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An Angel From Hell
By Kayla Chavi

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Chapter 10

We met at Rei's apartment. I was the last to arrive and when I got there, I saw Amy, Jedeite, and Rei either pacing, sitting down, or being held. They all looked up at me hopefully.

"Did you find him?" Amy finally asked and I looked down at the ground sadly.

"No," I whispered. "He's dead."

"No," Rei whispered and closed her eyes tightly. The blond holding her gently rocked her as she began to cry. "He can't be dead. He just can't be."

I sat down on the opposite couch and closed my eyes tightly, wanting to cry myself. It had happened again. We loved and then lost. He was gone and there was nothing I could do to change it.

There was a very long period of silence while we all tried to come to grips with our grief. Well, everyone except Jedeite, but he and Darien never got along anyway. He just held Rei tightly and let her sob out all of her grief.

I was alone. Completely. Something in the bottom of my being was crying out in pain, demanding to be heard, but I ignored it. I cut myself off completely, I couldn't allow this to get in the way of my revenge. To kill Berylka I had to be totally and completely a vampire.

Something I have never been before. Sure, I've killed and I've tortured, but I've never reveled in it. When she died I would dance on her corpse, bathe in her blood, and then scatter her ashes to the four corners of the wind.

Cold.

"So what do we do now?" Amy asked quietly. She had gotten a tentative control over her tears and was ready to face the situation.

"We go through with the spell," I said after a moment.

"Serena! You can't possibly be considering the spell at a time like this!" Jedeite said angrily. He held onto Rei a little more possessively.

"I am."

"You're insane!"

I managed a slight smile, "Of course, but you knew that already," I looked down at my hands. Again there was a pause in the conversation. It wasn't uncomfortable, just there.

"I think we should do it," Rei said slowly and quietly. Jedeite looked at her as if she was insane as well. "What have we got to loose?"

"I would say our sanity, but apparently that is gone already," he sighed heavily and looked over at Amy, pleading with her to be the sane one in this fiasco.

"We should go ahead with it," she said after a moment. "That bitch deserves to die for what she did to Darien."

I smiled at the blue haired girl and then looked at Jedeite.

"No. No way in hell."

I tilted my head slightly and then gave him my most innocent smile.

"No."

I furrowed my brow slightly and locked eyes with him, not letting him look away. I pouted slightly, knowing that by now I must look about fourteen years old.

"Senna. . ."

Amy and Rei watched in morbid fascination as I without words or sound convinced Jedeite to help us. I gave him my most adorable face ever, knowing that if I had to I would resort to the smile and pout that always made him give me what I want.

I'm eight thousand years old and have spent most of that time with him. I also know how to manipulate better than most. Kalkia taught me well. He continued to look at me with a mixture of frustration and anger before he sighed heavily.

"Serena. . ."

Tears began to form in the corners of my eyes.

"Very well," he muttered, "But just for the record, I think that this is a very bad idea." Rei just kissed his cheek and I smiled bitterly, knowing that the real battle had yet to come.

* * *

"That is for you to find out. . .Endymion."

I sighed heavily, he wasn't going to give up that stupid name.

Jerk.

Slowly I pushed myself off of the rather large bed. I stood and looked down at my state of attire. I was missing my shirt, but I assumed that had been removed by Beryl. My jeans were still intact, a good thing, I thought. But my shoes were missing.

Groaning, I stretched and then sighed. I ran a hand through my hair and then I realized something.

I could no longer feel Serena in my mind. I blinked and then looked over at Damien for an explanation. He looked at me, keeping my gaze for a very long time before sitting down in a throne like chair.

"You have died, Endymion--"

"Darien--"

"--and nothing is going to be the same anymore. Your soul bond to Senna still exists, but you no longer know how to find her by using it. You will have to relearn how to find her."

I sighed and closed my eyes, "Is it because you made both of us?" I asked after a moment. He looked surprised, like he hadn't thought I would ask him that.

He didn't think that I would be able to figure it out.

Asshole.

"Yes," he said after a moment, "That is part of the reason, but it can be overcome with just a few short years of practice."

"Years!" My jaw dropped. "I don't have years, I have minutes; I have hours; maybe I have a day; I don't have years."

Damien just shrugged, "Then I suggest you start looking, Endymion."

"Darien," I muttered for what wouldn't be the last time. I sighed heavily and looked around, "Very well, I need shoes."

* * *

"I still can't believe that I let Serena convince me to do this," Jedeite muttered and I laughed quietly as I just snuggled into his side a little closer. We were at my place, waiting until midnight. It was only 9:30 and Serena had gone, where, only she knows. Amy had decided to spend a little more time with the Elf that she was currently attached to.

Jedeite had insisted on staying with me and just being with me. Neither of us actually saying what had been on our minds.

Would tonight be our last night together?

Last night I had the dream again, the one where the spell goes wrong. It had scared the shit out of me and I wasn't sure if it had really happened or not. I had woken up in a cold sweat, but I hadn't told Jedeite.

I didn't tell him. I couldn't.

Despite the dream, despite the knowledge that I probably was going to die, I knew that I had to be a part of this spell.

That scared me more than anything.

The knowledge that if I didn't do this spell then something worse was going to happen weighed heavily on my soul. So I didn't tell him. I didn't tell anyone.

I just kissed Jedeite softly, knowing that if he wanted to, he could read my mind, so I blocked all of this out. I kissed him, and in that kiss I gave him my soul.

"I love you," I whispered and pulled him over me, "You know that right?"

He smiled down at me with a peacefulness and gentleness that only comes with age, "Yes, Reishe, I know." I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him deeplyl.

"Let me show you," I murmured against his lips and ran my hands down his chest. I quickly unbuttoned his jeans and slipped my hands into his boxers. I heard him groan quietly as immediately he became hard.

"Reishe," he ran his hand up along my leg but I shook my head.

"Let me show you," I whispered and kissed him again.

* * *

I had decided that there were some definite perks to being a vampire. There were even better ones if you were made by the Master. It was outright amazing if you used to be a Demon Hunter.

I decided this while holding up one of Beryl's cronies against the wall.

With one hand.

I felt very manly, testosterone at its fullest, wanting to kill things and swear. It was an ego trip multiplied by the fact that it was certainly justified. I was angry and I didn't care who knew it.

"Where is she?" I asked for the fifth time.

"You're not going to find her in time," the white blond idiot smirked, not really caring that I was slowly crushing the vertebrae in his neck. If I held on any longer then he would end up without a head and very quickly become dust. I was really starting to loose patience.

"Tell me where she is and I will deal with finding her," I raised an eyebrow calmly, "Soon you're not going to have a head," I added and the vampire began to choke on his own blood.

"Where the sun meets the sky and the moon falls into the sea," he choked out. I let go and let him fall to the ground where tried to get the blood out of his throat.

I was about to just leave him there when I turned and was faced with a young girl with shoulder length hair and violet eyes. Her hair was black with several white streaks and her skin was incredibly pale.

"You should kill him," she murmured, her voice quiet and faintly hypnotizing. "It will help you in the battle to come young one," she walked up to me, her eyes boring into mine. "You will need his Power."

For some reason this young girl made sense. Her words were confusing and barely comprehensible, but somehow my soul understood what she was trying to say. So I turned back to the vampire who was trying to stand.

I pulled him off the ground and then winced as I felt my fangs elongate even more. Tilting his head I bit down deep into the hard cold flesh at his neck. I drained him to the point of death and then snapped his neck.

As he turned to ash I felt an incredible Power overcome me. It wasn't like the ecstasy that I felt when Serena had bit me, it was different, but just as strong and just as powerful. I gripped the wall to keep from falling over.

Slowly I felt like I was getting back to something that faintly resembled normal. I looked up to see the same girl standing there, a small smile on her face.

"Congratulations, Endymion," she said, "Diamond was a powerful Master. He was made by Berylka, who was made by Saffire, who was made by Damien," she smiled again, "He had an impressive genealogy, though yours is more so, but you already know that, don't you Endymion."

"I guess I do," I said and sighed, "And who are you?"

"Harotu," she said and extended her hand, looking like an innocent girl with adult eyes. Eyes that had seen too much and knew too much. "My Sire was Kalkaylakia," I paled slightly when she said that. I had actually met the famous Kalkaylakia and the first time we had spoken, she had me lost in so many circles of thought and logic that I literally could not think for days. "Damien is her Sire, but that you also knew."

I took her hand and shook it gently before letting go of it. "Why do you tell me this?"

She smiled, "It's not important now, but it will be to you after all of this. Now you must come with me. There is much I need to talk to you about before midnight."

"What happens at midnight?" I asked, confused.

She just smiled sadly, "It will be the End and the Beginning. It will be when the sun meets the sky and the moon falls into the sea. What is incomprehensible will become understandable. All doors will be opened and the very soul of the earth will cry out in joy and in pain. The End and the Beginning."

* * *

Two hours until midnight.

Just two more hours and then I would have my revenge and then I would die for the second time. I laughed quietly at this thought, though the sound was hallow as it echoed off the walls of the large warehouse.

It was here that I had stored all of my remembrances of Endymion in all of his forms. In the center of it all was the beautiful wood bed that we had first made love on. A silly remembrance, but it was a beautiful bed, large and something like out a dream. I had it kept in perfect condition.

Gods, that night was so long ago that it feels like all of this is just one long never ending dream. Nothing is real to me anymore.

Slowly I walked over to the bed and sat down. I ran my hands over the smooth silk sheets and comforter. I still had the original pillows, though the fabric was a recreation, some things just fall apart through time.

I sniffed several times, trying not to cry. Tears wouldn't serve me in two hours. So I stood and walked around touching everything that reminded me of him. I got to the last object in the large warehouse and nearly started crying again.

It was the small gift that I had gotten him for Valentines Day. I picked it up and gently touched it before, placing it back on the pedestal. Darien would come here in fifty or a hundred years and learn of me. He would learn that there was a psychotic vampire who loved him with all of her soul.

He would learn of my obsession and how deep it really ran. I wonder if he would understand it.

I wonder if he even could.

Looking over at the clock I closed my eyes once more.

One more hour until midnight.

* * *

I only had one hour to find her. Harotu had led me to a large estate where I met Kalkaylakia again.

The beautiful vampire was sitting in a throne like chair in the middle of what could be a ballroom. Her long auburn hair fell past her ankles and pooled on the floor. Her skin was even whiter than Damien's and Serena's and her eyes were a deep green. She was wearing a blood red dress that was pure silk with two slits that went all the way to her hips, and was cut in a Chinese style making her beautiful and seductive at the same time. She saw me and smiled, slowly standing.

"Thank you Harotu, you may leave me and the King alone."

Harotu nodded and left, closing the doors behind her with a quiet clang. It echoed for a moment before the other vampire smiled at me.

"It's been a long time, Darien," she said and motioned for me to come closer. "Now, you know how I hate pretense and like getting directly to the point, so I'll be blunt." She smiled and lightly touched my neck. "You need to know what's going on., where you are supposed to be, and when you should be there."

"Are you going to do this so I can think afterwards?" I asked. I was joking slightly, but there was a hint of seriousness to what I was asking. I couldn't help if I couldn't think.

She laughed and then lightly pulled her amazingly long hair away from her neck and tilted her head, "You'll survive," she said simply. "Drink, young King."

I just stared at her, not understanding why she wanted me to do this. I didn't see the purpose that it would accomplish. She saw my hesitation and uncertainty. Lightly she touched my lips before looking up at me.

I jumped slightly, her eyes were glowing a faint silver. "You have to drink, Darien. You cannot stop her if you don't. I am forbidden to tell you with words, now drink!" The last was a harsh command as she wrapped her fingers through my hair.

"Kalkaylakia. . ." I tried to protest, but she was stronger than I and pulled my head to her neck. I wasn't going to bite her when I felt her slide her hand down my chest and then around to my back. She pressed against me and when I felt her brests against my chest I realized what she was doing.

I felt the blood lust surge through me. Her arm wrapped around my neck, "Now drink, my King," she murmured before biting into the flesh at my neck.

That was what sent me over the edge and I bit into her.

With that I was hit by a burst of images, none of which made sense at all. She held me to her for what seemed like an eternity as the flow of ideas and images continued to coarse between us. Slowly she pulled away, her skin flushed and her cheeks actually rosy.

She closed her eyes and swallowed before shuddering for a moment. Slowly she opened her eyes and smiled slightly. "It will make sense in a moment," she promised before going back to sit on her throne.

I closed my eyes and nodded. The images formed into something resembling coherence. When I got the entire idea of what Kalkaylkia had been trying to tell me I paled.

"What time is it?" I demanded.

"You have half an hour, Darien," she smiled and leaned back into the throne, looking positively ethereal. "Use it wisely."

* * *

You have to drive a half hour to get out of the open city and into the country. We made it in twenty minutes; to the field that we were going to perform the spell it was only five minutes. Serena was there ready and waiting for us.

Jedeite helped Amy and I out of the black sports car that had been mine and Darien's to share when we needed it. The blond vampire was calm and controlled as she waited for us to set up the spell. She took off the jacket she was wearing to reveal a deep tank top and black leather pants. "Are we ready, Rei?" she asked me and I just nodded.

In silence I set up the circle of white sand which contained another triangle of black sand. I handed Amy and Jedeite their candles and told them to take their places with Serena in the center. I drew another circle in red sand a few feet away and whispered a quick incantation, hiding it from immortal view. Amy and I could still see it, but Jedeite and Serena couldn't.

In silence I took my place in the triumpherate. The three of us lit our candles and set them at each triangle point before facing outwards and taking hands.

"You may begin Serena," I said quietly as I began to gather our Power.

"I begin the Calling," she whispered and began to glow a silver, even with our backs turned we could see it. "We stand before the Gods and Time, a mortal, the undead, and a Sorceress to call unto us One of Evil. One of Destruction. One of true Darkness. We bid you to bring her to this place so that we may take justice into our hands and complete our revenge."

The wind began to howl and lightning flashed across the sky. Rain was threatening and thunder began to sound. Jedeite and Amy just held my hands tighter, as if they too were afraid of what nature was seeming to say.

There was a flash of lightning and at each triangle point stood a figure. The first one came into the light, a young girl that I had never seen before, her hair black with white streaks and violet eyes.

"Why do you seek this revenge? Are you not also a force for Darkness?"

I heard Serena laughed quietly, "Harotu," she murmured and then sighed quietly, "I only kill the evil-doer. I try to keep the Balance in place, I do not try to tip it to the extreme, such as she."

The young girl nodded as if that answer was enough. The second figure stepped into the light of our candles. I heard Amy gasp, "Andrew!"

"These are only images," Jedeite whispered to us, "These are just spirits sent in the form of Serena's friends and comrades to test her."

"She must be worthy," the figure that looked like Andrew added, smiling with the same smile that the blond friend of Darien's really had. He turned his attention back to Serena.

"Why do you seek this revenge? You have lost your love before."

"I have spent the last eight thousand years loving and losing because of a curse that never should have been placed. I have paid with my heart and with my love many times over. There is a limit to what a soul can take." She said firmly and with a calm I did not share.

"You have no soul," the third figure stepped out so I could see them. This one was another young woman who had long auburn hair that pooled at her feet. Her green eyes held a hint of humor at the situation.

"He was my soul," Serena whispered. "He was everything to me and I've lost it. I can't do this anymore, it hurts my very essence every time that he dies. I want to take my revenge and then die in peace, knowing that maybe I will see him in the eternities."

The woman raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, revealing to fresh puncture wounds that were quickly healing. "Serena you know the curse. You are asking the impossible."

"Maybe it is impossible," Serena finally shouted, "But that doesn't mean that it can't be done," the wind howled around us and it began to rain gently, "I know you understand me Kalkia!" she shouted over the wind, "If you were here right now you would ask the same thing! How long as it been since He died?"

"Then again," Jedeite muttered, "Maybe not."

The woman that Serena called Kalkia smiled and then nodded. She looked heavenward, the rain running down her face and body as she raised her arms. Lightning struck her, then a second later, Andrew burst into Flame and Harotu shimmered in water.

We were suddenly surrounded in Light. "We complete the calling, the One of Darkness, of Destruction, of Evil is called and is coming!"

There was a clap of thunder and the three figures disappeared. Standing in the circle of red sand was Beryl.

* * *

I raced through the countryside on my motorcycle, on my back was my Blessed Sword, thankfully I was still able to use it. I assumed that Rei had taken the beautiful black sports car, and I was desperately looking for the place that Kalkaylakia had shown me. I heard thunder roll in the distance and saw a few flashes of lightning. I looked at my watch.

Exactly midnight.

Suddenly there were three flashes all in the same area within and I knew. That's where the spell was being performed. I turned the gas handle on my bike and sped off in that direction, grateful that there was no traffic.

It began to rain as I pulled my bike up next to the car. I took off my helmet and tossed it on the ground, not caring that it splashed in the mud. I had to get there, I had to stop whatever was going to happen.

The scene that I came upon confirmed my worst fears.

Beryl and Serena were fighting. Magics blazed back and forth between the two of them. Thunder crashed again and lightning flashed against the sky, illuminating the group of three people.

I saw Rei, Amy and Jedeite standing in a circle. They were glowing a faint yellow and I paled when I realized what spell they were performing. I was about to say something to distract the fight, to stop what was going on when a strong hand clamped itself over my mouth.

Strong arms grabbed me from the behind, and even with my newfound strength I found that I could not get away. I fought and kicked and bit, but it was to no avail, I had to watch as the spell continued and Beryl and Serena fought.

I finally was able to see my captors. Just two women, a tall blond and a shorter more feminine looking girl with pale green hair. They were wearing all blue, the blond carrying a sword and the other carrying a bow.

"You must not interfere," the blond said, "what is happening was destined by the Gods."

"Screw the gods, I want to save her!"

"Endymion, you can not save her, can you not see that?" the green haired girl said to me gently, "She is a thing of Evil, they will both punish each other."

I struggled again put they held me still, forcing me to watch as my angel from hell fought with Beryl.

Then, from out of the darkness they came. Vampires, all around. They didn't go to attack Serena, they went towards the circle. With my mouth silenced, all I could do was watch as they tried to attack the spell.

* * *

The Power was wildly getting out of control, I could feel it, Amy could feel it, and I know that Jedeite could feel it. Carefully I brought it closer to control until I heard a motorbike squeal to a stop. I opened my eyes to see Darien.

He was alive!

The Power of the spell grew, just from that thought. Together, the three of us began the last part of the incantation, that wasn't in Latin.

Thank the Gods; I hated Latin with a fiery (excuse the pun) passion.

"We seek to rectify the situation," Amy whispered, "to give life to what is dead."

"To unwrite what was written," Jedeite whispered.

"To damn for all eternity for her sins. If she repents then the Gods will do with her as They please, but we ask that she be thrown into eternal Torment," I said, the last of the spell.

"So mote it be!"

The nature around us screamed and the sky shown as brightly as if it had been midday as the clearing lit up, brighter than the sun. In my minds eye I could see the moon and stars falling out of their places and into the sea, the waves completely covering them up.

Then there was Darkness.

That's when Amy screamed.

* * *

The light flared and suddenly I was crying out in pain, the two women let go of me. They were too startled and surprised to hold on. It was in that moment that I knew.

I knew who I was. I knew that I was truly Endymion. Just as I was all the men who had come after him. Just as I was Darien.

I understood everything that she had tried to tell me. I understood that she could love for eternity and that she always would.

And then, just as I understood and remembered, I forgot as the Darkness descended upon the clearing.

I heard Amy scream and looked up. They were being attacked by vampires from all sides.

Serena couldn't help, being locked in her own battle with Beryl, so I stood, forcing away my captors and ran faster than I had in my entire life.

I pulled the vampire at Amy's neck away and plunged a stake into its heart. Never had I been more thankful for the habit of carrying wood around with me as I was now. In a matter of seconds I got rid of three more.

Jedeite was dispatching others with the long knife he had carried with him. Rei was shooting fire out of her hands. How she was able to do this, I will never know. She should have been too drained from the spell to do anything.

Minutes later they had all died or had fled. I turned my attention back to Serena and Beryl, who were still fighting heavily, neither one seeming to be able to gain an advantage. Serena was bleeding in several places, her dark clothes becoming stained with hers and Beryl's blood. Beryl wasn't doing too much better, her white dress was forever ruined.

"You're alive," I heard Rei whisper and I looked down at my oldest friend and nodded. "Serena said that she felt you die."

"She did," I said after a moment and then sighed heavily. "They're not even coming close to killing each other. What is Serena doing?"

* * *

Berylka screamed as I gouged my fingernails into her cheek and sliced through her. Blood began to pour out of the wound before it healed quickly. Soon we were both glowing with Power, I was glowing a silver blue, she a blood red.

This resulted in a fight for the storybooks. You know the stories, the one where the princess uses her magic against the evil sorceress to save her love. The only problem was that my love was already dead and not coming back. I was seeking vengence.

I felt the Power of the spell start to build and then suddenly everything was immersed in Light. I covered my eyes, surprised. My senses couldn't handle that much light after millennia of darkness. Berylka had the same problem, so we both just fell to our knees hoping that it would go away.

In that moment I knew. I knew that my lover was still alive, I could feel his presence.

When the darkness returned I looked for him, searching.

Amy's scream distracted me and Beryl began to attack me again, not allowing me to think about the new circumstances I found myself in. I could barely make out the outline of two figures who had been holding Darien back before I found myself back in mortal combat with Berylka.

Time slowed down as we fought, each movement taking an eternity. Again Berylka and I drew blood and again it was healed quickly. Then it was as if our Powers stopped working.

Pain entered my being and I felt like I was being ripped apart. There were long scratches along my face, neck and upper chest. Along my arms rivers of blood fell. I had nearly snapped her neck when, with a great amount of effort she flung me back.

Painfully I landed on the ground, my arm and shoulder breaking. I moaned painfully and whimpered as I tried to push myself up.

Gods, my entire body hurt like hell. Then there was suddenly another circle of light around me and I could see the red sand. I began to scream as pain ripped through my senses. All of my mind was focused on the pain, I couldn't hear or see anything, just the pain.

It encompassed my entire being. I thought it would never end.

* * *

Jedeite was about to answer me when I saw Rei pale as Serena was flung in our direction. She landed on the ground. A light began to gather around her.

"SERENA NO!" Rei screamed and then immediately when into a trance. She and the vampire began glowing with an intense light. She began to scream, even though she was locked in the spell.

Serena screamed, obviously in intense pain. I felt a tug at the very center of my being and when the light faded I saw her lying on the ground. I stood to run over to her, but I was suddenly held back again. The two women had recovered from their surprise and were trying to hold me away from Serena once more.

* * *

I saw Serena fly back and land in the circle of red sand.

Oh God. This couldn't be happening.

"SERENA NO!" I screamed and then immediately had to stop it. We couldn't damn her soul forever.

I fell into a heavy trance, whispering the opening words that only I knew. I had studied them just in case.

It looked like the one thing that could go wrong, just did. I flashed a bright red and whispered the ending words to the spell. "So mote it be!"

The Light entered my body again and I screamed. I couldn't do anything to stop the pain.

I was dying.

* * *

The Light suddenly stopped and I just laid there on the ground. I felt the sound of water rushing past my ears and a cool liquid flowed down my scalp and face. Slowly I tried to open my eyes and for a moment I thought I was blind.

And then I heard it.

It was a weak sound, a gentle thump, resonating from my chest. I whimpered softly as the pounding began to get weaker and weaker, though it started becoming more and more painful.

I was mortal.

* * *

I saw Beryl smirk and slowly walk over as the light fell away. She looked at Jedeite, Rei, and Amy and just laughed, "This is what you brought me here for, isn't it? To become mortal so she could kill me," she laughed again, a cold hollow sound. "I find it humorous that the opposite happened."

She walked up to Serena and picked her up by the hair. She whimpered softly as Beryl lifted her off of the ground completely by her hair.

"Let her go!" I shouted, struggling wildly. I saw Beryl look at me and she laughed again.

"Oh, yes. Mustn't forget the White Knight in Shining Armor," she laughed and turned Serena so that she was facing me. "How is it going to feel, Endymion, knowing that you killed the love of your life? You are responsible for her death," she smiled, "I think its fitting that she's been the cause of your death so many times. Now you'll be able to watch her die."

* * *

It hurt when she picked me up, my scalp was already tingling and she made it worse.

"Let her go!" Darien shouted and he struggled against Haruka and Michiru. I should have known that they would come, that they would be here to watch me die.

"Oh yes, mustn't forget the White Knight in Shining Armor," she laughed coldly and turned me so that I could see Darien for the last time. She said something else but I was slowly falling away, but able to see him.

I love you.

I don't know if I actually said it, but I know that he heard it.

Painfully I closed my eyes as I felt sharp teeth bite into the flesh of my neck.

* * *

I watched in horror as Serena looked at me and whispered 'I love you,' and then close her eyes as Beryl bit into her neck.

All of the storybooks speak of a miracle that happens at the last moment. They tell of the mystical event, or the supernatural strength of the hero, and how the day or night is saved. Evil never wins in storybooks.

A miracle never came, the storybook was never complete.

Serena fell to the ground, her face contorted in pain as she was harshly dropped to the ground. I finally broke free of my captors to run to her. They let me go, I realized later, their job was complete; Serena was going to die. I pushed Beryl out of the way and gently took my angel into my arms.

The rain was now pouring down on us in sheets. Her long blond hair was matted and tangled with blood and dirt. Her face was pale and her skin icy, but I didn't care as I held her closer to me.

"Rena, God," I whispered and lightly touched her face, willing her to wake up. "Please open your eyes," I begged silently.

Slowly her eyes fluttered open, "Darien?" she whispered, "I thought....I thought that you were dead...." she closed her eyes and tears mixed with the rain.

"Rena, stay with me," I pleaded, holding her closer. "God, you can't die. I need you, please don't die."

Her eyes slowly opened again and she smiled up at me as much as she could. "I know it hurts," she whispered, "But we'll see each other again someday. I promise," she lightly touched my face and pulled it down so she could kiss my forehead.

"But--"

"Shhh," she murmured, "I love you," she whispered, "Always remember that, that I loved you with all of my mind, heart, and soul." Her eyes closed again and I just leaned down to kiss her softly. She breathed in a painful breath, shuddering before going completely limp.

"Serena!" I closed my eyes, not wanting to believe it. "Serena!"

I couldn't believe it. My angel from hell was dead.

I cried silently, my entire being feeling like it had been torn in two. I didn't want to move, or to think.

Then I heard laughter.

Slowly I set the body of my angel down and stood. I turned and faced the bitch that had killed her.

Beryl was still standing there, smirking. "What's the matter, Darien? Did you really love that little whore of yours?"

I didn't say anything, I just stood there for a long moment before slowly walking up to her. She watched me, confusion evident in her eyes.

"Beryl, you disgust me," I finally said and then back handed her, sending her to the ground.

"What else is new?" she taunted pulling herself off of the ground. "You always have, ever since you met her. Let's not get redundant," she smiled, the look on her face calm, making her seem even more insane.

I just looked at her coldly before pulling the sword out of its sheath on my back. I raised in slowly and watched as her eyes widened in horror and confusion.

"How....."

I just looked at her coldly, "Somehow I retained my soul," I said bitterly, "This is the best steel in existence, infused with wood," I raised it so that it was eyelevel. "It will kill you dead enough."

She suddenly started laughing, "You are just a young vampire. You are still not faster than I. No, Darien, you will not kill me," she smiled smugly, "I hope that you enjoy hell," she said and made a move to attack me.

I just smiled and in then a fast, complicated arc I had the Sword at her throat.

"You're so vamped about hell," I whispered in the dull silence of the rain, "Why don't you go there?" I finished the arc, slicing across her throat.

Blood stained me and the blade as it came out of her as her head fell to the ground. The rest of her followed a moment later.

She turned to ash before touching the grass and I closed my eyes. The bitch was gone.

And so was my angel.

I looked at the body of Serena and then fell to my knees, the Sword dropping to the ground beside me, staining the grass with blood.

It was the end of the world; the end of my existence; the end of my being.

The rain fell all around me and lightning flashed and thunder roared.

I was deaf to it all.