"Big brother!" Pandora cheered as she ran towards Hex, the boy smiling gently at seeing his sister while Luna watched with a curious expression. Pandora leapt at Hex with a hug, only to phase right through him and stumble back onto her feet as she slowed down behind the boy. Luna watched with wonder as the young looking girl came to a stop and looked back to Hex with watery eyes and a frown.
"Oh my little Pandora, I'm sorry to say you haven't been freed yet," Hex said looking back to his sister with a sympathetic smile.
"It's not fair; I can't even hug you now!" Pandora whined loudly before she ran back over to Hex, trying to hold him only to see her arms again phasing through him. She broke down crying as she dropped to her knees, burying her face in her hands as she wept on the stone floor. Luna looked at her with remorse while Hex slowly kneeled down and held a hand to the ethereal girl's shoulder, holding it there as if resting it on the girl.
"I'm sorry sister," he said gently.
"I hate daddy! Why is he so mean to me, this is so unfair!" Pandora screamed as she shook her head, her voice echoing throughout the darkness to a deafening degree. Luna cringed and held her hands to her ears while Hex showed no signs of being fazed by the young girl's cry.
"Please don't cry Pandora," he said kindly. She sniffled then looked up to him with gentle eyes, holding a hand to his that hovered where her shoulder was.
"I can't even hug you in here, I hate being grounded big brother. How much longer do I have to stay here?" she asked worriedly.
"I hope not too much longer. Father has arrived in the world where your prison has landed, though I suspect he has no intention of letting you go free seeing as how you're still trapped in here," Hex said with a tone of concern.
"I hate daddy, he's so mean," Pandora hissed with anger. Hex nodded then looked to Luna, the chronofly looking at the young girl with wonder again.
"I've brought somebody special with me this time Pandora," he said waving over to the chronofly. Pandora looked over to her with a cold stare of wonder as she slowly stood up, her gaze causing chills to run down Luna's spine. Luna looked at her nervously as the young girl seemed to pierce right through her with her stare.
'Um, what's with this girl?'
"You brought a snack for my lovelies?" Pandora said as a cold smile grew on her face. Luna looked at her nervously from that remark while Hex merely glanced to her amusedly.
"What? Snack? Lovelies?" Luna asked shakily. She blinked then felt something familiar, something she unfortunately remembered experiencing in the dark world during her captivity; the feeling of being watched from all around. She slowly looked around with growing fear, the darkness around them receding further away while Pandora smiled wickedly at the chronofly. The ground they were standing on was a smooth black stone floor with swirling designs etched into them, with light seeming to bloom from around them by no visible source. As the light slowly grew Luna's expression turned from fear to absolute horror as she saw what was close by all around them.
"Oh… my… god…" she breathed out as she saw monsters unlike anything she had ever seen. Some were colossal in size, almost as big as Alucard or at least what could be seen of them, while others were the size of small buildings or larger trucks; however they were all different as no two were the same. Some had odd number of legs and arms, others had their flesh decaying or melding into scales, a few had their bones and skeletal frames visible as they shifted out from their bodies while others were disfigured monstrosities that were only thought to be lurking in nightmares of children. Luna slowly looked around to seeing nothing but horrible creatures that growled and snarled with ghostly wails at her. One of the giant brutes walked closer, its legs half covered in green boils while its knees and thighs were made of what appeared to be bone with small tentacles wrapped around them. The monster lumbered on its two legs while its upper body was open in the ribcage showing pulsating and throbbing tentacles wrapped around an enlarged skull which was staring at Luna with its two eyes, the mouth of the entangled head wrapped in slithering limbs while the head on its shoulders was missing its jaw, the large second skull of the monstrosity having three eyes that rolled around slightly while it had spines sticking out and back like hair. Luna stared at the monster with absolute fright as it reached out for her with is hand that had six fingers and large boils on it.
"Yum yum time!" Pandora yelled out with a cruel laugh. Luna screamed as the monster reached out for her only for Hex to calmly walk in front of the girl and hold up a hand to the large creature. The monster halted and looked at Hex with a low groan as Luna clung to the boy's back for dear life.
"No, she's not food for your pets Pandora, she's here to help with freeing you from this place," Hex said looking back to Pandora with an amused smile.
"She is?" Pandora asked with a curious expression.
"Pets? Pets? Those… THINGS are her PETS?" Luna cried out as she looked around with fright. Pandora narrowed her eyes and growled loudly, with Luna looking back to her and feeling terrified by her mere gaze.
"Don't you DARE call my lovelies things!" she yelled out, her voice causing Luna's knees to tremble in fear. She had never felt more scared in all her life, now feeling like Alucard itself was glaring at her. Luna whimpered and looked around fearfully as Hex turned to face Pandora, with the chronofly then instantly clinging to his chest for safety.
"Calm down Pandora, she didn't mean anything of it. And you, Luna, please try to be nice to my little sister," Hex said before looking to Luna. She shakily looked up towards him with wide eyes. The boy chuckled then glanced back to the monster that was watching them with its hand still outstretched towards Luna.
"Pandora, do you mind? You're scaring her," Hex said looking back to Pandora. The small girl nodded then waved the monster off with a casual huff.
"Ok fine, she's not food for any of you, sorry to get your hopes up," she said plainly, with the larger monster then backing up with a gurgling snarl. Luna looked around at all the monstrosities that were keeping their distance, all of them seeming to fill the dark void that stretched out in all directions around them.
"Where are we? What is this place?" she asked looking back to Hex. The boy smiled then turned the girl around and held her by the shoulders, with her staring at Pandora with fright as the small girl eyed her with a raised eyebrow.
"This is where my sister is being imprisoned Luna. It is, in essence, a small world confined within a larger one. Sort of the equivalent of a young girl being grounded in her room by her father," he explained. Pandora scoffed and looked up with a glare.
"More like an infernal prison! Created by somebody who's DEAD TO ME! You hear me father? You're DEAD TO ME!" she screamed out, with the monsters around roaring and shouting towards the void above as if calling out in agreement with her. Luna looked at her with wonder then glanced back to Hex.
"Um, why… did your father imprison her here?" she asked carefully. Hex looked around at all the monsters while Pandora stomped her foot around and flicked off the void above while growling furiously.
"Because Luna, my sister is an excellent beastmaster, the best in any world out there. Look around you, all of these creatures you see and the many you can't my sister can control as if ordering around a well-trained dog," he explained. Luna looked around at all the nightmarish monsters, their mere presence and ungodly appearances making her shiver slightly with fear. Hex then looked to Luna with a calm smile, the girl looking back to him with wonder as he held her gently by the shoulders.
"My sister loves these beasts, very much so. She loves to play with them all day every day. To her they are not monstrosities but in fact her babies which she cares for dearly," he continued. Luna looked back to Pandora as the small girl was looking around at her monsters with a deep gaze, having her arms crossed while the beasts all around watched her constantly.
"But father wanted her to command them as an army, to use her monsters like soldiers and conquer worlds with him. She refused, and in doing so her monsters did as well. They can't be charmed Luna, they can't be reasoned with, they are completely devoted to my sister no matter what. Father ordered her to use her pets as his dogs of war, to which she replied with a few choice words of her own," Hex said glancing to his sister.
"FUCK YOU DADDY!" Pandora yelled out into the air, once again getting a rouse of roars and shouts from her monsters which looked up with anger as well. Luna looked at the girl with wonder then around to seeing all the monsters that apparently would only listen to and obey Pandora. Hex chuckled and nodded then looked back to Luna as the chronofly glanced to him.
"Father wasn't too amused, so he locked her away inside a powerful relic and cast her out into a world at random, sealing her inside this prison along with her monsters while he continued on to other worlds to conquer all that he could without her help. It was in this world Luna, in this reality, that Pandora's Box landed," Hex explained. Luna looked at him with wonder then to Pandora as the girl walked up to them with a mean glare in her eyes.
"I've been trapped here for so long, it's unbearable! Daddy is never going to let me out, he'll never release me since he can't have my lovelies to add to his army, and I'll never let my beautiful babies be used as pawns for his stupid campaigns!" she yelled out. Luna looked at the girl with a mixture of fear and wonder as Pandora looked up into the darkness above.
"Nobody tells my babies what to do but me, NOBODY!" she yelled out, her voice ringing inside Luna's mind. The chronofly looked at the small girl with wonder, knowing that despite her size she was something unlike any monster she had known. Hex, Pandora, their father; whatever they were, they weren't from this world, or maybe even from this reality as Hex mentioned.
"You hate your father too, don't you?" Luna asked softly.
"Oh, I hate him more than just hating him. He's my father, and I know I should be happy he gave me life, but that doesn't change the fact that I WANT TO CLAW HIS HEART OUT!" Pandora screamed out with anger. Luna looked at her with a jump as the girl's voice was overwhelming, extreme fear washing over her along with her heart skipping a beat. She then smiled weakly and glanced back to Hex.
"Well… at least that's one thing we share in common," she reasoned shakily with a small shrug. Hex nodded then looked around at the darkness above.
"After she arrived here in this world she tried to break free, however was unable to do so. It was the angels from your heaven that first found her prison, which they then opened out of curiosity," he continued.
"Angels from heaven released her?" Luna asked with wonder. Hex nodded again and looked to his sister who was eyeing Luna over with a dull stare.
"Yes, they used the four unique keys that arrived with her box to free her, wondering what was inside such an otherworldly relic. Their answer was Pandora and her pets. After she escaped however her beasts didn't play too nicely with the other residents of the world, something your god put a stop to by locking her away once again inside her box with all the power he could," he explained.
"What do you mean they didn't play nice? What did they do?" Luna asked worriedly. Pandora scoffed and looked away.
"It's not my fault my pets got hungry, if your god didn't want his lesser beings being eaten he should have made them stronger," she argued. Luna looked to her with a jump at that.
"Your pets were eating humans?" she asked shakily. Pandora looked to her and chuckled while tilting her head.
"My pets ate anything they wanted, human and monster alike. They are higher beings with appetites after all, and those higher up on the food chain eat what's below them," she giggled. Luna looked at her with shock as Hex chuckled amusedly.
"After she was sealed away by your god she was unable to escape again, she and her pets have been locked away inside this prison for so long now," he explained. Pandora looked at Luna skeptically then to Hex.
"So how is she going to get me out of here?" she asked. Hex smiled gently at Luna as the chronofly looked at the young girl with nervous eyes.
"Her name is Luna, she's a chronofly who is able to manipulate the time stream in this world," he explained. Pandora looked at Luna with a raised eyebrow then to Hex questionably.
"So she can control the time stream here?" she asked.
"Yes, she's very talented with her magic, so much in fact that father took a rather unsavory interest in her. The poor girl was spending time with father's breeding demons to add more powerful soldiers to his future armies. I thought her helping free you would be a better use of her time and skills, not to mention that she didn't appear to be having too much fun back at father's keep," Hex said with a slight smirk.
"But she's a lesser being, how's she going to help me? You're much more powerful than her when it comes to altering reality and you can't even free me from this place, what's she going to do?" Pandora scoffed with a dull expression.
"She could at least offer to try and help, perhaps with both of us here we can release you," Hex reasoned with a hopeful smile. Pandora looked at him with worried eyes then to Luna with a dull stare.
"Wait, hold on a second here," Luna said looking around nervously.
"Hold on? I've been waiting in this damned prison forever! If you're going to help then get me out of here now!" Pandora roared out, with Luna looking to her with fright as the girl's voice was overwhelming.
"What's wrong Luna?" Hex asked curiously. She turned back to him with disbelief and shook her head.
"What's wrong? Your sister was sealed away by the Almighty because her monsters from another world were destroying the earth, and you want me to free her?" she asked franticly.
"Of course I want you to free her, that's the whole reason I brought you here," Hex reasoned casually.
"What's the problem here? Are you going to help me or aren't you?" Pandora demanded impatiently. Luna looked at Hex with worried eyes as he gently held her at the hips.
"Hex, I want to help you, I really do, but it sounds like your sister was sealed away by the Almighty for a reason. She was killing people with her pets," Luna said shaking her head.
"So she let a few thousand people die and caused a couple of primitive civilizations to fall into ashes and flames, what little girl hasn't caused some mischief from time to time in their life?" Hex asked amusedly. Luna stared at him with shock and an open mouth while Pandora giggled with a cruel smile.
"What?" Luna breathed out as she looked back to Pandora, the small girl having a cold look in her eyes.
"I just love giving birth to chaos, it makes me so happy and warm inside," she said, her words causing Luna to feel a cold chill run down her spine.
"You're a monster…" Luna said fearfully at Pandora, the little girl giggling in response.
"Oh no, you're the monster here, I'm something much greater," Pandora said with a cold smile. Luna trembled then looked back to the boy holding her.
"Hex…" she said quietly.
"Please Luna, you said you would help me with this little favor, are you saying that you've changed your mind now?" Hex asked gently. Luna stuttered something as she shakily shook her head.
"Hex… I… I want to help you; I want to thank you for all that you've done for me. I owe my life to you, something I intend to repay. But… what you're asking of me, I just can't… she's evil!" she pleaded. Hex held her close while holding her chin with one hand, the girl gulping softly as she stared into his eyes.
"Do you have a sister?" he asked gently.
"Yes, I have two," she said softly.
"Have they ever done anything bad in their lives? Have they ever caused others pain either intentionally or by accident?" Hex asked calmly. Luna blinked and thought about that, remembering how Complica's suicide caused their family great sorrow while Falla's greed caused their race to be nearly wiped out.
"They have done some things, yes, but…" she said hesitantly.
"Do you still love them? After they did those bad things you still love them as family, don't you?" Hex asked.
"Of course I do, they're my sisters," Luna said softly.
"Well, I love my sister, she's not evil in my eyes, isn't that the same?" Hex asked gently.
"But… Hex…" she said quietly. She trembled slightly then closed her eyes.
"If I say no… you're going to throw me back in that dungeon aren't you? You're going to let those demons rape me for your father's army, aren't you?" she asked sadly.
"No," he said, the girl then looking at him with timid eyes.
"If you really wish to leave then I'll let you go. However should my father find you again, which he will now that he will be on the lookout for you, you'll be taken back to the dungeon I found you in," Hex said with a tone of disappointment. Luna looked at him worriedly as the boy slowly let her go.
"If you help me then I'll keep you safe Luna, otherwise this is where we part ways," he said solemnly. Luna looked at him with remorse then to Pandora, the little girl watching her with a dull stare again.
"Well?" Pandora asked impatiently. Luna looked at her for a moment then around at all the monstrosities that kept their distance from them.
"If I help free her, I'm freeing all of them as well, aren't I?" she asked glancing to Hex.
"I would think so, Pandora would of course love for her pets to go free with her," he reasoned with a shrug. Luna nodded slowly then looked to Pandora.
"If she and her pets go free they'll just go on another rampage again won't they?" she said cautiously.
"Oh, I'll be a good girl this time, I promise," Pandora said softly with a cold smile.
"See, why don't I believe you?" Luna said flatly with a dull stare at the girl. Pandora looked at her with an innocent smile and tilted her head playfully.
"I just want to be free again Luna, I want to play and make love to my lovelies all day every day, there's nothing wrong with that is there?" she asked happily. Luna looked at her with a dull expression then awkwardly as she slowly shook her head.
"What? Make… love?" she asked slowly. Pandora merely nodded slowly while her smile remained on her face. Luna looked at her carefully then to Hex, the boy shrugging in response.
"Oh, yes, she does have a slight beastiality complex, one of her little quirks," he mentioned casually. Luna stared at him with shock then slowly looked back to Pandora.
"What?" she asked shakily.
"I told you I love giving birth to chaos," Pandora said with a purr. Luna stared at her with wide eyes then slowly looked around at all the monstrosities that were standing about near them in the darkness. She then jumped and looked back to Pandora with disbelief and horror.
"You… and… them?" she asked shakily. Pandora nodded then looked around at all the monsters with a coy smile.
"Oh yes, every single one of them," she said before licking her lips. Luna remained silent for a moment as she tried to comprehend what she just heard, then shook her head with absolute disbelief.
"What the hell? But you're just a little girl! How… how could you even handle any of them without being ripped apart?" Luna cried out with shock. Pandora laughed and looked at her amusedly.
"Oh how cute, you assume I'm as young as one of you other lesser beings of my size, that's so adorable. No no, my body may look young to you, but I'm far older than you think," she said with a smirk. Luna stared at her with wide eyes then looked around at the monstrosities nearby.
"But… but…" she said as she held her hands out at one length, then at a shorter length as she tried to figure out how the small girl could even physically copulate with any of the giant monsters. She then shook her head and looked back to Pandora with disbelief.
"But that's just impossible!" she said with a mixture of puzzlement and being greatly disturbed. Pandora laughed amusedly.
"Maybe for a lesser being such as yourself," she mocked with a sneer. Luna's eye twitched slightly before she looked back to Hex with a stunned expression.
"Again, it's just a little quirk of hers, nothing worth judging her about," he reasoned casually.
"A little quirk? She's… she's having sex with monsters that are at least ten times her own size!" Luna cried out.
"I don't judge others on what makes them happy in life Luna, especially when it comes to my little sister. I love her, just the way she is," he said calmly.
"Aw, I love you too big brother," Pandora said sweetly to him with a loving smile. Luna opened her mouth to speak before pausing, looked around at the giant monstrosities nearby, turned back to Hex, and then looked back to Pandora who was watching her with a raised eyebrow.
"What? You got a problem with me and my babies?" Pandora asked sharply. Luna stared at her with disbelief then looked to Hex with growing concern.
"You want me to free her?" she asked weakly. Hex nodded as Luna struggled to find a reason that freeing this girl would be the right thing to do. The chronofly looked back to Pandora with a troubled expression.
"How… how did you even do it with them anyway, aren't you like a ghost in here?" she asked. Pandora laughed and shook her head.
"A ghost? You're silly, I'm not dead. I'm confined to this box in a shifted state, however I can still interact with my lovelies, and they can interact with others around them like you. Father made it so all I could do is provide more for his army in my confinement, but he will never command my babies, never never never!" she shouted out while stomping her foot, rage washing over her for a moment before subsiding and being replaced with a dull smile.
"So I spend my days in here with them, which isn't so bad since we keep each other company, however I would much rather have them running free in the world, not being stuck inside a box all their lives," she said with a bite. Luna looked at her carefully then up at the darkness above.
"You keep saying we're in a box, what box?" she asked.
"My box, the one we're in right now," Pandora said simply. Luna looked at her puzzled then to Hex, the boy smirking and nodding in agreement.
"We're inside her treasure chest Luna, where space is both limitless and limited. This is where my sister is imprisoned, inside this isolated existence while the box itself is located in your monster realm," he explained while waving around casually. Luna looked around with wonder then back to him.
"We're… in the monster world now?" she asked. He nodded as Luna looked around at the dark void that stretched on in all direction. Pandora tapped her foot impatiently then waved her hand around expectantly.
"Yes, you're in the monster world and inside my goddamned box, now that we've gotten that cleared up how about you figure out a way for me to get out of here!" she barked out. Luna looked at her cautiously then glanced to Hex.
"Just wondering, but, if this box has four keys to unlock it why not gather those together and open it from the outside?" she asked.
"What do you think I've been trying to do for ages now?" Pandora yelled out, her voice making Luna jump with a squeak. Luna looked back to the small girl as she growled with frustration at her.
"My brother and I cannot use the keys; if we could he would have gotten me out of here long ago. Four others are needed; four separate souls have to turn the keys in the box at the same time to unlock it. I've been luring anyone I could to open my box under the promise that I'll grant any stupid wish they desire should they do so, but as you can tell that hasn't worked out for me so far!" Pandora shouted out. Luna looked at her cautiously.
"Luring others here? How, I thought you were trapped inside this box," she said shaking her head.
"I am, but I can still reach out to others through the keys. They are bound to this relic, and when all four keys are together I can speak freely to whoever is holding them. I can also appear directly outside of my box if there is anybody nearby I could coax into finding my keys. The rumors and legends of my wish are known throughout your world now, I just need to wait until four souls attempt to make their wish," Pandora said with a bitter tone.
"No takers so far?" Luna quipped with a raised eyebrow. Pandora looked to her with a dull glare and shook her head.
"There have been a few who have collected all my keys and opened the box before in the past; however it did not lead to my freedom as I had wished. When my box is opened my lovelies will escape into the world, but if they are beaten back by those who opened the relic I'll be sealed once again… after I'm forced into making their pathetic wish a reality," she grunted with annoyance. Luna looked at her carefully then to Hex for an explanation. The boy nodded and looked to his sister with a calm smile.
"You see Luna, I allow those who wish to alter reality a chance to do so should they win my game of dice, that's how my magic works. Pandora however is bound by a different law. Whereas I use the element of 'luck' with my magic, Pandora uses the element of 'anarchy' in hers. Those who open the box will have their wish granted if they can defeat her chaotic monsters which come forth. Should they push the beasts back and stop them from coming out, their wish will be granted. However, should they fall, Pandora and her pets will be free once again," he explained. Luna looked at Pandora with wonder as the small girl growled with anger.
"So far those who have opened my box have beaten my lovelies back, and I've had to play the role of wish maker for those damned souls," she cursed. She smirked then glanced to away with a sly smile.
"Of course if they're not careful what they wish for they may not be happy with what they get," she mentioned with a small giggle at the end.
"But… if the four who open the box die by your pets?" Luna asked cautiously. Pandora smiled coldly at her, causing the chronofly to feel sense of dread once again.
"Then I'll be free once again along with all my lovelies, chaos will become the new reality in this world, and not even your Almighty will be able to seal me or my babies away again," she said with a chuckle at the end, then smiled innocently and tilted her head playfully.
"Still, I promise to be a good little girl if it will make you feel better," she said with a wink. Luna looked at her worriedly then to Hex, the boy smiling calmly at her.
"Don't worry Luna, I promise my sister won't be destroying your world after we set her free," he reassured while holding a hand to her cheek.
"You do?" she asked softly.
"Yes, I promise. As soon as she is freed I'm going to be taking her out of this world with me, her and all her monsters," he said looking to Pandora.
"We're leaving so soon? Why?" Pandora asked curiously.
"Because my dear little sister, father's army will soon be descending upon this world. I want to take you as far away from the war as I can, where you can be safe and play with your pets to your heart's content," Hex explained.
"Wait, you're both leaving?" Luna asked worriedly.
"Oh, ok big brother," Pandora said looking down with a gentle pout. Hex nodded then looked to Luna with a gentle smile.
"Of course we're leaving, I don't want my sister to remain trapped forever in this prison, and once the world outside her box has been razed to the ground there won't be anyone left to open it for her. I have to get her out of here while I can," he reasoned. Luna looked at him with a stunned expression and held his hand next to her cheek.
"But what about the world we're in? What about my friends? What about all the innocent lives out there? We have to stop your father from coming here and destroying everything," she pleaded.
"Luna, once the invasion begins everything in this world will fall into the darkness. Nobody here in this realm or any other I know of will be able to stop my father in his crusade for total domination, all we can do is run to where there is still light. Not even my own magic nor Pandora's can stop it, it's inevitable. If you like, you could come with us, I promise to take good care of a treasure such as yourself," Hex said, with a suave tone at the end. Luna stared at him with shock then looked to Pandora as the girl was smirking at her.
"Big brother, are you really offering to take this lesser being with us? That's so cute, is she going to be your pet now?" she asked mockingly.
"What?" Luna said with a startled jump. Hex chuckled and shook his head.
"I was merely offering her a way out of this world before it came to an end, but the choice is hers whether she wishes to go, I'm not going to force her," he reasoned casually. Luna shook her head quickly then looked back to Hex.
"Wait a minute; you're speaking as if this world is already lost, like we're already doomed. We're still alive, your father hasn't taken this world from us yet; we can't let this happen," she pleaded desperately.
"Luna, it's already going to happen. My father's army will walk through your world and raze it to the ground when he's ready to attack, just how it has been with so many before. Now, are you going to help me free my sister before he does so or do you want to leave?" Hex asked plainly while crossing his arms. Luna looked at him with stunned silence then down as she held her hands to her chest worriedly.
"No, this can't be the end for our world, it can't end like this," she said softly.
"It doesn't have to end for you Luna," Hex mentioned casually. Luna looked to him worriedly then down with closed eyes. After a moment she looked again to Hex with pleading eyes.
"Please, let me talk to my friends. We can stop your father; we've fought dangers like this before in the past. We defeated a previously thought to be undefeatable destroyer and put an end to it for good, we can stop your father's army as well," she reasoned.
"Luna," Hex said expectantly. She closed her eyes and nodded.
"I know, you brought me here to help free your sister, and that's all. But please, the world doesn't have to end like this. You and your sister could even help us," she reasoned hopefully. She looked to see Hex watching her with a bored expression then over to Pandora with worried eyes.
"You hate your father right?" she asked quickly.
"I don't believe 'hate' is powerful enough of a word," Pandora growled. Luna nodded then looked around at the monsters nearby.
"You have such powerful monsters under your command, you could help us-" she started before Hex grabbed her by the chin and turned her gaze towards her, the girl jumping slightly before falling silent as she stared at him with surprise.
"Luna, either you help me free my sister from this place so I can take her away from the impending death that awaits your world, or I can let you go free outside to do as you wish. But you are not dragging my little sister into this war; I will not allow her to be harmed. As powerful as we may seem to you we are neither gods nor immortals, my sister can bleed and she can die, neither of which I will allow to happen," he declared firmly. Luna stared at him as she felt her legs wobble, the boy's piercing stare into her eyes reminding her of the chilling gaze that Pandora expressed earlier.
"Hex… but…" she said quietly.
"No buts. Now, what is your answer? I freed you from father's control so you could help me release my sister from her prison, however if you are not going to help me then there is no reason for you to be here with me at all," Hex stated. Pandora watched Luna with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms as the chronofly gazed into Hex's eyes. After a moment she closed her eyes and nodded.
"I'll help you Hex, just like I said I would. If I can free your sister… you'll take her and her pets out of this world, right? They won't run loose killing innocent people, they'll be gone from this world forever, right?" she asked looking at him again with worried eyes. Hex nodded as he slowly let go of her chin. Luna looked at him for a moment then to Pandora.
"I still think you're evil, and what you do with your… pets is just plain disturbing to me on multiple levels, but… I feel your father is still the true evil in this world. As a favor to Hex, and only as a favor to him, I'll try to free you from this place," she said softly. Pandora smirked then gestured her to proceed with a wave of the hand.
"Then please, get on with it," she said simply. Luna nodded slowly then looked to Hex.
"Thank you Luna," he said calmly with a slight bow. She smiled slightly then looked off to the side as she held out her hand, her eyes focusing as a green glow came from them. The air distorted and crackled before a tear etched through above the ground in front of her hand. Hex and Pandora watched as Luna focused her magic, trying to open a rift into the time stream from where they were.
"If I can tear through to the time stream from here, maybe Pandora could leave through it with us," she reasoned hopefully. Pandora scoffed and shook her head.
"That's stupid, big brother can pass behind even that of the time stream from your world yet he can't take me with him through it. What makes you think your weaker rift could possibly get me out of here?" she snapped with a hiss.
"Pandora, she's trying. And maybe she's right, my power would be restricted here inside this place, but perhaps hers could act as a backdoor for us," Hex said while watching Luna carefully. Luna focused on trying to open a rift into the time stream while glowing green symbols appeared around her hand. The tear wavered and crackled but did not split as Luna showed a slightly strained expression.
"I can't cut through… I can barely hold the tear open in here, something's repressing it," she said shaking her head. Hex walked over behind her then held his hand out onto hers, with the girl glancing back to him with wonder as he held her hand gently from the top.
"Perhaps if we worked together, great things could happen," he mused glancing to her with a smirk. She smiled slightly and slowly shook her head.
"You really must stop being so charming, it makes me forget the kind of person you are," she said softly.
"Oh? And what kind of person am I?" he asked. Luna showed a troubled expression as her fingers slowly intertwined with his.
"The kind that would allow great evil to harm innocent people," she said softly.
"It's not that I'm in favor of what fate awaits your world Luna, it's that the odds of stopping my father are next to zero. As much as I love to gamble on big chances, luck just isn't on your world's side in this," he reasoned calmly.
"It could be, if we make our own luck," she said turning her head to look at him with gentle eyes. She jumped a bit as she felt his other hand holding her around her waist, the boy smiling calmly at her while keeping his focus on the tear in time.
"There's still a chance for you to live Luna, you could come with me after this," he said kindly. Luna looked at him with a deep gaze then down a bit.
"I can't leave my friends and family here to die, please don't ask me of such a thing Hex," she said softly. Pandora looked at them with an annoyed glare then shook her head.
"If you two start making out I'm going to throw up. Focus here!" she yelled out. Luna jumped a bit then looked at Hex with worried eyes as he kept smiling at her.
"I'll make a deal with you Luna," he said looking back ahead at the tear, with Luna doing the same as she somewhat focused on trying to open a rift into time.
"I'll stay here and keep an eye on you, to make sure you remain safe for the time being, so long as you do all that you can to help my sister," he started, with Luna feeling him holding her gently around her waist. Her hand wavered slightly before Hex held it steady, the chronofly slowly glancing back to him with a small blush.
"And we'll see if your friends are indeed as strong as you claim them to be. However, should they fail in stopping my father, which I know they will, then you will come with me away from this world, no questions asked or complaints being made," he continued while looking to her with a calm smile. Luna turned her head back towards him and gazed into his eyes, the tear in front of them crackling slightly as the air around the rip in time distorted and wavered some more.
"You'll come with me Luna, as the last treasure from this world," Hex finished.
Pandora watched them with a raised eyebrow and a dull expression then eyed the rift with annoyance while Luna stared at Hex with a deep gaze. After a moment the chronofly slowly nodded.
"Should the world fall into darkness Hex, you can take me away to wherever you wish," she said softly. He smiled confidently then looked to the rift ahead of them while the girl had her eyes locked onto him still.
"Good girl," he said as the rift crackled and shifted around slightly. Luna watched him with a deep gaze then slowly closed her eyes, feeling her heart beating faster as the boy held her.
'Falling for the son of the enemy, not exactly becoming of a queen, but… I've never felt safer before in my life. If this is wrong… I don't want to be right.'
She looked back towards the rift as she focused her magic on it, her eyes narrowing slightly as her bracelet glowed brightly. The monsters around the area watched with hushed snarls and grunts while Pandora watched with a careful eye. The rift in time crackled violently as it started to split open, with a bright light shining out from the tear inside. Luna focused on the tear with all her might, trying to stabilize the rift into the time stream. After a while the tear flashed brightly then collapsed with a bang, a small shockwave erupting out causing the monsters around the area to be illuminated for a moment as they roared at the disturbance. Luna and Hex lowered their hands while Pandora watched the bloom from the tear fade away with a dull glare.
"Gee, what would I have done without her? I'm saved," Pandora scoffed while looking over to Luna.
"No go huh?" Hex said shaking his head.
"We were almost through, wherever this is it's protected by a powerful barrier, my magic is being repressed within this place," Luna said looking at the spot where the tear was sealed up with a careful eye.
"Can I feed her to my lovelies now, or did you want to take her clothes off first?" Pandora snapped with discontent. Luna blushed and glanced away while holding a hand to her chest as Hex shook his head with a blank expression, the boy still looking at where the tear had failed to form.
"She is not a snack for your pets Pandora, however it seems that this situation may be too much for her to handle," he reasoned with a small shrug. Luna looked to him with pleading eyes and shook her head.
"I can help you Hex, I promised you I would and I meant it. The barrier around this place is strong, but we can still break through it with enough power, I'm sure we can," she pleaded.
"My big brother is far more powerful than you are with his magic; I bet you hardly helped him at all. He doesn't need you, he never did," Pandora snapped with a bite as she walked over towards Luna with a stern expression. Luna backed away nervously as the small girl stood between her and Hex while having her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.
"Not to mention he could do far better than some lesser being such as yourself. Ooo, you can control time with your magic, big deal! If you won't do anything useful with your life by providing flesh and meat for my babies to eat then just get out of here!" she yelled out.
"Pandora, manners. She tried to help, you can't condemn her for that," Hex reasoned while shaking his head amusedly at his little sister. Pandora scoffed and looked away as Hex looked to Luna with a small shrug.
"Well, glad to see you two are connecting so well at least. But at any rate, it doesn't appear that even with your chrono magic aiding me we aren't able to open a rift into the time stream. I can transport you and me out of here easily enough, but I cannot bring Pandora with us using my power. If we can't use the time stream as a backdoor out of this place for her, I don't believe we have any other options for us to try," he said with a tone of remorse. Luna looked down with determination as she brainstormed on a way of freeing Pandora from her isolation. If she could only get the chaotic little girl out of her world safely she would have Hex's help with trying to stop their father from taking over the world, as well as ensuring that Pandora's monsters never roamed the earth again.
"If only Falla could use her chrono magic again, she could help me with this," Luna said with frustration. Pandora's eyes widened slightly at hearing that name then looked to Luna with a curious eye.
"Falla?" she asked.
"Yes, she's my sister. She's a chronofly like me, but her magic was sealed away since it grew unstable," Luna said looking to her. Pandora smiled slyly as she tilted her head slightly.
"Your sister's name is Falla?" she asked carefully. Luna nodded and looked at her curiously.
"Yes, that's what I said, why?" she asked. Pandora giggled then looked to Hex with an eager smile.
"Big brother, she's the one who has all my keys, I know that girl, yes I do!" she said excitedly.
"What? You know her? And she has your keys?" Luna asked with surprise. Pandora laughed then looked to her with a curious smile.
"Yes, I've spoken to her myself very recently. She was talking about needing my keys to wish for something, something involving going after her sister who was in another world. My my, that must have been you she was talking about. Now that I think about it you two look pretty similar, the only difference was she has red eyes while you have green eyes," she said with smirk. Luna looked at her carefully then slowly shook her head.
"Well, actually my sister only has one eye," she said holding up a finger. Pandora looked at her puzzled as Hex watched the chronofly with an intrigued expression.
"What? No, she has two, I saw them myself, two red eyes," Pandora said shaking her head.
"No she doesn't, she only has one, she lost the other in… an accident long ago," Luna said while looking down with a bit of remorse. Pandora looked at her with a raised eyebrow then down in thought.
"Huh, that's a strange coincidence, that other girl was named Falla and she wanted to go after her sister who was trapped in another world," she said scratching her head.
"Where is this Falla you saw Pandora?" Hex asked.
"She's in the monster world, in some sort of school," Pandora said with a shrug. Luna shook her head again to that.
"No, my sister went to the human world to go to school there, she's not in the monster realm anymore," she corrected. Pandora looked at her curiously then up in thought.
"Hmm, well, somebody named Falla has all my keys, that much I know for certain," she reasoned.
"Interesting, somebody has collected all four keys, do you know if they're on their way to open the box yet?" Hex asked with a curious smile. Pandora looked to him with a pout and shook her head.
"Not yet, she said she was waiting for her dumb boyfriend to come back to her from the human world. He's somebody else I know unfortunately, I know him very well, I don't like him at all," she said bitterly.
"Yeah, that's definitely not my sister, she doesn't have a boyfriend," Luna mentioned while crossing her arms. Hex nodded then looked to Luna.
"Well, that is a bit of good news, at least with there being a chance of my sister's box being opened again. Still, it seems like we aren't able to do anything more with just the two of us here; as powerful as your magic may be, it's not enough to help me free my sister. However, for your own safety I think we should keep you here in Pandora's Box for now. Should you be spotted by my father or his minions outside it could bring down trouble right on top of wherever you are," he warned. Pandora looked to him with surprise then at Luna with a growl.
"I don't want some lesser being staying in here with me, are you crazy?" she snapped. Hex glanced to her and shook his head.
"It's the only place where father won't see her, and he's going to be looking around very carefully for her now," he reasoned. Luna nodded and looked down with worried eyes.
"All because I'm a female chronofly," she said softly. She blinked then looked to Hex with a jump.
"Wait a minute, my sister! She's a chronofly, and she's in the human world!" she cried out. Hex looked at her curiously as the chronofly started breathing heavily with a frightful expression, the girl looking down while holding her head with both hands.
"Oh no, she could be targeted as well! She can't use her magic anymore, she won't be able to fight or get away; she'll be defenseless against your father!" she cried out. She shook her head then looked down with urgency as her eyes darted around.
"I saw Apoch and Astreal out there with Moka on the news report, and they were going to school with Falla, but Falla wasn't there with them. Oh god, where is she? What if… what if she's already been kidnapped? What if your father already took her back to his palace?" she said looking to Hex with fright. Pandora raised an eyebrow with a dull expression then smirked at the girl.
"Then you're going to be an aunt very soon, congratulations," she said with a laugh. Luna screamed then looked up with wide eyes while holding a hand over her mouth, envisioning Falla being raped in the dark dungeon just as she had been. Hex shook his head slightly then glanced to Pandora.
"You're not making her feel any better about this situation, just so you know," he said plainly. Pandora nodded then tilted her head with a playful smile.
"Sorry, what I meant to say is that she's probably being fucked so hard right now her mind is swimming in sheer ecstasy and delight," she said with a giddy hop.
"Shut up! Don't say such things!" Luna shouted out at her, only getting a giggle and cold smile out of Pandora. Hex rolled his eyes then looked up at the darkness above.
"Father surely knows you're missing by now and is on alert; if your sister really has been captured and taken up to his palace I won't be able to sneak her out like I did with you. All we can do for your sister is hope that she has eluded capture so far and has found sanctuary somewhere," he reasoned with a shrug. Luna looked around nervously then to Hex with urgency.
"We have to go find my friends, I have to know if she's ok or not," she implored before rushing towards him, running through Pandora's ethereal image. The small girl looked behind to seeing Luna holding onto Hex's chest while looking at the boy with pleading eyes.
"Hey, let go of my big brother!" Pandora yelled out, getting a rouse of roars from the monsters around the area. Hex looked down to Luna's hands which were holding onto his shirt then to the chronofly as she watched him with worried eyes.
"I just got done telling you exactly why you shouldn't leave this place Luna," he said simply.
"Please Hex, my sister could be in real danger, I have to find out what happened to her. If she's at risk of being taken away we should bring her here as well for her own safety, I can't let your father take her away and force her to become a breeder," Luna begged desperately.
"If your sister is with your friends then we would be placing two chronoflies in the same location, which would be a prime target for my father. I'm quite certain he would send plenty of his minions to retrieve both of you, and probably wipe out your friends in the process," Hex pointed out.
"If she's with them we can bring her back here with me. I'm begging you Hex, we have to make sure she's alright. She's my sister, I love her," Luna pleaded. Hex looked at her for a moment then glanced to Pandora, the small girl growling and glaring at Luna.
"For the record, I don't want either of those girls in here with me and my lovelies, I am not sharing my box with lesser beings! If those two think they're staying here with me they're out of their goddamned minds!" Pandora yelled out, her voice echoing throughout the darkness as the surrounding monsters roared again. Luna looked back to her with worried eyes then to Hex.
"I'll stay by your side the entire time then, I trust you Hex; I know you can keep me safe. You've protected me from the darkness, you saved me when nobody else did, I know my sister and I will be safe with you," she said softly. The boy paused for a moment then looked to Luna with a blank expression. The girl looked at him with desperation then down with worry.
"Please, I'll do whatever I can to help free your sister, and some of my friends are very skilled with magic, maybe they could help us too. I promised I would help you, and I'm going to keep that promise Hex, so please help me save my sister as well," she said softly. The boy looked at her with a blank expression then glanced up. After a pause he sighed slightly then looked back to her.
"Seeing as how my sister would likely feed you to her pets should you stay here, I suppose moving you out of here would be the best option for you," he reasoned tiredly. Pandora growled with bared teeth as the monsters around the area snarled at Luna. The chronofly looked to him again with pleading eyes as he gently took hold of her hands and removed them from his chest.
"But if we're going to go back to the human world, and around those that my father is surely keeping an eye on, then you need to stay close to me at all times. If there is any way at all you can free my sister I will take no chances with this. Should my father come looking for you I will take you back with me, your friends will be on their own," he said with a commanding tone. Luna nodded as the boy held her hands down in front of her.
"I won't leave your sight, I promise," she said softly. Hex smiled slightly and nodded then looked to Pandora.
"We're going to go find her sister and come back to free you, we shouldn't be long," he said gently.
"You're leaving me already? And with her?" Pandora cried out while pointing to Luna.
"With her help we might be able to release you from this place," Hex reasoned.
"I don't need her help, that other girl has my keys, once she gets here she'll open the box. After my pets slaughter her and the three she brings with her I'll be free again," Pandora whined as she ran up to Hex, with Luna quickly stepping aside as the little girl stood in front of her brother with puppy dog eyes.
"We don't know how long it will take for those keys to get here, how much longer father will wait before he attacks, or if your pets will be successful in dispatching the four that open your box this time. I like to gamble Pandora, but I will not do so with you, I'm going to explore every possible chance of freeing you from here," Hex said gently as he kneeled down in front of his sister. Pandora looked at him with a pout then down with worried eyes.
"Please don't go big brother, I miss you so much when you're gone," she said sadly. Hex smiled kindly then leaned forward and gently kissed where her ethereal cheek was, the girl closing her eyes with a small whimper.
"Big brother…" she said quietly. Hex then stood up and smiled down at his sister.
"I love you my little Pandora, I won't let you spend the rest of your days in this place. I will free you, I promise you that," he said gently. Pandora looked up to him with worried eyes while Luna watched with a curious expression.
"If you're going to promise that then you'd better keep your word," Pandora said softly. Hex nodded then looked to Luna.
"Alright then, let's be off," he said with a wave to the side. She nodded then walked with him away from Pandora, with the monsters in front of them parting while watching Luna with low growls. She looked around at the beasts then back to see Pandora glaring at her with cold eyes. The chronofly held onto Hex's arm as the boy kept walking with a calm expression while he kept his eyes forward. Pandora glared at Luna as the world around the chronofly and Hex started to fade to black. Luna watched as everything faded into darkness, with Pandora's eyes being seen like two small glows before fading away as well.
"She's very… unique," Luna said looking back ahead.
"Yes, my sister is one-of-a-kind," Hex chuckled.
"Is it true that… she… mates with her pets?" Luna asked weakly while glancing to him.
"Yes, she's always fancied monsters and beasts all her life, and loves being able to bring more into existence," Hex said casually. Luna nodded slowly then looked down with a disturbed expression.
"I guess that comes from being the best beastmaster out there, she's really… devoted to them," she reasoned unsurely. She shivered then looked ahead again as they walked along through the darkness.
"Still, even though she scares the hell out of me and her taste in lovers is… not what I would have imagined, she does seem to love you genuinely," she said softly. Hex smirked and glanced to her.
"You say that as if you're surprised she has a heart," he mused. She looked to him with a small smile.
"I still think she's evil, or at least extremely dangerous to those around her, but she is like you in some ways. You both seem to despise your father for what he's doing, and even refuse to help him with his quest for domination," she said kindly. Hex chuckled and looked back ahead.
"You reserve the right to see her for however you wish, but to me she's not evil. She's chaos incarnate; disorder and anarchy is what drives her, she cannot be condemned for being herself," he reasoned calmly.
"Do all those in your family have an affinity to which your power derives from?" Luna asked.
"You could say that, although we choose what to abide by, typically from whatever interests us. My sister is attuned to chaos because she loves to be wild and uncontrollable, whereas I am more favorable to luck as I am very intrigued by the concept of chance," Hex said with a shrug and casual smile. Luna nodded then looked at him carefully.
"And your father?" she asked cautiously. Hex glanced to her as his smile faded.
"War," he said solemnly. Luna looked at him for a moment then down with worry.
After a while the two walked along the translucent gray bricks towards the courtyard that floated amidst the darkness. As they approached it the surroundings shifted from the dark void into the blue and red cosmos with dozens of other courtyards floating by at all angles. The two walked onto the court as the ground lit up under their footsteps, with the other bridges extending out to becoming hazy blurs against the backdrop.
"Thank you Hex, for doing this for me," Luna said looking to him with a gentle smile. He shrugged and looked over towards a stone bridge that extended out into the cosmos.
"You and your sister may be my best hope of freeing my sister; I should be thanking you for trying for me. Still, my father will be searching for you; while we're in the human world you are not to leave my sight, I can't let anything happen to you after all," he said glancing to her. She nodded with a timid smile.
"Whatever you ask of me Hex, I'll stay by your side and do as you say," she said softly. He smiled calmly at that then looked to her as she held onto his arm securely, the girl gazing into his eyes as her heart fluttered again.
"I'll be a good girl for you."