Ditto's POV
I wake up in a soft bed. Sitting up, I see that I'm in an unfamiliar room.
"Mommy?" I ask, looking around.
I then remember what happened before I fell asleep. They took me away from her. Hot tears well up in my eyes as I pull her flannel around me tightly. The door then opens and a man steps in. I recognize this man. He took me away from Mommy, I think his name is Sagitarrius.
"Good evening." He says.
I say nothing and look down.
"You must've slept well then."
Tears roll down my cheeks. I hear him walk towards me.
"Don't touch me." I say.
"I don't take orders from children."
"She'll kill you if you touch me."
Sagittarius stops and sighs, "She really is your protection."
He takes something out of his pocket, places it on the bed and steps back. I look at what he put in front of me, a tissue. I pick it up and wipe my tears.
"Thank you." I mumble.
He nods and crosses his arms. I button up Mommy's flannel and play with the sleeves, trying to take my mind off of things. After a few minutes, Sagittarrius clears his throat like Mommy does before she speaks.
"I need to ask you a few questions." He says.
"Why?" I ask.
"Prince Serren wants me to question you before I bring you to him." He explains.
I just nod.
"What's your name?" He asks.
"Ditto." I reply
"How old are you?"
"Old."
Sagittarius chuckles, "How old exactly?"
"Shapeshifters don't really age." I say, "In this form, I'm seven."
"Personal questions aside." He says, "Why were you with the traitor?"
"She's not a traitor." I say, "She saved my life."
"Do you know what she is?"
"A demon."
"Do you know how dangerous she is?"
"She's killed three people in front of me. I know that she can kill."
Sagittarius sighs, "Bless your little heart."
I tilt my head in confusion, "What?"
"HK-9427, or Libra as you know her, is part of the second hierarchy of demons." He explains, "She is classified as a sin, which are the opposite of virtues. Her sin is wrath because of her power when she is in a blind rage, which you have seen first hand."
"How do you know so much about her?" I ask.
"Prince Serren keeps tabs on all his subjects." He says, "Do you have any other questions?"
"Who is the oracle?"
"You'll meet her when you meet the prince."
"Sagittarius, am I going to die?"
"No."
"How do you know?"
"Because I won't let you die."
I look up at him in surprise. He smirks.
"I can see why she likes you." He says.
He then offers me his hand. I hesitate at first, then I hear Mommy's voice faintly in my head. I'll find you, I promise.
I get out of the bed and take his hand. He takes me out of the room and down a long hallway. The carpet is soft beneath my feet. Guards stand on either side of a set of doors. One of them opens the door and we enter a large room. A man sits in a throne on top of a set of stairs. A woman stands beside him, holding a mirror.
"Approach, Sagittarius." The man says. His voice is sickly sweet. Sagittarius approaches the man, taking me with him. He then lets go of my hand as the man looks at me.
"Kneel." Sagittarius whispers in my ear. I kneel and hear the man chuckle.
"How cute." The man says, "Sagittarius brought back a little pet."
Sagittarius stands still, but I can tell he's uncomfortable.
"Speak." The man orders.
"Your Highness." Sagittarius begins, "The traitor, HK-9427, has been captured." Your Highness. This must be Prince Serren.
"Ah, excellent." Prince Serren says, "And what of this boy?"
"He was with the traitor."
I look up to see the prince smiling at me.
"Sagittarius, leave us." He orders.
"Your Highness, I must object." Sagittarius says.
"Oh? And why is that?"
"He is only a child."
Prince Serren grins, "I am beginning to question your loyalty, Sagittarius.
"My loyalty to you is undying."
"Then do as you're told."
Sagittarius looks at me with sympathy and mouths, "I'm sorry." He then leaves the room. The doors close and I'm alone with the prince.
"Stand." He orders.
I obey immediately out of fear.
"Come closer."
My body starts to tremble as I do what he says. I stand in front of him. He searches my body with a perverted gaze. He leans forward and lifts my chin.
"Something so fragile shouldn't have survived." He says, "You rely on her, don't you?"
"No, it's not like that." I say.
"Lying taints the soul." The woman says.
Prince Serren then sniffs me.
"I'll keep you as my pet." He says with a cruel smile, "Your mommy will not survive her punishment. Even if she did, she won't come back for you."
My heart aches from what he says.
"You're lying." I whimper, "Libra loves me, I know she does." Prince Serren pushes me down, standing over me.
"You really believe that a demon is capable of love?" His voice becomes harsh, "Ignorant worm, demons cannot love. They only know hatred and pain. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Stop." I say, visibly shaking.
"Libra never loved you." He growls, "You are nothing but a burden to her."
It feels like a heavy weight is being pushed down on my chest. I clutch the flannel as I start crying.
"How pathetic." He says, kicking me in the stomach. I then feel my body tense up. He kicked me, just like the man in my dream. I close my eyes as I lose form. With a flash of light, my body becomes bigger and bigger. I don't even look human anymore. In my place, a large creature rises. Giant body, claws, tail, wings, scales. I'm a dragon now. I open my eyes and focus on the prince. I let out a loud roar and swipe at him.Prince Serren grabs my hand with a smirk. He shifts into a large black mass, bigger than Libra's demon form. His arms have the consistency of a black, goopy substance. He has no horns, but a second mouth on his stomach.
"Let me show you hell." He growls. The black goop hardens, turning his hands into sharp claws. He lunges at me, knocking me to the ground. I cry out in pain as he digs his claws into my sides. He scratches me to the point where I have no choice but to shift out of the dragon form. The monster grins at me. I watch in horror as the second mouth opens, revealing a long green tongue.
"You will never escape." The monster says as the tongue wraps around my legs. I start screaming and crying. I feel scared and violated. Before the torture can continue, Sagittarius throws the monster off of me. He then picks me up and walks out of the throne room, holding me in his arms.
"I'm sorry, little guy." He says.
Libra's POV
My body has gone numb from the pain. My vision is blurred. I can only hear static. They've cut me, stabbed me, beaten me senseless, and broke three of my ribs. Yet, I can still breathe. They won't kill me. Piss me off? Maybe, but they won't kill me. They're only keeping me alive so they can bring me in and appease their false deity of a prince. Still, I pray to whatever god there is that Ditto isn't hurt. They know damn well what will happen if he is. I tug at the shackles around my wrists. As I suspected, they don't budge. Who am I kidding? My body is damaged, I'm not getting out of here anytime soon. I sigh and lower my head. I rest my eyes, listening to the silence. I then chuckle as I hear a thump.
"I know you're there, asshole." I say, raising my head.
Gemini whistles as he walks into my field of vision. He's dressed in all black, his usual trench coat replaced by an apron. He holds a meat cleaver in his gloved hands.
"Who are you supposed to be?" I ask, "Billy Butcher?"
Gemini chuckles and shakes his head, "I ain't a butcher, sunshine."
"What a let down." I say.
Gemini kicks me hard in the chest, causing me to cough violently. He then crouches in front of me, cupping my cheek with a gloved hand.
"You're going to die tonight, Libra." He says.
I smirk, responding by spitting blood directly into his eye. He growls and smacks me in the face. Breaking my shackles with a single yank, he throws me to the ground and steps on my chest. I groan and weakly claw at his leg, but it's no use. I'm too weak.
"You always were a bitch." He hisses as he sits on me, "I'm gonna enjoy this."
Before I can respond, he brings the blade of the cleaver down on my chest. I growl in pain, earning a smirk from him. He brings it down again, this time hitting one of my seven hearts. I cough up blood as pain spreads through my body like a disease. With each hack, he hits another heart.
Chop.
"That's two now." He says.
Chop. Chop. Chop.
"Three. Four. Five."
Chop.
"That makes six."
I can barely breathe, but I can feel the blood pooling around my body. I feel his hot breath on my face as he leans in close, "You'll come back, I know you will."
He then whispers in my ear, "And when you do, Serren will be waiting for ya."
Gemini raises his arm and brings down the cleaver one final time.
"Seven."
Life is flowing out of my body. Pain is flowing out with my blood. The ground is red and moist where I am laying. God in heaven, teach me how to die.