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- You want to hear my opinion? Said Ruby, her voice ringing far in calm quiteness of the paper forest of Ever After. Around girl stood her teammates and Jaune with his she-hare - bunch of morons with stupid faces and similarly stupid questions. Yet she had no choice but to answer - her position of teamleader be damned! Fuck them all to Grimm-infested fuck-hell! - Of course, Ruby! - Answered Yang, coining every word like a busy minting press. - We need to figure out what to do next! Oh, how fucking tired she was of her own name! Especially when it was uttered by these blasted headless chicks... - You want to know what we'll do next? Words stuck to her teeth like a toffee, but had none of its sweetness. All of a sudden, Ruby felt a desperate wish to eat a candy - but alas! Instead of munching a tasty treat she was stuck with these morons amidst this moronic Ever After place. - Yes, friend! - Said Weiss, her voice almost shrill. So amicable was her face it made Ruby cringe inwardly. She hated this stupid face the same way she hated these stupid inquiries. Young huntress've lost count of how many times her helpless useless team bothered her like that. "Ruby, what should be do?!", "Ruby, how can we save the world?!", "Ruby, how to shoelace?!", "Ruby, we pooped!", "Ruby! RUBY! RUBY!!!". She felt an urge to change her name and run to the furthest corner of the universe just to make sure she would never have to hear their whining again. And in that moment a sudden revelation paid her a visit - she was unable take it anymore. With broad and sincere smile silver-eyed girl called the others: - Okay, guys. Come close so I don't have to yell! When her team and Jaune huddled around her with their dumb-friendly faces, Ruby took a deep breath and barked so hard everyone bounced like kicked roosters. - YOU ALL ARE GRIMM-FUCKERS! There was an uncomfortable pause that smothered the glade. Jaune, mentally damaged from all these years languishing in this fairy hell-hole, chuckled. Its seems he didn't took her serious. - THE FUCK ARE YOU LAUGHING AT, YOU FAIRYTALE DUMBFUCK?! IS THIS A FUCKING JOKE TO YOU?! Now even the estranged hunter fell silent. Shocked, Ruby's friends glanced at each other with visible concern. - EVERY FUCKING TIME WHEN WE GOT KNEE-DEEP IN SOME SHIT YOU GO TO ME WITH YOU FUCKING QUESTIONS LIKE ATTENTION-STARVED CHILDREN TO THEIR ALCOHOLIC MOTHER! Such words broke through Wiess' stupor, making her huff in outrage: - Ruby! Ruby felt her eyelid twitching. - SHITUBY, DAMMIT! I AM FED WITH YOU DUMB FUCKING QUESTIONS! SO I AM GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT WE'LL DO NEXT! She made a pause to inhale, too brief for anyone to slip even a word amidst her fiery speech. - YOU! - Young huntress pointed Crescent Rose she whiped out from her belt at Weiss, forcing the latter to step back. - AS ALWAYS, YOU'LL BE STANDING AT BACKGROUND WITH PROUD FUCKING FACE DOING BUSYWORK! YOU FUCKING PRINCESS OF DRUNKEN CONCEPTION!!! Weiss almost forgot how to breath from the contempt she felt, let alone muster a word of indignation. - YOU! - Crescent Rose' barrel now faced Jaune, who began to slowly reach for his shield. - YOU RUSTED SHIT!!! YOU'LL BE DOING BUSYWORK TOO, WHILE ANGSTING ABOUT YOUR TRAGIC LOST FRIENDS THAT YOU'VE MISERABLE FAILED TO SAVE! YOU GRIMM-HUMPING SHIT-STAINED BUTTERFINGERS! Jaune whiped out his weapons in an instant, but his angry yell failed to even slow the great rubian verbiage. - YOU TWO! - Unfolded scythe was now sticking towards Blake and Yang. Two girls hugged each other tightly, looking at their friend with terror. - YOU'LL ALSO BUSY YOURSELF WITH BUSYWORK! BECAUSE LICKING EACH OTHER'S WET BEAVERS IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN SAVING THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD! KURWA BUMBLEBEE!!! Tension in the air became so hard and heavy one could've used it to sharpen a blade. Yang jumped in front of her faunus friend, her eyes burning red with frenzy. - How dare you?! - She yelled , failing to stop her sister, who went into a frenzy of her own. With her silver eyes bulging, sputtering like a madwoman and pointing her weapon at everyone, she was ceaselessly screaming insult after insult. - YOU COCKSUCKERS SHOULD GO AND CHOCKE YOURSELVES ON SALEM'S OWN SHIT! WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DECIDE THAT I HAVE TO DECIDE EVERYTHING FOR YOU?! "RUBY, ME POOPIED, WIPE MY BUM-BUM!" YOU HELPLESS DAMN FUCKERS! PARENTAL MISTAKES! VICTIMS OF ABORTION!!! I CAN TAKE A DUMP AND USE IT TO COBBLE UP BETTER FRIENDS THAN YOU! Tension-rich air snapped into violence when Yang's fist flew right at Ruby's face. Scythe-weilding huntress reacted with blitz, bursting through the glade like a red vortex. In an instant, Crescent Rose's sights were upon everyone. - AND YOU KNOW WHAT I'LL DO?! - She pulled her weapon's shutter with a clang. Her movements smooth like breathing, a second-nature for a trained huntress. - I'LL BE CLEARING YOUR MESS AND WIPING YOUR SHIT-STAINED ASSHOLES! I'LL BE DECIDING FOR YOU WHILE YOU BE FUCKING AROUND! BUSY WITH!!! FUCKING!!! BUSYWORK!!! Ruby took a breather, allowing Blake to step forward and interrupt her: - Ruby, please, I know its hard for you... Something snapped in Ruby's heart - perhaps because of those disgustingly stupid banality, perhaps because she grew sick of her own name. She lowered her voice till it was but a whisper, only for it to sky-rocket with fury. - You know? YOU KNOW FUCKING NOTHING, YOU STUPID KITTEN! ADOPTED FUCKING CHILD OF TWO DICKGIRLS! YOU FUCKING FREAK! - She took a deep breath and spat the next word with unfathomable malice. - YOU FAUNUS! That was it - even Blake's tolerance had its limits. With wrathful cry she threw her weapon at Ruby's feet, intended on stranding Ruby who was clearly losing herself to the heat of the moment... Lone shot ranged in the glade of paper forest, and faunus girl fell - twice. In the clearing fell her shadow copy, dissipating on the fly and not even reaching the ground. Several steps back Blake herself sank against the tree with stunned face. Right above her ears, laid down in fear and disbelief, a hole was smoking in cardboard bark. What came next was chaos of shots, screams and frantic movement. With no delay or words exchanged everyone charged at Ruby, wishing only to knock their crazed friend down. But the able huntress swept their attempts under a blanket of precise fire - constantly moving, dodging, changing position, drowning the glade in deluge of bullets and insults alike. - I'LL SHOW YOU! - Two bullets shatter against Weiss' aura, disrupting her attempts at summoning. - WHAT WE'LL DO NEXT! - Another two knock Jaune off Juniper's back, forcing both to seak cover. - EXCUSES OF HUNTERS! - Direct hit at Jang's forehead sends the blonde flying into a tree. - ASSCRACKERS! Tiny, pleading voice of Little rang inches from her ear: - Ruby, please stop! You are scaring me! Huntress' eye twitch. "Rube, please!", "Ruby, do!", "Ruby! RUBY! RUBY!!!" - ENOUGH! ENOUGH! ENOUGH! Silver-eyed girl roared. Her face darted towards the mouse, twisted with mad fury, jaws snapped. At once, all movement ceased and the glade rang with eerie silence. And a small headless body fell from girl's insanely grinning mouth. It made no sound whatsoever when it hit the ground, paper swallowing the impact like a cushion. Everyone froze, hoping that their eyes have suddenly betrayed them. As for the cause of their horror, the crazed huntress simply started to hum a melody under her breath. She spat Little's lifeless head right at player that rested on her belt. With soft beep, digital device sprang to life and started playing random song: Unwilling to live from learning some thing We're being examined by the raw soil Rummaging through the present Thinking everything could've been better Girl's bloody lips stretched into a tranquil smile. She started shaking her head to song's beat in utterly innocent manner. Shrines of select, hidden dead-ends Virtual wastes, mazes and ceilings And keeping the fervent and desperate sleep Speaking over the music, Yang made an unsteady step forward. - R-ruby... - Blonde girl's trembling arm reached for her sister. - I beg you... AH! Switch to the monochrome mode Switch to the monochrome mode Crescent Rose whistled dreadfully, and Yang's last organic arm soared through the air, scarlet dropletts trailing it like a comet's tail. Her aura, weakened by scythe's viscious shots, once again have failed her. Grievously wounded, she dropped to paper-clad ground with a savage scream, and Blake rushed to her side like a gale. The burden of battle now laid with Jaune and Weiss, who doubled Yang's scream with battlecries of their own. They rushed towards their now-enemy, and helping was their goal no longer.   And kill, kill, kill, kill Kill, kill, kill, kill Kill With a broken sword in hand and under his shield's cover, Jaune rode at full speed on his trusted steed - a picture of ancient warrior made flesh. A dangerous target, but far from top-priority - behind him Weiss stood in a circle of glyphs, raising rows of snow-white knights. Unwilling to live from learning some thing We're being observed by the blue skies Being delirious in the present Knowing that yesterday was fabler She-hare covered the distance with but a few long leaps, but Ruby was faster, much faster. When Juniper's powerful paws stroke the earth, filling the air with paper-shreds, her enemy was already aiming at Atlasian huntress. Gathering from shards, highlighting poems Thinning out through shelves, spontaneously turning off And keeping enthusiastic and resolute sleep Weiss didn't have a chance to figure out what happened. Single shot from Crescent Rose stroke her rapier, demolishing chamber filled with fire dust. All sounds in the forest were drowned by heart-rending shriek. Switch to the monochrome mode Switch to the monochrome mode - AAAAAAAAAAA!!! Weiss thrashed, now but a flickering tongue of fire, and instantly fell into her own glyphs. She was propelled through the air, a rocket of screams and flames that peirced through the forest, tearing through the trees and setting them on fire. The flight of doomed huntress was stopped only by colossal origami-oak, in which she stuck like a burning arrow. And kill, kill, kill, kill Kill, kill, kill, kill Kill Accompanied by Weiss' blood-curling screams, flame engulfed the mighty tree, turning it into a funeral pyre. In but a few moments it had reached huntress' dust stash, starting a chain-reaction of elemental explosions. Snapped at its base, paper oak toppled into the forest, sending fire in all directions. From its fiery demise something flew into the glade, emitting stink and smoke - a charred leg, clad in elegant shoe. Unwilling to live from learning some thing Sun is looking upon my oblivion Sleeping in maple grove Believing everything should be more plenty There were no more screams, only roaring of yet far-away flame. It played its red merry tongues against the paper and spred fast and wide. It won't be much time before all the work of paper-folk would become literal ash. Measuring the depth of voluntary graves Suppressing grey hair, conserving my strength And keeping the hopeless and untimely sleep - You've killed her! You crazy beast! With a furious yell Jaune launched a new attack. In unison with him his she-hare growled, racing towards the murderous girl with her horns lowered - to pierce, topple, tear apart! But no matter how much the righteous anger empowered the rider and the steed, they could never catch up to Ruby Rose. Switch to the monochrome mode Switch to the monochrome mode Juniper's next jump was met with Ruby's own dash that turned the girl into a red bullet. Something whistled beneath Jaune and he felt as if was somehow losing his footing. The warrior hit the ground with unbefittingly goofy cry, one that vividly reminded old, near-forgotten times of Beacon. And his faithful Juniper fell to the left and to the right of him. And kill, kill, kill, kill Kill, kill, kill, kill Kill, kill, kill, kill Kill, kill, kill, kill Kill Clad in bloody-red blood-soaked dress, Ruby spun in place like a whirlwind, drops of blood and clinging entrails like a scarlet halo around her tranquil face. With matching swiftness she targeted her former comrade, giving Jaune barely enough time to face her, his eyes wide horror. Shots rang and the armor of rusted metal didn't even slow a torrent of armor-piercing bullets - though its unlikely such antique piece of equipment would've fared better even if it was fresh from the smithy. She emptied whole magazine till the trigger-pull would produce naught but dry clicks, and by then the fabled Rusted Knight was but a memory - shapeless and crimson. Hating since those mandatory dates Those round, square solemn dates She wore bright smile on her face, her silver eyes darting left and right with predatory interest, searching for survivors. Yet they've found only a bloody trail that led deeper into the forest. It didn't upset her at all, on the contrary - filled her blood with the thrill of hunt. Mortally hating those festive dates And kill, and kill all these festive dates - GIIIIIRLS! WHERE ARE YOU!? - Her smile grew inhumanly wide. - THE GAME HAD JUST BEGUN! YOU BRAINLESS WHORES!!! Accelerating, Ruby flew through engulfed forest along the traces of blood scattered on the paper ground. She've found her former friends, pale with fear, right on the next glade, encircled by the fire. All it took was less than a minute - dissappointingly fast. Her blood boiled with unfulfilled fervor. Officially announced, mandated, adored by Nation-wide abided gingerbread festivities Celebrated by everyone on the same day Yang and Blake sat under a tree, crying and shaking with fear. Catgirl's blouse was torn, made into a makeshift bandage that covered blonde's bloody stump. The latter lost any notion of fighting spirit and just let faunus cradle her like a baby. Their former friend was met with eyes shutting in terror and trembling lips uttering incoherent snotty pleadings. - Ruby... Please!.. - Squeked one of them. On the same hour, on the same day On the same hour, on the same day She couldn't even tell who exactly have said that, nor she cared. "Ruby, do!", "Ruby, decide!", "Ruby! RUBY! RUBY!!!". Huntress' face twitched and she addressed her former friends in low voice: - Better than telling you, let me show you what we'll do next. Hating till pride Hating till sanctity Hating till nightly blaze Hating till bestial purity Scythe rose like a banner above fallen huntress' head and went down in wide arc. Glade of paper rang with sounds of slaughterhouse - piercing, dreadful, condemned. Four legs rolled on the ground, painting paper in carmine red - and scythe's weilder had no intention of stopping. Where the frenzied hearing, where the frenzied hearing,  And my impeccability, and my impeccability Strikes rained down and screames reached crescendo before abating into wheezing. Two living stumps writhed, facing each other with their bloody-tortured face, strung together upon Crescent Rose's blade like two butterflies on a needle. Scarlet foam oozed from their trembling mouths to mix into singular cloud in eerie parody of a kiss. The fire-breathing voice, the fire-breathing voice And the guiding fury! And the guiding fury! - ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL?! I'VE MARRIED YOU! YOUR DREAMS HAVE COME TRUE! OR IS IT NOT HOT ENOUGH FOR YOU?! FRET NOT! IT WILL GET BETTER NOW! With this mockery of parting words, Ruby pulled her scythe out and flew like a red bullet on top of only intact tree around. Whole glade was like on a platter before her - the crimson of fire slowly constricting around the crimson of blood like a ring, inside of which two figures writhed, too deformed to resemble humans anymore. Was she seeing things or bloody spots really formed a heart around the pair? And kill, kill, kill, kill Kill, kill, kill, kill Her silver eyes traced the ring of fire. A mere minute and it narrowed into a dot where limbless figures thrashed before their movements came to an eternal stop. Roaring with diabolical laughter so loud it drown out even the flames for a few second, Ruby soared up and away. There was someone else here who she would pay a visit.  - NEO! YOU ARE HERE SOMEWHERE, AREN'T YOU?! DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU DUMB BOSS?! YOU WILL ENVY HIM, NEO! Kill, kill, kill, kill Kill, kill, kill, kill Far away - though what "far away" could mean in the face of someone as fast as Ruby Rose? - lone figure of Neo plowed through the paper undergrowth, tearing it apart. With not enough willpower left in her to maintain them, her illusions were falling off her like pink petals from dying flower, dissipating behind her in a long trail. She came to this forest as an executioner, full of spite and confidence. And now was running away like a prey, wishing from the deepest depth of her heart to get as far from it as possible. Kill! When bullet pierced her leg, Neo didn't scream - couldn't. And neither she ceased her attempts to escape this nightmare, using her parasole as crutch. As if mocking her, the next bullet was aimed right at her trusted weapon, shattering it to peaces. Only then the cruel pursuer shot mute's other leg. Writhing in silent agony, Neo rolled on her back and whiped out the cane of her deceased boss. Simple at first glance, this thing packed a powerful weapon inside, and heterochromic girl pointed it towards the wildfire. But if she wanted to give herself courage, one glance behind made her skin crawl with fear. Kill! A monster was walking towards her, scarier than any creature of Grimm. Like barbaric embelishments entrails hung from her form, glossed over by blood and viscera. A girl no more, but silver-eyed demon from a scary fairytale. If she had any chance to survive this, it was her time to act, and Neo pulled the trigger. But cane in her scared pained hands draw such big and intricate patterns in the air that the rocket fired amidst the forst didn't even hit the forest itself. Incendiary projectile peirced through the air thirthy feet above monster's head, went right through a clearing between two treetops and exploded high in the sky. Returning fire was as precise as it was viscious. Kill! Neo's arms hung limply, shattered by bullets, gaping wounds opened for all the forest to see. The air rich of ash and death hugged her pulsing agonized flesh and splintered bones. But that was the only mercy the former criminal could look forward to. Kill! The monster was upon her, looming like a scarlet shadow. It looked at her inquisitively and began to tinker with its scythe, unhinging its blade part. Confusion was swept aside by primal dread when a pink tongue broke through crimson mask of dried blood that was monster's face to circle the gun's muzzle. For its movements betrayed dark and very carnal intentions behind the act. Kill! In merciless mockery red demon put a finger to its bloodied lips, letting out a quiet sound: - Sh-h-h-h. For the next several endless minutes Neo tried to scream with all the might she could muster. Tried and tried again until she felt a kiss of cold metal against the base of her tongue, and a taste of burnt gunpowder filling her mouth. With a single shot another flower bloomed amidst the blazing forest - this one with red meaty petals. Behind the fallen huntress flames were dancing their last dances. Already consumed all there was to, they were now fighting for scraps, suffocating each other in chorus of subsiding roars. Sitting on the edge of seemingly endless chasm between patchy squares of Ever After, lone girl was busy cleaning blood and viscera from the barrel of her weapon. Hum of melody under her breath and roaring wildfire almost drowned out soft steps behind her back, which were followed by a familiar smooth voice: - I was waiting for you to break in quite awhile. But to be frank, I never thought it would take such... dramatic turn. I can only imagine how painful it must feel for you. Curious Cat purred, rubbing his cheek against girl's blodied side. In utterly cocky manner that was typical of a cat, he crawled in her lap, interrupting her work. Cat looked directly into her eyes and continued: - But worry not - I will help you. You won't have to suffer anymore - I will take your pain away. As well as your body - I am really curious about what lies beyond the Tree. Your world seems so incredibly interesting. You won't mind me doing it, right, Ruby? Face of the fallen huntress began to twitch, and her hand closed around Cat's colorful neck. "Ruby! RUBY! RUBY!!! RUUUUUUUBYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!" Slowly, she turned her face towards confused creature. - I won't mind taking you on board. I also hope you don't mind from which end to enter. Right, Cat? Curious Cat, the most magical and powerful creature in all of Ever After, would've certainly found the words of objection. But alas - the girl holding his neck didn't give him enough time to do so. Perhaps, curiousity can't in fact kill the cat. But it definitely capable of leading said cat to very dark places. Meanwhile, the musical player began to play a new song: Petrovich, start the septic pump... Addendum: of red demons and pale witches. - Mmmmph!!! Tight gag - a lavish black dress in very recent past - muffled woman's rageful cry into a pitiful grunt. Naturally, it did nothing to impress her captor, unless a smirk be considered a sign of impression. Oh, the pompously-pompous Salem! The Dark Goddess, the Witch, the Big One, Her Grace - so many titles and self-importance, so little value. She was now nothing but a pale naked heap, lying at huntress' feet bound and gagged with enchanted power-blocking restrains. - The Jinnie said that you are immortal. - Scythe-weilding girl almost sung these words. While doing so, she played with the severed head of Tyrian whose dead lips forever stuck in silent scream. - But I am sure we'll find a bypass to get under your skin. She nodded towards closed doors of dark castle's annex - sturdy building that looked somewhat similar to a barn or a stable. It was a source of high-pitched screams and howls of agony, so terrible that even bound dark sorceress felt her blood freezing. Then, screams have reached crescendo only to be completely drowned in triumphal bestial roar. Full of unnatural malice, its source would be recognized in a snap by any inhabitant of Remnant - creature of Grimm. - How would have thought that Grimm-pheromones exist? - Said the girl, giggling with disarmingly innocent look. It dissonated with surrounding madness so completely it made Salem's skin crawl. - That lab of yours sure came in handy. Good thing Cinder volunteered for the testing. Who knows - perhaps she would discover a new way to breed those creatures! Mad laughter shattered the air - and the mask of innocence the fallen huntress wore. It gave Salem strength - her captor seemed to be a mere madwoman, most likely struggling to keep herself together. She just have to wait till huntress' broken mind would fail her - one mistake and a lot of patience on witch's part is all it gonna take... - Ha-ha-ha! By the way, did you realy thought I won't figure it out? - Silver eyes darted towards Salem and smile crept across girl's face, like a crack sipping insanity. - I know your plan - you think I'll immediately drag you to that old shed so you could command Grimm there to tear me apart? This time eruption of laughter did not gave Salem even a semblance of hope. Mad huntress came over her like a bird of prey, whispering into her pale ear in mockingly-confidential manner: - Let me tell you what we'll do next. You are probably wondering why I dragged those two boats all the way here? Girl pointed to the side, where two boats of the most mundane variety lied - small, perhaps just for two, made of hard wood with solid worksmanship. Sometimes, Salem used one of them to sail in the nearby lake to relax away from her castle and her ceaseless schemes. Sorceress had no clue as to what ends her crazed captor needed it. As if her thoughts were written on her pale face, girl answered them: - Next I will place you between these boats. Do not worry - you won't suffocate. I've left a hole for your head to hand outside, see? Indeed - two half-circles were sawed through both flat sterns. Salem was still yet to understand the meaning of this, but now there were thoughts worming through her mind - both insistant and unpleasant. Something vague, a distant memory of a memory from a world long gone, destroyed by its wrathful creators. A story she once heard - of far-away lands, cruel tyrants and their cruel punishments. It felt connected to her predicament in ways she couldn't comprehend yet. Witch grunted once more when her captor dragged her towards the boats with surprising strength, scratching her pale skin on the way. She was thrown inside without single care, like a bag of potatoes, and her ribs felt every wooden nook and cranny. Crazed huntress wasted no time, adding several new restraints - now Salem laid with her neck against the semi-circular shape, motionless. She tried her bounds - they didn't budge even a little, leaving her utterly helpless. - Mmph mph mph mmmph?! Salem grunted her outrage through the gag, fruitlessly demanding an answer. A keen ear could've picked new emotion in her voice - and its owner probably wouldn't have believed it, considering woman's status and power. Coming from immortal and inhumanly powerful witch was uneasiness - no, first signs of anxiety even. Meanwhile, Huntress smiled to her prisoner and grabbed a big jar from behind one of the boats. Without delay or even a word of explanation she poured its contents all over Salem's pale naked body. Honey, good fresh honey, viscous yet still runny, yet to caramelize even an iota. Memories of ancient tyrants from bygone world wormed through witch's memories anew - but how on bastard-Gods' Remnant the two could be connected?! However, her bewilderment didn't last for long . Still silent, crazed girl poured in the second jar. And its contents dotted each and every 'i' for the bound and helpless witch. Dotted in the most horrifying way possible. This time it wasn't honey, far from it. Worms, slugs, maggots and bugs - each and every crawling little thing imaginable rained down on her restrained form. They crawled, wriggled and prodded against every single inch of her pale skin, which glistened with oh so sweet honey - and the sorceress felt their every single movement. Now she understood madwoman's plan in all its sadistic horror - with unwanted and dreadful clarity. Understood, and howled through the gag, demanding the cease this madness at once. Yet her only response was a finger against the lips and a soft sound: - Sh-h-h-h! Salem had no intention to follow such mocking directions, but now her defiance was avoid of any real weight. The second boat was placed atop of the first, trapping her defenseless naked body in private with countless hungry vermins. She howled into the gag non-stop, now curses and insults instead of demands, but saw only huntress' crimson cape moving away. All the while her castle rang with Cinder's desperate screams. Lastly, the girl who got the castle's former mistress into this terrible predicament glanced over her shoulder. - Worry not - I promise I'll be back soon. - Girl raised her gaze thoughtfully for a moment, before returning it towards her prisoner. - Lets say... In two weeks or so. Eyes of silver and eyes of scarlet met for a moment that felt like an eternity for Salem. Witch fell silent, whole weight of girl's words falling down upon her, crushing her, pushing her helpless body deeper into a nightmare made of thousands of slithering, skittering little legs. Two weeks... The fallen huntress' lips curled into fittingly nightmarish, inhumanly wide smile. Salem, dark mistress of all the Grimm, the greatest enemy of mankind and the strongest being in the whole world... Let out a strangled howl, her widening eyes glowing with pure terror. It was of such intensity that she could bet the witch had just wet her wooden prison. - Oh, do not make such a fuss! Save your strength, if you value your sanity - you will be staying here for a while! - Mad laughter erupted once more, drowning out all other noises. - Anyway, we'll talk later - if you won't forget how to speak by that time! And then I'll let you earn yourself nice and warm place in that shed. Salem could do nothing but howl even louder in response - first pair of small mandibles has found her flesh. - Mmph! Mmmmmmph! MMMMMMPH!!! A very, very tender flesh indeed. Whistling a cheerful song under her nose, girl pulled at castle's doors. She swept through the spaceous hallway like a whirlgig, gleefully spinning with such a force that the hem of her skirt rose horizontally. - Kiiittyyy! - She said with faux affection. - Do you like our world yet? The fallen huntress felt something move deep inside her. Such a strange feeling - she still couldn't grasp whether or not it was coming from withing her body, or existed solely inside her head. - P-please... - Familiar voice of the fairytale creature has long lost its playful tone and now sounded dull and grey. - ...let me go, Ru... He checked himself in a flash, sensing that his now-mistress tensed up - a mistake that no one should ever commit. Next moment, Curious Cat screamed inside the girl - oh, how often he did so. Poor being who became the prisoner of his own abilities - inside the body could be only one master and Cat failed to become one. He fled Ever After not wishing to be a plaything of distant and indifferent gods - and becamse a plaything of cruel goddess with whom he was now intimately close. A goddess who now governed over his very soul with the same ease and cruelty with which she governed over her nightmarish phantasies. Among those he was a common and hapless guest. For a long time now her envied her victims, because his own nature robbed him of the release he longed for. He could find it neither in death, nor in madness, spare for an impossibility dream of his mistress ever letting him go. - Don't be such a pouty kitty. - Purred the huntress, her face breaking into a satisfied grin. - Lets go visit our friend Cinder. After all, friends shouldn't leave each other for long. Her boots clicked against the marble floor on the way to the stables. And from inside her rose a single tortured cry.