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Venus knows she is the Devil. She knows that there is still something inside her, a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode again. She knows that Jupiter and Neptune did what they had to. She knows this, and in a way, she's glad that they did. It was bound to happen, after all, and embracing it would have made things more complicated and overall just worse for everyone else. And he hates being an inconvenience. So he just accepted that he was the Devil.
She felt free, for a moment - before her wings were forcefully cut off, by God, by Jupiter and Neptune's prayers - their radios and sirens blaring as the Devil was driven out of her, her countless eyes being torn from her, one by one, like neoplasms being removed without anaesthetic.
She didn't scream or cry. She simply stared at them, silent, almost pitying her friends. But the seed was planted, and Venus knew that it was just a matter of time before it blossoms again into a horrible, grotesque flower. But if anything, Venus was nothing but patient.
Venus had become quieter after the Devil was driven out of him. He still hung out with Jupiter and Neptune - not that he had a say in the matter until summer camp was over, anyways - but he also stuck around because he genuinely cared for them both. He was just more observant, quietly making mental notes of the shifts in his friends' behavior and words.
Jupiter was more anxious, snapping her hairtie against her wrist more frequently than before. She didn't like to talk about the events that transpired at the cabin that night, instead diverting the subject to something else as soon as it got brought up.
Neptune hadn't mellowed out exactly, but she seemed to treat Venus just a tad differently - though it was hard to decipher in what way to interpret her shift in behavior. It had always been hard to get a read on Neptune anyway.
Group South seemed to avoid Venus more. They tried to mess with him a few times after his becoming the Devil, but quickly stopped when he didn't respond and instead stared at them with wide eyes. Their words didn't get under his skin anymore. He just looked at them, pitying them, knowing they would likely never get a taste of sweet freedom like she had.
Summer camp was almost over. Soon, they would all go home, and the possibility of never getting to talk to Jupiter and Neptune finally hit Venus. He grimaced. He was fixing a siren - one of the usual tasks he was assigned to accomplish at camp. He was looking forward to never having to do this again, but on the other hand... He glanced down at his friends. They were talking about something, but he couldn't tell what exactly. It was a pretty heated conversation, it seemed.
"Jupiter, I swear on everything you love, if you don't stop blaming yourself for everything bad happening in your life I am ACTUALLY going to kill you," Neptune coughed.
Venus slid down from the siren pole, his radio occasionally clanking against it. Once back on solid ground, he approached his friends, his footsteps light and almost inaudible.
"I'm tired of you trying to be little miss perfect. Can't you stop trying so hard, just for ONCE in your life-" Neptune's words were full of poison. Whatever Jupiter said, it must have annoyed her greatly.
"Hey guys, what're you talking about?" Venus cut through Neptune's venomous words.
Jupiter visibly jumped up in surprise. Neptune turned towards Venus, coughed once, then steadied herself.
"Nothing, Venus. Don't worry about it," Neptune glanced at Jupiter, then looked back to Venus. He hummed in response.
Jupiter snapped her hairtie against her wrist and flashed a soft smile at Venus. The conversation didn't go further. The cold silence was a little uncomfortable, but they all hurried back to the bonfire without another word. Neptune was texting away on her phone, Jupiter was soothing herself by playing with the fabric of her jacket, and Venus followed behind, looking up at the sky occasionally.
The light was still there, in the corner of his eye. It was still dancing beautifully, just out of sight, like a butterfly flapping its wings this way and that.
They made their way back to the bonfire on time. Gone were the days they were always the last group there. They had fallen in line, just like everyone wanted them to. The captain had taken a liking to them, even, which pissed Neptune off very deeply. However, she didn't care enough about pissing him back off to make sure they'd be late. If that was the way Jupiter and Venus wanted to be, Neptune wasn't going to put in more effort than necessary into making them undestand that this was NOT right.
Once the other groups all arrived, the captain started his sermon. Neptune wasn't listening very closely, playing with her own hair. Jupiter buried her face in her knees. Venus stared at the bonfire.
She felt a tingle in her back. An itch she couldn't help but want to scratch. But he needed to be patient. And so he focused on the flames' patterns as they burned bright in the sticky summer night.
After the sermon, all the groups more or less went about their own business for the night. Only group West remained at the bonfire. The captain had left as well, going back to his girlfriend (or whatever she is) for the night. The air was thick with tension, the silence so heavy it could have crushed them alive.
Venus scratched her arm. Something innocent enough from the outside looking in. But she knew that had been a terrible idea. Jupiter glanced at her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you okay, Venus?"
Venus shuddered. She felt an eye open at the spot she had just scratched, as if she had created an open wound by scratching the itch. She put her hand on it, trying to play it cool. She stared at the ground.
"I'm fine, Jupiter. Thanks."
Neptune's gaze snapped up from her phone. She stared at Venus. She knew the seed was blossoming. Jupiter didn't catch on quite yet though. She took her hand away from Venus' shoulder and fiddled with the fabric of her shirt.
"Venus, you've been- you're acting weird," Jupiter scratched her head. "You can talk to us, you know."
"Am I acting weird? How so?" Venus almost chuckled. She knew it was coming.
"Yes, Venus, you're acting like much more of a weirdo than usual." Neptune almost spat out.
"What am I like, usually?" Venus still avoided their gazes.
Neptune finally put her phone away and walked towards Venus in long, threatening strides.
"Venus," Neptune said, "I know you know what's going on. And you know damn well I do NOT want to do all of... THAT, all over again."
Venus stayed silent. Jupiter bit her lip, catching on to what Neptune was getting at. Neptune stared at Venus, her head held high.
"Should we call the captain?" Jupiter inquired.
"The captain won't come," Neptune spat out. "Especially not if I can help it. Venus, you've been super quiet ever since we drove the Devil out of you," she paused, Venus' gaze finally meeting Neptune's. Neptune continued, "And I'm certain you know why you've been keeping your mouth shut and- and, watching."
"Why, do you think?" Venus said, softly.
"Because the Devil never really leaves you," Neptune put her hand on Venus' shoulder. "You know this, I know this, and I'm sure Jupiter also knows this, even if she'll do anything to deny it."
"Neptune, you should stop," Jupiter approached Neptune, soothing herself the best she could.
"No. I'm tired of going along and being a 'good kid' just because you guys don't want to ruffle feathers. This isn't RIGHT and I'm tired of pretending it is," Neptune turned to Jupiter, her voice wavering with anger. "Venus didn't deserve that and I don't want to-" Neptune coughed. "I won't let you drive the Devil out of her a second time."
Venus, who had been quiet this whole time, felt herself tear up to Neptune's words. The light in the corner of her eyes kept creeping closer and closer to the center of her vision. She felt tingling in her back - the very same she felt during the sermon, and as Neptune and Jupiter started arguing, she felt a rapid growth tear the fabric of her shirt apart, wings sprouting from her back. Big - bigger than they had previously been. Her light was blinding; eyes opening all over her body, she was glowing.
Jupiter took a step back, tripped on a rock and fell on her butt. Neptune, however, stared directly at Venus. Which would seem like a terrible idea, considering Venus was shining with the strength of a second sun, but the light was warm. Welcoming. It would not blind you if you accepted it into your own heart.
And Neptune did. She stared at Venus for a solid few seconds like this, unmoving, mouth slightly agape, taking in her beauty.
The light drew the attention of the other groups, however. They all came rushing, radio in hand, panic written all over their faces. Jupiter saw them running to surround Venus and Neptune, all of their blurry faces contorting in strange ways as they got ready to chant their prayers.
Jupiter rushed towards her friends. Despite having her own reservations, her body moved before her mind did. She took out her own radio, unsure how she could even use it to protect her friends against this many people. The groups began chanting. Jupiter wasn't even sure what to do; what was she supposed to pray to, if not God?
But the light did not waver. Venus did not falter. And Neptune - her ichor flowed out of her like a river. Soon, Jupiter felt the liquid lap at her ankles, quickly flooding the place, putting out the bonfire out in the process, but it didn't matter - because Venus was glowing, more than ever, she was shining and her light was not going to go out so easy this time.
The groups were struggling to keep their chanting steady, as Neptune's flood made it harder for them to stay on their feet. They kept on going, though, as best they could. But they were starting to get overwhelmed.
Jupiter finally took a good look at her friends. Venus and Neptune, holding each other close, did not look the slightest bit afraid. They looked serene, even. As if they didn't even hear the other groups desperately trying to take them apart. Jupiter approached them. And as she did, it felt as if a hundred - no, a thousand hands sprouted from her back, raising her from the ground and swinging violently at the "good kids". And she held her friends close. Venus and Neptune welcomed her with open arms and warm smiles and "welcome home".
They did not succumb. Venus' light guiding them, they kept driving the other kids away. Venus carved a path in the darkness for her friends. She felt free - and she was. The other groups would understand, someday. But for now, all that Venus had ever wished for, she had made her first step towards achieving. And she was so, so happy that she didn't have to walk that path alone anymore.