Once Upon A Broken Time Rift...

The time has come for her to start her quest on proving someone’s innocence. Seven days to bring the other ruler to innocence. Seven days to find the true ‘killer’ of the lovely Fauna. Seven days before she’ll be ran out of the kingdom over her defense of the icy emperor.

Thankfully, during her stay, she was having quite a nice room to stay in. Of course, it was where a servant would stay, but it wasn’t dirty or anything. She just had to deal with owls constantly asking her questions about where she came from and if she’s already. Yes, she’s fine, and no, she’s not from around here. Have these buffoons never seen a human before?

“Y-you’re quite nice for doing this,” one owl spoke while Gella was getting her hair brushed by a servant, “But the king doesn’t take things like this lightly! If you don’t find any alibis for Emperor Grooves, he’ll cook you over a fire while he executes him!”

“I know,” she sighed out and rolled her eyes, continuing to stare at the mirror in front of her as her hair was tied into a braid. Surely, the style won’t last for long, but by the lord she is rocking it!  They also noticed her previous outfit was torn up, too, so she was wearing a simple tunic with leggings and boots while her clothes were fixed up by tailors. How nice of them. 

As soon as she was fully dressed up, she nodded to the owl behind her, she of which giddily clapped his hands before backing away. She stood up and stretched her arms out, looking up and down before nodding to herself. “Now, if I’m going to head over to that other kingdom, I’ll need to find something that can melt through ice...”

“Oh, there’s a smith around here that can help with pyromancy!” An owl commented as another nodded. “The price is a bit big, though, so you may need to give them plenty of pon before you can get an upgrade!”

“...Figures I’ll have something stopping me when I have a time limit...” Hey, just like those RPG games people usually played!

~~⌛~~

Within the western-like town itself, many folks were thriving in the streets, talking with one another and trading goodies. While many owls could be seen, there were also strange, tall crows looking at them all in curiosity while asking questions, and... Hey, that wasn’t an owl, that was a penguin! What was a penguin doing around here!

Instead of focusing on such a task, Gella looked around to find the smith’s place, soon noticing an owl looking down as he sat on the ground. “Hey, you!” She called out, the owl lifting his head. “I heard you’re good at making things, uhm, lit!”

“Lit? Oh, haha, I get it... Oh, sorry, I can’t do much of my work right now, because I’m missing an important metal needed for another client’s sword! If you could get some for me, I’ll make something for you, absolutely free!”

“...Heck.” Gella looked around the town again, soon finding the mining shaft, rushing over and getting ready to ask for some metal. Instead, she had gotten another thing to look out for-

“Sorry little lady, mines r’ closed until we get proper lighting going again. You can come in as soon as it’s fixed.”

“Ugh, okay, okay, this is getting stupid...” And where she knew lights would be? Why, the general store! Of course, another quest was added, as the cashier was missing a package from someone else who is in town-

He of which needed... A piece of cactus from the desert outside.

Okay, thank god, no more side quests. “Can do...!” She panted out, rushing out from the person’s house and towards the exit gates of the kingdom. She knew it’d be scorching hot, but if she can use her ice bombs, she’ll be able to keep herself from turning into a melting mess!

~~⌛~~

Back within the castle, King Clayton sat by himself, holding a mysterious flower in his hand. It was a blazing rose, with petals that glow like a fire within the night, small ‘crackles’ being heard as well. It was a rare type of flower, only growing within his kingdom, but just looking at it had made him... Somber.

“...Fauna... I had trusted me messenger to send the invitation to the ball without any troubles... What happened while I had no eye on ye...” He murmured out, the flames of the flower slowly dying out and letting smoke arise in the room. “To think that I could’a done somethin’, but yet, I was too cowardly to give this to you in person... If I had been there, I would of stopped that GroooOOOoooves from... From hurtin’ ye...”

He slumped in his throne, staring up to the ceiling and watching the smoke go higher, his invisible eyes closed and the flower being held close to his chest. Had he been there... None of this would of happened, right? He was sure of it. Negative thoughts were beginning to swirl in his mind, nearly taking him away from reality, only for two servants to rush in and call his name. “WHAZZAWHOT!”

“Sire, sire, we’re sorry, but look at what we have found...!” One of them spoke, showing a Time Piece to him before they began to whisper. “We managed to find one outside in the forest between the kingdoms... I think they may help with our problem...!” The other servant nodded before speaking. “From what we’ve asked, the new arrival... She says they control time, and can rewind it if broken...”

“Attention, passengers. We are now arriving at the port of the Dead Bird Kingdoms. Please exit off from the dock within an orderly fashion, and do not rush anybody. Thank you for your patience.”

Just from the sight Gella was able to see alone, she could already tell that this new place would be interesting. Two castles could be seen within the distance, one to the East, and one to the West.

The kingdom to the East had more of a northern feel to it, as clouds of snow were dangled above it. From what it looked like, it was supposed to be night time over there. Or at least, that’s what the stars above are telling her. Either way, it seemed more tranquil than the other kingdom;

The kingdom to the West, which looked to take place in a desert, where the sun is shining strongly, and the only source of ‘greenery’ being cactus and the like. Truly, it was an eternal summer over there, and she wasn’t sure if she would like it.

But enough about that; It was time for her to get off of the boat! She just had to follow the others, keeping her hands to her side and checking her inventory after getting off.

BOMBS: Normal, Ice BADGES: Relic, Hookshot, Sprint GOODIES: ...Her dress from her acting role in Subcon Studios? TIME PIECES: 10

Yeah, she was pretty much in the good so far, and she even felt as if nothing would be able to stop her and her journey! And now, it was time for her to march forward and-

“Err, excuse me, miss?”

“Huh?” She blinked at the sudden voice, her head turning to wherever it came from. The voice belonged to an owl wearing a set of golden armor, a spear being held in one hand. “What’s wrong?”

“Sorry but, uhm. We’ll be having to take you to King Clayton’s castle as soon as possible. He’s been worried over what’s happened over the past few days, and he doesn’t want anyone heading over to the other kingdom. Please, don’t make this difficult.”

“...Bollocks.” That was the only thing she had to say before the owl took one of her hands, carefully guiding her away from the boat as the other passengers that got off were taken as well.

Now, she would ask about what happened to make the king so paranoid, but, well...

War Of The Kingdoms! Ice Cold Heart’s Starting!

An elephant never forgets.

~~⌛~~

After a good amount of walking (that was soon taken over by being carried in a carriage, thankfully), Gella now found herself within the castle of the Western Kingdom, two owl guards remaining behind her as she looked up to the throne.

Sitting on the throne was the owl(?) king himself, tapping his fingers against the arm chair and muttering to himself, almost as if he didn’t notice she was there.

“...Er, hello?” She spoke up, gently waving a hand. “Are you actually going to speak, or are you just going to sit there like a-”  Her words were cut off by a sudden tower of flame rising in front of her, prompting her to back up and keep her arms to herself.

“...I. Be. Fine.” He growled, head feathers puffing up and his ‘teeth’ gritting as he spoke. “I donnae want any peck necks goin’ over to that kingdom, especially not after what happened to me love!”

“Your love...?” She asked. She knew about what was going on, but she had to play along, or else he would get suspicious. 

“YES, ME LOVE, FAUNA!” He slammed his fists against the throne, with the owls flinching in fear. “That no good penguin turned her into a statue, just because he be jealous of how successful me kingdom is compared to his! I will nae stand it, and as soon as I get my hands on him, I will-”

“HEY!” She raises a finger up. “How would you even know it was him? Did it ever occur to you that it would be someone else trying to give him a bad name?”

“HE GIVES HIMSELF A BAD NAME!”

“S-sire, please, calm down!” “She may have a point, but we aren’t s-sure!”

“Don’t just agree with her-!” He facepalms, a low sigh leaving him as he sunk into his throne. “Bloody useless owl guards...”  A moment of silence passes through the room, and soon, the king sat back up properly, pointing a sharp, feathered finger at Gella.

“I’ll tell ye what. Since ya think it’s soooo worthy to prove that Emperor Peck Neck is innocent, I’ll give ye a week to find out who the real ‘killer’ is! If you do not come back with any evidence that he’s innocent, I’ll be sendin’ ya both down in flames!!”

A risky offer. A week to tell the true story and gain evidence, or else she’ll be dead. An act of injustice set upon a high and royal king such as Clayton. But then again, with what she has faced so far, she couldn’t back out. Not without any sort of fight first.

“...Deal.”

“Hoh, ye be cocky! Tell ye what- I’ll give ya today to rest and get used to things, but tomorrow... Y’er gonna be runnin’ for yer life by the time you realize you’re wrong!”

“...Gella... Gella... Ain’t your name Gella...? Get up, damn it!”

A groan of annoyance was let out when she heard someone call her name out, sitting up and finding herself wrapped within several blankets to most likely keep the cold from making her sick during her rest. Okay, she woke up within a room like this before, that’s fine and dandy. Waking up to see several people in front of her, though, was startling enough to get her to jump up and point at all of them with an accusing hand.

“WHO ARE YOU ALL AND ARE YOU ABOUT TO KILL ME?” “No, no, sit back down! It’s us! The ones you met back in that studio place!” The ‘main’ voice grabbed her hands, gritting her teeth and leaning forward over the bed.  No, wait. Those yellow eyes, and that fanged mouth... Wasn’t that the fox who took her bombs and decided to turn the studios into a frozen tomb? How did she get out?

“I know what you’re thinking. Aren’t I supposed to be dead? Well, I wasn’t painted blue by the potions, so I managed to be able to get my way out, no scars included.” She lets out a small titter, tail waving in the air as Gella gave her a partly disappointed look. “You gotta admit, though, you were in trouble, and so was Vanessa.”

Vanessa...? VANESSA! “WHERE IS SHE!” She called out, eyes widened and her voice showing a sense of fear. She remembered now; The lady was knocked out, and the others had to get her out of there!

“She’s currently resting up in the hospital. Doctors told me to tell you she’ll be fine, but for now, she’s having to remain in bed because her body didn’t exactly handle the shock. Any other info you gotta know?”

After that question, Gella raised several more, including ones about that director, what this place is, and who the fox was herself. She managed to learn quite a few things, including that both the actress and the director are technically dead. Spirits wandering the earth and unable to leave for some unknown reason.  Oh, and the fox’s name?

“Just call me The Snatched Fox. He’s the one who made me like this. I work for him, he keeps me alive. A shame how the tables have turned, haven’t they?” She rolled her eyes. It was a complicated relationship it seems. Well, not that it mattered anymore, obviously, but it just felt like it stuck out like a nail in the wall.

“Look, I’m glad you all are caring about me, but I need to keep going on my quest,” she spoke as she began to crawl out of bed, the three guests looking at her in confusion. “I need to keep finding these Time Pieces before that alien can, because their power is quite...”

“Amazing?” “Beautifuuuul~”

“...Sort of. The power to rewind time is a dangerous thing, and now that I know she’s paranoid about it, she may turn the world onto it’s head because of it!”

“Well,” said The Snatched Fox, arms remaining behind her back. “If you need a place to go, I think we can get you there if that ship you arrived on isn’t coming back. I can see why they’d leave, though, especially with what occurred over the past few days.”

“...That would be nice of you to help me...”

“Alright. Let me take you to the docks then. I’ll scavenge the studios for anything else you may of left in there before you officially leave.” 

~~⌛~~

Two hours later, and Gella was back at the dock, baggage at her side and a determined look on her face. (Along with some souvenirs to bring back to Lazy Paw Isle and give to The Mafia.) As much as this city may of grown on her in some way, it was time for to go.

She made sure to say goodbye to Vanessa at the hospital while The Snatched Fox had claimed any other shiny things in the frozen building, including time pieces that were hidden out of sight and mind.

“...Be good, kid.” The fox in question smiled, crouching down and gently patting Gella’s shoulder. “The world could use more people like you.” “Hey, tell the others back at your home I said hi!” A Subconite waved at her, a ‘smile’ on his face and hand waving rapidly at her. “Justice buuuurns, bright like a flaaaaame~!” A Fire Spirit spun in place, hands flailing in the air and a song within their step.

“I’ll be good, just for all of you. I’m not sure if I’ll come back, but if I do, promise to me that you’ll all be here and not causing any trouble yourselves.” The other three all give a salute of sorts before backing away, with The Snatched Fox waving one last goodbye, soon dashing off to presumably cause more trouble. After watching them all leave, Gella gets onto the yacht that was parked by the dock, many faces from other places greeting her and moving out of the way as a voice on the intercom began to speak up;

“Attention, passengers. We are now going to be headed towards The Dead Bird Kingdoms. Please remain away from the edges of the rails, and enjoy the trip. For now, lunch will soon be served, so head to the dining room and fill yourselves up.”

After the message, the intercom began to play some calming music, a soft voice singing along to it as a ukulele could be heard playing as well.

We were playing in the sand... And you found a little band... You told me you fell in love with it, Hadn't gone as I'd planned...

She lets out a small sigh, remaining outside as others went to go eat, her eyes focused on the stars above her head as the sounds of the seas began to clear her thoughts from the past and the future.

Said you'd never love anew, I wondered if I could hold it And fall in love with it too...

You told me to buy a pony, But all I wanted was you.

“Three... Two... One... PUSH!!”

The shadow-like fox barged her shoulder into the strange mist with all of her might, many citizens copying her action and continuing to push. How long have they been doing this, you ask? Well, really, probably since the fight began. So an estimate would be about thirty minutes or so.  In their time, though, it felt like it could of been hours since they began! They were unsure if the ones inside were still alive or not, but they just had to see, or else they may have a restless night, knowing that someone so young could be in such danger. 

“Come on, it’s going... To... BREAK-!!” A sudden yelp escapes her as she fell through the strange ‘force field’, landing face first as others continued to rush forward, soon bumping into the walls of the studios in unison, confusion arising in all of them. “...Okay, uh, that broke more easily than I thought. For some reason I thought we would have to pray to a heaven or something to be able to enter. Oh well.” She picks herself up, beckoning others to follow her through the entrance of the studios.

“It’s now or never, she’s gotta be in there somewhere, I just know it. Let’s go!”

Back down within the depths of the studios, Gella and Vanessa were currently hanging from a rope, with Vanessa holding the rope with one hand, keeping the girl close to her with the other by holding her waist. The blonde hero continued her task, throwing bombs made of blue ice at the poltergeist, a more confident and angered look on her face as his attacks towards them rage on. 

“Yeah, you can’t reach us up here, can you?!” “No, but I can certainly do THIS!!” Thanks to her smart mouth, Samuel soon dives into the ground, sprouting up from the shadows beneath them and slicing the rope that Vanessa was holding with his bare hand. They fell to the ground, a loud thud escaping as green ‘shock waves’ began to form.

“Dear child, look out!” Vanessa managed to warn her in time, the child jumping into the air avoiding the possible damage that could of been taken. The actress herself, though, was put into a paralyzed state because of the shocks, a shaken gasp escaping her as she fell limp against the floor.

“VANESSA!” She grits her teeth, landing on her feet as soon as his attack was over and dragging her off of the ground, managing to pull her to the side for the moment. Looking back to Samuel, she huffs, lighting another bomb and tossing it at the spectral director. “Why don’t you SOD OFF?! You’re making everything much more of a mess than it should be!”

The only response she got was a laugh, the darkness around her growing and only showing his glowing eyes, along with him winking with his... Left eye?  Why did he do that? Really? And with there being two figures looming over him, she realizes that basically- “Wow, you’re stupid!”  She throws her bomb to her right, a flash of red being seen as he backs away, the other figure falling back and turning out to be a cardboard cutout. “Seriously, telling someone where you’re going to attack? That’s the stupidest move that anyone could ever pull! I mean, imagine if I told someone about my moves! Oh, I’m going to throw a bomb to the left! Then you dodge it, and then I’m just like-” Her comment was stopped the moment she was smacked in the back of the head, falling forward and letting out an ‘ow!’ in pain.

“You know I’m supposed to be written like this, right? Whoever’s writing this doesn’t want me to look TOO smart.”

“Whatever! Let’s just continue!” She gets back onto her feet, backing away from him and lighting another bomb, aiming directly for his head.

“HEY! KID WITH THE MUSTACHE, WHERE ARE YOU!” The ‘Snatched Fox’ began to climb over abandoned boxes in the basement, holding a flashlight in one hand and making sure others stay back and follow her with the other. So far, it didn’t look as if anyone was in the room, but she swore that, in the distance, she could hear the sounds of explosions. Lifting her flashlight up, she soon saw that there was some sort of hole in the ground, swirling around like a vortex and inviting the most curious and brave people in. “Well, it looks like we may of found where they went...”

“To think that they’re both some sort of monster in their own way!” One of the Subconites following behind spoke up, climbing past the boxes and standing near the hole in question. Looking down, it looks as if they could get a Birdseye view of the fight that was going down. “And that they hate each other! Were they just staying together so they can get more money, because if so, can I say yikes?”

“Man, I’M saying yikes, and I’ve seen some awful stuff before, so say it.” “Yikes!” “There we go.”

“Should we go down, down, down~? Should we help, help, help~?” A Fire Spirit sung, twirling towards the hole and peeking down, so close that their head ends up going through. “She looks so brave, yet so alone, especially with the lady knocked out of her senses!”

“...”  A moment of silence. Should they help? It looked as if the kid could do it on her own, but she knew they could do something to give her an advantage. Looking around the room so more, her light soon settles on a large crate of what seems to be blue chemicals, all packed within flasks and ready for... Something. Of, course, ‘something’ was a plan to her.

“Everyone move outta the way and help me move that thing! Trust me!” She runs over to the box in question, pressing her shoulders against it as the Subconite and Fire Spirit followed after. It was surely heavy for just a few chemicals, but it’ll be worth it in the end, especially when the satisfaction of hearing something heavy fall down could be heard a few seconds later... ...Followed by the loud ‘crunch’ of wood breaking over something. Or even... Someone. 

After the crunch, they all jumped down...

...And right next to Gella’s side. “Ey, are you guys alright?” The purple fox asked, ignoring the fact that the spirit was now engulfed within blue. He looked rather weak and fragile now, considering how much he was shaking and trying to wipe it off of his skin.

“Yeah, I am, but get Vanessa out of here. His attack managed to shock her, and she’s weak!”

“Got it. You two! The Subconite and the Fire Spirit! Get her out!”  The two citizens nod and run over, picking up the lovely lady and beginning to run out before they got caught in any more trouble. With those two gone, the fox simply smirks down at the hero, her tail waving from side to side. “So, hey, how many bombs do you have, especially of those icy ones?”

“Quite a lot... Why do you ask?”

“...I have a terrible idea.” She chuckled, soon chuckling and whispering into Gella’s ear about her plan. Before she could reply to such whispers, the fox snatched away her ‘inventory’, beginning to tie bombs up by their fuses and casually spreading them around the center, with Samuel looking down in shock.

“N-no, you... You wouldn’t dare... YOU...”

“Toddlers cries that grow louder and louder, everyone rushing to disavow him, all alone in a black and white scene, the one and only Candle King...”

At the sight of the bombs, Gella already knew she had to run out, and as she began to make a dash towards the building’s exit, a scream escaped her lips, one that was a mix of anger and terror after what she had just witness.

“Hurt by the flames that grew higher and higher, clutching a broken crown of fire, all alone in the final scene,  the one and only Candle King...”

She soon took out a match, placing it along the trail of icy bombs, the flame hitting a fuse that connected with others and letting the room be filled with a loud hiss.

“No, no, no no no no no NO NO-”

“What a pity...”

She began to walk away, back turned towards the man as the fuses ran low. Only three words left her before the bombs would explode, leaving them both within an icy tomb that no one would dare stay in;

“The Candle King~”

Outside of the studios, Gella and others could only stare up in horror as the building soon succumbs into ice, shiny crystals and shards blocking entrances and making sure everyone would stay out. She didn’t know as to what happened to The Director and that strange fox, but she could only assume the worst for both of them at this point. “Oh... Oh my god...”

“Hey, lady, are you okay?” “We’re glad you’re safe, saaaafe~” “And the actress is here, too! She looks out cold, though! Eheh, get it? Cold!”

“...” She only sat in silence as the chill of the building began to fill the air of the city, with unknown citizens now arriving into the scene as emergency vehicles began to arrive as well. She closes her eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself, gritting her teeth and letting herself fall asleep after the long and unexpected battle.

All the clues fell into place after what seemed like weeks within the city;  The missing citizens, mysterious deaths of actors, the cold silence between the couple, and now, the ghostly aura leading her down the long hallway.  Gella knew something was bound to be brewing when she first arrived here, but to now see that the main director of these studios was searching for souls to eat this entire time, and putting his ‘love’ in the spotlight so they would be distracted? Cruel. Absolutely cruel.

As the thoughts of hatred and anger run through her head, the mustached hero continued to run down the hall, footsteps echoing behind her and the air seemingly getting more thick. Just how long was this hallway, and why would anyone need a basement this long? Should she be concerned by how all of this felt?  She tried to yell out to get his attention, seeing a mere speck of color at the end of the hall, given away by a light shining on him.

“...Such a curious child.” It was Samuel, wasn’t it? No, no, she couldn’t listen to him, there was surely no way- “What would bring you all the way down here? Do you have a death wish?” Don’t listen to him, that’s obviously- “Or perhaps... You want to be turned into a m e a l . . . ?”

“SHUT UP!” She managed to yell out, soon falling onto her knees and placing a hand against her own throat, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath. Why did it feel as if she was choking? Why did everything seem so dark, and... Was he drawing closer? He was able to get close to her with a few simple steps, almost as if he teleported! 

Questions flooded her mind as she felt his cold hand lift her chin up, her orange eyes staring into those that were brown at first, fading into a glowing yellow as his mouth forms into a wicked grin. “It looks as if that wench had pretty much told you everything you wanted to know, and I won’t let that get into a public ear. You see, I crawled my way back into stardom with her ‘help’, and I won’t let you be the one to take it all away.”

“...B-back...?” Back? With her help? What did he mean?

“It’s a story that you surely would want to hear, huh? Well, it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to focus enough to remember a single thing! That’s soooo sad...!” He laughed after those words were spoken out, all lights within the hallway fading away and soon being replaced by spires of purple and yellow lights. Looking below her, they were now on some sort of stage, and up above were what looked to be the hanging corpses of employees who had gotten their soul eaten up by this monster. “You won’t even be able to fight in your current condition! But I’ll give you pity-” He teleports to the center of the stage, leaving her at the edge as she slowly got herself up. “Let’s see if you can even leave a scratch on me! Go on! Use one of your bombs!”

“Why y-you... Of course I can hhhhit you with these bombs...!” She gained confidence for a moment, barely standing up on her two legs as she soon lit the fuse of an icy bomb, throwing it at the center of the stage and aiming it at The Director. While she thought it would hurt him in some way, her eyes soon widen at the sight of ice spires piercing through him as if he wasn’t there, his ‘colors’ melting away into shades of purple and his eyes showing fake dismay.

“Oh nooo, whatever shall I do, you’ve stabbed me with your ice... HAH! You don’t even know my weakness, and I guess that makes me invincible, huh? That’s too baaad~!” Another loud laugh left him as he raises his hands up in the air, multiple of his minions jumping onto the stage and rushing around in a circle. Gella was quick enough to jump over them, but her head began to feel light from her situation; Deep underground, no way of damaging him, and the sight of others’ bodies right above her. She needed help. Any kind of help. She was scared. She was powerless. She was going to d i e .

How relationships tend to fail. How it all falls apart at even a single word, depending on who you are with. A mysterious figure loomed over the town, standing on the highest point and looking down to the studio building. It was now shrouded in a dark type of mist, with multiple bystanders looking closely within sheer curiosity. They remained silent, though, watching it all go down.

One of the ones who were up close to the building was the fox that told the girl about the myth, her tail swaying back and forth as her hand tries to push through. It was somehow solid like a wall, but she swore she could hear the laughter of someone from behind it.  “...That guy is such a weirdo,” she shrugs, looking over to one of the bystanding Fire Spirits. “But if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t really have a place to live in this city. Doesn’t mean this is good for him to do, though.”

“He’ll burn, he’ll buuuuurn~!” The Fire Spirit sung out in joy, hands against their chest as they spun around in a circle. “A punishment, soon arriving, a young hero, now surviving~!”

“Yeah yeah whatever just HELP ME OUT.” She bashed her shoulder against the smoke, growling and motioning for others to join in. The first to join was the Fire Spirit that was nearby, followed by fellow spirits. Then came the minions, all stacking onto each other to reach their heights. And finally, the dwellers, phasing into large, mysterious fruit that grew red over time. With a mighty throw, the fruit would soon explode, supposedly damaging the wall.

“COME ON EVERYONE, WE GOTTA GET THEM THE HELL OUT OF THERE BEFORE HE TURNS HER INTO A SNACK!”

“AYE!” “Yes, yeeees~!” “This is more fun than when I got to throw tomatoes at some weird looking penguin!”

The figure on top of the tower merely smiled, soon fading into thin air as the full moon is what kept the city lit up within the darkest hours.

“Come on, is that all you’ve got? I could of sworn you had more spunk in you, kid~” The spirit leisurely remained in the center of the stage, watching as the young hero dangled by her leg from a rope, her eyes widened as she swayed her body to avoid thrown objects, such as knives and broken equipment. Seriously, this is ridiculous!

“...L-let... Me... Go...!” She wheezed out, barely missing what looked to be a ‘rubber’ knife that went by her hair, grazing it and letting a few loose locks fall to the ground. She needed a hair cut anyways, this is fine!

“Face it- No one is around to help you, no one cares about you, and no one will even think about entering this place! Your soul now belongs to ME!”

“. . .”  He was right, wasn’t he? There wasn’t really any help down here, and she could feel herself getting more weak as time would pass on, especially with her struggling.  Her body limped within the rope’s hold, eyes half-lidded and her soul aching from the mysterious curse this place had. She couldn’t scream if she wanted, even as the ghost of the studios began to stray forward, grin growing wider than ever, hands reaching out to tear her body apart and claim the soul inside.

“Say goodbye to that little body of yours!” Her eyes closed shut as she saw his hands get closer, her heart beating as if she was in a horror movie, and all signs of hope escaping her as the air around her got cold...

* S H I N G ! *

“...!”

“Leave the child a l o n e !” Wait a minute. That voice. Wasn’t that...

“VANESSA?!”

When Gella opened her eyes, she was met with the sight of The Director’s hands being incased within a mysterious, blue ice. It surely wasn’t any color she had seen before but- Hey, wait. If he was a ghost, how was he now stuck in this ice? Was it a special ice she had summoned? Before she could ask any questions, a shard of ice soon cuts through the rope holding her by her leg, giving her the chance to land on the ground and pick herself up as the antagonist of this scene struggled to get out. “Wha... Why are you hhhelping... I thought...”

“There is no time to explain, please, just do what you must, and leave as soon as you can!” Her voice sounded desperate, her body trembling as Samuel was soon able to cause cracks within the ice. And as much as she wanted the girl to leave, the only response gotten was of Gella throwing an ice bomb at him, a flash of red going over him for a mere second as the ice managed to damage him.

“YOU BITCH! You know she can damage me if I’m covered in blue, or by this stupid ice of yours! That does it...”His eyes closed for a few seconds as he clenched his fists, soon thrusting his arms up and breaking the ice that encased it. Now looming over the two ladies, he had let out a loud cry of rage, hands reaching out to them as three simple words escaped his lips;

“TIME TO D I E ! !”

The female actress managed to pull Gella out of the way, a worried look on her face as she looked down into her eyes. “Why are you not running...? Is it not dangerous to stay here...?”

“...You freeze them, I throw them...” That was all she had to say as she handed her one of her regular bombs, a weak yet cocky smirk building on her face. This left the woman confused, but instead of questioning it, she soon grabbed the bomb, encasing it within a thick sheet of blue ice before giving it back to the hero.

“...Please, be careful...” “Careful isn’t exactly my game, hah...!”

Mannequin returned? Check. Played a few more bits in some of the movies? Check. Noticed that people have gone missing? Check- Wait. ...Nope, check, yep, those guys are totally gone.

Over the past few days she’s been here, she had noticed The Director and Vanessa being more sour towards each other in public, starting with backhanded comments to supposed sabotages on the sets to make one look bad in the spotlight. This hasn’t been happening before, has it? Especially not when she first arrived. What on Earth is making them act like this now?

Many questions wouldn’t get an answer, though, as she ends up being part of a sabotaged part, seen by her looking annoyed while she hangs from a rope by her caught ankle. A loud, yelled ‘CUT’ was let out, and soon, she was released by some sort of ghostly minion.  “W-wow you should really be careful! I don’t think they’d want you to hang out in that way!” The Minion laughed at his own joke, with the actress sighing and leaving the set to avoid hearing any complaints from the director of the studio. She’d rather investigate further into what that mysterious ‘puppeteer’ said more than anything. Hell, she was even planning to go late into the night, when others are most likely asleep, but then something caught her attention-

“Man, someone REALLY needs to fix that air vent. Don’t people usually complain about a weird smell that comes from it?” “Yeah, but I heard that it’s some new fragrance to give it an aesthetic of sorts! ...I don’t know what kind, though!” 

Air vent... AIR VENT. The vent was loose, and nobody was paying too much attention! She waited until they left the room, though. She doesn’t want anyone to tell about her acts of justice.  A few minutes later, the lobby was empty, and she was soon able to climb up to the vent, moving the metallic object to the side and crawling in. Nobody will surely notice that she’s gone, right?

...Right. Nobody may notice, especially since she was now in the maze of storage like she saw in that vision. It was dark, barely lit, and a chill was filling the air around her. She thought it was just how the basement was, but as she heard someone speak out, her heart stopped in her chest;

“It isn’t polite to go where you aren’t allowed to be...~”

That voice. It sounded a lot like Vanessa’s, but as if she had turned into some sort of monster! The only reason she snapped back into reality and ran is when she heard the footsteps draw closer, along with a glow of red coming from behind a wall of this dastardly maze. Now, what was the rule of the maze again? Always go left, then forward, then right? No, it was left, right, then forward. It depended on what turns there were, but she found herself following her left every step of the way, hoping that she wouldn’t reach a dead end as the voice echoed throughout the room.

“I don’t want to lose another to that M O N S T E R, please, come back...!”

“NO! You’re a monster as well!!” As she yelled that out, an instinct in her mind had prompted her to pull out one of her bombs, lighting the fuse ready to toss it back at Vanessa. The fuse began to burn low, and she was certain it would catch her off guard.

...Tss.

“. . .” The coldness. The cold air managed to put out the fuse, and her eyes widened more widely than they ever have before, her feet continuing to guide her along this twisted maze. The more she ran, the more she could feel that chill build up, the footsteps drawing closer, and her eyes focused behind her. 

When she saw the ‘beast’ in complete view, she lets out a panicked scream, rushing forward and closing her eyes, not watching what could be in front of her and soon running into a wall head first. An impact that hard caused her to fall back, a dizzied look in her eyes and her head aching. She felt as if it was the end of it all, as if she was going to be eaten by that terrible, cold monster...

“...Are you okay, dearie...? It’s not safe to be down here...”

...But yet. She spoke. Looking down at her and offering a hand, with guilt in her voice. Was she trying to be sorry for scaring her? Was she not trying to kill her? What was happening? “G-get... Get away...” She weakly raised a hand up, still holding the ‘defused’ bomb in the other, trying to threaten her.

Instead, the lady had some sort of odd smile, taking Gella’s hand and dragging her from the floor, meeting face to face as her cold embrace kept the other frozen in fear. 

“It’s not that I want to hurt you, it’s that H E wants to hurt you... Have you not heard about those who have gone missing, or perhaps, you knew, and you wanted to stop him without him knowing...”

The hold was cold, and she could feel ice begin to build up at her sides, her eyes widening as she shakes in a mixture of chill and despair. It was the end, wasn’t it? Being frozen like a statue and not being able to bring justice to that mysterious alien? ...No. No! NO!  She wasn’t going to take that for an answer, and she could feel the flames of justice build up inside of her! 

With a mighty push of her foot, she manages to kick herself away from Vanessa, her hands still covered in ice and her bomb looking vastly different. “I can handle myself! I’m going to bring justice to this city, and I’ll make sure that this fiend will stop his crimes of forced work and causing disappearances!” Though she roared like a lion, she was shaking like a kitten, thinking that the next move she could make may be her last.

To reassure her own safety, she grabbed the bomb, throwing it at Vanessa in hopes of making her back off. Instead of any sort of explosion, when the bomb hits the ground, a large spike of ice bursts instead, causing Vanessa to stumble back and fall onto her rump.

The two remained in silence, the cold air continuing to fill the room as she held the bomb close. “...Stay out of my way, before the scales of justice deem you guilty as well.” Vanessa could only look up at Gella as she spoke, a hand slowly covering her mouth and her eyes showing despair.  “Don’t think that your tears are going to work! I’m going to make sure he stops, even if this will be the last thing I will do!”

“...How hilarious. Going off from the script.” A voice echoed from behind, one that didn’t belong to either girl.  She could hear the voice coming from somewhere, but yet, it didn’t come from anyone. She even looked up above her, but nothing there. Instead, she turns her head towards where the center of the maze would be.

“An actress isn’t meant to go off of script, you know. And you want to know what happens when they mess up too many times? They. Get. Fired.” The voice grew louder, darkness covering the room to where neither could see where they were, with the maze now feeling like an endless void. “And guess who just tidied away all evidence of your existence within these studios?”

“...” Gella knew this wasn’t either of them, and that she was supposed to be scared. She wasn’t, though. Instead, she began to run away from the current scene, hands extended towards the darkness as she focused on finding the source of the voice itself. 

“...Time to say goodbye to another poor sou..” Vanessa only stayed within the darkness, letting the feeling of tension and paranoia build up as ice began to grow around her, the spirit’s laugh echoing throughout her head. “I’m so sorry. The ‘Snatcher’, he-”

“I know exactly who it is, and I’m not afraid to say it out loud. DIRECTOR SAMUEL!”

“...That’s right.”