Sea Serpent's Nest
As the Ship Docked in the Castle of the Leviathan in the City of Gnaardor, nearby it. The castle was beautiful, the dock area was receiving to a unique entrance to the castle, he ran through the plank and stared with awe at the gates which would lead to the inside of the nest. What secrets could it hide? What will he find? The Sea Serpent's Nest is a castle with a beautiful overlook to the bay of Gnaardor, the Leviathan Sea was of a beautiful crystalline blue color, pure water and able to be drank if one wished to do so. Untouched by anything, the protective wards of the First Leviathan still strong as the first time they were placed. This castle, in the very heart of the land, on the very center, as he watched the immense castle from afar, he could feel it in his skin. Tingling, with a smile he took a deep breath, pure clean air.
"It's beautiful." He said breathlessly as he glanced at the castle. The castle had a tall light-house connecting the lighthouse and the castle was a beautiful bridge with arc-supports The castle was built upon a beautiful hill which reflected the light of the sun, on the deeper lands he can see the tall mountain with snow peak which was an active volcano constantly fuming light smoke into the clouds. Behind on the ships already Ser Ellyldor and a retinue of armed crewmates escorted Grayfia Lucifudge in chains and shackles under very careful watch.
Koneko's eyes stared with interest and wonder at the beach and the sun, it was all a beautiful scenery indeed.
The main gate to the castle had a beautiful stairway made of polished rock and surface of the very place the castle was structured. This place had so much history, it was in here where the first death of the Dance of Kings occurred, it was also in this place where his Leviathan ancestor Gaergoroth was raised.
Now, it looked so lonely and dreary. So sad and lonely, dark and melancholic, prone to be fed and basked in the shadows of the sun, as if trying to hide. How can a place so old, understand him so. He remembered this humid yet fresh climate of being so near the sea, it was so like London. Ferdinand ascended the stairs first and as he did so slowly ancient sigils started to glower on the stairs as he ascended, all those with a bright gold-orange color as it pulsed, and the gates suddenly opened wide. On the background of his ears, he could swear he heard the roars of the monster lords of the land. As If perhaps a glorious or victorious call made upon them. He gave the first step inside the castle, the walls were of a dark color and in them, there was a heavy history, the outer yard was big and wide mostly abandoned, to his left close to the wall was a big tree which brought shade from any harsh sun its roots feeding from the very sea. Approaching to the tree, he stared at it, dimly still the tree bark had something written.
GxM
He took a deep breath and he felt it, as if he was taken far into the past. As he turned around, he could see a Silver-haired man with blue eyes and dressed in a dark-black armor no helmet standing before the tree. His right hand on the tree's bark by his hand's sight a slimmer yet firm hand also was close the tree. A blond haired woman with crimson red eyes stared deep blue eyes of the man taller than her. On her left eyelids there was a minimal scar. On the silver haired man's was a crown, one adorned with jewels and with bladed spikes on it also so close yet simply caressing the hair and his scalp. The man's face adorned with a minimal trimmed beard and a lightly curved mustache. His face framed by round-rimmed glasses. He took a step back in shock, the union that caused the Dance of Kings. The one that bathed the realm in fire; the one moment where the four royal houses of the underworld were led to their downfall. He easily recognized them, the crowned man in silver hair is his Great-Grandfather King Lucifer, in his graceful appearance although he seemed wiser and calm, relaxed.
It was always the same as all stories, a love; so pure and without any stain. The most beautiful and helpful reprieve of the heart. Who would think that their faces would be the last refuge before the inevitable end that comes to all of us?
He retracted his hand and turned to see Ser Ellyldor and Koneko both staring at him expectantly, he smiled melancholic.
"They all swore their love before this tree. My ancestors." He told lightly bitterly.
"..." Koneko contemplated his bitterness. Perhaps she found his sadness infuriating, and his detachment frustrating.
Is this the true destiny of love? To end up corroded by time or end too soon when it's just too pure to be corroded? Why must love to be so tragic and hurt?
"Is this what true love is destined to have? Corrosion by time or death when it' s just too pure to be corroded?" He wondered out loud and she mused on her own thoughts.
In his mind, he thought it's a truth. Why would some be so easily loved, and others find it slowly get harder by time? Perhaps some aren't just made for it. Love demands, some of our souls are just too free or love being tied to things outside of love and its tenets to ever obey them. That by the time he was 25 in his past life; he slowly started to realize that love got tired of ever attempting to knock at his door.
"Kuroka-nee..."
"Made a rash decision." He said sharply causing her to turn at him.
"While justified, she made a rash decision. Sometimes, when you love too much, it clouds judgement and allows no other reasoning to be processed. Love…" He replied and went silent.
"My sister didn't loved me." Koneko mused out loud in her sad tone, her cat ears drooped as she faced that realization by herself after all what she had to go through, he turned to her.
"I cannot take away from you the experience you've had. Stare at my hand and tell me what do you see?" He asked her and brought his palm forth for her to see.
"A hand." She replied dully.
"Now approach your hand to mine, do not touch it." She did so and now both of their hands were at a minimal distance from each other.
"This is the distance between two individuals, their personal space. Their ego, what they are and what they were." He explained as she stared at them both. With a single soft movement, he grasped her hand into his.
"All it takes is for one to empathetically break the gap. I'm here." He'll always be.
He reassured her once more, constantly as he turned stared deeply the tree once more.
"I saw them, my Great-grandfather King Lucifer and Queen Durdeleth."
In the eyes of his family perhaps his line is formed of bastards born out of wedlock. Heh, as if devils ever had something so formal as a wedding tradition. If such a thing was real in this side of existence, then his Great-Grandmother might as well be the legitimate Queen since King Lucifer barely had any affairs after getting involved with her.
~Such a union caused my birth.~ He mused with a bitter smile. =Rebirth.= He had to agree with his subconscious, his birth. An event that perhaps defied all notions of logic inside an already established universe; altered the events completely, as if perhaps the stars or something greater aligned and caused events in history to happen the way they did for him to b born and survive.
To be here today in this very walls; dreary, dark and lonely. In the canon, these properties were beyond abandoned, and these territories left to their luck; these people waited for a prince, for someone to sweat their loyalty and fealty to. Someone with a vision of the future to lead them.
Vol. 1: Echoes; The Galenic Gamble
New Life
Sounds of vomiting could be heard from beyond the door frame of the bathroom of the Master Bedroom of the Bael Castle. His wife woke up with a massively upset stomach after having sex yesterday. ~Was I too rough?~ He thought before shaking his head. They had an active sex life, and most times were usually intense. He just changed the pace in certain aspects to make it different and not something monotone. Groaning sounds echoed as he approached his wife and rubbed her back. Arranging her hair in a pair of buns and leaving a pair of bangs by either sides of her face. He remembered a silly memory from long ago when his first Mother, Hikari Uchiha braided his spiky hair as a way to tease him. Shaking his head and going back to the present.
Using complex water manipulation to sue chopstick-sized ice needles to keep her hair in check. He passed upon her the water, after she rinsed her mouth. She greedily drank it and sighed. She grunted and embraced him, chastely kissing his lips.
"My Lord, My Lady."
A white-haired woman with pink-eyes and dressed as a maid bowed to them.
"Monsieur Allairo has already sent word to Lord Sirzechs about Lady Serafall's state, he has given his permission for an off day for her."
The Bael Lord nodded absent-minded at Lady Trisha's state of affairs, the Head of Maids of the Bael Household bowed once the Bael Lord thanked for delivering an update on the situations.
"We're going to stay most of the time at home today. Please call Monsieur Allairo to our chambers and say our servitude they can pick up our room. Also, do please; bring a light breakfast for my lady and I."
"It shall be done my Lord."
The woman dissipated as if she were a ghost, bringing his wife to the balcony of their room, with a beautiful look-out of the bay directly up front, the fresh breeze assaulted their faces. Sitting his wife on a bench, she sat.
"I've been thinking about what we spoke yesterday." She contemplated on the topic they spoke, about arranging a marriage for their son.
"You're right, our household needs a Lady who can support our baby through the times that may come." She glanced to her lap and felt at ease hearing the waves crashing into the rocky cliffs. A pleasant sound that hummed into the crevices of her chest and the depths of her soul.
"It feels still like yesterday when I held him in my arms. So tiny in between all that life support…clutching to my chest's warmth." She replied as she was embraced by her husband, leaning her head to his. Their son was growing, and time wasn't going to stop, as parents both Serafall and Gelluidur a have enjoyed alongside their young child. Both have done extreme measures to overstretch their stamina for the sake of keeping their powerful positions and also at the same time dedicating themselves time to the family they have founded.
*Knock* *Knock*
The knocks showed they were being called, Gelluidur placed a hand on his wife's shoulder as she nodded, gesturing for the service to arrive Monsieur Allairo came inside holding a tray on his right hand and pushing a trolley with his left hand. The butler then rested the silver tray in the top of the trolley and bowed. "A short light-digest feast as requested my lord. I took the initiative to use the Weekly Digest as reference."
Forth came Lady Trisha alongside a pair of maids who started to re-arrange the room to order and put in pristine condition. Tidying everything up to perfection and standards that could be acceptable for the Nobles of House Bael.
Bringing forth the trolley to the balcony, Lady Serafall squealed at the bright plates that were brought forth, hearts in her eyes.
"My Lord, your son has communicated with us about an event occurring in his trip to the Sea Serpent's Nest. Ser Ellyldor's report confirms it. Lady Grayfia Lucifudge was caught eavesdropping upon your son and holding a notepad on information about him." Forward stepped a dark-brown haired low-classed devil man whom bowed.
"Lord Bael." The man bowed and to the neon-green haired Devil lord who's hand clenched, and Lady Serafall's face wore a frowning visage.
"The Young Lord has requested for my presence in this matter. I was also looking to make time to take him to a trip." This caused Lord Gelluidur to widen his eyes and Serafall's eyes to glare at the horizon. Silence permeated the room as the Bael Lord walked to the edge of the Balcony and held the concrete edge with his palms.
"Summon my son back home after this detour. Deliver this letter to Lord Phenex before meeting my son, Monsieur. While in other times I would've waited for my Lady Wife's condition to be better to establish a first contact. This situation charges everything." Lord Gelluidur reached to the inside pockets of his silver silk sleep-robes and handed the butler a letter addressed to Lord Phenex.
"Shall we counter-attack?" Serafall's eyes glazed to her husband, it only took one look for her to be reassured of it.
Through her own communication magical circle, she patched her little sister Sona and her Parents. The butler disappeared in a black smoke hue, leaving the Bael Lord to rush to conjure up a tiny teleportation circle and with a single message, he tried to patch communications with the entirety of the Great King Faction and Bael Family Members scattered through the underworld and the human world.
The Sea Serpent's Nest throne had a beautiful design, the throne's stairs were two flights of three each. The throne had the sitting section made of a clamshell's bottom part, the edge of the bottom clamshell meeting with the knees for a firm sitting position. The back was form and the top had a shade-like disk conformation which ended atop the ruler, the sentient throne accommodating to the height of the ruler. Atop it adorning its sides were feathers with algae and plankton masses coiling around them and atop it a curved crown-like formation which gave it an otherworldly sentient and elegant look. Sitting on the Sea Serpent's throne was the young silver-haired young Bael Heir who breathed in and out. In his life, he's been raised to believe his place at most would be simply as the Bael and Agares Lord, upkeep his duty to the family by having two wives at most, one for each family. Upkeep the family name for the future and have a peaceful tenure as Bael-Agares Lord to any of the Four Great Satans that would be in his day ruling.
All changed when his father revealed to him that his entire life, he's been kept the truth that he bears the blood of Three of the Four Great Princes. Years ago in this very hall, in this very throne Prince Gaergoroth Leviathan ditched Euclid Lucifudge away from his court which sparked the battle of Gnaardor which ended with Euclid Lucifudge's death and the one of many victims to fall to Lord Woo Fak Fak's might. His indigo eyes stared beneath their glasses to the world happening, on the bottom of the flight of stairs Ser Ellyldor Barassard kept guard as his faithful Shield. The doors to the main Throne Hall a man walked through and stopped at the foot of the stairs to see the prince, bending the knee and bowing his head.
"My Prince. I come under the request of your Lord Father to be summoned back home after I impart upon you my last lesson." Monsieur Allairo's tone was reserved and respectful, mindful of manners and yet also acknowledging his position within everything; being a prince sitting on his father's throne. A position the prince was more than willing to accept, yet it felt nice to sit on a throne and be acknowledged to have an authority or at least that his efforts haven't been in vain. Koneko, the white haired nekoshou company he always has by his side occupied his side yet sat not in the throne. Getting up from the elegant Leviathan throne, he descended the stairs as he dusted himself. He dusted his palms and brought forth his question.
"Has he hinted anything on what to do about Grayfia Lucifudge?" He inquired to the butler who shook his head. "You know your Lord Father my Lord. He's the type to leave matters on your criteria and choice."
Gorgalad nodded all the while as the butler spoke, his father might've already shoved Grayfia's imprisonment matter upon him. With a nod the butler was about to speak but he rose his right hand and interrupted the man.
"I must first see if we're being good hosts." He turned to his faithful nekomata servant with a firm nod, as Ser Ellyldor led him to the tunnels of the castle which led to the dungeons, slowly they turned darker and the light of any sun was given away, the eerie silence awakened soon a creeping nigh-silent tone of a high-pitch which was made to slowly turn people mad. The sound of their steps being all what echoed in the walls, once all turned absolutely dark, a magical candle-light was created by Ser Ellyldor and a light-blue Senjutsu flame by Koneko. Once the Dungeon's door, the sharp sound of metal being moved, it revealed a woman whose back leaned to the rocky wall.
"Have you reconsidered the veracity of your references on Civil War Bibliography Lady Grayfia?" He asked to the woman who snorted and spoke.
"You don't know what you're doing boy. You still have time to turn back from what you're doing, you'll cause the ruin of your household." The bars divided them, yet he could feel the woman's intense stare at him, her stare was one of doom and almost pleading.
"And at what we're now, King Sirzechs will bring the end of our Race and my Family."
The woman stared at him incredulously.
"Your family is the Richest family in the underworld, you have most of the political power behind you aside from the figure the Four Great Satans represent. Would you ditch that in favor of following The Old Satan Faction?" She asked and he remained silent.
"Would you be against us all? Would you pin your power against your own Faction, Your race? Would you be willing to be our enemy when you already know what has happened to all of them?" She asked him directly as he closed his eyes and smiled, settling in a relaxed stare.
"You're confused in your terms Lady Grayfia. My intention is not to affiliate nor to seek what the Old Satan Faction sought out. In fact, I dare say; they are my enemies too." He trailed off with a smile at the woman's surprised filled face as she almost gaped. "What do you mean?"
He smiled at her still they were the same oblivious and obnoxious people. Many have forgotten their history or simply ignored it to augment their magical power. "That I'm afraid will have to be told later." The doors were opened, and he stepped inside the cell to face the woman once more as he gazed to the conditions of the dungeons. Before Grayfia could attack him, her chains were tightened, and she was brought back butt-to-floor and she grunted.
"We'll have to do something about your chains. For something more subtle once we get to home. Ser Ellyldor, prepare her for take-off home. I'll return in a few."
The knight's firm nod was all the answer that the young prince got as he turned around and walked away from the dungeons alongside Koneko who kept his side dutifully in silence. Reemerging into the long flight of stairs, as the Nekomata and her master shared silence.
"Gorgalad-sama." She called him and he turned attentively at her.
"Yes, Koneko?"
"Aren't the Old Satan Faction Gorgalad-sama's family?" She asked and the young male frowned, and he turned back to look at the front and pay attention to his step.
"The Old Satan Faction was a cause created to crown the Usurpers of my ancestors inside my very family. Tsufaame Tereaku Leviathan, Vidleid Varsharn Beelzebub and Rizevim Livan Lucifer. The three of them disregarded each on different motives. Tsufaame Tereaku was a second in line compared to my ancestor Prince Gaergoroth. Vidleid's claim was dismissed in favor to My Great Grandmother Durdeleth's due to her marriage with Prince Gaergoroth and Rizevim Livan Lucifer's was outright dismissed by my own Great-Grandfather after Rizevim had a halfling son. Causing the 'Pure-Blooded' rule among all devils." He kept his vision, the Old Satan Faction and his ancestor's own group was different, their motives were different.
"We were the victims in that war Koneko. While King Sirzechs crowned himself' my father was crying in regret for all the family members he had to kill. My grandmother mourned the death of so many of her cousins, aunts and uncles. My Great-grandmother had to fight tooth-to-nail for our survival. And my ancestors had to make it clear that they weren't going to side against those that would attack us." He leaned into the side and closed his eyes and tears cascaded his eyes.
"Gorgalad-sama." She called out in alarm, and she embraced him at first.
"I want them all back here." He confessed with a low voice, slowly breaking.
"All my exiled family members. Do they have roof when it rains? A warm wall when it's cold? A light in the night? A piece of bread to eat a day?" He asked mortified as he held strongly into the wall, as Koneko's embrace supported him too. His plight wasn't answer and his concerns went not relieved. His family members were suffering while he had luxuries. No, that cannot happen.
"I shall bring them all under my banner. Whatever has to be done…whomever I have to step through I shall bring them all back. Our faction shan't be divided, no further anymore. Nor under my Heirship and aspiring Lordship."
Monsieur Allairo P.O.V.
Monsieur Allairo sat down in the stairway of the Sea Overlord's throne, carelessly manipulating a compressed orb of anti-matter colored wholly in black. As he stared from his sight in the general direction of the young Lord, he smiled and got up. The tiny ball akin to a mucus adhered itself to his suit and started to retrieve any and all grime caused on his previous articles of clothing. The young silver-haired man appeared in the great doors of the Great Hall, and he received the young Lord.
"Young Lord, was your chat with our guest well?" He asked by which the young man nodded and held a devious smile.
"It was in a way Monsieur."
With a nod, the butler stared at his young lord's attire. The young master wore his already expected white-button up shirt, mint-green tie-muffler, black formal shorts, black shoes and a dark-colored overcoat with golden and silver accents atop his attire. Lady Koneko wore a black blouse with white thigh-high stockings and a Black-white goth skirt. The blouse had a beautiful red-gold bow at the center. Both complimented their looks quite well. From his power, he summoned a spatial tear which took the shape of a black whirl and he turned to his master, who nodded solemnly, and they marched into the depths.
On the other side waited however a vast space.
"Are you ready for your last lesson, my Lord?"
The boy's nod was all what was made after the trio stepped into the spatial tear, to live one last adventure for one last time.
The Joyless Sad Alien
Many years ago, on a planet far far away. A warrior race saw the birth of their first princess in over a thousand years of the planet's life. Yet, the King and Queen never foresaw their daughter would've been birthed different; born with a birth disease that turned her skin pale, the glorious red hair of the royal blood of the Kings into a purplish color of the galaxy's darkness and violet eyes as deep as the firmament of the universe itself. Her parents grew scared of her and those who were near her marked her with the distinct brand of bastardry due to the fact she was born different. This difference caused others to find her irrelevant and relegate her aside; her father and the Royal Council saw it fit to dismiss her from the line of royal succession.
Ignored by her peers and looked upon with pity by her grandparents, it didn't took her long for when she was just two years of age to receive her young twin siblings; born with red hair, natural orange-skin and powerful vivid green eyes. This garnered the love of the people and of her parents alike, something she never felt. Unlike her twin young siblings who were loved and were taught the easier path, she had to walk the harder path; while for them it was easier, to her it was harder. While all she wanted was to have those smiles and that acknowledgement, those embraces and those smiles, both of her siblings had them without even having to do the effort she did.
It all took a worse turn, when their sworn enemies managed to conquer them.
She saw it as a chance to get rid of the thorns on her side and obtain what she always desired. Getting rid of her siblings through a very unfair deal; she enslaved them both for the chance to prove herself.
But it all turned against her when her parents died out of heartache.
Heartache? For what? Did they ever saw her as a daughter!? Did they ever looked at her at all? Did she ever existed to them? What was worse was the fact that her sister escaped the clutches of her plan once more, thwarting her plans twice. Got her banished from home after she got the taste of ruling above them all and in the end; incarcerated and living in a realm only the worst of her nightmares would spark. Made her finally settle it.
There has never been another choice, as long as both of their hearts keep beating; there will always be suffering and pain. Long ago already she made her will, she came to life with nothing and shall go with either glory or nothing.
'It shall be only one of us Sister. X'hal bless my strength, for as my cause is just. Only one of us shall survive after this Honor Duel.' Violet eyes glared at the console which already smelled of smoke, as red lights blared all around her, she smirked as she was already nearby the earth's orbit, below her piloting chair, blood pooling and accumulating. Those bastards gave all what they got to keep her sealed and away, she used everything, even her teeth to get out of there and get her chance for one last duel. One last chance for Glory.
"*Cough* Rutha…" She chided herself for even trying to feel the pain, bearing instead through it all. Though her blurred vision. She grunted as her sight grew blurrier and blurrier.
"...*grunt*."
Her body didn't felt the impact of her ship on the surface of the earth, nor when the glass windows at her front were destroyed and her body got trapped in between the ship's metal. A wreaking havoc that her landing on Planet Earth caused, all for the sake of revenge and redemption. For avenging herself of all her suffering. She snorted.
'The end of the great Warrior Heiress of Planet Tamaran Blackfire. A worse fate than a Spudling, seen as a mere Stinermite.' She closed her eyes as her face snarled as she coughed blood. Feeling the metal pierce her midsection.
'Troq, Rutha Troq…'
Summoning the leftover of her energies in her bleeding form, her right hand with a pinkish energy made of solar radiation cut the metal that pierced through her, clinging to her life so obsessively…she dragged her body with her mere hands. She can remember them once more, her tamaranian people giving out those trademark wide smiles with glittery eyes. All of them laughing at her, laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing. Through the imaginative mirror's glass, she can hear the chants of always; her parents never loved her, her siblings feared her, her relatives pity her, her friends were bought or just interested in the benefits of being associated with a member of the royalty. They all pitied her; her parents, relatives and her "friends", behind her back they insulted and pitied her. All she remembered before darkness took her, was indigo; as the depth of the beautiful seas. Finding such blue in between the green that has plagued her nightmares, made her feel at ease somehow.
"I can't believe him! I can't believe he left me here!" A young spiky silver-haired male cried out loud in disbelief as he combed his hair in mild exasperation. A mere twelve year-old boy could only stare at the monitors which constantly beeped with her vital signs, her body superficially looked healed for now. It was the last he could do for someone whom ended in a wreaking havoc outside the city.
'Not that I don't feel as an outside to this plane as she might do too.' He thought with a frown, thankfully in all universes regardless of where one travels. Gold is a universally accepted material that could exchange for monetary endeavors, in his case enough to survive in this world for the time being. Enough to have secured a lonely apartment in a peaceful looking district nearby the general hospital; he didn't knew why. But the occasional sound of sirens and seeing the nearby red cross gave him a sense of inner peace.
'At least I have enough to manage myself for a short while.' He frowned, this survival exercise wasn't without purpose. It was to test him to see how would he react under duress and in a lone environment where he was a stranger to everything. He wasn't fond of getting rid of some trinkets, yet sometimes our valuables are made to repair one's worse turns in life. A valuable life lesson un survival, nonetheless. As he counted dollars and pennies on the only table the tiny apartment, as he gathered bills all bills to have each on groups of hundred, folding them once and then tying each group with plastic stretching string, he made packs of 100$. On the table rested an Air Rifle which fires with a special highly-pressurized gas at speeds comparable to a modern military-grade rifle. Not the best choice but the best non-lethal choice in this case.
Each dart with a long hypodermic needle had hairy caps atop. The pink hairy ones Midazolam, the Black ones Ketamine and silver hairy ones sodium thiopental. To be effective against most human adults he changed the dosages on each of the shots; for that to be done he had to spend some money on laboratory material he installed on the apartment. Loading a black shot in the rifle and pulling on the chamber, the dart was loaded. On hand he carried a brown paper bag, he took his time to buy himself a coffee, knowing that the wounded stomach of the person he'd just saved wouldn't handle it. He bought instead two croissants with crisscut fries. He set his dinner on the table and the rest of the bag with the other left it there.
"*Groan*." He turned around to notice the dark haired beauty he found wrecked on a spaceship on the outskirts of the city and bleeding groaning on the only bed. She blinked various times and sat up, her lungs were out of breath and the effort she had was real. Even if he managed to heal her, she still held on to the pain, and even his healing powers only got so much. Turning her eyes at her own self, she analyzed her apparel, perhaps she gave a critical eye to the bandages that were wrapped around her stomach, left leg and right wrist. Throwing off the sheets of the single-person bed and standing up, wincing. She took a step forward and looked around the room.
The apartment was spartan as it gets; two lamps on either side of the room, and a chandelier atop; yes. The apartment was of ones of the old that haven't remodeled aside from the wall-work and paint. A big floor length mirror was situated on the wall at the foot of the bed, next to it was a closet and in the center of the room lay a small white gold rug with shining yellow golden patterns which were all patterns of his household.
The golden four-winged bat with four crimson red eyes.
She took a few more steps and stood in front of the mirror. Her lips moved, from her breath, lilac-colored smoke was exhaled.
Anger, Contempt and Annoyance.
She glanced at the traces of dirt on some sections on her body, the trace of a gash below her neck which was bandages yet somehow left no scar. Stepping into the room, he knocked the doorframe which caused her to whirl, and her breaths to turn green colored with specks of Orange.
Surprise, Vigilance
Her eyes narrowed in his direction as he chose not to not read her feelings alas, he reveals his abilities fully before a stranger. Her analytic gaze wasn't minded.
"You're awake."
"Who are you?" She scowled.
"I'm Ferdinand."
She smirked teasingly. "That's a stupid name."
"Well, what's yours?" He chose to keep himself pokerfaced, setting the paper bag he carried into a nearby table by the doorframe.
"Why should I tell you?"
He blinked once in expectation.
"Common courtesy and I did save you, after all."
The dark-haired female limped back over to the bed and sat down on it. "Too bad. What's in the bag?"
He rose an eyebrow. "I'll tell you if you tell me your name."
"Stafire." She growled with irritation. His grin lightly faltered as he frowned lightly, the name seemed familiar to him, but he didn't seem to pick it from anywhere in his memories. He had the name in the tip of his tongue, but he simply didn't remembered. Staring at her for a few seconds, he smiled. "Good try at that; you might've gotten someone else with that trick. Though I must say, you look a lot like her."
He remembered passing by the coffee shop on the Newspaper of a few weeks old, about a local team of superheroes in the city named Teen Titans; one of the two females in the group is named StarFire. A green eyed and red-haired female with indomitable will and strong powers. Her glare was noticed. Shrugging without any care, he picked up the bag and walked over to her. "I had gotten you something. I brought dinner, thought I'll share for the most part. How are you feeling?" He sat on the bed by her legs as she scooted closer to the wall.
"I'm fine. I wish to be alone." She squeezed her eyes shut.
He nodded and left the room, leaving her as she wished and instead marching closer to the table where he got out his croissant and fries.
Once he left, Blackfire turned noticing he was out of earshot and not noticing. She carefully propped herself off the bed and picked the bag, once more propping herself up with pillows, she dumped the bag's contents on the bed. She noticed it was a, Oh good, a Soda. She grew fond of them long ago, when she last visited earth. Before she was imprisoned in that hellish realm, she was barely fed and anytime she was, it was with scraps and bad tasting food. A bar of soap with a feminine smell, she snorted. And a brown plastic bag with something round on it. She unwrapped the paper and stared at it, the cheese was almost liquefied and leaking, it looked like a ham and cheese sandwich. And an apple. Alongside it also was a unique ball-shaped violet flower, it resembled a tiny cotton ball, yet it was so unique.
She smelled it, her eyes were as violet as this one. It's stem green, it did had no thorns. It smelled different, unlike anything she had ever smelt before. What was this flower?
She set the flower down on the bed next to her.
'That was nice of him.' She spared a brief thought before picking the bar of soap and limped out of the room. Her bandages might get wet, but so what. She snarled as she tightened her fists. All of this was a mere detour, a short breather to recover the best of her strength for her vengeance. She will kill her young sister, she had the power; she had the abilities and the wits to outsmart her. To ger her sister to fight, she'll have to get rid of her friends; she'll start with the Green one, the weakest link of the group, then go to the robot man, and then get the witch and her sister's lover the masked boy.
She'll make sure to take it slow with the masked boy, only to make her sister grow wrathful and to get her to fight in equal terms; she'll fight her sister at her best or no fight at all. And that meant torturing and getting rid of Robin in the most painful way possible. Getting into the bath was easy, stripping herself of the clothes and getting inside it, she dipped into the cool and refreshing bathtub, they had of those in her sister's home. She washed away all traces of blood and sand on her body, as she thought of a plan to get rid of her little sister.
'No doubt her friends will be out to get me also.' She growled. Leaving the bar of soap at the water's edge, finding it a good place to keep it, until she left. Washing her hair also, she stared at her face in the bubble-clean clear water. The appearance of hers, her appearance, her skin and her eyes, her hair; all those traits, have been a curse. Have been an unfortunate spell casted on her since birth which forsook her of the love of a family, of her birthright and ultimately, of her home.
She smirked and snorted.
Who cared about home? She'll make sure to bring her sister's body home and then show it to everyone; if only to prove her power and to dominate Tamaran with an Iron Fist. No one to defy her, all a planet to herself. She could taste it and imagine it, the slow moment when Starfire's green eyes, those accursed green eyes that have haunted her so ceased to shine, after being broken and battered through the devastated Jump City that she swore to protect. She chuckled out dimly to herself as she moved her feet. Such thoughts made her feel bubbly, a dream come true that shall become realized. She got up and took a nearby towel, unused and rolled up. Thankfully the bandages were water-resistant which retrieved the need to even ever change them at all. Wearing her tameranian armor and then her attire; she smirked. She'd cling to her armor until death; because she was wise enough and experienced to know that in the art of war, you must be armored lest you lose.
The paper wrapper of the sandwich was empty laid on the floor, along with the can of soda. The fries were also emptied. Her flower was clutched tightly in her hand, not wanting anyone to take it while she went exploring. She stared at it for a short while, the violet looked elegant, yet also gentle; it looked strong and firm. From the windowsill the air gently was let in which caused the curtains to lightly move, her hair moved by the wind, as she stared at the flower. It's color, reminded her of herself.
The boy looked her sister's age, and unlike her he was so…kind. A poster word of weakness. She turned and stepped through the doorway, things were too short, and time has passed already since her bath. The Kitchen was to the left, it was preserved; fridge; stove and a square table with two chairs by it, no more. Across it a living room which close to the wall was a long table; with glassware of conical-shapes and many tubes, lines were connected to various unique devices. Near to the wall was a couch-like sofa which was turned into a bed, lying on it was the silver-haired boy. There were no pictures, windows except one near to the main door.
Blackfire ran her fingers along the wall as she walked. Why was she here? She was supposed to die. Her punishment, yet also when life seemed to not hand her the revenge, she wished it seems it compliantly caused her to cross paths with someone who took her in. Someone had actually saved her, someone…in between her family members and even young sister cared if she died. Thus, she was here with a chance to avenge herself. Not even being able to act like herself, because some idiot "Ferdinand". She would have to get out of here quickly, once she planned her revenge and studied that fortress of theirs well, before she did something stupid. She approached to the living room and to the prone form of the boy. Her guess was correct when the boy spoke out.
"How are you feeling?"
'Stupid of me to believe he would be unconscious.' She berated in her thoughts.
"Good enough. Do you happen to have any clothes I could borrow?" She looked around, there was no other room but one. He adjusted his position in the futon to a sitting one to lean into the wall and nodded. Getting up, she was led into the room she was before. On one of the bedside tables, he opened a drawer. She sat down on the bed. "Ferdinand?"
"Yes?" He asked, pausing his motions.
"What type of flower is this?" She held out the violet flower in one hand. He turned and stared at her, then at the flower and lightly smiled, turning back to the bedside table.
"A Violet Allium, in the language of flowers means Strength, Patience and Good Fortune. It thought you might've liked it, usually people send other flowers when they're sick…" He trailed off and turned to her. "Roses are cliche, so I thought for a message to someone who was wounded." She turned to the flower again, then back to him as he offered her the folded clothes.
"This is what I have. If you're up to it, tomorrow we could go over the city and buy clothes."
She frowned at the hassle of having to go and being seen openly and caught by the Teen Titans, but at the same time there was no choice. If she liked the wear, she would stay with it, if she didn't, she would go to the mall.
"Alright."
"...But only if you tell me your name."
She cursed.
"Well, what is it?" He crossed his arms before her.
"It's Kori."
He raised an eyebrow. "Kory? What's that for?"
She shook her head. "Nothing. It's just Kori."
He smiled. "Good. Use tomorrow to wear your apparel and if you find it not to your liking, we can go to the mall to shop."
Blackfire nodded, staring at the retreating figure of the boy. Slowly a smirk appeared on her lips. At least she had given a good alias.
Gorgalad frowned at being lied straight to the face and expect to take it with a wholly smile. ~She must have a damn good motive to lie to me in the face.~ He thought with a frown as he lied on the bed, tomorrow will be the true first day of survival in this exercise. If things went well, then perhaps he'll be able to return home soon. He missed Koneko's help, however he must learn to survive alone as king of a Peerage or otherwise he won't get the message. Morning to him arrived fast, by the time the first sun ray's crept from the windows, he was already up automatically, fixing himself some coffee first before anything else. Getting dressed on his same high-collared dark-blue shirt, dark-gray cargo pants and dark-sneaker shoes. A few steps were heard before the shower ran, he bathed first anyway and made sure to clean after himself, therefore it all went well. Going to the nearest store to buy newspaper and some water, he went back to sit on the table to read the newspaper.
LOCAL MUSEUM ALMOST STOLEN!
Local speedster hero stops robbery of priceless artifacts
Steps were heard from his side, and he rose his head to see a dark-haired female who wore a pair of dark-blue jeans with a black belt which hung lightly sideways. Black calf-length converse boots, a blood red blouse underneath a hooded black leather long coat the first layer was halfway zippered, the outer layer wasn't zippered. The black trench-coat had belt-like accessories on the sleeves. Wearing the hood, she wore a smirk.
"You have style." She said enjoying her wear, she noted that in the breast of the blouse was the same golden bat with eight wings, four of a bat, two of an insect's and two of a dragon, an insect-like tail atop its head and two clawed feet. "Also, what's this?" She unzipped her coat, revealing her blouse only. Almost spitting his coffee at the sight of the bra-less female, he kept his composure as she gestured to the symbol.
"It's my personal symbol." He dully shrugged and went back to drink coffee and read the morning news. "Symbol?" She asked interested.
"Yes, it's a distinctive component which marks my heraldic achievements in rank and status in society." She raised an eyebrow at his explanation. He nodded; a Devil Heraldic Achievement is handed only to Pure-Blooded Devils who have achieved High-Class; Reincarnated devils and half-bloods by the laws preceded by his grandfather in the Great Council have no rights to ever claim heraldic achievement. "Interesting." She voiced her opinion, being fascinated by the symbol. As she zippered the first layer of the coat halfway once more.
"Let's go to the mall." He blurted as he prepared for the journey, in his thoughts he remembered the meaning of heraldry to pure-blooded devils.
Male Devils are handed their Father's and Mother's Coat of Arms; composed of a Helmet, The Coat of Arms itself, the Mantling, the Supporter, The Compartment and the Motto. Only the Lucifer Family can claim the King's Crown in their Heraldry; the Prince of Leviathan, Beelzebub and Asmodeus have only royal crowns in their Heraldry; the 72 Pillars, have no Crowns whatsoever on their Heraldry.
His heraldry is composed of the four-winged four-eyed bat helmet, with a Lucifer King's crown, to its side the Leviathan and Beelzebub Prince Crowns; which marks him Two-Times Prince of the Underworld. The chief of his coat of arms is impaled in three; top left a green dragon in a sky-blue field. Top right, a crowned silver lion on a golden field. The bottom section is silver field with a golden bat with eight wings, four of a bat, two of an insect's and two of a dragon, an insect-like tail atop its head and two clawed feet. The supporters are two black indigo-eyed leopards, one on each side, golden/silver mantling, and the compartment below is a fertile grass-field with water nearby.
His motto is the same adapted from his Lucifer ancestors since his Grandmother Arilaer.
Fear and Blood.
Each male devil heir by age 10 must have their own Heraldry designed as per the state demands; with each of the components carefully designed and verified by the College of Arms of the Underworld an independent institution of the Underworld sponsored by the Magician Faction's College of Sorcery and Mystical Arts and of course with many devils working on it as of today. The College of Arms as expected is the main Heraldry authority in the underworld; yet due to its significance during the Great War and before the Civil War, the organization was centralized by the Devil Kingdom and thus placed as a government organization, which has official government spending yet maintains its independent facade and still has many Magician Scholars who are fascinated in Anthropology and Supernatural Heraldry. Supreme Mage Harkon is sometimes referred to as the Great Father of Devil Heraldry, his greatest achievement and work of his life The Lineages and History of the Great Pillars, With Descriptions of Many High Lords and Noble Ladies and Their Children. Is still up to today the reference book in the matters of Devil Heraldry and a common reference to follow a devil's bloodline. A devil is only allowed to take symbolisms from the family members only up to grandparents three-generations above. Nothing above can be taken since it is considered already washed out and not relevant in the state of matters. In the case of Monarchic titles, they are handed in that order also.
Though lately, too much of his disappointment the College of Arms has been severely underfunded and almost broken; the lack of Pure-Blooded devils in recent years has been quite severe and the extinction of many pillars has caused a vacuum where many names and heraldry traces were lost. Apparently, most of the funding the College of Arms received has been channeled to the promotion of Rating Games, Devil Peerages and the status raise of many reincarnated devils. He shook his head at his coming sadness and disappointment with Sirzechs Gremory's reign who, in an effort to favor all those reincarnated devils; harshly abandons the pure-blooded devils to the elements.
Do they think that a devil peerage is a suitable replacement to a Heraldry Achievement or being handed a Heraldry Achievement? Are they foolish?
A Devil Heraldry is sacred, is the efforts of your ancestors being handed to you. All your ancestors efforts to mean something in society, good or bad; it's an influence that is worn by you and that marks you. It's the first piece of responsibility handed to a young devil and when finally, the weight of a Devil Heir is noticed. Of course, all that is replaced with, disappointingly, the idea of Devil Peerages and having slaves.
To Blackfire, there was only one word to describe this place. Wondrous. There were so many lights, so many things surrounding her, so many to see. She had only been halfway around the galaxy and yet it didn't compare to a sight so awesome. But, to prevent herself from saying something Stafire would say, she held her tongue and just stared around in amazement. It made her forget about the lingering pain in her stomach from her injuries. She forgot of her stylish goth clothes.
"So; where would you go first?" He inquired, as he was still deep in thought. On his hand unsurprisingly a book with a strange orange cover and hearts in it. Rising her eyebrow in amusement, she shrugged. "You may decide." Shops littered every side of the mall. And the people! There were so many of them, each of them different then the last. From young infants to elderly, it seemed so crowded and yet spacious. She hadn't seen that much people since the time she tried to force her little sister into marriage. He pointed to the first clothing store on the right. "There?"
She shrugged again, looking around the mall. Wondrous.
"Well, let's go." He pushed her forward, stepping both into the store. Her eyes widened, there were so many clothes. Different sizes, colors, styles. How was she supposed to choose? Stepping into the nearest rack. Leafing through the clothes, she glanced over at Ferdinand. He leaned against the door-frame as he carelessly continued to read the book. He looked entertained and distracted. Creeping up to him and watching what he was reading.
The King of Devils walked down the encampment of the Battlefield, checking over his men carelessly and merely seeing everything was in order to advance into enemy territory. On a clearing, a blond woman who rose fast in the ranks, Princess Durdeleth Leviathan Beelzebub, a blond woman who proudly wore the scars of her battles on her arm and face, not caring for formalities; continued to train through her fists. All it took was for eyes to meet, red to meet blue; and the battle was summoned. The King of Devils was an expert in the use of Magical Spells, but the woman was cleverer; what the man made for technique she made for a warrior's prowess in a thousand battles. He tried shooting beams of light against her, but her vital fist palm rotation deflected them all. The king of devils was however clever and advanced on his attacks, predicting her pattern, she turned out of the devil King's attacks as by dancing around him. Their spar lasted, but not enough, until eventually an opening was seen in the superior woman's movements, and she was backed into a tree.
Pulling out his blade and trusting forth, embedding it into a tree on the right side of her head.
He pressed his body to her with a smirk, their forms fitting perfectly-…
*Clap*
She opened her mouth to protest, but his glance was enough to make her turn away and flush. Just what has she read?
"Yes?" He asked her and she cleared her throat. "Ferdinand." She told softly. "Would you like to help me shop?"
"If you trust my judgment…" It sparked her smile. "I do."
"Okay, then." He walked over the rack she was looking at. "Um, how about this?" He held up a dark red tank top with thin black stipes on the front, over a long sleeved black shirt. "It's a start." She was handed the apparel and she draped it over her arm.
The next half hour was full of searching through clothing racks, trying on foolish-looking outfits and cracking up at each other for even touching such stupid articles of clothing. Blackfire couldn't remember a time when she had so much fun, in fact. She never had fun; her life having been always a competition to obtain the affection of her absent parents. This was genuinely the first time she ever went out with someone. Without the intentions of harming someone else. In thirty minutes, her arms were loaded with clothes. As they stood in line at the counter, she looked over at a glass display case. "Ferdinand, what are those?"
He turned over. "Oh, those are earrings."
She blushed. "Of course." His gaze settled on her.
"You don't have your ears pierced. Do you want them? You'd look pretty with your ears pierced and with formal apparel, outside of combat-readiness I mean."
She flushed, in between having the questions of the earthly custom she didn't know about. Well, to spare herself from acting as her little sister, she nodded her head. The voyage back home was uneventful once nearby to make a turn on the street she spoke.
"There is somewhere I would like to go." She requested as they arrived at the stairs of the apartment and he opened them with his keys the doors, once inside he nodded. "Where?"
"To that Giant T-shaped building."
The Bay of the Titan's Tower from afar looked empty, almost without activity. Getting near the island through a boat-driver's payment, they swam up to the shore. Cleverly using her sister's passwords to get inside the Tower, she was followed by the boy. She cared less for his presence, getting inside the tower was easy, to get inside the elevator was even easier and to creep into the Main Ops room was the easiest. It made her feel angered, they weren't even in their blasted tower, when there was no criminal activity.
"No one's here." The boy said as she grunted, captain obvious taking time of her life. She shrugged and tapped her feet. She went to the nearest sofa couch and sat there, trying to gather her thoughts and change her plans. All while from her peripheral vision the boy analyzed the room. "They left for quite a while, two weeks at most, one and half at least." The boy swiped his index finger on the table of the kitchen, she grunted. They had a trip away from the tower, she felt tempted to go through her sister's room and wreck it for the sake of starting her revenge in a minimalist matter and get a few laughs out of her spite.
Clicking was heard and she turned towards the boy.
"It seems that in between them an alarm was activated." She rose an eyebrow and got up the sofa. An alarm? Her sister asking for help? She almost chortled back a laugh. So weak has she become to rely on others. 'Then again, she's always been the weakest link between us three. Expected of her to be defeated by the first adversity that crosses her front.' She shrugged and stared at the screen. Soon the very screen showed images of various different people, connected by threads and crossed out in red.
"Wow."
"By X'hal, they were almost all taken out." She said out in shock, her sister and three of her friends had question marks, but Robin was marked bold in red cross. She snorted, she hoped more for the human her sister courted and seemed that big of a shit. 'Guess even the greatest of humans falls.' She shrugged and crossed her arms underneath her chest. A symbol appeared on the edge of the screen, running a street-view video of a pink-haired horned female fighting against a red-haired male in yellow costume, boldly in the side appeared a dossier.
Wally West
Kid Flash
Contact?
He crossed his arms, certainly the system was aware of This Wally West's allegiance, and apparently now it was a good thing. "According to this system, the last time the communicator of Robin was recalled, was in Paris, France." He crossed his arms and the female turned to the screen obsessively at her sister's face. Her vengeance, someone was trying to retrieve her of her vengeance.
"Would they use their weapons against us?" She asked still doubtful they wouldn't lead them to a trap. The boy frowned and spoke shrugged.
"I…I can disengage their weapons and systems, Servers…destroy their defenses here to say. But…how do you know the passwords and keywords to enter here?"
Questions, questions.
"Now that I look at you nearer, you do look."
"Keep it." She placed her right hand atop his mouth to shut him of any ideas. Her stern face was enough to emphasize the importance.
"Call him."
"So, they are all captured?" A pink haired female asked sitting on the sofa; from the side of the boy. Lightly distanced and brooding, with her arms crossed. A dark haired female clone of starfire but older looking and with dark colors brooded on the corner. Wally West meanwhile by her side and also listening to the Silver-haired kid, younger than them brief them on the situation after being called. To be honest herself, Jinx, an enemy of the Teen Titans was finding it hard to believe she would be called once more into the depths of their base, find the wretched thing up for the taking, coming side by side with the red-haired annoyance that got her here in the first place after the fall out she had with Madame Rouge. The boy instead manipulated the systems of the Teen Titans, who are known to be heavily reliant on security like they were the computer of your local computer shop.
No shit, even Gizmo paled to this kid. Who was he again?
"Precisely. Robin has been captured alongside many of the Teen Titans in the Brotherhood's base in Paris; however, there are still signals coming from Cyborg, Starfire and Raven and very probably, beast boy."
Still a full team, however incapacitated against the brotherhood of evil's superior numbers and without Robin's leadership no doubt.
"Well, let's go." Wally West was about to rush out, but Jinx stopped him.
"What's the plan?" She asked and the boy frowned and crossed his arms. "Do we even need a plan?" The dark Starfire deadpanned at her.
"Attack and come out alive. No doubt Starfire would go directly into freeing Robin or would place someone of trust to that task. Our worries are to aid in this endeavor also on Paris."
She chuckled.
"Didn't you realized that Paris is in the other side of the world?"
He smirked and held up a pair of keys.
"Cyborg left his T-car which turns into a usable jet-plane for Four."
"Cool." Kid Flash ran to get a hold of the keys, but he pocketed them into his pants. "Let's go."
Once Jinx and Wally West got prepared with their gear, and got inside the car, Ferdinand glanced at the car keys entranced. "Ferdinand." The sharp stern poker-faced Kori addressed him which caused him to turn in surprise to the female. "Yes?"
"...No one has ever talked to me. Outside of my family, no one hast taken even the time to make me enjoy something other than…my royal ancestry. Why do it?" She gruffly asked him which caused him to smile and shrug. "Is there really any reason to befriend someone other than finding them likeable?"
She widened her eyes and snorted, crossing her arms.
"Likeable?" She asked to the young boy whom nodded.
"My parents have always told me to not judge by appearances; and…I've always had difficulty making friends." He confessed as he bit on his right hand thumb's nail. Ferdinand stared at the floor as he spoke with consideration.
"I've enjoyed the time we have had together Kori, you're a great friend."
She snorted and slapped his back.
"Let's go, Friend." She toned with some light mocking as they went to the car.
Paris France seemed so far yet so near with the modified automobile-Plane that rested in their base, everything else was easier. She arrived at the main battle scene after they were dispatched on the very base, just when the main attack was happening. A robot tried to attack her, but she easily punched it and turned it to heap parts and scrap metal. A gargantuan dressed in Yellow tried to smash her but she evaded and did a sweeping kick, easily causing the brown-haired mammoth of a man to drop to the floor and with a good punch to the face he was knocked out.
A gigantic Stoneman rushed against them, before he could attack anyone however, he was repulsed away by a clean fist of someone, she looked clearly. It was the kid.
'So, the he packs a punch huh.' She was interrupted by a red-yellow robot that tried to attack her. Grasping a hold of her with his big hand, she chuckled and spoke. "Die." With those words she didn't cared to lobotomize the robot with her eye-lasers of a pinkish purple color, leaving the robot out of commission and knocked out on the floor. With a hand on his hips, he stared as others already took care of the gargantuan stone man.
"So much for help, huh." She wondered out with a smirk as he snorted and sighed.
"Guess we were much the ones free for this. The less we waste the better."
'Never said it better.' She thought, once again restoring her energies for her final fight to the death with her little sister. Most of the villains were already dispatched and the bomb ended.
"Sister." Both turned to meet the red-haired female superheroine Starfire. He understood now what it meant, Kori is Starfire's sister.
"I've waited so long for this sister."
"You escaped again?"
His stomach churned and twisted realizing he aided a criminal, but at the same time. Could she be? She's been acting the tamest since he saw her. Why?
"I've come here to face you in a Tamaranian Honor Duel. You against I; for the sake of our Planet and Race! FOR THE SAKE OF REVENGE!" Blackfire cried out loud as her eyes glowered with tremendous power, Starfire gazed at her sister, the one he saved with regret and sadness.
"It was never meant to happen this way."
Blackfire snorted and growled.
"How can you be so obnoxious of what you've done? You've lived in a lie. What should've been mine by Birthright was stripped the moment you were born, all because I was born with this hair, with these eyes, with this look! Curse the day you were born sister. I CURSE THE DAY YOU DREW BREATH!" With mighty anger Kori slammed her sister against the wall.
"Stafire!" The dark-haired boy tried to help her but before he did, Gorgalad inquired. "I never realized-."
"How could you have led Blackfire here?!"
The dark haired male glared at Gorgalad hard as he raised his voice at him. Kori seemed a nice person, she…she wasn't a machine focused solely on vengeance. On hurting others.
"I…I never thought."
A battle cry was heard as Blackfire crashed against a wall, starfire tried to smash her face yet it earned hers instead and was slammed to the wall repetitively. As a gigantic star bolt of pink-purple color slammed against her causing an explosion.
"STARFIRE!" The dark-haired male cried out, the others were in shock gazing at the match, not knowing how to react to two allies attacking each other. The smoke cleared and they all stood as Blackfire held a smirk, holding his young sister by the hair as she continued to punch her. "I'll let you all bear honor of the downfall, of Tamaran's favorite princess." Summoning from her hips one of her two flame-shaped blades, tamaranian blades. She neared the edge to her sister's neck. "You know sister, I was always better."
Blackfire slammed her young sister's face in the floor and raised it once more.
"...W-why?" Starfire with tears in her eyes groaned with the last of her voice as the dark-aired tamaranian princess snorted. "You wouldn't understand, no one would understand. But know this. I'll enjoy the moment I take your beloved Robin's life and make him feel the agony you made me feel-!"
"NO!" A tidal wave of massive energy repulsed Blackfire as a neon-green shooting star shot against the direction the eldest of the sisters was skewered against, what followed was vicious punches, which were soon exchanged between both female tamaranian warriors. Flying all over the base, wrecking the base of the Brotherhood of Evil. When finally, on the topmost spot almost to the exit, Blackfire stood at the edge of a riff, as she breathed out. "I should've threatened your soulmate before if I knew it would make you this vicious sister." Blackfire snorted and about to poise her blades against her young sister, was met with no blades and instead starfire wielding them.
"How would you react if he dies?" Creating a star bolt of energy, she turned to target Robin who stood shocked.
"Leave him alone." Starfire threatened and Blackfire turned. Shooting the star bolt towards Robin, she turned to widen her eyes, on her very chest a blade stabbed her heart, and her neck was bisected diagonally in a single move by the female warrior, all while the dark-haired female with a short snort fell to the abyss, tears cascading down her eyes.
"Blackfire!" Ferdinand screamed as he ran towards the spot she was going to fall, sliding down the floor managing to take a hold of her, blood. So much blood. His crimson red eyes analyzed her; they got her good. The heart was viciously stabbed, her carotid artery bleed actively, part of her larynx was cut which caused an abnormal air flow outside of the neck to be noticed.
A mess.
"Don't leave me yet." He tried to heal her, his palms glowering an aqua green color, ready to heal her…all he felt was hands holding his wrists. "N-no…" She breathed out and toned with effort, she tried to gather air which only got in certain amounts since very much almost everything escaped from her larynx. "…she won…"
Gorgalad held onto her hands as she spoke those words somberly. It reminded him of himself, defeated after being bullied in his past life. He can still remember their face, their names; even if memories are blurred out by being occupied by new ones, he had always made sure to record all his life to never forget how they marked him and to be able to be what he was today, to not forget the life he lived before.
"…why?" Her tears cascaded down her beautiful purple eyes as she closed them in an attempt to hid herself.
"It's always her. The family, the people; they all loved her. I was banished to the side…never to be friends with others, they saw a monster…. Why me? Why?" Blackfire repeated her whispers in sadness.
Tears cascaded down Gorgalad's eyes as he cupped both of her hands in his and kissed the knuckles of both of her hands twice. Blackfire got hated and shunned, never having friends. Never enjoying her family and being ostracized, a victim of an entire planet's hate. "I'm hated too." In his past life and in this one also.
"Why would you give up life?" The tamaranian princess snorted. "…does it matter?" Gorgalad stared deep into her eyes, the deepest deep he ever could. Right through her eyes, as if seeing her very soul. He cupped her hands tighter as he did so. It does to me." He adjusted his glasses and turned away.
"…W-why~?" The vengeful princess asked him, and all he could do was wonder himself why he spend so much time learning medicine in his past life to help others heal. "Do I need a reason to help someone?"
She snorted.
"...y-you're most…kind." She toned with her last breath as he nodded. "I can help you heal…"
With a single head nod, her heart ceased to beat, and tears cascaded down Gorgalad's eyes. Blackfire has died, and he had a chance to bring her back. But at the expense of breaking a promise he did. ~Is it worth it?~ Before he could even second guess myself, he snorted.
~Of course, it fucking is.~ From his pocket, his hopes and dreams to have lifelong friends and a new life, the opportunity to make a change in the palm of his hand. All in the form of a Rook piece, the strongest piece; strength. She embodies strength, strength and fierceness yet also…beauty and royalty. To her what reflected in the mirror was wretched, horrible…but one cannot deny her beauty. An otherworldly beauty that befriended him even when she didn't had to.
Who chose him out of all others.
~The only soul that could understand a bullied repressed pacifist boy like me.~ Gorgalad placed the rook piece where the sword used to be, and the bleeding continued. It all soon ended, and a tiny orb of light appeared above from her lips, hovering above her head and standpoint.
"Her soul." Gorgalad stated with a crestfallen and grim face, it was a rare occurrence for a being's soul to appear outside the body after death and to be able to see it. Gorgalad gulped and stared at the deceased body of his former friend. She didn't deserve it. ~She didn't deserved this death. So much hatred, so much vengeance and revenge. Resentment, a dark heart.~
*Gasp* Starfire stared in shock and turning away, leaning on her beloved Robin's shoulder. He grimaced in my choice and its possible consequences. With her hands cupped in his Gorgalad approached my lips to hers…the warmth of her soul and the freshness felt in his mouth. A chaste kiss to her lips, he whispered.
"In the name of Houses Bael and Agares, I, Gorgalad Bael Agares. Usurped prince of all devils and dark creatures of the underworld command you…Blackfire, to rise and take my side for the rest of my eternities as my Rook. Detach yourself from the chains that bind you, let the chains of death be broken and rise anew and in joy as a servant under my household." Gorgalad's whispers were firm and his command decisive. The evil piece descended onto the alien female's torso and deactivating his eyes, he smiled in satisfaction. So t'was the end of the sorrowful path of vengeance Blackfire walked, even then; Gorgalad knew that she couldn't follow me yet with those regrets on her sister weighting her. A sudden breath caused many of the heroes to turn in shock.
Ferdinand got up and placed his hands in his pockets.
"Welcome back to the land of the living." Gorgalad called out to the tamaranian princess who blinked and got up. "What did you do?" She asked as she tightened her fists and glanced at them.
"Sister." Starfire approached and Blackfire went to instant combat stance, ready to continue the battle they left incomplete. Ferdinand however stepped between both and rose his arms with a stop sign to each.
"Please, stop. Just for once, stop. You misunderstood her." He tried to reason with the heroes, yet their masked leader adamantly crossed his arms. "On what? Enjoying making Starfire suffer? On the lies? The crimes?"
Jinx rolled her eyes. "What about your crimes as Red X?"
Robin turned around and glared at the pinkette, and Ferdinand closed his eyes.
"Blackfire…fighting Starfire is not the answer to your pain and suffering. And to you-." He pointed towards the masked male teenaged hero as many edged their gazes at him. He smiled a toothy grin.
"What is better? To be born good. Or overcome your evil nature through great effort and kind actions? If you cannot truly turn those misguided back to the path of good, then…you would be nothing more than their greatest disease."
His words hit like a ton of bricks, and he turned around, questioning the philosophy of everybody in the room of what they've done. Changing their views on their activities and what they did. "These are yours." He threw them the keys to the T-car, which were caught by Cyborg as he turned around and left.
"When you're ready, we'll talk." His single piercing gaze to Blackfire's eyes was enough to stress his need to speak with her. Choosing to instead prepare his leave from this world, he left the sisters to meet themselves and the heroes to continue their vigilantism or whatever they did in this world.
He interfered enough.
Jump City, California
The Titans Tower was filled to the brim with new teenaged heroes waiting to be given their communicators and instructions by Robin himself. A new network of heroes formed by an entire generation of heroic aspirants and even some mutants themselves. Blackfire stared at the city from the windows of the main ops room of the tower, silent in between all the ruckus, she contemplated on her second life. She never enjoyed debts, owing someone. She strived being always independent and never counting on others, because in her entire life, she had no one. Yet, right before she could even absorb the fact that her heart was beating once more…he left her. Just as he arrived into her life he just…vanished, with a strange promise to be ready to speak whenever she was ready. If that would ever happen, she cannot deny she felt strange the last few days she shared with such boy. Because yes, he was a boy.
Yet, in his melancholic expression and silence; she found an oddity not many had.
Do I need a reason to help someone?
Her heart skipped a beat remembering his face, with so much emotional concern directed for her. It made her heart skip a beat; which caused her to growl and cross her arms. The kid was a clever one, intelligent…perhaps even more than her little sister's bird boy she would've once enjoyed bickering and following after. Yet she cannot understand…where everyone condemned her as a lost cause and she accepted it, enjoying their fear and challenge, her glorious death would've been her end. Nobody would've worried and it would've left her alone, alone in a world that didn't cared and she didn't cared for. She would've died giving all what she gave, strength being the mark which she sizes everyone. Her ultimate test would've been something she would've been satisfied with its result regardless. Nobody would've cared.
It does to me.
"S-sister." A shy voice interrupted her, and she turned from the window's reflection to her little sister Starfire. "You've made more friends." All of this felt to her so, bland. All these people she didn't knew nor acknowledged, she cared for them not as they didn't cared for her, therefore she could only feel apathy to her presence in this place. The red-haired girl contemplated the assessment she gave and nodded.
"Yes, sister. All of these people are my friends."
She contemplated on her words.
I've enjoyed the time we have had together Kori, you're a great friend.
"Are they…kind?"
Her sister bashfully stared to the side as she nodded. "We've known them all through our adventures, they are all quite…nice."
She contemplated on that word.
"You seem fixed with that word. What…does it mean?"
She turned back surprised, and she stared to the side.
"When I was young, mother and father spared me no time unlike you. Had I been born with such bright red hair and emerald eyes…had I been given a chance…" She tightened her fists as she stared at them, had it all been different. She might've been Queen of Tamaran and not only the Duchess. Her sister so foolishly gasped and hung her head.
"I…I never knew."
She turned back to her and stared harshly.
"You were too young to know. I cannot say that I don't resent the fact that our parents loved you more than I, that you usurped what should've been mine by birthright just because I was born with these wretched colors. Had our parents been fairer..."
She couldn't speak any further as her little sister embraced her sobbing.
"I've been a klorbag."
She closed her eyes and swallowed.
"You are not-."
"I've been!"
All conversations stopped and all eyes were on them both, Starfire could only reveal her crying face and with a face of a kicked puppy she sobbed. "I don't want us to fight."
She closed her eyes and turned back to the window.
"You've won our honor duel."
Kori-Andr shook her head and presented before her an M-shaped crown to wear. Was this her purpose? To be pitted at?
"I don't want your pity." She snarled with the venom her black heart could fathom to give, answered only with the kindness of her little sister and a sore look on her. "It is not my wish for us to fight any longer sister. This crown belongs to you. Your colors should not decide your fate." Starfire offered to her, she grunted. Pity wasn't something she was going to accept yet being offered the crown so openly felt…made her feel.
"Sister…please, treat our people with kindness."
She contemplated on her mistakes, when she first desired to rule with an iron fist on Tamaran, she did it for the sake of being superior than truly leading them. She realized, her sister at that moment would've been the apt ruler. "Galfore has been ruling on our stead, I…I've made my life on earth with boyfriend Robin. If ruling our planet means being aside from boyfriend Robin then, I entrust our planet to you sister."
She stared at the crown and then at her little sister. Shaking her head, she spoke firmly.
"I-." She couldn't move as Starfire hovered above her and placed upon her head the Crown of Tamaran, the crown that should've been hers. Would she be ready to face them again after what she has done?
"I don't think I could face them after what I've done." She bashfully stared to the side, not feeling yet capable to do so. "Moreover, I…I don't know anyone." She confessed and her sister brightened.
"We always start somewhere. I also started when I descended on earth where I met my friends. Do you have someone to start with?"
Her little sister's question made her turn back to the window and stare at the city once more, her snort and the curve of her lips upward lightly caused her to think on silver and indigo once again. The warm almost imperceptible feel of warmth on her lips, as if electricity ran through all of her body.
A kiss.
Lip contact.
The tamaranian transfer of knowledge. Yet, instead…it gave her a new life. Nobody has kissed her and lived to tell the tale, in fact she might even say that she has never kissed anyone. Why would she share or even steal someone's knowledge when she can do it herself. Moreover, before betrothal kissing was seen as absurdly immoral and not proper of royalty, more so of a Tamaranian princess.
