Another Way

Chapter 19: Treachery

Sue came to with a startle, feeling herself jolting forward in shock at the sudden awakening- but her point of view didn't shift at all. Her mind tried to move her body around, turn her head, her eyes, scream for help. Nothing, again and again. Moments later, the perspective shifted, leaning a bit backwards. And then, she spotted something in the corner of her vision, the brown feathers bringing forth a terrifying realization.

This wasn't her body.

The awareness didn't stop Sue from trying to thrash against her bindings, at least initially. Each passing moment drove the point home, though, especially with this body's gradual shuffle along the branch they were perching on. After she'd given up on trying to move, Sue attempted to concentrate on what her temporary host was observing.

The wide path they were hiding beside felt... familiar, but she wouldn't be able to nail down why even if she'd tried. Its initial emptiness wouldn't last, though, much to Sue's horror. She saw Ginger and Alastor walk in from the left side, their appearance oddly detailed. Every single scale in all the stark colors, every single strand of red and black fur, all sharp and in focus. This body must've been some good hundred meters away; how the hell-

And then, she saw Solstice enter the scene.

Or, at least, what she thought was Solstice. Forest Guardian, without a crutch and with tattoos covering half their body; initially leading the group approaching from the right before shifting off to the side. She didn't have the time to think about whether these were Solstice's tattoos before her host's gaze narrowed at their sight, so intensely it felt to Sue like an optical zoom.

Motion kept happening all around, but this body's sole focus continued to rest on what had to be the Mayor. They lifted their left wing and held something green above and just to the side of their center of vision, the realization making Sue gasp soundlessly.

Just before they nocked another feather arrow.

She could only watch.

Seconds dragged out into minutes as Juniper aimed at Solstice, arrow at the ready. The Forest Guardian on the receiving end of her ire looked much more uncomfortable than usual. She glanced around once, twice, and stopped abruptly, her eyes going wide and mouth caught mid-gasp. Another slight motion soon afterwards, their hand clenching two times in quick succession, making Juniper's focus hone further-

"Now."

The single word was spoken in a choir of a thousand silver voices; sentencing the Forest Guardian to their doom. An instant later, Juniper let the arrow loose, streaking across the air with its malicious purple tracer, aimed right at the Moonview's Mayor.

And then, it missed.

Its aim immaculate, its power beyond compare; and yet it missed, almost grazing its target's collarbone. But it didn't hit the dirt or grass, it hit something else, something obscured; her host focusing on its golden appearance-

And inadvertently waking Sue up.

She was too shocked to let herself come to; her whole body shaking as she tried to stand up as soon as physically possible. All she earned for that attempt was a wave of nausea rolling through her. Stinging pain rushed from her front and back simultaneously, forcing her eyes closed as she sat hunched over on something soft. The sheer adrenaline boiling inside her made even her own breathing too loud; an attempt to quieten it by calming down clashing with her exertion and need for air.

What, where, how, was this real, where am I-

Trying to look around made both her and the being she'd opened her eyes to see jump backwards in shock, their expressions equally startled. Large, almost all black, and very, very hairy. What the hell is this- wait? Large, dark, furry. Night kin. The recent recollection finally caught up with the speed of Sue's panic, easing her out as she took Jasper's appearance in.