Summary: Who to trust, and who to not?
The beak was a mistake. He tried to eat her fifteen times alone. "So many peck marks." Amelia looked over her arms. "How the heck has he not eaten you?"
"He has, like ten times before." Lucci answered nonchalantly as he strapped the little psycho bird to his back. "I usually end up forming a bubble inside him and he spits me right back out."
"That sounds like the same type of relationship me and Em have with our mom." Edric deadpanned.
"It's nowhere close to whatever relationship you have with your mom." Lucci argued. "For one, Hooty actually loves me and vice versa."
"I can't tell if that makes it better or worse." Amelia noted as they walked. "So, how are we actually going to move through the city? Because I don't think they're in the mood for hiding anymore."
"Get on your palimans and hide on the roof for now." Lucci took out his staff. "Ah … you guys do have Palisman, right?"
"I got Batric right here." Edric took out a bat.
"I was told by the bat queen my goals were too average and basic to spark interest." Amelia pouted.
"So basically Luz?" Lucci asked.
"A little … titan, I don't even have an original problem to call my own." Amelia grumbled.
"Let's save the existentialism for when we're not hunted down." Lucci spoke, jumping onto his staff and flying up. "How long have these guys been working at this? This couldn't have just happened overnight."
"Well it wouldn't be hard to replace people." Edric noted as she sat down behind him. "Our lives are in danger twenty four seven, and crazy events pop up all the time. It's probably easy to slip in when no one is looking."
"And there's been quite a few events involving large crowds, like the coven's day parade and the Grudgby match. Both events bring in about half of Bonesburrow on their own, not even including the other towns on the Isles." Amelia noted.
"... So it could have been this entire week … lovely." The boy grumbled. "Okay, looking down … that can't be good."
Amelia looked down herself, seeing multiple Basilisk running through the town, along with civilians running through the alleyway. "Should we go help them?"
"What if that's another trap?" Edric warned. "You heard the Owl Lady Copy. We've been out for a while and they probably all already told each other. We can't afford to risk anything."
"So we can't trust anyone, and they have the skills of every witch alive … this bodes well." Lucci sarcastically replied. "Sugar, do you have any ideas? I really don't know how to deal with being outnumbered without the old team."
"Hssssh." The snake responded. "Hsssh. Hsssh. Hssh."
"Ah, I see." The boy nodded. "Sugar says whenever she's surrounded by higher predators, the first thing you should do if you're charging head on is isolate one when they least suspect it, and strangle them until they can't fight back. From there you learn everything you can."
"Okay, so we just need to find a lone one …" Amelia looked down. "Unfortunately they're all within screaming distance of one another. This was well coordinated."
"Maybe not." Edric looked down, seeing one that seemed to be walking around the woods in a daze. One with green hair. "It's Em's copy. Wow, you really launched her out."
"Hey, hard not to do when it has such a punchable face." Lucci shrugged. "Okay then, lets handle this delicately."
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Two Thirty Five rubbed their jaw, trying to realign it. "Gah, brat punches like a truck." Such an annoying hassle, but one that had to be done if they were to create their utopia. So much effort, time, patience … it was finally paying off.
Now all they needed to do was inform someone of the trio, and sooner or later they'd get caught-
Vines wrapped around their feet, followed by two bubbles enveloping their arms. "Huh."
"Wow, nice shot Cat." The voice of the idiot she was stuck being paired with for the week echoed.
"How did you already forget my name!?" Some random girl shouted. "It's been said out loud like three times already, I'm Amelia!"
"You sure? Pretty sure it was Boscha, Skara, cat, and Bo.."
"Bo's barely been around the group! How am I the one who gets forgotten when she's barely mentioned!?"
"We're getting off topic." The Manticore Menace raised their staff at them. "We want answers, or-"
"Or what, you gonna kill me?" The Basilisk asked. "Carve lines into my flesh, hit me with lightning until I do what I'm told, drugged up until down is up and right is polka dots?" They leaned forward, releasing the disguise and showing off their true body. "A little late to the party, bub."
"Oh titan…" The idiot winced.
"Yeah, not so pretty huh." They grumbled. "This is what happens when you witches decide to play titan and don't even give a dead guy the courtesy of letting them stay dead."
"So … one of your group really is three." The devil muttered.
The fake chuckled. "Honey, we're all Three. Me in particular, I'm Point Two Thirty Five."
The child rolled their eyes. "If you were all somehow Three then you'd be triggered if I mentioned I killed Two and Four and know what happened to Five." He WHAT!?
"YOU BASTARD!" They tried to jump them, only to get strained by even more vines wrapping around their legs. "What?!"
"Again, I'm a plant magic user, idiot." The nobody looked at her. "Bet you morons regret forgetting about me now."
They opened their mouth, sucking in magic-getting bopped in the head. "Again, I don't go down like that." The devil child growled. "I have answers you want, and you have answers I want, so lets get talking."
They glared. "Yes, we are ALL three. Triton if you want to be specific. We managed to clone ourselves through a relic."
The three children looked at each other, confused. "What kind of relic allows you to clone yourself on this scale?" The idiot asked. "Even illusionists would struggle with this level with mirrors."
"Don't know, it's not like it came with a label." They rolled their eyes. "But, with it, utopia can be forged."
"Utopia, huh?" The devil kid rolled his eyes. "A utopia of one single person, sounds peachy and not all insane."
"Basilisks are genderless, we can shift whatever parts we need." They grinned, shifting back to Em. "We can procreate, even as gross as it is with doing it with ourselves, to the point we can bring them back." They smiled widely. "We can revive the Basilisks …"
"....So your plan is to get rid of everybody to make room for a massive insist orgy." The idiot summarized.
"I wouldn't say everybody, just … witches. And it's not like we're getting rid of you all forever. A Basilisk needs to eat somehow." They snickered. "We've rounded you all up like cattle, savoring you all bit by bit to feed us for generations to come."
"So you're going to do to us what we did to you." The devil noted.
"Karma at its finest … Now, I told you my story, what happened to Vee." They glared.
"She's in the human world now. Joined a family and has a human girlfriend, all around happy life." The devil explained. "She's free from the persecution and hate this world threw at her."
"... Good." They sighed. "Good …" They let out a tear. "She didn't grow up to be like us…" They rested on the floor. "That's the real kicker here. When it comes to shit thrown my way, I could care less, but go for the children…for the family….that's when the line's been crossed."
"Yeah…what you did….so in the end…no one's the good guy here." The devil child nodded.
Two Thirty Five let out a laugh. "There never was one … now excuse me while I deny you the location." They shapeshifted a claw inside of their own throat, squeezing tightly.
"Wait, don't, Em!" The idiot cried out.
"I'm not your sister, moron…I'm not even really a Basilisk, I'm a copy of the ghost of a basilisk that died years ago." And now, they could finally …rest. "See you in hell, Kids, I'll be there with a greeting cards and soft drink."
SNAP
At last … bliss.
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Not a nick, not a nick, she couldn't let them scratch her. Kikimora had too much information to spill. Too much of the Emperor's true plan was at stake if she made a wrong move, so she had to hide in the woods. She would've just hid in the castle…but after her 'promotion', she was relegated to….delivery duty.
Not that she wasn't grateful … it was just annoying. How was she supposed to earn the graces of Belos while stuck with menial tasks? Kikimora wished to soar and serve, but it seemed he kept favoring that Golden Guard even when they did LESS than she did. Nepotism truly was the worst.
Although … even with this apocalypse putting everything in danger, the opportunity was prevalent. Basilisk corpses for the Emperor … that would put her in good favor, right? Surely the draining spell could work more favorably if Belos could study the Basilisk far more in depth…right?
Now what was she going to do. She was capable and skilled, clearly more so than the golden guard, but she was by herself against an army. She worked best when she was commanding a group of morons to do her bidding and exploit for usefulness.
Now where could she find a group of morons to manipulate … "What now?" A voice came from a nearby bush.
"I … don't know." A familiar voice spoke. "We don't even know where everyone's held, or where to start looking."
"They just….killed themselves….so easily…..like their lives didn't matter…" A third voice sounded like they were gagging. "With the bird demon song, I got it…but they…"
"You heard them, they don't even consider themselves alive. Just ghosts holding onto the chance to bring back their species." The familiar voice said in a hollow tone.
Taking a chance, Kikimora jumped through the bushes, preparing a spell. "I have you now, Basilisk scum!" Focus on the strong one, they'd need to use up their energy faster.
They didn't get far when she was put in a familiar bubble, one that immediately shrank and nearly crushed her entire body. "Hey there Kikimora. You made it?" The devil child asked in surprise.
"You can't fool me Basilisk, I'm not going to let my guard up for a single second!" She wasn't dumb enough to just slip up now.
"Kikimora, it's three on one in an isolated area, even then Basilisks can just drain magic if they can get away with it." The boy deadpanned. "Don't be an idiot like the golden tool."
"....True….." Kikimora supposed there could be truth to this…and on the off chance this was real, she could turn the boy into the Emperor before the Golden Guard could!
"Wait, how do you know it's her?" The green haired girl asked.
"Because she's the only one suicidally crazy enough to take on Basilisks in the woods without backup." The devil child explained. "They copy memories, but they wouldn't copy the deranged insanity."
"I am perfectly sane!"
"That's not a claim anyone here can have after today." The girl muttered.
"Let me guess, you were overlooked because you were too boring and unimpressive." The Blight child groaned.
"No, because I'm smart. Not a single Basilisk is going to touch me." She wouldn't let Belos's draining spell become the knowledge of some creatures that deserved to be nothing more than experiments.
"If you're so smart, then you know how to fight these guys?" The devil child asked.
"There's an old idiom in the Boiling Isles." She told them. "You can either guard something important, or hide it, but anyone who does both is a moron." She explained. "The basilisk are so numerous in scope not just because of their plans, but because they feel confident enough that their main base of operations can go unguarded. That's where we're likely to find all the people they've replaced, and if we're so lucky, what allows them to duplicate themselves."
"Okay … that still wouldn't help us locate where it is." The girl said.
"Of course you don't, because you're simple poems that are running about all Willy nilly." Kilimora chastised. "But I've been watching closely. I've seen the basilisk replace many, both citizen and coven scout alike. I know where they are, because I'm crafty and know when to listen."
"Cool." The Blight smiled. "Now all we need is to gather all the Emperor Coven Scouts you protected, and we can rush in no problem."
"Actually … there's no protection. Those who aren't replaced are protecting the emperor, who's in his own safety bunker."
"If so many people close to the emperor got replaced, why isn't he doing anything about it?" The green haired girl asked.
"Would you prefer the sugar coated reason or the blunt reason?" She asked.
"Be as blunt as possible." The Clawthorne nodded
"The moment the Basilisks complete their job and go after him, everyone he doesn't have to kill will be in a cage." She explained a simple to believe reasoning.
"And your helping us.."
"I want the emperor to succeed…but I still have a family to worry about."
"Luz told me that sob story was bogus."
"I thought I was getting rewarded beyond my wildest dreams, of course I would give my family for that!"
"Mittens might be right, all adults are fucked in the head." The Blight boy deadpanned.
"Are you going to complain about it, or are you going to help me take down these overgrown vermin, because you can't do both!" Kikimkra exclaimed.
"I mean technically we can. The reason you're offering your help to us is because you can't do it by yourself." The devil child noted.
"...Just let me out of the bubble already." She would run over this child if she could. "The sooner we get to their base, the less likey your friends and family will get drained and the sooner I can get back into the Emperor's good graces."
"Glad to see your priorities in check."
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Edric glanced over the tree, seeing the spot in question. "So they've been going in and out of there?" It looks like a standard cave, with a couple of things being off, mainly the pieces of metal sticking out of the entry entrance.
"Yes. Basilisks come in, and 'witches' come out." Kikimora explained with air quotes. "This is definitely where they come to replenish themselves when they're low on magic."
"Gott to imagine they burn out quickly, since they're the only subspecies that uses it like a witch can." The girl he was half certain was named Cat brought up.
"Yes, that's why they prefer to use it very sparingly, only casting when they have an advantage in numbers." Kikimora noted. "They are also limited in mental capacity, having to remove certain memories before their heads overload. Which is why they focus on one style at a time."
"How do you know that?" Edric questioned.
"I read books in my spare time."
"That, and the Emperor experimented on them by bringing them back to life." Lucci growled.
"I have no idea what you're referring to." The woman spoke in a dark tone. "Obviously the rantings of madmen."
"Don't try to play dumb with me here. I know that whatever the day of unity is going to do wild magic, it's not going to be peaceful." Lucci glared at the tiny woman. "And the only reason why I'm not drowning you at the bottom of the boiling sea is because we both want to stop these guys. The moment we're done, this little truce is off."
"I expected as much." Kikimora nodded. "Now, the place is unguarded, and thus we can rush inside. Illusionist, cover us up just in case."
"Shouldn't someone in the Emperor's Coven know illusion magic?" The girl asked.
"I save my energy for only the most important matters."
"Aka, we're living meat shields for her to exploit so she can bask in the glory without doing the dirty work." Lucci rolled his eyes.
"Exactly." The Coven lady nodded. "Now, how about we get along in-" Two Basilisk came out of the cave. "Shoot, be quiet."
"Are you sure Sixty Three?" One of them asked. "It might just be the wind."
"Never hurts to double check. I swear I can smell magic around here."
A moment of silence overtook them. Looks like they didn't count on the super senses. "Damn it, what now?" Lucci asked.
"Easy, use your palisman and have them lure the pests away." The short woman whispered.
"I'm not going to risk any Palisman over this, especially if it's to cover your tiny butt." Lucci glared.
"If it's magic they're detecting, nothing says it has to be a person right?" Edric asked, taking out a few vials from his uniform. "Just a lot of magic in one place." He began mixing up the liquids.
"You make potions?" Cat asked.
"Yeah, I was in the middle of signing up for the potion track when all of this happened."
"I guess in this situation, the fact you're switching tracks works wonders." Kikimora noted.
"Yeah…switch." He felt like he'd get a lot less in trouble if he didn't correct her. "Just got to mix up the chemicals..hey Amolisa, do you have any Snakeweed on you?"
"Amelia."
"Do you have it or not?" Curly top questioned.
"Yeah, just give me a second." She grumbled, growing out a plant that was scaly looking and hissing at them.
"Good." He grabbed the plant and grinded it into the potion. "That'll give off both the scent of magic and create both small and more vulnerable than the basilisk. They won't be able to resist going after it."
"Great, after that, we rush in." Lucci looked over the bushes.
"Why are we even guarding this place?" One Basilisk questioned. "We have enough numbers to make a break-in impossible."
"Preparation is key, always be prepared for anything that passes."
"For a bunch of clones, they've got a pretty diverse set of personalities." Amelia noted.
"Yea, I mean, it'd be boring and kind of maddening to just talk to yourself all the time." Edric mentioned, tossing the vial. "If me and Em were the same all the time, then it would remove the fun of having a sibling in the first place."
Crash
The two creatures tensed. "Stand close, don't do anything rash." They spoke, moving forward.
"Is this an ambush them when away situation, or a sneak while they're distracted one?" Amalisa asked.
"Ambus-"
"Sneak in." Lucci interrupted before Kikimora could finish, grabbing him and Anala and dragging them to the cave entrance.
"If they notice it was bait, they could sound an alarm." The coven lady stated as they moved into the dark area.
"Then we better be quick about it, shouldn't we?" The boy grunted. "I am not giving you more bodies to bring back to Belos. Titan knows what torture he'll put them through."
"They kidnapped your family, most of whom you know. I say torture is the very least they deserve." The tiny woman muttered. Honestly that was a fair point.
"Well I'm choosing to be the better person." The boy argued. "Now come on, we need to figure out where to walk. Sugar, light mode."
The snake palisman curled up in a ball on the boy's staff, before a bubble surrounded it, glowing up in a bright pink light. "Just how many forms does your staff have?" Edric asked.
"About as many as I can think of, I guess. Her body's form channels my powers in different ways depending on her position on my staff." He answered. "She really likes wrapping around my arm and shapeshifting the most."
"Hhhsss."
"Aw, I love how warm you make me feel too."
"Is every palisman bond weird like this?" The green haired girl turned to him.
"I can't say. Batric's a pretty simple guy." He pointed to his own. "He helps me remember a few things and tutors me in old deadwardian literature."
"Eeehhh." The little guy squealed.
"We can recite deadlit poems later, Batric, focus on finding Em and the others." He reminded him. Family you loved always came first after all. "So, you develop echolocation yet, Curly Top?"
"King tried to do it with his shrieks once or twice, but he hasn't really been able to interpret the sound when it bounces back." The boy said, shining the light brighter. "Come on, there's only so much space you can hide someone in a ca-"
"Aaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhh!" Amelio shrieked as she pointed to a frozen face of that weird big nose woman….stuck in one single position in something green and cocoon shaped.,
"... I can't even tell if this is natural or not." Edric spoke to lighten the mood. "They originally ate palistrum trees, what evolutionary purpose would cocooning serve?"
"They're a dying species that require magic to sustain themselves." Kikimora chimed in. "This preserves their food supply for years if they so choose to. What better way then the people they've replaced?"
"But, what is it even made out of? They don't naturally produce webbing or cocoons. Was this just a trait they got from changing into different animals and beasts?" Edric felt the casing, which was as slimy as it looked. "Ewwwww."
"Whatever it is, we found them." Lucci looked around. "Now lets free some people before-"
"Intruders!"
"... Amelia's scream alerts anyone."
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Hooty yawned, having taken a wonderful nap! The sudden trip really took him by surprise, and he needed to recover his little owl energy. "Hoot hoot, alright, I'm ready to start our adventure, how we doing?" He asked the group, turning to the new girl. "Oh, did we get a discount Luz to?"
"I will skin you alive you miserable abomination of nature." The little gal raised her finger.
"Hmm … sounding a lot like a discount Amity …" Such a curious day.
"Ah Hooty, if you haven't noticed, we're currently surrounded by an army!" Lucci exclaimed. "So maybe you could make do with the fighting and squash their heads!?"
"Ready for action, hoot hoot!" He prepared himself to fight these hooligans who dared to hurt his friends.
"Do you really think you have a chance?" One of the creatures asked.
"Do you really think you can take us all on?" Lucci asked. The basilisks merely glanced at each other, before inhaling, making Hooty feel weak, as Lucci was the only one left standing. "….Why am I the one tasked with being the hero here?"
"Because your a moron that thinks he can take on the world in spite of how much he's proven wrong time and time again." One of them spoke up, changing into Skara.
"Do you really think we'd take on so many people and not prepare for you?" One turned into a dark skinned boy with an annoying face. "With all the chaos you cause, and all the friends you made, we know how you function. As long as you have friends to compensate for weak spots, your raw power is unbeatable."
"Not just physically, we know how you function mentally and emotionally." One changed into Luz. "Your overconfidence, your nonchalant to violence, and you ever present mommy issues."
"Yeah, we've been trying to work on that last one." Hooty nodded weakly.
"I do not have mommy issues!" Lucci shouted indignantly.
"Oh please, you're a born liar, but don't lie to yourself." A king clone laughed. "You'd let the whole world burn away if it made the old broad happy. You may have even had a decent moral compass if it wasn't for the bird lady raising you into a little monster."
"If you have his memories, you'd know it's not a good idea to press your luck." The boy clenched his fists. "I've been going easy on you as it is."
"You sent one with my sister's face through a window and several trees, and you call it easy?" Discount Gus asked.
"Yeah, because I didn't cut off their heads." The boy stated, pulling out some buzz saws. "And you don't wanna test me."
"Oh, I think we will." A new voice came up, as some blond kid with a chipped ear and a scar on his face walked up, grinning.
"... That's the face you're trying to convince me with?" Lucci asked with disappointment. "I'd kick his butt no problem."
"Then do it." They walked forward. "Try and take me down … like you didn't do in the Eclipse Lake."
"Believe me, that's a mistake I wish I didn't make!" Lucci charged right into the guy's chest, slamming it into the wall.
"I'm waiting." They continued to smirk, even pinned against the cave. "Caving my skull in, cutting me in half, what's the play here kiddo?"
"Seriously, would you just shut up!?" The boy glowed completely pink; and punched his fist through the guy's chest.
The guy looked down. "You … actually …" Their body slumped, a Basilisk face revealed.
"Wow, guess we were wrong for the empathy angle." Luz noted. "Luckily for us, we know counters." She tapped on papers, sending lightning straight at Lucci.
"Seriously, did you idiots just skim through the memories, I'm shook proof." The boy absorbed it and redirected it through sugar.
"Nah, it just lowers your guard." Multiple plants wrapped around him, followed by ice forming over those.
"Plants and ice, like I've never broken out of that before." Lucci rolled his eyes.
"Maybe, but if you do, your snake becomes a snack." The King copy held the staff in his hand. "If there's one thing that hits at that black heart inside of ya, it's your palisman. Stand down, or I bite it's head off."
"How did you-"
"Again, we know how you work." A copy of Eda smirked, making itself known. "How being overwhelmed by more than one enemy gives you tunnel vision, and thanks to your mommy's memories, I know your blind spots and when you're fully distracted."
"So stand down, and just let it happen." The Luz copy grinned. "It'll be quick."
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Lucci glared at these bastards. "You …" They were threatening Palismans along with all the other snorseshit they caused? For some utopia built on freaking incest!?
"Yeah yeah, we're terrible living creatures, we won't get away with this." He turned, seeing a Basilisk touch Amelia, their arm sparking as they turned into a perfect copy. "Heard it all before … man, this girl doesn't have anything going for her, does she?"
"You don't know her." Lucci growled. "You take memories, but you don't become who they belong to. I caught on to your little plan because none of you act like the real deal."
"Did you really?" The King one questioned. "I have memories of this guy watching the mailbox at night when no one is looking. You still think he's not obsessed with finding his dad?"
"He wouldn't be so blatant about it. He'd take on the family motto and repress those feelings to himself like we all do." Lucci corrected.
"... Do you need therapy?" Both basilisks asked.
"You can make up all the words you want, it's still not enough to make me not despise you." He groaned. "And you can't honestly believe your army is going to be enough to take on the Emperor? Trust me, as much as I want Boolus to kick it, I doubt even every witch on the isles can match his power."
"With you we have a chance." He saw a Basilisk crawl up to him. "Number Three Thirteen. I'll be taking your body today."
"You know, this isn't even the first time a Basilisk wanted to be me. And under different circumstances, I might've been okay with this." Lucci narrowed his eyes. "Only difference is that Vee isn't an asshole like all of you."
Every Basilisk dropped their smirk, as the ice shattered. "I don't know how you know her." And then instantly grabbed his exposed arm. "But I'm going to learn that verysoon."
Lucci prepared everything the moment this guy would try to use his own powers against him somehow … and he waited … "... I'm waiting."
"So am I." Three Thirteen noted with annoyed confusion.
"Performance … issues?" The drained Blight questioned.
"Shut up!"
"You emptied your memories, right?" The Mom clone questioned.
"I'm new born, I haven't copied anyone as it is." They frowned, glaring at Lucci.
"Don't look at me. I'm not a basilisk expert." Lucci shrugged. "If you suck at using your own powers, then that's on you."
The creature growled, grabbing his other arm. "Scan, scan, scan …" They growled, as small green and pink sparks started to form.
"Still not feeling anything here, dude." Lucci responded, not sure of what was happening, other than a small fuzzy sensation in the back of his head.
"This shouldn't be possible, you're only fourteen, there shouldn't be this much memory stored inside!"
He raised his eyebrow. "'This much memory?' What are you on about?"
The sparking got bigger, green and pink enveloping their bodies as the thing gave a fearful look. "I need to let go! I'm stuck! Get me off!"
"You let go!" The buzzing was getting louder in his head, and the world was becoming more distorted.
"I'm trying, you're going to kill me! You're going to-" Nothing was right. Lucci fell, deep through the pink and green, unable to scream.