The mind was a tangled, abstract thing. It was a mess of thoughts, feelings and dreams linked by winding neural pathways and all strung together into a chaotic tapestry that most simply called the consciousness. But when it came to the matter of performing a Dream Intrusion, one's goal was what lay beneath that; the yawning abyss that was the subconscious.
Cobalt struggled to regulate his breathing as roasting winds screamed all around him. Magic was running hot from the tips of his fingers, while Karazelle's hands were still clamped tight around his shoulders. All around him, flashes of colour and light danced amongst blackened sparks and blazes of images that both made sense and did not. One wrong move, and they'd be swept along the tumultuous current of thoughts.
"Wh- What's going on?!" the Succubus cried, hugging him tightly from behind.
She sounded so distant, yet deafeningly close at the same time.
"Just hold on! We have to penetrate deeper!" Cobalt responded, amping up the flow of magic from his hands.
"Hah, th- that's what she-!"
"Karazelle, focus!"
"Sorry!"
The sights, sounds and sensations of Izzbelle's stream of consciousness gradually coalesced into a deafening crescendo all around them, filling the pair with feelings of fear, rage, anxiety and much, much more. One thing was certain in this maelstrom of uncertainty; the Oni was definitely suffering.
"Okay, hold on tight! We're breaking through...!"
He didn't hear his student's reply, for all at once, the sound of a thousand panes of glass shattering rang in the Incubus' ears as a bright flash of light completely knocked him off kilter. Karazelle was flung from his back as he abruptly smashed into something solid, crying out in pain as he danced upon the edge of consciousness.
And as quickly as the storm of sensory madness had arrived, it swiftly dissapated, leaving him coddled in soothing silence.
Cobalt lay motionless upon his back, eyes shut firmly. A steady wind was blowing across him, and between his toes he could feel the gritty sensation of loose sand. It was warm, but not unbearably so; almost calming, in a strange way.
"Agh... you okay, sugar?" called the familiar voice of Karazelle, rousing the Incubus from his reverie.
Opening his eyes, he found himself faced with a deep black sky, devoid of stars and yet somehow wonderfully illuminate. Despite his hammering heartbeat and sweat-slicked brow, he couldn't help but smile a little. It was just as described in the textbooks; he had breached the subconscious.
"I- I'm fine, just a bit winded," he gasped in reply, unsteadily pulling himself to his feet.
"Good to hear... I dunno what I was expecting to find in here, but it certainly wasn't this."
Rubbing the sand from his eyes, the Incubus steadied himself upon the uneven ground and took stock of his surroundings.
The plains of Izzbelle Suyas' subconscious had taken the form of a vast desert of bright orange sand, speckled with red rock formations and dotted in places with small oases. Up ahead, Karazelle stood atop a stony outcrop, trying her best to get a good vantage point. Her uniform was gone, and in its place was a flowing robe of ethereal grey fabric. Glancing down, Cobalt found himself wearing the same thing.
"Still, I can't believe we actually did it. We're inside her head!" the Succubus cried excitedly, turning sharply on her heel.
He returned her grin with a weak smile.
"Well, let's not get too excited. Remember what we're here to do," he sighed, wincing as his back throbbed.
She nodded excitedly.
"Of course, of course! So... what do we do now?"
With a sighed, Cobalt motioned for Karazelle to follow him as he made his way towards some of the larger rock formations. A part of him was still nervous, and rightly so; everything he knew about performing a Dream Intrusion was purely theoretical.
"Memories and dreams are more closely linked than people realise, and most of them occur within the subconscious mind, which is only really accessed when we sleep. Realistically, we have no way of knowing what is just one of Izzbelle's memories and what is the nightmare that she's currently suffering, so we're just going to have to hop through them and hope we find the right one," he explained, pushing past a scraggly bush.
"You really know a lot about this, huh sugar?"
"Well, this is just the basics of psychomancy. You'd know about the same if you paid attention in Applied Demonics."
"Hey, I do pay attention! We just haven't gotten this far yet!"
Cobalt held up his hand, motioning for her to stop. Up ahead, nestled between a pair of large rocks, was a long, thin rift. Like a crack in the very air, it hung a few feet above the ground, occasionally pulsing with flashes of light. He could hear sounds emanating from beyond, but he couldn't quite pick out what they were.
"This is it. A memory," he sighed, nodding at the rift.
Karazelle looked absolutely enthralled. He was so used to her carrying herself with an air of sultry self-confidence, it was honestly rather refreshing to see the Succubus get excited about something. Her eyes were glittering with facination, and as she turned to her teacher, she broke out into a glittering smile.
"Oh, this is gonna be so cool!" she murmured, shivering all over as she stepped towards the rift.
But Cobalt planted a hand on her shoulder, halting her in her tracks.
"Remember what I said, alright? This may just be a memory, and if that's the case, then you absolutely must not touch anything, alright?" he warned.
"Right, right... why not?"
"Like I said, memories and dreams are connected, but it can run deeper than that. Memories also form who we are, and if this is a memory of a particular pivotal event in Izzbelle's life, then altering it in any way could have drastic effects upon her personality," explained Cobalt, tapping the side of his head.
The Succubus nodded slowly.
"So you're saying if I mess with it enough, I could make her be less of a bitch?"
"Karazelle!"
"Kidding, kidding! Come on, let's go wake this beefcake up!"
Before she could receive the scolding she so rightly deserved, Karazelle rushed forward and leaped through the rift, laughing excitedly as it swallowed her up in a flash of light. Cobalt just swore beneath his breath and braced his feet against the sand. Inhaling sharply, the Incubus followed suit and jumped in headfirst.
~~~~~~
Though the ground was wet from recent rainfall, the clouds had since abated, and the midday sun was beating down upon the busy streets of the city. The air smelled of ozone, petrol and exhaust fumes, and all around, the thrumming sound of traffic echoed. Up until a few moments ago, scores of human children had frolicked in the tarmacadam playground, but they now clung fearfully to its edges, each staring wide-eyed at the commotion in the centre of the park.
A tall girl stood gasping for breath, no older than seven. Her knuckles were scraped and bruised, and her wild red hair was matted with sweat and blood. With teeth bared like an animal, she eyed up her peers, one reddened hand balled into a tight fist. In the other, she clutched the t-shirt of an older boy, who was lying slumped on the ground, groaning in pain. All around her, a group of kids lay beaten, some writhing in pain whilst other clutch seeping wounds. The girl snorted and dropped her victim before wiping her face, smearing blood all over her cheek.
Cobalt stood just a few feet away from her, eyes wide with shock. So soon into their search, and already they had already delved into a violent chapter of Izzbelle's past.
"Where are we? Is this Earth?" Karazelle asked, peering around at her surroundings.
Raising a finger to his lips, Cobalt pointed to the girl. Hanging from her neck was a small black pendant, and as she turned to glare at the gawping onlookers, he noted that she already bore a few scars at such a young age.
"Any more of you wanna go, huh?! Step right up, I dare you!" she screamed, the echo of her voice doing little to hide her familiar accent.
"That's her" Cobalt stated simply, nodding at the young Izzbelle.
Karazelle glanced over at the belligerent young girl, before looking back at him with a perplexed expression.
"She's Earthborne? Huh... suppose that would explain the accent..."
Taking a few steps back, Karazelle pointed at the towering buildings all around.
"That would make this New York, if I had to guess," she stated, folding her arms.
Gesturing for her to be quiet, Cobalt drew their attention back to the focus of the memory.
Spitting onto the ground, the young Izzbelle gave one of the boys a good kick before she marched over to a steel set of monkeybars. Another child sat cowering on the ground, hugging his knees. His right eye was swollen, dirt had been rubbed into his blond hair, and with a quick glance down, Cobalt saw that the poor boy had wet himself.
He held his breath and watched as Izzbelle approached, but was surprised when she got down onto her knees and gently wiped some of the mud off the boy's face.
"You okay, James?" she asked, tilting her head.
He sniffled and tried to rub the tears from his eyes, but the swelling only caused him to moan with pain.
"I- I- I didn't even do nothing, Izzy..." James choked, struggling to form the words.
"I know... They're fuckin' pricks, and I'll gladly kick their asses for you anytime."
"Y- You said you'd stop saying bad words..."
"Oh, sorry..."
Slowly, she took her friend by the arm and helped him to his feet. A few of the other kids began to whisper as she helped him limp over to a bench, but a damning glare from the cloaked Oni was enough to send them running clean out of the playground.
"This's gotta stop..." James guttered, slumping onto the bench.
Sucking the blood from her knuckles, the young Izzbelle shook her head.
"Nah, they'll always be pricks to you, no changin' that. And I'll always be here to beat 'em up!"
"S- Sorry..."
"Eh?"
James looked up to the taller girl, and despite the snot running from his nose and the urine soaking his trousers, he smiled.
"Sorry for dragging you into this mess, Izzy..."
Cobalt's eyes opened wide. That day, down in the basement after the Elya debacle, when he said something that mirrored that very phrase, Izzbelle completely flipped her lid. Just who was this boy to her?
Seeing the look on her teacher's face, Karazelle patted his shoulder and sighed.
"She's in love," she stated simply.
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"What?"
She pointed a finger at Izzbelle's face.
"Poor girl doesn't even know it yet, but that's the beginnings of a crush if I've ever seen one. Looks like she fell hard for a human," the Succubus sighed.
Of course, how could he not see it? Recklessly diving in to beat up her best friend's tormentors, only to pledge herself to come to his aid whenever he needed it; Izzbelle was unwittingly proposing to James, in one way or another.
Shaking his head, he pulled Karazelle over to the edge of the playground.
"R- Right, well, regardless of all that, this isn't what we're looking for. Come on; over there."
Up ahead, between a set of swings and a steel slide, a second rift had formed. With a nod to one another, the two Lust demons braced themselves and stepped through into another memory.
~~~~~~
Traditionally, Oni dwellings were spartan, with little in the way of furniture of décor. Chamber was dark and smoky, lit by braziers that burned in each corner of the room. An Oni knelt in the centre, dressed in a red robe. Her eyes were cast down at the reed mats, and yet her clenched fists were shaking with rage. Around her, silhouettes of family members sat cross-legged behind screens, murmuring to one another.
"A human? Hell preserve us..."
"How long has this been going on...?"
"Shameful... utterly shameful..."
Their scathing words cut into the young Oni, causing her to shake with equal parts fury and embarrassment. Cobalt and Karazelle stood by one of the fires, watching on as Izzbelle was subjected to the cruel words of her extended family.
"Izzbelle. Look at me," boomed a deep and powerful voice.
One of the screens raised to reveal a burly Oni man, but the smoke from his pipe concealed his features.
"Do you have any idea how embarrassin' this is for me? My daughter - the fuckin' heiress - aimin' to court a fuckin' human?!" he growled, causing Izzbelle to flinch.
Baring her teeth, she punched the floor hard, cutting her knuckles on the rough reeds underfoot.
"I don't give a shit how you feel, old man! I do what I fuckin' wanna!"
"YOU WILL DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD FOR THE GOOD OF THIS CLAN YOU STUPID LITTLE GIRL!"
His words tore through everybody in the smoky chamber, causing both Karazelle and Cobalt to nearly collapse out of fear. Evidently Izzbelle's relationship with her family was rocky...
"The 'Sixth... The 'Bloods... I don't care about any of that shit! How fuckin' hard is that to understand!" she bellowed at her father.
"It ain't a matter for you to decide! This clan lives and dies on the strength of it's bloodline, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let a stinkin' fuckin' human muddy the waters!"
"WELL MAYBE I LIKE JAMES MORE THAN THIS STUPID CLAN!" Izzbelle suddenly roared, drawing herself to her full height.
Her father released an unholy roar of anger, causing hot smoke to blast across the chamber. Though Karazelle seemed set on watching the conflict unfold, Cobalt grabbed her arm and shook his head. Gesturing to another rift that formed behind them, the Incubus gripped his student's hand tight and pulled her through.
~~~~~~
The hallway of the apartment building had certainly seen better days. The musty yellow wallpaper was peeling, and the beige carpet underfoot was dotted with dark stains and water damage. As far as housing went, only two types of people would willingly live there; those without the money for better accommodation elsewhere, and prospective students who settled on the closest apartments to their college of choice.
A young woman stood in front of one of the apartment doors, nervously wringing her hands. Despite her human looks, it was obvious by her height and muscled frame that it was Izzbelle, and judging by the suitcase sitting on the floor beside her, she was looking for a place to stay. Karazelle and Cobalt stood at the other end of the hall, silently watching her. By now, the Succubus had gone quiet, unwilling to disturb the sanctity of another person's memories.
"Can't believe he'd move to a shithole like this..." the cloaked Oni mumbled to herself, stepping over to the door.
She rapped her knuckles against the cheap wood. The knock was answered by deafening silence. As she tried once more to call upon whoever lived inside, Cobalt and Karazelle slowly approached. There was tension in the air, and neither of them felt like speaking.
"James? You in here? Your lectures start next week, right?" Izzbelle called, banging harder upon the door.
This time, it swung open with a prolonged creak. Looking closer at the lock, Cobalt noted that it had been broken with enough force to crack the surrounding wood. Giving his student a serious look, the pair slowly followed Izzbelle into the apartment.
Suitcase in hand, the Oni crept through the front hall, grimacing at the poor conditions within.
"James, you okay? L- Look, I know I went off on you last we spoke, but uh... I was just pissed at my folks, not you. I- I'm sorry," she called, peering around.
She set her case down beside a pile of unopened letters before progressing into the main room. It stank, and a lot of rubbish had piled up in the corners.
"U- Uh... Listen, I been meanin' to ask you somethin'... I ain't goin' back home any time soon, so I was wonderin' if I could maybe move in... y'know, with you?"
Something stirred behind a closed bedroom door. Grabbing Karazelle's robe, Cobalt pulled her back and flattened them both against the apartment wall as Izzbelle barged past. Grabbing the door handle, she pulled it open and was met with a sight that nobody was expecting to see.
The bedroom was in complete disarray. Clothes had been scattered all over the floor, entire drawers had been pulled from cabinets and even the lampshade lay bent and broken over by the half-open window. A man was lying face down on the bed, stripped completely bare and covered in bruises and bitemarks. His blond hair identified him as James, but as Izzbelle tried to rush to his aid, a coarse laugh suddenly halted her in her tracks.
There was somebody else sitting on the other side of the bed, casually smoking a pungeant cigarette. Her skin was purple, two wings fluttered upon her back and with a long spaded tail, she was mockingly stroking James' head.
Cobalt's eyes widened. A Succubus, uncloaked in a human's bedroom? Such relations were no unheard of, but once he factored in the state of his surroundings and the wounds covering James' body, a horrible realisation dawned upon him.
"James?! What the fuck have you done to him?!"
Ripping the Cloaking Charm from her neck, Izzbelle abruptly transformed in flash of orange magic, ready to use the full might of her Oni strength upon the intruder. But the Succubus was quick. She got to her feet and sidestepped Izzbelle's tackle, before returning to James' side and coiling her tail around his throat.
"Ah, you must be this Izzy girl he was moaning about," the Lust demon laughed, folding her arms.
Growling, the Oni made to throw a punch, put stopped as the Succubus' tail began to tighten around James' neck.
"Now now, let's not be hasty. One wrong move and I might just snap this strumpet's pretty little neck, and it's already plenty sore from all the hickies," she taunted with a devilish grin.
Cobalt fell back against the wall, prompting Karazelle to rush to his side.
"Sh- She's a predator..." he stammered, pointing a shaking finger at the intruder.
There was once a time when Succubi were given free reign to seduce whomever they wished on Earth, but once it came to light that some humans were learning of Hell's existence through these one-night stands, intense sanctions were placed upon such relations. Of course, as with every society, there existed some sadistic individuals who could not sate themselves with their fellow demons, and thus forcefully "hunted" humans, as the term went. Predators, they were called, and most were outcasted from the communes and clans they originated from.
Cobalt had heard stories of these dangerous individuals growing up, and seeing one before him was enough to bring him to his knees.
"You bitch... What the fuck did you do to him?!" Izzbelle spat, her pupils shrunken with sheer unbridled fury.
The predator cackled and licked her lips.
"Showed him a good time, of course! He seemed pretty bummed out after some argument with a girl - you, I'm assuming - and he just fell right into my arms."
"I'LL FUCKIN' KILL YOU!"
Izzbelle swung her fist with enough force to shatter the wall behind the headboard, but the Succubus had long since jumped out of the way. Holding James before her like a meatshield, she giggled mockingly before grabbing James' hair and pulling his face up.
"Oh don't be so sour, girl, he clearly enjoyed himself! Look!"
His face... he was still smiling, even long after consciousness had left him. A thin trail of saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth, whilst his eyes were an unusual shade of misty pink. There was no deny it; he had been drugged and charmed.
"I- Is he... glimmer-eyed?!" Karazelle gasped, staggering back.
Her teacher nodded shakily.
"Predators are known to abuse their psychomantic magicks to get what they want. For him to be this far gone... his mind would be irreparably broken," Cobalt explained nervously, unable to tear his eyes away.
The Succubus art of psychomancy could be used for so much good. It could soothe troubled minds with pleasant dreams. It could be used to pinpoint and identify mental illnesses and other such syndromes. It could be used to ease grief and induce pleasure, but as with all magical disciplines, there existed a dark side to the art. It could also be used to break wills and enslave minds, just like what had happened with James.
Izzbelle had fallen to one knee, fists still balled. But she couldn't move, it was plain to see.
"Sorry love, but this one's mine. Better luck next time, yeah?" the predator taunted, hauling the hapless human onto her shoulder.
"J- James, no...! I'll kill you, I fuckin' mean it! Stop!" Izzbelle roared, reaching out.
She was crying, despite her rage.
The predator, hearing the desperation in her voice, stopped and turned to face Izzbelle.
"Go ahead, then. See what happens to your little boytoy."
The Oni shook and guttered, but ultimately remained on the floor, fists braced against the crusted carpet underfoot. With a wink, the Succubus grabbed her victim and sauntered out the door.
"Don't get so wet about it, girl. You know what they say; plenty of fish in the sea. Ta-ta!"
She left through the apartment's front hall, James still slung deliriously over her shoulder. The tears were flowing thick and fast from Izzbelle, yet she emitted nary a sob nor a gasp. Instead, the Oni began to swear beneath her breath over and over as she punched the floor. The carpet tore and the underlying boards splintered, but she just kept going, crying all the while.
She wasn't the only one. Karazelle had fallen to her knees, hand clamped tightly over her mouth as a few tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.
"I- I had no idea..." the Succubus breathed, watching on as Izzbelle began to scream and smash the surrounding furniture.
"Neither did I..." Cobalt murmured, turning away from his distraught student.
To fall in love with a human and forsake your family, only for him to be snatched away by one of more cruel individuals that Hell could produce... Izzbelle's constant infuriation seemed almost justified.
Turning his head, Cobalt noticed another rift pulsing by the window, just past where Izzbelle had torn out chunks of the floor. Unlike the others, this one was deep black in colour, and seemed to seep like an open wound. Swallowing hard, he took Karazelle's hand and lead her over to it, doing his best to filter out the Oni's anguished screams.
"This is it. I'm sure of it," he whispered, staring at the crack in the air.
Wiping her eyes, Karazelle squeezed her teacher's hand and nodded resolutely.
"L- Let's go, sugar. Let's pull her out of this nightmare."
With that, they stepped through into the dark memory, and were immediately swallowed by the inky void.
~~~~~~
The blazing fires of rage intertwined with the frozen spears of agonizing sorrow. Old scars reopened to new pain. The desire to take vengeance in any way you could. The crippling need to drown it all out with senseless violence. Better to break bones and spill blood than to spend another minute in this eternal agony.
But Izzbelle couldn't seem to free herself of the visions tormenting her. James' sweet, innocent smile, corrupted by a woman who didn't even know his name, and forever stolen away. The unfairness of it pushed down like a tonne-weight, and yet she could not find the strength to lift it away.
It semmed to abate for a while, even a little bit. James had faded from her memory somewhat, and for the briefest of moments, Izzbelle thought she was finally getting over what had happened in that run-down New York apartment three years ago.
Until those words spoken so senselessly brought it all back.
"Sorry for dragging you into this mess..."
Cobalt and Karazelle stood back upon gritty sands, but this time they were much hotter than they could bear. The sky was ablaze with tortuous fires, spurred on by the Oni's anger, hatred and pain. Izzbelle sat just a few feet away, clutching her head as she shivered on the ground.
Karazelle opened her mouth to speak, but swiftly thought against it. Since arriving within her classmate's subconscious mind, her excitement had worn away to deep worry. Her eyes were still wet as she watched on helplessly.
"What... What do we do...?"
Cobalt swallowed hard.
"You just wait here. I'll... I'll go talk to her."
The sands blistered and burned underfoot, only growing hotter as he approached his suffering student. The closer he got, the more he began to pick up on what she was feeling. Anger, sadness, guilt, frustration... it was all enough to make him feel sick.
"I should have fought back... Stupid little girl... fuck...!" she hissed to herself, clutching handfuls of sand in her tightened fists.
"Izzbelle, are you alright...?" Cobalt asked, hunkering down next to her.
"Ain't fuckin' alright... I ain't been alright in a long fuckin' time..."
She was gasping for breath and sweating all over. The fever was affecting her badly.
"I, uh... I saw what happened. Izzbelle, I-"
"Shut up. Shut the fuck up. I don't need advice from a fuckin' dumbass like you."
She coughed rather violently, before looking up at Cobalt with bloodshot eyes.
"Out of all the fuckin' people to lecture me... I had to conjure you up... Tch, must be losin' my fuckin' mind..."
He froze in place. She recognised him, and yet still seemed to believe that he was another memory here to torture her. If that was the case, then perhaps he could ease Izzbelle's suffering without her ever realising that he had intruded upon her mind.
"Izzbelle, I want to help you, alright?"
"G- Get fucked... I'm fine by myself... Don't need shit from no-one... especially not you..."
He took a deep breath.
"I know you're still upset about what happened to James, but-"
"DON'T YOU FUCKIN' DARE SAY HIS NAME TO ME! YOU DON'T KNOW JACK FUCKIN' SHIT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED!" the Oni screamed, tensing her entire body.
Tears sizzled against the sand as they dripped from her eyes.
"I SHOULDA FUCKIN' KILLED HER THERE! I COULD HAVE DONE IT BEFORE SHE K- KILLED HIM!"
Gasping for breath, she looked up at Cobalt.
"WHY NOW?! WHY IS THIS ALL COMIN' BACK TO ME NOW, HUH?!" the Oni yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the Incubus.
He tried to stammer a response, but could only choke in surprise as she suddenly grabbed him by the lapels of his robe.
"I'LL FUCKIN' TELL YOU! IT WAS YOU! YOU BROUGHT THIS BACK TO ME, YOU FUCKIN' PIECE OF SHIT!"
"I- Izzbelle, please...! C- Calm down...!" he cried, scratching ineffectually at her hand.
"YOU JUST HAD TO BE... YOU JUST HAD TO BE LIKE...!"
"IZZBELLE, STOP!"
Karazelle suddenly rushed forward, causing the Oni to drop Cobalt out of surprise.
"I know how you felt about James! I know you chose to be with him over your family! I know how bad you're hurting, and I'm so fucking sorry you had to go through that!" the Succubus cried, raising her hands.
Izzbelle's jaw clenched as her eyes narrowed.
"You... What the fuck would you know...?"
Karazelle swallowed hard and motioned for Cobalt to take a step back.
"Izzbelle, you were in love with him, weren't you?"
The Oni looked shock, and glanced down at her hands for a moment.
"Wh- What? Love? N- No, I..."
"It's okay, sweetie, it's okay... Love's a strange thing. You didn't even know you liked him that way, did you?"
Izzbelle fell to her knees.
"James was... he was kind. Sweet. Scrawny. Weak. And I..." she breathed, shuddering all over.
Karazelle joined her on the ground. Gently, she placed both hands on her face.
"What happened to him was a grave injustice, Izzbelle, but you have to understand; it wasn't your fault," the Succubus whispered.
The Oni bared her teeth and pointed at Cobalt.
"Then why does he...?" she began before trailing off.
Silence seemed to reign for a split second, but before another word could be said, Izzbelle suddenly shoved Karazelle away and got back to her feet. All around her, the sand began to blacken, scorched by the intense heat that radiated off the Oni. Her eyes narrowed, her muscles bulged and flames began to lick around her fists.
"GET OUT OF MY FUCKIN' HEAD~!"
The Oni launched herself forward and swung her fist right at Cobalt. Her burning knuckles connected with his face, right before everything suddenly went black.