A/N: Yay, I'm actually writing. I guess the way to get me to update is to IM me, because, well, it worked. So here it is. By the way, this chapter has major "Shattered Mirror" stuff going on (but the Sarah in my story is the Sarah before the end of the book, as in before she is a vampire) . So, new disclaimer: All characters are still Amelia Atwater-Rhodes'. I still haven't gotten creative enough to invent my own. I wanted to work stuff from "Midnight Predator" into this but couldn't really figure out a good way to do it, without having Jaguar just show up out of the blue.
Risika gaped at Caryn as she pulled away from Aubrey, still grasping his shoulder. She had no idea what Caryn meant, but her mind was screaming out in protest. She didn't want this moment of content to be over yet. For several centuries now, she had not had a chance to just relax and feel assured. She had welcomed this moment with Aubrey, but it was fleeting.

"What's wrong?" Aubrey asked tentatively, giving the healer a calculating glance. Risika could tell that even if Aubrey was changing, he was still at heart himself, and did not like owing his life to another.

"The hunters. The Vidas, to be specific, are after you. Somehow they traced you here. I've held them off till now, but I doubt I'll be able to stop them anymore. You're on your own," Caryn sighed, shaking her head. She had tried, but Dominique Vida was stubborn.

"Who's coming? Dominique?" asked Risika hurriedly, already rising and getting ready to leave.

"Sarah and Adianna, from what I've heard. Sarah's…different now, you might be able to deal with her, but Adianna…look, I know I can't convince you to run from the fight, vampire principles of honor and all that, but, maybe you could come to SingleEarth or something with me? They can't hurt you there," Caryn muttered, avoiding meeting the vampires' eyes.

Risika and Aubrey both knew immediately that Caryn was far more worried about them hurting the hunters. Two top vampires versus two top hunters, one who may be slightly holding back, in any case, it should have been a fair fight. But Caryn had seen fights like these before. The vampires always won. And she was left with the dirty work.

"Caryn…" Risika began, slowly. "If they attack us, we'll have to fight." Seeing the look of despair on the healer's face, she continued. "But we won't kill them unless it is our last resort. Right?" she said, eyeing Aubrey meaningfully. He just nodded silently. He didn't like the deal, but he owed it to Risika to respect her wishes now. And Risika owed it to Caryn.

Caryn started to walk out the door of the room, but paused halfway through. "They're coming here, now. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you earlier. But if you fight here, please don't destroy the house," she added, with a slight hint of a smile.

Risika knew Caryn did not want to watch this cruel fight that was inevitable, and for a moment envied her ability to just leave. Risika had never been able to just leave. That was part of a vampire's curse - her kind always had to stay and fight it out till the end. Even if the end was fatal. Having died once, death no longer mattered.

Aubrey obviously sensed her thoughts. Blood-bonding had basically merged their minds into one, a slightly awkward situation. But Risika did not care as much as she would have thought. There had been no one who had truly understood her thoughts and feelings since she had been human. And even then, her brother had been taken away from her so quickly that his empathy seemed pointless. But she welcomed Aubrey's aura with her own and, somewhat reluctantly, felt herself begin to confide in him. And he answered her fears.

"Risika, you have lost almost no fights for centuries now. This one should be no different," Aubrey said calmly, holding her hand.

*For someone who's mind is joined with mine, you can still be so dense, Aubrey* she thought, and knew that he heard it. "This fight is far different from the rest. Much more emotional than physical…we owe a lot to Caryn, both of us."

"That's not all, is it?" Aubrey whispered in response.

Risika sighed. How to phrase this? This feeling that she herself did not yet comprehend. This feeling of, what…tolerance, acceptance? She was unsure of what to call it, and even more unsure of how to put it into words. So she spoke slowly, hoping Aubrey would pay closer attention to what she thought and felt than what she said.

"Ever since we met…well no, not since we met, although I do feel like I've just met you…ever since we…stopped fighting, made peace, I guess you could say, I've begun to doubt everything. Aubrey, a kiss and whispered words of compassion can't completely wash away centuries of hatred and violence. But they are a start, right? So, from what I can tell, mortal enemies don't necessarily have to stay mortal enemies. Why should we fight these hunters? Because it was written in some prophesy thousands of years ago that vampire hunters would be sent out into the world to destroy all the vampires? That we will forever be cursed to defend our kind and our way of life? I can't believe that. I can no longer accept that just because something is tradition, just because it has always been done, that it is always right. We are supposed to fight our opponents because our ancestors have, because we're expected to by society, but can't we be better than that? How can it be noble to fall prey to these forces of animosity, when our kind knows better than any that being prey is the worst fate of all? I'm not all too sure that we even know why we fight anymore. I mean, yes, the vampire hunters hate our lifestyle and want to protect humanity, and therefore want to kill us, but we feel the same towards them. I refuse to be prey to destiny any longer, when I have learned that our own destiny is only what each of us makes it."

Aubrey just sort of stared in silence for a moment, trying to comprehend everything Risika had said. After a moment he spoke up, laughing, "Bravo! You can step down off your soap box now, Risika."

She smiled back at him. It was her first real smile in a long time, perhaps centuries. It was good to be able to laugh in times like these. "Where did that come from? I'm never that dramatic. Since when have I been so into morals?" she laughed again.

Aubrey met her eyes more seriously. "Like you said, since we stopped fighting. We are both changing, and I don't know if it's for better or worse but I think it is best to just let it happen. What you said a moment ago was true, Rachel, don't brush it off so easily."

They both stood quickly and nervously as they heard a loud noise from the front of the house. Risika was more tense than she ever remembered feeling, and still gripped Aubrey's hand. *You called me 'Rachel' again. I'm not sure if I like that or not.*

*Well, I definitely saw your old human self coming out again there. You see, I was right, the past can never be erased. But it can be used to change the future.*

Risika nodded quietly. They both waited, unmoving, as the two Vidas entered the room. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Risika was laughing at herself. She had never ever left herself in so vulnerable a position before. But then, she had to wonder, perhaps admitting that she was vulnerable was preferable to merciless hostility?

Aubrey and Risika had made a silent pact with each other not to move, and so they offered no resistance when Sarah and Adianna pushed them out of the house, into the sunlight. It was uncomfortable, even hurt slightly, but the old prophesies were wrong. Sunlight didn't actually kill vampires. *You see?* Risika smiled into Aubrey's thoughts. *Ancient writings are stupid. Here's one that's been wrong ever since it was written.*

Adianna spoke first. "We moved you here so the fight is fair. Even us Vidas will take no chances with the two most powerful blood-sucking leeches. But still, that's all you are. That's all any of your kind is, and leeches can always be beaten."

Adianna had advanced on Aubrey and had her knife at his throat, obviously considering him to be the greatest threat. Risika just stood motionless, noticing Sarah Vida doing the exact same. She knew Aubrey could hold his own, and while Adianna was occupied elsewhere she approached Sarah.

Risika regarded the hunter coldly, not prepared to place trust where it could not be placed. But she was prepared to try. "This is not how a Daughter of Maacht acts, and certainly not a daughter of Dominique Vida. Sarah, why have you not yet tried to murder me?"

Sarah flinched slightly at the word 'murder'. Risika knew hunters didn't like to think of themselves that way, and frankly, neither did vampires. But Sarah was ready with a counter argument of her own. "And this is most certainly not how Risika, one of the most powerful vampires in the world acts. You were standing peacefully with your mortal enemy," she retorted.

*So are you.*

It took a moment for Sarah to understand the meaning of Risika's thought. "You mean us? Well, I've done more than just stand next to a vampire recently," Sarah said with a tired sigh. Risika couldn't believe she was actually hearing a confession from a hunter. Hunters were supposed to be emotionless, as were vampires.

Sarah went on. "I…I've been changing. Adia doesn't understand, my mother certainly won't. I just don't want to fight anymore. It seems so pointless. I mean, we're not all that different if you think about it. What it all comes down to, basically, is that we both kill because we have to, to survive. But we fight without reason."

Risika grinned slightly at her. "I said almost those exact words just a few minutes ago."

Their reflexive conversation was interrupted by a loud shout from Adianna, who was pinned under Audrey with his knife at her neck. "Sarah, kill him!" she screamed.

Sarah just looked towards Risika, with a glint of hope in her eye. Risika kneeled down to Aubrey, gently pulling his hands away. She held him back, keeping him away from the wounded hunter. Sarah held her sister back, who was cradling an injured arm and a desire for revenge. As Adianna gaped at Sarah in anger, the more passive of the two began to explain. "Adia, Christopher once told me that he didn't care who I was, that I was strong enough to get past our differences and be unafraid to explore the possibilities. I don't want to let him down now. I don't want to forget everything he taught me."

Risika nodded in agreement, and looked up into Aubrey's dark eyes. "And you once told me, not so long ago, that the past can never be erased, but used to change the future. Why not start here, with us?"

And so the two pairs looked at each other in tentative agreement, silently acknowledging that a truce could be reached. Adianna still looked angry, Aubrey still looked annoyed, but neither tried to lunge at the other any longer. They held their ground with quiet dignity, and knew that at least for the time being, it was over. None of them knew if this peace was permanent, or how long it would last, but they were certain that fate was malleable. The past was written in stone, but the future was not written at all.

And so with one last glance at each other, the four departed. For the moment, thousands of years of violence had ended. They no longer feared an uncertain future, but were prepared to meet it head on, ready for whatever changes would be thrown at them.
A/N: Tada! Wow, I can't believe it is finally over. Yes, this is the end folks. Thank you all so much for reading, I mean, more than I can put into words. I can't believe I've already got over 70 reviews for this. I love you guys.
Risika tended to ramble on a bit in this one. Could you tell I got some of my personal views on current events stuck in there? Haha.
Please do feel free to include constructive criticisms in your reviews (but flames burn me). I still have several fics going and am always looking for ways to improve my writing.