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Warping Reality (Open)

Started by ~Harry Potter~, September 28, 2009, 12:35:59 PM

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~Harry Potter~

((Just for reference, Artemis is there.  Normally he wouldn't be since he made the small area like Rhyme's mind; he can come out and have a physical body...kind of.  If that made any sense at all.))

Artemis flinched at both the heat of the flames and the power from the song.  This girl was something, but he wasn't sure what.  She had all the powers of the bard and more so.  Also it was a lot like Rhyme's but not a straight copy either.  Then again, he thought, everything around Rhyme changes a little bit.  The kid was just never observant enough to notice all the time. 

The song meant power to Stacy but to Artemis it sounded a lot like deception so that is what he used it as.  He closed his eyes and concentrated on the music and as he did he began to duplicate.  It was half way between full form duplication and an illusion.  The duplicates did have form though they didn't have much of a mind and their form was easily disrupted.  Anything more than a glancing blow could destroy them. 

Each duplicate, about twenty in all that ended up surrounding Stacy had on a different colorful yet dark costume and a different mask.  Each could have been thought to be happy at first but at closer inspection were found to be more twisted and disturbing, like an evil clown.  The costumes and masks were made out of very thin paper. 

Artemis grinned evilly when he opened his eyes but then they widened when he saw the flames go blue and the heat burning up the paper of the duplicates.  Before they could do a single thing they burst into flames from the light paper garments and quickly fading away. 

Out of anger Artemis made a slashing motion with his blade which sent a dark crescent out of it flying at the flames.  As before though, his power could not penetrate Stacy's. 

"What are you!" he screamed in frustration letting loose another few crescents of dark energy at the blue flames which followed the first at being unable to penetrate. 
They say trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if its broke
But you can still see the crack in your reflection

potter_fan122

Stacey`s eyes were glowing an eerie blue, and they gave her kind face a twisted turn as she grinned darkly. She liked power a lot, and the fact that Artemis was confused made her feel a little greedy. She refused to awknowledge the edges of exhaustion that were starting to appear. She might have great powers, but she couldn`t hold out forever. She pulled more energy from the earth, taking in it`s pure energy.

"I am Stacey Amelia Gray, daughter of James Black, an Immortal. I am the niece of Jonathan, the evil bastard trying to destroy my mind." She crossed her arms and put her wieght on one foot, tucking the knife into the fold of her arm. "As for what I am, I don`t even know. So it wouldn`t really be fair for you to know." She tilted her head to the side, glancing back down to the ground. There it was, that little object. She couldn`t tell what it was, so she bent down to pick it up with a quick glance toward Rhyme. It was cool to the touch and off-white. She turned it over and pushed the little button. Immediatly it turned on, shining a dim blue light. The song Stacey had previously sang came to mind, and within seconds she heard it play.

This used to be a Funhouse
But now it's full of evil clowns
It's time to start the countdown
I'm gonna burn it down, down, down
I'm gonna burn it down

9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, fun

Echoes knocking on locked doors
All the laughter from before
I'd rather live out on the street
Than in this haunted memory

I've called the movers, called the maids
We'll try to exorcise this place
Drag my mattress to the yard
Crumble, tumble house of cards

This used to be a Funhouse
But now it's full of evil clowns
It's time to start the countdown
I'm gonna burn it down, down, down

Stacey smiled again, her eyes tracing the lines of her power that were wrapped around the clearing. She felt so full... so powerful. She liked this feeling.
"Get out of my way! I'm a free spirit!"
FOREVER WILL NEVER BE LONG ENOUGH.
"And now I understand a phrase I once thought odd;
I guess to love another person is to see the face of God."

~Harry Potter~

#32
((Alpha Dog—Fall Out Boy))

A very fast beat could be heard to start to play from Artemis' side of the area.   Suddenly though the music began to come from all over the place creating weird harmonies in the darkened area.  

((Listen to this if you can since it makes more sense since it has lots of odd voice combos))

Clap until your hands hurt
Standing ovations or boos
Wa-wa-watch us until we blur
Walk off into the sunset
Tell rock and roll I'm alone again
I wanna put the Midwest home again
You time has passed, they say never means never
So the fresh stares won't last but never means forever
Never means forever

Each time a different voice was used or multiple voices at once they came from all around Stacy giving the creepy feeling of being surrounded.  Around Artemis the power began to build.  He fed off the same energy as Rhyme so his power grew when he made a song appear.  

The dark energy made the manifestation of dark wings that grew from his back.  They were energy though they had a strong appearance in the dark background of being physical feather wings.  When the words spoke of times passing he was referring to Rhyme's time of controlling the body and how Rhyme said Artemis would 'never' have control.  

Alpha dog and oh-oh-omegalomaniac-aaaaac
Alpha dog and oh-omega-megalo
Welcome to the new déjà vu
I can almost see the wizard through the curtains
Alpha dog and oh-oh-omegalomaniac-aaaaac

This held so much power for Artemis since he is one of the few people who could actually see the relationship between Rhyme and his father.  Rhyme if he really tried could be the alpha dog, he was much stronger than his father but his father was so obsessed with himself he made up a big image.  When Rhyme caught him that night, he finally saw the man behind the curtain but blocked it away.  

Artemis narrowed his eyes as he rose of the ground to try and take this Stacy down.  To truly protect Rhyme he would need to beat him since he was too weak minded himself to do what was needed all the time.  Now that he was focused, he pulled out another knife and made an X slashing motion which hit the fire and instead of breaking it, swept it aside.  

You're not the first
Or the last
But you're possible the prettiest, whoa
He's a fighter
Past his prime
He's in the gutter waving his hand
I'm just fine

He broke the song slightly as he went finding the next stanza useless and starting it again after the next chorus.  He flew right at Stacy with his knife held at chest level with her to try and take her far away from Rhyme for the moment or at least break her stance, hoping it would shake her power for at least the moment.  
They say trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if its broke
But you can still see the crack in your reflection

potter_fan122

((Don`t Trust Me- 3oh!3))

Stacey watched Artemis carefully, her eyes trained on him. Her feet were spread shoulder-width apart, one slightly farther back than the other. She was balanced perfectly; years of dancing and training made balance an instinct. The words of the song meaned almost nothing to her, but she could read their meaning in the boy`s mind. For once, she was glad that she was close enough to the school to read his mind and that Rhyme didn`t have hardly any mental abilities.

Her eyes twitched as the song began and the voices cascaded around her, but they didn`t move from Artemis`s figure. She swallowed heavily, her eyes slowly getting redder. Then he swept the fire aside with his knife, and that made her flinch. The sensation of him touching her energy likes that... it made her shiver. She blinked slowly, trying to make the feeling go away, and when she opened them he was flying towards her, one of the knives leveled to her heart.

It was a good thing fighting techniques had been drilled into her mind for the past three years. She ducked down onto her knees and fell to the side. He shouldn`t expect it--as har as she knew, Rhyme didn`t know how to fight-- and she hoped he would trip over her, maybe even drop the knife. Her own blade that had been tucked close to her elbow was still in her hand, her fingers wrapped tightly around it. She landed close to Rhyme and she looked at him again, wondering when he would be able to get up. She felt something else in her hand and looked down, surprised to see the MP3 player still there. Another song started to boom from her body, and she scrambled onto her feet, dashing away from Artemis to the side of the clearing her had been on moment ago.

Black dress, with the tights underneath
I got the breath of the last cigarette on my teeth
And she's and actress (actress),
But she aint got no need
She's got money from her parents and a trust fund back east


T-t-t-tongues, always pressed to your cheeks
While my tongue is on the inside of some other girls teeth
T-tell your boyfriend (boyfriend) if he said he's got beef
That I'm a vegetarian, and I aint f*(kin scared of him!

Stacey wasn`t singing the song, but it still made her smile. She walked sideways along the side of the clearing, making complicated motions with her hands, the knife suddenly gone.

The flames had morphed into large orbs and were pulsating with the beat of the song, splitting and growing again. Scarlet orbs flashed up beside them, sliding closer witht the words. Stacey`s eyes were glowing a devilish orange again, and her face was light with the fire she produced.

Ex's, on the back of your hands
Wash them in the bathroom, to drink like the bands
And the set list, (set list)
You stole off the stage
Has red and purple lipstick all over the page


B-b-b-bruises cover your arms
Shaking in the fingers with the bottle in your palm
And the best is (best is)
No one knows who you are
Just another girl
Alone at the bar

This song was just fit too well. When Stacey had first came upon Rhyme in the forest he and Artemis had been having an interal argument about sexuality. While she had been a little embarrassed to come upon them at that exact time, she had offered to lend Rhyme a skirt and make-up/

"What about you, Artemis?" She asked happily and she smirked. "If you keep this up, you`ll be the one alone at the bar. Don`t you want someone to love you like they love Rhyme? You don`t have to be a masochistic ass." Her words were a little risky to say, she knew, but she hadn`t been known for holding her toungue.
"Get out of my way! I'm a free spirit!"
FOREVER WILL NEVER BE LONG ENOUGH.
"And now I understand a phrase I once thought odd;
I guess to love another person is to see the face of God."

~Harry Potter~

((The Music or the Misery Fall Out Boy))

Artemis was too worked up to see the fighting move and went skidding through the dark but still oddly wet grass before he let out a blast of energy that sent him spinning around like a break-dancer and with a flap of the wings getting him back up on his feet on the other side of the clearing.  

Artemis flinched from his scrapped up arms as he brushed the grass from his coat as he glared angrily at Stacy.  This was the one downside of being in even a somewhat physical body, things hurt.  Before he didn't have to deal with much physical pain since Rhyme took the blunt of it.  

"Love?  Love is a pathetic emotion that can easily be corrupted.  You would not believe how many crimes were committed because of a twisted form of love!  You may even know of this one since they made a musical out of it.  Everything in Sweeney Todd, based off a true murderer in London is based off of love.  Sweeney did all he did for his love of his wife and child, Mrs. Lovett helped him since she loved him.  And all the motion was set into motion because of the judge's love of a married woman.  Haa, love." He said spitting afterward on the ground angrily.  

I got my stitches stitched, I got my fixes fixed,
In my aching head, I got my kisses slit.
Our gossip lips stuttered every word I said, I said,
I got your love letters, corrected the grammar and sent them back.
It's true romance is dead, I shot it in the chest then in the head.

And if you wanna go down in history then I'm your prince,
Because they've got me in a bad way I've never seen a heart I couldn't break.
It was never about the songs, it was competition.
Make the biggest scene, make the biggest...

Which came first, the music or the misery?
We're high-fashion, we're last chances.
Which came first, the music or the misery?
We're high-fashion, we're last chances.

Artemis grinned at her as the music played showing a very twisted form of love.  A person who knew he could toy with women and chose to do so.  Above him formed many sharp pieces of paper which he sent flying at the pair.  

Also red ceramic hearts appeared above him and with a wave of his hand sonic waves shattered them into little pieces.  It was starting to show though that he was losing his touch.  Having to come up with new things all the time was starting to wear him down.  But after shattering the hard he sent them flying as well at them.  
//
They say trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if its broke
But you can still see the crack in your reflection

potter_fan122

((They Say It`s Wonderful- Annie Oakley and Frank Butler))

The music that poured from the MP3 player faded out, and the clearing suddenly felt empty. Stacey stood tall, her feet placed apart so she could balance perfectly, and began to sing. Her eyes were a grey shade of red; she hated it when people doubted love. She had Aiden, and that`s all she needed. She could get pretty defensive when people tried to push against the tight bond they had together.

"They say that falling in love is wonderful
It's wonderful, so they say.
And with a moon up above it's wonderful
It's wonderful, so they tell me.
I can't recall who said it
I know I never read it
I only know that falling in love is grand
And the thing that's known as romance
Is wonderful, wonderful
In every way"

It was the first song that came to mind, but she knew that she had picked the right one. She didn`t remember at all, so maybe it came from Rhyme. Right now, she didn`t exactly care. The song worked for her. As she sang she thought about Aiden. She moved out of the way as the little papers and heart shattered and went flying. Her hands were already moving.

Glowing, pulsing blue heart appeared all around her in a circle. They grew bigger as her voice carried on.

"Rumors fly and they often leave without
But you've come to the right place to find out
Ev'rything that you've heard is really so
I've been there once upon a time and I should know
You'll find that falling in love is wonderful
It's wonderful, as they say
And with a moon up above it's wonderful
It's wonderful, as they tell you
You'll leave your house a morning
And without any warning
You're stopping people shouting that love is grand
And to hold a man in your arms
Is wonderful, wonderful
In every way"

Now, she did modify one of the lines. It leaned more towards Artemis`s point of view, but her rewrite was unnoticeable. Stacey formed a flame in her hands and her eyes pushed against her limited control and glowed as red as the fire.

"Only someone who`s never known real love would say that, Artemis. Love is the greatest emmotion there is, and it holds the world together. They say that love is hard, but it`s really the hatred and betrayal that people confuse for love that`s hard." The girl was surprised to find tears in her eyes, but she wasn`t going to wipe them away.
"Get out of my way! I'm a free spirit!"
FOREVER WILL NEVER BE LONG ENOUGH.
"And now I understand a phrase I once thought odd;
I guess to love another person is to see the face of God."

~Harry Potter~

((I Write Sins not Tragedies, Panic! At the Disco.  If you can find the music video watch it, it is really interesting))

Artemis let out another laugh at Stacy's naïve thoughts.  He may be trapped in Rhyme's head but he saw more than the child ever would.  He saw the things hidden behind people's eyes that Rhyme never learned how to see.  Rhyme would crack every few hours if he could see the hatred and the lust behind people's eyes.  Lust ran the world, love didn't. 

"Please, listen to some of the darker music on that little toy of Rhyme's.  Your soon find that the more recent the music, the more it shifts from the true picturesque idea of love to the more real version.  Have you noticed how many people get divorced anymore?"

Artemis made a motion with his hand as he raised it.  It appeared as if he was holding a cylindrical object in his hand.  He raised his hand in an arcing motion and at the top of the arc a dark whip suddenly appeared filling his hand and he brought it down in the air with a sharp crack. 

When he did this music began to play, a triangle and the plucking of a guitar.  As the whip fell between him and Stacy his clothing changed.  It went from dark to more twisted.  His eyes now had a thick layering of make-up and he gained the garb of a circus conductor.  He had a high top hat and red overcoat.  Also, if Stacy didn't resist the change she would find herself in a wedding dress. 

Oh,
Well imagine,
As I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor,
And I can't help but to hear,
No, I can't help but to hear an exchanging of words:
"What a beautiful wedding! What a beautiful wedding!" says a bridesmaid to a waiter.
"And yes, but what a shame, what a shame the poor groom's bride is a hore."

The first part was building power but it was also a small shot at Stacy if the wedding dress stuck around.  Since technically with the scene she was now a bride. 

I'd chime in with a
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddam door?!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of poise and rationality.
I'd chime in,
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddam door?!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of...

With a crash of music like that of waves on a beach and with a much faster beat the music hit, creating a large number of full conjured but still illusion-like beings.  They weren't living in the normal sense though they did have a pretty robust form.  They all had strange garb, looking like different types of circus folk.  There was a sword swallower and a flame eater as well as a man on stilts.  Though they were all very different one thing was the same, they all had painted faces and those who didn't look dangerous had knives hidden away. 

Well in fact,
Well I'll look at it this way,
I mean technically our marriage is saved
Well this calls for a toast
So pour the champagne
Oh! Well in fact,
Well I'll look at it this way,
I mean technically our marriage is saved
Well this calls for a toast,
So pour the champagne, pour the champagne

And as the music slowed, they all stood still and sat there, waiting for a command.  With the first line about the marriage being saved Artemis vanished and appeared behind Stacy to run the back of two fingers down her cheek before vanishing again into the crowd. 

Then when the music sped up again the creatures stood and tried to attack Stacy and Rhyme to a lesser extent with what they had.  The flame eater let loose a jet of flame from their mouth and the lion tamer sent his beasts.  One could hit would make them disappear but their sheer number, about 20 in total made it slightly more difficult. 

He could do so much with this song because of its meaning.  It represented the idea of twisted love perfectly since it was the third in a trilogy.  The main man of the song dated a girl, found her cheating on him, and forgave her, to be cheated on again.  Also the singer of the song was a lot like Artemis, the words of reason within the man's brain finally realizing that this girl wouldn't change.  It was something both Artemis and Rhyme wished would be seen by their mother.   
They say trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if its broke
But you can still see the crack in your reflection

potter_fan122

((I`ve Been There from the Phantom of the Opera. Mob Rules- House on Fire.))

Stacey squeezed the little player between her fingers, concentrating on not breaking it into pieces. Both of her hands were curled into fists, her glowing a deadly red saved for when she was really pissed. Her eyes were still locked on Artemis, trained on his every movement, but she herself was planted in the spot. She felt an odd sensation like silk being draped over her skin and a faint white glow was coming from her body. She looked down to see the wedding dress. A low growl met her ears and it took her a moment to realize that it came from herself. She ripped at the dress with a claw-like hand, and it fell away it streams of smoke.

The ever-moving glowing lines that had been circling the clearning had disappeared. Stacey still hadn`t moved except for her arm, which was back at her side. She bared her teeth, surprising herself in the fact that she felt so much like she did when she was in her Animagus form. She felt dangerous and... predatory. Just the sight of the dark boy across the clearing made her want to break something. She remembered to drop the
MP3 player before she did break it.

Instead, music rolled from Stacey herself, drawing power from both Artemis and the player. She started in the middle of a song, getting to the point before he could make anything else happen.

But his voice filled my spirit
with a strange, sweet sound . . .
In that night there was music
in my mind . . .
And through music my soul began to soar!

And I heard as I'd never heard before . . .
What you heard was a dream
and nothing more . . .
Yet in his eyes all the sadness
of the world . . .
Those pleading eyes, that both threaten
and adore . . .

Her metaphorical words filled the air, somehow mixing with Artemis`s song and forming a sort of backround noise. The random figures had appeared around the edge of the trees now, and Stacey watched them from the corners of her eyes. They made her wary. Were they real, or not? Could they hurt her if Artemis wanted them to? Well, Artemis was here now. That answered her question enough for her.

She listened to the last stanza, looking around now. Some of the figures looked freaky-- Stacey had never likes the circus-- and rather dangerous, but she didn`t undrestimate the fact that they could easily have weapons hidden on them like she did.

Then Artemis disappeared.

She felt his chilly fingers on her cheek before she could even process her next thought. She gasp, thrusting her elbow back where his stomach would have been. The momentum of her arm pulled her backwards and she stumbled, surrounded by snarls and flames, it seemed. She growled again, raising her hands instinctively. Fire exploded out of her palms, creating a large cloud of blue-white flames. The heat rolled over her skin, but didn`t burn her. In her mind she commanded it to surround the animals and Artemis, hopefully making him disoriented enough to make what she hoped were illusions disappear. She closed her red eyes, picturing Rhyme and matching the word safe to him. She also remembered the little player, which was probably safe anyway since her cloud of heat was about six inches above the ground.


In a world of innocence
You gave me shelter from the tempest
In a time of hope and joy
You always dedicated love to me

Burning bridges everywhere
And nobody to declare

House on fire burnt my soul
My desire is getting cold

House on fire in my head
Sick and tired

Twenty one is much too young
For a child without a warning
Poorest dream has come alive
When you died on a cloudy morning

Stacey really did hope that Rhyme could hear her. She was singing this for him, and from him. It just seemed to sort of fit. She squinted through her fire, lowering her hands and the flames dying down. She glanced around quickly, then ran over to where Rhyme lay on the ground. She kneeled beside him, putting her hair behind her ear so it wasn`t in her face. With a pale, warm hand she reached forwar to check for a pulse.
"Get out of my way! I'm a free spirit!"
FOREVER WILL NEVER BE LONG ENOUGH.
"And now I understand a phrase I once thought odd;
I guess to love another person is to see the face of God."

~Harry Potter~

((Two words..."Finals Suck!"))

Rhyme groaned as his eyes slowly opened.  His head was killing him and his ears were ringing.  Shattering the effect took a major chunk out of his mind and it took him this long to finally recover enough to wake up.  He sighed though as he felt all the music around them.  It seemed like Stacy and Artemis were busy and since Stacy wasn't dead she was probably holding her ground.  With all this energy around him he could easily hold himself together for a bit until he was fully back to normal. 

He pushed himself to a kneeling position with a wince and closed his eyes purposefully before opening them quickly this time glowing with a bright yellow.  He looked at all the creatures and saw that they were weak conjurations, easily dispelled; he just didn't have the time to hit them on all with energy.  As he finally got to his feet he heard a jingling in his coat and grinned, he knew a way he could do it.  He was really glad he practiced at least a bit in the forest or else this could end badly. 

"Stacy...Stand still...very still." He said warning her and having a firm look in his eyes.  He was done playing games. 

"Artemis, you may have more control over my powers then we do, but I am actually used to having a body and there is more to what I can do then just my powers." He said as he took a few steps forward away from Stacy. 

Rhyme began to tilt back and forth to a beat as his arms hung lose at his sides.  He hummed lightly to himself not for energy but for peace.  This wasn't something that he needed his powers for directly though they would make the effect more powerful.  He was never one to win in a pure brawn fist fight; he was too lithe for that, though he did know how to use his flexibility to his advantage. 

He looked around slowly, purposefully and then starting to run forward before throwing himself forward on a flip.  His hands hit the ground and launched himself upward with a blast of yellow energy and while he was in the air he began to twist and twirl in complex patterns and as he did his kunai began to fly out of his coat at all the creature around them.  When he came out of the flip he landed on his hands again and began to spin by kicking his legs out and in and began to actually break-dance.  This time daggers came out from nearly every opening in his cloths.  It was clear he couldn't hold that many which was another effect of his powers. 

The reason he told Stacy to stand still was because as the attack went on some of his blades went very close to Stacy to get the creatures behind her.  The attack was so fast by the time Artemis could hit him with a force blast sat sent him rolling back toward Stacy all the creatures were gone. 

Rhyme gave her a goofy grin as he brushed himself off showing how bi-polar he really was.  He was so serious before and now grinning like a fool. 
They say trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if its broke
But you can still see the crack in your reflection

potter_fan122

((Don`t have to say that twice. Living on a Prayer- Bon Jovi.))

"Finally," She muttered as Rhyme moaned. She took her fingers from his wrist and sat back on her heels, only standing when he did.

"Stand still... very still."

The words sounded faraway, but Stacey followed them. All she did was turn her head towards Rhyme. She watched with ember eyes as knices flung from him. The first one that came close to her face made her flinch, suprising her after watching the knives hit home in the different creatures. Automatically her body tried to push out with a cloud of energy, a deep part of her wanting to be the one who got rid of all the monsters, but she pulled it in, knowing that Rhyme knew what he was doing. Her eyes never left him as he flipped and blades continued to spin from him.

The blast of energy that Artemis produced pushed her back onto her butt, not having been prepared for it and not standing for balance. She glared over at the darker person, her eyes flashing red again. She stood up without using her hands and a guitar appeared in her hands. It was black and white, electric, but she didn`t need an amp for it to be heard. She started to play a steady riff, the song forming in her mind. Her fingers danced across the strings, still staring straight at Artemis.

Once upon a time not so long ago:
Tommy used to work on the docks
union's been on strike

He's down on his luck - It's tough
so tough.
Gina works the diner all day
working for her man

She brings home her pay for love
for love.

She says: We've got to hold on to what we've got
'Cause it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not.
We've got each other and that's a lot for love -
We'll give it a shot.

We're half way there - Livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it
I swear - livin' on a prayer.

The words spilled right out of Stacey, not even having to think about it. Her eyes narrowed and her stance made it clear that she had no intention of giving up. She looked over to Rhyme tilting her head to the side as if inviting him to join in. She wondered idily if it was in the right key for a male voice-- she had automatically changed it to her key when she started playing--  but then she remembered that he could make his voice do almost whatever he wanted.

"Artemis, don`t you get it?" She asked, looking back to him. "Love is what makes the world work. People thinks love`s hard, but it`s not. The lying and sneaking and hrurt that come with what people think is love is what`s hard. If you really, truely knew what love was you wouldn`t dare think the way you do." The image of Aiden filled her mind. She was completely lucky to have him. He made her a better person, and he made her happy. Before she met him she always thought that things were just black and white, simple. Then he had shown her the colors of the rainbow, and had thrown everything into perspective.
"Get out of my way! I'm a free spirit!"
FOREVER WILL NEVER BE LONG ENOUGH.
"And now I understand a phrase I once thought odd;
I guess to love another person is to see the face of God."

~Harry Potter~

(("Its My Life" Bon Jovi))

Artemis snickered at her comments about love.  The odd thing was, this was what Rhyme used to think of love and still thinks happens with some people.  Artemis was still a part of Rhyme, twisted, but still part of him.  Rhyme saw some dark parts of love like the relationship between his mother and father but he also knew deep down that it wasn't always like that. 

"Hun you know what most guys say love they mean something more like..." he said before vanishing and reappearing behind Stacy and groping her butt, "sex"

Rhyme's hardened to near slits of anger as he saw this, reminding him of his sisters and his father and especially of Alina, the strongest of the pair, she put up with so much. 

"Not...again" he nearly growled as he threw his hand out freezing Artemis in place with sheer will.  He made this place it finally hit him, he can control it.  "I will not see another women I care about abused."

This ain't a song for the broken-hearted
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice
When I shout it out loud

The music started overpowering Stacy's by his sheer anger and will and that the power was actually his own.  Experience makes up a lot even though most of it was instinctual, that and he actually knew where the energy for these songs came from. 

He held Artemis firmly in place for the first four lines, the freeze was so firm the veins in Rhyme's forehead was starting to show and Artemis couldn't even move his jaw to make a snide comment.  Then with the last line Rhyme threw him hard into a wall of hardened darkness that seemed to just form there.  He put all the energy from his sister that got crushed and crushed but would never break.  This hardened his will and gave him the type of power he needed to face Artemis.  Sam was good for protection, it was so pure and sweet nothing could corrupt it, Alina though, was hard as nails. 

It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said, "I did it my way"
I just wanna live while I'm alive
'Cause it's my life

Artemis got up and spit out a good bit of blood from his mouth.  When he hit he felt a few ribs almost crack and he flinched hating that one downside of having a physical body. 

"Looks like Rhyme finally grew some balls." He laughed as he made a claw with his hands and the glowed with dark energy.  Rhyme did the same but this time his hands glowed with yellow energy.  They slowly started to walk toward each other, Rhyme with cold determination and Artemis with fake optimism.  At the last line they flew at each other energy flying from their heels.  They collided with a shockwave from their auras as they started to exchange a flurry of blows.  They flew into the air as they punched and kicked each other.  ((If you ever saw Dragon Ball Z think of something like that but without the energy blasts))

This continued for the rest of the songs with Rhyme holding the edge and plowing Artemis into the ground leaving a crater a few times.  At the end of the song though the power suddenly left Rhyme and he landed on the ground breathing hard.  That felt good but now his anger was sated and he had nothing really left to go on. 

Artemis though was battered and bruised and he dragged himself out of his crater holding one arm with the other.  At this moment he really, really hated having a body. 

"This is one each buddy boy, got what it takes to pull off a third round and break the tie?" he asked seeing how tired Rhyme was. 
They say trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if its broke
But you can still see the crack in your reflection

potter_fan122

((You Can`t Take Me- Bryan Adams))

Before Stacey`s eyes could even shoot red after Artemis had replied to her, he disappeared. God, she hated when he did that. Then she felt him behind her, his hand on her butt. She spun around, her eyes personifying pure hatred. They weren`t even a real color, they kept on changing, morphing from red to black and any other color that her mind could come up with for disgust. She grabbed his wrist and twisted it around behind his back, teeth still bared like the animal inside of her. Her own energy was pulsing around her along with heat waves. She couldn`t feel the heat, but she knew that anyone else could.

Stacey pushed Artemis`s arm up farther behind his back, and she knew from experience that it hurt. In fact if she would just twist it a little further...

Then Rhyme froze him. She growled, realizing that her map of powers was spread out a lot farther out than she usually had it. She could feel everything within her range, could tell what living thing was where. She unconsciously pulled energy from some distant monster, her hands curving into claws. She suddenly heard Rhyme singing, the words running through her mind later than he had sung them. Before she could stop herself the words spiled from her mouth when he wasn`t singing, matching the tune and tempo.

Got to fight another fight - I gotta run another night
Get it out - check it out
I'm on my way and I don't feel right
I gotta get me back - I can't be beat and that's a fact
It's OK - I'll find a way
You ain't gonna take me down no way
Don't judge a thing until you know what's inside it
Dont' push me - I'll fight it

She watched with no mercy as Artemis was flung into the ground numerous times, itching to join in the fight but holding herself back. Her eyes had settled on a red that would have put blood to shame. Images flashed through her mind from a few years past. Flashes of Niles leaning over her, trying to convince her that he had always loved her. Images of Nate, nice, but too old. More of Niles: pushing her tightly against a tree, trying to get her to go with him to Romania; pressing his lips to hers while she wanted to be in someone else`s arms. He had never done anything too serious with her-- she could have easily killed him if he tried-- but he was patient. He had hurt her mentally. Had given her a bond so strong then disappeared, only coming back years later after she was already married and wanting her back, saying he was sorry.

Stacey had always tried to block him out, erase all memory of him, and here Artemis was, bringing it all back with a few quick words. How was she supposed to fight that? The way she always fought everything-- fire with fire.

When Rhyme finally landed on the ground, breathing heavily, she began to sing again.

Never gonna give in - never gonna give it up no
If you can't catch a wave then your'e never gonna ride
You can't come uninvited
Never gonna give in - never gonna give up no
You can't take me I'm free

Why did it all go wrong? - I wanna know what's going on
And what's this holding me?
I'm not where I`m supposed to be
I gotta fight another fight
I gotta fight will all my might
I'm getting out , so check it out
Ya, you're in my way
So you better watch out

"I think I can handle a round." Stacey said, projecting her voice to where Artemis was. She narrowed her eyes as she took a few steps forward. Her arms hung loosly by her sides as if she was going to start doing ballet, but her fingers were curved as if they were holding knives. energy was moving around her again, coming off of her in iridescent blue waves.
"Get out of my way! I'm a free spirit!"
FOREVER WILL NEVER BE LONG ENOUGH.
"And now I understand a phrase I once thought odd;
I guess to love another person is to see the face of God."

~Harry Potter~

((Listen to your Heart, Roxette.  Not sure how you listen to these Stacy but if you want a guy version of this send me a message, I found a cool retuning on youtube though I know it hates your computer))

Rhyme shook his head when he heard Stacy saying she could go for a round.  When he sang the last song it finally became clearer.  His power is more than emotion, it is also will, that is what Artemis always provided, since his mind is split, not all of it can go into his songs since there is always that part of his mind holding Artemis in place.  As he realized this his presence and power grew to that of Artemis or even higher. 

"No." The words were not in anger but they were firm and hard to argue with. 


"Ah it seems like Rhyme finally understands; now this will truly get fun." Artemis replied feeling Rhyme's power. 

"Stacy, thank you for all your help" Rhyme said simply, "But this is my fight.  If we beat him in anger, that is what will seal him.  He knows anger and he can use anger to break the seal, I am going to use something he can't understand."

Artemis narrowed his eyes to near slits at this, for the first time actually worried.  It looked like Rhyme actually grew some balls which meant he could put out some force now.  As a preemptive strike he tried to throw an energy ball the size of a bowling ball at Rhyme but it didn't gear anywhere near him before blowing up into a flock of birds. 

"Artemis, this is my mind you just live here.  And Stacy," he said giving her a kind look "Listen carefully, this is the core of my power"

A soft white light spotlight fell on Rhyme giving him a very peaceful and angelic look.  This song came straight from his heart and as he sang the power could be heard.

" I know there's something in the wake of your smile.
I get a notion from the look in your eyes, yea.
You've built a love but that love falls apart.
Your little piece of heaven turns too dark.

Listen to your heart
when he's calling for you.
Listen to your heart
there's nothing else you can do.
I don't know where you're going
and I don't know why,
but listen to your heart
before you tell him goodbye."

The light on Rhyme began to spread outwards but not from the spotlight but from Rhyme itself.  It truly was like he was an angel; the light was going everywhere repelling the darkness of Artemis.  When it touched something it had a warm and loving feel like that of a mother. 

"Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile.
The precious moments are all lost in the tide, yea.
They're swept away and nothing is what it seems,
the feeling of belonging to your dreams.

Listen to your heart
when he's calling for you.
Listen to your heart
there's nothing else you can do.
I don't know where you're going
and I don't know why,
but listen to your heart
before you tell him goodbye

And there are voices
that want to be heard.
So much to mention
but you can't find the words.
The scent of magic,
the beauty that's been
when love was wilder than the wind."

As he sang cherry blossoms even began to fall setting the peaceful mood.  Artemis even tried to banish them or turn them into blades or something dark but Rhyme held them as they were.  As the light spread closer and closer Artemis got more and more desperate and threw more and more at Rhyme which fizzled as soon as it hit the light.  On the last lines of the stanza Rhyme tilted his head back and with a bright sparkling of light his cloths turned to powder blue bardic robes. 

Listen to your heart
when he's calling for you.
Listen to your heart
there's nothing else you can do.
I don't know where you're going
and I don't know why,
but listen to your heart
before you tell him goodbye.

I don't know where you're going
and I don't know why,
but listen to your heart
before you tell him goodbye.

As the song started to finish and hit its climax at the end the light was all encompassing and only a small circle of darkness remained.  Within this circle Artemis clawed like a feral animal trying to get out.  Then, bars began to appear vertically and a geometric design appeared at his feet binding Artemis in place and on the last "goodbye" Rhyme blew a kiss at Artemis with sad eyes and Artemis vanished. 

Rhyme then slid to his knees.  Very tired but content.  The world was still warped but now it was in Rhyme's control not Artemis'. 

"I bind you Artemis but do not change the limits only the rules.  Don't try and escape again since more than just Stacy will know you are not me." 

It was funny.  Rhyme added a little clause into the binding.  If Artemis ever took full control of his body a song would always play around him, "Its Loose" from Young Frankenstein, a very fitting song and very funny too. 
They say trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if its broke
But you can still see the crack in your reflection

potter_fan122

#43
((`Kay. And since you`ve gotten into the habit of spelling it wrong again, it`s StacEy. =D And just to warn you, I`m getting writer`s block. And the lyrics are mixed lined from the Phantom of the Opera to the tune of Angel of Music, and I changed "angel" to "demon" in a few places. Jonathan in bold.))

Stacey`s eyes moved to Rhyme as he spoke to her, falling back to her "natural" shade of brown. She nodded her head, but more to herself than to him. She suddenly felt... young. It was a surprising feeling, something she hadn`t felt since she was fifteen. But she felt it now, and there was something else there, too, a thing that she wasn`t used to at all. It came from the fact that she didn`t know what was going to happen. She had become used to knowing what was going to happen, when, and what to do to change it. But that feeling was gone and forgotten.

The light that passed over Rhyme drew her attention, still alert even if she was feeling more humble. Her mouth dropped a little, amazed by the simple sight of the light. It seemed so special, even if it was so simple. She watched with amazement as the light drew closer to Artemis, not noticing when it passed her. The song seemed to cascade around her, the words just spinning around. She wanted to do something-- made her want to dance, to sing, to do something-- but she didn`t want to ruin it. It just seemed so... from the heart, so real. That wasn`t something you could get by absrobing powers, it was something that had to be real. you couldn`t fake love.

As the song ended, Stacey realized that she was on the ground. She looked around, wondering how long she had been there. The air seemed to tingle with the memory of Rhyme`s voice. She slowly stood up, looking around. She saw that her friend was on his knees and she walked over to him, looking for anything wrong. Before she could stop herself words came spilling out of her.

"Brava, brava. Bravissima.
Where in the world, have you been hiding?
Really you were perfect.
I only wish I knew your secret.
Stand by my side, guide me."

As she sang, a slow mist built up behind her, quickly growing darker and swirling with some unfelt wind. Stacey didn`t notice it, her eyes fixed on Rhyme and her memories. She had been involved in a lot of music when she was younger, and he had always said she had been gifted by an angel of music, had promised her that he would send it to her when she needed help.

"Father once spoke of an angel
I used to dream he'd appear
Now as I sing, I can sense him
And I know he's here
Here in this room he calls me softly
Somewhere inside hiding
Somehow I know he's always with me
He, the unseen genius"

She looked at Rhyme purposely, holding out a hand to help him up. The mist behind her had turned into a deep cloud, and the shadow of a body was inside it. The person had to be at least six feet tall, and was obvious it was a man. He stepped forward, still  half-hiddden by the darkness around him.

"Wandering child . . .
So lost . . .
So helpless . . .
Yearning for my
Guidance . . ."


Stacey froze, her hand still held outstretched. Her mind was suddenly flickering quickly. The voice was so familiar, so fatherly, but there was just... something off about it.

"Demon . . . or father . . .
Friend . . . or
Phantom . . . ?
Who is it there,
Staring . . . ?"

She refused to turn and see who it was. It sounded so much like her father, but she realized for the first time that Jonathan had sounded so much like James. The fact scared her, the unknown scared her.

"Have you forgotten your Demon . . .?"

"Demon . . . oh, speak . . .
What endless longings
Echo in this whisper . . .!"

Stacey was suddenly standing upright, her eyes dark again. Her whole body was tense, and she stared off into un unknown void. It was Jonathan behind her. Her father would have never appeared on school grounds, especially after the what happened the last time the Ministry tried to pin him down. Jonathan was harder to catch than smoke, and he had a seven hundred year old brother to prove it. Stacey turned around slowly, a knife already in her hand.
"Get out of my way! I'm a free spirit!"
FOREVER WILL NEVER BE LONG ENOUGH.
"And now I understand a phrase I once thought odd;
I guess to love another person is to see the face of God."

~Harry Potter~

Rhyme slowly rose to his feet with the aid of a little push of energy and with an oddly duel voice spoke. 

"You are not of our mind and you were not invited, so who are you?"

Rhyme was a good bit calmer then Stacey not knowing the danger this person held.  He did see her draw a knife so he did the same.  His eyes always flicked to a few places around the clearing as he prepared.  For the time he still controlled this space, so he could warp it as he wished so he could prepare a few spells to move them if needed. 

Rhyme brushed off his cloths as Artemis watched the man.  For the moment they were in sync and with the binding of love, Artemis would help until he got bored again and tried to have his version of fun.  Rhyme left him to watch since Artemis was better at reading the evils of a person then he was. 

Careful buddy boy, this guy isn't normal Artemis warned Rhyme. 
They say trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if its broke
But you can still see the crack in your reflection