Archive of Our Own ^beta

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Treat was a wolf who just wanted everyone to think she was good

She found a town full of rabbits

She wanted them to think she was good.

They didn't. And they left her to die.

They tore down her cabin, hunted her relentlessly.

Every time she tried to get help, she was shunned away

The one bunny that wanted to help was killed by her own kind.

Eventually, Treat wished for death.

She let the cold freeze her body, dying in an empty cave.

But she's still here. You can feel it, can't you? The bunnies may have killed her. But she never left the mountain.

Bunnies would die every day, frozen in the same manner they found the wolf.

They had no explanation for what was happening. How could they?

No one knew the wolf was on the hunt. Ready to leave Frosting frosted over

She's done being good.

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When the hunt for Treat began, Mochi stood in opposition, attempting to help Treat.

When they tried to demolish the cabin, she stood her ground. If they wanted to destroy this cabin, they'd have to take Mochi with it.

She was skewered in seconds.

But that wasn't enough to stop her.

Unbeknownst to anyone else, a corpse would climb from the remains of the cabin, what was once a promise had become an obsession.

Wielding a large, jagged piece of wood, she makes examples of those who would choose to harm the mountain.

So, be nice to the trees, the rocks, and the soil. 

If you don't… It's already too late.

She has no forgiveness for scum like you.

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Moxie wanted to prove herself, prove that she didn't need her mom.

The Fox Den was her chance at that. 

With good service and a better gimmick, she'd be raking in thousands.

She had the idea of a murder mystery hotel, it was brilliant.

But the people of Frosting didn't think so.

Well before the wolf would venture onto the mountain, their paranoia got the better of them. They burned the den down while the foxes were sleeping.

They all burned together.

But Moxie wouldn't let that stop her, she still needed to prove herself. It was a minor setback, is all.

She's putting on the murder mystery of a lifetime, and she's casting you as the victim.

Play your role well, will you?

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Trick has been part of Treat's wolf pack for as long as they've been independent. So when Treat got separated from them, they immediately began searching for her.

Eventually, they found a bush, eating the berries from them.

They never woke up after that, their body was too mutilated to ever wake up again. 

But they never stopped smiling. Their face couldn't stop. 

They want you to smile too.

They wander the forest now, looking for any sad souls.

They'll make sure they smile. The sad ones will be so busy smiling they won't have time to move anymore.

Show them your smile.

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When Syrup was saved from the cave that trapped her and Butterscotch, you'd expect her to be grateful. But you couldn't be more wrong.

Refusing to give the witch forgiveness, her heart froze in its tracks, she died in the cabin and was buried behind it.

But as the cabin was demolished, the Alchemist rose from her grave, although she wished to be put back in it.

Now she wanders the mountain, whispering the phrase “forgive me…”

She's pathetic, is she not? 

She can't harm anyone in her current state. She simply wants to be forgiven.

An aimless spirit who will never be at peace.

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With the death of Syrup, Gumdrop’s purpose, to get along with her, would remain unfulfilled forever.

The Golem, lacking in a reason for existing, became something no one expected:

Angry.

Pastille would wake up one day to find a mutilated Butterscotch, with Gumdrop holding a cleaver over her body.

Without hesitation, he undid the same magic that kept her alive, but her soul still lived, tied eternally to Atelier Sweets.

Anyone who enters the candy store, looters, punk teens, stupid dickheads… will meet the same fate as Butterscotch, their body parts torn across the store.

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Everyone Pastille knew had died so quickly.

He couldn't take it anymore.

He stood over the edge of the mountain, taking a step over it. 

When he hit the bottom, everyone felt a strange presence.

It was him.

He was there.

And there. 

And there.

And there.

And there.

There's no escape from him.

Not anywhere in the world.

He's everywhere.

You can hear him right?

The sound of his breath. The sound of his footsteps.

The sound of his voice.

He's everywhere at once.

Including right behind you.

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Butterscotch was a witch that loved candy, as many did. 

She never expected her death would be because of it.

Torn apart, The Golem had a fun idea for a game. 

She would hide her parts across the town.

The Witch loved this game.

Can you hear her whispering? She wants you to play with her.

“Find my head.”

“Find my arms”

“Find my body”

“Find my legs”

You need to find them. Quickly.

If you don't?

It'll be your turn to hide.

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When Gumdrop entered their abode, Toffee didn't expect they were here to abduct their master.

They certainly didn't see it coming when Gumdrop cleaved their skull in two.

Maybe it was a good thing they never got to see what happened to their master.

But just because they're gone, doesn't mean Butterscotch's house is without a protector.

There's been attempts to tear down The Witch's house. But every attempt has ended in bloodshed. Do you know why that is?

It's because Toffee loves that house. They won't let anyone take that from them.

Butterscotch's house will remain standing till the end of days.

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Periwinkle was someone who valued his looks. Not to the point of being insufferable, but he certainly cared about them.

But some people hated that. They hated him for it.

One of those people knew what they were going to do about it.

They waited until he was alone, and took his face for themselves.

The Witch choked on his own blood.

The day after, the body of the person that killed him was found hanging from a tree. His own face removed.

Notably, Periwinkle's body was never found.

Be careful when your walking at night. You might hear a voice calling out to you from the alleyways.

Don't respond to it, it's what he wants.

Just keep walking. Pretend you didn't hear a thing.

Because if you don't…

He'll keep talking. 

Eventually it'll start to sound like you.

Eventually he'll start speaking the same things you do.

Eventually you'll be the one without a face.

And he'll have gotten a new one.

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Thyme had control over time like no other. That was a power she abused like no other as well.

But too much of anything is bad. Thyme would learn that when she used her powers one too many times.

Scattered across time, she's now everywhere. Experiencing everything.

But doomed to never interact with the world again.

Have you ever heard the faint sound of a clock ticking? Even when you know there isn't a clock nearby?

It's her.

She wants to rejoin the world she used to call home.

But no matter what, she never will.

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Spice missed Thyme dearly. She would do anything to have her back.

Desperate people tend to do stupid things.

She tried to pull Thyme out, somehow her own magic could do it. It had to.

It couldn't, and Spice found herself in a peculiar position.

She was in a strange void, able to observe the world, but unable to interact with it in any way.

A voice called out to her, wondering what she was doing here, wondering how she got here.

She didn't know. But she needed to find a way back.

The voice offered to help.

They hold out hope one day they can rejoin the mortal world.

…Maybe they will.

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Kamilla could be called a failure of a Contract Demon. She was unable to live with the reality of what her job did to people. Especially after she fell in love with one of her clients.

She tried desperately to break the contract, but the bindings were iron-clad

Frustrated, unable to live with the reality of what was happening, she acted without thinking.

She used her own claws to brutalize herself, her eyes falling out, her face falling apart.

You couldn't even recognize her by the end of it.

She fell to the ground, dead.

A few days later, a series of strange deaths were reported. Demons clawed to death, insides spread across the walls.

Kamilla hated her own kind for what they had to do. And she would do anything to see them dead.

As the bodies piled up, she felt a strange satisfaction.

Justice was needed, and Kamilla was it's deliverer.

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Eleni always had a deep love for the occult and macabre. 

So much so, she summoned a demon for herself at the first chance she got.

The experience made her happy, so she did it again.

And again.

Eventually, something came to her attention.

By doing so, she was eating away at her own life force.

Which she was fine with, in all honesty.

What she wasn't fine with… was Kamilla's reaction to it.

Eleni was the one who found her body. It caused something Eleni didn't expect.

It horrified her.

The sight stayed in her mind as she was awake, it invaded her dreams as she slept.

She couldn't take it anymore.

She stabbed herself in the stomach, expecting the Netherworld to take her, as promised.

But before she went… a familiar voice spoke to her.

The one she had been mourning this whole time.

It told her she wouldn't be going. Not if she had anything to say about it.

Reborn as an Angel, she wanders the Netherworld, assisting The Demon in her quest for retribution.

So many demons had lost their eyes at her hands. 

Eleni couldn't help but smile.

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For many people, video games can be an escape, a way to cope with the torture that is everyday life. For some, that escape takes over their life. Nothing wrong with that, necessarily, but be careful that it doesn't lead you to ruin.

Baezel's love for Demon's Gaea was admirable. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who knew more about it. 

But there was always that one character that was extra special to him. Majiko.

He loved everything about her. He wanted to be her.

He got his wish, he started paying a witch by the name of Butterscotch to give him potions that would, albeit temporarily, transform him into Majiko

And honestly? He was fine with things the way they were.

The cost of buying new potions wasn't an issue, he could be Majiko whenever he wanted.

He was happy.

But then Butterscotch was found dead, her body split apart.

Baezel didn't know what to do.

He couldn't just go back to not being Majiko again, right? 

He sat on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

But then, a voice called to him.

A voice that would've been here to kill him if he were anyone else.

She offered him a deal.

If he joined her in the quest for retribution she was committed to. She would turn him into Majiko, forever.

Without thinking, he accepted the offer.

He felt a sharp pain in his gut, but the next time he woke up, he was Majiko! 

It was a dream come true.

The Demon thanked him, then they resumed their journey of retribution.

The bodies hit the floor tenfold, to some, it was horrifying, to The Demon, it was beautiful.

For The Incubus?

He was happy.

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Poffin was the privileged princess of the moth kingdom, she spent her nights basking in the moonlight, being diplomatic with the neighboring spider kingdom and socializing with those outside of it.

It was a simple life. Poffin never really knew there was anything greater for her.

Until one day, on a particularly lengthy “date” with the moon, she found her kingdom slaughtered.

Her subjects, her guards, her family…

All dead, mutilated.

She didn't know how to react. She just stood there in silence.

Until an angel from above saw the carnage and offered her a deal.

While The Angel didn't know who had slaughtered Poffin's people, she would search tirelessly for the answer and would grant Poffin the power necessary to take revenge.

Poffin without hesitation accepted the deal.

Have you ever heard a loud buzzing in the air? One that could've nether been made by a normal moth?

Don't look up. If you do…

You'll see her.

The light in your eyes will be the only incentive she needs to pounce.

And before you know it…

Your body has become her new nest.

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Undeath is a horrible, horrible thing.

It saps away at your morale just as much as it does your strength.

Eventually, you'll be as dead on the inside as on the outside.

That was the case for one Vinegar.

After what felt like an eternity of fighting her disease, Vinegar split their body and soul into two.

But something went wrong during the process… instead of being split into two, she released a strange energy.

One that fundamentally changed the rules of this world.

As their spirit wandered the world, she saw more than she ever expected.

A Wolf… An Alchemist… An Aromagician…

So many spirits caused by them.

…In a way, it was comforting, knowing she wasn't alone.

…But they knew no one deserved this fate.

To this day, she wanders the world, looking for a way to reverse the spell.

Maybe she'll find it one day?

…Hopefully.

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Marzipan had the ever so common fear of other people. She had made strides in overcoming that fear, but it was still there.

She was ready to continue, however, especially with her new girlfriend.

Marzipan was up late at night, watching anime on her computer, Jam already fast asleep.

Not noticing an Assistant had entered her room.

By the time she noticed…

It was already too late.

Jam found her the next morning, head twisted backwards, blood flowing from her mouth.

Jam buried her body out back, crying all the while.

But… Marzipan was still out there.

Weeping at the loss of her lover.

Maybe you've seen her?

She's always somewhere.

Maybe you thought you should approach her?

By all means, do.

Just don't be surprised when no one can recognize you afterwards.

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As Jam looked down at her girlfriend's grave, tears flowed down her face. She had one thought in her head.

She needed to be with her again.

She couldn't sleep, getting out of her bed and walking into the bathroom.

There were no thoughts behind what she did next, only actions.

She slammed her face into the bathroom mirror, covering the sink in her own blood.

She did it again.

And again.

And again.

Until eventually…

She was gone.

As her spirit stayed behind, she wandered the streets.

It was then she who she had been looking for.

They embraced, a reprieve from the hell that was their very existence.

Did you see her?

The Weeping?

Maybe you didn't approach her.

That's good. She won't do anything to you.

Just make sure you don't look down on her for her position.

The Lover is good at noticing when people do that.

And she'll make your end agonizing.

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Astragalus had exactly one passion in life: healing others.

But one particular customer didn't want that.

Around closing time, someone that had snuck into her store earlier snuck up on her, no one could hear her as they dragged her into the back and stabbed her in the stomach repeatedly. 

As life left her eyes, her killer saw something.

The last thing they would ever see.

The plants in the store grew and grew, surrounding the murderer.

When the day passed, the store was found surrounded by plants, the killer was found tied to the entrance, body mutilated beyond recognition.

Not many dared go inside, those who did, found the shop owner surrounded by the plants she had grown in life, flowers growing from her wounds.

No one spoke about what was seen inside.

The dead don't speak, after all.

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Cassia was someone who blessed the lives of everyone she met.

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't absolutely adore her.

To so many people, she made their lives so much better simply by being in it.

Then she was gone.

She simply disappeared one night.

No one had an explanation.

As the people who knew her mourned, the stars shone down on them.

Then they shined more.

And more.

Don't look up into the sky.

It's bright, so bright.

So bright you'll go blind.

So bright you'll be set ablaze.

So bright you'll die.

Cassia was still a star in everyone's lives.

Whether they wanted her to be or not.

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As the fire consumed Salt, they felt something inside themselves… change.

They didn't feel like themselves. They felt…

Like everyone.

Millions of minds, thoughts, and lifetimes entering their brain all at once.

It was unbearable.

As their life ended, they were just happy it was stopping.

But in death… just like The Fox, they wouldn't move on.

While climbing the mountain, have you ever heard a voice you recognize in the distance?

Did you ever follow it, to find nothing there?

It's them.

They're everyone now.

They're everyone you know.

They're everyone you fear.

They're you.

And they know exactly how to kill you.

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The fire consumed Pepper, scorching her skin and feeding the mountain yet another corpse.

She only had one thought on her mind in her final moments.

She needed to get back at the assholes who did this.

She got her wish.

The next night, the group of rabbits that burned down the Fox Den found a horrifying sight.

One of their own, hanging from their own guts, eyes crushed and flesh shredded to ribbons.

You'd think they'd realize what they were doing was wrong.

But no.

They kept doing it.

More willing to believe everyone around them was evil than accept the truth.

That they were the scum of the earth.

The Vicious was here to remind them of that, as futile as that goal was.

Never before had she been so set in a goal.

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When their brothers had mutilated the nice wolf. Drop felt sick.

They didn't want to keep doing this.

So they tried to leave…

…if only it were that simple.

Stopped, beaten and dragged back into hell, Drop met the same fate as the wolf.

It wasn't fair.

Apparently… the universe agreed with her.

As the cult left Drop's body, one of them felt a sharp pain in their head.

They screamed as their head was crushed.

Right before the end came, they saw who was doing the crushing.

It was Drop. 

As their brain matter coated the other members. Drop pounced on another, ripping out their insides.

By the time they were done. The cult Drop was part of was no more.

Now they calmly wander the forest, admiring the smiles on the unfortunate souls' faces.

It's the least they can do, after what they were complicit in.

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For many, Malt's music was the escape they needed.

She meant so much to so many people.

It was a shame when she choked on her own blood.

No one knew what had happened to her. There were no leads. Whoever killed her left nothing that could've led them to her killer.

…or maybe there was nothing TO leave behind.

As the Fandom mourned, there was a certain theory that popped up in the darkest reaches of it.

That Malt was still around.

Many dismissed it as worthless babble. Disrespectful to what had happened.

But they weren't wrong.

A few days later, the people Malt had surrounded herself with, her partners in business, were all found dead.

All with the same throat slit.

Many people thought it was the same killer. But they couldn't be more wrong.

Some people just can't stand to see others happy while they suffer.

Some stars never fade.

Some stars are blood red.