B1 — 20. Awakening
Fiona’s thumping heart began to settle as the agitated gangsters kept a distance from Maria. They took off vents, ripped out couches, and scanned every inch for where she might be. It was fairly obvious that they suspected the unicorn had set her free, but it said a lot that no one confronted her about it.
One of the nervous men stayed with Maria since she wasn’t allowing Ben to get off the couch; she could practically see his bloodied face from the occasional sniffs and pained groans he gave. It served them right for the torment they’d inflicted on Erika and her.
She expected the unicorn’s immunity to only last so long, yet no one so much as pointed the finger at her, and the warmth she radiated felt just like the comforting rays of a bright summer day. On the plus side, the woman’s bust was large enough to give her plenty of room to settle at the bottom of her bra band. She could even see in the dim space since the woman’s skin had a star-like shimmer to it.
After a while, she realized the pulse of Maria’s heartbeat against her ear wasn’t like a normal one. It could have just been her tiny 7 cm size that gave her that impression, but the throbbing hum it radiated gave her a sense of relief.
Despite the unicorn’s crass mouth and attitude, her presence alleviated the horror the last three days had been, settling her frantic emotions. Just thinking about the raw sensation of sandpaper against her tiny frame, the debased threats against Erika to keep her in line, and the experiments made her body shake every so often.
Fire, tasers, the freezer, boiling water, and even blasting music seemed to have little to no effect on her, but her body was so delicate and weak that the slightest bump could bruise her. She rubbed her shoulders, trying to get the bitter memories out of her head.
Never in her life could she believe people could be so cruel; it was as if they weren’t even human. Still, at least she’d saved Erika from the pain, and that was enough to get her through each punishment.
Learning more about the woman that was protecting her helped to pull her thoughts away from a downward spiral; she couldn’t believe they would make it out of this alive, and she feared what they might do to Maria when she was finally discovered.
Although, Peter, this group’s supervisor, only seemed to make nervous small talk with the unicorn while waiting for his Panther Beastkin boss, Luis. Fiona trembled at the security gradually setting in. She didn’t want hope to be betrayed. Not again, not after one man tried to rescue her, only for her to be forced to watch them torture him to death. She couldn’t be weak.
Maria’s strong voice helped as the vibrations transferred through her chest to Fiona’s tiny body, somehow quelling her own shakes whenever the unicorn responded. Most of it was centered around her treatment, making Fiona’s lower lip tremble. It was challenging to keep her thankful emotions in check because she really wanted to cry.
Be strong! Don’t cry… Please, don’t make noise…
Maria was certainly a prisoner, just like her, but she seemed to be the boss of another influential gang that acted as an intermediary for a few criminal organizations. They handled a lot of courier business and had a lot of respect due to their loyalty and efficiency.
She was also affiliated with a much more influential organization called TNS that dealt with international criminal networks, as well. And it appeared a lot of these smaller gangs feared a conflict between Terrell’s cartel group and TNS.
Her sharp ears picked up some mumbled conversations that indicated some members weren’t sure about their direction since someone named Relica showed up. Fiona didn’t want any part of this, though. If she could get some sugar to restore her power and her best friend, she’d be out of here in a second.
Being careful with her hair and movements not to tickle or agitate Maria, Fiona got into a better position to release her tension and jitters. Her thoughts went back to how all of this happened, and she was debating if it had been a good idea to leave Ireland in the first place. She was falling into a darker place than she’d ever thought possible.
She’d graduated high school three years ago and was fairly popular in her small ocean town. Throughout her life, Fiona had been surrounded by the boys in their community and praised for her voice. Sure, there were some salty girls that talked smack, but she never paid them much mind, and they generally only liked to hang around her to be near the more popular boys.
The attention was nice, although she never quite felt like she belonged. Everyone was so superficial; it was like they only wanted to get to know her to say they knew her. She was the star of her little town, yet Fiona couldn’t feel comfortable around them.
So, she did the minimum, was nice to people, and focused mostly on her Gaelic studies and online courses. Everyone said she was so mature and ahead of the curve, but they weren’t really seeing her; they all had this ethereal picture they plastered over her face. It didn’t take Fiona long to realize she wouldn’t be satisfied with the few opportunities and limited circles of people there.
That being said, it wasn’t the thing that tugged on her mind. Sure, all of that was meh, and she didn’t like it; still, there was something just not right about how she was living, but she could never place a finger on exactly what that was. So, she left as soon as she could to discover what it was she was missing.
Now, she wondered if she’d made a terrible mistake in her life choices. Had her life felt off? Yes. But at least she had her family, her sister, who looked up to her; the last thing she wanted was to disappoint her. Had she by leaving? She’d gone home ten days ago for the first time in two years, and a lot had changed. Maybe she didn’t have enough time to process it, though.
Due to some channel problems involving unjustified copyright strikes from her bitter online rival and another Gaelic instructing influencer channel, she’d had to cut her first home visit in nearly three years short; her income was at risk. Not ten minutes after returning to her small condo, she’d shrunk to the size of an egg. She wanted to break down at the thought.
An egg… I can fit in an egg; I’m smaller than a chick! My life sucks…
In a way, maybe this was her punishment for leaving her little sister when she was struggling a bit to keep friends. Something was up with Nora; they’d been so close growing up, and she didn’t know how much she missed her little sister until she went home for a few days.
Nora didn’t show it, but Fiona knew something was wrong, and her little sister had grown up so much in just three years. She’d been so focused on her own grind that the photos and videos she sent were all a blur. Her little sister was even the one who pushed her to try V-tubing during her junior year since she’d been watching a few influencers online.
Fiona started her channel in middle school and already had 35,000 subscribers by high school for her Gaelic language lessons and singing covers in their native and dying language. It was her first language, and she’d become passionate about trying to revive interest in it. So, being a V-tuber sounded like a good opportunity to break into a new audience.
Nora was the expert, so they worked together to make this fairy avatar since Fiona already had a bright and cheery persona that would fit the image. If that wasn’t enough, her sister had got her in contact with someone to make it become a reality by asking for advice from an upcoming V-tuber in the industry she admired.
Their parents supported the project and helped to buy some basic equipment, and six months into her junior year, her channel blew up to 450,000 subscribers with 5,000 average stream viewers. Money started rolling in with sponsorship opportunities.
She was a family-friendly educational streamer, pulling in a young audience that kept growing by the month. Her demographic was mostly teens, but that soon mixed with parents wanting their kids to hear her mix of language lessons with gaming, pop culture, and popular song covers.
During her senior year, unsure how to process her growing fame, she reached out to an old neighbor of theirs who had gone to TC University for law and business. Since that time, Erika had become one of her closest friends. She’d prevented a lot of Ireland and UK labels from taking advantage of her in their predatory contracts.
Acting as her agent, Erika had taken on a more prominent role and taught her how to run a business. A few months out of high school, she had enough saved up to move out of her small town and get into the bigger world. She’d put up a poll to her community on which general country she should go to, and the United States won out—her audience was big there.
Miami became her choice since she wanted to be close enough to fly back to Ireland, be somewhere hot, unlike her hometown, and be near the ocean. A new condo in her price range opened up at the perfect time in the prime location of Miami Beach. It was a dream come true, and citizenship wasn’t that difficult, given her age and Erika’s help with the legal stuff.
Now, all she wanted was to make sure Erika and her family were okay. She needed to get back to Ireland. Fiona didn’t know if that was possible since the two female assassins were on their way.
She wanted to bite her nails; oddly, it seemed to be taking forever for the two women and the panther man to come. Attempting to put her negative emotions behind her with Maria’s helpful aura, Fiona internally hyped herself up. It wasn’t like everything was bad.
Okay! Gotta keep moving forward. Keep on track, Fiona! Live with no regrets; that’s the motto! Be grateful. You’re not alone anymore. Maria healed you. You’re not in pain anymore. If you’re enough lucky to be Irish, you’re lucky enough, as Dad says! Ugh… My stomach, though…
She rubbed her very thin belly as it rumbled.
No! Always shoot your shot! Bright side of the rainbow, Fiona! I have an excuse to be a sugar addict now, and I can practically live in a gingerbread house. Hehe. I just need to survive this. Think! Positives and negatives. Let’s see…
She scanned her thin and small frame; she and Erika had managed to get some Barbie clothes that mostly fit her.
Pros:
I’m elegant and pretty. That’s a blessing not to take for granted.
It’s cool that my hair, fingernails, and eyes change color with whatever enchantment I use. No need to dye my hair. Chat was going crazy about that… Oh-no. My face-reveal seriously happened when I transformed into a real fairy. Hehe. Well, that’s unique, I guess. I don’t need the avatar anymore. That’s a plus.
I can hum and grant people elemental powers, which is… something.
If I’m not sugar drained, I can fly… That’s fun.
Huh. Is that the end of my awesomeness? I suppose you gotta take the small potato with the big potato.
Cons:
I’m bleeding 7 centimeters tall.
I can’t bench-press marshmallows on a toothpick, for darn sake! And I can’t believe Erika would laugh at me struggling, at that… No, she would. She’s a Fox Beastkin, for St. Patrick’s sake. Crafty vixen… Please, be okay.
Oh, bugs… Flip-smackin’ bugs. How can I forget that I almost died to a spider just after changing? Can’t forget that traumatic experience—
She stiffened and looked up as she was jostled a little bit, seeing Maria’s index finger tug on her top a bit.
Sorry! Sorry! I’ll stop fidgeting.
Cons… cons… I can’t enchant myself. I’m practically a buff-bot.
I’ll probably die if I don’t get enough sugar… Although, I am rather fond of my sweets, so, is that a con?
Fiona’s scratchy throat constricted as two female voices came from down the hall; they’d finally arrived.
“Ugh… Can you please not spread those pheromones everywhere, Margaret? It stinks like bad BO.”
“Aww, are you jealous Luis is paying more attention to me instead of you, Lizzy?” the Panther Beastkin purred. “Maybe if you wore less clothes, then you’d draw some eyes.”
“Pfft. Babe. Can you really call yourself a nudist if you’re covered in fur? And I’m not into excessive hair. So, you can keep Luis. What you must smell like in the shower. Yikes. You literally clear halls with that musk, though. Ugh! I’ve had to take two showers today just being near you!”
“Hater. No, racist? Hehe. I mean, it fits the white elf stereotype.”
“Shut up. It’s always race with you. He doesn’t like black chicks. She hates me because my hair’s nappy. Why’s he with that fat brown cow when I’ve got these thick thighs? I’ve got a fatter ass than her; why does she get the attention? He’s racist. He’s probably gay. Hoe, get over yourself!”
“Bitch, please. You had the flattest ass before getting that fat injected into that butt three days ago. Quit acting like your hot shit because you’ve got pointed ears and an okay face. I bet your powdered milk bush is still dry as rice. Get your white ass outta here.”
“Why’s it always Asian and Latino hate from you?”
“Huh? Says the person that hears rice and instantly goes to Asian. Pfft. You got issues, Babe. Aye, where’s Maria? Damn, y’all are beta bitches. Did she cut your balls—yo, the hell?!” She burst into laughter as the door slammed open. “Haha! Ain’t no way that’s you, Queenie! I-I can’t—Lizzy, hold me—I’m gonna fall!”
Fiona locked up as they caught sight of her savior. She’d heard girls roasting each other and been on the receiving end in Ireland, but nothing like this! Of course, she was in a small town and was the type of girl that didn’t like swearing in general, which didn’t do her any favors when she helped out at her uncle’s bar when in middle school.
Maria met their energy without blinking an eye.
“Aye, you talkin’ shit with that nose, apestar pinche puto. What, you tryin’ ta be a goth furry mixed with a clown, huh? I guess it works for that mashed face.”
“Damn!” Eliza snickered. “Hey, that’s definitely Maria.”
A low growl came from Margaret. “Bitch always talks shit. Y’all Mexicans and Cubans be racist as hell. Talkin’ ‘bout my nose like that, I should rip your throat out, chica.”
“Try it, puss,” Maria snarled back, a swift shift in moment forcing Fiona against the woman’s chest as she pushed off the wall. “Last time you were in my hood, I gave you that nose job, gata.”
What are you doing?! Fiona cried, trying to stabilize herself between her breasts as the unicorn marched up to the woman without hesitation. They’ll kill you! They’re flippin’ assassins!
“Pfft-haha!”
“You’re such a bitch, Maria! Haha. I love you, you Catholic hoe. How’s Little Havana?” Eliza asked. “Damn, last time I saw you, you were seventeen, poppin’ off on the block. Hey, you remember how she looked after beating the snot out of those two punks that jumped her?”
“Yo, I always said she had balls, slut. She’s not stupid, though. You think she’d hide that fairy? That’s cap. Set her free? Probably.”
Eliza hummed. “Hehe. What’d you do to this pop-bitch next to ya, Queenie? Damn, he’s all sorts of ground beef. Ya didn’t put a cap in him, though? Tch. Girl, don’t tell me your horse ass be soft like that?”
Huh? Fiona’s racing heart and mind swirled as things took a complete 180. What’s going on? Is she buying time for us and redirecting them, or is she just in some weird roast session pre-match?
“Says the prep ass elf bitch? Aye, get into the corner, puta. Shit, what I wouldn’t give for a liga right now, ya know; this hair is annoying as hell.”
“Aye, she got a point as sharp as those ears, Lizzy! Hehe.”
Ben scrambled off the couch with a pained grunt as gravity shifted for Fiona, becoming momentarily pressed against the top of Maria’s bra as she dropped into the cushion. The men were mumbling to one another, but the three loud women were in a world of their own.
“Knock the ears all you want, but you know I be baggin’ dick with them. And annoying ass hair? I get that,” Eliza laughed, leaning against the table to face her at how close they sounded. “Not that this short-ass butch knows the feeling.”
“Hoe, please,” Margaret sniffed. “I bet those ears do be baggin’ dicks. Am I right, fat ass? Hehe.”
“Shut your hairy mustache up.”
“What, ya hatin’ the cut when ya ain’t got no claw to scratch that sandy crab? Luis likes the smooth panther fur. Maybe you should chop off those bangs, forehead-lookin’ ass. We all know why you grew that shit out.”
Maria snorted. “Aye, the gata’s got a point, blondie. You could fire an arrow off that bow.”
“Damn!” Margaret snickered. “She’s roasting your ass!”
Fiona was completely thrown off by how natural Maria was in this environment. Most of the men here were terrified of this elf and panther woman, but she didn’t show an ounce of fear.
“Hah. Jokes on you two,” Eliza laughed. “Take a good look. This change has me lookin’ like a fantasy dream model, sluts. While you got what, Coconut, a tail, and pubic hair all over your body. And you became the poster bitch for horny choir kids with mamma issues?”
Margaret choked. “Haha! Yo, ya nailed Maria, Lizzy! The Catholic busty nun outfit—we gotta get her one—teachin’ Sunday class to mamma boys, trippin’ over themselves! Haha! Attendance goes through the roof with those backroom lessons. Ya know what I mean?”
Fiona’s gut squirmed at the crude gestures the woman was likely using. This was not her scene, but Maria adapted without batting an eye while protecting her when she didn’t have to. She’d put herself in danger for her, and Fiona didn’t want to see her get hurt. The unicorn kept matching their energy, though.
“Tch… Puta sucio. Y’all can’t leave my faith outta shit. Congrats on the gonorrhea cure, by the way, puss. At least ya got one blessing goin’ for that itchy ass, but I don’t envy the lifted tail every time ya gotta shit.”
“Wow! I know, we’re going to hell, but that was good,” Margaret laughed, seemingly in tears. “Damn, I forgot how fun you could be! So, how’s the spot?”
“You know what it is,” Maria grunted. “Guagua be runnin’ all day, pero like, business be business. Chonga postin’ up, dominoes all day e’ry day, cafeterias on every corner, and Miami’s most festive spot, no cap. Is what it is. Roll down the hood; I got ya.”
Eliza sighed. “Damn, I do love rollin’ through Calle Ocho. Drugs and tattoos, never likin’ the rules… That neighborhood music always playin’. Shit, Marg! I want some of that Latin food now.”
“Pequeña Habana,” Maria stated, stretching out a bit and squeezing Fiona; she tried not to squeak. “That’s home. Barbecues, cookouts, old cars, and love for the fam. Better than whatever shit storm ya got goin’ on here. Aye. Ya got a kitchen and a 12-pack of frias; I would whip us up some homemade tortillas, ya feel?”
The door opened again, a rush of mumbles from the men outside coming into focus as a deep-voiced man walked through; Luis had arrived.
“Might take you up on that, Maria, but first, we gotta deal with this business with the lost fairy. Damn, who be smelling fine? I caught that shit down the hall.”
“Bae!” Margaret chimed, moving to probably lay her paws all over him. “I guess Relica did with whatever shit her kinky ass is into right now. You saw Adele off? I wanna split. Something creepy’s got my fur stiff…”
“That would be me.” Fiona’s thighs tightened as a whisper seemed to slide down her spine and whisper in her ear. “It’s taken me some time to fully bring the building under control, but we’re set. Also… we have an intruder, and she—shit, it’s Adele’s brat. I thought she was off the grid?”
“Tch. Damn,” Eliza hissed. “Akio’s creepy ass is here with Adele’s brat, and right after she split—the hell kind of luck is that? Can MI6 get her back because we ain’t supposed to do shit to her, right?.”
Akio’s tone became agitated. “Unfortunately, they’re all gone… Hold up, she’s able to teleport via shadows. Relica should be back soon, but not soon enough. Shit. She skipped the whole spiral staircase from hell… The brat’s not affected by my mist? How the—”
Maria’s chest tightened for the first time as silence came across the room, and a nervous girl’s voice popped up nearby.
“Uh… hi, terrorists, umm… I’m just here for Maria and Fiona—t-that’s your name, right? Crazy hiding spot, by the way. What’s up with the warping walls and spooky mist everywhere? Hey! Hey!”
“Who the hell are you?” Maria snarled. “The shit does everyone want from me? Son of a—aye, chill! I’m cool.”
Fiona couldn’t help but pull herself up to peek out from behind Maria’s tank top at the room, eyes widening in terror at the sight that met her.
Blood circled a frightened-looking black-haired vampire goth girl. Maria was standing on the couch, ready to dive anyway, and the gangsters, even the ethereal ghost man, had retreated to the doorway. Ruby crystal spears were forming within the liquid.
Luis and Margaret had their long claws out, feral eyes wide and on the girl; darkness frothed off the man’s frame as he prepared to leap through the shadows to strike from a blind spot—she’d seen him play with his prey before as a lesson to do as they said. All of these gangsters, terrorists, and assassins were practically petrified at the sight of the teenage girl.
Eliza had a bright alabaster bow in her hand, a white arrow of energy nocked and ready to be fired as a dozen men in the hallway trained their scary military weapons on her. Yet, the most terrifying part was the girl’s desperate pleas.
“Please! Please! No, no, no! Don’t make me kill you! Astra? No! Why did you cut out on me? Stupid ghost interference. Uh-uh… Wait! Wait! I… I don’t want to kill anyone—Maria, please, j-just—we’ll go, and no one has to die.”
The elf groaned, sharp eyes spotting her peeking out. “Dammit, Maria… Luis, I’m getting chills, man. My hands are shaking…”
“Point the weapon away, Eliza! We need to figure this out. Akio, you know what to do.”
Margaret and her man’s neck fur were bristling as she agreed with Eliza; the blood was inching closer to them as the vampire begged them to go.
“The hair on the back of my neck… My heart’s beating right out of my chest! Something’s wrong, Luis. How the hell does this bitch make me want to piss myself?! Aye, Akio—”
“I got it!”
“Huh?!” The room tilted upside down, making Fiona’s stomach do a somersault; her hair flipped up with the vampire’s and Maria’s, yet they stayed rooted on the ceiling but only for a second.
Blood lashed out in a hail of spikes, but the room spun sideways, throwing the gangsters out of the opening before the forming paper doors slammed shut. The liquid split, circled Maria, and pulled her into the air as a crimson disk lifted the vampire off the ground.
Walls, ceiling, and floor twisted like a Rubik’s Cube and sent the furniture tumbling everywhere; the vampire’s crystalizing blood cut everything into ribbons that came near them. As if illusions, the walls melted away to show an old Japanese room with two paper doors on every side. The ghost dispersed into the mist, sinking into the floor with laughter.
“We can’t kill you without Relica’s permission, but now that you’re this deep… just try to escape the Paper Maze!”
Maria seemed as stiff as Fiona at the abrupt change of hands; they went from prisoners of gangsters to a vampire.
“What is going on?!” Fiona cried, unable to hold back her tears now. “I just want to go!”
“Aye, La Fairy. She with you?”
Fiona choked. “No! I-I don’t know her!”
The black-haired vampire girl’s large, illuminated crimson eyes shifted to them. Relief was on her face as she forced a smile and showed off her pointed fangs. She fidgeted with her hair and skirt, seemingly unsure what to do with her hands as her gaze shyly darted away.
“Hi, umm, I’m Scarlet—sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just, if I’m threatened, my blood kind of… kills everything—it’s not under my control. Not that I’ll kill you! I’m sorry! Umm. I think I bought us some time. Heh. Perks of being an OP vampire!” she rambled.
Fiona’s gaze darted to the ground as the blood lowered them to the absolute mess that was the floor, and Scarlet took another deep breath. “Yay… go me, umm, we’re safe, so yeah… Eegh. Cringe. Umm. Did I mention my name’s Scarlet, and I’m here to rescue you?”
“You did,” Maria mumbled, grimacing and looking at the still box they were in; sugar floated down around them from a broken bag that made Fiona’s queasy stomach punch her. “Aye, so, uh… How do ya know my name, chica?”
“Mine, too?!” Fiona called out, trying to climb out of Maria’s front. The unicorn took notice and held out her hand to let her fall into it. “Thanks, uh… I guess I’ll take help from anywhere at this point. I’m just—don’t mind me… I want to cry, but maybe after we get out of here?”
Scarlet glared at her blood as she made motions that it followed. “Well, I have control over it again. So… that’s good, I guess. Umm. You’ve met Rachel, right?”
“Who?” Fiona shook her head as she stumbled toward a large clump of sugar to pick the grains off the floor and pop them into her mouth. Energy flooded her fatigued body with a sweet taste that put a smile on her cheeks. “Finally…”
Maria hummed, causing Fiona to sit down a meter away to look at them. Apparently, the unicorn did know who this Rachel girl was; the only thing that Fiona’s mind associated the name with was an infamous manhwa girl that shockingly betrayed the MC.
“So, you’re with the hare, huh? Mmm. I guess she did kinda owe me,” she mumbled, working around her neck. “Damn. Aye, can you get us to the club floor to save some kids?”
“Oh!” Fiona’s hand shot up, hoping they’d hear and see her. “My friend’s locked up, too. They were using her as a hostage to force me to enchant their people with elemental powers.”
Scarlet’s eyes changed to a stunning blue. “No way! You’re an enchanter? That’s so cool! Umm. I’m not very… good with combat,” she winced. “I’m only supposed to teleport in and teleport you guys out, but… there’s a lot of twists and turns now. I can’t see through all the walls—my guess is it’s a spatial warp ability. Maybe your guys’ abilities can help? Rachel said you’d know what to do, Maria. What Feats do you have?”
Fiona blinked and looked up at Maria, who looked as lost as her. “Feats… Are you saying we have selectable abilities that we can put points into and level up?”
“Okay, chicas, I’m totally lost on this shit,” Maria growled, flipping her hair back and trying to loosen up. “What are you—”
Needles ran down Fiona’s back as Akio’s haunting voice returned, the floor starting to twist slowly. “You think I would—ack!”
“Shut the hell up!” Maria snapped, a radiant horn flaring to life and breaking apart the wooden floor to reveal the carpet beneath them. “I ain’t about your shit right now, comprende? I’m done!”
“Maria! You’re walking a dangerous line. I’ll kill your brother myself, and Fio—son of a bitch!”
The light intensified, making Scarlet squint, and the room returned to normal. “Aye, Vamp, I can’t keep this shit up for long. You’re more creepy than the ghost man, but you got them scared shitless. You have some info to drop ta help? Let’s hear it.”
Fiona munched on her sugar, excitement bubbling up within her as Scarlet’s nervousness chipped away, and, for the first time since changing, she found a sense of security and safety with these two. It didn’t take long for the vampire to explain the System; well, longer for Maria, but Fiona got the gist of it pretty quickly.
One thing resonated with her, though. If she could refocus and refine her Feats, then she could save Erika herself. Scarlet seemed skittish about a conflict anyway, but Fiona felt her emotions beginning to boil now that things were coming back under control.
Scarlet made blood disks for them to hover on so Maria didn’t have to keep wasting her purifying force, and a thin shell of her bloody liquid encased them to block out the threatening ghost outside.
Closing her eyes, Fiona tried to relax and enter this inner world the vampire spoke of; it was more fluid than she thought as her mind drifted into darkness. However, the blank area and spotlight the girl explained didn’t meet her.
A dense, vibrant forest garden of color shimmered into existence around her. Sweet smells and mysterious, magical sounds fluttered in the wind. It felt so natural and enthralling that she stood still, taking it all in as her toes wiggled in the leafy-covered ground. It was soft to her feet, as if moss grew underneath, and a small brook created a rhythm of moving water that tickled her ears.
At the center was a wooden throne, overgrown with flowers, vines, and other earthy things that she knew would be the most comfortable thing to rest on. Walking forward to circle it once, she marveled at the intricacy of its design before sitting. She hadn’t even noticed her fairy-like dress that had replaced her Barbie garments until smoothing it out.
A simple thought brought her status window up, making her heart soar with the majesty of the world she’d entered. She could be more than just some buffer support. Fiona didn’t want to ever feel as helpless as she did these last three days.
She finally knew what she was rather than just some generic fairy. Plus, it seemed that all of the awful things the gangsters did with her elemental enchantments had also contributed to her own EXP because she was already Level 5.
Fiona White
Mythickin Fairy Queen
Age: 20
[5 Available Stat Points]
x2 Feat Extension Points
x1 Refinement Points
x1 Stat Modifiers - Lev. 5 Perk - Minor improvement to a Secondary Stat
x1 Branch Feat Unlocked - Lev. 5 Perk - Attack, Defense, or Utility
Force:
Power - Extremely High Strength - Extremely LowDefense:
Toughness - Extremely Low Resilience - Extremely LowDexterity:
Speed - Extremely Low Agility - Extremely Low Quickness - Extremely LowEnergy:
Constitution - High Stamina - Extremely Low Endurance - Above AverageTenacity:
Elemental Resistances - Extremely High Physical Resistances - Extremely Low Control Resistances - Average Penetration - Above AverageBase Feats:
[Primal Force X] - S-tier - Mythickin [Plight of the Whimsical Queen X] - S-tier - Fairy [Disaccharides (Sugar) Pool I] - E-tier - Fairy [Divine Fae Physiology I] - E-tier - Blessed Fairy [Divine Fae Sense I] - F-tier - Blessed Fairy [Prismatic Lumination I] - C-tier - Fairy [Zoolingualism I] - F-tier - Queen [Ephemeral Grace I] - F-tier - Queen [Fae Queen’s Ire I] - S-tier - Queen
[Primal Force] was the same EXP buff passive Scarlet had described, but [Plight of the Whimsical Queen] snatched her attention. Her entire life stretched before her, highlighting her whimsical nature and attitude.
All of the attention, the ease she had in drawing people to her, and how effortless it was to excel at whatever she put her mind to click when reading that one Feat. It was a reflection of her inner axiomatic foundation imprinted on her very soul, but there was far more veiled from its simple description.
[Disaccharides Pool] was simply her source of power, but [Divine Fae Physiology] and [Divine Fae Sense] were so much more. Again, she had this instinctual understanding that this status sheet was only the tip of a much larger iceberg.
She could talk to animals with [Zoolingualism], and [Ephemeral Grace] provided her an inborn grasp of etiquette in how she behaved. Nonetheless, she could choose to exercise it or not due to her whimsical nature.
[Fae Queen’s Ire] had certainly not been S-tier when she’d changed. It was built over three days of constant torment, waiting to be released.
Equipped Feats: 3/3
[Elemental Enchantress I] - F-tier - Oonagh [Emotional Surge I] F-tier - Oonagh [Sweet Magic Boost I] F-tier - Oonagh
[Elemental Enchantress] was clear enough; it was her ability to give others electric, wind, or fire abilities for a limited time. [Emotional Surge] and [Sweet Magic Boost] provided a whole new direction for her that made Fiona’s lips curl with the tinting forest.
Fiona knew exactly who Oonagh was; the Irish Queen of the Fairies and a goddess of magic, but she had other things on her mind. With every grain of sugar that she consumed, her emotions and magic would continue to spike.
She was more than just some sweet thing that sang and flitted about; from the moment she stepped foot in this mystical forest space, something awakened within her that roared to be heard. Fiona selected her Stats:
+3 Power
+2 Constitution
Fiona was done being pushed around and stepped on. She wouldn’t be held captive or allow her friends to be held captive again. She chose her two Feat Extensions:
[Divine Fae Physiology: Second Wind] - Allows the user to draw energy from nature to refuel up to 10% of the user’s primary energy source.
[Disaccharides (Sugar) Pool I: Well Fed] - Allows the user to reach up to 150% of their maximum pool before being inflicted by the [Addled] Debuff for 30 minutes.
She knew precisely what Stat she wanted to modify:
[Power Grade Modified - Increased to Maximum]
Fiona flexed her fingers as the area around her continued to brighten with red shades with her growing anger.
They had attacked her. They had tortured her. They had threatened her friend. They had hurt people to make her use her magic. They’d forced her to watch horrible acts as punishment. They used her magic in horrible ways, marring her heart. And deserved everything her aching heart urged her to release.
Her gaze went to the Level 5 Advancement Path: Attack, Defense, or Utility. She didn’t hesitate:
Attack Feat Branch: Prismatic War Magic I - Obtain the elemental attributes of a Prismatic Fairy Warlord, obtaining the following Base Feats:
[Warpath] - Reactive State - an Enrage State that provides buffs at a cost:
All Spells double in power and cost 50% less sugar. Emotional State will remain at 100% Raging and cannot be deactivated until the user’s perceived enemy is dead.
[Elemental Magic I] - Active - as this Feat grows, so too will the elements the user can gain access to and their diversity of spells.
Currently available colors:
Red - Fire Magic - Inferno - F-tier
Light Blue - Ice Magic - Ice Shard - F-tier
It was her only attack option, and maybe she was a closet rager because something within her was burning to be let out; more prismatic colors would be available as her Tiers and Grades increased. All the misery, heartache, and fear were converted by [Fae Queen’s Ire] to enhance her spells with [Magic Boost] and [Emotional Surge] before [Warpath] pushed it even further beyond.
It all came to her naturally, as if waking from a lucid dream; Fiona didn’t need more than a minute to make her decisions after sitting on her throne. She didn’t feel like a new person but like something caged within her was being set free. She refined the Feat that most called out to her:
[Plight of the Whimsical Queen] - Refinement Time - 7 Days.
Scarlet and Maria could do their own thing; she was going to burn this building to the foundations if that was what it would take to save her friend. It wasn’t murder that was on her heart; it was restitution. Fiona exited her inner world.
B1 — 20. Awakening
Fiona’s thumping heart began to settle as the agitated gangsters kept a distance from Maria. They took off vents, ripped out couches, and scanned every inch for where she might be. It was fairly obvious that they suspected the unicorn had set her free, but it said a lot that no one confronted her about it.
One of the nervous men stayed with Maria since she wasn’t allowing Ben to get off the couch; she could practically see his bloodied face from the occasional sniffs and pained groans he gave. It served them right for the torment they’d inflicted on Erika and her.
She expected the unicorn’s immunity to only last so long, yet no one so much as pointed the finger at her, and the warmth she radiated felt just like the comforting rays of a bright summer day. On the plus side, the woman’s bust was large enough to give her plenty of room to settle at the bottom of her bra band. She could even see in the dim space since the woman’s skin had a star-like shimmer to it.
After a while, she realized the pulse of Maria’s heartbeat against her ear wasn’t like a normal one. It could have just been her tiny 7 cm size that gave her that impression, but the throbbing hum it radiated gave her a sense of relief.
Despite the unicorn’s crass mouth and attitude, her presence alleviated the horror the last three days had been, settling her frantic emotions. Just thinking about the raw sensation of sandpaper against her tiny frame, the debased threats against Erika to keep her in line, and the experiments made her body shake every so often.
Fire, tasers, the freezer, boiling water, and even blasting music seemed to have little to no effect on her, but her body was so delicate and weak that the slightest bump could bruise her. She rubbed her shoulders, trying to get the bitter memories out of her head.
Never in her life could she believe people could be so cruel; it was as if they weren’t even human. Still, at least she’d saved Erika from the pain, and that was enough to get her through each punishment.
Learning more about the woman that was protecting her helped to pull her thoughts away from a downward spiral; she couldn’t believe they would make it out of this alive, and she feared what they might do to Maria when she was finally discovered.
Although, Peter, this group’s supervisor, only seemed to make nervous small talk with the unicorn while waiting for his Panther Beastkin boss, Luis. Fiona trembled at the security gradually setting in. She didn’t want hope to be betrayed. Not again, not after one man tried to rescue her, only for her to be forced to watch them torture him to death. She couldn’t be weak.
Maria’s strong voice helped as the vibrations transferred through her chest to Fiona’s tiny body, somehow quelling her own shakes whenever the unicorn responded. Most of it was centered around her treatment, making Fiona’s lower lip tremble. It was challenging to keep her thankful emotions in check because she really wanted to cry.
Be strong! Don’t cry… Please, don’t make noise…
Maria was certainly a prisoner, just like her, but she seemed to be the boss of another influential gang that acted as an intermediary for a few criminal organizations. They handled a lot of courier business and had a lot of respect due to their loyalty and efficiency.
She was also affiliated with a much more influential organization called TNS that dealt with international criminal networks, as well. And it appeared a lot of these smaller gangs feared a conflict between Terrell’s cartel group and TNS.
Her sharp ears picked up some mumbled conversations that indicated some members weren’t sure about their direction since someone named Relica showed up. Fiona didn’t want any part of this, though. If she could get some sugar to restore her power and her best friend, she’d be out of here in a second.
Being careful with her hair and movements not to tickle or agitate Maria, Fiona got into a better position to release her tension and jitters. Her thoughts went back to how all of this happened, and she was debating if it had been a good idea to leave Ireland in the first place. She was falling into a darker place than she’d ever thought possible.
She’d graduated high school three years ago and was fairly popular in her small ocean town. Throughout her life, Fiona had been surrounded by the boys in their community and praised for her voice. Sure, there were some salty girls that talked smack, but she never paid them much mind, and they generally only liked to hang around her to be near the more popular boys.
The attention was nice, although she never quite felt like she belonged. Everyone was so superficial; it was like they only wanted to get to know her to say they knew her. She was the star of her little town, yet Fiona couldn’t feel comfortable around them.
So, she did the minimum, was nice to people, and focused mostly on her Gaelic studies and online courses. Everyone said she was so mature and ahead of the curve, but they weren’t really seeing her; they all had this ethereal picture they plastered over her face. It didn’t take Fiona long to realize she wouldn’t be satisfied with the few opportunities and limited circles of people there.
That being said, it wasn’t the thing that tugged on her mind. Sure, all of that was meh, and she didn’t like it; still, there was something just not right about how she was living, but she could never place a finger on exactly what that was. So, she left as soon as she could to discover what it was she was missing.
Now, she wondered if she’d made a terrible mistake in her life choices. Had her life felt off? Yes. But at least she had her family, her sister, who looked up to her; the last thing she wanted was to disappoint her. Had she by leaving? She’d gone home ten days ago for the first time in two years, and a lot had changed. Maybe she didn’t have enough time to process it, though.
Due to some channel problems involving unjustified copyright strikes from her bitter online rival and another Gaelic instructing influencer channel, she’d had to cut her first home visit in nearly three years short; her income was at risk. Not ten minutes after returning to her small condo, she’d shrunk to the size of an egg. She wanted to break down at the thought.
An egg… I can fit in an egg; I’m smaller than a chick! My life sucks…
In a way, maybe this was her punishment for leaving her little sister when she was struggling a bit to keep friends. Something was up with Nora; they’d been so close growing up, and she didn’t know how much she missed her little sister until she went home for a few days.
Nora didn’t show it, but Fiona knew something was wrong, and her little sister had grown up so much in just three years. She’d been so focused on her own grind that the photos and videos she sent were all a blur. Her little sister was even the one who pushed her to try V-tubing during her junior year since she’d been watching a few influencers online.
Fiona started her channel in middle school and already had 35,000 subscribers by high school for her Gaelic language lessons and singing covers in their native and dying language. It was her first language, and she’d become passionate about trying to revive interest in it. So, being a V-tuber sounded like a good opportunity to break into a new audience.
Nora was the expert, so they worked together to make this fairy avatar since Fiona already had a bright and cheery persona that would fit the image. If that wasn’t enough, her sister had got her in contact with someone to make it become a reality by asking for advice from an upcoming V-tuber in the industry she admired.
Their parents supported the project and helped to buy some basic equipment, and six months into her junior year, her channel blew up to 450,000 subscribers with 5,000 average stream viewers. Money started rolling in with sponsorship opportunities.
She was a family-friendly educational streamer, pulling in a young audience that kept growing by the month. Her demographic was mostly teens, but that soon mixed with parents wanting their kids to hear her mix of language lessons with gaming, pop culture, and popular song covers.
During her senior year, unsure how to process her growing fame, she reached out to an old neighbor of theirs who had gone to TC University for law and business. Since that time, Erika had become one of her closest friends. She’d prevented a lot of Ireland and UK labels from taking advantage of her in their predatory contracts.
Acting as her agent, Erika had taken on a more prominent role and taught her how to run a business. A few months out of high school, she had enough saved up to move out of her small town and get into the bigger world. She’d put up a poll to her community on which general country she should go to, and the United States won out—her audience was big there.
Miami became her choice since she wanted to be close enough to fly back to Ireland, be somewhere hot, unlike her hometown, and be near the ocean. A new condo in her price range opened up at the perfect time in the prime location of Miami Beach. It was a dream come true, and citizenship wasn’t that difficult, given her age and Erika’s help with the legal stuff.
Now, all she wanted was to make sure Erika and her family were okay. She needed to get back to Ireland. Fiona didn’t know if that was possible since the two female assassins were on their way.
She wanted to bite her nails; oddly, it seemed to be taking forever for the two women and the panther man to come. Attempting to put her negative emotions behind her with Maria’s helpful aura, Fiona internally hyped herself up. It wasn’t like everything was bad.
Okay! Gotta keep moving forward. Keep on track, Fiona! Live with no regrets; that’s the motto! Be grateful. You’re not alone anymore. Maria healed you. You’re not in pain anymore. If you’re enough lucky to be Irish, you’re lucky enough, as Dad says! Ugh… My stomach, though…
She rubbed her very thin belly as it rumbled.
No! Always shoot your shot! Bright side of the rainbow, Fiona! I have an excuse to be a sugar addict now, and I can practically live in a gingerbread house. Hehe. I just need to survive this. Think! Positives and negatives. Let’s see…
She scanned her thin and small frame; she and Erika had managed to get some Barbie clothes that mostly fit her.
Pros:
I’m elegant and pretty. That’s a blessing not to take for granted.
It’s cool that my hair, fingernails, and eyes change color with whatever enchantment I use. No need to dye my hair. Chat was going crazy about that… Oh-no. My face-reveal seriously happened when I transformed into a real fairy. Hehe. Well, that’s unique, I guess. I don’t need the avatar anymore. That’s a plus.
I can hum and grant people elemental powers, which is… something.
If I’m not sugar drained, I can fly… That’s fun.
Huh. Is that the end of my awesomeness? I suppose you gotta take the small potato with the big potato.
Cons:
I’m bleeding 7 centimeters tall.
I can’t bench-press marshmallows on a toothpick, for darn sake! And I can’t believe Erika would laugh at me struggling, at that… No, she would. She’s a Fox Beastkin, for St. Patrick’s sake. Crafty vixen… Please, be okay.
Oh, bugs… Flip-smackin’ bugs. How can I forget that I almost died to a spider just after changing? Can’t forget that traumatic experience—
She stiffened and looked up as she was jostled a little bit, seeing Maria’s index finger tug on her top a bit.
Sorry! Sorry! I’ll stop fidgeting.
Cons… cons… I can’t enchant myself. I’m practically a buff-bot.
I’ll probably die if I don’t get enough sugar… Although, I am rather fond of my sweets, so, is that a con?
Fiona’s scratchy throat constricted as two female voices came from down the hall; they’d finally arrived.
“Ugh… Can you please not spread those pheromones everywhere, Margaret? It stinks like bad BO.”
“Aww, are you jealous Luis is paying more attention to me instead of you, Lizzy?” the Panther Beastkin purred. “Maybe if you wore less clothes, then you’d draw some eyes.”
“Pfft. Babe. Can you really call yourself a nudist if you’re covered in fur? And I’m not into excessive hair. So, you can keep Luis. What you must smell like in the shower. Yikes. You literally clear halls with that musk, though. Ugh! I’ve had to take two showers today just being near you!”
“Hater. No, racist? Hehe. I mean, it fits the white elf stereotype.”
“Shut up. It’s always race with you. He doesn’t like black chicks. She hates me because my hair’s nappy. Why’s he with that fat brown cow when I’ve got these thick thighs? I’ve got a fatter ass than her; why does she get the attention? He’s racist. He’s probably gay. Hoe, get over yourself!”
“Bitch, please. You had the flattest ass before getting that fat injected into that butt three days ago. Quit acting like your hot shit because you’ve got pointed ears and an okay face. I bet your powdered milk bush is still dry as rice. Get your white ass outta here.”
“Why’s it always Asian and Latino hate from you?”
“Huh? Says the person that hears rice and instantly goes to Asian. Pfft. You got issues, Babe. Aye, where’s Maria? Damn, y’all are beta bitches. Did she cut your balls—yo, the hell?!” She burst into laughter as the door slammed open. “Haha! Ain’t no way that’s you, Queenie! I-I can’t—Lizzy, hold me—I’m gonna fall!”
Fiona locked up as they caught sight of her savior. She’d heard girls roasting each other and been on the receiving end in Ireland, but nothing like this! Of course, she was in a small town and was the type of girl that didn’t like swearing in general, which didn’t do her any favors when she helped out at her uncle’s bar when in middle school.
Maria met their energy without blinking an eye.
“Aye, you talkin’ shit with that nose, apestar pinche puto. What, you tryin’ ta be a goth furry mixed with a clown, huh? I guess it works for that mashed face.”
“Damn!” Eliza snickered. “Hey, that’s definitely Maria.”
A low growl came from Margaret. “Bitch always talks shit. Y’all Mexicans and Cubans be racist as hell. Talkin’ ‘bout my nose like that, I should rip your throat out, chica.”
“Try it, puss,” Maria snarled back, a swift shift in moment forcing Fiona against the woman’s chest as she pushed off the wall. “Last time you were in my hood, I gave you that nose job, gata.”
What are you doing?! Fiona cried, trying to stabilize herself between her breasts as the unicorn marched up to the woman without hesitation. They’ll kill you! They’re flippin’ assassins!
“Pfft-haha!”
“You’re such a bitch, Maria! Haha. I love you, you Catholic hoe. How’s Little Havana?” Eliza asked. “Damn, last time I saw you, you were seventeen, poppin’ off on the block. Hey, you remember how she looked after beating the snot out of those two punks that jumped her?”
“Yo, I always said she had balls, slut. She’s not stupid, though. You think she’d hide that fairy? That’s cap. Set her free? Probably.”
Eliza hummed. “Hehe. What’d you do to this pop-bitch next to ya, Queenie? Damn, he’s all sorts of ground beef. Ya didn’t put a cap in him, though? Tch. Girl, don’t tell me your horse ass be soft like that?”
Huh? Fiona’s racing heart and mind swirled as things took a complete 180. What’s going on? Is she buying time for us and redirecting them, or is she just in some weird roast session pre-match?
“Says the prep ass elf bitch? Aye, get into the corner, puta. Shit, what I wouldn’t give for a liga right now, ya know; this hair is annoying as hell.”
“Aye, she got a point as sharp as those ears, Lizzy! Hehe.”
Ben scrambled off the couch with a pained grunt as gravity shifted for Fiona, becoming momentarily pressed against the top of Maria’s bra as she dropped into the cushion. The men were mumbling to one another, but the three loud women were in a world of their own.
“Knock the ears all you want, but you know I be baggin’ dick with them. And annoying ass hair? I get that,” Eliza laughed, leaning against the table to face her at how close they sounded. “Not that this short-ass butch knows the feeling.”
“Hoe, please,” Margaret sniffed. “I bet those ears do be baggin’ dicks. Am I right, fat ass? Hehe.”
“Shut your hairy mustache up.”
“What, ya hatin’ the cut when ya ain’t got no claw to scratch that sandy crab? Luis likes the smooth panther fur. Maybe you should chop off those bangs, forehead-lookin’ ass. We all know why you grew that shit out.”
Maria snorted. “Aye, the gata’s got a point, blondie. You could fire an arrow off that bow.”
“Damn!” Margaret snickered. “She’s roasting your ass!”
Fiona was completely thrown off by how natural Maria was in this environment. Most of the men here were terrified of this elf and panther woman, but she didn’t show an ounce of fear.
“Hah. Jokes on you two,” Eliza laughed. “Take a good look. This change has me lookin’ like a fantasy dream model, sluts. While you got what, Coconut, a tail, and pubic hair all over your body. And you became the poster bitch for horny choir kids with mamma issues?”
Margaret choked. “Haha! Yo, ya nailed Maria, Lizzy! The Catholic busty nun outfit—we gotta get her one—teachin’ Sunday class to mamma boys, trippin’ over themselves! Haha! Attendance goes through the roof with those backroom lessons. Ya know what I mean?”
Fiona’s gut squirmed at the crude gestures the woman was likely using. This was not her scene, but Maria adapted without batting an eye while protecting her when she didn’t have to. She’d put herself in danger for her, and Fiona didn’t want to see her get hurt. The unicorn kept matching their energy, though.
“Tch… Puta sucio. Y’all can’t leave my faith outta shit. Congrats on the gonorrhea cure, by the way, puss. At least ya got one blessing goin’ for that itchy ass, but I don’t envy the lifted tail every time ya gotta shit.”
“Wow! I know, we’re going to hell, but that was good,” Margaret laughed, seemingly in tears. “Damn, I forgot how fun you could be! So, how’s the spot?”
“You know what it is,” Maria grunted. “Guagua be runnin’ all day, pero like, business be business. Chonga postin’ up, dominoes all day e’ry day, cafeterias on every corner, and Miami’s most festive spot, no cap. Is what it is. Roll down the hood; I got ya.”
Eliza sighed. “Damn, I do love rollin’ through Calle Ocho. Drugs and tattoos, never likin’ the rules… That neighborhood music always playin’. Shit, Marg! I want some of that Latin food now.”
“Pequeña Habana,” Maria stated, stretching out a bit and squeezing Fiona; she tried not to squeak. “That’s home. Barbecues, cookouts, old cars, and love for the fam. Better than whatever shit storm ya got goin’ on here. Aye. Ya got a kitchen and a 12-pack of frias; I would whip us up some homemade tortillas, ya feel?”
The door opened again, a rush of mumbles from the men outside coming into focus as a deep-voiced man walked through; Luis had arrived.
“Might take you up on that, Maria, but first, we gotta deal with this business with the lost fairy. Damn, who be smelling fine? I caught that shit down the hall.”
“Bae!” Margaret chimed, moving to probably lay her paws all over him. “I guess Relica did with whatever shit her kinky ass is into right now. You saw Adele off? I wanna split. Something creepy’s got my fur stiff…”
“That would be me.” Fiona’s thighs tightened as a whisper seemed to slide down her spine and whisper in her ear. “It’s taken me some time to fully bring the building under control, but we’re set. Also… we have an intruder, and she—shit, it’s Adele’s brat. I thought she was off the grid?”
“Tch. Damn,” Eliza hissed. “Akio’s creepy ass is here with Adele’s brat, and right after she split—the hell kind of luck is that? Can MI6 get her back because we ain’t supposed to do shit to her, right?.”
Akio’s tone became agitated. “Unfortunately, they’re all gone… Hold up, she’s able to teleport via shadows. Relica should be back soon, but not soon enough. Shit. She skipped the whole spiral staircase from hell… The brat’s not affected by my mist? How the—”
Maria’s chest tightened for the first time as silence came across the room, and a nervous girl’s voice popped up nearby.
“Uh… hi, terrorists, umm… I’m just here for Maria and Fiona—t-that’s your name, right? Crazy hiding spot, by the way. What’s up with the warping walls and spooky mist everywhere? Hey! Hey!”
“Who the hell are you?” Maria snarled. “The shit does everyone want from me? Son of a—aye, chill! I’m cool.”
Fiona couldn’t help but pull herself up to peek out from behind Maria’s tank top at the room, eyes widening in terror at the sight that met her.
Blood circled a frightened-looking black-haired vampire goth girl. Maria was standing on the couch, ready to dive anyway, and the gangsters, even the ethereal ghost man, had retreated to the doorway. Ruby crystal spears were forming within the liquid.
Luis and Margaret had their long claws out, feral eyes wide and on the girl; darkness frothed off the man’s frame as he prepared to leap through the shadows to strike from a blind spot—she’d seen him play with his prey before as a lesson to do as they said. All of these gangsters, terrorists, and assassins were practically petrified at the sight of the teenage girl.
Eliza had a bright alabaster bow in her hand, a white arrow of energy nocked and ready to be fired as a dozen men in the hallway trained their scary military weapons on her. Yet, the most terrifying part was the girl’s desperate pleas.
“Please! Please! No, no, no! Don’t make me kill you! Astra? No! Why did you cut out on me? Stupid ghost interference. Uh-uh… Wait! Wait! I… I don’t want to kill anyone—Maria, please, j-just—we’ll go, and no one has to die.”
The elf groaned, sharp eyes spotting her peeking out. “Dammit, Maria… Luis, I’m getting chills, man. My hands are shaking…”
“Point the weapon away, Eliza! We need to figure this out. Akio, you know what to do.”
Margaret and her man’s neck fur were bristling as she agreed with Eliza; the blood was inching closer to them as the vampire begged them to go.
“The hair on the back of my neck… My heart’s beating right out of my chest! Something’s wrong, Luis. How the hell does this bitch make me want to piss myself?! Aye, Akio—”
“I got it!”
“Huh?!” The room tilted upside down, making Fiona’s stomach do a somersault; her hair flipped up with the vampire’s and Maria’s, yet they stayed rooted on the ceiling but only for a second.
Blood lashed out in a hail of spikes, but the room spun sideways, throwing the gangsters out of the opening before the forming paper doors slammed shut. The liquid split, circled Maria, and pulled her into the air as a crimson disk lifted the vampire off the ground.
Walls, ceiling, and floor twisted like a Rubik’s Cube and sent the furniture tumbling everywhere; the vampire’s crystalizing blood cut everything into ribbons that came near them. As if illusions, the walls melted away to show an old Japanese room with two paper doors on every side. The ghost dispersed into the mist, sinking into the floor with laughter.
“We can’t kill you without Relica’s permission, but now that you’re this deep… just try to escape the Paper Maze!”
Maria seemed as stiff as Fiona at the abrupt change of hands; they went from prisoners of gangsters to a vampire.
“What is going on?!” Fiona cried, unable to hold back her tears now. “I just want to go!”
“Aye, La Fairy. She with you?”
Fiona choked. “No! I-I don’t know her!”
The black-haired vampire girl’s large, illuminated crimson eyes shifted to them. Relief was on her face as she forced a smile and showed off her pointed fangs. She fidgeted with her hair and skirt, seemingly unsure what to do with her hands as her gaze shyly darted away.
“Hi, umm, I’m Scarlet—sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just, if I’m threatened, my blood kind of… kills everything—it’s not under my control. Not that I’ll kill you! I’m sorry! Umm. I think I bought us some time. Heh. Perks of being an OP vampire!” she rambled.
Fiona’s gaze darted to the ground as the blood lowered them to the absolute mess that was the floor, and Scarlet took another deep breath. “Yay… go me, umm, we’re safe, so yeah… Eegh. Cringe. Umm. Did I mention my name’s Scarlet, and I’m here to rescue you?”
“You did,” Maria mumbled, grimacing and looking at the still box they were in; sugar floated down around them from a broken bag that made Fiona’s queasy stomach punch her. “Aye, so, uh… How do ya know my name, chica?”
“Mine, too?!” Fiona called out, trying to climb out of Maria’s front. The unicorn took notice and held out her hand to let her fall into it. “Thanks, uh… I guess I’ll take help from anywhere at this point. I’m just—don’t mind me… I want to cry, but maybe after we get out of here?”
Scarlet glared at her blood as she made motions that it followed. “Well, I have control over it again. So… that’s good, I guess. Umm. You’ve met Rachel, right?”
“Who?” Fiona shook her head as she stumbled toward a large clump of sugar to pick the grains off the floor and pop them into her mouth. Energy flooded her fatigued body with a sweet taste that put a smile on her cheeks. “Finally…”
Maria hummed, causing Fiona to sit down a meter away to look at them. Apparently, the unicorn did know who this Rachel girl was; the only thing that Fiona’s mind associated the name with was an infamous manhwa girl that shockingly betrayed the MC.
“So, you’re with the hare, huh? Mmm. I guess she did kinda owe me,” she mumbled, working around her neck. “Damn. Aye, can you get us to the club floor to save some kids?”
“Oh!” Fiona’s hand shot up, hoping they’d hear and see her. “My friend’s locked up, too. They were using her as a hostage to force me to enchant their people with elemental powers.”
Scarlet’s eyes changed to a stunning blue. “No way! You’re an enchanter? That’s so cool! Umm. I’m not very… good with combat,” she winced. “I’m only supposed to teleport in and teleport you guys out, but… there’s a lot of twists and turns now. I can’t see through all the walls—my guess is it’s a spatial warp ability. Maybe your guys’ abilities can help? Rachel said you’d know what to do, Maria. What Feats do you have?”
Fiona blinked and looked up at Maria, who looked as lost as her. “Feats… Are you saying we have selectable abilities that we can put points into and level up?”
“Okay, chicas, I’m totally lost on this shit,” Maria growled, flipping her hair back and trying to loosen up. “What are you—”
Needles ran down Fiona’s back as Akio’s haunting voice returned, the floor starting to twist slowly. “You think I would—ack!”
“Shut the hell up!” Maria snapped, a radiant horn flaring to life and breaking apart the wooden floor to reveal the carpet beneath them. “I ain’t about your shit right now, comprende? I’m done!”
“Maria! You’re walking a dangerous line. I’ll kill your brother myself, and Fio—son of a bitch!”
The light intensified, making Scarlet squint, and the room returned to normal. “Aye, Vamp, I can’t keep this shit up for long. You’re more creepy than the ghost man, but you got them scared shitless. You have some info to drop ta help? Let’s hear it.”
Fiona munched on her sugar, excitement bubbling up within her as Scarlet’s nervousness chipped away, and, for the first time since changing, she found a sense of security and safety with these two. It didn’t take long for the vampire to explain the System; well, longer for Maria, but Fiona got the gist of it pretty quickly.
One thing resonated with her, though. If she could refocus and refine her Feats, then she could save Erika herself. Scarlet seemed skittish about a conflict anyway, but Fiona felt her emotions beginning to boil now that things were coming back under control.
Scarlet made blood disks for them to hover on so Maria didn’t have to keep wasting her purifying force, and a thin shell of her bloody liquid encased them to block out the threatening ghost outside.
Closing her eyes, Fiona tried to relax and enter this inner world the vampire spoke of; it was more fluid than she thought as her mind drifted into darkness. However, the blank area and spotlight the girl explained didn’t meet her.
A dense, vibrant forest garden of color shimmered into existence around her. Sweet smells and mysterious, magical sounds fluttered in the wind. It felt so natural and enthralling that she stood still, taking it all in as her toes wiggled in the leafy-covered ground. It was soft to her feet, as if moss grew underneath, and a small brook created a rhythm of moving water that tickled her ears.
At the center was a wooden throne, overgrown with flowers, vines, and other earthy things that she knew would be the most comfortable thing to rest on. Walking forward to circle it once, she marveled at the intricacy of its design before sitting. She hadn’t even noticed her fairy-like dress that had replaced her Barbie garments until smoothing it out.
A simple thought brought her status window up, making her heart soar with the majesty of the world she’d entered. She could be more than just some buffer support. Fiona didn’t want to ever feel as helpless as she did these last three days.
She finally knew what she was rather than just some generic fairy. Plus, it seemed that all of the awful things the gangsters did with her elemental enchantments had also contributed to her own EXP because she was already Level 5.
Fiona White
Mythickin Fairy Queen
Age: 20
[5 Available Stat Points]
x2 Feat Extension Points
x1 Refinement Points
x1 Stat Modifiers - Lev. 5 Perk - Minor improvement to a Secondary Stat
x1 Branch Feat Unlocked - Lev. 5 Perk - Attack, Defense, or Utility
Force:
Power - Extremely High Strength - Extremely LowDefense:
Toughness - Extremely Low Resilience - Extremely LowDexterity:
Speed - Extremely Low Agility - Extremely Low Quickness - Extremely LowEnergy:
Constitution - High Stamina - Extremely Low Endurance - Above AverageTenacity:
Elemental Resistances - Extremely High Physical Resistances - Extremely Low Control Resistances - Average Penetration - Above AverageBase Feats:
[Primal Force X] - S-tier - Mythickin [Plight of the Whimsical Queen X] - S-tier - Fairy [Disaccharides (Sugar) Pool I] - E-tier - Fairy [Divine Fae Physiology I] - E-tier - Blessed Fairy [Divine Fae Sense I] - F-tier - Blessed Fairy [Prismatic Lumination I] - C-tier - Fairy [Zoolingualism I] - F-tier - Queen [Ephemeral Grace I] - F-tier - Queen [Fae Queen’s Ire I] - S-tier - Queen
[Primal Force] was the same EXP buff passive Scarlet had described, but [Plight of the Whimsical Queen] snatched her attention. Her entire life stretched before her, highlighting her whimsical nature and attitude.
All of the attention, the ease she had in drawing people to her, and how effortless it was to excel at whatever she put her mind to click when reading that one Feat. It was a reflection of her inner axiomatic foundation imprinted on her very soul, but there was far more veiled from its simple description.
[Disaccharides Pool] was simply her source of power, but [Divine Fae Physiology] and [Divine Fae Sense] were so much more. Again, she had this instinctual understanding that this status sheet was only the tip of a much larger iceberg.
She could talk to animals with [Zoolingualism], and [Ephemeral Grace] provided her an inborn grasp of etiquette in how she behaved. Nonetheless, she could choose to exercise it or not due to her whimsical nature.
[Fae Queen’s Ire] had certainly not been S-tier when she’d changed. It was built over three days of constant torment, waiting to be released.
Equipped Feats: 3/3
[Elemental Enchantress I] - F-tier - Oonagh [Emotional Surge I] F-tier - Oonagh [Sweet Magic Boost I] F-tier - Oonagh
[Elemental Enchantress] was clear enough; it was her ability to give others electric, wind, or fire abilities for a limited time. [Emotional Surge] and [Sweet Magic Boost] provided a whole new direction for her that made Fiona’s lips curl with the tinting forest.
Fiona knew exactly who Oonagh was; the Irish Queen of the Fairies and a goddess of magic, but she had other things on her mind. With every grain of sugar that she consumed, her emotions and magic would continue to spike.
She was more than just some sweet thing that sang and flitted about; from the moment she stepped foot in this mystical forest space, something awakened within her that roared to be heard. Fiona selected her Stats:
+3 Power
+2 Constitution
Fiona was done being pushed around and stepped on. She wouldn’t be held captive or allow her friends to be held captive again. She chose her two Feat Extensions:
[Divine Fae Physiology: Second Wind] - Allows the user to draw energy from nature to refuel up to 10% of the user’s primary energy source.
[Disaccharides (Sugar) Pool I: Well Fed] - Allows the user to reach up to 150% of their maximum pool before being inflicted by the [Addled] Debuff for 30 minutes.
She knew precisely what Stat she wanted to modify:
[Power Grade Modified - Increased to Maximum]
Fiona flexed her fingers as the area around her continued to brighten with red shades with her growing anger.
They had attacked her. They had tortured her. They had threatened her friend. They had hurt people to make her use her magic. They’d forced her to watch horrible acts as punishment. They used her magic in horrible ways, marring her heart. And deserved everything her aching heart urged her to release.
Her gaze went to the Level 5 Advancement Path: Attack, Defense, or Utility. She didn’t hesitate:
Attack Feat Branch: Prismatic War Magic I - Obtain the elemental attributes of a Prismatic Fairy Warlord, obtaining the following Base Feats:
[Warpath] - Reactive State - an Enrage State that provides buffs at a cost:
All Spells double in power and cost 50% less sugar. Emotional State will remain at 100% Raging and cannot be deactivated until the user’s perceived enemy is dead.
[Elemental Magic I] - Active - as this Feat grows, so too will the elements the user can gain access to and their diversity of spells.
Currently available colors:
Red - Fire Magic - Inferno - F-tier
Light Blue - Ice Magic - Ice Shard - F-tier
It was her only attack option, and maybe she was a closet rager because something within her was burning to be let out; more prismatic colors would be available as her Tiers and Grades increased. All the misery, heartache, and fear were converted by [Fae Queen’s Ire] to enhance her spells with [Magic Boost] and [Emotional Surge] before [Warpath] pushed it even further beyond.
It all came to her naturally, as if waking from a lucid dream; Fiona didn’t need more than a minute to make her decisions after sitting on her throne. She didn’t feel like a new person but like something caged within her was being set free. She refined the Feat that most called out to her:
[Plight of the Whimsical Queen] - Refinement Time - 7 Days.
Scarlet and Maria could do their own thing; she was going to burn this building to the foundations if that was what it would take to save her friend. It wasn’t murder that was on her heart; it was restitution. Fiona exited her inner world.
