Chapter 10 - Epilogue

Gluttony has overrun

Wonder where you're coming from

Do you know what you've become?

Are you hungry for another one?

- 'Hungry for Another One' by JT Music

Six was hoping, when she opened her eyes, that she would wake for real this time. After all, she had defeated the villain. The nightmare should be over, shouldn't it?

But when her lids opened, the first thing they saw was the Lady. She lay prostrate, her face turned away, still moaning like a dog who had been kicked. Her mask lay shattered in pieces around her. As Six watched, the Lady lifted a hand as if to shield her naked face. Six felt a stab of disgust. Did she really still care so much for her vanity?

Then a far more potent feeling stabbed her in the gut and she curled inwards, feeling the familiar sting of hunger warp her belly.

Through her haze, she could hear the woman whispering, "No, no, it can't be. Not now. Not today. Why not a year from now? Or a hundred years from now? I've done everything I could to keep this from happening, ever! Why now? What have I done wrong?"

Six began to rise slowly, a hand clamped to her stomach, her teeth gritted.

The Lady turned around, her long hair veiling her face and a hand acting as a shield. She didn't look like she had the strength to move. The arm supporting her trembled and her fingernails tapped against the floor. Six could see the last remnants of her magic fading like smoke.

Six began to inch her way forward. The Hunger didn't come in throbs like before. It pulsed like a living animal inside her, filled with such desire that it was a wonder she didn't lunge forward like a beast. But still, it was a heavy, heavy thing she carried, and so slowly she must go.

Even more than the Hunger was the feeling she had borne with her the entire journey long. It had been quiet at first, but it had grown. Now it hummed within her as restlessly as a volcano, urging her forward, thrumming with an energy she hadn't felt before. A deep greed was seeded in her heart. She wanted, oh how she wanted. She wanted to tear it from the woman's body, to let it fill her to the brim, fill her to bursting! She felt like she could never get enough.

The woman trembled. She was Lady no longer. She could feel that much. A captain could feel when the tides had turned. Through her curtain of hair she could see the creature stumbling towards her, almost drooling at the mouth with desire, and wished she had the strength to run away. But no. The same force that was pulling the girl toward her bound the woman in place. Had the girl not come, the magic would have forced the woman to go.

"Revolting, despicable creature," the woman whispered, but neither could tell whether the insult was meant for the child or herself. "I bound the others with this Hunger, but look what will be the death of me. It is the same."

And she laughed the same callous, unrelenting laugh that she had forced when the monster was only a child holding a looking glass as her only defense against the tyrant. Now the same stood above her, rasping breaths the only sound that came from its cursed mouth.

"Damned creature," spat the woman. "When your time comes as it has come for me, I wish that the depths of hell will swallow you alive. Let joy wither ere it is first sown, and let your powers bring nothing but sorrow. You have stolen everything from me." She felt cold fingers on her neck and shuddered. "So let it be the same for you."

Six bit down. Her teeth latched on to the woman's throat as she struggled, her arms giving way, dragging her to the ground. Another bite released the dark blood, gushing from lacerated veins, soaking into the wooden floorboards, which lapped it up, just as ravenous as the girl. Six's teeth tore at the dying flesh, feeling each quiver fill her mouth, relishing the moment that the woman stopped resisting. Even then she didn't stop, quenching her hunger with the only meat which still remained.

Finally Six stopped, gasping. She turned her eyes upward, not daring to look at what she had done. The magic, a cloud of ashy blackness, hovered over her head as if waiting. One hunger appeased, Six gave in to her other desire. She lifted her arms, welcoming the power inside her. One strand at a time, the darkness began to fill her. Like sand into the bottom half of the hourglass, it sifted into her body, filling her to the brim, and then more. Six could feel the age of several lifetimes enter her bloodstream, could hear the whisper of the ancients in her mind, could almost taste her new power which licked through her like fire. Even though everything inside her screamed that it was too much, still another voice called out for more, more!

She was full, she was bursting. She really couldn't take any more. But like the final bite of an enormous feast, she swallowed it down, holding it all tight inside her and waiting for it all to digest.

But she couldn't wait. Not when the entire world was opened to her! Anything was possible. She reached out a hand and the woman's body melted away into ash. Another gesture and the ceiling was punctured, emitting a misty ray of sunshine from up above.

What do you want? the magic asked. Anything in the world. What do you want?

I want to go to the surface.

Then to the surface we shall go.

The guests were still at their tables as Six entered the uppermost hallway, still stuffing food into their faces as if nothing had happened. Six looked on them with disgust as they turned their bloated fingers to her, reaching as if she was just another stick of meat for them to consume. Was it vengeance, or was it mercy when she began to extract the woman's magic from them? All through the Maw, the vulgar creatures that had once been human began to drop like marionettes with their strings cut. Not a single one was left standing.

Strange, Six thought as she walked between the tables, the giants falling with her every step. I always thought that this was my nightmare. I never stopped to consider… this is theirs.

Like a black snake that ran through the river of her veins, the magic thrived. It was her servant, a genie to be called when she had need. Its old mistress had clung to its power, desperately grasping even though her time had long since run out. Now it had a new mistress. It would serve her until her time was up, and then it would find a new one. So it went, and so it had always gone. But for now… for now this youngling had spirit and fire and passion. The magic had almost forgotten what this was like, being trapped behind the desire to persist and maintain. It was satisfying to have a new host, at last.

The long staircase stretched before her and Six peered up at it, her eyes filling with the single ray of sunshine that peered through the great doors at the top. But before she moved a single step, she heard a skittering behind her. All the Nomes she had seen before gathered in humility at the foot of the staircase.

Meaningless, pathetic things, the magic whispered, but Six looked deeper. She saw exactly how pathetic these things were: the husks of those children who dared to dream of another way. They were empty. No magic could save them from what they had become. Six simply shook her head, but the Nomes nodded theirs in submission. They knew that her apathy was mercy enough.

Six began to ascend. As she did, the magic quieted, resting as if it knew she had no need of it right then. Her footsteps became lighter as the staircase became brighter. The smell of salt became more and more potent, and then…

Six stood on the crest of the Maw, the floating tomb for the woman and all her people. The cry of gulls were sharp penetrations in the quiet air and Six felt so light she thought she might just fly. The sunlight dappled the waters and the air had never smelled so fresh. For the first time, she realized, she had passed beyond the dream. This was reality. And it could be beautiful.

What now? she inquired of the magic. It ruminated, a quiet rumble in her bones.

Whatever you want, mistress.

Six nodded slowly as the distant sound of a foghorn heralded a new world.

Of course.

Whatever I want.

The
End

A/N: Well, here it is! The final chapter of Greed is out for you all to enjoy. Sorry it took as long as it did. I was planning on having this done by November, but then writer's block hit hard. *Sigh* Ah, well. It is what it is, and the story is done now. I hope you all enjoyed.

Before anyone asks, I'm not sure if I'll be posting a sequel to Greed when Little Nightmares 2 comes out. I try to be as considerate as possible to the original content when I write fanfiction, so if Greed doesn't fit in with the canon of Little Nightmares 2, I'll just leave it as a stand alone.

Honestly, I don't know what (or when) my next project is going to be. I've been pretty active on my channel on DeviantArt and YouTube (plug plug) so if you want to see more of what I've been up to search for PastSelf. My Little Nightmares videos are up there too so go ahead and treat yourself - check it out! I'm planning on playing Little Nightmares 2 on my channel when it comes out, as well, so just keep that in mind if you get a hankerin' to subscribe.

Aaaaand that's it. Thank you guys so much for bearing with me, and for your patience when I was having a hard time writing. You all are so sweet. I had tears in my eyes from your generous comments. Thank you all!

See you next time!