Here it is! 00 I didn't think I was leaving too much of a cliffi last chapter but apparently I have been proved wrong… I've had a pacer, a hair puller, and an anxious person to the point of being unhealthy, review… So I have advise to give to those people who can't wait for an new chapter… go out and purchase a stress ball, breath, pace on hard floor and not carpet as to not ruin said carpet, and read and review some of my other fics… If you want one slightly similar to this one read, 'High on the Mountain We Find the Truth', by me. It's older… there's more spelling mistakes… (I was 13-14) BUT, people swear by it.

DISCLAIMER: You would think after 12 chapters I would stop writing these… hmmm…

THANKS TO: My anxious reviewers… My beta no longer can fix every chappy… school is keeping her occupied… HOWEVER… THANK-YOU to Evergreen-Baby for the support and help.

Side note: Quotes will now appear in these last chapters… They fit… I like them… They are staying.

REVIEW!

CHAPTER 12: The Beginning of The End.

There were torments, madness.
There were tears, depression.
Some days, less gloomy,
brighter, a little kindness.

frozen, moving
trapped for redemption

an angel, a demon
a werewolf,
one person.

- Quoted from Unknown.

The streetlights acted as a moon over head, below the darkening sky. Finally the clouds moved over revealing the last phase of the full waxing moon. Jay stared through the crowd of gathering 'super naturals' from the roof of the Summers house, most of which were on the other side.

He would have to change soon and he knew it but; he couldn't help but stare down his opponents before he had the pleasure of ripping out their throats. Snapping and growling at the base of the shield, Willow had done a good job.

Lightning forked across the sky and lighted the street in front of the large house. Jay had never lived in a house before; well at least he thought he had never lived in a house before. He didn't remember much before the C.W.s and his kidnapper. Just flashes of vague memory, memory he wished he had more of.

Often he wondered what his life would have been like if he had never been bitten. He had never been bitter about it, just curious. Things, he thought, happened for a reason. Some people might call it a higher plan. He liked to call it life, the more shit that happens to you, the more lessons you learn. It was a surreal moment for the 21 year old. Often he had stayed up at night just thinking about all the lessons he had learned.

But today, things suddenly fell into place. Right and wrong meant nothing as long as the cause was one that he believed in. He had struggled to wrap his mind around that before. Jay wasn't a deeply religious man, nor did he think a lot about things like this. Preferring to play the drums, meet women, run through the forest, and drive cars, fast. Today was different. Today he was forced to think about who he really thought was right. Who's cause to support and he stumbled slightly.

He felt like he was turning his back on his family. In fact he was, and yet, his family had allowed themselves to be corrupted by a psychopath as well as, rules written hundreds of years ago to keep the myth of the werewolf alive. Obviously that was no longer needed now. People didn't know a vampire if it was biting them in the neck. They were so blind to the world around them. Too absorbed in their own fluffy lives to look around and see the problems in the world and deal with them accordingly.

The fact of the matter was, that if he didn't want to rip out their throats; he would have never thought of it. But things had been left too far and had gotten out of hand. So much so that things needed a big change before more people got hurt. If this meant hurting someone, that's what it meant, he hated the idea, but he hated a lot of things in life; like asparagus.

Of course sometimes instinct got the better of him, the annoying lady at the bank asking for a third piece of ID might be a good example… yeah, he would have liked to pull her head off but he always could control it.

But this, this seemed different, he was mad. Mad about Sasha, mad about Oz, mad that Buffy had to get hurt, but most of all, he was mad about the monks and what corruption had happened during the years he was a C.W.

His eyes landed on a vampire from the other side. It was a female, albeit a buff female. Her canines already dripping with the blood of a previous kill, her eyes glowed yellow in the looming dark. The classic class C creature of the night, she wasn't much too look at. She glared at him and mouthed a few choice words. A grim smile crossed Jay's face and he decided then that she would be the first to go.

The scent of the slayer's blood still lingered on his hands, no matter how many times he washed them, it was still there. Probably not the best scent to take into battle with a bunch of vampires and werewolves but, Buffy would be fine as long as her stitches didn't come out and the heavy duty antiseptic did its job and protected from infection.

Still she insisted on following her friends into battle. He had to give her props for that, even in a weakened state the slayer was stronger than most people and the pill she had taken for pain would help with just that. Jay stole a glance over to the blond who was chatting with Faith and a wry smile crossed his face, no worse for wear…

The on coming storm looming on the make shift battlefield reflected the one in the sky above. A mid-summer storm was brewing overtop of them, wind lashed at his hair and loose clothes. Beige cargo pants and a white shirt. White, he thought being the appropriate colour for one in his situation.

Most of the C.W.'s preferred to wear black. It was ironic somehow that this stood for the bad guys. Wearing white just made him feel like he wasn't doing anything wrong, like he was on the right side of all the indecision looming over the battlefield with all the clouds and chaos.

He glanced up upon smelling the rain about to fall, trees were bending under the strength of the wind and the sky above had turned a striking shade of onyx. In the distance the last of the sun was being overtaken by the swift moving cloud, that was slowly covering the last patch of pinky, California sunset sky.

Rays from that patch hit a tree and turned it a brighter shade then the rest of his surroundings. The sun would be down in a moment. Taking away that last bit of colour with it. A white bird streaked through it on its way to refuge, turning silver against the black backdrop of the sky. But Jay was too far-gone to take it as a sign.

That's when Oz already in wolf form walked over and took its place on his left side, his breath coming in the form as wheezes. But his face didn't show the pain of what he was dealing with on the inside. Scanning the oncoming enemies with a calm and almost placid look. A look that was the complete opposite of what the regular wolf would be feeling, Jay thought. But then again, this was Oz, the ever calm and ever stoic.

The sky's finally opened up and the rain started falling, creating little sparks on the battlefield in front of them. As the rain fell, the smell of the parched ground becoming wet again hit his nose like a slap in the face. It was calming somehow, like the earth was whole again and whatever was up there was with him then.

"Looks like Willow didn't need to do any magic, nature is on our side." Jay said down at Oz. Oz's golden eyes looked up at him and seemed to say that was a good thing. Jay couldn't help but crack a small smile, "I know what you mean man." Jay said running a hand through his now sopping hair. "She'll be alright." He whispered reassuringly to Oz.

As if on cue a coppery wolf walked up beside Oz and snorted at them both, tongue lolling out of her mouth as she let out a low growl towards the coming masses. My sentiments exactly… Jay thought as he took one last look at the looming battlefield, before turning around and drawing his long sword.

Everyone else looked ready for battle as well. Connor and Dawn were side by side, each sporting an array of different weapons; right now both were shooting across the road at the wolves that were being electrified.

Giles had a gun in one hand and was also shooting at the wolves on the ground. Buffy stood behind him and was also helping take out the wolves on the ground. Faith was standing higher up one the roof and had two guns in her hands and was shooting. Jake was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn't hard to believe considering he could be anywhere in the blink of an eye.

Most of the wolves he didn't know, the one's he did know he mostly didn't like. But some, a handful of friends he had had since he was five; were very good friends, he had grown up with them and gone to their birthday parties and they where the first ones he had told after getting laid the first time. It hurt to see them giving him such reproachful looks. Some were more inquisitive more than others. Like they still thought he had something up his sleeve.

Although the full moon was hidden behind the thick black clouds Jay could feel it's pull, the moon was calling its children back to their immortal form.

PQP

Blade stood beside the old monk, a look of contempt plastered on his un-shaved face. Sweat beaded on his forehead and mixed with the unforgiving torrential rains. Odd considering they were in California and in a town called Sunnydale. He decided after a second.

There he stood, hating what he was, hating what he changed into on nights such as these, but loving them also. He couldn't help but love what he had become. No, he wasn't human anymore; he was the animal he had hunted since the age of thirteen. At first it had confused him, made him crazy with thoughts of his life turning to hell. He had spent half a year waiting for the ground beneath his feet to crack, swallow him whole, and send him to hell.

That had never happened, and when he finally realized he wasn't condemned to waiting to die, waiting to go to hell for the sin committed to him by the beast that he had hunted for two years and had lost in the process. He got up, dusted himself off and continued to search for the beast that had gotten away.

That search had led him to the very ones he was trying to bring down all those years. Monks. Werewolf monks. He hated them all and loved them as well. They were so strong and powerful, secretive and polite; but under all that lay the monsters they were. The monster he had become. He still hated them. He still wanted to kill them. They were abominations to the human race.

Even though he was one of them. As much as he hated that thought, he could still destroy them all, out of spite, out of the sheer pleasure of ridding the world of the monsters that lurked under the surface of humanities many veils. He maybe one of them, but he wasn't going to play by their rules. He wasn't going to except what he was, and go into hiding. He was fighting in full glory, for revenge, before to killing the animal he had started to kill and had failed.

He. Blade; would not sit down and take failure. He would destroy the beast, like he had the beast's mate and then reveal to the humans what lurked in the shadows of the night, under the glow of a full moon. Then he would have his ultimate revenge and watch as the animals that surrounded him now; be slaughtered.

Every household in America would have a high power assault gun containing silver bullets. Then he would watch the blood of his unknowing comrades flow down the streets. Fill every state penitentiary that would hold the beasts and his life's work would finally be fulfilled and he would then feel enough dignity to put a silver bullet through his head and die with pride filled heart.

The man standing to his left was the leader of the monks, Kea, a fierce fighter and a trusting idiot. Everything that Blade had fed him had been a lie. He had told him that once the humans knew of them that they would worship the wolves like gods. Worst of all was that the man standing beside him, believed him. Yes, the animal standing beside him was almost as power hungry as he once was, when he was as a human. The sad part was that the animal beside him was almost four hundred years old.

Kea wanted the fame. Kea wanted to be recognized as the powerful leader of the werewolves. He wanted the wolves to come out of hiding and be greeted into the world with open arms. He seemed to think that wolves were the superior race. Blade knew better, werewolves were soulless abominations; Blade knew what he was, and he knew how humans would respond to werewolves coming out of hiding. Just like he had responded… with a load of ammunition and a 45', which suited him just fine.

As he stood watching the various animals come out of hiding. Ready to fight for the cause he had given them. Ready to watch them destroy some of their own. This brought on an almost giddy glee in Blade. Glee that he recognized as his own plan coming into play almost flawlessly.

Yes he had a battle to fight, but the blood pumping in his ears and the headache making it's way up his temple was nothing. The fight would be nothing. There were 12 on the other side and a hundred of his side. There was nothing keeping him from his goal but a small pile of bodies.

Kea looked up at him and chuckled slightly at his expression, "Soon, soon we will find a place in the world that has banished us. Don't be so impatient, even as the moon wanes over head and you feel it's pull call you to nature, stand your guard." He stated calmly.

Even over the noise the house had been programmed to project; it seemed that Kea could reach a man with the smallest whisper. He had a natural presence that just called for attention. But he also had a natural greed that raked through his gift, and that alone, had truly lead to his demise, and would eventually lead to the downfall of his extended life and with any luck, his extended race.

As Blade had been forced to find out, the man was a wolf in sheep's clothing in both ways. "Don't let the noise get to you my boy! It's only a mild attempt to keep us from our goal." Kea had an animalistic glimmer in his eye now.

Blade found himself almost taking a step back from the sheer volume of Kea's words; but instead just blinked and pulled out his Mk 23.0 OHWS (Offensive Handgun Weapon System). Consisting of a 12-shot .45Caliber ACP auto pistol, a Laser Aiming Module (LAM), and a suppresser, a bulky but deadly-accurate handgun normally issued to members of the American Special operations community, seeing service with the Navy SEALs and Army Special Operations Forces (Green Berets). It was his favourite.

He then began shooting at the impenetrable shield that bubbled between him and his only ticket to showing the world what truly lay in the shadows of a dark night; when everything was so still you could hear leaves shudder over head and silent foot steps pacing in front of your front door. Waiting for their next meal…

PQP

The Willow wolf's heart raced as she stared out at the masses of beings pacing back and fourth across a now visible shield of energy. Fear made her muscles tighten and made her jump at the smallest sound. Sounds were everywhere, pops came from metal tubes every few seconds as she glanced behind her and saw humans for the first time since she had been brought fourth from with in.

Her eyes widened and her heart fluttered nervously as she took a few steps backwards, until the pads on the bottom of her feet hit the edge of the roof she was standing on. She took one look back and saw the large vertical drop, before a low mournful whine escaped her closed jaw. There was nowhere she could go. Realization stuck her like the lightning that streaked across the dark sky.

She had been sent to hell. To a hellish concrete jungle as a punishment… or something; she wasn't sure. Why was she here? Where was that soft forest floor and the running stream. Where was the beautiful shimmering stars above the golden full moon, which had made her heart soar and her spirits fly? The place where she could run like she was flying instead, so fast everything became a blur and her feet felt like nothing at all.

Even standing there on the platform (roof) above the gathering werewolves and other creatures was hurting the soft pads under each paw. There she was, fury simmering under her fiery red coat. So much anger she shook, how dare they take away my kingdom… There was no more moon, no more stars… those had been taken away from her; the only thing that replaced them now was a charcoal black sky bringing down more freezing cold water on her, as unforgiving as the humans standing with her.

Whoever had did this to her was going to have to pay. She NEEDED to get back to where she had been before. To the only home she had ever known… and standing there wasn't helping anything. She glanced back behind her and saw those humans that kept making the horrible noises. They were close enough.

A low growl emitted from the pit of her stomach as she turned on them now. Some glanced at her, their hollow eyes fearful or maybe just tired. She didn't care; they were going to pay for taking her here. She took a step foreword, towards the nearest of them, a male, tall, dark brown hair, standing beside a smaller female, who had stopped shooting and was biting her lip as she and the wolf made eye contact. The male looked down at her as well but didn't meet eye contact. He then pulled the other female behind him and looked up at someone standing behind her.

They were going to pay, blood was going to gush as she tore her teeth through the human's flesh. She had woken in a cage, only to be dragged to this hell. Revenge would happen. Then she felt something clamp down on the loose skin behind her neck. She growled viciously and snapped at him to try to shake him off. He held on and growled lower than she could, and she finally twisted her neck enough to look into the golden wolf's eyes.

He was here too… but why? What was it they had done to deserve this hell? Why wasn't he mad too… She glared into his calm eyes and stopped in her tracks. He wanted to be here. No. He needed to be here, she wasn't sure why. Anger still simmered in the pit of her stomach and the werewolf swallowed down bile that had risen.

Slowly he released his grip on her neck and backed away. Silently she bid him why; why she was out here with him, standing on a roof in a forest of cement like sitting prey. A voice broke in the back of her mind and came with words she recognized as a forgotten language… a mere memory, as these words were,

'People like us just can't have normal predictable lives. Sure that's what we want and sure that's what we strive to accomplish everyday, but sooner or later we have to just give up hope and accept the fact that it's just not in the cards. Everyone knows it, buries it in the back of their mind but, we never want to bring the horrible thought to the surface…' He had said it before. It had proved to be true. Now she remembered why she was here. She was fighting for a dream, for a right to be free, to go back to that forest.

She looked across the vast street of gathered beings, from all walks of life waiting outside the energy field, hoping to be the first to spill her blood; to spill their blood. She looked towards the golden wolf again, into his eyes and saw the same anger she felt. She heard one of the humans clear his throat and looked up only to smell more wolf, she recognized the brown wolf immediately for what he was. Why wasn't he what the moon had called him to be? She pondered for a second.

Not for long however, cause at that time an explosion made her jump. Things were hitting HER shield; she stared through the rain at the person who was causing the shield to shimmer. Their gazes suddenly locked onto each other's through the shield and he called to her mentally. She felt her feet obeying before she could even think about it, when she did however, she stopped. The Golden wolf was gazing at her dumbfounded and finally made a move to put his paw onto one of hers. To make sure she stayed.

She didn't, she sized up the height of the roof, backed up a little and jumped off. Upon hitting the ground she started at a run towards the shield. She could hear the brown wolf call something from behind her but ignored it; intent on the fact that she needed to fight her way through the crowd to her maker.

PQP

"Shoot her!" Was Blade's only command, he made that bitch and he would take her down. She had finished her job by bringing the mutt to him. Vampires took up the weapons that they had brought with them and fired. The red wolf was nothing but a streak coming towards them, she was just about to break through the shield when he noticed something hovering right behind her.

She seemed to notice as well as she skidded to a halt just outside of the shield and growled at the air above her. A man dropped from the sky, well Blade couldn't exactly call it a man, the thing had wings Goddamn it! He clutched a large gun under his arm but made no move to use it. Instead he looked her directly in the eyes and took a step into her path.

He could hear her growl from there and the thing walked closer to the house. She followed. Blade couldn't believe that shit. He then noticed the mutt had made its way down from the roof and into the yard where his creation and the thing now stood. Slowly the mutt manipulated his creation enough to get it to go closer to the house.

Blade just enjoyed the show, they would have to come out eventually, they had no food, no water and they were surrounded. He only wished that he could have made their demise sooner.

The he realized something, the witch; the one he had turned, had likely made the shield that was keeping him out. Now all he had to do was bring her back and make her take down the shield. He called his pawn out again and she listened begrudgingly to what he had to say.

The thing he had seen before with the wings, had transported it's self onto his side and was now drawing fire in mid air. Mocking what ever would aim and shoot at him. It disappeared before a bullet had time to hit him and ended up somewhere else in the sky. Not flying, just… transporting. It was bullshit, if they stopped shooting he would just shoot another vampire. Blade couldn't help but wonder what the enemy had planned behind the ball of energy.

PQP

Jay had been scared. Really scared when Willow had turned tail and started off towards the army in front of them. If Jake hadn't gotten there when he had, Willow would have died. No question about it. When they had brought her back, her eyes had a panicked look in them and he wondered what the hell was going on inside her head.

"What the hell just happened there?" Xander exclaimed catching even Jay by surprise as Xander placed a hand onto his shoulder. "You know that Blade changed Willow right?" Jay asked Xander, swallowing his own shame and hoping to figure something out as he explained. Xander nodded, paling slightly from the shade of red he had been just before.

"Well when someone changes someone else into a werewolf the one who bit them has a certain amount of control over the one he, in this case, changed. Not many wolves know about this, or even if they do know they sure as hell don't use it. It's HUGE disrespect; obviously Blade doesn't care about that. He probably learned that skill from my good old friend Kea, the leader of the monks, although, he doesn't deserve that title if he's teaching people mind control. Blade is using mind control on Willow's werewolf to lure her and us out of the shield that she created." Jay explained his fists clenching.

Jay glanced behind him and saw Oz coming up from the window of Dawn's room. His breathing worse than before, Oz motioned towards the blur on the other side of the shield and Jay realized Jake was drawing fire so that they could think of something. He had no ideas. Then he heard a very human scream coming from Dawn's room and realized what Blade had planned.

"Shit…" Jay muttered as he ran towards the window. "Willow!" He exclaimed hoping to God that he could reach her in this form before Blade could. He jumped into the window and found her back in human form, pulling on that oversized t-shirt again. Her eyes caught his attention immediately, the pupils had taken over her who eye, leaving black holes where her once green eyes had lit up her face.

She turned towards him at the sound of her name and started towards him. For a split second he thought he still had her; he had been wrong. She opened her mouth and an un-Godly voice filled the small room with a male voice and vibration. "You will not stop me mutt, she will do what I tell her and I'm telling her to take down your weak attempt of a shield!" Blade's voice screamed through Willow's small shaking body.

Power erupted from her whole form and filled the room with electricity. She pushed past Jay who was helpless in this situation, if he killed this… thing, he would be killing Willow. He could only follow her out the window.

Everyone on the roof watched, fear and raw emotion ebbed to the surface as they watched their best friend float instead of walk to the edge of the roof and begin working the spell to close the shield. All of them somehow snapped out of it at once as they prepared themselves for the on coming torrent of gun-fire that was coming their way regardless of what they did to stop Willow. She was beyond stopping now.

Sickening sadness and remorse filled Jay's throat as he watched Willow, being used as only a puppet to Blade's will, jerkily go through the hand gestures of the spell. Her weakened little body raked with shaking, as it fought the change, the fatigue, and the man inside of her head. Her pale body standing out against all charcoal sky as the rain fell relentless and unforgiving on her half naked body. It was almost more than he could stand.

The shield wavered and finally disappeared. All twelve of them were left without a shield over their heads. In the words of Jake, they were all fucked. Jay was less concerned with the group of bullets coming towards him, but for Willow.

She had dropped from where she had been floating, with a sickening splat, and was now lying on the roof of the house, not moving and soaking wet. Her pale skin was almost liquid. Her body shook as the fatigue hit her. Oz stood, still in wolf form over her body protectively. Jay and Xander ran to her and Jay held her in his arms. Her eyes were back the way they were supposed to be now, but were quickly filling with tears as she started to sob.

"He took over me! I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, I tried to hard…" She managed to get out. Jay shushed her and told her it would be ok. It took her a while, but she finally stilled. She then looked up into Jay and Xander's blazing eyes. "No." She said finally in a stronger voice than Jay thought finally. "It won't be ok." She stated, she stood slowly but deftly and faced the on coming army of 'supernaturals' approaching the house.

"It won't be ok until he gets what he deserves." She spat the last sentence before magicking herself off the roof and into the oncoming battle. Her friends joined her fluidly on their way to the battlefield. She held nothing in her hands, she didn't need a weapon, her tired, but relentless body contained all the magic she needed to stay alive.

Oz stayed glued to her side the entire time and was now walking a pace in front of her his breathing raked his whole body with pain, but he had a score to settle. He glanced back at Willows determined body and hit the first vampire in the chest before it had a chance to react. He severed the head and went onto the next one, carving a path towards the man who stole his life as he went.

PQP

Blade watched with cold hate burning in his eyes as his little creation and his archrival made their way through his army like a hot knife through butter. The only comfort reaching his mind was the fact that he would soon have both hands wrapped around Osbourne's neck. Then the world would be free of protest and the wolves would reveal themselves to the world, only to face their demise.

Maniacal laughter forced its way to the surface and Blade let it out joyfully; happy to be amongst the carnage. Then he had a wonderful idea. An idea he wished he had thought of before, as he watched both slayers fight their way through a large throng of werewolves in order to clear a path for the witch, who was managing to shoot liquid silver at each wolf that fell.

Jayson, as he had learned what his name was, was using his kantana to carve a path through the other side. Flanked by two minors a male and a female both toting guns obviously loaded with silver. A blond vampire had two vampires cornered and was using obvious street style hand to hand to take out the other two.

Two men had taken it amongst themselves to take out all the vampires and were hurling vials of holy water at the army. They were by no means winning, but helping all

the same, they would soon be dead.

Blade watched as one of his hired vampires got beheaded quite brutally by Osbourne and decided to put his plan into action. "Bring out the cannons!" He exclaimed to the reserves behind him. Most of them happily obliged.

PQP

Oz walked through the carnage in a dome of fake calm. The only thing keeping the rage in check was the fact that this might end, and he might finally end this tonight. He tore out the throat of the nearest vampire, before turning onto an already changed werewolf, his canines barred.

Jake materialized behind him, his arm bleeding. "Oz he's taking out cannons of some kind, watch yourself." Jake cautioned stepping out of the way of the opposing werewolf and shooting it in the head. Oz glanced up at Jake with his golden eyes and snorted, his lungs burning before watching as Jake disappeared once more and appear near Faith.

Cannons… not good… he thought wondering for a second how they carried cannons all the way there. Ignoring the caution he moved up another few meters to face the next creature on his way to meet Blade.

He glanced up when he could spare it, in an attempt to see where Blade was standing, but he couldn't see anything. C'mon c'mon, where's Waldo… he thought frantically as the first of the cannons fired. It sent a violent tremor through the ground and it shook. The Oz-wolf almost lost it's footing as the ground shook, he glanced around to see where the cannon ball had fell and saw it had landed closer to him than anyone else. They knew where he was.

PQP

Willow watched the first of the cannon balls fall closer to Oz than she felt comfortable with, the silver she was pulling from the earth wasn't going to last very long and she already felt tired. She knew she couldn't last much longer. She looked up ahead and saw that Faith's lip was bleeding. Buffy was slowing down as well, her chest was heaving in and out with more energy than she was exerting on the nearest werewolf.

Willow took up the last of her silver and shot it at the werewolf, which collapsed. Buffy glanced behind her and gave her a weak smile. Willow nodded, and was about to return that smile before another shot rang out in the night. Willow watched as this time in horror as the cannon ball loomed over the Oz-wolf. With the strength she had left in her body she tried to magic the cannon ball away from him but she had spotted it too late.

She began to run towards him, nothing around her mattered she was going to save him. She realized then… she didn't this she could live without them.

PQP

The shot landed just to the left of him and it threw him to the ground with more force than he had ever witnessed in his life. Gathering his wits about him and standing on feeble legs be began to run. The whole scene seemed surreal, like all of the vibrant colour had been sucked out of the world and sound was coming from behind a pane of glass.

The world seemed to be going incredibly slow and even though he was running as fast as he could, he seemed to be moving at the rate of a slug. The world seemed to pulse and shake as he ran and then he realized that it was his heartbeat, slow and steady, it pulsed down on him like a giant hand pushing him into the ground at each interval.

Smoke brushed past his face making his eyes burn and water, showing him visions of blur and colours streaming past his ears. He couldn't even feel his padded feet crashing in the hard ground anymore, and he started to wonder if he was floating. The pins and needles in his legs told him everything he needed to know. His mind that had been silent for what seemed like forever; finally decided that he was dead. Then he felt the falling sensation. As another cannonball hit.

Silk curtains billowing in the spicy night air, once again he was brought back the wood floors. The last time he died. In the puddle of crimson blood, silver dagger in hand. The breaking point adds a bit of drama to all the pain. Tried so hard to make a dent in all this shit and came up with nothing but a feeling of foreboding.

Like walking against the wind and into the belly of the beast. It beats you down and you get back up, again and again, you get back up. Living life with as much compassion and politeness as possible only to be shot back down to the ground once more, to be turned on by who you once considered friends. Finally the straw breaks and you stay down, fighting all your life your back breaks and you no longer have the strength to carry on.

Briefly you look up and a ghost of a smile crosses your face as you see the bleak future, and the one standing at your side fighting with all of the muster you once possessed. Hope just a shimmer of what it once was, yet it's still there, slowly getting up and taking the beating once more. The question is; will that shimmer grow or go out. A shuddering sigh goes through your body; all the strength that once was, has diminished, as yet another soul is lost to the darkness.

You tell me that I sin.
You say I'm bound for Hell.
So once your judgment condemns you,
I shall see you there.

Quote, not sure where I found it…

OK… If this cliffi doesn't kill you, you have passed W-B-D's 12-step course on how to be a more tolerate reader. REVIEWS WILL MAKE ME UPDATE FASTER! I could have made it worse… as you will find out in ch.13. It gets bad. Kind of proud of this chapter… It feels like I'm back to the heart of what this fic is about… haven't felt so happy with it since chap. 3 or 4.