Butterfly Apocalypse: The Infection

A knock came from Izzie's door. She looked up from her writing and smiled. Closing the journal she got up and walked over to the door. When she opened it Zander was standing on the other side, smiling back.

"Saw me coming?", Zander asked.

"Yeah.", Izzie confessed.

They both stood there for a second.

"Oh! Did you want to come in?", Izzie offered.

"Yeah....uh...sure.", Zander walked in. Izzie shut the door. Then walked past him and grabbed her notebook to put away on a nearby shelf.

"Did I interrupt you?", Zander asked.

"Oh no. I was just putting some of my thoughts down on paper. It's funny how much you can get done with no internet to distract you.", Izzie joked.

"Yeah, that still gets me. This whole place is, just weird.", Zander countered.

Izzie shrugged. "Ehh, you get used to it."

The two found themselves standing in silence for another long moment. Even the Hivemind wasn't revealing any thoughts. Ever since Zander came to Home he had been swept up in the new environment. First he had to detail what he saw to the others. It didn't seem like Help3r was just replenishing his dolls. He was building an army. Probably to attack Home full force. All the adjusting and planning had kept him away from what he wanted to do since he got there.

"So....uh.....I was thinking...", Zander started. "Since I found you now, and we're both here...in front of each other.....right now. That maybe we should go on a date." Zander stopped then quickly added, "If you want."

Izzie's smile got bigger. She had been waiting for this for a few days.

"Of course I do.", Izzie said.

"Really?", Zander asked.

Izzie laughed. "Goddamn it Zander. Yes."

Zander's face brightened up. And the smile revealed the success of doing something he had been previously too shy to do in person. He started flailing his arms in the air just like he had done so many times in skype chats with Izzie. She couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Suddenly a loud knocking came from Izzie's door. Then Hoop burst in. He stopped himself from talking at the sight of the two. Hoping he didn't interrupt anything. The feeling of excitement was thrown into worry as they wondered what was worth the effort.

"Yes Hoop?", Izzie asked.

"Izzie......you....didn't you hear the......", Hoop was lost in thought. "...uh....brain, thingie?"

"Hivemind?", Izzie offered.

"Yes!.....We've been trying to...oh boy....get to you.", Hoop was finally getting some air into his lungs. It took him much longer to get to Izzie's door than he planned. For a moment, it seemed like he had run for quite some time before getting there. He would of thought it strange if it wasn't for everything being so strange in Home.

"Mesay is doing creepy stuff. And Dox can't get away.", Hoop finished.

"The hell?", Zander said.

"Come on.", Hoop insisted.

***

The three took off to the Hall. When they got there the room was different. It felt like it was changing or moving. Even though there was no visible indication to suggest that was happening. On the far side of the room were two figures. Dox backing up to the adjoining wall. And Mesay cornering him there.

"Dox and I we're talking and then Mesay came in all spookie like.", Hoop explained. "She's walked in with her eyes closed and started going after Dox. Every time he tries to get away see uses her power to corner him."

"What is she doing?", Izzie questioned.

"I have no idea.", Hoop started. "But she did one other weird thing. She called me Aricoris."

Zander leaned over to Izzie. "Is this one of those power things?", Zander asked.

"No. This is something else.", Izzie replied.

She walked toward Mesay and Dox. As she got closer. She could see Dox trying to talk to Mesay. He looked equal parts terrified and curious. The feeling that filled the room got stronger as she advanced. It was both eerie and comforting. Izzie was feeling more and more like that wasn't Mesay at all. When she got close enough Dox looked at Izzie. It was then that Mesay turned. Izzie could just see her close her eyes as she faced her. Her hair looked tossed and she stood in her pajamas and bare feet.

"Hello Glaucopsyche."

Mesay spoke, but it wasn't her voice. It was altered. As if her voice and many others had been layered and distorted just enough to make it not her own. Her eyes were shut, but Izzie could feel her piercing gaze anyway. They both stood there regarding each other for a moment.

"Roivas.", Izzie answered.

Roivas smiled. "You can see me."

"You're not making yourself all that inconspicuous Roivas.", Izzie offered. "What did you do to Mesay?"

"Papilio is here. With us.", Roivas answered.

"Inside you mean?", Izzie questioned.

"Yes. We are helping her remember.", Roivas countered.

"Remember what?", Izzie asked.

"Her promise.", Roivas responded.

Dox used the distracted opportunity to get away. He made his way past the possessed Mesay and quickly walked toward the exit. His wings were dragging behind him, acting as dead weight and forcing him to escape slower than he would of liked.

"Mourn for Loxura, Glaucopsyche.", Roivas began. "For a member of the family has died."

This brought Hoop closer. "What? Who died?"

"I can no longer see Loxura.", Roivas continued. "Papilio must remember soon."

A sudden yell filled the Hall. Zander was closest to it and ran toward the doorway to the room. He couldn't see the hallway anymore. Dox had tried to escape the room, and fell into a black void. His survival instincts must of kicked in. Because Dox was now hanging from his fingertips trying desperately not to fall. Zander grabbed his writs and proped his feet against the door frame.

"A little help!", Zander yelled at Hoop and Izzie. His feet slipped a bit as he tried not to fall with him into the darkness. "Dox, Hold on."

"I don't know what you just said Zander. Just don't let me fall.", Dox pleaded.

"I won't Dox.", Zander assured.

Hoop arrived and grabbed onto Dox's hands. "Now Izzie!", he yelled.

Zander turned his head a bit to see what was going on. He was only able to look out of the corner of his eyes but refused to believe what he had seen. Hoop's body was stretched from where they had been standing. Like an elastic band. At the other end where his feet should of been was a sort of boxed spool that his body fed into. Much like a garden hose. On the side of the box was a large turn crank. The whole thing looked like a huge cartoon gag. And that's exactly what it was. Hoop didn't mind showing off his power but occationaly seeing a human cartoon in action looked a little creepy. Useful but creepy. This was one of the useful times.
Izzie tried her best to turn the crank but it was near impossible. The weight of Dox and two others made it difficult to pull them out of harms way. The stress from holding onto Dox's hands was starting to make Zander's slip.

"You gotta go faster Izzie. He's slipping.", Hoop insisted.

Just then Hoop felt a hand rest on his. A platform grew beneath Dox and gave him a steady bit of ground to stand on.

"Lift him now.", Roivas instructed.

The three lifted him up and finally got Dox to safety. Roivas, still with their eyes closed, turned to Hoop.

"Aricoris, get what is left of Luxora out of Home before it destroys him." Roivas began to walk off to another  part of the Hall. They reached a wall and put their hand on the surface. Suddenly a door appeared.

"Where are you going?", Izzie yelled.

"To save what is left of Antopia.", Roivas responded.

***

It was a georgeous day. The sun was shining and there were only a few white clouds that spotted the sky. The cool breeze wafted the sweet smell of thousands of flowers that littered the grassy field. In the middle of this field was a single but large oak tree. And underneath was Zero, quickly walking around a large wood table with a collection of jars on it. In each jar was one butterfly. No two were the same. This field wasn't just fragrant. It was filled with every kind of butterfly known to man. And Zero had spent the last few months capturing as many as she could. This place wasn't any oasis outside in the Wyoming desert. It was actually a room inside of Home. Zero wasn't just able to summon up a shield to protect herself with. She had a direct connection to Roivas, their progeny. The one who gave them all their names. The one who dubbed them 'butterflies'. And Roivas had lead her to this strange room that appeared to have the same properties of being outside. Neither Roivas nor Zero gave this place a name. But Zero had kept it as her own little secret from the others.
Roivas and Zero talked about many things here. After reminding Zero of her parents death at the hand of Help3r, Zero had gone on a vendetta. Only to be saved by a few members of the family. Surviving that event  she was instructed by Roivas to meet them there. A number of days had gone by since she was asked to do that. And she spent each day in the room, waiting for Roivas. So it was no wonder when Zero finally yelled out,

"So bored!", out loud. Secretly trying to will something to happen. "Where are you Roivas?"

It was then that she noticed the sky was clouding over. Making the entire field grow dark. The butterflies in the jars began to flutter about recklessly. Zero pounced to the table, studying their panicked behavior. A slight shaking of the ground made one jar fall and break on the ground. The butterfly in it was dead. The shaking continued and in an effort to save them, she opened each jar and released the butterflies as quickly as possible. The leaves from the tree began falling around her. Distracting her from the task. She succeeded to release the rest and they cascaded out and away from her leaving a trail in the sky. The shaking ceased and Zero watched them as they all disappeared in the sky. It was then that she noticed the crunching sound beneath her feet. She looked down and found all the leaves that had fallen from the tree were now dead.
She noticed the flowers that were once abundant around her, had died and the earth itself looked dry and aged.
A horrible feeling came over her. She felt scared. On the edge of running. She stopped moving, instincts kicking in trying to figure out what was happening. A crunching sound, pressed into her ears from behind. Uncontrollable goosebumps rose through her body making her hairs stand on end at the realization that something was now behind her. It was watching her. And when Zero finally turned around she saw the thing was only a few feet away. The faceless Slender Man was descending from the now dead tree. Approaching Zero while knocking over the wooden table. Crashing the jars on the ground. Zero let out a blood curdling scream.


"Antiopa!", Roivas yelled. 


Eyes open, Roivas ran toward her as Izzie and Zander watched in horror. Their nightmares come to life. Roivas raised their hands and swiped them in a broad stroke to one side. Their spirit hands invisibly flinging the creature away from Zero. Roivas ran to Zero and closed their eyes before approaching her.


"Are you alright Antiopa?", Roivas asked.


Zero gave them a weird look before realizing who she was talking to. "Roivas?", she asked.

"You have to leave. It was wrong for me to send you here. Go to the fami..." Roivas was suddenly pulled from Zero. Crashing their head on the ground, forced their eyes open. Zero and Roivas' eyes met, pushing Zero back a number of feet from the event and landing her on her back on the ground. A long fingered hand attached to a contorted unnaturally long arm had grabbed onto Roivas' ankle and was pulling them close. Various tentacles emerged from its back and pushed it upright giving it the advantage of height it relied on.
Roivas dug their hands into the earth trying to stall the inevitable. Zero getting up from the fall was suddenly surrounded by eight large divots, created by the spirit hands mimicking Roivas' movements. None of it did anything to slow Slender Man's pull.

"Remember Papilio.", Roivas grunted to themselves. They coughed and began to spit up a decent amount of brown liquid. Roivas took their hand and spat into it. Slender Man let go of their ankle having dragged Roivas right to it. Roivas quickly turned around and chucked the liquid from their hands at Slender Man's no face.

The noise that followed was indescribable. Too low for a piercing screech. To high for a growl. All anyone would be able to remember was the paralyzing terror. And the feeling of their hearts, collectively stopping for a brief moment. Roivas closed their eyes.

"You just have to remember Papilio."

And then it was gone.

***

"Wake up Roivas.", Chewie insisted.

She sat up. All she could see was black.

"Chewie?", Mesay asked. She reached for her eyes and felt a soft piece of cloth that was over her eyes and tied in the back.

"Mesay? Are you back?", Chewie asked.

"What happened to my eyes?", Mesay countered.

"Your eyes are doing something to the others. I'm sorry but we can't risk you looking at anyone right now.", Chewie explained plainly. He wasn't exactly sure what Mesay was doing but it was clearly out of her control and possibly hurting the others.

Mesay bowed her head. She understood and felt ashamed for it. But she trusted Chewie. He never did anything without a purpose. 

"Alright.", she said reluctantly.

The ground then started to shake beneath them. Chewie quickly lifted Mesay. 

"What's happening?", she asked.

"I don't know, but we need to get out of here. Now." Chewie took her by the arm and held her close. "We have to go as fast as we can. I'll lead the way, okay?", he instructed.

"Yes.", she answered.

In the distance was an open door. The same one Roivas had made to get to this place. Beyond it was Izzie and Zander yelling at them to move quickly. Zero was with Chouji behind them. Zero was yelling about not being able to understand anyone. Occasionally freaking out at the wild blue color of everyone's eyes.

The ground around Mesay and Chewie was tearing apart and splitting. Chewie glanced at the emptiness creeping beside them. There was no cavern though. No bottomless pit. It was just empty. And any debris that fell into it disappeared. As if falling through a veil.

"We have to move quicker!", Chewie yelled. He pulled her along faster. Mesay tripped at the sudden speed increase and fell. "Come on Mesay!"

"Go on Chewie! I can't do this blind. Just go and I'll be right behind you.", Mesay ripped the makeshift blindfold off. Chewie immediately turned away. He didn't have to like this, he just had to trust her.

"Hurry up!", Chewie yelled as he ran off. 

Mesay quickly sped up behind him keeping pace."Right here!"

The ground trembled forcing the two to catch themselves from falling mid sprint. Izzie and Zander looked behind them. The ground was falling away. The sky melted into a black void. This made them scream at Mesay and Chewie to keep running. Grabbing the attention of Zero and Chouji who were now looking through the doorway as well. 

Another giant quake split the ground before Chewie. Forcing him to leap over the questionable abyss. Even though Mesay wasn't far behind she had to stop. The tear in the ground had grown a number of feet in a matter of seconds. It was too wide, she couldn't jump it. She ran along side it desperately trying to find another way around.

Chewie finally reached the door. The others parted, making way for him to barrel through just before the ground beyond the door dissipated. They all watched as Mesay's attempt to get by was halted from the disappearing world in the room. Everything fading around her. Creating an shrinking island among the darkness. She looked to the door that now hung in the void. Watching her friends, watch her. Zander, Izzie, Chouji, Chewie and Zero all holding their breath. Waiting for the inevitable.

Then another figure appeared on the patch. Mesay turned at this presence and ran toward them. Vanishing just before the last bit of earth dematerialized. A vacuum started to suck the air from the room and the five butterflies backed off from the door. It slammed shut on its own. And in the same instant they heard a crash in the kitchen. The door faded back into the wall as they went to investigate the noise.

Wearily they all turned the corner into the kitchen. Chewie leading the way, all of them ready to strike. What they found were two people lying on the floor. 

"Ahhh....crap.", Mesay said.

"Owwwwwww.", Pseudomuse droned.

"Who in the hell is this?", Chewie asked.

"Muse?!", Izzie and Zander said at the same time.

"Who?", Chouji questioned.

"What is going on!", Zero yelled.

Mesay propped herself up and looked over at Muse. Her boyfriend. Muse looked over at Mesay. His eyes widened.

"That was you.", He said surprised.

"Muse. You're here.", Mesay said with teary eyes. She flopped on top of him. Holding him close.

Muse grunted at the gesture. "Mesay....your okay.", he hugged back.

She sat up and looked at him. Muse wasn't pushed back by her gaze. He just stared at her lovingly and said,

"Your eyes. Their so blue."

***

The entrance to Home opened and out toppled Dox and Hoop. They were exhausted from escaping Home. Hoop had never seen the place act so negatively toward anyone or thing. He didn't even know it was capable of doing that. They just laid there on the ground trying to catch their breath. Dox's wings acting more like dead weight than the things that had given him flight.

"These bloody things are going to be the death of me.", He sputtered.

"What the hell is Home's problem?", Hoop asked.

"Chewie said something about not being a butterfly anymore." Dox looked at Hoop. "I'm not a butterfly anymore?", he said worried, almost sad.

Hoop was about to say something when they heard a low rumbling. They both got concerned that it was another attempt by Home to get Dox. But this wasn't coming from where they were standing. Hoop pulled a giant, brightly colored 10 foot tall periscope out of his pocket. He took a look through it and moved his body around to see what was going on outside of the gate. He stopped when we got to the front.

"Oh....oh....uh.....", Hoop sputtered.

"What? What is it?", Dox asked.

"Uh....well....", Hoop continued.

"Spit it out Hoop!", Dox insisted.

Hoop handed the periscope to Dox. Dox looked though it and saw thousands of dolls marching besides fifty or so odd Brick Golems flanked by an airstrike of flying brick drones.

"I'm pretty sure we're screwed.", Hoop finally said.