Thanks to everyone who included my characters in posts so I have something to go off of. I’ve been busy with college aps and school; but I have some free time now!
*}*Ariana and Christian*{*
“I can’t believe this,” Ariana said aghast, struggling to her feet. “How long was I passed out? Are we back? Why is my kimono shorter?”
Christian examined his mistress while she spoke. While he remained the same, Ariana had changed; she had grown a few inches taller, and her hair was even longer, reaching down to her thighs. Her features were more defined, less childlike, but still youthful.
“It appears that you’ve aged, despite being unconscious. The same thing’s happened to everyone.” Interesting, he thought.
“What!?”
“Where did you send us?” they heard Ryuu ask Kuro, distracting Ariana from the predicament.
“We are back in our realm; as to why we’ve aged a few years, I don’t know.”
The door was thrown open, revealing a world of darkness and destruction; the presence of evil was so prevalent that Ariana reared back, feeling her curse throb with the sudden exposure. “No…” she whispered.
“It’s the Demon Lords,” Christian informed everyone, sticking next to Ariana for her protection.
“This can’t be good,” Puck muttered. For once, Christian agreed with the little sprite.
A familiar presence alerted Christian and he immediately stepped in front of Ariana, observing the minute chaos that followed when everyone realized the demon lord Asa Yuki was there.
“I suggest that we all go back inside,” Asa suggested calmly.
“Why should we trust you,” Christian said in a measured tone, demon lord of twilight Asa Yuki?”
“Because I’ve been watching over you all for the past two years.”
Everyone froze. Well, Christian surmised, that’s an acceptable reason.
Afterwards Asa’s instructions were obeyed, with Ariana taking a seat in a living room armchair with Christian hovering by her side. The demon lord stood before them all and explained the situation: how they were sent to another realm but physically remained here, and how they spent the past two years in that state.
Ariana ‘s face contorted in horror upon learning that the demon lords attacked her world after not sensing their presence. She sent a hasty prayer to Zeus, Thor, anyone she could think of, begging that her family, and everyone at the shrine be safe. However, something bothered her.
“But I do not understand,” she said carefully, “why would you all this way to protect us? Are we not your enemies?”
“You are all friends with my son, and you are the only ones that have a chance of defeating the other demon lords. That is why I am going to be training all of you.”
She meditated on that while Ryuu inquired of his family, making a mental note to check with Asa or someone else on the whereabouts of her family and the members of the shrine.
She listened quietly to Asa’s call to arms and glanced at Christian, who placed a hand over his heart and bowed. Demon and mistress would willingly fight, but something still bothered her. “I don’t trust him.”
Everyone looked at her. “Never mind that he’s your father,” she said apologetically to Ryuu, “he could be trying to kill us all.” What really worried her was her demonic curse. It already happened once. Gods forbid Asa tried to use her as a weapon against the people she was about to go through hell and back with.
“What harm is there in seeing what happens?” Emiko asked as followed Asa into the backyard. “You might actually learn something.”
Ariana levelled a steely gaze at Emiko as she went to the backyard. Two years had changed nothing, it seemed.
As for Christian, he was concerned with Emiko’s dismissal of her cousin. Underestimating allies and enemies alike could bring unwanted aftermaths. Nevertheless, he had faith in Asa’s training and her abilities. Besides, Ariana was his first priority.
As Asa explained the training itself, it began to dawn on him what he had to do, and he was filled with dread.
“We…have to die don’t we?”
The atmosphere grew tense at the affirmation, and Ariana was terrorized. She screamed and clutched her staff as Ryuu was stabbed and kicked through the door. “Christian! Christian, help me!” Christi—”
He wasn't by her side.
An arm wrapped around her and pulled her against a firm chest, a hand coming forward to cover her trembling grip on the staff.
Her blood went cold. “Christian…” she whimpered.
Her butler’s blond hair brushed against her cheek as he whispered, “It’s the only way.”
“No, no, it can’t be. Please,” she begged, the first waves of blackness that signaled her curse passing over her eyes. “Christian, Christian you swore to protect me. Please don’t—”
“I’m sorry milady.”
A stabbing pain raced through her body, kimono stained red, blood blooming from where Christian sank his newly formed claws into her back.
She unleashed an unholy scream, drowning in the darkness as her curse surged forth, strengthened by the demonic energy, finally released by her storming emotions, changing her swirling hair into raven black rivers. Her eyes began to turn red, the markings of a pentagram appearing on her forehead.
But then her head was tilted backwards, faintly familiar lips connected with hers and everything froze. Her curse retreated and her vision burst into clarity, but it was only for a moment before the darkness took her.
The last thing she saw was turquoise colored eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I decided to split this into two parts, because I’m afraid it’d be too long otherwise. That and I also wanted to use the full title.
16 year old Ariana YEAH! Her height is somewhere between 5"2' and 5"3' with even longer hair. And I am just now realizing similarities between Ariana’s curse and Elsa’s power in Frozen. ._.
