Don't Look Back – Chapter 36

Faces In The Dark

Ten.

((Perun's POV))

I felt like laughing at Haku when Chihiro was so close to her due date. Him pacing somewhere with a stern face was an every day habit of his, one that I never failed to tease him about. Sadly, I did not heed the famous saying, "what goes around comes around".

Now it's Amaya's turn to be in the hospital bed, four months later. Haku has the whole father thing down, and now I'm going to be going through the same thing. Suddenly, I wonder if I can even do it. I'm better at some things, and my brother's better at others. I guess that I don't want to parenting to be one of them. I want to be able to do it right – I don't want to mess up somehow. But I can't even begin to describe how great Haku really is. I have been pacing restlessly for the past few weeks, and he hasn't laughed at me once. Instead, he has helped me keep my sanity. But half of the reason I was losing it was because of him. Wouldn't he want to get his revenge on me? When I could no longer take it, I asked.

"Haku?" I whispered, poking my head into his and Chihiro's quarters. I looked around and spotted him sitting on the couch reading a book. "Hey, psst!" When he didn't respond, I glared at the back of his head. "Kohaku!" I hissed.

He marked his page and looked up, turning his head to see me in the doorway. He smiled, setting his book down and waved me over. I shut the door behind me and walked toward the couch to sit down next to him. "Is something wrong?" He asked, folding his hands in his lap.

For a moment, I couldn't help but look at him. When I first saw him, he looked just like me. But now… now we were two entirely different people. His hair was really long now, and his stern and serious face had melted away to reveal a clam and gentle one. Yet the strength and determination remained. How I envied him sometimes. I find myself wondering if I'll ever be like him, but I shoved those thoughts from my head when his eyes frowned, wondering if I was all there.

I cleared my throat, letting my hands hang between my knees as I looked down at the ground. "Do you remember when I used to give you a hard time about worrying when Chihiro was in the hospital wing for the birth?"

Haku chuckled, "Yes, I do. Why?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. It had grown out a bit as well, but it never reached past my shoulder blades. That was too much work. "I was… I was just wondering why you never teased me about it. No doubt I'm a huge mess-"

"Well, one, I do not find teasing you about that amusing." Haku said, his eyes serious. I instantly felt bad, and realized just how much of a jerk I had probably been. He put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "But I thank you for doing it to me."

I looked up at him in surprise, blinking. "Huh?"

"Teasing and joking is your way of making things less tense and more tolerable," he explained. "You making cracks about how worried I was made me stop and think, and ultimately realize that I was worrying too much. So I would relax only to stress out even more, which only led you to do it again and repeat the process."

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't help but not stare at him in absolute shock. I had been… helping? Now that was twisted.

Going on, I focused my attention back on my brother's words. "I guess the only reason that I do not get onto your case about worrying is because that is not how I help. I try to get you to relax without teasing you, offering to take a walk with you and talk about absolutely nothing, or play a game of cards." My older brother shrugged. "They are not as effective as teasing, that I will admit, but I am not exactly a champion in that department."

"So… let me get this straight," I repeated, holding up a hand. "You don't tease me about becoming a nervous wreck because you don't find it funny and you don't know how to tease me and actually make me feel better?"

"Pretty much." Haku laughed, standing up, his robes falling into place. It was odd to see him like that – in pants and an over robe. I was slowly beginning to wonder if I would ever see the brother that wore tunics and boots with a sword at his waist ever again. He opened his mouth again, and I looked up to pay attention. "I also have been there. I know how stressful it is, and now I know what I would have liked someone to do while I was going through that."

I nodded, standing up. "That makes sense."

He gave me a nod, pausing, and frowned. "Is that all?"

I shuffled nervously, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, that's pretty much it."

Haku looked about ready to argue with me when a baby's cry was heard from the next room. My older brother grimaced, grumbled, and looked as if he wanted to just die. "That wasn't an hour…" He whined, turning around to go into the nursery. Chihiro came out of the bedroom, somewhat surprised to see me there. She gave me a passing smile as she walked into her children's room, picking up the other baby that had woken up.

"You're hungry, you're hungry, I get it…" She laughed, picking up Enlil and sitting down in a rocking chair. "Haku? Can you watch Melusine until I'm done?"

"Not a problem." He replied, giving her a smile as he picked up his daughter, shut the door behind him, and came to sit back down on the couch. I sat next to him, watching my niece with a smile on my face. After a few minutes, Haku looked up at me with a strange look on his face. "Do you want to hold her?" I must have looked completely taken aback because he laughed at me. "You should practice you know. You are going to have a child of your own in a few days."

My stomach did a few flips. "Oh please don't remind me."

He just laughed again, showing me how to position my arms and put my niece into my embrace. She was surprisingly light, but I knew that it would change in about five or ten minutes. I held her for a while, looking down into her still sleepy face, an unfamiliar hand gripping and tugging at my heart. It was then I realized how excited I really was, and how much I really wanted to have my own daughter.

I did not want a son. I wanted a daughter.

One that I could pamper and treat like a princess, one that would run to me and hide in my chest when she was frightened. I wanted Amaya to be able to talk to her daughter no matter how much time passed and they aged. I wanted a son eventually, but not right now. Melusine blinked up at me and gave me a tiny smile that instantly melted my heart. A daughter for me, there was no question about it.

Suddenly, Kentoku burst into the room. His face was drawn, and his eyes were strained. Haku and I instantly jumped up, Melusine still in my arms. Our father's eyes looked at the three of us, and his face seemed to fall. "It's time."

My face went whiter than his, and Haku instantly took his daughter out of my arms. "Someone needs you." He whispered.

But for some reason, I couldn't tear my eyes away from my father's face. "Is something wrong?" I asked, my voice a cracked whisper.

His blue and violet eyes turned sad, and they closed. "We are not sure. I am not an expert, though Rin came out to tell me to come and get you. She did not tell me any details."

Translation: something was wrong.

Something was wrong with Amaya.

I burst into the waiting room and Felix and Basir sat there, starring at the floor. My father, Chihiro, Haku, and I walked into the room and they all sat down, Chihiro continued to feed Enlil, who was not happy about his meal being interrupted. Haku had Melusine, and my father gestured to the door, telling me to go in. But that was about the last thing I wanted to do. There was no sound coming from the other side this time, not like when Chihiro was delivering. I was scared… I was frightened beyond all comprehension. I didn't want to know what was going on behind that door; it could stay on that side as long as it wanted to. But the news came out and greeted me.

Rin stepped out of the room, holding a small bundle. "Here. Your daughter." She said softly.

The news that I had a daughter didn't really reach my ears and delight me like I hoped it would. I held her close, my face drawn. What was no one telling me? It seemed that everyone but me knew the truth. I looked up at Rin, my eyes pleading. "Amaya?"

Rin flinched, looking away. "I… I'm sorry. She… she's barely hanging on."

I blanched, taking a step back, my arms beginning to shake. Kentoku immediately put a hand on my shoulder and took his third grandchild from my arms and nodded to Rin. She stepped aside, allowing me access to the delivery room. I dashed inside, praying with every fiber of my body that it wasn't too late.

Amaya would never let something like childbirth kill her. She wanted to either die in battle or pass away next to me in a warm bed. She had told me that before, and she swore that it was going to be one of those. Never childbirth, not when she had just allowed me to see my first child.

I flung back the curtain blocking her from the rest of the room and my heart stopped beating. Her eyes were closed, her breathing was shallow, and her skin was whiter than chalk. I hesitantly approached the bed, tears pouring down my face. I grabbed her hand, placing kisses all over her face, whispering her name like a mantra. I couldn't feel anymore. I moved without thinking, without really absorbing or remembering anything I said or did.

When her eyes fluttered open weakly, I fell to my knees and gripped her hand tightly. "Amaya… please, hold on… you have to see our daughter…"

She turned her head to offer me a weak smile. "I have seen her. She's beautiful. I know that she'll be just like you… I can feel it. Take… take care of her, please? She'll need it."

"Stop talking like that." A harsh voice spat, ripping back the curtains. Eve walked in with her green eyes furious, standing on the other side of my wife. "Do you honestly wish to give up? Do you want to leave your husband and daughter behind?"

Amaya's eyes closed painfully, and a few tears leaked out of her beautiful maroon eyes. "No…" She whispered.

"Then why do you? Why you let yourself fall to a place where no one can bring you back?"

"I'm… tired…"

"Oh you are pathetic."

I jumped up to my feet, almost lunging over the bed to grab Eve's neck. "Shut up! What are you doing? You're not helping Eve!"

"Of course I'm not helping!" She retorted, "I have to remind her just how important she is to everyone here! I can't help her unless she wants me to!"

"Just leave! You're not helping! You're making things worse!"

A cool grip covered my arms, pulling me back away from the bed. "And you are doing the exact same thing, my son."

"Let me go!" I cried, struggling valiantly against my father's grip.

"No." He replied, "Eve is going to heal her."

Rin gasped from his right, holding my daughter. "Heal? Kentoku, she's hanging by a thread…"

"A thread." Eve repeated, green eyes looking up at us. "That is all I need. That means that there is still something there." She closed her eyes, and the room began to sing. I stopped struggling, my eyes widening in shock.

Eve's clothes began to ripple in an unfelt wind, and her body began to shine. Her hair danced around her face, and her eyes slowly opened. The green irises were gone, and instead were glowing holes of light. She raised her hands above my barely conscious wife and began to chant.

The sound of her soft mantra ricocheted off of the walls, sending its occupants stumbling. Amaya gasped, her eyes wider than mine. Her back arched off the bed, and I growled, trying to make a move forward, but Kentoku held me back. With what happened next, I didn't need a reminder.

A dark shadow appeared at the foot of Amaya's bed, a long and snakelike hand reaching for her heart. But a golden fire erupted above her, sending the black shadow screeching and reeling back, stumbling away from its enemy. Eve took a step toward it, her body glowing, and the fire behind her increasing. The shadow vanished, and it began to take on another form. This time, white eyes glared at the red haired woman before it, and Eve's temper flared.

"SHE IS NOT YOURS TO TAKE!" Her voice roared, causing everything in the room to shake. The black form left in a blink of an eye, and the fire above Amaya died. She was unharmed, her breathing steadier, dark eyes closed. Eve seemed to calm down a bit, and Kentoku let out a relieved sigh.

"It has passed. Death has come and gone." He whispered, squeezing my shoulders. My head jerked around to look at him in horror. Death? That… thing… was death? He understood my look and shook his head. "Just a minion. Death himself is far too busy to collect every soul. He rarely visits our world – few spirits ever die. So he sends his creatures."

I nodded slowly, looking back at Amaya. She looked a lot healthier now, and my heart finally began to unclench. I took about two steps forward before Eve's voice stopped me. "I am not done."

Kentoku hissed. "Yes you are. You are beyond exhausted. Everyone can see it."

"She is weak-"

"She is strong!" Kentoku roared, shaking his head. "You are to leave and rest Eve, do you understand? You cannot fight off Death every time it comes and save every person you defend! You must let Fate have a chance to play!"

"Fate cheats." Eve hissed, raising a hand over Amaya's heart. A cascade of notes filled the room, and Amaya's own body began to glow with Eve's. Her lips began to move, but no sound came out.

As Eve's silent song continued, the color in Amaya's cheeks came back, and her eyes eventually opened. Her maroon eyes were back to normal, alight with life and spunk. I feel to my knees, tears running down my face as I put my hands on the floor and tucked my chin to my chest. She was safe, she was alive – that's all that mattered.

The ethereal sounds of Eve's singing faded, and the room went down to a tolerable light level. I stumbled to my feet and caught myself on the edge of her bed, Amaya's arms flashing up to wrap around my shoulders. Her face buried itself in the crook of my neck, and I managed to sit down on the edge of her bed before I collapsed with relief. I could feel her tears against my skin, and I was pretty sure she could feel my shoulders shaking with the effort of keeping my own contained.

Rin came forward and touched my back, and I sat up, turning around to face her, and laughed when she placed my daughter in my arms. I immediately gave her to Amaya, knowing that she hadn't held her yet. She cooed over her, tears of happiness shinning in her eyes. I watched the both of them in utter happiness, and touched her cheek.

She looked up at me, a grin splitting her face. "You have a name, don't you? I know you do…" She teased.

I laughed, kissing her cheek, and then her lips. "I do. Sayuri. My Sayuri."

((Kentoku's POV))

I did not bother to voice my anger when Eve began to help. If there was one thing that I knew I should not do, it was get in the way when she was dead set on doing something. This, sadly, was one of those times.

I did not watch as Perun reunited with Amaya. Instead, I dashed around the side of the bed and caught Eve before she hit the ground. Her eyes were struggling to stay open, and I felt like cursing right then and there. I swear my sister did not know any self-control when it came to things like this.

I helped her out of the ward, and Haku stood with an arm around Chihiro, face somewhat relaxed now. I could tell that he wanted to ask me what had happened, but I think that he could piece it together when he saw his aunt clinging to me so she would not fall into a heap at my feet. "Do you know where Felix and Basir went?" I asked, knowing that their rooms were close by. There was no way in the world Eve was going to make it all the way back to the second to top floor, and I damn well refused to carry her. Besides, her staying with them just might fix this entire issue between the three of them for good.

"They left to go calm down the bathhouse after the earthquakes started." Haku explained, and I managed to glare down at my sister. While I was grateful for what she did, she had to learn how to watch herself. She looked up at me and glared back, which I sighed and looked away. It was no use fighting with her at this point.

"Thank you." I replied, making my way toward the brothers' rooms. Along the way, I decided to keep Eve talking to make sure that she did not pass out on me. But before I could even open my mouth, she sighed and began to speak.

"I'm sorry."

I blinked – that was quick. "For what?"

"For worrying you like that, and not thinking. I know you hate that."

I sighed. "Yes, I do, but I know why you did it. I just wish that you would think sometimes before you do such things. You cannot keep doing this forever. At some point you will have to admit that you have limits."

"I know," She replied, "I couldn't fully heal her without killing myself. She'll be bed ridden for at least a week. Coming back after going so far is extremely hard on the body."

"And the healer." I said tersely, looking down at my sister. She truly did seem apologetic about the entire thing, and I began to wonder why I was really upset with her in the first place. Now that I had approached that topic, I knew that it would not leave me alone unless I thought about it.

Maybe I was afraid that she would be permanently injured from her extreme use of magic, or perhaps it was because I wanted her to take care of herself, or…

The more I thought about it, the clearer it became: I did not want anything to happen to her. I did not want to lose her like I thought I had during the first war. It would be absolutely unbearable for me. I could barely stand Lavanya's passing, and having my sons taken away from me on top of that was the worst kind of hell I could have ever been placed in. Thinking that Eve was dead was just the prison bars around my soul. I hugged her close, leaning my head down to rest on top of hers, stopping for a moment to just hold her.

I never had any affectionate older brother moments with her– we were never like that. But occasionally, I would do it just to let her know that I cared. While that applied, I wanted to let her know just how important she was. She in turn sighed, leaning her head on my chest while she weakly hugged my waist. I pressed her face into my shoulder and wrapped one of my arms securely around her back and spoke.

"Please… do not scare me like that again."

She nodded, tightening her hold on my shirt. "You know, I really do like it when you give me a hug every now and then. You have a really strong hold."

I cleared my throat, letting her go, thinking I had been squeezing her a bit too hard. "Ah, I am sorry, Eve."

But she just laughed. "Silly boy!" I frowned, but she just shook her head, leaning against me heavily. "Hey… can I lie down so the world stops spinning?"

"Of course. But Eve, why did you so desperately want to help Amaya?" I asked, slipping an arm about her waist again.

My sister sighed, "She's so strong. I guess that I'm afraid that Perun would be like you after Lavanya died. The thought scared me so bad that I knew that I had to do something. I couldn't stand by and watch."

"Even though your powers are not meant to heal, you do it anyway…" A voice commented, followed by a bark of laughter. "I bow down to your talents, Eve."

"Oh shut up, Felix." She retorted, rolling her eyes.

The brothers came around the corner, and each of them looked at her in concern. "Hey, do you need a place to sleep for a while?"

I nodded, handing her off to them. "She does. She is a little woozy from her spell, so just make a pallet for her in your rooms. I need to get back and make sure that everything is running smoothly."

"Yeah, not a problem," Basir assured me, putting one of Eve's arms around his shoulder. Felix did the same, each of them putting a supportive arm around her waist. "We'll inform you if anything happens."

((Basir's POV))

I was going to kill him. Plain and simple. I hoped that Rin would understand. Even if she didn't, I was going to kill him. I swear that man knows exactly how to drive me nuts. Leaving Eve with me to take care of her, and asking Felix to do the same was just about as fun as cleaning out pigpens. I was so going to kill him.

The tension between the three of us was extremely noticeable, so trust that Felix wouldn't know about it. But I could tell that Eve could feel it, because she didn't know whom to lean on for support. She didn't want to make either of us upset. This is just great – definitely what I needed after a night of assuring everyone that the earthquakes weren't threatening. That was like talking to the pigs themselves.

No one said a word was we walked back to the room, and once we finally got there, Felix went in, naturally, to set up a pallet for her like I knew he would. He finished and helped me get her in and we laid her down, putting a warm blanket over her. She was out cold all right – she'd been a dead weight for almost five minutes. We weren't all that worried since this wasn't the first time we've carried her somewhere.

The fact that she wasn't aware of anything was great – I was free to look as I pleased. My gaze stayed on her face, indifferent to the rest of her body at the moment. Her face was drawn and pale, seeing as she had clearly outdone herself this time. Her full mouth was slightly open; her usually red lips a faint pink. The hair around her face was slightly damp, especially at the roots. She had a few strands of hair stuck to her cheek, so I reached out to brush them away. But my fingers never felt the smooth silk of her skin – Felix's did. He was the one that had actually reached out. I looked up at his face, which supported a triumphant grin.

"I can feel it…" He whispered to me, his eyes still on Eve's sleeping face, "She'll crumble soon, and I'll be the one to catch her."

I blinked, "What?"

Felix turned to look at me with a smirk and stood up. "I'm going to confess my love for her." He said simply.

My eyes remained on the ground. "You mean infatuation." I muttered darkly.

His keen ears picked up my response. Now he was angry, which I was expecting. "What are you talking about?" He asked, "Of course I love her!"

My temper flared. I wanted to shout at him, prove to him that he was the world's biggest liar. He didn't love Eve – I did.

He knew nothing that she liked, nothing she talked about, nothing that made her laugh. He never took the time to get to know her and see who she really was.

But I had.

I wasn't going to let him, I refused to let him believe something that was obviously a blatant lie, something he was incapable of doing.

"You think you love her," I whispered. I had been mentally preparing for this conversation – I was ready. "You think you love her, but you don't. I see the way you look at her, and it's not with love, but it's with lust and want. You say you love every woman that you bring into your bed, but you lie every time. When you've had your fun, you throw them away like dirty rags. Eve deserves so much more than that – she can do much better than the likes of you."

Felix gawked at me for a few seconds; he hadn't been expecting that. When he finally got his brain back on track, he gave me a look of pure shock and fury. "How can you say such things?"

I stood up as well, meeting his gaze. "I tell you only the truth, even though you do not wish to hear it. I will not stand by and watch Eve be hurt."

"You won't!" He cried, gesturing wildly. "I would never dream of hurting her! I love her!"

"No you do not!" I roared, meeting his volume, finally throwing all civilized emotions and thoughts to the wind. "You do not love her! Not the way that I do!"

Absolute silence filled the room. It was unbelievably thick and tense, far greater than I ever imagined it to be. It seemed to fill a rift between us, making us further and further apart. Soon I felt like I had almost no relation to the man that stood mere inches in front of me. His eyes were wide in shock, his mouth agape. He took a stumbling step back as if I had slapped him.

"I don't believe it," He breathed, "I refuse…"

"You should start. He's right."

The both of us looked to the side, and our faces paled. When Eve had woken up was a mystery to us, but it didn't matter. She was fully conscious and alert, standing on her pallet, the blanket in a pile at her feet. Her face was still pale, but her eyes were like steel. Her voice was soft and slow as if she was explaining the most obvious thing to a child. "Felix," she began, her tone giving no warmth to his name, "I think that you fail to see what is right in before your eyes – the truth. I do not love you like you seem to believe. I never have. I look up to you like another older brother, someone who likes to have fun. I am very sorry if any of my actions have led you to believe otherwise."

"You must be joking!" Felix cried, his face pained, "You can't just wake up and deny me everything!"

"I am not waking up. I have been awake for the past five minutes. I did not faint; I was just merely so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open. I did hold myself up when you were setting up a bed for me. But that is beside the point." She took a few steps forward, and caught herself on my left shoulder. I placed a hand on her waist on instinct, and she stepped into it, leaning heavily against me. "I do not wish to stay in here." She whispered.

Felix looked at her in disgust. "You are serious. Fine. Go. Get out of my sight! The both of you have no relation to me!"

I looked at him, stunned. "What are you talking about?"

He pointed an accusing finger at me, fuming. "No brother of mine takes the woman that I love from under my nose and-"

"I give up." I whispered, bending down to scoop Eve up into my arms. "I give up trying to make you see the truth." With that, I turned around, left Felix's room, and headed across the hall to mine.

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I kneeled down and laid her down slowly on my bed and avoided her eyes. My face was beet red, and I was still a little shocked that she had heard every word that we had said. That meant she knew how I felt, and I wanted to tell her to her face when the time was right. Her hand reached out to touch my arm, and I reluctantly turned to look back at her.

Her emerald eyes were barely open, but a smile was on her face. "I just have to ask you about something I heard. Do you… do you really love me?"

I smiled back, the hold on my heart disappearing. I leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Go to sleep, Eve." I chuckled.

Her eyes became determined, and her fingers gripped on my shirtsleeve. "Do you love me?"

Slowly, my world came into view. I did… I did love her… so, so much. I had no trouble admitting it, but my mouth refused to form the words. But when I felt her fingers slowly uncurl, my heart raced, and I grabbed it, gripping it tightly in both of mine. My eyes met hers, opal on emerald and spoke. "Yes. I do love you."

The smile that lit her face was one of a kind, and she touched and traced my face lightly with her fingers. I released her hand, and she placed both of them on her stomach. Neither of us wished to drag out the moment. Besides, it wasn't like there wouldn't be others. After a few moments, she frowned. "Where are you sleeping?"

I shrugged. "I'll find a pallet."

She shook her head, her red hair splaying across the pillow. "I am not kicking you out of your bed." She paused and giggled, realizing that she all ready had. "Well, there's room in here for two, come on." I visibly blanched. Stay in bed… with her? Eve laughed at me, patting the bed. "Let's go, I'm going to fall asleep soon." Her voice was indeed weak, so I didn't try and fight her. I took off my boots and sword belt, lying down next to her. She turned over with some effort, and frowned. "You sleep in a shirt?"

My face went redder than her hair, without a doubt. I slowly sat up and fingered the collar, wondering if I should really do this. Sighing mentally, I pulled the shirt effortlessly over my head and tossed it to the side. I could almost feel Eve's eyes go wider. I knew that she would be mentally tracing the contours of my back, surprised that I hid anything under this shirt. I was secretly glad that she hasn't seen Felix – compared to him I'm a toothpick. I pulled the covers up of the both of us, and I laid down, facing her. She smiled up at me, and scooted closer, resting her head under my chin. I rolled onto my back, and she remained just as close, placing a hand over my heart. I closed my eyes, sighing, the smell of her skin lulling me to a comfortable sleep. Knowing that tonight was merely going to be a night of recovery, I wrapped my arms around her and cradled her against me. I needed to recover just as much as she did.

((???'s POV))

I walked the halls of the stone fortress, my silent footsteps ringing against the obsidian tiles. I passed by hundreds of dark doors, each of them almost blending into the stone walls. Light from thousands of torches could not penetrate the darkness that these corridors harbored. Nothing adorned the walls for nothing could be clearly seen. For me and other entities like me, our eyesight pierced the darkness easily. We could see everything that it hid: secrets, lies, and escape. Every single one of us can escape and run from what binds us, but either we believe we cannot or do not wish to. This is not the case with me. I refuse to leave this place that I loathe – not without her.

"Ah, there you are," A voice crooned, as if delighted they had found me. I, however, was far from pleased that they had. I had been planning to avoid the meeting with every drop of power I possessed. I began to wonder what I could do next time to avoid being placed in this situation when the voice spoke again. "Surely you did not plan to avoid me, did you?" Now the light voice was dripping with a venomous threat, suggesting that the thought better not have crossed my mind.

I turned, offering the woman that stood in the doorway a smile. I have been told on numerous occasions that my smile was one of a kind, one that lifted anyone's spirits. But for these people, more than that was needed to banish the darkness. A pale, slender hand reached out and took hers, and I raised it to my lips and kissed the back of her hand. "I would never dream of such a thing." I assured her, my voice sounding deep in the long hallway.

The woman returned my smile with true compassion, which immediately sickened me. I despised this woman greatly; I could not even begin to explain myself. We all held such rancor of her, taking us and forcing us to become someone we are not for her sake. I released her cold hand and she ushered me inside, shutting the door behind me with a small click.

I walked toward the far wall and leaned against it, my bright eyes surveying the room and all its occupants. The three women that waited with me I knew very well, and wished that I did not. The woman whom had greeted me was at her desk, rummaging through some papers. She never held my interest, and my eyes settled on to the one closest to her. The one whom I was studying was the best of the three, but far from a pleasant person to converse with.

Said woman leaned on the wall next to the door, black hood down. I was mildly surprised; we rarely saw her face. Her pale skin looked chalky in the lamplight, and her long, grayish blue hair looked bland and unattractive, doing her no favors. Only her dark, cobalt blue eyes benefited from the dim lighting. They looked over the room just as mine did. When our orbs of varying blues met, we acknowledged each other and turned to the woman who sat the furthest away from us at the same time.

Her midnight blue hair fell past her shoulders and brushed the tops of her breasts, which she barely had covered. To be exact, she covered only what she needed to. Violet optics met mine and they smiled sweetly, hoping to gain a reaction from my stone visage. I did not attempt to hide my disgust with her as I looked back at the now open door and the petite woman that stood there.

My face remained emotionless but my insides churned pleasantly, a feeling I was growing used to. She was by my side in an instant, and my eyes followed every movement she made in slow motion. I found myself fascinated with the way that the soft light rippled over her toned, dark skin, the way the muscles in her legs propelled her forward, and how her eyes never left my cold face. She leaned against the wall next to me, allowing me the pleasure to look at her for a little while longer. Her faded green hair looked like the forest green it used to the in the dim light, dark gray eyes looking at my boots. I internally smiled, my eyes still on her lithe form. Like the woman on the couch, her clothing left nothing to the imagination. Olive green shorts covered her modestly, and a matching bustier complimented what cleavage she had. Black ribbons were wrapped around her abdomen, leaving patches of skin to peak through. A fingerless glove adorned her left hand, and a black glove that reached her elbow on her right. A brown leg pouch hugged her left thigh, bulging with odds and ends. Through her belt loops was a black sash, sliming her all ready thin waist. Her eyes finally met mine and the traces of a true smile began to form when the woman that summoned us here began to speak.

"Now that we are all here," She began, "We have things to discuss, and people to appoint, specifically you four."

The woman that sat on the couch stood up and gracefully walked over, placing her hands on the dark wood of the desk. "What will you have me do, Mistress?"

"Lead the third squadron." The red headed woman said, not even looking up at her. I mentally smirked – this woman did not know when to shut her mouth. Third squadron served her right. It was an insult to receive it, and that is exactly what her inflated ego needed. For once, I agreed with Kallisto's decision.

The blue haired woman hissed, storming out of the room, letting the door slam shut behind her. Not only was she given the worst squadron, it meant that she was not in favor with our leader, which she took as a personal offense. Apparently she had yet to learn the true horrors of being close to such a woman. The silver haired archer was promoted to the second division, and she too left the office. I envied her – I all ready knew what was going on. The door shut silently behind her and Kallisto looked up at us. She gestured lazily with her hand, her mouth opening to speak in her elegant and deceitful tone. "Come here, Bellona."

The petite warrior next to me went forward, stopping with a hand on her hip in front of the desk. Our leader smirked, leaning forward. "I want you in control of the first division. I trust you and your abilities, and I am confident that you shall keep a good on my advisor, Ryuu."

I did not even lift my head when I heard my name. I knew yesterday of my promotion. As far as I was concerned, I did not even have to be at this little meeting. Kallisto spoke again, demanding both of our attentions. From what she was saying, Bellona and I were going to be here for a while.

This time I did not walk alone in the haunted hallways. She kept up with my long strides effortlessly, her hand resting gently in mine. She was a quiet being, but she always spoke to me. We had been quiet for a few minutes, and I was beginning to wonder when she would break the silence.

"Ryuu?" She began, looking up at me as her musical voice wrapped around my name.

I looked down at her, a faint smile coming across my face. "Yes, Bellona?"

"Do you know why were appointed as we were? Kallisto has never had a male advisor."

"I truly do not know why," I replied slowly, "But I believe that she may hold some… affection towards me."

My companion stopped dead in her tracks, openly starring at me. "I beg your pardon? She-"

"I am not sure," I informed her, my voice cutting in smoothly, "You have no need to fear though, her affections will never be returned."

"And why is that?" She questioned, dropping my hand and placing it on her hip.

I moved before she could even blink. My hand snapped out to grab her arm while my other arm reached out to embrace her. Tugging her close, her small body crashed against mine. Her head only reached my stone chest, and her ear could listen to my barely beating heart. I bowed my head, my voice a bare whisper. "I will never stray from you."

I could feel her smile as two strong, thin arms wrapped around my waist. "I know." She replied, her voice just as quiet. "I trust you."

I did not respond, my mouth incapable of forming words. Instead I held her close, running my fingers through her short hair and thought about our current position. We were easily replaceable. If we failed, all Kallisto had to do was snap her fingers and we would cease to exist. I unconsciously pulled Bellona closer into my black embrace, resting my head against hers. I vowed that we would make it through this.

We were just new, yet replaceable, faces in the dark.

But I was determined to remain.

A/N: I am DAMN proud of myself. This was THIRTEEN pages in Word. ((cheers and dances)) So, this is one heck of a chapter for all of you! Be happy! I'm very sorry for my long absence, but I am back! Whoot whoot! My resolution was to be better at updating, so I'm going to try my hardest!

For all of those who are curious, here are the meanings of the new names:

Ryuu - Japanese for "dragon"
Bellona - from Roman Mythology meaning "to fight". This was the name of the Roman goddess of war.
Sayuri - Japanese for "small lily"

Yay... I'm very happy with myself. xD I got a little bit of everything in here. Action, romance/fluff, and more plot with Kallisto. Yes! ((does a happy dance))

Firefairie93
laramary
MyOwnWriter
StrugglingArtist
mistress of mist
Lilix Vail
XxLil-AngelxX
Kataan
DarlingOfAngelsDemonsSaints
TatianaSaphira
Priestess Kohana
medevial charmed

Thank you all so much for reivewing! Hopefully this chapter didn't "drag" like the last few have, and I hope that I can think of more things to place in the other chapters!

Just for a quick poll: Who liked Ryuu's POV for the last part? I had so much fun writing that it was almost sad. ((lol))

- Vincent's Angel of Chaos