Fragments (One-Shots) | Mystery Skulls Animated

Spiritual Encounter (2/4)

[AU: A bust goes wrong when a strange and powerful spirit shows up. Core encounter written 2017, some context padding taken from chapter 6 because I was too lazy to write new padding and for some reason couldn't find the entire extensive draft for this one.]

TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic violence with Mystery, blood.

As she walked, Vivi stared around at the bleak environment she could make out in the dim moonlight. There was a scrabbling sound ahead, and Vivi squinted along the path, trying to make out a certain white shape.

        "Mystery?" She called, pulling her sweater sleeves down over her hands. "Mystery, you there?"

        A sudden, earsplitting hiss filled the silence, and Vivi clapped her hands over her ears, screwing her eyes shut. As soon as her ears stopped ringing, she let her hands drop to her sides and opened her eyes—and her jaw dropped.

        Before her, a green, catlike creature stood blocking the road, grinning nastily across at Mystery, who was growling menacingly at it. The thing seemed to be the source of the mist—and, indeed, where its bristling hair ended, it seemed to fade away into wisps. Its face was twisted, its mouth disproportionately large, and its mangled body, though incorporeal, looked badly decomposed. The creature took a swipe at her dog and Vivi shrieked, reaching out for Mystery. The dog dodged the monster's claws and grew before her eyes—his legs extended and his teeth grew long and sharp, and behind him his short tail grew long and bushy, now accompanied by other swishing, red-tipped ones. spices matches clippers

        Mystery's eyes glowed crimson and he leapt forward, gnashing his teeth. The spirit swept him aside and Mystery landed hard, furrowing the earth where his body slid. The monster's green eyes flashed as it set them on Vivi—prey. Opening its cavernous mouth, it beared down on her, hackles raised, and Vivi screamed, falling backwards. Just as the thing would have been upon her, there was a white flash and Mystery was there again, standing over her and blocking its path.

        Hurriedly she fumbled for her radio. "Arthur!" she shouted into it. "We need you, fast! Bring holy water, exorcism slips and salt! We've got something big on our hands!"

         With a snarl, Mystery lunged at the malevolent spirit, but it dodged him easily. Now, as she looked at it, she could see it was around the size of Mystery. . . well, smaller Mystery. It also seemed to have a gaping hole in its side, though Mystery hadn't landed a blow on it yet.

        What followed was a series of advances and retreats, a gnashing of teeth. It was hypnotising to watch, and she stayed where she was.

        Suddenly, something pricked at the back of her mind. A voice.

        Yukino— Vivi.

        She straightened and glanced around. No one else was there.

        But I am. I'm right here.

        When she glanced up at the creature, she found its eyes fixed on her.

        Your friend, there's something wrong with him, isn't there? Arthur. He has been acting distant.

        That's it, distant. The voice was right. He had been acting strange the past few months.

        I can fix that.

        It could?

        Of course. All you would need to do is hand over that kit— dog. Mystery. All I want is your dog.

        What would the voice even do with a dog?

        That's none of your concern. I can help you if you just get it to shrink again for me.

        Shrink. . .?

        "Mystery," she called weakly.

        He snatched a glance over his shoulder.

        Tell him to shrink again. Now.

        "Mystery, I want you to. . ."

        Before she could finish her sentence, a flash of pink light blazed through the clearing, blinding her.

* * * * *

Arthur skidded into the clearing, panting and out of breath. The first thing he saw was Vivi, on the ground, and then a few paces beyond her lay a huge, unmoving, red and white. . . thing.

        He carefully padded forward and set a hand on Vivi's shoulder, making her jump. "Arthur!"

        "Sorry— sorry," he exhaled, relieved to see she was okay. His eyes travelled to the bicolour form further down the path and upon recognising it, he paled. "Uh, what—"

        "Someone bit off more than he could chew," she replied curtly, and stood, brushing herself down. Arthur stayed rooted to the spot, staring. That thing was real. The thing from the cave was real. And it was here. With them. Right now.

        Suddenly he registered that Vivi was no longer beside her and he started, turning to find her striding towards the thing. He held in a squeak.

        Vivi steeled herself, taking five strides before she was standing over her injured dog. Well, her injured . . . What was he? A fox? A fox with six tails. Her voice was steady and she was putting on a calm face, but from where Arthur stood watching, he knew she was still in shock. Her left eyelid was twitching—that was a bad sign. It meant there was probably going to be a "little talk" later on.

        "Clever Vivi," Mystery smiled, but then his mouth turned down at the corners. "I'm sorry for keeping this from you for so long. I didn't mean for you to find out this way."

        "Yeah, well, we're going to have a long talk later."

        Mystery dipped his head once in acknowledgement, and, closing his eyes, he began to shrink. Slowly, the six tails retracted until there was only one, short one; and his body, face and legs grew shorter until a small red, black and white dog stared up at them.

        Arthur gaped from behind.

        Peeling off her jumper, Vivi stooped down and bundled the bleeding dog in her arms, hurriedly standing and turning to leave. "Now, we're going home," she said firmly, and Arthur could only nod dumbly in response.