finding the Truth

Angela reached out and took the ring, looking over it carefully. She nodded for a moment. "Yes... Its Haematite, or Loadstone as I knew it as when I was young. Its a very powerful old stone, very grounding. It will help keep your energy focused if you use too much power so it doesn't go spinning off to Mars," she trailed off for a moment. "It seems that we have two thirds of fate here. You and Emma - I assume you know you have had lives together- and the Hunter. He is dangerous, much more then you realise. Not only is he totally insane, he has been killing since before your where born. And he is good at it," she shock her head sadly. "Matthew Cortez does not hold with traditional witch hunters... He is mentally too far gone for that. They tolerate his ways because he gets the job done. He torched an entire town in Arizona just to kill a small coven," she sighed and rubbed her forehead. "So, the witch with the dark magic, the Psychic witch and the Psycho," she smiled. "Fate has a funny way of dealing you the hand that you need. What's your plan, Daniel?" she asked.

I smiled at Angela. "I'm going to stop the Witch Hunters in this area, along with Matthew." I said, standing up from the couch. "He has been threatening us in our past lives, and it's time for him to go." I said, looking at Emma. "As for the True Believers, like I said, I'm going to help Cassie and her Circle." I said, confidently. "I know it sounds better said then done, but right now, I can't do anything, especially when the Hunters keep moving from place to place in town." I said, shaking my head.

"He didn't threaten us... he killed us... repeatedly," Emma said dozily from her place on the couch. She blinked, yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I saw it... and then in the past, we had a child I think. He took her... so we did a spell. There was candles and we had a wax doll of him... we wrapped a black ribbon around him, and then held it there with needles. We said something like 'May you never rest'... she yawned sleepily. "I think its our fault..." she said slowly, looking like she was about to dose back off.

"How are you feeling?" Angela asked the girl quietly.

Emma blinked stupidly. "Drunk?" she ventured, and this caused Angela to laugh.

"Thats because in a way, you are. You where wide open, taking in all that energy. I had to help you close it down pretty quick, so you couldn't let it all go. Its still in you, so your processing it through. It will pass in a few hours. Go back to sleep now, Daniel will get you home later," she said gently and Emma nodded, and was fast asleep again.

"Emma," I said, rushing over to her. "Are you okay?" I asked, holding her hand gently, rubbing it with my thumb.

Emma grinned, somewhat stupedly. "Asside from sore eyes and a majour headache, I am great" she said dozily. "Can I go back to sleep now?" she yawned.

"Yes, please." I said, kissing her hand, smiling at Emma.

Angela watched the two from affar as Emma sliped back into sleep. "Id thought I would be long in the grave before I saw soulmates return to our world," she said to Daniel with a small smile. "I could tell you that she is the light to your darkness, blah blah blah... but you already know that, don't you?" she added.

I looked at Angela. "Yes. We're written in the stars just like Adam and Cassie are written." I said, smiling. I looked back at Emma with a smile. I got up from next to her to let her sleep. "Thank you for helping by the way."
I said, smiling. "By the way, do you know a spell that could go back into my memories of the past?" I asked, looking at Mrs. Wood.

"Do you know what a black mirror is?" she asked him, getting up from her chair.

I shook my head, looking at Angela with curiosity. "No, I haven't. What is a Black Mirror?" I asked quizzically, looking at Angela.

She stook up and bought over a mirror, but instead of a shiney surface, it was as black as night. "You know how to scry?" she asked him. "You use a mirror to be able to see the past, prescent or future," she sat next to him and handed him the mirror. "Just relax your eyes and intend to see your grandmother, or something simple," she instructed gently.

I nodded at Angela, looking at the mirror. It was like a huge thin of black Onyx stone, oval shaped. I relaxed my eyes, looking at the mirror still, and that's when it happened. I felt like I was being sucked into a small tube. Darkness plunged all around me. Then the area came into view. I was in a field. I saw ... me. It looked like me anyway. He was angry, muscles tensed, facing away from me, towards the cliff in front of him.I heard what sounded like waves crashing in the cliff with powerful force. His aura was exactly like mine, .... but something felt .... different. That's when I noticed the man in front of him - Matthew. He was laughing at the person who looked like me. "You took my love away from me!" The boy shouted, in anger. He flung his arm back. That's when I noticed something on his middle finger - the ring. It was glowing from the sun. But then chaos came above, with the clouds turning darker then Satan's black evil heart. "Valis Dumhere Benacht!" The boy shouted, swinging his hand up with a strong motion. A wave of power shot at the man that looked like Matthew. His body flew off the cliff. The man was still laughing, as if death was what he wanted. The boy collapsed, crying in pain. He tore grass out from the roots along with dirt. He was writhing in agony. His eyes were as black as the clouds right now. What's happening? I thought in shear terror, confused. "his powers killing him," A voice said in my head. That's when I realized, it was the darkness inside of me talking. "What?" I said aloud. "But how? Dark Magic can't be tha-" The voice cut me off with a wicked laugh. "You fool, Dark Magic is the strongest Magic out there," The voice said, "How do you think the Darkness takes over?" The voice asked, purring with a chuckle. "That was the first part of the seal breaking. Once the the last seal finally breaks ... I take over!" The voice laughed maniacally. It was louder then the boy, screaming out in agony. Suddenly, darkness consumed the area. I opened my eyes gasping, looking around Angela's apartment.

OOC: Whooooa! Love the twist! You rock!

Angela grasped the boys arm gently and plucked the mirror from his hand, putting it onto the table. "What did you see?" she prompted gently, and looked over at the sleeping figure of Emma momentarily, then her attention was fully back on the boy.

OOC: not as much as you!!! lmao XDXD

I looked at Angela sort of dazed. I took a breath to get my composure back in line. "I saw me in my first life." I said, taking another breath. "I was in front of that Witch Hunter. I saw him laughing at me. That's when ..." I paused, looking at Emma. "The boy that was me said that he killed his lover." I said, silently, referring to the Hunter. "The boy used Dark Magic in anger, and pushed the Hunter off the cliff behind him." I said, explaining. I continued on, telling Angela about the Boy dieing in front of me, and the darkness talking to me in my head. "It said, "This was the first seal breaking. Once the last seal breaks, I take over." I said, repeating the actual words that it had said to me. I looked back at Angela.

OOC: not as much as you!!! lmao XDXD

I looked at Angela sort of dazed. I took a breath to get my composure back in line. "I saw me in my first life." I said, taking another breath. "I was in front of that Witch Hunter. I saw him laughing at me. That's when ..." I paused, looking at Emma. "The boy that was me said that he killed his lover." I said, silently, referring to the Hunter. "The boy used Dark Magic in anger, and pushed the Hunter off the cliff behind him." I said, explaining. I continued on, telling Angela about the Boy dieing in front of me, and the darkness talking to me in my head. "It said, "This was the first seal breaking. Once the last seal breaks, I take over." I said, repeating the actual words that it had said to me. I looked back at Angela.

OOC: Nope, you have far outdone me that time!

Angela sighed and rubbed her temples. She was getting a tension headache. It seemed as if history was repeating itself... again. Funny how it had a habit of doing that. "Then I guess what we need to know is how many seals there are... and how many are broken," she said slowly and looked over at Emma. "And, how to pull you back if you do lose control," she frowned, beginning to pace slowly. "If every time you watch Emma die, it breaks a seal... then she is in dreadful danger, and you can't tell her why," Angela looked back at Daniel. There was a mixture of petty and sadness on her face. "Can I offer some advice?" she said slowly. She didn't wait for an answer. "I would suggest you... break up with her... to protect her. If you don't seem as close, Matthew may lose interest in her... at least for a time untill we figure something else out," Angela said slowly.

I looked at Angela with strained eyes. Break up with Emma? The question rang in my ear like a bell on top of a church. It felt as if my heart was falling apart, like a wilted flower - losing color, shape, ... life. I grabbed my head, looking down at the floor. Want what's best for Emma, but ... I didn't even finish the thought. "What if ... that makes things worse?" I asked, still looking down.

Angela watched the boy in front of her with said eyes. The confident boy seemed to be shrinking before her eyes. "Daniel, If I could take this burden from you, I would," she said gently. "You remind me of the son that I lost... You have to decide this. I cant. Its your choice. It could make things a lot worse... Soul mates rarely cope alone... but if you make it seem as if you don't care, that you never really cared for her... Matthew may lose interest in her," she sat next to the boy."You should take her home now and do it there... at least she will be safe. Its alot to ask, to break up with the girl you love, to protect her." she said slowly, amd stood up taking the cup from him. "You need to make the choice- Hurt Emma and potentialy save her life or stay with her and wait for Matthew to find her... ," she went into the kitchenette, leaving Daniel and the sleeping girl.

OOC: Noooo! Poor Daniel and Emma:'( Its your call if Daniel does or doesn't. Could tie in well with the Masquerade threade... And we all know that there has to be a happy ending... EVENTUALY :p

I felt like Satan just stabbed me with his pitchfork. A pain was forming in my heart. It felt like a black hole consuming me from the inside out. I looked at Angela, then back at Emma. Her glowing face from the lamplight was amazingly stunning. It made her features angelic - god-like. "If this will truly make Emma safe ..." I paused, trying to force the words to come out. "then I will break up with her." I said silently. At that moment, my heart officially fell apart ... gone to nothing, but I didn't cringe, or lose my composure. I embraced it. It will protect Emma, and that is the only thing that matters...

Angela nodded, and sighed. "It may make her safe... It may not. Time will tell..." she came over to the sleeping girl, with a cup of foul smelling liquid. "C'mon Em," she said and helped the girl sit up and drink it. Emma coughed and rubbed her eyes, more awake. "Time for you two to get going," Angela said gently.

Emma smiled and nodded, looking over at Daniel. She gave him a radiant smile. "I should be back in bed before my parents find the cushions I left there," she said and stood up. "Ms. Wood, thank you so much," Emma said, and beamed at Daniel.

Angela shook her head. "Don't worry, lass. Just come see me if you need help with it," she said slowly.

Emma turned to Daniel, a smile on her face. She had a book of shadows, she had a way to learn how to defend herself! "Come on, Daniel," she said and held out a hand to him.

I smiled at Emma as I grabbed her hand. Once Angela's door shut, I knew that I had to talk to Emma. "Emma, there's something that I to talk to you about..." I said, biting my lip a bit, forcing the sadness down in my gut, even though it still hurt.

Emma nodded as she slid into the car. "Whats up?" she asked him with a gentle smile.

I shut the car door. I put the the keys into the ignition but didn't turn it. I looked back at Emma, grabbing her hand closest to me. "Emma, .... I can't ... be with you anymore..."

Emma, .... I can't ... be with you anymore... is what she heard, and she frowned, wrinckling her nose in confusuion. "Im sorry...what?" she said slowly. She must have missunderstood, or heard wrong.... he couldn't have meant... THAT.

I held her hand closer to me. "I know ... that we are meant for each other... but," The pain in my chest lurched, making the hole in my heart bigger. "But ... If we stay together ... then I will hurt you." I said, thinking of what happened to the boy while going back from the mirror. "My Dark Magic is ... different from normal Dark Magic." I said, trying to make it easier. "I've found out that there are seals to keep my Darkness at bay, and a lot were destroyed from my previous pasts." I said, biting my lip. "Emma, ... I don't know how many seals are left, and If I my assuption is right, then I probably have a couple left." I said, still holding her hand. "I ... know this hard ... but please ... understand." I said, finally looking at her. I wanted to smile when I saw her face, but it didn't come. It didn't take shape at all.