Author's Notes: Sorry for the long delay in an update; I visited home this weekend and haven't been at a computer. This chapter I'm not sure about, it's full of flashbacks that break everything up in a way that may be annoying to people reading, but I need to tell both stories, and I want to do it switching between them, so hopefully it works. The erratic way they're written almost reflects Vivli's mind anyway, for a bit of symbolism.

Other thing I did this chapter was finally explore Arcadia's (from Twilight of the Immortal) character a bit more, because she can be quite easy to dislike, and I wanted to try and get her across more as a person with good qualities. I hope that worked out!

CHAPTER IV

The engines of the airship created their usual dull thud as it soared through the air, Olose slumped looking out over the land beneath him. Vivli was looking down in a similar way some distance away, clearly wanting to be on her own. It took her a few moments before she marched into the hold beneath the ship. Olose smirked slightly, she must have been feeling airsick, he assumed.

Despite the smirk he was incredibly worried about her; he no longer wanted her to be on the journey, knowing she wasn't up to it, but couldn't leave her alone. He didn't want to know what she might do if left with nobody around, so vowed to stay at her side.

With that, he sighed and began walking down into the hold after her.

He smiled to himself as he saw her huddled in the corner, sleeping peacefully. He guessed that she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and in her current physical state had simply become exhausted. He decided to leave her in peace and headed back up to the top deck.

FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT YEARS EARLIER

Lady Arcadia Sampson examined herself in the mirror, and let out a satisfied smile. She was dressed extremely elegantly, her hair worn up in a style that had taken two servants half an hour to arrange, her face thickly coated in make-up, her lips shining red, long diamond earrings hanging from her ears and a diamond necklace around her neck, an insanely expensive and beautiful looking black evening gown clung to her body and bright red finger nails stood out against her pale skin.

She stood with a bit of a sigh. It felt a bit pointless. There was no special occasion; Arcadia always dressed this way, as the daughter of a powerful lord, she was one of the richest people in Tavnazia, and it often showed through her appearance. Despite this, she knew that it seemed pointless, especially when Olose, her husband, wasn't around.

Olose had met her when he rescued her, after she got into trouble travelling to San d'Oria when she was quite young. The two had fallen in love despite the dangers they encountered and married, despite being worlds apart. Olose had opened Arcadia's eyes to the world, and now she couldn't help but feel she was being pointlessly vain and extravagant, a feeling she never used to have. That wasn't to say she didn't like it, she loved it, being able to see herself looking so dressed up and beautiful in the mirror (so she guessed she really was vain), but it did feel pointless. Like she was somehow neglecting the rest of the world and just living her own little rich life.

She sighed again and did what she would always do when she felt like this; she went for a walk around the city. She always somehow felt that if she saw the rest of the city, how everybody else lived, she was at least acknowledging it. It made her feel better, even if she knew it was really superficial.

Arcadia didn't get far, stopping at that street. The street where she had lost the most precious thing in the world to her. Her daughter. She hadn't seen it happen, her daughter had been kidnapped at only a week old by an old enemy of Olose. There the villain killed her daughter, provoking Olose into battle.

The resulting duel had almost destroyed the city they fought with such fury, But it wouldn't bring back her daughter. She was dead. Killed that night never to return.

Arcadia struggled to hold back the tears at those memories. They surfaced all the time, she could never quite get over them. Perhaps it was that which led to her recent feelings of pointlessness in her life; what was the point in living when her daughter was dead?

She turned around with a sharp click of her stiletto heels, unable to focus any longer. She gulped and decided to head back to her manor. She simply couldn't face it any more. She wanted privacy. Privacy to be with her thoughts and memories.

That's when she spotted it.

Black smoke, pouring from her home.

It was on fire.

FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT YEARS LATER

Vivli awoke from her nightmares with a sob. She pulled her legs up tighter to her, but it didn't help. She was shaking, but wasn't cold. She was shaking with the memory. She looked down over her own body, feeling so small and weak that she could barely stand her own existence. She couldn't stop anything. She couldn't help anything. She felt like she bounced between events, completely unable to alter them, just an endless victim.

She rose and walked up the stairs out onto the deck, and looked at the world below. Everything looked so beautiful from the airship. So peaceful. The world working in harmony. And she was the insignificant speck, simply abused by it.

She climbed up onto the balcony to look down. Everything that had happened to her, every hardship she had been through; she now knew, looking down on the world, she was nothing, not important at all. She could suffer for the rest of time and still be but a dot on the face of the world. And she wouldn't. She couldn't. She just couldn't face it anymore. No more hardships. No more pain. She wouldn't lose everything. Not again.

Everything would lose her.

Olose walked down the steps into the cabin, planning to wake Vivli; he knew they would be landing soon. As soon as he saw she wasn't there alarm bells began ringing in his head. He knew what she was doing. Why she had seemed so apathetic before.

He bolted onto the deck as fast as he could.

FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT YEARS EARLIER

"Make your offer then." Olose shrugged. "What are you planning?"

"Vana'diel once oppressed our people, Olose. You know this." Leanne explained, pacing.

"Our people?" Olose repeated.

"Oh, come now, Olose, stop pretending." Leanne laughed. "The Temple Knights tried to wipe us out, they tried to commit mass genocide. And as far as Vana'diel is concerned they succeeded." Olose began to look at her, reading her scent, her stance, who she truly was. "Indeed, some of our kin were even blinded as to our survival. You, for example." He looked up into her eyes slowly in complete astonishment.

"You're werewolves, aren't you?" Olose guessed in shock.

"We are immortals, yes." Leanne replied. "Surprised?"

"I'm supposed to be the last." Olose growled.

"Your tribe may have been destroyed Olose, but many of us survived." Leanne casually shrugged. "And we're offering a chance. Join us! We were destined to rule this world. The pathetic mortals can not stand against us. They cannot stop us. Vana'diel will be ours, Olose, you can be sure of that."

"That's it? You want to know if I'll help you take over the world? You're insane!" Olose laughed. "You obviously don't know me very well."

"Olose Sampson. Captain of the ship Destiny II, crewed by four despite it's impressive size. Lost his first mate after she turned on him and he was forced to fight her. Married to Lady Arcadia Sampson. Father of Talia Sampson, who was-"

"Yes. Thank you. I think you've proven your point." Olose growled. "So you know who I am. Why try to recruit me then?"

"We're not. It's an offer there just in case." Leanne explained.
"Then what are you trying to do?" Olose asked.

"Kill you." She stated, and Bear launched himself at Olose with tremendous speed.

FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT YEARS LATER

Vivli let go and let herself fall, closing her eyes peacefully. It was over. No more worrying. No more pain. She was free. She was free, forever.

She felt somebody grab her around the waist and pull her back at the last moment. She shrieked in surprise as Olose held her back.

"Viv?" He screamed. "What the hell are you doing?" Vivli struggled to get out of his grasp, but he was much too strong. Olose pinned her to the floor to stop her from moving. "Viv! Listen to me!" But Vivli could not. Fear was already running rampant through her mind.

She was pinned down by a much stronger and fearsome looking male. He was saying something, but she couldn't hear what. Memories crashed back into her brain. She started screaming uncontrollably for help. She had to get away. She had to get free. It was making her rememeber; the feeling; the sensation. She screamed and sobbed, struggling as hard as she could to escape Olose's steel grip.

As soon as the cries for help came Olose loosened his hold and let her go. Vivli instantly ran for the edge again, her mind telling her she was just running away, just escaping. Olose pulled her back again and held her down, causing her to kick, scream and cry more. People came rushing over, including Zinkata, at first to Vivli's aid. Olose shot them a glance.

"Make sure she doesn't reach the edge!" He cried, ordering them. "She's trying to kill herself." The crowd reacted in shock, and Zinkata rushed to Vivli's side.

"Vivli! No! What are you doing?" He asked quickly. Olose released her, this time much more wisely, and she sprang into Zinkata's arms, her broken mind seeing him as what she longed for. She fell silent as soon as he put his arms around her, holding her safely. Olose stood and waved the crowd back.

"Come on! Give her some room!" He snapped. They did so, and Olose sighed heavily. "Are things really this bad for her?" He asked in a whisper, talking to nobody in particular.

A slight purr came from Vivli, startling Olose. He looked over at her, only to notice she had fallen solidly to sleep against Zinkata. Zinkata rose an eyebrow. Olose shrugged, and let out a heavy sigh.

"Let's let her sleep." Zinkata decided.

"Agreed." Olose said solemnly. "From now on, one of us keeps an eye on her at all times."

"What was all that about?" Zinkata asked, looking down at Vivli with concern.

"Can't you figure it out?" Olose sighed. Zinkata clenched his fists together angrily.

"I swear to Altana, I will find who did this to her and-"

"Vivli isn't one who wants people to take revenge. She hates killing, death and fighting. You'll be doing more harm than good." Olose reminded him. Zinkata stood, holding Vivli almost like she was a baby.

"What do you want me to do? Stand by while I know what this bastard did to her?" Vivli didn't wake up, despite Zinkata's raised voice.
"We have no idea who he is, where he lives, or what happened to him." Olose pointed out. "And even if we did, we have a job to do!" Zinkata sighed, as if letting out all of his anger.

"I know. I just can't stand the thought of anybody hurting her." He managed to say.
"Except yourself, it seems." Olose shot at him.

"Hey! That's not my fault! It's not my fault! I don't control feelings! I fell in love with somebody else! That's not fair!" He started to yell at Olose. Olose smirked slightly.

"Doesn't sound like you believe that." He pointed out, turning and walking away.

Zinkata was left in silence, looking down at Vivli with wide eyes.

FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT YEARS EARLIER

"Oh, you did not just do that." Olose growled, climbing out of the rubble of stone his body had formed as it smashed into the cliff side. Bear seemed to smirk slightly. Olose ran at him and threw a punch. The kind of punch that had shattered buildings. His fist smashed against Bear's mighty chest, and Bear stood solid. Olose's eyes went wide. "This is going to get worse before it gets better." He managed to say as Bear reached down and grabbed his arm, spinning it around and snapping it behind him. Olose grunted as his arm broke and he was flung to the floor. Bear drove his fist into Olose's chin and Olose rocketed up into the air, crashing down again and forming a small crater. Any other man would be dead, but Olose just sprang back at Bear with an angry growl. Bear smacked Olose out of the air and he crashed down again, skiing along the ground to Leanne's feet.

Bear got to him before he could strike at either of them and threw Olose over his head. Olose crashed down again only to see the mountain of a man approaching him. Olose grabbed a huge stone from the ground and hurled it at him. Bear took the hit to the face and stumbled back. Olose ran in and leapt into a powerful flying kick, hitting Bear and causing him to stumble back again. Olose started to strike him in the face, time and time again, trying to deliver a punch that would finally shatter his skull and finish him off. Before it came he was snatched out of the air, and Bear held him in his powerful hand by the neck. He began to apply pressure; in mere moments Olose's neck would snap and he would be dead.

"Stop!" Came a sharp order, and the pressure released. "Very impressive Olose." Leanne grinned. "You lasted longer than most. Consider this your reward." She approached Olose, who was still dangling, held firmly by the neck by the mighty Bear. She looped a pendant around Olose's neck and Bear released him. Olose screamed in agony. Leanne removed the gloves Olose had only just noticed she was wearing. She grinned again. "Made of the purest silver." She smiled. Smoke rose from Olose's body as the drawback of his curse came true. He couldn't think. He was overwhelmed by pain. Leanne chuckled and turned to Bear. "Feed him to it, if he survives, we'll know he's the one we've been looking for." Bear almost made an audible grunt as he nodded, but not quite. He lifted the screaming Olose up and threw him over his shoulder, before he walked off in the direction of an unknown lair.

Arcadia covered her mouth in shock. Her home, her mansion, and all of her possessions were in flames. The fire brigade (consisting of skilled black mages using water spells) had arrived, but it was too late. Arcadia ran to one of her nearest servants as quickly as she could manage.

"Where is everybody? Are they safe?" She quickly asked, panting. The servant turned around to her slowly.
"Milady, your parents are safe. They were out of town on business." She answered. Arcadia grumbled to herself; she knew this, she was worried about everybody else.

"Yes! But the others! The servants, the cook, did they make it?" She desperately questioned.

"Most of us, yes. The fire started in your room, milady, and Tara was in there at the time. She hasn't been seen since." Arcadia's eyes widened in horror.

"My room? But there is nothing flammable in there." She said to herself in a whisper. "Wait! Tara's still in there?" She looked at the flaming building and sighed. "Oh, Olose, why are you never around when I need you?" She muttered, before picking up her dress to make for easier running and heading towards the building.

"Milady! What are you doing?" Cried the servant behind her.

"Saving a friend!" Arcadia replied as she ducked into the flaming mansion.

Author's Notes:I may change Vivli's suicide scene; I'm very worried currently that it's not 100 convincing, and if it doesn't convince the reader that she'll try to kill herself, then it fails as a scene. If it does work, then I'll leave it, but I'm not sure.