Spooky demon time for Halloween, am I right?
Enjoy!
"Gin! Gin!" Making a face, Gin looked up from his breakfast to see Anna running towards him, out of breath.
"Anna?" He asked, "what is it? Why are you so flustered?"
"D-D..." She sputtered as she stopped. "Do we have way to talk to Neptu?!" Gin frowned at this.
"I think The Cross can speak telepathically with him," he said, "why?"
"I had a dream last night!" She exclaimed.
"What kind of dream?" He pushed, wondering what she was talking about.
"Quinxotic spoke to me!" She shouted, making Gin's stomach drop. "I-I was in a dark room, I think, and she was in there! I ask her where she's been for the last year, but she wouldn't tell me!"
"What did she say?" Gin asked, turning to face her fully in the seat. "What did she say, Anna?"
"S-She said..." Anna got even more flustered as she tried to remember. "She said that Drakhosz was tired of it all! She said that if he ever caught wind of that Nashi girl, he was going to reclaim her soul himself!" Gin's stomach dropped again, his head spinning. That was bad.
"Did she say anything else?" He implored. "Anything useful?" Anna made a face.
"She talked about how they couldn't come to a unanimous vote on what to do about Zoka and Ruli, so they weren't able to figure out what to do. So Drakhosz got tired of waiting and said he'd do it to Nashi himself if he saw her!"
The implications behind Quinxotic's information were massive, so much so that Gin couldn't digest it all in the time it took him to get to his feet.
"We need to find, Quinn, Tristan or Abigail," he said. "Quickly Anna!"
Neptu stared down at Eastyn as though he had grown a second head.
"What did you just say?" He asked weakly.
"You came for your revenge against the demon, right?" The man asked weakly. "I am him. You found me. And from what I could glean off of these Hunters, you would be capable of killing me. I need you to go through with it. I want to die by your hand."
"But...But..." Neptu was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say, exactly? He hadn't been ready for this situation. He'd expected begging, pleading, maybe an innocent person like Gin, or maybe even a psycho. But this? He wasn't sure what to do.
Sighing, he sat down on the ground opposite Eastyn and looked down at his hands.
"I'd have had no trouble doing that some time ago," he said. "But now...I don't know if I can."
"Sure you can," Eastyn said. "I did it, remember? I killed who you cared about."
"Drakhosz did," Neptu corrected, "you did not."
"We may as well be one and the same," Eastyn replied. "All I am is a fleshy conduit for his destruction in this world. Sever him from me, and he won't be able to cause harm for at least a few years until his next host gets old enough. Five or six is generally the age it starts, I hear." Neptu stared hard at the ground.
"Is that why you want to die?" He asked, Eastyn nodding.
"Of course," he said. "I've been causing pain to countless people for years on end. twenty years I've been tortured by this thing in my body. Please, put me out of my misery. I'm begging you."
"..." Neptu had no words. He simply watched Eastyn, trying to find...Something. Anything to justify killing him. To make himself feel better. He could not find it. All he saw was a battered, frail man tortured by something out of his control.
He realised then he was different then he used to be. Had this happened a year or two ago, he would not have hesitated burning the man where he sat. Now, he found himself unable to conjure even a spark. Even an ember. There was no fight in him. All there was, was pity. He hung his head, sighing again.
"...No," he said. "I can't kill you."
"What?" Eastyn asked.
"I can't," Neptu replied, keeping his eyes on the ground. "I can't kill you." Eastyn was silent for a moment, the air so tense you could cut it with a knife. Finally, Eastyn let out a strangled laugh.
"Another empathetic soul," he laughed out. "I'm begging you. You have to put me out of this misery. Please don't let me continue to suffer."
"If you want to die so badly, do it yourself," Neptu replied. Eastyn laughed again.
"I can't!" He shouted, "I jump off a cliff, he flies through the sky! I don't eat, he sustains me! I beat my own head against a rock, he heals me! Don't you get it, man?! Drakhosz won't let me kill myself! Someone else has to do it!" Neptu stared at the man quietly, still not an inch of fight to be found.
"Can I tell you a story?" He asked. Eastyn made a face.
"Why?" He demanded.
"To make a point," Neptu said. Eastyn scrunched up his face in irritation, sighing and hanging his head.
"Do whatever," he hissed. "You know what I want."
"Thank you," he said, silence falling between them as Neptu thought. Finally, he found a place to start.
"Do you know of a place called Avalon?"
"No."
"It was my home. Was. Before Drakhosz destroyed it."
"Where's Dad?!" Neptu shouted angrily, getting held by back a butler.
"Sir Neptu, please!" He shouted at him, bald head shining with sweat. "Please go and wait with Ms. Zynna! We will update you when-"
The man was interrupted as the door was busted through. Neptu looked up and saw his mother stumbling through the door, blood dripping from her forehead.
"Mom!" He shouted, rushing past the butler to her side. "Mom, what's happening?! Where's Dad?!" His mother watched him with unclear eyes, her black hair framing her said expression.
"Neptu," she said, "where is your sister?"
"I-In the basement!" He shouted, "but answer me! Where is Dad?! Why are you bleeding?!" His mother said nothing and turned to the butler.
"Matthias," she said, "Avalon was fallen. There is no one left alive in the city. Please, you have to help me. He's coming." Matthias straightened his back, nodding.
"I will do what it takes, Mrs. Skylancer." He said. "I will gather the others." With this Matthias walked away, leaving the mother and son alone.
"Mom!" Neptu screamed as she began to walk away. "Where is Dad?! WHERE IS HE?!" She said nothing on the way to the stairs, opening the door to the basement and walking inside.
"Mom!" Zynna's voice came from inside. "Thank God you're okay! Where's Dad?" Neptu joined them downstairs as Zynna tugged on their mothers clothes, asking the same question he had.
"Neptu, Zynna," she said. "...Gabros fought the demon, but he lost. He's dead."
Silence fell on the trio, even as explosions and screams sounded all around them.
"...What?" Neptu asked weakly. "Dad is...?"
"I don't believe you!" Zynna screamed, tears already flowing. "Dad can't die! He's invincible! Where's Dad?! Daddy?! DADDY!" Zynna started to sob, falling to her knees and crying into their mothers dress. Neptu felt lost. Cold.
"That's impossible," he breathed. "Dad can't...He can't..." He could feel the tears streaming down his face, but didn't register them. He felt his mother pull him in for a hug, but barely felt it either. This was the end, they'd die without their Dad.
"Neptu, Zynna," their mother said, "Listen to me closely. The demon Drakhosz in on his way here. He knows I fled here. You will both stay in this basement, and do not come out until the fighting has ceased upstairs. Do you hear me?"
"Mom, don't!" Zynna shouted, pulling at her dress, "he'll kill you too!"
"If I don't, he'll kill us all," she replied calmly. "Neptu, sweetheart, look at me." Neptu managed to meet her gaze through his tears. "You need to look after your sister, okay?"
"Mom..." He tried weakly. She smiled and wiped his tears away.
"You'll grow so strong when you're older, sweetie." She said, "I can't let you die here, either of you. You're both the legacy of the Skylancers. Please, do not come out of this basement. Promise me, okay? Promise me."
"No!" Zynna screamed, "I won't! Stay here! Don't die too!" Their Mothers eyes were firmly on Neptu, watching him lovingly. Neptu swallowed hard and hardened himself, nodding.
"I'll look after her," he managed to croak out. "I promise."
"There's my strong boy," she said with a smile as explosions drew nearer. "One day you'll be strong enough to kill this demon, but not today. And I won't let you die today." With this their Mother turned to Zynna, and grabbed a hold of her. "Zynna," she said, "make sure to protect your brother. He won't make it without you, nor him you. Please, stay with one another. You will have no one else. Promise me, sweetie."
"M-Mom..." Zynna cried.
"Promise me," she said. Zynna sniffled and continued to cry, but nodded. Their Mother smiled and pulled her close, kissing her forehead. A single tear escaped her eye, before pulling Neptu close and kissing him as well. With this, Neptu held Zynna close as their Mother climbed the stairs. As she got to the top, she raised a hand and held it in between them and her, whispering to herself. A white barrier sprung to life around the basement, a warm light emanating off of it.
"Do not come out until the screaming stops," she said again. Neptu managed a weak nod as Zynna sobbed into his shirt. The doors to the basement began to close, and more tears escaped their mothers eyes.
"I love you both," she whispered just loud enough for them to hear. "I love you so damn much." With this, the doors to the basement closed.
Leaving Juliet Skylancer on the other side.
"...Was that supposed to make me feel better?" Eastyn asked weakly. "Thanks for recanting how I killed you Mom and Dad. I feel so swell now."
"I'm not done," Neptu replied. "That was just the prelude. My sister and I obviously survived. When we surfaced, there were bodies everywhere. We had to bury our Mother, our butler Matthias, everyone who we ever knew...Save for a few friends who had fled. My sister and I had no one. We had nothing but our rage. And so, we funnelled it into action. We left to Hunt Drakhosz. To hunt you."
"And you found me," he said, "so kill me."
"Hear me out," Neptu said. Eastyn did not reply, so he continued. "I hunted for over a decade. All to no avail. I amassed an army of Hunters, found several Demon Lords, but never you. I couldn't find you. One day, we caught word of a Demon Lord. He was hosted by a boy named Gin."
Neptu smiled a bit at these memories.
"Gin is as innocent as they come. Would never hurt anyone. But his Demon Lord, Mortavius, it's all he thinks about. And he'd done exactly as you have more than once. I did as I always did; aimed to kill him. But a guild interfered, wanting to protect him. We came to blows over it, and we were beaten."
Neptu smiled wider as he recalled Gin carrying him away from the wreckage of the battle.
"Gin saved my life on the battlefield. I'd be dead if not for him. It made me think. I'd never really cared about the hosts of the demons before then. But if there were others like him, maybe some I'd killed, how could I keep going? How could I justify this hunt to myself?"
He paused.
"My worst fear...Was that Drakhosz's takeover wizard was innocent, too. A man driven to these acts by the demon, not complicit in them. And lo and behold, here you are. As I feared."
Eastyn just stared at him.
"...What does that have to do with anything?" He demanded after the silence ended. "I just want you to kill me!"
"You don't deserve to die, Eastyn." Neptu countered. "That was the point. You're just as much of a victim as my sister and I. I can't kill you. I won't."
"Then fine something who will!" Eastyn shouted, startling him. His bright yellow eyes were rimmed with tears. "I don't want your pity, I want you to kill me! You don't get it! No one does!"
"Doesn't get what?" He asked. Eastyn let out a manic sound.
"Go back to that day," he said, "the day I killed your parents. Do you remember how you felt? The pain? The anguish? The agony? I feel that and more every day. Do you understand yet, Neptu? I can't go on like this. Every day is hell. If you won't do it, find me someone who will. I can't..." He let out a sigh and went limp against the tree he was chained too. "I'm tired, Neptu. I'm so damn tired. I'm begging you, human to human. Put me out of this misery already."
Neptu watched him for what felt like an eternity. All the could hear was his own breathing and sniffling from Eastyn.
"You would pawn off this pain onto someone else?" He finally asked, making Eastyn stir.
"What?" He asked weakly.
"You know as well as I do that this power doesn't just disappear. I kill you, and another poor boy out there gets cursed to live this hell. Are you really okay with that? Do you want to curse someone else?"
"Did I say I cared?" Eastyn demanded. "Are you listening to me? I don't care about someone else. If you had even an inkling of understanding...But you don't. No one does. Drakhosz isn't called the Lord of Pain purely on principle, Neptu. His power is awful. When he uses it, it lights peoples nerves on fire. Every inch of them is in agony. Breathing feels like inhaling knives. The wind on your skin feels like glass shredding you to pieces. Your organs will hurt so bad you'll want to throw them up, but you can't because your throats closed up like you had an allergic reaction to being alive. I've seen him do it, Neptu. I have to live with the fact that I saw someone die from pain alone. Do you know what that looks like? To die from nothing more than the pain of an injury that cannot be fixed?"
"...No, I don't."
"Than how can you try and use someone else's suffering against me?" Eastyn asked. "I have seen it all. I have experienced it all. I'm too empathetic for my own good. Drakhosz, the things he does to people, it's inhumane. Do you think Zeref got inspiration from him for nothing? No. He is, in every sense of the word, a foul, evil being. A true Demon Lord. And I want no part in this anymore. So please, I'm begging you. Kill me." Neptu let out a sigh, digesting this new information slowly.
"Even if I wanted too, I can't," he said, "not now, anyway."
"Why not?" Eastyn asked quietly.
"I have some friends who want to see you first," he said. "My sister...And some others. Will you hear them out?"
"What do I have to lose?" He replied, shrugging. "Sure, let's do it."
"He's been in there for quite a while," Nashi said warily.
"Been quiet as well," Her father mumbled.
"There's probably a silence enchant on the tent," Elizabeth muttered. "So no one can hear him screaming." As if on cue to their complaints, the tent flaps moved and Neptu came back out, looking somber and confused.
"Well?" Zynna asked. "What happened? Who is he?...Is he worth killing?" Neptu looked over at his sister warily, sighing.
"I don't have the words to explain," he said, gesturing for her. "Come, I want you to see him, sis." Zynna gulped at this, but stepped forward all the same and walked towards the tent. She walked past Neptu and went in, him ducking back in after her.
"Well, this is uneventful." Michael said.
"That's preferable, remember?" Keita asked, "I'm not trying to die out here."
"I wonder who he is," Elise said. "Neptu wouldn't even talk about it, so I'm curious as to how he's acting."
"Can't be too bad," Ultear said, "he doesn't seem mad." Yeah, but that confused Nashi even more. What exactly could the man in question be like if Neptu looked so...defeated? Was he indifferent? Depressed? She couldn't guess.
She jumped as the tent flaps flew open, Zynna storming out. She looked livid, but Nashi didn't have time to guess. She stormed away, Neptu coming out behind her.
"What was that about?" Her father asked Neptu.
"She's..." Neptu started, "I don't know. I think Zynna wanted him to be evil to justify killing him. He's...Well, he's anything but."
"Can we talk to him now?" Elise asked, "see if he knows anything?"
"Be my guest," Neptu replied as he gestured to the tent, "maybe you guys can make him see sense."
What did that mean?
Confused, Nashi followed her father and the others towards the tent, walking inside. When she saw the scrawny man chained up inside, she thought at first that they had the wrong man. Then, she felt the magical pressure in the room. No, he was powerful. Damien-level powerful. And that scared her.
"Are you more people I hurt?" The man asked quietly.
"No," her Father said. "We just want to ask you some questions about the Demon Lords. See if you know anything."
"You want to know about the Demon Lords?" The guy asked, "Here's my advice; stop it. Go back home and remain ignorant."
"Can't do that," Ultear said, "so let's skip the part where you warn us and get to the questions." The man let out a weak laugh.
"Is everyone in this camp insane?" He asked to no one in particular. "Fine. What did you want to ask?"
"Let's get this out of the way," Michael said, "your takeover is Drakhosz, right? Lord of Pain."
"Yeah," he replied.
"Do you know the names of any other Demon Lords?" Elise asked.
"No," he replied.
"What about their origin?" Keita asked, "where they came from?"
"No."
"What about any weaknesses?" Her father asked. "Anything we can use."
"No."
"Do you know anything useful?" Ultear demanded. The man laughed.
"No." Nashi growled. This was a waste of time. They were better off back at the mansion studying old texts.
"This was a waste of time," she said. "This guys knows nothing, and if he does he won't share. Let's just go back and-!"
"Gah!" The man hissed in pain and sat straight up. "What?! What is it?! Why now?!" Black mist shot out of the mans mouth, circling the tent.
"What the hell is this?" Her father demanded, "what are you doing?!"
"Leave!" The man shouted, "I don't understand what it is, but he's been set of! He's livid! Please, just get out before-!"
A pulse of dark magic erupted from the man, sending Nashi and the others flying backwards. She tumbled backwards through the camp, dazed from the blast. What the hell was that? What had happened?
"Ha..." A new voice said, "ha..Ha Ha Ha! Who would've guessed?! Who would've guessed the runaway soul would come right to me! And even better, Xisplate and Meridia can't get in my way this time! I can do whatever I want!" Nashi looked up at this, focusing in one where the tent had been before.
Standing in it's place was the man, but he had changed. Gone was his scrawny form, replaced with a bulky frame beset under armour as red as blood. The armour, disgustingly, was laced with what looked like veins and pulsed as if it were alive. His wing were spread, wingspan as big as he was and as red as him. His face was painted with what looked like a hundred different scars, all from different weapons. His black hair had grown and was hanging wildly over his face, but his yellow eyes were still revealed, and they glowed like a predators.
"Nashi Dragneel," he said as he saw her, "I greet you! Long has it been since I saw you! I am Drakhosz, Lord of Pain! Now come! You and I will be returning to the afterlife!" Nashi gulped hard at this.
"And if I refuse?" She asked, voice shaky. Drakhosz laughed.
"Then I will make your hell a reality."
And the fight has begun! Drakhosz is a bit feisty, hm I hope you all enjoy, leave a review! Let's try and get five!