Sanctuary II

Varla strode confidently towards the lab doors, where Roisin was stood waiting, with her arms crossed. Bartholme was dragging the chair behind him, as it made a scratching sound. When they reached the door, Bartholme placed the chair behind Varla, and she sat down.

"Your Uncle is dead, Roisin" Varla smiled.

"Have you confirmed it?" Roisin asked, looking away.

"I do not need to, no one survives out in the darkness" Varla cackled.

"Then he isn't dead" Roisin shrugged, looking Varla in her blue eyes.

"Perhaps. But I don't doubt that your friend Princess Ariel, is" Varla laughed.

"Ariel?!" Roisin gasped.

"You should have heard her scream when I cut her eye" Varla laughed manically. Roisin frowned, as the Celestial Crossbows formed on her wrists, and her eyes started to change to dark red. "Yes! Feel the hatred!" Varla shouted, as she stood up and kicked the chair backwards.

"You are dead" Roisin threatened. Suddenly footsteps could be heard behind Roisin, as Keegan ran out and pulled her backward, away from the door.

"Don't fall for it, Roisin!" Keegan shouted.

Varla approached and looked at Keegan.

"So, the twin shows his face at last" Varla grinned. "That said, this is not the first time we have met, is it?" She asked.

"You can say whatever you want to me" Keegan shrugged, as Roisin broke down in tears in Keegan's arms. "I've felt much worse that barbed words" He added.

"Very true" Varla laughed. "I used to watch you sobbing your heart out in the park, near the Imperial Library. I can't believe I used to have a crush on you" She taunted.

"I don't even remember you" Keegan shrugged. "You must not have been a very memorable girl" He added.

"Little crybaby" Varla shrugged back at Keegan. "Oh my Mummy doesn't love me! I wanna go back to my real home!" She mocked in a childlike voice.

"I am home now" Keegan shrugged. "And poor little rich girl never found a way to fix the emptiness she felt inside" He grinned.

"Ah! So you do remember me" Varla winked.

"Of course I do. Everyone remembers the rich girl who got everything a child could want. But it was never enough for her, and so she had to steal everything the other kids had" Keegan said, as he patted Roisin and walked closer to the door. "How does it feel now, Varla? Now that you have everything... does it fill that empty feeling you feel inside? Or are you just as hollow as you was back then. Forever lonely?" Keegan mocked Varla inches from her face.

"I found something to fill the emptiness inside, dear Keegan" Varla winked.

"The murdering? Wow, great coping mechanism!" Keegan laughed.

"Yes!" Varla grinned from ear to ear. "The theatrical nature of it, I suppose. Anyone can plunge a knife into a heart, it's true... but I make it art, dear Keegan. Like I did at the television station massacre, like I did to poor Princess Ariel, and when the time comes, like I will to your twin sister" Varla banged her fist against the energy field and laughed.

"You'd have to kill me, before that happened" Keegan shrugged.

"Keegan, my love, we will perform the dance of blades upon a stage so bright, and a crowd will gather to see your crimson heart slashed, before the curtains fall" Varla said as she spun around. Roisin got to her feet, and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"You forget, Varla. We own this city still, when the blue sky returns, be ready to run, because we will end you before you see it coming" Roisin shouted.

"When the blue sky returns, girl. That will be the dawn of the Varlan Empire, and the dusk of Sanctuary" Varla smiled, as she turned and walked away.

"Varla" Roisin said. Varla turned to look at Roisin. "Don't come back here" She grunted.

"See you tomorrow, girl" Varla shrugged as she turned and left. Keegan frowned and hugged Roisin.

"Don't let her get to you" Keegan sighed.

"I try, but it's hard..." Roisin let out a deep breath.

"I know Uncle Atlas and Ariel will be safe, they're stronger than Varla knows" Keegan smiled.

"I hope you're right" Roisin nodded, with a frown. As she began walking into the atrium, Ruby flew down to Roisin and landed on her shoulder, she chirped as she rubbed her smell head against Roisin's hair, as she did, Roisin smiled softly. Keegan smiled too, as he watched, before turning back to watch Varla leaving the street.