-1Disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places, or events, though most of them are of my own design.
Author's note: REVEIW DAMN YOU!!!!!!!! I need SOME support here. My only faithful review has gone AWOL... Ok so I KNOW where Tristan is... But I STILL haven't gotten any reviews since her last one. COULD YOU THROW ME A BONE HERE???????? SOMEONE!!!!!!!!!!! ANYONE???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A cloud of dust started trailling down the gravel path that led to the house. "Faster!" There was a loud wine as the cloud quickened, laughter followed it.
"I never should've let him repair that old thing," Jake shook his head as the cloud came close enough to see that a dirtbike led it. "You may want to step back," I blinked at him but took a single step backward. "Three, two, one," the bike hit an incline and became airborn.
"EEK!" The bike tumbled forward, everything froze as Jake held up a hand.
"I can't believe you're suicidal enough to ride with this thrillseeker," the way Jake was smiling, it seemed to be an inside joke.
"Could you... put us down?" The rider, Daniel, crossed his arms as he floated in the air.
"Why are you home so early?" Jake crossed his.
"Huh? When was the last time you looked at a watch? It's almost 3:30. Where have you been?"
"900's," I absentlee muttered as Jake dropped them.
"OOF!"
OUCH! JAKE!!"
"Are you kidding me?!" I blinked at Jake's outbust. "Tell me your kidding. You can't be that old."
"You... seemed to have dropped your charges," the two in question were righting themselves and grumbling.
"I did?! Oh, I'm sorry, are you two ok?"
"No thanks to you," the passenger, a smaller woman, dusted off her clothes.
"You ok Tonya?" Daniel handed her a bag once he righted the fallen dirt bike.
"Yeah," she rubbed her temple and headed into the house.
"I've got to get to work," Daniel glared at Jake, "This thing had better still work. I don't have time to fix it."
"If it doesn't,I can always drop you off," Jake smirked even as Daniel got the bike to start. "Oh well, maybe next time." Revving the bike, Daniel waved and barreled down the gravel path as dust bellowed behind.
I shook my head, as Jake gave a worried look after the cloud, and noticed the passenger was eyeing me, "Tonya was it?" She looked spooked for a moment but nodded. "I'm Knives," I extended my arm to her, a Human sign of trust.
"Knives? But... you were a woman, weren't you?" She gave me a look that was a cross between confussion and worry.
"No need to fear for your sanity. I was and will be again, if you wish," I bowed my head, hiding the smirk I couldn't keep from showing through.
"Uh..," before she could give an answer I felt the farmiliar weight settle on my shoulder.
"Ka?" I thought you were following that nice chick, Claudia.
Was. First back. Damien flies fast but slows so nice,... Claudia doesn't get scared.
"We are about to have company," I gave the startled Tonya a calm smiled and pointed towards the forms in the distance. "What do you know? Kage was right."
"She always is, at least when it comes to her targets," I saw Jake give a flinch as a string of gunfire sounded in the distance. "Damnit, the kids'll be here soon. Back in a,"
"Flash?" A voice provided as Crystal appeared.
"Har-dee," Jake smiled and dissapeared in a rush of air.
"What was that about?"
"Kage never fires into the air. The last bullet went airborn, the reflection caught my, and appearantly his, attention."
"She ay have just missed her target," Crystal flashed black eyes at me.
"We had better pray she hasn't. She never misses her target."
Before I could ask why a siliquete shadowed us as Damien landed. "Odd Humans," I shook my head as his massive black wings faded into nothing.
"Thank you," he gave me a smile similar to one Kage always wore. He blinked and shook his head, "Sorry, I'm having trouble with... being myself."
"Happen often young one?" I smirked at him.
"Increasingly," he rolled his eyes as Claudia giggled.
"Daddy always acts weird around new people." I couldn't help but smile as the innoscent little thing.
"So, how are my memories? Interesting I hope."
His face pailed and he looked away, "Yeah." His demeaner changed as he smiled at Claudia and ran a hand over her hair, "I have shift in a few hours, are you going to be alright on your own? I need to get some sleep, that flight maxed me out."
Claudia looked almost insulted, "Daaaaddy! I'm not that heavy!"
"No, you are not, but it still puts a stain on me. I'll have to work on a larger span, maybe that will lessen it. Until then, wake me when my shift starts," he patted her on the head and headed in the house. I'm getting too old for this.
"I heard that!" Claudia's personality flipped from anger to sarcastic, "Pleasent dreams." Take care of yourself for once. I keep this act up for you. I heard it whisper in the deepest part of my mind, my memories as it triggered another voice... One I once trusted.
"You should know better than to cross His sight," I felt a twing as another sliver was pulled from my back. "You are lucky that He did not try for your spine. It is healing too slow, even for you, perhaps I can convince one of the other servants to feed you."
"No! He would kill them just for being spotted walking my corridor. If one was seen going into my room,... you know He would force them to be His pet. I will not spread my suffering," I had to bite down on my hand to snuff a wimper as most of the stake came free. "Why did you of all herds end up my handler?"
"I called you, Beautiful Sky Eyes, in a language long forbidden to hu,.. the herd," she had a catch in her voice as she washed the woulds, trying to bring the last of the splinters to surface.
"The pain is gone. I... thank you Handler," I pushed myself up and forced myself still before I could sway. "Born to be beaten, time and again," I forced a smile on my lips, knowing what would happen next, "By a nieve father that cannot even clame His own blood!" The door exploded open as my brothers clawed and ripped at me, dragging me back for, yet another, punishment.
"It dares call our Father Its own?!"
"We will beat these thoughts from Its very soul," they laugthed and dragged me to yet another night of hell.
The last memory was of Handler whispering, "I have kept this charade for you, I fear I can hide it no more," she fell to her knees sobbing.
'NO! They would beat you too, just for that!' For the first time, I stopped fighting them and let them take me to my punishment. I feared that any scratch or kick would cause them to look down the corridor at her. 'None shall suffer MY punishments. Especially the only one that had ever shown me kindness.'
"Knives?" I blinked at Crystal, she wore a mixture of confusion and worry. "Where have you been? Or is it when?"
"Both," I smirked and looked up to see a few busses parked toward the horizon line. "Are those the children?"
"Yeah, wanna go surprise 'um?"
"I could use a pick me up," I jumped and shifted, landing on her shoulder as a large black bird. "Coming?" I took off toward the horizon.
"Surely you can go faster than that," Crystal spoke as she ran beneath me, easily increasing her speed to lead. "Catch me if you can!"
"Is that all I have to do?" I let my form grow larger, until I closed my talons over her shoulders, lifting her off the ground. "Gotcha!" I laughed as I took her toward the group of kids, the busses had long ago left to return to their base.
"You didn't need wings to fly before."
"Still don't, and it's not flying I do," I set her down in the middle of the large circle the kids had formed. "Besides, I never got to show off before."
"Then what exactly do you do?" Crystal rested her hands on her hips as I let my form change and shrink back to my normal size.
"The closest thing to it that I can desribe is, I just don't let gravity effect me." I got a few blinks in reply. "Told you it was difficult. Let me try again. It's like when you're swimming, you either paddle around in the water or let yourself relax and float on it. Any better?"
"I get what you mean, it's probably just that you have to have done it to understand fully."
"Sums it up. Ask Crow, I've taken him with me a time or two." I smiled and nodded to the stunned children, "I wasn't able to answer your questions last night. I thought I could answer them today." When the noise level rose I held up a hand, "But, please, one at a time."
I ended up with three or four of them either tucking themselves inder my arms or grabbing my wrist to lead me toward the house as they asked questions.
"Where are you from?"
I shut down all me emotions, not to be cold to them but to be unaffected by the questions I knew they would ask, "Hell."
"What a coincedence, that's where most of us are from," one of the girls smiled at me. "Street? Gang? District? Specifics please."
"No gangs, streets?" Territory, I have no set hunting grounds. And district? Humans have odd names for things."
"You mean Normals, right? That's what the Guardians call us, well most of us," a boy, he patted the shoulder of a shy girl who was peeking over someone's shouler.
No, Human, I don't mean normals. Be glad I don't call you herd," I shut my eyes just as I said it, I said too much.
It was Crystal who broke the silence, "Hm, herd. Vampire term?"
"Something like that. It has been so long since I've slipped into those terms, I thought I had forgotten them. Then again, you never do forget where you came from," I currled my fingers, digging my nails into my palms. "No matter how long you... live," in a blink my dimener changed. I even smiled at the kids, "Next question?"
"You're realy a vampire?" The shy girl came out of hiding to ask.
"I purpously lifted my head up to the sun ans smiled, "Something like that."
"Why do I feel that that's going to be your answer for a lot of things?" I smirked at Crystal.
"Because it will be," I laughed and took off through the crowd, shifting into a wolf as I ran.
"Your turn to catch me," I kept my speed at a Human pace, so that the kids could participate.
Author's note:
Sorry it took so long to get an update... The site was acting up so it took me over a month just to get chapter 18 up... After that I had started 19 but then had AI to go to... MAJOR FUN!!!!!!!!!!!! Loved it,... AND I"M GOING BACK NEXT YEAR:)))))))) I've had a special request from a friend for the next crossover so I've already been working on that... I'm SOOOOO behind on posting it isn't funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh and the xover... I"M NOT TELLIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mwahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!! I'll give you a hint though... It just got released to DVD... :( And I've been workin on the bloody xover since it was in theaters!!!!!!!! and I mean like 1st week!!!!!!
Oh well till I post again...
Isis