LNH20: Emme: Blood Gaiden #2 (of 3)

[Andrew Perron]

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                           Emme: Blood Gaiden
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                   By Yuki Rosemoon and Andrew Perron
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                                   #2
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"Emme... Emme... Emme, did you forget? We're in Hispana for vacation."

Tyler was speaking in soft tones. "Eat your ice cream. It's delicious." 
I heard kids laughing, but I felt confused, like a little child.

"El helado! El helado!" I heard the kids scream. I took my small spoon 
and slowly ate the vanilla dessert. Ten minutes later I was done. I 
held my cup out and shook it.

"Are you done?" Tyler asked. I nodded. Drowsy in the hot sun, I fell 
asleep...

Where am I? I looked around. Sunny and bright. I was laying down. I 
heard the chatter of boys playing around. I turned on my side and saw a 
mansion. I looked up.

"Gaah!"

"Hello!" said a boy with brown-blond hair and yellow eyes. "Who are 
you?"

"...Emme..."

"Well, my name is Xavier!" he said with enthusiasm. "Do you need help 
getting up?" He spoke kindly.

I nodded. He lifted me in his arms.

"Who's the little girl, Xavier?"

My head snapped around to a boy with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He 
looked about the same age as Xavier. Fraternal twins, probably.

"...h-hello..."

"His name is Devon." Xavier pointed to the dark-haired boy.

"Whatever."

I whispered something.

"What did you say?!" A demon was trying to kill me.

"Whoa, Devon! Calm down!" An angel was trying to protect me.

The world rushed past...

                                 ~~{}~~

I awoke with a shock, screaming, "Xavier! Devon! NO!!" I felt a hand on 
my shoulder and screamed.

I turned to see the boy with blond hair. "Emme, are you alright?!"

I smiled and hugged him. I pulled back and asked with a smile, "Are you 
Xavier, the angel?"

"Yes, my little vampire friend." He kissed my forehead.

I blushed and turned away, lost in thought. The deranged psycho is, 
was, has been twin to the angelic boy, my savior. How can they be even 
related?! What exactly happened? Did Devon hate me because I'm a 
vampire? Am I a burden to Xavier because this happened? Should I run 
away and never look back?

...I started to cry. I didn't want to leave the ones I loved. Not 
again. Tears came rushing down my ashen face.

Muffled words came. "Stop crying." I pushed them away. "Stop it!" My 
emotions overflowed. "Emme?! Are you alright? Please stop crying!" I 
was tired and worn-out and overwhelmed and I deserved to let it out a 
little!

A faraway music box began to play a nostalgic tune. My tears dried up, 
bit by bit. I closed my eyes, drifting off... and heard a muffled 
whisper... "...wake up..."

I jolted and opened my eyes and said, "Hello?"

"Emme! Are you all--"

"Hello, Xavier."

I sat up straight, wondering what else he'd say... hmm...

I realized how hungry I was. I stumbled over to the kitchen, Xavier 
following behind me. I grabbed a box of cookies and a glass of milk 
from the fridge. Xavier just stared at me.

"Oh, did you want some?" I asked.

"I'm good, thank you." He continued to stare.

"So... is Devon really a demon? And are you--"

"Um, what do you know? Do you know anything?!" He wasn't acting like he 
usually did. He didn't even sound like himself.

"Um, no... are you okay?" I asked hesitantly.

"Why, do you know anything?!" He was acting super strange. Suddenly, on 
the edge of hearing, my vampire senses picked up something... peculiar.

Someone was calling, yelling, saying someone's name...

"...Devon!"

"...stop!"

"...get away from her!"

As I realized what the voice was saying, I inched towards the butcher's 
knife on the counter.  I grabbed it and asked quietly, "Who are you?"

"You don't-- I mean... I'm Xavier!"

I smiled at the reaction and said, "Devon. You will die today."

He glared at me. "You finally figured it out." His hair went dark, his 
features transforming. "No, Emme... you are the one dying today."

I stepped back, dropped the knife and pulled out the Sword. This was an 
emergency. Still, I hesitated, and ran up the stairs with vampire speed.

I opened a door and locked it behind me. I knew it wouldn't hold him 
back for long, but this would buy some time to find Xavier. My eyes 
flickered around the room, looking for a closet door. I found one and 
ripped it open. No one, just more corridors and rooms. I opened each 
door - no angel boy. Then, at the end of a hallway - an old, beautiful 
door, made of cherry wood with engravings. My fingertips were just 
inches away before the door flew open, a gust of wind blasting my face.

"Hello." I looked around the room, noticing old blood on the floor, and 
then my eyes fell on a small door, just big enough for me to crawl 
through. I opened the door and crawled through. I looked up, 
cobblestone walls. My eyes fell on a body. A boy. Ripped clothing, 
broken wings, messy blond-brown hair, all covered in blood.

I screamed his name. "Xavier?!"

His eyes shot open. He stared at me and said, "Are you alright?! Did he 
hurt you, where did he hurt you?" He jumped up, stumbling a bit, and 
pressed his hands to my arms, checking for bruises and breaks.

"Xavier, Xavier! I'm not hurt. I realized before it was too late! Don't 
worry-- but are you okay?"

"...I'm fine. I was just worried about you - uh... how did you open the 
door?"

"...I... I didn't! It opened itself when I reached for it... why do you 
ask?"

He stared at me. "How could-- You don't understand.  Devon put a 
special lock on it - only he can open it."

"Wait... what, what are you talking about? Devon did... wait, wait... 
what? I'm confused." I closed my eyes, waiting to hear something, but I 
felt the floor fall away...

                                ~~{}~~

I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't move anything. I felt something 
wet stinging at my eyelids and slithering down my cheeks.

Then I heard a voice say "Open...". I blinked and saw a street all 
covered in snow. The streetlights were out. How strange. All the stores 
were closed. The old clock on the street corner has stopped. I looked 
around. No one. Vacant.

Then, I heard the wind whispering with my mother's voice. "...come 
here, Emily..."

I couldn't hold my tongue. "Mother?"

My feet had a mind of their own. I started walking towards a shop. Odd-
looking, but familiar.

The door opened when I reached for it. I walked in and stared. I felt 
terrified, then nostalgic, as the sweet scent of my mother and father 
wafted through the air.

Then I heard voices, of all kinds. The voices kept annoying me and 
bothering me. I yelled "Stop!"

It was quiet. No words. I demanded, "Why am I here? Who brought me 
here? I want to know NOW!"

I fell. "My head feels dizzy..."

I looked up and saw a woman with beautiful long brown curls and she 
said, "Do you need help getting up?" I nodded.

She seemed nice. Then I realized it. "Are you my mother?"

She was nervous. I could tell. Purple eyes. She hesitated. "...yes, 
Emily. I am your mother."

I smiled and hugged her. "Why? Why did you bring me here?"

"To show you. It has awakened."

"What? My magic? What are you talking about?"

"Close your eyes. Wear this necklace." A diamond angel pendant. I 
closed my eyes.

My back was pierced with pain. Bloody white wings grew. I wore a gray, 
flowing dress with embroidery at the neckline. A black veil covered my 
face. I opened my eyes. "What is this for?"

"Emily Aria Kyjoi. Do you promise to use this power only for the 
furtherance of good?"

"Yes."

"Well then. Consider yourself the vampire guardian of beauty."

I mouthed "thank you" and "goodbye". I closed my eyes once more and 
opened them once more.

                                ~~{}~~

I had returned to the room. I looked at Xavier, who looked back with 
surprise and asked, "What are you wearing? What happened? I am so 
confused."

I smiled and said, "I will explain *everything*. Later. Right now, I
 have to go fight Devon."

I waved my arm over the little crawl space and the great magical door. 
It opened, and I passed through with Xavier.

I looked at Xavier. "Don't worry. I'll be okay."

Then I ran off. I ran around the house, searching for Devon - seeking 
out our confrontation. I saw his tracks leading into the woods and 
nodded in satisfaction.

I jumped off the balcony and ran, following his trail. Soon, I found 
myself in the middle of a clearing. I could see him at the edge of the 
trees, but when I ran towards him he disappeared. From behind, someone 
grabbed me - someone with overwhelming strength.

"Devon?"

He smirked. "Of course." Then he slid a dagger next to my throat.

In a quick motion, I pulled out a smaller dagger and jabbed it in his 
leg. While he screeched in pain, I took my chance to get out of his 
grasp. The Sword of Deletion appeared in my hand, and white feathers 
fluttered in the wind. I ran towards him, the tip of my Sword pointed 
at his heart. Suddenly, I stopped.

"Don't you even try," Devon said, every syllable filled with fear and 
rage.

Trying to move, trying to squirm away, I couldn't even take a step. 
Then I was pinned to the ground by a screaming force. "Ow!"

He scratched at my face and arms, and I yelled in pain. Blood flowed 
freely from my skin. I was filled, body and soul, by my anger at Devon, 
but something inside me couldn't strike the blow.

Then I heard it, or maybe felt it. A small voice whispered to me, "use 
the power that is part of you." I pushed out with my vampiric strength, 
making Devon stagger back, but I couldn't draw the Sword. The voice 
echoed, "use the power... the power..." But if the Sword of Deletion 
wasn't the power that was part of me...

My eyes locked with his, and suddenly, I could see it - the ugliness 
wrapped around his heart. Devon tried to look away, but no force on 
Earth could tear my gaze from his.

I looked, unblinking, into the unbeauty inside of him and pronounced, 
"Eternal Slumber." Devon reluctantly closed his heavy eyelids. "Like a 
majestic phoenix, this boy shall be reborn, with beauty and purity. His 
soul will be cleansed."

Devon fell to the soft ground. I knelt beside him and touched his 
heart. A light grew within it, spreading to the rest of his body. 
Devon's body cracked apart, the pure light of his true self bleeding 
into the sky. His body split into shards, tumbling up into the sky, the 
light carrying him off to be reborn.

"Goodbye, Devon..." Tears rolled down my cheeks as everything grew 
black, and I fell onto the soft white earth...

                                ~~{}~~

I heard soft, light voices, whispers saying, "We will always be in your 
dreams."

Then there was a light, feminine whisper saying, "Just awaken. Let the 
dream end. But don't worry - I'll always be in your heart."

I blinked and opened my eyes... blue and white sheets, old wallpaper, 
brown carpet. I was back in the hotel room. Had it all been a dream?