"Sister… what have you done?"
Thamiezel walks into the throne room from his morning stroll. He gulps at the sight of his sister's vile art.
"Dipper… I have improved it, don't you think?"
The throne room is now painted a dark shade of blue, and the glitter covering the room gives it the appearance of the night sky.
"Why? And how?"
"Why? Because this place is decrepit and boring. I grew tired of its dreariness. And how? Our world, despite falling into ruin, has kept its love for art."
"So you wandered into the human caverns… and took their glitter."
"No. Do you believe that only humans love art?"
"I do not care what these creatures value."
"You are so… grumpy. And isn't this better?"
"The color of my throne is part of my reputation. You believe I would be so feared if I painted my tower all pink and polka-dotted?"
"Only feared for your horrid taste, Dipper."
Thamiezel laughs as he approaches his sister.
"So tell me, Mabel, what else will you change?"
"I don't know. Come here, my bro-friend."
Thamiezel meets Zelestra, now a full-fledged vampire. He embraces her in this precious moment together, where they do not have to hide behind a veil of power and hate.
"Mabel… my Mabel."
"Brother… Dipper… I love you."
Thamiezel leans in and kisses his sister, running his hands along her pale back. He moves away, smiling into her eyes before he leans into her neck. He delicately tears in, drinking deep of Zelestra's vampiric blood. As he lifts his head back, Zelestra leans down and sinks her teeth into her brother's neck. The exchange of blood has developed as a show of trust and love between the two vampires. Zelestra parts and moves her head towards her brother's, cupping his face affectionately.
"You… are wonderful, Mabel."
"Thank you, Sir Dippingsauce."
Thamiezel smiles as the twins walk back to their shared throne.
"Brother… what now?"
"I have no idea. Hunt or wait."
"Hunting and waiting. How dull can eternity be?"
"So many years of waiting. Did you know the last great battle between Paradise and Inferno lasted only seven years? Hundreds of millions of years building up their armies and having them destroyed in a blink. How pointless."
"Indeed."
The twin rulers glare into the wasteland, not caring what has become of the Earth. Now they both know that there were worse fates than living amidst the ruined planet.
"Let us see what our goblin friends are doing." Zelestra says.
"The underground is slowly being abandoned. They are moving onto less damaged worlds. Perhaps we shall visit one of their little outposts."
"Let's go. I'm tired of this dead world."
Thamiezel and Zelestra step off their throne and head towards the balcony. Thamiezel rests his head on Zelestra's shoulder as the twins gaze out past the blanket of ash and look upon the stars.
"Which world shall we head to?" asks the vampire king.
"Don't know. Tell me about this universe. There is still much I don't know."
Thamiezel points to a small light in the sky.
"The world of the Xas. Capital of the Empire of the Sovereign Sun, the largest star in the universe. Their home world has become one large, endless city and their empire spans one thousand galaxies. They are ruled by immortal spirits that have reigned for five hundred million years. I do believe if they came against us our armies would be powerless."
Thamiezel points towards another star, closer and in their home galaxy.
"There. The colony of Zulserx. One of their own had discovered the Order of Dracul. He doomed his species' home planet. He fled through dimensions and leapt across worlds. And at last he came here, handing one of the most dangerous artifacts in existence to me. And I used it to free us from our shackles."
"What else is there?"
"Let us move a little to the right. Hoag's Object it was called by humanity. Millions of years ago it was called the Empire of the Great Zalhuur. A proud, arrogant species. That pride would cost them everything. Its name now is the Home of the Endless War. Their war started over a simple dispute of who would take the throne after the king died without an heir. Now it has gone on for nearly a billion years. The proud, arrogant culture has brought endless ruin to their galaxy. From our view, it shows a bright cluster of red giants in the nucleus, surrounded by a ring of blackness that is in turn surrounded by a ring of scattered stars. But in truth, the stars are nearly gone. Many were destroyed as a side effect of the endless fighting. The rest have been imprisoned in great spheres to have their powers harnessed. The natural planets are all dead, replaced by great machines to breed armies and weapons."
"And none have taken advantage of their weakness?"
"They haven't been invaded by greater powers because of how amusing they are. Like watching two colonies of ants fighting over a single apple when they can simply climb the apple tree together. It would be viewed as tasteless and rude to stop the entertainment."
"What is the farthest thing from us?"
"The galaxy of Esher-zal. We cannot see it from our world, but it's there. A fairly new galaxy made by the star weavers. Higher dimensional beings repopulating the universe to ensure the continuation of life."
"Whose side are they on?"
"Their own. They hold no allegiance to Inferno or Paradise."
Zelestra relaxes into her brother's arms.
"And all the stars are getting farther and farther away."
"Not entirely. Something has begun to force them back to where they were. Subtly manipulating the fabric of the cosmos to move everything back together. What they plan on doing then, I have no idea."
"Perhaps they will simply have a big party."
"That would be fun."
The twin rulers laugh together.
"I love you, Dipper."
Before the twins can leave for another world, a great presence enters the throne room. A shade of murky blood stands before the twins. Thamiezel walks forward and bows to Dracul, the Lord of the Order of the Dragon. Zelestra walks up and offers a handshake. The blood creature extends a murky appendage. Zelestra shakes her master's hand before stepping back.
"Your sister is strange."
"I do my best, my master." she says with a bow.
"What brings you to our little world?" Thamiezel asks.
"Word has reached the highest of the angels. Yaltabaoth will soon know that your sister has been taken from their realm."
"And… will they come against us?"
"If they discover Lucifer himself has aided you, they will attempt to discern your importance. And if they take you, you will not receive help from me."
"At least you're honest. My memories… what happens to them?"
"You will lose your knowledge of my order as your predecessor had. You and your sister will be taken by Paradise. And then they will imprison you."
"I assume they will attempt to torture the information from my mind before throwing me into Inferno while keeping my sister chained in their world."
"Yes."
"Well, I'd better not let that happen!" Thamiezel shouts cheerfully.
"If you desire to retreat, then I will oblige."
"… perhaps… but then again… this could be a great benefit to my sister and I."
"Brother, what are you thinking of?"
"Your family… we can bring them back."
Zelestra walks over, realizing the gamble her brother is beginning. She hugs him, holding him tight for wanting to risk the wrath of Paradise to rejoin with their family.
"You do not have to do this, Dipper."
"Mabel… I will tear down the foundations of Heaven for you."
Zelestra laughs lightly at her brother's vow of love. She places a warm hand on his face as she moves in for a kiss. They move apart and look towards their master.
"You desire to stay and fight?"
"Yes." the twins reply in unison.
"So be it. Once the angels come for you, I will not risk my discovery. Should they overpower you, then you will be taken."
"Understood, my master." Thamiezel says. Dracul vanishes from the universe, leaving Thamiezel and Zelestra alone.
"Where to begin, Sir Dipster?"
"We must first lure them out… they will not come against us in open war. They will send weaker angels to lead our enemies. The only problem is we currently have no enemies. Our last opponents have surrendered."
"Then let us choose another enemy."
Thamiezel looks towards the cosmos with his sister. He gazes, thinking through the hundreds of planets that might offer a suitable opponent. He settles on a star at the other edge of the galaxy.
"There… Esylios. They pride themselves on their purity. But they are not very powerful themselves. Fundamentalist animals obsessed with cleansing sin. They have turned away from gazing out into the stars. They are oblivious to our existence. Our armies could destroy them if not for the loss of life and the pointlessness of a war with them. But they are easily malleable by Paradise. If we go to war against Esylios, then Heaven will surely side with them."
"Perfect, my brother."
Thamiezel and Zelestra leave their throne room. The twins descend the spiral stairs leading down from the top of the tower. They walk past a court of their servants, filled with several vampires, goblins, and lesser demons who have left Inferno to ally with Thamiezel. The twins continue their descent down the great tower. Sounds of frantic movement and laughter echo upwards into the spiral staircase.
"I wonder what our little servants are doing, sister."
"I believe I hear the sounds of a party. I love parties."
"My sister, we are supposed to be the masters here."
"And what better way to maintain morale than drinking 'til our minds are broken and woozy."
Thamiezel laughs at his sister's humor as they approach the room. Zelestra finds several vampires and goblins throwing a birthday party. The twins walk in, and the sounds of chatter go silent. Several unaware vampire children fly around the room. One lands near the vampiric rulers' feet and looks up. She sticks her tongue out at the ancient king, not knowing who he is as he has not come to the lower circles of the tower in more than a century. The vampire's mother gasps and goes to retrieve her child. Zelestra kneels and smiles at the young vampire.
"Hello." Zelestra says.
"Who are you?"
"Zelestra."
"Your name is funny."
"It is, isn't it?"
"And who's the grumpy man?"
The vampire's mother runs up and yanks her child back towards the table. Zelestra and her brother continue walking into the room. Thamiezel's dark armor changes shape into a black tuxedo with a white undershirt and a black bowtie. He walks over with his sister and takes a seat across from the young vampire and her mother.
"Hello. And whose birthday is it today?"
"Mine."
"Well then, happy birthday… uh, I never had your name."
"Arella."
"A beautiful name, that is."
"And who are you, grumpy man?"
"… It does not matter. This is a day for celebrations, Arella."
"Every name matters."
"Then, for now, call me… George."
The little vampire giggles as she turns towards the goblin at the other table; the lonely, grumpy goblin looks away from the vampire child.
"Georgey! His name is Georgey, too!"
The child laughs at the goblin's name. Thamiezel smirks as he takes a glass of blood in his hands.
"To Arella. May you have many years of unlife."
He drinks the glass of blood and sets it down. Zelestra takes one of her own and drinks her fill. The party seems to regain its life in the presence of Thamiezel. Several older vampires stand from their tables and begin to walk away. Thamiezel, not wishing to ruin the party, moves away from the table and halts the vampires' attempts to leave.
"Come now. I'm not angry with you, and I am not going to harm you. It is a time for celebration and joy."
Thamiezel's words ease some of the vampires. The others become too afraid to leave the party against Thamiezel's wishes. Thamiezel returns to his sister and joins hands with hers. They sit as a large chocolate cake soaked with blood is brought before Arella.
"Blood cake. Wonderful!" Zelestra says happily.
"Of course. One of the best inventions ever."
"That and pancakes with blood syrup, Thamiezel."
Zelestra leans her head on her brother's shoulder, and the mad king rests his head on hers.
"Soon… soon we will have our family again." Thamiezel whispers.
Thamiezel feels a ceramic plate thrown at the back of his head. He turns around to see a group of mischievous goblin children snickering at him. The room goes silent with dread before Thamiezel returns his attention to the table. He ignores another plate thrown at his head in favor of seeing Arella's family sing. Zelestra helps sing happy birthday while Thamiezel simply watches, attempting to maintain the charade of the callous demon king. Yet he smiles warmly as Zelestra gives Arella her slice of cake. He and Zelestra help pass around the other slices. Once everyone has their dessert, Zelestra returns to her brother's embrace. Thamiezel kisses the top of her head as he continues to watch the party. He smiles warmly at the sight of Arella and her friends, oblivious to the madness of the outer universe.
"I hope our little game does not hurt them." Zelestra says.
"I do too… but… I do not know how long it will be until the final war."
"If there is another way, then I hope we can take it."
"Perhaps."
Arella's mother approaches the table before the two rulers. She sits down, prepared to apologize for her daughter's earlier behavior.
"I… I am sorry for my daughter's rudeness."
"There is nothing to be sorry for. She is wonderful. I hope she has many years of life with the ones she loves." Zelestra says.
"Thank you."
"What is your name?"
"Felicia."
The vampire's mother yawns, exhausted from a long day with the children.
"So… when were you changed?" Zelestra asks.
"Oh… my parents were both vampires. I was never turned."
"How long does your vampiric lineage go back?"
"The first turn?... I know my great great grandfather was a human. His wife was born a vampire. A powerful member of the aristocracy. She fell in love with him and he agreed to become a vampire."
"That's sweet. Where are they?"
"They moved to Zelestra Planet Four a while ago."
Zelestra giggles at her brother's strange show of love. He had several of their worlds named after her once she chose her vampiric name. He hides his face in his palm, embarrassed.
"You are adorable, Thamiezel." Zelestra says
"You are doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
"Of course." Zelestra says as she smiles, showing her sharp vampire teeth. Felicia takes notice of the twins' uncommon fangs.
"It's strange. Most of the human vampires have only two or four fangs. Yet both of your mouths are filled with fangs. Like razors."
"Yes… we are not typical vampires." Thamiezel says.
"If I may ask… when did you turn?"
"It was… a long time ago."
"Alright. I won't trouble you… and thank you, for saving our people."
"It was what I needed to do."
"You… you are kinder than my mother and father have said."
"What did they say?" Thamiezel asks with a smirk.
"Well… they called you mad. Said you caused more harm than good."
"Yes… there was a time when I was driven by fury and madness… it is why I obey Zelestra now. She is far better suited for being the ruler here."
"You… you did do those things?"
"My friend… there are far worse fates than death. Take the tale of the twins. They walked their path since their beginning. Their friendship grew to something stronger than any bond between others as they fought monsters and battled mad spirits. They were chained together as one. But they angered an ancient god. For their defiance, it cursed them. One was fated to die, and the other was doomed to walk the Earth alone and invisible. He watched as all those he loved died, one by one, until only she remained. The one he loved above all else. He begged her to stay with him. To become an immortal like him… but she would not part with her family beyond the veil of death. And she left him, hoping that Paradise would allow him to pass the gates… but the gates were barred to him."
"What… is that how it ends?"
"No… the immortal that sacrificed everything to save the world was bound as an eternal slave. Cursed to continue his sacrifice again and again as anyone he came to love succumbed to sickness and death. He was thrown into the gauntlet against countless creatures so that mankind could continue. He battled spirits and vampires and dwellers in the night… But he grew to hate those he served. The species that never learned. They ruined their own world and continued to throw their children into bloody wars as their decrepit, old fathers watched and waved with a smile… This was his fate… the lone immortal. Can you imagine it? As if you were the only vampire and all others were mortal… Forced to watch the world change and mutate while you were never given the gift of death, nor even allowed the peace of sleep. Feeling every minute pass as if it were your first."
"That's… that's horrible, but at least it's simply a tale."
"The tale does not end there. The immortal traveler could not enjoy the bliss of Paradise. He would not be freed no matter how many times he served the realm of light… So the immortal decided that if the Heavens were to let this curse go unhealed, then he would in turn curse the Heavens. He swore an oath of vengeance against the realm of light and its masters. He would do all in his power to tear them down, no matter the cost to the cosmos."
"I take it he did not succeed."
"Not yet."
Thamiezel watches as Arella's mother thinks over the tale. Her lips part with the realization that he was the boy in the tale. The one who curses the gods and plans their downfall.
"I… I am sorry…" she says. She looks over the two rulers and realizes that he has found his other after so long.
"I… I hope that your pain is healed."
"Thank you." Thamiezel says weakly. Zelestra holds him close, squeezing him with her inhuman strength.
"If I were still mortal, you would have crushed my spine by now, Zelestra."
Zelestra chuckles as Thamiezel relaxes, closing his eyes. Felicia looks towards Zelestra.
"Your… your family… do they still remain above, my queen?"
"Yes… yes, they do… how powerful is your mind?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your thoughts… are you like us? Can you prevent others from seeing your memories?"
"Yes… my family trains us from a young age."
Thamiezel opens his eyes and attempts to penetrate Felicia's mind. He desires to discern the strength of her thoughts. She feels his gaze and presses against it. He continues to force his mind upon the vampire, and her mind in turn rebels against him. Thamiezel finds that she can halt his greatest attempts at invading her thoughts.
"My king… your mind is powerful… but like I said, I cannot be broken easily."
"Indeed… there are few amongst our species with that strength. Many would have broken the second I laid my eyes upon them… we ask because the secrecy of our mission is of most importance… perhaps you will be a valuable asset, even though you are not a powerful fighter."
"What do you need?"
"Nothing yet… but our goal… the bloodline of our family brought from the Heavens."
"How? They would see your dark presence the moment you stepped within."
"That is why… they will bring them to us… a little game that will return our family. They won't have any idea what we have planned until it is too late… I vowed we will see them again…"
"And we shall, my brother…"
"I will bring them here again… Zelestra will have her family again…"
Thamiezel feels the air in the room change. He twirls his head around like an owl and catches another plate in his mouth. He chomps down and devours the jagged pieces of the ceramic plate while staring unblinkingly at the goblin child that threw it at him. He grins, showing his bloody, torn up mouth and reddened fangs. Thamiezel giggles before turning his head back.
"No manners." Thamiezel mutters.
"They just want to have fun with the grumpy demon king."
"Well then… perhaps we should play a little game with them." Thamiezel whispers, his tone on the edge of menace and mischief.
"No scaring the children, brother."
"Fine, I'll just… get their parents to scold them later."
Zelestra and Felicia snicker at the demon king, denied his games of terrifying the young children.
Long after the party, Thamiezel and Zelestra return to their throne room. Thamiezel watches as a large dragon approaches the tower. Thamiezel walks forward and meets with the entity.
"My masters, humanity has sent out ten thousand soldiers. They are powerless to harm us, but they may pose as an annoyance."
"Ignore them… we have more pressing matters to attend to. The empire of Esylios has taken over one hundred planets. And they dwell within our own galaxy. And they dress stupid. I do not wish to deal with them for a second longer."
"We… are we to go to war with them?"
"Yes. Send a message to all our worlds closest to their little empire. We will begin building up our armies. I want every powerful vampire, goblin, demon, and dragon ready to push them back. We will end their little threat before it begins. The armies will meet on Cul-Cerberon."
"Yes, my masters."
"And prepare a shuttle for us as soon as possible."
"You… you will join in battle?"
"Yes… it has been a while since I have entered the fray. I need to practice. And I am quite bored."
"Very well."
Thamiezel and his sister wait in the throne room. As the hour passes by, several hundred warships begin taking off. The jagged, sleek black metal is contrasted by the ethereal yellow glow from within the heart of the ships. It appears as a rib-cage surrounding a yellow, radiant furnace. One of the ships pulls up to the tower. Thamiezel and his sister board the vessel. Zelestra walks with a cold, stern gaze. Her smile has been replaced by callousness as the twins come in and sit with a legion of goblins. Thamiezel bares his teeth like a mad shark, ready for battle and carnage. He hears the thoughts of his goblin servants, annoyed at being dragged into battle. Others hope that they will survive the onslaught to see their families again. Several curse the name of their insane king for bringing another war upon them. Thamiezel and his sister glare at the goblin forces, unsettling many of them with their gaze. The dissenting thoughts go silent in fear of their king and queen.
The powerful vessel carves a hole in the fabric of space around the ship, appearing as an orb of fire. The ship removes itself from the universe and reappears in orbit above Cul-Cerberon. Within the hour, the entirety of the fleet has arrived above the world. Thamiezel's forces begin landing on the surface of the planet. Thamiezel and Zelestra step off the ship. Zelestra walks barefoot, taking in the texture of the strange world and curling her toes in the dirt. She breathes deep of the air; it is similar to Earth's air, yet heavier. Lush green forests cover the globe, save for the five cities of Thamiezel's forces. Within the center of each city lies a massive tower, built in the image of Thamiezel's fortress on Earth.
"This… is a wonderful planet." Zelestra says.
Thamiezel and Zelestra move towards the citadel as great shadows. They dwell within the dark tower, waiting for the rest of their forces to arrive. The sky is covered in warships and dragons, preparing to go to war at the whims of their insane king.
"So many ships. Do you think we need them all?" Zelestra asks.
"I doubt it."
The goblins and vampires begin preparing to go to battle. They come from all corners of Thamiezel's empire. Some have seen battle before. Goblins with mechanical arms and legs lead the younger soldiers. Vampires with lost limbs leaking a dark aura that can lash out like a whip walk amongst the legions of monsters. Thamiezel's generals come towards the tower once their armies are assembled. The generals come before their rulers and bow.
"My masters. We are ready. The weakest Esylion world is located in the outer rims of their empire, near Zelestra Planet Fourteen."
"Where are their armies located?" Zelestra asks.
"The great churches are located at the center of the four cities. The armies are all soldiers of the church, and they are based around the defense of the churches. If we destroy them first, the rest of them will be aimless."
"Thamiezel and I will strike one of the cities. When the rest of their armies come to defend against us, you will strike the undefended cities. Destroy any who stand against you. This world will be ours by the day's end."
"Understood."
Thamiezel and his sister return to their ground forces. They walk past countless monsters, who stand ready before their rulers. The powerful vampires enter one of the smaller ships and seal the door.
"Do you know how to fly this thing, brother?"
"Utterly no clue. I assume this button starts it." Thamiezel says while pressing a large red button named "start." The ship spurs to life and begins hovering in the air. Thamiezel looks at the controls for the ship.
"I wonder if they keep, like, a manual anywhere."
Thamiezel looks through the ship's compartments as Zelestra grows bored. She impatiently taps her fingers and toes while Thamiezel begins looking at the buttons.
"Why don't we just have one of the goblins fly us there?" Zelestra asks.
"I am not asking for help after pretending to know what I was doing. It's bad for morale."
"Then let me have a look, you crazy lunatic." Zelestra says. She looks over the controls and presses a button. A screen descends and begins showing a news program of the various events occurring in Thamiezel's empire. After pressing the button again the screen returns to the ceiling. Zelestra grows impatient and shoots a dark tentacle into the machine. The ship sparks and shoots out electricity as Zelestra takes command of the ship like a puppet.
"So I guess you're flying this thing." Thamiezel says with an amused smirk as Zelestra forces the machine to do her bidding.
Zelestra uses her powers to take the ship into the air, weaving from side to side chaotically. The ship leaves the atmosphere with the rest of the fleet. Zelestra activates the engines, and the fleet travels through the folds of space. They appear above the target planet. The world is covered in blue, alien forests, save for the four sprawling cities where the Esylions live. Massive walls cut off the shining white cities from the wonders of the forests, which are considered sinful by the alien species. At the center of each city sits a massive church.
Thamiezel and Zelestra abandon the ship above the world while their forces wait for the battle to begin. The vampires travel as shapeless spirits down to the planet. They travel within the shadows, coming to a stop before the great church. The large cathedral could easily pass as a mountain, allowing billions of worshipers to not only pray within, but to live there as they attempt to cleanse their life of sin. Yet what is disconcerting to Zelestra is the sameness of everything. The countless buildings are all plain, white, and symmetrical. There is no design, nor semblance of creativity. There is no writing to be found on any of the homes, save for the prayers and hymns, nor any images or pictures or decorations. It is simply lifeless.
Thamiezel and Zelestra move unseen with the shadows of an Esylion. The species is lizard-like and pale skinned, with red mouths and hollow, white eyes. They dress in blindingly white robes, plain and lacking texture, except for words of blessing from Paradise weaved into the fabric.
"These aliens are extremely dull, my brother."
"Dull? No, we just haven't seen the fun part yet."
Thamiezel and Zelestra travel unseen into one section of the large church. They watch as a priest stands above his congregation, speaking peacefully of the glory of God and the beauty of Heaven. Zelestra watches the priest, becoming almost mesmerized by his words. Thamiezel and Zelestra clad themselves in the forms of Esylions. They approach the service and sit down amongst the mass. Zelestra listens as they sing hymns to the realm of light, offering prayers and blessings to their god. But Zelestra soon discovers the seeds of insanity underneath. The priest looks to his right as several guards walk in, dragging a prisoner. The prisoner is smaller than the others. Zelestra feels anger in her heart as the child is dragged before the priest. The child slobbers from its mouth as Zelestra looks on.
"It drools like a dog, Thamiezel."
"Drool? No… no, that is not slobber. Notice the eyes of the Esylions. They are more like orbs protected by glass than the squishy, delicious eyes of man. But there are always signs when a creature is sad. Or scared beyond all measure."
"It's… it's crying."
The Esylion begins speaking in its native tongue. But Thamiezel has studied their language before. He enters his sister's mind and allows her to hear what the Esylion priest is saying.
"This creature has desired to partake in sin. He has attempted to taste the flesh and air of the forests, polluting his mind to the beauty of God. His sin must be cleansed."
Zelestra turns towards her brother with a worried gaze. He stares blankly, watching the mad events about to unfold.
"For this sin, we must burn it out."
What unnerves Zelestra the most isn't the chained prisoner shrieking and fighting against his shackles, or the threats of torture, or even the instruments brought out to be used on the prisoner. It is the calmness with which the priest speaks. Speaking not with malice, but a serene, almost emotionless voice. Zelestra watches as the priest takes one of the implements of torture. A lone blade with holy writing on it is brought out as the prisoner attempts to flee. He is held in place as the blade begins glowing green. The blade is brought to the prisoner as his tongue is held out.
"Your tongue is the instrument of your sin. It will be cleansed."
Before the torment can continue, loud clapping echoes through the large room. Zelestra turns to find her brother gone. He stands at the open doorway. His form has changed. He is clad in the ceremonial robes of the rest of the species, but the white cloth is instead dark as night. The holy writing is replaced by hexes and curses against the light, speaking of the glory of the demon lords and the might of Hell. He allows his vampiric eyes to glow with unholy malice, glaring into the minds of any who meet his gaze. He swings a long, wooden cane with the image of a vicious gargoyle head on the top, horned and fanged with an open mouth ready to consume its prey. Zelestra would have smirked at the top hat on her brother's head if not for the insanity occurring in the church.
"Who desecrates our holy church with this sinful madness?" the priest asks.
"I am Thamiezel. I am here to show this tiny world the folly of its ways."
Thamiezel continues his approach towards the stage. He stares up at an orb representing the spheres of Heaven. He breathes small flames from his nose and mouth as he circles around the mass of worshipers, keeping his eye on the priest. He walks up the stairs, past the prisoner, and approaches the minister.
"You would dare show yourself in this holiest of places? Your sin will be cleansed."
"Sin… hold back your tongue, and I will speak to you of the meaning of sin… and the oppression of ages… cursed was I… forced to endure long years of life as all changed around me… and your defective god did nothing… a god obsessed with cleansing sin, oblivious to the greatest sin that lies within his heart. Tell me… what lies have you told your slaves to convince them that this world's suffering is just?"
"You would dare stand before the gates of Paradise? And insult the will of the divine creator?!"
"Anger… so much hilarious anger. Pathetic. Defective, little god. That is not the creator you worship. It is a deluded madman with the power to move the stars. Nothing more."
"You will be banished to Hell for your blasphemy."
"There is no judgment from above. If there be a light in Paradise gazing upon me, then may it strike down my cursed flesh!"
Thamiezel shouts at the heavens, goading a response from those in the realm of light. He smiles as no punishment comes from above.
"Can you see… your god has discarded you. Thrown you aside."
"Kill him."
The guards let go of their prisoner and attempt to assault Thamiezel. Zelestra stands and charges at the guards. Her body changes shape, appearing as a flurry of crimson, razor-sharp knives as she carves up her enemies. The congregation stands with a panic and begins to flee. Zelestra reforms into her vampiric body, having devoured the guards.
"Well now, that was fun."
"How's the flavor, sis?"
"Dull. Their skin is tasteless, their minds silent and mechanical, and their souls stale."
"Allow me to have a taste."
Thamiezel flies on clouds of darkness as he approaches the priest, who stands frozen in fear. Thamiezel's mouth cracks open and a long, crimson tongue comes out. Thamiezel licks the face of the vicar before he attempts to flee. Thamiezel's tongue flies and wraps around the priest's neck. The vampiric monster smiles with cruel joy as the priest is dragged back, choking and grasping. The scaled skin on the Esylion pulsates and opens to allow air in, but Thamiezel's dark powers move as a cloud of mist surrounding the priest. The mist seeps into the skin of the reptilian, blocking the passage of air and suffocating the Esylion. Thamiezel and Zelestra watch with sadistic pleasure as the cleric flails about. Within a minute he is dead. Thamiezel devours the lifeless body of the creature, allowing his soul to flee.
"How… lifeless… and pointless. It seems we will not enjoy this meal."
"How come you let his soul flee?"
"So he can deliver a message to the realm above."
Thamiezel and Zelestra change shape again. Gusts of wind and crimson clouds shoot out from their bodies. The clouds of blood begin to grow in strength as armed soldiers come into the church. Thamiezel topples the orb of Heaven and throws it to the ground. The twin demons charge at their enemies as a swarm, drowning and crushing the Esylion soldiers into small pieces and devouring them, adding their souls and power to their own. The twins begin to grow in size as they burst from the windows of the church. They fly through the streets, consuming all in their path. Alarms begin blaring as thousands of Esylions attempt to flee the dark menace. The cloud of blackness grows as it moves through the streets. The shadowy force rises up into the sky and comes barreling down upon miles of the city like a gigantic wave. They consume all life they find. Civilians and soldiers. Young and old. They leave nothing left to fight against them as they pour through doors, windows, and cracks in the walls.
But the twins' attack is not as random as it appears. Their path of death and ruin brings them in a circle around the church. They come to a large field of gigantic war machines and ships built to transport soldiers. The twins dismantle the enemy's machines of battle, corroding the metal and turning it into toxic fumes. They continue their assault upon the miles of barracks, destroying the army before it has a chance to fully mobilize. The twins complete their circle around the massive church. They then begin to move into the mountainous building, destroying all in their path. They move down into the deepest pits and up to the highest reaches of the tower. They find the last of the church, the high priest, kneeling and praying for divine intervention. The twins reform before the entity, floating in the air with large bat wings on their backs.
"How amusing, Zelestra."
"It thinks it's speaking to God. Cute."
The priest continues praying and ignores the twins' taunting. Thamiezel walks up to the creature and grabs ahold of the small trinket in his hand. The object is an image of the spheres of Heaven on a chain. Thamiezel jiggles the object in delight before throwing it out of a window. The priest continues to pray as his mouth becomes wet in fear.
"You. are. adorable." Thamiezel says as he walks his fingers along the forehead of the priest. Thamiezel opens his mouth, showing his jagged, razor teeth. He moves in and begins devouring the priest as his prayers turn into begging before going silent. Thamiezel stands and swallows the last piece of meat, licking the blood off his lips and slurping.
"He was slightly tastier than the others."
"It seems these churches are run by hypocrisy."
"Aren't all churches?"
The twins giggle madly as they watch the city turn into chaos.
The entire world's armies begin to assemble against the coming darkness. Giant, shining warships are brought forth from the three other cities to defend against the vampires. Thamiezel and Zelestra create dark mists that shoot out of the top of the tower. Bolts of electricity shoot across the mass of smoke and down to the surface as their power builds. The twins' energy continues growing until it is a monstrous storm cloud that blots out the sun, firing lightning like a weapon against any remaining Esylions. The twins' also attack the ships coming against them. The Esylions' connection to the divine is not entirely false. Their weapons fire beams of light blessed with angelic powers. The energy pierces the dark clouds and damages the twins, but the small weapons are not enough to pose a threat.
The twins unleash a barrage of lightning and dark fire upon their attackers. They pierce through the exterior of the battleships and begin devouring all inside. Many of the ships fall, crashing into hundreds of buildings and exploding. The fires of the ruined ships begin to spread across the city.
"I almost pity them. This is far too easy, Thamiezel."
"Like shooting monkeys in a bowl. Or however the old saying went."
Far above the world, the unholy army, which had remained hidden, sees their enemies abandoning the three other cities. They begin landing in the undefended regions, leveling buildings and killing the weakened defenders. They destroy all of the weaponry that has been left unguarded, allowing the armies of Thamiezel to take hold of the cities.
"Oh dear, I believe they fell for our little ruse, sis."
"That's a big oops for them."
Thamiezel and Zelestra watch as their enemies attempt to split their remaining forces in two. Thamiezel and Zelestra move against the rest of the fleet. Thousands of massive ships are crushed between the twins and their armies. The Esylions are powerless against the combined forces, yet they fight to the last, goaded by their devotion.
"I will give these maniacs something. They are quite stubborn, Thamiezel."
"Stubborn as madmen with a cause can be. Still, there's always a satisfaction to be had with the grunt work."
"Your love of slaughter is disturbing."
"I know you felt good when you destroyed those guards. When that priest gasped for breath in his thralls of agony."
"They deserved death. And much more."
"Come now. You're beginning to sound like an angel."
"Very funny."
When the battle begins to die down, Zelestra and Thamiezel return to their human forms, stronger than before. They return to the top of the tower and look around the chambers of the high priest. The place has pictures of past rulers who have died and several strange weapons with engravings upon them. Thamiezel spots a key with blessed markings surrounding the plaque that holds it. The twins leave the tower and head for the deepest caverns. They look through the pits that were once filled with tortured prisoners, now devoured by the great vampires.
"What are we doing down here, brother?"
"I saw a strange box, or a chest when we were clearing this lower pit."
"And why did you not take it before?"
"We were busy."
Thamiezel finds the large chest. He stares curiously at the thing, as it does not have the writings obsessed with the beauty of Heaven on them, but instead describes the madness and torments of Hell. Zelestra looks around the room.
"What are you looking for, sister?"
"The key. Every chest worth a damn has a key."
"You don't need the key. You're a supreme vampire. Just vaporize the lock and be done with it."
"But it isn't the same without that clicking noise. And what if I find a key sometime later? Then I'll never know if it's the key that opens the lock."
"I thought I was the lunatic?"
"Rude."
"Sorry… I believe there was a key in the high priest's room."
"Go find it."
"I'm not leaving you."
"You are not a dog." Zelestra says, laughing lightly before turning to look at him. She sees the look in his eyes. That obsessive protection, knowing that he would not risk being away from her for even a second.
"My brother… I am not the weak vampire I started out as. Go fetch me my key."
"Very well. But if you are captured by angels while I'm away I won't be held responsible."
Thamiezel and Zelestra laugh as he leaves to go to the top of the giant church. He gets the key and returns to the dungeons to find his sister waiting for him, kicking her feet while sitting on a torture rack and holding the chest.
"Here's the key." Thamiezel says as he tosses it to his sister. She takes it and slides it into the lock. The low, clicking sound echoes through the room and Zelestra opens the box.
"I must admit. That is a wonderful sound."
Zelestra and Thamiezel look into the box. They see the reason for keeping the key stored far away. A black sword lies within. Glowing red markings are engrained on the sword and the inside of the box.
"This… this is not a holy sword… So what is a holy place doing with such a cursed weapon?" Zelestra says.
"This… the markings are in Tartarian."
"Language of tartar sauce?"
Thamiezel laughs as he picks the sword up. The blade seems to vibrate and hum within the hand of Thamiezel, as if the dark energy within it reacts to the presence of another evil.
"Language of Hell. This… this is not simply a blade. It is a gateway. To the eighth circle of Hell. The Malebolge. A madhouse run by the worst of the demons. This is a weapon that should never be used."
"Do you think… they have used it?" Zelestra asks with fear in her voice.
"… I do not know. Perhaps it is a punishment reserved for the worst sinners. These 'holier than thou' Esylions would have their enemies tortured forever. But from what I hear of the lower pits, that would actually be a very unwise decision. It is less of a torture pit and more of a conversion pit. Breaking them down as they come in so that when they come out their only thought is vengeance. Sound familiar?"
"I… I am sorry for what happened to you."
"Thank you… we should look through the other churches. Find any more of these tools and ensure they are never used again."
"Perhaps we will use them on their makers." Zelestra says fiercely.
"Anger… no, I would not even condemn Bill Cipher to that fate, no matter how tempting."
Zelestra walks over and embraces her brother, letting go of her anger.
"You… you are kinder than you think, my brother."
Thamiezel sets the blade back in its chest. The twins carry the weapon out to one of their ships. They head for the other towers, gathering the other three swords. Thamiezel and Zelestra then take to the streets to kill any remaining ground forces with their army.
Zelestra transforms into a gigantic, snarling werewolf. Thamiezel watches as she charges, killing anything that remains. Thamiezel stretches and cracks his bones as a large dragon chases several dozen Esylion soldiers down the street. The dragon breathes flames upon the Esylions, melting them into murky puddles. Thamiezel cringes in mock disgust at the sight as he walks up to the large beast.
"I take it you're having fun?" Thamiezel asks.
"It has been awhile since you have joined us in battle. What changed?"
"I now have a reason to fight again. It's as simple as that."
"We will soon take this planet as our own. The soldiers are nearly all dead and their weapons have been destroyed."
"Good, good."
Thamiezel looks up towards the heavens, hoping that someone is looking down at him.
"Your move." he says with a dark grin.
Once the planet is conquered, the remaining Esylions are taken prisoner. Large prison ships begin escorting them off world to various parts of Thamiezel's empire. Thamiezel has the dark blades destroyed before turning to the captured priests.
"I may have more mercy than you… but that does not extend to my servants."
Thamiezel looks towards several large demons and vampires.
"Do what you want with these new toys of yours. Just make sure you dispose of them by the end of the week."
Thamiezel and Zelestra watch as the priests are dragged away, begging for divine intervention and screaming curses at the dark king. His forces begin tearing down the buildings and mining the planet for precious materials. As the week goes by, Thamiezel's invasion force has embedded itself on the planet. Thamiezel and Zelestra sit on their temporary throne in the spire of the tallest church.
"So, my brother, what next?"
"Well, I had a thought beyond mindless invasion."
"What is that?"
"There are ninety-nine more worlds in this little empire of theirs. And each one probably has at least four of those cursed blades. Let us be done with them."
"Excellent."
Thamiezel and Zelestra begin their long and tedious work as their armies continue to press against the empire of Esylios. The twins move shapelessly through the empire of Esylios over the next several months, destroying most of the dark weapons used as torment and incurring the wrath of the empire's ruler.
The master of Esylios is a several thousand year old reptile-creature. He has found the gift of everlasting life in alchemy and has denied it to others by claiming they are unworthy. He meets in the council chambers with the capital's priests to discuss the invasion of their empire. And as he does, a beam of light comes down into the room. The Esylion council watches as four angelic beings step down from pure, white stairs. They glow with heavenly light, looking with hollow white eyes.
The music of the Spheres echoes down into the room as the priests bow before the angels.
"You have answered our prayers. Thank you!" the priest says.
"Rise. We have much to do."
The four angels begin preparations with the priests to destroy Thamiezel and ensure Zelestra is taken back to Paradise.
At the same time, Thamiezel and Zelestra sit with a court of their generals. Zelestra has begun decorating the dull buildings with a foray of colors and paintings. Her flare for art has not dwindled in the years, and she has spent the time obsessively painting over the holy runes with pictures that she knows displeases the Esylions most. Carnal love, vices great and small, and desecrations are painted in large murals for the defeated city to see.
In the throne room, Zelestra has one of the enslaved priests bring her a glass of blood, balancing it precariously on his head as a vampire prepares to whip him should he drop it. She fully enjoys belittling the holy priests.
"That is delicious." Zelestra says after she gulps it down. Thamiezel chugs a cup of blood mixed from various species. He allows the blood to run down his chin and neck like a mad animal.
"You know, Thamiezel, just because we are vampires does not mean we have to abandon our manners."
"Manners are for the young and nimble. I am old and cranky."
Zelestra laughs at her brother as the priest glowers at her, eyes filled with malice for the desecration of its home. Thamiezel glares at the priest and bears down on his mind. The priest cowers and falls before the king.
"You know, maybe I should have kept one of those hell swords. The Malebolge would torture a sinner for a couple of months. Maybe years if they were resilient or rude or fun to toy with. But you? A holy priest of Paradise? They would love to get their hands on one of you. How long can your mind withstand the furnaces of the eighth circle?"
The priest crawls away as his mouth becomes wet with fear and sadness. Thamiezel returns to his throne as another vampire enters the room.
"My masters. Our scouts report back from the Esylion worlds. The Esylion ships are gathering around the home world. Many of the other planets' populations are fleeing to the inner circle of the empire. The outer worlds are weak."
Thamiezel thinks over the information before speaking.
"Keep most of our armies centered here. I want to be ready to invade the planets near the home world."
"Yes, my masters."
The vampire leaves, kicking the priest in the chest before she does.
"This… I wonder, sister… they seemed to have no sense of direction before. Even as we came down upon their worlds, they cared more for praying us away than thinking. They were more interested in butchery than battle. But this little strategy seems beyond them."
"So, maybe they are learning."
"Or… Paradise has sent someone against us. A shepherd to lead the herd of imbeciles."
Zelestra smiles with mad glee.
"So, my brother, what next?"
"We wait… or perhaps we lure them out…"
"Another battle?"
"Indeed."
"But not today. I want to… indulge."
"Your love of partying has not changed in the slightest."
"Neither your love of being adorable while trying to be creepy and menacing."
"Shut up." Thamiezel says with a smile.
"My brother. This will be a day of fun."
"Fun in the sun."
Thamiezel and Zelestra step off their throne. Thamiezel glares into the lowly Esylion slave one last time as the twins leave. They come down to the city where their forces stay. They join up with a camp of vampires who are taste testing the captured Esylion priests.
"They taste so dull and plain." one says.
"I know. There isn't anything special about them. Why in the name of the Orudrum would Thamiezel want these deluded scum?"
"Using a goblin curse? There's no reason you can't say fuck or shit." Zelestra says as she comes in.
"Oh, uh, I did not see you there, my lady." the vampire says in a frightful voice. The other vampires turn around to bow to their queen.
"Come now. There's no reason to be afraid. My brother is the angry one, not me."
"And where is he?"
Zelestra turns around to find her brother missing.
"He… was here a second ago."
Zelestra looks around for her brother's presence. But as she turns back she sees him sitting, holding the priests by their neck with dark, pulsating tentacles.
"What are you doing?" Zelestra asks. The rest of the vampires turn to see their king and jump back like frightened cats.
"These priests were prepared to strike you down as you turned your backs. They had fashioned small daggers from rock."
"Impolite." Zelestra says. She steps forward and glares at the priests, who are snarling and glaring with anger at the vampires.
"Brother, would you kindly dispose of them?"
Thamiezel crushes the priests' necks and absorbs their bodies.
"Never turn your back to a creature who thinks God is on its side." Thamiezel says.
"They are stubborn and mad, aren't they brother?"
Thamiezel returns to his sister's side. The twins walk out to join with the vampires at a party. They walk into one of the large chambers of the great church meant for holding mass. The stone benches have been broken and tossed aside to make room for several large tables. Zelestra personally helps design the room, flying with other vampires to color and paint several pictures on the walls and ceiling. Thamiezel snickers at the newly enslaved as they curse and whisper under their breath, helpless to stop the desecration of their city. Zelestra knocks down the temple's statues and sacred writings to make room for a large cloth with the words "Party Time" sewn onto the fabric. Thamiezel and Zelestra sit with a court of several of their generals. They watch as the absurd queen teases and pokes her brother playfully. What surprises them more is Thamiezel goes along with it. He allows the queen, a vampire that is still slightly weaker than him, to toy and tease him.
"Zelestra, why do you torment me so?" Thamiezel asks as she pokes his cheek.
"Because you. are. precious."
Thamiezel rolls his eyes as he drinks a large glass of blood. Zelestra sips from hers delicately as Thamiezel moves onto a large chunk of roasted meat.
"What is this creature?" Thamiezel asks.
"Elmerk." a werewolf says.
"Never heard of elmerk." Zelestra says.
"It's from Zelestra Planet Seven. Native species."
Thamiezel grabs several pieces of the food and devours it greedily.
"So brother, are there any theme park planets?"
"Not that I know of. Why?"
"Well, there are cold planets and hot planets. Light planets and dark planets. I figure something would have come along and made a gimmick planet that's just a big theme park."
"Not near our galaxy. The Empire of the Sovereign Sun may have one. But I do not believe they'd be willing to allow vampiric tyrants entry to their worlds."
"We aren't tyrants. We're just more fun than others."
Thamiezel laughs with his sister as an Esylion brings a large platter of drinks.
"Ooh, alcohol and blood." Zelestra says happily.
"Thank you." Thamiezel says to the Esylion in her native tongue. The reptilian looks in confusion at the unexpected politeness, not knowing how to respond. Thamiezel simply smirks as the entity leaves.
"So, brother, why do these weirdos hate the forests?"
"I have often searched this universe for the truth… and I think I have discovered the hilarity behind this false creator… He distrusts those who seem to favor the natural, the instinctual. They remind him of his old… acquaintance. Many myths are the same on our worlds. Many things that were taken from old truths and mutated with the changing of language. There was one being called the Weaver of Life. An old entity. Before or After Yaltabaoth, I do not know. The times are different and their relationship is changed. But there is one similarity. The Weaver of Life, or Gaia, saw Yaltabaoth for what he was. Insane. She had their shared creations stand against him, wounding him in the process. So he comes to despise those who remind him of his utter failure."
"Is that true, my king?" one of the generals asks.
"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe it is simply propaganda invented by Hell. Most of the tales all involve some sort of humiliating act, like removing a vital body part. Castration or something else important to creating life. But you can't really castrate a powerful energy creature, can you?"
"Not that I know of."
"So Mama Nature cut his balls off… yes… that makes a surprising amount of sense." Zelestra says.
"It does, doesn't it?" Thamiezel replies.
"Which is why you should not anger me, brother."
"Your depravity is boundless, Zelestra."
The twins snicker together as an Esylion walks forth to take the empty trays. It stares at Zelestra, who is smiling and giggling as she teases and pokes her brother, and feels angry. It wants to punish her for her insolence, and it throws a glass of blood at her white dress. The circle of demons and vampires goes silent. Thamiezel giggles lightly as Zelestra stands up and faces the Esylion. What she does next she knows will tear the alien down farther. Her white dress turns dark and murky and returns to her body, revealing her naked form. She glares down the Esylion while revealing her beauty to all of the court. She sensually rubs her chest and her thighs, almost moaning in pleasure.
"Does my beauty anger you? Do you despise my wonderful body?"
The Esylion's eyes turn black with rage. Zelestra giggles as she sits down and ignores the alien slave.
"Zelestra, you are still nude."
"Free as a bird, for the air to bath my body and calm my senses."
The Esylion, despite the presence of several armed guards, attempts to attack the queen. She smiles and giggles as the creature is smashed against the ground and thrown about the room. Thamiezel smirks in amusement as the Esylion is choked and throttled.
"Bring him here." Thamiezel says.
The Esylion is brought before Thamiezel, and the dark king grins at the creature.
"Do you wish to know the meaning of suffering?" Thamiezel asks. He glares with vampiric hate into the mind of the Esylion, tearing down its psyche and reducing it to a quivering mess on the floor. The convulsing alien is dragged away as Thamiezel drinks another glass of blood.
"So, my masters, how much longer until we attack the inner circle of their empire?" one of the generals asks.
"Let's see… how many planets left?" Thamiezel asks.
"Forty total, but only the inner seven are heavily defended."
"Let's see... leave the weakened ones alone. If any activity is detected on them, then report to us. Tomorrow, we will surround one of the inner planets. But do not attack until we give the order."
"Yes, my masters."
Zelestra yawns as she stands up and walks away.
"I'm going for a walk. Coming, brother?"
"Yes. The moonlight is wonderful, isn't it?"
Thamiezel stands and walks with his sister out of the building, leaving the party behind. They walk around the abandoned city, as most of the Esylions have been taken away from their planet and scattered across the empire to prevent any uprising. The twins come across several vampires floating through the air.
"Uh, you're naked." one of them says to Zelestra.
"Yes. Your point being?"
"I… I don't know."
Zelestra snickers as the three other vampires float down and begin walking with the twins.
"So, who are you?" one asks the queen.
"Zelestra."
"Oh… sorry." the vampire says with fear.
"Don't worry. I enjoy the feeling of the air on my skin."
"And I enjoy the sight." Thamiezel says.
"Ooh, you cheesy pervert."
"So… what brings you three here?"
"We just wanted to look around the planet… it's all rather dull, though."
"They just haven't learned the wonders of art." Zelestra responds.
"I don't think they want to. Even in chains, their priests are vicious and animalistic. Not very bright, either."
"Well then, we'll just have to break them." Zelestra says with a sadistic edge in her voice.
"I doubt even a visit to the Nine Hells would cure them of their obsession."
"Maybe, maybe not."
"So what will you two do once the empire has fallen?"
"Have fun as the absolute unquestioned masters of this galaxy." Thamiezel responds.
"There's a lot more out there, though."
"Space… lots of it, but surprisingly not very valuable. The greater empires barely consider their worth in size. They're more interested in how many souls are randomly drifting through their worlds."
"It's all so absurd, isn't it?"
"It is. But if this little game is what will help us, then I will play it."
"I pray that the war never comes… those demon lords in the lower circles are kept in check… if a war occurs, then they might get free reign to torture the other circles of Hell… they'll get their hands on my parents."
"What happened to your parents?" Zelestra asks.
"… humans. They tortured them with starlight glass until my mother and father burned… so I killed them."
"I… am sorry for what's happened."
"Thank you."
One of the other vampires flies up to the air and looks at his friends.
"Come on, Thad. There's supposed to be a shooting gallery set up several blocks down. They're destroying all the holy texts."
"Well, I'll see you two later… you are different than what I expected."
"Goodbye." Thamiezel says. He watches as the three vampires fly away.
"So sister, are you trying to get your grumpy brother to be nicer to everyone?"
"Yes… is it working?"
"I have a reputation. I can't have vampires just walking up to me on the streets and asking for my autograph."
"You are sooo cute."
"And you are still naked."
"Then let us return to the tower, away from the eyes of others."
Thamiezel turns to Zelestra and wraps her in his arms.
"Yes." he whispers. The twins disappear into the church and return to their throne. They allow their lust to take control of their minds. Thamiezel kisses Zelestra deeply. He digs his long nails along her back, eliciting yelps of pleasure and pain together. His long suit disappears and he presses Zelestra against the wall, holding her to him as he sinks his fangs into her neck.
"You are rougher than before, brother."
Thamiezel removes his fangs and glares into Zelestra's eyes with lust. He smiles deviously before moving in to whisper in her ear.
"I believe I can sense an Esylion ship above our world… watching. Let's give them a show they won't soon forget."
"I see where your mind is going, brother. I think I like it."
Thamiezel forces his sister against the wall as they begin making love. He allows the full might of his lust to take control. He thrusts in deep and painfully. He chews into his sister's neck, drinking deep of her blood. She moans in pleasure and squeals in pain as Thamiezel allows his dark, demonic lust to drive him. He makes sure their bizarre lovemaking seems senseless and mad, showing him as having full control of the situation.
Far above the world, an angel watches, observing the vampiric twins.
"They are… I've seen enough. Let's go." the female angel says.
"Mom?" another says.
"We're going. Now."
The angels and their alien soldiers return to the Esylion home world. The two angels step off their ship and approach their leader. He stares with a stern gaze at the two angels.
"I told you to observe them. Why are you here so quickly?"
"They… they were making love… but…"
"What is it, Alice?"
"… He was hurting her. Like she was in pain… I didn't want to see any more."
"He… he's taken control of her mind, no doubt."
"… disgusting psycho… I'll kill him."
"Not yet… not yet… prepare the forces for defense. I suspect within several hours that Thamiezel will invade."
"Yes, my lord." Alice says with a bow. She walks with the other two angels away from their leader.
"So mother… how long do you think we'll be here?"
"No idea. Weeks, maybe a couple months."
"This place is… strange." the other angel says.
"Why don't you two go spread the word… I need to think a bit."
"Yes, mother." the angels say in unison. Alice sits down, keeping her thoughts to herself. Her doubts of Heaven's offerings begins to grow in absence of their realm's magic. How her sons, despite being as old and powerful as her, seem to still be children in mind, being kept oblivious and innocent to the universe around them. Alice Pines unsheathes her angelic blade and observes the weapon, anticipating her battle with the dreaded king.
"You… I'll make you regret everything…"
The next day, Thamiezel and Zelestra awaken from their night of vicious lovemaking. The room is covered in the blood of the twins, who tore and dug into each other like ravenous animals. They reabsorb their blood and heal their wounds before joining back up with their forces outside. The twins find another shuttle, but this time they find a goblin engineer to pilot the ship for them.
"My brother, what's the plan?"
"Capture the planet. Indulge in vice. Just fuck around until we get some angels to show up."
"And then what?"
"Rip and tear. Fill our bellies with angelic blood."
The goblin pilot takes off. The small ship comes into orbit around the Esylion world.
"At the end of the day, Zelestra Planet Fifteen will be ours." Thamiezel says.
"Already naming it after me? At least wait until the world is actually under our control."
Thamiezel and Zelestra jump from the ship and begin their descent to the planet. They barrel towards the world as a shapeless darkness. They crash through the windows of one of the great churches. The two vampires appear before the high priest, who stares in fear of the dark masters.
"Hello, my friend." Thamiezel says with a vile grin. Zelestra remains stern and silent, playing the role of the captive ensnared by her brother.
"You will not desecrate this holy sight."
"I already am. And I'm only just beginning. The only question now is… how would you like to die?"
"Death may take me, but the realm of light will save my soul."
"Don't say that. Lying is a sin."
Thamiezel shoots a dark tendril out of his back, coming around like a scorpion's tale and impaling the priest. He devours the creature and walks back to the broken window. The twins gaze out at the mass of enemy ships hovering around the planet. Thamiezel and Zelestra become shapeless specters. They rely on stealth, remaining invisible as they approach each warship. They leave a small sliver of power in each one. It is not enough to destroy the large warships, but it is powerful enough to take control. Far above, Alice Pines hovers, trying to keep her angelic mind focused on the twins. They are faster than any other vampire with their dark powers, passing between the ships in less than a second. But Alice Pines has trained with Paradise's soldiers, preparing over the millennium to battle against the might of Hell. She keeps her mind focused on the invisible twins as her leader stands next to her.
"Why are we waiting?" Alice asks.
"To discern their limits. To see how they fight, so that we may counteract them later."
Thamiezel and Zelestra finish their little game within the hour. Their little slivers of power left behind take control of the Esylion defenses. The alien forces are helpless as their weapons are piloted towards the ground. Thousands of warships crash into the planet, ruining the cities and causing countless deaths. Thamiezel and Zelestra reappear amidst the carnage and begin devouring the soldiers as they stumble out of the crashed ships and ruined buildings. The rest of Thamiezel's army comes into position around the planet and begins firing upon the world. As the remainder of the Esylion soldiers take to the streets, Thamiezel and Zelestra join with their armies. The mass slaughter continues as the angels watch from above. Thamiezel begins a dance with his sister during the madness. A way to entertain the twins and the angels watching from above.
"I've got no chains
To force me down
To hold me back
To keep me bound!
I had chains
But now I'm free
There are no chains on me!"
Thamiezel begins to waltz with Zelestra around the battlefield as dark tendrils shoot forth from his body, killing any Esylions that approach.
"Hi-ho the merry-oh
It's the only way to be!
I want this world to know
It will bow to me!"
Thamiezel unleashes a wave of dark energy and slices an Esylion warship in half. The ship explodes, killing the Esylion soldiers near it.
"I've got no chains
And I have fun
I will answer to no one!
They're all chained
But as you see
There are no chains on me!"
Thamiezel twirls in place as he unleashes whips and tentacles in a tornado of crimson power. Zelestra watches with a blank stare, but inside she's laughing at her brother's madness.
"You once had chains
But now you're free
To love me for eternity!
And I promise to love you too
I'll kill this world for you!"
"Alice… see if you can harm him."
"Yes."
Alice begins to descend to the planet. But she stops in place. Thamiezel looks upwards, staring into her soul as he continues to tap his feet. He knew that the angels were watching the entire time.
"Creepy bastard."
Alice races down to the planet. She crashes into the streets, sending large shockwaves which topples the hordes of Thamiezel's soldiers. Alice stands from the crater and walks forward, ready for war as she wields a powerful angelic blade. She stares at the dark lord and his apparent prisoner, ready to end the one who killed her and her children. Her malice glows brighter, bright enough to cause Thamiezel's soldiers to flee and those closest to her to be incinerated by the light. Thamiezel claps in amusement as he walks forward.
"You look familiar… have I killed you before?"
"Fuck you."
"I'll take that as a yes. I guess I'll have to do it again."
Thamiezel and Alice charge with lightning speed towards each other. Thamiezel ducks beneath a swing of Alice's weapon and attempts to pierce her body with his tendrils. Alice cuts them down, and Thamiezel finds that the blade is enough to harm him. The blood he could have retaken into his body burns into white mist on the ground. Thamiezel jumps away as Alice continues her assault, weaving and carving at the dark form. Thamiezel and Zelestra change into great shadows that flee across the ground. Alice stands as she watches them flee. But the vampires continue to move across the globe. They move up behind Alice and Thamiezel punches her, sending her flying past the battle and crashing through buildings.
"K.O." Thamiezel says with a dark grin. Alice returns with fire in her eyes, ignoring the rest of the battle in favor of focusing on Thamiezel. Thamiezel drags his sister in front of Alice, causing the angel to pause in place, not willing to harm the captive. Tendrils shoot forth from Thamiezel's mouth and begin stabbing through Alice's wings and body. She carves the blood away and comes against Thamiezel again. Thamiezel retrieves a dark sword from his body and holds it with his right hand. The two blades clash with thunder. Thamiezel moves away and swings his weapon, aiming to cut off the angel's head. Alice blocks his sword with her own. She forces his weapon down as Zelestra comes up behind Alice. Alice is caught by surprise, not expecting Zelestra to join in the battle. The vampire scratches and tears at the angel's body, who unleashes a barrier of light, sending Zelestra and Thamiezel back. Thamiezel returns to Zelestra's side to defend her. Alice unleashes the full power of her blade. She swings against the air, and a wave of light shoots forth. Thamiezel and Zelestra move under the wave as it carves its way through buildings and soldiers from both sides. The wave stretches out for miles before it dissipates, causing as much ruin as the vampires. Alice again attempts to use the weapon's power, but Thamiezel moves against her and attempts to strike her head with his sword. Alice holds the sword overhead and presses against Thamiezel.
"You are powerful. I'll give you that." Thamiezel says.
Alice continues to press forward, pushing her sword against Thamiezel. She begins flying upwards as she forces him back. Zelestra stays behind her brother for cover as he presses against Alice, matching her strength with equal power. But Thamiezel's weapon is not powerful enough to stand against the sword of Heaven. His dark blade shatters into hundreds of pieces. Thamiezel flies away before charging at Alice again. A cloud of crimson mist shoots forth from Thamiezel's body, blocking Alice's sight. She holds the sword defensively over her heart as she covers her wings around her body. But she receives no attack from the front. Thamiezel flies overhead and grabs her head, leaning in to sink his teeth into her neck.
"I've never tasted angel before. I wonder… will my blackened heart burn from your glory, or will you be consumed by my shadow?"
Alice swings her sword at the vampire's head. He moves away and faces her again. He presses his face against hers, kissing her deeply. Thamiezel catches her off guard, allowing his dark power to reach into her angelic body and begin corrupting it. She pushes him away as she coughs and falls to the ground, weakened.
"A kiss to die for." Thamiezel says. Alice shakes as her light fades.
"You fucking psycho… I won't let you get away with this!"
"Fifty two."
"Wh-what?"
"How many times I've heard that before. The second part, that is. I've heard 'fuck you' several hundred times."
Alice stands, lifting the angelic blade and preparing to kill the demon.
"Come now. Any more clichéd speech?"
Alice remains silent as she regains her strength.
"Is that the best Paradise can do? I had expected far better."
Thamiezel begins to turn around in boredom. He walks away, leaving Alice staring dumbfounded at the mad king. As she prepares to charge the undefended vampire, a dark tendril shoots forth from his back and penetrates her stomach, beginning to corrupt her angelic form. Her light begins to fade as murky smoke threads itself through her body, and her screams pierce the air. Before she can be completely destroyed, another angel slashes the dark tentacle. Thamiezel turns around to meet the second of the angels.
"You… are different." Thamiezel says with a hellish grin.
"You are the vampire, Thamiezel Dracula."
"And you are stating the obvious. But I've never seen your face before. Tell me, who are you?"
"Abraham Van Helsing."
"Did you hear that, sister? We are meeting with a legend… Bram Stoker based the novel on his own adventures with this man. Can I have an autograph?"
"What?"
"I must admit, I looked up to you before… well, before everything went to shit."
Abraham quickly regains control of his senses, realizing that the vampire is toying with him. A large dragon comes against the two angels, and Abraham turns around and swings his blade vertically. The dragon is cleaved in two by a wave of angelic power, and the body falls to the ground.
"He had several broods he cared for. I hope you're willing to pay for the funeral." Thamiezel says while continuing to smile.
"All things must die eventually."
"But no life dies forever."
Thamiezel gives a bow of respect to the angel, who attempts to use the moment to his advantage. He swings his blade at the vampire, who moves to the side with Zelestra.
"You are smart, Abraham. Not willing to indulge in little games."
Thamiezel lashes out against the two angels, but finds himself pushed back by Alice. The angels attempt to take Zelestra, but she stabs Alice in the chest with her hand and begins draining her energy. Abraham pushes back the vampires with a barrier of light that the twins cannot penetrate. The vampires flee back towards their great army as the Esylions are massacred.
"We must return to the ship. This battle is already lost." Abraham says.
Alice and Abraham return to the Esylion ship above and look back at their enemy. Thamiezel dances while watching them escape, singing victoriously.
"I've got no chains
To force me down
To hold me back
To keep me bound!
The flames of Hell
Shall rise again
Savor this peace
Before the end!"
Thamiezel and Zelestra watch as the angels flee, abandoning the world to the vampires. The fighting goes on long into the night and the next day, and by the time the Esylions are completely subdued, the planet is in ruin. The cities have been leveled and reduced to rubble, the great churches torn down, and the forests burned to the ground. Thamiezel's army claims victory over the planet, but with great loss of life on both sides. However, Thamiezel's soldiers rise again as dread spirits, ready to serve their master a second time. Thamiezel sits with his sister on a stone bench, exhausted from the day of battle and the conflict with the angels.
"Brother, are you alright?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"Those angels could harm you. Not many creatures can do that."
"I know… we have to find a way to lure out your family."
"But… they saw me attack them."
"All the better for our plan. They'll think you've been ensnared and your mind imprisoned by me. They think I am in control. I hope they come to believe that they can break the spell with your family."
"That would work. And we can trap them… but we may not be strong enough to challenge them ourselves."
"No… no we are not… but that does not mean we cannot find more power… something not even those angels can best."
"Is there any power like that in this universe?"
"Somewhere. An old legend or history long since forgotten. The only thing is how to find it… I have a large collection of information. A library of sorts."
"Where?"
"Up here." Thamiezel says while pointing to his head.
"The key is… getting my old and crusty mind to tie everything together."
"Maybe I could help. Do you have any records or something?"
"Some, but not much. Not unless you want to make a deal with some ancient mind demon."
"Nope. I've had enough of making deals with geometry shapes."
Thamiezel chuckles at his sister as she leans into him.
"I wonder where our little friend has gone?"
"I don't know, brother. I hope we never meet that little psycho again… after what he did to you."
"Thank you… for staying with me now."
"Like I'd ever return to that disgusting place. After they left you."
"Even if they let me in before… I doubt they would let our love become what it is now."
"They wouldn't. They'd blind us and control us. And then in a thousand years or so they'd go to war and everything would have been destroyed by… you know who."
"Yes. Yes, I know… I am glad to have you with me on this journey, sister… Mabel… I love you."
"I love you, Dipper… I really do."
"So, my sister, how do you like Zelestra Planet Fifteen?"
"Dull and everything's on fire. You should save the name for a better world."
"Alright. Zelestra Planet Fifteen, wherever you may be, we are coming for you." he says, shaking his fist at the sky. Zelestra laughs, relaxing a bit more after the tense battle.
"Well then, let's be off, Zelestra."
The twins begin their survey of the ruined planet. Thamiezel finds a burning building and jumps onto the fire. He sighs peacefully as the flames begin to sear into his nervous system.
"I always did think you were… smokin', bro."
"And you're hot as hell."
Zelestra jumps in and the twins giggle psychotically in the fire. Several vampires and werewolves stare in confusion at the twins as they pass by. Thamiezel and Zelestra wave at the passing soldiers as their bodies become cackling, crackling, and blackened skeletons, terrifying any that walk past. The twin skeletons step out of the fire and begin walking down the street, scaring many of their soldiers and the Esylion prisoners. A goblin soldier with a mechanical hand takes out a cigar and fumbles around for a lighter. Thamiezel walks over and extends his burning finger and lights the cigar.
"Uh, thanks?"
"You're welcome." the burning skull says as Zelestra walk over. The twins continue walking past confused and horrified onlookers until they find a small fountain near the church. They run over and jump in, extinguishing the flames. The twins emerge from the fountain, returned to their vampiric bodies.
"Nothing beats a cold swim after a round in the sauna." Zelestra says.
"So refreshing."
Thamiezel and Zelestra emerge naked from the fountain. Several female vampires look at Thamiezel and turn away in embarrassment.
"They know they want it." Zelestra says with a naughty grin.
The mad rulers restore their clothing. The twins then go to meet with their generals. Two goblins and three vampire sit around a table, waiting for their masters. The twins take their seats across from their servants.
"Hello again… where'd the other vampire go?" Thamiezel asks.
"He was killed in battle."
"That's no excuse for being late."
The spirit of the dead vampire flies through the window and approaches the table. Thamiezel uses his own blood to revive the creature.
"Is that better?" Thamiezel asks.
"Yes. Quite."
"Now then… battle plans."
"We could continue to push forward planet by planet."
"But I don't have enough power to revive every single one of you… what about an attack on the home world next? We've never been there."
"It's heavily defended and it won't fall easily."
"Well then… perhaps, we attack the home world anyway. But my sister and I will engage them first. Once we've destroyed a large part of their defense, the rest of you will come against them. Concentrate your fire on the Esylions first."
"And what should we do to the other planets?"
"Kill the priests and anyone who mentions how awesome their god is. And just generally blow everything up."
"Yes. It will be done."
"Now then. Where is the food?"
"The supplies haven't arrived yet."
"How annoying. Well, is there anything fun around?"
"Well, some of the werewolves are tossing the Esylion priests out of windows for amusement. They're located several miles above us in the church."
"Ooh, I like games." Zelestra says.
Thamiezel and his sister stand up. The twins return outside and look up. Sure enough, an Esylion goes flying through the air, landing somewhere amidst the ruined buildings and wreckage of the ships. Thamiezel and his sister fly up to join the werewolves, who are throwing the priests out of a large broken window.
"So, where are you aiming?" Zelestra asks one of the wolves.
"There are several jagged pieces of metal from one of their ships about twelve streets that way. And there's a ruined fountain about three streets over"
"Fascinating." Thamiezel says.
"And I… oh, I did not recognize you there, my master."
The werewolves turn and bow in the presence of their king. Zelestra walks up and scratches one behind the ear. The creature stares in surprise. It is annoyed by the demeaning act and the fact that he's letting out low purrs of pleasure.
"Sister, they aren't dogs."
"But you are just as adorable. Yes you are! Yes you are!"
The werewolf backs away slightly as Zelestra giggles. One of the captured priests is brought forward.
"So. We are aiming for the jagged metal or fountain, right?" Thamiezel says.
"That or the exploded engine."
"Ooh, nice and crispy."
Thamiezel grabs one of the priests by the neck. Thamiezel tilts his head like a curious dog at the reptilian creature.
"You have twenty seconds to convince me why I shouldn't throw you out the window."
"You… will be thrown into Hell for your evil…"
"Beep! Wrong answer." Thamiezel says before he tosses the creature out the window. The reptile is impaled upon the large, metal spire of the destroyed ship.
"An excellent throw." one of the werewolves says.
"Thank you."
Another Esylion is brought forward. Zelestra looks at the creature and presses her head against his.
"Tell me… how many have suffered for your obsession with perfection?"
The creature remains silent, so Zelestra throws it far away. The creature lands upon the broken body Thamiezel's first victim. The twins wait for the werewolves to take their shots.
"You know, I'm almost starting to feel bad for them." Zelestra says.
"This next one is a grand inquisitor. Their job was to cleanse the greater sins by flaying the skin off the sinners and removing the item of sin, usually the genitals or tongue or eyes."
"And now the guilt is gone!" Zelestra shouts as she grabs the inquisitor and throws him out the window. He lands in the fire of the engine and disintegrates after several seconds.
"It wasn't your turn, sis."
"Oh, apologizes." Zelestra says while bowing to the werewolves. Thamiezel grabs the next priest and holds his neck tightly.
"Same thing applies to you. Twenty seconds to convince me not to throw you."
"This… this evil will not go unpunished…"
Thamiezel sighs in aggravation as he throws the priest through the air, who smacks into a building before falling into the ruined fountain and drowning in the murky water. Zelestra skips her turn for her earlier mess up. The werewolves continue their dark game until only twenty priests remain. By now their bloodlust is satisfied and the creatures begin the last turn. Thamiezel grabs one priest and looks him in the eyes.
"You have twenty seconds to convince me not to throw you."
"I'm… sorry… please… I don't want to die."
Thamiezel lowers the priest and dusts him off.
"See, was that really so hard?"
The priest's mouth drools with sadness as he runs away in fear, past the judgmental gazes of his martyrdom obsessed peers.
Thamiezel stretches his back and cracks his wrists as the remaining priests are dragged away by several vampires. Zelestra yawns, revealing her razor sharp fangs, glistening in the red light of the burning city.
"Your teeth. They always look beautiful."
Zelestra smiles warmly as she cups her brother's face.
"Come now, my mad king. Let us return to the tower for the night."
"You know, we do not need to sleep. Our minds are perfectly aware."
"They are… but sleep brings peace and bliss. Maybe our thoughts will become less darkened by the next day."
Thamiezel and Zelestra return to the tower. They destroy the remains of the high priest's quarters and prepare for their slumber. The twins suspend themselves on pillars of blood, letting their minds drift into memories of less darkened times. But Thamiezel desires a way to destroy the angels. He returns to his own mind and begins searching through his thoughts and knowledge. He wanders through a great library with thousands of ancient texts and pictures from old civilizations. He walks through the section his mind has labeled "unanswered mysteries." The books and journals and artifacts all begin flying off the shelves and through the air, floating in a circle around Thamiezel.
"What are you doing, brother?"
Zelestra floats up and joins Thamiezel in the circle of images, joining her mind with his.
"I thought you were asleep, sister?"
"I am. But I could feel your mind was elsewhere. So now I'm here."
"I'm looking for something. Something of great power."
"So many unsolved enigmas… probably never know the truth of any of them."
Thamiezel creates a book out of blue flame.
"What's that?"
"The journal that discovered him. Our master. Perhaps there is something in here."
Thamiezel looks through the journal with his sister, flipping through the texts and images within.
"What's that big, weird thing?" Zelestra asks while pointing to one image. The sketch is of a powerful machine mentioned in the thoughts of Nyarlathotep. The weapon was designed to be one of the deadliest creations in the cosmos. The image depicts several large pillars hovering in a circular fashion around a solid gold core.
"Some ancient weapon. Nyarlathotep called it the celestial destroyer. A machine made of energy and metal with a self-sustaining core, sort of like a sun."
"Fascinating."
"Well, those aren't going to help us. Most are destroyed or have vanished. No idea where to even look for one."
Thamiezel continues searching. He looks at several images describing powerful vampire species from old myths. Zelestra looks around the dream library, searching for something of importance. She finds several old texts from Earth, including the three journals from Gravity Falls. She begins searching through the journals, smiling warmly at the memories of her old life. She comes across the end of the third journal and feels her heart falter. She reads the last notes from her brother before he was cursed. Thamiezel continues hovering in the center, threading his mind through different notes and trying to discover something that could aid him.
"Let's see, ancient pyramid of unholy power. No, that's just Bill Cipher before he was imprisoned the first time. Valzraukur. No, too powerful. If I find one it will probably kill me the second I wake it up. Ancient dragon described as encircling a planet. Most likely exaggerated from idiots who thought their island was the whole world. The hundred slayer. Boring, I can already do that. Ooh, ancient super weapon that could destroy planets. Oh, wait, that's my old sci-fi thing I wrote when I was ten. How'd that get mixed in here?"
Thamiezel discards the old paper from his childhood as Zelestra comes back to him. She leans on his shoulder while watching him look through the information stored in his mind. She spots an image of a giant monster described as attempting to devour a star.
"Big dragon. Could that help?"
"It's just some myth. Surprisingly a lot of worlds have myths about dragons."
"Probably just some common evolution."
"Most likely. Although the goblins are on several planets and they all came from one very old empire. Maybe dragons are the same."
"Doubt it. How could they pilot ships with their silly claws?"
Thamiezel chuckles slightly as he lifts an old book up and dusts it off.
"Why is there dust in your mind?"
"It's on things I haven't looked at in a while."
"So you don't… remember them?"
"No, I just like to keep my dream library accurate."
"You are very strange."
"Undeniably."
Zelestra watches as her brother looks through the old book. It's filled with several pictures of monsters and demons from Victorian London.
"Why are you looking through these?"
"To get a glimpse into how Abraham works. Every man has a guideline. Every soldier has a code. I want to know his."
"Well, I'll be looking around."
Zelestra leaves her brother to study the previous cases from Abraham Helsing. She looks through the vast halls of the library as books fly back to their shelves and come off and float towards Thamiezel. She comes to the end of the library with an old section of books. She lifts them up and smirks at the dust on the ancient covers. The coating is thick with age, heavier than on any other text in the dream library. She opens the book and begins to feel her heart ache. She finds the images of her family. Her parents, her grandmother, and her husband and kids. She looks through the book of the family images and random memories of Thamiezel. She closes the book and takes a deep breath before going back towards the front of the library. She returns to Thamiezel's side and hugs him closely.
"Browsing the family memories?" Thamiezel asks.
"How'd you know?"
"It's my mind, remember?"
"Oh, yeah. Duh."
"It's been a while since I've seen them… I could feel the days. Even with my large mind I could feel myself forgetting things..."
"So you've got Alzheimer's, bro?"
"No… I chose to forget. Things I didn't want anymore."
"You… you forgot the names of my kids."
"… Yes… yes, I removed them from my memories. Figured one death was enough pain. I didn't need to remember the others I watched over. Even threw out the names of friends."
"I never did."
"Good… that's good. That's why this empire is yours… you are stronger than I was. You keep your heart focused in this cruel universe."
"… Mine?"
Thamiezel turns around and faces his sister. His face is calm and serene.
"You do not let your heart falter in the face of this darkness. You do not lose hope until your only thought is revenge. I serve you because you are my better."
"What?"
Zelestra giggles at her brother's confession. He smiles weakly as he cups her face.
"It's true… my Mabel… you are the Shooting Star… far more worthy than me."
Zelestra cups her brother's cheeks and pulls him in, kissing him on the forehead.
"You… are worth more than you say, you silly devil."
Thamiezel and Zelestra move apart, allowing Thamiezel to focus on searching through his mind. They remain motionless for several hours as their minds join together, searching without rest for something they could use. But out of the twins' dreams, a vampire steps into the room. Thamiezel and Zelestra reawaken and look towards the vampire that has disturbed them.
"My masters, it is time for the invasion."
"Let's see… two angels, two vampire lords…" Zelestra says.
Thamiezel and Zelestra leave the captured tower with their vampire servant. The twins rejoin their army and step onto a ship, prepared for the invasion. The warships begin to take off for the Esylion home planet.
"This, my dear sister, will hopefully be the end of the war."
"When all of their empire is overthrown, it will be over."
"That's what I wanted to hear." Thamiezel says as he smiles sadistically. The ship comes into orbit around the Esylion home planet. Unlike the other worlds in the Esylion Empire, the home world has only one great city. The church is built taller than any other in the empire, clearly seen from space like a needle coming out of the planet's crust. The city extends around half of the planet, with the other being a great forest.
The Esylion defenses begin unleashing a barrage of firepower the moment Thamiezel's forces enter their atmosphere. The heavy attack power keeps most of Thamiezel's ships far away from the battle. The twin vampires descend from their ship, dodging and weaving past the near endless attacks as they fly to the surface of the planet. Their small forms are able to move past the heavier attacks as the Esylion warships begin rising to meet the armies of Thamiezel in battle. The twin vampires slam into the ground with a tidal wave of dark energy, leveling many of the Esylion forces and destroying their guns. They begin to spread out and consume all they encounter, enveloping miles within the ocean of blood that they have become. Thamiezel and Zelestra return to their human forms in the center of their carnage. No life exists for hundreds of miles, allowing Thamiezel and Zelestra to challenge the angels with no interruptions. Abraham and Alice reappear before the twin vampires.
"Shall we dance?" Thamiezel asks.
Alice and Abraham immediately charge against Zelestra, holding their weapons out. The surprise catches the twins off guard, and Zelestra's arms and legs are cut apart by the angelic blades. Thamiezel stares in shock, wondering if they see through the twins' con. But he finds too late that it was simply a part of the angels' own deceitful plan. Two more blades of heavenly light pierce Thamiezel's stomach and heart. He feels a sharp pain spread through his body as he turns around to find two more angels. Zelestra and Thamiezel are separated as they both attempt to battle their powerful enemies. Thamiezel dodges and weaves to avoid the other two angels' attacks. He swipes at them with blackened claws and whips of vampiric energy, but they manage to avoid most of his attacks. He unleashes waves of dark power that make the skin of his enemies boil, but the angels fight back against the pain. They cleave and pierce Thamiezel's body with their weapons, causing great harm to him. He turns around to see his sister attempting to keep the assault off of her. Abraham and Alice carve at Zelestra's body, piercing her chest and belly as they ignore their own horrific wounds. He charges at the other two angels and strikes Abraham in the back, not caring about keeping himself exposed. The other two angels unleash a wave of heavenly light from their swords, sending the twin vampires hurtling through the air and leveling hundreds of buildings. Thamiezel and Zelestra fly away to recoup, but the Esylion forces have switched tactics. They ignore the countless ships of Thamiezel's empire in favor of firing everything at the twins. Thamiezel covers his sister's body with a dark aura, preventing the barrage from harming her. He lets the entirety of the attack pierce his body and spread angelic light throughout his form. Thamiezel is helpless as the attack continues firing. Zelestra returns to her human form within the shield.
"Brother, stop this! They'll destroy you!"
"No… they'll come close… but my body can handle this… you need… to convince them… to bring the family here… then our armies… will destroy the angels…"
Thamiezel laughs as he keeps his dark aura protecting Zelestra. Far above, the undefended Esylion warships are attacked by Thamiezel's forces. One by one the ships are destroyed until the barrage of light ceases. Yet Abraham's tactic worked. He walks forward with Alice and her sons to surround the vampires.
"You were right. He didn't think we'd attack her." Alice says.
"Her wounds are temporary. She will be healed when she is taken above."
The four angels surround the weakened vampires. Thamiezel whispers in Zelestra's ear before he falls to the ground. His body has been reduced to his human form, bleeding from hundreds of wounds all over his skin. The blood continues pouring out as Thamiezel's powers fade by the second. Zelestra stands and approaches the angels with malice in her eyes.
"You will not harm Thamiezel!" she bellows in a voice that sends tremors through the ground.
"Enough. You will return to your family." Abraham says.
"I have no family… you will burn for your defiance."
"Do you know your name?"
"I am Zelestra."
"You are Mabel Pines." Alice says.
Zelestra stops her approach, thinking over the name. She tilts her head in curiosity before continuing forward.
"Mabel… don't you remember your family?"
"What… be quiet…"
"Mabel, stop! They're waiting for you. Greg, Stan, and Bella. Don't you remember?"
"Liar! I have no one!"
Zelestra pauses and grabs her head in pain, seemingly overcome by the truth. She falls to her knees as the angels approach her. The four angels attempt to comfort Zelestra, trying to bring her mind out of the darkness she has seemingly been ensnared in. But they ignore Thamiezel, giving the dark lord the time to use his remaining power. He abandons his body, crawling through the world as a dark shade and flying straight for the deepest dungeon. He finds what he is looking for; the last way to escape the lost battle.
"Mabel, you have to remember." says Alice.
"I… where are they?"
"They're waiting for you. Come back."
Alice's anger is replaced by concern for the manipulated vampire. Abraham has turned his gaze away from Thamiezel to help remove the spells and enchantments he believes to be placed on Mabel's mind.
"Who… are you?" Zelestra asks.
"Alice Pines… and these are my children."
Zelestra looks at the warrior, curious as to their shared relationship.
"I'm… I'm your descendant…"
"No… stop… who… who are they…"
"We'll bring them back. You can see them again." Alice says. She retrieves an orb of heavenly light. It is a gateway to her bloodline's place in Paradise. The orb is the angel's means of quickly retreating back to their own world, yet Alice desires to use the orb to summon the twins' family. Zelestra waits silently as Alice falls into their trap.
"No. This battle is too dangerous… we take her now." Abraham says. Zelestra looks up as Alice places the orb back. The angels move in to claim their prize.
With the angels' worry focused on Zelestra, Thamiezel stands again. He returns to his broken body as the sealed chest flies into his grasp.
"Zelestra." he commands.
She flies back to her brother, but keeps her gaze focused on the four angels. They prepare to attack before they realize what the twins are doing. Zelestra takes the box and breaks it open. She holds the unholy sword in her hand as Thamiezel's head falls weakly onto his sister's shoulder.
"You… you know what this is, don't you, Abraham?" Thamiezel says.
"You would condemn her?! To that fate?!"
"Don't be silly. I will drag us both down to the depths. We will be bathed in fire and pain forever… or until the demons get bored. Whichever comes first."
Thamiezel chuckles in pain as Zelestra positions the blade, ready to pierce both hers and her brother's hearts. The angels see Thamiezel's deranged grin as he steadies himself on his sister's shoulder.
"Leave… this planet… or we will be lost forever." Thamiezel commands. The four angels begin to step back from the vampires.
"Alice, have an Esylion ship retrieve us."
"Are… yes."
"You are the same as him… a monster." Abraham says.
Alice flies away as Zelestra keeps her mind focused on the three remaining angels. Thamiezel keeps watch over his sister's descendant as she flies off. The twins continue the standoff with the angels, waiting for an attack. But Abraham is not willing to risk the twins falling to the depths of the Malebolge. He sits on the ground, attempting to regain his composure. Thamiezel's remaining ships begin to descend to the planet. They land near their wounded master as Alice returns with an Esylion shuttle. She steps off and approaches the vampires. Thamiezel's forces keep their weapons aimed at the angels.
"Abraham?" Alice says.
"Let's go."
The four angels return to the Esylion ship. Thamiezel and Zelestra watch as the angels flee to another planet. One of Thamiezel's vampire soldiers approaches the twins.
"Should we continue our assault?"
"No… we pull back." Zelestra says.
"But… Thamiezel."
"We pull back!" Zelestra shouts. Zelestra helps escort her weakened brother onto the battle ship. He limps as Zelestra holds his right arm around her shoulder, supporting her brother's broken form. He collapses onto the cold, steel floor. Zelestra sits down and holds her brother's head in her lap. She begins to cry weakly as her brother stares unfocused at the ceiling.
"Brother… it's me."
"Mab… Zelestra… I think… I think we lost today."
Zelestra chuckles sadly as the ship begins to take off.
"Sister… I think… we'll have to wait a little longer… before we see them again."
"I'll wait with you."
Thamiezel smiles weakly before he closes his eyes. Zelestra cries as Thamiezel continues his labored breathing, struggling to keep himself alive. A werewolf approaches the two and bows before the queen.
"My queen. What are your orders?"
"We return to Earth. Any planets of the Esylion Empire we haven't invaded are to be left alone. And bring our remaining armies back to Earth. I want the planet to be defended and ready to fight against anything."
"Yes, my lady."
Zelestra lifts her brother up and holds him in her arms. She rests her chin on his head as the armies begin pulling back.
"Who are those angels?" Thamiezel asks.
"The other three… one is Alice Pines. The other two are her children."
"Alice… I… I remember… they…"
"Shhh… it's alright, brother."
The twins' ship returns to Earth. The ship zooms over the great chasm and approaches the dark tower. Zelestra helps her brother stand as the ship lands.
"We're back. Come on, brother."
"I… I'm sorry I… I ruined everything."
"Shut up and walk."
Thamiezel laughs at his sister's command as he stumbles out of the ship, using Zelestra's help to maintain his balance.
"We… we need our armies back here."
"I know. I already gave the command."
"Good. You're learning."
"You aren't the only one with a strategic mind, you lunatic."
"No… no, I'm not… Abraham… he is a worthy adversary."
"I'll rip his tongue out." Zelestra says with her voice low and dark.
"Now, now. He's just another soldier… just on the wrong side of the board."
"He attacked me."
"Yes… because he knew I wouldn't expect it… he knew I would protect you."
"Do you think… he knows I am not on their side?"
"…I think not… he thinks I am… selfish… especially after that ploy with the sword. That I only help you so you will stay by me."
"What will we do next?"
"I… I need more power… I'm too weak… and… I must feed."
"… then we have livestock waiting for you."
"What?"
"The humans… the last humans on Earth. Take them in and regain your power."
"That… yes… yes. I will… feed… later."
Thamiezel and Zelestra approach their shared throne. Thamiezel collapses onto his stone seat as Zelestra sits with him. Thamiezel breathes deep and heavily, gasping for breath and exhausted from the battle. His wounds continue to drip blood as he sits upon the throne. A dragon flies before the balcony and looks in.
"My masters, our forces are beginning to return to Earth. What then?"
"Keep them here. I will not allow one Esylion or angel to step onto our world." Zelestra says.
"Yes, my lady. Our master… is he alright?"
"I… will have my power again… this is simply… a minor setback."
The dragon leaves to give the command. The twin rulers sit together as Thamiezel attempts to heal his wounds. He focuses his strength, closing the holes in his body and sealing the flow of blood.
"This is a dangerous game, brother."
"Yes… yes it is."
Thamiezel's armies begin to abandon the conquered Esylion worlds, leaving the ruined planets empty of life. The empire of Thamiezel continues to retreat until the Earth is surrounded by his armies. Millions of ships orbit the planet and countless monsters have come to serve their king. Zelestra keeps the knowledge that Thamiezel is weakened away from all but their closest servants.
"This is not how I hoped things would go, Zelestra."
"There are a lot of things that we didn't want… I guess we just have to make do."
"Yes… but I will… we will find a way to get them back."
"Yes. I miss them greatly."
"Stan and Bella."
"And Greg."
"Yes. Greg."
"I hope that he isn't lost to Paradise's bliss."
"If he loves you as much as I do, he will not let them take control of his mind. And he will not hate you for your choices."
"I know, I know… You must feed now, brother."
"Yes. I have one very large meal waiting on the other side of the Earth."
Thamiezel and Zelestra walk down the steps to their throne. Zelestra and Thamiezel transform into great bats. Zelestra watches over her brother as the twins fly out of the tower. They fly across the frigid, lifeless ocean filled with gigantic glaciers. They fly until they come to the African continent, where the last of humanity has buried itself to escape the harsh, dead world. Thamiezel and Zelestra land upon the frozen, dried wasteland.
"My brother… they are below us."
"Yes… I am dying for a drop of blood."
"And you say my humor is atrocious."
Thamiezel and Zelestra laugh as they descend into humanity's caverns. They move deep down into the tunnels dug up by the human race. They find a small, weakly lit town close to the surface. Thamiezel approaches the village, stumbling weakly. His skin is thin and weak. His body is wrapped in black cloth. His face is frail and white, appearing as an old man. The dark lord approaches the village just as they begin their daily prayer against Thamiezel. Their enemy stares down the small congregation as he approaches.
"Who? Who are you?" one of the humans asks.
"I… hunger."
"It's a monster."
"It's one of them."
Thamiezel smiles in amusement as the humans slowly begin to move up and stand against him.
"I… would offer you a choice… even though I'm fairly certain as to which you would choose."
"No choice from you will be accepted."
"Yes… that is what I thought you would say."
Zelestra stands guard as her brother flies against the human forces. She watches as he greedily and hungrily devours all of them, consuming entire chunks of flesh and absorbing their souls. She forces the humans that try to flee back with a wall of dark energy, allowing her brother to feed upon the entire town. Within several minutes the sounds of screaming and ravenous chewing have died out. Zelestra's darkness returns to her, and Thamiezel finishes consuming the last piece of human.
"More… I need more."
"Then let's keep going."
Zelestra and Thamiezel descend further into the caverns. Piece by piece, Thamiezel slowly consumes the remaining humans. He passes through small groups and large underground caverns as he feeds upon the last of his species. Within several hours, Thamiezel and Zelestra have reached the final encampment. The large, open cavern that houses the last several million humans lies within. Thamiezel sees a group of masked cultists dragging one of their own into a large circle. The human prisoner attempts to fight back, but is powerless as he is thrown about the area. Thamiezel descends into the caverns and walks into the crowd surrounding the human. Thamiezel smirks as he sees one of the Watchers approach the captured prisoner.
"This sinner would bring the wrath of Hell down upon us! He would condemn us to the madness of the great evil!"
"No! I just wanted to…"
The prisoner's mouth is silenced as a piece of cloth is shoved down his throat. The humans hold large stones, ready to brutalize the prisoner for his transgressions. Thamiezel walks into the center of the mob, throwing a pebble up and down as he approaches the prisoner. Thamiezel ignores the priest's attempts to halt the demon. Thamiezel walks up and kneels, looking into the eyes of the prisoner.
"Hello… do you want to be free from this madness? Do you wish your death to be quick and painless?"
The prisoner sees the vampiric gaze of Thamiezel and backs away in fear. Thamiezel slides his finger along the prisoner's cheek, showing care and affection that not even the humans would give. Thamiezel removes the cloth from the prisoner's mouth and smiles warmly.
"Come now… I can spare you the sight of what I do to them."
"Please… don't let them hurt me."
Thamiezel leans in and delicately begins drinking the blood of the human. The body slowly dies and turns into murky blood, which Thamiezel seems to inhale into his body. The dark king turns towards the other humans and smiles.
"Now… you."
Zelestra watches as Thamiezel begins the end of the human race. He tears and carves through their warriors before taking their blood within himself. He moves through the crude houses, devouring every last human he finds. Zelestra hums in boredom as the screams begin to spread through the last city of the human race. The mass feast continues for several hours before the screams and battles begin to die down. Thamiezel approaches his sister, rejuvenated.
"Are you done?"
"Yes. The humans are no more."
"Your powers… are you at full strength?"
Thamiezel's grin fades slightly.
"Brother… tell me."
"My powers… are a little less than half of what they were before."
"Then we had better find some other way to defeat the angels."
"Yes… yes, let's return to the throne… hopefully the angels stay far away for awhile."
"They won't be able to come near you, my brother."
Thamiezel smiles at his sister. The twin rulers return to their throne, preparing to defend themselves if the angels attempt an invasion. Thamiezel sits with his sister deep in thought.
"I… how to lure our family out…" Thamiezel mutters.
"We will wait until we are above the angel's threat… then we act."
"Yes… but how…"
"Brother… let's return to our dreams… perhaps your mind will have something of value."
"Yes… yes, perhaps."
Zelestra extends hundreds of tendrils out of her back. She lifts up her brother and wraps her arms around his body. She leans in, savoring the texture of his skin. The dark power of the queen covers the entire room and shrouds the balcony. The staircase coming into the throne becomes blocked by dark energy. Thamiezel smiles as he rests his head on Zelestra's shoulder. Zelestra holds his head to her as they fall asleep.
Thousands of light years away, the angels sit in council together. Alice, realizing the Esylions are mad enough to create weapons that could cast people to the Malebolge, has banished the reptilian species from the inner chambers.
"Abraham... what do we do?"
"We are not powerful enough by ourselves to attack his fortress. We would have to build up the Esylions."
"And let these psychos take over the galaxy? They're worse than the vampires."
"No… we aren't here to trade one empire for another. We are here to take Mabel Pines back… Thamiezel is weakened. He knows this. Anything that comes against their planet will be destroyed before it lands… but an invisible force might be able to attack them."
"I'll go… I'll destroy him."
Alice walks out to the ruined remains of the Esylion fleet. She leaves her kids and gets on the ship with one of the Esylions. She glares with disgust at the creature, viewing it as even worse than the monster she now hunts. Alice is escorted by the Esylion warrior to the outskirts of Earth's solar system.
"May the blessings of the Lord be upon you." the Esylion says. Alice tears open a hole in the ship and allows the creature to be sucked out into space. She flies invisibly past the dying alien. She soars past the planets and moons, looking at them with a bittersweet happiness. She begins to cry as she nears the Earth. A great cloud has engulfed the entire planet, blocking out the sun. She moves unseen past the countless warships that sit in wait around the planet. She pierces the dark cloud around the Earth and continues her descent through miles of thick, black ash. She freezes above the planet. Her heart fills with anger at the ruined world. She sees the great tower growing into the sky and the open wound of the caldera. Alice closes her mind, preventing anyone from gazing into her thoughts. She flies towards her mark, ready to end Thamiezel's powers and capture his dark spirit. She approaches the tower and realizes that it is built over the remains of her home, Gravity Falls. She calms her anger at the defilement of her home and enters the great tower. She walks unseen from the bottom, moving past demons and werewolves. As she approaches, she spots a peculiar sight. She sees a female vampire with several vampiric children. She's teaching them to block their minds. Alice stops, forgetting her goal as she watches the sight.
"Mom, why does it matter?" Arella asks.
"Because there are powers in this universe that will attempt to break your mind. You must control your thoughts to prevent them from seeing you. If you are being hunted, this can be the difference between life and death."
"Ugh, but it's boring."
"Yes, and it's necessary. Now where's Georgey? Georgey!"
Alice prevents her mind from slipping up and laughing at the name. She watches as a goblin child grumbles in annoyance as he walks over.
"You have to learn this too."
"Come on, Georgey!" Arella says in a teasing voice. The goblin grows tired of her teasing and charges at her. Arella flies up into the air away from the goblin. He jumps and claws at the air in an attempt to reach her.
"Arella, stop teasing Georgey."
"It's a stupid name." the goblin says.
"It's a great name. She's going to get her television privileges revoked."
"Ugh, Mom!"
"Then get down here and apologize."
Alice moves away from the room and continues her ascent up the tower. She moves silently up the and pauses, looking out a window. She sees the curvature of the Earth as she nears the top, fully realizing how tall the stronghold is. Far more powerful demons and vampires make their home near the top, along with hundreds of goblin servants. She begins to realize that monsters from the depths of Inferno have begun to leak out into Thamiezel's empire, switching over to his side. She approaches the doors to the throne and sees a dark aura pouring out. She steels her mind and heart and enters the room. Hundreds of dark tendrils line the walls and ceiling. They pulse and twitch with foul power, like the inner organs of an alien monster. They slither and wrap around the room, protecting those within from any that might attack. Alice continues into the room, invisible to the evil and looking through the large mass of tentacles. She finds herself becoming lost in the seemingly infinite mass of vampiric energy. She walks through the forest of evil as she tries to reach her enemies. She realizes that a spell is within the room making the darkness seem to extend forever. Alice concentrates and banishes the spell from her mind. She continues moving forward until she comes upon a small light amidst the darkness. She follows the light as it seems to grow in strength. The details sharpen on the tentacles as she continues forward. The tendrils seem to be covered in thousands of closed flaps as they twitch and move. She looks closer at one and sees that within the skin, there is an eye. There are millions of closed eyes covering the tentacles.
Alice moves into a clearing in the tentacle-filled mass. She focuses her gaze on penetrating the barrier of light. She looks in and sees them; Thamiezel and Zelestra. Thamiezel's eyes remain closed as he rests his head between his sister's shoulder and neck. Zelestra holds Thamiezel protectively between her arms and wings, folding over his body. Alice moves closer and listens closely to the words of her ancestor. She recognizes the words. Zelestra whispers a song in Enochian, the language of the angels, to her brother. She speaks of the calm bliss of the fields of Paradise, and the reunion of family beyond the veil of death. The peaceful words become a haunting spell, and Alice loses her will to fight. She remains motionless as Zelestra continues her song, speaking of happier times and the meeting of spirits who parted paths.
Alice feels her hate and anger fade as the long song continues. Alice had often found the music of the angels to be unpleasant, as if there is an aura of imperfection and evil they want to hide with their words. But hearing Zelestra whisper the spell, Alice feels the anger leave her soul. She continues waiting as the hours pass by and Zelestra's serene lullaby continues, speaking of bliss and the removal of pain and sadness. Speaking of saving souls from their own inner darkness, allowing the greatest of monsters to redeem their corrupted nature.
Once the music comes to a stop, Alice regains her senses. She readies herself to destroy Thamiezel. But as she does, the millions of eyes lining the dark tendrils shoot open. They are the eyes of those the vampires have devoured. Alice thinks she has been discovered, but the eyes focus towards the entrance of the throne room. The tendrils return to the ceiling and floor as they move back towards their source as a mass of energy. The powerful tendrils return to Zelestra, slithering into her back. The twins descend to the floor and step down. Their eyes reopen as they go to speak with the source of the disturbance.
"Hello, again." Zelestra says to the vampire Arella.
"I'm sorry. She ran up the stairs when I was turned away." Arella's mother says as she flies up. Thamiezel smirks in amusement as Arella approaches him. He kneels down and meets Arella at eye level, smiling warmly.
"So, what have you been up to?" Thamiezel asks.
"Mom was being boring, so I came up here. Hello, grumpy man."
"Come now. Surely you know my name by now."
"Thamiezel."
"And Arella, how is Georgey?"
"He's downstairs. He can't fly, so he gave up."
Zelestra walks over and smiles at the young vampire. Alice realizes that Zelestra isn't a captive in the tower, but willing stays there.
"So, how old are you now?" Zelestra asks.
"Eight years and five months."
"And you'd better drink lots of healthy blood. Don't need you getting small and withered away like Thamiezel here."
"That's very rude, Zelestra." Thamiezel replies with a grin. Alice prepares to strike the vampires and escape before they can come against her, but she sees the innocent child wandering through the tower, free from the insanity of the greater universe. Alice feels her vengeful thoughts fade.
"I'm not like him." thinks the angel.
Alice leaves the dark fortress. She flies past the ruins of the Earth and returns to the Esylion ship. She reactivates it and sets it to go back to the Esylion capital.
Within the vampires' throne, Thamiezel and Zelestra continue to speak with Arella's mother.
"So, Felicia, are you planning on staying here?" Zelestra asks.
"For now, why?"
"Well, the planet is fairly… dead." Thamiezel says.
"Yes… yes it is. But there is still beauty in the chasms below us."
"Very well… but you should know. The Esylion forces will likely attack us eventually."
"Considering how many ships surround the planet, this is probably the safest place in the empire."
"Yes… but the angels will not let us go so easily."
"How many are there?"
"Four… I will not lie to you. They nearly destroyed me. And they are leading one of the most deluded species in the universe. If they come against us, they will attempt to kill every last form of life here."
"Should… should we do something about it?"
"Actually… yes." Zelestra says. Thamiezel turns to his sister.
"We should have enough ships to evacuate the planet should we be attacked. A fail safe."
"I... I will give the command… do you really believe they'll invade?" Felicia says.
"Eventually." Thamiezel replies. Felicia gives a bow before leaving with her daughter. Thamiezel and Zelestra return to their throne and reenter their dreams. Zelestra remains in her own thoughts as Thamiezel walks through the large library he has designed in his head. He begins searching through his thoughts, trying to connect the pieces together for something that will aid him.
"The dragon titan, no. Nyarlathotep. Probably kill me once he got bored… hundred slayer."
Thamiezel groans in aggravation as he scatters the papers away. But he freezes in place. He retrieves the paper of the hundred slayer. An ancient soldier said to have become a moon by a long dead culture. He sees a picture of the creation, a tall warrior believed to be capable of destroying a hundred enemies in one blow. The picture depicts a holy entity that descended from the heavens. The creature's limbs are shown to be made up of large stone pillars hovering in the shape of a humanoid. Within the heart of the creature lies a golden orb, like a small star. Thamiezel thinks back through his memories. He takes the journal of the creature that discovered Dracul. He searches through the text for the information and finds what he's looking for. Thamiezel awakens with a laugh. He cackles maniacally as Zelestra revives and looks towards him.
"Brother, what are you doing now?"
"I… I think I have it…"
"What is it?"
"The hundred slayer… I have it! The celestial warrior!"
Thamiezel laughs maniacally as he turns to his sister. He kisses her on the lips and moves away, twirling in place.
"What is it?! You found something, right?"
"Yes. Look at this."
Thamiezel displays the images next to each other. The two entities seem to be made out of the same material. The large, floating pillars and the golden center.
"The tribe of the Ecthalios said that they were saved by a creature that descended from the heavens. It called itself the slayer of one hundred. But it was not speaking of killing one hundred warriors. It was a celestial machine! It could kill one hundred planets! One shot and one hundred worlds erased at once."
"And where is it?"
"This world… it's abandoned of life now. The species was killed by a giant meteor. But the celestial said that he would sleep. They said he became the moon over their world, watching over and protecting them. But I guess it simply went to bed and never woke up."
"Do you think it's still there?"
"There's a chance. A small chance, but it's still a chance."
"What do we do? You are still not that powerful."
"I… I know… we could… we might risk them spotting us… we could send… no, no… I think… I… I will go."
"I'm going with you."
"I… please stay… I will not risk them capturing your soul."
"And you would risk your own capture?"
"I've already risked too much… I won't drag you into war again… I know… you felt my calling from Paradise, right?"
"Yes… it was like a wound in my heart…"
"That's it. Our connection. Our shared link."
Thamiezel grabs into his own flesh. He tears out a piece of his own heart and power. He gives the fragment of himself to Zelestra.
"This is a part of me. A portion of my power and my soul. Hold it with you so that you may call me back. A way to reach past any distance and retake me."
"What if the angels surround you?"
"Then I'll call out. And when you answer, you can claim me again. This is powerful enough to breach the control of Heaven. To remove their spell of ignorance. This connection can break all boundaries."
Zelestra holds the piece of her brother's darkened soul. She allows it to pass into her body.
"I will take a shuttle there. I will find this celestial machine and make it our own."
Zelestra kisses her brother one last time. Thamiezel returns to the shadows and flies away from the ruined world. He enters a small goblin shuttle and reforms his body.
"You there."
"What? Oh, shit!" the goblin says as he shakes and falls over.
"You are silly." Thamiezel says flatly.
"Sorry… sorry. I've never met you before. I, uh, sorry."
"Stop apologizing and take control of the ship. I have someplace I need you to go."
"Yes, my master."
Thamiezel waits as the goblin flies towards the planet he needs. The dead world is located far away from their home galaxy, hundreds of millions of light years from the Earth. Thamiezel looks upon the dead world and sees that three moons orbit it. One of the moons seems to have a large, solitary mountain.
"I want you to return in an hour." Thamiezel says. The vampire leaves the ship and flies towards the mountain. The goblin returns to Earth, leaving Thamiezel alone. He wanders the silent, airless moon. There is a serene emptiness about the moon, as if no life can be felt or heard. He approaches the large mountain, wondering if the entity is dead. But as he moves closer, he sees a hole in the mountain. He wanders through the gateway, looking in with his vampiric vision. The walls of the inside seem to glow with an ethereal green aura. A light pulses out from the center of the mountain. Thamiezel walks through the strange machine as the light pulses and electricity shoots through the walls.
"Now then. Where to find the source of this power."
Thamiezel walks into a large corridor. The jagged rocks of the mountain give way to a sleek, green corridor leading farther in. Thamiezel steps in and continues walking, humming and mumbling the words to one of his favorite songs.
"Whether you're a brother, whether you're a mother… stayin' alive. Stayin' alive."
Thamiezel feels the ground tilt and shake. He falls to the ceiling as the gravity switches.
"How strange."
Thamiezel continues walking through the mountain. The gravity continues to shift randomly. It changes to the wall, ceiling, and floor with little warning. It increases to the point where it could crush a human into a puddle, or becomes so light that Thamiezel can float without using his power. Thamiezel continues through the strange machine until he comes to the heart of the mountain. A large, glowing orb sits in the center. Thamiezel approaches the core of the celestial weapon. He looks at the orb and sets his hand on it. The ancient power does not respond to his touch. He floats around the center of the room as light pulsates through the mountain. Strange patterns and ancient letters Thamiezel has never seen before line the inside of the machine. The letters glow green as a pulse of energy moves through the body of the machine. Thamiezel approaches the core again. He feels the power radiating from within. Powers that dwarf even his. Thamiezel looks around for anything that would attack him should he try and threaten the machine. He tests the limits of the powerful weapon and punches it. Finding no attempt to destroy the intruder, Thamiezel continues his prodding of the weapon. He finds no means to control or awaken to weapon, so he sinks his teeth into the center of power. He feels the power of the machine enter his body. The power of Dracul begins to corrupt the machine as lines of black smoke pour into the golden center. The machine quakes and trembles as the life is slowly sucked out of it. Thamiezel feels the great power pour into his soul. Suddenly he feels a sharp pain in his chest. The machine is attempting to fight against the parasite. Thamiezel struggles with the machine and begins forcing it to become a part of him. But as he continues to devour the powerful weapon, he starts to feel another mind. He sees the memories of the machine. Thamiezel realizes that the weapon is alive. That it has a soul and can feel. And the memories of the powerful machine begin to pour into Thamiezel's head. He sees through the machine's eyes and begins shouting, trying to force the memories out of his mind.
He sees as the machine speaks with its creator, a powerful deity unmentioned in any world. A creature older than Paradise and Inferno. The machine's master speaks of a great war. A war to save the new life rising in the universe from an ancient threat, a powerful monster that attempted to conquer all of existence. The machine is told that the great war lasted for countless ages before the dark realm was at last thrown down and its master imprisoned. But the divine powers, calling themselves the Children of the First, freed their brother after believing him to have been redeemed. But their folly had returned to haunt them, for their brother had rebuilt his dark realm and had come to steal all other life forms. The Children of the First had come to realize that their brother would torture endlessly in an attempt to destroy the immortal soul. An attempt to completely erase others from existence, so that it would be the only being in creation. The Children of the First, finally seeing how corrupt and monstrous their brother was, began a second war.
The machine, one amongst hundreds of millions, stood ready for the end. The Children used their powers to drag the entirety of the dark world's realm into theirs. The two dimensions, older than all others, began a war of malice and wrath. The glowing blue realm of the Children stretched out. And far beyond, the realm of darkness dwelled as great furnaces and clouds of shadow spewed from the belly of the dimension.
Thamiezel feels the memories of the war crash through his mind and torture his soul. He screams in pain as he feels the ancient machine battling countless creatures from the other realm. The ancient evil sent forth immeasurable powers to battle the Children of the First. Demons of fire that could create and destroy stars. Hostile gaps in the universe that distort and torture minds with their presence. Malformed entities that appear as gigantic spider-like shadows that march across the plains of infinity to battle the Children of the First.
Thamiezel feels his mind burn and tear itself apart as the memories continue as if he suffered through the battle himself. The machine is consumed and ripped apart by a sentient wound in the universe. The wound is cleansed and reduced, and the machine, already suffering horrendous torture, is given a new shell and thrust back into the war. The machine died a thousand times over and a thousand times again, each time suffering scars that carved deep into its mind and soul. But the entity continued pushing forward as it battled side by side with its masters. The war lasted for a seeming eternity. As the Children of the First begin to push back the dark entities, the final weapon of the shadow was unleashed. Great dragon-like monsters burst forth from the veil of darkness. The smallest of them could crush the Earth with their bodies, and the greatest are monstrous dimensions capable of extinguishing galaxies with their mere presence. They could breathe power and heat great enough to tear apart the skin of the universe. Yet the Children of the First found allies in their hour of need. Their younger siblings, for whom they had gone to war in the first place for, came to their aid. Near endless arrays of powerful ships and weapons came forth from the universe above, battling against the realm of chaos. The greatest dragon was cast down, and the sheer weight and power of the beast crushed through the dark universe. The beast exploded and ripped open a hole in the cosmos as the Children of the First marched to remove their brother from existence.
But the machine had no joy for victory. It dwelled within the greater universe as the scars of war tortured its soul. It stayed away from any new battles that began. It watched from afar as the Children of the First went to war against an empire of their younger siblings, now led by a dark lieutenant of the First Hell. The butchery devastated the Children's will to fight, and after defeating their enemy's legion of corrupted servants they abandoned the universe, vanishing without a trace. The celestial destroyer stood by, watching countless new gods rise and attempt to claim control over the universe. At last the ancient machine found a small world. It prevented the destruction of the small race that dwelled there. It spoke with them; giving them a message if any should come to awaken the soldier again.
"I am the last of the hundred slayers. Let my soul rest so that the wheels of time might sooth my pain."
Thamiezel feels his mind shatter and fade, losing all sense of self. The fragments of the dark lord explode through eternity as his memories fade away.
