[Addie]

I trudged through the woods, my guard up and on edge as I listened to the quiet, rustling sounds of the forest. There seemed to be a dark aura in the air, like a thick fog on an early winter morning. My hand grasped the handle of the knife Anatox gave me that first day.

I really didn't want to use it. The only reason I brought it is to defend myself.

In my other hand was the map that was with the letter. There were red lines from where the cabin was leading to some sort of clearing, as it looked on the map. I hoped I was reading it right, seeing that I don't read maps often. I've hiked before, but it was on set trails and I had never needed a map.

Luckily, my sense of direction wasn't entirely awful, for I made it to the clearing in about half an hour.

As I looked around, searching for this "Prismarine" guy as well as the missing OCs, a voice came out of nowhere and scared the crap out of me.

"You came."

I jumped with a start, turning around swiftly to see an anthropoid arctic wolf with white wings and a yellow halo. His form seemed to glitch at random to... someone else. Someone I recognized.

I shook my head. No, that can't be him.

Focusing back on the present, I nodded. "Yeah. I'm here. Now, if you would please hand over the OCs you kidnapped?"

The wolf, presumably Prismarine, chuckled slightly. "Oh, you idiot. You really think you'd get them back that easily?"

Oh, come on, I thought to myself, annoyed.

"Don't worry, they're alive. Safe... well, I won't say that. Then I'd be lying."

"Just hand them over!" I pleaded, "Why are they so important to you and whoever else is kidnapping them?!"

"Because we want to see your suffering before we get rid of you," The angel-wolf explained simply.

"Look, why can't we just make a compromise?" I asked.

"You can't talk yourself out of this one, Addie," Prismarine shook his head, "That is a tactic of the weak."

I felt my hand grip the knife in my pocket.

"Come on. I dare you."

I felt my anger rising. He obviously had something planned. He wanted me to attack him. I needed to control myself.

But now, more than ever, I wish I had more control over my emotions.

----

[3rd]

Inferno felt a small wave of pain in her skull, and she gritted her sharp teeth as she growled.

"Inferno?"

In front of her was Harm, with whom she was talking with when the headache hit. A confused and slightly worried expression was spread across his face.

"Something's... wrong," Inferno muttered. She pinched the bridge of her nose in thought. "Something's wrong."

"What is it?" Harm asked.

What must have been some sort of vision seemed to cross Inferno's sight. A white wolf with angelic wings grinned at her for a split second before disappearing.

Inferno's eyes widened. "It's the creator... she's in trouble."

"How do you-"

"I don't know, but if she dies, we die, so let's save her," Inferno snapped. She ran towards the door, Harm running after her quickly.

Harm took flight overhead, looking across the landscape for where Addie was. Inferno looked up at him and motioned for him to follow her. He nodded, and flew above Inferno as she raced through the green forest below.

Finally, they made it to the clearing where Addie was.

And Inferno stopped abruptly in shock of what she saw.

---

[Addie]

"Addie?!"

My breathing was heavy as I realized what I was doing. I looked at Prismarine, pinned to the ground under my hands.

Only it wasn't Prismarine.

It was Xirox. His black eyes were wide with fear, his ears pinned in submission.

I gasped, dropping the knife that I was holding at his throat and standing up. Xirox scrambled to his feet and backed away, growling. I hadn't even realized what I was doing... I wouldn't think that I was strong enough to hold someone like Xirox down like I did...

The one who had called my name was Inferno. She was standing at the edge of the clearing, her eyes wide with shock as she looked at me. Harm flew down from the sky and landed next to her, his expression confused.

"What... happened?" Harm asked, looking between Inferno, Xirox, and I.

Xirox snarled. "I'll tell you what happened, she attacked me!"

"What?!" I immediately snapped in disbelief. I looked back at Inferno. "He's lying! Well, he's not, but he's been lying! He's Crescent's spy!"

"Addie, why did you attack him?!" Inferno asked, still shocked.

"Because it wasn't him I was attacking!" I tried to explain, "I don't know what happened, but he wasn't Xirox! It looked like him, but he was part angel, and he left me a note saying he'd give back the missing people if I came, and-"

"Likely story! Totally doesn't sound like something you just made up to get out of this!" Xirox said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Please, you have to believe me!" I pleaded to Inferno.

She looked between the two of us, her expression indecisive. Her claws were curled into fists in anger.

Finally, she took a deep breath before settling her gaze on me.

"I usually don't mind watching people get hurt," Inferno stated, her glare now piercing. "But when it's someone I care about... something about that doesn't seem right to me."

I took a half step back. "Inferno, please-"

One of her tentacles shot forwards and wrapped around me, pulling me closer to Inferno until her angry scowl was inches from my face.

"I've been skeptical about you since you arrived, even when you told us who you really were," Inferno said in a low voice, "And I've been letting you loose. But now... you've taken it too far."

Inferno screeched angrily as she threw me against a tree. I cried out in pain as agony spread throughout my body. Suddenly, I heard a surprised and pained snarl as Inferno's hands immediately flew to her ribs, her mouth and chest-mouth twisted into an agonized scowl.

"Addie!" I heard Harm yell. I could see his blurry figure running towards me, but out of focus, since my glasses had fallen off on impact with the tree. Xirox's blurred figure ran over to Inferno, helping her back up as she cursed.

Since Harm was now close to me, I could see him in better focus. His eyes were wide with concern. "Are you okay?"

I groaned. "I was just thrown against a tree for crying out loud, of course not."

I felt him place his hand over the place where my ribs must have cracked. His palm seemed to warm up, and the pain slowly, but surely, started to fade. I silently thanked my past self for giving him healing powers.

Harm helped me up once the damage was repaired, handing me my glasses as I stood. I put them on and was met with Inferno's sharp glare from where she stood, her arm around Xirox's shoulders for support. Her face was still overtaken by anger.

"Leave here," she growled shakily, "And don't come back. I never want to see your face near my friends again."

Harm gave me an apologetic glance before starting to walk towards Inferno. Her gaze switched to him.

"That means you, too," Inferno snapped, "I can see you favor her."

"At least let me heal you," Harm stated, "I think your connection with her has brought her pain to you, with you being the persona."

Inferno growled. "Bones heal. I've dealt with worse. Now go. You've done enough damage as it is."

As Xirox aided her across the clearing, he looked back at me with a satisfied smirk. I returned it with a gesture of my own. This only seemed to amuse him, for he just rolled his eyes while still smirking and looked back ahead.

And the two disappeared back in the forest, headed back to the cabin.

----

XIROX YOU LITTLE- *angor noises*

And INFERNO WHAT THE FRICK >:0 WHY YOU HATE ME NOW IT WASNT MEEEE

1310 words