When he awoke he was laying on purple grass, the sky above him a dark burgundy and grey clouds moved incredibly fast as if stuck in a time lapse video.
He blinked at the sky and slowly sat up. "Vhat zhe fuck?"
"Having fun~?" Her voice purred from all around him. The field was dotted with the ruins of used to be beautiful castles and palaces.
"Nein." He growled, looking around before getting up. Where was he?
"I've trapped you inside my inner mind... It should keep you very busy for at least a few days. Plenty of time for a meal." She chuckled.
"I hope jou choke!" He spat, storming off to find a way out of the fucked up show.
"Hm. You're amusing." Her voice faded at the end, signalling her leaving.
"Und jou are a bitch." He mumbled, starting for one of the castles. Castles had doors. Doors meant ways out.
A crumbling blue one was the one he walked into, the steps beneath his feet were cracked and eroded... The large ballroom that was just inside the front door was a mess. Walls were crumbling and skeletons littered the floor. They were the skeletons of demons and a few were crushed now underneath fallen debris.
He smirked at the massacre, walking through the debris and kicking a few bones before he reached a skull. It was bigger than the rest, branched horns that signaled it was a nature demon. He picked it up with s a smirk. "Alas, poor Yorick, I hardly knew ye..."
"My name isn't Yorick. It's Karn." The skull spoke, its jaw waggling as it's sharp fangs clicked together.
He yelped and dropped the skull, backing away. That thing was dead! It shouldn't talk!
"Ow! You chipped my jaw bone!" Karn yelped as his skull wobbled on the floor close to his unfortunately crushed skeleton.
He reached for his gun and found it wasn't there. None were there though and he looked for something to kill the demon. "Ah... sorry. Jou scared me... Dead men tell no tales und all..."
"Hm? Is that so. That seems unfortunate... The dead would have such interesting stories..."
"Like vhat?" Damn it, he couldn't life any of those pillars... and all the other debris was too small to break the skull...
"How they died. What their life was like... That sort of thing."
He looked back at the skull. "Jou don't sound like any demon I've met before." He sounded too... human.
"I dont? What do I sound like then? A goat?" Karn joked, attempting to lighten the mood.
He snorted. "A fish."
"Well I can move about as much on the ground as a fish can when also on the ground."
"Zhat sucks."
"If you're going to leave me on the ground could you at least put me with the rest of my body?"
"Which one is zhat?"
"The one crushed by that pillar with a silver goblet next to the left hand."
He blinked at the silver and took the skull in his hands. "One condition. Jou tell me zhe vay out of here."
"Oh? You arent part of her inner mind?"
"Nein. She dragged me in here to get avay."
"Ah. Would you like to know more about the inner mind then?"
He was about to day no but he had no clue where he was or what to expect and the enemy was about to... "Demons lie."
"They do? I've never really met any who lie all that much... Except Lucifer but that's different."
"Ja, vell she is a bitch."
"Hm. Well if you want to know the way out maybe we'll find clues in the library. But I'm assuming you'll have to find a key and a door."
"I didn't sign up for dungeons und dragons here..." He growled, utterly pissed.
"Well you told me to tell you how to get out. I don't know so I'll help you." Karn sighed, "If you walk to the end of the hall go through the grey door on the left."
That meant he had to take him with him... "Let's go zhen." He huffed, carrying the skull.
Karn was quiet as they walked, occasionally giving directions. After a while it got too dark and his branch like horns lit ablaze with green fire. Lighting up the stair case they had to go down.
He was actually glad for the fire, his night vision failing. "So vhy are jou even here?"
"I was a friend of Lucifer... Millennia ago."
"Ja, vell jou have bad taste in friends. How can jou talk if jou are dead?"
"I am little more than a memory... I was important to Lucifer and so I've become a part of her inner mind... In the inner mind memories just collect as you go on."
"Ja but zhe others didn't talk..."
"I'm assuming it's because you didn't touch them. There wasn't a reason for them to move so they remained in the position that they died..."
Well, he was glad he didn't stick around for those he kicked. "Ve almost zhere?"
"It's at the bottom of these stairs, at the end of the corridor through the double doors."
He followed out, falling silent. Every now and then he would look at the skull and wonder why he was really even bothering, working out the best way to either ditch it or kill it when he was finished.
"Before you go in... We might be here a while. All the libraries contain her exact memories. Every single one. It may take some time to find anything."
He blinked at that. "Really?" Oh he was gonna have fun now...
"Yes but it's most likely written in Damiun. The language of demons."
"Can jou translate?"
"Of course." If Karn's shoulders weren't somewhat crushed underneath a pillar made from blue stained marble he would have shrugged.
"Let's get started zhen." He grinned, heading in.
The book shelves were massive and reached all the way to the ceiling... Not a surprise... Seven billion years worth of memories was nothing to sneeze at.
He grabbed the newest books he could find, determined to learn any dirty secret he could on her.
"Could you set me on a table and prop the book up for me?"
"Ja." He balanced a few books in one hand before putting him on a table and opening the first one he grabbed. He made the mistake of looking at the words and instantly got a headache as he tried to read the ever shifting letters. "Shit..."
"Damiun doesn't like to be read by anything but a demon." Karn said, patiently waiting.
"Ja, vell jou are a fucking skeleton." He huffed, not having anything better as he handed it over.
"I'm the skeleton of a demon. It counts." He huffed with amusement before he set to reading.
"Sorry. Not even zhat, skully." He huffed back. Damn, he was off his game.
"... Well I'm the skull of a demon."
"Vhat's it say? I've run out of snappy zhings to say, verdammt."
Karn chuckled, "This entry one is dated about... Ten or so years back. She's had a run in with the daughter of a hunter, ten angels and a hunter. She was brutally injured and managed to escape into a forest."
"What else? Tell me everyzing..." He said after a second. That was around when he was taken...
"She was laying in a clearing, bleeding out and suffering from her wounds when an iPod landed in front of her. A girl approached but didn't quite get to her clearing."
What the hell was an iPod? "Vhat else? Skip forvard a bit." He didn't care about some girl she probably ate. He couldn't save her.
"Alright. The girl took her in and helped patch her up. Took her to her home, apparently her parents were horribly religious... So much so it apparently hurt just to walk into the house. She was kicked out hours later when the parents returned due to her hair and eyes and she was dropped off at the hospital."
"Zhe good part..." He prompted. He wanted to know why he was taken! What made him special for her!?
"The good part? Uhm... Weeks later she met the girl in the woods again... The girl was near drowned apparently from an attempted and unneeded exorcism. The two made a deal and weeks later the girl called Lucifer to kill her abusive parents... Afterwards they killed all the angels, the hunter in training and the hunter Mexico. They then destroyed the city that the girl used to live in."
Ok that was a good part... "Zhe girl. Vhat happened to her?" Was she killed or changed?
"She's been changed into a demon and adopted as Lucifer's daughter."
He grinned. Oh, this was good. They could take the demon brat for ransom... He made note of it. "Vhat does she look like? Her name? A picture?" He could give the description to Pompeii and have a composite sketch.
"Her name is Jade. Brown hair with red streaks. She never leaves hell and Lucifer is intending to keep her there until she's fifty."
At least they could start a file. "Ok. Vhat else, somezing newer..."
The pages flipped to the end of the book, "Lets see... It ends off with her comforting one of her council because her mate had been taken."
"Vait. Ve captured a higher up? Who?" Why hasn't he heard about this yet!? He wanted to interrogate the demon for the inner workings!
"Ah. It wasn't a demon. It was a human... Named Kiku."
He deadpanned. "Ve never captured a human." And what kind of name was Kiku!?
"He was a hunter, she had captured him and they had been about to do the change when he was taken... Apparently. Lucifer is unsure of the details but she is apparently worried for the man."
His face froze in horror. "Date. Give me a date. Vhen vas zhis?"
"It was about eight years ago I believe... Eight or seven."
"Fuck!" He screamed, grabbing a chair and throwing it at what remained of a window. "Zhat fucking TRAITOR! ILL FUCKING KILL HIM!"
"What's wrong?" Karn asked, his voice confused.
"JAPAN IS... HE VAS... HE IST ZHE ONLY ONE VE HAVE RECOVERED IN ZHAT TIME! AND HE... HE..." He shook with rage and disgust at what that meant. He FUCKED a demon. He was DAMNED. AND HE CHOSE TO CHANGE! "HE IST EIN TRAITOR! I TRUSTED HIM!"
"... I think I need some help... I'm not familiar with how things work these days."
He slammed his fist on the table and growled at the skull. "Jou vant to know how it vorks? Ve kill demons. Demons kill us. It's var. And Japan took a new side..." He pulled back before punching the wall as hard as he could. "AND NOW MY TEACHER IS A DAMNED MATE TO A FUCKING DEMON WITH LUCIFER VORRIED ABOUT HIM! AUSTRIA VAS RIGHT TO HAVE JUST LET HIM GO BUT I PUT THE WATCH OUT UND LET A TRAITOR INTO OUR BASE!"
"Ah... I forgot that humans hated us now..."
"Who else?" He growled, training back onto him. "Who else is a traitor? I vant every fact she has on us. Now!"
"Uhm... Apparently she conversed with someone called Dragomir... Or Transylvania. Now he works for her as a demon."
He remembered the creepy hunter from his childhood that made the training dummies that ganged up on him. And how he always talked to... "Paris. Is zhere a Paris!?"
"She doesn't converse with anyone named Paris but Dragomir regularly talks to him. He's been complaining to Lucifer over Paris's white hair and his reluctance to leave his patients to die so he could live with Dragomir."
It was like when he was fifteen again. Everything about him went numb and his ear rang as the floor met his knees, his body folding beneath him. Doc... No...
"Excuse me? ... Sir? Oh. I do believe you haven't told me your name."
"...Prussia." He answered numbly as he processed. Japan. Doc. Was Pompeii in there too? Was everyone he trusted the most traitors...?
"Prussia... I don't understand what's wrong... Are these people doing something wrong?"
"Zhey have betrayed Humanity." He said. "Zhey have done zhe vorst..."
"They have?" He asked, a bit confused. "Really?"
"Jou don't get it. Jou are demon scum zhat vants to ruin us all." He growled, still sitting as he refused to believe that Doc was allied with the enemy.
"Oh... Uhm... I don't... I used to live in a time when demons and humans lived in relative peace... The massacre you saw upstairs was the first organized hunter attack on demons."
"I knew jou lied." He scowled. "Peace? Please. Jou live off our suffering!"
"No no... We tried to keep the peace. Most demons avoided causing pain if they could and most of us fed off of pleasure or off of anger and jealousy. But because of what we were it didn't matter that most of us would even think of holding a knife against a human for no reason... We looked scary, we fed off of bad things and we could be very powerful..."
"I believe zhat like I believe Lucifer never hurt anyone."
"It's true... I'm not lying." Karn sighed, "It was really how it was..."
He rolled his eyes and took another book. "Find zhe vay out. Und vhat is she doing now, anyvay?" And where was his body?
"She's collecting humans so she'd be able to remain in hell. She's left your body behind when someone called an ambulance."
"Oh, zhat bitch..." He huffed and realized his body would go to Doc when his fake ids got found and they contacted him...
"I hope you'll be okay..."
"Oh, ja. Zhe hospital vill take me, call one of zhe burn phones, und I'll vind up under zhe care of a traitor who could kill any of us since he is our doctor!"
"... If he wanted to kill you then you would have already... In fact he didn't want to become a demon because he's afraid that his patients would die if he wasn't there."
"He already is one!" He snapped. "Anyone who helps a demon, is one in my book."
"... Thats a bit flawed..."
"Not vhen jou have a knife at jour throat all jour life." He said before standing. "Now, vay out?"
"There's a white door you need to find... And a key. But I don't know where they are."
He growled and started for the window. "Zhen no need to hang around zhis dump."
"Can I come?"
"Only if jou can be useful."
"I can read these. If you take the newest book we can watch her movement."
He grabbed the book and skull without another thought. "Let's go zhen."
"It will be so nice to see something other than the castle..."
"Find a nice spot und I'll leave jou."
"No. I'd like to come back here when it's done... My mate is here..."
Demon or not, he could respect that. If he really cared. He was just hoping to find something to smash the thing with eventually. "Ja."
"Let's go then. If we're lucky we might catch Fluerity as he walks by."
"Who?" He asked as he headed out the window, landing in the grass in a crouch.
"He's Lucifer's younger brother. He's such a large part of her life that is is literally a giant here."
Another option for leverage. Though more killing since this wasn't a kid. "Interesting."
It wasn't long until said demon came into appearance, approaching them from the horizon in about eight steps. "Here he is. Hurry he will not notice us for we are too small. Grab onto the fur." It was around his ankles and calf.
"...gross." He groaned before jumping on.
"What's gross?" The fire on his antler like horns had gone out as they were brought along for the ride.
"I'm riding a demon via leg hair."
"Leg fur. And he no doubt keeps it very clean and well groomed. Isn't it soft?"
"Shut up. Just... no." It was still gross.
"Alright."
He huffed and held on, trying to not thing about it.
"Well we might be here for a time... Want to talk about things?"
"Like?"
"Anything."
"Vhy not? Vho killed jou?"
"I don't know. I was standing by the buffet table at a party when hunters burst through the stained glass and attacked. I was stabbed in the back with a silver sword covered with holy oil and I was forced to drink from a silver goblet filled with holy water. I didn't see who killed me."
"Zhat explains zhe goblet..." He mused.
"Yes."
He had to admit that was a good attack style. He'd have to try it. "Vhat kind of demon vere jou?"
"Ah... Nature. I didn't have much contact with humans... Humans always scared me even when I was a young demon."
He tried not to laugh at that. "I figured zhat. Vhat did jou eat?"
"Pleasure... But I barely participated. I used to sit near brothels or houses when they were... Uhm... Doing the... Thing."
Now he laughed. "Sex?"
"... Yes."
He lost it, reverting to German as he just about died of laughter. "/A SUCCUBUS WHO NEVER FUCKED!? THAT'S PRICELESS!/"
"... I did a couple times... But only with my mate..."
He was still laughing. "/If you had flesh, you'd be blushing! You are so not a demon!/"
"I am!" Karn protested, now feeling quite embarrassed and humiliated but despite that his branch like antlers had begun to grow leaves due to his happiness to have someone to talk to. Even if he was being embarrassed.
"Nein. Jou are a sweet little flower. If demons vere like jou..." He trailed off, grin falling to a frown. If demons were like that, then he wouldn't exist...
"Demons used to be like me... But after the attack they had to quickly adapt to become as fearsome and terrible as they appeared in order to survive."
"No. Ve vouldn't exist if zhat vas zhe case."
"It's true. Demons were once rather soft being but were forced to evolve once humans let their hysteria cloud their judgement."
"Stop. Jou are just... a veird one. Or really good at lying." He refused to accept demons as anything else but monsters.
"I'm not lying! Karn protested, his voice offended. "Its humans like you that keep everything the same!" His voice cracked and he fell silent for a time. "... I'm sorry... That wasn't called for."
"Zhats vhere jou are vrong zhough." He mumbled. "I'm going to change it. I'm going to kill Lucifer und its all over."
"I am not wrong. Humans who thought like you killed me and many others with little to no provocation. We were just having a ball to celebrate Hallows Eve... My mate was going to give birth that week... She was beaten to death... I saw it as I died."
"We have rea... wait. Demons can't have kinder!"
"They can... But because a demon's body is so volatile it's nearly impossible."
He sighed, now sure to believe just about half the shit this skull said. "I got nozing left."
"What do you mean?"
"To ask."
"Ah."
He fell silent, letting the other ask something. He would only answer if he wanted to.
"... What's the world like now?"
"Don't know. Stupid und lazy, I guess."
"Who is the Paris you were talking about earlier... From what I read he seems nice."
"Doctor. He fixes us up after fights." He said, looking down. "Zhought he vas a friend."
"From what I gathered he thinks of you similarly. Dragomir told Lucifer all about how Paris teased him that you were infecting him with white hair."
"No. Zhat is probably true. Hell, he has been patching me up since... vell, I vas born just about." He didn't consider the time before his recruitment even his life anymore. It had all been a lie and he wasn't born until he was given the number 17.
"Dragomir said Paris called you a nice kid who did things without thinking but somehow managed to come out on top anyway. And that he was going to look ninety before he turned forty because of you."
"Ja. I escaped out a bathroom vindow to hunt vhen I had bad nerve damage und couldn't even move. He vas PISSED!"
"I can imagine." Karn chuckled, the field below them was slowly replaced with purple leaved trees.
"I von zhough."
"If he was that upset I'd say he was more worried about you then your mission."
"He isn't supposed to."
"Just because someone isnt supposed to do something doesnt mean they won't do it anyway."
"Vell, ve aren't. Missions come first. Alvays. No exceptions."
"... If Paris is friends with a demon then I don't see why he'd care for the other rules..."
"Stop reminding me." He said, truly saddened by the news. He felt like Doc was the only one who actually cared back at base. Who wanted him to live...
And the only one who wanted him alive was a traitor.
"I'm sorry... But... Does it make you happier that he won't become a demon because he's worried for you and others like you?"
"...it's complicated."
"Okay..."
"I'm going to miss him."
"He is a traitor. I have to report him."
"Why would you do that... He cares about you."
"Because zhen I vould be a traitor!" He said, wetness in his eyes. "I don't vant to, ok? But if I didn't und vas found out, I'd meet zhe same fate, no matter how good I am!"
"Okay... I'm sorry for bringing it up..."
"Just... change zhe topic."
"Uhm..."
"ANYZHING. I don't care."
"We're still hanging on a demon's leg fur."
He laughed, though he had no idea why. Maybe he was just going insane. "Speaking of, vhere is our stop?"
"I don't know. I just figured it would be nice to get away from the castle. It has less than happy memories for me."
"..." He sighed. "Jour mate. Vhere is her bones?"
"She lays on the opposite side of the hall from me."
"Find a nice place, ja? I'll bring her to jou if you get me out of here."
"Alright... We'll find the way out first."
He nodded and figured that much he could do. Even demons deserved a good final resting spot so long as they were dead.
"Do you want to go down into the woods?"
He let go in answer, falling to the forest floor.
He yelped, "What are you doing!"
He landed, tucking and rolling as he held the skull to his chest to protect it before standing with a grin. "Going into zhe voods!"
"I was hoping you'd climb down inside of that horrifying jump."
"Vhat? Never!" He laughed. "Seriously, jou vould not be a demon if jou vere alive. Jou are like a house cat or somezing."
"thanks so much." Karn huffed indignantly. He gave off the aura of a pouting child.
Which just proved his point as the hunter chuckled, heading deeper into the trees.
"... So. Was the leg fur soft?"
"...ja. Disgusting, but ja." He blushed.
"... Not as disgusting as your sweaty hands." Karn couldnt help the tease.
"I could drop jou right now und crack jou open." He said.
"... Rude."
"No it isn't." He said dead serious before grinning. "I just have sveaty hands!"
"Oh for gosh's sake."
"Hey. I know I'm not good wif jokes but no need for zhat kind of language!"
Karn couldnt help but break out into laughter.
The Prussian snorted as well before finally sitting under a tree for a break.
"Well this place is nice."
He nodded and opened the book. "Vhat's going on outside zhis freakshow?"
"Lucifer is back in hell and enjoying a meal."
"Poor bastards."
"Yes..."
"Vait. Jou agree? Hell is freezing over."
"I don't like torture... I don't like people to be hurt for no reason."
"...so jou admit zhat it has no reason? I zhought jou said she vas eating."
"Well there is a reason... I just don't understand the demons that have a taste for pain..."
"Power. Zhey like zhe power zhat comes with it."
"I suppose..."
He sighed before he finally got curious. "Anyzhing about me in zhere?"
"She's wondered how long you'll be here and she is also wondering how the hospital is dealing with the extensive damage she did to you once you were out."
"Vait." He said, turning to the skull. "She did vhat now!?"
"Broke your bones, ruptured internal organs stuff like that."
"Oh, I'm going to kill her..." He wondered by now if anyone had taken him back to base.
"I thought that was already the plan."
"Ja, vell now I'm gonna kill her twice!"
"... How?"
"I don't fucking know! I'll figure it out!" He huffed as he looked up at the leaves above. "Und vhat is wif all zhe damn purple!?"
"Hm? What's wrong with it?"
"Zhere is so much of it!"
"This is how the world used to look a very long time ago. Except the sky was blue."
"...ha-ha. Ja. Zhe grass vas purple und so vere zhe trees. I'm a hunter. I'm not stupid. Ve know science."
"It was a long time ago... I can only assume that what helped plants gather sunlight changed colour for some reason."
"Chlorophyll. It's green. During zhe fall, zhere isn't enough sunlight for zhe chlorophyll to remain und zhe leaves lose its green to show zhe real color of zhe leaves."
"Well it used to be purple."
He thought about it for a moment. "Vell, chlorophyll might have appeared after another light-sensitive molecule called retinal. Retinal is in the membrane of halobacteria und absorbs green light and reflects back red and violet light, the combination of vhich looks purple."
"Hm. Okay."
He flipped back further in the book. "Seriously. Am I pissing her off or anyzhing? I svear she is just flirting. She doesn't fight has hard as she used to." In his opinion at least.
"She doesn't care anymore. She doesn't need to fight hard because you're still weak compared to her."
He glared at the skull, offended.
"... I'm just reading what it says..."
"Still hurt, bro."
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Let's move again..." He stood and picked up the skull and book.
"Okay. You know I wonder what we'll run into here..."
"Vhat are jou talking about?"
"Well its basically the backwash of her mind... Seven billion years of memories will make quite a messy innermind."
He wiped his face in frustration. "Shit. I'm going to need veapons, von't I?"
"Yes. There may be some hunters around here."
He nodded. "Zhey can restock me. I'll have to leave jou behind zhough."
"Well... Maybe we'll find a dead one."
"Vorks too." He said, indifferent as he started off.
"Hm. These trees are rather large."
"Und?"
"I don't know. I can't help but wonder what's in here."
"How about ve don't find out until I get a svord or something?"
"... Grab a tree branch just in case. Something may find us out."
He looked around and smirked. "I can do one better." He put the skull down with the book and tore off to find what he needed.
"Where are you going?" The skull called, sighing.
The hunter was already gone and a few moments later, he returned with a sharp rock and a thick branch, sitting beside the skull as he quickly started hacking one end to a sharp point. "I need some fire."
"Do you mean me?" He asked before lighting his horns ablaze again. The fire didnt burn him.
He smirked. "Danke." Once it was sharp, he burned the tip to a hard point to reinforce the wood and pulled it back. "Not zhe best but it vill work."
"I think it's lovely."
He chuckled. "Until it breaks. Let's move." He said before scooping him and the book back up. He was starting to forget this skull was a demon...
"I'm sure you could make a new one. You are very clever... If reckless."
"More one part brave und three parts fool." He smirked.
"Yep."
"So, deeper or to zhe edge?"
"To the edge. Who knows what could be in here."
He headed out towards the north. He remembered it opened our that way when they were on the giant demon.
Karn hummed to himself, just enjoying the adventure.
"Ok. Let me teach you somezhing about being a hunter und being in a new place with unknown everyzhings. If somezhing might attack, don't hum. Silence is survival."
"... Sorry."
"Ist fine. Jou aren't used to var."
"Yea..."
"Hey. I'll vatch our fronts, jou keep zhe back?" He asked, turning the skull around.
"I can do that." Karn said, watching the forest.
"Now nozing can sneak up on us." He grinned before falling silent. It was going to be a long walk.
"That's good."
He said nothing as he walked, eyes peeled for any movement.
"... This is rather boring..." Karn said after a while when they finally left the forest, a large hill in front of them.
"Zhis is normal." He admitted as he started up. The height would give a good view to search the area from.
"What's in front of us now?"
He turned him around since it was open ground now. "See for jourself."
"That is quite a hill."
"Zhat is also vhat jou call a vantage point." He grinned, halfway up.
"I wonder what we'll see."
"I'm betting... A good few miles around." He huffed, reaching the top and sitting. Damn skull had it lucky he didn't have to walk.
"Wow. That's quite a view..."
"Ja... I vonder how long it's been. Zhe sky ist shit for time."
"Yes... What's that at the bottom?"
"No idea." He laughed before looking down and cursing. "Karn! Ve need to get down zhere now. I'm jumping."
At least he warned the skull before he ran forward and leapt down.
Karn still yelped as they fell down the hill, "Why do you do this!"
"It's faster." He said as they landed and he ran to the body he could clearly see was in hunter attire.
It was also clearly a demon, in hunter attire from the 1400's. He was also dead, his horns were curling and graceful and his wings were a dark burgundy and his tail was foxlike. He also had fox like ears. His long pink hair was blowing in the breeze a bit and his icy blue eyes were glazed.
He set Karn down and quickly started to take the gear from the damn thing with disgust. "Fucking demon... I hope jou stay dead." He didn't want it waking up like Karn. It took a hunter's gear! Probably some sick trophy...
"Maybe he has something useful? Search him?"
"No need, I'm stripping it. Zhis fucker disgraced our uniform, old or not." He huffed. He could search after he took the gear.
"Alright..." Karn sighed, watching as the demon, who remained dead, was removed of everything he had.
He took the items back with him and sat with Karn as he went through the new supplies.
"What all is there?"
"Shit, shit, und more shit!" He huffed, looking at the old coins, broken blades, and a folded scrap of paper. "Nothing of use, save zhe uniform." He reached for the paper to read what it said before growling at the sight of the demon and a familiar white haired demon with purple eyes...
The paper was a skilled drawing of the two, they were close together and both were smiling. It was clear from their proximity and happy looks that they were mates. "That's unfortunate... What's that paper?"
"Sickening." He scoffed before showing him.
"... I think it's rather nice... Oh. I know who this is."
He huffed in disgust, remembering Karn was a demon now. "Buddy of jours?"
"No. He didn't come to be years after I died. His name is Kanra Winter."
"No he isn't." Prussia scoffed. That was the best joke he ever heard.
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"I mean zhat isn't Kanra! Kanra vas zhe greatest hunter alive who died an honorable death! He vas never a demon!"
"It is Kanra... Isnt the fact he was wearing hunters gear enough? Have you ever seen a picture of him?"
He started to say yes he had when he looked back at the body and slowly started removing the demon parts in his mind. He visibly paled as he shook his head. "No... He vas a hero... Not a traitor!"
"... He was a hero... Just not the human's hero I guess..."
"Vhat do jou mean?"
"Ah... He saved many demon lives... He had even protected Lucifer."
He shook his head. "He died in Seige of Hell. He died taking out one of zhe toughest demons known at the time, but vas stabbed in zhe back during the attack!"
"No... That's not it."
"Are jou saying history is vrong?"
"History is written by the victors... That doesn't make it truth."
"...vhat is jour version?"
"Lucifer and Kanra were visiting the surface when they were ambushed and attacked. They beat them all down, Lucifer was exhausted due to particularly bad holy burns and a hunter burst out of the foliage and went to kill her with a stab to the back but Kanra jumped in the way and was killed. Lucifer murdered the hunter before mourning for a century."
He shut up and looked back at the corpse before figuring out that was what happened. They used his sacrifice to glorify his hunter days... and something inside him cracked. He was suddenly just filled with so much hate and anger but at what, he didn't know. He just stared at the body in silence for a long time.
"... You alright... Uhm... Should I have not said anything?"
He didn't speak still as he picked up the picture, standing up and going to the body and looking down at it before crouching down to look him in the face.
Karn watched as Prussia stared the dead demon down. "... Prussia?"
"Don't fucking call me zhat." He growled, giving the demon the picture, rucking it in his hand where it would be safe. He didn't know why he did that. He didn't care. What he did care about was the fact hearing his own name pissed him off even more.
"Sorry... What should I call you then...?" Karn watched him, wondering why he bothered to do that.
"I don't fucking know!" He said, turning back to face the skull. "I don't know anyzhing anymore apparently!"
He would have frowned if he was able, "... I'm sorry..."
"Don't be!" He stood up and grabbed the gear and put the jacket on since he needed shoulder protection and took the rest to back to the ex hunter. It was his, demon or not. "I just vant to fucking her out of here."
"Alright. Do you want to rest for a while... You look weary."
"Walk?" Karn asked, curiously.
"I can probably fix jour body. I don't have Gilbird here to give magic to for fights so I could fix jour body."
"You could do that?" He sounded hopeful.
"Honestly? No idea. My magic sucks. I can usually just fix broken bones so Doc didn't have to vorry as much but it couldn't hurt to try."
"Well I am entirely bone..."
"So? Vant to try?"
"Yes please."
He sat down and held the skull in his lap, anger still booking in him, spurring him on to do more things that he shouldn't. He looked at the leafy horns and trailed a finger over a bud before his hand glowed a soft white light that was filled with warmth as he started to heal the demon. "Jour horns have life in zhem, so zhis should vork..."
"Alright. I'm excited."
"Let me know if you start to feel anyzhing."
"What do you mean feel anything?" Karn asked, his permanent smile seeming to brighten.
"Like jour arm or leg, Dummkopf." He laughed, keeping the energy going.
"Ah."
He would shift his hands around the skull every now and again, ignoring the fact he was starting to tire after a while. He wasn't stopping until this demon had a body.
Light enveloped the demon as his body began to come back together. "Ah. It's coming back."
He grinned, keeping the spell going to be sure. "G-good..."
It was mere minutes later when his body finished coming together, his head remained in Prussia's grip. The bones of his wings flexing, his tail swishing as his hand propped him up. He was quite tall.
The light slowly faded from his hands before the Prussian felt his magic strength break as he no longer could pull any out from the reserve and he blacked out, falling into the grass from exhaustion.
Karn stood up, an impressive nine feet tall he grabbed the book and placed it in his ribs. Gathering Prussia up in his bony grasp. Leaving the dead demon behind with each step of his cloven feet.
The hunter stayed down, flashes of broken memories playing in his mind. A piece of chocolate. Some beat up dog with a broken paw. A room that was always cold or hot. And then pain. Searing pain that never ended...
Karn found them a place to rest with soft grass, he pet Prussia's hair. "Oh... Thank you..."
The eighteen year old's face was scrunched at the memory of the pain he couldn't escape until he finally woke, gasping for breath. He clutched his chest, still feeling that pain in his wake.
Karn sighed to him, "Little young one, don't forget yourself, when it's all said and done, you must leave your troubles on the shelf. You can sleep and I'll watch over you, protect you from the nightly fears, there is nothing you have to do, as long as I am here. Life she can be unfair, that dance we all shall share, now sleep and rest your eyes, let the time fly." Karn sung, it was an old lullaby. One his mother had sung to him when he had nightmares.
He blinked at the hella big skeleton beside him before laughing in relief. "Karn? Holy shit, bro, jou got big..."
"Thanks to your help." Karn said, his grin in place as he knelt next to him. "You should rest. You used much magic."
He shook his head. "I'm fine. Good zhing about having little magic? It takes less time to restore."
"Please rest?"
He nodded after he decided he didn't want to leave his friend sooner... And that was when he realized he was in trouble. He was friends with a demon...
The skeleton demon nodded, forcing the hunter to lay on the soft grass. "Rest. I no longer need sleep. I'll watch over you." Karn said, stretching his returned legs.
He nodded and looked to the flickering sky for a moment. "...first... how does zhe body feel?"
"It's wonderful to have my body in place once more... I miss having flesh though." Karn nodded, his tail swishing over the grass.
"It's fine. You've done so much for me. I could never think to ask for more." Karn said softly, petting Prussia's hair. "Rest now."
He did something he never thought he would do. He faded away into a hopefully peaceful sleep, right beside a demon.
Karn felt a soft joy that he had made a new friend. He stood and watched the world around them.
This time, he was dreamless and it was one of the few times anyone in any world would see his face truly carefree and at peace...
Karn watched over him as he slept, the clouds dancing over the sky as if on fast forward. Causing shadows to dance across the field and nearby forest.
He stayed down for a few hours before yawning as he sat up.
"Do you need more rest my friend?" Karn said, standing over him.
"Nein. To be honest, I never have felt zhis good before."
"That's good... I'm so glad for you." Karn said, a smile in his voice. "Let us go... We will find the way out."
"...vhat vould happen if I stayed?"
"Your body would slowly die as your soul was absorbed into Lucifer's ash... But you'd have to be in here for years before that happened."
He actually considered it for a second. No more pain. No more betrayal. He could just stop being... And he wouldn't mind just staying here with Karn. "Sounds like a peaceful vay to go..."
"It does doesn't it?" Karn said, looking up at the sky. "But... Is that what you want? Is wasting away really how you want to go? You have so much fight and power. I can't see you laying down and giving up..."
"I'm just tired, Karn. I'm tired und I've lost everything."
"I know. But there are things still to fight for... There always is. If not for yourself then for someone else. If not for those alive then for those who've died... So they could rest in peace... if you no longer can fight for yourself then you can fight for me or anyone who needs it. Fight for the past and the future... Fight because giving up will only bring you regret..."
"I couldn't regret staying with zhe one friend who never lied to me."
"But what about those you'd be leaving behind...? I'm dead now... I'm a relic of a time that no longer exists. I regret... I regret so much..."
And all his friends were dead or dying but... "Vhat do jou regret zhen?"
"Dying. I had much to live for... If I could have held on longer... If I wasn't a... Gentle giant. I could have saved her... Could have saved my child." The skeleton sat down, sighing to himself. "I regret not accepting her love sooner. Our time was so short... Our child had never even seen a single day... A single second. I regret the time lost."
"Two regrets for me. I can't see jou again after I leave and I cannot help with jour regrets. I vish I could..."
"Maybe you will. After all Lucifer does love her games."
He nodded and offered him a hand. "Let's keep going zhen, ja?"
"Alright. Let us continue." Karn took his hand, towering over the hunter. He leaned down to give him a hug, "... You are wonderful."
He hugged back and felt really tiny. "Danke, mein Freund."
"You're welcome. Let's get you home... So you can fight again."
He nodded and started off once more.
Karn walked behind him, his hooves clicking softly against the occasional rock.
"So how ist zhe veather up zhere?"
"Pardon?"
"Ist a joke for tall people."
"Ah... I believe it's the same as it is for you."
He smirked. "Again. Joke."
Karn would have been blushing, "Ah yes..."
"Ok. How about zhis: knock knock?"
He looked at him expectantly, his wing bones flexing.
"...ok. Jou are supposed to say who is zhere."
"Oh. Who is there?"
" Aida."
Karn looked at him again, tail flicking curiously.
"Ok. The joke goes Knock Knock, who is zhere, I say something, jou say something who, und I give punchline. It is zhe oldest joke out zhere."
"Oh okay. Try again?"
He grinned and started from the beginning. "Knock knock."
"Who's there?" Karn said, not wanting to mess up again.
"Aida."
"Aida who?"
"Aida lot of sveets, und now I've got a toothache."
He blinked curiously, thinking for a while. "... I dont think I get it..."
"Aida sounds like 'I ate a'." He explained. "It's a pun."
"Oh I get it!"
He chuckled. "If jou didn't have zhose jokes, vhat did jou have?"
"Ah... I used to play tag with deer or my mate."
"Jou didn't have any jokes?"
"There was but I never really paid attention to them."
"...und zhat vas zhe extent of my jokes."
"Hm."
He pointed to the book. "Vhat's it saying now?"
He pulled it from his ribs and flipped it open. "Ah... She's gone to sleep. She's having nightmares as usual."
"Nightmares?"
"Yes. She has them regularly."
"Vhat about?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He could use that for psychological warfare.
"The past... Tonight it's about one of her past children."
"Oh?"
"Yes... She's regularly adopted children over the ages... But they've not survived."
"Interesting."
"Tonight is about one of her more recent ones. She lost her son in the second world war."
"...vhat?"
"He insisted on fighting in the war. Joining the English army... He was killed by a hunter on the other side."
He had to think. Human history wasn't something they studied, but even he knew this one. "Vait. If I'm right... A demon fought zhe Nazis?" Demons were all about death and pain and suffering. That made no sense.
"Yes. He didn't agree in their ideals... She tried to keep him where it was safe but she couldn't and eventually acquiesced to his wants. He was killed the next year."
"...vhy zhe hell am I doing zhis...?" He mumbled, for the first time in his life questioning his career.
"It's the only thing you know... You've only ever had one side of the story..."
"Und I'm going right back to it." He scoffed.
"Listen to me then. While you are here. I told you of the world I knew... But I don't think you believed me."
"I don't vant to believe..."
"It's true... I could show you the skeleton of my mate and of my child... Demons used to be gentle creatures. But they had to change... Had to become dangerous and powerful to survive. Live or die... Fight or give up."
"Karn... If I believe zhat... zhen I couldn't live with myself." He managed to live this long because he thought it was right. Because it was his duty. If what he said was true, there was no duty... He was just another monster.
"It's alright. You can live with yourself because humans are the same. Changing forever on... To become better, to become more powerful. Demons and Humans are one in the same... Just a bit different... In the never ending fight... No one is right. A saying I have seen in this book a few times now... In war no one is right or wrong... There is only those left over once it ends." He mused before tilting his head. "At least I believe that is how it goes..."
"Und at zhis rate, it ist a stalemate..."
"Yes. But I hope one day it will end."
"8760. Give or take." He said sadly.
"You never know... Maybe it will be soon or many years from now."
"No." He said as he stopped in his tracks. "Karn... Zhat's my kill record. Zhat is how many demons I've killed in six years..."
"... That's an impressive amount."
"I've killed zhat many UND MORE KEEP COMING. Ve are fighting a losing var und for vhat?"
"Demons have been collecting in hell... In the most populous circle there is well over five billion demons. They're afraid... But most of them are more than willing to fight if it's called upon them."
"Und we don't have enough hunters." He started off once more.
"... If you believe in their cause... Then give it your all."
"Zhat's zhe zhing." He said as he twirled his stick. "I don't even know our cause. I vas just told I vas to kill Lucifer und zhat vas zhe only reason I existed."
"Then fight for that... Fight for your existence. Give it everything you have if that is what feels right."
"Zhen I better get out of here before I become ashy as hell."
"It'll take years before you have to worry about that."
"But I have no idea how long I've been here."
"Not long... My best guess is... Five days?"
"Five!? Fuck, Austria ist gonna kill me..."
"Maybe not."
"...ja. He is. Remember how I said I snuck out a bathroom vindow once?"
"Ah yes... I remember that."
"Know vhy I did? I just lost a fight with Lucifer, I just managed to stand und go to the bathroom. Zhat vas hard enough as it vas, since I couldn't feel anyzhing und zhought I'd fall over any moment. He came in wif a case und said if I couldn't finish it, he vould dispose of me. I left before hearing Doc talk Austria down to giving me two more days but... he vants me dead. Any moment I prove myself a burden, I'm fucked."
Karn remained silent as they walked, "... Ah... That's terrible..."
"Jou asked me vhat zhe vorld vas like before. Zhat is vhat zhe vorld is like. It's terrible, full of death und lies and none of us are promised a tomorrow." He sighed before looking at his hands. "I'm not even sure vhat is going to happen to me now. I'm a traitor."
"... Well. You aren't really... I am a dead demon. It's not being friends with me will do anything. If you tell me anything I have no one to tell it to, I can't attack your base... I'm just nonexistent."
"I've broken more zhan zhat." He sighed. "Dead or not, I still gave jou a body. I gave a demon our last rites." And he denied his rank. For a moment, he wasn't Prussia... he didn't know who he was then.
Karn stopped and pulled him into a hug, careful with his bones as he didn't want to hurt him, one large hand came up to pet the hunter's hair. "Sh. They dont have to know."
"Zhey vill. I'm not me anymore. I'm nozing."
"You arent nothing. You're my friend."
"But zhen vhat? Jou even said jou didn't exist. I'm not Prussia anymore... I'm... I'm really nozing... I alvays have been."
"You arent nothing. You're amazing. I could never imagine someone being able to do everything you have... I know that if it was me in your position I wouldnt have been able to survive... I'm not strong like that."
"Funny. I vas zhinking zhe same about jou."
"I'm strong I know this... Just in a different way. You can do this..." He pulled back to give him a smile, he was always smiling but he hoped his meaning got across, his horns were now in full bloom. The pink flowers bright.
He nodded. "I guess zhe past doesn't matter anymore. It's vhat demons have become now zhat does." He pulled back himself to start back on the search. "But nice flowers."
"Hm? Ah thanks." Karn said, quickly catching up to him with a few steps.
"So vhat did jou look like?"
"Ah. I had a long fox like tail, green hair, red eyes, goat legs with green fur and green feathered wings... It was good camouflage. In the winter it all turned brown."
"Hm. Maybe I'll dye my hair green vhen I get back." He joked. "Zhen I'll look like jou."
"If you want. I believe you'd look quite odd with green hair."
"Good disguise zhough. Only demons have hair colored like zhat."
"Hm. Really? Humans must gave changed. Well the world must have... Humans used to have all sorts of crazy colours as well but over time that's changed I guess."
"Some still do, but zhe dye it." He admitted. "Most are zhe goth und punk scene und zhey get vatched to be sure no one changes zhem."
"Ah. Interesting."
He nodded as he walked. It had been a while since they had checked the book but he didn't care anymore. "I don't zhink ve vill find zhe door out here. Hell, she probably didn't even give me a door."
"She didn't put the door there. It's just there. I just hope we can find the key in a reasonable amount of time."
"Ja. I'm probably back at base by now in Doc is probably over 100!"
"Hm. I bet he doesn't look too bad with white hair."
"Honest, his hair is light blonde to begin wif so not much different."
"Hm. True. Will you still tell them about him?"
He sighed. "I'm going to tell zhem about me too."
"Are you sure... I'm dead so I don't count... Really."
He nodded. "I have to." Real or not, he was slipping and he would have to be reconditioned.
"Okay... Try to do it in a way that will get you hurt the least..."
He laughed out loud. "I'll be hurt anyway. I'll have to go through training again."
"... Okay..." Karn said, clearly not impressed as they ended up approaching another forest. This one was different... As it was orange. The grass had even turned orange now.
"...is zhis a normal zhing?" He asked, reading his stick. God he wanted a real weapon now...
"Er no? I think it's just orange for oranges sake."
He nodded as he started in.
Karn walked with him, "... It's a bit odd that we haven't run into any memories... But they're probably in clusters."
He groaned. "Karn, jou ever heard of karma?"
"Hm?"
"Vhen zhings are going good und jou don't have issues... Don't point zhem out. Zhen it bites jou in zhe ass. Like saying vhat could go vrong..."
"Well... Memories can do anything... They're just ghosts and they do the same thing over and over."
"Ja but... I have zhe feeling I don't vant to see some of her memories."
Karn nodded, "Maybe..." He was going to mention that they might run into someone alive but... He decided Karma wasn't a thing he wanted to fool around with.
He made his way through the trees, ears perked for any sound of attack.
There was laughter up ahead and some talking, but with the rustling of the trees in the wind it was hard to hear what they were saying.
He looked back to Karn. Should they check it out?
He shrugged, "We can watch from the bushes... If everything looks shimmery and see through its a memory. If it's solid then it's a person that has had impact on her life."
"...and zhey can affect us, can't zhey?" He huffed, moving to go watch.
"The solid ones are like me. Have I affected you?"
"Ja." He said softly as he looked through the forest to the sounds.
"Then they can... Uhm... You have to be careful. If the solid ones kill you then your body will die as well."
"Und let me guess. I become ash?"
"Yes." Karn said, "We should hide and observe from the bushes..."
He nodded and took cover to watch.
The figured were memories, this shown by their phantom like appearance as the memory vanished for a second then started over.
Prussia relaxed and decided to watch the memory for the hell of it.
It of course had Lucifer in it and she was sitting on the ground with Kanra. The two were talking in Damiun while a red and black puppy bounced around around, small nubs beginning to grow as the dog snapped at a butterfly.
"So zhats a hellhound..." He mused. "What are zhey saying?" He asked as the words make his ears ring.
"They're talking about Mora, the dog, and how to care for her... As well as some mild flirting." He said as the two met for a kiss before they laughed a bit. Leaning on eachother as Mora bounded up to them. Demanding love and cuddles.
He hummed in thought before standing. Fluerty. Jade. Kanra. He was going to have so much fun when he was finished in here.
Karn followed him, "Shall we continue?"
He nodded, wanting to get far away from the happy couple.
Karn stood and walked through the memory, the image distorting as he moved through it.
Prussia said nothing as the sound warped with the image, trying to block out anything he knew he shouldn't feel. He had to be Prussia again before they left... not this thing he was becoming.
"Come on. We have to hurry... It's been seven days since you've arrived now."
"Hurry? I zhought jou said it took years!" He called out, a bit of worry now.
"It does but you did say Austria might kill you if you become a burden. I don't doubt that doctor will try to stop him but he will only be able to stop him for only so long."
"Ja. But fuck him." He huffed, speed picking up.
He chuckled, walking through the orange forest. His large strides keeping him ahead.
"Any idea vhat zhe door looks like?"
"It's not attached to anything... It's probably very unassuming aside from being a door without a wall."
"Good. I'd be pissed if it vas a rock or somezhing."
"How can a door be a rock?"
"I've seen Norvay do veird shit with magic."
"Uh... Okay."
He chuckled. "Guy creeps me out sometimes. He hides und talks to zhe air."
"Ah... Maybe he can see something you can't?"
"Like I said. He does veird shit with magic."
"Alright." Karn shrugged as they walked for hours in the forest.
Eventually, Prussia saw an end to the orange forest and smirked before charging out. "I vas starting to get sick of all zhese trees!"
"Wait!" Karn said, snatching him back. Looking at the white stone buildings and the bustling humans and demons... "... It's a city... And those arent memories."
He paled, looking at all the things that could kill him before... "Can ve blend in?"
"Yes... See there are hunters there."
"Alright. I'm deaf so I don't fuck up. I have no idea how jour structure vorks..."
"Alright." Karn stepped out, a hand on his shoulder as they walked. Surprisingly they didnt get more than a questionable look or two.
Even though he was in hunter gear and the demon was obviously a demon. Prussia tried to direct the other from any form of hunters he could.
They most ignored each other, the demons and hunters. There were too many innocents in this city to involve.
"...zhis is trippy."
"Sh." Karn said, patting his head. One angel actually took notice and looked at them disapprovingly.
He grunted but looked at the angel in awe. He had never seen one before...
Karn walked forward and the angel followed, "What are you doing?" The blond angel poked the hunter, wings flaring a bit.
"Holy shit, they are real..." He paled, blinking at the honey blonde angel with crystal eyes.
"Yes I'm real now what the hell are you doing with a demon?" Alfred said attempting to pull him away while Karn looked at the angel and pulled him back.
He paled, remembering he was supposed to play deaf and failed. "Ah... Ok, funny story. He ist helping me get out to kill Lucifer."
"I can do that. Why would you want to be with a demon anyway?"
"Because, somehow, zhis giant housecat of a demon actually is a friend."
"You're friends with a demon?" Alfred raised an eyebrow as he looked at the demon who just huffed. "... Yes... He's my friend."
"Shocked me too. Going to be fun vhen I get home." The Prussian said. "Austria vill have fun reconditioning me."
"What is wrong with you? Why?" Alfred asked pulling him away from Karn who huffed and pushed the angel away. Who yelped indignantly.
Prussia got in-between the two and shot them both a glare. "Stop it. Verdammt, people are staring." And they were since this was neutral ground. He turned to the angel and sighed. "Don't zhink I'm not vondering zhe same zhing. I'm hoping zhat I've just been in zhis freak show to long und its messing wif my head, but until I'm out und fixed, he ist my friend und jou are somezhing thought to be a myth."
Alfred glared, "Fine. What do you need to get out of here... And away from... That." Karn just crossed his arms and huffed, crouching behind Prussia with a distinct pouting air about him.
"Ok, first 'zhat' ist Karn. Second, I need veapons."
"You can have mine. I'll find it after you leave." He said, handing over a sword.
He looked at the sword wide eyed. He had heard of Holy Weapons but... "/Thank you. It is an honor.../"
"/Your welcome. Come on take it./" Alfred gestured with it while nearby demons, including Karn flinched a bit at hearing the Holy Word.
He nodded and took it with great care.
"Hurry up and get out of here." Alfred said before pulling away with a sigh before going away to join the other angels who were watching with distaste.
He nodded, attaching the sword to his hip. "Karn. Let's blow zhis joint."
He felt he could like that angel if he wasn't so annoying.
Karn nodded, eager to leave ad well. "Let's go quickly." The demon trotted forward and his cloven woods clicking against the cobblestone.
He watched their backs as he walked, making sure they had no followers. He felt so stupid that he blew his cover like that...
The angels left soon after, heading down a different street. Alfred waving to Prussia before he turned away and left.
He nodded back to him before looking to Karn. "Sorry about earlier. Didn't mean to hurt jou... but fuck, zhat vas an angel..."
"No it's okay. I can understand why you'd be interested."
"Jou knew zhey existed?"
"Of course... How did you not? They've been working with the hunters for centuries now."
He shook his head. "Zhey are just about myths to us now... Zhe closest ve have are zhat zhe greatest hunters are called angels... Some argue zhey are extinct, ozers question if zhey are even real..." He never considered that angels might have turned their backs on them.
"No no. Angels and hunters have been in league for centuries... In fact that angel you were talking to had been one of the ones killed when Mexico was. When Lucifer got Jade... She used the feathers on his wings to make a quilt."
"...zhen vhy do ve never see zhem?"
"Who knows... Many secrets are kept from you it seems."
"Und I don't like it one bit." He growled, his speed picking up. He wanted to get out of here and get answers.
Karn walked with him, "I know... Let's hurry... It's been nearly nine days now."
"YOU SAID SEVEN NOT BUT AN HOUR AGO!" He paled, looking at him I'm shock.
"It's been longer than that. The longer you stay here the faster time passes in the real world."
He screamed in frustration before tearing off at full speed. He didn't care where he was going, he just had to find that door.
Karn bolted after him, apologizing to anyone in their way as they bolted through the city and into a dazzling azure coloured forest.
He had a sword now, so silence was the last thing on his mind as he looked for anything.
"Prussia! Calm down! You're going to miss it like this. You must relax..."
"Und zhen vhat? Be stuck in here for years, just to zhink it vas two days or somezhing?"
"It's okay... Just calm down. If you don't calm down we might miss the door and you'll be stuck here even longer."
He stopped and took a deep breath. "Fine."
"Now let us walk on... We'll find it Prussia."
"...I told jou not to call me zhat." It still sparked anger in him somehow.
"I don't know what else to call you..."
"Anyzhing. I'm not Prussia anymore is all I know."
"Uhm... Okay... Do you have something else I could call you?"
He shook his head before just reverting to his recruitment. "Seventeen, I guess."
"Ah... Alright. Seventeen..." Karn said slowly... It didnt feel right... But he didnt comment on it as he walked with him. Climbing a small grassy slope as he mulled it over.
Prussia was just as silent as they walked. He had to admit he liked the blue of the forest. It reminded him of something... just what though, he couldn't place.
Karn walked forward, looking around the forest as they neared a clearing.
The albino smirked as he headed in to a beautiful sight. "Oh, gott... Finally!"
"What is it? Oh. Looks like the door is found... But we don't have the key..."
"Hey, half vay zhere, ja?"
"True..."
He went up to the door to look it over for any clue about what kind of key they needed.
His search proved to be useless... It was a simple white door with a polished handle. There was nothing all that interesting about it except for its independence from a wall.
He huffed and tried to open the door. "Please be one of those people zhat forgets to lock..."
It opened, but it opened to nothing... The key was required to turn it into a portal. Karn sighed and poked at the door with a claw, "... This is unfortunate."
"Didn't hurt to try..." He sighed, closing it and turning to head back out.
"Vell that's fucking veird. Vhat the hell are you?" A copy of Prussia stepped forward out of the forest and around the door. His sword drawn as he glared at Karn..
He turned to the voice and almost laughed before he realized that this him wasn't see through. It wasn't a memory. "Vait. I have a living copy in here? Glad to know I count..."
"What the hell are you talking about? Who are you, why do you look like me and what the fuck are you doing with a DEMON of all things!"
He shrugged. "I am jou, I'm zhe one zhat got stuck in zhis fucked up fun house of a mind, und..." He looked back at Karn and decided to just be honest. "He ist my prisoner turned guide."
"Right. And I am supposed to believe that."
"Well, he is. Not like ve haven't used demons before. Zhough, I must admit, just taking him out to get vhat I vanted vas a lot better zhan just torture. Less loud und bloody." He looked back at his friend with a guilty look. "Sorry."
Karn just shrugged while the mind Prussia rolled his eyes, "Why bother apologizing to it. It's just a demon."
"He has been helpful. Und I still say he isn't a demon."
"How the fuck is it not!? Look at it!" The copy hissed, advancing aggressively on the dead demon who backed way. Attempting to seem smaller.
The Holy sword shot out and separated the two. "Chill. I know its hard to believe, but he ist tame."
"It's a DEMON. It can't be tame. What the hell is wrong with you. You know this shit." He turned to him with a glare.
"Ja, vell I've apparently spent nine days, if not more now, in zhis fucked up place. I'm not exactly right at zhe moment." He held the sword still, not breaking the glare. "But right or vrong, zhat demon is my friend."
"You're a traitor." He hissed before he attacked him, his own sword aiming to kill. He'd rather die then become a traitor.
His own met the silver blade, blocking with a loud ringing. "Proud to be, actually."
"You're disgusting. I hope Austria kills you when you get out of here. If I don't kill you first." Prussia hissed before attacking with lightning speed. Karn just watched in horror.
"He probably will. Zhats vhat ve are supposed to do." He blocked at the same speed, glaring at himself. "But zhen again... He kept Japan!"
"Well at least he's turned around. Regrets it. You're fucking proud to be a traitor. To be friends with that monster." He hissed, managing to break through the defenses an cut his cheek.
"Und? I'm no vorse zhan Doc!" He yelled, slashing back to to a chink in the armor he knew was in the other's shoulder.
He cried out with the stab and grabbed a knife, slashing at the other's neck while the sword was busy.
He leaned his head back, kicking the clone back in its chest. "Jou vant Doc dead too, zhen?"
"If he's a traitor then he deserves to die." He hissed stumbling back.
He smirked. "Zhank you for zhat." He charged forward. "Jou just proved jou aren't me!"
He blocked the attack, returning with a volley of fast attacks. "He's just a collection of impressions... This is what Lucifer sees you as... When you die part of your soul will come to her and this... Golem will be complete."
The hunter kept up with his clone. They were too easily matched for his likes. "Glad its perfect..." He replied. That was the only difference... This version of him was how he was supposed to be. How he really was. Something in here made him soft and he didn't like that he could see the difference now...
The copy was beginning to get frustrated and threw out a contact bomb, it set off as it hit Prussia's hip..
Just because it was filled with holy water and oil didn't mean the explosion didn't hurt. He cried out as he dropped, open to any attack...
He lunged forward but he wasn't expecting the demon to suddenly get involved, his blades were blocked and scraped on the bones as the demon attacked him. "You'll leave my friend alone!" Karn hissed, mouth closing on the blade of the sword and shattering it under the force of the bite.
"Karn! No, get out of zhere!" He called out, eyes wide as he scrambled to get up. His clone was him. And he had done nothing the first half of the trip but plan to kill the skull and that echo had everything it needed to do what he decided not to and the perfect opening...
The clone was driven back as he found himself practically defenseless against the large demon who was now lunging at him. Tackling him to the ground.
"Jou idiot..." He groaned before using his sword to stand, trying to shake off the injury. He needed to get Karn out of there and kill his echo...
It wasnt long until Karn's inexperience at fighting was clear and all it took as a heavy rock and his left arm as broken off with a scream. The echo flipped them over and began to batter Karn with two rocks. The other arm breaking when the demon tried to shield himself.
He growled before ignoring the burned area of his hip and he charged at himself, sword ready to remove the echo's head.
He ducked and brought the rocks down on Karn's head, caving in the forehead area of the skull, snapping a horn and shattering part of his jaw.
He kicked him off the demon, his eyes filled with hate. "Leave. Him. Alone."
He gripped his ribs, one of them was definitely broken. "Fine. I hope you both die... You fucking traitor." With that the echo slinked off, hate of his own clear in his own ruby red eyes.
"I'm not a traitor! I'm not even jou!" He screamed after the clone, throwing one of the rocks at the back of his head. He wasn't Prussia. He wasn't that anymore. He was more. "I'M GILBERT!"
The echo fell, having not expected the sudden hit. He was knocked out. Unconscious before he hit the ground.
He looked between the two. He wanted to bury the sword in the echo but... He turned to his friend and fell beside him, hands already glowing as he tried to repair him. "Jou idiot... I told jou to run..."
Karn couldn't speak, and a low whimpering noise left him... Like a creaky door. His broken arms reaching for him even though most of his arms was on the ground.
"Don't move, damn it!" He said, pushing out more magic desperately.
Karn shook his head, there was a rattling in his skull when he did at and he struggled to sit up.
"Stop! Jou are going to hurt jourself vorse!" He huffed, trying to put him back down. God... The irony. "Jou are vorse zhan me... Now I know how Doc feels!"
"Giiiill... Berrrt... Keyy..." Karn managed to make out words through the whimpering noises as he squirmed.
He could see it through the hole but shook his head. "I don't care about zhat right now. I'm going to fix jou first."
He shook his head harder, "Gilll... Key... Keeeyy..." Karn whimpered, the rattling noise persisted with each shake of his head.
He sighed and reached in, taking it out. He put it in his pocket and started to fix him again. Why wasn't it working!? "I got it. Now shut up und let me fix jou!"
Karn just whimpered and managed to get a flower from his horns down, squirming until Gilbert took it.
The light died from his hands and he held the flower softly, tears forming in his eyes. "...es tut mir lied..." He apologized, failing his friend.
"It fine... Go." Karn whimpered as his struggles slowed until he was limp and lifeless... Like he was supposed to be.
Wet spots soon formed on the bones as the Prussian cried for his friend, unaware his real body was crying just as silently. After a second he took his sword and marched to where his echo was, wanting to kill Prussia for good...
The echo laid there, breathing slowly as his face screwed up with pain.
He buried it deep in him, pain etched on his own as tears mapped down his cheeks and he still held the flower for dear life.
The Echo never knew what happened as he was killed. The sword burying into his back and blood pooled onto the ground.
He stepped back and left the sword. The angel said he would come get it... Then he looked to his friend and headed back to the castle he came from. He promised Karn... he would find his mate and child and five them a happier resting place...
By the time Prussia reached the blue castle where it all began he was approaching fifteen days inside Lucifer's mind.
He headed to the opposite end of the hall. His mate was easy to find, a tiny skeleton with an infant sized one inside. He grabbed a fallen tapestry and wrapped them tenderly before heading back to catch a ride on the giant.
The skeletons didn't awaken, it was not their time, as they were carried by him. He made the long journey back before fulfilling his promise and buried the family of three in a less war ravaged scene before turning to the door and heading home. A bright white light surrounded him before his body stirred, alerting his return to those near him.