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The prisoner sits on the bed in her cell, listening for any more sounds of... whatever that was. A battle? A tornado? Both? Hard to tell. But she can't help but smile as a pair of footsteps echo from the stairs. But they sound... uneasy. The rhythm is off. But she doesn't care. There are only two other people in this castle, and only one of them comes down here by themselves...
The human grins, "Finally! The service in this place is TERRIBLE! I asked for an extra pillow three days ago! And the smell! I rate this place two stars at best!"
She shuts up when Eclipse stumbles in, orange and black battle armor cracked and falling apart. One arm hangs limply by his side, and he can't walk straight. The star floats by his side, slowly healing his wounds. Eclipse takes off the helmet, allowing his rays to extend back out. He spits oil on the ground.
"If you'd stop breaking in to steal my star, I wouldn't have to put you here." Eclipse coughs and tosses the broken helmet to the floor, "Hello, Jupiter."
"Hello to you too, Lord Asshole." She gawks at him, "Yeesh! You look like crap." Jupiter grins, "What I miss?"
"Wither Storm." Eclipse slides to the ground and leans back against the wall. The star continues to slowly heal his wounds.
Her smile drops. She stands and rushes to the bars of her cage. "You're shitting me."
"A pretty old one, too."
"Damn. Glad I listened to my instincts and didn't break out while I could." She sighs. "So, why are you gracing me with your presence, your majesty?"
"Just making sure my favorite prisoner is still alive." He grumbles and cringes from the pain.
"And your favorite servant?"
"Dead."
Jupiter freezes. There's a long pause between the two of them.
"I can make another Sun. It's not hard."
"You can't bring back the dead with the Star." She states.
"I have backups. Building a new body is simple enough." He scoffs. "Eventually. Maybe this one will actually be useful."
Jupiter lowers herself down to his eye level, balancing on the balls of her feet. A mischievous smile plays on her lips, "So? how was it?"
Eclipse pauses his labored breaths. He starts laughing. It turns loud and maniacal before he coughs up more oil. A pleased smile crosses his face, "Exhilarating." More coughing. Eclipse shakes his head clear and sighs. "However, many of the settlements took a lot of damage.
"Oh boo hoo, so some of your ant farms broke. It's about time something more interesting happened around here." She huffs.
"I'll have to start again."
Jupiter groans and stands back up. "ANOTHER reset?!" she throws her hands up and rolls her eyes, "Sure, why not! It's not like it'll be any different than the last THREE TIMES!"
Resets. Despite only a hundred years going by, this was Eclipse's third attempt at creating civilizations "free of suffering and pain". Every time he failed, he would wipe the slate clean. Only 'Olympus,' the large landmass Eclipse's tower resides in, and those that live on it would be unaffected.
"Whatever. Just don't send me back there to die with all the other ants. I'm sick of being reincarnated into families of Eclipse fanatics." Jupiter grumbles.
"If there's a god, you'll actually stay dead this time." Eclipse grumbles.
"Ha! If you couldn't kill me, some higher power won't." She smirks, "I'm probably some punishment sent to piss you off till the end of time."
"Probably." He mumbles.
"Besides, you'd miss me too much!" She laughs loudly.
They're both silent, save for the buzzing from the star, almost done healing him.
Jupiter crosses her arms across her chest and leans her back against the bars. Her voice becomes small. Almost sympathetic. Almost. "He's never coming back, you know?" She sighs. "Montgomery is all that's left of the rebellion. Sun--- new or old --- is too broken to go against you. NO ONE will work with Vanny. And the Stitch Wraith is about as powerful as a dead battery. Everyone else literally worships you." she turns her head to him, "Even if Moon shows up, what is he going to do? Look at you funny?"
Eclipse chuckles darkly, his voice stronger now. He stands back up, his wounds fully healed. "Oh, I'm not worried about him anymore. I have a new quarry to hunt."
Jupiter raises a brow. She slowly turns to him, tilting her head, suspicious. "Who?"
"That Wither Storm was created by a Moon from an alternate dimension. One where I failed in my quest for the star." And then he adds with a wicked smile, "And Lunar lived."
Her eyes widen. She tilts her head to him, one eyebrow raised, "The star doesn't work in other dimensions."
"Not yet." Eclipse raises his hand, and the star floats above his palm. He admires the beacon of power. "Besides, I'll need to upgrade my star to kill the Wither Storm."
Jupiter's eyes widen, "Wait, that thing is still alive?!"
"Do you really think it's possible to kill a Wither this old in a few days?" Eclipse rolls his eyes. "It's collared for now. Enough time for me to rest and regain my strength. But I guarantee the Wither storm WILL die." Eclipse raises his hand, and the star floats above his palm. He admires the beacon of power. "But I've always welcomed a challenge."
He turns his head to Jupiter. "Speaking of..." He steps towards Jupiter. She moves away from the bars as he uses magic to open them. They automatically lock behind him as he steps forward, staring Jupiter down. He leans forward, hands folded neatly behind his back, "Are you finally going to give up this game of yours?"
Jupiter glances over him. Eclipse wasn't the tall and lanky jester he once was. He technically could look like anything, thanks to his nanomachines. But, currently, his favored form is shorter now, slightly taller than an average human. Something about "lulling his enemies into a false sense of security?" (What enemies? He's killed them all.)
Under the battle armor, his body is a mix of jet-black bio-organic metal and silicon, and all ball joints are covered with protective metal shielding. His limbs are more defined, more toned, with sharp claws jutting from his fingers. His tiny, hinged neck was replaced with a stronger humanoid one. His double layer of rays are sharper on the end and give the illusion of a golden crown-like halo. His facial features are more or less the same, with more intricate carvings that spread from his face onto his rays. His disk face is slightly 3-dimensional, with a large black dome on the back, covering the once unprotected wires. Usually, he had a black cape with orange lining flying behind him, but he had to forgo that to wear the armor.
She always found it ironic that someone claiming to hate humanity created a body that looks more human than any kind of animatronic.
"Oh, sweetie, the game never ends," She smiles innocently and winks, "Not until I get that star."
Eclipse chuckles. Then he suddenly snarls and then slams his hands against the wall on either side of her head. His sharp tooth grin widens to almost manic levels. "Good."
He rushes at her. Jupiter raises her arms and lifts her foot, kicking him away. Snarling, he lunges at her. She grabs his wrists and fights back against his hands. But eventually, he slams both of her hands against the wall, holding them over her head.
He captures her in a rough kiss, and her body goes slack. He uses one hand to keep her hands over her head and, with the other, scoops her thigh up in his arm. He deepens the kiss as his claws slide down her leg, digging into her skin. Lines of blood rip down her thigh. She jolts from the pain as they kiss.
He releases the kiss and breathes on her neck. "You usually put up more of a fight. At least try to make it interesting."
"I've been down here for THREE days!" Jupiter just glares at him. "Screw the foreplay!"
He chuckles, "Fine by me," Eclipse suddenly releases her hands. Instead, he grabs her hair and yanks it back. He peppers her neck with kisses.
Jupiter hums with a satisfied smile. She raises her chin for him, enjoying every second.
He continues to grip the back of her head and wraps one arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She giggles as she wraps her arms around his neck.
Eclipse smiles. "You stayed in your cage, so maybe I should reward you..." He suddenly picks her up, throwing her over his shoulders like a caveman. Jupiter laughs. He opens up a small portal. On the other side are his chambers.
He casually tosses Jupiter on the bed. He crawls on top of her and flashes a wicked grin, "You better pray the Wither storm gets loose. Because I won't hold back."
"Ooo, I'm all a quiver." She snarks.
He pushes her down into another kiss. She wraps her arms around his neck as he holds her down. For one moment, he allows himself to let go and forget the looming threat of the Wither Storm. She apparently does the same as she sighs, smiles, and stops pretending to fight him.
When Eclipse first awoke in the mindscape, he never cared about intimacy. And certainly not with a disgusting human. But boredom makes one do strange things. When he became a god, he took a few lovers, some animatronic, human, or something in between, to distract from his boredom. But none could hold his attention for long.
But Jupiter continues to be the exception—To every rule.
His memories of where she came from are foggy. He only knows that she was around before he had the star. He knows they knew each other. And they were obviously more than just allies, based on their current relationship. But that's it. Using the star for so long taxes memories. But if being a god means giving up a few unimportant memories, he fully agrees to the trade-off.
Jupiter, on the other hand, always remembers. He's attempted to wipe her mind or even just edit her memories. He's even tried killing her over and over again. If enough of her body survives, she heals. If it's destroyed, she reincarnates and returns, albeit with new scars.
On several occasions, he attempted to change her into an animatronic or place her in the body of one --- to turn her into something more worthy of him. When that didn't work, he tried turning her into a fly that he could crush under his boot and be done with forever. Nothing works. She always comes back the same. An anomaly, unaffected by the star. Perhaps it's for the best. He doesn't have to pretend around her.
They both know they're monsters.
Eclipse sits back, looking down at her with a satisfied grin. Jupiter's braided hair was now a tangled mess, and the bottom of her tunic was pushed up past her stomach. Once she catches her breath, the human glares at him. "Why did you stop?"
"Just savoring the moment." He grins. "Now... what do you say to you're god?"
She glares at him but smiles innocently. "Pleeeease?"
"Please, what?"
Jupiter rolls her eyes, "Please, you edgy asshole."
Eclipse sneers and digs his claws into her stomach, dragging bloody claw marks down her belly. "What was that?" He growls.
She flinches. Jupiter sighs. She reaches up with her hand and caresses Eclipse's cheek. "Please. My lord. My god." She smiles mischievously, "My Eclipse."
Eclipse grins down at her and licks the drop of blood off of his claws, "Well since you asked so nicely..." He kisses her again. There is a click as he begins to remove his armor. Jupiter, in turn, begins to lift up her shirt.
But soon loving touches become violent bites and scratches, and Jupiter's laughter turns into screams. Eclipse enjoys every moment of it.
Hours later, Eclipse sleeps, a possessive arm wrapped tightly around Jupiter's waist. Clothes and armor surround them on the floor, the thick comforter keeping them warm.
Jupiter opens one eye. She spies the star hovering above them. Her body is covered in the marks and scratches Eclipse gave her this time, slowly being healed by the star. Though Eclipse always makes sure scars remain. Sadist. She stares at the gold and yellow star, circled by metal rings and orange magical runes. Slowly, carefully, she lifts her free hand and reaches out to it. Careful now. She stretches her fingers. She can just barely touch it...
Without opening his eyes, Eclipse grabs her wrist and yanks it back down. "Such a weak attempt." He begins kissing the back of her hand. "It's as if you want to get caught."
"One day, that star will be mine." She smiles sweetly, "And then, I will kill you."
He rumbles with laughter and starts kissing up her shoulder to her neck, eyes still closed. "You'd miss me too much."
Jupiter lets out a long sigh, "You know, every time you use that thing, you lose a part of yourself." She closes her eyes and leans into him, "One day, you'll forget everything. Sun, Moon, Monty, Vanny. You'll forget me."
He reaches over and moves her head to face him. Eclipse leans his forehead against hers, speaking quietly, "Then tell me your secret. Why can't I wipe your memory? Why won't the star work on you?"
She brings a finger to his lips, "So you can kill me the moment I tell you? I'll keep my secrets to myself, Thank you."
"I could always torture it out of you," He warns.
She leans close to him, "Shh." She kisses him once more before pulling back. "Until next time, your majesty." She moves to leave, as she always does. Back into the shadows, where she plans her next move.
Eclipse's face darkens. His arms catch her around her waist, trapping her under the blanket, and pulls her tightly against him. She winces as he digs his claws into her sides, ripping through the blanket's fabric. Jupiter struggles, trying to wrench them off. Eclipse growls, "Oh, no. Not this time." He tightens his grip and starts hearing little cracks and pops from her back. Jupiter cries out, but Eclipse ignores it. "As much as I have enjoyed our little trysts, my dear, I can't have your games distracting me anymore." He whispers in her ear, "You are MINE. It's time you understood that."
She struggles against him, kicking his legs, pounding her fists against his gripe.
"You get two choices. Here. Or the dungeon. Which one would you prefer?"
Jupiter pauses her struggles. Frowning, she relaxes her body and leans back against Lord Eclipse.
"Good pet." He chuckles darkly into her ear. "Keep this up, and I'll let you on a longer leash."
Jupiter mischievously grins over her shoulder at him, "Do I get a fancy collar?"
"Maybe," his laughter rumbles. But Eclipse can't help but feel a tinge of suspicion. She gave in too easily. Something wasn't right. But... he was too exhausted from fighting the Wither Storm to think about it. Just in case, he locks his arms around her, tightly holding on without a way to escape.
Two hours later, Eclipse awakes to find her gone. For some reason, his body aches, and his head is swimming. He looks at the pillow beside him and sees a small scroll. He lays on his back and reads it.
Sorry, Your Majesty, but our game isn't done. Don't worry. That poison won't kill either of us. It'll just let you take a long nap.
Catch me if you can,
Your Jupiter
Eclipse raises a brow. Poison? But how did she...? He thinks back to the bites and scratches he gave her. The multiple times he tasted her blood.
"She built up an immunity... and then drank enough to show up in her bloodstream!" Eclipse chuckles. "Clever." He motions for the star to heal him. "Though not as deadly as it would have been three days ago, was it, my dear?"
He leans back in bed, hands behind his head. He'd worry about her later. For now, he still has a Wither to kill...
And when it's gone, that Moon will be next.
The End
Check out more info about Jupiter on DA here:https://www.deviantart.com/tegandumpleton/art/Jupiter-from-Jupiter-s-Eclipse-1195589323