Author's Note: Hey everybody. New month, new update. Hope you enjoy. If you do, feel free to leave a review. It's always appreciated. Take care, and without further delay, the next chapter begins now!

The story has elements of both Dark War storyline and DemonxBunny's Masters of the Multiverse, so all credit goes to both Impact Wrestling and DemonxBunny. I do not own the characters, only the OCs. The story is entirely fictional.

Characters may look and act different than they do in real life. This was done intentionally, and things will change over time in this story, so please be patient.

Rating: M, for violence, coarse language, and mature themes/events that will appear throughout this story. Remember, this is Femslash, so if that's not your thing, you may not like this story.

Pairings: Allie/Rosemary (DemonxBunny), others over time.

Aftermath of the Dark War Chapter 30: Distractions and Communication with the Voices by Jurassicfatt

Rosemary's Pov, Omni Sports Tournament, Worker tents, Evening

Well, today was something. After Rebel arrived, Allie and I headed over to Cal's tent. I could tell he spent all night looking over the book. He was a bit shaky and stumbled a few times. He told me he was just a few pages before 230, so he will have read that section by the time I meet with him tonight. Allie told Cal about the dream, and he scanned her with his magic again. He said that there were definitely more dark magic residual elements, but like yesterday, he could only identify Certrius, not the other caster. I told him he should get some rest before looking over the pages. He told me he'd also take a look at whatever injuries I sustained after my fight with Jed and the Mother of the Territory. After that, Allie went with Rebel to watch the games, while I did some guarding with Sergeant Keeril's men. A few fights broke out over the results of some events, but nothing of great concern. I'm starting to think Professor Edwards might have left this assignment to me just for how boring it is. The small portion of the sporting events I saw were good, but I missed most of them due to the stupid antics of some of the spectators and vendors. Sergeant Keeril is too busy with 'managerial matters' like moving treasury items and protecting honourables, so it's left up to me to preside over small matters. Some of Keeril's men could handle the issues, like Orelios. Others simply asked for my presence every time one came up. Add the sweltering heat and you better believe I'm very much looking forward to this day ending.

I didn't get much sleep last night, so that doesn't help matters. My mind is still going over what happened yesterday. First, the idea that someone switched the amulet doesn't seem coincidental to me. Someone wanted me to get this. Just by luck I was stupid enough to put it on the minute I got it. I should have listened to Allie and been more careful. Then, we have the voice's message. Death dealer? All details on the amulet and the Jewel will be provided? What in the world does this person know? Why are they so adamant about speaking to me alone? They are using their power to protect Allie from Certrius and the other caster, but they won't tell us who or what they are. Whoever it is has some serious explaining to do. I'm not going to stop until I find out exactly what they know, and why they're doing this to me and Allie.

Walking up to Rebel's tent, I faintly hear the sound of laughter and chatting. The seal activates and I ask Rebel to let me in. Rebel breaks the seal and I walk through. She is standing towards the back of the tent and looking in my direction. Allie is sitting, with her back towards me, in a chair in front of Rebel. She's changed into a black t-shirt.

"Hey Cuz. How was guard duty?" she asks.

"Boring. But it's almost over. What are you and Allie up to?"

"I just finished doing some makeup work on Allie. Best test case I've ever had. How 'bout you take a look and see for yourself?" Rebel then moves and turns the chair towards me. My mouth drops when I see Allie. Her hair is pulled back, falling loosely down her shoulders, with a few strands just touching her forehead. She's wearing a black mascara and sparkly eyeshadow that bring out her brown eyes even more. Her cheeks have a pinkish glow and her lips are covered in some sort of clear gloss. She also has two simple white diamond piercings in her ears. She looks absolutely stunning.

"D-, do you like it?" Allie asks sheepishly.

"Yeah, C. What do you think?" Rebel asks. I want to give my cousin a dirty look, but I can't tear my eyes away from Allie.

"Bunny, you look amazing." Allie smiles and blushes, looking away. A worker asks for permission to come in. Once inside, he swiftly wheels in a food cart and drops off dinner for the three of us. Same old stuff, veggies, one grape and a wood pulp drink. Some of the vegetables have been cut this time, although the bugs are still there. We begin eating and Allie looks at her drink.

"This stuff is really bad."

"I know. I'd give anything for a fruit platter." I say aloud.

"Damn right, Cuz. This is literally edible wood pulp! Might as well eat dirt."

"Wait, it really is wood pulp?" Allie asks her. Rebel nods. "No wonder it has no flavor! I bet with the right ingredients; I could probably make it taste good. Or at least make it a bit more pleasant." Allie remarks.

"Weren't you telling me you were a baker back on Earth?"

"Yeah, I was. Mostly desserts. I miss it, though. The aroma of fresh baked goods and pastries through the kitchen. It hasn't really been a priority, with everything going on. I want to start baking again, but I'm not sure if I'll have everything I need."

"Well, I'm sure there's some of them ingredients here in the Undead Realm. There may be some that have different names, like that cinnamon spice you mentioned. Any idea where you'd start baking again?"

"Caretaker's home is the best bet, since I have no place else for the moment. I could sell at his shop, if he'll allow me. That way I can pay rent. I can also help him around the house more. Once I get my own place, though, I can bake there. I'm thinking about opening a shop here. What do you guys think?" she asks.

"Not a bad idea. Eh, Cuz?"

"Not at all. Cities like Kaduran always need food vendors. Even demons like stuffing their faces. Some demons will even stab another to steal a good meal. And Caretaker won't mind one bit."

"I might have to learn a few recipes from here as well. Try to cater to the local cuisine."

"Will you be cooking with blood?" I ask. Allie looks at me strangely.

"No."

"What about body parts?"

"Definitely not."

"Or animal entrails?"

"I told you I'm going vegan, Rosemary. Or, as vegan as I can in this Realm."

"Then you won't need to do much except add a few spices or something. You can probably get some culinary books from the vendors back in Kaduran, and Caretaker or I can translate if it's in a language you don't speak."

"Really? Thanks Rosemary." Allie says, then eyes my amulet. "Have you heard anything from the voice today?"

"Nothing. It's been quiet since last night."

"Not sure if that's a good or bad thing."

"I'm not sure either. I assume it's because the voice is still pissed off about our actions last night." I say, looking down.

I feel a small vibration as Allie moves her chair closer to me. "Are you nervous?" Her hand grasps mine. She rubs the pad of her thumb softly over my knuckles, making goosebumps form over the skin. I look up and see Allie square in front of me, her sweet scent of strawberry easing my nerves.

"A little. It's not so much fear of attack as fear of the unknown. I don't know who or what this thing is, or what information he has."

"Are you sure you have to be alone? I can come with if you want?" she offers. She's so sweet.

"No, Bunny. The voice told me he wants to speak to me alone. And so that's how I have to do it. Alone." I tell her.

"I don't know if I like this. I mean, what if, what if it does something to you? Try to trap you or hurt you or take your sight away or break your leg or- Hm?" I put a hand over Allie's mouth. She stops and nods her head as I remove my hand. "Sorry." she mumbles.

"Allie, look at me for a second." Her eyes meet mine. "I appreciate your concern. I do. We tried to do this together, and the voice fought back. If we want to stop Certrius, we need all the information we can get. Whoever it is has been helpful so far. Unpredictable, but helpful. It's time I find out just what are his intentions."

"O-okay. Just, just be careful." I give her a smile.

"I promise I will."

"You better, Cuz, or I'll be ripping that their jewelry to shreds 'til I make that shithead wish he didn't mess with ya!" Rebel yells, startling me. Can't believe I almost forgot she was here.

And you know exactly why that is, don't you? A teasing voice responds. Ignoring it, I look at the clock. 9:45. "I've got to go do my last round of guarding. Then, I'm heading to Cal's."

"Okay. Do you need anything else before you go?" Allie asks.

"I think I'm alright. Stay with Rebel. I'm not sure what time I'll be back at." I answer truthfully.

"Alright. Be careful." she repeats.

"Stay safe Cuz, ya hear?" Rebel says emphatically.

"I hear you. I'll see you two later." I finish with and leave the tent, turning around just enough to see the two of them waving goodbye. I wave back and head to the arena for my last watch of the day.

Rosemary's Pov, Omni Sports Tournament, Cal's Tent, Late Evening/Night

As I walk into Cal's tent, the sorcerer's books sprawled out all over the floor as he paces around the room, I can tell he's nervous too.

"Are you ready?" he asks, the words forming near his chest.

"Yeah. Let's take a look." After helping to heal some of my wounds using his spells, he tells me that Chapter 7 of the Book of Zarash was on the different forms of communication possible using dark magic. He shows me the standard ways, while also mentioning a few others.

"Pages 231 to 235 confused me. It starts out by summarizing all methods of dark magic communication, but then it shifts to 'Realm talking', speaking between Realms, and 'Realm walking', passing between them. Both of these activities are done mostly by Warlords, and, in some cases, sorcerers."

Taking a glance through the pages, I see that he's right. "Are you saying that whoever is in the amulet may be in another Realm?"

"Quite possibly. It could also be a trick. We may never know until we try to contact them."

"Alright, so how do I do this?"

"On the last page, it says that 'For those who wish to Realm talk, you must use a particular phrase of admission to enter the domain. Communication will follow.'" Cal writes cryptically.

"A 'phrase of admission'? Like a code?" He nods. "Well, how in the hell am I supposed to know that?"

"It doesn't say. It only says that meditation of the dark arts will be needed." he writes.

Great. More riddles. Cal pulls out a black sheet and a piece of chalk. The two of us draw the universal dark arts symbol, the pentagram, and I sit down cross-legged right in the middle of it. We light a few candles. He gives me the Book of Zarash and lights a few of his lanterns as well.

"I must take my leave. Do you require anything else before I go?"

"I think I'm good." I say, eyeing the clock and seeing it is close to 11.

"Then I will leave. Please take care, Rosemary." He squeezes my shoulder reassuringly, before exiting the tent. Looking through the chapter, I reread the pages a few times, lingering on the last one.

"A phrase of admission." I say aloud. Hopefully this meditation will help. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to calm my mind. A few moments later, I hear something. I concentrate, letting my other thoughts flow by gradually instead of forcing them away. I focus on my breathing and on the words. I can just about hear them. I know there are three, but I need to make sure I get them right. I continue to breathe deeply and concentrate, before the words come into my mind.

"Want. Take. Have." I whisper. I hear the lanterns flicker, but I keep focused on my breathing and repeat the words. "Want. Take. Have." A sudden cold envelops the room, the lanterns going dark, the only light coming from the candles on the tarp. "Want. Take. Have." The amulet glows, the burning feeling returning below my neck. I hear the voice say One more, and so I repeat the words again. "Want. Take. Have." The sound of screams fills the air. Then silence, and everything goes dark.

Rosemary's Pov, Unknown

I wake up to screams and the sound of flesh being torn. Then roaring, followed by the smell of blood. I feel the left side of my face press up against a hard, wet and gritty surface. Putting my hands palm face down, I slowly push myself to my knees and open my eyes. No trees. No buildings. Nothing but darkness, the horizon only lit by moonlight. I don't see anyone, but I can still hear the screaming and fighting as I get to my feet.

I look in the distance and something comes into view. I hear the loud flutter of wings. Looks like… a flock of birds? They're flying towards me. They chirp and cry out in terror. In seconds, yellow eyed gargoyles descend from the sky and pick them off, one by one. The winged beasts grab the birds and bite off their heads, blood dribbling down their chins. The shrill scream of the birds vanishes. Everything but the flaps of gargoyle wings and the loud chewing of their gums can be heard. I then feel the ground shake beneath me. Four large figures run past me, causing my heart to pound. Looking closely, I see four ogres, with pale blueish bodies, covered in boils and absurdly obese, waddle their way to the unsuspecting gargoyles. By the time they realize the threat, some of them have already been grabbed by the ogre's meaty fists. They tear their wings off first, to prevent them from fleeing, then smash their heads under their feet or rip the skin off their bodies and shrieking faces. I get to my feet, observing the scene in shock. The ogres notice me, their tube-like ears twitching. Tossing the corpses away, they slowly begin to waddle in my direction. I look around for a weapon, finding nothing but a crude rock. Picking it up with my right hand, I turn and face them, ready for a fight. They approach me, but then suddenly stop in their tracks.

Looking over my features, I see their solid red eyes widen, before they hightail it away. What the hell? Turning around, I survey my surroundings and see only one thing in the distance. A large, black rock formation, pointed firmly towards the sky. Checking behind me to ensure the ogres didn't have second thoughts, I begin to make my way towards it. As I get closer, I smell smoke, and the sound of fighting and screaming intensifies. More creatures begin to appear. Some fight, tooth and claw, trying to gain an upper hand against one another. Others eat the flesh of fallen and wounded enemies. Fires are lit everywhere, their orange glow shining on the bodies of the dead. A few humanoid demons use blade/bludgeoning weapons like swords, knives, and clubs. The weirdest part, however, is when they see me approach. Just like the ogres, if I get too close, they stop fighting, freezing where they stand. They then move aside, seemingly in fear.

Are these things afraid of me? And if so, why? I think to myself. Finally reaching the rock formation, I see the entrance of a cave to the right. The amulet glows for a second as I approach it. Taking that as a good sign, I walk through the opening and follow the path in front of me. I can barely see, but I trudge on. A few seconds later, I reach a dead end. On the wall are symbols. I recognize them. The same symbols on the amulet. Walking up to the wall, I point the amulet towards it. Both the amulet and the symbols shine blue. Then, I hear someone whisper softly in the darkness.

"Phrase of admission?" it speaks. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

"Want. Take. Have." I say aloud. I feel the rocks beneath my feet falter, then hear cracking. Opening my eyes, I feel the floor break under me and I fall, screaming my way down. I feel the wind push up against my body, descending further and further into the dark chasm. I'm not dying like this! I try to grab onto the walls, hoping for a ledge or break in the rock, but there are none. Suddenly, I hit a deep pool of water. Fully submerged, I hold my breath and swim upwards until I reach the surface, then fill my lungs with much needed air. I look around. There's more light in this part of the cave. The water is an inky purple, and much thicker than fresh or salt water. I swim until I reach the edge of the pool. Grabbing the rock wall, I hoist myself up and roll out of the water onto dry land.

Well, dry-ish. The ground is made of the same black pointy rock as the formation outside, but it gleams with moisture. I wipe off some excess water from my face and look up. Fireflies paint the top of the room, bringing stalagmites of black and red, hanging all across the ceiling, to my attention. Water drips off me and onto the damp rock floor. Focusing my attention forwards, I see a set of steps leading to another room. Shaking my hair free of water, I carefully walk up the steps, given how steep they are. Reaching the final one, I make my way into the other room. It is absolutely massive! The roof, shaped similar to a dome, is very high. So much so that I can't see the top, except for a few portions lit up by the fireflies flying above. The walls still appear wet, although they have more of a dark reddish tint to them. I walk for a bit, the sound of my footsteps echoing off the walls. Something catches my eye, placed right at the front of the room. I slowly make my way over to it.

A throne. The throne's bottom sits on top of a pile of skulls, black or red in color. Each one is perfectly positioned to form a large foundation. The back of the chair is made of bones, their tops fashioned into sharp spiral stakes. The back wall is littered with ribcages and spines. Four long stalky bones surround the chair, their tops covered with goat skulls. Two act as arm rests. Each goat skull has a symbol: a backwards R connected to an M, which then connects to another R. The top of the throne also has this 'RMR' symbol. I hear the flutter of wings to my right. Turning, I see fireflies crawl out from the palm of an outstretched gloved hand. Peering upwards slightly, I see a figure in the darkness. It walks forward and I get a better look.

The figure is a 6 ft.3 humanoid. He wears large brown boots, red and black stripped pants, a black shirt and black leather jacket with large dull gray metal buttons all over. On his hands are black gloves, with red wrappings. They cover his fingers, go down the sides of his hands and attach at the wrists. A large opening is present from wrist to mid-palm, and small holes expose the knuckles of his hands, the skin there white. On each finger of his right glove is a letter, which spells out 'Hurt'. On the left, it reads 'Heal'. His face is absolutely horrifying! His hair is a mess of blond dreads, and on top of his face is a mask, pale white and leathery. He has a large deformed mouth, with jutting top canines and a wicked smile, his lips fleshy and bloody. The smile goes up so far that it connects to large, black fleshy markings that surround his piercing yellow eyes. Not once since I spotted him has he blinked. He starts to laugh, the deep voice muffled by the mask.

"Let me in!" he barks out suddenly, pointing a hand towards me. I put my fists up defensively. I hear footsteps behind me, then the sound of a chain hitting the floor. Looking to my left, I see a woman. 5 ft.2, pale white, with brown hair and green eyes. She wears a pair of black sneakers, torn faded jeans, and a black vest. The vest is covered with blue and gray lines, a silver zipper featured prominently in the middle of it. She carries a simple steel chain in her hands. I turn to face the two, before the woman speaks in a thick accent.

"Aye! Calm down. We're not doing anything. Don't be threatening to us."

"Who are you? Where are we? And what the hell is that thing?!" I ask, pointing to the other figure and never letting down my guard. He narrows his eyes and growls lowly.

"I'd mind yer tone if I were you, assassin." the woman states, swinging the chain. "We don't want to hurt you, but we will if you force us." The two of them begin to inch closer. Just great. Waiting for them to attack, the room suddenly becomes very, very cold. I feel 'something' moving in the darkness. The woman and other creature look around, before a streak of moonlight hits the two of them. They shriek in terror, their bodies shaking violently. Smoke forms on the masked demon-creature's arms, while the woman's face and chest begin to sweat profusely, her face in particular becoming very wet. In seconds, the creature ignites on fire, yelling and smacking himself to put out the flames, to no avail. The woman shrieks as her skin turns purple and begins to melt onto the ground. Frozen where I stand, I watch as the two collapse, one into a pile of ash, the other a puddle of sludge.

Then, a bolt of lightning hits the two piles, emitting a loud Clap. It strikes the same spot again. And again, the loud thunderclaps echoing off the walls. I hold my ears, the sound hurting me. The piles of the two beings disappear, but the bolts continue to hit. Looking at the far wall, a silhouette appears. Black, and shaped like a human body. A woman? The lightning bolts stop striking for a second. It strikes once more, but the figure is gone. The room once again becomes very dark. I then feel a presence behind me, their cold embrace chilling me and causing the hair to stand on my neck. My heart is beating so hard. Turning around, I see… nothing? My body is still in fright, goosebumps forming over my arms.

"Assassin, welcome home." the amulet's low and raspy voice utters behind me. The voice is loud, and I grab my head immediately, as it suddenly starts to pound. Images of death, violence, fire and screams of terror fill my mind. Feels like someone is probing around in there. I fall to my knees, gritting my teeth and smashing my fists on the floor, my headache worsening by the minute. When will it end? Why is this happening? I can't see anything, but I know something is there. Whatever it is must of noticed my closed fists. "My, my, always ready for the hunt. I see you have met my loaned subjects, Nikki and the Fiend? A duo who was entrusted to me by another. They served their purpose against the Mother of the territory. Nothing but mistakes and judgments promptly followed them, after. Letting the powerful Lilian run free. But a matter for another time."

The headache suddenly stops. I take a few sharp breaths, then look up. "You are wondering where you are, yes?"

"Yeah." I finally croak out, before clearing my throat, standing up and attempting to make my tone harsher. "I want to know where I am, who you are, and why you keep contacting me? What's the deal with the amulet and the Jewel? And what's your play in all this?" I feel a brush of wind behind me, and I turn to follow its direction, staring directly towards the throne. An orb of magic appears in mid-air. Images flash within it, similar to a summoning cauldron. It looks like the outside, with all the creatures and humanoids fighting in the night. Blood paints the floor in various colors. Bodies lay all over, some burning in the fires. Crunching bones and the ripping of flesh is all that is heard.

"You are familiar with sights such as these, are you not?" No shit. The Undead Realm's Warlords and their minions do this all the time. Peace is only possible by eliminating those threats, which always come back. "Sarcasm will not be tolerated." Wait, did he just- "Read your mind? Yes, assassin. We can do that, among other things. As for your queries, this is the Shadow Realm. And we are the Shadow, Lord and Master of the 'true' Hive."

"Wait, what do-" I begin to say, before the orb flies towards the ground, a spire of fire engulfing it, before disappearing. In its place is a small, rotating three-dimensional planet. The surface has a reddish tint, and I recognize the landmass patterns.

"This is the Undead Realm. Earth 3666. So violent and treacherous, fraught with chaos, its insatiable Warlords feasting upon the corpses of Realmers and demons alike." Another planet appears, this one blue and green with different shaped continents. "And this is Earth 74201. This Realm is inhabited primarily by humans. Relatively peaceful. The world your 'Allie' left behind. They are connected by a cosmic strand, which explains why portals open every so often between these Realms." Dozens of more spheres then appear, all with different Earths and solar systems. "But they are just two Earths, from two universes, found in an ever-expanding multiverse. Some are parallels or alternates, while others are completely different, both in aesthetics and in nature."

I stare helplessly at the mass of never-ending spheres in front of me. "Where is the Shadow Realm?" One sphere in the middle, the universe dark and amorphous, rises above the rest. Large purplish-black lines connect it to some of the other Realms.

"Think of the multiverse as a collection spider's webs, with the Shadow Realm as one of many centers. Its influence waning and getting weaker the farther you go. Every universe caught in its web is under our thrall. The Shadow Realm is our domain, ours to preside and command over. Our power is great, second only to one."

"Who?"

"Satan." the Shadow answers simply.

"Wait, Satan? As in, the 'personification of evil' and original god, Satan?!" I ask, completely in shock.

"Yes. We have no quarrel with the Dark Lord, and he resides over all domains, so war is needless. Suffice to say, he much prefers our mutual alliance."

I shake my head. "You know, this is really hard to believe. How do I know this isn't all bullshit? That you aren't telling me these things just to give me a false sense of security?"

"Assassin, one question at a time. All that you need to know will be revealed. For the moment, we will simply say that we know you. The 'real' you."

"Prove it." The wind passes all around this time, and the headache returns. Immediately clutching my head, I open my eyes, trying to make out anything in front of me. Purplish-black tendrils, of an almost solid-liquid shape, encircle me, and I can feel an aura of energy emanating off of them. I hear the Shadow whisper in my ear, in the Ancient tongues. My eyes widen as he says something, a name I never thought I'd hear someone other than Caretaker or Rebel say to me. "How-w do you know my birth name?"

"Despite the fact that we can read your mind, we know you well, assassin. But we must focus on the task at hand, as you so eloquently put it. We have contacted you because we have common enemies in the sorcerer Certrius and Father James Mitchell."

"Mitchell is alive?!"

"Alive and well. And if we are not careful, the two of them will roll over the multiverse, killing everything and everyone they deem unfit."

To be continued!