"You have all the time in the Universe to explain this to me. I'd suggest you do so, or else you will most certainly be explaining to someone else entirely..."

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"Honestly, Shayla... if we are to have any relationship, you must give a little... let us go for a walk, talk it over... please Shayla, give me something here, I can't be treated as a prisoner... you don't know what it is like..." He then quieted, and awaited her reply...

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Relationship?!

Shayla really didn't have the time to hear the other words LoBan was saying to her. Instead, an upwelling of sudden firey anger started to rise...

...Relationship...?!

...when out of absolutely nowhere, a despair which Shayla understood on the gut level began to rise instead.

What now?! I thought I had overcome this! I know what this is, why can't I fight back? WHY does it continue to grow?!

Her mind was suddenly spinning, her legs suddenly weak.

You have been destroyed, destroyed! There is no hope for you! You are a poor excuse for an Adept, you are unable to control your very own emotions. It is because of you that everyone here will FAIL...

FAIL...

She shuddered, tears springing to her eyes from the depths of her soul, albeit tears cued by something she knew yet still did not entirely understand.

One single cry escaped the voice of her mind:

HELP!

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"Shayla... open the door, you need help, help I cannot give you... I must take you to Graysith..." He then waited to see if she had enough strength left, to open the door...

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"No," she muttered. Then again: "No. I am a failure...

...perhaps if I linger here I shall die and rid the Universe of the blight that is Shayla Petrolu...

...for most certainly every one of us will die in the end regardless."

Sobs wracked her slight frame as the despair took charge of her mind, ebbing and flowing, there to last for an indefinite amount of time.

[ 10-05-2002 11:55 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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It is up to me... to save her from this despair...

Lo-Ban took Shayla as close as possible, to his shinny blues... and held his gaze, until she met it... he wouldn't let the bond be broken... he used the force to go into her mind, a mental link of sorts...

You know you are stronger than this... try a different route to fight it... use the force... My strength is yours...

He then waited...

[ 10-06-2002 12:11 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Loban ]

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I am stronger? she replied quizzically, still struggling even through the soul-encompassing despair which suddenly had such a grip on her soul.

I cannot defeat this alone, I will die...

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Lo-Ban said, some how bringing Shayla even closer in his grasp...

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Terrin wsn't sure what in the Universe had lead him here, and yet he was. He folded his arms against his chest, leaning onto a wall, gazing at the sleeping bounty hunter as his mind spun with thoughts. Well aware was he that Sorben Tarnus had taken a shot for Galen; his mind and heart were thankful to the bounty hunter for that very fact more than he might realize at this point in time.

And yet, a portion of himself was still angry, regardless of the fact that he was told that he would not go to Kamino, that he hadn't been there to take that fall for Galen himself.

And if he hadn't been a complete moron and gone after Galen when she left Prinn'chatka to begin with, maybe he would have been there to do just that.

All the while that subconscious demon of his was yet insisting that he was losing Galen, that she loved Tarnus more than him, and that this was all on the basis of the fact that Sorben had been brave enough to take a shot for her.

Or perhaps he loved her enough to do so?

Terrin's heart ached at that. If you love her that much, how the HELL could you have ever even THOUGHT of taking her to Roan, TO BE A BREEDER?! How could you have taken her to Admiral Actar, AND LEFT HER THERE TO DIE?!

Even if she had broken your heart, exactly how...?

And how could you have ever agreed to work with Roan OR Actar, knowing they both would really love to get their hands on YOUR OWN DAUGHTER?

Terrin's blue eyes deepened a shade, and he shuddered a completely different sort of shudder. Then, feeling it would be for the best, he turned on his heel to leave...

[ 10-06-2002 12:43 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Mara1Jade ]

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...I am too weak, I have been destroyed, I can only fail...

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He then gave her a bear hug... and released the energies he had gained from the sleep he had awoken from, mere moments ago...

Together, they shall prevail...

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...for it shall always remain...

[ 10-06-2002 01:00 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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he suddenly felt an onrush of dark emotion, an intent that, while no where near as powerful as what it reminded him of, was very similier, and indeed well known.

His lips curled into a demonic smile... The daughter of roan was following in her fathers footsteps... And what a wonderful tie she could be within this city, in which he was now trapped.

as she walked about the city, the shadow came silently upon her, flowing within her calming thoughts of dark intent, the strength of true evil within his pressence, he silently guided her into his chosen sanctum, thought at that point he was controlling her through her anger, before finaly releasing her within the building, bowing slightly before lockign his spectacular eyes upon hers.

his voice rolled forth in a calm, saductive manor, one filled with all the posibilities of true evil, and none of the weaknesses of light.

"Greetings child of Roan." his smile was filled with a menecing purpose, As she served her father, so now would she serve him, and she was powerless to resist...

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A quick inspection of her surroundings told her nothing, but on a deeply innate level confirmed that she was safe from any prying eyes or thoughts coming from anyone in the Temple. Thus assured without really realizing her need for that, she now took the time to look at this stranger who had... somehow... seemed to have materialized in front of her. Or so it seemed; she really had no clear memory of how it was she had come to be here at all.

What she did recognize, though, was the darkness in this being, which flowed around her like a silken pool, caressing her, stroking her, holding in a soft embrace. Something inside her lifted its lips and howled with glee to feel that... even as another part recoiled as if from a poisonous serpent.

She settled for a compromise, of sorts.

Widening her stance, she tossed her flaming red hair from her face, and fell just short of crossing her arms in front of her. Her brilliant eyes pierced a pair as equally vivid in hue as hers.

"How do you know who I am, and what do you want from me?" she asked at length. "It is apparent that you know my father; if you can assist me in returning to him, I'm certain you will be greatly rewarded."

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He paused for a moment, before continueing in mock sincerity. "but i would be more then please to assist you in escaping this place, when my purposes have been met. Perhaps, if you assist me, i will be able to return you sooner. "

He then released into the atmosphere a dark, and amused cackle before letting his words come forth again. "or perhaps i will simply leave... I truly do not know, though it would be a pitty to leave someone that has such potential in this place... " as he spoke it began to sound as though he were simply talking with himself.. "-or perhaps i will simple kill her and let the marvles of death bless her... such a descision..."

His eyes then arrowed into her, his features becoming serious, his voice dripping with hatred, and harshness. "Child, i will not waste my time to make you happy. If you please me, i will make sure that in return you are pleased as well. it is that simple, i am here to make certain the triad is destroyed, and perhaps i will perform a few other deeds as well, assist me, and you will see your father, do not, and i assure you, that you will wish you had been left here with those you so obviously hate and dispise..."
His eyes then became those strange twin pools of blood, simply augmenting the feeling that in no way was he joking, and in every possible aspect he meant to assure his promise was fulfilled, whether it be of death, or life, this girl would assist him.

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She gave her head a haughty toss.

"Bah!" she snorted in derision, spitting at Entaris's feet. "You spout mere words, just as they do. And just as he does, you drag me away from my own purpose, then tell me that I'll be able to get what I desire only by following your way!

"Perhaps if you take me to my father, then I shall in turn assist you... for it is obvious that you want something of me or I would not be standing here in front of you now.

"Oh yes..." Now she paused, raising a finger as though an important thought had just arisen to interrupt her. "Kill me?

"I dare you!"

With that she let her hand drop to her side where it came to rest in a tight little fist. Lowering her head and her brows, she kept her eyes pinned on Entaris's and merely remained silent, glowering at him, the tiny frightened portion of her being thrashed into an equal silence by the great upwelling of inner strength and fearlessness which rose up within her and positively dared the enigmatic stranger to act upon his words.

[ 10-06-2002 11:44 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by ShaRhylla ]

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"Very well..."
With that word his mind reached out, grapsing all that was the force within this place, paralyzing her mind as her body was flung into a wall with deadly force, and in the blink of an eye she was before him once more, dropping her to the ground he spat at her in return of her earlier actions.

"Never challange darkness, For darkness will consume you." She then was lifted into the air and brought to his awaiting hand, which tightened about her throat.

"Kill you now? no, i never said i would kill you, that was a suggestion... I said i would make you wish you were within this city, do you desire that? im sure your father would be most pleased with the knowledge that her daughter had been as stupid as to tempt me... he then hurled her away from him, releasing the hold on her he had taken...
Always against me in anger, and they expect to win? i tire of this.

"i will leave when my task is completed, and not a moment before."

It was then, with the force slightly growing about him that he sensed her... Ah, how wonderful a feeling. Shayla was yet struggling with his "gift" to her...

he then realized the implications of feeling that... He had let himself release his cloak... Should any even be remotly looking for an intruder, odds were they now found him.
His lips released a growl. his body twitching as he brought forth another burst of that almighty darkness within him, extending it like never before... As the shadows had once consumed him, he now consumed the shadows, taking the child along with him. Now dwelling in the shadowy realms which existed within the wake of all light. A madening place it was, with screams of evil and darkness all about, this was the chaos entaris had once been impressined within, this was where he had escaped from, and had sought out roan, how ironic, after an eternity of wishing to be gone from the accursed place, he now found santuary within it... Within this place of complete non-light. He indeed felt quite at home, though he doubted the child felt the same way.

"Rejoice young one, for now you are dead!" his head tilted back to unleash an unearthly cackle which echoed dully within the total non-space of this place.

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She gasped, sensing quickly out with the All, seeking that one familiar signature...

...and not finding it.

Now she leapt to her feet, unheeding as to whether or not the motion disturbed her husband or not. Concentrating fiercely, the Glyph bursting into flame on her forehead, she sent that tendril out once more, only this time seeking not merely out into space but also into its congruent time, the unity of which more than creates but actually defines the very warp and woof of the universe. Questing the immediate past, she focused on one thing only: the status of the chronotic shield.

That shield had not dropped. Yet the life force signature she sought with growing desperation was simply not in Phrinnchatka any longer. It was as though it had been abruptly and inexplicably snuffed out. And she knew the child had not the control to mask herself through the All as yet.

There was only one explanation. ShaRhylla was just... gone.

"NO!"

Now she threw back her head and a gutteral scream ripped from her throat. She raised both hands upward, as though seeking entreaty with the very gods themselves.

They did not answer....

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It was screaming.

Over, and over, and over the voice continued, non-stop, as though by the very pressure each ululation produced the awful nullness of this place would be beaten back, impacted, and finally perhaps cracked just a bit so that light and sanity would seep in from the place that men term real....

But it didn't happen.

So the voice continued.

After a length of time which might have been eternity, yet might not, something in ShaRhylla paused briefly with the acknowledgement that the little voice was hers. It was coming in great heaving bursts, originating from that little portion of her that had recoiled from the darkness she had sensed in Entaris. Even as her focus drew upon it she seemed to step back from herself, to somehow become an objective viewer of everything that was and is and would ever be ShaRhylla Roan, and by that one scrutinizing look came to an obvious conclusion, buoyed there by the earlier words Entaris had spoken to her:

"Never challenge darkness, for darkness will consume you...."

Just the mere recollection of that statement brought a fresh wave of helpless screams ripping from her throat... or were they issuing from her there? In a manner it seemed as though they somehow were not, but instead had simply become her, living in her blood, inhabiting her muscle and flesh, and expanding bit by bit in an insidious flow to quietly take command of her mind....

Then the part of her which was Roan shook its head in disgust, and stepped forth to do battle.

"Never challenge darkness, for darkness will consume you."

Indeed.

Something within her whirled at that, reaching out with coiled fingers, claws tensed to rip and shred and tear. Her mouth opened to expose glistening fangs, as if in an attempt to tear out her own throat. Her eyes blackened in the darkness, seeking out, searching to find the one thing that Entaris had implied to her would not be there, if this indeed truly were death.

And that was life.

And as every living entity, she yearned for that life, and knew deep within her very soul that she would do anything in her power, anything at all, to retain it.

Darkness will consume you....

"Let it," that Roan-thing within her whispered in icy glee as she literally turned on herself and directed the light in her outward. It impacted against the evil surrounding her, too small to come remotely close to defending itself... and thus it curled up into a tiny ball and fell silent for eternity.

Now the Roan-thing threw back her head and laughed. She held out her arms to the darkness, joyously offering herself to it, knowing that by thus giving herself to the death here would she ever retain her life.

Then ShaRhylla fell as silent as that death... and willingly let the darkness come and consume her entirely, body and heart, mind and soul.

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She was indeed roans daughter, that potential he had seen before did not dissapoint him, she was finding union with evil... and as such, she was finding union with him... She was his, though he truly doubted she realized this as of yet.

Slowly he approuched her, placing a strong, slender hand upon her shoulder, eyes arrowing into her own.

He then spoke, his words actauly sounding sincer, though his voice was still one of utter darkness.

"Welcome my dear ShaRhylla... To the darkness..." considering for a moment, he pour his hate into her, releasing a dark cackle as he did so.

"It is now you may find your true strengths, in this place your darkness is free..."

he then turned from her quietly, sitting down upon a waft of utter darkness, considering.

She hold great potential...But that strength will fail if not focused, it would indeed be in my best wishes if she was strengthened...Darkness in darkness, my power will grow...

he then returned to spoken word.

"tell me child of roan... Have you the strength to take up true evil? have you the strength to learn from me all it is to be powerful..." pausing for but a split second he finished with the seductive words he knew she so longed to fulfill "...So your father might truly be proud of you?"

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What the...?!

He gulped, his senses suddenly sparked into full alert. Before he even had a clue what he was doing he was in a dead run, headed in the direction of that sound. He skidded into the meeting room to the scene of Graysith, trembling with rage, that thing on her head filling the room with an eerie ultraviolet glow.

He flicked his blue eyes in her direction, a sudden soul-encompassing worry filling his heart and mind.

"What has happened?"

He wasn't sure if anyone even heard him. But he waited.

[ 10-06-2002 10:02 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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He placed a hand gently on her shoulder, looking into her eyes questioningly. "what has happened?"

he then fell silent, ready to offer his suport in whatever had happened.

It was then he heard Terrins words, and turned a worried look into the mans eyes. "i know not..."

Quietly he returned his attention to his beloved Jharmeen.

[ 10-06-2002 10:02 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Recinis ]

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Death. Death was the only answer. For everyone would die in the end...

No longer was she aware of LoBan's words. No longer was she able to make sense of her own thoughts which were screaming in complete protest, in complete opposition to what she was feeling.

She never heard those thoughts. She simply couldn't. All that her soul knew at this moment was darkness and death...

And quite suddenly, through blinding tears and soul-encompassing despair, the world went black...

[ 10-06-2002 10:22 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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She pinned a pair of turquoise eyes on Entaris, a pair which rivalled his for their brilliance. Something deep in their depths glittered, like those of a predator lurking in the night.

Now those profferred arms lowered in Entaris's direction. Her tongue darted out quickly to lick her lips.

"Take me and teach me...."

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Many sides there were to the darkside, and she would know them all.

Without warning The girl was bombarded with more then simple hate... she now felt pain, dispair, and all other dark emotions that could be imagined. Easily they flowed through entaris, and into the young girl who so willingly opened herself before the dark one's tainting touch.

The madness of the place they were within arose to greet the darkness entaris was releasing, which further poured into the girl, causing her form to arise into the air as the swirling vortex of power rose about her like a demonic wind, causing her hair to flare upward into a fiery nimbus.

As he poured through those emotions he held within him, entaris eventauly found an emotion which would complete them all... Love... Though this was not the pathetic love which he knew others had attempted to give to her, this was the love of evil, of darkness, of causing pain and dispair within the weak, and even in feeling those raw emotions.

it was as if he had simply broken of a piece of himself, and handed it to her so she might treasure, and admire it. And indeed he was proud of his work...

Slowly she was set upon a dark altar, he form now unconcious, and simply brimming with all he had filled her with... he had provided that much, now it was up to her to accept... and then her true training would begin...

He sat looking at her unconcious form for a moment, admiring all that she was... How perfect a being... Perfect bauety, and even more perfect evil... He simply wanted to take her into himself, and regain all he had given, and become a part of her perfection... he simple laughed at that, for he had already done so. He had taken the very centerpiece of her essence and placed it within him, likewise doing the same of his essence towards hers... After all... he could not have her turning against him, for her power would match his bit for bit, and along with that extrodenary gift which was hidden from his grasp, she could easily out match him, easily destroy him... THough now, to destroy him, was to destroy herself...and that was the one thing he had placed most strongly in her... Self preservation.

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