Return to Darkness

[Lilith]

Lilith watched as her two associates... no... friends walked away, she continued to watch the sky, her skin had healed since her earlier blunder and it tingled as the light danced off her pale skin.
she began to walk around the gardens to enjoy what little light she had left for the day, but the walk turned into a jog, the jog to a run, and minutes later she had lapped the grounds a few times.
the vampire stopped outside the castle doors, pushed them open and threw herself into the foyer.
she called out "hello?"

[General Beatrix]

"Bea, I'm so jealous!"

[glow=red,2,300]The general smoothed out a nice, orange and black dress near the pillow side of her bed and tilted her head slightly to paeek over at Abby.

"Yes I suppose being so decorated in my position, Miss Abigail, has lent me some luxuries...but don't you say that just because you are from, how do you put it, the slums? Just because you hail from there doesn't mean that these can not be your future. You are a Sister of Light, and don't you think that gives you some privelages? You're part of the Ultimate Guard that battles against the Darkness, White Mage, and I must say that puts you right here with us..."

And then Abby brought up the subject of Agrias and Beatrix' moods; she took a deep breath and sat in a chair situated close to her nightstand. Scratching her forehead she exclamed that she was, herself, very confused with things lately.

"I would like to think I haven't changed, Abby," she said, addressing the White Mage by her first name--even the short cut--for one of the first times. "But that would be a lie now, wouldn't it? With the rise of darkness in the universe, I fear that my old ties like to whisk their way back in, and...well, it's difficult keeping track of who the real me is anymore. I'd like to say that I love Lady Agrias, but there's that voice deep down saying that there can be no trust...because of you, and because of my darkness."

She stood up and paced about the room, slapping herself for disclosing so much. What on Gaia!?

"Ahem...anyway, Lady Abigail...that dress right there? It is simply stunning; one of my favorites and I'd be more than glad for you to have it." She took the item and delicately looked it over, and moved over to the center of the room. "Let us see if we can fit this, yes? Like I said, we're relatively the same size; let's just see how far that reaches, hm?"[/glow]

'Oh, Beatrix...either live with it, or don't, dear buffoon. No matter how hard you try to be polite, knocking me out of your head is just not in your power to do...we are one, and I am your greatest wish, yes? Absolute darkness, power...what sense is there to strike up pleasantries with the enemy what drove you so mad, anyway?'

[glow=red,2,300]Please...just let me work here... she thought back to her darkness, shaking her head and turning back to Abigail.

"Whenever you're ready. And I was also meaning to discuss with you the matter of your teddy bear situation."[/glow]

[Secondary Characters]

Vivi stood still in the foyer with Lexia, waving to Agrias as she left them standing; he turned up to the Nobody and gave her a cheerful smile, asking her what she'd like to do, until Lilith pounded through the doors merrily.

"Oh, hey there!" he exclamed, walking over and hopping, his arms outstretched. "Isn't this place wonderful?"

[Abigail Crescentlight]

Abigail smiled a little at the reassurance. She had never really thought of this group as being so prestigious. Heck, even the name "Sisters of Light" was something she made up in the middle of their adventures. Still, to hear that she could do anything regardless where she lived or how she was born from Beatrix was... encouraging. She felt a little better now, and went over to collect the dress Bea was appraising.

"Thank you..." she said softly to her, meaning for it to convey so much. She held the thing in front of herself and looked in the mirror. "I don't think it'll need much either... maybe needs to be brought in around the bustline..." She grumbled a bit, noting that her more feminine features were a tad lacking in comparison to the ample Beatrix's.

She looked over again, smiling sweetly. "As for your darkness... I don't know what I can do to help, but do know that both I and Agrias are here for you. We're a united front, right? That means we stick up for each other too. Whenever you need to talk, or just work out your frustrations, you know where to find us..."

She thought a moment, in regard to the fact that Beatrix said that she confused her as well. She sighed a bit, and looked down. "Honestly... I'm confused too. I have strong feelings for her, too. That much I guess is pretty obvious. I don't know that she feels the same way, though... Frankly, I get the sense that she seems me more like a little sister than a lover..." She looked over, smiling. "Guess she prefers a... stronger presence..." she shrugged, then walked over to the changing screen and began to change into the dress.

It was when she was behind that when Beatrix mentioned the teddy bear again. She poked her head over the top, which was a stretch that required she stand on her tip-toes to acheive. "You too? I'm so confused about what to do about that. Even if I decide to turn this stranger down... how do I even contact her to say no thank you? Then again... might the risk be worth it, to learn magics that could benefit the sisters? I'm so conflicted..."

[Lilith]

Lilith eyes darted around the foyer, her nostrils flared as she took in the smells and her ears twitched as she took in every sound.
she could smell where everyone had walked.
she took in every detail from slight scratches on the floor to the general layout of the room.

she stopped herself from analysing the room any further.
"I've been fighting for too long, I need a vacation"
she stretched her arms and worked out all the cricks.
"so what's everyone doing?" she asked nonchalantly.

[Secondary Characters]

Vivi stretched his arms up and yawned, looking over to Lilith as she examined her surroundings.

"I think everyone's going to bed, actually. But I'm not too tired just yet. What would you like to do? If this place is anything like Alexandria, I'm sure I'll be able to assist a little with the old-time workings in time...what do you think, Lexia?"

[General Beatrix]

[glow=red,2,300]"Hm...well you'll eventually grow into the bustline, I think, so we'll just put in temporary re-stitching, if that's all right. I think you'll do rather well in this department. Hm...and as for you and Agrias being here for me, I thank you very much."[/glow]

'Hahahahahaha! Yes, Beatrix, until we eliminate them...come on, why not do it now? Don't honestly tell me you're putting it off AGAIN.'

[glow=red,2,300]"Lady Agrias tells me you've been teaching her the way of Cosmos, is that correct? Perhaps some day you may regale us both in tales pertaining to this religion, yes? In the future, when we are not so busy. I would like that, methinks..."

She smiled, and though it was feigned a small portion of her wanted something to grab hold of and believe in. Then Abby brought up her love for Agrias.

"A...sisterly bond, you say? Well I won't say I wasn't a bit jealous, because that would be far from the truth...but I can't possibly stop myself from thinking that perhaps she is the one whose love is feigned for me...and it is not you waltzing in."

She moved over to the changing screen and leaned against it, her arms folded while the White Mage changed.

"Personally I think that any magic this creature is able to teach you will benefit the Sisters of Light; I mean, it did appear aboard my ship before a Sister of Light, correct? Then it simply must be...well I doubt it's of any cruel intent..."[/glow]

'Hah...you are so childish, General Beatrix the Merciless...just do it already; get rid of her...'

[glow=red,2,300]"So how does the dress look, Lady Abigail? We should hurry...for I must make haste to my room if I'm to be up at Agrias' appointed time and be at the feast. Come, show me how beautiful you look."[/glow]

[Abigail Crescentlight]

Abigail struggled a little to get into the dress, but luckily it didn't take long. She found herself, indeed, fussing with the bustline but the size difference was in fact rather minor. Sure, Bea was probably close to a D-cup and Abigail barely a B, but you know how it goes. "Actually, I think I can fake a new hem..." she said over the screen before pulling out a hairpin she used to keep her hair tucked a certain way and pinned up the dress so that it fit properly. The result was that her hair fell slightly over her right eye in a surprisingly feminine manner.

She looked up as she started to slip on the gloves, hearing Bea mention her religion. This made her smile brightly, and caused a small giggle to escape her lips. "I would like that very much! The word of Cosmos belongs to us all, after all! Whenever you're ready to hear her words, I'd be more than happy to share them with you!" She actually felt her heart lighten here. She did love sharing her faith with others, even if sometimes it didn't go so well. It was comforting to some degree that she could rejoice in her beliefs.

Bea spoke of feeling she was the one intruding, then sighed a little, but in a happy sort of way. "You really think so...?" she asked, thinking on this. "Has she said anything to you? I think neither of us can know until she makes her feelings known one way or the other... But I do want you to know that I don't want my... uhm... advances on Miss Agrias to effect our friendship! I think of you as a role model, something I can look up to, and the last thing I want is to be the source of hurt feelings for you..."

She paused, listening to what Bea had to say about the teddy bear as well. She nodded a bit, thinking. "You're probably right. I'd like to get Agrias' ideas on this too before I make my decision, though if that's okay..." she then stepped out into view, the dress flowing about her beautifully. Her happy accident with her hair made her seem far more mature, when coupled with the low cut of the garment and the overall look of it all. She turned in place for Bea to examine her from all sides.

"What do you think?" she asked, honoring her fellow Sister of Light's opinion. "Be brutal?"

[General Beatrix]

[glow=red,2,300]When Abigail stepped out from behind the screen Beatrix stepped away and turned, to give the White Mage some room to spin. Her jaw simply dropped, and her eye went rather wide. She hadn't thought Abby would be able to pull off the mature look, and once again she was happily mistaken.

"Heavens, Miss Abigail!" she exclaimed, moving closer to examine the girl. "You look absolutely splendid, indeed!"[/glow]

The darkness seemed jealous, but right now Beatrix was simply too surprised to care about its opinions.

[glow=red,2,300]She drew up a hand and plucked away a fleck of lint, casually dropping it to the floor before continuing. "Lady Abigail, my dear...you are to me like a true Sister...and I think I have taken that for granted with my jealousy...and have done you wrong. I want you to have this dress, please, as a token of my apologies..."

She scratched at her chin a moment. "Perhaps the both of us should look our best on the morrow? I shall pass a note beneath the door to Lady Agrias' room, addressing that she should look her best, as well...we shall have a lovely time."[/glow]

[Agrias Oaks]

It was uncertain to the knight on how long she had been writing at the library. The scientists stationed there had already retired, and in front of her stood a stack of written works done by her hand. It was mostly poetry, something she liked to do in her spare time with Ovelia, whom liked it a lot. She had such nostalgia here... she pondered what she even wrote, and reached out for one of the pages...

'The Three Lights,

Whom exist to fend off the darkness,
Past, Present, and Future alike,
Nay, ever a stray thought occurs in their travels,
and their love shall wipe wretched cruelties,
and purify the world with bright Majesty.'

She smiled a little, thinking of Beatrix, Abigail and Herself as a powerful force to reckon with when together. She continued to look back at her writings, and found one that seemed to stick out.

"T'whom I live for..." it started, and Agrias chuckled, "Whom in the world was I thinking of when I wrote this, I wonder?" actual sarcasm pulled the strings of her voice as she reached up to rub at her forehead, laughing nervously, "Let us see..."

'T'whom I live for,

I desire upon such precious eye,
to stare ever deeply into thy hidden heart...
Where, within lies all secrets,
of life, universe, and language lost...'

Agrias felt herself blush, rubbing at her burning cheeks. She placed it down, and brushed at her cheek a little to rest her hand upon her chest plate. She looked at the other poems, and all seemed to describe Beatrix... in some form or another.

Suddenly, a wave of sleep began to creep its way along the knight, and soon she felt tired. She stretched in place, and rested the papers in front, in a neat stack. She never got around to sign the pages, and the capped and stored the pen in one of her pockets. Surely, if someone was to find such beautiful calligraphy, they would think it was just poetry from the library that the knight was reading.

"I'm so... exhausted...suddenly..." She covered her mouth to yawn, and leaned forward to rest her head upon the desk, her eyes groggily gazing upon the papers there, until one seemed out of place... before her eyes fully closed to drift to sleep, she read:

[glow=purple,2,800]'How devoted is your love?'[/glow]

'Very...' the knight answered quietly in slumber.[/color]

[Abigail Crescentlight]

Abigail smiled a bit, a blushed a bit embarassedly. She was so used to being seen as young that it was nice every once in a while to show that she was in fact a fully grown woman. She looked up to Bea, smiling sweetly as she watched her reaction. "You really think so?" she asked, giggling somewhat.

When Bea went on to apologize, Abigail blinked and smiled once more, shaking her head a bit. "That's so generous of you, Bea! But the truth is, you don't have to apologize at all! I love the dress though, so thank you very much!" She looked at herself in the mirror, turning this way and that to look at it. She sighed, seeing herself dancing with Agri- She shook her head. Not appropriate! Especially not now!

"Oh!" Abigail exclaimed, then ran over to her satchel to pull out one of the items Bea had bought for her at the first town the Sisters had visited. It was a small protective charm, but Abigail had slipped it onto a simple fake-silver chain her mother had given her a long time ago to fashion a sort of necklace of it. She put it on, pleased to see it rather complimented the dress. "I think I'll wear this too..." she said, giggling.

She then nodded to Beatrix's suggestion. "I think so too! I mean... it is a ball, right? I'd like to think we'd all be putting our best foot forward... literally and figuratively!" she giggled sweetly.

"Thank you again, Beatrix. I appreciate it so much!" she said, then walked up and gave the woman a hug! She then gathered her things and bowed politely. "I think I'm going to retire for the night! Big day tomorrow!" she said happily, then made her way to the door, nodding her appreciation once more before leaving to her bedroom, where she changed into appropriate sleeping garments and passed out nearly the second her face touched her pillow...

[General Beatrix]

[glow=red,2,300]Beatrix smiled as Abby left, a wicked grin hiding beneath her cheery facade. "Yes, there will be much in store for this world tomorrow," she said quietly, closing the door behind her. She wrote while she walked, prepared to slip the tiny letter about attire beneath Agrias' door.

When she reached she simply stood outside while her darkness scolded her, head pressed against the wood, her hands flat, resting too on either side.[/glow]

'What's this, Beatrix? You had her! You had her and you let her go!? You could have strangled the girl with the very dress you gave her! What are you planning, you simple fool?'

[glow=red,2,300]"I have my own plans set," she breathed, shaking away the voice in her head and kneeling down, pressing the small note beneath the open space between door and floor, and left.

On her way down to the main foyer she saw several servants moving about, Prince Adam being followed by some on his way to bed. She gave him a salute and wave as she passed, and pressed on through the massive front doors, meeting up with several Alexandrians, to whom she gave orders to about tomorrow night, after the banquet party.

Saluting, the soldiers went off to their duties like before and Beatrix stepped up to the gates leading out onto the bridge, staring at the docked Red Rose, her arms folded.

"Which is the real me, I will never know...but so long as it holds on to me, I can not gain full control of the side I feel is best fit to reign...it is simply too much."

She raised her hand, and high above, high into the sky where clouds had dissipated a thread of darkness ripped through the air and began coiling through itself, growing bigger and bigger. By tomorrow night the entirety of this world would be covered in a complete cloud of darkness, and the Curse of Household would set in; this place was doomed, and so too were her "friends".

"..."[/glow]

'Good, Beatrix...good...'

[glow=red,2,300]Afterwards she returned to her room in silence, blew out all the candles lighting up her quarters and removed her clothes, falling onto her pillow and thinking about her plans as she passed heavily into the darkened dreamlands.[/glow]

[Agrias Oaks]

What an unsettling night it was, filled with strange nightmares, and dreams of the world blackening around her. She gasped a little, waking to the strange feelings and looking about to see she was still in the library. "Oh my..." she whispered, rubbing at her eyes a little before getting up, forgetting about the poetry she had made, and left.

It was too dark, and all the candles were out, so she used her sword to illuminate the way, but of course, ever since on the Red Rose, her sword had seized that heavenly glow due to her doubts. She would look at the dim blade, and pout at it, "My ever-trustworthy Save The Queen, what ails thine thoughts?" she would ask herself, truly, being that the sword was an extension of her heart, "Thine horrible nightmares keeping at bay you from your majestic glow...has doubt clouded thee as well?"

Agrias was able to make it outside of the library, her path illuminated by the stars and moon outside, " Well, worry not, my dear sword, for the world shall be right again, and mayhap you and thine sister shall know peace for a while... and rest upon the graceful fields along with Beatrix, Abigail and myself..."

The sword gave a soft melody, a bit of glow returning to it, enough to brighten the way down the dark halls, and up to her room. As she made her way in, she felt a 'crunch' sound under her left boot, and she blinked, looking down to see a note there. She blushed a little, seeing her name on it-- the sword began to glow brighter.

"Lady Beatrix...?" she gasped, slowly reaching down, somewhat nervous on what the note would say to begin with...good news? bad news?

She opened up the note, to inspect its content. She held the sword up to it to read it, her heart skipping anxiously.

[glow=red,2,800] 'To Lady Agrias Oaks of the Sisters of Light,

This is merely an address forwarded to you informing of the addition to plans; instead of on-guard garb, I would like the three of us--you, Miss Abigail and myself, to look our best for the soldiers; please locate your finest dress or come see me should you be lacking, as that is what Abigail did.

Thank you very much,

Sincerely yours,

General Beatrix Lilian Flint'[/glow]

Agrias felt herself breathe again after she read the note, and she gasped, "Something-- a... a dress?" she gulped, reaching up to rub at her head a little, "...mayhaps my Socialite uniform? I-I am used to wearing my Knight uniforms on festivities, oh dear..."

The knight pondered a little, "I might have to rely on Socialite, 'tis the finest dress wear I do have... 'Tis too late to see Beatrix...nay, she is probably asleep. I'll do just that, then, Socialite it is..."

She sighed, making up her mind and walked over to the Balcony, starring out at the edge of the mountain they were stationed at, and the river bellow. How high up they were. She looked up and chuckled a little, remembering when she first stayed at the Red Rose, and how she was able to touch a cloud for the first time... it was not like cotton, as it appeared, but formless... a phantasm floating high above... a accumulation of water, deceiving only in looks, until liquid rained down from it-- she shook her head, noticing her insane ramblings and held them to a stop. Where was she going with this?

Agrias looked up, feeling something strange above, but unable to pinpoint it.

"Why..." she whispered, sheathing her sword and holding the note close to her heart, "...why do I suddenly fill with adrenaline?"

[Lilith]

Lilith blinked and looked to the side, something had changed... subconsciously she knew but the thought was pushed back, the vampire wanted to relax.
she began to walk through the foyer towards the stairs.

relaxing... it wasn't something that Lilith was used to, she usually kept herself occupied with combat, but recently... she had been around people, and an interesting group at that, maybe she was thinking about it to much.

she made her way up the stairs and quickly made her way to a deserted corridor.

she pinched her brow
"I cant think straight, there's just so much happening, it used to be so simple..."