DRACOS’ REIGHN

[Kiara Johnson]

His eyes hold her locked to him, then, before she can stop it, she's kissing him.  Memories of the past sweep through her mind, each one more painful than the next then, she pulls away, frightened.

She steps back with one foot, fear the likes of which she's never shown before written across her face.  Another two steps back, confusion mixed with the fear and finally, curiosity, all three missed together she shakes her head.

"I don't understand..." Kiara starts.

"What did you feel?'  Max asked, taking a step towards her now.

"Warmth, I felt warm and Love?  You love me?"  She asked, taking likewise, a step closer to him, still not quite understanding this new feeling.

"No, I don't love you."  He says sarcastically.  "I married you for your cursed name, of course I love you Kiara."  He replied, his agitation at her unfeeling mind becoming quite apparent.  He had thought, like the times before that this would be easy for him, he was wrong.

Then Kiara opens her mouth to speak but closes it and turns to her right, reaching out, she touches Max, turns to him and smiles.  Then, before he could do anything about it, he is teleported away from there.  Kiara turns then and backs into a corner as the Devil advances on her.

The Devil's human form slides away in his anger, his demonic form not towering over Kiara who stands her ground, regally as she always has.

"You let him free, why?"  The Devil growls, his anger felt in every fiber of Kiara's body, making her wince.

"He...he was a bother, wouldn't leave me alone so I sent him away My Lord."  Kiara responded, making herself stand, not letting her body crumble to the ground in the pain she felt.

The Devil pins her against the wall now, hanging from his hand around her throat.

"You dare defy my word.  You will be punished for this action, my love.  It is only a day and a half till we wed and I will not loose you again."  He growls.

Max appears next to Harry and Ginny, the only place Kiara knows of out side the Hell she is in, he winces as he hears Kiara's screams following him.  He knows she's been punished.

Max narrows his eyes at the wall where Harry and Gin watch in horror at the punishment Kiara had received.  They turn to look at him.

"Why did you send me away Kiara?"  Max says in almost a whisper then, his anger growing, his form changes to that of his demonic self and he vanishes again.

"Great, he's after her again."  Harry says a bit discouraged.

"Ya, and we've been shut out."  Ginny replies, motioning to the wall that now lays blank once again.

"Looks as though we're to wait and find out what happens later.  I'll be over here, sharpening my blade in case I need it later."  Moloch responds then turns his back and walks to the far side of the room, taking out his long, massive black sword.

Max shows up just inside the Gates of Hades, the large three headed dog Cerberus growls at his approach but makes no move to hinder his advance.

Max also notices the Devil, in his human form once again waiting for him just a few feet from the entrance to the lower levels.  The look upon the Devils face is one of great curiosity and something else, unexplained but Max has the feeling he's going to find out, soon.

Max comes to a stop, just before the Devil, he keeps his eyes glued to his every move.

"You did come back for her then.  I had hoped you would Max Johnson."  The Devil speaks, his words seemingly well chosen.

"Hello."  Max greets formally, his fangs showing slightly as he smile at the Devils' obvious curiosity.

"Max Johnson, my one and only true rival in all this.  I have a deal for you.  Really, it's is your choice and your willingness to risk all for the one you love that will decide the fate of the world you so love."  The Devil begins, watching Max and the reaction to his statement as Max realizes that this has come to take a turn no one had expected.

"True rival?  Is that what he just referred to me as?"  Max thought to himself.  "Interesting."

"Well, young demon, here is the task.  You must find her, she is deep within the depths of my home, she waits to be rescued, although, if you do not save her in time, she becomes mine, totally turned and you and the rest of the pathetic world will forever be cloaked in our rule as Husband and wife.  I will be sure you stay alive to whiteness everything that comes to pass after that.  If you do indeed rescue your loved one from my grasp, then you will go free, as will she, only difference you will feel is the fact that I, will gain your powers as you have them. " The devil pauses and smiles.  "I've already gained what powers Kiara holds, adding the ones from you, will be, shall we say, beautiful, at the very least."  He finishes, a slight smirk of satisfaction written over him.

"You seem quite power hungry for a fallen angel, perhaps all the time in this heated environment has made your head go daft."  Max replies with a slight smile.  He has already made his choice and knows he has none other however; he stalls, for the trophy of satisfaction more than for any other reason.  "I will think on it for a bit."  Max finishes then looks down the tunnel to the lower levels.

"Don't think on it too long Max, for every second she is down there, you loose precious time."  He points to a fire, burning in the wall ahead of them, its flames seemingly dying out slowly.  "When that flame no longer exists, neither will the Kiara you once loved." He finishes.

Max nods his head.  "Ok, lets get this started then."

The Devil steps aside, motioning for Max to enter.

"Oh, and do be careful down there, I wouldn't want anything terrible to happen to you, now would I?"  He chuckles as Max disappears beneath the low entrance of the cavern.

[Evil_To_The_Max]

Kontinue.

[Damion]

Please continue

[Ginny Weasly]

Kiara, you have me holding my breath. C'mon, please keep going.

[Kiara Johnson]

Chapter 8: The labyrinth

Harry paced, Ginny sat and Moloch sharpened, all of tem waiting for news.  The rift Ginny had created to watch the happenings had disappeared the Devil not wanting them to interfere this time.  Their interference last time might have helped him to keep Kiara away from Max, but this time, their interference would have proven disastrous to his plans, to the Deal he had made.

Max walked carefully into the caves; the fire from the crack licking at his heals as he went.  He looked left then right, closed his eyes trying to catch a feel of Kiara's mind but was rewarded with only a laugh from the Devil.

"You can not find her that easily Max, you must play the game."  The devil laughed in his mind.

Max growled then turned left, the ground beneath his feet becoming steeper with every step, taking him down further and further into the depths of Hell.

A low growl could be heard from in front of him, around the next corner.  He screwed up his nose at the smell and rounded the corner, ready for anything.

Two massive Fire elements jumped at him, one catching his robe and igniting it as he rolled out of the way,

Max quickly out the flame out then jumped back to his feet, freezing the first element and dodging the attack from the other.  Max fought the element for several minutes then finally got the last blow in, freezing it, then, in anger, he shattered it and smiled as he watched it crumble to a thousand or more pieces at his feet.

The moment the last Fire Demon had been disposed of, the wall that was just a moment before a dead end, opened up and Max walked in further.

It wasn't long before once again, he came to yet another dead end, turned to go the other way and a massive red Dragon appeared before him, its breath hot, emiting a dangerouse growl.

"Great!"  He said to himself.

The Dragon billowed flames from its fang filled jaw, coating Max in its fire.  Luck for Max, he had already put up his fire defenses otherwise he'd been toasted.

"God, why does it always have to be dragons?"  He cursed.

However, at the word God, The dragon backed off, hissing at him like it were now on the defense.

"Oh, don't like that word do you?"  Max smiled.  "God, God, God."  He said again and again, each time the Dragon backed off, then after it had decided it had had enough, it turned and stalked away angrily like a little child that had just lost a battle with its parents.

Max shook his head then noticed, as with the other times he had fought the creatures, this dead end also opened up to admit him.

He walked into a vast cavern, the interior much different from the rest.  It contained a field of green grass, a small forest, a lake and on the other side of the lake, Lay Kiara, on a dais, surrounded by icy flames.

There was a rustle in the long grass not ten feet from him, a rustle then a high-pitched laugh.

"Vampires, wonderful."  Max said to him self then proceeded with caution.

He needed only take a few steps then he was knocked to the ground by a winged vampire, she tried futilely to bite him.

"Sorry, I'm already taken."  Max says between clenched teeth, straining to get her off.

After a short struggle, Max impales her through a large stick he had conjured, the vampire lets out a deafening screech, making Max hold his ears, then she dies, turning to dust that falls about the stake now lying on the ground.

He stands, brushing himself off and looks over the lake, something huge moves about in there and he needs to go through there to reach Kiara.  He looks to his right; the fire burning is almost out.  He has very little time left so; he dives, hoping above all else to be able to pass the creature with out conflict.

His wish however, did not come to pass.  Not to minutes into his swim across the lake, he was confronted with the huge snake-like creature, its slatted eyes blink at him but it makes no attempt to attack.

Max swims to the surface catching a breath of air, time is running out but the creature does not let him pass, it does not attack, yet it does not let him pass either, it continues to dog his every move.

"What do you want?"  Max finally says to it, frustrated.

The creature looks blankly at him then looks over its shoulder at a small nest, Max had not seen before.  The nest is guarded by something, covered and inaccessible to all.

"I see."  Max says then dives further down and takes a look at the nest.

Wasting no time, Max screws up his power once again, and lays a hand on the stining outer core of the stuff surrounding the nest and after what seems an eternity, the guarding matter falls from the nest to reveal several eggs, the creature swims over and tends to the nest, giving Max a thankful look.  Max nods and swims off to the other side of the lake and crawls out onto the shore.

The last flames of the fire begin to flicker just as Max grabs Kiara from the dais and away from the blue, icy flames.

Then, just as Max holds Kiara to him, they are teleported to the vast plane, the Devil stands, waiting.

"Well, I've got her, now let her go."  Max says, a bit tiredly.

"I already have, she'll wake in time.  You took your time Max, but a deal is a deal, she is yours, for all time.  I will not again, so far as I know, try to take her again."

"Yes, but at what cost exactly?  I did not truly understand your deal." Max replied.

"Yet you made it?  Interesting...  Well, the cost is making the Devil stronger than ever before Max Johnson.  Not really much more than that.  If only you could feel the power of the power you two hold, combined..." He trails off, seemingly relishing in his newfound powers.  You might want to ask your bride one of these days, the secret she has held form you though."  He pauses again.  "One more thing, you will find that you can not die either, for you share your powers with an immortal now, and by doing so, you become as I, one with the devil.  Don't look so disgusted Max, I'm not really all that bad, and at least I keep my word."  The devil pauses again.  "Kiara's powers, they are very sweet."  He finishes.

"Well, that's a positive I am sure."  Max starts, his total expression sarcastic.  "Well, I'm going, and may God be with you always."  He finishes and jumps into the air, his dragon-like wings turning white and disappears; the sound of the Devils laughter following close behind him.

[Evil_To_The_Max]

Kontinue....

[Kiara Johnson]

CHAPTER 9:  Consequences

Max sat by Kiara's side for several hours before she finally woke.

"Hey."  Kiara said, her eyes opening, barely able to make him out but knowing it was he all the same.

"Hey, you're awake."  Max said softly, leaning in and kissing her cheek.

"We are home then?"  She asks.

"Ya, how do you feel?"  He asks.

"Tired, really tired, other than that, I'm ok."  She answers, barely able to keep her eyes open.

"Well, then perhaps you should get some more rest."  Max responds, a thousand questions beginning to form in his mind, the first of which is as to why, Kiara is so tired, she doesn't tire so easily, never has, yet now, she seems almost needing to rest.

"Ya, I think I will."  She replies sleepily, turning over, closing her eyes and falling almost instantly back to sleep.

"What did you do?"  Max says quietly, thinking perhaps the deal he made may have been more than he thought.

Suddenly, Max stands and begins to pace the floor, thinking of the words the Devil used.  Things such as "You are now immortal, Kiara's power is sweet...you are one with me..."
The Devil never said anything about what would happen to Kiara and Max had never asked he only assumed.

Max hadn't slept at all these last two days, he hadn't felt tired at all, the total opposite of his norm.  He looks at Kiara and smiles when she awakes.

"Sorry I slept so long, I was really tired.  I wouldn't have thought that should have taken so much out of me.  I guess though, that dealing with The Devil is a bit more taxing than my father ever was."  She shrugs, looking at Max with a tired smile.

"Hum, ya...do you even want to know what happened down there Kiara?"  Max asked, almost ignoring her comment.

Kiara tilts her head to the side, her smile slipping from her lips and looks at him, knowing something was bothering him, something big.

"Hum, ya, I guess I do want to know..." She says, her eyes searching his face franticly, trying to find what it is that bothers him so badly but she can't figure it out.

"The devil wouldn't let you go unless I shared my Demon form with him.  I had to make a deal..." he started then trailed off at her look.

"You did what?  Max..." She started then stopped, her manner more nervous looking than ever.

"I had to, I had no choice.  I love you; he wouldn't let you go if I didn't, I couldn't have beaten him any other way. I..."

"So that's why I keep having visions of Hell in my waking and sleeping mind..." She says, swallowing hard.  Then she looks at him.  "Look, no matter what happens from this point forwards, just remember that I love you..."

Max looks down at the floor at this point and Kiara walks over to him, brining his chin up.

"What is it?  You have something else you're wanting to tell me."  She says softly, lovingly.

"There is one more thing Kiara...He may have taken your immortality."  Max says, his voice almost a whisper.

Kiara is still, her mind thinking, racing, Max can see the turmoil in her whole being.

"Well, that's interesting..." she starts then pauses.  "He can keep it for all I care."  She finally answers.

"That's what I thought your reaction would more than likely be." Max said, nodding him head.  "There is however, one more thing Kiara."   He finishes, looking at her still.

"Get it over with Max, tell me everything now, I'm beginning to get a head ache trying to figure this all out."  Kiara replied, her reserved look becoming angry.

"He might have made me immortal, all that time you had been sleeping, I didn't nee to rest, two days Kiara and I haven't slept, I still don't feel the need to do so."  He finishes, and then watches her closely.

Kiara stands and begins to pace, her whole stature angry and sad at the same time.

"Great!  I', so sorry Max, sorry you had to get caught up in all this, everything that went along with me.  You didn't ask for this immortality, you did,...nuts! "  She ends with a curse, still acing the floor.

"It's ok Kiara, really..." Max says, trying to calm her a bit.

Kiara stops pacing then turns to him.  

"Did he tell you anything else?"

Max nods.

"Ya, one other thing, he asked me to inquire about.  There is something you've never told me about, isn't' there?"  He says quietly.

Kiara nods.  Then kneels on the floor next to him, looking up at him, her emerald eyes sad.

[Evil_To_The_Max]

ohhh..I love when you add stuff,,continue.

[_Lavender_]

Please, keep going, K!

[Kiara Johnson]

"Yes, there is much more to this than meets the eye.  You see, when I said he could have my immortally, I was wrong, I need it, the earth needs it.  I perish and he is free to walk the earth, so in a way, he's won, totally and completely, even with out me at his side, he has found another way.  That's why he's made the deal with you, that's why he took my immortality and had given it to you.  When I die, the earth dies with me.  I am the keeper of the earth, the earth Demon, the only thing that helps it grow.  All the way down to the tiniest plant, everything depends on my survival, the moment I am out of the picture, the Devil is free to walk the planet.  I would love to die one day, however, I know I cannot.  It was part of the deal I made with the gods when I decided to come back.  I can't die, I have to find a way to reverse what ever it is, he has done."  She finishes, although no tears come to her eyes, Max can tell she want s to cry.

"But what can we do about it Kiara?"

"We'll come up with something, we always do."  She replies, a tone of finality in her otherwise fearful voice.

"So, do you feel any different?"

"Ya, I feel..." She pauses as if to try and think of the perfect word.  "Incomplete."  She finishes.

Max lowers his head again.

"I'm sorry..."

"No, don't say you're sorry Max, the Devil is a tricky one, you had no other choice.  At the very least, this way gives us both time and incites as to what is to come."  She says, with a slight growl.

"What happened down there?"  Max asks, now wondering himself, what went on between his wife and the Devil.

Kiara stands again and looks out the window, she is silent for a long time before she finally turns to him, her eyes alight with more passion and helplessness than he has ever seen in them before.

"I don't really remember things as well as feelings, the worst things I've felt ever, the painful loss of everything dear to me, a hopelessness, and great loss that I have never before felt. I felt power, the highest amount of power ever felt before. It's kind of ironic, the thing that most people strive for all there lives I had and I didn't want.  Along with all that power came a feeling or rather the total lack of feeling.  Only two words can come close to what I felt and they were coldness and loss, great loss."  She goes quiet again then turns from the window and regards him.  "You, you brought it all back to me even if just for a moment before it was stripped away by him again, you brought it to me and there is only one word I can come up for that feeling...love."  She finishes, holding him in her eyes full of more love than he could have ever imagined.

Max stands immediately and goes to her, kissing her.  Kiara returns his kiss, a tear streaming down her cheek.

"I love you."  Max said.

"I love you Max."  Kiara responds, pulling away from him and once again looking out the window.

Max looks out the window now as well, deep in his own thoughts.

"Do you think we'll be ok?"  Kiara asks, wrapping her arms about her shoulders as if chilled.

"We'll live, for now."  Max replies

[Ginny Weasly]

awsome!

[Evil_To_The_Max]

is it over?if not,continue.

[Kiara Johnson]

"Ya..." Kiara says quietly, still looking out at eh grass and trees in their yard, her thoughts heavily on what would happen to them if she died.

Max, feeling her pain, pisses her softly again, Kiara returns then pats him lightly on the cheek.

"Are you hungry?"  She asks, as if nothing was wrong.

"No, not really."  Max sighs, looking up at her as she walks towards the kitchen.

Kiara walks silently through the double door of their kitchen then comes out with a pint of ice-cream, opens the lid, sits on the couch, her legs crossed then plays with it for a bit before beginning to eat.

"No sighs Max, we'll figure this out, together there is nothing we can't do, remember?  You once told me that very some thing, long ago, when we were still in school, do you remember?"  She says between bites of ice cream.

"Well, what ARE we going to do then Kiara?"  He persists.

"Well, after I'm done with this ice cream, I'm taking a shower, after that, I'm putting something comfortable on and hitting the books, there must be some sort of hint on them."  She states quite formally.


Max lies back on the couch, Next to Kiara.

"Kiara.... books don't have all the answers.... sometimes, you have to figure out what you're going to do on your own, I mean, how could the books have know I was going to do this? According to the books you should've been evil years ago..." He states, just as formally as she had.


"Every prophecy has a counter one Max, you know that as well as I, certain things have to be done in order for them to come about, IF, something is done differently than needed, things go on, but in a deferent path.

What has happened, happened for a reason, I know it, I just want to find out why. What went wrong? Or, perhaps nothing did go wring because, in a way, I have still helped the Devil find his way to walk the earth once again, although it may not be happening as soon as we thought, it will happen, the moment I take my last breath, he will rise."  She sighs now. "However, if you believe that we should figure something else on our own, then perhaps you are right there too, maybe seeking answers in the old journals and such is what brings us spiraling to the same ending time and time again."  She finished, taking another bite of her ice cream.

"I don't know..." Max replies now, biting his lip in an indecisive manner.


"Well, if it was up to me, I'd march right back down there and take back what was mine, However, I think that, THAT too, might be what is expected of me, I mean, I can die now, and perhaps that would be the way it happens..." She sighs again. "Then, there is always the Orb of..." she stops, not knowing he already knows of its existence.

:"Orb of what?"  Max responds, not sure if she means to take the Orb of Aldur to try and gain what is hers again.

"Never mind, it's a very bad idea."  Kiara replies, now putting the lid back on the ice cream.

"No, seriously, the Orb of what Kiara?"  Max states, sitting up a little now.

He hops she isn't having thoughts of bringing into play the Aldur card, it could possibly destroy everything they are working for.  Although, he still knows there is still a chance she could decide to use it and everything would work out just fine, so long as the Devil doesn't bring her stone into play along with it.

"Aldur, but never mind that Max, it's too dangerous, not knowing where the other half of the stone resides."  She finishes.

Max goes quite now.  She still doesn't know that it is her Soulstone that counters the Orb of Aldur and he isn't sure if he should tell her yet.

"I think you're right, we should consider that option closed."  Max states, hoping it will indeed be the last he'd have to hear of the orb.

"Right then, any thoughts?"  Kiara says, looking at him.

"Not a clue, yet."  He replies.

"Well, I'm going to take that shower."  She says then stands and growls frustrated and makes the ice cream disappear.

That, was not something Kiara did, Max knew she was frustrated.  Any time it came to things magic in her household, she didn't use it.  She always did things the Muggle way.  He sighs again.

"I'll be back out in a few..." she said, turning from him and heading towards the bathroom.

"Kiara, I'm sorry."  Max said then, he frustration hitting him to the very core, leaving him feel as though this was his entire fault.

"Don't apologize for something you have no control over Max.  It's most definitely not your fault."  Kiara says, turning to regard him again.

Max sighs as Kiara give him a half smile then turns back around and disappears through the door.



(Well, that's the end of this episode.  The next is in the making even as I write this.  Lol.  I hope you all enjoyed it.  The next will be a bit longer I am afraid.  It has to deal with this whole Earth Demon thing so... Well, that's enough said.  Once again thanks to all my readers.

LUVS~N~STUFF
KIARA)

[Ginny Weasly]

can't wait, Kiara!

[_Lavender_]

 :o That was great! Please write more soon! :-*