In A Blink

Everyone was seated in a tight circle - some were on the ground with a blanket underneath them, some of them were lucky enough to unfold lawn chairs. C.C. was one of those people, holding Bluebell in his lap with an arm around her waist and one of hers around his neck. The entire circle was facing Black Veil Brides, taking them in respectfully. The Alpha Clan was seated above the ground, All Time Low having silently placed a few wooden pallets on the ground and topped them with plywood they found at the edge of the lot. Their added height made it very clear just who was in charge of the Clans.

Gabe, the Sixth of Sleeping With Sirens, turned out to have the Holding Name The Forgotten. They were missing The Voice and The Stiller of their Clan, making it impossible for them to speak to Man Without Face. He stood in the center of the circle of Clans rather nervously, his hands held up as a flickering screen of pure power began to encircle the entire lot. Anyone looking in wouldn't see a thing - the memory would slide right out of their minds as they walked away. Kellin Quinn, The Stiller and the lead vocalist of Sleeping With Sirens, gave Gabe a terse nod and shot a sharp glance at Bluebell when he noticed that his Sixth was giving her small glances. He glanced at Gabe, and his expression went blank. He was obviously sending a mental message. C.C. noticed this, and his arm tightened around Bluebell slightly as he formed his own mental connection with the girl. You belong with us, he said simply, and Bluebell dragged her black nails along his back shoulder roughly to reassure him. I know.

Once Gabe sat next to Kellin again, the singer reached out and clasped the drummer's shoulder roughly, affectionately, and protectively. Gabe bristled a little but didn't dare fight back as Andy stood up - if he was tall on the ground, he was a giant one the low stage of wood. Jake was seated on the far left, then Ashley, Jinx, Andy, and then finally C.C. with Bluebell draped over his lap in a pair of short shorts and a plain black tank top, her Clans seal rosary around her neck. The Prophet rose from his hands, his palms turned up at his sides so that the comforting shadows bled onto the ground and touched every Clan, including his own. They wrapped affectionately around Bluebell, brushing along her arms lightly enough to just give her goosebumps and braiding a small piece of her hair, tying the end with a black ribbon she used The Creators power to make from nothing. Andy gave her a secret smile before turning back to the Holding Clans around him.

The Prophets' influence made it disturbingly easy to understand every word he said, and several Clans began to grab onto their Sixths or pull them closer. None of them seemed as close as C.C. and Bluebell, however - maybe it was because Black Veil Brides was the only completed Holding Clan, but no one seemed to know. As Andy told the story of how the Shadow Demon went after Bluebell, several Clans turned their eyes to the girl with curiosity. The lead vocalist of Black Veil Brides glanced over at Jake - he was already glancing back, shaking his head slightly. No one needed to know about the portal to the Dark Unknown yet.
Once the story of the Shadow Demon was over, Andy came over to C.C. and lifted Bluebell to her feet, clad in leather boots. He explained that while the Shadows Demon had only touched her shadow, it had physically harmed her. The girl moved her hair to the side, showing the dark wounds against her caramel skin. There was silence for a few moments as Jake claimed Bluebell next, draping her over his lap and holding her as C.C. did, resting his chin on her shoulder and kissing her jaw affectionately with a pointed glance at Gabe.

"Why are they back?"

It was Vic Fuentes, The Powering and lead vocalist of Pierce The Veil. The Alpha Clan glanced back and forth at each other, calm but confused. "We don't know," Andy finally admitted, and several voices piped up in complaining tones. "Our Sixths could be in danger!" "Why is she the first to be attacked?" "What is her Holding?" "The Shadow Demons are supposed to be extinct!" "What did Man Without Face say?" "When-"

"Enough!"

The Prophets voice shattered the air with power, and the Clans shrank in intimidation as Andy growled out at them. With a jerk of his head, Andy glanced down at Jake to let go of Bluebell. "Alright, Blue," he said darkly, glancing out at the Clans, "want to show then what your holding is?"

Bluebell grinned, and the other Clans fidgetted a little in discomfort. Those eyes of hers glinted when she smiled, so wolfish and canine, practically glowing. It was unnatural. Eerie. Of course, that all changed when The Creator emerged from her skin - but the fog wasn't black like the others. Hers was like vaporized watercolor paints, clouds of pastel green, red, purple, blue, orange, yellow - any color the Clans could imagine. The clouds crept across the ground and rose, twisting and turning back towards her Holding Clan. All six vanished in the clouds of color, but the clouds began to melt into the air after only a few moments.

Left behind were thrones made of glass, each personalized to its owner. Andy's throne was broad and sharp, layers of thick black furs draped regally over the back and seat. Jinx had a throne that was all round curves faceted to reflect sunlight like diamonds, bursts of opaque red color sending red rainbows at his feet. Ashley had one a solid white, all straight lines and ninety-degree angles. Resting on a throne made of a pale mint crystal with a seat carved directly in it was Jake. C.C.'s was hollow, filled with liquid colors that twisted around each other like lovers late at night.

The men were adorned with dramatic changes as well. Each had a rosary like hers around their necks, a golden crown upon their heads. Their skin was clearer, their very image sharpened almost unrealistically. The clans surrounding them were completely silent, Bluebell noticed, and a surge of pride flared in her chest as she leaned against the back of C.C.'s throne, one hand reaching down to run across his shoulders adoringly. Andy smirked at the crowd before them, running his hand along the black furs on his glass throne with one leg crossed over the other. "The Dark Unknown most likely wants her for her abilities. She can make anything she wants - do anything she imagines. How much power would that give the demons?"

Introduce yourself, he told Bluebell through his mind, and have fun with it.

Bluebell detached herself from C.C., coming forwards and standing at the edge of what used to be the makeshift wooden stage - it was a bed of silver now, inlaid with diamond. Her introduction was traditional, but with the Clans already stunned by her grand show of power, her words pierced them sharper than a bullet.

"My name is Bluebell Bellova, Sixth of the Holding Clan Black Veil Brides. I turn air to diamond and water to gold - I am The Creator."

Notes