Fate awoke to a decaying corpse screaming in her face. Her eyes flew open and she shoved the body away from her. Sitting up, she looked around. Wherever she looked, she could see tortured souls, screaming, pleading for a second chance.
She stumbled to her feet and ran randomly. But she could not escape the screams. She sped as fast as she could, looking ahead only, but the light from the lava was bright, and she would look to the side, only to see either a body jerking in the heat, or an Oni tearing one to pieces. She stopped to look at a scene.
A collection of bodies were placed on a scorching, blood-stained pillar. As their arms tried to untie themselves from the group, some Oni-not much older than herself-would rip an arm (leg, head, heart-whatever could be detached) off of a body and gnaw at it. And the horrid part is that the body would not die. It would have to suffer for the rest of eternity…
She felt bony wrists grip her ankles. When she looked down, she saw only the torso of a skeleton. She screamed and kicked it off. It lay on the ground, motionless.
After a while, she neared it. When it looked up, she hesitated, but in it's eyes, she could see remorse and delirium. It reached an arm out, not to drag her in, but for help. Tears threatened her eyes and she whispered a low apology to it.
It lowered its head and disintegrated –probably forming on another plain with a new body to be tortured in.
She looked around. The sky was full of smoke and ash. There was a bloody red glow behind the murky grey smoke. Every few kilometres, there would be a highland, where she could faintly make out carcass' falling in drops of lava-blood-curling shrills accompanying them on their way down.
"Don't be so surprised." she spun around and looked at the being, backing away with every breath. "It's because of you they're all here. And partly Shinnok, I suppose."
Her eyes were wide open and focused on the fallen God. "You are the writer of Fates…yes?"
She nodded.
"What is the current Realm in construction?" She stared at him numbly. He raised a brow and looked at a pillar, "I suppose…if you're not going to tell me…I could just tie you along with those-"
"EarthReam." He looked back at her and approached. He put an arm out to touch her, but she faltered backwards.
When he saw he couldn't touch her, he brought his arm near his chest, and cleaned his nails. "I need a favour." He said, smirking.
-o808o-
"Please, I beg of you…we must do something!" Shinnok was tired and frustrated. He felt betrayed.
"Shinnok," Argus said. "The NetherRealm is past our limits. There is no way we would be able to cross over."
"But there is. Why would we have created the Nexus if-?"
"The Nexus is for the Sorcerers and Champions. The Gods are not to be involved with Mortal affairs." Evelyn replied. "It is against our Acts."
"Acts? Laws? What? We are the Elder Gods, the Realms and elements shift to OUR commands. Even One Being knows th-"
"Do not mention him in these regions of the Heavens." Dalia replied. "You are forgetting that, while we may be in control of the Heavens and Realms, the NetherRealm is in Lucifer's power."
"And was Lucifer not one of us? Is he not one of us?"
"No, he was only a God. And a foolish one, too. He challenged us and hoped to gain control over what was for all." This came from Hyde, who had been quiet the whole time.
"And in the end we did give it to him. We gave him control of the NetherRealm-"
"But his greed blinded him, and he condemned himself." Pyro spoke up, and Shinnok turned. He gazed at him as if he was a stranger.
'Has my brother decided to turn against me?'
"We are all family, Shinnok." He said. "But there are some things that can't be done."
"And do not forget; only Evil can reside in the NetherRealm. If Fate has survived it this long-then she can no longer be welcomed back into the Heavens." Shinnok turned. His expression showed only disbelief to Argus.
"These are only signs of the Prophecies coming true." Dalia said. "You are Darkening as we speak."
He sighed. It was all he could do-and he couldn't do anything. "But she wasn't condemned," he implored, "she was taken there by the Dark One himself!"
"Then it is up to him to bring her back to us."
-o808o-
"Why would I help you?" Fate questioned.
Lucifer cocked his head, "Because without me, you can't get back." He saw her face lighten…and slowly darken again.
She studied a pool of blood, as if it were another way out. "What type of favour?" she cautiously asked.
He looked to the side. "Is there anything you could do for me? Do you have anything to offer?" he said while circling her. "Jewels…power…loyalty?" The final word was whispered into her ear.
She turned her head slightly, almost shaking with fear. He squinted and backed away.
"Of course not. That is why I am telling you what I want."
"And…and what is it that you want?" she queried.
He shrugged. "Not much…just a deal."
