Author's Note: This chapter has been rewritten. I thank Lady Dementia for the nudge and inspiration to make this a better chapter!

Disclaimer: I own only Lashana and Akhor. Telca belongs to herself.

In the darkness of midnight, a small white form flew over the rooftops, heart and wings beating madly as he searched for that one intersection, that one sewer grate that he knew would lead him down into the depths of San Fran, down into the city that lived and thrived beneath the urban streets, the city that Venom protected. He cursed himself for his stupidity, hating how he hadn't been able to forsee Lashana's plan to head into a major fight without Venom as backup.

Cold wind buffeted him as he flew, nearly sending him into an uncontrollable dive, but he somehow managed to pull on more strength inside himself and straightened his wings, riding the wind instead of folding under it. His sharp gaze cut across the streets below him, catching sight of a familiar street sign, his hopes rising as he dove down and cut around a building, nearly roaring in triumph when he spotted the grate he had been looking for.

Making sure there were no cars on the way, he landed on the curb and tried to figure out how he was going to lift it on his own, his thoughts whirling before he spotted an open space just under the sidewalk that was meant to be a runoff for rainwater. Hoping that his hunch was right, he wriggled through it, grimacing at the grime that came off onto his pristine white scales as he did so. His hunch, however, turned true, and he spread his tired wings once more, following his memory and his instincts as he headed down a tunnel, then turned down another, wings beating the air wearily as he struggled to stay airborne.

The tunnels were pitch black, and even his night vision was barely able to peirce the darkness, so blind was he that there were times where only the sensation of his wingtips hitting solid rock gave him enough warning to bank sideways to avoid running headlong into a wall. Exhaustion and panic were taking their toll on him, laboring his breathing, making his wingbeats irratic, and he clawed at the air, struggling to keep going.

The destruction of the link between him and Lashana had taken it's toll, leaving him reeling and wanting to merely collapse and mourn his loss, but the knowledge that there was a slim chance that she could be saved kept him going, kept his wings beating and his attention focused, until finally dim light broke through the darkness, giving him a beacon to fly towards as he broke through into the underground city.

There, he collapsed, hitting the ground hard as he rolled, wings mantling, and as he came to a stop, he let out a long keen of grief and pain both vocally and telepathically, his exhaustion taking it's toll as he lay limp on the hard cobblestones, vaguely aware of the voices and minds that were now around him as his eyes fluttered closed, his weariness overtaking him.

"What is it?"

"I think it's some sort of lizard."

"But look, it's got wings!"

"Don't touch it!"

"You think it's dead?"

"No! Look, it's breathing!"

"It looks hurt."

"What's going on?"

A familiar mind joined the others, and Akhor cracked an eye open to look up at a blur of faces, one looming closer than the others as hands picked him up. :Eddie...:

"Oh my God." Eyes wide, Eddie cradled the small form to himself, the symbiote flushing black around him as he rose his free hand and shot out a webline, leaping into the air and swinging around a building, away from the crowd. "Akhor! What happened? Where's Lashana?"

:Lost... The demon has her...:

The dragons mind-voice sounded so tired, so entirely empty of life that it actually frightened him, thoughts that the dragon might actually die in his arms adding new strength to him as he shot around another building then landed against a wall, reaching out to open a window and crawl through it into his apartment. The symbiote flowed away from his face as he gently set the dragon on the small table in the kitchen then went to pour water from a bottle into a saucer, carrying it back to the exhausted and filthy dragon.

Scenting water, Akhor rose his head and dipped his muzzle into the cool clean liquid, drinking his fill. The sensation of a cool wet cloth on his scales made him glance over at Eddie as the human used a towel to wipe some of the grime and filth from him, letting his natural white scales shine through the dirt. :Lashana. She's gone.:

"Gone?" Eddie frowned, his hand pausing over the dragon's flank. "Dead?"

:No.: Tired, Akhor rested his head on the rim of the saucer and sighed. :The demon, the Mazoku. It wanted her to try to trap it. It took over her mind. She's like a puppet now, and tomorrow night he's going to kill her, and she won't... she won't want to stop him:

The last was a horrified cry that resonated loudly through his mind, and Eddie hid a wince as he stared down at the small white form that was curling in upon itself, wings shaking as Akhor cried softly, mourning the loss of the one that he had been linked to. The symbiote fluttered over his skin as the alien relayed it's own opinion on the current situation, and Eddie nodded in agreement as he reached out to rest a hand on the small form. "Can you track her, Akhor? Can you lead us to her?"

Golden eyes blinked tears away as the dragon looked up at the human. :I...I can try. But what good will that do? She's like the Mazoku now, and tomorrow morning, this world will be as dead as her soul is:

"Not if you help us!" Eddie frowned. "There has to be a way to stop them both without forfiting Lashana's life."

:There is none. Not while the Mazoku controls her.:

"Then how to we break it's hold?"

Akhor shook his head sadly. :I don't know. It's telepathic... so strong. It had the upper hand before either of us could stop him... Even with the power of a Goddess, Lashana didn't stand a chance...:

"The power of a..." Frowning Eddie ran a hand over his face and sighed. "We think it's time you tell us exactly what she is."

Wondering what L-Sama would think of him telling a mortal about her Avatar, the little dragon spent a few quiet moments taking another drink from the saucer, turning the thought over in his mind. :You do realise that I'm not exactly allowed to tell you, right: When Eddie didn't respond, he sighed heavily and russled his wings. :Alright, alright. A little over a year ago, a demonic highlord kidnapped and tortured Lashana's Soul Bonded. In order to defeat him, she had to call upon magicks that no mortal had the right to call upon. She... died, as a result.:

"Died? Then how--"

:Let me finish. The power she had called upon belonged to the Goddess of All, the Lord of Nightmares. L-Sama, having given her power to Lashana because of the pure wishes of her heart, chose to make Lashana her Avatar. Her Chaos Knight...:

"So... In return for being ressurected, she runs around hunting down demons for this Goddess?"

:Sort of. The Mazokus that Lashana hunts are those who use L-Sama's Chaos without her permission. And because most of the time those Mazoku are killing hordes of people and generally trying to destroy a world.:

"That's not very comforting."

Akhor shrugged. :It wasn't meant to be.:

"Right." Sighing, Eddie rose a hand to massage the back of his neck, feeling the symbiote flutter over his skin when it picked up his rising anxiety. "So, this demon, it's using L-Sama's chaos... and that's how it managed to brainwash Lashana?"

:Pretty much. A more accurate way to put it would be to say that it used the Chaos to call to the darkness that lives within her.: When it was obvious that the human didn't understand, he frowned and tried to explain it. :See, the Chaos power, it's both good and evil. The good adds to Lashana's own inner light, but the evil, the evil knaws at her soul, always trying to get free, to pull on her own dark tendencies. The demon sensed that evil, and used it's own ties to the Chaos to bring it to the surface, effectively locking that part that is 'good' away.:

"This smacks of multiple personalities," he muttered sourly.

:Things get complicated when you mix a Goddess' power into the equation: Akhor said softly. :Lashana knew it could happen, she thought she was strong enough to keep it from happening... we never thought that someone would use telepathy to bring it to the surface.:

He didn't know what worried him more, the fact that there was a lunatic demon running around or the fact that all this was starting to make sense. "Alright. So, how to we get her back? You're telepathic, can't you... hack her brain or something?"

The white dragon shook his head. :The demon's too powerful. I'm not a match for him.:

Another sigh left him as he ran a hand over his face. "So where does that leave us? What?" He turned his thoughts inward as the symbiote offered up a suggestion, his eyes narrowing as he listened to his other. "We could do that? A joining?"

:Who has the multiple personalities now: Akhor mused, grinning when Eddie glared at him. :Sorry. I have my mothers sense of humour.:

"Mm. We could see where that could be a problem."

:Hey:

"Anyway, what we were saying, is that there might be a way that we could... reach her. It would entitle her becoming a part of us for a while."

:I'm not sure I like this: Akhor muttered. :Become a part of you, how:

Eddie frowned. "If we could stun her for a short time, my other would extend itself around her and attempt to reach what you termed the 'good' part of her consciousness."

:No go. It'd leave you open to the Mazoku's attack.:

"We'd only need a few moments."

Feeling a bit stronger, Akhor rose to his feet, then shook himself, sending bits of dirt flying everywhere. :I don't know.:

"If you have a better idea, we'd love to hear it," he said, eyeing the dragon a little sourly. "We're doing this at great risk to ourselves."

:I know. I know. And I appreciate it. I just... I can't sense her anymore. It's the first time I've been alone...: Akhor sighed heavily, wings drooping for a moment before he gave himself another shake. :Nevermind.:

Eddie's gaze softened as he looked at the dragon, remembering a time when his other had been taken from him, and how alone he'd felt. Akhor had been linked to the elf just as he was tied to the symbiote, the shock of such a violent separation must have been tramatic for the little dragon. "You should get some rest," he said at last, meeting the surprised golden gaze of the dragon. "It'll be better to wait until nightfall before starting the search."

:N-nightfall? Why can't we go now? We can't just leave her:

The near panic in the mind voice made Eddie wince. "Even Lashana said that the demon only works at night. It'd just be a waste of energy to go looking for them now."

:But that's my mother you're talking about: Akhor yelled, wings mantling wildly as he glared at the human.

"I know that!" The sharp retort made the dragon pause, and Eddie sighed as he forced himself to soften his tone. "I know. But we have to wait."

Akhor's anger left him as quickly as it had come, and he moaned thinly as he did a controlled collaspse onto the table top, wings slumped. :I want my mother...:

There was a long pause before Eddie moved to sit at the table, hesitantly extending a hand out to the dragon and sighing in sympathy when Akhor crawled forward and arched his head against his wrist in a bid for comfort. It was going to be a long, nerve wracking day.

The moon was high in the night sky when Venom swung his way between a couple of buildings, another web line shooting out to snag the corner of an apartment complex as he launched himself into the air, his usual dark guise broken by the small white form that clung to his left shoulder, it's tail firmly looped around his neck to anchor itself.

:Where are we going:

"We have a photographic memory. We remember where the centre of the pentagram is. If what you said is accurate, then the demon will be bringing Lashana there to enact his last sacrifice," Eddie replied as he swung out over a smaller building, talons gripping the webline securely. "Are you ready for this?"

:Yes: Akhor growled softly. He had spent most of the day sleeping fitfully, wracked with nightmares about Lashana, the still freshly broken link a gaping hole in his consciousness. :I want her back.:

The tone in the dragons voice made it quite clear what mood he was in. "Alright. Can you sense anything?"

There was a pause. :I, uh, can't open myself to scan the area: Akhor replied meekly. :My telepathy is still suffering from the loss of the link.:

"Oh." That was unfortunate, but not distressing. At least not at the moment. "We're here." As he spoke, he backflipped over an alley and landed in a crouch on a rooftop, the symbiote sending out a few questing tendrils as he straightened and looked around, eyeing the various hiding places amongst the heavy piping that covered the roof.

A chuckle echoed through the air as the human-formed demon strolled out into the light, smiling when Venom growled warningly and tensed. "Ah, finally. We've been waiting for you. Eddie, is it?" The Mazoku grinned widey, showing ragged fangs. "I never forget the taste of my prey. And you were very delectible, I must admit."

"And your liver will go well with a nice chianti, what of it?" Venom retorted angrily.

"Such a fighting spirit. The perfect thing for my new toy to feed on. Isn't that right, my dear?"

A silky laugh flitted through the winds as a dark feminine form stepped out to join the Mazoku, pure black eyes glinting from the moonlight as she fairly glided out into the open. "Yes, Master," she purred, black lips pulling back from sharp canines as she turned to grin at the human/alien hybrid, a strand of her black hair falling into her face as she eyed her new prey. "He doesn't look so tough."

"My God..." Shocked, Eddie actually took a step backwards at the sight of her. What had once been the features of a woman who was full of life was now replaced with something all together demonic, and he hid a shudder when she grinned at him and licked her lips, a condescending giggle floating over to him as she turned and draped herself over the Mazoku, playfully tracing a circle on his chest with a black talon. Her jacket was tied around her waist while her pants held many a tear in them, showing a lot of skin from her ankles to her upper thighs, a look that was matched by what remained of her shirt. What was once long sleeved had been turned into a sleeveless halter top, the material barely covering her black bra while it left her stomach completely bare, the black spines that decorated the back of her arms reflecting the light of the moon with a sickening sheen. "What the hell did you do to her?"

"Oh, nothing grand," the demon mused as he ran a hand through the raven locks of the demoness. "Just sealed her soul away. Hell would be a rather appropriate term for what she's experiencing. Meanwhile, this beauty of the night is going to keep you occupied while I work on the spell, and then, she's going to sacrifice herself, willingly, aren't you, my dear?"

"I'd do anything for you, Master," she whispered seductively as she stood on tiptoe and captured the Mazoku's lips with hers.

Akhor's jaw dropped. :Oh that's disgusting.:

Eddie was inclined to agree, especially when the kiss stretched into the minute mark, the two parties seemingly forgetting that they had an audience.

"Mm." Smiling, the demoness slowly pulled her lips away from her Masters, licking his lips and then her own, her gaze darting to the human. "Can I kill him? Can I bathe in his blood and drink from his beating heart?"

The Mazoku chuckled and patted her on the head. "That and more. He's yours to play with. Just keep him away from the circle."

"With pleasure." A grin spread over her lips as she turned to face the human, cracking her knuckles while she strode forward, moving her hips suggestively as she walked up until she was only a few feet away from him. "Well? Are we going to play, little toy?"

"Oh, we'll play with you alright," Eddie growled as he attacked, trying to land a punch, the symbiotes knife-edged peusedopods cutting into the flesh of her arms and stomach before she grabbed his arm and tossed him aside as if he weighed nothing. He was vaguely aware of Akhor leaping from his shoulder as he landed on his feet and lunged at her again, the symbiote trying to pin her arms to her sides in order to allow it's human host to grab her.

But the plan went awry, and Eddie grimaced as the symbiote's pain flashed through his own nerves, glaring at the woman as she used the knife-sharp spines on her arms to slice through his other. She giggled then, and he reacted too slowly as she spun and drove the spines on her arm into his right side, drawing a scream from him as they tore through symbiote and flesh alike, one of them grating against his ribs when she danced away and turned to smile at him serenely, obviously enjoying his pain. The symbiote flowed over his wounds, acting as both stuture and bandage as the other used it's advanced healing abilities to stop the bleeding, he thought it a miracle that she hadn't sliced into anything vital.

She seemed to sense his thoughts as she looked up from regarding the cuts that laced her arms. "I don't want you to die too soon, little pet."

"We're not your 'pet'," he snarled as he rose an arm and loosed a patch of webbing right into her face, darting forward when she screeched and rose her hands to tear the offensive webbing away. While she was trying to free herself, he ran forward and hammerblowed her in the back of the head, knocking her to the ground.

:Don't hurt her: Akhor yelled into his mind. :She's not in control of herself! It's not her fault:

"I don't think I can hurt her!" Eddie shot back as she snarled and ripped the webbing from her skin, throwing it aside as she rolled onto her back then loosed a ball of black fire at point blank range, forcing him backwards. As the flames licked at his other, he hopped out of it's range, then leapt over them, cursing when he jumped right into a roundhouse kick that sent him sprawling.

"That was not very amusing," the demoness hissed as she rubbed at her cheek, where the removal of the webbing had taken a layer of skin with it.

"Aw, too bad," he drawled, fangs gritting. "Didn't we mention that we don't play nice?"

The almost non-chalant look on her face gave way to full fledged rage and bloodlust, a look that he had been waiting for. If he could get her angry, and reacting on emotions and frustration, then she might make a mistake that would allow him to grab her long enough for his other to try to break through the telepathic barriers that was keeping her true consciousness at bay. It was a long shot, but he was willing to bet his life on it, having seen that she as a whole was a very emotional person.

As she lunged at him, he quickly guaged her line of attack and sidestepped, blocking her first hit but taking the second in his good side. Before she could react, he caught her with a strong uppercut to her jaw, sending her staggering backwards before he pressed his new advantage, his knee hitting her in the stomach hard enough to wind her before he backhanded her. She dropped to one knee, one hand cradling her jaw while the other was pressed flat against the ground, and he didn't realise the danger until she looked up at him, her face a twisted mask of rage.

Her speed is astounding, a part of his mind mused as she spun while in a crouch, trying to knock his feet out from under him, and, when that trick failed, she merely lunged at him, her talons slashing into his left shoulder, drawing blood. As he reeled from the unexpected pain, she snap-kicked him in the face, then drove her talons into the wounds on his right side, tearing a scream from him as she reached past his skin into his flesh, talons grating against the bone of his ribs. Reacting to his pain and fear, the symbiote interposed itself between them, shoving her backwards with it's entire strength, the push sending her sprawling across the roof while he dropped to his knees and clutched at his side, his breaths sending agony through him. She actually knicked a lung...

She giggled as she rose to her feet, shaking dirt out of her hair before she looked at her bloody right hand, then turned her gaze to him where he kneeled. Slowly, as he watched, she slid her index finger into her mouth and sucked it clean of blood, licking at her lips afterwards. "Mm. My Master does have exquisite taste."

Eddie mustered up enough attitude to sneer at her. "Glad to know that we're a rare vintage," he muttered, growling when she threw back her head and laughed.

A shriek sounded from behind her then, and they both turned their gazes in that direction as the Mazoku grabbed Akhor out of the air and threw him to the ground, his voice sharp as he rebuked her. "I told you to keep them away from the circle!"

Wincing, she bowed her head. "Forgive me," she whispered, her gaze falling on the small white form at her feet. "I'll retify this immediately."

"No!" As she bent to drive her talons through the dragon, Eddie lunged at her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and effectively pinning her own arms to her sides. "Now we play on our terms," he breathed into her ear as she struggled to no avail. His other moved then, flowing between them and curling it's tendrils around her, forcing it's consciousness into hers as it envelloped her in its blackness, effectively preventing her from moving a single finger. He could sense it's attempts to reach her, could sense another colder presence at the edge of his thoughts, and for a moment he was afraid that her darkness would infect the symbiote.

She screamed then, a horrible sound, but he could detect a desperation to that cry, a sense that his other was winning, wearing away at the evil that had taken over and making room for the light. Just as hope was beginning to flourish within him, she broke free with a fantastic show of strength, her eyes a glow with raw hatred as she spun and rose her hands, flames engulfing him in their white hot tongues of pain. Every nerve was aflame in an ocean of fire, and all he could do was break under it's force, his voice going raw from his screams as he collapsed and tried to protect himself, curling into a ball at the far edge of the roof as she lobbed spell after spell at him.

"That's enough!"

Eddie gasped in pain as the barrage halted, managing to peer through his now swollen right eye at the form that stood above him, a fireball in her hand. But the voice that had called out had frozen her in place, leaving her to merely stare down at him in sheer hatred as she spell fizzled out, proving that she was only a pawn to the wants and desires of the Mazoku.

Smiling at the waves of pain that were coming off of the human, the Mazoku extended a hand to his demoness. "Come, my dear. I am in need of your aid."

As if in a trance, she turned and walked over to him, bowing her head as he looked upon her scornfully, obviously less than empressed at the cuts and bruises that adorned her. But as she took his hand, a sick twisted smile spread over his lips, a chuckle leaving him as he guided her forward, into the centre of the pentagram that was burned into the roof.

"Now," he purred in her ear, sharp fangs nipping at the lobe. "Do as your Master wishes. Make me proud of you, little pet."

"Yes Master."

Struggling, Eddie slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, leaning back against the raised edge of the roof as he watched her raise her right hand to her left arm, a single talon gleaming in the moonlight as she slit her wrist open, letting her blood drip down onto the ground she stood on. Immeditately, the lines of the pentagram flared bright red, pulsing with a heartbeat of it's own as it fed from the power being willingly offered to it, but as he watched, Eddie suddenly realised what kind of a sacrifice was going to be required.

Raising his hand, the Mazoku extended a part of itself and formed it into a dagger, his smile growing into a full grin as he walked around the woman, who had her head bowed and eyes closed as the spell sucked the life and magick from her. "You were a good little pet," he crooned as he stepped up behind her, then rose the dagger to her throat. "But unfortunately, like all my other pets, I have to break you." Slowly, he exerted more pressure, the blade of the knife cutting into her flesh and drawing blood, the single line of red marking it's trail down her throat and into the valley of her breasts. "Too bad. I liked you."

His hand blurred as he drew the knife across her throat, a laugh leaving him as she instinctively rose a hand to her neck to staunch the blood, and he stepped back to admire his handiwork as the spell took full effect, beginning to gather very fatal dark magicks in what would be his final coup de grace to the city.

Dark, sickly looking lightning started to gather on the rooftop, striking the points of the pentagram numerous times, so many, that it was as if the flashes of light were one bright constant glow. The air gained a heavy feeling, the scent of ozone and an underlying sickly blood-like smell choking all who took in a breath. There was no thunder to accompany the lightning, instead, a low rumbling roar echoed through the night, growing in intensity until it lowered to a point below human hearing. The building shook though as the roar continued to lower into decibls too low for human ears. Dogs howled across the city, cats screamed and birds took to the air and wobbled as if intoxicated before dropping to the unforgiving ground.

The Mazoku backed towards the edge of the roof as the spell intensified, a gale-force wind encircling the building as more and more power crackled through the air. Blood began to drip from the elf's wrist as she continued to clutch at her throat. The madness that had previously gripped her seemed to have faded, leaving her a hollow, unresponsive form. Her eyes were blank, unseeing, only the fact that she was still standing gave any indication that she was still alive.

The low roar echoed through Eddie's body, tripling the pain from his wounds as he struggled to get to his feet, blood and bile rising into his mouth when he stiffled a scream of agony as something in his side crunched together. It was too much. Even his other couldn't block the amount of pain that cut across his nerves. He slumped back down, clutching at his left side as he gasped in shallow breaths, trying to force his vision to focus on the form that stood within the centre of the lightning.

"No choice," he muttered lowly, feeling the symbiote flutter over his skin when it sensed his thoughts. "If we don't, the entire world will be destroyed..." Images and thoughts flowed into his mind as his other raised it's concerns and oppositions to his plan. "Yes, we have to! There's no other way!"

The symbiote shuddered, it didn't want to break their bond, even if it was for the good of the world. It would send pain through them both, physical and mental. And the other knew that trying to psychically attack the currently possessed elf's mind in order to free her would take every ounce of it's strength. It wasn't something that it, or Eddie, liked. It would be a sort of mental rape, and the other wasn't even convinced that it would work without Eddie's own mind to help. Eddie was the only reason the other had developed it's own personality, it's own independence. Without Eddie, without their bond, the other wasn't sure if it would still have that personality if it were to separate from the human, even for a moment.

But the symbiote understood the sacrifice that was needed. Understood the reasoning behind Eddie's decision, even though it found the thought distasteful. Sending a thought to Eddie telling him to stay alive - for without him, the other was certain that it would not be able to survive, so strong was their link - the symbiote flowed away from it's human host and partner.

The pentagram pulsed a deep, almost sickening red, sending invisible waves of rippling power into the sky. It was pure luck that the Mazoku was too busy revelling in the waves of dark power that were beginning to rend the fabric of the dimension apart to notice that a shadow that had no source was moving like a snake across the roof, twining through the lines of the pentagram and the runes therein, making it's way over to the form that had dropped to it's knees into a puddle of it's own blood.

By the time the Mazoku realised what was happening, it was already too late for him to do anything. Flowing like water, the symbiote envelloped the elf, leaving only her face bare as it forced itself into her mind. A scream split the air as the elf doubled over and clutched at her head, the lightning striking the pentagram flickering unsteadily as it's willing source of power wavered in it's convictions.

The symbiote was in pain. The possessed elf's thoughts were like fire, the flames of the corruption that currently held her mind cutting into it. But being bonded to Eddie had taught it much, and it pushed that pain aside as it delved deeper, seeking to find the dormant part of the elf's mind, knowing that once it awoke that part of her, it would not be fighting against such an overwhelming force on it's own.

While the other was aware that it had to be careful lest it severely damage the elf's mind, it also knew that time was sparse. The longer it was separated from Eddie, the more the pain progressed, an ache that was rapidly filling the emptyness of their bond. But if the Mazoku got to the symbiote before it completed it's task, everything would have been for nothing, and both it and Eddie would be dead.

-wake up!- Growling lowly, the symbiote threw caution to the winds and threw it's 'self' into the elf's mind, daring to partially bond itself to the woman as it fought against the fire tipped razor wire of the Mazoku's control that was poisoning her mind. For every hook of the Mazoku's power that it freed her from, three more took it's place, sinking so deep into her psyche that it was getting more inherantly dangerous for the symbiote to try to remove them by force.

Finding that it could no longer fight the Mazoku's hold on her unless it wanted to give her permanent and serious brain damage, it turned it's attention instead to freeing the part of her mind that was being repressed. The symbiote found that there were less barriers keeping her mind shackled than it expected, and while it was wary of hidden traps, it threw all of it's remaining energy into breaking her free, knowing that it was running out of time.

-wake up!-

The call seemed to come from far away, the unearthly voice almost hollow and devoid of emotion but not personality. It 'felt' cool, predatory and sinister, and yet it was radiating concern and fear. Her own mind felt weighed down, her thoughts sluggish and cold. Who was bothering her, and why? She was tired, and she couldn't understand why they were waking her. Couldn't they see that she was sleeping, curled up in a corner in order to fight away the icy chill that was seeping into her very soul?

-wake up!-

A frown marred her features as she rose her head from her arms, trying to peer through the darkness that encircled her in order to locate her unwanted visitor. She didn't want to wake up. She was tired. Why couldn't whoever-it-was let her sleep?

-lashana! wake up!-

Lashana? Who was that? Was that supposed to be... her? She couldn't remember if she had a name or not. It didn't really matter before, after all, she just wanted to sleep. But, what if whomever was calling her knew her? Why would they be calling her anyway? It was still dark, people were supposed to sleep when it was dark, weren't they? And even if they were calling her, how was she supposed to find them when she couldn't see anything except darkness?

-fight!-

Fight? What was she supposed to be fighting? And why? Fight to stay awake, or fight against an unseen enemy? Why was the voice confusing her so! She was tired, she didn't want to deal with this right now, she just wanted to sleep.

-you can't let the Mazoku win!-

...Mazoku? Was that what she was supposed to be fighting? But why?

Because if you don't, all will be destroyed.

The second, new voice was accompanied with a brilliant light, and she was forced to throw an arm up to shield her eyes, so unused was she to anything but the darkness. When her vision had stabilised enough to not cause her pain, she peered through her fingers at the bright swathe of blue that was stretched out under her, warm golden light bathing her from above. What was this place? It was so odd, and yet... familiar.

-lashana-

Lashana.

The two voices were melding into one, growing in strength and volume until she had to cover her ears in a futile attempt to block them out. It became a roar, a hurricane of noise that shook her to her bones, barraging her ceaselessly.

-eddie is dying-

Eddie?

Akhor is dying.

Akhor?

-wake up. eddie is dying. the world will die. wake up-

The... world? Which world? Mine?

You are my Knight. You have the power to break the Mazoku's hold on you, but first, you must wake up.

A knight... the Mazoku...

You can't give up. Your best friend would not want you to give up. Your brother would not want you to give up. Your Bonded would not want you to give up.

Best friend? Brother? ...Bonded... my Bonded... Black...

WAKE UP, LASHANA!

Unbidden, a keening wail escaped the elf's lips as her eyes opened wide, the blackness there bleeding away to be replaced by brilliant gold irises with black eliptical pupils that immediately shrunk to pinpricks. Pain like razorwire tore against every nerve, every thought, every breath. A seizure wracked her, as if she was touching a live wire, the spell that was in the middle of it's completion fizzling and crackling unsteadily as it's powersource fought against it.

Her hands curled into fists, her talons cutting deep into her palms. Something moved over and away from her, and if she had been more aware of her surroundings, she would have seen the symbiote release her and return to Eddie, who was watching her out of one partially swollen eye. Her blood pressure rose, her heatbeat racing fast enough that it made her light headed. Her breathing was ragged, lungs struggling to take in enough air to keep up with her heartbeat.

She was at war with herself, with the part of her that was still under the Mazoku's weakening control and the part that was trying to come to the surface once more. Her lips moved, as she struggled to speak, trying to call out to the one person who could hear her, no matter where she was. A spasm wracked her body again, and as if it had unlocked the part of her that was trying to communicate, she managed to take in a breath amongst a fit of hyperventilating, loosing it in a scream that held every ounce of pain, horror, terror and fear that she felt.

"BLACKWARGREYMON!"

Eddie shuddered at the cry, the emotion in it shaking him to his very core and bringing a set of shivers to the surface, despite the fact that his other had rejoined him and was doing it's best to block his pain receptors while trying to heal some of his life-threatening wounds in order to keep him alive. Whatever was happening, the symbiote seemed quite wary of it, especially since the Mazoku looked like it was ready for a fight.

The only sound now was the crackling of the spell, and the low roar of pressurised air that had become constant ever since the spell had started. The elf still looked like she was having uncontrollable seizures, the pentagram she was on constantly flashing from red to gold, as if it was sentient and it was fighting against her efforts to break the Mazoku's hold on her.

A sparkle to his left made him turn his head, his eyes widening when a silver portal expanded into existance. Even before it had finished opening, a mahogany haired woman stepped out onto the roof, her amber eyes narrowed in anger as she immediately turned towards the Mazoku. With every step she took, silvery highlights appeared in her hair, looking more and more like liquid silver than human hair as the wind gathered around her. Power shimmered around her, and his other fluttered over his skin nervously as the Mazoku looked towards her, then visibly backed away.

Whoever she was, if she made that demon afraid of her with just her presence, this was one woman he didn't want to piss off. The portal was still open, and despite the pain he was still experiencing, he forced himself to his feet, one hand clamped over his aching side as a huge shadow appeared in the mystical doorway, the seven foot creature towering over him as it gave him a curious look, then spun to look over at the elf, a worried yell leaving the creature as it ran towards her.

Heedless of the spell, Blackwargreymon shouldered his way though the crackling dome of power that was attempting to block his path to Lashana, kneeling to drive a fist into the nearest point of the pentagram, his hand going clean through the roof before he yanked himself free and moved to the elf's side.

The pentagram broken, the spell quickly fizzled out, leaving the air charged with energy and ozone. A blood-curling scream drew his gaze to Telca as she grasped the Mazoku by it's throat, silver flames licking at it's skin, leaving severe blisters and burns behind as those horrible flames slowly encased it, making every last breath, every last heartbeat a lesson of extreme agony. By the time she was done with it, the Mazoku was nothing except dust that fell from her fingers to alight upon the roof, and a disgusted look passed over her face as she used her boot to smother the last little bit of silver flame that flickered amongst the ashes.

A broken sob drew Black's gaze back to Lashana, who looked as if she had crumpled into herself. She was bent over, her arms wrapped around herself as she rested her forehead against the cement, her white hair matted with blood and dirt. Her body was wracked with shuddering gasps for air as she cried, hyperventilating with hysterics.

"What did I do! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I hurt Akhor! I hurt Eddie! I almost destroyed everything! I did this! I did this! I-I saw everything. I tried so hard, but I couldn't get free and stop myself! ...I saw everything. What I did, what I said... I kissed that filthy--"

As her voice hit a pitch of sheer panic, Black grimaced and hauled her into his arms, holding her as tight as he dared as she curled up against him, sobbing uncontrolably. She was covered in blood, and he knew by the scent of it that it was her blood. But far as he could tell, he couldn't see a wound on her that would have produced so much blood, even though he knew there was no telling what the Mazoku had done to her.

She was so hysterical that he was afraid that she would pass out from lack of oxygen. She was so afraid, so hurt, and it tore at him to see her like this. Instincts to protect her rose in him, and he growled lowly as he held her close, letting her bury her face in his shoulder as he locked one arm around her waist and rose his free hand to the back of her head, cradling her close as her hot tears soaked the sleeve of his tee-shirt.

Ignoring Telca's worried questions, he tucked his chin over her right shoulder and closed his eyes, opening himself to her. The hurricane of emotions that came through their Bond sent him to his knees, the hand that had been cradling her head dropping to the roof to keep himself from collapsing completely, his breath coming in rasping gulps as he struggled to stay conscious. It was so much emotion, so much pain and horror, so much more than he had been expecting.

Pulling on his reserves of strength, he steadied himself and straightened slightly, glancing at a pale and worried Telca as she cradled an unconscoius Akhor in her arms, the bluish glow that currently envelloped the small dragon signaling that she was weaving a healing spell on him. Taking in a breath to try to steel himself a bit more, Black turned his gaze to the other male, his eyes narrowing a little when he recognised him as Eddie Brock from one of Lashana's comic books.

His voice, when he spoke, sounded like steel wool scraping over broken glass, a testament to the supreme effort he was putting forth in keeping himself from being overwhelmed by the emotions coming from his Bonded. "What the hell happened?" he rasped, gulping in great breaths of air in an attempt to clear his muddled thoughts. "I can't make sense of anything she's sending me."

Eddie swallowed and weakly leaned against the raised ledge of the roof. "We don't know all the specifics, and we won't make it through a lengthy explaination. All we know from what Akhor told us is that the Mazoku used her chaos against her in order to control her. She... changed. The demon possessed her. It was using her to fuel a spell. My other did it's best to try to free her of the Mazoku's control, but in the end, we only managed to partially reawaken her. She was trying to fight the spell when you arrived."

"Oh my God," Telca whispered, eyes widening with horror as she looked from Eddie to the elf, who was still clinging to Blackie. "But... how? She's the Chaos Knight, no Mazoku should be able to..." Her voice trailed off as a shiver travelled up her spine that had nothing to do with the weather, then cradled a whimpering Akhor in her arms and turned to look at Venom again. "Alright. You're coming back with us. We have a state of the art infirmary, and we need a more detailed version of what the hell happened. Okay?"

When he nodded, she turned and snapped her fingers, stepping back as a new portal flickered open. Black struggled to his feet, and for once, she didn't make any snarky remarks as she moved to help him, knowing that he would refuse to let go of the elf. If she had known that this mission would have been so dangerous, she never would have let Lashana go on her own. Hell, she probably wouldn't have let her go, period.

Shaking her head, she ushered Blackie through the portal, then shoved Eddie in before following, sighing when they stepped out into the crowded Main Hall, where the rest of the Harem was waiting. When Black had heard Lashana's scream, his instant panic had put the entire Palace on full alert, and she wasn't at all surprised to see that the others were waiting for them to return.

Tvashtar immediately moved forward to escort Black into the livingroom, the Guardian knowing that the Digimon wouldn't let anyone else help him deal with the elf. Not to mention that Lashana herself probably wouldn't let anyone except her adoptive-brother or her Bonded touch her.

Kadrith made a beeline straight for her, and Telca sighed heavily as she handed Akhor over to him and gave out orders, hoping that by giving the Guys things to do that it would help them work off some of their frayed nerves. Goddess knew that she wouldn't be able to calm herself until the elf became responsive again.

"Kadrith? Do me a favor and bring Eddie here down to the infirmary and tell Beast that Blackie'll probably be bringing Lashana down once he calms her down a bit more. Mewtwo, take care of Akhor and try to keep the other two away from Lashana for the moment. Kenshin, could you make some of that tea that calms Lashana down? Duncan, see if you can find a free room for Eddie once Beast gives him the all clear. Zel, you, Kang, and Malcho round up all the spellbooks regarding possession and Mazoku, I want to know how that fuckwit managed to do what he did."

She ran out of tasks that needed to be done and gave the rest of the Guys an apologetic look. "There's nothing else that needs to be done. Spread yourselves out, help out where you can. Don't just pace around the Palace getting pissed off about things that you can't change. I know it sucks, but I'm in the same boat. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go throw up."

Epilogue coming soon...