Fea didn't know why she had saved the girl [https://em.wattpad.com/a2b191d7c902007a998d283baf267da743330879/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f567978426c594b35714f6d6538513d3d2d3331313838343239322e3134373464333264386435333662303835303235393935383930392e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Fea didn't know why she had saved the girl. Maybe it was because they had the same face? She couldn't stand the sight of her crying either, because it somehow made Fea feel weak, too. Maybe it was this other presence, this feeling, this something that drew Fea to her like a moth to the flame. At first, she figured it was just a ripe reservoir of divinity that led her to this apartment. But there could be much more between her and this other girl than just a matching face it seems.
Fea grabs the girl's wrist and pulls her toward the window. She isn't sure whether the woman in white is gone, or if she'll attack again. Fea's feet are already perched on the windowsill when three other girls barge into the room. She pulls her corvid themed mask over her face, hiding her identity. One of the girls, the one with blue hair and red eyes, looks at the dead body. She doesn't stare the deceased for long before looking to Fea's doppelganger. Finally, the girl looks at Fea herself. Once the initial shock seems to pass, the girl bellows. Fea feels the howl flutter through her feathers, ruffling the plumage. She recognizes a subtle twitch in one of the girl's eyes. Fea smirks, knowing she's forced the girl's anger to the surface. It would be too hard for anyone else to notice the red glaze over her crimson eyes, but Fea understood. There are no words exchanged before the girl hurls a hammer in their direction.
"Look out!" her double yells, then yanks them out the window. Fea sees the hammer clip the girl's shoulder as they both fall.
It should have been easy, but signs of life in the area dissuaded Fea from claiming the territory as her own at first [https://em.wattpad.com/352fa0c5d92fe90706780e8a07774f7272ad2890/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f68664738377435585773723141513d3d2d3331313838343239322e313437346366636638313965386136393530373935383030363639372e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
It should have been easy, but signs of life in the area dissuaded Fea from claiming the territory as her own at first. She usually surveys an areas occupants to see if they'd put up a fight or if just dropping her title would be enough. Once that's determined she could strike. The same plan as always. Force the inhabitants to their knees and make them swear their loyalty to her. With their loyalty, she'd add yet another domain to her growing map of territory.
Not every run can be so perfect, though. Fea's been to countless other apartments and stolen plenty of stuff just fine before. Maybe overconfidence made her sloppy this time? Fea looks at her double, who's running a hand along her injured shoulder. She's the reason this all went to hell. Fea could cut her losses and run away now. It's obvious the girl in the apartment wanted a fight even before Fea encouraged her to make a move. It's the logical thing to do, and Fea likes to think she's got a good head on her shoulders. Yet, there's a feeling she gets from the girl at her side that keeps stopping her. Despite the whimpering, the trembling, and the innocent looking eyes, Fea can't deny it. She's drawn to the other girl and needs her loyalty for some strange reason.
"Keep movin' forward. It'll be the first town. You can't miss it," Fea says to the lookalike. She is an annoying little thing with the way her tears keep running down her face and how she whimpers into her hands. It's more annoying than it should be because she looks like Fea, but without a single ounce of Fea's strength or grit. It had been sickening to see, the way she had buckled when she saw his blood, how she fell to her knees and trembled. Hadn't she seen that kind of shit before? They don't exactly live in the safest of worlds, after all. Whatever, it was none of Fea's business...at least, not yet.
"O-okay," the girl says with a weak little sound. Is she still whining? Fea grits her teeth and pinches the bridge of her nose. Whatever she's doing, it aggravates Fea. "C-can't we talk to them? They're my friends and t-they'll understand." The girl rubs her shoulder again. That hammer must have gotten her good. "B-besides...Jesus, I need to..he's..I need to go back and-" With an exasperated groan, Fea helps the girl to her feet.
"Your friend is dead. You saw it yerself didn't ya? Then, without so much as a question, that bitch threw a hammer at me. So what the hell do you want me ta do? I'm not exactly keen on talkin' it out with her. She wants a fight, so I'll give her a damn fight," Fea deadpans. She doesn't want to have to repeat herself.
"But she's my-" Really, the girl is trying to reason with Fea once again? Isn't it clear how over this she is?
"I. Don't. Care." Fea glares at her other, weaker self. "That look in your friend's eyes, when she threw the hammer at me. Have you ever seen that before?"
The lookalike glances to Fea then looks away and shakes her head just a tiny bit.
"That's what I thought." Fea sighs and shakes her head. "She wanted to kill me back there. Had you not intervened, I don't know what would have happened." Fea is lying, but she does it with so much ease, she's sure her gullible other half will believe her. Her crimson hair sways to one side as she tilts her head in the girl's direction.
"You can feel our bond is strong, can't you? Now that we've come together we shouldn't part. Do you really think someone who wanted to kill me without any hesitation is the kind of friend you want?" Rolling her shoulders, Fea begins bouncing on the balls of her feet, pumping herself up for the upcoming fight. There's no doubt the girls from the apartment are on their way. "Besides, I saw the look on your face when you came into the room. Something was bothering you. So between that, your friend's berserk button, and your other friend getting wasted, I don't feel that apartment is going to be a safe place for you anymore. So..." Fea looks at her and emphasizes each of her next words with a point forward. "Get. Yer. Ass. Movin'."
They stand there, staring at each other through Fea's mask. The girl's soft sapphire eyes look as though they're searching Fea's for something. Fea's gaze flits away. Several moments drag by and Fea coughs.
"Well?" Her doppelganger lets out a tiny little sigh as she looks up at Fea. Their eyes meet again, but this time Fea stays resolute. "Trust me, alright? I've been down this road with people...with friends, time an' time again. It'll hurt fer now, but eventually-"
"Okay." Well look at that, the whiny bitch finally complies! Thank whatever deities are responsible for that. The girl looks at Fea for another moment. Without warning, she turns into a crow and flies off in the ordered direction. Well okay then, she can shapeshift, too. Duly noted. The similarities between the two seem to be growing every minute.
Fea hears the earth shifting behind her, and what sounds like trees coming down in the distance. Once her double is gone, Fea looks over her shoulder and confirms her suspicions. Damn, those bitches are coming up fast. There's a grin growing on Fea's face that she can't fight. If she isn't careful she'll make herself stupid with excitement. Can't be sloppy about doing her job.
But Judging from the likes of her whiny doppelganger, these girls shouldn't be much to deal with. She'll make quick work of them, then get them to buckle and swear their fealty to her in...ten minutes, she bets. With the thought of all the divinity she can get from them, the other patrons of the apartment and her double, Fea's mouth starts to water.
And there they are, emerging from a dust cloud after tearing down several trees in their path, which is totally unnecessary in her opinion. Fea looks them over carefully when they all stop before her. They all have pretty solid stances overall, which means they should at least know how to fight.
The girl with the twin braids and the hammer stands front and center. Tch, this bitch, she didn't even try to get Fea's name or ask what she was doing there before attacking. She just saw that dead asshole and assumed Fea must have done it. Doesn't she know how much of a waste that would have been? Yeah, Fea could have killed him and stolen his divinity, but fealty is so much better. It gives her a lackey who can then go around and collect even more divinity for her, so why waste a perfectly good subordinate? She'd be sure to instill that lesson in this girl once she made a slave out of her.
Given their positions, the blue haired girl must be their leader or at least the most aggressive of them. She stands there staring at Fea with this cold little look. Is that supposed to be intimidating? Fea's not expecting a smile, but at least give her a good hard glare. It'd make sense especially considering the girl thinks Fea murdered her friend and all.
There's a green haired mummy to the girl's right who drops a sarcophagus down at her side. Just a shot in the dark, but Fea guesses that's her weapon. Her eyelids look heavy and she can't seem to raise her arms so Fea doubts she'll be much of an asset to the others in combat.
Last on her radar is the curvy purple haired girl. Fea doesn't know why she's smiling like that, but maybe it's an attempt at a show of confidence. She looks rather casual all things considered. Crossed arms and a cocked hip don't worry Fea much. It's such an obvious ruse. Maybe if Fea was new to this she'd actually think the girl had left herself open.
"Okay, before ye' all do something yer gonna regret, I thought I should at least make my case first," Fea says with a confident smirk. She plans to make a big to do out of showing them she isn't afraid. She's fought and beaten much bigger foes. Though she might not want judge a book by its cover at this point, given her own success rate. "I didn't kill yer friend. This lady in white just appeared and-"
"What the hell did you do to me back there?" The girl with the braids steps forth. "I had no inclination to attack, but then I saw you and... I saw nothing but red." She raises her hammer and shakes her head, as though trying to clear her mind. "Where's Ana?" she asks, voice flat.
"Ana? Yer talkin' about the other girl who was in that room?" The girl steps forward again, her hammer still pointed in Fea's direction.
"Return her to me. Now," she orders, deadpan. Fea chuckles.
"Wow, y'don't sound very motivated. Is she really that important to you? I sure as hell can't tell."
She gives no answer, just narrows her crimson eyes at Fea. Fea's eyes bounce back to the other two and it looks like the purple one moved while Fea was focused on that hammer. The mummy is still in the same spot, at least, so that's good. Fea needs to keep track of all their movements, so she can't let her guard down for even a second.
"So y'don't even care that what's-his-face was just straight up murdered? Wow, that's a surprise, seein' how mad ya looked before over there," she goads them, before quickly changing topics. "So yer friend's name is Ana." Fea taps her chin in a mocking manner. "Yeah, Ana seems pretty torn up about the whole thing. Maybe yer just playin' it cool then. Y'know, if it hurts, you can let it out." Fea pauses and shakes her head after a moment.
"Fer someone who claims to care so much about Ana, y'had no problem hurting her, y'know. Yer reckless behavior with that hammer a' yours is causin' her a lotta pain. If just grazing her did that much damage, just imagine what would'a happened if ye actually hit her with it. Ye'd prolly be cleanin' Ana off the walls, just like that other guy," Fea laughs. "Maybe she's safer with me, then, away from people who throw weapons at her. Can you believe how she reacted when she saw death? Just how coddled has she been? It's pathetic... You guys have been raising a complete coward. A coward with my face." Fea narrows her eyes. "Do ye know how offensive that is? So yeah, maybe I'll keep her. I'll whip her into shape fer sure."
There it is, the first reaction. For the briefest of moments, The hammer toting girl's stoic stare falters. There's no denying it, Fea catches that subtle twitch of her eye. It's time to make the offer.
"Look, I'll cut ye a deal. You obviously call the shots 'round here and ye look smart enough. I'll give Ana back, and maybe even offer my help in avenging yer other friend. Ye just have to do one thing fer me." Sporting a cheeky grin, Fea wags a finger at the three girls.
Hammer girl seems to remain resolute and refuses to lower her weapon. Her impassive eyes lock on Fea's corvid mask. Maybe it's time for the big reveal, then.
"Swear fealty to me. All of ya. Give me dominion over that apartment building and all who reside in it. I'm only gonna make you this offer once. And ya don't wanna get on the bad side of Morrigan, the Phantom Queen." As Fea finishes speaking, she pulls her mask back, revealing her face to her opponents. As always, Fea relishes the moment and anticipates their reactions.
Only one of the girls so much as blinks. The hammer toting Aesir's cold stare melts away as her lips part. Something escapes her; a gasp, a sigh, a whimper? Maybe it's the news that she's the Phantom Queen? The reality of the situation setting in faster for her than the others who might doubt Fea's claim based on her short stature. Then again, it might be something else. It could be that her face resembles that of 'Ana' so closely. Whatever the case, she's definitely psyched out their leader. So this should work to her advantage.
A faint "Oh look." rises up from one of the girls, the mummy. "It's Ana." The mummy turns to the other two. "Look. I found Ana. We can go home now."
"No," the Aesir responds. "That definitely isn't her." Her determined look returns. Her eyes narrow and focus on Fea, and she hears the sound of leather giving in under a tightening grip. Whatever shook the Aesir has passed.
Fea tries to hide her own surprise but might've done a terrible job. Her own confident expression contorts into one of disbelief. Granted, it does make some sense. They'd all grown accustomed to her face through Ana, so of course, when they see Fea they don't see The Phantom Queen, but their little friend instead.
"That's annoying," Fea sighs under her breath.
The purple haired one starts chuckling. Did she notice Fea falter? Fea looks over to check, only to see a haughty expression on the girl's face and a smirk curling on her lips.
"So that's your weakness, hm? Your pride? Adorable." She speaks in a refined manner, as though she's better than everyone, and boy, is that annoying. As that final word passes her lips, the purple haired girl's image then fades from sight. In her place is a mere spear, rusted over and stabbed deep into the ground. Inwardly, Fea begins to panic. This was some sort of bait and switch? An illusion? When did the change happen?!
Fea looks back to see the girl with the hammer charging towards her. Fea only then notices how defenseless she is. Fea's eyes widen as she sees the girl go for an uppercut with the hammer. They lock eyes, cold sapphire, and hot crimson meeting. Just before the hammer can connect with Fea's body, though, her opponent spins, instead delivering a kick to Fea's stomach. Fea was completely open, and she wouldn't have survived the full force of that swing, she can tell that much. The girl had spared her, though not out of kindness. If she dies, they might never find their friend, after all.
Fea goes careening through several trees before hitting the ground and skidding to a stop. It takes a moment, but she does manage to stand. She's covered in bruises and cuts now, but her injuries begin to heal on their own, and she gets to her feet. Off in the distance, obscured by a mixture of the blanket of night and several thickets of treetop foliage, Fea sees something glowing. It ignites like a flame, a cool blue that pierces the darkness. It moves toward Fea slowly, malevolently.
Fea braces herself when she hears the hammer girl's voice from the darkness.
"For a moment there you might've actually had me going." She steps out into Fea's view, her left eye surrounded by the same blue flame.
"However," whispers the girl with the hammer. "Now that I've gotten a good look, I can see right through you."
"Oh yeah," Fea shouts back, balling her hands into fists. "That was a pretty lucky hit! Crazier shit has happened in a three on one fight before!" Fea hikes a thumb underneath her nose. Even if she's impressed, she can't let her confidence waver, not again.
"At this point, you're quickly exhausting any potential options you might have had earlier." The girl tilts her head to the side as she speaks, as though sizing Fea up with that fiery eye of hers but not really caring what she finds in the end. "You've given Ana orders to run to one of your domains. There are a lot of branching possibilities, but given how you've handled yourself so far, I'm going to assume you chose the simplest path." She points her hammer at Fea as she makes her guess. "She's in the closest domain you can reach on foot from here."
Fea remains calm, exhales, and tries to keep the smirk on her face. She's about to speak when the hammer girl continues.
"So then." The hammer girl steps forward. "Are you going to comply? Give me Ana and leave her alone. And don't come back."
"Yer reverse psychology is terrible. That's only makin' me want her more. She's got my face and obviously, there's somethin' special about her if you're workin' this hard to get her back."
One of the girl's hands runs along a dangling blue braid. She has a detached beauty, cold and untouchable like she knows she's beautiful and couldn't care less. Her words are just as icy and creep from her mouth like bugs drawn to light at dusk.
"Oh, Midgard," she laments. "This realm sure does collect idiots at an alarming rate." She shakes her head, her braids whipping about. "Only an idiot would view people solely by their potential value and worth. That will lead you straight down the most probable path to complete and utter loneliness. Ana isn't someone special because of what she can do, but because of who she is. She is someone precious to me. I must get her back at any cost."
Fea can't help but snicker at the way these girls wear their hearts on their sleeves. They may all be older, but Fea's sure none of them could have lasted a day in her shoes. The world's much too harsh to grow so attached to a single person.
"Wanna know the difference between a fool and an idiot?"
The hammer girl arches a thin eyebrow. Fea appears behind her in an instant, no doubt alarming the other girl with her speed.
"The dumber of the two actually think there's a difference!" Fea drives an elbow back towards the hammer girl's head. Hammer girl reacts quicker than Fea expects, though, sending an upturned palm back and catching the attack. Both girls spin in toward one another. Their knees meet in another clash, and even in that quick exchange Fea can feel her bones nearly vibrating from the force of the impact. She had assumed their strength would be evenly matched given their similar builds, but this girl is clearly stronger. Much stronger. Fea throws a punch. Her opponent raises her hammer just in time, and Fea's fist slams into it full force. A shock wave of electricity fires off from the girls, leveling several rows of trees and splintering the ground beneath them.
Fea uses the newly formed debris to her advantage and begins kicking any nearby boulders she can reach towards the girl. They go flying toward her opponent, but all meet the same fate at the end of her blunt weapon.
Whatever, it was just supposed to keep her busy while Fea transformed anyway. A thick coat of black feathers start to cover Fea's arms and legs. As her arms become wings her legs contort and morph into razor-sharp talons. In this new harpy form, Fea takes to the sky.
Any other day Fea wouldn't run away from a fight this early, but the purple-haired girl had disappeared a while ago and was probably trying to catch up to Ana [https://em.wattpad.com/4e6d1cc2ed210f22ee48fe010e49751b7485c01b/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5633574f365339536c6d4a6641513d3d2d3331313838343239322e313437346433333635616566343138653730393233373130353530382e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Any other day Fea wouldn't run away from a fight this early, but the purple-haired girl had disappeared a while ago and was probably trying to catch up to Ana. A thought bullets through her mind- why not just let Ana go with them? They are obviously her friends, so she'd be happiest with them. Another thought soon dashes the previous one away, though.
Not everyone can be happy.
Now resolute, Fea prepares to fly off in the direction she sent Ana when she hears the hammer girl's voice.
"Kebechet, now!"
A gust of wind rockets by Fea, spinning her around in the process. Fea looks down and sees that the mummy's positioning has finally changed. She's standing atop a nearby tree now, the sarcophagus still at her side. Fea wonders how the mummy got into position without her noticing. Perhaps she's been waiting since her earlier tussle with the hammer girl, the green of her hair having camouflaged her until now. Whatever the case, she's in the perfect position to knock Fea out of the sky.
Whatever the case, she's in the perfect position to knock Fea out of the sky [https://em.wattpad.com/d7ecc3b25a6c0f464e209ac72c4bfe460a6b2996/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4e736834376e58657162524c43513d3d2d3331313838343239322e313437346433336239363566666664393739393936353935333031302e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
"Okay, Throoth."
When given the order, the mummy, apparently named Kebe-whatever, lightly kicks the sarcophagus, causing it to shoot open. Bandages that seem to extend on forever shoot from the open sarcophagus. They rocket toward Fea, and, and she's unable to avoid them in time. She ends up entangled in the wrappings, looking back to see Kebechet give one forceful tug on the bindings.
"Shit!" Fea curses as Kebechet yanks her from the sky. Fea thrashes against her the wrappings, but they're so tight around her she can't flap her wings at all. She lets out a small cry as she slams down into the trees below. A sturdy branch breaks her fall, though it leaves her aching. Fea writhes about, trying to free herself because it won't be long before they're on her again.
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Fea's feathers start to ruffle of their own accord, which isn't exactly helping - that's it! She takes a moment to concentrate, altering her feathers so they're as sharp as knives. Now she's able to shred herself free with a simple spin. In a flash Fea returns to her regular form, a few wraps still draping her while she picks herself up. Without wasting any time, Fea scrambles and up a tree and begins hopping from branch to branch. Not wanting to confront the hammer girl directly, Fea tries using the leaves as camouflage the best she can. Fea hears trees collapsing behind her now, alerting her that they're still on her tail. Focusing on a point far ahead, Fea speeds up. She's flown through these trees hundreds of times, so she knows all the shortcuts and the best ways to lose someone in this forest. The girls are outmatched, and she'll be fine. She has to be.
"It's like that bitch knows what I'm going to do before I do. Am I really that predictable? Who the hell is she?" Fea wonders aloud. By now she's traversed miles in just under a minute. As she lands on the next tree branch she notices something that makes her blood run cold. There's a spear stabbed into the tree she's standing on. She glances around and notices spears pierced into every branch and tree in the surrounding area. From deep within the forest, she hears the same haughty laugh from earlier. Each spear glows briefly before detonating in a small, powerful blast, one after another in a steadily growing chain reaction. On reflex alone, Fea throws up her arms but knows in the back of her mind that she can't take all this damage unscathed. The massive force of the golden explosions sends Fea blasting through the trees. Along the way, Fea collides with branches before they burn to ash in the flames of the attack. One after another the spears explode, until there isn't much left to the forest but a smoldering crater, and a heavily damaged Fea lying in the center of it.
"Dammit." Fea coughs and tries to pick herself up but to no avail. Her body just isn't ready to get up yet. The sound of footsteps snaps Fea's attention over her shoulder. She sees the purple haired girl walking towards her at a relaxed pace. The girl comes to a stop at Fea's side and peers down at her, looking like she's hardly out of breath. Fea's wounds start to heal once more, so the moment she feels up to the challenge of moving, she attempts to sweep out the other girl's legs. As her leg comes in contact with the other girl, however, her image fades, turning out to be just another spear. Hitting that spear causes several more to rain down from above, stabbing around Fea's body and into her clothing, locking her in place. The last spear just misses her head, stopping just shy of her right cheek. One drop of blood squeezes out before it heals.
The purple haired girl finally makes her true appearance, or so it seems until proven otherwise. She lands right on top of the spear closest to Fea's head and speaks in a soft tone as if Fea is a small child.
"Your tenacity is quite fearsome." She steps down from the spear and crouches near Fea, leaning in toward her. There's an amused smile on her face, as though she finds Fea funny. "But it's dangerous when mixed with such reckless pride. From now on, consider the possibility that you can be outmatched."
"I was outnumbered!" Fea spits [https://em.wattpad.com/248aeac9dae6ae172d8b7983a12c986f85abf70c/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f773437774579556e6a4f554551513d3d2d3331313838343239322e313437346430306464363737333138303337333036303138343738352e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
"I was outnumbered!" Fea spits. "Enough with the damn possibilities already! It's gettin' really annoying!"
"Lesson number two: a loss is a loss, regardless of the circumstances." She waves a finger as though she's reprimanding Fea like a naughty student who refuses to listen. Who the hell does this bitch think she is, talking down to her like this? "Someone out to take your life isn't going to be listening to excuses when their knife is at your throat."
The purple haired girl's head tilts just a touch to the right, her hair swishing back and forth behind her. There's nothing but mercy in her deep gray eyes. Fea scoffs. So the girl is smart enough to trap her but hadn't made any demands, nor even a motion to finish the job. These girls must not know the first thing about survival. They aren't like Fea, then, they haven't seen what she's seen. They don't know what she's been through, what anyone like her has been through.
"Now just take it easy," the purple haired girl whispers, holding a hand out towards one of her spears, as though she's going to free Fea. "We just want to ask you some questions. All we want to know is what happened to our friend back at the apartment, and where our other friend is. That's it."
"Well, the first one is dead," Fea starts boldly. "And yer other friend is somewhere else. There, how's that for answerin' yer questions?"
The girl's perfect looking, unscratched digits touch one of the spears and the whole mess of them start to contort in a flash of brilliant golden hued energy. They shift and bend and constrict until they form a cage that surrounds Fea. The girl sighs as she stands up, dusts herself off, then sits atop the cage.
"You may look like Ana, but while she's sweet as candy, you seem completely sour." At this point all Fea can see is the girl's legging-clad limbs swinging back and forth from between the bars.
Now that the spears aren't sticking her to the ground, Fea can escape. Sure, the bars are much too small for her to get through, but that's only given her current size and shape. Fea inches towards the bars, crawling on all fours, but just as she reaches out, she hears the girl's voice again.
"Why is that? Has something happened to you?" The spear girl's question dances through the air, and it stops Fea in her tracks. A brief thought comes to mind. Eyes dull with hatred and hands balled into fists. There's blood, blood everywhere. They're mostly bleeding from the head, and she looks down at her hands, covered with the same substance. Once a memory, now a nightmare.
"Athena!" The hammer girl's voice brings Fea back to herself. Fea acts quickly, ducking down and crawling forward as her body begins to change. Muscles move out of the way for bone as they shift into new, drastically different positions. Her mass shrinks and dark hairs sprout from all over her pale skin. Fea, now a rat, is small enough to escape her makeshift prison. She scurries forward, slipping through the bars with ease.
"Get out of the way," she hears the hammer girl command as she's leaving the cage. "I need to get a good look at her to know what she'll do next."
Fea's tiny rat hairs stand up on end, and a quick look over her shoulder grants her the sight of all three girls just now noticing she's getting away. Tiny squeaks of laughter come from the rat as she hears the beginnings of an argument building among the girls. Using this to her advantage, Fea scurries out of sight behind boulders and debris left over from the recent explosions, trying to find her way through tiny crevices towards freedom.
"You couldn't sense her moving around in your cage?" Hammer girl starts while shoving the spear-toting one. "Why would you ever take your eyes off her? Did you deserve a break with all that strenuous running you did?" she scoffs.
"Don't give me that!" spear girl snaps back. "I'm the one who captured her. You, even with your fancy flaming eye, let her get away!"
"I let her get away because I foresaw you catching her later!"
"But you didn't foresee me letting her get away? I guess, like with everything else, you can choose what you see and what you don't, hm!?" The argument, the conflict, the building strife in that moment sends pleasurable ruffles through Fea's fur. If things are going to get this juicy, she doesn't think she wants to leave after all.
"You should have kept your eyes on her!" hammer girl argues. The spear babe scoffs.
"You shouldn't have taken your eyes off her either!"
"Athena. Throoth." The mummy's sterile voice eases through the air around them. "She's getting away. Don't we still need to catch her?"
Fea's eyes widen. Her abilities hadn't worked on the mummy. It's tempting to stay around and feed on the thick tension between the girls. But with their attention turned on her again the anger she's stoked in them is now a danger to her rather than a boon and that's not a pleasant feeling at all.
Fea makes it several feet away in rat form before changing back into a girl. There's one more quick look sent back, so she can see all three girls behind her: Throoth, Athena and...K- Kah- Kee- ...the mummy. Shit, they're closing in again. With no hesitation, Fea transforms once more, returning to bird form and taking to the sky.
They're chasing her now, she can hear them. The forest sounds like it's crumbling behind her from the force of their anger as they try to follow her. That anger was all their own now because there's no way her powers could still work on them from this far away. They want her bad this time. Even if it's just for "questioning," the way they care about that other girl, Ana, makes it clear they'll hurt Fea plenty just to get their friend back.
There is one last thing she can do, however, because fighting the three of them just isn't an option. Fea starts swooping about the sky, flapping with more force than necessary. On occasion, she dips through the trees, causing some of her feathers to fall behind her. Each feather left behind comes to form a trail she hopes the other girls will follow.
The chase doesn't last long before Fea lures them right where she wants them: her own domain. It's a deserted old town that's barely standing, with black feathers coating everything. It's here that Fea chooses to land, hiding among the many piles of debris. She glances past an overturned streetlight to see the three girls stop just feet away from her hiding place, violent intent emanating from them.
"Does anything look familiar Throoth? Did you see any of this in your vision?" Athena asks while peeking around the corner of some single floor building that didn't even make an effort to stay standing.
They all look aimless as they walk around. On occasion, they reach out and touch buildings then squint into alleyways for clues. The mummy is the only one who looks at home in this kind of desolate place. The other two look uneasy.
"Kind of," Throoth responds in a near whisper. "The last look I got of her was a mere glimpse. I just saw the direction she headed in, but there was that trail of feathers anyway. So I'm almost certain she's here." Throoth sighs and reaches up to stroke one of her long braids again, finding comfort in the habit. "We have to be careful when she's around. She did something to my mind before, she made me want to attack her as soon as I walked into the room. I don't know, she just- She made me see red, actual red. While I was like that I couldn't even think about figuring out who she was or where she came from. I just wanted to attack." Throoth exhales and brushes a hand through her bangs. "I...I could have hurt Ana."
"Hey," Athena coos. "Don't beat yourself up. Even you can't see everything coming. Now come on, let's keep looking for Ana." Athena reaches down and gingerly picks up one of the feathers between her fingers.
"Cheeky," Athena scoffs, examining the feather curiously. "A warning?" She casts a quick look over her shoulder before tossing the feather aside. Fea can see her domain through each feather throughout the town. It's her own personal surveillance system. They aren't just on the ground outside but on and in every tumbled building as well. "Looks like Ana's little duplicate gave us the slip at some point. But now I'm really wondering about that spell she cast on you, Throoth." Athena rubs her chin in thought. "I couldn't feel that much divinity radiating from her. It doesn't seem like she should have been able to cast spells." She looks in Throoth's direction again. "You really didn't see any of that coming?" Throoth looks at Athena and pushes one of her braids over a shoulder.
"In combat, I only have time to search out the most effective immediate solutions. I wasn't able to see this far ahead. She got out of my range of vision anyway." Her crimson eyes begin to narrow. "By the time I did show up to see what she could do, there was no way any of us could avoid it. It happened once. But it will not happen again."
Fea scans all her territory while she has the chance and tries not to smile, though it's impossible not to bare her little fangs. Ana isn't even here.
"Ana?!" Throoth calls out after taking several hesitant steps forward. "Ana, are you here? Can you hear me? We're here! We've come to take you home! That girl won't hurt you anymore!" Throoth leaps up onto one of the stable buildings. Maybe she thinks the height can help her find where Ana might be hiding? How funny.
Fea snickers as she finally steps out from her hiding place. Athena and the mummy see her right away, good.
"I found Ana." Kebechet points at Fea and looks at her comrades, then slowly back to Fea before realizing what's going on and lowering her hand. "Oh. You are not Ana. Sorry."
"Oh look, it's our little friend again," Athena says, crossing her arms and turning to face Fea. "Is there something we should know about?" Fea just shakes her head and grins in the direction of the violet-haired godling.
"No, I'm just thinkin' about how funny it would be if Ana didn't come to my domain, or worse, if she never even made it here at all. The world is harsh out there and I think I understand a little why ye'r so protective of her." Fea pauses when she sees Athena narrow her eyes. Got her. "The two of us are dead ringers for The Phantom Queen, albeit a fun-sized version. Y'know, people have wanted to flay me alive just because a' my hair an'eye color quite a few times before. The biggest difference between Ana and I is that I'd never give 'em the chance in the first place, but I can't say the same about yer gentle little Annie.."
Throoth leaps from atop the building she's on and lands before Fea, her hammer clenched tight between rough looking fingers. She reaches forward and grabs Fea by the front of her scruffy shirt. With what seems like little effort, she lifts Fea off her feet.
Their eyes lock.
"Don't say another word," Throoth threatens [https://em.wattpad.com/ebaa2f0f61ce8160a926cf81634f6255bf186b17/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f656a734a4e5831734d2d304959513d3d2d3331313838343239322e3134373464303166623064326363326536383438303939323635362e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
"Don't say another word," Throoth threatens. "If you continue then I'll-"
"You'll what?" Fea challenges, a deranged little smirk curling across her face. "You can see different outcomes and possibilities, right? I kind of picked up on that after a while. So that means you can see it clearly, can't you? You can see what will happen ta someone like Ana if she gets lost out there!" Fea starts chuckling and Throoth's narrowed eyes twitch. "She'll get ripped apart!"
Throoth raises her hammer. Both Athena and Kebechet step in, arms raised, but they hesitate. They have no reason to stop her, after all, since they believe Ana is now lost out there somewhere. There isn't anything Fea can give them in regards to their friend, so they might as well get it over with and kill her already. Then they can take all the divinity and territory Fea has worked for.
"How long does a flower that blooms in the apocalypse last?" Fea asks, staring expectantly at Throoth. Throoth swings the hammer down, all her strength behind the blow. Fea braces for impact, even though she knows that as soon as the weapon connects that it's over, she'll be gone, completely obliterated in one hit.
That mighty weapon stops just a hair shy of Fea's forehead at the last second. Fea doesn't flinch or even blink as the weapon halts right in front of her eyes. She stares at Throoth, completely confident in the play she just made. Throoth trembles, her hammer still just a hair's breadth from Fea's face. The moment stretches on in silence.
"I knew it!" Fea gloats at last when it's clear Throoth is not going to kill her. "I freaking knew it! You can't do it! You can't hurt me because of my face!" Athena and Kebechet look to Throoth, who steps away, her fingers letting go of Fea's collar. "You can't hit me cause I look like Ana!" Fea continues, really rubbing it in now. She glances at Kebechet who's on her right, then to Athena on her left. "You know what's even more amazing? You're actually standing in my domain right now, and you didn't even know it!"
Throoth's face goes pale. Grimacing, Throoth reignites the azure blaze within her left eye. But what good is that now when Fea's already won?
With newfound ease, Fea breaks away from Throoth. Using that momentum, she jumps at Kebechet and Athena. Spinning, she delivers a powerful kick to the mummy, before thrusting her palm hard into Athena's abdomen. Athena manages to summon a spear to parry the attack but still goes flying back several feet. Kebechet, less prepared, shatters from the blow, her arms breaking from her torso as the rest of her body goes flying into a nearby building. Fea's actually surprised, considering she wasn't trying to kill any of them. A low moan coming from crumbling building confirms that Kebechet may be alive.
In a god's domain, they are exactly that - a god. Fea demonstrates her own magnified power by flipping her wrist and summoning a huge gale that blasts through the immediate area. The strong winds pick up the feathers and cause them to whirl about. Finally, Fea stiffens her feathers and makes them as sharp as knives. Feathers slash at the girls and slice open both skin and cloth. Both Athena and Throoth go on the defensive and use their weapons to knock away the majority of the attacks. Fea knew they'd stop focusing on her in favor of surviving, so this is more of a distraction than a full-on attack. Even in her domain, Fea doesn't think she'd be able to defeat the three girls by herself. And with the divinity among the three of them, they could no doubt take over her domain. So getting out of there is her best option for now.
Fea's distraction won't stay active for long, but that doesn't matter because when those winds do finally die down she'll be long gone.
--
Fea rummages through Ana's apartment once more, grabbing what she can before the other girls escape her trap. After searching for little over ten minutes she's gathered twice the haul she did before. Once she finishes emptying Ana's fridge she continues on to the next room.
"Wow, this girl really likes pink," Fea says aloud as she observes Ana's sugary sweet room. Despite Ana's apparent age, her room is orderly. In fact, it's so tidy that Fea feels a bit of reservation about moving anything, given how meticulously placed it all seems.
Not really knowing why Fea walks over to Ana's bed and sits down on it experimentally. It's soft, kind of like Ana herself, so it's pretty fitting. Fea falls back on the bed and her eyes meet the ceiling. In the instant her head hits the pillow she feels her feathers tremble. Like spines, Fea's feathers harden to a point. A defensive measure at a time where Fea could afford to be defenseless. All it would take is a shift in her positioning and she'd shred all the bright colored blankets Ana left neatly folded on her bed. A slight turn of her head puts Ana's collection of stuffed animals in her gaze. There's an intentional order to the plushies as they are not only arranged smallest to largest but by species as well. Fea looks away from them. Without caring to pick one, in particular, she grabs a stuffed animal and holds it against her chest. When Fea glances down she's greeted by the sight of two button eyes on a green felt sock. Even though it doesn't look it in the slightest, Fea assumes it's supposed to be a frog. Exhaling softly, Fea lets her gaze slowly return to the cracked ceiling. Her grip tightens around the plushie. "What were they thinkin' givin' ya this kind a' stuff?" Slowly, the spines draping along Fea's collar begin to soften and return to their feathery form. She lays there with the plush held tight in her arms. Just to feel what Ana might have felt, she closes her eyes.
When Fea sits up, she turns her head and her eyes fall on Ana's dresser where a framed picture sits. A photo displaying Ana with her friends burns in Fea's lingering sight. They look happy, and that pisses Fea off. Without much thought, Fea reaches forward and grips the frame with both hands.
It's too perfect, they're too perfect. Everyone smiles and it's like they don't even know the kind of sacrifices others make to live in the harsh world around them. There's the tremble again, and Fea's feathers start to harden. If only her plumage could do their little dance of discord and affect the happiness in this framed memory.
Despite how the picture makes her feel, Fea holds onto it even as she prepares to leave Ana's room. With the picture frame in one hand and the frog plush in the other, Fea lurks towards the door. Her footsteps are heavy and drag on the ground. Even though she's only been in Ana's room for a little while she's finding it hard to leave. Maybe it's something deep inside of her, a yearning for this kind of life. But she'd like to doubt that. Instead, she thinks there's credence to her words from earlier, that she and Ana share some kind of bond. It isn't Fea that wants to stay behind, it's Ana, but Fea's able to feel it.
When Fea's almost past the doorframe she stops. Taking one more look at the picture in her hand, she sighs, then tosses it onto the bed. This kind of thing won't do Ana any good. Memories, especially happy ones, bog down the mind and make it harder to act. Unlike bad memories, which somehow make it easier to do all the bad things one needs to do to survive.
Fea returns to the living room where the two pillowcases await her. She puts the plushie into one of them then hoists both over her shoulders. Heading toward the window, Fea has to pass the dead guy's body again. With one foot perched on the windowsill, Fea stops to look down at him. She shakes her head once, then with a sigh she steps down.
--
Fea finds Ana crouched in an alleyway a couple towns over. Thanks to the large supply of surveillance feathers Fea has scattered about, she was able to remain calm during the latter part of the fight because she knew Ana had actually made it to the area safely. That had been one less thing to worry about during the battle, at least on her end.
"Alright, that's enough sulking. Get up."
It takes longer than Fea wanted, but Ana does look up. Her eyes are red and puffy. She must have cried the entire time Fea was away. Fea coughs and looks up, more interested in the dim sky than Ana's pathetic looking face.
"I said stand up. I need help carrying the food." She tosses one of the large pillowcases down at Ana's feet. She waits, tapping her foot until Ana does finally stand. The girl whimpers with every little move she makes. When she tries to pick up the bag she winces, drops it then reaches for her shoulder. Despite having divinity all her own the girl hadn't made an attempt at healing her herself. That or she didn't know how.
"Useless," Fea mutters and reaches down, grabbing the bag. She tosses it back over her free shoulder and begins walking. "Follow me."
Fea doesn't look back, doesn't even need to with all the feathers around. Ana movements are stiff, each step coming off the ground less and less. Her gaze doesn't leave the ground once, and one hand rubs her shoulder while her other hand clings to her skirt. Fea can't tell if she's nervous, frightened, upset, or all of those at once. She could ask what's wrong, but frankly, she doesn't care. Well, and she already knows. It's rather obvious, isn't it?
As they walk they pass rusted cars and corpses picked clean. Signs of battle are clear throughout the area, a war zone from years long gone with no one to record it as history. Hoping to make the walk more lively, Fea tries to make small talk.
"Yer friends were pretty good." She isn't very good at it.
Through her feathers she sees Ana peek up at her. She can see every angle of the girl's face now, and it looks like they really are identical, except for the innocent glint that remains in Ana's eyes. Though if Fea isn't mistaken, it's a little less bright than when they first met.
"W-what happened?" Ana asks. "Are they okay? You didn't hurt them...did you?"
Fea snickers.
"Don't worry, I left them alive. I obviously made it here in one piece as well. Not bad, considering there were three of them, and they were all trying to kill me at once." Fea cackles, and if she wasn't holding anything she'd pound on her chest right now and give a victory cry. "They're all smart, well, except for the mummy, Keeb- Kub- Kebe- something? But I don't think mummies have brains, so that's kind of a given..." Fea pauses. "But yeah, the curvy one and the blue haired girl, what was it, uh, Athens, and uh...Froof? They were pretty good. Just not good enough to keep up with me. Is everyone in that apartment as sheltered as you?"
Ana doesn't reply, just goes back to sulking and staring at the ground as they proceed.
They're coming up to their destination pretty soon, so she leaves Ana with something to think about.
"Ya kept running, huh? Ya didn't go to the place I told ya, but that isn't what bothers me." Fea stops at the steps of a dilapidated cathedral. Her grip tightens around the bags in her arms. "Ya didn't even try to go back to yer friends. Even now, yer here followin' me without any resistance. Have ya sworn allegiance to me?"
Fea doesn't wait around for an answer, though she seems to have caught Ana's attention, noticing her twin looking up from the ground. Fea drops one of the pillowcases of food in front of Ana.
"Stay here. I'll be back," she orders as she heads into the cathedral.
Dealing with Throoth took the entire night, so the first signs of the morning are already shining through the roofless sanctuary. Fea maneuvers around the familiar pews, all flipped over and turned every which way. She can already hear the faint mewling.
"Yeah yeah, I'm comin'," Fea says, reaching into the pillowcase and pulling out a red spherical food. She thinks it's an apple. She tastes it. Definitely an apple. She makes her way up to the podium at the center of the church. There she finds the whining clump of blankets nestled in a bed of black feathers. She starts peeling back the white sheets while chewing away at the apple. "Carm mown. Fwood ahmost mone," she says while chomping away. Fea closes her eyes, opens her mouth and extends her tongue forward. "Aaah," she says, and like a mama bird, lets the wet, chewed up food slide down her tongue and out of her mouth.
"What are you doing?"
Ana's voice startles Fea. Fea tenses up, then forces herself to relax, trying to look nonchalant. Turning her entire body, she watches her duplicate walk up. Her tongue is still out of her mouth, and the chewed up apple hangs by a saliva strand. How did Ana sneak over without Fea noticing? Right, she has to be more alert from now on. She tended to let her guard down most during this...time of day.
Ana stares at Fea and blinks once. She looks down to the crying bundle of blankets and blinks again. She looks back at Fea...and blinks.
"Were you trying to feed that baby chewed up apple?" Ana pauses for several seconds, and then...screams. Fea spits the apple out and waves her hands to try and quiet her down while shaking her head. Ana points at the blankets, at the baby. Yeesh, she's still screaming...
"You have a BABY!?" Ana exclaims, her sad expression gone in favor of a look of complete surprise. Fea shuffles in place, fingers tugging at her unruly red hair.
"Well, uh, I mean, clearly it's..."
"A baby," Ana says as she looks at the little creature in its feathered creche. She attempts to reach for it but Fea steps over and slaps her hands away.
"A baby? Like just a baby? Like, nothing special kinda baby," Fea asks to which she only receives a long hard look in response from Ana.
What Fea plans to do next is stupid.
Fea shouldn't be entertaining the idea of keeping Ana around let alone introducing her to the baby. The girl is a liability. They share some similarities, sure. But is that worth risking another fight Ana's friends? Not to mention the murder she witnessed which she's sure someone will try to implicate her in.
So yes, what Fea plans on doing is stupid. Just like waiting around at that apartment was stupid. Just like telling Ana to run to her domain was stupid. Just like staying behind and fighting was stupid. Everything she's done today is pretty much illogical and she's certain she's hit her year's quota. And yet Fea decides to share with Ana. Some girl she doesn't know, who just happens to have the same name and face. So stupid.
"Ya really can't tell? Just what were they teaching ya in that apartment," Fea asks. She reaches into the nest and pulls out the brown-skinned baby. She takes the baby beneath its arms and holds the crying thing up to show it to Ana. "Here. Get in real close and you'll notice."
"Notice what," Ana says. She leans in and squints at the infant. "It's a baby, that you wrapped in blankets...and it...it...w-why does it smell like that?"
Ana lurches back, covering her nose.
Fea nods her head and repeats "It smells" with emphasis like she's just proved a point.
The baby starts crying and writhing around in a panic in Fea's strong grasp.
Ana tries to reach for the baby again but recoils soon after.
"It...smells?"
Fea nods again, still wearing that same resolute look on her face.
"It smells!" Ana's eyes widen. Aha! So she gets it.
"It's a mortal baby!"