Chapter 11

Varen took a long drink from his glass emptying it. Skylar stared at him listening to every word he had said. She had long finished her glass of water, but she didn't dare move. She did not want to interrupt the story she was hearing. Much of the information she now was hearing was unknown to everyone. She knew there was much more to the story, but she already felt a painful sympathy for Charon and Claire Fairchild.

"What then?" She asked after her father didn't continue. He looked over at her forcing a small smile.

"That's it. When we arrived we were under immediate attack from Chevalier forces. Before they pulled back, Attia Simmons was killed by Claire. She had aimed for your mother and Attia pushed her away. I met Charon for the first time in the minutes that followed Attia's death. She withdrew Chevalier and waited until their Pandora legions joined her for a final assault. You already know that story and how it ends." Varen answered.

"That can't be it. There has to be more." Skylar argued.

"Of course there's more, but it is not relevant. I am not prepared to detail out the horrors and atrocities both Claire and Charon suffered daily while kept prisoner. Their lives only marginally improved when they turned on the lab staff. The things I've told you should be enough to understand why I do not speak of them very much." Charon looked down at the table thinking for a moment before answering.

"You blame yourself." She stated.

"Hm." Was all her father muttered in response.

"Charon…she went mad because of you." Varen's hand twitched slightly at her words.

"Yes." He answered quickly. Skylar grabbed his hand shaking him slightly.

"But, that wasn't your fault! You didn't even know about her! She, she was just lost in her fantasies and dreams!" His daughter protested.

"Skylar, all that matters is that there was a girl who was desperate and begging for help. After all she suffered she was willing to turn on the greatest power in the world just to get to me. Maybe if I hadn't mean so consumed by my desire for revenge I might have saved her." Skylar scrunched up her face listening to him.

"And then what? You think Charon would have been thankful and let you and mom live happily ever after? She would have killed mom and taken you for herself. She was crazy!"

"She was crazy because of me! Because of the Justicar! That title was supposed to be an ideal…no a promise that I would protect the Pandora who needed me, and I failed!" Varen shouted slamming his fists down on the table. Skylar jumped in fear seeing her father boil over like this.

"You didn't do anything wrong dad." Skylar said softly. She looked over seeing Arnette standing in the doorway, a pained expression on her face.

"I didn't do anything right either." He answered.

"You can't save everyone." Skylar said and Varen accidentally knocked his glass over shattering it on the floor. Arnette walked in looking between the two. Varen didn't seem to notice or care that she was awake, but stared at Skylar with wide eyes.

"What…did you just say?" Skylar looked into his eyes nervously.

"I…I said you can't save everyone dad." She had never seen a more painful expression on his face. There could be no way for her to understand why, but somehow she knew that her words broke his heart.

"Honey, go back to bed alright? It's late." Arnette said touching Skylar's shoulder. The girl nodded slowly and got off the stool walking towards the door.

"I'm sorry dad, I love you." She said sadly leaving her parents alone. Arnette put her hands on Varen's shoulders squeezing tightly. He put his hands up on hers and lowered his head.

"All of a sudden I was twenty years younger again." He said. Arnette leaned down resting her chin on his shoulder so her face was next to his.

"I know, I felt it too." She said kissing his cheek. Both of them held each other for a long while reliving that night in Spireach. If only Skylar had known that the same thing she said had been some of Chiffon's final words.

Skylar sat on her bed rubbing her hands together. She felt horrible after upsetting her father. She didn't even know what she had done, but she knew he was hurt. She never knew he harbored so much guilt about Charon and Claire. Everything she ever knew about her father was that he was a strong, steadfast man who helped create the peaceful world she now lived in. After tonight, however, she knew that even someone as strong as him could be hurt.

"Sorry dad." She said wiping a tear from her eye. She held her hands out and activated the stigma cells in her body. After doing it once already she now knew what to expect and how to properly focus her energy. After a few seconds of flickering lights, the katana appeared in her hands. After listening to her dad she could almost sense Charon holding onto the hilt using it to kill.

Skylar pushed herself off the bed and walked over to her mirror. Looking at her reflection in the mirror she no longer felt the same negative aura from the blade. Perhaps it was because she now knew a bit more about Charon that she sympathized with her. Now, the real question was how and why this weapon found its way into her hands. She looked down holding the handle in one hand and resting the blade in the palm of her other.

"There is another." Skylar fell backwards onto her rear almost crying out. The voice she heard had been directly next to her ear. She even felt the breath, but she was still alone. She scanned around her room, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. She looked down at the katana once more, her hands trembling in fear.

"Oh…" She gasped feeling hands trace their way down her arms. Her eyes saw nothing, but she felt the touch as real as anything else. Her whole body quivered as they passed inward wrapping around her waist hugging her tightly from behind. She fell forward crawling away as she felt a body behind her to which the arms must have belonged to. Her heart raced violently as she held the katana out ahead of her defensively.

"Lower that before you hurt yourself my dear. I was only having a little fun." Her head snapped towards the direction of the voice. Atop her bed in the far corner sat a figure. The darkness obscured everything about the figure other than the feminine voice.

"D…dad…" Skylar tried to call out, but her voice only came out as a hoarse sound barely audible.

"Do not be afraid child. I am not here to harm you. I'm here to help you." The girl said. Skylar continued to point the katana towards her. She held her breath as the person slid off the bed and approached her. As she came into the moonlight and knelt down before her Skylar dropped the katana and stared at the girl in shock.

"You're her." Skylar said still shaking in fear. The girl moved closer touching Skylar's cheeks with her hands.

"So you do know me?" The girl asked smiling at blinking her glowing blue eyes a few times. Skylar nodded dumbly in response.

"Charon Fairchild." Skylar answered and the girl nodded.

"Surprised?" Charon said playfully.

"How?" It was all Skylar could formulate into words. Maybe she had fallen asleep and was dreaming, but this felt all too real.

"Oh please! He didn't think he was the only one did he?" Charon laughed patting her on the head gently. When Skylar didn't respond Charon's laughter died and she took on a perplexed look. "He hasn't told you?"

"Who?" Skylar asked and Charon scooted back a little bit sitting ahead of her.

"Your father of course. You inherited all of your natural talent from him. That means you also inherited many of the traits that made him unique." Charon explained. Skylar looked over Charon still not sure what to make of everything happening.

"What did I inherit?" Claire asked.

"Just how much do you actually know about your father? How much do you even know about yourself for that matter?" Charon asked. Skylar's fear subsided enough that Charon's words touched a nerve. She grabbed the katana and pointed the tip at Charon once more.

"And just how much do you know huh? You're dead!" Skylar yelled, the tip of the blade shaking in her hands. Charon sighed and raised her hand pushing the blade aside.

"And yet here I sit before you." Charon answered.

"You're not real." Skylar responded. Before she could move Charon was atop her holding her arms down straddling her body.

"Brave and foolish girl, how sure are you now about what is real and what is not? I feel your body trembling, the cold sweat running down your neck. I see your pulse increasing with each passing moment. Why do you fear what is not real Skylar Askiligar?" Charon asked staring down into the girl's eyes. Skylar looked towards her door praying her parents would come to her aid.

"You're dead…I know you're dead." She cried tears running down her cheeks. Charon loosened her grip and backed off of Skylar's body.

"You really don't know anything. Yes, I am dead. Slain by your father's hand, with the weapon of my mother and sister. That does not make me any less real here and now. Your father had this ability as well. He can speak to those who are no longer part of this world. Our bodies may be gone, but our spirits live on." Charon said. Skylar sat up warily and wiped her eyes.

"Dad can…talk to the dead?" Skylar asked and Charon nodded.

"Put simply, yes. It's a bit more complicated, but depending on the individual, his connection to them, and his willpower, yes. So can you." Skylar shook her head in response.

"But, I have no connection with you and I didn't will for you to be here."

"No, I came here of my own volition. Sorry, but I may have forced my way into here this time. It takes a lot to accomplish and only someone like me could do it, but it was important to meet you." Charon answered.

"Why me?"

"Isn't it obvious? You have my sword. It's only natural that I want to meet the girl who inherited my volt weapon."

"But how did I inherit it? We aren't related or anything." Skylar asked. Charon tapped her chin thinking about the question.

"On the contrary, we are related, you just didn't know it. The real question is just how exactly are we related? I'm not quite sold on being called Aunt Charon and I'm not even sure if that's quite what we would be." Charon answered.

"Aunt? You aren't my dad's sister though." Charon's eyes widened and she shook her head quickly.

"No of course not! That would be inappropriate if I was! I am Chiffon's sister though." Charon answered her lips curling up into a smile.

"Chiffon isn't my mother." Skylar countered, but Charon's smile did not vanish.

"No, you are most definitely the daughter of the Justicar and the Crimson Queen, but that does not mean that the blood of a Fairchild is absent in your body." Skylar stared at the girl for a long time unable to respond. Too much information was being dumped on her in a short time. Between the story her father told her and now this she was on the verge of overload.

"My parents are not related to you in any way. So explain what you mean and tell me why the first thing you said to me was, there is another." Skylar said at last. Charon took a breath and moved next to Skylar. She put her arm around her back noticing that this time Skylar didn't flinch.

"Your father still carries my sister's stigmata. It may be inactive after her death, but nonetheless it is still a piece of her attached to his body. His time with her coupled with the genetic material implanted on his back has altered his DNA and genetic makeup. Those changes were passed on to you. As for my words when I arrived, you only hold half of my weapon. Dark Valkyrie is a pair, but requires a far greater amount of energy to summon let alone wield. Similar to Anti-Nova, it is not a normal volt weapon, so you must use caution." Charon explained.

"So then you and I…" Skylar trailed off.

"If I had to choose? Sisters."