Sensing that she was almost ready, the duo began sliding up and down again, grinding their flesh against Annelique with ever-increasing intensity. The feelings spread, becoming more and more powerful until she felt they would be impossible to contain. Every part of her body pulsed with ever-increasing waves of pleasure and desire. She started moaning loudly, rubbing any part of herself she could against her two partners--anything they weren't already touching, she pulled against them--legs, lips, even her wings. Her moaning grew ever louder until she was practically yelling with each movement. Time and activities blurred together--Saccarine's breasts in her mouth, Arandra's tongue moving up her ribs, kisses, legs rubbing against each other. Her feelings grew so strong that they seemed to take on a life of their own. She felt the two other girl's hearts open up inside her own chest like flowers blooming--flowers the size of stars. And then it happened.

By the time the three reached climax, it was as though the whole world had been remade.

Of course, that kind of sex doesn't happen all the time, and when it does, it takes effort. This effort left our heroes in a somewhat less dignified state than they had been when they entered; Arandra was bent over the desk with an unscrewed chair leg still lodged in her flower, Saccarine's hair was sticking out in every concievable direction, and Annelique was sprawled across the bed, her arms hanging off the sides, drenched in sweat and looking like she would never move again.

"Goddess, there's even feathers on the floor..." Saccarine said with a grin as she sat against the foot of the bed. Of the three, she looked the most capable of still functioning.

"I don't know how we even did that," Arandra said, not moving from the desk. "That was like...five orgasms at once."

"I'm a succubus, darling. That's what I do."

"I thought succubusses ate people," Annelique said.

"Yeah, that too. And it's succubi, hon. We're supposed to eat anyone who uses the term 'succubusses.' "

"But you don't follow the demoness rules anymore, right?" Arandra said.

"Actually, I still follow the honor codes, which means technically, I am supposed to eat her now."

"At this point..." Annelique said from under the pillow, "I'm not sure I even care."

"You know," Saccarine said, slowly pulling herself to her knees with a wolfish smile, "I haven't ett myself an angel in a long time..."

"Unless you count this morning," Arandra interrupted.

"She doesn't count!" Saccarine snarled. "She got out!"

"Only because you let her out. I still think there are better ways to get someone to apologize."

"Better for who?"

"Point taken."

Annelique--with hurculean effort--dragged her thoroughly spent body to an upright position at the head of the bed.

"So..." she muttered, "are you actually going to eat me now? After all that?"

"What's the matter, honey?" Saccarine smiled. "You scared of li'l ol' me?"

"Speaking of honey..." Annelique said, "Aren't succubusses--er, succubi--supposed to have...er, you know...b--"

"Bigger boobs?" Saccarine groaned.

Annelique clapped her hand over her mouth apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"Nah, I get that all the time. Especially since my aunt had HUGE boobs. You could fit a second stomach inside one of those things. But anyway, yes, the REASON my boobs are small is because...well..."

"She's a squirter." Arandra said.

Saccarine stuck her tongue out at Arandra. "Yes, I do tend to let out more honey than I should during sex, but that's not the only reason. The other--"

"--is that you're a stomach slut."

"I am fully capable of completing my own sentences, thank you very much!" Saccarine said. "And the polite term is 'voraphile.' "

"Sac, there are weeks at a time where I can't find you because the second you crawl out of your egg, you go leap down someone's throat. Voraphile just doesn't seem to be a strong enough word."

"You're one to complain. Half the time it's your throat."

"Well, you two seem busy hashing this out," Annelique said, "so I'll just slip some clothes on and go g--"

"Don't you take another step, missy!" Saccarine said, jabbing a finger at her. "You said the forbidden form of the S-word twice, and dammit, I haven't eaten something that hasn't escaped in almost a week and it's really starting to show on my figure, as you so kindly pointed out."

"But I thought you were reformed. You know--A nice succubus." Annelique said.

"She is, but--" Arandra started.

"But you're still going to gobble me up?" Annelique interrupted. "Take my naked, vulnerable little body and shove it down your throat?" She didn't sound scared--it actually sounded like she was trying to fake being scared, but she was speaking very slowly. Almost sensuously. "You're gonna swallow my feet, and my legs, and my bum, and my chest, and my neck, and my head," she stood up and used her finger to trace a line from her ankles to her knees and on up to her shoulders, stopping at each compelling feature along the way, "until I'm all the way inside you?"

Saccarine was drooling. Arandra simply looked puzzled.

"And then I'll be in your stomach!" Annelique said, grasping at her hair with her fingers in mock distress, "and you'll feel me squirming around all helpless--I'll know that you can still taste me as I slither around in your tummy! Oh, mercy, and then you'll start digesting me! My beautiful feathers! My dainty little breasts," she cupped her breasts in her hands, "all taken apart and absorbed in your belly!"

Saccarine was mesmerized. Arandra noticed the succubus' fingers were in her crotch.

"Oh, I bet after I go through your intestines I'll become part of your boobs, and I'll feel it every time somebody grabs them! Oh, how awful! And who knows what horrible things you'll say to me as I digest, adding to your own pleasure!"

Saccarine started crawling on all fours towards Annelique.

"And I'll have to listen to every word you say! You can tell everyone in Golden Star Hall who's in your stomach, and you can even tell them I went willingly, because no one would be able to hear me!"

Saccarine bolted to her feet and pinned Annelique's arms to the wall.

"That's it," she said. "You are SO dinner."

Annelique smiled. "Say please."

"It's okay, Annelique." Arandra said. "Angels are reborn when they die with all of their memories, so being eaten won't hurt you."

"Oh, I know." Annelique said. "Chia warned me in case certain 'succubusses' decided to have me for lunch. She also told me that part of the demon code of honor is that you can't swallow someone who tells you you can't."

Saccarine gasped. "Don't you even DARE--" she said, her face red, her hair standing on end.

Annelique smiled, and even laughed a little bit. "Like I said...just say please."

This time it was Saccarine's turn to be embarassed.

"P...p..."

"Puh-puh-what?" Annelique said.

"*mutter*pleaseletmeeatyou."

"What was that?"

"PLEASE LET ME EAT YOU."

"Was that so hard?" Annelique said, pinching Saccarine's cheek.

"You sure got over your shyness quick," Arandra said with a congratulatory smile.

It was true, she had. And...something about that shook Annelique. What she had done just now...wasn't like her.

No...being *shy* wasn't like her.

What? How could it be like her and not like her at the same time? And how could she, of all people, not be able to tell which was which?

The question felt like some sort of cloud looming just past the edge of her consciousness. It felt like a distant thunder was rumbling in her heart. She felt confused, and suddenly...cold.

"You still scared, Annie?" Arandra said.

"N-...no." Annelique replied. She realized she had whispered it. "No," she said again, in a more normal tone.

Though both women seemed a little concerned by her reaction, the feeling began to pass as Saccarine took her hands. "So, you want to go head-first or feet first? Or ass-first, that's always a popular one, but you've got to be flexible, not always a good choice for a first timer..."

"I...uh...I don't really know. I've never done this before." Annelique said.

"Annie, if you're not ready, we don't have to--" Arandra started.

"It's okay," Annelique said. "Besides," she pinched Saccarine's cheek again, "I think she's earned it."

"Gack! Hey!" Saccarine flailed. "What's with you angels and pinching people's cheeks?"

"What is it with you succubi and wanting to poop on people?" Arandra retorted.

Annelique shuddered. The feeling came back, stronger than before. It almost felt real this time, like a cold spike had been lodged in her chest. Saccarine was giving some sort of witty retort, but it seemed muffled and unintelligible--the outside world seemed to fade in favor of an ominous black cloud that seemed to suck at her senses somehow. She felt a ghostly image of something happening somewhere else--something important to her--but it slipped away.

"--and don't even get me started on the Bile Fane--w--Annie?" Saccarine stopped. Annelique snapped back into reality. "Goddess, I've never seen an angel make *that* look before," Saccarine said.

"I haven't either," Arandra said.

"W--what look?" Annelique asked. She looked down and realized she had protectively pulled her arms over herself and huddled over as if she had been freezing to death. "Oh..." She carefully stood up.

"Okay, point made, nobody is swallowing Annie today..." Saccarine said dejectedly.

Arandra's face was etched with concern. "Something else is wrong. I think we should talk to Miss Sara," she said.

"I...no, I'm alright," Annelique said. She wasn't sure why, but...for some reason she didn't want to tell Miss Sara about this.

She wasn't even sure what 'this' was.

"Is this our fault? Did you not want to have sex with us?" Arandra said.

"No, no!" Annelique said, reaching out and placing her hand on Arandra's arm. "That was wonderful!"

"Then what's wrong already?" Saccarine said. "If you won't tell Miss Sara, will you at least tell us?"

Annelique swallowed. Her throat was dry. "It was just...a feeling, that's all."

"I thought people in Brightwind couldn't *get* bad feelings," Saccarine said.

"They can't," Arandra said. "At least, they're not supposed to."

Annelique swallowed again. "Is there...is there something wrong with me? Have I done something wrong?"

"No way," Arandra answered. "It's probably just a fluke of some sort. Or maybe you're just tired. We did wake you up after all that, after all, and you're still a newborn..."

"Yeah..." Annelique said, still not convinced, but hopeful.

"Well, get some sleep," Arandra said. "I'm sure everything will be okay in the morning."

"And if it's not, well...it's nothing another good fuck won't cure!" Saccarine added.

The two donned their respective clothes and quietly left the room. Annelique took a deep breath and laid herself down on her bed. She still felt cold, even after piling on the covers.

But Arandra was right. Surely everything would be alright by morning.

******

Sure enough, when Annelique awoke the next day, it was like all the previous night's fears had been banished forever. Three happy stars shone brightly in her window, warming her bed, and she sat up just in time to hear someone knocking on her door.

"Come in!" she said.

The door opened and Chia came gushing in. "Good morning, Annelique! Did you sleep well?"

Annelique nodded.

"It's almost time for breakfast. And...I was wondering if you'd like to take a crafting class with me today?"

"Sure." Annelique started getting out of bed, but stopped short when she realized she was still naked. "Oop!" She pulled the covers over herself just in time. She reached for her nighty, but it was hanging from the windowshade at this point.

"Ohmygosh!" Chia's face turned flush. "Sorry! Here, I'll close the door for you!"

"Thanks," Annelique said. As the door shut, she pulled herself out of bed and went over to her closet. It had several outfits for her; she ended up choosing a pretty looking dress with flowers and lace. It was an awful lot like what Chia was wearing, only where Chia's was mostly white and pink, Annelique's was trimmed with light grey and little purple tulips. After having a look at herself in the mirror (she looked perfect, of course) she headed outside to join the group. After taking Chia's eager hand and heading over to the loving Miss Sara, Annelique couldn't imagine being unhappy ever again.

After breakfast, Chia led Annelique to the University. The inside of it was as strange as the outside--one minute she was in halls of polished oak, the next, stone or marble. She could only trust Chia to guide her to the classroom, marked "Tailoring with Light Magic."

The classroom had about ten angels in it already--Annelique had seen all of them at the previous night's welcoming ceremony, but couldn't remember any of their names. Nonetheless, they smiled and waved at her and she smiled and waved back.

She did remember the name of the teacher--Miss Lockheart. She was, like the other caremistresses, twice the height of all the other angels. She had dark red hair hanging in a loose braid at her back. She had a delicate, almost porceline face that nonetheless seemed to have a hidden edge to it. She was wearing a red silk dress emblazoned with a great white heart across the chest. Sheets of white silk came from beneath this heart, covering her shoulders and upper arms. A pair of white silk gloves finished the outfit.

Her lips bowed into a smile when she saw Annelique. "Ah, Annelique! It's good to see you. So you're the one who Chia has chosen?"

"Chosen?" Annelique said.

"Yes," Miss Lockheart replied. "Today we're making Heart Ribbons. To make one properly, you need to focus it's energy on someone you care about. It's powers will only work on that one person."

"I...I hope you don't mind..." Chia said.

"What? Of course not!" Annelique said. "I'm flattered!"

Chia smiled. "Okay, then sit here." She pulled a chair out from underneath a desk that had some strange, golden apparatus on it. Annelique sat down and Chia crossed to the other side of the desk, sitting down on a second chair.

Miss Lockheart walked over to the edge of the desk. "Okay now, did you remember to bring your ribbon?"

Chia nodded and pulled a white silk ribbon out from one of her pockets.

"Alright," Miss Lockheart smiled. "I think you know what to do."

Chia took the ribbon in both hands and closed her eyes. She seemed to be concentrating hard. A faint glow began to appear around the ribbon.

"Visualize her face, feel her heart beneath her skin, imagine what it looks like," Miss Lockheart said quietly. "Remember, you want it to know her."

The ribbon's glow gradually became brighter, until finally, Chia's eyes slowly opened. She looked at Miss Lockheart.

"Now, Annelique, I want you to take this pen," Miss Lockheart said, retrieving a black-and-gold pen from the desk, "and write your name on the ribbon."

Annelique did as she was told. The ink took to the silk surprisingly easily. What was even more surprising was what happened next; the second the last letter was finished, the whole word vanished as if it had never been there.

"Now take each other by the hand, your left, her right," Miss Lockheart said, "And take the ribbon by either end with your other hand."

Annelique did as she was told. Her fingers tingled against Chia's, the ribbon felt warm, and she somehow felt as if a soft light was shining on her from somewhere far away. She found herself looking into Chia's eyes.

"Do you remember the next part?" Miss Lockheart asked.

"Mm-hmm." Chia nodded.

"Alright. Chia," Miss Lockheart said, "how did you make this ribbon?"

"With my hands."

"Why did you make this ribbon?"

"To...to help someone be happy."

Miss Lockheart raised an eyebrow, but continued. "What is in this ribbon?"

"My hopes."

"Where did they come from?"

"My heart."

Miss Lockheart turned to Annelique. "Now Annelique, part of the spell depends on you, so I'm going to ask you a few questions too. Just answer honestly, okay?"

Annelique nodded.

"Annelique, who made this ribbon?"

"Chia."

"Why did she make it?"

Luckily, Annelique had been paying attention. "To help someone be happy."

"Her hopes are inside it. They came from her heart. Where are your hopes, Annelique?"

Annelique smiled. "Right here."

She suddenly felt a powerful warmth spread all over her body and the glow faded from the ribbon.

"Excellent!" Miss Lockheart said. "That was wonderful! Now, there's a few more steps, and we'll need to wait a day between each step. I think the ribbon might be tired after all that!"

Chia took the ribbon and cradled it in both hands for a moment. "Thank you, Annelique."

Annelique blushed and tried to smile, unsure of what to say.

"Well, Chia, you seem to know heart ribbons very well," Miss Lockheart said. "Maybe you'd like to help Penelope while I tend to some others?" She gestured to a violet-winged angel sitting at another desk.

"Sure!" Chia said. "Except--where's her partner?"

"That's what she needs your help with," Miss Lockheart said. "She wants to make a ribbon for Shumi, but Shumi isn't here yet. I was wondering if you could go find her for us."

"Of course!" Chia said. "Do you want to come with me, Annelique?"

"Sure," Annelique said.

Chia led her back out of the University and immediately started flying.

"Where are we going?" Annelique asked.

"Shumi usually hangs out in the park near the north fountain. I figured we'd start there."

"Okay."

The flight took only a few minutes. There were many angels in sight when they landed--the park was rather enormous, and Shumi didn't appear to be near the fountain. They started asking around and a few other angels gave them some quick directions to where she had last been seen.

When they reached that spot, however, what they found was not Shumi. It was Saccarine, lying on a stone bench, with a belly the size of a beachball. Arandra was standing behind her, staring idly at some butterflies.

Chia stopped short, a shocked gasp escaping her lips.

"Umm..." Annelique said very carefully, "Saccarine, we are looking for Shumi. Have you, by any chance, seen her recently?"

"W--huh?" Saccarine said, turning her head as if she was only just noticing them. "Oh, Shumi. Sorry, can't help you. I'm a bit busy at the moment."

There was a sudden *glrrrgle!* from her belly, along with a muffled, high-pitched sound that could only be an angel's voice.

"Saccarine," Annelique said, "I'm going to ask you again. Have you seen, or had any interactions with, Shumi over the last few hours?"

"Why is everybody always looking at me?" Saccarine said, finally sitting up in annoyance. "What makes you think I know where she is?"

"Perhaps the comical bulge in your stomach that's making squeaking noises?"

"Feh! I'll have you know that this is somebody else entirely," she said, poking her gigantic, grunting belly.

"Who?" Chia asked plainly.

"Uh, I dunno, that...I dunno, that one girl. Yuma. Yeah, the one with the green hair."

"Yuma is blonde, Saccarine!" Chia snapped.

"Well what-the-fuck-ever! She's in me and that's that!"

"Hey guys, were you looking for me?" Shumi said, suddenly jogging into view from behind some trees.

"Oh..." Chia said, her eyes going wide.

"Hey Shumi, what color is Yuma's hair?" Saccarine yelled.

"Blonde?"

"Crap!" Saccarine snorted. "Well, it looked green."

Rushing over to Saccarine's belly, Chia called out. "Yuma? Yuma, is that you?"

Placing her ear on the bloated flesh, she could just barely make out Yuma's reply, faint and muffled.

"Yes, it's me!"

"Are you alright?"

"I'm--" *BLLLHGROOOOAAANNN.*

"What? Could you say that again?"

"I said I'm--" *GUHBBLLLLLUUURP*

Chia looked up at Saccarine.

"...What!?" Saccarine asked.

"Could you please keep your bodily noises under control for two seconds so we can talk?"

"Hey, it's out of my hands now, baby. But if you want to talk to her face to face, I think I could arrange it..."

"Eww!" Chia said, jumping away from the succubus.

Saccarine laughed. "Oh, come on. You know you want a piece of this." she said, rubbing her hand against the top of her belly.

"Even if I did, I..." Chia stopped in mid-sentence.

"Admit it. You're helpless against my *hHBBBBUUUUUUUURR-UUUUUUUURP!!*...ahem...charms." The succubus had to smack her lips a few times to cycle the taste out of her mouth.

"Oh yeah, that was sexy," Arandra said sarcastically.

Chia stepped away, subconsciously reaching out and clinging onto Annelique's arm. Looking defiantly at Saccarine, she said "Look, I don't want to be in anybody else's...belly, okay?"

"Anybody else's?" Saccarine said. "Something going on here I don't know about?"

Chia's head suddenly whipped around and faced Annelique, a frightened look in her eyes. "Oh my gosh, I'm--I'm sorry, I--"

"Looks like somebody's pining for an Annelique Special." Saccarine said.

Chia was suddenly at a loss for words. Annelique simply looked back at her, not wanting to say anything that might make her even more uncomfortable.

"It's okay, Chi. We all know you've got a crush on Annie." Arandra said.

Shumi stepped around and looked at the two of them. Despite the tense moment, Chia was still clinging to Annelique.

"Hey Annelique, would you swallow Chia?" Shumi said. "You know, if she wanted you to?"

Chia went rigid, her heart was beating so hard that Annelique could feel it through the tight grip of her palms. She was too nervous to even speak, just looking intently at Annelique, waiting for her reaction.

"Sure," Annelique said.

Chia seemed to relax a bit, but not much.

"So why don't you ask her, Chia?" Shumi said.

Chia's mouth was hanging slightly open, it's owner still too self-conscious to say anything.

Annelique, deciding it was time to take some of the pressure off her, put her arm around her shoulders and said "Because she's shy."

That seemed to satisfy everyone, except perhaps Chia herself--Annelique could feel her trembling.

"You want to go for a walk, Chia?" Annelique said.

"Y-yes..." Chia replied. "A walk would be good."

******

Annelique kept her arm around Chia for the entire trip as they walked along the grassy edge of the grounds. She seemed to have calmed down, but still hadn't said a word. They had been walking for a long time--it was starting to get dark.

It was Annelique who finally broke the silence. "Did that bother you?" she asked.

Chia shook her head. "No..."

Annelique nodded and cuddled a little closer to Chia, trying to comfort her. The pair continued walking, their footfalls the only sound in the warm evening air.

"They're...They're right, you know." Chia said.

The two angels stopped. Chia took a step away and turned to face Annelique. Her expression was strangely troubled.

"About--" Annelique started to say.

"Annie," Chia interrupted, her voice wavering ever so slightly. "Will you...please...swallow me?"

Her wings flapped nervously.

"You're the most beautiful angel I've ever seen," Chia continued, "and I know you'll be going away soon."

"Going away!?" Annelique said, suddenly taken aback. The strange, icy feeling hit her again, but she shook it off--forcefully this time. "What are you talking about?"

"Please, just..." Chia trailed off. "I know you don't want to leave, but...you will. I don't know why, I just know that when I wake up tomorrow, you won't be here anymore. So..at least take a little bit of me with you, so you'll know how much we all love you."

Annelique swallowed, her throat suddenly very dry. Something painful was welling up inside her, formless but somehow urgent. It was the same feeling that had jabbed at her ever since she awoke here. Every time she had tried to pin it down it had dissappeared like a wisp of smoke.

She bit her teeth and did her best to control herself. "How do you know?"

"Miss Sara always told me...'Angels can always tell how to make things right.' And I know that for you to make things right, you have to leave."

Chia's face was stoic, but her body was wavering ever so slightly. Her eyes were moist.

"So," she continued, "I want you to swallow me. And then I want you to go help your friends."

Chia clasped her hands together in front of her, meekly holding them on top of her belly as if she was hiding behind them.

Annelique was suddenly ablaze with emotion. What leaving? What friends? What the hell was going on?

"I want to stay with you, Chia!" she said.

"I know," Chia said, her voice quivering. "But you can't. And as long as you stay here, things will be wrong...I just know it. So just...let me wake up tommorrow having been part of you at least once."

Annelique's heart felt like it was being pulled apart with hooks. Even so, she couldn't help but think of the poor little angel standing before her, bravely accepting something that Annelique herself still seemed deadset on denying--yet somehow knew was just as true.

"...Please?" Chia said, biting her lower lip.

Finally a tear rolled down Annelique's face and she smiled in spite of herself.

"Of course."

Chia practically tackled her with a hug.

They held each other for one long, final moment.

Gradually pulling away, Chia let herself smile. "I'm ready."

******

Annelique sat on a ledge that seemed to overlook the whole world. Her tongue still tingled with the fading taste of her best friend's skin; the friend who had welcomed her; the first and most beautiful angel she ever saw. Now she was curled up inside her belly, waiting for Annelique's slow digestive process to get underway.

That little angel was perfectly happy, and somehow, Annelique was too. It was as though the two great storms in her mind, her love for Chia and her home at Golden Star and the painful knowledge that she didn't belong there, had fought one another to exhaustion until all that was left was a still quiet. There was only the blissful feeling of her friend inside her, shifting occaisionally and causing the stomach to blorp.

Annelique wrapped her arms around her belly, tenderly cradling the angel inside. She heard a voice, somehow clear as day despite the several inches of flesh that separated them:

"I love you, Annelique."

That did it. The iron buttresses collapsed and the walls fell. The storm vanished and the rain began.

Annelique started to cry.

She didn't have the strength to sob--and she didn't want to disturb Chia. But tears started rolling down her face like a river. She hung her head against her own belly, letting them soak into her dress.

There were so many things that she couldn't even tell which ones she was crying about. What would she do? If she left Golden Star, who would take care of her?

Her mind was all too ready to answer. You will. The Little Angel in you is afraid, but that is not all that you are.

Hours passed as she sat on that ledge, listening to the gentle gurgling as the redheaded angel passed slowly into her body. She almost thought she could see her face, feel her touch, as the nutrients she brought filled into her. It seemed wonderful--it seemed right. Her belly slowly flattened, and in one final instant, she felt Chia's soul passing over her, eager to begin it's new life, but not before taking a second to tell her goodbye.

And then, just like that, Annelique was alone.

She looked out across the stars, splayed in beautiful patterns across the sky. She smelled the sweet wind and admired the sparkling lights of far-away towns. She barely knew this place, yet it was the only place she knew, and she could not imagine one more wonderful. She didn't want to leave.

Yet, somehow, the thought of staying rent like razorwire across her soul.

It was time to get some answers.

******

The door to Miss Sara's room swung open after only a few knocks, almost as if she had been waiting by the door. The tall, beautiful angel was dressed in a long nighty, not unlike the one Annelique had worn the night she was born. Though it was the middle of the night, her face showed only concern for the little cherub at her door.

"What's wrong, Annelique?"

Annelique realized she didn't have the words. "I don't know. I...I just feel like I can't stay. Like I have to go. It's wrong. This is all wrong..."

Miss Sara noticed that, though she wasn't showing it, her little angel was terribly distressed. But, like the little angel, a part of her had known from the start.

"I am so sorry, Annelique," Miss Sara said, kneeling down to hug her. "I know what you must be going through."

"But I don't! Why is this happening?"

Miss Sara gave her a long, pained look.

Annelique heard a voice from behind them. "Why don't you tell us?"

She spun around and saw a woman in worn crimson armor.

"You!" Annelique said.

"Why are you doing this?" Miss Sara said, protectively pulling Annelique to her.

"Why don't you ask her?" the woman said, indicating Annelique.

"What?" Miss Sara snapped. "That's ridiculous! How could this be her fault?"

"Fault..." the woman said, almost rolling her eyes. "Hardly the right word to use, but the weight of this rests on neither you nor me. It lies on her shoulders alone."

"She never did anything," Miss Sara said. "She should be allowed to be happy."

"And she will be," the woman replied.

"What's happening to me?" Annelique asked.

The stern stranger gave her a long, measured look.

"Do you remember me?" she asked.

Annelique searched herself. She had almost recognized her, before her conscious mind realized that she had never seen this woman before in her life.

"I...I don't know," she said meekly.

The woman looked up at Miss Sara, her expression softening a bit. "She needs to come with me."

Miss Sara bit her lip. "Only if she wants to," she said fiercely.

The woman looked Annelique in the eye, waiting.

As she stared back, Annelique knew from the pain in her heart that this woman had the answer she was looking for.

She took Miss Sara's hand. "I have to," she said.

Miss Sara bit her lip as Annelique started moving away. Before she could get far, Miss Sara reached out and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Just remember," she said, her voice cracking slightly, "you'll always have a place here with us. Always."

Annelique couldn't reply. It suddenly felt like there was a pine cone in her throat.

Silently, Miss Sara pulled away. As she did, the air in Golden Star Hall itself felt cold for the very first time.

Annelique turned to face the mysterious woman.

The two of them left without another word.

******

"Who are you?" Annelique asked as she and the strange woman walked quickly through the Golden Star grounds.

"Klayer," the woman said.

"And what is going on?"

"There's nothing I can tell you that will make you understand," Klayer said. "I have to show you."

Klayer led her to a nondescript stone building. The inside of it was quite sparse--an ivory table was set in the middle and a line of mirrors dominated one wall.

"Wait here, I've got to go get something." Klayer said.

Annelique did as she was told.

She was about to get her answer.

But she wasn't excited.

In fact, she was starting to hate it.

Why her? Why was she being tormented like this? Why couldn't she just be happy here like everybody else? She didn't even care what the answer was--no matter the explaination, it was wrong. It wasn't fair. This place was so beautiful, so pure--why did it hurt her so much to stay here?

She waited several minutes, her mind lost in these thoughts.

Finally Klayer returned, carrying a steel platter covered up by an enormous box. She put it down on the table wordlessly.

"That's your answer?" Annelique asked.

"Yes," Klayer said, as she pulled off the box to reveal what was underneath.

It was shit. A big, brown, stinky pile of shit.

"ECHK!" Annelique yelped, jumping away from the foul substance. The sight of it was horrific--it practically chewed on her eyeballs. She smacked into the back wall in her eagerness to get away from it.

"What the devil are you doing!?" she said, already half-hysterical.

"Odd, that a single pile of poop would affect you so much." Klayer said. "Doesn't that seem odd to you?"

"What seems odd to me is that you--" Annelique started to retort, before she realized it WAS odd. She had seen poop before. It wasn't any big deal. Even when she'd pooped out Chia, it had been perfectly fine. She might even have hugged it, if it wasn't, you know, totally gross.

There was just something about this particular turd.

Something wrong.

"Do you recognize it?" Klayer asked.

It seemed like a ridiculous question, but...it caused the same instinctual gut-reaction that Klayer did. That being here did.

"Where did it come from?" Annelique asked.

"It came from you." Klayer replied.

"I didn't poop that out!"

"You misunderstand me," Klayer said coldly. "Look at it."

Annelique did as she was told--for a moment. She found she couldn't look for long. Something about it just buried icicles in her chest every time she saw it, and the longer she looked, the deeper the icicles bored.

Her mouth fell into a distressed frown.

"Why is it bothering you?" Klayer said in an almost accusatory tone.

"I--I don't know!" Annelique said. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Seems a perfectly ordinary pile of shit to me, doesn't it to you?" Klayer replied, her voice raised.

"No!" Annelique replied.

"Why not!?"

Annelique turned away and started walking around the room. She needed something to stop the pounding in her chest.

"How should I know?" she said as she paced.

"Have you taken a look at yourself lately, Annelique?"

Annelique gave her an annoyed look, but glanced over into one of the mirrors anyway. She saw her face, just as she would expect it to be.

Somehow that stabbing, cold feeling came again, even stronger than it had been before.

"What? I don't see anything wrong," she said defensively, half to Klayer, half to herself.

"Then why are you still looking?"

"I'm not!" Annelique said petulantly as she tore her gaze away from the mirror--only to find herself looking straight at the pile of shit again.

The icicles stabbed deeper.

"Wh--why are you showing me this?" she demanded, her voice quivering.

Klayer didn't answer.

Annelique's heart was pounding like something was pressing against it, making her both angry and scared. Her head whipped back towards the mirror. The face looking back at her, once so beautiful and serene, seemed twisted now, like something was writhing just underneath her skin. Yet it was still her own face.

Her hair shone in the mirror, still vibrant and black. It was her hair and it was beautiful. But something about it crawled up inside her like a swarm of biting insects. Something about the way it curled, something about the color...

"This isn't right," she heard herself say. "My hair isn't--this--this isn't my hair!" She watched her own clenched fingers in the mirror as they clawed at the perfect raven-colored locks.

The pounding had moved up to her head now, salting her breath making her skin feel tight. Her brows were stitched into a glare, lines of inexplicable distress pulled coarsely across her angelic face. She pulled at her own scalp as if she could tear open her skull and release the demons that were now tearing it apart.

"And these aren't my clothes, I--I never dress like this!" she said, the front of her pretty pink dress knotted up in her fist. "And why do I have--these aren't mine! These aren't mine!!" she said, suddenly glaring and grabbing at her downy wings if she wanted to rip them off. Tears had started streaking their way down her now-terrified face.

"What's wrong, Annelique?" Klayer said loudly.

Annelique threw down her fists. "My name isn't Annelique!"

"What is it?" Klayer demanded.

"It's Latella!" she screamed, her voice filled with anger at seemingly no one--or at herself. Her eyes clenched shut, buried in her own hands as the stabbing feeling boiled within her, stronger now than it had ever been. The feeling that she was not supposed to be here. That she was never supposed to be here.

The name had come out of nowhere, like a brand across her mind, trying to crush the little angel inside her like an iron boot. Even now it pressed down on her, pushing her apart like a giant plate of iron sinking into the mud.

She put her face into her hands and sobbed.

"My Goddess, please..." Annelique said, her voice choked and broken. "I don't want to be Latella. Latella is dead," she said softly, her whole body trembling as she looked at the pile of shit on the table. "I'm dead."

Her eyes were now overflowing with hot tears.

Klayer looked back at her calmly, a hint of compassion creeping into her features for just the briefest of moments.

Annelique stood motionless, her wings hanging limp at her sides. Her gaze lost it's focus on the pile of shit that she once was, gradually drifting off into a sad, helpless oblivion.

"Why?" she whispered. "Why is this happening?"

"Because there is a part of you that never died," Klayer said. "It was the part that never truly belonged to you. It lived in the hearts of your friends, and those who loved you."

"But that's never mattered before," Annelique sobbed. "No one else here had any trouble giving up their past life. Why me?"

"Because you are important." Klayer said. "There is a heart in Prime that still aches with the shadow of what you once were. A very strong heart. It calls out to your angelic nature, pulling you towards it so that it might heal itself."

Annelique looked at her reflection. Her skin looked stretched now, her pretty face slick with tears, her hair matted and mangled. "You call this healing."

"I didn't say it was for you."

Annelique gave a long sigh as she slowly lowered her head, forcing herself to look away. "I've got to go back."

"No," Klayer said, her voice suddenly forceful. "You need to become strong. There is more going on than even your troubled heart can know. You will go back, but first, you and I have work to do."