Familia Tenebrae Amor/FTA fiction/2ndthoughts
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
[This takes place LONG after the events in "Origin"al Sin, and basically covers the final unification of Witch's personality through interior monologues, after she meets her target. Vicki is at this point resigned to Kushaya's domination, and is mostly a hitchhiker, though she sometimes cooperates and sometimes argues with her demonside.]
- The rhyme is called, heard and aswered. Witcharc floats above the target, watching as she gleefully slaughters legions of the peculiar beasts that seem to always appear at All Hallow's
(:THAT'S the one we've been looking for? But...she's nuts. A druggie, a...killer:)
/:heheh. As are we/we, remember? Nonetheless. That is her:/
(: What do you/we want HER for?:)
/: Not us, child, my/our Lords. They see...potential in her.:/
(: For what? To be a bigger, crazier killer?:)
/: *warm laugh- barbed wire in the eyes* The Shadow has no shortage of THOSE, child. No, this is something...different...I know not what, but I can...feel...it:/ (: And then you're gone, right?:)
/: As I promised, sister, if you wish it.:/
(:*hesitant* I..do wish it. Kushaya...I hate to admit it, but you HAVE taught me a great deal...and you got me through..prison.I'm..suprised, honestly. I thought "demons" were...very different. But all the killing, the pain...I can't DO this. Why must it be this way? I can't...:) /:Hush, child. I understand. A while longer we have yet, then we will be you again.:/
(:She's following us...like a...puppy:)
/: hehe..THIS puppy bites. We must be careful.:/
(: The way she looks at us...so intense...scary:)
/: She sees her destiny in us, and answers it.:/
(: no..this is...different. I'm not sure...she's kind of cute, though, except for that icky hair color...and that necklace CAN'T be comfortable. Short, petite...like a REAL dancer. I/we were always too tall, I was sorry to quit...:)
/: *exasperated sigh* We had to quit, dear sister my fool, because Father was having regular and intense carnal knowledge of the dance instructor. Mother had a fit. SHE made us quit. You/we KNOW that:/
(: *answering sigh* I know, I/we know... Did they HAVE to die. Did you/we HAVE to kill him?:)
/: We were rushed. We were not ready. You/we were so ANGRY, I could not control us. I am sorry we were...too late for Mother. If I/we had allowed us to waken sooner...but sister, what would you/we have done, given time to think?:/
(: I...don't know. Perhaps...I hate to think it, but...as we did. I loved her...and he hurt her so often...and me... *Crying* oh, what am I becoming, what are you turning I/me/us into?:)
/: sssh, child, dear one. You are becoming yourself, and capable of choosing. Right and wrong are choices, love. And must be made. You are growing.:/
- The partnership is made and the first lessons taught. The mayhem spreads fear throughout the Isles...
(:*wondering* but...she doesn't hate them at ALL. As...brutal as she is, she's not angry, she's not...she just is...having fun:) /: You/you see with older eyes, sister. Mine/ours. That may be her appeal to the Lords.:/
(: But...she LOVES them, Kushaya, why would she do that *looking away* and...erp...THAT.;)
/: She has the Law somewhat...backwards. Love has hurt her. She wishes to destroy the source of her pain. So she tries to destroy anything that attracts her love. But she loves VERY freely...:/
(: She wants to kill EVERYONE?!?:)
/: If she can. Except me/us, it would apppear. I'm not sure why. Maybe she's just saving us for something special. Oh...close your eyes Vicki, I think this is going to be...interesting...:/
- The first bracelet is forged, and gifted. The target lights with glee
/: It is begun:/
(: And closer to the end. Tell me, Kushaya...this sounds selfish...when you/you leave...will I/me lose everything? All the memories, all the power?:)
/: Not everything, child. The memories I would not take from you, even if I could without damaging you. They are a part of the lesson...they are in fact MOST of the lesson. The power...it is easier for me/us because of what I/us am. For the you that will remain, it will be...work...but you will have the skill to become a great sorceress...or healer...or traveller. Whatever you choose. For now you CAN choose.:/
(: I...yes...I think I can....:)
- The second bracelet, forged and gifted
(: she...she LOVES us/you, doesn't she.:)
/: Yes:/
(: and yet...she does not attack? why? :)
/: I do not know. :/
(: I...think I do...she can tell that...you/we...love her, too, do we not?:)
/: I/we...no...yes...we share much of outlook, and philosophy, we have fought side by side...:/
(: *LAUGH* when has THAT ever mattered to her...look at her hirelings...:)
/: It matters, just not in a way we/us would consider...normal...if only she were whole, then I/we would know for sure....:/
*a long pause*
(: And you/you...love...me/me, in your...odd way, don't you?:)
/:*warm internal embrace* Yes, dear sister, more than you can imagine:/
(: Kushaya, if you/you leave, if I/we become me/me again...I/I will be alone...:)
/:*smile, touch of a hug* Only as long as you choose to be, child. You are grown great, now, and can make great choices and do great things. Never again will you fear to reach out, to take, to give...knowing all the time that you must pay for it. You will know pain, still, but noone will EVER hurt you again, unless you allow it. And you will embrace it, and grow stronger, and love more greatly....:/
(: A...great gift. Thank you...sister:)
- The warning dream, of power unlimited and binding unending, crafted and sent. The target revels in it
(: She doesn't see the chains...does she know?:)
/: I...don't know. We have warned her often enough. She SHOULD know:/
(: But she does not SEE the chains. It is not right, Kushaya. She is not properly warned...you tell me/us often enough of the Law, and the Choosing...how can she choose?:)
/: I/we must do what must be done. The warnings have been sent. All is...according to the Law...I....:/
(:Is it because she is mad, because there are two?:)
/: Perhaps....I do not know...oh for pity, be silent, sister...she glows so brightly in her joy...:/
- The chain, forged, a thousand souls screaming in the furnace. So great is the potential of the target, so great the power of the binding that they can scarce lift it. They carry it to where she sleeps, and sit watching, till she wakes. They show her the chain, and explain their purpose. She never wavers, never even blinks, no recrimination, no resistance...
(:/: She KNOWS, and yet...:/:)
/: She accepts...she DOES understand, doesn't she? We/we can see it in her eyes...:/
(: Sister, she TRUSTS us. They have....never...trusted...we/us before...:)
/: Always before they knew what we were, they called us up...:/
(:/:She KNOWS. Look at her eyes. She knows, and doesn't care. She LOVES us...:/:)
/:(: Can we?:):/
(:/: Can we NOT? The peril...:/:)
(: The Law, sister, the Law:)
/:We ARE within our rights...:/
/:/:(:(: choose...:):):/:/
(:(:/:/: She burns so BRIGHT...she is so beautiful...:/:/:):)
They speak to her:
"It is said that we of the Shadow know no friendship, no honor, no....love. Yes, the Lords try to crush these in us, fearful for their own power...but...it is not true...
(:We shall not do this thing:)
/: We shall NOT do this thing:/
"WE SHALL NOT DO THIS THING!"
And together, they throw the chain at her feet.
(/*Welcome home, dearest sister*/)
Deep in the Shadow, Lucifer Adonai tosses in his sleep, dreaming of a feud at last put to rest...Ashmodan-Tal screams curses at the treachery of his daughter...and the hunters gather....
In the heart of the Crystal City, Elohim Adonai tosses in his sleep, feeling a change in the old ways...a mighty Archangel ponders the meaning and power of Choice...and the hunters gather....
Somewhere...else...a regal Lady stands, and nods her head. Perhaps THIS time it will be enough, the right Choice will be made....and she waits, and fears...
Still elsewhere, an old man, one-eyed, dressed in black, sits on a motorcycle. A cloud of ravens flies westward over his head, their wings spread to catch the winds of change. He sighs, and wonders if this is the time he can't escape, can't ride fast enough, far enough, to avoid his debts. "Oh well", he thinks, "At least it's FINALLY something new..."
