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 43: The Time has Come by Jurassicfatt
No One's Pov, Omni Sports Tournament, Outside the Observatory, Late Evening/Early Night
The sun has almost set, its pink hue dissipating by the minute. The Moon, now rising half-mast, shines down on the dome of branches surrounding the observatory. Sergeant Keeril's men, along with the undead bride Su Yung and her maid of honour, are cutting at the branches, slowly making their way to the building's double doors. Finally, Su reaches them, but still, it won't budge. Officer Tertax and some of the bridesmaids hold torches.
"Damn that sorcerer! These branches are thicker and sturdier than ever!" Keeril remarks, slashing one covering the door.
"We must get to her. I don't care how long it takes, or how many men we need. But it is imperative that she be captured. Alive." Father James Mitchell states, pushing his cane down to the ground.
"Sergeant, why not burn the ones surrounding the entrance? We could control the fire using water buckets, and use the smoke and heat to force them out of the building." Tertax suggests. Mitchell sighs, shaking his head. Su, the maid of honour and the bridesmaids all stare at him, alongside Keeril and some of the men. Mitchell laughs, before smacking Tertax over the head with his cane. Tertax goes to draw his weapon, before Su growls, pointing her katana at his neck.
"Are you mad? If we light this dome on fire, we may kill those inside!" Keeril argues, before walking up to and smacking Tertax across the face. "Think with your brain, Tertax, or you won't get paid." Tertax grumbles, then straightens himself up.
A bunch of soldiers arrive from the forest, carrying some sort of stone battering ram with a metal tip. Keeril orders the men to position themselves in front of the doors. Su and the bridesmaids move out of the way.
"My men will get this open, advocate. Rest assured; she will be yours soon." Keeril tells Mitchell.
"Finally. Just keep him," Mitchell points to Tertax, "away from the door." Keeril clasps an arm to his chest, before screaming at Tertax. Tertax's jaw is clenched, but he takes several steps back. Keeril commands the soldiers in the guttural Ancient Tongues language. They move the battering ram back, then slam it into the doors. BOOM!
"Again!" Keeril yells. BOOM! Su turns to Mitchell, who smiles in anticipation. Cherry Bomb stands at his side, looking on.
"Once we get her, our plan will be in motion. Hahahahaha!" he says, laughing gleefully, while the soldiers continue pounding at the door.
Rosemary's Pov, Observatory, Night
BOOM! Despite being in another part of the observatory, we can hear Keeril's men trying to bust the doors down. The back exit has been sealed tightly, and if we try to break it down, it will no doubt attract Mitchell and Keeril's lackeys outside. Not to mention that we don't know if any bridesmaids or soldiers will be waiting for us once we pass through the branch dome. For now, we're stuck in here. The room, a dull orange color, is filled with different potted plants arranged on a few tables. We lit the candles we found, moved one of the benches to block the entrance of the doors, and another for Rebel to lay down. Cal has taken one of the plant's barks and some vines, fashioning them into a makeshift splint. He may be one of the strongest sorcerers I know, but even at full strength, his healing spells would take nearly twelve hours to fix his arm. From the tips of his fingers to just below his elbow, black markings cover Cal's arm. Cherry Bomb's weapon must have been coated in it. It seems to be some sort of poison, maybe one that specifically targets the nerves. He barely has enough energy to stand, leaning against one of the walls. Chelsea and Allie grabbed some washcloths, and have turned on the sink in an adjacent room to wet them. Allysin and I, still nursing fresh wounds, lean against another table. My arms, back and stomach have cuts all over, the blood drying on my skin. I still can't believe everything that just happened.
The Shadow was right. I gave everything I could to prevent this from happening, and they still outmatched us. How the hell did they bring Cherry Bomb here without the Shadow knowing? How in the world did they get past the defenses and I not know about it?! Su bested me in every way. She took everything I had, and struck me down. Blocked my attacks as if I was a novice. Cut my sword to pieces. Cut 'me' to pieces. Nearly killed Chelsea and Allysin, Rebel and Cal. And they nearly took Allie from me. They were toying with us this entire time. Waiting for just the right moment to catch us off guard. I thought I was ready… But I was so damn wrong. Chelsea and Allie return to the room. Chelsea helps clean off blood from Allysin's arms, while Allie comes up to me and does the same. I try to shift away.
"Allie, you don't ha-"
"Rosemary, you're bleeding. Please let me help." Allie tells me, her voice wavering. I can see the sadness and fear in her eyes, so I nod and give her my arm. She begins to clean off the blood. Her arms are shaking, but Allie stays firm, cleaning my cuts. I can tell she's afraid, as is Chelsea, her hands frantically moving to help clean Allysin. Allysin puts a hand on her shoulder, asking if she's alright. Chelsea just shrugs, and keeps cleaning. The Warlord says nothing more, but tells her she's doing well. Allie finishes on my right arm, then tells me to give her the left one, with multiple punctures from the barbed whip. I hiss in pain as she hits one of the tender spots. "I'm so sorry, Rosemary! I didn't mean to!"
"Allie, it's okay." I reassure her. She slowly proceeds to clean my cuts, before looking at the damage.
"Jesus, what did she do to you?" she says, cleaning off as much blood as she can.
"She grabbed me with her whip when Cherry was trying to stab me. Well, did stab me." I say, showing the small wound on my stomach.
"Oh my God! I didn't see it, I'm sorry."
"Allie, it's oka-"
"No, it's not! You almost died because of me. Again! I-"
"Allie, none of this is your fault. If it's anyone's, it's mine. I wasn't strong enough to stop them. Argh!" I tell her, then groan as she turns me around and cleans my back. "They outsmarted us."
"Gee, you think?" Allysin cuts in.
"Allysin." Chelsea stops her, a hand to her arm. "Now's not the time."
"If ya try going near Allie again, you and I are going to tussle." Rebel remarks softly from the couch, still lying down.
"You rest. I don't want you getting hurt again." I tell her. Damn cousin has so much attitude, I swear.
"For the record, thanks for the save back there." Allie tells her, looking into Allysin's eyes. She just huffs in response. Allie turns back to me. The pounding continues, shaking the other side of the room. "They just won't quit!"
"Bastards." Allysin states. "How long will it hold?"
"It will hold, for now. The battering ram will take time to break through that cauterized seal I made, but I am uncertain if they use anymore of that magic." Cal writes.
Geruda magic, I think to myself.
"So, what's our plan?" Allysin asks. "Sit around and wait for them to break in? Take Allie while they kill the rest of us?!"
"That's not going to happen." Rebel tells her.
"Well, thank you for the reassurance, aesthetician. I always wanted the makeup girl to come up with battle plans."
"I could make a shielding around the five of you. Make you temporarily invulnerable to attacks." Cal explains.
"But you hardly have enough strength, Cal. You'll be an open target for Mitchell and the bride. That's not an option." Rebel says to him.
"What about the Guild? Has Vivian informed them about what's happening?" Chelsea asks.
"Officer Orelios is loyal to the hostess. He will have told her and brought her to a safe location. They will come, no doubt. But we don't know how many people have been evacuated, which takes time. Nor do we know how far out the assassins and security forces are from the Tournament." Cal writes.
"Is there a cauldron we can use to contact them?"
"I checked when we got in. No luck." Cal writes to her.
"Yeah, but even if there were one, it could take hours before they come. We don't have that time." Allysin explains.
Cal pulls out his atlas. "Would you like to try?" he writes. Allysin quickly grabs it, sending out a distress beacon. She tries summoning, but nothing happens. She shakes her head.
"Something's blocking the signal. I can't get through." she says, handing the atlas back to Cal.
"There has to be something we can do. Rosemary, what are you thinking?" Allie asks.
There's only one thing I can do. I thought I wouldn't need it, or I would have more time before making my decision…
"I… *Deep breath*, Cal?" I call. He turns to me. "Help me move this table." I smack the one I'm leaning on with my hand. He nods, before the two of us push it across the floor towards the wall. "And get me the Book of Zarash." He looks at me. I just stare back at him. He nods, goes into the bag slung across his back, and pulls out the item.
"Rosemary?" Allie asks. I pull out my knife, carving a large pentagram across the floor. I would do this with chalk on a tarp, but I don't have the time or equipment to do so. I need the Shadow. Now. Hopefully whatever Su did to stop the Shards from interfering before has worn off. When they take over- "Rosemary, what's going on? What's the plan?" Allie asks, cutting off my train of thought.
I turn to look at her. Her eyes, those brown orbs, stare into my soul, curious at my ministrations. The Shadow's words echo into my brain. You must not tell anyone of what you have learned, until such time as you have chosen to become a true Demon Assassin. I can't tell her, no matter how much I want to. I won't feel the way I do about her now. I may never have those feeling again. My breathing gets heavier. Putting a hand to my face, I try to take deep breaths to calm myself.
"Rosemary? What's wrong? Are you okay?" she asks. I look into her eyes.
"I, I…" I stammer, before stopping, trying to find the right words.
"Hey, whatever you're planning, you know I support you. And we'll get through this together." she says, grabbing my hand and rubbing her thumb over my palm. "Just tell me what's going on."
"I can't."
"W-What?"
"I can't. I can't tell you. What I have to do… In order to protect you… I-"
"Why can't you tell me? Aren't we a team?"
"We are, Bunny. We are. I just… I was told not to. I just-just can't-"
"By the Shadow? Was it the Shadow who told you that you can't tell me?" she asks. I run a hand through my hair. This is so much harder than I ever thought it could be. Why? Why does have to be like this?
"I… There's so much I want to say."
"Then go for it. Rosemary, you can tell me anything. I trust you more than anyone, and I know you always do the right thing. Whatever's on your mind, tell me." My heart is beating so fast. My mind goes back to Vetra, and my parents. My grandmother. My brother. All the friends that I've lost. All the loved ones I hold dear to my heart. Rebel, Caretaker and Cal. Mickie and her wife, Madison. And now, Allie. No one makes me feel the way she does. No one.
"I, I-I don't know if I'm doing the right thing." I confess, my voice cracking. I shake my head, pushing back the tears. "I want… I-I want-"
"Rosemary, listen to me. Tell me what's wrong. You're not making any sense. I want to understand what's bothering you. I trust your judgement-"
"My judgement? My judgement almost got you killed, Allie! I almost lost you to those fuckers! Because I wasn't, wasn't-" I stop, trying to find the words again, blinking away the tears.
"Wasn't what? Tell me." she says in her soft little voice.
"Strong enough. The Shadow was right. I wasn't strong enough to stop them." I finish, looking down. I don't notice Allie approaching until she grabs my hands. Without a word, she hugs me, holding me in her arms. I grab onto her, wrapping my arms around her. A few moments later, she pulls back to look at me.
"Rosemary, they caught us all off guard. No one could have predicted what happened. But right now, we need to worry about the future. And whatever you're planning, I want you to know that I'm with you. 100%. We're a team, you and me. We're going to get through this. You, me, Cal, and Rebel. And Allysin and Chelsea, too. And when we do. When all this is over, I'm going to take you out. I don't care if I have to work at Cal's shop, but I'm going to save the money and pay for our next date. It'll be my treat. We just need to get through this. Okay?" How can she still have so much faith in me, even after I failed again? I don't deserve her kindness or praise, yet here she is giving it to me. I turn to look at her, her strawberry fragrance overwhelming me. Her big, brown eyes. Those pouting lips. Her rosy skin. That wonderful laugh. Her kind heart. I put my hand to her cheek, rubbing the pad of my thumb across the soft skin. She leans into my hand, smiling at me. That beautiful smile of hers. I'm going to miss that. I'm going to miss all of it.
"Allie…" I look at her. I want to pour out my feelings. I want to hold her, kiss her, and show her how I feel. But if I do, right before I accept the Shadow's gift, I'll break her heart. I know wherever I may go, I'll never forgive myself if I cause her more hurt. She's gone through too much pain, already. I don't want to give her more pain. I can't do that to her.
BOOM! The ram is getting louder, the door squeaking a bit after that last hit. We're running out of time. I look at the pentagram scratched onto the floor. Cal has placed the Book of Zarash down, and put it on the right pages. I turn to Allie, who nods her head. I remove my hand and sit down on the floor, closing my eyes. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my mind and recall the Shadow Realm. I hear the Phrase of admission whisper in my ear. I focus on my breathing and on the words. "Want. Take. Have." The amulet glows, and I can hear Allysin whisper something, before Chelsea tells her to shut up. Concentrating, I say the words again. "Want. Take. Have." The sounds of screams surround me, and I say it one more time. I'm doing this for you, Allie. I swore to protect you, and if this is what it takes, then I'll do it. "Want. Take. Have." The screaming stops, and everything goes dark.
Rosemary's Pov, Mindscape, The Shadow Realm
I wake up in the Shadow's throne room. For a moment or so, nothing but silence. Then, the headaches suddenly return, causing me to put my hands to my head. I 'feel' his presence all around me again, as his familiar low, raspy voice echoes out.
"Assassin. You have returned to us. What happened to the amulet? Have you made your decision?" he asks.
"Yes. And I don't have a lot of time. Mitchell and his bridesmaids have attacked. They are going after Allie. I barely held them off."
"What?! *Deep breath* We thought we recognized that putrid magic. Mitchell seeks to push ahead with he and Certrius' plan. And we could not even see it from our domain! He will bring consequence upon all those who serve him. He cannot be trusted. We told you that you could not best him without the gift."
"I know. You were right." I can feel his presence right in front of me, the headaches causing me to stagger. "I know I w-was wrong to doubt you. I-I see that now. But I need your gift." He doesn't say a word.
"You are injured." I look at my arms, stomach and back. "You were defeated. Humiliated. Nearly conquered. We can give you what you seek. But, are you certain that you will accept our gift, regardless of the changes it may induce over your future?" I think about Allie, and my heart weighs heavy. But I have no choice. I'll do whatever it takes to protect her. I nod my head.
"Your resolve is clear. Despite your obvious apprehension, I sense no fault in it. You are worthy to be 'our' harbinger of violence. Our 'Death Dealer'. You are worthy of our gift." I bow my head, and I hear the souls of the Hive cry out. From the walls. The ceiling. Everywhere.
"So," I look up, "how do we do this?" I ask.
"First, you must disrobe." Suddenly, my clothes disintegrate into dust, a gust of wind blowing them completely away.
"What the hell?" I say, covering myself. I see the water in the cave moving, waves forming.
"Now, step into the pool of water." the Shadow commands. I make my way into the cave's pool, walking until the water goes up to my chest, as the Shadow's requests. An orb of energy forms overheard, coming down to spin around me. Then another forms, and another, until finally seven orbs are circling me. They get faster and faster overtime, becoming blurry in my vision. One of them hits me, knocking the wind out of my body and forcing me to clutch my heart. I feel stinging throughout my whole body, like every nerve is being pinched at the same time.
"We never said it would be painless, assassin." the Shadow remarks, his tone almost amusing. The other orbs hit me, one after another. The pain is excruciating. The waves are getting stronger. I start to lose control over my body. I see myself go under the water, feeling it choke me, before my body breaches for air. My mind is clouding. My nerves are on fire! I can feel myself becoming part of something. New voices, all whispering at the same time. New memories, the unknown becoming familiar. Things are going dark, the waves crashing harder and harder. Suddenly, I hear them all speaking my name, as I begin to black out. "Courtney," they say, "Thank you. And welcome home."
Allie's Pov, Observatory, Night
"What is going on?" I yell. Rosemary has collapsed onto the floor. Cal is checking on her, with me right by his side.
"She's not breathing!" he writes, then uses his spells to shock her. Her body begins moving, her feet and hands twitching in the candles' light. The amulet shining brightly again, causing us all to turn away. As it dims, I turn and see Rosemary's body rising up, shaking violently. Her eyes are rolled back, the whites of them on full display. Courtney! She rises up and up, before falling back to the ground.
Cal and I catch her, but she's stopped moving. Cal checks her pulse, before shaking his head. He shocks her. No response. He does it again, then checks her pulse. "I can't get a read on her!"
"Rosemary!" I push her arms away, then start performing CPR. I pump her chest twelve times, open her mouth and breathe air into it through mine, then repeat. Her arms start twitching again, and I think I hear her breathing, but she starts shaking violently.
"What is happening, Cal?" Rebel asks in fright, Chelsea helping her to get down.
Cal checks on her again. "Something is happening to her. A possession of some sorts. I do-"
BOOM! Wham! Oh no. Not now! Allysin goes to the doorway of the room we're in. She slams the door shut as quietly as possible, holding the bench firmly against it.
"They're inside!" Allysin holds the door closed, her hand firmly on the handle.
"Men, get in there and find that woman." Sergeant Keeril says, muffled by the door. We hear their footsteps. Cal and I continue to check on Rosemary. Then, we hear chanting and a woman's heels clicking across the floor. The door handle makes a sound, but Allysin doesn't let it move much, making it seem as if it's locked. Everything goes quiet.
Shink! The blade of a katana breaks through the door, emitting green energy. The door starts getting pushed. Cal uses his magic to begin sealing it up, while Allysin and Chelsea hold the bench steady. Rebel tells me to help while she tends to 'little C'. I get up and hold the door, pushing back. I can hear the bridesmaids groaning, trying to force their way in. Su's scream startles us, before the door is cut down the middle, almost slicing Allysin's foot. We try to hold it together, but to no avail, as Kerril's men begin pounding into it with a battering ram. On the third ram, they breach though, and the three of us fall to the ground. The men push into the room, shoving the bench away from the remains of the door. They swiftly grab Cal, Chelsea, and Allysin. Allysin tries to fight back, but a soldier hits her in the head with his club, knocking her out. Cal tries to fight too, but a rope is suddenly wrapped around his arms, binding them together as the soldiers hold him down. Chelsea is kicking and screaming, but they simply push her and Cal out, before grabbing Allysin by the arms and dragging her across the floor, her legs sliding against the hardwood. I cling to Rosemary, not letting them touch her. The bridesmaids grab Rebel and I, but we won't budge. Sergeant Keeril comes into the room, but it's Su and her maid of honour who intervene. The maid of honour pulls us both off Rosemary. I punch her face and shield Rosemary's body with my own.
"Get away!" I yell. Cherry Bomb walks in, grabs me by the hair and yanks me away from Rosemary, as Su looks down at her. She grabs Rosemary by the scruff of her neck. "Let her go!" She throws her into one of the displays, the glass shattering and pieces flying everywhere. Her lifeless body face down on the ground. Su nods her head. The maid of honour takes Rebel by the head, a string of curses and threats coming from her mouth.
"You touch my cousin and I'll fuck you u- Ah!" she starts, before the maid of honour punches her face hard, causing Rebel to grab it.
Cherry lets me go, before Su grabs me by the hair and drags me out through the doors. "Get off me! Rosemary! Courtney, wake up! Rosemary!" Cherry kicks me in the stomach, a sharp kick which makes me cough and wheeze. I'm being dragged down the stairs and through the mud, before Su tosses me onto the ground. When I come to, I look up and see Father James Mitchell staring down at me.
"Hello again, my dear." he says formally, smiling.
*Meanwhile In the Shadow Realm*
The waves have stopped. The water has calmed. The cave is almost dead silent, except for the whispers of the Hive. Their voices, stretched far and wide, all speak at once. They continue this for a moment or two, before the Shadow ushers them to be silent. Something is moving in the water. A figure wades through the inky purplish-black pool. As they reach the shallow end, then begin to wade-walk through the water. Water drops fall from their hair and body as they begin to surface, the drip sounds echoing off the cavern's walls. The figure is barefoot, their white skin barely visible in the pale moonlight. Whoever it is, it's female. She walks up to the throne, naked, before bending the knee, her hands in fists pointed downwards. She rises to their feet, but utters not a single word.
"Assassin? Can you hear us?" the Shadow asks. The woman nods, but still doesn't say anything. "Tells us, then: Who are you?" In seconds, a woman's voice can be heard answering.
"Chaos, violence and darkness made flesh… A Demonic Soul, split in seven… Together, we are one… We. Are. Rosemary." she claims, breathing deeply.
"What is your purpose, Rosemary?"
"We are the Shadow's Dark Herald… The Death Dealer… And we will drag every last one of our enemies to their own Decay…" Rosemary says, as the Shadow begins to laugh. Rosemary begins pulling at her hair, twitching, before continuing, "Decay… DECAY!" she yells, purple fire enveloping her entire body.
Author's Note: Hey everybody. Hope you've all been doing well. Besides some busy time and slow apps, I was able to update Aftermath in time. I hope you enjoyed it. I didn't want to leave it on a cliffhanger, especially when it seems like everyone's doing it these days. So, the time has come. With Mitchell, Cherry Bomb, Su and her bridesmaids outside with Sergeant Keeril and his soldiers, Rosemary has chosen to accept the gift. While she does so, Su and the gang breach the doors, taking Allie, Cal, Rebel, Allysin and Chelsea. And now, a new being has emerged from the darkness. This was a whirlwind of a chapter to write. I wasn't sure how I was going to be faithful to her original transformation while adding some unique touches for the story, but this was the final result. I hope you enjoyed it. This is probably going to be the last chapter update for a bit. Everything happens to be coinciding at the same time on my end. Plus, there are some other stories that deserve some love too. We've got some new one-shots, Hearts of War, but especially Dangers of Deville and Queens of Fire on the horizon. I'm very excited to start working on them and show what I've been coming up with in my free time. Trust me, though, the Demon and the Bunny will also be getting updates, too When exactly remains to be seen, but it's going to happen. Thanks to everyone for following along. If you enjoyed, remember to follow and favorite. And feel free to leave a review, as it's always appreciated. Until next time, take care and enjoy your day!