Ms. Selly owns Fire Blossom, Frank, Annabellina and Lynx. Nyneve owns Saxen Maverick and Moksha.

Chapter 22:

Past. Dreams. Silence

Three Years Ago

United States, Earth

Kathy curled in the doorway, hugging her knees to her chest. Rain poured over her, soaking her clothes and hair, but she didn't seem to notice. She rocked slowly back and forth, hair quickly plastering itself to her head. Her eyes stared vacant and unbelieving into the cold night. Words echoed in her head, angry shouts.

How could you be so selfish?

You never think of anyone but yourself!

If you don't do it, don't you dare come back here.

A shuddering and gasping sob escaped her lips. How could she do it? How could she go back on everything she had sworn? Could they even do it? She didn't know…could they do what her parents had commanded? But…how could she stay here? Out in the cold and rain, with no one to love her? A bitter smile graced her lips. No one loved her. No one.

"Is it working?" She looked up quickly at the unfamiliar voice and squinted through the rain that continually fell into her eyes.

"Wha?"

"Hiding."

"I'm not-"

"You are," came the simple answer. She shut her eyes. She didn't have time for mysterious strangers to mock her, or whatever this man was trying to do.

"Just leave me alone," she managed to whisper. Her head hurt so badly. And there was the burning in her chest that even the rain making her skin clammy couldn't seem to cool. She heard the footsteps, but they stopped much too quickly for him to have left. She opened her eyes again, warily. He was squatting in front of her. Watching her. Even through all the water covering her, she could see that he did not appear to have a drop on him.

He was a hard looking man, with a stern mouth and closely cropped navy-colored spikes for hair. His eyes were a cold and deep blue, but with strange silver light flickering through them. He snorted softly.

"Not much to look at," he said under his breath, but loud enough that she was clearly meant to hear. But she didn't care. He held out a large hand. "Come on."

She stared down at the hand for a few moments. A man she had never seen before, approaching her on a rainy night in an alleyway and telling her to come with him. It flew in the face of everything she had learned. Don't talk to strangers. Never go anywhere with someone you don't know. But, hadn't her life been shattered anyway? Whatever this man was planning for her…she found she couldn't bring herself to care.

So she clasped his hand and let him pull her to her feet.

Clean white cotton sheets, just like in a commercial. Kathy rubbed her face blearily against the pillow. Where was she now? She was more awake in a few moments and realized, with less of a start than the situation probably deserved, that she had been stripped of all clothing save her underwear and bra. There was clanking in the other room. She rose, ignoring her undressed state, and exited the bedroom.

He was standing by the stove, making what smelled like eggs. He wasn't much more appropriately clad than she, in an undershirt and green plaid boxer shorts.

"Soaked." He didn't even look up as he spoke, but she somehow knew exactly what he meant. She was about to open her mouth, when he again cut her off. "Cain," was his response to her unspoken question.

"I'm Kathy," she said quietly, watching him. His arms were muscular, and if what she could see beneath his apparel, the rest of him was too. Not overly muscular, like some guys she had seen, but large and strong. Much different than the scrawny boys she had been friend with at school, and a polar opposite of her beanpole brother. Lynx. What would he think when he came home from his cross-country trek to find her gone? What would their parents tell him? The truth? Or would they make up a story to protect his fragile feelings? She and Lynx had always had a special bond, and her parents must know that he would never let her be disowned like this. Disowned. What a disgusting word.

All at once, the silence became too much for the teenage girl.

"What are you going to do to me?" She asked, not with any real care, just curiosity. What did her life mean anymore? He turned slowly to face her, sliding the skillet off of the stove as he did. He approached her, and she had to tilt her head back to hold his eyes.

"What would you like me to do?" He asked in the longest sentence she had ever heard him speak. His response surprised her. It had not been what she was suspecting, whatever that had been. She had to think about this for a few moments before she came to a conclusion.

"Punish me," she whispered. Wordlessly he gripped her arms and bodily lifted her off the floor. It didn't even look like it took too much effort from him. Now she was on his eye level. She waited for what he would do. Throw her across the room, slam her to the floor, she didn't know and didn't care. As long as it hurt. But he just looked her coolly in the eye.

"No." He set her down and with a choked cry of rage, she rushed at him and began to pummel his chest as hard as she could.

"You have to! I have to be punished, I've been bad…I've been a bad girl and you have to hurt me! Please…" her breath caught in her throat and she sank to the floor, arms fastened tightly around his legs. "…please…"

More gently than likely for a man of his size, Cain stooped and pulled the weeping girl to her feet. He waited a few seconds to make sure she could stand on her own, then he reached out to her.

She watched in sniffling amazement as he lay his fingers across her heart. A soft golden glow rose warmly to meet them from beneath her skin. He took her hand and pressed it against his own heart where, even through the white cotton of his undershirt, a gentle navy light glowed.

"We're the same," he told her.

"We're the same," she echoed, feeling the soft ribbing beneath her fingertips.

Present Day

Tsunami

Tabby stared down the sheer rock face. It made her think of days long past, things she would never see again. Quickly, she straightened and gazed into the thick forest behind her. Taking a deep breath, she ran into the trees. She plunged forward, past pines, elms, every kind of tree she could name, not paying them much attention. There was somewhere she had to be. Something she had to do.

"Not gonna work, Tabs. Not this time." She slowed and turned around. She smiled at the old friend. A boy from school she had left behind in another dimension. But it didn't seem so strange he was here now.

"Why the hell not?" She asked good-naturedly.

"They killed you, Boom-Boom. What do you expect they'll do when they're done?"

"You're wrong," she shook her head, smile disappearing. "They care about me." She turned and ran away again, but she couldn't outrun the laughter that echoed through her head.

Suddenly, the forest turned to emptiness. She could see two figures up ahead, and doubled her speed to reach them. She was panting when she got there.

It was Duo and Effie, but something was wrong. Effie stared, eyes glazed and golden, out into the void. Blood dripped from her hands and it stained her clothes. There were even flecks of it on her face. She was leaning against Duo, who was humming under his breath and cradling something in his arms.

"Hey guys," she took another cautious step. "what's going on here? Something is majorly whacked."

"Mmm," Duo nodded in vague agreement before returning to his song.

"What's that you're humming?" She asked, curious. He looked up at her in surprise, as if finally noticing she was there.

"What is it?" He laughed loudly and it echoed throughout the emptiness. "It's a requiem. A funeral hymn for the fallen soldier."

"Who died?" She asked. Duo grinned, and his teeth were all razor-sharp and pointed. It was then she focused on the thing in her arms. It was her own head.

Tabby flinched in her sleep and rolled over with a quiet moan.

Duo stood over his slain enemies. A field full of corpses, rotting bodies that were already attracting crows. He stood there, black wings spread, scythe clutched in his hands. He sensed life. A feral grin spread across his face. Life was something he controlled. He heard the heart beat thundering in his mind. Another life he could snuff out. He whirled around, scythe already raised.

It was Fire Blossom. She knelt next to one of the dead men and was bobbing her head absentmindedly as she planted flowers in the man's chest.

"Well, this is certainly messy." He spun around again at the new voice. It was Lynx, who was clucking his tongue as he surveyed the battlefield. He noticed Duo looking at him and turned back to him. "Oh, don't worry. I won't tell her about you, murderer." He smiled.

"I'm not a murderer," Duo said.

"Of course not," Lynx smiled patronizingly, "she doesn't need to know a thing. We won't tell her your dirty little secret, you cute little killer."

"I don't keep any secrets from Effie."

"Sure, sure. Why do you want to taint her?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Look at her." He did. She was now clapping her hands and laughing at the tulips that were blossoming out of the corpse. "She's an innocent girl. You don't deserve her."

"I don't-"

"Deserve her, yes, we've been over this Mr. Maxwell. And now you've gotten her best friend killed…" Lynx shook his head sadly, then grinned. "I'm a regular Devil's Advocate, aren't I? Get it? Devil-" He became helpless with giggles, but Duo didn't get the joke.

"Effie can make her own choices."

"Nice choosing she's done," Lynx said, nodding over Duo's shoulder. He turned around to see Effie fast asleep, tight in the embrace of Van Helsing. "The lion and lamb shall lay down together…"

"And the little child shall lead them," Duo whispered, turning back to Lynx. He had turned into a small boy.

"What do you think? Adorable, if I do say so myself," Lynx said, admiring his new form. He looked up at Duo and smiled brightly, holding out his hand. "Coming?"

Duo stretched his hand out slowly. "Who are you?"

"Me? Now that hurts. Wounds me right through here," he struck his tiny chest with the hand not outstretched toward the God of Death. "I'm Lynx, obviously."

"No," Duo laughed slightly, hand just about to connect with the boy's. "I meant really."

"Oh," Lynx laughed too, a childish little giggle, "really. Well, that's easy. I'm your-"

Duo was abruptly brought out of his dream world when his face made quick contact with the floor. Half-asleep and grumbling, he crawled back into his bed and folded his arms over his chest.

Van Helsing rode through the thick Transylvanian forest. He was on the trail of evil…he could sense it. He spurred his horse to go faster and faster, to catch up with the darkness all the quicker. His horse, to it's credit, took the abuse he handed it and ran as fast as it could, hooves slamming against the cold ground. Finally the pair came to an empty clearing. Van Helsing mercifully pulled in the reins and dismounted.

"Good evening, Gabriel. It seems like so long since our last meeting." He recognized that voice. That accent. Wheeling around he found himself once again face-to-face with his nemesis.

"I killed you," he told the vampire before him. Dracula only laughed.

"It's not just a word, Gabriel, this 'immortality'. You will be discovering that for yourself, I am sure."

"I saw you die, you were destroyed," Van Helsing shook his head, as though that could make the vision of the creature disappear. Dracula suddenly ceased to look amused. He frowned at the hunter.

"You did try very hard to destroy me, and for that, I suppose I must punish you."

"Punish me?" In an instant, the vampire was jovial again. He laughed.

"Yes, even you cannot argue it is what you deserve. But two old friends like you and I, we can give each other breaks. Can't we, Gabriel?" Van Helsing had no response. He cocked his crossbow. Dracula ignored him. "So I will give you a choice."

Van Helsing lowered his weapon slightly in confusion. Dracula smiled widely at him, then spread out his arms. Two forms appeared next to him, one on each side. Van Helsing squinted at them as they writhed into a human shape, then promptly dropped his crossbow in shock.

On the left stood Anna Valerious, the woman he had loved, killed in the battle against Dracula. He had mourned her for so long, yet here she was. Standing next to Dracula, held tight by his left arm. But on the right…on the right…

It was Saxen Maverick.

"You may choose which one to keep, and which one to throw into everlasting torment," Dracula's smile widened even further and his eyes blazed with predatory pleasure. "So, who will it be, Gabriel? Who?"

"I can't…how could I…?" He tried to find the words but there were none. Two great women who had died in battle, two powerful souls who deserved nothing more than to live again. But what choice could he make? To save his love? Or his partner in his mission? At one moment it seemed obvious which choice to make, the next there was no choice.

"Come now, Gabriel. I offer you a grand privilege and you try to deny it? If you refuse to choose, I shall simply damn both of them to hell." Van Helsing retrieved his bow with a feral snarl and aimed it at the monster's heart. Dracula shook his head in mock sadness. "It would do no good to attempt and incapacitate me, Gabriel. How do you think these two lost souls are here? I hold them here with my power, and if I feel the need to let go," he opened his closed fist for emphasis, "they will float off to the netherworld, where even I cannot tell you what horrors they will experience."

"You bastard," Van Helsing growled from between clenched teeth. Dracula pretended to be insulted.

"I, Count Vladislaus Dracula, a bastard? I am insulted, Gabriel."

"Whack-job," the word slipped out before Van Helsing could stop it. Dracula tilted his head at him curiously.

"'Whack-job'. Wherever did you here a strange phrase like that?"
"A friend of mine," he muttered. Dracula smiled broadly and laughed again.

"Ah, a 'friend'. And tell me, what do these friends of yours know about you?"

"I have no reason to keep secrets from them."

"You may recall, Gabriel," Dracula said, fixing him with a patronizing stare, "that I did not ask if you had reason to keep secrets. I asked if you did."

Van Helsing wrinkled his nose and arched his back, rearranging his body to try and make the dream disappear.

Jack walked down the misty road. It was dark, and he could hear the wilderness closing in around him. He walked for what seemed like hours until he came to a huge door, with a large metal lock. There was a pattern of dragons painted on in what looked suspiciously like blood. Although all his senses screamed at him to stop, he reached out a hand and touched the lock gently. Instantly, it crumbled away and the door swung violently open. He threw up his hands to shield himself, but it was too late. He was grasped by hands and pulled roughly inside. He heard the door slam behind him. He slowly brought away his hands.

And looked out into the tavern. People were laughing and singing, gorgeous barmaids winked at drunken sailors, and everyone was having a marvelous time. He was led to a chair on the balcony, set apart from all the others and playfully pushed into it by two blondes.

"Not to complain, but could either of you lovely ladies tell me what all this fuss is about?" They giggled in unison.

"Don't be so silly, Jack! You're King of the Sea! We're all celebrating your good fortune!" He was kissed soundly on each cheek. "Now just sit here, and enjoy yourself!"

So he did. Everyone came up to shake his hand, and give him something. Girls piled heaps of gold and jewels into his lap and each one kissed his cheek before she left. He truly was the king. It was possibly the happiest day of his life. But…something was missing…

"King of all the fishies and the seaweed, and also the lost souls," came the breathy whisper in his ear as he realized what it was that he was missing. He tilted his head up to see Drusilla, wearing nothing but a petticoat and holding two huge mugs of rum.

"Drusilla," he said with a smile. She grinned at him, then strode to the front of his throne. One of the other girls helped her to hoist up the petticoat, and the vampiress/barmaid sat in his lap and poured rum over his face.

Jack smiled in his sleep and rolled over, nuzzling his face into Drusilla's neck. She squeezed him tighter and the ghost of a smile playing across her lips left no question as to the sort of dream she was having.

Miyu lay sleeping, silent and expressionless. She alone seemed immune to the plague of dreams that had struck her companions. As a vampire, she did not need to breathe, and while asleep, did not even hold the illusion of breath which she usually kept in place so as to not frighten her mortal friends. She was indistinguishable from a corpse, with her face blank in the darkness. The only thing that separated her from a dead girl was the shadow that was spread across her body.

Larva shut his ruby eyes for a moment. As a demon, he neither dreamt nor slept. It all seemed a foolish mortal pastime to him. He opened his eyes again and gazed down at Miyu, cloaked in his darkness. The vampire princess. His vampire princess. They were one, each belonging to the other in a way no mortal could imagine. He supposed the closest relationship to theirs on Tsunami was the bond that had existed between the huntress and her guard. But the dissimilarities so greatly outnumbered the similarities that it was not really comparable.

Still, he felt the pain that must be within the wolf's heart. To imagine the loss of Miyu to a hand not his own…it was too painful to think of for long. He resolved that he and Miyu might try and comfort the wolf-guard when next came the opportunity.

One Year Ago

Chartru, Sirius Beta

When she walked into the bar, no one could take their eyes off her. With long, shining waves of blonde hair flowing down her back in a loose ponytail, huge, sparkling blue eyes, and full pink lips in a perpetual pout; she was more beautiful than most women anyone there had ever seen. She was dressed entirely in pale aqua, from her long pants to loose blouse. All the men were captivated and most of the women were furious.

"Not much of a rack," a grisly regular had whispered to the bartender when she entered, "But with a face like that, who cares?"

So when a tall, thin man with shaggy violet hair had entered, scanned the room, and taken a seat next to her at a table, a collective sigh of disappointment swept through the male crowd. The bartender himself, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, went over to see if the pair wanted anything.

"What'll it be?" He asked gruffly, eyes never leaving the beautiful face. Everyone close enough to eavesdrop were listening in.

"Let's make it," the man bit his lip and ran his eyes down a list of drinks, "a Shirley Temple."

"Kiddy cocktail?" The bartender asked in surprise. The man's lips curled back into a smirk.

"I'm not that old, honey. Don't want you carding me." With a quick grumble of apology, the bartender scrawled it down.

"And…for you?" He asked the woman. She gazed across the table at her companion, then turned back to him.

"Just water, thanks." He felt like he had been hit with a ton of bricks. It couldn't be…but it was. Just glancing at all the shocked faces around him told him it hadn't been just a trick of his ears. The most gorgeous woman he had ever seen…was a man.

"Sure, okay, I'll just go and…oh," he shuffled away as quickly as possible, ears turning red from embarrassment.

Back at the table, Lynx grinned and turned back to his companion.

"You enjoy that far too much, Ziah." The beautiful man smiled winningly at him.

"Wouldn't you?" Lynx laughed. A waitress set down their drinks, staring dumbstruck at Ziah. After a few moments, she seemed to realize what she was doing and bustled away.

"Now," Lynx stirred his beverage and glanced up at Ziah, "as much as we enjoy each other's company, I'm guessing you want to talk business."

"Straight to point, as always." The other man sighed and took a long drink from his water before setting it down and tilting his head to regard Lynx. He waved a hand absentmindedly. "I heard about Jake."

Instantly, Lynx stiffened. "What about Jake?" He tried to keep his voice cool and calm.

"Lynx," Ziah's perfect eyes were wide and pleading, "you know the rules. Things-"

"How about Chite?" He had struck a nerve. Ziah stared at him for a few moments, obviously deeply pained. But he took a breath and spoke.

"I made a choice. And now I'm paying for it. You know I'm paying for it." Lynx looked away.

"I didn't do anything. I let him go."

"But you came far too close for comfort," Ziah said, "and we've decided-"

"Oh, 'we've decided'. Now all of you are concerned."

"Not all," Ziah said with a small smile, "Juno said it was none of our business."

"I thought this kind of thing had to be unanimous."

"You know Juno doesn't have the power to accept or reject anymore. You helped take that power away from her, I might remind you." Lynx scowled.

"So I'm not allowed to be happy? Because of something I didn't want, I'm unworthy of happiness?"

"Lynx, you know that's not what it's like. You just are not unaccountable for your actions."

"And here I thought that was the only perk in this job," he rested his head on a fist, glaring defiantly across the table. The beautiful man sighed.

"Lynx, we have decided to suspend your world-walking privileges until we have decided if you can do your job from amongst the humans." Lynx stared in disbelief.

"You can't be serious. Now I'm getting pulled out of-"

"It's only temporary," Ziah tried to soothe him, patting his forearm, "if you prove you can stay unattached, you'll be back in no time." Lynx looked at his old friend, searching for malice. Ziah's perfect face was clear. He was truly sorry, and concerned for his friend. Lynx stretched and sighed, resigned.

"There's something I have to do first."

"Oh? What would-" Ziah furrowed his delicate forehead but his eyes quickly widened in understanding. "Her."

"Yeah."

"And what could you possibly need with her? Going to finally tell her the truth after all these years?" The blonde gently teased his friend, but the other man didn't smile.

"Yeah."

"That will be fascinating. I might just have to stop by and see the show. Well, you've got a long way to go. Fate says-"

"Fate!" Lynx grinned suddenly. "How is she? I haven't seen her in years."

"Same as ever," Ziah shrugged.

"Still acting like she knows everything in the whole universe?" Lynx asked. Ziah smiled.

"You can't blame her. She does."

"I guess," Lynx laughed, but was quickly serious again. "So, where is she?"

"Fulfilling her destiny."

"Destiny? But her destiny isn't…what's going on? Did somebody change things around? She's not supposed to-"

"It was Washu."

"Washu?" Lynx frowned, trying to remember.

"Of Jurai," Ziah added helpfully. Lynx snapped his fingers.

"Oh, one of those." He frowned again suddenly. "What right does she have to meddle with-"

"Calm down, Lynx. Her destiny had always been uncertain. Washu just shuffled things around a bit." Lynx rolled his eyes.

"Obnoxious pipsqueak."

"So I suppose you'll be coming back soon?" Ziah asked.

"Couldn't say," Lynx shrugged. A mischievous grin spread across his face. "Why? D'ya miss me?"

"Of course I do," Ziah gently ran a hand through Lynx's hair. "Don't you forget it." He rose gracefully and kissed Lynx's cheek. Lynx inhaled, enjoying the scent of wildflowers that always clung to his friend. "See you soon."

He waved his hand again and the bar came back to life. He swept out of the room, many people still marveling at his beauty. Lynx smiled slightly, leaned back in his chair and drained the rest of his drink.