Aftermath and Beginning

[Kiara Johnson]

Chapter 4.  Retrieval of the Spell




A few days had passed and Kiara began to get restless.  Her dreams began to take on the pictures of chaos and destruction.  She seemed to be slipping into yet another laps of depression, her father was obviously trying to reach her again.  Max seemed to be the only one to really notice this and stayed at her side constantly.

"Don't give in to him Kiara, I know you plan on trying to sneak into his hiding place as soon as the others find it.  You can't do it, let some one else go.  The moment you step foot in his lair, he'll know you are there."  Max told her.

"How'd you know that Max?  How'd you find out I was going to do that?  I never told anyone."  Kiara snapped.

"I just guessed, that's all.  I know you Kiara, I know you'd risk yourself before asking anyone else to do it."  Max replied calmly.

Kiara sighed.  "Your right, and I still plan on doing it."  Kiara replied back, a tone of finality in her voice.

"That's exactly what he wants you to do, you know.  He's tricking you into doing the exact thing you shouldn't do.  Please, leave this up to one of the others.  I think that Jessica would be the perfect one to do it.  Your father knows nothing of her and she is a changeling to boot.  She could slip in and get out of there faster than anyone else.  Besides, I think it's time for you to take a step back for a moment and let some one else take on the burden for a change."

Kiara looked up at him and smiled, surprisingly to him.

"I know what you want and, all be it selfish, I want the same thing.  Perhaps you are right, maybe I will let Jessica do this.  You are right there as well, she's perfect.  Besides, you and I need to spend more time together. When Jessica gets back here with that book, then I can get back to work again."  Kiara replied, giving Max a look that made his knees melt.

"Ok you two, there'll be enough time for that at a later date, we need to get to the room and have that meeting just now, sorry."  Draco said, watching the two of them and holding back a laugh.

Kiara blushed slightly, not knowing he was there then looked up and smiled.

"Ok, your right, lets go..."


The three of them walked to the Room of Requirements and sat at the long table once again to discuss what to do next.

"I'll do it Kiara, I think I could get in there quite easily and besides, Like you pointed out, I am a changeling so even if I am seen, no one will be able to track me."  The small girl Kiara had first spoken to upon her arrival to the castle said in her sweet, tiny voice.

"Thanks Jessica, you have no idea the help you are providing to us."  Draco said.

"Thanks Draco but, I do know the problems we have and I know the risk I take and I do what I do in hopes for an end to the destruction of our world."  Jessica smiled sweetly at Draco.

"Thanks all the same Jess."  Kiara said as she stood and started out the door to end the meeting.

[^Draco _Malfoy^]

BUMP

[Kiara Johnson]

Jessica, a small witch, perhaps maybe no more than 5 feet tall and average looking walked out of the meeting room and to her room to ready herself for the night's activities.  She had a plan, one that she was sure would get her in and out of the Dark Lords lair easily enough.  Little did she know what exactly she was going to face down there.  She had no idea who really ran the circus of Dark spells and curses, how could she have known she was letting herself in to the very pit of Hell.  How could she know that Satan himself had ordered the retrieval of the Dark Lords daughter.  She couldn't have known so, she readied herself the best she knew how and stepped out side her room, said her good byes to the rest and was on her way, trudging through the dark forest and into the Lions den.

She walked on for many hours, unable to use her magic to make things go by faster due to wanting to keep the element of surprise in her field.  The closer she got to the lair, the more quiet she became.  The woods surrounding the cave entrance were blackened, burnt and dead.  No light, not even from the moon could penetrate here.  She changed her form to look now like a dark, sinister witch, complete with a wart on the tip of her nose.  She walked, uninterrupted into the mouth of the cave.

Her foot steps took her deeper and deeper under ground.  The air was hot and dry and her breathing became more labored as she continued.  The heat of the place seeming to sear her lungs.  She was determined though, and had to complete her mission so went on.

The inner chambers of the cave seemed to jet off in all directions.  She stopped at one of the intersection of caves and closed her eyes, stretching out her mind to find the hot spot that would signify the book she was looking for.  After a few moments, she connected with it.  It was down the corridor to her left.  She turned and walked down it's darkness, going deeper and deeper underground.  The air began to become increasingly hot, the walls of the corridor seemed to illuminate in a dark, reddish glow.

She saw a figure walk past her, it did not look at her nor did it pause or even hesitate at her presence, it was as if it didn't even see her, she checked her nerves and walked on.  When she finally came to the end of the corridor, she stopped, standing just inside and looking out into a vast, open cave, the floor was strewn with rivers of lava and in every corner, could be seen bones, of both human and other creatures, littered on the ground.  A sharp sting of horror threatened to over take her when she let her eyes flow over the cave.

The thing that horrified her was the creature sitting on a dais, not 100 feet from her.  His red, leather -like skin and horned head made an impression, that was for sure but that was not what scared her so deeply.  It was the fact that this, bearded, black eyed creature was staring at her as he drank from a golden goblet in which, she noted as it sloshed from the cup, was blood.

[^Draco _Malfoy^]

OMG! keep it comin

[_Lavender_]

wow..keep goin Kiara!! bump!  :)

:-*Lav

[Sabastian]

Holy moly, wow and wow,,uh oh poor little Jessica, Please Kiara, go on go on

[Kiara Johnson]

She could feel a terrible dread awaken in her as his voice seemed to echo in her mind.  His lips did not move, nor did his face make any expression what so ever.

"So, the puppet of my prey comes to take that which does not belong to her?"  His voice echoed louder than anything, nothing but his voice could Jessica hear.

Jessica couldn't move from her spot at the entrance to the cave..  Then, as if willed by some unknown force her body began to move on it's own, as hard as she tried she couldn't stop it.  Soon, step after agonizing step took her to stand before the Devil.  Then, with out knowing why, she began to openly weep.  Her knees buckled under her and she fell to the stone floor before the King of Hell.

"They all try to resist at first but you'll find, child, in the end, it's much easier to just do what I will.  You want something I posses, am I correct?"  His voice once again filled her mind, seemingly searing into her very being.

Jessica managed a small, feeble reply.

"Yes."

"I will grant you that which you have come for, if, you brig me the dark one.  You know the one I speak of.  If she does not return with you in the morning, your soul is mine and you will spend the rest of eternity in the painful punishment only I can deliver."  

The Devil then reached out and handed her the book she sought so desperately.  Jessica's hands trembled under it's weight.  The binding of the book, searing burns into her palms yet she felt no pain, only calm.  A great calm the likes of which she had never known.  The next thing she knew, she was back in the forest, wondering along the path that lead her here.  She stopped and looked around, the memory of what transpired under the world,  was lost in her mind, all she remember was that she got the book and was to take it to Kiara, immediately.

[Kiara Johnson]

Chapter 5 The Devil's Advocate




Jessica arrived with the Dark Book of Satan later that night, she was welcomed back into the castle with open arms and much rejoicing.  Little did anyone know that the girl they admitted into their midst, was now one of the devil's puppets and was there to not only take the book back but also, to take Kiara with her.

Kiara had no idea that anyone, other than her own father wanted her.  She had no idea she was born for a purpose.  Satan had granted Voldem0rt with a girl child so that one day, she would stand next to him and be his queen in an Underworld that would rise up and take over the universe, with there combined powers.

Voldemo0rt in short, had made a pact with the Devil and now, the devil was here to collect on that pact.

Draco was the only one to notice a change in Jessica.  He had lived too long with his father to not know the signs of a person changed, by the dark arts.  He watched her for a long while before taking Kiara aside and telling her his worries.

"What is it Draco?  What's wrong?  You look.."

Draco put a finger to her lips and took her further away from the others, backed her into a room and closed the door behind them.

"Kiara, something's not right, Jessica isn't the same girl who left here earlier this evening.  She's being controlled by, more than likely, your father.  There's a reason she was allowed to bring you that book so easily.  Don't trust what she says, you have to trust me on this Kiara, please."  He pleaded with her.

Kiara looked at the book in her hands then wiped away the dirt and debris form it's cover, her eyes resting on the words, burnt into the oddly constructed cover.  It seemed like leather but was something else, not known to her.  The make of the cover was not her point of interest however, the words inscribed in the cover were.

Kiara read the words slowly at first, to her self then out loud the Draco so he could hear what they said, her voice wavered as she read, her face paling and a sweat beginning to break out on her forehead as Kiara, for the first time ever became truly frightened.  What she read was thus:


The Book of Satan.  For the hands of his bride, the daughter of the Darkest Wizard known to human kind.

Kiara ran her fingers over the words softly and the book began to radiate a warming sensation for her.  She dropped it to the ground.

[^Draco _Malfoy^]

BUMP!

[Kiara Johnson]

"This isn't what it seems but I know the answer lies with in. I can feel it in there.  I just don't know that I should open it."   Kiara backed away from the book.

Draco looked from the book lying on the floor and then back to Kiara.  

"I don't know that you should read that.  Don't touch it, let me get Harry and the others, I'll send Max here to you first.  DON"T open that book.  Promise me Kiara, promise you will not open that book no matter What happens."  Draco said, a hint of forcefulness in his tone that he'd never used on Kiara before in his entire life.

Kiara barely heard him and just nodded her agreement.  This was not good enough for Draco, he grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Understand this Kiara, if you open that book and anything happens to you, I will personally see to it that you are brought back to us, screaming or not and I WILL hold you in a dungeon until the time come we can bring you back.  Nothing and I mean nothing, including the devil himself will keep me from my promise.  Do you get my point."

Kiara looked oddly at him for a moment then smiled.

"Hum, Draco, I get it, go.  I won't open the book, nothing on earth is going to get my peek inside that thing.  And by the way, since when did you begin to think you could take me on in a fair, or unfair fight any way?"

"Trust me Kiara, I know things about you that you don't and when I get back, we'll discuss those things but for now, just stay here and don't open the door to anyone but Max.  Got it?"  Draco said with a raised brow and a genuinely concerned look.

"Got it boss."  Kiara answered with a smirk.

Draco left the room, and headed for the gathering spot of the evening.

Jessica had disappeared unnoticed from the small celebration party, she crept through the halls, her eyes seeing things not normal human eyes cold detect and her ears hearing the conversation between Kiara and Draco

She stood now outside the door to the room that held both Kiara and the book.  She smiled to herself and soon, took on the appearance of Max and knocked..

Kiara went to the door and opened it a crack, seeing Max, she let, who she thought to be him, in.

"Draco told me of the book Kiara, let's have a look.  Draco said it should be ok for you to open it so long as I'm here."  Jessica, as Max, said, walking over and kissing Kiara on the cheek as Max would.

Kiara, not paying much attention, didn't even look closely enough at him or she would have known right away that it was an imposter.  She walked over to the book and picked it up from it's resting place on the floor.

"You sure?  I don't know Max, I don't know if should read it, I'm not sure I should even open this thing." Kiara said, gazing once again at he inscription on the cover.

"Go on Kiara, you know nothing can happen when I'm here, open it."

Kiara, trusting Max more than anyone in the entire world, grabs the corner of the book and slowly opens it.

[Zack]

please continue, BUMP!

[Hermione~ Granger]

bump!

[Kiara Johnson]

A flash of light comes from the book and Kiara is transfixed, unable to move, unable to hear or see anything other then the words written on the pages of the book.  Her mind screams out for her to close it but her body won't listen and she is forced finally, to read what the book contains.

As she reads, something begins to happen to her, she seems to change, little by little in to the Archangel controlled only by Satan her body trembles, trying to fight it off but she can't look away, she can't stop reading, unknown to her, out loud, the words in the book.

"...and shall she read these words into the stillness of the night, she shall become mine and no other will take her from me.

"I daughter of the Dark Wizard Voldem0rt belong to Satan, to be his bride and help him return to the earth and rule as he has been destined to ..."

Kiara stopped, she trembled violently and began to black out, she was able to stop reading, but it was taking all she had to do it.  

The door flung open and Draco and max walked in.  Jessica, changed back to her real form and hissed at them.  Then, she screamed a hideous scream and seemed to vanish slowly, almost like a fog being swept away in the breeze.

Kiara still trembled, not being able to drop the book and still, not being able to look away.  Draco lunged forward, knocking the book from her hands and Kiara collapsed to the floor.

Max rushed over an sat beside her, lifting her head onto is lap.  Draco knelt down next to them.

"She's still breathing, that was almost to close."  Max said, brushing her hair from her face, to look down at the Archangel for the first time since he left.

"She's changed in my absence, hasn't she?"  Max continued now looking at Draco with a serious stare.

Draco stands and walks over to the book and reaches out then closes it and turns to Max.

"Yes, she has, she's even more unstable than ever before, but after reading what was written on that page, I think I understand.  Max, there is something I know that I never told her for fear of her becoming outraged and well, I think now would be an appropriate time to spill it."  Draco answered as he picked the book up from the floor and set it on a nearby table.

"Go on Draco, what is it?"

Draco took a seat on the floor next to Kiara and Max, gently removing a strand of her hair from her face and then looked up at Max.

[Sabastian]

Ok, keep it going...

[Kiara Johnson]

"I once heard my father talking to Voldem0rt about something, I never really put much stock in because, well, when you live around the dark arts for so long, you tend to go numb to things around you."  Draco paused and glanced again down at Kiara.  "When I was little, just a baby I guess, Kiara's half brother, Sebastian, was left  with us for a spell.  Evidently, Voldem0rt had made a pact with the devil and Sebastian was to become the lord of fire but, I didn't think about Kiara, she was too, part of that pact, she was destined to become the Devil's bride, in return for the power the Devil would bestow on Sebastian.  I never told anyone I heard that and, I guess now that I think of it, the reason I didn't was because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't.  When Sebastian was sent to us, Voldem0rt made sure I wouldn't be able to go against him, and until all this started, I couldn't but now, for some reason, it seems Voldem0rt's curse has no more power over me."

"So, Sebastian never really was one of us then?  I don't get it though, I thought he was brought back here to destroy Kiara in the beginning.  It just doesn't add up." Max replied.

"No, it was all a lie.  He was supposed to die at Kiara's hand all those years ago so that he could become the Lord of the Fire.  His coming back to destroy Kiara was all a lie.  I think."

"You think?  Come on Draco, we need to know, I think it's important to know why Sebastian came back in the first place, what has he been up to all these years."

"Well, it's my theory that Sebastian has been this whole time, the Devil's Advocate.  His helper and his eyes.  I think he was brought back to see to it that this end came, to be sure Kiara didn't stand in Voled0rt's way, too much.  I think the Devil tricked even Voldem0rt on that point.  Wanting to be sure Kiara never dies and that Voldem0rt would, in the end, be driven to make the universe stand still to wait for his arrival."  Draco finished and stood.