• The guardian stood alone in the dark room. The tumult of emotion flailed its storm from within, almost too much to contain. She sighed; it was almost time to go. Images of the past week and some odd days flooded through her memory once again, threatening to drown her. She closed her eyes and allowed it to finally come after fighting it for so many days. She hated it, hated herself. When she had first come into the consciousness of Guardian, she had always watched over him. He was her Chosen. It is against the code to become involved with anyone, especially your charge, but she had. A guardian’s purpose is to guide and protect, but never interfere. It is a distant, lonely existence, and she had failed it. She saw the situation arise, and didn’t stop it from going further. His happiness had meant too much to her to take it away, no matter the cost to anyone later; however, she knew she would try. So I decided I should leave. She opened her eyes as she thought to herself. She had done everything she could: distancing herself from him for days on end; breaking down the majority of her mind; allowing her other, Alri, to come forth and take her place. Her mouth twitched into a wry smile. Alri was the exact mirror image of her, completely opposite, and yet she trusted her above all else to make sure that they forget. He will eventually forget, she repeated to herself. He’ll be happier this way. She lifted her head, shoulders straight. “I’m ready.” She took a breath and let go. The black surrounded her as she fell back, and she felt Alri’s essence surround her, icily swirling her fear and determination. A pang of regret for things left behind, then Take care of him, Alri. Do what I couldn’t. The dark imploded her consciousness; then she opened her eyes.

    This has to happen. If it wasn’t meant to be, then I will be stopped… I wonder if he will think of me…

    “Twilight, how ironic,” she muttered to herself. She glanced around the clearing, looking for any other signs of life. She knew there shouldn’t be any others there, but she still held…something. She took a step forward, straining to hear the faintest sound: a heartbeat, a brush on the ground, the movement of the leaves…but there was nothing. Surrounded by nothing. Immediately, the light inside burst forth. Fear, anger, agony, all plunged forth from her, charring her from the inside. She threw her head back, and a scream ripped forth as it all burst through her at once. DAVID!! She felt her essence fly through the trees, burst from her with staggering force. She fell to her knees, hard. Her entire body was aching from trying to withstand the wild power. She cried out, but words had already begun to fail. Why do I always live within this false hope? She fell forward, catching herself by her forearms, and crouched to the ground, allowing the cold, damp earth to touch her forehead. Tears rocked her body as she trembled on the forest floor. She felt the warmth of liquid on her face, and, immediately, she was disgusted with herself. What right had she to think that he could possibly stop her? That he would even dare or care enough to? Still sobbing, her body crumpled from beneath her, falling to her side. She knew not how long she lie there, only that just when she believed she could never cease, the tears stopped, and the tremors began to dissipate. Time passed, flicking memories through her as she sedately waited. She watched the descent of the sun’s light as it gave way to the night. Small creatures started to surface, but she paid no heed. Pulling her legs up toward her chest, she tucked her arms into herself and allowed her eyes to close; however, she had barely drifted when she felt the presence. A coolness started to seep through her, turning her senses cold, her body numb. She opened her eyes to slits, but saw nothing approach. Then long fingers grazed her cheek. “Cera,” he whispered, “you have finally come to me.”

    I did this for you…Will you ever forgive me?

    She swallowed as she felt new tears p***k the back of her eyes. She turned her head and looked upon him, his face, his eyes. Two long scars stretched across the planes of his face and crossed, slashing into his now-blinded eyes. The familiar pang came and went quickly as her eyes met his. She replied, “Yes.” He smiled, a cold, painful thing, as he stood and reached down for her. She hesitated, her Chosen coming back to her mind, before she pushed the thought back down and grasped David’s hand with her own. Immediately, she could feel the darkness of corruption flowing beneath his perfect skin. He never hid that from her, and he didn’t try to disguise it now. She knew who she had come to, and she knew the real David would never forgive her. She had known of the double existence since she had first pulled the real David into one of her dreams. He had been held, dumbstruck and powerless, within her mind until she had finally released him as she awoke the next morning. He had visited her within her dreams almost ever afterward, appearing in some form or another. He knew of his corrupted half, for they were of two different beings. He wasn’t alive within his corruption; he was alive as well as his corruption, and he hated his other half even more than he hated himself…but she had gone to his corruption, the one thing that he couldn’t forgive. Her eyes closed for a moment as she felt his darkness seep through her before retreating back to its source. “Your heart is laden with pain,” he said, “I could feel it in your calling. Why have you come here?” She dropped her eyes at the intensity of his gaze and let her hands fall to her sides. “I have come…to take your offer.”

    I cannot turn back. This is the path I’ve chosen for us.

    In an instant, he was right in front of her, grasping her jaw roughly in his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes once again as he searched her; she never even saw him move. The darkness writhed behind his eyes as he appraised her. “You are sure this is the path you wish to take?” His tone was dark, threatening. Every nerve in her body cried out at his sudden intensity, yet she was the more drawn to him for it. Never taking her eyes from his, she raised her hand and pried his hands from her face, allowing their essences to clash. “You told me once that he would be the one to bring my end; that I would die by his hand.” His gaze flicked to the side for a moment before she forced him to look at her again. “But you offered me another choice.” She felt her heart turn cold as he processed what she was saying. He turned abruptly from her, striding across the clearing before whipping back around to face her, anger strung across his face. “You have no understanding of what this will do to you,” he growled quietly. “You will die. You do understand that, don’t you? You will die for what? For him?” He laughed bitterly. “He doesn’t deserve that much from you.” Tendrils of black materialized forth from his hands, snaking around his wrists and up to his forearms. Anger pulsed from him, beating its warning into her system. Tentatively, she stepped forth. Making no move to stop her, David watched as she quickly crossed the clearing, stopping short a few feet in front of him. She took a breath to steady herself, then whispered, “I don’t want to die by his hand…I give myself to you.” All emotion erased from his face, and she felt her body go cold. He looked at her blankly. “So be it.” His body shifted, too quick for her eyes to trace, and his torn beast stood before her. His claw raised, he surged forward and plunged it into her heart, the darkness already starting to take hold. A voice sounded within her head, barely discernable from her screams. Cera, what have you done?

    Even at the end of nothing, I could never tell you that I loved you.

    Pain, burning, darkness, weakness, broken…then the cycle started again, worse than before. Consciousness failed, and all she could hear was the never ending screams surrounding her. Her body was scorched and frostbitten, shattered and whole, all from within. Her voice lost, she couldn’t stop the screaming that issued from her, even when she was choking on her own blood. She could feel him within her, delved deep into her soul. Nothing remained of time; time didn’t exist here in this world of darkness. Her very essence fought against itself, against him, and this war was raging on within her without any hope of an end…

    David had gotten lost within her. There was so much here that he had never known could exist, all resting in his hands. Her light attacked him from every angle, reaching within his very self, looking for an end to the agony. He searched for days for the piece that would allow her to let go of everything, the piece that once destroyed would never allow her to arise again, this fallen guardian. Constantly on his search, fragments and swirls of her surrounded him, choked him until he could no longer breathe...until he finally reached it. Lost within this blinding light, one piece stood brightest amongst the others. He reached, not truly considering the consequences of what this would mean after days of being battered by this small girl, and clutched it in his hand. Time stopped. Everything within her, all the beautiful light she had ever held within her dimmed, fading, until nothing remained but the blackness within his own soul. He stood inside her, looking at this fragile little piece. It was unremarkable just how beautiful it really was. Cocking his head to the side, he stared at it, running a tentative finger over the insubstantial surface. He knew he shouldn’t ever gaze directly into the core of a soul, but there was just something…he couldn’t draw his eyes away. Suddenly, he was assaulted. The little shard grew to a blinding intensity and engulfed him whole, drowning him in her spirit. Every memory, every thought, every emotion, every word, every image, everything within this fragile girl pierced through him at once. He screamed. It was too much…then he felt his true self break through…

    The real David surfaced, affronted with every part of her. She battered at him, beat him, tore him apart, and he let her. He fell to his knees and dropped the crystal shard, giving himself over to her will. There is only one way to stop this now. Without any hesitation, he released his darkness, the true darkness, and drew all of it back into himself, taking her light right along with it. It all came into him at once, a force too great for him to handle, and he was flung from her. He doubled over on the forest floor, the fight still coursing through him. Her body was still now, the screaming ended, but there was no life left in that fragile little body. Agony still assaulting him, he crawled to her side. No breath there. He looked upon her face, and jerkily touched her cheek. She was so cold; there was nothing left. He choked and jerked his head up, and as he did, he felt one shadow fall from his eyes. Still burning, he looked upon her and saw one solitary spot of shadow on her nose. He reached to swipe it away, but before he could do so, it seeped through her skin, leaving no trace. It struck him then. Darkness. With no more thought, he placed both hands on her, and poured his darkness into her once again, but this time, there was no fight against it. A moment passed as he watched her, then he felt a small spark come alive. He looked down at his hands, from which all this destruction had been born. He glanced at her face one last time and started. Those eyes, those glorious eyes, were staring straight back at him. Then they closed as her body arched, broke, and she screamed the purest, most agonizing sound ever known. He threw his head back and shattered as her light released itself from him and destroyed him.

    What has become of me now?

    Her body ached, and every part of her felt scarred within its existence. Her mind raced with thoughts…of nothing. She couldn’t remember. Her body felt foreign to her, as if it had never belonged to her, and no memory came within her grasp. Who was she now? So many questions whose answers floated just beyond her reach within the fog that had become her mind. She tried to move, but her limbs refused to obey her. Her senses were cold, her eyes numb as if they had never been used. Summoning any strength she could find, she opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred, but she could almost see something above her, crouched, watching. Alarm coursed through her, and she strained to see what this thing was that was watching over her so intently. Vision sharpened to an extent that even she realized as unusual, and she saw his face. Memory flooded her and consciousness came to life. I am his guardian…