Life Amongst Death

Wind whipped my hair back out of my face as I fell, my body spread out flat like I was lying down. My eyes stung as the cold mist separated, allowing me passage to what ever lied at the base of Chase's domain. My clothes flapped around noisily and wind whistled in my ears. I felt the blood on my lips and chin dry. After a while, I began to suspect that there was no land at the bottom, but that theory was soon discouraged. The ground loomed up at me, and I closed my eyes, not wanting to watch anymore.

It was then that I realized that what was in store for me. I was surely about to die. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the impact that would surely break every single bone in my body.

But impact never came. The wind had stopped blowing, and now my ears only tingled from the cold air that lingered around me. My hair fell limply around my face, itching my nose. I slowly opened my eyes, and I saw that I had stopped just inches above the ground. I was shocked into silence for several minutes before I started to laugh. I was alive!

I slowly lowered myself to the ground.

Well, now we know that we can get away with really stupid stuff like cliff diving!

I laughed again, at a loss for words. "I saved myself…." I whispered at last. "That is so COOL!" I tried to do a little dance, but my body was to tired. "I should probably get away from here…." I turned towards the forest, which, until now, I had no idea existed. "This should work…." I took a tentative step towards the trees on the edge of the dark, forbidding woods.

Or maybe you could fly away!

"I can't fly in my condition! I would surely kill myself."

Fine, do what you want, but don't say I didn't warn you…

I started walking, the woods promising me salvation from the world I had just come from.

Chase ran over to the edge of the volcano, his cat warriors just behind him. He saw Adrienne's red hair flying up behind her and watched as she disappeared into the mist. His heart wrenched. He had just killed his former apprentice, just because he was too proud to admit that he loved her.

"But I don't love her." He assured himself sternly. "She was just a part of my plan, and I'm just upset because I'm losing such a valuable piece." His cat warriors looked up at him, waiting for instructions. "Go down there and find her body." Chase said, turning around. "Bring it to me."

His cat warriors set off down a hidden path by the side of the entrance, walking slowly. They knew that it would take a while for Adrienne to reach the bottom, and they needn't rush because she would just be a lifeless mass when they got there.

Chase walked slowly back into his lair. His mind was troubled, despite what he tried to tell himself. He saw her scared face vividly in his mind, and the image was hard to get rid of. He climbed over the rubble and past the warriors already repairing it. His eyes saw them, but he could not comprehend them. All he could see now was Adrienne, falling off the edge of his lair….

He managed to get to the throne room and sit down on his throne, but he was still trying to force the never-ending slide show of Adrienne's face, which at times was happy, and others content, and others still full of compassion. She had loved him, but he hadn't shown any sort of those feelings for her. He finally gave in and just watched as all of her faces passed by.

"When I get her body, I'll give her a burial." He said to himself. "It may help me get rid of these images."

He sat in silence for a long time, thinking of her, wishing that she was still here.

"Master Chase!"

Chase snapped out of his reverie. "What is it?" He asked, irritated.

"The girl isn't there!" Came the reply from the Viking warrior.

"What?" Chase snapped.

"She's gone! Her body isn't there!"

I wandered through the dense foliage, completely lost. "Where in the world am I?" I sighed, sliding down the trunk of a tree, frustrated.

I told you to fly.

"Shut it." I muttered. "All I want to know is how to get out of here."

Suddenly I heard a loud crunching noise. I froze.

You could try asking whatever made that noise… My mind said, worry evident in it's voice.

"Hello?" I called out softly, against my better judgment.

There was no reply, only the sound of leaves being kicked up.

"Is anyone there?" I asked, slowly standing. I licked my lips apprehensively, the dried blood leaving a coppery taste in my dry mouth. "I-I'm armed." I said this last part more out of fear than common sense.

The noise stopped.

I gathered all of my courage and looked around the tree, somehow aware that that was where the noise originated. What I saw made me gasp.

It was my mother.

"Mom?" I asked, stepping around the tree to stand in front of her. "Is- is that really you?"

She was wearing a brown cloak, a tear on the right sleeve. It had a hood, but she was wearing it down, allowing me to see her vibrant red hair and brilliant green eyes, which stared at me intently.

"Adrienne," She said quietly, "It's been such a long time."

I moved forward as if in a trance, wanting to embrace her.

"Stop," She said, "You can't touch me."

I stopped. "Why?" I inquired.

"Because I'm dead, Adrienne." She said simply, "I'm more of a mirage than anything else."

"Oh," I sighed, disappointed. "But, if you're dead, than why are you here?"

My mother sighed as well. "It is rather complicated," She said, "But I mostly came here to help you."

"To help me?" I asked, "With what?"

"Getting out of this forest. It is rather large, and you could die in here." My mother said, moving forward. "I don't want you to die yet. I also didn't want you to go with Chase Young, but your father held me back. I wanted to save you, but he said that you needed to make your own decisions. He was pretty agitated with me when I warned the Monks about not letting Chase get a hold of you, but they didn't listen to me, did they?"

I slowly followed my mother, shocked that she had gone through so much trouble to keep me away from Chase. Was he really that bad in my mother's eyes? Well, I guess that I can see where she came from with that….

"Are you listening to me, Adrienne?" I was snapped back to reality by my mother's stern demand.

I smiled sheepishly. "Not exactly." I answered truthfully. "I was just thinking about old times."

My mother sighed. "That's the problem with you. You're always thinking. I laughed when your little 'lover' noticed that. It amused me immensely how it aggravated him so."

"So, you've been watching me this whole time?" I asked stupidly.

My mother turned to me and smiled. "Of course, child. Why wouldn't I?"

I laughed weakly. "I don't know. I'm just so tired." I yawned, stretching slightly. "All of this running away from evil overlords is pretty tiring."

My mother laughed bitterly. "Yes, I guess that it would. I wouldn't know since you're father wasn't plotting to take over the world."

"I get it, mom. I know that it was stupid of me to go with Chase-"

"Now, I wouldn't say stupid." Brooke cut in. "I would say foolish."

"Okay, than. It was foolish of me to go with him, but he was harassing me, mom! I couldn't fight him!"

My mother held up her hands. "I know, I know." She said, her voice relaying defeat. "I only wish that you could have. Ah, here we are. Our old home town."

We had come to the edge of the forest and were just feet away from the old, worn out town of St. Nicholas. Very few people were out, and those who were clustered around the Drug Store, as they generally were at this time of day, for it was the social hour.

"I had no idea that we were that close to home." I said, astonished.

My mother smirked. "We weren't." She said smugly, "But that is unimportant. What is important is getting you home unnoticed."

"And how, exactly do you suggest we do that?" I asked, watching one of my old neighbors laugh.

"You'll see. Or, maybe, you wont." My mother said cryptically.

I groaned. I hated it when my mother did stuff like this.

Chase stood in front of the forest, his yellow eyes narrowed in frustration.

"There's not a drop of blood here!" He snarled. "This is impossible! She is supposed to be dead! Where in the world could she of-" He stopped, his keen eyes catching sight of something at the forest's edge. He whisked over and knelt down, his gloved fingers catching a silver chain. "Adrienne's necklace." He said quietly to himself and not his cowering servants. He brought it up to his nose. He rose, clutching the jewel in his fist. "Follow me," He ordered, striding into the woods. "We've got an accomplice to find."

"Mom," I said, astonished, "You can turn things invisible?"

My mother laughed. "It's one of the perks of being an angel." She said. "Now get home. As soon as you do the effect will wear off."

I felt my smile fade. "Aren't you coming with me?" I asked, looking at her sad smile.

"This is as far as I can take you." She said, bowing her head. "I must go back to heaven. You're father will be looking for me."

I sighed before mumbling, "Okay." I looked up to say more, but she had already gone. I sighed and started walking towards my home.

Chase was running leisurely through the thick trees, following the scent of his prey. His cats were just behind him, their speed matching his own. Within minutes, the hunting party had reached the village, where Adrienne's scent was lost with the other town members. Chase swore quietly.

"Where could she have gone?" He asked, his evil eyes roaming over the villagers. "Where could she have gone in…? Russia…." His scowl turned to a smirk and he turned about. "Whoever finds the College of St. Nicholas shall receive his freedom." He announced.

The cats dispersed quickly, leaving their Master to stand and smirk.

The way to my home was a long one, but I made it there within the hour. Just as my mother said, as soon as I stepped across the threshold, my hand appeared in front of my eyes. I turned to the mirror in the front hall, making sure that I could see all of myself. To my relief, I was intact and visible. I stood and let the smells of home wash over me.

It was refreshing to be back in the house that I had lived in for so many years. The hallway was still the same; the stairs in front of you, with the dining room to your left and the sitting room to your right. I moved into the sitting room to sit down on a couch.

Suddenly, there was a huge boom from outside. I rushed over to a window and looked out. There was a mushroom cloud coming from a couple miles away. My insides froze.

Chase…

I rushed back out the door.

"Master! I've found it!" Chase's eyes snapped open and he looked at the warrior now kneeling in front of him. He remembered the time he had defeated this one. It had been five hundred years ago. He was a new one, not really worthy of freedom, but Chase's word was law. So, he told him to rise. The young warrior rose eagerly.

"Take me to the place and you shall receive your reward." Chase said smoothly.

The man scuttled through the fallen leaves, ready to show Young the school. When they arrived, he said, "This is it, Master Young."

Chase smirked. "And this is your reward." He quickly transformed into his dragon form and lunged forward, biting his victim in the neck. The man screamed and began to twist around, trying to brake free from the vice like grip of the Heylin Master. He struggles became weaker and weaker, and he eventually stopped all together. Chase let the limp body fall out of his grip, relishing the sound of a fluid-less body falling to the ground. Turning around, he saw his other warriors already there, each one seemingly undisturbed by Chase's sudden attack.

"Go inside and find her," Chase said, "Kill anyone who gets in the way."

The warriors all grunted their understanding and took off, some stopping to question the lingering students outside while others ran into the building, ready to break down classroom doors.

Chase, meanwhile, changed back to his human form. Snapping his fingers, a bowl of soup appeared in his hand. He tentatively sipped it. He carefully stepped over the body, not wanting to get his shoes dirty.

"Oh Adrienne," he called softly, "Where are you?"

Run faster! You've got to find out what he did this time!

"I'm- trying- Running-not-easy-" I panted after a half hour of nonstop running. "Chase-didn't-help-in-this-department-"

I had just reached the village when I heard more screams coming from up the road.

He's at the collage! Oh God, all of those people-

I ran faster.

"Master Chase! The girl is not there! We searched every classroom and closet! She's not there!" The warrior flinched away, thinking that this news would anger his master.

Chase smirked, sipping his soup calmly. "Stand back," He said after a moment. The warriors complied quickly. Chase raised his hand slowly from his side, aiming it at the school. Summoning a great bit of strength, he formed a ball of energy on his hand. With a grunt, he let the ball of energy go.

There was a huge explosion. Pieces of debris lay everywhere, some covering the bodies of teachers and students alike, while others lay scattered across the ground.

Chase snapped his fingers and a piece of paper and a pen appeared in his hand. He scribbled down a note. After placing it careful on the ground, he turned and disappeared into the forest.

Another half hour later I was on the dreadful scene. "Oh, no," I managed to whisper. "Oh, God no…."

The whole building lay in ruin, all of the walls now lay crumpled on the ground, once offering protection now offered nothing. I saw students crushed by huge slabs of concrete, unable to move or call for help. I saw teachers laying in halves scattered across the ground, cut by shards of glass from the window.

I slowly walked through the wreckage, looking down at all of the faces of the dying and the dead. Tears came to my eyes as I saw a familiar person. Tristessa was lying on the ground, her body sprawled around her and her limbs sticking out at odd angles. A tear fell down my cheek, landing on her own. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Thanos?" she asked quietly, her voice raspy, "Is that you?"

I kneeled down. "Tristessa," I murmured, "I'm so sorry."

"For what? This?" she questioned, her eyes misting over, "This isn't your fault. It's those weird people who came in."

"But they were looking for me!" I cried, more tears falling down my cheeks. "It's all my fault!" I looked away from the dying girl, unable to stand watching her die.

I felt a hand on my own. " Thanos," Tristessa said, "Do you believe in destiny?"

I looked down at my hand and saw that she was holding it, her hands so soft, like a baby's. I looked over at her. "Why?" I asked, squeezing her hand lightly.

"Because maybe this is my destiny," she said softly, "To die like this. It may not be what I wanted, but it's what God planned."

"How can you still believe in God? You're dying, Tristessa!" I exclaimed, letting the tears fall freely.

She only smiled, the light fading from her brown eyes.

"No," I whimpered as her hand went limp in mine. "No!" I let her hand fall to the ground as I stood up, my hands clutching my hair as I screamed, "God! Why did you let her die? She was only a kid! She was only a ki-hi-hid!" I fell to my knees, slamming my fists on the ground, great, heaving sobs tearing my body down.

I only looked up when something brushed against my hand. My eyes saw a sheet of paper, so I reached out to pick it up.

Adrienne,

I was very displeased when I couldn't find your rotting

corpse at the bottom of my mountain, so I decided to come

and find you. I dropped in for a visit at your school, and I'm

sorry to say that I found it necessary to put the unhappy

place out of your misery. I do hope that you come back

to the lair for dinner soon. Who knows, you might even find

true love on the way back.

-Chase

End Chapter 21.

I put the link for my site in my profile.

Oh yes, As of now I'm going to start a contest. It will be for anyone who thinks that they have a good idea for a later chapter. I will put the rules in my profile as well as here. Okay.

Pairing: It should be Chase/Adrienne or Jack/Amanda, but if you're felling a little freaky you could also do Tristessa/Adrienne, but I don't think that I would add that as part of the story.

Rating: Anything you want it to be!

Deadline: October 30, 2007.

Length: At least five hundred words.

Anyone wishing to compete is eligible! The winner will have their chapter added into the fic and an honorable mention! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Who knows, I may enter! ; )

-AML-