3.17|Shadow Sublimination

 

3.17|Shadow Sublimination

 

As the months passed, Mika grew accustomed to her new role. She spent classes learning how to master the Hex from its very originator itself, the fabled women of legend, Mercy, the Prophey, Gertrude, the girl who escaped the moon, the headmistress of Hemlock Grove, the class's instructor. After her first month she'd forged her own spirit weapon, a series of airborne rocket skateboots. Time was spent between absorbing the esoteric secrets of the Hex, being tutored by its eccentric discoverer and training out in the field, fighting over Solar Society to stop impending disasters.

She walked down the hall, a young teenager in a pretty fishnet-filled dress and boots. Her head held high, she was a perfect example of the proper teenage school girl, except for the fact she was a fledging underling and mook of her own Headmistress. She was often pouty, after very morose after saving the city a third time.  She'd be out in the field with her, watching as she and her crew solved Solar Society's current crises and saved the world.

Still, doubts surfaced over the back of her mind. She couldn't remember anything about she'd received the emblem- apparently they simply, appeared to worthy Hex students and Hemlock knew no explanation for why certain students were chosen. After classes one day she knocked on the Headmistress's door.

"Come in," Mercy answered, bored. The arrival of one of her own gave her a quiet calm. Mika, in her conventional form sat down. "Um, hello! I wanted to know if we could talk. I've had some, doubts lately.." she said.

Mika sighed.  "Well, sit down," she said, as she waved her hand over a nearby chair. "So, what exactly is your doubt? What do you see happening? What don't you see happening? Are you worried about the world? Your work?"

Mercy was being friendly, if a bit too pushy for her own good.  She was being a bit too blunt for Mika's taste. But this girl was just a teenager, she was going to be all right.

"No, I mean, I don't know what the point of my work is. I never asked to be a, rubber jestery monster thing and to serve the leader of the Hex. And while this school has been fascinating, they teach the Hex so differently than other Hex Academies.. everyone chooses Void here? That's a huge adjustment."

Mercy turned her gaze away from the books on her shelves, but didn't quite say it.  "Mika, please don't doubt yourself. You are doing something great, it's just that we've come at a very different place. You've enjoyed your time here at Hemlock, haven't you?"

She looked at a thin datachart, the Vexia Seed and it's distance still observed

in space far away. "But if you could see everything that's happening, you'd be

worried."

Mika looked at her sympathetically, seeing the back of the chart animated chart. The imagery of the asteroid gave her strange vibes, although she didn't understand them. "Maybe so. My mother used to worry alot, she'd never tell me much about what."

Mercy could use a distraction. "What did you do when that happened?"

Mika shrugged, looking around the Headmistress's office. "Actually? I just

called my father to vent."

 

The prophet looked upwards rubbing her chin. "Your.. father."

Suddenly Sway burst in through the door. "Mercy. We goot truvs. Howre

yoo?"

"I'm doing great, little sister!" she smiled and pulled Sway in for a tight hug,

pecking her on the cheek with kisses.

Mika looked at the Feaster oddly. "Um, isn't she also a Void Queen of the Hex?

What is she to you specifically?"

Mercy glanced back. "She's my sister.. but also my wife. My sisterwife."

Sway coughed. "Wer nuht married Merc."

"Sshsh let me dream." Mercy let Sway go. She then looked at the Feaster more

seriously. "What's the problem?"

Sway went and pulled a window open. "Shadow Kihgg."

The sight of a moving, steaming fortress approaching Hemlock Grove on the horizon alarmed both of them. "We shood contact mum." Mercy wasn't in the mood for this. "No. I'll handle it. There's no time, he's already here. He has to be stopped this time."

She rose from her chair. "Wait for me on the quadnnath."

Mercy walked out the halls of the school and marched out into the ethereal fields, the strange tickle of sulfur and acidic flames giving her a good rush of pleasant sniffles. She could see the silhouette of the fortress rolling on its own tracks across the horizon, and walked at a leisurely pace. When the fortress arrived close enough, she began jogging around its perimeter, before sprinting. Mercy took out her wand and tapped it three times, turning it into an ornamented staff. She waved it with the entire strength of her forearms and sent a series of flaming missile shots at the wall. Several chunks of the wall disintegrated, as did several masked, armored defenders. Mercy leapt into the opening and began fighting her way in.

The first wave of defenders saw Mercy come and opened fire on her. She laughed as she waved her arms like a conductor and the smoke and fire dispersed, sending them to the wall. The front defenders of the fortress took one shot from her staff each to the head before going down. As she leapt through the halls a large artillery gun was aimed forward. Her pupils dilated and the focused, blasting her back in a burst of plasma. She got up, a large gash on her left temple, covered with blood. With a swift acceleration, her head rammed the weapon and she whacked the operators. Mercy began to climb up the stairs, reaching the throne room. Sitting on a large throne with metallic armor was the Shadow King, the cloak and cape in back waving as if with the wind. His helmet covered his face and was decorated with two bent horns.

On top of his head, the helmet was covered with a single, glowing ruby.

They each looked up at her with terror.

Mercy was ready to pummel with a single strike. Right as she charged, the Shadow King created dozens of spears and swords from shadowy clouds around him, firing them like a machine gun at her. Mercy held up her staff and the weapons deflected off it. She fired back, but the king deflected all her attacks. With an incendiary roar, the king's ruby gem sent a blast of infernal propulsion knocking Mercy thru several walls. She rolled and looked down at her bellybutton, the top half of her clothes had been burned off. She struggled to stand, and began firing her staff at the man, hand shaking. The Shadow King marched in armored boots to her, leaning down with a sneer, the spears and swords all aiming at her.

His armor clanged. "It ends. If it wasn't for that murderous witch.."

Mercy had no choice. She put her left hand into boot, heat rising, the armor clacking around in a hot rise. She smiled, and a large beam shot out of her staff, hitting the roof of the fortress. The king screamed as his hair caught ablaze and he was fired out into the fields. Mercy, although injured leapt and followed as fast as she could, nervously pointing her staff at him. It felt to her like she'd done this a million times by now, neither ever coming any closer to the end of their duet dance.

He continued blasting from his ruby out of the field, but the shots were much

weaker. His helmet began to crack.

Mika kicked him in back, rocketing from behind, Sway swiftly grabbing the

Shadow King and singing her claws into his back.

"EiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaahhHHHHHHH!" He shrieked.

Summoning what strength she could, Mercy raised her staff high up and started beating the King with it, no spells, merely bludgeoning him. The Prohpet looked at the ground, it was still spinning her dizzy. She could feel the blood leaking on her forehead. "No pressure."

Mercy, feeling somewhat recovered, let herself fall to her feet and lay back. Sway had the Shadow King in hand, gnawing on his armor with both his hands in back.

"What is it like, to be you, I wonder?" Mercy asked.

"What have you done since the last time I kicked your ass.." She breathed heavily. The Shadow King’s ruby jewel started cracking until it shattered.

"Why don't you give it a rest... dad?"

The 'Shadow King' sighed, taking off his helmet.. Theo shed a tear.

He then looked at his daughter. "Where did you find this thing?" He poked

Sway. "She's a Hex Queen." Mercy laughed. "My sister, someday my wife."

Theo pulled his arm away from Sway's sharp maw. "Your mom.. she took you

from me. From my poor baby.. She lied to me! And that bastard Synth.."

Mercy rolled her eyes. "You sound like a broken record. That was so friggin

long ago, get over it. We're family."

The Shadow King smiled, a little tear.

Sway picked up his helmet and ruby, crunching them like a cacker. "She luv

ya. Chu know et too."

Mika stood watching behind the group, feeling a little out of her element.

Maybe I should call papa.

Theo threw his arms around Mercy and held tightly, feeling the gentle caress of her body against his own. "Grossh." Sway said sticking out her tongue.

"I think it’s time to put this feud to rest. I'll join you, I'll tell the other Shadow

Raiders not to attack this time." He said.

Theo released her, and put his arm around Sway's shoulders. "Duh." Sway looked back to Mercy. "So you think yoo shood let me have some fun then?" She made gagging motions, stroking off an invisible phallus with her hand.

Mercy "Buzz off Sway. We're in the middle of reconnecting."

She cleared her throat. "Dad.. I need you undo the curse. There's a big shitty asteroid carrying Sway's mum and a trillion zillion of her sisters. You gotta help us! Be the one to make it so we don't die." He tapped the floor with his foot. "But we still have our own issues. I'm not sure if your mom will want to have me back."

The Prophet walked up to Sway, and gave her a hug, kissing the top of her head. "You go in there, apologize for being a dickhead and mother will forgive you for this, long and tiring charade."

Sway turned to Mika. "Eyy stoodent. Yoo gud?"

Mika approached, "I'm fine. Thanks."

She looked towards the sky,

"Dads sure are.. inscrutable."

 

 

Theo, in a simple T-shirt with a Hexagon printed out and baggy sweatpants stood in front of the throne of the Ephemeral Empress. The throne sat in the middle of a circular room with no doors or exit, no windows to offer any relief from the burning light that came from the three suns that shone out of the walls. And in between the suns sat a large and beautiful woman, wearing a grandiose rubbery outfit of lace and frills, her dark beret sitting atop her head. "Well?" She asked. Theo walked down the aisle, towards the altar right in front of Protlyn.

Theo groaned. "I'm sorry."

"For?" She asked, with a sly look.

"I... I wanted to apologize for how I've been acting." He could hardly look at the women now, the sort of flamboyant confidence he exhibited when he was first unmasked all but dissipated.

"Teaming up with the Marauder Shadow Raiders, becoming the Shadow King and fighting you in these territorial wars for the Void Realm… Which, I know really sucked for you since we discovered this together and it was a wedding gift. Oh, I also apologize that you had to postpone your wedding due to having to deal with me going off the deep end.”

She smiled with a kind expression. "You're forgiven Theo." She pulled her hair back. "Under one condition. From this day forth. You will be Hemlock Grove's newest Alchemetic schoolteacher."

"Whaaat? I cannot be a, a teacher?"

Mika, in her flawless form as a Jezinkah's with several identical others in row was looming over. "You start Monday! You've been my apprentice long enough. Let's see you take on a few disciples of your own."

Theo sighed as he turned to leave the throne room, Marcy was waiting out in

the hall with crossed legs. He eyed her.

"We good to leave and do the thing now?"

She grinned. "You will do fine, dude. Have faith." With a wink, she began to

walk down the hall with him.

"Y-yes, sure, whatever you say..." He walked up behind her and gave her a pat

on the back. She gave a slight smile.