Arcadian Family Reunion. (Clones allowed.)

The moment Euna started to move, a sick smile crept onto Spade’s face. This is what he was waiting for. He was hoping his words would illicit this response from the girl. All he had to do now was endure just a little more pain. Almost as if they had seen through Spade’s plan, Thalia and Club rushed after Euna. Club being solid stone was obviously far to slow to grab a hold of the enraged demon. Thalia on the other hand was quick thinking enough to use her demon bone tool to jolt forward after Euna.

For all it was worth, Thalia’s efforts were still in vein as she lacked any real strength to pry Euna off of her father. Whats more, the flailing armor of energy managed to knock Thalia to the ground as it moved to strike Madeline. The queen simply tilted her head out of the way to avoid the wouldbe backhand. That unfortunately meant loosening her grip on Spade however, and despite taking a thrashing from Euna in the form of those strange hands and also her voice, this was the moment he was waiting for. A thin glow enveloped his body for just a moment before a massive and extremely powerful burst of psyonic force would separate Euna and himself.

The red skinned demon, that ill begotten mistake of his, managed to take a small chuck of flesh with her, but it was better than losing more. The expanding force managed to knock Vae’ett and Madeline back just as they attempted to recapture him. And faster than the blink of an eye a blinding light filled the hall and by the time it cleared, Spade was gone. Madeline took a moment to adjust after the flash of light, but she had already known what happened. She slowly rose to her feet, her gaze didn’t meet anyone’s. Instead she quietly strode to where Spade was when he vanished and picked up a dull tiny crystal off the ground.

The queen stared at the small stone in her palm for a moment, before softly clenching her fist around it. It was fair to say no one in the room had seen this coming. Madeline felt on the verge of just exploding with rage. She used every ounce of her strength to keep level headed. “Go find him. Get Diamond and fill her in with all the details.” She finally turned to face the group, Vae’ett still off to her own side. “You are to tell an many as you can that Spade is a traitor and anyone found helping him, will wish they hadn’t.”

Club and Thalia both had words on the tips of their tongues, but could just tell deep down that not immediately following orders was a bad idea. The two instead, just nodded and took off. With them gone, Madeline’s gaze now turned to Euna. If she hadn’t had a shred of compassion or understanding in her body, she’d reduce the girl to ashes. But the sudden outburst of rage was understandable. So for now she was willing to let sleeping dogs lie. She wasn’t even sure what to say in this moment. Belittling the girl would not help, at least not now, but she most certainly was never going to live this moment down.

She had him. She was ready to tear him apart. But her eyes showed her that she made the mistake. She watched as light covered the man and she watched as he vanished into the midst of the explosion, even as it sent her sliding back. Not a second passed that she didn't watch it, like in slow motion, as Spade vanished. And she hated every damn second of it. Every damn millisecond. Rising to a stand, the Arcadian stared at the spot he had vanished from.

She had an almost permanent frown as she held a hand out, a second, glowing hand hovered above it, before vanishing slowly into sparks of strange energy that seemed to seep back into her very being. Bits of seared flesh fell into her palm and she stared at it for a long moment. Spade's flesh. She didn't have pockets so she slipped it to the waist of her skirt. It was cooked. But it still smelled like him. Gone he may be now, she would find him. Mistake now... Pleasure later.

Closing her eyes, she opened them to watch the tail ends of Club and Thalia vanish. The only two she had some semblance of care for were gone now. That wasn't good. So instead magenta eyes looked to the Queen, who was looking back at Euna herself. The demon was surprised that the woman in front of her hadn't said anything. Unleashed holy hell fire. Whatever. Euna didn't care. "We... Didn't get the chance to really introduce ourselves. I am Euna Paw. Supposed daughter of Spade... And your sister. Apparently. I was locked away in a cell for thousands of years and spent the last four hundred roaming earth, hoping to never see an Arcadian. That stopped when I met your daughter." Euna did her best to not spit in the woman's direction. She had a hard enough time putting any emotion into her face. She did manage to copy the bow the Queen had done when she had introduced themselves to Euna but she doubted that it held the same respect as the queen had presented. In fact Euna was sure it was mocking. Her frown did twitch to a smile at that thought, if for a moment.

Then her gaze shifted to Vae'ett. That dead expression shifted back to seething anger. "Vae'ett was it?" She asked, hissing the name out. "Is Vaedren or Jett still in there. I hope the answer is yes. I'd rather not embarrass myself." Euna spat, an eye finding the Queen again, accusing. Fixed them. This wasn't fixing. She felt her breathing labor. Her anger was boiling. She felt like screaming again, but she didn't wish her throat to go raw... Maybe she didn't care.

She wanted to kill. She wanted to kill Spade but he wasn't here. She wanted to kill the Queen, but she couldn't. Didn't mean she didn't want to try... Who even was the Queen to her now? Euna didn't want to accept she had any part of that woman inside of her. Nothing. It was against everything Euna understood.

Perhaps it was nerves or possibly something else, but Euna felt the need to speak. And it was to the queen first. An introduction, as if that hadn’t been done already. Madeline could do, she could bite her tongue. She didn’t need to say anything rude. But it couldn’t be helped, she slipped. The second Euna was done speaking, Madeline peered at the demon with eyes ablaze. “Let’s get one things perfectly clear. You, are not my sister’s daughter. Nor will you ever be. You were crea-” Madeline managed to catch herself. Her gaze shifting if only for a moment from the girl.

Her eyes would once again lock with Euna’s, the look on her face spelled it out very clearly that she was not happy. She’d turn her back on the girl and march over to her thrown where she’d take a seat. Madeline would look down at her metal hand, her fingers slowly retracting to reveal the dull stone she had been clutching. While she sulked in silence and studied the stone, she kept an ear out on the conversation now unfolding between Vae’ett and Euna. The girl just couldn’t stop could she.

Vae’ett like the others stared at the spot where Spade once stood. Gone just like that in a flash. She could scream right about now. Not because he got away, but because the bit of Vaedren that made her up, yearned to see that demon suffer and now he was gone. The demon’s eyes narrowed at Euna. “What is that supposed to mean? Vae’ett relaxed their posture a bit before continuing. “aRe ThEy StIlL iN tHeRe?” she’d say in a mocking tone. “I’m my own damn person. With my own thoughts and feelings.” Despite that last statement, a slight hint of shame and sorrow washed over her. Jett’s humanity and the combined feelings of Vaedren and Jett for Euna, made Vae’ett feel bad for acting the way she did.

Euna raised a brow to the queen. Was that a sore spot. Euna refused to see herself as anything less then who she was. TO be a clone. That wasn't who she was. That meant she was just a copy. As Spade said. She was anything but. She was a failed creation. A mix of DNA. She fucking vored herself out of a surrogate. But still the woman knew when it was tact to not speak further on something. Yet. Instead, she retraced her steps to the spear she had dropped earlier. Picking it up as Vae'ett spoke.

Grip tightening when the thing dared to mock her. "You don't get to be your own fucking person." Euna spat, turning back towards the combination, taking slow steps as she passed the spear from one hand to another. "Perhaps that is rude. You're Vae'ett. But you've already betrayed yourself with that name. Vaedren. Jett. My how boring you are for being your own person." Euna shot back, mocking. She had no sympathy for the outer appearance that stood before her. Not right now.

Didn't help that she needed to vent. "But speaking of them. I liked. Jett. She's a lovely human. Had a lot on her plate. But she did good. She is good. Vaedren? Once I couldn't have cared less for that shite... But he looked after her. In a sense. He loved her. That was good enough for me." She stopped when she was near ten feet away from the creation. Holding her spear out towards them, almost threateningly.

"So say that again. Say you are your own damn person. And mean it. Mean it so that I can have an excuse to stop holding back. Cause I don't care for you. I don't care for the bitch queen that made you. I came here to this fucking plane for two reasons. Spade, so that Club, Thalia... And I guess myself could learn the truth. Look where that panned out. Hilarious... And Jett. Cause I wanted to save her... But I see that I made a mistake on thinking the Queen could do that." Euna stared at the creation. If Euna had a filter, she was doing a good job of hiding it. She barely held herself back from spitting more words at the supposed Queen. No. Euna doubted her words mattered anymore.

What words could matter to the Queen when those words came from an abomination. A creation, stolen from her sister by a trusted solider. Nothing changed. Euna didn't belong here. She never had before. From the moment she had been born... She didn't belong. These feelings swirled inside her. They punched her, kicked her, violently shook her. She could feel tears sliding down her cheeks despite the gaze that held itself taunt at Vae'ett. She could only contain so much. She felt like exploding.

Please. She begged internally. Give her a reason to explode.

Vae’ett bit into her tongue severely. Any more pressure and she’d likely bite it off. She did this in an attempt to ignore what Euna was saying. If she paid any attention to it, she’d likely fly of the rails and well, she doubted the girl was ready for that. That being said, how would Madeline react. For someone in a place they felt they never belonged, Euna was making a good case on why that status should remain. She was talking far to much smack for her own good. Finally Vae’ett couldn’t take it. She spit a massive glob of blood onto the floor in front of Euna. It was a threat in a similar manor to how the ed skinned demon now pointed her spear at the clone.

“You talk a lot of shit for someone who has their head buried so far up their own ass. I am who I am. Those two that you knew, they’re gone and they aint coming back.” Before Vae’ett could really get going, there was a slight rush of wind. Her view of Euna was suddenly obstructed by Madeline. The queen stood between the two demons. There had been enough bullshit for one day and she wasn’t about to let these two cut lose all of a sudden. If they tried, may mercy find them cause she certainly was not in a good mood.

Despite being roughly the same height as Euna, Madeline’s glare made it almost seem like she was larger than life. Like she towered over the girl. “You need to stop living in whatever little bubble you created for yourself. The world is not black and white. You aren’t the only one who’s ever suffered. You paint this vision of what you expect in your head, and you fail to see beyond the frame. I did not do that to Jett and Vaedren” she said, tilting her head slightly back in the direction of the fusion. “As much as I loved Vaedren, I made the choice to sacrifice him for the girl’s sake. That girl cared for Vaedren nearly as much as I did and when the curse was being lifted her soul latched on to his.”

She now took a slight step so she was sideways and the two demons could see each other once again. “What you see before you is the result of that love. That relationship they had for one another. While the circumstances of her birth, and by association, her fusion are different, Vae’ett is essentially their child. So if you truly cared for those two as much as you claim, then you’d do best to show a little respect to who stands before you.”

“Now if you’re done acting like a child and through with your little temper tantrum, then I suggest you compose yourself so we can talk more civilly.” It was asking for a lot, especially with how the girl had been conducting herself this entire time. She’d more than likely talk some more shit, maybe even explode, But Madeline did not fear her. The stern look on the queens face should have been warning enough.

It was all smiles to the blood spat towards the demonic woman. Eyes were blurry, but she didn't need good sight to see where the thing in front of her was standing for her spear. Her smile grew when Vae'ett spat some words out. Something about asses and another declaration that her friends were gone. That was all she needed. Magic sparked up Euna's spear, but before she could throw it. Something hit her eye. The Queen. She was in the corner, slowly moving towards Vae'ett.

Slowly for Euna. She had to admit. The Queen was fast. But she wasn't that fast. Euna felt some satisfaction that she could be faster then the Queen with her spear. Could be she wasn't moving at her full speed however. She needed to temper her expectations of winning.

Blinking the tears from her eyes. She could no longer see Vae'ett clearly with the Queen in her way. And the Queen was staring. She could feel the intensity of such a stare from such a powerful woman. Lesser beings would understand their place. It only made Euna smile. She had no fear for this woman in front of her. Her fears had long since been passed. Her cell. Coming to Arcadia. She had done both. She no longer had fear. Still. The Queen was speaking. Euna understood that she had spoken quite a bit, so perhaps it was time for someone else to talk.

Too bad the talking was half annoying... And half grief. Euna stared pass the Queen until she moved. Watching Vae'ett. So. That was that... "Heh." It was soft, but Euna smiled with the sound. Of course, Jett would latch onto Vaedren. Apparently to fix Jett, Vaedren must have had to die as if he needed to be sacrificed. Euna still wasn't okay with that... And yet he was. Jett however, much like the demoness was not. She latched on to him. Her soul and his, with whatever magic at work. It made the thing in front of her.

"Haaa. Should have said that sooner. Jeez. Sounds like Jett to do something stupid. And it is stupid. She should have lived her life... Instead of becoming you. But I can accept that." Euna sighed. She could. She wasn't Jett's mother. If that woman decided to be herself, then fine... Okay she wasn't fully happy with it. But it seems Euna didn't have a choice. Souls were tough cookies. Two souls becoming one and making a whole new being? But that meant Jett and Vaedren were indeed still alive. You can't just forget them if you were once them.

It was insane. "And that was me being civil. But let us get something very clear. I'm not an idiot. People suffer. There was this shy little thing that Jett knew. Traumatized by an Arcadian you locked away inside a pendent. We tried helping her. It didn't go very well. A lot of mistakes made. A lot of words said. But she had help. She had Jett and Vaedren. Much like how I assume, Vae'ett had you. Thalia seems to have Club. People who suffer. Most of them are lucky to have people that care about them. Others. Not so much." The words were softer then Euna wanted them to be. It was a fond memory. Working with Jett and Vaedren. Trying to save that girl from the mobsters. The smell wasn't very nice remember. Still stung her nose.

"So understand that I'm rude. I'm abrasive. I'm a literal bitch. I got reasons for deciding to be this way. Far beyond pushing people who can't handle it away. You might have heard about my isolation. My imprisonment." Euna held her arms wide, staring right at the queen. She had no will to impose, but her stare, like a predator looking at prey was its own thing. "I could explain it. How it felt. But you don't care do you? Because I was born from Spade raping your sisters DNA. Think I'm proud of that? You think that isn't on my mind right now? The disgust that that man. Is my father!" Euna snapped. The tears back. Damn it. She tried to rub them away, tried to hold the sob in her voice back, but it was too late. She was exploding. Not the way she wanted. She didn't want to cry. Damn it she didn't want to cry in front of them.

Why did Madeline have to go and say those things about Jett and Vaedren. It just made Vae’ett’s skin crawl. She just wanted to be herself. Instead she had to experience and feel what those to did. It got her mind all crossed up. Vae’ett would sit in silence as The two other demons made their exchange. Euna was definitely suffering and everyone had their own ways of coping. For Vae’ett it was picking fights and getting beat up. The pain helped her focus. It helped her be her and not some amalgamation of Jett and Vaedren’s feelings and experiences.

Madeline stood before Euna ready for the girl to snap. It seemed like it would be inevitable. Johanna did it when the two finally met. The demon that stood before the queen reminded her quite a bit of her daughter, though perhaps a bit rougher around the edges. But there was something that Johanna had that Euna never did. Johanna got to grow up with loving parents. She grew up in an environment that wanted and nurtured her. What did Euna have? Maybe it was Madeline’s maternal instincts kicking in, but she really did feel sorry for Euna. As queen of Arcadia, Madeline always had to show her strength as a ruler and leader, but there were more ways than one to show strength and power. Sometimes it meant showing the strength to be compassionate to those who justly deserved it.  

She internally sighed to herself, she was growing soft. But maybe soft was what was needed right now. What Madeline did next, she knew it wasn’t going to change things right away, nor was it going to adjust Euna’s attitude on the spot. But Madeline felt it needed to be done. She was kind of glad her knights wouldn’t be here to see what she was going to do. Vae’ett she’d have to deal with later. But, caught up in the moment and feeling for Euna, and seeing so much of Johanna in the young demon, prompted Madeline to stride forward and wrap her arms around the now teary eyed demon.

Madeline squeezed the girl tightly and stroked her inky black hair softly. She felt like she should say something as well, but no words came to mind. She simply embraced the young demon for the moment. “This doesn’t make up for everything you’ve been through, but I hope its a start.”

A few tears began to roll down Vae’ett’s cheeks as she stared at Madeline and Euna. A sense of warmth overcame her. The fusion understood where these emotions were coming from. Jett and Vaedren no doubt would have been moved by such a sight. And while Vae’ett was all about being her own person and having her own experiences and emotions, she’d let this one moment slide.

Despite the woman's insistence that her eyes stop, they seemed keen to disobey her. She expected no pity. No nicety. All she wanted was to go home now. Get away from this embarrassment. Her arm wiped away at the tears and she choked to try and stop the sobs. None of it worked. So call it the surprise. The sheer shock that overcame her body that managed to quiet the sobs for just a moment when arms wrapped themselves around the demon.

Bright red hair was in her way as Euna looked to the bronze like skin that was suddenly right next to her. "What are yo-" Euna started, wanting to push this personal bubble invader away, her muscles tensed to do just that... But she couldn't bring herself to finish it. She just allowed it. Trying to ignore the words. Trying. She didn't deserve them anyway.

Sniffing, Euna realized that the explosion of emotion had all but flushed itself out, leaving her to just be hugged by this woman she'd just met recently. And sworn at. And might be related too because of an asshole being an asshole. This was a weird day. "Alright, alright get off me. I thought you were the Queen, not some hug bear." Euna started lightly trying to push the woman away, her words more teasing then anything else.

Arms free, she'd wipe away at whatever remained of her tears. She needed to be proper. Couldn't be some crybaby. "Thank you... I'll find him. Spade. I'll find him. Kill him. No. I'll find a way to kill him permanently. I don't want him to suffer. I just want him dead." Euna stated, nodding to herself. She meant it. She was going to kill him. And she'd do her damn best to make sure he couldn't return... Even if that meant testing her little theory. Breaking a rule. She'd eat him if she had too.

"And seeing as I'm doing shite for every Arcadian under the sun now... I'll keep an eye out for... Shit. I don't know her name. My- your sister..." Euna frowned, taking her black hair and running a hand through it. She wanted to ask. She was going to ask. "I don't know her face so I'll assume it's something like yours... Is her... Is her hair brown? Lightest of auburns?" The woman asked, almost shyly, sheepish. Euna had to know. If her hair, before she had continuously dyed it black... If it was a product of this woman that didn't have a choice in being her mother.

Madeline felt Euna’s initial struggles to break free of the hug, but that only made the queen latch on tighter. While she wouldn’t admit it out loud, this felt nice. It wasn’t her own daughter she was hugging, but the idea that this demon shared so many similarities with the ashen haired princess made the hug a decent substitute. Once Madeline was certain the girl had settled down, based on her slight playfulness in trying to get the queen off her, Madeline would relinquish her hold of the demon and take a few steps back.

“Who says Im not the queen of hugs to?” she’d say with a smug smile which was quickly wiped away by a sudden outburst from Vae’ett “LAME!” Madeline’s head would tilt slightly in the direction of the fusion. “Oh my, was that an Original thought I heard you mutter? I know my dearest Vaedren wouldn’t dare call me that.” The queen would take a slight jab back at the pink skinned demon. Vae’ett’s face would turn red with embarrassment which she’d quickly try to hide by sticking their tongue out at the queen.

Madeline’s amber gaze would shift back to Euna, who for the most part seemed in a much better mood that just a few moments ago. “Not that Im saying you need it, nor that you’d accept it, but Club and Thalia would be more than happy to assist you. Vae’ett to.” She’d glance back once more at the fusion, who oddly didn’t retort. Instead, she looked past the queen, dead at Euna and nodded.

“Shanalotte. Her name is Shanalotte…” Madeline’s voice was trail off as she said her sisters name. It had been so long since she had seen her dear sister. If she wasn’t so stubborn she could go to her family for help, but Madeline had burned those bridges eons ago. She vowed she’d never go to them for anything. If Shanalotte was still out there, she’d find her. With a slight shake of the head, Madeline would snap herself back to reality. She’d find herself glancing at Euna’s hair as she asked the question about Shanalotte’s. This only told Madeline, that the inky black was not the red skinned demon’s natural color. “Her hair was quite the dark shade of brown.”

The queen would stand in silence for a moment before placing a metal finger to her lips as she thought to herself. “I don’t know what your plan is now. Doubt you’d want to hang around this place to much longer, or maybe you do, I don’t care. This place is your home whether you want it to be or not. But take this before you leave or I forget to give it to you.” Holding her metal hand out to Euna, Madeline would snap with her free hand and a small obsidian colored stone would appear in her hand. At the stones center seemed to be a warm burning ember. Not hot, but a nice soothing warmth when held. “Until you figure out to get to and from Arcadia on your own, this stone will do the job for you. All you gotta do is hold it to your chest and think of either any place on earth, or here and the stone will open the way for you.”

"Shanalotte... Shanalotte..." The demon took a moment to taste the words. Odd name. But it was a name. A good, strange little name. And it was the name of someone who... Closing her eyes she took in that indeed, the brown like hair was because of this woman, Shanalotte. Seems she did have some part of her... She let out a small growl at how hard it was to say. She would never think less of herself. As some creation. No. She was a daughter.

"Well. If they're around when I decide to hunt, I'll see if they'd like to come along." Euna pursed her lips to the offer of assistance. Suppose she shouldn't say no. Never would she say yes. She had to be difficult in some form. Even as she took the small stone that seemed to allow her to move from Arcadia to earth. Anywhere, the Queen claimed. The demon didn't want to think it too easy.

"Ehh. I think I'll leave. Nice as it is here, I've caused quite the kerfuffle. That and you smell as good as you look and while my hunger is oddly quiet, it'll be back. This land is... Intoxicating. I just want to eat everything till nothing remains. But that isn't me." The woman sighed, leaning on her spear. Giving Vae'ett another look. She shook her head and wiggled a finger to them.

"I still think some part of Jett is in ya you little shite. But that part of Jett is you too. So don't be afraid to embrace the good parts. The bad parts of her and Vandren too. Accepting what you were might just help you realize who you want to be. Or maybe it'll fuck you up. Can't hurt to try." Euna smiled as she stepped back, hand on hip. Yea. She was satisfied with this.

Not entirely. She gave the queen another look up and down, and sighed longingly. "Real fucking shame we're related now. I mean, I hated you, but damn would I have done things to you before today. Might still dislike you a little. And by the fucking way. Go and talk to your daughter before I do. The little shit needs you." Euna spoke bluntly. It was just who she was... But then she smiled as she brought that small little gem to her chest. A portal opened to what looked like an attic, filled entirely with junk that seemed to come from different periods of time, and along the wall, a line of paintings. The most near and obvious one is a near perfect yet entirely imperfect recreation of Arcadia.

Stepping towards it, she gave the Queen one final look. "Same to you actually. You ever need my help. Pay a visit. I doubt I'll ever bow to you. Too damn proud. But... I can help my aunt." She teased, stepping through the portal and watching it close. Alone again... And yet she had a goal. Several In fact. She looked at the old painting. She had an idea for a new art piece.