Chapter 2; Part 1: Nephilim

Charm had a hard time in our time apart. A man who's name sends shivers down strong man's spines, Zixaru, found my twin, and convinced her to follow him. They traveled together, and he taught her unspeakable things, of dark magicks and evils that haunted the land like a terrifying plague. More than that I have yet to uncover. There are some secrets, you don't even share with your most trusted family.

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Time eventually healed the wounds of my violent past, though the scars never faded. I was glad to be with family again. I wasn't home long before things started changing. Charm and I finally grew old enough to realize what we were.

The wings came, but not with self-control. Mine were white, my twin's black flecked with gold, one of our few physical differences. We had no one to teach us, except the legends and stories we heard….

We came across a book, found in a forgotten land and written in a language only we could seem to read, given to us by a man known as Grenthelad, telling the secrets and history of our kind…

We were Nephilim. When a group of angels were banished from Heaven after the great battle between Good and Evil, they had to live amongst the humans. Of course, this would cause problems – I am one of them.

Nephilim are the children of a human mother and a fallen father. They aren't suppose to exist. Father wanted nothing to do with us, as it was a crime for an angel to conceive with a human and he would surely be punished.

The half-human, half-angels have the wings and powers of angels – when they come of age. They also have human souls, their greatest gift. When an angel dies, they have no Heaven because they have no souls. It is quite dangerous to lose control, to let the angel take over the human half. You would be at your most vulnerable.

Despite our appearance, the Nephilim Twins are quite different. I embrace my angel, but Charm has become it, turning into something that more resembles a demon, with sharp teeth, steel nails, and no pity. Her wings no longer retract, and she has lost her human soul.

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Chapter 2; Part 2: My Other Half

I had many problems, in the beginning, being a Nephilim. My wings refused to obey me; they would disappear in mid-flight. My purple fire would burn out of my control, my angel ran wild. I hurt the people I loved. I didn't want to be the abomination I was. So, I searched for a way to banish the angel….

CrazyEye was able to trap it inside me, to stop the wings that had forced their way from the scar-like slits in my back from appearing when I didn't want them to. His spell also stopped the fire, the raging fire, that even the smallest burn would be deadly unless properly treated. I had always been afraid of fire, and had a right to, considering my past. To be in and out of control of such a dangerous thing terrified me – it still does.

Once in awhile, I would break the spell binding me, uncontrollably in my fury that shattered it. Each time the spell would need to be stronger that the last to control me once more. At one point it completely destroyed my angelic half. What I always wanted, right? Wrong. It felt wrong. Like a piece of me was missing.

It was very hard to restore my wings, having my sister Nyna whisper the words in the forgotten language and using my runes and CrazyEye's brand of magic to make me whole again. I refused to be bound again, after that. From then on, I took on a more dangerous personality, turning into my evil twin, Charmah….

My peaceful nature turned more violent. I wanted to fight. It was so…addictive, hearing other's scream in agony, watch them bleed, and smile as I listen to the final beat of their heart.

And that's when I fell in love…again.

Chapter 2; Part 3-1: CrazyEye

The battle was getting intense. I was tired, so was he. We were both looking for some way to end the fight quickly. His green eyes were so dark, cold, his scarred face emotionless. His very presence told me he wasn't going to be easy on me.

My pure white wings twitched uneasily in anticipation. Violet fire danced nervously around my fingers, the flaming blade in my right hand throwing a purple glow into my pale face. His own blazing black blade reflected his fighting style – hard, ruthless, and dangerous, often without mercy.

We circled slowly, trying to find a breach in the other's concentration. My eyes burned into his, while his own eyes merely looked like two frozen orbs. I lunged at him, slicing down at his shoulder. He ducked to the side, letting me gain my bearing again. Sometimes he made me feel just like a mouse being toyed with by a cat. I struck again at his ribs, but he batted my sword away easily. This time he didn't show mercy. He thrust his weapon at my chest, but I was quick and it didn't strike – my chest.

I wasn't quick enough. My nearly weightless wings forgotten in the fight, now exploded with a pain I never felt before. It burned like an inferno, tearing me apart from the inside. I smelled the feathers before I saw them flutter to the ground, spattered with violet blood. I barely took notice. I was blinded by my own hot tears, a wailing scream ripped from my lips. All there was was the pain, the immeasurable pain.

He could have killed me. I couldn't have fought back. I was less than helpless, a pitiful creature practically begging to be put out of her torment and misery.

Could you believe it was this man I was in love with?

CrazyEye's face remained cold, though inside his emotions whirled, chaos bred. He picked me up by my neck and tossed me to the side like a rag doll. I landed on my side, lying still and whimpering quietly. I was barely aware of this. He walked over to me and kneeled beside me, saying in his soft and cold voice, "Do you yield?"

I didn't answer. I doubt I could have even began without a painful moan escaping my lips. Though I didn't see for my eyes were welded shut, his face slowly changed, if only minutely. The remorse for his callous deed hit him hard, almost causing him to collapse. He gritted his teeth as the silence between us grew.

"Low...blow…." I managed to say hoarsely.

CrazyEye's shoulder's slumped. "I know." He sighed, placing a knife in my weak hand and unbuttoned his coat, displaying his chest for a clear shot at his heart.

My hand tightened on the weapon….

To be continued…

Chapter 2; Part 3-2: CrazyEye

My grip tightened on the weapon…

A weak fire burned within me that didn't have to do with the pain, but my grip slackened and I pushed the knife away. "No. I can't…" I whispered. I felt something wet on my face. Was that tears?

CrazyEye sat down, muttering in a disgusted manner. He glared at the ground, his fists clenched so hard that his short fingernails were close to drawing blood. "I'm sorry."

I felt another tear wash down my face, and I didn't reply. Though my eyes were closed, I knew he was watching me, his face showing conflicted emotions. I didn't want to see his face.

With a silent scream of rage, he turned and slammed his fist into a rock, a loud cracking noise emanating from it. I winced. He looked away, shame faced. "I am a fool. I deserve it. I knew exactly what I was doing but it didn't matter. I seem to lose my humanity in a fight."

Inside I was smiling with black humor. I knew that more than anybody. No matter how much pain he caused me in a fight – and it was quite a lot as I could never seem to beat him – he was as cold as if he was just squishing a bug beneath his steel-toed boots.

I tried to get up, but the pain from the stab wound in my wing was so intense it brought me back to the ground, new tears staining my face. I was dully surprised at how much energy my wings were consuming; I could feel my strength flow into them like a whirlpool. An injury to a Nephilim's wing is the worse act you could do upon them. Something as small as a paper cut could leave them howling in agony.

CrazyEye just seemed frozen in place, staring at the ground with such a look on his face it just pained me more. I whispered his name and he unfroze in a second, leaning over me and whispering back, "Yes, love?"

I reached out to his face, placing my hand on his cheek. It was his right cheek, the one I had scarred with my very hands, scratching into his skin making it look as if a tiger had stuck him. He placed his hand on top of mine, and I smiled weakly. He smiled back, his eyes still showing his anguish. And for a moment, my pain was forgotten.

One might wonder how I could love such a brutal man. Behind his mask of aloofness, I find him truly gentlemanly and charming. But perhaps it's just the challenge, the thrill he presents. The only one to ever beat me, and able to do it many times. Maybe I just want to keep him close, get to know his weakness…

But he's become my weakness.

Chapter 2; Part 3-3: Healing

It took about a week for my wing to heal. It wouldn't let me heal it by any other means other than nature…

I reached for my canteen, but there was no water. CrazyEye set his water skin next to me. He had been most helpful in my recovery. It was almost worth it to have him wait on me hand and foot. Almost.

My Nephilim powers having been temporarily blocked because of my injury, I had to resort back to my waterbending. I poured the water onto my hand, it forming around my pale skin to my wrist, seeming to fit like a slightly luminescent glove. The glow from the water brightened as I brought it to my injury, it seeming eager to work it's magic on the wound. Gently I placed it on the burned puncture, feeling a sort of coolness slip into my wing. A light suddenly burst forth in white, blinding my eyes. An electric current zapped up my arm, burning like Nephilim fire and caused me to jerk away. The water was instantly evaporated, steam rising into the air, making the burn seem freshly blazing.

I knew that would happen, but I couldn't help but try.

CrazyEye's voice was suddenly in my ear. "Can I help?"

I sighed. "I'm afraid you'd come to the same result."

He nodded.

I reached back, waving my hand a hair's breadth away from my wing. My hand encountered many feather's turned upward at odd angels. It killed my pride to do it, but I asked anyway. "Could you…possibly preen me up a bit?" My wings still stunk of burnt feathers, and it wasn't very attractive to have blood stained feathers either – especially when said feathers were white.

He seemed a bit confused, even embarrassed at my request, but he nodded once more and scooted up behind me. I bit my lip to quit from yelping each time a feather was yanked from place. I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to see them float pitifully to the ground like fallen leaves.

I opened my eyes as I felt something coming. Oh no… A heard her enraged growl before I saw her. "What is he DOING?!" my Twin demanded, appearing from the shadows. The face that was similar to mine was set with angry creases on her forehead, her eyes nearly black to match her black gold flecked wings. It's a fearful sight to see an angel so furious.

CrazyEye stood up, his face taking on a blankness set in stone.

"Charmah," I said, "don't-"

She stormed over, my love stepping respectively out of the way as she took his place behind me. Charm was frozen for what seemed the longest time, though it could only be a second. If she was terrifying before, it was nothing to what came next. "How did this happen?" she said quietly, obviously on the brink of going over the edge.

I ducked my head down in shame. "We were just-"

"I did it," CrazyEye spoke up.

I glanced at him fearful as Charmah slowly turned to face him. Her eyes narrowed. "Charm, no!" I screamed, but she had already moved. She ducked down, shoving her hand upward toward CrazyEye's nose to shove the cartilage up into his brain….

Chapter 2; Part 3-4: Healed

Despite Charmah's speed, CrazyEye managed to lean back out of the way. I was quite shocked by her behavior, and was unable to say anything for some time. Once Charmah calmed down a bit, having not being able to place a lasting punch on him, she turned on me.

"How could you let him do that?" she screamed at me. "That is unforgivable! He should know never to injure a Nephilim's wings."

I could only take it, word for word hitting harder than a physical blow, causing me to wince.

She confronted CrazyEye next. "You!" she roared. She went on to call him most unspeakable names, many things I never want to be heard again. Where she picked up such language I'll never know. He gazed at her evenly. "Stay away from her wings," she concluded. "If you ever hurt them again…"

He said solemnly, some of his previous anguish showing in his eyes, "I would sooner die than put her through that much pain again."

I knew why my twin was so upset. She had lost her wings once too, only instead of blocked by magic, cut off brutally like a kid breaking a bird's wings just for the fun of it. If a small puncture wound was so terrible, I couldn't ever imagine the consuming pain she must have suffered….and the dark things she had to do to get them back again.

Though I knew Charmah wouldn't be happy with his answer, CrazyEye kept to his word, binding himself with an unbreakable oath to never intentionally hurt my wings again. It came in handy in a couple duels after.

Healing was slow and my pure white wings refused to be retracted in my back again while wounded, making some things quite difficult. While in perfect condition they were weightless, but now they were as heavy as lead, bulky and awkward. It was impossible to rest my back against a tree or even walk without being unbalanced.

But eventually, time healed my wound, leaving me good as new. The memory is still there, always is, in the back of my mind. A terrifying thing I'd do anything to avoid should it come close to happening once more.