“So where would Anne take Marina?” It was a question asked for perhaps the hundredth time in the last 15 minutes. And it seemed to be either Liesl or Heather that asked the question each time.
“For the last time, stop asking that damn question!!” Cassandra cried. She was just as worried, if not more, about Marina as everyone else was. However, Anne was Marina’s sister, so it wasn’t like she’d do anything. Just that thought in her mind made her sick. Cass quickly pushed the thought aside. She knew Anne wouldn’t be that twisted (author’s note: Oh how wrong Cass is about that).
“We don’t know where they are. Anne could’ve taken Marina anywhere that she wanted. It could be best that we just wait for them to return.” Abby said. Caitlin glanced out the window as if the answer to Anne and Marina’s whereabouts rested in the vast darkness.
We still do not know what darkness resides inside Anne, but I have the distinct feeling that it’s something much more powerful and much much older than any of us. Caitlin thought. Rhodry placed an arm around her shoulders and drew her close.
“Don’t worry, we can defeat this.” He said. Caitlin just looked at him like he was mad.
“Are you insane, Rhodry? Something so much more powerful than us resides inside Anne and we don’t even know what it is yet. How can you say we’ll defeat it?” She demanded more than asked. He blinked as if she was speaking a foreign language.
“The Guardians can’t lose, you should know that by now. With the Balance, nothing can inhibit you. You all will defeat this together, just like before.” Caitlin was fighting the urge to smack the man.
“Rhodry, the Balance is broken. The Guardian of Darkness has turned against us, thus making her an enemy. With the Balance broken, we will fall. I thought you knew that!” She exclaimed. All ears in the room were listening to their exchange now that Caitlin’s voice was rising in intensity.
“Caitlin, calm down. We can bring Anne back, I’m sure of it. Didn’t you sense that she was still in there somewhere?” Caitlin pulled herself away from him. She stood up and looked at him sternly.
“Are you a fool? There’s no bringing her back, Rhodry! The Anne we all once knew is dead and has been dead for 500 years! She’s a vampire and now something purely evil and powerful inhabits her. We can’t save her, for there’s nothing to save!” With that, Caitlin stormed out of the room. She went outside, needing some air and space.
“Is there another reason you brought me here? Or did you just bring me here to show me your memories?” Marina asked, crossing her arms.
“Maybe, maybe not. That’s for me to know and for you to find out.” Marina’s eye twitched.
“Look, I want a straight answer from you, dammit!” Marina exclaimed. Suddenly the twin vampires from earlier appeared next to Anne. Katar eyed Marina, a smirk on her face. Her tongue slid slowly across her lips.
“May I have some fun with her, mistress?” Katar asked. Anne cocked a brow at her.
“What kind of fun, Katar?” Katar grinned darkly and wryly. Anne grinned too, matching Katar’s. “I thought you only had that fun with Cestus.” Cestus was lightly stroking Katar’s chest. She placed at kiss to Katar’s neck.
“That fun is not just reserved for my sister.” Katar replied. She looked at Cestus and turned her face upwards. She planted a deep kiss to her sister’s lips. Marina shuddered and almost wanted to throw up.
Sisters shouldn’t have that kind of relationship. Marina thought. Anne looked at her.
Why not? Why can’t siblings love each other in that way?
“Because it’s just wrong!!” Marina exclaimed. Anne was suddenly directly in front of Marina again.
“Then why didn’t you resist more when I kissed you and held you as if we were lovers?” Marina growled, golden eyes almost burning.
“Because I was spellbound by your memories, you idiot!!” Anne grinned, loving Marina’s frustration. She tucked some loose hair behind Marina’s ear.
“Well then, perhaps you shouldn’t let yourself be spellbound so easily by simple memories and you shouldn’t let a simple kiss cause you this much distress. Distress is harmful to the soul.” Marina slapped Anne’s hand away from her cheek.
“Stop it! You’re my sister, Anne, nothing more!” Anne stood there, her dark eyes growing darker.
“But I am less than your sister, then?” She said after a moment of silence. “Well then, you can go back to your friends. You can tell them what kind of a sadistic demon I am, tell them how heartless I truly am, I don’t care. The only thing I care about is how I’ll kill you. If I’m less than your sister than you surely will be able to kill me if you wanted. I know I can kill you.” Anne’s voice had dropped to a dangerous tone. Fear struck Marina again as Anne seemed to dominate her. Marina inched away slightly.
“I never meant for you to take it that way.” Marina said.
“Well, you didn’t say ‘and nothing less,’ did you? Because if something’s not more, than it has to be less. What did you expect me to think? I’m not stupid Marina. I haven’t survived 500 years as a vampire for nothing.” Marina backed away more. She hated being afraid and it scared her even more that it was her own sister that was scaring her.
“I’m-”
“No. Don’t even say you’re sorry.” Anne spat, cutting Marina off. “Sorry just doesn’t cut it anymore. I haven’t gone through 500 years of pain, anguish, separation and isolation just to get someone’s sympathy.” Anne’s eyes narrowed and she snarled. Anne shot forward, grabbing onto Marina. Anne glanced back at Katar and Cestus. Have your fun some other time. I grow weary of having her around. Anne said to them. With that, Anne disappeared, Marina in tow.
Anne could sense where the Guardians were. She concealed her presence from them and appeared outside the house they were in. She let go of Marina.
“Anne, if it’s any consolation, you’re my sister and I don’t want to lose you.” Anne just scowled at Marina.
“You lost me 500 years ago when I was first made a vampire. I can never come back and you must accept that. Go back to your friends and your lover now. You can tell them exactly what they’re up against, for they still do not know what lies within me.” Marina stood there a moment, a sad look in her eyes. She knew the next time they met, they wouldn’t be meeting to talk, they’d be meeting to kill.
Marina turned and headed for the house. Anne disappeared. She sensed the Light Guardian was alone. She grinned darkly. Oh how fun this night had turned out to be.
Cass nearly smothered Marina when she walked in. The others waited until Cass backed off to greet Marina.
“Did she hurt you?” Cass asked, voice low and eyes stern. Marina shook her head.
“No.” She just didn’t tell Cass of how her sister had kissed her and probably would’ve done more had she not grown tired of having her around. Cass and Marina held each other close a few moments longer.
“I’m just glad you’re ok.” Marina smiled. The two exchanged a kiss before parting. Everyone, except Caitlin, had gathered in the living room. For a moment, images of Anne and Lantis floated in her mind. Marina pushed them aside.
“I know what darkness resides inside of Anne.” Everyone was now listening. “It’s Ceres, the First. Ceres was the angel that passed on the powers of life and darkness to me and Anne.” Everyone went still, not believing what they were hearing.
“So, it looks like we won’t be able to defeat this after all.” Rhodry said after a minute of silence.
“It seems that way. The only hope we would have would be to invoke Caitlin’s ancestor to balance Ceres’ power.” Marina said, then noticed Caitlin wasn’t here. “Where’s Caitlin?”
“She and Rhodry had an argument earlier. She went for a walk to cool off.” Anna replied.
D stopped his motorcycle. He was outside of a house. He could tell the Guardians were inside. After a few moments of sitting there, he started off again. This was neither the time nor the place to introduce himself.
Anne had returned, he knew it. He parked his motorcycle in the parking lot of an abandoned church. He then followed Anne on foot, wondering where she was going. He kept to the shadows, even though he knew she would be able to see him if she sensed him.
Caitlin walked alone, thousands of thoughts screaming through her mind. The most prominent thought was of what would happen when Anne decided to engage the Guardians in battle. Caitlin sighed and closed her eyes a moment.
What are we going to do? It seems so damned hopeless. She thought.
“Hopeless, is it? At least you realize it.” Caitlin froze in place upon hearing Anne’s voice. Caitlin slowly turned around to see Anne standing a few feet from her. A slow smile spread across Anne’s face. “How convenient that you walk alone this glorious night.”
“What did you do with Marina?” Caitlin asked. It was the first thing she could force out of her mouth.
“She’s back with the others and she’s unharmed. I only talked with her was all. I showed her what I had been up to these past 500 years.” Caitlin felt more at ease that Marina was safe. Anne cocked her head to the side. “You find comfort that I didn’t hurt Marina? Oh ye of little faith. I wouldn’t hurt my sister without just cause.”
“I find that hard to believe.” Anne’s eyes flashed darker at that comment.
“Well, it seems that this reunion party has turned out to be an unwelcoming party.” Anne crossed her arms, peering at Caitlin with dark eyes. Caitlin could feel the darkness within Anne rise to the surface. “Someone wishes to talk with you.” Anne said. Caitlin was about to ask who when suddenly Anne’s form melted into another. The woman now standing before her had waist length black hair, piercing golden eyes, pale skin and black-feathered wings. She wore the robe of the Guardian of Darkness.
“Who are you?” Caitlin asked.
“I am Ceres, the First. I am ancestor to Anne and Marina.” A slow, evil grin spread across Ceres’ face then. “A piece of information I should tell you regarding the Balance is that even though I hold the powers of Darkness, just as Anne does, your powers will not balance mine. You are not my balance. Thus I can kill you whereas Anne cannot.” Her grin spread wider and an evil gleam passed through her eyes. “However, no matter how much you want to kill me, you cannot. I have not yet died. I am still the original Fallen Angel I became almost 2,000 years ago (author’s note: I did the calculations and it adds up to 1,900 years ago. Ok, I’ll walk you through it. Go 500 years back takes you to Days of Darkness, the original story. 500 years before that takes you to Before Light, the prequel. 900 years before that takes you to Celestial Maidens. Thus, 1,900 years is the total).” Caitlin blinked, wondering how that was possible. She knew the story of the ancestors of the Guardians and all of them became mortal and died.
“How can that be? You became mortal and died!” Ceres laughed wickedly at Caitlin.
“I escaped that fate, my dear. I did leave behind a child born from the union between me and a human, but I learned how to survive. I built my own dimension, the Dimension of Darkness, in which only the Guardian of Darkness could enter. I was forced to leave my body behind long ago, for I had lost a portion of my powers to my child, thus losing some of my immortality. However, I kept my soul intact and now, within the body of my descendant, I can finally manifest. And the words I spoke so long ago to your ancestor will come to pass (author’s note: Wanna know what Ceres is talking about? Go read Celestial Maidens Chapter 2, it will all make sense).” Ceres stepped closer to Caitlin. “As a matter of fact, I know Jai is there somewhere. Each of you has a part of your ancestor within your soul.” Ceres’ eyes narrowed as she found the little sliver of Jai within Caitlin. “Jai, you coward, will you not say hello to me? You see, what I told back then was true. I am still alive and I will help the Earth die.”
But back then, you said nothing was immortal, not even God. How can you still be alive? Jai’s voice was faint in Ceres’ mind.
“Indeed nothing is immortal. But that doesn’t stop things from existing for several hundred years.” Ceres replied. “So, are you really going to hide in there the entire time like the coward you are?” Ceres crossed her arms and flexed her wings.
I’m too weak to do anything other than hide. I’m only a sliver of what I once was. I no longer have strength, Ceres.
“Ha! That’s because you became mortal. You always were the fool, Jai. I cannot wait to rip the Guardians apart. I’ll make sure to take my time with this Child of Light.” Ceres’ laughter echoed as she melted back into Anne.
“The next time we meet, the fight will begin. And I will destroy you all.” Anne said. She then disappeared, leaving Caitlin standing there, wondering what the Hell was going on.
From a rooftop, D had watched the interaction. He knew this would be tricky business. He didn’t know how well the Guardians would accept his help since he was half-vampire, but he knew somehow he had to convince them he wouldn’t hurt them. He turned and left, nothing catching his interest there anymore.