Alrighty guys and gals, here's the next chapter for you, and Happy New Years. Glad to finally get this one out, and happy to finally get onto a new writing plan. Starting now, I'm gonna try to get onto a schedule of at least a new chapter out for one of my stories every two weeks, so we'll see if I can make that, and then work towards something even faster.
Broken Angel: Rising Demon
Chapter 41: ...Oh Yeah!
-March 4th 2001 Riley's Home, London. Albion-
Luna watched with growing delight as Riley and Katie made love. Riley was on top of Katie, driving down into her, with long determined thrusts. Katie groaned in ecstasy her arms circled around Riley's back, holding her, clinging to her, almost. Her legs were wrapped around the demoness, desperately fighting to keep Riley from leaving her as she continued.
Luna lay beside them, watching the exchange with hungry, lust-filled eyes. With one hand she knead at her breasts, giving them attention while the other hand stroked and fingered her pussy.
A truth, the seeress had long known about herself, something that she couldn't hide in spite of her embarrassment over it. She was a voyeur, always had been. Watching had always excited her, always filled her with lust. It was something she tried to hide from the others, as by the very standard of the definition, her kink made her a pervert. She couldn't help herself though, watching had always enthralled her, always excited her. From her first time, to now, throughout the years, nothing got her more in the mood than to admire the bodies and movements of her bed partners. It helped that each and every one of them, was absolute eye-candy, at least in Luna's opinion.
This kink definitely stemmed from a lifetime of watching people in general. Luna knew it without a shadow of a doubt. Still, it was embarrassing to admit that her kink was to watch, and more specifically, to watch without being noticed. She had enough control over herself to not descend into being a peeping tom, but there was something exciting about watching as Riley and her chosen partner made love, seemingly oblivious to her presence, and of course, the fantasy always played out in the most exciting way as it never mattered how far along Luna was, whether she'd reached completion on her own or was just getting into it, as soon as Riley took her focus off of her current partner, she'd eventually find herself drawn to those still interested in sex, and well, Luna usually found herself in that position.
She did have to wonder, if not offhandedly, if any of her fellow mates, or soon-to-be sister-wives knew of her specific proclivity for observation in the bedroom. She suspected at least some of them knew. Fleur definitely knew because, as she liked to say, 'a Veela knows what her mate wants'. Riley most certainly knew.
Even now, lost in her her own lustful thoughts, as she watched Riley and Katie, she could feel one of Riley's tails slowly begin to coil around her leg, creeping up around her calf, and over the knee, wrapping around her thigh as it reached ever closer to her entrance.
Luna felt it over the bond, and through her contact with Riley, as Katie reached her tipping point. She moaned loudly as she pulled herself against Riley. Her groans filled the air, as Riley continued to bear down on her for several more moments, prolonging her release.
Seconds passed as Riley ceased her movement and settled down on top of her lover. Katie held her, smiling as the two met each other's gaze.
Slowly, tenderly, Riley rested her forehead to Katie's, garnering a wide grin from the former Gryffindor, as she shut her eyes, and basked in the connection the two shared. For several long moments, the two lost themselves in a moment of togetherness, feeling one another over their shared bonds. During that time, it seemed that nothing could separate the two, nothing could come between them or distract them from each other.
That was the power Riley held over her mates, and one of the biggest reasons why this whole thing worked. Riley's ability to make the whole world disappear, leaving only her and her chosen partner. To make them feel like the center of the universe, to which all things gravitated. For her chosen partner, to bear the weight of Riley's love, to feel it's intensity, was as if one was being subjected to the power of a star.
It was something magnificent, and mighty, easily able to overwhelm or even destroy you, yet it didn't.
Katie's hands cradled Riley's face as she held her forehead against the demon's. For as long as it could last, she would bask in this feeling.
Like all things though, it had to come to an end. Slowly, Riley pulled herself up, resting on her knuckles as she stared down at her beloved mate.
Katie stared up at her, smiling with love and compassion.
Luna watched this all with excitement, she continued to play with herself while biting her hand, to keep from distracting the two. It was such a beautiful sight, and she didn't want to ruin it, despite knowing full well, that even without Riley's enhanced senses, her physical contact with Luna meant that she could read her mind, and was fully aware of what was going on in the seeress's mind.
As if on cue, Riley let out a chuckle and turned her gaze towards Luna. The two locked eyes, and Riley gave her a predatory smirk.
Katie followed Riley's movement and let out a chuckle as her eyes landed on their bed partner.
"I think your fiance needs your attention." Katie noted.
"She most certainly does." Riley replied, as she moved over on top of Luna, her tail wrapping around Luna's hand and pulling it away from her wanting sex.
Luna let out a light gasp, as Riley hovered over her, eyeing her with desire, and cool attraction.
The two stared at each other, eyeing one another with recognizable intent.
"So, my love… ready for tomorrow?" Riley asked with a sultry grin.
"Absolutely." Luna replied breathily as Riley's tail replaced her hand, feeding deep into her recesses, earning a mewl of pleasure from the dreamy-eyed Ravenclaw.
Soon the two were rolling about, playfully making love, while Katie took Luna's spot in watching the scene play out.
It wasn't long before Luna was on top of Riley, riding her with gusto, eagerly racing towards completion. Within moments, she and Riley reached climax together, allowing the pleasure both felt to ricochet back and forth over their shared connection.
Riley began letting out a playful giggle as she sat up, placing kisses on Luna's neck and collarbone while the Seeress came down from the pleasurable high.
Luna basked in the attention, her arms encircling Riley's head, holding her near while the demoness nibbled at her neck.
"You spoil me sometimes." Luna hummed.
"Only sometimes?" Riley responded, raising an eyebrow and pulling away to meet her lover's gaze.
Luna simply smirked at her in response.
"Tomorrow, you'll be my wife." Riley whispered to her, as she pulled Luna into an embrace.
"Tomorrow…" Luna replied taking in the thought and mulling it over for several long moments.
Tomorrow she'd be Riley's wife. An idea that filled her to the brim with excitement, and joy. As she pondered this, she began to draw into her memories, going back to the past as she recalled the events that had started on this path.
She remembered vividly the first time she had ever seen Riley. It felt like a lifetime ago.
As Luna reminisced, Riley watched along with her thoughts, trailing along as an unnoticed observer, as Luna was drawn into a memory from her childhood.
All her life, Luna had seen visions in her dreams. For as long as she could remember, she'd always been able to see possible futures. Starting at around age eight and continuing to age ten, Luna had visions surrounding the coming years. Time spanning around a decade ahead of her.
In these visions, Luna saw many things, and in them, she saw specific characters, some she knew, others she didn't.
A common actor in these visions was a boy. A boy with a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. A boy with vivid green eyes, and an awkward set of glasses. He wore clothes that were too big for him, and had a smile that rarely reached his eyes, but when it did, it was the happiest smile she could imagine.
Many of her visions of the future involved this boy. She saw him do things, saw him fight battles, and face challenges at Hogwarts. She didn't know who he was, and after living her life, she came to realize that she never would.
That boy didn't exist in their time. Whoever he was, whatever destiny he had, it belonged to another time, another place. She saw him often though, like a center-point for destiny's hand. Luna had become certain that he would be someone for whom fate would hold a powerful command over. The last time she saw the boy, it was a vision of him in a dark graveyard, standing before the Dark Lord Voldemort. The boy was frightened, he was absolutely terrified, yet he still stood tall. He stood before the Dark Lord and his followers, and in a powerful movement the two launched their spells at one another, and in a burst of light, Luna awoke.
She awoke from that dream, certain that the boy she had seen was destiny's chosen one. A person, bound by fate to stand as a champion of the light. She was completely certain of it, and she held that certainty for several weeks. On the night she received her Hogwarts letter, Luna tucked into a quiet sleep, as always expecting nothing, and hoping that if she saw something, it would not be frightening.
That night, she dreamed of Hogwarts, and for a moment, she thought it was nothing more than a dream.
Suddenly though, she found herself pulled along, and it quickly became apparent that this was another vision. She went along with it, expecting to see the boy again, only this time, she didn't. She saw herself, sitting on some steps, in a dark place. The walls around her were made of stone, there were tunnels and torches lighting the area. She was alone, cradling her arm in her lap, it was wrapped in a sweater. One of her eyes was blackened, as if she had been full-on punched, and a thin cut allowed a small trickle of blood to flow from her cheek.
Young Luna watched her older self with curious eyes, wondering what had happened to her.
Suddenly her older self looked right up at her, and for a moment, Luna had this feeling, like something much more profound was occurring than what she'd normally experience in these visions. The feeling though, lasted less than an instant as suddenly someone stepped through the younger Luna and approached her older self.
Young Luna watched as the strange new arrival knelt in front of her older self and began inspecting her wounds. She began using some strange magic to heal her older self, magic that Luna was unfamiliar with at the time. The two talked, what was said was lost in a garble of echoes and sounds, and soon this woman was lifting her older self into the air and carrying her into a doorway that appeared behind where her older self was sitting.
Young Luna was pulled along, watching with interest as this older girl, carried her older self deeper into the room, eventually ending at a bedroom where other girls were sleeping in the same bed.
The woman set her down on the edge of the bed and turned around, allowing Luna a good look at her for the first time. With that look though came a startling experience as she watched the woman take on a more monstrous shape. Her face was twisted with rage, and she began to advance towards the door, only to stop and turn back as Luna's older self called out to her.
Again, what was said, she couldn't make out, but it ended with a vicious smirk from the woman, and than several flashes of murder, as four people were brutally killed.
Young Luna flinched at the sight, this not being the first time she'd seen death, but definitely the most graphic.
It passed in an instant though, and at it's end, Luna saw an image of a hooded, angelic, figure floating before her older self and the three other girls she'd seen in the bed. In a swift motion she saw the angel kiss them, one after the other.
The longest kiss, at least to Luna's perceptions was when the angel kissed her.
It was in that instant that the shrouded visage of the angel seemed to fade away, and Luna recognized who this figure was. It was the girl from earlier, the one who had healed her. She was kissing this girl, kissing her with passion. Young Luna had blushed at the sight, and felt butterflies in her stomach.
A smile was shared between the two, that seemingly drew Luna into another vision. She was standing beside that girl, staring out over the forest. They both appeared to be the same age, but young Luna didn't know if this was before or after the previous event.
The closeness shared between them, brought a smile to the young girl's face. Watching as her older self snuggled against the girl, who had an arm wrapped around her. Occasionally her eyes would drift over the forest, but for the most part, the older girl was more interested in looking at Luna.
Young Luna barely had a grasp on what love was, yet the only word she could use to describe the look in the strange girls eyes, was that of love. They bore this strange design, this rippled pattern and they glowed a soft purple. They were mighty eyes, yet there was something so gentle about the way they stared down at Luna's older self.
Even without actually being there, Young Luna couldn't help but feel safe. The moment the feeling washed over her, she felt herself take in a breath. Not since her mother had died, had she ever felt so safe. Not even an actor in the vision, just an observer, yet she felt what her older self must have been feeling.
It was beautiful and when Luna awoke in the morning, she found herself well rested, and she carried with her that same sense of safety which lingered on for many hours.
She didn't have another vision of the strange girl again, so she was more than a little surprised when her eyes passed over that girl as she looked out at the students of Hogwarts. The first time Luna had seen her, she nearly broke into a smile. The girl didn't notice her, seemingly lost in conversation with a blonde boy who sat beside her.
Luna ended up in Ravenclaw and did as she had always done, she watched. Within a day or two she realized that the boy she had seen for so long wasn't here. She didn't spot him anywhere amongst the four houses, nor did anyone make note of his absence. It soon dawned on her, that he had only ever been a possibility, which was something that surprised her. This boy, who had such a powerful pull on destiny, who's fate was of grave importance, he simply didn't exist here.
It was saddening to know that, to realize that this supposed savior simply did not exist, but that was life, and the nature of time. Luna quickly came to accept it, and moved on. The moment she realized he didn't exist, she stopped having any visions about the boy. He no longer appeared in her dreams, full-stop.
That's usually how it went for her. When she came to realize that something was truly impossible, she no longer saw it in her dreams.
It was a sad realization and it left her with a bit of apprehension for the future, but it wasn't like worrying about it would change anything, so Luna continued on with her life.
It was only a short while later when a friend she had made on the train ride to Hogwarts, introduced her to Riley for the very first time.
The first time Luna got to speak to Riley, she was curious to see how it would go. Riley showed kindness to her, and seemed to think her harmless. Then it happened, a few of her resident bullies decided to make themselves known, and without a second's hesitation, the Queen of Slytherin house sprung into action.
No prompt, no plead, not even a look. Riley didn't need to know anything, other than what her eyes beheld. She saw an innocent person being bullied, and immediately moved to protect them.
Seeing Riley come to her defense validated her feelings brought on by her visions of said girl. Riley knew precisely nothing about her, yet she selflessly came to her aid and chased off her bullies, she then followed up her act of valor with an act of kindness, by inviting Luna to join her group.
Luna couldn't form the words to answer Riley's offer, instead simply smiling and heading off. She did end up accepting, and found herself tagging alongside the Slytherins, slowly ingraining herself into the group, until she was no longer an outsider.
Throughout all that time she watched Riley, observed her, and made assumptions, and developed theories. Luna knew from the very beginning that the possibility of one of her visions coming true was minimal.
Hell the boy she'd been dreaming of for two years, was just revealed to have never been real, so that made it more than obvious to her that nothing was set in stone. Still, when Luna first saw Fleur, and realized that it was the same girl from her vision, her heart skipped a beat.
Then when the day came, and she saw how interested Katie was in becoming Riley's mate, Luna couldn't help but speak a few words at the right moment. She chose the perfect time to make mention of Katie's attraction towards Riley, while also making it appear as nothing more than playful teasing.
It was her hope that Riley would hook onto it, and take Katie on as a partner. Because if she took Katie as a partner, that meant that two of the four girls she'd seen as Riley's mates had matched, and that lent credence to the hope that perhaps she may be included among them.
When Daphne and Riley became a couple, Luna had beamed to herself for days. Her vision was three for four at that point and the last one was her. She had already sown the seeds, by admitting her attraction to Riley, she just needed to hope that Riley returned her affections when the time was right.
All throughout fourth year Luna had visions of the future, many of them her future, with Riley. It was in these visions that she learned the truth about Riley, that she was a demon, and even more so that there would be others who would join them as Riley's mates. At least eight, but Luna had yet to see a vision overly far into the future, and with Riley being immortal it wasn't impossible for her to find and fall in love with someone new.
Soon the moment arrived where Riley appeared as a demon, and with the same bold confidence that Luna had come to admire, Riley asked her out on a date, and Luna happily accepted, knowing full well that this wouldn't be just a fling, or a short attempt between the two. She'd be with Riley for the rest of her life.
As Luna dwelled on the past, and remembered how things were, Riley watched along with her, smiling softly as she took in Luna's thoughts and feelings as she recalled the past. It did surprise Riley a bit to learn that Luna had been planning on getting with Riley, pretty much from the moment she knew she had a chance, and it definitely surprised her to hear as Luna pondered on her role in pushing Riley in the direction she wanted her to go, namely for Riley to take Katie and Daphne as mates, as that meant that Luna's vision which included her as a mate was far more likely to come true.
"Manipulative little minx, aren't you." Riley thought to herself, as she took in that information.
While it did surprise her, and it definitely opened her eyes to just how clever Luna really was, it didn't overly bother her. Luna had seen something she wanted, and used her knowledge of the future to tilt the odds in her favor.
She had a vision where she, Fleur, Katie, and Daphne were Riley's mates. So if Riley started dating Fleur, then got with Katie, and then Daphne, logic would dictate that with each added mate, the chances of Luna's vision coming to pass, increased, so of course, she tried to encourage such relationships, and maneuver herself into a place to draw Riley's interest.
Luna really was far more clever than she let on, even Riley had failed to notice just how manipulative Luna could be when she really wanted something.
In spite of not minding this truth coming to light, something about it did touch at a nerve. It didn't bother her that Luna had used her knowledge to encourage her to pursue a relationship with Riley, but it did reveal the lengths and subtleties that Luna would go to to get what she wanted.
She certainly wouldn't hesitate to say or do something if it meant moving pieces into the right position to allow the future to play out in a way she wanted it too.
Ultimately, it seemed, that the source of Riley's itch of concern was the realization that Luna did have these parts to her person, they were just buried deep within. It increased the possibility of Luna wittingly, or unwittingly being used to manipulate Riley, as she'd shown a willingness and ability to do it already, even if Riley didn't mind the reasoning or the outcome.
"You know, a thought occurs to me. You're reading her memories right now, watching as she reflects on things…" Kurama began.
"Yeah?" Riley replied.
"Well… I just remembered something about the Gravemind. You know how it's linked to pretty much everyone you know? You remember how it also copies and downloads all of their knowledge, and that includes their memories right?" Kurama continued, placing emphasis on his recollection, as Riley's eyes went wide and she was drawn into her own mindscape where she was left staring up at her demonic companion with a dumbfounded look on her face.
The two just stared at each other for several long moments before Riley let out a cry of frustration and tugged at her hair.
"Son of a bitch! God's fucking dammit!" Riley ranted.
For several long moments she continued to roar and curse within her head space before removing herself from Luna, and allowing clothes to form around her. Her sudden movement caused both Luna and Katie to be drawn out of their own little world, Luna watching her with curiosity and confusion as this happened.
"Riley?" Luna questioned.
"What's wrong?" Katie asked as Riley wrapped her knuckles against her head a few times before climbing out of bed.
"Sorry ladies, I just remembered there's something I've got to work on real fast. I need to do it before I forget. I'll be right back, just gotta run into Kamui for like five seconds, and I'll be right back." Riley said to the two, earning curious and confused looks from both as she vanished into Prime Kamui.
-Prime Kamui-
"How in the fuck did I forget that Kurama?" Riley shouted as she paced in the open fields of her pocket dimension.
"Well I mean we rarely use that power. Hell I think most of your comrades forgot about it too. Think about it, you don't really turn to the Gravemind for answers because you have the combined knowledge of countless humans and even some aliens you've absorbed and devoured. Collectively the knowledge that it has, is a combination of everything you and I know, plus all of the other people it's bonded to. You did toss around the idea of giving the Gravemind the ability to tap into Radio signals and the like to begin listening and spying on people, but for the most part, you don't need to ask it for information because you can usually figure out the answer on your own. Still though, I do recall that being one of his powers. While you were watching Luna's memories, and making some new connections in who you can trust, I remembered that about the Gravemind. Technically everyone who's bound to it, has their entire life uploaded into it's mind. It knows everything they know, which includes everything they've ever done. You could just ask it, and it'll tell you if anyone you know has been met or contacted by the Older Elizabeth." Kurama explained to her, earning a loud sigh of frustration from Riley.
"How in the fuck did I forget that?" Riley grumbled as she made her way over to the great pit where the Gravemind resided. The monstrous demon slowly rising up to greet her as she approached.
"Years of fucking worrying about this, of wondering and questioning others. Years of speculating, and I had the fucking answers right here. Sometimes I think I just get too involved in things. Seriously, how fucking long was I gonna wonder who I could trust, when I literally have the answers right here." Riley groused with annoyance and agitation as she made it before the Gravemind.
"First and foremost, I'm a fucking idiot, lets just get that squared away right now. Secondly, has anybody your connected with, been in contact with the older Elizebeth, since last I met with her?" Riley asked her demonic familiar.
"Yes. Many of them have, though only two remember that they have, and only one remembers why." The Gravemind responded, earning a blink of surprise from Riley.
"Okay, I wasn't expecting that. Can we get some further elaboration there?" Kurama inquired.
"Explain." Riley instructed.
"Elizabeth's older self has been to meet with many of your companions since your last meeting with her, most of the time she is there to plant a suggestion, and then depart, using her magic to erase the memory from the minds of those she visits. It is a strange power, one I do not know the source of, yet it is highly efficient at making people forget. None of the people she has met with recall meeting with her, save for the two exceptions. I am connected to them, so when they learn something or experience something, I experience it with them. She can make them forget, but I remember." The Gravemind explained to her.
Riley stared up at her familiar for several long moments, taking that information in.
"What suggestions is she leaving?" Riley asked.
"Ideas, beliefs, directions. It spans a wide range of instructions. She will appear before them, draw their attention, their focus, speak and idea, several times, until it's ingrained into their minds, she will then erase the moment from their memories, using unknown means. Their conscious minds forget what happened, while the suggestion is allowed to float in their subconscious until it eventually rises back to the surface leaving them to think it was their own idea. This ritual mimics the power known as Kotoamatsukami." The Gravemind answered.
Riley blinked several times and began to pace as she took that in. Elizabeth was using the power of suggestion to fill the minds of her friends and family with certain ideas. Like subliminal messaging. Implanting an idea without the subject realizing it.
"Is she doing this to my mates?" Riley inquired softly.
"Five of the eight." It answered.
"Five?" Riley repeated, confused.
"Can't make Gaia or Yugito forget they both have demons living in them, that'll spill the beans. Don't know about the last one." Kurama pointed out.
"Yes. The last one is Luna. One of the two who remembers her meetings with the older Elizabeth, but no longer remembers what was spoken of." The Gravemind informed them.
"Luna?" Riley once more stood in silence before raising her gaze to the giant creature.
"Tell me everything. Why doesn't Luna remember? Who was the other person who does? What is my nefarious daughter up to?" Riley questioned.
"Luna does not remember because she made herself forget. A Fidelus was cast, and Elizabeth was made the secret keeper. Luna knew that when she was made into your path, you'd have greater access to her mind. She did not want you to learn about what she and your daughter were working on. Your Elizabeth, is the other, who has met with her older self. She and Luna had several meetings with the Older Elizabeth who left instructions for the two on actions that should be taken in the future in order to guide you, and by extension, the world, along a specific path. Luna very early on expressed her distrust for the Older Elizabeth, and brought the younger into her confidence. The two have been working on a plan, a means of trapping and cutting off the Older Elizabeth from her powers, if their worries and suspicions were proven correct." The Gravemind answered, earning surprise from Riley and Kurama. Parallax meanwhile let out a chuckle as he took notice of what was going on.
"So the older Elizabeth has been trying to use her mother and younger self to manipulate Riley directly, but for some reason Luna doesn't trust her, and thus the two have been working in secret on a way to sever the older Elizabeth from her powers. Why not tell Riley, why the secrets?" Kurama asked, to which Riley reiterated the question, despite knowing that the Gravemind had heard it.
"Firstly, Luna does not know if she is correct. She worries that she is, but on the chance that she is wrong, she does not wish to harm the older Elizabeth's work, or put you and she at odds. Secondly, she fears that if she is correct, than the older Elizabeth may have dealt with rebellious versions of yourself in the past, and she does have access to a weapon that Luna has no doubt could be used to destroy the world, if not defeat even you. That being the World-Devouring version of you that supposedly stalks time itself in search of the older Elizabeth. So fearing that, Luna does not wish to escalate things to the point where Elizabeth may choose to employ the use of such a powerful weapon. So long as it is just herself and her daughter, it's a minimal threat so even if they are found out, the Older Elizabeth may not employ such means of retaliation. Fourthly, Luna does not wish to place further burdens upon you by revealing this possible threat at this moment. She would rather wait until foes, such as Trigon are defeated before turning your attention towards her suspicions about Elizabeth." The Gravemind laid out Luna's thoughts on the matter and why she was choosing to hide things.
Riley took in his explanation with a critical gaze. At the conclusion of it's explanation, she let out a sigh and ran a hand over her head.
Luna was being cautious and Riley couldn't blame her. Just like Riley, Luna knew that Elizabeth was a far more dangerous player than she let on. It didn't sound like Luna or the younger Elizabeth knew about what the Older Elizabeth wanted, only that Luna was suspicious about her motives, and didn't trust her.
Despite her agitation of being left in the dark, she couldn't help but conclude that she would do the exact same thing in Luna's place, with the same knowledge. Perhaps if Luna knew that Elizabeth's end goal was Trigon, than she'd have come to Riley a lot sooner, but without that knowledge she was left just as uncertain as Riley was, just going off her gut instinct and trying to be cautious.
"Why doesn't Luna trust the Older Elizabeth? What did she do to make Luna suspicious?" Kurama inquired.
"Firstly it was Elizabeth's lies about the constraints surrounding demonic entities and time travel. Secondly it was her request to Luna to aid in the hiding of this information. She made up a convincing lie, to try and get Luna assistance in keeping you ignorant of your freedom to traverse the timelines as you see fit. That lie being that if you knew you were free to traverse the timelines, you'd be unable to stop yourself from interfering in other realities and that could draw further attention to this reality. She thought it best to keep you focused on this time, at least for now, and reveal the truth down the line. Luna offered her agreement but was not fully convinced of that being the true reasoning. There was something about the Older Elizabeth that Luna felt that set her on edge. Her exacting explanation is that the light never seemed to reach her eyes." The Gravemind responded to Kurama's question.
"So, Elizabeth has been manipulating the people around me using hidden suggestions, all the while directly influencing Luna and her younger self. My only mates, free from her manipulations are Gaia and Yugito due to their Tailed Beasts. The others have been influenced before. Anyone else that she's working with, or are they all just suggestions?" Riley asked.
"Those are the only two, to my knowledge." The Gravemind answered.
"Alright. I want you to draw for the memories of every idea, thought, or suggestion Elizabeth put into the heads of my friends and family. Give it all to Kurama. Kurama, go over it all, we'll discuss it when you're ready." Riley instructed her familiar and partner.
"What are you gonna do?" Kurama asked.
"I'm gonna go enjoy my wedding and honeymoon, and let my lovely Luna know that she's no alone in this. Like it or not we're both in this, and we'll have a better chance of out maneuvering Elizabeth senior, if we work together." Riley answered, as she began to exit Kamui.
-Riley's House-
Riley reappeared at the foot of her bed, no more than six or seven seconds later, just as she said she would.
Luna and Katie were still staring at that spot when she reappeared.
"Sorry about that. Had to get that handled before I forgot." Riley said to them, offering the two a smile.
"What was that about?" Katie asked.
"Just something I needed to take care of. A project in Kamui I'm working on. I just remembered I needed to check on it. Sorry if that seemed sudden." Riley offered to the two.
Both women simply shared a glance before shrugging it off. Riley could be a bit sporadic at times, so neither considered it out of character.
Riley smiled at the two and offered them both her hands. The two crawled across the bed and climbed to their feet, where Riley directed them towards the bathroom, where they could all enjoy a pleasant soak.
For the rest of the day, Riley allowed herself to be at peace. Despite wanting to have a good long chat with Kurama and hear just what her deceptive daughter was up to, she kept her focus on the now.
Riley spent most of the day with Luna, enjoying her time with her. The two mostly spent their lounging around the house, but later on the in the day, Riley took Luna to Hogwarts, where they could spend some time wandering around one of Luna's favorite hangouts when they were younger, the Forbidden Forest.
It was as they were wandering the forest, taking in all of the curious sights that Riley finally decided that the time was right to speak with her beloved mate, and clear the air between the two.
"Hey Luna…" Riley spoke up as they came to a pause in a clearing.
"What is it?" Luna inquired, giving her a curious look.
"I wanted to talk to you about something kind of important." Riley said to her, earning further curiosity from her mate.
"Well, I have nothing else pressing going on at the moment, so feel free." Luna responded, causing Riley to smirk.
"It's about Elizabeth." Riley began. Luna showed no outward reaction to that, simply blinking as she waited for Riley to continue.
"I mean the older Elizabeth. I know you and our Elizabeth have been dealing with her, I wanted you to know that you were right not to trust her." Riley said to her, causing Luna to blink several more times as her jaw slowly fell open.
"You cast a Fidelus to hide those memories, but you still remember meeting with her, don't you?" Riley asked.
"I… do. How did you know? I haven't thought about that since…" Luna began to reply, but Riley simply smiled and shook her head.
"It doesn't matter. I know what's going on, and I know why you hid it from me. I'm not mad at you. In truth, I've been hiding something from you all lately as well, and it's been driving me nuts." Riley interjected.
"What have you been hiding?" Luna asked.
"I know what Elizabeth wants. I know why she's doing this. And… most importantly, I knew she wasn't working alone. You remember when I was kidnapped and taken to that other world? While I was there, I met another of my kids, or more specifically the rest of one of my kids. He told me about Elizabeth, what she wanted, what she was after. I know she's been trying to have you manipulate things, get me to move in certain ways. Probably with some reasonable explanations on why it's the best way to go. I know you've been battling with whether you were right or not, and I know that you've been planning something with our Elizabeth, just in case you were right, and Elizabeth Senior's intentions were less than noble. I know you made what you were doing a magical secret so that you'd forget and not alert me to your suspicions. The truth is though, that I do know, and more importantly, you're right." Riley confided in her.
Luna continued staring at her for several very long moments before slowly nodding.
"Let's go and speak with Elizabeth. Before you say anything else it's best that she reminds me of what we were doing, so that we can have this conversation without any gray spots." Luna suggested.
Riley nodded in agreement and offered her mate her hand.
Luna approached and took it, the two quickly teleporting back to their house.
They then went and collected Elizabeth and brought her in Prime Kamui with them to have a nice long chat.
-Prime Kamui-
"What's going on?" Elizabeth asked.
"I need you to remind me of the things I hid with the Fidelus. Riley knows the truth, so it's best I remember everything so we can talk about this together." Luna answered.
Elizabeth seemed surprised and quickly sent a glance at Riley who offered a playful wave in response, hoping that it would alleviate any feelings of tension or fear that may be building.
It seemed to do the trick as she returned a raised eyebrow before turning her attention back to Luna. The two stepped aside and began having a chat. Riley stepped away, allowing them some privacy, knowing full well she'd get the rundown later.
While Luna was unlocking her memories, Riley took the opportunity to speak with Kurama and get an idea as to just what kinds of ideas Elizabeth senior was implanting into the minds of Riley's friends and family.
"Okay so, we've got a long list here, but she's done this to dozens of people, including most of your mates. The ideas she's been placing, run the gambit from encouraging people to pursue certain paths in life, to trying to get them to feel a certain way about certain things. Not all of it makes sense, like for example, in Draco she placed the idea that he would discourage any attempt to aid Superman in defending Metropolis. A very specific idea, very direct. In Tracy, as another example, she tried to reaffirm Tracy's loyalty and friendship to Daphne. Telling her, to trust Daphne, and that Daphne trusted her. A lot of what she did, went like this. Without context as to what Elizabeth Senior was thinking when she placed these ideas, I'm left with only speculation. She did this with a lot of people, probably many more than we know. Hell, it's probably how she's been manipulating people across the universe, placing ideas into their heads, and letting it drift down into their subconscious, while making them forget the actual event, so that when the idea drifts back up, it appears natural. The one she placed in Tobirama, is somewhat telling though, and it leads me to believe something much bigger is in the works for us." Kurama began to explain to her.
"And what idea was that?" Riley asked him.
"The idea was, that despite your familial connections, the entire world, mattered more. If such an idea rose to the surface at the wrong time, it could convince your grand uncle to stand against one of his family members, which includes you. Now, I don't know how powerful these ideas are, or how easily they can be ignored once they rear their ugly heads. It seems to me that they're just meant to act as natural thoughts, there's no compulsion behind it, but that doesn't mean it can't still influence people, especially if several of these ideas manifest in different people at the same time. Someone like Tobirama is stubborn, and very strong-willed, but if the idea rose at the perfect time, during moment of heightened emotion, it could lead to an actual reaction. Like I said, without context, I'm left with only speculation, but ones like that, paint a dark picture for me." Kurama continued on.
"So, it seems I'm going to have to do some work digging up these thoughts and erasing them before her plans can come to fruition. Tell me something though really quick, what were the ideas given to my mates?" Riley questioned.
"You're not gonna like them. They're basically the same as Tobirama's, but a bit more specific and tailored to them. In the case of Fleur, Daphne and Katie it's, 'despite your love, the world matters more'. For Artoria its 'despite your love, Albion matters more'. And well, for Kaede its 'despite you love, your children matter more'. It's obvious to me that she was planning something big. My guess, to try and turn them against you, or at least enough against you that they'd do something she wanted them too. Like I said, I have no idea how much sway these hidden suggestions have over a person. I don't think it's a powerful as mind control, and it's definitely nowhere near as potent as Kotoamatsukami, but until we see it happen, we won't know just how much these ideas can influence a person." Kurama answered her.
Riley let out a snarl in response, coming to the same conclusion as her demonic companion. From the sounds of it, Elizabeth senior was trying to hedge the odds in her favor to manipulate people into reacting a specific way, to a specific event.
Riley didn't need to be told anymore, she immediately sent a mental command to the Gravemind to wait until each of the affected people were asleep, and then reach into their minds and pluck the idea out from their subconscious. As Kurama said, they didn't know how powerful these suggestions were, but Riley wasn't going to take any chances.
Elizabeth senior was trying to ensure the cooperate of Riley's friends and family, for some reason, and from the sounds of it, at least in some cases, it was to get them to overlook their connection to Riley in favor of saving the world.
Would it be effective? Riley certainly didn't know, but she had no intention of finding out.
By the time Elizabeth finished revealing the truth to Luna, Riley was in a right foul mood, and it showed on her face when they moved over to her.
"You ready?" Riley asked.
"Yeah. So, tell us what you know. You said that my suspicions were correct?" Luna questioned in reply.
"Trigon. That's the name of the Archdevil behind the Day of Wrath. He's also the one who led the attack that caused Elizabeth Senior's accident that sent all of her siblings across time and space. She's out for revenge, and she's using us to get it. Grooming this timeline so that not only will he come here, but that we'll also be in a position to defeat him." Riley explained to the two.
She gave it a moment to allow that news to settle in, Luna lowered her gaze and took in a breath, while Elizabeth let out a sigh and rubbed at her temple.
"So that's what it was. All of this, for revenge. I knew in my heart, something wasn't right. I could feel it in my bones. Something just didn't sit right with the way she was acting. Her friendliness didn't feel genuine." Luna stated, lifting her gaze back to Riley.
"How long have you known?" Elizabeth asked.
"For you? Days. Like I told Luna, I learned the truth from one of your siblings that I met on the planet I was taken to when I was kidnapped a few days ago. For me, it's been years, and in that time, I've been struggling to figure out who I could trust. I knew that your older self, had to have help, and well, the two of you were at the top of my list, as some of her agents, though I suspected others as well." Riley answered, earning a look from the two.
"Years? Riley…" Luna took notice.
"Don't bother, it's not important right now, stay focused on the issue." Riley waved her off. Luna nodded in agreement after a moment. Knowing full well that the only way it could have been years for Riley is if she was spending the full four months' time period they'd agreed to, every single day. Though Luna suspected it was much simpler than that, Riley had simply ignored that restriction.
They'd talk about it later, for now though, they did have more important matters to focus on.
"Is this why you were going through that special training to 'face your fears'? You didn't know who you could trust so you wanted to prepare yourself to face betrayal?" Luna asked as the realization hit her.
"Yes. That was part of it. It is important for me to learn to master my fears, but part of the reason I started was because of that. I just wanna make something clear to the both of you, even though I placed you at the top of my list of suspects, I never once thought that anyone was helping her out of a sense of malice towards me. I never thought that you'd betray me out of malice or spite. At best, you weren't aware you were being controlled at all, and at worst, she was manipulating you by feeding you lies. Either way, I've never once thought that you guys were out to get me. It's just, not knowing who to trust, has made me a bit short-tempered these last few days. I almost snapped at Daphne the other day, thankfully Kurama talked me down. Honestly, were it not for the importance of this discussion I'd be busy celebrating finally having a means of clearing the air." Riley responded to them, ensuring that both of them understood that Riley didn't think they were out to get her or anything.
"I noticed that." Luna stated, earning a soft smile from Riley who then nodded and scratched at her neck.
"Who was it that told you? You said it was another sibling of mine, but I don't remember you introducing us to another family member." Elizabeth asked.
"Well, part of the reasoning for that was because I wanted to keep his presence a secret as, by his own admission, he and I aren't supposed to meet just yet. At least, not according to Elizabeth's plans. Another part is that you've already met him. Turns out the Darkness was only a part of a great whole. He left a piece of himself to wait for my birth so that I'd find and bond with the Darkness and eventually use the part to reunite with the whole. I'll stay vague for now, best to keep things more or less, quiet since I know your older self will probably show herself to at least you, Elizabeth, so I'd rather not give you more to hide from her. Just know that he's fully bonded with the Darkness and has taken its place within me. He's also on our side. He doesn't want to die for your older self's revenge." Riley answered her question, gaining a nod of acceptance and understanding from Elizabeth.
"Okay, can you tell me how you learned about us, and what we're doing? Or is that best left a secret too?" Elizabeth inquired curiously.
"The Gravemind." Riley answered.
"The Gravemind?" Both Luna and Elizabeth replied simultaneously.
A second passed before Luna reacted with a flinch and sighed.
"Remember this morning Luna, my love? Same reaction. I completely forgot I gave it that power. It was actually Kurama who reminded me, after I got through watching your trek down memory lane." Riley offered with a chuckle.
"Oh, I see. Anything to say in regard to what you saw. I forgot that you were watching me, when I took that little journey down memory lane." Luna admitted, earning a toothy grin from Riley.
"All I'll say is that I find it very touching to know just how much you wanted to be with me. Makes me even more excited for tomorrow." Riley said to her, causing a small smile to spread across Luna's face.
"Uhm… before you two go off on some love tirade, can we circle back to the Gravemind, and how it was responsible for you learning about us?" Elizabeth inquired.
"Oh, yeah. When you bond to the Gravemind, you upload your memories to it. This is a continuous process, so every new experience or memory, is added to its accumulated knowledge. I completely forgot it could do that, until Kurama reminded me. So, I just went and asked it which of my loved ones I could trust. It then told me about you two, and about everyone else your older self has been to speak too." Riley answered, and from there the next line of questioning from the two women was what the older Elizabeth had done with others.
Riley explained to the two, everything that Kurama had told her, and also shared her suspicions about what that could mean for her plans.
Both were left in agreement with Riley that it almost sounded like Elizabeth was trying to get everyone, or at least most people to turn on Riley, in favor of saving the world.
Why was currently an unknown, the only plausible answer was that it could be as a form of leverage in case Riley got out of hand.
"Alright, now let me ask a question. You two have been working on a means of stripping your older self of her powers, what kind of progress have you made?" Riley asked the two, causing them to share a glance with one another.
"Well, unfortunately, not much. Studying the way my magic works without drawing too much attention is difficult, and more than that, I haven't had mother's help these last few months since she became your path, so progress has been even slower. It's a magical ability, and like all magical abilities there has to be some form of counter to it. All I know for certain is that before we can confront my older self, we have to have a way of stripping her of her powers. If she learns of our plans, or she escapes, all she needs to do is lead her psychopathic world-eating sire here, and that's the end for us. I doubt even you could defeat that monster, considering I strongly suspect that this isn't even remotely close to the first time my older self has done this." Elizabeth explained.
"I see. Well… do me a favor, you two, go back to work. Figure it out. You've kept a low profile, and I know she's watching me now. I can help you through the Gravemind, and now that I remember about its ability to gather your knowledge, you two never need to speak to me about what you're doing. I'll check in daily to see if you've made any progress, and if you need my help, you can ask your questions internally and I'll pick them up when I review your progress. That way it keeps things secretive. I'll have the Gravemind remove Elizabeth's suggestions from our family and friends but for now this stays between us." Riley instructed the two, gathering nods of agreement from both.
"Sigh, this is a big weight lifted off my shoulders, mother. It's been hard having to do this without mama Luna, and it'll be great having your help as well." Elizabeth expressed.
"I'm happy to lift some of this burden off of you. Don't forget, you guys have the same access to the Gravemind that I do. If you have questions, or need information, just ask it directly. It knows everything I know." Riley added.
Having the air cleared between them, and a clear goal in mind, the three felt much lighter when returning to the real world.
-Riley's House-
Riley was overjoyed to no longer have to worry who among her friends she could trust, she just needed to make sure that any and all of Elizabeth's suggestions were removed, without the wily time-traveler learning about Riley's interference.
Meanwhile, she'd wait patiently for her Elizabeth, and Luna to discover a way to capture the older one. While they worked, Riley would run interference, and keep the attention on herself. If Elizabeth wanted to control her every move, then Riley was gonna take her for a run.
"Happy that we've got some clarity again. You gonna tell Tom you actually don't need his help anymore?" Kurama asked her.
"No, I'm gonna keep him on it. I still plan to go against the grain. I may have cleared my friends and family, but I still have no idea who else might be an agent of Elizabeth's. I also want to give my Elizabeth and Luna every chance they can to strike at the older one. The more I go against the grain, the more she's gonna show herself to try and influence me back onto the right path." Riley explained to him, earning a hum of agreement from the Fox as well as Parallax, both agreeing with her logic.
For the rest of the day, the air around the house softened. Riley's tension seemingly drifted away, and she was left with a clear purpose, and a plan for the future, which also meant that she was free to enjoy her wedding the following day.
That night, she cuddled with Luna who slept tenderly on her chest. Riley thanking whatever idea or divinity had possessed her years ago to create a familiar with the specific powers of the Gravemind. It had, quite literally saved her from years of suspicion and worry.
-Hashirama's forest, London, Albion. March 5th, 2001-
The ceremony was in full swing.
Luna had wanted a modest wedding, in the cool weather of late winter, early spring. A light dusting of snow covered everything, though the chill barely touched the air. Some act of magic that kept the 'magic' of the wedding alive for the duration of the ceremony.
This wedding wouldn't be overly extravagant, just a simple ceremony, will all of their friends and family invited.
Still though, the place was packed.
As usual, the bride sat waiting for the start of the ceremony, surrounded by her fellow mates, and soon-to-be sister-wives.
"Nervous?" Katie asked.
"No. Happy. I've been dreaming of this day since I was a little girl." Luna responded.
She was dressed in a lovely white gown, that matched the snowy landscape. Her hair was done up, and for one, she allowed her fellow mates to doll her up with some make-up, accepting that it was a special occasion.
"Ready, I zink zey are about to start?" Fleur questioned.
"Absolutely." Luna replied, and like that, a knock was heard at the door.
Soon the ceremony had commenced. Much like with the previous weddings, Luna and Riley both walked down the aisle together, and met before a goblin, thought a special note for this wedding was Riley wearing a white dress, so that she and Luna were matching.
The goblin began the ceremony with a few chants in his native tongue, before calling upon magic to see the two of them wed.
Riley and Luna spent the entirety of the time, lost in each other's eyes. Neither one able to lose the smile they carried.
Finally, it came time to speak their vows and place the rings on each other's fingers.
Riley went first, taking Luna's hand and placing the ring upon it. It was a silver band, with a moon shaped design, and inlaid in it was a pale blue gem, that carried a drop of Riley's blood within it.
As she placed it upon Luna's finger, she spoke her vow.
"Luna, my love. From the moment we met, I knew you were special. Never in my life have I had the chance to know someone so unique, so varied, so vibrant as you are. You were my friend first, but you always had a special place in my heart, as if we were meant to be something more. When I fell in love with you, I fell hard and fast. I loved everything about you, and more than that, I wanted to spend every waking moment with you. I don't need to look forward to see that where we're going will be full of life and love. I know, so long as we stick together, we'll always be happy. I love you, Luna Lovegood, now, and forever." Riley expressed, her words, earning soft tears from Luna, as her smile never broke.
It was then Luna's turn to place her ring on Riley's finger, where it would sit for the duration of the wedding and honeymoon, and then Riley would use her magic to fuse it to the other rings she kept from her other five wives.
"Riley… what is there to say? I've never hidden what I felt in my heart for you. I've loved you from the moment I saw you. I will never forget the day we first met. How you protected me from bullies without a second thought or an ounce of hesitation. It was in that moment I knew I'd love you forever. You give me the strength to be better than I ever thought I could be. You make me happy, even on the darkest of days. I know our future will have its turmoil, but I also know that there's nothing we can't do, if we do it together. You are my heart, and soul, Riley. I have counted the second till this day, and I'm so happy to finally call you, my wife." Luna said to her as she finished placing her ring.
The two lovers pressed their foreheads together as the goblin continued with the ceremony, once more calling upon magic to see them wed.
Just as it had before, magic rose out of the two. Riley's red and black, and Luna's every color imaginable.
The two magics melded together and then quickly settled into one another.
With that, the marriage bond was made. The goblin instructed them to trigger the bond with a kiss, and then seal with an act of true love.
Without any more prompt the two sunk into a kiss as cheer rose up from the crowd of onlookers.
The seeress and the demoness were finally wed, and with that bond came a greater partnership. They would face the coming darkness together and find a way to deal with their troublesome daughter.
As both had claimed, together, nothing could stop them.
-To Be Continued-
Alrighty boys and girls, hope you enjoyed, got some things cleared up, got Riley, Luna, and Elizabeth on the same team now, and Riley's finally got a way to trust everyone again. One downside of having so many powers and abilities is sometimes because you don't need to use it at all, you forget you even have it. Definitely a benefit to have in hindsight, I'm sure Riley is happy about it. Hope you liked it, and looking forward to seeing you in the next chapter.