Note: The following is a fanfic/AU of Sudmensch's PMD: Quenched Torch. It is not meant to be taken as canon. The author of this fanfic,TheLegendaryPhoenix, does not intend to supplant the original Quenched Torch's world and story with that presented in this work. To the original Quenched Torch by Sudmensch, the story presented here does not exist. Period. This work is not a prediction for future events in the original. Do not treat it as such. Please make sure you have fully caught up with Quenched Torch before you read any further.

For real though, PLEASE! go read the original. It is amazing and soooo worth your time!

An AO3 link is provided here: /works/23914108/chapters/57501550

Once again, this isn't canon. None of this AU is. Not even remotely. I cannot stress this enough.

Please do not let whatever happens in this AU reflect upon the main story.

I was given permission to write this by Sudmensch, too.

As always, Thank you for reading!

Content Warnings (These will be at the start of every chapter as they apply): Mentions of Apocalypses. Death, mentions of suicide.

…

"Brutus. This is going … it will work, right?"

Could be today. Could be a thousand years… one day, everyone will see past the wonderful lies you've spun yourself.

The oldl man nodded. "Yes it … I will see that it does work."

Outside, a warm wind came roaring up, a spring storm.

It seemed to shake the very night view out the …

window.

"Remember…" The psychic shot a glance to the side.

"Remember everyone, right?"

There is no going back.

…

Please, please understand.

"Yes, remember. Far too much I do."

Stop it. Halt. You're not letting yourself think.

Take a deep breath, and settle… DOWN
NOW.

The old man sighed. "If you could sacrifice everything

you knew, for the greater good…"

An irresistible shift had put the past behind me. I had

recoiled in a daze; all I could do was react weakly. But it

was not I who was doing the shifting—on the contrary.

For me everything had been agony.

"Would you?"

They raised their fists into the sky

The psychic stared at the older man. "You very
well know the answer to that question. Yes."

Why, out of all things do you ask me of all people

for mercy. there's much better 'mons you could ask.

The old man pulled out his gun, "I'm sorry then."

And shot the psychic dead.

It was you, wasn't it? He snarled.

"In order to bring to life, a machine… we must make…

sacrifice."

I couldn't see him. Did

he want to cry, did he want to laugh hysterically, did he

want to have a long talk, did he want to be left alone? I

couldn't tell.

The man picked up the body. And his expression fell.

It was too quick, too sudden.

Where there should have been the psychic's gleaming yellow

Soul, there was nothing.

From the bottom of my heart, I wanted to give up; I

wanted to give up on living. There was no denying that

tomorrow would come, and the day after tomorrow, and

so next week, too. I never thought it would be this hard,

but I would go on living in the midst of a gloomy depres-

sion, and that made me feel sick to the depths of my soul.

In spite of the tempest raging within me, I walked the night

path calmly.

There was no use crying over spilled milk.

The old man put his soul in the machine.

This is why… you can't trust people mefinds. Not anymore.

….

I… will be king, and you will be queen.

…

Humanity DIED with the ruin! Get over it!

…

After all, what do you plan in a couple years?!

WHAT WILL YOUR LIFE BE?!

…

As far as [he's] concerned, [he's] mine.

…

My name's [ ] what's yours?

…

I despise myself, Be… agh

I want it to end please

…

When you've lived the life i've…

this happens over and over.

….

I'm… I'll… I'm scared.

…

…

Spiral Staircase

Rhinoceros Beetle

Desolation Row

Fig Tart

Rhinoceros Beetle

Via Dolorosa

Rhinoceros Beetle

Singularity Point

Giotto

Angel

Hydrangea

Rhinoceros Beetle

Singularity Point

Secret Emperor

…

We looked into the others eyes. We smiled.

…

"Me, I'm utterly

exhausted by it all, when my skin breaks out, on those

lonely evenings when I call my friends again and again and

nobody's home, then I despise my own life—my birth, my

upbringing, everything. I feel only regret for the whole

Thing."

…

Wake me up

When september ends

…

I see two lovers looking over

the edge of the cauldron of hell. Are they contemplating a

double suicide? This means their love will end in hell.

Us both said at the same time..
A tempest of fire and ice… we couldn't stop laughing.

…

Does the black moon howl?

Yes.

A brown note to all upon Desolation's Row.