The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 69: True Hell, Part One

"No! Look!"

They followed Salem's finger to the thing growing from his back, its unnaturally long fingers gripping his left shoulder, two silver eyes staring at them in amusement. It was no doubt the spitting image of Summer Rose when the First Vao killed her all those years ago, right down to the gaping hole in her chest that exposed her beating heart. The First Vao turned his head, his Aura glowing in the dark. And when he saw them, he trembled, taking a step back.

"S-stay... S-s-stay away," he whimpered.

"Lord Vao, we're here to help you!" Saril protested. But the First Vao was beyond listening, gripping the sides of his head and pulling at his hair.

"I-I killed them... I k-killed them all," he rasped. "G... Get away... Get away!"

He spun around and ran, the Heroes breaking into a full sprint after him. Jasper gripped Salem's shoulder, clinging onto the fabric of her armor tightly. "W-wait! Why isn't he fighting!? Summer's attached to him! If she's the Blood, shouldn't he be attacking us!?"

"Sapphire, can you smell the Blood!?" Mono shouted. The doll shook her head.

"Nuh uh!"

Salem felt a bit relieved. It meant that the Blood hadn't fully taken over again yet. She tried to run faster, her legs burning. The First Vao was fast. And without his weapons weighing him down, he was even faster.

The Darkness exploded around them, Light mixing with the fog as the world began to take shape. The cavern vanished, the fiery streets of the First Timeline's Atlas forming around them. Grimm roamed the streets, people fleeing in terror. Saril shrieked, flinching just as an Ursa charged past them. "W-what is this!?"

"This... This is one of his memories!" Salem screamed. "This is from when he attacked Atlas! Ignore it! Focus on catching his Soul!"

The First Vao's Soul turned back to check on them, Summer squeezing his shoulder. Without hesitation, they ran into the headquarters building, the sound of gunfire filling the air. Hundreds of soldiers cried in terror as they shot at a clone of the First Vao, the murderer dodging and deflecting the bullets and slaughtering soldiers by the dozen, his teeth crunching through bone as his stomach growled.

Sapphire's shrill shriek forced them to look back, the doll thrashing around with her small hands clamped over her head.

"S-Sapphire, what's wrong!?" Jasper shrieked. The doll reached for the pull-chain of her chainsaw and pulled, the engine roaring to life and the blade beginning to spin. But she didn't attack them. She turned it on herself.

Saril and Jasper lunged forward, trying to fight the weapon out of her hands. "Let go!" Sapphire bawled. "Let me go! Let me go!"

Without hesitation she swung it for Jasper, the fairy yelping as she dodged, her green eyes going wild with rage. She drew her daggers and attacked her sister, foam bubbling at her lips like a rabid dog.

"You retarded bitch!"

Salem and Mono jumped into action, their heads beginning to feel funny. Salem's heart sank, the horrifying realization dawning on her.

The First Vao's insanity was beginning to affect them. They were being exposed to everything he had felt throughout the years, and it was starting from the mentally weakest - Sapphire and Jasper. Straightening her hand she karate chopped Jasper into the ground, Mono kicking the chainsaw from Sapphire's grasp. The moment the doll turned to retrieve it, the monoeye threw her across the room, glaring at Salem for answers.