Betrayal:

Simone’s Notes:

Sacrifice is commonly known as the practice of offering food, or the lives of animals or people to the gods, as an act of propitiation or worship. The term is also used metaphorically to describe selfless good deeds for others, or a short term loss in return for a greater gain. The practice of sacrifice is found in the oldest human records. The archaeological record contains human and animal corpses with sacrificial marks long before any written records of the practice. Sacrifices are a common theme in most religions, though the frequency of animal, and especially human, sacrifices are rare today.

The plan was put into action on December twenty-seventh. Yasmine would kill Manami on casemated ground and shut the gates of Hell, sending the incubi and succubi back in the process. Every had to go as planned. One little error and everything would tumble backwards to square one. No one could afford that! Yasmine got out the blade that she used to kill Trent with. She had wrapped it tightly in her jacket for tonight. Cleaning it was hard work. But it was nothing compared to what she was planning for tonight. The hunter stared out her window. She remembered the talk that she had with Kate earlier this morning.

[This Morning]

Kate and Yasmine were in the trees watching the playground below. Many kids were playing in the snow today. The women were focused on Manami in particular. She was wrapped tightly in a thick pink parka, black little mittens, deep blue jeans, little pink sneakers, and a pink and white scarf around her neck. Her little ponytails bounced as she ran back to the slide again. Darius and Nyious were with the little girl. Yasmine kept watching in silence. “See the target?” she asked Kate. “Yeah,” she replied. The hunter could tell that the girl’s mind was elsewhere. “Kate!” she called. “Do you think she’s cold?” the girl asked. “I hope they dressed her warmly for this weather. Kids her age get sick easily around winter.” “Kate, focus!” Yas barked. The young mother looked up at her. Yasmine straightened up. “We… I have to kill her!” she called. “And you are going to help me!” Kate nodded. “What do you want me to do?” she asked. Yas looked back at Manami sliding down the slide again. “Kidnap the baby away from Nyious!” she ordered. Kate looked at her nervously. “How do I do that?” she asked uneasily. The hunter turned to her smiling. “Anyway you can!” she replied. Kate just nodded at the suggestion. “Okay…” she replied.

[Now]

Yasmine looked all around at her kit. Sand, oils, ink, empty pens, prayer strips, and her Black Sun book. The hunter even offered to Syd to come along and join in the slaughter. But he turned it down. “Strange,” Yasmine replied. “It’s not like you to turn down an opportunity to witness a killing!” Her former boss just smiled at her. “It’s your kill,” he replied as he lied back on his black sofa. “I don’t wish to rob you of your glory!” Yasmine just smiled at his request. “Very well then!” the woman called. Yasmine looked around at her kit once more. She had all of the supplies she needed. The only thing that was needed was for Kate to stay strong and go through with the plan. “Kate!” Yasmine thought. “Stay strong and don’t fall back into the trap!”

At her apartment, Kate was applying some make-up to her face. Ginny was pacing around nervously. “Are you sure that you can do this?” the blonde Catholic asked for God knows number of times. “Yes, Gin!” her friend called back as she was finishing up on her mascara. “I can do this!” “But,” Ginny tried again. “What if they don’t fall for it? Are you sure this is the only way to get out of this? What if killing the baby isn’t the right solution? Then what?” “Relax!” Kate called as she was applying lip liner. “Everything will be all right! Just trust Miss Yasmine on this one!” “That’s what I am afraid of!” her friend called. “What if she’s wrong? What if there are other ways to deal with this?” “Kate put down her make-up. “We have to try the solution out first!” she called. “Ginny, please stop worrying about me so much! I’ll be fine!” Her friend stood there looking pale. This was the first time that Kate ever sounded like she was sure about anything. She took in a hard and deep breath. “Okay,” she said. “Just be very careful!” Kate smiled at her. “I will!” Then, the girls hugged each other tightly before Kate headed out on her mission.

The young mother came to apartment 379. She hesitated at first. But then she drew in a deep breath and knocked on the door. “Coming!” a man’s voice called. Kate’s heart raced as she waited. “Remember,” she thought to herself. “Don’t back down and don’t fall weak! You need this! Yasmine is counting on you!” Then, the door opened. Kate looked to see Nyious staring right at her. The girl stared back at him for a long time. Sure, the rotten bastard tricked her by pretending to be an angel, but yet there was a certain level of attraction to him that was overpowering. Nyious kept looking at her. “Kate,” he called in true surprise. “What are you doing here?” The girl strengthened up again. “I came to see you and Manami!” she called. Nyious looked around behind her for a bit at first. “Are you alone?” he asked. “Yes sir!” Kate replied. The soldier looked around again to see if she was lying or not. When it was clear, he said, “All right, come in!” Kate smiled kindly at him as she did so. Nyious closed and locked the door behind her. Phase one was in effect.

Kate found Manami playing in her crib quietly with her toys. The little girl seemed so content. The young mother couldn’t help but smile at the little child. Warm feelings filled her soul right away. She suddenly wanted to hold the little girl in arms. But then, Kate shook herself free of those feelings. “You can hold her if you like!” a voice called to her. The young mother looked up to see Nyious looking at her smiling. “I’m sorry?” Kate asked. The soldier kept smiling at her. “You looked like you wanted to hold her.” Nyious told her. The young mother just shook her head. “Oh no!” she said quickly. “I don’t want to disturb her at all!” The “angel” just smiled at her again. “Very well!” he said. Kate just smiled back at him.

In a few minutes, Kate was sitting on the couch staring out into space. Nyious sat over in the corner. “Tell me something, my dear,” he spoke up. The young mother looked up at him. “Hm?” she asked. “How could you betray me by befriending that woman?” the soldier asked her sounding hurt. “You really hurt me so!” Kate’s peace burned into anger. “You feeling betrayed?” she asked. “How do you think I felt when I found out about her?” Nyious gave her a little smile. “I believe you felt privileged!” he announced to her. Kate tried not to laugh out loud to him. “It’s true!” Nyious called to her. The girl rolled her eyes at him. At that moment, Manami began crying. Kate looked up quickly. “Manami’s crying!” she called. Nyious sighed again. He was about to get up and tend to her when Kate called, “Wait! I’ll get her!” The soldier back and smiled. “Okay!” he said. Then, Kate disappeared to the nursery. Nyious sat back and rested.

Yasmine was over at Kate and Ginny’s apartment. She had her kit out and was working hard. The hunter was drawing a circle on the floor with ink. Jakob, Mikey, Hunter, and Ginny watched as Yas drew a box around the circle. “What is this for again?” Hunter asked. Yasmine didn’t look up at all. “It’s a Beryl Circle,” she replied as she wrote the characters carefully. “This is for Kate. When she and the baby are inside the circle, nothing with high energy can get. And if they are in the circle and she’s outside, they can’t get out to her!” “Like a shield?” Mikey asked. “Precisely!” the hunter called. Ginny still looked worried. “Are you sure it’ll hold?” she asked. Yasmine looked up at her from her work. “Just trust me on this one! I have calculated every singly detail for the plan to go right!” she called. “Kate will be fine!” “Miss Yasmine knows what she’s doing!” Jakob called. “We’ll out be out of this soon!” Ginny sat back again. “Okay…” she mumbled. Hunter lightly pat her on the shoulder. “It’ll all be okay!” he guaranteed calmly. His pal nodded sickly. She still looked pale.

Kate returned back to the living room. Nyious looked up at her. “Shhh!” the young mother whispered. “Manami’s sleeping now!” The solider smiled. “Finally!” he whispered to her. The young mother smiled at him. “Aw!” she called softly. “It’s not that bad! She’s a sweet girl if you have patience.” “That’s something I don’t have!” Nyious said in a charming way. “You trying raising a play while your house mates are out all of the time!” Kate giggled softly at him. “Don’t you have Lennon for that?” she asked. Nyious threw up his hands. “Please!” he called. “The idiot’s nowhere as good as you are with Manami!” Kate couldn’t help but to smile at that commitment. The deity was charming when he was stressed out. She sat down on the sofa across from him again. “Nyious,” the girl spoke up again. The soldier looked up at him. “What is it?” he asked. “Why do you have so many calcium and steroid pills for the baby?” Nyious smiled back at her. “Manami’s bones keep growing!” he answered. “I see!” Kate said softly. The soldier became soft on her. He rose to his feet and slowly walked over to her. “Kate!” he murmured to her. “I love you! I have always loved you!” Kate lightly shut her eyes at that statement. Nyious lightly kissed the girl on the lips. Kate softly kissed back.

Yasmine was almost done with her work. She added in the last mark and stood up straight. “There!” she called. “All done! Nothing will touch Kate once she’s in the barrier!” Ginny was still uneasy about the whole plan. She looked at the circle and sighed. Yas looked up at her in question. “Now what’s the matter?” she asked. Gin just shrugged. “Nothing,” she replied. “How can you be sure that Kate will come back?” The hunter smiled at her. “Kate knows what’s at stake,” she replied. “I’m sure she’ll find the strength to resist temptation!”

The young mother moaned out in ecstasy in the bed. She crashed backwards happily panting. Her mind was lost in deep bliss. The girl felt weak all over in a good way. Nyious mounted her again. “How was that for a first time?” he asked politely. “Great!” the young mother called out in happiness. Kate had just lost her virginity to the “angel.” The soldier was finally getting his wish after so long. They shared another kiss. The pair seemed so perfect for each other. “You can have anything you want!” Nyious whispered to her. Kate smiled at him sweetly. “I don’t want anything!” she told him. The soldier deity smiled back at her. “Neither do I!” he replied to her. Then, the pair kissed again. Kate held him tightly to her.

But after a few minutes when Nyious had gone to sleep, Kate snuck out of bed and got dressed. She hurried to the nursery, picked up Manami and hurried out the door. She had to be quiet in order to avoid being found out. The girl was almost to the door when she accidentally knocked out a bottle of heated milk. She quickly looked down and back at the bedroom. So far, the soldier was still sleeping. Kate sighed in relief and hurried out of the apartment. The girl reached into her pocket and drew out her phone when she made it to the end of the hall. She dialed the number quickly and waited. “Hello?” Yasmine asked on the other line. “I’ve got her!” Kate whispered quickly. “Great!” Yas replied. “Now hurry back here!” “Right!” Kate replied. Then, the girl ran straight to the elevator and got inside. She pushed the right buttons and was on her way.

Meanwhile, Ai-Oni was stalking Edward as he was heading back to his apartment. The she-devil smiled to herself wickedly. She had plans for him! “Don’t feel ashamed, Edward!” the devil woman thought. “It’ll all be natural to you!” Then, Ai-Oni waited until nightfall to act upon her plan.

Elsewhere, Nyious woke up and realized that both Kate and Manami were gone. He looked around quickly. The deity soldier quickly put two and two together. He grinned to himself quickly. “No real worry!” Nyious thought to himself. “Kate is all mine, body and soul!” Then, the soldier got up, got dressed, and headed out the door after the holy mother and the princess of the fallen.

By afternoon, Kate was in the Beryl Circle. Yasmine allowed her friends to stay with her. The young mother had held Manami in her arms close to her. The seniors all looked at the baby. “Hard to believe something so small can be a threat!” Mikey called. “I know!” Kate said. She was lightly playing with the child. “Will life go back to normal when it’s all over?” “Don’t know!” Hunter replied. The young mother looked at her baby again. “You seem so harmless, Manami!” she called. “Why are you such a threat?” The little baby girl just looked at her with big eyes. Her mother had no idea what kind of untapped evil lied within her. From outside, Envy was watching the group. He had an entertaining job to do today. “You have to bend her mind to protect that child no matter what!” Ai-Oni advised him. “Just will her mind into seeing good in Manami! All you have to do is channel your thoughts into the girl with liquid crystal.” “This’ll be easier than I thought!” Envy thought to himself. Then, the homunculus stuck his hand in the water and got to work.

Yasmine was leaving the church from more of her work by evening when she found Nyious standing at the gate waiting for her. The hunter became annoyed. “Now what do you want?” she snapped. The soldier looked at her harmlessly. “You don’t have to do this, you know!” he called. “Yes, I do!” she snapped. Yas began to move again, but Nyious blocked her again. “Move!” she snapped. “You can’t really believe that she’s going to let you kill the child!” he pleaded. “She is mine, body and soul!” The hunter just couldn’t help but to laugh at her. “Oh no!” she called in confidence. “Whatever control that you had over Kate is now gone!” Then, she pushed the deity soldier out of the way and kept on walking. Nyious stood there smiling as he watched her leave. “We’ll see about that!” he thought. Then, the soldier followed behind her.

The hunter made it back to the apartment. Kate and her friends were all crowded around in the circle waking up from a nap. “Guys!” Yasmine yelled out. “Get up! It is time to go!” The other seniors moved to do so. “Wait!” Kate called out. Everyone turned and looked right at her. The girl slowly rose to her feet. “What if killing Manami isn’t the answer?” she asked. “She’s only a baby! She’s got her whole life ahead of her!” Yasmine saw what was happening right away. “Kate!” she called. “Whatever thoughts are going through your head, they aren’t truly yours! They’re being put there and you know by who!” Kate seemed to be forcing herself to believe Yasmine when she nodded. Yas kept her kill face on. “Good, now where’s the baby?” she called. The seniors looked around to see… Manami was nowhere in sight. Yasmine became annoyed. “Didn’t I tell you to keep an eye on her?” she barked. “Wait!” Hunter called. “We were all in the circle, yeah?” “Yes.” the hunter replied. “So,” Ginny cut in. “Nothing can harm Kate, right?” “As long as she stays in the Beryl Circle!” Yasmine replied in a rush. “So,” Gin spoke up. “Manami could’ve just wandered off.” Yasmine began to relax. “Right!” she called out. “She’s only a baby! So she couldn’t have gotten far! We just have to find her!” They began their search. Kate got up to help out. “No!” Yasmine snapped. “Stay there, Kate! The Beryl Circle is drawn to protect you!” Kate sat back down again. Yasmine turned back to the others. “Let’s go!” she called. “Right!” the others called. Then they headed out to find the baby.

A few moments later, Kate heard the door open wide. She looked up to see little Manami looking at her. She looked just as cute as ever in her little white sweater and dark blue jeans with pink sneakers and her hair in little pigtails. Her rosy cheeks added to her look. Kate grew relieved. “Manami!” she called to the girl. “You’re alright! Come to mommy!” The little girl stood silent. Then she playfully ran off. Kate looked worried. “Manami!” she called. “Come back!” Then, Kate got up and ran after her daughter.

Manami was at the stairs when Kate caught her again. “Got ya!” she called when she grabbed the baby. But then, something caught her attention. Nyious was at the bottom of the stairs looking up at her. The young mother was filled with fear. “He found me!” she thought. When the soldier started up the stairs, Kate picked up Manami and fled back into her apartment. Nyious saw her reaction and proceeded after her. He made it all the way to her and Ginny’s apartment. Nyious saw the Beryl Circle drawn on the floor with two blanketed figures in the center. The soldier still followed after her anyway. “Kate!” he called out. “You don’t have to go through with this!!!” Nyious made it to the center and pushed aside the blanket… only to find that there was nothing! He looked and saw Kate holding Manami in her arms near the door. “Kate!” the “angel” called to her. He tried to walk out of the circle to her, but just shocked all over by the invisible wall that the circle provided. The soldier screamed out in pain. The young mother looked away to spare her sanity. Yasmine made it back into the apartment. She smirked at her catch. “Hm,” the hunter called out. “I didn’t expect to catch a rat in my circle! But, just as well! Yas turned to Kate. “Kate!” she called out. “Take the baby and head down to the church!” The girl looked confused. “Why there?” she asked. “Closing the gate has to take place on consummated ground!” Yasmine answered. “Now, go!” The girl nodded and complied. Nyious just smirked at the hunter deity. “I’m telling you!” he called. “She won’t go through with it!” Yasmine smiled back at him. “We’ll see about that!” she barked. Then, the hunter headed off to join the seniors on the ground floor.

Edward had made it back to his apartment for the night when he heard a soft shuffle. The alchemist quickly turned and looked to see Ai-Oni sitting on his bed. She was dressed in a see-through white robe with nothing underneath it. Her make-up was done perfectly with dark red lips and perfect eye liner. She was sitting in a sexual pose on the bed. Ed couldn’t help by to stare at her. In one sense, he still hated her. But yet, he was oddly enamored by her! “Ai-Oni!” the alchemist exclaimed out loud. “Where are you doing here?” The she-devil kept smiling at him. “I came to see you of course!” she called out. The alchemist could feel his heart racing like a wild animal. “Now?” he asked in worry. “But Winry’s coming back in a few minutes!” “I know!” the devil woman called out. “And you are going to betray her!” Edward’s eyes grew big in nervous fear. “Betray her?” he asked in a panic. “No way! I would never do that to her!” “Oh, but you have!” Ai-Oni corrected him. “And you will do it again! Right now and right on this very bed!” She leapt off of the bed and kissed Edward on the lips in one sweep. The sensual flames rose within the boy. “I… I… I can’t resist her!” he thought. The alchemist kissed back and pushed Ai-Oni onto the bed. Edward just couldn’t help himself anymore. This was all just second nature to him. The dragon began to grow again.

At Kate’s apartment, Nyious was chanting like under his breath. A huge light flew up around him and devoured the ink that Yasmine put sweat into drawing. When his light died away, Nyious was just left standing all around in the middle of the bedroom. He smiled to himself wickedly. “That was easy!” the soldier thought. Then, Nyious headed out the door and straight to the church.

The church was dark and cold. The only source of light was the white candles lit around altar. Manami was lying on her back in front of the Virgin Mary. She was crying loudly. Yasmine stood over the baby with her blade in her hands. Jakob, Mikey, Hunter, and Ginny sat in the pews. Kate stood inches away from the altar near the organ. She looked really pale. The den mother of the group could understand how she felt. “Don’t worry Kate,” she thought. “It’ll all be over before you know it! Just stay strong!” “Kate!” Yas called out to the young mother. “You are free to leave now!” The girl nodded, but she just couldn’t move. Her emotions just wouldn’t let her. Yasmine began the ancient chants of the fallen council. Time seemed to be moving slowly now. They all wondered when it would all in. Kate kept watching when she saw Nyious slowly walking up the aisle. “Kate!” he called out. “I loved you! I have always loved you! You can’t let this woman do this to your baby!” The young mother began to hesitate. Her heart was pounding like a kid on a drum. A thousand thoughts raced through her head. “She’s only a baby!” her own thoughts said to her. “She’s got her whole life ahead of her!” Nyious’s words began to mix in her head as well. She was caught in a major dilemma.

“TAKE THINE DAGGER IN THINE RIGHT HAND!!!” Yasmine yelled out as she raised the blade high above her head. At that second, Kate made up her mind. She raced forward to protect Manami from the hunter’s blade and a cold death. “NO!!!!!” Ginny screamed out in misery at her friend. Then… STAB!!! The knife landed deep into Kate’s back and into her heart. Nyious lightly shut his eyes and opened them again as he continued walking up to the altar. Yasmine gasped as she picked up from the horror she had committed. The young mother gasped out in pain as she fell down cold to the floor. Ginny and the boys ran to the dying girl. They all crowded around her. Yas could barely move at all. Kate lied there dying with tears in her eyes. Ginny was deeply crushed. “Katie…” she murmured. Ginny slid her hand forward to the dying girl. Her dark maroon nails blended with Kate’s light pink nails for the last time. “You were like my sister!” Ginny murmured in tears. The boys tried their best to fight back their tears, but it was all in vain. The young mother’s body began to dissolve away into dust. Yasmine still stood in shocked horror. She dissolved away into nothing only leaving her brown leather coat behind. After a few seconds, there was only nothing. Ginny cried even more.

Nyious made it to the baby. “Honestly!” he called out to Yasmine. The hunter turned right to him stunned. “Have you no value on life?” he questioned. Yas still couldn’t move at all. Then, Nyious grabbed the crying Manami off of the altar and walked right out of the church into the night. And that was it!

At the same moment of Kate’s death, Edward came hard within Ai-Oni again. “AI-ONI-SAMA!!!” he yelled out in high-end ecstasy. Then, he collapsed beside of her panting. The she-devil was smiling to herself as her toy panted hard as he looked up at the ceiling. “That was great!” he called out happily. “Yeah!” Ai-Oni replied. “Edward!” the alchemist heard someone yell out. The pair looked up to see Winry standing in the doorway. She looked shocked and disgusted by her discovery. “Edward!” she called again in disappointment. “How could you?!?” Fear took over the boy’s mind. “Winry!” he called out in a rush. “It’s not what you think! I can explain!” This time, she didn’t stop to listen. The blonde mechanic ran away in crushed tears. The boy was about to go after his girlfriend when Ai-Oni stopped him by lightly grabbing a hold of his arm. “Let go!” Edward yelled out. “No need,” the devil woman told him calmly. “You’ve got plenty of others to worry about. And besides, she’ll come running back to you. She needs you and you need her!” Edward lied there in the bed confused for a moment. Then, he settled back beside of her. Ai-Oni smiled at him wickedly. “Good boy!” she cooed to him. “Good boy!” The woman snickered to herself. The prologue to the show was over. Now, it was time for act one!