Chapter 3: What is Love

Avonlaid was very happy now that she had made her way through the gaurds. Now the only thing left was to make it to Senor Vega. She walked through the hallway, looking for a door behind which Vega might be hiding. Finally, she happened upon a door with his name on it, and decided to knock.

Excuse me, Senor Vega, but I came to see you after the match, as you requested.

The door opened and Vega stood in its frame, glaring at Avonlaid."Look, I didn't mean for you to follow me back here. It's off limits. Why don't you take this autograph and get on your way. I have appointments to keep and other fangirls to deal with

But, Vega, aren't you even going to ask my name...or..

Look, I don't know how you got back here, but you need to leave now. Even if I did ask you your name, I would have forgotten it by tonight. Now then, please leave so I can prepare myself for later.

With that, Vega shut his door and locked it, leaving Avonlaid crushed and alone in the hallway. She had no idea what to do, except to cry and get back to her hotel.

It was just reaching nightfall when Avonlaid had gotten to her room and she decided she would wash up and take a nap before eating. She slept for a few hours, then her growling stomach finally woke her up.

"Bleh...Now I have to go all the way downstairs to get food...Joy. Oh well. It's either that or starve.

Avonlaid made her way down the hall to the elevator and then hit the button for the first floor. She didn't really like elevators, but it was her only choice. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she heard a lot of noise coming from the lobby of the hotel. Instead of heading directly for the dining room, curiousity got the best of her and she went to see what was going on. When she got to the lobby and could see clearly, she almost wished she would have ignored the noise and just went to eat instead.

There was Vega, standing in a crowd of swooning girls. Avonlaid, instead of turning around and walking away, decided she would give this another shot.

"What luck...Maybe I can get his attention now. Hehe..I have got to have that gorgeous man all for myself! I absolutely refuse to let him reject Me, the Goddess of Peace and War!!!" So Avon straightened herself out and walked cockily towards the crowd. When she was within earshot of Vega, she decided to say something.

"Hey there Vega!! I still have that rose of yours...If you want to make up for what you did to me earlier, you are welcome up to my hotel room!!"

Well, it got his attention along with everyone elses in the lobby. Everyone stopped and stared at her, and Vega looked a tiny bit spooked.

"You! You are quite rude, woman! I want to be nowhere near you! I am going to cut this session short. I don't want to see you anywhere near me again. Next time, I will call the police and have you locked up for stalking!" With that, Vega quit signing auotgraphs and headed for the door, the crew of fangirls following close behind.

Avonlaid was pissed and determined now. She mumbled a few things under her breath, and then literally flew out of the hotel and out ito the street. "Alright then...If that is how you want to be, than fine. I'll just follow you home and get you there. You can't just refuse the power of Avonlaid Isocele Spring!! If I can't have you than no one will...."

The night was warm and the stars were shinning bright as Avon trailed Vega's limo all the way to his home. She liked his big, white mansion that was sitting on a small hill, and smiled at the thought of living there one day.

As the limo stopped near the doors of the grand home, Avonlaid ducked behind some nearby bushes and decided she would stake out there until she saw Vega go into one of the upstairs rooms. She asumed this would be a while, so she leaned back on the grass and stared up towards home.

I won't let him get away mom...I feel a strange connection to him...I must find out what it is before I will be satisfied.

A gentle breeze blew almost as if in response to Avon's words, and she tilted her head towards the large home. She noticed that one of the upstairs lights was on, and figured that now was as good a time as any to make her presence known.

Avonlaid flew into the window, sending shards of glass flying all across the room. Vega was startled and had grabbed his claws and his mask and was ready to face the intruder, but what he saw was not what he expected.

"You!! Now you follow me to my home?! You are a strange woman indeed...So much so that you have a tail that I did not notice earlier. Well then, if I must kill you to make you leave me alone, than so be it."

"I am afraid you are quite mistaken, Vega. I will show you what happens to those who refuse Avonlaid Isocele Spring...You will be the only one to die tonight.

This was Avonlaid's first real battle away from home. She was confident of her abilities, almost too confident. They both charged at each other time after time, often spraying blood all over the walls and floors.

The fight moved from the upstairs bedroom out into the main living room. Avonlaid was slashed from head to toe, blood dripping from her wounds, yet she refused to stop fighting.

Vega was in just as bad shape. he had a large gash on his upper right arm and he had torn the muscles in his left ankle."You will die!! I don't care who you are!!

With that, Vega lept from the stair railings and sunk his claws into the back of Avonlaid's neck. She wailed in pain and fell to the floor, blod pouring out the back of her neck.

"You think...you....hhhave beaten....me....think again!" Avonlaid stood up and stared directly at a bewildered Vega. She screamed and began to grow larger muscles and change her human form into that of a lycanthrope.

The lycanthrope form of the Spring family was always a last resort to win a battle. It was strong and agile, and nothing on earth had a chance of beating it. Avon was now covered in dark blue fur and her eyes had turned a bloody red color. She hollered out in anger and began her attack again.

Vega had not been prepared for anything like this, but either way, he wasn't going to lose. He re-collected himself, and dodged an attack from Avonlaid just in the nick of time. The fight had begun anew.

They spilled each others blood for several more minutes before both of them were nearing death. Avonlaid had large gashes all over her chest and back, and she was losing blood fast. She knew that if she didn't make this last attack connect, she wasn't going to live for the next one.

Avonlaid gathered the last of her strength, and looked a Vega, who had completely lost the use of his right arm, and went for her attack.

She felt a sharp pain in her chest and had fallen to the floor before she realized that she had missed. Vega had moved out of the way in the last seconds before her attack would have connected. She had lost. Vega had sunk his claws straight through her back, and then moved to the other side of the room, and collapsed against the wall.

"I lost,"she thought,"but for a good cause. Maybe now he'll realize his mistakes...but I'm only dreaming." Avonlaid's body had returned to human shape, and lay nude, face down, on the floor. She decided that she would leave Earth, and that life behind. It broke her heart, but she knew it was best.

"Hah...I told you I would win...Noone beats Vega...

Avonlaid's spirit pulled away from her material body and stood in the living room next to it, crying softly. Vegalooked up at the sound of the sobs, and was amazed at Avonlaid's true form. She was bathed in a soft whit blow and her hair hung around her. The tears that fell from her eyes hit the floor and formed small crystals that sparkled brighter than any diamond.

"I am sorry things ended like this, Vega. You have shown me my true home is with my family, not here on Earth with mortal beings. Here, take my tears and use them to restore your body. That will be my gift to you before I go. Please remember my name: Avonlaid Isocele Spring, the goddess that will always remeber how much she loved a mortal man by the name of Vega Fabio la Serda. Goodbye, my last love."

With those words burned into Vega's mind, Avonlaid left, never to return to that place called earth. She arrived home to her mother, who was waiting with outstretched arms. Avonlaid burst ito tears at the sight of her mother, and tried to say something, but the words just would not form.

"It is alright my dear, love is a hard thing to understand...Look at me, I have something to show you. A human cannot ignore thier true feelings..." Her mother waved her right hand gently in the air, and a watery image appeared. Avon was surprised to see Vega, and the body she had left behind.

"Listen closely, Avon."

Avonlaid calmed her tears and looked hard at the vision, trying to hear everything she could.

Vega had moved himself next to Avonlaid's dead body, and was looking down at his hands in disgust. He had not bothered to heal himself and was still losing blood, but he couldn't care less. "What kind of man am I? She let me live...and offered to heal me...I can't. I want to live with these scars forever, to remind myself of the horrible thing I have done here. No truely noble and beautiful man would ever murder a wonderful being such as this...Now I know what love really means...and it is something I will never have again. Not looking like this, but this was the path I chose, now I will stick with it. Avonlaid, wherever you are, I will never forget you."

Avonlaid broke down once more and just stared at her mother in sheer confusion. She did not understand what was happening and didn't know what to do."Mother...but I....

"Shhh. The human heart is unpredictable. Go back to him. Gice him a reason to live and be happy. He has had a hard enough life. I love you, Avonlaid.

Before she could reject, Avonlaid was back in the mortal body and was fully restored. Vega was scared, but decided that he had seen much stranger, and decided to let it go. He scooted away a bit, and looked at Avon in shame.

"I am a fool...*cough*There..."He had lst so much blood he could not stay conscious any longer. His body fell limp toward Avonlaid. She caught his upper half and laid him on her lap. She looked at him for a moment and smiled, than took some of her tears and placed them on his battered body.

"Please heal...come back and tell me you care..."

Avon held him tight to her and sobbed. Her fresh tears ran down his neck and onto his back and chest. Avonlaid had no clue what had happened, but she was now in Vega's arms, his lips pressed against hers. Vega broke the kiss and looked at her, his blue eyes sparkling brightly, "You are the only person that has ever done something like this to me...You beat me in a battle of the heart, something I know nothing about. Will you be here to teach me more about this thing called love?"

"We'll learn together, no matter how long it takes to really understand it. Is that okay with you?