Awakening

Arsen made it back to his home in no time. He shifted Karma in his arms as he climbed down the rubbish to the tunnel entrance. His uncle Aspen had bewitched the old depot along time ago. And with his death arsen became secret keeper. The pitch black tunnels never did feel like home to him, he'd never truly felt happy here. Not now he was alone and especially not back when his uncle was around. The place still hid signs of his uncle, the skeleton chairs made from the real life bones of his victims, the stale whiskey bottled littered everywhere. It was Aspen everywhere you looked.

He quietly led Karma to his 'room' and settled her on his cot. This used to be a cart on the train, only everything but one bench was torn out. That bench later became his bed.

~3 Days Later~

Karma groaned. She felt as if she'd just endured an entire war within her stomach, and her theigh ached with a bruise of some sort.

What had happened?

She inhaled sharply through her nose. It smelled... odd. Old. Possibly underground... rust. Oil. Old Alcohol...

Demon-boy.

Her eyes snapped open, and she searched the air above her for hints, but she couldn't focus on anything. Her eyes searched about for a while, until slowly... almost leasurely, her eyesight returned to normal. She was looking at what seemed to be the ceiling of a... a train car? A muggle train car?

She turned her head to the side, her eyes searching for more clues. Where was she? What had happened?

Her eyes landed on the familiar red eyes of him. Hothead.

"...Arsen..." she sighed, relaxing, closing her eyes again and struggling to stay concious. She whimpered softly, holding her hands against her eyes and frowning deeply. Was she still dreaming? What was going on?

Her eyes fluttered open, and she her eyes found him agian as her hands rested to her sides. He was still there... did that mean he was real this time? She blinked at him blankly, trying to differenciate him and dream-him. Well, his eyes were red this time, not blue... but other than that...

She was so very confused.

Arsen had been sat against the side of the train for a while now. He'd been messing with the fire cast between him and Karma. It was the only thing keeping him sane after being stuck here for 3 days straight with no company. Lazily he rose his eyes to look at her for what felt like the gazillionth time and was shocked to see her awake.

He rose to his feet, folded his arms across his chest and walked through the fire to get to her. "You back with the living now?" He asked.

Karma watched him with something in her eyes a lot like adoration. He walked through fire... That meant he had to be Arsen, right? Not a dream?

"I dunno." She said faintly, a small smile stealing over her face as he got nearer to her. "Are you with the living?" She reached for him, wanting him close to her more than she wanted anything else at all. "Because I'm with you, aren't I?" She blinked at him, suddenly confused. "Or am I dreaming again?" She looked around the train car, curiously rather than accusingly as she would have once. "I hope I'm awake this time."

Her eyes returned to him, and she frowned again. "Where are we?"

He thought about narrowing his eyes. "Technically I'm dead but I'm amongst the living most of the time." He shrugged. "Right now though it's just the two of us." He moved closer just as she wanted and perched on the edge of the bench.

"You're just as awake as I am. Which is very seeing as this day never ends for me." He said now gritting his teeth. "Were at my place the abandoned train station. Why'd you do it Karma?" He asked not being able to hold it in any longer.

"You live in a train station?" Karma grinned at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and curling into him. It was a bit awkward, as she was still lying down and he was sitting on the edge of the bench, but she made do, lying her head on his thigh and looking up at him adoringly.

"Why did I...?" She frowned. "Did I do something...?" She blinked at him blankly, worried suddenly. "Are you mad? What happened?"

She struggled to sit upright, letting go of him and putting her arms behind her and pushed upward. She wavered on her arms, before leaning on him heavily, frowning. "What have I done now?" She whimpered, ducking her head. "I've done something.... its bad isn't it?" She bit her bottom lip and glanced up at him, slowly moving so she was sitting up, her hands clenched on the edge of the bench to keep her balance, she leaned away from him, sure she could make it on her own.

He nodded. "No ones willing to sell a house to a demon. This was the best place we found that was at least safe enough for us to live in." He explained kicking a stone out from under his feet. "It's not alot but its safe here."

He sighed. "Karma you... you killed a room full of healers in braod daylight! If i hadn't have gotten you out when i did, you would have been surrounded by aurors. Right now the ministry will be looking for the both of us." He explained.

Karma pushed herself upward, struggling to stay on her feet. She wavered and her knees buckled, but with a one minded determination, she stayed upward. Now... to take a step...

"That doesn't even seem a bit possible." Karma muttered. "I'd have to have been extremely injured to do that without remembering it, because even with Kama in control I can remember what's going on." She wavered and her eyes slipped out of focus as a pain shot through her stomach. It was as if...

"And I'm hungry." She said, disproving his story with this simple fact. "I think if I slaughtered a bunch of people, I would have at least gotten some blood out of it." She blinked rapidly, wrapping her arm around her stomach. She could almost feel it reforming under her hand. What the hell had happened? She was returning her gaze to Arsen when she caught a glance of herself in the window of the train car.

She looked down at herself for the first time. Her entire body from the neck down was covered in blood. The clothes underneath the blood seemed... stiff. Singed, almost.

She gasped and took an unintentional step back, her balance coming back only with the appearance of Vampire speed. Her back against the wall now, she looked at her reflection.

"What the hell happened to me?!" She whispered.

He stood and placed a hand under her elbow to support her. "Will you just sit down or something! You're making me nervous." He said turning her back around towards the bench. "Jet said you were in some fire at Grimmault place." He said thinking back to what he'd heard. Not a lot of it sank in though, nothing did when he got angry. It was like he saw red and his mind only concentrated on destroying what was in his path.

"Well i don't know i wasn't in the room. I just see healers coming out screaming followed by you with blood smeared all over your face! I could only put two and two together." He shrugged moving to lean against the wall opposite Karma with one foot resting behind him on the wall.

"I have no idea, i was hoping you could tell me." He said killing the fire between them incase she just happened to fall into it.

Karma slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, closing her eyes and sighing. "I'll... I'll try to remember, okay?" She said softly, her mind backtracking. She reached inside herself, looking for Kama.

I'm busy. Came the distracted thought, then her other half was gone, there, but no longer paying her any attention. Her eyes snapped open and her heartbeat sped up anxiously, but it would seem that she would have to remember on her own.

Clenching her hands into fists, she took a deep breath, closing her eyes again.

"I... I was walking home from the train..." she said distractedly. "I hadn't fed in a while... I was... distracted... and..." She heard it almost as if were right beside her, the screeching of car tires the sliding of the doors as she threw her trunk inside. The shots as she slammed the door and hit the ground. She shivered, ducking her head. "I..." She opened her eyes, her focus staying on her memories, but her eyes seeking Arsen. "I was attacked." She wrapped her arm around her stomach, pulling her knees against her chest. "...shot... three times..."

Her eyes widened with the memory. "...My house!" she gasped. "They set my house on fire!" She struggled to her feet, but with her balance gone again, she slumped against the wall, her eyes panicked. "I... I ran, but... but..." Her eyes went to her stomach, which was still reforming. "green..." she whispered. "like when you..." She whimpered. "I... I fell... Nightmare..." and here her memory abruptly ended, and her horror took over.

She fell silent, sliding back down the wall and sitting on the floor. "I have to go home..." She said softly. "I have to make sure that..." Her voice dropped off. What if they'd burnt down her house? What if the portraits....

He watched in silence at her obvious attempt to find Kama. It was clear however that she either failed or Kama wasn't interested in playing.

He growled and his eyes flashed orange as she recalled her trip home. Someone had shot at her and that someone had signed their death certificate early. "I know about your house Karma. Jet told me that much." He said wishing she'd be more clearer on what she was saying. It really wasn't helping that he was making no sense right now.

"Nightmares fine. She's with Boia prowling the tunnels looking for food." He shrugged. It was funny how they both seemed to get along. Boia seemed to like everyone he did. "woah, you're in no fit state to go anywhere." He said pushing her back down onto the bench.

Karma barely took this information into her head. Nightmare was safe. This caused her to relax slightly, enough to allow herself to be pushed down onto the bench. She sat heavily, sparks lighting behind her eyelids.

"I have to..." she wavered, suddenly dizzy. She groaned, reaching out for him before falling sideways onto the bench. Her stomach flopped within her, and she twitched with pain. It subsided after a minute. She whimpered, her eyelids fluttering back open.

"Arsen..." she whimpered softly. "I don't feel so good..." she growled low in her throat, as her stomach flopped again, her eyes flashing darker before lightening again. "I don't feel good at all..."

He growled and caught her in his arms. What had they done to her? It didn't matter, they were going to pay either way. He moved to sit beside her, laying her head in his lap as he thoughts. He could help her... probably. It might work... maybe.

He sat there in silence gently brushing back her hair before finally deciding he had no choice. "Here." He said holding out his wrist. "Drink from me it should heal your wounds and fight whatever it is thats making you ill." He said hoping she took it quick before he changed his mind.

She closed her eyes as he played with her hair, whimpering softly. Her stomach hurt, and her head hurt... and... and she was hungry...

Her eyes snapped open.

"No." She said, pushing his wrist away from her and playing with his fingers instead. "I'll be fine without it." She refused to meet his eyes, closing her own and fighting her pain. She shivered, trying to hide the pain she felt from him. "You don't really want me to take your blood anyway."

He gritted his teeth. "Dammit Karma just take it! You need it more than i do right now so take it!" He said bringing his wrist to his mouth and biting into it. "Don't let it go to waste." He said bringing his hand back to her mouth.

"Don't make me force you cause i will."

Karma's eyes darkened noticably as she smelled his blood. A taste wouldn't hurt, would it? As long as she didn't put any endorphins in him...

She whimpered, but drank some of his blood anyway, taking a small bit of it.

Stop!!

Karma licked his wrist, healing it. "There." She said softly. "I had some. I feel much better already."

She could feel the blood rushing through her, his blood, foriegn to her. Kama growled within her, before disappearing again. She felt her fighting it, the blood, and her eyes flashed darker than lighter, than darker again.

"I..." she blanched, shivering. "I..." she looked up at him, biting her lip. "I have to..."

He sighed. "Karma don't make me do this, cause i will and who knows maybe i wont survive afterwards." He said getting to his feet and pulling out a knife which he held over his heart. "Drink Karma. Now!" He said looking at her, his face showing nothing but seriousness. "We both know you wont have choice when im dying on the floor."

"And don't worry about me being addicted. Im stronger than those humans. It doesn't work like that for me. Just drink and don't lie. I can tell when you lie Karma. You're easy to read."

Karma's eyes widened and locked on the knife. He... he wouldn't... she met his eyes squarely.

He would.

She whimpered, terrified, ducking her head.

"Don't worry about getting addicted, he says." She said softly to herself, standing, when she met his eyes again her own were dark.

She stood, rolling her head on her neck and focusing on him again. Dispite her pain, her steps were lighter. "To be honest, boy, I couldn't give two pets if you were lying on the floor, bleeding out, but for some reason, my girl is fond of you. In love with you, even, so put the knife away." She snarled at him. "Your blood is making her sicker. That's what she won't tell you. So leave it be. Don't you know other ways of healing? Cuz you know, I can't really heal and explain things to your simple male mind at the same time..." She looked upward, her eyes going to the roof of the train car as she sighed. "Always wasting time on you, aren't we? First half term and now this..." she tsked. "Times up."

She smirked at him, her dark eyes lightening by the second. "Be a dear and catch her, will you?"

And with that she sagged, Kama disappearing inside and Karma falling once more.

He narrowed his eyes and looked on as Kama came forward. "Wow that's big coming from someone who has to hide behind Karma. What's the matter? Not strong enough to make it on your own? Why don't you be a good little girl annd go play whilst the adults talk?" He said closing his eyes to summon the power of fire. He hadn't been outside very often the past couple of days so he hadn't gotten the energy needed from the sun.

He rolled his eyes and caught Karma in his hands and then carried her over to the fire. He could gain back some energy from there but it still wasn't good enough. He took her hand in his and set out to heal those parts of her that needed it the most. That would have to do for now.

After what seemed like forever he put out the fire and sat back, gaining back his breath.

Karma's eyes fluttered open, and she moaned with frustration when she realized shed passed out, again. why was she so weak?!

"Hothead..." she said weakly, her tone disapproving. "Don't waste your energy on me...." she squeezed his hand, noticing that her stomach hurt a degree less. Good. She was getting better. Her eyes searched his, and she smiled adoringly at him. "Please don't heal me anymore. I don't want you to feel weak..."

Her eyes closed for a second, and she took a deep breath.

He shrugged. "Too late. That's as much as i can give you without passing out. I need to be out in the sun." He said looking up as if the sky would be waiting for him above. He hated being indoor, but he hadn't been himself recently. He'd been daydreaming since he'd brought Karma back.

"I need air. Fancy coming outside?" He asked slowly getting to his feet. His whole body ached after losing all that energy.

Karma nodded, struggling to sit up. "I'd love some sunlight right now." She said honestly. Getting to her feet only took an extra few seconds, but she wavered, half way between falling and standing. Waving away all and any help Arsen offered, she took a few steps forward, making sure that she could keep her balance for that long, at least. With a winning smile, she turned and winked at him. "After you, Hothead."

"Right." He said moving to walk ahead. His limbs were made of lead and it was seeming like a chore to walk even the shortest distance but the light at the end of the tunnel kept him going.

Once he'd reached the sunlight he collapsed and laid out directly in the light of the sun. Closing his eyes as he felt the familiar surge of energy soaking through his skin.

Karma sat on the ground outside, giggling at Arsen. He looked so peaceful like that. It amused her for some reason. She let herself fall backward, laying beside him in the heat of the sun. She sighed happily, glad to be off her feet. She let her eyes fall shut, soaking in the sun. It felt good to be outside. She felt so... alive.

She intertwined her fingers with Arsens, a small smile stealing across her features. She wished she could just lie here forever, and forget about everything.

Was it wrong to want to forget about the world for awhile?

He looked up in surprise. "What?" He asked, a smile playing on his lips but not quite forming. He watched her drop to the ground and then once he knew she was there safe beside him, he lay back and closed his own eyes. He took hold of her hand and began to finally relax. It felt good to finally relax after days of uncertain waiting.

It was so peaceful here. It was easy to forget where you were if you had your eyes closed.