Chapter 26: Conflicting Emotions

Cici got up bright and early. She was blank and emotionless as she walked toward the front door.

Jack was awake in the dining room, eating a breakfast that Chives made. His parents were there with him along with Callie.

Cici grabbed her fans and walked past them.

"Good morning, Cici!" Jack waved at her.

"..." She didn't even seem to notice him.

"Where is she going?" He looked at Chives who had brought in some orange juice.

"My lady?" He asked as he watched her walk out the door, "Oh bother. I was making her favorite too. I wonder where she is off to. She stayed up in the attic..."

"Should I go after her?" Jack asked.

"I'm sure it is nothing. Eleede is pretty peaceful."

Arisara walked downstairs seeming restless. It seemed something was on her mind as she sat down at the table.

"Morning, Ari!" Callie yelled. "How'd you sleep?"

"I didn't…" She yawned, "I can't shake an awful vibe I have."

"Oh...What's wrong?"

"I don't know. Something is telling me something awful is about to go down… It gives me the heebeegeebees..."

"I hope Cici will be okay." Jack said as he looked out the window.

"She's not headed to the city? Hmm, I hope she is not going where I think she is going…." Chives turned off the stove.

"Huh?" Jack looked at him with concern.

"That way leads to the ancient grove. The ancient grove is where the silk chain spider lives. The weather in the groves changes on a dime and it can become dark and stormy fast. Many can get lost in there and become water bleached."

"Water bleached?!" Jack stood up.

"When all your ink becomes diluted from too much polluted water."

"CICI!" Jack ran out the door after her.


Cici was already in the grove. She collected the spider's threads littered around the grove. It became dark and it started pouring rain.

"CICI!" Jack entered the entrance of the grove and started frantically looking for her.

A huge spider seemed to be following Cici as she collected the thread.

"CICI!" Jack ran his way through before noticing her in the distance. "Cici!"

The spider spun its threads and wrapped around her. It carried her away.

Jack clenched his chest before running after the spider. "LET HER GO!" He picked up anything he could and chucked it at the spider.

The spider stopped and turned around. It seemed curious about Jack.

He grabbed a stick and smacked the spider with it, trying to rip the web off Cici.

The spider hissed at him and put Cici down. Cici blankly unraveled the web and collected it.

The spider backed away a bit.

Jack kept hitting it to make it back off. "You okay, Cici?"

"..." Cici blankly stood there before muttering, "Eliminate… Agent 3…"

"What?" He looked at Cici, but kept the stick pointed at the spider.

The spider started crying and backed off. It ran away.

Jack raised an eyebrow at the spider, a confused look on his face, before looking back at Cici.

Cici took out her fans and slashed at him.

"What the-?!" He jumped backward with a worried look on his face. "Cici, what are you doing?!"

She slashed at him again.

He jumped back again, panic hitting him as he looked at her with wide eyes. "Cici, stop! I'm sure we can talk this out! What's wrong?! What did I do?"

She sent a wave at him.

He superjumped over it and landed in front of her, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her a bit. "Cici, calm down!"

"..." Her bright blue eyes were blank.

Jack was terrified and unsure of what to do as he looked at Cici. He was already on edge with her entering this place and seeing a spider tangle her up, but now she was attacking him for seemingly no reason and her face was emotionless. "What did that spider do to you!?" He yelled as he clutched his chest.

"JACK!" Arisara ran to him, "GET AWAY FROM HER!"

"Ari?" Jack briefly glanced in the direction of the Octoling.

Arisara shot at Cici, who took the attack head on even though she could have easily dodged.

"ARI! What are you doing!?" Jack screamed and had to take a few deep breaths after that.

"She's been brainwashed. Get out of there!"

Cici sent another wave at them.

Jack tried to jump over it but got half his body covered in ink. "Brainwashed?!" He looked at the glasses Cici was wearing and tried to grab them.

Arisara shot at Cici again who kept walking towards them.

Cici slashed at him, tearing just his clothes. She seemed to hesitate at the last second.

He grabbed at her glasses again, successfully wrapping his hand around them before a strong shock went through his body. He fell back as the glasses flew out of his hand and onto the ground.

Cici let out a scream and collapsed.

Jack rolled over onto his side, a bit of orange ink trickling out of his mouth.

Cici laid there unresponsive across from him.

He reached slowly toward her before Arisara knelt down between the both of them.

"CALL 911!" She shouted behind her.

Jack wanted to say something, but he just coughed up a bunch of orange ink before the world around him turned dark.


Cici came to after a while. She sat up and glanced around at the carnage. She noticed her hands and fans were stained with orange ink. She froze when she saw Jack laying there with paramedics working on him. They picked him up and placed him onto a gurney as they loaded him into the ambulance.

Cici stayed quiet. She seemed to have shattered and was not fully there.

"Cici!" A voice was yelling at her as familiar figures surrounded her. One of them picked her up and held her close.

"...Stay away from me…." Cici pushed them away and she whipped a wave at them that just scared them and hurt nobody.

One figure walked ran up to her and grabbed her arm, making her drop the fans.

"LET GO!" She screamed and tried to pull away. She bit their hand.

The figures all grabbed hold of her to keep her still as they carried her off. She was kicking and screaming as her tears rained down.

Author's Note: I AM BACK! I think...I don't know, I'm tired. Sorry for the hiatus, guys. Finals were a pain. But I am back.

Thank you The Bowser Monster, SaltyGibusDoesWritingStuff, Gajesteel, Guest, Pink Hedgie 74, Noodle Doodle, and Agent Cherry for leaving reviews! I really appreciate them, guys!

Um...Callie in a beautiful dress I can make happen, but Marie in a crop top? Apikachua writes Marie's lines so we'll see what she says.

I've been crying imagining possible endings for Jack and Cici's story, Pink Hedgie. I love them both so much.

I would hug Cici for as long as I could, Noodle.

Yeah, that's Adstrum in the picture, Agent Cherry. Glad you like him.

See you all next week with another chapter! Have a great week!