"Aaargh"

Skylar gritted her teeth and screamed as she closed the distance between the woman and herself. The woman was standing two feet in front of Ed and when Skylar looked at her smirking face, she suddenly felt as though she should see blood in them. Just as Skylar was closer to her, she raised her arms and put them around the woman's neck. Skylar knew that the woman had powers. She knew that even she herself had powers. But at that moment Skylar hated her for who she was. She did not like the powers that she had and she knew that her father was dead because of her. So, forgetting all of her powers, Skylar just wanted to kill the woman with her own bare hands.

"Trying to kill me, Skylar?" the woman cackled. Skylar felt her eyes burn by the fire in them and she looked at the woman, gritting her teeth.

"Of course I am, Aurelia." Skylar hissed. Her face was dangerously closer to the woman's. Skylar saw the color change in her eyes and the red eyeball turned into pitch black. Her eyes were not visible at all, because only black was there. But Skylar was not afraid. She knew that she would either kill the woman, or die trying.

"No Sky!" Skylar heard Ed say, but she did not reply. She knew that he was just thinking about what was better for her, and knowing that the woman had the capability to do anything, he was afraid that Skylar too would end up like her father. But Skylar smirked. She knew that if she was to end up like her loving father, she would happily do so. Skylar knew that living without him was out of the question for her.

"You killed an innocent man, Aurelia." Skylar spitted on the woman's face through her gritted teeth. The woman cackled and at once her demeanor changed. She flared her canines at Skylar, and she saw them shine in her dark face. But Skylar did not care. She wanted her dead. Skylar imposed more pressure on her fingertips and she looked directly at the woman's face. She was not smiling anymore, and the woman looked as though the pressure Skylar had imposed on her fingertips had done the trick. Her skin was starting to look pale, and Skylar saw her green veins bulge in her forehead.

"Feeling dizzy, Aurelia?" Skylar smirked as she saw the woman's eyes turn red once more and it went here and there, trying to focus on Skylar. She did not reply.

Suddenly, Skylar felt the skin under her fingers burn, and she looked at the woman once more. She was smirking at Skylar and she looked like the true devil that she was. Skylar tried to press her fingers more onto her neck, but she was not able to do so. Her fingers were slackening and she looked back at the woman, as she felt her skin melt under her fingers.

"What are you doing?" Skylar screamed. She was not able to even finish her sentence before a sudden wave of shock pushed Skylar brutally back against the floor. She lost her balance, and landed on her back, her face pressed against the floor.

"SKY!" Ed exclaimed and Skylar heard him struggling against his hold once more. A loud thud and a slow 'aow' was heard, and Skylar knew that he was being hit. She was not able to see him because she had fallen on the floor. Skylar heard the man hit Ed, and he fell to his side once more.

Skylar turned her head to the side by a degree and she looked at the woman. She saw that the woman was massaging her neck and she looked as though whatever Skylar had done had hurt her badly. Skylar pressed her hand to the cold marble floor and she pulled her sleeves across the side of her face, wiping the blood that was rooting down along the side of her head. She pulled her sleeves across her lips too and she saw the blood that had oozed out from her split lip etched on her sleeve. She looked back up at the woman. With one giant leap, Skylar was back on her feet. She saw Ed from the shadow of Aurelia and she saw that the man who was holding him down was stamping his head on to the floor. She saw his red bloodshot eyes and even though she started to feel afraid for him, she did not miss focusing on her target.

Skylar looked back at the woman. She was waiting for her as though they were two angry dogs staring at each other and as soon as Skylar started to run towards the woman, she snapped her fingers. Skylar felt two long demon arms hold her with her shoulders, not letting her to move on. She turned here and there, but it did not work. The hands were coming from the ground and she saw the blackened hands red shadow. She pulled her shoulders front, but the hold was too tight on her. She turned her eyes to the front. She heard the woman come closer towards her. Her high heeled shoes were hammering loudly on the ground and the contact echoed around the room. She knew the woman was very near to her, as she felt her shadow put Skylar's face in darkness. She turned her head towards the woman and looked up. She threw daggers at the woman and looked up at her face. The woman looked angrier than she had ever seen. Skylar saw her canines which were protruded out from her upper jaw and Skylar squinted her eyebrows as she wondered whether her canines had been longer than before. Skylar shook her head and removed her focus from around the woman's canines. Whether it was longer or shorter, she did not care. The woman was going to die from her bare hands.

"Not so brave now, are you, Skylar?" the woman hissed as she leaned towards Skylar's face. She looked up at the woman, and spitted on her face. The woman closed her eyes as the ball of spit touched her skin, and she pulled her sleeve over the spot.

"Sky..."

Skylar heard Ed mumble slowly, but she did not look at him. She saw the woman's eyes dangerously close to slits, and she looked victoriously.

"I saw my father's death from my own eyes, Aurelia." she hissed. "If I was afraid, I would not be standing here in front of you." she said. The woman chuckled.

"Sarcasm. Your sarcasm." she laughed pointing at Skylar and waving her finger at her as though she was a teacher talking with a stubborn kid. "I know that your sarcasm has driven all of my men mad, Skylar." she stopped in front of Skylar. Her back was turned towards her. "But it will not work with me." the woman said at last and suddenly she turned towards Skylar. She gripped Skylar's hair from the back of her head and leaned closer towards her face. Her shining canines were dangerously closer to Skylar's chin, and by the looks of it, Skylar knew that it was venomous. She looked up at the woman's face.

"You might be the first Shadow Fighter ever, Skylar." she hissed. Her lips moving over her canines. "But you can never match my powers." she finished and slapped Skylar hard across her face. Skylar's head fell to her side and she tilted on her knee. The blow was too strong and it made Skylar see stars in the darkness of her closed eyes.

"SKY!!" Ed screamed once more, and the man pressed his face further onto the cold marble floor.

Skylar's hair was fallen across her face and she slowly raised her eyes to look at the woman. She jerked her head, and except for the too much sweaty strands, most of her hair went back to its place. She looked at the woman from the middle of the strands. Skylar licked her lips, as she felt blood ooze along it once more, as the woman's long nails had cut them again. The woman looked at Skylar. She started to mutter some inaudible words, and Skylar tried to listen but she was not able to recognize either the words or the language. She squinted at the woman. She knew that the woman was trying something new.

Skylar knew she was right. As she had expected, when the woman's muttering came to a halt, the air behind the woman started to change and Skylar saw the shadow of a fire dance behind the woman's shadow. She craned her neck as she saw that the fire was actually a snake, but the difference was that this snake was made with fire. But Skylar was not afraid. She had killed enough snakes to know the experience and she had even killed a fire hawk. What more difference could this be?

Skylar struggled against the hold once more. The woman raised her chin up proudly and addressed Skylar.

"Are you sure that you want to fight her, Skylar?" she asked, nodding her head towards the snake. Skylar's eyes glanced at the snake and looked at the woman once more. She bit her lips. She knew that she did not have powers which were able to conjure a fire snake, but Skylar knew that she would die rather than be humiliated by the woman. She knew that she had to kill the woman. She had to take the vengeance over her, and to finish the business the woman had started with her father. She looked straight into the woman's eyes.

"I am not afraid of you, Aurelia." she said. "I don't wish to live long. And if my death is going to be in your hands, I would not make things easy for you." she hissed. The fire in her eyes was dancing once more. She heard Ed struggle and become silent once more. The woman smirked.

"I don't like to not grant death wishes." she said, shrugging her shoulders, and raising her arms around her. Skylar raised an eyebrow. The woman snapped her fingers and Skylar felt the demon hands that were holding her, leave her shoulders. Slowly Skylar stood up. She was eye to eye with the woman, and she saw that smoke was issuing from the woman's horns once more. The woman turned her head to the side and looked at the snake from the corner of her eyes. She turned back towards Skylar.

*

Skylar composed her face. She moved her shoulder muscles and she relaxed herself. She cracked her neck and kept her hands on her waist. The woman was staring at her as Skylar's eyes found hers once more. She wished to slap the woman, but she saw the fire snake behind her.

Screaming in rage, Skylar leaped forwards. The woman got to the side in the last second and Skylar raised her arms towards the snake. It was turning its long neck towards Skylar, and even though she felt her hands burn with the smoke, without concentrating on the pain she had, she tried to push her hands through the snake's body, trying to pull its heart out, like she had done with the hawk's. But as soon as Skylar put her arms in, she knew that she had chosen the wrong method. The snake just pushed its head down towards Skylar and it opened its large mouth. Skylar jumped back as its fired fangs tried to puncture holes on Skylar's neck. She blew her breath from out of her mouth. That was close.

Skylar looked up at the snake once more. It was screeching loudly, and it pushed its long neck towards her once again as though it was a giant jack-in-the-box. Skylar wondered what she should do. Her mind raced around many ideas and her eyes roamed towards her father's dead body. His face was pale, and the place where it had fallen was smeared with blood. Skylar felt her eyes burn and she looked back at the snake once more. Waiting until the snake came towards Skylar, she raised her arms, and took hold of its neck. She felt the thickness of its fired skin and as the snake pushed its head back up, Skylar held on to its neck and she too was raised from above the ground. She rotated as the snake moved its head here and there. She heard Ed struggle once more against his hold and she heard a loud kick. She knew that the man had kicked him once more. Skylar looked at the fired skin that was under her hands. The long snake was too large and its neck was twice the full thickness of Skylar's size. But she did not care. She knew that the size did not matter at all. Skylar closed her eyes and moved her hands around the fired snake as she felt her hands start to burn and sweat fill in them. She was afraid that she would lose the hold and she did not know what else to do, if she failed in this plan. She moved her legs and put them around the snake's body. Now, Skylar felt as though her whole body was on fire, but she did not care. The vengeance she had to take for her father was greater than all of her pains. She was his daughter. And she was not going to let the person who killed him be alive anymore.

Skylar moved here and there and finally, after adjusting herself, she came towards a comfortable position on the snake's body. She sat over its body, her legs on each of the sides on its neck, as though she was riding horseback. Skylar knew that the snake might have felt what she had done, because it started to screech and move its long neck to the sides, trying to push her off of its neck. Skylar jerked, but she pressed her body over the snake's and held closely. She scanned her eyes over her head, searching for something on the ceiling, which might help her to hold on to. Except for the shadow of the sign of infinity, it was empty. The snake rotated its head once more. Skylar held on to it closely, and she turned her head, biting on her lips. She saw something that she had not noticed before, and her eyes lit up as she saw a long chandelier hanging on the middle of the ceiling. She knew that it was perfect. She looked back at the snake and saw the blackened skin of her hands. But it did not sting Skylar anymore. She concentrated on the snake's movements and when it rotated its head once more, she leaped over its neck and jumped. Skylar thought that she had missed her target. But luckily she felt the metallic tubes and Skylar slowly opened her eyes as she felt herself hover around the ceiling, while her hands were gripping something. She opened one of her eyes, and peeped through it. A victorious smile went across her lips. She had won.

Skylar looked around her, and took in the details. She saw where Ed was and she saw that his eye balls were following her every action. She saw the place where her father's body was and finally her eyes fell on the woman who was scrutinizing Skylar with her eyes almost closed to slits. She ignored her and looked back at her target. The snake had not yet realized that the victim had gone from its neck and it smelt the air to come towards the human flesh. Skylar saw its fiery eyes turn towards her, and it started to slither across the floor towards Skylar. She knew she was ready. When the snake was just a few feet away from her, Skylar increased the speed of her oscillating self, and she gained momentum. She saw the snake come closer and closer towards her, and when it was in the position that Skylar had targeted it to be, she leaped back and oscillated forwards with ferocious force. A scream left Skylar' s lips and it mixed with Ed's painful scream. She did not stop, and with a giant force, the snake collided in mid air with Skylar's legs. She kicked the snake's head, and the blow which it had not been expecting sent it spiraling towards the ground. Skylar released the chandelier and she landed in an arc on the floor. She stopped herself on top of the snake's head and put her left foot on the ground. The snake was screeching and Skylar pressed her leg onto its neck. She leaned forwards and put her hands into its eyes. She felt her fingers go numb with the burning fire, but she did not care. She put her fingers into its eyes and scooped its eyeball out. The snake screeched loudly and hissed dangerously. But Skylar did not stop. It started to turn its head here and there and Skylar jumped down as its velocity increased. She waited until its good eye turned towards her, and when it finally did, she put her leg over its neck once more and scooped its other eye out as well. She saw a liquid form of fire spill out from its blind eyes and Skylar put the snake's eyeballs down. She saw it roll aimlessly over the ground and Skylar looked at the snake once more. It was trying to raise its head, but its long body and blind eyes were not a better combination. Skylar's eyes moved towards its fangs. She knew that what she was thinking was not a good plan but she did not have anything better other than what was on her mind. Fighting a snake without her powers had many restrictions and only her courage helped her to move forwards. She stepped over the snake's struggling body and went towards its head. The snake was raising its head up, and Skylar looked up, as its mouth opened largely, as though it was trying to gobble down Skylar in a single gulp. Skylar did not know how the snake was able to know that she was below its head, but she thought that the snake might have smelt her. She looked up. She waited bravely, until the snake brought its head down and she raised her hands up. With one huge force, Skylar held its two long fangs and a crack echoed around the room, as its fangs broke due to Skylar's larger force. She smirked as she brought her hands towards her once more and saw the broken fiery fangs in her hands. She looked up at the snake once more and saw that it was shaking its head here and there, as though it was trying to overcome its pain. Skylar looked back down. She knew what to do.

Skylar took a step front and she stood beside its thick neck. Gritting her teeth, Skylar hammered the fang ones on its neck. She did the same with the other fang as well. She waited and looked up. The snake's screech was too loud and she smiled victoriously. It had done the trick. The same liquid form of fire poured from its punctured wounds and Skylar saw the snake turn its head to the sides. She had won. With a last scream, the snake lost its focus and it thudded loudly to the ground. Skylar chuckled victoriously and she saw Ed nod appreciatively at her. She nodded back at him and turned victoriously towards the woman.

"What were you saying previously, Aurelia?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and tying her hands around her chest. She cocked her head to the side, as though she was wondering what she had forgotten.

"Oooh," she said. "You said that you have powers that I can only dream about right?" she asked. The woman hissed menacingly. Skylar went towards her. She saw the woman look darkly at her, as her eyes darted past the snake. "Powers don't need definitions, Aurelia." Skylar hissed. "Even if we have powers or not, it all comes second." she looked directly at her blackened eyes. "If you have enough strength here, that would make you the most powerful." she touched over her heart. She saw the woman hiss angrily. The woman jerked her head and looked up straight at Skylar.

"Let's see whether you will say the same after this Skylar." she said and as Skylar's eyebrows squinted in confusion the woman snapped her fingers once more.

Fire...

That was all Skylar could see.

"SKYYYYYYLAAARRRRR!!!!"

She heard Ed scream as Skylar slapped her hands over her body. She was on fire and wherever she turned, fire was all she could see. Skylar screamed. The woman had put her whole body on fire and Skylar knew that this time she had won. She heard Ed struggle once more, trying to come to her help, but she knew that it was in vain. He would not be able to help her out of it, whatever he tried. Skylar had felt pain during many occasions in her life. Even a few minutes ago, she had felt pain pierce through her skin when she had gotten over the fired snake's body. But when her whole self was on fire, what she felt was completely different. She felt the flames burn her clothes and the heat transfer towards her flesh. She rotated here and there, where she was, she felt the fire even burn the soles of her feet. Skylar felt the fire around her neck eat her alive and the tears that left from Skylar's eyes just turned into smoke once it came into contact with the fire. Skylar raised her arms up and she touched her glasses. Only the frame of her glasses had stopped her eyes from burning. She brought her burning hands up, and she removed her glasses. She did not want to see what was happening to her anymore. She knew she was dying.

Skylar's head moved to the sides as the fire started to burn the insides of her skin. She was able to feel the fire blacken her skin, and Skylar felt that she could hear her father calling out to her.

"I am coming dad."

Skylar mumbled and she hissed in pain, as the fire made her burnt blood ooze from her mouth, ears and eyes. She saw the blood and she knew that she was a long lost story. Skylar felt sorry for Ed. She knew that the woman would kill him after finishing her off. She mumbled an inaudible sorry for him. Skylar felt her eyes close as she tilted on her feet, and she felt her soul leave her body. She felt her body falling separated from her soul.

Falling... falling....

*

Suddenly, as though Skylar was waking up from a long sleep, she felt her body go cold. She did not feel the fire burn her skin anymore, and she felt the fire subside. Skylar turned her eyes around her and saw that the last of the flames flicker and die down. She had fallen on the floor and she wondered how that was possible. She felt that she was back on her body, and Skylar looked around her excitedly. She felt the last of the flames die on her body, and a chill wind went over her. Skylar felt the coldness run over her body, starting from the back of her neck, and remaining on the floor as she was, Skylar raised her arms up to her eyes. She was able to see her blackened skin through her burnt jacket, hoodie and t-shirt, and Skylar gasped as she saw her blackened skin turn white once more. It was as though someone was redoing history and what had happened to her skin, with the everlasting flames seemed to be reversing. Skylar's eyes got large in surprise. She felt the numerous pains she had on her body leave, and she slowly stood up as she felt that she was back to her normal self. She realized that she was able to see clearly and she felt her glasses back on her eyes. Skylar looked in front of her. Ed was sighing as though he was relieved and slowly Skylar touched the back of her neck. Everywhere on her body, she was feeling refreshing coldness except for the back of her neck. The birthmark which was hidden behind her butterfly tattoo was too hot and Skylar hissed as she touched the burnt mark. She chuckled. Had the mark that she had hated for so long been helping her at the most crucial moment of her life?

"No..."

Skylar heard and she turned behind her. She saw the woman was rooted on the spot and she was staring in an emotion that was surprise mixed with anger. Her blackened dark eyes found Skylar's blue ones once more, and Skylar lifted her lips up in a joyous and victorious smirk.

She took a step closer towards the woman. She saw the smoke which was issuing from out of her horns spiral and for the first time ever since she had seen her, fear clouded her face. Skylar took another step closer towards her. The woman took a step back. Her eyebrows raised up and a gasp left her lips as she realized what she had done. She had just gone back from her enemy when she was coming closer towards her.

"Afraid? Are you, Aurelia?" Skylar repeated her own words toward the woman. She looked up angrily at her and Skylar stopped. She took a deep breath and she actually felt energized. She cocked her head to the sides.

"Real powers will do marvels, Aurelia." she said, raising her chin up. The woman hissed angrily at her. She stretched her hands beside her, and Skylar knew that it was now or never.

"Gaaaarrrhh"

Skylar screamed and she leaped up on her feet. She raised her arms up above her head as a sword and when she descended towards Aurelia, she brought her hands down. Her balled up fists aimed it at the woman's heart. The force knocked her back and she fell down, with fear clouding her eyes. Skylar landed with her knee on her chest, stamping Aurelia down. She pushed her knee further, applying pressure onto her chest. Skylar leaned closer towards the woman. Fear was evident in her eyes, but she snared her canines at Skylar.

"You killed my innocent dad, Aurelia." Skylar hissed as she felt emotions build up inside her. "I asked you to take me instead. But you didn't listen to me." she spitted through her gritted teeth. The woman looked at her. "Killing innocent and being in power is the worst thing that anyone can do and you are the worst person to ever step on this earth." she finished raising her hand up. Skylar balled up her fist once more, and she brought it down forcefully. Her fist landed a hard punch on the woman's face and she hissed in pain. Skylar punched her once more. This time she punched her canines, and Skylar felt a loud crack. Her fists were like heavy mallets and when it hammered over her canines, it cracked and broke in two. Skylar smirked. She pushed the canines aside as she saw the woman's eyes go large in fear and pain. She saw green blood ooze from out of her mouth and Skylar did not care. She punched her face once more. Skylar remembered how the woman had slit her father's throat. She remembered how she had extracted her father's head away from his body. She remembered how she had pleaded with the woman, but still she had not listened. Her mind brought back old memories of her father. Skylar remembered how well he had taken care of her. She remembered how he had been both the mother and the father for her at all times she needed. The sadness in her heart was making her feel as though she was standing in front of a long lost hollow tube. She remembered how her father had cared for her when she had revealed all of her secrets for him. Finally, she remembered how he had muttered his love for her before his soul was ripped off his body.

Skylar sobbed. For every memory she remembered of him, she punched the woman more and more. She even tried to push Skylar off and to work her cunning powers once more, but Skylar's blows to her face were too strong and too painful to ignore and move on. Finally after what felt like an eternity to Skylar, she felt the woman's head fall back and her chest stop its beating. She had killed her.

Skylar fell back as reality dawned heavily onto her shoulders. She was happy and was feeling victorious as she had killed the woman. But when she realized that her father will not return back once more, she felt her soul leave her body. She felt her emotions build up inside her, but she shook her head. She knew that now was not the time. She had one more thing to do.

Skylar got back on her feet and she searched around her. Finally, she saw what she was searching for had fallen down beside Ed's feet and when she started to step towards it, the man who was standing behind Ed, fearing that she was coming to kill him, left Ed alone and he ran back away from the room. But Skylar did not care. She hurried towards Ed and she helped him back to his feet. She removed the rope that had bound his hands behind him, and without lingering near him anymore, Skylar took the dagger into her hands. She had more time to spend with Ed, and now she had one more important matter to do.

Skylar turned back and she hurried towards the woman. She kneeled beside her, and Skylar pointed the dagger over her heart. The dagger which had taken her father's life was hovering to take the woman's heart as well. With bloodshot eyes, Skylar looked at the woman's hateful face and she stabbed the dagger on her chest. She lifted it up and stabbed once more. She saw the woman jerk up in pain, but Skylar did not stop. She stabbed her once more. She groped the dagger to the sides, and opened up a hole which was large enough to push her hands inside. Skylar pulled the dagger out and threw it aside and she put her hands inside the woman's chest. She felt disgusted as the woman's insides touched her skin and Skylar shuddered as her lungs touched her fingers. She had done this once previously, but comparative to that, this was more horrible. Skylar bit her lips and she groped her fingers in some more. Finally, her fingers found the woman's heart, and with a joyous laugh and a ferocious hold, she pulled the woman's heart out from its attaching veins. With a noise that sounded as though a giant plug was being pulled off, the heart left its owner, and sat shuddering and shivering over Skylar's opened palm.

Skylar turned towards the heart on her palm, and she chuckled. All of it had been to take this. Skylar sighed. She had paid the vengeance for her father's death. She knew that it would take forever for her to overcome the pain of losing him. But looking at the heart of her enemy resting over her hand, thumping madly to make the owner live, was actually calming her down. Skylar raised her chin up. She snapped her fingers and the heart disappeared. She had sacrificed everything to get her heart and she was not going to lose it now. Skylar sighed as the heart vanished in front of her eyes. She turned towards the woman once more. An evil but at the same time beautiful smile went up Skylar's lips.

She had won the war.