

The growl the tod issued was cut short by his mother reaching over and flicking his ears but Jared had already ducked his head and lowered his. "If dad were here..." He started to promise.

"He would listen and likely agree." She interrupted him. "Our first born son was a bully and a spoiled brat at times. Now more than any other time you should be proving such words wrong with proper actions and attitudes. The question is, what do we do with you child?" She asked turning back towards Jared.

'Don't.'Warned Cassie. Now that she had her outburst she was trying to prevent his irritation from leading to one.

"It's obvious what we have to do!" Nessandra stated.

"Use your head sister." Drake growled lightly. "It doesn't matter who he is or what you think. It is impossible for two souls to be in one body. Such magics are forbidden because anyone who has tried ended up dead. No, he's gotten his information somewhere and is trying to use it for a purpose."

"Idiot." This time there were two voices that spoke. Jared clamped both paws over his muzzle while looking at Nessandra. She frowned at his look and kept speaking. "Your forgetting that magic doesn't lie either. I swear, Under the Light, that Cassandra is inside of that body. I know my twin like I know myself."

Before it could escalate into an even larger argument Lady Lindara waved for silence. "There are many questions here. I for one have never seen someone act so well. There seems to truly be an internal struggle going on with in the body and he does have far more knowledge than he should. I also find it curious that he was able to just walk up to my daughter without being notice until after he could have harmed her. Either this is the biggest plot in a decade or we might have finally stumbled on to what truly happened to my daughter." She paused looking over her children. "Either way a great deal of questions must be answered. So child how far are you willing to go?"

Even though Cassie warned him again he couldn't help stating some facts with irritation. "I am Not a child. I am a few months away from having the courts permanently sign off on my guardianship case. I go to school part time, work full time, and have my own place to live. I haven't been a child for a long time." he purposefully avoided using any honorifics and was using a tone that would be considered near disrespectful. The fact that even Nessandra was glaring at him made Cassy mentally poke him. 'See, see.'

It was nearly a full minute of silence before the High Lady spoke again. "What is your full name?"

"Jared Blayon Ferannce." For the first time the youngest son made a noise.

It was a light little giggle with a quiet singing voice, "Ferannce the ferret, ferrance.. ferret."

The queen though seemed to nearly scowl although he couldn't tell if it was meant for the younger fox or him when she looked back to him after waving at her youngest. "Ferannce, a branch off of Ferrondance, one of a very old and dead ruling house. Tell me do you know of an Aurthur Ferannce?"

The name caught him so off guard it took him two tries before he pushed out, "My father."

The old vixen seemed to have a slight smirk for just a moment before she took a deep breath letting out slowly. "This makes things much more interesting, and possibly much more difficult. Young man your father's name is not unknown in the court and there are still several there who are glad he's gone. I will give you a small word of advice. You may think or can even prove you're an adult but that doesn't mean you're any older than my own children. Whatever you think you've done I can assure you that my children have done far more." She gave a short glance to her eldest son who seemed pleased with the statement giving him a frown in return. "You have no land, no title, to me you are little more than a child, however I can understand all the hard work you have done and your wish to be acknowledged."

At Cassie's insistence he responded. "Thank you High Lady. I am sorry if I got upset." He was about to add more when his jaw clicked shut and he made a mental shout of annoyance at his other self.

"Now Jared I wish to ask you again, how far are you willing to go. Are you willing to try and prove that is really my daughter?" Lady Lindara asked again.

'Let me try.' He knelt there for several seconds considering. He had little else he could do, no matter what happened he had pretty much decided his life was over. His life, freedom, even his body now was all gone by listening to her damn voice. 'Fine!'

"Arosde al ven Branda." Jared's voice again sounded far more female. "Some of the other kids teased me over having such a stupid family motto, after all 'Under the Purelight.' isn't as strong as so many others. You told me how important it truly was. No lie nor shadow can withstand the power of Purelight. Our family lives and rules by holding the truth. I am Cassandra Mintof Reylexion! Nothing you can say or do will ever change that. I will swear that under the light for all to see."

'You... you truly have killed me.' Jared thought out. 'Quite, I'm saving us both.' Jared halfheartedly tried to push her back knowing it was already to late, 'You have saved your life and doomed mine.' he predicted. It was several furious minutes of internal argument before the metal thunk in front of them caught their attention.

"Put it on." The order was given. Jared only glanced over the metal band that seemed to have a simple clasp but when it snapped around his wrist the metal seemed to smooth out to a single piece with a circular centerpiece depicting a crest. "That will allow you to stay here for now. One probably would call you an enemy if I couldn't see the struggle you're going through." Lady Lindara told him. "I have already summoned one of the court mages. Tomorrow he should be able to ascertain if there truly is two souls within your body and maybe figure out what happened."

"If?" Drake slipped in. "There is no magic that can keep two souls in one body without one destroying the other."

"Fine. First Prince if you so firmly believe that why don't you start by contacting Master Marcus and requesting information on Aurthur and Jared Ferannce. Find all that you can and bring me your best theory as to what is going on." Drake frowned for a moment at his mother before nodding. Lady Lindara again looked over the young ferret seeing the near invisible shoulder twitches and slight head shakes as he stared at nothing. "Jared... Jared, Jared!!"

"Yes High Lady." He responded.

"What were you two discussing?" She inquired.

"Nothing." He said immediately.

"I do Not appreciate lies as answers. You could have said it's personal but something tell me your other half wants to speak."

With a sigh he started. "Cassie wishes you to check into my parents accident and the time I spent in the hospital. She... she never told me that before... She says she remembers them telling me my parents died."

"Twelve years AGO!" Nessandra suddenly shouted out. "That's when the accident was right?" Seeing him nod the young vixen couldn't help but be excited. "I told you she didn't die. She's been trapped inside his body all this time. That's why magic couldn't find her."

"Think about what exactly your saying sister. It just isn't possible." Drake told her.

"Drentan that is enough. You have a task to complete and I think you should include everything you can find out about Jared. Even if it is totally unrelated I suddenly find it odd that Aurthur passed away about he same time Cassandra disappeared." The look the queen gave him gave him a chill and made him worry, what is she decided his father was somehow responsible in some way.