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"Speech"
'Thoughts'
Radio/TV
"Headset/Flashback"
-Scene Shift-
Chapter 4: A Hope in Hell
The Lord of Dreams and the Keybearer walked through the night of the Dreaming. Their feet softly splashed over a shallow, dark sea which reflected the stars overhead.
On second glance, it is a sea of stars; an entire World in a way.
To Roxas, this place was unlike anything he'd ever seen as it was quite beautiful.
The greater Nobody merely wondered what the full scope of this realm was as he was presently in a small corner of Dream's domain.
As Roxas kept gazing around their surroundings in utter wonderment, Morpheus reached into the pocket of his coat and let his fingers caress the leather pouch. The digits soon slipped into the bag and felt the sand confined in there.
For the hundredth time since he regained it, he sifted the grains of dream stuff through his fingers. The Dream Lord was parted with his valuable tool for nearly a century, so he will no doubt develop a habit of occasionally playing with it in order to know it's still in his possession.
He can feel each part of the bag's contents. The tiny yet gigantic substance. The miniscule yet strong power. It was inexhaustible… and Endless...
Like himself, his siblings and a few others of their kind… Endless.
Tonight, despite having the Nobody walking beside him, he felt alone…
Throughout his existence, Morpheus has always been solitary, but on the nightward shores of dream, loneliness washes over him in waves, lapping and pulling at his spirit.
...After regaining the pouch of endless dream sand, they now seek the stolen helmet. In order to do so, they had to leave the realm of mortals.
It's primary occupants were beings who Morpheus considered to be essentially his inferiors. To Roxas, they were those who he yearned to be like in an idyllic fashion.
While they have faced rogue Nightmares, the pair will soon face a different opposition.
In order to do that, they must journey towards a place where they may not return from.
It is a realm with an infinite amount of space for any and all souls that'll take up residence there. There will always be room for more till the End of Creation.
For it is Hell itself.
Stopping his action of stargazing, Roxas turned his attention towards the Dream Lord and voiced an inquiry.
"What can you tell me about Hell?"
Morpheus halted his actions with his leather pouch and turned towards the Keybearer. Once thinking for the briefest of moments, he gave the answer the blonde Nobody sought.
"It is a World of fire and brimstone, where mortal souls suffer everlasting punishments."
Roxas soon hummed with a pondering thought. "Somewhat reminds me of the Underworld." He said aloud.
This did surprise the Dream Lord. "You've been there?"
The greater Nobody shook his head 'no'. "While I haven't been there, I have Sora's memories of his visit. But I did meet Hades once. Personally he reminds me of a used car salesman."
Morpheus gave a quick nod while not commenting on that last portion before resuming where his companion interrupted him from. "Now… Hell is a place outside of the countless Worlds where a Keybearer -such as yourself- can ever venture in and out of. Like the Dreaming, it is one of the godly realms which often break the conventional laws of being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and/or space."
"Meaning..."
"Another reality, Roxas. One outside of which works differently than what you're familiar with. And before you ask, Hell is much different from Hades."
"Hades? You mean the God of the Underworld? Why speak of him-"
"I'm referring to the place, not the god. It's the name of the Underworld in Grecian mythology."
Roxas tilted his head as he digested the thought. "So… his name is the same as the place?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes. For you see, the Underworld isn't just ruled by Hades but a number of others through their jurisdictions and territories as they often have their own names for them from their respective pantheons."
"Right… Getting back on track, how can we reach Hell, then?"
"Traditionally, it's only accessible only by those of demonic heritage, beings of a higher order and those whose souls have been barred from entering the gates of Heaven or Purgatory. For others, one needs to go through a Hellgate, a specific conjured spell or something else entirely."
Seeing Roxas give a nod of understanding, Morpheus continued.
"Now just so you should know now, Hell has as many 'countries' as there are souls. For each of them conceive it in different ways to often serve one's personal form of punishment."
"Huh… weird."
"Outside of this, Hell is broken up into nine Circles. But we will not explore them all as we will be strictly heading towards Dis, the capital of Hell."
"Anything else?"
"The residents of Hell follow a hierarchy which resembles the feudal system with such titles and positions as lords, princes/princesses, servants, and even a special class of rhyming demons. At the very top of this infrastructure -the Devil- is the person we must seek."
"Why's that?"
"He will be the only one who can quickly reveal who has my helmet."
Procuring a handful of sand from his pouch, Dream sprinkled the substance into the starlit waters. The grains burn as they fall, reminding Morpheus of another in times long passed away.
The Dream Lord remembers watching the Lightbearer, even then as he fell, his face undefeated, his eyes still proud.
It was time for them to walk the abyss in order to reclaim what was his.
He must talk to the Morningstar.
Morpheus doesn't have high hopes for this meeting. But what else can he do to regain his helmet?
He cannot bluff demons as he bluffed the errant Nightmares with Constantine. He has his pouch of infinite sand. He has a modicum of power.
Morpheus could've done this alone, but the Hecatee's words still echo through his mind as Roxas will be instrumental to his success on his quest.
He may not know what challenges they will face prior to reaching their destination and afterwards, only his elder brother Destiny does due to his station and capabilities.
Suppose he fails, what then?
He can only Hope things go in their favor.
The sand soon made contact with the starlit water. They swirled in a slow fashion before they picked up speed. In mere moments, they conjeeled together and started to burn.
From the sea of stars, a new form of light became present as mighty flames roared to life. A gateway was forming before the Lord of Dreams and the Keybearer. Once it stabilized, they jumped into the fiery hole.
They fell…
And fell…
And fell...
The wind that blew between the Worlds chilled them as they fell.
Soon enough, that chill was replaced with heat.
A swirl of specters soon appeared with fire and stone following after. Screams and wails filled the air as many pikes, pitchforks, spiked chains and other objects of torture shot out from nowhere. Even ancient demonic runes appeared to encircle it all as Roxas and Morpheus made their landing to form…
ℌ𝔢𝔩𝔩
The skies above were a gradient red with an occasional light and dark cloud, flashing a flicker of thunder here and there above the vast fields of the damned.
Some distance before them was a towering wall of tortured flesh and jagged rock. Among the piled up body parts, faces stare down at them in cruelly contorted angles. Spikes were driven through their eyes, their ears and even their mouths. Each groan softly of their agonies, but their eyes watch them with interest.
At the center of this unique wall was a metallic, gothic gate. It was the entryway into the very realm Morpheus and Roxas sought to enter. At the right of the doorway was a large, flat shield with ruins, sigils and markings carved along its surface with a solitary eye at the center.
Beyond the great gate of Hell, one can see the blackened hellish city in the far distance. A post industrial nightmare with soot shooting towards the sky and merging with the thunderous clouds.
No. XIII found himself squirming and gulping slightly at the overall vibe that this place gave off. "This place is quite… something."
"It is alright to be unnerved being here, Roxas. I do not hold you accountable."
The blond teen gave Morpheus an appreciative look. "Thanks. It's just… I've never been to a place like this before."
"And what of the memories of Sora's time in the Underworld?"
Standing there in silence, the blonde Nobody recollected what experience his Somebody had gone through. "You are right on what you said earlier. This place is different from there."
From what Roxas can more or less theorize, Sora, Donald and Goofy merely went through only a handful of areas in the Underworld just like he and Morpheus will enact very soon. His Somebody only went through places where he and his friends had to go so they may help Hercules on his quest to help find and protect Megara. Afterwards, the trio had to compete in the Underworld Coliseum -or the Underdome for short- in order to free their companion Auron from Hades' control.
In the Underworld, things were rather tame, but in Hell… Roxas didn't know what he will truly experience.
*GOOOOOONGGGGGGGGG*
Roxas came out of his thoughts when he heard a loud metallic bang which reverberated throughout the area. Looking at the source, the Keybearer saw it came through the action of Morpheus hitting the shield hanging by the gate with his fist.
"There's one- no, two at the gate!"
"Who approaches?"
"Who ventures here?"
"Master! Lord Squatterbloat! There's two at the door! Master!"
Roxas was unnerved upon seeing the voices coming from the disembodied heads. And it seemed they were calling out to their master. The gatekeeper perhaps?
"There's two at the door, at the Gate to Damnation," spoke someone new, in which Roxas heard its owner was trudging itself closer to their location. "Is it thief, thug or whore? There's two at the door. And there's room for two more till the End of Creation. There's two at the door, at the Gate to Damnation."
The gatekeeper was a hunchback creature, perhaps four feet high. It scuttles on two clawed feet. There was barely a head between its shoulders. It's good arm was tiny with a feeble claw at the end. The other arm had skin like raw turkey with it's hand replaced with a battered two-sided ax. And some sort of liquid dripped from it's muzzle at every possible second.
The gatekeeper Squatterbloat grasped onto the gate and pried it open with it's tiny arm with a mighty grunt. The gate to Hell creaked open with it's rustic sound perhaps being heard for miles.
"Well?" Demanded the hunchback creature. "Who might you two be?"
Morpheus drew himself up to his full height. No matter what fear he may feel, he is the Lord of Dreams; a representative of his own domain on a diplomatic mission to this foreign land.
"Greetings, Squatterbloat. I wish to talk to your master. Take me to him immediately." Requested the Prince of Stories.
The gatekeeper gurgled. "Oh yes, my clown? And who might you two be?"
"I have many names. But I am the King of Dreams of the Nightmare Realms. I seek Lord Lucifer, the Lord of Hell." Morpheus then waved his hand slightly towards the black coat wearing Nobody. "And this here is my escort during my time here."
Roxas merely nodded, not giving his name to the gatekeeper at all.
Squatterbloat regarded the two before putting more focus at the Dream King. "So where's your crown?"
"Some demon has stolen it. I have come to Hell to get it back."
"Oh yes, my clown. You're new in town. So where's your Ruby?"
Morpheus lashed out in an instant, ensnaring the gatekeeper's muzzle with a hot flash of restrained anger gracing his eyes. "I will take no insults from you, little demon! Guard your tongue! Lucifer will not be kind to one who insults an honored guest. And I AM a guest in this realm, as I am the monarch of my own."
With a swing of his arm, Morpheus threw the gatekeeper away. The hunchback creature rolled ever so quickly and crashed into the Gate of Hell.
Walking over to the fallen demon, Roxas saw the light was gone from Squatterbloat's eyes. For a brief moment, he thought the creature dead, but that wasn't the case.
"I think you threw him a little too hard, Morpheus." Said Roxas, regarding the now unconscious demon.
The Dream King hummed for the moment. "It will take time to find our way to the City of Dis without an escort."
"Such a shame you didn't kill him," began someone new onto the scene. "Would've been a good excuse to get a more competent demon stationed here."
Both Dream King and Keybearer turned over and saw a woman standing there.
She was a young, beautiful woman with flawless, medium-dark skin with long raven black hair and a slim model-like build which many women would envy. She wore a black business suit which hugged her figure well, but appeared loose enough to not impede her movements.
What stood out about her the most was her two-faced appearance. While one side was relatively normal, the other was horribly scarred and mutilated with the eye on said side was milky white.
"Mazikeen of the Lilim." Morpheus regarded her. "You look well since I've seen you last."
"After thousands of years, I have been well." She said back to him. "Things have changed since you've been here last."
"I sense you've grown stronger. You've risen in Hell's hierarchy."
"That I have. I now serve as Lucifer's 'right hand'." Said Mazikeen. "And I sense you've grown weaker. What in Heaven happened to you?"
"I have been… absent… for some time from my realm." Said the Dream King. "But I've had recent assistance."
Lucifer's "right hand" shifted her gaze from the Prince of Stories to the one beside him.
She arched a brow at the boy as she looked him over. "I take it your assistance came from him."
Her statement got Roxas to act accordingly. Stepping forward, he introduced himself. "Hello Mazikeen, I'm Roxas. Good to meet you. And yes I am assisting Morpheus at this time."
The demon nodded as she gazed at the blonde a bit longer.
Mazikeen stepped a bit closer to the young teen and blinked, inhaling sharply for a brief moment.
'This power… now that I'm close… I haven't sensed anything like it in eons.' Thought Mazikeen before speaking back to the blonde Nobody. "Well met, Roxas. You may call me Maze for short if you want." She then shifted her attention to the two before her. "Lucifer was quite curious upon sensing your arrival and has sent me to escort you both to him."
Morpheus and Roxas nodded as they soon followed the demon.
The Dream King pulled the Keybearer off slightly and spoke in a low tone. "Don't trust a demon such as her so easily, Roxas. One has a hundred motives for anything they do. Ninety-nine of them, at least, are malevolent. It takes time to actually tell one from another on such matters."
"Are you sure?" Asked Roxas. "Mazikeen was cordial and polite."
Morpheus shook his head. "She has her given orders to be as such. She has been known as Hell's most brutal and skilled torturer for millenia."
Roxas gazed at the back of Mazikeen with an unsure look now. "If you say so."
Time had passed for the three as they traversed through the Circle of Violence.
As this went on, Morpheus noted that like on Earth, Hell too has changed.
Much indeed has happened since Morpheus last came here all so long ago.
One such change was when they approached the Wood of Suicides. When the Dream Lord was last here, it was just a tiny grove. Now it resembles a dense forest.
"I'm sorry. I-I'm so sorry-"
"Help me."
The trio traversed through the smoke, fog filled forest where the trees were leafless with branches littering the ground. Each step caused sounds of pain and agony to be heard in the air, causing Roxas to grow very weary as he pushed on forward.
"Mummy… It hurts."
"Who's in charge? There's been a mistake... I want to talk to whoever's in charge!"
As he occasionally watched his step, he looked to the trees and saw some objects hanging off certain branches. One had a doll, another had a toy car. From there, some bottles were on another tree and another had some other items that were hard to make out.
"I just wanted a way out! I didn't know I'd end up here!"
"Help!"
Brushing off some branches in their way, a mighty snap was made as the twig fell down. Coming off the tree wound was small gushes of blood. And from there, more eerie cries were made from the originating tree, which he soon realized had a face which was in a permanent state of agony.
"I should've asked this earlier, but what is up with this place?" Roxas said, clearly rattled by what he was seeing and hearing.
"The Wood of Suicide… When the soul quits a body from which it has uprooted itself, they are judged to reside in this place." Came Morpheus' answer. "Here it sprouts, shoots up like a sapling, no body, only the pain. For it is unjust that any soul possesses that of which it has robbed itself."
The teens' trouble was obvious to detect and see. "But… But why? Why did this have to happen to them?"
Mazikeen picked things up from there to answer Roxas' new inquiry. "Most don't have the strength to trudge on with their problems, seeking the means to escape it from life. Yet they don't realize they can't exactly escape it in death. Either it is betrayal, anger, violence, and so much more."
Roxas was saddened upon learning this. It brought his spirits down as he kept hearing the painful wails from this dense grove. And he was even more disturbed upon seeing several hellish looking harpies land on the branches, began pecking against the bark and feasted upon it.
Once passing through the Wood of Suicides, the trio came across a steep mountain path set into a cliff wall. They carefully walked along the thin pathway so they might not fall off the side. Beside them were countless cages where naked occupants resided. The occasional ones were quite cramped with the number of people resided there. And the bars were of dense bone with shards of glass embedded into them.
When focusing at their current placement, Morpheus wondered why they were traversing here of all places. He recalled Lucifer's palace was elsewhere.
Unless he relocated his home, then what-
"Morpheus…" Said Roxas, interrupting Dream's thoughts.
"I know what you're thinking, Roxas, but you cannot free them."
His head snapped up to the King of Dreams. "What? Why?"
"They are entombed to be in there for their respective punishment they have to serve in life."
He wanted to object to this. "But-"
Whatever Roxas wanted to say next was interrupted by a woman's voice.
"Kai'ckul!"
Turning over, Morpheus looked towards a cage they were passing and Roxas took notice. Looking there as well, he saw the cell's occupant.
Inside was a young black woman from an ancient African race which ceased to exist over ten thousand years ago. She was thin, but beautiful with thin spiral tattoos on her cheeks as most of her flesh was decorated in a litany of abstract art which benefited her culture.
This person was someone the Lord of Dream recognizes.
And once upon a time, she was his lover.
"Nada?!"
"Kai'ckul!"
Kai'ckul was one of many names Morpheus once had. He can appear differently to anyone, depending on the culture, religion they worship from and any frame of reference.
In Nada's eyes, Morpheus' chalk white face was a deep mahogany brown with a tattoo running through his shaggy hairline to his right eye. His eyes still glow and his cheekbones were set high.
"Kai'ckul!" Called out a woman. "I… I hoped one day you would come to me! Free me, my love! Please?"
Morpheus merely stood there and Roxas looked back and forth with a worried expression.
"Morpheus…"
After several moments of silence from the Endless being, he finally spoke.
"I greet you, Nada. It… It pains me to see you like this."
Nada reached out through the bars, glass piercing and scraping her flesh. She bit back the pain as she wanted to touch her lover.
"Kai'ckul! Free me, my lord! You ordered me confined here!" She said, much to Roxas' astonishment. "Your forgiveness can free me! I implore you!" Nada pleaded with tears freshly rushing down her cheeks. "D-Don't you love me?"
"It has been ten thousand years, Nada. And… yes, I still love you." The Dream Lord felt his mouth dry as he swallowed a painful lump in his throat. "But… I have not yet forgiven you."
With that said, Morpheus resumed walking.
"Kai'ckul! Kai'ckul!"
Roxas merely stood there, wide eyed as she heard Nada's please for Morpheus to return back to her.
"Nada, was it? I'm Roxas. I'm... his companion." He said to her, not remembering how Morpheus' other name seemed to be pronounced. "What was this crime you committed which had you condemned here?"
"I... I loved him, but it was forbidden."
This ended up confusing the Keybearer. "Why is it forbidden to… love him?"
"Because a mortal cannot love one of the Endless and have it done in return. If this happens, then disaster happens. One such occurrence was the destruction of my home, my city with a great fireball from the heavens. After what happened to my home, my people, I had to take my own life. But even in death, my love could not leave me. I fled for what felt like forever as I refused his attempts several times. No matter what I did, he still loved me."
Her gaze became distant as memories flooded her very mind. They were both wonderful and bitter. She remembered what happened after they made love for the first time and she was utterly horrified by the results.
Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she resumed her tale.
"He wanted me to be his bride, his queen, but I refused. I refused again and again and on the third time, I was condemned here to this place. Being burned by day and frozen by night. Having starved, having wept and waited for his return. But now after seeing him again..."
Roxas was saddened by this tale. He knew the pain was genuine as there was no means of her lying about such history. He wanted to go into the cell and give her a comforting hug as a means of relieving her of her pain, even if it's miniscule.
"Is there any way you can be freed? I can maybe-"
"Only my lo- Kai'ckul can free me, no one and nothing else can do so."
"Are you sure?" Seeing Nada give a saddened nod, Roxas hung his head. "I'm sorry this happened to you, Nada. I really am. You shouldn't be here." Bringing up his head, a determined fire seemed to burn in his blue eyes. "I'll talk to him, try to have him-"
Nada soon interrupted him. "I... I appreciate your effort, Roxas, but I don't know if he may comply with the request."
She saw a determined expression appear on the boy's face. "But it won't stop me from trying, Nada."
A bitter smile soon graced her lips as some flicker of hope appeared in her darkened eyes.
"Then… I wish you luck in your endeavors." She whispered to him.
"And I wish you well… in this unfortunate place."
Walking away from Nada's cage, Roxas moved onward to catch up to Morpheus and Mazikeen. Both individuals were standing by the roundabout as they were waiting for his return.
"Are you done conducting your business there?" Asked Mazikeen, who stood there a bit patiently but showed some signs of wanting to resume their travel.
"In a moment." He said to her before turning to Morpheus. "I've got something to ask."
"Being…?"
"Did you even care for her? For Nada?"
Morpheus gazed down at Roxas in slight surprise. "Of course I cared."
"But why condemn her here of all places?"
"Because I had to." He said plainly.
Roxas became flabbergasted as a result. "Are you serious? Because you- you had to?"
"She defied me, Roxas. I gave her due warning and still she spurred me."
Hearing that incensed Roxas.
"And that was your excuse for making her stay here for years? Are you serious?" Questioned the blonde Nobody. When hearing no response, Roxas got the message from the Dream King. "You could've let her be and let her rest in peace. You could've respected her wishes, yet you kept pressuring her."
The leather gloves Roxas wore strained under the pressure with how tight he made his fist.
"I don't know what she personally did to you, Morpheus, but she didn't deserve being sentenced here. She doesn't deserve being hurt and tortured for who knows how long… all because she said 'No' to your advances."
In an instant, Morpheus stared down Roxas' form with his starlite eyes fiercely glowing.
"Enough!" Snapped the Dream Lord. "You have said enough and more than enough! Why should I-"
"SHUT UP, MORPHEUS!" Roxas snapped back.
"...You… You dare yell back at me?!"
"I said shut up and let me finish!" Yelled the Keybearer with his emotions flaring. "What you did to her was terrible. You acted appallingly."
Roxas expected the Dream Lord to speak up again, but was partially surprised he remained silent.
"She cared for you, she really did. Even if I'm a Nobody, I think I know she wanted to explore those feelings of hers to see if they were really true. She went through all that trouble to find you and learn if you were worth the effort. But when learning who you were, she tried to leave so she won't bring harm onto you, herself and her people. And yet you pursued her."
Despite the tortured screams and echoes wafting in the air, the space around the pair was silent.
"I may not know the full scope of the consequential ramifications of one -such as yourself- with a mortal, but you should've at least known back then of such involvements."
"...I would have made her a goddess of my realm."
"Perhaps she didn't want to be one, Morpheus. Have you ever considered that? Did you ever bother wanting to just -I don't know- sit down and talk things out?"
He didn't get a response for a few moments until-
"...No."
The Nobody's face fell and shoulders sagged slightly.
"I see… After some time of truly being happy with each other, while not addressing that issue, what did you do? You condemned her to this place for all eternity, after seeing her people get killed in an instant. That's just messed up." He spat out with a glare now directed at Dream.
Morpheus was silent as Roxas continued.
"You should've given her some time to grieve for the people she cared for. You should've given her some space to properly think on what needed to be done afterwards. You could have supported her in a better way, yet you didn't as you pressured her in a bad way on your advances."
A saddened tone was carried on in Roxas' voice from there.
"After seeing you for all these years, she held hope that you may release her from this punishment. And what did you do to that? You practically crushed it. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't be forgiving on prolonging a simple release."
Taking in a deep breath, the blonde Nobody exhaled in order to try and calm himself down.
"There, I'm finished. You can shout at me now." Roxas said with slight resignation.
Yet Morpheus didn't do such a thing.
"...Is that how you truly feel? That I acted unfittingly? Unjust?"
"Yeup." The blond said without missing a beat.
After Roxas addressed this, Morpheus stayed silent with his gaze growing a bit distant.
The Dream Lord thought and digested the words spoken to him. It felt like an eternity of processing the information.
He would've ignored such a statement, such a lecture from a mortal on his faults. Yet things were different at this moment.
He was without all of his tools, without all of his strength. The Three-in-One practically told him to rely on Roxas for him to see through his quest to be fulfilled. While he relied on his strength and skill, it seemed he also needed to rely on his council in some manner.
The Nobody chosen by the Keyblade pointed out that he acted hastily, mistakenly, wrongly. That what he did was unhonorable.
He might not know what some others -who he deeply trusts- may state in this situation.
Like his older twin, Death.
But one thing was for sure, he needed to apologize.
He could have an opportunity doing this at a later time, but doing so would no doubt make things worse after his refusal of freeing her moments earlier.
Silently, Morpheus turned around and walked back to where Nada was kept.
Roxas followed after him. He wanted to be sure the Dream Lord might follow through on what he is assuming at this time.
From where she stood, Mazikeen was rather curious and impressed with what she just witnessed.
It is hard to talk back to one of the Endless in such manners and make it out in one piece. Yet Roxas -this Nobody if she heard correctly- was able to sway him.
Lucifer's "right hand" soon followed back after the two so she may see what else will occur.
After some time walking back, the Dream King and Keybearer made their return to Nada's cage with Mazikeen standing some distance away from them. And it's occupant was no doubt surprised to see them there.
"Kai'ckul…?"
Swallowing his pride, Dream finally spoke to his former lover in an awkward manner.
"Nada… I should tell you I'm sorry. What I did to you ten thousand years ago was foolish and heartless and… and unfair. You wounded my pride and all I did in response was hurt you in an unjust manner. I now think… It was my fault and mine alone as I should've been a better being to make things right on my wrongful actions. There is nothing else I can say, but you are free from this torment."
After this was spoken, her form was momentarily encompassed by light. When the cage for her cell crumbled into dust, Nada walked out.
Her expression was even, but her eyes held a number of emotions.
It then happened in an instant-
*SLAP*
-as Nada's hand struck the Dream Lord's face.
"You- You hit me."
"Yes, I hit you, as I felt you deserved it." She hissed. "You think you may have acted wrongly? You think perhaps you'll apologize? What you did was sickening. And now you expect me to accept that and say no more? I have been burned by day and froze by night, with glass digging into my flesh while I starved and wept and waited for ten thousand years. All that because of you."
After saying this-
*SLAP*
-Nada struck him once more for good measure.
From the sidelines, Roxas cringed a little, not really expecting such an event to occur. For Mazikeen, she quietly chuckled at the display.
'Nothing like a woman scorned.' Was the demon's thought as her grin grew. 'Nice job.'
Before Morpheus could act in response to this, she surprised him on her next action as she trapped him in a firm embrace.
He was startled on the hug as he hesitantly returned it.
"It'll take time for me to fully forgive you for how long it took you…" She whispered into his ear.
"...I know. And you have every right in not doing so."
Roxas soon smiled as this went on. Feeling happy this turned out well in the end, even if it was bitter on some part of the process.
Mazikeen looked things over with an analytical gaze as she wondered what may occur next.
The pair broke their hugging embrace as Morpheus spoke to his old love. "If you wish, Nada… you could come back to my domain as my honored guest-"
"And become your queen." Finished Nada. "I said no to that offer back then, Kai'ckul. I have not changed my mind, even after your apology. But you could give all that up, you know."
The Dream King frowned, knowing what she's implying. "You suggested that once before, Nada. My answer has not changed. I have my responsibilities. I cannot abandon them. Especially not now."
"So you said, a very long time ago." She said in an amused voice.
Once everything was said and done between them, Nada turned to the Keybearer and smiled at him.
"Thank you." Nada said with a bright smile.
Roxas grinned back at her and gave her a thumbs up. "No problem, Nada."
In a blink of an eye, Roxas saw Nada's form disappear. No light surrounding her or anything extravagant, just a simple instant. Yet he heard the mighty flap of wings when this happened.
"Where'd she go?" Roxas asked Morpehus, who was presently looking towards the sky.
"My sister took her. Where Nada might end up now, I am the foggiest."
"Hopefully it'll be somewhere far better than here." Roxas grumbled.
Mazikeen didn't comment about this, only processing what she had witnessed.
It is quite the rare thing for this to occur in Hell. A deity sucking up their mistakes and making the means of correcting them in a rightful way with their own hands. When that happens, that's even rarer, given the fact many deities use others to correct their wrongs as they believe it's beneath them or some other lazy excuse.
Mazikeen, however, never expected for this to occur at all.
She expected for Nada's hopes to truly shatter as she'd spend the rest of eternity here until the End of Creation. It was the reason why Lucifer ordered his "right hand" to escort Morpheus and his companion through this particular route in the first place instead of instantly teleporting them to the palace.
Yet Roxas was able to change the intended results.
He was becoming by far the most interesting individual she had met in a long time.
'This will no doubt interest Lucifer when I give my report.' Thought the two-faced demoness.
After this, no one within the group spoke to each other for the rest of the journey to the Hellcity of Dis.
Whatever tension there seemed to be grew as time went on, despite the momentary bit of relief.
After an unknown amount of time, the trio came to their destination. A great structure loomed over them, which echoed with loss and pain.
The winding, sulfuric pathway leads up to Lucifer's palace with pits of glowing molten rock surrounding both the building and their route up the crenulated spires. There were stained glass windows, depicting a number of things which were hard to make out unless one were up close. There were buttresses of naked separated flesh, outcroppings of teeth, clumps of bodies hanging from gargoyles and melted flesh dripping from a number of walls.
Upon traversing past the central pentagram styled doorway, Morpheus and Roxas were greeted with sounds of demons seeking more pleasure inside a number of neighboring rooms. It wasn't just from their sexual appetites, but of their cruel acts of carnality.
Morpheus paused at one point as he observed the surroundings alongside his companion.
The Dream King noted that Lucifer's palace had changed as well since he was last here. Instead of this grotesque appearance of the present, it used to be of the finest obsidian and black marble, carved in a unique beauty which one would be truly envious of to reach a fraction of it's true creativity.
But now it was merely mutated and shifted along the times.
"You okay, Morpheus?" He asked in concern.
"I… perhaps am "okay", Roxas." Said Morpheus. "The last time I came to this place, it was when I was an honored guest and an envoy from my own kingdom. I had my power back then, but now I lack both it and my symbols of office."
Roxas frowned slightly. "But you're still you. You still have your influence, right?"
Morpheus said nothing as he and Roxas resumed following Mazikeen to where her Lord resided within his very home.
They traveled to the summit, past vast halls that echo of screams and grunts and sighs and dust. Up the winding staircases which run with sweet blood.
Upon reaching the top of Lucifer's mansion, Mazikeen opened a patio door and gestured for both Morpheus and Roxas to step on through. And it was there where they saw the very ruler of this godly realm, who awaited for them alone.
"Greetings to you, Lucifer Morningstar."
The being turned away from his previous activity of gazing outward to the vast hellish landscape to the new arrivals.
"Hello. Hello, Dream." Greeted Lucifer before shifting his gaze at Roxas.
The King of Hell's grin appeared as he looked upon Roxas with intrigue. "And hello to you as well. And who might you be?"
Before Roxas could speak, he felt the odd sense of compulsion to speak the truth. It was rather odd to experience for the Keybearer, who never went through such a thing beforehand. And yet he answered anyway.
"I'm Roxas." He said cordially and politely.
It was at this moment which the Keybearer took note of Lucifer's appearance. His face was handsome, beautiful, sad, pitying, loving, and grave. It was a face which held your best interests at heart. One must know that.
The Morningstar stood seven feet tall and sticking out of his muscular back were vastly big, leathery bat-like wings, which had replaced the magnificent feathery ones he bore before his fall from Heaven; otherwise known as the Silver City.
In a blink of an eye the short blonde haired blue eyed ruler of Hell was replaced with a dark haired and dark eyed appearance. In another few curious blinks, Lucifer shifted from being a man and became a woman of the previous two appearances. And in one final blink, the Lightbringer's hair and normal looking flesh was practically gone for it was replaced with a terrifying, monstrous burned and scarred red skin, blazing fiery-red eyes, sharp golden teeth and fingernail claws.
As Roxas was analyzing Lucifer, the Lightbringer was analyzing Morpheus' companion in turn with a genuine look of great curiosity. In mere moments, a growing smile graced his face.
"My~ My~ It's been a very long while since I've seen a being such as yourself." Lucifer spoke
Roxas snapped out of his thoughts as he registered what Lucifer just said.
"Excuse me?"
The Devil said nothing to him before gazing at his "right hand". "You may go, Mazikeen. We can take care of things from here."
The two-faced demon nodded as she left to resume her duties.
Once Mazikeen of Lilim departed, Lucifer spoke to the Prince of Stories. "We heard you were caught by mortals, like a newly fledged demon. We expected better of you, Morpheus. Still, you are here now. Have you come to join forces? To ally your realm to ours? To acknowledge the Sovereignty of Hell?"
"You know my views on that, Lightbringer."
Lucifer chuckled slowly. "Yes. Yes, we do. Your family is well, I trust? Destiny, Death, Despair and the others?" The fallen angel exhaled a sigh. "No matter. We assume that this is no social call. Then tell me, why are you here? Both you and this Nobody? This… Keybearer..."
That particular bit when Lucifer regarding Roxas did startle him as he was unprepared.
With this bit of truth out in the open, Morpheus spoke. "My helm was… stolen from me. I believe one of your demons has it. I would like it back now."
"And the boy?"
"He is here to assist me on my task."
"Is he now…" Lucifer chuckled before sighing once more. "Ah~ if it were only that easy. Things have changed in Hell since you were last here, Morpheus."
Before Morpheus can question the Morningstar, Roxas beats him to it. "I don't mean to be rude and all but I gotta ask… Why do you keep saying "we" instead of just addressing yourself?" He paused for a brief moment to think of something else. "Unless you're implying the royal "we" for your status."
Lucifer smiled when knowing Roxas caught on with the Dream King soon following.
"What is it that you're implying here?" Morpheus demanded. "That you no longer rule Hell? That the demons no longer follow your rule? Things do not change that much, proud one."
The sound was faint at first, but Roxas caught onto a growing buzzing in the air. Looking over, he saw a cloud of flies swooping into the patio space where they presently stood.
"₳Ⱨ~ ฿Ʉ₮ ₮ⱧɆɎ ĐØ, ₥ØⱤ₱ⱧɆɄ₴." Spoke a shifting sound within the insectoid mass. "ⱠɄ₵ł₣ɆⱤ ł₴ⱫⱫ ₦Ø ⱠØ₦₲ɆⱤ ₴ØⱠɆ ₥Ø₦₳Ɽ₵Ⱨ ØVVV ₮ⱧɆ ₦ɆⱫⱫɆⱤ ⱤɆ₲łØ₦ⱫⱫⱫⱫ."
Lucifer then made the introductions to the new arrival. "This is our co-monarch, Beelzebub."
This demon, who was once a god of an ancient city of a long forgotten kingdom, became chief of the nine hierarchies of Hell with the title of the Lord of Flies and demon of Gluttony.
The cloud of flies formed together into a thick body with a half human head over a chitinous ebony exoskeleton. It has huge compound eyes and it's mandibles work furiously to occasionally produce clouds of flies.
"We have met." Said Morpheus before turning to Lucifer. "So you spoke the truth, Proud Lord of Lies. Hell is now a duumvirate."
Beelzebub chuckled whereas Lucifer smirked. "₦Ø… ₦Ø. ł₮'₴ⱫⱫⱫ ₳ ₮ⱤłɄ₥VłⱤ₳₮Ɇ."
It was at this moment did Roxas feel something shift. Looking around for the source, he started to sense something rather dark and powerful.
When he looked down, he saw something rather off by where he stood. Instead of four shadows on the patio floor, he saw five. And this fifth one wasn't attached to any of the people here at all.
It was then did this fifth shadow rise up from the surface and began hovering with a myriad of mouths and eyes appearing within the darkened, abebic void. And from said mouths, a reverberated voice began filling the air.
"ȶɦʀɛɛ ӄɨռɢֆ ɨռ ɖǟʀӄռɛֆֆ. ɨ ǟʍ ǟʐǟʐɛʟ. աɛʟƈօʍɛ, ɖʀɛǟʍ ӄɨռɢ."
"Welcome Azazel." Greeted Lucifer.
Roxas eyed the new arrival with a cautious gaze. The being felt familiar to him, somehow. It was as if he was in the presence of a creature of nothingness.
"You are the third ruler of Hell, aren't you?"
"ɨ ǟʍ ɦɛ, ʏօʊռɢ ӄɛʏɮɛǟʀɛʀ."
Lucifer soon began explaining Azazel's presence to his two guests. "Some years ago, the Dark, a shadow creature accompanied by an army of shadow demons, came forth to challenge Heaven."
"I know nothing of this." Morpheus defended. "I've been a captive."
"The episode ended in… perhaps a stalemate." Continued Lucifer. "But the civil war in Hell that ensued tipped the precarious balance of power. We rule in a coalition now, Azazel, Beelzebub and I."
Morpheus couldn't help but smirk a little. "Hell of a triumvirate… things changed indeed."
Seeing as they need to get to the point of this meeting, Roxas spoke up. "Sorry for interrupting introductions, Lords of Hell, but we are here to retrieve Morpheus' helm. It was stolen by a demon nearly a century ago and we'd like it back."
Beelzebub hummed a mighty buzz. "₩Ⱨł₵Ⱨ ĐɆ₥Ø₦, ⱫⱫɆ₦? ₦₳₥Ɇ ₮ⱧɆ₥ ₳₦Đ ₩Ɇ ₩łⱠⱠ ฿Ɽł₦₲ ₮ⱧɆ₥ ⱧɆⱤɆ."
"ȶɦɛʀɛ ǟʀɛ ʍօʀɛ ȶɦǟռ ǟ ʍɨʟʟɨօռ ɖɛʍօռֆ, ǟʄȶɛʀ ǟʟʟ." Azazel added in.
Roxas ended up chuckling in awkwardness. "That's the thing, we don't know the demon's name."
Lucifer clicked his tongue a little. "Then let us summon all of them to tell, and meet them in the vasty plains of Hell!"
The physical manifestation of Hell encompases a landscape as varied as its demonic inhabitants. There are mountains, ice caves, swamps of lava, rivers of blood and deserts where fire rains down upon the damned. There are plains of ice, hail, snow and wind which blows constantly to hurt many more.
With a mighty snap of his fingers, the entirety of Hell drastically shifted. Instead of the patio of Lucifer's palace, the five were now standing and hovering on a pometry of rock as they were surrounded by a mighty ocean of demons.
Morpheus surveyed them all. The living nightmares he had glimpsed in passing in his realm of dreams. Among them were incumbi, succubi, goblins, cambions, familiars, and drudes. There were demons of fates, curses, false spirits and vessels of iniquity. There were nameless ones and others who fell alongside Lucifer on that fateful day all those eons ago.
To Roxas, there were so many inhabitants that it was hard to really describe them all. He did note there were a number which were quite repulsive and horrendous to gaze upon. Others were oddly pleasant, tempting and kind.
Yet the Keybearer remembered Morpheus' words from earlier that he cannot trust them all too soon upon meeting them for they have their own motives and desires.
"There. Now, Dream King," Lucifer began. "Tell us, which demon has your helmet?"
Morpheus looked at the demons. Some he recognized in the past. Others have passed through the dreamworld on occasions. But there were too many.
Coughing into his hand in order to clear his throat, the Prince of Stories spoke aloud. "One of you has my helm; my mask of pure dream. I crafted it myself from the bones of a dead god. It is one of my tools."
No one stepped forward to present themselves to be the possessor of Morpheus' helmet.
Lucifer chuckled with a cheeky grin. "None of them will admit it."
"Then I must find another way."
Bringing out his leather pouch of dream sand from his robe, Morpheus poured out a measure of the substance into his hand. In mere moments, the sand swept through the air above the assembled demonic horde. It then swirled and coalesced towards a particular individual hiding among the sea of Hell's inhabitants.
Everyone else parted away to reveal the one demon who possessed the Dream Lord's tool.
The figure was human in disposition in body and limbs, but the head was elongated. And its ears, like its teeth, nose and two mouths were pointed.
"Seems we've found our demon." Voiced the blonde Nobody.
Gazing onward, Lucifer recognized the demon. "Choronzon. A duke of Hell. One of Beelzebub's." He then spoke aloud to address the individual. "Well, Choronzon. Does Dream speak truly? Do you indeed have his mask of office?"
The demon soon spoke with a hiss in his voice. "Ssss. What if I have?"
"You may not talk to us that way, Choronzon." Sternly said the Lightbringer. "Have you the helmet?"
Choronzon hastily nodded. "Y-Yes, lords."
"Return it to me. Now."
"Ssss. I traded it from a mortal for a paltry thing, but it was a fair trade. She asked for the Amulet of Protection from the Lord of Flies." The demon defended himself.
"You bargained with a mortal in Beelzebub's name?"
"Lucifer did point out he was one of Beelzebub's." Said the Keybearer. "He probably has the authority to do so."
"₮ⱧɆ ฿ØɎ ł₴ Ɽł₲Ⱨ₮, ⱠØⱤĐ ₥ØⱤ₱ⱧɆɄ₴. ⱧɆ ł₴ Ø₦Ɇ Ø₣ ₥Ɏ ₵₳₱₮₳ł₦₴." Added in the insectoid Demon lord.
The duke of Hell soon resumed his defense. "I have broken none of the laws of Hell."
"But you have what is mine to begin with!" Morpheus said aloud.
"If you want your precious back, then you must fight me for it. Sss." Choronzon soon cackles a little. "Do I hear a challenge?"
Dream doesn't know if he's strong enough yet to prevail. But he's come so far and can't turn back now.
"Very well." Began the Dream King. "Yes, I challenge you, Choronzon."
"Ssssooo… As the challenged one, I choose the battlefield." Choronzon declared to everyone present. "And I assert… Reality."
The demonic realm was whisked away, immediately replaced with a place rather unexpected. Both Roxas and Morpheus soon found themselves seated at a table within a nightclub of all places. Its walls were blackley painted with photos hanging all over their surfaces of famous individuals presently residing within Hell.
There was a litany of selections over at the massive bar on the far end. Old Kentucky Souls, Empathic Fluids, Waters of Leafy, and so many more which suited a demon's desires.
And there was a low hanging stage with a pair of microphones stationed there in front of the vast amounts of round tables.
Surrounding the Dream Lord and Keybearer were a litany of demons of the highest placements in the local hierarchy. And at some corners of the vicinity, both high and low, were a number of cameras set to film and record the events here so Hell's occupants may see the live feed of this momentous event.
At the table where the two guests of Hell presently sat were the triumvirate lords as they were being served several drinks. A child-like waiter came over with a tray of danties, human organs and genitalia from which the Lord of Flies selects and consumes.
This caused Roxas to gag on the sight.
Walking onto the stage was Mazikeen, who presently wore a slim fitting dress which highlighted every one of her features nicely. Tapping one of the microphones to get everyone's attention, Lucifer's "right hand" spoke.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another eventful evening at the Hellfire Club. I am your host, Mazikeen of the Lilim; Torturer of Damned Souls and Lord Lucifer's chief lieutenant and servant. Tonight, for your entertainment and delectation, we have a formal challenge."
The many demons within the nightclub roared and cheered as Choronzon soon walked on stage, wearing a fine tailored suit as he waved towards the demonic spectators.
"Our challenged competitor is Choronzon, High Duke of the Eighth Circle and Captain of Lord Beelzebub's Horde." Said Mazikeen. "And being challenged, he has the right to set the meter and make the first move on the oldest game in all of creation. For those who aren't in the know, it is a game of wits and words upped to the nth degree." She then waved her hand towards the table where the triumvirate lords of Hell sat alongside their two guests. "And the challenger is Morpheus, otherwise known as Dream of the Endless; the master of the realm of sleep. So let's have a big hand for him, shall we?"
It has been a very long time since he'd played such games with demons. And like Hell itself, it was deadly serious.
Rising from the table, Morpheus walked towards the stage as a round of applause was given out.
Standing in front of the microphone, the Dream King looked at it curiously. Seeing this, Mazikeen leaned over and whispered to him. "That's your microphone. You know how to work it, right?"
"I do. Thank you."
Mazikeen nodded before addressing both competitors and the audience. "Now the rules are rather cut and dry here. If Morpheus wins, Choronzon will return his helmet; whether he likes it or not. But if Chorozon wins, well… Morpheus will serve Hell until the End of Creation. No ifs ands or buts about it."
From the table where the triumvirate lords sat, Roxas drastically widened his eyes.
"Wait, what?"
"It is part of the challenge, Roxas." Spoke the Morningstar.
"But-"
"Can't work your way around it." Lucifer said truthfully. "Once a challenge like this is evoked, it can't stop until completion."
He may be the Lord of Lies, but he never lies at all. He speaks the harsh truths, which many believe are lies.
Once Mazikeen stepped away from the competitors, the Duke of the Eighth Circle made the first move.
"I am a direwolf, prey-stalking, lethal prowler."
A large ethereal canine creature soon formed on the stage, padding around Morpheus with a mighty snarl on its mussel.
The Dream King was beginning to think of what to match the direwolf with. But his mind was momentarily distracted by the surrounding smells. He smelt spilt alcohol, stale smoke and cheap sex, perfume and mold.
"My move." Morpheus said into the microphone, all the while staring at Choronzon's construct. "I am a hunter, horse-mounted, wolf-stabbing."
Morpheus' construct soon appeared on the stage, charging right into the direwolf with a lance poised at the ready. At the last possible second, it thrusted it's weapon into the creature as it yelped in agony; all the while the demon felt a painful sting on his side.
As this went on, the Dream King could feel the grass beneath his construct's hooves, the flanks between its legs. Everything within this ancient game was real, while at the same time it wasn't. For the constructs were more or less connected to their castor in some shape or form.
It was Choronzon's move now.
"I am a horsefly, horse-stinging, hunter-throwing."
The direwolf shifted into an insect as it homed towards the hunter's mount. Once biting into the large animal, the horsefly had caused the horse to yelp in pain and throw it's rider off the saddle. And through the rider, Morpheus felt his arm hurting due to his hunter construct falling on said limb.
There are many ways to lose the oldest game. Failure of nerve, hesitation. Being unable to shift into a defensive shape. Lack of imagination.
Dream had to think quickly.
"I am a spider, fly-consuming, eight legged."
An arachnid appeared, quickly spinning a web around the area. The horsefly tried to evade, but it was caught and was about to be consumed.
This caused Choronzon to act quickly as well.
"I am a snake, spider-devouring, poison-toothed."
"I am an ox, snake-crushing, heavy footed."
The horsefly had shifted onto a python and sought to harm the spider. Unfortunately, the opposing creation turned into a large animal. Morpheus can feel the snake writhe beneath the ox's hoof, it's spine having been crushed. He even saw Choronzon holding his back with a hiss.
"I am an anthrax, butcher bacterium, warm-life destroying."
A change in direction, but still an old gambit.
The snake dissipated into smoke, which was soon absorbed by the ox. In mere moments, the creature writhed in utter agony as it started to rot from the inside out.
'I think I understand how Choronzon plays.' Thought the Prince of Stories. 'How I can turn it against him.'
As such, Morpheus abandoned the offensive.
"I am a world, space-floating, life nurturing."
Lucifer halted drinking the martini he was served as he, his fellow triumvirate lords and the Keybearer beside him gazed upon a massive planet forming in the darkened expanse above them.
The stolen helmet, the badge of office for the Lord of Dreams, is of no use in Hell. It was merely an artifact, a tool which was heavily relied upon.
He and others knew how Dream heavily relied upon his tools of office over the eons. But tools are the subtlest of traps. One becomes reliant of them and in their absence, one are vulnerable, weak, defenseless, crippled.
Yet this tool in particular served a purpose to lure a weakened Morpheus here into a game of riddles. It was, until this very moment, the best chance of trapping him in Hell and in their grasp for eternity.
Frowning, Beelzebub's duke thought of something which would work well in his favor.
"I am a nova, all-exploding, planet-cremating."
A sun appeared some distance away from Morpheus' created world. It's light started to pulse rapidly and haphazardly. Without notice, it imploded and consumed the space rock in a cosmic fire.
This greatly pleased the three lords of Hell as Roxas was greatly worried on how Morpheus would recover from this.
"I am a universe, all things encompassing, all life embracing."
A Hand sprouted out from eternal nothingness. It soon gathered all of the cosmic debris and began reshaping it all. And from it's palm, a litany of countless worlds were being forged from the energy of the recent crisis over and over again in a perpetual swirling spiral.
Not wanting to be outdone, the Duke of Hell gave out his trump card.
"I am the Anti-Life, the Beast of Judgement." Began Choronzon, causing a particular darkened light to form above the Hand. "I am the dark at the End of Everything. The End of Universes, Gods, Worlds… of Everything."
From the demon's conjured light, a wave started to consume the litany of galaxies and sectors. And from within each one, every individual lost their free will and was controlled by an outside force.
After this bit of display was conjured, the countless demons viewing the battle -both inside and outside of the Hellfire Club- roared and cheered for the Duke of the Eighth Circle.
Roxas couldn't take his eyes off the spectacle. A massive, troubled feeling started thumping within his chest in a dire manner. His hands trembled and his breathing became sharp.
He had to be imagining things, but he swore he could hear countless yells and screams from within the conjured universe. It was deafening beyond comprehension.
He didn't know what was going on, but he felt utterly terrified.
Even more so when he apparently saw Kingdom Hearts within the swirling mass. Its magnificent light was being consumed by the darkened force, causing life on every World out there to be destroyed in the process.
Choronzon cackled and soon gloated at his opponent. "Sss. And what will you be then, Dreamlord?"
It was then did the Lord of Dreams tell not only Choronzon but every viewer on their game of theirs what he is. The one thing Hell cannot kill or destroy. The one thing its inhabitants had all forgotten.
"I am Hope."
The Duke started to pale upon hearing this and blurted out one word. "W-What?"
"I… am… Hope…"
A light started flickering from within the darkness which consumed not only Kingdom Hearts, but the very conjured universe. It was small at first, but then it started to grow and started to spread. And it wasn't at one particular spot, but several. Sprouting and spreading like dandelions.
The terrified expression and feeling Roxas was experiencing was soon washed away with something grande. Something wonderful.
The Anti-Life which had been placed had started to be uplifted and erode at a slow, steady pace before it swept over the universe like wildfire. And from that fire, it's light shined ever so brightly.
When gazing at the spectacle hanging above their heads, the Duke of Hell honestly tried thinking of something to beat Hope…
"Oh… Then I am… I… I don't… I don't know."
But Choronzon couldn't find one at all.
This earned a litany of chorosed gasps from an untold number of demons
"I… DON'T… KNOOOOOOOW!"
With the demon's yell, the Hellfire Club started to fade away to reveal the vast plains of Hell once more. Like before, the sea of demons surrounded the island of rock where Morpheus, Roxas and the triumvirate Hell Kings resided. But floating some distance away from the five was Choronzon, who was there utterly defenseless and cowering in defeat.
From his spot, Lucifer hotly glared at Beelzebub's captain. "Where are the Twins?" He asked. "Where are Agony and Ecstasy?"
A pair of figures flew out from the mighty ocean of Hell's inhabitants. These were Agony and Ecstasy, members of Hell's Inquisition. They glowed a sickly yellow light with barbed wire connecting them together.
"We are here and obey, Lord Lucifer." They spoke in synchrony.
"Take this… pathetic creature… from our sight. Demonstrate to him our displeasure."
Upon Lucifer's command, the twins swiftly wrapped and bound the Hellish Duke with their barbed wire. He attempted to fight them off, all the while pleading to his masters as he was forcefully dragged away to parts unknown.
"No! Not thisss! King Beelzebub, Liege Lord- PROTECT ME! PLEASE!"
It wouldn't be long before the disgraced Duke's form and his entrapped light disappeared from view.
"Glad that is over." Roxas breathed out in utter relief.
Morpheus nodded in agreement as Beelzebub began speaking to him.
"฿฿ⱫⱫⱫ. ⱧɆⱤɆ, ĐⱤɆ₳₥ ₥₳₴₮ɆⱤ. ₮Ⱨł₴Ⱬ ł₴Ⱬ ɎØɄⱤ ⱧɆⱠ₥Ɇ₮. ɎØɄ Ⱨ₳VɆ ₩Ø₦ ł₮ ₣₳łⱤⱠɎ. ₮₳₭Ɇ ł₮."
Turning over, both Morpheus and Roxas saw the Lord of Flies presenting the item they had come for in Hell.
It was strange, insectoid in design with black circular lenses. Its hose-like snout curled inwardly like the backbone of some ancient creature.
This was Dream's Helm, which both serves as one of Morpheus' primary tools and as his sigil.
The Dream King gently took back his stolen property and gave a firm nod to the triumvirate lords before him alongside the Keyblade wielder beside him.
"I thank you," he said. "The Kings of Hell are honorable. I will remember this."
"With our business done here, we'll be on our way." Said the blonde Nobody. Yet both he and Morpheus halted whatever action they had in leaving their present spot upon hearing the Morningstar chuckling. "Is there something funny, Lucifer?"
"I do, in fact." He said to him with Azazel smirking with his litany of mouths and if possible Beelzebub following the same action. "Look around you, both of you. You believe the millions upon billions of demons surrounding you two will stand arrayed any further. Tell us why we should let you both leave?"
Upon hearing this threat, Roxas summoned his Keyblades and aimed them at the three kings of Hell.
"I can at least fight our way out."
"ʏօʊ ƈǟռ ɨռɖɛɛɖ ȶʀʏ, ӄɛʏɮɛǟʀɛʀ. ɮʊȶ ɦօա ʟօռɢ աɨʟʟ ʏօʊ ʄǟʀɛ ǟɢǟɨռֆȶ ȶɦɛ ɦօʀɖɛֆ ɮɛʄօʀɛ ȶɦɛʏ օʋɛʀաɦɛʟʍ ʏօʊ?" Came Azazel's inquiry before his litany of eyes shifted to Morpheus. "ɦɛʟʍɛȶ օʀ ռօȶ, ɖʀɛǟʍ ʍǟֆȶɛʀ, ʏօʊ ɦǟʋɛ ռօ քօաɛʀ ɦɛʀɛ. աɦǟȶ քօաɛʀ ɖօ ɖʀɛǟʍֆ ɦǟʋɛ ɨռ ɦɛʟʟ?"
Whereas Roxas gritted his teeth, ready to fight for his non-existence and to get his companion out of this realm, Morpheus stood there calmly.
"You say I have no power? Perhaps you speak truly." Began Death's younger brother. "But you say that dreams have no power here?" He broke his gaze away from the triumvirate rulers of Hell before gazing upon the endless ocean of demonic inhabitants. "Ask yourselves, all of you… What power would Hell have if those here imprisoned were not able to dream… of Heaven?"
Upon this spoken inquiry, the hordes of Hell itself drew deathly quiet.
"...One day, Morpheus," began Lucifer with an even tone of voice. "We shall destroy you."
"Until that day, Lightbringer."
Roxas was startled by this recent event, more so with what came next.
When Morpheus leaped down from the small island of rock and walked forward. As this happened, the demons silently moved aside and parted like the Red Sea, unable to meet the Dreamlord's gaze.
Not wanting to be left behind, Roxas dismissed his Keyblades as he leaped down and followed after him. Once close, both he and his companion steadily walked with Dream's helm now in their possession as they now took their leave of Hell; all the while ignoring the heated glares the triumvirate rulers aimed towards them.
"I gotta ask, but how did you know how to win the game?"
Roxas' inquiry was unanswered for some silent moments, but Morpheus gave the answer.
"Hope is what makes us strong, Roxas. It is why so many are here in existence. It is what we fight with when all else is lost…"
The Keybearer nodded as a smile slowly grew on his face.
Their hopes of completing this quest are being fulfilled. They have acquired two of the three, the pouch and the helm. All that was left was the dream ruby.
Nothing can stop them now.
Nothing at all.
-End Chapter-
AN:
This is done and over with. Glad to see it done.
I had pondered on greatly changing things in this chapter by adding in a number of other elements into this. But it would've been too distracting and diverted from the overall plot. So what I somewhat had in mind here would be moved to later story events.
Anyways, be sure to review this story guys! Would like the criticisms. Please and thank you!
R&R
It was an hour past midnight in Gotham City. And everything was relatively alright.
It had somewhat been peaceful as of late, given the minimal amount of crime happening within its borders.
But what many had come to learn about Gotham was that when there was a relative period of peace, there was a brewing storm on the horizon. One just needs to look well enough on where it's coming from.
Such a location was at Arkham Asylum of all places. It is, afterall, a place where trouble resides on most occasions.
A security guard descended down a number of levels where things became much darker and much colder than on the upper levels. A clinking sound could be heard alongside his steps.
The man stopped in front of a particular cell and spoke to the resident inside. "Hey… Dee, Dr. Destiny or whatever your name is. You awake?"
John Dee grumbled as his sunken eyes slowly opened from his attempt to peacefully sleep. After what happened to him, he can perhaps count the number of times he was able to actually sleep peacefully ever since being admitted to this place. After all, he was constantly awake due to the actions of the Justice League.
"Huh? What is it?" He asked, voice extremely dry and raspy.
"Day shift was supposed to give ya this." Said the guard. "But they told ya what happened, right?"
"...What?"
This got the guard to realize no one ever bothered to come down here to inform the inmate, given the genuine confusion on the response. It's usually a customary thing on a topic such as this.
"'Fraid I've got some bad news for you. Huntoon sez to tell you your mother's croaked… She's dead."
"...Mother's… dead?"
The guard could hear John Dee rising from his bed and slowly walking towards the door. This caused him to momentarily step back a little as a response.
"Seems she had a will and wanted you to have this." The guard lifted up the item within his one hand and tossed it through the small barred window. "Catch!"
The item clinked onto the ground as John more or less scrambled to grab it. The guard felt bad, thinking it would take the inmate a while to find it in the dark. So he aimed his flashlight to shine into the cell where the item more or less landed.
In mere seconds, Dee was able to find it and hold it up for inspection. It was an unusual piece of jewelry; some sort of eyeball connected by a chain which now acts as a bracelet. This got John stretching out a smile, which seemed to strain his face.
"Thank you… mother. It's just what I always wanted."
"...Seriously? An eyeball on a bracelet?"
John coughed, which he used to hide the sickening expression he now bore.