Sorry for the long break guys(gals) but I'm back. Inspiration flew away from this story into one I can't even tell u the title of, and another one I've got posted on fictionpress (though I'm waiting to update that1). Plus, I have no idea how to get started again, am severely suffering from a case of school, and am tempted to imitate Catalina and murder a lot of people. Most of them from my school. . . plus, I can't exactly leave it off there with Catalina, can I? So this 1'll be another split chapter. Probably into 3 parts, as I'm sure you're anxious to know the royalty cliques reactions to 'the screamer', so there'll be a section for them. Clara's optional. She's sleeping and becoming more of the good girl, which doesn't suit my current mood. I have been threatening someone a lot recently, in the true words of Ravyn Crescent. Do me a favor, will ya? Kill Joy. (somewhere, Joy is yelling at me.)

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"Shh, it's ok, it's alright, calm down, we won't hurt you, you'll be fine,- "

"-AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!" Can't scream as long as I did last time. Strange. BUT WHY WON'T THE KILLER QUEEN LET GO OF ME?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

"It's alright, calm down, take a deep breath, we won't hurt you. Shh, you'll be fine, calm down, we won't hurt you. We won't hurt you. We won't hurt you. We won't hurt you." I breathe hard, gasping for air and looking, still involuntarily, into the queens dirt eyes. If this keeps up I won't be able to scream anymore! I keep running out of air, my throats beginning to ache, meaning I'm running out of voice, and still they won't let me go! This is insane, strange, and impossible! THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!!!!!

"We won't hurt you. We won't hurt you. We won't hurt you. We won't hurt you." Repeats the queen, and nothing changes. Do the idiotic incompetent fools actually think I believe that?!

She lets go, and I stop whimpering in surprise. For about point seven seconds, anyway. I'm still being forced to look at her, still scared out of my wits, and still ready to cry and scream, though at least now I'm not being held around the middle by a nightmare turned mean.

And all the royalty clique backs off.

. . . . . . . . . what?

I'm no longer being held immobile entirely by my worst enemies, hope beginning to come alive in me once more. I'm not dead yet!

"How about a deal? You look at us and listen to what we're saying, we stay a polite distance away." Suggests the King. I refuse to acknowledge him, looking around once more, searching for an exit that I'm almost positive now doesn't exist. Sometime while I was screaming my prison, this time repaired, was brought back in. The walls are a brilliant white, almost glowing in that color. Overly clean and depressing.

"And refuse to listen, we get up close and personal again." My head snaps forward at the kings scary comment. Have them do that again, if there's a way to stop it? Do I look nuts?

"We need to know you agree." Supplies the queen, coming forward again. But can I show I agree, without breaking my rule not to give them more of a hold on me than they have already?

I decide to go for it as the queen creeps steadily forward. Quickly, silently, I nod my head, scarcely daring to move in any other way.

"Not good enough." Chides the king. "We need to hear you say it out loud." No. Period. I don't care what they do, I'm not giving them any more of a hold on me than that just gave them.

"I don't hear anything," Chides the king, and he joins the queen in walking quietly forward.

Better to live captive than to endure THAT again. Taking a deep breath, before I lose my nerve I blurt out the word, "Fine." It comes out in a squeak, barely understandable. If I had arms I could use now they'd be crossed.

The king nods. "Remember that next time." What? There's going to be a next time? The king, walking over to my cage, or what is momentarily my sanctuary, and opens it. "Don't try to destroy your cage again, and we can talk in more comfort next time," He tells me, coming over. "Got it?" I nod again, and this time he accepts it, coming over and undoing my chain slowly. My legs are free, I can scarcely bear to breathe, then my arms and tail are free, too, and I dash from this hated place I have been for who knows how long, nearly running him over in the process, and dash inside.

Smiling, the Queen comes over to lock it. "Be good," She tells me, bending over to undo the trapdoor as I stand there, ready once more to fight for my life.

And I am lowered down once more, with a LOT to think about and an experience I'd prefer to forget.

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"God." Sighs Zidane the instant Catalina is out of sight and the trapdoor closed once more. "Anyone else got a headache?" At the general moan of agreement he sits on the floor and clutches his head.

"Where does she get her lungs?" Groans Freya. "Garnet doesn't have any great screaming skills, and your voice stops after a minute. . . how'd she hold it on one note for ten?!" The dragon knight has unusually good hearing, and right now is wishing for a bit of deafness due to her old(er) age.

"Ouch. . ." Moans Steiner from where he leans against the wall. "Being kicked through a chair was bad, but why'd she have to scream in my ear, my helmet's still vibrating," He complains, stating an unexaggerated version of the truth.

"I like her. The girl's got spunk," Exclaims Eiko. "Not a wimp. Sure, we're pushing her around, but there's more of us and she was a bit. . . tied up at the moment. When she first screamed I jumped about a foot away- probably what she was aiming for, getting us all away from her."

"Dagger, why are you staring at me?" Asks Zidane nervously.

"You lost the bet," She replies simply, hugging her knees where she sits on the floor. At this Zidane pales.

"Can't we call it off?" He asks, to the amused laughter of the others. She shakes her head.

"Nope, sorry, not doing that. But we won't be able to do it for a while, the screamer might not remember her promise.