Chapter 6 - Pain

Location: Tokyo, Japan. 
Time: AD: 2030 27 February 06:34


	Rally looked blankly at the report that she held in her hand. She could not except the words that were printed on 
the page, she had even read them again to see if they would magically change - they hadn't. She pulled back her chair, and 
in numbed shock got to her feet. The bit of paper slid from her nerveless fingers and glided gently down to the floor. The 
passing lights of a commercial advertising flyer briefly illuminated the dark room making the words on the hastily written 
fax standout.

		DATE:		26-02-2030
		ATTN OF:	Rally Cheyenne, (Commander)
		DEPARTMENT:	JSF (Unit 002-NE-01)
		FROM:		Chris Sickler, Chief Correspondent JNN America.
	
		SUBJECT:	Lt. Alexandra Shadow, JSF (Service No: 002-NE-01-000004) MIA

		MESSAGE:
	
		Rally,
	
		Christ, I don't know how to put this any other way, so I will just say it straight - Lt. Alexandra Shadow 
is dead. She was killed while fighting a group of Lucifer Hawks at the Japanese Embassy. Her partner, 
Yuki Saiko is still alive, but in a critical condition. I don't know anymore than that at this time. When I 
get anymore information whatsoever I will ring you. I'm going to the hospital
	
		I'm so sorry,

		Your old friend
	
		Chris. 
	
The words were swallowed by the darkness again as the flyer passed by.
	"Alex..." Rally whispered as sobs slowly wracked her body. First Katsumi, and now Alex... How many? How 
many children would she have to sacrifice to keep this world safe... 
	"Alex... Katsumi..." she cried soft bitter tears. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

	Gar whimpered, as it felt for a moment the panic and pain of it's Mistress as she was taken from this realm. Its 
ever-present link with her, stretched, frayed, and finally broke.
	"GAR!" the imp hissed with anger and rage. Its eyes flared with hatred at those creatures which had dared to 
hurt it's Chosen. The temperature in the venting duck where the imp had made its home shot up as the demon vented its 
anger, enough to allow it to think. Gar knew that its Mistress was still alive. Hurt yes, in pain yes, but still alive. The fact 
that its link to her had been broken meant that she had been taken from this Material Plane into another. Gar had to find 
out what plane that was, and where on that plane Mistress was being held. Then and only then, could Gar find her. Then 
and only then could Gar save her. However, to find Mistress, Gar would need help. It would need more than help, it would 
need POWERFUL help.
	Gar hissed with hate and fear. It would need a being whose power spanned dimensions. It would need a power 
that was capable of finding its Chosen wherever she was... In short, it needed a God. Gar shuddered, only SHE might been 
willing to help. Only SHE might be willing to find and save Mistress, SHE had always had a weakness for red heads...


Location: London, England. 
Time: AD: 2030 26 February 22:34


	"Excuse Miss?" the waiter said as he placed the coffee and biscuits down on the table next to the young 
woman. "Will that be all?" he asked.
	"Yes, thank you," the red head looked up at him and smiled. "Would you please charge it to my room bill... 
Ahh?" She fiddled around for a moment and then gave him the key.
	"Room 1532. Of course, Miss."
	"Thank you," the girl said as the waiter walked off.
	"Well, that was a pleasant evening. Thanks for inviting me, but are you really sure you want to pay for all or it. I 
will be?"
	The red head turned to companion and waved her hand with a dismissive motion. "Don't be silly Kelly. Its only 
money?"
	The brunette sighed, "I sure wish I could talk like that, but this little holiday has just about left me bone dry. I'm 
only grateful that you were able to get me such a good deal at this hotel. By the way, how did you manage to talk that rep 
around? He was?"
	The red head laughed and fluttered her lashes in a provocative way. "I used my feminine charms of him, of 
course!"
	"Ha! I thought I had tried that, may be he prefers red heads."
	The red head smiled. "May be?"
	"So," the brunette said. "Were you able to find those friends you were looking for? A three year gap is quite a 
while to be out of touch."
	"No," the red head sighed as she began on her coffee. "The trail was a non-starter. I went to the last address that 
I had for them and found that they had moved well over 2 years ago. The guy living there had no idea where they were 
now? Oh well? I suppose that's the price you pay for letting contacts lapse... Enough about me however, how was your 
day? Did you do any sightseeing?"
	"Oh yes!" the brunette sat up excitedly. "I spent most of the day doing the tour that the hotel clerk recommended 
this morning. It was so cheap!"
	"So where did it go?"
	"Oh, all the major sites - Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, etc. I was really surprised at how much ground you can 
cover in one day? Sam? Is something the matter?"
	"What?" the red head said. "Oh, sorry I'm just tired that's all. I've been walking most of today, and it wears you 
out."
	"And here I am babbling on like a school girl. Sorry Sam, I should not have kept you waiting earlier."
	"Forget it. Hey? what's going on there?" The red head looked over the brunettes' shoulder to a scene in the 
hotel lobby that caught her eye.
	"Where?" The brunette swivelled her look at what the red head was talking about.
	In the lobby, two individuals seemed to be arguing about something. One of them, a brunette, seemed to be very 
upset about something. An older woman was trying to either console her or calm her down. By the looks of it they were 
trying to checkout in a bit of a panic.
	"Weird," Kelly said as she turned back to the red head. "Looks like they're upset about something, I wonder 
what?"
	"Yes?" the red head said with a curious expression. "I wonder what?"
	"They're leaving," Kelly commented as she watched the two, who had been joined by several other official 
looking men, rush out the main doors. 
	"I don't suppose we will ever know," the red head said with a crooked smile.
	"No?" Kelly reached over and picked up a biscuit. She nibbled on it for a moment as she watched her fair 
skinned companion. She had been mulling how to put this nearly all week, ever since the two had met in the queue at 
Heathrow. Tonight was the red head's last day in London, so if she was going to do it?
	"Sam?" she said in a tight voice.
	"Hmmm?"
	"Do? Do you mind if I ask you? well, a personal question?"
	"Personal question?" The red head put her coffee down. "That sounds serious?"
	"Well?" Kelly swallowed. "Don't take insult at this but?"
	"What? Come on Kelly, spit it out."
	Kelly moved her hand and gently rested it on the others. "Will you sleep with me tonight?"
	The red head blushed and looked away.
	"Oh," Kelly said disappointed. "I'm sorry. I?"
	"It's ok," the red head said. "You just surprised me, that's all. You were right, that is a bit of a personal question, 
isn't it?"
	"Yes," Kelly began to stand up. "Look, I'm really sorry?"
	"Kelly," the red head grabbed her hand. "Don't jump to conclusions, I have not even answered you yet. I would 
love to." She tilted her head and grinned that crooked grin. "Actually, you beat me to it. I was going to ask you?"
	"Oh?" Kelly said.
	The red head put her coffee down. "Suddenly I don't feel that sleepy any more. Shall we?"
	Kelly grinned. "After you."
	The red head got up and gathered her jacket. For a moment she glanced over at the lobby where Lebia and 
Kiddy had just left in such a panic. She smiled slightly - the fun was just beginning. Her sentimentality had passed, now 
was time to get back to the heart of the story. Her smile lengthened as she glanced at form of the young human female. 
Well, time enough to get back to it after certain other? issues? were taken care of.
	She followed the young Russian out of the restaurant and towards the lifts. A final thought passed through her 
mind. Kelly was a sweet girl, the red head had to ensure that that stalker met with a fatal accident before she left in the 
morning?

	"Whats going on?" the girl asked the clerk as she peered out the hotel windows to the ambulance and police cars 
arranged out the front.
	The clerk took the girl's keys and glanced over at the drama unfolding outside. "I'm not exactly sure, Miss. 
Apparently, someone jumped from the top of the opposite building."
	"Yuck!" the girl said with a frown. "That must have been messy..."
	"Yes..." the clerk commented dryly. "How may I help you, Miss?"
	"Oh," the girl turned her attention back to the clerk. "My names Samantha De'Naime, I'd like to checkout and 
pay my bill please."
	"Certainly Miss De'Naime," the clerk sai as he began to follow the normal ritual. "I hope you enjoyed your stay 
with us?"
	"Yes," the girl said with a twinkled in her eye. "The sex I had here last night was most enjoyable."
	"That's good," the clerk continued. "How do you wish to settle your account?"
	"Ahhh..." the girl held up her hand and placed a large egg sized diamond onto the desk. "How will that do?"
	"That will do find, thank you," the clerk said as he picked up the diamond and threw it into the waste bin. 
"There you go Miss De'Naime." He handed her a receipt.
	"I hope you have a safe journey."
	"Oh," the girl said with a deadpan face. "I am sure that I will. Goodbye."
	With that "Samantha" picked up her her suitcase and walked out the front of the hotel. 
	"Taxi, Miss?" the doorman asked her.
	"No thanks."
	The doorman frowned. "Are you sure Miss? Its along walk to the tube station from here, if that's where your 
going."
	"No, I am fine thanks."
	"As the wish, Miss." The doorman gave her a funny stare and then returned to his post. 
	"Samantha" looked back at the hotel. She smiled. "Thanks Kelly," she said to no one. "That was fun. I think you 
and I will definitely be meeting again in the very near future." With that thought in mind, she picked up the small case and 
vanished.
	The doorman looked up from this paper and frowned. Where had that silly little girl gone off to? She was only 
there a moment ago... He shrugged, it wasn't any of his business. He returned to look at the paper.
	"Excuse me?" 
	"Yaaah!!" The doorman jumped in shock. He looked up and saw the girl standing there again.
	"How the..." he said.
	"Could you get me Taxi after all please. I need to get to Heathrow Airport."
	"Ah yes... Of course..." he got his pounding heart under control.
	The girl simply smiled and waited for the taxi to arrive.

	Lebia had never been a very emotional person. She was too used with dealing with programs and logic to 
explore too deeply that side of her nature, and for once she was glad. In the last 2 months she had seen the lost of two very 
dear friends. The news late last night had left her numb, but she had been able to suppress that grief. She had accepted the 
reality of this job over six months ago, when Katsumi had first vanished. Now, all she could do was to simply accept the 
loss and carry on. She would grieve for Alex, for Katsumi, for all the others when she was alone, when all this was over. 
For now however, she had to concern herself with the living.
	She looked over at Kiddy. She had taken the news much harder. Currently, the woman was simply numb and 
silent, and that had Lebia worried. Kiddy was repressing things again. It would be much later, that the rage and violence 
would explode, blindly lashing out at anyone who happened to be the target. Lebia sighed, she would have to deal with 
that when it happened, for now they had to get to the US.
	The news on Yuki had not been good. The girl had been badly injured in the devastation that had killed her 
partner. She was being kept alive only by life support systems. According to Rally, the doctors had no idea why she was 
not recovering. They had managed to repair the physical injures, but it was if the girl simply no longer had the will to live. 
Lebia suspected she knew why, and only hoped that the presence of her friends would bring to girl back from her self 
destruction.
	Lebia walked over to the EU officer and took the tickets that he had to offer. He shook hands with her and 
wishing her luck, left the two of them alone at the check in desk. Trying to convince the EU at such sort notice to let the 
two of them fly out to America, had taken a direct clearance from the British Prime Minister. He had told her bluntly that 
she would be going into dangerous waters. The American government was in chaos, their President had been also killed 
during the Lucifer Hawk assault. So far, this news had not even been told to the American Congress. He had told her that 
when the news finally did get out, that things would get very messy, very quickly. Personally, Lebia did not really care. 
She had one priority, and at the moment that was to get Yuki back from the land of the dead.
	She left Kiddy, who was still simply staring numbly about and walked over to check in desk 23. The Prime 
Minister had offered to get them a private flight out to Washington immediately the news had come in, but Lebia had 
declined. She needed time to think, and what was more still needed the company of other people. If she was to find a way 
of trying to communicate with Yuki, to draw her back, then she needed that company.
	The queue was thankfully reasonable short so Lebia hoped she would not have to wait long before they were 
checked onto the first class flight. She looked around the airport at the other passengers, the other flights, and suddenly 
had a heart attack. It took a moment for her mind to process what the hell she thought she was seeing?
	Alex had just walked into the terminal! She was standing just offside one of the main doors looking up at the 
departure boards and fiddling with her tickets and passport. Lebia felt almost like pinching herself to ensure that she was 
awake. She did, and she was. Throwing aside the logic of how and why she could have got here, Lebia threw down her 
bags and letting out a cry rushed at the girl.
	"ALEX!"
	The other girl heard the glad cry, along with other people and looked around as if trying to spot the source. Her 
expression changed to shock when she realised that the two women where bounding towards her. Everything she was 
carrying was thrown all over the place when Kiddy picked her up and hugging her twirled the two of them around.
	"Help!" the red head cried out as Kiddy shook her with happiness.
	Lebia frowned, what the heck was going on? Why did Alex look so shocked and upset? Why was she struggling 
so hard in Kiddy's grasp?
	"Alex! We all thought you were dead!" Kiddy exclaimed still twirling around, as she finally lowered the dizzy 
girl to the ground.
	"Wh..." the girl tried to stand up, and swayed.
	"Alex?" Kiddy asked. "Where the heck have you?"
	"Oh, Gods!" the red head swore. "Oh shit? I.. I think I'm going to.. BLEAA! BLEALL!"
	A stream of acidic smelling vomit flew onto the ground as the girl threw up.
	"Yaa!" Kiddy exclaimed as she jumped back from the stream.
	"Blurlll?" was the only reply, as the girl's stomach finally finished clearing itself onto what had been a nice 
clean floor.
	"Kiddy?" Lebia said, shooting her companion a glance. "That wasn't exactly a cl?"
	"Excuse me," an armed police couple suddenly interrupted. "What exactly is going on here?"
	"Mind your own business," Lebia said as she bought out and showed the officer a special security identifier. 
"This is an EU security matter - push off."
	"Wha.." the officer began, but then he spotted the ratings and authorisation on the id card. He broke off, and 
saluting smartly left.
	"Cough?" the girl finally finished and weakly raised her head to stare evilly at Kiddy. "What? What in 
heaven's name did you do that for?"
	"What do you mean? Alex?" Kiddy began.
	The other girl spat out the rest of the foul contents from her mouth and straightened up. She spotted her 
belongings that had been thrown everywhere, her documents laying on the floor, dripping in vomit, and turned very slowly 
to Kiddy.
	"^œ&^$)œ($*$œ$**œ&$!!!! You &^%$^œ%$&œ^œ!!! What the $^œ&*$^*œ$^(&œ*?"
	Lebia raised an eyebrow at some of the biologically impossible things that the girl swore at Kiddy, and at the 
stunned expression that was on Kiddy's face. This was not like the Alex she knew?
	"...*œ&?" The girl finally finished commenting on Kiddy's nature and general parentage, allowing Lebia to get 
a word in.
	"Alex! Where have you been?"
	"Alex?" the girl broke off her triad to Kiddy and looked at Lebia confusion on her face. "My name is not Alex, 
my name is Samantha, Samantha De'Naime?"
	"That's impossible!" Kiddy broke in. "Your name is Alexandra Shadow! It's me Kiddy, Kiddy Phenil?"
	"Humph!" the girl shot Kiddy another withering look. "If I had you as a friend, I would want to be someone 
else! My name is, and always has been Samantha De'Naime. I have not, and have never been called Alexandra Shadow, in 
this life."
	Lebia shook her head, it was impossible. The girl in front of her was an exact duplicate of Alex? or was she? 
Lebia looked closer. 
	"Hey, quit staring at me!" the girl said and pulled back. "Are you both? HEY!"
	Kiddy grabbed the girl's shoulders and pulled her closer. "Shut it!" she said.
	Lebia looked closer again. There were very subtle differences between the two girls. Lebia had thought that 
Alex had a white skin, but this girl was completely white. Not a freckle, or blemish of colour was anywhere. The eyes, still 
smouldering with rage were more narrow and tilted. The face was thinner, and the check bones more set back. The face 
seemed to be a far more refined version of Alex's, almost as if taking the other girl's fey looks to the extreme. The hair was 
even a darker shade of red.
	"Will you let me go! You raving maniac!" the girl swore, trying to break Kiddy's strangle hold. "You? arrrgh!" 
Her comments broke off as Kiddy twisted her head.
	"Keep your foul trap shut!" 
	"Why don't you go and? Ow!"
	"Shut it!"
	"..."
	"Kiddy, let her go," Lebia said. "She isn't Alex?" The resemblance between them was uncanny, but this 
definitely was not Alex.
	"With pleasure." Thump. The girl dropped to the floor.
	"Come on, we have a flight to catch."
	"Hey!" The girl yelled as they turned to leave. "What the bloody hell are you going to do about my stuff?"
	Kiddy turned back. "Nothing." With that she turned to joint Lebia.
	"&œ^**œ!! Right! You asked for it!!"
	"Sure?" Kiddy smiled as she walked away, waving her hand. "Whatever you?" Clunk!
	Clunk? Lebia did not like the sound of that. She turned around to see Kiddy flat out on the ground, with the 
other girl still standing where she had been. What? 
	The girl rubbed her hands together as if at a job well done, and turned to try and sort out the mess of her 
luggage.
	"Kiddy?" Lebia knelt down to her. "Hey Kiddy!"
	"?aa.." Kiddy  managed from a long way away.
	Lebia was stunned. How the hell had that girl taken out Kiddy? Her eyes shot up to look at her. The girl, seemed 
more concerned with trying to fish out the remains of her passport and other documentation from the vomit sodden floor, 
than what had happened to Kiddy. The girl swore and muttered to herself as she slowly separated bits of the sodden mess.
	"Hey you!" Lebia said, leaving Kiddy to slowly recover herself.
	"Go away?" the girl said as she backed off. "I don't want anything else to do with you nutters." 
	"What the hell did you just do to my friend?"
	"Me?" the girl smiled mischievously. "I did nothing to her."
	"I'm warning you?" Lebia threatened.
	"Do whatever you like Lebia Maverick," the girl suddenly spoke in an alien cold voice and her eyes went totally 
black. "I have better things to do than play around with children like you."
	Lebia went cold. The threat emanating from that voice was clear, and those black eyes were not human.
	"So there," the girl spoke in a normal voice again, as her now green eyes looked at Lebia.
	Lebia was too shocked at the sudden switch to register the presence of Kiddy by her.
	"That little?" Kiddy started.
	"No! Don't!" Lebia stopped Kiddy dead. "That girl is not what she appears to be. She's dangerous."
	"She just got me with a lucky?"
	"Kiddy, shut up and listen to me. That girl is dangerous! Get backup here now!"
	Kiddy noticed the earnest in Lebia's voice and slowly walked off.
	Lebia slowly watched the girl as she wiped what she could from her belongings and piled them on paper 
napkins. A cleaner had arrived by now and began to help the girl clean up the mess. The girl was being apologetic to the 
man and pointed vaguely in Lebia's direction as the two talked. Lebia did nothing to interfere, as the girl only seemed to 
do whatever she did when she was threatened.
	Kiddy returned with those two policemen that Lebia had ordered away earlier. Lebia gestured for them to raise 
their weapons and come forward. The girl noticed the raised weapons and put her hands on her hips.
	"Look," she began. "Do you have some problem with me or something? First that other idiot attacks me, and 
now you are bring the police. What have you got against me?"
	"Raise your hands, slowly," Lebia said. 
	"Or what?" the girl said with an annoyed expression. "You'll shot me?"
	"If necessary," Lebia said, as she felt increasingly worried. The girl was treating them as if they were nothing. 
You only did that when you were absolutely certain that there was no threat whatsoever. Lebia did not like the feeling of 
that.
	"Look," the girl continued. "I can just about salvage my passport, and I can reclaim my tickets. So why don't 
you just leave me alone, so I can get on my flight."
	"Arrest her," Lebia ordered the two men.
	"Go away," the girl said as if speaking to little children. "Go on, shuu.."
	The two men holstered their guns and ignoring Lebia walked off.
	"Hey!" Kiddy turned to run after them, but found that she could not move.
	"Why thank you," the girl beamed at the cleaner who had just finished retrieving and cleaning off her stuff. 
"That's very kind of you."
	"That's alright Miss," the cleaner replied with a smile. "But if you want to catch your flight I would suggest you 
had better hurry."
	"Oh!" The girl looked up at the departure boards and grabbing her stuff waved at the man. "Thanks!" 
	Lebia could only watch as the girl pushed passed her and a frozen Kiddy and rushed over to a check in desk. 
Who was this girl? Some kind of entity? She had power, that was for sure - but she wasn't acting like any entity Lebia had 
ever met. Lebia tried to move again, and found much to her relieve that she could. She needed to know who or what this 
girl was. May be it was time to try another track.
	"I'm sorry!" she called out as the girl was talking with the check in clerk.
	"What?" the girl looked around. When she saw Lebia her face fell. "Not you again!" she said.
	"Look," Lebia began. "I'm sorry for what just happened. My friend is... perhaps a bit..."
	"Crazy?" the girl finished for her. "Look, I've no hard feelings, but I have to be on my flight to Washington, or 
I'll miss my connection. I accept your apology, ok?"
	"You're going to Washington?"
	"Yes," the girl said as she weighed her still wet luggage. "Don't worry about the smell..." she commented to the 
clerk. "Its clean."
	"That's a coincidence," Lebia said. "I'm going to Washington too."
	"Coincidence?" the girl said with a laugh. "Of, course it's not a coincidence... Yes, non-smoking, and yes I am a 
vegetarian..."
	"What?" Lebia said surprised at the statement.
	"Eh?" the girl said, still distracted by the clerk.
	"You said it wasn't a coincidence? What do you mean?"
	"That it's not a coincidence of course," she looked at Lebia as if she were daft. "Don't you understand English?"
	"I..."
	"British Airways flight number 8889-AM7 is now boarding at gate 12. Would all passengers for BA flight 
number 8889-AM7 to Washington DC now procedure aboard."
	"Shit!" the girl said. "Sorry, I've got to go!" 
	She grabbed the ticket from the clerk and braking into a run left Lebia speaking to thin air.
	"..." Lebia thought. Somehow she did not think it was worth trying to stop the air flight, or this Samantha 
De'Namie from catching it. She wondered briefly why she thought that, but then shrugged her shoulders. Why bother? She 
had enough problems of her own to worthy about, without being concerned about some kid. She walked back over the 
queue, and found Kiddy standing there.
	"I saved our place," she said. "Have you thought about what we are going to do about Yuki?"
	"No..." Lebia said with a frown. "I was just thinking about... It's gone." She blinked and then answered Kiddy. 
"No, we need to think about something on the plane. May be by the time we get to Washington. I will have thought of 
something."

	Cautiously Gar entered the boundaries that marked the Spider Lady's Realm. It knew it had to be mad coming 
here, but another directive overrode that madness. It knew that the guardians of this Realm would have sensed its presence 
the moment it had crossed the boundaries. The best it could hope was that they would either ignore such a lowly creature 
as an imp, or be aware of its purpose and allow it to proceed. Gar orientated itself and headed towards the singularly 
perfect basalt pillar that marked the centre of Lloth's Realm. A few of the Daemons that still dwelt in this desolate 
landscape noticed the little imp passing near and sunk lower into the quagmire of their pits. SHE had granted this imp the 
right to travel, and to challenge that right would be suicidal.
	The path to the basalt tower was clear and without incident. From this Gar knew that indeed SHE would be 
willing to receive its request. Gar was not overly surprised by was, her obsession was known throughout the lower 
Realms. If SHE had not been as powerful and as ancient as SHE was, then others would long ago have taken advantage of 
it. None, however, were that suicidal. Even the other chaotic rulers feared HER. None knew the source of HER power of 
knowledge, but it was rumoured to have something to do with her obsession.
	Gar flew up and to the top of the immense. It could feel the power radiating from the huge throne that sat at the 
middle of the construction. The enormous figure of a dark skinned woman sat, watching the shifting darkness of her 
domain - brooding. As Gar go closer, somehow the perspectives changed. Either it got bigger or the throne and the figure 
got smaller, because when it finally landed at the front of the throne it faced someone that was the size of...
	"She is moving," the Goddess suddenly spoke. "I can feel her..." 
	Gar shuddered at the power in those simple words. The voice encompassed dimensions beyond its 
comprehension. Here was a being which could create and destroy worlds, one of the founders of the...
	"Your Mistress is hers, as are you," the Goddess glanced down at the imp. "You belong to her, but she sent you 
here... Why? Why now, after so long..."
	Gar did not dare interfere with the Goddess's musings. Hers... belong? Gar had no idea what the Goddess was 
talking about.
	"She is watching... Waiting... A choice... Whose..." the voice trailed off, as Lloth returned to her musings.
	The darkness shifted, and began to coalesce. Within that void an image was born. An image of a fathomless 
world of nothingness within which shadows and darker things moved.
	"That is the place you seek," the Goddess Demon said. "That is the place she wants you to go. That is the place 
where you will find what you seek; she will see to that. The choices she will present you with are only illusions. She 
always know, always controls..." She gestured and Gar and the cloud were gone.
	"Illusions? Beloved?" a voice spoke softly, and two warm arms wrapped themselves around her from behind. 
	Lloth went still, as a soft breath whispered in her ear. "You should know me better than that... hmm..." A tongue 
caressed her earlobe. Her heart pounding the dark Goddess turned her head. Her lover had played tricks like this before, 
teasing her with a taste of her presence. Just maybe... this time...
	Silky lips brushed the ebony face, and Lloth grazed into deep, soulful green eyes.
	"Forgive me..." the slender girl said. "I... was wrong..." She smiled, and Lloth raised a trembling hand to the 
other's. She touched flesh. 
	"Ahhh..." the dark face closed in ecstasy. "It IS you..."
	The face smiled and soft pale lips pressed down on Lloth's dark ones. The girls arms wrapped themselves tightly 
around the Goddess. Lloth was lost in bliss. She felt the dark fire at the centre of her soul, begin to fan more with life. The 
ages fell from her as she felt that small form, one again nestled in her arms.
	Finally the pale lips pulled back, and the green eyes, glazed into the black ones.
	"Will you come with me now, Beloved? Will you abandon everything that you are? Everything that you will 
ever be - and join me?"
	"Choices..." Lloth whispered.
	"Illusions..." said the girl, as she caressed the dark face. 
	"Beloved." That was the only word Lloth ever needed to say.
	"Beloved."
	The throne screamed in protest as the basalt column shattered. The sound of the explosion thundered throughout 
her dying Realm, as Lloth, Demon Goddess and survivor of 2 previous Cycles finally embraced her Choice.
 
	"Samantha" smiled to herself - it was done. She leaned back in the first class seat and let her mind wander. She 
watched with amusement the struggle of a race of mortals trying to fight off the incursion of a horde of demons. She 
almost wondered about helping them for a second, but then something else caught her attention and she moved on. Her 
feet began to tap as she listened to the last ever performance of the Priory Bard of the Trieliam Empire before he was put 
to death. What a silly custom, she thought to herself. Why do they think their Gods will make him an immortal? Their 
supposed Gods did even exist! This Bard was too good for that, "Samantha" liked his music. No, he would not die? He 
would be their God. She smiled as she interfered, now she would be able to listen to his music always. Her attention 
moved on, and she giggled as she caused a galactic empire on the brick of war to plunge into an orgy of death and 
destruction. Once she grew bored her?
	The other passengers stared oddly at the girl as she tittered to herself and smiled or frowned every now and then. 
What was she doing? Was she some kind of idiot? One of the passengers called the steward over and pointed at the girl. 
The steward nodded and walked over to where the girl still seemed to be having a good giggle at something.
	"Excuse me, Miss?" he said to the girl.
	"There's an entity coming you know," the girl said as she looked up at the steward.
	What?
	"It's name is Balzalic, Middle level, category 2," the girl continued looking out the window. "It should be here in 
a few moments?"
	"Miss? I am sorry but?"
	"Yes," the girl said with a sad expression. "I am sorry too. Balzalic is going to destroy this plane completely. 
It?"
	Suddenly the plane shuddered as if it had been struck by a great weight. The sounds of passengers screaming 
floated up the aisle as the Lucifer Hawk tore into the cabin. The steward was thrown onto the seat opposite the girl. 
	"Unfortunately," the girl continued unconcerned, "you are all going to die. Balza? Ah? Here it is..."
	The rest of her comment was lost in the screaming panic of the first class passengers as they tried to flee the 
demonic beast.
	"That won't do any good?" the girl shook her head as the bloody pieces of meat began to rain about the cabin. 
She looked down at her watch. It would be another good 5 hours before Lebia and Kiddy arrived in?
	"Hey!" She suddenly exclaimed as the demon grabbed hold of her and ripped her from her seat. Her expression 
grew annoyed as blood and ichor ruined her freshly changed clothing. 
	"Bad idea?" she warned the demon as it tried to shred the frail human form. The girl winced as the demon's 
crawls shattered against her and she was thrown to the ground.
	"I would suggest?" she began, but stopped as the demon smashed it's two huge hands into her head. She sighed 
and caught the two massive arms just before they connected.
	"Look," she tried again. "I was not planning to play?"
	"HAARRAAA!!!" The demon bit down on her head.
	"Oh, for goodness sake!" she exclaimed as the beast howled in pain. "Samantha" was annoyed, she had tried to 
be reasonable with the creature, but it was obviously too stupid? She smiled, and with a dainty movement, ripped the 
creatures arms out of its sockets.
	The entity's hideous scream filled the cabin as it reeled backwards. "Samantha" giggled as she tossed the arms 
aside.
	"Are you in pain?" she whispered. The little that was left of the cabin began to grow dark, and things began to 
move and twitter in the gloom. 
	"Ahh?" "Samantha" said with a concerned expression. "Let me help you?"
	The pilot and a few of the passengers who had made it to safety in the front of the plane, would remember the 
sounds that followed for the rest of their tortured lives. Whatever happened on the other side of the bulkhead was 
incomprehensible to their poor minds. The screams, the insane giggling and the wet tearing went on and on. They tried to 
block it out, tried to escape it, but they couldn't. The sounds echoed again and again, building towards some kind of 
unholy conclusion. The pilot flung his hands over his ears and screamed as the sounds built and built?
	"Samantha" looked down at the remains of the entity with a slightly disappointed expression. The entity's 
essence continued to die so easily. She had bought it back to life several times now, but the amusement it provided her was 
wearing thin. She sighed and let her pets have the little that remained of the creature. It was little wonder that humans were 
able to destroy these pathetic beings. They had so little staying power?
	She looked at the frozen position the plane was trapped out of time in. Damn! She must have got a bit carried 
away again? She looked around to see if any of the passengers were alive, amd her sensitive ears picked up the sound of 
insane giggling coming from the front of the cabin. She walked forward and peered towards the front cabin bulkhead. 
About 7 people were dribbling and playing with themselves contentedly, as the whispered innate things to themselves.
	"Ops?" she said to herself. She had got to carried away. She shrugged, "oh well?"
	She felt a soft caress on her face, and a faint tittering in her ear. Lovingly she stroked the small black horror that 
tittered at her.
	"No..." she said. "You can't have them."
	The thing gibbered in a disappointed tone.
	"Now, now," the girl said in a slightly stern tone. The thing tittered again, and rubbed it's head lovingly against 
her.
	"Stop that... it tickles..." the girl giggled. "Hey! Stop it..." Playfully the horror scuffed her hair, before it returned 
to the others.
	"Oh no," she wagged her finger. "You are not do that, I don't want another dead world. Now, go and amuse 
yourselves somewhere harmless. All, that is except you..." She pointed to one of the smaller blots of darkness. The others 
swirled around her playfully for a moment, before they vanished to amuse themselves with the legions of the Lords of 
Xanadu.
	"Children..." "Samantha" shook her head woefully. "Now, as for you my little one..."
	The liquid darkness pooled at her feet and eagerly await it's creators instruction.
	"Did you like that entity?" she asked it.
	"..." 
	"Good," she smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, because I want you to return to the world it came from, and play 
with them."
	"..." The blackness shivered in excited anticipation.
	"No," the girl corrected. "You can't have all of them, that would be greedy. Just enough to make them feel 
threatened. Make it very visible, you know..."
	"..." The darkness lovingly touched its Master, it knew what she meant. Enough to panic them... only.
	"Yes, that's right - your playmate will be there, but don't contact her. She is busy enough. Now go on... and 
remember, play with them only. I don't want to lose one of the main players." 
	The darkness tittered its love, and then faded. "Samantha" yawned, she was sleepy.
	"I'm sorry Miss - what was that?" the steward asked in a confused tone.
	"I asked what the problem was?" The red headed girl looked at him with a slight smile on her bright face.
	"Oh," the steward leaned forward slightly. "I'm afraid that the gentleman opposite has complained about your... 
ah.. giggling Miss."
	"Him?" the girl looked over the stewards back. "Why would he have a problem with it, he's dead."
	"What?" the steward hadn't exactly expected that answer.
	"Look," the girl said pointing to the man.
	The steward turned, and his eyes bulged. The man lay to one side with a black tongue leaning out.
	"Shit!" he rushed opposite, calling out in a panicked voice for the stewardess.
	"Samantha" looked at them as they rush about the man. She shrugged and commented brightly, "I guess he 
won't mind now." She turned her attention back to that amusing little general she had been just watching...

	Lebia and Kiddy used their diplomatic status to bypass American customs and pass straight through the airport. 
Rally had arranged for them to meet an old friend of hers, one Chris Sickler, who had been originally keeping an eye on 
the two girls who had been sent here.
	"How is Yuki?" Lebia said the moment they met up with him.
	"Unchanged," the man said as he quickly led them out of the airport. "She was badly wounded in the explosion 
and collapse of the Japanese Embassy, but those injuries are no longer life threatening..."
	"So she's going to be alright then?" Kiddy butted in. "That's what your saying, right?"
	"No," Chris shot her a glance. "She is dying, and the doctors don't know why..."
	"What?" Kiddy came to a sudden halt. "But you said..."
	"I said that physically she is out of danger, but the will to live is simply gone. She is killing herself..."
	"NO!" Kiddy suddenly grabbed the man and lifted him off his feet. "She is not dying! Yuki wouldn't kill 
herself! She is the liveliest person I know! She CAN'T die..." The voice faded into sobbing as Kiddy broke down.
	"Kiddy-san..." Lebia said gently as she embraced her friend. She lightly held the woman as Kiddy wailed out the 
loss, and hopelessness that she had been keeping bottled up within her.

	"Why have you come to the US, Miss De'Namie?" the customs officer said as he looked at the red headed 
teenager in front of him.
	"Business," the girl said brightly. "Pleasure, destruction and mayhem. Just the usual."
	"Sorry?" the officer frowned. "What was that?"
	"Business. Pleasure. Destruction and mayhem," the girl repeated slowly and in a clear voice  
	"Right," the officer said as he tapped a small button on his desk. It was going to be one of those...
	"Oh goody!" the girl exclaimed as two armed men arrived in response to the alert. "I get an escort as well, you 
are so kind!" She clapped her hands together in glee.
	The three looked at each other. Was she nuts?
	"Yes, Miss," one of the officers gently said as he took her by the arm. "We are your escort, now if you would 
like to come with us..."
	"Of course!" the girl said eagerly. "I need to get to Franklin's Hospital as soon as possible."
	"Of course, Miss..." the officers led her away.

	The journey to the specialist hospital was blocked by heavy traffic. Lebia swore as she nervously wonder what 
she could do about Yuki. If she could not find someway to bring to girl back to herself, then Yuki would die. The 
equipment now keeping her alive would slow that death, but she would die. How the hell was she to replace the girl who 
had become the centre of Yuki's obsessions? She just did not know.
	Chris swore at the sound of emergency sirens behind him. An official looking car flashed him. He and the 
vehicle in front of him pulled over to let the vehicle get past. 
	"I hate this!" Kiddy swore as she felt her anger begin to build. She had recovered from the numb state that she 
had been in and had accepted the fact that Alex was dead. She could not do anything about that, but she still might be able 
to do something for Yuki. She did not know what, but she HAD to do something... anything... She could not let another of 
her friends, of her family die!

	The doctor nodded to the security guard and opened the door to her her in. She moved over to the controls of the 
girl's medicomp and scanned the output. The readings were getting steadily worst. The girl in the life-support capsule was 
dying, no matter what the computer tried to do to stop it. The doctor reached down and began to adjust the controls.
	"Please don't," a soft voice said as a young hand grabbed her wrist. "I really don't want to have to go to the 
trouble of bringing her back to life again..."
	"What?!?" the doctor jerked back in shock as the figure of a young girl emerged from the darkness. "YOU!" she 
hissed as she saw the red head. 
	The girl tilted her head, and a crooked smile played on her face. "No, I'm not Alexandra actually. She in fact is 
simply a contrast I created, much like your Master, Reece."
	The doctor pulled her hand away and turned to face the girl. "What are you talking about? I don't know how you 
managed to escape from those entities but now..." She stood to her full height and looked hautily down at the girl, "you 
die!" She laughed and _CHANGED_.
	"Samantha" looked up with an amused expression, and waited. Seconds passed, and the woman still stood there, 
with an expectant look in her eye. Nothing happened.
	The girl giggled, and the doctor looked at her with a shocked expression. "WHAT ARE YOU?" she yelled. She 
tried again, nothing. The girl was now giggling at the mirth she felt and she smiled openly at the doctor.
	"You were saying..." she said as her face suddenly became savage. She walked very slowly towards the woman 
who seeing the insane unholy joy in the girls eyes ran for the door. "Samantha" did not stop her, after all, the hunt was part 
of the fun.
	The woman pulled at the door, her fear augmenting the mortal strength that was now only available to her. It did 
not move.
	"HELP!!" she screamed as she bashed at the door, screaming at the guard she could see. He saw her frantic 
waves and screams and gave her a friendly wave back.
	"Heheheee..." the insane giggling came from behind her, and the woman spun around. The girl was still moving 
with deliberate slowness towards her.
	"HELP ME!!" the woman screamed to someone, anyone as she ran around the room trying to escape the silent 
figure who was slowly hunting her. In desperation she ran at the life-support capsule, but was pulled back by a sudden 
hand that grasped hers.
	"Got you..." the soft voice whispered in her ear. Slowly the woman was turned around to face the THING that 
was stalking her.
	"So pretty, pretty..." the insane face whispered as a hand lifted to touch her face. The woman whimpered with 
fear and tried in desperation to reach her power, or somehow to change into her true form.
	"Reece has taste..." the voice continued as the hand continued to caress her face. "I'm so glad that my creation 
has imagination..."
	"..." the woman tried to whimper.
	"Yes..." the girl asked her unspoken question. "I DID create your Master. He has a specific purpose to play in 
my little game, and I am afraid so does this one. I can't let your kind destroy her, at least not yet..." Her expression 
changed as a dark grin lit her face. "But don't let that worry you my pretty, we can still have some fun..."
	The guard looked at the door with an annoyed glance. Why did these doctors have to scream so much. He shook 
his head and went back to reading the paper, blocking out the hideous tearing and giggling, as he checked the results of his 
bet.
	"Samantha" sighed contentedly as she turned back to look at Yuki. That had been much more fun, than that little 
entity! She so much enjoyed a stronger opponent, they clung onto life so much longer! It made bringing them back to life 
so much more fun. She looked around at the mess in the room, and frowned. That would not do! She gestured grandiosely 
and the gore-splattered room was clean again.
	She walked over to the life support capsule and looked down at Yuki. A gentle smile passed over her face. She 
could see what her creation saw in the girl. Her hands involuntarily lifted and then stopped. No! She told herself sternly. 
She had not come here for that!
	"Yuki..." she said in a low voice. "It's time to rise girl. The sun is in the sky, the birds are singing..."
	The computer beeped as it's patient suddenly made a full recovery. It scanned her and the sensor readings were 
confirmed It slowly withdrew the needles and wires that had been keeping the girl alive. It marked in her file that she was 
now ready for secondary treatment and then went offline.
	"Alex..." Yuki blinked as she slowly came back. Her eyes focused on the pale face staring down at her and she 
gave a glad cry of joy.
	"ALEX!" she shot up and wrapped her hands around her beloved and wept with the joy she felt. The other girl 
wrapped her arms around her and returned the embrace. Yuki held her love tightly as she thanked whatever Gods had 
returned her. It was only then that a strange fact clouded her mind. Alex smelt different... The clean fresh air, that the girl 
always had, was gone. The smell emanating from this Alex was... different... like... she could not place it... old blood?
	The girls hands caressed her body in a lewd way and an insane giggle made her jerk back. The girl looked at her 
with a crooked leer that froze her cold. 
	"Hello Yuki..." the girl said.
	"Wh... who..." Yuki tried to say.
	"Who am I?" the girl finished for her. "You know for a child Yuki that is a very intelligent question." The girl 
looked thoughtful. "Who am I? Well... to be honest I'm not really sure... I had a real name once, but that was an 
EXTREMELY long time ago. So who am I now. Call me Samantha, it will do."
	"Samantha..." Yuki repeated confused.
	"Where's your lover?" Samantha said. "Well, at the moment she is being to subjected to most... unpleasant 
treatment, by the entities who captured her. They are really trying hard to convince her that she is best serving them..."
	"Take me to her!" Yuki demanded, interrupting the other girl.
	"Sorry, Yuki-chan," the other girl said. "I can't do that yet. It would ruin all my plans..."
	Yuki went cold. "Your plans..." she whispered.
	"Yes," the girl replied brightly. "Do you think all this simply happened child? That Alex suddenly happened into 
your life magically. That you actually survived Katsumi's greeting? No, of course not. Everything that has happened has 
happened because I want it to. Reece, the entities, you - it all happened because of me."
	"Your insane," Yuki said.
	"By your standards, yes I probably am by now," the girl nodded. "You see Yuki-chan, I have whole Universes 
lives and die so often - that it seems like the blink of an eye. I even destroyed some of them myself, long ago when that 
sort of thing amused me. So yes I probably am insane. Why? Does it bother you?"
	Yuki cringed back from the complete honesty in the girls voice. Christ! This fool really believe that she was 
some kind of God...
	"God? Yuki-chan..." the girl smiled and shook her pale face. "No way! I am definitely not God. I have killed 
Gods, and Devils for that matter, but I am certainly not..." The girls face tilted slightly. "You don't believe a word of what 
I am saying do you Yuki-chan. How about I demonstrate it? Would that convince you..."
	Suddenly they were flying above a ruined city, a city that had been dead for centuries.
	"YAA!" Yuki screamed out in shock as she grabbed onto the girl holding her.
	"Look," the girl pointed. Yuki looked. She could see black swirling colours cris-cross the dead sky. The figures 
of things, like entities but not quite flew in joyest abandon. They flew lower over the ancient ruins, and Yuki could see 
what looked like people. They were running in mindless horror, as another of the entity like things chased after them. Yuki 
could see that it was taking great pleasure in the chase. She sobbed as the thing finally caught up with a group... The scene 
flew past as they moved on.  
	"Welcome home," the girl said gaily. "Do you like it?"
	"What??" Yuki gasped out, still trying to recover herself.
	"This is Tokyo," the girl clarified. "Or at least Tokyo as it would have been, I suppose. Or could even still be. I 
really am not yet decided..."
	"..." Yuki could only stare in horror at the figure that held her so tightly. "What... What do you mean?"
	"Oh, Yuki..." the girl sighed. "This is the Tokyo which will happen if the entities win. Of course, it's several 
hundred years into the future, but..." The girl giggled. "Unfortunately, the entities will not have much longer to enjoy it. In 
fifty years from now, a true demonic race will come here... and then..." She smiled, "things will really get interesting!"
	"What... what sort of beast are you!!?!" Yuki cringed and tried to struggle out of the others grasp.
	The girl looked hurt. "I'm not a beast Yuki-chan. If I truly were - I would have let you die in the first place. I 
saved you, I gave you Alex, and I have given your race a chance to survive. You really should be grateful, you know. You 
owe the very fact that we are meeting now to me. You belong to me Yuki, so please watch your language."
	"Be.. Belong to you?" Yuki whispered in horror.
	"Well, I did bring you back to life. So yes, you do."
	"I would kill myself first..."
	"Would you really Yuki-chan," the girl smiled. "Ok, if you want I can leave you here. I can guarantee you that 
you who would be dead within a few minutes. Of course, you would never see Alex again - but if that is your choice..."
	"No!" Yuki cried out. If there were even a hope of seeing her love again, she would do anything... even for this 
insane figure.
	"Are you sure? Yuki-chan," the girl asked. "I am a great believer in choices, when it suits me. I can leave you 
here. Alex would die, of course as a result of that, but it's your call..."
	"You bitch..." Yuki cried softly.
	"I thought as much," the girl patted her head gently. "Of cource if you hadn't then I could have simply... Whoa!" 
They suddenly had to swerve as a couple of the creatures, dove at they like some obscene hawks.
	"Ah!" the girl said excitedly. "Hold on Yuki-chan, this will get rough... No, perhaps not." The girl looked down 
at Yuki as she girl hung on to her. Samantha let out a disappointed sigh. She did not think Yuki would appreciate her 
taking the demonic creatures on personally, so she just caused them to cease to be.
	Yuki closed her eyes as she tried to block out everything that was happening. She could not take much more... 
Her body was suddenly resting back in the bed. Samantha held onto her for a moment and then regrettably let her go. She 
then stood up.
	"Lebia and Kiddy will be here shortly Yuki-chan. They will be surprised at your recovery but I am sure that you 
can think of something. I don't want to give too much of the game away, as I am not completely decided about how I want 
this to go... I will however, make you a promise - Alex will be back shortly. I have send a little something to keep the 
entities amused for a while. That will allow one of Alex's little friends to save her and bring her back here. I warn you 
however Yuki-chan, the entities have been quite... intense... in trying to convince her to help. You will need to... ah... help 
piece her back together so to speak."
	"WHAT??" Yuki gasped out. "What do you mean!?" 
	"The entities are demons child - what do you think I mean."
	"You bastard!" Yuki swore venomously. "You did this to her!! I will..."
	"Fool!" the other girl said in a voice that made Yuki want to whimper with fear. "I did nothing to her! She made 
a choice, a choice to give herself to them instead of letting you die! I would never interfere in that. I told you I take choices 
very seriously. She made her choice to save you, and now she must bear the results of that choice. I promise you this Yuki, 
she will live."
	The girl stood and to Yuki she appeared to change slightly. The figure that looked down at her was the same and 
yet was not. Cold, insane green eyes looked down at her, and the flesh was like a white corpse. The hair had a life of its 
own, and a soul draining darkness emanated from her.
	In a voice that drew its existed from places beyond imagination. The figure spoke, "we all make choices, and we 
all live with the results. Alex made hers, and you will make yours. The choice will come full circle, and on your decision 
will rest the fate of your kind. Remember these words child, as sometimes only by embracing that which you fear the most 
will you survive, and make your worst enemies your strongest allies. We will met again Yuki Saiko, before the end... We 
will met again..."
	"Yuki!" Lebia yelled as the door flew open and she and Kiddy burst into the room. Yuki was just able to blink 
before the two of them threw themselves onto her with tears of joy. Yuki hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms 
around the two of them and hugging them back. The being who called itself Samantha was gone, but her promised echoed 
through Yuki's mind. Alex was alive... and they would be together again... Her eyes closed and her hugged her friends 
tightly to her as that thought resounded throughout her mind. Chris watched the three as they silently renewed their 
friendship. He smiled and quietly left the room.
	"Yuki," Lebia said as she gently hugged the young woman. "I... I.. am so sorry about Alex... She..."
	"No," Yuki said with tears on her face. "She's not dead Lebia. She... She went with them to save me... She 
sacrificed herself.. Oh Lebia!" The girl broke down into tears and through her arms around Lebia. Lebia hugged the cry 
girl to her and whispered soothing words as the girl balled her eyes out into Lebia's shoulder. Alex not dead? Lebia did not 
know what to believe. It is possible that Yuki was right, on the other hand it was possible that the girl was just refusing to 
believe what had happened. Lebia just could not tell.
	"Yuki," she said gently to the girl. "How do you know that Alex is alive?"
	Yuki sniffed and then pulled her head up from Lebia's shoulder. "Samantha told me." 
	"Who is Samantha?" Lebia asked slight confused.
	"I don't know," Yuki replied. "Some God or something like that..."
	"A..God.." Lebia replied in a dead voice.
	"Well..." Yuki looked uncertain. "She said she wasn't but, she had to be to be able to do the things she could do. 
She said that she had bought me back to life, that she had created Alex, and given her to me. She also said that she is going 
to decide whether if we or the entities win." Yuki shuddered as she remembered that terrible future that Samantha had 
shown her. She looked up and Lebia and continued. "She showed me the future Lebia, the future that would happen in she 
let the entities win. It... it was horrible. The entities were hunting people like..."
	"Shhh," Lebia gently pushed Yuki back into the bed as the girl began to get agitated. "Tell me about it later, 
Yuki-chan. You need to get some sleep. Ok?" She ended with a forced smiled on her face.
	"But I can't Lebia," Yuki tried to resist. "Alex is coming back, Samantha promised me. She is going to need my 
help... I have to be ready. I can't sleep, not yet..."
	"Ok, Yuki-chan," Lebia continued to smile as she stroked the girl's hair. "I understand..." Unfortunately she did 
understand. Yuki, in plain and simple English, had gone over the edge. The loss of her companion, the stress of the attack, 
it must have pushed Yuki into her own world. A world where she could deny reality and simply wait for her beloved Alex 
to come home. Lebia tried to keep from crying as she gently listened to the bright hopes that Yuki had about what would 
happen when Alex finally came back. She shot a despairing glance at Kiddy. The other woman nodded and quietly left the 
room. Today had been a truly sad day for the both of them. They had lost 2 dear friends today. One to the battle that 
seemed to be trying to consume them all, and one to a despairing madness. A madness that she used to protect her from 
the reality of what had happened. Lebia could not stand it. She silently wished to whatever powers might be listening that 
this war had truly never happened, or that Gigelf had been killed before his mad dream had become a reality.
	Samantha watched with disdain as Lebia treated Yuki with a kindness that one reserved for the mentally 
incapable. Samantha actually almost respected Yuki. She had a mental strength rare in a child of her statue. Because she 
respected the child, she would ensure that whatever way the game played, Yuki at least would be happy.
	"Still playing your games are you, Lady Mischief?" an amused voice said behind her. 
	Samantha frowned and turned to face a very old "friend".
	"This is not one of your Domains, Lord AO. I may do here as I wish," she said in an annoyed tone.
	"Oh, I am not disputing your rights, Lady," the inhumanly perfect figure held up a hand. "I am merely making 
an observation. For one of your _age_, I am simply surprised by the constant amusement you seem to get out of these little 
games of yours, that's all."
	Samantha disliked the stress on the word age, but let it pass. Even though the Multiverse that had given birth to 
Ao and passed many Cycles ago, he still liked to stress the point of the age gap between them.
	"When you reach my _age_ Lord AO, you will find that there is little else to amuse oneself with."
	"You could take up a Domain, Lady. The Council would be MORE than happy to accept you."
	Samantha made a dismissive gesture. "I do not think the others would appreciate my, ah, unique style of 
approach to that. I prefer to remain an independent."
	"That may be fine for me, my Lady, but others on the Council do not share my views. They view your unique 
style as a threat to the stability that we have long tried to maintain. Some of your, ah, impulsive decisions have caused 
consequences, that the Council have had to expend great effort in correcting. In short Lady, many on the Council have 
come to regard you not an as independent, but as a threat that must be curbed."  
	"Do they?" Samantha said in a dangerous tone that made AO wince. "Tell me, _old_ friend, is this a social call, 
or..."
	"Lady," he said in a placating tone. "Only I and a few of the oldest on the Council know what you are, and what 
you are capable of doing, but you are only one. The Council are very many, and nearly all of them are too young to have 
ever seen your true power. All they know about you is your unstable nature, and the few tales that we tell to them of you. 
In short Lady..."
	"In short AO, they don't fear me," Samantha finished for him. "I have been quiet too long, and because of this, I 
am now just a old nanny which needs to be controlled."
	"No Lady! Of course not!" AO quickly said. He did not like they way this was going. "The Council still respect 
your independence, and fear you. They simply think that you need to be... more moderate in some of your actions, that's 
all."
	"Moderate?" Samantha said with a humourless smile. "What do they think I have been doing? One of the 
reasons that I play these little games AO is that it keeps me _moderate_, otherwise my attention would become involved in 
other - larger games. I do not think that the Council would appreciate that."
	"And we appreciate that my Lady, please we really do..."
	"We?" Samantha questioned him. "And just how many are we?"
	AO tried a different attack. "Lady, you and I have known each other for a very long time haven't we?"
	Samantha nodded her head in acceptance of that.
	"And I have never asked anything of you before have I? Never taken advantage of you?"
	Samantha again had to concede that. She respected AO, truly respected him in fact.
	"Then please let me ask something of you now. Respect the Council's wishes in this. I would TRULY hate to 
think what would happen in you and the Council went to war about this. The results... well, they would be unimaginable. 
We don't want a repeat of what originally led to the Council being formed. I... could not face THAT..."
	Samantha paused as she recalled those events. Although she had had nothing to do with what had happened 
until the very end, even she had been hard pressed to stem the flow of what could have truly happened as a result.
	"No..." Samantha said quietly. "Even I do not want to see those events repeated..." Still AO and the few others 
that had survived did not really understand what those consequences would have been.
	AO, aware that she was giving ground continued. "Then please, please accept the Councils request. For my 
sake, as well as the sake of avoiding what we both would hate to see what happened."
	Samantha disliked, extremely, being backed into a corner, but the other consequences were something she hated 
even more. She took a deep breath. "Speak them." 
	AO sighed with relief, the first hurdle was over. Now he had to tackle the second one.
	"The Council, humbly requests 3 things of you. The..."
	"Three things?" Samantha said coldly. "They are being brave..."
	"The first," AO tried to ignore the tone and continued. "Is that adhere to the policies and tenements of the 
Council..."
	"Interesting request..."
	"The second request is that you, ah, swear to the oath of the Council..."
	"Fascinating, they want me to obey them. Like a trained pet. Do go on, AO..."
	If AO was a truly like the figure he had chosen to wear, he could be heavily sweating at this point.
	"Thirdly, that you... that you... withdraw from becoming involved in affairs which the Council... deem to be... 
too vital... for individual actions. Those are all my Lady. If you accept these terms then the Council will be more than 
happy to..."
	"No."
	AO stopped, and his shoulders slumped. He knew that tone.
	"I am sorry AO," Samantha looked at him. "I have been my own master for too long to start bowing to a pack of 
children now. Especially a pack of children, who think they know better than me the consequences of my own actions. For 
the sake of our friendship, I will respect the Councils judgement in those affairs where I think it is appropriate. I can't 
however, and will not bow to their authority. I was concerned with affairs beyond the Councils understanding when their 
predecessors were little more than childish Gods playing with forces they did not control. Do they think that they can tell 
ME how I should behave? That I am UNAWARE of the consequences of my actions? I many act... impulsively at times... 
but NOTHING I have ever done will cause the damage that they think it will. Indeed, I have had to correct some of the 
mistakes that they have made in the past. They will have to be happy with that."
	"I fear they will not be Lady," AO said quietly. "They view you as a force out of control. They think that they 
can apply that control."
	"Then they are welcome to try," Samantha said simply. "But I warn you, any action which they take against me, 
WILL be met. If I have to _re-educate_ the Council in their approach to me then I will. I hope, sincerely that it does not 
come to that but..."
	"Lady..." AO tried.
	"What do they want me to do AO?" Samantha said coldly. "I have deliberately kept my attentions to places 
outside of the Council's Domains. I have kept my attentions to these games you call them, and kept generally out of the 
Councils way. This is still not enough for them. What for example do they fear about my current games, this one for 
example."
	"Ah.. This game as you call it, is being played on territory which will some fall into Lord Helms Domain. He 
has plans of his own, which... conflict which what you are doing..."
	"So," Samantha folded her arms. "Lord Helm, wishes to expand his Domain, and I got here first. Well he is 
welcome to challenge me for its ownership if he wants. I may not be a member of the Council, but I have always respected 
its rules..."
	"Lord Helm," AO said. "Would never dream of challenging you Lady. He..."
	"Is too scared?" Samantha said with a smile.
	"No," AO finished. "Lord Helm is quite content to wait until you move on. But as he has pointed out, your 
actions, will take time to reverse. Time in which the Council will have to wait until they can implement their own plans. 
Lord Helm is not the one challenging you Lady..."
	"So, I am too much of an inconvenience to the Councils own plans. Too much of an unstable element. I think I 
understand Lord AO."
	Lord AO bowed his head in defeat. Once she had made up her mind nothing would change it, even for him, she 
would not change it. He turned and began to leave when she stopped him.
	"I did not tell you to leave AO. I have a message for the Council. Tell me Lord, you are still Second Speaker are 
you not?" Her voice was cold and her eyes were glittering in a way AO had never seen.
	"Yes, Lady you know..."
	Samantha's eyes grew dark and then black. Human's said that the eyes were the mirrors of the soul. What AO 
saw in the deeps of those eyes them drove him to his knees. He tried desperately to summon his power, to shield himself 
from the UTTER nothingness at the centre of those eyes. He only faintly registered the gathering darkness and the tittering 
as things to alien for even him to comprehend. Images of Cycles of their friendship passed through his mind. He could not 
comprehend...
	"Good..." Samantha whispered with a slight smile on her pale face. The tittering darkness caressed AO 
playfully. "Then you will be the perfect message..." 
	AO did not even have time ask why, as her minions struck. 
	Samantha watched dispassionately as the darkness feasted on the ancient being. Her thoughts were elsewhere, 
and a savage grin crossed her face as she decided the best way of _reminding_ the Council just WHO she was. All out war 
was a messy and inconvenient option. The consequences would be... dangerous, and yet she had to make an impression 
that would show them how DISPLEASED she was.
	Her essence reached out and CALLED to children she had not summoned in... time had no meaning for the 
concept of how long. They slumbered in the ancient debris and ruins of pass Cycles. Creatures whose lust for the 
WARMTH of the LIVING Multiverse could never be filled. Creature who reawakened with great joy at the summoning 
of their beloved Mistress.
	**IS IT FINALLY TIME??** They voiceless asked her, as their hunger gnawed at the centre of their beings.
	She did not bother answering, but simply showed them the bright LIVING Domains of those who had DARED 
to question her intentions.
	**FEED** was the simple instruction she sent them.
	Samantha looked at her minions finally finished with what once had been Lord AO. She almost felt regret that 
their friendship had had to end in this way, but at least she had spared him the fate of his companions. She smiled, he was 
her friend after all. When the few Council members who she would let survive her sneak attack, received this message... 
Then they would be educated. Then they would understand.

	Gar hid itself as best it could as it pushed itself ever onward to the place where it could feel the pain and panic of 
its Mistress. It felt almost driven insane by the need to reach its Mistress as quick as possible and the need to get there 
undetected. The realisation of WHAT they were doing to its beloved, was tearing the little demon apart. If it had a soul or 
a heart, they would have broken. All it had was rage and hate, feelings that were building to a point that would have done 
even Lloth proud. It had shut the pain of the torment being inflicted on it Mistress out of its link with her and had simply 
concentrated on how it ways to find and rescue her.
	While hiding, Gar had noticed the strange behaviour of these Lucifer Hawks. Gar did not know about normal 
activity for them, but it seemed that they were almost... well... panicking. Gar could explain it no other way. All the ones 
he had come across so far had been looking as if they had been fleeing, aiming for the same place. Gar could not explain 
if, but it could detect almost the taste of fear, on the essence of this place. Something was happening, something that made 
these demons very much afraid. The only thing that Gar could think that made demons scared was the presence of other 
MUCH stronger demons. Much stronger demons who enjoyed shredding little ones. Gar had seen it many times before, 
and for some reason it thought that was what was happening here. Something very powerful was attacking the entities, and 
they were running like scared children. What it was Gar did not know, nor could it tell. It only meant one thing to the imp, 
a chance to rescue its Mistress. 
	Gar waited for the latest of the entities that it had seen rush past, and then leaving its hiding place sped onwards. 
Singly the imp could probably take on one or two of the beasts it had seen so far, but Gar did not want to warn the Masters 
of this Realm, that the imp was here. The spells which Gar had used to shield its presence from them would certainly fail, 
if it had to fight. Gar preferred to do that only when it was in range of its Mistress. Hit and run that was what Gar often 
regarded as the best strategy. 
	Faster, faster, ever onwards, aim for the goal. Gar kept the rhythm in its mind and with magic and its wings it 
sped through the Realm that Lloth had sent it. Past entities the imp speed, invisible to their senses as the imp had now 
adapted to the power of this land. The imp could feel the dark despair of its Mistress, the pain as it got closer. It had to 
close out that intensification of the pain and despair and locate its beloved. It looked out into the shifting darkness, the pain 
was became like a beacon, a way of detecting her presence. Its head turned one way and the next detecting which source 
was strongest. The closer it got, the more difficult for Gar this became. The pain and despair resonated through everything, 
and the closer it gone, the stronger it became. However, the numbers of entities were increasing and they were all 
streaking in the same general direction. They were heading for the heart of this Realm, of that Gar was sure. They were 
fleeing whatever was attacking and seeking the protection at the Nexus of this land. Gar knew that is where it would find 
Mistress.
	Gar spotted a fresh group of entities rushing past, and Gar flew after them. The little imp had an effort to keep 
up with the bigger beasts, but it was an effort it had to make. The beasts flew into the darkness, sure of the path that they 
took and Gar followed them. It could sense, and increase in the power around it, and used this power to strengthen itself. 
They were rushing towards a darkness within the shifting darkness. Gar knew at last that it had reached the place that it 
sought. Somewhere in that darkness would be the Mistress. Gar halted and let the entities it had been following vanish into 
that seething blackness. It opened itself to the link again and PAIN, PAIN!!! Gar almost shrieked as waves of agony and 
despair overwhelmed it. PAIN! FEAR!! YUKI!!! Gar could not control it, the transmission of the link almost blew its...
	BROTHER! I COME!!
	Gar was suddenly alone again, the link with its Mistress had been closed. The imp almost wept with both relief 
and fear. How could its precious one be suffering like that! How could she still be alive...
	...Brother.. I am here...
	The imp was shocked. What had said that? What was...
	...Fear me not little brother... I am here... I will help you...
	Who are you? Gar sent. It could see and sense nothing.
	...Of the Mistress as are you...
	Alex?
	...Hahaha... No brother... THE Mistress... Creator...
	I have only one Mistress! Gar send indignantly.
	...As do we all brother... You and the child you seek to save are both of the Mistress... That is why I help...
	Help?
	...Yes little one... Mistress commanded me not to tell the other... but I feel her pain... feel your pain... Mistress 
understand... I help...
	Where are you? Who are you?
	...Questions... brother... we are of Mistress... Serve Mistress... That is all that matters...
	Gar gave up, it had to help Mistress...
	...Agreed... Help Mistress... Serve Mistress... Help you... Go into the Nexus... I protect...

	Samantha looked up and smiled to herself. Children... she thought. 
	"Excuse me Miss, here is your order..." the waitress put the tray down and flashed her an inviting smile.
	Samantha smiled back with a rueful expression. "Thank you," she said. "But I am waiting for someone."
	"Oh," the waitress said with a flick of her hair. "Shame..." and went off.
	"Children..." Samantha said again with that same rueful smile. That smile brighten when she saw the figure of 
Kelly across the street, shopping unawares. "What do you do with them..."

	Whatever the thing was that was helping Gar, it did not care. It had one objective - Mistress. Gar and whatever it 
was entered the darkness and very carefully Gar opened the link slightly. The intensity of the pain was overwhelming but 
Gar was able to control it. Centring on the source, Gar followed. The darkness was intense, and Gar had to use magic to 
detect where it was going. However, soon even that failed. The darkness was so intense that something could be seen or 
detected.
	...Brother... Follow me...
	Gar felt something like frozen liquid gently wrap around its arm and pull it along. Gar could do little more than 
follow where the thing led it. The two of them twisted and turned for what seemed time without end. If Gar had been lost 
before it was completely lost now. It did...
	"YAYAAAA!!! No!!"
	Gar stopped. "Mistress..." it hissed with cold rage.
	"YAAAA!!! YUKIIIIII!!!!!!!!"
	...Brother... You must save sister... I take care of prey... They learn what mean attack children of Mistress... Go...
	With that the presence was gone.
	"NOOOOO!!! STOPP!!"
	Gar needed no other words. It screamed a defiant attack and sprang into the darkness. An entity hissed in 
surprise at the sudden appearance of the imp and sprang to attack it. Gar evaded it with ease and free now to use all its 
magic caused the entity to explode with a flash of orange flame. The fire lit up the darkness like a torch and Gar could see 
with horror that it was in the middle of a huge black chamber with literally hundreds of nightmarish forms surrounding it. 
Some of the wriggled, some of the oozed and some of them were beyond Gars ability to describe. However, one figure 
stood out. In the middle of the chamber, sprawled naked on the ground, the bedraggled form of its beloved Mistress. Gar's 
evil little heart almost broke when it saw what these demon had done to its little one. The once smooth flesh, was torn and 
crawled almost beyond recognition. Her hands looked to have been broken, as had her nose. One of those of those so 
bright eyes that Gar remember was ruined and looked like it had been pulled from its socket. Gar did not comprehend 
anything else. Its eyes blazed red and it threw itself with avengeance at the nearest of the Lucifer Hawks rushing to attack 
it.
	BROTHER! a cold voice blasted through Gars mind and the nearest of the entities was shredded with a 
viciousness which shocked even Gar.
	SAVE YOUR COMPANION! THESE TOYS ARE MINE...
	The entities rushing to attack Gar were suddenly trying to flee as _something_ began slowly to shred them, very 
slowly and with great pleasure.

	"Sam!" Kelly wrapped her arms around the other girl and gave her a kiss. "What are you doing here!"
	Samantha smiled, "I came back for seconds silly."
	"Seconds? Wha... Oh," Kelly blushed a pretty red as Sam's meaning became clearer.
	"Hohoho!" Sam said as she rubbed her hands together in glee. "I did not know you were such an innocent."
	"No," Kelly smiled recovering herself. "It's just... I am not usually so blantly asked like that."
	"The voice of experience?" Sam asked her with a raised eyebrow, and Kelly went even more red.
	"You really are an innocent aren't you?" Sam said with a surprised voice. 
	Kelly turned her head away and pointed to the store she had just been in. "Come on, I'm buying..."
	Sam smiled and stood up, and she said "remember, play with them only."
	Kelly turned back and frowned. "What did you just say?"
	"Nothing," Samantha said as she threw down some money on the table of the caf‚, and with a wink at the 
waitress left with Kelly to indulge.
	
	...Yes Mistress... I understand...
	The shredding of entities by the dozen slowed down as the darkness let them pass unopposed, but it had 
achieved enough to create the panic it needed. Gar had gotten over to what remained of its once bright Mistress. 
Fortunately, with the panic, the spell that the demons had used to keep the girl from falling unconscious had been broken 
and she had fainted dead away. Gar, horrified at her wounds was only glad that she had. The imp did not really know what 
to do. It could sense that her power was trying valiantly to heal the horrific wounds which had been inflicted on her, and 
by the look of the half healed state of some of the injuries the entities had been taking advantage of this. Gar could only 
very slowly pull the girl to it. It magically caused itself to grow to a large enough size where it could hold the girl. Gar 
concentrated and caused a blinkhole to be torn from this reality into a place of possible safety. Gar knew it did not have 
the strength to return them to the girl's world, but at least it could get them away from here.
	...Brother.. I stay here... Go safely and swiftly... The Mistress keep you safe...
	With that almost ritualistic statement, the whatever went back to amusing itself with five huge entities.
	Gar jumped into the blickhole and with Alex clutched tightly to him the two of them were gone.
	The darkness shivered in joy as Mistress gave it express permission to remove these five slowly from existence. 
As Mistress had said, the price to crossing the Shadowkin always had to be paid back with interest.

	The other end of the blinkhole spat Gar and its precious cargo out onto a rockstrune surface, before it collapsed 
and vanished. Gar protectively tried to absorb as much of the impact as it could, but the Alex still screamed in pain as half 
healed wounds were torn open again. Gar scrambled to its feet and as gently as it could laid the unconscious girl down on 
the ground. Gar backed away and for the first time the imp was able to see what the entities had truly done to its beloved.
	The face was a ruin. The eye that had been pulled out its socket still partially hung from the infected socket. The 
nose was little more than a bloodied pulp, and the swelling and impacted side of her left face suggested crushed 
cheekbones. Gar had to steel itself as it inspected the rest of its Mistress. Generally, she had been crawled and gashed. The 
severity of these wounds was not as bad as Gar had first thought. Her power was obviously working hardest to heal these 
as a priority. The hands and fingers had been systematically broken, but again these were healing. Gar hated what it knew 
it hand to do next but it knew it had too. The bones had to be broken and reset, so that they would heal straight. The eye 
had to be fully removed... 
	"Get away from her, Demonspawn!" a lilting voice suddenly exclaimed.
	Gar, so intent on its Mistress almost died as a glowing sword struck at the rock where it had been sitting. It was 
saved only by instincts learnt over hundreds of years and teleported a moment just before the magical weapon struck.
	"Shisho!" the armoured figure swore as the demon vanished. It bought its weapon up and circled around trying 
to spot wherever the demon had vanished too.
	Gar reappeared directly under the legs of the armoured figure and immediately attacked. The figure tripped and 
fell to the ground with a curse. Seeing its opponent disabled, Gar tried to attack whatever vital points it found find. 
However, the very instant it tried to bite down on the armour Gar was filled with a burning agony that almost knocked it 
senseless, and again it was only instinct that caused it to teleport away in time.
	The figure recovered and again got to its feet. The figure then did something very strange. It slammed the 
glowing weapon into the dead earth of the Abyss and spoke a single word. The sword flashed with a white radiance and 
the air surrounding the figure up to a distance of about 6 meters started to shimmer. The faint smell of roses filled the dead 
air and it was almost as it the land itself tried to reject that shimming zone.
	Gar, from where it hid, pulled back its face in a furious expression as it recognised the holy nature if the barrier 
the figure had constructed. Gar knew now why it had been unable to sense this figure and why its attack had failed. This 
armour figure was able to draw on the power of some holy God or Goddess of Good. Gar hissed with instinctive hatred. 
What was this accursed creature doing here? And what did it intend to do to Mistress? Gar risked certain destruction if it 
tried to rush the barrier the warrior had raised, so the only thing it could do was sit and watch.
	The figure let go of the sword and looked at the glowing barrier surrounding it in satisfaction. It then removed 
its helm and knelt down to examine the figure that the demon had been attacking. 
	"Hai'anna..." the figure whisper in disbelief as the amber eyes took in the state of the girl before it. Almost 
hesitantly the figure removed a gauntlet and brushing back the long silver hair touched the fevered skin. The golden 
tanned face pulled a pained expression as if through that touch the figure could feel the others pain. The figure quickly 
pulled off the remaining gauntlet and reaching to it's neck drew out a silvery pendant. The figure laid the pendant on the 
girl's chest, and spoke a word. The pendant began glowing fitfully, and the figure spoke the word again more forcefully. 
The pendant exploded into a bright blue light, and slowly, every so slowly, the wounds began to heal. Blue fire played 
along the torn skin, and passed, leaving only pale healthy skin behind. The figure spoke another word, and the shattered 
figures began to uncurl and straighten. The figure was beginning to tremble as it spoke yet another word, and the mutilated 
face straightened. The infection filling the ruined eye socket lessened. The figure with a hoarse voice almost screamed out 
a final word and a explosion of blue light almost caused Gar to shield its eyes.
	When the light had passed the figure partially collapsed onto the ground beside the now whole girl. The figure 
then did an extremely strange thing. It raised a figure to its mouth and bit down hard, the face pulled back in pain as white 
blood ran freely down the hand. The figure let the blood pull in its hand and then leaning over the girl, poured the blood 
into the girl's mouth. The girl seemed to shudder and writhe for a moment as she swallowed the alien fluid and then both 
her eyes shot open. Wildly they looked up at the strange alien face looking down exhaustedly at her. The face smiled 
slightly in pain as the silver hair fell over the face, then the figure collapsed in exhaustion.
	Gar watched with a hiss of joy as the figure of its Mistress stirred It broke cover and cautiously approached the 
still shimmering barrier. Gar hissed in pain the closer it came, but it carried on. The pain turned to liquid agony as the little 
imp came within a meter of the barrier. Gar knew it could only stay a moment, but that moment was long enough to 
confirm that its beloved was both safe, and by the look of it almost completely healed. The barrier cut Gars link to her so it 
could neither talk to her or open itself to what she was feeling. Gar could only stare and then as the pain got to much, flee 
to a distance where it could sit and observe.
	Gar had never seen the race from which the stranger had come from. The figure was certainly some kind of  
holy warrior, dedicated to one of those... Gods of Good. If it had been any other circumstances Gar would have taken 
action to ensure that this stranger was dead, for having dared to contaminate the pure soil of the Abyss... but the stranger 
had healed Mistress. For that Gar would keep silent... for now.
	
	"Interesting..." Samantha commented as she looked at the figure of herself in the mirror.
	"Is that all you can say, Sam?" Kelly said as she looked at the white dress critically. "I think it looks great on 
you. Just wait while I go and find a jacket..." She wondered off.
	Samantha looked at the mirror again. The image it showed her was of a dark alien barren hell. In the middle of 
this dead scene a pack of hellhounds were picking over the remains of a troop of slaughtered knights. Knights who had 
been banished to that alien hell, by the enemy they had been fighting. The once bright silver hair and golden skin was now 
simply so much meat.
	"Poor, brave fools..." she said. The hellhounds had feasted in both their souls and their flesh. The eternity they 
were now condemned to...
	"What the hell..." she said and adjusted her dress. As she did so each of the hell hounds suddenly exploded in 
dark flames, and all the trapped souls they had feed on over the millennia were released to go to what ever fate had 
awaited them.
	"Charon," she called. "I have a package I want you to deliver..."
	"Sam," Kelly barged back into the changing room. "Try this on as well. Its a bit more daring, but..."
	"Ok," Sam looked back from the mirror and carefully removed the white dress.
	Kelly stood in the corner and ogled while the other girl changed into the tighter black dress. The other girl had a 
body that Kelly would simply have killed for. She liked slim, slender types and oh boy, was Sam that. Kelly could not 
believe her luck in meeting the other girl again after only such a short time. What's more they were both here for more 
than a week! Kelly was over the moon!
	"Well?" Sam said as she gave a twirl. "What do you think..."
	Kelly pursed her lips. "I think we should be going..."

	Alex was trapped in a nightmare of pain and horror, of dark voices and burning agony. For what had seemed an 
eternity, the entities had inflicted very kind of pain, abuse, and demonic perversion on her mind and body that they could 
be break her. They had violated her mind, her body and her soul, trying to shatter her sanity as they stripped away every 
layer of who and what she had been. At first she had resisted them because that was what she had to do, but as they had 
tortured her, as they had violated her again and again, she had clung to that resistance because it was the only thing that 
she could use to keep the pain and the horror away. They had broken her mind, broken her soul, but they had not broken 
that one spar of flickering essence at the core of her being. She had clung onto that flickering ember of sheer stubbornness, 
because in the end, that was all that was left. Layer by layer the entities had ripped everything else from her. Her hope, her 
joy, her dreams, her love, everything. They had taken her to the brink of utter insanity, and beyond. Now all that was left 
was that single dying shard of stupid resistance.
	She had clung to it for so long, used it to fight off the pain, and the horror, that it had become all she was. When 
that strange blue light had suddenly appeared and gently asked to come back, to release that fading spar, she had rejected it 
uttering. That spar was all she was there was nothing else. How could see abandon it? Because you are so much more, the 
light had tried to say. She had closed her mind to it and tried to deny that it existed, tried to deny it like she had denied the 
darkness. The warmth of the light however, would not be denied. It had simply stayed, burning, proving that she could not 
deny its existence. For how long, she did not know, she had tried to simply ignore it, ignore it and the healing peace that it 
seemed to offer. It simply would however, not go away. It called to her, called to her in a way that seemed to promise 
something... Something she could not remember, something that had been taken... She almost could not help herself as she 
listen for an instance to that sweet call, to that sweet promise. That instant was almost too much for her. She shut the call 
out and gripped the shard even more tightly. The call promised too much, it promised something that she would never be 
again, could never be again. She focused everything that she had left on that shard and ignored the call. She denied the 
call. It's sweet music was too painful for her to bear.
	The blue light flickered, it knew it was losing, it knew that it did not have the strength to pulled her back from 
that last shard of light to which she clung. It knew it was failing, and in that failure would lose all hope of recovering her. 
The music of the light could no longer reach her, her had gone beyond that now. Its promises of healing, of life and love, 
where something she could no longer take part in. They had taken that from her, along with everything else. The shard 
was dying, she knew it, and when it was finally gone, then so would she be. Then the pain would truly be gone. The light 
was now only as distant memory as the shard crumbled and died.
	--Who are you?-- a voice suddenly asked from the darkness.
	She could not answer it, she did not know who she was.
	--What are you?-- the voice asked again.
	Again she could not answer, she only knew despair.
	--What do you want?--
	She knew an answer to that one. She wanted to stop, to simply stop.
	--Why?-- the voice asked.
	She knew that one as well. She wanted the pain, the emptiness and the horror to go away.
	--Pain?-- the voice questioned. --What is pain?--
	She paused, floating here in the emptiness she could not remember what pain was. If she could not remember 
what the pain was, then why did she want it gone. She pondered this.
	--Pain.-- the voice suddenly said, and she felt the agony of pain. Pure, simple, unadulterated pain. It filled her, 
shattering the darkness with white fire.
	--Pain.-- the voice said and suddenly it was gone, and she was again empty in the darkness.
	She gasped as she recovered from the experience. She remembered the feeling of it, the experience of it as it had 
filled her, filled the empty void of what she had become.
	--What are you?-- the voice repeated.
	She was empty, she missed the feeling of being that the pain had given her.
	--What do you want?-- the voice asked curiously.
	She wanted more of the pain. She wanted the feeling it gave her. The feeling of life...
	--Who are you?-- the voice asked again.
	She still did not know the answer to that. Stop asking these stupid questions and give me more pain.
	--Why?-- the voice asked.
	Because she wanted it, she needed it she spat out into the darkness. Give it to me.
	--Why?--
	She began to feel something at all these stupid questions. A fire... something she remembered... anger. That was 
it anger! It began to fil her as she once more demanded pain from that stupid voice.
	--Anger. Pain. Joy--
	The pain once again filled her being, and she welcomed it with a feeling of... joy... Yes that was what it was 
called. Joy.
	--Who are you?-- the voice once more asked.
	She did not listen, the joy and the pain filled her. She needed nothing else. Ahh...
	--Sadness.-- the voice said and suddenly the pain was gone.
	No!! She wailed into the darkness. Bring it back! The emptiness once again filled her, and she felt a deep loss... 
sadness at its going. She wanted it back, she wanted it back!
	--Pain. Anger. Joy. Sadness. Desire.--
	Suddenly the blue light was back. It burnt with a fiery purity, and called its sweet song once more to her.
	--Pain. Anger. Joy. Sadness. Desire. Life.-- the voice said as the light blazed steadily before her. She reached for 
it almost subconsciously. It held the truth that would fill the void she felt. It would give her pain, joy, anger, desire. All 
that and more. It would give her... it would give her...
	--What do you want?-- the voice asked.
	--Life.-- she finally answered the question to the voices satisfaction.
	--Who are you?--
	She still did not know that one... but it did not matter. She reached for the light, but something held her back.
	--Who are you?-- the voice repeated.
	She looked longingly at the light. She strained for it but could not reach it...
	--Who are you?-- the voice demanded again.
	Let me go! she commanded. I NEED the light. I NEED life!!
	--Who are you?--
	Let me go you blood bastard! I need the light!
	--Who are you?--
	She raged against what held her. Let me go! she swore. Let me go or I'll make you sorry!!
	--Who are you?--
	Right! She raged against the darkness that held her, but she was only a child, fighting a sea. She screamed her 
impotency as the light only burned a hand away. LET ME GO!! You can't hold me like this!! She raged against its grip on 
her. I am Alexandra Shadow! You cannot treat me like this...
	--Alexandra Shadow-- the voice said softly. --You are one.--
	Suddenly she was burning with the pain and joy of the blue fire. She let it engulf her. Let it fill the darkness of 
her being. She was Alexandra Shadow, and she was alive!

	Samantha slowly undressed Kelly as she stood passively with a smile on her face. As each article of clothing hit 
the floor, Sam ran a pair of warm lips and a wet tongue, over the bare fleshed that was exposed. Kelly closed her eyes and 
hissed in pleasure as more and more flesh was exposed.
	"Who are you?" Sam suddenly asked her in a throaty voice.
	Kelly took a moment to regain her wits.
	"Who are you?" Sam repeated softly as she nibbled at Kelly's left nipple. Kelly gasped as it went fully hard.
	"Kelly..." she hissed in pleasure.
	Sam rewarded her answer by playing with the nub of hard flesh in such a way that made Kelly wet with need.
	"What are you?" Sam began on the right nipple.
	"Oh Gods.." Kelly hissed in ecstasy. "Sam..."
	"What... are you?" Sam nibbled, and sucked.
	"Ahh... Desire!" Kelly sobbed out as the wetness began a rush.
	Sam  moved down and began to remove Kelly's wet underpants.
	"What.." her tongue began to probe the dark, wet area. "What do you want?"
	Kelly was lost, she felt the wet tongue, gently probe her innermost place, and she was completely lost.
	"What do you want?" the tongue became an instrument that examined, probed, touched, demanding, needing...
	"YOU!!" Kelly screamed as the first organism hit full on. "Oh FUCK!! I NEED YOU!!"
	"Good girl, welcome back..." Samantha replied softly and began the process all over again.

   	Sethani-Arlenna, Knight of Hellianva, opened a part of exhausted amber eyes, and knew immediately that her 
desperate act to save the alien girl she had found savaged by that demon had worked. It had to have worked, because she 
was still alive. If it hadn't they would both be dead by now. She offered up a thankful prayer of thanks to the Lady. She 
had drained her powers to the dregs healing the stranger, and still she had almost failed. Only that last desperate seem to 
have worked, and now she had to live forever with the consequences of that act. They both did. Sethani was almost moved 
to laughter by the irony of it all. After all the time she had spent in her life avoiding it, all the others she had turned down, 
it had finally happened, and not even with one of her own race! The black humour of the situation almost moved her to 
tears, but she could not change what she had done. She had given of herself willingly, to save the life of another, and that 
as they say was that. She only hoped that the girl, who had not been the willing recipient, would not hate her for it. If she 
did, then neither of their lives would be much fun.
	She examined the form of the girl she had saved, and marvelled at the rich colour of the impossibly red hair. 
None of the races that she had come across, had such hair... It was a marvel. She looked down at the now smooth and 
uninjured body. The pale white skin was odd, but not unattractively so. Exotic one might say. The girl was much shorter 
and more delicate than her race. The slender body seemed to be more athletic than muscular and Sethani wondered what 
kind of reaction her family would had when they met the girl.
	Sethani was not in a unique situation. Her people were frequent travellers outside their own Realm, and as a 
result it was not uncommon for some of her race to Join with other races. Indeed Sethani herself had a friend who had 
Joined with another Andarien like race. Some of the pairs resulting from a Joining were strange but Sethani had always 
liked those she had met. Never had she dreamed that she would become one of those few herself though! She sighed and a 
light grin cross her face. At least she would never be alone again. Slowly and uncertain of what she should expect, she 
opened herself to her Joined.
	She almost screamed as the pain and fear washed over her. She shut the link down immediately. She swore as 
the sweat poor down her face. What in the name of the Lady, had this poor child been through? She was totally lost in a 
sea of pain and despair. Sethani had no hope of linking with the girl while she was like his, and if they didn't complete the 
link, they both of them would die. She stood up. The time of her wandering was over. She had to return home and take her 
Joined with her. The Healers would be able to help her Joined.
	She put her gauntlets under her belt and gently scooped the girl into the crook of her arms. Sethani marvelled at 
how light she was. Something in her made her feel very protective towards this helpless child. She wondered if this was an 
effect of the Joining or if... if she might been able to make something of this Joining after all. The girl moaned softly, and 
Sehtani called her weapon Grosepth to her. The ancient weapon of the Lady rose as its mistresses command and came to 
her.
	"Open a Way home old friend," she asked it.
	"An odd choosing," the weapon beside commented.
	"What choice did I have. I could not let her die," she replied to the sword.
	"Well, I wish you joy, Sethani-Ri... You and your Joined."
	Sethani jolted at the honorific that the blade had used, then she remember. She had Joined, she was now an 
adult, and what's more she now had to claim the title she had long been avoiding.
	"I forgot about that," she said with a bitter sigh.
	"Well, remember it now. I am opening a Way now..."
	A rush of white light suddenly exploded around the two of them as a passage between realities was opened by 
the living blade. From its shelter Gar hissed and flew forward. It targeted a blinkhole directly in the middle of the open 
portal. It flew as fast as its leathery wings could carry it and as the passage with the stranger and its Mistress vanished Gar 
dived into the shrinking dark portal and was gone along with them.
	The light from the portals faded and the foul smelling wind of the Abyss blew in the destroy any traces of the 
abomination that had just left. As it did so and ancient robed figure stepped out from the darkness where it had been 
standing, watching.
	Charon pulled back the hood from his face. Absentmindedly he scratched his nose. He still could not get use to 
the sensations of this... gift... SHE had given him. He did not have much choice though. He had already heard the rumours 
of what had happened to the Council, because they had displeased her, and he was nowhere near one of them in terms of 
power. He would bear her gift and like it. As he had first said, again against that one was something only the suicidal did. 
Her destruction of the Council had spread the truth of that statement throughout out all the Realms and the Domains. 
When she had summon Charon to this place and ordered him to provide transport he had only been too happy to oblige. It 
looked as if she was playing with him again. He sighed, another habit he had picked up. He noted the location where the 
girl, the Anderian, and the imp had gone and summoned the River to him.
	It was now time for the River to flow once more to the Prime Plane, and take its ancient boatman to the reality 
to which those children had gone. Raising the ancient wooden pole, Charon set off. The journey would not be a quick one 
after all.

	Samantha gave the sleeping Kelly a quick kiss and then slid naked out of the bed. For a human, Kelly had a hell 
of a lot of libido. If Samantha had been human, she would have been totally exhausted by the woman's needs, but... 
Samantha went to the window and looked out. It was night, the stars gleaned coldly in the clear night sky and the world 
was a peace. Even the entities were not active, but then considering the little playmate who had just butchered 5 of their 
rulers, she was sure they had other things on their mind.
	"Beloved?" a soft voice filled the room as a slender figure emerged from the darkness.
	Samantha turned and embraced the slender dark figure and kissed the warm lips. "I've been waiting for you..."
	Lloth's dark eyes twinkled. "I was watching your little demonstration."
	Samantha made a dismissive motion, "I overreacted. I still tend to do that when I'm moody..."
	"Overreacted?" Lloth raised her hand to stroke the red hair. "Yes, you did, and you should have known better. 
You cannot afford to act like a child anymore..."
	"No my love," Samantha corrected her. "You are right and you are wrong. The concepts that you judge me by 
are alien to my nature. The PrimeVerse was a place where concepts such as good/evil/law/chaos/balance whatever you 
call them did not exist. There was simply power and the way you used it. That is still in the heart of who I am. Anything 
else is alien. I act like a child because I suppose in a way I still am. The changes and maturing which followed the 
destruction of the PrimeVerse, have passed me by. I cannot adapt to them."
	"Is that the reason for the games?" Lloth asked, still stroking the fiery mane.
	"Yes," Samantha sighed. "It helps me to learn, and keeps my nature from flaring out of control. Lloth, when the 
PrimeVerse was destroyed I made the worst mistake I could. That mistake saved me and... someone else... but it also left 
me infected with the same corruption that destroyed my home. That corruption affects my nature, at the same time as it 
gives me more power than I could ever use."
	"Corrupts?" Lloth asked. "How?"
	"My race were the strongest in the PrimeVerse. We conquered and destroyed for pleasure. That was our way, as 
it was the way of others. By the standards of this Multiverse we were the ultimate Evil. Completely amoral and existing 
only for the Power. However, we were still limited in what we could do. We could still be killed by others of our kind. We 
could not destroy Multiverse at the snap of a finger, and we still  feared those stronger than us. Not much controls you 
might think, but they worked. We preyed on the weak, as they preyed on the weaker. By current standards an evil system, 
but back then it worked."
	"I don't understand," Lloth said.
	Samantha smiled. "Sorry, I am not explaining this very well. In simple terms we had limits, and we existed 
within those limits. Everyone existed within limits and they were known. If an opponent faced you they either killed you 
or you them. There was nothing else. No other options, it was a simple and effective system. We all knew where we 
stood."
	"Ok, but what does that have to do with this supposed corruption?" Lloth asked still confused.
	"To save me and my... friend. I had to embrace the forces that were the essence of the PrimeVerse. I had to 
become the purest symbol of that system. It worked, but I made a mistake. In the very end. I had too make a rash decision, 
I also opened myself to the very opposite of that system. You see, the Darkness that was destroying the PrimeVerse was 
simply the evolution of the next stage, the forces that gave birth to the new so called mature Multiverse. You have 
survived 2 Cycles Lloth, even in that short time you have seen the changes that have occurred. Now imagine those forces 
of change multiplied to the infinite. That is what infects me. I embody both the forces of the oldest and the ultimate Chaos 
of change. In short I am a walking Entropy Paradox."
	"A what?"
	"In simple terms I exist still to prey on the weak, but unlike the PrimeVerse, I don't have any limits. I draw on 
forces that are absolutely unique to me. They are Unlife. They are entropy, and I always want to use those forces. I am a 
walking time bomb with a very unstable fuse."
	"You control yourself," Lloth said. 
	"Most of the time yes, but sometimes, like with the Council, I take a course of action, before I even pause to 
think of the true consequences. But at the same time I am always aware of what those consequences will be. A paradox, I 
know and don't care, and care and not know. Insane isn't it."
	"I'm lost..." Lloth said.
	Samantha sighed. "Forget it, I am just rambling. Come on let me introduce you to Kelly. You will like her, she's 
got spunk... and I know she will be most interested in a threesome..."
	Lloth raised an eye. "With a mortal?" she said.
	"Ever tried it?" Samantha said.
	Lloth nodded and smiled at the memory. "Not where they survive."
	"Well Kelly will. I like her, and I have... ah... enhanced certain things about her. I guarantee you she will 
survive, and that you will like her too."
	"You made her Immortal, did you?" Lloth asked.
	Samantha smiled and winked. "Better than that. Go on."
	Lloth looked at her and then turned and began to strip.
	Samantha turned and looked out at the stars with dark eyes. She had told Lloth something of her true nature, 
something of what and who she was destined to become, but even that ex-Goddess did not understand. When the time 
came for her to understand, it would be too late, both for her, and the rest of them. She smiled, then at that time. True 
change would come. A change without beginning or end. That time was however, still a long time away, even for her. 
Time in which she had to play, and maintain the role she had made for herself.
 . 
	The hideous pain had gone. That was the very first thing that passed through her mind as Alex woke up with a 
jolt. The pain was gone, and those horrifying memories of what the entities had done to her was gone. They were a 
complete blank. She knew that she had been tortured, she knew that her mind and body had been violated, but all the 
details were gone. It was almost as if someone had removed a poisonous, cancerous growth, leaving nothing behind. 
Somehow, she felt strangely detached from the whole experience, as if it had happened to someone else together. That 
detachment was a barrier of ice that protected her from the horror, which she knew was lurking on the other side of the ice. 
She knew that the barrier was the only thing that could kept her sane. If she ever was engulfed by that horror again... She 
whimpered slightly and curled her knees up to her chest, she could not face that horror - EVER!. If she did, she moaned 
and pulled the ice to her as much as she could. Slowly, the fear of the insanity awaiting her passed. The ice held it back, 
she was safe... 
	A hand suddenly touched her sweaty forehead, and Alex screamed. They were HERE! The PAIN was going to 
START AGAIN! 
	"NOO!!!" She screamed for mercy as she clenched herself into a ball. Desperately she tried to seek for that 
shard that had made the horror so distant before. She needed it! It was the only thing that would keep her safe! She tried to 
find it... 
	"NOONOO!!!! OHH GODD!!! NOOO!!!" It was gone!!! The less protection was gone!! They were here, and it 
was GONE!! She was going to be thrust into that insanity!! She knew it! The pain would be there and she had lost the 
shard!! She began to gibber as the panic overcame her mind.
	"YELIASHI!" a faint voice yelled out. "YELIASHI!! ITS..."
	Alex lost the voice as the panic smashed her protection and the gibbering horror, infected her soul once more 
with its corruption. Her sanity was devoured by the insane gibbering...
	"YAAYYYYAAA!!!"
	--Oh, stop it Alex!--
	The insane gibberish demons were suddenly gone. She was floating once more in a field of ice. Cold, numbing 
ice.
	--No!--
	The ice was shattered, and Alex tried desperately to gather the fragments...
	--Alex, I am losing my patience with you... Here--
	Suddenly Alex was floating in a soft warm darkness. A darkness which nourished her and protected her.
	--You have been hurt child, but you must accept that hurt and rise above it. It can be hard I know, but look...--
	Suddenly she was back in the chamber of the entities and she saw herself as the entities began to rip apart 
everything thing that she had ever been. She felt the panic rising. The pain...
	--Is gone...-- the voice said simply. --The pain is gone. You defeated it. You survived it. Now, look!--
	The power behind the voice forced her to look at the entities as they began to brutalise her mind and her body.
	--Control it.-- the voice said. --Control it, and it cannot hurt you.--
	Somehow Alex looked back at the scene of her desecration. The darkness whispered encouragement to her as 
forced herself to watch the horror of what had been done to her. The pain, the insanity and the soul numbing emptiness 
were kept at bay by the soft warmness of the darkness embrace. For the first time, Alex feel almost safe...
	--This darkness is part of you child,-- the voice whispered encouragingly. --As it is part of all my children. Seek 
it, and it will fill you, warm the emptiness within...--
	"Hush... hush... hush...," a soft voice tried to calm her, as two warm arms gathered her like a child into a mothers 
embrace. Alex gave a weeping scream as she threw herself into that warm embrace and cried her heart out. She tried to cry 
out everything. The fear, the pain, the ice... everything. 
	Oh gods... she wepted in great sobs. I need to be warm again... Please help me be warm again... anyone...
	The warm arms pulled the closer as great sobs of pain wracked she small form. The ice emptiness, slowly began 
to thaw. The more she wept out the horror, the more the warm darkness filled her...
	"Hush... hush... Shh... you are not alone... We are Joined. my dear one... Shhh... never alone..." the soft voice 
whispered as Alex clutched in desperation, at the source of that voice.
	Yeliashi watched in relief as Sethani-Ri gently rocked the sobbing form of her Joined. Finally the girl had 
broken through whatever the horror was that she had experienced. Broken through it and reached out to her Joined. 
Yeliashi could feel the warm of the Link open as the girl and Sethani-Ri completed the final stages of the Joining process. 
The danger had passed. With the strength of the Link, and the Joining to draw on, Sethani-Ri could begin the true process 
of healing the child of whatever trauma had so completely blighted her soul. 
	Sethani-Ri held the broken hearted girl to her and continued to rock her back and forth, while the sobs passed 
through her Join's small frame. Without thinking she fully opened her link with her Joined and offered all the support, 
warm and... love... that she could. The girl, like a empty sponge, drank of that source as deeply as she could. For the first 
time in her life Sethani-Ri was completely open, all she defences were down. Everything that she was, everything that she 
was ever be was shared with her Joined. It was a feeling so completely unlike anything she had ever experience, to be 
completely and utterly known... It was like being innocent...
	The sobbing of the girl suddenly broke off and with a gasp of wonder, her Joined looked abruptly up at the 
amber eyes of Sethani-Ri. A warmth, and sharing unlike anything either of them had known flow between them, as the 
Joining was finally and irrevocably completed. Their two very different souls touched and mingled as the ancient power of 
the Joining merged the two into one. The soul born of the light and the soul born of an ancient darkness merged, and 
something completely new was born as a result. 
	Alex did not know what was happening to her. She felt as if something were filling her in a way she had never 
known. The emptiness was completely and irrevocably filled.
	"Yuki..." she whispered in innocent joy, as she finally gave into the warm of that embrace, and fell into the soft 
deep darkness. She was no longer afraid of it. She had the light to shine, the light to chase the nightmares away. She close 
her eyes, and peacefully gave into the darkness. Letting it carry her... Protect her... Shelter her...
	Sethani-Ri cradled her Joined as she faded into a restful slumber. She held... Alex... to her like a precious jewel. 
Her wet amber eyes looked up at Yeliashi and she smiled at the sheer wonder she felt.
	"The Lady has blessed your choice, Sethani-Ri," Yeliashi smiled back. "I wish the both of you every 
happiness..." She turned and walked out. She stopped just outside the door and turned back.
	"I must go now and inform the Advisors that you have become Sethani-Ri. They in turn will inform the 
Emperor. Ensure that your Joined has plenty of rest, I am sure the Court will be dying to meet her once the news is out..."
	"No, Yeliashi," Sethani-Ri held the sleeping girl protectively. "She is not yet ready..."
	"I must, it is the Law, Sethani-Ri..." Yeliashi bowed slightly and left.
	"Oh Alex..." Sethani-Ri held the strange girl who had become her Joined. "I..." She fell silent, she must let the 
child rest. So, she started to hum an ancient lullaby that whispered of trees, of wind, of stars and sea. For now let the girl 
rest, the Court would have to wait.

Location: Tokyo, Japan. 
Time: AD: 2030 7 March 14:36

	Yuki paced up and down the room as she looked nervously around. It had been almost a week now since 
Samantha had made her the promise. A week in which she had prepared her small room for when Alex was returned, a 
week in which the waiting was driving her up the wall. The only thing she could think of was that promise, and when it 
would be finally fulfilled. She looked around the room. Was every ready? Was there anything missing? She went over to 
check the cloths she had?
	Lebia looked away from the observation port. For days they had tried to get Yuki to accept that Alex was dead, 
but the young woman was incomplete denial of anything but she imminent return. She had become totally obsessed with 
it, forgetting everything else. Even now Lebia could see Yuki moving through the piles of Alex's clothes that had been 
bought here. She shook her head sadly and left the room.
	"How is she?" Rally asked as she crossed the corridor to join her.
	"Just the same," Lebia commented with a sigh. "She has completely denied any possibility other than that in 
which Alex is alive and coming back to her."
	"She almost attacked the therapist who was with her today," Rally commented as they headed back to Hidoshi's 
office.
	"What?" Lebia exclaimed. "Why?"
	"He tried to show her the pictures of the ruins from the Embassy to show her that nothing could have survived 
what happened. She would not listen. When he tried to ask her why she thought Alex had survived, Yuki just went for 
him. No warning, or anything."
	"Was he hurt?" 
	"No," Rally continued. "That is not really the point. This is not just being tried merely as shock now. Her 
condition is going to require some serious long term treatment. Hidoshi has ordered that she be permanently removed from 
active service, and with? with the death of Alex?" Rally's voice trailed off.
	"I know?" Lebia said in a soft voice. She knew that Rally irrationally blamed herself for what had happened. 
The tragedy had struck all of them, hard.
	"How is Kiddy?" Rally asked as she forced herself to get back to business.
	"In a mess," Lebia said. "The whole of the US is in a panic over the death of their president, and Kiddy is stuck 
in the middle of it. She managed to get a report into me about 5 hours ago. The whole government is in a political turmoil. 
Gods! It a good thing Nemesis has been so quiet lately?"
	"Yes?" Rally said with an ominous look. "To be honest Lebia, I don't like it. Why now are they suddenly so 
quiet? Why now after so many escalations in their attacks to they suddenly do almost nothing?"
	"It's only been the last week or so?"
	"Yes," Rally cut in. "Ever since Alex's death? It almost reminds me what happened when Katsumi 
disappeared. The entities were quite then as well."
	"Surely you don't think?" Lebia started.
	"I'm not certain of anything any more, Lebia," Rally cut her off again. "If you think I am drawing some parallel 
between Katsumi's disappearance, and Alex? I only just mention it because it IS a parallel."
	"Yuki has been saying that Alex did not get killed. Do you think? Could she be alive?"
	"And with the entities, training to be another Katsumi. Christ, Lebia I hope not. Better if she were dead?"
	"Chief!" Lebia was shocked. "You can't mean that!"
	"Do you think I want to say it Lebia?" Rally spat at her. "Do you think I want to wish her dead? But what the 
hell do you think will happen if we end up having an even more power version of Katsumi on our hands! With Yuki in the 
state she's in, we are screwed! There is only Mana and me left with any serious power against them. Nami can't fight them 
much. Her power just doesn't have what is required. Hell! The thought of going up against Alex in a one to one?"
	 "Then what do we do?" Lebia looked at Rally's worried face.
	"Wait and see," Rally told her. "It's about the best thing we can do for the moment?"
	"Is there anyone else that we might be able to get to join us? Anyone who can take up from Alex or Yuki?"
	"I've tried," Rally said bitterly. "Alex's sensai, Jamie Corin, was shattered at the news of her death. She lays the 
blame completely with me. The Clan will have nothing more whatsoever to do with us. Only the Magicians Guild as 
offered any assistance, but I don't know what they can do. They have very few people of any real power, none who could 
hope to go up against anyone like Katsumi or Alex?"
	"You think she's alive don't you!" Lebia exclaimed.
	Rally did not answer. Call it a hunch, call it a Lucifer Hawk born premonition, but somehow she knew that they 
would be seeing more of Alexandra Shadow. That premonition also said that it would not be as a friend, and that thought 
scared the hell out of her.

	To say that she was bloody confused was a bit of an understatement, the events of the last 12 days(?) had her 
totally lost and getting more lost by the hour(?). She sighed and looked out of the window onto the totally alien city of 
crystal spires and gardens below. At least she could do that now without trying to panicking and running for cover. The 
process of trying to come to terms with what she had been through had been the hardest thing she had ever had to face. 
She was not sure if even now she was still fully sane, and somehow she doubted if she would ever fully recover from the 
experience. 
	She sighed again, and got up. The silk like shift she wore fluttered as she walked back into the room. She looked 
at it with disgust. It was the symbol of her new rank, the symbol of what so utterly confused her. Her eyes adjusted to the 
shade of the room. Gods, she would never get use to the brightness of twin suns. Especially when she? 
	She suddenly swayed and fell to her knees, as a wave of rage flooded through her mind.
	"No?" she moaned as she fought to battle through the swamp of alien feelings that flooded through the link to 
engulf her mind.
	"Stop? it? control?" she said as she strained to block out the rage. Slowly, very slowly she forced the link 
into the background of her mind.
	"Fuck!" she swore as slowly she got to her feet. Sethani had said she would stop doing that! She could not 
handle these sudden rushes of emotion! This damned link was driving her crazy. She could not shield against it, break it, 
or anything else. She felt almost every uncontrolled surge of emotion that Sethani had. She HAD to spend time with 
Sethani, or she started to feel ill almost. The more time they spent apart the worst that feeling got. Alex hated it! She had 
lost virtually all her independence as a result of what Sethani had done. Now she was almost tied completely to Sethani in 
a way that was to her unnatural.
	When Alex had first begun to come through the experience of what the entities had done to her, it had probably 
only been with the help of the link that she had been able to get as far as she had. Now, however, the link was causing her 
to be dependant on someone else in a way that she did not think she was able to cope with. She NEEDED Sethani, 
NEEDED her to live. To Alex this was? impossible? She NEEDED Sethani, and yet? Yuki? She NEEDED them 
both? 
	"Arrr?" Alex kicked out at an innocent cushion, and stormed across to the far end of the room. Once there she 
threw herself down into the pile of large pillows and began to sulk. Sulk? She rolled only onto her stomach and rested her 
head in her arms. This link had really screwed up her emotional control. Her buried her head in her arms and tried to stop 
the pout that she could feel threatening to erupt on her face. She tried to make herself relax, getting agitated would not 
help at all. She stretched out her legs and let the feeling of the silky cloth against her skin distract her as she contemplated 
what the hell she was going to do now.
	"Sen'tai?" Alex muttered to herself. That's what Sethani had called her, Sent'ai. As far as Alex could work out 
it seem to mean some sort of mate or "wife" in the loosest sense of the word. A Sen'tai occupied a position much like a one 
person harem from ancient Arabian culture. A pretty, protected mate that did little more than sit around all day and do 
nothing. Sethani had tried to paint a glorious picture of the honour and privilege that Sen'tai had in her culture, but to Alex 
it seemed she was now little more than a pretty bird in a cage. The situation was made even worst by the great noble rank 
that Sethani held. The Sen'tai of the high nobility were protected so highly that Alex was a virtual prisoner. She was not 
supposed to associate with anyone of lesser rank, do anything which might be deemed unlady? ahh? unSen'tai like, the 
lists went on and on. She was just suppose to sit here, safe and protected and wait in breathless anticipation for Sethani.
	Alex supposed that at one time this may have served a function, much like those ancient harems did, but in her 
case it was utterly stupid. They were two completely different species. How the hell were they suppose to...
	"Oh drop it!" Alex told herself crossly. She was getting irritated again, as Sethani's anger continued to seep 
through the link. She rolled over onto her back and for the hell of it tried once more to use her power. Nothing, not even a 
dickey bird, as Jamie had once said. Her power was there, she could feel it, but when she tried to use it... The spells simply 
did not do anything. Oh, the power went into the spell, the spell flowed as normal, but bugger all happened. It was almost 
as if the fundamental laws of Magic did not work in this place, or were so different
	"Sen'tai," a respectful voice said causing Alex to jump.
	"What?" she self-consciously wrapped her arms around her, as one again she cursed inwardly at this stupid silk 
crap she had to wear.
	"Your pardon, Sen'tai," the guard bowed and kept his head lowered to the ground. "W'ailrei-Ei seeks 
admittance."
	"Ahh... Who is W'ailrei-Ei?" Alex recognised the rank but that was all.
	"W'ailrei-Ei, Sen'tai, is W'ailrei-Ei."
	"Ah," Alex said and wondered what this idiot used for brains. "Can you be perhaps a bit more specific. Like is 
W'ailrei-Ei a male or female? Should I see him or her?"
	The guard did not speak but kept his head down.
	"Hello?" Alex said. "Did you hear me?"
	The guard shifted nervously, and somehow Alex got the impression she was doing something wrong. Wasn't 
she even allowed to speak to anyone from the outside? Oh Gods... she hated this!
	...Sen'tai - what is wrong?...
	Alex suddenly felt a wave of childish joy rush through her as her unstable emotions reacted to Sethani's mental 
voice.
	"Stop it!" she chided herself and got herself under control.
	...Sen'tai...
	...Ah... Sorry... I... Alex tried talk via the link, as Sethani's voice scattered her thoughts to childish mush. 
...W'ailrei-Ei... here... wants... see... me... hehehe... Shit this... hehe...
	...Sen'tai?... Are you ok?... Sethani's concern made Alex's emotions surge and she felt her face turn red.
	...W'ailrei-Ei... seeee... meee... Alex managed to get out.
	...W'ailrei-Ei?... Alex could feel Sethani's anger surge through the link ...HOW DARE HE!... A surge of 
anger/indignation/protect/guard/MINE rushed over Alex and she gasped and swayed.
	...SETHANI!... she hurtled down the link.
	...Sen'tai, forgive me... The rush stopped as only a dark anger was left. ...Do not see him, Joined... I am coming...
	Alex felt a sudden coldness as the link faded, and her face fell. "Send him away," she said.
	The guard slowly backed out, leaving Alex wondering what the hell was going on here. Why had Sethani 
reacted the way she had? Another little mystery she was stuck in the middle of. Oh what joy...
	She unwrapped her arms and went back to the window. She would need to ask... A hand suddenly grabbed her 
shoulder and ripping the shift from her threw her to the ground. Alex was winded for a moment by the impact and then she 
tried to scream. The attacker smiled down at her and gently ran its claws over her bare chest and Alex stopped breathing. 
IT WAS THE SAME AS SHE HAD SEEN IN THAT NIGHTMARE IN THE USA... Panic, fear... darkness swamped 
her and she passed into oblivion.
	Sethani-Ri was bidding leave of the Emperor when she screamed and collapsed.
	"SEN'TAI!" she screamed as she felt the panic and fear ripping into her mind from the link. The Emperor and 
others of the Court stood like idiots for a moment watching her, before some of them rushed forward to help.
	"SEN'TAI!!! NO!!!" Sethani-Ri screamed as she suddenly felt the presence on the other end of the link go dead. 
The cold emptiness froze her mind and only sheer panic drove her to her feet. The others of the Court were surrounding 
her, trying to understand what the hell was going on. Sethani-Ri threw herself through them, tripping and falling to the 
floor in the process. The others in the Court were now beginning to react and hands reached at her, either trying to help or 
restrain her. With an almost instinctive drive DEMANDING that she reach her Joined, Sethani-Ri threw them off with a 
hysterical strength and ran for the exit. She HAD to reach her SEN'TAI NOW!
	The shouting and cries of anger were totally lost of Sethani-Ri as she ran for her private apartments. Anyone she 
came across who tried to get in the way of her insane rush was thrown brutally aside as she strained to reach her frantic 
objective. 
	"SEN'TAI!" she yelled as she finally reached the entrance to her apartments. The sight of the door open and no 
guard on duty caused her to stop for a second. Her sword, Grosepth, reacting to her need exploded into flames as she 
rushed screaming into the room to kill whatever had DARED to touch her Sen'tai.
	Two forms jumped up startled by the sudden appearance of an insanely screaming warrior. Sethani-Ri saw the 
two figures, the naked form of her Sen'tai lying limply on the floor and immediately jumped to a hideous conclusion.
	She went deadly quiet for a second as the hate and rage surged through her. She did not just to kill these? She 
wanted to ENJOY their slow mutilation? She wanted to RIP them apart? Her sword clanged to the ground as she lost 
herself completely in the ancient savagery of her race. Almost drooling with anticipation she attacked.
	 W'ailrei-Ei yelled a warning at the guard as he recognised that the woman warrior was totally lost in the 
instinctive need to protect her Sen'tai; an instinct which stretched back to their race's most primitive beginnings. The 
dominant member of a Joining would ALWAYS destroy anything that was perceived as threatening its mate, and they 
were seen as a threat.
	The guard hesitated for a moment as the Highborn stalked hissing towards him. He heard the Highborn W'ailrei-
Ei yell out something, but he was only a Karethi, he did not understand what? A hand like steel suddenly grabbed him by 
the neck and lifted him clean