The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

“Okay. I guess that’s everything we need to know.” Kyle remarked, standing up. “We’d better get going now.”

“Wait!” JD called out, drawing a blade from the sheath on his belt. “It’s dangerous to go alone. Take this!” he said, handing Kyle a totally unremarkable blade. Kyle frowned, examining the sword. It didn’t appear magical, or special at all. He was about to ask, when JD shook his head furiously. “No, no, no! That simply won’t do at all. When you first receive a special gift from a mysterious entity, you HAVE to hold it up above your head.”

“Um. Why?” Kyle asked, already dreading the answer.

“Look, kid, just indulge me alright?” JD grunted, testily. “I’m giving you something to aid you on your quest. Most heroes have to go through multiple quests and jump through hoops to learn the truth about things AND get something that will actually help them out.” Shrugging, Kyle did as he asked, holding the blade up above his head. Immediately, music began to play, a short trumpet melody, and the words ‘You got a sword’ appeared above his head. Leila and Serena both giggled, and Honor merely rolled her eyes, averting her gaze.

“Old man,” Kyle growled through gritted teeth, “I am seriously considering stabbing you with this sword.”

“All right, all right,” he replied with a chuckle. “So much for indulging an old man. At any rate, I think you’ll find that blade particularly useful when you face the bosses guarding the relics. Just make sure you use it when the time comes.”

“Oh?” Kyle asked, glancing at the blade again. “What does it do? What’s so special about it?”

“You hold in your hands the ‘D’ Sword,” JD said with pride. “I couldn’t get the ‘Z’ sword, since technically Funimation is still around and I hate being sued, and anyway last I checked, their sword had broken in half, causing a strange purple guy to pop out.” He shrugged. “But that one is much better for what you need it for anyway. The D stands for ‘Dragons’, and you’ll need it, because the guardians of the other relics are all very large, very powerful and very nasty dragons!”

“Dragons, huh?” he groaned. “Just great. Oh well, at least I’m invincible now…”

“No, you’re not,” JD countered, frowning. “I gave you a bracelet, not a glowing starman. You’re hardly invincible lad. You just won’t die. If you take damage, you’ll feel every bit of it, and your life will drop down until it reaches critical. It just won’t go below the red. So I’d advise you to be careful. Not dying is not the same as not getting hurt.”

“Okay, that’s nice,” Honor put in, “but what about the rest of us? Do you have anything in your magic bag of goodies to help the rest of us?”

“OH! Nearly forgot,” JD replied, slapping his forehead. “Let me see… what did I have for the rest of you…” He gestured, summoning an actual magic bag, and began digging around in it. “Hmmm…. What have we got here? Musical instruments?” He took out a small whistle, and blew a few note, before shaking his head. “Warp whistle? Nope. Besides, it only takes you to level 6-1.” He withdrew a small round blue object, putting it to his lips. “Let’s see now… what was that tune again? Um… ‘A’, Down, Up, ‘A’, Down, Up?” He blew a short series of note, then grimaced as a small storm cloud appeared over his head, and rain fell, drenching him. “Dammit… I can never remember the right tune…”

“Um… excuse me,” Leila asked, barely resisting the urge to laugh out loud, “but what the hell is that?”

“Oh, nothing special, just an ocarina,” he grumbled tossing it back into the bag. “Nothing to concern yourselves with. And anyway, its WAY too overpowered for this world. Besides, what better way to alert the System Admins and bring attention to yourselves than breaking the very laws of time and space?” He pulled out a golden harp, a pair of bagpipes, and a curved horn made out of bone, then grunted, showing them all back inside.

“You know,” Leila whispered to Serena, “I’m beginning to think we might be better off without his help. Seriously, am I the only one weirded out by this guy?” Serena shook her head, giggling again.

“I have excellent hearing you know,” JD replied, digging into his bag again, sliding his arm impossibly down inside the magical holding sack. “Ah! This might be interesting.” He pulled out what appeared to be a red and white two piece bikini made of metal. “Here you go, Honor! What every good heroine needs—armor!”

“Armor?!?” Honor exclaimed, blushing beet red. “You damned pervert! Okay, that’s it, I’m gonna kill him,” she growled, drawing her blade.

“HEY!! I’M BEING SERIOUS HERE!” JD shouted, a bit of his dragon essence flowing forth to shake the entire caverns. “Doubt my sanity, and my fashion sense, all you like, but never my power or my resources. This armored number provides maximum protection for your entire body, despite covering only the important parts. It also dramatically increases the wearer’s speed, resistance, and strength. And just so you know, Little Miss Know-it-all, a basic rule of role playing games involving women—the more sexy and revealing a costume, the better defense and status boosting it gives.”

“Great. Then this thing should make me invincible, like Kyle,” she muttered softly, holding it up against her chest. She glanced at Kyle, who stood red faced, sweating profusely and actively avoiding her gaze. Huh. Interesting. I guess he kinda LIKES the idea of me walking around in this thing. Maybe the old geezer did me a solid after all.

“As for you, Leila dear,” he continued on, drawing forth a black leather corset with metal inlaid, and skirt, with matching boots, “attire fit for a Queen. Or at least a Warrior Princess. This armor, like Honor’s will grant you extreme protection all over your body, despite the areas it doesn’t cover.” He shrugged. “Video game physics. Anyway, it likewise boosts your strength and speed, and resistance, though not as highly as the one Honor received.” He leant forward putting a hand in front of his face, though he continued speaking at normal volume. “Her level is lower, so I gave her the one with the better stat boosts… even though you could totally pull off the two piece bikini look better than her!” Kyle had to actually restrain her this time.

“And finally, you, Serena dear.” He thought for a moment, considering. “Okay… taking into account your modesty issues, compared to the others, and your ability to transform into a fearsome werebeast, I want you to keep an open mind. I picked out this little number for ya.” From the bag, he withdrew what appeared to be a small orange fur skinned bra, matching loincloth, and a pair of bone and claw bracelets. Kyle gaped, blood actually running from his nose. Serena went red in the face. Leila laughed out loud. And Honor punched him in the face.

“Owww! Dammit, woman, do that again and you go to ‘time out’,” JD grumbled, rubbing his jaw. “So my living breathing human self had a little fixation with Shanna the She-Devil. Is that really a crime?”

“Soooo, um, er, what does THAT particular bit of armor do?” Kyle asked, wiping his nose. ”I’m guessing it’s like the others—protects her all over and boosts her stats?”

“Nope,” he grinned. “Not this one. It provides absolutely no protection from physical attacks whatsoever. What it does do is increase the wearer’s evasion through the roof! Wearing this, Serena won’t have to worry about her defense, because you’d have to be a ranked sharpshooter to even make contact with her standing still. Besides that, it boosts her speed and strength, making her even more deadly in combat. And as an added bonus, the fur suit melds with her when she shapeshifts, staying active and continuing to grant its bonuses, unlike traditional armor.”

Kyle nodded appreciatively. That in and of itself was remarkable. One of the biggest hassles with shifting to his half-wolf or full wolf form was losing the effectiveness of his armor. Maverick’s Cuirass fit him like a second skin in his human form, almost as if it were tailored to him. When his form changed, however, the armor, like most magical armor, merely melded into him when he changed, becoming inert until he regained his normal shape, when it reappeared. If Serena’s new armor remained fully active even when she shifted… Kyle was nearly tempted to ask the crazy old man if he had a second one in men’s sizes.

“Okay, gang, that’s all for the presents,” JD said wearily, walking back towards the front of the cave, revealing the entrance. “Time to get out there and begin the search.”

“Right,” Kyle nodded in agreement, as well as checking on Dri, “but before that, there’s still the little matter of the reason I traveled here in the first place.”

“Ah. Yes. Wanting to break the spell on your two friends and gain more knowledge and control over your Dragonspeak.” He took Kyle’s arm and rolled up the sleeve, revealing the armband again. “Your new accessory grants you a complete, but very basic, understanding of Dragonspeak, as well as increasing the power of any commands you give. Think of it as an English to Draconic translator plugged directly into your mind. You just have to think of what you want to say, and you’ll know the Dragontongue equivalent.” He shrugged. “Just keep in mind, English is a big language. Not everything translates. After all, we dragons don’t have a word for surrender,” he added with a smirk. “Cause we don’t know the meaning of the word!”

Kyle nodded, trying it out, closing his eyes as he thought of the phrase to free Serena and Leila from their enslavement to him, and having the knowledge suddenly appear in his mind. “All right. That works! Thanks JD. I think that’s everything we need.” He turned to the others. “Let’s head back out of here and back to the Calypso’s cove before I try and free you guys.” Resigned, the two slave girls nodded, heading for the entrance.

“You girls go on ahead,” JD replied, taking Kyle by the arm. “I just want to have a final word with Kyle before you take off.” Looking to Kyle first, who nodded, the trio went on, leaving the two men alone. “Listen, kid… far be it for me to meddle where I don’t belong…” he began only to break into laughter. “Sorry… sorry. Ah, man… I knew I couldn’t say that whole thing with a straight face! But seriously, a little piece of free advice. Don’t free Leila and Serena. Leave them as they are—happy, and content. Better yet, use your newfound knowledge to enslave Honor as well.”

“What? Are you crazy?!? The whole reason I went through all of this to meet you in the first place was to free them! And you want me to do it to Honor as well?”

“Yes,” JD answered plainly. “I heard your conversation with her earlier. She’s not the type to simply come right out and ask you for it, but she does honestly WANT to experience it. The girl’s a firecracker… a real wildcat,” he added, rubbing his chin. “But like all cats, what she really wants is for someone to tame her. And she wants you to be that one, Kyle.” He sighed heavily, letting a bit more of the fatigue he was feeling show. “You need her. You need ALL of your little group, for what’s coming. If you go ahead and free them, it will cause undue complications. Pride and anger and embarrassment at what happened will drive a wedge between you. In time the rift will close, of course, and you’ll all remember how much you honestly mean to each other… but in the meantime, you could very well end up alienating the people you need on your side the most.”

“I made them a promise,” Kyle replied stubbornly.

“Damn you and your damned promises,” JD growled. “A man as committed and stubborn as you should be more careful in what he promises to do!” Rolling his eyes, he turned away. “Fine. It’s your life after all. Do what you want. I’ve given you the knowledge and the tools. It’s up to you to decide the best way to use them.”

“Fine. And I will,” Kyle said, moving to the exit. “Still, arguments aside, thank you for this, JD. You have really changed my life. I hope I get to meet you again sometime soon.”

“Yeah, me too kid,” he whispered softly as Kyle left, and the door sealed shut behind him. ”Me too,” he uttered just before collapsing onto the middle of the cave floor.

Nora Snowfallen blinked as the world reformed around her. Or rather, seemed to reform, from her point of view. Her respawn timer had finished counting down, and she’d reappeared at the spot where she’d been struck down, none the worse for wear. Glancing around, she noted the vacant plains, and the lack of soldiers from either side of the battle.Looks like the battle is over. Hmm. I wonder who won. No… the outcome was already decided before we started. Master won. Dusting herself off, she bent down to retrieve her staff and headed back towards the keep.

I wonder how Dri is doing now, she wondered idly as she made her way down the halls towards her sleeping chambers. Probably devastated. After everything I said to her… everything I did. She sighed deeply.

Despite the changes the enslavement spell had wrought upon her, she was still basically the same person as before. She was well aware of how she’d felt about her Master before the change, as well as how she felt about her cousin. Her memories hadn’t changed in the slightest, only her sense of priorities.

Serving Master’s will is everything to me, she thought grimly as she passed the main courtyard, but it doesn’t mean I don’t still have feelings. I hated doing what I did to Dri… hated it with every fiber of my being. And yet… if Master asked it of me, if he even hinted that he wanted it done, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.

That was a depressing thought. The pain, the guilt, the shame she felt at her acts, at what she’d done to her beloved cousin, were like a bottomless pit, ready to swallow her whole. And yet, she was held aloft from that pit, saved from despair, by the knowledge that she had pleased her Master, that she had performed for him flawlessly. The joy and pleasure of being his loyal slave was enough to keep the bad thoughts at bay, to keep her sane and whole despite the dichotomy raging inside her.

I’m a loyal and obedient slave, she thought, turning to stare out the window as Berana approached, unlike some other of Master’s minions. I willingly sacrificed myself for him… utterly destroyed my beloved cousin, just for him. Berana, however, is only here because she isn’t strong enough to oppose Marion directly. She’s loyal because being on his side benefits her, and assures her a chance at becoming one of the leaders in the New Order Master intends to bring about. But I can tell… if she saw the slightest bit of weakness in Master, if she thought she could eliminate him and take his place, she’d do so in a heartbeat.

The savage warrior glanced up as Nora passed. “So, back among the living once more, little girl?” she remarked with a smirk. “Nice job out there, dealing with that upstart bitch of an Elven guildmaster. It’s just too bad you had a take a dive at the end.” She chuckled softly. “Too bad you weren’t sporting this little accessory,” she added, holding out her wrist, revealing the armband Marion had returned to her. ”If you had, then maybe Lady Shalandearl would have been the one to die instead of you.”

Nora frowned at that. I obeyed Master’s commands, yes, and acted callous and cold towards Dri because it was what HE wished… but she is still my cousin, dammit! Drawing her dagger, she walked over to Barena, and calmly placed the blade against the surprised warrior’s neck. “Insult me all you like, Barena. I’m used to it. Get your jollies however you like. But let’s get one thing perfectly clear. You insult my cousin again, and I’ll slit your throat, ear to ear… and no stupid little bracelet blessed by the gods will save you.”

Barena blinked, then laughed, striking out and taking the dagger from the young healer’s grasp. “Wow. Looks like there’s more to you than I thought, girl. You’ve actually got a spine underneath those white pristine robes of yours. Well, good for you! Message received.” She reversed the grip on the dagger and handed it back to her. “I can respect someone that stands up for themselves and their family. So, yes, no more insults.” Her eyes narrowed. “But in the interest of mutual respect, little girl, let me warn you. Threaten me again at your own peril. The next time you draw a blade against me will be your last.” Turning, she walked down the hallway in the opposite direction, towards her own chambers. Nora watched her go, staring at her long and hard.

The woman was a threat to her Master. That much was evident. Even Marion himself knew the reason behind Barena’s “loyalty” to him, that it was merely a matter of convenience, nothing more. But he was willing to overlook her willfulness for the time being, as long as she continued to prove herself useful. Nora didn’t like her, though. And as she watched her walk out of sight, she almost found herself hoping the arrogant woman WOULD try and betray her Master, giving her a reason to draw her blade.

Because despite the savage’s superior strength and skill, Nora knew precisely which of them would win in a fight to the death. And the winner wouldn’t be clad in animal furs.

They were back in the cove, the pristine walls shining brightly. Calypso was there to greet them.

“Greetings Willowfang. I’m glad you’ve returned.”

“Thanks Calypso.” Kyle said, “Anadriel? Is she…did she…”

“She lost the duel.” Calypso said, holding up a hand to forestall Kyle’s reaction, “but she’s still alive.”

Calypso replayed the events of the duel playing on the T using her reflective pool. Anadriel’s struggle was obvious. She couldn’t touch Marion at all with his Dragon relic. Rald did his best but was nowhere near able to touch the man and Nora was holding her own until…

“No.” Kyle said, softly, and then again only this time louder, “NO! FUCK!!”

He stormed over growling and raging, his blood pumping. Red hot anger seeped into his vision. He let out a howl of anguish. The words of Calypso’s uttered prophesy coming back to him again: A fair maiden falls, the Red Queen’s victory a hollow win…

“Master! Master!” Serene called out to him. “Come back! Nora’s not dead!”

Kyle turned to them, tufts of fur on his neck, and ran over quickly to peer at the scene. He saw Anadriel’s face. A face he’d known she would have. This time he was unable to hold back. His body contorted into a four legged shape as rough jet black fur emerged, his eyes glowed dark red and he let out a howl. He bound away from the cove and disappeared.

The girls rushed to the edge of the cove to chase after him, but he was long gone, and the girls didn’t have the heart to chase him. He needed his space. A few minutes later an ear splitting howl echoed across the Hinterlands. Kyle’s howl. The poor werewolf was crying. He howled for some time. Sad mournful howls of anguish.

“Master! I have returned,” Nora announced respectfully, poking her head inside his chambers before entering in full as commanded. He’d instructed her to return to him immediately when she rematerialized. Marion glanced up, nodding, smirking. “I trust that everything went according to your plan?” she asked, walking over to stand by his side.

“Oh yes, my dear,” he replied with a chuckle. “Everything went exactly as I envisioned. I have to say, my pet, your cousin certainly knows how to put on a show. From showing up at our gates en masse, to choosing a duel to the death, to taking the bait and striking you down with her own hands—she acted just exactly as predicted.” He shook his head. “I do so love predictable opponents. They are so easy to manipulate.”

“Yes Master,” she replied demurely, looking down, “as you say.”

Marion sighed softly, rolling his eyes. Predictability was all well and good in battle, but in other areas it was boring. The girl was clearly torn in her loyalties to her cousin and to her Master, and talking about it with her this way only caused the conflict to grow. Yet, she still showed no outward signs of her distress. She was one hundred percent his loyal and obedient slave. She had even died for him. There wasn’t much left he could do to test the strength and power of his control over him.

This Dragontongue magic continues to impress me more and more, he thought with glee.

“Have you received word back from Vale yet, Master?” Nora asked, breaking him from his introspection.

“Vale? Hmm, yes, actually,” he admitted, gesturing to a magic scroll he’d received moments ago. His scouts had indeed uncovered what appeared to be the entrance to another dragon nest, and possible the location of one of the Dragon Gods’ treasures. “She has found a likely target for our next search, but is having trouble getting access. The entrance is apparently protected by incredibly powerful magic, with prevent anyone from entering. I sent her on ahead to Reus Polten to do some research at the Athenaeum, that huge library of theirs. If there’s any way to bypass the barrier and gain access, it would probably be in one of the great tomes hidden there.”

Nora nodded. “Their storehouse of magic lore and knowledge about Axaelle is extensive.”

The three girls were discussing next steps as Calypso bemused herself with seashells in the sand. She pretended not to listen but she heard every word. She had become quite a good listener in the real world. Having been paralyzed, it was much more important for her to develop her other senses so she could interact with the world. She could hear her foster parents’ conversations with the doctors and nurses, other patient’s moments. Their sadness, their happiness. She relished those moments. They were like treasures to her. Valuable and stashed away in her memories. She listened closely to the three girls’ conversation.

“I want to go after him.” Honor pouted.

“So do we.” Serena said, “But Honor, give him some time and space.”

“Master’s in pain. But he needs to be by himself.” Leila said matter of factly.

“You’re right.” Honor said with a sigh. “He’s really heartbroken over that girl.”

What he really needs is to talk to me. Calypso thought to herself.

“Well. We were supposed to figure out about you two. If Kyle should free you or not.”

“I don’t want to be ‘free’.” Leila replied, “If this is slavery then I want it. I’ll give up my freedom.”

“Yeah,” Serena added, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“It’s amazing you feel that way.” Honor replied, biting her lip.

“What are you thinking?” Serena asked Honor, knowingly.

“I’m… not sure.” Honor said. “Well I—“

Suddenly, a black mass came stumbling into the room, bloody and broken. It was Kyle and his health bar was critically low and all three girls stood up immediately.

“Wait.” Serena whispered.

The three girls stood back as Kyle crawled into a corner of the cove, circled a spot three times and then plopped down on the ground, sprawling out in utter exhaustion and defeat. Calypso in the meantime, had shed her tail and walked over to the three girls.

“What do you wish to do?” She asked.

“I want to talk to him.” Honor said, “But… I don’t think I’d be the best person. Anadriel and I never truly got along.”

“You know this best, don’t you Calypso?” Leila asked, “He’s talked to you a lot about her, right?”

“Yes.” Calypso replied with a winced smile. The memories of those talks were always bittersweet.

“You should go talk to him.” Serena said.

Calypso took a look at the three girls and they all nodded.

“Very well.” She replied with outward calm. Inside she was secretly elated at the opportunity to be the one that Kyle could confide in. None of the other three girls had known him as long as she had. She knew him best. She could help him. Out the corner of her ear, she heard Leila say, “No way she’s an NPC.”

Out of reflex, Calypso twitched slightly. Forcing herself to calm down, she was mortified to find that she had stopped walking slightly. She could feel the three girls’ stares on the back of her head, but she continued as best she could. Ignoring the assassin’s statement. She approached the wounded wolf and sat down beside him, chanting a healing spell to heal his deepest wounds. Laying down beside him, and wrapping her arms around his lupine form, she scratched his head affectionately.

“Willow are you alright?”

He growled gruffly and with a huff signaling he did not wish to talk. So she relented and just stroked his fur and scratched his head. Eventually, after ten minutes or so, he finally transformed into human form. She continued running her hands through his hair and just waited for him. After some time, he spoke.

“I failed her.” He whispered.

“No. You didn’t.” She replied. “You did what was right, just as you always do.”

“Fucking hate doing the right thing” he said with a sad chuckle. He coughed slightly, tears streaming from his face, “She’s broken now. She’s broken. That fight. I saw it on her face. It crushed her. I know. I knew it. From the moment she had to fight Nora, I knew that was going to be it. The tipping point, the last straw.” He shook his head. “Nora was the only thing she ever really cared about. Family. Not me. Not anyone else. She only cared about Nora and power. That’s it. Even when I had all this power, she still wouldn’t love me. But fuck my stupid heart… piece of shit can’t get her out of my head. Out of my soul! I need that girl. I needed her to be safe, alright? And I failed. All my life. All that effort. Gone.”

“She’s not gone.” Calypso replied, her mouth against his ear, “She’s still alive. The red Queen is captured but not lost. Now the Queen’s a pawn once again. All the knight has to do is get that pawn across the finish line and another Queen will emerge.”

“A prophecy?” He asked.

“No Willow. Just advice.” Calypso replied.

He nodded his head and closed his eyes, deep in thought. A good amount of time passed. She didn’t know how long. She just stroked his hair and thought to herself. There was a pounding in her chest, a powerful urge just to divulge her whole situation to him. But no. She couldn’t. Could she?

I want to tell him. Tell him everything… Those girls… they already know. I could feel it. And now right here. I could tell him everything. Just to get it out there. But… surely he’ll reject me? Of course he would. A vegetable girl confined to a hospital bed. He wouldn’t... He couldn’t go for that. I’d just be a burden. I—

“What’s on your mind?” Kyle asked her, a single eye open, looking at her face.

She almost blurted out everything right there. He looked at her with a frown, “You seem troubled too.”

“I—“ she began, only to stop, and shake her head, glancing over at the other girls waiting anxiously. “It’s nothing. It can keep.”

He looked her in the eye, “I’ll be back. I promise. And we’ll talk about this. Whatever it is.” He kissed her again on the cheek and sat up, walking over to the three girls waiting upon him. They gave him a group hug and he cried. He cried for everything. For Anadriel. For himself. For Nora. For everything. It was the first time he had cried for… since he could even remember, really. And it felt good. It really did.

“I love you guys.” He said softly, but truthfully.

Nora sat at her desk, staring for several long moments at the piece of parchment before her, frowning. Several other balled up pieces of the expensive magical paper lay scattered about her desk, and in the small receptacle beside it. Sighing in frustration, she set aside her pen.

She’d thought to write a letter to Dri, to try and apologize for what had happened, to try and explain that everything she’d said and done had been at her Master’s behest. But after more than three hours of trying, she still couldn’t find the words to express what she wanted to say.

It’s impossible, she thought dimly. There’s no way to explain to someone who has never experienced it just what it is like to be completely under another person’s control. I love Dri, I really do. And I’d never want to do anything to hurt her. And yet… Master’s control over me is literally all-powerful. All-consuming. The need to please him, and do anything he wants overrides everything else. She sighed. And the things I said to her earlier, the WAY I said it… she’d never believe I didn’t meant a word of it. Master told me to hurt her, to pray on her weaknesses, and to say whatever it would take to break her spirit. And, goddess help me, I embraced his will, and did just that.

A single tear made its way down her cheek, splashing lightly on the parchment. Nora stared at it in amazement, unsure of what to think. Master had told her, commanded her, not to show any sign of her true feelings about her cousin during the battle. She hadn’t been allowed to vent the pain and anguish she’d felt, had been forced to wall those feelings away. She could think about and reason all she liked, but her actual feelings were still numb…

“No…” she whispered softly, a shudder going through her. She’d felt that. She felt the guilt and pain coming back to her now. The walls were beginning to crumble. She was beginning to crumble. The realization of what she’d done was starting to hit her, and she could already tell from the trembling that she wouldn’t be able to take it. It was too much, too soon. “Master,” she whispered, getting to her feet, moving quickly to the door.

Master forced these bad feelings away once, she thought fervently, as she ran down the hallway towards his chambers, he can do so again. He HAS to! I can’t… I can’t handle this. It’s too big, too much. Too much! Reaching his door, she reached for the handle, only to pause. He’d commanded her to always announce herself and wait to be allowed to enter. She knocked, rapidly, then clutched herself tightly. Tears were running freely now, and a deep mournful sob was being held back by only the narrowest of margins. “Please… Master…” she managed softly, “I need you…”

A moment later, Marion opened the door, frowning. “Nora? What is it? You should be resting in your chambers by now.” Frowning, he raised an eyebrow, taking in her condition. “Hmmm… interesting,” he said aloud, looking her over in amusement even as she suffered. “For weeks now I have been trying to learn the depths of the control this magic gives me over you… what you could manage to endure without breaking. It would seem that the power of the spell you are under is truly limitless, though you, yourself, are not. Tell me, girl, what are you feeling?”

“P-pain…” she managed through gritted teeth. “G-guilt. Oh god… oh god... what I did to her… what I said!” She shook her head violently, hands to her temples. “Please Master, please… make it stop! Please!”

“Hmm. Now, what was it I told you before the battle?” Marion asked himself, pointedly ignoring Nora’s pleas. “Ah. That’s right. I told you to repress your feelings about what I ordered you to do until after the battle. And now, with the battle clearly over and won, all those feelings are coming back to you, overwhelming you. Interesting.” He nodded to himself. “Your mind interpreted the instructions and LITERALLY pushed aside all the negative emotions about what you were doing until just now.”

“Master, please!” Nor begged, falling to her knees at his feet. “I can’t endure this! Please! Oh god, oh god, ohh gaaaawwddd…”

Marion sighed dramatically. “Well, since you would be much less useful to me as an insane woman, I suppose I should do something to help. Slave, look at me,” he commanded her sharply. Immediately, Nora’s head snapped up. “From now, and henceforth, as long as you are my slave, you will feel no sadness or remorse about any act or deed that I command you to perform.” Nora’s eyes fluttered for a few seconds as her Master’s commands sank in. “Now, get your weepy ass up off my floor and go take a rest in your chambers. We’ll be setting out again first thing in the morning.”

“Yes, Master,” Nora replied softly, wiping her tears, the pain and anguish pushed back down once more. Sighing softly in contentment, she obeyed, turning to walk back to her room.

“Okay,” Kyle said softly to his group, standing just outside Calypso’s cave. “I said we’d talk about this once we got back out. About your freedom.” Kyle said, addressing his two slaves. “What do you want? Be honest.”

“For things to remain the same.” Leila and Serena both said at the same time.

“I made a promise to free you.” Kyle said, “And I’d like to keep that.”

“Master.” Leila said, “I’m the freest I’ve ever been and ever will be. If you take this away. I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“Me too.” Serena replied.

Kyle looked at Honor, “What do you think?”

“I think Rini’s happy. Completely and utterly whole. Leila, I didn’t know before, but Rini I did. And believe me, she’s way better off this way. And from what I understand, she’ll lose it all. Take it from someone who has lost it all.” Honor said with a wink, “You’re a pretty good one to have around to pick up the pieces, but I’d rather have never been broken in the first place.”

Kyle sighed, he thought it might come to this. His promise, versus what was actually good. Twice in one day. Choosing the greater good over his personal convictions. Jeffrey was right. Serena and Leila would squabble. They would be at a loss without the magical effect of the spell. Leila might end up as a shriveling mess, and as he was going to see Anadriel as soon as this was over, he knew he could only handle one of those right now.

Even more interesting, something in Honor’s voice almost seemed like she wanted the same thing. To be enslaved. And he knew that SHE at least was in her right mind. Jeffrey was right. It would be for the best.

“Ok,” he said reluctantly, scowling. “I know how to reverse this now if needed. So… I guess we’ll just keep things as they are, for the time being—“ He was tackled to the ground and assaulted with kisses and hugs. Honor laughed, giving him a smirk.

“Well cutie, I think I’ll log off for the day. Had plenty of work today and I gotta pick out some new abilities since I’ve leveled up so much. See you tomorrow?”

He could barely manage a nod before she teleported away. As he was embraced wholeheartedly by the two girls, one thought came to his mind, Anadriel. It was time to go see her.

Jeffrey opened his eyes, blearily, moaning softly, the sound of the waves slapping gently against the shore. He moved to sit up, only to be pressed back down gently with a soft warm hand against his chest. “Stay still,” Calypso replied with a sad smile. “Save your strength. You need the rest.”

“Bonnie?” he murmured softly, shaking his head. “You… brought me here?”

She nodded. “When you didn’t return with the others, or stop by once they’d left, I knew something was wrong. I went to check up on you, and found you lying on the ground.” She ran a hand lightly along his forehead, brushing back his brown hair. “You gave up your power to Kyle, didn’t you?” she said tenderly.

“Yeah, well, the kid earned it. And it’s not as if I was using it for anything anyway… other than living,” he said with wry grin.

“Don’t joke about that,” Bonnie snapped irritated. “I know Kyle is important. I know he’s the best chance of beating Marion, and safeguarding the frequency code. But… do you have to sacrifice yourself in the process?” She glanced down. “I don’t want to lose you, Jeff. It’s not as if I have a crowd of friends as it is. I can’t afford to lose the ones I have.”

Jeffrey sighed softly, reaching up to caress her cheek. He closed his eyes, trying to find the words to reassure her, to ease the torment of her heart and soul, but he could find none. He wasn’t truly human any more. He was a program, a shadow of his former human self. He had all of the real Jeffrey Danzig’s knowledge and feelings, but he lacked that most crucial requirement of being human. A soul.

“Isn’t there some way you can recover your strength?” Calypso asked, pleading.

“Bonnie, it’s not that simple. Yeah, I’m a computer program, but I’m also a human mind linked to that program. I just allocated most of my memory and transferred my most important functions to Kyle. Basically, I hollowed myself out. And if there’s nothing left to hold my matrix together…” he said shrugging. “I can’t just patch myself back together. Maybe if I were in the outside world, my other self could come up with something, but he’s not there. Aside from you, I don’t know any other hackers, and you’d have to do this from the outside, not on the fly. And I can’t exactly contact the System Admins and ask THEM for help.” He sighed closing his eyes. “We knew it would be this way, Bonnie. But it’s okay. Really. In the grand scheme of things, I’m not really that important.”

“You are important!” Calypso insisted, tears forming in her eyes. “At least… you’re important to me.” There was no one else that knew her as well as Jeffrey did. Not even Kyle, who held her heart in his hands, the man she longed to be with more than anything else. Only with Jeffrey could she show her true self, and confide in him without worry or concern.

Jeffrey smiled at that. He caressed her cheek softly, gently. She was beautiful, inside and out. And truth be told, computer program or not, he dearly loved her. He’d recognized her instantly the very first time she’d logged into the Reality, her biosignature so familiar to him that at first he’d mistaken her for her mother, Jessica. Learning the truth, however, he’d devoted himself to helping her, to protecting her, giving her a quiet place to thrive, to grow. He’d played the part of the ‘mysterious benefactor’ at first, a shadowy presence that aided her as needed, but the girl was too smart, too clever, too much like her mother, to be fooled. She eventually sought him out, tracking him down with her computer skills, something the company’s admins had yet to accomplish. Once she realized what he was, and who he was, thing had changed. He was no longer a stranger protecting her from afar. He was a friend.

Jessica’s daughter, he mused silently. Damn the company… if things had been different, he lamented. If Tony hadn’t insisted on bringing our findings to the board… if we’d just kept our damn mouths shut, or I’d had the balls to just sabotage the thing from the beginning before it’s launch… He shook his head ruefully. He’d always thought of Bonnie as the daughter he’d never had. Yet, if he and Jessica hadn’t been forced to go into hiding with the rest of the development team for five years, and been separated from her, most likely Bonnie would have been his daughter.

“Wait. What’s that?” Calypso said, frowning, staring up at the ceiling.

Frowning as well, Jeffrey closed his eyes extending his senses outward, then cursed loudly. “Dammit… retarded, senile, stupid… I really AM getting old. It’s the Admins again. They’re tracking my signal, and they’ve almost locked onto me. I have to go, Bonnie. I can’t let them find this place and you…” Sitting up with a groan, he conjured his staff, and got back to his feet.

“But… you can’t go! Not in your condition,” she protested. “You’re too weak to fight them off by yourself!”

“Weak?” he said with a laugh. “Babe, I have more power and know-how in my little pinky than the whole lot of them combined! I’ll be fine. You’ll see.“ He leaned forward, kissing her gently on the lips, brushing the tear tracks from her cheeks. “I promise. You’ll see me again. I’m down, yes… but I’m not out. Not yet. I still have a few more things to do before I ride off into the sunset.”

“Where will you go?” Bonnie asked.

“Well, after I shake off my pursuers, I think I’ll pay James a visit, see how the young prospective dragon sage is getting on.” I winced slightly, his body shuddering with weakness. “I did him a solid a while back, so maybe he’ll return the favor. If you need to reach me, kid, just contact him.” He sighed softly, focusing his remaining powers, preparing to teleport away.

And… if all else fails, I need to warn the kid and tell him he just might have to take over for me as Kyle’s guide and guardian sooner than expected…