Lass's Tear

"And I thought we'd already seen the bad end of the Nightside. " I murmur, watching every weaving shadow, "I stand corrected."

" The Rabbit hole goes ever deeper river queen." I murmur back my tone and choice of words meant to tease a little "Think of it as a River passes through a lot of Badness, that keeps picking up more as it flows farther. some gets diluted, some gets brighter again as it pools and is filtered, but for the most part" I gesture around "we have seen less then a tenth of the badness the nightside can offer. and even less of the bright"

"This isn't a river." I mutter, "It's a damn sewer. Which way?"

"River, If it were a sewer there would be no brightness, and we are here so there has to be some." I smirk, the path taking enough twists and turns that had we not had the lockets we would never have been able to follow it.

"My Lass' Tear returns."

Lily froze twenty feet from the dais, Muguet's hand on her shoulder drawing her forward another three steps before she managed to stop, peering through the shadows at the figure slouched in its ornately carved seat, vines of a dozen toxic plants curling through and around the woodwork, dark berries glistened poisonously before star-white flowers.

"She returns to her roots to find the cuts healed and the soil rejects her."

Lily blanched.

"You believed you would come back and all would be forgiven, but the flower, once plucked, will never bloom again. My bolt of mistletoe is now my favorite weapon, and you will wilt beside your overturned vase."

Lily bristled and hissed, "You needed your ascending belladonna and she left, vindictive volunteer."

"And the golden bough is to surpass it. You will be of use, but you will never rise again." The woman slumped forward, resting her chin in a withering hand, her eyes matching the dark fruits of her namesake. "Muguet, chamber her with the novices until I need her."

He gently took Lily's shoulder and drew her away, and she shivered as she felt Belladonna's eyes followed her through the walls.

***

Djehuty watched the girl as she fought his words. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Oh, be still, little miss; You make me tired just watching you. Lily and Sori will be back soon enough, and we'll sort you then." He smiled at the look of rage that crossed her face. "Got something to say now? I do so love the venom you spit."

"I'll find a way to make this before that and when I do..." This other, darker, Kiou smirked lightly. "Then I'm free. Then I won't have to rely on anyone. So go ahead. Find the flower whore, I'll be here... In my body."

Djehuty's smile dimmed. "I don't think I like you... You'll like as not die if I were actually to set you loose. The only reason I can think that we don't is we LIKE Kiou; now why don't you be a good girl and let me talk to her."

"Too bad old man. She's busy." Kiou stuck her tongue out at him before beginning to nestle down for a nap. "And after our little talk, I think... I think I know exactly how to make this body mine for good."

He stared at her a moment. "But I was hoping you'd stay and talk to a lonely old man," His hair grayed at the temples and his face took on a gaunt appearance as he watched her. "Come now, if Kiou can't talk to me, I know you will. Tell me more about yourself." His smile flitted a moment as the command slipped between his teeth and the girl sat up, the sleep gone from her eyes and her jaw quivering as she fought down the words he'd summoned.

"There..." Kiou desperately fought against the will of the words. This was the last thing she had wanted to talk about and yet here she was on the verge of telling this man everything. "Is... Is nothing to tell..." It wasn't an exact lie. She was not much about herself too tell. The other Kiou was the main personality within the body after all.

Djehuty smiled, and affected a tone of kindness. "You don't believe that any more then I do. You've been watching from behind the skirts of your big sister for a long time, haven't you?"

Kiou could only grunt as his words forced her to bare her more intimate side. "I've watched behind no skirts..." It came through gritted teeth of seething anger. "She is the little sister here... Not me. She runs... She always runs... Useless girl.." Regardless of how futile the effort was, she still continued to fight against the force the made her speak.

"Ah, but she has friends that will help her and protect her. Have you any?"

"No...." Kiou grit her teeth fighting not to say anything more.

"No?" Djehuty inflected surprise.

"No. You old fart of a man. I swear... When this is mine, I'm cutting you tongue out." She smirked cruelly at him.

"No you won't." He said, flowing seamlessly into the next statement, "That must have been hard, watching her live the life you wanted so badly. She must seem like the worst kind of person to you, even more hateful then her friends."

"She's useless!" She cried out hoping that it would ease this pressure to talk. "I don't want to talk to you! Leave me alone!" She raged against the ethereal bonds that held her in a sitting position.

"Then what do you want?" His tone all kindness, "Food? Drink? We could go for a walk, if you promise to behave."

"I want to sleep! and I want her gone!" Kiou's frustrations were getting the best of her. "I'm not going to watch any of this anymore! She can stay stuck inside! She can't do anything except make tea!" Her eyes closed tightly as she fought against what made her sit up in the first place.

"But then I would be lonely again," Djehuty and laid a hand on her's, feeling her tense under his touch. "You haven't been out this long before, have you? Why don't you enjoy it more?"

She surged towards him but stopped as her invisible bonds kept her on her bed in a seated position. "I would except you won't let me. You're just like everyone else."

He didn't wince

"Well, I don't want to die, if that's what you mean," he nodded slowly, "But freedom comes in various degrees." He stood and held out a hand to her. "If you promise not to run away or hurt me or my friends, you can get up. We'll see where it goes from there."

Her bonds loosened and left her and she took this opportunity to slap away his hands. "You and yours will each have special deaths and I will see to it personally. No promise will ever be made."

He looked pained as the condition of his words wrapped her and pulled her down again. "Why do you want to hurt us? Why do you want to hurt her? Freedom is balanced with captivity for everyone, even those of us that aren't divided."