Nochypso was a derelict and extremely dark planet, filled with nothing but swamps and the roaming dead. It was a sort-of home for those who hadn't deserved the sweet release of a proper death and were instead forced to walk and work the lands of their master's planet. Dan, or to them Death Itself, was their leader. Their God. Mindlessly they served and worshiped him in hopes that one day he would release them into the underworld.

Today however he had no plans to release any of them into the afterlife. In fact, his plan today was to bring one back. Kitty; his wife and love. She had been taken from life by Lana at the Invasion of Oblivion before Dan could do anything and ever since he had been trying to find a way to bring her back. Unfortunately though there was no way to escape a final ultimate death and return to a normal life. The only substitute was summoning her back through a corporeal link. Whilst it would bring her back in a visage of her former self, she would have to remain close to Dan in order to maintain the link to this world.

Stood before his altar atop many of the temples constructed in his name, he began chanting the words of an ancient language with his hands stretched forwards. Darkness oozed from the very air inside, swirling as this forbidden ritual took place. None had crossed the border from death to life in decades, the journey would not be easy.

However there infront of him she began forming; Kittiana Youngblood.

The second Kitty was finished forming she took in a gasp of air greedily, looking a bit paler than her usual tan self and her eyes were wide with panic. Her blue iris's darted around the room, taking in the darkness of it, for a split second she wondered if Lana hadn't truly killed her and had taken her down some deep dark hole to toy around with her. Then she spotted him.


Kitty fell silent, just simply staring at Dan with an unusually unguarded expression. Then suddenly emotions began to flit across her face; shock, longing, fear, anger, adoration, happiness. Then nothing. She raised a hand to her throat, just before she died one of Lana's shadow tentacles had punctured it. Upon finding no hole she spoke. "I don't know whether to hit you or hug you." Then she shrugged. 

She took a few steps towards him before her hand cracked across his face, then she jumped upward and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugging him as tightly as she possibly could. She still wasn't sure if this was real, but she couldn't help herself. "I missed you..."

Dan lowered his hands once the ritual was complete, gazing upon Kitty once again. Although she stood in a perfect replica of her old form, he could still tell the difference. That didn't make her hug any less meaningful though. For a moment he just stood there letting it all sink in.

"I missed you too," He spoke finally, relaxing somewhat. "But we have work to do." His tone was serious, focusing on the reason he had brought her back. "You're back in a replica of your old body, but you can't get too far away from me or you'll break the link. I need you to help investigate Lana though."

"I have some leads on her 'followers'. If you're up for it we can investigate."

When she pulled back there was a slight smirk on her face ,her arms crossed over her chest. "Dont mind being close." Taking a step back from him she stretched her arms above her head, letting out a sigh. 

"Lana huh? Damn." Kitty's smirk turned into a frown, running a hand through her hair. "You have leads..." She trailed off, tilting her head to the side in thought. Then she smirked. 

"So long as I get to skin Lana and give it to Jaya as a birthday present, I'm game for anything."

"I can't promise anything," Dan leaned backwards against seemingly nothing. For a split second it looked like he was just going to fall back, but suddenly their surroundings change. They had been transported to another altar, although this one was not on Nochypso. Fog surrounded them so thickly it was impossible to see more than a few meters out. However they could see the body laid on top the altar.

A stone pillar met Dan's back, his lean making more sense now. Propped against it he folded his arms and gestured his head towards the body.
"It's a sacrifice," He explained. The body was heavily drenched in blood and a oozing black liquid. Black markings covered whatever skin remained unravaged. "Not for Lana though, it was by her and her people."

"They're a cult worshipping some dark god. Of course it's just a belief but... There's evidence this god exists..."

"Touch the black stuff." He nodded to the oozing liquid that swirled inside the guts of the body.

The scent of the blood lured Kitty in, taking a step towards it before making a face as the scent hit her sensitive nose. "Gross." Her eyes cut over to Dan. "Should I even ask if it's safe?" She didn't bother to let him answer, letting her fingertips brush the black ooze.

Kitty stumbled back a step, looking at the ground with great dancing across her eyes. It wasn't an expression usually seen on her. Then it morphed into her usual expression of reckless rage, her hands tightening into fists. It comforted Kitty when fire started to spread across the skin of her hands. "She's going through that..? Every night?"

Kitty turned, a vein in her forehead pulsing with rage. "Is there anyway to stop it? Both the god and Jaya's nightmares?"

"For once I have no idea," He shook his head, clearly out of his depth in the situation. "All I find are these sacrifices. There's no pattern to who or where, they just perform a ritual for their god and go. I only arrive once I sense the death and by then it's too late." His eyes scanned across at the blood sprayed across the ground.

"I practically live in darkness and yet I don't know what their god is. The only clues we have are the visions. I've listened to the whispers; something about chaos and someone who 'waits behind the wall'. There's a name it seems, Zalgo. I've never heard of it but apparently it's a popular dark god."

"By tracking it's known cults we might find the one Lana leads." Shadows swirled to transport them again, this time to a thick forest upon the planet of Mytheria. "Back to where I died, it seems."

Kitty stiffened slightly, obviously displeased with being back here. "You always take me to the best places." She said sarcastically but it sounded a bit weak. 

She ran another hand through her hair, relaxing a bit when more fire danced across skin. She was silent for a few moments before she spoke quietly. 

"It was cold. I didn't expect death  to be cold." She chuckled but there wasn't much humor in it. "I half expected to be in oblivion or hell again."

The entrance to the old phoenix lair in which Dan had been slain stood further up the hill to their right, visible only by their enhanced senses through the thickness of the forest. Their senses also gave them other details. For Dan there was a pulsation through the air warning of an approaching death and for Kitty there was a strong smell of blood. By the specifics of the scent it had been in the air for some time.

"This can't be a coincidence, sacrificing where I died..." Dan shot a look to Kitty. "Lana might be here. I know you're already dead but... There are worse fates than death they could cast upon you." His look of worry soon faded as he began up the hill, towards the lair of the phoenix.

"If you're expecting me to be scared, then you really must be out of sorts." Kitty retorted but there was a stiffness in Kitty's shoulders. A dark look crossed her face, an emptiness in her eyes. "I've had a lot of things done to me." 

She glided past Dan, the dark look not leaving her face, in fact it actually increased to the look of anger Dan probably only saw when Kitty was faced with her Uncle in oblivion. An unfathomable rage and a thirst for vengeance that had no equal. "I don't fear Lana nor whether or not she has plans for me. I don't care what happens to me, I haven't for a long time. I just want my daughter to be safe." Kitty looked down at the ground, her fists clenched. 

"Its the least I can give her."

"I understand," Dan nodded, before continuing up the slope in silence. Lush greenery passed them in an odd stillness, slowly fading into the rock that made up the lair. Faded and covered with moss the place had aged even more since their last visit. Pulsating through Dan's mind came the signal of impending death again, causing him to quicken his pace and beckon Kitty to do so aswell.

To the immediate glance they saw four hooded figures surrounded the altar, atop of which lay a still body. Their backs were all turned to Kitty and Dan, allowing them the element of stealth.
"Plan?" Dan turned his head to ask, wondering what Kitty wanted to do. Although he couldn't sense Lana among the hooded figures, he still had the feeling she was nearby.

"Frankly I don't think you do understand." She mumbled quietly under her breath, then quickly hastening her pace to keep up with Dan. 

She glanced at the four, a sudden hunger in her eyes and a red sheen. Her eyes flicked over to Dan when he spoke, a familiar voice she'd dealt with for centuries offering up a suggestion. "Rip out their spines and beat them to death with them." Kitty winced, rubbing her forehead before glancing around the cave. 

"Impalement. " Coincidentally there were stalagmites hanging above the four. She aimed a glowing palm at the stalagmites, small balls of fire shooting from her palm and heading towards them.

The fireballs whirled up to the stalagmites, impacting at their base to send them falling down on the hooded figures. Before they could react the spikes impaled them through their chest and skulls, leaving none alive. A silence ensued the mass death, before the bodies of the cultists began fading into a black mist. Soon enough all four had disappeared and been replaced with pure shadow energy, swirling together to take one form.

Lana stood between the fallen Stalagmites, half-transparent in the form of an illusion.
"Hello again." She smirked.

It was strange, at times like this a scowl would probably cross the vampire's face along with a glimmer of anger, but instead a manic grin typically associated with Kitty's less than friendly alter ego. "Hello whore. What a good little misfit, " Kitty spoke mockingly with a sickly sweet tone, fire curling around her body and casting a creepy glow on her face. "saving me the trouble of hunting you down and beating you to death with your own spine."

Kitty seemed eerily calm, most of the time her course of action was to leap straight for the kill, but she stood next to Dan without any tension her shoulders. She brought up a hand, watching the fire curl around her hand as her finger tips started to morph into lava. "You know it's not often that my desires aline with hers. You're a special one Lana." Kitty's fangs slid over her lips, making her manic grin all the more intimidating. "I'm going to take my time with you. I wonder how loudly I can make you scream."

"Not as loud as your daughter," Lana grinned as her voice came from behind Kitty now. By the time she looked Lana would have one arm around Dan's neck and the other with it's palm pressed against his chest. Within a second black energy pumped throughout him, changing his veins and blacking out his eyes.

"Tell me," Her voice came back from the altar, as Lana stood there once more. "If death is the most powerful being in existence, what does that make me if I control it?" A cruel smirk formed on her face. "Make her suffer, then send her back." Her expression now turned deadly serious, looking to Dan as if she were ordering him.

Behind Kitty Dan nodded, turning his completely black eyes to her. With the tightening of his fist his scythe appeared in hand, ready to fight his own girlfriend.

Kitty's manic grin faltered, shock reflecting in her eyes. "Coward!" She shouted in anger at the empty air, then looking at Dan. Kitty refused to let herself show fear, allowing the emotion to drain from her face.

She got into a defensive position, her skin morphing into lava in an attempt to minimize any damage Dan might cause to her. Kitty backed away slowly, fire swirling around the lava. "Come on Dan. Don't be a dumb ass." She spoke with caution but with her normal tone as well.

She didn't want to fight him. It would kill her if she hurt him, she had already hurt enough people that she loved. "You can fight this. I know you can. When have you ever let anyone control you?" She was just buying time, hoping Dan could break free on his own although with her luck he probably wouldn't.

Without hesitation Dan shot forward, swinging his scythe in an attempt to cut clean into her left leg at the knee. In quick succession the bottom of the weapon would then come down, hoping to impale her through the chest. His hands gripped the scythe tightly, a lack of any emotion on his face as he stared directly at her. There was nothing in his eyes but darkness and insanity. The voices whispered to him and took hold of his control over Death.

The scythe easily cut through the lava, but quickly it reformed again as Kitty dodged and flipped over Dan. Her lava like orbs darted from Dan to Lana to the entrance of the cave. Two different thoughts ran through her head, a plan forming. 

"So that's it huh? You're gonna be her little bitch? Typical. Patheticness and weak wills must run through the Almis family. I mean Eli was your father's little bitch and now you're hers. You were better off as a demon." She spat although she meant nothing she said, she was hoping anger would spark in Dan and allow him to regain control. Anger always worked for her. 

She didn't wait to see if her first plan worked, turning and running out of the cave and down the hill towards the forest as quickly as her supernatural speed could make her move. Dan had said that she had to stay close to him to maintain the link. She wouldn't give Lana the satisfaction of destroying her a second time, shed do it herself. To spare Dans feelings and give Lana the middle finger.

Dan remained emotionless as he readied his scythe again and faced her. He was ready enough to chase after her until Lana spoke.
"Leave it," She raised her hand as her eyes followed Kitty's escape. "Atleast she won't bother us from the other side." At her command Dan's scythe faded away, leaving him stood still and facing Lana.
"We have alot of work to do," Her voice darkened as she came down the steps towards him. "Anyone who dies from this day onward has a new destination." 

Upon reaching Dan she smiled widely, thrilled by the prospect of her plans.
"Soon he will come."

Kitty had stopped halfway down and hid, tuning her supernatural hearing to see if Dan had followed after her. It stung greatly when she discovered he hadn't, it meant that her little scheme had not worked and from what she was hearing Lana had dark plans. 

"I told you we should have gotten rid of him long ago. Aside from that who cares who she brings to this world? " Corsetta whispered into Kitty's brain, prompting her to slap the side of her head and hiss at her to shut up. Her heart hurt and her mind spun, trying to think up a plan. Then it struck her. Maybe giving Lana exactly what she wanted would cause her to loosen the hooks she had in Dan. 

Beside Kitty's hiding place in a tiny cave halfway down the mountain was a great deal of mud. There must have been a spring here at one point. "Perfect." She murmured, moving over to it and scooping some up with her now flesh hands. It took her a few minutes but eventually she had formed a perfect replica of her out of hardened mud. Kitty grabbed a few leaves, then a sharp stick and slicing her wrist open and letting blood pool onto the ground.

Kitty paused, racking her brain for the next step then it struck her. "Name of God...Name of god..." She murmured then it popped into her brain, her hand closing around the stick and using her blood to write something on the leaf. Leaning over to the mud replica she opened her jaw slighyly, slipping the leaf under the mud tongue. Then she stood. 

"I hope I'm remembering this correctly." Kitty wasn't a master at magic but she did have some decent training from her mother. Enough training to make a golem. "In the name of thy god I bid the to life for the purpose of protection and servitude!" She said as loudly as she dared, the mud girls mouth starting to glow. Within a minute the mud gave way to flesh and blood, a perfect replica of Kitty standing up. 

"Hello Mistress. What is your command?" Setting aside how creepy it was for Kitty to hear her voice come out of someone else's mouth she grabbed the girl by the shoulders and began steering her towards the entrance to the cave.

"Go to the lair up top and say 'You want me you stupid whore? Take your best shot.' and let the man with the scythe kill you. Don't put up too much of a fight." "Yes mistress." The golem then did exactly as Kitty said, going up to the lair again and saying those words. If Kitty had had more time she would have linked her mind with the golems so she could see what she saw. But there wasn't much time. Kitty hoped also that if Dan actually thought he killed her it would shock him out of Lana's spell or that Lana would be so shocked that she'd loosen it.

Minutes passed as Dan worked on his death magic, directing the lost souls of the future towards an even darker place than the empty afterlife. Soon though Kitty seemed to have entered the room again, back for more. Summoning his scythe once more he awaited the nod from Lana which promptly came.

In a few swift strides he reached her, swinging his scythe across to seperate head from body. If this succeeded his eyes would look down without emotion at the headless golem, noticing the familiarity of it's magic. Deep down he knew it was a fake.

"Well done," Lana said. "Atleast she definitely wont be bothering us again." Dan turned with his mouth open, looking directly at Lana. It wasn't Kitty he had just killed but a golem. He knew that clearer than anything; if there was anything endless life had taught him it was identifying magic.

However when she raised her eyebrow to hear what he had to say, he simply replied.
"She's gone for good."

Upon hearing Dan's reply a grin spread across her face, she knew the golem might fool Lana but she knew that Dan would know instantly that it wasn't her. What made her grin was the fact that Dan had just lied to Lana. It wasn't what she hoped for but it was a start. Kitty's grin twitched downward, it seemed that if she wanted to beat Lana and get Dan back she would have to resort to magic instead of punching things. She would need dark magic. The kind of magic she had memorized in her earlier centuries but never dared to use. 

Upon the death of her mother and grandmother Kitty had inherited a book, a grimoire. She had poured over it for ages for a spell to get her mother back but the prices were all too steep. She also did not have the necessary training. Although it didn't matter considering she lost the book in the mid 1800s. Kitty still remembered a good chunk of its spells, along with someone who had the proper training to enact them. 

Kitty morphed some more mud into a bowl, slicing her wrist again and letting it drain more blood into the bowl. Considering she didn't have a cellphone she would have to call her friend the old fashion way. Mumbling under her breath with her eyes closed the blood in the bowl rippled before a face other than Kitty's was reflected in the blood. "Long time no see Youngblood." "Severina I need your help. Desperately."

The ritual was almost complete. Hoards of departing souls on their way to the afterlife would divert to an even darker realm, one ruled by He Who Waits Behind The Wall. Their they would serve him in eternity until the time came for that wall to be broken. The mere prospect of such a fate excited Lana.

"Once it is done go to Tortuga, there is work to be done there." She ordered to Dan, who in turn nodded whilst still half-concentrating on the shadowy ritual before him. "I can almost taste the destruction to come..."