A/N: Welcome to the latest edition of "Heart, Soul, and Mind". Today...is the encounter we've all been waiting to dread. Our encounter with...Ol Scratch himself. What does he have in store for us and will we survive? Stay tuned to find out!
(Normal P.O.V)
"Mmm-hmm?"
Katie was the first to open her eyes as she slowly got up, rubbing her head.
"Ohh… ugh, my head…" she moaned, brushing back her fringe.
She then noticed that her crystal blue cold shoulder jacket had somehow been removed and was draped over her body like a makeshift blanket. Confused, she takes her jacket and places it back on, readjusting her hood and dusting her sleeves.
Just as she did, she heard a soft moan.
"Ugh, that smarts…"
Katie turned around to find Natty also there with her, also starting to sit up.
"Feels like I got hit by a truck...maybe two…"
"Nat?" Katie gasped.
"Kate!" Natty exclaimed, hugging Kate. "Oh my gosh! I was so worried! Are you okay?"
Before Katie could answer, the girls heard another groan, followed by gentle snoring. It was Lexie, still asleep and bundling herself with her denim jacket.
"Lexie!"
Katie rushed to shake Lexie awake, but she was not stirring, still snoring.
"Lexie! Wake up!" Natty replied, shaking the blonde gently.
"Mom…it's too early…" Lexie whined. "Gimme five minutes…"
Katie rolled her eyes. "Lex, come on! Wake up!"
Lexie turned to the side, like she was trying to go back to sleep.
"Alexis Luthor! Wake up!" Natty shouted, shaking her a bit harder.
Finally, Lexie started opening her eyes, stretching her arms as she turned to face Natty.
"Huh…? Nat? Kate? What's goin' on?"
Before Natty could give an answer, suddenly the two heard Katie gasp in fear.
"G-guys… I-I don't want to alarm you but… I think we're… we're in the Devil's throne room!"
Lexie's eyes suddenly bulged as she yelled, "Wait, WHAT?!"
Natty looked around and jumped, a bit startled. "Oh jeez! Whoa, it looks so different in person…"
Lexie decided to take in her surroundings. She noticed that she, Katie and Natty were in some sort of large, circular hollow in the floor, filled up to the brim with piles and piles of reddish purple pillows. The hollow was no deeper than a swimming pool and was large and wide enough to fit up to 6-7 people or perhaps even a dragon to curl up in.
The pillow pit the girls were sleeping in was new, but the white marble pillars with granite floors, and the huge windows which showed volcanoes and a blood red sky? Yep, this was definitely Ol' Scratch's throne room.
"Wait…" Lexie thought. "If this is the Devil's throne room…oh, no."
On a hunch, the "I have a bad feeling" kind, Lexie looked up…and saw him.
"Uhhh…Nat? P-Please tell me you have a B-Bible on you?" Lexie stammered.
"Uh, the only one I have is in my suitcase in the hotel." Natty replied. "Why?"
Lexie frantically pointed upward as she shivered, "Cause we've got a 50 foot DEMON PROBLEM!"
Before Natty could respond, suddenly, a deep sickening voice asked:
"Well, well, well, I trust you ladies had a pleasant rest?"
Katie gasped in horror while Lexie and Natty were absolutely freaking out.
"Oh, sweet mother of baby Jesus he's real!" Natty gasped, realizing she figured out Lex's question.
"Natty! We're Christians!" Lexie exclaimed. "We knew he was real the WHOLE TIME!"
Natty rolled her eyes. Lex always did take things a little too literally, especially taking things out of context.
"I knew he was real! I just didn't think we'd meet him like this!" She protested.
Lexie raised her shaking hand up in defense, "Okay, okay, fair point…"
Katie, on the other hand, was practically shaking with fear. Seeing the Devil in his normal height was one thing, but seeing him the size of the Empire State building was even more terrifying. She, Lexie and Natty were practically the size of mice in comparison to him!
"How do you ladies like the little pillow pit I've made for the three of you? Took a few imps to gather the softest and comfiest pillows in all of Inkwell Hell. One might be tempted to snuggle into a blissful sleep for hours." The Devil cooed, leering down at them.
Natty gulped and whispered to Lexie, "Was that rhetorical or was he looking for an answer?"
"I have no clue…" Lexie replied.
Katie was unable to answer herself as she simply stared up at the grinning behemoth of a demon towering over her and her friends.
Gathering the courage to finally say something, Lexie replied, "Ummm…it's decent, I guess. Look, no disrespect, but w-we're kinda freakin' out right now, so if y-you could, um, tell us why you've brought us here...that'd be cool, thanks."
"Yes… What do you want from us?" Katie finally squeaked out.
"Oh, I just want the three of you to be comfy, and I'm just asking for a very friendly chat, nothing too hard to do." The Devil replied. "Now, how about I get a good look at the three of you?"
Then, using his pitchfork, he levitated the three girls from the pillow pit and placed them gently on the red carpet of his throne room.
"Whoa! That-that felt weird…" Natty stated, keeping balance.
"Duudeee….what the crap is going on right now…?" Lexie muttered with a whimper.
Big sister instincts kicking in, Katie encircled her arms around both Lexie and Natty, wrapping them in a protective hug while also trembling.
The Devil then stepped off his throne and shrunk down to his normal height. It wasn't exactly 'normal' since he was still taller than the three girls as he approached them.
He then began to circle around them, inspecting each aspect of them; their hair and their attires. He then grabbed each girl by the wrist one at a time, counting each of their fingers with the tip of his tail, cupping their jawline to inspect their faces and finally gazing into their eyes.
Once that freaky thing was over, Lexie inquired, "Uhhh…am I the only one that finds this a little creepy…?"
Katie nervously darted her eyes to Lexie as she asked, "What is?"
"The way he's just…examining us like statues in a museum?"
"No, I'm 100% with you on this one." Natty replied. "And like I said in my story, he is someone I really don't wanna meet in a dark alley."
"Yeah… I definitely wouldn't want to meet someone like that in such a place…" Katie whimpered. "Especially in the darkest of nights…"
"Me neither…" Lexie gulped. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight…"
"You seem a bit jumpy today, Lexie." The Devil claimed. "Something on your mind?"
"Uh, yeah actually. What's the deal with you gawking at us like we're in America's Top Model or something? I get we're human, but we can't be THAT interesting to look at."
Lexie suddenly flinched, realizing something.
"And how'd you know my name?!"
"Well, I do have to say that Dice was right about you; you really are one to take command." The Devil sneered.
"Okay, now this is getting freaky and annoying." Lexie deadpanned. "What do you want from us?"
"Yeah, we're just ordinary people who wanted to spend a week together in New York." Natty added. "What could you possibly want from us?"
"Believe it or not, you three are needed for something special, nothing too difficult for you to handle." The Devil replied. "And I know so much more than just your names. I know everything about you."
Natty arches an eyebrow as she deadpanned, "Uhhh…okay? Stalker much?"
Lexie nodded vehemently as she remarked, "Oh yeah, EXTREMELY stalker-ish…"
The Devil chuckled. "Amusing, Miss Natty. I do see a sassy side to you, that is without a doubt. But I can't help but wonder, was it because of something you picked up along the way, or was it because of the experiences you had...such as having trust issues?"
Natty felt a cold shiver go down her spine.
"W-what?!"
He took a puff of his cigar and blew out smoke but to their surprise, it created the image of a little girl, watching sadly as a few other girls walked away from her, laughing and giggling. These laugh weren't happy ones. They were vile and unfriendly.
"You see Natty, you had a good childhood; loving parents, good community, great schooling, all good things. However, you were often alone in life. You tried to be friends with people, but they knew how to get you on your bad side." The Devil mentioned. "They would make fun of you, accuse you of things you never did, pretended to be your friend, saying they'd care and accept you, only to leave you in the dust."
The image changed to Natty as a young child, surrounded by others, who were pointing and laughing at her, while she sobbed, and no one helping her. She then heard the sounds of people shouting at her, blaming her for losing a kickball game, or a bad grade in a group project.
"This went on for six long years. And your mother, your loving mother, had no clue about it until you went to high school."
Suddenly, the voice of Nat's mom entered her mind as she heard:
"I remember I was talking to a friend and she told me about how Natty was bullied in school. This was the first time I heard about any of that."
Natty squeezed her eyes shut, trying to push back the tears and ignore the horrid sounds that echoed in her mind. But the tears slid down her face and her body shook.
"Like I said, you had a decent childhood, being a bright student and friend. However, people, mainly teachers, only saw you as your brother's little sister, comparing the two of you and hoping you'd reach the same expectations as he did. They seem to favor him more than you."
Natty began hearing the voices of the many teachers that spoke about her brother, and remembering the image of his face in one of her classes, symbolizing how she would never live up to him.
"Shut up...SHUT UP!" Natty cried, tears slipping down her face.
"Why deny it? He was clearly the favorite. Whenever you got in trouble, your parents had to make this long speech about why you've screwup, but when your brother messed up, they simply told him not to do it again," the Devil pressed. "You never can reach anyone's expectations, not even your own mother's. After bombing test after test or even getting a C, your mother would roll her eyes and groan in annoyance, clearly seeing you'll never live up to anything."
"Hey, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Lexie shouted, getting in front of Natty.
"Can't you see you're upsetting her?!" Katie agreed as she took Natty into her arms while glaring at the Devil.
"I was merely stating the facts. I didn't want to leave her hanging in suspense." The Devil shrugged.
As Lexie stepped in and took a turn to hug Natty in comfort, Katie spoke up, "Don't listen to him, Nat. What he says is a load of rubbish! Your parents CARE about you and they will ALWAYS love you no matter what."
Nat nodded, still feeling her body shake and tears slipping down her face. She worked hard in the past to build good relationships with people in college and after, but hearing those painful memories certainly reopened a wound for her, one that stung very hard.
The Devil simply shrugged. "I'm simply stating the facts, Ms. Gemwing, nothing more."
Katie glared at the Devil, even angrier than she was before.
"You're a horrible monster…" She growled.
The Devil shrugged as he replied, "Eh, I've been called worse."
He then shot a smirk at Katie as he added, "I can see you have such a spirited side to you, my dear. I have to commend you on that, but seeing that has to make me think; do you do it out of the goodness of your heart, or is it because no one could protect you? Not even your own family?"
Katie's blood quickly ran cold as she stammered, "W-What…? I…I don't have a clue what you're talking about."
She lowered her head, trying not to make eye contact with the literal demon that trapped them in this prison of a throne room, but the Devil cupped her chin, tilting it up.
"Oh, really? Katie, Katie, Katie…you have such a colorful personality. Very bubbly, might I add. You also have such a creative mind and a very beautiful sense of imagination. Yet…neither of those qualities wasn't enough for your friends..family…even your stepfather."
Katie gasped…how on earth did he know about all this? She could barely formulate a response before the Devil blew cigar smoke in the air once again, this time showing a smoky silhouette of herself, arguing with what appeared to be an older man. It quickly became apparent that this was her and her stepfather…in a big fight.
"You see, my darling Katie." The Devil started, "You've tried to be a good daughter and loving sister, but yet they always see you as the middle child and your step daddy didn't seem to accept you because of your condition."
Katie felt tears starting to well up in her eyes as a silhouette of an older woman approached her stepfather, standing beside him as the smoky vision of herself collapsed onto her knees, crying.
"When your dear big sister and younger half-sister had left the nest to lead their own lives, you were the only one behind to do whatever you can to help, but it's never good enough for him, is it?" The Devil questioned. "He always sees and thinks of you as a burden who can't do anything right, doesn't he? He'd just shouts and reprimand you over the smallest of things and honest mistakes. And even when you were down your own mother chose him over you."
Seeing Katie flinching uncomfortably, Lexie quickly enveloped her arms around her in a protective hug.
"Dang… Katie, I'm so sorry." Lexie empathized.
The vision soon turned into visions of other children and teenagers, picking on a younger Katie while the teachers just passed by her, apathetic and indifferent.
"No one was there, no one at school. In fact you had no help from teachers to defend you from the bullies that cornered you, trapping you in their cage to prey and be devoured," the Devil continued. "You wanted to escape that reality, your love for adventure and books wanted to bring you joy, happiness…acceptance."
Suddenly, the image of the bullies turned into demonic hyenas. They slowly closed in on the terrified silhouette of the younger Katie, obviously intending to devour her as they ominously laughed like the hyenas from The Lion King as they all turned on Scar when he attempted to use them as scapegoats to save his own skin from Simba's avenging wrath. Snarling, the demon hyenas all lunged for her as she screamed.
"NO!" Katie cried in tandem with the screaming silhouette of herself as the smoky vision evaporated into oblivion. She broke down crying as she hugged Lexie tighter, the latter glaring up at the Devil.
"Devil, that's ENOUGH!" Lexie raged. "You leave her alone!"
Ignoring Lexie, the Devil levitated her, shoving her out of the way as he again tilted Katie's chin with a claw, giving her a 'sympathetic' look.
"Why must you deny it, my sweet?" He crooned. "People loved preying on you even in your weakest moments, bringing them more power to break you down. Because to them, you were an easy, vulnerable, target…"
Katie could only stare back, a frightened sob trapped in her throat as her tear-filled blue eyes were forced to lock with the Devil's cold yellow ones, which regarded her with a particular look.
One that, thanks to King Dice, Lexie was all too familiar with.
Gaping her mouth, Lexie gnashed her teeth as she stormed over to the Devil, smacking his hand off Katie's chin. Hard.
"I said. Leave. Her. ALONE!" Lexie snarled. "You have NO right to treat ANY of my friends like that! How DARE you?!"
The Devil smirked as he snickered, "My my, always trying to be the protective one around here, Lexie? How cute."
He then took a puff of the cigar smoke…and blew right toward Katie, some of it also hitting Lexie. Both girls coughed violently while Natty immediately gasped and glared at the Devil.
"Hey! Not cool!" She shouted.
Thinking fast, Lexie took off her jacket and did her best to fan the smoke away from Katie, but in the process, it scattered toward her own body. So much so that she collapsed to her knees…wheezing and coughing badly.
"Lexie!" Katie exclaimed. "Are you okay?!"
"What's wrong?!" Natty added, also worried.
"My..My ASTHMA!" Lexie wheezed. "The SMOKE!"
To both Katie and Natty, it was obvious; the Devil's cigar smoke was causing Lexie's asthma to skyrocket.
"Oh jeez! She's having an asthma attack!" Natty exclaimed. "Lexie, quick! Your inhaler!"
Lexie frantically reached into her jean pocket and grabbed her inhaler, taking a few seconds to breathe in the medicine before exhaling back out.
"Easy Lex, easy…" Natty soothed a panting Lexie, rubbing her back. "We're here, take a second…"
"Are you alright?" Katie asked in concern, kneeling next to Lexie.
"Yeah…I'm fine now…thank you." Lexie replied, recovering her breathing.
Natty glared hatefully at the Devil, shouting, "You FREAK! What was that for?! You could've killed her with that stuff!"
"Sorry, but she got in the way." The Devil shrugged. "I do love it when Katie gives out that cute little cough though. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside…"
All three girls recoiled in disgust at that remark…none more so than Lexie.
"That's IT!" Lexie shouted. "I've had it with you and your DISGUSTING comments! How 'bout you let us go before I sic Holy Spirit ALL over your nasty BUTT!"
"I gotta admit, Lexie, I'm impressed with your valor. From what I gathered from my manager, you definitely have a tough act going on."
"This ain't an act, jerk! That's 100% Lexie Luthor, and don't you FORGET IT!"
"Oh come now, even the toughest of mortals have their weak spot. Something that makes them squirm more than anything else. Where did your brave face come from I wonder? Perhaps…one too many toxic jobs and broken relationships…?"
Lexie froze as she uttered, "W-what…?"
She could barely finish her sentence before the Devil took his cigar, blew some smoke in the air, and it turned into…silhouettes. Visions of her past experiences with rude customers and toxic bosses were coming at her all at once.
"You're a pretty hard worker, not gonna lie, seeing as you try your best in your jobs, but for you it was one bad experience from the next; demanding bosses, rude co-workers who liked to toy with ya, being talked about behind your back." The Devil explained. "You wanted to be someone independent, strong and that can hold their ground, but people didn't see that in you. All they saw was your...condition."
Lexie gasped while shuddering, "W-what are you-?!"
"As a small toddler, you were diagnosed with autism." He continued. "Not only that, but your family's medical history came with a cocktail of other issues as well. One of them being, your skin."
The smoke swirled while it turned into a vision of a small little girl, begging for children to play with her. However, the other children turned her away, leaving the girl alone. To Lexie's horror…that little girl was her.
"It didn't matter if you were, at school, or at church…your peers not only isolated you, but treated you like dirt…"
Lexie flinched as she heard the voices of her former classmates…insulting her.
"What are YOU looking at, Miss Disease Girl?!"
"Ew, stay away! You're stupid, you're dumb and you're UGLY!
"Why are you such a crybaby?! NOBODY LIKES YOU!"
Lexie covered her ears. No…she didn't want to relive this part of her life again.
"Lex, I-I am so sorry about that…" Natty piped up, rubbing Lexie's back gently.
"Me, too…" Katie sadly added.
"Oh, but this…this was only the tip of the iceberg for you, wasn't it, Lexie?" The Devil sneered.
The smoke swirled again, this time showing Lexie as a baby, with her parents while they consulted with doctors.
"Your loving family even tried to seek help for your condition, spending thousands and thousands to help fix this, but did it do anything? No."
Natty and Katie gripped a shaking Lexie even tighter, glaring at the monster who dared to bully her about her past. But the Devil didn't care. He had everything on the so-called "tough blonde" that he needed; he just needed her to crack.
"And all those doctors? Those whom you and your family trusted to keep you safe and healthy? They lied to you, saying their medicine was gonna keep you healthy…when it was the very thing that caused your health to decline in the first place. They betrayed you."
He circled around the girls again, eyeing Lexie while she hugged the others tighter.
"So all those years of being bullied, alone, and humiliated…was all because of the greed and selfishness of others."
"Stop…STOP!" Lexie cried, closing her eyes tighter.
"Why deny it? They are your memories, aren't they? Or is there another reason you're looking away?"
The Devil stopped and leaned a bit close to Lexie, smirking, "Even now…you're building a wall around yourself, closing yourself off. Because you're afraid. Afraid that your friends will leave you…and of being taken advantage of again."
Lexie was forming tears at this point…not because he was wrong…but rather he was right. She had been hurt so many times, she was afraid to open herself up again. On top of that, she was afraid Liam, Natty, or even Katie would leave her and never come back.
"Stop it! Leave her alone, Devil!" Katie screamed.
"Yeah! That's ENOUGH! You better stop now if you know what's good for ya!" Natty added. "Was this supposed to be a good conversation or were you just looking to hurt us?"
"Again, just merely stating the facts." The Devil responded. "I do have to admit, I pity the three of you. You want to make the world a better place yet people reject you and hurt you."
There was a pause before he responded:
"As I stated before, the three of you are special and have the abilities to hold great power! Besides, aren't you three sick and tired of being pushed around, ignored for trying your best and hurt when you want to bring justice to situations? Wouldn't it be great instead to show those who doubted you that you can do more than you could imagine?"
Lexie rolled her eyes in annoyance.
""Great power"? What do I look like? Spider Man?" Then in a mocking tone she recited; "With great power, comes great kissing up to Satan."
Natty held back a giggle. Despite the situation they were in, Lexie seemed to find a way to be sassy and snarky, even to the King of the Underworld himself.
Kate decided to actually respond to his question by sternly replying:
"And to answer your question, no. I know there are some people who have hurt me in the past but I can never bring myself to do the same thing to them! I'm NOTHING like them! I refuse to be an even bigger bully by siding with such a loathsome old demon like you!"
"Joking aside, I'm with Katie here. I'm not gonna bring myself to the same level as the people that hurt me. And I DON'T SERVE FALSE GODS!" Lexie added.
"That goes double for me! I'm not one to hurt others! Unlike you!" Natty chimed in.
"And I know I get into some fights with my stepdad and he can be a stubborn mule at times, but he's still a human with faults and he cares for my mum!" Katie added. "We all have our flaws, but we also have some redeeming qualities! Unlike you!"
"And as mentioned, I have a family and boyfriend that care about me. That's good enough for me!"
The Devil was quite surprised by this turnabout. Usually at this point, the victim would submit to his will and that would be the end of that. These three, however, they were something. They didn't break so easily and were very stubborn.
But then again, he did like a challenge.
"Interesting. The three of you seem pretty confident in yourselves, and despite what you each have gone through, you refuse to bring yourselves to hurt others." The Devil mentioned. "I can see I'm going to have an interesting time making you all agree to my terms."
"Have fun, you muppet crackhead, cause we ain't giving in!" Lexie shouted.
Kate felt a shiver go up her spine as she asked, "W-what do you mean?"
"These powers you have, you don't know how to use them or even how to make them come alive. I could train each of you to unleash your powers." The Devil commented.
Once more, Lexie rolled her eyes.
"Oh boy, here it comes guys...the 'join me at the dark side, and I'll complete your training' line."
To the Devil she asked in a mocking tone, "What's next, you're gonna be like 'Lexie, I'm your father'?"
That made Natty giggle.
"Nice one, Lex." She smiled.
"And maybe as a cherry on top he'll offer us free cookies with entry!" Lexie added laughing.
That made Natty burst out laughing, especially since she's heard a similar reference like that back home.
As the two laughed, Katie arched an eyebrow, a bit confused
"What are you referring to?" She asked.
"Oh come on, you haven't seen Star Wars?" Natty asked. "Man, I may not be obsessed with Star Wars like my brother, but at least I know that reference as well as that joke."
"If we live through this, we're so showing you those movies. They're iconic." Lexie mentioned to Katie.
"Please do." Natty stated. While the two found that funny, the Devil did not.
There was an awkward silence while the Devil smirked at Lexie and Natty. The two looked at each other feeling uneasy.
"Erm...that was a joke. You can mock my bad joke now." Lex sheepishly responded to the Devil, hoping he would make some kind of response.
However, he didn't.
Suddenly, Natty began to have a very horrible feeling. Seeing the look on his face, she realized something.
"Uh Lex, I think he might be serious about that last comment you made." She whispered to Lex.
Lexie arched an eyebrow at Natty, looking a bit confused at the comment she stated. After a bit, she began to let that sink in, and then it hit her.
"No way…You're serious?!" She cried.
"Very serious. In all fairness, I was originally going to have you and Natty serve me as my general and sorceress, but I decided to change directions." The Devil announced. "The two of you will be adopted as my children and Katie will be my bride."
Katie felt her blood go cold.
"Wait… WHAT?! Your BRIDE?!" She screamed.
"Oh my GOD! " Lexie shouted. "That was SARCASM! Are you INSANE?!"
"Argh! No way would I agree to that! Besides, I already have a family; two parents and a brother! You of all people would make a TERRIBLE father!" Natty protested. "And Kate can't marry you! She's far too young for you!"
"Never saw age as an issue," the Devil shrugged, which caused the three girls to give themselves a face palm.
"Wow, and I thought Dice was delusional." Natty muttered.
Lexie turned to Nat, whispering, "Man, that must be some good stuff in that cigar he's smokin'..."
Kate then argued, "B-but Lexie and Natty can't be my daughters! I'm only 9-10 years older than them! I'd be old enough to be their sister!"
"Yeah, and you can't adopt GROWN WOMEN, ya moron!" Lex shouted.
That caused Nat to giggle again. She didn't know how Lexie was brave enough to state something like that to the Devil of all people, but she was glad she knew how to.
"She makes a very STRONG and VALID point." Katie claimed.
"Kate, THANK YOU!" Lexie sighed.
"No problem."
"Why not? After all, Ms. Luthor, you of all people don't have any siblings unlike Natty and Katie," the Devil mentioned. "Wouldn't you like to have a little sister to look out for? Considering she's practically the baby of the family?"
Natty grimaced at that comment. People never saw her as the 'baby of the family' but this was just insulting.
"EXCUSE ME?! I am NOT a baby! I am 23 years old THANK YOU!" Natty shouted.
"First of all, Natty is a grown adult! And, yes I would like siblings, but NOT LIKE THIS!" Lexie shouted, gesturing to Natty.
"And I might be old enough to marry, but I'm not ready for that sort of commitment! And I would NEVER marry a cruel, heartless, soulless old monster like YOU!" Katie snapped.
"Sorry pal, but I'm taking a VERY hard pass on joining your creepy family." Natty protested. "Besides, don't you have female demons around here? One of which you might be interested in? That's not Kate? And who's not a human?"
"I bet they're real "hot" down there.." Lexie giggled.
Nat gave herself a face palm, groaning.
"Lex...really not the time for jokes."
Lexie shrugged sheepishly before snapping at the Devil, "Most of all pal, I have TWO fathers back HOME! One's on earth, the other is in HEAVEN! Ya know, GOD!"
That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Suddenly, the Devil's smirk turned into a frown and began gritting his teeth, his eyes turning blazing red. Then he shouted:
"Really? HOW IS HE DIFFERENT FROM ME ANYWAY!? Do you have ANY clue on what He put me through?!"
That caused the girls to jump a bit, startled by his outrage. Seeing him snarky and slimy was one thing, but seeing him angry was something no one wanted to see.
"Oh jeez, he's ticked." Natty shuddered, as the girls huddled together.
"You're telling me," Katie trembled. "He's actually even scarier when he's angry…"
Lexie, who wasn't a bit afraid, continued by shouting,
"PLEASE! You had EVERYTHING HANDED TO YOU! A position of power, a loving family, a purpose! But you THREW it all away! Why? You wanted what DIDN'T BELONG to you! His throne!"
The Devil was now seeing red at this point and both Natty and Katie were beginning to get worried on how he'll respond to that.
Survey says; not good.
Natty pulled Lexie aside and replied to her in a shaking voice, "Lex... ya may wanna stop, he looks pretty ticked off…"
Lexie wanted to snap back at him, but seeing the look on Katie's and Natty's faces said otherwise. She stopped and took a deep breath.
"Fine. I'll lay off. I said what I needed to." She grumbled.
The Devil pondered for a second. He knew he couldn't persuade them so easily, that was certain, but giving up was not an option for him.
"Perhaps the three of you need a better change of perspective. Something that can help you open your eyes to something new." He claimed.
Lexie rolled her eyes as she muttered under her breath, "Probably more 'Father of the Lie' bullcrap-!"
Out of nowhere, all three girls heard ominous music. Something familiar. A confused Lexie looked all over the throne room, but there was no ensemble or anything that could possibly produce music.
"Uh…where's that music coming from?"
"Oh no don't tell me he's…" Natty started.
"Singing? Yes, he is." Katie groaned, having experienced this before, but is dismayed it was the Devil's turn.
Of course, no ultimate Disney experience would be complete without the good ol' fashioned…villain song!
*New Song: Open Up Your Eyes by Emily Blunt from My Little Pony: The Movie*
Devil: (caresses his pitchfork) It's time you learned a lesson. It's time that you understand…
*He then teleports, leaving the three girls confused before reappearing behind them, which startles them. *
Devil: Don't ever count on anybody else…on Earth or any other land.
*He then held out a hand, and it revealed a fiery image of an angel...himself.
Devil: I once hoped for friendship…to find a place among my kind.
*The angel appeared to be arguing, gesturing to below him, but a huge hand revealed itself (presumably God) pointing scoldingly at him.*
Devil: But those were the childish wishes…(angrily crushes the flaming vision of God) of someone who was blind.
*Lexie rolls her eyes, glaring hatefully at the Devil while he circled around the three girls. To her, it was obvious the Devil was playing the victim card.*
Devil: Open up your eyes! See the world from where I stand!
*Spotting Lexie glaring at him in disgust, the Devil stopped right in front of her, leaning down to her eye level before contorting his face into his dragon form.*
Devil: Me among the mighty, (sneers at Lexie)...You caged at my command
*A horrified Katie gasps in fright as the Devil transforms into his serpent-like dragon form as he looms over her, Lexie and Natty with an evil toothy grin, his coils forming a wall around them.*
Devil: Open up your eyes…give up your sweet fantasyland
*The coils slowly close in on the three until it wrapped around them, tying them together.*
Devil: It's time to grow up and get wise
*Katie was beyond terrified as the Devil lifted her and her friends up to his eye level.*
Come now, little ones
Open up your eyes
*For some reason, the Devil looms his head toward Lexie and Natty, forcing them to look into his eyes, the pupils starting to form shapes of his angelic self.*
Devil: We all start out the same
With simple naive trust
*His pupils revealed his time as a covering cherub, looking down on Earth. His job was to supervise Adam and Eve while they were cultivating the Earth.*
Devil: Shielded from the many ways
That life's not fair or just
*The Devil lets the girls down to reveal his next set, which revealed this angel "trying to reason" with God (presumably about mankind's potential for more) and God "dismissing" him.*
Devil: But then there comes a moment
A simple truth that you all must face
*The instrumental plays while the angry angel looks down and saw Eve, wandering close to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. Seeing his opportunity to prove himself right, he possesses a nearby serpent and talks with her, causing her and later Adam to partake of the fruit.*
Devil; If you depend on others
You'll never find your place
*The final set of vision was one of a hand, God, who was angrily driving Adam and Eve out of Eden while the "devastated" angel was reprimanded in front of legions of angels, thus humiliating him.*
Devil: And as you took that first step
Upon a path that's all your own
*Lexie's glare melted into a horrified look as the angel's beautiful form turned into a bloodthirsty, vicious beast...the Devil.*
Devil: You will see it all so clearly
The best way to survive is all alone
*He backs the three of them toward the foot of the throne, while they're huddling each other with horror.*
Devil: Open up your eyes
And see the world from where I stand
*The girls' backs hit the throne while the Devil looms over all three of them. At some point he leans down and lifts Katie's chin briefly before letting go, twirling his pitchfork like a bo staff.*
Devil: Me among the mighty
You caged at my command
*He suddenly turns giant, grabbing the startled humans in his fist.*
Lexie: (thinking) "Oh, sweet Lord Baby Jesus!"
Nat: (trembling with fear)
Katie: (panicking) "Let go of us! Put us down!"
Devil: Open up your eyes
And behold the fading light
*He lifts the girls to his eye again, and it reveals a teardrop-shaped crystal, a butterfly, and a star.*
Devil: It's time to grow up and get wise
*A cleave then appears and slices them all up, as an implied threat.*
Come now, little ones
Open up your eyes
Open up your eyes!!
* End of Song *
By the time the song ended, he had them in his enormous claw and leered down towards them.
"I hope I made that message very, very clear to you three. As much as I would like to have an answer now, I think the three of you should ponder long and hard about my offer." He stated. "I am a very patient man, but even I have limits. Refuse my offer, and there will be consequences!"
The girls were beyond terrified; Lexie was frozen in fear, Natty couldn't speak and Katie felt hot tears slip down her face, turning her head from the Devil.
The Devil then gently began to wipe away Katie's tears before parting a bit of her hair with the tip of his claw as he purred, "Now now, my sweet little Katie, no harm will come to you or your friends as long as you cooperate with me. Besides, not a hair on your pretty little head will be harmed."
Lexie could practically hear Katie whimpering and she felt angry because she couldn't do anything to stop him. He was enjoying this too much.
"I want so bad to punch him for doing that to Katie, but I'm too terrified to do anything." Lexie thought to herself.
Mustering up courage, she snapped at him with a shaking voice; "S-Stop touching her!"
"Why? Her hair is very soft, and has the lovely scent of coconut." The Devil commented with a wicked grin on his face. He returned his focus back onto a petrified Katie as he asked, "Tell me, my love, do you shower with that scent? It fits you quite well."
Lexie groaned in annoyance. "Aaannd there's goes the lunch I had earlier…"
"Ugh, same." Natty added, rolling her eyes.
Katie at this point was shivering with fear, as the Devil continued to part her hair. Lexie felt terrible, wishing she could help her out. She squirmed a bit trying to pry her arms free, but between his grip and being squashed next to Natty, she couldn't.
Just then, the Devil mentioned;
"Well, I think it's best for the three of you to think long and hard in the dungeon." He then stood up, struck his pitchfork on the ground and teleported all of them to a large holding cell with a small wooden bench and a sleeping cot.
The girls were shocked to see him in his normal size, as they were wrapped in his arm, as he gently placed them on the large sleeping cot. Before heading to the door, he warned them;
"As I stated before, I would think long and hard about this. But know this; with Katie due to be my bride, no harm is to come to her. I can't say the same about you, Lexie and Natty. Until then, farewell."
He then slammed the door shut and locked it, leaving the girls alone in the cell.
They sat in complete silence for about ten minutes or so, trying to process all that happened. Lexie was the first to break the silence by asking in a shaking voice;
"W-what just happened?"
"I'm still trying to process the entire thing, but he is dead serious about getting us." Natty replied, her throat feeling tight.
Then, Katie placed her hands on her face and began to sob hard, which startled both girls.
"Kate!" Lex jumped, hugging her. "Shhhh...it's gonna be okay, Katie."
"Oh, Katie," Nat sadly sighed as she hugged her as well. "Oh, it's okay, we're here."
"Th-this is a nightmare! Why can't he just he leave us alone?" Katie wailed, her body shaking violently.
Lexie and Natty couldn't blame her, especially with all that happened. She was practically at his complete mercy in his grip. They were all the size of a mouse compared to his large tom cat size.
But despite all that, Lexie refused to let the Devil win, especially now. Gaining back her confidence, she replied;
"He's an overgrown psychopath with a severe case of "Daddy Issue Syndrome". He's trying to break us, Kate."
"True, but we're stronger than that." Natty added. "I'm not going to let that freak show get the best of us just because he says so. He can't have any of us."
"Nat's right. And you know who's stronger than him? God! He'll get us through this, I promise." Lexie replied.
Katie looked up at Lexie with sad eyes, seeing the determination she had, regardless of their situation.
Taking a deep breath, she agreed, "You're right. We can't sit around here and cry. We need to think of a way out of here."
"Right! Besides, we're three intelligent women who can overcome anything!" Natty reminded them.
"And we have God, Jesus and plenty of angels with us. Like the Bible says, 'There are more with us than against us'." Lexie recited.
Katie wiped her tears and smiled. She was lucky to have two best friends who remained strong and confident, no matter what life threw at them. They can get out of this situation and they can overcome everything!
Natty then paused and reminded them;
"But we have to be careful about our escape plan. He's got eyes and ears everywhere and can easily get us if we're not careful."
The girls nodded. Getting into the casino was one thing but getting out was a whole different playing field. With an entire staff at hand, not to mention his good for nothing lackey and his goons, the odds were not in their favor.
But no matter what, they had to escape and get as far away as possible.
A/N: Whoa, that was a wild ride! Not only does the Devil want to marry Katie, but wants me and Natty as...daughters. How ever are we gonna cope with this strange (but also creepy) turn of events? Stay tuned to the next chapter of "Heart, Soul and Mind"!