Ripe for the Picking (continued from A Monster)

[nintendonut1]

A single black widow scuttled across ancient brick walls and stone, as fast as its long legs could move it. It appeared to have a set destination in mind.

That place was here, in the throne room, coated in silver webbing, shimmering in the green torchlight. The spider climbed one of the pillars, latched onto the ceiling above the throne, and slid down a chord of its own web. It halted right in front of the chair's current occupant's face.

Most other delicate young women would've screamed and squirmed and reacted in other such cowardly fashions upon the spider's entrance. But this one, with her long flowing hair curling around the chair and her crown decked in ruby jewels, much like spider eyes, only smiled. Believe it or not, she had been awaiting its arrival.

"...yes?" She listened to its tiny clicking, grinning to herself, her dark lips glistening. "Ahhh, so he is luring the angel here as we speak? Perfection..."

She dismissed the spider, bringing her long legs up and shifting to the side to loungue further on the chair, quite satisfied with herself.

"Soon... his power shall be mine. I won't find a soul purer than his."

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Finally reaching the castle, Hammy slowly opened the castle doors, shoved Double D in, and pulled them closed, finally putting that giant wooden thing on the door to hold it closed, in case any intruders decided to... intrude.

"My friend's down in the throne room. Just head down there." Hammy explained, and pointed the way towards the throne room.

This had been easier than he expected. Then again, when people are desperate and looking for help, it's easy to convince them of anything. That's how he'd gotten Veðrfölnir and Níðhöggr to start fighting, after all, many millenia ago.
He missed that job.

[Felix Falora]

"You just want his power, but I'm sure you'll remember our deal," a voice said from the shadows. "I want him alive and intact. It was my idea to send Hammy and that got him here ok. Had I went myself, you know he would not have come nor would the others have let him come as they do not trust my presence." Shinichi's eyes glowered from the shadows softly, but he closed them again.

[gantzgun74]

A chuckle echoed from the shadows, "From what you tell me mr. Shinichi, you're already in enough trouble with them."

From the shadows, a silver throne floated through the air via a anti-gravity engine, and sitting atop it was a albino white spider monkey, with spikey hair and a helmet with the right and left sides cut open for the hair to poke out, a pair of red pants, and a flowing red cape. He lounged in his seat, smirking rather smartly. "So... mistress Nida..." He seemed to say the word 'Mistress' as if it was a bad taste in his mouth, "I complete this job, protecting the castle from vermin who get too bold for their own good, and you create my portal home right?" He frowned a little, "I'm holding you to that promise I hope you realize."

[nintendonut1]

"Of course, of course..." the spider queen waved a dismissing hand towards Shinichi and the monkey. Specter was an easy sell-out for assistance once she knew of his motivations. Shinichi was a little more challenging, but that was nothing a few well-placed lies couldn't handle.

In truth, she had only informed the Fallen of some detail. He didn't know the crystalization would begin very, very soon. He didn't know he only had a few precious minutes with the Angel of Light before she would devour his soul. Maybe she'd let him have the empty shell afterwards as added insult to injury. She smiled slightly at the malicious thought.

Shoved in and jumping at the slammed door, Double D was a little unnerved as Hammy locked the door behind them. At the squirrel's insturction, however, he nodded. "A... alright."

No sounds besides the clopping of his sneakers echoed through the dank hallways, green torchlight casting omnious shadows across the walls. But it was not these aparations that were making him shiver. This castle was drenched in dark energy, proving the tales of this place being a beacon for evil energy true. Being one of purity, his senses were overwelmed, like a foul stench of death had wrapped around him. He was becoming increasingly frightened.

But as he watched his disgusting tail flick around behind him, he knew this was what needed to be done. He pressed onward, trying to block out his aura-sensing.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

As Hammy walked, he began to think to himself what Lord Nida would do. Would she suck out his soul like a spider? Steal his powers?
Either way was fine with him; angels reminded Hammy of valkyries, and valkyries reminded him of the old times.

Upon walking into the throne room with Double D, he stood next to the throne room door, and closed it. "Right, then..."

[nintendonut1]

(forgive me if this turns out long)

"Ahh... you've done well, Hammy."

A shiver ran up and down Double D's spine at that voice, smooth as a spider's silky threads. He glanced around, repulsed by the walls caked in webbing, his gaze finally resting on Lord Nida. He didn't noticed the others in the shadows... just her.

And he did not like the smile she was giving him.

"Welcome, Angel of Light," she greeted him, slowly standing from her throne. She was quite tall and elegant, but her long hair continued to snake behind her. "It's an honor to finally meet you."

"...you're... able to help me?" he spoke up, voice soft and shaky.

Slowly, she nodded, her tempting smile not wavering. "In a way, yes."

"...I see." He swallowed, standing straight in attempts to steel his nerves as she walked up to him. "You could start by telling me what's happening if you know for certain. All I've heard are assumptions and stories, nothing concrete."

"Yes, yes... I think it's fair to say you deserve to know what's going on with your body," she chuckled darkly, teasing his chin with a sharp nail as she walked circles around him. She gained another shiver, and he couldn't look up at her.

"This transformation you're going through, it's only natural," she began in mock comfort. "You see, your body is... cleaning itself out, you could say. But of something much deeper than dirt, grime or sickness.

"As a human, no matter how pure your soul, there are loose, smaller evils within you that are inherited within all mortals. They mostly attach on and feed off of fear and insecurities like a parasite, but don't directly affect the host."

Double D considered this, not noticing Nida's hungry gaze as she sized him up. "...I see," he nodded in understanding. "So those small evils are what's causing me to change and look like a..."

"A monster...?" Nida finished, almost mockingly. "Somewhat. You see, becoming an Angel of Light gives you brand new powers, but you're unable to use them in your current state. So your body's taken the initiative and is currently working to purge those evils. As of now, they're being forced up to the surface, hence your macabre appearence."

Double D glanced down at his clawed hands, understanding dawning on him. "I... I see, so that they'll be easier to purge all at once, yes?" He finally glanced up at her. Past their distorted color and shape, his eyes gleamed in hope. "What happens then?"

Nida purposely paused, causing a side glance at Shinchi. Time to reveal it. Oh well, she had no use for him anymore anyway.

"Well, that is when your body briefly crystalizes and removes the evils with the very light locked inside of you," she explained, watching confusion spread across his cute little face.

"...crystalize?"

"Yes. This is the Crystalization process all commoner angels go through... though you are a special case, being the prophosized Angel of Light." She stood in front of him, slowly bending down to his height. "Once the crystal breaks, you'll be your normal self and will have the rest of your light-affinited powers at your disposal."

Double D felt less comforted than he thought he would be. Maybe it was that look she was giving her, like a spider gives a fly that's trapped in her web. She cupped his cheeks with her long, bony fingers in needing, wanting fashion.

"...but if things go well for me, you won't live to use them."

[Firebreath Fishslap]

And at that moment, Hammy moved in front of the door to the throne, and locked them.

"Well, it's been fun, angel boy." Hammy said with mild amusement. He lit two purple flames in his hands. "I wouldn't recommend running. It'll just make it that much worse." He looked over at Shinichi from where he was. "Hey. I thought you were his friend? What are you doing here?"

[gantzgun74]

Specter chuckled as he hovered over to another door, slamming it closed with a simple hand motion. Then with another, he pressed a button on his hovering throne, causing multiple missile launchers to appear from side panels of his throne. In his hand, he now carried a gadget set; turning it on, a light-saber remniscent night stick known as a 'Stun Club' appeared from the handheld machine. His smirk widened, "Looks like you just turned to the wrong person, kid."

He chuckled some more before turning to the shadows at the corner of the room. "Hey there; buddy!" He was yelling to Shinichi, "Why don't you show yourself now? You KNOW he's going to find out sooner or later!"

------------------------

It was a wonder what humans have done with this world since she had last been awake. When she last saw the world, it was simple, quaint, and this so called... 'Modernization' had not yet been invented yet... The world was medieval, Europe was moving in on Asia, and, legends transcended history. How long had she been asleep since she had last been silenced? When she and her brother had been silenced?

hmmmm... So many questions so few answers....

Oh well. At the very least the body she had an oath sworn to was proficient in magic, and with her abilities instilled inside the boy's body, his physical abilities more then exceeded their previous... flaws.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, looking more at the wood. That was the problem with this body, she shared control of it with her host... "We must find my original husk. It is here on this island."

"I picked up a distress signal, in this direction." Came the voice of the boy she shared control with. "What's more... I knew the voice from the psychic connection it gave me... But why HE would call for help is beyond me... It must be something very bad..."

[Don't worry about the two characters shown in the second part of the post, they shall be revealed later, and they are NOT in the castle, their deep in the woods, so they aren't in the action yet.]

[Felix Falora]

Shinichi listened to the turn of events and sent a mental message to his former friends in the apartment. Come to the castle in the woods now. Come to the castle in the woods now! They've taken Edward! They're going to kill him! HURRY!

With that, he drew his sword. "Backstabbing bastards! You'll pay dearly for your treachery!" With that, he held one hand out, pointed at Hammy and Specter, and fire began to charge up within it. "Feel the wrath of my Firestorm attack!" With that, fireballs began to fire out at the two.

(I don't know if this is the right situation or not, but... considering what Lord Nida said last and stuff...)

[nintendonut1]

(Kinda sorta. XDD Well, good, you sent the message out, we just won't start the big battle until everybody gets here. So start ganging up on Shinichi, everyone! )

"Wha... what...!?" Double D replied breathlessly at Nida's words, eyes widening in newfound terror. He glanced back and forth frantically as Hammy and Specter barricaded the doors, then finally at the one who revealed himself.

"Shi...Shinichi?! You're with...AGH!!" With almost impossible swiftness and strength, a swarm of spiders disgustingly rushed up his legs from below. He squealed and squirmed and twisted around until their weight firmly planted his feet to the floor. Scuttling and working their way aroundnhis shivering body, they leaped away once he was glued to the ground with strong, sicky webbing. "GAHH!!"

"Trechery is such an ugly word," Nida chuckled darkly, regarding Shinichi's rage indifferently. "Besides, I gave you want you wanted. The empty shell he leaves behind is as good as yours."

"E...!?" Double D glanced at her sharply. "Empty shell!?! What~AIEEE!!" He tried to recoil when Nida cupped his cheeks again, though roughly pulled him closer to her.

"During and after the Crystalization, your soul will be at its peak in purity," she explained, delighting in the horror in his eyes. "But why wait until after, when you can resist me with your new powers? No, I'm going to DEVOUR you at the very peak of the process, when your still immobilized, and ripe for the picking! Then your power shall be all mine!!"

"N...NO!!" Double D protested, trying to pull away. "N-no, please~!!"

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Hammy blocked the fireballs with his own Doom Fire. The marks on his hands began glowing, and he summoned a large purple fireball.

"I'd say you were the traitor here. Backstabbing your own friend to bring him to Lord Nida! How awful! And wasn't it your idea to send me in the first place?" Hammy chuckled before tossing the fireball at Shinichi.

"I hope you die knowing you led your friend to his death," Hammy said.

[nintendonut1]

Double D stopped his squirming at these words, slowly turning his terrified gaze up to the angel.

"...Shinichi... is this... true...?"

Nida chuckled coldly, quite amusing by the sense of betrayal playing across his face. "There's no sense in protesting, as you're outnumbered and sorely outclassed," she told the Fallen, caressing the shaken lad's cheek. "If I were you, I'd spend these last precious minutes he has left with him. After all, you wanted a chance to be with him, right?"

[Felix Falora]

"You said you'd help him and leave him alive! There was never anything said about FUCKING EATING HIM!" Shinichi's aura began to flare around him as actual flames and his eyes glowed red with fury. "I'll burn you all alive and make you suffer!" The flames began to engulf him and then fired out at Nida in what looked like a beam of sorts.

[nintendonut1]

Unimpressed, Nida lifted her hands, and a spray of webbing tightly formed together to create an effective barrier. The beam hit it dead on, dispersing quickly.

"Y...you idiot!" Double D cried out in frustration, glaring through his frightened tears. "Lucifer did the same exact thing to you LAST time! To ME! Why didn't you LEARN from that!?"

His anger quickly faded to despair, dropping his head in a light sob. "I... I don't want to die again...!"

(FYI, the crystalizing won't start until everybody shows up and he gets a chance to talk to Percy)