This morning I took out the heard of sheep to graze like I usually did early in the day. Soon it would be summer and time to shear their wool. It took a lot of attention to keep some of them from wandering off. Being a large muscular man myself I also had to be careful not to startle the animals.

Something was different today about my twin brother. Our father had always been hard on him because he was born small. A mentality in this day and age that some withhold opening their hearts to "the runt of the litter". I personally hated that concept. A perspective our mother shared.

We are twins but we don't look alike at all. I was born second but I've always been larger than him since birth. Our father pushed him away but our mother gave him her love and I too in time came to do the same.

I loved my brother of all his faults. Somehow being neglected by our father had made him turn out like him. Cold, stubborn, and most all of he had a hard time handling his temper.

I should not have been surprised when he came screaming at me about how I told father about something he had done. I knew I had not told our father anything. So whatever he was going to accuse me of was false.

"You told father I ate one of the sacrificial lambs didn't you"

*Sigh* "No brother I did no such thing..."

"LIAR! I know it was you!" He screamed as he began throwing rocks at me.

I shielded my eyes which was the only part of me that was vulnerable to my brother's fits. I was always large and built like an ox so the little stones he threw never hurt me.

"I wish you would just disappear!" He yelled with his eyes close as he grabbed one more rock and threw it.

PAIN...

I looked down to see blood leaking from my abdomen. It was not a rock like we had both thought but a sharp piece of bone instead. It hit just right to stab into my heart.

"Oh God, what have I done!" My brother bellowed tears filling his eyes. He realized what had happened as I fell to the ground and blood gushed from my wound.

"Listen, brother, You must tell our father I tripped and fell otherwise he will kill you if he thinks you are responsible. You can tell our mother the truth. She will believe it was all an accident and won't want to lose both of her sons."

"Wha... What am I going to do without you?"

"I don't know brother because I won't be here anymore to watch your back. What happens now is out of m

Half a month passed and I was finally ready to start strength training. My mother (Scarlet) agreed surprisingly easily but something about the smile on her face when I told her I wanted to train toughness makes me uneasy. As long as I get stronger I'm sure it will be fine right?

"First you meditate and focus the might experience toward your solar plexus(Dantian). Here you form a core and around it, Might Will energy shall cycle throughout your body. This pulsing and weaving will saturate your body's tissue with Will and promote growth." Scarlet lectured while I meditated.

With my focused mind, I made light work of this task forming the core easily in hours instead of days or years that it took some. It layered over my existing Will pool like an onion. Being both a part of it but also separate. Using meditation to speed up the absorption of Might experience I readied my self for the next stage.

"Ok, mom what is next?" I inquired eagerly.

The same twisted smile crossed her lips as earlier, "You said you want to train toughness right?"

"Ye... Yeah", I stuttered nervously.

"To train Might experience into toughness requires getting hit," Scarlet stated as she picked up a stick.

"Oh, I don't think I like where this is going", I spat out.

"Damn right you don't! Boy its time for your spankings!"

"No mommy nooo!" I said as an attempt to thwart the beatings but to no avail.

Hours later after the beating session ended and after I was told we would resume tomorrow I found myself trying to sit by a stream. Difficulty being a result of a seriously sore bottom. I wanted to say, "I seriously doubt Jack is ever going to target my ass!" to my mother. If he does then I'll be in a much different danger than I ever expected.

Why am I even doing this? I asked myself. I suffer all this pain to help a family who treats me like shit! I didn't sign on for this! I felt a hand gently lay on my shoulder and I looked back to she Theresa comforting me. Behind her, I could see all the villages other children running, laughing, playing. That's right... That's why I'm doing this... It's for the innocent and the good people of this place.

"I bet with mothers spankings you will have buns of steel", Theresa joked.

"Haha, I bet I'll defeat Jack with buns of steel to the face", I chuckled back with a bragging pose, I said, "Now that's a tale I bet the bards would never stop telling"

Seeing Theresa meditating early in the morning as usual a strange thought came to me. She's working too hard so how about we mess with her? It was a strange sensation and it felt rather out of place. Still, I liked the logic of forcing her to take a break. She's a young child and she should be playing outside.

"Tickle monster!" I shouted as I tickled her tummy. She burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

As soon as she asked me to stop I did, "You should take a break and go out and play. The future will still be there tomorrow and you are working too hard."

"Alright brother I'll take a break just let me finish what I'm doing and I'll be out soon, "Theresa stated.

"Good because I gotta go take a dump anyway," I said mockingly as I headed for the door.

"Gross!!! Just shut up and get out you dweeb!" Theresa shouted as I ran out the door.

"Hah", Theresa sighed.

"This version of you my brother is my favorite. I hope I can find a way to save you", Theresa muttered alone where no one else could hear her.

"Next future to check is 14,000,605", Theresa stated to herself in a hopeful tone, "Surely this one will be different".

My life changed drastically twice. The first was when the nightmares started but I rarely remembered or cared for what they meant. Ignorance is bliss as they say and being a child I put little faith in the shadows among my dreams. The second, was when one day my brother changed too and he knew a version of the future. He took that opportunity to fully awaken my powers and change my destiny for the better. My name is Theresa and This is what I saw that changed my life forever!

Holding such power that could even change the fates themselves sounds great but it comes with an equally massive burden. Arn had told me not to look too far into the future but I didn't listen. Why have this power if not to use it to the MAX! Visions of horrible events that had been avoided filled my vision. The horrible fates that this version of my brother saved me from. Blindness, rape, death, all of them were horrible and they had in that timeline made me sour. If those events unfolded I would be unfeeling and cold. Seeing them was fortunately not quite the same as experiencing them. I would remain the girl who loved her family and I would protect them with my newfound power. No matter what future I looked at this version of my brother never abandoned me or our family. He always stood even when the fight wasn't in our favor. Yet it seemed even the impossible maybe not be so for him but then I glimpsed it.

A bitter end for one who fought so hard. Why? Who rescues the hero when he needs saving? No matter what future I looked at I was always with him when he passed. He always said the same words that brought tears to my eyes. "Everything fades someday Theresa and the end of every story is the beginning of another. This is just the part where I'm not in this one anymore". Over and over again I saw attempts of myself to grow stronger but it was never enough. Alone I was powerless to save him but what if I wasn't alone? If our mother survived and was there stronger than her peak, then the chance to save him went up ever so slightly. We didn't lose him without a fight in that timeline so what if Dad gave it his all too! A bit more than before, then what about his lover!

A searched like a madwoman always trying to bring about a future "he" would be in. It seems hopeless but I won't give up!