Part Five: Dawn and Twilight Travels With Pale I bet now you're wondering whatever became of me. It's a long story, and it doesn't always go in the same direction. My travels with Pale took many unexpected turns—not just for me, but for her as well—and they still continue, to this day, much like the travels of everyday people. All forms of life are on a journey; ours is just primordial in nature. The purpose of the ancients was to survive, one day at a time, and so it was our purpose as well. I don't know why I did it (or I didn't know at the time), but I took Pale with me and kept her, although I doubt one such as I could protect her. Yet two are better at survival than one, and I have to admit, she was good company. I should start at the beginning. I was crushed to discover how willing I was to forsake everything and watch over this majestic being. Pale had came to me, calling herself my guardian angel, and told me things that would alter the course of my life, as well as the lives of countless others. She told a story of how she was being hunted, how she refused to be caught, and yet eagerly gave herself up once she heard my story. I told her that Mr. White, the man who was apparently looking for her, would reward me handsomely by curing my depraved mother of her grievous illness, so that I might live some kind of normal life. She would damn herself forever, for me. Maybe that's why I stayed by her side, kept her in the dark, using the shadows for good and not evil. Somewhere inside of me there was a spark underneath all those ashes, a spark that burned quietly in the wake of such selflessness. She would do it for me! I couldn't understand why. In retrospect, I know that I had been an evil creature, taking lives and spreading vast clouds of hatred wherever I went. But it is said that the serpent must do wicked things in order to survive, and so I did too. Besides, if you had been given my history, you wouldn't have done any better. Enough of that. I promised Pale I would not hand her over to Mr. White, and that I would keep her safe. I don't know why. Maybe I wanted to fool myself into thinking my mother, so close to death's door, would want things that way. She would continue to suffer anyway, even if her body was healed, for what medicine could cure the heart? She grieved daily—perhaps why she was so afflicted—for the loss of her love, a person that had killed themselves out of grief and despair. She wanted to join her lover in death. I wanted to keep her here. My mother was a chain that I willingly wrapped around my own body, and perhaps Pale truly had been sent to free me at last. Why did I think of such things? In those lonely hours on the run, whether sitting together on a bus or moving from place to place on foot, I let my mind wander. Pale was quiet, usually staring at something or sitting there, not moving or speaking. I didn't think she was shy—she spoke to me freely and gently whenever I talked first—I guess she was just very deep in thought, or maybe enjoying every moment with me. I know, I know, rubbish. But she did seem to be at ease. Pale—what can I say? Who was she, really? Was she really an angel? I found myself drawn to her, more than I had been drawn to anything before. She was radiant and full of indescribable life, much like the sun. I hear that angels sometimes transform themselves into stars, and levitate in the darkness of space to watch over their designated solar systems. If that is true, then Pale is obviously not our guardian star, big and bright though it may be—or, if she is, then it would explain the very cold, wet weather. I used to like this kind of environment, because it suited me well. But now...I wished I was in front of a fire. With Pale. She occupied my every thought, and nearly every moment when I was awake. When I slept, she left me, assuring me that she would be safe for the few hours I was out. I usually sleep on bright days, but when it's gloomy and cold (like that day was), I stay awake and sail through the hours with some weariness. Gray rain falls softly, pollutes the street with its cleansing toxin. My breath is curling smoke against the chilled molecules, shivering for warmth. Pale is gone, and I feel lonely. Imagine, me! Lonely! I once went a whole day without seeing her. I actually started to worry about her. Had Mr. White's agents found her at last? Was she fighting them, or something else? Was she cursing God, as I had heard her do sometimes? Or was she wailing for forgiveness, and begging to be spared? Or were those prayers for me? I shut myself off from those thoughts and ran out to eat, not wanting to feel so empty or wasteful. I had to occupy myself with something, so I chose to dine. I kept the menu once I ordered and read through it until my food came. What a day. ...... Pale came back, of course, and gave me her usual sad smile. I could not be angry at her, not even at my worst moments, because how can one be mad at an angel, even if they are a fallen star? If Pale truly was an angel, she had surely fallen—the divine radiance that other celestial beings must surely possess was not cloaking her. She was a creature of the dark, skin ashen-gray (hence her name, I'll bet) and wings of the finest obsidian. Those wings were not feathers or membrane, as was the popular thought, but constructed of silky fire, cool flames that were icy and warm to the touch, sort of like water in the dead of night. Pale was disturbingly beautiful, but kind and quiet, and treated me with a love that had been foreign for most of my life. "Amielle," she said, using my real name, "tell me about your family." "You already know. My mother's gravely ill in the hospital, and her lover is dead. I'm working like this so I can pay for her treatment. One day she's going to walk out of that room and I'll be there to greet her." "No," she said gently, resting her head on my shoulder. Pale always did that, and I always let her. "That's not what I meant. Your real family." I snorted. "If you know that much, then what's the point of me telling you?" "Because I want to hear you say it. You should talk about these things." I smirked. "Then tell me about yours." She grimaced, and clutched my hand tightly. Scared and defensive, as she always got when I asked her. "See? How do you expect me to say anything if you won't?" "I am sorry," she whispered. "Go on, please. I will...do what I can." I raised a suspicious eyebrow, but relented. Pale was the kind of creature that could lower your defenses peacefully, easily, without force or violence. I found all those icy walls melting underneath the soft gossamer black of her liquid-fire wings. "My real family is all dead," I began, slightly hoarse. "My dad was worse than scum. He was abusive, and he drank, and he always sucked money out of my mom and anyone else he could. He beat his kids, too—my younger brother, my older sister, and myself. He even raped my sister a few times. One day, while I was away at work, mom finally snapped. She blew my father away with a shotgun, killed her two children, and put the barrel to her mouth at last. So I'm not exactly stable, you see." Pale nodded, humming softly, not wishing to speak. I continued. "After that, I was on the streets for a year before I was adopted. I was put with a family that actually loved me, and for a few years I was happy again. Just when I had recovered from my ordeal, my adopted grandparents found out about the marriage and broke them up. My second set of parents were both women, you see, and my grandparents didn't take kindly to their homosexual licentiousness. They were forced away; one killed herself, leaving her mate to waste away in sickness. And here I stand." I sighed and combed my fingers through Pale's hair, quiet and a little shaken from having to recall so much of my history in such a short time. We did not move from that spot for a very, very long time. "Amielle." "Yeah?" Pale leaned over and kissed my cheek. "I will be here for you." "Yeah..." Pale nuzzled my neck, and slowly drifted away, perhaps to sleep or to meditation. I stared at the angelic creature, studying her otherworldly beauty, an image marred by damnation yet pure with love and kindness. I found myself crying a little as I picked Pale up, placed her in our hotel bed, and kissed her forehead. The touch of Pale's skin was invigorating, and even though I had been destroyed so many times before in my past, even I, the Stalker, the Shadow Warrior, could once again feel my heart reviving. I placed her lips on Pale's mouth for a brief, gentle second, then climbed in and snuggled close, wanting to hold this creature for all my life. ......... I woke up, but not next to Pale. Laying beside me was a stranger, a girl I had never met. She was young, even younger than I, and pathetic and ugly. I jerked up with a start, screaming at her to get out, get out, get OUT! "Who the hell are you?! What are you doing in this bed?! What have you done with Pale!!" "I don't know what you're talking about!" shrieked the girl, wrestling to shield herself with blankets. "I don't even know how I got here!" "Bullshit! Get out, now!! Get out before I cut you up and throw you out, piece by piece!" "I-I can't! I can't..." I swore, but as I threw her off the bed, I could see she wasn't bluffing. Even with my black sword out pointed to her throat, she could not move. She was paralyzed below the waist. I growled horribly and kicked her in the stomach. "Then crawl! And if I ever see you again in my room, I'll have you drawn and quartered!" I pushed her out into the bitter cold, not caring whether she froze or died. I then remembered, after venting my frustrations to the air, that Pale was missing. Where did she go? Who was that girl, and how did she get in? I suppose I should've asked her, but too late now. All I could do was sit there, meditate, and let the darkness flow. Pale returned by the light of the moon. I couldn't help but glare at her a little. When I asked where she had disappeared to, she just lowered her face and choked up. I sighed, and even though it wasn't like me, I started to wish I hadn't been so harsh. I told her to forget it and get moving, since it wasn't wise for us to stay in one place for long. She complied, but I couldn't help but observe a more somber air around her, like she had been emotionally wounded since I last saw her. How an angel could ever get that way, I couldn't tell. Later that day, while we were on the road (sharing yet another bus), Pale told me a little about herself. She said that even though she was technically a fallen angel, she still wanted to work for good causes, and had been all around the world doing everything she could to keep things in balance. I didn't think this was a very useful way to spend her time—after all, the world's going to end anyway, and with the way the stupid humans are running it, things will just go quicker—but she held fast to her futile optimism. She then told me that she wanted to do a few good things while traveling with me, even though we needed to keep hidden. I had a few things to tell her about that idea. "You're nuts, you know." "It may sound unusual to you, but it's my desire. You agree with me when I say the world is in decline, so I cannot bide my time wastefully." "Even after saying all that nonsense about being a fallen angel and you still want to help people?" She nodded. "There is good in all of us. What I have done to my Master is inexcusable, and for that I do deserve eternal damnation. But...while I am still alive, is it so wrong to want to try and make up for one's sins? I know I can never wash out what I've done, but still!" I had never seen her act so passionately, so I was taken aback. Pale calmed down, avoiding the eyes of the other people on the bus, and rested her head on my shoulder. "Oh Amielle, don't leave my side when I go out on my crusades," she implored. "Please...I would enjoy your company. I've grown very fond of you. I think you and I can relate to each other easily." "Mm, because we're both creatures of the damned?" She nodded. "But you did not deserve the life you got. I do. That is why I would like for you to be with me, in the slim chance that I can make you happy." I sighed, but combed her hair and allowed her to hold my hand, like a child would if they were upset. "You're a real selfless weirdo, you know? But whatever." I leaned over to kiss the top of her head, whispering, "I am grateful, Pale." But she was already asleep. Our job that day was liberating young boys and girls from a brothel, and "dealing with" its immoral proprietors. I shined to the idea instantly—it was an excuse to kill wretched people, and I just couldn't say no to Pale. She insisted that we spare them, though there was no reason to. Awful things like that (hey, even I have a set of morals, however vague) needed swift, brutal action. Villains that used kids in their sex schemes deserved to die. But Pale wanted them spared, perhaps so they could reform later in life, and even though I hated the idea, I let it pass. After all, that face... The bus came to a stop in the darkest pit of the seediest town. We got out, amidst warnings. Can't blame the passengers for their fear. Two young girls wandering around those streets at that hour were bound to find themselves eye-deep in trouble (Pale looked thirteen). My associate thanked the passengers for their concern but assured them she'd be all right; I looked forward to taking out my frustration on people who deserved it. "Don't," said my companion, taking my arm. "Please don't kill anybody, not even if they do deserve it. I want to do this without any bloodshed." "Tell me," I coughed, "have you ever killed anybody, Pale?" She drew a forlorn face and looked away, stricken with misery. "Yes, I have killed many people. I have kept count of every life I wrongfully ended. I am no angel of death; it is not within my power to kill, yet..." "So is that why you were, uh, cast out of heaven?" "No. It was for a more serious crime. I don't wish to speak of it. May we continue?" "Sure." I donned my hood, Pale dimmed the brilliant radiance that naturally surrounded her (almost making herself look normal), and together we set out to...(sigh) wreak some justice. Whoopee. The brothel was noisy and smelly, and we had only gotten our first glimpse of it. I could hear some arguments and fighting already going on, so I grinned and readied my sword. I didn't think Pale would be able to stop me once I got going, but unlike her, I had no qualms about taking lives. After all, they deserved to be killed and sent to Hell. Everyone did. I hated them all. Pale begged me to spare them. I snapped at her for the first time since seeing her, and stalked off towards the brothel, not caring whether she was with me or not. "Hold on!" called a voice—it wasn't Pale. I turned around and groaned. "Oh, what?" A kid was running towards me, younger than I; she seemed like the perfect candidate for these people to go after. "Wait!" she cried. "Don't go in there! You'll get hurt." "Piss off, kid. I can take care of myself. If the people who run this place see you, then I probably won't be able to help you." "Wait—you're going in there to stop them?" I nodded my head. She looked sick and moaned, "Oh, that's not good. My brother said the same thing. He's in there right now, but I'm so worried! He told me to stay at home, but I just couldn't." "Your brother? Is he your age?" "No, he's sixteen, three years older." I snorted. "He's dead meat. There's gotta be like fifty guys in here stronger than the two of you put together. Just stay out of this; I can handle it." "No!" She ran after me and tugged my arm; I swatted her away, striking her face cruelly. "Don't touch me!!" "Y-you can't!" she wailed, crying from the injury I gave her. "My brother, he..." "You will probably never see him again," I warned her, as I continued on my trek. I made my way to the front door, where a big barrel-shaped man stood in my way, scowling. I gave him a bittersweet grin before hacking his body apart. The girl screamed. "Amielle! Don't!!" Now this was Pale. I turned, waved nonchalantly, and smiled. "Whoops. Slipped." She rejoined me and glared sternly. "Amielle, that was no accident. You had no right to kill him." "Shut up. If you're gonna help me..." Pale gave me that usual look, the one she always pulled when she was hurt and wanted me to act kindly, and so I sighed and relented. She even helped the girl, which was unnecessary. "Are you all right?" "Y-yes. My brother's in there." "Don't worry, we'll rescue him. That's what we came for." "But he's going to—" At that moment, a window smashed open, spitting out a large old man who was screaming and bleeding. More men came crashing through, some right through the doors, others scrambled out wherever they could. A wild orchestra of noises came from the brothel, and hearing them made even my blood chill. Those were animal noises! "What in the world...?" "It's my brother!" exclaimed the kid, smiling happily. "See, I told you! He's going to take care of it all, just like I said!" "You never said that," I murmured. "And how in the world is your brother..." I got my answer sooner than expected; one of the men was being dragged out by a crocodile, and two more screamed as cassowaries hauled them away with their powerful beaks. The kid, oblivious to the menagerie, skipped ahead and went straight into the brothel. Both Pale and I called out to her and gave chase, but what we saw was even more surprising: animals had taken over the place, and were either fighting or giving chase to the patrons, or else rescuing the kids. I couldn't believe it! Apes and serpents, deer and bears, even beetles and butterflies! One of the insects, large and majestic, came fluttering past the chaos and landed on the kid's head. She giggled. "Kari! Is my brother doing well? ...Oh, that's good. Please lead the children to safety; I'm going to go find him. Where is he? ...All right, thank you!" The butterfly flew off, and along with it went a portion of the animals. Pale and I stared at each other, stricken dumb, in the midst of that zoo. Even the most ferocious animals ignored us; I noticed a mad rhino charging past us, breaking down most of the walls and structures. Several children were on its back, cheering for joy. Words were insufficient for such a strange event. "Uh, Pale?" "Let us wait," she said. "I assume we'll have answers once our friend comes back with her brother." Once things calmed down, we were introduced to the girl and her brother, Sarah and Akio Neuss—also known as the Butterfly and the Summoner. They explained that, ever since their birth, they had been gifted with the power to communicate and (to a degree) control insects. Sarah, with her appropriate alias, was stronger when it came to the six-legged creatures, but her older brother had evolved his power over time and could now use it on all kinds of living creatures, as we had witnessed. Since Pale and I also possessed unique powers, we told them who we were as well, but I kept my real name secret. "So, Stalker and Pale, is it? Pleased to meet you!" Akio Neuss, a boy older than me and perhaps, under the right circumstances, one I would've found cute, smiled happily and took Pale's hand. "I hope my little sister didn't cause you any trouble. I told her to stay at home, but she always wants to help out. I sometimes don't know why I bother!" "Brother..." The two laughed; I rolled my eyes. Pale smiled merrily, and explained how she had wanted to save the kids and get rid of the brothel as well (though not in such a chaotic manner, of course), so she was in their debt. "No, it was my pleasure. We knew a lot of these kids, and got concerned when they started disappearing. Eventually we found out where they were being held captive, so I set out to save them. I'm glad my sister is safe." "Well," she said meekly, "I do have a little bruise on my head..." "Oh, where did you get that?" She held her tongue, clamming up, and didn't say a word. Was it because she was somehow grateful to me, or what? In any case, Akio let it go and thanked us again. "Nothing to thank," Pale said. "We really didn't do anything." "All the same, I'm grateful. How about the two of you stay for supper? We don't have much, but we gladly give to whoever is in need." "That's very kind of you, but we can't stay. We are sort of on the run." "Oh, I see. Uh...wait, wait a second. Miss, did you say your name was Pale?" "Yes," she said, though not with certainty. Had this boy heard of her? I felt the spirit of fear grow, and prepared to defend...or strike. He smiled merrily and laughed, which didn't do much to calm my nerves. "What a peculiar name! But it's very pretty, and kind of sad. It looks like it suits you." She smiled humbly; I was content to say nothing, or better yet, to get back to the road. Pale agreed, and so we bade our two "friends" farewell. Once the two girls had left, Akio knocked his knuckles against his head and smiled at his sister. "Did you like those two?" "Uh, I liked the angel girl. The other one was very mean." "Oh. Did she...hit you?" "Akio...it's nothing, really. You told me to stay away and I disobeyed." "You don't have to let it pass, though. You could've asked her to apologize." "Really. It's nothing." He sighed. "If you say so. Why don't you start dinner? I'll come help just as soon as I get one more thing taken care of." "Sure!" Smiling merrily, Sarah Neuss walked off to their humble kitchen they shared and started their supper, her butterfly friend perched on her body as always. Once he was alone, Akio stood up, walked outside of the small house he shared with his sister, looked around, and dug into his pocket for a piece of paper and pencil. After scribbling some things down, he whistled thrice to the air, calling for a dove. One came, perched on his shoulder, and took the letter he had written into its small beak. It flew away with his best wishes, straight towards his master. Akio Valmont Neuss, the Summoner, would be handsomely rewarded for this bit of information. ......... That night, Pale insisted on sharing a bed with me, something about how I needed to see something. I didn't know what she meant, but I went along with it. She clung to me so tightly, like a lover would, and seemed both sad and happy at the same time as her thin arms locked over my waist. I felt comfortable that way, her warmth added to mine, her breath mingling on my neck, and settled in to sleep. I was unaware of it, but in the middle of the day, Pale sat up, wept, and returned the kiss I had given her. Don't hate me, dear Amielle. Imagine my chagrin when I discovered the handicapped girl in my bed instead of beautiful Pale, the dark angel. I slapped her and roared, demanding to know who she was, how she had gotten in there, and where the hell was Pale. "I...I don't know!" she insisted. "I don't know, I swear!" "Who are you!" I screamed, grabbing her by her neck. She choked and coughed out her name. "Alicia...Moore!" "Tell me how you got in here!" "I don't know!" she wailed, tears coming down her hideous face. I threw her across the room and kicked her in the stomach several times, cursing her each time. I knelt down and slapped her right in the face one last time before shoving her outside, into a pile of snow. Slam—I closed the door and locked it. What a nuisance. I hoped she would die—but what about Pale? Had she gotten up in the middle of the night, leaving the door open for any urchin to come crawling in, looking for warmth? She said she didn't want to leave me, but what was that all about? I knew I had to talk to her. But when I asked her, she shied away, and actually wept. "Forget it," I muttered. "Let's just get the hell out of here." "...Yes..." We came next to a graveyard, where an enemy of Pale's was performing necromancy. I didn't think this was so bad, having shadow powers and all, but she despised it with the utmost sincerity. Yet she didn't want the man to die either! What the hell!! Oh, whatever, I reasoned, as I followed her to the cemetery. At least this time the environment would suit my nature. I rather liked graveyards. I found them beautiful. Rows and rows of dead people who deserved to be food for worms! We found the man easily—a crowd of stupid people were being held captive by the undead he had summoned—and went to work. A flash of otherworldly light overcame the cemetery, bringing morning to the darkness briefly and sending the zombies crumbling to dust. The necromancer, Malchior the Dark Scion, scowled and shielded his sensitive eyes from the blinding light; the hostages he had gasped in awe. "An angel!" exclaimed a young girl, "An angel!!" "Run! Quickly!" Pale called out to the hostages, and they were gone before Malchior could even cry out. The light faded soon, enabling him to turn around to glare at us, the ones who had interfered. When he saw us, though, he trembled and fell to his knees. It was, as the girl had described, an angel, though seemingly as dark and wretched as he. It had a companion, too, one who was more shadow than flesh. This was I. "You have stolen enough life for one day," spoke the angel firmly. "Is it not enough that people suffer through casual means every day? Do you need to add to their troubles with your defilements? Begone from this place, wretched man, and do not sin ever again, lest I shall find you and make you suffer ten times what you have wrought!" "O, my master," he wailed, bowing at us; "O, my completeness! My entirety, my grace, my banner, my steadfast rock!" "Stop that!" I snarled, kicking him soundly. "You disgust me." "Forgive me!" he wailed—but we ignored him. Our task was finished, for now. "Come, Amielle, let us go. Leave this one." "With pleasure," I snorted. We were gone before Malchior could notice it; he stood, quivering, shaken from his revelation. I had wanted to kill him, and maybe the hostages, but Pale seemed to have things under control. "He was a necromancer, Pale. He deserved to die." "No," she insisted, "not that one." "Why?" "He...writhes in sorrow," she whispered. "Misery after unspeakable misery, much like you...or I. He must be spared, in the hopes that he can see the light." "So is that what you're doing with me?" I muttered, "Sparing me?" "You do not deserve the evil that has been wrought in your life," she murmured. I snorted. "No, I don't. So you pity me?" "No. I..." She trailed off, not completing her sentence. What, what? What did she mean to say? Pale was quiet as we left the cemetery, and stayed that way as the sun rose at last, blinding me and cursing Pale with its light. She squinted as it reflected off her burgundy eyes, but did not avert her gaze. The sun looked at her, and she looked at the sun. A family reunion, perhaps? ...... I asked Pale about her disappearing acts again, and why that girl—Alicia Moore, was it—was always there in the morning. She avoided my questions at first, but I kept pestering her, even as the sun climbed high in the sky. Even the brightest light could not block out my shadowy curiosity, and so I finally got her to agree to speak with me. But she warned me first: what I was about to see would startle me. "What do you mean?" "You will see," she told me. Under the light of a hundred rays of sun, I watched as the indescribable happened: Pale lurched back, spread her wings, cried out, and faded away, until her luminescence was gone and the glorious beauty she bore melted into ugliness—that of Alicia Moore, that wretched invader of my space, the usurper of my ward. I gawked in horror, and Alicia did the same. She wept and tried crawling away, knowing my wrath. "What...just happened?" I hissed. Alicia shivered in fear. "S...stay back, please! I've done nothing wrong!" "What is going on here!" I demanded. Alicia could only shake. As the light climbed higher into the air, a great cloud covered it briefly, and a cooler, gentler glow touched down on the ground. Inside of it, unbelievably, was a ghostly image of a genderless creature, bearing black wings and a face of ghastly pale beauty. My heart stopped beating for but an instant as I gasped; Alicia wept from the shock of it all. "Fear not!" exclaimed the vision, in a voice that I knew at once. "Fear not, Alicia Moore! Fear not, Amielle Celestino! I come to you with tidings. You know me! And if not, you shall be made to know me! O my friends, it is engraved upon your very souls: Pale the Fallen Angel!" "...Pale?" we both whispered. The vision—not quite Pale—nodded. "Yes, I am Pale, though not as you know me. I must speak quickly; otherwise, I shall plummet into the Abyss and this girl shall die. Know you both that after I was cast out of heaven for my crime, I found the body of a girl very close to death to inhabit. As she was prepared to cross over, I decided to give both of us a second chance, and asked her forgiveness for invading her body. We are now one and the same, though at times, we appear as different people. Amielle, when you woke up next to Alicia those two days, it was I, in hibernation, waiting for a moment to emerge. Alicia, do not fear. We both live because we both fill in for each other: you are my body, and I am your soul." "My soul?" whispered the young girl shakily. "So like...does this make me an angel?" "No. I simply used your body to exist in this world, and in the process, I saved you from dying. Forgive me for not telling you sooner, but there was no other way." "It's...okay," managed Moore, who was beginning to look sick. "You...saved me, so I'm grateful. I guess...this means I'm kind of like...a superhero?" The vision smiled, but even this was beginning to fade. "I wanted to meet you in person, Alicia, but I knew this could not normally happen. Amielle, I am putting both of us at risk so that everyone may finally have clarity. Do not hate my alter ego for things she was unaware of doing. She and I are one of the same. Please, I beg of you...love her as you love me!" With that, the vision ended, and Alicia cried out in surprise. She fell to the ground, and I, surprised by my own actions, caught her and held her up. I stared into her face. She looked so much like Pale! "...Pale?" I whispered. She groaned. "Ugh...no, I don't...think so. That was...uh...that was certainly weird. It'd explain a whole lot, like how I ended up in your, uh..." She blushed in shame and looked away. I turned sour. So this human was Pale all along? And what was that crack about love? I didn't love anybody, except my mother, and she was almost dead! "Well?" I said, giving Alicia a gentle kick. "Turn into Pale already. We have to get going." "I can't do that," she said. "I didn't even know it was going on! I just thought I was blacking out every time, really. I...I'm sorry." "Shut up," I groaned—but if she couldn't transform at will, then it was going to be a problem. I would have to take care of her until Pale decided to show up on her own. I sulked, but managed to locate her wheelchair she had used (obviously she had not taken it with her when she "snuck into" my room). I placed her on it, forcing myself to be gentle with this despicable thing. After all, somewhere inside this loathsome creature was Pale, beautiful and dear Pale, like a crystal inside a filthy stone. I just had to take care of this worm until the crystal decided to shine again. I pushed her wheelchair, threw a coat on her because she complained too much from the cold, and resumed my travels with Pale. ---------- Next time: The Battle Divas find a place to crash while they settle their problems, but their true worries have just begun! How will they cope when their roommates are members of MERCS? A few surprises are in store, and the surviving members of the Lost just might show up to make things more complicated! Will there be darkness or light? Next chapter, "MERCS". Don't you dare miss out!
Back to Champions Index - Back to Original Fiction Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction