1 Lily, the Vampire Slayer
Author's Note: To Grammargurl; I'm not following the Charmed series story line with this fic. Samantha is in no way related to those sisters. They're not appearing here. I only used the idea of the Charmed Ones, not the characters. Sorry if you wanted to read this because you thought that Prue, Piper and Phoebe might appear here. Sorry for wasting your time. I should've mentioned that, right? My bad. Sorry. *sheepish grin*
Oh, and to all who asked, I'm not pairing up Remus and Lily. I'm trying to build up a brotherly-sisterly relationship between them.
And to all those readers who liked Cassiopeia and want to see more of her, she'll be appearing in the next chappies. :)
I haven't updated in awhile, but some hard-pressed work needed to be attended to right away. I HATE SCHOOL!!!!
And Mech, this one's for you, so stop botherin' me!!!
On with the story.
Chapter Eleven
The figures before her remained as stoic and still as they had been when she first glimpsed of them. They were as stationary as pillars and as haunting as spectres. She wasn't sure if living beings were hidden beneath those thick velvet hoods.
She had no notion as to why she was brought to this place and as to what she was to do.
What was her purpose here?
What was her purpose at all?
Why did she live?
Was she even alive?
A soft gust blew by and was unnaturally cool. Given the circumstance, in which she was placed in, she was surprised that air could even circulate in a place as searing as this.
The wind blew about her, making her hair billow out behind her.
"Yes..."
She frowned.
"Who's there?" she called out, taking a defensive posture as if on command.
She had figured that her wariness was somehow caused by her past life, she might have been a warrior and warriors were always cautious.
"To kill. You live to kill..."
Her eyes widened.
"Who's there?" she asked, now testy, a bit shocked and…afraid.
No reply came and she unconsciously tensed.
"Answer me!!!" she screamed, frustrated.
"You live to kill, then live to die."
"No!" she shrieked, clutching her head. "No! I have a purpose! I have a purpose!"
"Yes, your purpose is nothing more than to kill then die."
"No!" She grasped at her head even tighter, screaming, trying to rid the voice from her thoughts.
She fell to the ground and repeatedly banged her head on the bridge post, causing it to partly disintegrate.
"No! No! No!" she screamed desperately. "Go away! Leave me be!"
"You are a murderer; you kill. That is your life. You cannot escape it. You can not escape it in this life and you will never escape it in your future lives. You will always be a slaughterer, it is destined."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" she cried, her anguish clearly consuming her, ridding her of any other emotions but fear, hate, anger and sorrow.
**************************************************************** *********************
"Will they be alright?" Remus questioned Samantha's grandmother about Sirius and Samantha's condition.
Christine Parker gave him a reassuring smile. "Yes, your friend just seems to have fainted. If I may ask, what had caused it?"
Remus grinned, trying to rid himself of all the tension caused by the ever-hovering threat of Lily's death. "He has this delusional sickness. Something his mind, for lack of anything better to do, had created. He is under the impression that he has a sickness that is caused by merely glimpsing at torpid individuals."
Christine nodded, not even trying to mask her amusement.
"What about Samantha?" Remus asked, all traces of humor disappearing from his face. "Is she all right?"
"Yes she is," she assured him. "She merely collapsed out of the overexertion of her abilities. She isn't quite ready to perform spells of such high calibre and as you have enlightened me, she wouldn't have been capable of orbing with all five of you in tow."
"So, she is recovering, yes?" Peter chimed, glancing at Sirius and Samantha.
"They both are recuperating," she confirmed, then asked as she directed her gaze to James who was staring out the window, lost in thought. "Does that young man, James, fancy the Slayer?"
Remus and Peter exchanged knowing albeit mischievous grins.
"Yes, he does. He's madly in love with her. Deep in longing and all that," Peter fibbed.
"Yes," Remus said compassionately. "It's just sad that his deep affection for the Slayer has yet to be brought to his attention."
She chuckled. "Young love."
Peter and Remus exchanged identical snorts.
"It's just lust," Peter offered.
"Peter!" Remus scolded. "I don't think it's like that, well, not entirely like that. He's attracted to her because she doesn't follow him around like a crazed stalker or over- frenzied groupie."
"A breath of fresh air," Peter mock-sighed.
Remus snorted.
Christine, though, didn't exactly share their sentiments, she was amused, though for different reasons.
She could sense the boy's concern and deep emotions for the Vampire Slayer. She knew that if he had any say on the matter, he would have stayed with the Slayer althroughout the ceremony, but he didn't.
She knew Morwen would never agree with it.
He wasn't of their kind.
All of them weren't.
But they were similar, though, they were magick users, needing magick to survive and drawing all their strength and life from the great river of the universe, each using their own diverse knowledge of the Craft and bending it to their own will.
However, they were all the same.
As long as they respected Its great power, both races would live peacefully, albeit unknowing of the other's existence.
Her heart went out to the young boy with glasses, sympathetic of the ordeal he had placed himself in.
Caring for one who would never allow herself to reciprocate the feeling.
Could never allow herself to show him the same affection that he would unknowingly give her.
Never replace the heart that he would give her with her own.
**************************************************************** *********************
Their chanting had quickened in pace, their never faltering voices calling out to the nature, asking for her help, asking for her guidance.
Asking her to aid in the Slayer's decision.
Though, no matter what they would do, the Slayer would have to chose for herself.
Had to chose whether she would chose to end her life, end the eternal battle she would fight for this life and continue to combat the demons she had failed to defeat in this life within her next or continue the tiresome battle, perform the arduous task of healing her abyssal wounds, though never completely and live the rest of her rather short lifespan.
They could only give her tiny pushes and whispers in the right direction, though the final decision would have to be hers.
They hoped that she would discard her inner demons and come back into this world.
Their thoughts were collectively pensive as they concentrated on summoning the Goddess Athena, the great Grecian Goddess who knew the pains of war and the sufferings it caused, for she too, was a warrior in her own right.
They called upon her, asking her to aid one of her own, strong- willed, powerful and beautiful warriors.
She would be more considerate to their plea when she finds that this particular gladiator had been weakened in battle.
Now, all they could do is continue their chant and hope for the best.
Everything was in the Slayer's hands now.
There was nothing more that they could do.
For this battle would rage inside of her. An inner battle between good and evil.
A battle for control.
**************************************************************** *********************
"How does this ritual go about?" James set his cup of tea down onto the saucer, restless.
He wasn't really all that interested in learning about the facets of ancient magick and paying attention to some nice old lady talk about everything that was meticulous preparations that was involved in performing an archaic ritual but he seriously needed to concentrate on something else other than his vision of Lily's lifeless face.
The way her body felt in his arms, cold and lifeless.
Her skin lighter than normally possible.
And her burdening secret.
Her destiny.
Her very being.
She was a Vampire Slayer.
He didn't believe it at first, when Remus spoke to him about it; how could a girl as fragile-looking as she was be a defender of mankind?
She had a wit and tongue of a combatant but her build, it was one of a dancer's.
And now he mused on a certain overused clichéd saying.
Never judge a book by its cover.
Her strength, bravery, cunning and ruthlessness amazed him and his friends to no end.
And yet out of all four of them, he was still perplexed and still a bit unbelieving even after all that he had seen in the past hour.
Maybe it was because he couldn't stand the fact that she'll never fall in love with him.
'Where did that come from?' he frowned.
She was a Slayer and was distant and cold to everyone, most especially to him.
He couldn't be pining over her, right?
He had hundreds of girls who would've begged to be with him, he couldn't be attracted to Evans, could he?
Well, maybe attracted wasn't quite right.
She was very attractive, porcelain white skin, vermilion- colored locks, effulgent emerald orbs and an 'I-don't-give-a- damn' attitude.
Yes, he was attracted to her, but he was attracted to a lot of other girls.
No, she was just another passing fancy.
Different but yet, still the same.
He would get over her, in time.
He had to.
**************************************************************** *********************
Her body wracked with deep, hopeless sobs that her tiny frame seemed could not handle.
That damned godforsaken voice. It wouldn't stop, no matter how much she threatened it then finally when she broke down and wept, such a desperate act, it wouldn't cease its incessant prodding.
And she somehow knew what it had said, was saying, was partly right.
She was doomed to a lonely and laconic existence.
Never knowing what it would feel to love and be loved in return.
Not in the way she always hoped for.
She had received paternal love, but never the kind of love that little girls dreamed about.
With princes, dressed up as knights in shining armor, come to take the lovely princess into his arms and far away from her dreadful existence and into his arms and back to his enchanting castle and make her his queen.
But no, she wasn't a princess, not like any other girl who could hope to be the beautiful maiden in all those hope-filled fairytales.
No, she wasn't the gorgeous, proper and noble princess.
She was a warrior.
One deemed to live a pitiful life out in the battlefield.
She wasn't a golden-haired smooth-skinned courteous and beautiful princess.
She was the red-haired callused insolent and unruly warrior.
No, she had given up on that fantasy a long, long time ago.
And she wouldn't start believing that something as beautiful as that would ever happen to her.
If it was even possible, she was more resigned to deny even a flicker of hope or thought on the subject.
She was a killer and she did not deserve to have something as precious as love.
Someone precious enough to love.
**************************************************************** *********************
James was restless. He was fidgeting with the blanket, which covered his best friend's immobile form.
"James," Remus interrupted, noticing. "Are you alright?"
"Huh? Oh, right, fine. I'm fine."
"You don't seem it," Peter commented.
"Well I am, alright!" he yelled, frustrated.
Peter opened his mouth to voice a snappy comeback but Remus cut in, before an all out war broke out, "Leave him be. He knows what he is feeling better than we do, after all, they are his emotions."
"Sod off, both of you!" James lashed out, stalking off, fuming mad.
"Methinks our Romeo has a little problem," Peter snorted.
Remus let out a chuckle and glanced down at Samantha. He reached out and brushed a few golden strands off of her peaceful face.
He was struck at the similarities between her and the Slayer.
Such power at such a young age.
Forever different from the rest of the world but, always the same.
To be isolated.
To be so out of the world, from the outside looking in.
And then it led him to wonder, where was the Slayer now?
**************************************************************************** *********
A/N: What do you think? Plese review. Not the best chapter ever and really short but I'm 'raid I got the dreaded writer's block. Argh!
And for the people who've gotten bored with the endless dialogue and thoughtfulness of the characters, well, I promise to get back to the bad- ass Lily and some more action.
Thanks for all your feedback. :) They're really highly appreciated. I'd appreciate some more. (HINT, HINT)
And a big shout out to LESTAT! And QuidditchGal 3. (oh, gi mention na tika, pikon oy!)
Author's Note: To Grammargurl; I'm not following the Charmed series story line with this fic. Samantha is in no way related to those sisters. They're not appearing here. I only used the idea of the Charmed Ones, not the characters. Sorry if you wanted to read this because you thought that Prue, Piper and Phoebe might appear here. Sorry for wasting your time. I should've mentioned that, right? My bad. Sorry. *sheepish grin*
Oh, and to all who asked, I'm not pairing up Remus and Lily. I'm trying to build up a brotherly-sisterly relationship between them.
And to all those readers who liked Cassiopeia and want to see more of her, she'll be appearing in the next chappies. :)
I haven't updated in awhile, but some hard-pressed work needed to be attended to right away. I HATE SCHOOL!!!!
And Mech, this one's for you, so stop botherin' me!!!
On with the story.
Chapter Eleven
The figures before her remained as stoic and still as they had been when she first glimpsed of them. They were as stationary as pillars and as haunting as spectres. She wasn't sure if living beings were hidden beneath those thick velvet hoods.
She had no notion as to why she was brought to this place and as to what she was to do.
What was her purpose here?
What was her purpose at all?
Why did she live?
Was she even alive?
A soft gust blew by and was unnaturally cool. Given the circumstance, in which she was placed in, she was surprised that air could even circulate in a place as searing as this.
The wind blew about her, making her hair billow out behind her.
"Yes..."
She frowned.
"Who's there?" she called out, taking a defensive posture as if on command.
She had figured that her wariness was somehow caused by her past life, she might have been a warrior and warriors were always cautious.
"To kill. You live to kill..."
Her eyes widened.
"Who's there?" she asked, now testy, a bit shocked and…afraid.
No reply came and she unconsciously tensed.
"Answer me!!!" she screamed, frustrated.
"You live to kill, then live to die."
"No!" she shrieked, clutching her head. "No! I have a purpose! I have a purpose!"
"Yes, your purpose is nothing more than to kill then die."
"No!" She grasped at her head even tighter, screaming, trying to rid the voice from her thoughts.
She fell to the ground and repeatedly banged her head on the bridge post, causing it to partly disintegrate.
"No! No! No!" she screamed desperately. "Go away! Leave me be!"
"You are a murderer; you kill. That is your life. You cannot escape it. You can not escape it in this life and you will never escape it in your future lives. You will always be a slaughterer, it is destined."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" she cried, her anguish clearly consuming her, ridding her of any other emotions but fear, hate, anger and sorrow.
**************************************************************** *********************
"Will they be alright?" Remus questioned Samantha's grandmother about Sirius and Samantha's condition.
Christine Parker gave him a reassuring smile. "Yes, your friend just seems to have fainted. If I may ask, what had caused it?"
Remus grinned, trying to rid himself of all the tension caused by the ever-hovering threat of Lily's death. "He has this delusional sickness. Something his mind, for lack of anything better to do, had created. He is under the impression that he has a sickness that is caused by merely glimpsing at torpid individuals."
Christine nodded, not even trying to mask her amusement.
"What about Samantha?" Remus asked, all traces of humor disappearing from his face. "Is she all right?"
"Yes she is," she assured him. "She merely collapsed out of the overexertion of her abilities. She isn't quite ready to perform spells of such high calibre and as you have enlightened me, she wouldn't have been capable of orbing with all five of you in tow."
"So, she is recovering, yes?" Peter chimed, glancing at Sirius and Samantha.
"They both are recuperating," she confirmed, then asked as she directed her gaze to James who was staring out the window, lost in thought. "Does that young man, James, fancy the Slayer?"
Remus and Peter exchanged knowing albeit mischievous grins.
"Yes, he does. He's madly in love with her. Deep in longing and all that," Peter fibbed.
"Yes," Remus said compassionately. "It's just sad that his deep affection for the Slayer has yet to be brought to his attention."
She chuckled. "Young love."
Peter and Remus exchanged identical snorts.
"It's just lust," Peter offered.
"Peter!" Remus scolded. "I don't think it's like that, well, not entirely like that. He's attracted to her because she doesn't follow him around like a crazed stalker or over- frenzied groupie."
"A breath of fresh air," Peter mock-sighed.
Remus snorted.
Christine, though, didn't exactly share their sentiments, she was amused, though for different reasons.
She could sense the boy's concern and deep emotions for the Vampire Slayer. She knew that if he had any say on the matter, he would have stayed with the Slayer althroughout the ceremony, but he didn't.
She knew Morwen would never agree with it.
He wasn't of their kind.
All of them weren't.
But they were similar, though, they were magick users, needing magick to survive and drawing all their strength and life from the great river of the universe, each using their own diverse knowledge of the Craft and bending it to their own will.
However, they were all the same.
As long as they respected Its great power, both races would live peacefully, albeit unknowing of the other's existence.
Her heart went out to the young boy with glasses, sympathetic of the ordeal he had placed himself in.
Caring for one who would never allow herself to reciprocate the feeling.
Could never allow herself to show him the same affection that he would unknowingly give her.
Never replace the heart that he would give her with her own.
**************************************************************** *********************
Their chanting had quickened in pace, their never faltering voices calling out to the nature, asking for her help, asking for her guidance.
Asking her to aid in the Slayer's decision.
Though, no matter what they would do, the Slayer would have to chose for herself.
Had to chose whether she would chose to end her life, end the eternal battle she would fight for this life and continue to combat the demons she had failed to defeat in this life within her next or continue the tiresome battle, perform the arduous task of healing her abyssal wounds, though never completely and live the rest of her rather short lifespan.
They could only give her tiny pushes and whispers in the right direction, though the final decision would have to be hers.
They hoped that she would discard her inner demons and come back into this world.
Their thoughts were collectively pensive as they concentrated on summoning the Goddess Athena, the great Grecian Goddess who knew the pains of war and the sufferings it caused, for she too, was a warrior in her own right.
They called upon her, asking her to aid one of her own, strong- willed, powerful and beautiful warriors.
She would be more considerate to their plea when she finds that this particular gladiator had been weakened in battle.
Now, all they could do is continue their chant and hope for the best.
Everything was in the Slayer's hands now.
There was nothing more that they could do.
For this battle would rage inside of her. An inner battle between good and evil.
A battle for control.
**************************************************************** *********************
"How does this ritual go about?" James set his cup of tea down onto the saucer, restless.
He wasn't really all that interested in learning about the facets of ancient magick and paying attention to some nice old lady talk about everything that was meticulous preparations that was involved in performing an archaic ritual but he seriously needed to concentrate on something else other than his vision of Lily's lifeless face.
The way her body felt in his arms, cold and lifeless.
Her skin lighter than normally possible.
And her burdening secret.
Her destiny.
Her very being.
She was a Vampire Slayer.
He didn't believe it at first, when Remus spoke to him about it; how could a girl as fragile-looking as she was be a defender of mankind?
She had a wit and tongue of a combatant but her build, it was one of a dancer's.
And now he mused on a certain overused clichéd saying.
Never judge a book by its cover.
Her strength, bravery, cunning and ruthlessness amazed him and his friends to no end.
And yet out of all four of them, he was still perplexed and still a bit unbelieving even after all that he had seen in the past hour.
Maybe it was because he couldn't stand the fact that she'll never fall in love with him.
'Where did that come from?' he frowned.
She was a Slayer and was distant and cold to everyone, most especially to him.
He couldn't be pining over her, right?
He had hundreds of girls who would've begged to be with him, he couldn't be attracted to Evans, could he?
Well, maybe attracted wasn't quite right.
She was very attractive, porcelain white skin, vermilion- colored locks, effulgent emerald orbs and an 'I-don't-give-a- damn' attitude.
Yes, he was attracted to her, but he was attracted to a lot of other girls.
No, she was just another passing fancy.
Different but yet, still the same.
He would get over her, in time.
He had to.
**************************************************************** *********************
Her body wracked with deep, hopeless sobs that her tiny frame seemed could not handle.
That damned godforsaken voice. It wouldn't stop, no matter how much she threatened it then finally when she broke down and wept, such a desperate act, it wouldn't cease its incessant prodding.
And she somehow knew what it had said, was saying, was partly right.
She was doomed to a lonely and laconic existence.
Never knowing what it would feel to love and be loved in return.
Not in the way she always hoped for.
She had received paternal love, but never the kind of love that little girls dreamed about.
With princes, dressed up as knights in shining armor, come to take the lovely princess into his arms and far away from her dreadful existence and into his arms and back to his enchanting castle and make her his queen.
But no, she wasn't a princess, not like any other girl who could hope to be the beautiful maiden in all those hope-filled fairytales.
No, she wasn't the gorgeous, proper and noble princess.
She was a warrior.
One deemed to live a pitiful life out in the battlefield.
She wasn't a golden-haired smooth-skinned courteous and beautiful princess.
She was the red-haired callused insolent and unruly warrior.
No, she had given up on that fantasy a long, long time ago.
And she wouldn't start believing that something as beautiful as that would ever happen to her.
If it was even possible, she was more resigned to deny even a flicker of hope or thought on the subject.
She was a killer and she did not deserve to have something as precious as love.
Someone precious enough to love.
**************************************************************** *********************
James was restless. He was fidgeting with the blanket, which covered his best friend's immobile form.
"James," Remus interrupted, noticing. "Are you alright?"
"Huh? Oh, right, fine. I'm fine."
"You don't seem it," Peter commented.
"Well I am, alright!" he yelled, frustrated.
Peter opened his mouth to voice a snappy comeback but Remus cut in, before an all out war broke out, "Leave him be. He knows what he is feeling better than we do, after all, they are his emotions."
"Sod off, both of you!" James lashed out, stalking off, fuming mad.
"Methinks our Romeo has a little problem," Peter snorted.
Remus let out a chuckle and glanced down at Samantha. He reached out and brushed a few golden strands off of her peaceful face.
He was struck at the similarities between her and the Slayer.
Such power at such a young age.
Forever different from the rest of the world but, always the same.
To be isolated.
To be so out of the world, from the outside looking in.
And then it led him to wonder, where was the Slayer now?
**************************************************************************** *********
A/N: What do you think? Plese review. Not the best chapter ever and really short but I'm 'raid I got the dreaded writer's block. Argh!
And for the people who've gotten bored with the endless dialogue and thoughtfulness of the characters, well, I promise to get back to the bad- ass Lily and some more action.
Thanks for all your feedback. :) They're really highly appreciated. I'd appreciate some more. (HINT, HINT)
And a big shout out to LESTAT! And QuidditchGal 3. (oh, gi mention na tika, pikon oy!)