Armageddon

The world seemed to be spotted in darkness, but it wasn’t long before the flashing lights brought her consciousness back. She was on a stiff bed, with a bright light overhead. Someone was holding her eye open, with an even closer light in their hand. She winced and pulled away, blinking wildly. A blonde-haired female hushed her, rubbing her arm and offering her a reassuring smile.

“Welcome home, Tiana. It’s okay, we fixed you up and gave you a blood transfusion, your father is on his way now.” She stood up, her smile hesitating as she glanced toward a large, dark-skinned male in the corner of the room. He stood as still as a statue, sunglasses covering his eyes. Tattoos covered almost every inch of his exposed skin. She returned her attention to Tiana. “Are you hungry, do you need anything?” Tia sat up slowly, giving Jaya a raised eyebrow.

“This place smells horrible, did someone die?” She gasped, covering her mouth and looking around as if expecting to see a corpse on the ground. The nurse gave her a confused look.

“N-no, Milady. This room was just cleaned before we brought you here, lemon-based bleach. It’s very sterile.”

“This is how the Human city smells, naturally.” Jaya chimed in, growing very still and serious once more as the nurse returned her gaze to him.

“Ugh, it’s gross.” Tia pinched her nose. “You can leave now; we’ll wait here for my father. Thank you,” she sat up, peeling the blankets off her. She was fully recovered, even though her new skin seemed agitated.

“Please lay back down,”

“Leave,” Tia growled, giving her a cold glare. The nurse jumped back, glancing between the two and fleeing from the room. Jaya relaxed, if only slightly, and tossed his bag onto the bed with her.

“I did pick you up a change of clothes, something I thought you might like.” He turned his back, facing the door. “I’m sure you don’t want your father to see you in a hospital gown,”

She stood up and reached for the bag, hesitating as she got a good whiff of herself. “Why do I stink?? Oh my god, this is disgusting. I need a shower,”

“Don’t, you’ll only smell worse.” He warned without looking back. “They gave you blood, Human blood. It’s completely run through your system now. You need to return home and eat more of our food for that smell to fade away,”

She stared at his back, a frown across her face. She remembered her first interaction with Diaval of all people, how he licked her and held her prisoner. She wondered how he was able to stay so close to her back then, she didn’t even want to be in her skin. Without another word she quickly changed into the clothes Jaya had grabbed. Blue jeans that hugged her waist and a white tank top, completed with a black leather jacket. She pulled her hair over her shoulders, adjusted a few loose ends, before slipping on the black flats he had grabbed for shoes.

“I’m going to have a headache if I don’t get some clean air,” she commented finally, making sure to fold her arms and put her weight on one leg. He turned around, looked her over, and shook his head.

“There is no clean air here, this is how Humans live. Basking in their own filth,”

“Cruel,” she commented.

He shrugged. “So… the whole ‘Milady’ thing happens here too?”

She rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately, I’ve grown very accustomed to it since the early years. It was something my stepmother insisted I be called; I was never a child. I was always a ‘Princess’, and with that came specific obligations.”

A knock sounded at the door and Jaya opened it. Two more bodyguards hesitated, both seemed lacking compared to Jaya. Tia appeared next to him, eyeing the two. They recognized her instantly.

“Princess, your father requested we bring you home.” One said loudly. She stepped into the hallway with them and pointed back towards Jaya.

“This is my private bodyguard; he will accompany me everywhere.” One opened his mouth to protest. “Everywhere,” she spoke slowly, allowing the venom and anger within her to be heard with each syllable. They stood up straight, surveying the child before them. One not as childish as they remembered. The larger one, the one who had remained quiet. She recognized him to be one of the head guards, lifted his arm to indicate down the hallway.

She turned on her heel and walked ahead of them all, following the exit signs. The two guards took their place behind her and Jaya brought up the rear. The younger one occasionally glanced back at him. Camera crews caught sight of her as she entered the lobby and a few other guards quickly pushed them back.

Several questions were shouted across the lobby and she flicked her hair back, offering the cameramen a disinterested glance. Jaya tried not to smirk as they left them behind. A limo outside was pulled around and without further delay, they were off.

Traffic was as congested as she recalled, and they were quickly caught up in the middle of it. The two guards that had gone with them sat on the other side. Tia leaned against the window, looking down on the city.

“As beautiful and stunning as you remember it?” Jaya asked, his voice deep and rumbling through the air. The guards seemed almost scared of him. She gave him a wry smile.

“You’re an asshole sometimes, you know?”

Without a smile, “Of course,” she knew he was trying to keep light conversation to keep her on ease, yet she also knew he was enjoying messing with the two guards. He was easily a foot taller than both and had more muscle mass than both of them combined.

The younger one seemed unable to help himself. “Are you from the Dark Continent?”

He lifted an eyebrow, it nearly climbed up his entire forehead. “Are you being… racist?”

Tia laughed loudly, unable to restrain herself. Tears came to her eyes and the corner of his mouth twitched. Both guards sat back, a little bewildered. “Shut up, Jaya.” She said finally, wiping a tear. He shrugged before looking at the men before him.

“Yes, I am from there.” He’d never said those words before; he’d never truly spoken to a Human-like this before. It was boring. He wondered how else he could help her relax. It wasn’t long before she was frowning again.

“Wow,” the guard whispered. “We received word there would be an entourage from there, a few ambassadors. But, honestly, we thought it was a joke. There’s a whole division looking for who could be responsible,”

“My father is an idiot,” Tia commented, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. “What time is it, exactly?”

“Nearly five,” the older guard answered, he leaned forward and removed his shades. She met the aged gaze of a man she had known for a long time; one she had never really conversed with. “Tiana, can I speak freely?”

“I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way,” she responded.

“You are even more beautiful than I’ve ever seen, everything about you has grown. I don’t mean to come off as a creep, I only wanted to say I’ve never seen you look any freer than you currently do, and it is a most becoming look. I was worried when I’d heard you were taken by force, but that wasn’t the case, was it?”

She sat back, her gaze questioning.

“By force?” Jaya asked.

“Don’t start getting overprotective now, Jaya.” She growled before returning to the man. She knew his silent gaze had seen a lot, and she knew he truly meant what he said. She leaned forward, taking his hand in her own. “The outside world is so incredible; you truly have no idea. But you will if you chose to. I will bring the Humans into the light,” he smiled, resting his hands on hers.

“This old man has seen a lot; I would only ask for a quiet place to rest.” She smiled brightly, almost as if filling his very soul with the rays of the sun.

“An interesting Human,” Jaya commented. “You are a rare bread,”

“You’re supposed to be a Human, remember? Stop saying weird things, we don’t refer to ourselves as ‘Humans’.”

The younger guard dropped his jaw. “You’re not a Human?”

Jaya remained silent; everyone was unsure of where he was looking. Tia realized he wasn’t going to respond, and she sat back with a sigh. She spared a glance just outside and saw a familiar mansion coming up. Her mood instantly soured. “They’re coming in on horses, everyone’s going to think the Humans are more advanced.”

“It will be an interesting moment in history if nothing more,” Jaya remarked. The vehicle pulled up to the front doors, she saw her family waiting for her at the top of the stairs, looking down on the vehicle with worry and eagerness. She forgot how cute her brother was, his chubby cheeks had thinned, if only slightly. He seemed taller.

Michael stood next to her father, the only one who seemed a little terrified. Jaya leaned behind her, noticing the male Human as well. “What a cocky little snot,” he growled.

“Not under any circumstances are you to kill anyone unless you find yourself in a life or death situation, do you hear me?” She growled, spinning back just as the car came to a stop.

He glanced at her with a frown. “Yes, your Majesty.”

“Oh please,” she scoffed as she climbed out of the vehicle without being waited on. A butler quickly came up to grab the door, if only just to stand there awkwardly. She strutted towards the bottom of the stairs with the three bodyguards behind her and came to a stop, both hands on her hips as she matched her father’s gaze with an authority of her own. There was only one way she knew he would listen to her. With a wide gesture, she stretched out her hands to the guard around them.

“Challenge me, anyone. All of you,” she declared.

Her stepmother rolled her eyes and opened her mouth. “Tiana, don’t be ridiculous.”

“Can it, hag.” Tia snapped, causing the older female to jump in shock. Tia stepped up the stairs one at a time, being slow about her ascent. Her father nodded to a guard on her left. The man charged her with a battle cry. She waited to turn to him until it was the last moment, her hand snapping at his throat before her knee met his groin. He crumpled in an instant.

Jaya quickly leaned over the man before standing up. “He’s dead,”

A look of horror crossed her expression before she frowned and took a deep breath. She would have to deal with that later, now wasn’t the time. Bottling up her regret, with a cold glare she met her father’s gaze once more. There was no emotion there, rather something calculating behind his brown irises.

He stretched out his hands, proudly pointing towards her. “My daughter, everyone. At last, she has returned home.” He rested a hand on Michael’s shoulder, smiling falsely and boasting. “Together, these two will unite the future!” Michael’s complexion drained and he gaped at the larger man. He jerked back, sparing her a terrified glance.

“Don’t you understand?! She’s not Human anymore! I c-can’t, I can’t even-!” He turned back and ran towards the side of the building, vomiting into the flower bed. Her father stared after him with a dark expression. He slowly turned back towards his daughter, who stood halfway up the stairs with her arms folded across her chest. His gaze fell onto the larger man next to her, the largest man he’d ever seen.

“Reward this man, he’s brought my daughter home to me! Give him anything he wants, then send him on his way.” He turned back towards the door and headed back into the manner. His wife followed him, hesitating only a moment. No one approached Tiana nor Jaya. Everyone seemed on edge and uncertain. Swallowing her doubt Tia followed her parents, making sure to give her cautious brother a big smile. Something in his honeysuckle irises finally recognized her, and a visible change came over him. He smiled softly, touching her hand.

“Welcome home, sister.” She stroked his hair, feeling a hot burning sensation knot in the back of her throat.

“I’m going to introduce you to my boyfriend tonight, and maybe after that I can show you my new home.”

“Do you promise?”

“Cross my heart,” she leaned in and kissed his cheek before continuing past. Jaya came up and looked down at the child, who looked up at him with the largest eyes he’s ever seen.

“Why are you green?” He asked. Instantly Jaya looked down at his arms, but they were brown. He met the gaze of the child again before slowly inching away. Their gaze stayed locked onto each other before finally Jaya almost tumbled over Tia.

“Your brother is creepy, like, Children of the Corn creepy.”