O'Conner's School for the Light challenged

[Hikari_Mamo]

"He didn't protect me!" Emma sobbed. "He didn't protect me like a father's supposed to! He let them hurt me!" Emma eventually choked out after ceasing to lash out and hit Anya. "Mother lied! She could've told me about him, could've let me see him be around him but she lied! Why is everyone lying to me? Has any one ever told me the truth?" She tore off her bandages until she was half naked and bleeding. "I nearly died twice because of the lies. I had no father warning me to stay away from the gang. God the pain was numbing." She paced around the pool in her dirty knee length pants pulling out the shards of plastic in her belly. "All lies. All of it. I don't think I'll be able to trust again."  

[The Madame Red]

"Calm yourself and sleep," Anya whispered as she whispered into Emma's ear, forcing her to remain still.

Her hands slowly went up Emma's body before finding the right nerve and gave it a quick pinch. Emma barely had time to feel the sleeping sensation before Anya caught the girl before letting her fall to the ground. She patched Emma back up, putting her bandages back on, clothing her, and then picked her back up and carried her outside to Jess and Conrad. Anya gave Emma to Jess to fix up completely before bowing to Conrad, "Forgive me, but I have bitten her before to make her part of the family I used to belong in. I've also rendered her unconscious for a few hours for her to calm down. I also apologize for my partner, he doesn't quite know how to handle this situation as well as the situation we're both in currently."

Anya then bowed low once again, "Excuse me, I would like to tend to your daughter before she wakes up."  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Conrad put a hand on Anya's shoulder a look of torture on his face. "She hates me now she knows, doesn't she?" He said more like a statement than anything else. He watched as Jess carried Emma inside. "If Oscar keeps upsetting her though, I'm going to have to step in and do something drastic even if she hates me." He was starting to talk to himself now. "If her mother only told her who I was this never would have happened, she wouldn't be damaged like this. Dammit Danniella why did you tell her?!" He sighed a tiny bit and sat on the ground suddenly realising Anya was still there. "Yes, tend to her. Make her happy. Do everything that I doubt she'll let me do."

Emma stared sightlessly at the ceiling when she woke. She didn't eat, didn't sleep, didn't respond. It got so bad they had to attach IV lines to keep her alive. It was his fault she was like this. His fault she couldn't have babies. It was their fault. Her mother and her father. It was all their fault for lying to her. Why didn't they tell her the truth? Why?! "Why?" She mumbled every so often as more tears rolled down her cheeks. "Why?"  

[The Madame Red]

Oscar was not far from the room when he saw Jess take a sleeping Emma in. He glanced out the side window to see Conrad and Anya talking. In truth, a flare of jealous surged through him, but he bit it back. The last thing he wanted was to get Anya mad at him further. He waited until Jess left the room before peeking in to see Emma barely starting to wake up. She stared at the ceiling before whispering 'why' all over again. Oscar had had enough. So what if Conrad sends him out in the sun? He'd find a way to survive a few hours before leaving, and surely Anya would follow.

He entered the room and went straight to Emma's bedside. Oscar didn't care if she wanted him out or not, he needed to say his peace, "Look, I get it you're upset because your parents kept this secret from you all your life. But you're fixating on the past, all you have now is the future at your disposal to do whatever you want."

His hand went to her face and wiped a few tears away, "You get to live and breathe, and you get to be someone important and have everyone love you because of it. Instead of thinking about those who have done you wrong before, you need to focus on who you have now and what you're going to do about it in the future."

Instinct took over as Oscar gently bent over and brought Emma's hand to his lips. He took a few steps away before backing to the door, "Don't live your future out in anger, it didn't do me well and i'd hate to see it consume you too."

Oscar then left the room before she could answer and shut the door. He said his peace and just wanted to be alone for sometime.



"Don't blame my Oscar," Anya spoke with stern in her voice, but quickly changed it to concern, "He means well, but his transformation has left him with an unseen scar that Emma seems to re-open whenever she's upset as well. Until next time, my king."

Anya curtsied low again before departing towards the castle to tend to Emma.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Emma turned her head and watched him smiling softly the whole time. She opened her mouth to say something but he'd left the room. She tried to call out to him but her voice wasn't working. In a slight bout of Hysteria she got up and dragged the pole holding her IV fluids and like a snail inched after him croaking like a frog as she went after him. She'd gotten far enough away the Jess couldn't see her and when the woman entered the room she screamed in panic. "Conrad!!!" She screamed racing out of the room in the opposite direction. "Conrad!!! She's run off again!"

"Car!" Emma croaked. ". . .T. . ." Her hand reached out to the fuzzy image of him she'd heard nothing of what he'd said but his tone was soothing. "Car~." She'd heard Jess's scream but ignored it. He was slipping away again! She needed to catch him make him stay. She felt weak and helpless. But his image disappeared from her view and she half muttered half croaked, 'love you." Before collapsing on a nearby chair panting hard staring up at the ceiling.  

[The Madame Red]

Anya followed the scent of Emma before she saw Jess running back into the room. She could see that she was frantically placing Emma in a chair, but something was odd. Oscar's scent was in the room. Her crimson eyes glanced in to see he wasn't in there. She followed his scent to see it was in the library and leaning against a desk, "Did you get her upset?"

"I told her the truth," Oscar shrugged, "There's no reason to stay angry when her life is all too short."

The female vampire sighed a long breath of relief, "Then she's not upset."

"Is she ok?" Oscar turned to look at Anya.

She then understood why Oscar was so persistent on letting Emma know how he feels. Whether or not he understood it, he still cared for Emma and..was starting to like her. Anya felt the pain her her dead heart. Having Oscar as a partner was all she knew and kept her alive when she was on her own. She glanced downward, "She's ok, just trying to get to you."

Oscar noticed the change in Anya's demeanor and stood still for a few moments, "I can't just do this.."

"Oscar," Anya pulled out the ring from beneath her clothes, "You are like my brother, and i've cared for you as a partner should for a long time. But...if you care for her, as she does for you, you have a better status with her than you do with me."

His eyes widened slightly as he watched her take off the ring, "Are you..."

"I'm giving your permission," Anya smiled as much as she wanted to cry, "It's for the best. She loves you and you are starting to like her."

"Anya," Oscar couldn't believe it, "You're..you're willing to do that? But that'll leave you alone? If you leave one day, then no one will be able to help you."

"I've done it before so I can do it again," Anya stated before taking a few steps out, "I'll always be nearby if you ever need help, Oscar."

With that, Anya dropped the ring to the floor before leaving the library. She quickly left the hallway and went down the stairs to where she and the others first came in. As much as she wanted to see Emma and Oscar happy, she couldn't bear the thought of losing someone like a brother to her, that that has taken care of her like a partner, be with someone else. For now, it would be too much.

'I'll just wait until the next night to leave,' Anya found a chair and sat down, 'I don't want to be here for awhile.'  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Conrad stalked past Anya looking murderous. "Incompetent human." He grumbled then noticed any looking miserable. "Hey, if you need a place to breathe I have a little hut cottage thingy to the north. My property is really big so you'll be a lone for a while. I mean, you don't have to but if you need to breathe then it's open to you oh and just a little secret." He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "You can have babies, but you'll have to consume enough blood for fifty vampires for the space of five months then for the last four alternate between blood and food. Just thought you should know." He smiled handing her the keys then continued on his way roaring at Jess that if Emma wasn't in her room Jess was dead.

Emma glowered at Jess while she sat in the chair. "Hate you." She croaked. "So much right now." She tried to draw in breaths but it hurt. Even though she wanted to stop breathing she needed to heal. "What's that for?" She asked as Jess attached a bag of blood. "I'm trying to reintroduce your original DNA sequence." Jess said absently. "Been doing it for months the way you've been running, it seems to be working." Jess muttered more to herself than any one else. "I hope you and Oscar work out." Emma blushed a little. "And when you're body in restored you're blood will either appeal less to to him or more. . . I don't remember the blood lust laws for dhampires." She muttered. Emma however had tuned out by now.She just wanted to see Oscar again.  

[The Madame Red]

Anya held the key to Conrad's cottage in her grasp. As flattered as she was, her heart was still sore. What gave her some relief is knowing she could have children one day, but...not now. Anya kissed the key before placing them on the chair she had sat on. Conrad may be king of all vampires, but his obvious moves would have to be more chivalrous and he must be able to keep his own daughter calm first. Anya then went to one of the nearby guest bedrooms as she checked the time, the sun would be up soon and she wanted to be ready to leave on her own by tomorrow night.


Oscar could feel that day break was coming. A lot was on his mind. He wanted to see Emma again, but he was also saddened by the end of his relationship with Anya. If he was to pursue Emma to be his friend and perhaps more, he would need to be a clean slate for her.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Emma laid slightly limp in the chair as she stared at the ceiling trying, hard to stay conscious. What ever Jess was doing to her was making her feel weird. "Don't worry it's only half a round a week. You'll be back to normal in no time, and look your hair's going back to it's glossiness!" She purred. Jess really loved to talk. Emma thought then turned her eyes to the door. Conrad had strode in caressed her head then kissed it before sitting down and started talking at her.
It wasn't like she wanted to talk back anyway. "Anya." She growled at him. Her eyes hard. "All right All right I'll get your precious Anya." He teased leaving the room. However Anya wasn't in that chair. And she left the keys. She was going to leave Emma? He frowned and followed her scent keys still in hand. He could hear Emma moaning for Anya and sighed. This wasn't going to be easy on the human. He knocked on the door that had Anya's scent in it and smiled softly. "She'll miss you. And seriously. Take this. Use it when you come back. . . if you come back. Just. . . say goodbye to her now while she's not lucid. Or she'll scream to make you stay." He smiled a little. "She's asking for you anyway."  

[The Madame Red]

Anya looked over her shoulder at Conrad. As much as she wanted to be alone, he was still the King and she was his subject as long as she resided beneath his room. She didn't respond until she approached him and gently took the keys back. However, since they were in a secluded room and far from others to hear, she then answered, "I cannot see my former partner and Emma together for now. It will hurt me more than I want it to, I want to see Emma happy as well as Oscar. For now, I must think of myself and what I would like to happen now. If you excuse me, my King."

She quickly curtsied before heading away from him to look after Emma. The human was turning into more of her child than anything else. Anya hid the keys within her dress before entering the room to see Emma moaning for her. The female vampire caressed Emma's cheek before helping Emma back to her bed. She laid down with her for the first few moments, singing her a soft lullaby as she caressed her hair. Anya felt only remorse for herself as she felt Emma softly hold on to her. As much as she wanted this human happy and to be happy with Oscar, she couldn't let herself see it for not. She waited until Emma was asleep before whispering in her ear, "I'll see you soon."

Anya kissed Emma's forehead before leaving the room, and went back down to the small guest bedroom by the front door to sleep for the day and leave for Conrad's cottage in the morning.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Conrad nodded a little and went to the kitchen for some blood. All this anger was burning through blood.

Emma moaned a little snuggling close to the other in her sleep not knowing that Anya was leaving. But Emma had said hurtful things so in a way she would think Anya was away to blow off some steam and reign in her temper so she didn't hurt Emma. Yeah Ems. . . keep lying to yourself.
When Emma woke, it was a few hours from sunset. She didn't feel sleepy she just was awake. She saw Anya was gone and was a little sad but didn't dwell on it for long instead decided to give herself a sponge bath since she smelt weird. She noticed that some of the smaller scars on her body had gone. namely the needle marks from where she put the insulin all the time. She felt her back. She doubted those ones would ever go away. Jess was right her hair did look healthier too. Her eyes were brighter and her nails weren't as weak. She felt different. But that was something she'd file for later. Right now, she was hungry. So she dressed herself. . . badly and headed for the kitchen. Everyone including Jess were still asleep so she could put her mad cooking skills to work. She made anything that came to mind then put it all on the large dining table and proceeded to eat it all. She was just finishing up a chocolate mouse, the last item on the table when she noticed the sun had set. And Jess was screaming that if Emma did not return to her bed she was going to have her butt tanned. Emma just shrugged and kept eating.  

[The Madame Red]

Anya was already gone by the time the sun had fully set. She made her way out of the front door and held the keys to the cottage in the direction where Conrad had led her. The trip kept her silent as she walked away from Oscar, who was like her brother, and Emma, a new friend she wanted to keep. Anya kept silent as she made her way to the cottage, only to find it was a little less smaller than the castle with trees surrounding it.

'I guess a cottage for a King would be like a castle to me,' she thought to herself as she made her way inside.

As soon as she entered, the fire place was already lit, there were bags of fresh blood being kept fresh, and plenty of hobbies for her to choose from to keep her entertained. Anya's crimson eyes widened at the sight before her, she wasn't used to living in Conrad's homes when she was used to a more simpler lifestyle. Go into the living room with the fireplace, she grabbed a book off of a shelf, sat by the fire, and began to read. Anything to keep her mind off of what was going on.


Oscar woke to no longer smell Anya nearby. His heart sunk a bit at the thought that she was really gone and was reluctant to leave the bed. However, he still wanted to check on Emma. He threw on a new pair of clothes and followed her scent until he found her in the dining room feasting on a lot of food, "Anya used to cook like that when she and I worked as house-keepers back during the early ages. You should've seen the things she'd whip up together last minute before the family would come home from their outings."  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Emma looked up as Oscar spoke licking the glass bowl clean of chocolate mouse though a lot was on her face and she blushed brightly frozen for a moment before putting down the glass and wiping her face on a napkin. "I learnt to cook from my mama and her bookshelf full of cook books." She said still licking her lips. She got up and with one hand on the IV pole tugging it along with her she cleaned up the table and put things in the sink. "I think . . . I think I made Anya angry somehow. Maybe that's why she left." Emma was muttering to herself as she started the dishes with one hand. She'd pause every so often close her eyes then open them again. "Hey Oscar?" She ventured with a nervous expression. "I'm sorry I hit you with a rock yesterday." She bit her lip and kept washing the dishes not sure if he'd yell at her or not.  

[The Madame Red]

"Don't worry about Anya," Oscar glanced away from Emma as he put his hands in his pockets, "She and I...kinda had a falling out, but it doesn't have anything to do with you."

'It has everything to do with you,' he thought to himself, apart of him wanting to kick himself, "The whole rock thing? That didn't hurt."

He stood silently for a few moments before wanting to ask how she was feeling, but the words didn't exactly come out. When he was with Anya, she knew everything to how he felt, what he wanted to say, and knew how to approach him. And he could do the same for her, but with Emma...she was totally new to him, and he couldn't exactly tell what she was thinking. Oscar kept his distance as he leaned against the counter, "So...Conrad's your dad, and you're a Princess now. What are you going to do?"  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Emma smiled at him for a moment then thought about it. "That depends. . ." She began with a slight hum as she stacked the dishes on the drying rack. "I could ask my dad. . . hehe. . . dad." She giggled. "To find me a guy. Though I highly doubt he'd like that plus I'm sure he's got you in mind for that otherwise he'd have started showing me off by now. That or he's ashamed of me. Which ever sounds more logical." She was babbling. "I could rename this estate, Emmaville just for kicks. . .Change my name to Stormageddon Dark Lady of All. . . The possibilities within reason are endless." She grinned at him a little. "Personally I like the Stormageddon thing. Doesn't it sound scary." She turned to the fridge and took out a water bottle then put it in the microwave heating it up before handing it too him with a smile. "What do you think I should do?" Her eyes were a light with curiosity. She really did what to know what he thought.

Conrad sighed and just sat outside the Kitchen to listen to Oscar and Emma bond. He personally scoffed at the idea of being ashamed or her and her name change to Stormageddon Dark Lady of All.