Lapis opened her eyes slowly, fatigue gripping her. She felt herself floating, and looked around. She dropped to the ground suddenly, landing on her feet on soft grass before bouncing up softly, floating inches from the ground. Dew clung to the grass, some of the droplets thrown by Lapis' landing. Her hair floated, like it's own being. 

She spotted a figure a few yards of, it's eyes tilted in a smile that wasn't visible. She bared her teeth, gripping the grass and running at it. She leapt, but the figure vanished, and she thudded against the ground with a hard thud.

"Get me out of here you sick freak!" She growled, her teeth glinting in the light emitted by thousands of glowing squares around her, as well as drifting fireflies. The entire sight would've been calming, if Lapis was meant to have been here. She spun around, but nothing was there.

A echoing chuckle rang through her, amused. 

"Is it not beautiful here?" It continued, a bare whisper, "Do you wish to leave that badly...Lapis?" She came to a halt, dumbfounded. She sank her claws into the dirt, snarling as she glared at anything she saw move. Was this creature just messing with her brain? Was this a dream?

"How do you know my name?" She growled, her tail lashing. She wanted to find this thing, and kill it. He could have been watching her for who knows how long. What if he knew more? What if he knew her weaknesses? What if-

Her thoughts stopped abruptly, her mind wiped blank. She froze, her jaws parted slightly. She tried to move, but her body wouldn't even flinch. The voice broke the painful silence.

"Enough with the what-ifs. I know everything about you. Your likes, dislikes, habits, the list goes on. Now that you know...won't you sit with me?" He requested in a voice far too gentle. Before she could answer, her body started floating forward. A stone bench materialized, and she found herself compelled to sit. She curled her tail around the bench, squeezing hard, trying to find some sort of feeling in her body that had gone numb.

"What do you want." She forced out. The voice was silent for a moment. Then a high pitched noise rang through Lapis' ears, shaking her skull. She grimaced, dropping from the bench, clutching her head. The sound finally became unbearable and she screamed. The noise stopped abruptly, leaving her dizzy and her ears ringing.

"I want what you want, Lapis. Power, strength." He purred, "Vengeance." Lapis raised herself to her knees, panting. The air seemed to grow thick around her, any more and she could've suffocated. She closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"I don't need more power, and I'm already strong." She growled, her eyes flying open in anger, "Now, I suggest letting me go. Whatever you are, I'm sure I could hurt you somehow." She hissed, meaning it. She knew all beings had weaknesses, even herself, despite them being minimal and unimportant. 

"I'm sorry, but that isn't an option anymore." The voice said. It sounded like they were circling her, his laugh echoing around the expansive world she'd been dropped into. She plugged her ears, dropping to her back, pain swelling in her head and chest. She screamed, but no sound came out. The ground dropped beneath her, and she reached out in panic, but nothing caught in her hands. She finally let herself give in to the darkness, drowning in it.

~~~~

Her eyes flew open, and she gasped for air, her chest rising and falling in quick spurts. She tried to sit up, but realized she was tied down. She was laying on some sort of standard issue cot, leather belt like bands strapped to her wrists, hips, ankles, and one around her neck with barely enough space to breath. She thrashed around, snarling angrily.

"Let me out you rat!" She screamed, a roar following her voice. She looked around the room, spotting the girl, sitting in a chair, fear in her eyes. Lapis' eyes widened before narrowing. 

"I won't ask nicely a second time." She said through bared teeth. The girl didn't move, but she shook. Lapis smirked. She liked being feared, it gave her power, and the ability to puppet anyone she wanted. The girl must've sensed this, because she rose slowly, coming to stand beside the bed. She looked down at Lapis, a little of the fear having melted away.

"What do you want with me?" She asked, trying her best to look tough. Lapis could've laughed out loud if it weren't for the band around her neck. 

"Is that an offer?" She purred, to which the girl produced a needle from somewhere under the cot. 

So that's what she got me with.

"I knocked you out once, I can do it again." She hissed. Lapis raised a brow. 

"Yes, you did, didn't you? A clever one. I didn't even see it coming." Lapis said with a smirk, laying her head back. She realized her tail wasn't tied down. She didn't want to blow her chance, so she decided to wait for the perfect moment.

"Who. Are. You?" The girl growled. Lapis' cocky attitude dropped a bit. Whatever she'd been injected her with, it was strong enough to bring her to whatever world she'd just escaped from. She didn't want to go back there again, not to the world of unending screams and his non-stop chuckling.

"The name's Lapis." She said with a wink, "And I was hired to kill you." She said simply. The girl dropped the needle, her eyes wide and mouth agape.

"You...what? Why me? I haven't bothered anyone!" She cried, her paws turning into fists as she crossed her arms over her chest. Pity struck Lapis randomly, but she shook it off.

"Well, you've clearly struck something with my boss. So I can't exactly let you live, darling. It's bad for business." She purred smoothly. The girl's expression softened slightly. Lapis smirked.

Gullible.

She threw her tail out, encircling the girl and squeezing hard. She cried out, gritting her teeth. Lapis laughed wickedly, hearing a tiny snap. Lapis channeled her power, her claws starting to drip. She managed to claw off the bindings on her wrists before moving to her ankles and eventually breaking free. She pulled the girl along after her, pushing her against the opposite wall.

"Darling, hasn't anyone ever taught you not to trust so easily? Especially to someone who just admitted to coming to kill you." She said, tilting her head. The girl had tears in her eyes, starring at Lapis with a pleading expression.

"P-please...I didn't do a-anything wrong..." She said breathlessly. Lapis chuckled.

"I like it when you beg." She purred, running a claw under the girl's chin, "Now, nothing personal." She said, raising her claws. She dug them into the girl's shoulder, to which she screamed. 

~~~~

A memory flashed through Lapis' mind. This usually happened whenever she took a life, she didn't know why. Usually it was a happy memory, something the person had done in their life. But this one was different. She was standing in a room, sitting on the floor, ear pressed against the door. It appeared to be a bedroom, what with the dresser and various personal items laying around. 

"You're never thinking about us, we're what is supposed to matter most to you!" A voice yelled. The girl's Mother. Lapis had never known having a Mother, and didn't care to think about any other family. Family was a weakness. Suddenly a hollow thud was audible.

"You're so useless! The both of you!" A male voice shouted. Recognition flashed through Lapis. She'd heard that voice before, but she couldn't place where, "I wish I'd never met you, Caffi." The growled. A door slamming. A dragoness crying, tending to a wound she'd just received from the familiar dragon. The girl shuffled away from the door, crying herself. She flopped onto her bed, and eventually cried herself to sleep.

Another flash, and she was standing in a field. Flowers rustled in the wind. The girl was stumbling around, must've been from when she was a child. 

"Parma! Come back honey it's time for lunch!" The Mother, Caffi, called.

"Coming Mama!" The girl, Parma, called back while running back towards a house. It was broken down in some places, the roof was missing shingles and there was a well to her right. But Caffi seemed happy, and scooped her daughter up in a hug.

"Hurry, your Father is about to leave for work. Go say goodbye." She said, nudging Parma forward. She hurried through the door, seeing her Father turning the knob.

"Daddy!" She called, running to him and hugging him around his legs. He chuckled, turning to face her.

Lapis froze.

Ariko starred down at her, a loving expression planted on his face.

"Take care of your Mother, I'll be home before dinner." He said, kissing her forehead. He turned and left. The memory faded, and Lapis flashed back into her own body.

~~~~

She was sweating, her eyes wide. Parma was crying, blood dripping from the wound on her shoulder. Lapis withdrew her claws quickly, stepping back, shaken. She uncurled her tail, and the girl dropped, clutching her arm. But she didn't take her eyes off of her. Lapis stumbled back, knocking over a table in the process. She backed into the corner, sinking to the floor. 

"T-that's...that's not possible..." She whispered breathlessly, "He would never..." Parma had risen from her place, and was now crouching in front of Lapis, worry in her face.

"I know you just tried to kill me...but why didn't you?" She asked. Lapis felt a real tear drop from her eye to the floor. She'd been betrayed. She'd been sent to kill Ariko's daughter.

His daughter!

She pinned her ears, rage consuming her again.

"I was sent by someone very close to you, apparently." She forced out, a growl in her voice. Parma's brow raised. She must've been separated from him for so long, or chose to forget him. Lapis wasn't in the mood to feel any more guilt tonight. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up. Parma was inches from her face. She caught herself looking at her lips, before looking back up quickly.

"You're safe here. Whoever it is won't find you." She said, smiling. Lapis' heart skipped a beat. She'd never had anyone try to comfort her before. She came from a word of cut throats, killers, crazies. But this girl wasn't like any of them. She was gentle, kind, and apparently didn't hold grudges like she should've. Lapis sighed.

"But they will, and they won't just kill you this time." She said. Ariko had taught her as a child that if she ever disobeyed him, it was only right to kill her. She held all his secrets, his future plans, his every weakness, along with partial ownership to The Azure Palace. He wouldn't want that floating around the city. He'd kill her in cold blood without even a blink. 

Parma gasped suddenly. Lapis looked up, and watched as she tilted backwards, her eyes fluttering closed. She bolted upright, her tail sliding under Parma's back and neck, supporting her gently. She now knelt beside her, looking her over while she had the opportunity. Parma had gone cold, blood still dripping from the wound. Lapis' brow knitted, and she thought for a moment.

She could leave the girl dead, and go back to her life. She'd force herself to forget about Ariko's dark past, and the daughter he'd sent her to murder. Everything would be how it was. She'd been sent on missions and killing thousands, taking her fair share of any payment and living a life of luxury. Soren would be there, speaking code and keeping customers entertained. 

But it wouldn't be the same. The whole building would feel like more of a prison than a sanctuary, now that she'd seen a glimpse into the purer world. She squeezed her eyes shut, ears pinning. 

Not anymore.

She slipped her arms underneath Parma's back, lifting her gently. She put her on the bed, placing a pillow under her head. She touched her cheek. It was warm, which meant she must still be alive somehow. Lapis hurried towards a kit in the corner, which she knew was for first aid. She'd made sure to make her killings as far away from them as possible, so the victim would stay dead. But tonight was different. She took some bandages and crossed back to Parma's side, wrapping it around her arm. Parma grunted a few times, and something in Lapis lifted every time, as if curious to hear it again. 

She stepped back, admiring her work. She'd never healed before, only hurt. So this was new. Her eyes were tired, and her body was weak from the injection still. She crossed to the chair Parma had been in before, and sat down. It squeaked under her weight. She curled her tail around her, laying on it like a pillow. She kept her eyes on Parma, wanting to keep watch. But eventually sleep reclaimed her, this time without any demons to bother her.

What have I gotten myself into?

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