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I found Spike hiding amongst some trees I did not show myself to Spike, I just sat in wait with him. Naery was searching for Spike, and it would not take her long to find him.
“Spikey, why don’t you come here and make this easier, m’dear. Everyone that is anything to you is down in Hell-...”
“That’s exactly why I gotta stay here. So I can save them,” Spike replied, standing. Naery grinned slyly.
“Will it be so easy without Makita?”
That was a blow to Spike, but he shrugged it off. “Hell, it’s not like you’re that strong, anyway,” he growled right back. Naery’s face grew dark in anger.
“That’s it, kid. It’s time you see a little something...” Naery’s face flashed and for an instant, Nosferatu’s face was there. “That’s a fusion for you, huh, kiddo? Let’s get this over with.” Naery held her hands up and a sword appeared in them. Spike made his own sword materialize. I sighed and looked up at the sky. I knew Spike would need me, so I stepped right into him. He grew rigid.
“Makita?” he murmured.
“Sorta,” I replied in his mind. “Mysiri, so a little stronger than Makita if such can be imaginable... let’s do this, Spike.”
I held the sword through Spike’s hand, and both our minds told the body what to do at once. Naery matched every stab we took at her, but did not have time to make any strikes of her own because Spike and I were so incredibly quick, with great reflexes.
“You’ve been doing well so far, but...” Naery’s face scrunched up and another body split from her. Nosferatu smirked at Spike and I.
“You won’t win this time. Two on one is unfair, Spike. You’ll see that two separate bodies are better than two in one.”
“Don’t mind what they say, Spike,” my voice echoed in his mind. Spike stood up straight.
“Stop stalling. Let’s do this thing,” Spike snarled. Nosferatu laughed out loud.
“Terribly sorry!” he said, scorn apparent in his voice. “Prepare, then, for your destiny.”
“I’ve been ready,” Spike said quickly, then sent knives falling all over Naery and Nosferatu. Nosferatu easily dodged them, but several landed in Naery and she cried out. Nosferatu looked quite annoyed. He must have taken all of those stories about how strong Naery was seriously. He ignored her and set to hand to hand combat with Spike and I.
“So, Makita’s been in you all this time?” Nosferatu inquired. “Must’ve been scared of-...”
“No. Her soul left me almost right after I defeated you. It was born again into Euraefy’s daughter, Mysiri.”
“Oh? Who was the father? Taimo?”
“No. Let Mysiri tell you if she pleases.”
“No. I’m not telling,” I said quickly. Nosferatu laughed. All the while, we were fighting, sword to sword.
“I enjoy battling like this. It’s been awhile since I came across someone that could wield a sword as well as I,” Nosferatu commented.
“As well?” Spike let out a short laugh, and scored a hit on Nosferatu. A stain of blood started to form on his shirt on his side. “Better, rather.”
“This is to the death! First hit means nothing!” Nosferatu roared and started fighting more furiously. I felt Spike willing his body to try to get another hit, but I knew that if we were to win, we first had to think defensively. Since my power was considerably more than Spike’s, I easily commanded the body and kept it on the defensive, rather than the offensive.
“If you’re so much better, how come you haven’t scored a hit?” Spike mocked. Nosferatu’s eyes blazed and his fighting got even more frenzied. I didn’t understand why guys always had to be better than each other.
Spike and I scored another hit before Nosferatu got his first hit. We got him on his right shoulder and it started bleeding extensively. Almost right after we got that hit, his sword glanced off our arm, giving us a long slit along it. We appeared to be in worse shape than Nosferatu, but I willed our arm to close up. I was half surprised when it did. I sensed poison in the blood from the wound, so I drew the poison to me so it would not affect Spike. He didn’t even notice it in our system.
Nosferatu was surprised when the slit healed, but did not let it affect his fighting. I didn’t let the poison affect my commands, but I was starting to feel weak. Spike didn’t notice, he was too busy fighting ferociously, but I started to fall out of the fight. I started commanding less and less because I couldn’t find the strength to will the body to do as I asked... then Nosferatu scored a second hit. He almost spilled our guts with a slice across our stomach, but I willed it back together just in time.
Spike shot back with fighting even rougher. Nosferatu was surprised with Spike’s speed and almost couldn’t keep up. He sensed Spike’s anger, though, and thrived on it. Even so, Spike got the next hit. He stuck the sword right through Nosferatu’s chest and it pierced his heart. Nosferatu’s eyes went black and he blindly swung his sword and managed to get a chunk of Spike’s leg. I realized then that I was only hurting Spike’s condition, so I fell out from his body and laid on the ground a moment before I rolled out of the way.
“Ah! It appears to be one on one once again!” Nosferatu stated, then doubled over in pain.
“Spike, ignore me. I’ll be fine. Work on killing Nosferatu,” I called. Spike only nodded, still keeping his gaze on Nosferatu.
Nosferatu still looked strong wielding his sword and it appeared he was dominating, but he made a mistake, and Spike leapt upon it like a lion on a gazelle.
Nosferatu noticed he was obviously on the upperhand, so he stopped using all of his effort. Spike saw this and immediately upped his own effort. He easily got his sword past Nosferatu’s guard and made a slit across is stomach. Nosferatu’s eyes grew wide as he watched his own guts spill from the wound Spike had dealt him... but Spike didn’t stop there. He then chopped off each of Nosferatu’s arms, then each of his legs and then he paused.
“This is where I stopped last time. Makita was begging me to stop, telling me it was cruel. I was weak and ignorant then. I trusted her more than I trusted myself...” Spike looked at me. “If you even try to stop me, I’ll throw you backward, I swear to god. His head’s coming off.” Spike turned back to Nosferatu, whose face looked pitiful. Spike gave him his best smirk. “Farewell, forever, Nosferatu.” Nosferatu’s eyes were full of fear and Spike thrived on that... He beheaded Nosferatu with one swing of his sword. Then he gathered up each of Nosferatu’s body parts in different bags and each disappeared to different places, far from one another and well hidden. Finally, Spike collapsed to the ground, refusing to look at me. I figured he needed some alone time, so I decided to go to Hell and seek some healing out and free its inhabitants.
Darius met me at the entrance and agreed to free everyone. After that was done, he took the poison out of my system and I thanked him and left. I sensed Spike out, but I had to use a lot of strength because he was trying to block me from finding him. I would respect that and not bother him. Instead, I returned to Tai’s house.
It seemed empty when I got there. Everyone used to go to Tai’s, just because they wouldn’t have to be concerned with their everyday troubles there. Now, though. I only sensed a couple of people in it; Tai and Euraefy, and I also sensed an air of wanting to be alone about them, so I decided against going inside.
I had no idea where I should go. I figured any direction I went in, I would eventually meet with someone I knew, so I just walked in whichever way I pleased.
Time was countable, still. Like I said, I wasn’t keeping myself occupied; I was actively waiting. It had been seventy-three years, five months, and four days since I had first begun my trip. It would be another twenty-seven years, two months and a week before I truly returned to Tai’s, completely satisfied.
I found myself roaming a desert, waiting to find someone I knew-although, I doubted any had the mind to wander the desert in an attempt to get stronger. The desert had the harshest of climates; the toughest for vampires to survive in. It was another four months, three weeks and day before I found someone I knew. At first, it appeared only to be a black shroud, but when I got closer, I recognized Antonio. He looked happy to see me and was wearing an enormous black cloak.
“Our skin is even fairer than the fairest human; we burn incredibly easily,” he explained.
“I haven’t had trouble,” I shrugged. Antonio frowned as he inspected me.
“You sure? You look mighty burnt to me.”
“I don’t feel it.”
“You’re redder than a cooked lobster,” he laughed, “but if you don’t feel it then you’ll be fine. So, what have you been up to lately?”
“Searching... for myself. Or, rather, for a me I approve of and like; a me that I can sit back and say, ‘that’s me’ about and not feel shame. In short, I’m looking for happiness. If not happiness, then at least contentment.”
“Ah, everyone’s dream... except, you’re actually not just sitting around lazily waiting for it to come to you. You’re up and about searching for it.”
“What about you, Antonio? What are you looking for?” I inquired. He shrugged and continued walking. I kept pace with him, matching him step for step.
“Nothing, really. Just been trying to get stronger. Catch up to my kids, maybe,” he grinned at me, but his face soon returned to its melancholy state and he looked at the ground. I knew why he was upset, but I could also tell that he wanted to be left alone. I continued to walk by his side, but in silence. After two weeks and three days of walking, Antonio glanced down at me and I just kept his gaze. I saw the pain in his eyes and knew he wanted to talk about it.
“You’re lonely,” I murmured. He only nodded, glad to have found someone that understood, at least a little. “I...” I paused. “Lonely is better than unwanted,” I stated simply, but the statement was not simple for me to make. It was forcing the cold truth upon me, that Spike did not want me to find and be with him.
“Mysiri, you misunderstand his actions,” Antonio glanced at a tree. “He knows you can penetrate his mind and easily find him. He’s just-...” Antonio shrugged uneasily. “Unwanted-you? Never, Mysiri. You’re far too likable.” Antonio chuckled. “You be off now. You’ve spent enough time with your old man.”
“I really appreciated this time spent with you, Antonio,” I looked at him carefully. “Don’t pity yourself. Get off your backside and go find someone to spent time with. One child in a lifetime of god knows how many years? C’mon, you can do better than that,” I laughed, and Antonio laughed also.
“Okay, Mysiri. I’ll think about it.” He faded into the landscape, laughing all the while. I sensed Spike out, but when I felt that little shove of resistance, I hesitated. Antonio could be wrong. How did he know what Spike wanted? It never crossed my mind that Antonio had once pulled what Spike was now pulling, so he would know what was going on.
I did not go to Spike. I was afraid of rejection-I always am. So, I continued to walk aimlessly, waiting for happiness to come to me-really waiting for Spike. I was too blind to see that we were both too stubborn to give in and hunt the other down-and both too blind to the fact that an all around game of hard to get leaves everyone empty handed and unhappy.
For a few years I walked around the forest and the dirt roads leading into little villages.
One day, a vampire that looked slightly like Antonio stopped me from just passing him by. He wanted to know who I was and who I knew. I appeased him because I had nothing else to do. He showed me into his house and offered me a chair.
“My name is Mysiri,” I began, keeping contact with his intriguing brown eyes. “I was adopted by Taimo, and spent a little while living with him, and while there I met Quiro, Syti, Antonio and Spike. Tai claimed to be my father, but I would eventually discover that that was false. So, in time, I got bored there, and I left t to find my mother, Euraefy. I found her, but she was far less than I expected, so I left her and was brought to Hell, whereupon I released Naery and met Darius who told me that Tai was not my father, but refused to tell me who was. I returned to Tai’s and was reunited with Spike, Antonio, Euraefy, Tai, Naery, Quiro and Syti. I spent only a short while with each of them, with the exception of Spike. After a conversation with Naery, in which she told me she intended to destroy all humans, I left. That was roughly eighty years ago...” I then got into the details of my trip, and this vampire listened intently. When I finished, he just stared at me. I just stared right back, mesmerized by his eyes.
“So, this Spike...” he paused, “you in love with him?”
“I used to think I was. I’m not so sure anymore. It seems he’s avoiding me... kind of seems to me that he’s trying to tell me that he doesn’t feel the same anymore.” I shrugged. “So be it. I’m not gonna hold onto him and not let go... What’s your name, anyway?”
“Hm? Oh. My name. I’m Anthony,” he replied, his intense eyes never once leaving my face. I inspected every square inch of him that I could. He looked about six foot two, with somewhat broad shoulders-at least, compared to Antonio, and I was indeed comparing him to Antonio because he did remind me of Antonio for some reason. He had brown, untamed hair like Antonio, and the same facial shape as Antonio. Their eyes were completely different, though. His eyes were somewhat demanding, while Antonio’s were much more friendly and passive.
“Tell me about yourself, Anthony,” I entreated. He just stared hard at me a moment.
“The creators made me in much the same way Darius was made; they imagined me and I came into being. No need to worry, Mysiri, I’m not related to you-or anyone for that matter.” I looked away from his eyes for the first time and blushed when he smirked at me as he said that. “Now don’t be bashful. You’re a century old by now, I’m sure that-...”
“You would think so,” I murmured, “the situation just never came up. Hell, I’m not quite as bad as my mother. She was over one thousand by the time she had me-...” I felt enormously guilty for ever thinking of Anthony as I was, although, the more I thought about it, the less he reminded me of Antonio. Antonio seemed kinder and more caring and compassionate, while Anthony just seemed harsh. It was a complete physical attraction I had to Anthony; I had no other connection with him, like I did with Spike. Spike was intelligent, loving, and he understood me in so many ways-along with being physically attractive.
Anthony did not have to force me to stay the night. He made me dinner, and though neither of us needed food, we appreciated delicious food. He was quite a chef, and when I asked him where he learned to cook, he shrugged.
“Vampira wanted someone to cook for her, so that was why I was created at first; to be her personal chef. She mistreated me, so I poisoned her food and was fired and thrown onto Earth.” I chuckled.
“You didn’t poison any of this, did you?”
“And if I did?” Anthony was kidding, and I saw it in his eyes. They glittered playfully and I grinned right back.
“If you did... maybe I’ll withhold dessert.” I was joking, at the moment. I had no intention of being unfaithful to Spike in any way. Anthony laughed, and then we talked for a few hours. We eventually turned to the subject of mental strength, and Anthony challenged me to a battle. On an ego trip, I told him I could beat him at any hour, in any condition.
“Well, sure! Then let’s make this a bit more risky. How about a little bet?” he offered. I leapt on this offer.
“I think a little wager is a good idea,” I grinned.
“How about...” Anthony thought for a minute. “If I win, you will stay over the night and agree to everything I say-...”
“And if I win,” I smirked, “you will do everything I tell you to.” I only accepted this bet because I thought that there was no chance that I could lose. Little did I know, the odds were against me that night.
“Sounds even.” Anthony’s face was dark in delight. “Come to the basement, then, and we’ll battle there.” I followed Anthony to the basement, and he stood at one end and I stood opposite him. “Since you can beat me so easily, may I have the first move?”
“Why not,” I shrugged. Anthony sneered and disappeared from my view. When I tried to sense him out, I could not. I sort of freaked, but decided it would be best not to. Right when I was starting to get impatient, I felt a rush of air behind me, so I turned around and met Anthony’s axe with my arm. He hadn’t used much strength, so it was only a deep cut, he hadn’t chopped my arm off. My arm healed and Anthony disappeared from behind me and went back to his side of the room.
“Now you may go,” he called. I smiled and disappeared. Anthony sighed, muttering something about doing the obvious and tedious. I laughed to myself and sent a fake image of me in front of him with a sword, but when he was blocking its swings, I appeared in back of him and wrapped my arm around his neck and rested my head on his shoulder.
“Surprised, my dear?” I purred in his ear. I held his whole body still so he could not reverse the hold. I felt him shaking with laughter, and I couldn’t help but laugh myself. “Well, Anthony, you give up?”
“Your turn done yet? This all you’re doing?”
“Sure, but I’m fairly certain you can’t escape.”
“Oh yeah?” and with such ease, Anthony escaped my grasp and reversed the hold. “Can’t escape, my love?” he cooed in my ear. “I’m winning this bet, Mysiri.” He stuck a knife in my side and stepped back. There was a hold on it so I could not take it out and it was poisoned, so I could not heal over it. “It will only take a bit of time before your strength is drained... then I shall heal you and you will become my slave-for at least a little while.”
“Vampira made you stronger than I expected,” I murmured, my speech slightly slurred from the poison streaming into my blood. Anthony nodded slowly and removed the knife. My mind immediately closed the wound, but there was so much poison in my system that I could not move. “I’m in pain, Tony,” I mumbled.
“I know, dear,” he replied sympathetically. He lifted me up and carried me upstairs. He set me on his bed and left for a moment. When he returned, he had a small knife. “Mysiri, you’ve gotta resist the want to heal the slit I’m gonna make, or that poison’s never gonna leave your body.” I nodded and Anthony cut a line across the newest skin on my side. It took all of my will power to resist healing. “Don’t worry about it, Mysiri. I know what I’m doing.” He bent over and sucked the poison from the slit he made. He was soon done. “Go ahead and heal up. You’ll be fine. You’re stiff, Mysiri. Ease up.” Anthony left again, and by the time he returned, I was up and walking about the room, inspecting everything.
“See, you’re already better,” he smiled. “I told you there was nothing to worry about.” He laughed. “Now, then. I imagine you’re tired. Go to sleep.”
“Since I lost that bet, I guess I gotta, huh?” I yawned. Anthony chuckled and I laid down and drifted off to sleep.
Strength draining poison works in much the same way that alcohol does. If there’s enough in your system, them you can black out and remember nothing of the night before. Such was the case with me that night.
I awoke the next day feeling completely recharged. Anthony was sitting across the room from me in an armchair, smirking.
“Good morning... or rather, good afternoon.” He looked quite jollier than how he seemed the day before. “You tired?”
“Not really. I’m actually quite refreshed now. It’s been a long time since I slept that deeply.” I stretched and sat up. As I looked at Anthony carefully, I saw a sparkle in his eyes. I knew that sparkle, and it frightened me. My eyes grew wide and I leapt up from the bed.
“You didn’t!”
“Hm? Didn’t what?”
“You know what!”
“Oh, that,” Anthony let out a short laugh. “I never do without consent. Figure it out on your own. Your mind’ll clear and you’ll be able to remember what went on in a couple of days. You want to go, so you can, if you think your strength is regained. If not, you should stay a bit longer and rest.” I frowned at Anthony, and though I felt a bit weak, I made the decision to leave. I left the room and Anthony followed me, his sharp eyes watching my every move.
“You do love Spike,” he said suddenly, when I was reaching my hand out to open the door to leave his house. I turned quickly and stared him straight in the face.
“What?” I demanded. He shook his head and I grabbed his arm before he could turn away from me. “No. You’re telling me what you mean by that,” I commanded. He tried to stare me down, but my eyes were firm. He ended up looking away.
“You said yesterday that you wouldn’t sit around waiting for Spike, but that’s just what you’re doing now. What you did yesterday...” Anthony flashed me a look of anger, “it was only to make Spike jealous. He’s gonna get jealous, yeah, but he’s gonna retaliate in a way you’re not going to like.” Anthony looked away. “Okay, now you’ll go. I’ll see you again soon.”
I left, feeling both pure hatred and love for Anthony. He was right; after a couple days, I could remember what took place that night, but I was so ashamed of myself that the moment I knew, I shoved it way back in the recesses of my mind.
I knew I loved Spike. I knew I loved Spike all along... but yet I still spent that night with Anthony, and I hated myself for it.
I looked for Spike. I wanted to find comfort in him. I loved him, and I knew he loved me, as well. He would forgive me for my night with Anthony... so I hoped.
Spike was just wandering around aimlessly. I found him eighty years, seven months, one week and four days into my search for happiness. He saw me and his eyes sparkled in delight for a second before he covered his emotions.
“Hello, Spike,” I smiled. He saw something beneath the smile, though, and he knew at once what had happened. He looked away.
“Who was it Mysiri? Don’t try and hide it, I see it in your eyes. Who was it?”
“... A vampire named Anthony that was made in the same way Darius and Makita were made... I lost a bet and-...”
“You consented to it.”
“... I did.” I broke down then and started to cry. “I just missed you so much and I didn’t know what to do with myself. I did the one thing I swore to myself I wouldn’t do. I couldn’t stop thinking of you for an instant-...”
“Yeah, whatever. Do me a favor.”
“Anything for you.”
“Never seek me out again,” Spike turned away. Before he did, I saw his eyes and knew at once that he was jealous-but mainly he felt hurt and betrayed. I felt utterly terribly; like the scum of the earth. Spike turned back and stared at me a moment.
“Spike-...”
“I’m only trying to see what I ever saw in you. I must say, whatever it was, I don’t see it anymore. “ My face twisted in anguish as I tried to stop the tears from streaming from my eyes. “Yeah, you must think I’m cruel?”
“No. I... I deserve this. I deserve worse,” I struggled to say through my tears.
“Yeah, you sure do. That’s why I plan on never seeing you again.” Spike disappeared and when I tried to sense him out, I couldn’t find a trace of him anywhere.
I don’t know why, but I went to Anthony to find comfort. I couldn’t think of anyone else that could comfort me.
Anthony just smirked when he saw me. “Sooner than I expected,” he said simply as he stepped aside to let me in and shut the door after me. “How did it go?” I glared at Anthony and he sighed. “You okay?”
“What do you think?” I growled.
“Hey, hey, don’t take it out on me,” Anthony replied, walking back into the kitchen. I followed him and watched him as he made some tea. “You want a cup? It’s supposed to calm the nerves and soothe the soul.” I shook my head, but when I smelled it’s aroma in the air, I thought it smelled delicious and I did indeed want some. Anthony sensed this and handed me a mug of it. The warmth of it burned all the way down my throat and settled in my stomach, but it was a soothing type of burning. The smell of it penetrated my nostrils and I shut my eyes lightly as I sipped the tea. Anthony smiled as he watched me. He drank from his own mug with his eyes peering out from over it.
“He just knew. Right when he looked at me, he knew,” I began. I stopped there, unsure if Anthony cared to hear. He gestured for me to continue. “I said hello and smiled... but he looked beneath the smile and knew I was ripping myself apart because of that night... He felt betrayed... made me promise to never seek him out. I want to keep the promise, but it’s hurting me so much being away from him, especially since I feel that he hates me. I just feel his hatred... he feels betrayed.”
“He was betrayed,” Anthony murmured, but refused to explain his statement. I shuddered, trying hard to not cry, but I couldn’t help it. I looked away from Anthony and put my hand to my face. Anthony stood behind me and put his hands on my shoulders to comfort me. “If Spike finds you here, Mysiri-...”
I turned and looked at Anthony, my face strewn in tears. “He won’t be looking for me,” I grumbled. “Besides, I needed someone to comfort me and you were the only person I could think of.” I looked away and wiped the tears from my face. “I want to battle again. I need to get stronger,” I said softly.
“Okay. Let’s go into the basement, then, and battle.” I followed Anthony to the basement. “You go first this time,” Anthony offered. I nodded and thought a moment. I leapt at Anthony, went through him, landed behind him, and stuck a knife in his back and returned to my place at the other side of the room. He reached around his back and pulled the knife out, letting his back heal up.
“You can go now,” I told him and he grinned at me, his eyes shining playfully. He thought awhile before anything happened. Then, the basement door opened and someone came down the steps. I couldn’t help but look over. Spike stood at the bottom of the stairs and for a split second, I forgot that Anthony and I were having a battle. I thought that it was the real Spike, but then I remembered that Anthony and I were battling.
“Nice try, Anthony. That’s not going to trick me,” I scoffed, returning my attention to him. “Is that all you’re doing?”
“Mysiri, I didn’t-...” Anthony insisted, but I refused to believe him.
“Look, if you’re going to deny that that’s just an image you conjured up, by all means, throw another attack at me. Just don’t lie to me.”
“Don’t lie to me,” Spike’s voice echoed scornfully. I ignored it, still feeling it was not really Spike. Anthony disappeared, but I could sense where his energy was and I blocked every swing he took at me. He returned to his place and gestured for me to attack. I disappeared and ran around Anthony in a dizzying circle to make it so he could not sense exactly where I was. Then I got him in the same hold I had him in last time, except this time I was exceptionally stronger.
“Come, now, Mysiri. You don’t want this to end like last time-especially since Spike is here.”
“Shut up, Anthony. You know as well as I do that that’s not Spike, but an image you-...”
“Is it? Focus, Mysiri. May I go now?”
“If you can move,” I replied. Anthony sent some knives flying at what I thought was a fake Spike. Spike leapt from the knives’ path and then disappeared. He appeared behind me, and I couldn’t move at all.
“Boo,” he hissed in my ear. I shuddered because I knew at once that it was indeed Spike. I released Anthony at once, but kept him where he was with my mind. I turned and stared Spike in the face.
“Spike, I-...”
“So I tell you never to look for me again, and you return to the guy that-... I don’t get you, Mysiri. You must either really not care much at all for me, or be really stupid. And I know you’re not dumb at all.” Spike’s eyes looked incredibly melancholy. I shook my head quickly.
“Spike, I didn’t come here to do anything more than have a mental battle with Anthony. I felt I had to get stronger, and he was the only person I could think of that I could battle with,” I explained. Spike snorted.
“And a mental battle is all it started with last time, isn’t it? Mysiri, you know why you came here. Stop lying to me. It’s only worsening the situation.” Spike turned away and I grabbed his arm.
“Please, listen to me,” I pleaded. “I may have let it escalate to something more last time, but I had no intention of doing anything more than battling him this time. You’ve gotta believe me, Spike.”
“How can I trust you? I trusted you before, and now look what happened...”
“Spike, I love you, I do-...”
“So you’ve said. And I used to think that love meant something to you. I guess it just doesn’t mean the same thing to you as it does to me.” Spike started to walk away again.
“How will you know what it is to me if you won’t listen to me?”
“Actions speak louder than words,” Spike replied and disappeared. I stared down at Anthony and sighed. He just stared up at me in return. He didn’t have to say anything; his eyes spoke for him... his eyes always spoke for him, their language was much more extravagant than his own.
“No, Anthony. I’m not making that mistake again.” I tossed a strength draining knife into his leg and sat, waiting for him to be completely weakened. “I win this round, my dear.” I stated, but I felt like anything but someone who had just won a battle.
“But do you win in the long run?” Anthony replied. I raised my eyebrows at him and felt suddenly very unhappy with everything. I choked on any uncried tears I had and shook my head.
“Probably not. Spike will probably never forgive me-but that doesn’t mean I can-...” I glared at Anthony. “It’s your damn fault. It’s all your fault.”
“My fault? You consented to it.” I rolled my eyes.
“I can’t have known a damn thing going on. I had poison in my system.”
“Okay, then it’s Vampira’s fault, if you wanna get right down to it, for leading you to me and making me so damn attractive.” Anthony’s eyes shined with laughter.
“You attractive? Only physically-and you’re not half as physically attractive as Spike. But Spike actually has other things that attracted me to him...” my eyes began to tear up. “Even if he’s denying those parts of him now, he was always very loving and forgiving. That’s why I love him... for who he is.”
“All right... Now, please, take this knife out,” Anthony said, sighing with boredom. I ripped it out carelessly, sucked the poison out, and spit the poison to the side. When the poison was out of his system, the wound healed and Anthony just laid there staring at me.
“What?” I grumbled, staring right back.
“Vampira obviously doesn’t agree with you and Spike being together... otherwise, it wouldn’t hurt you so much to be near him or far from him and he wouldn’t get jealous so easily.”
“Screw Vampira. What does she know? She cheated on Mestizo with Nosferatu. She was dumb enough to fall for Nosferatu’s tricks.” I glared at Anthony. “You’re just trying to make me forget about him. Not happening.” I gave Anthony a kick in the side and he doubled over in pain as I left. I returned to Hell to have another eye-opening conversation with Darius. I felt that he might be able to help me figure out what I should do.
Darius brightened up when he saw me. “Mysiri! How are you?”
“Not so well right now, Darius,” I sighed. His face immediately changed from a smile to a look of sympathy.
“You want to talk about it?” he offered. I took him up on that offer and told him about the predicament I was in. He listened carefully and patiently. By the time I finished, I thought I saw tears in his eyes.
“... so I don’t know what to do. I can’t stand to think of never seeing Spike again. I don’t even know why I spent the night with Anthony in the first place. I love Spike more than anything, and I would never intentionally do something to hurt him.” I wiped a few stray tears from my cheeks.
“He doesn’t hate you,” Darius promised. “Something like that cannot destroy a feeling as strong as love-and the love between you and Spike seems exceptionally strong to me. A few years and things will be back to normal.”
“A few years seems like an eternity to me right now, Darius,” I moaned. Darius smiled sadly.
“You’ll be okay,” he assured me. “Do you want something to keep you occupied?”
I shook my head. “I have to suffer, and suffer alone or else I won’t well like I’m being punished. Spike is punishing me, and I do deserve to be punished. I think I might just wander for awhile.”
“Your decision. Taimo and Euraefy are doing me a favor, and I was going to ask you to help them, because it’ll take them quite awhile to do what I asked them. Antonio refused to help them... says he hates the thought of it. I can’t blame him-so do I.” Darius chuckled. “Killing people that want to die is all they’re doing. The creators are ignoring us now, so it’s up to the few people I trust to do the creators’ duty. Antonio and I are just so sick of killing after all these years of doing it... since the beginning of time.”
“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll have to decline. I’ll see you around, Darius.” I gave him the best smile I could muster and left.
The moment I returned to earth, a thunderstorm started, drenching me in rain. I don’t mind the rain, in fact, I prefer it to the sun. The lightning and thunder made me uneasy, especially when a bolt of lightning touched down maybe ten feet from me. I knew that it was Vampira sending the lightning down to punish me for scorning her. I laughed when I thought of the look of fury on her face when I said what I had of her.
“Vampira, you are nothing to me. Give up on it,” I shouted into the rain. Then a lightning bolt forked down right next to me, shocking me for an instant. I laughed the shock off and wandered into a cave for shelter. I heard footsteps deeper in the cave and stopped in my tracks. A dim light appeared and I squinted to see better.
“Who are you?” a deep throaty voice demanded. I looked harder, but could tell nothing of his physical features.
“My name is Mysiri,” I said softly. “I came in to receive shelter from the storm. I hope you do not mind.”
“Mm,” he grunted, snuffing the dim light and then bringing up a brighter light. I could see his features a bit clearer. He had a slight beard, like he hadn’t shaved in awhile and dark hair that had been uncared for in that time, either. His clothing was tattered and he had sharp icy blue eyes, but no emotion showed in them at all. “You brought this weather,” he grumbled, sniffing the air. “You bring foul tidings. You are not on good terms with the creators. They make bad things happen to you and those around you.” He seemed to be inspecting me closely. “You can spend as long as you want with me. The creators don’t have much they can take from me anymore.” I smiled warmly at him in thanks. His face remained still and hard, but I sensed only kindness in him. He just felt he couldn’t trust anyone with his emotions.
“So, how did you come to being here?” I asked gently, not trying to deliberately pry into his life. He studied my face a moment and I did not hide anything I felt from him. He knew that I could and admired the way I felt I did not need to cover up anything about the way I felt.
“I... I left my home to get some alone time... I found this cave on accident, but I’ve been here a bit over a year now. He shrugged his shoulders. “Something led me here. I don’t know exactly what.” He sat on the ground and continued to stare at me from there.
“Vampira. This was all a trap.” I looked around frantically, knowing something would soon be coming to destroy my gracious host. I heard the sound of falling boulders and hurried to the entrance, but I knew what had happened. I trudged back to where my host sat, watching my every move. “Rocks are blocking the entrance,” I explained, feeling a pull at my heart as I delivered the news. He looked indifferent.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve survived a year in this cave, and this cave alone. You don’t need anything-I can tell from the looks of you. I’ve seen your kind before, in fact-...” he stopped just short of a story and the deeper version of why he was in the cave in the first place. I did not push him to tell me about it. Instead, I bored him with the story of my life. He did not appear bored at all-he even seemed to connect with Spike when I told him about Anthony. He stared closely at me and I think I saw him almost reveal anger towards me. He wasn’t really angry with me, but he understood why Spike was.
“If I were Spike, I would have done the same thing and followed through on the ‘never see you again’ thing,” he commented.
“Yes... I know I deserve it,” I said slowly. “I know I shouldn’t have betrayed him like that. He probably will never forgive me, and he had reason to. That doesn’t stop me from missing and loving him, though.”
“If you loved him, you wouldn’t have cheated on him.”
“This whole situation has made me realize how much I do love him. It just sucks that it’s making him love me less and me love him more.” I shook my head and felt a few tears drip from my eyes. I hurriedly wiped them away. “Oh well.”
“’Oh well’? So you’re gonna just give up?”
“What can I do? He doesn’t want me around and I’m afraid it’ll piss him off if I show up. He told me he doesn’t want to see me ever again, and I figure I’m gonna respect that.” I sighed. “I just hope he breaks down and seeks me out. I can’t stand to think of never seeing him again. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope that he will forgive me.”
“He’s young, yet, with this type of thing. He should easily forgive. An old man like me, though, that’s another story.” His eyes glittered in a flash of anger for a fraction of a second before he clouded the emotion out of his eyes.
“But you forgave me for bringing Vampira’s wrath unto you?”
“No. I just don’t care. If she killed me now, it’d be an act of mercy,” he shrugged. “Trapping me here is a sign of mercy. I bless Vampira; I worship her for being so good to me. She brought me someone to keep me company, even. I’m grateful for her mercy and kindness.” I almost laughed out loud hearing those words, so contradictory to my own thoughts of Vampira. But I also knew something terrible-a horrible act of treachery-drove him to this cave. I would not press him for it, but I would gain his trust and he might eventually tell me of it.
“Mm. Merciful, Vampira? Those words don’t sound right in the same sentence to me,” I smiled. “The Vampira I know is ignorant, merciless and always thinks she’s right, even when she’s terribly wrong. Then again, she always gets her way, so the smart thing to do would be to bow down and let her command you like one of her puppets-of course, that’s what we all are; Vampira’s puppets.” I chuckled. “Let’s hope Spike can resist her pull on his strings.”
“You couldn’t, apparently,” he said, not trying to offend me, but stating a plain and simple point. I shrugged and nodded both at once. “And you seem quite strong of will.”
“Spike has always had stronger will power than I,” I murmured. It wasn’t me, Mysiri, speaking, but something deep within me; Makita was speaking, and in doing so, letting me know that she was there with me and giving me hope that Spike would return. He could never resist the calmness he felt when he was with Makita.
I walked to the boulder blocked entrance and tried to will the boulders out of place. Vampira was holding them there so I could not move them. I knew she would be, but I remained there, trying to budge the boulders for a few years. I got frustrated eventually, and stopped trying.
“So this is my punishment for not liking your creation? My punishment for already being in love with Spike?” I shouted out loud to the nothingness that I knew Vampira was listening to.
“Spike’s love died with Makita. I knew a strong vampire was soonly to be born so I wanted to create a creature for her to fall in love with. That damned Makita had to ruin it for me and take control of your body, though,” Vampira’s voice replied. “Understand, Mysiri, I am not punishing you, but Makita. I am trying to drive her out so you can live happily with Anthony.”
“Even if Makita were not inside me, I would love Spike. Spike and I don’t love each other because the only other person Spike had loved is inside me.”
“Will you speak so quickly for Spike?” Vampira asked slyly. I looked down at the ground, feeling uncertain. A voice inside me cried out that Spike loved me very much, no matter what. I stifled the voice, shook my head and returned back to the company of my host.
“What is wrong?” he asked, seeing me pacing with a frown curling my lips downward. I sighed and shook my head, but when I looked at his face, I felt the urge to tell him everything I knew. I just felt that I could trust him with my deepest most secrets. I told him of the conversation I had just had with Vampira and explained why it upset me so much. He listened patiently with kind, wisdom-filled eyes.
“...-I suppose I’m just hesitating over whether Spike does love me for me, or if it’s just because of Makita being inside me.”
“I wouldn’t be worrying about that; I’d be worrying about whether I would love him if Makita weren’t inside me, if I were in your position,” he murmured. I tilted my head as I frowned thoughtfully at him, contemplating what he’d just said.
“I could kick Makita out of my body,” I mused aloud, “and see if I still felt the same for Spike.”
“Then again, maybe in doing that, you’d be falling into a trap of Vampira’s...” he hesitated, “or maybe you’re not prepared to know. The truth can hurt.” His eyes shone with pain. I watched him, sympathy cloaking all of my other emotions. He looked away from me. “Maybe my wife doesn’t love me. Maybe that’s why-...” he cut himself off and glared suspiciously at me. When I looked back at him innocently, he sighed. “My wife-... I was away on a trip and when I returned, I discovered that she had cheated on me. I suppose I had no right to leave her alone with the kids over the past few years, but I was so furious with her. I could not forgive her for what she’d done, and I thought only of the children; I thought that a house full of anger was worse than a house without a father.”
I smiled sadly at him. “She was probably lonely. She didn’t think before she acted. I’m certain she still loves, and misses you, if your relationship was anything like mine and Spike’s.” He laughed bitterly and looked away, not wanting me to see that I had made him think over what he was doing.
“It’s too late now, anyway,” he muttered, “I’m trapped here for... god knows how long.”
“Vampira knows it’s not much longer,” I smirked, “I’m getting us out of here,” I explained to him. “I’m moving those boulders out of the way. I want you to return to your kids. Never leave them again. They need a father. I lived the first fifteen years of my life without parents. It was quite unpleasant.”
I hurried to the entrance and used all of my strength to blow the boulders to pieces. Just as I did that, I felt something being ripped from me and I knew at once that it was Makita. I called for my host to come and see what I’d done. My voice was noticeably different, its tone was different, not as friendly and wise.
He also noticed. “So it was a trap,” his eyes betrayed him and I saw the sadness in his face. “Do you love him? Do you love Spike?” he whispered. I searched myself and grinned as I found the answer.
“Of course. I’ve never loved anyone as much as I do him. I always tell him that... he used to believe me...” I paused. “I’ve learned a lot from you. I wish I could somehow repay you for all the wisdom you’ve given me,” I smiled brightly, my eyes shining with sincere happiness. “I hope you go back and give your family another chance.”
“You have given me plenty, Mysiri. You have given me the strength and wisdom to know that it is best I forgive my wife and return to my children,” he smiled. “It’s been a long time since I smiled. A very long time. It’s because of you that I’m smiling now.” He looked at me carefully. “I will pray that Spike forgives you and you two live happily ever after.”
“Who are you? If I would like to seek you out again, that might be helpful knowledge.”
“I am upset you don’t remember. It is me, Jim. Spike’s brother.”
“Jim! I knew I recognized you. You look different! So, is it Lyvia you married? Who did she-...”
“You don’t want to know,” Jim assured me, “Spike will forgive you. I just don’t know if I can forgive him.”
“You’re saying he-...? So he has to forgive me if he is to avoid being everything he hates. Then again, what he’s done already makes him a hypocrite.” I shook my head. “Jim, you have a good life. Maybe we’ll run into one another again.” Jim smiled and left. I turned to the frightened lump on the ground that was none other than Makita.
“So your body’s returned to you, huh?” I grumbled. She just stared at me, her eyes wide and alert. “It is just because of you that Spike ever loved me, isn’t it?”
“At first it was... but the more he got to know you, the more he fell in love with you. There was even a time he was so fixated on you that he forgot about me. He does love you for you, Mysiri.”
“If he loves me so much why’d he-...”
“If you love Spike so much, why’d you cheat on him with Anthony?” Makita retorted. I saw her point and smiled.
“I see what you’re telling me. You think he’ll take me back?”
“Like you said, if he doesn’t, he will be everything he hates. I don’t think he likes being everything he hates.” Makita grinned. “Go get him.”
I beamed and sensed Spike out, surprised to find no resistance I went immediately to him.
“Mysiri,” he said softly. I nodded. “You know-me and Lyvia, I mean...” he looked down. “I was so angry with you. I wanted to forgive you, but I could not-I could not until I did what you did... it was wrong. I thought of how I’d feel if you did what I did to punish you, and I’d feel so-...”
“Lonely? Unwanted? Maybe even hated?” I finished for him. “Yeah, that’s exactly how I felt and I would never put you through that. I love you far too much to make you suffer like that.”
Spike took me into his arms. “I am lucky that someone like you loves me...” he frowned a second as he held me away from him and inspected my face. “Something’s different. You changed.”
“Who, in my position, would not change?” I grinned. I decided against telling him that Makita was no longer inside me, just in case...
“So, back to Tai’s?” Spike suggested. I nodded.
“That’s what I was thinking.”
...And with that, Spike and I returned home.
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