Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

When Peri gains a sense of consciousness, he is hit with a wave of confusion.

He was lying down wings up, legs and arms in a slightly uncomfortable position as if he was thrown across the floor.

He gradually takes in his environment. Nothing looks familiar, giving him a bit of panic. This leads him to attempt to stand.

He felt so weak.

His mind felt slow like molasses dripping off a spoon. He could see how time continued without him, how these reflected lights passed on without him. Lights?

His body felt tepid like a stale soda, tepid to respond to his mind. He could feel the delay of his body responding to what his mind ordered. It was sickening. Is he sick? Why is everything slow? No, he's slow. Everything is fast. Lights.

What happened to him? What did he do wrong?

He progressively moves his arms to push his upper body off the floor to look around.

He was in a cage.

In a van.

With humans.

What the fuck.

“Hey, look, I think the little guy’s awake.”

Peri felt a fizz of anxiety in his chest at the sound of that, were they talking about him? Of course they were! Oh boy, this isn’t good. What is going on?!

“Should we give it another blow?”

“Not yet, it still seems really loopy, just keep your guard up in case it tries anything funny. That stuff got 'em good, it might even fall back asleep. I’m pretty sure this is the kind that works in waves.”

Oh, he definitely wasn’t letting himself fall back asleep! Although, the molasses still dripped... he could use the extra rest… but no no! He can’t let himself do that, he couldn’t… let them… get away with this…

He tries to recall what happened. Something about… a museum? Or was it a light show? Ugh… his head was killing him.. he couldn’t think straight. And where was... DEV! Where was his godkid?!
Is he with these other humans? Was he left behind? Left behind where?!
Does he even know Peri is kidnapped by adult humans-
OH GOD IM AM BEING KIDNAPPED!
The realization just sunk in.
WAIT WHAT THE HECK? THEY SEE ME!? THEY KNOW I EXIST! Oh god I’m in so much trouble! What’s going to happen to me, or Dev!? Oh god this is bad this is really really bad! 

His mind raced, bubbling molasses.
Maybe simulated fizzy, like stale soda blown bubbles through a straw.

Ok Peri, think, you can fix this, where is my wand…?! Where is my… oh no no no… they took my wand! Uhhhh how do I get out of this one…!?

The humans must have confiscated his wand.

He tries to remain calm and think of a plan to escape, but how can he do that without his wand? He can’t do much of anything.

He can barely move his head correctly to look around, how is he gonna attempt to escape a sturdy cage and grab his wand?— Wherever it was.

He was far too weak and drowsy to attempt anything but lay down. It felt oddly comforting to lay on the hard cold metal. In his drugged state, it was like a cool fluffed mattress, as long he didn’t move.

Every time he twitched to move he was reminded of his cold reality, he was reminded of consciousness, but as long as he just stayed still…

He could hear the brown noise of the car engine. He could feel the relaxing slight shake of the moving vehicle. He could see passing city lights on the floor reflecting from a small van window. Night light.

What did that one human say? Something about waves? Ugh… that’s sure what his mind felt like.

Waves of dizziness.

His eyes fluttered sleepily

His blood felt pumped with molasses syrup.

Maybe a little rest…

…

The next time Peri had gained consciousness, he could feel unstable movements on his surface.

He could hear commands and communication between humans as they worked to transport his cage out of the vehicle.

“Careful, watch your step.”

“Ok, there we go.”

“This way, just up the hill to the doors.”

Peri took a look at the outside of the building. His vision was blurry, he couldn’t make out many details. Maybe he could have if it wasn’t so dark outside.

But glowing in the dark were two big words:

Galax Institute

They moved him closer to the building and stopped, they were greeted by another human, this must be the one in charge.

“Hold it, let me finally get a look at this ‘fairy’”

The large man stepped up to the cage and leaned down to Peri. Peri looked back at him awkwardly, quite uncomfortable with the attention. He wanted to disappear so badly. This is all wrong. They shouldn't be seeing him, he should be with his kid.

“Well well, you weren’t bluffing. Breathing and in one piece”

“We’ll… mostly in one piece… we may have had to zap a wing off to capture it”

What? They zapped my- OH MY GOD MY WING!!

Peri said in his mind as he turned to see one of his wings almost completely burnt off, the other a bit torn. Looking at them made them sting. 

“Wing or not, this would be the first living paranormal creature in our facility! Breathing and… staring at me… speaking of which, why is it still awake?”

“It must have woken up from the export.”

“Well, we can’t have it cause any issues while not properly contained. Put back it to sleep.”

Peri jolted alert by the sound of that. 

Humans behind him prepared a tranquilizer.

Peri looked around for any means of escape, hints, or important details to remember. His wand! Where was his wand?! He was running out of time, they were already approaching him.

He panicked. He buzzed his wings for quick movement but stumbled in pain, forgetting the injury.

“Interesting reaction, I think it understands the concept of what we are about to do.”

He got up and tried tugging on the cage, maybe there was a loose bolt somewhere? There had to be a way to escape this. The quick movements gave him a wave of pain in his head. He stumbled back. When he opened his eyes again he was surrounded. A gun aimed at his chest, Peri backed himself as far as possible before- AH!

He let out a yelp of sharp pain as a dart stabbed through his clothing into his shoulder.

His breathing picked up more. This was it, he was done. They were gonna poke and prod him and he couldn’t do anything about it. 

He grasped the cage walls for support as his legs weakened.

He reached for the dart and yanked it out.

Metal with a ret tufft.

The same one as before.

No, not again.

The sight of it in his shaky hands made it all too real.

He couldn’t breathe.

He couldn’t speak.

His mind was attacking him.

All he could do was feel.

He could feel the intense pumping of his heart in his chest.

He could feel his throat drying cold from his short fast breaths.

His body shook as he slumped down to the cage floor.

His chest hurt with an exotic sharp pain of anxiety. He grasped his chest as if that would help. 

His skin felt cold with a light coat of sweat. 

He felt sick. 

Not again.

As alert as he was, the movements and fast heartbeat only made the drug work faster.

He mindlessly rested his head against a corner. His body grew limp.

All he could do was breathe and stare into the eyes of his captors.

His vision began to darken as his breathing slowed.

It was both terrifying and calming. He would at least have this attack on his body stop, but at what cost? 

He tried desperately to keep his eyes open, but my god was that shit strong.

Within a few more slow heartbeats, his breathing had eventually dropped to a normal level.

He looked up into the eyes of the man in charge. 

He wasn’t going to forget that face.

Staring spitefully into the eyes of the man, he tried so hard to keep his eyelids open, but alas, the darkness soon took over.

“What a fascinating little creature”

Chapter Text

The fairy groaned and peeked his eyes open slightly.

It was so bright. He fluttered his eyelids to adjust.

Bright, white, unfamiliar, and uncomfortably quiet, except for the buzzing white noise of a vent.

“Mmm” He groaned softly in pain.

His head was aching. His body felt like it was just hit by a semi-truck.

He was again laying wings up on a cold metal floor. He wiggled his fingers awake, and then lifted himself up and sat on his legs. He rubbed his eyes and forehead.

His vision began to clear and he blinked around his surroundings. He was in another cage. It was bigger than the previous one, at least by height.

He was in a vertical rectangular-shaped cage. It was just big enough for him to stretch out on the floor if he wanted to, and tall enough to uncomfortably fit an average-sized human.

The walls went all the way up to the ceiling. The base of the cage was a solid metal raised to about human-hip level, extending down to the floor.

Speaking of humans, he didn’t see any around. He was left alone in a room that looked similar to a doctor’s office. Odd equipment and hauntingly inaccurate posters of paranormal creatures decorated the area.

Thank god the humans weren’t here yet. This gave him a chance to regain his strength and figure out how to escape this cheaply decorated mad scientist stage scenery, if you can even call it that. it felt fun to mock at least.

Oh! His wand! Where was his- ah, right, not with him.

Peri placed a hand on the cage walls. It immediately sent a shock through his body.

“Ah!”

It was short but very painful. He felt slightly weaker after the energy had pulsed through his body, not only in a physical sense but in a magical sense as well.

Ok, so the walls aren’t gonna work.

The cage floor is just solid metal. No cracks or bolts he could mess with.

He looks up to see a square vent.

Huh, well that’s a dumb place to put an escape route.

Unless there was some kind of invisible laser or blocking preventing him from going through, he could totally escape from there.

He jumps up and flutters his wings, only to fall harshly on the ground and hit his head against the electric walls.

ZZZZAP!

“AUAAGH!!”

Well, that hurt a lot. Ugh… his back ached and his wings stung badly. He turned and was reminded about his inconvenient wing injury.

That's not gonna heal properly without a bit of magic... Oh right! And he can’t use magic because his wand is missing!

Well isn’t this just the perfectly planned out sandwich of “Oh Peri, you fucked up bad”.

He was feeling more awake than before, but that only made him feel less numb. More discomfort throughout his body woke as he became more alert.

His head continued to ache, much more than before. He felt shaky and weak, and a little bit nauseous. The nausea was rather from the anxiety, or from not eating for however long it has been, maybe both.

The worst pain was on his wings.

It all came up to him so fast.

An intense stinging that felt both hot and cold.

Waves of pain that leveled in intensity every few seconds.

He tried to rub his stinging wings. It was hard to touch them from where they were located, but he could feel enough of how torn the right one was.

It hurt to touch, but he wanted to know just how bad it was.

There wasn’t much left, just a sad stinging flaky base of a fairy wing. The other was mostly fine in comparison but had small tears around the edges.

He moved his hand back to the more broken one, mortified about how bad it was. He couldn’t move his hand away from it, no matter how much it hurt. It was so much to process.

He fiddled with the tips of the wing until he felt it crack in his hand.

He froze.

Did he just break his wing off?

He moved his hand away to see the ashes of his own body part in his hands.

No, it wasn't the whole thing. He had only broken off the damaged dead bits, but it was enough to send shivers down his spine.

Yup, he was definitely nauseous.

He quickly brushed his hands off, but dusty black remains still stuck and stained his palm.

He was equally terrified and grossed out, but specifically terrified about how numb the tips were. He didn’t feel anything by breaking off the fragile wing tip. It was more of a mental pain than physical.

This was the cherry on top of the breakfast.

Waking up in a cage, burnt wings.

The ashes smelt like rotten eggs.

Ok, well, I’m clearly not in the state to do anything escape-wise right now, but I can at least try to make sense of how the hell I ended up here.

Ugh.. let’s see… I remember going to some kind of… museum… Dev was… Ah! That’s right! Dev was there! I remember we had some kind of argument! And then… oh boy, I hope he is doing ok. I have no idea how long I’ve been out and away from him. Has it been a few hours? A day? Multiple days? TWO WEEKS?! Ok ok, don’t get ahead of yourself Peri, it’s probably not too long… right?

I remember being… worried about him. Then there was… a very loud noise… and… chaos…

The horrific details of his capture were hauntingly coming back to him.

—

ZZZZZAP!

A fairy thudded to the ground.

Wand skidded across the floor.

“BE CAREFUL WITH THAT! YOU ALMOST KILLED THEM!”

Wings burning to dust

—

It all happened so fast…

He doesn't remember all the details, but maybe there is a reason his mind doesn't want him to remember it all.

But… he doesn't remember seeing Dev during that last part. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe he wasn’t around to see that, Or Dev was, and it was too horrific of a fact for Peri to remember.

Peri squeezed his shoulder in a fidgeting way. The thought of his godkid witnessing such violence made his gut twist, let alone after an argument. What was the argument even about?

Oh, I hope he doesn’t feel guilty for this, I know none of this was his fault, it couldn’t have been. He can be a pain in the butt, but he would never let this happen to Peri. 

But… it wasn’t Peri’s fault either… not that he knows of.

Maybe it is his fault.

Whose else would it be?

He fucked up, he should be the one to suffer because of it.

Beep

Peri’s thoughts were halted to a pause by the sound of a sliding door.

Oh boy, the humans were back.

Chapter Text

The humans entered the room.

There were roughly 5 of them.

5 too many for his comfort.

They all talked to each other like a herd of ducks quacking about obvious statements and nonsensical wonders.

Well, it seems they can entertain themselves, why must he be involved?

But oh wait, he was the talk of the show.

“We caught it yesterday afternoon. It was more defensive than attacking.”

“It seems to be in a calmer state.”

“And we are sure it’s a fairy, right? It looks more like a small child doing one of those cosplays. We don’t want to repeat the same mistake…”

Quack quack.

He mocked them in his mind.

They were so annoying. But wait- what was that last part-?

Some of them moved around behind him.

They surrounded him on all sides.

They pointed at features with their pens.

Specifically the wings.

They wrote scribbles on their clipboards.

He tried to keep an eye on all of them, but he didn’t have 360 vision.

Quack Quack Quack

This felt so wrong.

They shouldn’t be looking at him.

He was always a rule follower. To have these humans studying him so intensely hurt his morals badly.

Even if he does escape this hell, it’s only going to be bad with Jorgen.

But can it really be worse than this?

At this point, he’d rather just be thrown in fairy jail already.

He would be doing the same sitting around, but at least he wouldn’t be stared at. At least he wouldn’t be breaking any more of Da Rules.

He’s gonna be charged with high fairy crimes for sure. Unless he unravels more about how his capture really went down.

Maybe it wasn’t his fault he was captured.

But, he is the youngest fairy to exist, the first fairy born in 1000 years, thus making him the most inexperienced. Maybe that’s how he fucked up so badly.

He is responsible for revealing fairies to humans.

He has got to be the only fairy to have gone through this.

The only one ever caught.

That only made the humans so thirsty for someone like him.

They wanted to know everything about him. Where he came from, how his magic worked, how he ticked.

He could overthink all day about what was going on inside their human minds, but it felt so uncomfortable. He didn’t want them thinking about him. He didn’t want them looking at him.

It all felt so so wrong.

They kept quacking

“I’m not sure if we will see it fly again. We have no idea what the healing process of these creatures is like.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing it can’t fly. It's fast in the air, we caught it by the skin of our teeth. It would most likely escape again if it could fly”

“But still, how do wings that small support its weight? Does it fly purely by its wings, or is it helped with magic? Does it rely on its wand to fly, or can it fly on its own? If so, wouldn’t the wings just be pointless?”

They were so irritating. He wanted to just plug his ears, but he had to stay alert of everything they said and did.

“Well, we can’t fix the past. There is still plenty we can learn without its wings.”

“Speaking of which, do you think some of the myths of fairies are true? Do you think its skin will burn off if it touches iron?”

“Do you think it likes moss?”

“Do you think it steals children and replaces them with fairy changelings?”

These humans were so dumb. They really knew nothing about fairies. Which was a good thing, it’s how it should be. But considering he is in their care, that might bite him in the back while they try to keep him alive for however long he will be stuck here.

Their silly words and hypotheses were so annoying and humiliating.

He almost felt like clearing up some of that misinformation, but held his tongue.

He hasn’t spoken to them at all yet. They might not know he can talk. That may be a good thing.

If they knew he could talk, he would just be questioned and pressured for answers that he didn’t want to give.

He doesn't want to break any more rules.

If his capture wasn’t his fault, then he is in the clear from rule-breaking, and he wants to keep it that way.

“Ok, well let’s start with what we can do. I believe we are ready to take a closer look.”

Peri perked up at that comment, he didn’t like the sound of that, or the voice that spoke it. There was a crooked undertone to the statement.

The humans noticed he reacted to that statement.

“Whoa, did you see that? Do you think it understands us?”

“Maybe. It did react similarly to the guys preparing a tranquilizer for it last night”

“Or maybe it can’t understand our words but can sense danger in some paranormal way?”

They watched him closer with burning curiosity.

How could Peri have said too much by not saying anything at all?

“Do you understand me?”

One of the humans asked.

But it wasn’t to one another, it was to him.

They were asking him a question.

Even worse, it was the voice he didn't like.

The main voice, it seemed.

Peri awkwardly stayed silent and broke eye contact, hoping they would lose interest.

He fidgeted with his hands and swallowed.

The silence was so loud.

He was in the spotlight, they waited for a response.

But he never spoke.

The humans soon broke focus, and the main voice signaled to the others.

The others walked away and began to prepare things on different sides of the room.
He was anxious about what they were collecting.

He hoped it wasn’t for him.

He knew it was for him.

Two entered a side room and came back with some supplies. That room wasn't a room, but rather a very large closet filled with tools to play with their new toy.

Those same two worked to move out a table from the wall and wrapped two chain-like ropes under the bottom in a criss-cross shape.

It almost looked like some torture device. Even if it wasn’t intended to be, it would probably be used that way.

One of them was behind the fairy, cooking up some kind of drug in the cabinets.

One was organizing some tools brought out from the closet.

The last one was still by his cage. Staring at him, and occasionally ordering the others.

The main voice.

The main quacks.

Seeing what they were preparing sent him into another state of panic.

The main quacker by his cage took note of the fairy’s reactions.

He called out to the one behind.

“Use the lighter stuff! We want to keep it awake.”

What lighter stuff? What were they talking about?! What were they planning on doing him?!

They were all moving a little too fast.

They surrounded his cage again.

One of the humans began tapping buttons on the cage’s base.

There was a quiet buzzing sound that was muted. He didn’t even realize the sound was there until it was turned off for contrast.

He backed up against one of the cage walls. He wasn’t shocked by the wire this time. He was too focused on the humans to remember the walls were electric to begin with.

His breathing picked up faster.

Oh god, what are they going to do to me?! What do they want from me?! Are they gonna hurt me?! I don’t want them to hurt me. Aren’t I already in enough pain as it is?!

His mind raced.

“Ah!”

He let out a shy yelp.

He froze and tensed his back.

There was a sharp pain digging into his skin from behind.

One of the humans had snuck a syringe through the square holes of the cage.

The shock of it left him frozen for a few seconds before he pulled away abruptly.

But it was too late, the liquid was already in his body and working its magic.

He started to feel weaker.

No no no, he had to stay awake! Didn’t they say they wanted him awake? Why were they giving him this then?!

He rubbed the piercing wound and leaned away from the back end of the cage.

He seethed at the pain. He could feel the cold liquid traveling through his back and shoulder, it brought back the nausea.

He looked up at his captors.

They silently stared.

How heartless.

They all remained still as they watched his movements.

It was all so quiet, except for the scared breathing and whimpers from the fairy.

The lights seemed to dim, the humans turned to silhouettes.

But their eyes remained.

Blurry pairs of whites.

But one pair remained clear.

The main quacker.

Eyes of silver.

Foreground.

Two daggers to his skull.

Sharp.

Stabbing into his head mentally as his mind raced with worries.

Staring,

like a hawk with its prey,

waiting for a moment of weakness to attack,

or,

waiting for weakness to kick in.

He hated the attention. He hated being stared at by these humans.

He unconsciously started to lean to the ground. He tried to catch himself. He tried to sit back up.

But his arms felt so numb.

It all felt so numb.

Mind in a daze,

but he managed to stay awake.

This stuff for sure wasn’t as strong as the last kind, but oh boy, does it still have its effects.

He laid on the cage floor with slowed breathing.

Eyes half closed.

He was still conscious, that was a win.

It was so quiet. He might as well have forgotten there were other beings present.

All he could hear and focus on was his own breathing.

The silence was haunting, like a quiet before the storm.

He wished they would go back to the quacking.

He preferred annoyance over fear.

He could feel small vibrations of the humans messing with the cage’s opening.

Oh, he wished they would keep quacking,

at least then he could get hints of what they were going to do to him.

Large hands reached into his cage.

He missed the ducks.

Chapter Text

The fairy’s limp body was brought over and placed down on the metal table.

The pressure of his body weight was put upon his fragile fractured wings. He could feel them cracking like a crunchy fall leaf on his back.

The humans drew up the chain-like ropes from the bottom of the table and tied them tightly around his wrists and ankles.

They sized it right by adjusting where the knots were tied. 

A bit too tight.

It pulled him wide open in a vulnerable X shape.

It was so uncomfortable but he couldn’t do anything about it.

He felt so numb.

He couldn’t feel much of anything.

He couldn’t see much either with his mind in a daze.

But he could hear everything.

“We can start collecting the skin samples first.”

His eyes widened at the sight of a pair of sharp scissors brought upon him.

He could already imagine the feeling and that was painful enough.

He flinched when he heard the first snip.

But it didn’t hurt.

They were just cutting his sleeve off to reveal his shoulder.

I mean, I know his shirt was already burnt and messed up, but come on! Not the threads!

He knew that wasn’t the worst of it.

They removed the sleeve and brought out a scalpel.

He let out a short gasp when it went down on his shoulder. 

The pain wasn’t as sharp as he expected, probably due to the drugs. 

The muffled touch felt less as if they were cutting into a body with nerves, and more as if they were cutting into bread.

He became their bread.

He bit his lip and held back tears.

“Whoa! Are you seeing what I’m seeing?! It’s blood glows white! We’ve got to get extra samples of that.”

“Well well, this little guy is just full of surprises!” 

He has never been cut up like this before. Even Peri himself was curious about the color of his own blood.

He peeked a look.

His blood really did glow white, with a slight purple tint.

Vanilla with purple food dye.

The knives were eating away at him,

cutting a small triangular chunk from his shoulder,

like a birthday cake.

The mortals were so hungry. He couldn’t blame them for wanting a slice.

He couldn’t stop them either.

Bread can’t move.

The lack of sharp pain made it confusing and terrifying. He had no scale of how deep the cut was.

It's too bad bread doesn't have nerves

The mental thought of it all made his mind go “Oh wait, we are supposed to feel pain.” Sending reactions to the area.

The humans took note of that.

Idiot.

Bread doesn't have a mind either.

He was so paranormal. The humans were fascinated with the paranormal. Maybe if he acted like real bread they would disappear.

If he had his wand he could have turned himself into real bread.

Well, if he had his wand he wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place.

His mind was all over the place. He felt delusional.

He tried to not look at what was happening, but he could see it all in his peripheral vision.

The hands, the knife, the soulless hyper-fixated eyes.

He wanted to scream so bad, he wanted to say something to make them stop from going further.

Talking would definitely get them to stop this, at least stall them for a bit.

Maybe it would make them look at him more as a person and less as a lab animal.

Maybe then they would have some sympathy.

Maybe then they would stop the cutting.

But he couldn't break himself to talk. 

He couldn’t break Da Rules.

He was too good for his own good.

He just had to endure the pain for now.

They switched tools and pinched at him with the new utensil.

They took the slice of cake. It left a stream of neon periwinkle dropping down his arm. 

They covered it tightly with a cloth 

Some liquid pooled on the table.

They held up a vile to catch some of the stream.

They filled up their cup.

Understandable I suppose, cake makes you thirsty.

The spilled liquid remained on the table.

It glowed brightly against the dark surface.

This must be the dance floor.

He heard a snip above his head.

They cut off a piece of his hair.

Of course, you can’t have cake without the icing.

They brought out the knife again.

I guess they were hungry for seconds.

They took more samples.

You got to try one of everything.

His mind disassociated, becoming unaware of any other actions brought upon him as a way to cope.

He was finally mindless.

He was finally bread.

The dance floor began to fade its light.

The crooked hands danced to the song of their crooked thoughts.

They danced till the lights were out.

The liquid had dried, turning into a dark purple.

They cleaned up their dishes.

They were done with the party.

Chapter Text

(Turn the brightness up to view the artwork better! Thank you so much for getting me to 1k hits and 100 kudos so fast! You guys really enjoy my work and I’m so happy! Enjoy this artwork as a gift! I might do more artworks like this in some other chapters if and when I hit some other milestones.) Edit: IF YOU DO NOT SEE THE IMAGE idk why, but you can view it here:

Tumblr post version of artwork

Edit: There is supposed to be a burnt hole in his clothing on his side, I need to edit the artwork and add it.)

—

Dim lights with a green aura.

He was left alone.

Peri laid dead silent on the cage floor.

Eyes wide, but not looking at anything.

He was looking at images in his mind.

The pictures and memories of what just happened were all so fresh.

Flashes of the knives, 

the crooked hands,

The blood,

The slice.

It was all so intense. It felt unreal.

He tried to believe it didn’t happen.

He stroked the fresh bandage on his shoulder.

Too real.

A hint of dark purple seeped through the cloth.

Liquid never meant to see the light of day.

He tried to think about anything else, but it just kept playing,

over and over.

Flashes of the knives,

the crooked hands,

the blood,

the slice.

He was being forced to watch a horror movie.

He shut his eyes tight, 

but the scenes were being played in his mind.

Could he at least get some popcorn?

—

“Scary movies are the BEST!”

The human child expressed in excitement.

“I was looking through some old hidden boxes in my parents’ room and found this movie!” Hazel held up the DVD, proud of her findings.

“That's great squirt, but maybe you shouldn’t be looking through your parents’ stuff.” The pink fairy replied concerned.

“It was worth it for this treasure! I’ve wanted to watch this one since forever!”

Hazel handed the box to Cosmo and Wanda. They looked at the pictures while she continued.

“It’s about a monster who would terrorize kids, so the monster was taken down by humans. But then they learn the monster wasn't a monster, but an angel! And the angel was actually helping kids with their math homework!”

“Ah! Oh, the poor monster! Maybe the angel could free him?!” Cosmo yelped

“l wasn’t allowed to watch this when I was younger. But I’m 10 now, that’s basically an adult! I’m sure I can handle some “Dark themes”, or, whatever my dad said. Do you want to watch it with me?!"

“Sorry squirt, but the last time Cosmo and I watched a scary movie, It uhh… didn’t turn out well for Cosmo.”

“WANDA, THE ALIENS! THEY TOOK JIMMY’S PARENTS! THE HORROR!”

“Aw man. But I can’t watch a horror movie alone, it’s not fun! You have to watch them with friends so you can suffer together… for fun!”

“I'm glad you like them, but it's just not our thing.”  Wanda handed the movie back.

“Hmmm. Oh! I know! I wish I had a friend to watch a horror movie with!”

Wanda and Cosmo sparkled their wands.

Poof!

Dev was confused.

“Wha- where? Hazel?!”

“Dev! How ya’ doing? Do you wanna watch this movie with me?! It’s about a monster who-”

“Did you wish me here just to watch a movie?”

“Uh, yeah. I was hoping to-”

“Ugh, no, I was in the middle of something very important! Don’t wish me near you like that again.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Dev. What were you busy with?”

“It’s uh… It’s not important! Stop asking me questions, I didn’t want to be here!” 

Dev turned away.

“Peri! I wish to be home!”

—

ZZZAP!

Peri could hear his Godkid calling him.

But he couldn’t escape the cage.

It must have been built with some kind of anti-paranormal technology. 

Dev calling him only caused the cage to shock him as Peri instinctively tried to teleport to Dev.

He didn’t have his wand though,

he couldn’t teleport anyway.

But he was still shocked.

The call must have awoken something inside of him that the walls were trying to keep at bay.

—

“Uh.. hello! I said I wish to be home now!”

—

ZZZZAP!

“GUAAGH!”

His insides were burning.

—

The crowd stood awkwardly, waiting for an arrival.

“That’s odd.” Hazel peeped out.

“Ugh, stupid Peri won’t even answer me now.”

“Uh, maybe he is taking a break? Did you wish for him to take a break?” Hazel responded optimistically.

“No, well.. not exactly. But that doesn’t matter! Shouldn’t he be answering me when I need him?!”

“Well, yes.” Wanda responded.

“PERI PERI PERI! CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?! DO I NEED TO YELL LOUDER?!”

—

ZZZZZZZAAAPP!

Peri screamed in pain.

“Y-Yes Dev! I hear you! I want to go so badly, I’m sorry!”

Dev couldn’t hear him.

Oh no, Dev is gonna think he is ignoring him.

He would never ignore a call from his godkid, even if they ended on a bad note with their argument. 

He couldn’t explain to Dev why he wasn’t present.

He just had to hope Dev didn’t think the worst of why he wasn’t there.

—

“Maybe me and Cosmo should try looking for him.”

“Ugh, well can you at least wish me back home since Peri is being useless.”

“Uh, ok Dev… I wish Dev was back home.”

Poof! Her friend was gone.

“Do you want to wish for another friend to watch the scary movie with?” Wanda poked out.

“Um…no, I’m more worried about Peri. Why didn’t he show up?”

“Well, Peri could be actively choosing to not go, but that doesn’t sound like him. A fairy is supposed to show up when called. Unless Peri is really busy with some shenanigans in Fairy World, I really don’t know why.” 

“Oh! Maybe he is preparing a big surprise for Dev and is waiting to go… SURPRISE!” Cosmo sparked

“Well, can we go looking for him?”

“We can try, but I think his find-my-wand is still off. We might have to do this the hard way.”

“That’s ok! We are gonna find him! It sounds like an adventure!”

“Oh! Adventure?! I love adventures! Wanda, can we go on Hazel’s adventure?!” Cosmo begged with puppy eyes.

“Why of course, let’s go find our son!”

“Yaayyy!”

-

Meanwhile, Dev was finally back in his room.

“Ugh, I can’t believe Hazel’s two fairies have to wish me home because my own fairy couldn’t bother to answer!” He stomped.

“Isn’t that like- against some kind of rule? Doesn't Peri always follow the dumb rules?”

So frustrated.

“Like- oh come on! The one time Peri chooses to not follow the rules, and it’s to ignore me! How rude!”

If Peri continues to ignore him any longer, Dev might be lucky enough to get a better fairy.

The Anti-Fairy, Irep.

Dev hoped Peri wouldn’t show up soon.

He always liked Irep better.

—

Peri cared so much for Dev. 

He worried for him. 

He learned early on that Dev was a bit of a harder case, especially for his first assigned godkid. But that only made Peri try harder. He wanted to make it work. He wanted to be there to help and guide his kid. Maybe help heal him in the process. 

Dev needed someone to care about him. Peri saw how neglectful his father was. Peri couldn’t change Dev’s dad, but Peri was happy to fill his role.

But how would Dev feel when the one person left to guide him was absent as well?

That’s all Peri could think of.

Dev must be so confused, and rightfully frustrated.

Peri wanted to believe Dev wouldn’t think the worst of it, but that would be a lie.

He knew how pessimistic he could be. Understandably, Dev was missing a big light in his life.

Oh how miserable he would be,

all because of Peri.

All because Peri was so inexperienced and dumb enough to get himself caught.

He couldn’t even remember how it all happened, but it must have been all his fault.

It felt better to have someone to blame it on.

He had someone to hate for leaving his godkid so alone.

He continued to worry for his kid.

At least the previous horror movie was off, but this one was much worse.

So haunting.

So worrisome

So anxiety-inducing

So terrifying.

So depressing.

He didn’t like horror movies.

He didn't even have anyone to watch it with.

Horror movies are always better to watch with others, he learned that from Hazel.

I guess he must suffer alone.

Chapter Text

Munch Munch

Hazel munched on some wished fries.

They had looked everywhere!

Hazel, Wanda, and Cosmo sat tiredly on a bench in Fairy World. Cosmo just about falling asleep leaning against Wanda.

They had been searching for hours, and still no luck. 

Even the sun was getting sleepy.

“This adventure doesn't feel very adventure-er-y. We’ve been going around all day, my feet feel like they are gonna fall off!”

“Cosmo, you don’t use your feet.” His wife replied

“Oh yeah, I meant my wings are gonna fall off!”

Hazel swallowed a bite and sighed tiredly.

This adventure didn't seem fun anymore. It turned from a game of Hide-n-Seek to a game of Lost-n-Found. They weren't very good at the "Found" part.

"There has got to be someplace we haven't looked! Uh, what about Wings N' Things?"

"We've looked there"

"Hm… Rainbow Highway?"

"We've been there 5 times"

"Oh! You're guy's house?"

"That was the first place we looked"

"Uhh… General Fairy World?"

"That's where we are now"

"We are? I thought we were still in Star Dome! Oh, this adventure's got me all mixed up!" Cosmo exclaimed.

"Sigh, I'm gonna need more brain food.” Hazel said as she slumped and shook the empty fry box upside down. 

Wanda lazily spun her wand and more fries appeared.

"Thanks Wanda"

Munch munch

Wanda and Cosmo began to worry about their son quietly. Hazel still seemed optimistic, but exhausted. The pair shared the same brainwave.

Is our son in danger?

That thought squiggled through each other's heads like a long connected worm. It nibbled on their minds and down to their stomachs.

Hazel glanced over to the pair while munching on more fries. She noticed the masked worry on their faces. Hazel felt bad. They must be worried about Peri. She knew how it felt to have a family member gone for a while, but at least Antony didn't disappear without a word.

Hazel shook the tiredness off her face and straightened her back. She was determined to find Peri! She was determined to help her fairy godparents! It was the least she could do for all they had done for her.

She darted her attention around, looking for clues. Fairies passing by, pastel buildings, glowing decor, fries in her lap, she munched on more with a stern look.

Munch Munch

She didn't recognize any of the fairies passing by.

Hmm, Oh, except for Cupid. He was passing by trying to not draw attention to himself. Hazel never really liked Cupid. Ever since she first wished for him to appear he-

…

Hazel's eyes lit up with a realization.

She jumped up

"OH MY GOD CUPID!"

Fairies looked over, including the pair.

"Huh?! What do you want?" Cupid was startled and annoyed.

"Oh, no, nothing! You just gave me an idea!"

"Um, ok… wait, why are you in Fairy World?"

"Uhhh…"

"She used a loophole." Wanda interrupted

"Ah, ok, carry on then… I guess."

Cupid flew away. Hazel looked excitedly at Wanda and Cosmo as her eyes lit up with hope.

"What is it, Squirt?"

"IT'S CUPID!"

"Me again?"

"No!"

"Ugh, stop calling me then!"

Cupid flew back again.

"I didn't know you were a fan" Cosmo poked out.

“Wha- NO! I WISHED FOR CUPID TO APPEAR BEFORE! WE COULD HAVE JUST DONE THAT WITH PERI!”

“Oohhhhhhh” The two fairies realized in sync.

“Why didn’t we think of that before?” Wanda smacked her face, exhausted.

“That would have saved so much time.” Cosmo pulled at his hair.

“I wish Peri was here!”

—

ZZAAAPP!

“GUAAHH!!”

Peri was awoken by a shock.

What is it now? Did his godkid try to call him again? Did he accidentally touch the cage walls in his sleep?"

It took him so long just to fall asleep to his anxious thoughts, now he’s gotta try all over again.

—

Whup-omp

“Nooooo! Not the wand-not-working sound!!”

Cosmo and Wanda pulled up Da Rules book.

"Huh, I don't see any rule for why that wish wouldn't work. Unless Peri went to an alternate universe or has some anti-magic barrier around him… hmm." Wanda puzzled.

"Or, what if Peri has been caught by humans and was brought to some paranormal investigation facility, and is being kept in some anti-magic cage that is preventing him from escaping both by him trying to use his magic, and us trying to wish him here!”

Speechless. Hazel and Wanda give a horrified look.

"Uh, or what Wanda said." Cosmo broke the silence

"Ahaha, I wouldn't jump to the worst possibilities yet." Wanda laughed anxiously

The group shared a dark feeling in their gut. Maybe… something bad did happen.

Hazel shakes it off.

"Well, wherever he is, we've got to keep looking!"

"I don't know Hazel, it's getting dark and your parents will worry if you're gone too long."

"But, what if something is wrong? What if Peri is in danger!"

"If he is, we will find him. I'm sure we've got nothing to worry about. Absolutely no reason to worry. Everything is totally fine. Peri is fine. Don't worry. We don't need to worry, you don't need to worry."

"Agree, agree, No worry."

"Are you sure?"

"100%”

"All calm here."

"Mhm"

"Well, ok. I feel a bit better now. I wish to be home!"

Poof!

Hazel was poofed away back home.

Wanda and Cosmo collectively take a deep breath in.

…

“OUR SON IS MISSING!!!” The couple shout in sync.

Their panic breaks out. They frantically fly around brainstorming how to find their son.

They're gonna be up all night.

---

Peri was wide awake.

Cold stale air took away his warmth. He curled into himself closer. Knees to chest. He tries to save his warmth, his energy. His warmth escaped through the jagged hole on his shirt's side and from his singular unclothed arm. He tried to not touch the frigid floor with bare skin.

So cold.

His arms were shaking, he was so violently shifted to consciousness, making him feel more on edge. He was worried about falling asleep again, he couldn’t risk accidentally causing another shock like that.

But he was so tired.

He wanted to sleep, but his body wouldn't let him. But his body needed it.

He felt so on edge. He was so alert.

His mind was running off of pure anxious energy.

He didn't want to be awake, but he had to be.

What if he is shocked again? What if the humans come back? What if Dev is Dev-astated that he's missing? What if no one even notices he is gone? What if they do and they are worried and looking for him? What if they never find him? What if they do find him and he gets punished for being revealed? What if they give up finding him and he dies here alone? What if he causes these humans to discover Fairy World? What if he causes his family to get hurt because of it? What if? What if?

No way to escape.

No way to tell time.

Alone, alone.

Stuck in this endless cycle of thoughts and pain and worry and-

Munch munch

What was that?

It was his insides.

A feeling of tightness and nauseating pain.

The feeling was like metaphorical tiny worms squiggle-squiggling through his stomach acid and nibble-nibbling on the interior.

They thrived in this new environment and lived off the energy of anxiety.

Munch munch

They ate him from the inside.

They squiggled and wiggled in a happy dance.

His stomach tightened. The small worms began to form together, creating a singular long large worm of sick inside his stomach.

The worm curled around inside and teased a sense of nausea as it poked upwards.

It tied his gut to knots.

It swirled around the inside and then bit its way to the outside of the stomach, only to squeeze itself around like a snake suffocating its prey.

It bit down. The venom making him paralyzed.

Wait, wasn’t it a worm? Not a snake?

It was a snake-worm, yeah, that made sense.

He felt like he was going to vomit.

The worm wiggled back into the stomach and began to climb his throat

He held his breath, trying to swallow the feeling.

He coughed through his nose.

He felt so sick.

This felt like torture.

He didn’t want to throw up, but maybe that would remove the worms.

He allowed himself to throw up, but nothing came out.

The metaphorical worm’s body was so long it extended from the top of his throat all the way down to his stomach.

It turned itself around to continue its journey in an endless cycle. Up, down, around, and back up again just to go back down. Never giving him the release he so hoped for.

All while biting and eating from the inside.

Munch munch

Chapter Text

Peri was awoken again from discomfort.

He was cold, cold-blooded, he felt.

The hard floor of the cage was no substitute for a mattress.

He lost count of how many times he had drifted back and forth from pure consciousness to a cheap mimic of sleep. He spent most of the night lying awake, staring at the vent at the top of his cage, thinking about how easy it would be to escape if only he could fly.

But atlas, he was stuck a land animal.

Land animal, lab animal,

"Creature"? "Thing"? “It”?

Ugh, he hated being called that. He couldn’t wait to never again be referred to as an object.

That is if he ever will escape.

He hasn’t really thought of an escape plan. He had mostly been lying around worrying about what’s to come next. Maybe he should start thinking about what should come next.

Ok, ok, something to do, something to think about, something to keep his mind working and thinking and alive and soon-to-be living again.

Hmm, ok, well, wings are broke, so I can’t do anything flying-wise. That might be a big issue because I’m not exactly good at walking either. 

He thought.

Peri almost never used his legs. When he wasn’t flying, he was sitting. When he wasn’t sitting, he was flying. No inbetween.

There was a reason his wand was shaped like a cane.

He wasn’t the best at walking, but he didn’t need to be. He could always fly.

Well, I guess now is the time to improve on that. Running could be very useful.

Peri shifted to try to stand.

He placed a hand on the walls for support-

ZZZZAP!

"AHK!" 

He fell back. His tiny hand stung.

Great, he’s gotta try this with no support.

Second time’s a charm, right?

He tried again with no support. He tried to not touch the walls, but he felt so unstable. He wished he had his cane to support him.

He wobbled. His legs felt weaker than usual. They must have done something to him.

He felt a sense of numbness and waved his arms for balance.

ZZAP!

Rookie mistake.

His fingers had grazed the wire again. A startling shock danced through his body and he lost all remaining strength.


ZZZZZZZZZZ-

He fell backward onto the wall and was electrocuted again. He was stuck in a state of paralysis against the wall while the energy continued to flow through his body. 

White. Hot.

-ZZZZAP

He managed to unconsciously slump diagonally to the side and escape the touch of the wire

Eyes dazed. Black dots danced in his vision like reverse fireflies.

Lightheaded. Dizzy. Sporadic muscles let out small buggy twitches as an aftermath.

Cicadas in his ears, a constant static of noise, despite it being cricket silent.

Squishy face against the floor.

Foggy mind. Froggy mind. A coat of sweat.

Fried frog in the sun.

He was so weak. Why was he so weak?

Croooaaak

A low growl came from his stomach, sounding like a long froggy croak.

Ah, that made sense.

When was the last time he had eaten?

If he's been keeping count correctly, this should be his second day here. 

He must have been too stressed on other things yesterday to realize he was starving. He couldn’t believe he went an entire day without eating.

He has no idea what weird idea of food the humans have planned for him, he just hopes it's palatable.

But, considering their choice of a bed for him, he set the bar low.

"Mm"

He let out a small groan and weakly wiggled his fingers tight, trying to gain enough strength to move again

There wasn't enough room to move around without the fear of touching the walls.

Claustrophobic.

He shakily stretched his arms and dragged himself a few inches closer to the center.

Crooaak

Yeah yeah. He shushed the frog in his mind, too tired to speak.

He couldn’t do anything about it, he tried to ignore the frog.

Ok, getting back on track, uhh… escape plans, Yeah.

Hmm

Foggy

He couldn’t think.

The silly frog was too annoying.

Froggy

He never really felt hunger this way before. Usually, whenever he was hungry he could just magic some food to appear.

Oh, he could go for some chocolate right about now.

The hunger wasn’t really painful, it was more annoying. 

Like an itch you can't scratch. 

It put him on edge, he wanted to relieve it so bad. He wished he had his wand.

The itch soon became painful.

Crooaak

Oh god, the nausea was back.

Beep

Wait, what is that?

A different noise broke Peri from focus.

A door slid open. A portly peach-toned human walked in.

Crunchy beard the color of caramel.

Poor choice of clothing. Peri wouldn't have picked that outfit if he were him. He looks like he's trying too hard to look professional. It's giving "suck up graduate". Oh, and not with that tie, honey no, the bright colors and patterns clash so hard, It's way too distracting.

Bright lights suddenly flicked on at the entrance, piercing Peri's eyes.

He shot his hands up to cover them and rubbed them to adjust. 

He could hear the sounds of boots clanking against the floor as the human stepped closer.

Peri tried to remain calm. He held himself back from showing any weakness. He held his breath. He pushed himself to sit upright. He wasn’t gonna let them think they could do anything to him.

Too much.

The human walked closer to his cage, tapping on his clipboard in a constant rhythm. 

Peri tensed when he stepped closer.

Keep it together, Peri. 

Luckily, the human kept walking, and went past his cage, only giving the fairy a quick glance.

Peri sighed the tenseness away.

The human was busy with his mind. He paced around a bit. He adjusted a few things on the counter. He prepared strange objects. He wrote notes on his clipboard. Peri didn’t really know what he was doing, all he knew was that he was annoying.

And the humming, the human hummed along to an earworm in his head,

it was the most annoying.

Peri didn’t recognize the song, but it was far too up-beat for his situation. 

These humans are having the time of their lives, aren’t they? Getting fun out of his torment. Do they think this is a joke? Or do they not realize he can feel things too?

The humming turned to quiet mumbled singing.

Peri let out a dramatic sigh. He felt humiliated and annoyed.

Crooaaak

Peri’s face flushed red in embarrassment.

When will this frog shut up?!

Luckily, the human didn’t notice his weakness.

But… maybe it would be a good thing if he did? Maybe he would finally get something to eat?

He watched the human work.

Suddenly, the human paused, and looked around, checking for privacy, looking on both sides to make sure he wasn’t being watched.

Peri raised an eyebrow at this as the human reached a hand in his coat pocket.

Peri heard the crunchy sound of a wrapper and perked up.

The human was opening a granola bar.

Peri was drawn to it, he put his hands against the cage.

ZZAP!

He flinched back.

Dang it, he forgot about that part again.

Peri had drawn attention to himself. The human stepped closer in curiosity.

Crumbs falling to the floor. Such a waste.

Peri scooted back.

He was being stared at again.

The face focused on him.

Rounded rusty cheeks, lowly placed ears, a large head, and a face that shrunk into his tiny nose.

Crows feet at the eyes.

Hot eyes burning the fairy's skin.

Uncomfortable. Peri tried to avoid eye contact, keeping his eye on something more important.

The human noticed how the critter eyed the food. It looked back at him, and then back at the bar, silently communicating its needs.

Interesting.

“Do you want this?”

He shook the bar.

Peri hesitated on nodding, he didn’t wanna reveal he could understand them. It’s best if they think he can’t communicate. He doesn't want to be questioned about his existence.

Peri remained silent but kept his attention.

The human seemed less interested in helping Peri, and more interested in Peri’s reactions.

Maybe Peri could loop his way around that interest.

He gave his best puppy eyes, hoping to crack the heart of the heartless human.

It was a bit humiliating, but he was too hungry to care.

The human waved the bar back and forth.

Peri followed it eagerly with desperate eyes.

He was being teased.

The human questioned him again.

He swallowed his saliva

He pointed his hand to the half-opened granola bar.

The human’s interest peaked, The fairy had given a hand signal.

Peri hoped his attentiveness and silent responses would finally be rewarded.

The human walked around the cage to the front, dragging Peri’s eyes with the bar.

The human pressed a few buttons on the base. The quiet zzz sound from the electric cage was shut off.

The human touched the cage.

He wasn’t zapped.

How unfair.

He messed with a small lock at the bottom.

It was working.

Peri was so close to the satisfaction he craved. He needed it now. The itch grew stronger. This was a different flavor of torture.

Flavor? Oh, he could taste it already.

Sweet sugar honey oats and carbs.

The human watched the fairy’s facial expressions and body language change as it understood what he was doing.

It was nearly jumping up and down with impatience.

A small rectangular door was opened. The door was far too small for Peri to escape from, but it was big enough for him to be given the food.

Peri reached his hands out and wiggled his fingers in an eager "gimmie gimmie" hand signal.

The human didn’t give it up quite yet. He teased the critter a bit more, watching frustration wrinkle on its face.

The human huffed in amusement.

Come on, come on, just give it to me already you jerk!

The bar moved closer to the opening, closer, closer.

Croak

Frog tongue.

His arms snatched at the bar.

The human quickly pulled back. The food flew away.

How humiliating.

He growled in frustration.

“Haha, how cute! The little guy is hangry.”

No! It is not cute! Nothing about this is cute!

His nose wrinkled. His wings puffed out.

He buzzed his wings in frustration.

The human moved the bar closer again.

Second time’s a charm, right?

He leaped at it. His arms shot outside of the cage. His face splat against the cage wall. The food had flown away again.

More crumbs fell to the floor with the movement. None landed in his cage, how unfortunate.

He waved his arm frantically at the bar.

The human only teased him more.

Peri wanted to shout at this man, but instead, he spoke with a loud buzzing sound of his cicada-like.

Why must they be so mean?

Beep

Just then, a door slid open. A lanky dull-colored human walked in. The teasing halted.

“What are you doing?! Why is the access door open?! Is that a fucking granola bar?!”
A main voice spoke with a serious, sharpened tone. Each word flies out like a dagger to the heart.

“Uh, it’s not what it looks like.”

Peri stopped the buzzing and pulled himself back as the bossy human stepped closer while he continued to shout.

“Well then, you better have a good explanation.”
His responses are quick. Two steps ahead in thinking.

“Just wait, Look! Watch this!”

The human waves the bar yet again.

Peri pointed and eagerly focused on the bar with a forced awkward smile. Hoping to just get this over with and have his aching stomach eased. It was so humiliating, but it would all be worth it.

Peri did not receive his reward.

“This isn’t some puppy to play with.”

“I just think the little guy is hungry.”

“So what? You were going to spontaneously feed the subject an unauthorized substance?”

“Well, no! I wasn't actually going to give it anything.”

“Then what were you thinking bringing that in here? Don’t tell me you were going to eat in the laboratory.”

“Oh, come on! You know I have low blood sugar!”

“And your fatass can wait till you are outside the room. Do you want the boss to hear about this?”

“No.”

“Then throw that thing away and finish what you were ordered to do.”

Fatass shut his mouth.

"And clean up this mess!" Bossy ordered after spotting the spilled crumbs.

Crumbs did as told.

The bossy human turned his attention to Peri.

He recognized those eyes.

This was the same silver-eyed human bossing the other humans to prepare him for… the table.

He didn't really focus on the humans' facial features before, they all blurred together in his memory, but the eyes, he couldn’t forget.

Looking at him now, the human had a boring bland clothing style. Solid dull colors, looking like some greyscale filter. At least he wasn't trying too hard. Somehow the labcoat suits him. He doesn't really have a fashion style, it looks like he's just throwing on whatever would be most efficient for work. Those kinds of people definitely need a little fairy flair in their lives. Wait- is that a red stain on his shirt? Gross.

After judging the clothing, Peri drew his eyes up the figure.

Sharp shoulders. Angled rectangular face. Long down-turned nose. Short, slicked-back black hair, with a single strand of white guiding the direction of the backward hair.

Oh,

The spearhead-shaped eyes.

A dull gray,

like the color of a blade.

They pierced through his soul like twin daggers.

Please stop staring. Please stop the stabbing.

He was caught in a war of focus.

He wanted to look away, but what message would that send to this dominating presence?

No, he was strong, he could stand his ground.

Staring contest.

He fought back, but Peri brought the wrong sword to the fight. Although it may appear flashy and charismatic, the sword was of a shaky, unstable material. His eyes shook with fear.

Bossy's eyes were stable and cold. Two daggers of solid steel.

Contact broke. Sword was flung across the floor. Peri was left defenseless.

Maybe he wasn't cut out for the spotlight.

The human finally looked away to the small cage opening.

He shut the small door roughly. Peri flinched.

Locked.

Pressing buttons.

The zzz sound came alive again.

Bossy huffed stale, like his personality.

Finally, he walked away.

He couldn’t tell what was scarier, being in the presence of these humans knowing they may hurt him more, or being left alone to be eaten away by his own thoughts.

At least with them in here, he was distracted from What Ifs and could focus on right now. He felt most alert and alive when they were near. Maybe he could use that feeling as an advantage.

Croak

He was reminded of his weakness

The frog still croaked.

Chapter Text

It was a slow morning.

Peri was on high alert. He couldn’t help but feel there was an unwanted surprise coming on soon.

He sat in the cage in an upright relaxed posture, Arms crossed. He was so over this situation.

A couple humans occasionally walked in, walked around him, observed him, quacked to each other, wrote whatever on their clipboards, and then left,

or stayed.

Either way, they were quiet, Quieter than usual.

Whispering things to each other,

Like a secret was being kept.

Or they were just busy with their minds.

Poker face.

You know the phrase “listen but don’t hear”? Well, Peri watched but didn’t see.

He was alert to their movements but was blind to their intentions.

Peri didn’t understand them.

Why do they do this? Why do they act like this? Why would they play their cards like this?

Are all humans like this? Adult humans, that is, he couldn’t imagine a child to be so soulless and cruel.

Peri never really hung out with many adult humans, he mostly observed from afar or made small interactions in disguise. 

The only adult humans he knew the most about were the two parents of a child named Timmy Turner.

Timmy being the previous godkid to Peri’s parents, and having wished Peri to existence, and having grown up with the kid like a brother, he’d seen how unintentionally hurtful Timmy’s parents could be. So caught up in their own world they forget their own child. 

But, even after witnessing years of shitty human parents, along with his own godkid’s father being as such, he never would have expected the level of evil he had witnessed yesterday.

These humans were different, nothing like the sin he’s seen before. 

Peri felt the wrapped bandage on his shoulder.

So shocking. So confusing.

It twisted his world view.

He didn’t understand how or why they would do this to him. Interest? Pure entertainment? He wasn't some ragdoll to be toyed with.

Yet they still played their games.

Peri tried to think back to a happier thought. His family.

He missed his brother.

He missed his parents

He missed his godkid.

He missed everyone.

Nevermind, that was a sad thought.

The humans began to speak to each other again.

“Why are there others here?” Bossy barked after walking in.

“I'm not sure, boss.” Crumbs replied

“I know everyone is excited about the new entity, but I believe this is MY assignment, assigned to ME”

"Don't you mean you and me?"

“Ugh, yeah yeah, and you, assistant, but more importantly, me! Therefore, I order everyone else out unless called to action.”

“Don't you mean everyone else but you and me?

“Yes, yes, AND you, of course. Now get to action!”

"But, you might need an extra hand! Don't you think we should clean its wounds this morning?"

An eager background quacker peeped out.

"I suppose you are right. But not now, the radiologists are ready for us. We'll do it later today. Now leave!" Bossy sighed irritated.

The extra humans followed said orders and left disappointed. Bossy and Crumbs continued to talk.

Peri focused on their conversation.

He searched for concerning words or context.

"How's the subject doing? Have you prepared the sedative?”

Peri focused on their moves

He searched for opportunity and escape.

"Yes sir, I have it here"

Peri was more awake than he had ever been since arriving in this hell hole, he absolutely had to take advantage of that before they jab him with more of those sleepy needle thingies.

“Give it to him now.”

Speak of the devil.

He had to think and act fast. He wasn't gonna let them win this time.

A human began to press buttons on the cage's raised base.

The zzz sound was shut off. It was safe to touch the walls now.

Peri cautiously tapped the wire of the back wall. No shock. He grabbed onto it to help pull himself up to a stand.

His body ached. He still felt weaker than usual.

Maybe it was just his legs being weird to him again, but Peri couldn’t help but feel something else was very wrong. There was a burning feeling in his chest.

The human brought the scary pokey-poke object to the cage.

Peri stepped away from the walls.

He held onto his unclothed arm in discomfort.

He felt the bandage, reminding himself of what could happen again.

He’s had enough of these humans having the upper hand. He was ready to take control of their sick games.

He steadied himself ready to dodge whatever they tried.

The sleepy needle thingy was jabbed through the square holes of the cage, Peri jerked back, he now held a hand on the front cage wall.

The human circled around to a different angle. He jabbed again. Peri dodged to the side wall, clenching it for support and quicker movements.

"Oh, please, take your time" Bossy mocked Crumbs

"It's harder than it looks, ok? The little fella is a lot more resistant today."

They continued this endless cycle for a minute longer.

"Oh, just give it to me."

"No, no! I got this! I want to do this!"

"Ffffine…" 

Peri continued to be difficult.

Crumbs was growing more frustrated and embarrassed.

Peri felt a sense of hope and confidence. Dare I say, Peri was amused by the frustration, 

feeling like he'd gained the upper hand in their games.

He kicked the cage as an insult.

"Little brat"

Peri smirked.

"Oh, for crying out loud"

Bossy pressed a button.

ZZAAP!

The far-too-familiar torturous feeling pulsed through the fairy's body.

Balance was lost, he fell to the floor with a twitch.

"Oh come on man, I had it"

"I don't have time to wait for your slow ass to score"

In this moment of weakness, Peri was jabbed with the needle.

Cheaters.

Peri didn't like these games.

"Just for the record, my ass isn't slow"

"Yeah yeah, ok, now be of assistance, assistant, and inform the transporters and radiologists we're ready."

"You know… you don't have to call me "assistant" all the time. You can use my real name."

"Names are too personal, I stick with professionalism, now shush you plum."

Crumbs frowned and walked away.

The cage door was unlocked and opened.

No, He didn't want to play anymore.

A hand reached in.

Please no, not this again.

Peri felt something touch him, he flinched and tried to move away.

It gripped his leg and dragged him towards the opening.

Please no, this is unfair. 

He kicked back and struggled to move away, but the needle thingy had been working its strange magic.

No, he won't let them.

Hands, long, sharp, and crooked, they violently grasped his limbs and back and restrained him against the floor. Sharp nails dug into his wings in anger at his resistance.

Paralyzed, shivering, from pain and fear.

Please no.

Silhouettes.

Silence.

Silver eyes.

Poker face.

No, he was not their little toy.

But he couldn't move.

Ragdoll.

Cotton head.

He was picked up.

Limp limbs.

He didn't like their family games.

Chapter Text

Peri watched the ceiling move.

Rectangular, evenly-placed lights passed by every few seconds.

Squares, squares, rectangle.

Peri was strapped to a moving table.

Whistling wheels rolling against polished, dull floors.

Quiet, silence, secrets. Where were they taking him?

He wanted to move, but his body would not respond. 

He was a mind with no control.

Whistling, Whispers, Foggy, Froggy.

Anticipation.

It was strange, despite being under the magic of the sleepy needle thingy, Peri felt a sense of relief and strength.

The burning sensation in his chest was greatly decreased.

Weird, he wondered what it was.

He wondered so much about a lot of things.

Squares, squares, rectangle.

Lights, flashes, darkness.

Faint memories hidden behind fog.

What happened to him?

---

Glitchy soul.

Blue.

Red energy.

Magic failing.

Wings exposed.

Shouts!

Lights, Camera, Action!

Flash Flash Flash!

Burning.

Darkness.

---

Something like that, yeah.

Squares, squares, rectangle.

If Peri's head wasn't so full of cotton, he'd probably think of trying to remember these patterns, look around, remember hallways, doors, vents, and potential escape routes.

But everything looked so similar. 

A maze of

squares, squares, rectangles.

Multiple pairs of boots clacking against the floor.

Four pairs.

He only knew two of them.

Pacing slowed, they stopped. Had they arrived already?

Anticipation.

A button on the wall was pressed. Two doors slid open their jaws.

Nope, not yet.

Wheels whistled again, only for a second.

The group packed together in a small room. Doors closed, button pressed again, vibrations of movement.

Elevator.

Dead silent. 

Stances of stone and soulless faces.

The only sounds to be heard were the vrrs of the elevator moving, and the deep breathing of the fairy.

In and out, the stale air wisped through his little nose,

sleepy pauses between each.

It was as if he was the only soul alive.

Vibrations halted. The jaws released their clench.

Wheels whistling. 

Here we go again.

—

Soon enough, They stopped again.

Knock Knock

Followed by a beep of a door.

Anticipation.

Dim lights engulfed the group as they joined into a new enclosure.

"Oh boy, wow! You guys are here!"

A young female adult voice sparked from the other side of the room.

"This is the entity?”

The voice came closer.

Mid-toned skin. Oval-shaped, Static hair in a messy bun. Blue T-shirt with a badge.

"Well of course, what else would it be?"

"Sorry sorry, dumb question, I know, I've just never seen it up close."

"Well you'll have plenty of time to see it up close today, now get to it!"

"Right, of course, sorry sorry, uh, bring it over here."

Wheels whistled for a few seconds.

Anticipation.

"So, what's the state of it right now?"

"Sedated, I thought that was clear."

"Well yeah, sorry, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't gonna wake up anytime soon."

"Technically, it is awake, it’s sedated, not out completely. We've been ordered to give it lighter substances since we don't know its biology or how it might handle heavier stuff. It seems to be doing fine though. It shouldn’t be a problem, if so, we came prepared."

"Oh-ok! Just wondering."

The anxious human turned to a large machine that Peri could only describe as a large pale donut with a table extended from its donut hole.

"Ok, just give me a second to make sure… uh, yeah, place it down here."

Sounds of boots.

Clack clack clack, they adjusted to his side.

Too close for comfort.

Restraints were loosened.

Hands slipped under his back, touching his sensitive wings. He tensed slightly, the only thing he could do.

He was picked up like a rag doll. 

His body was not his.

They carried the limp body over.

They placed him down on the thin blue padding of the table.

They adjusted the pose like a mannequin.

Arms to his side, straight as a board.

Evenly posed.

Picture perfect.

He wanted to fight back but couldn’t think of anything to do. His mind was so froggy- I- I meant foggy, sorry.

It was so hard to keep track of everything.

Too much for his slowed mind to keep up with.

Figures moved around in his peripheral vision. He wish he had the strength to look around.

He dazed above with unfocused eyes.

Peri suddenly felt a weight come upon his body, evenly spread across the whole. Some kind of padding was secured on him.

His tenseness, the only sign of strength he had, was flooded away.

He felt paralyzed.

Another touch wrapped around the back of his head, lifting it up.

Some kind of helmet was slipped over and then let him down again.

“Ok little guy, just stay veeery still”

Were they talking to him?

He tried to focus more on sound.

Some shifting and buttons being pressed. 

The clacking of boots again, they faded away.

He was left alone.

He wasn't trapped in the cage.

Door cracked open.

There was an anxiety in his chest that something was missing, something he was supposed to do or think about. There was something he was forgetting. What was he forgetting?

Humans gone.

Free.

Door open.

Is that supposed to mean something? So foggy he couldn't grasp such a thought.

Anticipation

All he could do was be still and static.

Static and silence. 

Paralyzed. 

A mind stuck in a statue.

He was floating away.

Anticipation

A movement struck him out of his thoughts.

The table shifted.

The machine began to sing.

Pshhhhh-kssssss 

The table slowly slid up mechanically into the donut hole.

It paused inside, and then continued a journey downwards in small bits.

Down, Stop, Down, Stop, Down Stop, Down Stop,

Then the reverse

Up, Stop, Up, Stop, Up Stop, Up Stop,

Each jerk of movement let out a hissing mechanical sound.

Pshh-kss Pshh-kss Pshh-kss Pshh-kss

This pattern continued in a cycle.

All thoughts of potential escape faded.

It was so weird.

He was both scared and relaxed.

He was in a state of mental numbness but could process enough that he was in a bad situation.

The absence of panic in his mind left him feeling empty.

An emotion that left the stage empty on its solo.

Anticipation.

Donut all around.

So much around him, so much on him.

The weighted pads were like the physical form of discomfort. The feeling seeped into his body.

Discomfort wrapped around him.

So suffocating

He couldn't escape.

So tight.

Uncomfortable.

Claustrophobic.

When will this end?

Pshh-kss Pshh-kss Pshh-kss Pshh-kss

Anticipation

—

Meanwhile, in the other room nearby, the humans gathered around a screen.

An image slowly appeared.

The fairy was very physically humanoid looking, they expected to see such similarities on screen, a hypothesis they all shared like a hive mind.

The real question was how similar. Did they share the same internal structure? Maybe it has different organs to store its unique energy or “magic”? Or does it have a different internal structure entirely?

Anticipation.

Expectations

shattered.

Glitching.

ERROR

"Oh shit, what's going on?!"

The static human began typing away at the keyboard below, darting her eyes around the screen, and back to the buttons.

"What did you do?"

"N-nothing! I'm not sure what’s- I think there may be some kind of electric or paranormal interference in the magnetic field that’s messing with the radio frequency pulses. We're gonna have to run it again and-“

Surprise!

Eyes widened.

"What is THAT!?"

Wings, staff, ring, gems. It was not human at all.

(If you cannot see the image, you may view it here)

The figure on the screen looked like an anthropomorphic staff with an eye in the center. The staff had a light tip at the bottom like a magician's wand, and a glowing orb at the top with an engraved spiral. The orb had a floating glowing crown above it and a matching glowing star inside. Surrounding the head, or orb, of the angelic form, was a ring of gold engraved with polished rhombus-cut amethyst gems around the circumference. The figure spread large majestic feathered wings. 

"It looks like some angelic figure."

"Or demonic figure, that thing is hideous, but my god, is it fascinating."

The image began to glitch out.

Mechanical beeeeeeps and static

“Shit shit shit shit ohh no.”

“Whatever is going on, fix it!”

“I’m trying to! W-we need to redo this and check over the little guy a second time.”

—

The little guy was not ok.

Peri felt uncomfortable on many levels.

Walls closing in.

Burning in his chest.

Pressure.

Foggy panic.

Anticipation.

Something was happening. He didn’t like it here.

Ever since waking up in that cage, he’s felt a constant buzzing sense of discomfort. A small but persistent ache hidden behind all the panic, anxiety, pain, and drugs.

He barely noticed it until it got worse.

What was going on?

Anticipation.

Light flooded into the room as the door opened wide. The humans were back.

They quacked, clacked their boots, and danced around in his peripheral vision. Details were hard to keep track of.

He didn’t really care as long as they didn’t touch him.

Too late for that.

The weight was lifted off his body.

They quacked some more. Puzzled quacks. Fancy words, something about energy.

Peri couldn’t pay attention anyway.

Where was I again? Oh yeah,

Anticipation.

Something about his chest, his stomach.

The sensation he couldn’t ignore.

Foggy.

Froggy.

Oh yeah, he almost forgot he was still starving.

That’s why he was in pain, yeah.

He couldn’t communicate that he was hungry.

He couldn’t speak up, he couldn’t break the rules.

He couldn’t move his face much anyway.

Oh wait- he can.

Peri broke apart his dry, sealed lips.

What else could he move?

His fingers.

Small twitches, but he could move.

He should get something to eat.

Wasn’t there a large donut somewhere?

He sluggishly shifted to sit up.

He took his time coordinating his arms,

tensing his back to move.

He whined, frustrated with the struggle.

Voices of alarm.

Sudden pressure was put upon him.

This wasn’t the evenly spread weight from before, no, this was an alive pressure.

Hands forcing him back down.

“Damn, it burned through the drugs faster than estimated.”

“We can’t have it moving around for the scans.”

“Or moving period, this thing is dangerous!”

“Wait! Maybe that is the problem! Maybe it’s some kind of paranormal energy coming from the creature messing with the scans! Maybe it won’t be as bad if we scan it dormant.”

“I suppose it’s worth a shot.”

The fairy tensed and stressed his movements against the forces of pressure.

It mumbled some kind of weak noise.

Anticipation.

Overpowered hands shifted his head.

Surprise!

Bee sting in his neck

He recognized that feeling all too well.

“Nooo… ”

The fairy mumbled.

It spoke.

Pressure released from shock.

What? Did he do something?

Voices exclaimed around him, but words fogged together.

Stale.

Whatever strength he had before was fleeing like water through a crack.

Tenseness drained.

He faded away from consciousness.

—

Static and Silence.

Darkness.

Eyes faded and flickered to a peep.

Light stabbed into his eyes.

Headache.

He could probably fall back asleep.

Lying on his back.

Still so foggy, froggy, sloppy.

Croak

Damn, the frog was back.

Vision clearing.

He was back in his cage.

The burning sensation was so much stronger in here.

His chest buzzed with an aching constant wave of pain.

Maybe it’s just that one thing… what do you call it? Heartburn?

Maybe.

The pain buzzed more

He clenched his chest.

This didn’t feel like hunger.

He tried to flip himself to his side.

Something twisted inside.

Oh god, that made it worse.

Something was happening.

Something was going to happen.

He could sense it.

He could feel it.

Anticipation.

Anticipation.

Body shaking, he flipped himself to face the ground.

Arms vibrating with instability, arms that held him up.

Anticipation.

So tense,

so uncomfortable,

making his stomach claustrophobic.

It squeezed.

He choked on his throat.

A fire in his chest.

Sparks of color spat out.

A rainbow show of surprise.

Celebration of pain.

Shreds of paper damp from spit and rainbow acid.

Confetti on the floor.

Surprise!

Chapter Text

Stars

Stars in his eyes,

Dazed from the release of the color before him.

He blinked it away and realized,

Magical backup?!

Peri’s been warned of this fate plenty of times before, but he never really worried about it.

He’s never once experienced it.

He learned early on that he's able to go much longer without granting a wish than most fairies, maybe due to his age.

He found it funny to see the face of disbelief when he answers how long he once went without granting a wish.

He even joked about being immortal to such a thing.

I guess karma came to bite back.

Oh god, this is what it feels like?!

He sat on his legs and wiped his face with his one clothed arm. He clenched his stomach with the other,

staring at the vibrant colors before him.

Such a contrast from the dull palette of the room.

It almost felt unreal.

He squeezed the pain.

Almost.

This didn’t make any sense.

It couldn’t have been weeks already. It’s only his second day here. 

No, something else was going on.

Some other force.

The burning in his chest, it was much stronger back in here,

back in his cage.

His chest was like a star.

Stars flicker and burn with energy and fire.

A source of power condensed tightly into a single orb.

Gravity keeping it restrained to itself.

So much pressure and flames.

Intense power trapped in a singular form.

Slowly growing,

until it collapses,

and explodes.

Nothing made sense, They must have done something to him, or, are doing something to him, currently.

The quiet buzzing of the cage rang in his ears like static.

Some kind of energy.

This technology,

he's never faced before.

It wasn't just electricity emitting from the wire.

Some magnetic force pressuring his magic together.

Stabilized.

Pressure.

Crack

He placed a hand to his crown.

A representation of his soul.

He knew something felt off from the beginning.

A crack has been growing bigger.

Weakness, pressure, fire, confetti, why didn't he realize sooner?

Do these humans even realize they are killing him?

A ticking timer.

Crack, crack, crack, seconds, minutes, hours.

Escape room.

He can't spend any more time sitting around. He isn't going to last forever, at least not here.

A door slid open.

A door for opportunity.

Wow, how convenient!

Narrator couldn't think of a good transition? He wasn't complaining though, he needed to cut to the chase. Time is limited.

Only a single human walked in.

A lone wolf stalked its prey.

Is there a reason he went hunting alone?

Would the pack not approve?

Silver eyes.

Of course it had to be him.

What could Bossy want this time? How many times are they going to torment him in a day? Does he really need seconds?

Something felt off. There was an odd smile on Bossy's face as he walked to the cage.

"Greetings, little subject"

Was he... 

Talking 

To 

Him?

Peri almost looked behind him to see if he was talking to something else.

No, he was definitely talking to him, 

This was new.

What changed?

The shadow was towering over him. Eyes of steel again.

Peri kept himself from looking directly back, but he could feel the eerie expression admitting onto him.

Eyes.

Silver Eyes.

The expression broke into a weak confusion as the human noticed the specks of color on the floor. He gave a quick thought of "Huh, that's weird", before brushing it off as a note for later.

"The voltage of the cage must be quite uncomfortable, would you like me to turn it off?"

Peri was a bit thrown off by the question. He was asking him a question, waiting for a response. He was talking to him, acknowledging his sentience.

He appreciated not being talked about like an object for once, but it was more confusing than ever.

What changed?

Bossy furrowed his eyebrows at the absent response.

"Let's try something a little simpler."

Bossy reached into his pocket.

Peri perked up after recognizing the object in hand. 

"Familiar with this?"

A half-filled tube with a needle extended from it. Yeah, he was more than familiar with the sleepy needle thingy.

No response.

"Do you not like it when I use this?"

Another question.

Bossy jabbed the needle through a cage hole. Peri jerked back.

"Do you fear this?"

Not a peep.

No problem. He turned a nob.

Pressure and burning increased in a slow but sudden rise. 

The fairy curled into himself from the pain. It felt hard to breathe.

"Don't like that feeling either, don't you? The anti-magic energy must feel so draining, do you want it to stop?"

Peri clenched a fist.

Still no response.

Bossy clicked a button.

ZZZZAP!

Peri let out a shaky yelp, but no words.

"Do you not want me to do that again?"

Peri bit his lip.

"You can make this all stop, all you have to do is speak up"

Eyes widened.

Realization.

Oh no, he knew exactly what the human was doing now.

“I know you can talk, little one. There’s no need to hide it.”

No, no no. He knows, he knows, how could he know? When did he slip up? He couldn't recall, his memory was foggy.

So stupid. He just tied his own knots. How is he gonna wiggle out of this one rule-breaking free?

He couldn't speak. He couldn't let the cat out of the bag.

Maybe this was just a misunderstanding? Maybe this is all a trick? Surely he would have remembered if he spoke.

"Yes and No you seem to understand. Whether or not you can comprehend more complex linguistics is up to discover. So speak!"

Yes and no? What is he on about?

“Still don’t understand? Maybe you will respond to this...”

Beep

White

Hot

Sharp

Electric

Energy surged through the fairy's body.

Every little muscle tensing and shivering in a paralytic spasm.

Control lost. Balence of his sit shifting, leaning mindlessly until his head hit the metal floor.

The finger released the button.

Tension limped in a snap. The body gasped for air.

“...Pain, a universal understanding."

Vision with multiple filters. Vindicate, brightness, glitch, blurr, duplicate.

The body let out small tics.

Electric errors

Tic

Tic

Tick

Static

Machine

Gears shifting,

back into reality.

"Quite uncomfortable, is it? The feeling of paralysis?"

While speaking, the figure clicks a quick button, the background buzz shuts off.

"Having no control over your own body, feeling static and vulnerable."

He opens the cage door, and quickly restraints the paralyzed fairy.

He yanks the wings to pull it closer.

He vigorously flips it. Wings buzz harshly against metal. Digits wrap around the thin neck, pressing against the floor.

"You can't escape."

What kind of a fucking sentence is that? Who says that to someone? This guy is so sick. Does he enjoy this corrupt feeling of dominance and power?

"Of course not in your state, You need a little time to regain strength."

Tic Tic

"You feel it from the start, every passing second you gain a little tic of mobility back. You'll be able to move again, won't you? You'll be able to escape, won't you? You want so badly to be free, don't you?"

The sharp object is brought back up to sight.

"But you know I can't allow that."

The needle tip was drawn down to the exposed shoulder of the fairy.

Tick

But it didn't pierce through,

It only gently held it's touch,

like a taunting warning.

"Not unless you speak up."

Tic Tic

"I'm giving you an opportunity. All you have to do is sing. Speak. Say something, confirm what I already know, and I'll allow you your strength. But that ship will be sailing soon. Every second of silence will be treated with a slight pressure increase of this syringe against your skin. Soon you won't be able to move at all, no matter if the paralysis from the electricity has faded."

The tip poked

"Even if you don't understand my words, you will understand the feeling of pain."

A poke into a pierce.

Piercing through the top layer of skin.

Sharp

Stinging

Constant

Pain

Slowly increasing

Tic Tic

He didn't want to break.

Tic tic

Silence

Pressure

Pain

Tic tic

It was hard to choose,

What to do?

Tic tic

Pressure Increasing

Gears shifting

He was being wind up,

Like a music box.

He didn't want to sing.

Tic Tic

His fingers twitched.

It was true, he was gaining more strength.

Tic Tic

Small hand moved up to the larger,

grasping for release of the restraint.

Pressure increased

Sharp

Stinging

Constant

Pain

Cutting through the skin

Slowly

Agonizing

Torture

Music box

It's been a while

Don't put him in the spotlight.

He used to love the spotlight.

He didn't like the color of this one.

He didn't like this audience.

Don't pressure him, please.

Pressure increased

Sharp

Stinging

Constant

Pain

Cold eyes

Cold

Cold feeling

Cold shoulder 

His shoulder

Something seeping through the cracks,

Liquid beginning to fill his blood.

Tic tic

He scratched at the hand, but it only pressed harder.

He didn't want to sing,

He didn't want to hurt,

He didn't want to break,

He didn't want to be still,

He just wanted to do the right thing,

But nothing was black and white.

Grey

Grey

Silver

Silver eyes

Grey fog vindicating his vision

Pressure increased.

Tic Tic

Time was ticking

Taunting.

He couldn't hold it much longer

Tic

Tic

Wind up

At the limit

You can't twist it any further,

You gotta let it go.

Let it sing.

He sung.

"S…Please s-stop."

Broken words sounding like a shy whimper.

"Oh, how polite. Very good. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

The needle pulled out.

He patted the fairy's cheek, it scrunched its face.

"Fascinating, so it's true you could speak this whole time. Why haven't you talked before?"

“I’m… not supposed to”

“And why is that?”

Shit, only two phrases in and he has already said too much. He is not about to get into fairy rules, that would only lead to more questions and answers.

“So? Are you going to speak up?”

Peri held his tongue

“Well then, I guess I’ll continue-“

“OKAY I'LL TALK! FIZZY FAIRY WANDS! Why must you be so hurtful?! Don’t you have any sympathy?! I've been stuck here for hours and hours, watching you humans going on and on with your silly theories and taunting words, trying to get some sense of why you do this! Certainly this is all just some nightmare, but nooo! I can feel things! You can't feel things in a dream! Do you even know I can feel things? Apparently not with what you have put me through! The needles, the shocks, the drugs, OH! And my hair?! Why must you ruin my perfect pompadour?! Oh, and not to mention the sleeve! I'll let you know this was specifically tailored! Oh wow! And the irony of you treating me like some "object" just because I felt uncomfortable with speaking up?! Cause' I’ll have you know that this “object” clearly has more humanity than you soulless beings! The unholy bird to you!”

Finally speaking, shouting, singing, talking back, expressing such bottled-up frustrations.

Words held back, building up, all until this moment.

He was finally saying things, and oh boy, did he have a lot to say.

He usually doesn't sound off like this, but it felt right in the moment.

He needed this.

He didn't know what response he was expecting. He doesn't know this human well, and he has never spoken up like this to him before.

Considering the vulnerable position Peri was in right now, he felt a twitch of fear for how his captor might respond.

But he didn't really respond.

He only gave a cold stare, unphased by the words, more focused on the details of how the fairy talked.

He was studying its linguistic capabilities.

Eventually, he broke out of his deep thoughts with a "hmm".

"So you haven't spoken up due to discomfort?"

"Uhh, K-Kind-Kind of."

"What do you mean Kind of? Elaborate."

Peri took a breath in to collect his cool

"It means, I made the clever decision to keep quiet through your sick games out of fear for this situation. I'm not sure how or where I messed up, but I was certain I wasn't going to make it clear I could talk. Because now, I'll be questioned and pressured for details about me, Fairy World, and godparenting, and the whole thing, yadda-yadda-yadda. But you won't be hearing about any of that because I am a rule-abiding fairy!"

"Fairy world? Godparenting? Please, elaborate dear rule-abiding fairy."

FUCKGODDAMNIT

"I uhh… I don't think I can do that, can I do that? I'm not gonna do that, haha"

The fairy laughed nervously.

He was digging his own grave.

He needed to cut the act and shut the fuck up.

"Not going to talk, you say?"
The human brought up the needle again.

"Ah, I see what you did there, haha, uhh, mhm, yeah, maybe?"

Nervous sweat.

Caught in a checkmate.

Could he just- pull up the rule book real quick? There's got to be some way to word around this.

Oh, right, he couldn't summon anything without his wand.

"I uhh… just give me a second to think."

"What for?"

"Well because uhh... Rules and such, I'm trying to recall- I- I need to make sure I don't… uhh… a-any more."

"What exactly are you? Are there others like you? Where did you come from? What's this about godparenting?"

So many questions.

"Can you at least- let me go first?! I can't focus with you up in my face."

"No."

"Ok? Then at least take a breath mint. Altoids's a good brand."

Squeeze

"Wow! Ok, can't take a light joke!" he choked

"Answer the question."

"Which one?!"

"Start with where you came from. I assume this "Fairy World" you speak of is your place of residence, There must be others like you there, where exactly is this place located? Is it nearby or hidden under the city? Is it in some paranormal dimensional space? Some planet? Are you lost from it and that's how you are here now? Is our world unfamiliar to you?"

"S-Something like that, one of those things."

"Specify."

"I-I don't know, I kinda just magic there!"

"How?"

"My wand I guess."

"The cane-looking object with a star enclosed in an orb? The object we have confiscated?"

"Yeah, speaking of which, can I have that back? That would be great, thanks."

"Not until we have a better understanding of it."

"Well, I could show you how it works if you could just give it back, isn't that a smart idea? At least say where you're hiding it, make it a little easier, come on, pretty please?"

"Enough with the wand, what about these rules?"

"They're the bane of my existence at the moment, but I try to always follow them. What else do you want to hear?

"And what happens if you don't follow the rules?"

"Well, I'd probably end up in some prison like this, wait no, this is worse, much worse."

"What about Godparenting?

"Ughh noo, Don't get me started on that."

"Answer the question."

"You know, I've been talking a lot, how about you answer some questions? Let's get to know you, friendly conversation and such. Lighten up the mood, maybe? How about what's your name? Where are you from? You seem like the uptown kind of guy. Maybe a little messed up on the inside or suffering from some childhood trauma- but, take some advice from me, fella, I-"

His speech was cut off.

Airway closed from the sharp increase of pressure at his neck.

His wings buzzed rapidly as an instinct to get away.

The hand only pressed harder.

Wings buzzed louder

Small hands clawed at the grasp,

helplessly searching for release.

"You should know, I am being very lenient. I'm giving you an opportunity, I suggest you take it. Realize that answering these simple questions will allow me to skip ahead in some of our research, and in return, skip over some quite uncomfortable tests. And as you clarified before, I know you don't want those uncomforts."

Wings slowed their buzz in short tics of pause.

He felt his strength leaving him,

Vision began to filter again.

His head ached in a throbbing pain, 

pounding like a heartbeat.

"So how about you use whatever brain you have and be a good little fairy"

Wings had stopped buzzing.

He couldn't think.

His mind was slipping into static.

Bossy released pressure after realizing what he was doing. He might have let himself snap a bit too much. I guess he forgot he was over three times the size of the fairy. He needed to be more gentle.

The fairy gasped and choked for air.

Hyperventilating to catch up on lost breaths,

but he was far too off to catch up.

He gasps a couple more times before fading into unconsciousness.

"Your intelligence intrigues me, little fairy. I can't wait to chat more."

Hand released, cage door closed, buzz returned.

Door slid open, wow, such a sarcastically convenient timing.

Crumbs entered.

"There you are, what are you doing in here?"

"Just having a little chat."

Chapter Text

"It spoke to you?"

"Yes. 

"What did it say?"

Bossy pulls out a small rectangular object from his interior coat pocket.

He presses a button and a red LED shuts off from it, 

finalizing the audio recording.

"I'll share the tape later, after I… make a few edits."

Crumbs raised a finger to question that statement.

"For clarity." Bossy covered quickly.

The box was stuffed back in a pocket.

Movement in the cage.

While the figures were talking, the fairy regained the consciousness previously choked out of it.

It sat up,

hand placed on its aching head.

It soon drew a hand to the abused neck,

hoping to rub away the pain.

Sore.

Squinting eyes.

A small dot of leaking liquid on his shoulder,

drying dark purple.

Contamination in his blood.

Even when eventually breaking, a bit of foreign liquid still seeped through when he didn't obey quickly enough.

Only a little.

Not enough to be immobile, but weaker, yes.

A sense of weakness.

Tired.

Maybe it's not that, maybe he just feels weak due to the choke, or a combination.

The caramel bearded noticed the creature had woken from unconsciousness. Weird, considering the story he was told. He questioned.

"How come-"

"I HEARD IT TALKED!"

Two medics barged in and interrupted.

"Wow, word spreads fast." Bossy states, slightly irritated at the presence of more people. What could they want? That are just going to slow down the process.

"Oh wow! This changes everything!"

Jumpscare!

Two faces at the cage.

Blabbing, talking, asking

questions.

So many questions.

In one ear, out the other.

Peri just stares back at them, thrown off by their excitement about such a simple thing,

irises switching back and forth between the two opposite faces. The two faces may look like a Yin and Yang to each other, but they both act with the same synced fan-girl energy.

Yin, the boy, with the darker complexion, had a scrawny appearance. They had scruffy hair, large rectangular glasses, and oversized green scrubs with grey sneakers. They leaned in a poor posture that hid their chest.

Yang, the girl, with a lighter complexion, had an uncanny appearance. Her blonde hair was neat in a bun with not a trace of a stray strand or flaw, maybe she used to be a ballerina. Half of her face was hidden behind a disposable mask. She wore the same outfit as her opposite, but in her correct size.

"Okay, that's enough. Why are you two here?!" Bossy spat out.

"Oh, right, we came to check up on the cut from the previous skin sample." 

Yang, the blonde, clarified.

"Do we really need two? Aren't there other things you could be working on?"

"Respectfully sir, no, we were assigned to Project Phairy."

Oh wow, I guess this is the name reveal. "Project Phairy"? Wow, the writer really wanted to make an alliteration. At least it has a nice ring to it, I think?

"Right… Go on then, hurry up and do your job."

Bossy lets out an annoyed sigh, pinching between his eyebrows.

“Alright, so, how should we go about it?”

“Oh, that’s right…”

Frustration shifted into some kind of monotone excitement.

Of course, let him do the dirty work. It'll be much faster.

Bossy stepped towards the cage. He opened his lab coat to reach a hand inside, the action making his silhouette look larger.

Something seemed to snap. Everything felt out of focus except for two sharp objects,

A syringe, 

and the silver eyes.

Shadows yet again, black and white. Clarity only growing on only the violent importance.

Such a snap of a mind shift left Peri thinking he’d just been shocked again.

So much had shot in his mind, all in such a short second,

enough time to bring the object to the air.

The human popped off the protective cap and pressed the excess air out through the top from the bottom.

Boots step forward.

The figure teasingly flicked the tip with a pointer finger.

Back straight.

The figure held its finger over the plunger, in its prime position,

towering over the target.

The shape of it, so sharp and clear, it all felt so real, the critter wished it wasn’t. Everything else felt fake. 

The air felt fake, the people felt fake, the room felt fake, their mind felt fake, 

lungs felt fake.

Their lungs, heart, not working right, 

replaced with some errored alternative.

System failure!

“You’ll need something like this.”

It flew closer, 

closer.

Danger!

At the cage.

Fight or flight!

Escape,

Escape.

BZZZZZZZZ

ZAPP?! SOME KIND IF BUZZ!? AM I BEING SHOCKED AGAIN?!

NO! No… wait, the sound wasn’t all over, or from inside, it was coming from behind .

It made itself jump.

Its wings had a mind of their own.

They buzzed for quick movement. They buzzed to fly away. They buzzed to make sound, to make up for the lack of screams. They buzzed loudly to scare back the predator.

Cicada!

The danger had only stopped for a moment to acknowledge the buzz, before continuing.

No, no, don’t step any closer!

BZZZZZZZ

“No!"

The word ripped through its throat, forced out through its shaky lungs as a last resort.

It spoke to the danger— the syringe— nothing else was present. 

"Oh my gosh, it can talk! Hello!"

One of the newer voices spoke.

A clear excited face appeared in view, blocking the sight of the object.

"Uh… y-yeah, hi.”

It tried to control its breathing.

The danger had stopped, but was still present.

It likes it when I speak, right? I just gotta keep talking.

Deeper breaths, focus.

“I… can… talk, I can talk…. Yeah, uhh, and… you can talk, which ‘s… which is great. Why don't we just talk together? H-How's your day been? Is the weather nice outside? I wouldn't know."

Heart still pounding. Shaky hands. A coat of sweat.

"Oh wow! Hello hello! Why haven’t you talked before? Are there others like you? Do you have a name?”

"I… do have a name actually, it's-“

"It's just trying to stall. We can chat with it later”

Bossy interrupted. 

“Now, move aside while I do the dirty work.” 

Silver eyes.

BZZZZ

"Wait! Don't do that! I-I- I can sit still! I'll let you do whatever you want! You can clean the cut, whatever, just please don't use that!”

The other figures were quiet, they waited for a response from the boss. 

Bossy thinks about this offer. 

Willingly offering to sit still and be obedient to such advances? 

All to not be poked by a little needle?

Was that a twitch of fear?

It knows its place, low.

It'll do anything just to gain some small sense of control,

some sense of security,

the freedom to move on its own.
This is a good thing. Less resistance, quicker responses, saving precious time, yes, this was perfect. 

It fears him, as it should.

Fear can be used as an advantage.
As long as it's afraid, it'll obey, it won't resist.
Research will be much more efficient.

Everything is lining up perfectly. Everything is falling into place.

Silver eyes.

Peri couldn't escape now, even if they did allow him to walk out on his own terms, 

but that's ok.

He just wants to be safe for now. He wants to get on the man’s good side. 

Maybe if he played along he wouldn’t be hurt as much.

Maybe if he obeyed he wouldn’t have to suffer. 

Maybe if he followed their new rules .

But also, 

gain trust, something he can use as an advantage to escape later when he feels healthier.

"I won’t resist, honest. Just… let me walk out on my own, please."

Peri pleaded with a stare into the pair of arrowhead-shaped silver .

Please.

The needle lowered.

"Fine. I'll let you be cooperative. But there will be some ground rules, you like those, don’t you?”

"Rules? Yeah, I can do those! I'm great at following rules.”

Liar.

“Even when out of this cage, you are still in captivity, you are under my control. 

We will be allowed to touch and handle your body as necessary. You will answer any questions with truth and without hesitation or question. You will comply with any and all orders given to you. If I say to speak, you speak, if I say to be quiet, you will be quiet, If I say to move, you will move, if I say to be still, you will be still. You will not fight, bite, or resist anything asked or done. Do I make myself clear?"

“I’m not sure about 'anything'. I've got some standards too."

“Alright then, I guess the deal is off.”

Needle.

“O-OKAY! I’LL DO IT!!”

"Wow! Making a deal with the magical being!"

“Shut the enthusiasm and bring the table up against the cage's base. And assistant, why don’t you go be useful and do the same, instead of just standing there.”

“Huh? Oh! Yes, I’m useful! I was just about to do that.”

Liar.

Crumbs was caught up in thought.

There might be some kind of undertone going on, 

Table rolled

but I suppose he is the only one to notice.

Buzz turns off 

He doesn’t say anything about it yet,

Door unlocked

although if it gets more obvious, 

Open

maybe he should question it.

The fairy braces himself to stand up against the cage walls. He grasped onto the wire, more so than before. Holy moly roly poly, gravity has hands today. Maybe he could’ve had a better fighting chance if he could have some food.

His struggle was so obvious this time around, there was no hiding it.

Bossy wasn't pleased with this slowed obedience.

“Do all fairies have weak legs or are you just a defect?”

Defect ? What? Is he not the “perfectly manufactured collector's toy” for him? Oh, the things he would say to this guy if he didn’t grow up with a filtered mouth.

“When I say to speak, you speak, answer the question.”

“Uhh… You know what? I’m not out of the cage yet, so your rules don’t apply.”

Peri hesitated for a moment at the opening.

Peri stared down at the table, and then at the floor below it. There was an awkward length parting between the cage base and the table. They didn’t roll it right up against the cage, but it was juuuussst close enough for him to jump on if he pushed himself.

“Here, let me help!”

An excited hand reached in.

Slapped away.

“ No touchie! I can jump on it on my own! There's no need to pick me up like a cat!”

He’s fine, he doesn’t need to be touched or handled any more than he already has been. He has the opportunity to do this one thing on his own, without force or touch or drugs or shocks. This was his moment.

One two three go!

Face hit metal, 

metal of the table, not the floor, a small win, but a performance failure.

He looked up to the audience.

“See? Perfect landing.”

God, His face hurt.

He was out of the cage

with a clear mind.

Boy, did it feel so freeing.

This building pressure from his chest was released.

Released.

Sigh of release- relief.

Oh boy, is this so good! He couldn’t believe they had actually agreed to all this! Oh boy, luck must be on his side today. What else could he get away with?

“Awesome! So uhh… any chance I could have my wand back too?”

“Don’t push it.”

“Fudge cakes. Okay, let’s just get this over with.”

The fairy sighed, this time in disappointment.

He shifted to a more comfortable sitting position in the center of the table.

He steadied himself as the table was moved to the center of the room.

This place felt familiar.

Cake.

He twitched.

They are just going to clean the wound, right? It shouldn’t be too bad.

Same table, same spot.

Bread.

But he wasn’t held down this time, at least not physically.

Keep your cool, Peri, it’s all cool here.

He anxiously took a breath through his teeth.

He forced himself into a more open posture, hoping to appear stronger, more confident, and hopefully respectable.

He held himself up with his arms backwards, kicking his feet in a bored stim, dangling them off the edge.

“May I see your shoulder?”

Peri was startled by the kindly worded question from one of the newer humans.

“Uh, yeah, sure.”

Gloved hands began to unwrap the tight blood-stained cloth from the lower part of his shoulder.

Peri had unconsciously shifted into a more introverted posture during this.

Bossy crossed his arms in a subtle pout. He tapped his foot in impatience. He easily could’ve tended the wounds himself, in fact, he wanted to. He probably could do it better, even if he wasn’t a medic, at least that’s what he told himself. Why does there need to be so many people working on his project?! It was assigned to him for him to lead. So many are eager to get a slice of cake, too many to fend off all the time. I guess it’s better to give them a taste so they will leave him be. Then he can pick up the pace by doing things solo, by doing things his way.

“My word! Say, when did you say you made the incision? You cut a chunk off, right?”

“A day ago, and yes, why?” 

“There is barely a single trace of an injury!”

Everyone got a look, including the fairy.

Nothing but spots of dried blood and sealed skin.

Even when cleaning the dried liquid away with a wet cotton of chemicals, it was truly healed.

However, 

there was a visible purple-tinted scar leftover, 

the shape of a 

cake slice .

Sure hope that’s not permanent.

“Only a day and the skin has completely regenerated! The healing properties of this creature are extraordinary ! An incision like that would’ve taken weeks to heal to this extent!”

Even Peri was excited at the sound of that, but not for the same reasons. Peri didn’t know much about his healing process. Magic was always there to fix things in a second. He never stuck around to figure out how long something would naturally go away. Learning he heals quickly is such exciting news for him, meaning he could quickly gain strength back to escape.

"Do you realize what this means? Exploring its healing properties further could be revolutionary for science and medical practice."
The other medic exclaimed.

"My thoughts exactly, I suggest we direct our research to this. If we can understand its regenerative properties, we could possibly find a way to adopt those capabilities, especially considering it appears to have similar biology to humans."

Crumbs voiced.

"Exclamation! I'll mark this as something to delve deeper into. If only it would stop breaking our technology and MRI machine."

Bossy lightly kicks the bottom of the table, 

not enough to cause attention, but enough for the critter to feel the vibrations of and pay note to that statement.

But Peri wasn't resisting. It wasn't his fault the scanners couldn't handle his true form.

Peri felt a bit amused to learn he had broken one of their toys.

Bossy continued,

"If it keeps resisting, we might as well have to do things a bit more.. abstract.."

Another undertone directed to the subject. 

It twitched.

Pupil constriction, a physical sign of fear.

What a delightful reaction.

Yes, it should fear him.

Another undertone the caramel bearded noticed.

Silently questioned, but never confronted. 

The other two didn't pick up on any hidden message, but rather responded further on the topic of the healing process. Their hearts filled with pure excitement about scientific exploration.

BUZZZ

“Oh! Check out the wings!”

A human grabbed hold of one of Peri's sensitive wings.
Peri violently flinched. And buzzed the non-restrained wing.

Have they ever heard of being gentle?

Besides that, what about his wings?

They changed style.

The edges were rounder, and most of the dead parts had flaked off. They had changed color to more of a muted olive color, turning brown. The texture was different too. There was some kind of thin shell forming on the surface of them. Is that normal? Is that bad? Or is that just how they heal?

Yang spoke

“The wings seem to be healing through some kind of molting process. Is this a regular process for growth like bugs? Or is it a process specifically triggered to heal dead or lost cells like humans?”

This hasn’t happened before, so no, it’s a process for healing, not growth. 

The more you know.

“Wait! Hold on, I recognize something.”

Yin quickly began to unzip one of their bags, and pulled out what looked like a personal scrapbook filled with photographs and notes about insects.

They flipped quickly through the pages and then held it up close to the wing.

Peri felt uncomfortable with the touch, but he tried to not resist, at least not in front of Bossy.

“Look at the structure of the wing veins, and the overall silhouette, they match up similarly to the forewing of a cicada!”

“Do you frequently and casually have an encyclopedia about bugs in your bag?”

Bossy asked.

“It’s a personal study, and yes. Why do you think I was picked to be a medic for the fairy?”

Touché. Bossy waves this off. Although he found it foolish to work for the purpose of personal interest over the power of discovery

They continued, Peri listened with the others.

“There doesn't seem to be any hind wings. I’m not sure if there is any internal cicada structure either, but that could be the reason for the loud buzzing. I’m not sure if- oh! Why didn’t I think of this before…”

Yin turned to the fairy.

“Hey, dear fairy, do you have an air chamber in your abdomen? Tymbal or tymbal muscle?”

“Huh? What?”

The fairy was unprepared to be asked a question, let alone with words he was unfamiliar with.

“You make sound with your wings, yes? Does the sound come internally like a cicada? Or maybe externally like a cricket?”

“I don’t know, I never really thought about it.”

“You don’t know how your body works?”

"Uh…"

Well, to be fair, this wasn't his true form.

Another absence of answers.

Another slowed direction to discovery.

There is so much to unpack, so much to jump on, yet it was all taking so long.

Bossy was so tired of their minor questions and slower methods.

"Are you done? I let you have your fun and clean the cut yourselves, now all you are doing is getting distracted with conversation!"

The others shut silent at the snap of the boss.

Peri especially was startled by the sudden shout.

Bossy sighed
"Great, Now that I have your attention, we are going to tackle the topic of its healing process…"

He paused for a moment

"Cut its wings."

Peri jolted.

C-cut?! Cut him? Like a cake?

No, Like a haircut.

"What? Why?"

One of the newer humans questioned 

"I want to get a better idea of the healing process from start to finish. The flaked ends and uneven burns provide a messy measurement. Besides, we could use the extra samples"

"But… wouldn't that hurt it?"

"If you won't comply with what needs to be done, then you can be removed from the project. I'll cut them myself if you're too soft for it.

They stayed silent in a defeated acceptance.

"Now, Cut off the dead ends."

BUZZZZZZ

"S-stop! L-let's talk about this! You don't want to cut my wings! I- I can-"

"It's already been decided, now are you going to resist or comply? Don't forget about our little deal now."

No, he didn't want to be stale again.

There was no way out of this

He had to oblige to their rules

Just please don’t cut so much.

Shhz

Peri suddenly heard the shhz of sharpened scissors opening from behind him.

Jeeze! Where did they pull that out from?! This was all going so fast.

BUZZZZZZ

Instinct

A surge of fear had caused his wings to flutter in resistance.

"If you cannot keep still, I'll have to resort to plan B.”

"I-I’m sorry. It won't happen again!"

Peri was still terrified. He can't control his fight or flight response.

He tried his best to mask the immense urge to break away.

They grab onto one of his wings and hold it still. He buzzes the other a little before quickly stopping himself from the resistance.

He had to stay still, he had to follow the rules, no matter how much his body said not to.

But it was all too much.

Peri heard another sshhhz sound of scissors behind him as the metal began to shut on his wing. 

The cold feeling of it beginning to touch his sensitive wings was the breaking point.

You can’t tell a bird to not fly away when scared.

You can’t blame them, it is merely an instinct.

BUZZZZZ

Is that the buzz of a razor?

No, it was

his wings.

Break out!

Leave him alone

He will not conform to this new style.

He will shine in his own light.

His wings will fly long and bold and buggy

But wait,

Those aren’t bug wings.

Something bright, something feathered

Something big and bold and softly colored periwinkle.

This newly sprouted form glowed brightly for it was the spotlight that lit up the room.

It was a unique form, a different form, yet familiar to some.

It was a true form,

at least the ghost of it,

capable of being faintly seen like some transparent paranormal presence admitting from the fairy.

A spiritual protection over their physical form.

Instinctual resistance.

They were pushed to the edge.

They can’t help their nature.

They had to break out, it was only a reflex.

And was it worth it? That’s not for his soul to think about in the long run, but it was worth it in the moment, that’s all that matters.

The danger had fallen back.

It was ok now.

The fairy awoke from the alarmed state of mind, the angelic form retreated within this snap of awareness.

The fairy looked around to see the destruction caused by its burst of magical energy.

For a moment it was confused about what had just happened. Surely he didn’t do that?

Something felt different, something felt off.

Was his wings missing again?

No, he felt they were there.

But his crown-

It has cracked more.

The strain of energy instinctively forced out had damaged his spirit.

The fairy looked around to see the harmed humans on the floor.

Bossy was not pleased, to say the least.

Oh shit, that was the last straw.

"Give me your arm, now."

"Wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-! I-I can still be cooperative!”

“You can prove your cooperation by giving me your arm.”

No, no. This isn’t fair.

He really did try to follow their rules.

He couldn’t control his instincts.

Please, give him a second chance.

“It was an accident! I just- Give me another chance! Please-?! Ah-!"

Peri let out a distressed yelp as his arm was quickly yanked and stabbed.

Peri didn't even get a chance to react or pull away before he was attacked.

He had moved so fast, like a sharpened arrow.

An arrow sharply cuts through the air in a second to pierce the skin of its target, and that's exactly what happened.

The needle pierced the fairy's arm and distributed the drug into the body.

Peri instinctively tried to pull his arm out from the grasp, but it only tightened.

Unkept nails dug into soft nonhuman skin.

BUZZZZ

He couldn’t help but try to flutter away.

He couldn't help but buzz his wings for protection and safety.

although they did nothing to save him.

“You can’t even stop buzzing your wings.”

It was true.

He couldn’t even follow simple instructions.

He was such a rule-breaker.

That’s how he got into this mess in the first place.

It’s all his fault.

Maybe he deserves this punishment.

Maybe he will learn to follow the rules.

He needed to learn to be good, to be trustful, to be lawful, to be a good little fairy.

He should have tried harder.

His wings began to slow,

as they should have at first.

"That's it, be still, this will all go much faster."

Peri began to go limp. The human provided stability during this and leaned him to the side as the fairy slowly lost control over its body. The fairy hated the touch. It hated how its body uncontrollably gave its weight to the human, who held it up in a sideways position. Its head was cradled in the crooked hands, and its wings laid limp to the side against the table. It had no control.

"Very good."

Despite the slowed state of mind, the fairy still felt fear. It was muffled in the backstage of their mind, screaming through locked backroom doors.

He didn't want to get a haircut

He's never had one like this before.

Does it hurt?

He didn't want to find out.

His wings.

Cut off the dead ends like a haircut.

Look at how the tips curl and crisp like dried worms. 

Gross tips.

Dehydrated.

Give him a clean cut.

No one likes burnt corners.

Cut off the dead ends.

Straight across.

Measure the length.

Clearer measurements.

They will grow back faster.

Give him a clean cut.

It’ll grow back healthier.

It’ll look better.

It’s the new style.

But no, he doesn't like that style, he likes his long tips.

He likes how they blow against the wind when he flies.

He doesn't care if they are dead.

He doesn't care if they are useless to fly with, they are his dead wings, not anyone else's.

Please no, he doesn't like that style.

He doesn't look good with a short cut.

He's not ready to go short.

He doesn't want to go short.

Please, no.

SSHHZ

Interesting fact about bugs: Bugs don't feel pain, they do not have pain receptors; they can only sense something is wrong. 

But a fairy isn't just a bug. Their anatomy is a hybrid. Human-like anatomy feels pain. 

The fairy's wings begin numb from the tips; but as they extend up to the base, they are extremely sensitive.

There are small lines like a cicada that build up the structure of the wing, mostly coming from the base. These veins thin and fade out closer to the ends, fading into transparency. They act as nerves; a hybrid nervous system between bug and human.

Whatever they gave him to numb his mind had no effect to numb his body.

How cruel.

They started from the mid-section of the longer one, cutting off a rough length. 

It didn't hurt as much as he anticipated. It was quick and mostly painless,
at least at first.

The disturbed wires of the wing began to send waves of sensitivity around the area, as it sensed something was wrong.

Clean cut.

The other was burnt from the base.

We gotta clean that up.

Peri couldn't even have a moment to prepare himself for the second-

SSHHZ

He could feel everything.

The base had much thicker, much more sensitive veins. It was pure nerves.

Peri didn't even have the energy to do much of a flinch to the pain. All he could do was let out a small whimper that barely breathed enough air out of his nose to ripple sound.

He held back his breath to help cope with the agony.

All his resistance and internal screams could only form into a matter of liquid emotion that leaked from his stale eyes.

Please stop, please say it's over.

But oh, look how uneven they are. One is still longer than the other, we must even them out.

SSHHZ

Somehow this was worse.

A tear of silent screams dropped to the table.

It was done.

Look on the floor and see your parts on the ground.

"Hair" grows a bit every day,

A symbol of living, healing, memories,

lost forever.

You will look so different.

Look on the floor and see your parts on the ground.

But don’t throw them away,

Savor the centimeters,

View them under a microscope to see the structure of life.

Not your parts anymore.

They didn't listen, this wasn't what he asked for.

He doesn't like this hairstylist.

He didn't want to go short.

They never listen to him.

He was too scared to speak up.

Clean cut. 

Looking sharp!

Chapter Text

Knock Knock

"Wanda? Cosmo? Are you there?"

Hazel waited at her neighbor's door for an answer.

She's been trying her best to not interrupt their search. They've been so worried about finding Peri.

"H-Hazel?! Oh! Uh, yeah we are here! Did you need something?"
Wanda spoke through the door

"I was just wondering how you guys were doing, did you find Peri?"

"Uh, hold on, just give us a second… Where did I put my wand…OH!"

Sounds of tripping. Something crashed down.

“Oh! Wanda, my wife! Are you ok?! Don’t worry, I’m coming over there!”

“Cosmo, wait! No!”

More sounds of tripping. There was a louder crash.

"What's going on?! Hello?"

Hazel opens the door.

A few miscellaneous papers escape out to Hazel's feet as the door opens.

Hazel is in awe to see the huge mess before her.

The room was highly cluttered with stacks of custom papers printed with the word "Missing" that varied in heights. Most were taller than Hazel, which made it hard to see the edges of the room.

It was like walking through the tall grass of a safari.

Hazel tried to walk through the mess at the door, to search for her fairies in the jungle of disorganization, only to reveal how much deeper the clutter went. 

A trashcan in the corner was overflowing with crumbled scrap papers of failed drawings and ideas.

The center of the floor was entirely decorated with a chaotic spiderweb pattern of red string and pins that connected photos, files, and sticky notes that laid on top of each other. It was a web of possible leads that must have started on the wall, but had extended to the floor for need of more space.

Speaking of space,

even the ceiling was messy; There were hoops of red string that swooped down like party decorations that connected one pinned paper to the next on the ceiling above.

Being careful to not step on anything important, Hazel worked her way through the limited small spots of empty space; she was lucky to have small feet for this.

Behind the barely recognizable couch, she found her fairies.

Wanda and Cosmo were on the floor dizzy from the trip. Two previously tall stacks of papers now lay scattered below and on top of the pair

"Whoa, what happened here?"

"Ah! Watch your step!"

"Oop-!"

Hazel quickly redirects her footing.

Hazel reaches down and picks up the paper she had almost stepped on. 

It was a hand-written poster with an old photo taped over a failed drawing of their son.

Hazel read the paper in her head. The poster had large bolded red words that read "MISSING: PERIWINKLE FAIRYWINKLE COSMA"

Below the title was a long description that turned into a writing expressing their sorrow and love and pleading for their beloved son's return. The hand-written poster's writing fades into smaller and smaller text at the end to fit in many more words; they had so much to say. It was bittersweet how much they deeply cared about their missing son.

They were equally heartbroken.

"Wow, you guys have been busy."

"Haha, what do you mean? We're cool, we're fine, yeah yeah, totally calm and chill"

"Yeah yeah, we're uhh.... what's it called?... Straight vibing! Totally chill!"

Wanda and Cosmo tried to mask their dread, but their eyebags and state of their house did nothing to reflect that.

Another pile of paper falls over in the silence for comedic effect.
It's not just the house that's a mess.

"You still haven't found Peri?"

"Nou..."

The couple breaks in a squeak with big wet eyes

"We haven't gotten a wink of sleep! How can we?!"
"We don't know what we are missing. We've been calling everyone we can in Fairy World all night and we still can't find any leads!"

"Hmm… maybe you guys should get some fresh air! that always helps me clear my mind!"

"You're right Hazel, we should get some good wind blowing in here, that will get our minds spinning right!"

Wanda remarked. She grabbed onto her wand previously lost under the couch, poofed to the nearest lightswitch, and flicked on the fan without thinking.

The fan began to spin. They all noticed the deep mistake made.

Not only did papers begin to fly and scatter around the room, but the fan suddenly caught onto some of the red string that hooped down from the ceiling. The red string quickly became tangled in the fan as it kept spinning faster. Pins that previously held down string and paper at points went flying to different parts of the room, Hazel ducked down to avoid the crossfire.

Wanda flicked off the fan to prevent further damage, but it was too late; The entire line of connected clues soon all became undone and scattered with the spin of the fan.

"Oh dear."

Hazel poked her head out from the sea of scattered paper that filled the room.

Cosmo did the same, but his face was covered in pins.

"Oh Cosmo, are you hurt?"

Wanda swam over.

"No… except for my heart."

The couple wept in each other's arms.

"Are we ever going to find our little Poofie?"

Hazel felt sad for them, she knew exactly what to do.

"Sounds like yer lads are in need o'... DETECTIVE HAZEL!"

Hazel sparked in her best Cockney accent. Her playful child-like innocence certainly lightens the mood.

The couple sniffles their stuffy noses and looks over with a sense of hope.

Hazel pretends to fiddle with her non-existing curly mustache as she thinks.

"Wenever I lose sumfink, I give it a go ter think back ter w it last were. Now let's think, right, who would probably be the last person who's seen Peri?”

The three took a moment to think, and then in the same synced moment, they all looked at each other with the same thought.

----

"DEV!"

"AH! What are you three doing here?!"

Dev stumbles back startled.

Hazel, Wanda, and Cosmo have spawned in Dev's presence, invading his house like the detectives they playfully pretended to be.

"Wotcher know about Peri's disappearance?!"
Hazel demanded, currently dressed with a fedora and a grey-scale trench coat.

"Get out of my room, Hazel! Just because I said never to wish me near you again, doesn't mean you can wish yourself near me either!"

"ANSWER THE QUESTION, SUSPECT!"

"GAH! Uh- I don't know! He just- vanished! … Probably got too sick of me anyway…"

"Vanished where?!"

"I already said I don't know! He wasn't there when I got back!

"Wasn't back were? Were was yer last wiv 'im?!"

"You heard her, we know yer hiding something!"

Wanda declared, currently dressed in sunglasses and a suit.

"Aww, I wanted to play bad cop."
Cosmo weeped

"Oh, do you want to switch roles?"
His wife offered.

"Yes please!"


Cosmo slams the nightstand.

"WHAT COLOR IS YOUR TOOTHBRUSH?!"

Dev sighed, irritated and quite confused at their games.

"If I tell you the full story will you leave me alone?"

"Yes please!"

Hazel says in her normal voice with a friendly, excited demeanor.

Before Dev could roll his eyes, his surroundings suddenly switched to an unfamiliar space with the sparkle of a wand.

The group has been spawned in an interrogation room. Everything was in black and white like a 1950s film. 

Hazel snaps back into character.

"Now, tell me whot yer know."

Dev is annoyed at this game, but continues to get it over with.

----

Two days ago, Saturday, at 4:15pm

I was up in my room searching the web to find more information about… uh… something, when I was informed there might be something at the museum that could help me.

I wished to go to the museum, and of course, Peri followed behind me.

Peri kept going on and questioning what I was looking for and offering to "help". I kept telling him I didn't want his help. I was sick and tired of him always getting onto me about "Da Rules". I especially didn't want him getting in my business about this thing.

I wished for him to stay put and finally stop following me.

I went away to do things on my own and finally got the answers I was looking for.

I wished to be home again but didn't get a reply. He left me there to walk home on my own. He probably got tired of waiting and left, or got tired of me. Really shows how much he cares.

----

"Peri was last seen at the museum! Do yer 'ear that, Wanda and Cosmo? That's were we need ter 'ave a look next!"

Hazel and her two fairies finally disappear and Dev's room goes back to normal.

"Thank god, I thought they would never leave."

Dev takes a moment to wait, they aren't coming back in a moment, right? Ok, good.

"Irep! You can come out now!"

Blue

Red energy

"Yeeeesssss?"

"Did you have something to do with Peri going missing?"

"Whaa?? Noooo, I would neverrr"

"Well Hazel and her two fairies are on my butt about it now, so fix it!"

"I may or may not have given a little push, but don't worry, it's all part of the plan, remember?"

"Not really, I was only really paying attention to the parts that matter."

"Of course you were."

Irep slumps down frustrated.

"Just try to play it off the best you can for now. That pompous prick is fine, he is out of the way and that’s all that matters!”

“I still don’t understand why I have to wait to take over Fairy World. I wanna do it nooowww.”

“Because I am technically not your fairy godparent yet! As Peri mentioned last time: A fairy godparent must give a two weeks notice before the role is officially opened for another magical being to take over."

“The rules suck.”

“Yup, very much so, I hate quoting Da Rules just as much as you hate hearing me quote it. But the last thing we’d want is Jorgen getting on our tail before we can make it official. I've already sent in the faked two-week notice, all we have to do now is wait and keep Peri out of the way."

"What exactly did you do?"

"As I said before, I just gave him a little push."

Chapter Text

Stupid Peri and his stupid face. Dev should be MY godkid! Dev doesn't even want Peri! At least Dev notices how much better I am.

Stupid Peri.

Words couldn't describe how much Irep loathed his rival.

His stupid smirk.

His stupid soft curly hair.

His stupid pretty face.

The Anti-fairy's butt still hurt from being thrown all the way back to Anti-Fairy world.

"Two weeks notice" stupid rules. There's gotta be some way to get around them. 

Irep's been taking his sweet time, occasionally "totally not" jealously spying on Peri.

Irep secretly poofs himself near where he assumed his rival would be: near his godkid.

But Peri is nowhere to be found.

Irep was just about to poof out of the godkid's room, when something pricked up his ears.

"Nothing about Anti-Fairies?! Search again!"

"Searching web for "Anti-Fairies"... No results"

"Ugh! What about Anti-Fairy world?!"

"No results."

“Do you have sucky Wi-Fi? Search again!"

"No results."

The godkid was talking to his drone robots, trying to learn more info about Anti-Fairies… about Irep.

"Are you... researching me?!"

"Ah! Irep! What are you doing here?!"

"Honestly I'm flattered, I didn't know you were such a big fan!"

“I just- wanted to know more about anti-fairies is all."

"Well, you won't find any info with your human technology. No one but godkids know about fairies"

"Oh! then what's this I just found?"

"Hm?"

Irep briefs through a sketchy website Dev had just pulled up on his tablet's screen.

"FAIReZE R' REAL!" It's information about fairy godparents, but… nothing is correct. It's honestly amusing how this "Denzel Crocker" writer thinks he knows stuff. Oh wait, Crocker? That name sounds familiar. He works at the Galax Institute? What's that? A paranormal investigation institute? Oh, wait, he's not even a proper researcher there? He's a janitor of all things. Irep snorts at the words.

"Have you read it yourself? Even you should know that's all baloney"

Dev looks at it himself 

"Not really, I just read the title"

“Haha! Well, you do so happen to have a real Anti-Fairy right here! What is it you want to know? I’m an open book.”

“… I want to know how you can be my godparent.”

…

“Well, I’m flattered. It seems you and I have the same goals! If only Da Rules didn’t have power over that. 

But lucky for me, I’m great at finding loopholes!”

“So find a loophole.”

“Well, I’ve been trying to. I thought I found a good one last time until Peri found a loophole within my loophole. Teh.. two weeks notice… stupid rules.”

Irep snapped his fingers.

“That’s it! We just have to get Peri out of the way for at least two weeks! I can send in some faked ‘two weeks notice’, and with him out of the way, we won’t have any issues with him confirming it to be fake!”

“How do we get Peri out of the way?”

“Hmm…”

Irep thinks back to the thing shown on Dev’s tablet.

That Galax Institute thing… hmm.

“I think I have an idea… meet me at the museum with Peri in an hour. All I want you to do is keep your eyes on your screen.”

—————

“I wish to go to the museum!”

“Sure thing, kid!”

Poof!

Dev and Peri were at the doors of the museum. Dev looked over to his fairy who was almost unrecognizable at first, but the purple hair gave it away. The fairy was simply in a human disguise.

The disguised fairy wore a muted purple-colored argyle sweater vest, with a button-up shirt underneath, darker-colored dress pants that folded neatly above his ankles, and brown flat ankle boots. A small but recognized feature was the singular tiny gold crown-shaped earring on one of his ears.

“Do you have to wear that?”

“What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“You look like a suck-up college student with a coffee addiction.”

“I-“

…

“Anyway… Why did you want to go to the museum? Is this for a school project? Have you taken an interest in dinosaurs? Or maybe-“

“It’s nothing, Peri, I’m just… looking for something.”

“Oh, yeah, ok! Well, can I help you look around? I can wish you where you want to go, or offer to read things out loud, or offer some more information. If you really want to learn about something we could even have some fun and visit that timeline! Oh! And you can’t forget about lunch too, I can-“

“I don’t need your help. I…”

Dev reads his screen, Irep was giving him instructions on what to say.

“Tell Peri you want him to stay outside.”

“Stay outside? You want to go in by yourself? I… I don’t think I can do that. I shouldn’t leave you alone in a public place. It’s not safe! You could get kidnapped.”

There weren't any new instructions. Dev shook the screen. Nope, that was it; other than for Dev to go inside and look for Irep.

“I’ll be fine Peri, just stay outside.”

Dev starts to go inside. Peri follows.

“Dev, I can’t do that, I’m sorry.”

“No! I said- just- stay here!”

Dev tries to block Peri from following.

Peri pulls up Da Rules.

“I’m pretty sure I at least have to be inside the same building in this scenario. Da Rules state that-“

“Ughhh enough with the rules already! Fine, follow me inside I guess.”

As the godkid and godchild go inside the museum, two vehicles park alongside the building.

"You sure this is the right place?"

"Of course it is! Let's go! Hurry! We've got a fairy to catch!"

------

Things were NOT going to plan.

Irep watches disguised as an Ambopteryx skeleton on display 

Peri was supposed to stay outside!

Now Irep has got to find another way to get Peri isolated.

He had to think. How could he…

“Augh! Stop talking to me! You are always over my head all the time! I wish you would just stay put! Stop following me around like a bug in my ear!”

Oh, that works.

Thanks Dev.

Yes, now time for phase two.

Beeep beep beep beeeeeep

"Good evening to you! You haven't seen anything strange around here, have you?"
An investigator nudged Peri.

How convenient, that was fast.

It's like fate wanted this to happen.

Everything was falling into plan, it was perfect.

"I'm such a genius!" Irep thought to himself.

He couldn't wait to see the stupid look on Peri's face when Irep had finally won.

These paranormal investigators were the perfect addition to Irep's super evil awesome plan! 

They'll just take Peri away and annoy him with questions. 

Maybe Peri will finally break Da Rules for once too, 

that goodie-two-shoes could use a little less perfection in his life.

Irep has to get a closer look.

He poofs to hide in a smaller form on a lamp above.

Beeeep beeeeeeep beeeeeeep

"Oh, sorry, that's just my paranormal detection device. It goes off when it senses paranormal activity. I must be close! Very close actually…"

"Haha! Oh wow, yeah, that's weird, really weird, and… strange."

"Strange, Yeah…"

Irep kicked his feet in excitement while he watched the beautiful chaos unravel. Peri was such a nervous wreck. Oh, it was so amusing to see him like this. Not always so confident, are we? 

BEEEEEEEEEEP

"Holy mother of mac n' cheese! It's right under you!"

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE- PSHK- BOOM!

A slow realization filled the room with tension and silence.

OHH IT WAS OVER NOW OHH HAHA!

Look at the pathetic panic on the purple poseur’s face.

Can we get some popcorn in here?

"Ah! I know what you're thinking, but that was probably just a malfunction, I mean how old is that tech anyway?! I'm not strange or paranormal, I'm not a fairy, I swear!!

Oh? Peri seems to be holding it together enough.

Maybe I could give him a little push…

Glitchy soul, It was a magical interference.

Blue, it was Irep.

Red energy, Irep's magic.

Magic failing, Peri couldn't hide it anymore.

Wings exposed, all part of the plan.

"Ah! T-That's nothing! Those aren't real I uhh.. I'm uhh..."

Peri attempted to poof away his wings, 

Irep poofed them back.

Peri poofed away his wings.

Irep made the crown appear.

Back and forth.

Finally getting the crown to disappear,

The wings appear again.

Haha, keep going, this is fun.

"I uhh… I'm a… I'm a cosplayer! Yeah, Just a totally normal human doing totally normal human things! I'm not a real fairy or anything, I mean, would a fairy have totally real and normal legs?"

Stuttery sweaty mess, keep tying yourself in knots. I’ve already won.

His crown appears again. Peri staggers to swoosh it away. His totally real legs began to fail as well.

Peri stumbles backward to the ground.

Irep laughs to himself.

Peri's form was now fully exposed to the crowd.

"IT'S A FAIRY!"

A human called.

Yes yes yes yes yes yes!

Lights, Shouts, Camera, Action!

Chaos

Yes yes yes yes yes yes!

Peri quickly flies upwards to dodge a butterfly net.

Haha! Get captured idiot!

Irep soon notices some oversized high-tech gun pointed at Peri

Wait… what's that?

FLASH!

Before Irep could think about it, there was a sudden LIGHT that shot at Peri that luckily only hit his wings.

Wait, are they trying to kill him?

Irep’s exaggerated enthusiastic grin phased into a crack of concern as his rival fell to the ground with a THUD and went limp.

His wand skids across the floor.

Irep cringes at the sight.
Ohhh, that's gotta hurt.

Irep didn't expect these humans to hurt Peri, at least not like that. 

He’ll just heal it with his magic though.

Everything will be fine.

It’s all for the game.

Peri will be fine.

It’s not too bad.

Irep just needs a head start.

Surely the humans can’t do any harm.

They’ll just keep him away for a bit.

It's all for the game.

Peri will probably be fine.

Peri always gets up.

Peri wasn't getting up.

Irep never intended to hurt Peri like that. He just wanted him to be out of the way and suffer a little .

It’s all for the game, it’s just for the game.

It’s all just a game.

A playful passionate rivalry.

Irep suddenly felt a sharp firey delayed pain response.

Two sides of the same coin.

Shoot a hole through it,

It always comes out on the other side.

The flip side’s crown had cracked,

So did the opposite.

That’s probably fine.

The humans argued with each other briefly, before pulling out a much smaller gun.

Peri began to get back up.

Suddenly 

ZZT!

Peri flinched.

They had hit him again but with something different.

What was that? It looks like some needle thing with red fuzz at the back.

Irep flinched.

Should he do something?

No no, Peri will be fine. Irep couldn’t soften up now.

Irep’s gotta stick to the plan.

It’ll all be worth it in the end. It’s just a brief scratch for the coin at the moment.

On both sides.

Irep didn’t think this through.

Maybe he’s not the head of the coin.

He was never the main face, he always came after.

He only exists to be the mirrored opposite.

He exists to follow as the shadow of the head.

He’s just the tail.

How pathetic.

Thus the persona and rivalry.

Peri didn’t look the same.

Peri wasn’t moving the same.

Breathing hitching and blinking drowsily.

Slurred movements and stumbling to stand.

Peri was stuck on the floor, fighting to keep his consciousness.

What did they do to him?

Is it possible to go too far?

Surely not.

But then why did Irep feel this pit in his stomach?

It's fine this is fine he will be fine it’s all fine it’s all gonna be fine this is fine.

Irep didn’t stop the humans from picking up his unconscious rival.

This is fine this is fine he will be fine this is totally fine.

Peri will be fine.

Just follow the plan, what was next? Oh yeah! Dev! Something else to think about.

Irep is fine.

He poofs away to find the godkid.

Irep found Dev obliviously walking around, luckily too far away from the previous scene to have seen what happened.

Deep inhale.

Breathe away those stupid worries.

Alright, showtime!

Irep plays out his dramatic reveal.

"What up, square!?"

The disguised anti-fairy still wore the same outfit as in his fairy form. I guess he couldn’t be creative and new. The only real difference was a more human-like shaped head that still had remedies of a square, and the color of his skin. It wouldn’t be normal for a totally normal human to be blue. He was now of the same tone, but in a brown hue.

“Who are you?”

“Wha- it’s me, your favorite fairy, Irep!”

“Oh. I see it now. You didn’t have your… um… Minecraft head.”

“No idea what Minecraft is but I’ll take that as a compliment! Anyway, the totally thought-out plan has worked out spotlessly ! The next steps are just right around the corner! Just imagine this: you and I ruling over the entirety of Fairy World, together! You’ll be as powerful as your own imagination with my anti-magic by your side! With no rules or that loser Peri to stop you!”

“Ruling over Fairy World? Oh, I love the way you think! I'll finally be able to show my dad that I should be his priority! No more being overshadowed by "Project H" or Hazel and her two fairies and her big hats."

"All we have to do now is wait."

Irep can’t wait

to see the stupid look on Peri’s face when he gets out, knowing Irep has won.

Dev will be his godkid in no time.

Irep can’t wait to laugh in Peri’s smug face.

He'll still have that same smug face… right?

Peri will be fine, Irep will be fine…

Right?

We’ll have to flip a coin for that.

Does it land on heads again?

Chapter Text

Busy Busy Bees,

Buzzing with thoughts.

Static of overlapping voices in the mind.

"Hey Hazel! Perfect timing, I've been making good old Cajun jambalaya! Come help me set the table. Dad should be home soon."

Hazel wasn’t listening to her mom’s voice.

The buzzing voices talked over in Hazel’s mind while she paced inside after a short afternoon with the trusted neighbors.

Buzzing thoughts

Possibilities

Clues

Connections

Maybe something she missed?
Wands

Wings

Floaty crowny things

"Hazel Baby?"

The welcoming concerned voice retrieved Hazel’s attention.

"Huh? Oh, sorry mommy.”

"What's got you all up in your head? Wait, don't tell me yet, share it once we're all at the table. I've got some news too."

Hazel soundlessly walked into the kitchen.

The smell of freshly cooked dinner calmed away the remaining buzzes.

Warming familiar sensory details earthed Hazel out of her mind.

The static cleared, but a few still buzzed in the background.

Right,

Bowls and forks.

Hazel couldn’t resist falling back into thought as she helped. She dispersed into the static like an old habit.

She couldn’t help it, she was so passionate about the case.

Buzzing thoughts

Possibilities

Clues

Connections

Maybe something she missed?
Wands

Wings

Floaty crowny things

CRACK

Oops.

Maybe she was a bit too caught up in thought. She had dropped one of the bowls.

What was originally a group of three was now a lonely pair.

The smaller one had fallen down,

And cracked,

And chipped.

A triangular shard from the lone bowl skid away.

A shard.

That looked familiar.

———

"Peri was last seen at the museum! Do yer 'ear that, Wanda and Cosmo? That's where we need ter 'ave a look next!”

Hazel, Wanda, and Cosmo poof away with the same thought: To the museum!

As they arrived at the scene,

Something felt familiar.

Something felt off.

There was a pained aura coming from inside.

At least to the fairies, only they could sense this strange magic.

Inside they go to investigate.

It feels odd to be in the same place Peri once was before his disappearance,

But Wanda and Cosmo try to keep their spirits up.

However, as they walked, the sensation only became more apparent.

It became louder.

Cosmo mentions it first.

“Do you feel that too?”

A buzzing feeling,

A buzzing frequency only they could hear,

A stinging sensation at their core,

Like a bee.

Hazel has a bit of fun at first, looking around for clues and asking passerbys for any info, even though she’s asking the wrong people.

Hazel soon notices how Wanda and Cosmo are unusually quiet.

Something was wrong.

Something was very very wrong.

Each step they made felt like a step closer to the same side of a magnet.

A force pushing them away.

There was something they shouldn't see here.

Goosebumps.

With every step further it became harder to push forward.

The buzzes were so loud,

Things became a blur.

But they were too far now, they had to keep going.

Follow the buzz.

Follow the buzzes.

Every hair had risen. A chilling sensation trickled down the back of their necks in sync.

It was like walking in a horror movie.

They knew a jumpscare was bound to happen,

But when and what was unknown.

The unknown is terrifying.

The unknown is terrifying.

Two thoughts fairies and humans share.

That’s how we got into this situation after all.

There was a

CRACK-

-like feeling.

They stepped too far.

Silent

Still

Turn

Table

They turned to a table.

Oh how the tables turn.

They reached a hand under a table.

Buzz

They touched it.

Buzzz

They touched the buzz.

A stinging buzz shot through the hand.

It was a small, glowing, lone shard.

Glowing like their crowns.

Cosmo and Wanda look down at the shard of glowing yellow they cup jointly between their hands. The glow was faint, and shifted between brightness.

Weak light, 

weak magic, 

damaged soul, 

But with the strong strength to stay alive.

"It's Peri."

———

"Hazel, are you ok?"

“Huh? OH! Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry about the bowl.”

"Don’t worry about it. Here, let me get that for you. Don't want you getting cut."

Onomatopoeia!

A working mind bursts through the front door!

A bee hive mind.

Ecstatic face inches from the held laptop's screen

"Marcus! Happy you're home! How was your day honey?" Angela spoke to her husband.

But Marcus was lost in thought.

Buzzing thoughts

Possibilities

Clues

Connections

Maybe something he missed?
Wands

Wings

Floaty crowny things

"Marcus?"

The husband broke out from the buzz.

"Oh! Sorry hon, I'm very busy."

"Too busy to greet your wife?"

"Never."

Marcus held the computer away and gave a playful twirl with the one more important.

"What's got you so ecstatic about work? Well… more ecstatic than usual?"

Angela giggled.

"Oh! Only the BIGGEST project to ever cook up in the history of the Galax Institute! Something revolutionary has entered the institute and everyone's been focusing on it!... or at least trying to… And I'm telling you, THIS one, THIS ONE, will finally the bring 110% solid proof needed to paranormal science. It  will continue to change the institute, and maybe change the science field, or- or create world-changing scientific breakthroughs! And- oh, I've been meaning to talk about this, it's been-"

Ping!

A ping from the computer caught Marcus's attention.

He excitedly jumped to the computer for an answer.

"Oh! He responded to my email!"

There he goes back to the beehive.

Buzzing with thoughts

"I'm sorry Honey, I have to respond to this email!"

"Wait! What about dinner?"

"Oh! You're right!"

Marcus halts his trail to his cave and turns around quickly to pour a bowl of cooking before rushing off exhilarated back to his hive, giving Hazel a loving tussle on the head when he went by.

"Hey, where do you think you are going?"

"It smells delicious! You're a beautiful cook honey, Talk later!"

And gone he was.

"That's the third day in a row he's missed dinner to focus on work. I mean I understand business, as a business woman, but that busy bee better be at the family table for family dinner tomorrow. The irony of this, is the news I was gonna share, was about me officially taking off work to spend more time with family. Well, at least I've got you here Hazel bug… Hazel?!"

"Hm?!"

Hazel broke out of thought.

"Hazel girl, come back here, where are you going?"

"I uhh… I'm busy too?"

Busy buzzing with thoughts.

"Hazel, what could you be so busy with to miss family dinner?

"Uhhh… school?"

Buzzing thoughts like bees wings,

No,

Buzzing thoughts like fairy wings.

Bees and fairy wings, buzzing thoughts, static.

Both bee hives had now left the kitchen with their own share of family food,

Leaving the calm concerned about the wind of the wing flaps.

---

Marcus

Marcus was a well-known researcher at the Galax Institute.

Much more well-known than the new guy.

But, not "well-known" as in "famous", this isn't that kind of place, but more of "well-known" as in "an involved family member."

It's a tight-knit community in the institute. 

Just a family of outcasted scientists working together to explore the same rejected ideas.

Everyone's got a familiar face in the place, except for one.

The new guy.

The guy's so bossy.

Maybe this guy's got a way with sharp words, maybe he's got a way with a formidable demeanor, maybe it's the way everyone stops to stare at the unfamiliar face.

Whatever it was, he somehow has everyone reaching up to his sudden stand from below.

Like dogs begging for a crumb to their new owner.

Everyone's been barking for a piece of Project Phairy.

Marcus believes he above all should be given a table scrap

Since he was the one to originally discover the fairy,

Even if he wasn't the one to shoot it down.

He's gotta know…

How to get to the fairy?

---

Hazel,

Hazel was a good-hearted optimistic child,

Optimistic about the missing case.

It's been in the front of her mind for the past few days, but especially in Cosmo and Wanda's,

That's what's makes her worry,

Because her godparents are worried, no matter how hard they try to hide it.

She thinks back to the museum,

To how Cosmo and Wanda reacted to a clue.

Peri's crown was chipped, no matter how hard they try to hide it.

Something was wrong

Something was very very wrong.

No matter if they wanted her to know,

She knew.

No matter if they wanted her to worry,

She worried.

No matter if they wanted her to think about it,

She thought about it.

She's gotta figure out…

How to get to the fairy?

---

Buzzing thoughts

Possibilities

Clues

Connections

Maybe something they missed?
Wands

Wings

Floaty crowny things

Parallel paths.

Two halves.

Too focused on their own path to see the bigger picture

Of the half painted painting.

Stranded to connect the dots.

Eyes too focused on the dirt of their path to realize the other heads to the same direction.

The sides were like two magnets of the opposite energy.

So close, yet far enough to not click.

But the urge is there, the force is there, only teased.

So close yet so far.

Two puzzle pieces fit perfectly, yet they cannot find the other pair.

Busy Busy Bees.

Buzzing with thoughts.

Static of overlapping voices in the mind.

The same buzz,

Over the same topic.

The answer in the same house. 

If only they went to dinner.

If only the mother wasn't left alone at the family dinner, food getting cold.

Alone, and concerned,

For both of them.

The only one with a break from the buzz.

“And I thought I was the busy bee around here.”

Chapter Text

They had cut its wings.

And left it in its can, leaving their spoil to spoil for another night.

A can to keep their wingless bug.

Peri was in the cage again.

Alone, and in disbelief that

he was wingless.

What was he now without his wings? A worm?

Nibble squibbles

Maybe.

No, this can't be true, it's all so unreal.

Why would they do this?

He tried so hard to obey. He just wanted to be a good fairy.

Wait no, but he wasn't a fairy. Fairies have wings.

He just wanted to be a good… a good something, whatever he was.

Bacon, Bread, Cake, Worm, Frog, Doll, Music box?

What happened to just Peri?

Better question:

What will he become next?

Some kind of flightless mammal for sure.

Although, he could still feel his wings.

Like he could still wag them.

Like a dog with a docked tail, it still tries to wag what it's got when it's happy.

However, in this case, the fairy would still buzz what they got when they're stressed.

And oh, did he buzz.

Buzz?

But they made no sound

Buzz?

Silent Buzz.

Phantom Buzz.

No effect, yet the cause was still real.

Stress.

Disbelief, Panic, Horror.

Stress.

Will he ever fly again? Do dogs regrow tails? Bugs do.

Buzz?

As if they were still there.

But wait,

if he could move them, then they were there! If he could feel them, they were there!

They must still be there!

It feels like they are, but maybe that's just his hopes condensed into a false sense of reality. 

It's what he wants to believe. 

But his dreams couldn't match up to the touch of the phantom limb.

Nothing was there.

Go on,

Feel around more,

Nothing is there.

Go on,

Wag your docked tail,

Nothing is there.

"GAH!"

Be careful,

It's very sensitive.

Pain; something he's yet to get used to, considering his daily dose of it.

Last hit felt too much.

Is it possible to overdose on pain?

Hot electric pain, like their veins were the exposed nerves of a scrapped robot being chewed on by rats.

Electric

Veiny

Agonizing

Eager

Gnawing

Hunger?

CROAK

Oh, It wasn't just his wings with a dose of pain.

He was a hungry rat.

His lips were dry, his spit felt thick like syrup that glued his tongue to the top of his mouth.

He wished he could have some real syrup.

How long has it been since he's eaten?

This would be his third full day here, If he is counting his sleep correctly.

It was odd. He usually doesn't need to eat often, at least not like humans.

He usually feeds off of the energy transferred to him from his wand, sometimes forming it into a recognizable food to fit into the ways of earth's dominant society, but also to have the satisfaction of taste.

But right now, wandless, he was starving.

How could he endure this? Do bugs eat often? Dogs do.

Starving and hurting, hurting from the

amputation.

It takes energy to heal, to heal from the

amputation.

He needs food to regrow, regrow what’s lost from the 

amputation.

His insides were scraping the last scraps from the bowl.

But he had nothing left to give, so his body began to eat away at itself.

Leaving his stomach shriveled and fallow.

He was so dry of energy.

He had little energy to stay conscious.

Dazed, foggy, 

Like musty clouds that sunk too low in a misty storm,

But he couldn’t sleep through the fog, not with the electric lightning from his wings.

How could he sleep through this? Do bugs even sleep? Dogs do.

He lays curled into himself, eyes wide, shivering.

Shivering? From the cold of the storm? From the hunger? Probably both.

Mind was numb, time was null,

He felt everything yet nothing at all.

Dissociation

Maybe he’d fall asleep this way?

FLASH!

The fairy flinched harshly.

Was that the light of an electric shock?!

No,

But would he even be able to tell being so stale?

Stale bread

Wait no, he was a dog today.

“Good morning.”

Welcoming words with a vicious reality.

He recognized that voice.

Human.

The human.

The silver eyes.

Brighter than usual today.

What’s he so chipper about?

Should the fairy be concerned?

What time was it? It felt like he'd arrived much earlier than usual.

Early morning.

The early bird gets the worm.

Or, the only one with the worm.

Maybe that’s why he’s so chipper.

The fairy should be concerned.

“Hm, no witty response today?”

Bossy chirped, sliding past the cage to the back cabinets.

Oh, oh no, the fairy couldn't let him think he'd suck out its spirit.

They have enough spirit to at least fake strength.

"Ugh.. give me five more minutes, It's a weekend."

"And you've lost track of time. Already? How disappointing."

The human shuffled through the cabinets, collecting what was needed.

Oh, oh no. Wait, let's see, it was Saturday the last time he was with Dev, and that was the afternoon, it was dark when he arrived here, he's been left overnight at least twice- wait, no, three times, so it's Monday? Wait, no, Tuesday. 

CROAK

"Maybe if I could have some breakfast that'll get my memory working better."

The fairy barked.

The human loaded a syringe.

"Satisfaction is earned, not given-"

"HA! That's sick! Good to know I'm here to die!"

"You've shown too much resistance to deserve contentment. Maybe some food deprivation will help weaken that fight in you."

"THAT'S WHY YOU'VE LET ME STARVE?!"

The fairy barked.

The human walked up to the cage, the fairy backed down a bit at the towering presence.

Hypothesis: If you force a new set of rules upon a fairy within a new environment,
then the fairy will obey the newly set rules,
because it’s in their nature to follow rules.

"You should know by now there are consequences to your rule-breaking efforts. Funny how that is. I thought you were a rule-abiding fairy"

The fairy silenced, Caught in a disillusioning touché.

"What's wrong? tongue-tied? As you should be."

Bossy leans closer to the cage. Only an inch closer and he'd shock himself.

"Maybe this time I won't have to give you a trim."

Peri snapped.

BUZZ?

He launched forward.

ZZZT!

He collapsed backward.

"What was that? An attempt of attack? Not very rule-abiding of you."

That was a good question; what was that? Surely Peri didn't just try to harm someone? It's never in a fairy's nature to do that. Why would he ever want to hurt someone?

Peri twitched out leftover electricity.

"How pitiful. With the number of times you've touched the walls before, you should know the consequences of that. But I guess I can't blame you, you're nothing but a senseless fairy after all."

"N-...no, I'm not."

The human pushed out the extra air out from the top of the syringe.

"Haha, Tell yourself what you need to. I've had fun chatting, but it's time to proceed with plans. Too bad you're not much of a rule-abiding fairy to follow through without sedation."

The human teasingly flicked the tip of the needle with a finger.

"Wait- I-!"

“Too bad you couldn’t follow orders last time.”

The human locked eyes with the fairy.

"I…" tried to follow the rules.

“Too bad you can’t just follow The Rules.”

“I-“ do follow the rules.

“Too bad you can’t just be a good fairy.”

"I-!" am a good fairy!

Peri quickly draws his arm out.

"I- I CAN BE GOOD!"

The human waits.

Peri keeps his unclothed arm drawn out, willingly and obediently offering his arm to the needle.

"Please, I can be good. I can be a good fairy!…I-I’ll show you. See?"

What was he doing?!
What was he doing?! 

Why is he willingly following along?!

"Just… please don't make it hurt."

The fairy averted his eyes, uncomfortable and unsure of their choices.

"I can't promise that."

The cage was opened.

The fairy's arm was grasped tightly from the underside and pulled forward. Peri had to swerve his free arm to the ground quickly to not fall forward.

Peri didn't want this.

Why is he doing this?

The needle was aligned with a vein

And injected.

The fairy grunts at the sharp discomfort.

Peri couldn't help but avert his eyes back to watch.

"Can't help but watch? It's a simple yet effective process."

Buzz?

"Do you feel the sedative flooding your vein? It feels a little cold at first, but it'll disperse further through your bloodstream and you won't feel the rest of its course, but I'll tell you."

The chill of the liquid sent a shiver of dismay throughout their body. It hurts.

"It'll begin to circulate through the body, and eventually reach the brain."

Slowed Buzz.

"The pathway through the vein results in a faster onset of effects, often within minutes, or in your case… seconds."

Blinking eyes.

"Once the drug crosses the blood-brain barrier, it'll begin to work its effects, binding to its target receptors, resulting in lowered heart rate…"

Heart slowed.

"Reduced alertness.."

Mind slowed.

"Muscle relaxation.."

Limbs limp.

"Reduced anxiety or fear..."

Mind calmed.

"And drowsiness, or sleepiness."

Eyes lay half closed.

The fairy now lies in the arms of the human.

"It's always so fascinating to watch how abnormally quickly you succumb to the effects."

It's not unconscious, but weaker, yes, just how it needs to be.

The fairy is picked up like an old cat and hurled over the shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Peri is dazed, he hates this touch, he hates being so vulnerable, and within the hands of one so untrustworthy. He hates that he must lay on such a crooked shoulder for support.

But what else can he do?

Listen.

All he could do right now was listen.

He's honestly blessed to still have his basic senses.

"You are certainly lighter than usual. Any longer and you'll be nothing but skin and bones. I sure hope you don't starve yourself by disobedience today."

I sure hope you don't starve yourself.

Yeah, how could he forget?

It was his fault.

Only rule-abiding fairies get food.

That's how The Rules work here.

Bossy lays the fairy on the table in an upright position, as upright as you can get a limp sack of potatoes.

The fairy dazily looks around.

Oh, oh no, not here, not again.

Not the table, not the center of the room.

Not the cake.

Peri didn't want this.

Why is he doing this?

He couldn't do this.

Heart rate increased.
Breathing labored.
System error.

"What's wrong with you now?"

Bossy grabs onto Peri's wrist, and presses down to feel the faster-than-it-should-be pulse. 

Buzz?

From the touch.

"Now, we can't have you in a panicked state, for it may mess up the results."

That's right, you must have them stale.

Stale bread.

But they didn't want to be bread again.

BUZZ?

From the stress.

"I order you to calm down."

BUZZ?!

From the pressure

"I thought you wanted to be a rule-abiding fairy?"

Buzz? From the…Rules?
RULES!

He could do rules.

He wanted to do rules.

That's why he wanted this.

That's why he's doing this.

That's also why he's here, breaking Da Rules.

But can he at least follow The Rules?

"Wh-wha' are… the rules?"

"I thought I'd made them clear enough between the lines. Maybe your minuscule fairy mind would work better with something more straightforward. Would that make you calm down?"

"Ye-... yes."

Bossy took an impatient sigh.

"Rule #1- Obedience. A fairy shall always follow the orders of the humans."

"Obedience…"

"Good. Rule #2- No Resistance. A fairy shall never resist anything ordered, acted on, or put upon the fairy by the humans."

"No resistance…"

"Very good, Rule #3- No Questions. A fairy shall never question any orders, actions, decisions, or procedures put upon the fairy by the humans."

"No questions…"

"Good fairy. And would you look at that, you are following all the rules right now."

Bossy feels Peri's heart rate goes slow at his thumb.

What an interesting physical response. The fairy seems to respond very well to a set of rules. Intriguing. Almost as if they could be trained. Curious…

Bossy releases the wrist, and walks over to seek through a corner cabinet to find Crumb's poorly hidden stash of snacks. How unprofessional of the assistant.

The small stash contained mostly of little sweets like peppermints, raisins, caramels, chocolates, and notably, a ziplock bag of Honey Nut Cheerios. 

Similar to the grain honey food the fairy begged for before, that could work.

"You wanted breakfast, correct?"

The fairy dazily perked up to the promise of food, to see Bossy in front of them with a small bag of cereal. The fairy shifted into to a more upright position, holding themselves up and leaning forward with their arms for support.

"Rule #4- Satisfaction must be earned. A fairy must obey, follow the rules, and be a good fairy to earn food or satisfaction.

"Satisfaction must be earned…"

The fairy was nearly drooling.

It craved the satisfaction.

But will not retrieve any without an opportunity to show obedience.

Bossy kneeled down a little to be at eye level with the fairy.

He held a singular Cheerio between his fingers.

He watched as the fairy showed heightened attentiveness to the hand, despite the drug's effect.

"Rule #5- Remember all rules. A fairy must always remember the rules told, and never need to have them repeated twice."

"Remember all rules…"

"Good, now, answer this: Do you remember the first and most important rule?"

The fairy took a moment to blink and process,

A command.

He must follow the first rule.

"Obedience."

"Good fairy."

Bossy handed forward the singular Cheerio.

Eye dilation.

Interesting response.

"Go on, take your reward."

The fairy gladly took the single Cheerio from the hand and popped it in its mouth to swallow it whole like it would be taken away.

"Now…how does it feel to be a rule-abiding fairy?"

The musty mind clouds began to uncover clarity.

Peri takes a moment to think through the clearing fog.

He'd swallowed it too quickly, he couldn't enjoy the taste. 

But it was enough of an appetizer to make him crave more. Maybe next time, he can appreciate the taste of satisfaction.

"Rule #6- Answer questions. A Fairy must always answer questions asked to them by a human."

Oh, they hadn't answered the question.

They can't break The Rules.

They must answer.

"It fffeels...good…"

The human smiled. 

Yes, good, and rewarding.

It should feel good to be obedient. 

We are making such progress.

A treat to a dog creates a dopamine release,

Activates the reward circuit,

Forms associations,

Links the two:

Obedience = Good

A degenerative neurological cycle.

For the cause of better behavior.

Things can finally pick up the speed.

How perfect it will be to have a trained fairy.

With it's tail docked,

And it's bark silenced,

It can be nothing but obedient.

Sit, Paw, Roll.

Shall we begin?

Chapter Text

Follow The Rules

What about Da Rules?
What rules?

This was reality, not the dream of Fairy World.

What world?

This is the human world.

Adapt to survive.

Rewire, like a robot.

Wait no, he was a dog today.

Adapt like a dog in the city.

Hypothesis: If a fairy touches iron, then its skin will burn, because it's allergic to the mineral according to legend.

Look around, dog. 

See the metal structures around you.

How unfamiliar this is.

Step on the scraps of careless rubble.

"Touch the iron."

Alerted back to reality like the blow of a whistle.

Command.

Rule #1- Obedience.

A fairy shall always follow the orders of humans.

The fairy reached out to the object presented to him.

Is the myth true?

Shall it burn?
Shall it hurt?
Shall it invoke an allergic reaction?

The dog touched the foreign rubble.

It doesn't burn its paws.

It doesn't hurt its paws.

It doesn't invoke an allergic reaction.

But it's not comfortable to touch either.

It feels icky, like walking on eggshells.

It wants to shrivel away, and

Return to the comforting polished floors of home.

"Interesting reaction. How do you feel?"

WHISST of attention, pay attention to the whistle of the voice.

Rule #6- Answer questions. 

A fairy must always answer questions asked to them by a human.

Speak.

Bark.

"Uncomfortable."

"Good fairy."

Clicking validating words.

He was a good fairy.

Oh wait, I'm just a dog, I'm just here to obey.

Treat.

Past the rubble, there is a reward sniffed out.

Sweet and oaty to taste.

Satisfactory,

But the hunger persists.

The dog must hunt further in the city.

------

Hypothesis: If a fairy's crown is forcefully bashed, then the fairy will experience discomfort or harm, because the crown is connected to them biologically or paranormally.

The human takes hold of the crown. The drugged fairy doesn't react, but the crown does, it pulls back like a magnet.

Interesting.

Magnetic magic.

Something was missing.

But will the dog notice?

Don't steal from the stray dog.

A rat scurried away.

It shall chase the rat thief

Look around, fairy.

The dog chases the rat to the road.

What did it scurry away with? Its toy? Its food? Its strength to live?

Look at your crown in the hands of the human.

Hammer lifted.

The dog enters the road.

SCREEECHHH

Paranormal pain like a live puppet pulled by the wired strings of its veins.

Frozen like an animatronic hitting a shuddering error.

Twitching and shriveling like a dog to a blaring truck horn.

The sounds of the horn may pierce the nerves of the dog, but it shall not harm it.

The crown did not crack further.

Interesting reaction.

Why must the rat lead it into traffic?

Rule #3- No Questions. 

A fairy shall never question any orders, actions, decisions, or procedures put upon the fairy by a human.

Nevermind.

The dog retreated to a sidewalk.

"Good fairy."

Clicking validating words.

He was a good fairy.

Oh wait, I'm just a dog, I'm just here to obey.

Treat.

Past the traffic, there is a reward sniffed out.

Sweet and oaty to taste.

Satisfactory,

But the hunger persists stronger.

The dog must hunt further in the city.

------

Hypothesis: If a fairy's skin is sliced with an exacto knife, then the small cut will heal completely within a matter of minutes, because fairies genetically have a rapid healing process.

The fairy was guided to lie down on its back.

The stray dog finally found a good alley to rest, it was so tired.

It's been a long day.

Lay down on the cold floor, it will all be ok.

Ignore the sounds of horns

Ignore your starving stomach, 

Ignore the growls not from a dog's fear, but from a dog's hunger.

Save your energy and fall into the irresistible rest.

Lay down on the sharp floor, it will all be ok.

SHARP!?
Something hurts.

Something cuts.

Precise cut.

Make it bleed.

Cut

Slice

CAKE

NOT AGAIN!

What went wrong?!

He didn't want to be their bread again.

Stop.

Please stop!

He wasn't numb this time.

Bread doesn't have nerves.

Maybe he wasn't bread this time.

He was a dog

Laying on broken glass.

Glass;

Sharp,

Piercing,

Just like the pain.

Microscopic sharpness.

Slice drawn down the skin of the limb.

It had to escape.

The dog whimpered and weakly moved to flee the grasp of the glass.

But that only made the glass cut deeper.

Digging into skin

Piercing sharpness

Stop.

This sharp jolt to each nerve was encumbering.

Pain was tiring, weakening.

He could barely move but he had to.

But his body screamed to be still.

He just couldn't.

The fairy resisted.

"Have you forgotten the rules already? Stop resisting."

Oh no.

Rule #2- No Resistance.

A fairy shall never resist to anything ordered, acted on, or put upon the fairy by humans.

How could he forget?

Forget?

Oh no.

Rule #5- Remember all rules. 

A fairy must always remember the rules told, and never need to have them repeated twice.

He had hit two birds with one stone.

What a bad dog.

Bad, bad dog.

Adapt to the rules to survive. How dare you resist, how dare you forget.

Stop resisting.

Be still

Allow the glass to exist underneath

Moving anymore will make it hurt.

Succumb to the encumber.

Adapt to survive.

Quiver and whimper in silence.

Let the blood pool below you and your dried blood shall become your bed.

Good dog.

"Good fairy."

Clicking validating words.

He was a good fairy.

Oh wait, I'm just a dog, I'm just here to obey.

Treat.

Past the pain, there is a reward sniffed out.

Sweet and oaty to taste

Satisfactory,

But the hunger persists.

But the dog cannot hunt further in the city.

------

Bossy examined the cut closely.

Closer.

Microscope.

Set the timer.

Watch the blood stop.

Watch the wound inflame

Watch the tissue regrow

Watch it seal shut.

Watch it remodel.

Stop the timer.

Only a little over an hour.

An hour of silence

An hour of immobility.

An hour of obedience.

An hour of waiting.

An hour of staring at the ceiling.

The city was not fun.

But it was for the man.

At least for the uptown kind of guy.

Quick pace,

Organized routes.

Always working.

Always moving.

Oh, did someone get shot?

Too bad,

The traffic never stops.

The city has no patience,

Neither does the city man.

The city man thrives in this environment.

Taking control of the project.

He enjoys the sense of control.

If only he could take control of the institution.

The fairy has no control.

A dog has no control

Trapped in the cruel structure of a human-built environment.

It's hard to survive

It wasn't built for animals to thrive.

Croak

The dog's stomach growled.

It was starving.

The scraps its been able to find by traveling the harsh streets were thought to subside the suffering of starvation, but if anything, it has only woken a stronger urge of hunger. 

Its body demands a stop to the teasing.

A few crumbs won't be enough.

Quiet!

The dog told the croaks.

But it wouldn't stop.

Shut! 

The dog told the frog

But it wouldn't stop.

Something else was going on.

The frog sounded different, abnormal.

No, this was a different pain.

Something that's been boiling in the back for a while.

Due to being different than the other dogs,

He wasn't able to feel the full effects until later when it suddenly breaks him. 

Like a popping balloon? 

It all comes on too fast, 

with little warning.

It choked on its throat

A fire in its chest

Sparks of color spat out.

Shreds of paper damp with spit and rainbow acid

Oh, a balloon filled with confetti.

Confetti on the table.

Oh.

Oh.

Magical backup.

"What was that!?"

Question.

Rule #6

You have to answer.

The fairy fumbles to form words.

The hunger was too loud, the world was too faded, the chest star was burning too brightly. 

He couldn't grasp the strength to speak.

"I didn't drug you that much. Answer the question."

Sure, but he had starved him,

And left him to rot in a cage

That kept its energy condensed while it tried to burn brighter.

Did he want it to die?

"Answer the question, fairy. Or have you forgotten the rules again?"

He couldn't answer.

His chest burned too harshly.

He had to suffer through it.

He had to answer.

Force yourself.

"I…"

"You what? Go on, speak!"

He couldn't speak

He had no bark left in him.

No voice left to even whimper.

You have debarked this dog with agony.

He was suffering.

Make it stop.

Help it, please.

How?
Feed it something I guess. That could help stop one source of pain.

Give it another scrap off the table.

"Answer. The. Question."

Blinded from the fog of agony.

Dazed by the hunger, he can't focus.

The fairy cannot form words,

It cannot explain what it is. 

But oh,

Rule #4- Satisfaction must be earned. 

A fairy must obey, follow the rules, and be a good fairy to earn food or satisfaction.

How could he forget?

You must trick for a treat,

But speaking wasn't an option

But it was the only thing demanded.

He needed food
But must earn it
He can't earn it

But must eat
He needs to eat

But can't speak

He needs to speak

But can't.

A cycle of dead ends.

Pressure

He can't take it.

Pressure

You can only hold it back so long before 

It collapses

And explodes.

The star sparked.

Angel? Energy.

Some familiar energy sparked through the cracks before retreating back to static.

Like a blown-out light bulb

The human had jolted back from the spark surged.

"What was that?!"

What was that?

The fairy didn't even know.

Its mind was too foggy to understand itself.

It wished it could understand.

It wished it could explain.

It wished it wouldn't have to suffer the consequences of breaking The Rules.

What were the consequences?

"I guess someone doesn't want to be a rule-abiding fairy. What a shame, I'll have to waste my time delivering consequences."

No, No this isn't fair.

Please don't make him suffer more than he has been.

He just wanted to be a good fairy.

What was he going to do?

Hearing noises, arm grabbed, something something.

What is he doing?

Please don't hurt me.

He really tried to be a good fairy.

Door opens

The atmosphere shifted as a new human walked in.

Oh,

Hide your cruel behavior.

Unhanded.

"Assistant, Why are you here?"

"Why are you here, sir? How long have you been working independently?"

Longer than permitted.

"Not long, I was just finishing up."

Crumbs takes note of the undertone of a switch of demeanor but doesn't question it. 

He should never question the methods of those above him. 

Bossy switched tools

And leaned in close enough to discreetly whisper to the fairy.

"You've lost your chance to speak up."

Injected.

No, not again.

Darkness crept from the corners of its vision.

No, why again?

It just wanted a treat.

But now it was left,

Stuck, 

Shivering like a dog waiting for a walk

That will never come.

The dog grasped the little light left in its eyes.

Fogged clips of voices were heard as the dog faded to numbness of all senses

"...Talk to…C.E.O… present…"

"...time…"

"...call…funding…"

"...shortly…"

"...fairy…"

Fairy?

He was not a good fairy.

Oh wait, I'm just a dog, I'm just here to obey.

Bad dog.

Chapter Text

Ringggg

Pick up.

“You are speaking to Dale Dimmadome, how may you waste my time?”

“Mr.Dimmadome, this is Anthony James Jr, founder of the Galax Institute. “

“Ugh, not you guys again.”

“Wait, Don’t hang up! Give me two minutes. You won’t regret it!”

“For the last time, I’m not interested in funding your silly projects. Go chase the air without me!”

“We actually caught one.”

Dale paused.

“You- what?”

“Three days ago, Saturday at 4:15pm. It’s been securely contained in our facility since then.”

“What exactly did you catch?”

“We believe it is a real fairy. The paranormal readings are off the charts! We could really use extra funding to advance our research. We would like to personally invite you Thursday afternoon to see the full proof yourself”

“I’m a busy man, I have a busy schedule.”

“Just think about it, this is the first live paranormal creature caught. Full proof. People would be raving just to get their hands on any publication. This could shake the very foundation of science! I can tell you your investment will lead to guaranteed profits.”

Cha-Ching! Dale’s eyes lit up

“O-pairs, cancel all my Thursday afternoon meetings.”

Dale called to his drones, and then turned back to the phone.

“Well, you sure know how to appeal to me, I’m ready to get a close look at this ‘fairy’ of yours. How’s 4pm?”

“That’s perfect! We thank you for your time.”

“Thank you for not wasting it for once.”

Hang up.

“Huh, interesting. I guess fairies do exist.”

Chapter Text

“Hey Peri, are you awake?”

What?

He hasn’t heard his name in a while

“Is he going to be ok?”

Those voices,

No, it can’t be.

“Peri, can you hear me?”

It can’t be.

How can it be?

He was in the lab just a second ago.

Did you skip a chapter?

“PERI!”

Look at them.

Pink and green.

“Mom? Dad?”

All he could see was the safety before him.

Peri reached out and fell into their arms.

He hugged them tightly.

Tighter, to make up for the lack of recent comfort.

He couldn't let them go.

They felt so real.

They felt warm.

Warm, like the tears that flowed down his face.

Liquid emotion.

He could hear their heartbeats.

They are right here.

But, how?

“Shhh, it’s ok Peri."

His mother shushed as she stroked his hair.

They sounded real.

Peri couldn't help but sob harder.

Nothing else mattered. He could ask questions later, but right now, he needed this moment.
For once in a while he felt alive again.

He wasn't some object to be tampered with.

He was alive, sobbing, breathing, crying, feeling, feeling the warmth.

His father soothingly rubbed his back.

But it's all so confusing, such a jump from reality.

He just wanted to talk to them, but there was so much to say, what could he say? So much he wanted to know. 

"I-I'm… s-so sorry. I-...There's so much that h-has happened… I need to… talk, I just-"

“It's ok, we understand…"

Cosmo assured.

"We understand…”

The pair began to speak in sync.

“Just how much of a rule-abiding fairy you are.”

Heart stop.

“What?”

Peri opened his blinded-by-tears eyes to see shreds of purple hair begin to fall.

The soft strokes to his hair had transitioned into sharpness, into scissors, into cutting. They cut his hair.

The back rubs had transitioned into claws, into scratching, cutting his wings.
His wings- torn.

"W-What are you-?!"

These hands were no longer familiar.

Their presence was cold.

Their faces were emotionless.

Their grip was tighter.

Peri jolted to get away from the unfamiliar but struggled.

He was stuck.

He was trapped.

There was no escape.

The hands become crooked, longer, larger. They were not his kind.

They were human.

"LET ME GO!"

Peri pushed away from the chest.

He had snapped away, out to the emptiness.

An emptiness with no ground.

He was falling.

Peri looked up, he was sitting in a chair, at a defendant's table, in fairy court.

Before him was Jorgen,

Or so it seemed.

His face was blurred from the shadows of the eerie lighting.

“Periwinkle Fairywinkle Cosma, did you or did you not reveal your fairy form to non-godkid humans?”

“I- I might have but I-“

“Did you or did you not converse with these humans in fairy form?”

“I tried not to but-!”

“Did you or did you not reveal the existence of fairies?”

“I-! I…yes?”

“Did you or did you not use your magic to inflict harm?”

“N-not intentionally! I don’t think I-“

Order!

“I find you guilty of the highest crime in Da Rules, and sentence you to 10,000 years in Fairy Prison.”

In a blink, Peri was restrained with chains that wrapped around his torso, arms, and wings.

“Wait! Wait! Stop! I didn’t get to- I can explain!”

He was restrained.

He was trapped.

There was no escape.

“PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!!”

Peri screamed out to the judge, but there was no one there.

Neither was the ground, or the chair.

He was falling, again.

Peri hit the frigid hard floor.