The Shadows
The sun was steadily climbing up into the sky as the morning wore on; the sun casually reading a book and drinking coffee, wearing sunglasses for reading glasses. Gumball and Penny were still embracing, though thankfully Penny had finally stopped crying. She was still reveling in her boyfriend's presence and touch though, a feeling she hadn't felt for days and had missed tremendously. Gumball was in as equally as much bliss, delighting in the feeling of having his girlfriend in his arms, a feeling he'd feared, up until recently, that he'd never get to experience again.
"I was such a fool," Penny commented in self-deprecation. "To think you would ever be so cruel to me…"
"Hey, Penny, it's okay. Really, it's okay," said Gumball reassuringly, patting her back. "I don't blame you. Really. I don't."
Gumball was being honest. He didn't bear a grudge against Penny for her recent actions. The incident involving the banners and Mr. Cuddles may not have been his fault, and Penny had fallen for it rather easily, but he'd been doubting his worth as her boyfriend well before that and the whole incident just reminded him that he was still not the best partner at times for Penny. A fact made all the clearer when she hadn't believed him at first, though not without good reason. After all, he'd let her down on more than one occasion, and not in small ways either.
Penny shed another tear at Gumball's words, her guilt only intensifying. Even after all this, all she'd put him through and all the pain she'd caused, he still harbored nothing but the deep affection for her. She'd almost wish he would get angry with her rather than just forgive her outright. Yeah, it was great that he wasn't holding this against her, but at the same time, it just further proves how deep his love for her goes; a love she'd almost discarded because of a setup designed to get him in trouble with her.
"You may forgive me, Gumball, but I don't know if I can forgive myself," Penny whimpered over his shoulder. "Not after all that I have put you through."
"Hey, come on Penny, it wasn't that bad," Gumball insisted, clutching her tighter. "You went through worse when I sent you on that ridiculous treasure hunt."
"Gumball, that isn't true. Look what's happened because of me. Look what…you've become because of me!" Penny said, her voice thick with remorse.
For the first time since the embrace started Gumball became somewhat confused. "What I've become because of you? Penny, what are you talking about?"
Finally, Penny pulled back and looked Gumball in the eyes with a mournful look, but still held him in a tight embrace. Then looked to the massive indentation in the ground left when the abyssalis cat keeled over. "This is because of me. You became that thing because of me."
Gumball's eyes widened in shock and confusion, looking at the indentation as well. "Penny, why would you think that? Why would you think it's your fault I turned into that thing?"
Penny looked at Gumball sadly again and drew him close once more. She'd had time to think about it while chasing him through the forest and had come to realize that this happened after the whole debacle with Mr. Cuddles, so she deduced it was her fault.
"It was the same for me, remember? I was so afraid of rejection when I thought you thought I was a monster that I actually became one and fled to the forest. I…I should have done the same for you…I'm so sorry!"
Gumball was perplexed; though returned Penny's embrace once again. Penny was holding herself responsible for this? No! He wasn't going to let that continue. He hadn't intended to inform anyone about his situation, at least not in great detail, but if his girlfriend was beating herself up about this then he needed to alleviate that misguided guilt. After all, he'd been through the pain of being accused of something that wasn't his fault, quite recently, and would never tolerate the same happening to Penny, even if she herself was the accuser.
Though he was slightly nervous, especially for her sake. After all, once she was fully aware of what's happened she would no doubt not take it lying down and aim her ire to the one truly responsible. As scary as Penny can be when enraged, Gumball didn't want her contending with something the likes of Green.
He only hoped he could dissuade her from confronting him.
"Penny, listen to me…This wasn't your fault," he said, leaning back and reaching out to cup her tear streaked cheek. Penny opened her mouth to no doubt argue, but Gumball shushed her and put a finger to her lips. "No, really, it's true. You really had nothing to do with this. I didn't change because of what you said." Gumball couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the notion. "I'm not like you Penny. I don't have the ability to shapeshift. Or…well, I didn't originally."
"But…I saw you change," protested Penny weakly. "If it's really not because of what I put you through then why did you turn into that thing?"
Gumball took a deep breath to steal himself. "Because the real perpetrator behind this Penny is my nemesis. He's the reason I turned into that thing. Not you."
Upon hearing the word "nemesis" Penny's mood shifted from extremely remorseful and guilty to highly enraged and wrathful. Up until that point, Penny had been solely focused on finding Gumball, and now that she had him in her arms it dawned on her that there was still a true culprit in all this, the one that truly deserves her ire. And apparently, not only was he responsible for that infuriating banner and abducting Mr. Cuddles, but he was also behind Gumball turning into that…beast.
Finally, at long last, Penny released Gumball and stood up, her expression enraged. And, for once, it wasn't directly at Gumball. A certain cycloptic individual was now in the crosshairs of Penny's wrath.
Gumball read his girlfriend's demeanor and stood up himself (though with slight difficulty, having been stuck in the embrace for so long his legs were a little stiff) and grabbed Penny's hand.
"Penny, I know what you are thinking, but please don't do anything rash," he pleaded.
"Gumball…I can't just look away from this," she said, looking down at him, her intentions clear on her face. "I know you like having a nemesis, but Rob's gone too far this time!"
"Rob is out of the picture, Penny," said Gumball.
Penny paused and gave him a confused look. "What do you mean? I know he was responsible for the banner, and you just said your nemesis is the reason behind your transformation."
"Rob was behind the banner, but he's not behind my transformation," explained Gumball. "Rob's been usurped, and, truthfully, is suffering a fate far worse than even he deserves right now. Under constant torment by my new nemesis."
"New nemesis?" Penny inquired. She didn't understand most of what Gumball was saying, but she did understand that. "You have a new nemesis, Gumball? Who?"
"Some horrible creature that calls himself Green," Gumball explained, shuttering fearfully at the memory of first meeting Green. "He's terrifying. I've never seen such a hideous creature before."
"Green?" Penny inquired, though mostly to herself. She'd never heard of anyone who goes by that name before.
Gumball looked up at Penny with a scared expression and nodded…then took notice of something happening behind her and scowled. "And he obviously doesn't care about being discreteness, unlike Rob."
Catching Gumball's meaning, Penny twirled around, shifting to her dragon form with a snarl. "He's here? Where is he? I'll tear him to shreds!"
Penny looked around, but saw nobody.
"Penny…" Gumball said uneasily, and when Penny looked over her shoulder at him he was frantically pointing at the ground beneath her with a frantic expression.
Penny looked down, slightly confused, for the only thing there was her shadow…
Penny blanched slightly, her anger shifting to shock and horror, which resulted in her reverting back to normal. The shadow that stretched beneath her from the light of the steadily rising sun in the distance, it wasn't her shadow. It didn't resemble her in the slightest, it didn't even resemble her dragon form when she'd first noticed it. From her feet stretched a shadow with a three tipped tail, each tip supporting a wicked sickle shaped blades, extending into coils that connected to a grotesque creature that consisted of two arms with claws, two wings protruding from the back, a triangular head, and four weaving tendrils that were tipped with snakes heads that hissed and flicked their barbed tongues, also extending from the back, just beneath the wings. For a moment, Penny just stared at the shadow with a mix of horror and bafflement. Never before had she seen such an abomination, even in her most horrific of nightmares.
"Hahaha!"
The ominous chuckling reverberated around Penny and Gumball for a moment before fading into the wind, the sinister shadow followed suit, dissipating like a mirage, leaving Penny's proper shadow in its place once it had vanished. Penny continued to stare at the spot where it had been, her expression dumbstruck.
"Gumball…was that…?" she stammered.
"Yes," Gumball confirmed, squeezing Penny's hand once more . "That was Green. That's what he looks like. Though in person, he's a lot less shadowy and more monster-y."
"What…what is he?" she asked.
"Don't know. Like I said, I've never seen anything like him before."
This…was starting to take a turn Penny hadn't expected. She'd expected to find Gumball in the woods, driven to do so by grief. The whole transformation thing had been unexpected, but, as said before, Penny had chalked it up to some innate ability Gumball possessed that had been awakened by Gumball's emotional turmoil. But now, it would seem that all this was the result of the machinations of someone lurking in the shadows; literally, from the looks of it. And it would also seem this Green possessed abilities she'd never even heard of, to appear in someone's shadow like that.
"Gumball…what exactly is going on here?" Penny asked.
Again resigning to the explanation, Gumball proceeded to tell Penny about how, after Rod had sabotaged his banner, he'd gone out to try to find him and get him to confess the banner was his doing, only to be drawn into a black, gelatinous portal during his search. He then described the realm he'd found himself in afterwards.
"Wherever Green dwells is a horrible place," he said with shivers, and Penny had no choice but to agree. A black dimension containing nothing but swirling shadows? It sounded dreadful.
Next Gumball proceeded to explain to her how he'd met Green in that place, Penny gasping in shock when he described how big Green actually is, as well as what he was doing to Gumball's previous nemesis. Penny didn't know how to react to that. Sure, Rob had caused both her and Gumball immense grief with his actions, but, according to Gumball, he was now restrained within Green's realm, being constantly subjected to continuous immense electric shocks. Did even Rob deserve something like that? And that wasn't the worst of it. From what Gumball described, Green only did it because Rob's suffering amused him.
Green, he didn't sound like a vindictive jerk, like Rob, he sounds like a psychopath.
"What does he even want with you, Gumball?" Penny asked.
Gumball took a deep breath and explained "According to what he says, he…he wants me to become something everyone will fear. He wants me, someone everyone else either finds annoying or pathetic, to become something that will strike terror in everyone I meet."
Penny tilted her head in slight confusion. "Why would he even do that? What does he even gain?"
"Beats me," said Gumball with a shrug. "I haven't been able to figure out what he gets from turning me into that thing either."
It was indeed unusual. Why did Green want Gumball to become something that everyone was afraid of?
"Gumball…" she said, having come to a certain realization. "What exactly has he done to you? Something tells me there is more to it than just him putting a spell on you or something."
Here it was, the moment Gumball had been expecting, and at the same time dreading. His Girlfriend was astute. He'd intended to go with a vague description, like 'that thing he becomes is a curse Green had put on him,' but upon seeing Penny so broken up and blaming herself so severely he'd decided that it would be best to not hide anything from her. Knowing Penny, she wasn't going to leave his side until the situation was resolved, and not only could hiding things lead to more trouble down the line, but she needed to be forewarned against what she was dealing with.
After all, there was more to this situation than just him transforming into a monster.
'Forgive me, mom,' Gumball thought remorsefully, remembering the promise he'd made to keep the secret of their families lineage, but the situation has changed. After all, this wasn't merely keeping the fact you are related to such a monster like the abyssalis cat under wraps, an abyssalis cat was here now and it was really dangerous.
"And you're right, Penny," he said with a resigned expression, walking over to sit on the edge of the cliff, gesturing for Penny to join him, which she obliged, looking at him with an expression of deep concern. "That beast isn't just some dark spell Green put on me. That thing…is part of me. Has always been part of me."
Penny gave him a confused look, "What do you mean?"
Gumball contemplated on how best to explain. This would be easier if he had the book his mom showed him earlier…
There was the sudden sound of sloshing water and, looking over their shoulders, Penny saw what appeared to be a dark whirlpool about six feet wide opening up on the ground behind them, but Gumball, however, recognized it as one of Green's dark portal's. Next, what Gumball recognized as one of Green's spindly arms rose from the portal, though only about five feet in length, rather than being large enough to accommodate a skyscraper-sized body. Clutched in the thin, skinny fingers was a familiar book.
Penny sprang to her feet and spun around, briefly morphing into her gorgan form in her anger, recognizing the arm from the grotesque shadow that had briefly replaced her own moments prior. "GREEN!"
"Penny, no!" cried Gumball, standing up as well and grabbing her around the middle from behind, halting her in place.
"Gumball, let me go!" Penny protested, trying to "slither" free of Gumball's grip. "I'm going to show this guy what happens when someone messes with the people I care about!"
"Penny, please don't!" Gumball insisted, still not wanting Penny to tussle with the likes of his new nemesis. "You don't know what he's capable of!"
Before Penny could insist she didn't care, something else emerged from the portal, and that was when Penny finally ceased resisting Gumball's attempts to restrain her, so shocked by the sight that she shifted back to her fairy form. Rob's upper body now protruded from the swirling darkness, his arms wedged in double tipped stalagmites; which also jutted from the black portal, chard in a few places, his expression limp and blank. Green's arm then lay the book down on the ground, then stiffened straight up and then snapped his claws. Rob's body streamed with arc's of electricity violently once more and he began to thrash, crying out in pain.
Penny had seen a lot in the past few days, from Mr. Rex being beaten to a bloody pulp and watching a massive feline beast now identified as Gumball mutilate several animals, and all of them were jarring to witness, but the scene before her put all that to shame. It was, mainly, because all that carnage had been inflicted on creatures that were pretty much non-sentient; Mr. Rex may be Tina's father, but he admittedly wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. To see Rob, despite how much he'd done to her and Gumball, writhing in pain and to hear his cries of agony was too much for Penny to take.
She let out a cry of horror, her body rippling as she involuntarily shifted forms. Gumball watched as she shrank, sliding out of his grip and hovering before him, her body contracting, shrinking into her small sprite form that resembles a small, white, semi transparent egg with beady eyes and Penny's trademark antlers. Reacting quickly, Gumball grabbed her in both hands and held her to his chest protectively, scowling at Green's arm.
"Hahahaha…"
That sinister chuckling echoed throughout the cliff ledge again, Green's arm receding back into the portal, Rob as well, still flashing with electricity. Afterwards the portal disappeared, and Gumball lifted his left hand to check on Penny, the little sprite sitting on his right palm. Penny gulped, the miniscule movement shaking her whole present form. Gumball had explained what Green was like, as well as what he'd been subjecting Rob to, but witnessing it first hand was a completely different experience. Green just inflicted immense pain on Rob so callously, and with obvious merriment, for she had heard his sinister chuckle too. It had been so brutal and ruthless.
Penny then noticed Gumball was walking forward, reaching down to pick up the book Green had left behind.
"Gumball, what are you doing?" she asked in a high pitched voice with fear. "You don't know what that is!"
"Actually, yes I do," said Gumball, scooping up Beasts Of The Ancient Past. "This book is actually mine, Penny."
He scowled at where the portal had once been. Green giving him his book at this direct moment in time, just when he needs to explain things to Penny as thoroughly as possible, it was almost like he was assisting him in gaining Penny's support. Almost as if he "wanted" their relationship mended. Gumball didn't know which he hated more, a meddling moron like Rob or a sly schemer like Green, who's agenda Gumball had yet to fully understand. But apparently it involved his relationship with Penny, which he didn't like one bit.
Penny, for her part, didn't know what took her by surprise more, the fact that Gumball even owned a book, or the unusual method of how it had just arrived here.
"Why did Green have it then?" she asked.
"Because…it's where he got the idea to do this to me," Gumball explained, placing Penny on his shoulder; Penny having not yet shifted out of her sprite form yet, for whatever reason.
Before Penny could inquire further Gumball opened the book to a certain chapter marked with a rather large bookmark. Normally, she wouldn't be so easily distracted from such things like the unusual current circumstances, but upon seeing the picture displayed on the page she couldn't help but shift her focus to it. There, on the page, was a direct depiction of the very beast that she'd seen Gumball morph into the evening prior.
Noticing her attention shift, Gumball held the book up to her so she could read the article better.
"Gumball, I still don't understand," said Penny after having read through the article. "How can this…this ancient creature, this abyssalis cat be part of who you are?"
"Because…it's my ancestor, Penny!" Gumball blurted out before his nerves failed him.
Penny gasped in surprise and horror. "You mean…?"
"Yes," said Gumball. "That beast you saw me turn into, it's not just some random transformation. That creature is where my family originated from, on my mom's side." He looked at the book again, at the savage depiction of the abyssalis cat. "Your ancestors came with shells. Mine apparently came with teeth, a whole lot of strength and an overwhelming desire to kill and eat. And Green has made it so that my DNA regresses back to that state. That of my savage ancestors."
This newly revealed fact was hard for Penny to process. To think, Gumball, her slightly dimwitted, demure Gumball, had such a connection to this ancient savage monster. And it wasn't an exaggeration. Penny had seen first hand the savagery of the abyssalis cat, and it was practically identical to what was described in this book. To learn that the things he did weren't the result of influence from a villain like Green, as she'd assumed, but the genuine instincts and natures of that thing was…slightly unnerving.
However, that didn't stop her from growing concerned for her boyfriend. After all, this was actually happening to him.
"Gumball…I understand this might be hard for you to accept," she said, leaning in and nuzzling his cheek with her entire body. "But running away out here isn't the answer. I should know."
Gumball almost teared up when Penny didn't leap off his shoulder and flee in terror when she learned he was more related to that thing, the abyssalis cat, then a mere evil curse. "So…it doesn't bother you that I'm related to that thing?"
Penny shook her miniscule head. "You accepted me for who I really am when it mattered most, Gumball. It'd be unfair for me not to do the same. And just like you did for me back then, I'm going to convince you that there's a better solution than just isolating yourself here in the wilderness."
Gumball smiled with gratitude. "Thanks Penny," he said, giving her a grateful smile, then his expression turned sad. "But I'm afraid your hypothesis is a bit off."
Penny arched one of her little eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
"I haven't been wandering around out here because I am avoiding everyone, Penny," explained Gumball.
Penny's confusion only grew. "Then why are you out here, Gumball?"
It was here that Gumball explained the indepth nature of his transformation. No. Transformation isn't the right word. Regression better describes it. Gumball then explained to Penny how his regression works. How Green had made it so that, whenever the sun sets, his DNA reverts back to that of his ancient ancestor, the abyssalis cat, and how, in that state, he no longer remembers who he is. He isn't Gumball as that thing. He is the abyssalis cat.
And all an abyssalis cat knows is what their instincts dedicate; hunt, kill, eat, claim territory, defend said territory, challenge and conquer rivals. And stay with the pride. It was here that Gumball explained the real reason he was here in the forest. The abyssalis cat is a nocturnal creature, so during the day, when Gumball would revert back to normal, he'd sleep the day away and by the time he'd wake up, evening was almost upon him, without leaving him nearly enough time to make it back to Elmore before changing again. And as the abyssalis cat he didn't want to return to Elmore, no, the abyssalis cat wanted to hunt…and return to his pride.
"Wait…" said Penny, "You mean, you really haven't been out here avoiding everyone? Avoiding me?"
Gumball smiled and lifted her from his shoulder, setting down Beast's Of The Ancient Past so that he could hold her in his left hand and stroke her with his right. "You should know I'm not that strong or that capable, Penny. Not like you. The only reason I haven't come home is because I haven't been able to. As the abyssalis cat my instincts won't let me."
Penny was feeling a unique mix of emotions at that moment. In a way, she was kinda relieved. To know her boyfriend wasn't avoiding her was an immense weight off her shoulders. She'd been so afraid he was holding a grudge against her for believing Rob's ploy it was a relief to discover otherwise. Though the truth was almost just as hard to accept. If she understands correctly, Gumball's transformation, or regression, as he put it, wasn't like her shapeshifting at all, like she'd assumed. As little control over her abilities as she herself had, Gumball's change was completely involuntary, happening whether he deemed it or not, triggered by the being of night. And, according to Gumball's own account, he had no sense of self as the abyssalis cat, solely relying on his instincts to govern his actions, spending all his time hunting and searching for his pride. A pride that no longer exists.
The book says the abyssalis cat (Penny still had a hard time believing that "thing" is, or was, an actual species) has been extinct for thousands of years. Yet, Gumball's instincts as the abyssalis cat were strongly influencing him to return to his pride, which was apparently the real reason he hadn't come home.
It was almost unbearable for Penny to comprehend. Her precious little Gumball, forced night after night to look for something that doesn't exist. To make matters worse, as Gumball, he was aware of that fact. At that moment, Penny wanted nothing more than to bring Gumball home.
But…she couldn't just bring him back to Elmore.
"Hey Penny, what do you say we head home?" Gumball inquired. "For the first time since this started I've woken up long before sundown so there's plenty of time for us to return before I turn into that thing again."
"Oh, Gumball, I would like nothing more than to go home with you, but we can't just go back," said Penny remorsefully.
"What, why?" asked Gumball, despondent.
At that point Penny seemed to regain control of enough of her facilities to revert back to her default fairy form, sliding out of Gumball's hand in a stream of luminescent white and taking shape before him.
"Gumball, it will be night time eventually, and you said you always change at night, right?" Penny asked, Gumball nodding. "Well, what would happen if you were to change in Elmore? It's already happened once, remember?"
He should, Gumball had told her he always retains his memories of his actions of the abyssalis cat.
Gumball gulped nervously as he remembered rampaging through Elmore Mall, as well as what happened "prior".
"How are Tina and her father?" he asked with concern. "I didn't…you know…?" He ran his hand across his throat."
"They're both alive, but in pretty bad shape," explained Penny, glad for Gumball's concern. "Both are in comas, but have a good chance of survival."
"Oh, that's good to hear…somewhat," Gumball said, deeply regretful for putting those two in such dire straits. "So what do we do? Do I just stay out here then?"
"NEVER!" Penny suddenly declared, pulling Gumball in for another hug. "No matter what happens, I'm not going to leave you out here, Gumball!"
"Then what do we do?" asked Gumball, returning the hug.
"We need to come up with a plan. Some way to contain you when you change so that you don't hurt anyone."
"How are we going to do that?" asked Gumball, gently breaking the hug. "You've seen me in action as the abyssalis cat. The thing is formidable. And not just that, the thing can teleport. How are we going to keep it contained?"
Penny tapped her chin for a second, piecing things together in her mind.
"I got it!"