Of Love and Death.

The Past Chapter 18: The Storm Pt. 2

The shadow's name was Spider. Mind hadn't known her before she'd walked in here. And he was actually somewhat glad about that. She followed Cold. That wasn't a good sign. Judging from how she was glaring at everyone here with her eight eyes, the sign was correct about her personality. She seemed like a slightly tamer version of Cold. But why she was here, no one knew.

Yet Spider was playing nice. She hadn't tried to harm anyone since coming here. As a matter of fact, she'd been quite polite as Sight walked her here, according to the messenger. If you ignored how the shadow was glaring at everyone. Like right now. Even as she stood calmly in front of Light and Dark, she still glared at them with some kind of contempt.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mind was watching the two dragons. Light and Dark. They were acting almost identical. Sitting with forelegs folded and twitching tails. "Why are you here, Spider?" Dark asked in his booming voice. A voice Mind knew was supposed to say "I'm in charge".

It didn't work. Spider just rolled her eyes. Mind peaked in her head. She was imitating Cold. Actually, consciously, imitating Cold. Because this shadow looked up to the evil Nexus Force. Looked up to her in the same way that he looked up to, well, Dark. Like they knew exactly what they were doing, like they were doing the right thing, like they could be trusted. The similarities made him nervous.

Somehow, Spider caught Mind looking at her. And, she knew that he was reading her thoughts. However, instead of getting mad or even scared, Spider just winked. It was unnerving. She knew exactly what he thought of her, and she didn't care. She didn't care that she was just a pawn in someone else's game. It was unnerving.

With one last drawn out smirk in Mind's direction, Spider turned back to the two leaders. "I am here because Cold has a message for you all," she said proudly, enjoying the fact that she had been chosen to fulfill this important job. And everyone else stiffened at her answer. If someone hadn't been paying attention before, if they hadn't cared before, they did now.

Next to Mind, Fire spread his wings a little bit. It was his habit, wasn't it? To try and seem stronger, bigger, brighter. It worked. Fire looked imposing. Like there was a monster just underneath the surface. But a kind monster. A monster that Mind knew would just work to protect those that he cared about.

The two dragons exchanged a look, Light and Dark speaking a secret that Mind wasn't even privy to. "Alright then," Light said after a moment. "Why don't you tell us what this message is?" Clearly that was exactly what Spider wanted to hear. Her smile grew wider. And then she spoke words which chilled Mind to his bones.

"I will tell you, word for word, what Cold said," Spider declared. She straightened up, rolled her shoulders back. Like she was putting on a show. "'Mind and Fire are traitors, deceivers, and backstabbers. I wish to have my way with them. I, with my council, will soon be at Earth's Planet. We expect to see you, and the two of them, there to surrender. If not, expect to lose a fight. And lose the Sun's Orb sooner than you would have otherwise."

With one single step, Mind pressed his side up against Fire. He wrapped their fingers together. Like he was begging. Like it was a plea. And he didn't miss his boyfriend replying with the same unspoken words. He was not a traitor. He was not a deceiver. He was not a backstabber. He was not dating Cold. And he hadn't been for a long, long time. She was insane.

The gall of the request. Mind was not afraid to shame Cold for it. The actual insanity, the entitlement, of thinking that she could send someone. Someone to demand that he and Fire rip themselves apart. She would kill Fire if she got the chance. Mind didn't doubt that in the slightest. And what would she do to him? Would she kill him? Or would she try and get him back? Or even something else that he couldn't fathom? Mind didn't know. He didn't want to know.