Demons With Clean Hands.

Jamie knelt beside the statue. Mary the mother of Christ holding the rosary beads in her hands. Jamie wasn't praying, he was just staring at the statue. Like it would do something for him, something other than bless him. He'd hid himself away for almost a year, he mostly allowed himself to get lost, so that even he didn't know where he was. Now he was searching for the reason that he was still sane. He didn't think it was fair. He'd messed up, left Shadow and left everyone else behind. The worst thing that had happened to him over the long 'cool off' period was the fact that he didn't care about anyone else anymore. He didn't even like to think abou Shadow. He hated her for putting him through the battle, he hated Violet for letting him live, when she could have killed him at any time. He hated the world and wasn't prepared to move without answers from someone.

Violet sighed, looking at Jamie. She didnt know what to think as he just stood there, looking at the statue. She felt the urge to comfort her old friend, but didnt move an inch. She didnt want to just yet. She just watched him threw painfilled eyes, wondering what he was thinking. "Staring at it will help not, Jamie." She said softly, not even sure if he heard her.

Jamie heard the vouce and suddenly wished the person would go away. He didn't know who it was, one thing for sure was that the person knew him.
"How can you be so sure?" he asked her, "How can you be sure that God isn't listening?" Jamie was trying to stay calm. His voice cracked as hee spoke for the first time since he left. "HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE?" he yelled, still not turning around to see who it was. He broke down, he'd lost it, finally. He'd gotten what he wanted. Long over-due tears dripped down his face as he realised that the demon that posseses the curse of insanity was weaker than him, and that his own evil side would fight the insanity. Jamie stood up, his face still bowed. He didn't turn around he just stood. His eyes turned black and he screamed in the pain that his demonic side was unleasing on him. He had denied that side of him. Now it was getting it's own back.

Violet flinched away from his tone of voice but allowed herself to walk to him. She stopped short of him, watching him with confused like eyes. She didnt know what to do as he stood up and screamed. She was a bit scared, but she refused to leave. "Jamie?" She asked him softly, layig her hand on his shoulder. "Are..are you ok?" She asked in a weak voice.

Jamie feel back to the floor again. The demonic side had taken away all his strangth and everything that he'd hoped for with it. He could no longer escape onto a land where nothing made sense like he wanted to. He just lay there, his breathing getting heavier and his face screwed up as if he were still in pain. It was a hard thing for him to accept, that fate had something in store for him. He didn't want to co-operate with fate though. Fate was a bad thing, one of the onlu bad things you couldn't escape. He had two things against him, both evil and both he couldn't fight off, fate and a demonic personality that would soon take him opver completely.

Violet sighed, looking down at him. She said nothing as she took a seat on the ground, watching him. "Are you ok now?" She asked him, eyebrow raised. She didnt feel like dong anything so she just sat there, watching him more.

"Does he look like he's ok?" Came as voice from the shadows as a cloaked figure emerged from them. Violet eyes shone from the dark depths beneath the hood before two pale hands reached up to draw back the hood. Shadow ran a hand through her white-streaked black hair as she looked at Violet, and gave a small half smile.
"Long time no see, huh?"

"I know he isnt ok. But what more can I do?" Violet said, turning around. She didnt know rather to smile or to run away, but she did neither, turning back to Jamie. "So the woman returns...tell me...how are you, dear?" Violet asked her, finally smiling softly.

Shadow smiled at her long-lost friend.
"I could be better, you?" She asked, her smile fading slightly at the question. She was fine, physically, but her mental state left a lot to be desired.

Jamie's eyes went black and his strength returned. Well, the strength in his body returned. The rest of his personality was torn and ripped to shreds. He managed to stand up and face the two girls, whom he hadn't seen in months.

"I could be worse. Havent done much. Just...tired." She said softly, watching Jamie stand up. She stayed seated, not bothering to do anything.

Shadow looked at Jamie, her smile vanishing. She bowed shortly, one hand fisted over her heart in the demonic sign of respect. Her expression was neutral, not betraying any emotions what so ever towards her ex.

Violet watched them before finally standing up. "Well...now that we are all together again...how about an adventure." She said, eyebrow raised.

Shadow looked over her shoulder at Violet, just seeing her old friend out of the corner of her eye. She smiled slightly, a mischevious smile
"I don't mind the thought," She said, her violet eyes glinting as she pushed her black hair behind one pointed ear.

"Well then...lets go find someone to mess with, find a problem, get hurt some, and kick someones butt." She said, nodding.

Shadow was going to open her mouth to say something, but then closed it again, looking close to crying, but she stopped herself, not wanting to show her tears in front of her friends.

Violet looked back at Shadow before letting her smile fall. "What's the matter?" She asked her.

"I'm sorry, just memory." Shadow murmured. "Since I've been gone, so much has happened..."

Violet nodded, pulling her into a hug. "It's ok." She whispered softly.

Shadow sniffed quietly, hugging Violet back for a momentbefore breaking away.
"They're all dead... My whole clan..."

Violet pulled back, looking at her. "Even..Shaeman?" She asked quietly, not wanting to hear the answer.

Shadow wiped her eyes with the base of her palms, trying to stop the tears before they came.
"Everyone, Shaeman, Vrael, Raven, even the little ones. All because of Arias."

Violet looked at the ground, not sure of what to say. "I..no." She said, shaking her head.

Shadow ran a hand through her black hair, starting to pace.
"Everyone, Cika and Shiraku weren't even nine years, old, and she sent them to war. She told me and Vrael to stay back with the medics, they all went to the front..."

Violet bit her lip softly, feeling all the regret she had for what she had done to Shaeman. "I...dont know what to say..." She whispered softly, swallowing back her tears.

"There is nothing left to say..." Shadow murmured. "Vrael should have survived, but he contracted a virus from one of the injured, and Arias had him killed."

"Is it to later to want to kill her?" Violet asked, looking up at her.

"Yes, it's too late." Shadow said, looking at Violet before dropping her gaze to the ground in shame. "I killed her, when the army were bringing back the corpses, and I saw my family there." She looked at Violet again. "Seven children of the family, all of them died."

Violet nodded before sitting down, looking at the floor. "I knew there was a reason I hated her." She mumbled softly.

Shadow nodded quietly.
"Shaeman, he died when his pegasus was shot down from the air. He fell, and would have survived the fall, but one of the enemy put a sword through his throat. By the time he got to us, he was long dead."

Violet covered her ears, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "No...I dont want to know. Not...not his death." She said softly.

Shadow bit her lip.
"There was one thing though," She murmured, reaching under her cloak to take something from her pocket. She held it out to Violet in her cupped hands. It was a brooch, the one that Shaeman had always used to hold up his cloak, fashioned out of a silvery metal. A crescent moon behind a diving pegasus.
"He wrote in his diary that he wanted you to have this."

Violet let her eyes peak open and look down at it before looking at Shadow. "I cant have it..." She told her, shaking her head.

"He wanted you to," Shadow said quietly, her violet eyes gazing into Violet's.

Violet bit her lip, looking away. After few seconds, she took the brooch from her, holding it in her hand for a few seconds.

Shadow dropped her hands, looking away again.
"It's still hard to think that they're gone though..."

Violet nodded, wanting to cry but couldnt. She bit her lip again, turning ehr hand to let the light catch off the it.

Shadow sighed, starting to pace again as she ran a hand through her white-streaked hair.

"What...what are we going to do now?" She asked her, looking up at Shadow.

"Anything except brood over this, I think I've done enough of that over this past month." Shadow muttered.

Violet nodded, standing up. She pushed her hair behind her ears, looking at the ground. "Well...I think we can go and rob someone." She said, shrugging.

"What are we waiting for then?" Jamie asked, his voice didn't crack. It sounded almost normal apart from the strong edge in his voice that came along in the presence of a demon inside him. He offered his hand to Shadow, and then to Violet. "No hard feelings right?"

Violet looked at him, shrugging. She took his hand before sighing, nodding once.

Jamie winked at Violet and then raised his eyebrows at Shadow. He didn't expect much from her, but forgiveness seemed to be a snall price now.

Shadow refused the hand, turning her head away from him. Her eyes closed. The demoness scowled inwardly, but tried to calm herself down before she went demonic.