Mt.Black rose

[Mayah Playah]

Shiloh Dupree

"An order is an order..."


Shiloh looked behind him as he was pleaded with, the ground vibrating as Grigori fell to Nikolai's power. He didn't have much time left. Turning back to Gustav, the man lunged forward and set his hands on either side of his face. "Run, Gustav. Run as fast as you can and don't you dare look back. No matter what you hear." He looked back behind himself once more, then turned back to his mentor, but not to speak. Leaning close, he pressed his lips to Gustav's in a passionate kiss, his body moving just enough to push the man further through the door.
Another loud thump pulled him to his senses, and Shiloh pulled out of the kiss. "Now go!" he urged, grabbing the door and shutting it between them. He pulled the key from his pocket, locking the door and separating them. Despite his better judgment, he remained a moment, touching the door tenderly for a moment before turning and rushing to the door that led to the hallway. There was only one way to get to his next destination. He had to get to the stairs. Looking from side to side, Shiloh took advantage of Grigori's sacrifice and Nikolai's pride to rush into the side stairs, looking up at the journey he now had to undertake. He had to keep going up. There was only way to stop all of this.


"... and I am nothing if not obedient."

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Gustav was too stunned by the sudden kiss to stop Shiloh from leaving. The door slammed shut, awakening the bureaucrat from his thoughts and forcing him into the grim reality of what was happening. He lunged forward, slamming his fists against the door and trying to open it, knowing full well that nothing would work. He sighed, letting his hand drag down as he was left with the awful thought of Nikolai getting to Shiloh.
Gustav turned to face the hallway. He had to make it out of here otherwise Shiloh's... sacrifice would be for nothing. As he ran, Gustav tried to shake that awful thought away. Shiloh was strong. He'd make it out of this alive. He... He had to!

Fear forced him to stop his running, and Gustav turned around to look at the door once more. Fear... It controlled and ruined his life, even his afterlife. He had always been a coward, everyone knew it. He ran at the first sign of trouble and hid behind Shiloh. He was terrified right now, but what scared him the most was the idea of losing Shiloh. Gulping down his apprehension and clenching his fists, Gustav ran back.
As the door got closer and closer he refused to slow down, and he threw his shoulder against the door. He hit the ground hard, and when he got back to his feet he winced at the pain in his shoulder. No time to stop. He walked down the hallway then turned around, running again to hit the door once more. He wouldn't stop. No matter how much it hurt, nothing would hurt more than losing the one person he could call a friend!

Nikolai grinned at all the stunned faces that were aimed at him. He did, after all, take down a renowned angel with impressive strength. The Sin glanced upward from his claws when he sensed a presence running away, and a strong one at that. He turned his head, smiling widely as he caught sight of the wondrous cause of everything wrong in his life.
"There you are~!" he burst excitedly as he got up. He made his way to the front doors, eager to catch the brat and skin him alive (quite possibly literally). A group of demons and angels ran towards the Sin, convinced that he wouldn't be able to take down an entire group. Nikolai didn't even look away. A marionette board materialized in his right hand, and as he walked down the hallway Shiloh was in at a leisurely pace, the strongest angel of the group spun around and began attacking the group against his will.

The angel tried desperately to fight against the strings wrapped around him, but all he could do was move and do whatever Nikolai wanted him to do. He started by blasting the group away with a powerful gust of blizzard winds. One person was knocked down, to which the angel impaled them with his lance. They coughed up blood and weakly clung to the lance, staring up at the angel in horror as the lance was lifted only to strike them again. The angel wore his own expression of horror. He couldn't believe he was being forced to murder his own kind. Even the demons didn't deserve it.
Realizing that ignoring him would only lead to their deaths, the group turned on the controlled angel. They tried to fight him, but whether it was his own power or Nikolai's control that protected him he didn't know. He dodged hits and parried others, walls of ice shot up to protect his blind sides. He caught a few people, killed another, but it wasn't enough. He needed a way to get rid of all these people quickly. No, not him, Nikolai did. So he utilized everything, including the angel's shapeshifting. The angel yelled out as he was forced to change into a Tyrannosaurus Rex, shocking the remaining few people that could still fight.

Meanwhile, Nikolai made his way further down the hallway. He didn't care about the rooms he passed, he'd be sure to get to them later. All that mattered now was that he got his quality time with the dear sineater.
"Don't be so eager to leave, darling! You haven't even said hello!" he called out in a sing-song voice. The roar of the dinosaur at the front of the building shook the floor, causing some of the lights to flicker. Nikolai's figure turned into a frightening silhouette, his eyes glowing with a white line forming a wicked smile on his shadow face, and an eerie, pale light of absorbed souls outlined his body.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Shiloh Dupree

"An order is an order..."


Shiloh didn't let himself pause as he heard Nikolai speak, knowing that the Sin was talking to himself. He had to go, he couldn't slow down. So, with the reassurance that Gustav was out of danger, the sineater raced up the stairs, long legs taking three steps at a time. He had to get to the top, and knew that Nikolai was surely hot on his heels. He deserved to die for what he did, but he wouldn't let it happen until he'd done something, anything, to further help those left behind.
He did, however, pause as the roar shook the building, holding on to the railing as he did. He looked down to the bottom of the stairs, regretting it as he did. "No..." He was running out of time again. With a grunt, he continued n his trek, climbing higher and higher until, exhausted and running on adrenaline, he reached the top of the building. Glancing back, he grabbed the handle and burst through, a blinding light shining all around him as he rushed into a room.


"... and I am nothing if not obedient."

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Nikolai, however, was faster and wasn't willing to wait any longer. He extended his free arm, purple mist shooting out like a lasso and hooking onto Shiloh, forcing him to slow down. "Oh you poor dear, did you think you could get away so easily? No, no, I'm afraid your sins are going to catch up with you." he chimed, eyes wide with absolute malice. As the fog forced Shiloh to freeze, Nikolai climbed higher and higher. He took a slow pace, treasuring the sight of Shiloh's last moments. He'd commit everything to memory. The fear in his eyes, the screams of pain, the color of his blood, just how much would squirt out. Oh, there was so much~!
The marionette board crumbled, its job done, and a glow formed around the now free hand. How would a sineater's soul taste, wondered the monster that got closer and closer. Or would it be as disgusting as he knew it would be? Only one way to find out! Nikolai reared back his arm, smiling brilliantly as he did so. He'd numb the brat then give him just enough emotions to feel agony. If only Leon was here, he'd be so proud! He'd be so happy seeing that vicious murderer given a taste of his own medicine! He'd-
Something grabbed Nikolai from behind, forcing him to stop in his step. What-? He looked over his shoulder to see that annoying bureaucrat that looked over the Sins, Gustav.
"Run, Shiloh!" he yelled as he kept as tight a grip on the Sin as he could. This was suicide, he realized that when he broke free. His shoulder was already fractured, but when he went out and saw Nikolai chasing Shiloh he knew he couldn't wallow on such a superficial wound. "I know this is crazy, and I know that this is perhaps the worst idea ever, but I want to do this! I'm tired of running away like a coward, so if I'm going to die I'll die protecting you! Now run! That's an order!!" he screamed.
Nikolai snarled as he tried to shake off the man. No wonder he didn't sense him, that freak was far too weak to hold any kind of threat. But he was such a nuisance. His tail whipped up and shot through Gustav, piercing his stomach. Gustav gasped at the puncturing wound, his grip loosening as blood gushed out. Nikolai turned around and grabbed the man by his neck, lifting him up until his feet were dangling. "How noble of you to protect your dog." he sneered. He lifted his glowing hand, ready to steal the trembling bureaucrat's pathetic soul, but something stopped him. "You say you're fine dying, but I think I'll let you live. Yes, killing you would be far too easy. And quite frankly, it would be doing you a favor." His glowing hand fell to his side, and a purple fog slithered up Gustav's body, turning into snakes the closer they got. He winced as he felt their weight against him. It was hard enough trying to not get choked, blood was already coming out of his nose. What else would happen?
"Mmm, you think this reckless act will make you better? You poor, dear fool, you're still very much a coward. Look at the way you shake. Yes, that's a fitting punishment. We'll have you sleep, and there you'll relive all those times in your life you were a coward. And you'll do it over and over again." Nikolai purred as the purple snakes bit Gustav. He yelled out at first, but it only took seconds for him to be forced to sleep. His hands stopped clawing at Nikolai's and fell limply at his sides, his head rolling to the side. Grinning at the fitting punishment, Nikolai dropped Gustav, watching him roll down. He slowly turned back around to gaze up at Shiloh, grinning all the while.
"Now... Where were we?"

 

[Mayah Playah]

Shiloh Dupree

"An order is an order..."


Sh-t! The fog kept him firmly in place, barely able to breathe, much less move. So this was it, this was how Nikolai was going to kill him. He always knew it would turn out this way, although the Sin wasn't always Nikolai. Sometimes it was Envy, other times it was Gluttony, but it was always a Sin. It was poetic justice, he thought, for a prolific sineater like himself to be murdered by a Sin. However, he never imagined it was going to be here, in this place. He didn't even have the time to save any others. Oh well. At least Gustav was safe.
Oh dear God.
Hearing Gustav's cry, the fog dissipated just enough for Shiloh to whip his head back and take int he sight of his precious mentor being beaten by Nikolai. No, no! He was supposed to keep running away, not run back! What was the use of his cowardice when it wouldn't be keeping him safe? Frustration fell to fear as the distraction served its purpose and Shiloh was able to struggle free. He looked back, wanting so badly to run to Gustav and save him, but it was too late. He was already being bitten by Nikolai's snakes. There was no where to go but onward. "I'll come back for you, Gustav," he whispered, knowing that by now, the man couldn't hear him. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he started running again, his heart beating fast and loud in his chest as his feet hit the ground. He was so close to his destination, fear keeping him fast. If Nikolai caught up again, and he would, he wouldn't last long. This was a last-ditch effort, but he wouldn't give up. Not just yet.


"... and I am nothing if not obedient."

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Ah, he loved this game of cat and mouse. Look how fast Shiloh ran, it was so cute how he thought he had a chance of making it out of this alive. Nikolai lifted his hand, ready to shoot out another stream of purple, when he reached a very familiar area. He stopped his climb and turned. This was the Council's level. What a wondrous turn of events! Nikolai looked back up the stairs. He'd catch up with Shiloh soon enough. There was no way that boy would be able to escape him.
Turning back to the Council's floor, Nikolai happily made his way towards the room he could sense them all holed up in. With the swing of his arm the doors leading to the Councilroom swung open and the monster strolled in.
"Hello dearies~!" the Sin announced as large, purple snakes guarded the other doors. "Do you remember that time I told you all that you'd pay if you tried to interfere with my life again? Well, dearies, I was never joking." he grinned viciously.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Shiloh Dupree

"An order is an order..."


Ignoring the screams, Shiloh ran fast, fighting the stitch in his side as he did. It felt like he was being stabbed in his side! God, but no, he couldn't stop. This was nothing compared to what Gustav was going through. Oh, Gustav, why did you have to be a hero? Why couldn't you just keep on running? He wanted so badly to turn back and bring Gustav with him, but he knew what was more important. He had to stop this, and as he passed a panicking secretary, Shiloh finally stopped. He looked up at the office door, suddenly feeling very small. He'd never met this person, not once. He'd often considered it, coming to see him, making that appointment, but decided against it, not wanting to face the one person who knew every single Sin he'd ever himself committed, as well as the ones he'd devoured.
It was now time to push aside his pretenses and be the hero he wasn't.
Summoning all of his willpower, Shiloh gripped the doorknob and turned, opening the office door and walking inside. "Sir, I'm Shiloh Dupree, and I believe you're the only one who can save Nikolai Byko."


"... and I am nothing if not obedient."

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The angels were in dismay. First there was the giant vortex disrupting the otherwise peaceful flow of the land, but now news had spread that Purgatory lost half of its entire population. That was no small number, even if it was just half. The truly frightening thing was that it was supposedly done by one person.
Everyone was tense, even when the archangels assured them that they had nothing to worry about. Nothing could ever break through to their side, after all.
One particular angel peered down at the stairs that led downward. This was for higher tier people to go, ones that dealt with office work for the religions. However, he had seen someone run up to here earlier with a very panicked look on their face. That never happened often, and the fact that it happened the same time as that vortex appearing didn't make him feel bet-
Something shot up the stairs at blinding speed. Before the angel could comprehend what he saw, a hand went through his head and crushed his soul. He disintegrated before he could even show any surprise.
With yet another soul absorbed, Nikolai put his glowing hand to the back of his neck and cracked it. Blood was splattered all over him and drenched his hands. Killing every single person in the Council was hard work. Oh, but their screams were so delightful. And when he got to Maggie. He didn't steal her soul, not instantly. He made sure to give her a good beating.
What an exhausting day. He looked at his other hand. There was so much power he now had. He could see why ancient demons had to be restrained from these kinds of massacres. The feeling of absorbing all those souls, the thought of stealing something from them like how they did to them, it was addicting.
Nikolai looked around, taking in his surroundings. Ah, this was Heaven. The Sin grinned. The world of stuck up people that were convinced they were perfect. Perhaps taking their souls would be a favor. The Land of No Tears, hmm? It would have nothing left very soon.

How many did he steal? He lost count after thirty. Nikolai had killed every angel in his path once they told him everything they knew about Shiloh. Archangels fought him but lost, hordes of guardians went for him and lost each of their lives. It was nothing different, and frankly Nikolai found their lack of creativity quite boring. Even their screams were boring. You'd think constant choirs would make something out of it.
Finally Nikolai reached where he knew the sineater was. That secretary was very talkative. Perhaps she thought she'd keep her life if she gave him the information. Poor dear. The Sin looked up at the large, magnificent doors. He recognized this. This was... His office. The Overseer of Catholic Heaven. The King of Kings. Nikolai stayed still for a moment. For the majority of his life he harbored intense hatred for Him. Everything that happened in his life, it was all His fault. No more. He'd destroy every single soul, even His. And with that sineater there it was like two birds with one stone.
Two large snakes forming beside him, Nikolai put his bloody hands on the doors and pushed them open.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Shiloh Dupree

"An order is an order..."


Shiloh gasped as the doors opened, looking back to see the one after his head. He'd managed to tell his tale, but wasn't sure of His reaction, and now would probably never know. It was time. He deserved to suffer, he knew, but he just wanted to know what would be done, if Nikolai really could be stopped. "Nikolai," he murmured, his hand reaching for the desk and gripping the wood. "Nikolai, please, at least let me explain-"


"... and I am nothing if not obedient."

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A stream of purple fog shot out and stopped Shiloh from talking. "That's enough of that now." Nikolai murmured with a bored look on his face. He put a hand on his cocked hip, his tail swishing behind him. "I never thought this day would come. I've dreamt of it for so long, though. When I wasn't having my nightmares you caused, of course." Completely ignoring Shiloh, Nikolai held out one glowing claw to point at Him. "I've hated you for most of my life, did you know that? Of course you did. You know everything, don't you? Like how ruin my life and make me suffer, right!? Or how to find someone to make me happy so you can take them away later, isn't that right?! Well no more. I'm done. I don't care if I die or if you have to seal me away forever, I'll kill you like the undeserving piece of scum you are!!" he snarled. He lunged forward to strike, ready to destroy the cause of all his suffering. With this strike he'd be free, he'd no longer have to nervously wait and see if something would happen to spite him. This is Heaven, right? Was Leon here? If he saw this, would he be proud? An image of Leon during his final moments flashed in Nikolai's head.
"Even if you can't see me, you will never be alone."
Nikolai suddenly stopped. That's right, Leon had been with him this entire time, hadn't he? He was forced to watch the person he loved grieve through murder. He was disappointed, wasn't he? Disgusted? Angry? Nikolai wanted to know. Even if it was to yell about how bad of a person he was, he wanted to see Leon again and hear his soothing voice. Just one more time.
Everything became too much. This murderous anger melted into overwhelming agony, and Nikolai found himself losing his desire to kill. His arms fell to his sides as he fell to his knees. His entire body trembled, and tears flooded his eyes.
"Why?" he whispered in a barely audible tone. He stared at the bottom of His desk, not wanting to look at Him or even Shiloh. "Why do you do this to me? Every time I tried to change and be happy - each and every time - you would take it all away. Just like that. Why? Why do you make fun of me so much? All I wanted was to be happy... and you took it away twice. You took everything from me. Why? Why can't you leave me alone? Why do I always have to be your joke for when you want a laugh?" he cried and pressed his hands to his face. The tears wouldn't stop coming out. He couldn't control it, it was like all the sadness and pain he held throughout his entire life was unleashing itself. And as he sobbed, his power diminished and turned him back into the vulnerable man he was."Stop... Please... I can't take it anymore. Even when I try to escape with death you send me back just so you can laugh at me again. Stop it. Stop it! Please!"

 

[Mayah Playah]

Shiloh Dupree

"An order is an order..."


Shiloh stood still, unable to speak. He waited for his death, like a good little boy, when he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. It was little, barely noticeable, but he could've sworn he saw Him wave his hand. He blinked, sure that he'd been wrong, when he looked to the door. There was a very bright light, filling the whole doorway, before a shadow appeared. It moved very slowly, as if testing its mobility, then wrapped its arms around Nikolai.
"Everything's going to be alright, Nikolai," a familiar voice said, finally beginning to dim to reveal a youthful, healthy Leon, holding Nikolai to his body. He didn't look likely to let go anytime soon, but there was something different about him. Maybe dying twice was beginning to take it's toll on his soul. Then again, this wasn't his soul talking. He looked completely flesh and blood.
To Shiloh's amazement, he realized what the little movement was. It resurrected Leon.


"... and I am nothing if not obedient."

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Nikolai didn't respond to the arms around him, he didn't care anymore. It was when he heard that voice that he stopped crying and looked up. He didn't dare look behind him, didn't even look at Him, just stared at His desk as he let it sink in. When he realized who it was holding him, new tears gushed out of Nikolai's closing eyes. He cried loudly as he weakly touched Leon's arms.

~~~

Nikolai was silent as he walked down the steps of Heaven. His eyes, filled with shame from the weight of what he had done, stayed downcast, and though he was happy Leon was alive again, he was also afraid of looking up to see disappointment on his face. He had, after all, gone against everything the man said with his dying breath. He didn't forgive anyone and allowed himself to be blinded with rage. Now all that was left was a barren wasteland for Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. Despite that, Nikolai never let go of Leon's hand.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Shiloh Dupree

"An order is an order..."


The silence was over-bearing as the two men walked down the stairs, Leon not wanting to speak and Nikolai clearly not wanting to either. He didn't even know what he could say. He's spend the last day or so in Heaven's orientation, being placed into regular Heaven since it was his second time getting there. Being in orientation, he wasn't permitted to know what all was happening back on Earth, or even in Heaven. Of course, this meant nothing when he was pulled aside and told that his beloved was on a rampage. The next thing he knew, he was alive once more, and standing in the Councilroom. The mayhem and carnage was enough to make him sick, but he didn't dwell. It took less time than he thought to locate the weeping Sin, and he forgave him instantly, but he couldn't say that. He had to be the responsible one.
Stopping them, Leon looked at Nikolai. "What happened?" was all he asked. He wanted to know why Nikolai had so quickly ignored his request.

Meanwhile, Shiloh bolted to Gustav's side, shaking his shoulders in an attempt to wake him and hands carefully touching the wound. He had to be cared for, and soon, but it would mean nothing if he were dead. "Gustav! Please wake up!" he pleaded.


"... and I am nothing if not obedient."

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Nikolai looked away when Leon looked at him. "After you died I sat around in the hospital, letting it all sink in, being a single parent and what not. Then I got a call from that sineater. He told me that he had killed you with Pestilence's dagger, which explained your sudden illness, and that he had been ordered by the Council to do so. It could've been a trap, I know, but when I heard that I thought about when I pleaded with them to help you and how not a single person reacted. The thought of them trying to get the upper hand again... I lost it after that. I was so tired of them trying to take control that I... I blacked out." He slowly forced himself to look at Leon. "All I remember is telling Sloth to destroy everything."

Gustav stayed in his coma. His eyebrows were knit together in an expression of pain and guilt as he was forced to relive his most painful memories over and over.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Shiloh Dupree

"An order is an order..."


Leon listened in silence, eyes on the ground. He supposed it made sense. He wouldn't have expected Nikolai to be that forgiving with such a call. In fact, he died fairly certain that Nikolai would rampage anyway. Still, he would've liked to enjoy Heaven a little longer, enjoy his sweet time with his parents and brothers. Sighing heavily, Leon pulled his husband into an embrace, holding him tenderly and comforting him. "Its's okay. I understand." He rubbed Nikolai's back gently for a moment, then pulled away to kiss his forehead before continuing down the steps. "Let's get home. I'm sure Aysun is worried about you."

Nothing he did worked. With a pained expression and a grunt of frustration, Shiloh stood, carrying Gustav in his arms. He was certain that someone could fix this, and only one someone. "Come on, Gustav. Nikolai's going to fix you," he said, walking carefully down the stairs.


"... and I am nothing if not obedient."

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