Neither One

Neither: Forty-One

Leo:

I stared forward into the desolate wasteland before me. A large expanse of magma, shrieks, eerie creatures, bones and things that couldn't even be imagined. The putrid atmosphere making a throat sting slightly and the reddish fog obscuring my vision.

I felt like I wanted to throw up. Yet at the same time, I also felt at peace? Is this hell perhaps? I questioned myself repeatedly.

"I think we're in Sheol..." Lucy trailed off. I turned to her. "That exists? Well... At least we're not in hell I guess?" I tried to think positively but looking at the environment laid out before me, I felt the urge to bite back on my words.

"How are we going to find them?" Lucy asked me as she scanned the environment. I smirked. No matter how much I fought with Emily, there's no way I'd ever leave her to fend off on her own after getting her involved with supernaturals especially when she has a stronger psyche.

I had put a mark on Emily since when we were kids to know where she was at all times. But I guess this place, Sheol? Limbo? isn't on the same plane of existence as earth because I couldn't completely feel the magical signature I placed on Emily. But now that I was here, I could feel it stronger than ever.

"Don't worry about that. I'd always find my Emily." I said and stretched out my palm as light particles converged to form a gigantic figure before us, Lucy watching keenly. "Usually, I summon only Percival because of his height but... Come out, Gabrir!" I commanded and the golden silhouette revealed to be a dragon.

A/N: Remember that dragon? The one that made Leo choose his attributes? Yeah, that's the one! I don't know if I had  given it another  name in the earlier chapters and if I did, I've forgotten (please do well to remind me) so for now, it's gonna be called Gabrir.

"Lucy, this is Gabrir. Put me through hell to choose an attribute but we're cool now." I smiled nudging Gabrir with my elbow he breathed a hot mist at me, I could've sworn he tried to burn me because it was really hot.

"Okay, let's go. Gabrir, you can see the magical signature right?" Leo asked as they climbed on his back, Lucy a little hesitant. "Don't worry, Gabrir flies safe...ahhhhh" Leo screamed and Lucy let out a Yelp as they took off flying in a split second.

***

Icarus:

"I guess he's actually not coming..." I sighed getting ready to go drag him out myself. I had promised father that I'd do this. I had taken his friends to lure him here but seems he really didn't care after all.

I turned my eye to look at the Angel and demon kneeling beside me. Both of them under my spell as their parents were locked in cages. Good thing, I used  their mother to lure  Daemon and stop him from using his magic. Command magic, darkness of dominance. No wonder he's father's favorite. What a hassle. At least the runes on the cage stops his spells from working.

"Where do you think your brother will be?" I asked the angel girl. "I don't know master." She said in a trance as the last of her wounds healed. I saw her light once, it was that of emotions. Not particularly strong but can be disastrous depending on how you use it. The real problems are darkness of space and that child...

"Oh well... Since he's not coming guess I can get rid of this one first." I turned to the girl. The one that always follows him around. Looking at her made me angry. I didn't expect her to have a stronger psyche and most of all, she made me bleed. Me?!!!!

"Good ridd..." My voice lodged in my throat before I could take any action as an unnatural presence manifested, although the intimidating pressure it exuded, it filled me with joy. The time  has come at last.

I looked up to the sky to see a pillar of light headed straight towards me and in a bright flash, the girl before me was gone and the streak of light had landed going up into a towering flaming whirlwind.

Leo:

"Emily, Em.. Em... Wake up. I'm here... Please say something..." I begged her unconscious form holding her body after I freed it from Icarus' grasp as the towering flames around us gradually receeded. I could feel tears pricking at my eyes. Was I too late?   Please, universe.... If there's a god, please let her be okay. I mentally prayed.

"L.. Leo..?" She stuttered. "Em..." I reached down and hugged her tightly the tension in my chest gradually fading and the tears in my eyes finally falling out. "warm... Are you crying?" She asked weakly. "No, the heat is making my eyes water. Demons don't cry. Idiot." I laughed and hugged her.

"Can you stand?" I asked. She nodded. I put her down gently and nodded at Lucy. "I'll buy you as much time as you need. Please be safe both of you." I said to them as the flames gave way covering us in a blanket of smoke. "Be careful. He's strong and he's after you." Lucy said as she picked Emily's hands and disappeared into the thickness.

I turned to Icarus. "You..." It was our principal. Who would've thought that someone who appeared  so nice could be a demon? Damon exists. "Yes, me. I really thought you weren't going to come. I don't like waiting."

"Where's Liam?" I asked. "Rude. He's locked in with your parents." Icarus answered. "Well, give him to me and I'll be on my way." I snapped. "Not going after your family?" Icarus asked. Family? What family? " Don't waste my time... " I was cut short by a black energy rapidly making it's way to me and stepped to the side and the energy hit the ground making the part it hit to disappear. I turned to Damian who glared at me from Icarus' side.

"I really don't have time for this. I'll just have your siblings beat you up. You may hate them but you have a soft spot for your family so I wondered how.... " With a flick of his fingers, Elle rushed at me and I slapped her sideways making her lose balance before shooting a condensed energy of darkness at her rendering her unconscious.

" Soft spot? " I asked. "Guess I was wrong. Still, you have never beaten this one in anything." He waved and Damon stood before him. "Ready for a rematch, brother?" He said the last word with so much venom that made me think maybe the spell he was being controlled by made him harbor more hatred than normal to me.

"Leo... " I heard a familiar voice call and I turned to look at my dad who was cradling my mom in a sealed prison. "Don't hurt him badly." He ordered me. Don't hurt him? Funny. Smiling at the man that gave birth to me, I said with no emotion, "I won't hurt him, don't worry. I'll kill him."

"Funny." Damon laughed and stretched out his palm before saying; "Mana field: Nigrum foramen mortis." and in the next second, everything around me changed.

I was no longer in that fiery place but I was now in space? Nothing but stars could be seen in the black environment for miles and miles and I was floating. "You think you have power? I'll show you power." I heard Damian's voice. Although I couldn't see him, when he spoke it was as if his voice was coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. So it was extremely difficult to point out his location. That's if he was even there.

"Power? You call this power? Funny. You know what happens when you cast a mana  field in a mana field? The stronger one overrides... " I laughed. Stretching out my palm, I casted; " Mana field: Dies tenebris, clarissima nocte." And immediately, everywhere went silent. There was a crack in the space and although it couldn't completely cancel out Damon's mana field, his location was now reveled.

"There you are. Brother!" I smiled devilishly as I  gazed down at him.