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It all happened so fast, you don't even know how it happened.
One moment, you were holding open the musical box, Marcy urging the Plantars through, and the next-
( pain )
-red hot and searing, vibrating through your core, you look down and see Andrias’ sword sticking out of your chest.
“I’m so sorry”
You looked up and through a blurry gaze, Marcy cupping her mouth with her hands as she apologized profusely.
“It's fine,” the words jump to your mouth, but for the first time, you swallow them.
(it wasn't fine)
Instead of responding, soothing Marcy’s guilt, you slide to the floor, the world tilting as you collapse.
(darkness)
It stays like that for a moment, but before you have a chance to catch your breath, you wake up in a hard chair Andrias standing condescendingly above you.
(that bastard )
“While your friend would have made a better host, I suppose you’ll have to do,” he says in a disappointed voice.
(You know exactly who he’s talking about)
Before you have a chance to think, words, hot and ugly crawl their way up your throat and you spit them out like acid.
“She’s not my friend.”
Andrias laughs.
(that fucking bastard )
Electronic tentacles shoot out from the chair and you let out a shriek as they attach themselves to outlets in your suit.
“What is this?!”
“Just the collection of Amphibia’s greatest minds.” Andrias continues in a bored tone,” Not that I should have to explain that to you, I doubt you would understand anyway.”
(you hate him)
Anne growls at the jab, but spots in her peripheral view a helmet descending above her and begins to struggle more than ever.
Andrias sighs. “You’ll just make things worse, kiddo.”
(you ignore him)
When the helmet reaches your head, you close your eyes tightly.
And scream.
In an instant, your head is flooded with... Knowledge?
(that can’t be right)
Dates, times, memories, all of it runs through your mind, and worst of all, the voices .
Old and young, feminine and masculine, they all shout a hundred different things.
(you can’t even hear yourself)
Despite it all, you are acutely aware of being slumped in your chair, muscles not responding to your directions.
Andrias’ voice suits through the rest, introducing you as the Core.
(but it isn't you)
The voices fall silent and your body begins to move of its own accord, bones cracking unnaturally as it does.
“Why hello there.”
*********************
Once Andrias is done showing you off, he leads you to a lavish room.
(not that it matters, physical materials mean nothing to the Core)
Internal matters, however, are a much different story you soon learn.
Hello, human.
(You hate it’s voice. )
“Don’t talk to me.”
Why so difficult, human?
(its voice is a culmination of a thousand people, each at its own octave, creating one grating voice that makes your hair stand on end and teeth grind)
We can hear you, human.
(Good.)
“My name is Anne, not human .” you snap.
Ooh, feisty. It doesn’t have to be like this, you know.
(shut up)
Why do you resist, Anne?
(You hate how it says your name like it's holding in its mouth a tasty treat and not your name.)
From what I can tell, you seem to have an awful lot of fight left in you, considering~
(It’s baiting you.)
(it’s baiting you, and you know it and dammit, you should no better but-)
“What are you talking about?”
Oh don’t play dumb with me, human, you know exactly what I am referring to.
“So, it’s ‘human’ again, huh.”
Everything you’ve ever known is a lie.
-I really thought we were past this-
Your friends lied to you.
-And here I thought we were getting along-
Sasha, you should’ve known, but Marcy -
-Shut up-
-Marcy was quite the surprise -
-shut up SHUT UP-
-And to think, knowing how much you missed your life back home, she still wanted to continue living out her fantasy-
-SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUTUPSHUTUP-
The core falls silent at long last, leaving you to your own thoughts once again.
It was right, you know. Sasha you should've seen coming, you were so stupid of course she would betray you, what else were you expecting?
That things would improve, she’d finally see you as an equal?
And then there was Marcy.
Sweet, innocent Marcy.
Or so you thought.
Deep in your stomach, a weight shifted around, seething and shifting, boiling you from the inside as you thought of her betrayal, how she played you just like Sasha did, pretending to be your friend while all she really cared about was her stupid fucking fantasy-
(maybe the Core wasn’t all that wrong.)
I knew you would come to your senses.
Your body stands up and walks over to the vanity, even as you try and keep still. You reach the mirror and face your reflection. You try and look away, but the Core won’t let you and forces your eyes open, hands on either side of your face to keep your neck from turning.
Look.
(you won’t.)
LOOK.
(you do, despite your best efforts.)
Leering back at you is that hideous helmet with several elongated bright orange eyes, each one staring back intently. Beneath the helmet, your wild bushy hair sticks out, and you feel a swell of pride as you appreciate the one feature they couldn't restrain, the last shred of your identity a small act of defiance.
You look good.
See, that wasn’t so hard.
Your feet take you to a box tucked in the corner of the vast room, and a backpack is lifted from it. Your arms dig through the pockets for a bit before pulling out the weathered polaroid photo of you, Marcy, and Sasha.
Your anger returns at the sight of them.
All at once, feeling returns to your muscles as you realize the Core has released its grasp on your nervous system, allowing you once again to move.
You know what to do.
It occurs to you that you can run.
(not that you have anywhere to go to)
So, with steady hands, you direct your attention back to the photo.
And rip it.
Once, twice, another for good measure, all your pent-up anger, and frustration taken out on your last remnant of friendship, until all that's left is a pile of shredded paper on the ground.
Gone.
Good.