(The rough *extreamly bad* draft to Shakara's origins. She is a Dark/Dark Defender. Will try not to change what I've already written unless to enlongate parts.)
Shakara fell into the red river, her body sore and aching. She glanced at her reflection as drops of blood fell into the water, each ripple changing her reflection between herself and a full demon. She splashed the reflection away and plunged her face into the river to wash the blood away. She started to cry when she lifted her head back out of the water, seeing the horns were still part of her reflection, but to scared to reach up and see if they were real. Her eyes had a strange look to them, and she could see much more clearly than she knew she should be able to in the dark of night. However what horrified her the most were the vampiric like fangs she now saw in her reflection.. she did not need to check to see if they were real.
She closed her eyes, shutting out the world. Her snow white hair falling around her face. Her mind was in turmoil once more, the boundary she had spent years forming around her demon self had been shattered in a mere moment of time. Both parts of her mind were wishing the night had been a nightmare, and she would wake up to the familiar walls, room, and nuns of the church she had called home.
"Why..." she whispered, true tears now rippling the water she sat in. Her mind played through the events over and over. There was no warning, no indication of what was to happen. "He said he was my father... but... was he?"
"Of course not. No being of great evil would spawn a child with the will to fight off their inner demon." she snapped quietly. "He lied... but..." she opened her eyes again, looking at her reflection until she could no longer bare to see it.
"He came after me. He killed them to get to me." She crawled out of the river and collapsed onto the rocks. "What reason did he actually have to come for me." She finished, finally passing out due to exhaustion...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A scream awoke Shakara from her sleep. She sat strait up in bed listening in the darkness of her room. The only sound she could hear was that of her own breathing and movement. An internal alarm sounded and she slipped out of bed quietly and got dressed as fast as she could. Moments before her hand reached the doorknob, a flood of screams reached her ears, as if someone had just opened a window and let the sounds through.
She only opened the door a crack to peak out, and was greeted by the sight of several dead nuns and a tall handsome human. Or what appeared to be human at first glance. There was a glimmer around this man that took the shape of ram like horns attached to his head, a demon-like tail behind him and leathery wings attached to his back. As Shakara looked upon his face she covered her mouth to keep from screaming as fangs tore into the woman he held by the throat.
"Run..." came a familiar voice in her mind. "We have to run now." it pleaded as Shakara slowly backed away from the door.
She didn't know where to run. The only way out was through the door that now lay cracked open. She could hear soft footsteps getting closer and watched a shadow block the light that filtered through. Her gaze turned towards the window and she started backing up slowly towards it.
"To late..." the voice said slowly as the door was pushed open quickly.
Shakara stopped and looked at the creature. There was no blood around his mouth which perplexed her slightly, until she realized the rest of his body was covered in the crimson liquid. She looked at his face again, her eyes suddenly fixed on the slight glow of his eyes. Her body froze, refusing to move at her will.
"A... a nightmare... this is just a nightmare." She whispered fearfully, her body trembling with fear and tension.
"No Arakahs, the nightmare has just ended." The creature said in a cool, soothing voice as he moved closer to the trembling girl. "It is time for you to finally come back with me."
"Wh... What? What do... you mean?" She asked, her voice barley audible now
"You belong with your father." he replied in the same cool tone. "The humans will not corrupt you any longer." he started to reach out for Shakara's arm.
"Corrupt... me?" She asked her self, still unable to break from this creatures gaze.
The silent voice answered her question. "No, don't be foolish, they protected us, or tried to. We must run!" it said just as the creature touched her arm.
There was a pounding in her mind as everything started to haze over. She looked away from the creature as she stepped back, pulling her arm from his grip. She looked past the being and then ran as fast as she could past him and into the bloody hallway. The sight caused her to come to a sudden stop, her eyes wide and her hand covering her mouth and nose from the stench.
"Did you think they would be alive Arakahs?" Came the creatures soothing voice, though now touched with a bit of annoyance. "These creatures, humans, that have kept you prisoner in this place?"
"No!" she gasped as she stumbled through the hall, avoiding the bodies of those she had come to care for.
She reached the stairs only to stumble down them and landing on her side at the bottom. A dark shadow passed over her, though she could not see the creature, Shakara knew it was him. She felt her body being lifted into the air and could see more bodies on the stairs and at the bottom of the stairs near the main door.
"You will learn the truth of humans soon Arakahs." the creature's soothing voice promised as he lifted her over his shoulder carefully.
She let her head drop, her forehead resting against this creature. A burning inside of her mind begain to spread throughout her body. She watched a haze of black begin to cover her arms and felt as if she were being pushed back further and further from her mind.
An unearthly voice growled four simple words from her mouth, "My name is Shakara!" before the black haze exploded all around them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The distant sound of thunder awoke Shakara from her restless sleep. She rolled over, only to tumble back into the red river. Wide awake again she blinked absently trying to determine if this was real or another dream. The splatter of ice cold rain upon her nose informed her that she was very much awake, and within moments she was scrambling out of the river and into a small cave to keep warm as the rain fell.
As dawn came, the rain slowed to a drizzle. Sleeping more soundly than before thanks to the steady drum of the rain, Shakara lay curled up in the back of the cave. It wasn't until noon that She finally awoken to the sounds of arguing outside.
"What you mean hero take it?" growled a rather unpleasant deep voice. "Yous guard it with finger full of trolls!"
"They takes it boss..." pleaded a higher pitched voice.
"They more powersful tin us." added another.
"Me no care, get stone back from hero base now!" came the reply of the deep voice. "Or me make you fishy food."
"But... that all the way of Atlas Park!" the two other voices piped in at the same time.
"GO!" roared the first.
She heard hurried footsteps and then silence. However she did not move for some time after, afraid who ever was out there, was still around. Crawling out of the cave, she shivered as her body warmed up. Looking around trying to figure out where she was, she sighed. Shakara didn't recognize this place, and as she thought, she realized she didn't even know how she came to be at this river. Taking a chance and standing just outside of the cave, she heard another voice right behind her.
"Your no troll... Who are you, and why are you here girl?" Came the soft female voice.
Shakara spun around in alarm ready to run, or fight, if needed. "I'm... Shakara... I don't know where I am..." her voice shaking somewhat.
"Shakara? Well... I suppose I should ask... what are you? You are in what we now call the Hollows, thanks to the trolls." The woman said, smiling slightly. She was just a head taller than Shakara, long blond hair, and a sword hanging at her side. "My name is Ms. Liberty." She added.
"I... Don't know what I am anymore... Hollows?" she looked around in sudden surprise. "I'm... not from here... I don't remember 'trolls' or anyplace called the Hollows!"
The woman looked at her sympathetically. "You are in Paragon City. Does that ring a bell to you?"
Shakara shook her head quickly. "No, I didn't live near Paragon City, I lived..." she paused a moment. "Where did I live? I.. I know I didn't live in Paragon... but... how did I..." She looked around desperate to get an answer.
"I don't know Shakara. But if you come with me I know some people who can help you." Ms. Liberty said extending her hand out to Shakara who looked at it uneasily. "It is the Federal Bureau of Super-Powered Affairs. It is not everyday you meet someone with horns who is not a member of the trolls. Antonio Nash of our G.I.F.T. department will be able to help you I'm sure."
"How do I know this isn't a trick?" She said in a low, displaced voice.
Ms. Liberty looked at Shakara, stunned for a moment by the change of voice. "If I betray you, you may kill me." she said confidently.
Shakara blinked, she couldn't believe what she had said, or how she said it. She simply nodded and followed Ms. Liberty through the Hollows and into Atlas Park. Shakara glanced around curiously as she followed the woman in front of her. The buildings were taller than any she had seen, and the amount of trees and parks reminded her painfully of the home she could remember only as a distant dream. She noticed the horrified look upon the faces of people they passed. Shakara knew it was because of the fangs that she now had and covered her mouth with her hands to hide them.
"Don't be so conscious dear." Ms. Liberty said, noticing Shakara cover her mouth. "Unless you actually try to bite someone." she added with a chuckle.
"I don't like them" she mumbled through her hand.
"Shakara, do not worry. Antonio Nash has seen a lot worse in the way of fangs." Ms Liberty said as she opened a door to a large white building. "You can uncover your mouth, you won't get the same looks in here as you did outside."
Nodding, Shakara let her hands fall slowly to her side, following Ms. Liberty into the building.
