A/N: A shorter piece this time 'round.

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The Demon's Bane

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As Rachel Grey approached the Siberian tavern, she sent out a telepathic pulse.

It was a skill she developed—a way to track people with telepathic shielding. Such as her current quarry.

There, at the back of the tavern, was a lone figure that felt like a black hole to her probe. Rachel swiftly flew towards it, rounding the wooden building with ease.

And she found exactly who she was looking for.

Illyana Rasputin glanced at her uninterestedly as she returned to her meal—a rare steak and a mug of ale. The demonic mutant looked, for all intents and purposes, relaxed as she sat by herself in the lone table of the outdoor terrace.

Good. Less distractions.

"Illyana." Rachel greeted as her feet landed on the wooden floor before she swiftly took the seat in front of her.

"You're paying for your own drink." Illyana said, not even bothering to return the address.

Not that Rachel expected anything. She cleared her throat. "I'm here on business."

"So you won't drink?" Illyana asked.

"No."

"It is rude to watch a lady eat, you know."

Rachel shot her a dry look. "If I am rude, it is only because of my current company."

"Oh, my wounded feelings." Illyana rolled her eyes. "However will I heal?" She sighed. "Just a moment. I am almost done with my meal."

"Do you know why I'm here, Illyana?" Rachel pressed.

"To spoil a good meal?" Illyana shot the mutant an annoyed look. "Am I the telepath here? No? I thought so." Illyana harrumphed.

"Stop playing games." Rachel growled, feeling her anger building. "I've heard things, Illyana."

"Good for you."

"I heard your sword has changed again." Rachel continued. "Quite recently, in fact."

"Are you really not going to let me eat in peace?"

"Damn it, Illyana!" Rachel growled. "I'm being serious!"

"Then get to your point." Illyana spoke while chewing on the last piece of meat.

"Did your sword change?"

Illyana shrugged. "I fail to see why that is any of your business."

"Because it happened after my father died." Rachel glared. "And you were the last person to be with him."

Illyana smirked. "Not that hard when everyone else abandoned him." She deliberately drawled the word, as if rubbing salt into an open wound.

Rachel flinched, but her eyes remained fierce. "Is that an admission, Illyana?"

"I don't see what the big problem is." Illyana sighed, taking a swig off her drink. She glanced at the sun, mentally approximating the time—not at all paying attention to the angry mutant that found her. "After all, you all cared not when he was still alive. Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Because he's my father." Rachel hissed, the sound drawing a curious look from the demon. Now with Illyana's attention, Rachel demanded, "Show me your sword."

"Really?" Illyana responded almost gleefully. "I didn't know you were into that. Give me a moment and I can conjure one."

The unexpected response momentarily caused Rachel to fluster. "N-no! That's not what I meant-"

"I can make it any size, shape, and shade, too."

"Shut up! Stop deflecting, Illyana!" Rachel attempted to refocus.

But Illyana ignored her as she continued, "I do not judge—so long as you are willing."

"Illyana. Your Soulsword." Rachel demanded. "Show it."

"Are you sure that is the sword you want to see? I can make anything you desi-"

A flash of steel zipped towards Illyana's neck.

A flash of red parried it without effort.

"…now that was very rude." Illyana pouted, her Soulsword gleaming in hand. "I was only indulging your request."

"…it's red." Rachel finally said.

Indeed, the once pristine blade, normally glowing with an ethereal light, was now gleaming with a different color.

"I would go with ruby, myself." Illyana commented off-handedly, but the knowing smirk on her lips only grew.

"Ruby…" Rachel echoed, feeling the wind knocked out of her as her eyes swept over Illyana's sword. Her heart thundering at the insinuation. "Illyana…" Rachel began, horrified. "What have you done?"

"How was the funeral, by the way?" Illyana questioned, her grin becoming abrasive. "Any riveting eulogies? How silly they must have sounded when no one present had any right to speak." Illyana cackled. "Such honor is mine, and mine alone."

She was, after all, the last mutant loyal to Scott Summers.

"Illyana." Rachel growled, the hairs on her head rising furiously with each word the demon uttered. "What. Have. You. Done."

Illyana placed her glowing ruby-tinted Soulsword on the table in a mocking display.

"I have bound him." Illyana declared, her white teeth gleamed victoriously. "His soul is now mine, and far away from the perversions that occur in the games you and yours play. No longer shall your firebird taint him, nor will the end-bringer, nor whatever else decides it fancies him. He can rest, now and forevermore."

"I will rend you." Rachel seethed. Her mind was a storm of emotions and confusion, with only her fury directed at the demonic mutant beaconing her restraint, stilling her hand from rising.

"You are free to try." Illyana baited. "But you will fail. Just as you always have."

For a moment, reality itself seemed to quiver with Rachel's barely-restrained telekinetic rage, fueled even further by Illyana's taunting nonchalance.

"A deal, then." Rachel finally grit out, her hair lowering after she sucked in a deep and audible breath. "Let us make a deal."

It took her no small amount of effort to track Illyana, and she wouldn't waste this opportunity by succumbing to the demon's taunting or by flying off the rail.

"You have something I want." Rachel began her proposition. "There must be something you want in exchange. Name anything, and I shall give it to you."

"There is none." Illyana smirked as she leaned back in her seat. "I am at peace."

Peace. That one word rang through Rachel's mind like a gong, and she processed that word furiously. Meticulously. Illyana was at peace.

Of course.

"Then I shall hound you." Rachel threatened. "I will track you down for as long as I must and I shall give you no rest." Rachel placed "You know I will."

Illyana tilted her head, commending Rachel's words but swiftly realizing the fault in her reasoning. "Brave, but foolish. I can just kill you."

"You can. I know you can." Rachel admitting, knowing the truth. For all her power and even if she had the Phoenix Force at her disposal, Rachel couldn't guarantee winning a straight fight against Illyana.

And yet, Rachel remained firm. Because there was one thing Rachel knew that Illyana hadn't factored in.

"But you know what will come next." Rachel warned, delighting at the dawning realization in Illyana's blue eyes. "More will come. If not for him, then to avenge me. You will know no quarter of rest, Illyana. Not unless you return him to me. A trade, Illyana. Anything you want in exchange for my father's soul."

For the first time since they spoke, Illyana's gleeful countenance cracked.

The demon frowned.

"She is a foolish one." She muttered, barely audible to Rachel, as her eyes swept towards her sword. "And just as stubborn as you, so I know—oh. Now that is truly diabolical."

Rachel's heart stilled when Illyana's attention returned to her once more. There was something manic in Illyana's eyes, and her grin parted to say, "You want to barter souls, hound? What if I ask for Jean's in exchange? Tell me—will you give me her heart?"

Rachel's eyes widened, her mouth opening to protest but no words could form, stunned as she was by the unexpected request. To choose between Scott and Jean…?

"I thought so. You talk of trading anything, but you can never step past your moral line." Illyana pointed out, stifling a giggle. The sound re-ignited Rachel's anger, but Illyana took no heed as she continued, "And thus, you have failed, once more."

Illyana stood up, not with regal grace, but with the imperious air of a victor. Her glacial eyes swept down towards the seated mutant, who had fallen silent.

Illyana smirked, deciding that the war of words was over. She grabbed her sword and walked around the mutant, her footfalls ringing clearly through the deafening silence.

She waved her Soulsword- summoning a blue stepping disc to make her exit.

The glow, however, brought Rachel back to her senses.

"You are being unfair, Illyana." Rachel hissed, her fists trembling with her restraint.

Illyana deemed Rachel not worthy of a backward glance, instead addressing the mutant as an adult would a sore loser. "I am exactly what I am meant to be."

"And what is that?"

"The Ruler of Limbo."

The sound of a hand slamming on the table made the demon queen pause.

"Then I shall be what I am, too." Rachel rose from her seat. She stalked forward with heavy but purposeful steps that seemed to reverberate with power, halting once she was face to face with the blonde.

Her green eyes seemed to glow as she glared straight into the Ruler of Limbo.

"Don't forget, Illyana. I am Rachel Ann Grey Summers." She leaned forward so close that all the surprised Illyana could see was the black in Rachel's determined eyes. "Remember my face because we'll see each other again- very, very soon."

Rachel shoved Illyana through the light.

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Illyana blinked as she gathered herself from being thrown through one of her stepping discs. Getting booted didn't happen very often to the proud Ruler of Limbo.

As she replayed Rachel's parting threat, Illyana realized there was only one word that could sum up her current predicament.

"Gavno."

Her Soulsword glimmered in resigned agreement.

"You don't say." Illyana snapped dryly at the weapon. "No wonder your grandkids are all crazy." She jabbed a finger at the sword accusingly, before sighing. "This is going to be a recurring headache, you know."

The Soulsword glimmered again, as if concerned.

"Who do you think I am?" Illyana huffed, almost preening with bravado.

Another glow, this time certain.

"I know, I know." Illyana swung her Soulsword over her shoulder, before answering offhandedly. "And I've not grown soft. Dealing with her is just too much effort, is all."

Illyana ignored its glow of disbelief.

Sparing one last glance over the spot her stepping disc disappeared, and half expecting Rachel's arm to tear through the open space, Illyana sighed in relief when nothing happened.

Feeling her confidence return, a wide smirk split across Illyana's lips as she faced forward.

"Time to get to work."

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A/N: If Illyana's speech came off overly wordy and melodramatic, it's because I was re-watching LotR. I'd usually write her with less talking but I've got Gimli in my brain.

Basic idea was Illyana keeps Scott's soul in her Soulsword, so now she has a companion for until the end of her days. This was inspired after reading the manga Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita (lit. Reincarnated as a Sword) by Tanaka Yuu. I thought, hey, why not?

So what exactly happened? Well, Illyana decided to store a dying Cyke's soul inside her Soulsword. Now, not only does she have a portable Scott Summers as her travel companion, she's also got beam slashes and an aoe beam attack when she opens multiple portals to the punch dimension.

I wanted to make a light and comedic piece, but ended up with Smug!Yana again. I originally had Storm planned as the recipient of Yana's gloating, but it turned into Rachel mid-writing. I daresay, I think Rachel worked better as a foil, mostly because she can use Summers Gambit #1: when against impossible odds, bet your own life and stubbornly stack the deck.

As always, if you've liked what you read, please don't forget to leave a review. Thanks for all the support! See y'all in the next one!