My mind is in a whirlwind. Within the cavity of my now aching chest my heart pumps furiously, my breath quickens, and my palms sweat. Despite the activity within me, I'm frozen, not knowing what to do or how to react.

Gankutsuou takes one look at me, and the sensation of being at the center of a spotlight consumes me momentarily. The glance is terribly fleeting, but he cocks his head, and then takes stride to the door meaningfully. I let out a pathetic little 'No!' but it is slow and quiet, and exits my mouth as his arm is already pulling back.

The air in the room flushes out of the open door, rushing towards my visitors as if is pushed by his energy. Haydee and Baptistin recoil, she covers her face with her sleeve and backs away.

"We're busy." He says in his low and dangerous voice.

There is one figure standing staunchly firm and unwavering. She is a small woman, wrinkled and dressed in brown woven shawls. There are feathers braided into her hair, and her plump body is hunched. She squints up at him, less than half the count's size, and sniffs.

I can only guess this is Madam Jadea. She puts a hand out, and touches Edmond's stomach, as far up as she can reach, though it is glowing with the marks of a demon.

0-0-0-0

"So, here is fate once more. You are the being causing such a clamor."

There was an additional voice in Edmond's head. Though they had no mental awareness of whom or from where. In fact, their vision of the world had vanished, as if they had blinked and opened their eyes up out of body. Both Edmond and Gankutsuou found themselves floating in empty white space, suspended as if on theatrical wires.

As they adjusted to the change they gradually became increasingly aware, like being rendered on a blank page. Though they could not see her (they had no mental construct of her appearance) they could feel her. Unlike her small and benign body of Madam Jadea, she was immense. She seemed to take up the entire space, both within and without them, though she existed not at all.

"Greetings Gankutsuou," She murmured, her words conveying homage and respect, "I have heard many things about you. And of you as well, Edmond Dantes. Your friend speaks highly of you. I suspected I might find you here."

At this point in their journey, nothing surprised Edmond anymore, and he was able to surrender to the process, letting the feeling of Jadea wash into and around him, inspecting him, speaking to his very soul. However, he did wonder, "What friend?" The answer came to him without speaking, without response from Jadea. Death. She had spoken to death.

The demon, juxtaposed to him, began to squirm, anger obviously building, rage at this display of power, and the need to overwhelm and consume it.

"Forgive me." She muttered quietly. "I mean no insult by containing you here, and will restore you immediately. However, Gankutsuou, I have culled both your minds to mine in order to speak privately. If you will it, we may exchange our information, and go our separate ways."

This managed to relax Gankutsuou, his interest peaked, and turned his eyes on Edmond, as if seeking confirmation that they both had any interest in continuing the conversation. Not sure what sort of sign he might give, Edmond shrugged.

With their consent a black line appeared in the white before them. It wriggled and twisted, grew and widened, taking on the form, eventually, of a simple black inking of Jadea, as she must have been when she was young. Her hair was longer, black and stunning, and it fell to her waist. The features of her face and posture how contained youth and life, strong and wild.

She reached out one manicured hand, and blew a soft whistle. Crows and ravens flew to her, becoming a gown of feathers to embrace and cover her nakedness.

She gleamed and shimmered, though there was no actual light source, and small rainbows caught in the textures of her form.

"I shall not waste your time. I dreamt several nights ago, of two men treading through snow piles, walking through the lands of ravens and carrion birds, making the perilous journey to Death's domain. As I watched their journey, I learned much. You two have a great purpose, and you needed a guide, one that Death cannot be. When I woke, I received a summons from my queen to join her on Earth, taking no delay in my journey. My queen called me for what she described as a mighty exorcism, but I suspected I would find the two souls I had seen bearing through the frozen lands."

Gankutsuou moved as if to speak, but she held her hand up, requesting silence as she continued.

"Gankutsuou, you are the lord of caves and undying, of desire and conquest, that which goes unseen and undisturbed. You are restless, and you crave the living. Thus, when you first saw man you crawled from your dark places, and began to travel with them, eventually learning to inhabit them, and when your souls meet, and your own form possesses theirs: creating the vampire. You are mighty, but you sense the approach of something stranger still than yourself."

The demon glittered, as Jadea had, his purple mingling with pinks and deeper reds as if responding to her words, literally glimmering for a succinct but obvious moment. Edmond had a thought, that they were communicating both outwardly and silently, that perhaps Gankutsuou was knowing things as inexplicably as he was, as if Jadea could speak both to and within each of them.

Jadea turned, her attention becoming hermetic, impenetrable, and focused. "Edmond, you were sent by death to journey with the demon, to learn and teach, and to grow. But, Death is wise, and sees beyond time. His gift to you was not merely for an experiment or compassion. As Gankutsuou learned, so too can the demons of the darkness. They are the byproducts of man's evils: their hates, and their cruelty. Gankutsuou is the child of never ending hunger, of greed, and of desire. He seeks to fill his need with human flesh, and so be redeemed and released from never ending torment, though he himself may not know that truth. Many of the others are not so inclined. Destruction, hate, and war make terrible creatures, and one of them has learned of you. It knows only the defecation and defacing of humanity: a child of war crimes, humiliation, and shame. It is coming to destroy Gankutsuou, to take his power. We can not allow such a thing."

She swept forward, close to the both of them, grabbing Edmond's human brown hand, and Gankutsuou's purple incorporeal one. "I was given the sight, and prepared from a child to help you, to guide you to what you are meant to be. Work with me, and we will find your path."

Just like that, the white was gone, and the room had returned.

0-0-0-0-0

Jadea withdraws her hand, as quickly as she placed it upon Edmond's torso. I'm convinced Gankutsuou is going to burst, attack, scream, or do something. Instead he goes very still, blinks a few of his eyes, and then simply disappears. Well, disappears might not be the right word. He vanishes within Edmond, leaving his counterpart standing still and careful at the door.

Haydee squeals with delight, "You did it Jadea!" Her refinement melts away and she runs forward to hug the older woman.

I examine Edmond, he looks startled, but the same as ever. His teeth are still pointed; he still has markings on his flesh. Nothing seems to have changed.

With all the quickness of an aging woman she gently pushes her queen from her and bows low, "Forgive me my queen, but I have done nothing. I am unable to fulfill your request. The demon must remain where he is."

The room seems suddenly tense. Edmond still looks a shocked and is looking around as if to get his bearings. Baptistin has a hand on his sword, not tightly as one ready to actually draw it, but as if he just wants to know it's nearby. Haydee has her hands up, close to her breasts, as if she is making ready to deflect a blow.

Her beautiful, delicate lips manage only a quivering, "what?"

"There is more working here than demonic possession. I must remain with them, we have much to do."

"I don't understand." She whispers.

"Come with me, my dear. I will explain. Monsieru Dantes, we have a few days to prepare. Go home, pack for a few days. We will choose our battleground tomorrow. For now, rest."

The little woman ushers Haydee and Baptistin out the door, and I am left with Edmond, alone, in the dark. I look at him, anxious, confused, and concerned. His eyes are there, waiting for mine. I have no idea how long her may have been studying me, and embarrassment jumps at the chance to join my already tumultuous feelings.

I immediately notice his strength, and the way the v-neck of his shirt stands open where the laces have come loose. But, it is his expression that damages. He is so hard for me to read, generally, but there is no question of that now: vulnerability, hurt, fear, and bewilderment. Within a single moment he demonstrates all of this, though I am not at all sure what part of those feelings relates to me.

I want to ask about what Jadea had to say, what Gankutsuou had told me before she arrived. I wanted to hit him, to kiss him, to hate, and to love him. However, all I manage is, "Battleground?"