Chapter 3: Journey
October 5, 1997-March 29, 1998

October 5, 1997

Author's note: just to not get in trouble, I should remind everyone that I don't own anything that has to do with WWE. Also, please don't make a stink about the performers that I mention in this chapter; these are fictionalized versions

Mid 1997, Paul Bearer hinted to Undertaker that he knew of a secret that would both destroy and shake up Undertaker and that he would keep his mouth shut…if he became Undertaker's manager again. With no other way, Undertaker accepted the blackmail until Paul became too unbearable and Undertaker fired him. In retaliation, Paul Bearer revealed how Undertaker became a demon: he set the funeral home where he lived on fire, killing his parents and little brother Kane. Stunned by this, Undertaker later stated that the fire was set by Kane and that he became a demon to deal with the trauma. He then violently demanded to know how Paul knew this. Paul screamed repeatedly "Kane told me!" Undertaker was shocked as Paul stated that Kane survived the fire. For weeks after that, Paul kept trying to prove that Kane was still alive, despite no one believing him because they did not see Kane. Four months later, Paul revealed that one should listen to warnings that are given.

Now about seven, Pandora was restless. She and Lacti had a good relationship but Pandora could not help but think that she was missing something. She knew that she had no Father in her life and that this was normal for demons. But she could remember two things about him from her first night: the feel of his arms and his white eyes. She could not remember his voice so she knew that she could not use that memory for reference. But she felt a desire to at least know what he looked like.

That night, Pandora was lying on her bed, looking at her black rose. Lacti told her that her Father gave it to her that night and Pandora treasured it greatly. She sighed. "Father…who are you?"

Lacti peeked in. "Pandora, Venom and I are going to watch the match here, okay?"

Pandora nodded. She was glad that Lacti listened to her when she complained about always being left with a babysitter whenever wrestling was on when they had a TV in their house. Pandora did understand that her Mother liked wrestling; Pandora herself did not understand but was not allowed to find out why because Lacti refused to let her watch it. Pandora looked at Lacti. "When can I watch?"

Lacti sighed; this was an old question and she was getting tired of it. "When you look twelve."

Pandora sighed. She did not like that she has to wait two and a half years to watch something that sounded fun. As Lacti started to leave, Pandora blurted out, "Tell me something about my Father."

Lacti froze and Pandora worried that she was in trouble. Lacti then realized that telling her a certain piece of information would both give her something and would make it hard for her to find him. "He's a demon that's…up there." She pointed to the ceiling, indicating the human world. Pandora looked up at the ceiling with wonder as Lacti said, "Bedtime's soon. Get in your pajamas."

After Lacti closed the door, Pandora got up and turned on her music as she started to undress. The song that was playing was Marilyn Manson's version of a song from a movie called "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Manson had yet to debut this version to the human world; at the moment, it was a demon exclusive. As Pandora started searching for a nightgown to wear, she felt the light bulb go on in her mind. "I'll go search for my Father…and I'll start with him." She pointed to her radio. She had to start easy and he was the easiest demon to find.

Moments later, she heard her Mother and Venom cheering to the TV. Pandora already regretted telling Lacti to watch it here; she and Venom were noisy. She put on her nightgown and started the song over. But she put on her headphones so she could hear the song and not the cheers. She closed her eyes with glee, already plotting her first search. She fell asleep in the middle of the song. Thanks to her headphones, she did not hear Lacti and Venom for the rest of the night, even though their cheers became screams towards the end of the current match.

Undertaker had just slammed a chair onto Shawn Michaels' head. Relishing in his win, he paused when the lights went out and an odd piece of music started to play. All of a sudden, flames erupted and Paul Bearer headed towards the cell…with someone that made Undertaker pale. The man was dressed in a red outfit that covered all but his head and left arm. His right hand had a black glove, which matched the black blotch on the top of his outfit. His hair was long, brown, and wild. The eyes were frightening in their own way. The left eye was human and brown…but the right was white and that of a demon's. But the most frightening part about him was his mask. It was a leather mask that covered his entire face; it was red but had three black lines going across it, as if they were scratch marks. Undertaker could do nothing but watch as Kane ripped open the cell door and came into the ring. Facing his older brother, Kane set the ring posts on fire with his powers and then performed Undertaker's finishing move on his older brother. With Undertaker down, Kane left in silence as Shawn Michaels passed out with his arm over Undertaker, winning the match.

October 6, 1997

Pandora came down, dressed in a black dress for school. Because she aged twice as fast, she went to a special school for demons with advanced aging. She did not like going there because she was an outcast; she was the only one in the school who did not have a tail, which meant that his/her Father was the Devil. But she knew that she did not have to worry about teases today because she was going to cut school. Doing such a thing was not uncommon in Hell's schools. Lacti would not be happy if she found out but the teachers did not call to report such things so Pandora knew she would be safe. She sat at the table as Lacti served her favorite, black eggs and raw bacon. Pandora grinned and started to eat. If she got this on her first day of searching, maybe things would go her way for the rest of the day. Lacti looked at Pandora. "I hope we didn't keep you awake last night."

Pandora shook her head. "Marilyn Manson helped me sleep."

Lacti chuckled. Every young demon loved the musical demon. Lacti said nothing about this because she secretly liked his music as well. She turned to the sink and looked out the window. "Better get going."

Pandora nodded and finished her breakfast. She quickly went out the door and headed in the direction of her school until her home was out of sight. She then sprinted to the entrance. Once there, she started to have doubts since this was her first trip to the human world. But her desire to meet her Father took over and she went through the portal.

She winded up being in the back of a thrift store. As she froze, almost panicking, a customer looked her in confusion. "Kid, it's too early for Halloween."

Pandora blinked in surprise. "What?"

The customer pointed to her wings. "Nice costume but it's too early for Halloween."

Pandora looked at her wings and paled. She had forgotten that humans did not have wings. As the customer went on about his business, Pandora grabbed a leather jacket from the nearby rack and put it on. Her wings covered, she slipped out the back exit and sprinted. After a while, she stopped and looked around. She was in the middle of a huge city. She looked around in amazement and then realized…she did not know where she was. She stopped a middle-aged woman and asked, "What city is this?"

The woman looked at her in disbelief. "You really don't know? Don't you leave here?" Pandora shook her head. "Well, you're in LA. Now where are your parents?"

Pandora simply said, "Wherever Marilyn Manson is." She hoped that this woman would lead her to the infamous demon. The woman sighed. "What horrid parents you have. I'll take you to them."

Pandora lit up. "You know where he is?"

She nodded. "He's working on a new song and I work at the same studio. Come, it's just down the street." She took Pandora's hand and led her down a few blocks to a recording studio. Outside the studio were both fans of the demon and religious protestors. The woman looked at Pandora. "Good luck finding them."

Pandora stiffened at the religious mentions as the woman pushed herself through the crowds and into the studio. Remembering the thrift store, Pandora ran around the studio and found the backdoor. Slipping in, Pandora froze again. She did not know where to look now. As she stood in the hallway, a fingernail touched the back of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. She spun around and saw that the person that touched him was Marilyn Manson. He was dressed in a black suit, which made his white face look even whiter. His long black hair was flowing down his back, keeping his right human eye and left demon eye uncovered. His ruby red lips were open slightly as his hand with long fingernails shook its index finger at Pandora. "Ah, ah, ah. Little girls shouldn't be roaming the halls alone."

Pandora glared a little. "I'm not a little girl! I'm a demon!"

Marilyn chuckled. "I'm sure you are. Now be on your way."

Pandora stayed put and crossed her arms. "Not until I make sure you're not my Father."

Marilyn looked at Pandora in surprise. "Father? You, missy, need to tell your Mother to stop telling you such lies."

Pandora shook her head. "She didn't! And I really am a demon!"

Marilyn looked at her, still not believing her. "Really? Prove it."

Pandora looked up at him and answered honestly, "Your rendition of 'This is Halloween' is better than the original."

At first, Marilyn did not react. Instead, he pulled her into an empty studio and locked the door. He then glared at Pandora. "We could have gotten in big trouble for you revealing me."

Pandora looked down. "I'm sorry…I just…had to know."

Marilyn went to her and made her look at him. "If I'm your Father? Well, I'm sorry to tell you this but I am definitely not your Father." Pandora looked confused and Marilyn bluntly said, "I only fuck humans."

Pandora blushed that Marilyn calmly swore in front of her. While swearing was a second language in Hell, Lacti made sure to keep it a minimum in the house, claiming that it would help Pandora in the long run. Clearing her throat, Pandora headed to the door and murmured, "Maybe Tim Burton…"

Marilyn heard her and chuckled. "He's a human." Pandora looked at him in surprise and Marilyn nodded. "I was shocked too. But he's human through and through. He just has a twisted mind." Marilyn touched the door and created a portal to Hell. "Go back and see what you can find."

Pandora nodded and started to enter. Before she was completely in, she looked at Marilyn. "Thanks for being honest."

Marilyn smirked. "I lie to humans, not demon kids." Pandora smiled and disappeared in the portal. Marilyn added as the portal closed, "Especially not to one who's looking for her Dad."

January 18, 1998

After months of research, Pandora compiled a list of demons that either went up to Earth or lived on Earth. Unfortunately, the list was very short. She was a little disappointed by this. She looked at her list and chose to look at Robert Englund first. She took her jacket and snuck out her window. She was glad that she waited until a wrestling night to go; that way, she didn't have to worry about Lacti walking in. She put on her jacket and ran to the entrance. This time, she did not hesitate and jumped through the portal.

She landed on the floor inside a trailer. She looked around, confused about where she was. But she hoped that she was in the right place. As she started to stand up, a man who appeared to be fifty, Robert Englund, walked in. He stopped short when he saw her. His brownish-gold hair was receding, revealing more of his weathered face. The thin beard outlined his lower face. His eyes stared right into hers. "Who are you?"

Pandora blushed a little. She was still not used to dealing with humans. "Um…" Her nose then caught a surprising scent: this man was human. "Are you…a demon?"

Englund was surprised by this. "Excuse me? No."

Pandora sat up a little. "But…you played an Incubus."

Englund took a minute to register what she just said; only demons understood that his most famous character was an Incubus, a demon of nightmares. He then smiled and closed the door. "What can I do for you, little one?"

Pandora shook her head. "Nothing…you're off the list, since you're human."

Englund crouched down to her level. "What list?"

Pandora looked up. "I'm…looking for my Father…and he's supposed to be a demon…living in the human world."

Englund patted Pandora's head and smiled. "Like you sensed, I am a human."

Pandora blurted out, "But that Incubus is real in Hell."

Englund nodded. "That's because, whenever I have a horror role, I let him take over. It's an effective way to be frightening."

Pandora nodded. "Yeah. Well…I'll leave you alone now." She turned to get the portal open when Englund said, "Good luck in your search." Pandora smiled and went through the portal to her room.

March 23, 1998

Now well-versed in telling the portal where to end, Pandora came through and found herself in someone's study. The study had a desk, chair, and built-in book shelves. All the furniture was made of wood and appeared to be well taken care of. Pandora was too busy admiring the desk, she didn't realize that someone was behind her…until that someone took off her jacket. Pandora froze, her wings now exposed. She hoped that this person would not freak. To her relief, she heard a man with an English accent speak: "So you're the demoness whose been snooping around."

Pandora turned around and saw a man in his forties standing before her. He was bald but had hair on the back of his head. His eyes showed kindness; she did not know if it was natural kindness or just towards her and her quest. Dressed in a grey shirt and blue jeans, he smirked at her as she asked, "Doug Bradley?"

Bradley nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry you made the trip for nothing."

Pandora was confused by what he said. "How do you know about me?"

Bradley chuckled. "Englund told me in a letter. He told me that you were looking for your Father and said that you might come see me. But I am merely a human who can act; therefore, I am not related to you."

Pandora nodded. "Then…maybe Clive Barker?"

Bradley shook his head. "He is a demon…but he is not your Father." Pandora tilted his head and Bradley explained: "He's gay."

Pandora blushed a little. She then lowered her head. She was starting to lose hope. "No one left…"

Bradley made her look at him. "Not necessarily. I did hear a rumor that there were two demons in the world of wrestling. I do not watch it so I don't know if the rumors are truth. But it's worth looking into."

Pandora's ears perked up. "Really? I will look into that. Thank you."

Bradley nodded and watched as she went through the portal. Once alone, he heard a familiar deep voice. You neglected to tell her about me.

Bradley chuckled. "No, I did not. You have no solid form and you told me that you cannot have children." The voice scoffed, making Bradley smile.

March 29, 1998

Pandora came through the portal to a white stone hallway. She silently thanked Venom who told her both the names of the demons and when and where WrestleMania XIV was taking place. Pulling her jacket tighter around her, she started to wonder which demon she would run into first. Unfortunately, the first one to find her was Paul Bearer. "You, child! What are you doing here?"

Pandora's first reaction was to raise her eyebrow at him; why would a sport have a fat man? Mentally shrugging that thought off, she asked, "Do you know where Kane and the Undertaker are?"

Paul was confused by what Pandora was asking. "My child, why would you want to see my son and his murderous brother?"

Pandora raised her eyebrow again. "First of all, I am not a child. I'm a demon."

Paul gave a single, loud laugh. "Child-"

Pandora ripped off her jacket, revealing her wings. If he was a regular human, she would have kept her wings hidden. However, since he knew Kane and Undertaker, she figured it was safe. "Now…about Kane and Undertaker…where are they?"

Paul shook his head. "Kane will not see you! He needs to prepare for his match with the Undertaker!"

Pandora hissed a little; his high-pitched voice was hurting her ears. "Please! Let me see them! I have to know if one of them is my Father!"

Paul immediately started to laugh, infuriating Pandora. "Your Father? You must be sick in the head! Besides, neither had been around Hell nine years ago!"

Pandora hissed, "I was born four years ago! I just age fast!"

Paul pointed to Pandora. "There! That's more proof that Kane and that murderer are not related to you! Demons who were born humans do not have that much power!" Pandora paused and thought about that as Paul continued. "Not only that, but you look nothing like them! You are purple, they are not! Furthermore, you will do nothing but hinder whoever your Father is! So just give up! He probably doesn't want you to find him!"

Those words cut Pandora deeply. Hold her Father back? Not want to be found? Was she the reason he left in the first place? Her eyes started to tear up as she formed the portal on the ground behind her. Being impatient, Paul pushed her while screaming "Go!" She fell right through the portal, which led her back to her room. She landed on her bed and started to cry. Lacti, taking a break from the wrestling show, heard her and came in. "Pandora?"

Pandora looked at Lacti and whimpered. "Oh, Mom…"

Lacti went up to her and hugged her close. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Pandora sniffled and clutched Lacti's back. "I made…my Father…go…"

Lacti was stunned by this. "What? What makes you say that?"

Pandora settled down and told Lacti about her search and her meeting famous demons. She then told her what Paul said to her. Remembering his hurtful words made her break down again. Lacti sighed and held her close. When she settled enough, Lacti started to talk. "Pandora…you were not the reason why your Father left." Pandora looked up at her as Lacti continued. "I was mad at him for always choosing the humans over me and for not being there for your birth…so, when he came that night, I told him to leave. You see…he didn't leave you, he left me."

Pandora absorbed all this in. But she had one thing to ask: "Did he…really hold me…and leave me that?" She pointed to her rose. Lacti smiled and nodded. "Yes…he loved you from the first moment he saw you. Leaving you was, I believe, the hardest thing he ever did. Believe me…wherever he is…I firmly believe he still loves you and misses you."

Pandora smiled at that. Even though she ran out of options to explore (since what Paul said about humans who became demons made sense to her), she was at least grateful to know her father loved her.