Nightmare kind of Dream

Irritation

My fears have come true. I lost the visibly intelligent Pinetree, I'm now left with a dog. Eating at my feet, barely more than three word sentences, constantly growling at me whenever I go to get him from his room, it's driving me mad. I can tell Pinetree is still sane by his train of thought but that does nothing to help. He walks on all fours, being the front of his feet and his knuckles, I'll have to train that into an occasional habit but it's interesting. Everything of my Pinetree's body changed to an unexpected level, like the desired way demons want their Companions to turn out. The perfect transition into a Beast. Pinetree's eyes had changed to a glowing red, his ears were pointed and occasionally twitched when he listened while looking like he wasn't, his body in general grew in height, he became skinnier than before putting more definition in his muscles. He was intimidating and he was well aware.

I held a loose grip on the chained connected to his collar, walking through the entertainment wing. Pinetree kept up at my side. Everyone else around us backed away, except a few learning Beasts that were trying to instigate a pecking order in their visions, each one that was pressed on Pinetree was shut down with a snap of his jaws near their throats. A few smarter ones got the message after some others were lowered into growling submissions and backed away with their masters.

"A fantastic Beast he turned out to be." I recognized Tom's voice up ahead. Marco stood close to his side with anxious glances at the blooded humans around him.

"Just the perfect combination, right?" I inquired in an obvious smug tone. "The only bothersome pieces are instinctual habits."

Tom nodded with a vague understanding watching Pinetree sniff at Marco. "Do you plan on having him fight?" He asked in a pointlessly quiet tone.

"Once or twice." I answered with a shrug. "So who is challenged tonight?" I changed the topic resuming movement to our usual seats, tugging Pinetree along. Tom followed with Marco sticking close.

"Zenithra and Xeno." My friend answered. "Out of boredom as usual." His third eye rolled as his two other focused ahead.

I chuckled. "Those two make it interesting though. I wonder what's in store." I murmured with interest. "So I'm guessing no Sock to join us?" I looked to Tom with a knowing smirk. Sock hates watching Beasts fight each other, reminds him of dog fights from when he was human.

"Of course not." Tom answered. "But I have spotted Wirt wandering around."

I raised a brow in interest. "Is that so? I thought he disliked these sort of events." I said, rubbing my chin in speculation.
Tom only shrugged.

I pulled Pinetree back from snapping at another Beast by the chain. "Easy there, Pinetree." I warned.

"Annoying." he growled in response glaring at the challenger as he kept by my side.

"Speech problems still," Tom asked.

I turned my eyes to the ceiling in exasperation. "The one thing I don't believe I can do anything about." I sighed. "It's torture."

I heard Pinetree scoff at that. Marco snickered quietly.

I glared at him in warning, he ignored me in return.

"Gained a bit more of an attitude too." Tom noted aloud. "Has he tried biting you yet?"

I shook my head. "I think he imagines it though."

Tom hummed thoughtfully. "Put him against the twins' Beasts. Should tire him out for a while."

I only gave it a moments thought before waving it away. "Too much too soon." I glanced down in time to see a larger Beast stepping toward Pinetree, hellhound class.
Good thing I still have yet to tell Pinetree why the new Beast did so was because the hellhound he kept around was a female whereas the newcomer was mixed with a male. Pinetree growled threatening at the other Beast while the other merely seemed confused to be regarded in such a way by a technical female.
I tugged Pinetree along.

"You haven't told him yet?" Tom questioned with a raised brow. "That's a risky move."

"I know that." I snarled casting a glare at the interested Beast behind us. "I'm just waiting for the right events to fall into place."

Tom narrowed his eyes at me. "That usually means either when the Pearl comes or never Bill. And neither of those is a safe option."

"I know Tom." I said with a raised voice. Pinetree looked up at us with a curious glare. I quieted my voice as much as possible. "I know just as much as you on the topic but I'm the one getting the experience." I leaned closer to him with a low growl. "Stay out of it."

Tom stopped walking, his eyes glaring. "Fine." he said, wrapping an arm around Marco. "Come on Marco it's too dangerous for you to be here." With that, Tom led Marco through the sea of Demons and Beasts, out of the entertainment wing. Pinetree let out a quiet whine as he saw them leave. I continued walking again, pulling him along after me noting the newfound reluctance and resistance against the chain.

When we finally made it to the usual seats, I was actually feeling lonely without Tom and Sock. A new feature for me.
Pinetree noticed this and stepped on to the seat beside me before laying down with his head on my leg. I combed my claws through his hair.
"Oh, Pinetree." I muttered. "We both are in our own conflicts aren't we?"

He sighed his response without looking at me.

"Bill." a monotoned voice greeted making both of us look up.

"Wirt." I greeted back to the new lantern bearer. "Children coming in aplenty?" Pinetree bit my hand at that, I grit my teeth at the pain that on a normal day I would laugh at and flicked his nose. He released my hand, wiping his own hand over his reddening nose with a pout. 

"Actually no." He answered. I noticed the dim glow under his cloak. "I was hoping to ask Mr. Pines for his niece's assistance to lure in some lost souls."

I looked at Pinetree who was now sitting on the balls of his feet like a dog on their haunches thinking about the offer. "Danger?" He questioned after a moment.

"I'll see to her safety." Wirt promised.

"Curfew?" Pinetree questioned again.

"Nightfall to twilight?" Wirt offered.

My Pinetree was silent in thought. I looked up to Wirt who kept his stare level on Mermaid's uncle. "Talk t-to Marmibelle." Pinetree said finally, stepping down from the seat and taking lead through the wing's seats, pulling against the chain and me. Wirt quietly followed him, like I wasn't holding the other end of the chain.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Pinetree has become far more headstrong with the blooding. Perhaps mixing two one track minded pawns was a bad idea. After I'm the one being dragged right now.