Name: Dream Dangerously, Fassbender Fan, Jimjamz
Title: Changes (part 9)
Disclaimer: characters belong to the writers of Hex and Shine Entertainment with the exception of original characters created for this fic.
Character focus: Cassie/Thelma/Azazeal.
Rating: PG
Summary: Cassie returns to Medenham after the events of Series 1 to discover some shocking changes. This was original written as a continue the plot fic on the Strange Thoughts board.
Context: Just after series 1, an alternative version of events to series 2.
Keywords: drama,

Helping a baffled and emotional Thelma to her feet Sariel grinned at her furrowed brow.
"What? You don't trust me?"

"Can you blame me? You threatened me, killed Troy and-"

"I didn't kill the boy"

"But I saw-"

"What did you see Thelma? You saw me in a room with the body of your school friend yes? Did you see actually see me kill him?"

"I, well no I guess but...then who did?"

"Gadreel and Kasdeja, two of the Nephilim, Gadreel is particularly menacing, you'd do well to stay away from him and Kasdeja well...anyway I followed them here looking for Azazeal but by the time I arrived the deed was done and then you turned up."

"Fine, say I believe you; say you didn't kill Troy that still doesn't mean I trust you. However I do want Cassie back and if you know how-"

"I'm going to need your help, we need to end this once and for all and I'm afraid if Cassie stands in the way-"

"You lay a finger on her head and-" Thelma's voice deepened, fists clenched at her sides ready to attack.

"And what Thelma? This is not a game! The union of your friend and Azazeal will signal the end of mankind. Earth will become a living hell if they reign. It must be finished and Cassie will be faced with a choice..."

Thelma's lip began to tremble; Cassie had already chosen Azazeal over her once. Her heart raced as she tried to summon all the courage she could to do what was needed.

"Okay. Where do we start?"

Sariel smiled,
"Where it all began, I'm going to need the Canare."

******

Sariel grinned wolfishly as Thelma handed him the canare. The unassuming looking little piece of pottery with it's strange archaic designs etched in had been the cause of so much heartbreak.

Sariel ran a finger almost lovingly down the side of it, his boyish face beautiful and serene for a second, the room reflected in those strange blue eyes. Thelma considered for a second that this must have been how he'd looked like as an angel in the days before it had all gone so very wrong for him. She fought the temptation to ask him why he'd chosen to fall with the others, now wasn't the time. It REALLY wasn't the time.

The smile returned to his face, a predator's smile. "Ah Azazeal," he said to no one in particular, "so swept up in your grand plan you forget the small details." He looked at Thelma, a wicked light in his eyes now, which made Thelma suppress a shudder.

"What the great mighty strutting prince of the dark is forgetting is that he is magically bound to this teeny weeny bit of fragile pottery. You see God, despite everything, has a deeply ironic sense of humour. Well he created man after all, his biggest joke."

Thelma attempted a weak smile in response.

"He always has a get out clause to keep us all in check. With Azazeal it's this thing." He tapped the canare. "Alas we can't smash it and have done with it, but it does make him obey certain...rules"

" The blood of the living summons him from it, but the blood of the dead....well that brings him back to it." He fixed Thelma with a cold hard stare and the penny began to drop as to why Sariel was so keen to help out. He shrugged and stepped towards her, producing a long curved knife.

"I'm afraid, dear girl, that you're technically one of mine and, well, I'm not actually living OR dead, not in the small human sense of the word.."

An unholy alliance. To bring Azazeal down, she was going to have to help Sariel defeat him by giving him what? Her afterlife?

Thelma shakily took the knife into her hand, the bone handle cold against her skin, a metal guard cupping her hand as she held the knife at eye level. The curved blade glistened menacingly as Thelma's heart beat loudly in her throat. She pushed the blade against her wrist, closing her eyes tight..

"I'm afraid it's not that easy.." Sariel interrupted his hand caressing the hand Thelma clutched the knife with. He effortlessly pulled it back, separating the knife from her wrist.

"But you-"

"Yes. It's your blood we need but I'm afraid where Cassie awakened this with a drop it will take more than that to finish it. She gave birth to Michael, this is a whole different ball game now."

Thelma's eyes rested upon the knife which she turned in her palm, her eyes watery and scared.
"How much do you need?"

Sariel averted his eyes, a convincing look of pain etched upon his brow.
"To end this, we must repair what was broken, the dead must no longer walk with the living...you need to die if you want to save your friend Thelma"

Thelma's lips parted but no sound escaped, before she could contemplate the sacrifice she was about to make Sariel grabbed her arm, dragging her from the room and across the grounds. Thelma writhed and twisted to escape his grasp but he held fast as they made their way toward the now familiar oak.

Sariel released his hold and, turning his back on the ghost, he began to examine the bark of the tree
"Let's hope the sight of you will bring your friend back to her senses? Not that you will be reunited for long.."
There was eagerness in Sariel's voice that made Thelma shiver; she fingered the knife still in her possession.

As Sariel turned to speak, Thelma gripped the knife firmly and sunk the blade in to his chest. A strange calm part of her mind observed that it went in easier than she'd have thought as the rest of her reeled in shock as the long knife was stuck hilt deep in the fallen angel's chest.

Sariel gasped for breath for a second then, to Thelma's surprise and confusion he smiled, but this time the sarcastic quirk was gone. He coughed and gasped again and blood appeared on his lips. He staggered back against the tree and slid down it.

"That's my girl!" he whispered. Casting his eyes upwards he grinned, "Redemptions a bitch isn't it?" Thelma got the feeling he wasn't talking to her. He beckoned her over; the blood was staining his shirt a deep dark red now. He was dying.

"I told you God had a sense of humour!" His eyes were beginning to glaze over and he struggled to focus. He reached up suddenly and grabbed Thelma's face with both hands leaving bloody smears on her cheeks. "God also had a back up plan....and you're it. I've done my bit now....prophesy fulfilled..." he laughed hoarsely. "Now I get to see if I'm all square." He coughed and more blood came to his lips.

He let go of Thelma's face and his hands dropped limply by his side. He fought to keep his eyes open now. "My death will open the way to Cassie....then it's all you baby....I'm afraid I wasn't lying to you about that.....you'll need this...." With a gut-wrenching moan he pulled the blade out of his chest. "Well dear girl..." he gave a weak smile, "can't wait to see what's next!"

Thelma took the blade from him and found herself crying as his eyelids fluttered closed. His last breath passed softly from his lips and his chest stilled.

With that there was a blinding flash, and then the dark....Thelma was falling in to a deep blackness.

Suddenly it all became light, and her feet hit hard ground. She'd landed in...a cave was the best word to describe where she was now, a large cave with tunnels at each side leading to unknown darkness. But they didn't matter. Some sort of sixth sense was guiding her, leading her forward to where she knew Cassie would be.
She could hear the faint sounds of screams in the distance as she travelled towards her destination, feeling hazy at the shock of what she had just done and the shock of what she was about to do. The place was deserted, which surprised her slightly, but she could only be happy it was. She didn't need any difficulties. Not tonight.

"Look at me"

She instinctively jumped back to the wall, finding a crevice she could hide herself in. That was Azazeal's voice, and whether by her imagination or not, he sounded weak. She nervously fingered the knife as she strained to listen.

"This isn't a game anymore" She heard, "I thought you'd realised this"

She ducked forward, stealing a look in the direction of the voice. It was indeed Azazeal, looking paler than usual, like he had before Thelma's original sacrifice. He was kneeling on a bed, his face turned away from her, blocking the ghost's view of Cassie. Michael was leaning against a near-by wall, his expression blank.

"Leave her, father," The boy said, "She's upset, she isn't going to talk to you now"

"Shut up!" Azazeal roared, turning his attention to his son, "She does what I say, she agreed to it"

"She's just lost Thelma" Michael sighed, unaffected by Azazeal's outburst, "I think you ought to-"

"What did I say?" Azazeal asked menacingly, stepping off the bed and advancing towards the boy.

Thelma could see Cassie now, lying there with her eyes closed and her cheeks wet with tears. A silent sob escaped her lips. She frowned; wandering why she appeared so upset when she'd chose to come here. And why had Michael said she was lost?

"Cassie" She whispered quietly, confident Azazeal wouldn't hear her in his assault on his son, "Cassie"

Cassie opened her eyes, glancing round her surroundings. Her mouth opened in shock when she spotted Thelma, but it was quickly replaced by a jubilant smile, her eyes lighting up. The ghost pressed her finger to her lips and advanced forward, taking care to be as quiet as possible. But she didn't realise Azazeal had turned round.

"You!"

Before Thelma had time to react Azazeal was gripping her tightly dragging her into the centre of the cave, stalactites adorned the ceiling and a strange musty smell filled Thelma's nostrils as she was thrown to the wet floor fiercely.

Cassie screamed, scrambling from the bed her arms thrashing uselessly at Azazeal's chest

"You made me think...you bastard..." tears flooded as she pummelled him angrily.

"It was for your own good Cassie" Azazeal clutched at her wrists forcing her onto the bed once more, but she fought him, kicking and writhing with all her might she had regained the strength which had previously drained when she thought Thelma dead.

"Cassie!" his voice throaty and stern, his cheeks glowing with impatience.

"No, I won't let you, Thelma!" Cassie screamed only to be silenced by the back of Azazeal's hand; she lay as motionless as her friend falling backward onto the bed