Disclaimer: "Happy Tree Friends" is copyright of Mondo Media

[Reasons for "disappearances": Internet disconnected (at home), work schedule and writer's block. Story collaboration with XellanxLarxene (Dual Writer's Destiny) is also slowed down. Hope you guys can stay patient…]

Happy Tree Friends: Camp Sanguine

Chapter 26 – Corruption

As soon as he was done taunting, Flippy / Flipqy's smug expression flashed to shock as the ground quaked violently; jagged cracks gave way to gaping fissures that spewed flames that were so hot, it set dry leaves within range ablaze. Splendid tried to extinguish the fire, but his ice-cold breath did nothing; before they knew it they were surrounded by a crackling red-orange wall of burning trees. "It's closing in!" Handy screamed as the flames began devouring the grass, inching towards them with each passing second.

"Glacies Clipeus!"

Translation: "Ice Shield!"

Flippy / Flipqy summoned a massive ice-infused dome encircling them…and immediately realized his abilities are nearly effortless as it only slowed the flames' acceleration, not extinguishing them. "Damn it!" he screamed, slightly panicking as his spell eventually got overpowered and the flames closed in faster than before. "Splendid, find the twins! Hurry!" he ordered, re-summoning Ice Shield in a desperate attempt to buy them time.

"Oh no, you don't!" Demon Splendont (Wrath) snarled as Splendid took off to find Lifty and Shifty. The blue-haired hero hasn't gone far when he got caught; struggled as the former began a spiraling pile-drive towards the ground. He broke free at the last second and pulled up, kicking his possessed brother's face in the process.

"Splendid, if you could hear me – hurry the fuck up!" Flippy / Flipqy ordered, struggling to hold up his shrinking ice dome while the rest of the campers engaged battle with the Demons, providing him some defense. "Sed usque plura, puer..." the Master Demon snickered as the teen soldier's spell wore out and got rebuilt, its size slowly diminishing along with his strength.

Translation: "Just give up, boy…"

"SPLENDID!" Flippy / Flipqy roared. "I'm really busy – hang in there!" the blue hero yelled back as he elbowed Splendont's ribs and broke free, growling as he got grappled again. "Easy for you to say!" the former replied. "SHUT UP!" the latter countered, breaking free only to repeat the process all over again.

"Hold still, fucker!" hissed his aggravated possessed brother; yelped as Splendid banged his noggin against and broke his nose, forcing him to let go. He then glared at him…and screamed agonizingly as the latter fried his eyes.

The blue hero deactivated his laser vision and regretfully watched his now-blinded brother plummet to the ground, hearing a sickening CRACK upon landing. Guilt washed over him as he flew down; noticed the demonic features disappearing as he knelt close. "T-That hurt, you shithead…" Splendont whimpered, "But…thanks for freeing me." Splendid shed a tear as his weakening brother clutched his hand. "I'll…tell Mom…you said…'hi'," he rasped, taking his final breath before falling limp. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…" the blue-haired hero sobbed as he held his dead brother close.

Screams of agony and fright snapped him out of his grief – to his left, Flippy / Flipqy is getting beaten up by Demons and the campers were burned and/or mutilated, body parts strewn all around the battlefield; to his right, Lifty and Shifty trapped themselves in the Counselor's Cabin and are trying not to get burned alive.

"I'll see you soon, Bro…" he muttered as he laid Splendont on the ground; gathered himself and zoomed towards the screaming twins, smashing through a window and scooping them into his arms before escaping as the cabin collapsed behind them.

"Gah! Ngh! Ugh!" Flippy / Flipqy groaned as he was kicked and punched mercilessly, too weak to fight back. He was then grabbed roughly by the arms and pulled to his feet; brought before the Master Demon who smirked at his current condition. The teen soldier's uniform is now nothing but torn rags, revealing fresh bleeding scratches where the Demons' claws had managed to reach. Additional bluish-black bruises adorned his arms, legs, torso and face; he coughed up some blood, possibly from broken ribs piercing his lungs as it was followed by labored breathing.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Demon Mime (Sloth) snickered as he patted Flippy / Flipqy's face, smirking as the latter winced. "It's best to give up – it'll be a lot easier that way," he added. The former quickly pulled his hand away as the teen soldier tried to bite it. "Still got some fire in you, huh? It'll stop burning soon…" he sneered.

"That won't be much fun, then…" Demon Nutty (Lust) commented in mock concern, "I was planning to toss him to the ladies in my personal harem and watch them tear him apart – won't that be nice~?" As he said the last sentence, he noticed a hint of fear and outright refusal in those green-and-gold eyes. "Oh, you know you'll love it," the possessed candy-addict chuckled, "And since my girls need plenty of attention, they won't leave you alone until they're satisfied."

"Super custodiam meam stabo, non!"

Translation: "Not on my watch!"

The Demons holding Flippy / Flipqy captive were suddenly whacked hard and thrown to the ground, bleeding heavily from bashed-in heads. Demons Mime and Nutty hissed as a familiar person stood between them and the teen soldier.

"M-Mom?" Flippy / Flipqy winced, barely able to sit up as he lay on his side. "Your parents were worried about you," the figure replied, revealing fiery golden orbs instead of grass-greens to him, "And look at the mess you're in – what did I say about toying with evil, huh?"

"Nova, movet partem. Haec te non molestat!" the Master Demon demanded, snarling at her.

Translation: "Nova, move aside. This doesn't concern you!"

"Dominus meus tu es!" she growled back, "Quis est parvulus, et de stellis – tum est a filia mea!"

Translation: "You're not the boss of me! And any child of Starlight's – is also a child of mine!"

By this time, Splendid had returned with Lifty and Shifty; the twins found the page that will help heal his injuries, but to their dismay the spell they needed was torn out. "There's…no other choice…" Flippy / Flipqy rasped, "You guys should leave…while you still can –"

"No! I won't let another one of us die!" Splendid demanded, tear pricking again as the image of his brother flashed in his head. Lifty and Shifty agreed and decided to stay, although perhaps they should stop shaking out of fear first. "You won't stand a chance against them…" the teen soldier countered, coughing up more blood as he feels himself getting weaker by the minute, "Your best chance is to run…now…"

"Starlight and Captain didn't raise you to be a pathetic loser," Nova snarled, kneeling before him, "And you made this mess in the first place – therefore you should be the one cleaning it up." Having said that, she pulled him close and began muttering a Latin phrase over and over.

"I ultro virtute...

Ut augeatur in animam hanc corruptionem..."

Translation: "I willingly offer my strength...

To intensify the corruption within this soul..."

"AAH!" Flippy / Flipqy screamed as all his muscles suddenly pulled tight, jerking his body rigid as pain surged through him like shocking electric waves. Splendid pulled the twins away as the teen solider let out an animalistic groan/growl while Nova released him. "Please tell me this is all just a bad dream," Shifty whimpered; Lifty pinched his arm and didn't receive any reaction besides a twitch. The blue hero was speechless as they witnessed the transformation before them.

Flippy / Flipqy's nails had extended into sharp black talons and his teeth sharpened themselves to serrated points, his canines being the longest on the upper jaw. Twisted black horns grew out of his skull, tipped with flickering flames. Opening his scrunched eyes, he revealed black slit pupils in the middle of green-and-gold orbs.

Heh heh heh…

"I feel so much better now," Demon Flippy / Flipqy snickered as he stood, feeling his earlier injuries heal in the process. Unfurling leathery black wings similar to the Master Demon's, he whipped his twin-forked tail as he looked up; smirked at their awestruck expressions.

"Wait, that's it? She just gave you a hot new look and healed you at the same time. Big deal –!" Demon Nutty scoffed, stopping mid-sentence as the teen soldier grabbed his neck in a vice-like grip; coughing as air is choked out of him. "You know what an even bigger deal is? Touching my girl without permission!" he roared before tearing him limb-from-limb.

Demon Mime watched in horror as his comrade's intestines were ripped out and fashioned into a noose; grunted as he got lassoed and struggled as he was getting strangled by said organ. "Night-night…" Demon Flippy / Flipqy snickered, snapping his adversary's neck with a swift final tug. As though to ensure his death, he grabbed and twisted off the teen mime's head and stomped until it was nothing but a pile of flesh and broken bone.

"That's my boy~!" Nova praised, "Now…finish off the rest!"

Demon Flippy / Flipqy gleefully complied and lunged towards the possessed camp staff…only to be blown away by an unseen force, knocking him onto his back. "You'll have to get past us if you wish to face our Master," Possessed Cro-Marmot snarled as he and the others stepped up.

The teen solider was about to retaliate when they (as well as Cub) appeared to be concentrating, muttering unintelligible Latin phrases. The girls then appeared to 'revive' and were glaring down at Demon Flippy / Flipqy with evil intent, landed on their feet, training their glowing-red pupils onto him as though he was live prey.

Splendid noticed the girls were mimicking the camp staffs' movements like puppets. "It's known that humans would not harm a loved one," Possessed Pop pointed out, "But does that count if they planned to kill you?" He then demonstrated by summoning a sickle into Puppet Flaky's hand and made her swing it with deadly accuracy. Demon Flippy / Flipqy moved to block it, yelping as it tore through part of his wing's skin and cut through the bone; tried his best to ignore the pain.

"Playing dirty, as always…" Nova growled as she stood before Puppet Giggles (controlled by Possessed Lumpy and wielding a trident). "That's how we are, or has this traitor forgotten our lifestyle?" Possessed Mole mocked, watching Splendid hesitantly prepare himself to fight his spiked brass knuckle-wielding girlfriend.

Lifty and Shifty followed suit and decided to take over a mace-wielding Puppet Lammy (controlled by Possessed Cub) and a scimitar-wielding Puppet Petunia (controlled by Possessed Cro-Marmot) respectively, slightly flinching at their choice of weapons.

"Let's get this over with…" Demon Flippy / Flipqy growled.