Crowned

Arc 3, Chapter 54: Frostbite.

// TW \\

VOMIT, DYSMORPHIA, SUICIDAL THOUGHTS.

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Taco yelped as her foot gave out to the harsh climate of frigid temperatures of icy winds in the skies above snowy mountains and tundras. She tried to stop herself from being tossed around by the wind and gravity of the world below. That's when the pain started.

The withered wings on her back drastically grew in size, and a second pair soon followed. They burst from her back with a crackle. Blood and black ooze splattered into the cold air of the mountains. Taco let out a scream as blood poured from her mouth and eyes. The backs of her hand began to move, the skin split, and opened. She watched in horror as blood and nerves slowly moved and made way for the eyes that were now embedded in the bone of her hand. Her eyes sparked a brighter red, and markings sizzled into her skin and shell. The lettuce grew out, which didn't hurt, but it was disorienting. Her head felt like it was splitting in two—until horns pierced her forehead, and shot out of her skull.

She screamed louder as her body changed involuntarily. The black ooze like substance that Echo had engraved crept in further, seeing weakness.

Finally Taco hit the ground, bouncing off the side of a mountain, and tumbling down. She finally slid against the ground with a pained groan. Blood and black ooze seeped into the snow beneath her.

She winced as her body regenerated itself. She coughed and sputtered up more blood and ooze, trying her best to ground herself. She stumbled up from the ground and grabbed onto a rock that was nearby to steady herself.

She glanced around at the surrounding area. Where was she...? Her head spiralled and something forced worry and anxiety into her very being. She recoiled and gripped the cold stone tighter. Shaking slightly from the pain.

Her childish self had to be locked away for now. She grumbled and searched in her shell. Everything was still inside it, thank god... She blew on the lettuce that covered her face to try and get it out of her eye— but that didn't work. She groaned with an annoyed expression.

Once again she observed her surroundings. It was nothing but mountains and snow for miles. Panic wanted to seep into her mind, but she shook her head and sighed. Taco then picked a random direction and began to walk. Hoping to find civilization— or someone else for that matter.

The sky overhead poured and piled snow down on top of her as she trudged through knee deep snow. She winced at the feeling of her bloody wings dragging behind her, but the cold snow felt nice on her burns— for now anyway. She knew if she didn't find shelter the cold would begin to eat away at her. She knew what that felt like.

The further she went, the more her joints began to lock up from the cold. She tried to combat that by exerting herself, but she was getting exhausted. Taco let out a worried whine and opened her mouth to shout. "MIC?!" She screamed, hoping for a response. "PICKLE?! KNIFE?!" She shouted again, stumbling mindlessly through the snow. "ANYONE...?!" She coughed and doubled over, her throat spewing more blood and ooze. She wheezed and wiped her lips clean of the blood and black liquid. Tears filled her eyes...

She felt like giving up... just... lying down and resting for a while... Maybe she'd just die? And she wouldn't have to deal with all of this anymore...

She hit herself in the face harshly. "NO! FUCK! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!" She cried, grinding her teeth together. "You can't just... Give up..." She groaned, pulling herself up and continuing on.

The sound of snow packing beneath her feet teased her, as her feet began to sting from the snow.

"Where the hell even am I?! The North Pole? Maybe south...? No- no... That's not—..." her eyes landed on what looked like an elk. She froze. Its antlers were made of some sort of ice crystal near the top. "What the hell is...that..." she muttered, taking a step forward.