Shadow Slave Cinema (reaction fanfic)

Inside the endless hallway, everyone stared at where the breach in the curtains had just been, as the two statements continued to blink in the air.

[Cosmos viewing has ended]

[Malicious presence detected]

Most were filled with confusion, while a small mixed group had a growing sense of fear and unease. Though they were incapable of perceiving how it was possible, the correlations were not too far fetched.

Space…

Malicious presence….

Was it…him?

The third Sovereign who had been lost in space, time and history? The one that struck fear even into the hearts of Anvil and Ki Sung?

Most were fortunately oblivious to the idea, as information regarding Asterion was tightly guarded and limited, as supposedly through the simple gesture of knowing or saying his name, he would become aware of your existence. Nephis, Cassie, Morgan and Jest all wore looks of concern as the possibilities probed in their minds.

'Had he somehow found the space?'

…..

No….

If he was capable of sensing and arriving at their destination, it would be illogical, as what would then stop him from leaving the moon and making his existence known back on earth? Additionally, they were in a supposed nebula light years away from their own, meaning that whatever was out there was something entirely alien to their knowledge.

And maybe even more dangerous..?

They lowered their heads at the idea, silently dreading, as a voice finally spoke up.

"Ummm….What the hell was that?" Luster stammered in a shaken tone,

Everyone slowly looked at him with gloomy faces, equally uninformed.

"Dangers of the Unknown…." Julius murmured, causing people to shift

"Space is vast and infinite, it is only natural some horrors beyond our imagination prowl around, fortunately we have a cheat that keeps us hidden from these forces!" he chortled,

"What dangers?" Solvanne questioned in a low tone.

Julius looked at her, and shrugged,

"Gods..? Daemons..? Something even more dangerous? Who knows? While I aspire to know as well, in reality, I am just a simple professor who educates people on the basics of how to start a fire.." he sighed in a placant tone.

'Something even more dangerous…'

What could possibly be above, and more dangerous than Gods and Daemons?

Heads lowered as some let out sighs. Truly it was harrowing and humbling to be reminded of how small and feeble their existences were in the face of such implausible forces.

Nephis, Cassie, Morgan and Jest felt a wave of relief at the reasoning. Though Asterion was likely not at such a level, strangely…..they still felt more fear at him.

Kai looked around in disbelief, seemingly shocked by everyone's lack of concern about the woman they had just seen.

"Yes, yes, that's all fascinating but are we going to gloss over how there was a live human out there!?" he gasped in disbelief.

"What of it? The Nightmare Spell has proven and taught us that the impossible, is more than real" Gilead replied, causing Kai's eyes to widen.

"That doesn't change the fact that she was alive and trying to tell us something out there!" he complained in protest.

"We likely wouldn't have been able to understand what she even wrote with the Nightmare Spell cut off, which does automatic translations for us" Saint Cor murmured.

Kai turned side to side.

"But still!"

"We are just as oblivious and shocked as you" Notis hummed, before bringing his hand to his chin in thought.

"Although I would love to learn about her world, the clothes she wore were quite stylish..." he murmured in thought.

Everyone stared in disbelief at Noctis carefree tone, as they became even more confused on the events they had just witnessed.

Julius paused as he seemed to be considering something, before looking up to bring everyone back to focus.

"From now on, let's not take such risks. We seem to be straying from our main objective, of reaching this so-called…..waiting room. The place doesn't seem to want to show us anything more, so it's best if we just make the rest of the journey." he echoed,

Heads silently turned to others, before turning back in a long kept silence, some nodding in affirmation. Though there was a silent divide between the prospect of the goal being the destination, or witnessing the journey to such a place, one seemed more amiable than the other.

With that, they once again commenced their trek, lumbering forward down the path in silence.

As they did so, Julius slumped his head.

"Though I really would have liked to learn what that actually was…" he whined in an unusually pouty tone, unbecoming of a well-aged professor.

They continued to walk, giggles sounding from the top of Effie's head as she played with Ling, while hushed whispers resounded from behind between groups. It continued for another 15 minutes, before they finally saw….a door

At the sight, everyone unconsciously picked up their pace, until they finally arrived in front of it.

The door….

….was normal

Nothing extravagant, nor meak. It was a simple dark oak door with a delicate brass door-knob. There was no unsettling feeling exuding from it, and it did not make them feel any sense of unease.

The only unusual thing about it, was the name of it, engraved in cursive on a copper sign, welded into the frame.

The language was not unknown, it was english.

What was unknown was one of the engraved phrases which seemed to be a slang they were not familiar with.

It read….

'Sunphis lounge?'

Everyone stared in confusion at the door, some stroking their chins in thought. Even the seemingly bright and gifted minds couldn't understand what it pertained to.

All except one.

Which wasn't quite bright, but indeed…gifted in some sense.

Effie stared at the words, as the gears in her mind churned.

'Sunny…'

'Nephis….'

'Relationship….'

'Love….'

'Sunphis….'

Her eyes bulged as her mouth hung open, her body beginning to shake as her fingers twitched at her discovery.

"No way…" she shakingly murmured, causing an unusual shiver in Nephis.

Silently she clasped her hands as she closed her eyes, making a prayer, a single tear falling down her face.

"You are my new God…." she whispered, as Ling leaned over, a look of confusion on his chubby face.

"Mom, what is this place?" he whined.

Effie lifted her arms up, picking Ling off her shoulders as she held him in front of her. An impossibly foolish smile on her face, as her eyes twinkled.

She beamed at him,

"Dumpling….you are about to learn about the holy art, known as…..Romcom" she exclaimed,

Ling smiled in excitement, as some looked at Effie in curiosity. The cohort turned their heads, their eyes shifting as their lips slightly curled.

'Romcom…'

Slowly they craned their heads at Nephis. She returned their gazes with a look of foolish obliviousness, completely unaware of her situation. Although Nephis was a valiant and steadfast leader who they respected and cherished, there was an unspoken rule in friendships.

A long, ancient rule, that everyone knew and found pleasure or despair in, depending on the position they were in.

And that was the act of exploring another's love life.

Not to mention….the love-life of Nephis, the seemingly emotionless and somewhat childish woman who had the romance awareness of an eight year-old girl.

They had wanted a breather, a pause to process and digest everything they had learned, so they could ready themselves for the next volley of viewings about Sunny. The screen had responded, delivering possibly the greatest thing they could have ever silently wished for.

'Of this is going to be good….'

Slowly, they looked back at Nephis, a synchronised smile of mischievousness growing on their faces, as she continued to stare at them in confusion, a slow creeping feeling of dread growing in her body.

Before she could ask what they were getting at, or discuss a plan of action with the rest of the people, a figure blurred past her at inhumane speed, as they quickly turned the doorknob and pushed open the door, stepping inside.

Everyone stared at Effie with wide eyes, as she turned around with a mad look on her face, beads of sweat sliding down her face, as she smiled like a mad-man.

"SAFE? YES! Come on, let's see what it wants to show us, so we can quickly get back to viewing and learning about Sunny!" She cheered in a rushed tone, before slightly pausing.

"Hell, we might even have to put a sock on the doorknob with what we might see….." she laughed.

Those who had experienced a childhood looked at her with wide-eyes, as their jaws dropped. Jet silently glared at Effie as Ling looked at his mothers face in confusion. Some of the more sheltered legacies and people of history looked at her in confusion, foreign to the implication.

But those that weren't, were well aware.

'OH….'

The thought silently echoed in their minds at the realization. Rain was especially confused with herself and her emotions.

One part of her was violently disgusted by the idea of seeing her brother, not to mention….her master, possibly doing... the deed. Yet as his sister and his disciple…..this was the perfect opportunity.

An opportunity….

For blackmail!

She grinned at the thought of her tormenting him for once instead of being the victim. The thought of his miserable and grumpy face brought an indescribable satisfied feeling in her body. She could do so much with the information!

Slave him into making her Divine tier memories, VIP education on combat, possibly learning all the world changing secrets he had witnessed?!?

She almost squealed at the prospect.

Her eyes twitched, as she paused.

'Wait….would it even work? What if it made him happy instead…." she muttered.

She rubbed her face in thought as she glanced at Nephis, who was expressionless as usual, as a new thought idea came into fruition.

How would she look….?

Nephis was her idol in every possible way, someone she looked up to and aspired to be. And yet, she was also very curious how she acted around her brother.

Was she also emotionless?

Mature and polite?

…..

Or affectionate and cuddly like a cat?

Ideas and possibilities started to burst in her mind as her lips twitched. Eventually she shook her head as she slapped her cheeks, grounding herself back to reality.

"No..no…this makes me look like a pervert…" she muttered, as her shadow looked at her in curiosity.

Slowly, unnoticed to anyone, it also turned to look at Nephis, seemingly in anticipation and curiosity as well….as it also wanted to know.

No…it yearned, to know.

Song and Valor also processed and understood what she had just said.

Morgan was conflicted.

Although there was no better opportunity to learn the emotional vulnerability of Nephis who she had suspicions of for Valor to get a better hold on her, she was still conflicted.

Not because of the act of learning vulnerable information, because of what she would have to watch to learn it.

She detested romcom's or any sort of romance related topic, for very painful and personal reasons.

But now, it seemed she would, like always, have to cast her feelings aside in line with her duty and responsibility as a representative of Valor. Her face became cold, as she glanced at the other Valor Saints, and gave them a nod of affirmation.

Song was also processing the information, although one was more affected from the rest. Beastmaster was practically salivating as she stared at the door, her fingers slightly twitching.

The other BloodSisters stared at the scene, a look of concern and realization on their faces. As sisters, they understood each other, and thus understood Beastmaster well.

More specifically, her unusual tendencies to search out possible worthy adversaries. While everyone had their own tastes and preferences, hers were quite unique and dominating of her rationalization.

Over time, they had become aware of Beastmaster's increasing view towards Sunny, at a level they had never seen before, which quite frankly….made them feel uneasy.

"This will only make things more dangerous.." Revel mumbled,

Silent Stalker looked at her with amusement, "Oh? I thought you would be supportive of our sister finding a companion" she murmured

Seishain sighed, as she shook her head,

"It is our objective to get him and his Sister onto Song's side, knowing his position and strenuous potential in survivability"

She paused, as a rare look of concern dawned her face,

"But now….i'm strangely concerned that he won't even last a week…" she murmured

The other Bloodsisters lowered their heads in thought, briefly turning to glance at Beastmaster who still stared at the door with an enthralled look. They turned back, a solemn look on their faces.

"I don't suppose anyone would like to step-up and tell her otherwise then…" MoonVeil murmured, as the others silently shook their heads.

Although all of them were Saints, in this situation, some Saints became more dangerous than others.

"Lets just proceed and continue gathering information for Mother" Seishain said in a careful, silent tone, as the others nodded.

Unanimously, both Valor and Song began shuffling towards and through the door. The separate group of outcasts held a look of confusion at the unspoken agreement, but held their questions and continued through the group.

Eventually, they all made their way in and stood motionless, observing their new surroundings.

The new room, was a bit different from the cinema.

It had the usual red curtains for walls and a grand viewing screen at the front while the dimensions were all the same. However, instead of rows of seats….there were now four large couches spread out in the room, facing the screen.

Each couch was quite grand, clad in stylish red fabric that looked soft to the touch. Their shape was circular, with a hollow center which had a small table. On each table was a sizable plate of….sliced tomatoes?

Before anyone could speak, Noctis seemingly teleported onto one of the couches as he kicked his leg onto the table, tossing some of the tomatoes into his mouth as his arms stretched over the neck of the couch.

"Tangy….but flavorful! And it accompanies the red aesthetic of both the curtains and the couches! AGAIN, this fabric is truly divine! I refuse to die, although it's not possible, before I find the artisan behind this place, I must request he send some of this furniture to my ship!" he laughed, caressing the couch.

He paused, sensing the gazes of everyone on him as he smiled,

"You'd think that by now, you'd start to create a profile of who I am, yet you're still surprised by my actions?" he chortled

Jest brought his hand to his mouth to stifle a laugh that was fighting its way out of his mouth, as Morgan glared at him.

Silently the group split off as they walked to their separate couches. The first row, now merged with the rest of Valor as they claimed a couch near the front, while Song claimed one parallel. The middle row moved last, claiming and filling the other couch which Noctis resided on.

Four people remained standing having not chosen a place yet, as their eyes moved to the fourth, which remained empty.

Telle and Windflower both glanced at their parents, looking for approval, which they received a nod. Tyris, Roan and Daeron exchanged glances, as they briefly smiled at each other in parental telepathy. Telle and Windflower beamed as they looked at each other, smiling as they moved in sync, like they were one being, plopping together onto the fourth couch, and digging into Windflowers popcorn bucket.

While their meeting had been abrupt and short, the unspoken time they spent together spoke to both of them. Like they were best friends meant to be.

Rain was another one of the people who remained standing.

She nervously glanced at the couch which had the cohort and Valor, tempted to join them. However, a part of her was slightly in fear at the prospect of what Effie would say to her, and in front of the rest of the world renowned Saints. She glanced at Ananke and the cohort, as they stared at her, before giving a nod of understanding, Nephis still oblivious.

Rain let out a shaky breath at the reassurance, as she glanced at her shadow, before making her way over to the fourth sofa and plopping down near Telle and Windflower.

They glanced at her, as she her lips curled into a awkward smile,

"Y-You don't mind if I join you right? One girl to another…?" she stammered with a lack of confidence.

Telle and Windflower looked at each other, before Windflower raised her arm, beckoning the popcorn bucket to Rain.

"Want some?" she asked in a muffled tone, seemingly pleased that another was being assimilated into the growing popcorn cult.

Rain stared at the outstretched bucket, as she slowly reached in and grabbed a handful.

"T-Thanks…." she said in a confused tone.

As she brought her hand out, a figure moved past her, as the fourth and final person plopped down on the opposite side of the couch, parallel to Rain, causing her eyes to widen in shock.

Mordret smiled as he looked at them, before glancing at Windflower,

"May I?" he asked

Windflower stared at him for a few seconds, before shifting the bucket towards him.

"Help yourself"

Mordret smiled, as he grabbed a handful, happily munching on it with a carefree expression. Both Valor and Song stared at him, a mixture of suspicion and disbelief and what they were seeing. He innocently blinked as he smiled, his mouth now stuffed with popcorn.

Before anyone could speak up, the screen blinked, having sensed that everyone had taken a place. A statement now blinking.

[Welcome to the Sunphis lounge]

[Spectators have been brought here to calm down after multiple viewings]

[You may choose between two viewings to enjoy]

[After one has been witnessed, you may proceed back to the cinema]

[Two questions may be asked]

The sentences blinked on the screen as everyone stared at them. Effie was shifting uncontrollably in her seat, while others read over the statements.

So, these viewings were not of importance, but did hold some sort of value…

But what type of value and to whom?

Silence was broken by the sound of coughing, which came from Julius as everyone shifted their gaze onto him.

He meekly smiled,

"I assume we hold one question for the context behind the viewings, while the other is open for debate" he echoed.

Daeron nodded in affirmation, as the other followed suit. Julius smiled as he stood up, dusting his clothes before spinning around.

"Is there any inquiries or suggestions on what the other question should be used for?" he questioned.

Heads lowered in thought, before a hand finally rose.

"Ask for the definition behind this term….sunphis" Solvanne's voice sounded from the back, only to be met with a defiant snort.

"For someone who's lived so long, your brain seems awfully slow" Effie chimed.

Solvanne stared at her across the room, her eyes slightly twitching as Noctis wiped the tears forming on his eyes. She took a deep breath, before looking back at Julius.

"....THEN, ask for the context behind why these viewings are separate from the other room" she hissed.

Julius nodded as he looked around for any objections, as everyone remained silent. He bowed, before turning to the screen.

"Ahem, Why are these viewing choices separate from the ones available in the cinema?" he echoed.

The screen blinked as words began to shift, everyone leaning forward.

[Light and Darkness are two sides of the same coin taken for granted. Darkness cannot exist without Light. And Light's brilliance cannot be recognised without the Dark. Despite their positions, these paradoxes cannot exist without each other. Yet, the Light has left the Darkness. The Darkness never gives up, forever chasing after it]

'Light and Darkness…'

Everyone stared at the sentence, solemn looks everywhere. One did not need to be a poet to understand what it alluded to. Light and the Dark. Sunny and Nephis.

And how one had forgotten the other…

While one still chased after them in desperation…

Some glanced at Nephis with solemn looks while others with a mixture of spite and curiosity. Morgan was also feeling slightly better, having found something to distract her mind, being that of the misery that Nephis would feel in this moment.

They all looked at her as she silently stared at the screen, wondering what she was thinking.

Nephis remained silent, staring at the words. Her unease growing as her stomach dropped. In this moment, she only felt guilt and remorse. The description hinted at a continuing battle of their emotions for one another, which she had a guilty suspicion she played a part in.

What was the reason he had been forgotten?

Was it because of her?

Did she do something to hurt him?

What would have happened if he hadn't been forgotten all those years ago….

No…

She closed her eyes as she looked at the others with her mask, as she flatly responded.

"We have our answer, let us proceed with the options and the context" she echoed without emotion.

Eyes widened in shock at the lack of display on her face, some even shook by her inability to express herself. Effie and the other cohort members seemed to look at her with a slight hint of disappointment, while Cassie stared at the screen silently.

But Nephis did have emotion.

Only it was like a raging storm that she was a victim of, she didn't understand it, nor could she control or harness it. All she could do was hide it with a mask on her face, just like she did so with the searing pain she felt when healing someone.

Conflicted, she signalled Julius to continue to not let her emotions get the better of her. He nodded in silent response.

"What are the two viewing options and what is the context behind them?" he finished.

The screen blinked again, as two statements formed.

[A new Dawn]

[or]

[Twilight of Martyr]

Effie's face twitched at the sight of the two options, inches away from lashing out in outrage if not for the two paragraphs that began to form under the viewings.

[Like the beginning after the end. Darkness and Light will separate. Time is not finite, and these two will meet again one Night. Fate watches silently as Light and Darkness converge to once again merge]

[or]

[In a silent room, alone from the world, a light flickers. A fleeting glow as the quiet lingers. Light and Darkness embrace, hearts surge. Bound by love as their souls converge. The world forbids an unholy embrace. Yet Fate itself will not erase. A love so strong, none dare urge, Not even Gods nor Daemons diverge. As they lay in silence, lost in sight. A delicate painting of black and white]

As the final paragraph blinked, Noctis sniffled as he wiped his eyes. Solvanne looked at him in confusion, as he noticed her gaze.

"What? So heartless you can't appreciate such beautiful poetry?" he murmured

Solvanne stared at him for a few seconds before she turned back to the screen, slightly leaning back, her eyes softening.

"It is quite nice…" she whispered in a hushed tone, her demeanor causing Noctis to shudder in confusion at who the person next to him was.

"Quite elegant" Daeron murmured as Julius nodded.

Nephis stared at the screen as her heart dropped.

Not at the prospect of options, but because she had finally realized what this place meant…

It was going to show everyone….

HER LOVE LIFE!?!?!

She was reeling in shock. The image she had built up to everyone and the world itself was now about to be torn apart at the indecency that was going to be displayed in full view to everyone's eyes.

She wanted to scream and bury her face, but she couldn't!

Like a statue, she stood silently rooted to the spot, as murmurs rang out.

'Speak out? No…that will ruin my image and thus my position'

'Go along with it…?'

'AS IF! I have no clue how far this thing will go!'

She brought her hand to her face as she chewed on her nail. There had been no previous explicit scenes or exposure, so it was highly unlikely that would change. But this was a completely different room with a different focus, so maybe the rules had also changed?

She shifted to her left to look at Cassie for aid, as she silently stared at the screen.

Cassie turned to Nephis her expression flat, before a slow smirk grew on her lips. Nephis had been aware that Cassie had been shaken by the previous viewings and the stuff they had learned. Thus, she had been delighted at the prospect of the break room which could maybe calm her down.

But it seemed to have been a bit too, effective

"Wow Nephis….I didn't think you'd be the one for romance." she cooed, causing Nephis's mouth to drop.

"You don-" she spoke up, but Cassie cut her off.

"You did say that you were researching and trying to understand passion…" she murmured with a mischievous tone.

Nephis's eyes widened, as her poker face and facade slightly cracked.

"H-How…y-you….you've never even had a boyfriend!" she blurted out, her hands flying to her mouth at the realization of her rash actions.

Cassie shuddered, seemingly physically affected by the words, as the atmosphere around her grew dark. She silently tilted her head up to look at Nephis, a simple, but dangerous smile on her lips.

"Then I hope you can give me some pointers in the viewings" she said in a flat tone, with a slight hint of spite.

Nephis could only stare at her in disbelief, at a loss of how to respond.

Before she could even grasp her thoughts, too large familiar hands landed on her shoulders, as she slightly paled. She had known them all too long, and the corrupted being they belonged to.

She tried to resist but although they were all mundane, Effie' sheer mass gave her a slight advantage in strength as she forcefully turned Nephis around to face her.

As she did, Nephis slightly shuddered at what she saw.

Effie was beaming as she smiled, her grin stretching across her entire face, almost inhumane. Nephis could only stare silently.

There was nothing she could do.

At this moment her Fate was truly sealed.

All she could do was take a deep breath, and prepare for the verbal slaughter she was about to endure. But strangely instead of a barrage of words, Effie instead pulled her inwards into a tight bear hug.

Nephis blinked in confusion as Effie held her, a slight sniffling sounding.

"Princess….I knew there was always hope for you…." she whispered as she patted her back.

Nephis slightly shuddered as she remained motionless in Effie's embrace, enduring everyone's stares in solace. Eventually, her strength came back, as she managed to push her off.

She breathed deep breathes as everyone looked at her in silence.

Clearly, because the viewings were related to her, they wanted some affirmation of which she preferred or had an idea about.

But in this moment, the battle hardened valkyrie had taken an emotional blow she had never experienced before, as she stood silently, like a broken robot.

It seemed…like the only incorruptible being in existence…

Had finally succumbed

Gazes intensified as Nephis could muster out the only thing she could think of.

"Choose what you want"

As words left her lips, and her eyes widened at the realization to the weight behind her words; before anyone could react, Effie shot up like a tall pillar.

"GIVE US VIEWING OPTION NUMBER TWO!!!" she squealed excitement,

The screen shifted before anyone could protest, as Effie triumphantly lowered herself down. Jet slowly leaned over as she grabbed Ling and placed him on her lap, earning a look of confusion from Effie.

"What?"

Jett looked at her pity, as she sighed.

"There's no hope in saving you, might as well preserve your bloodline" she lamented in a solemn tone.

Before she could retort, a hand grabbed her forearm, as she turned to the side.

"Effie why did you do that" Nephis said in a slightly rushed tone.

Effie smiled,

"Why else?" She cooed

Nephis continued to stare at her blankly, her grip on her arm tightening, threatening to rip it off. Effie slightly winced as she leaned forward.

"You'd think as a legacy baggage you'd be more knowledgeable in literature, but it seems swords were more attractive to you…" she said in a sing-song voice.

She leaned forward, her face now inches from Nephis.

"Let me spell it out…"

"We get to see you two being freaky"

Like the finishing blow, Nephis physically shuddered at the realization, as her eyes widened. Effie relentended proceeding from kill, and commencing the slaughter.

"I can even spell it out for you…"

"F. R. E. A. K. Y." she cooed, each syllable causing Nephis to twitch.

Nephis's eyes continued to widen in disbelief at the revelation as her mouth slightly dropped.

"N-No that's no-" she said in a panicked voice, but was cut off by the colors having finally set.

Nephis starred in horror at the screen as she scrunched her toes. Everyone leaned forward in shock at what they were seeing, a mixture of disbelief and amusement.

Jet quickly placed her palms over Ling's face to shield him.

Rain covered her eyes with her hands, slightly moving her fingers to sneak a look, while Telle and Windflower eating pace quickened.

Seishan had to smack BeastMaster's head to make her close her mouth at the possibility of a Saint actually drooling all over the place.

But what better reasoning could there be?

As on the screen, to everyone's shock….

Was a vibrant image of Sunny and Nephis in a bed, wrapped in a silk blanket as their hair sprawled all over the cushions like a delicate painting.

Their faces inches away, as they held each other's bodies, wrapped in an embrace as they slept in tranquility.

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Not gonna lie, this chapter had me giggling and kicking my feet at times when I was writing

Hopefully, I quelled your concerns about this still being a "reaction fic"

THIS IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE A REACTION FANFIC!!!!!

We will get back to all the bloody and cool fights in the next chapter, dw :)

And yes, I will follow up in two days

(We are already starved for Sunphis moments in Shadow Slave)

This one goes out to all the Sunphis fans

Scream my Sunphis warriors (∩˃o˂∩)

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