hii! so this story is the first collab I've ever done, and it's with my best friend, she'll be writing mainly from her character clarice's POV whilst I'll be writing form my OC beth's POV. we've tried to keep our characters as mary sue-less as possible without making them so weak that the story is just full of angst. there should be character development with both of them gaining their strength gradually.

I really hope you all enjoy this story, it should be fun, with a mixture of comedy and drama and maybe... ROMANCE?!

have fun!

It was a normal Saturday when this all started. As normal as they come, Clarice and I were just hanging around my house, in my room watching anime and YouTube videos.

"Hey, you know what would be fun?" I asked as I poked her in her side and watched her squirm.

She poked me back "what?"

I laughed at the ticklish feeling "we should watch one piece dubbed again!" I said between giggles.

"again? We did that the other day!" she yelled in mock indignation.

"it never gets old" I reassured her as I inserted the DVD into the dvd player.

We sat and waited for the usual dubbed opening to come on, as sad as it is we both knew it off by heart and would dramatically sing along, complete with improvised hand gestures.

But the opening never came. Instead a vortex of colours swirled into being on the screen.

"what the…" I said as I touched the screen in bewilderment, watching in shock as my hand was sucked straight into the screen.

I screamed as I felt the rest of my body being tugged in too, I blearily saw clarice grab onto my leg in a vain attempt to pull me back, but it was hopeless and now she was sucked in too.

Then we fell.

I reached up and grabbed onto my friend tightly, refusing to be separated. The wind whipped past us and I looked down.

Nothing but blue for miles.

How were we falling into the ocean? It was a good hour's drive away from where we lived and even then, the water around England looked nothing like this.

Shaking my head to clear those thoughts away, I panicked as I saw the water rapidly approaching spinning so that my back faced the water I braced myself for the impact. For death.

Surprisingly it never came, I remember hitting the water of course, and the feeling of all the air being hit out of me and the completely engulfing pain in my back, but I was conscious and alive.

Clarice looked in a similar condition to me, I saw her wincing in pain and holding back tears, I nodded to her and we both swam to the surface.

A blue sky, only dotted with a few clouds, a blue sea empty of any sight of land or boats. Blue everywhere. I was honestly starting to hate the colour I used to consider my favorite.

"where are we?" clarice murmured looking around in bewilderment.

I wished I could answer her but I was equally as stumped.

We just stayed there treading water silently as panic started seeping into our veins.

"are we going to drown?" she asked me, tears brimming in her eyes.

This snapped me out of the frozen state of shock I was in

"no." I replied resolutely scanning the horizon for a sign of… anything. Anything at all.. and then I saw it, birds flying around in the distance.

"let's swim this way" I told her as calmly as I could "I see birds over there, and if there are birds there should be land right?"

She nodded slightly unsurely

And we swam, the pain in my back aching with every stroke I took, looking over I saw clarice in pain too, how did we even end up like this?

Time seemed to pass in slow motion; it felt like we swam for hours and honestly I think we did.

And then I saw it and almost screamed in joy, an island on the horizon.

Our pace increased and soon we were sat on a sandy beach panting and gasping for breath

"Thank god for this island" I gasped giddily, feeling the urge to lean down and kiss the earth that had saved up from a death at sea.

"I know right!" Clarice replied, giggling too, with us both on a high from the adrenaline coursing through us.

Flopping onto my stomach I sighed in relief, when I heard clarice gasp

"whats wrong?" I asked sitting up sharply

She shakily pointed to my back "your back..." she gasped looking faint "it looks really bad."

As though being mentioned awoke it, I was suddenly aware of the pain coming from my back. I reached back and touched it lightly, feeling a hot sticky substance coat my hands, I looked down and saw the blood staining the sand.

I swore. I knew clarice wasn't good with gore but the amount of blood that I saw was bad and I knew I needed treatment soon.

I took my top off, feeling the bits of fabric that were caught in my wound tear out I bit back a scream. Ignoring clarice's scandalized look and begun tearing it into shreds.

Looking down at my makeshift bandages I sighed.

"we need to look for a stream or something, I need clean water to wash out this cut" l told her as I went through what was needed in my head. Clarice nodded determinedly and went off

"clean water, sterilized bandages…" I trailed off, looking down at the sea soaked shirt that I planned to use "I guess I can't exactly even boil these right now."

I heard clarice calling that she'd found a river and went to join her.

It was a decent sized river, deep enough to have clear water running through it, I smiled, this was better than nothing.

"Okay" I handed clarice the collar of what used to be my shirt "let's soak and wash that in the river, and then we need to use it to wash my back out"

She took it from me unsurely and then followed my instructions.

I turned away from her giving her access to my back and stuffed my hand in my mouth to bit back screams as I felt the clothe touch my wound.

"ah does that hurt?" clarice asked panicking "I'm so sorry I don't really know what I'm doing"

I forced a grin "its fine! I've had worse honestly, let's just get this over with and then we'll go looking for food okay?"

She nodded and carried on, an agonizing 10 minutes later my wound was cleaned and wrapped and only stung slightly with every movement.

We stood on the beach we'd arrived at and looked around.

"It looks like a small island" Clarice told me "I walked around it earlier in about 10 minutes."

"oh." I replied oh so intelligently "okay."

Really I was panicking inwardly, how much food could this tiny island possibly have? Were we going to end up starving?

"ah I found a banana!" I heard Clarice yell excitedly from the small forest that stood in the middle of the island.

"seriously?" I replied happily and jogged to meet up with her, finding her staring up into a tree, where a green banana was growing high up in its leaves.

"it looks kind of small" I said looking at it dubiously "is it even fully grown?"

"sure it is!" clarice cheerfully waved my concerns off, her eyes scanning the tree, seemingly looking for a way to climb it. I went to protest, having Clarice climb that tree could only lead to more trouble knowing her, yet with the state I was in it didn't look like we had much of a choice.

Placing her hands around the trunk of the tree, she used her feet to shimmy her way up. Close to the top Clarice looked down, showing a look of concern at the distance between herself and the floor, and I couldn't help sharing those feelings for her.

I watch as she reached forwards and grabbed the small banana, a look of victory springing to her face. That quickly changed however, as she soon realised that the way down wouldn't be easily achieved.

"Are you doing okay up there?" I called up to her.

"Yes! Of course! It's just...I'm not sure how to get down."

I look back at her, dumbfounded how quickly her confidence went going up that tree compared to now. What am I meant to do from down here?

"Okay, thats fine, maybe...how about try jumping down here? I'll catch you!"

Clarice's face pales "This isn't some crazy trust exercise Beth!" she replies

"No really, it'll work! Do you really think I would let you jump if I had doubts?"

I can almost see the cogs turning in her brain, probably weighing up the situation herself, most likely coming to the conclusion that this was the best way.

"Okay...I'll jump down. You'll catch me, right? I don't want to break my legs."

"Yes! Come on!"

With hesitation, Clarice lets go of the tree. I stand beneath her as she gets closer, and only when it seems slightly too late do I begin to doubt this plan.

She falls into my arms, my legs crumpling underneath me. I knew the she'd be heavy, but Jesus! Catching a person jumping from such a height proved to be more difficult than I had hoped, and we both fell to the floor.

"ouch" I groaned from my spot on the ground

"oh my god are you okay?" Clarice asked, evidently unharmed and already hovering over me.

"I'm fine..." I said slightly in shock that she was was totally okay from such a high fall.

"oh…" clarice said looking slightly thrown before grinning "at least we got the banana, lets split it?"

I looked down at the weird banana in my hand and grimaced "I hate overripe banana's" I told her honestly "it's all yours."

I passed it over to her with a smile "I'll go look for more food."

CLARICE'S POV

Beth trots off over to a clearing of bushes, not before giving me a reassurring wink. I hope she does find food, I don't want to hog the whole banana to myself if she doesn't. Though, the growing moans of hunger from my stomach protest that she'll be fine. Although I did say I would be happy eating this, the fleshy feel of the fruit and the oddly fluorencent green did seem a little odd. Still, finding a banana on this spit of island seemed to be a stroke of luck, so I put my doubts aside and began to eat.

This thing tastes horrible! I guess it really was overripe. Despite myself, I carried on eating it after all the drama that took to get it. Perhaps my fussy eating will be the death of me, I contemplate as I continue to chew. Before I know it, the taste becomes stronger, and stronger, until the food seems almost inedible. I feel disgusted and dizzy at the taste enveloping in my mouth. Oh god, maybe this thing is poisonous somehow! Panick laced thoughts rush through my head as my mouth, throat and chest begin to burn, yet my skin feels cold, forcing myself to shiver as I fall to my knees. I call out, maybe Beth hasn't gone very far, however all that escapes my mouth are choked cries. The dizziness starts to take me, as all I see now in my vision are dancing spots and blurs. I try again to shout for help, yet the firey feeling in my throat only allows a final croak to come out as all I see is black, and my head shortly follows the shut down of my body.

BACK TO BETH POV

I wandered around for a while, trees and ocean being the only scenery there was to look at and sighed, how were we even supposed to get off this damned island?

I growled in frustration and kicked a medium sized boulder that sat in my path, and immediately regretted it.

A crack appeared. The earth around me shook slightly, and something oozed out of the crack in the boulder, something dark? The only way to describe it would be liquid shadows really.

"what the frick?!" I gasped, stepping back, but being my usual clumsy self, tripping and ending up on my butt on the ground.

I could only gaze in horror as the shadows seeped out and grew into a mass, a quivering disgusting looking mass.

It moved from side to side slowly before stopping, it then moved towards me, and I went to scream, but as soon as I opened my mouth this disgusting mass jumped inside.

Forcing its way down my throat, seeping into my stomach my veins my lungs and god did it hurt, it was the most painful thing I've ever experienced. This horrible thing was overtaking my very being. Everything hurt as it forced its way through me.

And then it stopped and I felt myself almost cry in relief. But that's when the burning started.

My hands, my back, my feet, my head, everything tingled and felt as if it was on fire. What the hell was happening to me! I screamed internally. Trying to force my body to move, to do something, but every part of me remained unresponsive.

Minutes later it faded. I felt my body start to awaken again, so I made my finger twitch and move slightly, as that was successful I went on to make my legs and feet move. I had to get back to Clarice, what if what had attacked me had gotten her too?

I stood up shakily, holding onto the nearby trees for support. And stumbled my way back through the forest.

Seeing a blonde head of hair in the distance I inscreased my pace and clutched onto her sobbing

"thank god you're alright" I sobbed holding onto her weakly

CLARICE'S POV:

I awaken to find myself staring at the dirt and grass, at least that's what I think it is, as my eyesight is fuzzy, the sound of my own breathing resonating in my head, only to become quieter to the high pitched ringing that replaces it. I try and haul myself up despite the protests of a pounding headache.

I manage to sit up and begin to gather myself, finding that my surroundings start to focus, and the ringing sound and headache start to ease up. I try and remember how I got here, only to recall eating...fruit? Anxious thoughts start to spring up, was it really some sort of poisonous, exotic fruit?

I seem to be okay at least, the best I can do is try and find Beth, and probably water to ease up my dry throat.

I make my way to the river I found not too long before all this happened and gulp down water cupped in my hands. I start to walk back to the spot where Beth and I split from each other. What are you meant to do when you've eaten something poisonous anyway? Do I need to make myself vomit? This is far too much for me to handle! This would all be much easier if I could just ask Be-

Before I could conclude my thoughts, I'm interrupted by a tugging on my side and choked sobs. I turn to see a strange woman, and I'm completely thrown back. This is Beth, I'm certain of that, but it looks nothing like her. Before I could even comprehend what had happened, my eyes are drawn to her completely bizarre and inhuman looking hands, and behind her, what appear to be on her back...

I can't understand what's going on, and instinctively step back from my friend.

She looks to me, questioning why I would want to create any distance between us, and holds out her slender, clawed fingers towards me. This isn't right, none of this makes sense! Panic rises in me and before I know it, green tendrils burst from the ground and hold their form in the air. Beth and Me stare in utter disbelief at these...vines that have protruded from the floor, making some sort of circular defense around me.

We only have a second to think, as with little hesitation the vines swish, and attempt to smack anything within the vicinity of me. Beth screams as the vines, almost like whips, slash through the air and smack down around the ground around her. Shock and fear is written all across her face, and it doesn't take her long to realize she's in danger.

BETH'S POV;

I stepped back slowly, before turning around and sprinting my way back to the river, running and stumbling through foliage, I didn't care about the leaves and branches clawing at my face as I hurtled through them.

Looking down into the crystal clear surface of the river I sobbed as my reflection gazed up at me.

It wasn't my face staring back.

My full rounded jawline was gone. Replaced with a thinner jaw, high cheekbones. My blue eyes that ran through my family were gone. Replaced with a horrifyingly red/brown mix. My small button nose was gone. Replaced with a pointier nose. Everything was replaced. It wasn't me.

I just sat there sobbing into the river, wanting to scream at the reflection staring back.

As I knelt I heard a fluttering noise behind me, I spun around in shock but saw nothing.

"what the hell…" I muttered as I turned again. Hearing the noise again, I paused, it sounded so close.. seeing black out of the corner of my eye, I reached over my shoulder and grabbed at whatever had been hiding behind me.

"ow!" I screamed, letting go in pain, in my open hand sat two dark feathers.

"you're kidding me" I laughed slightly hysterically as I reached behind me again and felt again, gentler this time, behind me, attached to my back, sat two large wings.

"you're kidding me…" I repeated in complete disbelief before the shock overtook me and everything faded to black.

ooooooh cliffhanger! please review and tell us what you thought! 3