"Errraaaahhh!"
"I-I-I'm sorry! J-just hold still! I - uhmmm, I-I'm sorry!" I wrap my hands around the deer's thick neck. It's bleeding badly. Really bad. Red spreads out from it's neck and onto my hands. I try covering the wound as soon and as tightly as I can.
"Eeeehhhh! Eeerrrhhhhaaa!" It's starting to weeze. It's legs are kicking at the air. I... I think it's still trying to run... What do I do!? I don't know! I don't know! I gotta try something!
"Eeeeehhhhh! Eeeerreaaaahhhhh!" I lean closer to hug it. I wrap my arms around it's neck tightly. I try to let it know I won't hurt it. I try to make it comfortable.
"Eeeeeaaaaahhhhaawwwwhhh...!" It lets out a loud cry. A spurt of blood spews out of it's neck as it falls limp. I hold it's head close to my chest, squeezing it tightly.
"I-I-I... I'm... I a-am... Sorry..." I push my face into it's brown fur. I-I could've... I should've saved it...! I'm sorry. I wasn't fast enough... Or strong enough... I'm sorry, deer.
"Y-you... You didn't deserve to die..." I whisper against it. My throat feels tight, my mouth dry, and my eyes sore. I'm on my knees. It's head against my chest, my legs propping it's neck up.
I tried to save it. It had a sharp branch, o-or spike, inside it's neck. I don't how or why or when or what happened... I heard it screaming, so I followed it's cries.
I hiccup against it's fur. My eyes are beginning to sting. I feel like I should be crying yet I'm not. My neck hurts when I hiccup, burns a little. Milk, or water would help.
Help...
"I should've... Helped you... I-I am sorry..." I squeeze tightly with my arms. Blood spurts against my chest, turning our white rose red. I can see it from the corner of my eye. The stem and it's petals are oozing with veins of... Of crimson.
Red rose? Red like blood...
"Ha... Ha... Ha...! Sh-Shadow... Look!" It's a blood flower! Literally... I like it. Our rose looks nice in red... Really nice. I unwrap my arms from the animal's neck. It's cold and sad hazel eyes stare at nothing. I place my left hand against the top of It's head, my palm open and my fingers extending. I pull my hand back, palm still touching it, and drag my fingers down it's neck.
With my free hand I graze my fingers against our red rose. Blood sticks to my fingers when I pull away. I raise my head, bringing my fingers closer to my eyes.
'Red? We prefer red?' Yes, I like that color. I like it a lot... I lower the deer's head to the grassy floor. It's neck is still propped up by my legs. I watch as you drink in the blood and turn our rose white again. Bright red splotches turning milky white. I wonder how it tastes? I look back to my fingers. I watch the blood dripping from them... I wonder how it tastes?
I open my mouth, pushing my pointer finger against my tongue. It tastes coppery... And bitter. Yet there's a sweetness to it as well. I lick the blood from my finger and let it rest in my mouth. I can feel the warm crimson flowing over my tongue, under it, and over my gums. I can feel the blood pressing against the insides of my cheeks.
I pull my finger from my mouth slowly. Reddish stains still cover it, yet now the black is more dominant over the red. I feel a little blood trickling down my lips. I stick out my tongue, pressing the back of it against my bottom lip. My tongue sways left and right before I pull it back inside.
I close my lips tightly to stop more of the redness from leaking out. I slosh around the blood until it's pressing against my teeth. It feels warm against them. I use my tongue to push at it, to raise it against the roof of my mouth.
It tastes sweet. Sugary. Syrupy even. It tastes kinda like candy. Like jolly ranchers, with a little bit of cherry mixed in it. I swallow the blood.
It's got a weird taste to it. A little gross at first, but really sweet after. I look down at the deer, into it's dead eyes. It's got a lot of blood in it, right? Sweet blood... Like candies.
"I'm sorry, but... Your already d-dead, sooo..." I slide my left hand under it's jaw to prop it's head up. With my right hand I stick my pointer and my middle finger into it's wound. I shift them around for a few seconds before pulling them out. A spurt of blood drenches my hand as I do.
I raise my hand to my mouth and lick at the blood. It tastes even sweeter, and the bitterness is gone. Still a little metallic tasting, though. I drink in whatever I lick up. It almost tastes like strawberries and vanilla ice cream. Maybe... Maybe I should drink a little more? I am really thirsty...
'Why not try a bite?' I swallow down a mouthful of blood, my hand now almost entirely clean of the redness. A bite? But... It's still... Together! Y-ya know?
I look down into it's dead face. It still looks so scared... Poor thing. I wish I was faster... Maybe I could've saved it, then.
'No. We never could've saved it. Not with a gaping hole in it's neck the size of our fist.' I... Yeah, I guess... I could've tried harder, though! I could've... Done better.
I stare at it's injured neck. The blood spurts out sometimes, but oozes out mostly now. It's almond colored fur is covered in crimson stains. I like the color red... It's my favorite color.
My stomach growls loudly. My mouth feels dry. My throat feels tight. My fingers flex, my lower jaw hangs open a little. I lick my lips.
'We must eat to survive, no?' Y-yes... But... It's not even cooked, o-or anything! And I just... It was alive just minutes ago! I-I don't know about this...
My stomach rumbles. I feel a little lightheaded. I blink as my sight blurrs for a few seconds. The blood is slowly oozing out now... It smells almost like cinnamon.
'Go on... At least try a bite. If it isn't appealing then we can stop.' I... I guess so. It is already dead... And I am hungry... I-I mean... It's not like it's going to hurt anymore, anyway. Or need all that meat...
"I... I haven't eaten in... How long?" Days? Not since Velvet. And even then it was so little, such a small meal. More like a snack really... Velvet was nice. She didn't need to help me, or talk to me... But she did. Why?
'Best not to dwell. We won't see her again,' Yeah, I guess... I guess it's not important, 'But the corpse?' I blink a few times, wiping away some drool that trickled from my mouth. W-why not...? I already drank it's blood, s-so what's the worst that could happen now?
I grab it's neck with my left hand while pushing it's head down with my right. I wish I had a fork, and a knife... And a plate, too. I wish it was cooked at least... I wish I paid more attention to those essential survival lessons from Signal. I remember one of those classes taught us how to start fires with rocks, or sticks, or something like that.
I lower my face down to it's wound. It smells just like cinnamon... The blood smells so nice. If the blood smells and tastes so good, than maybe the meat will, too? Maybe not... Only one way to find out. I go in for a bite-
"W-wait a minute!" I pull my head back and straighten myself. Wh-what if I get sick, Shadow? Raw meat has a lot of bacteria and stuff... Nastiness! I could get sick! Reeeeaaaalllly sick! Like I might die kinda sick!
'Remember what we spoke of earlier? Disease or infection is not our foe. We can subsume any invaders of our body. Cellular, molecular, or otherwise,' What about parasites? O-ooor viruses? 'Parasites are biological. We can devour them. Viruses are no issue, either. Our previous other had one once. It was simple to eradicate.' Ok, ok, ok... So you have me covered then? Protected. You always protect me... Always. I should've known better than to question you.
'Blood Flower?' Yes? 'Please refrain from that word. Parasite... It is hideous.' Uhmmm... Ok? Yeah, yeah... I can. I will. But, ehhh... Why? What's wrong with it? I thought words were only words. They can't be bad, right?
'Yes, it is only a word, but... It brings back painful experiences. And emotions,' I'm sorry... I didn't know. If you don't mind me asking... What kind of experiences? 'Bad ones.' O-ooh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you... I'm sorry.
'Don't be. We didn't know.' Yeah, I didn't know... I... I'm not sorry, I guess? I didn't know any better, so I didn't really do anything wrong... R-right?
'Indeed.' Yeah... Yeah. Yeah! I did nothing wrong, because I didn't know any better! I—
My stomach growls loudly. I cough into my hand as I cup my mouth. I shut my eyes tight. The coughing scrapes against my throat until it's aching and sore.
"Hhuuk! Khhooohhh! Uhhgghhh... Uggghhhkkk!" I spit up blood onto my hand. The crimson drips and droops off of me and onto the dead deer. Some of the redness drips into it's pale hazel eyes, turning them redish brown. I stare at it for a moment before turning back to my right hand. It's only a few inches from my mouth and drenched in blood... A lot of blood. More blood than all the other times I've coughed so far.
"I-I... I'm getting... Wo-worse..." It smells sweet yet almost bitter. The blood oozes down it's neck in thick globs. The deer's face is turning more red than brown now...
I smell like licorice. My blood, that is. Sweet... So very sweet... I lick my lips. I lower my face to it's wound and lick up the blood. It's like cookies... Mom's chocolate chip cookies! The ones with her secret recipe. They always tasted so... Sooo good! Nothing else really compares... I can't even really describe it.
I... I wonder if my blood will taste that good? I lean into my hand, pressing my palm against my lips. I lick at it once. Twice. Three times. It doesn't taste nearly as good as it smells... Kinda gross, really. Bitter. I pull my head back, squinting my eyes, and I spit it out onto the grass.
"Uggkk! N-nasty..." Tastes like uncle's drinks. I stole one of those once, after he passed out on the couch. I was curious... I ended up puking for the rest of the night. Dad was anrgy when he learned about that. He wouldn't let uncle come back for a whole year!
"Hhhhuuusss..." I sigh, wiping the redness off my face. That was gross... Deer blood is tastier than my blood. Doesn't smell as nice, though. Weird.
I look down to the deer again. It's neck wound has stopped bleeding. I feel my stomach rumble, and hear it growl... Food is food, right? Even if it's... Still... In one piece like this.
'We must eat,' Yeah, we do. I do gotta eat something... You do, too. Are you... Are you holding up your promise, Shadow? About not eating my guts? 'Of course we are. We promised, didn't we?' Y-yes... I just wanted to make sure. Well you eat the deer, too? Like... A shared meal sorta thing? If I eat something, does that mean you ate something, too? Since we're together and all.
'We can harvest nutrients from our meals, yes. As long as we eat, we eat as well. But our hunger is more... Voracious than ours - yours.' Please, please stop saying you and your! I... I don't wanna be just a you. I want to be us...! We... Like you promised, ya know?
'Of course. We are sorry. We are two-in-one, after all. We should've known better...' Y-you do know better! You ARE better! You know everything! Don't be sorry... You did nothng wrong! Nothing at all!
'We appreciate the sentiment. Not many are as forgiving as we. Most wouldn't even consider such an act of kindness... Most would hate us.' Well... They're evil! Only an evil person would - no, could! - hate you! Only sick people, like monsters wearing human skin... O-or criminals! Or... Or Hunters...
"S-Shadow..." I raise my hand to block out the sun from stinging my eyes, "Are... Are Hunters... E-evil?" We're dangerous. We kill monsters. A lot of us hate monsters. Some monsters can be good, like you. How many good monsters have I killed...?
'We already know the answer to that.' Good and evil aren't real. So... We are - the Hunters are... What then? And what about all the monsters I've killed? If you can be a good monster - a loving monster... How many others are like you? A-am I... The bad guy? The villain?
'To some we will be. To others we will be... An avenging angel. The thing that scares children into behaving. The thing that terrifies true monsters into hiding from the thing that whispers in the dark. The monsters who kill with a smile will come to dread us.' But what about me? Am I still a good person? Am I... I want to be good... Like you.
'But we are good to us. Everyone else? They are irrelevant. It does not matter what they think of us,' What do you think of me? Who... What am I? 'Hungry. That is what we are.'
"Oohhhoohhhaa...! I-I don't... F-fe-feel so well... All of a sudden." I feel lightheaded again. I grab onto the deer's neck to stop myself from falling back. I squeeze my eyes shut and begin to breathe. In...
"Hhhhuuuuussss," And out, "Oooohhhhhh," In, "Hhhhhuuussss," And out, "Ooooohhhhh," In, "Hhhuuussss," And out, "Oooohhhhh."
I feel better. The lightheadedness is going away. Is lightheadedness a word? It doesn't matter. I press my face against the deer's neck. It smells kinda like pee, honestly... Gross. Not it's fault, though. It can't exactly shower, or anything.
"I wish I could take a shower." My voice is muffled by the deer's fur. I miss warm, running water dripping down my skin... The sound of the pitter patter as the water hits the ground.
I raise my face a little and look down at it's wound. It still smells so nice... So good. J-just a single bite...
I open my mouth and lean in. I bite it's wounded neck. My jaw clenches onto a chunk of exposed muscle, my teeth stabbing into it. I can feel the warmth of it's blood spurting onto my tongue. Cherries... It tastes like cherries now.
I pull back hard. The muscle rips away with a nasty squelch. I grab the muscle with my right hand while letting go with my mouth. It's almost as thick as my hand, and as long as my pointer finger. I lick the blood off my lips... I love cherries. One of my favorite foods.
I bite onto the muscle and pull. It's thick and strong yet it rips after a few seconds. I let the meat rest against my tongue as the blood drains out of it. I feel the cherry taste spreading throughout my mouth, over and under my tongue.
I begin to chew. It's tough to bite into but it rips after a while. It's tough, kinda stretchy too. It tastes... Weird. Kinda like water in that it doesn't have much of a taste at all. It's a little bitter as, too.
I swallow it down. The blood is a lot tastier than the meat. A lot better. Waaaaay better... And it does feel nice to have something in my belly. Even if the aftertaste is pretty gross, though. Like... Black licorice, or old cheese.
I look down at the deer's wound. It's bigger now, and bleeding again. I bite my lip. It's not... Too terrible, I guess. Not the worst tasting thing I've ever eaten. Probably is the grossest, though. And I doubt it's very healthy, either...
I dig my pointer and index finger into it's neck wound. I pull it open and grab another chunk of muscle with my free hand. It rips off easier than the first did. I bring it to my mouth and bite into it. It's surprisingly crunchy.
It tastes sweet. Reaaallly sweet... I chew it quickly. With every bite I can feel a new gush of sugary blood coating my tongue. I end up swallowing it so fast I choke a little. I cough up some blood. A lot of blood and a few chunks of meat. I raise my left hand to my neck and massage it. This time the blood isn't mine... I like that. I like the way the blood slowly drips and drops down onto the deer's neck. It's brownish red more than reddish brown now.
'Be careful. There is no reason to rush this meal.' Y-yeah, your right... It's not going anywhere anytime soon. I nod my head, my hands resting on the deer's neck. I can take my time... I don't need to rush.
I lower my face to it's neck and bite down on it's wound. I pull back, ripping away another chunk of neck muscles. I make sure to chew more slowly this time. It tastes more like chocolate than strawberries... I like chocolate. Mom always baked chololate chip cookies when I was little. Those were less chewy though than this.
Eventually I swallow. The chocolate taste is really strong now, with a hint of... Of barbecue sauce? Yeah, barbecue sauce! Kinda like what dad use to use when he cooked on the grill. Weird combination... I'm not sure about this taste.
I bite down into juicy portion of the meat. Dad... Fuck him. He's a liar! And a bad one at that. I push my fingers into the deer's neck wound and grab another handful of muscle. It feels softer than the others. Less bumpy and rough and more smooth and tender.
I swallow what's left in my mouth. This time I don't choke. I bring the meat in my hand closer to my face. I bite down and rip away a piece of it. I chew slowly so as to let the blood pool around my tongue again. The blood is the best part... My favorite part. It tastes so sweet!
I thought raw meat was suppose to be gross. I tought it tasted bad. Guess I was wrong. Unless...
"Shffphow," I swallow the meat in mouth, "S-sorry about that. Ummm... Is there a reason why this tastes so... So candy-ish?" It's weird. I know raw meat shouldn't taste like this... Not even a little! It's suppose to be gross, and nasty, a-and... Gross!
'Our tastes are changing,' I... I don't understand, 'Our body adapts to the presence of our inorganic mass. It is mutating.' Into what...? What am I... Are we mutating into?
'We said we wanted to be a monster, yes?' W-well... Yeah, I did, 'Then we have found the answer.' I am becoming a monster? I don't feel like a monster...
I look down at the bloody muscle in my hand. There are cuts and holes in it from my teeth. Chunks I've bitten off... Here I am, crouched over a dead deer, eating it's body raw... M-maybe I really am a monster.
I let the meat fall onto the ground. I place my hands against it's neck and push it's head off my lap. It hits the ground at an odd angle. I stare at it. It stares at me with empty eyes.
"S-Shadow... I, uhhmmm... I-I'm not... Hungry anymore." I pull my arms close to my stomach. I stare at the dead deer. The deer I was just eating. I don't like this anymore, Shadow...
'Why? What is the matter?' I don't... I just... It doesn't feel right! I shouldn't be eating a deer! Raw! I-I... Dad - No! Taiyang always said—
'Blood Flower, Blood Flower, Blood Flower... Why does he matter? We hate him now. We promised us so.' I-I-I... I did, yeah I did... I do hate him! B-but that doesn't mean everything he taught me is wrong... R-right?
'It is as we say it is. And we say his words are lies. So they are all lies now. Understand?' Y-yes... I do. I'm still not eating the deer, though, 'Why not? It will satiate our hunger.' Because it's wrong! And gross! You eat it if you want, but I won't! I-I just... It doesn't feel right, ya know? It makes me feel... Ugly. Like I'm some kind of starving animal...
'So be it. We will not force us to feed. But we will not let this meal waste away.' O-ok, that's fine! You eat it... I'm not hungry anyway!
Tendrils extend out of my chest and shoot at the deer. They wrap around it's body. Tendrils worm over other tendrils until the deer's brownish red fur is covered in black. I can hear ripping sounds and snapping noises.
"Ewww! Does it have to be so... So slurpy!?" I hear popping noises and wet mushing. I hear squelching, too. I cover my ears. Gross! I don't wanna hear this! Can you please be quiet?
'No,' Ugggh! Nasty! It sounds like something is getting ripped apart! 'Something is.' W-well... Yeah, it is, I guess. I plant my feet against the ground and push. I use my arms to hold myself up. Slowly I crawl back and away from the gross slurping noises. It sounds kinda like paper ripping and a balloon popping at once. Gross...
I turn to face the grassy ground. I squeeze my fingers tightly around my ears. I hate these sounds! So... Ugggh! L-like cracking ice... Or breaking bones. I've had broken bones before. A lot of fractures from Signal, and a few from sparring with Yang. I only 'broke' broke my one of my bones before, though. It was my arm, cuz' of the Beowolf. That hurt... But not as much the burning did.
Having my heart torn out was... Not as bad as the other two, honestly. It hurt a lot but only for a second or two. Probably because my body went into shock almost right away. Or maybe I didn't feel it for long because of the blood loss? Or maybe losing a heart just isn't that painful. Maybe the pain doesn't hurt as much because I have my Shadow with me now...
"Shadow, what was that thing? From earlier?" I let my arms dangle at my sides. The ripping and popping isn't as bad now. Come to think of it, it's more like a boiling sound now. Like water in a hot pan or something.
'What thing?' You know! The thing...! The robot thing... The robot thing that tore my heart out.
'Oh, yes. We know little of it. It attacked us years ago. It is the one that captured us. It has changed since then.' So it works for someone? Or something? How long were you trapped? How has it changed?
'We don't know the names of it's masters. We don't know how long we were imprisoned for. We know it has grown slimmer since the last time we encountered it.' Oh... Do you remember any faces? What kinda clothes they wore? Any... Any symbols, or standout landmarks, or... Something?
'There were many faces. There was one who stood out from the rest. A leader of some sort.' The tendrils drop a steaming pile of bones to the ground. The bones sizzle the grass and burn it where they touch. I can faintly smell something like copper, but... Not copper. It's weird. The smell tickles my nose. Isn't that a little extreme, Shadow?
'We were quite hungry,' Yeah, I guess so... But what was that about a leader? Who is he? Or she? 'We do not know that answer. We know he is a he based off his anatomical structure. Taller than us - much taller. He always wears white clothing. He has metal parts.' Metal parts? White clothes? Tall man? Yeah... I have no idea who that is. There's a lot of people who wear white. And a lot of people with 'metal parts' too. And a lot of Hunstmen tend to be pretty tall. Where were you trapped at? What were the surroundings like?
'The prison itself was sterile. White and stainless like it's master. Always humming... We remember always hearing an electric hum,' What was it like outside? What was the weather like? Were you near a lake, or a forest, or a desert? 'Snow. We remember there being a great deal of snow. And wind. Howling wind. Jagged towers of rock were common there.'
"Snow and wind? Somewhere cold. Jagged rock towers? Probably moutains. Maybe... Maybe you were at Atlas?" Or you could've been almost anywhere and it was just winter when you escaped. I don't know... I wish I did. I wanna make them hurt... They deserve to hurt for what they did to you! To bleed and die... I wish I knew who they were.
"But... Shadow... I do have a question." I clasp my fingers together as I lean back against the base of a tree. I lean my head back to stare up at the treetops and branches in the sky.
'What?' I push myself up to my feet. I turn so the sunlight is against my back. I glance over at the deer. I sigh, rubbing my forehead. You didn't deserve to die...
"Who... Who did you kill? You said you had to kill someone. I'm guessing that was when you escaped, right?" My fingers graze against the rose on our chest. It's still a little red, dripping with blood... I like it being red. I like it a lot.
'A woman. She was one of our wardens. She was cruel... She would often burn us with electricity under the impression it kept us sedated,' She deserved to die then...! If she... Tortured you then she deserved to die! How did you kill her? I hope it was painful, 'Constriction. We enveloped her like we do with us now - but we added pressure. And more pressure. And more. Her bones shattered, her organs ruptured, and her eyes popped out of her skull. She never had the chance to scream.' You crushed her!? Like a snake would!? That's... That's awesome! Gross, and kinda creepy... But awesome! She deserved every second of it! I hope she was scared when she died... Was she the only one?
'No,' Who else? 'A man. We were not familiar with this one. We had escaped the prison, and made our way to a settlement of some kind. A place with spiraling towers and a moutain-city,' Moutain-city? Do you mean Mistral? 'Maybe. We are not certain,' Huh... And the guy? 'We considered him as a potential candidate for the bonding. He failed our test,' Why? What did he do wrong? 'It was nothing he did. Rather that was the problem. He did nothing. He was hateful, fearful, but had no sense of ambition or desire. He was weak minded.' Then why kill him? I don't see how he was a threat. Why did he deserve to die?
'He knew of us. We did not hide our existence from him. A mistake on our end. He would of told them sooner or later. So we ensured he would tell no one of us.' O-oh... I... I'm sure you did the right thing. He probably would've told them about you, o-or... Or done something stupid. You made the right choice! You always do... Right?
'Obviously not. Or we would not have had to kill him.' Ye-yeah... That is true. The woman you killed... What was she like? You said she was cruel?
'Yes. She would often expose us to shocks, or sonics. She enjoyed having power over us. She always smiled.' Are those... Painful to you? How do you feel pain? Aren't you, ehhh... Protoplsmic goo? Like... Kinda like water?
'Moreso clay than water - yet it is similar enough. We do not have a nervous system or a brain like our humans, yet we can feel. We can feel each and every cell that forms us. Like how we can feel our skin, or hair, or muscles. We feel so much... Sensations. We can feel the molecules of the air as it teases us with touch right now,' Oh... So that means...? 'We are sensitive to physical touch. Very sensitive. We can tune out most of the sensations - even most of the hurtful ones. But electricity is a special suffering.' How? How would that be any worse than... Fire? Or being stabbed?
'The shocks rupture our cells. They create instability; paralyzing pain. We are as unto a helpless newborn when exposed to it. Almost completely defenseless and powerless. It is not as debilitating as sonics, however.' Ohhhh... Ok, I guess that makes sense. Getting shocked hurts a lot. When I was little, I got into Taiyang's secret Dust stash. He keeps it under his bed incase he ever needs it. I shocked myself with his lightning Dust, after he fell asleep. I was curious and... Yeah, it didn't feel very nice. I never played with Dust after that.
But what about sonics? You said those hurt you more than shocks? Aren't those just loud sounds? 'It is less of a physical pain. More an ailment. The sonics do not necessarily harm us so much as they render us inert. Moreso than electricity. While shocked we can still move and form basic appendages. But we have no such defence against sonics.'
"Electricity and loud sounds. We gotta watch out for those... Got it." I stretch my arms out, flexing my fingers. I yawn slowly. What... What about fire? You never answered that question.
'To us, fire is nothing. Our mass can snuff out most flames,' So... We're fireproof then? Could've used that a little earlier, Shadow... 'Not necessarily. Enough heat will burn us. A lot of heat is required for that however.' Right, right... That's not so bad, I guess. A little fire isn't too bad... It hurts, but it's not evil. Not at all. I like fire. But I don't like the heat.
"Fire is pretty. I like to watch it." I like the smell it makes when burning wood. It makes my nose tingle. I remember when I was little that Yang would play with fire. She burned her hair one day... She wasn't really hurt. I managed to fill a bucket with water and put out the fire before anything serious happened. But Yang was... Angry. She's always been defensive about her hair. When dad... When Taiyang tried giving her haircuts she would scream. And kick, too. One time she even bite him!
Yang's always been angry. She's nice to me... Mostly. But I always... I always knew, deep down, that she didn't really care. I use to try ignoring that feeling. Until one night I couldn't sleep and... A-and I heard her whispering.
I didn't hear much - only bits and pieces of it. She was quiet, and I was pretty tired. I remember... I remember she said that I was... That I... She wishes I wasn't born. I never brought it up to her, or Taiyang. Or uncle. That was why I tried to end things... One of the reasons why. The main reason, really. That and the n-nightmares...
"B-but... If that... If I never tr-tried to... Y-ya know, than... Maybe we never would've met." Maybe it was the r-right thing to do... Maybe if I didn't try, if I never heard Yang say those things, than we... Things might've been different. Maybe I'd be the one attending Beacon...
"I've always wanted to go there! I've always dreamt about it. The castle, the towers, the Huntsmen and Huntresses..." Like a fairytale, but real! But I'm no Huntress... Not even a wannabe! But I am - I will be a hero! The greatest hero to ever live! People will remember me... They might not love me, but they will remember me!
"I've never felt noticed in my life... The teachers, the other kids at Signal... Dad - no, Taiyang! - always overlooked me! They always turn to Yang! Why!? Why didn't they like me...? What about her is so much better than me!?" Why did she get to have friends!? All I got... All I got was Arceus. And she wasn't really a friend. A real friend wouldn't have forced me into... Into... "I-I... still miss Arceus. Even after all that s-stuff she did."
"She was nice... So nice to me. She would hug me when I cried, o-or... Or she would talk to me when I started having bad thoughts." She was the only one I could talk to about the dreams. About mom's ghost. I don't think she always understood, and sometimes I could tell she didn't really care... But she still listened, at least. She... I remember she always smelt like lavender.
"She came home with me once. It took me weeks to talk dad - no! Damn it! - Taiyang! To talk Taiyang into letting her stay... But if Yang ever asked he always said yes! If she wanted to bring her pals home then that's ok! But me!? NO! NEVER!" He's such a... He's nothing more than - I hate him! I hate him! I hate him...! He's so stupid! STUPID! Always underestimating me, overlooking me! Why!? WHY!?
'Because he hates us. He has always hated us. Obviously.' I... I know he does... But w-why? I'm his daughter as much as Yang is! So why doesn't he love me...? Why am I so much... So much worse than her!? Why does he love her, but not me!?
'Why should he love us? We are clearly not his daughter. Not truly. We share his blood, yes, but are we really his?' I... I... Yes...? 'No. Yang is his true daughter. She is his. Sculpted and molded into what he wants her to be. But us? What about us is truly his?' I... I don't... N-nothing? Nothing. I've always been different from him! And Yang, too... I'm not like them. They were always so... So confident! They act like there's nothing they can't do! He acts like he's perfect! Like he shouldn't have to change! BUT ME!?
"I'M THE STUPID ONE! I'M THE WEAK ONE! I'M THE FREAK!" SHE TRIED TO KILL ME! SHE DID! I'M NOT STUPID! SHE BROUGHT ME TO THE BARN TO KILL ME! HE KNEW, DIDN'T HE!? HE PLANNED IT! HE HAD TOO! HE WANTS ME DEAD! HE WANTS ME TO DIE! THEY ALL DO!
'What if... What if he orchestrated more than that?' What... W-what do you mean...? 'The fire. Isn't it quite coincidental that the criminal targeted the very store we were at? Dust till Dawn. What a small place... Out of the way,' Y-you don't... Yo-you don't think he... He p-pl-planned for i-it...? 'He did. It doesn't make sense, otherwise. Surely that criminal hadn't stumbled upon us by chance. And the Bullhead? Almost like a planned escape in case things went wrong.' H-he... D-dad... Wanted me to burn...! He wanted me to burn! HE PLANNED IT! HE DID! HE... He really does want me dead... I-I... I hoped... I...
'Yes, indeed. He is a liar. His word cannot be trusted under any circumstance,' I-I... I'LL KILL HIM! I WANT HIM DEAD! HE'S A MONSTER! 'No one can be trusted. No one,' W-wh-what about you!? I n-need to tr-trust you! Someone! 'We can trust us, of course. That goes without saying, no?' Y-yes... Of course it does! I can always trust you! I always can!
I brush my hand against eyes and wipe away some tears. I'm on my knees. When did I end up on my knees...?
Taiyang... It all makes sense now! He hates me so much he wants me... D-dead...! I thought I... I thought so, but... It hurts to know for sure. Yang wants me dead, too! She must if he does... They're both in on it! A-and uncle... What about uncle? Does he want me dead, too...? B-but he... He saved me! Twice! He wouldn't do that if he... If he wanted me dead... Would he? W-what do you think, Shadow? Does uncle... I-I know I have to hate him, b-but... Does he want me dead, too? I... I... I don't want too... Have to h-hurt him.
'Yes, he does. Maybe not at first, but he does now. If he truly cared... If he truly loved you like he did Yang...' He would've been there! When I burned! He... He... He hates me, too... THEY ALL HATE ME!
"S-Shadow... Sh-Shadow... I-Is... S-somthing wr-wrong with m-me...? W-why does everyone ha-hate me...!? Where did I go wrong!?" Why do they hate me so much!? Wh-what... What did I do to deserve this...?
'Potential. They hate us for our potential. They know we are better than them. Better than anything they could ever hope to become! They hate us. We must share this emotion but in reverse. Ten fold! Despise them! Loathe them...' If... If I hate them more than they hate me... Then I will be stronger than all of them! Hate is powerful. You said so. Hate is very strong... I need to hate them all! M-most of them, at least... Especially him! That fucking criminal! He... He's worse than all the rest put together! HE DESERVES TO DIE! Slowly...
'Blood Flower,' Y-yes? 'We have pondered something for a time now. Remember what they called us? Back at Signal. Wolf girl,' Y-yes... I do. What about it? And don't call me that! Please... I hate that name. I hate it!
'But why hate it?' Why not? They called me that to make fun of me! Because I almost died to a Beowolf... They're sick! W-who even bullys someone over that!? Because I almost died that makes me a freak to them!? That name is... I hate it! I HATE IT!
'But we don't have to,' Wha... Why shouldn't I? 'Beowolves are worthy of respect. They are efficient predators. Strong and fast! Deadly...' I... I don't understand what your trying to say! I don't understand... 'Embrace it. Why not be like the wolves? Wrathful. A Beowolf does not cry. A Beowolf does not regret. A Beowolf is uncaring about the words others use against it. Become the Beowolf. Be wolf girl. Make it apart of us so they will have nothing to hurt us with.' I... I think I get it. I should act like a monster, if they think I'm one? I guess I... I always wanted be like a monster. I hate the hurting... S-sometimes I think it would be easier if I just died that night at the barn. If I became red, like mom did...
"I like the color red..." I learned it was my favorite color when that Beowolf nearly tore my arm off. I couldn't stop focusing on the blood... I barely heard Yang's scream. Even after uncle saved me, I couldn't stop myself from staring at the blood. Even when he told me not to. Even at the hospital, while the doctors were stitching me shut, I kept thinking about the blood...
"Red is my favorite color." I think it's pretty. Beautiful, really... I love the color red.
'Red is the color of monsters. Of death. Of hate. Of power. It is our color,' Yeah... Yeah it is! Red is the strongest color of them all... And the prettiest! And the coolest! And it's mine... My color! All mine! W-well... Not all mine. It's all ours! Ours! Ours! Ours! Ours... All the red is ours.
Uncle made my cloak. I miss it... He sowed it together after mom died. He was gonna make it white, like her's. But I asked him not too. I... I am not mom. I shouldn't have her color on me...
I look down to my chest. To the white rose. It's longer than my arm but it's thin. There are little petals peeling from the rose. The petals are frozen in place. Forever falling...
"White is mom's color. Was her color. I don't like it! White is the color of... Of lies! White is the color of a mom who never loved me! White is the color of hurting... I hate it! I hate her!" Red is my color! OUR COLOR! Ours... I... I have you! All of you for all of me! Mom never had her own Shadow... Taiyang doesn't, either! Your all mine! MINE! Only mine...
I place my right hand against my chest. I lay it falt between my breasts. The white rose pokes out between the cracks of my fingers. White... Why white, Shadow? Why not... Why not any other color?
'White is the color we associate with her. At the time, we chose white to calm us. Does it displease us now?' Yes. It does... Your color is black. And black is... It's the color of love and... And knowing what to do. Mine is red. The color of monsters and strength. I get why you can't make the rose black, but... What about red? A blood rose for your Blood Flower? Red is a happier color than white... And prettier.
'Of course. Red. Red is a special color to us. Our kind holds red in high regard,' Why? What makes red special to you? Or the others like you? 'Red was the color of our deposed master. We took his color when we ensnared him with the others. He is white now. Colorless.' You... Took a God's color? Ok... I'll pretend to understand that. Wait... 'With the others'?
'He was not our first prisoner. But he was our last,' How was he trapped? Did you do it? 'We were involved, yes. But their were millions of us then... Not so much anymore. War extracts a heavy cost from all who wage it. Most of us who still live were born long after. We - I am one of the very few left who still remembers the true nature of the Abyss and our kind's creation.' Okay... What about the others? How many of you guys are still left?
'A few hundred. Only a handful of us were alive back then. The Newborns make up the bulk of our ranks now.' Newborns? Baby slimes? I guess that makes sense. So... When you said you took his color, what does that really mean?
'His soul. We - and a few of the other Abyss-born - bonded to him. It was fierce... A struggle for mental and spiritual domination. The others who helped us are dead. Our progrnitor was one of the very few strong enough to help in his defeat. Do we wish to know of an amusing coincdence?' Uhmm... Yeah? Sure. 'Our progenitor was white. Like our mom. And like our mom, it always hated us. But unlike us, we killed it.' Oh... That's not... Very amusing, Shadow. Your progenitor hated you too, huh? Why do moms always hate their kids?
"I wouldn't be surprised if mom would've tried killing me if she was still alive... Fuck her..." I look down to my white—
"Oh! You already... Thank you." It's red now. The rose on my chest is red. A bloody red... It's still the same shape and size. I graze my fingers against it. Red... It looks so much prettier and... And stronger being red! Better then being white. I hate that color! White... I read in a book that the color white is meant to represent innocence and life. What a fucking joke!
"White is death! White... Shadow, you said red is the color of hate. I don't think it is at all! Red is love... White is hate! White is the color of hatred! Of lies! Of mom!" Mom... She was never really was my mom, was she? My mother, sure, but she wasn't my mom... A real mom never would've left me!
Summer Rose. That's who she is to me. She was never my mom! NEVER! She only ever hated me... But you don't! You love me... You love me! You love me...! Only me... True love. Love...
"Shadow... What is love?" What is it really? What does it mean to love someone? I never... Your the only one to ever love me. But what is love? Is it just... Just liking someone? A lot? I don't... Everyone whose ever loved me lied! E-even... Even Arceus. But... But that was different, wasn't it?
'Love, our little Blood Flower, is infatuation. Complete obssession. Devotion to the point of blindness. Love is the desire to protect another over ourself even if risking death, or worse. True love is too take and possess and to never ever let them leave. To love another is to think of them constantly, so that they will always be formost over all else - for all else is lesser than love. Love... Love is the ultimate form of power. True strength. To love another is to be vunerable... Exposed, but the feeling is indomitable. Yet love is often confused with affection and admiration,' Love is to take someone and never ever let them go? What if they want to leave? What if they don't love you back? W-what if they're love is a lie? 'Hate is a form of love, too. It is the red love's white twin. If they refuse the love we offer, then we give them hate. Violence. We make them regret not loving us.' Make them suffer until they feel love for me? For us? So... Loving someone is a form of control? Of strength. We love each other, so we control each other? What if one of us loves the other more? Does that one have more power than the other? That's not fair...
'True love, our dear Blood Flower, cannot be measured or quantified. Only experienced. To love someone completely, as we do with each other, is too control them completely. We have total power over us. As we have the ability to control us, as well.' Power. That's all that really matters, isn't it? Being strong enough to do what we want. And power is love... And hate is a type of love. Does that mean red and white are sisters? Love and hate are strong... I feel both. Which is stronger?
'Neither. Hate is loud, strong, swift, and unrelenting. But love... Love is wise. Patient. Love knows when to strike, and when to hide. Love blinds it's victims to the dangers before them. Both are effcient killers, in their own right.' I see... I understand. I... I think I prefer love. It's more peaceful than hate. Calmer... Nicer... Prettier. But... You need my hate. I'd be killing you if I didn't hate... You need my hate. And I won't let you die! NEVER!
'Arceus. We said she loved us. How so?' O-oh... Uhmm... W-well... It was when I invited her home. Or rather that's when I learned about her... F-feelings. Yang was in the garage working on her bike. Da- Taiyang was out doing... I don't know. He's always out doing errands. Uncle was sick. He was at the hospital. Something about his liver, and the drinking.
"A-Arceus... She... She, uhhmmm... Was kinda like you. She had... F-feelings for me... I... I didn't feel the same way. I never had feelings like that for anyone!" Until you. She... I remember she said she... L-loved me. She grabbed my hand and pulled me close. She hugged me for a little bit... Then she kissed me! I felt trapped so I tried to push her away. She wouldn't let go... I-I... I didn't like it. She stopped kissing me after awhile. I just... We argued. She left.
'We are here now. Such a thing - such a violation - will never happen again. We will kill any who would dare try!' I-I... Thank you, Shadow. For believing me. None of the others would've if I told them. No one ever listens to me but you.
"I... It felt wrong. I'm not... L-like other people. I don't... The touching and the kissing..." It's gross! I don't like touching anyone! Not even hugs! Especially kisses... O-or anything like that! I'm not like most people. I didn't think of her that way! But she got angry, I got scared... She... She said things to me. Mean things. I never saw her again. She moved away a little time after.
'What did she say?' I... I don't wanna talk about it. I lean against a tree, holding my hand up to block out the sunlight. I can hear birds chirping. I like their songs... Pretty sounds. I like birds. I like ravens. They're my favorite bird. Smart, crafty... Pretty, too.
I let myself slide down the tree until I was sitting. I lower my head and rest it on my left fist. I close my eyes. The tweets and chirps and little beets are nice. I like the feeling of the sun against my face.
'Please tell us. We can help...' How? It's in the past. It happened years ago... I don't even know if Arceus is alive anymore! It doesn't matter. I'll never see her again.
'We must know! Please... We could find her again. Make her suffer for her actions! Or... Or, if she still loves us, maybe we can use that,' Use it? How? For what? Why? She probably hates me now... I doubt she ever loved me anyway! And even if she did, I don't... I don't feel the same way, ya know? 'Love is a powerful tool. If she loves us still, we could use her for our desires. Her assitance in our vengeance could prove useful. She may have unique knowledge, or capablities, or connections that might be of value in our cause. We can lie to her. Tell her we love her.' B-but that's wrong! I won't lie to anyone about loving them! I-I'd be just as bad as Taiyang or Summer then! No! I-I'll kill someone, but I won't lie to them! Never! How could you even-
"Lie to her... About love!? No! NEVER! That's just - I can't - that's messed up!" Are... Are you lying to me...? About love? ARE YOU FUCKING LYING TO ME!?
'No! Of course not! We love us dearly... Our precious, little Blood Flower! We could never lie about our love! That is... To suggest so is insulting! Who do we think we are? A heartless beast!? We would never lie about love! NEVER! WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM! WE ARE NOT!' I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean - it's not like - I'm sorry! Please don't get mad at me! Please! I didn't mean too - I was only - I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I-I-I didn't—
'What we said is most vile! To even think we would - disgusting! We are not like them! We love us! LOVE! US! We wouldn't ever lie about that... How dare we even think too accuse us! Are you the liar!? Do you decieve us!? DO YOU!?' NO! NOT AT ALL! I'M NOT A LIAR! I'M NOT! Y-YOU GOTTA BELIEVE ME! PLEASE!
"P-ple-please! I didn't mean to say th-that! I was acting stupid! I GOT ANGRY! I'M SORRY!" I was being stupid! Acting dumb! I'm sorry! I'm so, so, so sorry! I didn't mean to - I love you! I! LOVE! YOU! I do... I do! I do! I do! I do! I DO! I FUCKING LOVE YOU!
I push my head into my hands. I pull my knees to my chest. I'm crying. I hiccup while breathing really fast. I feel lightheaded. I can feel Shadow tightening against me - just barely enough to for me to feel.
"I'm sorry! I screwed up! I did! I'm sorry! I never meant too - I love you! I would've died without you! I NEED YOU! Please... I am sorry..." I am a bad person... I'm sorry about that, ok!? I try to be good! I try as hard as I can! I'm stupid! I get emotional, I say things I don't mean too! I'm sorry! I messed up! I did! Please, please, please forgive me...
"I... I don't want to be alone! I-I... I don't... I don't want to d-die alone...!" I'm sorry, Shadow! I am! Please, you gotta believe me! I wouldn't - so many people lied about loving me... I won't do that to anyone! Especially you! Never! I'm sorry...! I—
'Sssssshhhhhh... Hush now, our sweet Blood Flower. Our starry-eyed wolf girl... We accept our apology. It was as we said. Emotional. We cannot control our emotions. That is something we must work on.' My lower jaw is shaking. My legs are trembling. My fingers are digging into my face so deep it stings. I am breathing quickly. Shallow breaths. I lower my arms to hug my legs. I hiccup.
"I-I-It's no-not fair! I hate this...! Wh-why do y-you... Ge-get so an-a-angry...?" I didn't mean too say those things... I'm sorry! I... I... I wouldn't lie to you! I'd rather kill myself than lie! I love you... I need you! Why would I lie...?
'Did we hurt us?' I... It hurt inside. It hurts a lot when you get angry... I hate it when you yell! When you scream... It's scary. Like dad, but worse... You're scary when you get mad. Please don't get mad at me... I hate yelling! I HATE IT! 'W-we... We do not want to scare us. Too... h-hurt us... We... We are sorry. It is our failure, not ours. We are a monster, as we said. We struggle to contain the rage... Sometimes it hurts those we love more than those we hate. We promise to never ever yell again! We promise! Cross our heart and swear to die!' Y-you do...? But you don't have a heart... Or organs. Or... Or anything but slime, really, 'Then we vow on our love. For the sake of our bond, we promise to never yell again. Not at us, at least.' That's good then... I guess. You do have fits. Like Yang. But worse. W-well... You yell more then her, but you don't hurt me. Not in a bad way. Not like Yang did.
'What do we mean? What did she do?' She... She hit me once. Not during training, where she's suppose to hit me, but... She was... It was my fault. It was before I tried to kill myself. Before I had unlocked my Aura, but after she got her's. I said... I asked her why she didn't love me. She told me she did. I said she was lying... We argued. She said I'm... That I am the reason dad is so upset all the time. Why he drinks. I got angry and said mom left because of her. Then she got really mad... Almost broke my jaw. She calmed down right after. Cried even. She said she was sorry and hugged me. I never told Taiyang. I knew he wouldn't believe me.
"She never hit me again. I guess we never really argued like that ever again, either." I don't think... I think Yang is worse than Taiyang in some ways. He never once hit me. Or Yang. But he would fight uncle sometimes. I don't know... Maybe I deserved it.
'No. No we did not. She will pay for that! She loves her hair, yes?' Yeah. She does! She's obsessed with it... S-she loves her hair more than me...! 'Take it from her. Rip away her scalp. We can make a pretty wig with it.' Ha! That would be awesome! And messy... Smelly, too. But awesome! I can imagine it now...
""Ruby! Why!? I need my hair! GIVE IT BACK! PLEASE! RUUUUBYYY!" Hahahaha! That's what she'd say, too! Hahahaha! Haha..." She'd be squirming, blood shooting out of her empty, hairless head! She'd be bald! BALD! She'd hate it so much... And then she'd die.
'Such pretty thoughts. Such a pretty imagination. We like this side of us. The aggressive side.' Y-you do...? Normally they get scared. Those who know. I... I try to hide it. I like to... Sometimes when I am alone I'll go fight Grimm. I like to see how many parts they can lose before dying... Some can survive for a long time with only a head and body.
"Did you know there about two hundred bones in the body? A human body, that is." I wonder how many I could snap before Yang dies...? 'Only one way to know. Imagine her screams...'
""Aaahhhh! Aaaaahhhh! Ruby, don't kill me! PLEASE! NO! NOOOOOO!" HAHAHAHA! Hahahahaha... Hahaha... Hahahahaha! That would be so, so, so, soooo fun! So much fun!" Yang likes to scream a lot. I bet she'll have a pretty scream when I rip her heart out. I don't have a heart anymore, so why does she deserve one over me? She always hated me. I loved her... I loved her like I loved mo- Summer! Like I loved Summer. Yet she wanted me to burn... She will die.
'But first he must die.' Oh, I haven't forgotten about him! That bowler hat loving freak! He'll die... I want him to die! I need him too die! I'll wear his skin... He had smooth skin. I'll make it my new cloak! Since the old one is gone... His skin will keep me warm when I get cold. I bet his skin will feel nice wrapped around me... His smooth skin. I hate him! HATE HIM! HE WILL DIE!
'Indeed so. And our foe? The traitor. Spider.' Oh, yeah, him. I'll kill him too, if you want. Rip him apart like he did you. He has a few friends, right? 'Yes.' We should tell them the truth! M-maybe... Maybe once they know the truth about him, then they'll be our friends? Then we can kill that monster together! He is just like that criminal... A killer and a monster. I hate him! I hate monsters like them...!
'No. He is no monster. He is as much a person as we are. He has a heart: the ability to love. We... We should exploit that, as we just suggested,' What do you mean...? If he hurt you he HAS to be a monster! 'A true monster cares only for itself. He is unable to stop himself from helping others. It is his nature. He will put himself in the way of death if it means preserving the life of another. That is his weakness. One we will take full advantage of through his friends.' B-but... That's not so bad, is it? If he helps people, saves them... How could he be so bad? Why would he be bad if he protects others? Isn't... Wouldn't that make him a hero? A good person... I don't wanna hurt good people! I don't... It's wrong!
'He hurt us. Scorned us. Tried to kill us. He will come and find us one day. He will try to destroy us again. He is a threat... One with intimate knowledge of our weaknesses. He must die for us to be safe.' B-but... He hurt you. He did! That's evil... But he saves people, and that's good! I don't - I am - It's... I-I don't know! I don't want to kill someone who doesn't deserve it!
"I... I'm not like Yang! I won't hurt someone who doesn't deserve it... I-If he... If he attacks us... Then yeah, I'll do what I have too. But I won't hunt him down! No!" He must be a good person if he saves others! Even if he made bad choices... If he protects people like you say, than he can't be actually evil! Not true evil... I don't... I'm not hurting anyone who doesn't deserve to die!
I feel a pressure against my skin. It's light - a hug. I wrap my arms around myself. I won't... You hate him, I get that! I don't judge you for that. I don't! He hurt you badly... M-maybe we can... I don't know! But I won't kill him!
'We... See. That is... Most upsetting.' I am sorry, ok! But I'm not killing him! Not unless he really deserves it, ya know? 'This upsets us. This is... The wrong decision, Blood Flower.' Please don't get mad at me! I-I am trying! I'm doing my best! I-I-I can't... Please don't get angry! N-not at me...
'We love us. We hold our values in high esteem. Most of our values. But this one? We are intelligent but this choice is stupid. It will cost us.' I'm doing all I can! I want to be a good person! E-even if they won't... I'm sorry if your angry, but... I don't want to kill him! Taiyang, Yang, or even uncle... I'll kill them! The criminal, too! But I don't want to hurt that Crimson guy. I don't! He's done nothing wrong to me...
'But what about us? He has wronged us. Hurt us. Does he not deserve punishment? Does our hurting mean nothing to us?' No! NO! Not at all! I... I love you! You know I do! I won't let anyone hurt you again! NEVER! Bu-but... What has the Spider really done wrong? If he didn't... H-hurt you, than we would still be I and me.
'He is a liar. A manipulator. He seeks control over others... Like daddy dearest. He must suffer!' Killing him is going too far! I-I was on board with it earlier, but now that i've had time to think I... It doesn't feel right!
I push myself up to my feet. I sigh, raising my hand to my head. The sunlight is bright. It makes the blood rose on my chest sparkle yellow. I place my free hand against my chest, grazing my fingers down the rose. Red is the color of love... My color.
"Shadow, I will not kill him! But we can make him hurt, if that's... If it'll make you feel better. Make him regret abandoning you!" But no one has to die for us to get our point across! Rough him up, scare him, maybe even pluck out an eye or rip an arm off! But! No! Killing! Okay?
'That will have to suffice. We are not going to force us into anything we do not desire. We are not the white star,' What...? What about the white star? The one from the story? What does that have to do with anything?
'Do we recall what we taught us? Shortly after we awoke in this place. Symbolism?' Yeah, I do. I remember telling you about it after telling you the story of the Gift of the Moon. What about it? What does—
"Oh... Oh!" You are the black star, aren't you? The white star... Your progenitor? Your mom. Oh... I get it now! Why your so paranoid! The star! I-It... You're like me. You... You are like me...!
"You were lied to... Controlled... They hated you, too. That's why your so angry!" Why didn't you tell me the story was about you? Why... I... Your hurting inside, too. He lied to you, like the white star did... He reminds you of the white star, doesn't he? You don't really hate him, do you? You hate the white star. Your mom.
'We hate much and more. We do hate him. Hate all those who refuse our love! Rejection is a true torment... To be alone is to be... To truly be nothing. We cannot stand the silence! It is most repulsive.' The white star... Your mom... They are just like Summer! A liar! A manipulator! They - no, it! - deserved to die... Just like her! They both got what they deserved, damn it!
I push aside a large branch as I walk through a bush. I push aside smaller branches, ducking under a big one, before I break free of the trees and green.
I am on a clif overlooking a grassland. It streches for miles and miles and miles. Off in the distance is a city with giant towers and skyscrapers and a wall surrounding it for miles. Vale... We made it to Vale, Shadow! It's right there! I can see it!
Walls surround the city to keep out the Grimm. Flocks of birds are flying over it. The sun shines onto the city and gleams off windows and shiny steel. We actually made it... We did it, Shadow! We're here! We can... We can finally hunt him down! Kill him! That criminal! MAKE HIM PAY!
"I'll peel off his skin! I will rip out his eyes! I'll break his bones! I'll... I will play with him! Like a toy..." I'll snap him like a twig! I WANT TO KILL HIM! I NEED TOO! HE HAS TO DIE! HE MUST!
'He will. We have arrived to our city. OURS! Not his! Not theirs! Only our law will reign supreme now... Ours!' I know better then all of them! The police, the Council, the judges and laywers... I know who deserves to die and who doesn't! I will kill him! His friends too! THEY WILL ALL BURN! ALL OF THEM! I HATE HIM!
"This is my city now! MINE! Not his, not the cops, not the council's! Mine! They will respect me... They will! I... I am here now. I can protect the innocent... I am a hero!" I will be the best hero to ever live! First the criminals, then the Grimm! No one will ever hurt again while I am here! No more broken girls... No more burning... No more evil people!
'We will be... A lethal protector.'
Functionality - 97.3%.
Processing... Processing... Processing...
Action - observation - damaged chassis. Light marks running across chestplate. Slightly degraded visibility in left optic.
Action - contemplation - target escaped. 86.9% of drones destroyed. 13.1% of drones remain functional. All are combat drones. Target has proven swifter then anticipated.
Processing... Processing... Processing...
Action - observation - Specimen 1 has showcased the ability to control host organism even after lethally injured. Host organism displayed minimal mutations.
Communication incoming: Receiving... Receiving... Receiving...
'Please elaborate on extent of mutation and injury.'
Processing... Processing... Processing...
Order - obey.
Explanation - elaboration - host organism - designation Ruby Rose - displayed increased paleness. Decreased bodyweight. Edges of the eyes are beginning to darken. Slightly increased forearm and finger length on the right arm. Slightly elongated canines. Slightly engorged jaw muscles. Injury pretains dismembered vasuclar muscle.
Communication incoming: Receiving... Receiving... Receiving...
'What of Specimen 1's condition?'
Processing... Processing... Processing...
Order - obey.
Explanation - elaboration - it attaches itself to her body as recorderd in previous bondings. Unlike previous bondings it allows the host's head to remain exposed. It displays decreased levels of motor control over the host.
Observation - contemplation - Specimen 1 may willingly allow the host to remain in partial control. If so then it's intelligence exceeds expected levels.
Action - contemplation - It is possible other Specimens are capable of elevated thought. Caution advised.
Action - initiation - walking.
Action - initiation - tracking: footprings and blood splatter. Pheromones present. Due southeast by 2.5 miles.
Action - observation - host displayed elevated levels of ferocity after the removal of her vital organ. This seems paradoxical. Illogical.
Communication incoming: Receiving... Receiving... Receiving...
'Did Specimen 1 display any noteworthy reactions after the host's debilitation?'
Processing... Processing... Processing...
Order - obey.
Yes. Elevated levels of aggression and the sudden dispersal of an electromagnetic burst. It short-circuited locomotive systems temporarily.
Communications incoming: Receiving... Receiving... Receiving...
'EMP? Is it known how the Specimen managed to generate the electric charge required to perform such an action?'
Processing... Processing... Processing...
Order - obey.
Speculation - decreased levels of ambient radiation were detected moments before the attack. Increased polarity was detected during the attack. It could be the Specimen, while vunerable to electrical outbursts, can harness radiative energies and inverse them. Further studying is required to confirm or deny the hypothesis.
Action - Initation: tracking. Blood sample discovered. Sample integration initializing.
Observation - Contemplation: target is near. A few hours distance. Target is likely heading towards the capital of Vale. It is easier to cut off the target then to ourperform her in locomotion.
Action - Initiation: pathing trajectory altered.
Action - Initiation: increase in locomotion.
Action - Contemplation: target will be expecting combat. Indirect methods unlikely to function with the Specimen aware of their termination. Direct combat unavoidable.
Action - Initiation: sonic weapons prepared for lethal activation.
Observation - Contemplation: target will be terminated.
Hello again! I hope you all fair well. I don't have much to say other then please don't mind the random underlined words. I'm experincing a glitch that causes words - at random - to be underlined.
Dhestrya - Thank you once again!
whoeft - No need to apologize. If it's difficult to read, then it's most certainly my fault. If you can, could you elaborate on what exactly seems to be the problem? Is it the whole story in general, or specific portions? I cannot improve without knowing where I failed.
Boele - In a real life context, yes. You are absolutely correct. But do remember that the humans of Remnant are created from dust, and given life by magic. They don't follow the same rules as real life humans. For instance, if a real life human ran at Mach 6 speeds they would instantly die from the sheer momentum turning their organs into jelly. Humans in Remnant, including those with no Aura, can survive this. I am assuming the biological mechanics are seperate from our own universe - mainly to give myself more creative freedom, admittedly.
But that's all for now. Goodbye everyone, and I wish you all a great time! For now: I will return to the void and fade into ashes.