Thank you everyone for your reviews and encouragement. Seriously, this one is for all of you!
Catty didn't even bother to scream. "What's the point?" She thought, "It's not like anyone could do anything about it." She kept falling into the never-ending black abyss. The tunnel of black felt just like her time tunnel, only she knew this tunnel wasn't leading her to the past; it was leading her to the Atox. That acknowledgement sent a shiver down her spine and she suppressed the hunting need to cry.
"Falling forever," her mind wandered, giggling a little, "not knowing which is up, which is down…." Delirium was jus setting its evil clutches into Catty's mind when she landed with a slap on her side.
She propped herself on one elbow and looked around. Wherever she was, it did not follow the common rule. It was like an underground cavern, yet warm instead of cold. There was not light source anywhere, yet Catty could see as well as ever. The sounds she had made when she landed and propped herself up refused to echo off the surrounding walls. This place was definitely strange.
Swatting at her pants to loosen the dirt clinging to her pants, Catty slowly stood up. A brilliant pearly light shone forth from her moon amulet, grabbing her attention.
From beneath the opaque shadows surrounding her, Catty heard the very same voice that had hunted her dreams for her whole life, "This is her." It said from the bowels of the darkness.
"It is." A voice that Catty recognized as Tymmie's answered.
Catty looked about her in confusion. She heard the voices, felt them around her, yet she saw no one.
"Show me." The fearsome whisper of the Atrox replied.
Tymmie stepped into view. He walked up to Catty and dropped her amulet under her blouse to hide the incandescent light. "Catty," he began, "give me you hands, and I promise, no harm shall come to you."
"What do you plan to do." Catty stepped away and timidly locked her hands behind her.
"I will use your power to project what Stan-- The Prince on Night was doing several hours ago."
"Why…?" Catty whispered, fear washing over her. If she consented, would they kill Stanton for being with Serena? More importantly, will they hurt Serena?
"Because," Tymmie began in an irate voice, "The Atrox deserves to know what the Prince is up to." An evil grin shadowed his features.
"What's in it for you." Catty was fretting in her mind for a question that stall Tymmie long enough for her to think of a plan of escape.
"Nothing!" Tymmie exploded. "Just the satisfactory of knowing that the Atrox has seen what Stanton has been up to. There is nothing in it for a lowly Follower such as myself."
"Really? Catty questioned, suddenly sounding stronger. "Lets think this through, shall we? If the Atrox was to discover something wrong with Stanton and booted him out of his position, why, that job would be open then, wouldn't it?" Catty flashed him a malicious smile that would match his own. "Hmm. And let us take a gander at whom would be waiting with open arms for that vacant job?" She looked at him pointedly.
Tymmie erupted, his arms flying around him. "Why should you care who the Prince of Night is anyway? Isn't one as bad as the other?" Tymmie was trying to get Catty to slip something. About how Stanton is less dangerous because he cannot hurt Vanessa and refuses to hurt Serena.
"Yes, exactly!" Catty roared back at him. "You all are equally evil and amoral. I don't care who is your leader."
"Then why not help? If you do, it may be considered a good deed towards me and I shan't be able to hurt you when I reach my rightful position."
"I will never help you." Catty shot back at him without hesitation. "My enemy of my enemy is my enemy."
The scowl that was on Tymmie's face flickered and faded. It was replaced with an expression Catty had never seen on him before. What was it? Fear, remorse, heartache?
Catty's own anger subsided, only to be replaced by fear. Her surroundings started to quake. The Atrox was angry and frustrated. Its unholy voice resounded in rage, "Foolish girl. You think that we cannot force you to show us?"
Cackling shimmered all around Catty. It was not some sick twisted laugh of the Atrox, but the hot electric sound of lightening. Catty was fighting to keep her balance, waving her arms around to find something to brace herself on. She found it, on Tymmie.
He held her upright, his arms circling around her waist. She didn't realize how tightly she was gripping his shoulders till she noticed her knuckles turning white. She still held on to him, though, watching the lightening bolts strike closer and closer to where she was standing.
"I'm sorry." Tymmie stated simply, gazing down at her.
"Huh?" Catty looked up at him, locking his stare with hers.
"I didn't want this to happen. I thought you would willingly help me. I didn't mean for you to get hurt." He answered in a low voice.
"But I'm not hurt." Catty said, confused. She noticed the pained look upon Tymmie's face and she knew. She wasn't hurt yet. Yet. She will, unless she consented to help the Atrox.
"I can't help you now." Tymmie said regretfully. "Just remember," The cackling of the lightening was almost drowning out his voice. Catty looked to her left as a bolt nearly hit her elbow. "Don't give in and don't give up. Have faith that you will be alright, and you shall prevail." Catty looked back up at him just in time to see flicker of gold in his eyes.
A lightning bolt crashed and connected with Catty. Her head shot up and she screamed in agony. The intense pain caused her to go stiff in Tymmie's arms.
An intense battle began. The Atrox was inside her mind, fighting with her for the use of the time travel power. Catty was sensible enough to hide any thoughts of importance away from the dark mass of the Atrox.
The Atrox was strong, unbelievably strong. It was winning too, and with Catty loosing her strength every second, victory was inevitable.
"Maybe I should give up." She thought, "It would be so easy and the pain would stop. I could rest. Hmm… Sleep is good."
She felt Tymmie's grip on her waist tighten. Somewhere deep within her recalled his words, "Don't give in and don't give up." All thoughts of forfeit subsided. If she must die, she shall die fighting.
Another thought was pulled from her memory, "have faith." He had said to have faith and she shall win. Faith? Faith in what? Her mother Goddess has certainly abandoned her plenty of times to know that she will not come to her rescue. Have faith in whom then?
Catty felt the Atrox pull upon her power with a sudden jerk. He had found it. Catty's mind raced as she finally caught up with the Atrox. She retaliated and pulled back on her power. The struggle continued. "Have Faith. Have Faith. Have Faith." Tymmie's words resounded in her.
"I CAN DO THIS!" Catty screamed into the dark. "You cannot win this. Give it up!" And suddenly Catty was pulled back though the tunnel of black, heading toward an omniscient white light. When she reached it, the extreme difference of reality snapped her unconscious, limp in Tymmie's arms.
He scooped her up effortlessly and held her gingerly against the swirling angry mass of Atox. "GET HER OUT OF HERE!" It bellowed to him.
"As you wish." He replied simply and melted into shadow.
He placed Catty gently on her leopard-printed bed. Leaning over her, Tymmie gazed at Catty's closed eyes and warm lips. Slowly, he bent, inching his way down to her.
He hesitated at first, his breath mingling on her cheek. Catty moaned and opened her eyes. She looked at him with a child-like expression of innocence and awe. Her mouth parted as she started to speak. Tymmie leaned forward and brushed his lips on hers. Breathless, Catty pulled back, her eyes wide with wonder.
Tymmie gave he a menacing and juvenile grin. "Till we meet again, Goddess," he said just above a whisper. He pulled back walked to her open window.
"Wait," Catty found her voice at last. Tymmie turned an indifferent look upon his brow. "Why did you do it? Take me there then tried to save me?" She looked at him strongly in the eyes.
Tymmie took in a breath but didn't answer right away. "Because, I wanted your help, not to hurt you."
"I am your enemy, am I not? What should it matter to you if I get hurt?" Catty said in suspicion.
"In battle, circumstances are different. When one is kidnapped and taken from friends, things change." He turned suddenly and jumped out the open window.