#His actual wife was murdered because she stood up to a powerful and cruel monster in defense of an innocent

[wiseabsol]

Potentially heartwarming Dracula: The Danse Macabre thought: Dracula will now get to experience the sunrise and the day-lit world again for the first time in centuries, thanks to his connection with Mina. Also, if she saw him in her mirror, staring back at her, does that mean he too gets to see himself for the first time in centuries through her eyes?

[tokoyamisstuff]

Betrothred Ch. 1 - Illumi Zoldyck x Reader

Chapter 1: Bride

Summary: After making your choice, there’s no going back from it.

Warnings: Blood, Murder, Threats, Angst

Words: 2390

Story Masterlist

A/N: This first chapter is kinda angsty but it gets better, I swear!

Today is the day.

Even though only mere hours would separate you from becoming a part of the Zoldyck family, the whole situation still felt very much surreal to you.

To be invited and welcomned on their property was one of the greatest honor of all, but to be considered a fitting consort for their eldest son was just unimaginable.

One of the butlers was harshly braiding your hair, trying to get it in a position you’d usually never wear. Another one would be working on your make-up, something you’d usually find unnecessary considering your profession.

Why would an assassin care for their physical appearance anyway? Well, all of this was probably part of some kind of tradition or ritual.

No matter how roughly they were tearing and tugging on you, trying to modify your body until you wouldn’t even recognize yourself in the mirror, you’d take their invasion of your personal space in a calm demeanour.

Because that’s how you were raised.

Obey, endure and function.

Your bloodline had a long history of both feared and powerful Head Hunters, for decaded being third place of all known assassin families - with the Zoldycks claiming the indisputable top.

Torture, poison and death were your fellow comrades throughout your whole youth, even though there were limits:

Only the most promising children would be chosen to become Head Hunters. The others were free to choose their way as they wished.

Your upbringing was strict, yet loving. And it was forbidden to break your free will. Serving the family should be an honor, not a burden.

Other than the Zoldycks, your family believed that emotions could become the surce of strenght.

There were other moral standarts: Murdering children was off limits, for example.

And your ‘carreer’ was just about to begin when it took this unexcpected turn.

You had met your soon-to-be-husband after finally completing your formal training, now allowed to take on the Hunter Exam.

Already accustomed to the basics of Nen, it was easy for you to see behind the disguise of the man calling himself Gittarackur.

At first being rather passive, even as the two of you completed the Trick Tower together, he soon stated to be impressed by your exceptional strenght and capability.

Truth be spoken, you always thought yourself to be mediocre at best. So that sudden compliment hit you off guard, especially after he casually revealed his true identity and heritage.

Immediately after the exam, you gathered all of your courage and asked Illumi to teach you in the ways of a true assassin - so you could grow and become the next leader of your clan.

And much to your surprise, he instantly accepted, not even wanting anything in return. You were useful to him and his missions, he stated. That would be enough.

After that, it wouldn’t take long until the stoic man announced that you’d make for a formidable spouse, asking your father for your hand in marriage.

Even though you weren’t quite sure if you made the right decision, his proposal alone the greatest honor for your kin and you just couldn’t disappoint them.

Illumi had always been very reserved about anything else than his work, making you doubt he was even capable of feeling anything else than the joy of killing.

Yet he was a reliable ally, both smart and strong - and admittedly very good looking. You were convinced that he wasn’t the monster most people saw in him: He had just been molded to be the perfect assassin.

And because of that, he would make for a good husband as well.

“Well, don’t you look beautiful?” The voice behind your back was Kikyo, dismissing the servants with a single gesture of her hand.

You wanted to stand up and make a curtsy as a sign of respect, yet felt her palms on your shoulder, pressing down so you’d remain in your seat.

Looking in the mirror, you saw your mother in law behind your back, her visor making it hard to read her intentions. Her aura gave it all away, though.

Illumi’s proposal surprised her just as much as yourself, and she obviously wasn’t content with it. You actually doubtet that she’d ever consider someone good enough to marry one of her children, so you didn’t take it personal.

The pressure would only help you grow.

“You’ll become the perfect partner for my son, won’t you?” Her fingernails dug deep into your flesh, but you didn’t even flinch. “Of course, honorable mother.”

“Good.” Apparently your answer didn’t calm her fury, since her fingermails only turned in the wounds they dug into your flesh. She only stopped when she realized that the blood was staining your clothes.

“I don’t expect any less from a lowlife like you are.” Seems like you should stay alerted around her. But that was no surprise, and it didn’t scare you either.

You knew what you were getting yourself into. And it was worth it.

To prove your worth, you’d go even beyond your limits.

“It’s time, Y/N.”

Up until now, you hid your emotions very well - but hearing that familiar, monotonous voice, you couldn’t help but smile.

“Illumi!” Kikyo shreeked out, “You’re not allowed to see Y/N before the ceremony!”

“Unnecessary superstition” he retorted quite unaffected, approaching both of you.

Kikyo stepped back, revealing you fully. He took in your appearance, rather observing than anything else. “Is that your blood?”

“Nothing worth mentioning.”

He grabbed your ankle, forcing you up from his seat to look at him. “How did this happen?”

You didn’t dare answering. It was not your place to drive a wedge between your fianceé and his mother, even though you highly doubtet that he would care at all.

Illumi turned around, his blank stare now directed to his mother, who defendingly put her hands into the air. “I-I was just advising-”

“No need for that” he cut her off. “I can take care of any business concerning my partner myself.”

Now she got all hysterical again, just as you got to know her. “B-but-”

“Never touch them again, or I’ll kill you.”

Kikyo relented, then having a mental breakdown for excactly 5 seconds, screams and cries filling the room.

The air had gotten incredibly thick, the unsettling atmosphere making you wish to just disappear right on spot.

“Oh, Illumi!” she exclaimed, sounding jubilant all of a sudden. “Being so cruel to your own mother...You’ve grown so much!”

What a weird fucking family.

“Show me your arms” Illumi demanded after he told his mother to be left alone, yet you flinched away.

“I apologize for having provoked an argument” you spoke all humble, “My wounds are of no concern. Don’t worry.”

“Starting today, I’m expected to take care of you. So you should obey and let me patch this up.” You sat down with a small sigh, exposing your shoulders and presenting them to him. “It would be a shame if you get scarred by something else than a honorable battle.”

Eventually you found time to appreciate your fianceé’s exterior: Illumi had his hair braided back, wearing a fully black suit with a white shirt and a bow tie.

It was the first time you ever saw him in formal wear, and it actually suited him very well.

“You’re very handsome, Lumi” you absentmindedly blurted out as you watched him bandage the wounds on your shoulder.

And Illumi would acknowledge your looks in his own way. “Your appearance is very adequate for this occasion as well.” That counts as a compliment, right?

“Glad you like it” you smiled, “But sadly the stains won’t get out. And we have no time to clean off the blood.”

Illumi swiftly helped you on your feet once again, vaguely explaining “Don’t worry. It won’t stand out after the ceremony.”

You linked arms with Illumi, who led you to the main room as you still pondered about what exactly he meant with that statement.

The celebration would be a small one, not even your own family being allowed to attend. When you entered the generously decorated hall, there were only Silva, Kikyo, Zeno, Kalluto and Milluki.

“Welcome, Y/N” Silva spoke in a way more welcoming tone than his wife earlier. You bend your head as you stood in front of the table where the family had gathered, greeting them politely before making your way to the altar.

Zeno would be the one to confirm the bond. You were actually glad that it was him, because he had already grown fond of you.

“Are you ready?” the old man wondered, noticing how you were trembling.

“Far away from it” you chuckled without doubt, adding “But I’m prepared to do anything.”

“That’s a honest but brave answer, young adult” he paised in an attempt to calm you down, then arranging both you and Illumi to stand facing each other. “And just what you need to become part of this family.”

One sign of Silva and the door swung open, a Bunch of butlers dragging in a terribly inured human.

Much to your shock, the person was not dead - not yet.

“So it begins” Illumi whispered as he saw the man wince in pain, begging for his life, and he almost cracked something like a smile.

“Wha-” Before you could even comprehend what was happening, it hit you like a brick: You were supposed to finish that person off.

That was what Illumi meant. A few blood stains on your wedding dress really were your smallest problem considering what awaited you from this day on.

“That man invaded our property with the intend to kill us” Silva explained to you, his stare bringing across his demands. “You’ll prove your loyality through ending his life.”

At that moment, you knew that you’ll disappoint them - because you were frozen in place.

You had taken and destroyed so many lives, yet always had the full information on them and could decide through your own standarts. But now?

What if it was a lie? You didn’t know that man, why he was here or if he deserved death.

Maybe he had family or came for revenge. Goddamn it, he could even be a reporter who just sneaked in to snatch a photo! Or they had presented you a completely innocent man, seeing if you were the undoubting slave they wanted to have!

Madness runs in this family, apparently.

It was a test. You knew that much. Quite fitting for someone from a family which was only rank three, known for their rather humane way of working.

“No Nen allowed” Kikyo completed the task, “No guns or similar either. You may only use your bare hands or close combat weapons.”

Yes. It was way harder, imprinting your soul to kill that direct way. How you’d deal with the situation was crucial for the outcome of this wedding. 

But were you really ready to throw all of your morality abroad just for your own sake?

“We won’t kill you if you decline the order” Illumi cut off your brooding. Was it out of sympathy? You had no idea. “You’ll be considered unfitting, but you are free to leave and no one will ever bother you again.”

“N-No” you stumbled across your own words, “I’ll do everything for the family.”

“Interesting” Zeno stated. “I never doubtet your spouse, Illumi, but I thought they'd take longer to decide.”

"I think Y/N will make for a great companion.” Silva’s wide grin streched across his face, making his eyes wrinkle a bit. “In both family and business.”

When all was said and done, Illumi grabbed a knive that was placed on the altar. “Let’s do it together, then.”

You almost felt guilty that you became flustered in a moment like this, but couldn’t help it as Illumi genuinely smiled at you, taking your hand as you took firm steps towards the enemy.

“P-Please have mercy!” the man pleaded to no avail, and determination swelled in your chest at that intense moment.

Taking someone’s life together - it would connect two people in a cruel yet beautiful way.

Whatever else could be more fitting for the marriage of two assassins? 

It would be an easy kill. He was unable to flee or fight back. Just a single strike, ending his life quick as act of mercy.

“You should’ve known better than to mess with my new family.”

Both of your hands intertwined, wrapping your fingers around the handle of the knive before thrusting it into the victim’s chest.

And then it dawned to you.

“A needleman?” you sulked, ripping out one of Illumi’s needles out of the stranger’s head, while the others broke out in boisterous laughter.

“Yeah. He was already dead” Illumi shrugged. “I know you don’t like burdening yourself with victims you didn’t choose yourself. But we needed to test you anyway. It’s a tradition.”

Was he actually respecting your boundaries?! What the-

“I like your guts!” Silva attempted to pat your back, but it felt rather like he was going to break your spine. “Sorry for our harsh methods. I know it can be a bit much at the beginning. You’ll get used to obey our rules slowly, don’t push yourself.

Even Kikyo embraced you, now almost convincing motherly. “Reminds me of my first kill for the family!”

It almost felt like those people could actually feel compassion for others. They at least had undoubtingly strong bonds with each other, even if their way of living together was rather unusual.

Stiff movements as always, Illumi placed his hand on your head, almost as if a robot was trying to mimick human interaction. “I’m proud of you. I knew I chose well.”

The rest of the ceremony was just as you expected it: No vows, no rings, no music, no kiss. Just you and Illumi hearing to whatever Zeno had to say about bringing honor and wealth to the family, bearing strong offsprings, and other things that were the exact opposite from romantic.

“Blood for blood” Zeno stated now instead of “You may now kiss”, and every family member repeated it.

You took the knife from the altar once again, cutting your palm until it drew blood without any hesitation. Illumi would now do the same, then reaching out his hand for yours to hold.

As your fluids mixed before dropping to the floor, you unsucessfully searched for any hint of emotional reaction in your husbands expressionless face.

His eyes however would never leave yours, his hand firmly squeezing yours before Zeno announced:

“Your fates are now inextricably connected.”

____

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[masked-buffoon]

Chapter 1: Preying in the dark (Part 1)

Warnings: mentions of murder, murder attempt, mentions of parricide, heavy language

Disclaimers : I do not own any of the BSD characters, only my OC and a few other ones created for the purpose of this story.

Author notes: finally, here is the first part of the first chapter, the very first introduction to my story! If you can’t wait, feel free to read it on AO3 ;)

I was cold, I was hungry, I was tired, and I was purposelessly wandering in the streets of Yokohama, looking for some place to stay. Above me, the pale full moon shone darkly, making the night all the more sinister and the silence incredibly tended. There was a lingering feeling of danger in the air which made me shiver, but I could not pay too much attention to it. Whatever were to occur, there was no place I could run to, no refuge I could seek to hide, nowhere I could go to rest. I was alone, by myself, in thrall to the unknown and unsafe world without even a light to guide my steps. I was lost.

"You don't belong there, you scum. Get out of my house! Filthy garbage!"

The last words I had heard from the man whose blood ran into my vessels still echoed in my ears. They had been the very start of my demise, but also the beginning of my freedom. Although I was starving and exhausted by precariousness, I was free from that cage, from that place where I had spent my entire childhood. I had never known more than the four walls of my bedroom. My fifteen first years had been spent recluse, curled up under the blanket of a bed with a book on the pillow. Would it not have been for literature, I would have been completely oblivious to the world. I would have naively followed that older man, the other day, who had kindly offered to welcome me. I would have stupidly been caught stealing in a supermarket. I would have dumbly sold my body to a brothel in order to survive. Really, I was fortunate to have read this much. At the very least, I was aware of the ways of the world and knew that money ruled it, supreme, powerful, creating selfishness and making parents abandon their child out of greed. I sighed slightly and let myself slump down on the cold concrete ground. I had been walking around with an empty stomach for a week. Maybe was it time for me to give up and make my way to the slums. No one could make a living in the back alleys of Yokohama, unless one sold oneself or got involved in drugs.

Exactly seven days ago, I had been chased from my family. I had had a feeling, lately, that my time would come, that these people would throw me away at any time, and I had not been wrong. In broad daylight, at around ten in the morning, the doors of the mansion had closed forever behind my shaking back, and I had been abandoned like a dog its owners did not want anymore. Like any stray animal, I had first roamed around the house, hoping it was a bad joke, hoping perhaps they would not be as heartless as to ditch their older daughter with no further thoughts. I had prayed that there was still a trace of humanity left in those monsters playing my family, but unfortunately, it was in vain. They had sent the butler, who, because he was the only one to actually care about me, had scared me off with a firearm instead of shooting at me. Treated like a nuisance, I had had no choice but to run away and escape that madness. Why had it come to such extremities? I believed it was related to the fact I had hold a revolver toward the father, aiming at his chest, out of anger. In fact, this action had triggered these events, had unraveled the morbid plans the man had been plotting. What was one supposed to do upon hearing a man delightfully boasting about disinheriting his child and sending her in the streets to her death? It had gone on for ten whole minutes, during which he had explained his wife he simply could not kill me with his own hands because it would attract the police's attention and he did not want his reputation to be ruined. I had wondered if he had thought about ruining his reputation when he had called members of the Port Mafia to sign a contract, a month ago. I had kept listening to his disgusting words. His wife had never been the active one. She could never have stood against her husband, could never have done a thing for me and had only ever been good at wearing pretty kimonos and nodding at the man's gross statement. The younger me had believed she was simply scared and did not dare going against the fat man. The younger me had believed so strongly this mother loved me, and had been deceived. Had she loved me, she would have at least tried to see me in secret. There had been plenty of opportunities to sneak inside the room, to talk to me, to take me in her arms, to kiss me and comfort me, but I had never seen her. Never, ever. These gestures, she only gave to my younger, Ruriko-chan, whose smile had never failed to soothe my painful heart. I was not jealous, simply disappointed in the people who called themselves my family. As the man's loathsome laugh had echoed in the living room, I had calmly walked toward a drawer in the corridor and had grabbed a pocket revolver he had been hiding for years. Stating I had only known my room was, in fact, a false statement, for I had been allowed to come out a year ago, on my fourteenth birthday, when Ruriko-chan had pulled me out forcefully despite the parents' disapproval. How the matter had been solved, I was not sure about it. Maybe had she succeeded in convincing the mother. Since that day, I had explored the corridors of the mansion and had accidentally found the gun. With the weapon in my hand, I had made my way inside the living room, mind and eyes empty, and had mechanically pointed it toward the gruesome pig in front of me. Luckily for the panicking him, my aim had been poor and the bullet had barely missed his empty skull to land into the expensive vase behind him. I had been tempted to shoot another time, but the recoil provoked by my first try had propelled me on the floor and my arms had felt too tired to raise again.

"My vase!" He had yelled "You useless piece of sh*t!! Do you know how much that thing costs?!"

A sudden anger had overwhelmed me and I had leaned onto the nearest couch to stand up, before pointing the barrel toward my own head. I had wanted to know if I was more valuable than a furniture, which I thought was stupid as I recalled the scene. He had only huffed, waving his hand in a much disinterested manner, while his woman had jumped on me to take the weapon away from my hands.

"Yōko, you can't do that...!" She had seized the revolver "You can't do that, my daughter..."

"Don't call me that." I had slapped her hand away "Don't bother with your hypocrite words. I know what you were talking about a moment ago and, surely, I will not do you the pleasure of taking my own life. You disgust me, all of you."

Afterwards, I had locked myself in my room for three days. By the end of that short period of time, I had been abandoned, discarded in the streets. Which had brought me to the current situation.

Why did my parents loathe me so? It could seem out of the world to reject one's own offsprings. Even the most fierce animal would raise its kids. Then, why? The reason was the fact I was an ability user. Although many considered power to be a blessing, mine was a curse, which gnawed at my life, chewed on my health and weakened me by depriving me of sleep. My ability enabled me to read people's mind within a certain range. However, it was impossible for me to control it and thus restrain it, which was why I could constantly hear everyone's thoughts without being able to stop them. Because of that, the father, a businessman with many secrets, called me a freak, and the mother did nothing to arrange the situation, always darting her eyes away and avoiding troubles. How I had survived for fifteen years old with a constant headache and insomnia, which did not help my state, remained a mystery, mostly when the so-called parents, wealthy, so rich they threw money through the window by buying expensive antiques and trinkets, had refused to spend a yen in pain relievers or at least sleeping pills. It was a given that children were to respect their parents, who despite hardships, despite troubles of their own, had raised them. Mine had never even thought about feeding me, and had it not been for the butler, I would have starved, forgotten, aliterate and miserable in my room.

I had often thought, during the previous week, that if only I had successfully killed the man, I could have maybe improved my life. Once the selfish and greedy parasite would have been eliminated, perhaps the mother would have hugged me and cried how much she would have loved to do that sooner. Once the master of the house would have been dead, perhaps I would have been the happiest teenager in Yokohama, despite becoming a murderer. A murderer... It was nonsensical to me that people killing their fellows had to suffer greater punishment than those hurting others for years, just like what I had been through. Had I killed him, I would have been charged a criminal and would have ended up in prison for my entire life, for, underage, I could not receive death sentence. However, had his torture been discovered, he would have experimented a few years in jail before coming out freely as though nothing had never happened. That injustice, the unfair laws people had created, added to the torment my ability created and I found myself more restless than usual. Letting out a sigh, I stood up from the cold concrete I was sitting on and slowly dragged my feet toward the slums. I did not know what I was supposed to do at the moment, nor what I was able to accomplish in my state, but, surely, the shallows would provide a safer shelter than the cruel back alleys of the town.

Next >

[spideyxchelle]

Princess Michelle’s land has been invaded. And to save her country she   knows what is expected of her, she knows she is set to marry a man she   does not know, hardly respects and hates for forcing her homeland to its  knees. Affection cannot grow in the face of war. Not even when the face of that war has the most gorgeous eyes she has ever seen. 

The following sunrise brought war. They were out of time.

As the leaders of both armies marched toward another in the middle of the battlefield, Michelle felt the grass crunch under her boots and the wind whip at her face. The elements were more pronounced as she walked toward uncertainty. Nature welcomed her to war.

Gamora tightened her hold on her sword and Michelle addressed her sister, curtly, “Don’t act rashly, Saudara.”

“I will have my vengeance, adik” Gamora said through gritted teeth. Michelle tore her eyes away from her father waiting for the peace terms in the middle of the field to attend to her sister. She looked as lost as she had been to Michelle for all of those years. Michelle had been a fool to think that she had been the only one that had lost something in the years since her sisters’ disappearance.

Gamora had lost her family, her country and she had come to the battlefield to reclaim it all.

Michelle scrutinized her father, now only feet away, and promised, “We take back our land together.”

“For Nebula,” Gamora whispered.

“For mother,” Michelle agreed.

“For every Thanosian,” Gamora solemnly swore.  

King Anthony lifted his hand and his trusted leaders—Peter, Quill, Gamora and Michelle—all shuttered to a stop.

Thanos had brought men of his own, as well. The swine Ebony Maw stood demurely with his arms crossed behind his back. The hallow of his cheeks looked more skeletal now than they had every day of Michelle’s childhood. Cull Obsidian, more muscle than man, hulked over Ebony Maw and stood as still as a dead. Beside him, stood Corvus Glaive who was always ready to show his allegiance to her father. He had been the dark figure from her childhood that forced her to lock her doors at night. He was shadow. He was terror.  And he was utterly devoted to the figure on his right, Proxima Midnight.

Ebony Maw mockingly bowed at Michelle and Gamora, “My royal princesses. How good of these foreign scoundrels to return you to us unspoiled.” Michelle willed the hair on her arms not to stand on edge. Ebony Maw lazily took in the sight of her husband and Quill and tutted primly, “Well, mostly.”

Peter stepped forward with his hand on the hilt of his blade. Michelle’s arm shot out to stop him. “He is goading you,” Michelle hissed.

“Well,” Quill growled, “I’m not gonna say its not working.”

King Anthony spoke over the flutter of his army leadership, “King Thanos, you’ve invaded my country and broken the terms of our peace.”

Thanos extended his hand and Ebony Maw scrambled to fasten his king with his ghoulish gauntlet. It clicked into place with an unpleasant click. He raised his eyebrow patiently and it transformed his features grotesquely, “You stole my daughters, Anthony.”

“My son is married—”

“Not only the boy,” Thanos said sharply. “I mourned Gamora and Nebula. Our entire kingdom mourned those girls and you have been keeping them hostages for how many years?”

Gamora ripped her sword free from her scabre, “Hostages?” Michelle’s sister let loose a splintered laugh filled with all of the pieces of her broken childhood. “We were exiles. We ran away. We ran away from you! You’re a monster.”  

Thanos clicked his tongue in contempt, “I have done what I have had to do to make certain that the monarchy survives.”

“Maybe we don’t deserve to,” Michelle finally spoke with ice coursing through her veins. Her father had beaten her country and her people into the dust until all that was left of them was ashes. He had gone beyond the city walls and ravaged the countryside for resources and blood. Her father had murdered innocents because he relished war and destruction. His disjointed logic did not excuse his crimes. “You used our people like pawns. You stripped them of their dignity and their lives and called it mercy. You did it all under the guise of being God’s anointed King.”

“I am God’s anointed King!”

“Then,” Peter said brandishing his sword, “I shall kill God’s anointed King.”

Thanos’ lip curled upward, a nasty snarl of a smile, and Michelle shuttered. He had once been her father. She had memories of the man who stood on the battlefield with eyes like black pools of poison that extended to almost affection. Her father had never been a kind man, but he had been her father and there had been moments of genuine connection between them. Or so she would have thought, so she would have hoped. Every little girl liked to believe in her father.

Now, he was a haunting figure armed to the teeth with sharp weapons and cruel intentions. He was a villain to her people. He killed without regard for human life and coated his hands in the dead’s blood for ancient rituals.  

In her childhood, she had latched onto Thanos’ brief moments of fatherly affection. But now she knew that they were only shreds of whatever humanity he had retained after years of  brutality. His scraps of love were nothing compared to what she had in Peter. Yet, her heart still ached for another world, another time when her father might have actually loved her.  

She wondered if Gamora and Nebula wished it, too.

Her husband stood with steel-like resolve at her side prepared to lunge into battle and bring her father to well-earned justice. He would battle her father alone in her name and honor. The girl that had grown up behind castle walls and locked her door for fear of cruel men would have let him take the field in her name and slay her father as she stayed quietly behind solider lines.

The warrior Mary Jane could not.

And so, she cast off the last of remnants of that princess and the warrior finally stepped into the light.

She drew forth her own saber and it glinted fiercely in the overbearing sunlight. Her husband did not question her and he did not stop her. Instead, Peter stood obediently at her side and asked, “Are you ready?”

Michelle lifted her chin and bore her father down with the weight of her gaze. If he was a storm, she was a hurricane. “Steady as you were, Mr. Parker.”

He grinned and shifted his feet wider for battle. Together, with the full strength of the Starklands army at their back, they faced Thanos.

Her father sneered, “You would fight me, daughter?”

“I believe,” King Anthony interjected, “that is what the sword is for, King Thanos.”  

Ebony Maw unfolded his hands from behind his back and offered Michelle a smile so sickly sweet it could have rotted her teeth. “Princess,” his holy lordship drawled from across the patch of grass they treated on before the battle. “I have made a bargain with your father. When the battle ends and your husband falls, I am to make you my wife.”

“Maw,” Peter barked at the mockery of a holy man, “perhaps instead, when this battle is over, I will bring her your head.”

“Enough,” Thanos boomed and the field fell silent. Every blade of grass stilled and the world ceased to make noise until Thanos spoke again, “I would not fight you, daughters. Lay down your swords. Or die.”

She tightened her grip around the handle. The girl Michelle had been was now ashes. All that was left of that prim, sheltered lady was her memories. Her husband had crashed himself into her life like canon-fire and burned down her world. From the blaze, she had arisen stronger and wiser and better. This Michelle would conquer a kingdom and bring peace to a world deserving of it. The old institutions would crumble and the guilty would fall on her blade in retribution.

And when it was all over, when the sun set on a grateful world, she would sit beside her husband and rest. But not this day. No, this day she would fight for not only her freedom but the freedom of all those that did not have the power to speak for themselves. “I choose death,” she said flatly.

Her father narrowed his eyes, “So be it.”

[x-queen-of-disaster-x]

Dark Side (A Sailor Moon S / Hotaru Tomoe Fanfic)

Title: “Dark Side” Series / Fandom: Sailor Moon (90s Anime) Date Penned: November 2006 Main Character: Hotaru Tomoe (Sailor Saturn) Setting: Season 3/Sailor Moon S, though it flashes back to various other years in Hotaru’s life throughout the story. Starts at present time for S with Hotaru at age 12, then in flashbacks/past scenes her age goes in this order: 5, 8, and 11. Then the last scene takes her back to present time.  Summary: They say everyone has a dark side, no matter how pure their heart may be. That includes Hotaru Tomoe. 

Everyone has a dark side. No matter how kind they may be, darkness still looms below the surface. There is a negative energy inside of every human on Earth. Some people just mask it very, very well.

Even a sweet, kind girl like Hotaru Tomoe has darkness in her heart. But some of that darkness isn’t natural at all...it’s downright monstrous.

Hotaru is possessed by an awful being known as Mistress Nine, also known as the Messiah of Silence. Hotaru was gravely injured in a fire when she was only eight, close to the brink of death when her father made a deal with what could very well be the devil himself.

Unknown to her father, this creature put Mistress Nine into Hotaru’s body. He thought he was saving his daughter from death. Little did he know, he had doomed himself and Hotaru to a life of being puppets of an evil force from another world.

Hotaru know lives with the unknown evil inside of her body. She has hint something’s not right about her, but she has no idea how sinister the nature of her curse truly is...

-

The morning sun rose over Tokyo, Japan. Rays of golden sunlight greeted the dark streets. In one particular neighborhood of the Juban District, this light continued its path. It illuminated the mansion of the Tomoe family.

The mansion was owned by Professor Souichi Tomoe.  Tomoe was a very rich, but very strange, scientist. Some might even say he was rather mad in his experiments and theories. He was also a recluse who kept mostly to himself since he had been laughed out of the scientific community years before. His increasingly dangerous and crazy experiments had caused a horrific accident that resulted in the death of his wife and the near death of his young daughter, Hotaru.

Tomoe had white hair a wore a pair of glasses that occasionally gave off an eerie glow, as if reflecting a sinister being that was hidden deep within this eccentric man. Besides being a scientist, he was also the founder of a school known as Mugen Academy. This particular school was very exclusive, with only truly gifted and brilliant students being permitted to attend. His own daughter went to school there.

Since his wife had died, Tomoe had remained a widower. He lives in his large home with only Hotaru and a rather strange assistant/housekeeper known only as Kaori.

Hotaru, now twelve, was a very frail and weak girl. She had been this way since the accident. She was constantly short of breath and falling into seizures that caused her to slip into unconsciousness. She would later wake from these fits remembering nothing.

Hotaru was considered very weird by her Mugen classmates. She possessed strange powers that could heal any cut or bruise, but the rumors said that there were even stronger and darker powers hidden below her surface. She was called creepy because of these powers that people claimed would actually hurting people and not helping them.

She was also called a bully by many classmates. Despite being a very weak and timid young girl, Hotaru was often accused of hurting other children and instigating fights. This hurt Hotaru deeply. She didn’t know why people were saying such awful things about her. She never wanted to harm anyone. All she wanted was to desperately have friends.

Why would she being called a bully? Hotaru would never even harm a fly...

Hotaru walked out of the mansion’s front door, on her way to school. She was dreading another day of isolation and taunting. But most of all, she was terrified that she might actually be hurting people during her strange fits of unconsciousness.

Maybe she really was the bully everyone called her. There were so many stories going around about her apparent cruelness that she herself was starting to the words of her peers.

I’m such a freak...no, I’m a monster. Everyone’s right, I’m awful. What use does this world hold for a person like me? I just want to disappear forever, Hotaru thought as she resisted the urge to cry.

What was the point of wallowing in self pity? A monster should in no way feel bad herself, right?

Sighing deeply, Hotaru bottled up her sadness and tried to put on a stoic face.

She wanted to mask her self-hatred and loneliness and just blend in with the crowd so badly. She wanted to fit in, to be accepted and loved. She wanted friends. She wanted a father that would spend more time with her and not with his nasty assistant and oddball experiments.

But who cares what she wanted? She was worthless, after all. She just had to go on living her life wearing an uncaring mask. Everyone said she was cold hearted and mean, after all, so why not just give in and start acting the part?

Another day, another chance for me to screw something up, Hotaru thought sadly.

If only she know the truth...

-

All I remembered was the darkness when I woke up on that day four years ago. I woke up in my bed, only eight-years-old, scared and cold on that frosty October morning.

“Papa...” I whispered in fear.

Last night, I felt as though something awful had happened. I felt like I no longer belonged to this world. I felt like there had been fire, destruction, and death. I felt like I had temporarily slipped away in the world of the dead.

But that couldn’t be. After all, I was here now safe and sound. I had no cuts or scratches upon my body. If I had suffered the horrible trauma I felt in my heart I would surely be worse for the wear, right?

Then what had happened to me to cause this sinking feeling of uneasiness in my stomach?

As I got up and stretched Papa’s assistant, Kaori, came into my room. Her eyes were cold and cruel as they fixed upon me. A nasty smirked appeared upon her face.

“Hotaru, breakfast! Stop lazing about and get up NOW!” She snapped.  

She then walked away as I got up out of my bed to go eat. As soon as stood on my feet, I fell onto the floor. All of a sudden, my chest ached and my head felt like someone was trying to force their way out of my skull. I started to breathe heavily as pain filled every inch of my body.

What was happening?! What was wrong with me all of a sudden?! Before I think of any kind of answer, I felt myself slip away into the darkness...

-

A year later, and the seizures and pain continued. Papa had decided against taking me to a doctor, despite my desperate pleas for him to do so. He insisted he could take care of me himself. But any of his so-called ‘home remedies’ only helped temporarily.

One particular day, I awoke from another seizure. As I I saw the sight before me, pain, shock, and confusion filled my heart.

My pet goldfish was lying on the floor in front of me, dead. Her bowl was smashed to pieces and there was large puddle of water around her. I felt tears fill my eyes as I mourned her. That was my beloved pet, the only trace of a friend I had ever had.  I was alone again.

Why did she have to die? Who would do something so cruel and awful to an innocent creature?

As I cried, I shouted to air around me, “Who did this to my goldfish? Who?!”

A shadow towered over me and said, “Oh my, you’re saying such strange things.”

I looked up into the cold, blank eyes of Kaori as she glared down at me.

“This is something you did yourself. Hurry and clean it up!” She said coldly.

My eyes filled with horror as I gazed upon my pet’s dead body. What Kaori had just burned a hole into my heart.

I’d never hurt this fish, I loved her. She was my pet, my best...no, my only friend. Why would I ever hurt such a precious creature?!

“B-but I don’t remember this! I didn’t do it, I swear!” I said, my voice now coming out as an anguished scream.

Kaori simply continued to glare at me, giving no reply.

I didn’t do it. I could never harm another living being. I kept repeating those words in my mind, but they felt hollow. Why would Kaori lie about something so awful?

Maybe it was true. Maybe I really was a murderer. Maybe I really had killed my one and only friend in cold blood.

Maybe I truly was the monster I now felt like...

-

Two years later, I walked into my fifth grade class wearing a rare smile upon my face. I was actually feeling pretty good. I hadn’t had a seizure since yesterday afternoon.

But what I was truly smiling about was the fact I had finally made a friend. His name was Kaoru and he had recently transferred to our class. Despite what the other kids said about me, he talked to me. He actually liked me. It felt amazing to have someone on my side for once.

“Good morning,” I said cheerfully to my classmates.

They all glared at me, their eyes filled with fear and disgust. They were all gathered around Kaoru, who was seated at his desk. His head was cast downwards and had a bandage wrapped around it. I felt worry fill my senses

Despite the stares, I ran over to Kaoru. I placed my hand upon his.

“What’s wrong, did you get hurt? Are you alright?” I asked him worriedly.

He swatted my hand away and jumped out of his seat. At that moment his face was revealed to me.

He was wearing the same look of hatred as everyone else.

I was so confused .What was going on all of a sudden? I know my classmates thought I was freak, but they had never actually glared at me with such hate. And why would Kaoru look at me that way? He was my friend.

“What’s wrong?” I asked my classmates.

“She’s the one who hurt him. It’s so awful of her to ask what’s wrong!” I heard one girl snap.

“I know! She’s so scary! She tries to act all prim and proper, but the truth is she’s nothing but a bully!” A boy said in reply.

Horror filled my heart upon hearing their words. I...hurt...Kaoru? I was a bully? But, I’d never hurt him! He’s my friend! Well, he used to be, at least.  Pain filled my heart as I felt that oh so familiar feeling of hatred for myself consume me.

I turned and ran out of the classroom. I just wanted to get away before I hurt anyone else. I really was a monster...wasn’t I?

-

I sat by Papa later that day and cried into his lap. His hand stroked my hair in reassurance.

“I...apparently hurt my friend. But I don’t remember even doing it in the first place!” I cried, violently shaking my head.

Papa looked into my eyes. His glasses gave off an eerie glow as he continued to reassure me.

“It’s all right, Hotaru. Calm down. You’re not the bad one. You’re not bad at all,” He said gently.

“But, I’m not able to make any friends! It’s like there’s a different person hiding inside of me. Some kind of monster that’s taking control of me and making me hurt the people I care about!” I said, my voice full of fear.

He didn’t reply this time. He just continued to stroke my hair gently as I cried...

-

Later that night, I am lying restlessly in my bed. As I begin to toss and turn, I silently plead with myself to just fall asleep already.

But no matter how much I tried to force myself into slumber, my eyes just won’t stay shut.

Please, please, just sleep. Please. I want to sleep and forget this whole day. I want to forget what a horrible monster I am. Please, just let me have this one moment of happiness in my miserable existence.

I plead frantically in my mind, but it’s no use. Not even my own mind and body can cut me a break. I have no control over a single damn thing in my entire life.

I just want control of something. Any kind of control, no matter how miniscule, would be nice. I want to feel stable. I want to feel safe. I want to feel like I can trust myself.

I want to feel normal. I just want to be a normal girl.

I don’t want these weird powers. I don’t want to constantly maintain this fight with my body anymore. I tire so much of feeling like if I stop fighting myself for even one second, that the monster I know is dwelling somewhere underneath the surface of my skin will break free and overtake me. I don’t want it to hurt the few people that love.

I sigh. With my one friend gone now, I guess that’s only Papa. One person cares for me out of billions in the world.

It’s not their fault they don’t love me. All this misfortune befalling me is my burden alone. This is what I get for not fighting harder to contain the monster. Even if I’m fighting all the time, I’m convinced it’s not enough.

You’re so useless. You can fight harder. If you just focus more on controlling yourself, maybe you could finally be normal. Maybe you could finally have friends. You’re a stupid, useless little girl.

I am truly a stupid, useless little girl. I can’t even keep control of my own actions. I can’t even make myself seem normal.

I just want to be normal. Normality is all I desire.

Normal. Just be normal. Be normal.

Normal…  

-

There is only black around me. I’m in a void. I see and hear nothing.

Did it work? Did I finally get myself to fall asleep? I can’t even tell.

I blink to assure myself my eyes are indeed open.

Blink, blink.

Yes, I am awake.

I pinch my arm, seeing if I feel any pain. Ouch. Ok, I’m definitely awake.

But where am I? What is this place? Why am I surrounded by nothingness? Why...

Before I can question myself any furtherer on my whereabouts, my eyes are unpleasantly greeted by a light. It’s a bright, white, blinding light that encompasses the black. My vision is lost in the flash.

The light fades away. I look around me.

Oh God, I want the blackness back...

I say this because what I see horrifies me.

I’m in a city. While that may not sound too awful on its own, this city is different.

The buildings are wrecked, crumbling ruins. The people stand still, their bodies distorted with fear. Their eyes are filled with pure horror. The sky is tinted a deep, bloody red.

In the distance, I hear an awful rumbling. I do not care to know the source of that sound.

Out of the corner of my eye, I think I see the same light. I turn around.

What I see shocks me...

The light is far way, but it is not the same. This light is faded and fills me with a feeling of grimness I can’t even begin to describe. But, no, the light isn’t the most shocking thing.

It’s the silhouette that shakes me to my very core...

The silhouette of the woman in the distance is totally cloaked in black despite being bathed in that eerie light. Her hair is long, flowing freely around her despite there being nn breeze. Her long, transparent dress does the same thing. In her hand is what looks like the Grim Reaper’s scythe.

I shudder at the sight of that sharp blade as I imagine it cutting into my skin, a deep red liquid falling from my wounds and staining the ground.

Despite every bone in my body aching with fear and my heart pounding out of my chest, I find myself running towards her. Almost like they’re under someone else’s control, my feet are pulled towards this mysterious figure.

Despite me being in her line of sight, she doesn’t notice me. It’s like her gaze is fixed past me. It’s as if I’ve become some kind of ghost, invisible to the naked eye.

Against my better judgment, I call out to her, “Who are you? What is this awful place? What is the cause of all this destruction and horror?”

She notices me now. Her eyes light up. They are glowing with a sickening purple glow. Her body lurches forward as she jumps right into my face. Her face is now directly in mine, allowing me a clear view of this strange woman.

Oh my God, no. Horror fills my body.

That is because her face is my face. My mouth, my nose, and my eyes are all in her possession. My eyes are the ones glowing with that sick, evil purple glow. Those eyes...narrowed to slits, filled with venom.

My eyes...

“W-wh-who are you? Why do you look like me? What is this awful place?” I ask shakily.

Her face twists into a cruel smirk, “Why, Hotaru, isn’t it obvious. I am you. The real you, that is. That monster that you and I both know is dwelling under that stupid mask of kindness you insist on wearing.”

Sickness fills my stomach at the sound of her voice. It’s deep, and filled with a mixture and hatred and glee.

I am unable to speak. I can only shake as her words sting my ears.

She swings her arms around the scenery in a mocking display of joy, “And this lovely scenery...this is all on you. Well, all on us. We are one and the same, after all. This was all done by you. You destroyed the world. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Shaking with horror, I find my voice, “No, no, no...NO! I didn’t...I couldn’t. I’d never do this. This isn’t me!”

Her smirk grows wider, “Of course you did. Stop denying yourself. Embrace your darkness, Hotaru. Give in to the monster lurking inside of your dark heart. Set me free...set us free.”          

My body falls limply to the ground as she begins laughing evilly. My body shakes with even more force.

I pound my fists onto the ground in a fit of terror and rage, “No, no! This isn’t me! I’m not like this! I can fight harder! I won’t let the monster win! I’ll fight it!”

Tears fall from my eyes as I lift my head up. Her face is still directly in mine, and still twisted into that awful smirk.

“You and I both know you can’t fight much longer. You are a monster and you will destroy the world. You can’t deny that fact no matter how you try. We are the same. Just give in now, it’s more fun that way,” She says as her smrik turns into a large, toothy grin.

I shut my eyes, wanting to rid my eyes of her awful, tauting face. I pound my fists harder on the floor. I try with all my might to make the feelings of fight within my heart stronger than ever before.

Sobbing uncontrollably now, I shout, “Never, never, never! I’ll never turn into you!”

Her laughter fills my ears. I still refuse to look into those eyes again. I just continue to scream my lungs out.

“Never, never, never...” I yell out those words over and over, turning it into my mantra.

I will never become that thing. I might be a monster, but I must contain it. I can’t ever let her out. I must keep fighting. I must never give in. I will never become her.

Never, never, never...

-

I shoot up from my pillow, drenched in sweat and tears.

“Never,” I whisper to myself.

That was not a dream. It was too real. It was a warning. I must keep fighting. If I lose control for even a minute, she will come forth.  

Even if I am the same as that creature, I must never let her win. She will not overtake me. She will not break me. I will not turn into her.

I will absolutely not. I refuse. I will be stronger. I will win.

Even if I’m useless, even if I’m stupid, even in my wife has no worth...I now know I must live on. I must fight her, whoever she may be. Even if she truly is me, I will still not let her have her way.

Something within me has been awakened. It isn’t her. I can tell. This presence still feels dangerous...but somehow noble. Uncontrollable, yes, but it’s the complete opposite of her. I can’t quite explain it, but somehow, I trust this new self.

My heart fills with determination. My life will have a purpose. It will not be for me, but for the sake of this world.

Even if this world has rejected me, I still love it. There’s so much beauty on this planet. I will never let her dirty hands taint it.

“I will fight the silence,” I whisper to myself.

I’m not sure why I just said that or what it could mean, but I feel suddenly strongly about those words. Every part of me is agreeing to that statement at this very moment.

Yes, I will fight this. I will live on. I will contain this monster. I never stop fighting. I am a rock. I will not move or be cracked. I will fight

Fight, fight, fight...my mind is locked in a determined chant.

I will fight all the time. Fight. I will never let this so-called fate happen. I will stop it, no matter what the cost may be to me personally.

With all I believe in, I will fight. With all the might I have in my weak body, I will fight. With all the strength I feel in my heart, I will fight. This fate will not prevail.

But you can only fight fate for so long...

[cosmermaid]

#dracula: the danse macabre#Mina and Dracula's relationship in this podcast is crazy#They're enemies#They have such divorced vibes without any of the romantic history#They enjoyed wielding power over one another and it sounded so kinky#They're mirrors to one another#Also I just need to add#His actual wife was murdered because she stood up to a powerful and cruel monster in defense of an innocent#So like#Mina might be his type#Now is he her type no I don't think so#But let's be honest Mina#You felt really good treating him like a dog and getting him to beg#...In retrospect your marriage to Jonathan suddenly makes a lot of sense#But also I do have to wonder#Does some part of Jonathan live on in him?#Because if so that might be a contributing factor#Listen they make me crazy#I need about ten more seasons of them#I want to see what the hell this dynamic grows into

Potentially heartwarming Dracula: The Danse Macabre thought: Dracula will now get to experience the sunrise and the day-lit world again for the first time in centuries, thanks to his connection with Mina. Also, if she saw him in her mirror, staring back at her, does that mean he too gets to see himself for the first time in centuries through her eyes?