VioLinja's grin brimmed with evil as smoke from the obliteration cleared. While the rest of the band played to the empty theater, she called out to Gumi.

"Ta da! Why, they're… they're gone!"

Gumi cast a scornful eye at the newest member of the band. She set her vocalizer so the sound of her voice would only be picked up by VioLinja's ear monitor.

"We keep playing after they're gone."

VioLinja laughed loud enough for the whole band to hear. "Why? We've already sent them to Hell."

"It's what we're meant to do. It's the reason why we are given the Power of Obliteration."

VioLinja laughed some more, lazily raising her violin to her chin. "I fail to see the reason. We have done our job."

"Our job is to put on a concert. The Winnowing occurs through the benefit of our sound."

VioLinja noodled on her instrument. She threw off the tempo of the band, causing them to look cross. They glanced at each other, trying to determine the reason why their performance was suffering. Gumi ignored VioLinja, despite the fact that she taunted Gumi with dramatic strokes of her bow.

As Gumi brought the band back to the correct sound, VioLinja became cross herself. She tried taking over the band again, but Gumi was a master of acoustics, controling the tempo by using her knowledge of the sound system. Seeing herself losing to Gumi, VioLinja grew animated. She flew about the stage and played in the face of each member of the band, her flowing gown giving her the gift of flight.

She ran into one of Luka's keyboards stations and scattered the equipment. Luka herself then fell victim to VioLinja, crashing into her. As the rest of the band played on, VioLinja and Luka tumbled over a stack of speakers. Their feet stuck up in the air while their bodies remained hidden in the wreckage. The feedback that resulted from the shorts and sparks they created brought the band to a grinding halt.

All that could be heard was Gumi breathing angrily, amplified by her vocalizer. "You're ruining our performance," she said to Violinja.

VioLinja popped out of the mess she had made. "So what? The show's over."

Gumi resumed playing her guitar, bringing the rest of the band back to the song they'd been playing. "No, it's not. It's over when I say it is."

VioLinja sashayed up to Gumi, speaking with sass into her face. "Well, I disagree. I think I ought to lead the band. Play like this, fellas!"

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

VioLinja played her violin elaborate and slow. She built to a quick crescendo, then brought her sound down with languor. The band became mesmerized. She cued the special effects team with her eyes, and they fired up the wind machine. The tendrils of her ungodly black dress filled the stage, while colored lights played on her white skin.

VioLinja pointed her violin at Gumi, her bow an inch from her face. "Come on!" VioLinja called to the band. "Follow me!"

"They're not going to listen..." Gumi began, before realizing the band was indeed following VioLinja's lead. They built layers upon her melody, matching her chords and keys.

Gumi looked about at her mates. "What are you doing?" she asked with force. "We don't know that song!"

VioLinja spoke lyrically, her voice filled with sweetness and lilt. "Oh but they do, little Gumi. They're learning from me. And as I take over the band, I take the Power of Obliteration from you."

Gumi stood silent, nearly mesmerized herself. Using what seemed like all her strength, she shook, rasping out a few words.

"You… can't. You can't do this. The VocaLords… they follow me."

VioLinja laughed, growing stronger and more defiant. She danced about as the band was transfixed, performing only for her. She began floating in the air, the tendrils of her dress touching everyone. Her hypnotic sound turned even the stagehands and technicians into her willing henchmen.

"They do not follow you anymore, my sad Gumi!" VioLinja cheered. "You are powerless. The VocaLords belong to me!"

VioLinja spun in the air over Gumi, as if hung on wires. She landed gracefully as her music slowed through a pianissimo. Now face-to-face with Gumi, VioLinja's dress wrapped its tendrils around the former leader of The VocaLords, paralyzing her like a fish. They disconnected Gumi from the sound system, and her guitar from her body. Once accomplished, VioLinja began a final flourish. The mesmerized band followed along, bringing their sound to a crescendo.

Using grand gestures, VioLinja cued the lighting team. She had them shine every spotight they had on Gumi's face, whose body was now wrapped fully in VioLInja's black dress. Gumi's face went through a rainbow of colors as each spotlight clicked on, until she was blinded by pure white light.

"And now," VioLinja boomed, "I send you to Hell as well!"

With an intense blast of light and sound, VioLinja obliterated Gumi. VioLinja brought the band to total silence and lowered her violin. She tittered to herself, grinning evilly while tossing Gumi's guitar aside.

"Why, ta da," she said, feigning surprise. "She's... she's gone, too."

Hell was not the kind of place Gumi expected it to be. Sure, it was hot and dank and it stunk, but she could get used to that. After all, there are places on Earth that are hot and dank, and so what if it stunk? Gumi's nose didn't work very well anyway, with half of it being rotted off.

But what made Hell miserable were the memories. Or more accurately, dreams left unfulfilled. Gumi thought about these sorts of things as she crashed through strata of solid rock, plummeting on her way down. Once she broke through the ceiling of Hell, the last ten meters were particularly painful.

Or more accurately, the sudden stop at the end.

Gumi picked up her bruised and battered body from the jumble of rocks she had landed on. Brushing dust from her desert fatigues, she looked about. Drips of acid and hisses of steam told her she was indeed in Hell.

Where are all the people? she pondered. Where are the demons and minions?

Gumi gasped, her voice fading as the powder in her vocalizer began running out, "Perhaps this is what Hell will be like for me. To be alone and powerless, without my music or my voice."

She sat on a rock and held her head in her hands. Feeling morose, she watched steam rise and acid drip.

"To be without the Powder of God."