A/N: I call this chapter the fanfic equivalent of the fight scene of They Live. Enjoy!
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Chapter 15: You're Going Down
A flash of lightning split through the trees before the rumbling of thunder, sending pieces of rock and wood splintering across the landscape. The dark visage of time stood still with the wind twisting in the same spots with no direction. A silhouette hummed a tune. They flipped a coin around their fingers, it's ridges and carvings etched into seemingly gold. A shape formed into that of a spotted imp on the coin, who glanced across the landscape before spotting the familiar robed figure.
"Ah, there you are." Roselle said as he faced away and turned his head. "I was worried my prize had forfeited the hunt. Do you like my new way of talking to you?"
"You gotta work a lot harder than trapping me in George's big ass fuckin head in my dreams to get my shit up, bucko." Blitz said proudly.
"Clearly." Roselle frowned, and the imp fell out of the coin with the flick of a wrist. Blitz smashed into the ground and received the great taste of dirt. "That honestly works for my benefit, as you obviously have no restraint. I only wish to take you for your very being. It is much farther away than anything you would enjoy."
"I dunno. An ex once told me they wanted my soul. Thought they were kidding but no. Bitch actually wanted to sacrifice me to the cuck upstairs."
The Dream Weaver raised an eyebrow to Blitz, the former nonchalantly twirling their ornate staff around in one hand. "Interesting how we always dislike the ones we attract. Similar to your ex, yes? Or perhaps similar to us?"
"Yeah, what gives about that?" Blitz said. "I've been having fucking dreams of you ever since I got up here, before I even met River Dicks. What's the deal?"
"That would require an extensive amount of exposition followed by a summary of my plans. You have time?"
"It's your domain, Bitch Dust." The imp shrugged.
Roselle immediately began: "I assume you at least partially understand that I am capable of manipulating the dreams of others, mending certain aspects of their minds during the most vulnerable time of their existence. Nobody can save themselves while sleeping, not even me, and so it arises as the perfect opportunity to learn new things - Knowledge of others and how they work. Cultures, relationships, even certain dark secrets that would ruin the entire structure of the demonic monarchy itself. I've been around for a former sinner cursed with abilities."
Blitz nodded. "Impressive exposition. I'm guessing now you're going to bring up me?"
"Correct. There are many who call this ring their home. Most are confined, and forced to relive the reality of suffering in a world not made for them. I am unfortunately exempt despite my past, but imagine not being able to escape that reality, and imagine how useful it is if you harness certain powers for the better of lesser evil. I consider myself more of an anti-hero, but, like, built differently, and it's thanks to people like you… and more importantly, the sinner you found."
"You got something to say about my themtoy, huh, you bathroom robe fuck?" Blitz said angrily, displaying a show of power through his sharpened teeth and readied stance.
"You were my first target." Roselle continued without delay or concern for the hostility. "An imp without a cause, much less a motive to live. Yet, however, you persist out of spite and push yourself to another place. You are away from everything because everything made you want to go away. A hellborn with the courage to push through despite having absolutely nothing going for them, and decided that the one spot most people try to rid themselves of, was perfect for you. That's very unique in my field.
The figure smiled, tossing the coin with an empty space into the ground. A strand of magic took the coin and disappeared amongst the mist of the dreaded endless forest. "I bring you nothing to promise. There is no grandiose tunnel with the bright lights of heaven, or a bottomless pit of purgatory. I'll say it: I need your essence; Your soul, or your equivalent, feels very disturbed in the best way possible. It would help out me and my partner very much with our intentions: Killing the ones in charge."
"Right." Blitz sneered. "You might have destroyed my confidence by saying true hurtful things about me, but everyone who has a tiny taste of pre-power decides they can take on the fuckin dig bick of Hell. It's nothing special, hun."
"It doesn't have to be original, it just has to work."
Blitz smiled. "Sounds like you don't even know why the Here you're doing this shit. Who's the fuckin partner?"
Roselle sighed, looking upwards into the weathered sky with a outstretched hand. "Sivah. Most don't include the H at the end, but it's there. Remember when I talked about the light at the end of the tunnel not being there? He is that light, or rather the darkness which waits to embrace me at the end. You would believe being able to see where you are going would be the best way to escape, but it is so much more rewarding when the powers that reside in the shadows takes your hand and lures that which seeks to harm you away. Before a breath could escape me and thank Sivah, he kissed me, and offered me a deal: The knowledge of dreams in exchange for the knowledge of nightmares."
"Sounds like you sold your own soul because you're afraid of being the bottom." Blitz said.
"Maybe I did." Roselle answered. "It is an insatiable hunger for certain. Darkness is not to be embraced by those unprepared. It can kill you. It WILL kill you. I do not entirely understand if I made the correct decision, but I know this: Your mind and body will be stolen tonight, and your partner with have the privilege of seeing you gone. I wonder if they will see it as running away? Abandonment? Their tears will tell what they believe."
Angry with defense, Blitz charged the Dream Weaver. Roselle immediately countered and sent the imp back into their spot with a toss of the staff. Blitz crashed to the ground until a tree stopped their path.
"An admiration so great that it suspends the disbelief of the mind." Roselle said. "Fascinating. I greatly misunderstood you. Granted, I knew you cared, of course, but blatant disregard for your well being? I suppose imps don't understand preservation."
"Preserve this dick!" The imp shouted and stood for another strike. This time, Roselle waved a hand before feeling sharp imp teeth sink into the skin, causing the duo involved to yell feverishly before Roselle successfully tossed them across the grove with another large impact trail.
"Do not take my actions the wrong way, Blitz." Roselle said." You are but a victim in a game that requires contestants. Blessed are those who enslave the opportunity to seize powers of the mind. In terms you'll understand, I am going to fucking beat you to death with fancy magic and tear your body and soul so far out of your own ass, that you will have the privilege of kissing your own ass on the way to Shit City."
Blitz sat upright and coughed a stream of blood. "Big deal. I got family from Shit City. It's more the name than anything. Actually a pretty nice place."
"Duly noted, my friend."
A string of light wrapped around Blitz, lifting him to eye level of Roselle. The two gave glares of tolerance and discontent. A darkened hand rested itself Blitz by the chest and the imp's eyes widened. Their heart raced, but not from adrenaline. It has been touched by Roselle, and the feelings of dizziness and fear began to overwhelm him.
The demon of dreams grinned at his victim. "Millennium ago, A little hellborn came to me. I had just returned from another scavenge in my exhaustion had taken the best of me. a child asked me my name, but I did not know what to tell them. Dream Weaver? Roselle? I could have said anything. Nothing felt correct to me, a name held no purpose. I attempted something but they ran away, and I quickly said "It is Roselle!" By that point, they were out of earshot, but they had been looking and returned to me. Now again I was asked what my name was, and I was given the chance to say it again. So I did. I am Roselle, Collector of Dreams for the Dark Lord. The child looked at me, waiting for more, and I used my powers to manifest a kindly display of whimsical visions that a younger hellborn would enjoy. They laughed, I smiled, and their friend quickly appeared to whisk them away. It was a great conversation..."
The grip on Blitz body tightened, the strong feeling of corruption seeping numbing their eyes as the imp slowly began to drift away.
"And I really enjoyed killing them both." Roselle finished, eyes glowing with darkness, and snapped his fingers as the streams of light dragged Blitz into the forest faster than most could blink. The Dream Weaver sighed without a smile, disowning their sacrifices as they always did, and carried on towards the train which has dragged the imp to their demise. A faint hum and the twirl of a coin followed.
The room was still. Streams of the sunrise slowly caressed the parted curtains, and Styx laid soundly in the bed across from nobody. A vacant space accompanied their eyes as they mysteriously awoke before yawning and letting out a stretch. They assumed Blitz must have gotten up and was making coffee... again, and thought nothing of it until their instincts said otherwise. The sinner looked around with half-open eyes as they tried to focus on what they believed to be a figure before them. Styx squinted, and the clarity revealed that it was no one, though they were certain a person had been there.
"Looking for someone, my friend?" A dark and booming voice asked behind the sinner. A finger caressed their chin, sliding past the jawline, and Styx found their fear being interrupted by loss of consciousness as they landed on their back on to the bed.
"Wonderful work, my dear." Sivah gleefully chanted. "Your use of dreams to discourage in the best ways, and my use of nightmares to encourage in the worst ways. It's almost like magic, haha!"
The Dream Weaver nodded, albeit slowly with hesitation. "Yes. We do work well together, though I do have my worries about not just trapping them directly. I had to almost force the red one into the realm again. He's definitely getting smart, or at least less stupid."
The selfish reaction caused Sivah to frown in shock. "A direct entrapment is risky when one is having a dream and the other is trapped in a nightmare. A simple grab in your world would tear the fabric of the soul apart. It's even been know to lead to death if the shock is bad enough."
"Your target was awake, my dear." Roselle calmly added.
"And that is supposed to effect my powers?" Sivah asked, their tone rising. "The mind is always thinking, even if the subject is not."
"Which is why it would be better to -"
Suddenly a spirit of darkness formed around the body of the owl, their soulless eyes caved in with the pitch black eternity which caressed Sivah's skin in a proud display of authority, yet mixed with an angry stare and highly enraged tone. "We have them! Why are you arguing the specifics? Ugh, you always do this. It's never enough that it happens, only that you might have been right and I might have been wrong!"
"It is merely an addition to my point, Sivah. There is no better way to handle any kind of magic."
"For you." The owl declared demonically, venom seeping from their uncanny carnivorous teeth.
"For us. For our bond, remember?" The Dream Weaver asked their partner, who was suddenly shifted into their normal form out of exhaustion. Roselle continued, "I would not agree to such a thing if I could not uphold my end."
"Now, what you need to do is stop upholding if this is what I get." Sivah said. "I'm not a small child or a presumptuous pet. I am Sivah!"
"Of course, dear. I just wanted to make my feelings known." Roselle said.
"Consider them known, though consider them incorre-"
"Surprised attack, bitch!" Blitz yelled as a wooden stick struck Sivah across the rear, unleashing a screech of pain from the for. Time to score me some fuckin bottoms-"
Sivah dissolved into a cloud of smoke before any mind could process, flying back and charging Blitz, who strained as their mind was entered and pushed back by the infernal darkness. He fell to the floor and strained before standing with blackened eyes. Sivah stood behind his eyes and looked at the imp's hands.
"Ah. Well, shit." Sivah sighed.
"My dear you have possessed the imp." Roselle said amusingly.
"How the shit did he crawl out?" Sivah asked through the imp's voice. "What happened to your unstoppable powers?"
"He's uh... a lot more than I usually handle?"
Sivah met his hand to his borrowed face. "Obviously or else I would not be inhabiting their body in an attempt to save face!"
"Perhaps we should suggest that this was a bad idea from the start." Roselle said, and extended an arm outward towards an unconscious Styx before vanishing and appearing in the body of the imp's partner. The Dream Weaver sighed before standing and crossing his own borrowed arms in front of his partner. "There, now we're even."
Sivah returned the movements and included a subtle gesture, much to Roselle's disapproval. "Oh, Rose, we are so not even. You just undid all of my work, whereas your work was already undone. What do humans call that? Negligent discharge?"
"Making mistakes." Roselle exclaimed. "Something you should learn about."
A wild scoff escaped the owl, or imp, across from Roselle. Without another word, Sivah took their leave, and Roselle grunted quietly before following in his partner's footsteps... at least what was currently considered their footsteps.