(Good afternoon everybody! The wait is over! The CPC is back and so is this fanfic. This was a difficult chapter to write since it deals with argumentative dialogue. And I just couldn't get motivated to tackle it for a while. But despite that, I still love doing this. I started writing fanfiction to write more and hone my skills and this has definitely challenged me in ways that I needed; I'm writing dialogue that I struggle with, learning how to cope with my self deprecation when I write, and learning new techniques that I'll be using on future projects. I also recently had a personal epiphany that I didn't realize is now incorporated in this story; If you've seen my fanart, you might be able give a few good theories. Now as I've recently stated, this story will divert from the original source material going forward; Things like character arcs and motivations will change since the plot is changing but that's the fun of it all. I hope you've been enjoying this journey with me and I hope that when the CPC comic does end this fanfic might bring some heart broken fans a little bit of joy. Thank you for your support and time. Please remember to read and comment!)

Outside of a posh café in the extravagant side of the Argyle village, ladies sipped cool juices from their crystal and chatted amongst themselves. Near them, men chomped on powdery pastries with hearty abandon and chuckled in booming tones. A waiter comes over to the mens' table with their check and the one at the head reaches into his breast pocket. His smile fades as he starts patting down his brown suit, unable to feel his money pouch. His acquaintances also stop their guffawing and begin to check their pockets. The ladies next to them stopped conversing as the gentlemen begin to loudly exclaim Instinctively, one of the women reaches into her purse and gasps when she finds it empty. In the bedlam of cries of robbery and furious patrons calling for the manager, a man slips away from the café.

A few blocks away, the man pulls his hood over his head to cover his shifting hair, face, and shrinking body; A satisfied smirk broke out over Frederick's face. He shifted to a plain looking boy with dark hair and made his way to the village fountain. He adjusted the bulbous sack of money at his waist to muffle its metallic song. When the fountain came into view, Whitney sat on its lip, looking around the plaza for his friend. At first the man was puzzled for a few seconds when he saw the strange boy coming toward him. Then he saw those familiar jade eyes and smiled.
"Hey, buddy. I have some good news. One of the shop keeps gave me a whole batch of defective meat pies along with some cider. And someone was nice enough to offer me some spare change." Whitney said getting up from his seat.
(I'm not going to mention that they threw their purse at me and begged for their lives.)
Frederick gave a quick nod of approval before producing a small parcel of money.
Whitney's smile grew bigger.
"Wow, this is great! We can buy produce for the week and still have extra. Good job."
Frederick gave a small smile and they set off to the market.
On the way there, Whitney kept looking back to the teen. Brows furrowed with concern
"Do you... want to stop by one of those cafés for a treat? You deserve a little something and I think they had the lemon squares you like."
The teen shook his head and the older man sighed.
Frederick had been more reserved ever since the meditation session. No longer starting curious conversations or smiling at seemingly nothing; It was like all the wondrous fire in his being had been snuffed out. While he still hunted with Whitney, worked on his traps and cooked, he did so in silence with a troubled look cast across his face. This was a change that didn't sit well with the man. He missed Frederick's spontaneous stories, glowing curiosity, and other fun idiosyncrasies; He didn't realize until now how much those silly moments mattered to him. The teen's drab green eyes that looked so weary and upset made the man's heart ache. T
They continued on their way into the market square noticing a large wall of people gathered around a raised platform; The crowd formed a wall around the speaker.
(Ugh. One of those CC recruiters.)
Whitney began to walk around the edges of the crowd, wanting to just do their shopping and leave. He turned to look back at his friend and saw that he disappeared.
(Huh!? Where did-)
He scanned the crowd until he found the teen standing at its edge, seemingly trying to find the owner of the shrill yell.
"It pains me to say this but we must continue the 10 o clock curfew. I know you all are weary of these new laws that have turned your own homes into prisons. But we are not your jailers. For the threat keeping you trembling in fear in your homes is lurking amongst you. Beings that have crawled from the depths of hell and are posing as sheep amongst you. They could be your neighbors. Your friends. Your teachers. Its easy to find them. They are those ones that seek to disrupt our peaceful lives with their poisons and wicked potions that they call medicine; They have twisted forms from our most horrible nightmares. The worst ones have the appearance of humans and use this as lure for the weak minded. And their obsession with that wretched forest that they call their home."
The speaker then made a hacking sound; Whitney guessed that he must have spat upon the ground. He caught a glimpse of Frederick's hood slip away to reveal his smoldering eyes.
"Of course deviants such as this would call that hellscape their home and have the audacity to branch out to our homes. To mingle with our children! Our loved ones! And infect them with their perverse ways. They have already started with our leaders and their kin; We have all heard stories of royal families being cursed and never being quite right again. These cursed ones are no longer humans; They have been corrupted and made into obedient slaves to these demons. This is just phase one of their take over. Soon they'll be ruling us through their cursed ones."
Whitney saw a the teen's claws grow as the crowd began to chatter in agreement.
"Then they'll be sending out the rest of their whorish succubae to seduce and infect us with their spawn. Spreading their numbers!"
Whitney let out a small gasp as the teen's skin began to shift around. Snake like shapes slithered and coiled underneath the pale skin; a thin red worm of tissue poked out of the it like paper and danced in the open air. The man rushed over to the teen and lightly touched his hand. The boy turned to look at him; A livid gleam shot out from his scorching green orbs that radiated against the inky depths of his sclera. His skin broke into a mess of goosebumps as he felt the glare skewer through him; In that moment, his heart yearned for the warm jade like glimmer that used to graze behind his friend's eyes. It took a moment before Whitney had the courage to speak, taking extra care in keeping his voice even.
"Lets go home." he said.
The fire died down to a dim ember as the boy nodded; The black hue scurried away from his whites. Whitney let out a nervous breath as the two left the square.

"And that concludes our discussion on the intricacies of a friendly argument." said the woman in the black suit and spider web like veil over a barbed dark crown. The ladies she was lecturing to were in various states of boredom. Some were slumped over their desks with half lidded stares, others gazed off into the distance, and the rest slept. This was a regular occurrence in the daily routine of the Cursed Princess Club. President Calpernia would conduct her lectures in the front yard of the mansion while the other members struggled to stay awake during their president's long winded moments. Then Prez's face turned to a more serious one.
"Now, I'm sure you all know about the curfews and edicts that have come about recently."
This made everyone snap out of their boredom and focus on the woman in front; The atmosphere turned somber and heavy.
"Ever since the monster sighting in the Plaid Kingdom things have been... tense. Other kingdoms are becoming fearful and laws are being placed such as curfews, watches, and increased limitations on certain businesses. This is the kind of thing that causes hate to bubble to the surface. I see it when I pass by those Cryptid control booths. In the crowds... people were cheering... calling out for the deaths of cryptids and those that, they claim, have been corrupted by them. This means that we have to be extra careful when going out. The CC has deemed those with curses as infected individuals and claim we are the same as the monsters they're hunting. Unfortunately, people are slowly starting to believe them. So everyone must take extra care in being discreet about your curses. Especially when going out; At least for now."
The girls nodded grimly and began to whisper amongst themselves. Calpernia then focused her attention on Gwen, who was seated in the front on the left side. She was chatting with Abigail, the princess trapped in an elderly body; The younger teen's eyes widened as Abigail told her about her experience with the new rules.
"It's crazy, Gwen! All of the people who work at the palace are treating me differently. They used to talk with me while they worked. Now, they won't even look me in the eye. Some of them even started coming to serve me in groups. Like I'm going to do something to them."
"That's awful!" the teen girl replied as she placed a consoling hand on Abigail's shoulder.
Calpernia sighed as she observed the young girl's genuine shock; Her thoughts turning to concern as she imagined the harassment and abuse the girl would face. Calpernia guessed that the servants in the Pastel palace would not have their trust easily shaken in the sweet young girl but the people in the Pastel village were another case. She knew that because of her sheltered upbringing, Gwen wasn't very experienced with the behaviors of people and how horrible they could be. The young woman feared that the remarks and hostile behavior of others would deeply affect the gentle princess which led to another fearful thought; That Gwen's unconditional trust and congeniality to strangers would be a danger to her in the future. So she made a note to keep a careful eye on her.
Unbeknownst to Prez, Gwen was already thinking about the big changes coming. As the girl comforted Abigail, she reminisced on the family meeting her father had made before she attended the meeting. He told them that due to the recent monster break in, he thought it best for his children to limit their activities outside of the palace. Of course this was met with some backlash from Maria, Lorena, and Jamie but their father stood firm on his decision. After her siblings left dragging their feet in defeat, her father kept her back to tell her something important. Gwen frowned as she remembered her father's words about how she was in the most danger. The old man's pale indigo eyes glistened as he told her that he would feel infinitely better if Gwen didn't leave home at all, at least until things settled down. The youngest Pastel princess knew that woven in her father's concerned words was a spiny truth that struck her heart.
She would be on the Cryptid Control Unit's agenda.
Other members could hide their curses, some more easily than others, but for someone like Gwen that was going to be a challenge. She knew that when it came to how people perceived her some would think that she was a witch; An understandable assumption but an assumption none the less. But she was ok with that. What people thought of her was beyond her control and all that mattered was what her loved ones thought of her. But sometimes she couldn't help but feel uneasy at how things were going. If this continued then that meant her visits to the "conservatory" would probably be banned. So she made a mental note to scout the palace for other exits. Just in case.

The silver hued man poked at the fire pit causing a burst of sparks to rise into the night sky. He gazed over to the teen sitting across from him. A thick curtain of yellow hair covered his eyes as he peered into the flames; He made a metal note to trim Frederick's hair which was now stretching past his shoulders. The man shifted in his seat as the silence continued. Normally, the man didn't mind their long periods of quiet. In fact ever since he met Frederick, those moments became something special. When their conversations lulled into silence, a light feeling would settle between them, washing away the anxieties and troubles of the day; a phenomenon that brought the man calming satisfaction.
But this was something more volatile.
The silence seemed to drag and stretch itself into a tense line that made his skin prickle. His dread began to build as the soundless line continued to stretch on for many minutes.
"I want to go back."
Whitney felt his heart jump in his chest at the sudden voice. While his brain tried to recover from his peaked nerves, he replied.
"G-Go back where?"
"To the castle."
Whitney felt his heart squeeze. "You want-Why?"
"They'll start hunting us down eventually, Whitney. Right now the CC is just stirring up people's fear so they'll be accepting of more ... drastic measures. This is "how to gather supporters 101; I'm surprised you don't see it. You were trained in military tactics since you could walk.
Whitney squeezed his fists. "Frederick... What are you-"
"We both know how this ends," The teen then brought his head to meet the man's gaze. Whitney's heart began to beat faster as those dull eyes blazed with frigid harshness.
"It'll be better for everyone if he was gone."
Whitney jumped from his seat.
"How can you say something like that!? He's you father!"
"That means nothing. It hasn't meant anything to the both of us for a long time.
"That doesn't mean you have to kill him! That won't solve anything; It'll only start an endless cycle of violence and misery!
"And hiding here waiting for those slash happy fucknards is a better idea? Didn't you hear that lunatic in the square? According to them we're nothing but soul less demons; Everyone in that village was eating that shit up! I know you heard it too... All those murmurs... talking about all the things they do if a cryptid was in front of them... Someone even said they'd take their heads and hang them outside his house as a warning... those people... King Leland...," The boy's head snapped up as he yelled. "THEY'RE THE REAL MONSTERS!" The man swallowed the lump in his throat before slowly approaching the livid teen.
"Frederick, your letting your anger cloud your mind. Just take a deep breath-"
"NO! FUCK THAT! DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO PLAY THIS OFF! I'M NOT IMAGINING THINGS AND I'M NOT CRAZY!"
"I never said-"
"MY FATHER IS SENDING OUT EVERY SWORD BONING SADIST TO KILL ME AND PEOPLE LIKE ME! WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I CARE ABOUT HIS LIFE?!
"Frederick-"
"HE'S NEVER GIVEN A SHIT ABOUT ME! NONE OF THEM DID! ALL THESE YEARS I'VE TRIED TO BE A GOOD PRINCE! THE PERFECT PRINCE! AND FOR WHAT!? WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT ANY OF THEM! TELL ME; WHAT DOES THE HYPOCRITE HAVE TO SAY?!"
"Hey, that-"
"OH," The teen let out a harsh chuckle. "GIVE ME YOUR ADVICE OH WISE PUSSY OF THE WOODS! SHALL I ALSO HIDE LIKE A BABY BACK BITCH UNDER A COVER OF LEAVES SOAKED IN MY OWN PISS?! WHAT IS THIS TECHNIQUE CALLED AGAIN?! THE WAY OF THE COWARD?!
"Stop-"
"YOU KNOW ITS TRUE! THIS WHOLE WISE MONK ROUTINE AND LESSONS ABOUT CONFRONTING YOUR ISSUES AT THE SOURCE IN ORDER TO GROW; ITS ALL A HOT LOAD OF BULLSHIT! YOU'RE NOT OUT HERE BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO RIGHT YOUR WRONGS! YOU'RE JUST RUNNING AWAY," Whitney winced; The break in his stoicism filled the teen with satisfaction. "I knew it. You're scared of them. Because you know that some things can't be fixed and I have a feeling that one of them, someone you probably hurt the most, wants something more then your repentance. He wants-"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Frederick shut up at the man's booming voice. He began to step back when he saw Whitney's eyes ablaze with anger.
"NONE OF THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS AND IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU AN EXCUSE TO MURDER YOUR FATHER! YOU NEED TO GET THAT ANGER UNDER CONTROL BECAUSE IF YOU LET IT TAKE OVER YOU'LL BE NO BETTER THEN THEM!" The man took in a rushed breath and fell back to his seat face red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "Don't even think about leaving." he said quietly.
Frederick, who's nostrils flared and eyes still burning, stomped away from the site; Whitney let out a weary sigh as the sound of claws angrily stabbing wood filled the night.

As the night approached its peak, Frederick tossed about in his tree house as heated coils of anger squirmed around his body; Even removing his skin did nothing to quell the intense bone shaking wrath racing inside him.
*That stupid cat man... Telling me I'm no better then them! Who does he think he is?! Looking at me like I'm the crazy one! I'm not going around spitting out ignorant shite and planning all sorts of horrible ways to kill or torture some one. And the nerve of him! Telling me to calm down at a time like this; That prick!*
The teen boo hag honed in on the tiger man's shallow breath and strong heart; A sign he was still awake. Frederick let out a low growl.
*Damn it. Why doesn't he see it? Why does he want me to just... forget about them. Let him get away with all his psychotic fuckery? That man is a selfish pig that doesn't care about anyone but himself. He'll do anything to get what he wants. Even if it means using the people around him... Doesn't Whitney understand that... he'll hurt him too?...*
The skinless teen felt his heart clench at the thought.
*He has no idea what kind of man Leland is... To him, we're all just his little toys that he likes to puppet and control. He thrives on control... anything that goes against his control or view of the world...He'll crush under his heel... I can't let him do that. Not this time. Not him. I won't let them take this from me. I'm actually happy here with Whitney... He actually makes me feel good about myself for the first time in a long while... Not even my own brothers gave me that feeling.. All those years of back handed jabs... treating me like I didn't exist... They only started acknowledging me when it benefited them... They're just like that shit stain... I was a fucking idiot to think that if I tried a little harder. Been more like them... then I could earn their love but it was all...*
His heart dropped when a particular memory came to the fore front of his mind. He closed his eyes in concentration trying to force it back into the dark. But it stayed in his mind's eye. He remembers lying in bed feeling drained emotionally and physically. But at the same time he felt his stomach twist at the thought of going back to school.
The teen gets up and starts to pace pushing his knuckles into both sides of his head.
*Not now. Not now.*
In the memory, his father peeks through his bedroom door...
A loud low noise pulls him out of his head; He grimaces as its bass shakes the wood beneath him.
*Wait... Is that snoring?*
He looks down and sees that the tiger man is sprawled out on the grass, mouth wide open as another long snore vibrates up the tree.
It takes a quick second before he decides what to do. In one quick move, the teen cryptid jumps silently to the ground and bounds away into the tree line.

Left.
Right. Keep to the path.
Branches snapped under his rough skin; No longer bothered by the sharp slivers piercing his feet.
Emerald eyes burn brightly as the silhouette of a tower peaks through the trees.
He picks up his pace; the dark forest blurs past him in a haze of blue and shadow; His eyes never leaving the tower that slowly grows a wall and then another turret. He doesn't stop until the castle comes into full view; Its form a dark stain against the night.
*Home.*
The word drags its cold body to the pit of his stomach.
The teen takes a deep breath; The scents of all living in the abode flow into his nostrils. He roots through them all until he hones in on one. Its a heavy, moist, and musty stench. Like a wet bear that's been rolling in garbage.
*Got you.*
The teen runs up to the stone wall surrounding the castle. His claws flick out and embeds snuggly into the rock. He scurries up, then over the wall, and into the courtyard. His eyes scan the castle for a way in; They settle on a series of small openings at the top of the grand windows. He makes his way over to them. When he gets to the first opening, the window is small enough to stop a body builder from getting in. But not him. The teen slips in and finds himself in the main hall. His heart drums loudly in his ears as he starts navigating the halls of what used to be his home; The layout still fresh in his mind. Then he came to the hall of the king.
*I'm coming, father.*
Frederick took only a few steps before a soft sound stops him. He swivels around and strains his ears trying to locate it. It was coming from the hall to the left.
It sounded like... sniffling.
He turned and began to follow the sound down the hall. As he looked around, he remembered where he was.
This was where Blaine and Lance's rooms were. The raw teen stopped in front of the door where the sound was coming from.
He slowly opens it, thanking God the hinges were oiled, and gets blasted by a burst of must. He covers his nose as the scent of old food and mildew invades his nose and steps inside. Dodging around large piles of clothes, dirty dishes, and crusty cutlery, he approaches a bed by a large window. He looks at the form twisted in the depths of the covers and gasps. Lance laid bundled up in the sheets moist eyes clenched shut and trembling with sobs. The middle brother's robust body had thinned out so much you could see his ribs rising beneath the skin with every shaky inhale; His sun kissed tan had faded into a washed out brown. With his face twisted into a sorrowful grimace he whimpered in his sleep.
Frederick felt his heart twist painfully; Each woeful cry piercing his heart like a dagger. Then the man spoke in a choked voice.
"Frederick... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...I won't let anyone hurt you again... Please, don't leave. Don't leave me all alone... I miss you... I miss you so much."
Frederick clamped a hand over his mouth as a sob tried to break out.
*Lance...*
His throat ached as he tried to swallow back tears. Lance never cried. Ever. When father started to train the boys in combat he made it a point to keep smiling no matter how badly he was bruised. This smile was something Lance kept his entire life; Even through all the failed tests, the disappointing lectures from teachers, and the King's bizarre punishments, Lance remained almost stupidly happy. At times Frederick was jealous of that insistent grin; Especially since the King favored the dense middle child and often eased the severity of his punishments when it came to him. To see Lance, someone he thought was so caught up in his own personal bliss to care about anything else, like this was... surreal.
The strongest Plaid brother continued to whimper and call out for his younger sibling like a child calling for his parents after a bad nightmare. His thin body continued to shiver as hiccups rattled through it. The sight increased the dryness Frederick felt in his throat as he observed him. While thin his body still retained some muscle; It wouldn't be that easy to eliminate muscle especially on Lance. He was still lean and... tender. He got closer. His throat becoming painfully dry. The middle's fretful tossing and turning shook and rattled the blood running through his veins; A process that brought its scent to the skin's surface. An aroma of smoky meat dusted with an herby coating leaked from his pores; It reminded him of the festival barbecues he used to attend.
*So good.*
Saliva filled Frederick's mouth.
*So hungry... No.*
Frederick paused; His open jaw hovering over his brother's neck. He snapped them shut and backed away from the bed. He brought a hand to his mouth in shock touching the drool that soaked his bottom jaw.
*No. No. No. He's not food...The animal blood... Its supposed to keep me from craving human blood...But... Why isn't it working? What's happening to me?*

Lance sat up to the sound of a thud. He snapped his head towards his window which was opened a crack. He looked around the dark room; heart swelling with hope.
"Frederick?" He called out. All that answered was a hollow echo.