Crowned

Arc 3, Chapter 53: Into The Beyond.

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—𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓣𝓗𝓡𝓔𝓔, 𝓐 𝓝𝓔𝓦 𝓦𝓞𝓡𝓛𝓓—

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// TW \\

TOPICS OF: HUMAN (Object) TRAFFICKING/IMPLIED SA, AND GRIEF.

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There wasn't even a moment to react, the fresh air now rushing against them as gravity tugged down hard and rapidly at an unpredictable pace. The two hands of father and son still holding on to each other strong. But something was wrong. Pain... like before. When they first collected those mythical objects and abilities that came with them. Energy that rapidly rushed into the body and changed them from the inside out.

Paper felt resonating burn within him. He let out a pained cry as his body healed its various injuries healed. It felt like he was going to be burnt alive. He felt a ticking in his chest... like a clock, and his body felt strange and heavier... as the two of them began to fall faster. His hands and legs creak as gravity dragged him down faster and faster. Though the ground was quite the ways away.

The pain soon subsided and he looked down at his body. He felt strange— not right. New. His joints nearly stiff and blood seeped into the— creases in his arms?! He yelped in surprise, still panicking about falling. But to his surprise he couldn't hear his own voice from the noise of the air rushing past him and— shrieking.

He looked up to see Balloon's eyes glowing, and spots on his skin sizzling into them scaring the tissue. Smaller wings bellow and above the larger ones, that were about the original size of his wings before they had grown, they began to push against his rubber skin from beneath and break through painfully, the tips of the feathers now gilded as blood poured from his eyes, back, and skin. Blood splattered and spilled from his lips as he gurgled it up from his throat due to his shrieking. His existing wings stretching and finally grew out to their massive, but full size. Paper pulled him in with panicked breathing. Balloon looked like an angel. It took Paper a moment to realize they were still falling.

The trees of various colours that rested beneath was rapidly approaching. He curled up around Balloon the ground of the new world was seconds bellow.

They hit the ground with a loud crack and thud. Luckily the branches of the trees above briefly slowed their fall. Paper groaned and lifted his head tearfully, and looked about for Balloon who seems to have passed out. Paper groaned as his body began to quickly regenerate, as in contrast to when Cobs attacked him, he grimaced at the thought of his death. but shook his head and approached Balloon.

He lifted the boy from the ground, his form now heavier due to the wings that had emerged from his back during their descent. Balloon whined in his unconscious state and shifted in Paper's arms slightly. Paper sighed shakily, and checked him over, wiping the blood from his face and pulling him close as he lifted his gaze to check his surroundings.

"O-OJ...?!" Paper called into the endless forest. He glanced at the tall brightly coloured trees. Pale greens above, and the ground below littered with colourful plants, fungi, and other vegetation that Paper had never seen before. He looked around in awe, carrying Balloon as he walked deeper into the forest. He saw little critters that seemed nothing remotely close to what they had back on inanimate island.

Leaves crinkled beneath his now... metal? No— more like copper? Or bronze limbs? It was strange. Is this how Mephone4 felt? He sighed shaking his head, pushing through the soreness. He continued to call and shout. But he got no answer. He was beginning to get concerned. Looseleaf was nowhere to be found either... and he didn't think leaving to the mindscape and attempting to find him in this unfamiliar place was a good idea.