#Mephisto on the other hand is seething

[firebastardextraordinaire]

Idk man I just feel that Durge and The Wanderer (from Diablo 4) should fuck nasty to block out the god of murder/demon lord of hatred in their brains urging them to commit violent atrocities. Is that too much to ask???

[goldenstring6123]

Sylus: Seething Red

Warning: 3.9K words. Angst. Little comfort. Cursing! Lots of it. Suggestive ending, for 16+ only, Plot heavy. Emotional & Dramatic. If you can't stomach arguments and fighting, I don't suggest reading this. Reader is not the MC but works as a hunter.

Author's note: This was a bit delayed because I had to re-write this three times :> warning, I proofread this once but I was lacking sleep soooo...

You burned with rage.

Seething, searing the skin of your entire being.

You revved your motorcycle faster, traversing through the pitch-black rainy night in the N109 zone. The fog was severe compared to the city, enough to obstruct the view of the street. Nonetheless, you continued driving, gritting your teeth at the thought of your lover, Sylus.

The towering building of Sylus' base remained void of any form of life, shrouded in a hazy mist of smoke and fog. Not even crows lingered about the premises.

You slammed the door open and met the twins, Luke and Kieran, one reading a book and the other looking at his phone. There was no time to spare them each a hello; you trudged through the godforsaken hallway and threw open Sylus' door.

There, the aforementioned man sat on his couch, staring at the flickering flame of his fireplace, his phone in your hand. "I recall telling you not to leave." The distaste was on his tongue, especially at the photograph of you in the airport with your teammates.

Your nails dug into the ball of your palm, almost threatening it to bleed. Any ounce of reasonable patience in you was slowly evaporating. The urge to talk in a calm manner had long been gone. You gritted your teeth while you took another step closer. "And who are you to make that decision?!"

Jenna gave you an opportunity to showcase your leadership because she knows you wanted a promotion. She offered you three projects to lead alongside her, and you chose a clean-up operation on Almus Island, an island infested with mutant Wanderers.

There was a lot of effort put into this, and you couldn't afford any mishap. You trained hard for this, coordinating with the data team and your own to create plans and backups in case anything went haywire.

It was one of the most dangerous tasks you had to do in your entire career—One that deserved the promotion you most certainly craved. Everything was leading up to that moment you boarded the jet.

That was three hours ago. The security guards stopped you and prevented you from leaving, stating that there was something wrong with your pass. You had no clue what they were talking about, but whatever it was, it prevented you from boarding the jet.

The team was under pressure. Jenna didn't know what to do as well. No matter what you did, no matter what papers you showed, they just didn't let you through. Time-bound, Jenna had no choice but to order you to go back to the headquarters and supervise from there.

That was a complete blow to your ego. After all that preparation, training, and debriefing, you wound up stuck inside the office instead of out there doing your job, which accompanied your title.

The recent promotion you got was an opportunity to ascend the corporate ladder, but with Sylus' actions, you looked nothing more like a fool. You had no idea why Jenna advised you to just head back to the office after security denied your access to the jet, but the sight of Mephisto perched on the flight display helped you put two and two together.

The shame, embarrassment, and look of pity from your peers choked you out of your logical thinking. They whispered against one another, asking why you were holding up the mission.

For once, you thought so little of yourself. Their stares were like fire ants on your skin, stinging you to your very being.

"I talked to you about this before, sweetie. I explicitly warned you about leaving the project for your own safety," Sylus said. The tone in his voice was that of when he was calm and collected, unbothered by the fiery rage that was drowning your mind. "Almus Island is dangerous because it was previously my turf, and I'm not joking when I say that place is a hellhole—it was abandoned for a reason."

"That's not an excuse for you to meddle in my affairs! I was already at the airport, I was with my team ready to leave, and then I found out I can't leave the country because of some shit you pulled?!"

"I warned you to heed my words," he said matter-of-factly. Every word that comes out of his mouth is like a landmine to trigger your emotions. You had the urge to cry, but you fought the pinpricks in your eyes. "I told you to drop off that project and do something else." His words came out smooth, almost matter-of-factly, and you hated it.

Sylus was the type of man to not give in on his actions, and tonight was the time when you had to painfully realize that.

"Listen to me, you piece of fuck—" You hissed through your teeth and strode angrily to him. "—What I do for work doesn't concern you unless Onychinus is involved. I deliberately chose to lead this project instead of the other offered to me because I don't want to be after your neck—God forbid I don't stand a chance against your organization."

Sylus threw his phone onto the couch, visibly irked at your words. "And I did what I did because I don't want you to end up dead," Sylus retorted.

"Are you too much of an idiot to not comprehend that?!" His red eyes glowed, fury flickering behind them. "I requested for you to not leave because I know for a fact you're going to end up injured when you come back, worse, you'd end up as a corpse."

Stupid. His reasoning is pure and utter stupid. Sylus? Scared of losing you? Bullshit. That flawed and shallow reason did nothing to soothe the fire in your heart. You didn't know what was powering your anger.

Was it the shame that you were so eager to leave but couldn't?

Was it the fact that Sylus thinks you're weak?

That he has an overwhelming amount of power against you?

Was it the fact that Jenna had high expectations, but you had made a fool of yourself in front of your peers?

It was all of it.

"That's a part of the job! What I did before you and I met is the same, I fight, and I get injured—Why are you speaking like I'm some sort of newbie in the field? You've seen me in action multiple times, I even saved your ass once!"

"I did what I did because I need to, and I'll do it all over again no matter how many times you berate me. You are staying in this city—you can take whatever project you want, you can go after the organization for all I care, and I'd be more than willing to let you shoot me, but you are not going to that island."

"Fuck! Why are you so insistent?! Did you think that just because you're powerful and shit, you get to toss me around like your fucking lackey?

Do you think so little of me? When I chose you, I did not fucking sign up to be dragged around by your whims—I don't give two fucks why and how you did it, but you don't get to meddle in my affairs," you yelled at him. You didn't care who heard you. You didn't even care about anything anymore.

"You don't get to have a choice."

A loud, ear-piercing crash reverberated in his room.

Before he could say anything else, you picked up the nearest object beside you, a small statuette, and lunged it at him. The once solid form is now nothing more than debris of glass. It crashed against the wall behind his head, the shards flying to cut his cheek.

"Well fuck me, since when did I ever have one with you? The last choice I made was choosing you, and it went to shit from there. I follow every one of your fucking whims, but when I requested for you to not do shit, you turn a deaf ear." You didn't know what you were saying. The words were flowing out of your mouth uncontrollably, previous thoughts and buried resentment now at the forefront of your thoughts.

Silence befalls the room, and you can only hear the harsh thumps of your heartbeat. Beneath the silver-haired man's facade was a clear look of disbelief. Sylus laughed dryly at your words. He looked away and squeezed his eyes shut, no longer able to hide his displeasure. "So you're turning this about me?"

"Sweetie," he flicked his hand, and the black and crimson mist wrapped around you, thwarting you closer to him.

"I prevented you from leaving the country because I don't want your death on my hands. I don't wish for you to get injured, but I tolerated seeing you hospital-bound every other month. You are my partner, and I want what's best for you. I don't want you dying on some godforsaken island just because it's your job."

His EVOL released you, but his long and hard fingers grabbed ahold of your face too roughly. "I did it because I adore you. Because you're my lover," he hissed. Sylus pressed your face closer together, "I did it to protect you."

His nails dug into your cheek, and you winced, clawing it off. "I don't want your protection. I never needed it in the first place," you said through clenched teeth.

"Get this through your fucking head. No matter how powerful you are and no matter what you are to me, whether I do dangerous jobs is not up to you," you dug a finger into his chest. "My life is not in your hands. It never will be."

You pulled away from him and stepped back. "I'm following after them. You better not pull that shit again."

Sylus let out a gruff sigh, drowning in debilitation. His long and slender legs made their way to where you were, and to your dismay, he wrapped a hand around your dainty wrist before dragging you faster out of his room.

A flash of thunder momentarily illuminated the hall, and as you landed on the ground, Sylus said one thing:

"You're not going anywhere."

The door slammed shut right in front of your face.

---

You couldn't do anything. You were helpless against Sylus' orders, and he kept his word: You weren't allowed to leave the country.

As much as you wanted to wallow in self-pity and anger, you had a job to do.

The office was quiet, especially in your division, with you and another co-worker coordinating the mission through the telecommunication room. The soles of your feet were chafed from all the walking, and your throat was dry from distributing orders to all of your team members.

You could only observe the condition of the island through the lenses in their suit. It was pure chaos, and more than half of the team were injured. Thankfully, there were no deaths.

Two weeks had gone by in a blur, and you were navigating through the exhaustion and disappointment. The team, comprising the best of the best, had not made nearly half of the progress expected—they were tasked to retreat for the time being.

Nights were spent in the company's living quarters, and you thrived off canteen food to the point where it tasted bland. You even caught a fever, but you brushed it off with cold medicine.

What was ironic was despite the hectic schedule, every little time in between your duties, you glanced at your phone.

Ever since that night, there has not been a single text message from Sylus. You didn't have the strength to barge into his room, and there was no point either; there was no one left in the base.

The team got back, and there was chaos once more, distracting you for the next week. Most were in and out of the hospital, asking for leaves and days off to recuperate. The damages to your teammates were bigger than what you anticipated, so much so that the daily workforce dwindled by a lot.

Adding to the office workload was the patrol duty and killing off wanderers.

Needless to say, by the time you arrived home, there was almost no time to think. Your head hit the pillow, temples aching to the rhythm of your sore back; yet even then, you could only think of Sylus. The harshness of your words was slowly eating you alive, and what was worse was that you couldn't even remember what he had said.

Your phone lit up to notify you of your schedule tomorrow. Instead, you opened the messaging app and clicked on Sylus' profile.

He had seen the message but did not respond.

Again, he had seen the message.

You bit your lip, typing the letters carefully and weighing your own words. You closed your eyes and pressed send before closing your phone. You were too tired to think about what you said, and with a heavy heart, you drifted off to sleep.

----

The presence of the man behind you was too overwhelming. It was overwhelming to the point where it was enough to stir you in your sleep—the only temporary escape you could have.

It didn't sink in at first. The fact that you weren't in your room. It was too dark and somber for it to be your apartment bedroom; the comfort of the tiny plushies on your desk was gone. Instead, it was the sight of an unused fireplace and the velvet and gold couch.

The satins were rough to your liking and had a scent of sandalwood and citrus. Definitely different from the rose scent you were accustomed to.

Sylus's bedroom. That's where you were. Anxiety pitted at the bottom of your stomach upon this realization; he was nowhere near your line of sight, but the chill on your back was enough of a guide. You turned behind you, eyes adjusting to the blaring city lights displayed outside of his massive windows.

His figure was recognizable, but as bright as the city lights were, you couldn't see any of his facial features.

You opened your lips to speak, yet no words came out of your mouth, and not a coherent thread of thought manifested in your head. There was no point in asking why he brought you back to his base. And as much as you wanted to speak to him, you didn't. The urge subsided quickly, and a second later, the urge to leave took its place.

You took off from the bed, adjusting the sleeve of your nightwear. Your legs were light and quiet as they attempted to make their way to the other half of the room where the exit was. You had no clue how you were going to go home in your state, but it was a lesser feeling than the urge to leave Sylus again.

"The message you sent," he spoke, his hands nudging in your way. "I'm assuming you're going to take it back?" It was as if the floor had become soil: stems of his black and crimson smoke emerged like vines, entangling your feet into their current position.

You kept your mouth shut.

His figure turned into smoke, which accumulated in front of you. "Sweetie," like a month ago, he grabbed a hold of your jaw. "I asked you a question."

"I'm sorry for getting mad at you."

"Whether you're forgiven or not doesn't matter. The last message you sent—do you mean it?"

You didn't, no. That was sent out of impulse, yet with Sylus ghosting you for almost a month, it was almost like he was just waiting for you to say it. What were you supposed to think? He could've thrown you away and found someone else by then.

"I don't know," you whispered.

"You don't know?" he repeated, raising his eyebrow.

"I don't know. You didn't talk to me for a month, and you left the headquarters—I had no way to contact you. What else would I think?" You couldn't look him in the eye, but if you could've seen it, his eyes flickered to softness.

Sylus sighed and set your foot free. The harsh grasp on your face softened until he eventually had to let go.

"I was on Almus Island, and so were the twins."

"Did you—"

"Hurt your teammates? No." He walked over to his couch and ignited a matchstick. He threw it onto the fireplace, and the image of the room became brighter. Only then did you realize your lover's state.

You scurried over to him, fixated on the bandage that wrapped around his ribs and the dried patches of blood on his biceps.

"What did you do?"

"I personally helped with the clean-up." He leaned back on the couch, a scowl on his face when an ache came from his wounds. His back carefully pressed against the velvet cushion, and relief overcame him. "I destroyed the protofield which was left open."

A protofield? You thought. What protofield? There was never a portal indicated in the debriefing. Sure, there was an underground abandoned base, which most likely belonged to Onychinus. Still, they were all bunkers and storage rooms filled with lousy protocores.

"There are a lot of questions in your head right now, but what's important is I've lessened your workload. Order your team to head back to the island next month and do another clean-up. It won't take more than a week and a half to kill the remaining monsters; as compensation, I'll give you access to the armory—I'm sure the higher-ups would marvel at what's left in there."

You processed his words carefully. It doesn't answer your question about the portal, but if there is one, then when the team heads back, you should add several flux stabilizers with you to avoid risking opening another protofield.

"Now, is that sufficient enough?" Sylus asked.

His words snapped you out of your brief work mode, and you stared at his face, wondering what he meant. "Enough for what?"

"As an apology."

You were speechless. Confusion filled your mind with his words. This man was unpredictable, but you were certainly sure he'd rather say sorry and move on than go through all that trouble and get injured in the process. You weren't sure if you were supposed to act all caring about his wounds or act bravely and accept his apology and go back to bed.

"Am I allowed to leave the country?" Sylus' eyes met yours at this question, but you didn't blink.

He raised his eyebrow again. "Yes, you are. I won't do that again."

"Good, you're forgiven." You eased your shoulders and turned on your heel to his closet. You entered the door and took off some jacket and some loose sweatpants of his. "Get yourself patched up by a doctor; I'm going home."

The thudding of his footsteps reverberated behind you, and before you could open the door, his big hand blocked the way. You turned back and spotted him clutching his side with a frown on his face. "Where are you going?"

"Back home," you replied matter-of-factly.

"And you're not going to address your text?"

Ah, for a moment, you forgot about that. Your break-up text. He apologized for the flight incident but never for abandoning you for a month; maybe you can take advantage of this for a little while longer.

Your fingers tapped on his hand and pushed the door closed. Your gesture was enough for him to let go and step back in the hope that you'd do something. You twisted the doorknob and pulled it open, one last peek at him.

"Get some rest."

You shut the door and ran down the hallway—instead of your home, like you said, you took one of Sylus' motorcycles and drove to the headquarters.

---

Three days had passed since then, and you really weren't that concerned with Sylus. Luke and Kieran say he's doing fine despite constantly being on edge almost every day. You, on the other hand, were busy planning for the next clean-up—hopefully, a more successful one thanks to Sylus' help.

You hopped out of the shower, but a sense of dread greeted your neck. You stopped before taking another step. Your eyes searched for the source; it wasn't from the locked door or the laptop on the kitchen desk. Your bedroom door, on the other hand…

From behind the vase near the entrance, you pulled out a small gun, but before you could even unlock it, the tall, familiar figure popped out of the bedroom, in his grasp a bouquet of roses. You froze, and so did he.

You stared at each other before he looked at your hand in disappointment.

"You really have to fix that habit of yours." The habit pertains to you constantly pointing a gun at him.

"First, you tamper with my passport, and you kidnap me while I'm asleep, and now you're breaking and entering?" You released the lock on the gun and placed it where it was, finally placing a hand on your hip. Beads of water dripped from your hair onto your bare shoulders, rolling down to your chest and finally to the towel.

"I wouldn't need to do this if you answered my question from the very beginning."

You don't want to deal with him right now. Not when I'm half-naked.

"Wait for me in the living room."

My movements weaved around him, and he just quietly followed my figure. His footsteps were quiet, but he was following me into the room—you had to stop him before he became an audience to you in the nude, but you didn't even get the chance to turn around.

Sylus picked you up, and you yelped from the sudden movement. You held on to the tuck of your towel as he threw you onto your own bed like he would before.

"You—I told you to wait!"

"I am not a patient man, sweetie."

The ends of the towel parted from each other, exposing a bit of your lower abdomen. His eyes landed on that specific place as well. You lifted your foot slightly and stretched it so that it could reach his chest, preventing him from taking a step further.

"Sylus. Wait."

Sylus backed off at your words like a dog. You fixed yourself back up and crossed your legs.

"No. I didn't mean that text. Not anymore, at least." To that, it was a sign for him to come closer. You watched him approach your body, looking down at you with a finger stroking the side of your face. "Just… don't ghost me like that. You made me think that you replaced me."

"Replaced you?" he questioned. "Is that how you think of me?" He almost looked offended.

"I wouldn't put it past you, considering the things I said."

He hummed and tilted your head upward so he could get a good look at your face. "I may be a shady person, but I'm certainly not a womanizer, sweetie. I thought you had more faith in me."

"Sorry," you replied.

Sylus got down on his knees and kissed your own, his calloused fingers savoring the soft touch of your calves. The sweet musk of vanilla wafted under his nose, almost reeling him in. You gazed at him intently, knowing where this was about to go.

Author footnotes: Yay I finally get to post this. I had a hard time writing this because I wanted it to be dynamic but at the same time I didn't want to write a full blown fic with an over complex back story. I had to re-write the entire thing until i felt somewhat satisfied.

Layout by me, using canva premium | Do not repost | Dividers by me!

[always-just-red]

I wanted a slightly suggestive fluff with the twins if that's alright👁️👄👁️

A scenario in which they're finally done with Sylus's tasks for the day and get to spend some time with MC

CRYINGGG anon I low-key did deviate from the brief but I had this idea and I just ended up running with it. I hope you enjoy, regardless! I went into this ambivalent towards Luke and Kieran but something just possessed me honestly. Also dragged Sylus into it because there's no way in hell I wasn't subjecting him to this dynamic!! 😇 (I made MC here separate from canon MC for plot reasons, but if you want a fic with the twins and canon MC, just let me know!)

Onychinus' Finest

Luke and Kieran x Reader

Summary: All in a day's work for Sylus's loyal and committed worker bees crows

Genre: fluff & shenanigans

Warnings/Additional tags: MDNI (not smut but it's a lil spicy and I'd rather play it safe tbh), f!reader, nonMC!reader, platonic Sylus x reader, humour, swearing, suggestion, kisses, the twins are just obsessed with your legs honestly and who could blame them

| Word count: 2.1k | Masterlist | Opt-in to my taglist here!

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Love and Deepspace. All work is my own, so please don't repost or plagiarise!

Your call connects almost instantly.

“What?” Sylus hisses from the other end, and you get the impression he’s disappointed.

“Oof,” you groan, smiling, “what’s the matter, boss? Waiting on a call from a certain Deepspace Hunter?”

There’s silence in your ear, but not far from you, Kieran snickers. Your smile broadens. “You have three seconds,” Sylus seethes, with the precarity of a pot that could boil over at any moment, “to tell me what I want to hear.”

Three seconds is a bit of a push. You’re sat on a desk and Kieran is tapping away at the computer beside you, the light of the screen catching the sharp features of his mask; he looks like something from a horror story. You nudge his knee with your foot. He glances at you.

Wrap it up, you signal with a twirl of your forefinger.

His mask tilts downwards, almost imperceptibly, and you know he’s glaring at you from behind it. He flashes his middle finger back and you chuckle, watching him return to his work. “Files should be on their way shortly,” you explain to Sylus, because you know when to stop pushing your luck. “Ever’s upped the security on these damn computers. The device that guy sold you didn’t do shit.”

It’s also now pieces of a device, shattered against the floor from when Kieran had thrown it down and stepped on it in frustration. You’re not gonna mention that.

Sylus sighs impatiently, but there’s a hint of regret. “I knew there was something off about that deal. Do you think he tipped them off?”

You glance around the room and it’s littered with bodies. Not dead! Just… unconscious. At least, most of them, you think. “Yeah…” you muse. It was a lot more security than there should have been in a high-rise office in the middle of the night. “You might be onto something there, boss.”

Another sigh from Sylus. You watch Luke as he finishes looting— wait, no— checking the last of the security guards for anything helpful. He’s found a phone and he’s staring down at it, head tilted, reminding you of Mephisto. You briefly wonder what came first: the crow masks or the crow-like behaviour. Maybe you’ll ask Sylus one day.

Luke lifts the phone, holding it at arm’s length, and you realise he’s taking a selfie. He pivots until you and Kieran are in the background, and you lean into the frame, making a peace sign with your free hand. The moment is captured. Luke tosses the phone over his shoulder and it hits the floor with a crack.

“Are you all alright?” Sylus checks, and you know his eyes are burning with frustration, even though you can’t see them. He wears a mask too— most of the time— it’s just a little more figurative than yours or the twins’. You’re an expert at reading past them by now.

“Yeah,” you say, “we signed up for this, remember? You’ve got the best of the best, right here.” You glance between Luke and Kieran. “Well, the best of the best and her sidekicks.”

“Hey!” Kieran interjects. “You wanna have a go on this computer?”

“No,” you lilt back sweetly. What’s he gonna do— make you? Sure enough, he goes back to tapping away, his head sagging slightly, and you can tell he’s pouting.

Luke has wandered closer to the pair of you. “How much longer?” he whines, throwing himself into a wheely chair, setting it on a slow collision course with Kieran’s. You stop it with your leg.

“Shut up,” Kieran snaps. “At least I’m doing something.”

“I can do something,” Luke retorts. He captures your ankle, pulling it away from the leg of his chair, and rests a hand on your shin.

“Something isn’t in the mood right now.” You lift your foot from his grasp, inching it up his lower abdomen, and he groans as you plant it against his chest. “So unprofessional,” you tut.

You’d stifled your phone against your chest, but you can hear a deep voice leaking out of it. “Say that again, boss?” you request, bringing it back to your ear.

“How long is this going to take?” Sylus repeats.

“Not long. You know what they say, though…” You meet the eyes of Luke’s mask. Your tone drops: “All good things to those who wait.”

Luke’s chair squeaks, rolling back as you push him away with a soft kick.

“Fine,” Sylus murmurs, “Mephisto is with me. Stay on the line, and send the files through when you can. I’ll check them before you leave. If they knew we were coming, there’s a chance that—”

“Yeah, yeah, I get the picture,” you interrupt. You get Kieran’s attention again, then gesture between the computer and the phone. The beak of his mask dips as he nods.

Luke has used your lapse of focus to draw himself close to you again. He takes your ankle once more and guides it to rest in his lap, one hand tight— holding you in place— and the other deftly undoing the buckles on your boot. After a few clinks, he pulls it from your foot, the leather dragging down over your skin and leaving it cold. He throws the boot at his twin’s leg.

Kieran huffs as it tumbles to the floor. He doesn’t look away from the computer, but you know he wants to. Now that’s professional.

Decidedly committed to another priority, Luke draws shapes on your lower leg, his finger grazing over your shin and ankle. He’s staring down, fixated, and maybe they aren’t shapes— maybe they’re letters. Every stroke of his finger is deliberate. You could ask what he’s writing, but you really don’t care so long as it’s more than a word or two.

If it is, he doesn’t have the patience for it. His fingers walk higher, stopping only as they reach your knee. The fabric of your dress is draped over your leg and he pushes it aside, letting it slink closer to the floor. He looks up at you, head angled like a question.

“Any progress?” Sylus asks.

You’re holding your phone between your ear and your shoulder, both hands splayed on the desk beside you so you can lean slightly back. “Getting there,” you say, lips curving. You’re not looking at the computer.

You could swear you hear Luke laugh, but it’s ever so faint. He rests his whole hand on you, warming your lower leg with broader strokes, and whatever he wrote has been erased. Your breath catches as his touch moves above your knee, and it’s a tiny sound; no-one would notice.

Kieran’s mask turns towards you. “Oh, come on,” he sighs. “No fair.”

It’s an intimate art: seeing behind a mask. You have to notice everything.

“So hurry up,” Luke answers, his voice heavier than the last time he spoke. His chest rises and falls with every breath, just a little slower, a little deeper.

Kieran rolls his eyes—you guess, from the listless way his attention goes back to the screen— and you detect a huff. “Not fair,” he says to himself. He repeats it as he punches keys with his fingers: “Not fair. Not fair.”

Luke shakes his head gently: a fond exasperation rather than anything serious. He rolls his chair closer until he’s framed by your legs, then lifts your ankle to rest on his shoulder. His fingers curl, the pads of them brushing over the top of your foot idly, but it tickles, so you try to pull away. He grasps your ankle again. “Nuh-uh, kitten,” he teases.

It’s one of your favourite in-jokes; you laugh. Sylus can still hear you, and you’re glad he doesn’t know it’s at his expense. “Something funny?” he asks. Maybe he does know.

“Yeah,” you say. He could string you upside-down with his Evol and you’d still never tell him what.

Luke is chuckling to himself, and the sound changes as he lifts his mask just enough to free the lower half of his face. It’s not the first time, but it sobers you instantly. He turns to press his lips to your ankle, leans in— kisses further up. Leans in again— his mouth moves higher.

“Why so wriggly?” he speaks into your knee. “Stop.”

“You stop,” you counter, reaching forward to grab one of the horns peeking out of his hood. You use it to pull him away. Make him look at you. “Your little book on conquest doesn’t work on me.”

His lips widen into a smirk.  

“What book?” Sylus’s voice echoes.

You smirk as well. “Ask your pet hunter.”

You’re interrupted by a thud and your head spins. Kieran is standing up, slapping the top of the computer in frustration. “C’mon, work!” he urges. “So freakin’ slow.”

“Ah, ah, ah.” You shoo him away from the computer like you would a too-friendly pigeon from your lunch.

He flaps back in answer, his hand engaging yours in a brief slap-fight before he backs down. He slumps into his chair, defeated. “It’s almost there,” he groans, folding his arms. “Hey, Luke? Wanna swap?”

“No.”

“Do it,” you prompt.

Luke’s head rolls begrudgingly. “Yes ma’am. Jeez.” He plants a warm kiss on your leg again before clambering out from underneath it, pulling his mask back down over his face.

Another moment later and Kieran is in front of you instead. “You ok?” you wonder out loud.

“Bored.” He rests his head sideways on your thigh. His fingers find your bare lower leg and he runs them up, down, up, down, but it’s soft and purposeless. Soon, his head lifts— thin, red eyes staring up at you. The gaze doesn’t waver as he leans back in his chair and starts to unfasten your other boot.

“She’s gonna get cold,” Luke quips from the computer.

“Nah. She’s not.”

Your skin prickles as Kieran pulls away your boot, like a reflection of his brother, but tortuously more slow. He lets the cool air of the room set in. “Huh,” he corrects himself. “Maybe she is.”

You get the sense you’re being punished; both of them are petty. You’re pettier, though. “Sylus?” you speak into the phone.

“Mmm?”

“Did I ever tell you about the time that Kieran— ah!”

In a heartbeat Kieran has lifted his mask— not enough, but enough— and planted a kiss above your knee. His hand is around your leg, pushing it further from the other, and you can’t help but gasp again.

“What are you…” Sylus starts to ask, but then he changes his mind. “No. I don’t want to know.”

“You sure, boss?” you chuckle breathlessly. “It might surprise you.”

“Nothing would surprise me at this point, sweetie. Those files had better be on their way.”

You tear your gaze away from Kieran to glance over at Luke. He’s sat, propped on an elbow, his chin in his palm, and he’s definitely not looking at the computer. He sits up straight under your scrutiny. Turns to the screen. After a few more drums of the keyboard, he gives you a thumbs up.

“Got it,” Sylus chimes in, no doubt perusing the files already. “Nothing seems amiss. Nice work.”

“Thanks, boss,” you grin. “I’ve been working very, very hard.”

The phone is snatched from your hand. “She has, sir!” Kieran speaks into it. He stands, putting it on speaker before setting it down beside you. “I think she deserves the night off.”

There’s a crash as he shoves the computer from the desk, and Luke leans back, swinging his feet up onto the now empty space. He lifts his mask marginally to put two fingers to his lips, whistling in celebration. There’s a slow clap for good measure, too.

Kieran bows to him with a flourish. Then to you; you bow your head back.

“I’m hanging up,” Sylus states plainly.

“Ok,” you chirp, distracted. “I hope she calls you soon, boss!”  

“I don’t… I’m not…” your leader stutters. He reconsiders. “Thank you. Don’t think, however, that I’m—”

He doesn’t get to finish the warning, threat, or whatever else it was. Luke’s finger stands proudly on the phone, still connected to the ‘end call’ button. “What?” he dismisses as you and Kieran look at him. “I slipped! If boss asks, you saw me slip.”

“I did see it,” Kieran nods.

“I saw it too,” you add solemnly.  

There’s silence for a single moment, and there’s never silence with you three around. It lasts as long as it usually does.

You all burst into laughter.

[kewrnage]

high infidelity

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ✶ ─── sylus had taught you to protect yourself from the things in the world, even from himself. that leads you questioning, doubting him.

pairings. sylus x fem! reader.

genre. sfw. angst. bad ending. surprise ending. bittersweet ending.

t. warnings. female reader. intelligent/smart reader. cheating. reader is not mc. slightly rushed ending. based on the card, night of secrecy. references to other cards like; abyssal mark and abyssal blossom. mephisto is our buddy, periodt. mystery ml in the ending.

word count. 5.3k

noir’s memoir. i’ve finally outdone my procrastination in writing, whoa. this is such a feat for my indecisive ass to stick to one idea. non mc reader because life with no drama in fiction is boringg. also tried to make sylus as annoying as possible 🙈

— plus, can my socmed feeds shut the fuck up with the night of secrecy card content because i feel like i just had a divorce with sylus, like the hell did i do to y'all?? 😭 jk. but i had to quit the game because i have no commitment to gacha games but enjoys being enraged in league lol.

— but i might open it again in summer after uni. 😩 your compliments and criticisms are appreciated tho! <3

— tagged y'all! in case i missed yours, pm me and i'll write your username on the tag list. pls don't hesitate to approach me! 🙏🏻

"Do you love me?" You'd ask, the words a familiar melody between you, a question that whispered on the wind of your shared intimacy. Each time, it seemed to brush away the dust of doubt, leaving only a lingering warmth in its wake.

You'd feel his rough hand, calloused from battles, graze your skin, a silent affirmation of his devotion. He loved every inch of you, flaws and all, your beauty, a canvas he cherished, a masterpiece in his eyes.

His thumb traced a path across textures of your skin clears any hint of insecurity within you as he paid no mind in those details, a touch that also spoke volumes of his affection.

Love. Almost three years ago since you have felt the romantic one aside from your family and friends, is when you met Sylus. Not only have you experienced it, but you learned things that have never entered your mind before.

He taught you things you didn't know. Baking, a little bit of programming- it wasn't easy, but love has the power to turn surrenders into miracles.

You somehow one day learned how to program Mephisto, because that mechanical crow is one of the little things that are part of him- that also you insisted on him to advise you.

There were many more lessons, such as when his knuckles scooted forward into the wind with force, eventually meeting your palm as your fingers enclosing his hand and he smiled proudly, his eyes reflecting the joy of that moment of that spar.

Or when he had a way of dealing with your emotional outbursts. One brush of his hand soothes your seething ardor towards frustration.

He would tell you to breathe in and out, He'd whisper, "Breathe in, breathe out," his voice like a soothing balm. You learned, slowly but surely, to think before reacting, to find calm amidst the chaos. He was intimidating, his red eyes like a blood moon, yet he was an angel you could turn to for guidance, a safe haven where judgment never crossed his mind.

After all, love isn't just all about affection, it is a journey and a path to clarity.

He surprised you one day with a statement that chipped away at your unwavering admiration. "I needed to teach you to protect you," he said, his voice low and tender. "From many perils, sweetie. Even from myself." The words were unexpected, unsettling even.

He usually spoke with a sense of calm certainty, but there was a lingering smirk on his lips, a hint of longing that you couldn't quite comprehend. It was a longing that made you wonder what secrets lurked beneath his unwavering presence.

Yet lately, his answer to that question was, "Of course, sweetie." Was his response before he left you in your bed, for a business rendezvous, he said.

Just like countless other days. The words were there, but the tone of his voice was flat, the warmth missing. It was as if he was going through the motions, his answer a hollow echo of his usual sentiment. The unease gnawed at you. Was it your mind playing tricks, conjuring up worries where there were none? Perhaps.

But these feelings weren't fleeting moments of anxiety. They had settled deep within you, a persistent unease that had lingered for almost a month. Something had changed, you were sure of it.

The piles of unanswered calls and unread texts served as a constant reminder of his transformation, a stark contrast to the man you once knew. Each unanswered call, each unreturned message, confirmation that he had hidden agendas he's unable to tell you.

.

It was difficult to push him from your thoughts despite his growing distance, his newfound frigidity. He was the one who'd always been there for you, a constant in your life, a safe harbor amidst your storms. He'd made sure that your comfort zone wouldn't crumble, that the cracks in your facade wouldn't widen into gaping wounds.

He’d bandaged your anxieties, reassured you of his love, trying to make sure that your heart, so fragile, wouldn’t ever break. But now, with each passing day, those bandages seemed to be loosening, and the wounds that had been so meticulously concealed began to bleed through.

Love takes many forms, including distraction, not to be confused with destruction.

The unraveling of your comfort zone forced a forgotten lesson back to the forefront of your mind. You had to know the truth. It wasn't easy. The path ahead was bound to be rocky, riddled with doubts and uncertainties, but you had to find your way, even if it meant facing the inevitable verdict you so desperately hoped was false.

Love had a way of clouding judgment, blinding a person to the cracks that were beginning to appear. He thought that massive alterations to Mephisto would go unnoticed, but you noticed.

You noticed the crow's new commands were convoluted as you tried to decipher its new system, its obedience reserved only for its Onichynus master. It was as if he’d put two steps between you, but you weren't one to be outsmarted.

You saved up, pooling your resources, and bought two small, unobtrusive tracking devices. It was a small step, a ripple in a sea of uncertainty, but it was a step nonetheless.

You gambled one day, a desperate act fueled by an insatiable hunger for truth. It was a risky play, a leap of faith, but you had to know. You began to wrap a collar around Mephisto’s neck, the mechanical bird squawking and thrashing in protest, its wings a blur of metal and feathers.

It was a struggle, a desperate dance of resistance, but with the help of your faithful butler, you secured Mephisto in your grasp. You felt a pang of guilt, you'd grown fond of the bird, but the truth, the need for answers, outweighed your remorse, but you can barely handle Mephisto's saddened, quiet caws as he grew fond of you as well.

You didn't know what sorcery Mephisto can sometimes able to feel on his own, nonetheless, it was a sacrifice you had to make in the name of love and the pursuit of truth.

With the leash secured firmly to the edge of your desk, you plunged the room into dim light, a measure to protect the camera from unwanted attention. Then, you turned to your butler, a man of technical prowess, the one who’d always understood the intricacies of Mephisto’s mechanisms. With steady hands, he began the delicate process of disassembly.

With the practiced hands of a seasoned craftsman, your butler begins. The silver cog atop its head, a key to its mobility, must be carefully detached. The delicate wires leading from it, intricately woven like a spider's web, must be disconnected, halting the flow of energy that animates its movements and vision.

It had been some time since that night, yet the memory remained vivid, etched into your mind like a scar. Now, you sat on the couch, your limbs restless, unable to find solace in the familiar comfort of your home. Sylus's actions, his growing distance, his secretive behavior, all gnawed at your mind.

You weren't sure what to think. Mephisto rarely visited you anymore, but sometimes, in a fleeting glimpse of its little figure from the sky, you'd catch sight of him, the collar you’d placed around his neck gone.

You knew, somehow, that Sylus had removed it. The knowledge made your teeth clench. Your doubts grew stronger, fueled by the certainty that he was hiding something.

But luckily, your butler managed to insert the other small tracking device inside Mephisto when the crow was dissected- as you anticipated your lover's potential actions. It was cleverly disguised, blending seamlessly with the crow's black metallic interior, just in case Sylus was trying to take a glimpse inside as well.

He thought he'd completely erased any trace of your sleuthing, but you always had a backup plan. He'd underestimated you, perhaps a mistake born from teaching you to be just as sly as him.

You sighed, a breath of grim determination, and unlocked your phone once more. The map glowed with Mephisto's location, a bright red circle on a backdrop of digital darkness.

The tracker, a nigh-perfect beacon. Dread, anticipation, determination, and anxiety—a cocktail that made your steps wary, every step made you so hesitant. You raced out of your lavish house, into the night, and into your car, following Mephisto's trail, the glowing red circle leading you deeper into the mystery.

Your car zipped past the city lights, the rush of wind against your face a testament to your mounting impatience. You were close, the revelation looming like a storm cloud on the horizon. The building came into view: an architectural masterpiece, a testament to opulence as you parked— it could be Mephisto perched on here somewhere.

Those elegant golden lights illuminating its windows and intricate designs adorning its exterior. As you entered, the grandeur of the interior, even more breathtaking than its exterior, momentarily stole your breath.

But this was not a time for sightseeing, for reveling in luxurious aesthetics. You were here for a different kind of revelation, one that could shatter your world. And for that, you couldn’t afford to draw attention to yourself.

You braced yourself, put on a mask of composure before approaching the reception desk. You couldn't let anyone see the turmoil within, the fear, the anxiety that threatened to overwhelm you. "May I ask something, ma'am?" you inquired, your voice attempting nonchalance, though its slight tremor betrayed your façade.

The receptionist, a charming woman with a smile that could lure you into a sales pitch, smiled warmly. "Yes, how may I help you, young lady?" she inquired, mistaking your bundle of nerves for being shy.

A wave of relief washed over you. "May I know if a man named Sylus is currently staying here?" you asked. It was a simple question, but it held the weight of your anxieties, the culmination of your fears and suspicions.

The receptionist raised an eyebrow, her smile faltering slightly as she noted the urgency in your voice. But she was a professional, and she quickly recovered, her smile returning. "One sec, miss," she chirped, leaning over the counter to slide open a drawer. She pulled out a logbook, its pages filled with names and dates, and began to search, her eyes scanning quickly for Sylus's name.

The receptionist's eyes scanned the logbook, her finger tracing the lines of names, dates, and numbers. Finally, her finger paused, a smile lighting up her face. "He's on the fifth floor, young lady," she said, her voice warm and helpful. "Room 506. You can find this person on one of the doors." She handed the duplicate of the room's key to you.

A shimmer of hope ignited within you. "Thank you so much," you murmured, your heart swelling with a rush of emotion.

You bowed to the reception desk, then, with a swift move, placed a small bill on the counter. The receptionist’s eyes widened in surprise. She had been happy to help, but this small token of appreciation was unexpected, a pleasant surprise. You couldn't have imagined a quicker, smoother retrieval of information.

The elevator hummed its silent ascent, a slow, steady climb that seemed to amplify your anxieties. The brief wave of relief you'd felt at the reception desk dissipated, replaced by a chilling dread. Each floor you passed seemed to deepen the shadows, casting a foreboding weight on your shoulders. As the elevator doors slid open, revealing the fifth floor corridor, your heart hammered in your chest.

You moved slowly, cautiously, until you reached the door you were seeking. An oblong golden plaque, embossed with the number 506, confirmed the location. You braced yourself, your fingers trembling as they reached for the knob as you unlocked it and hiding the key to your pocket, a silent twist that opened the door, a secret whisper in the symphony of this opulent space.

The once blurring luminescence of the white in seconds as you opened the door you take it in, blurring your irises in seconds until the path ahead becomes clearer. You take a silent stroll to mask your presence and make the dangers of the room unaware. You passed through a couch and several pieces of furniture until you stopped in front of a bed- but you kept your distance a few feet away.

The sight that greeted you made your anger and despair collide, a violent storm of emotions that weakened your legs, the blood draining from your face.

Sylus was there, sitting with his back to you, his arms wrapped around her, kissing each other comfortably, tongues grazing the other. The silky red sheets of the luxurious bed crinkled beneath their combined weight, and their bodies, slick with perspiration, were a testament to the hours they'd spent entwined.

His hand rested possessively on her ass, a lingering touch, while the other brushed the back of her thigh, a gesture that spoke volumes of their intimacy. You were certain, with sickening clarity, that they had been entwined for hours.

“Syl…?” You mumble as you try to lift your head up, loud enough for him to hear. But they were lost in their intimacy, a tableau of forbidden pleasure that made your stomach churn with a mixture of jealousy and disgust.

Both were so immersed into the rhythmic pulse of jazz music thrumming its spell over them, while their arms and legs waltz on each other's skins, your voice could barely register into the room especially to Sylus.

The only thing that broke the immersion was the sudden, urgent caw of Mephisto recognizing you. The mechanical crow, perched on the window sill, had spotted you, its red eyes fixed on your figure. Sylus's head snapped up, his eyes widening with a flicker of surprise.

“Sweetie,” he breathed, a lazy, affectionate drawl that grated on your nerves. He had the audacity to use that pet name, a term of endearment that had once held meaning for you, now laced with irony, a mocking echo of a past that felt worlds away. He was now aware of the storm brewing in your eyes, the silent rage that pulsed through your veins.

“Which one of us is that, Sylus?” You questioned. The tension in the room crackled, palpable, a force that seemed to draw every atom toward the heart of this forbidden encounter.

It was a tense standoff three-way, a collision of love, betrayal, and a simmering rage that threatened to boil over and tears threatening to fall from your eyes.

Sylus remained unnervingly calm, a stillness that bordered on arrogance. As if this situation, this blatant betrayal, was simply another day at the office.

He sighed, a melodic exhale that seemed to underscore his control, and gently eased miss Hunter down beside him. His hand remained intertwined with hers, a possessive gesture, a subtle reminder of his power, his control over her.

You remembered how he once taught you to think before reacting. But this was not applicable to this unjustified situation.

Sylus’s smirk held a trace of begrudging admiration. “How did you find me here? I made sure you wouldn't have any traces of me in my devices,” he remarked, a subtle challenge laced within his words.

He was impressed, not by your intrusion, but by your proficiency, the sheer brilliance of your tracking skills as little to no criminals, compared to you, barely achieved this feat.

The shock was evident in his eyes, a hint of something akin to awe, but he covered it with a façade of casual admiration. "You're two steps ahead of me huh,” he conceded, a grudging acknowledgment of your resourcefulness. “I should have known.” He tried to inject a false, affectionate tone into his words, but it was a poor attempt to disguise his unease. “you're indeed amazing for that. I'll give you the credit, sweetie.”

You surged forward with no explanation for that matter, fueled by a cocktail of anger and betrayal. You lunged, your palm connecting with his cheek with a resounding slap. The force of the blow sent a wave of shock through him, a crimson flush blooming across his cheek.

"Bastard!" you screamed, your voice raw with fury. "You betrayed me! How could you do this to me, after everything?"

Mephisto, sensing the eruption of emotions, flew out the window. The mechanical crow, a silent witness to your heartbreak, had sensed the shift in the atmosphere and retreated, leaving you in this charged space.

Sylus's hand flew to his cheek, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he felt the sting of your blow. He looked up at you, your eyes burning with a heat that threatened to consume him. He saw the inferno of pain, the charred remnants of your trust smoldering within them.

But he reacted with an unsettling calm. As if your fury was but a minor inconvenience.

"What happened to you?" His gaze, unwavering, held a glimmer of something akin to amusement. "I made you a strong woman and you're supposed to react like one." he had a small but bitter chuckle.

You stood there, face to face with him, the raw fury in your heart threatening to spill over. His figure, once a beacon of comfort, now seemed tainted, sinful in its betrayal. His calm, his audacity, ignited a fresh fire in your soul.

"Is this..." you began, your voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and heartbreak, "Is this...what you meant when you taught me to protect myself from things… including yourself?" You finally completed your sentence, but the struggle to get there was visceral, an agonizing process of grappling with the raw truth.

"Sweetie," he purred, his voice dripping with honeyed sweetness, even as his hand remained possessively intertwined with his mistress's. He raised his head, meeting your gaze with a calm that bordered on a disturbing indifference. His casualness, his ability to betray you with such ease, was both maddening and bewildering.

"Yes," he said, his voice smooth and steady, "I needed you to know how to protect you from myself."

The words struck you like a blow. You were grasping for some semblance of logic, some explanation, some shred of comfort. But the situation was too complex, a tangle of emotions that defied reason.

How could this man, the man who had shaped your world, the man you had believed loved you, be capable of such a betrayal? You knew, you felt, you were certain that he loved you. His teachings, his unwavering support, they had all felt so heartfelt.

Sylus saw the whirlwind of emotions in your eyes, a mix of confusion, disbelief, and hurt. This was not the reaction he had anticipated, a vulnerability that made him feel a twinge of guilt, a brief flicker of mercy.

He took a deep breath, his voice tinged with a mixture of sincerity and uncertainty. "I'm going to be honest, sweetie." He averted his gaze, the weight of his confession a heavy burden. He wasn't a coward, he would always tell you the truth, just as he had taught you to embrace even the most uncomfortable truths.

"I have loved you," he confessed, his voice low and remorseful. "But you need to know, that this woman," he gestured towards the woman beside him, "is the one I love the most. Ever since… Eons ago, as a dragon, she has been with me. Even in the moment of my death," he finished, his voice trailing off.

The revelation struck you with the force of a thunderbolt. The anger, the hurt, the realization that you were, in fact, the other woman—it all washed over you, drowning you in a sea of despair.

This woman, this woman who had been with him for eons, their story, their world, had existed long before you, before your love, before your dreams. You were the one who had been tricked, the one who had been used, the one who had been left behind in the wake of their enduring love.

He turned away from you, his gaze settling on the woman beside him. She seemed flustered, embarrassed by the messy scene they had created, and you felt a wave of pity wash over you. You, too, were a victim in this twisted game of love and betrayal.

Sylus looked at her with an adoring gaze, the same affection he had once showered upon you. It was a sight that stabbed at your heart, a reminder of the love you thought you had shared, now gone, swept away by the tides of time and a love that had existed long before you.

"I remember, clear as day," he continued, his voice smooth, his gaze turning back to you, "Our adventures in Tarus City. The very first mark I placed on her skin." He was painting their courtship, a romanticized narrative that painted a vivid picture of their shared history. He was trying to make sense of it, to justify it—but it was hard for you to listen.

Each detail he shared—the caved city of treasures, the gold that glittered everywhere, how he'd held her waist with his dragon tail, the playful way he snaked up behind her to mark her neck—they were all memories you desperately wished were yours.

He continued,  "And when I laid on the field of crimson flowers, it was the only special place I would let her know and stay and she was on top of me..." It was a scene straight out of a fairytale, a love story that had begun eons ago,  a love that transcended time and death. And you were the outsider, the one who had been fooled, the one who had been left behind.

"In the moment of my death," he said, his voice laced with a profound sadness yet a sense of serenity. "She cursed me before my once more waking life, that I could never die again. I could only disappear in her will and her hands." He says, explaining the curse that the female hunter embedded onto her.

His words, laced with an undeniable truth,  were crushing. You could feel your own heart breaking into a million pieces. You were not part of their story, their love, their world. You were simply a footnote, a brief interlude in a grand romance that had begun before time had even begun.

"I thought I moved on," he admitted,  a trace of guilt in his voice. "But when I felt her newfound presence being around this world,  I couldn't abandon my true love.  It was a promise we made to each other, sweetie."  He was trying to make sense of it all,  to explain it. But it was too late.  The damage was done. His words were like daggers, twisting and turning inside of you.

"Did you think for a second that you used me!?" You choked out the words, your voice laced with a mixture of disbelief and betrayal.  The realization hit you like a tidal wave—you weren't just the other woman, you were a pawn in a game you didn't even know you were playing.

"I didn't— but it is my responsibility..  to make amends. But you already know who I chose." Sylus replied, with a calmness that enraged you further. His response, devoid of remorse, was a slap in the face of the earth in yours.

You could no longer hold back the torrent of emotion, of hurt, and humiliation.  Tears streamed down your face. "You used me!" you cried,  your voice hoarse from anguish. You raised your hand, a fierce anger fueling your movement, and slapped him again.

This time, the force of your blow was fueled by the crushing weight of your shattered heart. Your slap resonated with the quiet despair that echoed through the room.

He remained silent, his face stoic, his eyes filled with a grim understanding of the wreckage he had created. He didn't flinch from your blow, nor did he offer any further words of explanation. The silence that settled between you was a testament to the profound devastation he had caused.

You knew then, with a terrible clarity, that you had been a mere chess piece in a game of love, passion, and betrayal,  played by two souls bound by a love that had lasted eons. You had been seduced by his charm, his intelligence, his strength. But you had been blinded by your affection,  blinded by the illusion you had built around him.

"I trusted you…" You choked out the words, the realization of your betrayal heavy on your tongue and the tears breaking down from your etes.  You stumbled back, needing to escape the overwhelming emotions that threatened to consume you.  Your hand flew to your chest, clutching at the wound of your broken heart. 

"I looked up to you— I loved you!" You felt your voice crack, the weight of your shattered dreams cascading down upon you. "Then you're just leaving me to dust because you found your ancient ex-girlfriend! To deal with this on my own! Do you know how much I told my parents and my friends your loyalty— and you pull this shit out to my face!" The words were a torrent of anger, frustration, and betrayal, pouring out of you like a tidal wave.

"Yes, sweetie, I appreciate all the things you've done for me, too," Sylus conceded, his voice laced with a hint of regret.  It was a rare moment of vulnerability, a glimpse into the man you had once loved. He sounded a little rueful too from his disheartening deed.

But even as he spoke, his hand remained entangled with Miss Hunter's hair now, a constant reminder of his choice, his loyalty to the love that had endured throughout eons.

"But I simply chose what my heart desires and whom it beats for," he continued, his voice a smooth, steady murmur.  His words were a testament to his resolute decision,  a confirmation of his commitment to the woman beside him on the bed.

"It may have skipped for you as well," he added,  a faint flicker of acknowledgement in his gaze. 

"But not in the leaps way beyond mountains she has over me. " His words held a subtle undercurrent of  pride, a hint of boasting,  a reminder that his love for Miss Hunter was a force that defied time. It was as if he was comparing the intensity of his love for you to the enduring passion he shared with Miss Hunter, suggesting that yours was fleeting, while hers was undeniable,   unwavering and endless.

Your back slammed against the ornate, velvet-covered wall and, sending a wave of pain through your body. The rustling of the fire in the chimney heightening the tension.

But right now, nothing can be compared to the crushing pain in your heart. The silence of this opulent room now echoed with the hollow emptiness you felt within. You were stranded, alone,  lost in the wreckage of a love you once believed in, a love that had been a lie.

You had nothing more to say. It was all so clear, so horrifyingly simple. The pieces clicked into place, revealing a picture of betrayal so complete.

You gritted your teeth, tears cascading down your cheeks. "I just hope you won't make attempts to appear in my life again," you said, your voice hoarse.

Reaching into your pocket, you pulled out a ring, a symbol of the future you thought you were building together.  

The ring, a precious gem that once held so much promise, now felt like a poison in your hand.  With a final, desperate action, you flung the ring towards him, the metal clanging against the floor, the impact echoing the shattering of your heart.

"I'm sorry, y/n..." Sylus said, his voice tinged with regret. But it was a regret that felt hollow, a  mere echo of the love he had once professed. His actions spoke louder than any words he could utter, and it was clear that his remorse was only a shadow of the love he held for the woman beside him.

A fire ignited within you, a blaze of fury fueled by heartbreak. You pointed a finger at him, your voice trembling with barely controlled rage. "Fine! We're done, that's what I want too!" You shouted, your words a declaration of war against the man who had betrayed you,  the man you had once loved.

You left him there, the image of his betrayal seared into your soul. You stepped into the elevator, the metal walls closing in on you, pressing down on you like the crushing weight of grief. The silent hum of the elevator felt like a dirge, a mournful symphony for a love that had died.

The lobby with its bustling crowd felt like a blur. You walked past people who were happily chatting,  laughing,  living their lives as if nothing had happened. You felt like a ghost,  moving through a world that had suddenly lost all its color.  It was too much. The dam of your emotions finally broke.

You raced to your car, a blur of movement and tear-stained cheeks. Slumping into the driver's seat, you rested your forehead on the steering wheel,  your body racked by sobs.  It was a quiet grief, a silent scream trapped in a world that no longer made sense.

The barrage of missed calls and texts suddenly made sense to you. Each one, a silent echo of your foolish trust, now felt like a searing reminder of your heartbreak. You kept crying, the weight of your grief feeling like a boulder, a heavy strain on your shoulders. You longed to break free from the torrent of your emotions,  but it felt like you were drowning in them.

But eventually, exhausted from the relentless sobs, you slumped back against the driver's seat, your head resting against the headrest. A quiet sigh escaped your lips, a testament to the depth of your despair.

Then, you heard it. A gentle, unhappy caw. You recognized the distinctive sound, the crimson eyes that peered through the darkened window. It was Mephisto. You unlocked the car window, and he flew in, settling on your finger, his metallic eyes shimmering in the dim light.

“Oh, Mephisto..” You sighed as you stroked his smooth, metallic feathers. Something about his presence, his silent understanding, brought a flicker of warmth to your heart.

“You're such a good friend, you know that?” He cawed softly, and you smiled, the first genuine smile you'd managed since you found out the truth.  It was a small comfort, but right now, it was all you needed.

The fact that he was Sylus' mechanical crow didn't diminish your fondness for Mephisto.  He had become more than just a possession, more than just a tool. Mephisto, as of now, had become a quiet companion, a silent witness to your heartbreak, a source of comfort in a world that had suddenly felt cold and unforgiving.

Life, in its own strange way, had offered you a measure of mercy. You haven't crossed paths with Sylus, not in any of the unexpected places where ex-lovers tend to bump into each other. It was as if fate had conspired to keep you apart, allowing wounds to heal without the added pain of an unwelcome encounter.

Mephisto, somehow, became your regular visitor, a silent observer of your healing process. Sometimes he would arrive with a sense of frustration, his metal eyes flashing a bit brighter, likely due to some altercation with Miss Hunter. 

She probably had a beef with him for being a spy dog, a relic of Sylus' traces. But you always greeted him with a smile and a gentle stroke to his head, the quiet comfort of his presence a comforting touch on your bruised heart.

Time, as it often does, had begun to mend your broken heart. The sting of betrayal still lingered,  a faint echo of the pain you had endured.  But  you were moving forward,  finding solace in  new experiences,  new connections.

You found yourself at a museum,  a haven of quiet beauty and wonder.  You wandered through the halls,  admiring the exhibits,  until you stopped before an aquarium,  captivated by the vibrant underwater world.  A particular fish, a mesmerizing glow emanating from its scales, caught your eye.   You pressed your hand against the glass,  intrigued by the creature’s hypnotic beauty.

"You seem to like that one too, miss? You have good taste,"  a voice said behind you.

You turned,  your heart skipping a beat as you met the gaze of a beautiful stranger.  His soft features had a hint of rebellion,  his  short, wavy indigo hair adding a touch of  charm. He  was  classically handsome,  dressed in  a  crisp white polo with  slightly puffy sleeves that  accentuated his physique,  and a glittering golden necklace adding a hint of  elegance. 

His smile was warm and inviting, and his gaze held a genuine interest. The  initial  hesitation you felt quickly melted away as you found yourself drawn to his charm and  ease. He spoke about the fish, sharing his  expertise, his passion for aquatic life filling  his voice.   

It made you giggle and discovered a shared love for the beauty and complexity of nature, and you found yourself laughing, sharing  stories, and  discovering a connection that  surprised  you.

Your banter with the mysterious man continued, a delightful mix of shared laughter and playful teasing. His initial charm was quickly evident, his playful teasing a welcome change from the dull routine of your days.

He was passionate about aquatic life, but he could be a bit pouty when you touched on sensitive topics. When you mentioned the idea of catching fish from the ocean to sell, he became visibly deflated and pouted a bit at you.

"Oh, please, you can't be serious?" he asked, a snarky tone creeping into his voice.

"It's not right to take creatures from their home just to line your pockets. The ocean is a sacred place, a source of life, and we need to protect it, not exploit it. It's not just about the fish, it's about the whole ecosystem," He defended and you only shrugged just to get him riled up again. Although he did have a point.

Somewhere in the throngs of visitors,  you  failed to notice a familiar pair of crimson eyes. Sylus, he was with his woman as usual, his presence a dark shadow casting  a  subtle regret across his handsome features, had witnessed  this brand new you.

tags. @yukithestar @babygirl-panda19 @rainkissedberries @aetherscribit @athanasia-day

[feniksido]

For some reason my post about the Heist in the Hells has been getting some traction recently so I thought maybe it's time to talk about my actual thoughts on what I would like to see in the hypothetical Heist in the Hells DLC (my personal hell)

I was trying to figure out a whole bunch of stuff about Mephistopheles and the 8th layer of the hells! First, the vaults are in Mephistar, a citadel on top of a Glacier named Nargus, which is piloted by Mephisto all over Cania constantly on the move. Mephisto has his slowly melting throne at the very center of the glacier, and the rest of the city is like a mini-hell with 3 terraced levels where the lowest level is with “lowly least devils” and mid tier for mid devils i guess and then hellfire masters and nobles and the wizards on the third higher levels. It’s heated on the inside of Mephistar! It has baths and scented fires (not sure what they smell like but I assume something other than fire?)

The rest of Cania is just like barren wasteland full of just the weirdest left over arcane energy cus of Mephisto’s experimentation, its cold as fuck and it has constant surveillance against spies, mostly spies sent by Dispater, mr THE Arms Dealer of all the planes, so you know that motherfucker mephistopheles is very used to these types of people showing up and trying to go into the vaults and such

NOW Helsik very specifically used the words “I punched a portal into the Archdevil’s dusty vaults”, so I assume it was directly into the vaults that they fell into. I'm not sure how this is even possible but i'm not one to ask questions that i will never understand the answers to (lying, im seething) 

However, regardless of the fact that I don't know how Helsik the queen that she is did that, she did do it. I imagine the vaults are huge and incredibly elaborate and probably several stories? Layers? Deep. The items and scrolls and information must all be neatly cataloged and kept track of in the most particular way because Mephistopheles is nothing if not obsessively controlling of all his knowledge and information

However the whereabouts of the actual physical objects must be like.. Constantly changing or magically protected so that those with no authorization cannot find their way through the vaults

Mephistopheles’s filing system is… insane but i do think he would keep track. Or make someone else keep track. He’s very busy. He typically hands down experiments he ran out of time to deal with in his busy schedule to his lessers so I wouldn't put it past him to have someone else also take care of the cataloging. The Crown of Karsus is NOT high on his priority list so i understand how this was potentially feasible to Gortash and The Dark Urge

Actually Talking about the heist itself now: 

I imagine that if a whole heist dlc (don't think we’re getting one but a man can dream) did happen it would start with a bit of exposition. Probably explaining a little bit of the Letters between Durge and Gortash. Specifically these ones:

Then we cut to a scene where they’re already at Helsik’s place. They’ve discussed the plans in depth, they’ve been doing test runs for this in the House of Hope and now it’s time for the real deal. 

Helsik “punches” the portal into the Vaults and they jump in. The portal closes behind them, Helsik will not allow herself to be implicated in anything. They take in their surroundings; they have to be quick, although it is heated inside of Mephistar the frigidness of Cania cuts deeper than anything Baldur’s Gate could ever manage. I imagine that they, having never been here before, look for something that can help them navigate/orient themselves in the vaults. Perhaps that whole cataloging system I talked about earlier. You can choose to ignore it and just go straight forwards checking every room making it substantially harder and less efficient which makes Gortash a little pissy at you for not taking his advice and helping him look for that or you can look around for one but the actual system for cataloging is encrypted 

Maybe a mini puzzle game can take place here, like the one with the brain in Moonrise Towers 

The thingy would then lead deeper into vaults where they would fight Gelugons (the main residents of the 8th layer also known as ice devils) and other assorted devils including pit fiends and pain devils. Maybe a couple dire polar bears also who knows who Mephisto but on his security team

At one point i want to come across an ice devil that much like Yurgir in the house of hope in act 3, can be convinced to side with you and become a temporary ally (perhaps it holds resentment towards Hutijin, mephistopheles’ second in command, and just got sick and tired of the monotony and wants to stick it to the man, i just want a devil in my party even for a second) 

If you manage to successfully persuade this devil to join you, Gortash might be impressed and tell you about how tricking a devil is no easy feat, you can ask him to elaborate on that and he might tell you a bit about his time in the house of hope as Raphael’s unwilling guest Who knows

Moving on, I’d like several more puzzles to delve deeper into the vaults, some that lead nowhere some that lead exactly where you need to go, if you did the earlier puzzle Gortash will be able to guide you and say which ones lead nowhere and which ones are the ones you need to do 

Eventually I want a mechanically engineered door to be the next hurdle which Gortash takes upon himself to solve on his own since he’s more well suited towards this kind of thing, during this, rounds and rounds of incoming security swarm around you both, and Durge has to defend Gortash while he works on getting the door open. Much like the quest for Halsin looking for Thaniel in the Shadowfell, you gotta keep the portal open but instead of “keep the portal open” its “keep Gortash alive and not distracted”

When the rounds of enemies are done you get a little cutscene where you see Durge being overwhelmed by the many devils and it cuts to Gortash who has just opened the door and he takes less than a second’s pause before he decides that instead of going through the door and escaping to relative safety on his own, leaving durge to die he helps durge and they are both able to get through the door sealing it behind them, now in relative safety, they both take a second to breathe 

You as durge now can talk to Gortash and have the dialogue options to say Thank you, scold him for dragging you away from the bloody slaughter, or question his decision to come back for you

I THINK IN MY MIND that the response for all these options would basically be the same, because Gortash is a well practiced speaker and knows exactly what to say but his body language would sort of give him away for the way he’s feeling about the option you choose 

Thanking him would lead to a more defensive “pushing away” way of saying “I still require your assistance, we’re not done. Don’t expect it to happen again.” tsundere ass but like imagine that but better written 

Scolding him would get a sorta like “I cant fucking believe this” as if he expected durge to be a little more practical about things and not lose focus in the madness that was that slaughter and rampage, like i said still the same but just “Argh! I still require your assistance! We are NOT done. DO NOT expect it to happen again if you intend to act this way.” He needs you to focus, not lose yourself in blood

Questioning and challenging his decision but not outright saying you disapprove would probably be playing right into the whole “equals who challenge each other” thing that he likes to do so it’d probably make him slow down, talk slower, make him really think about why he did it and do the thing where while talking he can't look at Durge in the eyes so he looks off to the side or down at the floor “I still need your help. We’re nowhere near done. Let’s not expect this to happen again, yes?” Like acknowledging that yes that was in fact weakness that neither of their masters tolerate (because obviously the correct thing a baneite would have done is let the bhaalspawn die so that he alone already so close to the crown could take it for himself) and almost regretful that he didn't have a better excuse

You continue forward and finally come into the room with the Crown of Karsus and the portfolio labeled “Accelerated Grand Design”, there they encounter a boss fight, probably not mephisto himself cus they’d be dead tbh but maybe a simulacrum or something idk here things get a bit dicey for me cus what the fuck! How do they get out? I thought maybe they do the fight and once they grab everything they need or want they maybe have an enhanced cloak of dimension door or maybe a scroll of teleportation or something to get them out of the deep deep VAULTS themselves and into a place where they can “safely” create another circle on this side with the components and specific instructions Helsik gave them 

They’d arrive home back in Baldur’s Gate and celebrate their victory briefly and bada bing bada boom the dlc is over. If i had it my way at the end right there those two idiot geniuses would get so horny from the powerrush and bloodlust they just experienced that they end the dlc with durgetash fucking nasty 

[beyondconfessor]

The Infernal Contract [16/16]

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Lilith/Zelda Spellman

Summary: Zelda wished she could say something. There were so many things she needed to tell Lilith. She wished she could look at her and tell it was okay. If she did die, she didn’t regret making that contract. She didn’t regret spending all that time together, not a single moment of it.

N.B.: Also posted on AO3

Zelda tugged at the lace of her gloves, eyeing Agatha and Dorcas both. Prudence trusted them implicitly, and yet hesitation gnawed at her. If she was honest, they had both settled in Zelda’s classes, becoming less disruptive. But quiet students didn’t necessarily make for good babysitters.

She watched as they stood on either side of the bassinets. Agatha played with the ends of one of her plaits, while Dorcas looked down at the ground, admiring her shoes. “Hey,” Prudence said, snapping her fingers at the two of them. “This is serious. If we don’t come back, you will take them to Dezemelda for her to protect. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Prudence,” the sisters said in unison, rolling their eyes. But Zelda caught the way Dorcas averted her eyes again, and how Agatha toyed with her hair. Perhaps they were just as scared of losing their sister.

Zelda stepped away from the lounge room, into the foyer. Sabrina stood in the centre of the room, dressed in the gaudy golden dress. Despite its rather obvious design choice, Zelda thought she looked radiant. Under different circumstances, she would have been proud to chaperone Sabrina to a witching masquerade. Now, however, she could barely alleviate the growing nausea in her belly.

In the next hour, they were going to complete a coup against one of the most powerful beings in this realm. If any of them make it out alive, it would be a miracle.

Hilda reached out and took her hand, squeezing it once before she let go. Zelda turned and faced, offering a small smile. Hilda was trying to remind her that they were all in this together; she wasn’t alone. Sabrina wasn’t alone.

Zelda nodded, steeling her expression. She looked from Ambrose to the mortals, to Mr Scratch. They had gathered around Sabrina, flushing her with compliments and false bravado with manic energy. She could see her niece drinking it in, a mixture of fear and excitement for the coming events.

If there was one thing Zelda missed, it was the feeling of invincibility that came from youth. She’d had her share (and then some) with death to remind her that even she was mortal, but Sabrina was young yet, and if all went well, would have the rest of her life to become jaded towards mortality.

From the corner of her eye, she watched as Prudence stepped away from her sisters and came to stand beside Ambrose, their fingers brushing subtly enough that Zelda moved her eyes away, pretending not to notice.

At least they had reconciled. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too late.

“Are we ready?” Zelda asked, looking amongst the group of them. Anxiety held firm, but as the masks were pulled onto their face, Zelda felt a calmness seal within her. It was going to work. It had to.

She closed her eyes, sending a prayer to Lilith and felt a shiver run down her back in response. She fiddled with the ring on her left hand, finding strange comfort in the way her wedding ring felt.

It wasn’t the ring Lilith had provided her, but it would do for now.

They discussed the plan twice again before Zelda summoned her magic and cast the glamour over them. All at once, the room filled with dozens of more infernal looking creatures who all shuffled around them, turning and looking about the group.

“Praise Aunt Zelda,” Ambrose whispered. “This is by far a glamour to end all glamours.”

Sabrina’s eyes dancers around the creatures, her brow pinching as she looked for faults, but whatever she searched for she seemed satisfied with, giving a small nod as she turned and smiled at Zelda. “Shall well?”

Hilda and Ambrose stepped forward, standing opposite to one another as they had them all take hands. Then the teleportation spell was cast, the magic pulled and expanded, and they were standing outside on grass, from the Hall, where Lilith had advised them to attend.

“Praise be,” one of them whispered, and the prayer fell from Zelda’s mouth as fast as it did from the others.

They disappeared into the night to where Lucifer awaited them, standing outside of the Grand Hall, dressed in their grandest clothes, with the highest glamour any of them could have concocted and waited. Lilith had warned them to wait for her signal, that she would placate Him with enough truth to provide them with the upper hand.

In the moments they waited, Zelda felt the fear grow inside of her, unspooling like a thread had been tugged, but before it had time to grow monstrous, the signal sounded, Lilith’s voice resonating through the doors.

Sabrina entered first as the distraction, the gold glittering in the candlelight as she sang sweetly. Then they entered slowly, in formation as if it were all apart of some grande performance with masks and glamoured crowds and an extravagant dance worthy of any stage.

And then they were still, watching as the crowning occurred, cheering as if it was the very thing they desired. “Hail Sabrina! Hail Satan!” Zelda spoke with the others, feeling the words burn in her throat as she kept her eyes away from Lilith, feeling guilt worm its way into her heart as she reminded herself this was all a performance.

When the Mephisto Waltz began, she felt her voice tremble with the start of the curse, watching as her niece danced with the Dark Lord. A part of her was relieved to know that Sabrina’s dance education had not been wasted, and every tantrum she’d witnessed since the age of five was all worth this moment of trickery. And yet, another part of her seethed at what she was witness to.

The father/daughter dance belonged to Edward, and herself in his stead. To see Lucifer take it caused an unbridled wave of jealousy and pain.

Beneath her breath, Zelda poured her anger into the spell, whispering the Latin incantation with every inch of the rage that filled her, feeling the power build between them as Lucifer smiled at His daughter in a way that no father should look at their child.

Their voices rose as Sabrina was spun away from Lucifer. With that moment, Zelda watched as realisation dawned of His face as He realised what trickery was occurring, His eyes moving from the crowd, before it dispersed at Lilith’s hand, to Sabrina, a scowl tugging over His mouth.

“I told you what would happen if you defied Me again.”

“Remember my name,” Sabrina interjected, uncaring towards His threat and beautifully prideful with her words. “Remember it was me, Sabrina Spellman, who beat you Lucifer Morningstar.”

Ambrose threw the Acheron, and Zelda felt her heart clench as magic flashed and Lucifer’s essence was drawn into the Acheron.

There was a pause, a moment as they all stared at each other, as Zelda looked to Lilith, feeling her lungs tighten in anticipation. Was that it? How long did they wait to know if it worked, if the Dark Lord was truly captured?

Lilith looked back at her, a mirrored expression of fear and wonderment on her face. A glimmer of hope.

Zelda turned, watching as Sabrina stepped forward, picking up the Acheron and Zelda felt herself exhale, another breath drawing in, slower this time as her niece held it steady in her hands as if it were nothing more than a lifeless object.

“Well played, Spellman,” Nicholas said.

“Edward would have been proud,” she agreed, stepping towards her niece. Sabrina’s eyes lifted to hers, and Zelda watched as great smile drew across her niece’s face, awash with joy from the words, before it froze and her eyes dropped to the Acheron.

It fell from her hands, bouncing to the ground, and then Zelda watched as the Acheron rolled to her feet, before it split open, releasing the Dark Lord.

Everyone was running backwards, but before Zelda could manage a step back, He’d spun around, grasping her throat. Zelda blinked, hissing in the barest breath.

“I should have known this was Lilith’s doing,” He said, staring at her as if she was nothing more than a rat He’d caught. “I should have killed you when I had the chance.” He began to squeeze, and Zelda felt her hands claw at His, scratching at the fingers and His wrist as she tried to grab a breath as she felt the last of her oxygen tighten in her chest. “But I was soft for my daughter pleading for your life. Once this was over, I was going to use you to teach dear Lilith a lesson, but I think it’s best we expedite that to now. Don’t you?”

“No!” Sabrina yelped, and Zelda could fear her pulse-pounding. Her lungs were burning. She knew it was a performance more than anything else. If He so wanted it, He could break her neck, and yet the struggle, the helplessness of clawing at his hand was so much worse knowing that He was dragging it out just to torture Sabrina and Lilith both. “You promised!” Sabrina cried out.

“Then let this be your first lesson along with Lilith’s,” He said before lifting Zelda off her feet as if she were a rag doll. “Betrayal will never go unpunished.” He looked over Zelda’s shoulder, to where Lilith must be standing, and whatever expression she wore must have pleased Him, as Zelda watched as a grande, sickening grin pulled over His lips.

Zelda wished she could say something. There were so many things she needed to tell Lilith. She wished she could look at her and tell it was okay. If she did die, she didn’t regret making that contract. She didn’t regret spending all that time together, not a single moment of it.

And at least this way they would be bound together in Hell.

She could hear her heartbeat in her ears, pounding suddenly. She looked down at the Dark Lord, watching the fury twist His features into something ugly as his lips peeled back, exposing his teeth.

Zelda’s vision darkened, her heartbeat slowing. She felt tired suddenly, her muscles weakening. She could hear Sabrina screaming, but it sounded so distant as she looked down in the Dark Lord’s eyes, watching the iris seem to bleed red with His power.

He was so angry at her for taking Lilith from Him, she realised. He wasn’t a god; he wasn’t a deity. He was just some celestial being throwing a temper tantrum.

Pathetic, she thought, feeling the last of her life drain away as darkness overtook her vision.

There was darkness, and then a shock struck through her very being as if the dam around her magic had crumbled, and it was all rushing out.

Lucifer cried out, letting go of her as recoiled backwards, burned by whatever had caused the sudden surge.

Zelda’s feet dropped to the ground hard enough that her knees buckled, but as her feet hit the ground, an arm slid around her waist, steading her from falling backwards.

She turned her head towards the warmth, her vision returning with a swathe of red until she realised it was Lilith’s dress, brushing against her face. There was a blur of movement, and then she watched as Lilith outstretched her other arm, holding Lucifer in place.

“Summon Faustus,” Lilith said to her. “Now. I can’t hold Him for long.”

Zelda steadied herself on her feet, she wasn’t sure what had occurred, but Lilith was already straining as she held onto a magically bound Lucifer, as everyone seemed to hold their breath.

Closing her eyes, Zelda spoke the summoning spell, and with a great tug of her magic, she felt Faustus appear before her. Opening her eyes, she watched as his body fell to the ground, his legs and arms both tied and with a gag placed into his mouth.

Zelda blinked, glancing from the rope binding to Lilith, confident the woman had something to do with it.

“There isn’t time,” Lilith spat. “Mr Scratch, I believe you know how to bind a demon to a vessel.”

“I––”

“Quickly then. To His Eminence,” she said, venomously spitting the title.

Zelda watched as the bead of sweat began to draw on Lilith’s face as she held Lucifer in place, long enough for Nicholas to speak the necessary words, using the Latin and ancient greek to summon and then bind the Dark Lord into the provided vessel.

Zelda watched as Faustus’ eyes went wide, his body convulsing in the restraints, words hissing through the muffled gag as the Dark Lord was entrapped within him as He had been caught in the Acheron. And then Lilith’s arm was tightening around her, as she expelled the last of her magic.

Faustus’s mouth foamed as he fought the restraints, his dark eyes flashing red, but as the ropes began to snap, Ambrose stepped forward, clicking his fingers with a heavy sleep charm.

And then Faustus’ expression slackened, his body going limp.

Everyone paused, staring at his sleeping form, waiting for it to convulse as the Acheron had, before Lilith’s arm loosened from Zelda’s waist.

Lilith stepped forward and nudged his body with the toe of her shoe. “A sleep spell, well done,” she said, looking up at Ambrose with an admiration that warmed Zelda.

Zelda watched as a proud smile tugged at Ambrose’s lips, before he looked around the crowd awkwardly to the fallen form, remembering how quickly it had changed at the moment before. “Is that it?” he asked. It was a good question.

But before Zelda could voice her agreement, a violent headache threatened to split her skull apart as she dropped to her knees with a sudden wave of exhaustion. The world dimmed once again, and for an awful moment, she wondered if she was dying.

“Aunt Zee?” Sabrina asked as Hilda called out her name as well. And then the both of them, with Prudence and Ambrose were fluttering around her as if she had passed out. She nearly might with the headache. It was worse than when Faustus had tried the Caligari Spell.

“I’m fine,” she murmured, batting her sister’s hands away as she drew in a deep breath. Her throat was sore, and as she lifted a hand to rub at where the Dark Lord had grabbed at her, she felt the prints of his fingers. It was swollen already, and would likely be bruised by tomorrow. But she was alive. “Reside effects of a spell backfiring,” she explained, drawing in deep breaths to alleviate the headache.

“The summoning spell?” Ambrose asked, looking to Faustus’ fallen figure. From the corner of Zelda’s eye, she could see Lilith crouching on the ground, picking something off the floor.

“No, you did something to the Dark Lord, didn’t you Zelds?” Hilda asked, “We all saw it. He recoiled as if you’d stung him.”

“That wasn’t me,” Zelda said, looking up at her sister. “I thought He’d killed me.”

“You’d forgive our scepticism, but it must have been you,” Prudence said. “None of us did anything.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Lilith said as walked over to, and holding out the item for her to admire.

Zelda looked at the outstretched hand, to the familiar piece of jewellery. A laugh bubbled up inside of her as she looked at the yellow stone. “Didn’t He destroy it?” she asked, reaching up to take it with her left hand. As she did, she noticed the lack of a wedding ring on her finger.

“A necessary deception,” Lilith said, though her words were tight. Zelda looked up at her, wondering when Lilith had changed the rings before she recalled the strange comfort she had when she played with the ring earlier, and the moment their fingers had entwined as Lilith had promised her that she wouldn’t become the Acheron.

Her hand laid over Lilith’s as she touched over the ring, feeling the quiet magic within it.

Lilith had fought for her survival. If Lucifer were to escape, her death would not be swift for such flagrant disobedience. She must have known that.

“Why would you risk yourself like this? You could have escaped, survived if this hadn’t worked.”

Lilith flushed, rolling her eyes, “I told you, I don’t like people playing with what’s mine. Not even the Dark Lord.”

“And yet I’m still not yours,” she teased. “How many times do I need to tell you that?”

“You don’t need to,” Lilith said, her fingers clasping around hers. Her expression had shifted, however, and an earnest look had come over her face as whispered, “You’re entirely your own person. Zelda I…I admire that about you.”

Admire. Zelda felt the word rise and fall inside of her. It was certainly something to be admired, and yet her heart wished for something more.

She blinked, pulling her eyes away and realised that they were standing alone. Sabrina had run off into Nicholas’ arms. Prudence stood off to the side with Ambrose and Hilda, and the mortals stood huddled together, a strange look of fear and bafflement on their faces.

It seemed everyone was giving them as much privacy as was reasonable, allowing Zelda to rise to her feet as she looked to the bound body of Faustus. His body was twisted awkwardly, and although the ropes still held him, they would not hold for much longer were He to awake. “How long will the sleep spell last?”

“Long enough,” Lilith said. “Though the sooner I have Him bound in Hell, the safer we’ll all feel.”

Zelda nodded, casting her eyes around the room. “There’s no need for all of us to go. I’ll take you to the Gates of Hell.”

Lilith gave a wicked smile, likely recalling their tryst in the mines. “And what would a send-off at the Gates of Hell look like, I wonder?”

Zelda laughed, turning away as she advised, “I’ll tell my family to expect me home late.”

She walked away to the sound of Lilith’s soft laughter, over to where Hilda, Prudence and Ambrose stood.

Prudence leant against Ambrose, familiar exhaustion weighing on the two of them as she rested her head on Ambrose's shoulder for support, unabashed at Zelda’s approach.

It was as Zelda looked to Prudence’s face, to the tears swimming in her eyes, that Zelda remembered that not everyone here felt pure loathing towards Faustus, some of them had more complicated feelings.

“Prudence––“ she began, preparing an apology on her lips.

“It’s fitting,” she said, cutting her off with a too-tight smile. “I’m sure they’ll get along famously.”

Zelda bit her tongue and gave a short nod, feeling an odd feeling wave in her stomach. The idea of Faustus and Lucifer together for all eternity didn’t bring pleasure to Zelda, but she couldn’t say she felt guilty about it either. Her feelings for Faustus and the Dark Lord had both withered until nothing remained, and yet she wondered if anyone truly deserved to be the Dark Lord’s jailer.

“Auntie,” Ambrose said, rocking on his feet. “We might return home. We’re anxious to ensure the twins are alright. Agatha and Dorcas are not…the preferred carers for them.”

“Understood,” Zelda said. “I was going to suggest the same for you all. Hilda, could you take the mortals back home with us as well?” she said, enquiring it as a question to her sister despite the implied command. “I’m sure that leaving them alone right now would be ill-advised.”

“Quite,” Hilda agreed. “We’ll have a little sleepover with some hot chocolates and a little sweet dreams cake. But…are you sure you don’t want us to come with you? To the gates?”

“No, sister. I’ll be fine.”

“Well,” Hilda said, before turning her eyes to Ambrose and Prudence both before looking back at Zelda. “Be safe then.”

“And Zelda,” Prudence said. “I think we can all agree that you’re well due to being selfish if something were to occur.”

“Oh yes,” Hilda agreed as Ambrose gave a mischievous smile her way.

“Bye, Auntie. Travel safe.”

Zelda blinked. “I will…” she said, drawing her eyes across her family at the odd looks they gave her. There was a suspiciously smug smirk on Prudence as she laced her fingers with Ambrose and began tugging him away, out of the room as Hilda walked over to where the mortals were and began rounding them up.

There was only one final thing to do. She turned on her heel, over to where Sabrina stood. Her niece was wrapped in Nicholas Scratch’s arms, still wearing the crown. Zelda felt herself stand taller as she stepped before the both of them, eyebrows raised as they slowly peeled apart from each other, looking sheepish. As if she cared if they were fighting or not.

“Now what?” Sabrina asked.

“Now I’ll take Lilith to the Gates and ensure they close behind her. I’m sure we’ll all feel more comfortable once the Dark Lord has been returned to Hell.”

Sabrina nodded, blinking tiredly. “So, then Lilith will be Queen of Hell?”

“Unless you have a better idea?” Zelda inquired with a raised brow, already knowing where her niece’s thoughts were drifting towards.

She watched as Sabrina’s lips pressed tightly, her back straightening in a familiar stance of disobedience before her shoulders sagged, seeming to realise that whatever fanciful ideas Lucifer had spoken of, the truth of the matter was likely to be a stark contrast.

Sabrina lifted the crown from her head, and then placed into Zelda’s outstretched hands, staring at it with a soft regretful expression, as if she was considering asking for it back.

“I’ll see you soon,” Zelda said.

Sabrina’s eyes snapped to hers before she looked towards Nicholas. “Did you…want us to come with?” she asked, reluctant to follow. Zelda could see that all her niece wanted to do, was finish reconciling with Mr Scratch, and who was she to stand in the way of whatever that turned out to be.

“Go home. All of you. Have some of Hilda’s hot chocolate and sweet dreams cake, and we’ll…review everything tomorrow.”

Sabrina nodded, turning to look over to the mortals. “With Father Blackwood gone, what happens to the coven?”

Zelda didn’t even want to think about that. Likely it would be handed over to the next available warlock, or a nearby coven would amalgamate into their own, binding them together in the new paths forward. The real concern would be trying to explain this to the council. “I’m not sure,” she said, “But I think we’ve all earned an evening of rest.”

“I could definitely do with a nap.”

“As could I,” Nicholas agreed. Zelda felt herself roll her eyes as the two began making heart eyes at each other.

She returned to Lilith, who remained watching over Faustus’ body, looking for any signs of life. As Zelda approached, she raised her head and smiled before noticing the crown. “Shall I be so presumptuous as ask if that’s mine now?”

“Perhaps it should be mine,” Zelda teased. “After all, I was the distraction.”

Lilith nodded once before she shared a smirk. “Perhaps there’s a way we could settle this,” she teased, stepping closer, one hand coming to rest on Zelda’s waist. “I’m sure we could come to some kind of compromise.”

“Oh, I’m sure we could,” she agreed, before stepping closer and raising the crown. “But I think we both know who the truth Queen is.” She set the crown carefully upon Lilith’s head and then stepped back to admire her form. The woman stood tall and poised, her eyes bright with the weight of the crown. “All Hail Queen Lilith. Long may she reign.”

Lilith flushed at the words before a strange look passed over her face as her expression seemed to seal away into something passive.

Zelda thought of asking what the expression meant and then decided against it, fearful of Lilith leaving her. Instead, she chose to joke, “Now, all we need is a proper introduction to Hell’s courts.”

“In time,” Lilith said, “But before we go I have a final gift to depart.” She stepped over to Sabrina and Zelda watched as she murmured something softly to her niece before pressing a kiss to her forehead. For a moment, Zelda watched as Sabrina softened into it as if Lilith was the maternal figure she so craved, but then Lilith was stepping back and walked towards Zelda’s.

She reached down, grabbed at the bound body of Faustus and hoisted him into a sitting position by the scruff of his shirt, and then took Zelda’s hand with other. “If you’re ready?” She asked.

“I am.”

And with that, Zelda felt them teleport from the Great Hall to the mines.

It was like stepping into a boiler room as she was flushed with the heat coming from the door with a powerful magnetism, drawing her closer. Magic flooded the room, and Zelda felt herself take a step closer.

She drew her breath and looked through the Gates of Hell. There were pencilled drawings littered around the ground, marking strange symbols. A hot, humid heat drew from where the gates had separated, barely half a foot apart. Through the parting between the two doors, Zelda could see the gold and red lights of Hell. Pandemonium.

She used to dream of what it would be like, of dancing in a grande ball, of being favoured by the Dark Lord. It was within sights, and a large part her was curious as to what laid beyond the gold and red skies that she could see. There were stories of creeping forests and extensive wastelands, as well as portals to other worlds.

And yet…this was the end.

Zelda swallowed and looked to Lilith, watching as the woman smoothed down her dress before clasping her hands before her, as if waiting for Zelda to say something first.

“We won.”

“We did,” Lilith agreed.

Zelda drew in a breath, stepping forward. Her skirts were heavy and wide. It was an old favoured dress from her earlier years. She’d worn this dress through many debaucherous nights, from opium and absinthe rooms to bacchanal nights, and many, many trysts with sex demons. And yet all those moments paled to the brief time she’d spent with Lilith. Nothing else had been more addictive, more orgasmic nor more freeing than the very first woman.

There were so many things she wanted to tell her, so many questions she had.

Lilith’s eyes were trailing over her shoulder as if she couldn’t quite bear to hold eye-contact with her, and Zelda felt her heart clench with trepidation. She wanted to tell Lilith to ask her again, ask her to go to Hell with her, because a part of her very much did want to go.

And yet, there was Sabrina to look after. Prudence, the twins, Ambrose and Hilda still needed her. The coven would be in tatters, and the council would be in turmoil. She needed to fix it all because no one else would.

Zelda stepped forward and kissed Lilith’s cheek, her hand squeezing the woman’s shoulder to confirm that she was still there.

And then Lilith’s lips were on hers, and Zelda was sinking away, feeling words swell in her throat as she kissed her with every growing passion building inside of her. Ask me again, she wanted to say. Ask me, ask me. Lilith, please ask me again.

They separated, and Zelda felt her fingers shake as she stepped backwards. An uncharacteristic shyness building between them.

Zelda looked from Faustus’ sleeping form and then to Lilith, knowing they couldn’t delay this any further. They had had their lasts, and if she were fortunate, Lilith would continue to visit her as stipulated in their contract.

“Zelda…” Lilith said, and Zelda looked up.

Ask me again.

“I unbind you from your contract.” Zelda felt her heart drop at the words, but Lilith continued speaking, a strange smile on her face. “Your soul is your own. You no longer serve me, and my magic is my own.”

Zelda drew in a sharp breath, stepping backwards as she felt the power dissipate from herself as if Lilith had turned on a faucet, allowing the reserves to empty until only hers remained.

This was final. Lilith was saying goodbye, for good this time. They would not see each other again.

Zelda looked away, pulling her arms closer to herself. “So that’s it, then?”

“That’s it,” Lilith agreed. “You’re free to your own life, and your soul is no longer bound to me should you die.”

“Why now?”

“Because I will not bind you as Lucifer bound me. You’re free to your own life. However, you so choose it.”

Zelda looked away, feeling a wave of anger grow inside of her. She wanted to snap that it wasn’t her decision to make, but it was. Lilith began the contract; it fitted that she would be the one to end it. To no longer desire their meetings together.

She watched as Lilith picked up Faustus by the back of his collar, a distant look in her face. “Until we meet again,” she said, and then with a wave of her hand, the papers flew away and the gates parted open. And she was walking towards them. And she was leaving, stepping across the threshold.

She was watching Lilith leave, and all she could think about was Prudence telling her that she was allowed to be selfish. And wasn’t she? After all of those years of raising Sabrina, after caring for Hilda and Ambrose both, after everything she went through in her marriage to Faustus to save her family.

Wasn’t she owed a selfish act?

“Ask me again,” Zelda said, stepping behind her.

Lilith turned, looking over her shoulder. “What?”

“Ask me again,” Zelda said. “Ask me again. If that’s what you still want.”

Lilith’s face furrowed in confusion, before understanding washed over it. She turned, facing Zelda entirely, her lips parting, but Zelda couldn’t read her expression. She looked from her eyes to her mouth to hands to her face again, searching for what the next words would be—hoping that she felt the same way.

What if she didn’t want her?

“Are you asking me to ask you to come to Hell with me and serve as my consort?”

“Not your consort,” Zelda stated. “I will be your High Priestess.”

Lilith’s eyes narrowed sceptically. A question seemed to rise between them before she paused. “Are you sure this what you want? Hell is not everything the stories say. There will be war.”

“Then you’ll need an advisor.”

“There will be bloodshed.”

“I’ve done my share of it.”

Lilith tilted her head, her face soft and sad. “And your ties here? Your coven, your family?”

Zelda felt the anger growing inside of her again as humiliation burned at her cheeks. “If you do not wish for this, then just say so plainly so I can move on.”

“This isn’t a light decision,” Lilith pointed out. “This isn’t a trip across to Australia. If you follow me, there will be death and destruction and war. You will be cut off from everyone you care about until such a time as that is settled, which could take decades if not centuries. I love you too much to ask you to walk into that blindly!”

Zelda stared at her, watching as Lilith seemed to recoil with embarrassment at the spilt words. And yet, Zelda felt her heart slow with anticipation, uncertain if she’d heard correctly. “Love?”

Lilith looked away, crossing her arms against her chest in a display of petulance. “Yes, well, embarrassing confessions aside, this is not a light decision.”

Zelda stepped forward, reaching out to take Lilith’s hand. Their fingers entwined and it seemed to ground them both as she stepped closer. “I have spent so much of my life devoted to the responsibility of others, as have you. For just one decision, don’t we deserve to be selfish?”

Lilith’s face softened. “It will not be easy.”

“No, it won’t.”

“There are days you will hate me.”

“I’m certain of it. You can be rather aggravating when you choose to be. But I love you more than I ever expected I could love another, and I want to spend the rest of my life at your side. Not serving some form of duty for the sake of moral posterity.”

“And your family?”

“Hilda will be there, and I’m sure we can find a way to answer any prayers they may have.”

Lilith stared at her, her eyes flicking between Zelda’s, looking for any sign of hesitation before she stepped back, taking the collar of Faustus’ body once more.

“As you wish,” she said, bowing her head briefly. “Well, then. Zelda Spellman, will you serve me as my High Priestess in Hell, as I will serve you as your Queen?”

“I will.”

Lilith’s empty hand reached out to her own and Zelda bound her fingers in hers. She felt the electricity of their magic shoot through her nerves as she stepped across the threshold. Her heart eased. She’d been sure about so many things in life, but this time, she felt excitement bubbling inside of her.

Lilith was right; it wouldn’t be easy. But she was a Spellman. They thrived in the face of adversity.

“So…you love me?” Lilith asked, her voice teasing as she glanced at Zelda. “You know I’m going to hold that over you.”

“As I will hold the fact that you said it first.”

Lilith’s eyes flashed, a grimace on her face. “I have ways of punishing you for such insolence.”

“Mm, I know. I look forward to it.”

There had once been a time where Zelda felt that her only addiction in life was cigarettes, but as the Gates of Hell closed behind them, and they descended into Pandemonium, she felt the need for nicotine disperse. The air was heavy with smoke, and Lilith looked magnificent beside her.

The Queen and her High Priestess, together at last. May their reign be long.

A/N: I just want to thank each and every reader, and everyone who's commented or gave kudos or bookmarked it, and to those who reached out on tumblr and twitter to me. Thank you for sharing this with me.

When I first began this, I never dreamed it would get as popular as to get past 200 kudos, so thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.I have a final one-shot planned for them (that's from Lilith's POV so we get a nice bookend in the beginning and end) so I hope you will stick around to read it :)

And if you have any questions, please let me know. I'm happy to answer any lingering questions you might have, whether it's about why I did a scene a certain way, or what was going on in the background.

[witchy-anna]

Ryuji Suguro x Reader

Word count: 1,200

Warnings: mild cursing, mild angst, fluffy goodness, soft Bon

Playlist: Champion by Barns Courtney, Bridges by Aisha Badru

A/N: Reader is an exwire studying to become a knight. Fights with a spear infused with a germanic fire spirit called an Aufhocker. It appears as a type of wolf with hooves and horns of a mountain goat. It is a fire elemental under the King of Fire Iblis. For 🔥nonnie!

I was excited to write this! Mephisto is my favorite but Bon is a close second!

For the sake of this fic I'm keeping it before the recent developments in the manga.

Anyway, I’ll stop rambling. It’s under the cut!

Crack, the shot rings out through the air, slicing through the small sized demon you were just about to land a strike on. It hisses and dissolves into ash. 

“Bon! What the hell!” you yell exasperated. “We are supposed to be partners in this!”

Suguro's chant continues without pause as he lowers the smoking rifle he holds. He shrugs at the seething glare you send him. 

Shaking your head, you lower yourself back into stance as another wave of lesser practice demons rush towards the two of you. With the grace and flexibility of a dancer you bunch your muscles and launch into the air to attract their attention away from Suguro. 

For a moment you let yourself revel in the weightless freedom before rushing back to the ground. Your spear whistles with precision at a cluster of the demons. 

Another series of cracks rip through the air and the cluster disintegrates before you. Rounding on Suguro you jab a finger at him, "Will you knock it off!" Gesturing at yourself you bite out, "What is the point of this if you're going to continue taking my hits for me?" 

Suguro's chanting halts for a moment causing the barrier around you to falter. He shakes himself out of some type of daze and motions for you to continue. 

"Tch, whatever just don't let it happen again," you say. Turning your attention back on the advancing hoard, a wicked grin splits your face. "Come forth Aufhocker, hear my call and submit." (A/n: is this cringey? Cause it feels cringey to me, anywho..). Orange flames erupt from the tip of the spear with a large chunk of flame breaking off and falling to the ground in front of your feet. 

A towering wolf type creature encased in darkness rises from the flame. It towers over you, it's curled horns glinting in the low light and hooved legs paw at the ground. 

"Welcome back buddy, let's have some fun hm?" you hum affectionately at the beast and pat its' snout, it feels slick but cool to the touch. A hot puff of its breath tickles your face causing you to giggle. 

A cacophony of gunshots ring through the air along with the heavy bursts of flames from your weapon and the beast. The demons are quickly taken down but again, and again, and again Suguro cuts you off. Taking nearly every hit you were about to take. 

The beast reacts to your emotions and turns on Suguro snarling. Fire crawls and drips from its maw. 

"Withdraw," you command and stab the blunt end of the spear into the dirt. The aufhocker retreats in to your staff and you slowly turn with a glint in your eye to stare Suguro down. 

"Listen…" he starts but you cut him off. 

"No you listen Bon," you practically spit venom at him. "What gives you the right to keep doing this? Huh?! Do you think I can't handle myself?!" 

Yukio is drawn by the commotion, "What's going on here (y/n), Suguro?" 

You throw your arms up in the air exasperated, "Hell if I know! Suguro keeps cutting off my attacks before I can land any!" 

"Teamwork is a paramount factor in risky situations or any situation for that matter. Trusting in your teammates can make or break a fight," Yukio levels his intense gaze on Suguro. "Is there a problem?" 

Suguro's mouth opens and closes like a fish several times before settling on his signature deep scowl. "I don't know," he admits quietly. 

Yukio heaves an exhausted sigh, "Tomorrow (y/n) will partner with Rin instead. In the meantime Suguro and (y/n) , reflect on trusting your teammates. You're both dismissed for the day." 

You tsk at Suguro and storm off back towards the dorms. His heavy footsteps alert you of him trailing behind you. 

The farther from the training grounds you leave behind the more you cool down. Why on Assiah was Suguro acting like this, he never treated the other classmates like this. 

Your footsteps slowed and stopped altogether. Did he not believe you could handle yourself? That was honestly as disheartening as it was a stab straight to your dignity. 

"Oof!" you grunt as Suguro walks straight into your back. 

"Sorry," his usually gruff voice sounding defeated. 

"You know what! You should be sorry!" you spin and shove at his chest. His big body doesn't move an inch however. "You never treat the others like they're incompetent!" 

"I-I know," he admits softly. 

"Then what's wrong?" your voice cracks. 

You shove at his chest again but his hands come up and capture the backs of your arms, stilling you. His head falls forward to gently rest against the top of yours.  

So close, all at once the crush you had so desperately shoved down reared its head. Focus on your dream, focus on becoming a meister, who has time for romance anyway? Surely not Suguro. 

“Bon?” you whisper.

He mutters something under his breath, low enough that you can't catch it. You ask again, “Bon? I can’t hear what you said.”

“You’re right. I have been treating you differently,” the warmth of his breath tickles your face. “At first, I had no idea why. You were just a fellow classmate. How were you any different than Izumo or Moriyama?”

Your breath hitches, Just a fellow classmate huh? Well there’s your answer (Y/n). Trying to hold back rejected tears you try to pull away not wanting him to see the look on your face. How humiliating. 

“Wait,” he sounds almost desperate with his grip tightening around your arms. When you stay put he continues, “You’re reckless and jump into fights with that damned grin on your face. Absolutely no regard for your own safety but quick to protect others. It frustrates the hell out of me.”

“What are you getting at?” you urge, growing impatient. Is he insulting or complimenting you? 

“It took me awhile to figure it out, but I think I-,” he pauses. “No, I know I like you.”

What? Are you hearing things? Countless nights imagining just those three simple words, I like you, coming out of his mouth. To the point they blended together and dulled the ache. 

At your stunned silence he exhales and laughs bitterly, “Yeah I figured as much, but I needed to get this off my chest. I’ll see you in class tomorrow (Y/n).” He released your arms and moved to step around you, continuing his trek to the dorms. 

Now it’s your turn to say: “Wait!” The harsh sound of your long forgotten weapon clatters to the ground as you spin and rush after him. 

Throwing your inhibitions to the wind you yank on his shirt lapels and smash your mouths together. He makes a cute squeak noise before letting out a content sigh and melting against you. One of his palms reaches up to caress your cheek. 

Renzo’s wolf whistle startles the both of you apart. “It’s about damn time!” he yells.

Suguro rubs a hand over his flushed face and flips Renzo off. 

 You giggle and his gaze snaps back to your face before softening. “Come on, I’ll walk you back.”

Bending to pick your spear back up you stand and give him a wink, “Yes, we need to continue that discussion.” You enjoy his flustered expression maybe a little to much.

[goldleafacrossyourlips]

Uneasy Lies the Head - CAOS - Dark Lord/OC - Chapter 12

Chapters - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13

Longest chapter yet! One more chapter left! Enjoy! 

Chapter 12 - Jasmine and Waltzes

Shortly after stepping into the academy, Samara was rushed through the main room to the top of the stairs above. There were many masked faces surrounding her. Apparently her family wouldn’t be the only ones performing, their guests would be as well. 

As she stood atop the stairs, her cousin dressed in her own beautiful golden gown joined her. Samara could still feel the nervousness thrumming through her cousin’s energy. She reached forward and grabbed Sabrina’s hand. Her cousin snapped a look up at her.

“Hey, everything’s gonna be alright. We’re right where we’re meant to be. You’ll see.” Samara comforted, sending a soft smile towards her cousin. Before she could get a response, two sharp claps resounded around them. Sabrina quickly began to descend the stairs as music filled the air. Samara let loose a sharp breath before following.

“Masquerade. Paper faces on parade.” Sabrina had begun the song, the skirt of her gown held in one hand as she stepped to the floor. Samara hummed along behind her, also holding her skirt aloft. For a brief moment she was afraid of tripping, but all thoughts left as she connected gazes with the Dark Lord sat before her.

Two thrones of bones and skulls filled her vision; Lucifer occupying one of them. Samara drank her fill of him. Throat and most chest exposed from the golden trailing coat he wore, she felt an intense urge to mouth at the pale skin and bite at the tendons she could see. She watched as he tensed upon seeing her, his chest beginning to heave. Samara could only guess it was because of the same desire flooding her. Feeling her cousin grip her hand, she continued on with their performance.

“Masquerade. Hide your face. So the world will never find you.” Samara joined with her cousin, their voices reverberating through the air. They continued to walk towards Lucifer, stopping just short of the middle of the room. Still, Samara and his eyes were locked onto one another. As his gaze began to roam her figure, she felt her skin shiver at the want held on his face.

“Masquerade. Every face a different shade. Masquerade. Look around. There’s another mask behind you.” Samara was twirled under her taller cousin’s arm as the music grew heavier. Their guests joining from behind them, beginning to file around the room. She felt a smile bloom on her face as she felt Lucifer’s energy pulse and slither towards her. She cast a glance at him, shooting her own pulse of want, desire, mine. Amusement curled inside her at the quick quirk of his lips she received.

“Flash of mauve, splash of puce. Fool and king, ghoul and goose. Green and black, queen and priest Trace of rouge, face of beast, faces! Take your turn, take a ride. On the merry-go-round in an inhuman race. Eye of grace, eye of blue. True is false, who is who? Curl of lips, swirl of gown. Ace of hearts, face of clown, faces!” Samara and Sabrina continued to dance, spinning and twirling together and on their own. Their movements halted as their Aunts greeted them. Samara cast a grin to her Aunt Hilda as she felt her place a hand on her shoulder.

“Drink it in, drink it up till you've drowned. In the light, in the sound, but who can name the face?” The words were sung together as her Aunts departed from them. Samara’s lips still held a smile as she looked out amongst the crowd. 

“Masquerade! Grinning yellows, spinning reds. Masquerade! Take your fill, let the spectacle astound you.” Samara belted out with her cousin, the crowd matching them. The music once again turned soft and she reached back to unknot her mask.

“Masquerade! Seething shadows breathing lies. Masquerade! You can fool any friend who ever knew you.” Her voice softened with the music, her cousin matching. She dropped the mask off to the side as anticipation swirled within her. 

Pleased, her eyes followed as Lucifer stood, rising to his full height. He quickly met her with his long strides. His gaze was intense as he stood at her side, extending his arm. Samara sent a soft smile up at him as her hand reached up to rest her atop his. As he led them towards the thrones, she could see out of the corner of her eye the smug smile he wore; as well as notice how his face remained turned towards her. Her cousin trailed behind them.

He stopped before the rounded throne, the more angular one meant for him. His hand grasped hers as she sat, his thumb rubbing across her knuckles before letting go. She felt her cheeks heat at the gentle gesture. Sabrina stood at her side, her hands clasped in front of her, looking out at the crowd. Samara’s eyes tracked Lucifer as he approached Lilith, who held out a thin golden coronet. 

“As I place this coronet upon my daughter’s head, she is crowned the Herald of Hell! The Sword that will light Our path to Rule over Earth; to stop those that would stand in Our way! And with the greatest duty and honor, to defend and protect Our Queen. Sabrina Morningstar. My firstborn.” His words echoed around the now silent room, power flowing through every word. Samara felt as his magick settled the declaration into the void, a shiver racing down her spine at his power. 

Soft claps came from their guests as he placed the thin coronet upon Sabrina’s bowed head. He stepped back and gave her a nod as she looked up at him. She gave him a small curtsy and looked around the room.

Samara watched as he stepped away from her cousin, once again approaching Lilith, who now held a golden crown. Long, finger-like, golden tendrils extended far above the base of the crown. Her breath stopped as she saw it. Lucifer grabbed it and came back to her. She gazed up at him, a small smile curling his lips as he looked down at her. Her eyes slipped closed as he extended the crown towards her.

It settled firmly around her head. It was heavier than she anticipated, also a lot warmer too. As he removed his hands from the crown, Samara felt a feeling of finality swarm in her chest. Yes, right, perfect, mine flitted around in her mind. Her magick, that she hadn’t noticed was flaring around her, settled; like a warm throw on a chilly evening.

Her eyes snapped open, meeting Lucifer’s above her. She knew from the tingly warmth that her eyes were glowing Hellfire blue. She watched in delight as his flashed the same shade, his power rising to meet hers. She felt the tingle recede and knew they were back to normal. He extended his hand towards her, which she quickly grasped. He helped her rise from her seat, joining him at his side. Her hand rested, grasping only the back of his as she looked up at him.

“Finally. My fiends and friends. I present to thee, Samara Spellman. Proud lady of Pandemonium, Maiden of Shadows, and Queen of Hell! Hail Samara!” Again, his voice echoed through the room, power lacing every word. Just as she felt with her cousin, his words were cast to the void and accepted. Her fingers tightened around his as his power washed over her.

“Hail Samara! Hail Satan!” Their guests chanted with soft claps. Acceptance swirled around her, as she looked out amongst them. Samara’s attention turned back to Lucifer, as his hand squeezed hers. He was gazing down at her, his face soft and smug.

“And now, My Queen, we shall dance, as King and Queen, to the Mephisto Waltz.” His words were quiet, yet still carried to their guests. A soft piano filled the air, his hand holding hers more assuredly now. He led her to the center of the room where she took one large circle around, her arm extended towards the crowd before being pulled towards him. Her dress flared as she was easily twirled under his arm, coming back into him with her left hand settling on his right arm. Memories of their dance in the Grey Room crossed her mind, their current stance identical to then. Although propriety denied them from holding the other as intimately as their previous dance; the space between them still crackled with desire, mine, finally. 

“All this time spent waiting, and here you are. Finally, My Queen. I must say, I couldn’t be more pleased. I look forward to seeing Our subjects bowing before You.” He whispered down to her. Samara felt a grin tug at her lips, her head tilted back to look up at him. Their bodies swaying side to side.

“I can’t say I’m disappointed in my choice either. I look forward to learning from you, My King.” She leaned up on her tiptoes to breathe his calling against his lips. She felt him take a shaky sigh; want flaring in his energy. Samara’s lips curled in a smirk as he began leading them in a grandiose series of steps. 

“How long I have waited to hear those words pass from your lips. Now you use them to tease Me. My wicked Queen.” He sounded more than pleased as he twirled them around the room. Samara could hear their guests talking as they went. Her attention quickly turned back to him.

“Now that I’m Queen, I was wondering if you might give me something?” Samara asked, her tone light. This thought had been swirling around her head most of the night. Lucifer’s grip on her waist tightened as he looked down at her earnestly.

“What do you desire? Jewels? Silks? Palaces?” His head tilted as he listed what he could offer. Samara’s left hand ran up his arm to settle on his shoulder, her smile brightening at his attempt to please her.

“Give me Greendale. For my own.” Her eyes were wide as she gazed up at him, their swirls and strides never faltering as they went around the room. 

“Ah, yes. Protecting your family and friends I presume. I know what a soft spot you hold for them. Then you shall have them.” Samara felt the muscles in her shoulders relax even further at his assurance. There, she could spare her family and their friends now. 

They continued to twist around the room, the music starting to grow in pitch. She had just been twirled away from the center of the room, their hands leaving each other for the first time since she’d been crowned. She spun around until she was facing him again, a smile lighting her lips but quickly beginning to fade. Her feet were stuck, she couldn’t move. She looked back up at Lucifer, seeing a frown start to grow on his lips.

It was then that she realized that what she thought was idle chatter from their guests, was actually chanting of a spell. 

“Wait, what are they saying?” Lucifer looked around the room, beginning to walk towards Samara but was halted as some of the guests removed their masks and the rest vanished into smoke.

No doubt the naked panic and betrayal Samara could feel her body conveying assured Lucifer that she had no clue what was happening. She watched as he whipped around towards her cousin, a snarl on his lips.

“I told you what would happen if you defied Me again.” He growled out, rage sparking through him. Samara could almost taste it on her tongue. 

She struggled to move forward but her body felt like stone. A quick glance around showed her Aunt Hilda staring at her and chanting under her breath. Samara felt like her breath was stolen from her lungs, and her heart ripped into pieces. Tears began to cloud her vision. Her Aunt Hilda, the one person who was like a mother to her, was a part of this plan. A woman she trusted her life with, who raised her, who knew how she felt; was now doing this. Distantly Samara heard her cousin crowing about winning. Her eyes however never left her Aunt’s. 

Finally the sounds of metal scratching along the floor caused her attention to divert back to the center of the room. The acheron was skidding towards Lucifer, stopping at his feet. Samara watched in horror as he disappeared into it in an explosion of light and red smoke. She could still feel his rage and shock dancing along the periphery of her magick.

Sabrina bent down and picked up the acheron, it’s seams glowing red and white before settling down and dimming. Samara could still hear the faint sounds of her Aunt chanting and keeping her immobile.

“Well played, Spellman.” Nick’s impressed tone filled the quiet. Samara’s shock and heartbreak began to filter away, snuffed out by the ever growing fury building in her veins.

“Yes. Edward would have been proud.” Aunt Zelda said, stepping towards Sabrina. Slowly the group turned to glance at Samara.

“What are we going to do with her? We can’t just let her go, not after all this.” Nick asked, stepping towards her. Samara could see her Shadows pulse around the room subtly, feeling her rage.

“I will be performing a magick locking spell on her. It won’t completely confine her powers, just these new ones. And Hilda brewed something for her this afternoon, to wipe her memory of recent events. It’ll be like nothing ever happened.” Aunt Zelda’s words were strong, but Samara could see the conflict on her Aunt’s face. Not that she cared. She felt fear flicker to life in her chest. 

She could see her Shadows thicken, emboldened by her fear. Seeing the group beginning to approach her, Samara sent out a lash of power, letting her Shadows know what she wanted them to do. Quickly the room was engulfed in darkness as the swarmed. She heard bodies hit the floor as she stumbled back, now released from the spell her Aunt could no longer cast. She gathered her power around her, her fury making it swirl and storm around her. She knew her eyes were glowing again. But this time, she had no desire to tamp down the power she’d been gifted with.

“How dare you. I called you family. I once found a home with you. And this is how you treat your Queen? With deceit and maliciousness?” With a flick of her hand her Shadows receded to the corners of the room. The group still laid on the floor before her, the acheron once again in the center of the floor. She saw Ambrose point a hand towards her, no doubt trying to cast something. With another flick of her hand, he was stuck frozen in his spot. 

“I did request to preside over Greendale. To protect all of you. But now, I think I’ll just let it fester in the tragedy it is steamrolling towards.” Samara snapped, ignoring the disbelief on their faces. She extended her hands and the acheron quickly flew into them. She silenced their protests and shouts with a twitch of her fingers. Glancing down at the metal in her hands she was secure in the knowledge that her powers and Shadows would keep her safe from those around her. 

“I would’ve done anything for you. My family. I came back for you. I stayed for all of you. To help. To protect you. But it seems, my sentiments are not returned.” Samara whispered, keeping her eyes from meeting any of theirs. With a snarl, she squeezed the metal between her hands, funneling her magick into it. Feeling Lucifer’s power swelling, she felt relief take over; noting that the seams of the acheron were once again glowing red and white. A grin took over her face as it exploded once again, her magick protecting her from the blast. 

He appeared at her side, his power surrounding the both of them, a snarl curling his lip. She felt as he reached out and took her hand in his, intertwining them tightly. She stepped closer to him, angling her body into his. Her free hand coming up to rest on his chest, feeling his chest heaving in rage beneath her fingertips. His hand released hers as he curled his arm around her, gripping her waist. She felt as his power settled around her, like a shield, as he took in the group before them. Finally his glare turned towards Sabrina.

“You try and try to defeat Me. I am the Great Satan that no prison can contain!” His words were growled in dozens of voices at once, his hand beginning to extend towards her cousin. Samara felt worry flicker through her. Annoyance soon followed. It would seem instincts died hard. 

Heaving a sigh, Samara slid the hand on Lucifer’s chest up to settle on the side of his neck. The tips of her fingers played with the strands of his curls they could reach.

“Wait.” Her voice was quiet but firm. His eyes instantly zeroed in on hers, questions in his eyes. “Spare her today. Let them live with their failure. Let them live knowing that after going to all this effort, you can still walk the Earth free. Let them wallow in their self-pity and hatred.” Samara offered, watching as he quirked a brow, his gaze drifting back to the group.

“And why should I? Not only have they been traitorous towards their King. But they have betrayed their Queen as well! They were to seal off your powers and wipe your memory. So why should I not avenge Myself and My Queen?” His words were laced with his fury. But Samara, having become more in tune with him, could feel the worry and fear that arched through him. A part of her heart melted at feeling this. The all-powerful Dark Lord was worried for her. A small smile curled her lips as she once again met his gaze.

“Because then I’ll give you something you’ve always wanted.” His head tilted in interest as she spoke. His eyes speaking his silent question. “Me. Let them alone and I’ll go with you. Anywhere. Everywhere. I’ll follow you to Hell. Stand by Your side for as long as you’ll have me.” Her voice rang clear between them, the honesty shining through. She felt as his arm around her tightened, dragging her flush against his body. His other hand raised, cupping her cheek and stroking his thumb along the flesh there.

“Then prepare for Eternity at My side. I could never be rid of you, My Queen.” He breathed against her lips as he leant down. His hand slid down to cup her jaw and coax her head back. Searing lips met her own and Samara felt her previous tension leave her body. Her arms slowly twined around his neck as he continued to devour her lips. A quick nip to his bottom lip earned her a filthy grin as he pulled back. Samara peppered soft kisses down his throat to his chest as he stood back to his full height. Stepping so that her front was flush with his side, his arm still curled around her.

“It would seem Your Queen is a merciful one, for now. You are free to leave. However, depart with the knowledge that should you defy either one of Us again, your death will not be quick nor painless. Now, show your gratitude for Your Queen. For She is the only reason you leave here alive tonight.” Lucifer hissed towards the group. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the looks of disbelief and shock being cast towards one another. Samara rolled her eyes and played with the front seam of Lucifer’s coat, her fingers occasionally stroking over the heated skin there. She could feel him tense as she continued to gently swirl her fingers around the area.

“Sama-” Her Aunt Hilda began to speak but was cut off by Lucifer.

“Her Majesty, Dark Lady or My Queen shall be addressed correctly and with the respect she deserves.” He snarled out. Samara could tell he was done with the Spellmans and their antics. Honestly, she couldn’t blame him, so was she. 

“Dar-Dark Lady. Please. Come home. To your family. Where you belong.” Samara turned to look at her teary-eyed Aunt as she pleaded. Her brows furrowed as she tilted her head.

“Family? Family wouldn’t force me to do anything like what you all were planning. Family wouldn’t bind my magick. Family wouldn’t force a potion down my throat to forget one of the best moments of my life. Family would’ve listened to me and talked to me about their feelings and opinions. Not come up with a half-cocked plan with malicious intent. No. I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. With My King.” Samara’s voice was strong and resolute. She watched as Hilda’s face fell, her tears flowing. Zelda was beginning to say something but Lucifer’s hand flicked, silencing her.

“That’s enough, I do believe. Now, shall we head home, my flower?” He looked down at her. Samara felt exhaustion begin to weigh on her bones. She nodded up at him. “Very well. Your Queen and I will be departing. Bow and show your respects.” He commanded, looking down at the group in front of them. 

Slowly each of the group either bent at the waist or curtsied; each with a soft, ‘Your Majesties.’ Samara felt as Lucifer began to gather his power to send them to Hell. A sparkle caught her eye and she squeezed his arm, stopping him before he could complete the teleportation. He looked down at her in concern. She patted his chest before stepping away from him. His power lashed out to her, worry and betrayal starting to leak in. She sent back her own pulse of reassurance and patience.

Sabrina’s eyes were wide as she approached her. Samara slowly reached up and carefully took the thin coronet from Sabrina’s head. She held it in both of her hands as she stared into Sabrina’s eyes.

“One day, you will realize what this coronet means. One day you will come to want it. And when you do, you will come to me, kneel and beg for its return. Then, you will be judged if you are worthy of such an honor.” Samara said quietly before turning and leaving Sabrina ringing with shock.

She gripped her smug King’s arm as she reached him, the coronet dangling in her other hand. She took one last look at the group before her, most of what she’d once called family, tears streamed down most of their faces. Tilting her head high, she raised her eyes above them, squeezing the arm she held. Once again she felt his power begin to swirl around them, preparing for the teleportation to Hell. She saw Hilda stumble forward, face awash with grief and hand outstretched before the teleportation took effect. The world around her faded, her only grounding being the grip she had on Lucifer.

Feeling her feet touch solid ground, she blinked her eyes open and took in her surroundings. They were in a massive throne room. Light from the large windows on the back wall cast everything with a red hue. She stepped away from Lucifer, spinning around as she took in the otherworldly room. Her mouth was agape, she knew. She could hear him chuckling behind her as she stared around in wonder. Feeling him grip her hand, she turned to look at him.

“Welcome to Hell, My Queen.” A grin lit his face as he pressed a kiss to her knuckles. A smile began to curl on her lips. 

[lilacmoon83]

Finding You Always

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 213: Worlds Collide, Pt 2

"So nice of you to finally join us," Agent Green said shortly.

"I'd say sorry to keep you waiting...but I'm not sorry," David retorted, as he pulled out a chair for his wife and then took his seat next to her.

"Wow Mom...that dress is hot," Emma commented. Snow smiled.

"Thanks sweetie...you look gorgeous too," Snow replied, admiring her daughter's curve hugging red dress.

"This is an FBI briefing...we don't have time for mother-daughter bonding hour," Agent Green interjected.

"Check your attitude, Agent Green," the Major warned to the seething agent.

"Fine...as you know, Mr. Clayton is expected at tonight's event next door for the debut of Ancient Wonders exhibit at the Museum of Natural History," she explained.

"This exhibit has some highly sought after artifacts, including Olmec terracotta statues, jade masks that are said to be of Mayan origin, and even an ancient Incan quipu, just newly discovered," she said, showing them a few slides.

"That's probably what they're after," Eva commented, which received attention from the entire table.

"How do you know that?" Agent Dorsey asked, narrowing his gaze.

"I mean, the Major mentioned that Natalie Zearing and her mother have been looking for Cibola or El Dorado for years. I did a little reading and an ancient newly discovered quipu might be a clue to its location," she said.

"You're the one that can read minds, right?" he asked suspiciously.

"I explained to Agent Green earlier that I don't read minds. I just read people really well and I help Belle with the research when it's needed usually," Eva replied sternly.

"She's right...is there anything else you'd like to know about the items in question and which ones we're certain they're after? Because we've already done the research while we were waiting," Belle chimed in. David smirked.

"Still think my family members need badges to do this work?" he asked smugly.

"Whatever...and yes, we think she's after the quipu for sure," Dorsey snapped.

"And one good thing about the lot of you being here is that you'll be a huge distraction and they may let their guard down," he added.

"Except that he won't," Xander interjected.

"He's right...if Junior is some kind of heir apparent to Clayton's legacy, then he knows everything about his history and us. He probably holds Snow and I personally responsible for his father's death too," David agreed.

"If he's as arrogant as his father, he'll take over the entire place in some grand display once he sees us," Snow said.

"Why would he do that? Why would he blow years of cover? And how does he expect to do something like that in a room full of cops, FBI agents, and apparently freaking magic?" Agent Green questioned.

"I don't know...but the last time we underestimated his father, we spent a year of our lives in captivity," David said.

"He's right...in my time working for Clayton, he always eluded to the fact that he had sired an heir and he was being raised to take over. I assumed he meant Cecily, but I think I was wrong about that. Clayton would favor a male heir," Xander replied.

"Chauvinist till the end," Emma commented.

"We need to be ready for anything. We may have magic, but Clayton always had ways around that, either with his own stolen magic or technology," Snow reminded them. David nodded.

"She's right...we need all your agents to be alert and ready to clear civilians from the event if things get out of hand," he said.

"This isn't what our Intel is telling us," Dorsey interjected.

"These two always come to these events and then disappear with valuable artifacts to hold their own black market auctions. Why should we think tonight is any different than the last event?" he asked.

"Because we're here now and Junior is probably chomping at the bit for revenge. Plus, he'd love to somehow capture us and force his way into the United Realms. Most of his father's collection is there in our museum," David answered.

"I don't like any of this...it's not what we've planned for," Agent Green lamented.

"If you're applying all your FBI training to this situation, dearie, then you'll be woefully unprepared," Rumple interjected.

"Because nothing can prepare you for dealing with someone of John Clayton's bloodline. He managed to get even me to underestimate him...which means he was careful over his considerable years to avoid any previous Dark Ones," he added.

"Then it's settled. David...you and your people have the lead on this. The rest of us are providing back up," the Major said.

"Whether you like it or not," she added, as the meeting concluded and they prepared to venture to the museum next door for the big event.

~*~

Johnny sighed, as his men roughed up the poor, unfortunate man that he currently had a dispute with.

"This is grotesque. Can you just end this already," Natalie complained, as he finished his drink.

"You never did have the stomach for this part of the business," he teased, as he approached and his men sat the bound man back in his chair.

"Oh Sykes...you were so loyal to my father for years. It is truly a shame that you betrayed my family so thoroughly," Johnny said.

"I didn't want to! But that woman...she killed Cecily right in front of me! I had no choice!" Billy Sykes pleaded.

"Oh, you had a choice...she would have never gained full use of my father's entire operation without your help," Johnny responded.

"She was going to kill me!" he insisted.

"No...you had all the answers. So she persuaded you instead. I know...that penthouse apartment you're living in is a nice step up from the hole in the wall you found yourself in when you were working for my sister," he said.

"Your father took care of me...but she treated me like trash!" Sykes hissed.

"Yes...and in revenge, you gave away the keys to my father's Kingdom!" he roared.

"And to the damned government!" he growled in rage.

"I...I can help get it all back! I know everything about her operation!" he claimed.

"No need...your services are no longer needed, Mr. Sykes," he said, as the fear on the other man's face was evident.

"String him up," Johnny ordered, as Billy began to plead for his life. But those pleas fell on deaf ears and Natalie groaned, before turning away.

"Why can't you just shoot him and make it quick," she complained.

"Traitors don't get a quick end, my love," he admonished, as the doors to the warehouse swung open, catching them by surprise. They had concealed this large warehouse, which was their headquarters in Boston, with his father's cloaking technology. If someone had breached it, then they definitely were in possession of magic. Johnny pulled his gun.

"Step no further, whoever you are. This gun does not shoot bullets, but rather a magic nullifying shock wave," he warned. The man put his hands up and smirked.

"Easy there, Mr. Clayton. I mean you no harm...in fact, I am here to offer my services," he said. Johnny looked at him skeptically.

"I know you...you're Fagin, the notorious loan shark and gang leader," Johnny said. The man chuckled.

"Correct...until two days ago, I was Fagin, the notorious loan shark and gang leader. I was once just a lowly pickpocket, until I climbed my way to the top of the crime food chain," he said, as he helped himself to a drink, completely un-bothered by the hanging dead man in the room.

"Boss...you want us to toss this guy?" one of his men asked.

"Not yet," Johnny said, intrigued by this man.

"So...until two days ago, you were Fagin. To whom and I speaking to now?" he questioned curiously. The man smirked and his hand came alive with fire, as he lit a cigar that he magicked into his other hand.

"I have many names. The Devil, Lucifer, Satan...but I prefer Mephisto," he said.

"But Mephisto was killed during the battle by the Charmings...or so the story goes," Johnny said with an impressed tone.

"One such as me does not just die...I merely needed a new host once my old body was destroyed. I found one and while he's not as physically imposing as I would like, he is a powerful gang leader and loan shark, with a network of crime and resources at his fingertips," Fagin replied. Johnny smirked.

"And you want to help me?" Johnny asked skeptically.

"Think about it...with me helping, not only do you get your revenge on the Charmings, but you can easily take over the world...including the United Realms," he tempted

"And all I have to do is sell my soul to you, right?" he asked. Mephisto smirked.

"Normally yes...but I'll settle for your men for now. I know you have enough of your father's tricks up your sleeve that you don't need my power," he replied. Johnny shrugged.

"Have at them," Johnny said, offering his subordinate's lives to the creature, much to Natalie's horror. Once their transformation was complete, Mephisto smirked.

"Now...it's time discuss this evening's events," he said.

~*~

James and Aphrodite appeared in the middle of town square, in Underbrooke, with Hermes.

"You have exactly seventy-two hours, no more, and then I have to retrieve you whether you have your answers or not," Hermes warned.

"I'm getting the feeling that you think this is a bad idea," Aphrodite mentioned and the other Goddess sighed.

"You're my friend and to someone that travels as much as me...I don't have many others," Hermes said.

"You think that whatever is being hidden from me is going to hurt me," she surmised.

"Yes...and I don't want that," Hermes admonished.

"I know and I love you for that. But I have to know, especially if James might be in danger just by being with me," she lamented.

"You are everything to me...I will be with you, no matter what," he promised.

"I know...but I need to know why I have so many holes in my memories," she insisted. Hermes nodded.

"Just be prepared. What you find out...you may not like," she warned, as she disappeared. Aphrodite looked at her husband, as he looked around.

"Are you sure you're okay? Coming back here has to be hard," she mentioned. He gave her a tiny smile and kissed her hair.

"It's weird, but I'm here for you and it's not like I'm staying this time," he replied.

"Well, well...aren't you a sight for sore eyes, dahling," a voice cooed and he rolled his eyes, as they turned to find Cruella De Vil there, still wearing one of her favorite fur coats.

"I guess I should have expected you'd still be here, since moving on from here would mean going to a not so great place," James retorted.

"Oh, don't tell me you've gone soft. You were so much fun when you were bad, like me," Cruella said, as she noticed the woman on his arm and laughed.

"She looks familiar, expect the hair," she teased.

"She's my wife...Aphrodite," James snapped.

"You really did go the hero path. You must be the one that gave the Charmings their pretty little cup," Cruella replied.

"I am and we have no time for you," Aphrodite said.

"Owe!" James exclaimed, as she pinched him.

"Oh...you are alive. How interesting," she mentioned. Aphrodite summoned a glowing orange ball of magic in her palm.

"Touch him again and I'll personally ask Nyx to administer final judgement to you, unfinished business or not," she threatened. Cruella smirked.

"No need to get your pretty panties in a twist, blondie. I liked him better when he was a bad boy anyway, though I'll always be here dahling if you ever tire of Ms. goody good here," she said, as she walked off.

"Well…I guess the diner is a good place to start," she mentioned.

"Hang on," he replied, as he pulled her back and into his arms, before kissing her passionately.

"You're the only woman I've been with that I truly love," he promised. She smiled shyly.

"I know," she said, taking comfort in that. She leaned her head against his arm, as they made their way to the diner and entered. They looked around and James locked eyes with George, as he sat in a booth. George looked shocked to him and the Goddess as they approached. To his credit, he didn't run and knew it was time to pay his penance.

~*~

"This is insane...we're just people," Leo complained, as they pushed through the horde of reporters and camera people at the entrance to the museum.

"Not to them. It's only been a few days since the world was introduced to your family. They aren't going away anytime soon, especially since your family that is getting their dying newspapers and dwindling social media numbers a flood of new life. Which means stories about your family are making them millions every minute," the Major said.

"And I hate everything in that sentence," Emma quipped. Patricia smiled.

"I know, but just think about the criminals you'll soon be helping to take down. Clayton's network runs deep and dismantling it will be no easy task. But a lot of bad people will end up in jail as a result," she replied.

"Let's hope so, because that's the only way any of this is worth the effort," Regina said, as they made it into the museum.

"Agent Donovan...I'm Lyle Moore, the museum curator," a man said, as he introduced himself.

"Mr. Moore...I have agents posted throughout the museum. With any luck, things will go smoothly tonight," Patricia said.

"I do not like my museum being used for some operation and if any of these priceless artifacts are damaged, I will hold you personally responsible," he replied.

"Mr. Moore...without our presence here, these priceless artifacts will most certainly be stolen. We're here to prevent that," she assured.

"Besides, the museum hasn't had press like this in years and you can thank them for that," she said, referring to Snow and David. He still didn't look happy and stalked away.

"We just make friends everywhere we go," Snow said sarcastically, making him chuckle, as he kissed her hair.

"I'm guessing those are the big finds on display," he said, referring to the items in the center of the atrium.

"Yes...the Olmec terracotta statues. They predate even the Mayan, Incan, and Aztec cultures," Patricia explained.

"A jade mask, which are rare, but have been found before. However, this one is completely in tact and nearly completely untouched. It's worth millions on its own," she continued.

"And finally a previously undiscovered quipu," she said.

"The knots and strings are a language, right?" Snow asked.

"Yes, an ancient Incan language that only a handful of people in the world can still translate," Patricia replied.

"Do they have a usual go to? Surely they've had them translated before," David said. She nodded.

"Yes, but the professor that they have paid in the past died recently. They'll be in the market for someone new. I have the names out already to agents in the field to monitor any activity with those individuals," Patricia said.

"Wait...didn't Eva take an ancient languages course with Rose a few years ago?" David asked.

"She did...but I don't know if it covered quipus, honey," Snow replied.

"It did cover them, but it's really difficult to learn. I only know the basics," Eva said, as they looked at her in surprise.

"You can read quipus?" the Major asked.

"Not entirely. I only learned the basics of the language. One with that many knots is wildly complicated," Eva replied.

"Still…I'd rather people not know that, especially the wrong people," David said protectively. She smiled.

"Don't worry Daddy…I'll be fine," Eva assured him, as the curator brought the room to attention and began his speech.

"Charming...that's him," Snow whispered, as she spotted him across the room, in a tux, with a blonde woman on his arm. The same woman that the Major had named as Natalie Zearing, the daughter of an apparent investor. He didn't turn around all the way, but instead pulled her close and looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Do you think they see us?" Snow whispered.

"Oh I'm sure of it," David replied.

~*~

"You were right…" Natalie said, as she sipped at her champagne. He scoffed.

"Of course I was...my father was obsessed with them. He bred me to know everything about them," Johnny replied. She smirked.

"And they know you...clearly. The fairest one of them all is trying to act like she's not looking over here," she joked. He smirked.

"I recognize that other man too...I think," she mentioned.

"Oh yes...Xander, my father's right hand, until he betrayed him," Johnny replied.

"I think my mother knew him too," she mentioned. He smirked.

"Oh, your mother knew him quite well," he confirmed. She looked at him.

"Funny...she never mentioned him to me at all," she said, but he said nothing to that.

"So...what's the plan?" she asked. He smirked.

"I am going to introduce myself," Johnny said.

~*~

"James...you're here…" he uttered and the younger man noted the sadness in his voice.

"Don't worry...we're both alive," he replied and though he was very good at hiding his emotions, the relief at that was apparent, as a bit of the tension in his shoulders disappeared.

"But you aren't anymore and imagine our surprise when an autopsy was done and it was discovered that in your last moments, you had all your faculties," James said.

"Yes...and imagine my surprise when I learned you were alive. I thought I'd have a chance to...see you again. That died when I was murdered or so I thought," George replied. But he shook his head.

"I'm not here for you. I'm here, because we know that Blue killed you. I want to know why and I want to know what it has to do with my wife's past," James demanded to know. The disgraced King looked at the blonde next to him and then back at his son.

"Not here...it's too busy," he said.

"Fine...then let's take a walk, but you're going to talk," James replied, as he took Aphrodite's hand.

"Don't worry...I'm more than ready to get this off my chest," he agreed, as they made their way out of the diner and began to walk toward the park. It was nothing like home, of course, as nothing could grow there. The red sky was also unsettling and she hated that her beloved had spent more than thirty years in this place.

"Okay...no one else is around so talk," James said.

"Who revived you? Was it you, Goddess?" George asked curiously.

"No…I do not have that power, but Zeus does. He granted Ruth a second chance to be with David and Robert. But she selflessly gave up that chance for James," Aphrodite answered.

"Is that what you were told?" George asked.

"Are you calling my mother a liar?" James asked sharply.

"No, of course not...but when Zeus is involved, there is always more to the story," George replied.

"In fact, when he died and came here, he would have most assuredly learned of what the Blue Fairy and I did. I'm surprised he has not appeared and thrown me into a fiery pit yet," he confessed.

"I doubt Zeus has any unfinished business...he would have moved on to Elysian," Aphrodite claimed. The King smirked.

"Oh no, my dear...he has plenty of unfinished business, just like I do. I'm ready to face it, despite the eternal hell awaiting me once I unburden my soul," he said. Smoke engulfed the three of them at that and they reappeared in Nyx' Throne room. The Goddess sat in her Throne, but said nothing, as a portal from Elysian appeared and Zeus stepped through it.

"Zeus…" Aphrodite uttered and the emotion on his face almost seemed foreign. He rarely had ever shown her any emotion, other than frustration and mild annoyance when she frequently disobeyed him.

"I have listed your grievances, King George and they have been heard. It is quite a list," Nyx stated. The King opened his mouth to speak, but Zeus raised his hand and the King began to choke.

"Zeus...stop! We need answers from him!" Aphrodite cried.

"The answers you seek will only hurt you...as they have hurt me. It is a burden you should not bear," he claimed.

"That's my decision!" she snapped. Zeus closed his eyes for a moment and then nodded, before releasing his hold on George.

"You will tell your part of the story, but they must know all of it and for that...we must start at the beginning," he said, as the portal of Elysian opened again and a beautiful woman with golden hair stepped through it.

"From the beginning? You mean when I arose from the sea foam?" she asked.

"You were not born full grown from the sea foam...you were born a baby like any other person," the woman said.

"Who are you?" Aphrodite asked, as James squeezed her hand, for somehow, they already knew the answer.

"She is Dione, my first wife...the only woman I ever loved," Zeus confessed.

"And your mother," he confessed, stunning her.

"If you're my father...then why hide from me?" she demanded to know tearfully.

"For your protection, my sweet daughter," Dione interjected. Aphrodite shook her head.

"I don't understand any of this," she sniffed, as James put his arms around her and kissed her hair.

"But you will and once Prince James knows of his past...he has the power to unlock all your memories," Dione said.

"Me?" James asked.

"You are her true love," Dione replied.

"Are...are you saying that the Horned King was right? Am I cursed?" Aphrodite asked.

"It's quite complicated...but in a way, yes," Zeus replied, as he looked at the disgraced King.

"Wait...my past? I know my past," James interjected.

"No...you don't," George said, as he pulled an item from his pocket and James gasped.

"That's a charm...from my mother's bracelet. From my adopted mother's bracelet," he said. He nodded.

"It's an ancient protection charm. You pulled it off her bracelet when you were two, but instead of being upset or having it reattached, she made a pin out of it and insisted you wear it always," George said.

"I know...I thought it was lost in battle," he said sternly.

"No...we took it and used the charm's enchanted nature to absorb your memories," George explained.

"Memories of what?" James asked impatiently, as George placed the charm in his hand and his eyes widened, as the memories consumed him.

~*~

Seven Years Before the First Dark Curse

Prince James expertly dueled his father's most skilled Knights in the palace courtyard. They were relentless, but the Prince was well trained and had far surpassed his teachers, which he proved when he defeated them all in the duel.

"I daresay, Your Highness, that I have nothing left to teach you," the lead Knight said.

"Very true and no offense, but I'm done spending my birthday here with all of you," James replied, as blotted the sweat from his forehead with a cloth.

"Ah yes...your twenty-first birthday. I'm sure the King will soon be choosing a bride for you," the Knight said.

"Well, then he will be sorely disappointed. Marriage should be about true love, not a business transaction," he said.

"And while Queen Serafina's sentiments about marriage are whimsical, Highness, you know as well as I do that a royal must marry for the good of his Kingdom," the Knight said, as James tossed the cloth away.

"You mean for gold. Father has emptied the royal coffers and I'm expected to get us out of this mess," he said bitterly.

"That is the life of a royal. Your life is not your own," the Knight reminded.

"We'll see," James said, as he went up to his chambers to wash up. As he entered, he closed the door and smiled when he felt a pair of arms go around his waist.

"Did I keep you waiting long?" he asked. She smiled, as he turned to face her and kissed her tenderly.

"No…I was watching you spar," she replied.

"That had to be boring," he commented.

"Not at all...I find it very interesting," she purred, as he kissed her passionately again.

"I need to clean up...maybe there's somewhere better to do that?" he asked. She grinned and they disappeared in a puff of orange smoke, before reappearing by a secluded lake, not far from Mount Olympus. Their kisses became feverish and clothes were pulled away desperately, before they waded into the water. He held her flush against him, as he kissed her passionately all over, her lips, her throat, and her breasts.

"James…" she pleaded, as she wrapped her legs around him and he kissed her again before sliding inside her. They made love in the water, passionately and desperately, starved for the pure pleasure that came with their coupling. She collapsed against him amidst a powerful climax and he came not far behind her. They held each other in the water for several long moments, before they proceeded to dry off and make camp for the night. Later, as they cuddled together, beneath thick blankets, on the heels of another bout of lovemaking, he finally spoke.

"I'm going to leave…" he said.

"James...are you sure? That Throne is your birthright," she replied.

"And I want no part of it if it means I can't marry you," he said.

"If gold is what he wants, I can magic him enough for a lifetime," she said.

"If only it was just that. But it's more about power for him. He has his sights set on Midas' Kingdom. He wants a merger, which means me eventually being forced to marry Princess Abigail," he replied. A spark of possessiveness moved through her at that and perhaps a tiny bit of jealousy. The thought of him being with another woman made her want to rage. But he would be forced to produce an heir, even if he continued to carry on with her on in the shadows.

"I won't do that to you...I won't have my true love as my mistress. I will have you as my only," he said, surprising her.

"Reading my mind again?" she teased.

"It's all over your face. You hate Abigail and you don't even know her," he teased back.

"I don't hate her...it's not like it would be her choice either, I'm sure. I would like to turn your father into a snail though," she said. He laughed heartily.

"Go for it...he's barely a father," he replied.

"Where will we go?" she asked.

"Anywhere...you're a Goddess. But if you really can pull it off, then we should leave this realm. My father is sore loser. He'll never stop hunting us," he replied.

"Hermes told me about a place...there's no magic there and it is very different. But she said it's peaceful. There are no royals or Kingdoms. Just people living their lives freely," she said. He smiled.

"Sounds too good to be true, but I'm certainly all for it," he replied. She smiled and kissed him, as they got dressed.

"I have to go to her Temple to summon her, but I'm ready when you are," she said. He nodded.

"I'll be here when you get back," he said, as he kissed her passionately and she disappeared. James heard a noise and unsheathed his sword.

"Show yourself!" he called into the darkness and was shocked to see his father and his lead Knight emerge.

"Hello son…" George said.

"How did you find me?" James demanded to know.

"I've had Knight Rivers tracking you and the Goddess on your excursions for months," George revealed.

"I'm not an unreasonable man. I wouldn't have cared if you kept her as a mistress. But you will not marry her, nor will you abandon your duty to your Kingdom," George said.

"I love her...what we have is far deeper than physical," James growled.

"Love is a poison...and I cannot risk the future of my Kingdom on love," George replied.

"You won't stop me," James challenged, but he was hit with a wave of blue fairy dust and fell unconscious to the ground, as the Blue Fairy emerged from the sky and became full sized.

"Are you sure this will work?" George questioned. She nodded.

"When he awakens, not only will all his memory of her be purged, he'll be easily malleable into whatever you want him to be," Blue said.

"Good...we may make a strong King out of him yet, once I beat all the love and good out of him," George said, as he looked at the head fairy, who was supposed to stand for good and love.

"And the Goddess?" he asked.

"Don't worry...she'll be dealt with as well. This isn't the first time I've destroyed her and it won't be the last," Blue replied. He looked curious at that.

"Why do you hate her?" he questioned and Blue glared at him.

"That's my business," Blue said, as she disappeared.

"Take him back to the castle. His reconditioning begins when he awakens. With true love purged from his soul...he'll be the ruthless King that we need someday," George said, as his lead Knight lifted the Prince onto his horse.

~*~

Blue reappeared in the Temple of Hermes and saw Aphrodite laying unconscious at Hera's feet.

"We have but a small window. Zeus and Hermes left the realm on an urgent matter, but I doubt they will be gone for long," Hera said.

"If Zeus finds out that the two of us and King George are directly responsible for destroying her true love once again, he'll make us wish for death," Blue warned. Hera smirked.

"He doesn't even know she was with him again. He has been too preoccupied with his own conquests lately and has left her to her own devices. He'll regret that," Hera said.

"We know why I hate her...but why do you?" Blue asked.

"You know why. Zeus never loved me or any of his conquests. Only Dione had his heart and therefore his precious spawn he had with her. I am always in the shadow of her beauty and goodness," Hera said.

"And if I will never have true love with her father...then she will never have true love with hers, no matter how many times Zeus brings him back," she added. Blue smirked.

"As long as she's in pain...that's all I care about. After what she did to me...I will make sure her immortality is spent in loneliness and pain," Blue said.

"We make a good team, as always," Hera agreed, as she poofed the water from the river Leche that she had acquired from Hades and forced it down the blonde's throat.

"Hermes will be back soon...we must go," Hera said, as they disappeared.

~*~

Hours Later

Zeus was fuming once again, for when he returned to Hermes temple, they had found Aphrodite unconscious. Athena had determined that water from the river Leche was administered to her, but they had no culprit. He had the usual suspects in mind, but he could not make accusations without proof; something he was sure the perpetrators were counting on.

"And you're sure they were together again?" Zeus questioned.

"I'm sure...I saw them," Athena replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded to know.

"You've been a little occupied lately," she snapped in return and he scoffed.

"I am never too busy for my beloved gift...the only thing I have left of my Dione," he confessed.

"I know what people, Gods and mortals alike, think of me. And my daughter always pays for my sins and the hatred against me," he said.

"But no more," he continued.

"You are going to purge those facts from every book in this realm and every memory," he declared.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Athena asked.

"It is in her best interest. Having me as a father brings her nothing but pain and when her true love dies again, as we know he will thanks to the curse, he will not be reborn this time," Zeus decreed.

"What!? Why would you do that to her!?" Athena cried.

"I cannot keep seeing her lose her true love! Even if her memory of him has been wiped away each time, the pain is still there in the fiber of her being. I cannot keep seeing her suffer," he said.

"And soon...she will have new charges. It's almost time. She will focus all her energy on them and perhaps they will not be utter failures like the Dragon King and Queen were," he added.

"Evil has had six hundred unhindered years to fester with none to stand for love and justice. Perhaps the only way to free her of this burden is to allow her true love to die so she can nurture and protect her charges this time from all they are facing," he said.

"They are coming into quite a challenging time," Athena agreed.

"But are you sure letting her true love stay dead is really the answer?" she asked.

"Yes...it's as I said. I cannot keep seeing her go through this and if I ever get the proof I need, I will go after the culprits. They will suffer," he promised. Athena nodded, as she cast a glance at her sleeping half-sister. She had always been Olympus' greatest light and had endured more pain than anyone should, mortal or immortal. If this spared her some of that pain, then she knew that was what they needed to do.

"And you're sure she'll never remember her entire past?" Athena asked.

"Not unless we allow it," Zeus replied. She nodded.

"Then it will be done," Athena confirmed.

~*~

James came out of the trance with a start and looked at her, remembering their past.

"You mean...everything I did. All the bad things…" he uttered.

"Was because I erased your memories of her...and it darkened your soul," George said, as his son punched him in the face. He stumbled back, but James grabbed him by the collar and moved him toward the river of lost souls.

"James!" Aphrodite called, cutting through his rage. His chest heaved, as he tried to get control of his anger. He released the evil King and turned back to her.

"If I give her true love's kiss, now that I know, will it return all her memories?" he asked. Zeus and Dione nodded.

"Yes...all of them and more that you must know as well. What you just remembered is only the tip of everything," Zeus replied.

"Will it cause her pain?" James asked tearfully.

"Immense pain...but also great joy. And with her curse broken, perhaps there will be no more pain," Dione revealed.

"James…" Aphrodite murmured, as he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. A wave of pure rainbow light erupted from their kiss and her eyes widened in shock, as they were both plunged into a river of memories…

~*~

Fandral dismounted his horse and Zorro arrived shortly behind him.

"Anything?" he asked.

"Afraid not...but she is a fairy. She knows how to hide," Zorro replied. He sighed and his lead Knight clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry...we shall find her. I imagine when Snow and David return and learn of what has occurred, they will deal with her permanently," he said. Fandral nodded.

"I'm sure you're right. Send out the second shift patrol and I will see you in the morning," Fandral said, as he went inside and found his beloved Rose in her library, on her ladder putting a book away.

"You're back...did you find her?" she asked, as he helped her down.

"I'm afraid not," he replied, as he kissed her tenderly.

"Well, you'll get her...I have faith," she said, before kissing him again.

"What's this?" he asked, noticing the book she had set aside.

"Answers...at least I think they might be. I know Aphrodite went to the Underworld to find her answers from the source, but I thought maybe we could have Tink use her magic to translate this book. If we know more about Blue and her history with Aphrodite, maybe it will help us find her," Rose said.

"It certainly couldn't hurt," he agreed.

"Good...because we're taking the kids to the diner and meeting her and Neal there," she mentioned. He chuckled and kissed her again.

"Sounds perfect, my angel," he said.

~*~

"What is this?" Leo asked, as he and Emma browsed the food table.

"I don't know...but it looks nasty," Emma complained.

"All of this does...where's the real food?" she asked.

"Well, there is shrimp. That's a plus," he said, as they both ate one.

"True...but I can't fill my empty stomach with just shrimp," she replied.

"Mom...what is this?" Leo asked.

"Well, if I had to guess, it's probably Escargot," she replied, as she stood beside them while David got them more champagne. Leo wrinkled his nose.

"You mean like snails?" he asked in disgust. She chuckled.

"Yes sweetheart...this is kind of a fancy party. They're not going to have diner fare," she replied.

"Well, they don't know what they're missing. I'll take Granny's any day over this crap," Leo complained.

"Right…Killian told me I didn't need my emergency pack of pop-tarts. Trust me, he's never going to hear the end of it," Emma said.

"Hey...we have magic here. We can just magic some," Leo replied. Emma smirked.

"Forget the pop-tarts. I'm going to magic a pizza," she said.

"No…" Snow admonished.

"You two could learn to expand your palette a bit," she teased.

"We will when Dad does...he won't eat Escargot either," Leo pointed out.

"He's right about that," David agreed, as he returned with her champagne.

"Face it Snow...your husband and children eat like ten-year-olds," Regina quipped.

"Please, you prefer pizza and shooting zombies over this kind of party any day," Leo quipped back and she smirked.

"Touche…" she agreed.

"Speaking of parties...this one is about to get less lame I think," Xander mentioned, as they saw Natalie and Johnny approach Summer, JJ, Eva, and Bobby, who were looking at the artifacts on display.

"Oh he is far too close to my babies…" Snow said, as David put his arm around her waist.

"Easy...let's not spook him. Come on," he said, as they approached. Leo, Emma, and Xander followed. The time for confrontation had come.

"Wow…" JJ said, as he examined the quipu as close as he could through the glass container around it.

"It's hard to believe that those knots and strings are a language," he mentioned.

"It truly is...I always found this stuff the most interesting in the history courses I took," Eva agreed.

"It's even more interesting in person," a woman said, as Eva turned to find the woman they had identified as Natalie Zearing. But it was the man next to her that gave her the creeps. She could see Clayton in him and realized he had the same smug smile as his evil father.

"You would know," Bobby commented and she smirked in amusement.

"Wow...that's actually refreshing. Don't hold back, kid," she commented. Johnny chuckled.

"That tactlessness is a famous Charming trait," he mentioned.

"So is defeating evil," Summer added.

"She's right," Snow agreed, as she and Charming arrived. Johnny smirked.

"Xander...long time no see. I was just a wee lad the last time I saw you. About the same age your son was when you abandoned him I think," he jabbed. Xander tried to advance on him for that, but Leo held him back.

"Easy Gramps...that's what he wants," Leo warned. His smirk widened.

"The truest loves...what an honor it is to finally meet face to face. I know your legacy well," he said.

"No doubt...your father had a sick obsession with us," David retorted. Johnny smirked again.

"Oh, the obsession part is true, but it goes far beyond just the two of you," he said.

"We know...it's the chalice he was obsessed with and I have a feeling you're the same," Snow replied. He shrugged.

"I only want what was promised to me. My legacy...which was stolen by that woman," he said, pointing at the Major.

"We don't like the way she went about any of that either, but you are not a victim in this. We know what you've both done and that collection that is your so called legacy? Your father stole it all. Thankfully, we gave it back to the people and it's in a museum where it belongs, just like these items are," David said.

"Wow...you really take that hero thing to a new level," Natalie replied.

"Just keep your sticky fingers off the artifacts and we won't have a problem," David retorted. Johnny smirked again.

"Oh…I'm afraid we can't do that," he said, as the room erupted in chaos when fire burst forth from the floor, sending the entire atrium into hysteria.

"It can't be...he's dead," Leo said, as he recognized the fiery horror that had just erupted around them.

"Only my previous host body is dead, Charming Junior, but my essence will always live on. I have chosen a new host," Mephisto said, as he emerged from the flames. But they didn't back down and they stood between this monster and the innocent people around them. JJ's eyes widened, as he saw a stream of fire coming at him, but was relieved when he safely found himself in a bubble.

"Thanks…" he said in relief.

"This is going to get messy...let's get people out of here," Eva suggested, as they started helping Robin and Belle do exactly that.

"The best thing about this new host is that he is known as Fagin and he came with a criminal network and a gang," Mephisto said, as several heavily armed men stormed into the museum and fired their guns into the ceiling, sending screaming people looking for a way out. Rumple quickly took care of that though and all their weapons disappeared, shocking them. The goons managed though, finding whatever objects they could to use as weapons. Emma and Leo stepped into subdue them and keep them from hurting others.

Johnny took the opportunity to smash the glass on the exhibits, allowing he and Natalie to grab the priceless artifacts, before making a run for it.

"Go...you two need to stop them! We'll handle Mephisto and his goons!" Regina called. Snow and David nodded, as Xander followed them and they gave chase...

[kurtty-drabbles]

Mating hunting (part 1)

@djinmer4 @sailorstar9 @dannybagpipesarecalling @discordsworld @look-ma-no-hands336 @bamfoftheundead N/A: based on an ask I did. I´d not think I can make Seir likeable using the canon djnimer4 crafted, so, I´ll have to do something new.

The Limbo is a realm that does not follow rules. Not space nor time, however, one rule is important to mentioned and important to never forget, Belasco rules this land as so he desires, the Szardos can´t ever forget this rule. Belasco can kill all of them in one minute if he so wishes, but, humiliation is far more his style and Margalia Szardos, in all her supposed glory of Red Queen, is powerless to stop him.

But, if she can´t defeat him on her own, she´ll plot against him. And her best chance is Azazel, while is completely laughable that Azazel wants to be the new Satan(Belasco has this mantle and not even Mephisto can argue against) he can aid Margalia in her quest.

“But, mother” Amanda asked confused “Azazel also hate us, why he would help us?” Amanda does not have the same vision as Margalia. The older woman smiles at this, her beautiful daughter is the most loyal one to her cause and she knows her daughter won´t fail on her.

“Of course, I can´t ever forget that, “there are dark tones in her words as Margalia looks into Amanda´s eyes. Her eyes, blue and crystalline as it should be, hide the eyes of her real father and Margalia see no reason to ever point this out. “however, his newest son” there´s mocking in her tone that Amanda can appreciate while her mother is branding her. Amanda is a cruel child, but, still a child nonetheless. “ Kurt or Seir, whatever name the boy wishes to be called, will go to the mortal plane to pick a bride, let´s call as such is kinder this way, as he did reject 3 demon courtesans”

“What a fool” Amanda is quick to judge “what an imbecile. A demon courtesan is far more powerful than a mere human” Amanda finishes and Margalia nods her head. The older woman nods and continues speaking as the hair of her daughter is perfectly done now. “Of course, some demons do prefer innocence over power, a fetish for them, anyway, this can be the perfect opportunity for us, you see, my beautiful daughter can seduce this poor idiot and once he makes you his first wife, Azazel will have to help us, after all, Sier/Kurt is his favourite son and if his precious son is in love with my beautiful daughter, he won´t deny her anything”

Amanda smiles pleased as she can see her mother´s grand vision and now Belasco has his days count down. One problem in this plan is how Stefan will take, her lover won´t accept this change so well.

In fact, in her departure for the mortal realm, Stefan only frowns at Amanda. “Won´t say goodbye to me as a lover?” Amanda asked in a crestfallen tone as Steffan, handsome as always, looks away forcing himself to not say anything too negative. “Then say goodbye to me as a brother, Stefan, this will be a mission that I need to know I still have your love” Amanda is at the verge of tears.

Stefan looks at her long and hard, a moment of silence between the two cross-star lovers, and a hug is given. “Just came back to me, my love, my sister” and now, a kiss seal the forbidden love among the deranged brothers.

And a portal was opened, thanks to Margalia´s magic and Amanda is left to seduce the stupid fool and gain more power to mother and herself, imagine what is the first wife of a demon prince can do to her? Amanda will be so powerful.

Amanda returns home but with bad news and Margalia can admit, much, later on, she can ever deal well with bad news. The evidence is marked on Amanda´s check. “How could my daughter lose to a mortal?”

Amanda is seething in rage too. “A stupid mortal, mother, is not my fault, mother, Kurt/Seir is so enamoured to that…pathetic lowlife. Maybe, is Azazel´s genes speaking again, he did fall for a mutant of that planet, Mystique, maybe it is bad genes” Amanda tries to explain her failure. “I tried to seduce him, mother, and I even killed in the process, but, he preferred that pathetic thing, she´s not even pretty”

Margalia raises her hand to stop Amanda to continue to her fumble explanation. “Amanda, I´m sorry for having hitting you, my beautiful daughter, I was hoping that your seduction skill would have been enough, after all, Stefan…” she trails off looking amused at her son who is blushing, but, does not appear to show a cute sign. Margalia knew since day one Amanda and Steffan are perfect for each other.

“I shall kill Kitty Pryde, mother, I shall” Amanda vows and Margalia has better ideas of revenge and Kitty Pryde is in this list as well. “No, my daughter, I have a better plan, first, I need you to be friends with this Kitty Pryde, and you, Steffan, I´ve a mission to you as well, I need you to stop trying to dig information about Belasco´s Queen and dig more information about this Kitty Pryde, can you do this for me? For your one true love?”

Steffan nods his head. “I´ll mother, there´s nothing I won´t do for you”

Margalia is pleased, she can avert this little problem. Kitty Pryde is an insect, at the best, and Amanda is a powerful sorceress and Margalia is far more powerful than anyone. She will overcome Belasco, no, she can overcome CHAOS itself. Amanda knows they can rule the world and she knows she can overcome the Red Queen.

Azazel is walking along with his favourite son, Seir, the young man prefers to use the name Kurt when they are on the mortal plane, but, he has no objections to his own father using the name Seir. Both demons are talking and plotting the next move.

“You pick a human?” there´s no anger in his tone nor disappointment, just curiosity, after all, Seir did refuse 3 demonic courtesans, and as much he´s happy that he found a mate, Azazel is just curious as for why a human.

Seir stops the stroll and answers what he knows is the biggest question every member of his family is silent doing. Why a human? “Because I want to avoid inbreeding. Demons clans that commit incest have their bloodline weak and that´s the truth for the Olgron clan …The last member has the intelligence of an animal, and I´m being generous here, and Ogun the demon…is the last of his clan because they have such purity idea that this became his downfall. No one will be that pure to mate with him and that´s why he´s dying”

Azazel has no problem with incest nor with his other children, but, Seir´s words are true. Forming children using the method of inbreeding is not a wise mood.

“Good thinking, son, and the woman you chose is smart and strong enough as she can give many offspring for my plan, good choice, Sier” Azazel congratulate Seir showing him affection by ruffing his hair. Sier smiles as Azazel is walking until he´s no longer in Seir´s view. Then the young man stops smiling and clenches his fist.

Like hell, I´ll let you use Kitty for any of your fucks up plans, father.

[lilacmoon83]

Finding You Always

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 214: Worlds Collide, Pt 3

Summer was growing exhausted, as she kept nullifying Mephisto's fireballs by putting them in her bubbles and extinguishing them, while her siblings fought off his heavily armed gang.

"We have to make sure they don't destroy the museum. We can't let all this history be destroyed," Eva feared.

"Yeah...we need to draw them out of here for sure," Emma agreed, as she blasted more of them back.

"He's definitely given these guys an upgrade in fighting skills and power," Leo said, as he breathed heavily, following a fist fight with one of the thugs.

"All right kid, you're our resident powerhouse. What do you suggest?" Emma asked her baby brother.

"An earthquake is the last thing we want in the museum, Emmy," he argued, but then smirked.

"But I think I have a new trick up my sleeve that I've been working on with Mr. Gold," he said. Rumple nodded.

"Now would be the time, lad," Rumple said, as three more of the thugs dropped dead, thanks to the Dark One snapping their necks.

"So much for not killing," Eva said uncomfortably.

"They're thugs...he just saved a ton of lives by killing them. They would have gone on to kill innocent people," Leo reasoned.

"He's right," Regina agreed, as several more dropped, thanks to her. It was drastic, but the stakes were too high. They were already going to be blamed for all the property damage and being the cause of it. But if they had civilian casualties, it would be far worse.

"I won't be surprised if the Major loses the battle with her government and we have them threatening to have the National Guard invade the United Realms," Regina said.

"Mom and Dad will wall us off before they let that happen," Leo assured. She sighed, hoping he was right. Snow and Charming were notoriously forgiving, but after the experience with their darker halves, she hoped they had learned that there were times that the tough decisions had to be made.

"You really think you can take me on, brat?" Mephisto questioned, as the fire in his palms gave the entire room a glow and yet Bobby didn't back away from the intimidating display.

"Considering I can do that too...yeah I think I do," Bobby retorted, as fire came alive in his hands. By now, most of the innocent bystanders had been evacuated, but there were still a few reporters and camera people that were braving the spectacle in order to get in on video.

"And I can do way more than that...like this," Bobby said, as he grabbed Mephisto's wrists.

"I may be able to wield all the elements, but I still specialize in earth powers," he said, as they disappeared with a jade green puff of smoke.

"Look!" Leo called, as they saw something burrowing beneath them through the ground and followed it outside the museum. There was another puff of jade green smoke, as the two emerged from the ground and Bobby tossed Mephisto onto a parked car.

"Ooohhh…I hope they have insurance," Emma commented. Mephisto was seething, as he pulled himself off the wrecked car.

"If you think for a second that this is over, brat...you have another thing coming," Mephisto growled, as disappeared in a fiery display of flames. His four older siblings descended upon him at that point, patting him on the back and ruffling his hair.

"That was awesome!" Leo exclaimed.

"Yeah...he was pissed. Good work, kid," Emma congratulated him. Bobby looked down a bit shyly.

"Thanks," he said.

"Come on...we need to find Mom, Dad, and Grandpa Xander," Eva said. They all agreed and with the rest of their family, they ventured back inside the museum to try and discern where they could have gone.

~*~

Snow and David chased them through the Museum, but when they followed them into the Ancient Egypt exhibit, they found the room empty.

"We lost them," Xander hissed.

"No...there's no way out of this room other than the way we came in," Snow realized.

"She's right," he said, as they willed the chalice forth in its joined form and used it to scan the room for any residual magic or portals. There was an ethereal glow on the replica of the Giza pyramid and they exchanged a glance.

"That's why no one can ever find them. They're using this exhibit to portal somewhere else," David said.

"But this land has no magic without the two of you in the vicinity," Xander said.

"No...but would creating a portal with some of Clayton's technology be impossible?" Snow asked and he sighed.

"No...that's very possible," he agreed, as the chalice glowed and the magic opened up the portal from the residual trail left by whatever technology they had used to slip away.

"We have no idea what we're walking into," Xander warned.

"No...we don't. But we don't have a choice. We have to stop them and it looks like we're the only ones that can," David said, as he looked at Snow.

"The kids will find us too…" she assured them. They nodded and walked through the portal.

~*~

"Wow...this is a really old book," Tink mentioned.

"It is and it was really hard to find. That's why I think it might be important," Rose replied.

"But I thought you were able to catalog everything in the library?" Neal asked.

"I was...that's why this one is so unique. This book is not in my catalog," she replied.

"The plot thickens," Tink said, as she flipped through it.

"Because new books literally appear all the time, that's happened from time to time, but I just have a feeling that this one had help appearing," Rose replied.

"You think it was being hidden, my angel?" Fandral asked.

"It's possible. I don't know who is suddenly helping us or maybe it's because Blue has committed the ultimate crime," Tink replied.

"The murder of another fairy," she said.

"Not to mention a human, even a deplorable one," Fandral added.

"Who did Blue answer to as Head Fairy?" Neal asked.

"Zeus himself," Tink replied, as he took the book.

"And who do you answer to now that you're Head Fairy and Zeus is dead?" he asked.

"Well…I've had no formal meeting with any other Gods, except Aphrodite. I suppose it would be Athena, but she has yet to formally meet with me," Tink replied.

"And if Zeus, for some reason, forbade Athena from interfering, she might use other means to get the information to us," Rose deduced.

"It's entirely possible," Tink agreed.

"Did Blue ever answer to Hera?" Neal asked.

"No…Hera would have never had any authority over the fairies. She may have been Zeus' wife, but they hated each other. He didn't trust her," Tink replied.

"That was probably wise...look at this," he said, as he showed them an image on the page.

"That's Blue...and Hera," Tink said.

"Standing over the unconscious body of Aphrodite," Rose added in alarm.

"Can you translate this?" Fandral asked. Tink nodded and used her wand to translate the book from Greek to English.

"We best start at the beginning," Rose said, as she took the book and began to read.

~*~

Flashback

The young blonde girl cried, as she looked out over the ocean, tears glistening in her eyes, as the sea foam bubbled to the surface of the crystal blue water.

"It's time, my precious one," Zeus called, as he stood behind her.

"Why Daddy?" she asked.

"Mother has been gone but a few weeks and you are getting married again!" Aphrodite shouted.

"You know it's not my choice, young one," he admonished.

"I am the God of the skies. I must have a Queen...it is one rule I cannot break," he said, as she stood up.

"And it is time for you to learn of your duties. You are the Goddess of love and beauty, daughter of Dione and you will fulfill her vision of championing true love," he announced, as an item appeared in his hand.

"Mother's chalice," she said in awe.

"Your chalice now...its magnificence and power is now yours," he corrected.

"What do I know about true love?" she asked bitterly. He smirked.

"You will, my sweet girl," he assured, as he kissed her forehead.

"Hera will not like that she does not get mother's chalice," Aphrodite said wearily.

"She has no claim to it. You are our pride and joy and she wouldn't want anyone but you to have it," he replied.

"It's a big responsibility…" she said with trepidation.

"One that your mother knew you would excel at. After all, who better than to choose the truest loves each millennium among the mortals than a product of true love herself," he said. Aphrodite smiled and hugged him.

"I miss her, Daddy," she said.

"Me too, sweet girl," he replied. They were both unaware of Hera's blistering gaze upon them from the shadows.

~*~

"Are you sure they're okay?" George questioned, as he looked at the pair. The moment James had given Aphrodite true love's kiss, the curse on them shattered, but as a side effect of the complete unlocking on Aphrodite's memories, they collapsed into unconsciousness. Neither Zeus or Dione seemed alarmed though and Nyx had magicked a bed to lay them upon.

"They are fine...this is part of it. They will only awaken when they have relieved their entire past," Zeus assured.

"What kind of curse is this? And who cursed them?" George asked.

"You will know that soon...but not before them," Dione replied and they went back to waiting for them to awaken.

~*~

"These are exquisite," the man said, as he examined the artifacts.

"These are genuine Olmec Terracotta's...they're priceless," the woman next to him added, as she looked them over as well.

"Everything has a price...getting these wasn't easy," Natalie commented.

"Yes...they are nearly untouched, despite their age. How did you find these?" the woman asked.

"I'm not an archeologist that plays by the rules, so to speak. But I know what I'm doing and able to excavate certain sites that have forbidden said excavation," Natalie replied.

"Clayton always did hire the best. It seems you have surrounded yourself with the same skillful people that your father did," she commented, looking to Johnny. He smirked.

"I was groomed from birth to step into his shoes," he agreed.

"And I do manage to find the best, however, our previous translator passed and we need a new one for this," Johnny mentioned.

"Oh a quipu...is this the one you've been hoping for?" she asked.

"We'll see," Natalie replied vaguely.

"Well…I may know of someone that can translate this for you. But I expect you to give me a deal on these beauties," she said.

"Then I assume you and Dr. La Guerra are interested in the jade as well?" Johnny asked.

"Normally, I would pass on the jade, but the condition this is in is rare," the doctor replied.

"Then you had better be prepared to pay a pretty penny," a new voice said, as Natalie turned.

"Mother…" she said in a warning tone.

"You'll let these real treasures slip through your fingers on the off chance that another silly quipu will lead you to a grander one that might not even exist," Thalia argued.

"I can't believe you discount the existence of Cibola or El Dorado when I was born in freaking Atlantis," Natalie argued back.

"Clayton was hundreds of years old and knew some of the best explorers. He even knew her ancestor, one of the greatest and most ruthless conquistadors in history," Thalia argued, gesturing to the woman.

"And he still never found it," she finished.

"It's real mother...and I'm going to find it," Natalie snapped back. Thalia sighed.

"You and finding things," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" Natalie asked, but her question was interrupted when Snow, David, and Xander appeared in the secret meeting place.

"Well, well...you found your way here, after all," Johnny said, as he tapped his glass.

"Ladies and Gentlemen...the illustrious Snow White and Prince Charming themselves, in the flesh, along with the chalice of Aphrodite!" he announced, instantly drawing the entire room's attention to them.

"My father's murderers!" he continued, with a hiss.

"We didn't murder him. His own arrogance destroyed him," David snapped back.

"Your chalice...it was all I ever heard about growing up, you know. Father was always a bit miffed that he knew about such an object, but it was the one thing he couldn't collect. Thus why he decided to collect the pair of you," Johnny retorted, as he looked to Xander.

"You remember the stories. I still remember those nights here and there where father was too busy to deal with me and the nannies were at their wits end. But you would get me calmed down and put to bed," he recalled, with a bit of fondness.

"All while you knew you abandoned your own son and your granddaughter that was out there in some group home," he added with a vicious smile.

"Shut up, you little prick," Xander hissed, which only amused the sadistic son of the Collector.

"And you," he said, with reverence, as he looked at Snow.

"Father always was enamored with you the most, because of your resemblance to the Goddess. She was his original obsession," he revealed, surprising them both.

"Oh, didn't know that, did you?" he said.

"I suppose you wouldn't, since the Goddess has had her memories scrambled more times than even you two," he retorted.

"Yes...he almost had it all. He made you crush his heart to cast a curse and he would have had the chalice. And you...but then you know that part. It still haunts you," he leered.

"Shut the hell up," David growled, as he pulled Snow even closer to him.

"And you...the hero Prince Charming. He wanted to be you, in a way, just without all the selfless heroics. The people's Prince...the husband of the fairest of them all. The truest loves. I came to loathe your story," he said bitterly.

"It's not our problem that your narcissistic father didn't hug you enough. Trust us...we never wanted his kind of attention," David retorted.

"Oh, but you got it...every bit of it," Johnny replied.

"We're here to retrieve the stolen items that you took," Snow said, as she looked at Natalie.

"Including the quipu. It's not yours," she added.

"Oh and I suppose you're going to take it from me, Princess?" Natalie challenged.

"Don't tempt her. That's not a fight you'll win," David challenged, as blue eyes met blue eyes.

"I think I can handle more than you know," she challenged back.

"Thinking you have any advantage here would be unwise," the older blonde woman next to Natalie said.

"Who the hell are you?" David asked. She smirked and looked at Xander.

"He is definitely yours," she replied.

"Long time no see...Xander," she purred.

"Thalia," he said stiffly.

"You know her?" David asked.

"Oh he knows me...quite well, in fact," she replied. Snow's eyes narrowed and she looked at her father-in-law.

"How well?" she asked, watching him swallow nervously.

"It only happened a couple of times," he assured.

"Oh my God…" David exclaimed in outrage.

"David...your mother had been gone a long time and I was struggling," he tried to explain.

"Yes...he was. The alcohol...the guilt with you laying in a hospital bed and his granddaughter in an unhappy group home," Thalia revealed.

"Stop it," Xander growled.

"Yes...to be fair, you wanted to reunite your family then, but Clayton convinced you that it would be a mistake," Thalia said.

"I've made a lot of mistakes and I wasn't always a good man. My son knows my shortcomings," Xander insisted.

"Apparently not with the way he's looking at you right now," Thalia said.

"Oh and I suppose your daughter knows everything about you?" he challenged. She frowned.

"Not everything…" Snow interjected and the older blonde glared at her.

"Stay out of this, princess. It's none of your business," she retorted.

"David is my business and I have a feeling there's something that she doesn't know about you," Snow challenged.

"Snow?" David asked, as he watched her look at his father. He sighed. He had known Snow long enough to know that she wouldn't let this go until she had answers for her husband.

"Is she mine?" he asked and Natalie looked alarmed by that question.

"What? Mother?" she asked.

"We're not doing this…" Thalia hissed, as the three of them cried out and a shield appeared around them.

"Ray shields...I think you'll find them quite impervious to your magical chalice," Thalia said, as they tried to use it to nullify the shield, but it didn't work.

"The auction is over for tonight!" she called, as they could only watch, as most of the people dispersed through portals that seemed to be catacombed within the strange chamber.

"Where is this place?" Snow wondered.

"We're hundreds of feet underground. Trust me, no one is going to find you," Natalie refuted.

"Underground?" David asked, as he and Snow shared an amused glance.

"You're going to eat those words," Snow said.

"What about our deal?" doctor La Guerra interjected, as there was suddenly a rumble beneath them and a huge plume of jade green smoke, as Bobby burrowed to the surface with his siblings and Regina, while the others waited on standby on the surface.

"That was the weirdest thing ever, but really cool," Leo said.

"There is a ton of dirt in my hair," Regina complained, as she started trying to brush it out.

"At least your hair is dark enough not to show it," Emma grumbled.

"Mom! Dad!" Eva called, as she ran to them.

"Careful honey...we don't know what this shield is, but the chalice couldn't break through," Snow warned. Regina waved her hand over it.

"It's not any magic I know," she said.

"Maybe it's not magic at all," Leo said, as Eva spotted a control panel on the wall.

"Not one step, princess," Thalia warned, but was shocked when Leo used a lightning bolt to fry the control panel, destroying the shield.

"Let's go…" Johnny growled, as he grabbed Natalie's hand. She spared another glance at them, as Johnny escaped with her and Thalia. The doctor and his companion weren't so lucky.

"Freeze!" David warned, as he pulled his gun on the mysterious pair and they were forced to put their hands up. Emma waved her hand and cuffs appeared on their wrists. David holstered his gun and they used the chalice to create a portal back to the surface.

"No idea who you two are...but you're gonna tell us," he said, as they gathered the stolen artifacts, except the quipu, and filed through the portal.

~*~

Flashback

Hera stormed into her Temple and huffed, as she sat down in her Throne.

"For someone that just got married to the All Mighty Zeus...you don't seem very happy," Blue mentioned, as she emerged from the shadows.

Zeus had created the fairies to be messengers between the Gods and mortals. For some reason, the mortals saw fairies as a symbol of good and did not fear them like they did the Gods. Mortals had their reasons to fear the Gods though, since the past was filled with bloodshed between the monarchs of Mount Olympus and humans.

Reul Ghorm had been chosen by him as head of the fairies, but as it often did, power slowly began to corrupt Blue and just as bitterness had set in for Hera, it had for Blue as well.

Blue wanted more power and control over mortals, but Zeus had long forbade it. She had even tried to endear herself to Dione in hopes of having a hand in choosing the truest loves. It was a vision that Dione had and never realized. She planned to select two mortals, who represented the epitome of true love, to bestow the power of her magical chalice to.

The chalice was forged by Dione's mother, Gaia herself, from the essence of the earth she loved so much and all its elements. She gifted it to Dione and she wanted to do good for mortals with it. But the recent Titanomachy had given Hera the perfect opportunity to eliminate the woman that had the Throne she wanted. Dione had been mortally wounded, but it was not what it appeared to be. Hera had colluded with the Titans to topple Zeus and Dione, promising them positions of power if she was crowned Queen if they killed Dione and her precious daughter. Naturally, she betrayed them all and they were cast into Tartarus with her secret remaining unknown. The end result was that Dione was dead and she was Queen now. However, their offspring lived and the coveted chalice now belonged to Aphrodite.

"He gave the chalice to his daughter!" she hissed.

"Then perhaps we need to arrange an accident for the little blonde bimbo," Blue suggested.

"You know that's impossible. The war with the Titans distracted Athena enough that she could not see our deception, but now it will not be so easy," Hera reminded her.

"True and if Zeus loses the apple of his eye...well, there will be no Earth to rule. He would smite us all and the mortals just in sheer blind rage," Blue agreed.

"Yes...and even as Queen, I am still overshadowed by Dione's precious little flower," Hera complained. Blue smirked.

"If we can't kill her...then we can certainly manipulate her," she suggested. Hera's interest perked at that.

"What do you have in mind?" Hera asked.

"I will befriend the empty headed beauty and help her choose her champions," Blue replied. Hera smirked.

"Champions that we select...champions that ultimately could lead to our control of the chalice," she deduced. Blue nodded.

"Precisely," she said and Hera tilted her head.

"You already have a pair of mortals in mind, don't you?" she asked. Blue smirked.

"Yes...and they will serve us well. The man I have in mind will do anything for power. Faking true love with some woman will fool the little twit and when she gifts them her chalice...it's as good as ours," Blue replied.

"Then this is our plan. Proceed...and do not fail me, Blue," Hera said.

"Never, my Goddess. Zeus may think my loyalty is to him, but we know that you are my Queen," Blue said, as she became small in her fairy form with a Blue glow and descended back to earth.

~*~

"Wow…" Tink said, as Rose finished reading the beginning passages.

"So Blue has really been loyal to Hera all along and was working for her," Fandal said.

"That's heavy...but something tells me more happened later between them. I mean, this explains why Hera hates Aphrodite, but this implies that Blue was only doing Hera's bidding at first," Neal said.

"He's right...somewhere it became personal for Blue too," Rose said, as she closed the book.

"I'll read more when we get home and then we can discuss more tomorrow," she said. Tink smiled and used her magic on the book, duplicating it.

"Now we can both read...because I have to know more. Then I think we can finally bring her down," Tink said. Rose nodded and smiled at her.

"Guess we're doing more reading when we get home instead of other stuff," Neal muttered. The blonde smirked.

"Behave and you might get more than reading," she teased, as they joined hands and left the diner.

"I'll round up the children," Fandral said, as he kissed her cheek and went to get them from the table where they were playing a game.

"Mom...what if the Blue Fairy realizes you're reading her story and she tries to stop you?" Carina asked worriedly.

"I won't lie to you, sweetie...she very well may try. But your Papa will never let anything happen to me," Rose promised.

"Your mother is right," Fandral agreed, as he took her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"The Blue Fairy may have magic, but this Asgardian warrior will not let her silence more people," he promised, as they left the diner to head home for the evening.

~*~

"Dammit...you two were careless! And now we lost a fortune worth of jade and rare terracotta's!" Thalia roared.

"Relax...the quipu is what we really wanted, especially if it is the one my father sought. The key to Cibola or El Dorado. They have enough treasure to command power over the entire world," Johnny replied.

"Or it's just another ancient series of knots and strings full of riddles! Taunting the truest loves was a horrible misstep!" she cried.

"They already knew exactly who we were!" Johnny snapped.

"That woman...the Major has them chasing us like her own personal team of fairy tale agents," he added irritably.

"Pack up...we're leaving. Back to the Athens base," Thalia ordered.

"Oh no...we're not doing that. It's time for offensive measures," Johnny refuted.

"Johnny...that's not a good idea," Thalia argued.

"I'm in charge of this operation!" Johnny snapped.

"I am my father's heir!" he added.

"Besides...the cowardly doctor will talk. I have no illusions that Prince Charming and his brats will interrogate the truth right out of him," he said. Thalia sighed.

"Then you better work on getting that thing translated and hope that it's what we need," she said.

"Not until you tell me what you're hiding," Natalie interjected.

"Natalie…" she started to deflect, but her daughter cut her off.

"Were you and Xander...involved?" she asked.

"Of course they were," Johnny answered for her.

"Stay out of this, Junior," Thalia snapped.

"Mother…" Natalie pressed and she sighed.

"It only happened a couple of times," Thalia insisted, stunning her to silence. She was almost afraid to ask her next question, because somehow she knew the answer.

"Is…is Xander my father?" she asked. Thalia turned away in frustration.

"Mother...is he my father!?" she shouted and her silence spoke volumes.

"Wow...that I didn't know, but I guess it makes sense," he said.

"You knew they were together at one time?" Natalie asked in an accusatory tone, but he shrugged.

"We were never together…" Thalia refuted.

"I remember seeing them together here and there as a child. When my father wasn't pulling him out of the bottle...your mum was. Honestly, I never really put it together, but it makes sense," Johnny said, as he started to laugh then.

"Father must certainly be laughing now...you're a Charming!" he exclaimed to her.

"Well...half Charming," he teased.

"Shut up!" Natalie hissed.

"Mother…" she growled.

"It's true...Xander is your father," Thalia revealed.

"You said that my father died…" Natalie hissed.

"I lied...and it was for the best! Xander was gone most of the time, on missions for Clayton and when he was around, he was drinking and wallowing about the children he had already abandoned. He would have abandoned you too," Thalia said.

"That wasn't your choice!" Natalie hissed.

"Xander is a traitor...and our plan remains unchanged," Johnny said, as he loaded his gun with a clip.

"We cannot count on Malina's source to translate the quipu...but I've located a back up. Let's go…" he said, as Natalie glared at her mother and had a moment of pause.

"Natalie...are you coming?" he asked. She looked at him and then nodded.

"Yes," she replied. The revelation that Xander was her father and she had this huge family out there was jarring. But she didn't know them and they certainly wouldn't want someone like her. No...this didn't change anything.

~*~

After returning to the surface, they escorted the two mysterious captives back to the Boston FBI headquarters for interrogation. Agent Green and Agent Brooks insisted on taking the first crack at their interrogation. Some of the other agents began processing the recovered artifacts, while David observed the interrogation from the glass, along with the Major. It was late, so he insisted that everyone go back to the hotel to get some sleep, but he wasn't surprised when Snow came in and put her arms around him. She could see the questions in his mind and knew his father was probably waiting in the conference room for him. But he didn't want to think about any of it right now, because he knew he knew lashing out in anger wouldn't get them anywhere. He wanted answers, but knew he wouldn't like hearing any of them. So for now, he was focused on the two potential investors in the next room. Snow managed to get a bit of his frustration to ebb away, but it was growing since the two agents weren't getting anywhere.

"How much more time are we going to let these two waste?" he asked impatiently.

"The lab is running their prints. If we get a hit, then I'll let you go at them both. But I'd rather you go in there with something, because they're not giving an inch," the Major replied.

"It's going to be okay," Snow whispered to him, as she kissed him gently. He sighed and pressed his forehead against hers.

"You figured it out before me…" he said.

"The bitterness rolled off that woman in waves and when I saw that it was directed at your father...it wasn't much of a leap after that," she replied, as the Major came back into the room with a file and Xander followed her in.

"We got two hits…" Patricia said, as she put the file down on the table in front of them.

"Did we even need to?" David asked, as he looked at his father.

"Do you know them too?" he demanded to know.

"Yes...I know of them. I only met them a handful of times," Xander said. David gripped the metal table, his knuckles turning white and probably the only thing that kept him from raging at that moment was Snow's hand on his arm.

"The man is Dr. Hector La Guerra. He technically had his medical license revoked in 1945 and he fled his homeland of France for the United States," Patricia said.

"Funny...he doesn't look that old," David commented.

"None of these people are what they seem. He was born in 1918 and worked for the Nazis during World War II," she continued.

"Oh wonderful...a real life Nazi," Snow said.

"He lost his license for human experimentation and specializes in working with disease and poisons," Patricia continued.

"Clayton recruited him after the war and brought him to Atlantis. He introduced the doctor to all the magical plants, herbs and substances he had in his collection. It was Dr. La Guerra that created the youth potions. He was able to synthesize the water from the fountain of youth with his own mixture of magical herbs and created a way to utilize the water without tying the user to Atlantis," Xander explained.

"Boy, the good news just keeps coming," David deadpanned.

"We never saw him in Atlantis...but I spent a lot of time in the infirmary with Eva during that time. There were many rooms sealed off to us and I can still remember the screaming of people coming from some of those rooms," Snow recalled, as she got a haunted look on her face. Xander nodded.

"That would be him. There is other things I could tell you about what he does to people, but it's too horrific and I'm not going to do that," he added, as they looked at him.

"I'll tell you everything you need to know, but I will not tell you the specifics of what he does to people, even children, inside those rooms. You won't be able to handle it," Xander said firmly. Snow shuddered and David let that lay, as he turned his head back to the window.

"Enough about the sick bastard...what about her?" he asked.

"She is Malina Pizarro, born in Spain and if you know anything about the history of the Conquistadors, yes, she is of that Pizarro bloodline. The conqueror of the Incas was her ancestor and she has continued her quest to pillage and destroy indigenous cultures all over the globe," Patricia replied.

"Born in 1936 to her powerful and wealthy parents in Barcelona, she followed in her family's footsteps and led many expeditions that resulted in the destruction of ancient sites, their history, and complete pillaging of their cultures," Patricia added.

"How are evil pieces of crap like this not in prison already?" David hissed in frustration.

"You know why, David...that's the reason you and your family are here," Patricia reminded him. He turned back to the window in frustration and then stood up straight.

"They're not getting anywhere...I'm going in," he said, as he walked out of the room. He drew his sword and barged into the interrogation room.

"Excuse me...we're in the middle of an interrogation," Agent Green argued.

"And for normal perps, your methods might work...but not for this evil scum. Get out," he ordered. Agent Green huffed, but when Patricia entered the room and motioned them out, they reluctantly obeyed her order.

"Uh oh Malina...Prince Charming is here to intimidate us," the doctor goaded and she smirked back at him. David responded by kicking his chair out from beneath him. The man cried out, as he fell to the floor, but not before he hit his chin on the table on the way down, causing him excruciating pain. Blood leaked from his mouth from busted teeth and he glared up at the Prince.

"You ignorant brute…" the doctor hissed.

"You're going to tell me where Junior is off to or you're not going to live to see another day," David warned. The doctor chuckled.

"Right to the death threats…" he laughed.

"Believe it or not, your Highness, you don't scare me. I've done things that would make you double over and retch where you stand," he warned.

"So I've heard," David retorted.

"Oh no...you haven't heard the details, because you're still standing," as he turned his attention to the window. It was one way glass, but somehow he must have known she was there.

"I remember seeing your lovely, fair wife in Atlantis...your children too. None of you ever saw me, as Clayton forbade me contact with you, for he knew I wouldn't be able to help myself," he goaded.

"Specimens like them...now that would have been a glorious experiment. Magical blood...I begged him to let me at her, but alas, it didn't happen. I imagined her tortured screams though and watching her red blood slide down her white, delicate skin…" he said, as he licked his lips. David lost it at that moment and picked him up, before slamming him against the wall.

"Last chance to keep breathing. One more word about my wife or children and it's over for you," he warned.

"If you want information...then we want a deal," Malina said calmly.

"Not happening...the only deal you're getting is life in prison and not a needle in your arm. Your list of crimes is extensive," Patricia replied. She smirked.

"Then do your worst, Major Donovan. My family is powerful...I won't spend one day in your jail," she said confidently. But it was Patricia's turn to smirk.

"Oh, it won't be an American prison if you don't cooperate," she revealed.

"Your crimes in other countries have them clamoring to prosecute you. I just put out the word that I have you in custody, thanks to my newest and very special agent," she said, referring to David. She frowned.

"The American prison is at least humane. You'll get meals and a bed and even a few privileges. But the other countries prisons won't be so nice, but not even those are the ones you have to worry about, because if I turn you over to the people that your family has destroyed for centuries...your life is done and your death will not be swift," she threatened.

"You can't do that...your court system does not work that way," she countered.

"It does in this case...do you really want to test me or him?" Patricia said.

"Fine...those in the states that can still translate a quipu are all at Universities, which would be too risky now. So Junior is likely going to Peru. That's about the only place where you're going to anyone that can still read them and even then that's going to be difficult. It's a dead language, as are the Inca people. But I know of one family near Cusco...and so does he. That's where he'll go," Malina revealed.

"And this family? Will they tell him willingly?" David asked. She smirked.

"Definitely not...his father helped the Conquistadors destroy their ancestors, as well as countless other cultures. But like his father...Johnny will get what he wants, one way or another," she replied smugly.

"It's too bad...I'd love to participate in the coming torture," the doctor said.

"Reminding me that you're still breathing isn't wise," David snapped at him, as he walked out.

"We're leaving aboard the Jolly Roger in the morning and those two are going to lead us to them," he said to Patricia. She nodded.

"I'll have them put down in a holding cell until then. Agent Green and Agent Brooks, you and your team will be responsible for transporting these two to the Harbor and joining us. We're going to Peru, O six hundred," she ordered, as she saw David pull Snow into his arms and kiss her. Some of his stress melted away at her kiss and her touch, at least in those quiet seconds.

"David…" Xander interrupted.

"You tucked Clayton's son in at night while your granddaughter was alone in a group home!" he roared.

"It wasn't like that," Xander insisted.

"He was a neglected child that grew into the shadow his father left behind," he added.

"You worked with these people!" David shouted.

"You ate with them! Talked to them! Hell...you even slept with some of them!" he ranted.

"And I hated all of them! And mostly myself most of the time, but Clayton was very convincing! You have to believe me! I wanted nothing more than to get Emma from that group home and bring her to you! But he told me it would be a disaster!" Xander insisted.

"He lied," David growled.

"Yes...and I realized it far too late. I helped him destroy people, because he promised me that in the end, it would lead me back to you and my family," Xander replied. David snorted.

"Well...he was right. Too bad it took you almost thirty years to get to us when you knew exactly where we were," he said, as he took Snow's hand and started to walk away.

"David please...you have to forgive me," Xander pleaded. He stopped and turned to him partially.

"No…I don't and I'm not sure I can," he said.

"David…" he begged, with tears in his eyes.

"How many times?" David asked.

"What?" Xander asked.

"How many times did you stand over my comatose body in that hospital!?" he roared. Xander swallowed thickly.

"Too many," he answered and David shook his head.

"You could have brought Emma to me...hell, you could have brought Snow to me too and you didn't! You were too busy working for that psychopath and sleeping with his operatives," David hissed, as he turned away again and Snow cast a glance behind her, as they walked away from him. She was torn, for the last thing she wanted was for her husband's relationship with his father to implode. But her loyalty was to David first and he had every right to be angry.

~*~

Flashback

The village burned with roaring fire, making it certain that it would be wiped off the map when the flames died. A tall man of Greek descent emerged from the fire and approached his team.

"Did you get it?" he asked, as one of his excavators unwrapped the cloth and presented the jeweled necklace to him. He examined it, but his hope faded and he tossed it back at the worker.

"This is fake!" he cried.

"I'm...I'm sorry sir...the chief finally revealed its location after hours of interrogation. This is said to be the necklace of Harmonia," he replied.

"It's a fake replica! Costume jewelry!" he ranted, as he tossed it into the fire.

"I need that necklace! It can give me eternal youth and find the treasure I seek," he growled.

"The necklace of Harmonia is with Zeus...you'll never obtain it," a voice said, as there was a blue flash and a woman appeared before him.

"A fairy…" he said with intrigue.

"Yes...and you are the man known as the Collector," she replied.

"Sirius Clayton…" he introduced himself.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I must continue my quest for another source of eternal youth if I am to make sure I live long enough to find Atlantis," he said.

"I can help you do that...and more. I can make your entire bloodline for centuries to come...legendary," she offered. He stopped and turned back to her.

"I am not a good man and you are a fairy. Why would you do that?" he questioned.

"Because I want power...just like you and I need a mortal to get that power," she revealed.

"But don't worry...you'll have the ultimate power too," she said.

"Tell me more…" he inquired.

"There is a chalice, created by Gaia herself and gifted to her favorite daughter, Dione. In turn, Dione has gifted to her precious one, Aphrodite," Blue explained.

"Goddess of love, beauty, and desire," he recalled.

"That's the one...the apple of Zeus' eye and instead of giving the chalice to his new wife, Hera, he has given it to his naive, virginal daughter that still thinks that true love is real," Blue said.

"Fascinating...and where do I come in?" he asked.

"Before Dione died, she intended to gift the chalice to a true love pair that she deemed worthy of it to champions of love and heroes to mortals. But she never discovered a pair that she deemed worthy enough," Blue explained.

"Her daughter is determined to keep those standards, but she is wildly more naive than her wise mother," she continued. He smirked.

"You want me to find some woman and convince your naive Goddess that we are the pair she should gift her chalice too," he deduced.

"You are sharp...but it can't be just any woman. It has to be someone convincing and able to pull off the act," she replied. He smirked.

"I think I know of someone," he said.

"But what kind of power are we talking about?" he questioned.

"Unlimited power and eternal youth," she promised. He smirked.

"Where do we start?" he asked.

~*~

Xander sat at the hotel bar and hadn't even bothered to go to his room that night. It was almost two in the morning and they would be kicking him out soon. A glass of scotch sat before him and his stare burrowed into the amber glass of liquid, as a blonde climbed onto the seat next to him.

"Please tell me you haven't touched that, Gramps," Emma said.

"Don't worry...I'm just looking at the thing that kept me from my family for so long," Xander replied.

"You know, I don't blame you, right?" Emma asked. He snorted.

"Your father does...maybe you should. I could have spared you years of unhappiness, Emma. When the Swans sent you back...I should have told Clayton to go to hell and took you straight to your father," he replied.

"You know Clayton would have stopped you or tried to. He might have killed you," Emma surmised.

"And you know Dad...he'll come around. He's almost as forgiving as Mom," she reminded him.

"I don't know, Em...I've never seen him this angry," Xander replied.

"Mom will bring him around...she always does. Just give him time," Emma assured him.

"I hope you're right…" Xander replied.

"Go up to your room and get a little sleep. We're leaving early," she suggested.

"I'm not sure David wants me there," Xander said.

"Yes he does...and you know Clayton's operation better than anyone. Not to mention that you now have a daughter out there that's on the wrong side. You can either stay here and wallow in self pity," Emma said, as he looked at her.

"Or you can fight for your relationship with my Dad and maybe even one with your daughter," she said.

"Her mother has poisoned her against us," Xander replied.

"And we thought George and later Clayton did the same thing to James and now I call him Uncle James," Emma reminded him, as she pushed the glass toward the bartender.

"He won't be needing this," she said, as she threw some money down for it. Xander sighed and followed her to the elevator.

"We always tell you how much like your father you are, but you are every bit your mother's daughter too," he mentioned fondly. Emma smiled.

"I know...I've seen the hope thing work for her time and again, so I took a page from her book on this one. Dad will come around," she assured, as they got in the elevator.

~*~

Snow awoke in the middle of the night, noticing that the warmth of David's body was gone. She got up and padded out to the outside balcony of their hotel suite in her long, white silk nightgown. She found him there, staring off into space and slipped her arms around his waist, before resting her head against his naked back.

"Oh baby…" she murmured, as her heart ached for him.

"I just got used to having a brother...and now a sister…" he muttered.

"A sister that was raised in Clayton's world," he said.

"Not all the people in his network are killers," she offered, as he took her in his arms and kissed her hair.

"I hope...I mean, the stealing I can get passed," he said, looking at her fondly and she smiled back.

"You do have a thing for bandits," she teased.

"Except you were stealing to survive. She steals...for treasure," he said bitterly.

"Then it's your father that's mostly bothering you," she surmised.

"I knew he had killed people...I mean, I've killed people too. We're not so different...at least that's what I told myself," he said.

"But if I knew my grandchild was out there, somewhere alone, being abused...I would have moved heaven and earth to get to them!" he said fiercely.

"I know...I know, my love…" she soothed.

"What if Merlin hadn't nurtured her belief by giving her the book? It would have been ten times worse for her, Snow," he fretted.

"At least the book showed her how much we truly loved her and how we didn't choose to be separated from her. It gave her hope…" he continued.

"But my father could have walked into that adoption agency, submitted to a DNA test, and proved he was Emma's blood. But instead, he was sailing around other realms that weren't frozen by the curse, collection things for Clayton! Treasure and gold and inanimate objects over our daughter!" he stressed.

"Over you...you can say it, my love. He chose those things over you and it was wrong," she said.

"You are a much stronger, braver man than he is. You are your mother's son," she said fondly. He sighed.

"The killing...I can get past as surprising as that sounds. I got past it with James. He was raised by a tyrant. It would have been a miracle if he didn't become a killer," he said.

"But what else has he lied about? There could be so many things we don't know about him. I knew that...and I ignored it. I can't do that anymore. I need to know everything," he added.

"And you will," she assured him, as she led him back inside.

"Until then...we should go back to bed," she said, as he sighed.

"You know I can't sleep now…" he replied. She smirked and gently let the thin straps on her nightgown fall away and it became a puddle at her feet.

"Then let's do some...not sleeping," she replied. His eyes glazed, as he drank her in. His beautiful wife was a master at distracting him and though he knew they would have to deal with all of this in just a few short hours, he welcomed this distraction. He walked to her with purpose and kissed her passionately, while cupping her face in his hands. She mewled into his kiss and then yelped in excitement, as he lifted her up and she hooked her legs around his waist. He carried her to bed and for those few hours, they became lost in each other...

[lilacmoon83]

Finding You Always

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 209: Battle Cry, Pt 2

Bobby looked around in wonder at all the opening portals and was surprised to see a beam of light strike the ground beside them. The light faded, revealing Rose and Fandral's return, via the bi-frost.

"So...you're alive…" Seth growled.

"A God much more powerful than you saved us and I assure you that you will pay for what you've done," Fandral promised. Bobby turned and saw a final portal open behind him. Granny and Red, in her wolf form stepped through, along with Xander, armed with a flamethrower, followed by all seven dwarves, and finally his parents, hand in hand, dressed in their warrior clothing.

Seth looked around, trying to hide his nervousness, at what he was now facing.

"If your plan really hinged on the fact that you thought we wouldn't reunite with our darker halves to save our son from you...then you are more of a fool than we thought," Snow declared boldly.

"Just for that...I think I'll kill you first Snow White and make your husband watch!" Seth growled, as he tried his mind meld, but was shocked when it didn't work. The Chalice glowed between them, but he was confused. Even at full power, the Chalice shouldn't have protected them from his mind meld.

"How...how are you doing this?!" he demanded to know.

"True love," David replied in a simple manner. Snow smiled at him.

"Truest love," she agreed.

"Oh and a little bonding to our elements," Leo added, as his eyes glowed dark blue. Eva's glowed pink, Summer's glowed lavender, and Emma's glowed white.

"All the magic and power in all the realms failed to defeat you...but true love won't," Snow declared, as the chalice separated into their respective weapons, his sword and her arrow shooting gauntlets.

"Nothing can defeat me...and certainly not something like your pathetic true love," Seth seethed, as he signaled his demonic army. David raised his sword to signal their allies.

"This is the United Realms and it's our home!" he shouted.

"And we will purge you and your demons from it!" Snow added, as both sides charged into a battle that would decide the fate of the United Realms...and the world.

~*~

The armies of various Kingdoms immediately charged the massive amounts of demonic minions, taking down the bulk of the dark army to allow the heavy hitters to focus on the more powerful, lethal enemies. Still, the minions proved they were formidable and casualties on both sides began to build. The military from the Land Without Magic, however, was finding themselves to be out of their element a bit though and they were clearly frustrated.

David swiped his way through a hoard of ghouls, using the chalice sword's flails of energy to decimate the minions that were taking a toll on the soldiers.

"Your men, both on the ground and in the air, would be more effective creating a perimeter around this area. We don't want any of these demons spilling into the other realms where they can feed on innocent people," David directed to the commanders.

"Why should we take orders from you? A guy that goes by Prince Charming?" one of them asked, while the others chortled at his joke. Several of Mephisto's creations encroached on them at that point. David turned and swiped through one, obliterating it with the chalice sword. He kicked another away, while thrusting his sword through two more that would have certainly killed the onlooking officers. He threw his sword and it spun like a sidewinder, obliterating a dozen incoming demons, before he caught the sword again and the minions fell to the ground in pieces. They were stunned and their question as to why they should take orders from him was answered. There was a screeching behind him, as one surviving demon tried to attack him, but an arrow hit it and the creature exploded, as Snow sided up to him.

"You always have my back," he said fondly, as he slipped his hand in hers.

"You should listen to my husband, boys. You're looking at a man that helped me take back two Kingdoms," she said, looking at him fondly.

"And get someone on your sixes, because not everyone has someone as amazing as her watching their back," he mentioned, as he lifted her chin with his fingers so he could kiss her briefly, before they joined hands and rushed back into the fight, leaving the soldiers unsure of exactly what they had just seen.

"You heard him...get that perimeter going!" Major Donovan called.

"His orders are as good as mine," she added, as the military switched gears to do as they asked and get that perimeter up.

~*~

Leo wove his way through the mess of airborne furies, slashing at them as he went. But he yelped, as he was hit with a stray blast. He fell off Pegasus, even as the animal nosedived to catch him. But he saw an icy slide appear beneath him, allowing him to slide safely to the ground. He got to his feet and Elsa hugged him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, as she looked at the wound on his shoulder.

"It's fine...it's just a flesh wound," he replied, as Pegasus landed next to them and neighed with worry. He pet the animal's mane, assuring him that he was okay. Leo looked to the sky again and Elsa gasped, as they saw the furies overwhelm one of the military planes, causing it to crash in a fiery explosion.

"Time to clear the air…" Leo said, as his eyes glowed bright blue. His lightning was summoned in the sky and there was a boom of thunder, as the sky flashed bright blue, striking most of the furies. He fried them and turned them into charred, falling objects.

"Nice...but you do know that you've now turned the dangerous flying objects into dangerous falling objects, right?" Eva teased.

"Hey...there's no book on how to defeat demonic hell furies with wings," he pointed out.

"There is now, because this family invented it," Henry commented, as he and Jacinda slashed their way through more ground enemies.

"You had better hurry, before those charred objects are pelting us," Rumple warned.

"I got this," Summer said, as her eyes glowed lavender and JJ watched her in amazement, as she released dozens of bubbles, encasing the falling objects harmlessly within her bubbles. Eva stepped forward and her eyes glowed pink, as she swept all the bubbles into one stream.

"Hey kid...help us out!" Emma called to her baby brother. Bobby's eyes were multicolored, as he slammed one foot into the ground, opening a crevice. Emma's eyes glowed white, as she helped Eva guide the destroyed demons into the lava that was in the earth beneath them. Bobby knelt down once they were done and used his magic-enhanced strength to close the gap up again and seal it.

"Nice…" Emma complimented, but then the five of them were struck by a reptilian tale, as Seth descended upon them, in a horrifying half man, half serpent-like form.

"Time to meet your end, Charmings…" he seethed, as he slithered toward them and they noticed something on the ground that was left behind in his wake.

"What are those white things?" JJ asked.

"I don't know...but I have a bad feeling about this," Summer replied.

"Crap…" Leo uttered, as he drew his sword.

"What?" Emma asked.

"They're eggs," Rumple interjected for him.

"You can't be serious…" Regina protested.

"He is a snake…" Leo reminded her, as Snow and David caught up to them, arriving hand in hand.

"Something tells me this is about to get really gross," Snow commented, as the eggs hatched and slimy, snake-like demons emerged. Their hissing and rattle was almost deafening, as they readied their weapons and magic. The minions scattered, attacking and biting with a ravaging vengeance, while the Charmings surrounded Seth. The seven of them charged the God, while the rest of their close family and friends scattered to help defend against the new onslaught of minions.

~*~

Fandral and Rose dueled with the dangerous frost giant, Fafnir, in his dragon form. The dragon was raging and had already caused some casualties from their army. It was clear that Fandral was the only one with the strength to kill the frost giant and they had managed to isolate him to a corner of the battlefield with a rocky outcropping. It was precarious and he did not like Rose being so close to it, for one slip or loss of footing and they could be skewered by the jagged rocks. But that too was part of their plan.

"For the record, I do not like this plan," he mentioned. She smiled and fired another arrow and then kissed his cheek.

"You'll catch me, my love...you always do," Rose replied, as she climbed up and around the outcroppings, finding her way to the top of the tallest, most jagged one. She threaded another arrow and there was a loud thwack, as she landed it in his chest. The dragon roared angrily and saw her in a prime position. The dragon salivated and spoke in its gravely voice.

"At last...I shall have the ultimate revenge upon you, Fandral of Asgard," he said.

"I shall feast on the pure, sweet blood of your beloved Rose Red and destroy you once and for all by taking her!" he roared, as he left himself open, unknowingly, as he prepared to snap her up in his jaws. But before he could devour her, his breath stopped short and he screamed in pain, as Fandral's sword pierced his belly. Fandral extracted his sword and backed away, as Rose jumped down into his arms. The frost giant then fell forward, gruesomely impaling itself on the rocky outcroppings. Rose turned away from the sight and he held her protectively in his arms.

"See...I knew you'd catch me," she said and he caressed her beautiful face gently.

"Always, my angel," he promised, as they shared a kiss.

~*~

James and Aphrodite dueled the massive and mysterious Horned King. The hulking creature that they could only assume was some sort of man behind the mask, shoved James away. Aphrodite's sword clashed with his and she heard him finally speak.

"Aphrodite...you are not what you seem…" he said. His voice was deep and sent a chill down her spine.

"I am the Goddess Aphrodite of Olympus. I am exactly this. A wife, a mother, and a woman that will eradicate yours and your master's evil," she refuted, as they dueled and James jumped back in.

"You are so certain of your origin...Aphrodite, the goddess that rose from the sea foam. But you are a fraud!" he announced, earning him a vicious kick from James. The Prince swept his large legs out from under him and put his blade to creature's throat.

"Calling my wife names will be hazardous for your health," he quipped.

"The Goddess of love cannot have love…" he warned and that struck her.

"You are cursed…" he continued and then he roared in anguish, as James cut off one of his horns.

"Stay with her, Prince James...and you'll die again," he warned.

"She's the love of my life and the only one dying today...is you," James promised. The Horned King roared angrily and charged her. His words had stunned her and she was caught off guard by him, as he managed to get his massive hand around her neck. James growled and jumped up, passing his sword through his neck. The Horned King's body fell to the ground with a thud and he caught his stunned wife in his arm, before she could fall to the ground.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She smiled up at him and kissed him passionately.

"Thanks to you," she replied, as he hugged her tightly. But the expression on her face was clear. The Horned King's words and their possible meaning were not going to fade from her mind any time soon.

~*~

Nora was beyond pissed. Not only had the Major censured her and had her information technicians monitoring her social media posts, she was stuck in some diner called Granny's to watch the fight. Of course, that was another thing that she was pissed about. It seemed that she wasn't going to be the one to get the first scoop. The whole thing was being broadcast to the entire world somehow. It was being streamed on every screen in existence and she wasn't even sure how that was possible. There were no reporters or cameras on the scene that she was aware of. She noticed the diner owners at the counter, with a little girl and a baby. The little girl looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Hey, hey...no tears. Everything's going to be fine," Frankie assured.

"He's right...your great grandparents are two of the most extraordinary people we've ever met. They'll defeat that snake," Joe assured.

"Great grandparents?" Nora interjected. Lucy nodded.

"My great grandparents are Snow White and Prince Charming," she announced. Nora snorted.

"There is no way those two freaks are that old," she refuted. Frankie snorted.

"We got ourselves a normie," he commented.

"Listen up, girl...if you want a real story about two people who have more love than your tiny mind can comprehend, then pay attention," Joe retorted. Nora shot him a glare and then turned back to the battle. She couldn't believe this. When she had begun studying this years ago, just after the fiasco in Seattle, she had been on a mission to expose the evil of these strange people. After all, they were at the center of several calamities, including this one, that had plagued their world. They didn't belong in this world; of that she knew for certain now. And she wasn't alone in her opinion. They were fighting this evil, but this evil wouldn't have existed if not for them. And now her own cousin was embroiled in their chaos. But this wasn't over. She'd find a way around the censuring and lead the protest against their presence in this world.

~*~

Henry and Ella slashed at the serpent minions and the former looked on, seeing his grandparents, mother, aunts, and uncles fighting Seth furiously in the near distance.

"They'll be all right, lad…" Hook assured, though he sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

"Bloody hell...these things are disgusting," he complained, as he wiped blue blood from his hook and lifted his boot from one of the crushed creatures.

"We need to keep these things off them so they can focus on Seth," Rumple said, as he whacked another with his cane, while Belle sliced through another.

"Well...then I'd say it's fireball time," Regina said, as she looked at JJ.

"Use that thing we gave you to mow down as many as you can," Regina said. He nodded, as she poofed a few more fireball rifles for the others, including Robin, as she and Rumple started volleying fireballs at the oncoming minions. The others began firing and decimating their enemies.

~*~

The armies of every Kingdom fought relentlessly, with Arendelle leading them and Elsa's powers made quick work of most of Mephisto's creations. Mulan, Phillip, and Aurora faced Shan Yu and his army of undead Huns.

"In my day...I nearly crushed the truest loves and they had to banish me to save themselves from my wrath. Lord Seth will kill this pair and I will finish what I started by annihilating your people!" Shan Yu claimed, as their blades clashed in a deadlock.

"I don't think so…" Mulan hissed, as she made several impressive moves and the Hun leader was stunned when she disarmed him.

"I will not be defeated by the likes of you, girl!" he roared, as he got to his feet.

"Woman...and you already have been. But I'm not going to be the one to take the final blow," Mulan stated.

"I knew it...you do not have the gumption to finish the job," he said smugly, but those were his last words, as he was snapped up in Red's mighty jaws and his remnants were all that remained, as she tore him apart.

"Ooooh...he's dead now," Leroy commented, as one of the ghouls screeched, as he hacked at it with his pick axe. Mulan smirked.

"Time to drive these zombie Huns back into the depths of Tartarus," she said.

"This should help!" Bobby called, as he slammed a foot into the ground and opened up a crevice with lava beneath it.

"Thanks kid," Happy called, as he kicked one of the defeated minions into the lava pit. Red nudged the boy, as he returned to fighting his way through more minions, with his eventual destination being Seth.

~*~

Snow and David dueled Arthur and Gawain furiously, as the fire demons attempted to burn them both.

"I've been waiting a very long time to get my revenge on the pair of you," Arthur growled.

"Don't tell me you're still pissed about the whole Excalibur thing," David goaded, as he dueled the disgraced King.

"Excalibur was my birthright! You and your wife had no right to wield it!" he shouted.

"Excalibur disagreed since we were able to, but we never wanted your sword or Kingdom. You lost both through your own actions!" Snow refuted.

"When she's right...she's right," David agreed, as they fought them both at a breakneck pace.

"It's time we end them, my King...or perhaps force them to be like us," Gawain suggested. Arthur smirked.

"Wouldn't that be poetic. The pillar of love and justice becoming what they hate most. I like it," the former King said, as a wall of fire shot up around them, cutting them off from everyone else.

"Mom! Dad!" they heard their children calling.

"Summer...we have to get through that fire!" Bobby called, as she summoned her bubbles and his eyes glowed, as he motioned his hands, summoning water from the various bodies of water that surrounded the United Realms.

"Careful kid...you don't want to drown us all," Emma warned.

"He won't if we concentrate the water to this spot," Leo said, as they helped contain the water and directed its flow toward the pillar of fire that was trapping their parents.

Gawain cackled, as they held each other close and the flames inched closer and closer to them.

"So much for the truest loves...but perhaps this is fitting. They shall be killed by the great King Arthur," Gawain boasted.

"In the Land Without Magic...I'm already a legend and I'm about the live up to that," Arthur agreed

"Still chasing glory, but there is no glory in power. Only love," David said.

"Save your speeches about true love, Prince Charming and prepare to die as a failure. Your true love is about to fail your entire family, your friends, and the world…" Arthur said.

"Okay...I think I'm ready to be done with him and his ego," Snow said. David smirked and they willed the chalice to join together. There was a bright flash and the flames were extinguished, as their children joined around them. The water they were directing at the wall of fire doused the two demons.

"You think a little water is going to defeat us, brats?" Arthur hissed.

"Nah, but true love will," Bobby said, as the two demons unleashed a blast of fire directly at them. But Snow and Charming held the chalice and it released a pulse of pure power. The fire evaporated in the air, stunning them both, as they stared at the pair in disbelief. Arthur looked at his hands and saw them slowly flaking away to ash. He watched in horror, as Gawain turned to dust and the ash floated away. Arthur looked back at them in horror and dissolved into dust as well.

"We can end this…" Snow realized. He looked at her and kissed her forehead.

"And we will," he said," as he motioned in the near distance, where they saw Mephisto attacking Leo and Elsa and they hurried off to help.

~*~

Elsa and Leo fought off the last of Mephisto's creations, while his parents faced Arthur and Gawain. He blasted them with lightning and she iced the rest, as they pushed them into the abyss.

"That's most of them," she said.

"Yeah...now it's just the big guns that remain," he said, as he cried out suddenly, as one of Mephisto's fiery chains wrapped around his forearm. He cried out in agony and fell to his knees, as the demon King pulled him toward him.

"Once I enslave you, young Leo...you'll do my bidding and destroy your whole family for me," Mephisto hissed.

"No!" Elsa cried in fear, as he cackled evilly, but he was hit with an exploding arrow.

"Get your hands off our son!" Snow growled, as she and David closed in. Mephisto chuckled evilly.

"He's mine now, fair one and there's not a thing you can do about it. And once he's enslaved to me, I'll make him peel the skin from your bones and torture your husband for the mockery he made of me!" Mephisto warned, but his cackle was cut short, as David swiped the chalice sword through his arm, releasing their son from his bonds.

"Elsa...now!" Snow called, as the Queen of Arendelle blasted him and froze him solid. With that, Fandral shoved him into the abyss.

"Good riddance," Rose said, as he fell into the pit of magma.

A hush fell over them, as Seth slithered around them in his giant serpent form. Fandral pulled Rose away, while Snow and David joined the chalice together again. Seth morphed into his humanoid form again, though his skin still had a scaly appearance and his eyes bled a sickly yellow.

"Time to die...Charmings…" he hissed, as his coils wrapped around Snow and David. The chalice fell from their grasp, as he squeezed the life out of them.

"Oh hell…" Emma cried, as her magic collided with him, but wasn't making much of a dent. Leo summoned his lightning and Eva summoned the wind, striking him violently. Regina tossed a fireball at his coils and he screeched, loosening his grip slightly on Snow and David. But it was enough and Summer encased her parents in a bubble, as they floated back to her.

"Thanks sweetie," Snow said, as they hugged her and then picked up the chalice again.

"Hitting him with all the magic on your own isn't going to work," Rumple said.

"Then what do you suggest?" Regina asked.

"The boy knows what he needs to do," Rumple replied, as he looked at Bobby. He nodded and stepped forward.

"Oh no...you are not doing this alone," Snow said, as they walked with him. He smiled.

"I know...we're going to do this together,: Bobby said.

"Hey kid...you got an idea?" Emma asked.

"Eye of the storm," he told her. She smiled and looked at her siblings, as they caught on.

"Eye of the storm," they agreed.

"Enough with your cryptic speech...no matter what you do, I shall kill you all. You are no match for my power!" Seth claimed. Summer started to take her place when JJ took her hand.

"Be careful," he said and she blushed, before smiling at him.

"Thanks," she said, as she and her older siblings surrounded the God, while Bobby and her parents approached him.

"Now Summer…" Bobby called, as she put them all in a large bubble encasing all seven of them inside of it with the monster that threatened their very existence.

"What is this?" Seth growled, as he flew up and tried to break through the bubble, but found he was unable to do so. He set his sights on Summer.

"If I cannot break the bubble...then perhaps I'll just break you instead, young one," he threatened.

"Like hell you will," Leo said, as he unleashed his powers, adding an electric layer to the bubble. A pink cyclone swirled up from Eva's glowing hands and added a layer of wind to the bubble. Emma was next, as she added a layer of white fire. Seth growled and moved to attack, but the rumbling beneath his feet stopped him cold and he watched the storm bubble shrink around him, until he was the only one inside it. He growled and his coils broke through briefly, but he screamed in agony, as Snow and David zapped each coil with the power of the chalice, permanently disfiguring him. Bobby used his powers and channeled all the elements, until he condensed the bubble so small that there was finally a huge explosion. The seven of them waited with bated breath for the smoke to clear. When it did, they saw Seth, writhing on the ground, bleeding blue blood from several wounds, and stuck in a hybrid form with his head and torso intact, by his legs in serpent form.

"How...how can this be? I am Seth...I am chaos!" he cried.

"No one can defeat me!" he claimed.

"You know, just because you keep saying that isn't going to make it true," Leo quipped.

"I'm still alive...I've survived all your power!" Seth hissed, as he tried to slither away, but then screeched, as Emma stomped on his tail.

"Oh, I think you're about to be a scorch mark. You guys gonna finally end this or not?" Emma asked her parents. They smiled at her.

"I guess we should have known this would be the key to ending it," he said, as they gripped the chalice between them.

"A curse to end all curses...one last curse broken," she said, as they realized exactly how to end it all and destroy the dark curse forever.

"True love...useless and pathetic. It will not defeat me!" Seth insisted, as he made his final mistake and morphed fully into his giant serpent form. Snow and Charming's lips met and a blinding pulse of rainbow light emitted from them and the chalice glowed in response, releasing a pulse of blinding, pure light magic. The waves of magic swept over the entire land, bringing light to the darkness once more.

The fighting on the battlefield ceased, as all of Seth's minions and Mephisto's creations were paralyzed by the light magic. One by one, each creature or demon alike crumbled to ash. Seth looked around in horror, as the remainder of his army dissolved to dust in the blink of an eye. He screeched one final cry of horror, as he crumbled to dust and was wiped from existence. It was over at last.

"It's over…" Snow uttered. He grinned at her and hugged her tightly, before spinning her around.

"It's over…" he repeated, as their lips met again. Their children gathered around them with hugs and they looked around the barren landscape.

"This place is such a barren eyesore," Snow said. He smiled at her and then at Leo.

"But it doesn't have to stay that way," David replied, as they raised the chalice, obliterating the shield around Nephilim.

"Of course...Nephilim is right next to the reserve," Leo said.

"Yes, and you've needed an expansion for years," Snow replied, as used the chalice to seed the ground, allowing for the barren landscape to give way to green grass. Aphrodite assisted by using her magic to demolish Seth's dreary castle and replaced it with rolling hills. Bobby stomped his foot and created a very large depression in the ground, while Rumple used his magic to dig far enough to allow the depression fill with water, creating a sparkling lake.

"No more ugly, dreary land of the fallen," Eva said, as the animals began to explore their expanded home.

"That was impressive, though most of the world has no idea what they just saw," the Major interjected, as she and her subordinates approached.

"Yeah...suppose it's too late to just put a barrier up and let everyone keep thinking we're stories," David said.

"I held up my end of the deal," she reminded him.

"Don't worry...we'll hold up ours," he assured.

"Good...then can I count on seeing you in Boston tomorrow," she said.

"Whoa...tomorrow? That's a little soon for us," Snow said, as she clutched his arm.

"Yeah...we kind of just saved the world from an evil God tyrant. Don't you think a few days down time is warranted?" Emma questioned. Patricia smirked.

"You're right and I do need time to figure out a way to explain this to my superiors, though they are going to want a meeting with you. I'll see you in three days," she said, as they moved out.

"You can still seal us away," Rumple reminded them.

"She has control of the remnants of Clayton's operation, so she can get back in. She has mermaid scales and his submarine," David said.

"Well, that's perfect. How the hell did that happen?" Regina asked. Snow shook her head.

"We don't know how she did it, but no one has seen Cecily in a very long time, so she's probably in prison or dead," Snow deduced.

"Now that they know what we can do...they'll never leave us alone," Regina warned.

"No...but I can warn them against overstepping. They can't touch the chalice and you two can make it clear that without the chalice, there's no magic out there. We still have control and I think she knows that. I'm interested as to why," Aphrodite interjected.

"Yeah...the Internet is literally blowing up, so we're screwed about staying secret. Not even magic can stop this now," Leo said.

"We have a lot of things to figure out...overwhelmingly so, but I think we also deserve to celebrate our victory," David suggested, as Snow slid her arms around his waist.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," she agreed. The battlefield was no more and all trace of Seth was gone. The armies of the United Realms retreated, but the Charmings and those close to them, made their way to Granny's.

~*~

Deep beneath the Earth's crust, the magma flowed like a river and bubbled violently. There was a disturbance in the flow, as a charred being surfaced, screaming in agony. There was barely anything left of this creature and the only evidence that this being had once been humanoid in appearance was the skeletal hand that grabbed onto a rocky outcropping. The remnants of the being managed to pull what was left of itself from the magma and it slithered painstakingly through the layers of earth, until it finally found its way to the sewers. The skeletal creature couldn't be sure how far he had traveled, but knew that this body he had once occupied was done and he needed a new host. As he pulled his essence through a street drain and to the street level, he looked around, and recognized the city to be none other than New York.

Mephisto smirked. Perfect. He needed a new host, but he always looked for someone with evil in their hearts and there would be plenty to choose from in a city such as this. Then, once he was anew again, he would get his revenge on the Charmings, as well as Fandral and his precious Rose. And they would never see him coming...

~*~

"So...is this what your vision showed you?" Belle asked curiously. They had all invaded Granny's and we were welcomes excitedly by Joe and Frankie, with mounds of food and drink awaiting them.

"It is...though I did not see how it would end. It makes sense that it was true love again though. It truly has given us everything," he said, looking at her fondly. She smiled.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me when I hear you champion love over power," she replied. He smirked.

"It may have taken me three hundred some years, but I have learned," he joked. She smiled and kissed him tenderly, as they enjoyed watching their son eating ice cream with Bobby. He was very excited to have his best friend back.

~*~

"Hey...you're a million miles away," James mentioned, as their children colored across from them and he returned with some hot cocoas.

"Yeah...just thinking," she replied.

"Not about what that psycho said?" he asked and she looked at him pensively.

"How can I not?" she asked.

"I was not created exactly the icky way mythology suggests I was from a certain body part, but I did rise from the sea foam. That's what my name means. I had no childhood or traditional birth," she replied, as he listened to her.

"What if my story is not what I think?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"This is Storybrooke, a place where memories have been taken more times than anyone can count. What if...what if my memories were taken? I mean...why did I never question it before? No one is born a full grown person," she replied.

"Well, if it means anything, I don't care how you came to be. I only care that I got a second chance and found the love of my life in you," he said, making her melt.

"What if he's right though? Eros' biological father was killed…" she lamented. He shook his head.

"No...you are not cursed," he refuted.

"I am the Goddess of love...and I had nothing but heartbreak in love before I found you. What if...what if I am always cursed to lose love?" she asked. He took her hands in his own.

"You are not cursed, my love and I'm not going anywhere," he promised, as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She hugged him tightly and he held her.

"Will Athena help you with these questions? About your past?" he asked.

"She will tell me what I've already heard," she replied.

"Why would she keep the truth from you if there is more to your story?" he asked.

"She wouldn't...unless she was forbidden to tell me," she replied.

"Well...there may be one way we can find out," he suggested and she realized where he was going with that thought.

"Rose Red's library...that would be a very old book," she said.

"True...but it's possible, if you really want the answers," he suggested.

"But know that I don't really care how you came to be. Only that you're here and you're my wife," he added. She smiled and kissed him passionately.

~*~

"What the hell were you thinking? You could have been killed!" Nora complained, as he ate hungrily.

"But I wasn't and it felt good helping in something like that. I mean, helping people is why I became a paramedic and that was literally a battle that probably just saved the world. Since all this is real, I want to do my part," JJ said.

"Yeah right, that's a load of crap and you know it. There's only one reason you did any of this," she complained, as she pointed to the girl at the counter. She had gotten up to get them refills and was currently hugging an older young man that she had identified as her older brother.

"So what if she is? Why do you care?" he asked.

"Uh...hello? Bubble girl is a freak! Her whole family is!" she cried.

"Stop it Nora! They just saved the world and now we know they did the same in Seattle. This is what you wanted all along. You wanted the truth and now that you have it, you're flipping out. What gives?" he asked.

"I wanted the truth out so I could expose them for what they are," she replied.

"And what are they?" he asked.

"JJ...they did all of this to the world. Have you thought for a second that, while they may have saved the world, these people...this place might be the reason for all the evil in the first place?" she asked. But he shook his head.

"They didn't cause any of this, Nora," he refuted.

"Yes...they did. They're not from our world and their presence might be the reason for everything bad," she suggested, as Summer returned and JJ went back to ignoring her.

"Hey…" he said, as she put a tray down.

"I brought some hot cocoas," she said, as she slid a cup toward him.

"Thanks, sounds great," he said, as he watched her sprinkle cinnamon on her whipped cream.

"Cinnamon?" he asked.

"Oh yeah...it's kind of how we drink it in our family," she replied.

"I'll try some," he said, as she slid the cinnamon shaker to him.

"Cocoa?" Summer asked, sliding one to Nora. But she just gave her a look.

"It's September and seventy degrees. I don't want cocoa," she refuted, as she got up and went to the Inn side to her room.

"She really does not like me," Summer said.

"Ignore her...Nora doesn't really like anyone, not even herself sometimes," JJ replied.

"That's sad…" Summer mentioned.

"Yeah...that's Nora. Besides...I like you," he mentioned. She smiled and flushed a little.

"I figured," she murmured.

"Am I that easy to read?" he asked.

"No...well, you probably are for my sister Eva, but it's more that you'd probably have to like me to get involved in something like this. I mean...we just met and you agreed to fight in a crazy battle that just decided the fate of the world," she replied. He smirked and nodded.

"Yeah...you have a point," he agreed.

"No one would have blamed you if you didn't want to get involved," she said.

"I know and I wanted to help, but I have to admit, I did have an ulterior motive," he admitted.

"What was it?" she asked.

"I guess I was afraid if I didn't get involved that I'd probably never see you again," he replied, making her flush again.

"Besides...you kept telling me everything was a long story so I kind of had to stick around to hear the long story," he added, as he sipped at his cocoa. She beamed at him and then pulled a large brown book out of her bag.

"Well then...long story time," she said, as she opened it up and began to tell him that story.

~*~

"We thought you were gone," Ari said, as she and Ben cuddled with their parents and Carina.

"I know, my angels and we are so sorry you all went through that," Rose said, as she stroked Carina's hair.

"We know, mom," their eldest assured her.

"Did Thor save you?" Ben asked. Fandral smiled at his enthusiasm.

"He did and he and his friends helped us get back to you," he confirmed.

"And the bad man is gone too now, right?" Ari asked. They smiled softly.

"Yes...he is gone too, little ones and we are all going home tonight together," Fandral promised, as he and Rose shared a kiss.

~*~

Snow cuddled Hope in her lap, as David sat cuddled with them and doted on the baby with her.

"We have their memories...with her and of the last two years. I'm so grateful for that...they took care of our family for us and I will never forget that," Snow said, as Emma smiled at them.

"They did...and they spoiled Hope rotten, so I'm sure you guys will too," she said.

"Of course...grandpa is going to talk to Uncle Leo and have him see if we can breed a baby Pegasus just for you, my tiny princess," David said.

"Dad...she's not even two. I don't think we need a Pegasus yet," Emma replied.

"Of course she does, don't you tiny angel?" he cooed to her. Emma rolled her eyes playfully and looked to Xander for help.

"Don't look at me. I mean, can you imagine those baby pictures? Hope and a baby Pegasus? I'm going to need some wallets," Xander teased.

"You're a lot of help," she said sarcastically.

"Your father and grandfather are right...we have lost time to make up for and that reminds me, you two never had a real wedding. That was the curse," Snow said to her Leo and Elsa.

"Yeah...I guess it was," Leo said, as he watched the grin spread across his mother's face.

"Please tell me you still want a wedding," Snow pleaded. They smiled back.

"Of course we do...and we can get back to planning it right away," Elsa agreed.

"So...Boston in three days. This should be interesting," Regina mentioned.

"It should be...we hope you two will come with us," David said. Robin smirked.

"I have a feeling it's going to be nothing short of crazy, but we're in," he agreed.

"I think at this point crazy is way understating anything this family is involved with," Leo quipped.

"Definitely," Xander said, as he got a pensive look on his face.

"What is it, Dad?" David asked.

"I guess it's just...this is kind of what Clayton always wanted. He wanted to expose our world and stories to the Land Without Magic. It was his endgame in a way, with the proviso that he had control over it all. And...now it's happened," he lamented.

"Yeah...but it's going to be okay. We're not going to be pushed around by them or allow them to just come in here and take over. They know they couldn't if they wanted to," David said. Xander nodded, hoping his son was right. He still had his fears, but now was not the time to voice them.

Snow smiled and nuzzled her nose against David's and he smiled warmly at her.

"It's a lot to figure out, but we'll be doing it together, as always," he said. Snow smiled.

"Together," she agreed.

"But for now...we have three days to just be," he added, as they shared another tender, passionate kiss. Henry, Ella, and Lucy smiled on, as did the rest of their close family and friends. They had closed one chapter with Seth's defeat, but a whole new one was opening up before them. In many ways, it was a new era that might breed uncertainty, but, as always, they had true love at their defense...

[lilacmoon83]

Finding You Always

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 207: Radioactive

A car pulled up in front of the nice house and the driver, a man, parked it. He looked at the woman in the passenger seat and noticed the pensive look on her face.

"This is it...this is the address," he said to the redhead. She sighed and looked down at the package, which was addressed to Summer and Bobby Nolan.

"You okay?" he asked. She looked at him and nodded, before pecking him on the lips.

"Penny..." he started to say.

"I'm fine, Chase...really. This is the least I can do for them if everything Rumpelstiltskin said is true on the phone," Penny replied.

"I know...but I know how much you never wanted to think about Storybrooke or your past again," he said.

"I don't...I have no desire to go back there or think about it. But it sounds like the whole world might be in danger this time and not just Storybrooke," she replied.

"Besides...the Dark One said we just have to drop this off on the doorstep and we're done," she said, as she got out of the car.

"Besides...I owe Leo one. I'm sure he's happy now, but I broke his heart. The least I can do is help his parents and his younger siblings," she added, as she walked up and put the package on the doorstep. She rang the doorbell and then hurried back to the car. Chase drove further down the block just enough and they watched a girl answer it, before taking the package inside.

"There...it's done," she said, as her husband put the car in gear again and they drove off, having completed their task.

~*~

Mount Olympus shook apart once again, but Mephisto didn't worry, because his Lord kept repairing his damage, only to destroy everything again with his frequent tantrums.

"My Lord...I promise the Charmings will pay. We will find them and my charges will kill their good halves, thus eliminating their darker ones. Without the truest loves leading the battle...the rest of them don't stand a chance," Mephisto claimed, but Seth glowered at him murderously.

"You really expect me to entrust the task of killing Snow and Charming to those bumbling fools?!" he shouted.

"My Lord…" Mephisto started to say, but then cried out in agony, as Seth used his mind meld to bring him to his knees.

"You will not speak again!" he growled.

"You will go to Boston now...and you will kill them yourself and bring the boy to me. If you fail me...then I will destroy you, but not before you are writhing in agony and begging me to end your worthless existence!" Seth ordered.

"Y..yes, My Lord. I will go at once and I promise you that I will make them suffer. I will make Prince Charming watch me and Jekyll torture his beloved Snow and those precious little ones, before I burn them all alive…" Mephisto promised, as he disappeared in a puff of crimson smoke. Seth continued to seethe and storm around his palace.

"And if you don't...I promise you, Charmings...I'll kill you all and you will suffer…" he hissed.

~*~

"This is nuts...I can't believe this is happening!" Leo exclaimed, as they were all gathered around the television in the common area. Bald Mountain was a sustainable living space for now, but they all missed their homes. However, the United Realms being conquered by Seth was only part of their problem now.

"That damn psychotic doctor...he caused all this," Charming growled, as Winter put her hands on his arm and he clenched his fists.

"I'm going to kill him...I'm going to grind his bones to powder," he ranted.

"Killing him might not be so easy...he is a demon now," Rumple reminded.

"Leo...please, it's going to be okay," Elsa pleaded.

"How? The whole world is about to know about us! How does this not end with us in a lab somewhere so they can study our powers?" he asked frantically.

"We are never going to let that happen, sweetheart," Winter promised.

"She's right...and Emma won't fail us. She'll bring them home," Charming added.

"Uh Daddy…" Eva called, as she pointed at the television.

"Is that…" Regina uttered.

"Mephisto...looks like Seth didn't trust Tweedledee and Tweedledum to get the job done," the Evil Queen said.

"Mephisto in the Land Without Magic...this is really bad. Who knows how many more demons he's going to make!" Alice fretted.

"Which means he could return here with an army. It's time to prepare for it...because the war is coming to us," Charming said in a grave tone.

~*~

JJ spied a glance at the girl in his front seat out of the corner of his eye and took a breath, as she told him to turn left.

"So...those guys back there?" he asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she replied.

"I think we're a little past that. We just saw two guys turn into walking flamethrowers. At a conspiracy convention, no less. My cousin already dragged me reluctantly down this rabbit hole and turns out she might be right," JJ said, as he looked back at her. She glared at him sourly through her glasses.

"For someone who just got proved right...you look pretty pissed," he mentioned.

"I knew I was right before all of this. I never said I wanted dragged into the insanity," Nora argued. He looked at her strangely.

"Then what exactly did you want? You've spent every waking moment dissecting all the events in Seattle from seven-years-ago. Now we're obviously in the middle of it and people need help, but you suddenly want nothing to do with it?" he asked.

"Some people get involved in trying to figure out what happened in Seattle, but they're not interested in helping us. They want to expose us and they fear us," Summer replied. Nora glared at her too.

"You don't know anything about me," she snapped.

"You're right, I don't...and I don't expect you to want anything to do with this. It's dangerous and the things you would see would be hard for anyone to grasp, so I get it. If you both want out...then I understand completely," she said, as she looked at him.

"The school isn't far. I can make it from here," she told him. He kept driving though and thought for a moment.

"JJ...you heard her. Let the freak out!" Nora snapped.

"Shut up Nora," he snapped, as he saw the school in the distance and sped up.

"You said people are in trouble?" he asked. She nodded.

"Those guys back there...are they it or is there more?" he asked again.

"So much more...they're just the tip of what we're facing," she replied. He took a deep breath.

"I'm...I'm a paramedic and if there are going to be people in danger or that need help, I can't turn away from that," he replied. She looked at him in surprise.

"Seriously?" she asked. He smiled.

"I'm JJ. JJ Bradley and that's Nora back there," he replied. She smiled.

"Summer Nolan," she said. He side eyed her.

"Nolan? That sounds pretty normal for someone that's being chased by two walking firestorms," he replied. She sighed.

"Okay...my name is Summer Nolan Charming," she corrected.

"Charming?" he asked and then smirked.

"There's a story there," he said. She snorted.

"You have no idea," she replied.

"Maybe you'll tell me," he suggested, as they arrived at the school and saw that people were running out of it. Summer felt the ground shake beneath them, as they got out of the car and realized what was happening, though she didn't know how it was possible.

"Bobby…" she whispered, as she saw cops swarming around the building.

"I need to get in that building," she said. He nodded and opened his trunk, before taking out his bag.

"Maybe I can get us in. I am a paramedic," he said, as they started toward the building.

"JJ...what the hell are you doing? You can't go in there!" Nora pleaded.

"She might be right...this will be dangerous," she warned. He paused for a moment and then shook his head, as the shaking beneath them intensified.

"Nah...I'm in. let's go," he said, as they hurried toward the building.

"God damn it…" Nora cursed, as she followed them. If she was going to be a free lance journalist like she wanted to, then she knew exposing this could be the key to launching a lucrative career, so she hurried after them.

"Whoa...whoa...stop! No one goes in the building," one of the cops said, as he stopped them.

"But I'm a paramedic," JJ protested.

"And my brother is in there...he's in trouble," Summer added.

"There's already paramedics in the building. No one passes," he refuted. She sighed. She knew that Bobby wouldn't be willingly using his powers so destructively like this, which meant he was in trouble and her parents didn't have their memories back yet, so they couldn't help him the way he needed them to. That had to be it. Bobby was in some kind of trouble, because there was only one other instance where her brother had ever used his earthquake powers and that was before he knew what he was doing.

~*~

Flashback

One Year After the Final Battle

The timer went off on the kitchen counter, as Summer sat on a stool in the kitchen. Mommy was working, but on her way home and Daddy had taken the day off to stay home with her and Bobby. Since the bad people were gone now, Daddy was still Sheriff, but was able to take more time off lately, which Summer really liked.

"Okay peanut...let's see how those cookies did," he said, as he took the tray out with an oven mitt.

"I can't wait to have one!" she said excitedly, as they heard the door open.

"Wow...it smells wonderful in here," Snow called.

"Mommy!" Summer called, as she hopped down and ran to her mother at the door.

"Hi Sweetie," she greeted, as she walked with her to the kitchen and greeted her husband with a kiss.

"Hello to you too…" he purred and she smiled fondly at him. Suddenly, they felt a little tremor beneath their feet.

"What was that?" Snow wondered. There was an answer to that when they heard their son giggling on the baby monitor.

"I'm sure it was nothing. Sounds like someone is up from his nap though," he mentioned.

"I'll get him and then we can all have a snack," she said, as she went upstairs, but a few moments later, they felt the house start to tremble.

"Charming...you need to get up here!" Snow called. Thinking something was terribly wrong, he swept Summer into his arms and hurried up the stairs. But what he found in their son's room was not what he expected. Toys were floating all around the room and their precocious toddler was entertaining himself by jumping on his bed. Except every time his feet touched the bed, the floor beneath them shook.

"Is he…" David said in awe.

"He's causing the quaking," Snow replied.

"Baby...can you put the toys in bubbles for Mommy?" Snow asked so she wouldn't get pelted with them. Summer nodded and Bobby squealed in delight, as his sister put his toys in her bubbles. Snow went to him and lifted him into her arms.

"Hi Mommy! I made booms!" he cackled with glee. She looked at her husband and he shook his head in exasperation.

"Emma is going to give us so much crap for this," he muttered. Snow snorted.

"You think Emma will have jokes…" she warned. He smirked and picked Summer up again.

"Come on peanut...looks like we're going to visit your Nana Gina and Mr. Gold," he said.

~*~

"Damn…" JJ cursed.

"Do you trust me?" Summer asked, as she felt the magic in the air and that made sense since half the chalice was hidden between her parents in their wedding rings.

"That's a hard no," Nora said derisively.

"I do...especially if someone you love really needs help," he replied. She smiled at him and Nora rolled her eyes. Summer took a deep breath, knowing that what she was about to do would probably result in full exposure to the world. But it didn't matter now, because the fate of her family depended on getting into that building. She exhaled and willed a bubble around them.

"Whoa…" he said in amazement, as his eyes went wide with wonder. He reached out and hesitated to touch it though.

"It's okay...it won't hurt you. It's just a barrier and they can't break through it," she said, as they walked past the cop.

"Stop…" he ordered, as he drew his gun.

"Even bullets?" he asked with hesitation.

"Yep," she answered, as they continued on. The cops came after them and Summer trapped them in bubbles as well to keep them from interfering. Nora looked on in surprise and had recorded the whole thing on her phone, before hurrying after them.

~*~

Bobby convulsed and shuddered, as the drug attacked his body and the magic in his blood started to fight it, while manifesting tiny earthquakes that were already wrecking havoc around him. And it was only getting worse, as the warring intensified inside him. As he lay there with his parents crying over him, his real memories played in his mind like a movie. The drug had seemingly activated the dormant magic in his blood and it was all coming back to him in a rush. There was a blinding flash before his eyes and he suddenly found himself in a temple. He had been to Aphrodite's temple on Mt. Olympus a few times, but that wasn't what this place was at all. It looked similar and he had the nagging feeling that he had been there before.

Suddenly, he felt a rumbling beneath him and cried out, as thorny vines burst up through the ground and began to surround him. But his eyes glowed red with fire and he blasted his way free. The vines gave chase and his eyes changed to dark green, as he created a fissure in the ground to swallow those vines. Unfortunately, one snapped him up from behind and captured him in its coils. His eyes changed to cerulean and there was a terrible shrieking from the living vines, as he electrified them and he was dropped back to the ground. The vines around him then burst into flames and his eyes changed to lavender, as he released beams of bubbles that became water upon contact with the flames and extinguished them.

"Impressive…" a voice said, as Bobby turned and launched a fireball at the source. The man chuckled and knocked it away effortlessly, as he stood next to a woman.

"Who are you?" he demanded to know.

"Easy young one...we're here to help," she said.

"She's Artemis and I'm Apollo," he revealed.

"Yes...and it seems you're getting a handle on channeling the elements," she added.

"Why...why do I feel like I've been here before?" he asked. They smiled.

"Because you were...but you were just a baby at the time," Apollo revealed.

"The story my mom tells...about when she was under a sleeping curse for the second time to escape Jekyll," he realized. They nodded.

"But that never made any sense to me...I was a baby," he argued.

"A very special baby born of the truest love to ever exist," Apollo corrected.

"Even as a baby...you projected a need to protect your mother and instead of her being sent to the horrifying red room, the dormant powers you were born with manifested this place for her to wait instead," Artemis explained. His eyes widened.

"I...I created this?" he asked. They nodded.

"As a baby?" he questioned again and they chuckled.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Apollo said.

"Uh...sure. But why am I here now?" he asked.

"Your magical blood is fighting Dr. Jekyll's flawed serum," Artemis explained.

"Yes...without his memories, he is just as dangerous, but even more so in a way, because he is trying to get rid of Hyde, but with missing ingredients in his serum," Apollo explained.

"So that's why people keep dying from it," he realized.

"Yes...but you've stopped him and now the drug has activated your dormant powers. You must accept them and unleash them fully," Artemis said.

"But I don't know how…" he protested.

"You will...you've already saved your mother and given your father enough time to get there. Now they'll save you," Apollo told him, as they showed him what was happening.

"Emma!" he cried.

"Yes...there is a dire situation in the United Realms. Your family is the only hope," Artemis said. He sighed.

"No pressure," he muttered, as he looked at his crying parents. They didn't have their memories yet and had no idea how or why he was setting off storms and earthquakes around him.

"Crap...there's no putting this back in the bottle this time, is there?" he questioned.

"I'm afraid not...the world will soon know, but that's not your fault. Jekyll set this all in motion and without his memories. He will be even more desperate and dangerous when his memories return," Apollo warned. He nodded.

"I'm ready to go back," he said, as he willed it so and disappeared.

"Do you think they'll win?" Artemis asked. Apollo smiled.

"Oh yes...that boy and his family will finally kill Seth. Exactly how...we cannot see, but the Dark One has foreseen it," he declared.

"But will he survive?" Artemis asked. He winced.

"I don't know...the vision did not reveal that. But we must have hope," he replied, as they watched on.

~*~

As Bobby continued to convulse violently, Margaret collapsed against her husband in uncontrollable sobs. Emma saw her baby brother's eyes glowing and the shaking around him intensify. She knelt down and looked at her parents, who had no recognition of her at the moment.

"I can help him...if you trust me," Emma said. They didn't know her right now, but she saw them nod without question.

"All right kid...let's help this process along a little before you shake the city apart," Emma said, as she put her hand to his chest and sent a jolt of her own magic into him. He convulsed a little and then his eyes began to glow in a myriad of rainbow colors.

"What...what's happening?" David asked, as his cursed mind was unable to understand any of this.

"Mom...dad!" Summer called, as she ran into the room and gasped in surprise.

"Emma?!" she exclaimed and the blonde smiled, as her little sister dove into her arms.

"Hey...you're awake…" she said in surprise.

"Because of this…" Summer replied, as she showed her the book. Emma smiled.

"Perfect…" she said, as she turned to the page where her parents were parting ways at the Troll bridge.

"That looks like my ring," Margaret said automatically, as she touched the page. She gasped deeply, as she was struck with the memory on the page.

~*~

"You're right...not my style," Snow commented, as she looked longingly at the ring on her finger and tried to ignore the captivation on his face. She quickly gave it back and tried to banish that longing from her heart. It was impossible...they could never be together.

"Well...goodbye Snow White…" he said wistfully.

"Goodbye Prince Charming," she replied.

"I have a name…" he reminded her.

"Don't care...Charming suits you," she retorted playfully.

"If...you need anything…" he started to say.

"You'll find me?" she asked. He nodded.

"Always," he promised.

"Hmm...I almost believe that," she replied.

~*~

Everything else came rushing back to her at that point and she looked up at her husband.

"Margaret…" he started to say, but she cut him off by kissing him passionately. His eyes widened and when their lips parted, he looked at her in surprise.

"Snow…" he uttered and she smiled.

"Charming…" she said, as they both looked at their daughter.

"Emma…" they cried, as they practically tackled her with hugs, before turning their attention to Bobby, seeing his multicolored glowing eyes.

"Come on baby...you can beat this," Snow said, as her eyes shot to Jekyll, who was being restrained by Angela and Nick.

"And I'm going to kill you," she hissed at the psychotic doctor.

"After we save our son," she said, as she looked at her husband and they saw their rings glowing.

"Don't worry about anyone seeing it...I have a feeling there's no keeping any of this a secret anymore," Emma said. They nodded and leaned down to kiss their son on the forehead. A wave of rainbow colored magic burst forth and washed over the entire city.

"Whoa...what was that?" JJ asked in wonder and Summer smiled.

"True love...another really long story," she answered. She was well aware that Nora was filming it all and though it made her uncomfortable, Emma was right. The truth was going to come out.

The shaking ceased and Bobby's eyes returned to their normal green, as his parents helped him sit up.

"Mom...Dad?" he asked.

"It's okay...you're okay now. We're all okay," David promised.

"Uh...I'm a paramedic though. Maybe I should check him out?" JJ suggested. Summer nodded to them and they nodded as well, as the young man put his bag down and pulled out his stethoscope.

"Honey...where did you get the book?" Snow asked curiously, as she hugged her again.

"It was delivered to the house and that's not all that was with it," Summer replied, as she opened her backpack and her mother peered inside. She gasped and looked at her husband.

"He definitely must be awake if he managed to make sure this got to us after two years," David said, as he looked as well.

"And it means that Seth must be after it," Snow agreed.

"Mom...dad...that's not all," Summer said, but was interrupted by Nora.

"Yeah...we were forced to drive these freaks all the way from Maine to Boston. Then my cousin got all gooey eyed over sweet cheeks here and I'm sure they're following us here," Nora said.

"Stuff it Nora," JJ snapped.

"I'm sorry...who are you?" Emma asked, but the girl didn't get to answer, as they heard screaming.

"It's them...Arthur and Gawain," Summer said.

"What? How is that possible?" Snow asked.

"Mephisto gave them powers," Summer replied.

"And Seth sent them after us," David deduced, as he was about to draw his gun, but realized that wouldn't be effective against them. Their rings glowed and their eyes locked. They had an audience, but they didn't have much choice.

"I don't understand…" JJ said, as he had a perplexed look on his face.

"Is something wrong?" Snow asked fearfully, as she put her arms around her baby boy.

"No...that's just the thing. He seems completely fine. His heart rate is normal, temperature is normal, he seems fine...even though he was just injected with a drug that you said has been killing people," he replied.

"Yeah...the short explanation is probably that the magic in his blood burned the drug off," Emma said.

"Magic? Like you did?" he asked Summer. She nodded.

"The earthquakes...that was Bobby," she revealed. He shook his head.

"Okay he's fine, JJ...now get away from these freaks!" Nora called.

"What the hell is your problem?" Emma snapped at her.

"My problem? You're the same people from Seattle all those years ago, aren't you? You're the reason for those goons and this insanity!" she accused.

"We don't have time for this," David said, as he helped his son to his feet.

"Thanks for your help...I get it if this is where you want to part ways," Summer said. He smiled.

"From the sound of things...there's going to be more people in need. I told you I'm in and honestly, I'd like to see those goons pay. They blew up a diner and then I wasn't able to help any of those people. I'd like to help where I can if you'll have me," he said. She smiled.

"JJ...you can't be serious…" Nora protested.

"Not now Nora," he retorted. They were about to exit when Major Donovan arrived and now that they had broken the hold of the curse, they knew she and Jekyll were now awake.

"You…" David said sternly.

"I'm afraid I can't let any of you leave," she refuted.

"You're not going to stop us...we remember now. You're not the friend you've appeared to be," David replied.

"You're right...this all started with me agreeing to be your handler out here in this world, but even I had no idea that the curse would give us a past together," she said.

"None of that was real," David refuted.

"But the last two years were and I would be lying if I said I didn't grow to care about all you," she admitted.

"Yeah...you're right, the last two years were real and I know that lying for you is akin to breathing," he said. She nodded.

"That's fair...but what I said is true and believe it or not, I never had any interest in whatever Seth wants," she said.

"Then what do you want? Why agree to be our handler?" Snow questioned.

"As you may or may not know, I spent five years before learning everything I could about Clayton's operation and all the realms. Then I was brought to the United Realms with your curse. I have more than enough information and evidence for full disclosure," she informed them.

"Then why haven't you revealed any of it?" David questioned.

"Well...I have been cursed the last two years for one thing. And for another...what people say is right," she replied.

"And what's that?" Snow asked.

"You two...and you children have a way about you. You make friends out of your enemies, sometimes even the ones that hate you. But I never hated you...I just need things from you," Patricia replied.

"Whatever you need doesn't matter if we're locked up somewhere and Seth destroys the world," David reminded her.

"He's right...because he is pure evil. He won't stop at destroying just the United Realms. He'll move on outside those borders," Snow warned.

"Most of the time evil isn't born...it's made. Except in the case of him and Mephisto. They literally were born evil. Seth was born to destroy and Mephisto is a dark demon that exists purely to do evil," Emma told her.

"Not to mention that he can give his powers to other humans that have evil intentions if he chooses. If he gets loose in this land...it could be really bad," David warned.

"You make valid points...but I want in on this and some level of cooperation, because you're right...none of this can go back in its box," Patricia said.

"You know us...you know we'll keep our word, but now is not the time for specifics. We need to get back to Maine...and now," Snow replied. She nodded.

"I can help with that…" she agreed, as they started to hear some screaming outside.

"Crap...speaking of the goon patrol…" Emma said, as they spotted Arthur and Gawain outside the classroom window.

"He's not our only problem…" Snow realized, as she saw Jekyll looking at her with crazed eyes.

"You would be right about that, dearest Snow…" he hissed, as the handcuffs glowed bright orange and melted away.

"Snow? So it is true…" Nora said, as she was filming the whole thing.

"You think you are Snow White," she accused.

"Look Nancy Drew...I'm one step away from frying that camera, so get on board or get the hell out of the way," Emma snapped.

"And she doesn't think she's Snow White...she is," David corrected, as he took his wife's hand.

"Guess there's no more delaying it now," she muttered to him.

"Afraid not...guess everyone is about to know, so we might as well make it a good show," he joked. She smiled and they closed their eyes, willing the power of the chalice to manifest itself. Their rings glowed brightly, as her bow gifted to her by the Lady of the Lake, one whose arrow could not miss its mark, appeared in her hand. His sword appeared in his and though they knew this was only half the power of the chalice, it would be enough to deal with their immediate threat and get them home to face the larger one.

"Oh my God...your parents have magic too?" JJ asked.

"Kind of...it's in a bit of a different way than ours and we have it because of their true love," Summer tried to explain.

"It's another really long story," Bobby added.

"Later...sounds like it will all be out there soon. Get ready you two," Emma said, as Arthur and Gawain melted their way into the classroom, shattering the glass in the windows and creating a gaping hole in the building. National Guard soldiers and cops alike swarmed around the pair, shouting at them to stand down, but they paid them no mind, as Arthur produced a fiery blade in his hand and Gawain did so as well.

"You and your family stole my Kingdom from me...and now I shall finally make you pay," Arthur warned, as he swung his blade, causing them to dodge.

"No...don't!" David called to the guard members and cops alike. But they didn't listen and suffered a grim fate, as four of them were turned to ash when they made contact with the demonic entities. David growled and jumped in to take both of them on, while Emma and Bobby joined him. Snow yelped, as Jekyll grabbed her arm and she kicked him between his legs, allowing her to wrench away from him. He growled and started toward her again, but Summer released a bubble, trapping him inside one.

"You won't confine me forever, young one...and when I get out of here again, you will be coming with me, dearest Snow," he said.

"That's never going to happen...and it's time we finally deal with you permanently," Snow refuted.

"Killing is not your way, my dear. Perhaps your darker half might go through with such a threat...but not you," he goaded.

"Don't be so sure...because when it comes to you, she has the right idea," Snow snapped back.

"Darker half?" JJ asked and Summer looked at him. He rolled his eyes playfully.

"Yeah, yeah...another really long story," he joked.

"Ow...what the hell?" he asked, as it suddenly felt very hot under their feet and that's when literal hell erupted around them. The school exploded in an inferno of flames, throwing them all to the ground and creating mortal danger.

"SNOW!" David called, as he climbed to his feet and helped Emma, who was next to him. He saw his wife stand up with their daughter and the paramedic she had befriended.

"We're okay!" she called, as she coughed. JJ managed to help Nora up, who was freaking out at that point and still filming.

"We need to get everyone out of here!" Emma called to the Major. Patricia nodded, as David helped her up.

"Where's Bobby?" he asked.

"Looking for this, Your Highness?" a voice said, as he whipped around, only to see Mephisto with his son in fiery chains. Bobby struggled against them, but so far couldn't breakthrough.

"BOBBY!" David cried, as he jumped around the flames, trying to get through, but was blown back by a firewall.

"Bobby!" Snow cried, as she found her way to her husband and they held each other in anguish. Mephisto cackled evilly, in a laugh that chilled them to the bone.

"Your son has an appointment with the mighty Seth...one that I assure you he shall not survive," he warned.

"You have little time, Charmings. Turn yourselves over to Lord Seth or the entire United Realms will burn…" Mephisto decreed.

"Mom! Dad!" Bobby cried, as he was taken from them.

"The three of you will come back with me now. It is time to prepare to lay waste to all that is good," he declared.

"No...I'm not going anywhere without getting what I want!" Jekyll raged, but then held his head in agony.

"You work for me, Doctor and you have forgotten that!" Mephisto hissed, he and his three charges disappeared with their son. Snow cried out in fright and David held her, as she collapsed against him.

"We'll find him, Snow...we'll find him," he promised, as he pressed a kiss to her hair and locked eyes with Patricia.

"We have to get back to Maine now," he pleaded.

"My car can get us to the airport and the private jet is waiting," she confirmed.

"Room for two more to help?" JJ asked.

"Really? Cause this is going to get way more insane than it already is," Summer warned. He smiled.

"I told you...people need help and I'm all in. I gotta see this whole thing through now," he said, as they shared a smile.

"JJ...have you lost your mind?" Nora protested.

"This is history in the making. I thought this is what you've been waiting for. I'm going and you can stay behind if you really want to, but I'm going," he told her. Reluctantly and only because she wanted to get a big break into journalism with this, she agreed as well.

"Let's go," they said, as the fire trucks arrived to put out the flames. Patricia led them to her car and they sped away, before any other authorities could try to stop them.

~*~

Fandral gazed out the window of the room Sif had given them for the night at the local Inn. He was brooding again, he knew, but he couldn't help it. He felt that he had failed and failed quite miserably. He had failed to protect his Kingdom from being taken again by Rose's evil uncle, he had failed his children and they now thought their parents to be dead, and ultimately, he had failed his beloved angel; his very reason for breathing.

"You must not keep blaming yourself, my love," Rose admonished, as she put her arms around him and leaned her head against his back.

"I'm afraid I cannot help it, my angel...I almost lost you and I do not know how to live without you," he confessed, as he turned to her. Rose gently caressed his handsome face.

"You are not going to lose me, my sweet warrior. Thor can use the bi-frost to send us home, but seeing what we are going back to may give us an advantage," she reasoned. He sighed and kissed her forehead.

"I know," he agreed, as there was a knock at their door and he answered it.

"Sif…" he said.

"I realize the hour is growing late, but Thor has returned from his visit with Dr. Banner and has returned with something that may help us see what is going on in your realm," she said.

"That's wonderful...let's go," Rose said, as they left the room and hurriedly followed her back to Thor's residence. They both had a gnawing feeling that time was of the absolute essence...