Disclaimer: I do not own Drakengard, or the franchise though I wish to my bones I did!

This story was inspired by UnmercyfulDeath's "Not A Part of The Plan" and "Life Is Too Much Of A Miracle" sorry if it seems to be a cheap copy!

And to any one who doesn't notice in the first dialogue I decided to jump 15 years ahead.

Chapter 3: Darkness

Darkness…

The absence of light…

Is she ok?

"Yes she is."

How long has it been now?

"Fifteen years."

That long?

"Yes.

Amazing, she must be beautiful.

"She is. Opal has your eyes, and your hair…"

She must have your personality knowing my luck.

"Amazingly she has yours. Quite prideful and stubborn."

Sounds like me don't it? Angelus?

"Yes is does Caim. Sounds a lot like you. I must go: seems like some one is getting curious again."

Rest easy my love.

"I will."

Opal jumped at the last of her mother's response to the unknown voice behind the massive steel door that she wasn't allowed near. Fifteen years hadn't dulled her curiosity, so whenever her mother came down she followed close at hand. Who was behind the door? Sounded important… and some how familiar. Hearing Angelus rise from where she usually resided on these visits Opal dashed down the halls. Wings folded tightly at her back. Now they reached a startling eighteen feet in diameter and were a dark blue. The claws on her left hand were almost four inches in length. She had taken a liking to male clothing so she wore trousers and a custom-made shirt that let her wings remain free. A single long sleeve hid her left arm, minus the hand from the world. Everyone thought that and her wings were her only defects, so Opal was readily welcomed in and around the castle. Several of the boys from the noble houses that served her mother had seemed to take a liking to her: why was honestly beyond her. Though she DID like the one named Tinver. He was cute, and looked quite tasty –who from her mother had discovered was one of the draconic traits she had gleaned from her- so she was thinking of talking with him more. But right now she only had one real friend who's name was Ellen. The girl had seen all of her scales and wasn't scared. She was also quick to announce Opal, as her friend witch was fine by her. Friends seemed to be in short supply these days, and several of the royal houses were probably planning an uprising against Angelus.

The half-human half-dragon teenager quickly made her way out of the Labyrinth and onto the ground floor of the castle. It was estimated by everyone that only half of the sprawling fortress had been explored. And due to her curious nature her mother said she got from her father was willing to explore when ever she had free time from her classes, punishments, and general trouble making. She was very adept at the latter. Spirits revived Opal made her way slowly to the grand hall where the thrones sat and where Ellen had told her she would meet her friend that day. She was the only real lesser noble aloud to run around the castle with Opal because they were friends.

"Opal!" The shout made her jump as she realized she was already there.

"Ellen!"

"How have you been? It seems like for ever since my father had to go on his trip and bring me with!" They ran up and hugged each other.

"At least you have a father!" She whispered it almost under her breath. Opal looked self-consciously towards the un-occupied thrown that was supposed to be for the king: her father. The slightly smaller throne was the one her mother occupied. And she was intimidating enough; Opal fell sorry for any man that was foolish enough to fall in love with her mother. Then as if summoned Angelus strode into the throne room, and strait at the pair, "Caught…"

"Opal! What were you thinking? I told you to never go into the labyrinth! I do not care if you think you can find your way back out or not! What were you thinking?"

Opal opened her mouth to reply to her dame, but Ellen broke in, "You went down there again? You promised me you would go ever again!"

The daughter grimaced at her friends reprimand. Bad enough it was her mother but her friend also? This seemed to always be her luck. "I want to know what's down there that you're so intent on keeping hidden from me!" She had snapped the answer out with more force then intended. Yet it seemed to get her point across: or maybe not.

"Do you know what is down there? For all I know one of those tunnels can collapse and you would be trapped in that darkness!"

She rounded on Angelus, "That would be better then waiting my days out here letting you pick me to death!" The dragon floundered for words and Opal took the chance to scurry away from the both of them. What is so important down there that it has to remain hidden from every one?

Angelus watched her daughter storm away. How could it come to this? She looked out the corner of her eye and Ellen nearly jumped a foot off the ground before running off in a random direction. Seemed like her temper had gotten worse over the fifteen years since her beloved locked himself away behind seven feet of intricate steel locks and plates. She had arrived too late to stop him from turning the seemingly simple latch to lock the massive door. Now the only access she had to him was a small hole that one could pass food and water through, barely large enough to speak through it. She knew that he never really recovered from killing their son. Sighing Angelus let her only surviving child storm off in a rage: she would think of a punishment la- she heard a column crash to the ground. Angelus flinched, Opal's claws had proven to be sharper then steel, and had often proven that during her tempers by rending stone. This was going to be a large punishment. Sighing she walked to the council room, where Caim had conversed with the lords loyal to him about matters of importance. He invited her a number of times so she knew exactly what she was doing when she arrived. Sitting where her husband had only a few years ago the meeting started.

Lord Foerd was the first to speak like always, "Ogrey has found supporters and is raiding almost daily now. Fredrick is holding him off but I can't say for how much longer. Since the disappearance of Lord Caim the soldiers have been losing moral. How we have lasted these fifteen years is beyond me." He sounded resigned. Talk about a first, he was usually the most hotheaded one of the bunch.

"I have tried to send what aid I can to Fredrick but unless we coordinate our efforts will be for naught." Road sounded numb. This was very bad.

"Caim is doing what he thinks he must right now. I'm not sure when he will gather him self but until then I want all the forces we can marshal to go aid Lord Fredrick as soon as they can. I personally agree with Lord Road, if we do not coordinate our efforts Ogrey will over whelm us. I shall not let this kingdom fall to ruin, even if Caim is willing to let it! We have put too much effort into painfully gaining what we have to let it all fall apart now! I shall send out a proclamation to those towns that are under our rule to send any soldier and able-bodied man they can spare. I shall try harder to talk sense into my husband. Though I do not know how long that will take." Angelus cupped her face in her hands. She was no good at this; the dragon was contemptuous of all humans… especially these 'nobles' who seemed to have no sense at all to her. Damn Caim for driving her to this! When she found a way through that door she would ring his pitiful neck! "You are all dismissed to make what ever preparations you can."

I suck. I was aiming for a slightly longer chapter but it doesn't seem to work for me, again this story was inspired by UnmercyfulDeath's "Not A Part Of The Plan" and Life Is Too Much Of A Miracle", even though I have no hope of ever being good at making decent protagonist or antagonist. And on top of that I'm probably never going to be able to make a good story line either. But I hope you all enjoyed it: for those of you who actually would read this.