Glorybringer: The Nightmare Within

FIGHT!

He didn't know why, but as Twisted smiled grimly feeling the bones in the Cawthon's face break under his punch, he found his mind drifting.

It was not the first time this happened, and it undoubtedly would not be the last. However, when he was idle, they usually happened when he had nothing to do but think of it; the time before he was Twisted.

It came to him in glimpses sometimes. Sometimes in short scenes. Even after all these years, he was still fighting to break free from himself.

"Daddy!" a little girl called. The voice pierced through the silence in his mind, almost startling him. "Look what I made for you!"

The drawing the little girl, who really only came to him as a shadow now, had made for him was crude, nothing but stick figures and scribbled colors. But... somehow... it still invoked emotion in him, causing that little spark of who he used to be to burst into a flame before being extinguished.

No, he forced himself out of his own head and shoved that memory into the depths of hell. That was when he was weak, when he was helpless! When he was bullied for not being good enough... but now? That was him no more!

He was Twisted! He was insanity! 

He was the end of the world.

Something lept at him from the corner of his eye. He turned to intercept it, but it reached him first, knocking him off his feet. He pushed the ground away from him, flipping and landing on his feet. Venom... the symbiote stood there, between the Cawthon and mystic.

Twisted's head snapped to the side to see Deathbringer's corpse still standing there, and grinned as the realization dawned on him. "Glory," he realized instantly, laughing. "You really think that you stand a better chance than Deathbringer? You and Venom aren't even compatible!"

However, they ignored him, lunging toward the fox.

But he was ready this time.

He allowed all of those memories to flow through him, that pain, that suffering, that anger, and let it overcome him. He pushed it out, and his twisted energy shot from his hands, scorching the Klytaarian off of the rainwing before he caught her by her throat. 

She dug her claws into his arm, not stopping even when she reached the bone. Twisted roared and threw her back, charging at her as soon as he healed. A red blade shot down, severing Twisted's arm and stopping his attack before he lept back to avoid the others. The mystic, Righty or something, Twisted remembered, stood next to the queen, his eye glowing. The bear scooped his hand downward, then pulled it up while the other shot a beam of energy. The fox blocked the beam but was surprised by the ground shifting and morphing. The earth shot up and clasped around his legs before solidifying, trapping Twisted for a moment. A moment was all he needed.

The mystic brought both hands up, then shot them down, raining red arrows onto the trapped world-destroyer. The fox summoned a shield blocking the attack, but was quickly overwhelmed as the Cawthon joined in, blue spears impaling Twisted from all sides. His shield fell, and soon the red arrows joined the spears.

And yet, even with all of these things impaling into him, he still couldn't say that this was the worst pain he'd ever felt. In fact, he'd rather go through this a million times than be at his mercy again. Twisted hadn't always been a member of the Nightmares. In fact, quite the opposite. When he first became this monster, he fought against them, seeking revenge for what they'd turned him into. 

And he was good at it, too. He made it quite far until he showed up; or rather, sent out one of his avatars. And yet, even despite not being there in person, that power was still enough to bring the fox to his knees.

It was funny, really. Twisted was an agent of chaos, he struck fear into all and listened to no one... and yet, it was fear that kept him in line.

However, he should really be thanking him. Since, after enduring such complete agony, he was basically unphased by most other sensations.

That was how he found the strength to use that pain, and roar, shooting green flames in every direction, disintegrating the spears, and freeing him. He roared again in rage as he launched a column of energy as big as himself toward his enemies.

When the dust settled, he was the only one standing. He walked toward his former opponents, who he was sure were still alive. You better be, he thought to himself. His wish came true as Glory coughed. His eyes narrowed at her, and he stalked toward her. A victorious grin erupted on his face. 

"You idiot," he mocked, seizing her by the horn and lifting her off the ground. "You really thought you could win?"

Glory opened her eyes, and he realized that she was crying. Amazing, he thought, staring into her teary eyes. "You're not afraid," he realized, his smile widening. "You're so angry, just as angry as he was and yet... nothing is happening, is it?"

She snarled at him, and he chuckled. "You're trying to do it, aren't you?" he questioned, and she faltered. "You're trying to become powerful as he did."

"You're a monster," she spat. But he only smiled wider!

"Yes," he agreed. "And you're weak and stupid."

"You don't know anything about me!" she growled. 

"I know everything about you!" he insisted, pulling her close to his face. "I've been watching you for a while now, Glory. You try so hard to act like your strong, like you've got everything handled! But the truth is, that you don't! On the inside, your still the weak little substitute dragonet. Why did you think you could ever defeat me when you weren't even good enough for a fake prophecy?"

Glory growled but looked down. I've won, he thought. Her resistance was broken, and soon, everyone else's would be too.

"That may be true," she growled. He couldn't help but furrow his brow in confusion. She was broken, wasn't she? "But I still have something you don't!"

His amused smirk returned. She was broken, he was sure of it. There's no reason she shouldn't be! She'd been through too much in one day, there no way she still has fight left in her! "And what's that?" he challenged. She looked up at him, her eyes determined. 

"I have friends and family who love me," she growled, and he laughed heartily. Was that really what she was going with? The power of friendship?

"You really-" he started, but was stopped as he looked back at Glory. Venom had taken over her head, their mouth agape. Acid sprayed like a hose, drenching Twisted and going down his mouth. 

"And magical death spit!" she roared, kicking him away. Twisted screamed in pain, the acid rendering any attempt to regenerate futile. But, he did not die, only looked at Glory, his eyes flaming. The queen spread her wings and bolted into the air. She dodged and weaved to avoid the balls of flames that Twisted shot at her. However, luck was not on her side. One of the attacks struck her wing, scorching it and eliciting a yelp of pain. 

The rainwing crashed to the floor, her wing stinging with pain. She couldn't fly... 

So she ran.

Her confidence from earlier had left her, and now, she was running through the forest as fast as her legs would take her, knowing that if she stopped for just a second, Twisted would catch her. She silently pleaded for someone to help her as she ran,  unable to fly. Sometimes, she dared to jump into the air and try, but her injured wing would flare up and she'd crash back down to earth again. 

Please... she thought desperately, wishing someone, anyone would come to help her. But she was alone, and her prayers went unanswered. Heat blazed across her backside, and the ground she was standing on exploded. She shouted as she was thrown into the air before tumbling to the ground.

She cried out in pain as she rolled across the forest floor, before landing against something cold. She wailed as she saw Deathbringer's corpse next to her. All of her adrenaline was wiped away in an instant, and she curled up next to him as Twisted emerged, his flaming eyes bearing into her soul, into her mind, corrupting it, breaking it.

"Deathbringer," she pleaded helplessly. "Please come back... I need you..."