Tanith's Pov

I ran through he darkened alley, ignoring the catcalls I could hear coming from the bar at the other end. Val was missing and it was Sanguine who had taken her. I knew where she was, Sanguine had taken me to a warehouse when I was taken over by the remnant and told me that it was where he does all his torturing. He would never have realized that I could still remember where it was but since the remnant had been forced out from the inside rather than the outside, there were random flashes of memories that kept coming back to me from my time as a remnant. This is the first time that it was a good thing. I reached the warehouse and burst through the door. I heard someone screaming for help and ran toward the sound. I looked around me, trying to work where to go from here. The sound had echoed around the building and I couldn't work out its original direction. I heard a loud bang and ran toward it. That son of a bitch was going to die for taking Val. I ended up outside a door and heard a man cursing, and then silence. Valkyrie spoke, but her voice was different, it was a dull monotone. I hesitated.

"You hurt me Sanguine."

"I'm sorry, I really am. Please don't hurt me!" I could hear Sanguine begging. Begging? What did he do?

"Sorry? No you're not, given the chance, you would do it again. You have used up the last of my patience."

"How can you use shadows? You don't have you're necromancer ring on."

She was using shadows? But she had thrown her necromancer ring into the ocean.

"I don't need jewellery Sanguine, the shadows are me and I am the shadows."

There was no more talking and I kicked the door open and burst into the room. The sight before me stunned me and I stood there frozen, a confused expression on my face. Valkyrie was standing, unharmed, with broken chains on the ground behind her. She wasn't looking at me though; her gaze was on Billy-Ray Sanguine, who she was holding in the air by his throat. Shadows came from Valkyrie's body and were working their way through Sanguine. His face conveyed his silent agony. I couldn't see Valkyrie's face and she didn't show any interest in looking at me, although she would have easily heard me break down the door.

"Val?"

"What do you want?"

"I-I came to rescue you." Sanguine's face was turning purple.

"I don't need anyone to rescue me." Her voice didn't change.

I saw a symbol on the chains and stepped back in fear.

"I-how did you break the chains? They're bound!"

She finally turned to me. Her face was pale and her eyes stared into my very soul. Instead of being filled with kindness and humour, they were cold and forbidding. This wasn't my friend Val. This wasn't the girl I thought of like a sister. This was a monster, worse than any demon. This was Darquesse. Tears came to my eyes as I once again witnessed her transformation. Darquesse was untouched by my tears but answered my question.

"I am strong now Tanith Low, stronger than you will ever be." Sanguine lost consciousness but Darquesse didn't let go.

"Val, please, this isn't you."
"This is me! I am not Val, Valkyrie Cain is the weak side of me and I will not come down to her level. Leave now Tanith, or you won't get another chance."

I stepped out of the door, not because she told me to, but because there was no reason to stay. I was too late, Valkyrie couldn't be saved. She was gone. This must have been what it was like when I was taken over by the remnant…No, it was worse. At least when I was taken over by the remnant, I was taken over by something completely separate from me. Darquesse was a part of Valkyrie, a part that could never be torn from her. Darquesse was more powerful than any being on the earth and she had taken Valkyrie. These words went around and around in my head but I couldn't believe them. There was still hope. There had to be, Valkyrie was too kind, caring and stubborn to be changed into an entity so evil. She had never given up on me and I wouldn't give up on her. I took a deep breath and got up slowly. I walked back calmly into the room and tried not to shriek in horror at the sight of Sanguine's mangled body.

"Back again are we? I gave you one chance Tanith and you have wasted it. Prepare to die." She took a step toward me and I did the same.

However, while Darquesse moved to kill me, I did the exact opposite. I ran right up to her and threw my arms around her. Darquesse froze in surprise and then threw me off. I groaned and pushed myself up off the floor. I felt tears welling up but they were tears of sadness, but I was not giving up. I let my tears show and turned to face her again. Was it just me or did her eyes soften for a second.

"Val? I know you're in there, you can't let her control you. Please Val, try harder. I need you to come back. I need my sister back."

There was another moment of confusion in Darquesse's eyes and she lost control for one second and it was Val's eyes that were looking at me in horror. Her teeth clenched and Darquesse regained control. She glared at me with such hatred that I thought I was staring into death itself.