Havoc in the Heart

[»Míríel«]

Miriel's heart was breaking, it was shattering slowly on the ground. How could one man have held so much of her heart? She knew she had to leave until she gathered herself, this heartbreak was causing her to lose control of her skin, and if she switched close to Damion it would hurt him even more. Surely he would understand, she had to go. She had to. The tear that fell from her eye only made it half way before evaporating. Her temperature was rising and her palms, which had been open to allow the flames to dance between them, were now clenched tightly in protest to the change. She had to stay calm, she had to keep things under control. Sadly, it didn't seem like fate would allow that to happen.

A cold heavy weight hit her on the shoulders, causing her to fall face first into the ground. What had just happened? Her sight went black for a moment but it was regained quickly. The thing holding her down reminded her of Neron, yet it was much, much colder. "DAmion?" She was scared now, had he just attacked her? Those green pools of her widened as she tried to fight back. "Damion!! Let me go!" His words came through her panicked state. Her control was slipping even more as those pieces of her heart quavered in fear. He wouldn't would he? "Damion you have to let me go! Don't you understand I can't hold on much longer I -" Tears were streaming from her face as she continued to struggle, keeping her skin was a lost cause, she had to get away. By the moment her body was growing hotter and hotter, until there was almost a fiery haze around her, engulfing her figure. Her green eyes were growing white and seemed to glow and her arms seemed to be melting into flames, growing fainter by the moment. "Damion let me go before you get hurt!" The tears no longer made it much farther than her eye before evaporating. Her heart was pounding rapidly, not only increasing like a birds, but quickened by fear. Damion looked furious, he seemed possessed in some strange way. "You're scaring me." He voice was faint and barely above a whisper.

[saerwen]

Damion felt the heat eminating from Miriel and it became harder and harder to stay beside her. He knew that if he didn't go away soon, her fire would melt him. That would mean a very certain death for him. No matter how much he loved Miriel, he couldn't stop the fact that once she changed forms, he would have to stay away from her. She was too hot for his cold to cope with. That was why phoenix's had been so dangerous to him in the past. Those fools in the city all knew that he was an ice dragon, and what that meant for him. Their fire was like the plague. It would burn him incurably if it came into contact with him, and if it touched anywhere near his chest, he was as good as dead.

Damion remembered something that one of his "friends" had told him before he knew that Damion was an ice dragon, "The heart of an ice dragon is frozen over so they say...Some people think that this means they are all cruel and emotionless, but really, it means that they are cecptible to burning alive simply by being to close to a fire. You see, when an ice dragon's heart comes in contact with heat, it begins to melt. It doesn't take as long as normal ice because it is weakly protected. It wouldn't take much, even a baby fire dragon could kill an adult ice dragon with his flame. You melt the heart in a few seconds and then they die. Some people say that it is the price they pay for trading a beating heart for an icy one, that they must die in the face of fire so that their trade will be undone." Damion had known that since he was very young. His heart had almost melted when he was little simply because he had been curious about the burning substance called fire, that his mother was obviously afraid of.

As Miriel's heat began to reach all the way up to his chest, he felt himself burning inwardly. It was the same feeling that he had had when he was little. THere was just too much heat for him to deal with. He would die in a matter of minutes if he didn't move away and protect his heart. He heard MIriel's pleading with him and decided to listen. She was right, he would get hurt...it was hurting right now. He was scaring her...He had to leave. Something down inside of him groaned at the thought...he couldn't leave her, he loved her! Why would he leave her? Who cares if she's hot? He knew that from the moment that he saw her face by the lake. She was the phoenix that he had rescued.

He backed away from Miriel enough to let her up and to keep his heart from being too close to her flame. His chest was pulsing, like his heart beat was shining, and the scales that protected his chest now appeared to be soft like skin.

"I am sorry, Miriel. I don't know what is wrong with me. You don't have to go, I will. We probably both need to time to cool down," a cough ripped his sentence apart, but he quickly recovered himself, "You most of all," he chuckled lightly, as though his old personality had come back. "I hope that you can forgive me for this. I won't be upset if you don't, though. I have done nothing to encourage that. Please-" Damion stopped dead in his tracks. Something wasn't right. Someone was watching them. He could feel it. His eyes narrowed, rising to look around them.
*********************
Eventide had not expected to find much in this place. It was damp and bleak. She hated the ocean. It was always loud, filled with birds, and sandy. She also hated the smell of salt in the air. It was like fish. Granted, she liked fish, but she just couldn't stand to smell them all the time. SHe had come here because the was looking for Cecily. She had seen her here before, but apparently this was not one of her usual haunts. She would have to try those ruins next. Those looked like Cecily's kind of place.

On her walk however, she found something that was quite interesting. There was someone here that she had not seen for a couple of months. It was the dragon. She had heisted the dragon and his friend a few months back, and had turned his friend into one of her fiends. The poor dragon had been completely scared by the experience, but then again, she held no pity for him. He had given her quite the freeze. His magic was potent when he wanted it to be and even in pain he was formidable at fighting. She had not really expected to see him again, but she would never forget him. He had been the sweetest person that she had met that night. It was like he just couldn't do anything cruel. However, she had found out that he had more than one side, jsut as she did.

He appeared to be having a quarrel with his lover, who Eventide soon found was a fire wielder. "Stranger and stranger...why would an ice dragon fall in love with a fire wielder? They are the death of practically all ice dragons." she thought to herself. It was an interesting sight. What was even more interesting was how he stopped. He was in the middle of his sentence when he stopped. What was he thinking? What did he see? His gaze soon fell upon Eventide, who was in her human form, and staring right back at him, his cold blue-white gaze sent shivers up her spine as she recalled their fight.

Damion saw her, and he could hardly believe that the source of his troubles was here. Why was she here? What was she doing here? His eyes were now wide open, and glaring at her as she began to walk forward. He wished that Miriel had been able to leave now, but it was useless. She was about to understand everything.

[»Míríel«]

When Damion let go Miriel immediately stopped fighting. She needed to gain control back, and it was going to be a hard feat. So her slight form lay on the grown, which now was starting to burn, and the grass was singed and black around her. Flames wreathed around her form and the tears from her eyes were no longer water, but instead white droplets of fire.

Damion's words didn't help, she didn't know what to make of them. The Damion she knew was talking now, but how long would he stay, how long would the man she loved continue to inhabit the body of the ice dragon. Her now white eyes looked through the tears at his form. Phoenix's tears didn't hinder the sight like human tears do, for they are merely another bit of fire on the form. Her eyes focused on his chest, the skin wasn't as rigid and hard as before, but was softer and more supple. She had hurt Damion. Guilt filled her soul and accompanied the anger and confusion beneath. When Miriel had emotions heaped upon her she became one of two things, weak and helpless, or blindingly raging mad. IT all hung on a balance, if she chose the human form she would be the former, if she chose phoenix, it would be the later.

Damion's words stopped and he looked at a new figure approaching. It was what looked to be a girl and Damion seemed to recognize her, not in a fond way. Who was this, was it his past girl? The thought send waves of rage through her body, or was it someone else? Damion seemed dismayed at this appearance and Miriel knew even though she and Damion were fighting, if Eventide even tried to attack Damion, she would come up in his defense.

Miriel lay on the ground, frantically trying to grasp control of herself, but she also waited to see what this new person would bring to the problem. Would this person calm them down, which she doubted, or merely stir up the fire even more.

[saerwen]

Everything that had been wrong with Damion for the past few days was starting to come together into one horrible concoction. Now that she was here, he could direct all of his anger towards the witch instead of Miriel. Who knows, if he played it right, maybe Miriel might help him. Then he thought again...Miriel...She had not yet seen what this girl could do. What might she try to do to Miriel? All thoughts of saving Miriel that he had had before had never been as strong as they were now. Before Eventide could reach MIriel, he stepped in between them. There was no way that he was going to let that girl take someone else from him that he loved.

When Eventide saw how protective he was of the girl, she knew that he remembered everything that had happened that night. There was no way that her illusions would work on him now unless he was very weak, which she knew that he wasn't. She still had back troubles from when she fought him. However, despite the block between her and the girl, there was plenty of chance to use her against. this overgrown ice cube, should he decide to do something stupid. He had a very soft and weak heart when it came to fighting with his friends. Probably because his sense of loyalty was blown out of proportions. If this girl really was his lover, then that would make things especially hard on him.

When she was close enough to hear and talk to both of them, she decided to act rather normal. Just like she had done on the night that she had run into him and his friend, "Hello there! What might a fine couple like you be doing out here?" she had put on a sweet smile and a pleasant atmosphere, but little did she know that that was the wrong move. Damion's blood was frozen over. He could feel that his heart was slowly recovering and that he was going to be able to use his full power again.

A low growl emitted from his throat in warning as Eventide scooted her way closer and closer. She knew that this was going to get ugly, there was simply no way around it. She had left this guy with a few bad memories and had done more harm then help. She began to think out her plan of attack when she heard him speak:

"Go away! I am surprised that you even have the nerve to talk to me after what you did," his voice was so cold, fitting for his form.

"Oh, well, you see, that wasn't my fault," Eventide knew that she had to tread very carefully.

"Not your fault? I know that neither I nor my friend had the capability to do what you did."

"But you see, if you hadn't attacked me, then I would never have had to do that. It was your fault you see."

"My fault? My fault?! Well perhaps we should settle the score here and now. We will know whose fault it was this time," Damion's eyes were blazing with a cold fury. Snow began to cover the ground and the wind began to blow harder and faster than Miriel had ever been exposed to. It truly was a full blown blizzard, blocking out the sun, and causing eyesight to become a challenge, to everyone but Damion.

Eventide quickly changed forms and began to seek a place to hide while she concocted her evil plan. However, they were completely out in the open. "Not good, Eventide. Not good at all. You are a turkey on thanksgiving for this guy. There is no way for you to win like this." Then, an idea struck her. The insurance that she had made sure was present a few moments ago was still there. Her face was twisted with a little smile.

She had to scamper out of the way of a freezing magic attack that froze the snow that was on the ground over. When she was out of that target range, she saw the phoenix. Doing her best, she created a very strong illusion. This had to feel real.

In the midst of the raging storm, Miriel would have seen a small little girl in a short sleeve shirt and a shorts sitting down in the snow. She was shivering awfully and crying. She kept saying something that could barely be heard over the sound of the wind. "Help me! Please, I am so cold!" She cried out, and then, rubbed her eyes as she realized the tears on her face were frozen solid. "Help me, I am scared." She continued to plead. As the dragon was about to send Eventide another attack, she made the little girl scream for help and say, "Please save me! Help me! Don't hurt me." It looked like Damion's magic was about to hit the little girl. This would have been incredibly hard for Miriel to see through, and Eventide smiled because she knew it.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel still lay on the ground, trying to conserve energy to fight the will to change to phoenix. If she did change she didn't know how things would go. Sometimes in her phoenix state she would gain her father's red-hot temper. She never knew how she would react, so she hated going into the form, yet with this form she also was addicted to it. It called every fiber of her being. Miriel wanted to be free, wanted to soar among the clouds and at the present this is something that was calling her the most.

The whole conversation with the girl was a bit confusing, apparently this girl had done something that had angered Damion greatly. Miriel didn't know what. Then the storm hit, Damion was causing a blizzard like Miriel had never seen. The temperature was to cold, it was chilling her to the bone, and in reaction her form begun to change. Her body was wreathing in flames, and her human form begun to waver from view, like the fire was hiding it. Feathers were seen, brightly shining out. No Miriel, you must hold it back, this is your Mr. Hyde, you must contain it, you must.

The last straw was pulled when She heard a faint cry of a child. Where did she come from? Miriel couldn't remember a child being there, and most children would have back away at the sight of an ice dragon and a woman on fire. The child must have wandered in at the wrong time. The mothering nature of Miriel rose and it left he no choice, she had to change to get to the child in time. In those skanty clothes the child wouldn't last for long. So, the fire took over her soul.

A bright light sparked out among the snow, causing the flakes about the Phoenix to turn to water, then sizzle into steam. The form of Miriel could be seen no more and what lay beneath that innocent form was released. Stretching out powerful wings she hurled herself at the child and when she arrived she enclosed the child with her large wings. The flames were a deep red, and were far enough away not to hurt the child but to make it a warm and cozy environment. Meanwhile, on the outside, Miriel took the brunt of Damion's attack and when it had cleared blue streaks of flame wreathed about her form, a sure sign of anger. How could Damion attack a little child, was he that blind? Her wings parted slightly, allowing her head to peer out. The snow about her was no longer there but was a slurry of mush quickly changing to water. Those usually kind eyes of hers were blazing white, a normal thing to phoenix's. IF you could have read her expression it would have shown confusion and disappointment, perhaps Damion would be able to feel it through their bond as a couple. "What are you doing?" Her voice was flat and lifeless.

[saerwen]

Eventide rather liked how this was going. The dragon had attacked his girl because he wasn't blinded by the illusion that she had used. He had no idea what the phoenix had seen. All he knew was that the person that had killed his best friend and used him for a slave was alive and right in front of him. Hopefully what would happen would be that the two would get angry at each other and start fighting. After all, it didn't take much to start a fight between lovers. The dragon would be mad that the phoenix protected Eventide and the phoenix would be mad that he had attacked in the first place. She grinned, and sat still, delighting in the warmth provided by the phoenix.

Damion couldn't take his attack back, but he knew that it would do little harm to MIriel. SHe was practically invulnerable to his attacks. He could have used a stronger magic had he wanted to, and it would have done damage, and he could have taken any attack that she dealt to him and sent it straight back to her, but the problem was that he didn't want to fight Miriel. He never had. When he realized what had happened he could hardly choke out a word.

"Miriel, are you alright?!" of course she was alright, but he still had to ask.

Then she asked what he was doing. How could she have protected Eventide? Because she doesn't know, you fool. She has no clue what this woman is capable of, what she can do to you.

"I am fixing the problem that I have had for the past few days. It will only end after this. Whatever it is that you are seeing come from this girl, you are mistaken. It is only an illusion. She has no use for friendships. She can't keep them," although his words might have sounded harsh, they were all true. Eventide was wicked, and she had never done anything to earn his trust or friendship. Where he was usually forgiving, he was no longer.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel drew her wings back from the child she had been protecting and didn't answer his inquiry. "You are fixing a problem by killing a child?" Her eyes blazed and slivers of blue fire shot through her feathers. Damion had mentioned the use of illusions, something that caused Miriel to pause for a moment. She had heard of such things as illusions, but she had never seen one, or she didn't think she had. Now she was being called to make decision, to trust Damion, or to trust her own eyes and experience.

The form of the Pheonix backed up from both figures, she didn't know who to trust, she didn't know what to do. Damion had been acting so strange of late, but right then it sounded like the old Damion, but was it? Could she trust this beast side of him that had jumped her? "I know a child when I see one Damion. I have been around them enough to know one. Do you think me so incompetent to not be able to tell the difference. " The anger in her heart still was stronger than her fear or confusion, thanks to her being in Phoenix form. "If she had no friend Damion, than she needs some and we must help her. Though many may act like they have no need of friends and only use those around them for evil, they have a secret desire within them, one that longs for companionship. No, she has a friend somewhere, though she may not wish to admit it. Yes, I would not be surprised if she had a friend, though what I am surprised about is how you are acting. This is not like you Damion. It's not like you. To attack a child, to attack me. What is happening to you? Where is the Damion I once knew?"

[saerwen]

Damion knew by the look in Miriel's eyes that she wouldn't trust him. She was not going to accept the thought that she was being fooled that easily. When he heard what she had seen, he knew why she would be angry with him. A child of all things. Of course Eventide would have twisted it to seem as bad as it could possibly get. He sighed and shook his head.

"Miriel, you know that I would never attack an innocent child, but that is no child that I see. Don't you wonder where the girl with the strangely purple eyes has gone? There is no proof that she is anywhere around me or you? Where could she have gone? Isn't it convenient that she suddenly disappeared and then, this child was in the path of the attack meant for her...Miriel please, I know that I haven't been that trustworthy these past few days, but if you really want to know what has happened to me ask that 'child'. She is the cause of it. I have done nothing that she didn't deserve."

Eventide heard this argument. Why hadn't she remembered that the dragon was a smart one. His argument was starting to convince Eventide. She had to find a way out of this, but it was too late. The dragon had dug her into a hole too deep. SHe was going to have to find make a more powerful illusion. It would be hard but, she would manage it. So, her power over MIriel began to grow, the illusion becoming a little more real as the "child" called out for help again, "Please miss, don't let the scary dragon hurt me. I didn't mean to." Then Eventide created another illusion of herself, walking towards the pair from behind them.

"Are you really in love with someone that would harm an innocent child? And how dare he accuse me! You best find you a new, perhaps better man."

Damion didn't know what Eventide was doing, but it was killing him to watch Miriel protecting her. He wouldn't fight as long as Miriel was there, but he wished that she would leave so that he and Eventide could finish this. At least he could get her in so much trouble that she couldn't hurt anyone else. She needed to be caged, not killed. However, he was very tempted to do the latter. Miriel was going to be the barrier that stopped him from doing that. She would always be the barrier that stopped him from doing anything harmful. He would never forget that he was the one that had caused her to lose part of her memory. He would never forgive himself.

"Look Miriel, let's just let this drop. I know what I see, but I don't know what you see. I won't make you do something against your conscience," with that, he changed his form. His snowy white hair was soon visible. The snow storm subsided and everything went back to normal, except for the soaking wet ground around Miriel. "I won't fight with you Miriel," he sighed and was about to turn away, "one beloved friend's life is not worth yours."

[»Míríel«]

This whole ordeal was playing with Miriel's mind. She imagined that this is what drowning would be like, the world growing dark and murky as your sense of direction slowly slips away, as does your life. Who could she trust? Just when she was about to side with Damion the figure of the other girl appeared. The girls words were poison to her heart and her mind.

"I don't know... I didn't think so. But now. Now I'm not sure."

The fiery form of the phoenix grew darker and soon shrunk and faded back into the form of a girl. This time Miriel's human form wasn't bright and shining but dim. Her usually bright eyes were shrouded with confusion, her long, straight, black hair hung about her in disarray, and her arms were clasped across her chest, giving her an almost hunched look. To Damion's request to let things drop she turned from him and nodded, her voice low, "Yes, let's" Her back was to him now and if he looked at her she would have been bearing the resemblance of an orphan, alone in the world, unsure of what to do. The sad thing was is that she was an orphan and it only made her appearance more heart breaking.

You must pull yourself together, you need to think. This whole day had been filled with confusion. It left her tired and weak minded. All the things she once thought were rules now were scattered on the ground, broken and in pieces. It would be easy for an outsider to pick up the pieces and put them back together in a twisted and hideous fashion. Yes, it would be all to easy....

[saerwen]

Damion was glad that they were no longer fighting. One thing bothered him more than any other though...Miriel was talking to something that wasn't there. Eventide was sitting on the ground behind Miriel, but hse was addressing something in front of her. She was still under Eventide's control, and he didn't want to leave her like that. He knew that she could generally take care of herself, but everything inside him told him not to leave the one that he loved most with that witch. Who knows what she would have done. He stopped himself from walking away first. He was going to have to watch Miriel leave, and it would hurt, but it was what he must do to keep her safe.

When he saw how horrible he looked, he felt his heart start to tear. THere was no way that he could leave her like that, or let her leave like that. Even though he knew that he was probably being selfish somewhere along the way, he just had to. He ran up to her, covering the distance in a few long strides. He then wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. She was still so warm. It almost burned, but he wouldn't let go until she made him.

"I'm sorry, Miriel. I will be back to normal soon, I promise. I will make this up to you."

Eventide was very sour right about now. She could hardly believe that they had given up on a fight just like that. It was surprising. Not even most married couples could have solved such an argument so quickly. It was upsetting to the little schemer, but she would find another way. That poor girl looked to be broken. She could easily reap the pieces into a bag and match them up in a mixed up way. It was a slight specialty of hers. As she watched the dragon go over and embrace the girl she was suddenly very jealous. She knew that she could have had someone like him had she not been like she was. She wished that she knew what it was like to love someone. She walked off, unable to look back. Her cold heart was slightly softened by that sight, but not enough to make her want to stop.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel was surprised by strong arms encircling her waist. It was so nice to have someone to lean on and it was just what she needed. Yet something was missing, her mind was still confused and it effected her hearts ability to warm up to it. Still she relaxed against him and tilted her head back on his shoulder. Reaching up behind her head she ran her fingers through his hair. "I know... I know." She didn't doubt that Damion would be back to normal soon. Even the most terrible storms passed and the sun would shine again. Perhaps the sun would take more time to be as bright as before, but it would be able to pierce through the darkness, eventually.

Miriel stopped running her hand through his hair and let it fall to her side as she turned slowly to face him. Then her hand resumed its place on his chest and show bowed her head, unable to look into his eyes. "I just need some time Damion. I just need some time to think this all through. My mind right now is muddled, and I can't see clearly. " She had drawn closer to him, enjoying the coolness of him. It seemed to sooth her aching head and slow down her whirling mind. Damion was her center to her word, in a sense, he balanced her out and soothed her. Perhaps that is why this event had shaken her so much. So she relaxed against him for a moment more, unconsciously her arms had moved up around his neck and she was pressing herself against him, her temperature cooling down quickly. "I just need to work this out." Her voice was gentle and slightly muffled by her head being pressed against his chest.

Then she did something she didn't want to do. She took her arms from around his neck and stepped back. Every part of her bod screamed her not to. She wanted to stay in his strong, comforting arms, to feel his coolness and relax. Damion would smooth away all of her fears, he would comfort her, and she knew this. Miriel also knew that she had to leave, there was something in her that wasn't right yet, it was keeping her from relaxing fully against him. What was it? Was it a seed of distrust? She had to find out, and so she left. Walking slowly away from Damion, yet just before she passed out of sight she turned and let a ghost of a smile play on her lips. Then she was gone.

[saerwen]

Damion was glad that Miriel wasn't still upset enough to push him away. He knew that they both needed this. It would keep them going long enough for both of them to figure out what was going on and how to fix it. They just needed to try harder. It didn't sound to hard because Damion was now comforted by Miriel's touch. He knew that when they were apart it would be much harder to straighten things out. This moment would give him the comfort to keep him trying though. It would get better. It had to.

As she pulled closer and closer to him, Damion listened and understood. He knew exactly what she was feeling. This whole problem had affected both of them. His mind was confused and jumbled together, just like Miriel's and he knew that she needed time. He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter and began to stroke her long black hair gently. THey would get through this. It would be okay. He knew it now. He would do whatever he had to.

"I know what you mean, love. But it will work out. We will both figure out what is wrong. I know I have the majority of it, so I will fix it. We will be back to normal soon!" He gave her a bright smile then let go as she pulled away. He knew that they needed to leave and start working. He would keep smiling for her until she was out of sight, glad to see that she could return the favor in a slight manner. He then turned and walked away in his own direction.

THE END