Demon

[Silvarn]

She is psychotic! I mean, the Twisted Mirror was demented, but this lady is delusional! Scorcahr whined.

Silvarn said nothing, instead focusing on keeping his shield of Twilight intact while Seline rained down blows upon it. Sparks and tendrils of red lightning flared from the shield when it struck, wisps and ripples of Twilight bleeding off from the point of impact. His mind raced as he tried to find a way to stop this madwoman, this crazed entity. Sheer power was no longer an option; the two stood at nearly level ground in terms of prowess. Logic seemed to have no effect either -- but then, when did logic ever have effect on the mad?

Then inspiration struck Silvarn with nearly the same force as Seline's whip. To combat someone this far gone, the only logical way to deal with it would be to go down to its level.

"If what you claim is true, that Raine is no longer alive, then there is nothing stopping me from destroying her former shell. You are the only reason I ever had intentions of killing Raine. Yes, for the greater good. And yes, I want to save her because I see much similarity between herself and I.

"But what of Raine and you? You chose her because the both of you feel the same pain -- of losing a loved one. Perhaps the so-called loves of your lives. Raine lives with the torment every day, and she grows stronger every day because of it. She fights it quietly, discreetly. But you. You are a petty thing. Instead of dealing with the pain, you have chosen to exact your revenge on a world you perceive to be deliberately cruel. When, in fact, it was just the turning of the world, and nothing more. It is you who have become deliberately cruel, the very thing you hated."

As another lash came down, Silvarn dismissed his shield. He held up his arm and let the the blow hit him and wrap around his arm, and he gripped the whip strongly, even as it seared and singed his flesh. "Raine is much stronger than you. Her heart, her spirit, her soul -- call it what you will -- is a fountain of infinite strength." he locked eyes with Seline, "And I admire that."

[laraine]

Seline met his eyes evenly, they narrowed in hatred.

Raine however was smiling.

"Yes, Raine is much stronger than I." Seline said, using Raine's voice. Her head lowered, a sign as if she was giving up. "No matter how many times I, or the demon tribe crushed her she always got back to her feet. I started to feel that I wouldn't be able to take her over. But everyone has a weakness and I found it, in you." She smirked and met his eyes once more, the red intensely hot. "But what has surprised me more than anything is your feelings towards this girl. I thought for sure you would kill her the instant I took over. But instead you are risking your own life to protect her. After you heard that she loved you, your attitude changed completely. She never wanted you to find out, She wanted it locked inside her until the bitter end because she knew you would be hurting too. When you had to kill her."

Her smile became deadly and flames of red energy sprung from her hand down the whip towards Silvarn.

"As I said before Silvarn, Raine is the toughest girl I have ever met, she's still fighting me on the inside. She wants her body back, and she will do anything to get it back. She's risking her own sanity to tear apart my soul so I won't hurt you anymore. It will be interesting to see the outcome, She's strong Silvarn, but by no means is she invincible."

She held up her arm to show Silvarn, Raine's body was starting to burn. "And you both are out of time."

It didn't seem that Seline had much strength left to fight, she was trying to keep Silvarn away.

"Here's a secret Silvarn, Even if Raine is killed, by me or you, I will still drag her soul into the darkest place I can think of. Because I hate you both, her for loving you and not giving up. You for trying to save her even with all the odds stacked against you. It's too late Silvarn..far too late."

[Silvarn]

Silvarn jerked his hand away, suddenly very aware of the blinding pain coursing through his body, emanating from the horrid burns on his forearm.

There does not appear to be a way out of this one. Scorcahr whined.

"Indeed not." Silvarn said through gritted teeth.

No. There had to be a way.

Admit it, Grey-Eyes. A puissant sorcerer you may be, and formidable power over the natural world, but in spiritual matters you leave much to be desired.

"This does not make sense." Silvarn muttered. There had be a way. An answer. A solution. The fundamental principles of the cosmos dictated such. At least, so far as Silvarn perceived. Yet, every path his mind sprinted down led to a dead end. Silvarn lowered his head, and his eyes stared not at the ground, but through it, his gaze stretching to the very edges of Existence. Then he whispered, to nothing and to everything, "Help me."

[laraine]

Seline was smiling wickedly at them all. Her body starting to give off steam from the intense heat.

Seline, this is enough. I won't let you have your way anymore! Raine shouted within her mind.

Oh? What do you think you can do about it little Laraine? You're weak. You let yourself become consumed by darkness. You brought this upon yourself. Seline taunted, trying to mess with Raine's mind some more.

Raine clenched her teeth and fists. She had almost completely reformed. Her long pink hair was floating as her body began to glow.

That may or may not be true. But I refuse to let you keep hurting everyone! I refuse to become the one that destroys! Raine yelled within her mind.

Is that because of what your dear Danny told you before he died? Seline sneered.

Raine's eyes widened.

Seline began to laugh wickedly. "How foolish." She said out loud. She looked up at Silvarn. "I think I just found the one piece that is holding our dear little Laraine together. I thought for sure it would be your love. But it appears I was wrong." She smiled. "Once I destroy that, She will vanish forever." She laughed and spun around. "A simple promise is so easily broken."

What are you talking about you crazy woman?! Nothing can break my promise to Danny! Nothing! I refuse to become the monster I once was.

Seline waved the whip around. "Hahahah! What do you mean Laraine? You've already broken one part of what you promised Danny. Remember? Our little trip in the lake?" She said slowly, then her voice turned dark. "You were the stupid one who tried to kill yourself."

Hands covering her mouth, Raine shook her head. She remembered. One of the promises she made Danny was that she would live.

"Even now what are you saying little Raine? You're thinking that dying to save Silvarn might solve everything, correct? You're pathetic."

Cracks began to form on her soul again at a rapid speed. She had broken her promise to Danny. She felt awful.

"Yes Raine, fall into the darkness again." Seline grinned.

Clutching at her soul, Raine was fighting the emotions. Despair, anger, hatred, self loathing. She couldn't stop them. But she could try to control them.

She shut her eyes, remembering what she heard Silvarn say. She couldn't let Seline win.

No! Stop it! I won't let you control me anymore Seline! No no no no! She screamed within her mind. She had to control this, she had to become stronger. She was weak, but she also knew if she didn't do something, she would die and everyone else would die with her.

Everyone would die...

Her eyes snapped open. That was it, If she had anything left to grasp at, it was the innocent lives that would be dragged with her.

Seline seemed to notice a change in Raine, even as the girl before her began to smile.

Raine lifted her head up, her body now glowing brightly.

"You little..." Seline scowled.

Seline your words don't hold power over me any more! Raine yelled within her mind.

"Heh...what's with that determined look Laraine? You think just because I can't break you means you won?" She grabbed Laraine's wand, transforming it into the familiar crystal bladed sword.

Raine's eyes widened. Don't.....

"Don't do it!" Raine's voice screamed from her mouth.

Seline took control again and positioned the sword before her. The blade barely was piercing Raine's red skin. She was breathing hard, the steam coming off her burning skin fizzling the air.

I have to stop her. since she realizes she can't hurt me.....she's going to try to kill my body and drag my soul with her....Why can't I do anything?!

The blade touched Raine's skin right above her heart, Seline was grinning madly.

Raine had managed to regain all her soul and was trying to shove Seline from her body. She tore at the witch's soul within her, trying to stop her.

Silvarn! Silvarn please! Stop her! Raine called within her mind, finding only a echo answering her.

"It's far too late little Raine...you will die...and I will drag you with me.." Seline smirked. "Say goodbye Silvarn, Your Raine will vanish forever.." She met Silvarn's eyes evenly as she pulled back the sword, then thrust it towards Raine's body.

Raine cried out one last time, finally able to control her body once again. "Silvarn!"

[Silvarn]

Silvarn gasped. With some emotion, if any, was uncertain -- Silvarn dismissed it as relief. They were close. Raine had finally found her strength.

"Is this our foe?" asked a voice to his right. Turning, he saw they were no longer alone. Behind him, all along the dueling sphere he had created to prevent Seline from stealing away with Raine's body, were Risks and Lockners, standing beside each other, glaring hard at Raine. No, not Raine -- Seline. "Is it, mage?" asked the Lockner Matriarch.

Silvarn nodded. "It was once the Twisted Mirror. But it is my foe, not yours. No, your foe stands before you, another forbidden mix of your bloodlines. Only, instead of bearing her burden, she became bitter and spiteful. She chose hate. Raine never gave any of you reason to think her a danger. And yet, she chose a different path; she chose hope. No, more than that. She chose,"

He looked at Seline. No, not Seline -- Raine. He could see the fire that burned in her eyes for him. Only briefly, he allowed her fires to touch the mists of his dead, grey eyes, so that she could understand that, although they shared so much in spirit, he could not accept her love, because he knew he was not Danny.

"She chose Love."

Then, a warm sensation rushed past, around, and through Silvarn, concentrating on Seline. She tensed, the final murderous glint flashing in her eyes as she began to drive the sword into their heart. Then she faltered, her focus slipping entirely. In her moment of weakness, Silvarn flashed forward, knocking the sword from her grasp. He then took her by the shoulders and brought her face close to his.

"You no longer have any power here, Seline." he snarled, drowning her will in the infinite fathoms of his dead eyes. He could feel her power begin to fade, her defenses starting to crumble.

But he knew it would be Raine who dealt the final blow.

[laraine]

Raine could feel the message he wanted to covey through his eyes. Within her mind, she smiled and closed her eyes.

I'm really...an idiot..

Seline was raging inside her, her soul now appearing before Raine, no longer having control over her body. She looked severely weakened, her soul being ripped apart from Silvarn's attack. She was enraged, her raging eyes glaring hatefully at Raine.

You little....I wont let you have your way! Give me you energy!

In a last attempt to seize control over Raine, she lunged at the pink haired girl, arms outstretched, ready to squeeze the life out of the girls soul.

Sorry Seline.... Raine whispered, meeting the being's eyes evenly.

But you lose... Energy blasted from Raine's hands and tore through Seline's fragile form. Seline was sliced in half, a look of utter surprise on her face.

Her soul was fragmenting, being torn apart.

Now...get out of my body!!!!!!!!!!! Raine screamed, using all her willpower to create a large explosion of energy. The bright white light surrounded them both and consumed Seline.

Raine suddenly fell to her knees, reigning in her power and trying to keep herself from passing out. She let out large gasps of air as she regained full control over her body. Her eyes glanced back up at Silvarn's, they were purple.

She smiled to him weakly.

Her red skin started to fade back to her normal color. She was still a bit red and had some burns from the amount of power Seline used on her body. In her eyes she gave a look that spoke volumes.

She was not angry or sad. She understood what he relayed to her with his own eyes, and she accepted it.

"Silvarn...thank you." She said gently.

[Silvarn]

All the tautness in Silvarn's frame visibly melted away. When once he held his chin high, it bobbed on his neck. His shoulders and back, usually reared in imperial condescension, now slouched. His eyes, which he usually kept wide open, fluttered and threatened to close. He breathed in a few times, grateful that he could without fearing it would be his last.

The Lockners and Risks held back at the edges of the dueling sphere, which flickered and fell away. They then divided into their respective factions, and their leaders approached the thoroughly-battered Raine. A crowd formed around Silvarn, with as many admiring faces as those showing fear.

This is the part where we leave. whined Scorcahr.

"Perhaps." Silvarn mused. He felt the air, and found no hostility. Maybe the Lockners and Risks had realized how badly their bloodfeud could lash back at them. Maybe. "Not yet." the mage said, looking in Raine's direction, "I expect she will want to say goodbye."

You hate goodbyes. Scorcahr said, matter-of-factly.

"I do. More importantly, I want to make sure she will be able to carry on by herself."

Grey-Eyes, are you actually caring about something?

"No; I am being empathetic. No one was there for me when I fell. Look at me now. The only reason I did not revert into something like Seline was because I understand the necessity of balance. I still lost much of myself in that lonely process. No, I want to ensure that Raine does not follow the path Seline and I took."

[laraine]

Raine was still trying to catch her breath as the area around them began to quiet down. The dome that trapped them had vanished. The suvivors of the witches and demons gathered around, her grandmother and grandfather from both tribes stepped before her. Even as weak as she was, Raine pulled herself up and began to stand up. Red burns littered her body, her long pink hair frayed and covered in dirt. Yet, even wounded, her eyes held the determination and light they always held.

The demons and witches weren't sure how to take this. After all, they had tried to destroy her and everything she loved.

But Raine's gaze diverted from them to Silvarn. As she looked at him, she smirked and walked towards him. A light wind kicked up, brushing bits of dirt from her hair as it gently fluttered within the grasp of the wind.

When she met his eyes she nodded. "It's okay Silvarn. I'll be fine now. I understand everything." She looked to the side. "It hurts...but this is nothing compared to everything else. It's nothing compared to the pain you probably have experienced. "

Pausing for a second, she thought about what next to say. "Thank you, for saving me. It really was something I didn't expect from you. Anyway, I wont keep you for much longer okay?" she waved a bit to him, still grinning. She knew it was the only defense she had. Her cheerfulness and smile. She would become alone again. It hurt, but she knew she would have to figure out how to manage the pain. She did not want to depend on anyone anymore.

"Well Silvarn, if you ever need any help. You know where to find me. I'd like to stick around more and help defeating your enemy as a thank you. But I know you'd probably be against it correct?" she tilted her head to the side and nodded. "Still I was glad I met you and your little demon pal of course. Hear me little demon? Thanks for saving me!"

She turned from them both suddenly, her back to them. She refused to show them her slightly sad face. "Anyway..I guess this is, goodbye." Even facing away from them, she smiled a bit sadly. "Dont die okay? Cause..I'd be sad if you did. "

Oh man what am I saying? I'm such a idiot...

[Silvarn]

"Just like that? Goodbye?"

And here was I, thinking you wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. Scorcahr sneered.

"We cannot be certain that she will be kept safe." Silvarn counted, his eyes growing distant.

Whatever bee was in the Lockners' and Risks' bonnet is gone now. I do not think they will be coming after her again. At least, not for that reason. They could just want her dead for sport. I doubt their little bloodfeud will be done and over with, but then you never know what stupid decisions creatures will make in the wake of a near cataclysm.

"Raine." said Silvarn, his eyes snapping back into focus, "You are the daughter of two bloodlines. It is up to you to unite them and bring peace to the Lockners and Risks." he cast sidelong, intimidating glances at the wiccans and demons. They shifted uneasily under his gaze, but did not look at him with animosity, nor their longtime rivals.

"Where I am heading, none can follow. The Twisted Mirror is my fight. He is my dark reflection, if you will. If Echoes of Darkness Reach ever shows his mask around here, you are more than welcome to destroy him. But the Twisted Mirror is mine. You must understand, if any were to defeat him but me --" he hesitated, real concern cracking his mask of apathy, "it would leave a void within me that I could never fill. That is why I cannot have anyone travel with me, at the risk of them accidentally or intentionally defeating the Twisted Mirror in my stead. It is my Seline, in a sense. Please understand, Raine."

The two looked silently at each other, as if quietly recounting their adventures together. Silvarn tore his face away from Raine to hide the smile suddenly sprouting there. "For what it is worth, however, you would be a valuable companion. But you are needed here, and the Twisted Mirror still walks the paths of Valear." he looked at her again, a ghost of that smile playing at the corners of his pale lips. The smiled faded and his cold grey eyes took on a metallic hardness, "So I must go."

He gave her a slow bow, bending no farther than his shoulders, then turned to leave. Before he could begin, though, he stopped, poised tensely. Then he relaxed and looked back at Raine, "Oh, and Scorcahr says he does not want your thanks. And he wants to remind you that Samuel is somewhere around here. Now that I think of it, whatever did happen to Samuel?"

He gave her one, last meaningful look, saying "Goodbye, Raine." He dropped his eyes before anyone could see the melancholy glint in them. He then continued on his way, fading into the midmorning mists.

[laraine]

Raine watched him leave, only when did he vanish from her sight did a tear slide down her face. She let out a shaky laugh and wiped away the tear, not wanting anyone to see her in pain. She would leave the crying for later when she was alone. She refused to let her family see her cry.

"C'mon Raine your strong. It's just like it was before. It will be okay." She said to herself with a small smile. She would miss him though, she started to turn around, when she looked back once more at the empty space. "I did love you.." she whispered, then looked at the Lockners and Risks, sighing slightly.

"This will take a while."

A person in the shadows smirked. His chopped pink hair and red eyes staring at Raine. He slowly moved from the tree he was hiding behind and crept up to her.

In one motion, Raine pulled her wand, transformed it into a sword and swung it around behind her, slicing the air where his head once was. Luckily he had ducked just in time to avoid his head being chopped off. She glared at the intruder harshly.

Rusty jumped a bit away and smirked. "I see your as quick as ever."

She grit her teeth. "Why are you still alive?"

"It's funny really, I thought for sure you would kill me instantly, yet your aim was a bit off." Rusty said with a smirk.

"I am still very angry with you. You killed Danny!" Raine took a threatening step towards him.

He shrugged. "Hmph, all that hard work. It seems that mage made a mistake letting you live. Going to turn back on your love so quickly?"

She stared at him, then put her sword away. "Hmph. I refuse to be like Seline , that I will tell you. However, that still doesn't mean I will ever forgive you for what you done. I may one day try to kill you...even if you are my half brother."

"Ha ha I love it." Rusty grinned and stared at her. "Oh don't worry dear sister. My plans aren't finished yet. I will rule the demons one day. Of that you can be sure. So we may find ourselves enemies once more. I will give you another reason for wanting me dead, count on it." He vanished with a laugh.

Raine grit her teeth and then sighed. While the big battle between herself had been finished. It seemed as if things would only get more complicated.

"Oh well..Now onto.." She turned back around to see the Lockners and Risk's glaring harshly at each other, slowly holding up their weapons and pointing them at each other.

Raine put her hand against her head. "I really don't want to do this..."

The end...for now...