Welcome back to Hello Charlotte everyone. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, I worked hard on it. Please remember to VOTE and COMMENT, it means a lot to me plus I love chatting with you guys. Also, please remember to click on the video it goes with the chapter. ~XOXO BUTTERBALL~

The song is: Darkside by Shinedown

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-Charlotte-+

I woke up freezing, my skin covered in scales and chilled to the bone.

Slowly I sat up and looked around, I was in a world of pure white similar to my prison cell back at the Aveon prison.

Where am I? I remember collapsing in the snow...then nothing.

I jumped when I heard a childlike giggle echo in the world around me. I wrapped my arms around myself as I frantically tried to warm up, I began trudging forward trying my best to follow the giggling.

Why is it so cold when there's no fucking snow?

I let out a yawn as I stopped for a moment, my body felt heavy like every single limb was weighed down. I struggled to keep my eyes open as I walked and for a moment I just stopped my eyes closed. My hands on my skin felt like blocks of ice.

I can barely move, even if I do keep walking I won't make any progress especially when I don't see anything.

I fell to my knees as my breathing slowed down. I slumped forward letting out a small sigh as I allowed the cold whiteness to engulf me, my body was starting to shut down.

Ah, I never thought I'd die to the fucking cold of all things. I thought my life would end with Kessel killing me somehow.

I slowly forced my eyes half open it was a monumental task. However, I still couldn't move, as I glanced down at my hand my contract marking caught my attention. It was glowing a bright blue letting me know that Ivo was somewhere in this place with me.

"Ivo..." I whispered, "I have to stay alive for Ivo."

I gritted my teeth as I forced myself to my feet stumbling in place as though I was drunk. My whole body was numb, I couldn't feel anything.

Fire! If I can get my fire out I might have a chance!

Darkness was creeping into my vision, I could feel heat gathering in my chest as the taste of charcoal rolled over my tongue. Slowly I lifted my head up and released a large stream of fire into the air. Heat rushed through my body so quickly that it left my limbs tingling, as my fire tapered off I let out a sigh of relief as my whole body trembled.

"Big dragon lady!"

I looked down my eyes going wide at the familiar voice. A small kid was standing in front of me, black pupiless eyes staring at me. He had small doe like horns poking out beneath his short black hair. As I was staring at him he turned and walked away from me only to stop and kneel down in front of a small pond that had appeared.

However, I kept staring at him a frown on my face.

No way...

"Ivo?" I whispered.

The little boy looked at me for a moment then he grinned. "Yeah, I'm Prince Ivo. I'm waiting for my mom," he told me as he looked back at the lake.

Wait am I looking at Ivo's memories? No, I couldn't be this place feels different somehow not to mention that I'm talking to him directly.

"You're waiting for your mom?" I asked slowly as I continued to stare at him.

He nodded. "My mom is a water nymph so she's like a fish, and stays underwater most of the time. But at least she's a lot nicer than Delilah," he told me.

I let out a small chuckle as I crouched down next to him.

He looks a lot innocent and cuter, maybe he's a lot nicer too. Although that commanding tone is still there.

Ivo looked up at me and cocked his head to the side then he pointed at me. "Big purple lizard lady, are you waiting for your mom too?" He asked.

I may have spoken too soon. I don't know why I expected him to be nice especially when Delilah told me how he used to treat her when he was this young.

I gritted my teeth as I looked at him. "My name is Charlotte. I'm not a big lizard lady," I reminded him as I allowed my scales to fade.

Ivo frowned. "Charlotte..." he whispered then he looked at me and grinned. "Hello, Charlotte."

I froze as I just stared at him then I spoke. "Do...do you not know who I am? I'm yours, I belong to you."

He frowned again as he looked back at the lake. "I just met you. And I'm too young to marry, not that you're the first to ask," he told me letting out a huff.

For a few moments I could only stare at him with wide eyes, then I was practically shoving my right arm in his face. "That's not what I meant Ivo! These are your markings don't you know that?" I said as forced him to look at the markings.

Ivo narrowed his eyes at me. "Those are mine but you shouldn't have them. Where did you get them?" He growled at me.

My hand was shaking and it felt like my chest was full of lead, I could barely breathe each time I managed to actually get a breath in it hurt.

"They're yours you goddamn idiot! You gave them to me!" I snapped.

"Don't shout at me, you fucking lizard woman!" He yelled.

"Ivo, sweetie there you are. I was looking for you."

I looked up seeing a beautiful woman with black scales all over her body in patches and black hair, she had fish like fins on her arms, wrist, ankles, and legs. Her eyes were like Ivo's but they had a bright white dot for a pupil.

That white pupil...

I quickly stood up as I remembered that woman that had turned Caius into a therion. Ivo smiled at her and got to his feet but I grabbed his arm and forced him behind me.

"What do you think you're doing? Let me go!" He snapped at me.

I narrowed my eyes as my scales rolled across my skin. "Ivo, that's not Elise. Try to think about how your mom really looked. She was blue, blue scales, blue hair and not to mention blue eyes," I reminded him.

"Blue...like water...," he whispered then let out a whimper as he clung to me.

"So, who the hell are you?" I hissed as I stared at the woman.

She had her arms crossed and her eyes closed, she let out a sigh. "I hate to admit it but Melodia was right. I thought she was just being a bitch," she mumbled. Then she looked at me with a small smile. "You're right I'm not his mother, at least not in that sense." She told me as black demonic energy engulfed her.

I held my ground watching carefully as it dispersed as quickly as it had gathered. A brown-skinned woman with long silver hair suddenly stood there, her beige gown reached to her ankles and had no sleeves. When I glanced down I couldn't help but notice that instead of human-like feet she had goat-like hooves. She looked at me the white pupil sliding across her black owl eyes like a slow-moving ping pong ball.

"Who the fuck are you," I growled again.

However, the woman just smiled at me. "I'm the goddess of knowledge and dreams as well as being one of the mothers' of the therions. My name is Lucoseria," she told as she stared at me.

"Bullshit!" I growled as I glanced back at Ivo. He was staring at the woman with a strange look on his face.

"She's not lying...she feels like my mom even though I've never met her," he told me softly.

I continued to glare at her my body tensing up as she stalked forward.

"You should listen to him you know, after all, think about it I turned someone into a therion right in front of you. For anyone else to do that they'd need a piece of the gods which reside in all therions," she informed me.

I let out a humorless laugh. "Oh yeah then why'd you turn Caius into one? It just put everyone including Ivo in danger," I reminded her.

She suddenly smirked as she stopped walking. "I mostly did it to throw it in Kessel's face, showing him that I can make the one thing he craves at will. Not to mention that since his soul isn't completely corroded, meaning that no matter how insane he may seem the real him is still there so ripping his lover away from him in that fashion was just too good to pass up," she explained. Then she started laughing, "He has one of our children with him and yet he can't figure that out, I can't wait to visit him about his lover."

"Wow, you're a bit petty aren't you?" I said uneasily as I backed up a bit.

She instantly stopped laughing and looked at me, her gaze was unsettling it felt like I was being watched from every direction. Almost like the Kiree-Kiree guardian.

"Petty? I don't think so, I mean he's technically trying to harm my children, not to mention people like him are the reason our children were created," she informed me as those pinpoint pupil stared me down.

"What do you mean people like Kessel are the reason therions were created?" I asked slowly.

"When we created our worlds, we ran into a problem of sorts. Many powerful creatures would try to come here to take our heads, it wasn't really a problem until a person appeared who had hidden his soul. He would just reappear whenever we killed him and make his way back here. So we created the first therion which would be Ivo's ancestor, we combined my knowledge, Melodia's power over darkness, and Mikaela's power of creation and destruction. It was the best decision we ever had, that therion went on to make the kingdom that Vincent rules over today. So we made many therions and sealed off this world making them the keys, since their powerful and hard to destroy it was the most logical move," she explained to me.

Melodia, I know she's the goddess of light and dark. My godforsaken village was named after her. Mikaela is the only male god if I'm correct and the god of creation and destruction. So if Lucoseria is here where are the other two?

"They're at our home," she informed me.

She can't read my thoughts though. Right?

"I can," Ivo said as he looked up at me then he frowned. "I don't know why though," he whispered.

Lucoseria smiled at Ivo. "Come to momma sweetie, I need you for something."

Ivo continued to hide behind me, however, looking terrified at the idea of coming near her.

She frowned looking slightly annoyed. "Ivo, I said come here," she commanded.

Almost automatically Ivo began walking toward her, however, I grabbed him by his arm again which made him look at me. In his eyes were white pinprick pupils.

I gritted my teeth as I kept my grip on Ivo's arm. "What did you do to him?" I asked slowly.

"I forced him to come to me since he was scared. I just overrode his fear of me," she explained.

"I...I fucking hate parents like you. You force your kids to do what you want them to no matter how much they may be afraid, you only care about your fucking self, and most of all you allow your child to suffer. You may have created his species but you aren't his mother!" I snapped.

"Excuse me?" She asked sounding shocked.

"You heard what I said, you bitch! Elise was someone who shouldn't even be compared to you, the way Ivo looks when he talks about her you can tell that she was amazing. A good person with a good heart, you're just a petty god throwing your existence in everyone's face!" I snapped.

A chill ran over my skin as Lucoseria's cold eyes looked at me, it felt like her gaze was piercing all the way through to my soul. I continued to glare at her though as I held my ground, then she just vanished and the previously white world was engulfed in darkness.

"You want fear and suffering, I'll show you fear and suffering," she said her voice echoing all around me.

"Charlotte, where are we?" Ivo asked his voice sounding unnaturally small.

"I don't know but knowing that cunt it can't be good," I told him. "Come on follow me, Ivo." I held out my hand for him.

He chose instead to grab my tail. "Can I hold this instead? It's fluffy and soft I like it," he asked as he rubbed the fur there.

"Ivo, no how would you feel if someone asked if they can grab your arm?" I asked.

Ivo pouted. "You already grabbed my arm without asking," he pointed out.

I let out a sigh. "Please Ivo, we need to get out of here and I want to know where you are when we walk," I explained. Ivo continued to pout but he did let go of my tail and grab my hand instead.

After a few moments of walking through the darkness, I suddenly collided with something rough, cold and hard.

"What the hell? A wall?" I said as I rubbed a hand over my face. When I looked back at the wall I noticed that it wasn't a wall but thick metal cage bars.

"Charlotte?" Ivo said which made me turn around only to see a gray stone wall behind us.

"What the fuck?" I whispered. "That's right the goddess of dreams, and if this is the world of the Gods it doesn't need to be a dream for her to manipulate reality like this."

I looked back at Ivo a small smile on my face. "Don't worry I'll get us out of here, I'll protect you," I assured him. I leaned forward looking out of the cell as I used my fingers to measure the thickness of the bars.

Outside the bars I could see that we were in a damp cave-like room with other cages, the other cages had small children in them that were way too thin to be healthy.

Of course, she'd drag me here. But the bars are just as thick as when I was a kid so getting through them now will be no problem.

I wrapped my hands around two of the bars and pulled, as I pulled they creaked loudly as then bent under my strength. I continued to pull on the bars until the opening was wide enough for Ivo and me to walk through.

As we walked past the other cages small grime-covered hands reached out towards us as the children admitted cries of anguish and pain.

"Are-are we going to help them too?" Ivo asked softly his grip on my hand tightening.

"They'll get help soon," I told him.

"Help? You mean you killing them like you did before?" Lucoseria said her voice echoing around us.

"I put them out of their misery, even without being drugged those children had no life in them. They didn't even know where they were or who they were anymore," I said slowly as I glared into the blackness ahead of me.

"Oh except you though, little Charlotte Marcel always the lucky one," she said.

Ivo suddenly screamed and I whirled back to look at him. One of the kid's hands had grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up to the bars.

"Why...didn't you...let me die?"

I almost froze at the voice and the sight of its owner. A young Kessel no older than thirteen was gripping Ivo's arm in a vice grip. Blood was leaking from Kessel's eyes, nose, mouth, and ears there was a stab wound on his chest so deep that I could see faintly see his heart pulsing beneath the glint of his rib bones.

"I...saved...your...life...so, why? Why, couldn't you...let me die?" Kessel gurgled out through the blood filling his mouth.

I quickly reached down and grabbed Kessel's hand that was on Ivo, then I yanked my arm back as hard as I could almost instantly a violent crack entered my ears. Wasting no time I grabbed Ivo gathering him in my arms as I ran eventually we appeared in a long white castle-like hallway. It was only then that I noticed Ivo crying in my arms.

I carefully set him down and knelt in front of me. "Ivo, look at me," I said.

He looked at me his eyes wide and full of tears. "Di-did I really hurt Kessel?" He asked me.

That's right if he's like eight years old and doesn't remember me then he doesn't remember what Kessel did to deserve death.

I let out a sigh. "I won't lie to you, yes you did but you didn't know what would happen to Kessel because no one told you. When you're older though Kessel purposely killed your mother, and he also nearly killed you, it's also how you were able to meet me. I offered to help you kill Kessel in exchange for rescuing me from a place that was worse then hell on earth," I told him gently.

"I...saved you when I'm older?" He asked softly.

I nodded a smile on my face. However, when I looked up my eyes went wide Lucoseria was standing in front of us a look of disgust on her face.

As she walked forward her form shimmered changing. I gathered up my fire as I yanked Ivo behind me wrapping one of my large wings around him.

A moment later her form settled as the shimmering stalked and suddenly Rebecca was walking towards us. My body seemed to lock up instantly as my throat closed up extinguishing the fire that had been gathering there. "You seemed to forget that I can change my appearance mongrel," she said as she continued toward us.

"I won't let you hurt Ivo!" I forced out my voice strained.

She smirked. "Big words when you're literally shaking with fear."

I felt a small warm hand grab mine and I glanced back at Ivo to see him giving me a warm smile. I smiled back at him and took a deep breath as I glared at her. "Do and say what you want I'm not fucking afraid of you!" I snapped.

"And I thought temporarily making Ivo like this would cease any issues. After all, he can't remember you so there would be no reason to listen to or protect you, hmmm I should've found a different method to isolate him." She said in a bored tone with a thoughtful look on her face.

"I don't have any memories of her but...I feel like I know her and like I've known her for a long time almost our souls are connected or something. So, so...leave my Charlotte alone!" Ivo snapped.

Ivo's eyes went wide and suddenly black and red demonic energy began to swirl around him quickly engulfing his small form. "Ah...it broke," Lucoseria said with a wide-eyed look of surprise on her face.

What the hell does she mean it broke?

"Fucking finally, I couldn't even use my therion powers when I was that young," Ivo said as the demonic energy dissipated.

I couldn't help but grin as I looked up at him. "You're back! You're back to normal!" I exclaimed as I wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug.

Ivo smiled as he patted my head. "Of course I'm back, I never left I was just sleeping," he told me.

"So sweet I could puke up my organs, at least I know what to do now," Lucoseria said as she returned to her normal appearance.

"And just what is that?" Ivo asked glaring at her.

"Kill Charlotte then reset your memory so that she won't exist there, just to make sure something like this doesn't happen. I can't have my own child going against me," she said in a matter of fact tone.

"Wow, I guess I was right about you being petty Lucoseria. I didn't expect to find out this way though," a monotone female voice said.

A woman made of white light appeared on her body, moving dark swirls of shadow. Her eyes were the same as Ivo's.

Lucoseria bit her lip as she stared at the woman. "I have no clue what you're talking about Melodia."

"You were supposed to release them after explaining things not mentally torture them and try to kill them because you got called out on your bullshit personality and false niceties," she told her.

"I don't take orders from you!" She snapped.

Melodia cocked her head to the side as she stared blankly at Lucoseria. "I'm here because Mikaela told me to stop you before you harm them, he said we don't need a repeat of the last incident."

Lucoseria flinched at her word before giving Ivo and I a strained smile. "Excuse me, I must be going," she said right before she vanished.

Melodia floated over until she stopped a few feet in front of us. "I am incredibly sorry about her behavior. I shall now return your souls to the place you belong," she informed.

A second later my vision was engulfed by a bright like before going dark.

~~~~~~~

I sprang up my eyes shooting open as my vision swam into place.

I was in a large bed with Ivo lying next to me and for some reason, the bed was rocking gently.

Oh yeah, the train Lawrence said we were going to leave Kiree-Kiree on a train. So that's where we are but how long have I been out.

I shakily climbed out of the bed nearly tripping over my wings that were dragging around. "How do I put these things up?" I whispered.

I shifted them slightly but in the end, couldn't figure out how to fold them up.

I nearly ran into Delilah when I opened the door causing her to jump in surprise. "You're awake! Fucking hell Charlotte, you and Ivo need to stop scaring me like that," she told me the relief clear in her voice.

"Where's Lawrence and Atlas?" I asked, behind me I heard Ivo let out a yawn.

"Lawrence is training Atlas, he wanted to train you and Ivo too in fact but you know. In fact, I better tell him you guys are awake so we can actually go over the plan for when we get to Malkavien," Delilah said.

She led Ivo and me to a very large train car even though it had seemed like the size of a regular train car outside, inside it was about the size of a school gym.

A form of magic probably.

"You're not doing it right! Do you want me to snap your fucking neck?" Lawrence yelled at Atlas as we entered the room.

Lawrence had Atlas on the ground, on his stomach as Lawrence held one of Atlas's wings tightly in his grasp just pulling on it. His left foot was in the area between his wings pressing down hard.

"Oh yeah, I had forgotten what training with Lawrence is like," Ivo said as if this was just the most normal thing in the world.

"Lawrence, Ivo, and Charlotte are awake so we can go over the plan now," Delilah called across the room.

Lawrence grinned at us as he released Atlas. "Welcome back to the world of the living you two. For people who don't want to die you sure aren't very good at keeping yourselves out of obviously fatal danger." He told us.

He walked over to the nearby wall and pressed a light switch looking button. The wall opened up emitting a low Zapp noise as it revealed what looked like a large whiteboard. On it was a bunch of writing along with five pictures on it. Two of the pictures were of Kessel and Caius whose picture was crossed out, the other pictures I didn't recognize.

"Come sit down children and Delilah, so that I can explain everything," Lawrence said as he walked over to the board.

"Lawrence I swear to everything if you don't quit it," Delilah growled as she sat between me and Atlas.

"Delilah your 231 million years old and 57 human years do you really want me to call you a fucking child?" Lawrence asked.

Beside me Ivo flinched, while Atlas seemed froze in shock, Delilah however just glared at Lawrence. "Just tell us the fucking plan!" She snapped.

Lawrence smirked but cleared his throat and began to speak. "As you know we've eliminated Caius the problem is we still have, three others to worry about besides Kessel and their names are Seras, Eizen, and Lorithia. Lorithia seems like she'll be the least trouble, and the human Seras while trained may be easier to take care of. Our biggest problem other than Kessel is the shapeshifter Eizen." He told us pointing to a picture of a young looking guy with brown hair who seemed like he was talking to a bunch of zoo animals.

"Are you sure he's the biggest threat besides Kessel? He looks like an idiot especially in that picture," Delilah asked sounding unsure.

Lawrence crossed his arms as he looked at her. "Delilah, do you think I'm an idiot?" He asked calmly.

"Of course I do I mean just look at, oh..." Delilah trailed off her eyes going wide.

"And that right there is it, people underestimate him not just because of how young he is but because of how he acts. But this kid right here is something fucking else, he's so smart and trained that Kessel has him as his right hand. If we were on different sides I would have made him my apprentice," Lawrence told us which made both Delilah and Ivo go very still. "Delilah, do you remember hearing about how Vincent had me find the Fairy Queen's name?" He asked.

Delilah just slowly nodded. Lawrence tapped on Eizen's picture, "It took me a week, but for him, it only took a day. That's why I'll be taking him out. Delilah and Atlas will be taking on Seras, she's trained by Eizen but she is still just a human if you can manage to keep her locked in place her magic casting will stop, Charlotte you'll take on Lorithia while she seems like she'll be the least trouble I don't know what she's capable of. Finally Ivo you'll, of course, take Kessel but I'll need to train you first," Lawrence explained.

"Why? All I need to do is touch him once," Ivo said.

Lawrence crossed his arms again. "Ivo, you can't brute force your way through this fight. You may know Kessel but you don't know how he fights now or how his powers are working with the condition his soul is in. But Kessel knows how you fight because you fight the same way you always have, sloppy and reckless because to you try to use brute force on everything."

"Yeah. because it works," Ivo protested.

For a moment Lawrence was silent as he just stared at Ivo. "Ivo, you tried to brute force your way through when you fought Caius. I saw it, hell even Charlotte saw it, and because you weren't thinking he actually managed to land a hit. Now beside Caius who was the last person to actually managed to do that?" Lawrence asked as he continued to stare at Ivo.

Ivo flinched under Lawrence's gaze. "Kessel, when we were training together," he said his voice soft as he stared the ground.

"I need you to speak up I couldn't hear that?" Lawrence told him.

"Fucking Kessel alright, there I said it!" Ivo snapped as a growl tore from his throat.

"Exactly, in fact, the last time you spared Kessel had the highest number of wins between you two. There's nothing wrong with being stubborn or proud, Ivo but with the way you are now, you'll get killed if you go up against my son. But don't worry, that's why I'm here to beat that stupid mentality out of you, just like Vincent did me." Lawrence told him.

He looked at all of us that familiar manic nearly crazed grin spreading across his face. "Now let's get started."