Dual Fates Part 12
Chosen
by
Sailor Janus

Duo looked quizzically at Hotaru's face almost as if contemplating her words. 'Only the beginning to our problems? Why do I not like the sound of that?'

Hesitantly nibbling on her lip, Hotaru drew a breath, holding out her small hands to Duo. "We need to continue. I fear we are running out of time."

Mutely, he nodded, joining his hands with her own.

Fear shone through Helen's violet eyes as she backed away from a very enraged Dare. "Listen to me. I had nothing to do with this!" She cried out as his sword nearly took off her head sparing merely a few inches.

"Dare. Drop the sword."

Blinking, the braided-haired young man slowly turned around only to find himself caught in Hunter's steely gaze. "Hunter, why! Why did you let them do this to you?"

"Because he was already dead to begin with," Brenna softly said, making her presence known. "He was dying inside and would have probably killed himself to begin with. I saved him."

"No you didn't save him, you bitch! You turned him into a monster!"

The female vampire however merely shook her head. "That is where you are wrong. As I told Hunter, we are all one and the same. The only difference is you breathe and have a beating heart. Speak with Helen, she'll explain more."

"I should have the right mind to kill you!" Dare growled, clenching the hilt of his sword.

"But you won't because I won't let you," the Prussian blue-eyed man evenly said. Staring at Dare straight in the eye he added, "We have much to talk about."

"Damn right we do! What the hell were you thinking! She seduced you, didn't she!"

"Partially yes, but Brenna was correct, I was half dead. Life held no joy. I did as I was told and that was that. When we were banished from town, I isolated myself even more. Soon, we became them, the ones we hunt. We had become creatures of the night with a thirst for blood."

Closing his eyes, the chestnut brown-haired young man accepted what his friend said. "So care to share what happened?"

Silently Hunter nodded.

Hunter roamed through the trees of the dark forest, his sword drawn. Suddenly he sensed another presence. Swinging around, the young man found himself staring into a set of violet eyes.

"Greetings, Hunter. We meet again," Brenna smirked, brushing a lock of medium-length raven hair from her face.

Glaring icily, the young man slowly unsheathed his sword, but the vampire did not move a muscle. Instead she stood her ground glaring back at him. "Why are you here?"

"I live in these woods. It is you who is trespassing."

Shaking his head, Hunter slowly approached the woman, the sharp steel blade shining under the moonlight. "Soon, that will not matter."

"If you kill me then what? You hunt down another creature of the night whether they are innocent or not? You have become nothing more than a hypocrite."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Simple. You sleep in the day, hunt at night. Society has already turned it's back on you. We are now one and the same," Brenna firmly explained, refusing to back away from the young man.

"No. We are not the same. You are a vampire and I am a man."

Closing her eyes briefly, the female shook her head and said softly, "Hunter, you have become cold, and insatiable. You need to accept what you are and give into it. I can help you."

"How?"

"By bringing you into the world you belong in. You have already suppressed your humanity. Just say the word. I can give you power and content."

Hunter stared at Brenna in defiance. "I don't need your help and certainly not in that form, vampire."

Brenna looked him up and down then gave him a hard look. "What do you have to lose? You have been banished and are just as hated as we are. In fact, I believe you have even thought of death. A simple method to escape from all that hates you. A moment of pain then all is over."

"SILENCE! The demon hunter then cursed under his breath, practically shaking with disgust. "You know nothing."

"You are already dead. Face it! Brenna stepped forward and showed her fangs. "Whether you like it or not, we are one and the same. You breathe and I do, yes. But we are two sides of the same coin."

Hunter glanced into the woman's eyes and quietly asked, " How did you become a vampire?"

Brenna calmed slightly, as she considered the question. She ran a hand unconsciously through her hair. "I was a young mage and because my mother died, my father blamed me and was going to sell me to a concubine." Brenna smiled bitterly as she twisted her fingers. "I ran away and was caught by a very powerful vampire. I fought against him, but was no match. He remarked that my beauty should be immortalized. Then he turned me."

"What was it like?"

The vampire startled, forgetting for a moment that Hunter was still there, listening. "Upon awaking? Awkward. You don't need to breathe, eat solid food and the inability to see your reflection can be unnerving. After that, you learn to accept it."

Hunter closed his eyes and dropped his sword drawing a final breath. "I already feel dead so why not?"

Brenna frowned. "Is that a yes?"

Hunter still nodded and bowed his head mentally questioning why he was not even the slightest bit afraid.

Dare cringed as Hunter finished his story. "But why? Why didn't you tell me or Wolf? You didn't have to resort to becoming a vampire!"

"It was my decision, Dare. But they have a point. We are one and the same. We have become what we hunt. Yes, it may be to save those that banished us, but it's still murder."

"I think I understand. I better go find Helen," Dare quietly said with a nod.

"I suggest you do so as well. Take care, friend."

Dare nodded then raced out of the house without second of hesitation.

The wind whispered softly through the leaves under the darkened sky. Helen studied her pale hands then cursed into the night. Was she really such a monster? Perhaps she should have been staked or burned or whatever it was hunters did to execute vampires nowadays. She knew Raven would scold her for such horrible thoughts, but the truth was what did she have to exist for?

Helen closed her eyes and wished that things could be different. That she could be young and beautiful and alive. Whatever Dare wanted she realized. She started at a sudden almost horrifying thought. Had she fallen in love with the bold hunter without knowing it?

"What have I done to deserve this? Why must I be tortured by my own heart?" Helen whispered softly. It wasn't fair to be in love with someone that couldn't love her back.

"Helen," I deep voice said from behind.

Her violet eyes widened as she turned her head and found Dare, stood a mere few feet away and out of breath as if he had ran across the world to find her. Helen swallowed bitterly in attempts to shield herself from the fall of tears. "Here to kill me after all?"

Dare took step forward and shook his head. "I had a long talk with Hunter. He kind of put things into perspective for me… I'm sorry."

Helen blinked in confusion. "Why should you apologize? You're right I am a monster."

"Then that makes two of us. I hunt and kill you hunt and kill. Two sides of the same coin, just a different picture."

Helen closed her eyes and faced the on coming breeze, her dark hair gracefully waving behind her in waves of silk. "But it still doesn't change who we are."

Dare shook his head as he walked closer to the vampire. "No, it doesn't. But that doesn't mean anything has to change to the way we don't want it to."

The young woman said nothing, and continued to stare out into the wind. Dare approached her and took her hand in his. Helen started and spun around only to meet his lips with her own. She eagerly returned the kiss then stepped back in question. "Why?"

"I don't know how to say this, but I think I'm in love with you. It's like I've known you my whole life. Strange, I know." Dare brushed her hair from her eyes and gazed down at her.

"Not at all for I feel the same," Helen admitted before her breath was taken away by another kiss, more passionate and urgent than the first. She reached up and ran her fingernails down his neck and back as he pulled her close.

"WHAT THE HELL?" an angry voice shouted from afar.

Helen and Dare immediately pulled away and discovered Wolf standing on a small hill looking down on them in disgust. Dare pulled Helen behind him and glared up at his comrade.

"What is wrong with you, Dare? Why are you kissing a cold-blooded killer? Have you gone mad?" Wolf drew out his sword and stalked towards the couple.

"Go away, Wolf. This is my business and I damn well did not ask for your opinion," Dare snarled unsheathing his sword.

"Men and their swords. Purely pathetic," another voiced scoffed this time, female from behind a grouping of trees. A mere moment later she emerged from the shadows.

"Raven? Oh hell!" Helen swore as she recognized the longhaired woman. It was highly evident that things have taken a turn for the worst.

"You!" Wolf growled as Raven approached the group.

Raven sneered at him. "Yes, me. What's wrong? Got your head stuck too far up your ass to see anything around you?"

"You insipid unjust, wench!"

"Unjust? Ha! You, my lord are the most unjust creature ever to walk the face of this Earth. You who have been consumed with the belief that all that are not mortal are evil. Try looking at ones own reflection." Raven crossed her arms, narrowing her dark eyes coolly.

"I don't murder the innocent or women for that matter. The undead however is an exception because they are already dead. So don't you even TRY to call me unjust," Wolf growled coolly.

Raven however rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You men are all alike. If you were to all drop off the face of the Earth we would finally be at peace. Unfortunately that would mean creation would cease as well." The vampire twirled a lock of dark hair around her finger as an after thought. "Of course, alive or dead, a woman is still a woman. Would you murder a child if they were a vampire or a demon? Even one that had not hurt anything or anyone?"

Wolf faltered with that question. "A child?" He fell silent and glanced back to Dare who still stood protectively in front of Helen as she clutched to his shoulder. He drew a breath and released it slowly. "I don't know."

"A child is still a child. They are innocent and don't know better either way whether they be human, dog, bear, or vampire. Either way, they are still innocents," the long haired woman explained crisply.

The ebony haired man however never had a chance to reply as Hunter and Brenna sprinted towards the group.

"Whatever you four are up to with have to halt for a moment. We have a more pressing matter at hand," the woman firmly said as Hunter nodded in confirmation.

"Like what?" Wolf growled.

"This planet's destruction."

The hunters and vampires soon found themselves led into a deep underground cavern. The dark catacombs looked untouched for centuries. Not even a single spider web littered the cool chambers.

"Why won't you tell us what is wrong? Brenna, I hate it when you don't tell us a single word!" Raven shot her sister with a glare as she followed.

"It's just a bit further," she replied, holding a torch firmly in her hand.

Dare and Helen exchanged uneasy glances as they trailed after their friends. Something was very wrong if Brenna was not engaging in a battle of words with Raven, making the whole hike feel even more foreboding.

"Brenna, won't you please explain to us what is going on?" Helen looked at the older woman with desperation.

The elder vampire turned around and narrowed her eyes coolly at Helen. She then grabbed her sister's arm firmly and spun her around towards the far wall. "This is what, you fool."

A few audible gasps filled the cavern at the large gapping hole of swirls of black, silver, crimson and gold energy. Raven covered her face and fell to her knees. "What are we going to do? That's a chaos portal."

"What's a chaos portal?"

"It sucks in all life into oblivion," Brenna quietly replied, releasing Helen's arm.

"Isn't there a way to close it?" Dare shuffled his feet nervously as he gaped at the growing hole.

Raven shook her head. "No. This is the end of everything. It's just not fair."

"No! There has to be something we can do!" Helen looked urgently at her sisters.

"Like what, Helen?"

"I-I don't know! But this can't be the end." The younger vampire wiped the tears from her eyes as a look of determination took over. "I-I'll stop it from the inside."

"No! Are you insane?" Brenna gaped at her sister and reach out to grab her shoulder but found her hand slapped away.

Helen narrowed her violet eyes coolly. "I'm going to do it. I'd rather forfeit my life if it means that the world can continue on." She reached in the bodice of her dress and retrieved a crystal pendant. "This should be enough to seal the portal."

"Then I'm going too," Dare said as he stepped forward.

"Dare, no!" Helen spun around and tried to push him back, but he caught her hands. "I can't let you do this."

"And I can't go on without you….I love you, Helen."

She stared at him for a moment and felt her eyes tear up again. "I love you too, Dare."

"Then let me help you." He pulled her into an embrace and then kissed her deeply. When they parted, Helen had a sad smile on her face as she nodded.

"Thank you, everyone. If this works, then please try to correct the mistakes of this world the best to your abilities," the young woman said softly and she glanced towards her sisters and the hunters. She gripped Dare's hand and after a brief goodbye, they stepped through the Chaos Portal together.

Duo winced. "At least we sacrificed ourselves selflessly for the good of the world."

"Yes. But not always. I just wish I knew why exactly we have to remember all these lives." Hotaru sighed her violet eyes dim with worry.

"Perhaps we won't know until we reach the end."

"Or until the end reaches us."

Author's Notes: I think this is one of the stories with the worst case of Writer's Block. I've tried to work on it for quite some time, but it just wasn't moving and I really didn't want to delete it, so finally this chapter is done. I think it has only a few more chapters left to it before the end. Hopefully it'll move a little easier now.

I just can't believe I finally got this chapter done! Well, my birthday gift to all of you. Enjoy!