Gail's body twitched and turned in her unconsciousness as she fought off the nightmares. They were throwing themselves at her like desperate heartless—monsters who wanted to devour her whole. She could hear her own scream rippling through reality as she struggled to get free of the darkness' hold. Never before had she been so enclosed by such emptiness and surrounded by such horrors. Accustomed to the brighter side of things her entire life, warmed by the gentle touches of light that had guided her along her entire life, she felt completely alone and out of her habitat here, and she was scared. Terrified to the point where she could feel hot stinging streaks of tears falling from her eyes. For once in her life she genuinely felt alone—and that made her angry. How could her friends have left her in an unfamiliar environment as unprotected and vulnerable as she was? Anything could happen, and in a particularly scary world like this, the worst was bound to happen. Another scream escaped her lips as she lost grip and fell into one of the nightmares.
She fell in as a third party viewer to a scene that was all too familiar to her. She was curled up into a ball hiding from the monsters that sought for her heart. Faylin had only just recently left her to fend for herself.. Gail gasped at the pained expression child-Gail had on her face. She had been so horrified and lost—a perfect match to Gail's would be face if she'd been conscious. Gail wanted to run to her younger self and scoop her up in her arms, but there was some invisible force blocking her from moving; it held her in place, immobilizing her to just watch. The tiny girl sobbed into her torn bloodied dress, heaving deeply as she felt the pain and loss of her family. Gail's heart broke as she relived this moment, because she knew the disaster that was soon to come. The child-Gail's tears were brought to an abrupt halt as she began to shriek. Skeleton hands branded with the heartless insignia shot up out of the ground and grabbed her leg and arm. Skeletons dragged themselves out of the dirt and piled on top of each other as they grasped for the child. Child-Gail ripped her arms free and staggered away from them on to the main dirt road. "Just leave me alone!" She screamed as the heartless stood up and began to run after her.
Gail closed her eyes and put her fingers to her temples, not wanting to watch what happened next. Child-Gail fell, and the heartless were on her in a second, taking their sharp bones and cutting her skin, ripping at the flesh and pulling it back as they sought her heart. Child-Gail screamed and screamed, crying out in pain as they attacked her. One sunk it's hand straight through her chest, but to no avail, came back with nothing. The tiny Gail was laying there unconscious as they ripped her body up. They finally gave up and left her there in a bloody heap. Gail's vision blurred out from the scene and she found herself back in the darkness from before.
Everything was still for a moment..And then the pain came. Gail was projected from her body so that she could see what was going on around her. Her body was strapped down to an illuminated table. There was a strap around her waist, one that covered her eyes, one around her neck, and several around her arms and legs. What the hell.. She thought to herself as she watched her body convulse. She was having a seizure- God, why am I like this? Where are my friends? Faylin? A tear glistened in the corner of her body's eye and fell down her cheek. A sense of dread creeped up her skin leaving goose bumps in its wake. A man in a wheel chair rolled up to her..but it wasn't a man at all. It was a monster. It was a short tiny scary thing with a duck bill for a mouth and broken dark teeth that hung out of it as he opened his mouth. His skin was paper white and it had a bruised gray hint to its tone. He wore a lab coat that clung to his tiny limbs…His head had a line cut cross the top that was grotesquely bolted shut. Apart from all of that, the most terrifying thing was not how he looked, but the syringe that he held in his palms: it was huge and there was a sharp silver point that glistened in the lab lights as he rolled closed to Gail. He was mumbling something about a failed experiment as he drew nearer. Gail fought to get her body to move, but it was still. He slid the needle into her temple a good two inches, injected some sick green looking formula into it, and then rolled around to her other temple and did the same. Gail could feel the needle slide in, and she became nauseated as the second one went in. The nausea soon turned into this fiery migraine as she felt the formula working its way through her blood stream. She wanted to puke her guts out as dizziness set in-but it would seem that wasn't all that the doctor had in store for her. He stuck several needles into her arms and began to draw her blood into these weird crystal bottles. And finally, he pulled out a sharp scalpel, cut away her clothes showing her lacey purple bra, and began to dig into her chest.
The projectile Gail screamed out in pain as she felt every slice he did, watching him pull back layer and layer of her skin. "OH gods stop!" she screamed as her body began to twitch from the pain. Her body began to convulse and arch upwards against the doctors force. Come on Gail, you have to stop this. Tears were now flowing down her bodies cheeks in a fury. "Oh stop it," the doctors harsh voice scolded as he continued to peel back her skin; blood was running down her torso, staining her bra and dress, spreading across the table in a vibrant puddle. A scream ripped out of her lips as her eyes flew open and Gail came to her senses as her real self. "Stop!" she cried, begging him. "Please just stop." She sobbed, squeezing her eyes shut from the pain. "It hurts so bad." The doctor ignored her and continued. "Faylin!" she screeched at the top of her lungs. Twisting her arms and legs trying to get free, she cried his name over and over again, begging him to come save her. "Shut it now you stupid doll, I'll make you into the best Halloween trick yet!" The doctor said as he rolled away to one of his many lab tables. Gail's breath came in short pained intervals, her chest heaving up and down in response to the pain she was undergoing. "W-what are you doing?" she whimpered as he came towards her again. He didn't respond, but raised his hand up with another syringe..and just smiled this horribly wicked smile at her as he plunged it down into her chest, pushing the button down and letting this sick black venom seep into her heart as she faded back into the darkness.
Faylin came to an abrupt halt, his ears peaked. "Guys, shut up." He commanded the group swiftly, silencing their chatter. "Wh—" Salem started, only to be silenced by Faylin's sharp glare. A scream echoed through the air. "Looks like some poor child got scared!" Jack chimed in happily, jumping at the idea. "No, shut up." Faylin closed his eyes and focused as crows shot up into the air and flew away in a panic. "Somethings not right," worry ate away at his brow and Akira reached for him. "Get off me," he threw her hand away from him. She looked pained in response, but he wasn't paying attention. "You guys said..You left Gail, right?" "Yeah, but she's okay dude." Blare piped up. "We made su—" "But she's alone, unconscious, right?" "Yes.." Blare said quieter now, seeing Faylin's worry. "You left her alone..In a world where she knows nothing of..and where she's vulnerable? To any kind of attack?!" his eyes narrowed on Blare. "Calm down man, she's fine—" she never got to finish her sentence because his hand was around her throat in a second. "How dare you…" he squeezed. "Faylin! Stop!" Salem jumped on him and grabbed his arms, but Faylin threw him off easily. "I—I can't breathe—" her legs dangled beneath her. Faylin roared and slung her aside and she crumpled on the ground, grasping at her throat as she tried to bring in air. Salem shoved Faylin, "What's wrong with you?" He was ignored as Faylin fell into a portal at a run. His vision was blurred by panic and fear. He could sense Gail's life force, but it was fading quickly. "Oh god, Gail, baby sister.. Please be okay.."
He tore through the portal into the doctors lab, and stood there in pure horror. He was petrified with shock. The doctor was sitting over his sister, her chest cavity and ribs exposed-broken to the side, and he was pulling her heart out of her chest. "Gail!" he screamed, running and knocking the doctor aside. Her eyes fluttered softly as he said her name. "Oh Gail.. Oh God..Oh God." He held her hand close to him, "Please stay with me, don't let go..Just..stay with me. I can't lose you again." Tears fell from his eyes, and his eyes stung. "No no no..Don't let go!" "Faylin." She choked out as blood fell from the corners of her mouth. "Just..let me..Don't let me become..one of them.." she choked out blood and coughed painfully. "No sweetie, don't." The doctor laughed, crawling towards her with a pair of surgical scissors and cut her heart so that it fell to the ground. "She'll be the perfect experiment..Such power..Such purity." He cackled as Faylin looked upon him with horror. Faylin's hands shook with rage as he held onto his dead sister.
"You..You mean you knew? You knew she was alive and you did this to her?!" "But of course. I've been commissioned by the Unbirths for a great party trick" The doctor began, his voice fading into a mumble as he continued on. "And what a party trick she'll be!" His vision went black, and everything was on impulse, but something stopped him. Gail's fingers were digging into him, and the leather belts that held her down snapped. Faylin's attention fell to her as hope sprung back up in him, but hope was soon to be diminished. A dark fire was creeping around her insides, and was devouring everything it touched. The bones were being turned into ash and the muscles were shriveling up. "W-what?" He started as he was thrown back by the force of the power that was unleashed by her. "Gail!" he reached for her, but was held down. The broken witches body collapsed in on itself and exploded outwards with a purple fire so hot it singed the skin on Faylin's arm and everything around them. The fire spread so quickly that it lit aflame the entire laboratory. The doctor laughed and curled into a ball. "You see? You see!" he croaked. "The perfect experiment. I'll teach them for doubting my abilities" "Are you mad?!" Faylin yelled as he heard the beams holding the ceiling crack. He ran and grabbed the doctor and flashed outside of the lab and watched as it collapsed in a fiery explosion that lit up the night sky in a tall tower of purple flame.
The town sat quietly as Gail's older brother fell to his knees and broke down in tears. His spirit was broken. Never had he been able to protect those he'd loved, and he'd failed the only member of his family he had left. Now he was all alone, and his sister had died by herself with no one to save her. Nauseated, his insides decided to make a proper display of them on the ground underneath him. He wretched and convulsed in pain. He'd seen her fear as she let go and it was honestly the most haunting thing he'd ever seen..More haunting than Jessamine's blood on his hands. The ground reeked of his insides as his breath caught in his throat. "Gail..Gail..Gail…." the echo of his name rung through his mind shaking him to his core. The laboratory crackled as the flames engulfed it hungrily. "You can't be..No you can't be gone." Gail had been a motherly figure to everyone in the group and she'd left her hearts imprint upon each one of them. How could he break it to them that she was gone?
A roar erupted from the laboratory and Faylin's attention was brought away from his weeping as he looked up. A black crystal dragon with a hole in its chest crawled out of the purple flame. It's eyes glowed a faint white, and out of its snout fell black fire. "Oh God..Gail." He jumped up and stepped back in obvious fear. The dragon slithered with grace towards him out of the ruin, a low growl escaping its jaws. "Gail if you can hear me, this isn't you." He held up his hands and was slowly reaching for his sword. "Baby sister. See the light. See it. Please." The dragon snarled at him and knocked him down, holding him with its claws piercing lightly into his sides. He cringed at the pain. "Gail..Please." He whispered as the dragon lowered its snout to smell him. It dropped him and jerked back. "Gail!" the dragon shifted into a small tiny frame and it fell to the ground.
Dark hair cascaded around it's naked body, and purple eyes looked up at Faylin, pained. "..What..Who..Am I?" Gail had been reborn as heartless, just like Faylin and Akira. Her purity in the light had been transformed into the most corrupt darkness. Her dragon had become a monster of destruction. Her being had become..Darkness itself. Faylin ran to her and took off his shirt and wrapped it around her naked body and scooped her up in his arms. "It's okay sweetheart, shh. I'll take care of you." Her head lulled back against him, "Who are you?" she mumbled faintly in a hoarse voice as she fell into a slumber. "Don't worry love, you'll remember me soon enough. I just hope you won't forget who you are in the process." Gail's body had changed drastically, but you could still tell that it was her. Her hair was now a dark black with white strings woven into it in random places, and her eyes were purple with a blue ring around the outer edge. Where her heart was, she now had a scar from the damage the doctor had done, and on it, the heartless symbol branched out with black veins on her body.
It wasn't like Faylin or Akira's mark..She hadn't been turned by an actual heartless, but had been made one by force. Her body, instead of being fragile and weak was now lined with slender lean muscles. Her eye lashes now fell upon her cheeks leaving a shadow, and her lips were now a faint white instead of pink. Her skin was also a ghostly white, paler now and without her vibrant flush.
Gail's body felt strong but weak in his arms at the same time as he walked into a portal. There had to be a safe place where he could keep her so that she couldn't cause any harm. With the new power of darkness she'd be unstoppable, even for him, and he had to teach her control before he could re-introduce her back to the group..Doubtful that he could do it quickly, he'd have to have patience and lie to them to begin with. It was too much of a risk for all of them, her being what she was now. She'd be starving and driven by her hunger for hearts—crazed by their draw like he'd been when he was first changed. The sound of running water sung to his ears as he stepped out of the portal with Gail held tightly in his arms. It was a cavern with stone steps leading to the sealed heart of the world. Water fell from a river up above, a beautiful sight that Gail would love as she watched. Well, at least the old Gail. Faylin propped her over his shoulders and leaped up the vines till he came to the closed keyhole. He lay her body against the rock and brushed her hair out of her face. "I'll wait for you to awake, sister." From within his pants pocket he pulled a box that had several hearts within it. Sitting beside her, he put his arms around her and pulled her close. "Never again will I let anyone hurt you."
She jerked in response and flew out of his grasp, posed for attack. "You..I know you." She said faintly. "Yes, I'm your brother." "Oh." She walked towards him, holding his shirt closed as she examined him. "Faylin. That's what your name is." "Yes. Do you remember anything else?" "No. But I'm..starving.." He extended his hands with the box to her, and she took it and devoured the hearts hungrily. "Listen, Gail. I have to leave you here…It's to keep you and everyone else safe. They'll kill you otherwise…But I'll bring you more of those..Just promise me you'll stay here." She tilted her head and nodded silently. "Good. I'll be back." He kissed her on the forehead and vanished into a portal.