Chapter 10: True Pain of Fears: Phase One

 

(A/N: Warning: My nerdiness shows in this chapter, but I couldn’t think of a more interesting antagonist which later on in about a chapter or 2 I’ve got comedic AND story plans for >;), so just bear with it and just look stuff up if you need to get visuals. Thanks! ^_~.)

 

Schrödinger POV

        I fluttered my eyes open. I was still lying in bed with my head pressed against my cute little pet’s head. My mental clock was telling me it was 3:00 in the afternoon, pretty early to be up since the sun must still be out. But something’s not right, and this feeling I had was what must’ve woken me up.

        I felt a shaking motion on my head and wondered what it was. My half asleep form registered that it wasn’t me that was causing it, it was my Fräulein’s head tremendously vibrating against my forehead. I sat up on my side and looked at a sight that stopped my every movement. It wasn’t just her head shaking, her whole body was trembling, her face scrunching like she was in pain. She didn’t even look awake, because I couldn’t see her (E/C) eyes staring at me. Her ears were bent back across her head and her tail was curled tightly around her chest, too tightly than normal. The top of her folded wings were scrunched to her chin. The rest of her body looked as if she were freezing to death from all the shivering, but all of her muscles were tensing, with sweat flowing down her face from her (H/L) (H/C) hair, and her breathing was rough. I could barely even hear her heartbeat. It was a very unnaturally slow tempo that only echoed every once in a while, and it caused my almost non existent one to beat more drastically. I was suddenly filled with a terrifying sense of dread, something I don’t ever feel.

        I sat her up and leaned her against the head board and tried to shake her awake. “Fräulein! Fräulein, wake up!! Wake up!!! Snap out of it!!!!” No response, not even the slightest. I pressed the back of my gloved hand on her forehead to feel for a possible fever. My suspicions were right, because she was burning up hot and was starting to sweat more than before. I disappeared into the bathroom and wet a rag with cold water to cool her off. I appeared back and started rubbing her face with the wet rag. It worked a little as her breathing became more fluid and less sweat was seen on her face. It must’ve calmed her down a little. It didn’t last long though, as she returned to her previous state. That’s when a horrible thought occurred to me. Is she dying!?

        I was terrified. Nothing was working. Not cold water, shaking her, ice, nothing. What made it worse was she started whimpering. It broke me, somehow it broke me. I did the only thing I could do. I lay next to her on the headboard on my right side and pulled her close to me. I put her head on my chest and put mine on her left shoulder, and began drawing comforting circles on her back with my hand, trying to calm her new state down more. Then some newfound animal instinct kicked in, and I immediately pulled my head from her cheek and started licking her forehead and face to try and cool her down, and maybe even miraculously wake her up.

        “Wake up Fräulein, please. Please, wake up. Fräulein! FRÄULEIN! Please…. (Y/N).” I pleaded. I even called her by her real name. Nothing. I continued licking her face, trying to comfort her. I felt her slow her shuddering, and I was washed with a sense of relief. But it still wasn’t enough. No matter what I did, her body would return back to its original state. I couldn’t even teleport into a dream or nightmare she must be having, but it’s as if where her mind is doesn’t even exist. I could only hold her in my arms and lick her forehead to try and comfort her.

        “What the hell is all the noise coming from here Schrödinger? It sounds like you’re throwing a freaking tant-” A tired Rip opened the door and took one look at her, and she stared wide-eyed with a worried expression on her face. “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN HERE!” She shouted in panic.

        “I don’t know.” I whispered sorrowfully. I looked at her pleadingly, begging her to help somehow someway. Rip walked over to the bed, and lay her hand on her side to try and wake her. She growled, but it didn’t sound pained, more like a warning, as if she was telling Rip to not to touch her again. What is becoming of you Fräulein?

        “I’m getting Major. Now.” Rip said seriously. I shook my head no. He would make this worse for all of us, including my Fräulein.

        “No. He’s not going to make this any better. He’ll-“

        “Know what’s going on and may know how to stop this.” I opened my mouth to protest, but she already ran out of the room, and I didn’t try to stop her. She had a point. Major knows more about her origins than anyone here. I shut my mouth and closed my eyes, then nuzzled my right cheek against hers.

        Please. Please wake up… (Y/N).

Your POV 

        Blackness. Nothing. Silence. They surrounded you. You could still see around you in this black void, but only a certain area. Darkness covered everywhere else. You couldn’t see much past certain points, even above you was nothing. A slight cramping pain was felt all throughout your body. It hurt pretty bad, but not enough for you to not be able to move. You started walking around, trying to figure out where you were. It almost felt like a dream, but at the same time pretty real. This is all confusing. Where am I? Is it Mr. Mysterious again? What would he want though? Something else? But, why does it feel like there’s something else going on here? You had nothing better to do but to ignore the bad vibes you were receiving and start walking faster. Soon, you’ll wish you never did.

Schrödinger POV

        I was in the middle of moving back and forth between whispering comforting words into her ear and still licking her forehead, when Rip finally returned with Major. He wore a pleased expression on his face, which irritated me instantly. It made me want to hiss. Why does he look like this when there is obviously something wrong with her? What the hell are you planning? He walked around to the opposite side of the bed I was on. “So it’s already begun.” Before I could start yelling for him to start explaining the shit that’s going on, Rip already cut in.

        “Do you know what’s wrong with her Major?” She asked in all seriousness. He lightly chuckled in relief, as if everything happening was nothing more than a simple scrape on the knee.

        “It is merely a sort of ‘cycle’ her kind go through at a certain age, almost like a human going through puberty. Only for her, it’s without the more hormonal parts.” He chuckled at his own joke.

        “First, Schrödinger, get off of her.” I didn’t believe the words that came out of his big fat mouth. I was about to deeply protest when he cut me off. “Before you start arguing with me, she needs space. Unless, you want to get in the way of her moving around and possibly trying to ‘kill’ you. Wouldn’t it be a little too much work?” I still wasn’t fully convinced. She would suffer more if I didn’t hold onto her. I wouldn’t get off her no matter what. I know I can’t be killed. “Oh Schrödinger, if only you could see how you look right now, like a spoiled little child clinging onto their favorite toy, never wanting to let go. When in reality, that toy will be the end of him once it breaks. Don’t you agree, Schrödinger?” I didn’t want to take anymore shit from him. The way he was pissing me off, I had to obey him, or I and my dear Fräulein will end up in trouble. I know how he thinks, and I didn’t want to think about the possibilities of punishment for the both of us.

        Very reluctantly, I let go of her and in the blink of an eye stood next to Rip, who was looking as pale stricken as I was. But the wince of pain that flashed through my Fräulein’s body as I let go didn’t escape my vision, and I almost wished it had. I didn’t want to see her in pain. It didn’t look like I was the only one who saw it either, judging from Rip’s new expression. Major just chuckled at our actions, although he seemed more amused about mine.

        “Schrödinger. I’m surprised you didn’t share your little embrace with Lieutenant Winkle here. Don’t you see her caring face? Don’t you care that she wants to help as much as you do?” For once this evening, I could counter him.

        “Rip did try and help. It’s just that my little Fräulein would not let her.”

        “Then why could you hold her?” Come to think of it, I’ve so far been the only one that can touch her in this state. But, why me?

        “I don’t know Major. I thought you knew everything there was about her kind. Not me. You explain it.” I tried to return to my old mocking and playful self to try and distract myself from the trembling figure that plagued my every thought. Major actually stopped and seemed to be in thought about something. Then coming out of it, he snapped his head to Rip, who noticed his behavior the whole time, just as I had.

        “Lieutenant Winkle. Would you please place your hand on her shoulder.” We both looked at him, trying to figure out his plan. What the hell is going through that insane skull of yours Major? Rip nor I questioned him, as Rip walked to the right side of the bed. She reached out her hand, and gently layed it on her shoulder. A loud growl erupted shortly after, just like before. Major acknowledged this, and turned to my direction. “Your turn, Schrödinger.” I did the exact same thing as Rip, only no growl erupted from her. Instead, I continued to rub my hand along her shoulder, and she seemed to calm down. Major got a twinkle in his eye at her different reactions to me and Rip’s touch, the twinkle that said that he figured out something fascinating. “Interesting. I was right.”

        “Right about what Major? What did you figure out? I know you found something.” I stared at him with a neutral expression. He was only silent for a few seconds, contemplating whether or not to tell me or not.

        “You’ll find out soon enough Schrödinger. You’ll find out soon enough.”

        “And what the hell does that mean?” He only chuckled, offering no further explanation. It didn’t satisfy me at all. I wanted to know what he knew. Curiosity did kill the cat though. I snapped my attention back to my Fräulein, who was all I cared about at the moment, which confused me. I still didn’t know why I was feeling this way, so depressed and so afraid for her. Why I wanted to see her gleaming (E/C) eyes stare at me, her cheeks flushed red, and a smile gracing her face. Just thinking about these things made me grow too worried again. Silence filled the room while I was deep in thought and memory, and I finally broke the silence.
        
        “Can we do anything to stop this?”

        “It is nothing that we can stop or prevent, this was bound to happen soon enough. Although she may be in her current state because we sped up her aging process this far. Usually it would only look as if she was in a coma. If she was at the actual age this stage happens at, it probably wouldn’t look this bad.”

        “Then why did we change her in the first place?! If we didn’t she wouldn’t be in this much pain!!” I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I. Was. Pissed. I understood that she was still a young teenager and it was just the serum we inserted to stimulate things that would happen at a later age. It got me mad, thinking we should’ve done the surgery later.

        “You know we don’t have that kind of time Schrödinger. The age this would have happened at is 1,000 years. Our plans may be over 50 years old, but we certainly can not wait 950 more for this. Then, we still have to wait after that for phase two. We can’t have our rightful revenge when our target of rage is already dead, now can we?” He had a point, but I could live that long. I would’ve waited that long, just to see her not in as much pain as now. At this moment, she was more important than revenge. So I have to know more about this ‘cycle’ to find something. I gave a defeated sigh, knowing I couldn’t do much to help.

        “What, exactly, is going on with her then. What is this ‘cycle’ she’s going through. Explain it more.” I don’t think he heard me or cared what I was asking, because he kept rambling on from before.

        “She actually shouldn’t be in as much pain as you think, since her mind is somewhere else. This is just her body reacting to the change. The cycle is more about the trial than anything else, to be honest.” Trial? “There are two phases she will go through, one for each of her full blooded parents. This is phase one. Right now she is somewhere where not even you, Schrödinger, can enter. It’s like she’s in another dimension, just inside her mind, that no one else but our dear little Fräulein here can enter. If she succeeds in making the right choices, her body will undergo the change to one of her true forms.”

        “So until she completes this trial, she’ll remain like this?” Rip asked with worry.

        “Yes. But if she makes the wrong choices and fails, she will disappear from the universe all together, as if she never existed.” My heart clenched tightly at the thought. No. Stop. Calm down. She’ll make it. She has to…

        “What’s going on in this trial world then? What exactly is happening?” I asked once more, hoping he would hear me this time.

        “I don’t know everything to it but right now at least, if this is the one I’m thinking of, the world she is in is creating her greatest fears, one by one. They aren’t just any fears though. They have to be bone-chilling fears, ones that would make her paralyzed with fear and terror.” I started thinking about what could be inside that world. Then a memory flashed through my mind like lightning. My face paled at the one thing I remembered could make her scared so much. “I’m surprised she’s been in there for so long actually. I only thought her greatest fear would be losing the ‘precious’ friends she had. It usually wouldn’t take too long to solve that problem. Oh. Schrödinger, you look so pale. Do you know something else that she would be afraid of?” He was taunting me, trying to get me to confess, to shout out the answer to his implied question and ask for help. However, I could do nothing even if I wanted to. My eyes widened, as I fully realized what she was facing.

        “Oh God.”

Your POV

        You continued on walking aimlessly forward, trying to find something of interest in this weird world. It’s only a few minutes since when you first found yourself here. That’s when you heard it. A crackling squishy noise that sounded so familiar, that you didn’t believe it at first, resonated throughout the void. It was a painful hiss to your delicate ears. You were getting terrified, and not even looking up knowing what might be up there, you started to run. Goosebumps ran all along your skin, as you knew what was about to happen. The noise you heard earlier grew twice as loud, as you heard something big start to fall where you were walking moments ago. The ground you were now running on shook as the huge figure landed behind you. You turned around to confirm your suspicions, and your face turned moon pale at the sight, and you let out a high pitched scream that you weren’t proud of.

*Outside*

3rd Person POV

        “Schrödinger, what’s the matter? Do you know something about what she’s facing right now?” Rip asked. Schrödinger just gulped in reply. “Schrödinger. You need to tell us. Now!” She asserted herself. By this time Schrödinger was back on the bed, hugging your increasingly trembled body close to him.

        “I’ve only seen it once before, at her human house. And it wasn’t even… Shit! She’s gonna die!!!”

        “Warrant Officer Schrödinger. I think everyone in the room would like you to actually finish your sentence and explain yourself.” Major playfully stated.

        “Yes, and there’s a reason I never told you, Major, of what this is because it’s not even… UGH! YOU WON’T EVEN UNDERSTAND!! She could barely handle it before, and she definitely won’t be able to handle it now.” Rip was angered beyond belief by this point.

        “Maybe if you used that stupid little cat brain of yours and I don’t know FUCKING EXPLAIN it we could figure something out!” 

        “Not exactly Lieutenant, not exactly.”

        “And what the hell does that mean!?”

        “It means that she’s on her own. We can’t do anything about it. It’s what her kind have to go through. Nothing can wake her up from the outside, only her own choices will save her now.” With each passing word, Schrödinger pulled your body closer to his. That’s when you started shivering like a madman stuck in Antarctica, which made Schrödinger want to hyperventilate.

        “This proves it. She’s facing it. She only shivered like this at it. It’s gonna KILL HER!!”

        “Alright, THAT’S IT! Schrödinger, you need to calm the FUCK down, man the FUCK up, and tell us what the FUCK IT IS!!” Everyone, even Major, was surprised by Rip’s outburst. She usually never goes that far as to yell like that, especially in anger. It only showed how much she cared for you as well.

        “I think you need to calm down as well Lieutenant. I’ve never seen you this mad before now. As the young people say nowadays ‘take a chill pill’ Lieutenant. And Schrödinger, now you’re referring to her mysterious fear as it? How cute.” Schrödinger just kept trying to soothe your trembling body, not even bothering to glare at Major for his little comment. It didn’t help. Unearthly silence was the only thing that filled the room, even a pin could be loudly heard if one chose to drop one.

        “Schrödinger, just tell us. Please. What could she be possibly facing in there? We need to know everything we can. Just, please.” Rip was cooled down, and now began begging at this point. She wanted to know what was causing her new sister so much pain. Schrödinger sighed.

        “Alright. I’ll tell you.”

*Inside*

Your POV

         You could hear it a mile away, catching up to you. You were hyperventilating, taking sharp breathes every time your feet touched the ground. Tears pricked the ends of your eyes, and all the sounds you heard were your heavy breathing and it’s hiss piercing your ears. But not matter what you heard, you never looked back. You were too afraid to look at it. It was too much. It was coming closer by the second. It was really fast, but even though your legs wanted to give up from the extreme pain you felt, you kept running. And running. And running. Until…

*Outside*

3rd Person POV

        “Say what now? I’ve never heard of something like that before.” Rip was baffled at the moment.

        “To be honest, it was pretty creepy when I first saw it.”

        “Wait! Major! Can’t Doctor look this kind of stuff up?!” Rip was curious about her sister’s fear, and wanted to know how strong it was. Major waved her off.

        “Be my guest Lieutenant. I have to say, I’m quite curious about it as well.” With that Rip sprinted off to find Doctor and learn the information she needed to know, not bothering to listen to anything else Major had to say. Schrödinger, meanwhile, felt your body tighten and shiver tenfold. He knew that you were facing it right now. And it terrified him to think about you suffering so much. He clenched his teeth together, and began to shiver himself. All he wanted was for Rip and Doctor to get back really soon, or he was gonna flip out. Major just took a seat in Schrödinger’s chair, finding it amusing that Rip and Schrödinger thought that finding out more about one of your greatest fears was really gonna help anything in the end.

*Inside*

Your POV
        

        You were hit, hit by something slimy and dangerous. It weakened you greatly, and it was designed to slowly kill you. That means you would be slower now, and it would certainly catch up to you soon. You wiped the sticky substance off in disgust as you heard it closing in on you. You waited, knowing you had to face it sooner or later, and held the urge to start gagging. You needed to see it. You only saw a figure before, but you had to see it fully to really help you grasp your situation. So, you turned your head over your shoulder, and as you unfortunately knew, it was there. There behind you was your most silliest, most embarrassing, yet terrifying fear of all. A giant red frostbite spider, the ones that creeped you out the most, stood there with its legs moving at lightning speed towards you. What the living Hell did I do for this?! It was about four feet taller and five feet wider than you, yet still as fast as an Olympic runner. You froze from fear, one thought running through your mind. I’m fucking dead.

*Outside*

 3rd Person POV

        “Lieutenant- AH! For everyone’s sake CALM DOWN!! You don’t have to DRAG me there!!”

        “No time to waste Doctor!!!”

        “AAAAHH!!” Sounds of struggling were heard coming from the hallway. Major and Schrödinger stared at the door, where all of the noises and yelling was sounding to. Just as they expected, Doctor was literally thrown into the room with a loud thud and stomps of him trying to regain his balance. He turned and glared at Rip, prepared to yell, but noticed your quivering form curled next to Schrödinger first. He smirked. “Aaahhh, so it has begun. Perfect. Now, what did you guys need me for? I certainly can’t do anything.” Rip hesitated at that before actually yelling her reasons for dragging the ‘poor’ Doctor down to Schrödinger’s room.

        “We need you to get as much information on something as you can!” Rip shouted.

        “Is it something to do with her?” He gestured to you.

        “Just do it.”

        “Nothing will help her, you know that, right?” Rip and Schrödinger glared at him then turned their attention to you.

        “If I may, Doctor. Schrödinger said that she was terribly afraid of something else we knew nothing about. Wouldn’t you like to know what that is?” Doctor pondered over Major’s statement. He was actually kind of curious as to what could make you look as you are now. He knew you were facing something in there, judging by the amount of shivering you were doing. He finally decided to agree to Rip’s wishes, as his curiosity got the best of him. He grabbed his laptop from Rip, who carried it with her so it wouldn’t get damaged, and logged in.

        “So what is it?”

        “It’s something called a frostbite spider.” Doctor gave an ‘are-you-seriously-kidding-me’ look.

        “What the hell kind of-“

        “JUST DO IT!” Doctor rolled his eyes and typed away. After about a minute, he motioned everyone over. 

        “So this is what I found. I must say, this is an interesting creature. Although I’m not familiar with some of the terms.”

        “Don’t even try Doctor. It’s from a video game that someone like you could never understand. But when Fräulein here wakes up, she can dumb it down for you.” Schrödinger smirked at Doctor, who mumbled an ‘if she wakes up’ low enough for no one to hear. He didn’t need another migraine from two of the most annoying people on this aircraft yelling at him.

        “Didn’t you say before that you spent three hours watching her play that dumb thing? Don’t you know what the hell of what some of this thing is talking about?”

        “First, don’t call it ‘dumb’ when she wakes up. Second, it’s not just an ordinary game. I could barely even keep up with a fourth of what was going on in there. It’s very complex, and confusing. I think the citizens were in some kind of ‘civil war’ and the main thing was that everyone was at war against this one big dragon thing, or something. Then there were other dragons and giants and this weird language thing-“

        “We don’t have time for this! Doctor, is there anything that could be useful on there? Weaknesses perhaps?” Rip interrupted. Doctor merely rolled his eyes and skimmed the info one more time, turning into his curious ‘more-science-less-arrogant’ self.

        “Well, I’m assuming they can’t swim, are vulnerable to their own poison, and weaker in warmer areas. Not much on their actual weaknesses or anything else. Schrödinger, which one of these would she be more likely to encounter? There are apparently different subtypes of colors and sizes. Which one would?-“

        “Now how am I supposed to know that!?”

        “Is there anyway you can stop them without having to kill them?” Rip questioned.

        “Absolutely not. They are apparently extremely hostile. Like I already said, nothing you can do about it. I guess she could try and sneak by it if she stays out of eyesight… if its on the ground that is.”

        “I think we’re way past that option.” Schrödinger worriedly said.

        “And why’s that?” He looked to your form and noticed the increase of trembling. “Ah, I see. So she’s already seen it. As I kept trying to tell you guys, nothing can help her.” Only silence followed, as you became worse and worse.

*Inside*

Your POV
        

        It stopped just a few yards away from you and raised its attack claws, firing more of its life-weakening slimy green poison at you. You dodged it this time and began sprinting down the darkness once more, slower than before since you got hit earlier. Since it was a giant spider, it moved just as fast as a normal person running. It could almost catch up to you, but there was no way you could face this thing. You could barely face it in a video game, let alone in some weird nightmare or whatever this was. You were doomed. You just knew it.

        
        As it got closer to you, you turned your head and immediately regretted it. It raised its whole body, spread its mouth apart, and leapt right at you. It was the most sickening thing you’ve ever seen. You were sure that this was the fastest you’ve ever sprinted before, as you tried to avoid the big creature trying to kill you. You didn’t dare try to fly. You knew you wouldn’t be able to yet an attempt would slow you down too much.

        You tried looking around for anything useful, like a large body of water where it couldn’t swim, or at least a weapon to help kill and not touch this thing. Seriously, you wanted this nightmare gone. Sadly, there was nothing. It was you, the spider, and your bare hands. Well, now more claws than just nails. It sickened you, but you knew you had to kill this thing with no weapons or any advantages whatsoever. But the problem was, could you work up enough courage to fight the thing you were most afraid of? 

        You realized you had been slowing down due to being tired, so you stopped and decided to dodge its attacks to conserve energy. It stopped as well, and raised its claws in the air to bring them down on you. You rolled out of the way as it kept on attacking. At one point, it caught your right shoulder and you felt its hairy nasty claw pierce skin. One thing confused you, though. You felt pain, which caused you to hiss. You even saw blood running down your wound. Sure you felt that cramping pain before, but it was all over you. You thought it was just part of not being, or completely, being human. I thought this was a nightmare!? How is this real!? That’s when you realized that this was no nightmare. This was real. Somehow, you were in a real place, and the chances of you surviving this was probably the only thing not real at the moment.

*Outside*

3rd Person POV

        Everyone in the room was in their own world at the moment, focusing on the situation at hand. They were all thinking about how long they had to wait for you to wake up, if you woke up at all, and if you did, would you be changed from all of this. Until they were jarred from their thoughts from a sudden hiss of pain, and the smell of blood. They turned their heads to you, and noticed your unconscious self was clutching your right shoulder, blood pouring from it like a waterfall. Rip and Schrödinger dropped their jaws, Doctor wrote something down in his notepad, and Major just shrugged it off as if it was no big deal.

        The two surprised beings just turned their head to Major, looking for an explanation for this with Rip trying to not to lose control over the smell of your blood. Your kind has some of the sweetest and most powerful blood there is, and it’s hard for a vampire to not lose control over it. Major saw this and chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised you two. What are you worrying about?” They only continued to stare at him wide eyed not satisfied with his answer. “It’s only a cut. She’ll be fine. She must’ve got hit by the spider in there.”

        “Her injuries from there,” Rip pointed to your head while practically drooling, “show up there AND here!? Do they heal at all?” Her crazed look didn’t escape Major’s eyes. In fact, your blood’s scent was about to drive everyone mad.

        “The wound will heal if she survives, yes. Until then, try to control yourself Lieutenant. Her blood can be too sweet for some, and deadly for others.” He gave an insane grin, looking as if he was trying to control himself as well by trying to be worse than he already was. Rip just started to silently breathe in deeply, trying to distract herself as well. The only one who didn’t want to suck all the blood you had was Schrödinger. It was driving him mad as well, but a different kind of mad. Something that he didn’t understand himself. He wanted something from your blood, but it wasn’t food, it was something else entirely. The only thing that kept him in check was the constant reminder that you were afraid and in pain.

        “What the hell is that smell? And what is all the ruckus in here?” Every head, once again, turned towards the door to see an all too familiar figure standing there, frowning at all of them, and hating most.

*Inside*

Your POV

        You were still trying to get over the pain while the spider kept on relentlessly attacking with poison, claws, and lunging at you. You rolled around, dodging as best as you could. Why is this happening to me? I’m getting beat by a fucking SPIDER for Pete’s sake!! Hell, I shouldn’t be on the floor like a coward when I know this thing’s weaknesses! I can’t sit here and run away. I’m not weak. I can’t be weak. Somehow this is real, and I have no choice but to kill it with my bare han- claws!!
        
        Those thoughts ran through your head as you felt that you came to your senses. That was the last straw. This is humiliating! I can’t take this anymore! I’ve had enough! Your eyes grew red and your teeth and claws grew longer. Anger seethed throughout your whole being as you unfolded your wings, and lost control of your body. Hatred was all that you felt.

        You roared an animalistic growl. Your big beautiful wings spread to their full wingspan, trying to at least intimidate the spider. It only flinched slightly and raised its claws in anger, to appear bigger as well. It lunged at you once more, but you attacked just in time. You plunged your now fully extended claws right to it’s center thorax, and it stopped paralyzed almost right on top of you. You retracted your claws and jumped back instantly, wanting to watch it suffer for all the nightmares and terror these things have caused you. You faced it and saw its form freeze and slump to the floor, legs spreading out wide with its eyes still mad looking and open. Yeah, it’s dead. Dead dead dead. Wew! Wait…

        …

        …I JUST PLUNGED MY HAND INTO A FUCKING GIANT FROSTBITE SPIDER!!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!!! You got goosebumps all over and quickly waved your hand you touched the spider with around in the air, as if thinking that it would magically get rid of the feeling of touching it. But on the bright side for you, it was dead. Creepy as hell, but dead. 

        After you stopped your almost panic attack. It felt like minutes passed by, as you stared at the now lifeless corpse. You slowly felt more excited and proud for doing something you’d never thought you could do. It felt euphoric, something that you thought would most certainly kill you, you overcame! You smiled, and released a breath you didn’t know you were holding. You knew you had to calm down though. You weren’t back in the airship, so there was still something else.

        You did eventually calm down, and tried walking away to somewhere else, but an invisible wall blocked your path a few feet from where you were. Not wanting to pass the thing you just killed, you remained in place. What am I supposed to do? As if to answer your question, you heard a thump to your left. When you looked in the direction it came from, there was a tiny little end table a few feet away from you. What really peeked your curiosity though, was the little brown bottle resting on the center of the table. You shot one last glance at the corpse, shivered, and walked towards the strange bottle. You picked it up, and shook it to see if there was anything in it. Strangely, there was nothing. Why is there a little empty bottle in the middle of a dark place like this? And speaking of which, where am I in the first place? How did I get here? I know this isn’t a nightmare because of this injury. But…hm. Maybe it’s one of Doctor’s experiments? Yeah, that makes the most sense. I swear when I get out of here, I’m going to fucking kill his sorry little ass, and give him a shit ton of my mind!!!! You clenched your fist and grit your teeth, but you calmed yourself down, and thought that you could escape if you do whatever is in store for you.

        The more you stared at the bottle, the more it started to look familiar, you just couldn’t figure out where you’ve seen it before. That’s when you remembered something. It was some kind of potions or poison bottle from Skyrim. But which potion, or poison, could it be? And why is it empty? This puzzled you to no end. There should be some kind of hint somewhere about what this is supposed to mean, usually there was. You looked back at the spider corpse, which you forgot was there for a second. You kept looking back and forth between the corpse and the potions bottle, wondering if there may be a connection since the spider was still there and you couldn’t go forward. Then it suddenly hit you like a brick. You were supposed to harvest the frostbite poison.

        “FUCKING BASTARDS!!!!” You vented out your frustrations to the world by cursing non stop. You stopped screaming, and then gagged at the thought of touching the spider again. But you had to do what you had to do to get out of this place, no matter what. Sucking it up, you inched ever so slightly to the creepy carcass with the bottle in hand. You had to fight down the huge urge to gag again. You were right in front of its face now, in between its unmoving attacking claws. You stopped yourself from screeching and moving as far away as possible from this, your usual reaction when seeing the spider, knowing it would only delay the inevitable, you kept moving forward and stopped directly in front of its mouth. 

        After about another 10 minutes of constantly resisting the urge to touch the thing and vomiting, you harvested the deadly poison that rested in the now full poisons bottle. The body turned to dust, and you felt like a weight was just lifted from your shoulders, along with a strange calming sensation throughout your body. You stuffed the poison bottle into your pocket and walked to where the invisible wall was. You placed your hand on it, only to find nothing there but thin air. You proceeded forward to see what else was in store for you, still very cautious from the spider incident, looking at the ceiling and perking your ears up to catch any kind of sound every once in a while.

        That slight cramping pain you felt ever since you got here, which you had forgotten about due to your adrenaline from the fight earlier, had slightly gotten worse after the calmness ran throughout your body. Maybe it was just that you got hurt somehow, since you were distracted by other ‘things’, you didn’t feel it until later. But now it felt more like a slight burning sensation, which caused you to worry and wince from certain movements every once in a while. 

        After a few more minutes of walking you came upon a huge vibrant two-story house with a long gorgeous kept lawn with people standing on it in different groups. As you came closer, you noticed that all of these people… were your friends. Your closest friends you missed so much. You smiled and yelled out to your friends, completely forgetting that this was not reality.

        “HEY! GUYS! IT’S ME, (Y/N)!!! OVER HERE!!!!” All eyes averted to you, and immediately whispering broke out.

        “Why the hell does she look like a freak?”

        “Was she always part animal, or demon?”

        “She looks so weird. What the hell is wrong with her? She looks like a monster!” You heard all of them. Those words shocked you. They hurt a little, but it could possibly be that they were only surprised by the fact that their friend came back with black and candy red wolf ears, a tail, and owl wings. That had to be it. They may just be confused. You continued to walk while trying to wear the best smile you could muster.

        “Guys, it’s OK. There’s no such thing as monsters. But, don’t these things look pretty cool? Just look!” You spread your wings to show your friends. They seemed to ignore or scowl at you as you strode forward.

        “Well, it’s not like we actually liked her in the first place.” That caused you to stop dead in your tracks. You had by now reached the front of the lawn, and that’s when you realized they stopped listening to you altogether.

        “She thought I was her older sister. She even called me ‘Big Sis’. Ha! Can you believe it!?” You recognized that voice as the only good tie you had on the zeppelin. Rip Van Winkle, your supposed ‘big sister’. She continued to laugh while you stared at her with shocked, hurt filled eyes. What made it worse was no one cared, some even just laughed at your expression. You heard another familiar voice chuckling from the rooftop. It was Schrödinger.

        “She actually thought I said she was pretty!! I mean, just look at her! She’s a disgrace! HA!!” He had his trademark evil smirk on and was laughing at what he said. “And she thought I actually care about her, a freaking pet! A freak of nature we’re only using! She’s such an idiot for believing anyone cared!” He again laughed at what he said. The worst part  was that somehow it hurt more than Rip’s comment, and it was the worst pain in your heart that you’ve ever felt. You couldn’t explain it though. It confused you, but more talking snapped you out of your thoughts.

        “She’s really ugly.”

        “Freak.”

        “Monster.”

        “Bitch.” Insult after insult after insult was flung at you. You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. Your best friend, (B/F/N), had now stepped forward. You looked up with hopeful eyes, at least you still had your best friend, right? They would never betray you like this. They were your last hope. But it was soon crushed with what came out of their mouth next.

“You were always so annoying to be around, did you know that (Y/N)?” They smirked, exactly like a bully on a playground, bullies you knew all too well. A lump formed in your throat and your mouth was completely dry. This can’t really be happening! “You were the last person, wait I’m sorry, freak, anyone wanted to be around. The only reason we kept around, was because it was so hilarious for you to think that you could have any friends that actually had fun with you!  It was always absolutely priceless!!!” You were so shocked, and now depressed, that you weren’t able to defend yourself, to show them that you weren’t weak. You just stood there, completely heartbroken and still.

        “You were such a fucking loser. A bitch, a damn tramp, a useless nobody. You never fit in. Didn’t you ever notice? How stupid can you be? You’re pathetic and weak. Completely useless. Worthless. You’re not even worth the mud beneath our feet.”

        “B-but… I-I-I thought… that-that we w-w-were-” You finally brought yourself to speak.

        “Awwwwww. You thought that I was your best friend, right?” They said it with the most mocking tone you never thought would be directed at you. You stood silent once more.
        
        “Well news flash.. We were never, and ever will be, friends. Let alone best friends. And you know what else?” They walked right up to you, and did the unthinkable. They punched you right in the face, so hard in fact, that it knocked you down to the ground. You were utterly speechless. You raised your left hand to your left cheek where you got hit. You felt the soreness of bruising appearing, and winced at the contact.

        It was nothing new. The bruising, and the betrayal. You just never expected it from your ‘good friends’, especially your ‘best friend’ now ex friend. Only one word was able to escape your lips.

        “Why?”

        You continued to gape at the ground while your once closest friends laughed and threw a couple more insults at you, which you didn’t hear through your newfound pain in your heart. They all eventually left you, all entering the huge house in front of you. You continued to lie there, when you again reached your hand up to your new bruise again, when you came in contact with a salty warm liquid running down your face. You hadn’t even realized you were crying.

        As you have always been used to, you were left alone to your agonizing thoughts of loneliness and despair, trying to fully process what just happened. No pity, no sympathy, and no empathy from anyone. However, something soon caught your nose. It smelled like something was burning. You heard a sizzling sound coming from the house as well, and you felt overwhelming heat and humidity rushing your way . You looked up to see that the house that was full of your ex friends, was engulfed in flames. You yelled out for them, screamed their names, anything that any survivors could hear. You didn’t hear any noises of reply, just the fire dancing upon the wood.

        You looked around to see if anyone escaped, but you only saw a white figure off to the side. Upon a quick closer inspection, it was the same white wolf from your last dream. She was staring at you, seemingly waiting patiently for something. You didn’t have time to think about it any longer, the only thoughts were of your ex friends, as you rushed towards the burning house wanting to save all of the people in it, not caring that they just treated you like a piece of rotten garbage. No matter what they said, they didn’t deserve to die.

        You kicked down the door and raced across anywhere the flames wouldn’t consume you. Nothing was recognizable except walls, the floor, and flames. The stench of burnt wood and death surrounded you. It was putrid. Nevertheless, you followed the scent of decay to its worst, hoping to find something of flesh, hopefully alive. But there were none of your friends, or even their bodies. Beams of wood kept falling around you, making it difficult to dodge and continue your search. That’s when you saw an unconscious yet still alive (B/F/N) and Schrödinger, the ones who treated you the worst, about to get crushed by another big beam that would kill them on impact. Without thinking, you dodged more fallen flames and tackled them out of the way of certain and immediate death, which resulted in you switching places with (B/F/N) and Schrödinger. You wouldn’t be able to react in time to save yourself, but you felt as if you could accept this fate, dying to save those two felt like the best way to go for you. Schrödinger especially, which you still couldn’t explain why or what this strange new feeling was. Maybe you would find the answer in the afterlife.

        Suddenly, white fur crossed your view, and you received a nose touch from the white wolf from outside, the same one who had been in your last dream. Well done, my child, was heard in your mind. You couldn’t think about it much, as the beam finally reached you, but a bright light clouded your vision, and your whole body hurt and burned, but surprisingly not from the fire you almost died under. It felt like a different pain, almost like everything inside of you was moving. It continued to hurt as you opened your eyes to pure white light.

 

(A/N: Warning: My nerdiness shows in this chapter, but I couldn’t think of a more interesting antagonist which later on in about a chapter or 2 I’ve got comedic AND story plans for >;), so just bear with it and just look stuff up if you need to get visuals. Thanks! ^_~.)

 

Schrödinger POV

        My eyes fluttered open from my usual dreamless sleep. I was still lying in bed with my head pressed against my cute little pet’s head. My mental clock was telling me it was 3:00 in the afternoon, which was pretty early since the sun must’ve still been out. But something’s not right, and I had a feeling that this is what must’ve woken me up.

        I felt a shaking motion on my head and wondered what it was. My half asleep form registered that it wasn’t me that was causing it, it was my Fräulein’s head tremendously vibrating against my forehead. I sat up on my side and looked at a sight that stopped my every movement. It wasn’t just her head shaking, her whole body was trembling, with her face scrunching up as if she was in pain. She didn’t even look awake, because I couldn’t see her (E/C) eyes staring at me. Her ears were bent back across her head and her tail was curled tightly around her chest. The top of her folded wings were pulled up to her chin. The rest of her body looked as if she were freezing to death from all the shivering, but all of her muscles were tensing with sweat flowing down her face from her (H/L) (H/C) hair, and her breathing was rough. I could barely even hear her heartbeat. It was a very unnaturally slow tempo that only echoed every once in a while, and it caused my almost non existent one to beat more drastically. I was suddenly filled with a terrifying sense of dread, something I don’t ever feel.

        I sat her up and leaned her against the head board and tried to shake her awake. “Fräulein! Fräulein, wake up!! Wake up!!! Snap out of it!!!!” No response, not even the slightest. I pressed the back of my gloved hand on her forehead to feel for a possible fever. She was absolutely burning and was now starting to sweat more than before. I disappeared into the bathroom and wet a rag with cold water to cool, then I appeared back and started rubbing her face with the rag. It worked just a little, since her breathing became more fluid and less sweat was pouring out. But it didn’t last long though, as she returned to her previous state. That’s when a horrible thought occurred to me. Is she dying!?

        I was terrified. Nothing was able to snap her out of whatever was going on. What made it worse was she started whimpering, and it sounded pained. It broke me, somehow it broke me. I did the only thing I could do. I layed next to her on the headboard on my right side and pulled her close to me. I put her head on my chest and put mine on her left shoulder. I began drawing comforting circles on her back with my hand, the last thing I could do to try and calm her down. Then, it felt like an animal instinct kicked in. I immediately pulled my head from her cheek and started licking her forehead and face to try and cool her down, and maybe even miraculously wake her up.

        “Wake up Fräulein, please. Please, wake up. Fräulein! FRÄULEIN! Please…. (Y/N).” I pleaded. Nothing. I continued licking her face, trying to comfort her. I felt her slow her shuddering, and I was wash over with a sense of relief. But it still wasn’t enough. I couldn’t even teleport into a dream or nightmare she must be having, but it’s as if where her mind is doesn’t even exist. I could only hold her in my arms and lick her forehead to try and comfort her.

        “What the hell is all the noise coming from Schrödinger? It sounds like you’re throwing a freaking tant-” A tired Rip opened the door. She took one look at my poor pet, and immediately became frantic, as her face contorted to worry. “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN HERE!”

        “I don’t know.” I whispered sorrowfully. I looked at her pleadingly, begging her to help somehow, someway. Rip walked over to the bed, and lay her hand on my pet’s side to try and wake her. She growled, but it didn’t sound pained, more like a warning, as if she was telling Rip to not to touch her again. What is becoming of you Fräulein?

        “I’m getting Major. Now.” I shook my head no. He would make this worse for all of us, including my Fräulein.

        “No. He’s not going to make this any better. He’ll-“

        “Know what’s going on and may know how to stop this.” I opened my mouth to protest, but she already ran out of the room, and I didn’t try to stop her. She had a point. Major knows more about her origins than anyone here. I shut my mouth and closed my eyes, then nuzzled my right cheek against hers.

        Please. Please wake up… (Y/N).

 

Your POV 

        Darkness. Nothing. Silence. They surrounded you. You could barely see much besides a floor with a little light shined on it. A slight cramping pain was felt all throughout your body. It hurt pretty bad, but not enough for you to not be able to move. You started walking around, trying to figure out where you were. It almost felt like a dream, but at the same time very real. This is all confusing. Where am I? Is it Mr. Mysterious again? What would he want though? Something else? But, why does it feel like there’s something else going on here? You had nothing better to do but to ignore the bad vibes you were receiving and start walking faster. But soon, you’ll wish you never did.

 

Schrödinger POV

        I was in the middle of moving back and forth between whispering comforting words into her ear and still licking her forehead, when Rip finally returned with Major. He wore a pleased expression on his face, which irritated me instantly. It made me want to hiss. Why does he seem so content when there is obviously something wrong with her? What the hell are you planning? He walked around to the opposite side of the bed I was on. “So it’s already begun.” Before I could start yelling for him to start explaining the shit that was going on, Rip already started speaking.

        “Do you know what’s wrong with her Major?” She asked in all seriousness. He lightly chuckled in relief, as if everything happening was nothing more than a simple scrape on the knee.

        “It is merely a sort of ‘cycle’ her kind go through at a certain age, almost like a human going through puberty. Only for her, it’s without the more… hormonal parts.” He chuckled at his own joke.

        “First, Schrödinger, get off of her.” I didn’t believe the words that came out of his big fat mouth. I was about to deeply protest when he cut me off. “Before you start arguing with me, she needs space. Unless, you want to get in the way of her moving around like that. She might possibly try to ‘kill’ you. Wouldn’t that be a little too much work to handle?” I still wasn’t fully convinced. She would suffer more if I didn’t hold onto her. I wouldn’t get off her no matter what. I know I can’t be killed. “Oh Schrödinger, if only you could see how you look right now, like a spoiled little child clinging onto their favorite toy, never wanting to let go. When in reality, that toy will be the end of him once it breaks.” I didn’t want to take anymore shit from him. The way he was pissing me off, I had to obey him, or I and my dear Fräulein will end up in trouble. I know how he thinks, and I didn’t want to think about the possibilities of punishment for the both of us.

        Very reluctantly, I let go of her and in the blink of an eye stood next to Rip, who was looking as pale stricken as I was. But the wince of pain that flashed through my Fräulein’s body as I let go didn’t escape my vision, and I almost wished it had. I didn’t want to see her in pain. It didn’t look like I was the only one who saw it either, judging from Rip’s new expression. Major just chuckled at our actions, although he seemed more amused about mine.

        “Schrödinger. I’m surprised you didn’t share your little embrace with Lieutenant Winkle here. Don’t you see her caring face? Don’t you care that she wants to help as much as you do?” For once this evening, I could counter him.

        “Rip did try and help. It’s just that my little Fräulein would not let her.”

        “Then why could you hold her?” Come to think of it, so far, I’ve been the only one that can touch her in this state. But, why me?

        “I don’t know Major. I thought you knew everything there was about her kind. Not me. You explain it.” Major actually stopped and seemed to be in thought about something. Then coming out of it, he snapped his head to Rip, who noticed his behavior the whole time, just as I had.

        “Lieutenant Winkle. Would you please place your hand on her shoulder.” We both looked at him, trying to figure out his plan. What the hell is going through that insane skull of yours Major? Rip nor I questioned him, as Rip walked to the right side of the bed. She reached out her hand, and gently layed it on her shoulder. A loud growl erupted shortly after, just like before. Major acknowledged this, and turned to my direction. “Your turn, Schrödinger.” I did the exact same thing as Rip, only no growl erupted from her. Instead, I continued to rub my hand along her shoulder, and her body seemed to calm down. Major got a twinkle, the twinkle that said that he figured out something fascinating. “Interesting. I was right.”

        “Right about what Major? What did you figure out? I know you found something.” I stared at him with a neutral expression. He was only silent for a few seconds, contemplating whether or not to tell me.

        “You’ll find out soon enough Schrödinger. You’ll find out soon enough.”

        “And what the hell does that mean?” He only chuckled, offering no further explanation. It didn’t satisfy me at all. I wanted to know what he knew. Curiosity did kill the cat though. I snapped my attention back to my Fräulein, who was all I cared about at the moment, which confused me. I still didn’t know why I was feeling this way, so depressed and so afraid for her. Why I wanted to see her gleaming (E/C) eyes stare at me, her cheeks flushed red, and a smile gracing her face. Just thinking about these things made me grow too worried again that I’d never see them again. Silence filled the room while I was deep in thought and memory, but I finally broke the silence.
        
        “Can we do anything to stop this?”

        “It is nothing that we can stop or prevent, this was bound to happen soon enough. Although she may be in her current state because we sped up her aging process this far. Usually it would only look as if she was in a coma. If she was at the actual age this stage happens at, it probably wouldn’t be this bad.”

        “Then why did we change her in the first place?! If we didn’t she wouldn’t be in this much pain!!” I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I. Was. Pissed. We should’ve done the surgery later.

        “You know we don’t have that kind of time Schrödinger. The age this would have happened at is 1,000 years. Our plans may be over 50 years old, but we certainly can not wait 950 more. Then, we still have to wait after that for phase two. We can’t have our rightful revenge when our target of rage is already dead, now can we?” He had a point, but I could live that long. I would’ve waited that long, just to see her not in as much pain as now. At this moment, she was more important than revenge. So I have to know more about this ‘cycle’ to find something. I gave a defeated sigh, knowing I couldn’t do much to help.

        “What exactly is going on with her then? What is this ‘cycle’ she’s going through? Explain it more.” 

        “She herself shouldn’t be in as much pain as you think, since her mind is somewhere else. This is just her body reacting to the change. The cycle is more about the trial than anything else.” Trial? “There are two phases she will go through, one for each of her full blooded parents. This is phase one. Right now she is somewhere where not even you, Schrödinger, can enter. It is like she’s in another dimension, just inside her mind, that no one else but our dear little Fräulein here can enter. If she succeeds in making the right choices, her body will undergo the change to one of her true forms.”

        “So until she completes this trial, she’ll remain like this?” Rip asked with worry.

        “Yes. But if she makes the wrong choices and fails, she will disappear from the universe all together, as if she never existed.” My heart clenched tightly at the thought. No. Stop. Calm down. She’ll make it. She has to…

        “What’s going on in this trial world then? What exactly is happening?” I asked.

        “I don’t know everything to it but right now at least, if this is the one I’m thinking of, the world she is in is creating her greatest fears, one by one. They aren’t just any fears though. They have to be bone-chilling fears, ones that would make her paralyzed with fear and terror.” I started thinking about what could be inside that world. Then a memory flashed through my mind at lightning speed. My face paled at the one thing I remembered could make her scared so much. “I’m surprised she’s been in there for so long actually. I only thought her greatest fear would be losing the ‘precious’ friends she had. It usually wouldn’t take too long to solve that problem. Oh. Schrödinger, you look so pale. Do you know something else that she would be afraid of?” He was taunting me, trying to get me to confess, to shout out the answer to his implied question and ask for help. However, I could do nothing even if I wanted to. My eyes widened, as I now fully realized what she was facing.

        “Oh God.”

 

Your POV

        You continued walking aimlessly forward, trying to find something of interest in this weird world. It’s only been a few minutes since when you first found yourself here. But that’s when you heard it. A crackling, hissing noise that sounded so familiar, resonated throughout the void, painful to your delicate ears. It sounded so familiar, but you couldn’t put your finger on it, but then it hit you. You knew exactly what it was. You were terrified, and not even searching for its source, you started to run. Goosebumps ran all along your skin, as you knew what was about to happen. The noise you heard earlier grew twice as loud, and you heard something big start to fall where you had been mere moments ago. The ground shook as the huge figure landed behind you. You turned around to confirm your suspicions, and your face turned as pale as the moon at the sight.

 

3rd Person POV

        “Schrödinger, what’s the matter? Do you know something about what she’s facing right now?” Rip asked. Schrödinger just gulped in reply. “Schrödinger. You need to tell us. Now!” She asserted herself. The cat boy was back on the bed, having done not long ago, hugging your increasingly trembled body close to him.

        “I’ve only seen it once before, at her human house. And it wasn’t even… Shit! She’s gonna die!!!”

        “Warrant Officer Schrödinger. I think everyone in the room would like you to actually finish your sentence and explain yourself.” Major playfully stated.

        “Yes, and there’s a reason I never told you, Major, of what this is because it’s not even… UGH! YOU WON’T EVEN UNDERSTAND!! She could barely handle it before, and she definitely won’t be able to handle it now.” Rip was angered beyond belief by this point.

        “Maybe if you used that stupid little cat brain of yours and I don’t know FUCKING EXPLAIN it we could figure something out!” 

        “Not exactly Lieutenant, not exactly.”

        “And what the hell does that mean!?”

        “It means that she’s on her own. We can’t do anything about it. It’s what her kind have to go through. Nothing can wake her up from the outside, only her own choices will save her now.” With each passing word, Schrödinger pulled your body closer to his. That’s when you started shivering like a madman stuck in Antarctica, which made Schrödinger close to hyperventilating, even though he didn’t need to breathe.

        “This proves it. She’s facing it. She only shivered like this at it…. Oh, it’s gonna KILL HER!!”

        “Alright, THAT’S IT! Schrödinger, you need to calm the FUCK down, man the FUCK up, and tell us what the FUCK IT IS!!” Everyone, even Major, was surprised by Rip’s outburst. She usually never goes that far as to yell like that, especially in anger. It only showed how much she cared for you as well.

        “I think you need to calm down as well Lieutenant. I’ve never seen you this mad before now. As the young people say nowadays ‘take a chill pill’. And Schrödinger, now you’re referring to her mysterious fear as it? How cute.” Schrödinger just kept trying to soothe your trembling body, not even bothering to glare at Major for his little comment. It didn’t help. Unearthly silence was the only thing that filled the room.

        “Schrödinger, just tell us. Please. What could she possibly be facing in there? We need to know everything we can. Just, please.” Rip was settled down, and was now only concerned for your safety. Schrödinger sighed.

        “Alright… I’ll tell you.”

 

Your POV

         You could hear it a mile away, catching up to you. You were hyperventilating, taking sharp breathes every time your feet touched the ground. Tears pricked the ends of your eyes, and all the sounds you heard were your heavy breathing and it’s hiss piercing your ears. But no matter what you heard, you never looked back. You were too afraid to look at it. It was too much. It was coming closer by the second. It was really fast, but even though your legs wanted to give up from the extreme pain you felt, you kept running. And running. And running. Until…

 

3rd Person POV

        “Say what now? I’ve never heard of something like that before.” Rip was baffled at the moment.

        “To be honest, it was pretty creepy when I first saw it.”

        “Wait! Major! Can’t Doctor look this kind of stuff up?!” Rip questioned. Major waved this off.

        “Be my guest Lieutenant. I have to say, I’m quite curious about it as well.” With that, Rip sprinted off to find Doctor and learn the information she needed to know. Meanwhile, Schrödinger felt your body tense and shiver tenfold. He knew that you were facing it right now. And it terrified him to think about you suffering so much. He clenched his teeth together, and began to shiver himself. All he wanted was for Rip and Doctor to get back really soon, or he was going to flip out. Major just took a seat in Schrödinger’s chair, finding it amusing that his lieutenants thought that discovering more about one of your greatest fears was going to help anything.

 

Your POV
        
        You were hit by something slimy and dangerous. It weakened you greatly, as it was designed to slowly kill you. That means you would be slower now, and it would certainly catch up to you soon. You wiped the sticky substance off in disgust as you heard it closing in on you. You waited, knowing you had to face it sooner or later, and held the urge to start gagging. You needed to see it. You turned your head over your shoulder, and as you unfortunately knew, it was there. There behind you was your most silliest, most embarrassing, yet terrifying fear of all. A giant red frostbite spider, the ones that creeped you out the most, stood there with its legs moving at lightning speed towards you. It was about four feet taller and five feet wider than you, making its way towards you as fast as an Olympic runner. You froze from fear, one thought running through your mind. I’m fucking dead.

 

 3rd Person POV

        “Lieuten- AH! For everyone’s sake CALM DOWN!! You don’t have to DRAG me there!!”

        “No time to waste Doctor!!!”

        “AAAAHH!!” Sounds of struggling were heard coming from the hallway. Major and Schrödinger stared at the door, the source of the noises and yelling. Then suddenly, Doctor was literally thrown into the room, hitting the floor with a loud thud. He stood up and glared at Rip, prepared to yell, but then noticed your quivering form curled next to Schrödinger. He smirked. “Aaahhh, so it has begun. Perfect.”

        “We need you to get as much information on something as you can!” Rip shouted.

        “What for?”

        “Just do it.”

        “Nothing will help her, you know that, right?” Rip and Schrödinger glared at him then turned their attention to you.

        “If I may, Doctor. Schrödinger said that she was terribly afraid of something else we knew nothing about. Wouldn’t you like to know what that is?” Doctor pondered over Major’s statement. He actually was curious, and finally decided to agree to Rip’s wishes, as his curiosity got the best of him. He grabbed his laptop from Rip, who had carried it with her so it wouldn’t get damaged, and logged in.

        “So what is it?”

        “It’s something called a frostbite spider.” Doctor gave an ‘are-you-seriously-kidding-me’ look.

        “What the hell kind of-“

        “JUST DO IT!” Schrödinger and Rip shouted simultaneously. Doctor rolled his eyes and typed away. After about a minute, he motioned everyone over. 

        “So this is what I found. I must say, this is an interesting creature. Although, I’m not familiar with some of the terms.”

        “Don’t even try Doctor. It’s from a video game that someone like you could never understand. But when Fräulein here wakes up, she can dumb it down for you.” Schrödinger smirked at Doctor, who mumbled an ‘if she wakes up’ low enough so no one could hear.

        “Didn’t you say before that you spent three hours watching her play that dumb thing? Don’t you know what the hell some of this is?”

        “First, don’t call it ‘dumb’ when she wakes up. Second, it’s not just an ordinary game. I could barely even keep up with a fourth of what was going on in there. It’s very complex, and confusing. I think there was some kind of ‘civil war’ and the main thing was that everyone was at war against this one big dragon thingy, er, or something. Then there were other dragons, and giants, and elves, and orcs, and this weird language. Oh, there cat people in there too! And they-“

        “We don’t have time for this! Doctor, is there anything that could be useful on there? Weaknesses perhaps?” Rip interrupted. Doctor merely rolled his eyes and skimmed the info one more time, turning into his curious ‘more-science-less-arrogant’ self.

        “Well, I’m assuming they can’t swim, are vulnerable to their own poison, and weaker in warmer areas. Not much on their actual weaknesses or anything else. Schrödinger, which one of these would she be more likely to encounter? There are apparently different subtypes of colors and sizes.”

        “Now how am I supposed to know that!?”

        “Is there anyway you can stop them without having to kill them?” Rip questioned.

        “Absolutely not. They are apparently extremely hostile. Like I already said, nothing you can do about it. I guess she could try and sneak by it if she stays out of eyesight… if it’s not above her, that us.”

        “I think we’re way past that option.” Schrödinger worriedly said.

        “And why’s that?” He looked to your form and noticed the increase of trembling. “Ah, I see. So she’s already seen it. As I kept trying to tell you guys, nothing can help her.”

 

Your POV
        
        It stopped just a few yards away from you and raised its attack claws, firing more of its life-weakening slimy green poison at you. You dodged it this time and began sprinting down the darkness once more, slower than before since you got hit earlier. It was right on your tail, but there was no way you could face this thing. You could barely face it in a video game, let alone in some weird nightmare or whatever this was. You were doomed, you just knew it.
        
        As it got closer to you, you turned your head and immediately regretted it. It raised its whole body, spread its mouth apart, and leapt right at you. It was the most sickening thing you’ve ever seen. You were sure that this was the fastest you’ve ever sprinted before, as you tried to avoid the big creature trying to kill you. You didn’t dare try to fly. You knew you wouldn’t be able to yet, and an attempt would just slow you down more.

        You tried looking around for anything useful, and since you assumed there was no large body of water in this place, your main target was a weapon to help kill it. Sadly, there was nothing. It was just you, the spider, and your bare hands. It sickened you, but you knew you had to kill this thing with no weapons or any advantages whatsoever. But the problem was, could you work up enough courage to fight the thing you were most afraid of? 

        You realized you had been slowing down due to exhaustion, and soon you stopped, your stamina drained. It stopped as well, and raised its claws in the air, bringing them down on you. You rolled out of the way right on time, but it kept on attacking. At one point, it caught your right shoulder and you felt its, hairy nasty claw pierce skin. One thing confused you, though. You felt pain, which caused you to hiss. You even saw blood running down your wound. Sure you felt that cramping pain before, but you thought it was just part of not being, or completely, being human. That’s when you realized that this was no nightmare. This was real. Somehow, you were in a real place, and the chances of you surviving this was probably the only thing not real at the moment.

 

3rd Person POV

        Everyone in the room was in their own world at the moment, focusing on the situation at hand. They were all thinking about how long they had to wait for you to wake up, if you woke up at all. Until they were jarred from their thoughts from a sudden hiss of pain, and the smell of blood. They turned their heads to you, and noticed your unconscious self was clutching your right shoulder, blood pouring from it like a waterfall. Rip and Schrödinger’s jaws dropped, Doctor wrote something down in his notepad, and Major just shrugged it off as if it was no big deal.

        The two surprised beings turned their heads to Major, seeking for some kind of explanation. All the while, Rip tried to not to lose control over the smell of your blood. Your kind had some of the sweetest and most powerful blood there is, and it was hard for a vampire to not lose control over it. Major saw this and chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised you two. What are you worrying about?” They only continued to stare at him, wide eyed and not satisfied with his answer. “It’s only a cut. She’ll be fine. She must’ve gotten hit by the spider.”

        “Her injuries from there,” Rip pointed to your head while practically drooling, “show up in that world AND here!? Can they heal at all?” Her crazed look didn’t escape Major’s eyes. In fact, your blood’s scent was driving everyone mad.

        “The wound will heal if she survives, yes. Until then, try to control yourself Lieutenant. Her blood can be sweet for some, and deadly for others.” He flashed an insane grin. Rip just started to silently breathe, trying to distract herself as well. The only one who didn’t want to suck all the blood you had was Schrödinger. It was driving him mad as well, but a different kind of mad, something that he didn’t understand himself. He wanted something from your blood, but he didn’t understand what. The only thing that kept him in check was the constant reminder that you were afraid and in pain.

        “What the hell is that smell? And what is all the ruckus in here?” Every head, once again, turned towards the door to see an all too familiar figure standing there, frowning at all of them.

 

Your POV

        You were still trying to get over the pain while the spider kept on relentlessly attacking with poison, claws, and lunging at you. You rolled around, dodging as best as you could. Why is this happening to me? I’m getting beat by a fucking SPIDER for Pete’s sake!! Hell, I shouldn’t be on the floor like a coward when I know this thing’s weaknesses! I can’t sit here and run away. I’m not weak. I can’t be weak. Somehow this is real, and I have no choice but to kill it with my bare han- claws!!
        
        Those thoughts ran through your head as you felt something come over you. This is humiliating! I can’t take this anymore! I’ve had enough! Your eyes grew red and your teeth and claws grew longer. Anger seethed throughout your whole being as you unfolded your wings, and lost control of your body. Hatred was all that you felt.

        You roared as you spread your big beautiful wings to their full wingspan. The spider only flinched slightly and raised its claws in anger. It lunged at you once more, but you attacked just in time. You plunged your now fully extended claws right to it’s center thorax, and it stopped, paralyzed, almost right on top of you. You retracted your claws and jumped back instantly. Its form froze and slumped to the floor, legs spreading out wide with its enraged eyes still open. Yeah, it’s dead. Wew! Wait…

        …

        …I JUST PLUNGED MY HAND INTO A FUCKING GIANT FROSTBITE SPIDER!!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!!! Goosebumps appeared all over your body and quickly shook the hand you touched the spider with around in the air, as if thinking that it would magically get rid of the feeling of touching it.

        When your disgust and panic passed, you remained frozen in place. It felt like hours passed, as you stared at the now lifeless corpse. You slowly felt more excited and proud for doing something you never thought you could do. It felt euphoric. You smiled, and released a breath you didn’t know you were holding. You knew you had to calm down though. You weren’t off the hook yet.

        You decided that you need to keep moving and escape whatever hellhole you were in, and tried walking away to somewhere else, but an invisible wall blocked your path. What am I supposed to do now? As if to answer your question, you heard a thump. When you looked in the direction it came from, there was a tiny little end table a few feet away from you. What really peeked your curiosity though, was the little brown bottle resting on the center of the table. You shot one last glance at the corpse, shivered, and walked towards the strange bottle. You picked it up, and shook it to see if there was anything in it. Strangely, there was nothing. Why is there a random little empty bottle?

        The more you stared at the object, the more it started to look familiar, you just couldn’t figure out where you’ve seen it before. That’s when you remembered something. It was some kind of potions or poison bottle from Skyrim. But which potion, or poison, could it be? And why is it empty? This puzzled you to no end. There should be some kind of hint somewhere about what this is supposed to mean, usually there was. You looked back at the spider corpse, which you forgot was there for a second. You kept looking back and forth between the corpse and the potions bottle, wondering if there may be a connection. Then suddenly hit you. You were supposed to harvest the frostbite poison.

        “FUCKING BASTARDS!!!!” You vented out your frustrations to the world by cursing non stop. You stopped screaming, and then gagged at the thought of touching the spider again. But you had to do what you had to do to get out of this place, no matter what. Sucking it up, you inched ever so slightly to the creepy carcass, bottle in hand. You had to fight down the huge urge to gag again. You were right in front of its face now, in between its unmoving attacking claws. You willed yourself to keep moving forward, and eventually stopped directly in front of its mouth. 

        After about another 10 minutes of constantly resisting the urge to touch the thing, you harvested the deadly poison that rested in the now full poisons bottle. The body turned to dust, and you felt like a weight was just lifted from your shoulders, along with a strange calming sensation throughout your body. You stuffed the poison bottle into your pocket and walked to where the invisible wall was. You placed your hand on it, only to find nothing there but thin air. You proceeded forward to see what else was in store for you.

        That slight cramping pain you felt ever since you got here, which you had forgotten about due to your adrenaline from the fight earlier, had slightly gotten worse after that strange feeling of calmness ran throughout your body. Maybe it was just that you got hurt somehow, and since you were distracted by other ‘things’, you didn’t feel it until later. But now it felt more like a slight burning sensation, which caused you to worry and wince from certain movements every once in a while. 

        After a few more minutes of walking you came upon a huge vibrant two-story house with a long gorgeous well-kept lawn, As you came closer, you noticed people standing on it in different groups, and you realized that all of these people… were your friends. You smiled and yelled out to your friends, completely forgetting that this was not reality.

        “HEY! GUYS! IT’S ME, (Y/N)!!! OVER HERE!!!!” All eyes averted to you, and immediately whispering broke out.

        “Why the hell does she look like a freak?”

        “Was she always part animal, or demon?”

        “She looks so weird. What the hell is wrong with her? She looks like a monster!” You heard every single one of those comments. It shocked you. Those words hurt a little, but it could possibly be that they were only surprised by the fact that their friend came back with wolf ears, a tail, and owl wings. That had to be it. They may just be confused. You continued to walk while trying to wear the best smile you could muster.

        “Guys, it’s OK. There’s no such thing as monsters. But, don’t these things look pretty cool? Just look!” You spread your wings to show your friends. More seemed to scowl at you as you got closer to them.

        “Well, it’s not like we actually liked her in the first place.” That caused you to stop dead in your tracks.

        “She thought I was her older sister. She even called me ‘Big Sis’. Ha! Can you believe it!?” You recognized that voice as the only good tie you had on the zeppelin. Rip Van Winkle, your supposed ‘big sister’. She continued to laugh while you stared at her with shocked, hurt filled eyes. What made it worse was no one cared, some even just laughed at your expression. You heard another familiar voice chuckling from the rooftop. It was Schrödinger.

        “She actually thought I said she was pretty!! I mean, just look at her! She’s a disgrace! HA!!” He had his trademark evil smirk on and was laughing. “And she thought I actually cared about her, a freaking pet! A freak of nature we’re only using! She’s such an idiot for believing anyone cared!” He again laughed. The worst part  was that somehow it hurt more than Rip’s comment, and it was the worst pain in your heart that you’ve ever felt. You couldn’t explain it though. It confused you, but more voices snapped you out of your thoughts.

        “She’s really ugly.”

        “Freak.”

        “Monster.”

        “Bitch.” Insult after insult after insult was flung at you. You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. Your best friend, (B/F/N), had now stepped forward. You looked up with hopeful eyes, at least you still had your best friend, right? They would never betray you like this. They were your last hope. But it was soon crushed with what came out of their mouth next.

        “You were always so annoying to be around, did you know that (Y/N)?” They smirked, exactly like a bully on a playground, bullies you knew all too well. A lump formed in your throat and your mouth was completely dry. This can’t really be happening! “You were the last person, wait, I’m sorry, freak, anyone wanted to be around. The only reason we kept you around was because it was so hilarious for you to think that you could have any friends that actually had fun with you! It was always absolutely priceless!!!” You just stood there, completely heartbroken and still, not able to utter a single word.

        “You were such a fucking loser. A bitch, a damn tramp, a useless nobody. You never fit in. Didn’t you ever notice? How stupid can you be? You’re pathetic and weak. Completely useless. Worthless. You’re not even worth the mud beneath our feet.”

        “B-but… I-I-I thought… that-that we w-w-were-” You were on the verge of tears.

        “Awwwwww. You thought that I was your best friend, right?” They said it with the most vile tone you never thought would be directed at you. 
        
        “Well news flash.. We were never, and ever will be, friends. Let alone best friends. And you know what else?” They walked right up to you, and did the unthinkable. They punched you right in the face, so hard in fact, that it knocked you down to the ground. You raised your left hand to your left cheek where you got hit, and felt the soreness of bruising appearing, wincing at the contact.

        It was nothing new. The bruising, and the betrayal. You just never expected it from your ‘good friends’, especially your supposed ‘best friend’. Only one word was able to escape your lips.

        “Why?”

        You continued to gape at the ground while your once closest friends laughed and threw a couple more insults at you, which you shut out. They all eventually left the lawn and entered the huge house in front of you. You continued to lie there, when you again touched your new bruise, and came into contact with a salty warm liquid running down your face. You hadn’t even realized you were crying.

        As you have always been used to, you were left alone to your agonizing thoughts of loneliness and despair, trying to fully process what just happened. No pity, sympathy, or empathy from anyone. However, something soon caught your nose. It smelled like something was burning. You heard sizzling and crackling as well, and you felt overwhelming heat and humidity rushing your way. You looked up to see that the house that was full of your ex friends, was engulfed in flames. You yelled out for them, screamed their names, anything that any survivors could hear. You didn’t hear any noises of reply, just the fire dancing upon the wood.

        You looked around to see if anyone escaped, but you only saw a white figure off to the side. Upon a quick closer inspection, it was the same white wolf from your dream. She was staring at you, seemingly waiting for something. You didn’t have time to think about it any longer as you rushed towards the burning house, wanting to save all of the people in it, not caring that they just treated you like a piece of rotten garbage. No matter what they said, they didn’t deserve to die.

        You kicked down the door and raced across anywhere the flames wouldn’t consume you. Nothing was recognizable except walls, the floor, and flames. The stench of burnt wood and death surrounded you. It was putrid. Nevertheless, you followed the scent of decay to its worst, hoping to find something of flesh, hopefully alive. But there were none of your friends, or even their bodies. Beams of wood kept falling around you, making it difficult to dodge and continue your search. That’s when you saw an unconscious yet still alive (B/F/N) and Schrödinger, the ones who treated you the worst, about to get crushed by another big beam that would kill them on impact. Without thinking, you dodged more fallen flames and tackled them out of the way of certain death, which resulted in you switching places with (B/F/N) and Schrödinger. You wouldn’t be able to react in time to save yourself, but you felt as if you could accept this fate, dying to save those two felt like the best way to go for you. Schrödinger especially, which you still couldn’t explain why or what this strange new feeling was. Maybe you would find the answer in the afterlife.

        Suddenly, white fur crossed your view, and you received a nose touch from the white wolf from outside, the same one who had been in your last dream. A voice was then heard in your head. Well done, my child. You couldn’t think about it much, as the beam finally reached you, but a bright light clouded your vision, and your whole body hurt and burned, but surprisingly not from the fire you almost died under. It felt like a different pain, almost like everything inside of you was moving. It continued to hurt as you opened your eyes to pure white light.