The first thing Imp felt was a strange spinning sensation. It seemed like the world was rotating around him wildly, and he felt himself falling, yet he was still standing. The room grew darker, until it was pitch black. Suddenly, he could feel no floor, no air, no temperature; he couldn't even feel his own body. He could hear neither noise nor silence, and his eyes didn't seem to work. He started to wonder if he had really died, when he heard a strange noise, like metal grinding on metal, and he could see a fireball coming towards him. Imp tried to run, but his legs refused to budge. He stood there, watching the ball of flames advance towards him, and then it exploded. Flames shot towards him, bombarding his head, and absorbing into his mind. He closed his eyes and sank to his knees, crying out in pain as memories burst to life in his head. Finally, light dawned on the room again, and his senses returned. He opened his eyes, and looked over at Susan. Now he remembered. He remembered Cliff and Glod, he remembered his nickname, Buddy, he remembered...
He remembered the music. That music that tried to destroy him, the music that brought him and Susan together in the first place. He stood up slowly, and walked over to the bed, and sat down next to Susan. Her pure white hair was spread out unevenly over the pillow, and the three marks on her cheek seemed dull, as if it was fading away. She coughed, and shuddered slightly, then something seemed to glow around her. Imp stared, his eyes growing wide in fear. This wasn't right. He gathered her up in his arms, and held her, knowing that somehow, it was the right thing to do.
Susan opened her eyes slightly, and tried to wake herself up. She felt strange, like she was slipping through silk, and her vision was blurred. As things began to focus around her, she saw that she was in a bedroom. She was lying on a bed, and someone had hold of her. Looking up, she gasped in shock.
"Imp!?!?" She exclaimed, and Imp looked down at her and smiled.
"Yeah, it's me," he replied, and Susan shook her head, trying to shake off the slipping feeling she felt.
"Something's wrong," she said, her voice quivering slightly. She looked up at Imp. "I feel strange." Imp lay her down on the bed and stood up, when her whole body started to flicker, like it was a hologram. Susan yelped in fear, and looked down at her fading body, then up at Imp. Her face was as pale as her hair, and growing paler as she solely flickered from sight.
"Help!!" She whimpered, and Imp grabbed her, holding her tightly against his body. The flickering stopped, and she looked around, not knowing what to do next. "What's happening to me?" She asked, trying to restrain the fear that was creeping into her voice. Imp sighed.
"Death came to me after I found you," he explained calmly, stroking Susan's hair in an effort to comfort her. "He said that I was to protect you. He never said why, but I've got a feeling something bad will happen to you if I'm not around. When you first appeared here, what were you running from?" Susan opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a loud banging on the door.
"SUSAN!!" A voice screamed from the other side of the door, and Susan pressed her body closer to Imp's, burying her head in his chest. She began to fade away protectively, but stopped herself. She had no need for that, not while Imp was with her. She watched the door, as the person on the other side continued to ram at the door.
"Umm, that's what I was running from," she explained, blushing slightly. "Miss Butts, the headmistress of my school. They all found out I was Death's granddaughter, and chose to destroy me. I've been on the run from them ever since." She stopped, and her skin paled in fright. The banging had turned into a crunching noise, and a sharp blade appeared through the wooden door. "We have to get out now!" She said, jumping up, and took a scythe from under her cloak. She grinned at Imp's puzzled expression. "Grandfather gave me it in case of emergency," she laughed, and slashed at the air in front of her. A thin outline of blue light formed around where she had slashed, and a black void appeared inside it. She flickered again, and Imp moved up to her, holding her free hand and stopping the flickering. She turned, and looked up at him.
"This is it," she said, ignoring the axe blade that was ripping through the door. "We can either stay here and get axed to death, or go through this void and into my world. We'll be safe there, and we can figure out what is happening to me. Your choice. Now, what do you want to do?" Imp looked into Susan's eyes, then at the void. He wondered what Susan meant by 'her world', but knew better than to ask. Besides, he already had an idea. He turned back to Susan, and nodded. Smiling, she lead him into the void, letting the darkness consume them.
He remembered the music. That music that tried to destroy him, the music that brought him and Susan together in the first place. He stood up slowly, and walked over to the bed, and sat down next to Susan. Her pure white hair was spread out unevenly over the pillow, and the three marks on her cheek seemed dull, as if it was fading away. She coughed, and shuddered slightly, then something seemed to glow around her. Imp stared, his eyes growing wide in fear. This wasn't right. He gathered her up in his arms, and held her, knowing that somehow, it was the right thing to do.
Susan opened her eyes slightly, and tried to wake herself up. She felt strange, like she was slipping through silk, and her vision was blurred. As things began to focus around her, she saw that she was in a bedroom. She was lying on a bed, and someone had hold of her. Looking up, she gasped in shock.
"Imp!?!?" She exclaimed, and Imp looked down at her and smiled.
"Yeah, it's me," he replied, and Susan shook her head, trying to shake off the slipping feeling she felt.
"Something's wrong," she said, her voice quivering slightly. She looked up at Imp. "I feel strange." Imp lay her down on the bed and stood up, when her whole body started to flicker, like it was a hologram. Susan yelped in fear, and looked down at her fading body, then up at Imp. Her face was as pale as her hair, and growing paler as she solely flickered from sight.
"Help!!" She whimpered, and Imp grabbed her, holding her tightly against his body. The flickering stopped, and she looked around, not knowing what to do next. "What's happening to me?" She asked, trying to restrain the fear that was creeping into her voice. Imp sighed.
"Death came to me after I found you," he explained calmly, stroking Susan's hair in an effort to comfort her. "He said that I was to protect you. He never said why, but I've got a feeling something bad will happen to you if I'm not around. When you first appeared here, what were you running from?" Susan opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a loud banging on the door.
"SUSAN!!" A voice screamed from the other side of the door, and Susan pressed her body closer to Imp's, burying her head in his chest. She began to fade away protectively, but stopped herself. She had no need for that, not while Imp was with her. She watched the door, as the person on the other side continued to ram at the door.
"Umm, that's what I was running from," she explained, blushing slightly. "Miss Butts, the headmistress of my school. They all found out I was Death's granddaughter, and chose to destroy me. I've been on the run from them ever since." She stopped, and her skin paled in fright. The banging had turned into a crunching noise, and a sharp blade appeared through the wooden door. "We have to get out now!" She said, jumping up, and took a scythe from under her cloak. She grinned at Imp's puzzled expression. "Grandfather gave me it in case of emergency," she laughed, and slashed at the air in front of her. A thin outline of blue light formed around where she had slashed, and a black void appeared inside it. She flickered again, and Imp moved up to her, holding her free hand and stopping the flickering. She turned, and looked up at him.
"This is it," she said, ignoring the axe blade that was ripping through the door. "We can either stay here and get axed to death, or go through this void and into my world. We'll be safe there, and we can figure out what is happening to me. Your choice. Now, what do you want to do?" Imp looked into Susan's eyes, then at the void. He wondered what Susan meant by 'her world', but knew better than to ask. Besides, he already had an idea. He turned back to Susan, and nodded. Smiling, she lead him into the void, letting the darkness consume them.