Deep Kiss of Winter.

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Inside Alyson's mind, there was a dance studio. Mirrors lined the walls, mirrors that reflected various personality traits Alyson had and valued. However, several of the mirrors were broken, and inside one of the broken mirrors was the house. That was where Alyson currently was . . .

Alyson sighed as she slung her bag off her shoulder as she entered her house, a smile on her face. Today had been a good day. Exhausting, but very good. "We're gonna do great . . ." she murmured as she rummaged through the bag to pull out her ballet shoes. She hugged them close and squealed excitedly. "Ooooh! I can't believe I'm actually going to be dancing in Swan Lake!" she squeed, doing a bit of a happy-dance in place. She then ran upstairs to place her shoes on their pedestal in her room before running back down to grab the phone and call up one of her girlfriends.

"Yeah, of course I can get you tickets! I mean, I get paid a bit more if you and Gwennie pay for yourself, but if you really need to, of course I'll get you in! I need to know someone's going to be there to see me!" she laughed out. Suddenly, there was a knock at her door. "Oh, one sec Laura, someone's at the door. It's probably Daren, we kinda have plans for a movie night." she said, blushing at the thought. "Oh shut up! I don't know if it's gonna go anywhere!" she stammered, flustered as the person knocked again. "I gotta go! I'll call you back, okay?" she said before smiling as she hung up.

However, once she opened the door, it was only to immediately slam it closed again and try to swiftly lock it up. It wasn't Daren on the other side, but her ex-boyfriend. She ran back to the kitchen and dialed 911. She winced as she heard the sound of splintering wood.

As she waited for the dispatcher to pick up, her eye caught on a mirror in the room. A cracked mirror where a much paler version of herself was staring back.

"You die today. Sure they answer, but no one gets here in time. You turn into a ghost and then a phantom. You never return to normal. Because you trusted him. You let him into your life and now you're making the same mistake again. You're trusting Conrad right now. And look at you, you're dying again . . ."

Alyson gaped, horrified at the reflection before she threw the phone at the mirror, shattering it. "You're wrong . . . I'm not making a mistake . . . I'm not . . . I'm . . . " she was shaking, watching as the house was fading away, just the broken pieces of the mirror left behind before she dropped to her knees sobbing. "How can I let him in? What can he possibly see in me . . .?" she muttered as she wept there in the dark unaware that her mind had a visitor . . . unaware that she was even dreaming.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

A new figure appeared in another mirror. "Hold on." A soft voice whispered. "Hold on."

The voice held a slight French accent, as if the person had once been truly French. "Hold on Alyson." Marie whispered to her.

The image pushed out of the mirror and took form holding out her hand. "I'm here. At Conrad's unique request. Take my hand. Everything will be all right." The woman smiled kindly. "We'll get out of here." The sound of heavy footsteps sounded around them. "I can save you from this again. Let him in. And he'll make sure that you'll never have need of me again."

Clara grew alarmed. Her sisters nose was bleeding. How long had they been locked like this? She looked outside and mewed at the weather. Her sister was drawing a lot of power to do this.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Alyson looked up at the woman who had joined her. "Who are you?" she asked both rather curious and slightly distrustful at the same time. But once the heavy footsteps started, Alyson looked alarmed. She swiftly got to her feet and made to go to Marie, but a ribbon appeared, wrapping around her right shoulder, holding her back before a second appeared around her chest. A dark stain of red appeared on each ribbon and began to drip blood. The first and second stab wounds she received courtesy of her ex-boyfriend. The end of the ribbons trailed out into the darkness, but there they were being held taught by something, something that didn't want to let Alyson go. A third ribbon appeared, this time wrapping around Alyson's abdomen . . . "No! I wanna go!" she screamed as she struggled against the ribbons that were as strong as chains, trying to get to the outstretched hand that would give her freedom. A fourth ribbon appeared around Alyson's throat, choking her as a male voice echoed from the darkness . . .

You let me in once Alyson. And look at you. I killed you. And now you're dying again. Do you think I'll give you up so easily . . .? I promised that if I couldn't have you that no one else would. You'll never get away from me . . . He can't save you here . . .  

[Hikari_Mamo]

"I'm Marie. History remembers me as Marie Antoinette." Marie said moving forward. "Be gone." She said to the voice, hearing it. "You have no power here." She moved closer to Alyson. "Say it again Alyson. Do you want to see Conrad again? Do you want to leave this place? Do you? If you do, then he has no power here. Does he have power over you?" Marie could only do so much but if this part of her was having doubts. . . "Does this creature? This, vermin, hold power over the Famous Alyson, the only one to make the Louisiana Governor Cry when he watched your rehearsals of Swan Lake? Does he?" She challenged, hoping she had the will to push back against the memories.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Alyson shook her head furiously. "I wanna go home! I wanna go back to Conrad!" she shouted as she struggled all the more fiercely against her bonds. They did seem to be growing more slack as she fought against them.

The voice hissed. You're never going back. You're mine. I'll make you stay with me forever . . .

"NO!" Alyson screamed, wind picking up as she turned around and grabbed the ribbons and yanked. "You're not going to control my life anymore! I won't let you control me anymore! I left you! You may have killed me, but I won't let your memory haunt me! You are dead to me!" she screamed, pulling a tiny little man out of the darkness before she stepped on him, crushing him under her shoe, the ribbons disappearing as she ground him into dust.

The wind died down as she calmed down, sighing, wiping the tears from her face as she made her way towards Marie. "U-um . . . not to be rude but . . . um . . . didn't your head get chopped off in the French Revolution?" she asked still rather distraught.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Marie smiled as she beat her own demons without much assistance. She could work on the other parts now. "Hm? Oh no. It was just an illusion. I escaped but my human family didn't. Well. . .Clara did. Ssh. She thinks she's my sister but is really my daughter renamed." She smiled softly.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Alyson sniffled. "Oh. S-sorry for your loss." she muttered, wiping at her eyes. "C-can I go home now? You . . . you said Conrad sent you?" she asked, a small smile creeping onto her face.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

"Yes. He did." Marie replied. "He sent me to help you. To seal you properly into your new form. And now you've defeated what has held you back, I can help you. I hope you don't break his heart." She gently petted Alyson's head. "Just be careful. He has in the past drank people to death so he'll have moments of insane rages. But I'm sure you can more than handle those."  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Alyson sighed. "I don't want to break his heart . . ." she murmured before looking confused. "Wait . . . seal me properly? Why? What's wrong with me?" she asked with more than a bit of worry.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Marie nodded. "It appears the witch that tried to rid of you, she mixed spells and in trying to force you into passing into the next life trapped you in a state of both life and death. The fatigue you've been feeling is your body dying, and regenerating into life. What I am doing is stabilizing that. Stopping the death, changing you into an Immortal proper. To end the pain. When you wake, you will be sore, but it will pass in a few hours. You'll shift from corporeal to non at will, but when you go into your ghost form, you'll be wearing the dress you died in."  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Alyson's eyes were wide. "Oh . . . I guess that makes sense . . ." she muttered, rather concerned about the whole 'body dying then regenerating' thing, but Marie said she would fix that . . . "Will . . . I be able to walk on my own after I wake up?" she asked, wondering if she'd even remember any of this since she was apparently dreaming (something she hadn't realized until Marie mentioned 'waking').  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Marie smiled. "Not at first." She replied. "It will take about an hour for your body to start healing faster. I suggest taking it slow at first. Like when you are a toddler learning to walk, you'll fall down but you will get up."  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Alyson chuckled a little. "Still sounds easier than what I was going through before. I couldn't even stand on my own . . ." she explained rather bashfully. Then she held out her hand. "You said if I take your hand I can go back right? I'm ready to back now." she said, smiling softly. True, her mind hadn't completely healed, but she was ready to move on. She wanted to let go of her past and try and forge a new future . . . possibly one with Conrad . . .  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Marie smiled softly. "Yes," She replied. "I hope, I hope you don't hurt him." She added and stretched out her hand again. "I have finished my work, are you ready to return? You will wake about five minutes after I awaken."  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Alyson grabbed Marie's hand with a rather fierce nod in the affirmative.

Back in the waking world, Alyon's color returned to her face and her breathing, while still slow, was the deep and even breathing of peaceful sleep.