Ch.X-4 ¤ The Nightmare Returns (D)

Once more, the environment around me shifted and twisted. The warped forest of deformed crystals that had been surrounding me a heartbeat ago was then replaced by a more familiar, if still ruined and tainted, city. I could sense I was growing close; very, very close. I could also sense all the death ahead of me; all the pain and destruction. It was all as if winds  carried the last whispers and sorrows of the agonizing, but there was no breeze. Yet the pained pleas grazed me, brushed my ears. There's so much pain ahead.. and it felt invigorating.

I didn't waste time before starting to climb one of the tall, ruined buildings in order to get a vantage point. This had always been an useful way to use my claws for something else than destruction. I simply needed to position myself between two skyscrapers, jump once, create myself a holding point, then kick away and stab into the building on the other side. Repeating the last step I could ascend to the top of anything  at ludicrous speeds.

Once I made it to the roof, I couldn't help but find a strange sensation of familiarity in the broken cityscape before me. I felt as if this was.. normal.. spending time in this place must have gotten to me more than I believed, or perhaps was it not the first time I had come here?  I didn't feel alarmed or bothered by this realization in the slightest. How far gone was I really? How long had things been this way?

Always.

I would never admit it, but that nagging answer in the back of my head scared me slightly. My thoughts continued to wander as I reached into my inventory, taking out once more the metal tube containing my doses of Rose. It had been over a year now since I had lost my closest friends; those who managed to turn me into a decent person from the monster I used to be. Without them at my side.. would I regress to that state again? I couldn't help but feel this was a very real possibility...

Yet, I had new friends now. It wasn't the same, sure, but they were good people too. They helped me in their own ways, too, so it would be wrong of me to forsake them for the sake of ghosts from my past. I took a deep breath as the drug entered my body, my senses sharpening to impossible levels and making my skin feel the every shift and fluctuation of temperature and moisture in this whimsical, unstable realm; the tiny variations of light coming from its gibbous moon.

But I had no time for those thoughts. Even though things seemed fine... Even though my destination was now closely within my reach... I could still not become complacent. Despite everything, I relaxed, feeling the sense of urgency that had been driving me decrease and quiet down. Before long, I knew I was where I needed to be.

It was easy to tell for many reasons. Firstly, the overwhelming aura of death and destruction that radiated from the building. Secondly, the unnatural amount.. nay, -horde- of creatures that guarded it from outside. Thirdly, the trail I had been following ended there. Ideally, I should avoid dealing with the hellspawns below and try to by-pass them; they were too many and it would take too long to dispose of them... but then again perhaps that was my calling here?

Now that I thought of it, I had been on my fool's errand for some time now and the fact that I could not feel misery and regret from the one who wore the skin of my old friend meant that they had been managing to be doing "well" ever since.

She must have surrounded herself with strong people.

It crossed my mind that if she and whoever she had brought along were able to handle themselves, then perhaps, just perhaps, the "divine" purpose to my presence here was to clear this cesspool so that it wouldn't interfere with whatever was going on inside. But then again I wasn't exactly going to put much stock into blind mysticism, ironically enough.

No, I would still by-pass it, and I knew exactly where to aim for. One floor in particular had all its windows blown away in a much more violent manner than the decrepit state of the rest of the building. Even if that wasn't where things were happening right now, it would most likely hold clues, so I opted to head there directly. I took a running start and leaped of the roof of the skyscraper I was currently on, aiming to burst in directly into the suspicious floor, but a strange force blocked my way like a solid barrier and forced me back.. and down.

Down into the horde. Even as I was still high up, my hyper-sensitized sight could make out their every detail already; goat-like daemon spawns with large furry legs and cloven hooves. They varied in sizes and shapes, but all shared that same main description. Some wielded weapons, others not, but it mattered little what they were and how they fought.

The only purpose to their existence right now was to die.

I no longer felt as if I had to hurry anymore; the proximity offering a strange, comforting sensation. I took a deep breath as energy gathered and built up in all my limbs, but mostly in my ebon claws. I was going to enjoy this, for once, like in the good old times...

A thunderous whip-crack resonated as I landed and released the Fel power. Baleful lightning far more massive and potent than the ones I had used on the 2nd's patrol rippled out in wild arcs and shocked everything in my immediate vicinity, clearing the area and filling my nose with the pleasant scent of freshly cooked meat while producing a massive, blinding light. I was getting pretty hungry.

My lips parted and a warm breath escaped them in the instant that followed. And so it began.

The first goat found itself impaled by the throat, its lifeblood flowing down onto my claws for  with an obscene gurgle before being flung back into the fray of its comrades, which lost balance from the momentum. They never had time to recover; fleshmetal danced and rent, cutting down many, but there were many, many more waiting.

In this moment, I felt relaxed. The battle-lust was present of course, but before anything else, I was glad that things seemed to have turned out fine in the end.  I probably jinxed it somehow, of course, but I wanted to allow myself some positive thinking.

fists, hooves and weapons of all kind flew around me, but they felt so slow. I could twist out of the way of the daemonspawns' attacks with contemptuous ease and every strike I sent back mauled the creatures beyond their capacity to keep standing. Even in all their numbers, it was hardly a challenge, but that was a good thing. I had forgotten to cleanse my Soul Gem for a while, so I was fortunate that this would not be too taxing. I did not truly worry about Witching Out, but it was still a thing I felt was simply appropriate to keep a closer eye on than usual.

But of course, it couldn't last. It couldn't have.

A crippling pain surged through my body, but I had not been wounded. It was feedback, feedback from someone nearby and in horrible pain. I flinched for a second, but was still able to bring my suddenly abused muscles around and defend myself. I could feel that something had gone terribly wrong, but I was at a loss as to what, let alone in a position to go check myself.

Mercifully enough, a hint presented itself to me when a massive blast of energy ripped out a part of the wall on one of the upper floors. I could recognize it anywhere; Mami Tomeo's Tiro Finale, but that wasn't everything.

I focused baleful energies and unleashed a barrage of explosive bolts around me to stop the goat-demons charging at me and deter the others for a moment so I could focus up there just a few seconds.  Someone or something was falling down.

I could feel something was off as I focused my gaze onto the falling figure. She felt familiar, very familiar. The presence coming from her was one I recognized and knew well, but the body it wore did not look like the Magical Girl I knew. This body I did not know at all. I was confused. Still, there was at least one clue that would not lie: The weapon she held.

====

"I must admit, I am little surprised."

"About?"

"I expected you to be less.. mannered."

"Well, you know what they say about judging from appearances, but I'll admit I can have a short fuse too."

"Do not presume me foolish enough to do such a thing."

"Well, I digress."

"It's good that you do. Ah, the tea's arrived."

"Thanks."

"I believe you wanted to talk about this?"

"Yes, and the tea is very pleasant by the way."

"Of course, I treat my guests well after all. What was it that you wanted to know? I cannot guarantee I will answer, but I can at least humor you."

"I used to have one like that too you know." a small sigh. "Not a staff, but you know what I mean."

"Oh, did you? That would be fascinating... if it were -true-, which I find hard to believe."

"It's a long story, trust me. I'll tell you all about it in due time. More importantly, there are a few things I need to confirm. If they really are of the same kind being one of them."

"I do not believe I can trust you enough to let you lay a finger on it."

"That's fine, just talking is enough for now. I believe you've had time to consider the other.. offers I made?"

"I have."

"What's your decision?"

"Your terms are acceptable. Do you wish to begin?"

"Sure."

"Very well, I'll inform Erebus."

====

Ahriman.

Yes, I could tell for certain now. There was no way I would mistake her. Another barrage of Warpfire licked at the ground, keeping the goats away from me for a while longer. In hindsight, I should have expected her to be involved in whatever was going on here, but I did not. Why? I can't tell for sure. But before I could do anything or try to contact her, she was engulfed by a golden light and disappeared.

And then something else even worse happened. The presence I could feel this time was commanding enough to instill a primal fear in sane beings. It was also familiar, but in a different, strange and uncanny kind of way that just beckoned my attention. Even the hellspawns around me stopped their assault as they, too, could feel it.

Who are you. What are you. I know you, and yet not...

Yes, I remember now, that day, when I was enlightened...

How are you here now? For what purpose?

...

...

I was snapped out of my stasis by the painful feeling of a giant fist impacting onto my back, but I felt almost nothing and barely flinched. Something strange was happening to my body; something I had never felt before. Everything suddenly felt dull. The thrill of the battle? gone. The urgency from earlier? gone. Even my perception seemed to have numbed slightly.

And yet as it battered down onto me, I felt no pain either. Only a resolve that was not mine. A contempt that was not mine. A goal that was not mine and the image of a pink girl I've never met.

No, that's not right... I've met her before.. haven't I? My memory felt scrambled and hazy.

I felt like I was no longer in control of my body as the battle resumed. My limbs moved with but a faint thought, spells were casted without even making a conscious decision to and the broken streets of this twisted city landscape were set aflame. Yet, I felt like all I could do was watch.

After what felt like an eternity, my vision went black for a few seconds and I returned to normal, feeling dreadfully exhausted. There were no more goat daemons in sight, nothing but charred meat and flowing blood as far as I could see. I would have been proud of that charnel before me if I didn't have the nagging feeling that I wasn't truly the one behind it.

The strange presence that had caused this outburst seemed to be gone from the top floors now. Leaving me more confused than ever. I tried to make my way to the entrance, but staggered and tripped, ending up painfully against a wall. A short grumble later I reached out for my Inventory and snatched a Grief Seed, applying it where it was sorely needed.. then another... and another... and another. Soon enough I had spent my entire stash and I felt only half-empty, but that was good enough to at least get back on my feet. I needed a drink...

and a snack.