Disclaimer: I don't own.

Apologies to Beck fans.

:}

Jade sat there, in her room, gazing into the black mirror she'd acquired. Despite it's black surface, it was a mirror, reflective enough for her to see her own face. But that wasn't what she was looking at. Not this night. No, with the lights out, her only illumination coming from a single candle, Jade was looking at her friends.

Jade was watching them, trying to decide what role they'd play in the coming wars. Were they going to be allies, opponents, or victims. This war, she knew, would have so many victims. Innocent bystanders slaughtered, intentionally or otherwise. There wasn't even a single reason for the mass deaths. Some would die just because, while others were used to feed the enemy, assuming she sided with humanity, giving the fiends power bought with innocent blood. Jade could see the carnage, clear as day, but hadn't been able to figure out what role the people she knew would play from the visions she'd had so far.

Jade cast her vision to the ones she cared about, looking for whatever secrets they may have, hoping to gleam some idea of how, and if, they'd survive the coming apocalypse. Holocaust? Jade hadn't chosen her role yet, and worried that as she chose, the definition of what was going to happen seemed to change. It bothered her in ways she didn't fully understand. But she was feeling the void part, giving her the ability to look down the lives of those she was scrying, finding their pasts as a key to open a view of their futures.

Jade didn't care about many people. Her mother, her family in general, and her friends. Those were the only people Jade would bother to worry about if things got bad, as they seemed to promise to. So she was watching, casting her gaze over their lives, looking.

First she watched her favorite teacher. Sikowitz was like a father to her, so she cared about what happened to the crazy hippy. Also, she'd suspected he was one of those who could play more of a role then victim. But for the longest time, nothing out of the ordinary seemed to show. He went to work, wrote plays, went on dates, and in general seemed to live a boring life. Thats when she realized just how wrong this was.

'Sikowitz always has the most unusual stories. You'd think I'd see one of them.' Jade realized. There was the possibility he lied, that he never had his license semi-suspended while driving with a bunch of circus freaks. But the other possibility stayed in her mind. Then the memory of him bringing gasoline to the Prome opened her eyes to how different he was, and she knew something was wrong. 'No, this whole vision I'm getting is wrong. Something, or someone, is deliberately lying to me.'

Jade knew it wouldn't be easy to cut through this barrier, see what was hidden beyond. She knew she could come back later, once she had an idea of what roll others would play. Instead, she cast her vision to a distant memory, the image of his nephew, who'd come to visit during the method acting sleepover, and any time the handsome boy has spoken of his uncle. It took some time, but she found references to his visions, to his practices, and finally to the spirits that protected him. The crazy hippy was a shaman, trained and initiated, with the power to take care of himself. Once she knew what she was dealing with, Jade was able to conjure the images of his protective spirits, his familiars, and confirm her discovery. 'He'll survive, or at least go down swinging.' Jade concluded. 'Odds say ally, or at least a pro human neutral.'

Satisfied about one persons role, but not convinced in the lest what role she should play, Jade once again cast her vision to the ether. Her brazier burned incense on a coal, as she let her mind wander, seeking visions in the black mirror.

Robbie wasn't what she'd suspected. The boy was just a talented ventriloquist who'd allowed his imaginary friend to become real in the form of the puppet. But Rex was dying, by inches, as the nerdy boy gained confidence in himself. 'He's just a victim, another statistic.' She decided.

"Only cause he's a loser." Rex's unique voice broke her thoughts. Jade was deep in trance, looking into the mirror, and she was seeing that small part of Robbie's soul that Rex inhabits. "And he'll continue to be a loser until someone wises him up."

"Rex?" Jade asked, or thought.

"The boy has potential." Rex said through the mirror. "Should have been that crazy teachers apprentice. But old Sikowitz wasn't teaching that. Wouldn't know talent like that if it bit him."

"Robbie's Jewish." Jade said. "Thats Kabalah."

"Thats racist." The puppet spirit shot back. "Boy's talent is the spirit world."

"It's too late for that." Jade said, trying to move on.

"No it's not." Rex insisted. "Not if you decide to help him."

"Since when do you care?" Jade asked, ready to cut the contact.

"He almost created me." Rex said. "I need him to finish, so I can be free. Then, he can go and die. I'll be real, real enough to find me some fine girlies and have me some fun."

"I don't need this." Jade said.

"Wait, dark and scary." Rex said. "Maybe I just wanna be real enough to enjoy the pretty ladies, but you, you know somethings up, Even I can feel it, and I'm trapped in a nerd. You could help, change things. Teach him, so he can free me."

"Or I could let him have his fate." Jade replied. "Rex, it's almost worth the end of the world, just to know you're gonna die."

With that, she broke the connection that Rex, using what talent Robbie possessed, had forged with her current scrying. Once free, Jade took a moment to come back to her room, and grab a drink of herbal tea, before diving back into the trance, opening her mind and eyes, staring into the black mirror.

Jade's mind raced to the next one of her friends she was worried about. She wanted to check on Cat, but found it easier to check on Sam. 'I guess I don't care that much about Sam. Not compared to Cat.' Jade realized.

Sam was tough. Preternaturally tough. The kind of tough, strong and capable that some mystics had tried to create, in a strange prequel to the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" mythos, for centuries. Some of these bloodlines were still floating around. Jade had suspected her own bloodline was like that, giving her the strength and ferocity that helped maker people afraid of her. But that alone wasn't enough. Jade could see, without proper training, equipment, everything, Sam would be hunted down and killed. Even with training, it wasn't like the show. Sam was still more likely to die then survive. They were fierce, but still within the limits of human ability. What would be after them wouldn't be human. Smart, well equipped hunters died against these things regularly. Better reflexes, greater strength, could only buy a couple of minutes. Sam was doomed.

Jade felt the first tear in her eyes, as her mind went back to what Rex said. Jade played a part in how this would play out. Jades choice could well determine how Sam died, in suffering or in her sleep. Jade had to stop, take another sip of her tea, and recover her strength. 'If she hit me that hard, how will the people I really care about...' Jade couldn't let that though linger, and cast herself back into the trance. This time, she looked for Andre in her black mirror.

The image that formed in the mirror, and her mind, was Andre as a hunter, bloodied, scarred, but lasting longer then Sam did. He lacked the strength, reflexes, and combative nature of the blond, but he had faith enough to carry him though the hard times. Against these foes, faith could be a potent weapon. It was just, those times would be a test of faith, the end of many a man's cherished beliefs. Andre would last. But he would last in a world gone to hell, and in the end, die fighting. He would die, alone, surrounded by enemies who wanted his life, betrayed by a friend. But until that moment, his faith would carry him, allowing him to believe they had a chance, giving him the ability to smile, crack jokes, whatever. Andre would die, defending humanity, but he would be the kind of man worthy of being an ally.

Jade took the moment to take another sip of tea, but never looked away from the dying image of her friend. What he could become was worth honoring. Jade cried a single tear for him, but then marshaled her strength and moved on. It was time to look at Beck.

Her heart broke as she watched her boyfriend murder Andre. The handsome boy traded his close friend for a chance to become one of the monsters. Not just Andre. As soon as things got bad, Beck made his choice. He joined the human resistance, but made a point of luring girls, boys, whomever, out to be taken by the vampires, the demons, whatever monsters would help him survive. But he didn't just want that. Armed with a ring that let him survive in the sun, he would talk his way into Andre's group, and while pretending to be in shock, he would get behind his one time friend, and using fangs he'd sold out everyone he claimed to care about to get, ripped out the former musicians throat. Jade lost it, crying her eyes out at the betrayal. Jade was bad, willing to stand out of this fight, but to personally lead an assault on one of her friends? Beck was a monster, just waiting for the chance to emerge. She could see it now. Even at that moment, while Jade was casting her vision along the streams everyone's lives, her boyfriend would sell them all out for the chance to be young forever.

Jade had to restrain herself from throwing the mirror. Beck had shaken her, and let her know her real choices. If she chose to fight in this war, she'd eventually have to face him. He would make it his purpose to wipe out every member of their group, perhaps turning one or two, but he would be the treat to anyone in their circle who didn't rush to join him. 'He'd hate to discover why I couldn't be turned. I have to willingly change myself if I wanted to be a vampire.' Jade thought.

Even though he wasn't a friend, Jade checked on Sinjin next. It was short and simple. Beck wold promise her to the lanky boy in return for help, and then wouldn't give the boy anything. Beck would destroy Sinjin instead of turning him. Jade's anger grew.

Not sure if she would be able to start again, Jade turned her vision to the renaming members of her small circle of friends, letting her mind sort out who would be next. After staying black for a while, the mirror shifted to reveal Cat, and Jade's heart broke again. Cat was a vampire, but not the kind Jade was used to. Cat was a pet, and nothing more. 'You have to want to become a vampire. Otherwise, the spirit resists, and the body has nothing to animate it. How... Beck.'

Jade watched as Beck sought out the happy, ditzy girl and made promises to her. Once she agreed, he turned her, but made sure to add something to her blood, so she didn't get the full strength of a vampire. Once no longer human, and needing blood to survive, Beck held her needs over her like an addiction, making her do whatever he wanted. He used her body to pay for services of vile creatures, and he used her himself. He even had her seduce Sinjin, forbidding her even a taste of blood. Cat was given enough to survive, but nothing more. What the small girl would need to change, to evolve into s full strength vampire, she would never get. Not as long as Beck was her master. Then, when enough time has passed, and she learned to be cunning, to do whatever to survive, while gaining the deceitful nature to seduce others into helping her, Beck would tear her apart and leave her out for the morning sun. He would destroy everything about her, damning her to the pit for whatever joys he was able to take from her.

Not sure she had the strength to go on, Jade tuned her attention to Tori. Only, she didn't get anything. "Vega's a caster?" Jade asked the air.

The next image she saw was Tori, and Trina, dressed in fatigues, only different, the colors off somewhat. More odd then the way they were dressed was what they were doing. The sisters were helping Andre move survivors to a new safe place, a stronghold that still resisted the monster onslought. But as the night fell, the sounds of things echoed through the twilight. "Tori, go with Andre. Make sure these people get someplace safe." Trina told her sister.

"No, the strength of the wolf is in the pack." Tori replied.

"The strength of a human is in their ability to sacrifice for whats right." Trina replied. "If we let them get to us, we'll lose people. And if you come with, then any threat ahead will decimate their numbers. This is the only way."

Jade watched as Trina shifted, turning into the hybrid form most people associated with werewolves, and headed out to fight. Tori held back her tears, too gentile a person for this level of war, and helped her friend move the terrified people along. Trina would die taking apart a large demon. While it was not Beck who got her, the vampire who did was probably one of his allies.

Then Jade saw what was Tori's end. They'd' made it to a safe place, and the guards wouldn't let Tori in. Once she proved unable to touch the silver, they pointed their guns at her and told her to back away. Andre tried to argue, let them know that many of he werewolves had chosen to defend humanity. Only a few, savage killers, or those weak enough to be enslaved by the demon hoards, were hunting them. But the guards were religious fanatics, people who'd been told there were no good monsters. A spray of bullets later, and Tori was on the ground, bleeding out. Two of them shot her in the head, eliminating her ability to regenerate.

Jade cried hard, until a second image showed itself. This time, Tori was walking along the street, smiling, talking to her sister. A vampire was stalking along, unable to detect anything unusual about the sisters. But as the fiend rushed out to confront her, Tori turned, shifting to her hybrid form, and engaged the vampire in a quick struggle. Trina helped out, not bothering to shift, just to take out the creatures lags so her sister could rend it, and the vampire was slain. "Whats up with these guys?" Tori asked. "You'd think they'd have dispersed after their leader was killed."

"Yea, once the hellgate was closed, you'd have thought these guys would be on the run." The older girl said. "So, any idea what to get Cat for her wedding? I still can't believe she agreed to marry Robbie."

"I still can't believe Jade was the one to close the hellgate." Tori said. "I miss her sometimes."

Jade stood there, looking at the black mirror, understanding. This war could be decided in one battle, or could linger on, becoming the end of the human race. All it took was one sacrifice. Hers. Jade cast her vision into the mirror one last time, trying to see her own future. But it was a rare, cursed scryer who could see their own future. Jade was left with the choice. "How do I die? What do I do?" She asked. But she knew, the only way to save her friends was to give her own life.

She pulled herself out of the trance, and sough her phone. He body was exhausted, and her mind was flying, lost in the clouds. It would be a while before she could fully interact with the physical world. But Jade persevered, and called a number she'd once sworn she'd never call. "I've made my decision." she said. There was a lot to do before thing came to a head, and Jade needed to be ready.

:}

One of these days, I'm gonna go through all my old stuff, see what else I have hidden, laying around.

Thoughts?