My. Gosh! I've been gone forever! Don't worry, guys, I'm not dead, I just went on a long, extended space travel in search of wormholes that lead to alternate dimensions.
…
Kidding! I've been away for a number a things, writer's block and work are two of them. Another thing was the fact that I was hurt for a while. Not too badly, don't worry—and what happened I did to myself—but it left me aching badly enough that I kinda didn't want to do much except relax and sleep and not think when I wasn't supposed to be working. But I'm almost like new again! So I'm back! And so is Hunter! Yay!
Like I said, we're going back in time here. The last chapter was a week after Hunter's abduction—this chapter is within a few hours to a day after her abduction. The next few chapters will be within the weekly timeline too and everything that happened with Hunter during that time.
WolfAssassin369—Don't be ridiculous—of course you wanna read this chapter. And the next, and the next. ;3
AllSpark Princess—Sorry it took so long, but we're back now!
Alice Gone Madd—ALLY!
Shadescribe—Nice to hear from you again. :)
EndlessGalaxies97—He'll find her. He always finds her.
Yes, the song is a rendered version of "Playing With the Big Boys" from Prince of Egypt. I couldn't resist.
I do not own Transformers or anything in relation. I only own Hunter, the Hybrid race, and any other character that you may not recognize.
"Everyone, run! Here comes the reign. Everyone, run! Here comes the reign…" Les Friction; Here Comes the Reign
19
Ω Tenebrae in Aula Reginae Ω
(In the Court of the Queen of Darkness)
A week earlier;
A headache: that was the first thing that registered with Hunter as she slowly began to wake up. And what a glitch of a headache it was too! Groaning, the teen raised a hand that felt like lead to her head and splayed it across her forehead to massage first her temples, then her eyes. She lay there for a long moment, trying to soothe the ache and praying for it to disappear. Much to her relief it started to fade. Only when it was very nearly gone did the girl dare to open her eyes and take in her surroundings.
"Mmm!" Hunter shut her eyes against the blinding light and raised a hand to shield them from it. Then she slowly opened them again and squinted up. Above her, letting in the light were nine round, stained-glass windows that… seemed to be depictions of the moon? They were spaced circularly. One quite large pane was placed right in the center and appeared to be a blood moon. Around the outside of it were eight other panes that appeared to depict the cycle of the moon's phases.
A chill ran down Hunter's spine and back up it. She didn't like this. There was a serious cult-ish vibe going on here. Slowly she sat up and shook the last of the fog out of her head before looking around some more. Beyond the rays of light she could see darkness and flickering candles on the walls. Judging from their positions, the room she was in was round. That's when the sixteen-year-old looked down to discover that, not only was she laying on some sort of stone slab, she was also dressed in a long, flowing, blue dress with matching flats on her feet. That just helped to freak her out even more. Why was she in a dress? Where were her regular clothes? And, most importantly, who had redressed her? This all just kept getting weirder and creepier, and the more it did that the more that cult-ish vibe kept getting stronger.
All of a sudden the sound of massive, heavy doors being opened rang throughout the room, startling the girl and causing her to jump and gaze with wide eyes in the direction the noise have come from. It was hard to see beyond the light she was spotlighted in, but she could make out several silhouettes coming towards her. It was hard to tell how many, and the room echoed so much that it was impossible to tell by sound.
Hackles rising and lips parting to bear her teeth, Hunter quickly slipped off the opposite side of the stone table so that the slab we between her and whoever was coming at her. Clenching her fists the teen extracted her razors. "Where am I?" she demanded, doing her best to keep her core-numbing fear out of her voice. "What do you want with me?" Only the sound of footsteps coming closer and—far worse—surrounding her answered her questions. Hunter whirled around as the footsteps moved behind her. They were hemming her in again! And it certainly didn't help her nerves when they all stayed just far enough out of the light so that she couldn't really see them. "Answer me!" Hunter snapped. "What do you want?!" She was starting to lose the grip on her terror now.
"It's not a question of what we want with you," a voice Hunter quickly recognized as Dusk's sounded out.
The teen turned towards the voice and watched intently at the tall, intimidating Hybrid stepped into the light. She looked even more menacing with the light shining directly down on her like this. Hunter growled.
Dusk, unmasked, sneered and chuckled at the youngling's reaction. "It's a question of what the Mistress wants with you," she stated.
"Mis… Mistress?" Hunter stammered, completely confused. "What mistress?"
Dusk's sneer darkened, and the gleam in her emerald eyes glinted dangerously. "You'll find out," she assured the child. "The question is are you going to come along willingly this time? Or are we going to have to go through another temper tantrum where you think you can escape us and try to fight your way out before we ultimately bring you to your knees and drag your ass where we want it?
Hunter was quiet for a long time, taking this all into consideration. As much as it pained her to admit, Dusk was completely right. She could try to fight and escape but it would be pointless to. She might be able to take a few of them out but not enough to give her a better chance of actually getting away, let alone all of them. The only thing she'd accomplish by fighting now would be making a rebellious stand and letting them know she didn't like this, and they already knew that. So what was the point? Plus she was a little sore from her last encounter with them yet and she really didn't want to be beat up again so soon after. So, reluctantly, the teen surrendered. Drawing herself up to full height again, Hunter slowly retracted her razors back into her knuckles and simply stood there.
Dusk nodded. "You do have some brains after all," she condescendingly praised the girl. "Now come. And if you even think about trying to make trouble you'll dearly regret it, so I highly suggest you don't." And with that cryptic but no less threatening warning/suggestion, the formidable woman turned and began walking away out of the light.
A sharp tip of a blade poking into her spine caused Hunter to jump and glare behind her.
"Move," the owner of the blade—a slender but still muscular (or maybe that was just the armor) Hybrid male—ordered.
A deep growl rumbled up from Hunter's chest, but she begrudgingly moved out. She'd already made the decision to not fight, so there was no point in going back on it now, especially if she didn't want to get her aft handed to her again. Besides, she wanted to find out just who this all important "Mistress" was.
Halls, corridors, stairs, halls, corridors, stairs, halls, corridors and even more stairs the group passed through and up as they traveled up to… Hunter didn't know where. She tried to memorize their path, but there were so many twists and turns with little to no lighting that it was all but completely impossible. Plus she was surrounded by a ring of Hybrids that seemed to dead set on blocking her line of sight as they walked along, so the teen eventually just gave up and stared at the back of the Hybrid before her. With any luck maybe a new power—preferably laser/heat vision—would kick in and she could roast that creep alive. No such luck.
The group continued on for some time and Hunter began to wonder just how far underground they'd been, how far they still were, and when they were finally going to reach their destination. Finally, after going up what the teen was sure the thousandth flight of stairs, they came into a hall that was longer, wider, and more brightly lit than any of the other halls had previously been. And at the very end of the long hall, illuminated by moonlight streaming through I high window above them and barricaded by several more guards was a set of large wooden doors. They were works of art; ornately decorated and polished to a sheen so they glimmered in the moonlight. But Hunter didn't have time to truly admire the doors because all at once she was being prodded on again. The girl watched on in awe and terror as the doors drew closer and closer. "This is what it must've felt like for Dorothy and her friends," she thought to herself. "Of course, I don't think they really had to worry about the possibility of being killed by the Wizard once they finally got to meet him. Lucky bastards."
As they neared the doors, the guards standing at attention before them turned to grasp the large, round iron handles of the doors and slowly pulled them open. The massive things creaked and groaned as they parted. Music that beautiful and entrancing but also eerie at the same time streamed out through the now open entrance from the throne room on the other side. At least, Hunter was pretty sure it was a throne room. She had no other explanation as to what it could possibly be. A large, open, high-ceilinged room with a long, dark raspberry colored carpet rolled out down the very center of the floor that led up to a raised stage where an incredibly ornate—oh, would you look at that?—throne that appeared to be carved out of moonstone sat: if that wasn't a throne room then what was?
As it was the throne room was full of people and they all appeared to be having some sort of… celebration? There was music, and more than a few of them were dancing, and they were all dressed up in fine, colorful clothes—even though there appeared to be some sort of color code between all of them—and that all definitely went along with some sort of celebration or ball. But a celebration of what?
It was only when Dusk suddenly grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her through the doors and into the room that Hunter realized she'd stop to take it all in. Now she was stumbling into the room and almost falling on her face from the unexpected pull. Luckily she caught herself before that happened. Pushing herself up off her knees and onto her feet again, Hunter whirled around with a glare and growl, instinctively readying herself to make some sort of retaliation against Dusk only to have the tip of a red-bladed sword shoved at her face, forcing her to back away. She did. But the glare remained intact.
"I thought I told you not to cause trouble," Dusk hissed. There was a challenge in her voice somewhere, as if she was daring Hunter to do something, to lash out. It'd be a lie if she said she didn't want it. More than anything the femme wanted to put this child in her place again, show her who was boss. Insubordination would not be tolerated. It didn't matter if this girl was the Fuser or not.
Hunter's hackles raised. Her energon boiled. She knew it wasn't a good idea, and she could tell it was what Dusk wanted, but she really wanted to show this femme what for. She'd probably get put on her aft again, yeah, but that was the farthest thing from her mind right now. "You think this is trouble?" she snarled. "Honey, you haven't seen trouble yet!"
"Enough!" All of a sudden everything—Hunter and Dusk's confrontation, the music, the dancing and celebration—all came to an abrupt halt. Everyone turned towards the throne. Three people, who hadn't been there before, stood by the glorified chair, the female holding out her arms to signal 'stop'. As all the attention turned towards her, she lowered her arms and folded her hands together, her gaze falling on Hunter as she smiled warmly. "Welcome back home, Hunter, my dear!" she announced to the girl.
Hunter could only stare in confusion, the words sinking in and trying to form some sort of coherent meaning in her brain. "H-home?" she stammered. "Back?"
The two men standing beside the woman were beaming happily as well, particularly the younger of the two, his grin outshining everything else. "Hunter!" he called out to her. Laughing happily he completely jumped down the steps to the floor and came barreling towards her. "Hunter!"
The redhead appeared catatonic as she could only stare on in complete bafflement as the young man sprinted towards her. She didn't even retaliate when he swept her up into his arms and spun her, embracing her tight. She barely even moved.
Still laughing, the blonde-haired boy set her back down and held her at arm's length, looking into her eyes. "It's so good to see you again!" he exclaimed.
That only jumbled Hunter's thoughts more. "A… again?" "Back home"? "Again"? What? She'd… been here before? Met these people before? It was very obvious to tell that these people knew her, so logic dictated she must have… but she had no memory of… anything like that!
The boy's smile seemed to fade a bit at Hunter's question and lack of reaction. "Hunter," he murmured, "don't you… don't you remember me?" No reaction; not even a blink. "Hunter, it's me—Steel. Remember? Your cousin?"
An uncomfortable expression came over the girl's face as she slowly backed away from him, pulling out of his grip. "Uh…."
That happy shine left his electric-blue eyes, and Steel's posture visibly slumped in misery. "You… don't remember…." he mumbled, turning away. His reaction actually made Hunter feel a bit remorseful over the fact that she couldn't remember or didn't know him—whichever scenario it was.
A warm chuckle drew both teens' attentions. The woman and the man were striding up to them, arm and arm, looking like the epitome of a perfect, happy married couple. "Don't be so downtrodden, Steel," the woman reassured the boy, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She remembers nothing about any of us, but soon she will." She turned her gaze to Hunter and, unwrapping herself from her significant other's arm, went to the child. "My dear, Huntress," she murmured lovingly, reaching out as if to embrace her.
Hunter quickly backed out of her reach.
Unfazed, the woman simply crossed her arms and continued to beam at the girl. "I hope you don't mind the dress," she stated. "I remembered blue was your favorite color and…"
"Where am I?" Hunter interrupted, finally managing to find her voice. She hugged herself, looking around at everything and everyone as she did. Why were they all looking at her? Why didn't they stop looking at her? Why was she here? She wanted to go home!
"You have no need to be afraid, my dear," the woman assured her. "You will not be harmed—you are among friends and family here."
"Friends?" Hunter couldn't help but scoff. "Family? I don't know who you are, but you're not my family. You took me from mine." The teen bared her teeth in a vicious snarl. "I demand to know why."
The man who had been arm and arm with the woman growled back at the girl and pointed a rigid finger at her. "You are in no position to be demanding anything, little girl," he snapped, sapphire eyes that matched Hunter's alight with irked fire and boring holes into Hunter.
Hunter simply glared back. "Take it and shove it, old man."
The fire in the man's eyes flared brighter and he raised a hand and reeled it back as if to slap her. He was just about to bring it down when the woman stepped in front of him, placing her slender hands on his broad, muscular chest. His eyes focused on her and quickly softened. It was plain to see how much he loved this woman.
"Ray, love," the woman purred softly, smoothing her hands over his chest, up across his shoulders, and down his arms, "I hardly think striking the poor girl will do much more than anger her."
Ray was silent for a moment, his eye traveling back towards Hunter before returning to his mate. A smile slowly creased his lips as he nodded. "You're right, Luna, my sweet," he agreed, kissing the palm of her hand that currently cupped his cheek.
Hunter couldn't help but roll her eyes away and quietly groan.
"I am sorry, Hunter" Luna's voice drew the redhead's attention once more, "Of course you wouldn't remember yet, but Ray has a habit of letting his temper run away with him." She chuckled, "I'm afraid he's where you get yours from."
"Seriously, what is this?" Hunter hissed. "What is all this "you wouldn't remember" crap? I can understand you people knowing who and what I am, but you talk like you know me way more personally than that. But, see, the problem with that is that I don't know you from Adam. I don't even have a vague recollection of any of you."
"I assure you, my dear, you will remember in a moment," Luna declared.
"If you know what's good for you," the redheaded girl snarled, "you'll forget about helping me remember whatever and just let me go. You know what I am, so you know what power I have. And apart from that my father and the rest of my family are still out there, looking for me. And when they find me-I don't care if you're all Hybrids or not-you're in big trouble. Mark my words."
Ray snorted derisively. "You honestly believe that pathetic excuse for a Prime could save you if he actually, by some miracle, found you?"
Fire dancing in her eyes, a small smirk curled up a corner of Hunter's mouth. She met Ray's gaze. "He will find me," she stated matter of factly. "And when he does, he'll tear you all limb from limb for what you did. And I'll watch and laugh as he does it." She chuckled at the angry storm in the man's sapphire blue eyes. "Go ahead and try slapping me again," she dared him. "I know you want to. Yai!" Hunter yelped as she was suddenly slapped by Luna, not Ray. Scowling at the older female, the teenager rubbed her cheek, a red handprint already highly defined on it.
"Someone has forgotten her manners," the woman scolded. "We will most definitely have to amend that later." She turned away and began to recede back down the carpet towards the throne stage again. "But we have more pressing matters at the moment. Apolune, Apogee," she called out as she began to mount the steps leading up to her throne.
Two Hybrids males that appeared to be identical twins, came forth from the sea of bodies to bow at the woman's feet. Unlike most of the other Hybrids in the room, these two weren't dressed in some color code of gray or black or red. They were two of the few who were dressed more colorfully and individually. Maybe they were part of an inner circle? "Yes, Mistress," they responded at once.
"The Fuser believes she will be rescued," Luna stated, sinking down into her throne. "She believes she has friends on the outside who pose a challenge to our great Lunation. Please relieve her of this notion."
"Of course, Mistress," the twins answered. They rose to their feet and snapped their fingers.
The lights in the room—artificial, candle, etc.—all when out at once, causing a chill to go up Hunter's spine. Half-way moving into a ready position, the teen instinctively scanned the room, though with as dark as it was, there wasn't much to see. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she looked up to see Steel's electric-blue eyes gazing down at her through the blackness. She could just make out the smile curling his lips and the reassuring nod he gave her. It didn't help her relax. A flash of light caused her to jump. Looking up, Hunter saw a beam of moonlight coming through some far-up window, and her eyes followed it to where it reflected off of what must have been a large mirror. That had to have been what caused the previous flash. She continued to follow the light until her gaze fell upon Apolune and Apogee again, who were spotlighted by it. They were still standing at the front of the room by the steps, but were now facing the crowd. She didn't like how they're eyes were fixed on her. The sixteen-year-old naturally recoiled a bit, trying to shrink under their gaze.
That's when the music started: soft but chilling, deep, dark, and foreboding, ringing out through the darkness and filling the room.
Hunter watched on as the twins moved their arms to the beat of the music, positioning them to make strange, eerie, and… admittedly even a bit demonic symbols. Suddenly not only was the room visibly dark, it felt dark and downright evil as well—some menacing, unseen presence among them all. This was all getting weirder and creepier by the minute. Hunter wanted out. She needed out! But there was no where she could go now, and, as a matter of fact, she seemed to be rooted to where she was standing and quite unable to move.
Then came the chanting—chanting that sounded an awful like some kind of spell. The twins started it, but steadily every other person in the room—save Luna and, of course, Hunter—were reciting the strange words as well. The syllables of the words—whatever the heck they were or meant—moved with the beat, the voices of those speaking them echoing in the hall, growing louder and louder along with the music until the unison noise was all encompassing. It was all Hunter could think and hear and feel. It made her cringe and set her teeth in physical pain. It made her tremble with the magnitude of it all. And the darkness that was carried with it—that deep void of the blackest evil—it was enough to make Hunter want to hit her knees, cower away, and try her best to hide from it all. But she couldn't. All she could do was stand there among it all and try her very best to face it down. It was harder than it seemed.
And without any warning, the chanting stopped, Apolune and Apogee disappearing in a colorful explosion.
"So you think you've got friends in high places," Apogee's voice murmured in Hunter's ear, causing the child to gasp in alarm and lurch away. "with the power to put us on the run." Once again he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
That's when Apolune appeared right in the teenager's face. "Well forgive us these smiles on our faces," he sang, grinning devilishly as Hunter yelped and backed away from him. "You'll know what power is when we are done." He disappeared again as well.
That's when both of the twins appeared behind and on either side of Hunter, hands on her shoulders, whispering in her ear, "Hon….."
Flinching but forcing herself to stand firm, Hunter snarled and glared at them both. She wrenched herself out of their grips. Not that it matter because hardly a second later and Apogee had a hold of her again, restraining her in a tight grip and forcing her to dance with him as they waltzed around and down the aisle. "You're playing with the big kids now."
Apolune came dancing up beside them. "Playing with the big kids now."
"Oh, that's pretty," Apogee crooned, brushing a stray lock of hair out of Hunter's face.
Grimacing, Hunter pulled away from him, only to have his twin grab her up into a waltz as well. "Every spell and gesture tells you who's the best."
Apolune spun the teen out away from his body, allowing his brother to grab her other arm before they both forcefully pushed her farther down the aisle, both singing, "You're playing with the big kids now."
"Whoa-oh!" Hunter just managed to catch herself and keep her balance. Brushing her long hair up and out of her face, the girl looked up to see many of the other Hybrids marching to the beat in a circle around her, chanting those words again. Goosebumps prickled her flesh. What was with these people?!
"You're playing with the big kids now!" Apogee and Apolune's voices carried out above the chanting. "You're playing with the big kids now."
Apogee suddenly poofed up beside Hunter. "Stop your foolish wishing."
Then Apolune appeared. "You'll find no one's missing…"
They harmonized, "… you. Give up and give in now!"
"They aren't coming for you, kid," Apolune hissed in the redhead's ear.
Angered by that comment, Hunter clenched a fist and wheeled around to knock the creep's teeth down his throat. But the twins poofed away just in time, they're voice still laughing and ringing out, "You're playing with the big kids now!"
The sixteen-year-old snarled and pivoted around, trying to find them. Or at least some way out of this swirling mass of bodies that she was currently the nexus of! This was all very disorienting, not to mention creepy! And the fact that the chanting kept growing louder, thus causing the sensation of darkness to grow heavier and more foreboding with each syllable only made it more so!
Suddenly Hunter felt something tight and constrictive around her right wrist. She quickly looked down. A chain! How the heck did that get there?! Something squeezed her other wrist and the redhead looked to find yet another chain there too. Then a pair of cuffs clinked around her ankles. Snarling Hunter strained and fought against them, but she quickly discovered that she was being held fast. How she wasn't sure. These chains didn't seem to be attached to anything—it was as if they'd literally materialized out of thin air! Wait… that's what all the chanting was, wasn't it? It was a spell! To bind her up and hold her down! The realization of this made Hunter fight and strain against the bonds harder, hoping she could break out of the chains before the spell was completed. But it was no good. She couldn't break away, no matter how hard she tried.
The twins appeared before her again, advancing towards her. "You're playing with the big kids now! You're playing with the big kids now." They started running their hands over her, not touching her, just passing back and forth in front of her body and over her shoulders and around her legs and arms and such. As they did this more chains materialized around Hunter, following the path of their hands. Slowly they began dragging her down to the floor.
Hunter screamed in both horror and rage, "No!"
"Don't make such a big fuss. You will kneel before us!"
"No!"
"Kneel to our splendorous power!"
"Shove it!"
"You put up a front."
"Put up a good fight."
"And just to show we feel no spite…"
"… You can join we Acolytes!"
"But first, Girl, it's time to bow!"
The chains finally pulled Hunter down and she hit her knees, but she still tried her hardest to resist. "Blow it out your asses!"
"Or it's your own grave you'll dig, Kid. You're playing with the big kids. Playing with the big kids!
Apogee spun his hands around in a showy way and suddenly he was holding a box that looked like a very small treasure chest inlaid with blue stones.
"Playing with the big kids"
Palming the lid of the chest, Apogee slowly began to open it. A bright, pale blue light gleamed from within the box. It also seemed to be trying it's hardest to break free from the confines of it.
" Playing with the big kids!
Apolune unexpectedly seized Hunter's head in his hands and held her still.
"Playing with the big kids!"
"Hey! Wh-what do you think you're doing?! Get your hands off me!"
"Playing with the big kids now!"
Unable to be contained any longer, the light that was held within the chest exploded out of the box, almost blowing Apogee off his feet as it did. It streaked towards Hunter like a bolt of lightning and slammed into her forehead with such a force that everyone in the room was blown back with the shockwave of it. The teen fell to the floor. Slowly the chains holding her down dissipated like stars into the air until she was free of them.
Groaning and quietly cursing, everyone that had been put on the floor got back up on their feet, dusting themselves and each other off.
Hunter tediously opened heavy eyelids and gazed around in a daze, a deafening ring in her ears, feeling as though she wasn't really in the world. For a moment she could remember nothing—not even her own name. And then it crashed in: the pain.
The sixteen-year-old sucked in a sudden, sharp breath. Her head was absolutely going to explode! "Mmm-mmm! Frag!" she hissed, hands flying up to hold her imploding skull. "Frag!" The pain grew worse. And worse. And worse yet. It was like her head was being smashed between two colliding planets: Hunter was all but bashing her fists into her skull at full strength to try and relieve the pain. Hot and red as lava, the teen was sweating a waterfall. What was going on?! And why did it hurt so Primus-damned much?! "Rrrraaaaahhhhhh!"
More than a few alarmed screams rising up from the crowd, the onlookers all backed off.
"Hunter!" Steel bellowed, terrified by what was happening. He moved to rush to his cousin's side and try to help her if he could (he wasn't sure her could—he wasn't sure what was going on), but a strong hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked over at his grandfather icy, even gaze.
"Wait," Ray calmly ordered.
Steel opened his mouth to protest, but the look in those cold, harsh, sapphire blue eyes heartily warned against such an action. So he did as he was told. But he was far from happy about it.
Hunter was still rolling around on the ground in excruciating agony. It was getting to the point she couldn't take it anymore—her body had to give out from it all any minute now. But then, just as abruptly as it had slammed into her, the pain vanished without a trace. It was a long while before Hunter allowed herself to come out of the fetal position and stop clutching her head, for fear if she so much as breathed to deeply the pain would return. But when she finally realized it was actually gone, she slowly relaxed.
"Do you remember now, Huntress?" a familiar voice rang out.
Rolling over so that she could gaze in the direction the voice had come from, the teenager looked upwards until her eyes lit on Luna. She froze, and stared in disbelief. "Grandmother…" she just barely murmured.
Luna beamed happily and opened her arms wide as if to embrace the child, though she made no move towards her. "Welcome home, my child."
Hunter didn't move. Didn't speak. Didn't breathe. All she could do was stare at her grandmother in utter shock. Then the wrath came. Before anyone could blink, the redhead was op off the floor, had ripped a hatchet off the belt of one of the Acolytes, and was jetting through the air towards Luna. "RRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" With all her might, Hunter swung the weapon down, driving the sorceress into the floor. "YOU WITCH!"
Confession #45:
Oy…. This is probably one of the worst songs/musical numbers I've put in any of my stories. *slams face into keyboard* Ugh….