It had been years since the first sparks of war had been ignited upon Earth, years since the corruption of Tala and the Birth of Evil. Yet the battles continued. And the Earth was ravished.

Bodies littered the ground and the once crystal clear streams ran crimson with the blood of thousands. The wind, once gentle and soothing, burned like fire. It was on fire, blowing the still hot conders of the dying land-and it's inhabitants-about. The air reeked of blood and death and fear, and the fire of the land, brought on by the neverending struggles of Light and Darkness, reflected in the scarlet sky.

Standing among the cinders stood a silver wolf with great blue eyes the color that the sky had once been. Her muscles were tensed and her head was lowered, as if ready to defend or attack. She scarcely seemed to notice the burning ashes that charred her fur and littered the ground like snow. That didn't matter. Nothing mattered right now but her own survival... And that of the pups she carried in her swollen womb.

Ten yards away, sitting among the ashes, was another wolf who licked at a burnt paw nonchalantly while peering at the silver wolf through blazing blue eyes. "Well, pup, you actually surprised me. Who'd a thought a sucker like you would possess such a large and fiery spell? Ha! Pity you burnt up so much land and only managed to burn one of my paws," She chuckled, standing and testing her paw. "It actually tickles a bit! I commend you on your courage and determination, Nova, but you're going to have to try harder next time, okay?"

Nova drew in a deep breath, gulping nervously. How did she know her name? What kind of monster was she? She kept her eyes focused upon the wolf, studying her as if searching for answers.

The wolf before her was large, nearly two heads taller than herself. She had an all black, shaggy coat with white streaks running through it. And though her coat was very thick, it could not conceal the powerful muscles beneath it. The wolf's eyes were an eerie blue that glowed unnaturally and her very being reeked of the many souls she had taken and of the blood of previous victories that soaked her fur. Nova swallowed hard, holding on to whatever courage she had left. She had to fight, for if she ran the wolf would surely kill her. At least in fighting she had a chance.

"Well, I'm waiting. Or are you all out of tricks? Don't disappoint me, girl. How long you live depends on how long you keep me entertained."

Nova felt sick. What more could she do? She had already used one of her most powerful spells and only succeeded in burning the wolf's paw. Who was this wolf? She had never encountered so powerful a Darkwolf, and she had defeated many during the war. She turned her head, looking for help. But she had none. The main battle was miles away. She was in a secluded area, having run away from the main attack lines to search for her lost mate and...

She looked back to the wolf and lowered her head, preparing herself.

...And to get away from the war itself. She was pregnant and could no longer fight, for her and her unborn puppies' sake.

The Darkwolf gave a loud, bored yawn. "No more futile attempts at survival, deary? Shall I end this now?" She asked casually. Nova nearly choked as she supressed a whimper. What could she do? Her children counted on her, yet she was too scared to move. She had to buy time. She had to get her bearings straight and regain her faltering composure...

"W-who, or what, are you?" She asked, the words catching her her throat momentarily as the wolf took a step in advance toward her. The wolf paused, considered, and then bore bloody teeth in a malicious grin. "That's right! We weren't properly introduced! Oh, well, the name's Darkfate. You may have heard of me before."

Nova let out a small gasp, her wide blue eyes reflecting the flames around her. Yes, she had heard of the spawn of Kali, of the Lone Wolf, Tala, who became her slave. Of the infamous demon rumored to have claimed hundreds of lives with her claws alone...

Nova raised her eyes, daring to look into Darkfate's, and in the wolf's eyes she could see her own approaching death.

"No, you are Tala. You are not Darkfate. You are Tala still, and always will be. You cannot escape your past, and because of your mistake you are living but a half-life. You are alive, but you are not your own. You are a mere servant. Deep inside, Tala is probably begging for the death she was too afraid to accept!" Nova spat. There was nothing more she could do, for herself or for her children. There was nothing she could do to stop the beast before her. She was physically incapable of matching Darkfate's strength. And she was aware that her words would bring her death. But she also knew that words, like a deep wound, could scar and last forever. Yet, unlike a bodily scar, words used effectively could never be forgotten, while the manner in which a bodily scar is recieved is almost always forgotten.

Darkfate's eyes widened at the words and for an instant she looked both stunned and horrified. But that soon passed and in a flash her blue eyes narrowed and blazed with rage. Nova knew she was afraid of the truth, just as most creatures were afraid to tell her the truth. Perhaps she was the first creature brave enough to confront Darkfate. She closed her eyes, for she knew what was about to happen.

"I'm sorry my children..." She thought, lowering her head in defeat and submission.

It happened so quickly, Nova had no time to even flinch. She probably didn't even feel any pain. The moment her eyes closed, Darkfate had uttered a single phrase: "Light of Death."

A darkness so bright it could blind washed over Nova, tearing the life from her body before vanishing into nothingness again. It all happened in less than a second.

Darkfate chuckled softly, looking down upon the lifeless body at her feet, noting the bulge in the belly. "Six or so with one spell. Excellent," She thought to herself, smirking. "That takes care of some future Light-worms. But that was a bit boring... No challenge, too easy. These Light-fools have no experienced warriors. They're all puppies." She turned her head, looking to the war in the distance and giggling at her next idea. "Time to liven things up and give those idiots a work out..." She thought and darted off into the shadows. The direction she headed, however, was away from the battle. All part of her plan. She would simply search out and find one of the Light wolves' refuges and kill a few of the creatures there. Word would spread of what she was doing and before long the Light creatures would regroup and rush to the aid of their companions.

Not only would this plan give Darkfate a bit of entertainment, but it would also give her the chance to kill off a nice ammount of Light beings...

"And perhaps I'll find myself an arch enemy along the way. Yes, that would be fun." She thought as she ran, her spirits high with the thoughts of the insueing mayhem.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Days went by and the fire eventually subsided as a gentle rain fell, defying the harshness of the land below it. Nobody had found Nova's body. She was just lying there in the mud, forgotten and dead. So many lives had been lost... What was one more? It was understandable that she would not be missed. Everyone was too concerned with their own safety to notice that one of their companions was missing. Or perhaps they did notice, but just didn't acknowledge it, not wanting to consider what their friend's absense could mean.

However, if anyone were to find her, to see her, especially one who knew her, they would have noticed that her bulging belly had expanded even more, like she was still alive. They would have noticed that, even if she were alive, her pregnancy was pregressing at an abnormal rate. And then they would have stared in awe and alarm as her body began to fade, fading just a little each day, until, by the end of the week, a small cub laid where she once had... And that this cub was alive.

Such was the case.