Tana was falling backward, further and further, into a well of darkness. There was nothing around her, not even the rush of wind, and her wings were useless in that empty void. And so she fell, and fell, and fell...
Something caught her, and she gasped, rose pink eyes snapping open but seeing nothing but pitch black, so that she was unsure if she had even opened her eyes to begin with. And she still didn't know who was holding her. She flailed blindly, connected with somebody's face, and suddenly she was on the ground. Or some sort of solid surface at least.
"Ow, fiestly little wench." The person hissed, and suddenly Tana knew who it was.
"Ra...Rakkalepta??" She whispered, afraid to move, afraid to fall again.
"Ugh, get ahold of yourself. This is your mind, stop being so afraid!" The cranky demoness demanded, still completely hidden by shadow. There was no way to see anything at all, no light, nothing.
But...if this was her mind, then she should be able to control it, right? So Tana concentrated, and suddenly the 'room' filled with gentle light, like that which filters down through the leaves of a forest on a spring day. It comforted her, though she had never seen such a sight before. The ground was white marble, streaked with soft gray, and cool to the touch. And the real Rakkalepta stood before Tana, arms crossed, face tight.
And Tana was shocked into silence.
Rakkalepta was tall, not fey sized at all, and slender, too slender. She was borderline emaciated, and it was just so unnatural. Her hair was shoulder length, the ends uneven, and much of it hung in her pale face. The color was a dark purple, a few shades shy of black. Her eyes were ash gray, with a ring of bright ride just on the outside of her irisis, and she had dark circles under them, making them seem sunken into her face. Her clothing was black, and at moments looked tattered, but at others seemed artfully cut, so that Tana was completely unsure as to which it actually was. Rakk smirked thin lips at Tana's stare, flashing some seriously razor sharp teeth, one heavily booted foot tapping.
"Surprised, pretty little Tana? This is what degenerate scum like myself look like. Demonic souls without a body that cannot help but be twisted and pitiful." Her voice was full of old spite and bitterness. "I look as dark and ugly as my soul looks, because that is all I am. A soul."
Tana quickly stood, chills shooting down her spine with Rakk's hollow gaze. She breathed in deeply to keep from flat-out fainting, and then noticed something most strange. A small smile creeped it's way onto her face. "Well if that's true, then those must represent the part of you that cares about Jah-Jah." And she pointed to the two delicate faerie wings flitting nervously on Rakk's back.
The demon hissed and looked away. "They are so fragile, one touch would shatter them. It is not a lasting spirit-traight."
"I think it is, if you'll let them grow." Echoed a voice almost identical to Tana's, only much softer, wiser. Tana turned to gaze upon the mirror image of herself, but a mirror image that seemed amplified. It was Aimee, and she glittered with light and power and beauty. Tana suddenly realized that Rakkalepta had to have been either exceedingly lucky, or exceedingly powerful, in order to have possessed a fey this incredibly powerful.
Rakk spat at Aimee, but didn't leave. The three of them had business.
Tana moved back as Aimee came forward, feeling small and insignificant compared to the glittering faerie before her. "Maybe we should swich names...I am no queen compared to you." She whispered, unable to take her eyes off the fey that was like her, but so unlike her.
Aimee looked incredulous. "What a horrible thing to say! Tana, you are more beautiful and wise and strong than you know. Don't let anyone tell you differently. You are truly the queen in this court, and I say that truthfully."
Tana blushed furiously and did look away, worrying the hem of her skirt. It didn't seem right to get such a compliment when the body that was so beautiful was not even her own.
"Oh, but it is yours. Rakkalepta and I are far too intwined now to ever take this body back seperately. I think we have both lived our lives, and made that one mistake that ended that life, though somehow we were not met with death. Perhaps one day, if you grow strong and wise enough, you'll be able to determine a way to give us our lives back without the cost of your own."
Rakkalepta didn't seem to like what Aimee had said, for a look of pain flashed over her face and she looked away. "Spare me the curse of living in a body that reflects my soul." She hissed, head turned away from the two glowing fey that she might long to be, but would never have without stealing a body as she once did.
Tana winced slightly, and then moved closer to Rakkalepta. "I think if you let those wings grow Rakkalepta, by the time I reach such a level as Aimee says, your form will no longer be a curse." It wasn't exactly how she planned to say it, but it was her mind, so the thoughts that could not be formed into words still made their way to Rakk. The demon stared warily at the fey, and then glanced at those glittering, paper-thin wings that had just begun to grow.
"Ugh, all because of that stupid Raijah." The demoness straightened and smirked, again flashing sharpened teeth. "Alright, whatever. We'll be here for you and all that shit. Just make sure to keep that idiot Raijah out of trouble. He's bound to get himself killed if he's not watched. And tell Ishtaq hey for me. She's just as much of a trouble maker as I was when I was younger. She'll take care of you when we can't."
Aimee smiled and nodded, fairly much agreeing with the demon that had stolen her own life away. But it had been her fault back then, and perhaps the story would fall to Tana some day.
And then without warning, Rakk and Aime both pushed Tana back, and she was falling again. The glistening white marble with the dappled tree sunlight flew upward, away and away until she could no longer see it, and she fell back into darkness...
Tana woke up with a start, feeling as though she had just been hurled back into her body. Yes...her body. Aimee had said it was hers. Or...was that all just a dream? Some pain and stress induced dream?
Somehow she knew it wasn't, and she was far more at peace now then she had been upon passing out. It was then she realized she didn't see Raijah anywhere. That was, until she looked to the side, on the ground. Oh...he had fallen asleep too? Right, he had just gotten over that strange illness Rakk had healed. And...her ankle felt better! Had he done that too? No wonder he had passed out!
Tana stared up at the sky then, noticing the day had passed without their notice. She had been asleep for far longer than she had previously thought. It was already dusk, the world bathed in that strange half-light that fogged up one's vision in a most annoying way. Curling her knees to her chest and fanning her large wings periodically, Tana waited silently and patiently for Jah-Jah to wake, in no rush to go anywhere anymore. For now, she pondered that strange beautiful place in her mind where she had met her other halves, face to face...
