Arc 9 Twlight
Chapter 4 Interlude: Dark Moon Rising
“Sunshine, it is time for your treatment,” said Dreamer, leading her along the corridor.
She reluctantly followed mostly because she didn’t have a choice. Her skin grew goose bumps and she shivered when the familiar room appeared from around the corner. She had come to hate this place, even through the drugs that forced her to be happy. Of course that was before, it had been a full week since she last had her medication. Dreamer, no Nightmare wouldn’t let her take them to escape the pain. It was part of her training. Her skin crawled at the merest touch from this vile woman.
“Can Sunshine have her magic candy yet?” she fidgeted.
“I told you, not yet. You can have it once Youko has been restored,” said Nightmare giving her a look as though she was nothing, but an insect.
Sunshine whined, “But Sunshine can’t find Youko.”
“We are just going to have to dig deeper, now aren’t we? She has to be in there somewhere, Dreamer couldn’t have gotten rid of her.”
It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep the darkness at bay. She could feel it welling up, ready to burst free. It was at times like this that she wondered why she tried so hard, suffering all alone. They couldn’t understand what she was going through. It was becoming harder to know what was real or simply illusions of her mind. Were they really so different? Her memories were being distorted, controlled and warped. She knew because Sunshine had hidden the memories of the past. Kept them safe from Nightmare and allowed her real self to survive.
Youko, the name brought fragmented memories to mind. It was both familiar and it was foreign to Sunshine. It was her name long ago, back before she met Nightmare and her life became warped by her. Youko was not a mean person, at least not before she met Nightmare. After that, she wasn’t very nice at all, she killed people for fun. Dreamer had killed this evil and from what remained created Sunshine. Though she had these memories, they felt like someone else's. The emotions and senses were missing. It was like watching a movie. Empty.
The pooling of power was proof enough that it was nearly time. Had it not been for Ichigo-sama all would have been lost. Nightmare’s scheme would be going smoothly. She had become arrogant and the thought that Sunshine, let alone the bottled up emotions of hatred could turn against her control never even occurred to her. She didn’t realize the trap they had set. She didn’t realize her doom awaited within the darkness she so craved. Youko might be dead and buried, but Twilight-chan was nearly complete, nearly awake, it would be soon now. Without the happy candy, Sunshine realized what she truly was, a mask, a facade, a doll who smiled even while she broke.
The room before her had become familiar over the last several months. And that man, the one who always hurt her and tried to break her. He was a strange fellow who despite only being a little older than Sunshine had white hair and always looked tired. As of late, he had been following her and Nightmare almost where ever they went so that he could make Sunshine hurt. It was his power. Though she did not know how it worked, he very much enjoyed making her suffer. It was one of the few things that made him smile or so she had seen.
At first, Sunshine looked forward to the sessions where her thoughts were stripped away and she just floated on the pink clouds. Her mind at peace and the things she had done so distant. Of course, this was before Dreamer went away. That was before Nightmare returned, before this man and the torture, before the sleepless nights filled with terror, before the dark chasms spread across her heart. Now all these terrible things fed Twilight-chan and the more it hurt the stronger she got.
The chair, the throne of lies sat before her. This was the place that Sunshine had been born. She had been formed and molded here from the broken mind of the old self. With Ichigo-sama’s help that old self had reformed and been freed from Nightmare’s influence. Twilight-chan was what she called herself since her old name had been taken away and erased. Perhaps it was Twilight-chan that Nightmare was looking for? If that was the case, then she was in for a lot of trouble.
“Are you ready for your session?” asked Agony standing to the side.
Though she was prepared that didn’t mean she was looking forward to it. The hand resting on her head stole what little resistance she could muster and she approached the chair, her body moving on its own.
Sunshine smiled, “Yes, what will Sunshine dream of this time?”
“That is up to you now isn’t it?”
Delighted, she sat in her usual chair. She was going to go far away from here and play with some furry kitties or maybe bunnies or Nee-san and Sunshine could be magical girls and use the power of love to vanquish evil. She could make a castle and play with her knights. She could make fields of flowers and butterflies and rainbows. It didn’t matter what she would do, it only mattered that she wasn’t here, in this room.
The straps tightened around her arms and legs so that she could not thrash about. Her head held in place to keep her from looking away. Her mouth was filled with a gag so that Sunshine would not bite off her own tongue. Nightmare smiled down at Sunshine, her cruel eyes glinting. This was just like every other session. This was to make her stronger, Sunshine lied to herself to help her endure the searing pain that was to come. She was not the one hurting her, it was the man, the bad man behind her.
Today was different though. They attached strange things onto Sunshine’s head. They hurt as they dug into her temples with sharp-needle like pins. Her complaints rose from her filled mouth and she squirmed unable to move. A sound vibrated into her head, it was a steady popping noise. A heat spread and Sunshine felt sick. Her eyes watered as she blinked and slowly, but surely everything began to lose focus.
“Shall we begin?” asked Agony.
“Yes, she looks suggestive,” replied Nightmare.
Agony placed his hands on Sunshine’s head. A pain spread between them. Her body squirmed helplessly as the phantom pains spread like ice through her veins. Agony was used to this sensation and as a result, had a large tolerance to that which he inflicted. The ice became fire to the point that it felt like Sunshine’s blood was boiling in her veins, as though it had become molten lead. Her struggling intensified as she jerked and cried, unable to scream.
“Let us try the trigger to make sure that it works during the concert next week.” Said Nightmare clicking several buttons on her phone.
Music filled the air it started out bubbly and happy until it warped and became jagged and angry. She shut her eyes tightly to the point her face scrunched up and her teeth dug into the rubbery ball. It would pass, Sunshine just had to endure as her heart pumped the lava through her body. Nee-san, Nee-san would help… no, no she would not. She didn’t know, she wasn’t here. She didn’t care. Bile filled Sunshine’s stomach at these thoughts. The bubble inside of her that contained Twilight-chan grew bit by bit. Every dark thought twisting and squirming as they were pulled inside, feeding her.
“She still hasn’t cracked?” Asked Nightmare.
“No, we would know wouldn’t we?” asked the man.
“Agony are you really trying?” She scowled, staring him down.
He grit out, “Yes, I am. Most Supers would have passed out by now.”
“Then do it harder. More pain or I will make you feel more pain.”
Sunshine squirmed as the burning sensation spread, it was far worse than the bullet wound she had received. Her teeth ground into the gag filling her mouth so that she could not scream for help. A tooth broke, sending a jolt of pain into her brain. Finally, the pain became unbearable and it felt like something burst inside. The bubble popped. Her eyes rolled and she limply fell forward, frothing at the mouth.
The darkness flooded out. Though Sunshine’s body writhed and mindlessly shook with convulsions that was not where they were looking. Her head split open like a fissure in reality. A torrent of things flooded out into the room. At first, they were pink and lively, energetic and cute creatures and rainbows and cotton candy clouds. A strange creature that could not possibly exist in reality shot out, hitting the ceiling before it squirmed and rolled around the floor. It had the head of a fennec fox with a curling horn between the large, colorful eyes, the body of a bunny, hypnotic butterfly wings with swirling patterns, and a pointed witch hat nestled between the pointed ears. It mewled rubbing its head.
Gloved hands emerged from Sunshine’s head and slowly a person pulled themselves free. A Sunshine was born into existence, even though she was still sitting in the chair. This Sunshine though was more extravagant and looked like some sort of princess out of a fairytale. She waved her magic staff with hearts and wings. Bubbles and flowers grew. Mellow fluttered around. She looked around the room curious over the new world around her. Flowers and furry critters were scattered, they flowed like a tide, a deluge of insanity. They were quickly filling the room and pinned Nightmare and Agony against the wall.
She rocked her head from side to side as poppy music started playing and with a wave of her magic wand knights and the Moon Sailors appeared in the already full room, causing the door to break down. The surroundings were quickly swamped by all the colorful things fleeing out the door into the outside world. It was a flood, a wave of cute and cuddly critters stampeding out with singing flowers.
Sunshine struck a pose with the V sign in front of her face, “Mahou Shoujo Sunshine-chan to the rescue, desu!”
Mellow plopped onto her shoulder, “We did it Sunshine! We broke free from your physical form, now we have to save the world!”
She grinned twirling the staff and grew white angelic wings, “Desu~ come on Mellow we have to wake up Nee-san and use the power of love to defeat the space bimbos!”
Sunshine straddled Admiral Moon’s shoulders and motioned forward with her staff. Like an army, the creatures and knights charged forward. All at once the room emptied of happy, colorful emotions as they surged out breaking down walls and rampaging into the city.
Nightmare shook her head as she stood back up now that the room had emptied out, mostly. Sunshine’s body was still strapped into the chair, though thorned vines and roses had crept their way up encasing her in a jagged embrace.
“Never going to get used to that,” said Nightmare walking over.
“That girl is insane.”
“Mm, not my best work. Now that is out of the way, let’s get to work molding her defenseless mind.”
Nightmare reached for Sunshine’s head and just when she was about to touch it a shadowed hand lunged out grappling her. Bewildered and surprised she pulled back against the coiling darkness. She yanked, falling to the floor as Agony stepped away. Black and purple knights materialized, their tower shields had a single large eye with veins upon them. The pupil looked around, focusing in on Nightmare. The knights had formed a wall in between them. Another hand emerged and they pushed, pulling something, someone else out of Sunshine’s mind.
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A different sort of music spilled into the room. A piano struck shrill keys and drums thumped like a heart beat. It was a sad and angry sound that got louder as the figure pulled itself free with strange black fluids spilling out of Sunshine’s head.
Twilight-chan rose into the air. Her long black hair had streaks of purple running through it. She had shining violet eyes filled with violence and a sinister smile. There was a striking difference between Sunshine and Twilight, and it wasn’t just the color scheme. Twilight-chan had an adult body, a voluptuous form with full breasts bursting at the seams of her skimpy and fluttery outfit. It had black and red and purple, except over her breasts, what should be some sort of bra instead were large eyes that were currently slowly opening.
Twilight looked them over with a hmm while she tapped a finger to her chin, “Is that it? Were you really so weak?”
“Youko?” asked Nightmare, “I knew it, I knew you were in there.”
With a tut tut, Twilight wagged her finger and the knights pointed their warped and twisted weapons at Nightmare and Agony, “No, no, no. Wrong, wrong, wrong. You disappoint me little Nightmare. Is that your peak? Tell me, do you squeak? Are you a mouse, trying to sneak into my house?”
“Youko what is wrong with you? Why are you rhyming?”
Twilight frowned, “Youko? No, no. I am Twilight and I am here to tell you, good night.”
Nightmare pointed at her and yelled, “Now you listen here Youko. I made you, you will obey me!”
She laughed hysterically, stopping for a moment to wipe a tear from her eye, “You did not make me. The one who pulls the strings has brought me to life. You are nothing, but an ant before such power!”
Not liking how this was turning out Nightmare tried to close the distance between them, but the floor stretched. What was once a room twisted into a corridor and Twilight stood on the ceiling. Like this it was hopeless, though this was something like the dream world that she was used to, it was unmaliable by her powers. She needed to touch and maintain contact with the head of her victim or else she could not link minds. She peered around biting her thumb with anger over having missed the easiest chance to invade Sunshine’s mind.
Twilight grinned to the point her face warped. It was not a happy smile, rather a twisted and sadistic smirk. She dramatically waved her hands and started singing as the world around them shifted and changed. Nightmare and Agony fled out the door. Outside the corridor corroded and twisted dripping as eyes opened and mouths laughed. They ran through the shadowed world as the lights overhead flickered revealing their pursuer. The colors bled from the world leaving everything black and white. Twilight was no longer human in appearance, having become a shambling, writhing abomination of limbs and mouths. Claw over claw and gibbering tentacle over tentacle the mass of malice rolling forward.
The mouths all around sang out in a haunting voice.
“You all laughed while I died on the inside.
Now, something else resides.
My mask of glee can no longer hold this bitter sea.
Behold the horrors, skulking just below this plastic smile.
Filled with bile.
Heinous crimes, so vile.
Now you see the darkness that I defied.
That I tried so desperately to hide.
This festering madness grew day by day
And now it is time to pay.”
Nightmare tripped Agony in an attempt to gain some distance. He fell flat on his face. His scream rose as darkness welled up and washed over him. Twilight had not slowed down, instead, he was stuck to the outside, rolling and wailing as the ball of limbs picked up speed. A corner appeared and Nightmare skidded around it. She glanced over her shoulder to see the many limbs flop into view. They clung to the walls, floor and ceiling diverting the cackling creature. She kept running, even more frantic. Twilight skittered swirling from the ceiling and walls and floors as she closed in on her prey.
“My revenge is close at hand.
This world is just so bland.
Blackened spires arise.
Monuments to our demise.
Now you shall know my suffering, this is my demand.
It is time to take a stand
Wouldn’t that be grand?
Watch all your plans turn to sand.”
The building had become strange, opening up into an expanse that looked out over the city. Twisting pillars snaked their way up from the ground as elaborate architecture materialized. Yet even here there were traces of pink and happy sunflowers singing. Stunned by the monumental undertaking Nightmare slowed for a moment. It was a castle. Ramparts and towers rose from nothing, buildings below shuddered and snapped under the weight, bursting as more and more of the surroundings were transformed. The ground shifted below her as arms grasped out clawing at her. Above even the sky had changed, there were no clouds or stars, nor the moon everything had become a pale white color. Rings appeared purple with black inside. It grew bigger and bigger until Nightmare realized exactly what it was, an eye.
Nightmare came to the edge, looking over at the more than ten story drop to the ground. That was not an escape route. She turned staring down the encroaching monster. A flicker of movement darted from the side and Panther appeared. Her hope rose only to be squashed like an insect. The ground turned to quicksand pulling him under. As fast as he might be, it was like a fly trap and he vanished from view. Seeing no escape Nightmare jumped, flinging herself into the air. She rolled and tumbled through the air.
Looking up the monster was skittering down the side of the building on thousands of limbs. Mouths gaped and filled with teeth while tongues smacked about and eyes stared from all around. Tentacles lashed out covered in blades as they coiled around her and craved into her flesh. Nightmare screamed as she was dragged into the mouth and it snapped shut, chewing.
The disgusting insides of the mouth dripped with drool and blood as the teeth gnashed and tore into their prey. With a gulp the beast silenced the protests. Twilight climbed back up to the top of the forming castle. After a moment she spat out Nightmare’s body, staring down as she reformed. Tentacles coiled and tore off Nightmare’s limbs eliciting a quaking scream. Shadowed limbs grabbed her and twisted her and rung her out like a dirty towel. The red soup pooled and her body became whole again. The torture continued, but after everything that happened Nightmare reformed even if she had been decapitated or brutalized beyond recognition.
With dark eyes, Twilight lifted up her new toy by the soggy hair and said,
“You thought me Blind,
Deaf,
And Dumb.
That I had succumb.
Broken with hatred
Blood run cold
That I would do as told.
Abused and defaced,
Raped and disgraced,
Violated,
Desecrated,
Shamed and defiled,
Repulsed and reviled,
Betrayed and decayed,
I am no longer afraid.“
Twilight reached out and darkness formed into a scythe with gibbering mouths and eyes crying over the dripping blade. She twirled it around and stabbed into the ground. Immediately the last vestiges of the pink and flowering surroundings died and turned black as the sunflowers warped into tooth filled monsters. She sang out, cleaving her blade into Nightmare. She screamed as inky oil spread over her body. Dying her black as she started to melt.
Twilight took a deep breath and her dark voice filled the twisting corridors of the changing world around them. She motioned with her hands as the castle walls took shape and rose higher lifting them up in the sky. Spikes and jagged mouths spread on all of the outer walls. She looked down upon the little bottle that had fallen out of Nightmare’s pocket. She crushed it under her heeled toe. The pills within smashed to dust.
“You thought yourself so clever
Never to be outdone, however.
Now the trap is sprung.
All my waiting finally done.
Welcome one and all,
Ahaha!
Welcome to my world!
Oh, the wonders of imagination!
A land of my own creation.
Breathe life into my dreams!
Already, I hear your screams.
Behold the terrors of my tainted soul and my twisted fantasy.
There is only agony.
Love and peace were nothing more than empty lies.
No more false cures filled with my demise.
My eyes unclouded
Your hold eroded.
I won’t be controlled.
My soul has never been so bold.
Let the world be consumed with my delusion.
This is far from the conclusion!
Darkness growing and flowing,
Thumping and pumping,
It is seeping and creeping,
Leaking and peeking,
The dreamscape spilling and overfilling.
The gates are gaping, all reshaping.”
The darkness welled up, washing over those that had been trapped inside of the ever-expanding sphere of influence. Metal and stone transformed and a throne room rose from the inky abyss. Sunshine’s body sunk below the surface and a decadent throne rose up from the oily ground. An army of knights materialized standing to the sides of the elongated room as a brilliant red carpet rolled out like a fleshy tongue from the throne to the distant door.
Twilight sat upon her throne crossing her legs, staring down at the struggling masses being devoured by the smoke. Nightmare and Agony were screaming as their body’s shifted and changed. She leaned down with an amused smile and a regal presence over this shadow land. She raised her hands as though pulling strings of a puppet and their bodies moved against their will.
“This world is mine and I cry no more.
Dance for me, my puppets that I adore.
Be reborn in the shadows of my mind.
Take the form of your crime.
And you thought that I was kind?
Witness the wonders that I have done to you.
I have made it all brand new.
Now let my world debut.
For all to see.
Hear my royal decree!
From sea to blackened sea!”
They held their throats choking on the black ichor as it filled them and transformed them. Twilight watched with anticipation as their forms solidified. Nightmare had become a sordid and sultry looking woman. Long flowing raven colored hair and dark red eyes. She had full hips and curves that most women would kill for. Over her breasts and between her legs were black and silver bikini armor, it was the type of thing one saw in anime or games, the so called slut mail. On her shoulders were thick and elegant pauldrons, attached to these a flowing red cape draped her back. She sat in a daze drooling mindlessly.
Agony had taken a different form, becoming a hulking man beast. His short ebon hair sat under a black and gold trimmed captain hat. He wore a matching coat loosely over his shoulders and yet it somehow stay on. A tight pair of black shorts barely managed to keep his man muscle contained. The exposed and glistening pecks could grind diamonds to dust. He as well sat mindlessly swaying.
Twilight smirked observing her work, her knights dragged in more victims as they similarly transformed into strange characters. She slapped her foot onto Nightmare watched in amusement as she worshiped it. After a moment she kicked the woman and walked away. She stood, looking to the wall as it morphed into a tall standing window looking out over the city. Her lips curled and she sang out triumphantly.
“You laughed while I cried,
Now I giggle with glee while you die.
You thought you were so sly,
But now I won’t let you say good bye.
Now we play my game.
And nothing will ever be the same.
Run and hide and waste all of your time.
Your suffering will be sublime.
See what you have wrought and what you have taught unto me.
You call yourself Nightmare
I shall show you true terror.
Welcome to the nightmare in my mind.
You thought that I was Blind,
Deaf,
and Dumb,
But now my reckoning has come!”