A/N - Okay, this chapter was written by "TheTyrant Hamster", also known as our friend Christopher, as a birthday gift fic to me, and he refuses to get a ffnet account. He just roams around here and reviews most people. :)
It's not a Lucia/Lady chapter, but a continuation to the Nevan/Lady. His version of course. Lots of action/adventure, as is the first genre of this fic.
I hope you enjoy because I've been really busy to write the Lucia/Lady and will write it as soon as I can.
Laughter, everywhere, surrounding, overbearing, but most of all, condescending. It taunted her, out of reach, mocking everything she'd once treasured, as she ran, stumbled, wept, blind and half-deafened, trying to find the source, to silence it, before... The scream. She'd failed, her mother's scream cut the air and her with it, an ethereal wound that scarred her soul deeper than any corporeal cut. She looked up weakly, and she saw them, again, those eyes, gleaming madly at the deed they had wrought, delighted, madly enraptured in the sacrifice they had made. And he laughed, and he left her, with her dead mother, slain by his own hands, but they were not alone, she had never been alone since then. Those eyes stayed with her, haunted her, so that she never felt at ease, as if they were gazing down at her from each shadow in the world. Worst of all, those eyes that tormented her, they were her own.
Lady awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright and gasping, sucking down air as she felt the choking nightmare slither out of her mind again, leaving only that numb weakness. She hadn't looked in a mirror for so long, how could she, when he stared back at her through the eyes he gave her? She could renounce everything else, her name, her love for him, but not this, this one mark she would always carry, lest she blind herself and never avenge her mother. Lady was used to waking up screaming, or just sweating and clawing for air, if she was fortunate enough to get an easier night's sleep. She chuckled hollowly, that had actually been a pretty good rest, all things considered, and then as her eyes adjusted to the dark corridor, her memories came back to her.
Him. The demon in red, was lying right across the hall from her, asleep, loosely wrapped in that battle-worn red coat of his. She thought she would wretch but she didn't, instead when her mind reached for her revulsion it unearthed more memories. She blinked, and sat dumbfounded as she remembered, what they'd done, both of them, he hadn't raped her, though he had been forceful at first, she had only chased him on.
Icy horror slowly gave way to a dull realisation without texture or tone, a simple grey lump of truth void of detail. She remembered why, and recalled she didn't know the reasons yet, but she had been searching, searching with him, partners on more levels than she'd openly admit. She had slept with him, because she had to know, and she didn't yet, but at least she had tried, and by the looks of things she had time to think about it. He had an easier time sleeping she thought, his face seemed almost carefree, and yet, there was something there, a secret burden, and she wondered briefly what it was. However she soon dismissed it as she stealthily stood up, checking her weapons by feel, finding she was a little lower on ammo for their battle, but otherwise she was fine.
Lady had enough to think about for the sake of her own actions without trying to fathom the mind of this strange devil, so she resolved to leave him be, though thoughts of trying to kill him again flitted through her mind, they somehow didn't appeal to her, even if they would work she'd feel like a cheat. Ha she laughed in her head, and she'd hoped to leave moral difficulties behind for the time being until she finished her mission here, so much for that. Silently reloading her guns she gave small thanks that nothing had found them in their sleep and gave him one last glance, noticing his hand was gently but firmly rested on the hilt of his sword. So he doesn't sleep so easily either she thought briefly before drawing two pistols of choice and advancing onwards, guns at the ready as she resumed the hunt for her father, and revenge.
The young woman advanced on, driven as ever, exercising her frustrations on the demons she encountered, each battle a thrill as she burned off hatred and uncertainty. She was left little time to ponder in between these fights, but she was content to battle on ever closer to vengeance, the Hells she encountered excellent fodder for her aggression. After a particularly difficult battle with some more of those spider demons which were more vicious than her usual enemies, she passed through the door a little wearily, and found herself in a very different place. Around her great stone constructs stood in grand decay, seemingly majestically preserved in the state of collapse where they humbly testified a lost magnificence, water running through the cold husks as a calm, drifting mist blanketed the edge of this twilight world, seemingly on the precipice of ruination and yet suspended timeless, creating an almost reverent graveyard, a peaceful tribute to former glory. Lady couldn't help but feel an unearthly calm wash over her as the cool air, carrying traces of the formless rivers snaking through the place, touched her skin.
The entire atmosphere seemed to whisper in that trickling voice of running water, sighing in final sleep eternal of a wispy dream of might and grandeur, times gone never to return that the very stone seemed to hold in fond reminisce, accepting it's glory was gone, it's prime long past, and yet at lying here around her contented none the less, at peace with it's eternal slumber.
Lady felt in that instant the centuries this tower had endured flow around her, dwarfing her own young existence, but not intrusively, they simply drifted around her as thin as air but as real, silently promising of time's insubstantiality, intoning that regardless the stone would remain, unchanged whether standing or fallen, and the mist would roll, and the water would run. Lady felt a gentle shiver run up her spine, her skin tingling with a primal perception of the vast eventuality that resided here, caressing her mortal soul in passing. She didn't speak, any words of hers would only slip into the expanse of sounds that had always existed here and be shed of all meaning.
Instead she simply breathed, and strode on, feeling a nebula of moments wander aimlessly by her on the breath of eternity, her own experience but a heartbeat against the timeless pulse of unremembered ages airily chanting we were. She followed the stone path that seemed as implacably constant as the sky above, without design or purpose and never the same, yet so unchangingly always.
The sound of running water intensified as she approached a waterfall, tumbling ceaselessly from above to cascade like a liquid curtain before the dark mouth of a cave, the black beyond seeming to shimmer like living velvet. Lady looked over the side of the path, seeing a borderless stream running from the splashing impact off the side and into the aquatic depths beneath, the scene mirrored on the other side of the cold walkway. She braced herself to walk through, in a way almost reluctant to leave the unchanging serenity behind, where water ran nowhere but ran all the same and the mist never settled, but it was not her time yet to embrace peace, she still had things to do, a mission to accomplish. She passed through the watery barrier, and left the garden of time, surprised by the cold yet faint touch as despite the eternal vitality of the waterfall, it seemed only to leave the faintest dampness upon her, allowing her to pass with only a quiet reminder of their encounter.
As she walked on the darkness seemed to pool and douse her with itself, soaking in until she felt she was a part of it, glowing growths and drifting galaxies of star-white dust illuminating the smoothed cave beyond, accepting her in and lighting her way. She followed the seemingly natural path, specks of fathomless light drifting around her like petals on a gentle summer breeze, but there was no wind, and moving somehow in unison like a school of fish, but there was no destination. Tepidly she raised a hand and felt one brush against her, the contact marked only by a light sensation of pressure, without texture or friction as the flicker hurried around her to rejoin the unfathomable pattern winding around her.
Indeed, she noticed, that as she walked on, without seeming in any way to acknowledge her not a single one of the floating slivers of light came into contact with her of it's own accord, the specks absorbing her movement into their dance without interruption, so long as her movements were not sudden. A childlike curiosity to disturb this order arose within her, only to see how they would react if she leapt, spun, danced, shot, but she quelled it. She was no little girl anymore. Eventually her path was stripped of wall and ceiling as she came to a winding path stretching out over a black void. Her keen senses detected how the light shied away from this unknown pit, and she took heed to place her steps accordingly. The path snaked like a serpent into the black, the shape and texture almost like that of the animal, though assuredly stone, and clenching her grip over her weapons for reassurance, she walked on.
The path wound on, Lady journeyed on, one as certain as and inseparably linked to the other. Though she felt the darkness closing in slowly, Lady realised light was with her, following her in fact, quite literally as she turned to see the wandering dancers of light slowly, almost cautiously she thought following in her footsteps from a distance, seeming to need her guidance to make this journey. Lady didn't know what this meant but she knew one thing, that she must press on. And so she did, each well-placed step of her combat boots bringing her closer to the encroaching darkness, and the following light closer to her.
As she pressed on, the weaving white followers she lead seemed to grow excited or agitated, their patterns taking on more and more active forms and expressions as they slowly closed with her, existing always at the edge of her shrinking world as the pitch black maw closed tighter and tighter on her with every step. The little girl in Lady screamed, wanting to weep with fear, but she would not listen, this meant nothing to her, she would not be put off by light and shadows. She was forced to slow however as the darkness absorbed the path ahead of her, needing to watch carefully as she placed each step, the path almost seeming determined to shake her from it by turning unexpectedly, never moving, simply being crafted of devious intent.
The lights were mere paces behind her now, in a storm of frenzy as they tried to hound her on, perhaps eager to escape this place they had followed her into, perhaps wanting her to rush, to slip, to fall, she did not know, but she would not falter regardless. Eventually the sides of the path vanished from sight, her whole world seemingly a spotlight but a meter across if that as she took step after deadly step, the light on the stone eroding under her tread until she took that ultimate pace, and the floor beneath her was lost to the void. Lady stopped, and turned, wondering what to do now, only to see the brilliance of a storm whirling before her face, so close she could surely touch it with her tongue without moving her head. She stood entranced with wonder and uncertainty, but the light did nothing, waiting, always waiting for her. Seeing this, she shrugged, attempting to muster a casualness she did not feel, turned, and stepped. In that instant, that moment where she walked without guidance or light, and truly embraced the essence of her desire to press forwards, they were upon her.
Lady screamed, half with shock and half with anger, her voice perishing in the dark without echo, and she flailed her arms about her as the points of light spun around her in a tempest of blinding white. Darkness and light, light and darkness, the two danced in unison until one could not be discerned from the other as the young woman fought, feeling her senses spin, instincts trying to squeeze down on the triggers of her weapons but sense telling her bullets would not hurt this, whatever it was.
The light and dark danced, seeking to disorientate her, brilliant patterns like the birth of universes and the granting of deepest pleasures dancing around her vision. Lady gritted her teeth, she could not, must not lose herself here, whether light or dark would aid or ail her, she cared not, only one thing mattered, moving forwards, and so, fighting off the temptation to be drawn away from her path, she pressed on through the maelstrom of chaos, eyes closed as she ignored her surroundings and followed her soul, which screamed out for her to press forwards, ever forwards towards her wretched father.
The stone path be damned, her purpose was not bound by direction or orientation, only purpose, and no fancy lightshow would convince her otherwise. She strode on, each step potentially plunging her into the fatal abyss, but the fall never coming, that sickening absence of stone never reaching her. Instead she felt the storm whip around her faster and faster, trying to contain her, silent and without true substance, only movement in the air gave away it's rage. But she would not be deterred, and with a final, resounding step, she felt it leave her, carried away by a feminine laugh as she opened her eyes.
"My my, you resisted temptation, aren't you a special little human dear?" these words welcomed her to the new world she found herself in. No longer dark, though it lingered in the corners where it belonged, she found herself in a stone cave that rose and fell around her, but left the centre clear. Before her stood the most bizarre thing she had laid eyes on yet however, for as if to proclaim her an audience, there at the far end of the fair-sized room, lay a stage. No meek construct at that, this was the work of a devoted artist, though the art form was somewhat less than pure majesty, it still rung of the desire to show, to share, to perform, the edges of the seemingly manmade area meeting with the stone as if it had grown there, as though Siamese worlds had been born entwined, different yet undividable in this unknown place.
That laughter came again as Lady begin to take in the details of the stage, breaking her inspection, "Are you impressed dear?" it asked, a ringing cadence that somehow mocked and riled the human girl greatly. "Show yourself!" Lady challenged, holding up the shadows with her guns, turning slowly to find the possessor of the voice. "But of course young one, you didn't even have to ask, I was just watching for a change" with these words, from the shadows emerged those lights from before, and Lady tensed, but they rushed past her and as they did she saw what she had not before, as her eyes were closed last time.
In this frenzied state, the light took on an almost azure hue, flickering and twisting so fast she was sure their shape was not constant, in fact, she realised, they looked like sparks of electricity, as a fragment of lightning might appear while diving for the ground, temporarily free to take it's own form as it's slower cousin water is known to do in rain. Turning, Lady dismissed such ponderings as the light coalesced upon the stage, her guns aimed on the form emerging there. From the light seeped darkness, from them both form was born, and then, finally, Lady saw her. The blue-skinned woman stood tall, bright red hair hanging down her front over the naked breasts of her curved body, covered partially by a dress that seemed to be made of bats formed from the very shadows themselves.
"Hi sweety, your first time here?" the taller woman inquired, lips pursing as if to show off their full redness as Lady kept her guns trained on the obviously inhuman figure, taking her form in at a glance. Though she was not human, there was an almost primal, lustful attraction to her form, lithe yet full, plump rounded breasts in contrast with her elegantly curved back, almost inviting the eyes to appreciate the difference, though her long scarlet hair beckoned the watcher closer with promise of more. Lady shuddered and tensed her arm before it could slacken in it's aim, she'd never have thought she could see any kind of beauty in a demon, but this creature was distractingly appealing in a primal, dark way.
She guessed Dante had opened her eyes to something new after all, but now was not the time to think over such things, she had an opponent to deal with. "My only time, I'm just passing through" Lady spat back defiantly, stalking closer to the creature with her pistol pointed right at her head, just as she did with Dante. The creature chuckled, her voice ringing with a carnal amusement that seemed to please her greatly, "Oh but dear you haven't seen anything, if you stay, I'll make it so good you never want to leave" she hissed with undisguised tones of seduction. Lady stopped a couple of paces before the creature she now guessed to be some kind of succubus, with her on the stage, her gun aimed right at her head. "You don't know what I want demon" she stated bluntly, that familiar scowl on her face as she resisted the urge to squeeze down on the trigger, put a few holes in that smiling face, but she knew this one could talk and might be able to tell her something useful.
The creature laughed another song of almost sinful joy, as if this were all so delightful to her, "Please baby, call me Nevan, and I know what you want, because I want the same thing" Nevan growled teasingly. Lady gritted her teeth in mounting frustration, unwilling to play this game much longer, "What do you want?" she demanded. Nevan just tilted her whole body around her midsection, her hair shifting ever so slightly in a manner that would excite the willing or the weak no end, but Lady was neither of these, "Why, I want what you want honey" she cackled, then she leaned forwards a fraction and sniffed, sighing with desire, "Aah and by the smell of it you've already found some.
From a Sparda no less!" Nevan gasped, laughing gleefully, throwing her head back, her hair still somehow not revealing all it covered as she did. "My my, you are special, I'm a little jealous, tell me, which was it?" she whispered huskily, a conspiratorial moan. Lady just winced internally; recoiling from her act with Dante being uncovered by anyone, even this worthless filth, the rising anger dissolving her patience as she pulled the trigger, "Shut up".
Nevan cried out as the bullet skimmed her cheek, drawing blood, the succubus dissolving in a flurry of bats as she screamed, even her cry of pain seemingly hinted with undertones of pleasure, as though she liked being hurt. Sick freak Lady thought abhorrently, covering her face with one arm as the shadow bats whipped past her in retreat, turning and trying to keep her gun trained on the general mass with the other, but the creatures dissipated and melted into the shadows.
Lady stalked out cautiously from the stage, deftly drawing a sub-machinegun in her left hand to add to her firepower, turning and scouting out the pools of darkness lurking at the edges of the room for her quarry. An insidious laugh echoed around the room, without source or destination, simply rebounding around her as if to taunt her. "Come out you cowardly demon!" Lady cried, impatient to slay this vulgar Hell whore and leave her wretched lair.
The bats returned, rapidly reforming into the succubus at the back of the room from the stage, where some ornamental design on the wall stood. Nevan cackled giddily as her form unfolded, spreading her arms in invitation and uttering a playful "Come on sugar" in acceptance of the challenge. Lady opened fire, pumping round after round at the demon, who only cackled as none of the shots hit her, shadow bats from her living dress whipping up and intercepting the projectiles, being slain into black puffs of inky dark as they sacrificed themselves to protect their mistress.
This continued until Lady had exhausted all the ammo in her guns, and speedy though her reload was, Nevan was faster, "Is it my go now?" she asked innocently, putting a slender finger over her plump lips as if to suggest guilt, though Lady was sure the succubus didn't know the meaning of the word. Elegantly spreading her hand out, Nevan breathed into her palm, electricity coursing over her blue skin as she majestically raised her arm and giggled like a little girl, "How's this?" she asked, Lady cursing under her breath as Nevan unleashed a swarm of electrified bats at her, "Oh shit". Lady dived to the side, the uncanny projectile passing her by narrowly as she rolled to her feet, but already more were coming, Nevan sliding around the room as though it were ice, her dress of bats carrying her as she summoned them up her slender body, over the curve of her breasts and to her hands, sending them each with a blessing of lightning to smite Lady.
The young woman rolled, dodged and dived, feeling her hair stand on air from the static charge in the air, narrowly avoiding electrocution a dozen times before Nevan relented. Lady jumped to her feet and looked to see the creature had stopped, perhaps to recover from the expense of energy, and the sharp girl noticed Nevan's dress of bats was vastly depleted, almost gone, most of her guardian host having been used to try and strike her down. Taking her chance, Lady whipped out Kalina Ann and fired, the large missile escaping from it's owner and speeding across the room, striking the succubus hard. Nevan screamed out and dissolved, but Lady had seen the wounds of pain on her skin before she completely dissipated, the cry of anguish ringing around the room, it's tones unnatural as they rung with almost as much bliss as suffering, as if the long, hard projectile had caused her a heady mix of both, bringing her to some screaming orgasm of shared agony and ecstasy. Lady shuddered involuntarily, the creature's apparent insanity disturbing to her to say the least, and looked for her target.
She didn't have to look long as the bats fell, almost helplessly, forming again into their mistress as Nevan wavered on the spot, before collapsing clumsily to the floor, her bats lying around her in a puddle of black, like blood. Lady winced, if it weren't for the positioning of one of her arms Nevan would have been exposing more than she'd ever want to see, and she ran up to the succubus to pump her full of lead and put an end to her. She drew near, raised her guns, began to squeeze the triggers, and then Nevan's eyes opened, and she rose up inhumanly fast, seizing Lady in a tight embrace, fitting her naked body between her arms as her gunfire struck stone walls harmlessly, aim deflected. Lady cursed mentally, she couldn't believe she'd fallen for this vile creature playing possum, it was just something she'd never seen a demon do before. Without giving Lady a chance to resist, Nevan hissed lustfully and placed a hand over the human female's chest without hesitance and hissed, "Now you will become tired".
With that, a strong voltage ran through her arm and into Lady, making her shudder as her body was overloaded, falling limp in semi-paralysis as Nevan fed her a potent dose of voltage, careful not to kill or seriously harm her though. Lady groaned pathetically, hardly conscious after the electrocution, and dimly felt Nevan cradle her, molesting her chest a little and chuckling as her bat dress rose up around them both, binding them together as she lent in. Lady tried, but she could not move, she could only just breath let alone resist this inhuman grip as those fine lethal red lips caressed her neck, and then, she felt Nevan feed.
It was a terrifying experience, feeling her energy being sucked right out of her, although in all truth it wasn't as lethal as even a bullet which could end a human's life in one instant, but something primal screamed out against being sucked dry. She felt the darkness come down on her, and then, unexpectedly, pause, and leave her partially sunk in weakness. Nevan threw her head back and cackled, moaning lustfully as she regarded the helpless human in her grip, "mm you taste wonderful, there's something special in you, I can tell, it's almost tempting to take it all".
Lady weakly opened her eyes and tried to look up at her tormentor, but she couldn't lift her head. Seeing this, Nevan gently cupped her head in one hand and lifted it up so she could look at her, "Yes honey?" she asked, as innocently as a school friend who'd been asked a question during a lunch break. Lady was confused, weak and disorientated, and could hardly speak, but she managed to choke out a small question none the less, unable to think or utter anything more, "Why?". Nevan titled her head quizzically, then smiled brightly, perhaps for the first time looking less than utterly demonic to the young mortal woman. "No offence dear, but you're just not my type,I'm more into men. Although you are a sexy little thing" she said, caressing Lady's bosom appreciatively, sending a tiny shudder through her weakened body, "But you're just missing my favourite bit" she finished, running her hand lower and drawing a shallow gasp from Lady as she stroked lightly between her legs.
Feeling an unwilling minor surge of hormones, Lady none the less made use of the strength it brought with it to speak with more force, holding her head up of her own resolve now, "Only go for the dicks huh?" she mocked, refusing to show gratitude for the grace of mercy Nevan seemed to be granting her. The vampiric demon laughed throatily and rubbed a little harder for a moment, before removing her hand, "Not exclusively, if you're asking, but we both know you've enjoyed that masculine delight yourself miss not so innocent, tell me, was it big?" she cackled mirthfully.
Lady tried to fight down the blush, but it was too much effort for her weakened form and it came anyway, all too clear an answer to Nevan. "Aww don't be ashamed, it's natural to want a large piece of it to fill you up, was it good?" she asked curiously, Lady bashfully nodding a little, wondering how this went from a battle to the death with a demon to some sort of girl's tell-all sharing. "I bet it was, Sparda was such a well-equipped devil, it's a shame only one of his massive swords are legend" Nevan chuckled lightly, revelling in her innuendo.
Lady blushed deeper, too worn out to organize her mind as it was bombarded with all this barely disguised sex-talk, nudging at her young arousal even though she'd lost her virginity not a day ago. Nevan sensed this almost supernaturally, though whether it was a demonic power or just the gift of honed instincts over who knows how long, only she knows. "My my, seems you're getting a little excited dear, even after being with a Sparda and fighting me, such stamina for a human" Nevan laughed happily, almost reading Lady's mind, "Oh don't worry, I won't leave you unsatisfied, being with another girl is such an exciting change after all". Lady gulped worriedly, realizing she might be about to be raped by this demon, squirming lightly and protesting, "N-no! Not with you!".
Nevan put on a hurt expression and rested one hand over her heart, pouting, "Why? Just because I'm a demon?". Lady didn't feel the question deserved a reply, but her continued spirited if weakened struggles said all that needed to be to Nevan. "Oh baby, you've got a lot to learn yet, demonic power isn't all about being evil or hurting people, you know" with that, the taller woman moved her hand off of her own chest and gently rested it on Lady's. "In fact, you'll find power can be used for good or evil, pain, or pleasure" on that last word, the succubus unleashed a low, constant voltage through her palm, causing Lady to cringe fearfully at the first touch of electricity, but fear soon gave way to confusion and unexpected pleasure as she gasped. Far from hurting or incapacitating her, the low current danced over her chest, tingling like a thousand needles and making her moan loudly as her nipples instantly hardened, an impossible tingling stimulation spiking her arousal in seconds, paralyzing her with pure pleasure for a long moment, until Nevan stopped.