Let's get a bottle and drink alone tonight. (Sky)

[Avicus DuSang]

Zeltros

In a quiet bar down the road from the DuSang Estates, the Dark God sat at a table by himself. He sipped a glass of brandy, sparking up a cigarette. Taking a long drag, he closed his eyes. Apart from Coruscant, the party paradise of Zeltros was the only place that felt like home. The atmosphere was relaxed. The constant drum of electronica was enough to make anyone forget their troubles.

But, in the smoky bar, the beat was distant. Like the heartbeat of a lover as she lay next to you. Comforting, yet still barely noticable to drown out a man's thoughts. Outside of the battle. Outside of the women. Locked in his own head, this was his hell.

He wore a black silk suit, his jacket resting on the back of his chair. The pockets of his jacket held his sabers. The white lava blades were as much a part of him as were his yellow eyes. Extensions of his very being. Amidst the battle, his blades moving through flesh without effort was some of the only times he felt complete.

But, he had to feed his other addictions as well. Zeltros was a haven for alcohol and women, his two favorite vices. And this bar served his favorite brandy. So, he sat, drinking and smoking. His vices would be the death of him, but so be it. Death was the last great adventure, afterall.

Relighting his now extinguished cigarette, he took another drag.

 

[Sky Kerberos]

With so many confusions that haunted her, from nightmares to desires so unknown to her, she needed to escape. From the Jedi, from Tython. The Order had become a prison, with light trying to barricade her from all angles, and her only relief being found when near Ben. But she could not count on him to be with her always, protecting her from her own self. Even her emotions towards Ben, confused her so. And Tython. The planet, her home now, had demons that hid everywhere, ghosts that continuously tried to tear her apart. But she did not know why, she could not know. The memories she were given were incomplete...and she felt that emptiness every moment.

She had to escape, and Zeltros seemed the perfect place. Beauty. Visually, but more so in the atmosphere itself. The Zeltrons' pheromones gave a type of happiness. She knew the joy had no real basis, but it was what she needed to calm herself and try to find a steadiness in herself which would allow her to return to the Jedi.

Entering the cantina, she found the hum of music and celebration almost hypnotizing. This world held no past control over her, like a breathe of fresh air. She took a seat, alone, and ordered a drink. Even the slight heat that continually rose from her tattoo down her back grew distant in the atmosphere of this place.

 

[Avicus DuSang]

As the smoke rolled out of his lips, he felt a presence he didn't expect to feel until his twilight. Through the smoke filled air, yellow eyes stared in disbelief as Sky Kerberos walked through the door. Well, it was his former mentor, but not completely. She was younger, and fragmented. Haunted by the unknown.

Haunted, because she was incomplete.

She didn't even gaze in his direction. Did she not know who he was? Did she even knoe who she was? Sipping the brandy slowly, he motioned for the waitress to come to his table. As she picked up the empty glass, he whispered something into the Zeltrosian's ear. She nodded and went to get him another glass of brandy.

Yellow eyes closed as he took another drag off of his cigarette. His mind wandered back to his days as the Sith Knight of Indulgence. Strung out on spice, the youmh nobleman was at her beck amd call. Anything she wanted from him, she received without hesitation. He did it because he loved her. A piece of him still loved her.

The difficulties of being polyamorous.

As the Zeltrosian walked past Sky with Avicus' bramdy, she stopped at the Jedi Master's side. "Excuse me, cutie. But, the gentleman in the corner there wanted me to tell you that your drinks are on him." With that, she walked off, handing the Darl God his favorite poison. The chair next to him was gripped with black tendrils of the Force, and gently pushed away from the table.

A silent invitation.

 

[Sky Kerberos]

Smiling at the waitress and then at the mysterious gentleman, she did not put much weight in the friendly gesture other than that: a man, generous in this atmosphere of abundance. But then she felt the darkness roll from him, and the chair move away from the table, and she knew it was not as pure or simple as that.

However, she was not one to turn away from such a puzzle that this male was, and so she walked to him with her drink in hand. Into the lion's den, so docile and happy she walked, not knowing the beast that lay in wait behind the smoke and cultivation of this male.

"Thank you, I appreciate your generosity," she said, taking a seat near him. No glimmer of recognition crossed her face, though if it had she would see someone she used to love and someone who stood by her through so much. Never romantically, but it was a love that was deeper than desire--one of kinship and loyalty she once had toward him.

"I am Sky," she said, then pausing for him to introduce himself.

 

[Avicus DuSang]

"You needn't thank me, love. A beautiful woman such as yourself should never have to drink alone. Especially on her own credits."

He returned the smile, but her lack of recognition pained him. As she sat, he stood, and pushed her chair in. As a gentleman would do, especially for a woman of great stature. He sat down again, snuffing the cigarette out in the ashtray. "A pleasure, Sky. I am Avicus DuSang du Coruscant. But, please, just call me Avicus."

How he wished he could grab onto her. Plead with her to remember him. How he had missed her. How he wanted to fold his arms around her, and breathe in her scent. She was so real, so very corporeal, and yet she was still like a ghost to him.

Still, he remained calm, composed. The fact that she was alive was enough to carry him through. Yellow eyes closed as he smiled. "You must be new to Zeltros. What brings you here?"

 

[Sky Kerberos]

The truth: to escape. But how to engage in such deep conversation with a stranger. Normally when making small talk and feeling out another person, you stick to topics that spawn short answers. Nothing deep. Nothing too personal. It seemed fake to her, but that was the dance of society.

Yet for some reason she felt like telling him the truth. She could not figure out if it were due to the pheromones in the air, the atmosphere of relaxation...or something about this male. The smoke that circled his head, the way his yellow eyes held her in his gaze.

She bit her lip, struggling between the line of normalcy and of the truth. "A vacation."

That covered both, though it seemed so paper thin in the depths of her thoughts. She wanted to tell more, but instead her walls came up and she turned the conversation on him.

"And you, Avicus?"

 

[Avicus DuSang]

Again, there was the conflict. Did she speak the truth or engage in meaningless chit chat with a stranger? Where most would be repelled by his darkness, she was drawn to it. Comforted by it. In that sense, she was his Sky. And her response? Fell somewhere in between truth and fiction.

His name sounded sweet on her lips, as it always had. For a brief moment, he was in 20's again, hyptonized by her presence. Intoxicated by her voice. He sipped the brandy, the cool liquor bringing him back to reality.

"The same, actually. Battle shapes the soul like water on stone. And just like the stone, the soul is washed away bit by bit. But in the silence, I'm haunted by ghosts of my past." He paused. Could she be a ghost? He chuckled, shaking his head at the notion.

"Forgive the ramblings of an aging warrior, I've been drinking since this morning.

 

[Sky Kerberos]

In his voice and words she found such soothing poetry. Like a piece of verse that painted life in all it's beauty and tragedy, bringing it all to your heart, despite it being only words. Perhaps he was the warrior, but to her he transformed beyond that. A mystery, a familiar song...somewhere in between.

"Ghosts haunt me as well," she said, though she did not know how those words escaped her walls. She guarded herself...but for some reason, to some she couldn't help but open her soul. To allow herself to be so vulnerable, knowing that in one misstep she could be crushed. Her soul had darkness, the ghosts confirmed this without doubt. Though to tell another, could end her path with the Jedi. She did not wish this...not because she believed she belonged in the light. It was what she needed, for she was so lost.

"I do not know how to free myself of them...yet often I find myself needing their presence. As if they are a part of who I was, a way that causes me to never forget, though I cannot remember."

 

[Avicus DuSang]

"Killers often do, Sky."

The response was immediate. Reaction to her confession of ghosts. But, it was true. He had grown used to seeing the faces of the lives he took every time he closed his eyes. It was a conditioned, very human reaction to murder. But, he was more then human. He was a God among insects.

And he had Sky to thank for that.

He sipped from his glass of brandy, listening to her. "Haunted by your past that cannot even be remembered. I can't think of a worse kind of hell." He frowned. Whoever created her did her a horrible thing. Experience and memory became written into a person's DNA. Denying the brain those memories didn't erase that. It only tortured the soul.

He set down the glass, holding his hand out to her. "Take my hand and I will show you. I cannot.promise it will be without pain, but you're a strong woman. I know you will be able to handle it. All I ask is that you trust me like you used to, Mistress Kerberos."

 

[Sky Kerberos]

Killers.

Never had she considered the ghosts to be those of her past, those who died by her hand. Tython must have been a place of a battle to her, however it was a sole ghost that stood out, not many as expected in war. One form, powerful, and awakened that called to her and spoke of her as an betrayer.

The second ghost, the dark angel, haunted her everywhere however. In her sleep, she came to her...an angel of Hell, of Death.

He spoke her name as if he knew her. Sky. But then when he ended his sentiments he said her last name, even though he should have no knowledge of it.

"Do I know you...?" she whispered, every word caressed with an uncertainty but a curiosity as she looked at him. But before he could respond, she put her hand in his with an instinctual trust and allowed him into her soul.

 

[Avicus DuSang]

"Let me show you." he said, wrapping olive fingers around her hand.

The pair were transported to Coruscant. There, they saw a much younger Avicus DuSang accompanied by a woman clad in black. As she dropped her hood, the woman was reveiled to be Sky Kerberos. "Shortly after I was knighted within the Empire, you took me under your wing. This was a very important day for me. Under your guidance, I got my revenge for the death of my mother."

An older man approached the pair, exchanging words with Avicus. The old man produced a vibroblade, and it was cut down by a white lava blade. Avicus then outstretched his hand, yellow eyes turning red. The old man fell to the floor, writhing in agony. As olive fingers closed to a fist, the old man's innards spilled out of his mouth and pants, crushed by the Force.

"Father didn't deserve a noble death. I made sure it was as painful as possible." The white lava blade retracted, and the young Avicus kneeled before Sky. "I was yours to command. Any who you wished dead fell to my hands. You taught me to be a God." The scene faded back to the bar. He kissed her hand, and her memory of the day returned.

"You're a Goddess."

 

[Sky Kerberos]

A Sith.

A God.

She held to his hand tightly, pain came in the memories as she tried to take this knowledge to complete the holes within her memories. At least one blank was now filled vividly, and one person she remembered now more than simply names in fiction. Avicus. He was hers, he stood by her side, and yet Jedi had taken these memories from her. They had taken her ties, her connections. They had taken who she was from her.

Did Ben know? She knew Darron had.

Hatred, lost and pain coursed through her soul, as she tried to process the two. The memories she had been given--she was a Jedi--what was true? The two lives fought in her, as a tear rose from her eyes. She could not bare this alone, she felt as if her very being was now ripping apart. She drew into Avicus, bringing her arms around him and holding him tightly, wishing she had never lost him from her memories.

ooc. Leaving tomorrow, hoping I will not be limited to my phone for 3 weeks (hate typing on it)--but I will be for at least several days.

 

[Avicus DuSang]

((It's no worries. I get my daughter today so my posting will not ne as active as it currently is. We'll take it casually, lovely.))

The memory granted tore through her very being. Made her question everything. Made her question herself. Her embrace nearly knocked the wind from him. Not because she held him too tightly. But, because of the intensity of the moment. The intensity of her emotion.

Pulling her onto his lap, he brushed the tears from her eyes before holding onto her. His face buried into her necl as he breathed in her scent. "It's alright, Sky. I'm right here. I never left." Yellow eyes closed as he placed the softest of kisses onto her shoulder. "It's all real, Sky. You never stopped being you. Just not all of you. Jedi. Sith. Those words don't matter. We both left the Empire years ago." She remembered him. Words alone could not describe that feeling.

"What do you say about getting out of here?"

 

[Sky Kerberos]

All she knew had been based on lies. Lies told by Jedi, and now it was a Sith who gave her the starting strands of truth. His hold was comforting, and though almost ironically so for she would have never shown the weakness she was displaying now.

What hurt the most was that those who claimed themselves as friends, had lied to her. But one stood out the most, one question that struck her chest as if it would rip out her heart...did Ben know? Did he break their trust and lie?

And though Avicus had said the status of Sith or Jedi did not matter, she could not help but believe otherwise. The one who he showed her...was Dark. Was a God. Was Sith through and through. And when she thought of Ben she knew that the Jedi were distinctive as well. The good, the light, all that he was.

And so what was she?

"Yes," she said, wanting to be away from the crowd. She knew she could not harness the anger that built in her for long...and that those who surrounded them would be helpless if she should lose control.

 

[Avicus DuSang]

The hurt and anger swelled within her. It broke him to see her this way. Brushing her hair back, he kissed her lightly on the forehead. Slowly, he stood up, still holding onto her as he did so.

He carried her to the door, setting her down gently. He knew better. Even if the Galaxy was falling to pieces around her, she would be seen walking on her own two feet.

That was the woman she was. No matter how fragile she was inside, to the Galaxy she was strong, independant, and full of pride. A goddess in her own right. Even now, she radiated divinity.

Stepping out of the bar, he outstretched his hand, waiting for her to take it. Dark tendrils of the Force wrapped around them, lifting them into the air. The flight didn't last long, however. His vacation home was right down the road.

Landing on the balcony of his study, the pair was greeted by Damian LaBlanche, his personal assistant. "Dinner for two tonight. Prepare one of the guest bedrooms. The one across the hall from Ophelia's room. And, Mistress Kerberos needs some time alone. Draw her a bath. Thank you, Damian."

The older man bowed, walking off to carry out all of his Lord's wishes. Meanwhile, Avicus lead Sky into his study. "Best room in the whole manor. The balcony overlooks the grounds and street below perfectly."

The doors were closed, the pulse of the city streets unable to make it through the glass. "And peace is just a shut door away." He motioned towards a large sofa, walking to the bar in the room.

"Care for a drink while Damian draws your water?"

 

[Sky Kerberos]

The mansion was beautiful, but she knew that it suited Avicus. He was lavish both outwardly and with his inner desires, at least from what she remembered. He was unique...he and Darth Umbra had always intrigued her among her knights. She loved them both, and the vision he shared with her awakened those memories. So much was left broken in her, holes still not filled, and a gap that seemed empty. The Dark Angel she had dreamed of, she realized now the angel was the one of Avicus's memory. Darkness was all that she had been, a god as Avicus had spoke of.

But that did not feel like who she was now, despite the memory. She felt incomplete...

"Yes, Avicus," she said, "Anything will be fine."

"The memory you gave to me..." she started, but how to continue? How to tell him that even with that, she still felt empty. How to tell him of her confusion--of her hurt that she had been lied to? How she had missed him. There was so much she wished to say, but didnot know where to begin.

 

[Avicus DuSang]

"You and Lord Umbra were my first mentors. When he died, it tore me apart. When you died, it tore me as well. I had already lost my brother. Then I lost my Goddess. But, you came back to me..."

Pouring her a glass of brandy, he brought it to her. "I had a tomb built on Ziost for him. Tomorrow, if you'd like, we could go there." He kneeled in front of her, his cheek resting on her knee.

"My Lady, I have been yours for as long as I can remember. And, my empathy prowess has grown significantly. I can rewrite memories if I so desired. So, unlocking memories is a simple task. If you desire it, I will.

"I know you feel incomplete, but look at how difficult you're handling one memory. I fear what could happen with such a rush of memory could do." His free hand moved up to her arm, olive fingers running lightly back and forth along her soft skin.

The study melted away to the frigid forests of Ziost. There, standing in a black cloak among the trees was Sky as she used to be. A younger Avicus approached her side, kneeling before her.

His cheek remained resting on her knee, his back to the scene. "This was the day I pledged myself to you." Sky looked to him and smirked, her pale hand going through blue.hair and resting on his olive cheek.

"I was still recovering from my knighting mission. Retrieving the lava crystals that were soaked in the dark waters on Ambria. It was there I was attacked by the Sith spirit of Darth Sennou. She tried to possess my body, but she lost the battle and I consumed her soul.

"My trophy was the three scars that remain on my chest to this day, on top of a millenia of knowledge and memories. With that touch, you knew just how much of a struggle I was going through. Such a trove of knowledge... It almost drove me insane."

The scene faded, the memory unlocked. Yellow eyes closed as he moved his head to where his forehead rested on his knee. "You were a Goddess to me. That never changed. To this day, I worship the ground you walk on."

He sighed. "Say the word and I will do your bidding. If you so wished, I could take you to the depths of Chaos and merge your fragmented soul." He finally looked up to her.

"I just don't want to lose you again."

 

[Sky Kerberos]

Darth Umbra...he said the words which broke her heart. Her knight had died and she could do nothing to make amends for not being there. She could never tell him how she admired him, and how much he meant to her...

Losing him, on top of everything else made her feel as if she no longer knew her path. As Sky, she walked steadily in darkness, conquering all until her sights were set on ruling even the underworld. As this clone, she was sure that no matter her past she should walk in the light.

But now? Dealing with death, and seeing herself and Avicus of long ago. Feeling Avicus's touch and his loyalty. It confused everything.

"I don't want anymore," she said, though in meaning she was uncertain.

"I see myself in your memories, but it is like I look at another person. I know part of my soul resides in Hell, but if it returns I will no longer be me."

She did not want to disappoint him, could not deal with losing him when she had just found him. But she couldn't choose, not yet, between who she was and who she would become. Right now, she could barely understand the person she was in the present.

Her hand came to his head, to brush his hair gently between her fingers. Would he be angry, in her denying part of her soul be let back in from Chaos? Would he understand that she could not handle this pain that seemed to rip her in two. But she still thought of him the same, their bond growing stronger in each memory he gave to her, and wished like hell that she would have been strong enough to handle this.

 

[Avicus DuSang]

"It would never change who you are. Your past and your affiliations don't make you. Only your present. The only person who determines the path you walk is you."

He would never be angry or upset with her over her choosing the path she walked. Nor would he ever be so selfish as to push her towards a certain path. Who she chose to be meant little to him. She was the same to him, regardless.

And it wouldn't change how he felt about her.

His head moved into her touch, yellow eyes closing. Like a large feline, he curled his face towards her. How he craved her touch. It sent ripples through his very being.

His hand moved up to hers, grasping it lightly. His face turned, her fingertips slowly moving to his ear, and down his cheek. Bringing her hand slightly lower, his lips found the inside of her palm.

Placing the softest kisses along her hand, his lips came down to her wrist. He breathed in her scent, yellow eyes opening to look at her. As his hand left her own, he set down his glass of brandy.

Moving up, olive fingers caressed her face. His thumb trailing along the bottom of her lip. Fingertips moved up, slowly brushing her hair behind her ear. Resting his forehead on her own, his lips moving forward.

The door opened, Damian entering the study. The Dark God looked down, his eyes closed once again. Chuckling, he moved back, picking the brandy back up. He stood, holding his hand out to her.

"Your bath has been drawn my Lady."

 

[Sky Kerberos]

It was not wholly true what he had said about you being the only one to determine the path you chose. Most of us like to pretend we do, that we determine our own fate. But it is not us alone, it is those we travel with. Both friend and foe, both those we hold closely and those who are but passing whispers in the night. The people along the way create the journey for us, unless we walk a path that is stricken from all life.

The path her soul strove for? The Darkside. She knew it was in her blood, and knew that basic things like following rules was something she could never understand. However, Ben had chanced across her predetermined path...and tore her away from that. Now she walked, not on a path, but just stumbling off the pathways.

Avicus now helped shape it, as he had once long ago. She knew he was a passionate creature, one who she admired and loved so much. But it was love as a teacher, a mother, and now as a daughter for he had opened her up to all she had forgotten.

Taking his hand, she did not walk to the bath, but instead turned and embraced him in thanks for sharing with her his memories, bearing a part of his soul so she could find her own.