[FFML] [BGC][FanFic] Knights in Peril - Chapter 4
Alex Gray
alex.grayneko666 at gmail.com
Mon Apr 13 03:43:04 PDT 2020
Well, it has been an insanely long-time since I posted anything on the group although
I used to be quite a regular contributor in the early 2000s.
I was rummaging through some old hard drives this Easter break and came across
backups of some of my old fanfics. After reading through some of them and cringing
or smiling, I decided to dust off some of the old drafts and get them posted.
Personally, I am surprised I still remember the storylines, but seems I still did.
So, after a bit of spit’n’polish to some of the old drafts - based on time - I’ll post
some of the old chapter drafts that I had and never completed.
I do not have a website hosting the old stories now, but the previous chapters
should be be available on the old/disused RAAC group - if anyone wants to read them.
How’s the old saying go - “Better late than never…”
Cheers!
Alex
============================================
"Knights in Peril" is the next installment in my BGC2090
series. In brief, the 2090 series is set in an ALT universe
just after the BGC2032 series and follows what happens
when Linna Yamazaki mets an immortal young redheaded girl
called Sam.
This series is mature in content and themes.
**********************************************************************
Knights in Peril
This story is part of the 2090 BGC series.
The name Bubblegum Crisis and characters here within are copyright of
Artmic & Youmex and are used without permission. The name Silent
Mobius and associated characters are property of Kia Asamiya and are
used without permission. Other characters and themes within are
copyright of Alexander Gray and are used with permission. This story
and others in this series maybe freely distributed as long as this
header is quoted, the author is referenced, and the contents are not
altered without permission of the author.
**********************************************************************
* * * *
Chapter Four - Pawns
Location: Some city
Time: Some time
Sam blushed as once more the girl who looked exactly like her and
her sister stared at her in frank admiration. She reached down and
taking a hold of her glass took a drink of water to try and calm her
nerves. Her sister was away getting some more drinks and Jazz was
sitting opposite her still fuming because she had given him the
brush off. Well, it served him right. She had only come on this stupid
double date because her sister had asked her to. This Jazz friend of
her twins boyfriend was a jerk. She had known he was a jerk since she
had first met him a couple of hours ago and he was still a jerk. Samantha
however had asked her, so Sam knew she would just have to endure it. The
four of them had been on their way to a local night club when they had
come across this strange redhead girl who looked exactly like her.
And now... Well, things looked...
"Hey!" a voice asked sharply again. "Are you listening to me?"
The sudden voice startled her and Sam swallowed the wrong way. She
started to cough and the other girl flashed her a concerned look, leaning
across the table to thump her on the back.
"I’m sorry, Sammy," the girl said rubbing the coughing redhead on
the back. "I didn’t mean to startle you like that."
Sam coughed a few more times and looked up at the apologetic girl.
"Sammy?" she asked with a small smile. "Why did you call me that,
Samantha? No one calls me Sammy."
The redhead who had the same name as her sister grinned. "Oh...
sorry. I just know someone called Sam. I usually call her Sammy.
Sorry."
Sam shook her head, "Don’t be, I kind of like it. Sammy..." she
smiled approvingly. "It sounds sorta softer than Sam."
Samantha smiled back, "Then Sammy it will be."
"Drinks," Samantha, her twin, said reappearing with Simon in tow.
She had in her hand a tray with three tall glasses on it. She placed
the tray down on the table and passed one over to Jazz. "Your beer,
and..." she took the other two glasses and put them down in from of
her younger twin and the other girl, "...your two orange juices," she
finished.
Sam flashed her a grin, "Thanks, sis."
The other redhead bobbed her head in thanks as well and then
turned her attention back to Sam. "So, is this incredible or what? I
mean the three of us looking almost exactly like each other. You would
think we were identical triplets or something!"
Sam giggled, "And you having the same name as my sister. If I
wasn’t sitting here talking to you I would say it was impossible."
"You don’t think your parents had another daughter that they never
told you about, eh Sammy?" Samantha asked with a grin beginning to
enjoy the irony of this stupid Game.
Jazz cleared his throat and tried to say something, but Sam and
the redhead did not even acknowledge that they had heard him. He
swallowed and opened his mouth to try again.
Sam leaned forward in a conspiratory manner towards her new
friend. "Not that I know of," she whispered with a look at her sister
who was oddly silent. "How about you, sis? Think mum and dad have a
secret they haven’t told us?"
Samantha silently shook her head and gave her sister a pointed
look towards Simon’s friend who was completely being ignored. Damn it!
Sam was ruining everything. How were she and Simon going to slip away if
Jazz could not keep her sister occupied? She knew her talkative twin
and if Sam suspected that Simon and her were lovers, then mum and dad
would find out in no time.
Gods! She had only bought along Sam tonight as a favour to Simon and
his friend. It would be ruddy Fingel’s luck that they ran into a girl
who looked exactly like them... She sighed and sat down. Maybe there would
be a chance to slip out later on.
Simon looked on as the two girls began to get into an animated
conversation on each speculating about each other’s past and had a
sinking feeling that his plan about getting Jazz and Samantha’s twin
to hit it off was doomed to failure. He had had that feeling when Sam had
first laid her eyes on his friend and now it was being confirmed.
Well, he had tried, even Jazz could not blame him for that. He had
done his friend a favour, but Jazz had crashed and burned and that was
that.
Sam laughed at Samantha’s latest wild speculation behind the
reason for them looking so much alike and reached out to grab at her
orange juice. However, instead of her grasp meeting with her glass it
met with Samantha’s hand.
"Wanna dance?" the girl asked her with a wink. "I’m a killer on
the dance floor and I sure would be interested in seeing how you move
about. In more ways than one..."
Sam flushed at the not so subtle invitation in the other girl’s voice.
Her flush deepened as she remembered the naked admiration she had seen
in the girl’s eyes earlier. Her lips felt dry and unconsciously she
licked them. She was too embarrassed to know how she should respond. This was
the first time that something like this had happened to her. She took a deep
breath and started to say no.
"Fuck man!" Jazz suddenly exclaimed turning on Simon with an angry
expression. "You never told me she was a pervert, Simon! How can I
score with a bloody dyke?!"
Sam’s eyes widened incredulously at the words and her face turned white
with anger as she spun on the boy.
"Don’t waste your time, Sammy," Samantha said with a silvery
little laugh giving the hand captive in hers a small squeeze. "Little
vermin like him really just aren’t worth the effort. Come on, let’s
have that dance, eh? Let the vermin play with themselves."
Jazz whitened at the sound of lazy contempt in the girl’s voice
and reached out to grab her arm. It was then that a strangely acidic
smell filled the space around him and he felt something warm running
down his legs.
"Yuck!" Sam exclaimed and leaped out of way as the boy suddenly
seemed to wet himself.
Jazz looked down incredulously at the growing stain running down
his pants. His eyes widened in a combination of shock and embarrassment.
Samantha smiled and pulled Sam to her. "See?" she whispered
putting her head close to the mortal’s left ear. "Just a little baby.
Not worth the effort at all."
Sam shrunk back slightly at the warm breath playing over her ear.
"Hey, that tickles."
"And this?"
"Hey!" Sam blushed and felt a rush of sensation explode all over
her. "Don’t..." she breathed huskily.
"Sam!" her sister exclaimed incredulously. "What the hell..."
"So, do you want to dance, Sammy?" Samantha asked again pulling
the girl to her. "Do you?"
Sam felt lightheaded. This was the first time that anyone had
seriously hit on her and she was at a loss at what to do.
"Come on then," Samantha giggled and before Sam or her sister
could say anything to stop her, pulled Sam into a tight embrace and
moved towards the other dancing couples.
"Sam!" Samantha called out and tried to follow after her sister.
She could not believe that this was happening! Her normally quiet
sister was... was... She shuddered. "It’s impossible..." She had to
stop her sister before it was too late.
"Hey! You!" a voice said angrily as a hand caught hold of her arm
and pulled her around. "Are you with this other fuckin’ jerk here?"
Samantha was confused and it took her a moment to get with the
program. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded of the suited man who
now had a tight grip of her arm. "Let me go!"
"Shut up," the man stated as he was joined by another who had
Simon in a similar grip. "Now, are you with this jerk here who just
pissed all over my furniture or not!?"
Jazz growled angrily, "I didn't piss all..."
"Shut it!" the man growled back. "You’re in enough bloody trouble
already. Arek, take them to my office while I get someone to clean up
this fuckin’ mess. And while you’re there, get hold of Dsert down at
South side and tell him we’ve got a couple of punks here who are
making trouble."
"Hey, wait a minute," Samantha said not liking where this was
going. "My sister is..."
"You can tell it to CF Security, when they arrive," the man said
jerking his head towards Arek.
"But my sister..." The rest of her statement was lost as Arek and
another bouncer pulled the three youngsters away.
"Damned bloody kids..." Gerit swore looking at the mess that had
been made. Who the hell did they think they were playing with?
Sam held onto Samantha’s waist and tried to keep up with the girl
as she proved that she was indeed quite a killer on the dance floor.
Sam had never been light on her feet and her dancing skills were now
being push to the limit. Fortunately, Samantha had the lead and was
a considerable enough partner to guide her when she run into
difficulty. Isshari! she swore. She hated these fast dances. Her feet
always ended up getting messed up when she lost concentration. And...
"Whoa, Sammy!" Samantha laughed, catching hold of her as her lapse
of concentration caused her to slip up again.
"Ops..." Sam flustered as the other girl steadied her. "Sorry..."
Samantha grinned, "Three legs?"
"Something like that..." Sam muttered. "Can’t stand these fast
dancers..."
Samantha raised an eyebrow, "Want to stop?" she asked.
Sam pondered for a moment and then surprising herself shook
her head. "No, I’m enjoying it."
"Good," Samantha said with a smile and reaching down to place her hands
on Sam’s hips said, "let’s rock!"
"Where the heck is your sister!?" the man exclaimed loudly at his
daughter. "You were supposed to be looking out for her!"
"I..." Samantha tried to make herself very small.
"Well?" her father demanded.
"I don’t know!" Samantha exclaimed bursting into tears. "I don’t
know..."
The man scowled and turned to Simon, "Well? Do you know where she
is?"
Simon shook his head, "Sorry, Sir. We met this girl. She looked
just like Samantha and Sam, I mean uncannily so. The last I saw the
two of them were dancing on..."
"What do you mean the last you saw?" the man exclaimed with a tone
of anger and increasing worry in his voice.
"I mean that was the last I saw of her before... Well, before we
were bought into Security South Central..." Simon’s voice faded away.
"Excuse me, Councilman Arnmiel," a hesitant voice said behind the
man and he turned.
"Well?" he demanded. "Is my daughter at this club?"
The man in uniform squirmed, "No, Councilman. She..."
"Then do your bloody job and find her, idiot!" Councilman Arnmiel
burst out. "Or I will have you and everyone in this entire force
transferred to the Northern Colonies - understand?"
The man shuddered and with a rapid salute spun around and hurried
away cursing under his breath.
"And as for you, _daughter_," her father said in a tone that made
Samantha quiver. "You and I are going to see your grandmother. I am
sure she will have some _very_ choice words to say about you and your lack
of family responsibilities..."
Sam slowly opened her eyes and took in a deep breath. "Wow..." she
whispered as she felt a warmth like nothing she had experienced before
rush through her. "That was..."
"Good?" Samantha replied with a giggle at the rosy red expression
on Sam’s face.
"Mmmm..." Sam agreed leaning towards Samantha again to try another kiss.
"Very."
"Wait," Samantha whispered, pulling back slightly and moved the other
girl’s head to rest on her shoulder instead. "Let’s take our time.
After all, we have the whole night you know."
Sam sighed with contentment and nuzzled Samantha’s neck. "Some
might think this a bit perverted you know," she commented. "You look
exactly like my sister. If anyone I know saw me now they would
probably be sick."
Samantha laughed, "I’m the Corrupter you know," she said with a wink.
"Corrupting people is part of the job description."
"No, Lady Samantha," a voice suddenly announced as a young looking man
strode from the shadows into the lighted area where the girls where sitting.
"That's my job actually."
Sam gave an indignant squawk and yanked herself away from the
other girl. "Who are you?" she exclaimed in a voice that was far higher
pitched than normal.
"An old... friend..." Samantha said with a small sigh turning to
face the young man and giving a small nod with her head.
The young man smirked and Sam felt a shiver pass up and down her
spine for some odd reason. Something about this man scared her in ways
even her grandmother had not been able to. She pulled slightly closer
to Samantha and watched the man with wide eyes.
"An interesting choice of amusement, my Lady," the young man said
looking at the young girl next to the Corrupter.
"A gift from an admirer," Samantha replied dismissively with a casual
smile.
"Or maybe a trap?" the young man commented. "I meant what I said
about an alliance, my Lady. No matter what our goals maybe the two of
us have a common enemy and I do so hate to see wasted efforts when
pursuing the same goal."
Samantha shrugged, "A trap or a gift does not particularly matter
to me, my Lord. It is still amusing."
"Tell me, my Lady. Why have you abandoned your amusements with the
Council? I found that diversion most interesting."
Samantha snorted, "Michael needs allies. Some of the Council maybe
little more than cannon fodder, but some of them will prove useful. I
just intended to teach them a little lesson, my Lord, that's all. Not cut
Michael off at the knees."
The young man sighed, "I feared it might be something like that."
Samantha ruffled Sam’s hair, "How so, my Lord? Do you wish the
Council to be removed?"
"It would help some of my plans along," the young man admitted.
"But if you need them, then..." he shrugged.
"I would appreciate it," Samantha said with a winning smile as she
gave Sam’s neck a nuzzle that made the girl gasp.
"Very well, my Lady," the young man turned. "If you need them,
then they are yours. However..."
"Yes, my Lord?" Samantha said, nibbling Sam’s ear.
"Watch yourself, my Lady," the young man said seriously. "I know
what you are capable of, Lady Samantha, but our mutual opponent is
stronger. And..." the young man frowned. "Recently, I have heard
rumours of other... Beings moving in the background that may be just as
dangerous."
Samantha stopped nibbling Sam and looked up with narrowed eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"Ah, I have your interest at last."
"Don’t try my patience, Lucianther," Samantha said with snarl.
"Tell me what you mean."
The young man smiled and his eyes glittered dangerously. "Come to
my Realm sometime, Samantha, and we can discuss it."
Samantha’s smile pulled back over her perfectly white teeth.
"Maybe I will some day, my Lord," she replied. "I need a worthy..."
She let it drop off and the two ancients stared at each other.
"I look forward to it, my Lady," the young man said with a bow and
started to walk away. "Enjoy your amusements, my Lady, but just remember
what I said - watch your back."
Samantha said nothing until the young man had left altogether.
"And you, my Lord," she whispered to the vanished figure. "And you."
"Gods, Samantha!" Sam suddenly exclaimed with a exhale of air she did
not realize she had taken in. "Who the hell was that!? He scared the
willies out of me!"
"Just a very old acquaintance of mine," Samantha reassured the
girl. "No one you need to worry about."
"But..."
Samantha put a finger to Sam’s mouth and smiled. "Now, where were we
with that kiss?"
Sam shut up.
* * * *
Location: Tokyo, Japan (alt)
Time: AD 2032, 29th July, 01:02
"NO!!!"
The heart anguished scream filled the corridor as the man
collapsed crying into the arms of the young woman who was desperately
trying to comfort him. The female doctor who had just given them the news
shifted uncomfortably while the other woman tried her best to comfort the
sobbing man.
"NOOO!!! LEIAA!!" he screamed again.
The other man standing next to the woman turned to the doctor standing
opposite them and stared at her. "Was it quick?"
The doctor's mouth tightened and she gave a curt nod. She did not
expand on how the insane Leia had killed herself and from the haunted
look in the woman’s eyes, Aru was not sure he wanted to know. He just
nodded his thanks and turned back to stare with a cold expression at
his wife.
"Damn her..." he said quietly, clenching his fist and looking both
at Yuki and the quiet figure of Lebia sitting opposite him. "Damn
Samantha to Hell..."
Yuki heard the curse but was too concerned with trying to comfort
the sobbing form of Keiji to say anything in Sam’s defence. Even she
was no longer sure what the hell was going on. In the space of less
than three weeks her entire world had turned completely mad. Katsumi was
little more than a gibbering wreck, Linna was missing supposed dead, and
Sam...
Sam was wanted by the police as an insane murder and worst. It was just
like some entire sick nightmare, a nightmare that just continually got worst.
"Keiji! Keiji!" a male voice suddenly called out as the door to
the small waiting room they were in smashed open and the scruffy looking form
of Roy walked in. He stopped dead and taking in the sight of Yuki and Keiji
his face went white and he started to shake.
"Oh Horus..."
"She’s dead," Aru turned to stare blankly at the shaking form.
"Leia killed herself..."
Roy took a step towards his ex-partner and old friend. He
hesitantly held out his hand and awkwardly patted the sobbing form on
Keiji on the back. "I’m... sorry..."
His voice faded as he pulled back. He turned to look at Aru and then back
at the form held protectively in Yuki’s arms. He did not know what to say.
What could he say? Sorry, just seemed so, well, pathetic...
"Roy, I’m sorry I took so long. I..." The attractive young woman
who had just entered through the door behind Roy stopped dead. "Oh..." Her
face looked uncertain at the sight of the situation she had just entered.
"It’s alright, Yoko," Roy said trying to force a small smile onto
his face. "It... Well..."
The woman Roy called Yoko looked uncertain for a moment and then she
took a few hesitant steps forward. "Is everything alright?" she asked softly.
Roy shook his head and gestured for the young woman to sit down.
"No," he replied softly. "Things are very wrong, very wrong indeed."
"Oh..." Yoko said and quietly as possible sat herself down out of
the way.
Yuki turned her head and gave Roy’s new companion a quick once
over. This Yoko was quite an attractive figure and although she seemed
to be a bit nervous at the scene she had walked into the young woman
was doing her best to hide it. Yuki wondered just who this Yoko was
and just what her relationship to Roy was. Keiji had called Roy’s
communicator over an hour and a half ago and the fact that Roy and this
Yoko had turned up together made Yuki slightly worried. Even with Katsumi in
her current state Roy was still a married man with a young daughter. Why
had he...
"Leia..." the man in Yuki’s arms sobbed again and Yuki broke from
her speculation back to the very real problem of Keiji.
"Hush... Hush..." she whispered like a mother as she tried to
comfort the distraught figure clutching so desperately at her. The
question of who and what this Yoko was would have to wait for later.
Yoko watched the scene of the humans’ grief with little interest.
These vermin lived and died in the blink of an eye, so it was of no
concern of hers what happened to them in the meantime. What did interest
her however was why Samantha had suddenly decided to come out of
hiding and go on a rampage. Samantha had not behaved in this sort of
fashion for Ages and Yoko was mystified as to why she was doing it
now? What she did know however was that somewhere within this group of
Samantha’s little pets was the answer. Information was power, and Yoko knew
that the Families of the Council would be most generous if she, Yoko/Luc,
could provide the answers that they themselves so desperately sought.
Samantha’s sudden and brutal attacks on some of the Great Families
had come as something of a very nasty shock. Oh, the old tales of Samantha,
and what she was capable of where well known, but the Corrupter had been
inactive for so long that those stories had mostly been dismissed as
mere exaggerations. Now, however, it was clear that they were not.
Already two of the smaller Families had had their ranks thinned
significantly by Samantha and she showed no signs of stopping. The more
powerful of the Great Families had so far been spared, but it was easy to see
that they were even more worried by that action. Not only did they had more
to lose in the way of position and Power if Samantha attacked them, but it
was them who had been originally responsible for the attempted attack on
the Corrupter in the first place. The fact that Samantha had deliberately
left them alone seemed to imply that she had something particularly unpleasant
in store for them and that had them more frightened than anything.
Yoko knew however, that there was far more behind their fear than simply
just a rogue Samantha going on a killing spree. There was a subtler and more
dangerous element to their worries, a worry that concerned their own
"children".
The Great Families were extremely old, and like most long
established structures had become very rigid in the roles and hierarchies that
made each Family up. The Great Lords of the Council had been the undisputed
rulers of all the various Multiverses for Cycles beyond counting and the sheer
unchanging nature of their rule was beginning to chafe at the skin of the
younger generations of Nobles - as well as the Others. That chaffing had over
the long Ages slowly crystallized into a smouldering resentment that was
beginning to make some of the members of the Council worried. The younger
generations wanted change and the Great Lords were incapable of doing that.
As a result, the youngsters were beginning to look towards those who few
Beings who had the Power to force through such change - like Samantha.
Personally, Yoko was surprised that things had remained stable for
so long. Nobles were a race that thrived on conflict and apart from
each other, there was no one else against whom they could fight. The horror
that the Nobles had once felt when they had seen the results of the Great
Rebellion had long since faded into obscurity and the younger generations
were itching for a level of conflict that was far beyond the tight strictures
of the Treaty. Like the Council, Yoko dreaded to think what would happen if
such a thing ever occurred. It had taken Cycles beyond counting for the Nobles
to heal the damage that they had caused with their bitter infighting during
the time of the Rebellion, and Yoko would do whatever it took to stop that
insanity from happening again. Yoko shuddered.
The threat of that insanity, of a resurgence of that conflict,
that was the true threat that Samantha had always represented, and
always would for as long as she lived. Samantha had never formally
agreed to the terms of the Truce and the Great Lords of the Council
knew that she never would. The Terms of the Truce had bought an ending
to the symptoms of the disease, but it had not been a cure. The Council had
always feared that one day the sickness would flare up again and once more the
utter insanity of that time would be repeated. That was why they could not,
would not, ever-let go of the reigns of Power that they had held onto
for so long. If they ever did then...
"Excuse me."
The soft voice made Yoko dismiss her rambling thoughts and focus
back on the situation in hand. She looked up and smiled at the young
woman who had just spoken to her. "Yes?"
Lebia looked down at the attractive young woman and repeated her
question. "Your name is Yoko, yes?"
Yoko nodded in reply and held out her hand, "Shintoyama Yoko, at
your service."
Lebia looked at the offered hand but made no movement. Yoko’s
smile wavered slightly and then slowly she pulled her hand back.
"What’s your connection to Roy?" Lebia asked bluntly, eyeing the
girl straight in the face.
"None of your business," Yoko replied equally bluntly.
Lebia scowled and opened her mouth to say more when Roy came over
and put his hand angrily on Lebia’s shoulder. "Yoko is a friend,"
he said in a terse voice. "And I don’t think that now is quite the
time to discuss this, Lebia, do you? There are slightly more pressing
matters that must be dealt with." His voice trailed off as he glanced back at
the still weeping form of Keiji.
Lebia followed his gaze and her mouth tightened. "Very well," she
said with a look that indicated that this was not the end of the
matter.
Roy sighed and turned to look at Yoko, "Sorry about that," he
said. "Lebia is a close friend of my wife, and I don’t think she has
learnt to accept the reality of Katsumi’s... condition." As he said
those words his face cracked slightly, and Yoko reached over and
patted his hand reassuringly.
"That bitch..." Roy suddenly exclaimed with a voice that was filled
with a deep loathing. "Damn her! I hope she burns for this!"
"Roy!" Yoko hissed quietly rising quickly to her feet. "That’s no
way to talk about your wife. She..."
"Not Katsumi," Roy said. "Her - Samantha! All of this, everything.
It's all her doing..." He raised his fist and clenched it as his face
showed something of the pent up rage that was burning in his mind.
Yoko said nothing but simply watched, then nodded.
Lebia turned away from watching Roy and the strange woman he was with
and moved her attention back to Yuki and Keiji. The usually hard-
bitten detective was still holding onto Yuki like a man who was
drowning. Lebia felt a faint wetness on her cheek and raised a hand to wipe
away the tear. She had not really known Leia personally, but from the few
times she had met her Lebia could see why Keiji was so shattered.
"Three weeks..." she muttered to herself. That’s all it was -
three weeks in which so much had so abruptly changed. It was almost
impossible to take in. Sam, Linna, Katsumi, Leia... It was all just so
impossible...
"Lebia," Aru said quietly as he came over to sit by her. "How are
you holding up? Are you alright?"
"Impossible..." was the young woman’s reply.
Aru frowned, "Sorry?"
"It’s all so impossible," the young woman repeated staring up to
look in his eyes, her face so confused. "It’s just so impossible..."
Aru‘s mouth tightened as he finally caught the drift of what
Lebia was trying to say. He held back the words that were threatening
to spill from his mouth and settled instead for awkwardly patting her
on the shoulder. He was unsure what he could say or do, so he just
continued to pat her shoulder. His mind whirled over the insane events of
the last few weeks and thought about what was going to happen next. This
whole bloody mess had started the day that when, according to Yuki,
Katsumi had tried to... well, assault Sam. That was about the only clear
fact that Yuki had been able to tell him about that day. What she described
next as having happened next sounded like it had come out of
some sort of horror story and yet Yuki had sworn it had happened.
Katsumi had started screaming and sounds like something unholy had
followed right after those screams.
"Demonic..." Aru whispered as he remembered the words that Yuki
had used when trying to desperately explain things to the police. It
had been demonic...
Aru did not know what to believe, but the facts were clear. When the
police had finally been able to open the door that had somehow been fused
into the very frame, all they had found was a catatonic Sam and a completely
insane Katsumi in the bedroom. Of Linna there had been no sign whatsoever.
He sighed, there was little else he could think of doing at the
moment. He did not know what was going to happen. He would just have
to wait until the police found Sam... And then... Then things might be
able to make some sense. As for Linna, well, Aru was certain she was
around somewhere. Even if Sam had for some insane reason killed her
lover, where the hell was the body?
Demonic... Aru thought about it for a moment. Why had Yuki been
convinced that something unholy had happened in that bedroom? He knew
his wife and she was one of the strongest, sane person he had ever
met. He could not believe that she would come up with a statement like
that for no reason. What if, well, "something" had happened? Could
that explain what had so affected Katsumi and Sam?
Aru frowned and for a moment suspended rationality as he considered
things. The priests of Horus spoke of evil as a living thinking force.
So, just for arguments sake, suppose something evil had manifested itself
in that bedroom. Would that explain things better than anything else?
After all, when you have dismissed all the most likely options then that
is the time to start on the mad ones. Aru knew that he was mostly likely an
idiot for considering this, but perhaps it was time to call one of his
old friends, Selene Othman. This sort of weird shit was just up her street.
She was, after all a Priestess of Set. Maybe she might be able to shed
some light on what was happening.
Hell, it was worth a try - nothing else was getting them anywhere.
Selene finished her coffee and placed the last crumb of cake
daintily into her mouth. "You have an interesting story, Aru," she
said. "But it doesn’t sound like something that is in my realm of
expertise, I'm afraid. It sounds more like a job for the police than
anything else. What makes you so sure that this was some sort of
supernatural event?"
Aru shrugged, "I admit it’s a bit of a long shot but my wife is
adamant that something unnatural happened to her friends and she is
not the kind of person to make such stories up."
"That maybe so, but I still do not see what you think I can do
about it?" Selene said looking at her old college friend with an
intense stare.
"Well," Aru looked slightly embarrassed. "I was just wondering if
you might be able to shed any light on the matter. You know with..." he
made a vague gesture with his hand.
"With me being a witch?" she said with a laugh. "I’m afraid a
title doesn’t give me access to instant knowledge and power, Aru. I
can ask around perhaps and see if anyone maybe knows anything that
might help, but I wouldn’t hold out any great hopes. Even if ‘something’
- as you put it - did happen, there is not much I can do about it. Your best
bet is to wait until the police locate the girl. Then, maybe, you will get
the answers that you want. Sorry, but that is the best I am able to do."
Aru sighed and then nodded, "I didn’t expect any miracles," he
said. "But thanks for taking the time out to talk to me and for the
effort of asking around. I appreciate it - I own you one."
"Forget it," Selene replied with a smile. "I’d just be interested in
hearing about your wife. I’m surprised anyone was able to capture your
heart. If I remember correctly, you were always going to be a confirmed
bachelor."
Aru smiled and ordering another cup of coffee began to speak of
Yuki and the life that they had made for themselves.
It was evening by the time that Selene got home and one of the
first things she did, after switching on the lights of course, was to
go to the vidphone and contact her partner.
"Come on, come on," she sat in front of the machine waiting for it
to contact at the other end. After a number of rings the screen
flickered to life and a shabbily dressed man stood on the other end
blinking as if he had just woken up. He stared at her a bit as if his
brain was still half asleep and then smiled.
"Yo, Selene. Do you know what time it is? Why ya calling me at
such an unearthly hour."
"Because I have a report of something I thought might interest
you."
"Oh? And just what might that be?"
Selene grimaced, "It seems three weeks or so ago someone caused a
small dimensional intrusion that may have released a minor Entity into
our world. It also seems that this Entity may have possessed a young
girl called Samantha before going on a small killing rampage."
"Let me guess," the man replied trying to wake up. "This Samantha
wouldn’t happen to be the one that the cops seem to be so interested in
finding, would she? The one who has been on the news for the last week or so."
Selene nodded, "Bingo! I’ve just spent the last couple of hours
talking to an old friend who surprisingly enough happened to live with
the girl, and from what he describes it has the usual Entity MO."
"Ah, bollocks," the man growled. "It would be, won’t it? And of course, it
would be a female that it has to possess."
"A Breeder," Selene nodded. "That’s what I thought as well."
"Okay, you know the drill," the man said with a sigh. "I’ll get
hold of the Watcher on duty and tell them the situation. Do you think
we will need any back up?"
Selene shrugged, "No idea, but if it is a Breeder then we may have
Childer to worry about as well."
"Fun," was the man’s only comment. "Okay. Well, let’s get this show on
the road before the real blood bath begins. We don’t want another mess like
we had with Cheyenne Industries, now do we?"
* * * *
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Time: AD 2041, 28th December, 21:29
Helia cut the power on her suit’s thrusters and gently cruised the
Tokyo skyline looking down at the six other silent silhouettes of her
sisters as they gradually climbed up to match her height. Helia turned
her attention to the glowing Christmas tree ahead that was the pyramid of
Genom Tower and also the target for this evenings raid. Even after
all the, ah, excitement of the last few months, there was still the
matter of the Culture and their payment for the deaths of Elina and
Leina to resolve. Helia was slightly ashamed with herself that she had
been so caught up in the events of discovering who and what she was that
she had almost completely forgotten about the girls who had died in the
bomb all the way back in July. And she was even more ashamed of the
fact that it had taken Sylia to reminder her of that fact. Six months
was far too long a time to leave her sisters unavenged and that was
something she intended to put right.
Thanks to their new "gifts" tracking down the backers behind the
Culture had been surprisingly easy. It have given both Helia and Sylia a
weird sense of deja-vu when they discovered that it was none other
than their good old friends at Genom. It seemed almost surreal. So
surreal that Sylia could not shake off the feeling that this was
either a put up job, or that Genom was being manipulated by some other
force. Helia had to admit that she had her suspicions as well. Was
this just Genom being Genom, or was this just a facet of some deeper
plot - something involving her own kind? She did not know, Sylia did
not know, and that was why they were tackling this as the Knight
Sabers, rather than as members of Samantha’s Family.
"Sis," Reina’s voice came over her comlink. "You’re drifting a bit
too far off the approach vector. Correct your approach angle by
0.275."
Helia grimaced, "Sorry, Rei," she replied and made the correction.
"My mind was drifting."
Reina made no comment and Helia took that as a small caution to remain
focused. "Alright, in 90 seconds we will be within the Tower’s parameters.
Remember to engage Stealth mode only after you have landed. The
stealth field consumes too much power to use whilst in flight."
"So, why don’t we just use the Power?" Celine asked. "I mean, its
not like we need this technology - not now."
"Because we don’t know what we're up against," Sylia’s voice
interrupted the conversation. "If we were just dealing with...
humans... then it would not matter, but we may be dealing with more.
Perhaps, even some of your kind. And if that’s the case then we are best to
conceal our, I mean your, real nature until they show their hand. Going
in announcing that you are all Nobles is just asking them to react the same.
Of course, it might make no difference whatsoever, but..." Her voice dropped
off.
"I think we get the general idea, Sylia," Arline muttered in a
bored tone.
"Hey! Arline! Watch your language!" Helia hissed sharply.
- Enough! - Reina sent furiously. - We’re landing in 70 sec...
Shit! Check your sensors! We have incoming boogies! Lots of them! -
- Boomers! - Helia exclaimed as her suit identified the incoming
targets as combat models 939-SMD, the latest and most advanced battle
boomers to date. The most obvious choice for the defence of Genom’s
central point of power.
- Let’s consume them, sis! - Arline said with a giggle as she
invoked her Power. - Let’s consume them and all the warmth of this... -
- Arline! Stop being silly! - Helia scolded her younger sister. -
Just activate your ECM and head for the Tower. When you land activate
your stealth field and head for the rendezvous point. With the stealth
fields no one will be able to find us -
- But they already know we are here! - Reina put in. - Are you
sure this is the right time to continue? We could... -
- Withdraw? - Helia finished. - Yes we could, but we would still
have to face the same problem if we came back. Only this time, the welcome
party would be much bigger. No, if we going in, then we are going in now -
"As you command," Reina commented sourly and shifted her thrusters to
maximum.
"Okay, sis," Rina stated. "I’m right behind you. Hey, Helia,
should we have anyone run diversion?"
"No, just get past them and land. It is not the boomers that
concern me, but more likely what we will find in the Tower itself."
"You mean you think we will be up against other Nobles?" Arline said
with an expectant shiver in her voice that made Helia sigh.
- Rina, do you think you can control Arline when she lands? - she sent
privately to the girl. - I think it was a mistake bringing one of Priss’s
children on this mission -
- Done - Rina replied. - Personally, I think you should have bought
someone slightly more sensible like Ireine. She can fight and has the
brains as well -
- Fine, well that’s for later. Not much use now - Helia replied.
"Contact with boomers in 20 seconds. Activate ECM now, and good luck!"
The next 30 seconds was spent in intense silence as seven dark
slim figures weaved an insane evasion course between and around the
larger and heavier cyborgs. Lights flared in the sky as the boomers
opened fire on the intricately weaving figures. Some of the lights
came perilously close to hitting the smaller figures, but they were
only boomers. What they were fighting against was seven members of a
Family whose Mistress was one of the oldest and most Powerful Beings
still in existence. It was no contest.
Helia landed and immediately activated her suit’s stealth field. She
looked around and watched as the boomers who had attacked been attacking
them only a few moments before landed near them and looked around confused
trying to determine where their opponents had gone.
- Wait for it! - Helia sent to her sisters. - Let them... -
All the boomers suddenly wavered as if they had just passed
through some sort of heat haze and then they just vanished in a soundless
implosion.
- What the... - Rina exploded. - Arline! What the... -
- It wasn’t me! - Arline cried out defensively. - I didn’t do anything!
I... -
"You silly children," Kelly said with a sigh as she appeared on
the roof. "We are Nobles of the House of De’Naimenaishara! We don’t
sulk in the shadows against human vermin or other Nobles! When I told
Sylia that she had access to more Power than she could imagine, I meant
it!"
Helia went stiff in a combination of outrage and fear. As she
looked up at Kelly she felt a surge of coldness and Power slowly build
up inside her. It was almost as if the Darkness within her were
reacting to Kelly’s words, encouraging her to put aside foolish ideas of
her limitations and accept just who and what she was. It was a weird
feeling.
"Kelly..." Reina’s hushed whisper sounded through the comlink and
Helia was surprised by the emotion that was carried in that one word.
Was there something going on between Kelly and Reina?
"Get rid of your suits, girls," Kelly said in an authoritative
voice. "Let our opponents look on our faces and know who we are."
"Kelly, that’s stupid!" Helia exclaimed sharply. "If these are
Nobles we are up against then announcing our presence..."
Kelly giggled and made a gesture. A smell like something that
Helia did not want to imagine suddenly filled the night air and the
roof on which they had landed was no longer populated with just themselves.
"Holy..." Rina began to say and then her voice cut out as she
collapsed in a faint. None of her sisters rushed to help her, they
were just staring in fearful disbelief at the... things... that Kelly
had just called forth.
There were ten of them. They were... Helia’s eyes bulged as she
forced herself to remain very still and sane as Kelly walked
slowly towards the... things... and start to speak to them in a
guttural, hissing language that no human throat could possibly utter.
What Kelly said, or how long she spoke for Helia did not know. She
just could not drag her eyes away from the... the... whatever they were
that Kelly had summoned.
Kelly made a final gesture and the ten large, vaguely humanoid,
clawed and dripping slime _things_ gibbered and vanished. Kelly’s face
twisted into a smile and she looked over to the still invisible form
of Helia. "See? There are much more demonstrative ways of dealing with
Pawns other than flying around in pretty suits. Don’t worry, my
little playthings will soon determine if we are dealing with anything
other than mortal vermin."
Helia felt sick and her stomach was more than wanting to prove it
to her.
"Helia?" Kelly asked. "Are you listening to me?"
"Wha... What... have..." Reina’s voice whispered out as she was
the first to recover something of her ability to speak.
"Done, Reina-chan?" Kelly chuckled. "The word you want is done."
"Done..." Reina finished at the other woman’s prompting.
"Well done," Kelly congratulated the girl with a warm smile. "What
I have done is simply sent a number of minor denizens from a plane not
far from here to scout out the territory so to speak. If they come across
any serious resistance from those within, then we will know something
about what we are walking into - simple really." She shrugged, "I
would have thought it was obvious."
Helia could not believe what she had just heard, was not sure she
wanted to believe what she had just heard. The young woman smiling in
front of her had just casually unleashed... whatever... on the
inhabitants of the Tower beneath her with as little thought as to quashing
bugs.
"Helia, this is Sylia, come in please..."
Helia blinked and the small voice of Sylia squawked again several
times before Helia found a state of mind to respond. "Mother..."
"What the heck are you playing at, Helia?" Sylia’s annoyed voice
said. "My readings still have you on the top of sector 12. You are
supposed to be infiltrating through corridor 32F by now. What..."
"We’ll be going there in about 15 minutes or so, Stingray,"
Kelly’s voice spoke cheerfully over the comlink Helia had with Sylia.
"We’re all just waiting for a little scouting mission to finish -
that’s all."
"Kelly... What the hell are you doing there?!" Sylia’s voice
exploded loudly in Helia’s ear and she winced. "Helia! What IS going
on?!"
"Kelly, you have to stop this!" Reina suddenly exclaimed. "Please!
We came here to..."
"Revenge your sisters," Kelly finished. "And that is exactly what
we shall do. But we will do it in a fashion that is in keeping with
_our_ Family’s traditions."
"But..." Reina tried again.
"Oh, little one, don’t worry so much," Kelly said in a kind voice.
"Vermin die sooner or later, and a possible Challenge has been issued
against our Family. It is only right that we respond. When you have
seen a couple of worlds come and go you will realize how transitory
such things are. Only the Family matters, Rei-chan, only the Family
matters."
Reina made no further comment. She had lost sense of the context
after Kelly had called her ‘little one’ and was currently floating on
a warm happy cloud. Although her Bonding attempt to Kelly had given
her a nasty shock about just how deeply Kelly felt for ‘Sam’. The fact
that Kelly was calling her things like ‘little one’ made her all gooey
inside. All other things went completely out of the window.
"Helia! Answer m..." Sylia’s voice cut off in mid stream.
- That woman can be so irritating at times - Kelly commented with
a sigh.
"You didn’t..."
- Harm her, Helia? - Kelly snorted. - Of course not. I just cut
off the communication between us. I want us to do this as a Family unit
and we don’t need some silly mortal telling us what to do -
"Helia, we... We have to do _something_," Darline exclaimed
furiously. "We just can’t let innocent people die for nothing! We have
to stop this!"
"Kelly, please... Call them back! You must stop this!" Helia
turned and deactivating the Stealth field begged the Noble. "Please!"
Kelly laughed, "Me, Helia? Ha! Why should I?"
"Please!"
Kelly sighed, "Really, Helia. You have a lot to learn about
things, don’t you?"
"Kelly, please just call them back!" Helia exclaimed.
"Do it yourself, Helia," Kelly said with a shrug. "You could do with
the practice."
"What?!" Helia demanded slightly stunned by what Kelly had said.
"Are you mad?!"
Kelly looked at her and blinked. "No, I am not mad. You have more
than enough Power to do it, you just lack the confidence. Go on, it’s
simple really, just extend your senses and send them away. They don’t have
anything like the strength necessary to stop you. Hey, you can even
destroy them if you wish - makes no difference to me."
Helia held out her hand. "Please, Kelly, don’t kid around. You..."
With a giggle Kelly vanished and Helia was left talking to thin
air. Helia blinked a few times and then swore. "Kelly! Kelly, please!
Come back!"
Nothing happened and Helia swore viscously.
"Helia!" Darline exclaimed. "Please snap out of it! You have to
stop this madness from happening! Please!"
"I... I don’t know what to do!" Helia snapped back. "I..."
"Well, if someone doesn’t do something soon, then it’s going to be
a fuckin’ blood bath!" Darline shrieked in a hysterical voice. "I can
_feel_ the people’s terror! They’re dying in there! They’re..."
"Alright!" Helia yelled breaking into Darline’s shrieking. Taking
a deep breath, Helia closed her eyes. Taking a moment to steady
herself, she _reached_ for her "Power". It was like opening herself to a
frozen lake of irresistible bliss. It slowly filled her like a sweet
sickness that made her shiver with delight. Helia groaned in ecstasy
as the frozen corruption flowed into her. She opened her black eyes
and smiled. She could _feel_ the pain and terror of those... warm...
living... vermin in the structure below. She shivered with delight and
savored the mortal agony of the warm toys. The coldness slowly filling
her was so sharp that it was almost painful and she felt a deep almost
faint gnawing desire consume her.
"I’m hungry..." Helia whispered as she gave a name to that faint
desire.
"Helia!" Darline shouted. "Do something - they’re dying! Please!"
Helia blinked, "Of course..." Reaching out with that frozen sweetness
she tentatively sought out the... flavour of the essences in the building
below. Her mind touched briefly on faint flickers of warmth. She wondered
what they were but as soon as she had sensed them those flashes of warm
were gone. She reached out further as she explored to see if she could find
those things that Kelly had released. As she did so, she encountered yet
more of those brief flickers of warmth that flared before vanishing.
She pushed on trying to find those creatures that she sought. More and
more flashes of warmth touched upon her mind and she began to feel that
faint hunger that she had noted earlier begin to build. Helia clasped her
hands together nervously and licked her lips. She tried to ignore the growing
hunger as pushed her mind out even further. The faint warmths flickering in
her mind grew and grew until they were like a faint torrid of warmth flowing
into the coldness of her mind. The hunger grew and...
"HELIA!!!" a voice screamed and screamed as a hand slapped at her
face again and again. "STOP IT!! STOP IT!!"
Darline lay on the ground sobbing as Arline hit Helia again and
again. The pain of the countless deaths that had just happened howled
through Darline’s mind and the only thing she could do was sob at the
senselessness of their loss.
Helia yelled in shock and pain as Reina’s hand struck her face.
"Arline! What..."
"Helia... Why... Why..." Darline sobbed clutching at herself.
"Why..."
Helia grabbed Reina’s hand as it descended on her face once more.
"Reina! What the devil are you doing to me?!" she exclaimed angrily.
"I..."
"You _killed_ them..." Darline wept out. "All of them..."
Helia looked up at Reina and at the sobbing form of Darline. "What...
Reina... What is going on here? What is..."
"The Tower," Reina said in a toneless voice. "You... you..."
"What?!" Helia looked confusedly up at the white face of Reina.
"What about me?"
"You killed them..." Reina whispered looking down at her shaking
her head.
"What... Who..."
"All of them..."
"Who..."
"The Tower, Helia," Reina said looking down at her sister. "You
killed everyone in the Tower. They’re all dead... All dead...
Dead..."
* * * *
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Time: AD 2089, 25th June, 15:43
Helen held up the dress to Kiyomi and nodded. "Yip, this is the
one. This is one I want you to wear."
"Why, this one in particular?" Kiyomi said looking at it closely.
"It doesn’t seem any different from the others."
Helen grinned, "I think it looks cuter on you, that’s all."
Kiyomi shook her head, "You’re a hopeless romantic, Helen, you
know that, don’t you?"
"Hai," Helen said nodding her head. "Hopeless."
"So, why do you want to go to this club anyway?" Kiyomi asked
taking the dress off Helen.
"Got an invitation from an old friend," Helen replied looking
through the rank of dresses to try and find something for herself.
"Shay seems to know the owner from somewhere."
"Shay?" Kiyomi frowned. "Whose that?"
Helen smiled at the expression on her lover’s face. "No threat to
you, love. Shay’s one of the few, no, only friend that I have left
from my time on the moon. I knew her at Uni... Hey, Kiyomi, are you
listening to me?"
Kiyomi ignored her and continued to look down the isle to
something that was at the other end of the store.
"Hey! Kiyomi!" Helen tapped her friend on the shoulder and the
young woman turned and smiled at her.
"Sorry, Helen, but I think I see someone down there that I know."
"Eh? Where?" Helen peered passed Kiyomi and followed her pointing
hand. At the bottom of the isle a teenager in her late teens and a
young woman in her mid twenties were sorting through what looked like
jeans. Helen turned to look at Kiyomi. "And just who are they?"
"Well..." Kiyomi began but Helen was already walking off to meet
them. "Helen!" Kiyomi called out. "Hey, hold on!"
"Well, which one do you think?" Priss asked showing Mayline the
two pairs of retro-style jeans. "Which one is me?"
Mayline looked at the two that Priss was holding up to herself one
after another and took a moment to think. "Well, I think black is more
your..."
"Hello," a young woman suddenly came striding up and held out her
hand. "I’m Helen Shannon, a friend of Kiyomi..." Helen stopped and her
face registered confusion for a moment as she felt an odd sensation
pass through her body.
Priss looked at the young woman and then at Mayline. "Kiyomi?" she
said with a questioning expression on her face.
"She’s a partial Chosen," Mayline said looking at Priss. "A bit
more sensitive than you, Chosen. When the Bond is complete she should
be quite strong."
"Eh?" Helen pulled back slightly. "What are you..."
"It’s nothing," Kiyomi said finally coming over and standing next
to her Chosen. She stood and stared at Mayline and her eyes closed as
she bowed her head slightly.
"Welcome, Kiyomi-chan," Mayline held out her hand. "Is this your
Chosen?"
"Her name’s Helen, Mayline-san," Kiyomi said, taking the offered
hand. "And is she yours?"
"Hey, I’m not property you know," Priss snapped angrily putting
her hand onto her hip.
"Yeah," Helen echoed Priss’s tone. "What are you talking about,
Kiyomi?"
Priss looked over at Helen and sniffed. "So, you’re a Chosen as
well are you? Welcome to the freak show."
Helen stiffened at the uncalled insult from the other woman and
looked at her angrily. "What did you mean by that, you jerk?"
"Hey, you two," Mayline said with a smile. "Give it a rest." She
looked over at Kiyomi and the two of them shared an amused look.
- Chosen can be like children at times, can’t they? - Mayline send
to her sister.
- But you gotta love them for it - Kiyomi replied with a laugh.
Helen looked at the amused expression on Kiyomi’s face and then
over at the chestnut haired girl who seemed to be silently laughing
along with her. "Alright you two, what is going on here? What’s so
amusing? And while you’re at it, what the heck is a ‘Chosen’ anyway?"
Priss snorted, "You’re a complete innocent aren’t you, girly? You
really don’t know anything."
Helen turned on the rude woman with the weird hairdo and raised a
fist. "Look, you 1960’s freak artist, what exactly is your problem?
Are you just rude by nature or is it me?"
"Touchy aren’t we?" Priss said with a grin and held out her hand.
"Priscilla Asagiri, at your service."
"Priss, you’re forgetting again," Mayline broke in as Helen took
Priss’s hand. "We’re Bonded - it’s Priscilla Mayline S. Asagiri, now."
"Picky, picky," Priss muttered shaking Helen’s hand. "Just call me
Priss, Helen-san. Everyone else does."
"Helen, please," Helen replied wondering what all this Bonded
stuff was about.
Priss nodded and looked over at Kiyomi. "You don’t look like one
of Mayline’s sisters," she said. "Who exactly are you?"
"Samantha’s work," Mayline said looking at Priss. "She’s one of
Samantha’s Claims."
"Oh," Priss replied and fell silent.
"So, are you going to tell me what is going on her?" Helen stated.
"Or is this going to be twenty questions?"
"About what?" Kiyomi asked innocently and got a filthy look from
Helen.
"What all this ‘Chosen’, ‘Bonding’ and other nonsense is about of
course."
"It’s not exactly anything special," Kiyomi replied with a shrug.
"It just means you and me are a hot looking couple, that’s all." She
wrapped her arm around Helen’s waist and gave her a quick kiss.
"Yeah, right," Helen said with an expression on her face which
said she did not believe a word of it. "Come on, Kiyomi, tell me what
this is all about. Who are these people, and where do you know them
from?"
"Kiyomi’s a relative of mine," Mayline spoke up. "We’re members of
the same extended Family. I’m pleased to met you, Helen." Mayline held
out her hand and smiled in welcome as Helen hesitantly shook it.
"Ah, hi."
"Chosen’s just a term of affection that our Family uses for
couples, that's all," Mayline replied with a disarming smile. "We tend
to be rather informal about relationships in our Family so Chosen is
a term that we use to describe a couple who have a rather more permanent
Bonding. There’s nothing sinister about it, it’s just the terminology
that we have. Chosen tend to be rather rare so we like to
differentiate it - to make it special, so to speak."
Helen looked thoughtful. "I’ve never heard of that practice
before."
Mayline nodded, "It’s quite common where our Family comes from."
"Oh," Helen’s eyes crossed over to Priss. "So, she is your
‘Chosen’ is she?"
Mayline gave Priss a look that made the brown eyed woman blush.
"Oh, yes," Mayline replied in a sultry voice. "Priss and I are very
much Bonded - or married you might say. We have been for quite some
time."
"Stop that," Priss looked flustered. "You’re embarrassing me."
Mayline’s only answer was a warm chuckle that bought a smile to
Helen’s face.
"You could have just told me that," Helen turned to Kiyomi. "I
would have understood you know - 'Chosen'."
At the use of the word Kiyomi eyes widened and her pupils dilated.
Helen was surprised by Kiyomi’s reaction.
"You mean that?" Kiyomi asked stepping forward and taking a grip
on Helen’s shoulders as she looked deep into the woman’s eyes. "Do you
really want to be my Chosen, complete the Bond?"
Helen felt slightly nervous by Kiyomi’s intensity and she realized
that the word had a much deeper meaning than the casual term she may
have implied. She flushed and swallowed, "Kiyomi... Are... are you
proposing to me?"
Kiyomi’s grip on her shoulders tightened and she looked nervous,
"I... I... Yes. Yes, Helen I am. Will you? Will you been my Chosen,
and Bond with me? I..." Her voice faded slightly as she began to lose
her courage.
Helen felt her heart begin to pound like drum. Her thoughts were
whirling and... "Yes." The word slipped out before she even realized
she had said anything.
Kiyomi stopped dead as her mind processed what Helen and just
said. "Yes..." she whispered almost as if she did not believe it.
Helen smiled shyly at what that simple word did to her lover.
"Yes, Kiyomi," she said again pushing forward and looking
intensely into the young woman’s eyes. "I will be your Chosen."
Mayline cringed at the great "whoop" sound that suddenly came from
her "sister" as the two young women tried to squeeze the life out of
each other. She smiled and looked at Priss. Her Chosen was looking
annoyed like she always did and Mayline reached out and took her
Chosen’s hand in hers. "Chosen..." she whispered.
Priss tried to pull her hand back from Mayline, but the girl
simply stood there looking at her with those wide expressive eyes of
hers. Oh, no... Not the eyes, Priss just about managed to think as she
felt herself getting lost in the bottomless deeps of the Chosen’s
adoring look. She tried to rally her senses but Mayline’s eyes always,
always, always, won.
Mayline sighed contently as Priss dropped the jeans she was
carrying and pulled Mayline to into her arms. The Noble embraced her
Chosen and let herself get carried away in the love and warmth that
her Chosen filled her with. Priss... she thought, desperately trying to
mold herself tighter against her Chosen. Oh, my Priss...
"Well, well, well..." a voice said in an amused tone. "It’s nice
to see that spring isn’t the only time when love blooms."
Priss took a sharp breath and with a face that looked like a
tomato reluctantly broke her kiss with Mayline - just as it had been
getting interesting as well... She took a second to calm her rather
impassioned nerves and keeping an arm wrapped around her Chosen turned
to face the woman who had spoken.
"What... What do you want?" she asked, pitching her voice to reach
the other two woman still currently trying to suck each other’s life out.
The speaker was an attractive looking teenage redhead with blue
eyes and a faintly amused look on her young face. Her hair was just past
shoulder length and there was something about her face that Priss
thought was vaguely familiar.
"Can I help you?" Priss asked again trying to place where she had
seen that face before.
The girl smiled and kneeling down picked up the jeans that Priss
had dropped. "Not really," she said passing the jeans over to Priss.
"I just find it..."
"Raina Stingray," Mayline suddenly said as Priss took the jeans.
"You’re Raina Stingray."
"Stingray..." Priss mouth dropped open and she stared dumbly at
the redhead.
Raina looked at Mayline and frowned, "That’s right - do I know
you?"
"Not exactly," Mayline replied holding out her hand. "But I’m a
friend of Li..."
"Stingray!" Priss suddenly burst out surging forward to grab the
redhead’s shoulders and look intensely at her. "You’re Raina
Stingray!"
Mayline sighed. "Don’t worry about Priss," she said reassuringly
to the confused looking redhead. "She’s harmless - usually."
Priss did not even hear the comment as she stared down at a
connection to her past she did not even know still existed. "You’re
Raina Stingray!" she repeated yet again and shook her head. "Raina
Stingray..."
Raina looked even more nervous and Mayline reached out and pinched
Priss’s bum.
"Hey, Priss! Your brain finally checked out?"
"Ouch!" Priss exclaimed and turning on her companion gave the girl
a small thump. "That hurt!"
Mayline grinned evilly and then looked back at Raina. "Linna
Yamazaki told me about you, Raina. Tha..."
"Linna?! You’re a friend of Linna’s?!" Raina raised a hand to her
chest. "Do... Do you know where she is? Please... I need to talk with
her! I..." her voice faded away and Mayline was surprised to see the
girl was almost in a state of distress.
"I do, yes," Mayline replied. "I..."
"You must be Nene’s granddaughter!" Priss burst in again, much to
the annoyance of both speakers. "Aren’t you? You..."
"Priss! Please!" Mayline snapped and flashed her Chosen a _look_.
"I’m trying to talk here."
Priss flushed and grumbled something under her breath.
"You too, love," Mayline said with a small apologetic smile and
gave her Chosen’s arm a squeeze. "Just give us a moment, eh?"
"Where is she?! Please!" Raina asked again and Mayline almost
winced at the desperation in the girl's voice.
"Why do you..."
"Please! Just tell me!"
Kiyomi and Helen looked at each and waited to see what would
happen. Neither of them knew who this Linna was, or this Stingray
person, so they remained silent.
Mayline sighed, "You still want Linna that much do..."
"Linna?!" Priss exclaimed shocked. "But Linna loves Sama..."
"Priss! Shut up!" Mayline exerted her Power and Priss went slacked
face.
"What was that..." Raina said in a small voice. "About Linna
and..."
"Nothing," Mayline said with a compassionate smile on her face.
"Priss is a little bit, well you know, ‘funny’. She doesn’t know anything.
I do know where Linna is, Raina-san, and if you are willing to come with me
I can take you to her. If that is what you really want..."
"Take me to her now, please!" Raina begged. "I must see her!"
Mayline lowered her head and nodded, "As you wish, Raina-san. As
you wish."
"How are you feeling now, love?" Linna leaned down and kissed the
coldish forehead of her mate.
The redhead smiled and moved her head on the pillow. "Better,
still a but tired, but better than I was."
Linna stroked the pale cheek and looking at the peaceful expression
on the redhead’s face decided now was the time to asked the question
that had been burning in her mind for the last month or so. Now that
the redhead was in a relaxed mood the time was right. "Sammy, love..."
"Hmm..."
Linna continued to stroke Samanaimethea’s cheek and taking a small
breath knelt down and nibbled the redhead’s right ear. "What’s the
story with Celeline, Sammy? Please..."
The redhead’s eyes opened and the peaceful look on her face
hardened. "Linna," she said sitting up. "I told you. I want you and
Celeline to get along. I love both of..."
"NO!" Linna exclaimed angrily and pulled Samanaimethea’s chin
around to face her. "You are _my_ mate, Samanaimethea - mine!"
Samanaimethea’s lips curled slightly for a moment, but she rapidly
got her anger under control. "Yes, Linna. _We_ are mates, and we will
always be. But there are others who mean a lot to me as well, Linna.
Celeline, Kelly, Llothelianis - each of them hold a place in my heart
as well, Linna. I..."
"But you kissed her!" Linna hissed angrily. "You were KISSING
her!"
"So?" Samanaimethea asked. "Kissing is just an expression of love,
Linna. It does not change how I feel about you - nor will it ever.
Stop thinking like a human, girl. You are not that petty anymore. I
do not begrudge you the time you spent with Raina now do I?"
Linna snarled and turned away, "You’re impossible at times," she
said as she walked out of the small room leaving Samanaimethea staring
after her.
Samanaimethea sighed. "So are you, Linna-chan," she muttered to
herself pulling back the blankets on her bed and getting up.
"She treats you like property, Sam," a voice said that made
Samanaimethea freeze as Kelly suddenly appeared standing over her.
"How can you stand it?"
Samanaimethea took a moment to collect her wits and with a glad
cry bolted to her feet and threw her arms around her... no, Sam’s old
lover/Consort. "Kelly! Oh, Kelly!" she cried out gladly.
Kelly pulled the redhead to her and tried to fight down the
emotions and needs that were rushing through her mind at that point in
time. She just concentrated on holding the... slightly changed form of
her lover and filling every sense that she had with the warm fragrance
that was her Sam. "Oh, Sam..." she whispered into the redhead’s now
long hair.
Samanaimethea pushed all her worries and concerns over Kelly and
how she might react to Linna to the back of her mind as she just held
the familiar figure of her... Sam’s... whatever... lover to her.
"Kelly," she whispered.
How long the two of them continued to hold onto each other for
they did not know. Samanaimethea was afraid to break the embrace for
fear of hurting Kelly’s feelings even more than she already had, and
Kelly just did not want to. But finally, Kelly pulled back and
reluctantly let her Sam go. She had thought she was ready to cope with
this, but her eyes were misting up and the sheer presence of her Sam
in her arms was affecting her more badly than she had planned.
"You... You have changed, love," she finally managed to get hold
enough of her wits to say. "And I _like_ the improvements..."
Samanaimethea swallowed and lower her eyes slightly. She had
dreaded this moment since the very beginning of the latest stage in
her life. "Kelly... I so so sorry... I really did not want this to
happen way it just did... I... I became what I am now... and things just
sort of happened and..." It all came out in a bit of a incoherent rush
and Kelly put a stop to it by placing her lips on the mouth that was
blabbering and kissing it very hard.
For Samanaimethea the kiss of her old lover was something that
took her back deep into the memories of her past life. The taste of
Kelly, the smell of Kelly, the way Kelly held her, they all
overwhelmed her with memories of her past. She could not help but
react to those memories, they had been a part of her life so long -
as had Kelly - and it was like falling back into an old familiar role,
a role that sucked her in completely.
Kelly knew the kiss was a mistake the moment she tried it. She was
getting lost in the emotions that she had so desperately tried to
repress. Her resolve, her plans, everything - it all went out the window
the moment she first pressed up against those salty lips.
She inhaled and the flowery scent of the young woman in her arms
filled her senses. She instinctively tightened her grip as the
memories of the first time she had met Sam flooded her mind. The
memories of the cold dark nights they had spent shivering in the
wrecks of the great cities of her once proud homeland...
She ran her hand through the long silky hair and pulled the head
of her lover hard against her as her tongue parted the lips of her
beloved and entered the warm wet recesses of the Immortal’s mouth.
For a moment, the redhead seemed to be startled at the urgent
demanding of Kelly’s desire. She tried to say something, but Kelly lost
in the sweet fragrance pushed her kiss deeper. Her tongue boldly met
and entwined itself around the redhead’s as the emotion Kelly had tried
to hold back burst forth. Her free hand cautiously and then with
greater courage, slid under the young woman’s loose top and explored
the cool perfect silk of her old lover’s skin. She repositioned her head
and pushed her hand up to cup the now full endowments of her Sam. At this
point the smaller woman started to squirm and Kelly had to tighten her
hold to get...
Linna’s eyes were like two perfect black orbs as she held out her
hand and unleashed her Power against her Enemy. The small ball of utter
darkness drifted lazily across towards the brunette. Held within its
constraints was Power enough to destroy stars, enough Power to
annihilate matter itself. Linna knew she dare not unleash more than that
or she might cause Samanaimethea to react dangerously.
Kelly marvelled at the changes that had happened to the body that
her fingers were now exploring. It was like nothing she had ever dared
imagine. It was perfect, more than perfect. It seemed as if it had been
made for her and she could not help but explore every crevice that she
could reach. She was just moving her hand down to explore the more
forbidden secret places when her Power reacted to the presence of a
ball of DarkBane aimed at her. Her eyes flashed black with rage
and still holding her lover, she glared up at the ignorant child who had
just tried to attack her. When she saw who it was her face curled into an
almost unholy leer of pleasure.
"Linna..." she hissed in dark delight as she saw the startled look
on the woman’s face. "You have come."
Linna was half caught between her rage at Kelly and her shock at
how easily the woman had shielded herself from the DarkBane. She had
difficulty accepting that Kelly had that much Power. She steadied
herself and raising a hand defensively took a hurried look at the
redheaded form held tight up against the ex-Consort. The young woman’s
face was flushed red with desire and the mouth hung slackly down.
Linna’s rage grew even more as she saw the way that Samanaimethea
was daring to touch the ex-Consort. Her body slowly began to glow with
a faint black aura as the Darkness within her surged in response to her
emotions.
Kelly looked at the child in front of her and almost laughed at
the pathetic Power that the brunette was summoning. The smile on her face
grew and she deliberately leaned down and ran her tongue over the
redhead’s flushed cheek.
"Sam is mine," she said in glee as she watched how the brunette
stiffened in reaction to her movement. She had not originally planned
to take back Sam yet, but this opportunity was too good to pass up.
Linna had initiated the Challenge and according to the Rules of
Ascension the one who won this conflict would be the new Consort. This
would be so easy. Kelly would shred Linna to pieces and then once more
Claim the position that was hers by right. It was almost too easy...
Samanaimethea was warm and content in the supportive embrace Kelly
held her in. Her mind was lost in the intense emotions and sensations
that her old lover aroused in her. The smell of Kelly and the sensation
of her familiar everyday touch made Samanaimethea feel so serene, so
cherished that nothing else at that point in time mattered.
Kelly shifted the redhead’s body slightly as she prepared to meet
Linna’s Challenge. The redhead sighed and the smile on her face almost
made Kelly forget all about Linna. "Soon..." she whispered as she
touched the young woman’s cheek. "Soon, my beloved." She looked up and
smiled at Linna. "Come, child. Amuse me."
"STOP IT!"
The sudden shout made Kelly and Linna both look up in surprise at
the heavily breathing girl that was now standing in the entrance of the
small room. The slender girl looked at each of the two older women in shock
and a look of fierce determination crossed her face.
"STOP IT! PLEASE!"
"Celeline..." Linna whispered and turned her attention away from
Kelly to focus her attention on the latest arrival.
Kelly’s face curled. Linna had started this Challenge and Kelly
was not going to stop now, especially not for a little child. She
gestured in annoyance and the teenager screamed in agony as a black
aura briefly flared around her body. She collapsed in a heap on the
ground and lay still. Linna took a step back in shock. Celeline was
dead! Kelly had killed the young Enforcer with little more than a
gesture! Her face went white and shaking slightly the brunette turned
to face the now grinning ex-Consort.
"Say goodbye, Linna. It's time to die."
"Celeline... Celeline..."
Darkness. Floating. Sensation.
"Celeline... Celeline..."
Darkness. Floating. Sensation.
"Celeline... Celeline..."
The soft voice insistently calling her name slowly reached through
the blackness that she was gently floating in and with an eruption of
pain the blackness exploded into light. Celeline blinked and with a
groan of pain, tentatively opened her eyes to stare at the worried face
of her Chosen looking down at her. Celeline blinked again and with an
effort managed to move her hand up to touch the beloved face looking
down at her.
"Chosen..." she whispered as she tried to force a small smile on to
her lips.
Her Chosen’s face relaxed and the glorious green eyes misted over
with tears. Celeline moved her hand up and wiped away the forming tears.
"Chosen..." she repeated.
Samanaimethea smiled and sat for a moment looking down at the
Enforcer who had Chosen her. She reached out and ruffled the girl’s
hair. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
Celeline’s smile grew slightly lopsided. "I’ve felt better," she
replied truthfully. "Very tired for some reason. I just did not expect
Kelly to hit out at me like that. I was..."
"You were silly to try and stop her, Chosen," Samanaimethea
commented with relief that Celeline was all right now. "Kelly is far
stronger than you can imagine. And you have not yet mastered your own
abilities as an Enforcer enough to overwhelm someone like her. You
need to think, Celeline, before attempting anything like that. I might
not be there to return you to life the next time."
Celeline went pale. "Return to... You mean I was dead!?" she
exclaimed in disbelief bolting up to stare with wide eyes at her
Chosen.
Samanaimethea just nodded in reply and helped the young girl to
her feet. Celeline wobbled slightly for a moment and then gasped again,
raising her hands in a defensive motion before her.
"Celeline, please," Samanaimethea sighed raising her own hand to
cover the other girl’s. "There is nothing to worry about."
"But..." Celeline stared at the poised figures on Linna and Kelly
who were just about to attack each other.
Samanaimethea followed her gaze and sniffed, "Do not worry about
those two idiots. They are not going to be going anywhere for a
while."
Celeline frowned, "What have you done to them?"
"Nothing," Samanaimethea smiled. "They are just inhabiting a
slightly slower time stream at the moment. I told Linna I did not want
anymore Challenges, but she seems to have forgotten that. And Kelly is
acting like an ass, so I figured I would just leave them like that for
a while."
Celeline swallowed, "Right..."
"Oh, they will both be fine, Celeline," Samanaimethea commented
sitting down on the bed and indicating Celeline should join her. "I
love them both too much to hurt them seriously. I just want them both to
have sometime to think. Their senses are still in this time zone, it is
just their bodies and their Powers that are affected. They can still
hear and see what we are doing - just not respond."
"Oh," Celeline said as she sat down next to her Chosen. "So, now
what?"
Samanaimethea raised an eyebrow in a suggestive fashion and smiled
teasingly. "Now, I am going to get some sleep. And you, my dearest
little Celeline, are going to join me."
Celeline’s eyes bulged and her heart suddenly stared to beat
rapidly as she could not believe what her Chosen had just said.
"No, not like that," Samanaimethea said with a laugh. "I just want
some simple company, nothing more. I am sorry, Celeline, but please
understand the only one I love in _that_ way is Linna... and Kelly. We
maybe Chosen, but..."
Celeline schooled her face so the disappointment did not show too
much. "I... I accepted that the moment I first Chose you, Mother.
I..."
"Shhh...." Samanaimethea gave the girl a light kiss on the cheek
and yawned. "We are Bonded, Chosen, and in some ways that can be far
more intense than anything you can imagine. The physical is only a
very small part of a Bonding and the older you get, the more you will
understand that. But for now, my ancient bones need their rest. My
Power is not quite as... stable at the moment as it used to be."
Celeline frowned as the redhead pulled back the blankets and
climbed into the warm bed. "What do you mean?" she asked.
Samanaimethea sighed and plumped up the pillow. "Ever since my...
change my Power has been, well, evolving is the best way I can think
of putting it. You remember when I went and fought Michael a while back,
well, my Power was significantly stronger at that time than it has been
for... Well, ever, I think..." She frowned and dismissed whatever the
thought was that had crossed her mind.
"Was?" Celeline asked with a yawn. "Is it weaker now or
something?"
Samanaimethea rolled onto her side and shook her head. "No."
Celeline watched as the movement caused Samanaimethea’s red hair
to go spilling over the white of the pillow like a fiery aura and
swallowed. "What then?" she asked, flushing slightly with embarrassment
as she started to undress.
"In some ways I wish it were," Samanaimethea commented closing her
eyes and lying back. "But it is still growing, still evolving..."
Celeline folded her tee-shirt and shimmered into some nightwear.
"And..."
"And it is beginning to frighten me slightly, Celeline,"
Samanaimethea adjusted to the change in the bed distribution as
Celeline climbed cautiously in beside her. She looked at the slender
Enforcer and opened her eyes to stare at the girl. "I am beginning to
be afraid that I will lose control of it... and the Darkness..."
Celeline froze. She swivelled her head around to take a look at
the redhead. "Are you serious?" she asked.
Samanaimethea nodded, "I wish I was not, Chosen, but I am being
deadly serious."
"But... If you lost control of... that... then..." she shivered.
The consequences of Samanaimethea loosing control of the Darkness was
not something she ever wanted to consider. She moved closer to the
warm form of her Chosen and pulled the blankets around the two of
them.
"Then things would get... interesting..." Samanaimethea finished
burying her head in the short chestnut hair of Celeline. "And that is
what worries me. If... if... what Sylvie... says about the Darkness
is... true... then... then... Oh, Celeline! What am I to do?"
Celeline felt the hot tears of her Chosen fall into her hair and
run down her neck. She clenched her fists as Samanaimethea pressed
herself closer against her and the young Enforcer felt her restraint
pushed to the limit.
"Ah... Sammy..." she said. "Please, everything will be alright -
don’t cry. Hush, hush now - go to _sleep_..." The last part of her
sentence was edged with a whiff of her Power and she used her Bonding
to channel her command to her Chosen and hoped that it would be enough.
It was. Samanaimethea make a sound like a small snort and then gently
started to snore.
Celeline sighed and with a small movement rolled the redhead onto
her back. "Rest now," she said as she placed Samanaimethea’s hand on
her own chest and began to match her breathing with that of her
beloved. It was not long before she too followed the young woman into
a deep sleep.
Linna ground her teeth in frustration, or at least she would have
done if she could have moved. She watched angrily as her loose legged
Samanaimethea and that bloody little hussy Celeline settled down for
the night in _her_ bed! She was more than mad, she was fucking
furious! When she finally got out of this situation she was going to
ensure that the little redhead felt the consequences of that fury.
Really! The redhead’s actions these last few weeks had been scandalous
and Linna had had enough! The other two issues of Kelly and Celeline
made her just as mad as she was with Samanaimethea. She growled.
Celeline would not be that much of a problem. Without the redhead to
watch over her Celeline would be easy prey and the time would come
when Linna would get her chance. It was just a matter of waiting.
Kelly however...
That was a much more different style of problem. Linna had
experienced that today. The ex-Consort was Powerful and vicious
in a way that made Linna scared. If she was going to remove Kelly,
then she was going to have to get some help. Loria was strong
enough, but that Noble liked Kelly too much, so she doubted that Loria
would help her. The issue therefore was who could she find who would
be strong enough to aid her and what might the price of that aid be.
Until she had answered that question Kelly was going to remain a problem,
and a threat to her own life as well.
Kelly stared daggers at Linna and tried once more to break the
time eddy in which Samanaimethea had trapped them. She was not bothered
about Celeline, the girl was nothing. Sam would get bored of her in
the same way that she had gotten bored of the others like Celeline. It
was Linna that concerned her. Sam was far too interested in the woman
for Kelly to dismiss her as casually as she did Celeline.
The brunette was not the _proper_ Consort, of that Kelly was
convinced. If she was, then Kelly would be dead - simple as that. No,
for some reason Sam had taken the Bond that came with the position of
Consort and transferred it to the brunette bimbo now in front of her.
Originally, Kelly had planned to be more subtle in how she dealt with
this threat, but when she had come here and seen her Sam then all
those plans had gone out the window. Now, she was paying the penalty
for those rash actions. She _had_ to steel herself, that was the
only way she was going to be able to convince Sam and... Linna that
she was no threat to their happiness. Patience, it would just take
patience, then Sam would be hers again and Linna would be... gone.
The two opponents stared at each other with frozen expressions of
rage on their two faces. Each of them were contaminated by the corruption
of the Darkness and each of them had had their needs and desires
twisted by that corruption to echo what the Darkness required of them.
The object of those desires and needs was currently sleeping
peacefully only a couple of feet away and each opponent was lost in their
individual plans on how Best to make that one theirs - permanently.
The Darkness had a reason for advocating such feelings in those whom
Its Mistress and Mother was attracted to. It helped to make them the
perfect form of bodyguard. The Darkness knew Its strengths as well as
Its own limitations. There were situations where It could not protect
Mother in quite the same effective way as could her 'Consort', and in
addition to that, the Consort served a much more useful purpose, a
purpose for which Kelly was more than ideally suited for.
And that, more than anything, was the reason why Linna would
ultimately have to be destroyed.
* * * *
Location: Some city
Time: Some time
With a warm bubbling giggle, Sam awoke up from a deep contented sleep.
She opened her eyes and a happy, joyous smile broke out on her face as
she shifted slightly in the bed. The cool sheets hugged her body like
a glove and she giggled as the fabric tickled her against her naked
skin. Rolling onto her side her hand encountered the soft satin like
form of the figure sleeping next to her and Sam's face filled with an
expression of tender love.
"Mmmm..." she murmured to herself as her eyes drank in the
perfection of the peacefully sleeping form next to her. Carefully, she
reached out with her hand and gently touched the soft cheek of her...
lover. Sam's face turned slightly red and her expression filled with wonder
as she said that word once more in her mind - lover.
She had a lover.
Sam felt a strange warm tingle fill her body as she repeated that
word again and again in her mind. It was a sensation of the kind that
she had never felt before. A strange excitement and yet fearful
anticipation. She did not know how to classify it, but whatever it was
it made her feel wonderful! She moved slightly closer to the sleeping
figure and just lay there happily looking at the faint smile on her
lover's sleeping face. A warm feeling seemed to suffuse her whole body
and her finger lightly traced the high set cheek bones that gave her
lover such a fey like look.
The close sensation of her lover's skin made her heart begin to
beat faster and Sam swallowed as her throat suddenly seemed to become
dry. Her eyes could not help but trace out the faint contours of
the sheets that hid the lower part of her lover's slender white body
and the very act of doing so made her heart beat even faster.
The white sheets on the bed were almost the same colour as her, and her
lover's skin, and Sam's hands ached to reach out and once more explore
the soft forbidden places of that elfin like figure. Only the fact
that she knew her lover had been tired after...
Sam swallowed and regrettably pulled back her hand. This was just
all so new to her! The small red stain on the pristine whiteness of
the sheets could a test to that fact. The girl, Samantha, was Sam's
very first, and the experience had been... just... so...
The naked girl lying next to her suddenly snorted and with a
contented sigh rolled over onto her back. The girl's movement pushed
her soft body up against Sam's and Sam almost fainted. Her heart was
thumping so loud she was sure that the sound of it would wake Samantha
up. She was still slightly lost as to what she would say or do
when those oh so perfect green orbs locked onto hers.
What would Samantha do? What would she say? Was it possible that
the girl would just wake up and thank Sam for a wonderful night before
walking out? Treating the night as a one night stand?
Sam shuddered. The very thought of it made her feel very afraid and
vulnerable. She... She _loved_ Samantha! The girl could not just get up
and walk out of her life, Sam would... she would...
Samantha opened her eyes to be greeted by the sight of a redheaded
girl sitting up in bed beside her and quietly sobbing her eyes out.
Samantha blinked to clear some of the sleep out of her eyes and then
sat up. "Sammy? Are you okay? Why the tears?"
The movement of the girl next to her and the sound of her
concerned voice calling her name made Sam freeze and slowly turned her
reddish wet face to look almost fearfully down at the other girl. She
tried to put a brave face on it and suppress her emotions, but the
words that she was sure Samantha was going to say next were going to
devastate her. She did not want Samantha to just leave her! She...
"Hey! Sammy!" Samantha leaned over and gave the flustered girl a
long kiss. "Wake up."
Sam's brain went all gooey and soft inside as she melted into the
warmth of Samantha's mouth. All thoughts about Samantha leaving her
disappeared as other, more basic thoughts, began to dominate her mind.
Wrapping her arms around Samantha's naked back she pulled the other
girl down once more and lost herself in her newly discovered self.
It was later, much later, when Sam decided to tackle the issue
that was worrying her so much head on. The two of them were walking
long the river bank hand in hand when Sam suddenly stopped dead.
Samantha looked back at her and there was a faint look of confusion on
her face. "Sammy?"
Sam swallowed and raised her eyes to look into the face of her
first lover. "Samantha... I... I need to know something..."
Samantha's look of confusion deepened and she pulled Sam over to
the guard rail that ran along the walkway. "Sammy?" she queried.
"What's the matter? You've been looking oddly at me ever since this
morning. What's up?"
Sam moved both her hands to cover Samantha's and then asked the
question that she had been dreading all day. "When are... When are you
going... When will you be leaving me?" She felt her eyes go heavy with the
moisture that was threatening to spill from them, but kept her eyes
locked on her lover's.
"Leaving you?" Samantha said in a surprised tone of voice that
made Sam suddenly be filled with a wild hope. "Why would I be leaving
you, Sammy? I just got here."
Sam's face exploded with a smile that lit up her attractive
features like sunlight. "Oh, Samantha!" she burst forth throwing her
arms around the other girl. "I love you! I don't want you to ever
leave me! Please!"
Samantha held the exuberant young mortal in her embrace and
smiled. "Oh, you don't need to worry about that, my little Sammy.
Things are much too interesting around here for me to be doing that!"
Sam sighed in delight and buried her head in her lover's fiery
red hair. Oh, this was just perfect! At last she had someone just for
herself. Someone whom her could love and share everything that she was
with! She did not care about what her grandmother or father might think of
this situation. All that mattered to her how was cuddled up against
her in the warmth of her arms, and she would never let it go. "I love
you, Samantha!" she exclaimed again in joy.
Samantha looked down at the little redheaded mortal buried in her
embrace and her eyes slowly darkened. This Game was getting to be most
enjoyable! This girl, along with the rest of this world, had been
created just for her, and Samantha meant to enjoy it! The question of
why was not important at the moment. Like most traps or gifts the
reason why would become clear when the time was right. If this girl
was a trap and the trap was sprung, then Samantha was sure the result
would be fun. However, Samantha did not believe that this girl was a
trap, or at least not a trap in the literal sense of the word, and
that was what made this Game so exciting!
Samantha pulled the girl closer and gave her soft yielding lips
a passionate kiss. Yes, some traps were worth springing - no matter
what the cost. That was part of their fun...
* * * *
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