The NexttGenns Trilogy: Season 1: THE CORRUPTION SERIES

The Diamond Locke || 16

My red fennec fox ears perk up at a noise from outside the library room, and I freeze. I gather the books and hide them under my wounded wings; wincing as the books rub against them. I summon a bag, throw the books in, and hide it under my wings. I cautiously trot to the door and slip out into the empty hall. I sprint quietly down to the left. My wings pull back, leaking smaller amounts of brelta behind me. I get closer to a corner and collapse on the ground with a soft but painful thud. My knees scrape somehow on the nearly flawless tile floor, and my wings fall towards me, exposing the book bag. I groan.

Where was I supposed to go from here?

A Cytronic appears in front of me from the right corner. I can only see ashy feet and legs. They kick my arm gently and pause.

"Get up." Whispers a feminine voice. I look down standing up shakily. I brush myself off, and look up at the Cytronic. My jaw drops. It's Her. "T-Tra-" I stutter before she covers my mouth swiftly. She puts her finger to her lips and looks around. She leads me to the left hall and we walk together. It Is her; but she's changed. Not only appearance -wise. Although it's not safe to say it aloud yet, it floats about my mind. Traple. My cousin. She's the Paluna girl Genie wanted dead. I frown. Well, maybe not Dead, but out of the way. I study her quickly. Everything has changed, just glancing at her; but really it's the same Traple we all know and love, just three thousand years older.

There is a line through the 'hashtag' looking mark on her left cheek now. An X is marked across the red circle on her right cheek. There appear to be stitches at the top and bottom in different places on both of her eyes, as well as two long scars. Her once purple eyes are now a silver-grey, with spirals in place of pupils. Her hair is dyed black, with purple highlights and tips that spike upwards, and she seems to have kept a small remanence of the loop her hair used to do. Her ears are pierced in many places; Her right- the rabbit ear- has three open earrings lining the side, and above that are three more closed earrings; on the bottom are three ring earrings, two claw-like ring earrings, and a dangling chain earring. On her left ear- the fox ear- there are two ring earrings, and one claw-like ring earring lining the bottom; on the side are two closed earrings and one open one. Above the earrings on the fox ear, is grey fur, blending into the white like it was sewn that way to the beginning of the ear. The once red bow around her neck, is now black and ripped at the edge of the bow shape. Below the X on her chest, there are two scratches, then the fur off the the left is ripped a little bit. The metal stomach area as well as her arms, have black X's on them. Then the fur below that is also ripped off to the left. Traple's once pink and green Fox-Rabbit tail is now red and green. From her feet, black ash spikes up her legs stopping jaggedly at her knees.

I bite my lip.

How do you ask someone "Hey what the hell happened to you?" like this without sounding rude?

Traple and I duck into a nearby vent and close the door behind us. Traple slides the deadbolt into place. I breathe in shakily and ask away about her appearance; everything. Traple lets out a breath. "Well," She says. " The potion Tollage gave me left lasting effects on my eyes, resulting in the spirals, but I don't mind."

She points to her left face marking and her chest. "Scratches." I blink, dumbly confused. "From what?" I ask. Traple looks around thinking. "Uhm,.." She purses her lips. "Fights along the way I guess. Battle scars." I point to the X on her cheek and her chest. "What about those?" She breathes in. "I- .. I did that." My mouth falls open slightly. "Why?" Traple looks to the side. "I-'d ..rather not say." I point to the 'X's' on her arm and across her stomach. Trap smiles. "Fishnet style accessories I took from Tresk Space's room once."

I giggle. "Space would kill me if I touched her things." I admit. Traple gestures to the bow. "I was in another fight- that was entirely not my fault, by the way- and it got screwed up. And it's black because I decided to dye it." She points to her stitches. "See this?" I nod. "Also from fighting; since for 'Missing Cytronics' there are no physicians or doctors- since everyone thinks you're dead or corrupted- I had to sew it up myself, and let me tell you it hurt like a mother fucker."

My jaw drops. "Without anesthesia?" Traple raises a brow. "Hell yea, without it. What you think I can just pull that shit outta my ass?" She laughs.

"No, Trap, I- ..I mean-" I bite my lip. "Does it still hurt?"

Traple snickers. "Hell no, that was... So many months ago."

I guess my eyes drifted upon the grey patch of fur on her fox ear, because she said, " It got torn off when I became Corruption, the transformation fucked it up both ways. I hid it when I was cured, but I couldn't remember shit before the transformation for nothin,- hence the silver iris's- and the off color of the patch is because it just looked cool to be honest."

Then she must've read "The Katalog" Maybe to figure out what happened that night.. I frown. But I know there has to be some other explanation.. Why would two spies for the Hicrill need the book's location, if they already have it?  I shake my head.

Traple moves to talking about her hair. "The colors used to be opposite- The purple used to be the main color, and the black parts were the highlights and tips; and after that actually it was all dyed black."

I stare at her earrings. "That.. must be painful." I say. She follows my gaze. "Oh. Nah, it's really not. I really just like earrings and it just kinda built up over time. "

She looks over herself, probably thinking. "Oh, the red in my tail is just dyed,- why not. and the black ash is another side effect from the cure that stayed."

I asked about the scar above her eye, but she said she didn't remember what that was from. I make a mental picture of her and try to remember exactly what she looked like before; but all I know is that she looks very different.

Traple is staring at me. I blink, realizing we're just staring at each other awkwardly. "What?" I ask. "You tell me." She says. I look to the side. "Well, it's just- I'm getting this strange feeling about you, like.. I should know you from.. before. Like before Genie, before Elaina was Irisquedor.. but I'm not sure what." I frown. Traple frowns too. "I'm not quite sure what you're talking about, but I recognize the name Genie. The feeling is strange here too." She says.

I begin thinking. "How much do you know from before?" Traple shakes her head. "Like I told you, I don't remember anything before I was corrupted."

I blink. "Of course! Then you must know what happened after you were taken by Fallen, The Betrayer!"