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chaosprinceundivided · 3 months

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The Price of Failure

Rulek snarled. Even whilst being a phantom of his power, the Daemon Prince backhanded a neverborn from his presence before feeling another claim its numerous fangs into his essence. An offense that he met in kind with his claws bearing into its being and twisted, bringing the howling creature into his salivating maw. It fought and pushed but in the end, Rulek was the superior fragment of unbridled Chaos. The metamorphic gift of the Ruinous Power still held sway and as he devoured the loathsome creature, the former prince howled out into the Void.

“I am Rulek! God-slayer! I will not be forsaken for my defeat in my greatest triumph!”

There was a moment. Silence. Then a rolling thunder of true power. The sound of countless laughter melding into one. Then two. Then three. And finally, it was the War God who slammed into Rulek like a great hammer. His being flew back but he gathered himself, the overpowering influence was turning his form into that of unbridled fury and seething contempt.

“You think yourself above the countless souls to scream, curse and die for our amusement, Worm!? You have provided enough entertainment to be but another haunting in that damned temple with the whelps cursed there.”

“You dare lie to me, Lord of Blades!?” Rulek snapped back, caring not of his own existence. His tongue lashed with burning honesty that scorned any thought of softness or careful wording. He is Death. “You needed me as much as I needed you, by the end of this - it comes down to my use and I still have it!”

The giggling at his side tickled and burned his ear, Their presence slithered its influence through his ether-flesh like venom. “Oh, so bold. So shameless. Tis why I find you so attractive, Yuri.” Slaanesh’s voice whispered lovingly behind him and Khorne snarled with a face too far stretched and vicious for mortal conceiving but Rulek could see one of his benefactors as clear as a storm.

His hateful eyes squinted and reared back his doggish maw wreathing of infernal iron and tongue licking behind fangs. “I don’t explain myself to lowly dogs.” Khorne sneered, lifting his crimson fist. His intent was clear to smite Rulek like a gnat to his unbinding might but the sudden hands of perfumed flesh covered the little daemon like a mother, if it wasn’t for the twinned pairs of sword-like pincers aimed to strike upon the wrathful other.

“Eh, eh. You will not touch him,’ Slaanesh purred akin to a leopardess. ‘You have no single power over our creature, Khorne.”

And when They pulled their hands away, Rulek found himself shifting and changing helplessly like a Chaos Spawn from the numerous appearances that he could, should and have taken as the eye of their power. A deep, gurgling thyroid rolled in a great billow of a laugh, “Look at him. He is so aimless without us, the little witch did well in abusing him and truly brought such needed humility.”

Nurgle’s rot-swollen finger caressed and scratched its ugly black nail over Rulek like a kitten behind his ear and neck, stabilizing him in the most unwanted way. His hide greyed and hardened, returning him back into a gargoylish figure. His horns standing in arched regalia from his maned skull, wings flapped and folded in the emptiness. It took but a thought to center himself before the Ruinous Powers themselves as the crooning purr of the Fate-master made his appearance.

Countless eyes wondering and focusing from his sibling-gods to the creatures they bound to their will, and even now, it stood before them willful and true as the Kislevite the prince was born from.

“He is but one of the countless puppets that we can use…till it is nothing but a worthless shell. It will never know if it is worthless now or future uses.” Tzeentch hissed, voice shifting from a sly serpent to a chuckling noble that had his plans already weaving within the originals. “Maybe we just destroy it now and make better servants from its ether.”

Rulek shifted, the sprout of feathers crawling up his arm to shoulder like an attached cloak of gradient colors. “I will destroy the enemies I vowed to destroy. Be’lakor dared to betray us in his arrogance, don’t deny me his soulstuff, Eminent Ones!” He spoke out, “I have led the Tzarina to her weak god and she was never a meek opponent to battle, she had fought with the fury of her forebears and a nation that deserve better worship. Your worship!”

“Our worship?” Slaanesh cooed, They were intrigued on what little promises this soul dared to barter on the edge of their disfavour. Then again, their disfavor was different. Rulek had given respect onto the Four Gods accordingly and Khorne was merely slighted without a great temple made from one of the great cities that the Daemon Prince razed in his path of destruction. The irritation proved a sweet wine to the Prince of Princes.

“Your boons and attention have allowed me see beyond my faith onto Weakness.” Rulek said, turning to Slaanesh. “From the fires of war’s anvil that shape every man and woman that call themselves Kislevite. From the desires bared from the shells of righteousness, I have indulged and tasted many freedoms. And I dare to stand against the stagnation that my countrymen have suffered through by the Tzardom and the great faiths that have risen to ensure our ‘fortitude’.’

‘If I be the Great Plague to be that revelation, then so be…I am the Child of Kislev and I will see her baptized into something far greater than Ursun and his pantheon dare see her.”

The Four were silent for a moment but their intrigue rolled over him like a summer’s breeze. The many fragrances twisting and whirling.

“Such a good way with words, truly a Scion of the Liar and Indulgent.” Khorne said with baring teeth. “However, we will see if words are all you are skilled, whelp.” Rulek turned and threw his wing out like a cloak, opening his hand out to the Blood God. His wavering aura was turning the metamorphic Prince’s hand red and scaled.

“You know the skulls that I will deliver for my passion. Have not I taken your Gatekeeper’s and that of the great gladiators that defended your indomitable stronghold, my Lord? I am not a warrior wanting and I will deliver thrice that in your name till a great monolith of bone and iron brazen of your mark. None, not even your Everchosen will complete what I want.”

“Is that so?” The Brass King challenged and despite all of his rage and disdain, a warrior can never throw a chance of proving a perceived lesser wrong.

“What of me?” Slaanesh swooned, leaning down and lovingly looked at this dashing little fool. A smile edging of a lover’s curl and spider’s barely restrained hunger. “What do you swear onto me, Sweet Rulek? You have given me so much and I want more.”

“To you, My Prince Above All. I desire to have six thousand and six voices singing your praises, until your name shake the very snow from the mountains. Perhaps…an idol crafted from bleeding dwarven hands, made from their precious gold and jewels. One that surpasses their gods’ own. From your carved feet, I will begin a temple-fortress from the backs of slaves whipped by your Daemonettes and become ever-noticed from the North. The South. The West and East. Your very presence never unseen.”

What was the answer was a pleasured purr and a talon reached, oh so careful in touching…and carving into Rulek with an explosion of pleasuring pain riding from his shoulder to ribs and groin. His ether bleeding as he hissed out at this torturous caress that was a sign of favour as much as punishment ever daring to fail the Great Daemon Patriarch-Matriarch of Sensation.

“You will do me proud, God-Slayer…for your continuing existence.” Slaanesh lulls, lifting his finger away to see the festering scarification that renewed the Brand of Undivided in weeping freshness before licking his taloned tip.

Rulek shuddered and paralyzed before his wound started to ooze and pulsate feverish, he felt his throat and breath heathen as if on the edge of a illness beyond even his daemonic nature. “Oh Brother-Sister, do not wound our boy so. If he is make these promises, he better of most pleasant health.” Nurgle said, ‘However, whilst we will allow this - you will not be given complete favour. One must be given the right punishment for failing his fathers so. Yes?”

The Lord of Rot smiled a stretch of his crackling, bleeding maw more ugily, lined of jagged teeth that were pristine as much hideous with warp-flies buzzing their million wings in his composure.

“Most right, Old Man.” Tzeentch hissed before cackling the sound of a hundred ravens mocking. Oddly the least spoken of the Four in this meddling, Rulek knew better than to assume he was beyond the Master of Magic’s scheming notice and it was He who waved his multi-jointed hand, throwing Their servant into the winds. His form became a part of it, flying to the madness that was waiting for Rulek. A great vortex was pulling him to hurtle him beyond…

For a new war was brewing. Zanbijin was won - or perhaps the game was still being playing - Rulek doesn’t know, time and events were as flexible as they were mute in the Realms of Chaos. All things were, is, shall and will be here. No matter the naysay of Mortals who only see the canon written.

#n: immortal empires #ooc: between Realms of Souls and Immortal Empire #another one I thought I posted #so much Rulek lore in the ether

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idiotwhotalkstoomuch · 3 years

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I never expected you guys to like demon Senjuro so much lol I’m really happy to see that like it was such a random impulse thought but the au has a lot of room for growth

In this post Im gonna establish a few things about what happened to Senjuro and Kyojuro in the events between Senjuro’s “death” and the pillar meeting. I will only cover their relationship and a little bit of Senjuro’s relationship with Tanjiro. The others can come at a different post cause this post is gonna be long lol so I put it under cut cause no one really wants a post to flood their dash

TW: Mentions of death (some are children), mentions of cannibalism (If you’ve seen even the first episode of demon slayer and had no problem, you’re fine with this post. This post is slightly not anime only friendly as I make references to an upper moon and I show a manga only panel as of posting this) Shnjuro gets really depressed but luckily there is no attempted suicide

Senjuro Rengoku

- His class was at the bottom floor and they were cleaning the school (I heard thats a thing in Japan if someone has a better idea on what they’re doing feel free to shoot an ask) when they got attacked

- In canon we dont know his age but I’m gonna guess like 12-14 but in the au he is 13 so he was 12 when he became a demon. A rogue demon attacked Senjuro’s class and Senjuro ran to get help and was fatally injured but still managed run to get help as he was given a nichirin sword and even if it didnt change color he must have known breathing techniques at the very least on a basic level and the demon was too preoccupied with some of the teachers and others trying to kill the demon, of course unaware of what it was except for Senjuro

- Upper moon 4 was sneaking around when he saw the all but dead body of Senjuro and demons really dont have standards for turning people into demons so when he noticed he was alive, turned him into a demon mostly so that if he did find any “evil people” (demon slayers) he could use him as his meat shield alongside his personalities

- When Senjuro woke up as a demon (cause even if he was a breath user he was very inexperienced so Hantengu had no problem making him a demon), he had no memory of his life as a human and looked around trying to find a human to satiate his hunger and saw a human in the distance with someone and began to run to them to satiate his hunger when he felt himself being held back.

- The spirit of Ruka Rengoku gently held her son back and instructed him to not eat humans as that’s not something he should do and even if Senjuro couldn’t recognize the woman holding him back, he found himself obeying her and running to go to a place to hide from the sun

- From that moment on for a few day he would hop from place to place whether underneath homes, in caves or any place he could find to avoid being seen and to be shielded from the sun and found himself growing sleepy so in the cave he hid in, far away from the place he was last in, he closed his eyes and fell asleep for a year

- When he woke up, he had unwittingly burnt away Muzan’s control of him and was unsure on what to do when Ruka’s spirit appeared again telling him that he needs to find his way home. Senjuro wasn’t actually listening to a lot of what she said except one thing stuck to him.

- “Senjuro”, he didn’t know what his name was as a demon but the name seem to stick to him and he figured this must be his name (he would of course be correct)

- When he found himself staying with the Kamaboko squad, having been spared despite being a demon due to him not having any form of aggression to them (something they all noticed due to his general demeanor and their enhanced sense) and Tanjiro could smell he hadnt eaten one human and he invited him to join them. He joined Nezuko in her box (she can grow really really tiny if she wants or is tired)

Reference:

Kny chapter 85

- He joined for two reasons: One, he was really scared of people and demon slayers especially so when Tanjiro offered him the chance to be able to be safe and hide he took it. Secondly, he wasn’t sure but the smile Tanjiro gave and his warm reassurance reminded of him of someone, when he thought hard he only saw blurry shadows and got a headache so didn’t try to push it

- Tanjiro did ask him in the wisteria house while Zenitsu was chatting with Nezuko and Inosuke was off being Inosuke about his past and Senjuro told him about his brief meetings with a woman with black hair and asks if they’ve met before as he feels familiar

- This is where he gets the idea that the woman with black hair (Ruka) is his mother and Tanjiro guesses that the person that he thinks is Tanjiro must be his father (right on the first part Tanjiro but wrong on the second lol, you tried)

- He wears a cyan yukata with a new hakama pants as the clothes he was previously wearing was the same bloodstained clothes he wore after turning into a demon and Tanjiro didnt want to leave him in that. Tanjiro thought to get him a gag but the idea made Senjuro uncomfortable so Tanjiro made him swear to never eat a single human

- In Mount Nagatumo, he was too scared to jump out to protect Tanjiro like Nezuko but when she gets sliced up he leaves the box to watch her while Tanjiro fights Rui, unfortunately he is caught in Rui’s webs like Nezuko and was saved from it by Nezuko flames (though it did burn him a fair bit, Nezuko would apologize to him for this later)

- Giyuu doesn’t kill Senjuro cause his resemblance to Kyojuro despite the different clothes and demon eyes is clear to anyone who can see and Shinobu also finds herself hesitating but shakes those feelings off as Kyojuro deserves better than to see his little brother as a demon. Luckily Giyuu stops him and Senjuro runs with Nezuko and Tanjiro but is later taken back to the demon slyer corps by a Kakushi who put him and Nezuko back in their box

- When Sanemi stabbed the box, he moved to try and protect Nezuko but the box was too cramped and they both got stabbed despite his efforts. Later when he tries to bait him with his marechi blood, he’s too focused on resisting the blood and on Nezuko who he had grown to see as a sister to care about the wide eyed looks the pillars were giving him.

Kyojuro Rengoku (I am so sorry in advance Kyojuro simps I put this man THROUGH IT)

- He had just finished a mission and was going to get another mission when a crow he hadn’t seen work in years came flying to him, obviously panicked telling him how Senjuro’s school was attacked and how no one can find Senjuro among the bodies. The crow was Shinjuro’s

- When he hears that, all the kakushi and other demon slayers present would say they had never seen the flame pillar run so frantically, he only stopped to apologize briefly if he bumped into someone while running but the only thing racing in his mind was his little brother who had no weapon to defend himself with. He forced the image of his brother being nothing but a corpse away only thinking about saving Senjuro

- When he reached the school, he forced himself to calm down. Panicking isn’t going to magically bring Senjuro to him so he needs to keep himself in check because with so many people dead, he’s not the only one concerned over the kids

- There were no survivors on the area that was attacked, the police were there investigating the deaths of the many children and teachers, Kyojuro had to spend time convincing the police he was with them and to be allowed to investigate as well

- With no survivors, he heard from the police that there was a blood trail when they got there and he went to find the trail, when he reached the end of it where there were no traces of Senjuro but since the people there were untrained civilians, Senjuro was the only possible person to have been there

- He spent multiple days searching, Mitsuri was at one point sent to check on him and it was clear he was pushing himself, as days passed by, his composure and bright demeanor were crumbling and he started latching onto any lead to at the very least find the body of Senjuro to take back home but it was becoming clear that he would never find it and a kakushi had to be the one to tell him that his body was likely eaten to the bone or eaten and discarded to either rot away or eaten by someone else

- Kyojuro took a week off, not just because of the grief he felt at that moment but because he needed to check on his father and make sure he would be okay, the man didn’t even face Kyojuro when he came in to visit, he forced himself to not cry in front of his father as he tried to talk to the man who couldn’t even say a word and just drank away even as his eldest son tried to talk to him

- Servants were hired to monitor Shinjuro by Kyojuro as he was concerned about his health both physically and mentally but he did notice how Shinjuro never resisted to being taken care of by the people he hired. They reported to him he could be heard muttering Senjuro’s name and even stares at his room for extended periods of time

- When he made his return, he apologized to the pillars for his behavior the past two weeks (even though no one blamed the man, some even said it was okay if he needed more time, they wouldn’t judge) but whenever he was told that he said he had to be strong to protect the weak so he could be someone that could stop families from ending up like his own

- He was far more determined in killing demons, demon attacks had become personal to him now, whenever he saw a demon eating people he found himself wondering what they must’ve thought in the afterlife as the demon desecrated their bodies

- In the pillar meeting, when he was informed of a swordsman who travelled with not one but two demons, he felt disgust as who knows how many humans they could eat. On the way to the meeting, he couldn’t help but notice Shinobu deliberately avoiding him a bit, Giyuu was doing the same but the man never really talked with them much to begin with

- When he saw Senjuro go out of the box with Nezuko, he felt the smile on his face drop and his heart practically sunk to the core of the earth as he saw the unmistakable hair of a Rengoku and the face was so clearly Senjuro’s despite his eyes having a black sclera and his iris and pupil becoming cat like, the pillars had all turned to see if the flame pillar was alright and he could hear Himejima mutter prayers and Mitsuri was on the verge of tears seeing Senjuro alive but as a demon

- He found himself going into denial until Tanjiro, who had been freed as Obanai left to comfort the distressed love pillar, ran and yelled Senjuro’s name and told him to resist his hunger

- “My sister and the other demon with us are different! They would never eat a human!”

- Senjuro was a good kid, he was innocent, kind and a bit on the timid side. He had helped raise him, he knew Senjuro would never want to harrm a fellow human even when threatened.

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myth-lord · 3 years

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D&D Madness

My newest list of D&D monsters in my own worldbuilding project (for fun)

There are no more devils and yugoloths in my D&D realms, they are all demons/fiends now.

Aarakocra - Kenku - Nagpa - Vrock (Corrupted Aarakocra) Abeil (Worker / Soldier / Queen) Aboleth - Chuul (Aboleth Creation) - Cloaker (Aboleth Creation) - Kuo-Toa (Skum) (Aboleth Creation) Ahuizotl Air Elemental - Breathdrinker - Invisible Stalker - Lightning Elemental - Ragewind - Tempest Almiraj ANEMONE - Giant Anemone ANGEL (Most have bizarre otherworldly real-forms, but can shapeshift into winged humanoid to hide it.) - Aasimar (Half-Angel) - Angel of Decay (Undead Angel) - Archon (Hound) - Cherub (Erote) - Deva (Guardian Angel) - Erinyes (Fallen Angel) - Justicator (Extreme Law Angel) - Lillend (Muse) - Planetar (Trumpet Archon) - Solar (Healing Angel) - Valkyrie (Battle Angel) ANIMATED OBJECT - Carrionette (Animated Puppet/Doll) - Helmed Horror (Animated Armor) - Rug of Smothering (Animated Carpet) - Scarecrow - Tome Guardian (Animated Book) - Xaver (Animated Weapon) Ankheg - Craud (Sea Ankheg) - Kruthik (Corrupted Abyssal Ankheg) ANT - Abyss Ant - Giant Ant APE - Barlgura - Dire Ape (King Kong Size) - Girallon Araton (Desert Sand Devil) Arrowhawk - Steelwing Assassin Bug (Like the real-world insect) Assassin Vine - Bloodsipper - Choke Creeper Astral Stalker Aurumvorax Axe Beak (Terror Bird) - Achaierai (Corrupted Abyssal Axe Beak)

Babau (Blood Demon) Baku Balor Basilisk - Behir (Dracolisk) - Frost Salamander (Frost Basilisk) - Id Fiend (Fear Basilisk / Gila Monster) BAT - Eyewing (Small) - Fire Bat - Mobat (Really Big) Bebilith - Retriever BEETLE - Agony Beetle - Bombardier Beetle - Fire Beetle - Hoard Scarab - Siege Beetle - Slicer Beetle (most aggressive) - Water Beetle (mixed with Giant Water Bug) BEHEMOTH (all unique really-big, really-powerful monsters) - Astral Dreadnought - Kraken - Tarrasque Beholder - Eye of the Deep (Aboleth Creation) - Gazer (Very small) - Gorbel (Primitive Beholder) - Nothic (Beholder Creation) - -- Shardsoul Slayer (Phthisic)(Greater Nothic) Belker Black Dragon - Shadow Dragon (Undead Black Dragon) Bladeling (Weapon animates automatically when Bladeling dies) Blink Dog - Cooshee (more nature abilities) - Moon Dog Blue Dragon (Storm Dragon) BOAR - Dire Boar - Fhorge (Corrupted Abyssal Boar) - Tusk Terror (Fey Boar) Bonesnapper (Intelligent smaller T.Rex) Boobrie (Giant Hesperornis) Brown Dragon (Wingless) Bulette Bullywug - Banderhobb (Aberration Bullywug) - Grung (Smaller than Bullywug, but much more powerful, poison) - Hezrou (Pod Demon) (Abyssal Corrupted Bullywug)

Carbuncle CARNIVOROUS PLANT - Giant Sundew - Greenvise - Mantrap Carrion Crawler - Gravecrawler (Undead Crawler) - Rot Grubs (The crawlers young) - Ulgurstasta (Very big intelligent Crawler) CAT - Elven Cat (Cat Sith) - Grimalkin (like the Matagot in Fantastic Beasts) - Luck Eater (Golden cat with golden gem in forehead like Pokemon Persian / Can hover in air like Cheshire Cat) CATTLE - Catoblepas - Gorgon - Rothe Cave Fisher - Avalancher Centaur - Armanite (Corrupted Abyssal Centaur) CENTIPEDE - Adaru (Abyssal Centipede) - Giant Centipede - Megapede - Remorhaz Chasme - Cifal (Can be created with one of the Chasme abilities) Chathrang Chimera (Different look) Choker - Skulk (Choker that can change color of skin, better assassin) Cockatrice - Pyrolisk (Touch burns, not gaze) Copper Dragon (keep behavior and gain behavior from Brass Dragons / neutral alignment) CRUSTACEAN - Giant Crab - Hammerclaw - Sea Hermit Crystal Dragon (There are good, neutral and evil variants)

DARK TREE - Hangman Tree - Orcwort - Quickwood Deadly Dancer Deepspawn Destrachan Dharculus Digester (Feeds on oozes) DINOSAUR - Ankylosaurus - -- Sauropelta (More aggressive variant) - Brontosaurus - -- Amargasaurus (Smaller but much more aggressive) - Compsognathus - Deinonychus - Dimetrodon - Elasmosaurus - -- Plesiosaurus (Smaller and more friendly) - Ichthyosaurus - -- Eurhinosaurus (Larger and more dangerous) - Mosasaurus - Pachycephalosaurus - -- Stygimoloch (Smaller but much more aggressive) - Pteranodon - -- Quetzalcoatlus - Stegosaurus - -- Kentrosaurus (Smaller and much more aggressive) - Tanystropheus (Bigger and much more aggressive than the real creature) - Therizinosaurus (new) - Triceratops - -- Styracosaurus (Smaller but much more aggressive) - Tyrannosaurus Rex Disenchanter (not a joke monster) Displacer Beast Domovoi (Good, Neutral and Evil variants) Doppelganger - Maurezhi (Abyssal, Corrupted Doppelganger) Dragon Eel (Dunkleosteus appearance) Dragon Turtle (There are also Swamp variants with Snapping Turtle features) DRAGONFLY - Giant Dragonfly DRAKE - Air Drake (Like the Pathfinder Mist Drake) - Ambush Drake - Earth Drake (Much like the Rock Reptile, but Chameleon) - Fire Drake (Much like the Zezir) - Rage Drake (Negative Energy Drake) - Ravid (Positive Energy Drake) - Water Drake (Looks like a Plesiosaurus a bit, but more magical) - Wyvern - -- Abyss Drake Drow - Aranea (Meet the new handmaidens of Lolth, which make much more sense to me.) - Drider (Drow who passed the test of Lolth) - Ettercap (Drow who failed the test of Lolth) Dryad - Hamadryad (Very powerful Dryad, controls entire forest) - Myconid (Fungus underground Dryad) - Splinterwaif (Corrupted undead Dryad) - Vine Horror (Swampy Evil Dryad) - Wood Woad (Male more violent and protective Dryad) Duergar - Automaton (Duergar who replaced most of their flesh with iron) - Derro (Duergar who became insane after being send to the Far Realm) - Nightshade (Insane Duergar who love poison, venom and plants, and use their own skin to grow plants) Dustdigger - Silt Horror (Bigger and thinner Dustdiggers) - Voracia (Very big abyssal Dustdiggers)

Earth Elemental - Galeb Duhr - -- Bowler (animated stones Galebs) - Mudman - Necromental - -- Tomb Mote (Smaller parts that fall off a Necromental animate into these) - Sandman (Sleep abilities) - Skriaxit (Living Sandstorm) - Zaratan Eblis EEL - Cave Moray - Giant Moray Eladrin - Ghaele (The leaders and most powerful of the Eladrin) - Wild Hunt ENERGON - Xag-Ya - Yeg-Yi Executioner’s Hood (Ooze)

Fachan Faerie Dragon Fihyr Filcher - Temporal Filcher Fire Elemental - Immolith (Hellish fire elemental) - Magma Brute (Magma Hurler) - -- Magmin (Magma Brutes throw magmins as ranged weapons) - Phoenix (Good, Evil and Neutral phoenix exist) Firefriend (While very friendly and curious, their abilities are very dangerous and destructive when around fire) Flumph Fomorian - Eldritch Giant (The beautiful non-cursed form of the Fomorian) - Plague Spewer (Undead Fomorian who went too far with magic to become beautiful again) - Protean (Fomorians who became even more powerful by accident, master shapeshifters) Foxwoman (Kitsune / More like a Foxwere than a Werefox) FROG - Blindheim (non-humanoid, underground bioluminescence frogs) - Froghemoth (mutant frog from far realm) - Giant Frog FUNGUS - Ascomoid - Basidirond - Gas Spore - Phycomid (Very dangerous abyssal fungus / Much like pathfinders Terotricus) - Violet Fungus

GAR - Giant Gar Gargoyle (Evil, Good and Neutral variants exist) - Kapoacinth - Margoyle (Demonic Spirits entered normal Gargoyles) Gelatinous Cube GENIE - Dao - Djinni - Efreeti - Jann (light-based good-natured Genies) - Khayal (shadow-based evil-natured Genies) - Marid - -- Qorrashi (Ice-based Marid) Ghost - Allip - Banshee - Caller in Darkness - Einherjar (Warrior spirits raised by Valkyries) - Poltergeist (the psychic remains of a psionic child) - Trap Haunt (Animates and possesses traps of all kinds) - Wraith (red spirit of vengeance, allip is black) Ghoul - Berbalang (can separate it’s body-parts like Manananggal.) - Devourer (Abyssal Demonic Ghoul) - Ghast (Tyrantfog) - Wendigo (Very powerful Ghouls that inflict hunger, famine and cannibalism) GIANT - Cloud Giant - -- Fog Giant (Banished primitive Cloud Giants) - Cyclops (4e version / replaces Stone and Hill giants as the Earth-based giant.) - Death Giant - Firbolg (Animal-plant based druid-giant) - Fire Giant - Frost Giant Giant Owl (neutral and non-intelligent now) - Noctral (This is the giant intelligent owl) Gibbering Mouther (Chaos Beast) - Argos (Bigger, better and more intelligent Mouthers) - Skybleeder (Abyssal, floating mouthers) Glabrezu Gloomwing (Attracted to doom, evil places and disasters) - Gloom Crawler (Tenebrous Worm / Less aggressive) Gnoll - Flind (demonic corrupted Gnolls) - Marrashi (demonic corrupted Marru) - Marru (Jackal-headed more civilized Gnolls) - Witherling (Deadborn Vulture ability, some Gnolls raise as undead instantly after dying.) Goblin - Barghest (Demonic Goblins) - Bugbear (Bagman abilities, D&D’s true bogeyman) - Nilbog (Not unique, but very rare) - Norker (Pech abilities) - Spriggan (Fey Goblins) GOLEM - Clay Golem - -- Alchemical Golem - Flesh Golem - -- Drolem (Dragonflesh Golem) - -- Rotripper (A monstrous Flesh Golem that rips off flesh and adds it to itself) - Iron Golem - -- Adamantine Golem - -- Clockwork Horror (Clockroach) - -- Iron Cobra - -- Shield Guardian - -- Silver Golem (Anti-Evil golem, slayer of evil) - -- Steel Predator - Stone Golem - -- Coral Golem - -- Diamond Golem (Aura grants defense to allies) - -- Dwarf Ancestor (Every dwarf/duergar’s soul will go into this statue, turning this statue more powerful with every death, protectors of dwarven cities, one in each city) - -- Eidolon (stone golem with part of a soul of a god inside it, thinks it is a god itself) - -- Emerald Golem (Controls teleports around it) - -- Hellfire Engine (Juggernaut made from abyssal obsidian and fire) - -- Ruby Golem (Aura grants attack-power to allies) Gravorg Gray Dragon Gray Render - Braxat (Desert Renders) - Cadaver Collector (Renders that choose a necromancer/lich as their favorite become their slaves and collect undead for them) Green Dragon Green Slime - Arcane Ooze - Corrupture (very powerful and ancient Green Slimes, much bigger as they didn’t split like most Green Slimes do) Grimlock - Geonid (Grimlocks that use stones/rocks as cover) Gold Dragon (not all Gold Dragons are good, some are very greedy treasure hoarders that can animate the treasures they collected into golem like constructs) Gremlin - Quarrak (twin demonic Gremlins) Griffon (sorry no Hippogriff, I really dislike them)

Hadozee HAG - Annis Hag - Bheur Hag (Frostwind Virago) - Green Hag (Turns victims into frogs or insects) - Night Hag - Sea Hag (More powerful) Hamatula (Jovoc Aura / Demons of Pain) Harpy - Siren Hatori (Sand-Swimming Mosasaurus/Crocodile) Hell Hound - Canoloth - Death Dog - Howler - Yeth Hound (Always borns as triplets, if one dies the others become more powerful and bigger as they absorb their died kin.) Hippocampus Hook Horror Hydra

Imp - Gadacro (Sight and eye-obsessed Imps) - Mephit (Bigger imps that can absorb elements into their skin, and turn into the element they desire.) - Quasit (More powerful wingless Imps)

JELLYFISH - Belabra (Floater / Land based floating jellyfish) - Dybbuk (Demonic corpse-controlling jellyfish) - Giant Jellyfish

Kalothagh (Giant intelligent pufferfish) Kelpie (Still a seaweed plant creature) Kirin (Not a horse, more like a Celestial Stag) Kirre Korred Krenshar - Carcass Eater (Undead Krenshar) Kyton - Gorechain (Large giant using chains, much like Jack-in-Irons)

Larva - Lemure - Rutterkin Lava Ooze LEECH - Giant Leech - Puppeteer Leprechaun (Neutral, Good and Evil variants, Evil Leprechauns wear red and call themselves Clurichaun, but still same creature) Leucrotta Lich - Death Knight (Just a physical damage lich) - Demilich (Weaker Lich, could not fully reanimate) - Dracolich - Skull Lord (More powerful lich that killed other liches and added their skulls to its form) LIZARD - Muckdweller - Shocker Lizard Lizardfolk - Draconian - Drakkoth - Kobold - -- Urd - Salamander (Fiendish, Demonic Lizardmen) - Troglodyte (Much bigger prehistoric underground lizardmen) LYCANTHROPE - Werebear - -- Urskan (More feral Polar-Werebear) - Wereboar - Wererat - -- Uridezu (Corrupted demonic Wererat who hates beauty) - Wereshark - Werewolf

Mandragora Manticore - Jarilith (Fiendish, wingless Manticore) MANTIS - Ethereal Slayer (Fey Mantis with anti-teleport abilities) - Giant Mantis Marilith - Spell Weaver (Marilith who use spells and magic instead of physical attacks and weapons.) Masher (Much like a giant version of the Bobbit Worm) MEGAFAUNA - Glyptodon - Mammoth - Megaloceros - Megalodon - Megatherium - Smilodon Merfolk - Merrow - Triton - Wastrilith (Corrupted, Demonic Merfolk) Merregon - Arrow Demon (Other name needed) - Barbazu (More rare and more powerful Merregons) Merrenoloth Mimic - Trapper (Bigger Mimics can transform into bigger objects, entire floors or ceilings or even into huts and houses.) Mind Flayer - Brain Collector - Cerebrilith (Demonic brain-things created by Mind Flayers) - Elder Brain - Githyanki - Grell (Creations of the Mind Flayers) - Intellect Devourer - Ulitharid Minotaur - Goristro (Demonic, Corrupted Minotaurs) Mohrg (Actually the real creature is the pink-organs, which is a Aberration who feeds on murder, not an undead.) Mummy - Crawling Apocalypse - Grisgol (Magical Mummy, instead of bandage used with normal mummies, they used scrolls and magical incantations. - Skirr (Very ancient and powerful Mummy-Dragons.)

NAGA - Guardian Naga (Good) - Spirit Naga (Dark Naga) (Evil) - Water Naga (Neutral) Nerra - Fetch (Corrupted and demonic Nerra) Nightmare - Cauchemar (Nightmare Beast abilities, it’s huge aura causes nightmares in sleeping creatures. Purple flames instead of normal fire.) Nightwalker - Bodak (Created from the victims of Nightwalkers, behave and move like the Grudge) Nuckelavee (Like the Pathfinder version, not the D&D old version.) Nymph - Lampad (Shadow Nymphs of the Underdark) - Nereid (Water Nymph) - Oread (Earth Nymph) - Sylph (Air Nymphs)

Obliviax OCTOPUS - Darktentacles (Watcher in the Water) - Decapus (Tree Octopus) - Giant Octopus Ogre - Ettin - Oni (Demonic, magical Ogre) Oliphant (Much like the Oliphaunts from LOTR) Orc - Orog (Replaced the Hobgoblins / Smart war-veterans) - Tanarukk (Demonic Orcs) - Tulgar (Very powerful spiritual shaman-like antlered Orcs who got a demon-lords favor) Osyluth (Uses its own bones in battle. / Bones grow back instantly) OTTER - Giant Otter (Dobhar-Chu, playful but in a bad way) Otyugh - Abyssal Maw (Corrupted and demonical Otyugh) Owlbear - Winterclaw (Snow Owl + Polar Bear / Winged)

Paeliryon (The smell, perfume demon, sucks in air and turns it corruptive, corrupts air around it.) Pegasus Peryton Phane PUDDING - Black Pudding (Negative energy, underground Pudding, bones animate as Skeletons.) - Gray Pudding (Looks like rocks and stone until it is too late.) - White Pudding (Absorbs heat, not flesh) Purple Dragon - Brainstealer Dragon (Creation of the Mind Flayers) Purple Worm - Ashworm (Younger Purple Worms who gather in Deserts until they mature) - Fiendwurm (Demonic, corrupted Purple Worms) - Neothelid (Creation of the Mind Flayers)

Quickling Quipper (Bigger, more dangerous, more aggressive magical Piranha fish.)

Rakshasa - Akchazar (White, more powerful and magical Rakshasa.) - Naztharune (Black, less powerful and less magical assassin Rakshasa.) RAT - Cranium Rats - Giant Rat - Moonrat - Osquip (Can eat its way through any material spare for Adamantine.) - Rylkar (Intelligent and dangerous Rat creatures.) Red Dragon - Hellfire Wyrm (Corrupted and Fiendish Red Dragons.) Redcap Roc Roper - Piercer (Young of the Ropers) ROSE - Firethorn (Feed on the ashes of their victims.) - Vampire Rose (Bloodthorn) Rust Monster - Annihilator (One of the most dangerous monsters around, turns everything it touches into black dust.)

Sahuagin - Morkoth (Sahuagin that entered the Far Realm) - Skulvyn (Demonic corrupted Sahuagin.) Satyr - Bulezau (Oinoloth) (Pestilence demons, corrupted Satyrs.) SCORPION - Giant Scorpion - Hellstinger Sea Cat (Mishibizhiw / Very different than the normal Sea Lion) Shadow (Can animate corpses) - Darkweaver (Shadow Spider) - Shadow Demon (Undead demons that can possess anything weaker than itself) - Shadow Mastiff (Bad luck shadow dogs) Shambling Mound - Tendriculos (Bigger Shambing Mounds mostly found in the Abyss) Shardmind - Chaos Shard (Creations of the Shardmind, magical weapons of the Shardmind) - Crysmal (Creations of the Shardmind, pets of the Shardmind) - Crystal Ooze (Creations of the Shardmind, Failed experiment) - Gulgar (Creations of the Shardmind, look more like half-diamond Rhinoceros now, not like humanoids. Used as siege weapons and mounts by the Shardmind.) SHELLFISH - Giant Clam Sibriex Silver Dragon (Only dragon that is always gentle and good) - Mercury Dragon (Corrupted/tortured/captured Silver Dragons turn into vile slithering and liquid horrors of their former selves.) Simpathetic (Half parrot and half crow, very annoying) Skeleton - Bone Golem (Not a Golem at all, a bigger Skeleton with more bizarre form, still undead not a construct.) - Boneyard (Collection of all types of bones, absorbs more bones to become even bigger.) - Flameskull (The skull of a giant to make it different from Demilich) - Giant Skeleton (Gashadokuro) - Huecuva (Skeletons who heal other undead.) - Reaper (Like the Grim Reaper it hunts for dying creatures.) SKUNK - Giant Skunk - Witherstench (Magical fiendish Skunks with powers over stench.) SLUG - Balhannoth (Slugs from the Far Realm.) - Flail Snail - Giant Slug - Metalmaster - Sea Snail (Extremely poisonous and beautiful) SNAKE - Amphisbaena - Boalisk (It’s gaze causes victims to become breathless and see snakes everywhere, these are illusions though.) - Couatl (There are neutral, good and evil narcissistic Couatl) - Jaculi (They use their sharp head as a spear-like weapon) - Sea Serpent (Extremely long.) Solamith SOLIFUGID - Giant Solifugid Sphinx (Sphinxes can be Neutral or Evil.) - Lamia (Fiendish and corrupted Sphinxes) - Lammasu (Friendly, good and Celestial Sphinxes.) SPIDER - Bristle Spider (Very large plant-like spider.) - Dreamweaver Spider (Spider feeds on dreams and souls and weaves these dreams/souls into strange temporary monster minions.) - Giant Spider - Phase Spider (White and Blue colors, doesn’t have human face.) - Snow Spider (Much like a tarantula with the fur of a polar bear.) - Tomb Spider - -- Web Golem (Also known as Adherer / Not a real golem, more of a created minion from the Tomb Spider, who uses a corpse and magical webs to create these.) Sprite - Nixie - Pixie SQUID - Giant Squid SQUIRREL - Kercpa (Behave much like Robin Hood, steal from the wealthy.) - Skiurid (Very evil Squirrels which attack in large groups.) Stirge Su-Monster - Julajimus (Giant fey variants of the Su-Monster.) Succubus - Cambion (Tiefling) - Incubus Swordwing (Collectors of stuff and skulls)

Tabaxi Thri-Kreen - Gelugon (Corrupted and demonic Thri-Kreen) TICK - Bloodsilk Spider (Not actually a spider, but a tick that uses webs as a spider, the webs drain blood.) - Giant Tick - Soul Tick (Giant tick who sucks out the soul of a victim instead of blood, when the soul is absorbed entirely, the Tick will slowly turn into a copy of the dead victim.) Titan - Hundred-Handed One Tlincalli Treant - Saguaro Sentinel (Desert treants shaped like huge cacti) Tri-Flower Frond (All types of colors exist) Troll - Rot Troll (Undead Trolls, which is a very hard thing to create, their regeneration-abilities can’t handle the undead-status and they spread this rotting curse with their aura.)

Umber Hulk Unicorn - Dusk Unicorn (Ecalypse / Shadow Unicorn) URCHIN - Land Urchin - Silver Urchin (Large coastal Urchins which shoot their beautiful quills to their victims.)

Vampire - Blood Spawn (Vampire Spawns) - Lhiannan Shee (Female Vampires who are very beautiful and which feed on Charisma, ideas and creativity.) - Nosferatu (Ancient vampire lords, born undead.) - Varrangoin (Vampires who went to long without blood can turn into these bat-like humanoids, very bestial vampires.) Vampiric Mist - Blood Amniote (These blood-ooze creatures are created by vampiric mists who drip too much blood on unholy ground. They can animate corpses by replacing the blood.) - Crimson Death (Very large mist monsters.) - Mihstu (These mist monsters can harden the blood they absorbed into spiky spear and sword-like weapons.) Vargouille

WASP - Advespa (Fiendish and corrupted Giant Wasps) - Giant Wasp - Hellwasp Swarm (The swarm has a hive-mind and can create humanoid or monstrous forms by working together.) - Quanlos (Mind-controlling poison wasps, much like giant magical Emerald Wasps.) - Spider Eater Water Elemental - Caller from the Deeps (Undead Water Elementals) - Ice Elemental - -- Chraal (Evil intelligent Ice Elementals.) - Leviathan (Some have the size of an entire animated lake.) - Water Weird (More intelligent and vile than normal Water Elementals who are non-intelligent and neutral.) White Dragon Will o Wisp - Nyth (Magic-draining Will o Wisps.) - Trilloch (Undead Will o Wisps, absorb happiness and turn their victims into negative evil shadows of their former selves.) - Visilight (Vain will o wisps who steal the beauty of their victims, turning their victims ugly.) WOLF - Winter Wolf (Very big, Amarok sized and behavior.) - Worg Wolf-in-Sheeps-Clothing WOLVERINE - Dire Wolverine (Gulon)

Yellow Dragon - Sunwyrm Yellow Musk Creeper - Corpse Flower - Twilight Bloom Yeti Yochlol (Not a handmaiden for Lolth anymore as those are Aranea now, these are handmaidens for Juiblex) Yrthak (Sound Dragons) Yuan-Ti (Look very human-like but snake-like eyes, some scales and a tongue, love poison and venom of all types.) - Abomination (More powerful leaders of the Yuan-Ti.) - Medusa (Female variants of Yuan-Ti, but were once vain humans, who got cursed into becoming a type of Yuan-Ti.)

Zombie - Atropal - Crawling Claw (There are also bigger variants of course.) - Drowned (Weaker drowned zombies, non intelligent.) - -- Skuz (Much more powerful drowned zombies, intelligent.) - Dustblight (Zombie who died in desert by drought and uses drought as a weapon.) - Entombed (Zombie died by cold who controls ice and uses it as an armor.) - Hullathoin (Zombie Dragon/Drake that controls and creates other undead.) - Revenant (More powerful zombies, reanimate from any form of damage, until they got their revenge.) - Wight (More intelligent insane zombies, died while insane.) Zorbo

Others I really like but I don’t know what to do with them.

Meenlock / Slithering Tracker / Boneclaw / Alkilith / Narzugon / Meazel / Phoelarch / Famine Spirit / Skin Kite / Formian / Thoqqua / Vaporighu / Ragewalker / Skindancer / Evistro / Draudnu / Ethereal Defiler / Ghaunadan / Sand Hunter / Ant Lion / Kamadan / Caligrosto / Gray Jester

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snickiebear · 3 years

Note

Hello hello nadia, i’m in a leesaku mood today so pls indulge me with a three-sentence fic for this lil prompt “you are my best friend and I’ve known you platonically for years now but every time you look at me I get fireworks in my chest and butterflies in my stomach” tysm ilyyyy ❤️❤️❤️❤️

haha... this is, two days late. NIASDUKDSK IM SO SORRY THANK YOU FOR THE REQUEST YOURE THE BEST ILY

side note: this is.... kind of what you wanted? AND LMAO ITS NOT THREE SENTENCES AGAIN WHOOPS

side side note: this is now crossposted bc i liked it a lot tbh :")

a cocoon in the heart, a spark in the brain.

It starts with a glance. An innocent, fleeting look. Naruto’s smile is too bright to look at for more than a handful of seconds and Sasuke’s glare is too dark to find anything of interest, so Sakura glances away, as she always does.

She glances away and there is Lee, dirtied and bloodied but he holds Neji’s hand, Tenten tucked under his arm, and is laughing, tears streaming down his face. He must have felt her eyes because he looks over and sends her a beaming smile.

And. And her heart picks up, her breath catches.

She quickly looks over to Naruto and Sasuke, being blinded by the light and dark both, and tries her best to not think of why one look from Lee can breed butterflies and moths in her stomach.

They rebuild the village and everyone endures. Sasuke leaves once more because he is a boy who has never known staying, he has never stayed long enough to put roots in, to know how to stay. So, Naruto and Sakura let him go.

(If she is being honest, Sakura is more than happy to have him leave. Sasuke will always be a rotten fruit in the tangle of her feelings, something that she will never quite understand, something that will haunt her no matter what she does. If he is not there, she does not have to think about it. He’s like a curse, and it hurts her to think that but it is true.)

Kakashi is the Hokage and Sakura is still laughing at him, clutching her stomach and howling at her friend’s “misfortune” as he calls it.

“Mah,” Kakashi half drawls, half pleads. “Must you laugh at your poor ex-sensei?”

Naruto is losing his absolute shit as they clutch each other to stay standing. “Kaka-sensei you do not look good in white.”

“It,” Sakura gasps, wiping tears from her face, “It-It really washes you out!”

Naruto’s knees give out and they both tumble to the ground, a mess and tangle of laughing limbs and leaking eyes.

Kakashi sighs heavily from his desk but she knows he’s having just as much fun as they are. Kakashi is her best friend, she knows how he is when he’s drunk out of his mind and when he’s trying to bite back laughter.

The door swings open and Lee steps in with Team Gai flanking him. Neji recovered incredibly well thanks to Sakura’s magic hands (as Naruto has deemed them) and they’ve been taking low ranking missions since he was deemed fit to return to duty.

It takes a few moments for Sakura and Naruto’s heaving, snorting laughter to subside as Kakashi clears his throat, his eyes crinkling up in the way Sakura knows he’s really trying not to laugh.

She looks up and glances at Lee, to find him already watching her, his eyes soft and smile softer. Sakura is a God Slayer along with Naruto and Sasuke, she has faced down hundreds of opponents with only her raw fists and come up victorious, she has dragged people back from the brink of death with a tap.

Sakura does not blush. Out right refuses to.

“Hey,” All breathless and raw from laughter.

Lee’s smile widens as he steps forward to offer his hand, she takes it without hesitation and thanks the God whose heart she ripped out that he was wearing gloves. She can feel the heat through them nonetheless. Sakura does her best not to shiver as their eyes meet.

“You guys heading in or out?” Naruto asks after he hauled himself onto his feet, not hiding the way he eyes Lee and Sakura’s hands. The entire room’s eyes are on them.

“In,” Tenten says slowly, and Sakura does not blush as she carefully extracts her hand from Lees and does not think about why there are fireworks exploding within her mind, why she misses the heat and the way his hand encompasses hers.

She sees him everywhere now.

At the Rusty Kunai, at the training fields, at lunch, sometimes even in the hospital. And every damn time he smiles at her, she feels like she’s coming back to life and being stabbed in the heart.

Sakura has no idea if this was love or just lust. What she felt for Sasuke was not love, that was obsession and cruelty. She had crushes on civilian boys but they were too soft, unmarred compared to her countless scars, visible or not.

Ino stares at her as if she’s the stupidest person in the world and Sakura smacks her for it. She hopes it leaves a bruise. The Bitch. “Stop giving me that look, Pig. I’ll hit you again, don’t tempt me.”

Ino glares as she rubs her arm, sticking out her tongue. “It isn’t my fault you aren’t using that big forehead of yours! You’re telling me that you two drink together, train together, you go to lunch together, he even visits you at the hospital because he knows you haven’t eaten or slept. And then you tell me you get all those stupid fluttery feelings and you don’t know what it means?”

And well. When she puts it like that. . .

Sakura pouts and crosses her arms, “It's confusing!”

“You’re a genius. An actual genius, Sakura.” Ino deadpans. “Your IQ is literally right next to Shikamaru’s. Lee has been in love with you since we were twelve! There is no way you don’t know what this means.”

Groaning, Sakura slumps into Ino’s lap, hiding her face in Ino’s thigh. “When did you become so smart?”

“When I made out with Hinata and then fucked her.” Ino says easily and Sakura laughs. “What? Don’t laugh! It's true!”

Ino cackles when Sakura pinches her calf.

Lee moves with such elegance that Sakura aches with it.

This boy made man who had known nothing but sweat and hardship, who still cups things with such tender and care, who moves so fluidly and hits so brutally.

They are both the earth, solid and unyielding, they are the water, the hills, the mountains. They are unbreakable because they have broken themselves apart, pushed themselves past the very limit to reach where they are.

Sakura and Lee are 20 and they have saved the world.

Now, they tear apart the training grounds just to keep life interesting.

With every dodged fist her heart quickens because Lee is smiling and laughing, calling friendly taunts as she grins right back.

This is nothing like Team 7’s spars, all bloodied teeth and snarling as Sasuke underestimates her again and again and again. Kakashi, Sai, and Yamato know better. Naruto is learning slowly. Sasuke never pays attention enough to know.

No, sparring with Lee is like dancing, is like thriving, and a fresh breath of air at night as fireworks light up the sky and a butterfly lands on your nose.

She lands a kick to his ribs and spends him flying back as she advances swiftly, pinning him down with a hand on his chest, knees on either side of his hips.

A long pause as they try to catch their breathes.

They’re both breathing heavily, Sakura cannot tear her eyes away from him as he reaches a hand to tuck loose hair behind her ear.

“Lee,” She breathes, ignoring the way her face burns and the way butterflies have swarmed her insides, how her heart is raging against her ribcage. “Lee I-”

“Sakura.” Lee says, voice deep and rumbly and cracking. “Sakura, will you go out to lunch with me? Forever. Well, hopefully forever- you are so very Youthful, you are incredibly Strong, you do not need my protection, but Sakura, let me protect you anyways, just as you will me. Sakura-”

She channels her inner Ino and leans down to kiss him, all lips, teeth and tongue. His hands settle on her waist and he flips them without breaking contact and if they weren’t in public, well. . .

Sakura pulls back breathless and wide eyes before forcing the words out, “I’ve known you for years Lee, you’re one of my best friends.” Her hand on his chest can feel the way his breath catches, the way his heart is pounding. “Everytime you look at me I get fireworks in my chest and butterflies in my stomach. They’ve bred and infested my very insides, my brain blooms and rots with the thought of you.”

He is shaking beneath her, staring at her as if she is Divine and Righteous and she cannot think of anything else she would want except his eyes on her.

“Lunch?” She breathes, hand at the base of his neck. “I would like to have lunch with you. Forever. If the offer still stands.”

Lee smiles wide and bright as he stands, pulling Sakura up with him, “The offer will always stand, Sakura. For you, there is very little I would not do.”

She kisses him again and hand in hand they go to lunch.

Facts:

The very first day Lee saw Sakura a cocoon formed within his heart, everytime after that more would form, more would crack.

The butterflies and moths have a home in his heart but only come alive when they see her.

They never die, no matter what he does.

He saw her crack the world open with a first, saw her tear open a God’s chest. He was the first thing she looked at after. He thought he would become alight with it all.

Lee loves Sakura. He always has, he always will. His heart has a butterfly garden full of fireworks just for her.

Her laugh makes his skin prickle, makes his muscles loose. He is addicted to it.

She looks at him like she sees the green of the trees and the blue of the sky. Lee revels in it.

Sakura loves Lee and it nearly breaks him.

He will take her out to lunch until the day they die and well after.

The butterflies and moths and fireworks never go away for either of them. It is the beauty of it all.

#leesaku #silly things from silly friends #sakulee #a shared pen

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sunseteyes · 4 years

Note

I just found your blog and I'm loving it! I'd be very happy to request Tanjiro x Reader with a usually sort of ditzy, kind-hearted Reader, but when they get into a battle, she becomes an elegant, serious fighter! How would he react to seeing her fight? Oneshot or headcanons, whatever seems easier for you! Thanks so much, and have an amazing day!

TANJIRO WITH A DITZY READER

wow thank you! i like your blog too! it’s so organized unlike mine >< anyway, i decided to make this a short oneshot instead so i hope you’ll like it! (also, this made me remind of sheele from akame ga kill ah she was my best girl ><)

Tanjiro gets concerned about you whenever you’d head off into a solo mission or whenever he sees you getting treated at the butterfly estate for slipping somewhere and so on. He’d never been with you in a mission so he couldn’t judge how well you are as a demon slayer, however considering your rank, he ought to not underestimate you.

So when he gets paired up with you on a mission, he’d be excited to see you in action and he doesn’t even know what to expect.

“(Y/n)-san! You’re assigned to this mission too?” his smile would be warm and welcoming, much like how you would for him too everytime you two pass by each other or when he get to chat with you.

You’d mirror his smile and enthusiasm, beaming like a sunshine. “Tanjiro-kun! Yes, I am. I’m glad to join you today.” You were about to meet him halfway when your own sheathed katana fell to the ground, which you seemed to be holding for quite awhile.

“Oh!” you’d pick up your katana and find Tanjiro already in front of you, a troubled look crossing his face before it vanished quicly.

“Have you found any information yet, (y/n)-san?”

You’d blink up at him, lookng confused for a moment, “What informa-Oh! Are you talking about the demon? Uhm, yeah I’ve talked to a few villagers and they confirmed that children have indeed been being taken each night.”

Tanjiro nods in understanding, “I’ve also passed by a little boy earlier and he said that his friends and him had been hearing some sort of music every night. Then most of his friends have vanished just last night. I think that can be a clue to how we could find the demon.” He’d be explaining but when he’d see your smiling and bright face at something behind him, he’d think that you’re not taking it seriously.

“(Y/n)-san? Are you listening to me?”

“Hm?” your gentle gaze would go back to his and your sweet smile would ease any kind of possible irritation or confusion in him. “Of course I am, Tanjiro-kun.”

He’d feel troubled but he’d choose to trust you instead. He can’t possibly reprimand you not after all the kindness you’d shown him ever since you two met. And besides, if danger would come, he’d be there to provide you support and protection. He’d hope that the demon would not be one of the twelve demon moons or difficult to capture, so as you two could finish this mission without serious injury or any casualty. He’d hate to see you getting hurt.

So when nighttime came, the perfect time to investigate and finally put an end to things, Tanjiro would do his best to keep an eye on you. Whereas you would look relaxed and was much more focused on asking Tanjiro if you could help him carry the box instead so he could move easily for the incoming fight.

“No, it’s alright, (y/n)-san. I always carry around Nezuko so I’m quite used-“

Your katana was already sheathed and had sliced the presence that was behind him, not even moving an inch from where you were.

And when you did move, you’d bolt to the scent he had caught—the same rotting kind of smell demons have. His eyes were still wide open as he follows your movement with his gaze, your haori and hair dancing across the wind as you chased after the mysterious form lurking beneath the shadows, almost catching him off guarded if you had not reacted the way you did.

Then he catches the look on your eyes; gentle but with an emotion that he had never seen from your irises before. Focus? Drive? It was surprising enough that it made his feet stuck on the ground for a few seconds before he followed suite to your chase.

He’d realize how fast your reactions were, probably much faster than his. Despite your usual confusing cheery and airheaded attitude, which were enough to cause him to worry of your well being.

All of his misconceptions about you will vanish then, moreso when he’d watch you fight against the demon, your movements almost as graceful as a dancer would—much like his father, he’d think. He’d even regard how differently you’d use Breath of Water than he or even Giyuu would. It would be as if you were one with the water, an elegant gentle wave that were willing to eradicate the impurities of the demon you’re faced against. He’d be awestruck, to the point his mind would only pulled away when he heard your voice call him.

“Tanjiro-kun,” you were suddenly in front of him; kind smile but a serious and relaxed stance, unable to look at him for your eyes would be stuck with the demon’s form, cautious and careful. “-please take care of the children. I think they are somewhere around here. Don’t worry, there’s only one demon that’s doing all of this.” he’d take note of how your voice was also unusual to your usual high-pitch, this one is much calm and cool, almost like your demeanor had changed into the opposite of your usual self. He’s not complaining either way.

Nezuko wouldn’t even need to wake up and help Tanjiro because he’d be assured that you’d take care of the demon yourself, and that trust would be an enough presence for Nezuko to sense and be assured herself.

He’d then oblige with your request and quite sooner than he expected, you had defeated the demon and he had already freed the children that were being hidden by the demon’s blood demon arts.

“Wow, (y/n)-san! I did not know you were so strong and focused! Your way of fighting with the Breath of Water was so beautiful!” he’d praise you and be true with his words. You deserve it anyway. You had not pnly surprised him but he was also amazed that he’d trust you more than he did before. It would make him be reminded to never judge someone just because of their few qualities, especially if they’re a demon slayer that’s ranked higher than him.

When he sees that you’d be back with your usual attitude; slightly blushing from his words, a cheery and unguarded stance written all over your body, he wouldn’t even complain or feel concerned. What he knows, is that he’d like to see your future battles and possibly provide better support than he did that night.

this took longer than i imagined but i hope it did not disappoint! tanjiro is someone who tends to learn a lot of things every other battle he faces so i kind of applied it here haha anyway, please feel free to send requests~ also, this will be my last post for today i’ve posted a lot lmao

#kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #kny #kny headcanons #tanjiro x reader #tanjiro oneshots #tanjiro scenarios #tanjiro kamado #kny x reader #kny oneshots #demon slayer x reader #demon slayer headcanons #demon slayer oneshots #nnr kny

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shxxknytrash · 4 years

Text

pair: shinazugawa sanemi x f!reader

genre: angst?? fluff??

warnings: spoilers for those who haven’t read the manga yet.

word count: 3744

a/n: i apologize for any grammatical errors,,, i just want to shower nemi with all the love he deserves;__;

| | “i wish you.. to not die”

Muzan Kibutsuji was finally defeated. Everyone was supposed to be happy, right? Wasn’t it supposed to be a happy ending where everyone can finally live in peace without worrying about their loved ones dying because of Muzan and his demons? Wasn’t this supposed to be that damned happy ending everyone was hoping for?

That wasn’t the case for the Wind Pillar.

Ever since he awoke from his loss of consciousness, all he could ever think of was his little brother breathing out his last words.

“I want you to be happy... I want you to not die because my 'nemi is the the sweetest person in the world.”

All he wanted was to have his brother by his side and see him happily married with a wife and kids; something that could’ve made up for the years they’ve suffered from their abusive father and for the things they couldn’t do for their younger sibling. Yet, no matter how much he wanted to deny the truth, he was alone.

He’s all he’s got now.

He lost his friends, and most importantly, his little brother whom he loved and cared for so much, Genya.

Soon, the silence was replaced by fits of sobs from every single person as it dawned on them how much they’ve lost that day - just to guarantee their future families and the future nation a safe place for them to live.

With his eyes fluttering open, he was greeted by the blinding rays of the sun – only to hiss out a ‘fuck´ when he was thrown back to reality before he could even join his dead family. The rush of anger was coursing through his vein and it was evident enough when the kakushi treating him retracted their hands upon seeing the crease on his forehead.

“Why... can’t I just die and be with them?” Sanemi cries out in frustration, no longer caring for the ‘tough’ persona he used to carry. The words were bitter against his tongue. All he could see was red; all he wants was to wreak havoc and yet there he was, painfully taking in the truth. What was the use when the feelings he’s been harboring the moment his brother breathed his last breath was nothing but pain, sadness, and anger?

“Please... just kill me.” Before the kakushi could even react, Sanemi was knocked out cold from the energy he used from crying his heart out. The kakushi attending him couldn’t help but let out a sigh and continue with wrapping up the badly injured Wind Pillar.

Awaken by the rays of light seeping through the crevices of the wooden wall, Sanemi lets out a grunt as he felt a sharp pain on his sides the moment he tried getting up from the bed. Everything was spinning and he couldn’t make out where he was. To his surprise, a pair of soft yet warm arms wrap themselves around his shoulder to guide him back on the bed.

“Shinazugawa-san, please don’t get up too fast.”

Sanemi couldn’t comprehend as to why someone was helping him despite everything that has happened and to make things worse - it had to be (y/n).

The girl who he used to call as a best friend before he left to train as a demon slayer; the one whom he never said goodbye to as seeing her glistening eyes would make it harder for him to leave. The girl who he never wanted to become a demon slayer as all he wished was for her to marry and have kids, just like what he always wanted for Genya and yet here she was, a demon slayer, who helped them fight Muzan.

Her (e/c) orbs greeted him with gentleness and care which only made his eyes glisten. The last thing he ever wanted right now was to be taken care of; which he thinks he does not deserve. He eyes the aforementioned girl’s movement before narrowing them at the medications being tucked in between her fingers.

“You need to drink these three times a day, Shinazugawa-san. Come, I’ll help you up so that you can drink this,” (y/n) stated whilst placing the medications back on to the nightstand before she carefully helps the Wind Pillar up. With her arm still wrapped around his shoulder, (y/n) takes his medications and pours it on the water she has prepared him. “Drink this slowly and I’ve got to warn you, it’s very bitter.”

Sanemi couldn’t understand why (y/n) was there. Why would you be there? Why would you help him? Why should you even waste your time with someone like him? he thought with eyes boring right into hers which he received an eye-roll in response. “C’mon, we don’t have all day here.” (y/n) jokingly warned Sanemi as she brought the cup up to his lips.

Taking the lid of the cup in between his lips, he slowly takes in the bitter taste that flooded his taste buds. Slowly but surely, the Wind Pillar was able to finish the medication in one go. “There we go.” (y/n) places the cup back into the nightstand before she takes the pillow she prepared moments ago and places it behind his back along with the other one.

The young woman carefully leans the Wind Pillar on the pillows she stacked and once she finally removes her hold off from the Wind Pillar, she couldn’t help but smile at him. “I’ll be the one in charge of taking care of you, Shinazugawa-san. If ever you need anything, please do ring the bell on your nightstand,” the (h/c) girl instructs with a smile, eyes never leaving his.

“Why are you doing this?” he softly queries with eyes slowly leaving hers. He lowers his gaze on his hands, only to see two missing fingers on his right hand - his index and middle finger. Ah, the fates do know how to remind me how I failed to protect Genya, he thought with the feeling of his heart tightening.

Shinazugawa was not the same Shinazugawa (y/n) knew before. The Shinazugawa right before her was not as aggressive and ruthless as compared to the Shinazugawa before. It felt like he lost his purpose in living. She no longer saw the glint of confidence and pride in the boy’s eyes as it was all replaced with nothing but regret and sadness. “Why don’t you leave me here and let me rot and die?” he continued while blankly staring off to space.

Every single word that left his mouth made (y/n)’s heart ached. If only she could take all the pain he was feeling right now, she would have done so the moment she saw him beg the people to just let him perish.

Heaving out a sigh, she takes the Wind Pillar’s hand into hers - not minding the stare she got from the lad. “What would Genya say if he heard you say that, Shinazugawa-san?” (y/n) sadly asked as she rubs tiny circles on Sanemi’s hand.

For what it’s worth, (y/n) had promised the younger Shinazugawa to take care of his ‘nemi if ever the worse comes to worst and she couldn’t help but tear up when she’s reminded of the last time she met up with Genya.

(y/n) takes in the sight of a panting Genya in front of her, wondering what caused this young lad to such state. “What’s wrong, Genya?” she queries whilst taking the boy’s hand in hers, leading him to take a seat beside her.

“(y/n),” he pauses for a moment, hands uncontrollably shaking in (y/n)’s hold, “please promise me this.” he looks up to meet the young lady’s gaze before continuing, “if ever, may the kami-sama forbid, i die... please do... take care of my 'nemi.”

taken aback by her childhood best friend’s request, she couldn’t help but furrow at him with tears forming at the corner of her eyes, “what’s gotten into you? don’t say such thing, Genya.” her grip around his hand tightening when she noticed the tears brimming down her best friend’s cheeks. “you won’t die… i won’t allow it. you need to come back alive, please.”

“please, (y/n), promise me that!” he exclaims with a shaky breath leaving his parted lips, only to see the young lady nod her head as her free hand reaches to wipe the tears falling from his cheeks.

“i promise, Genya. i promise to take care of your 'nemi until i breathe my last breath but please do come back alive.”

chuckling at her sincere sentiments, Genya takes a hold of her free hand before flashing a cheeky grin.

“i can’t promise you that, however,” his grip tightened, a distant look in his eyes as he knew the worst would come, “i’ll do my best to not get my ass killed.”

With the mention of his brother’s name, somewhere in Sanemi’s mind snapped, causing him to glare at (y/n). “Don’t you fucking mention his name!” he shakily swats her hand away as he could feel anger building up inside of him. He wanted to bury the memory of his dying brother somewhere in his mind. He wanted to solely forget his brother’s tears. He wanted to forget the damned truth that he no longer had his younger brother.

Ignoring his outburst, (y/n) continues, “Please let me take care of you, Shinazugawa-san.” The words that came out from her mouth had him narrowing his eyes at her. He scoffs at her before slamming his injured hand on the nightstand. “If you don’t leave, I’m going to make you regret the second you stepped foot in this damned room. I do not fucking care if we were friends before but I will not hold back if you mention his name one more time.”

(y/n) didn’t flinch nor did she mind his attacks as she stayed grounded on her seat. It was no use riling up the Wind Pillar for he was injured and the last thing she wanted was Shinobu-

Right, Shinobu’s not here to scold me anymore... she thought as she bit her bottom lip, trying to fight the urge to burst out crying from being reminded of the people who have died. “Whether you like it or not, Shinazugawa-san. I’m going to take care of you for that was what I promised... Genya.” (y/n)'s voice falters at the end, however, Sanemi was quick enough to catch the last part.

Quickly standing up from her seat, the young woman bows at the Wind Pillar before taking her leave, however, before she could go pass the wooden door, she looks back at Sanemi with a smile. "I'll be back with lunch later."

Her retreating figure was utterly painful – if Sanemi could describe it as is. It reminded him of the past. The days where Genya would playful sling an arm around the (h/c) haired lady and him, the brightest smile plastered on his brother’s face. Oh, how Sanemi wished he could see that smile one last time. Letting a groan slip past his lips, he leans his head back on the headboard, closing his eyes as hot tears started to fall.

Genya, ‘nemi’s sorry for not being able to do anything.

Later that night as the estate was blanketed with nothing but the serene silence, (y/n) couldn’t help but feel a knot in her stomach; something was off. In a hurry, she didn’t think twice but to head towards the room of the Wind Pillar. All the ugliest possibilities played through her head which sent her almost dashing through the peaceful hallways.

The sound of his heart pounding loudly against his rib cage was enough to drive him to insanity. In his hands was a tanto that he’d retrieved from his belongings. The coldness of the blade that was pressed against the pads of fingers sent shivers down his spine. Was he really going to do this- I’m definitely doing this, especially for how I’ve failed my duties as a Pillar and as a brother.

With the Pillar’s door on her sight, she didn’t think twice as she kicked the door open – only to see Sanemi with the tanto in his hands as he shakily breaths out. “I’m sorry, Genya.” He whispered and was about to bring the cold blade in his abdomen, only to be stopped by a pair of soft yet calloused hands.

The grip around his hands was trembling. Wait, before he could even process what was happening, his eyes immediately met a pair of (e/c) orbs staring at him; pleading him with tears slipping past. “’N-nemi, please don’t do this.” (y/n) begged with hands still trying to stop him from bringing the blade to his belly.

N-nemi… your voice echoed in his mind and soon, as if his mind were playing tricks on him, he could see the image of Genya right beside you as he tried to stop him from killing himself.

Nemi, please don’t do this. Live and be happy. Please.

“’Nemi, I beg of you, please.” (y/n) cried out, the feeling of dread gushing over her as she realized how she was slowly losing her strength. Sanemi had an iron-grip on the dagger, however, as if the kami-sama heard her prayers, the muscles underneath her palms relaxed in which she took the opportunity to take the tanto in her hands before throwing it far from the Wind Pillar.

Sanemi was a wreck. His shoulders were trembling as he sobbed with his gaze cast on the white sheet underneath him.

“’Nemi, please don’t let their deaths be in vain. Live and be happy.”

Live and be happy.

That’s what Genya… his eyes flickered to the (h/c) haired girl before he was brought close to her chest, small hands rubbing circles at his back as if to comfort him. “It’s okay. It was not your fault. Please don’t blame yourself, Nemi.” She whispered; her voice like honey was enough to lull him to sleep as exhaustion finally set in.

It was never your fault Nemi.

Sanemi’s focus was starting to flutter close, however, he couldn’t shake the feeling of having Genya standing right in front of him with the brightest smile, hand reaching out to place a warm touch on his face.

I’ll always be beside you, I won’t leave you ‘Nemi even if I’m not there physically.

Those amethyst orbs he adored so much was staring right back at him and soon, his eyelids became heavier and heavier; the image of his younger brother soon leaving his sight.

Days turned to weeks and Sanemi has been pushing every single person who tried to comfort him ever since the incident. He isolated himself in his room, never leaving unless necessary. Often when the door was open, they would only see Sanemi blankly staring at the window with a distant look in his face. However, that wasn’t the case for (y/n). No matter how much he tried to push her away, (y/n) just kept coming back; that smile never leaving her lips despite the harsh words he’s been throwing at her.

The sun was still shining brightly, and the sky was utterly beautiful, spread out like a vast ocean of feathers; but it was just a plain sight for the Wind Pillar. He was seated on the engawa with three different stones, a bitter growl can be heard under his breath before he proceeds to polish his sword. It was almost lunchtime, however, he couldn’t care less. All his concentration was directed at the sword wrapped around his hands – running the nichirin blade down on the stone he has prepped.

With his concentration at its peak, the aforementioned man wasn’t able to notice the sliding of the shoji only to be followed by footsteps. Only then he realized someone was beside him when the nutty scent of his favorite dessert wafted through his nostrils, causing him to snap his head towards the heavenly scent.

“What are you-“

“I made you ohagi.” The (e/c) orbs sparkled as it met his, never wavering from the glares he’s been giving her. Settling down beside the Wind Pillar, (y/n) sets the tray down on the floor before taking the plate of ohagi in her hands, raising a piece of ohagi up to his mouth.

“Open up,”

“No-“

Clicking her tongue, she shakes her head before saying, “Your hands are dirty, Shinazugawa-san, and I can’t let you touch this ohagi.” Still adamant to his decisions, (y/n) heaves out a sigh before an idea came to mind.

“Fine, I’ll eat this all to myself then-“

Chomp! Her eyes widened when Sanemi took a bite from the ohagi that was still tucked in between her fingers; the slight brush of his chapped lips sent shivers down her spine, eyes never leaving hers.

Sanemi won’t admit but he surely loves ohagi and if it were (y/n)’s homemade ohagi, there was no way he’d let the opportunity slip past him. He loved your ohagi way before the two of you were kids; more so him having feel his heart tighten as the harbored feelings he once had for you resurfaced from the constant interaction.

A gently tug on the corner of your lips was not hard to miss; enough for Sanemi’s cheeks to be dusted in pink whilst chewing on the ohagi in his mouth. The flavors melting on his tastebuds allowed a satisfied moan slip past his lips; a rush of heat rising up from his neck to his cheeks, until it reached the tips of his ears.

“Here, open up.”

And with that, the (y/n) brought up the ohagi to his lips which in turn had the Wind Pillar indulging himself in the sweet bliss of flavors exploding in his mouth. Sanemi continued to polish his sword with your feeding him ohagi from time to time, along with letting him drink some tea to keep his mouth from drying up.

Everything was at peace. The birds peacefully chirped, the cool breeze running themselves through both of their silky locks. It was as if every single problem was forgotten. Sanemi couldn’t help but let his mind wander to the thought of the younger lady being by his side, both enjoying serenity. Not only that but as well as the soft laughter of kids running around; white and (h/c) locks running whilst being told to be careful from time to time.

And we would then enjoy ohagi together, watching the kids- Sanemi shook his head, what were you thinking?! It seemed like the stars finally aligned; everything clicking in place to a piece of information he deemed to not want.

Flickering his gaze to (y/n), his heart thumped and thumped – increasing its rhythm when he saw how beautiful she looked beside him. Her usually kept (h/c) locks were down, allowing the wind to play with it; her pink, lush lips were tugged into a smile, and her (e/c) orbs meeting his with a glint of happiness.

“Do you want more?” she queried, eyebrows raised with her hands on the floor as if she was ready to get up and make some more for the Wind Pillar in front of him. Shaking his head from side to side, he casts his gaze back on the sword in between his hands before polishing them once more.

The silence between the two felt comfortable. It was like it was the third presence to keep the two of them at bay. Slowly, Sanemi brings his gaze back at the (h/c) haired before uttering a ‘thank you’; only to have him repeat it when she asked him again.

“I said thank you.” His voice was soft, a whisper that was loud enough for her to hear. It was the first time Sanemi thanked her and she couldn’t help but feel warm at the small gesture. Opening her mouth to speak, she was cut-off when Sanemi continued to speak, his tongue rolling the words out from his mouth.

“Thank you for staying by my side,” he paused, placing the sword down before shifting to face (y/n). Grabbing a clean cloth, he wipes his hands before taking a hold of her hand.

“Thank you for not giving up on me,”

(y/n) always knew how sincere Sanemi’s heart was. From the very beginning, she knew that Sanemi was worth every harsh banter thrown at her because she knew he didn’t mean to say such hurtful words – for it was a way for him to prevent himself from getting hurt. His big, yet calloused hands felt perfect in her hands; it felt so perfect as if it were two puzzles pieces finally being connected.

She has loved and still does love the man in front of him and him being thankful was enough to make her heart feel full and happy. “No matter how much I pushed you away, you kept coming back…” his voice was soft but it wasn’t too soft for her not to hear. It was loud enough for the two to hear; as if he was scared to raise his voice, scared to break what was happening between them.

“I’m sorry—”

“There’s no need to apologize, Shinazugawa-“

“Just call me how you used to call me, (y/n).”

“’Nemi,” she quickly corrects herself before continuing, “I do not mind taking care of you. It was my choice to care for you, even way before we were kids.”Her grip around his hands tightened, causing Sanemi to raise a brow, “I knew how much you hated the fact that Genya and I became Demon Slayers. However, Nemi, hear me out.”

Sanemi was taken aback at how forward she was but he kept his composure and waited for her to continue.“I wanted to also protect you. Genya also wanted to protect you. We didn’t want you to suffer alone and live a happy life while seeing you suffering, carrying the burden that was passed upon you. Genya genuinely wanted to see you happy... get married and have kids because our Nemi is the sweetest person in the world.”

The sight of (y/n)’s tears was the sight he never wanted to see ever again. It pained him. The thought of her thinking about his happiness pained him.

“You also deserve to be happy, (y/n),” he says without missing a beat. His fingers found their way to her tears, wiping them away. “W-what do you mean?” she stutters. Her heart was beating way too fast, with no total concentration breathing to stop her heart from hammering against her rib cage.

“Be happy with me,” Sanemi was red as a tomato. He doesn’t know whether it was the ohagi taking or was it his heart taking control of his mouth.

What are you thinking?! he angrily scolds himself, however, he knew there was no turning back from what he’s done.

“Be happy with you?” (y/n) repeats with her eyes trying to search for his. His taafeite-like orbs quivered- the apparent glint of nervousness was enough to bring the message across.

Heaving out a shaky breath, Sanemi took the courage to meet her gaze. “I’ve always loved you ever since we were kids, (y/n),” unconsciously rubbing his thumb at the back of her hands, he continues, “you were the light that shone brightly during the darkest time, and even until now, you continue to shine the same light... pulling me out from the darkness.”

“Just now, I’ve realized how much it would be nice to have you by my side... with our children running around while enjoying this wonderful afternoon.”

The Wind Pillar surely was a blushing mess; it was a rare sight to see - a new sight for a changed Wind Pillar. If he continued, he would have passed out but he stayed strong.

“(y/n), I love you... and I do want to spend the rest of my life with you. You don’t need to give me an answer but I am sure to pursue you and give you the happiness you deserve-”

A pair of soft lips stopped him. Surprised by her actions, Sanemi didn’t know how to respond - only to snap out of it when the young lady pulled away with cheeks dusted with pink.

“I love you too, Nemi. I always have loved you since we were kids, too, and spending my life with you would be the best thing,” the (e/c) orbs spoke the truth. Sanemi knew (y/n) couldn’t lie and just hearing those three words was enough to bring him to tears.

“Will you marry me and make me the happiest man ever, (y/n)?” he asks, his hands bringing her hands up to his lips- eyes filled with love and sincerity.

“Of course, Nemi.” Sanemi didn’t waste time as he pulled the young lady into a kiss. It was as beautiful as the first one. Her soft, plump lips felt so right with his; two perfect pieces finally finding each other.

Slowly pulling away from each other, Sanemi lovingly gazes at the (h/c) haired lass. “Thank you,” he whispers with a smile, only to have it tug wider when she returned the same smile. Sanemi pulls her into a tight hug, breathing her scent; oh how much he loved her scent.

His taafeite-like orbs soon found their way to the sky and with a smile, he closes his eyes and didn’t think twice but to let his heart speak once more.

Thank you, Genya.

#demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #kimetsu sanemi #shinazugawa sanemi #shinazugawa sanemi x reader #kimetsu no yaiba oneshot #kimetsu no yaiba fanfic #angst #fluff #shinazugawa genya #kny sanemi #kny #shxxknytrash #demon slayer x reader #demon slayer oneshot #demon slayer fanfic

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thruthetwstedlookingglass · 4 years

Note

Hello, if it is not a problem I would like to ask for something. After the tournament and after Leona returned from the overblot, another problem: a demon was summoned, immune to magic, FemMc had no choice but to show up as a half-demon, murdering the demon, used to being called a "monster " out of fear, but it hurt. After days he finds her together with Grimm in the greenhouse, comforting her after hearing that she had fallen in love with him, but who would want to fall in love with a monster??

Sorry that this took so long! I had a hard time trying to decipher the request, but I think I got the gist of it. I actually enjoyed writing this one a lot because it's got a moral to it at the end :3 I hope this is what you wanted and that you like it!

Warnings: mentions of bullying (bullying is not okay!)

Leona x halfdemon!fem!MC!reader

The night after Leona Kingscholar had been purified of his Overblot, much to her relief, (Y/n) sensed another evil within the castle of Night Raven College. There was a reason She could sense it. You see, (Y/n) was a half demon. As a half demon, she could sense when other evils were around, track them down, and dispose of them.

And that night, she sensed something foul.

Sneaking out of bed while She was in the infirmary was not exactly easy. Leona and Ruggie were both there as well, and this evil was obviously in the infirmary with them. It would be a difficult task; dispatching the demon and keeping it quiet was not exactly easy for her. Even if it was night time, her powers were still at half capacity because she was only half. But she did these tasks in order to atone for her sin; no matter how kind and compassionate she tried to be, she was still a monster, and that was the sin that made her fearful. Nobody knew of this, and she hoped to keep it that way.

(Y/n)'s pace was slow and silent as her bare feet touched the cool floors of the castle. Every hair on her neck bristled; it was very near. Her form slowly changed, her fingers and toes becoming black as curved talons appeared. She sniffed around and then she sensed it.

Right behind her.

She spun around on her heels to see a grim and disgusting creature with large leathery wings and a boney tail that was barbed at the tip with what looked like a harpoon.... and it was about to dig into a sleeping Leona for a meal.

Instinct took over and (Y/n) flew at the beast, inadvertently crashing through the window. She didn't think of it then, seeing as she was a bit preoccupied grappling with the evil creature.

"WhAt Is A hAlFbReEd LiKe YoU dOiNg HeRe?!" The beast growled in a twisted and gravelly voice.

"I'm a student here, and I will not let anyone here be the meal for a demon!" She growled back.

This made the demon almost keel over in laughter.

"YoU!? A hAlFbReEd AnD a DeMoN sLaYeR?! tHaT's RiCh!! Oh, ThE mOsT pRePoStErOuS nOtIoN!"

(Y/n) was pissed by this monster's mockery, and she attacked, her anger being the fuel for her attacks. This didn't catch the demon off guard, however, and about a dozen punches, kicks and slashes later, (Y/n) was at the mercy of the vlive creature. Its hand was wrapped firmly around her neck, but it didn't seem satisfied just yet.

"ThAt'S iT?! iS tHiS rEaLlY aLl YoU'vE gOt?!" It laughed at her as it held her up, and then its mouth curved into a sickening grin. "YoU'rE hOlDiNg BaCk." It laughed. "YoU aRe! I cAn TeLl!"

"Th-That's not..." (Y/n) struggled to speak.

"WhAt'S tHe MaTtEr, HaLfBrEeD?" It sneered with a grin, bringing her in closer as if he were about to take a bite. "AfRaId ThAt If YoU uSe ThE yOuR fUlL tRaNsFoRmAtIoN tHaT yOu'Ll bECoMe tHe ThInG yOu HaTe MoSt?!"

(Y/n) glared at the beast and then drove her claws into the beast's chest, wrapping her fingers around his heart.

"I still... want to keep my humanity..." she said, squeezing its heart in her hand and making it grimace. "Because I have someone to fight for!!"

The creature howled in pain as its heart was crushed, and dropped her. She didn't quite land on her feet, but she wasn't about to let her guard down. The demon fell to the ground, its body turning to ash, and then suddenly the dying creature laughed.

"YoU... wIlL nEvEr... BeLoNg... HaLfBrEeD..."

She clenched her fists and then stomped on its head, crushing it to ashes.

"Maybe not... but I'd like to try..." she whispered before watching the ashes blow upward.

As she raised her gaze, her blood ran cold when she saw a very familiar figure standing at the broken window. Her worse fear had been realized. She had been seen... by Leona. In fear, she turned and ran, tears forming in her eyes.

'He saw me... Leona saw me!' She thought to herself, running far away to hide.

~~~~~

(Y/n) didn't return to Ramshackle, and she didn't go to class. She had long since returned to her human form, but she didn't dare show herself. If Leona had seen, she was convinced that the rest of the school knew what she was too. Ever since she was young, (Y/n) had been called a monster and a parasite. Since coming to NRC, she had been able to keep her true nature a secret, and the vile whispers of her childhood were kept at bay.

But now... they had returned... much louder... and this time in the likeness of the voices of her friends.

'Monster!' 'How vile!' 'Rot in hell where a disgusting creature like you belongs!'

(Y/n) covered her ears as she cried, trying to stop them.

"Please... make it stop..." she whispered shakily. "Make it stop..."

"Oi, herbivore." A familiar voice said. "You know how long I've been looking for you?"

(Y/n) froze and looked up a little. Her eyes widened.

"L-Leona..." she whispered.

She didn't know what to do. She was frozen like a deer in the headlights. Why had Leona been looking for her? When Leona took a step closer, (Y/n) shrunk back in fear.

"Don't..."

"What? I'm not going to hurt you." Leona said. "I want answers."

"No." She said.

"No?" He asked, confused.

"No." She repeated.

"Why not?" He asked, crouching down to look at her.

"Because I'm a monster. A vile creature." She said, co wearing her face. "No matter what I do... I'll never belong... and I'll never be loved..."

There was a silence, and (Y/n) thought that he had been a figment of her imagination trying to haunt her, but she was suddenly pulled into a hug and it frightened her a little.

"Geez... you're an idiot..." he said with a sigh.

"Eh?"

"I believe that you once said before that we forge our own paths to walk." He said. "That we shouldn't let the traumas of our past define us."

(Y/n)'s eyes widened and she looked at him. She had indeed said that... when she had helped bring Leona out of his Overblot.

"Y-You heard me...?"

"Every word." He said before looking at her. "So, I offer that same advice to you, along with this." He gently stroked her cheek, making her blush at his touch. "Its no use hiding from yourself when you know yourself so well." He said. "You said that you're a monster, but is that really what you believe?"

"W-Well..." she said.

"Because the way I see it, you are kind and compassionate to everyone you meet." He said. "Your birth shouldn't change those qualities you have."

She blushed brightly and looked away a little, only to be pulled back to look at him and a pair of lips brushing against her forehead. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she looked up at him.

"Everyone is worried about you." Leona said. "So, tomorrow, come back to class and bring back that stupid smile."

She had been about to say something in retort when Leona laughed at her reaction. And (Y/n) found herself smiling as well.

The next day, she returned to her friends and her classes. She was truthful about what she was, and they all welcomed her, half demon or not, because deep down, she was still (Y/n) (L/n), a proud student of Night Raven College who never bore any ill will towards anyone and was kind and compassionate to all.

So, in the end, Leona was right; we are who we make ourselves, and while our past can hurt, we can either run from it or learn from it.

Whoo! That one might put a few through the emotional ringer!

#twisted wonderland #twst #ツイステッドワンダーランド #savanaclaw #leona kingscholar x reader #leona kingscholar x you #half demon MC reader #half demon #demon #ask answered

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linkspooky · 5 years

Text

Akaza and Doma - BFFS

Akaza and Doma are the only two of the upper moons with any kind of relatoinship to each other, namely in how much Akaza despises Doma, and how despite that Doma pretends to be his friend. For both of them it’s more like a hollow imitation of a connection than any genuine feelings between them. That being said, despite the fact they have no true feelings for one another the characters are heavily connected in story. They may not be best friends forever, but they are best foils forever. The reason Doma and Akaza could never get along is because they both believe the same thing, that there is nothing enjoyable about life and no meaning in continuing to live. The difference is Akaza had the love that made his life meaningful and lost it, whereas Doma never had any to begin with and has no idea those feelings even exist.

Which is why despite the fact that they do not get along, the two of them complement each other. They were made for each other in fact. Made to reflect each other. LET’S TAKE A LOOK UNDER THE CUT.

1. Akaza Lost Everything

Both Doma and Akaza believe that their lives are primarily meaningless. However, they come to this conclusion through completely opposite paths. They both live empty lives, but Akaza attempts to fill that emptiness with pursuing strength whereas Doma just embraces that emptiness. Which is why Akaza needs to reject Doma, because he is a reminder of the emptiness Akaza is constantly running away from.

We see this in Akaza’s introduction and his fight with Rengoku. He is absolutely baffled why Rengoku would choose to die, when he could live forever and become stronger. Akaza believes when someone dies, something is lost that cannot be replaecd. For him life is meaningless because it is fleeting, but once again as I will get to later this comes from Akaza’s feelings after having lost everything. Even his own memories of what he lost are gone at the moment.

Akaza is someone who cannot appreciate the beauty of life the same way Rengoku can, because he is unable to live with the losses. Akaza’s idea of strength is basically a child’s idea, being so strong you never lose and die, being so absolute in your strength that nobody can take anything with you. However as Rengoku says that’s not true strength. What Akaza has is a tremendous weakness and cowardice, because he is so afraid of losing things he cannot go on. Unlike the people who are individually crawling out of the wrekcage of the train but still trying to survive, no matter how physically strong he is he lacks the will to try and live with the losses like those people.

Akaza’s vew of the world itself is rather black and white. Remember, he is essentially a stunted child who lost everything when he was on the precipice of growing up, and then was taken advantage of and forced to stay immortally in that state forever. His mind has stagnated for years so it makes sense that he cannot be at the same level of maturity that Rengoku is.

Akaza’s view of the world is so simple, the strong ones, and the chosen ones are the ones who find happiness. Those who are not strong, or chosen, will lose everything.

Therefore it’s impossible for someone to attain happiness if they are weak. Once again, Akaza’s ideas are centered around the fact that if he personally was strong enough he would never lose anything, and also the pre-supposed idea that he should have been strong enough to protect what he had before. This is a mindset that does not allow himself to cope with the loss in any way. There’s no healing, there’s no forgiving himself for not being strong enough, all he can do is continue to lose.

The pursuit of strength that drives him is ultimately empty. He has long forgotten why he wants to be stronger. He lost his reasons the moment he lost everybody he wanted to protect, but beyond that it’s because Akaza could never accept those losses in the first place. Because he sees everything as coming down to strength in the end, he cannot accept that sometimes bad things happen. There are some situations where you cannot help but lose things no matter how strong you are. However, Akaza clings to the idea of his own strength because he has nothing left. He wants to fight, because otherwise he would be a weak man who has lost everything, prolonging a life he does not even want to live anymore.

Akaza takes far too much personal responsibility for everything. Even though he’s a child just trying to survive in a cruel system, he blames his fathers illness, and his inability to help his own father on himself. If only he were stronger, than he would not be suffering this way, that is the narrative Akaza has clung to his entire life.

Akaza also has a pattern where he continually wants to suffer to protect the people that he loves, but he does not understand at all that the people who love him would never wish this pain on him. As it’s shown in the flashback, Akaza’s father told his son to live, but Akaza himself doesn’t understand his father’s wishes and says he would have endured any kind of beating for his father’s sake.

Genuinely in his heart, all Akaza wants to do is live for the people that he loves. At the same time he cannot do that, because the people he loves also love him in return and would never wish to see him suffer in that way.

It’s important to remember Akaza had almost no agency from a young age. That he was continually forced to deal with being poor, having absolutely no secure household, being homeless, basically no control over his own life at all adn always being at the mercy of adults. The reason Akaza cannot stand the feelings of weakness is because he’s been made to feel weak his entire life.The reason he wants strength is he wants the security he does not have.

The difference between Akaza and Doma is that Akaza was shown the love Doma never even received, and was given a chance to heal. In a way though that made him worse, because after coming back from losing everything he was forced to endure losing everything again. Which is why they both came to the same conclusion, that their life is worthless and empty. That they meant nothing in the end.

Akaza lost everything in a situation out of his control, so he took that to mean if he had strength he would have the agency that was taken from him as well. However once again, they were killed in a poisoning incident, not a fist fight. What Akaza cannot stand is that he will one day lose people. The idea of losing people makes any kind of connection he tries to form meaningless, and he thinks the promises he made those people were all lies.

Which is another common point between Akaza and Doma. Despite the fact that they find their lives to be empty and don’t want to live, they keep on prolonging their lives, and it only makes the wounds in them worse and fester. Because they themselves cannot accept what is lost within them, what they are missing.

When Akaza says he hates weak people, he comes to the realization what he hated was his own weak self who could never do anything for the people he loved. That he could not go on living without them, or try to follow the words they left behind. He believes everything he did in life was a waste, and he broke all the promises he made to other people.

However to the people who loved him in his life, Akaza’s own promises were not meaningless. The love he had for them did not go to waste. They accept him, even after he became a demon, even after he died. There love for him did not go away. It’s not gone, even if it’s lost.

That acceptance of his loss, instead of continually trying to fight against himself to prove that he’s not weak is what finally allows Akaza to return to his old self. What gives him the love he so desperately needs is not a show of strength, but rather a show of weakness which is where his true feelings reside.

Which is again, yet another similarity between Doma and Akaza. They both act very childish, proud, and arrogant on the surface but they themselves despite all of their flashiness are weak, damaged people who live their entire lives trying to cover up and deny this weakness.

However they are opposites in their ends, as Akaza always had a home to go back to, whereas Doma never had those things in the first place and never acquired them in life.

2. Doma has Nothing

Specifically what seems to bother Akaza about Doma’s behavior is how he pretends to care about other people. Especially since Akaza himself is driven deep down at heart, by how much he cares about and wants to love and be loved in return by the people in his life. The genuine connections he made to people and how deep his feelings, and also his wounds run have always been Akaza’s strongest trait. It’s because he cared so much about others, that the loss of them was like losing a part of himself, his eyes, or his heart, or one of his limbs. It’s a wound he can never heal from, only let it rot forever.

Which is why Doma pretending to care about other people would be such an affront to him. Doma just plays around with the emotions that drive Akaza the most.

However, Doma and Akaza’s ideologies when they are the demon slayers are almost identical. They both believe that because death exists, because suffering in life exists and loss ther is no meaning in life. However, Akaza came to feel that way after he was dehumanized in his life over and over again. Whereas, Doma never had those connections from the start. Never in his life was he treated as a human.

I don’t think people take seriously what a dehumanizing environment being raised in a cult is. Despite the fact that Akaza was smart enough to realize that his parents were using him, he was still an abuse victim that was taken advantage of by his parents. He was still a child who was used over and over again. The reason Doma feels no genuine feelings is because he’s had several adults since he was born, always place their worries on a mere child.

Doma literally even says that he constantly had other people’s emotions dumped on him when he was a kid. People don’t realize how formative the development of children is, you cannot learn to develop healthy emotions of your own if your emotions are not treated as valid by the adults around you in your life. Doma is not a born sociopath, he’s stunted emotionally and egocentric like a child. The exact same way that Akaza clings to his childish belief that if he was stronger all the misery in the world would go away, Doma clings to the belief that none of the misery in the world matters because everybody is going to end up dead in the end. This is once again, both of them trying to cope with a reality that foisted everything upon them and denied them continually any humanity at all when they were both children.

Akaza and Doma both became demons as a result of nobody in their life treating them as a human, or if they did in Akaza’s case he lost those people. They were continually dehumanized by the environment around them.

Doma knows his parents are using him, but he still clearly is reacting to being raised in that environment. Despite the fact that he does not believe in the cult, his entire life is centered around the cult because there is really nothing else for him. He was shown no other way of living, just used by selfish parents and abandoned.

It’s not that he has those feelings, it’s that Doma has never been shown anything genuine. ANd by the time he was an adult he stopped looking for the genuine thing believing it no longer existed. What Doma wants is what everyone else has, and the same thing Akaza wanted. They both wanted to live in this world to connect, to have something that made their lives feel less empty.

Neither of them want to be demons at all. They want to be human, they want to feel what everyone else has. However, Doma was constantly dehumanized by his own parents, and raised in a dehumanizing cult and Akaza lived in a world that dehumanized the poor and crimminals for just trying to survive.

Doma believing that the bonds between other people have no meaning at all, is a response to that. He wants to feel what everybody else does, but he cannot. Therefore, he chooses to believe that the feelings of other people are empty because the alternative is admitting that he is empty and lived his life for nothing. The same as Akaza, who believved that other people besides him were weak because he did not want to admit his own weakness.

What they both want is a child’s view of the world. Doma wants a world where nobody is suffering and nobody feels pain, and believes that only the emptiness of death absolves these things. Akaza wants a world where he is so strong he never has to endure any loss at all. However, what both of them are unable to do is simply keep on living as people. They are unable to live as people in a world with loss, in a world that is frigid and sometimes lonely, and so they choose to live on as demons instead.

When Doma accuses other people of never having a happy moment in their lives, he’s really just talking about himself.

What Doma is doing here is playing the part of a fictional villain. He’s responding to an irrational world by using a narrative. If he is a villain, if he’s an evil monster in a story book then he’s no longer a person. He doesn’t have to feel like he’s inferior to everyone else, that he’s missing something.

Doma’s death is even sadder beacuse we learn that both of his parents were only in his life to take advantage of him, and exitting his life he could not feel anything for the two people who did not love him in the first place. Doma doesn’t feel sad or lonely, because he was never shown the opposite in the first place, there was never a point where he felt happy, when he was accepted by someone.

Doma points out that he could try to keep living, but unlike Akaza who accepted his death Doma just sort of doesn’t care enough about being alive to even try. It’s not the afterlife for Doma that’s empty, it’s life itself.

Unlike Akaza he had no home. For him, nothing was gained and nothing was lost. However his last request even to Shinobu shows that what him and Akaza wanted was the same thing all along. Just one single connection, proof that they were alive, that they mattered to someone. They both wanted to become human again through the connections they had with other people.

#akaza #doma #kimetsu no yaiba #kny meta #kimetsu no yaiba meta #upper moon #upper moon demons #kimetsu no yaiba theory #kimetsu no yaiba analysis #meta

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yilingradishfairy · 4 years

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Dying Leaf

Link to AO3 (1770 words)

Written for Day 17 of Untamed Fall Fest 2020 - Falling.

Summary: Wei Wuxian had thought he would have hit rock bottom by now. How much further can he fall? He has long since fallen from the high branch he had flourished on before. But he cannot seem to touch the ground yet, floundering desperately in the wind. His deeds during the war are like the final spectacular colors on dead leaves: impressive, yet they are only the vibrant marks of dying. His soul has surely withered away by now. He is tethered here by only a spare few. Though he cannot be the brother they want, he will watch over them as the protector they need. He will keep going until his body collapses.

Content warnings: Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Whump, Emotional Whump, Canon-Typical Violence, Dark, Body Horror, Cannibalism, but like, Canon Compliant, Still, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Canonical Character Death

I have some feelings™ about that little ghost boy, so I covered the supervisory office scene in some detail. I actually pared it down quite a bit, and I don't think it's much more gruesome than EXR's translation. Still, please make sure you read the content warnings. We’re all responsible for what we consume on the internet.

He stands at the top of a mountain. He's almost surprised that he can stand at all. Wen Qing and Wen Ning left long ago, though Wen Ning wanted to wait with him. Wei Wuxian insisted that they had done enough.

It was enough.

He looks over to where his brother, his shidi, his sect leader lies. He kneels down to hover an unsteady hand over Jiang Cheng's lower dantian, reassuring himself for the twentieth time that it worked. The sacrifice was worth it. It was enough.

He stands again and notes the position of the sun in the sky. Jiang Cheng’s sedative will be wearing off soon. He stubbornly ignores the chill in the air, the one he would never have noticed a week ago, and sets off down the mountain. It feels like he left a part of himself behind.

He did.

Maybe this is for the best, he tells himself as he taunts the Wen soldiers. This way, Jiang Cheng will never find out. He forces himself to laugh in their faces. He dares them to kill him. And maybe I will come back to enact revenge. One vengeful spirit taking down this entire regiment. He spits onto their robes. What a perfect plan.

He's almost convinced them to do it. Instead, they haul him up, up, up into the sky. Higher even than the mountain he had just descended.

Then they drop him into the abyss. Into the mountain of forgotten corpses. Into the dreaded Burial Mounds.

He falls down, down, down.

Then resentful energy reaches up like a black fog, enveloping him completely, slowing his fall. The haze clogs the air so thickly, Wei Wuxian can hardly breathe. He chokes and gags on the thick hatred blanketing the entire area. It rushes into his lungs, crawls along his skin, and batters against his body. He reaches for his own spiritual energy to counteract it. To protect him. To keep it out. But there is nothing inside him but an empty hole.

The resentful energy rushes to fill it.

It's crawling into his nose, through his veins like liquid fire. It's oozing black hate into every pore. He hears whispers, feels hands, breathes smoke. The voices rise in volume until he can hear that it is his name. They continue to rise until they are shouts.

“What do you want?” he asks hoarsely.

The voices coalesce into one. “You.”

And he falls, even further.

Even once he lands on the ground, his descent doesn't stop. Piece by piece, every part of him falls away. Sloughs off like an old skin. He steeps himself in the thick, heavy miasma of the Burial Mounds.

All the souls left to rot here, all the stories with no conclusion, clamoring for a person to pour into. The general of that infamous war that led to the formation of the burial mounds. The countless soldiers slaughtered here. The untold multitudes carelessly dumped here in years since by the self-important Wens.

Wei Wuxian learns so many stories that he can hardly remember his own. The spirits feed him, protect him, gift him a dizi, promise him power. In return for being their instrument. Destroy the Wens, they whisper. Make them pay, they demand.

He travels up to the highest peak in the Burial Mounds. He shrouds himself in resentful energy, like armor. Then he marches down to the living world to begin his task.

He comes back to enact revenge, as he promised the Wens. But instead of one, he is many vengeful spirits, hunting down the regiment, one by one. The fierce corpses, though under his command, retain their individuality. Each Wen soldier is killed however their slayer deems fit. They fight over the ones that wronged them the most and mindlessly annihilate the rest.

Wei Wuxian brings a few select corpses with him to face Wen Chao.

The woman he had scorned and the little boy he had drowned.

"He starved you, boy?" Wei Wuxian asks. The boy nods his head jerkily, eyes fixed hungrily on Wen Chao's whimpering form. "We'll fix that," Wei Wuxian assures him with a pat on his ghostly shoulder.

Wei Wuxian lifts his dizi to his lips, but keeps his eyes open. He won't miss one second of his deserved revenge. He allows the woman and boy to do as they will, watches them hack Wen Chao into slices.

The boy tries to choke down the raw flesh but cannot. He chomps bitterly, stubbornly, until finally spitting it out in frustration. He beats his frustration on Wen Chao’s mauled, bloody leg, and the man’s mouth opens in an anguished scream. The boy freezes, and he looks up, into that gaping maw. He scrambles to tear off more of Wen Chao’s leg, and he shoves the meat into his open mouth. Wen Chao gags through it, but the boy claws his mouth open and forces more in.

Wei Wuxian thinks that he should feel disgusted. Or that he should feel victorious. Instead, he feels nothing. But it worked. The victory was worth it. It was enough.

Afterwards, he formally joins the Sunshot Campaign. It is strange to dine with the living. To converse with his brother and sister. To remember that he has not always been this empty husk, filled with the wishes of a thousand others and one shared goal. He had been Wei Wuxian. He had a place with these people who called him brother.

They try to draw him back in. To recreate the family they had been. But they cannot. He has been cut off from them too long, shriveling like a stale leaf, dead on the branch. The cultivation that they’re so worried about has been the only thing that kept him alive. This is what brought him back to them, though warped and deformed. It was his salvation on the Burial Mounds, and it will be their salvation from the Wens. He knows they don’t understand. He makes sure they won’t, that they will never understand the choices he made and the circumstances he endured. He knows that it was worth it. It was enough.

He has accepted that it will never be just the three of them, ever again. For he is no longer one, but many. And he keeps losing the thread of his identity. Wielding all those energies and stories and hate has a cost. He can’t sleep anymore. He lies down, but he doesn’t dream. Instead, he closes his eyes, and all he sees is them. He lives their stories every night. He feels their pain, their anguish, their rage. All of this borrowed energy swirling inside of him, clamoring for their vengeful conclusion.

So he stops lying down to sleep. Instead, Wei Wuxian steals off into the night, searching for Wen burial grounds. He marches down into countless graveyards, digging down and down to raise up a new horde.

He listens to every single corpse’s accounts. He internalizes all of their stories and uses them to his advantage. "They wronged you," he whispered. "You want to fight on our side." Some of them are persuaded. Some are so resentful, they don't care who they kill. Some rebel, and he simply drains their resentful energy into himself and leaves the husk of the corpse behind.

Before every battle, he amasses a great army with a single purpose. Annihilate the Wen. And annihilate they do.

He had thought he would have hit rock bottom by now. How much further can he fall? He has long since fallen from the high branch he had flourished on before. But he cannot seem to touch the ground yet, floundering desperately in the wind.

His deeds during the war are like the final spectacular colors on dead leaves: impressive, yet they are only the vibrant marks of dying. His soul has surely withered away by now. He is tethered here by only a spare few. Though he cannot be the brother they want, he will watch over them as the protector they need. He will keep going until his body collapses.

Though stated as a hyperbole, Wei Wuxian now knows his claim to be true. Falling to the ground in the midst of battle is far too dangerous to do more than twice, however. He wonders if there was a way to channel his resentful energy through a receptive object, to lessen the strain on his weakened body. He experiments for a few weeks before finding the answer.

The answer is yes.

But now he wishes he hadn’t asked the question.

He tells himself that it worked. The experiment was worth it. It was enough.

At least, the war is now over, and their vengeful goal is achieved. He releases his hold on the satisfied souls, now accompanied only by the stalwart. He continues to masquerade as himself, but he knows it won’t last long. He cannot stay. The living fear him too much now. He hopes that he can pass as Wei Wuxian long enough to see Jiang Cheng well established, and then maybe he can ascend to find peace.

It is not to be.

He must again cut himself off from the people he loves most. He is grateful to have had them as long as he has. But he has a new cause to champion. One that no one else is both able and willing to take up. He now wields his corpse army, not to destroy Wens, but to protect Wens. A branch of the Wen Sect guilty of nothing more than their name. He leads them up to the Burial Mounds, the only place he can protect them. He brings his corpse army home.

And he clings to that dead branch for two years. A dying leaf balancing on a condemned branch, bracing for the inevitable. He weaves winding tracks into the slumbering Burial Mounds, laying protections, buying supplies, and selling food. But he doesn’t realize. He is just one brutal mistake away from falling again. From falling and taking the whole tree down with him.

He stands there, at the end. He has already destroyed one half of his accursed seal; let them have the other. He backs up to the edge of the cliff. The bottomless pit yawns wide beneath him, beckoning darkly. The esteemed Hanguang-jun tries to save him, another bond he has severed. It’s not enough. Wei Wuxian has been falling and falling for so many years now. He wrenches his hand away, he loosens his grip on the branch, and he falls again. Finally, finally, he hits the bottom.

I love magic systems, and MDZS and CQL leave lots of space for headcanons. I've been trying to develop my own sense of how Wei Wuxian's demonic cultivation might work ever since I started working on a continuation of my You Ignite Me fic. I’m enchanted by the idea of a semi-sentient Burial Mounds. The tortured souls festering within, waiting for their chance for vengeance. Staking it all on one broken cultivator, keeping him alive, grooming him to be their instrument of revenge.

Credits to @words-writ-in-starlight (link) and @hunxi-guilai (link, link 2, and link 3) for the Burial Mounds feels and headcanon inspiration.

I hope you enjoyed this! Please let me know what you thought! Come yell with me about angsty necromancers ^_^

#untamed fall fest #mdzs fic #cql fic #the untamed fanfic #wei wuxian fic #my writing #dead dove #tw: cannibalism #cw: cannibalism #i haven't written in a while #so i'm really glad utff is back #but wow #this came out way darker than i intended #i just got imagery of wwx falling into the burial mounds #connected to falling FROM the burial mounds #and tracing that through the sunshot campaign #i love the imagery of falling/dying leaves #though you can probably tell i'm not a plant person #but then all my modao headcanons started pushing their way through

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chaosprinceundivided · 1 year

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The Price of Defeat

“I am Rulek! God-slayer! I will not be forsaken for my defeat in my greatest triumph!”

“Eh, eh. You will not touch him,’ Slaanesh purred akin to a leopardess. ‘You have no single power over our creature, Khorne.”

Countless eyes wondering and focusing from his sibling-gods to the creatures they bound to their will, and even now, it stood before them willful and true as the Kislevite the prince was born from.

‘If I be the Great Plague to be that revelation, then so be…I am the Child of Kislev and I will see her baptized into something far greater than Ursun and his pantheon dare see her.”

The Four were silent for a moment but their intrigue rolled over him like a summer’s breeze. The many fragrances twisting and whirling.

“Is that so?” The Brass King challenged and despite all of his rage and disdain, a warrior can never throw a chance of proving a perceived lesser wrong.

The Lord of Rot smiled a stretch of his crackling, bleeding maw more ugily, lined of jagged teeth that were pristine as much hideous with warp-flies buzzing their million wings in his composure.

For a new war was brewing. Zanbijin was won - or perhaps the game was still being played - Rulek doesn’t know, time and events were as flexible as they were mute in the Realms of Chaos. All things were, is, shall, and will be here. No matter the naysay of Mortals who only see the canon written.

#n: immortal empires

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missblissy · 5 years

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Rebirth (Chapter Four)

Alastor X Human!Reader ((Reincarnation!AU))

Prologue || One || Two || Three || Four

Tagged: ((You can ask to be added to the tagged list!!)) @alastors-bambi @peachesandkats @riintss @destiny-in-the-universe @dadzawas-eyebags @daedaliaaan @putridjoy @shieldagentofthemonth @originofthedragonjim @animals4ever527 @jexinqq @chaotic-pansexual @geekin-about-alastor @keenhumanoidduckeagle @fafefae @honeydrops01010 @itz-kira @xoceanicgemzx @the-monochrome-jester @holdnyvaseline

Fuck! FUCK! Your back was still pressed against the door. You could hear someone coming down some stairs then a deep voice call, “Hello?” Seconds later Vanderlinde rounded the corner and come into the foyer. He saw you shaken form and worried look painted his face, “(Y/n)? What’s going on? Did something happen?”

“YES!” You blurted out. For whatever reason, you felt like you could confess in Vanderlinde. Although he was a professor at the university you attended, he was once a priest who left the church for personal reasons. Maybe he knew something? Maybe that’s why Alastor was stuck outside. You stood up straight and hurried over to the window in the living room. You pulled back the curtain and saw Alastor still standing there. He looked confused even with a distorted smile on his face. It looked painful and unnatural on his human face.

Vanderlinde was close behind. He was about to ask what was going on but he found out for himself. The second his eyes came in contact with Alastor’s figure, he grabbed you and yanked you away from the window, “Holy Mother of Mary!” Vanderlinde whisper-yelled, “Do you know what that is?!” His green eyes nearly jumped out of his head.

Fear was written all over his face. What was the reason? You stood beside Vanderlinde with concerned eyes, “He’s a demon-”

“THE DEMON!” Vanderlinde jumped at you. He placed both his hands on your shoulder and nearly shook the life out of you, “How? How did you get him here? Why did bring him here?” Vanderlinde’s voice shook in his throat, “Why did you bring The Radio Demon to earth?!”

“I-..I don’t even know who he is, Van!? He- he said his name was Alastor-”

“Alastor the FREAKING AXE HUNTER!!” That sounded familiar but you didn’t quite pick up what Vanderlinde was saying. Luckily he went on, “The serial killer from the 1920s? Ya know? They called him The Southern Axe Hunter? A radio host that’d trick you with a smile into a dark corner? Kidnapped his victims then take them home and dismember them? While they were still alive! He killed all those people to summon an Eldritch spirit that is not of this universe!”

“I didn’t summon him!” You quickly defended yourself, “Him and his little shadow friend Eon broke into my home. He started spouting some nonsense that he knew me in a past life! He wants to take me back to hell!”

Vanderlinde stares at you with wide eyes. He didn’t say anything for the longest time and it started to worry you, “He wants to take you to hell?” he repeated your words in the form of a question.

“Y-yeah. He said my soul is too pure to go right now. I think he’s trying to taint me or make a sinner-”

Vanderlinde cut you off again. His face now stern and cold, “Come with me.”

You silently followed after him. Less than a few days ago this was your home for what felt like lifetimes. You had been roommates with Vanderlinde and Sage for almost 3 years. The house was exactly the same way it was when you last saw it.

Vanderlinde lead you downstairs and into the basement. What could possibly be down here beside the laundry machines and dozens of canned foods? Well, a lot of things. You watched your friend head towards a door you’ve seen thousands of times but never dared to open when you lived here. It was always locked so you just assumed it more storage of some kind.

It was an old round wooden door with black hinges. Vanderlinde pulled a necklace out from under the collar of his shirt and snapped the key off the string. He unlocked the door and pushed it open with ease. As the door squeaked open, a deep earthy smell with the overpowering scent of herbs and chemicals wafted from within the darkness.

You were stunned by what you found inside. As Vanderlinde flicked on a light that dangled from the ceiling you came face to face with the lovechild between a science lab and a witch’s hut. Dozens of herbs hung from the walls while a cauldron boiled and smoked from the center of the room. An altar made of skulls, bones, and candles lit itself to life all by itself as Vanderlinde got close to it. In the corners of the room were benches filled with test tubes, beakers, Bunsen burners and all sorts of chemistry equipment. It looked like a haunted science lab from high school chemistry class of the undead.

You noticed the floor was made of dirt with rocks placed in circle patterns embedded into the ground. You stood beside Vanderlinde at the alter and asked “Has this been here the whole time? What is this?” He still had that stern and cold look on his face. It was odd to see him so stressed out, he was normally a very relaxed person. Seeing him like this made you worried that things were worse than you first thought.

“Yeah, it’s Sage’s lab. I’m not going to hide this from you anymore seeing as we have a literal code red, but we’re demon hunters,” He didn’t take his eyes off the spinning orb at the center of the alter. Vanderlinde hovered both his hands over it as he went on to say, “Well, Sage is. She’s a witch and demon slayer. I’m just the researcher, I don’t actually slay anything other than words and books.” How did you not know this about your two best friends? And witches? They were real too?! What’s next? Vampires!? Mermaids!?

“Where is Sage?” You asked as you realized she hadn’t shown up yet.

“She’s on a hunt. That job she’s always traveling a lot for? It’s to kill demons.” Huh, you wished you knew that sooner.

“Okay, so can you get rid of Alastor then?”

“I’m going to try my best,” He said with a worried smiled. As he placed his hands on the glowing orb you watched with amazement and wonder as he pressed his hands into the orb. They seeped into the glass as if it were water, “I don’t have a divine weapon. I can’t kill him without Sage or her rapier. So this is going to have to do,” He pulled his hands from the orb and in his grasp was a black dagger, “You can only kill a demon with holy technology. The weapon’s of angels work the best. If you don’t kill them with a divine weapon, they just go back to Hell and then the fight starts all over again.”

You watched him hold the black dagger with just the tips of his fingers. It looked like it was made of obsidian. Vanderlinde then started to pluck herb after herb while tying them to the handle of the dagger with string. He went over to a large makeshift dresser and started pulling out bird beaks and feathers, he tied those to the dagger too. Lastly, he took a large bucket from under a bench and popped the lid off. You were instantly met with the fermenting, rotting smell of animal blood as it washed around in the bucket.

The smell was awful enough to make you nearly barf. Vanderlinde didn’t even seem fazed. For an Ex-preist, he sure did use a lot of dark rituals. He dipped the very tip and only the tip of the dagger into the bucket of blood then held it upright with the blade pointing to the sky. You watched the little drop of blood fall down the center of the blade then drip back into the bucket. Vanderlinde waved the dagger a few times the muttered words in a language you didn’t know.

In a firey explosion of smoke and sparks, the dagger changed right before your eyes. Once black obsidian, the dagger was now crystal clear glass that you could see right through. This must be magic... You thought.

Without a word spoken between the two of you, you followed Vanderlinde upstairs and to the window. Alastor was still there but this time he was tapping his ghostly microphone onto the magic barrier keeping him off of the property. He was testing for weak spots. Vanderlinde took in a deep shaky breath then whispered a prayer to God before heading to the door.

You made sure to stay behind him as you left the house. Alastor was still standing there on the sidewalk with a twisted smile that tore apart his human flesh. His eyes were bloodshot with slivers for pupils, much like that of a cat. Anyone would have guessed that he was possessed in some kind of way.

“I thought I smelled some type of trash lingering around here!” Alastor said with a grin, “Where is the witch?” You and Vanderlinde stood in the driveway, only inches away from the sidewalk. You had only just noticed that Vanderlinde had a rosary in one hand. His thumb passing the beads through his fingers as he nervously counted each little bead. Alastor let out an evil giggle, “You’re foolish if you think that can work against me, Father,” You saw Vanderlinde flinch at the jab Alastor was trying to make.

“I don’t work for the church anymore,” He said slowly, he lifted the dagger up to Alastor’s eye level and for the first time you saw an emotion plaster itself on his face.

He jerked away in disgust and hissed and spat out vile sounds, “What kind of Christian taints their soul with Voodoo!?” Alastor’s smile wavered and thinned but never dropped from his face. It only shifted in size, “Did you really throw away your only chance at Heaven just for this little trick?”

Vanderlinde’s eyes flashed harshly with an emotion you couldn’t describe. His gaze was firmly locked with Alastor’s as he brought the crystal blade to his hand, “I was never getting in anyways,” He quickly sliced open the palm of his hands to let his blood flow onto the sidewalk. It splattered around Alastor’s feet and even managed to get on his shoes. Ghostly transparent chains sprung from the ground and trapped Alastor there as they tangled around his legs.

Surprise coated Alastor’s face and you could see Eon watching from his shadow on the ground. A pair of hollow empty holes stared up from the pavement as Eon absorbed what was going on.

“Now that I’ve got you stuck here,” Vanderlinde started. He dropped the dagger to the ground and watched it break. He stepped on the shards and crushed them even more into little bits of broken glass, “You’re going to answer some questions. First off, why are you here, demon?”

There was a battle happening on Alastor’s face. He must have been under some kind of truth spell because you could tell he was fighting to keep his mouth closed. Whatever Vanderlinde did with the dagger must have worked. After a minute or two Alastor gave up. The static returned to his voice and his words were strained, “I’m here for (Y/n). I’m bringing her back home,” He sounded like a robot, he even kind of looked like one. His face was stone cold and didn’t move. your stomach twisted into a knot as you watched his smile grow larger and larger by the second. Even his eyes were fixed and locked on Vanderlinde. He didn’t blink once or even dare to look away.

“What do you need (Y/n) for? Who is she to you?” Vanderlinde asked. All while this was going on, you made sure to stay behind your friend. You didn’t want to get to close to Alastor because as ever second past more of his human features melted away.

A pair of horns started to grow from Alastor’s head as he helplessly answered the question like an automated voice message, “I want to take her home so we can get back to our afterlife in eternity. She was my wife,” Alastor’s hair started to fade into shades of red and black as it grew out. His skin started to turn an ashy gray color as blood soaked into his eyes, giving them the red tint they usually had. Two long and fluffy ears flipped from his hair and stood upright.

Shock jumped onto both yours and Vanderlinde’s face. That was it? That’s all he wanted? You felt something in your chest crack and scream. You were his wife in your past life? Or afterlife? When exactly did your past self meet him? At the same time, something in your heart made you feel extreme pity for Alastor. Another part of you felt fear, anger, and confusion. Mostly anger.

Alastor’s answers only brought up more questions. Thank God that Vanderlinde was thinking the same thing as you, “When did you first meet (Y/n)? And who was (Y/n) before she was reincarnated?” He asked.

By now Alastor was looking more and more like his demonic self. His voice never wavered once and stayed uncomfortably calm, “I met her the day I died in 1933 at the seventh and final gate to Hell. She was The Crybaby Demon, (Y/n) (L/n), and Hell’s Gatekeeper, similar to your Saint Peter at Heaven’s gates,” Alastor’s words meant something to Vanderlinde because he snapped his gaze to you for only a second. You had no idea what this Crybaby Demon was or what Alastor was talking about.

There was a cold chill that slapped the back of your neck and suddenly Alastor freed himself of the chains of truth. Now fully in his demonic form, Alastor gave a quick and toothy smile as he stepped forward and place a foot onto the driveway. The magical barrier was useless against him now. He got into Vanderlinde’s face and chuckled.

With a click of his tongue and dark little giggle, Alastor threatened Vanderlinde “I best hope you have your little witch around next time, Father,” He said in a dark and demonic tone. Alastor’s voice was so warped and demented that you could barely tell what he was saying, “The next time you see me will be your last,” Alastor snapped his finger and then -POOF- he turned to dust in the wind and just like that... he was gone.

___________________________________________________

He wasn’t irritated. He wasn’t mad. He wasn’t angry. He was enraged. He was full of wrath and hate and malice. His little radio heart THUMB THUMB THUMBED in his ears as he peered at his own reflection through a mirror he broke seconds before.

Alastor was having an incredibly difficult time dealing with his emotions. Normally he had them under complete control. He underestimated the power of Vanderlinde and Sage. He had been keeping tabs on these silly little demons hunters and he was sorely unprepared for that little attack that Vanderlinde pulled on him.

As Alastor peered into the Water Well, he could see through the eyes of Buck, your cat and his familiar. Though Buck’s eyes, Alastor watched you and Vanderlinde cleans your apartment head to toe with Voodoo rituals that were so secret and private that Alastor nearly flipped the Water Well over in a fit of rage.

“HOW!?” He yelled, baring his teeth with an ugly and large frown, “Where did he find it!? Where did he even get this kind of knowledge!?” Thank god he was alone. Alastor watched as Eon’s shadowy figure formed before him.

“Calm yourself, friend,” That was kind of hard to do right now, “We’ll get them next time. Do not worry about it,”

Alastor ignored Eon’s words and bent as close as he could to the Water Well without getting wet. His large red eyes filled with hate as he watched Vanderlinde teach you forbidden Voodoo rituals that no outsider should ever have the right to know. Voodoo was a very closed and secretive culture that didn’t welcome outsiders, “Who is he!?” Alastor snapped, “Who is that stupid little bitch witch!? What clan does she belong too?”

Suddenly there was a knock on his door. Alastor stood up tall and slapped a smile onto his face. He hid any sign of his rage and opened the door to his grand hotel room.

He was going to quickly send off whoever it was, but it was Charlie. Instead of quickly dismissing her, he smiled and asked, “Something I can help you with?”

The little demon princess had a worried look on her face as she raised her brows and peered beyond Alastor and into his room. She noticed all the broken glass and furniture, “Uh, haha- um-” She weakly laughed with a sad smile, “I was wondering if I could actually help you with... whatever you're dealing with? Everyone heard a bunch of loud bangs and crashes coming from your room-”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Alastor cut her off and waved his hand in her face, “Everything is fine, Charlie,” He started to close the door on her when suddenly a voice snuck into Alastor’s mind. It was Eon, whispering into his thoughts so only Alastor could hear him. We could use her help, Eon said, “Actually,” Alastor opened the door up again. A natural yet sinister smile was on his face, “I think you can. Do you think you could de me a sweet little favor? Something nice and easy?”

Charlie lit up like a firework with a smile on her face, “Sure!” She always loved helping others, “What can I do for you, Al?”

He chuckled then leaned down to her eye level. There was an overwhelming sense of happiness and joy in his twisted smile, “Call your father for me?”

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skvaderarts · 4 years

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Apocrypha Chapter Twenty Five: Labyrinth

Masterlist can be found Here! Thanks!

Chapter Twenty Five: Labrinth

Note: The response I got for the last chapter was amazing! Thank you all so much for the awesome feedback! And now, back to our regularly scheduled angsty program! On today's episode of "look how they massacred my boy"...

(-~-)

As the cave snaked further and further into the bowels of the earth, what little natural light that remained disappeared from view. Gone were any traces of the sky that had been vaguely visible above them and now all that was left were the dregs of extinguished lanterns that hung from the ceiling above. Any illusion that the place they currently occupied wasn’t tied to some part of the underworld shattered like glass, taking any semblance of comfort with it.

In a way, the caves seemed to almost be alive. While an average person wouldn’t probably be able to detect anything in such an extreme environment, that wasn’t the story at all for Sparda’s descendants. As much as he didn’t want to acknowledge it, Nero could almost swear that the place they were in was breathing. It was as if they were inside of some sort of massage artery. Air flowed in and out of the tunnel in opposing directions, coming from behind and then from in front of them in a slow but constant cadence. Perhaps not an artery then, but maybe a throat of some sort? Regardless of what it resembled, it was deeply uncomfortable. One could only hope that they would not come to regret taking the route that they had. There was no time to lose.

“Why is it so fucking dark in here?” Nero asked as he followed closely behind Vergil. Dante was somewhere close behind him, but he couldn’t see anything past his hands in the inky blackness.” That overgrown houseplant wasn’t like this on the inside. How are we supposed to do anything if we can’t see?”

The older demon slayer in blue mentally registered his youngest son’s inquiry, but his mind was elsewhere. Yes, Nero did make a valid point. But his mind was on the task at hand at the moment. For every moment that this expedition dragged on and on, Vergil mentally chastised himself for being insane enough to go along with V’s plan. They had basically handed him to the very people who had tried to kill them less than a month ago, and they had no way of knowing how capable they were or what they wanted with him.

And that was to say nothing of the conversation that the Darkslayer had just had with the young cultist. Who was this “Master” they served, and who was his patron? Vergil needed to get to the route of the problem and extinguish it as quickly as possible before the inferno had a chance to grow and consume them all. But as far as he knew, none of his detractors knew anything about either of his sons, and that was primarily because they were all dead. Vergil had personally seen to that during his time in the underworld. Vergil possessed practically no tolerance for interruptions to his plans, and during his ascension to the throne, having no one alive to contest his plans was undeniably beneficial.

While the devil in blue was more than certain that his existing enemies were deceased and hopefully rotting in the bowels of hell, he couldn’t discount the possibility of having unknown enemies. That was practically a guarantee. As far as he was concerned, you couldn’t spend the amount of time that he’d spent in the underworld without at least half of the sentient population developing a profound and deep seeded hatred of you. That was just one of the perks that came with the trip. But if that was the case, then things had just gone from bleak to pernicious.

“What, you still need to see things to kill em’? Come on, that’s day one stuff!” Dante said casually as he closed the distance between himself and Nero. He didn’t need to see his nephew’s face to tell that he was shooting him a dirty look. If there was one thing that the young devil hunter had inherited from his father, it was his inability to let go of slights issued against him, regardless of the severity. Dante could say something silly to him about something entirely insignificant, and Nero would probably still bring it up when his kids were old enough to move out. While Dante had to admit that that facet of his nephew’s personality could be problematic at times, he honestly found it hilarious most of the time and didn’t mind it. As long as Nero was safe, Dante was fine with it.

Nero shook his head and pressed forward with the rest of the group. He didn’t have time to care about that. For the life of him, he couldn’t shake the persistent feeling of dread that had gripped him since they had interred the caverns. He trusted V’s judgement. After all, he was capable and smart. But not knowing what had happened to him admittedly put him a bit on edge, especially since that cultist had mentioned something about their “master” wanting him.

Yea, he was going to find this “master” and introduce him to the flaming edge of his blade.

“Do you think we went the wrong way back there? I can’t tell if we're getting any closer to the end of this cave.” Nero asked as they hurried along, thankful that the part of the cave they were in didn’t have branching paths. “I wonder how they get around in here when it’s this dark all the time.”

Vergil considered answering the question since he was somewhat certain that he had an idea how they did so, but the second that he took another step forward, he came to a sudden stop. Dante and Nero followed shortly after, utterly perplexed as to how they had arrived in the stop that they had. The inky blackness parted and gave way to a level of light more conducive to the environment they currently found themselves in.

Before them spanned a gargantuan chasm, it’s pitch black interior only parted by the rays of moonlight that pierced the roof of the cave in cascading rays. Where the light came from was anyone’s guess since the sound of thunder booming answered any questions that they could have possessed as to whether or not the storm was still raging outside. As the white starlight parted the darkness before them, they identified a staircase composed of several long stone slabs. It descended towards the open chasm below them, no form of railing between them and what had to be at least a five story drop. In the distance, they could make out a faint source of artificial light, seemingly produced by a litany of candles or lanterns. It seemed that nothing in this place was exactly rigged up to a power source, at least from what they could tell.

At least not a conventional one. In the very center of a large pond that sat towards the center of the cavity surrounded by tall but sparse foliage stood a monolith of sorts, easily over twenty feet in height. It was a rough structure composed of a strange luminescent blue and black stone that seemed to resemble skulls from where they currently stood. A thick black substance overflowed from the top of the structure, possessing the properties of both smoke and water simultaneously. The water surrounding it was pitch black and seemed to resemble ink or tar, the only indication of any motion from it being the occasional large bubble rising up from the depths and bursting at the surface, releasing more of the back substance. While Dante and Nero had no reason to recognize the substance, Vergil couldn’t help but feel his blood run cold as he took in the reality of what the presence of such a chemical meant.

They needed to find V and end this cult. Now.

Nero rubbed his strained eyes before taking a long, baffled look at their surroundings. The cave was vast. There could be any number of cultists in the place. One could only hope that they had just established their new stomping grounds recently and that they didn’t actually possess numbers great enough to merit a base like this.

The young devil hunter considered saying something for a moment before deciding otherwise. Nero was willing to bet that a place like this produced one hell of an echo, and he had no intention of being the one to sound the alarm. He stole a glance at the makeshift staircase and took a step towards it, ushering towards his two companions. Dante nodded in recognition and followed along behind him, the pair noticing immediately that Vergil seemed to still be taking in his surroundings. They both looked at one another before staring at the Darkslayer’s back, unsure of what to say or do. After a moment, Vergil turned to them, trying to hide the fact that things had just taken a dive headfirst into unmistakable peril.

“... As soon as we find him, you both need to take him and leave.” Vergil said in a hushed tone as he hurried past them, still maintaining the same level of calm that he had the moment before,” There is something I must do. Something that must be stopped now or our efforts will be in vain.”

Dante seemed slightly alarmed but kept his voice down, following closely after his older twin as they descended the stairs two or three at a time. Nero hurried after them, the trio making sure to keep things as quiet as possible. “I get the feeling something isn’t right about this place. Want to fill us in on the details?”

Vergil shot his twin brother a quick glance as he continued along. Explaining what this place was to his younger sibling would take entirely too long and probably attract unwanted attention. Not to mention that it would waste valuable time that they no longer possessed. The cult had access to something far beyond anything that he could have guessed, and he had an idea how that had come to pass. In that moment Vergil could only hope that he had simply lost his touch and was out of his mind.

Unfortunately, he was right.

(-~-)

For a moment, the concept of dark and light faded from his memory, his head nothing but a hazy mess of fragmented memories. As he attempted to blink away the heavy dose of lethargy that gripped him like an iron vice, the young summoner attempted to take in his surroundings for a second time. Or was it the third time? How long had he been in this place, drifting between a state of disorientation and dissonance? There were flashes of recognition, brief glimpses he’d managed to grasp onto as he’d been dragged there by the procession of cultists that had abducted him. These ones wore red robes and masks that lacked expressions, their voices difficult to discern as they swirled around him in a flurry of movement. They were planning something. From what he could tell, they were talking about him, at least in regards to something he was involved in. And from what he could tell, they understood more about who he was than they should.

“Master Agreus seems displeased…”

“Did it work? It doesn’t seem to be working as we intended.”

“What will we do now that it has started? What is our next task?”

“Quiet, all of you! He has returned. I trust he will seek an audience with…”

“Surely not. The last time it came to that we-”

“ENOUGH. Be silent. I will not tolerate interference.”

As the cacophony of voices that surrounded him began to separate into individual sources, V’s senses slowly flooded back to him. And the very moment that he regained some semblance of sensation in his body, he immediately regretted it down to the very core of his being. It was difficult to quantify the level of discomfort he felt in practically every segment of his body, every nerve ending burning like a fire that threatened to consume him from the inside out. It was a sort of dull throb akin to that of a toothache, but it covered his entire body all at once, and came in waves that seemed to grow in intensity each time they passed through him.

From what he could tell, they thought he was dead. Or at least close to it. And that would be their greatest mistake. Because the very moment that he succeeded in breaking free from the restraints that they had him in, he was going to make them pay for whatever dubious insanity they had subjected him to.

It took V a moment to equate his still bleeding head wound to his inability to see out of his left eye. While the wound he’d received from the scythe wielding grim reaper like demon hadn’t been worryingly deep, it had continued to bleed and his inability to put any kind of pressure on it to keep it from doing so meant that he was at quite an impasse.

Every time he tried to break free from the binds that kept him locked to the ground underneath him, the sensation of discomfort and throbbing heat returned in earnest. From what he could gather, the metal loop that held both of his wrists together behind his back served two functions. To keep him firmly against the floor with the assistance of the crane system that retracted the chain and tightened it’s hold against him, and to cause him intense discomfort if he made any effort to resist. Where they had procured such an arcane artifact from was beyond him, but he was sure to the very core of his being that he wanted them off of him as quickly as possible. Because the reason for his bondage was less than optimistic. To say that he hadn’t been treated as gently as he would have liked would’ve been a vast understatement.

The last time that he’d blacked out for a moment as a result of trying to break free from his confinement, he’d felt a surge of energy shoot through him that he was entirely unfamiliar with. A foreign power that he couldn’t place, but he somehow knew that it originated from within him. While it made sense that he might possess abilities beyond those that he currently understood, the amount of power only seemed to grow as he inched closer to blacking out fully as a result of his injuries at the hands of the cultists. V had lost a considerable amount of blood from the puncture wound on the back of his leg, and the ceaseless bleeding that he had since fallen victim to had rendered him practically delirious. He was practically helpless against his aggressors. They had inflicted the wound to help facilitate whatever dubious activities they were involved with, and there was no way that he was going to be able to just stand up and walk this one off. He’d lose far too much blood. Pain was an old acquaintance, especially when it came to his right leg. And from what he could tell, causing him to bleed onto the stone platform that he was currently chained to was their goal. It seemed to be some sort of altar from what he could tell.

That unsettled him.

V was positive that he could muster the strength to summon Shadow and unleash her upon his enemies, but he was hesitant to do so unless no other choice was available to him. Malphas had taught him that it was indeed possible to separate him from his familiars. He didn’t intend to let that happen ever again, and this most certainly wasn’t going to be the place or time. But his reserve of alternative options was running dry, along with his blood supply, so he was going to have to come up with something quickly.

A moment later, a familiar tall cultist in a white robe approached him. The black mask that they wore gave away nothing, but he could just feel the disdain that radiated off of the man. It seemed that whatever he’d planned for wasn’t coming to pass, and that was something that clearly pissed him off. The man’s own underlings seemed to allude to that with their ceaseless bickering, going back and forth over what to do next until he’d returned. Then the space fell silent at his command, be that a privilege procured from respect or fear he didn’t know. What he did know was that the last time the hooded man had approached him, he’d found a ceremonial blade of some sort embedded in his leg. And it had been extremely painful, to say the least. Unreasonably painful considering the size of the blade. It was as if it had been engineered to inflict that sort of extra damage. In fact, he could swear that for a moment it had started to glow as if reacting to his blood.

He intended to return the favor whenever he got the chance.

“My original plan involved less physical harm. Forgive me for that.” The man said as he kneeled down in front of him. They made something akin to eye contact, but the young summoner still couldn’t see his captor’s face. But he didn’t need to be able to. V could tell that they were making eye contact.“I trust your accommodations are to your liking?”

V had to fight the involuntary urge to smirk and glare at him. The younger man genuinely wasn’t sure if he was being kicked while he was down, or if the cultist was simply deranged enough to ask that question and seriously expect a favorable reply. Regardless, V broke eye contact with him and looked up at the roof of the cave, ignoring the temptation to say something snarky that ran the risk of earning him a second stabbing. That wretched curved blade seriously hurt. Possibly more than anything he’d ever been cut by. And that was a considerable number of things.

Realizing that he wasn’t getting an answer, the cultist gestured towards the round stone slab that V was bound to. The makings that adorned the edges were written in a vaguely familiar language to the white haired summoner, but he had no idea where he’d seen them before. That being said, he wasn’t nearly naive enough to miss the gravity of what was going on and why they had brought him to this place.

This was most definitely some sort of ritual.

But why did they need him?

“It seems that the tablet requires an additional offering.” The man said as he casually gestured between the stone writing and the book that he carried in his hand. It was ancient looking, bound in some sort of animal hide and blackened from age (or perhaps evil). From what V could tell, that was his source of information regarding whatever ritual he was trying to force him to undergo. “I do hope you're as excited to meet my master as I am to introduce you to him. He’s been eager to see you in person for some time now. I’d advise you against disappointing him. But before that, I’m going to need to ask you to make another contribution to our efforts.”

With that, the cultist kneeled down next to him and withdrew the blade again. Oh, so it was that sort of contribution. He figured as much. This wasn’t good.

V shook his head slightly, his damp hair sticking to his face. Any semblance of tolerance that he had once possessed vacated him instantaneously. No. That wasn’t going to be necessary. As far as he was concerned, the rest of his family had been given ample time to arrive and deal with any distraction. It was time to fix this himself, even if he had to do it the hard way. He had to admit that he hadn’t factored this part into his plan, although he hadn’t expected to get out of it totally unscathed. That was an eventuality he was always prepared for, at least mentally. But a second round with that blade. Absolutely not if he had anything to say about it. And he did.

“No. I think not. You’ve been very accommodating...” V said flatly, feeling another surge of the unknown energy well up from deep within himself. “... But I think I have a better idea.”

The cultist chuckled under his breath slightly, clearly amused.” Yes, well I suppose that makes two of us. Enough idle chit chat, hm? Let’s finish this.”

With a casual gesture of his hand, the masked man opened the book he’d been holding and muttered something in another language. As far as V could tell, it sounded vaguely Latin, but he could only make out a few of the words. That could’ve been a direct result of his condition, but he couldn’t be sure. A wave of nausea hit him as the man read his incantation, and he had a feeling that it wasn’t just nerves. The situation just got worse and worse ever passing moment.

As soon as he finished speaking, he placed the book down on the ground next to him and palmed the blade again, glancing slowly between it and V. The young summoner watched him as he did so and made a conscious effort to contain the borderline anxiety inducing level of fear that he felt rising up from the pit of his stomach. He had an idea what came next. And he didn’t want any part of it.

The cultist gripped the collar of V’s shirt tightly, keeping him close. V didn’t see what the point was other than sadistic pleasure. It wasn’t like he could run anyway. He’d probably would have done so already if he could. In his free hand, the cultist raised the blade again, only this a bit higher up than the last time. If it was possible for what little blood V had left in his body to turn ice cold, it did as he realized what the cultist intended to do.

“I’m going to need you to hold still. This part is a little complicated.” He said casually. And then he lowered the knife.

(-~-)

Shit. V is not having a good day, is he? If you thought the last two chapters were anxiety inducing, then you haven’t seen anything yet. These cultists are about to learn the hard way that you don’t mess with and of the members of the Sparda family. The question is, how is V going to get out of this one? I feel like it might not be part of that plan he cooked up lol! See you all next week on Wednesday! I hope you're enjoying everything so far! Take care and stay safe!

#Apocrypha #Devil May Cry #Devil May Cry 5 #Devil May Cry V #V #Vitale #Vergil #Nero #Dante #DMC #DMCV #DMC5 #V Post Devil May Cry 5

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dndwithsuperbestfriends · 4 years

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SESSION 10

This will mostly have illustrations by me because Larkspurs player wasn’t involved because her side quest was a day ahead of us.

Now that Doorune is dead, we continue through the evil underground lair and explore a bit - we find a hatch that leads into the lake, some supply rooms with rotting foods, and a ladder that leads to a sewer grate of a street in Laketowns shipyard district. We keep this in mind for when we’ll have to leave later.

So after going through most of Monroe’s evil unground lair, we come to the secret room in the back that seems to be his evil underground office. He isn’t there, there's just a bunch of treasure and a mahogany desk.

After the incident with the exploding the desk, Leswen, Erindur and Rocks stay in the hallway while Frank and Belladonna investigate the room.

While Belladonna looks around the treasure for Monroe’s shard, while Frank tries to figure out the desk. Turns our the desk is some kind of puzzle with mechanisms to unlock the drawers. He takes time to figure out; in the drawers there is nothing, except the top one has an unopened letter.

He opens the letter, and inside there is only a calligraphed phrase;

W A S T E D

“Knowledge is power.”

Suddenly, we hear clicks from the hallway walls and a bunch of explosions - it turns out the desk was a trigger to set off the self-destruct of the underground dungeon. Water begins rushing in through the collapsing walls.

It was a trap. Monroe knew the party was coming.

The party @#$%-ing books it. When we get to the hallway with the escape ladder, the water is at waist level. Frank grabs Belladonna and Erindur grabs Rocks because they are hobbits and too short for this water (also, Rock’s can’t swim. This will become a running gag) Frank swims no problem, but Leswen is swept under the water so he swims back for her and takes her to the ladder after dropping off Belladonna. He attempts to do the same with Erindur.

Attempts.

“NO ONE PICKS UP A DWARF.” Erindur shouts - his mouths foams a bit as he activates his slayer rage ability so he can angrily just march through the water instead of swim, he’s tall enough that the water is juuust at his sternum. Rocks, who is clinging to his back, just hopes that he doesn’t just carelessly throw them onto the ladder. (Spoiler: He totally does.)

When the party gets through the sewer gate, they realize the explosions weren’t limited to the underground lair. It was going throughout the entire shipyard district.

Also, there’s the sound of warhorn. Frank recognizes it because he has proficiency in shadow lore - it’s an Orc warhorn.

The mood of the party entirely is panicky - there’s explosions, people screaming, fire, and orcs. However, something about this situations resonates deeply within Rocks in particular, to them, something about this is hauntingly familiar.

They feel themself getting pulled within themself, but they shake it off for now, refusing to give into this haunting deja vu for now. They ground themself to reality by making an angry statement to the party instead.

Rocks: Monroe didn’t have to be like other hobbits, he didn’t have to be like humans; he didn’t ever have to be anyone but himself! But he shouldn’t be like Smaug!

(Rocks and Leswen were both around during Smaugs temper tantrum destruction of Laketown, so both of them remember it quite clearly)

There’s a huge explosion and the party whips their heads and realize with horror when they see a large rising column of smoke that it had come from the college! All of Leswen’s colleagues, including Grypho, and the shards we’ve been collecting, were all there.

Rocks panics for a minute, freaking out that their family and their inn might have been targeted by Monroe also since who knows who they are, but Erindur assures them that he doesn’t see any smoke coming from that district.

The party run in the direction of the college, but some docks collapse and form a rift in front of them so to continue they have to find a way past this large gap. No one has the skill to just jump it because it’s that wide, so we have to climb to the bottom and swim across, and climb back up.

Problem: Rocks, despite being from Laketown, can’t @#$%ing swim. Once again, they have be carried; Frank does it this time.

So the party climbs down the dock, swims across, and climbs up the other docks. Erindur has trouble doing this because of the heavy armour he’s wearing, but manages to make it. Once they are all up there, Leswen watches as other inhabiotants of Laketown who’ve been caught in the crossfire struggle to repeat that the party had just done and she is conflicted.

As a healer, it is her nature to help people in need, it is instinctual for her to stay and help these people; but she manages to rationalize that she will ultimately save more people by continuing with the party, because most people from Laketown don’t have a problem swimming.

(IRL the entire table looks at me with a look that just screamed “Except for you. Your character is the only Laketownian who can’t swim.”)

So they continue sprinting, and although they make it mostly out of the Shipyard district into the residential District, the party is split by a bunch of rubble falling, separating Leswen and Belladonna.

Belladonna attemptsd to climb the mountain of rubble, but get’s stuck at the top. She fails a strength check and mentally curses herself for never doing pull ups so she’s stuck in the ‘hanging in there’ position holding a disjointed pole. The frustraton gives her a temporary shadow point.

Leswen has good rolls and manages to climb up the mountain of rubble and plucks the angry hobbit from her hanging spot and safely brings them both down to the other side where Frank, Rocks and Erindur are waiting for them.

They party makes it out of the district, but right before they get to the college they come across a group of civilians being waylaid by orcs and hobgoblins. The party rolls initiative.

The same haunting familiarity rolls over Rocks again - and this time, they give in. They collapse, and hallucinate themselves falling.

As they are falling down a void, they hear a song around them, and above them they can see a giant eye. It constantly shifts colour, but is focused on them. The song is ancient and cacophonous, but the one thing Rocks can focus on about the song is a single phrase;

“The First Theme.”

Rocks has been shown the first of three parts of the First Song that created Middle Earth. Because of how much a pacifist coward merciful hero Rocks has been, the Valar have deemed them worthy of their secret class - Herald of the Valar. This makes Rocks the first of the party to unlock their secret class, and the only one so far to do so without any prior hints.

However, once the song ends, Rocks is thrown into a flashback

And it becomes clear why the Orc attack on Laketown was so familiar

They see a village burning down - their original home in the shire, it was being raided by Orcs. Bravely, a Ranger had been felled trying to protect the village.

A young Rocks was being told by their family to run away to safety - and they do so. They a bunch of other hobbit children escape into the Old Forest - but they are all picked off until only Rocks remains.

They flash foreword to when they had stumbled into the Barrow-Downs - a haunted area outside of The Shire. There, they come face-to-face with a Barrow-Wight.

(I do not own this image)

It had been this encounter specifically that terrified them so badly, that when combined with the trauma they just went through, they lost colour of their hair and eyes, and also their memories prior. (Marie Antoinette Syndrome)

Their memories are hazy from here, and the next thing they remember is somehow ending up in Bree, where they are found and adopted by Daralis and Harva, who who traveled to Bree for trading.

Although Rocks in unable to remember their birth name, or the names and faces of their family and friends, one thing does stick; they are a Stoor-Hobbit.

They go into another vision; but this time they are naked and looking at their reflection. Except their reflection is their true self; brown-haired and blue-eyed.

Rocks and their reflection reach out to each other, and then touch hands.

THE VISION ENDS

In real time only like six seconds passes and a wave of radiant energy pulses from Rocks into the immediate area. Although unconscious, Rocks’ white hair suddenly turns brown and slightly curlier, with only a few white streaks left.

Leswen rushes over and pulls Rocks into her lap, putting a wet cloth on their forehead. She does a medicine check and finds that Rocks seems to have been suffering from a fever for a while, and they were pulsing energy she identifies as coming from the Valar.

The fever and the Valar energy disapates and Rocks wakes up - now, their right eye is blue instead of grey.

“I j u s t s a w g o d.” Is what Rocks basically manages to stagger out, being very enthralled and disoriented.

“Sure you did buddy.” Leswen comforts, believing them to be delusional “Your hair changed.”

“I just learned a new song...“ Rocks says, standing up and picking up their shortsword that they dropped - and they begin singing The First Theme.

The First Theme works similar to the Mass Heal spell - it charges for two rounds, and them begins healing allies. It also exudes radiant energy.

The rest of the party don’t really pay attention to their Warden because they are still fighting Orcs and Hob Goblins, however, now that there’s another healer this means Leswen can now fight as well. She takes out a few hob goblins that try to attack her and Rocks, because they really don’t like this song.

The rest of combat is uneventful, but the party is successful.

The sessions ends here, but not before the party stares wide-eyed at Rocks, who doesn’t know that their appearance just drastically changed.

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exaltatuss · 4 years

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“I have found my limit a thousand times, and still I press further.” -Arlene

General Info:

Name: Arlene Carnelian Title: Scarlet Revenant Occupation: Dimensional Traveler (Current) Race: “Human” (As she claims herself to be, still) Gender: Female Age: Appears to be in her early 20s Height: 192 cm Morality Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Eye Color: Both Gray (Formerly), now heterochromic (Right Eye Gray, Left Eye Red, although both eyes can shift into Red at times) Hair Color: Red Misc: Has a few scars on her face

Personality;

Level-headed, calm, and otherwise stoic, Arlene certainly is one who had seen better days. However, she’s far from being cold, as she’s someone who also is able to display some humor every once in a while, whenever she feels like it. Sometimes, the humor passes off as dry, but its nevertheless humor.

Having a steel temperance hardened by experience, she’s one who doesn’t really yield or break under pressure, at least in regards to pressure many others are unable to act calmly on. Thus, she would be able to still choose the best course of action possible. This, also helps in fights whenever she cannot possibly avoid them.

However in terms of the inner workings of her mind, she repeatedly affirms herself that she’s still human. That she IS human, as if clinging on to whatever remains in her that’s retains her humanity. Others who reiterate that she isn’t human would find it the easiest to set her off. After all, the events that had culminated to her being now would still be fresh from memory.

Call it obsession, a delusion even, but it is undeniable that she has enough fortitude to believe that she still is human, despite evidence suggesting otherwise.

Background;

Hailing from a world that’s plunged into conflict with otherwordly invasive beings the people of that world had dubbed as the Kyropterans, Arlene was no stranger to battle and survival. Having been orphaned at a young age, and witnessing her younger sister die from a Kyropteran attack, it was her driving force on why she wanted to survive and be strong enough to help others in the fight against them to repel them.

Sure, there was deep seated anger against such creatures, and indeed, as a child, it was natural to voice out her strong yearning for vengeance against them. Most of the children her age who had gotten the same treatment as such did display such bravado at that time.

However, as she aged, such feelings mellowed out. A subversion, if one may. She knew that such a mentality, when brought along with her, would become a baggage, and a liability, for she had seen this on some of the people she knew upon growing up. Thus, after serving her time on studying, she would join her kingdom’s defense force against the Kyropterans, in which she would be able to form fire-forged and tempered friendships, the squadron she was in being what she considered as close to family as possible.

During one of their incursions, on one of the Kyropteran hives found by the scouting team, they got blindsided and ambushed, with Arlene having been separated from the rest, and trapped in some sort of underground temple ruins. While finding for an alternative route that leads back up, her further inspection in the ruins, along with the inscriptions etched on the wall, this seem to line up with a legend she had read in books in her earlier years. Accounts speaking of a fabled “Scarlet Spear”, that pierces through the thickest of hides, that can break through any form of armor, and most importantly, it having the power to slay gods.

The Kingdom she was part of had such strong belief, no, the rest of her world strongly believed of the existence of such Scarlet Spear, as she recalled, with every major power treating it the ‘Holy Grail’ of weapons, for not only legends, but also historical figures that had claimed to have wielded it, had felled beasts that now form this very world’s ecosystem, and landmarks, the fauna growing over their massive bodies after countless generations.

However, said historical figures also met untimely deaths, and such, some believed that said weapon should not be wielded by mortal hands.

Alas, call it wishful thinking, but Arlene did thought that if such a weapon still existed in this world, if such a weapon hasn’t been buried to oblivion and forgotten by time, then it would be very pivotal to have it, in order to finally drive the invasive Kyropterans out of their world.

Interestingly, instead of looking for a way out, its as if something had beckoned her to march deeper on the underground ruins, guiding her safely across trapped hallways, rooms, and the like, up until she had reached the chamber where the supposed Scarlet Spear resides, and there she found... a woman. A woman who claimed to be the spirit of the spear that this world revered so much. Interestingly enough, said spirit also claimed that she’s exactly what she had been looking for to take it up, and relieve this world of the Kyropteran invasion, that had plagued them for a few generations down the line.

Of course, Arlene had asked about those that wielded it in their history that had died mysteriously after some history of wielding it, to which the spirit had answered simply that their souls are not truly pure, and such seeds of impurity eventually manifested as rot, in the spiritual sense, and that of all potential wielders it had seen in its existence, Arlene was the only one who had a pure soul.

Thus, it struck her an offer. To wield it, with but one, simple, trivial condition:

“Open yourself to me, so I can see what you cherish most. What you strive to protect.”

The spirit’s voice being soothing and compelling, Arlene would accept, taking the hand of the spirit subconsciously, and before she knew it, the spear is now being held by the hand she had extended, along with it, a surge of power she hadn’t believed she could feel herself in her lifetime.

Power unimaginable.

Thus, bursting out of the ruins, she had returned to assist on getting rid of the Kyropteran Hive, and with her newfound powers, that which the spirit had taught her to use telepathically, there were but very minimal casualties on their end.

Of course, with what Arlene had displayed with her new arsenal, everyone believed without doubt that the fabled Scarlet Spear had chosen her.

Several days, and months have counted on, and several Kyropteran territories were recaptured, the invasive species’ range of control and influence becoming less and less suffocating for them. However, along the line, some people from Arlene’s squadron, that which she had grown fond of, died along the line, too, with all leads pointing to it being the handiwork of the Kyropterans.

Soon enough, they would reach one of the central hives of the Kyropterans. One of the pivotal ones. Successfully eliminating this central hive would deal a huge blow on the Kyropteran’s forces, and strength, in general, as well as a chunk of territory reclaimed for Arlene’s kingdom.

However, during the climactic moment of the incursion, the spirit of the spear had manifested, and drove her arm through Arlene’s chest.

The shock from such suddenness, of course, prevented her from reacting accordingly, only managing out to utter out why did the spirit do such. To which the spirit simply replied with

“Haven’t you caught on? I lied.”

And thus, everything was clear now to Arlene.

The gibberish she had heard from way back then was clearer now, from when she had contracted with the spear:

“Open yourself to me, so I can see what you cherish most. What you strive to protect. So I can see what I can take pleasure taking away from you.”

The ‘spirit’ is not really a spirit, but the spear itself, given flesh, given life. A humanoid entity, an Immortal Slayer, whose name goes by Sangria.

Not wasting any more time, Sangria had sent thousands upon thousands of barbs piercing every single one of Arlene’s veins from the inside, before leaving her to die.

At least that’s supposed to be the end of it.

The moment Arlene had woken up for who knows how long, she really can’t believe that she was still alive, somehow. Yet, the moment she had looked around, she had seen nothing but ruination. The central hive was down, yes. But so is the kingdom she had called home in the distance. Thick smoke enveloping it, and its territories.

Everything taken away from her.

Now she realized that the deaths of the people she had cherished weren’t from Kyropterans, but from Sangria herself, from right under her nose. Of course, it was something Arlene would grieve about, for quite some time, as this struck just as hard as when she was orphaned before.

Several years onward, that which number Arlene had given up counting, the moment she had enough grieving, she had discovered several of the abilities she had learnt while wielding Sangria was till intact with her, along with some new ones, as well, abilities that very much mean that she isn’t human anymore...

No... no, that’s something she would deny. She is human. She’s still human. That’s what she believes in, and that’s something she affirmed herself during those years.

Thus, with her world plunged into even deeper conflict, and her kingdom now burnt to the ground, and in ruins, Arlene traveled from one world to another, with one constant was her having the title and been called as ‘The Scarlet Revenant’, who claims to be a “passing-by warrior”, heading where the wind leads her.

Trivia:

-Having survived from the supposed lethal blow from Sangria, Arlene was able to keep what she had learned and acquired from the Immortal Slayer via ability sharing, which are, to name a few, but are not limited to: Portal Creation, Enhanced Strength, Speed, Durability, Perception Blocking, Cognitive Blocking, Regeneration, and Invisibility. Of course, she is also able to wound and/or kill what can be considered as immortal now, too, but that depends on the degree of injury she inflicts. Sometimes she wonders if Sangria really inflicted a lethal blow on her that time, too.

-Despite her claims that she’s still human, she’s far from being human this time, her body composition being similar to that of what she had wielded, minus the part of her turning into a weapon too, or having a weapon form. One can consider her a Quasi-Immortal Slayer, to be precise: Seemingly similar in structure, composition, and function to such, but not quite, as she is not truly such. An accidental creation due to Sangria’s apparent failure on killing this individual who used to be one of her many wielders, for some reason. An existence that should not have been.

-Alas, due to the above, Arlene now has a personal weapon that she can use, that which she claims to be from “the remnants of that spear’s flesh that were once stuck within her in the form of the barbs that had supposedly done her in.”:

Such weapon takes the appearance of a sword, crude in design, and an amalgamation of flesh and steel, a representation of the wrongness of her existence. It can appear and disappear on her will, and thus, make it come in handy whenever she requires of it.

-Due to her status as not being a human anymore, that does certainly would mean that Arlene had stopped aging, which would also mean that her well-developed body would remain as is, as well.

-Another indicator of her not being fully human now is the fact that her eyes have different colors. She was never heterochromic, up until her rebirth, that is. Sometimes, both eyes would be red, but that only happens whenever she’s really in a heated battle.

#ic #Scarlet Revenant (Arlene)

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rainsonata · 4 years

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Doppelgänger 9/15

Chapter 09: Consolidation

Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none Rating: T Word Count: 7,821

Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one’s reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

AO3 Link / FF.NET Link

— [Chapter 01] [Chapter 02] [Chapter 03] [Chapter 04] [Chapter 05] [Chapter 06] [Chapter 07] [Chapter 08] [Chapter 09] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14] [Chapter 15] —

----------------------------

Class Notes:

Canon Path: Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

Alternative Path: Rune Slayer, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

-----------------------------

Daybreaker

A pair of eyes followed her, carefully making notes of her movements with an analytical intent not unlike that of a soldier. Daybreaker saw him do the same with her companions. Rune Master scratched the back of his neck and laughed when caught, but his smile failed to reach his eyes. He was doing what humans did when anxious or uncertain about their future. It was the kind of behavior Daybreaker saw when humans realized that they had no control over their current situation. Rune was trying to understand who they were, these strangers that shared his friends’ faces, yet didn’t know him.

Empire left with the others with the premise of approaching a cavern after Bluhen and Bringer detected Knight’s El resonance. It made sense to send one of their stronger team members in case they had to fight off demons or powerful enemies that were after the Dark El. There was a possibility demons like Ran were out to get their revenge on the team.

“They haven’t returned,” Rune said. “I don’t sense them.”

The rune user sat at the base of one of the many mountains decorating the terrain. Rune sat with his legs crossed and traced his finger over the sand. It was hard to believe he was Knight from his demeanor. He could be pouncing on Rage with trivial questions for one moment, but then lose all emotion and ask if they knew where the Dark El was.

Daybreaker wanted to believe his interest in the Dark El was for the same reason as Knight’s.

“What’s your plan?” Rune said, “You promised to help if they didn’t come back.”

“Only if they’re in trouble,” Rage replied.

“Are they?” Rune tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear.

He sat up and stretched his arms, cracking his knuckles. Weaponless, Rune had nowhere to go except where his kidnappers were willing to trek. His mannerisms reminded Daybreaker of the boy she first met near Ruben Village. Rune was brash and said what was on his mind with no plan in mind, although the latter was questionable. There was a familiar hint of mischievousness in Rune, sometimes snorting to a joke no one knew about except for himself.

Rage tapped his finger over his communicator, his lips forming into a tight line when there was no response. He breathed in unison with the Nasod arm, alive and independent from its owners’ thoughts.

“What’s wrong, Raven?” Daybreaker saw the man frown.

“Elesis isn’t answering.”

“What does that mean?” Aether asked. “Did something happen to them?”

“I’m trying to call them,” Daybreaker tapped on her device and waited for the familiar voices of her friends. “Where are you going?”

Rune sat up.

“How can you sit here and act like nothing’s wrong?” Rune glared.

“You don’t know what they’re going up against,” Rage went after him.

“Which is exactly why you should go save them!” He pulled his arm away from the older man, “Doesn’t it bother you that they asked you to sit and wait?”

Daybreaker had her gloved hand out, mere inches away from Rune’s face. She grabbed hold of the collar of his jacket and pulled on it, forcing Rune to lower his head so they were at the same level. He was just a child yet he was so eager to throw his life away for strangers he hardly knew. There was fear in Rune’s features.

“So you’re going to throw a tantrum like a child?” Daybreaker asked.

“Rena?” Aether gasped. “What are you doing to him?”

“I don’t think I’m asking much when I tell you to remain here.” Daybreaker kept her voice even, “I understand why you’re upset and that you are here against your will. I know that makes us look bad, but I think it’s going to be worse if something was to happen to you because of us. We promised Elesis we would keep you safe.”

Daybreaker couldn’t allow it in her subconscious to allow him to walk off like that. They have already lost Knight. If the other El Search Party learned that Rune had gone missing over another heroic act, she wasn’t sure if it was something she could ever forgive herself for. She didn’t know Rune well, but she couldn’t stand the idea of seeing a young human getting hurt. Not after losing Knight.

Rune cracked a smile, tears streaming down his cheeks. She loosened her grip when his eyes flickered cyan for a brief moment. Daybreaker bit her lips. The other Elsword was influenced by the El too. That’s why he was receptive to other people’s El resonance. It must be painful for Rune to be aware of people’s state of mind or power, a blessing and a curse. Rune could have sensed something most of them couldn’t. No wonder he was eager to charge into another battle. He was Elsword, after all.

“Heh, you really are Rena.” Rune laughed without humor, “She would have said something like that.”

Knight’s doppelgänger rolled his shoulders and pulled his jacket back to show off his bare stomach. His attire was more reminiscent of civilians from Bethma than from his hometown. Rune had his hand behind his back, twitching in need of having a weapon by his side at all times. It was strange how similar he was to Knight without realizing it.

Aether flicked the rune user by forehead with her fingers before crossing her arms, “Where were you planning to go anyway? We don’t even know where they are!”

“That hurts!” Rune whined.

“Rena, are you there?” Crusader’s voice broke out in static, “This is Chung. The cavern is collapsing. I’m with another person. We can breathe, but there’s a monster outside. Be careful, it’s dangerous! It can-”

His voice was cut off before his message could pass through. Daybreaker’s throat went dry and searched to see if any coordinations have been sent to her. Without them, they would have to find their teammates by relying on their senses.

“I heard Chung’s voice,” Rage remained composed. He sensed her anxiety and was already coming up with a plan for their next mission. “I’m guessing this is the signal?”

“I think that warrants more than that,” Aether said dryly.

The sky bloomed into deep violet. Lines cracked against the vibrant heavens, outer shells of crystals framed and hollowed out from the insides to form an assortment of portals. Black spheres tore the surrounding space apart. A deafening sound crashed in Daybreaker’s eardrums when they exploded in the sky.

The cacophony produced by the powerful force strengthened as Daybreaker led them closer to the source, at the entrance of Shadow Vein, a cavern filled with giant crystals. Towering mountains came into view when they arrived at the base of where the cavern opening was supposed to be. Slabs of rocks and boulders blocked the entrance, leaving little room for even the smallest child to fit through one of the bigger holes. Rune slammed his bare hands against the boulders.

“Are you in there?” Rune pulled his arm out in search of his sister, “Elesis!”

“Elsword!” Empire cried and reached for him with an arm smeared in blood. “Is that you? We’re inside Shadow Vein!”

“We’ll find a way to get you out, I promise!” He choked into a quiet sob.

Green light shone as Daybreaker strung her bow and focused her energy on the pointed end of her arrows. She shot two arrows to a shadowed figure that appeared from her peripheral vision, followed by a backflip and fired several more towards the sky. Daybreaker gasped when the sky disrupted and the very fabric of time and dimension was torn apart. Her arrows disappeared into the small holes created by the tears and flew back towards her. Daybreaker launched herself into a backflip and cartwheeled away with her bow tucked behind her back.

Fire, ice, and electricity were dispersed by Aether, followed by explosions from impact as she fired a circle of elements to the enemy. Smoke filled the air and the elemental mage’s voice was heard amongst the chaos.

The shadowed figure dissolved into space, taking the shape of a tall figure with white hair reaching down its back. A magenta-colored crystal latched onto their chest and glowed a sickly coloration to their skin, a shade lighter than her’s. Their jawline was met by a slender neck covered in black material unknown to Elrians. Drones levitated around the stranger with a mind of their own, acting as a shield and deflecting dark energy from the monster they were fighting.

“That monster has Elsword!” Aether pointed to the shapeless crystal monster. The Dark Agate pinched Knight between its fingers, lifting him and screaming when Aether summoned icicles to pierce through its hardened skin. The icicles broke off and shattered into dust.

Rage leveraged his blade between his Nasod arm and pressed his weight against the monster’s legs. Sharp lines cracked into its exterior and dark liquid leaked out, emitting a foul smell that reeked of rotting flesh and metal. The end of Rage’s Nasod arm drilled further into the monster’s skin, twisting and forming dents into it. The Dark Agate groaned and charged against the base of the mountain. Stone walls rumbled and cascaded over the land, sending pebbles raining down over Rage and Knight.

“It seems like your friends came for you,” the stranger chuckled overhead. They maintained distance as they lowered themself to reveal the face of a man. Scars stretched over the lower half of his face and grinned. “I’ll be nice and deliver their princess~”

“I’m not a princess-”

Knight stopped fighting from the monster’s hold and froze. His body outlined in blue and faded. His cries echoed the valley and shook the mountains’ foundations surrounding them. Knight reappeared next to the stranger. Nowhere to stand, Knight panicked and waved his limbs in panic. He was hundreds of feet above the ground and had nowhere to break his fall.

Daybreaker leaped into the air and strung several arrows between her fingers with dexterity. Her arrows fought against gravity and flew across. Three arrows ran through the seams of the back of Knight’s collar, pinning him and sending his body slammed against the walls of a cliff. She ran over to check his status, but a purple blur beat her to it.

“Elsword!”

Aether waved her staff and teleported in succession to the base of the cliff. Her arms were stretched out and stood on her tiptoes in reach for Knight. It would have been touching to see Aether finally be honest about her feelings for the younger boy, but the stranger’s appearance led to more questions for Daybreaker. What did he do to escape from the hold of a powerful demon?

“Aisha, help me!” Knight clung to the wall, pushing his legs up in search for something to stand on with no avail.

“I’m trying!” Aether growled, “You’re lucky Rena is here to stop you from breaking your neck!”

Daybreaker rubbed her forehead with a sigh. She couldn’t believe her arrows were strong enough to stick to the walls. Being in Demon Realm must have done something to strengthen her tolerance against the demonic energy and help her rebuild her strength as she would have in Elrios.

“So cute,” the enigmatic man giggled. He rested his elbow against one of his drones and lifted one leg up.

“Where are you going?” Knight looked at the man.

“I already saved you twice,” he yawned. “I think you can handle this one by yourself.”

The man opened a portal and exited from the scene with a Cheshire grin being the last thing they saw. The portal was sealed shut from behind and the sky went back to being a melancholy blue dipped in tones of red and orange. Who was he?

“If you keep moving, you’re going to fall!” Aether chastised.

“How am I supposed to get down?” Knight asked. “There is nothing to-, ah!”

The arrows holding Knight snapped and the boy slid down. Daybreaker winced as he dropped from several meters high. They scrambled to run to where Knight fell with their arms out. Rage slowed down his run into a fast walk and had his arms ready to catch the younger member of the El Search Party. Daybreaker readied herself by placing her weight into the back of her legs, but her train of thought interrupted by the sound of Knight shouting and Aether screaming. Knight had crash-landed his body onto Aether by full force.

“Elsword, you’re too heavy!” Aether complained. “Get off, you’re crushing me!”

“My back hurts!” Knight whined. ��Where did Paradox go? We need to go after him!”

“Not in your condition,” Rage said. He brought Knight’s arm around his shoulder to help him stand up. “You can tell us more about that man when we bring you back to safety.”

“What about Rune?” Knight asked. “What happened to him?”

Red flames shot into the air and brought Daybreaker’s attention back to the cavern’s entrance. Empire and Rune were still there. Horror rose from the back of her throat and she went back to find them.

Magic ran through Rune’s veins. Flames flew between his fingers as the rune user idly juggled fireballs between his palms and fired them like bullets. He was adept in fire magic that could have challenged Aether’s abilities. Most mages needed a physical object to channel their magic into, yet Rune was able to summon fire without burning himself.

Sparks flared inside Rune’s hands, emitting heat and uncontrolled flames to match the anger playing across his features. Hand over his hip, Rune ignored their calls. Rune’s hands formed into fight fists and gritted his teeth. He snapped when the Dark Agate expelled crystal shards from its body. Rune incinerated them with his flames, moving his limbs with fluidity and dodging its attacks before firing back. He landed his attack directly into the monster’s chest and watched it tumble over with a low groan.

“Heh, is that all?” Rune grinned. “That was nothing!”

Their footsteps alerted him of their presence.

“I solved one of your problems!” Rune saw Knight being helped by Rage and his smile faltered, “and you found your guy... ”

“You’re okay!” Knight lit up.

“Heh, you too?” Rune scratched the back of his neck. “Looks like it’s hard to kill you too.”

“I’m glad you’re safe,” Knight was relieved. “I was worried about you.”

Rune hid his face from view, “You’re just like what they told me. You’re making me look bad.”

“Huh?” Knight was confused.

“Forget it,” Rune shook his head. “I’m just rambling.”

The sound of rocks and stones rumbling made Rune look up to see the Dark Agate bringing its body back up. Horror came into realization as he searched for the last bit of mana to summon his flames. Rune didn’t hear them shouting his name and didn’t move.

Its clawed arm overhauled to reach for Rune when the sound of gunshots pierced through the thick air. A rain of bullets broke through the monster’s skin and left holes inside its body before it could move. The last bullet hit the Dark Agate between the opening of its “mouth” and the monster collapsed on its own weight.

Daybreaker searched for the source of the bullets and stopped to see a pair of ice-blue eyes peering from behind a boulder. Their white armor shared the same sheen as the shells found off the coast of Hamel. A young man stepped out from the shadows when Rune waved and beamed to the newcomer.

“Chung?” Rune choked when he was pulled into a tight embrace by Crusader’s counterpart.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner,” he whispered.

----------------------------

Fatal Phantom

Phantom didn’t let go, feeling his shoulders shake when he hugged around the rune user’s smaller figure. Several day cycles had passed since he had last seen Rune, but his body was struggling to adjust to the new sleep cycle in Demon Realm. His muscles continued to tense and idly played with the trigger with his thumb even as Rune gently rubbed his knuckles over the marksman’s back.

He noticed their audience and obscured his lower face with his scarf. Phantom counted three heads and frowned. There were supposed to be more of them. What happened to the people Oz reported over his last contact with the dark mage? She said they were fighting against Add, Ain, and Chung. He searched for a face identical to his when he felt a warm pair of hands run up his body.

“It’s okay, I’m here.” He felt Rune’s lips lift from the corner of his mouth, pressing them at the nape of his neck.

“What are you doing trying to fight by yourself?” Phantom hissed and pushed himself away, ignoring Rune’s hurt expression.

“I had it under control.” Rune wasn’t as concerned and stretched his arms out. In a quieter voice, the redhead tilted his head back and chuckled. “And I wasn’t alone, I had you.”

Phantom enjoyed being around Rune (he could hear Anemos giggling if he ever admitted that), but he could never wrap his mind around how the late Sieghart could say embarrassing things without getting flustered. It was like standing next to a sun, if said sun was a blinding red and set itself on fire intermittently. He huffed and feigned a cough to hide his embarrassment.

“Rune?”

He turned to see a face identical to Rune’s peer from the side. How similar they were, yet there was a distinct contrast in how Knight presented himself. Hair brushed to the side in a neat short cut, Knight was covered in blood and sweat. Dried blood covered his sides and cracked when he moved. He leaned against Rage’s shoulder before pushing himself and stumbling over to Rune and Phantom with a pained expression. Knight straightened his back and pulled out a sword covered in red runes to offer it to his counterpart with an awkward smile.

Good grief, did all Elswords smile through their pain?

“I wanted to return this to its owner,” Knight brought his hands into his pockets. “I think you’ll make better use of it than I did.”

Aether looked at Knight with an alarmed expression. “What were you doing with Rune’s sword?”

“One of your friends has Elsword’s weapon,” Rage explained when Phantom gave him a look of confusion. “He had blue hair and didn't talk much.”

“Ain?” Rune ran his hand through his hairline, “You saw him?”

“I think Paradox is involved in this,” Knight said. “He uses portals to toy with people. That’s why he has your sword. He must have done the same with mine.”

Who was Paradox? Phantom was already lost in the conversation in who was being referred to when everyone had a counterpart. He wasn’t even going to try and guess which one of his teammates went by the name of Paradox in another dimension.

It was clear that Paradox had left Knight shaken. His skin was paler than Rune’s and sadness reflected in his expression when he addressed them with unnecessary formality. Knight had a stockier build than Rune, but without his sword, he was defenseless and had nothing to occupy his hands with. He kept his hands in his pockets or folded them over his thighs, tinkering with his fingers when he spoke.

“What did Paradox want?” Daybreaker asked. Motherly concern took over and the elf woman rested her palm against Knight’s forehead. “Did he hurt you?”

“I’m not sure,” Knight admitted and shook his head. “He kept me close and made me watch you guys fight each other. I think he’s lonely.”

“What kind of person does that?” Aether puffed her cheeks, “he brought that monster and left us to clean up his mess!”

“We should at least find him and learn what his intentions are,” Rage said. “Elsword said he could control portals. If we can get him to talk, maybe we can help them return home?”

Phantom felt their eyes fall on him and Rune as if they had just been noticed. It was an uncomfortable feeling being scrutinized by the people they were supposed to be fighting hours ago. Rune probably wouldn’t appreciate it either if they were to break out into another fight. He squeezed Rune’s hand when he saw the latter breath out a heavy sigh.

He saw it in his partner’s eyes. Rune was blaming himself again, playing the martyr and carrying the burden with miserable pride. It was pitiful at first sight, but it was getting on his nerves and Phantom has had enough of it. Rune shouldn’t be the first to jump ship and take the blame for things that were out of his control. The rune user wasn’t the only one from a different dimension.

“We’re not leaving until we find the others,” Phantom said. “One of our friends said they were stuck inside Shadow Vein with one of yours.”

“You mean Chung?” Daybreaker asked, “He said he was with your Aisha.”

“Who probably isn’t as skilled as me,” Aether smirked.

“You haven’t even met her yet,” Knight deadpanned.

“What? Have you?” Aether scoffed. “Because last time I checked, you were kept hostage by a man wearing a trash bag!”

What a strange group, Phantom thought. They were lively and bickered among themselves, not unlike his teammates when they weren’t busy chasing after demons because of strange circumstances that liked to fall on them. When was the last time their party had the chance to sit down and chatter without being rushed to their next destination?

“I’m sorry for causing you trouble,” Rune blurted out. He looked at Knight with guilt. “Your sister is trapped inside the cave because of us, I’m sorry. I-”

“What are you apologizing for?” Aether stared at Rune. “Don’t blame yourself for something you have no control over.”

“No one is angry at you,” Daybreaker agreed “What matters is that you and Elsword are safe. There’s no reason to fight anymore.”

Phantom was apprehensive in meeting the people that took away his friend, yet they were treating Rune as one of their own, comforting and reassuring him, easing the pain away with kind words of encouragement. No matter how different they were from his friends, their actions were genuine and held no grudge against them. After months of traveling in Elysion, it was strange to meet people again. The other El Search Party didn’t hold the mysticism the El Masters and priestesses had. They were adventurers like them that knew how to hold their ground against powerful enemies.

Was Phantom blind in worrying about Rune when the fire user was in good company with capable adventurers? He wasn’t ready to fully trust them, but Phantom saw that they wouldn’t harm Rune. He gathered that the opposing party, at least in regards to Aether and Daybreaker, were the more honest adventurers from how open and relaxed they were in discussing plans in their presence. Phantom had enough encounters with deceitful clients to recognize the signs of ones he could not trust.

“Did you come here alone?” Rune asked Phantom with worried concern. He gripped his hand around Phantom’s; they were warm and sweaty.

“No,” Phantom said. “Aisha contacted us and Eve detected you.”

Rune lit up at the mention of their team members.

Ultimate gave him affirmation about Rune’s location in the logical optimism she often had (“Based on reading analysis, there is an 80.88% chance he is in this region.”). Phantom didn’t ask where the numbers were from. It was rare for her to make mistakes, even rarer for Ultimate if it involved their friend. Rune wasn’t hard to find, anyway because he liked to make his presence known. His flames flared like a beacon for Phantom to find the rune user.

“Where are they?” Aether asked.

“Yo!”

Five figures came into view past the blocks of shattered boulders crumbled over the closed cavern. Ultimate’s winged form was visible, shaped by the dark curves thrown by the smaller sun casting over the Nasod Queen. Draped over her shoulder was Abysser drooling with his eyes shut and wrapping his arms around Ultimate’s mechanical wings. Timoria exchanged a look of defeat to Phantom and shrugged in exasperation. A spark of annoyance was apparent in the brisk walk Ultimate took; Moby and Remy followed their owner and hovered to prevent Abysser’s head from bumping into things.

Walking behind Ultimate was a gray-haired man in a sleeveless top covered by a heavy furred coat. Phantom recognized him as the opposing El Search Party’s Ain. Featureless and free of the El’s influence, Bluhen kept his head low, deprived of emotions. The cowlick forming from his hairline dropped and his eyes wandered from the present.

Leading the strange assortment of misfits was a woman in black leather that covered most of her body. Everything about her reminded Phantom of the flames she and Rune manipulated - her eyes, hair, and the tattoos engraved into her skin. The tattered jacket over Flame’s shoulders crackled in unison to the footsteps made by her heeled boots. The body dragged over her shoulders was a man in black and purple. His face was hidden, but there was little guess to who that was supposed to be.

“Is that Add?” Rage gawked at the display of an unconscious teammate.

“I said yo!” Flame waved her arm. As she neared, she lowered her shoulders and unloaded the heavyweight with a toothy grin. “When a person says hi, you’re supposed to say hi back!”

“You’re not sis,” Knight looked away with disappointment.

“Ouch,” Flame winced and rubbed her back. “Sorry~”

“Don’t be rude!” Aether hissed but gave the older woman an apologetic look. “Don’t be mad, he’s injured and went through a lot.”

“Nah, it’s just a little strange to know I have two brothers.” Her eyes moved over to Rune with a wide grin, “but this one is still my favorite!”

“Elesis?” Rune’s eyes widened, “Ow, that’s my rib. Your hugs are too much.”

Rune cried in receiving a bear hug from the sister he looked up to, rubbing the tears streaming down his face in laughter. Flame let go after getting playfully punched by her brother. His joy sparked a bright light and for a moment, Phantom forgot they were stuck in the middle of a place where they shouldn’t exist. Seeing him smile made the search for the idiotic redhead damn worth it, although that thought was soon cut short.

“Ain? Are you okay?” Daybreaker rushed to Bluhen to check on the priest and placed a gloved hand over his shoulder. “Did you go into a full fight?”

“I’m just tired,” Bluhen gave a weak smile. “Good thing Mr. Guardian stopped the fight. I would have lost in a fight against two.”

“Is that what happened?” Knight asked. “What about Add?”

“This guy wasted all his energy healing himself,” Timoria pointed to Bluhen. She pulled her cap down to hide her eyes, “Ciel is down because he got too close.”

Ultimate placed Abysser on the ground and had his head resting against a makeshift pillow. Bringer was arranged in a similar manner as they set up a temporary healing station to heal wounds after the disastrous fights. Both had white hair and didn’t stir when moved by the people carrying them, snoring softly next to one another.

“What’s wrong?” Phantom asked. He saw Rune placing his hands over the blocked cavern, his tattoos glowing in anticipation with desperation in his expression. Arms reached out for the other side with guilt, Rune leaned his body forward with a bitter smile.

“His sister is trapped inside,” Rune nodded towards Knight talking to one of his teammates with a saddened expression and shaking his head. “So are a few others, including our friends.”

“Let me talk to her. Go help the others.” He heard Rune sigh but left to talk to their conscious teammates. Phantom placed his hand over the slab of stone, searching for an opening where he could get his voice across. “Elesis, are you there?”

Weak laughter came from the other side, a young woman’s voice was heard.

“Are you Chung?”

“I’m the other one. Call me Phantom.” Phantom said, “Who’s with you?”

“Devi,” she answered. “There are two more inside. This entrance is blocked, but Chu-, a friend of ours said he felt a breeze coming from somewhere else.”

Empire was talking about his counterpart, Phantom heard her hesitance in referring to the other one. The sheer size of the cavern covered more ground than some of the mountains surrounding Hamel. It was not uncommon for caves of that size to have multiple entrances and exits. His alternative could be using that information to look for a new exit.

“Locate them and search for another way out,” Phantom said. “We will be looking for them too.”

“Thank you,” Empire breathed. “I’m sorry about the trouble we have caused.”

“You did it because he’s important to you,” Phantom closed his eyes. “I will talk to both of our teams and let you know if we find something.”

Phantom turned to meet with a pair of red eyes looking at him with curiosity. It was like looking into a cracked mirror. The shape of his eyes and face were Rune’s but his posture had more in common with Hamel soldiers than that of a village boy. Knight was well endowed in plated armor designed for offense, chained and overlapping with one another to strengthen his defense for front row battles. He gave Phantom an impressed smile and approached the assassin with no fear.

“Thank you for doing the right thing,” Knight was grateful.

“I only did it because someone asked me to,” Phantom said. He moved away and kept his distance, but Knight came in closer.

“You care about Rune a lot,” Knight leaned in to inspect Phantom with interest. “Is that why?”

He would be damned if he was expecting Knight to be any less perceptive than Rune. How much of the conversation between him and Rune did Knight overhear? Phantom wasn’t going to open about his life story to someone he had just met, even if that person looked like someone he knew!

“You should stay back and heal,” Phantom turned his head away to hide the pink in his cheeks. Did none of the Elswords know personal space? And in public! “There’s medicine if you need some.”

Please read the room, he silently begged Knight to leave. They have already found Rune. Now they needed to regroup and find a way to leave this dimension so they could do their tasks properly. There were things they needed to do if they wanted to make progress without any further delay than the inconveniences caused by every other person they have met.

Knight didn’t leave.

“That’s okay, Ain can heal us!”

Fucking hell.

----------------------------

Empire Sword

Underneath the dull lighting of the illuminating crystals, Empire could make out Devi’s small figure. Limbs tangled and sprawled out, her eyes were closed shut. Her face was pale and had a sickly hue. She had scars formed over one another in layers, some of them blossoming into patterns nearly identical to the ones Empire had before she met Bluhen.

Empire dragged Devi over to the flat surface, further into the cave and away from the dangerous rocks and boulders that nearly crushed them. They would be dead if it wasn’t for Devi’s quick thinking, Empire thought with a bitter smile. The red knight had technically won the fight against the late Haan, but it was a bittersweet victory for her. Once again, she was separated from Elsword because of the strange circumstances around them.

She produced a bandage roll from her bag and threw the rest of the contents back in. Empire held up a flashlight over to Devi to inspect the woman for injuries. She unrolled the bandage and wrapped it around Devi’s exposed ankle, tightening and rolling it into a knot and tucking it in.

They needed to find an exit out of this place. Crusader was somewhere inside Shadow Vein with the opposite team’s Aisha. Phantom said he and the others would search for an exit too, but she was uncertain how much she could trust him. He sounded stern when he made his promise, keeping his voice low as if afraid of being heard. There was no timidness in his tone, but a harsh one that spoke of urgency.

The red knight couldn’t understand why there was another El Search Party. What did they want from them and how did they cross paths with them? Could this be another result of Knight’s brief connection with the El in Elrianode? Her lips quivered at the thought of her brother’s action bringing about their current situation. Tempering with the El was risky and made them easy targets.

Empire tucked a strand of hair behind Devi’s ear but paused to the serene smile that graced upon the woman’s face. Legs crossed and arms hugging her spear, she was defenseless in sleep, free of pain and ambitions. She laid in silence as Empire lifted her head to stare into the depths of the cavern. Her eyes strained to look into the dark abyss and landed over to Devi’s face again, unable to look away.

Why did Devi save her?

She had foolishly fallen into Paradox’s provocation that would have cost her life if Devi wasn’t there to break her fall. The demon they fought was still out there and they were trapped inside because of her impulsive decision. What kind of leader was she? Empire gripped her claymore and hissed from the pain digging into her shoulder blades.

They were alive, but the air here tasted like dirt and copper, a combination she was unfortunately familiar with. The interior entrance of the cavern had a low ceiling that forced Empire to crouch her body and look down.

The red knight had Devi’s legs bent and lowered her body. Empire pulled Devi by the wrists until she was standing, bringing Devi’s arms over her shoulders and lifted herself up to carry the unconscious woman. The additional weight had Empire steady herself in a slow march into the darkness.

The crystals enclaved a narrow pathway for Empire to follow, careful to walk around the tight twists and turns leading downward. Light cracked between Empire’s fingers and the jagged lines etched into the boulders that were effectively blocking the way they came in. Water drops pelted her face as she looked up to find crystals forming from the ceiling, their radiance growing and fading in strength. There was an earthy damp smell as Empire strained her muscles to shove the rocks and pebbles out of the way. She rubbed her head with the back of her palm and hissed in pain. Blood trickled down from her bottom lip as the red-haired woman gasped for air.

Her body and mind had adjusted to the heavy demonic pressure that was the hallmark of Demon Realm, a red haze of aura that no longer clouded her mind. Demonic energy maintained the realm’s stability, but something changed when Paradox appeared. Portals were not foreign concepts to her, but she never saw so many open until she saw Paradox fight Knight. The number of portals that began opening in various spots made her uneasy. They reminded her too much of Glave taunting the El Search Party into visiting various dimensions for his own amusement.

A shadow swooped down and spread its wings. Empire screamed when it let out high pitched squeaks and turned around, only to bump into her again. She almost dropped Devi. Her back was turned when she saw a human-shaped figure lurking from the darkness. Empire darted past the shadow to see the cavern tunnels widening again.

A pointed hat covered in zippers came into view, followed by a young woman appearing under the lighting and dressed in an outfit that was just as eccentric. Oz Sorcerer caught Empire by the arm and reeled her in with her staff, stopping her from running headfirst into the wall. She flashed a smile to Empire and tipped her hat off with serene eyes.

“Sorry about that,” Oz apologized. “Angkor thought you were a demon.”

“Angkor?” Empire gawked at the ball flapping its wings beside the dark mage. That thing was the demon Rune mentioned earlier? But it was so round and fat. “It’s real?”

“As real as I am.” Oz looked at Devi sleeping over Empire’s shoulder. Her eyes narrowed, “what happened to her?”

“She passed out because of the earthquake,” Empire explained. “We’re trapped inside and need to find a different exit.”

“Of course we do,” the woman sighed. “There’s no easy way out because that would be too simple.”

Empire burst out in laughter, tilting her head back and catching her breath in short gasps before settling with a lopsided smile. At least Empire could be assured that Oz was going to be as sarcastic as her counterpart. She chuckled when Oz looked at her in confusion, if not weary by the red knight’s presence. Empire realized the source of Oz’s nervousness when the heavy hitter of the other team was found unconscious by her hands.

“Ugh, you’re so loud.”

Devi lifted her head. Arms wrapped around Empire’s neck, she fluttered her eyes open and hung her head over the red head’s shoulder. She pressed her weight down and twisted her body to find her head reaching the cavern ceiling. Her muscles twitched as Devi wiggled her limbs, discomfort in being held down by the enemy and unable to move. Tufts of hair stuck up in different directions in a messy array. Sharp fingernails clawed into Empire’s shoulders.

“I’m having a conversation with your teammate,” Empire said without feeling sorry. She wasn’t going to let Devi’s words bother her. There were bigger things to worry about.

“Good to see you didn’t lose your head,” Devi caught Empire’s gaze with pursed lips.

“We’re done fighting,” was all Empire could muster to say without making herself into a fool.

“I know that,” Devi said with boredom and yawned.

Once again, Empire found herself at a loss for words. Her head was spinning when she was met by Devi’s tactless comments. Blunt words jabbing from the sides without the refined restraints Apsara had in more fragile conversations.

“Is Chung with you?” Empire turned to ask Oz. She searched for white armor in the midst of the dim cavern.

“Here I am,” a blonde head poked into the hallway. Crusader dragged his destroyer over in a conspicuous manner that was almost comical if not for the serious expression on his face. He looked at her and Devi with a puzzled expression, “You’re here too?”

“Unfortunately,” Empire rubbed the back of her head. “We’re looking for another exit to meet up with the other team. Did you find anything?”

“No,” Crusader shook his head.

Dry blood plastered over his armor, red paint streaming over seashell white armor. A closer inspection, Empire saw the cracks indented into his armor, blooming into miniature craters and embedded with dirt and grime. Sweat glimmered over his face and left the impression of a man who had found his calling in war. Crusader held his head high as a trained soldier should have. He would have been the ideal soldier for the Velder Army. Out of breath, but fearless and eager to partake in the next challenge that awaited him.

“I didn’t think the leader would get herself trapped down here,” Oz rested her elbow on Angkor. The giant bat squeaked and struggled to stay afloat with weight pressing down on its head.

“I’m not the leader,” Empire protested.

“You’re the one who ordered your team to fight,” Oz drawled. “I think that’s enough to earn the leader title.”

“You’re the one who forced us to fight!” Empire turned her head to glare at Devi, who covered her mouth and giggled. “Don’t you have any shame? How is this justice?”

“Justice?” Devi stopped laughing to narrow her eyes, “‘Justice’ is only in those who are the strongest. You can’t defend your beliefs if you can’t even defend yourself.”

“What happened to you?” Empire blinked in bewilderment, gaping at the woman who shared Aspara’s face. Cold and distant, unfaltering and unapologetic about the impact her words had on others. How could she be Ara?

“You don’t have to continue holding me like a maiden,” Devi said. “That won’t be necessary.”

Devi leaned her body inward, lifting her legs up and removing them from Empire’s hold. One hand over Empire’s shoulders, she pulled one of her legs out in an attempt to find footing over the cave’s sides. Her foot slipped over the rough surface and she lost her slipper. Devi fumbled over and her body swayed, falling back and losing her grip on her rescuer. Empire gasped for air and paused. A loud crash cracked the ground followed by Devi’s shrieks.

Empire stared dumbfounded at the sight of Devi on the floor. Face planted into the floor, Devi had her limbs sprawled out and struggled to lift herself. The dark-haired woman held up her head, strands of hair fell over her face as she stumbled and fell down again. Orange pupils glowered in anger.

She’s definitely Ara, Empire offered a hand to pull her onto her feet.

“Who else would I be?” Devi placed one hand over her hip.

Did I say that out loud? Empired tucked her head in to hide the blush creeping up her face. “Sorry...”

“Why are you apologizing?” Devi put on her slipper, “you should be saying that to your team.”

“That can be done when we find an exit,” Oz tapped her foot impatiently. “Angkor found an exit closest to us.”

“Which I said that might be worth looking into,” Crusader said. “These caves are similar to the ones near Hamel and must have several exits and entrances for there to be a constant draft in the tunnels.”

Devi looked at the blond with new interest, “I suppose that makes you useful for something.”

“Some of these tunnels were dug by demons, so it won’t be an easy walk,” Oz warned her.

“They would be fools to get in the way,” Devi grinned.

“How could I forget?” Oz rolled her eyes.

“Why are you encouraging her?” Empire asked.

Oz shrugged, “Is that a problem if it helps us escape?”

“No,” Empire sighed.

Deeper into the tunnels they went, lit up by the crystals grounded at their feet and above their heads. An uneventful trek into the darkness, a rare silence in an alien land uninterrupted by their heavy solemn footsteps. Demons dotted the so-called abandoned path. Beady eyes lurked from the shadows before disappearing from sight and reappearing again behind a crystal.

“They’re not attacking,” Crusader saw a small group of demons disperse away from their path.

“With an earthquake that size, they must have lost many of their members today. Fighting us would be a bad idea.” Oz added, “Of course, my guess is as good as yours.”

“You made a contract with a demon,” Crusader said.

“Doesn’t mean I speak demon,” the dark mage scoffed. “That’s Angkor’s job.”

“Why would you do that?” Crusader asked.

“Why would it matter?” Oz said, “I chose a path I thought was the best option.”

Her words struck a memory inside Empire. Knight said something similar after waking up to being rescued by his friends… from the El. The red knight understood his reasoning, but she couldn’t let go of the unnerving feelings igniting from her core. It wasn’t right for a brother to sacrifice himself in the place of an older sibling, but Knight argued that it was the best option. For all of them.

Empire unsuccessfully searched for lament in the purple-haired woman’s features. Demon or not, those were eyes of a person set in their decision with no regrets. Was Empire wrong to believe that their alternative selves were prisons of their decisions as much as she was to hers? She was proud to be the captain of the red knights, but her duty as an older sister led her to leave her soldiers. Was it the right decision to believe in her men and place her presence elsewhere?

“Miss Elesis?” Crusader’s voice emerged from the silence, “You’ve been quiet.”

“It’s nothing,” Empire shook her head. “I’m just thinking.”

“It must be something important,” Crusader said. “You look tired.”

If it wasn’t for their situation, she would have bumped her knuckles on his shoulder plate and teased him about his serious expression.

“We finally have Elsword back and now we’re lost,” Empire let out a soft laugh.

“I don’t think that’s very funny,” Crusader frowned.

“It turns out he didn’t need help to save himself,” Empire sighed. “He can fight his own battles, yet I can’t stop worrying about him.”

“It hurts because he will always put others first,” Devi said with sadness. “Even if you tell him not to.”

Empire nodded. She didn’t know Knight was having an internal battle with himself until it was too late. He wouldn’t let her know because he knew she would try to stop him. If it wasn’t for the rest of the team, Knight would still be…

“United by the same idiot,” Oz sighed. “I think all of you have spent enough time giving him grief over that. I think it’s stopping all of you from moving on.”

Crusader looked at Oz with wonder and smiled.

“You’re right,” Crusader said softly. “He needs us as much as we need him. We need to move quickly so he won’t worry about us.”

“To think a kid has this kind of power over people,” Devi mused.

“People trust him,” Empire said.

She trusted Knight because he was her brother, but he proved that he was more than that. Knight was a capable adventurer and a reliable friend, always ready to lend a hand even to strangers he had just met. Some called him naive, but maybe that was what made him disciplined. He lived by a code to always give people his trust, which has earned him friends and sometimes enemies. It was a type of mentality that was unworldly inside the battlefield.

Sunlight shone at the end of the tunnel. The smell of fresh pine woke up Empire’s senses and lifted the heavyweight off her shoulders. Standing at the exit of the caverns was a familiar face with red-hair and matching eyes.

“Hey, sis!”

Elsword?

Empire rushed over to the voice but stopped when she saw the long bangs framing his face.

“Elesis?” Rune repeated her name.

“You’re not Elsword,” Empire heard herself say.

Her head spun as she realized what she said. Empire extended her hand to apologize, but Rune had disappeared. The others’ voices flooded around her.

----------------------------

Author Notes: It’s been 80 years. I am writing this as many parts of the country are going into self-quarantine for COVID-19. I will continue to slowly upload new chapters as I am still required to attend to work and classes online. Thank you for everyone’s patience and wonderful comments.

#elsword #eltag #Elsword fanfiction #my fanfiction #my writing #Elboy (Elsword)#Aisha (Elsword)#Rena (Elsword)#Raven (Elsword)#Eve (Elsword)#Chung (Elsword)#Ara (Elsword)#Elesis (Elsword)#Add (Elsword)#Lu (Elsword)#Ciel (Elsword)#Ain (Elsword)#doppelganger

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