"You've been relyin' on your demon

to frighten the ones you want to annul!

Now you're facin' one that is your even,

so rise above or you'll fall!"

– Cassandra Elizabeth Collins

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Slamming the door to the roof open, Charlie flew through it, rage rippling over her demon skin. With a wail of grief, she grabbed a plastic chair and flung it viciously into one of Cassie's dojo walls, knocking it over, and she dropped to her knees.

"Please," She whispered as fear enveloped her, "Don't die, Angel. Please!"

Laying flat on the roof, Charlie pressed her ear against the warm, rough granular surface and concentrated on listening. Eyes closed, Charlie stilled her frightened breathing and could make out Cassie's whispers as she recited spells one after the other, and grimaced along with Angel's pained reactions to some of them. If the spells could affect her, the barrier between her and the living room interfered. Still, true or not, she was not happy with Cassie sending her away. She would have suffered gladly if it meant she could be close to Angel, just in case. Time passed agonizingly slow, each sound of Angel's suffering twisted Charlie's heart, her body reacting in sympathy.

As Charlie listened, Cassie's whispers grew further apart, as did Angel's reactions, to the point Charlie had to strain to hear any sound or movement in the apartment until the only sound left was Cassie moving around the apartment, and she could make out Angel's stuttered but steady breathing, indicating he was asleep. Eventually, the sound of the apartment's front door opening and closing, followed by Cassie's approach to the roof, signaled for Charlie to push herself up off the ground and dust herself off. If Angel was resting and Cassie wasn't running or screaming, then maybe he'd be okay and Charlie used that to calm herself. She turned as Cassie opened the door.

"How is he?" Charlie bit her lip, afraid.

"He's resting on the couch, and I think he's out of danger. I still want to take him to the hospital, but I will wait for him to wake up to decide on it. The magics worked enough to stop the bleeding, but Charlie, he's done. The damage is too great, and I don't know how well he will heel."

"Done?"

"No more missions, no more heroics. That thing tore into his back, badly, and it's a miracle it didn't damage his spine, but he'll never be one-hundred-percent again." Cassie's voice cracked with the explanation. She needed to be focused to give the diagnosis to Charlie, but this was her brother who could likely be handicapped for the rest of his life, and it finally sunk in. Cassie stepped over to the downed wall and pulled the chair Charlie had tossed onto its legs and sat down in it, wearily.

It took a few seconds for Cassie's words to sink in, but when they did, Charlie backed up three steps, shaking her head, "No! No, it can't be. How did this… What was it that did this to him?"

Rubbing her eyes, Cassie's own voice held anger, "Angel managed to get a few things out while the magics did their thing. He said that Samedi called up a demon and sent it to kill him, so he'd be out of the way. They want you, Charlie. They know who you are."

"Samedi called up a demon to kill Angel?" Charlie's demon voice seeped out through her lips, eyes pulsing red, and she spun to look out into the darkness. Everything Cassie had just told her poured through her mind, blending together, causing her soul to rend in pain and rage. She would hunt this demon down, and rip it to fucking sheds, but not until she forced it to give up Samedi's location. For the first time, she felt no guilt for her feelings, only blind determination.

"And they know about you." Cassie reminded, body deflated in the chair, eyes closed while she tried to calm herself down, as well.

"I don't give a shit if they know me, Cassie. I'm going to find that thing and kill it!"

The tone and darkness in Charlie's voice caught Cassie's full attention, and she finally opened her eyes, gasping softly. As Charlie had been declaring her threats, her body had transformed, and it was the demon that Cassie saw filling out over the span of the roof. It was the first time Cassie got to see Charlie in her demon form, and she shivered. It wasn't fear that caused the shiver, more like when you see something beyond your comprehension to understand, yet found yourself drawn in. Standing, Cassie walked over to stand close to Charlie, who'd turned around with demon eyes glowing bright, her rage paused and replaced by a fear of her own. She realized as well that this was their first meeting with her in this form, and she needed Cassie more than ever and didn't want her running away. Like her brother, though, Cassie had more than her fair share of courage and trust for Charlie.

"Charlie?" Cassie's questioning voice whispered, "Are you there?"

Pulling herself together for the moment, Charlie drew some of her demon back into her, and now stood before Cassie in her hybrid human-demon form. Teeth, claws, horns and tail meshed with the sweet, young blonde haired girl that Cassie knew as Charlie, and she nodded firmly, "I'm sorry you saw me without warning, Cassie. Even Amanda had more warning than this, but you didn't run. Thank you."

"I trust you, sweetie, but it did startle me. I should have asked to see what you looked like long before now, but it wasn't important at the time."

Charlie smiled for a moment, but it didn't last, remembering what Cassie told her, "Are you sure Angel won't heal all the way?"

"Unless a miracle happens," Cassie wiped a tear away, "He'll likely be in a wheelchair for a while at the very least. We'll have to call Amanda and let her know, and get her over here, soon. We'll be at a disadvantage until then."

Feeling her rage returning, Charlie turned and walked towards the edge of the roof, her body rippling with demonic energy, "I want that thing dead, Cassie!

"Charlie! If you go after that thing in your rage, you'll lose."

Charlie growled deep, her red eyes blazed and fire sparked from her horns,"I will not lose, I will rip that thing apart!"

"Blind vengeance isn't the way, sweetie, I know I can't stop you, but you need to fight in another way."

"What other way is there? I have my claws and that thing has no idea who it's fucked with!"

"But they do, apparently. Angel says it called you the Princess of Hell! You understand what this means, Charlie? You're a target. A royal target."

"I. Don't. Care!" Charlie growled darkly.

Cassie sighed in exasperation. Charlie was too far gone and Cassie feared for her life, all life, if Charlie was killed, or worse, captured. She needed to help Charlie focus. Looking over to her dojo, she spied her BO staffs, and got an idea, "Look. You're angry, deservedly so. I'm angry, too, Charlie. But in your rage, you're going to fight blindly, and you'll make mistakes. Every mission you've been on, Angel designed the playbook, used his mind, his wits, not emotions to carry them out."

As she spoke, Cassie strode over and picked up the fallen wall and replaced it in its spot then grabbed the BO staffs, continuing, "You need to find your center and calm your soul, Charlie, and fight for something much, much greater than revenge." She turned and offered one of the staffs to Charlie, who glared at it.

"I don't need no fucking stick!"

With a sigh, Cassie dropped one staff while positioning herself into a starting stance for a workout, "You fight with claws and teeth, just as the other demon will. You want to best this thing, you need to change your style. Adapt."

Charlie flicked her tail, her claws danced in air like playing keys on a piano, her heartbeat pumped fast with anger. Pointing her staff at Charlie, Cassie let out a slow breath to center herself. She realized she wasn't getting through, "You won't go in with brains…" Charlie hissed at the perceived insult and Cassie scoffed, "That's not what I mean, sweetie, you're going to go in on pure emotion… but the wrong kind."

To prove her point, Cassie swiftly swung her staff out in a low, sweeping motion and caught Charlie's legs, taking them out from under her, and she dropped on her ass, her tail getting bent in the process, "OW! What the fuck, Cassie?"

Ignoring her angry shock, Cassie stepped past her, spinning her staff. Charlie jumped to her feet and turned to face Cassie as she turned sharply, and snapped a command, "Defend!"

Still in shock from Cassie attacking her, Charlie put her hands up in a defensive manner, which allowed Cassie to strike by thrusting the staff out and under Charlie's arm, lifting the staff up against her armpit and flipping her. Charlie crashed hard onto the rough surface of the roof, her breath knocked out of her. Cassie's voice had taken on a sharp, military tone, "Listen! You need to concentrate, focus. Right now, your rage has control, and you're blinded by your animus!"

"Fuck yes, I'm angry!" Charlie cried out, slamming her fist into the roof, putting a dent into it, while lifting herself to her hands and knees, tears burning her eyes, "You're beating me up with a stick! What the hell?"

Without a word, Cassie jerked forward and slid the staff along the roof, under Charlie and twisted it, clipping Charlie's hands, and she sprawled face-first into the roof's sandpaper texture. Charlie gasped in surprise and rolled to her side, looking at Cassie with a blend of fear and contempt. Cassie saw the look and knew she was finally getting to her. Pinning the staff down hard, she clipped Charlie's tail, which born a yelp of pain and Charlie scooted back, "Cassie!?"

Plunging the end of the BO staff into the roof, Cassie took a deep breath, her eyes were serious, yet haunted, "You've been relyin' on your demon to frighten the ones you want to annul. Now you're facin' one that is your even, so rise above, or you'll fall!"

Lunging forward, Cassie attacked again, but this time Charlie rolled away, and the staff met empty space. Using the muscles in her legs, she dug her cloven hooves into the roof's malleable surface, and jumped to her feet. As Cassie lunged yet again, Charlie concentrated, calling the other staff to her, conjuring it into her claws. As Cassie brought her staff down to strike, Charlie blocked it and pushed it away, forcing Cassie to stumble back.

"YES!" Cassie cried out, chest heaving, and she grinned, swinging again. Charlie wasn't trained or experienced, but with the BO staff, her demon strength made up some of it, and she blocked again, swiping the attack to the right and spun her body and thrust her BO out to almost catch Cassie in the ribs. She missed, since Cassie was much more experienced, but Cassie felt pride that Charlie was taking her ques.

"Hold the staff here, and here." Cassie instructed as she backpedaled to give herself space. Charlie obliged her order and gripped the BO firmly, eyes narrowing at Cassie, who continued, "Imagine it's a part of your body, both as an extension of your arms, but as a shield. BO staffs are resilient, tough, and can help deflect blows."

Cassie let go with one hand and swung hard, letting the BO slide through her fingers until the end, which she gripped, and it turned her short arm length swing into a nearly ten foot attack, which caught Charlie off guard and the end clipped her chin. Rather than scream in rage in pain, Charlie took a step back and rubbed her chin, nodding as she took the lesson face first, literally.

"If you can control your anger, Charlie," Cassie explained, "You'll be able to think through your attacks, plan the next one as you watch that fucking thing falter and stumble, and fuel yourself not with the rage of wanting to kill it. Think of Angel when you go after it. How much you love him! That you won't let yourself lose the fight, or him!"

With that, Cassie rushed forward and Charlie blocked the attack in silence, as she put all of her heart, mind, soul into listening to Cassie's instructions. Cassie was right, and Charlie was going to learn everything she could. For the next twenty minutes, the two sparred hard, rough, fast and violently but in a controlled manner. Cassie showed off different stances, techniques with the staff and as they sparred in an almost rhythmic dance, Charlie found herself becoming one with her BO staff, and began to fight back in ways that impressed Cassie.

Cassie reminded her that love was more powerful than rage, and that if she could find away to rise above and be more than that thing, she was going to fight, she might actually have a chance. Their pace quickened, with Cassie going all out and attacking Charlie with abandon, pushing Charlie to her limits, which pulled more of her demon power from her, along with that fucking itch that had been nagging at her for days! The sudden burst of pain of the itch was more than she'd even felt before, and she gasped, the distraction letting Cassie swing her BO down hard, and Charlie jumped hard into the air to avoid it. As she did, she felt something snap inside her, and the itch was gone! Closing her eyes in relief, Charlie lost herself in the moment of fresh relief until she heard a loud, surprised gasp from Cassie. Opening her eyes, she looked for Cassie, but instead she saw the horizon in front of her, which should have been impossible. Other buildings surrounded Cassie's rooftop dojo. The only way to see the skyline would be if she was…

"Charlie! Oh My God! They're beautiful!"

The sound of flapping wings pierced her ears, and she looked down, where Cassie's voice had come from, some twenty feet below her. Charlie twisted her head in shock, as bird like wings, s moved swiftly and softly behind her, the muscles in her shoulders instinctively flexing in controlled flight. The realization hit her and she dropped fast, shock having stopped the instinct until she caught herself at the last moment. Concentrating, her wings obeyed, and she landed with a soft click of her cloven hooves.

With disbelief, Charlie touched one of the wings that came forward to greet her, "I have wings!?" Realization sunk in, and she turned to Cassie with wide, surprised eyes, "I have wings!"

Cassie dropped her BO staff and came forward and reached out, tentatively touching the wing Charlie was grasping. Charlie, in genuine glee, giggled, "Cassie! I have wings!"

"They're amazing!" Cassie felt the soft feathers and noticed the sensation was like touching baby skin.

"That feels good." Charlie's voice held a sexual tinge, and Cassie raised her eyes. Charlie blushed, "They're very sensitive."

Cassie blushed as well, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

Charlie shook her head, "No, it's okay, they're new to me, too."

"You didn't know?" Cassie let her eyes drift up and down Charlie as she walked around her, taking in the sight. Three pairs of wings, very un-demon like spread out from Charlie's back. The middle wings were the largest, which she guessed had a six feet span on each side. The other two pairs, above and below, had less girth and length, but not by much.

"No!" Charlie ran her fingers through the feathery membranes, letting out a slow, soft, excited breath, the sensations both calming and exciting her, "But I've wished for them since the first night."

"They're definitely not demon wings." Cassie commented, "Are you remembering anything new?"

The sudden shift of question startled her. Charlie closed her eyes and thought, but shook her head after a moment, "No. I don't get it. My powers are growing, changing, evolving, but I can't remember anything! Why!?"

Charlie sniffed now, the excitement of her new wings smothered under the return frustration of the damned amnesia which chained her and kept her from Angel the way she dreamed.

"Maybe because of the failed summoning?" Cassie mused, "It's nothing like anything that's even been tried before. I'll look into it, later. Right now, there's something much more important to focus on."

Letting go of her wings, Charlie opened her mind and focused and felt her wings close in and wrap along her back, before a pop of vibrant light accompanied their disappearance. As she opened her eyes, she felt the itch just below the surface of her shoulders, again, but it was soft and gentle, as if freshly scratched and then it faded away. The relief of it was short-lived, as Cassie's words connected with her, and she asked "What is that?"

"You have a demon to kill!"

Charlie realized her rage had dissipated, and even the reminder did not elicit the same reaction as it would have before. It hit her, along with the repeated BO strikes, that Cassie's training had worked. In this, she was so grateful that she instinctively grabbed Cassie and embraced her.

"Charlie?"

"Thank you, Cassie!" Charlie sniffed, "You're right. I would have died if I ran off blindly. You found me, and now I am more than I have even been, before."

Cassie gripped her back quickly, before pulling away, "Listen, sweetie, when you go hunting that thing, remember it doesn't want you dead. That means you not only have the advantage of your demon and your BO or wings, but it's going to have to restrain itself. Use that. Force it to fight for its life. It'll lose control, and that's when you strike the killing blow."

"Anger it," Charlie nodded, "Make it be what I was going to be."

"Exactly! Piss it off, but don't let your own anger take control. Remember, you're not going out there for vengeance."

"I'm going out for love!" Charlie grinned, showing her sharp white teeth," My love for Angel." Looking down, Charlie bent and picked up her BO staff, "But, I do have one request."

"What is that?"

Handing the BO to Cassie, Charlie growled, but her tail swished in an almost wagging way, "I want something… sharper."

With a smile, Cassie took the BO and nodded, "I think I have just the thing."