Chapter 46 From Brown to Green
To: Darby. I've never made what happened to Blackfire very graphic. I cant stop mentioning it because its not the kind of thing you just walk away from
It is a rare occasion that one should find themselves awakened by grass tickling theire face. Some might find it bothersome or annoying, but to Blackfire it was a cherished experience. She awoke, and allowed the thin blades of grass, propelled by the wind, to tickle her face a few moments before she even opened her eyes. When she did she was greated by death. Miles and miles around all she could see was death, except for this one little island, this green sanctuary. She felt fear, fear of leaving this one green piece of land. She was terrified at the mere thought of stepping out into the black and brown area of death where nothing grew. She backed away from it into Kali. She pressed her back against her mother, as if using her as protection against the death and decay all around them. She was welcomed by her mother, a second arm snaking its way around her midsection and holding her close.
"Turn around." Her mother whispered. Kali rolled over, taking Blackfire with her. Blackfire now faced the water, the small pond with an island in the middle. Blackfires eyes grew wide.
"The insects are already back!" She gasped. Small mosquitos and other bugs buzzed about the clear blue water. She held out her hand and allowed one of the blood sucking insects to land on her. She felt the slight prick with a vampires sense of touch, as the insect used its needle-like mouth to make love to her flesh. She watched intently as it drew out her blood. She dared not slap it away; it was too beautifull. So like her yet so differant. She watched it swell with her blood. All she could hear was her own inhaling and exhaling as she watched the insect at work, as if it were the only thing in the universe to her. The bug swelled slowly, its back end increasing in size and changing red. Finally it withdrew its snout from her skin, the wings buzzed in a few short bursts before it took off for the water to lay its eggs, and reproduce. Blackfires keen vampire eyes allowed her to watch it for quite some time before she lost track of it in the swarm.
"I thought you would like to see that. I have heard theyre wings fluttering for some time now." Kali said softly. She could hear the insects wings, even though they were twelve feet away. Her daughter could not. In time her senses would become sharper, like hers. She hugged Blackfire closer. Blackfire relaxed against her, watching in wonder as the insects flew amongst the clean pond.
"Little blood-suckers, like us." Blackfire said as she finally lost track of the mosquito that had fed off of her. Kali scoffed at being compared to an insect. "Imagine, if the insects came back this soon. How long before the squirrels, the rabits, the deer and the wolves return?"
"I dont know." Kali said.
"It will be wonderfull when they do. The deer, rabits, and squirrels will all feast and be plenty. The wolves and coyote's will feed off them, and be plenty. These woods will be alive with the sound of it. He's going to fix it all, Beethoven will make it all good again, like things were before humans ruined it."
Kali swore she would have her revenge on the universe if things did not go well fot Beethoven. if Blackfire wasnt completely satisfied by this re-birth of the forest she didnt know what she would do. Her daughter was putting so much hope and faith into it, it just had to go accordingly. "Would you run amongst the beasts, Blackfire?" She whispered. "Which would you run with? The innocent deer as the eat the green? Or would you sit like a dark goddess amongst the wolves, petting them, spoiling them as they bloodied theire muzzles in a fresh kill?"
Blackfire thought on this. Friend to the prey or the predator? Which would she be? Both were so lovely. The deer leapt gracefully through the forrest. While the wolves fed on them and theire ilk, chasing them down in dramatic hunts and killing them savagely, so the mothers may bring home milk full of nutrients to the innocent pups, which had never tasted flesh.
"I would do both." She said. "With a hand on the deers neck, petting and soothing it as the wolves tore into its belly and ate its living flesh. Whilst my other hand stroked and carressed the savage wolf, encouraging it to feast on its prey." Blackfire closed her eyes and imagined it. This she loved, the early morning, and late night. Those were times she always spoke poetically like her mother. She smiled slightly and Kali ran a hand through her hair.
"Would you now?"
"Without a second thought."
"I know. And thats why I love you so, my daughter. Thats why I chose you. You have the pottential to see the beauty in everything, and embrace it no matter how horrible it may seem." Kali nuzzled her nose into Blackfires soft mane of dark blue hair. "Come, it is time I fed, so that you may too."
Kali brought Blackfire to the closest town. They walked the streets together for a short time. Blackfire noticed the differance in dress and architecture between Germany and America and took it in. "I will let you choose my prey." Kali whispered as they walked the streets. People milled by them and Blackfire paid close attention to each of them. They were all so urgent seeming, and she knew why. They would all die some day. They were all doing things they had to do, coming and going. Theire lives would end eventually and they all hurried about to make things good until that day came. Some perhaps hurried about to postpone that day. Blackfire was suddenly very hesitant to interrupt them. She felt they would be stealing theire lives away, making them late and costing them that much more time before the day came that they ceased to be. "You hesitate." Kali said after they had walked most of the town.
"No." Blackfire lied. "I'm just being picky." Blackfire lead her mother through the town and finally they came to a park. There was an old man sitting at a bench. He was the only human in sight that wasnt moving about busilly. Blackfire sat down next to him and struck up a conversation.
"You should be more like them." she said. "Your going to die eventually you know, shouldnt you be getting things done?" The old man looked at her as if she were insane for a while. Then he settled back down and ignored her as best he could. Blackfire wasnt to be so easilly ignored. "They all have things to do. They need to do things before they die. What about you?" She pressed.
"I've done everything." Replied the old man. "Now leave me alone, please."
"Did I remind you of your own mortality? I'm sorry if I did. Please forgive me."
"No, its not that." Said the old man distantly.
"Then what is it?" Blackfire asked him. He looked at her with cloudy, tired eyes.
"What business is it of yours?" Blackfire didnt answer. She just stared coldly at him. As if he had been challenged to wipe that indifferant look off her face the old man opened up to her and told her of himself. "It was Hildeguardes routine, you know." He said. "To sit in the park, and feed the birds until ten oclock every morning. Even in winter." His english was flawed, but Blackfire picked up on it well enough.
"Who was Hildeguard?" She asked innocently, her voice coming more alive.
"She was my wife." Said the old man curtly. "She passed away in two-thousand and three."
"So why do you sit here?"
"I never came here to feed the birds with her, but after she was gone I just wanted to." He pulled a brown paper bag from behind him. He threw some seeds on the ground and Blackfire noticed the growing pile of them in front of him. "I can never get any of the birds to come for me, like she could, but I still try."
"Why?"
"Two years now, and not a single bird has ever set down here and eaten the seeds. Its quite silly of me, isnt it?"
"Yes." Blackfire said honnestly. She looked to her mother, who stood behind them a small distance. "Its very silly."
"It gives me a chance to relax though." Said the old man fondly. "And she would do it if she were here." He looked skywards and sighed. "So many hours wasted, hours I could have been sitting here with her. Instead I usually spent them in front of the television, or some other meaningless thing. It makes me sad to think of how much time those two hours a day would have added up to if I had gone with her."
They sat together in silence, Blackfire pondering the things he said. After some time the elderly man withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket and coughed into it. Blackfire noticed it came away from his mouth bloody. She focused on him with her senses, nearly seeing through him. She found something inside him, and knew it was deadly. "You're dying." She said calmly.
"Yes. Aren't we all?" The old man chuckled a little. This produced another coughing spasm. Blood and spittle were projected onto the rag which he hastily covered his face with.
Blackfire focused on him harder. She could feel it inside of him, cancerous growths. From what she could tell there was a central growth around his lungs the size of a soft-ball. Smaller cancers were cropping up elsewhere in his body, marble sized growths throughout every major system. She nearly gasped at just how horrible it was. "Have you seen a doctor?" She asked.
"No." He said calmly. "Its my body, and from day one I knew there could be no beating this. Its just my time." Another handfull of seeds was thrown on the ground. "Happens to us all." He yawned. He was getting sleepy. His sickness was having a larger and larger effect on him as of late. "All I would be doing is delaying death." He said, as if it didnt matter. "And what is there to delay? I'm an old man who misses his wife, who's children are all grown and able to take care of themselves." He looked at Blackfire and gave her his most polite smile. "So what purpose is there to really keep me around?"
"Doesnt it scare you?" This old man had quickly become one of the most interesting people she had met since coming to earth. "To die?"
"Just a part of getting old. I've been around eighty-two years. I married a nice girl I knew from childhood, had four wonderfull children with her. I was ever a good man to her and my children. I had my adventures, too. For what reason should I fear death now? Its the only thing left."
"But how can it not scare you?"
"I didnt say I wasnt scared. I am. I know that one of these weeks the pain will get worse, unbearable. I know I'll live a little longer after that, but then it will end. I will die. I only hope I get to pass away with my children near me."
"I hope you get that." Blackfire said kindly. He coughed more violently into his rag and Blackfire got up to leave. "It was very nice meeting you. I wish you the best." She said solemly. He nodded and returned the favor. Blackfire walked away into the park to meet with her mother. She had gotten so wrapped up in that that she had forgotten they were here to feed. As she walked away into the distance, once the old man was out of sight several birds set down in front of him on the walkway and began to peck at the seeds on the ground.
Blackfire led Kali about the small german town. All about people spoke german mostly, which she couldnt understand. She went into a bar for tourists. Its architecture and decor screamed: 'I'm German! Spend money here and look at the neat stuff on the walls!' The waitresses all milled about helping the lunch crowd. Nearly all of them wore dresses and pigtails that screamed: 'I'm German! Spend your money!' They were shown to a table and sat across from each other.
"You do remember your a vampire now, and that this kind of food doesnt sustain us?" Kali whispered. Last time she had gone into a restraunt with Blackfire it had had disastrous results.
"Of course." Blackfire waited for a waittress to come to them. "I just feel like letting a waittress bring our food to us." She sent her mother a lopsided grin.
"No matter who she is?"
"Perfectly random." Kali sighed, but gave in to her daughters whim. A tired looking young girl came to them and curtsied at the head of the table.
Kali put her 'will' to work. She focused on the wiring in the building. She didnt know quite what she did to the fuse-box but instantly it errupted in sparks and flames twelve feet away at the bussers station, leaving the establishment in perfect darkness. The only light came through the tiny narrow windows of painted glass, which wasnt much. Kali siezed the waitress and put her under a trance. She fed quickly, before any light could come on. It was so fast that Blackfire had trouble following the movement. Kali let her go, dropping to the floor. She reached across the table and spilled water on the floor by the falling waittress, stuffed a few hundred dollar bills in one of her pockets, and then cushioned her landing a little as she hit bottom. Before Blackfire could even process what had just taken place Kali was back in her seat, smiling politely at her. The last hairs on the waitresses head had just settled at Blackfires mouth opened in suprise.
A short while later the pair left the restraunt, after having expressed the utmost concern for the waittress that had slipped on some carelessly spilled water when the lights went out. Blackfire followed closely behind her mother as they walked, eager to have a taste of the waitress. She was hungry for it like she had almost never been. What excited her most of all was that she had chosen the prey. She had to have it!
"Be patient." Kali admonished her. "Its not the type of thing we can do in public." Blackfire let out a low groan. She didnt care, she wanted blood. She ached for it, the feeling of her sharp teeth, anchored in flesh. Finally, her time came. Kali grabbed her and whisked them away, deep into the park where they would not be bothered.
Blackfire practically attacked her mother, her arms going around her so fast. She lifted herself up so as to be level with Kali, and pushed them back against a tree. She pushed Kali back, hard. She was fully aware that her mother was allowing her to do this, that she would be unable to budge her if she didnt really want to move. She felt predatory, nearly invincible as she guided her mouth over her neck. She bit, and was pleased with the taste of the waittresses blood. It was hers, she had picked it. Between gulps she growled, asserting herself as the predator in this situation- even if she was only because she was allowed to be.
Kali was overjoyed to see her daughter drinking with such vigor again. For weeks now she had drank listlessly, as if it didnt matter. Now she was acting like the Blackfire she knew. Blackfire pulled away with one last growl and began to calm down, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Kali kissed away a few drops of blood from the corner of her mouth, and pet her hair back with the arm that wasnt wrapped around her.
"Does the concert start soon?" Blackfire asked this and rested her head on Kali's shoulder.
"Not for some time. The turnout for this is going to be quite large, there will be alot of us there. It might overwhelm you."
"I dont think so."
"There will be alot of fledglings." Kali tsk'd. "If they get competitive with you and want to play try not to tie theire spines in knots." Kali smiled at the thought of it. She would most undoubtedly have the strongest fledgling there.
"Are they like that?"
"Sometimes, perhaps. The younger children always like to compete and show off with each other. The very young always feel some kind of comraderie amongst themselves." Kali held Blackfire out a little ways. "You are after all just children." She smiled and dipped Blackfire, as she had when they had danced shortly the night before. "And what a beautifull child you are."
Something occured to Blackfire. "I'll be the only one there able to fly!" She laughed at the thought of it.
"That you will. You will see them in groups, in contests to see who's faster or stronger." Kali laughed darkly. "But you would belong with the older ones. I dare say your strong as most are at thirty in some ways, and far beyond that in others."
"Then lets go!" Blackfire said hurriedly. She wanted to go as soon as possible, to see all these other vampires.
"Not yet you dont. You have to-"
"I'm not wearing the dress." Blackfire said sternly.
"Fine."
When they arrived the crowd did in fact overwhelm her. Blackfire looked to the skies, and above them she was sure there were a hundred thousand other vampires, easilly. She fell back against her beloved mother, her mouth trying to form words, but only opening and closing silently. She wondered, did everyone look upon the great rebirth of this forest with the same intensity as she? No, impossible, not everyone. Blackfire knew that only a select few people could see it as she did. Slowly she stood under her own power, her eyes never leaving the teeming mass of immortals above her. Then, slowly, without letting go of Kali her eyes focused on the vampires on the ground. The fledglings. They were just as Kali had promised, in differant groups playing and competing. They practically littered the forrest floor in groups of ten to twenty.
"It should be starting soon, but you could go play, if you want."
Blackfire wasnt interested. Why? So she could run faster than them, jump higher, be stronger? All for what, just so a group of weak fledglings would worship her and think she was cool? No. She would do no such thing to cheapen this experience. "How can they just play like that?" Blackfire whispered. "How can they be so care-free when something so magnificent is about to happen?"
"Not everyone can see this as you do." Let nothing go wrong, Kali prayed. Please, she begged whatever powers that be, let her daughter see here what she so desperately needed.
Blackfire stepped away from her mother, twirling about to see all the other vampires in the darkened sky. For the first time she noticed they were close to the pond, and the musician was there. She wished to see him, but could tell he was deep in thought. He was most likely collecting himself for the oncoming performance. He looked other-worldy, sitting there in the one island of life surrounded by such death.
Above them the skies darkened, threatening rain. Blackfire wondered if vampires attracted foul weather. It was a valid hypothises. She held her breath, and closed her eyes. It was still almost an hour until sunset, but the gathering clouds blacked out the sky just as well as night. She opened her eyes. Her keen vampire eyes could see just as well as if it were daytime. For the first time since she died she wondered, how would she see this world around her if she were still mortal? She laughed a manic laugh. That could never be. That Blackfire had died, entirely. That Blackfire had upended a bottle of bleach and drank it down. She felt so excited again, just thinking about her death. Her body had died underneath london bridge; she had actually died. She didnt return to the ground to rot though, like everyone else did. No. Her new mother had held her dead fingers against her beating heart, and imbued her with this new life! She was new! She was something perfect, she thought. She liked to think of herself now as a new being that had risen out of the ashes of anothers pained and miserable existance. Under that bridge, when her mortal heart stopped beating, and then her immortal one started anew, she had been reborn an entirely new person! Simply put, Blackfire liked to think of herself former, mortal self as an entirely differant person. Should she meet her old self she would think of her as someone else.
"Why do you think of it in such a way?" Her mother asked. Kali had taken more rights with Blackfire than with any of her other children. She spent more time reading the girls mind and feelings than ever before, but she did not mind. It appeared as though it comforted Blackfire. The girl never objected, never put up a barrier, and when Kali went for lengths of time without reading her mind Blackfire seemed to get distant.
"Because its so much fun!" Blackfire said quietly, but with much enthusiasm. "She died, and I was born."
"Are you truly so differant from her?" Kali humoured her daughter, reffering to her mortal self in the third person. The question caught Blackfire off guard.
"I guess not." Blackfire didnt seem defeated though. "But still, she killed herself. You watched her die and I was born out of what was left."
"Truly, child, you are mad." Kali meant this in as complimenting a manner as possible. Blackfire seemed to appreciate it.
"Mad with an appetite for life." She giggled.
"And if your appetite never ceases you will outlive us all." As Kali said this the rain began to fall. It was heavy rain. It shook the dead tree branches above her, the skeletal branches swaying with the added weight of water they could just barely support. The wood creaked all around her, nature in a symphony of death. Kali wrapped her arms around Blackfire and held her back to her front, resting her chin on Blackfires shoulder as her cape closed tightly about them. It wouldnt repel the rain, but they would be able to share warmth. She swayed back and forth gently with her daughter, obeying her overwhelming need to dote and fawn over her young daughter at every opportunity that presented itself.
"The rain doesnt seem to bother them." Blackfire noted. The other immortals in the area were acting as if there were no rain at all.
"It doesnt bother us, either. Do I need an excuse to hold you close?"
"Of course not."
"Very well." Kali looked down below to the island. She knew that the rain would ruin that piano. It would suit its owners purpose for this night, but after that the old wood would warp and bend. It would become garbage. She knew it to be several centuries old, possibly one of very few left of its lineage, and understood that Beethoven must have loved it dearly. She was simply surprised to see that the revival was more important to him than his old companion. The lauquered wood would warp in a few days time, and blister. It was his sacrifice to make, she wouldnt tell him how to care for his instruments. Eternally, she was gratefull that he would not cancel, for her daughters sake.
"He's starting!" Blackfire said excitedly as the musician sat down. He looked tradgic in the rain. She noticed the other fledglings, on the forest floor had stopped playing in respect.
"Let the clensing begin." They heard him whisper as he blindfolded himself and his hands reached for the keys.
Blackfire was almost saddened to discover that the music that poured forth did not effect her. She wished it would like his first concert, be an emotional roller-coaster. It was obvious that his influence was not meant for sentient beings this night. The music was furious, his fingers struck the keys furiously and he looked like a man posessed even from this distance. The music was loud and tore through the air with the force of thunder, the sound waves leaving a ripple effect that could be seen by the immortal eye. It hit Blackfire and her mother with an explosive force, nearly knocking them backwards. Kali shifted her weight and applied some of her strength and they were not bothered again by the impact of the sound. He played for nearly five minutes before Blackfire noticed anything changing. Her keen eyes picked up the slight movements of the trees around her, and she thought it was the wind. She was amazed when the trees as a whole began to vibrate to a high frequency, responding to the music and the musicians will.
"Shield your eyes!" Kali whispered hotly. Blackfire did so without question and all at once the bark exploded off of every tree in sight. Violent thunder wracked the dead forest like an earthquake. The two vampires felt the impact of bark hitting Kalis cape, but not with enough force to be harmfull. Branches made too weak by the explosion rained down from the forest canopy, and Blackfire understood that those were parts of the trees too far gone to be revived. Certain trees, here and there, also toppled entirely, dragged up and out of the ground by the roots as if by the hand of god before falling over, adding to the chorus of wooden thunder. The things too dead to be revived fell to the earth to decompose, where they would become fuel for the new life that would be instilled on the land. The entire process lasted for nearly a half hour and the music stopped. Kali let Blackfire go, to explore the damage for herself.
Blackfire ignored the damage to the forrest. She knew it extended to the borders of the dead wood, just as he said it would. It wasnt what she was here to see. She looked down below to see Beethoven, he was weak and slumped over slightly, resting his weight on the piano and breathing heavilly. The water was rising in the pond, reclaiming the small island. It was too his ankles. He leaned back off of his instrument and fell into it. Several immortals were at his side immediately, pleading with him to stop and rest, finish another night. Blackfire didnt know a feeling of such devastation was possible until she saw him nod his head in agreement. She felt ready to cry.
Down below the exhausted musician allowed himself to be carried to the edge of the pond and laid on the bank. "Drink." Someone told him and a wrist was put above his lips. He did not know who this was but was gratefull, as it returned some of his energy, but not enough to play.
Blackfire spun around, looking for Kali. She had gone! She found her again down below, leaning over Beethoven. She couldnt see what she was doing though.
Beethoven continued to lay on the bank even after he had finished feeding. His chest still heaved with each labored breath. The woman that had fed him was gone, and only a few immortals lingered at his side now. He spun his head about dizzily, taking in the surroundings. The first half of his masterpiece was complete, he would have to be content with that for now.
No, no, no, no.
His eyes snapped fully opened and he looked to the hill above him. There was that girl, Blackfire. He watched her, knowing she was the source of the random string of thought he had picked up. She had not sent it to him on purpose. She looked so lost, devastated. Did this truly matter to her that much? The world around him seemed to slow down, almost to a stop. He put all his senses to work, trying to read her. He used one of his greatest gifts as a green-blood: empathy. The instant he did so her emotions coursed through him as does light through crystal. He bolted upright, clutching his heart which skipped a few beats at the intensity of the emotions the girl felt.
Hopelessness, defeat, violation, lost, despair. Such a tidal wave horrible emotions this girl felt! What could cause such a thing? He choked on his own breath as the feelings left him. She was, she was, she was pure despair and hurt in the shape of a woman! Somehow he knew that what happened here tonight would affect her greatly. For her so much was riding on this performance. He thought what could happen to a person to turn them into such an emotional wretch? The answer came to him all too soon. Only a crime of pure violence and hatred. He dared not think of it further. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind.
"Help me to stand." He bid the closest person to him. Several vampires gawked at him, already assuming he intended to return to his piano. "Help me to stand!" He barked again, and was soon returned to his instrument. He laid his tired arms out on the keyboard, and collected himself. It was so important to her. He couldnt deny her what she had come here to see. He felt the devastation she did again and it steeled his resolve.
"Maestro, it would be dangerous to continue at this point. You are too weak." Someone warned behind him. He shrugged them off. Weakness be damned! The full breadth of the girls situation was clear to him. He knew what she had come here for. She had come here to heal her soul! To save her sanity! She had come here, as if looking for proof of the existance of a god. He looked skyward and nodded his head again. He would try his best to give her what she was seeking tonight.
"Any man who crosses this pond will be struck down. I promise this!" He growled and several immortals backed away from the pond.
"What is he doing?" Blackfire asked herself up on the hill. The man looked up towards her again.
"Everything I can." He said, and smiled.
Kali was with her again. She felt her mother behind her before anything else. Blackfire whirled. "Whats going on?" She asked.
"He needed a break. He is weak right now, he may not be able to finish." Kalis voice was tinged with worry and fear, but her eyes shone with hope. Blackfire turned back around and leaned against a tree, as if fighting to stand.
"Please." She whispered and clenched her eyes shut to try and stop the tears. The rain on her face dilluted them nearly instantly, the pink wattery blood ran off her chin onto the ground.
Beethoven played furiously again, and Blackfire could only stare wide-eyed in rapture of the world around her as it began to change. A euphoric feeling settled over her body as the trees around her began to grow again. New, healthy bark coated them all, and soon green buds appeared. Leaves began to sprout, followed by entirely new limbs and braches, and from some spots new trees all together. The green pulsed, as it had at the living cathedral. A green ring of light spread out from the island, giving life to anything it touched and fading as it got further away. Soon the immediate area around him was alive and lush with vegitation, and the green rings that pulsed from him flew further away, deeper into the forrest to do the same thing there. It enchanted her, entirely. The trees here continued to grow, hundreds of feet tall. The grasses grew to her waste, as promised, and that which had fallen became covered in thick green moss. Steam rose from all the living things, making the air thick and earthy. Blackfire cried tears of joy at the sight, and followed the green rings further into the woods to watch the domino effect of life.
Kali watched her go, and turned a concerned eye to the musician below. Just how long could he keep this up? She wondered, her worry evident as her brow knit. She turned slowly to follow Blackfire, who had not gone so far as to not be able to see the music.
"Look at it all!" Blackfire cried. Plain looking flowers sprouted up all around her. She loved them for what they were. "Its all so alive!" She held her arms out to her sides and looked towards the sky, laughing and crying as the twirled about in the rain.
"Its lovely." Kali said, not unmoved by its beauty. The moss spread up the trunks of trees, some trees so wide that ten men would have to join hands to circle them. Kali watched her daughter, amazed and distraught at how quickly she could change emotions. Just the night before she had seen her daughter, shaking in fury holding the head of a rapist in her hands. It had broken her heart. She was just a scared, confused, traumatized girl trying to find what would make her better, and Kali doubted that killing for the first time in such a brutal manner wouldnt leave her unscathed. Its alright, my daughter. She thought to herself. I'm here. I always will be here for you. No matter what troubles you come to, or what demons haunt you in the night, we'll get through it together. One day, one issue at a time, love. I'll give you all my love and more. When the nightmares trouble your sleep, I'll be there to rub your back, to kiss you, tell you its not real. When the day brings new things to trouble your mind, I'll be there to defend you. I'll share whatever your burden, and devote my every waking moment to making you smile. Kali thought these things silently to herself, her own private vow of devotion to her daughter. Of all her children over the ages, none had needed her more than this girl before her. Normallacy be damned. She would stay with her more than two months, more than a year. She would stay by her daughters side untill the end of time itself if thats what it took for Blackfire to be better. She smiled, despite herself, and watched Blackfire dance in the rain.
For twelve hours the forest grew, the death either being revived or decaying to feed the new life. Not a moment of its beauty was lost on Blackfire. Every last moment was spent in awe of the display before her eyes. Finally, as she and Kali were heading back towards the island, Blackfire felt as if a large part of the hole in her soul had been filled. She was eternally gratefull to the musician for having continued. They got within hearing range of the island, the music continued to play, furiously.
When Blackfire finally came into view of the island her breath was taken away. The keys of the piano were stained red, the musicians fingertips not being able to take such abuse as he continued to play. His skin was pale and tight on his bone and he was obviously in some great pain. His entire body moved with him as he played, in fast, sharp movements tossing his hair about.
"Beethoven!" She yelled. He didnt even look up to her. "Its over! I've been to the outer edge, its alive! Its beautifull, its over!" He seemed to ignore her.
"Not yet!" He raged. His hands continued to rain down on the keys, like hellfire raining from the sky.
Everyone could feel it. His life energy had left him, nearly completely. He had refused all attempts to stop him. His blindfold had come off, and he looked to Blackfire. The girl gasped at how sunken and dull his eyes appeared. Blackfire, even from her close proximity to the man, could not feel his life energy anymore. It had been split into such a fraction as to slip past her senses. "Please, please stop. This isnt necessary." Despite his horrible appearance he did not appear to be insane to Blackfire. What other than insanity could cause him to risk his life like this? What twisted motivation did he have?
"I do it because its artistic!" He spat blood as he spoke. Random cuts were beginning to open up on his skin.
"Do you want death?" Blackfire screeched over the sound of thunder and music.
"What death? What I reap here is true immortality." He smiled. The music stopped. He was finished. He fell backwards into the water and Blackfire was at his side instantly.
"Why?" She asked. "Why?" She pressed her wrist to his mouth, even though she knew he would refuse it. He removed it, and placed it back at her side.
"I did it for you." He said weakly. "I saw the turmoil within, and it inspired me. Here, I have but one last gift for you." He smiled weakly again and put his hand against her face.
Kali was blinded as lightening struck the two. It was clear to most what was going on. He had grown bored with his life, and wanted to die with the birth of his creation. He was within his rights to do so. She had wanted to stand back and let Blackfire learn this herself. The wild lightening arced about the pond, nearly a dozen strikes hitting it in one second. Kali screamed and dove for it, worried for her daughter.
The lightening cleared, and she could see her daughter was unharmed. Beethoven was gone though, not a trace of him remaining. "What happened?" Kali asked her daughter. Blackfire just shook her head, confused.
"He... Kali he knew just how important this was to me. Its why he continued. I, I." Blackfire could say no more. She felt tears coming on.
"Come, let us walk." Blackfire went to her mothers side, and together they walked off into the forest. They walked and talked, taking the long way back to civilization. They waded through the grasses, stopping often to admire something beautifull, and praising the passed artist for his work. They failed to notice though that as Blackfire walked, the smaller trees, branches and limbs, and the wild grasses all seemed to gravitate towards her, as if growing towards the light of the sun.
There, chap complete. Not long by my standards, but I just wanted to make a Blackfire only chapter. Sorry it took so long, and doesnt seem as inspired as some of the other chaps have been. The complete lack of feedback on the last few chaps has leeched away my motivation, really. Oh well. I hope you have enjoyed this, and even if you didnt, hey, leave a review. Tell me what I can do better, please.