The Battle

She nodded, and went to her arm. "This will hurt, alot." SHe said as she put it back into place. There was aloud poping sound.

~!!~
"Who are you!?" She demaned. "Where are you!?"

~!!~
"The town, I want see the meat." She said, useing the trem she used form humans.

~!!~
"No, no it's not." SHe was cring now. "You poprbly think I'm some kind of freak now!"

~!!~
He lit anotther macth. His face strangly sober. "I'll kill you." He said. 'Then myself.' He added in his head.

Seth fell silent now. He took a step back, watching her reactions carefully.
~~
Sam shook his head, and wrapped her in a tight hug. "Of course I don't," He said quietly. "I never could."
~~
Soon, Anya unlocked the door that she assuemed Ally was in, hearing all the banging.
~~
Ember didn't move, didn't even flinch. She knew she should, but she had been distracted by looking around the new surroundings. She heard the popping, and looked at her arm. She moved it, and saw that she could again.

"Thanks," She said quietly.
~~
Draven laughed, then nodded.

"Come on," he said, and started to run through the woods, assuming that 'he' would follow.
~~
Leanne looked at him, then nodded. Slowly, however, something came to her. What would it do to him? She could almost see it in his eyes, that he would hurt himself.

"You can't do anything to hurt yourself, even if you kill me," She said quietly, her voice still strangely unlike her.

"How would you find out? How would you know?" His voice had taken on the same tone. "How would you stop me?" He was stareing at the falme, the flame that would be death of the one woman he cared for, then his.

~!!~
Cinder truned in a circle. She closed her eyes tightly. "Leave me alone." She whispbered. Then she laguhed. "Cinder, Cinder, Cinder, you should know by now, it's no one, just your mind playing tricks on you! Yet again."

~!!~
Ally fell out of the door way. "I'm going to hurt him!"

~!!~
She frowned. "That should of hurt, badly." She said.

~!!~
And Jamie did follow. "Tell me, how are some of these humans diffrent?"

"I---" Leanne started, but soon found that she didn't know how to finish. She stared at her hands, which were shaking. She hated being depressed, but she felt so horrible.

"I killed my own mother, Patrick!" SHe sudddenly cried, looking at him. It was almost as though she were angry with him, but she wasn't. "Are you saying that I don't desrve to die??!"
~~~~
"They're...strange," Draven said, as he continued to run. "THey have powers, I suppose you could say. Oh, and some are dead," He added, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "Dale is a very strange town indeed."
~~~
Ember bit her lip nervously.

"It did. I just didn't want to scream is all," She lied quietly. She was a horrrible liar, and she knew it.
~~~
Seth frowned. Great. Now he had made her think she was insane or something.

He sighed, and turned to leave. He always wanted ot make things better, yet so far, he had only made them worse.
~~~
Anya stifled a laugh.

"Now, now," She said. "We're trying to hlep him, remember?" She asked.
~~~
Sam didn't stop hugging her, even when he knew he should. He slowly pulled back, and looked at her, his face unreadable.

Willow was clinging to him, cring. She didn't look up at him.

~!!~
"What was it you should you said? When I was tring to kill Andrew. That it wasn't right to take a life for a life!" H e said, still stareing at the flame. "I killed too, don't I desvere to die as well?"

~!!~
"Indeed." Jamie agreed.

~!!~
"But, Cinder, you have to admit, that was the first voice you ever heard telling you not to kill yourself." SHe didn't think she was crazy, throuugh she might have looked it, afterall she was talking to herself.

~!!~
"But he had no right!" She exclaimed.

~!!~
She nodded, not believeing her, but didn't say anything.

Dimitri came down, he had thrown a T-shrit on, and he was frowning.

Sam sighed. He couldn't believe it, but he felt nervous about what he was bout to do. He never had before with any other girl. But with her, it was different.

He leaned down and pressd his lips against hers gently before he could think it through any more.
~~!~~
"No!" Leanne said quickly. "I mean, I know I said that, but you...you don't..." she said quietly. Suddenly, she grabbed the lighter from him and blew out the flame. She threw it on the ground, then looked at him, her face twisted as she wrestled with herself. Suddenly, she ran forward, practically knocking him over with a hug.
~~!!~~
Seth stopped, listening to her. Maybe he could help her yet.

He turned back around and smiled slightly.

"What if I said I was your guardian angel?" He whispered in her ear once more.
~~!!~~
Anya laughed slightly.

"Where should we take him today?" She asked, ignoring her comment.
~~!!~~
Ember could see that she didn't believe her, but didn't say anything else aobut it.

"Thanks," She said quietly.
~~!~
Soon, Draven came out of the woods near Milo's manner. he turned to wait for the 'prince' to catch up to him.

Willow eyes widened, then she closed them, and after a moment she kissed him back.

~!!~
Patrick was still caught off guard by her taking the macth away, so that when she hugged him, he fell back, landing on the ground. He wrapped his arms around her and burried his face into her hair.

~!!~
"Is there- is there such a thing?" Cinder asked, after she jumped again.

~!!~
"Somewhere." She said. "You pick this time."

~!!~
His mother nodded, and left.

"Is there a reason you woke me up this morning?" He asked.

~!!~
Jamie quickly caught up.

Ember looked at Dimitri, standing up. She shook her head.

"Not really," She said. "I was bored."
~~~
"I'm sorry," Leanne said quietly, and made no move to get up, though she knew how weird this must look to anyone else. "I'm so sorry."
~~~
Sam's lips curved up into a smile when she kissed him back. Soon, however, he pulled away. He was smling at her, a real smile.
~~~
"Hmm...." Anya said. "I don't know," She finally said, starting to walk towards the stairs.
~~~~
Draven started to walk slowly.

"This is the Manor, where a man named Milo lives. He...I suppose you could say, rules over the rest of the dead who live here," He said, walking past it.
~~~~
"I don't know. Is there?" Seth whispered in her ear again. "I sound real, don't I?" He asked.

((Please ignore my post, I didn't see the tiem skip))

((oh well I'm going to go back to my movie, it's almost over))

"Is that why you fell out of the window too?" He asked.

~!!~
Patrick held her close, but said nothing. There was nothing to say.

~!!~
She smiled softly back.

~!!~
Ally followed. "No place comes to mind?"

~!!~
Jamie nodded. "Is the dead, I don't know, eatable?" She asked, following.

~!!~
"Yes." Cinder admitted softly. "You sound very real."

Ember glared athim.

"No," She said, standing up and folding her arms across her chest. She knew her shoulder should hurt, but it didn't. Obviously.
~!~
"I have to uhm...go," Sam said quickly. Why was he so nervous? He didn't know.
~!~
Anya shook her head.

"No," She said quietly. "None in particular."

She walked down the stairs, stopping at the bottom.
~!~
Seth smiled, though she couldn't see him.

"Good. I'll be watching over you," HE whispered.
~!~
Draven shrugged.

"They don't....taste as good, as live humans, but yes, they are," He said. He walked past the Manor, then stopped.

"It will be light soon. We should wait until night to come back and see the rest," He said, turning back to the 'prince'.
~!~
Leanne soon pulled herself away from him, however reluctantly. It would take time to forgive herself, she knew, but now she had reason to. Patrick. and Darren. And many others.

She smiled slightly at him, and stood up, offering him a hand to do the same.

Dimitri laguhed. "I'm bored." He said.

~!!~
Willow's smile fadded alittle. "Ok." She said taking a step back.

~!!~
Ally didn't say anything.

~!!~
"Great." Cinder said, rolling her eyes. "My own personal stalker."

~!!~
Jamie nodded. "I will look forward to it."

~!!~
Patrick took her hand quietly.

"Try falling out of a window. It's tons of fun," Ember mumbled sarcastically.
~!~
Sam smiled slightly, and kissed her on the cheek quickly before running inside.
~!~
"Come, then," Draven said, and took off running again through the woods.
~!~
Seth laughed slightly.
~!~
"Milo!" Anya called.
~!~
Leanne didn't let go of his hand once she helped him up. Instead, she held on tightly. She was smiling, for the first time in almost a week.

Dimitri 's mother ran down the stairs and out of the house. She needed to get to the E.R..

Dimitri pulled a bottle out. "Want some, it's Kwags." He said, not mentioning it was Russian beer.

~!!~
Willow wacthed, then went back inside.

~!!~
Jamie hurryed after him.

~!!~
"The cats!" Cinder suddenly said. "I forgot to feed them!"

~!!~
"Down here!" Milo called from his study.

~!!~
Patrick smiled back. "Please, never make me do that again." He begged.

~!!~
Christen was walking down the street, his once green eyes were now brown with thristy. He needed to drink blood, but he ingored it. It discused him how he needed it so badly.

Ember blinked in surprise as his mother ran by, but shook it off. She looked at the bottle, and nodded and took it, thinking that it was just some kind of soda. She took a sip, then choked. She spit it out and thrust the bottle back at him.

"Is that....beer?" She asked, staring at him incredously. "You.....it'd better not have been."
~!~!~
Seth frowned. He remembered the cats, and watched her closely.
~!~
Soon Draven was running through the woods, and a few minutes later he broke through the cover of the trees.
~!~!~!~
Ella was looking around outside for Alex when she saw Christen.

"Hey," She said, smiling at him. "Who are you?"
~!~!~
Alex was back at her and Dominic's old hiding place, in the hollowed out tree. She never wanted to move from here again.
~!~!~
"Never again," Leanne said quietly. She walked into the house and saw Draven coming, but ignored him.
~!~!~
Anya hurried into his study, and smiled at him.

"Hello," She said.

"I didn't say you had to drink it." Dimitri said, boredly. "Puls, this is what happens when I get bored."

~!!~
Jamie was a few steps behind him.

~!!~
Aster watched silently as Michi pinned her away from face. “You should hide that.” he said referring to the large bruise that cover the whole right side of her face.

Michi looked over her shoulder at her older brother. “I am a proud vampire, I shall wear my scars with pride.” She said and looked back at the mirror.

Michi wasn’t dead, yet. That day Aster had come, the day there was a bleeding human in front of the manor, she had pointed something out to him. If he killed her so soon, people would get suspicious of him. He didn’t want that, so he was going to bide his time. He had allowed her to come back, alive, to rule over her people, as queen, for a short while, and then make her death look like an accident. Then he would take the crown, pretending to moron his late sister.

Michi had no guards, however, Aster had taken over the protecting of the Lurelack’s queen.

Queen . . . She born to be Queen, it was her birthright, being born female. But who would think this Queen was being used and beaten by her brother, her guard, the prince, all for his own selfish purposes?

She looked back at the mirror, back at the face she no longer recognized. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She then opened her eyes again, to stare at that beautiful, brave, through injured girl. She looked into her green-gray eyes. There was pain in her eyes, but also power hidden there.

She put one more pin in her hair, then stood up. She was wearing a gray gown, (What a lovely color! It suited her mood perfectly!) with long sleeves, and a skirt that went pass her ankles.

Aster opened the door, and gestured for someone to come in. A servant girl stepped in, and bowed to her queen.

Michi sighed, and leaned over slightly so the short girl could place her mother’s crown on top of her head. The girl had gasped slightly when she had seen Michi’s face. She touched her fingers lightly to the contusion.

“My Queen, what happened to you?” She asked.

“She fell.” Aster said before Michi could she he had hit her, more then once. The girl accepted this, and said nothing more, then left.

Michi’s heels made a sound that echoed off the stone walls as she exited the room. She let the sound shallow her up as she went to see more of her people, people who would soon be under her callous brother. It scared her.

~!!~

Cinder opened her closet, where she had the cat food hidden. She scooped some out into a plastic bag, and ran out of the house, and into the woods.

She kept the bag close to her chest as she ran, only stopping a few times to catch her breath.

Soon the cave came into view, and she slowed her pace. She stepped in and dumped the food on the floor. Three tiny kittens came running out of the darkness, and began eating the food. Three . . . Where was the fourth?

Cinder stepped out the cave, and searched the near-by bushes. She looked around helplessly. Where was it?

She stepped back into the cave. She walked pass the three kittens, deeper into the cave. She couldn’t see anything. She clapped her hands and a few sparks flew. Then she snapped her fingers. A flame appeared at the tips of her fingers. There was something strange about the flame. It was blue, then red, followed by purple and green, and other colors. It was mesmerizing.

The beautiful flame cast light into the darkness, and showed her a sight that made her gasp. The last little kitten, a black cat, with a white face, and two white paws, was laying on the floor. Unmoving. She took a few steps toward it, and saw it wasn’t breathing, it was dead. She gasped again in horror.

Was this her fault? Maybe if she had remembered to come yesterday it would be alive. She knew what she had told Seth; that they would more then likely die soon, but she couldn’t help but feel as it was her fault. She was so sad that the cat was dead, but there was something else hidden in those feelings. Envy? She didn’t know.

Jordon was a caring person, even if she was slightly violent. She wished death on no one, no one but herself.

She leant down and picked it up, letting the flame go out, then found her way back out of the cave. She fell down in the dirt, holding the dead kitten close to her. She buried her face into it’s fur, staining it with her tears.

For a while she forgot about her so called envy. All she could think about was how this little kitten should of lived. She thought about the little girl who had found the kittens with her, and brought them here. She was about ten, and she was sick, she had cancer. This little, dead, kitten had been her favorite. Cinder had told the little girl when they were old enough she could have it. This cat had a purpose! A reason to live! Now it was dead.

Cinder held in a sob. She was alive and well, but she had no reason, no purpose, she felt useless, and unneeded. But this kitten, this kitten was going to make someone happy, something Cinder could never do. Yes, she made her brother happy from time to time, but it wasn’t the same.

She couldn’t help it no longer. She laid the cat on the ground, and drew up her knees, and started blubbing. Not only for the cat, but for herself as well. Here she was stuck in this world, with no reason for existence, when the cat was dearly departed, an it had what she didn’t!

Then her sobs became worse, as she once again thought about how it was her fault. She blamed herself. She knew it was going to happen sooner or later, but she still couldn’t help feel as if, by not coming yesterday, that it was her fault.

~!!~

Darren sat on the rocks, looking over the sea. He had put up so many metal walls that he doubted that the slightest feeling could escape to Pamala. He knew she was looking heads and tails for him. He also knew she was sick with worry, and about to lose her mind. He didn’t want her to find him. He wanted to be left alone to wallow in his self pity.

Why was he so slow? Why had he been so scared to tell her his feelings?

‘It wouldn’t have done any good.’ He thought bitterly. ‘It’s Patrick who she cares for, not me, it was never me, it will never be me. Patrick is better for her anyhow. Who am I to deny her the best, anyhow?’ He sighed.

He drew his knees to his chest, and rested his chin on them. He hadn’t left this spot since he disappeared about a week ago, only when the thirst became to much to bare did he leave. Then he came right back. It was lonely here, but he didn’t care, he wanted to be left alone. Maybe he would fade into nothing. He could only hope . . .

‘And if I did, would she even care? Would she miss me?’ He was referring to Leanne.


~!!~

Pamala had been looking high and low for him. She was worried, worried about her baby. She loved him, no, not romantically, but like a mother loved her child. She had raised him, since he had been six. She had been the one to find him after he seen his parents, and his little sister, Emily, killed. He had been such a fragile child. He shouldn’t even be alive, but he somehow he had escaped the same fate of his family.

When she had seen him, felt his sadness, after he seen Patrick and Leanne kiss, she wanted to wrap her arms around him, and comfort him, much like that day in the woods, when his family been killed.

She was sick with worry, and felt as if she was about to lose her mind. She had no walls up, yeah, it was petty, but she hoped to guilty him back.

~!!~
Laurence was chaseing after a vampire. He was somewhere near Dale, and the sun was going to rise soon. This vampire would have to hide.

~!!~
Christen truned around. "My name is Christen." He said quickly, ingoreing the thrist.

~!!~
Dominic had followed her. "What's wrong?"

~!!~
"Hello." He greeted.

Ember stared at him incredously. He had to be kidden. She had just drinken....

She poured the rest of it outin the sink, handing him the empty can. More like throwing it.

She sat down at the table, trying to get the taste out of her mouth.

"You're gross," She mumbled.
~!~!~!~
Leanne smiled at Patrick as she continued to walk, still holding his hand. She started up the steps, then a thought suddenly came to her. This entire week, she hadn't seen Darren, not once. She flinched, thinking of that look in his eyes that day she had kissed Patrick.

She continued to walk down the hall, though her smile was replaced by a frown now. She was still upset over her mother; very much so. It would take time to forgive herself just for that, but now she was feeling guilty about Darren again.

"Have you seen.....Darren?" She asked quietly. "I mean, I haven't seen him in a week, and usually he checks in once or twice."

She missed him terribly, and didn't want to show it too much. She kept the copy of Dracula that he had given her under her pillow. It gave her nightmares of vampires with even worse tempers than Draven and Andrew, but it also made her think of him. So it was worth it.
~!~!~!~
Seth followed Cinder through the woods, having to run to keep up. Soon, he caught up in time to see her disappear into the cave. He looked at the kittens, smiling slightly as one walked towards him. Could animals see or sense ghosts? He wasn't sure. But he knelt down and sure enough, it came closer.

He looked up as Cinder emerged again, hodling a tiny bundle in her hands. He frowned slightly, standing up, earning a meow from the kitten.

He soon realized what the thing in her hands was. A kitten. And it was dead.

He sighed, and watched as she began to cry. He looked away, though his eyes were dry. He couldn't stand to see anyone like this.

Soon, he knelt down next to her. As a ghost, it was hard to touch others and have them feel you, but not impossible. And he had been one for so long that he could.

"It's okay," He whispered, wrapping her in a ghostly hug. He just wanted to help her, but she made it so hard. "It's not your fault." It was almost as if he could sense what she was thinking or feeling.
~!~!~!~!~~
Damian smirked and ran faster. He was after a prize, a very small one but a prize nonetheless. A prize named Gem. And a gem she was, at least to him.

He had changed her a few years ago, and wanted to come 'visit' her ever since. But only now was he getting his chance, and this man who seemed to have dedicated his life to ridding himself of the existance of vampires and other such creatures wanted to ruin it.

Well not today.

Damian turned a sharp corner, and realized that the sun would rise soon. He was so close to the Manor, too. He had hoped to make it by daybreak. It would have to wait until that night.

With that thought, he picked up the pace, and soon was hiding inside an abandoned house on the edge of Dale.
~!~!~!~
"Come on," Anya said, walking over to him. "We're going somewhere." 'I just don't know where yet,' she added in her head.
~!~!~!~
Draven soon came back to the Manor, and held open the door for 'him'. He had manners, sometimes. 'He' was a guest, after all.
~!~!~!~
Ella tilted her head slightly. This boy looked familiar, but she couldn't place her finger on it. She didn't think she'd seen him around before.

"It's nice to meet you, Christen," She said. "I'm Ella. Are you new to Dale?" She asked, still trying to figure out why he looked so familiar.

Justin was running around downstairs laughing. He didn't want to go to sleep yet he was still wide awake.

Amelia ran downstairs after him. "Justin come on you need to sleep", she said trying to grap him.

Lia sighed and came out of her room brushing some of the wrinkles out of her dress and watched them from the top of the stairs.

Christen nodded. "My mother wants to start a bussiness here, my grandmother doesn't like that idea." As he talked his fangs showed.

~!!~
Dimitri sighed, and placed a cup of OJ in front of her. "It's safe." He said.

~!!~
Cinder suddenly looked up, when she felt someone hug her, She didn't want to admit it, but it felt . . . confortanting. For some reason she liked it. Her eyes slowly dried.

"What makes you think so?" She asked, quietly.

~!!~
Laurence speed up, but he soon lost the vampire.

~!!~
Patrixk looked down at her. "No, he haven't came at all." Suddenly his phone rang. It was amazing how he kept it chraged.

"Hello?" He said. "Pamala? Um calm down."

~!!~
Milo sighed and stood up. "And If I don't want to go?"

~!!~
Jamie smiled and walked in. "I am tried, I'm going to bed."

Draven nodded.

"Good night, Prince," He said, earning a snort of laughter from Leslie, who was still on the couch.
~!~!~!~
Leanne sighed, and then jumped when the phone rang. Pamala. She had heard that name before. She was teh one who changed Darren!

"Ask her if she knows where he is," She whispered, tugging on Patrick's sleeve.
~~!!~!~!~
"I just know," Seth said quietly, holding her closer in his ghostly arms. He wished he were real right now for some reason; maybe he could comfort her better then. But he knew she wouldnt let him if she thought he were human;s he was too proud for that. He liked that about her.
~!~!~!~
"Pleeeeeasseee?" Anya asked. "You need to get out more!"
~!~!~!~
Ember frowned, but took a small sip, and soon realized it was.

"Thanks," She mumbled. A large purple bruise was forming above her left eye, but she didn't seem to notice.
~!~!~
Ella saw the fangs.

"You're a vampire?" She asked suddenly, before she could stop herself.

Christen frowned. "In a sense, I geuss you can I'm a vampire, I do drink blood." He admitted. "But vampires don't exist, they aren't real."

~!!~
"I can't get a word in, she going on about how she can't find him." Patrick said.

~!!~
"I don't know." She said. "How anything can be fine."

~!!~
Milo rolled his eyes. "Fine, but this is the last time."

~!!~
"Do you get hurt often?'' Dimtri asked.

Ella frowned. So he didn't know. She just nodded, then frowned.

"What do you mean, you have to drink blood?" She asked.
~!~!~
Ember shrugged.

"Sometimes," Was all she would say.
~!~!~
Anya smiled softly at him and grabbed his arm, trying to drag him out the front door.
~!~!~!
"It will be. Just give it time. You have a wonderful family back home; maybe if you told them how you feel, they could help," he whispered.
~!~!~!
Leanne heard him, then turned away. She had a determined look in her eyes as she entered her room. She grabbed a bag and began stuffing clothes in it, not really paying attention to what it was she was packing. She added a few more necessities, then put the Dracula book on top. She then closed her door and stripped out of her dress, pulling on instead another one of her old outfits that were more...her. She also pulled on her combat boots.

She slipped on her rose choker necklace and put in her earrings before exiting with the bag, a seperate bag in her other hand with her laptop and money in it.

"Let's go," She said, looking at Patrick. She was back to her old self, and she was determined now.

((Her outfit, without the cross though, lol https://media.photobucket.com/image/goth%20outfit/TrickFairy409/100_0613.jpg?o=22)

"I'm thristy." He said. "And blood can only fill that thrist."

~!!~
Jamie frowned at being called a prince. "Wacth it girly boy." Jamie said as she passed her brother.

~!!~
Nelly came bonding down the stairs. She looked at Draven. "I'm leaveing at night fall. I will be back by day break two days from now. She told Draven. "With a surpise."

~!!~
Patrick frowned. "The sun will rise soon, and I don't have Darrens power. Plus I have to pack to."

~!!~
"My mom is a shrink, if I tell her, she'll treat me like one of her painets." Cinder whispbered. "And I don't want that."

~!!~
"I can walk." Milo said pulling free.

"I can't sit here all day!" Leanne said, but knew he was right. She set her bag down and sunk down the wall, cradling her head in her hands.
~!~!~
Ella frowned. She didn't understand, but didn't ask.

"How old are you?" She asked. He looked close to her own age. Well, the age she had died at.
~!~!~
"I couldn't sleep," Alex lied, in response to Dominic's question. She sighed, and crawled back out. There was no longer room for both of them in there.

"What about you?" She asked.
~!~!~!~
Seth frowned.

"Is there no one you can tell?" He whispered to her.
~!~!~
Leslie just laughed, and stuck his tongue out at her.

Draven frowned, just now noticing his hair. He shook his head and was about to walk away when he saw Nelly.

"...A surprise?" He asked . HE realized that he had never told her that he knew who she was, but he didn't intend on it.
~!~!~
Anya frowned, then nodded. She walked outside.
~!~!~
Ember took another sip of the drink. She couldn't go home like this; her mom would kill her. Literally. She would have to hear the whole 'you have to be careful' speech again. Ugh.

"A little brid." Nelly said and ran off.

"Are you going to show me a room?" Jamie asked Draven, a little annoyed.

~!!~
"15." He said.

~!!~
"I was worried about you." Dominic said.

~!!~
"No." Cinder said. "And even if there was, what makes you think I would?"

~!!~
Milo followed.

~!!~
Dimitri sighed.