Chapter XI, Something Locked Inside


I ran. Ran as fast as possible, hardly even feeling the need to stop by. I saw many things before my eyes, I saw as the surrounding shifted before me. Sand, trees, rivers, ponds, meadows. All of them were somewhat familiar, I were here, yet nothing bare any significance for me, as my legs still moved swiftly. Why I ran? I could not tell. It was just that notion in my brain that ordered me to do so. Something happened last night. The wizard, the bird, the ritual. But what was it exactly? Couldn't really tell that as well. My head spanned like a carousel, and my thoughts swirled around in an uncontrollable fashion. I think that whatever the sorcerer did, hardly worked out for him. Or did it? He spoke so much about his well crafted plans, maybe that was the part of it. My hands, they were shaped weirdly. My fingers were somewhat, thinner? Or was it just my imagination. That could be the case as well, yes. Or maybe that was yet another vision they dragged me into, just like previously? Preferred the one with Marshall, I must say. My head hurt because of all that thinking. Something lingered deep inside. I could feel it. Not good. I finally managed to stop, or rather, my legs let me do just that. I felt heat, unbearable one, almost as if my insides were set on fire. Hope that's not what they did to me. As I tried to drink as much as I could, eventually the thirst somewhat stopped. When I rose my head a bit, I saw something I should saw miles away. In the reflection, I gazed at the two empty, hollowed spots, from which small sparks poured everywhere around. Her teeth clicked back and forth, as her face was fixated in a grim smile. Well, I may not be the prettiest one, but um, there are some limits. Jokes aside, I read about her once. Stories about the great heroine that stopped her once and for all and trapped somewhere within the kingdom, as she was never meant to be freed from within her prison. It would seem that the duo that captured me managed to find her corpse, and put the dead thing inside of me. Guess that's what the ugly one rambled about, she was meant to take control over me huh? Shame I were able to disrupt him in doing so, if just a little bit. Still, what I saw in the water was worrisome.

"Greetings, Fionna the Human." She waved at me almost playfully, as her rotten teeth formed a disgusting and repulsive grin. She at least somewhat matched the magician, that's for sure. "You look surprised. Are you surprised? Are you surprised..."

"My Glob..."

"Your Glob won't help you now." Her teeth once again began to cluck rapidly. Like a taping machine. Only bit more menacing and annoying. "Oh no. No..."

My hand began to glow, so did hers. As the sparks of green flame began to circle around my fingers, I pointed towards the nearest tree. Not that I wanted to do so, something in my head ordered me this course of action however. That something was quite obvious, right? I simply looked, as the burst of energy shot right at it, devouring it within the unstoppable energy. That wasn't a good sign, clearly not.

"What is it, Fionna the Human? Having trouble enjoying our little share of might? You could clearly get used to it. Such untamed power is nothing to shrug off. Come to think of it, you may even start to enjoy it... you may even start to..."

Once again, I pointed unwillingly towards yet another being, this time more lively, as it was a deer of sorts. He just stood there, looking at us curiously. I could not shout to scare him off, it was beyond my capability. But then I realized I had to do something. Isn't control over yourself a part of being a hero? So I did just that, as I managed to redirect the beam elsewhere.

"So, our little girl likes to play around."

She looked at me almost in amusement. Guess every wile and evil individual likes to toy with it's victims. This time around, it was no different. I should expect that. Still, both of us hardly gained what we wanted. I never asked for company in my body. Guess she never asked for someone in her new vessel as well.

"Just imagine all the possibilities." She began to chant once again. "You don't lack imagination, right girl? Always numerous ideas in your head. Always a way to find your way in this world. Imagine the possibilities, imagine the possibilities..."

"No..."

"Give in..." Her bone hands poked the place where her cheeks should be. Just now I noticed, that I did exactly the same. "Power like that shouldn't be wasted, shouldn't be contained... No..."

"I won't."

"Give in, Fionna the Human..." Her gray hair waved everywhere around, as the sparks lightened up once again in her empty hollows. "You should agree... should agree, together, we're something grander. Power like this can be also used to lie. To maim. Not only to destroy. Such possibilities... I'm sure he would like it. You like if he'd like it, don't you? Yes. And you... You'd be... Something better... something..."

"No!" I shouted, as I pulled out my sword and put it right next to my throat. She wanted to gamble and tease? I hardly had time for those kinds of things. "Attempt to do so, and we're going down together. Is that what you want? To die yet again?"

She looked at me, quite surprised actually. Apparently she doubted in my skills, as well as she doubted that I will actually menage to regain control over myself. I somewhat felt joy to disappoint her this time. Still, what I saw in her eyes would only indicate that she calculated all the adds, all the possibilities, all the advantages and disadvantages. What was in her mind, I wonder. Shame I couldn't read her mind as much, as she probably could read mine.

"No..." She sounded almost disappointed. "

She changed. As the bones gained muscles, as muscles gained skin, something else emerged. Something more pleasing to the eye. Something tempting even for some. I would call her the allurement of beauty. Funny world, should have use it more. Still, she looked gorgeous, with her long, red hair and huge, green eyes.

"Are we really that different?" She smiled at me. Guess she wanted to gain some sympathy. Not feeling like it. "I were curious at first you see. Then I wanted more. Curiosity is never a bad thing, Fionna the Human. It leads you to such fascinating places. Fascinating."

"I don't want to hear about it."

"Just imagine, getting the praise you deserve, from everyone, from everyone you wish to gain it, Fionna the Human..." She playfully tangled her hair on one of the fingers. I did the same, my other hand was tightly holding the sword's handle. She couldn't do anything about it. "Why pick, when you can have it all. Why think when you can only raise your hand. I were curious... we're the same, deep inside. You don't know my motives, when I grabbed all what I deserved, Fionna the Human. Perhaps I did it for the same reasons you could do it? Perhaps you could do the same? Perhaps..."

"No!" Once again, the blade came closer to our throats. I think I overacted a bit, since few red dots appeared on the edge. "When I say no, it means no. Got it?"

"Be it that way, Fionna the Human. We don't have to be enemies. We don't have to..."

And just like that, she simply disappeared, as I could clearly see myself now once again. Well, I had my better days, that's for sure. Those eye shadows, uh. Apparently I were still in those filthy rags as well. Not like I enjoyed that all that much, but at least it somewhat covered me. Just now I felt that it's cold. Guess her presence abandoned me for some time. Where were I anyways. A forest of sorts it would seem. How far from the rest were I? How far from the safe walls of the Candy Kingdom? Well, there was nothing for me to do, I had to find my way and go. But where? Just as I thought about the direction I should head, my body felt weirdly light. Perhaps the reason behind it was the sore fact that I began to float. Guess there were some benefits of having that... thing in my body. Not that I enjoyed the notion of using the powers given to me, still, a bit won't hurt, to get out of here, wherever I were. As I reached the higher peek, far above the trees and other elements of this rather dull landscape, I gazed upon the ground. There were some lights here and there, small candy villages of people full of their dull doings. I came a long way that night it would seem. The world looked so small from this angle. Everything hardly mattered. Every single little solitary being. Like ants almost. Every single one could be crushed between my fingers, could be smashed underneath my heel. I could do that, yes. And no one would even notice a difference. No one would even care if that goblin over there, hiding his goods from his wife would disappear. No one would even care if that one lone wolf that separated himself from his pack would go missing. World wouldn't noticed if that smith over there, preparing his shop for the day to come, would end up with a slit throat. Unimportant. Trivial. This world was so uninteresting. Full of filth that could be erased. Easily erased. Such weaklings. No wonder some would like to change this state of affairs. No wonder some would like to change it. No wonder... No, no, no! Enough, enough of those thoughts, enough! I quickly landed on the ground, as I looked on the pond once again. She was absent from my reflection this time around, however, was she really needed there? I saw myself, grinning at the things I thought, smiling at the things I considered. It frightened me. I had to go, somewhere, somewhere safe, for now at least. Safe for me? Oh no, obviously not. Safe for others. Yes, safe for others.

"You can run from the world..." She again began to speak, this time however, her voice trembled directly in my head. It had a nice ring to it, almost as if she tried to convince me. Almost as if she tried to seduce me. "...but why should you run Fionna the Human? Why should you run I wonder. You are such a weird being..."

"Shut up..."

"You could change the world to your liking..." The voice got smoother and smoother, almost like a silent, melodic murmur that swam throughout my mind. She tried to be soothing. It worked somehow. "...bend to your liking. You enjoy when things bend, don't you, Fionna the Human?" I hardly wanted to respond to her. Why should I? She would try to shift my words either way. Shift, and use them against me. "Trying silence on me? That's foolish child. That's foolish..." She was almost hissing at me, I couldn't really tell if that was the way she expressed her anger or joy. Either way, both of those weren't the things I aimed for. Not in the slightest. Once again, she moved my hands against my will, as she pointed to the nearest trees once more. "Now, Fionna the Human, perhaps you should lighten up that forest? To give you some warmth? Not the same as the warmth of someone's body next to you, but it will do, right? Aren't you cold? Aren't you cold..."