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An Angel has fallen in Horrorwood.
Sam nearly leaps out of her bed in excitement. Another livestream, another event where lives are at stake, and this one includes hers alongside it. An Angel has fallen in Horrorwood, and there is a choice to find Her. A debate even. Sam doesn't have to be told twice on which side she goes to. She didn't even have to be told at all, even with Sean's order. The moment "seek" was the only option people have taken, her paws were already out the door. There is a pair of eyes to open.
She never used to be this agile, nor this skilled at hunting. Two years ago, she would stumble over her paws and words as she would bear the status of "undercover". Two years ago, she would cower in fear or embarrassment, giggling at the scandal or the absurdity of it all. Two years ago, Sam Gladiator used to be a nobody, struggling to find his- no, her purpose in the great big world. So much so she had to carve it herself in blood stained metal and loss of youth. Both hers and strangers she used to know. Sam used to be a teenager, now, she's a devotee. Ever since that game of fox and the rabbit, she had been practicing her skills. She forced herself to get better, she forced herself to be the best she could be.
Her paws hit against strong branches of tall winding trees. Each jump and push she takes, she makes herself move forward in the way of the divine. Eyes watch her every move, with a broadcast all for her, and those who wander in these woods. All for those who had been hurt, in a gloriously gory display for all to see. Sam makes a straight face for the invisible cameras to latch onto. If she were to smile, she would be outing her true nature. If she were to smile, she would be outcasted as one who indulges in such perverse delights such as this. If she were to smile, she thinks, Sean would smile too. Sam continues through the forest.
An Angel has fallen in Horrorwood.
She lets the blind find Her first. Those unknowing, and unmoving, towards the gift from God. They speak in terrified tongues, fearful for the consequences for their empathy. They speak in rushed thoughts and ideologies, one for all, all for one, in an act of selfish selflessness. They stand in a circle formation. Almost an ironic display for the ceremony, that Sam could imagine herself partaking in, with the Angel in the middle. She wonders what waking Her up would bring. A blessing? A curse? A tear? The forest or them? Make a choice, the stranger says. The greater half of the world has chosen to save Her, the lesser half to save themselves. The one percent?
To awaken.
Sam alerts Sean of the eyes on her, asking him to watch when the scene shifts for her to make her move. She circles around prey for about a minute or two, simply watching. Waiting for the right moment to strike. Taught silence instills her, a heavy pause lingering in the forest. The soft chatter of the bystanders even tunes out in her ears. Then it stops completely as all but one raise their heads up towards the damned sky, and Sam leaps into action. An Angel has fallen in Horrorwood, and She falls into Sam's arms in a tight yet broken bundle. The Forest wilts into chaos.
Angels have fallen into Horrorwood.
In a beautiful back to back motion, darkness spills into the woods, like a bursting fountain met with a sudden fog. The Angel stirs in Sam's arms, while varying divine deities emerge into the scene, attacking those who have been so curious and foolish enough to disturb the Angel. And yet, the selfish leaves unharmed. Tracked, but untouched by the monsters roaming the forest. She holds her prize close to her chest, she holds her stamina as far as she can. Running for so long can only tire one out, rabbits could go for five miles, last she read about it. An average person can run for about three to six. The longest recorded run was at 350. Sam bets she has a good chance of lasting.
A wolf runs after the rabbit and her dove. A fox runs in the opposite direction, an intention to meet. Sam takes Nimona around in loops, an attempt to shake her off their trail so she could finish what she started. It's too soon to kill a friend, Sam thinks. Years, is the minimum, she thinks in her mind. Laughter ghosts her ears from a path in the forest. It sounds familiar. It sounds comforting. She goes the other way. Not yet. Not with someone important in her arms. Not with the greater purpose lying past the horizon. For what? She doesn't know. All she knows is that she's found the Angel, all she needs to do is wake Her up.
Every so often, she gives the body in her arms, a light smack on the cheek. She'd pat the side of Her face, breathing out a disgruntled and tired, "Wake up." as she gets followed around. Sam tries not to think about the distance between her and Nimona much, if she does, she thinks she'd start to falter and it's game over. Her legs start to ache, her arms start to hurt, her eyes start to blur. But she pushes on. It's for Family. It's for purpose. It's for friends. It's for her. Sam tries again, shaking the Angel, and nearly stutters to a halt in surprise of it working. "Jupiter?" is the only word she hears utter from Her mouth, and the only thing Sam's mind focuses on as light spills from her arms.
An Angel has fallen in Horrorwood.
It happens almost too quickly. Sam could barely even register what had happened before a searing pain blooms at her paw. Jaws latch onto- into her ankle, and she yelps as she falls onto the hard dirt ground. The Angel slides off, then onto Nimona's back, then back to the floor. Her attacker changes in front of her, Sam hopes her own mouth stays shut as Nimona opens hers. But Sam doesn't have to worry, for a Savior makes himself an entrance and comes to her rescue. A knife twists in Nimona's gut and Sam could almost bark out a laugh from her own. Sean takes her away, hurriedly, in the downtime of Nimona's pain overtakes her realization and reflexes. Sam bitches to him about the bite the whole time, he tells her to shut up before they reach the clearing.
In the second location of the Family, Sam gets her wound cleaned up. The whole time, she hugs herself in an attempt not to flinch or cry at the sting, as Sean giddily helps her while yapping her ears off the whole time. He tells her of praise, then knowledge, then - "Sam." He says sternly, yet there is a smile on his face. Sam watches him stand from where he kneels before her. Her paw wrapped in bandages, while his leg now metal and fitting to his name of Shiny. Sam can tell Sean takes on the name of Savior at the moment, despite the lack of mask. He's more giddy than usual though, body visibly budding with adrenaline. Her leader's too excited for this. He sets his medkit aside and clasps his hands. "You wanted to know what this was all for, right?"
He doesn't wait for her nod. "I think," There's a glint in his eyes where the light hits them just right. A shadow forming just over his nose. "It's about time you claim your prize. You deserve to know where your efforts go." Sean ruffles the top of her hair, getting her to stand and follow. He brings her to her feet. Sam watches as he dims the lights in the building, letting the late afternoon glow of the sunset be their only lighting. Darkness feels closer to her than ever. She can hear that distant laughter again. Sean beckons her to be at his side. He puts both of his hands on her shoulders, straightening her posture and position before bounding off to center stage. Savior puts on a show.
"An Angel has fallen in Horrorwood."
He says, arms splaying out in habit due to his sermons. It's a one person preach, and she's special. Sean echoes this, even. "And you've done the best thing you could've ever done today." He spreads his arms wider, even pushing the air towards Sam's direction. Her chest feels lighter and lighter with every word he speaks, her heart pounding in what could only mean as a special moment. Just for her. Sean stares at her from where he stands.
"You woke her up."
Laughter fills the room, breathy then hysterical. Delighted . Sean tilts his head back in unrestrained glee as he pushes hair out of his face. He's so happy. Sam feels a little jealous that she isn't as happy as he is right now. She thinks that will change. He thinks so too. When he composes himself, Sean takes a step forward, hand reaching upwards. He's calling to it, she assumes. No, she knows . Sean tells her so, "You woke Him up." His face softens like a fox. "Sam, Sam Gladiator." His hand falls towards her, and she takes it. Savior lifts Sam up onto the stage, reversing their positions as she now stands before him. Her back turned against the audience and her front facing the pitch black void before her. Sean claps behind her.
"Let God into your soul."
And an Angel's God falls into Horrorwood.
From where Sam stands, she feels a breeze fall and settle past her, blowing her hair and the light from her peripherals. Her hands fold into each other in muscle memory, with her eyes falling shut and her ears present. She lets the bridge of her snout bump into her knuckles. And laughter fills the room again, this time, not Sean's. This time, it's God. This time, it's Taurtis, Yuki, and Grian. It's familiar. It's comforting. She goes the only way available, which is forward. Shadows swallow her whole, while candied voices swallow her head. Sean says to let it happen, so she does.
"Saaaaaaammmm…" Grian sings into her ears like a faint memory. She's back in her apartment, feet on the table with her hands busy on a manga volume. Grian's hands ghost her shoulders, shaking her to follow him. The memory leaves as he does. "Ohhhh Saaaammmm…." He whispers, teasing her to look. It always worked back then, she forces herself that it doesn't now. Her eyes stay shut even when fingers curl and ghost under her chin.
It's Yuki who sings to her next. She hums a sweeter tune than Grian does, phantom lips perking in a smile and kissing the skin of Sam's neck and cheeks. For a brief moment, Sam forgets she's in Horrorwood. She feels as if Akademi High is a walk away and there are hands laced with her's. "Saaaaammmmmm~!" Her past love provokes, fleeting touch skirting her shoulders and back towards the opposite of where Grian had gone. "Come let us in, darling~!" She can never fight Yuki, and she knows she can't fight the next.
"Saaaaammmmm…" Her best friend's voice is the clearest of the two. Sam nearly opens her eyes at the belief that he would be right there, right in front of her to run up and squeeze until his heart stopped. She nearly cries in relief. "Taurtis?" Sam croaks, the knowledge of Sean's presence leaves her mind. Her head lifts with her hands falling to her sides, and she never opens her eyes. She doesn't know if she's allowed to, but she doesn't want to be disappointed. Sam stays in her head, and Taurtis lets her. "It's me, Sam." He laughs. He laughs as if he isn't dead. He laughs as if the only him she's ever known were clones.
He laughs as if he's beside her again.
Her chest feels tight as her sides brush with a heavy phantom sensation of what she can assume is a three person hug. Sam's hands slip into Taurtis', a faint memory making her feel overwhelmed with emotion. She doesn't know what to think. "You must've missed us a lot, Sam." Taurtis comments. "I think she did." Grian agrees. "She definitely did." Yuki confirms. She opens her mouth to talk back, she's brought to silence.
"We can't stay forever, Sam." Grian tells her. "So you're going to have to listen up." Sam nods, mouthing "I'll do whatever you want." and "Please, keep talking." over and over again like a prayer. Something presses against her lips to shut her up, and soft hands ghost her wet cheeks. "You've done so well, baby." Yuki praises. "Keep going, please? For us? We need you. You need us. Doesn't that sound nice?" "Yuki, please. Let me do the talking." Grian intervenes, and Sam cries at how real this all feels. They're friends again. "Sam, stop crying." She doesn't listen to Grian in this world too.
"You know, Sam." Taurtis says, "This could last forever." An arm slings over her shoulders, heavy and never there. "You can save us. You can bring us back. Isn't that awesome?" It is, it is awesome, Taurtis. The living one of the group blubbers and nods frantically, sniffling as she wipes her tears on her sleeves. Her hands curl around nobody else's. "How-?" She finds herself asking. Taurtis shrugs. "Mmmm… We'll tell you for a price?"
"Taurtis."
"Look, Grian. Just because we're figments of Sam's delusions doesn't mean I can't have a little fun with it."
"Taurtis, please." Sam can see Grian clearing his throat and sighing in disappointment. She can see his brows furrow as his eyes close with his fingers pinching against the bridge of his nose. She can see Taurtis grinning ear to ear and offering her a fist bump. She can see Yuki giggle in amusement. She can see herself laughing in suit. It sounds, it feels , too real.
She listens for the ways it could be.
The rabbit's stance falters and staggers in a drunken manner, with her falling to her knees as the final act commences and the choir sings a glorious symphony to take them home. They sing songs of praise, of work, of comfort, of purpose. It's beautiful, it's blinding. Light fills her body, and what feels like the room as the overlap spills from her mouth and eyes in broken words and messy tears. She feels blessed, she feels touched, she feels spoken to .
At the end of the play, when the music swells and the orchestra settles, Sean walks over to a sobbing teenager. Who feels like she's fifteen again, who feels like she's home again, who feels like she's been loved. Who's been graced by their God. He offers her to stand, and Sam foolishly clings onto him in tears. She's still uttering names he's only heard from stories she'd share. She's still shaking. Sam Gladiator has met God tonight.
An Angel has fallen in Horrorwood.