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Next chapter is out! For all of those that have waited, here it is, working on the chapter after this now! REAL TIME!!! till this gets older than 1 min. Let me know if you like it or hate it and want to kill me!

Fading Away

I looked at Andrew and Brandon, but they just stared blankly at me, expecting me to just magic them away. I still didn't know what I was doing, but good thing we had this magical book that would tell me everything I needed to know. Only it wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Shit, I think we left the book back at the library."

"Don't worry, I gotcha," said Andrew as he made a sharp gesture, and the book was there.

"Neat trick," I said as I picked it from his large hand. I thumbed through it as we sat on the other side of the hill and relaxed. Finally I found the chapter about displacement, and it was much easier than I thought, with no complicated incantations of anything. Just think of where I wanted to go, and drift through the void to there. So I grabbed both their paws and closed my eyes as I fell down. Only I didn't hit the side of the hill, we all kept falling; I opened my eyes, as we were all covered in the void. The other two were flailing as they fell through time and space. I giggled as I focused on the bedroom.

As quick as we fell, we landed in the bed gently, with all the extra velocity gone as if it weren't there in the first place. After a soft thud, we got up and got dressed immediately. I looked up at Andrew as he pulled his shirt over his large frame. "Thanks," I said with a small blush. He came up to me and gave me a big hug that might have broken my ribs had I not phased out of it.

"You're welcome, take care of Brandon, he can be a handful. Call me if you ever need help with anything," he said as he gave me a gentle pat on the head. I smiled and turned to Brandon.

"Well, what's next?" I asked wondering.

"Well first thing, we find the council, and then I guess we'll take it from there," he said before there was a bright light from nowhere, and a small sheet of paper floated gently down till Andrew caught it.

"What's this?" he said as he took his glasses out to read the paper, his face turned into a look of worry as he looked back up at us, "Oh my, this isn't good, it turns out someone found the Abyssal Skull," he said as he let go of the paper, and it was eaten by light and became a pile of ashes.

"Are you serious? That was so well guarded, you'd have an easier time finding the Maltese Falcon than that thing," Brandon said.

"Wait, what's the Abyssal Skull?" I asked feeling out of the loop.

"It's a skull, but not just any skull, it's the last physical remnant of death, when the gods appointed it to see over the end of life, its body faded to become the essence of death, and the skull is what ties it to our realm, whoever has the skull can summon forth death and have it reap a soul before its time," Andrew said in a fashion that made me look stupid.

"Of course," I replied, hardly believing such an item could exist. "Wait, if someone has that, couldn't they kill everyone in the world?"

"Well, no, it doesn't work quite that way, the skull acts as a portal that summons forth the incarnation of death, and at that point death has to travel to find whoever controls the skull targets and once it gets there, it has to touch them to take their life, but there are many wards people can have to protect them, but in the end, death is pretty much an unstoppable force."

"Oh shit,"

"Oh, shit is right," Brandon said.

"Somehow I think this has something to do with us," I said, feeling needles on the back of my neck when I heard the news.

"Come on, we have to hurry up and get to the council," he said.

"Here's their current location," Andrew said as he produced a piece of paper from nowhere and handed it to me.

I read it and looked up at Brandon, "That's not too far from here," I said as I handed it to him.

He looked at it, and said, "That's actually quite a while away," he looked up at me just in time to catch me as I tackled him, and brought us both into the void. By the time he could take a step back to catch his balance, we were outside the given address. "Damn it, I'm gonna have to get used to that," he said as he regained his senses in the physical world once more. I gave him a kiss on the cheek and smiled. He smiled back and pulled me close to kiss me deeply. We broke off as we heard a commotion from outside the building. I looked up, and it seemed to be an old Gothic style church. We pushed aside the large wooden doors and entered.

There, on the altar, stood a large panther, to his right was Whittaker and not far was Edward. Dead bodies littered the pews and some impaled to the walls. "What is the meaning of this?!" Brandon screamed as he looked around.

The panther stepped down and casually wiped the blood off his suit as if it were a speck of dust.

"Allow me to introduce myself, Sylvester Gallows, but you can just call me Silver, I'm sure you've met my colleagues, Whittaker and Edward,"

"Silver, huh? I don't recognize you at all, you're not a vampire are you?" Brandon said, stepping forth.

"Far from it, I see you still have the walking tactical nuke with you, they always said Alistair had an all or nothing policy," he said as he straightens up his tie.

"You know nothing about the person I once was and regardless, he's dead now, and you will be soon," Brandon snarled.

Whittaker stepped forward lifting his lantern, and it began to glow, "I've been around for a while, and I can contest that you haven't changed much, a little less violent, but still, you move in the same circles, but oh what joys we have for you," he said with a large grin.

"Witchbane, would you kindly shut your mouth, it's pointless talking to the dead," said the panther as he stepped smoothly back, letting Edward in front of him.

"Hehe, well then, I guess words are wasted on you as well," the wolf said, elbowing the tiger.

"I told you, we're not dead, were just hard to kill,"

"I bet I can kill ya," he said with another grin and a wink.

"Shut up, the both of you, and do your job, I late for a pressing engagement, I have to see to the rest of the council, well then, farewell," said the panther as he snapped his fingers, and his hired muscle was blocking our path to him as he walked away.

"Oh my, I could have sworn I took your arm," I said casually to Edward. He grinned back and raised his fist.

"Oh no worries, this new one is much better," he said before it turned into liquid metal and shot forth like a snake. I watched as the spear tipped end went through my chest. I would have coughed up blood if I had not already phased out and ate the metal. He pulled back and reformed his arm. "I see you're back to normal,"

"Strange that you find any of this normal," I said in my echoing voice.

"He's going to kill the rest of the council?" Brandon asked them as he walked forward.

"Yes, the ways of old are done with, I'm sure you would agree with me, you rebellious prince," said Silver, his voice echoing though the church, drifting more distantly with each moment.

"Indeed, if anything, you should join us," Whittaker said as he turned to us, now with sword in hand.

"You know my answer," he said.

"Indeed, a pity, but you are the last of the old ones, and we can't afford to let you go," Whittaker came forth, and waved his lantern at us, and something changed. The air grew heavy and thick, his wicked magic crackled in the air as a small thunder storm began to appear. The energies built up as lightning began to discharge everywhere. I watched as a bolt ran right through me. It tingled slightly, but Brandon was already ducking behind the pews. I laughed as I opened up a portal below the cloud and ate it. The slayer was quick as he slashed his sword at my void, and sealed it shut. Edward waved his arm, and lashed out at all the seats, turning them over and slicing them, just missing Brandon as he popped back up. Silver was nowhere to be found. I came after Edward, with every intent to finish the job, but Whittaker was there to intervene.

He blocked my attack with a powerful barrier. It was solid against my ability. The gravity stopped intensifying and returned to normal when I noticed the pews were no longer creaking to the breaking point. I could not attack the slayer, but in return he couldn't touch me. Edward had already made his way towards Brandon, his new and improved arm shifting into wicked shapes, till they finally settled on a large scythe blade. He lashed out, leaving a large scar across the ground where Brandon once sat. He was already in the air, and then something interesting happened. The dead bodies around us began to stir, till suddenly, their blood spewed out from all their wounds. Crimson arcs flew across the air right at Edward. He managed to shield himself as they became solid and spread into his metal arm. The force slammed him into a wall before the blood splattered across the ground. Brandon raised his hands and the blood trailed towards him and swirled into small spheres that hung in the air. I stared long enough to notice Whittaker had taken down his barrier.

I was wise to dodge the best I could as his sword severed the barrier and caught the edge of my side. I winced and realized his sword had dispelled the void and returned flesh to that area. I watch the shadows slowly engulf it, till the wound was out of sight, but still stung. I took the opening and slammed at him with a giant paw. He caught himself off the wall and was on me in an instant. I could move faster than he could in this form, but he's skills made up for his lack of speed. He could read my moves as I swayed barely dodging the tip of his blade with each strike. I opened up holes around him, each sending out arms to grab and hold him, or strike him, but he sliced each one as fast as I could conjure him, all the while continuing to slash and keep me moving. I couldn't focus on anything big, and looked over to see how Brandon was fairing.

The vampires were going at it full force. With unnatural speeds and strength, the environment couldn't keep up with them. Walls cracked and furniture fell as they attacked each other. Brandon had used the blood to form large blades that flew all around Edward, while he turned his arm into thousands of needle like tendrils that seemed to fly everywhere, trying to score them through Brandon. He was quick to dodge, and block a few of them with shields made from the iron in the blood. It was like watching a video speed up on crack as they blurred back and forth, trying to end each other's life. The magic of his steel was matched by Brandon's blood magic, had Brandon had a few more bodies, there was no doubt he could have turned the tide.

I watched as Whittaker turned back to his lantern, its blazing light seemed to wash away my darkness as I shielded my eyes. When I opened my eyes, the slayer was next to me. I tried to grab him, but my arms were somewhere else. That's when I realized as I looked down, the slayer's blade had stabbed right though me. I watched as my arms held his hand, with the silver blade sticking though me, no doubt it was poking out of my back. I gasped as I realized the shadows had faded from me, I was just a flesh and bone fox once more. I watched him smile as he began to pull the blade out. I winced as I felt every inch of it slice my flesh on the return. I tried to breath, but only desperate wheezing came out. I could taste in my mouth as a lung filled with it. I feel to my knees, and the white wolf held up my chin, so that I could look into his cold eyes. "It's for the best," he said simply before letting me drop on the ground, blood pooling everywhere. It was in my fading moment, I noticed Silver was gone, and the metal acted strange in the church.

"Come, Edward, we're leaving," he said as I heard his footsteps echo away from me. I looked around, but my vision was already fuzzy. I saw the tiger break through the roof and disappear; the slayer scaled the wall quickly as he nullified gravity around him, and slammed the hole shut with a barrier. I watched as a dozen pillars of spikes made from blood stabbed at it, but shattered against the energies of the barrier.

I saw the figure exiting the building while Brandon still fought. He waved his paw and the spikes that had killed the council shifted, and became monstrosities. Gaping maws and spikes that made up a crude body, they managed a horrible cry that sounded like a person being stabbed on every square inch of flesh. They came to life and immediately closed in on Brandon. He cried out, as one shot out a spike that dug into his shoulder. I watched as he moved for cover, he ran towards where I laid and when he saw me, he stopped and was instantly next to me. I could feel the wound close up, but I was already drowning in my own blood. He couldn't stop my death. I watched his eyes tear up as he watched my drip blood from my maw. I tried to smile for him, but couldn't muster the energy. The world grew dark, and all I could do was mouth the word 'sorry'. I wish he wouldn't cry, it made me unbearably sad. When things became so dim, I could only make out shapes. I was there, watching from a window, hugging my knees. In my dark place once more, the hills I laid on once were so far, like a distant memory. I watched the whole room, my dying body, and the creatures closing in on Brandon. The other two had escaped. I stood up, tears in my eyes and shouted in the darkness, "No!" I would not let him die, with what breath I had left I opened a hole, deep inside me, I tore open a hole. My last try, the last of my will formed into energy.

There in the church, my body seemed to melt, and embraced Brandon. My last thoughts were only of his safety, as my last action tore open a hole to the void. Everything was sucked in, all the monsters, the pews, the stone, all of it, pulled into a point of infinite nothingness. Everything was crushed and sent in, a vortex like no other, and as fast as it had formed, it had disappeared. The church was gone, and so were half the buildings surrounding it. There were no signs of anything as a perfect sphere of air replaced the area. The only thing was a crying wolf at the center, his arms empty as his they slowly filled with his tears. I floated through the darkness, hearing his tears splatter against the ground. I frowned, and drifted around in oblivion.

Outside the area, Silver watched as the church vanished. Whittaker appeared next to him and soon followed Edward. "Did you remember to bring the artifact," he asked the wolf.

"Yeah, but damn thing creeps me out, I don't want to hold it anymore," he said, handing over the case to the panther. He smiled and opened it up, there in the foam, was a small, bleached skull. He placed his palm on it and felt his fur stand on end as he made a mental connection with a force of nature. He looked over, seeing a homeless dog wandering by to an ally. He reached out with his mind, and there it came, a shadow poured out from the skull's eyes, till it formed the text book example of death, and it flew towards the dog. He was visibly startled as he fell back when the shade approached him. Before he could scream, death reached out with a bony arm and touched his shoulder. His eyes went blank as his body fell over dead. "Damn, so it's true,"

"Yes, this is the real deal, now I have the power to change the world," he said as he purred to himself. Edward just looked over and shrugged.

"What's up with you?" said the wolf as he poked the tiger in the side.

He quickly swatted his paw away and looked to the wind. "I have a strange feeling," he said as he looked towards the horizon, "That something's coming,"

"Oh come off it," he said and tossed the tiger a drink he produced out of the air. "Cheers," he said and knocked back his own drink before the tiger nodded and did the same. They toasted to a job well done, and thought about what was to come.

Back in the church ground, Brandon hadn't left the spot he found Aiden at. He was sad, and angry, he saw the one he loved just die before him, with nothing he could do. He hung his head and looked up when he heard someone walk up to him. A familiar coyote stood before him.

"Come on, hon, we have to get you out of here," she said as she offered him a paw. He stood up, ignoring the paw.

"It's all my fault, I dragged him into all of this," he said, still looking at the ground.

"Sweetie..." she started, but had no words of comfort for him, so she did what she could do, and walked up and hugged the wolf. Brandon couldn't hold back the tears he stopped when he heard her footsteps. She gently rubbed his back as he cried silently onto her shoulder. After a while he nodded to her, and she became a being of flame once more, and carried him off into the night, his last tears leaving a sparkle in the night as they flew away.

Aiden cried to himself, he was all alone once more. The voices of his friends and the memories of Brandon began to slip. He tried to hold on, but every second was agony. It was easier to let go, one memory at a time, faded into nothing. He watched as the moments flew by. Still, he held on to the wolf, his face, his smile, his kiss. He would not let go, no matter what pain he suffered to cling on to the physical world. It burned him, his being, what was left, was agonizing to bear, than to just forget and be ignorant of what he left behind. He refused to let go, because it was the one thing he found in his life that was worth living for. So he drifted, lost somewhere in the realm of death and the void.

***

Edit: Okay, don't worry there's more, but I'd like to give a big shout out to Foreverwolf for helping read my story and making corrections to the things I stupidly spit out.