#She isn't powerful enough to kick @v@ out of Forever

[factorialsotherfandoms]

*siiiiiigh*

Look I promise today's prompt was going to be cute, I swear to high hell it was. And no, this isn't going to be anything like canon, and yes, I don't care fix is for silly ideas and aus and dreaming.

So anyway today, instead of nosebleed, I'm writing alt prompt: begging. Spoilers for 22/12/23 streams~

TW: temporary major character death, possession, grief, suicidal thinking as a result of said grief, self harm

(Read all the way to the end for a happy ending still)

"Please!" Philza screams. "Please, give him back!"

The others at Spawn look nervously between them. Their weapons are still raised, their tempers sharp, unable to quite process that whatever is controlling Forever will not use his totems.

Philza pays them no Mind, gives no quarter to their words. Ugly sobs tear through his voice, tears dropping onto the moss and cobble that makes up Spawn. He cradles Forever's head in his lap, shields him with his body even as he runs fingers through white hair and begs a miracle from the sky.

Forever - the parasite within Forever - laughs, his whole body shaking as black blood spills from his lips and from the gaping wound in his chest.

"How quaint," the monster laughs. "Even now you still can't accept what's been done."

"Fuck off!" Philza turns down to look at the monster corrupting his dear friend's skin, snarling even as tears continue to pour. "Fuck the fuck off and give me my fucking friend back!"

"Ah but little bird," Forever's chest strains in a cough and corrupted blood splatters over Philza's cheeks. "Can't you see he's already dead?"

Philza leans further down, pulling his hands from white hair to press against the wound. There's only more gasping, cackling laughter as he bows his head and let's a few sobs pass. "No, no..."

"Let him go, Phil," a gentle hand hovers near his shoulder. "He might respawn yet - just let him go."

If Forever wasn't allowed to use a totem, Philza doubts he'll be allowed to respawn; he slaps the hand away and turns his eyes back to the heavens.

"Rose!" He screams. "Rose! Help me! Please!"

She's only promised to aid him and his children, though - Philza knows this, knows that so far across the worlds she must be weak.

"Please," he sobs again, quieter now. "Please, I can't loose him... I can't..."

The tears are no longer sobs, now just silent torrents dripping from his face. The hand comes back, resting on his shoulder as he cradles Forever's possessed, dying form, and rocks himself.

Someone strokes Philza's wings, and he almost - almost relaxes. But then there's hands on Forever- hands trying to pull him away - and he screams again; he throws himself forwards, clawing at whatever would try steal his friend.

The monster in Forever's skin laughs, but laughs as though it can no longer breathe.

"She'll help!" He begs the people around him to understand. "She- She promised... She'll help..."

Because no matter what, if he loses Forever, Philza doesn't think there'll be anything left of himself for Rose to save.

---leave off here for ambigious ending. Continue for things getting worse, and then better---

The laughter beneath Philza's chest ceases, Forever's corrupted body falling still. The form that had been taunting him goes slack, tension against pain falling limp.

Philza is intimately familiar with what that means.

Philza knows death in all its forms.

Philza turns to the heavens, and screams.

It is not the screams of before, not a begging, not a plea, not a blind hope within the world. It is a scream born of anguish, of a splintering mind, of something once great and terrible carved open and laid bare. The abyss yawns before him, the void open and wide. Once he'd skim its surface, dancing and laughing and free - now he seeks only it's embrace, the oblivion which it promises as a final, lonely embrace.

The spectators turn away, or watch, Philza doesn't know - he just screams and screams and screams, helpless to what is happening, helpless against the shattering of an already fractured mind. He thinks he might see Rose's frowning in the grass around his knees - too late, too late, too late, and he would curse them if he had the throat left to form words at all.

But he doesn't, and so he screams.

The darkness fades from Forever's body only now, only too late. It trickles into the earth, corrupting instead the concrete beneath Forever.

The moss beneath the pair of them remains pristine.

Someone tries to pull Philza away - he hears Etoiles say something about an explosion - but he refuses. He refuses, he refuses, you will carve him from Forever or you will not seperate them at all. Bury him in the grave beside his confident, burn him on the pyre with his friend, leave their bodies entangled and deep and dark their remains.

Tubbo and Fit will look after his children - they don't need a broken husk for a father, after all.

He bends all the way down, now, pressing his face to Forever's chest. The blood there is red, red, red - still trickling from his back, but only as gravity pulls it away. Philza pays it no heed as he presses himself as close as he can.

Distantly he is aware of people being shepherded away, of whispers around him - it's a curse, it's a curse that even now his mind notices the movements, the threats, keeps plotting to keep him alive.

He doesn't want to live, not in a world without the sun.

He doesn't want to live, but his chest keeps on heaving anyway.

He doesn't want to live, but suspects he might be forced to anyway; hands peel him from Forever and force him against a solid chest, and this time he is powerless to stop them.

They let him keep Forever in his lap, at least, now cropped blonde hair bloody and draped across his thighs. His own black hair is stroked, and what can he do but continue his sobbing against Fit's chest as the world caves in?

The world remains suspended in time, a frozen mess only beating by Philza's sobs and tears. It drags and it shifts, and he is too far gone to recognise the vines which reach up, entwining around his limbs.

It's only when he hears the waystone that he looks up.

Blue eyes meet brown, and Philza throws himself at Forever.

Even after a respawn fuck only knows where Forever is weak, so weak. They both tumble to the floor, Philza's quick twist putting himself below the only thing saving Forever's head from the grown.

"You bastard!" His throat is too raw to scream, his sobbing back with full force and distorting everything he says. "You fucking dumbass! You- You- You fucking idiot why did you tell me you were okay?!"

"Hi Philza," Forever's words are rote and his smile is confused.

There's footsteps, heavy footsteps, and a potato canon pointed at the pair.

Philza twists again, shoving Forever behind himself, protecting him come what may.

"Sorry, Forever, but just need to check. Clothes off, and we need to see you bleed."

"Fit!" Forever struggles the full laughter or fake scandal, seemingly too weak to do more than lean against Philza's back. "I didn't know you were into that!"

Philza hates the option, he hates it so much, but Fit's right, Fit's absolutely right - they need to know.

"It's okay," Philza keeps his body between his friends, tears still quietly pouring as he cups Forever's cheek again. "I'll help you."

The "and all I needed to do was die" isn't nearly as obnoxious as either of them want it to be.

Gently Philza helps Forever strip. It's cold, and he shivers, and there's ugly burns on one shoulder and and ugly death-scar on his chest, but not a hint of the black infection from before.

The buttons on Forever's clothes are too complicated to easily redress him. Philza slips off his haori, and wraps it gently around him. Tucks the belt in an approximation of tied, and pulls Forever properly into his arms.

"Blood too," Fit says. "I'm sorry, but..."

"No, no, I understand," Forever whispers, even as Philza hisses.

He scrapes his hand through filthy gravel, tearing the skin in an absolute mess; Forever bleeds red, and Philza grabs his hand, already pouring a splash potion on it and picking out the gravel.

He can do this, he can do this, even if it's all he can do.

Behind them, Fit takes photos, a d relaxes.

"I'll let the others know," he promises. "Why don't you two get somewhere warm, eh?"

"I don't-" Forever begins.

"Let me show you somewhere special," Philza says. "I think you'll like it."

Even in the depths of hating himself for things he cannot help, Forever has never been able to say no to that.

The children are asleep in Rose's Garden. Philza won't wake them now, and especially not with Forever in tow. Now yet - reintroductions... they'll get there, they'll get there, just not today.

But the children are in Rose's Garden, and so the nest is free.

It's a little exposed, but the hay is warm and the blankets and pillows and clothes that make it up... And it's so far away from anywhere, so far from anyone who might panic and hurt Forever before there's been time to spread the news.

It's also home.

Philza will have to put Forever back on the bunker's allow lists, but in his heart he knows Forever will always be welcome in his home.

[ria-writes-stories]

Title: Balance

Ship: Nuzi

Genre: Romance, cotton, glass

Description: Those that are opposite will forever attract one another, for balance needs to be restored within one, regardless of their desires and wishes, for otherwise they will be doomed

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

(No one's pov)

Love, what a stupid thing! No one needs love! Not Uzi Doorman for sure. What even would she do with it? She can't make an angsty rebellious teen thing with it! She can't use it to make a magnetically calibrated sick as hell rail gun! And she absolutely doesn't need it for her repressed emotional baggage! Who cares about love? Respect and power is what one should truly crave! Right? Yeah... right.

In case you didn't figure it out by now love is so stupid. Even if you don't get to feel or see it you crave it, you yearn it, you want it so desperately that you would do anything for it, even letting people walk all over you as you trick yourself that it is how love feels like, so that you can feel satisfied. Isn't that what life is all about? Love? But it's just none sense! Life is about so many more things! So then why chase this insignificant little thing? No one knows... especially not Uzi Doorman.

'Daddy! Look at this-' 'Yes that's very nice Uzi but I've got to go check the door's operating system' Uzi has not once been given love, not for as long as she can remember, yet she was made out of it...right? Drones can't have 'mistakes' like humans do so clearly she was there for a reason, yeah well, it showed who actually wanted her and who simply obeyed the request. She uses the phantom of her mom as a way to cope. She made this entire image about her, how bad ass she is and how sure of herself she is and how amazing she is! How she doesn't need anyone and that she takes whatever it is that she wants and she does it effortlessly with her amazing skills! Yeah... nothing but speculations, a way for Uzi to reflect and project onto the only being she thought would ever love her, chasing that same out of the only other person that would be deemed 'normal' to seek it out of, because she didn't want to be a silly dumb girl chasing it after someone who would simply toy with her.

It implies you are respected and cared for. It must be so nice, and what's the first step to love? Give it first of course! Be nice be warm be gentle! That's what N thought at least...it must be right. It has to be, something just told him, and yet he never got it, no matter how hard he tried. Pushed aside and stepped on. Avoided and hated, nothing in this world wanted him. Was he doing something wrong...?

'Hey J! I managed t- oof!' 'Shut it moron bot! You're lucky that the company doesn't allow disassembly drones to disassemble each other under any circumstances otherwise you would have been long gone!' J would snap at him after punching him right in the gut without hesitation, full force.

'Hey V! I heard that tonight's-' 'OH GOD WHO ARE YOU?!' V said throwing the head of a worker away before flying away from him without looking back at all.

Was it something that he once did and that now he doesn't remember after taking so many punches and kicks? Was it something he did that he immediately forgot after falling head first onto the cold harsh floor from the ceiling of tower when he wakes up all startled? Why was it that no one wanted him when he wanted anyone? Maybe he didn't try hard enough. Yeah. Maybe he just had to try harder to gain the respect of his fellow squad members.

Uzi was such a beautiful soul, pure and gentle. Loving and so bright, how could the world push her away into darkness? How dare they touch the light of her soul and force it to start flickering under the harsh coldness of the loneliness like a candle fighting to stay alive when the wind passes by it. She was so perfect. She was amazing and extraordinary. They pushed her in the darkness, so in darkness she resigned and she found beauty in it, because that is how a soul such as wonderful as her does. She saw it all and she chose it all over everything else that light could possibly ever give her. The light was so bothersome...the fame, the eyes on you that never leave you alone.

She saw it, so why would she want it? Why did people associate light with love and joy? Why having so many eyes on you was so good? She couldn't understand. She was in pitch black darkness yet she already felt overwhelmed by the eyes that would glance at her from time to time. She was used to the dark and to it's mesmerizing beauty as the light had a cruel morbid way of stinging you.

She was such a blessed person, placed in a cursed world, what even did she do to deserve such a thing?

N was rotten to the core, no matter what one says. Killing innocent lives without a question further and for what and who? For some 'owners' that he didn't even know anything of. No name, no appearance, no nothing! What did he do it for? How could he be so clueless and cruel? Killing so many that begged for mercy, so many that screamed in horror and that gawked their eyes at him like the terrible beast that he was.

There was a heavy difference between being foolish and being straight up horrible, and N has long crossed it for the negligence that he has proven due to his own selfishness. Killing so many just for the sake of a false glimmer of self worth and joy? Please. He could have found himself all that love that he craved if he would have just stopped and showed kindness to those that didn't deserver their unjust death, and yet he didn't...

One was purity, one was darkness. One was hostile and aggressive, one was docile and gentle. That is why they tell you to never judge a book by it's cover, because what you may find underneath could either surprise you or shock you.

She was beauty in shape and form, taking on a spikey veil so that it may be protected from withering away like a flower in the cold.

He was a wicked selfless demon, taking on a cape made by the sun to blind his helpless victims before striking his final blow of demise and doom.

They balanced each other perfectly. She showed him true courage, and in exchange he learned to use his malice for good.

Love. It must be so wonderful right? Because love implies you are wanted.

He showed her raw strength, and in exchange she learned how to use her wits for the purposes that are deemed immoral by society.

She was the cruelest treated angel, and he was the best treated demon. One taught one joy and comfort, the other brought them protection and kindness. In the end both received what they had been craving so badly. Love.

Of course. Opposites attract. You do not see magnets of the same polarization coming towards each other. Balance is a must within this world otherwise you will be lost into nothingness and gone forever.

The end

[magpiejay1234]

So Episode 132. A fair amount of stuff happens here.

After the recap, Yugo is kicked back, Yuri states Yugo's Duel was good, Yugo boasts about it, Yuri states they are the same, sarcastically says sorry, and states they will be together forever now, and absorbs Yugo. Yusho tried to stop this, but was too late.

Yuri states the other half is nearby, Yuri, and Yuya do the hitotsu routine.

Yusho states they will become one, and revive Z-ARC at this rate.

We return back to Reiji vs. Reira. Reira cries about Reiji's defeat, but Reiji actually activated Action Magic: Miracle. Reira is surprised, Reiji asks why they are surprised, and states their comments about this being Lancers' style back at them.

A brief break here. Action Magic: Miracle is obviously a reference to Yuya, and this is supposed to show Reiji's trust to Yuya, and of course, his belief in the fact that neither Reira, or Ray are actually willing to sacrifice the multiverse just to have a shot at sealing Z-ARC once more. However, as we discussed before, in the previous Duels, Action Magic: Miracle was supposed to showcase Ray's influence within the series. Here, in this Duel, he is fighting against Ray, meaning this isn't a manifestation of Ray's essence, but Yuzu's will to return to life as an individual, surpassing Ray's influence, in addition to the bond among the Lancers.

Ray, of course, clearly didn't get this, but yes, as we find out later, the love between Yuya, and Yuzu (though really Yuzu's side of the equation is really the focus), which aren't even the hetero couple in YGO with the closest bond, is stronger than both God (Ray), and the Satan (Z-ARC), who, mind you, are also strongly connected to each other in this context.

This is what happens when you are part English I guess.

Reiji admits he underestimated Reira, but they have now changed before his eyes. Reiji states he is fine with Reira carrying out Ray's will, but will stop Leo regardless, thus, since Reira believes they need to Leo to succeed, Reiji cannot allow this, and now they can't really do anything.

Reiji Summons Tomb Conquistador from the Pendulum Scale. Reira states even though it is Level 10, they cannot beat them, because they have the same ATK, but by sending Eternal Darkness to the GY, Tomb Conquistador gains enough ATK to defeat Reira.

This Duel largely exists to showcase Eternal Darkness, and Darius, since rest of the cards here are not yet printed, but Tomb Conquistador, based off Herman Cortes, is supposed to be Reiji's Tribute Summon Monster, symbolically representing the Standard Dimension's will. Reira's defeat also showcases Ray, at this point of the story anyway, is just one of the obstacles who is unwilling to let go of the past, tying with the generational conflict theme of ARC-V. She is not fully egaofied.

After the Duel, Yusho is knocked by Yuri using Z-ARC's power. Yuri states he is also now Yugo, Yusho explains what happened, then states if they defeat Yuri, and stop them from fusing, Z-ARC will not revive. Yuri, appearing right in front of Yusho, states he has no time for him, and knocks him back with Z-ARC's power.

Reiji screams, Yuya says dad, and Yuri notices. Reiji tries to stop Yuri, but Yuri knocks him back.

Yuri asks what he meant by father, and if he has parents. Yusho states yes. Yuri states this explains why Yusho is stubborn, but this won't stop him. He states Yuya wants to become one with him, Yuya tries to do the hitotsu routine, but can't manage it. Yuri states even though his father doesn't approve, he is all in Yuya's mind.

This is an obvious sex joke.

Yusho states he is not just fighting for Yuya, he has another reason. Yusho states since Yuri is here, Asuka has lost, and he carded many of his students. Yuri asks what Yusho will do about it, Yusho states it is his duty to avenge them, Yuri states they were carded because they were weak, and it is not his responsibility. He states Yusho won't be more than an annoyance, but he will accept his challenge, so he can card a father in front of his son.

Leo states now that Yugo is absorbed by Yuri, they need to move on to the next one. The operator states the plan was to absorb Ruri at %70, but Leo states Ray must be brought back as soon as possible, obviously, to defeat Z-ARC. Ruri is absorbed improperly, and quickly.

We cut to Yuya (who presumably felt Ruri's absorbption), who screams father, Reiji asks if Yuya, and Z-ARC are fighting. Reira states Ray is telling them Z-ARC's revival is soon.

Yusho starts his routine, Yuri tries to gloat, and states Yusho has the option of being carded now, or after the Duel. Yusho prefers the second option.

Yuri starts the Duel, states defeating Asuka with the Honor Student (Ancient Gear) was fun, but he will use his own Deck. Yuya screams, Yuri states he cannot wait to become one with him.

Another sex joke.

Yusho starts his turn. By Tributing Revue Dancer, he Summons Sky Magician, Yuya, and Reiji note this. Yuri asks if Yusho is using a Spellcaster Deck, Yusho states it is an Entertainment Deck.

Entame routine begins. Yusho states he will reveal Yuri's trump card. Yuri notes Magician's Right Hand destroys Spell Cards, but asks what happens if both of his Set cards are Traps. Yusho states, he loses, and he lets Yuri to card him without resistance.

As you might have figured out, the deal is the same as the brief Duel with Dennis, Yusho already knows Yuri's ideology through him. Yuri doesn't get this.

Yuri asks Yusho to reveal his trump card, Yusho states he will use Sky Magician's effect first, then attacks, forcing Yuri to activate his set Trap Dark Seed Planter, to make Sky Magician DARK. Reira is agitated, Reiji tries to say Sky Magician, Yusho's ace monster, will never fall into darkness, but Yuya completes him.

With Sky Magician's second effect, Yusho uses Magician's Left Hand to get rid of Dark Seed Planter. Everybody except Yuri egaos.

Sky Magician battles once more. Yuri protects himself, and asks doesn't this mean Yusho failed. Yusho makes a sarcastic reply. Yuri then gloats he immediately went to protect his Ace Monster, and is thus predictable, but Yusho explains his tactic. Yusho states he will reveal Yuri's trump card in one try, and thus needed to remove one of his Set Traps. Yuri realizes he has been baited.

Yuri being baited here parallels Leo's baiting of Reiji in the few episodes back.

Yusho activates Clairvoyance, an allusion to various DM era cards, to guess Yuri's card. Yuri reminds him if he fails, he loses.

Yusho, before explaining Yuri's trump card, does the routine, to explain how he found out Yuri's trump card. Because Yuri didn't react, he needed to found out the Trap first, once he did, he figured Yuri was trying to convert Sky Magician into a Fusion Material, and his trump card wouldn't have been affected by Right Hand. The only well-known Fusion card that cannot be affected by card effects is...Super Polymerization, used against both of Yusho's students, Asuka, and Kaito.

With the correct guess, everyone except Yuri egaos.

Next episode is the continuation of the Duel.

That's the episode, here's the meta.

Reira, and Ray being defeated by Reiji was largely unrelated to actual plot of the show, but hugely relevant to the themes of the show, and the finale Z-ARC Duel, as it sets up Reira, and Ray's roles in that Duel (and Ray learning to trust the Lancers through both Reira, and Reiji), but also Yuzu's.

Small bit of Yuzu's, and Standard Dimension's collective will being implied to be stronger than both Reira, and Ray's wills is not that surprising, since En Flowers is the manifestation of the plant life's will to survive in all environments, but as we discussed before, En Flowers negate all Effect Monsters, that includes Links. Also, this is YGO, the past incarnations always eventually lose to their successors.

For the main event itself, Yuri vs. Yusho is supposed to parallel Leo vs. Reiji and Yuya, so you know Yusho is eventually going to lose, which Yusho probably expects. The point is of course not to win, but make Yuri egao to make him regain his true sense of self he lost ages ago. Since this Duel almost entirely parallels Dennis's short Duel with Yusho, Yusho knows the only way to make Yuri turn around is to destroy his false ego, and rebuild it from ground up. So, if he cannot defeat him, he must make a fool of him, in a way that ensures he laughs at himself.

This episode heightens Yuri's gay villain coding, likely as a meta joke on Shin Yoshida's antagonists, but of course, Yuri is in the designated comphet ship with Serena. Don't ask Reiji, or Shun how this works, since Ray clearly doesn't get Reiji's deal with Serena either.

Tomb Conquistador's attack name is The End of Empire, alluding Leo's title as the Emperor of the Fusion Dimension, but also Herman Cortes's conquest of Aztec Empire.

Dark Seed Plant is an allusion to Dark Seeds from Digimon Adventure 02, tying with the Tamers references from S1, though the artwork is based off Virus cards, since the card is likely meant to combo with them.

[thelucyverse]

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

I end up in the middle of an informal Order meeting- just a dinner, I suppose, but it looks like a meeting to me as I have only seen these people at Order meetings in the past years.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius asks, in a mixture of confusion, anger (at the world in general and because he can't visit his best friend all the time, being his secret keeper) and happiness (because I was a distraction from anger and frustration?).

"I- something happened. V- /the Dark Lord/," I catch myself, being around them almost made me forget the danger of that name, "he had some of his followers under a kind of mind control- I broke it, and there was chaos, and a few death eaters died- you can put Malfoy and Greyback on that list, one of the Carrows too I think, and Nott and Avery were in pretty bad shape last I've seen- and-" "Malfoy him or Malfoy her?" Sirius asks. I want to raise an eyebrow, say 'I didn't know you cared', but then I catch the way he is looking in the direction of the kitchen. Oh. Andromeda. I hadn't realised she was around. "Just him" I quickly explain. "Actually, that's another thing- I didn't exactly come here alone..."

There is definitely a lot of shouting involved, and I am just about ready to run outside, grab Bella and get away from here, when Andromeda stomps out of the kitchen and past everyone to open the door. Suddenly, it's very silent in the living room.

"Narcissa." Andromeda says, her voice cold but her resolve to stay that way definitely wavering. "And- Bella, you too? Regulus??"

"What?!" Sirius pushes her out of the way to see his younger brother. "Reg?! What the fuck?! Wait, you were under mind control??"

"Uh, no, actually" Regulus winces, scratches his head, taking an involuntary step back. "Really just didn't know how to get out, at this point... Did try to do some shit, but someone had gotten there before me, and then I kinda didn't have the energy to try again..." Sirius groans and shakes his head at him. "Fucking Slytherins..." "He took down Carrow" Bella interrupts. There's definitely some pride for her cousin in her voice. "You what?"

Interrupting before this gets more chaotic than necessary, I explain: "Actually, out of the three, only Bella was under the mind control. There were others, I have a few suspicions but nothing confirmed. Narcissa was magically bound to her husband in some way, but- well, he's dead now." no need going into the fact that I broke the connection beforehand. People know of your power- people want you to use it. Bad enough I can't pretend like I didn't do the rest- but, if I play it right, maybe it'll just look like it was another Dark Mark related thing instead of soul magic. As long as Bella and Narcissa play along... I curse myself for talking so openly earlier. Heat of the moment...

"And- what? We're supposed to believe that they are just immediately reformed?" Andromeda snaps, pulling me from my thoughts. "In case you have forgotten all about it, my dear sisters never stood up for me when I was cast out, and I'm fairly certain they weren't under any mind control then!" I pinch my neck. "Andromeda" I say, holding up a hand to silence her as well as her sisters. "They would have just been cast out too if they had tried to help you, what did you expect? They're Slytherins, some healthy egoism is in their blood! And-" I take a deep breath- "yes, they grew up around blood supremacy ideology and probably never questioned it much, but tell me- if you hadn't fallen in love with Ted, if you hadn't had any /reason/ to question it yourself, would you have acted any different than them?" Andromeda is silent, and I sigh. "Yes, they aren't perfect people, but they are ready to act against the Dark Lord, and isn't that all we need to know right now? You don't need to get on, but we can't afford to be picky with our allies at the moment."

Andromeda nods, stares at her sisters for a long moment and turns around to disappear in the house. In that moment, however, Regulus cries out and lands on his knees, hand pressing against his arm. I curse. "Fuck!" I should have thought of that, I should have /anticipated/ that and done something about it! Of course, the second maze of dark marks hadn't been broken, and Regulus hadn't been part of the first...

Bending down to get a better look at it, I am appalled: this isn't just a second round of the same thing, but a new, terrifying curse instead. This isn't just meant to curse pain and summon people, this is-

Breaking away from the magic with a gasp, I sit back and disarm him, then grasp Regulus' face, force him to look into my eyes. "The Dark Lord can control you through that" I hiss. "And it isn't- it isn't like the others, and I don't have /time/, he's going to act, he might try to take over your body- the only way to get rid of it I can think of is to get rid of the arm. Regulus?" He stares at me, shell-shocked and still obviously in pain. Then he presses out: "Do it."

I turn around to the others, looking for help. "Does anyone- he'll need medical attention at least-" "I'm getting Pomfrey!" Dädalus Diggle squeaks out and disapparates. I wince. Pomfrey means Dumbledore. Well, best get it all over with. I turn around to Regulus- only to find him staring back with unseeing eyes. Fuck. He turns on the spot, trying to apparate- and falls on his face. Thank Fuck has I thought to disarm him. It's easy to tie him up now, and he doesn't seem to be properly possessed by anything that could talk- Voldemort probably just sent out a generic 'come home' signal.

"What's happening to him?" Sirius shouts behind us, alarmed. "The fuck did she just say was happening" Bella hisses at him, and I smile at her protectiveness of me. Whatever else happens, I think we can figure out the thing between us.

The /cracks/ of apparition around us alert us of the arrival of newcomers, and we all immediately raise our wands in defence- it's Dumbledore, Mad-Eye, McGonnagall and Pomfrey (do they hang out for tea together, or what?), but I don't lower my defence immediately. "How many stories does the house behind us have?" I hiss. "Two" Dumbledore answers calmly. "It is really just us. Now, what is going on her?" "Constant vigilance!" Mad-Eye booms "She has it right! All of you, lowering your wands like little-" "Alastor!" McGonnagall interrupts him indignantly. In that moment, Dädalus arrives, carrying an assortment of medical equipment and potions bottles. Pomfrey steps forward to take some of them of him. "I was told there would be a patient?"

"Not yet" I say, nodding to Regulus. "But could we maybe move inside first?" that leads to another discussion ultimately abandoned for the moment when Regulus starts to twitch and I can see the curse slowly flickering past his elbow...

Mad-Eye is the one to do the actual amputating, and while I don't understand that choice, I believe in Pomfrey's judgement, and I'm glad it doesn't have to be me. Somehow, blood and open wounds in a medical environment are just more bile-inducing than in battle. Plus, it means I can be there for Bella when the continues discussion amongst the people not involved in the amputating turns back to what to do and where to go. We can't exactly keep standing just outside of the Fidelius property forever.

"Oh, for god's sake!" I finally hiss- for a moment then, I am afraid because I used a muggle idiom, but then I remember where I am. I turn to Dumbledore. "Let's use your pensive. You can tell when a memory has been tampered with, can't you? Let's go." Mad-Eye comes with us, and the five of us apparate to the Hogwarts gates. It is the first time I actually see the castle. It is, somehow, both more and less impressive than expected. Narcissa is the first Dumbledore asks for her memories. They are a jumbled mess of colours and shock and /fear/, neatly highlighting the scene where she /has/ to check on Lucius when he is unconscious, not revealing much about my actions apart from the fact that I used an imperius on Malfoy. Dumbledore raises an eyebrow at that, but he doesn't comment, and Mad-Eye just snorts: "Had it commin'!" Bellatrix' memory is first even more jumbled than Narcissa's, darkness of hatred clouding thoughts and judgement, only to go over in sharp, clear pain when her soul is healing herself. She doesn't show the scene of me telling them about soul-magic, either. Then I show my recap- how Bellatrix first changed after going to a meeting with Voldemort, how others had similar changes or behaviors, how Bellatrix collapsed under some outside influence- then back to how Narcissa never seemed to like her husband, how I cut the connection to him, and finally how, through Lucius' eyes under the imperius, I broke the connect of the Dark Mark to Voldemort. Dumbledore and Mad-Eye seem to buy that as the full story. After each taking a magicians' oath not to knowingly and actively aid Voldemort in any way (I demanded the phrasing instead of a vow not to act against the Order. That had too much room for complications), they were given the Secret of Tine Cottage, and we went back to Headquarters.

Just as Regulus is sitting down on the chair next to sirius, one cursed arm lighter and a grim expression on his face, Snape stumbles in- and it is that stumbling that saved him, because instantly, Mad-Eye, McGonnagal and I all have our wands pointed at him. The others would have probably just kept them pointing in threat, but I immediately disarm and stun him. "What-" squeaks Dädalus. I shake my head, walk over, kick away his wand and cast a diagnostic. I shiver. I might not like the man that much, but he doesn't deserve this. "It's the same as Regulus" I say slowly. "Only I don't think it's on his arm... The tattoo on his arm is empty, it must have been one of the ones I destroyed... This one is on his chest, over his heart." McGonnagal gasps in shock. I had heard that she and Snape are something like friends, now, or at least good colleagues, despite her having been his teacher not too long ago. I feel sorry for her.

"What can we do?" Regulus asks, staring at the pale form of Snape on the ground. I realise that he must have just found out that Snape isn't on Voldemort's side. "Right now, we have to make sure he can't move or talk, no matter what the Dark Lord wants him to do. Madam Pomfrey?" She sets to work putting Snape into a magically induced coma. I am thinking hard now. "Dumbledore- can you be sure that your Fidelius holds when Riddle possibly saw every last thought in Snape's head?" "The Fidelius is a charm of-" "I don't need a lesson, I need an answer!" I hiss. Some of the others are clearly distraught by the way I am talking to their leader, as if they don't remember that it was the same way before I went undercover. "...rest assured, it will hold." Dumbledore answers. "Now, my dear, I believe we have to have a discussion long overdue- while I am gratified to hear that Tom is weakened, your rash actions have put many at risk, including Severus here. And of course, the use of the Imperius curse-"

I explode, barely hearing how Mad-Eye grumbles about the unforgivable curses being legal for aurors at wartime. "Oh /shut up!/" I shout. "Shut up with your holier than thou attitude, and don't you dare talk down to me again calling me your 'dear'! I had acted immediately because it was already happening, you saw the damn memory, you saw how Bella collapsed, but I suppose I should have just left her to die 'for the greater good'! And don't pretend to even care about Severus, you wouldn't even have let him join the Order if we hadn't talked you into it, after all you already had your spy! And don't think I didn't notice how you didn't even care to mention Regulus- he's sitting here and missing an arm! And the goddamn imperius curse was fucking necessary to break the curse in the marks, plus it's not like I could have let Lucius go otherwise, anyway, yes maybe there would have been a better way but not in that moment when I didn't have any time! And /don't you dare pretend you have never done something questionable!/ I know your history maybe better than anyone else in this room apart from yourself, or /including/ if you've deluded yourself well enough! So be damn. Fucking. Careful what you say to me." panting, I sit down, and feel Bellatrix grabbing my shoulder in support. Mad-Eye slides over a glass of whiskey. There's a glint in his eyes as if he's glad to see Dumbledore taken down a notch- funny, I would have thought he was an Albus Dumbledore fanclub fanatic. But I detect no poison in the alcohol, so I down it. Needed that right now.

Dumbledore is silent. Everyone is, really. I sigh. While I'm glad the old man is shutting up for a moment, we still have a war to plan.

"How many of the- /items/ regarding Riddle's downfall have already been collected, and how many more do you think there are?" McGonnagall says. 'Items', really? What, does she think we're all going to turn into vicious crazed murderers to split our own soul if we find out what Horcruxes are? "You got three, right?" I ask. I got Hufflepuff's cup from Bella- uh, you probably don't remember that anymore, you asked to be obliviated afterwards-" "I remember leaving it in Gringotts like he asked, despite my- doubts-..." Bella murmurs. I can't help it, I grin proudly. "You got back into the bank immediately after, got the cup and asked to be obliviated of anything after you first left the bank. Terribly clever, that!" "Wait, was that while she was under the mind control thingy?" Sirius asks, and Regulus leans forward too, probably personally interested. I grimace. "The control she was under wasn't as- explicit- as the one you experienced. It wasn't like she was possessed, she was still herself for the most part, just- more open to murder and serving the Dark Lord unconditionally, basically... And she was already fighting it." then I remember something: "Oh! Wow, how the heck I managed to forget about this I don't even know" I exclaim, then mutter: "it's oozing evil so you'd think I'd've noticed, but I guess there's been too much of that today..." I pull Tom Riddle's diary out if my coat pocket, only touching it with my sleeve. "Number five! Got it from Lucius Malfoy's study. And- I don't actually think there are currently any others? If V- /He/ gets a familiar, we should make sure to kill that too, in case he's twisted enough to try something on a living thing, but otherwise..." silence falls in the room. Then, excited chattering from just about everyone. Despite myself, I have to grin, too, and reach up to squeeze Bella's hand that's still on my shoulder. The war is coming to a close.

Remus Lupin- the only spy we have left- arrives to report that the werewolves are in disarray, and while them not having a leader isn't an ideal state re: not killing anyone on the full moon, it's still definitely better than being lead by Greyback, who would have them kill on purpose. Also, not many of them are going to follow Voldemort- apparently, the Deatheater liaisons just stopped showing up. That's something. Are other Deatheaters just disappearing, too? Fleeing or dead? I wonder. And I propose an idea: to lure out Voldemort and all his followers for one big final battle to get rid of them all with a bang. Because while getting rid of the Dark Lord himself is the main goal, I'm afraid many if the Deathesters aren't quite as worshipful of him as they might have been in the distant future- they still see an organization that he happens to be the leader of, not a philosophy that stands and falls with him. If we take him out, what says another won't take over? "We know he has less people in his ranks than before, possibly less than he knows, probably less than the followers he still does have know- he wouldn't tell them that their position is weakened. If we can lure his army somewhere into the open- a field, or even Hogwarts grounds as long as the school is still closed- we can disappear in his army, dressed as Deatheaters ourselves, and take them out from within before it can even come to an attack" I suggest.

That leads to another great discussion, but in the end my idea is accepted. Which leads the question: how do we lure him out, what do we use as bait? "I have the full prophecy of which he only knows half." Dumbledore tells us. "What prophecy?" "Prophecy, what prophecy?" oh, how nice to see that his people are always fully informed of what's going on. Not. An explanation (and a lot of sneering about wanting the prophecy to come true from my side to Dumbledore, which leads to Sirius and Remus getting mad at him too in defense of their godson) later, Narcissa asks: "But how do we get the Dark Lord to go after it?" before immediately blushing, looking down and wanting to disappear. It's the first time she has said anything in this meeting. "We could use Snape" Bella chimes in. I grin. "That's a grand idea- he knows Snape's a spy and undoubtedly also who he is with, he's going go keep trying to look through his eyes... If, the next time Pomfrey would have to renew the coma spells, we just chain him to the bed instead and let him wake, we can have people visit him- several, to make it more believable, with most just there to talk to Snape and try to talk him out of his mind control- but me, or one of you two- or Regulus, too- we could go in to speak to Voldemort through him, to taunt him, to make it seem like we think we've already won because of what the prophecy said..."

Getting Voldemort to bite is disgustingly easy. We put Snape in a hospital bed in Hogwarts to make sure Voldy will come to the right location, then Dumbledore comes to talk to Severus about fighting the evil within while completely ignoring all that Tom has to say to the topic- next is Lily, who has a pretty good fake cry, pretending that she wants her best friend back while of course the true reason is for old Morty to see her at Hogwarts- if the prophecy isn't enough, the prospect of getting to the Potters /and/ the prophecy might do. And then, entry Bella, laughing mean and half-crazed about what she has heard about the prophecy the Dark Lord was so in love with, and that he would never get to rule ever again because he was stupid enough to believe half-knowledge was enough, and that little attacks by his followers were getting him anywhere, how good for us it was that he holed up his own power in a cave to rot. Yeah, Voldy-Snape snarled pretty impressively when she left the room, I'm kind of sorry for the state of Snape's teeth from all that grinding them.

Meanwhile, we have copied Death Eater masks and cloaks while also managing go get in contact with a few of the others I had suspected to be under 'mind control'. Arleen Singer, Corban Yaxley, Sabina Frey... Sabina has scars on her face she hadn't had when I had last seen her, and a part of me feels guilty for not making sure that she got out of Malfoy Manor safely- on the other hand, I'm just glad the scars aren't on mine of Bellatrix' faces.

On the day of the battle, everything feels rather anticlimactic. We had all preparations ready days before, having hurried not knowing when Voldemort would come, and even though he comes in the dead of night, many are already awake and the rest do wake when the first alarm is triggered. We move, silent and disillusioned until we reach our location, into the rows of death eaters and the rest of the Dark Lord's followers. We had decided to go in pairs, to pre-decided locations far enough apart that the stunning spell-bombs we have won't reach the other pairs. There was much discussion about what to do about Voldemort, now that he is most likely mortal, too, and in the end Mad-Eye ended the discussion by stating that as an Auror, he has a kill order on that man, and he won't do anything less. Dumbledore isn't happy about it, but he doesn't need to be. Squeezing Bella's hand under our Death-eater robes, I wait for the signal. It's pretty obvious when it happens- green light where Voldemort stood in the middle of his army, two flashes- one for the snake, one for the man. Then green sparks, the all clear.

Voldemort has fallen.

The Dark Lord is no more.

There will be time for relief later, now I have to move: I activate the ring of the spell-bomb in my hand, aiming away from us, while Bella does the same. As soon as the chaos starts, we scream as if surprised and run forward- past the line that ends the area that is going to trap the Deatheaters. Once we are past it, we pretend to be caught as if by invisible strings- as if this is the dangerous area, and not the one the Deatheaters are already on. The few others who weren't hit stumble back, afraid, and the two who do move forward past the line are caught by actual spells when they don't pretend to be caught to indicate that they belong to us.

Counting the figures with their hands in the air in the position as arranged, I smile when I see that we all made it back out alright. Raising my hand and shooting green sparks in the air, the rest of our team raise the anti-apparition, anti-magic in general wards on the area the Death eaters are on, plus physical shields not only surrounding the area but also in partages, in case one of them goes on a rampage he won't be able to get to everyone of them now. Deatheater or not, those people should get a trial now that the war is over. McGonnagall sends a patronus to the ministry, and Mad-Eye goes to collect more Aurors.

I don't stay to find out what happens next. My part is done here.

In the Great Hall in Hogwarts, breakfast is layed out. I sigh as we enter, leaning into Bellatrix, finally able to relax somewhat. Bella smiles, then slowly walks over towards the Slytherin table, stroking her hand over the old wood. What memories is she thinking on? "What would your house be?" she asks me instead. "I know you were never sorted." I frown. I had never given this much thought. During the war, I had done many things one could call stupidly brave, but I hadn't done them out of chivalry or to prove that I wasn't afraid. Many actions were, of course, means to an end, calculating in Slytherin ways... And I had had to be clever, and I valued intelligence. But then again... "The sorting hat usually decides what house you are at eleven" I muse. "Had I been sorted at that age, I would have undoubtedly been a Slytherin, angry at my fate, at the world, ready to do just about anything to anyone to get what I wanted. Then throughout my life, however... I did things that fit in all four houses. Maybe not Gryffindor, at the very least less. But at the moment, what I would choose, or what the hat might choose for me based on my values? Hufflepuff. Kindness, loyalty, we need more of that in this fucked up world."

Part 5