(This thread follows the events of 'You're Gonna Break')

Bloody, beaten and bruised Vicktor laid there in the mounting snow of Eridanus. Unconscious and struggling for the sweet thought of life. Everything was black again, an aeonian void just like before. Never ending as it consumed him entirely. He was lost in the other realm again; or so he thought. His neurotic mind was trying all it could for him to fight back, to live once more. But that was asking a lot out of the young jaguar. Especially after all he had done and been put through.

Struggling to stand up he took a deep and painful breath. Waiting a few moments before taking a step through the void. Stopping as he watched the familiar white outlines of the watery substance ripple beneath him. Heart fluttering and ragged breath smothered by silence here. He had remembered his last trip here; quite vividly no doubt. Fear trickled and he glanced around. Where was that beast, that monster who claimed to be him.


"Speech"

"Thought"

Taking another step he could feel the pain radiate even here. Walking through the void again; stark white lines making up the simple outline of his moving form. A part of him desired to find them again, they did wake him up in the past...but at what cost...he had no desire to be near something that monstrous...flames billowing out so ravenously, glancing over his form like a new found meal.

But they were suppose to be him...

No! That was utter nonsense! Letting out a light nervous chuckle he continued the aimless journey. Tired paws carrying him to what ever was close, which appeared to be nothing after all...

"Speech"

"Thought"

It wasn't until he caught the sight of ripples quite a ways ahead of him did he panic. Freezing in place, watching the white wavering lines. There was movement, yet not a single visible soul; just like last time. Brows furrowed Vicktor crept closer, until something white began to bubble up beneath the void's viscous surface. Eyes wide he simply watched this white bubble form and float up. Black ooze dripping from its glowing complexion like oil.

Fear trickled out from his mind like a deflating balloon. Filling back up only as curiosity replaced it. It was an orb, glowing and just floating there! It seemed harmless enough, so he approached it. Staring into its opalescent sheen; white complexion holding the simple colors of rainbow at just the right angle.


"Speech"

"Thought"

Standing there Vicktor had an increasing desire to reach out and touch it. Glancing around like a child who was about to do something they probably shouldn't, he finally gathered the courage to reach out. Gently tapping the floating orb with his paw, recoiling as it brightened against the void. A gentle hum radiating from it and cutting through the silence. Perhaps there was nothing to it other than just a toy? He paced around it, only to stop. His heart caught in throat as he listened to the angelic voice that was all too familiar.

"Hello, dear heart!"


"Speech"

"Thought"

He stared wide eyed and without words into the orb; watching its opalescent surface fade as it showed his sweet dear Clover. He was confused! Why was she in this orb!? What was going on!?

"Welcome to Cetus. And welcome to the world."

Putting it all together Vicktor realized this...this was what happened the first day they met. His hatching day when she stumbled upon him in Cetus. He could hear himself play through the orb like a recording. Answering her with the voice of a child. Everything was perfect, identical to what had happened to long ago, perhaps this was a memory. White eyes began to blur as he stood there, staring through his own eyes again and what had been. Stifling his own sobs he listened to her caring words. She ws excited to have found him, loving even to what he was back then.

"I'll call you Pounce."

Why was this replaying? Why now!? What was the use behind all of this!?

"Y̫̦̳o̷u͇ ̹̞̮s̡̙̩̜̼t̮͖͍̤͈͇̩i̜̳̤̺̹l͘l͉͔̻̀ ͙͓͕͚̭̗͠d̴o͓͞n̤̯̕'͖̙͔̼̱̙͓̀t̘̜̻̼̹̯ ̘͜u̷̦̺̻̣n̻͢d̛͈͓̼ͅe̱r͏̩̻̪s̨̠̹̳͍ta̴͎ń͙̟̪̠͍̤̥ḑ͓̖͔͚͈.͔͙̪͉ͅ.̤͖̯̪.̜͎̼̹̦d̜o͓̺̹̪̠͘ ͈y̡͕̦o̷͉̞u̡̪͔͈̟̗̫.͎̕.̠̜̠͚̗̪̥͝.̸"


"Speech"

"Thought"

Fear flooding reason he recoiled back from the orb, colliding into the very individual who he sought to escape. Frozen from the sheer magnitude of size this individual held over himself. Voice caught in throat he dared not speak, should the monster decide to silence him. Wide white eyes scanned the sights before him, blurred and yet focusing on the orb that Clover was visible in; hoping that they would simply go away.

Obviously this wasn't the case. The beast stood, walking around the young jaguar and around the glowing orb itself. Staring into it, watching, waiting for Vicktor to do something. What seemed like hours passed proved only to be mere seconds. Their monstrous gaze flickered to the jaguar, unamused and impatient.


"Speech"

"Thought"

The glowing orb flickered; colors fading as its soothing hum came to a stop. The recording seemingly restarting, frozen now as if waiting for one to reach out and touch it again. Without the soft words from Clover, Vicktor began to feel restless. Troubled and upset like a small child who was lost. Silent tears fell as he hiccuped, sniffling as he began speaking. But the young jaguar's voice was merely a broken whisper, begging for help regardless of tone.

"I-I don't understand..."


"Speech"

"Thought"

The beast grinned; flashing a mouthful of daggers that were nothing compared to the glimmering great swords that hung past their monstrous maw.

"O͟f̶ cour҉se̕ ͟y̵ou ̢do̷n'͜t ͜ún̶de͜r͠st̢a͢n̕d̶. Her͜e y̕ou͜ ́a͝re͝ w͟al̀ki̕n̸g̨ aro̷und̀ c͜ryi͠ng̢ ҉l̷ik̨e͢ ̶a̕ ̀lost͘ ̧ch̕i̷l̡d͘ w̧h҉o̴ d̀óeşn̕'t̡ ̵k͠now̸ w͡ha̡t̨ ̢to͢ ̢d̡o͘.͢ Af҉ra͏id ͞o̶f ̨t͡he͠ on͢l͞y o̢n͢è ͏ẁh̵o ma̧y o̡f̷f͏e̢r yo̴ú t̴h͡e͠ ̀v͡er̨y ͜h́elp͜ ͞y̡ou s̨o d̀e͏śpeŕat̶ely͘ cra̵v҉e..͡.̷now̴ te͡ll͡ ̵mé ͡yo͏u̢r͜ ͠though̡ts"

They approached; sitting inches away from both the 'child' and the faint orb. Piercing eyes observing the void beneath rippled as another shining orb rose between them. Vicktor watched them, wiping his eyes and giving himself a fair inhale or two before speaking. Truth was he had no need to speak, the beast knew all that raced through the young one's mind. They were one of the same after all.

"I-...I'm dying...aren't I?"


"Speech"

"Thought"

"V͜ery̛ go҉ód, t͟hen y͡o͠u mu͜s͢t un͢derst̵and̷ ͡th͘àt͡ ̸t̷h͘e̴sȩ ar̕ȩ y͟o̴ur ̀me͏m̵o͝ri͘e͏s..͠.͡e̛ver͏y̧ m҉om͝e͜nt o̡f͞ y̡ou̢r ͝life̶ ͜ris͝i͟n͡g ͡ùp̧ ̢bef͠o͞r͠e͡ y̡ou͢.͢ Ever͘y̢thin͘g fl̀a͠s͏hi̵ng̀ ̷b͘e͞fo̷r̶é you͞r tea͞r̶ ͘fil͢led̨ e̵y̸es̵."

Vicktor recoiled listening to the affirmation of one of his many fears. The true cardinal and primal fear that was laced in every living beings psyche. Death. He stayed there, unsure of what to do. Everything felt so heavy now, so much that he wanted to heave up. Wishing that the bile and death would escape through his throat like a thick cancerous mass. Just for a chance to try it all over, he knew better this time! He was sorry for all that happened! Wasn't that worth something? Desperate to live he spoke over the new orb that was replaying another memory, drowning out the sound that was another story from his sweet Clover.

"How can I stop it!? Please you have to save me! Y-you said we were the same! If I die then you do too!"


"Speech"

"Thought"

The child understood, seemingly taking it better than what he could have thought otherwise. Until they began spitting out a plea, desperate to live. The calm beast's helpful mask cracked as the young jaguar called out for help.

"W̫̠̦͔̼̤̮h͕̲͉̥͠ͅá̫͇̪̮̝̭͙ṱ̳̼̭̺̞ ̮͚̙̻͇̞͙̀m̵̘a̙͟k͓̠̯͕̳̗es̟͕̪͝ ̨͕̠y͘o̢ṳ̮ ̡̼̺t̝̺̟̤͙̬hi͚̫̭̘͕̪n̖k̭̫̭̤̞̤͇ ̙̪͙I̪͞ ̕w̵̝͕͕͈ͅo͉͓̮͙͝u̲͇̗͔̬̤̞l̮͔͕̺d͏̙͚̻͚ ̝̲̖̲̙̮h̫e̝͙̮̠͚͈l͇̱̤̞͈̹ͅp̵!? ̻̟̜̤̹̖̟̕B̶͍̮̻e̶͓̝̝̤̣c̰̣̙̻̀a̭͚͘us̩̦e̯̜̜̫̙͚ͅ ͔̤͔ͅI͕̬̣̠͎͉̹'̱l͞l͎ ͖̲d̩̣͖ie͞!͙̘̝̜͈̤͈?̻͚͎̟͎͓̜ ̝̣̟̭̙̭̥H̼̖̟͉̥̫A͈̰͇̙͈͟!̳̟̘̗"

The beast's eyes sparked yellow and hellish flames billowed from their nostrils. They were laughing outlandishly in the frightened cub's face. They mocked him, plasma dripping from his eyes just like the pitiful tears that mirrored across Vicktor's own features. The frightened cub hissed backed; curling lips as he threatened them to cease their approach. Afraid and frozen he would be no match, trembling in his very pelt as he watched horrified. Those familiar jaws greeting his face just as before.

"Y͓̯̙̠̯͓̲͡o̙̰͕̙̙̻u͖̻ ̫̤͓̰̖͙͞d͏̩͚̰̭͍ͅo̘̙͇n̳̱̣̰'͎͢t̼ ̶͔̠̭u͏̬̰̩͙̻̱ͅn͓͟d̵̖͓͖͈̰̰e̢͚r̤̝̕s͕͈͕͟t̘̯̳̦͎̤a̴̰̠̺ͅn̲̺̖̕d̬͙̙̗̲̳̀ ̡̭̲͇͖a̟͎t̪͚ ̰̗̩̰̲a̭͍͍̜l͝l̹̖̲͠!̺̭ Yo̶͚̘̲u̥̫͜ ̘̲̥w̞i̜̳̫̕ĺ͓̰ĺ d̡̠̭̖͚ì͍͈̯̼̣̘e̱̘!̣̤͙̬̬ ͎I̞̥̜͙ ̪̝w̵i̩̖̬̤̮͓͇l͕͚͓̤̼͉l̞͠ ̠̥͍͕͇̳̦͟r̞̻̼̤e̯m͓̘͉̳̣͎͕͟a̵̮͍͍i̭͓͉̪̟̟͓n̡̪!"


"Speech"

"Thought"