The Shadow Knight

Corruption

"What the...? Angel, what happened? When did this...?" Marco had so many questions, but they were are getting caught up in his throat. He reached out to her but she backed away almost immediately. She put her face in her hands and folded her wings around her. Marco pulled his hand back and thought to himself.

What could've caused this? She has black feathers and red eyes...that sounds like shadow knight material but... Marco grunted as he tried to figure out what was wrong with Angel. Meanwhile, Star approached Angel. She kneeled down to where she was sitting and touched her wings. Angel shook for a second out of surprise.

"Angel...how did this happen?" Star asked gently. Angel peeked out from behind her wings and looked at Star for a moment before glancing to Marco and immediately going back into hiding. Star looked between Angel and Marco before getting an idea.

"Marco, let me and Angel have some lone time, ok?" Star requested.

"What? But why-?"

"Just trust me on this Marco. Alright?" She interupted him. The two had a staring contest for a few moments before Marco sighed and backed out of the bathroom, careful not to step on glass on the way out.  He closed the door behind him, but not before glancing at Angel, causing her to flinch again. He closed his eyes and shut the door behind him. He slid down it to hear what the girls were discussing.

"Angel, he's gone now, you can put the wings away now alright?" Star told her. Angel peeked from behind her wings before seeing that Marco was gone. She stayed like that for a while before sighing and putting her wings away. Black and white feathers fluttered before fading into nothingness. Star smiled a bit as she got her friend to open up a little.

"Ok, now talk to me Angel. What happened exactly? I left to go get back Jack and Janna, but when I got back, you were like this. How? Do you remember anything? When exactly-?"

"Too many questions Star." Marco interupted her from behind the door. Star was startled slightly but as she glanced at Angel's shaking form she sighed.

"Right. One at a time. Sorry Angel." Star said as she scratched her head.

"It's...OK..." Angel meekly spoke. Marco winced a little as she reminded him of the first time they spoke to each other. She had a soft voice with a cute accent but she didn't sound so...fragile. Now all Marco heard was a scared teenager, who doesn't know what was going on.

"Dammit..." he cursed under his breath, tears threatening to fall as he figured that despite his intentions, this was his fault. He sulked into his room and closed his door.

"Now let's start with this: do you know how this might've happened?" Star asked. Angel looked at the ground before sighing, trying to recall what happened.

"Well...it started after you left...no, even before that. I'd been feeling odd all morning, but I figured maybe I was just worrying about..." Angel trailed as she remembered that Star didn't get that same feeling on the night her and the other shadow knights were frightened by that terrifying image. She shuddered slightly but shook her head.

"Angel? You ok?" Star asked. Angel shook her head and continued.

"Anyways, I think it got truly started when I argued with Janna...I need to apologize to her after this. But after you left, I sort of almost blacked out. And after that, Marco came downstairs and we...'chatted'. Afterwards I felt weird and dizzy. So I ran upstairs and-!" Suddenly Angel's eyes widened and she ran to the toilet and began throwing up.

"Angel!" Star ran to her and held her hair as she also tried to pet her back. Marco put his face in his hands and groaned when he heard Star yell as Angel threw up. After a minute of throwing up, Angel finally sat up. She grabbed a towel and wiped her face. Although her world felt rocked, she stood up and glanced at the mirror. And her entire body shook with fear and yet, anger.