Hello, all! Exciting news! This is the second to last installment of the story! Which means one more chapter and it's done! We laughed, we cried we…learned? I don't know. xD I hope you all enjoyed it and continue to as it's almost done!

Ok, so I don't own any of the LoK characters and blah blah blah! This story is my own so I KNOW THE REAL ONE.

A huge shout out the following people – Soultail Omega-Light, Littlevamp, lady of the wilds, Grizz and soulhunting shewolf! MorgannaVenus Persephone, thank you for all you do! You're like a sister to me! =) They are my closest friends on this site and I'm soo happy to have met them! Please check out their work as well because it is loads better than mine! And take a look at Voyseys's stuff, too! She and her stories rock! Also, my good friend BuritsuFemShep is currently turning this into a comic with her awesome drawing skills! Check out her stuff at deviant art! Her name there is entertheburitsu !

Kain

I smiled to myself and relief and pride. It was over. I'd saved Nosgoth and myself from certain destruction. Killing Moebius' daughter was far too easy for my liking, though I knew she was gone because I'd watched her eyes dim and become void of life.

"Too easy…" I muttered, a nagging feeling of uneasiness making me want to turn back around and inspect the unmoving corpse again.

As expected, it hadn't changed in any way. I shook my head with a laugh. How foolish of me to think she was more powerful than I was. I'd taken her down in seconds.

I resolved to cut out the heart of the girl to ease my mind.

After rolling her over so that she was on her back, I raised the Soul Reaver over my head. As I brought it down, her eyes shot open. She grabbed the sword as it was inches away from her chest. The girl's hands dripped blood as she clutched the Reaver, laughing maniacally.

I jumped back in shock, trying to yank my weapon away from her, but she wouldn't let go. Instead, she got to her feet slowly, still laughing and boring her eyes into mine. There was something different about her than before. Her hands, though still bleeding, were glowing a teal blue and her eyes, which were now a deep purple, were glowing as well. She seemed to hold herself with more confidence and I could now sense the power radiating from her.

"Not so tough without this, are you Kain? If you wanted me dead you should've given me more than just a scratch." She let go of the sword with one hand and lifted her shirt with a mocking smirk where it was ripped from my previously thought to be death dealing blow. There was nothing there, "Think that's a good trick? Watch this." She grinned confidently and yanked the Soul Reaver from my tight grasp with one handed ease, turning it around so she was now holding the hilt with both hands again. The girl exposed a bloody palm to me which was spurting and deeply gashed. In seconds, I watched it close itself up. She healed faster than a vampire. "If I were you, I'd run, Kain. You may not be my main priority at the moment…the wraith holds that honor. But that doesn't mean I won't kill you now because as much as I love a good game of hide and seek, I have my orders from my master and my father to take you out as well." She began contemplating, "Well, because I know it won't take long and I have some mercy, I'll give you time to hide when I go after Raziel. Then you better put up a good fight when I find you again."

I ran as fast as I could away from the child, knowing full well I could not take her by myself. I hated to say it, but I would need the help of Raziel.

Raziel

"So, brother, how does it feel to no longer be the pretty boy? I think this form better suits your personality; Ugly and morbid." Rahab, my annoyingly alive brother sneered at me, though I could see in his eyes fear and the losing of hope.

I was filled with anger, not only at my brothers' snide remarks but at the concern and love I knew he had for Vera. However, I held my tongue with difficulty and continued to walk with him and Ayla in the semi-darkness; hoping for a sign of my love.

"Oh, Rahab! I'm glad you're finally using my method to try to talk things out with your brother. I'm so proud!" The innocent vampire could not sense my younger brother's malice as she hugged his arm with a smile. He looked surprised and down at her, before an expression of shyness and pleasure came over him, then he seemed to realize his face was giving away his feelings and went back to his smirk at me.

I could not understand Vera's cousin's attraction to him. It was clear she was intensely infatuated and did not appear to notice his interest in Vera whatsoever.

I did not let these insignificant judgments to invade my thoughts too heavily, though. Always in my mind was the vision of the teenage girl who had accompanied me through so much dead and bleeding on the ground.

Rahab hissed a little in the silence before addressing no one in particular, "We are heading toward Moebius' castle. I suggest we go around it. I do not particularly care to see that horrendous looking man in my lifetime again. He's almost as vomit inducing as you, brother."

A thought suddenly occurred to me. If Vera had been killed, who better to know than her creator? We had to interrogate the snake of a man, "Rahab, if you are the man of intellect you claim yourself to be, surely you know that where ever Moebius is, there is always some kind of trouble. We're going there."

My brother raised an eyebrow at my slight jab, "You want to know why I was and am the intellect, brother? Because I read and did things of meaning in my life instead of pleasuring myself with succubae," Here he shrugged cooling down a bit to make one last insult, "Well, I suppose I shouldn't judge. Simple minded enjoy the simple life."

I shook with anger and almost tackled him again but I knew it would amount to nothing. When…if…I had Vera back, I would make him suffer. I took pleasure in the uneasy look on his face as we got closer and closer to the residence of the Time Streamer. I didn't blame him. Moebius was a sworn enemy to vampires, known to get mobs together and find new ways to torture and kill the immortal beasts. Without his other brothers and master by his side, Rahab was defenseless and could easily be taken down.

I watched him in confusion as he pushed Ayla behind him protectively and tightened his grip on her arm. He appeared to be torn between two Shards when it came to who he loved, but if he knew what was good for him, he'd stick with the vampire.

The doors were unlocked as if we were expected and we slowly walked in. It was silent. Candles lit the room and adjoining hall. I nodded to the two that we were to continue on down the hall. I knew where I wanted to be and started running now, ignoring Rahab's protests and Ayla's heavy, scared (and unnecessary) breathing.

The courtyard. After passing several doors, I flung myself into the one I knew would lead out into the open square surrounded by the rest of the home.

Instantly, I recognized the robe and staff of the man I hated beyond all capacity. He was turned around and enjoying hushed conversation with someone who appeared to be glowing a teal color. No matter; he was the only one I was interested in.

"Your time is up, old man!" I shouted as he faced me with a confident smile, "What have you done with Vera? Give her to me at once!" Ayla and Rahab nodded, stepping forward, though I could tell my brother hated that I was again the leader of the pack. His glare alternated between myself and the Elder God's minion.

After a small laugh, the man spoke, "Oh, Raziel, my poor boy, Vera is dead. You must've seen her in the spectral realm! Kain delivered her to the end of her journey with the Soul Reaver!"

No. I couldn't be hearing things right. Vera…gone forever? How could I live with myself for leaving her and leading her to her death? It was Moebius' fault. It was Rahab's fault. I would kill them both; right here, right now! I drew out my piece of the Soul Reaver and charged the old man, raising it over my head with conviction and uncontrollable rage and…bought it down on nothing. It was as if an invisible force field was protecting him. I slammed myself against it, but it refused to budge.

"What is this trickery? The bulk of your power lay in your words! You are incapable of this level of magic, coward!" I yelled this as I tried to stab the Reaver into the invisible wall, still seemingly not affected at all. How was he doing this?

"How is he doing it, right, Raziel? Is that what you want to know?" The glowing figure previously hidden by Moebius stepped out and into the fray.

If I had a heart, it would've lept to my throat. My Vera was still alive. I felt it strange that I had failed to sense her presence, but I was too exuberant to care. I ran to her, ready to embrace the only person who had ever meant anything to me but again I was prevented to because of a force field.

"Vera, I'll get you out. Don't worry. I'll kill Mobius. We can go back to the way things were. I'll never leave you again." I placed my claws against the wall, and she reciprocated, until a dark grin appeared on her face and she began giggling. Something was wrong.

The force field immediately fell and she grabbed hold of my wrists tightly. Her hands lit with giant yellow flames and I began to feel an intense pain where she grabbed them. I was bought down to my knees in agony. I looked to her eyes in hurt and confusion and saw a swirling purple instead of the usual curious blue. Her feet began to lift from the air as she floated with the power now erupting through her vains. I knew what had happened.

"My father was right, wraith. That idiot Vera is dead. Call me Sidero. This is who I really am and have always been. And now that we've officially met, I'm going to kill you."

My soul broke as I looked up into the face I had loved which was now twisted with evil. I did not try to stop her when she clamped down with her left hand and rose her right, now erupting in purple flames. She was going to kill me without batting an eyelash because she wasn't Vera. I couldn't bear to live in a world where that angelic face was killing people under her father's rule.

"Now wait just a minute, glowing Vera. As much as I love to see my brother in pain, you have to wait in line if you want to kill him. I claimed that spot hundreds of years ago." Rahab had used his stealth to take the girl by surprise. He now held her arm that she had planned on bringing down on me. She snarled and hurled him off, momentarily loosening her grip on my wrist. He went flying, landing about ten feet away and I jumped backwards, in fighting position even though I knew full well I wouldn't be able to touch a hair on her head.

"You're not Vera! My cousin would never even hurt a fly! You bring her back right now!" Ayla, not fully understanding the situation, hurled herself at Sidero, claws extended and teeth bared and was able to take the sorceress down. She was a fledgling, meaning she was more powerful than my brother, but still no match for the magical girl.

"You bitch!" Screamed the Time Streamer's daughter, touching a finger to her face where there was a small gash that instantly healed, "You cut me with your mangy nails! You'll pay for that!" Now, both of her hands glowed green as she blasted her power at the vampire. Luckily, the fledgling had rolled out of the way quick enough for the magic to have missed, blowing a massive hole in the ground.

"Raziel! Do something! We can't take her alone! Make yourself useful for once!" Rahab snarled, slowly standing up and relocating his shoulder blade with a wince. He was right. They would be no match for her. And I doubted I would be either, but I couldn't try.

"I can't…" I muttered, defeated. I couldn't lay a hand on the body that had been with me through so much…We would all perish under her hand.

"Are you still in love with me?" The sorceress openly laughed in my face, causing me to cringe in emotional anguish, "Do you know why that dumb girl chose to hang about you in the first place? Protection. God only knows why she stayed after. I'll give it to her; We're pretty – a little on the plain and thin side – but pretty nonetheless. She deserved better than you! I can't believe she used my body to touch you! The nerve!" A curl of disgust came over Ve…Sidero's face as I looked down at my hideous form. Vera was the only one who looked at me as if I was normal and she was gone. For the rest of my presumably short life I was alone. I didn't want to fight. I didn't want to hurt this woman who shared the face of a girl I would never be with again. I wanted to give up; to die.

"My brother may be disturbingly horrendous inside and out, but you have to be the most nauseating creature personality-wise it almost makes me gag to think about what you would look like if you weren't leeching off Vera's good looks." Rahab smiled again and eyed the sorceress with no fear, walking over to wrap his arms around the shaking Ayla.

"Oh, you'll pay for that, lesser of Kain's lieutenants! You know, I'm surprised you can even stand to insult me given what Vera means to you. Did you tell your little protégé there why you won't devote yourself to her?" The girl nodded her head to Ayla, who, with a confused expression, looked to Rahab for an answer.

My brother however, refused to let her continue, "That is none of your business!" He ran at her with a roar while she stood unnerved. As soon as he got close enough, she kicked him in the stomach with her glowing red leg and as he flew backwards, he caught on fire as well.

"No!" Ayla screamed as if she had been the one hit and ran for my brother. He was rolling on the ground in an effort to put himself out, but it was clear magical flames weren't the same as regular. "Stop it!" She yelled as tears ran down her face and burned her cheeks. Her anguish made Sidero laugh, and as soon as she snapped her fingers, the flames dispersed.

"Listen you two; my orders from dear old dad over there are to kill Raziel. You two can go about your merry way doing whatever the hell you want. I really don't care." The nymph crossed her arms over her chest in disinterest toward the couple and smiled proudly to her father who clapped and grinned back.

"Please, after what you've done to me and Ayla, I'm itching to take you down a peg." My brother could not lift himself from the ground, as his burns were too great but he still tried to maintain his confident voice even though there was pain going through it.

I had no clue what to do. I did not want to attack Moebius' daughter but I couldn't allow Vera's cousin or my brother to be wrapped up in this, "Rahab, take Ayla and get out of here. Let me end this now."

"Oh, come now, Raziel. You can't be that much of an idiot! Let us help you; you can't take her on by yourself!" Rahab's wounds were slowly healing but he was clearly still in pain. He took Ayla's extended hand and slowly stood up.

"You don't want Ayla dead, do you? Because that's what you'll both be if you don't leave! Get out of here!" I snarled, bringing the Reaver out again. My brother took one look at Ayla and sighed in defeat, not wanting to lose her. He nodded and though the female vampire was protesting, by now he had healed enough to pull her along against her will.

"We'll be back! I promise!" She squeaked on her way through the door out of the courtyard. It slammed closed and just like that, we were alone.

"Give up, Raziel. My lovely daughter was produced to be your destroyer. She is significantly more powerful than you! Just make this easier on all of us!" Moebius' chuckled to me from his cowardly corner of the enclosure but stopped when Sidero's purple eyes narrowed and her head whipped in his direction.

"Don't tell him that, father!" She snapped, now looking to me with a confident stretching grin, "I love a good struggle."

I raised the Reaver in the air and charged her, "And that's what you'll get."