The Darkest Secret

Act Thirteen: The Final Pieces

AN: Okay, let me see what I can do to clear up some of the confusion…sorry I didn't do it sooner.

In the end, no one really wanted to go home and rest after hearing Serena's silent scream. Screams like that were always in earnest, and they knew they needed to act fast. Sleep was out of the question. Taiki and Amy were analyzing what they knew already. They'd spoken to Serena's mom shortly after Serena disappeared, but the woman had no clue as to her daughter's whereabouts, and she couldn't remember anything useful. They also knew now that Serena was locked up in some old guy's attic. But they had no idea what his first name was, so they still had several Schneiders to work with. In this case, more was not good.

Finally, they decided to talk to Mrs. Tsukino again. Maybe she would be able to give them some usable information this time. It was decided that only two or three should go; after all, numbers were intimidating, and that was the last thing they wanted to do. Amy and Trista were the two top choices; both were tactful and had a talent for picking people's brains. So the two went, and knocked on the door of the new Tsukino residence. Ilene Tsukino let them in and invited them to sit down. They did, as getting their information would take quite a bit of time.

To avoid suspicion, Amy made with the small talk, asking various questions about how she was doing, and how it all was in general. Trista waited patiently, recognizing the tactic. It was necessary, even though it was driving them both crazy knowing that somewhere, Serena could be being forced into a marriage with some crazy old man. Amy listened for an opening. It would be strange if she brought it up on her own, and they were less likely to get the information if they took that road. Finally, they had their opening.

"…I wish Serena was here. I know it's been a year, but I still hope she'll be found."

Trista moved in. "There is hope yet; I heard something interesting from my cousin, who is working on Serena's case."

"Oh?" Mrs. Tsukino was interested.

"He mentioned that he'd managed to gain a lead from an acquaintance of one Uziel Schneider. Apparently, Uziel is convinced that he's found something quite special." Trista watched the woman's reaction closely. It was possible that she knew the name.

Sure enough, recognition sparked in Ilene Tsukino's eyes, and a look of horror flashed across her face. "Uziel Schneider?" she asked shakily. "Are you sure?"

"You know the name?" Trista barely managed to hide the excitement in her voice, and Amy leaned in closer, dying for more information.

"Yes."

"Who is he?" Amy inquired. It wasn't subtle, and Trista gave her a discreet warning glance.

"It would sound crazy," Ilene murmured.

Amy was getting impatient, and she couldn't restrain herself anymore. "We know about Malos," she informed her, and Trista shot her a death glare. This could ruin everything.

"How?" Ilene was startled.

"Serena told us. She told us everything. She told us about Malos and what he did last time he broke out of his prison. She also mentioned the Grigori and Nephilim."

Ilene knew she should be wary, but something told her that these two were only trying to help. So she decided to test them. "What is her actual last name?" If Serena had truly told them, they would know the answer.

Both replied at once; "Walsh."

Then it was safe to reveal more information. "Uziel Schneider is a Nephilim," she said softly. "For centuries, millennia, actually, the Fallen, or the Grigori, have tried to avoid dalliances with humans, for Nephilim are the result. Ever since the Great Flood, it has been so. But then, the Creator realized that good could come from these children of fallen angels and mortals. The humanity in them makes them incredibly strong, and they can lock away daemons for good. I imagine that is why Malos has not appeared yet. Serena has the strength to defeat him permanently, and he wants to eliminate the threat first. Even so, angels called the Powers still persecute the Fallen and their offspring. Uziel is one of these, and he has been obsessed with finding another like him. He is convinced that if he finds another like himself, their child will be strong enough to defeat the Powers for good."

"But Serena only has a few drops of angel blood," Amy said.

"So she believes. I meant to tell her the truth, but the Powers attacked before I got the chance."

"She's a Nephilim," Trista realized aloud.

"Yes. I wasn't sure when the signs would start to show, but I knew the time was close. Once a Nephilim begins discovering his/her abilities, their power glows like a beacon and leads the Powers straight to them. I was going to tell Serena about it the day they attacked. I know she wasn't captured; when a Nephilim dies, due to the angel blood that runs through my veins, I know when it happens. But if she is in the hands of Uziel Schneider…" Ilene shuddered.

"Would you happen to know where he is?"

"No. I have only heard of him. I need to tell Lisa about this; she might know something I don't."

"All right. Thank you for your time," Amy replied, and she and Trista made their exit.

"So you have a cousin on the police force?" Amy grinned.

"No. But I was not going to reveal all of our secret identities. So I had to come up with a cover story."

"It was a good one. So now we know exactly who was after Serena and why, and we have enough evidence to conclude that she's imprisoned in another Nephilim's attic, but we don't know where she is."

"But we will," Trista stated. "I won't let some old geezer, half-angel or not, kidnap our Princess and keep her in an attic like a bird in a cage."

Amy snickered. That burst of words had been so unlike the usually calm, elegant soldier of time. It was funny. But she sobered as she thought of what they still needed to do. At least they finally had most of the final pieces to the puzzle.

Note: I kind of borrowed the Powers and the Fallen stuff from this movie I watched, but most of the frills are mine. Omnilingualism, flaming swords, and wings, along with runes belong to said movie.