Sorry it took me so long, but I kept changing my mind on how I wanted to approach this, not to mention I was absorbed in my Hellsing fiction, and I still only have a book's worth of stuff to borrow from, and the next one comes out in…March 25. So I have a while…*sigh* Also, and no offense to Emma-sempai, but it would be WONDERFUL if someone else reviewed. Just saying. A new face or an old face that hasn't shown up in awhile would be very welcome.
January 28, 2014
Humans who would dare to play God must pay a steep price for their arrogance. That is Truth.
-Dwarf in the Flask
Hazel's POV:
I winced as the succubus walked right up to us, leaning over me with another flirty grin. I squeaked in shock as she was suddenly disintegrated in a burst of light, looking up to see DK with a certain satisfied look about his face that transformed into innocent guilt as Kid and Akuma glared at him. "My trigger finger slipped." he said meekly, and Akuma facepalmed as Kid sighed wearily. "Alright Index, get us out of this freaky chapter ASAP." DK muttered, lowering me and letting me shift back to human. The Index hovered down a little, whirring. "I assume then, that you have no further business in "Lust" that you may later regret leaving unfinished?" he asked, and DK snorted as I blushed slightly. "For this kind of chapter, a quick skim is all anyone needs." he said with a scowl, and I nodded vehemently as Akuma shrugged and Kid made a face. The Index began to mutter, and I squeaked and clutched DK as the world ahead of us suddenly rose up, exactly like a page turning.
"Plug your noses everybody." DK said with a grin as it rose above like a wave, demonstrating as Akuma put a hand on my shoulder and Kid was grabbed by DK, the page slamming down on us as I flinched, feeling like a shockwave had gone through me. Something delicious-smelling suddenly wafted through the air, and I dazedly looked up, seeing restaurants stretching as far as the eye could see, every kind of food possible advertised within as a trickle of drool ran down my chin. "OY!" I jumped and let go of DK as I realized he was staring down at himself, a tick mark on his forehead. "INDEX! I'M STILL A GIRL!" he raged, looking up at the mechanical creature as I looked down at myself, sighing sadly as I realized my gender was still switched as well. "What do you expect? Sin is a burden that must be borne by the sinner…just because you've crossed over into the next chapter, that is certainly no reason for your sin to suddenly vanish. Your bodies should return to normal soon enough…But the stronger the craving, the longer it will take to return to normal, especially in this case…it is Lust that we're talking about, after all." he said with a clunk, and my jaw dropped.
"But…but…that's not fair!" I cried, and DK scowled next to me. "Aw jeez…" he muttered, pushing a hand through his bangs as I turned to look frantically at Akuma and Kid. "This is gonna be so embarrassing!" I squeaked, and Kid blinked slightly. "Only if you're the last one to change back." he replied with a shrug, and Akuma gave him a nonplussed look, then pulled his shirt away again. "Well it ain't gonna be me. I changed back already." he said with a grin, and I blushed as Kid elbowed him. "Quit doing that!" he hissed with a faint pink tinge to his cheeks, and I looked around. "So this is the chapter of…" DK snorted. "Gluttony. Don't eat anything." he said dismissively, putting his hands behind his head and yawning.
"Something's been bothering me DK, why are you so unaffected by the sins so far?" Kid asked after a second, narrowing his eyes, and DK put his arms down with a grin, jabbing a thumb at himself. "The Seven Deadly Sins are what bring humans to ruin. I'm a demon, an evil spirit, and thus, I've already been corrupted to the point of where these sins mean nothing to me. I've already been there done that, to put it crudely." he said with a cocky grin, and Akuma nodded. "I have the same resistance, to a lesser degree." he said in a matter-of-fact way, and I blinked as Kid frowned. "So the weak links here are me and Hazel?" he murmured, looking uncomfortable, and the Index nodded jerkily a few times. "Most assquidly, er, assuredly so. You are punished for your sins and transgressions during life, but if you no longer have true life and already have paid for those transgressions, then even the most Deadly of Sins mean little to you." he said philosophically, his body fluttering a little in the slight wind.
Suddenly a gigantic door beside us burst open and a huge pig in an apron stomped out. DK raised an eyebrow as Akuma and Kid instantly took fight stances. "MY FLESH IS THE BES' QUALITY MEAT THERE IS! YA AIN'T NEVER HAD NO MEAT LIKE MINE BEFORE! LEMME TELL YA, EVEN THE CHOICIEST PRIME-CUT BEEF DON'T COME CLOSE TO THE SAVORY TASTE 'A MY FLESH!" he bellowed, and DK folded his arms with a smirk as Akuma and Kid raised eyebrows of their own. "Good for you. Point being?" he asked snidely, and I yelped as the meat cleaver in the pig's hoof swept through the air, DK hopping above it and a shadow snatching me out of harm's way and forcing me to transform at the same time as he caught me in one hand. "AND NOW I'M GOIN' EAT YA!" the pig roared, and DK exchanged a smirk with Akuma.
"Apologies Mr. Giant Meat-Pig, but I'm afraid we're in a hurry." DK said with a slight grin, and Akuma shot forward as Kid jumped up, his heel striking the pig squarely in his forehead as he gave a bellow of pain, shadows erupting from beneath him and slicing into and through his body, just as DK squeezed my trigger and flame roared out of the end of my barrel. It struck the pig squarely as I saw him begin to fall apart, and Kid landed beside us as Akuma shimmered out of the shadows on our other side. The smoke cleared, and I felt drool run down my chin again as my stomach rumbled hungrily, the steaming pieces of meat piled before us looking extremely appetizing. I squeaked as DK tossed me up against his shoulder, doing a fistpump. "Makin' bacon, homicidal style. Mm-mm good." he said as his tongue slid out and slithered across his lips, then laughed and retransformed me. I took a few awkward steps towards the food, then my legs folded up and collapsed from the wobbliness of being human and weapon within a few short seconds.
"Yo Index, let's move on. I'm getting hungry, and I don't think anything here is stuff I wanna eat." DK said as he curled his lip, and the Index bobbed a few times "As you wish…" he murmured resentfully, and I watched the meat hungrily as behind it, I saw the world start to rise up and tilt. I couldn't help but close my eyes as it crashed down, even as I meekly reached out for the steaming pile of meat. There was a rush of cold, and I opened my eyes again, then shot upright with a gasp, seeing…nobody. There was nothing but dark forest all around me for as far as I could see, no animals and no birdcalls. Sickly white mist drifted about my ankles, and I realized with a shock I was in the forest around Halloween Town, swallowing hard and looking around. "DK? Akuma? Kid?"
No answer.
"DK, I swear to god if you jump out at me I will tear you apart." I muttered under my breath, my eyebrow twitching, and I suddenly realized something, looking down to see…yes… "I'M A GIRL AGAIN! SCREW YOU INDEX, I AM LESS SINFUL THAN DK!" I shouted gleefully, pumping my fist with a happy grin, then blinking and covering my mouth. Oh crap, what if another of those weird guardian things heard that and is gonna come after me again! And why do they always come after me?! I thought in a panic, starting to run, but stopping again as I bit my lip. The others probably are in here too, and if I stay stationary then they'll find it easier to find me. I thought with a firm nod, then jumped as there was a tap on my shoulder, whirling to see-
KAGE?!
She raised an eyebrow at my shocked face, then smirked a little. "Wow, look at you Hazel. Good developing reflexes, even though you're still a hopelessly awkward klutz." she said a little bluntly, and I blinked at her in slight hurt, then remembered my purpose. "Kage what are you doing in the Book of Eibon?! DK and Akuma and Kid are looking for you, and we're all really worried! What happened with that Arro guy? Are you okay?" I spluttered, and she snickered, studying her nails dismissively. "Please, I was easily able to get away. Arro's nothing before my power." she snorted with an arrogant toss of her hair. My eyes widened slightly as I took a hesitant step back, frantically trying to fit a reasonable excuse into this. "K-Kage, you aren't acting normal."
Her grin widened until it became inhuman, even from a Nightstalker, and she took an aggressive step forward. "Normal huh? You want normal? You've traded souls with a demon and you're working with him like some kind of loyal puppy, and you say I'm not acting normal because I disdain you? Please, the only reason we ever helped your friends is because we need the fresh meat and even you made the cut. Honestly, I would have preferred picking up some urchins from the streets than you and your pathetic friends. They at least know what it's like to live on the dangerous side. You flee to your partner whenever anything even remotely frightening comes by. That's wrong even by the DWMA's standards, you little insect." she said venomously, and I trembled as I finally managed to shift my arm into a cannon and aimed it at her face.
"L-leave me alone. You aren't Kage and what you say isn't true." I whispered tremulously, and she snickered, grabbing where my wrist had been and jerking me forward so the end of the gun pressed against her throat as her grin grew crazed. "Go on, I dare you. Shoot me. What do you think your precious partner will think when you kill me? Hmm? I am of far more value to him than some weapon that he uses to break down doors! I'm his sister! I'm his family! You're nothing but a tool, and when you break he'll just find a new one!" she screamed, and my fist clenched as I felt something wet and warm trickle down my cheeks. "S-shut up! SHUT UP!" I wailed back, and her grin suddenly stretched, like a clown's almost, her eyes dead white. "That's no way to talk to your superiors, you little weakling."
"She can't even transform without him."
"Look, she's crying like a baby."
"Disgusting."
"Wimp."
"Coward."
"Clingy little freak."
"He should've picked someone stronger."
"Can she even shoot herself?"
"I doubt it, such a weak, pathetic, little fool."
The whispers grew louder around me, people fading through the trees with the same sickly grin and white eyes as whatever took on Kage's appearance, and I gritted my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut as more tears poured down my cheeks. "SHUT UP!" I screamed, grinding my teeth across each other as the end of my barrel sparked slightly, but did not go off. I was too scared to hit any of them. Suddenly the whispers cut off, and I felt a cold hand settle firmly on my shoulder, the tips of the nails pricking through the cloth just the littlest bit. I whirled again, my mouth dropping open as DK raised an eyebrow, still in that girl form. "You okay Hazel?"
I scrambled away, covering my ears. "No no no no no! Stop it! I'M NOT LISTENING!" I screamed furiously, and his eyebrow rose higher. "Yo, did you hit your head or something? I get the impression you think I'm somebody else." he said with slight concern, reaching forward and knocking on my skull gently. "Feels solid enough. I know I don't look like me right now, but you remember how we were in the Lust chapter and all our genders switched? That's what happened to m-" He started to explain, but I launched myself forward and hugged him tightly around the waist. "I'M REALLY REALLY REALLY SORRY! I PROMISE I'LL TRAIN HARDER, I REALLY WILL! JUST DON'T GET RID OF ME!" I wailed, and I felt him jolt. "Uh…okay…duly noted. 'S not like I was gonna anyway, so…yeah. You can get off now, this is kinda weird when we're both girls." he said awkwardly as I felt his hand gingerly push at the top of my head, flushing and letting go as he brushed himself off compulsively.
"Sorry, there was just a lot…and they were saying…" I mumbled, fiddling with my fingers, and he growled to himself, nodding slightly. "Yeah. They tried it with me too." he muttered as I saw a tick mark on his head, and then he calmed himself, giving me a half smile. "Honestly I was starting to freak out. Good thing you started screaming, otherwise I might've gotten stuck." he said with a dismissive shrug, and my eyes widened slightly. So he does need me…in his own special way. I thought with an uplifting of spirit, and he grinned at me as he suddenly grabbed my hand and started dragging me forward. "Let's go kid, before the stupid book rains any more crap down on us. Gender switching, cannibalistic pig, and ego-crushers have been enough for one day, don't you think?" he asked with somewhat forced cheerfulness, and I nodded quietly, gripping his hand a little tighter as he led me on.
6.43 PM, USA Central Time
And we still have four more Sin chapters left! Greed, Pride, Wrath, and Sloth, to be specific. Hehe, I know the Seven Deadly Sins by heart, 'cause they're in the Soul Eater manga, and FullMetal Alchemist, and Vocaloid has songs for them too! (except for Wrath, but whatever) So yes, I know them as a person, a place, and a song, so I KNOW them at a deep and ingrained level. Um…yeah. That's all I can think of right now, please hold until I can hammer out what'll happen next. Review Request Rcomment Auf Wedersien!