Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had happened so suddenly. 

Rumors of strange monsters roaming the lands had spread to a small village, your village, causing people to become alarmed. Yet you never actually thought you or anyone you knew would become a victim to those attacks.

You were a simple girl. You lived in NGL with your parents and two older brothers. Most of your time was spent working in the farm, it was noticeable by the way your hands always seemed to be mildly bruised. You had a normal life and you were loved dearly by your family.

You couldn't understand why it had to happen to you out of all people.
It unfolded so quickly, you could barely understand what was happening.

A monster, one of them, had killed you. You were innocently walking, on your way back to your house from visiting a friend that lived nearby. That's when it happened. To your surprise, they emerged from the sky.
A blow to the stomach had been enough to make your guts spill out on the ground.

You were only human, after all.

You had died way too young (In your opinion 19 years old was still young) and you thirsted, craved for another chance to live. As the sensation of blood collecting in your throat, pushing it's way up, all you could think of was how it wasn't fair. You didn't deserve this, you never did anything wrong. 

Then, it all turned black.

Death had wrapped it's icy and bony arms around your body, making your blood freeze and remain unmoving, like a block of arctic ice, but much colder. A dark coat of darkness wrapped around your eyes, serving as a comforting substitute for your eyelids, forever openly frozen.

It was as if your soul had been transferred into a completely different body.
You were conscious and aware of everything. You could think and even move (but only slightly) as you grew in your new mothers belly.  

It was suffocating and unlike anything you had ever felt before, you had nothing to compare the feeling to. It felt as if you were drowning over and over again, but not quite.
At first, the only memories planted in your mind was your own, gruesome murder. Over time, you remembered more.

You remembered your mother, your father, your brothers... Even the bruises on your hands and how exactly they were positioned.
You could remember everything.

Everything except… your name.

What was your name?

As you could think clearly, time passed you by as normal. It was boring, more boring than anything in your previous life. As you grew, you noticed that something else was growing with you.

It was another person. A brother, your brother.

He was your twin, it was only natural to assume that since you both grew in your mothers belly at the same time. 

Over time, the two of you learned how to talk. It was absurd, absolutely absurd. It was not with your mouths that you spoke, but with your minds.

He knew how to 'talk' and think normally, like you. It made the theory that you wasn't being reborn as a human, but as something else entirely, seem reasonable.

But if you were no longer human, then what were you being re-born as? Maybe, as one of those monsters? As one of the monsters that killed you?

You didn't know what to think, and you never asked your new brother in fear that you might not like the answer to the peculiar question swirling in your mind.

After a short while, you decided that you liked your brother. He seemed overly prideful and overly serious at times, but that wasn't always the case. Sometimes he would be soft and kind toward you when speaking, even if it was rare.

The voices from the outside world became stronger than stronger as you grew more and more. Soon, you could hear a feminine voice. You assumed it was your mother, she would speak to you and you brother daily, whispering soft words. 

"There are two of you, that's amazing... My children really are something extraordinary."
You liked your new mother as well, she was gentle and kind (maybe even to the point where she smothered you two in beautiful words?). 

"I have to start thinking of names…" Your new mother said out-loud. "I have the perfect name for you, my daughter..."

You had already figured out some time ago that you were a girl in this new life, too. Your brother always refer to you as 'sister' when you two spoke (since neither one of us knew the others name). 

Your old name still hadn't come to mind, you still couldn't remember it. It lingered in the back of your mind but it was lost in your tangled up memories and was out of your reach.

"I've decided that it's going to be [Name], do you like it?" 

There was no way for you to respond to your mother but on the inside, you found yourself liking your new name a lot. [Name]... It sounded so candied and sweet when you repeated it in your mind over and over again. In fact, you loved the name.

It... suits you. Your brother hesitated. As if he didn't quite know what to say, but it didn't bother you at all. You smiled mentally, a sudden rush of emotions fleeted through your body and engulfed you, much like a wave washed over and engulfed the sand on a beach.

Thank you... I feel… happy.

***

Pulsating, beating.

The abnormal heartbeat of the person besides you woke you out of your previously peaceful sleep. Your eyes fluttered open, confused. 

Was something wrong? What was happening? The entire cocoon like belly the two of you had been dwelling in for what seemed like years was moving in a way.

"No! It's still too early!" The voice of your mother called out desperately but to no avail, the small space continued moving. 

"Silence." It was another voice, it boomed through your entire body. It was powerful, strong and foreign yet… familiar.

Who was it? 

Suddenly, a movement inside the belly was made. A hand punched through the top, causing the entire thing to burst like a bubble.

The sudden event seemed to send you into some kind of a shock.

The last thing you could clearly remember was the horrid scream of your mother, filling your ears.

***

"I hunger." The King proclaims, watching his subordinates look at him with terror in their eyes.

It's enjoyable, to indulge in their fear. 
He is monstrous. A creature that is anything but human. Not in appearance, not in heart, there is even something unsettling about his speech.

He seems to be the opposite of you, who looks... human. Small and frail, compared to him, with [Hair Length] [Hair Color] and softly shut [Eye color] eyes. There are no animalistic features on your body, nothing. 

You look weak, nothing like him. You look human.

Could you really replace the queen, your mother? Everyone doubted, but at least The King knew. She was stronger, much stronger than what she looked like. He had felt it, they were the same. Yet they were also the complete opposite of each other.

"Bring me food." He commands with authority ringing in his voice. 

His eyes shift to his you, who is still lying in the slimy wasteland of what was once their mothers stomach. Your eyes are closed, as if you are sleeping.

Your entire body is covered in blood, no one notices your small, unconscious body. The ants are too focused on the monstrous presence in front of them. 

The King hears your heart beat, slowly but surely.

She is fine, he assures himself yet feels as if he shouldn't have been so rough.

"This place is filthy." He comments, looking up at the roof of the Palace (that's quite literally made out of dirt and stone). 

This ''castle''... It won't do.... 

"Oh, no! The Queen!" 

It was the voice of one of the Chimera Ants. He (assuming it's a he) held resemblance to a penguin. He seemed to ignore the Kings presence completely as he attempted to rush over to the queen.

The previous queen.

The action annoyed the King on many levels, they didn't need his mother now. His orders should be top priority.

Raising his tail in a quick motion, he tore of the latter mentioned Ants head as if it was nothing and blue blood splattered on the ground.


It was hard to believe that this fearsome creature was their king.

***

Your eyelids began to batter, and while slightly cracking open, you were exposed to the sight of a creature sitting beside you with a sleepy expression.

It looked like a human, except for the fact that it had cat ears on it's head. 

Strangely enough, you didn't feel threatened by it. In some way, you could almost sense that it's intentions weren't to harm you.

Your body felt cold, the warmth you felt in my mothers belly was completely gone. It was quite obvious that you had been born already… But why... Did your body feel like a full grown one?

You must have not been human anymore. It was the only explanation.

"Oh, you're awake, Your Majesty." It pointed out, it's face nearing yours.

Your Majesty? Was it speaking to me? 

It's yellow eyes observed you, their black pupils dilated as a warm and catlike smile crossed their face.

It seemed to notice your obvious confusion as their smile twisted into a frown. 

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" 

You blinked at them, to your surprise they put their clawed hands on your forehead. It's hand was warm, the exact opposite of your body.

"I'm cold." You managed to splutter out. You attempt to sit up, which you can barely manage to do.

You glance at your attire. It's a plain, white night gown that reaches to your knees. Your feet are bare. The thing that draws the most attention is the blue liquid covering most of your body. It feels slimy and unsettling.

But you're relieved to find out that you look human. For the most part.

But then again, this cat-like creature sitting beside you looked mostly human as well.
The surface underneath you is cold and hard,  like stone. Upon closer inspection, it is just that. A stone.

"Who are you?" You quiz, your head craned in the creatures direction. You feel surprised at my own boldness.

"Oh, I apologize... I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Neferpitou and I am one of the three royal guards." 

It's words were fleeting, as if it had practiced them before. It's response only managed to raise more questions.

Then, you came to realize the most important one.

"Where is my brother?" 

Neferpitou crossed their legs together, looking up at you. 

"Don't worry, you will be taken to him soon… His Highness, The King, said he was hungry so Pouf and Youpi went to provide some food and he went along. He told me to look after you until then."

The King? Why did they refer to us as such? If he was king, would that make me a princess? Or even a queen?

Were we the ruler of these monsters?

(Was it wrong to refer to them as such when I was one of them, too?)

Could you even trust Neferpitou? But... You had a feeling gnawing on the inside of your stomach, telling you that you could.

Whenever you looked at the cat-like human, you could feel the feeling of loyalty radiate from them.

"What about my mother?" She had screamed back then, you didn't have enough time to see if she was alright.

Pitou put a finger to their face, illustrating the fact that they were thinking. "I think she's dead." They responded bluntly. 

"The intense birth most likely killed her..."

Your eyes widen ever so slightly at the statement and you suddenly felt extremely bad.

"Can we... go see her before we leave?"

The question that is uttered leaves you feeling weird, why did you speak so casually to this feline? Normally, you would've started screaming and crying by now, shuddering in fear of the monster in front of you.

But you don't.

Neferpitou is taken aback by your question, it's noticeable by the way their ears twitch slightly and the mildly confused expression lingering on their face.

"I suppose we could, Your Majesty..." They reply slowly, as if they're unsure of what to say. Unlike his majesty, The King, she doesn't hold the same power in her voice.. But I like her, she feels... So different Pitou thinks.

Pitou's eyes close and their head tilts upwards, you blink in perplexity. Their ears twitch again before their eyelids crack open, a satisfied smile musing their face.

"She's still alive but barely... I think she's still on the fifth floor." 

You stare in awe, did Pitou manage to gather all of that information by just listening? How powerful were they? 

Would that make me even more powerful?
The thought alone scares me. Would I even be able to handle such power?

"I see, let's go."

You walk behind Pitou, who is leading the way. Again, you question yourself and your willingness to cooperate. But then again, you don't know your way around this place and Neferpitou looks like they do, so you'll trust them for now.

You just hope Pitou won't make you regret that choice.

Chapter Text

You still feel pain. 

The annoying and prickling pain of small stones pressing into your [Skin Color] flesh, creating a small, bloody wound was still very real.

You wince in slight pain whenever you take a new step on the cold, stone ground littered with small stones; but you refuse to complain. You hated complaining, but you wish you could've been provided with shoes of some kind at the very least.

It doesn't take long for Neferpitou to catch onto the slight look of pain that crosses your face whenever you walk. They stop in their tracks, looking down at you (when you thought about it, Pitou was very tall. You were extremely short compared to them.)

"Are you having difficulties, your majesty?"

A dusty pink flushes your face. "I'm fine." You reply through gritted teeth, your words come out harsher than you want them to.

Pitou doesn't seem bothered at all, they nod and turn around to resume walking. Pitou really is like a cat, you think. Their feet bounce slightly against the ground whenever they walk. They look like they're excited, always ready to play.

But in this case, to play usually ends up dyed in a dark red color. The color of a bloodbath.
You cringe, your memories are still intact. The feeling of death lingers around you, despite your new birth.

Silhouettes twist and turn in the shadows of the stone castle. But not a word is spoken. Your [Eye Color] optics observe their surroundings, you can't make out the figures.

You can't make out if they're human or something else.

You have so many questions. Questions about kings, queens and monsters. You're still scared and confused, but at the same time you're not.

You decide to find the answers to all of your questions after you reunite with your brother.
Your train of thought is stopped when Neferpitou puts a hand in front of you, halting your movements abruptly.
"Please wait, your majesty." 

Your Majesty… You don't like the title, you feel as if it doesn't suit you. You'd rather be referred to as simply [Name].

Pitou's feline ears twitch as they did back then, you assume that they must be using their absolutely insane super-power hearing.
"There are humans here..."

Humans? You are again left in awe at the royal guards amazing senses. You didn't hear anything, nor could you smell anything. You assumed that was because your entire body was still drenched in that strange blue liquid.

Pitou appears much like a mother, and you're the child that needs to be protected at all costs. It almost irks you, but then you remember that you need Neferpitou. The humans that were latter mentioned would most likely not react kindly to your presence if you happened to run into them, as you were no longer human. You were on the opposite side, a monster.

"I think... They're with your mother, the queen. I don't know how they got in without being killed by the other ants, do you wish for me to dispose of them?"

You visibly cringe. How could this person in front of you speak so casually about death and taking anothers life? You are once again reminded about the true nature of monsters.

You quickly shake your head; signaling a clear no. "No... Can you tell what they are doing with her?" You can't help but fear for your mothers life. Would she die without you ever actually meeting her?

Neferpitou seems to sharpen their senses to the maximum to obey your request. "Hm..~? How peculiar... It sounds like metal... Also very mushy...? It smells faintly like blood, too. Could it be...?"

Mushy? Blood? Metal…? 

"This is exciting~~ Are you sure you don't want me to dispose of them? They could be hurting your mother."

It sounds almost like a threat, but it's not. Neferpitou is only being careful, they recognize that you care about her, but you almost take their playful demeanor in the wrong way.

"I-I'm sure... Leave them alone." You try your best to sound firm and strict, it doesn't work out as well as you hoped it would.

You couldn't even dream of taking anothers life. Who were you to decide if they should live or die? You don't hold that kind of power, no being on earth does. Not even monsters like yourself.

Neferpitou finds themselves thinking you're becoming stranger and stranger. Your behavior is certainly eccentric for a Chimera Ant. Were you really one of them?

Then they feel almost ashamed of thinking thoughts like that. You were, nothing would be able to disprove that. Besides, The King seemed to have a certain eeriness to him when he spoke of you. It was certainly strange.

"As you wish. Then I assume we should be taking our leave? You must be hungry as well."

You are; but it's only now that the empty and yearning sensation in your stomach grows enough for it to be unpleasant.

A faint blush covers your cheeks in embarrassment at feeling. "I guess I am... But I want to meet with brother first." You admit shyly, forcing yourself to look at Pitou when you speak despite the giddy feeling of embarrassment growing in your body.

"… I understand. Please let me call Pouf and we'll head there immediately."

Pitou is secretly happy that they gave Shaiapouf and Methuthuyoupi a cellphone so they could communicate before they departed. They were most likely not in telepathic range now.

"Pouf?" You mumble, blinking. Pitou nods. "Yes, he is the second royal guard. You'll meet him along with Youpi, the third royal guard."

What peculiar names they have, you think but don't question the cat any further. You watch their hands fiddle with a small metal object; most likely a cellphone as they turn around, their back facing you.

You don't listen too much to what Pitou says into the phone, they mention you and how you've woken up but that's all you manage to catch.

The previously confused look on your face is replaced with an inane one as you almost drag yourself across the floor, all while marveling at the small hole in the castle displaying the tenebrous yet oddly revivifying sky filled with a impervious sort of  glumness.

"Your majesty, we can leave now." 

Your head cranes in the direction of the royal guard. Your eyelids flicker between open and closed, almost lazily. 

"[Name]... Please, call me [Name]." 

How many times were you going to surprise them? You were becoming more and more interesting in the mind of Neferpitou.

They put a hand on their chest, all while tipping their head downwards in a sort of half bow.

"As you wish… [Name]-sama."

At first, no one had noticed your small form writhing in an uncomfortable manner. You weren't much compared to the King's ghostly presence.

There was no aura, no ill intentions. You were peaceful and quiet, breathing slowly as the Chimera Ants couldn't tear their eyes off of The King.

It wasn't until The King announced your presence that you were acknowledged by the royal guard. He had said, "I don't think she'll be waking up anytime soon. Take care of her while I'm gone." Neferpitou had immediately sensed how meaningful those words were as they bowed their head and let out a hushed 'Yes, Your Highness'.

It had also been a clear warning. If anything happened to you, they'd have him to deal with.

When Pitou had called Pouf to tell him that you were fine, he had been beyond relieved. It had been a couple of hours since they arrived at the new castle and The King seemed to grow more and more impatient with every minute that passed.

Of course he had gone to alert the King (as he had asked him to do). Yet, he didn't seem as excited as expected. He nodded, "They're on their way? Good." Was what he responded with. Pouf didn't question him, it wasn't his place to do so in the first place.

Both him and Youpi couldn't wait to find out what kind of person, what kind of princess you would be. Would you be someone to fear, someone that struck terror in Chimera Ants and humans alike? Or would you be different, unlike anything they had ever seen before?

Only time could tell.

"The castle? You mean the one the King of NGL resides in?" 

You were hesitant when Pitou told you the location. Why on earth were they in the king's castle? 

"Ah, yes that is the one. They are in the human king's castle." Said Neferpitou as they put the phone back in the pocket of their pants and began walking closer towards you. "As I cannot fly like Youpi and Pouf, I'll have to use my other skills." 

That is when they pick you up, as if you weigh absolutely nothing. "Hold on tight." Is all they say before making their way to a large hole in the castle. You flung your arms around their neck, obeying their request with little to no hesitation. 

You have no idea what they're going to do; but you decide to trust them. They don't have any reason to hurt you after all, do they? 

They lower themselves a bit; crouching. You have no idea what happens next as your eyes are tightly shut but your entire body is brimming with anticipation. Then... They quite literally flung themselves forward in the air. They seem to be ripping through the air itself, the wind hits against your body almost to the point where it hurts.

Your grip tightens around their neck, your eyes remaining closed. Even after it stops, you are scared to open them, you continue to cling to their larger body. Pitou finds it very endearing for some reason.

"[Name]-sama... You can open your eyes." They say softly and finally you comply. The first thing you're met with is their cat-like eyes. Just like before. When you turn your head to the side, you see it.

A large building, a beautiful castle carved out in stone and marble. It looks beautiful. Perhaps not like a castle out a fairy tale, but it's still absolutely beautiful in your eyes. You've never seen anything like it.

You finally let go of Pitou, arms dropping to your sides and your feet hit the ground. "Are they... Inside?" 

You get a nod in simple response to your question. Pitou alters between looking at the castle and gazing at you, soon their eyes stop at you. They smile like they had done the first time you met them, warmly and somewhat comforting. "Yep! Let's not keep them waiting, alright?" 

"Yes... Let's go." You can barely contain how happy you are. Finally you will meet him! You longed for it, you didn't allow yourself to care or focus on anything else. 

Chapter Text

"What the-?" 

A loud noise, like stone splitting into two was heard in the castle. The humans, even the surgeons performing the surgery stop to acknowledge the sound. What seemed to be a fairy-tale, soon became something much darker. 

"I thought you said most of the ants had left," One hunter says, looking at the Chimera Ant with narrowed eyes. 

The squadron leaders nods quickly. "They should be! I don't-" That's when the memory of Neferpitou and that girl struck him. That little girl The King seemed to serious about protecting. She was unconscious back then and Pitou had taken her to a more closed off area, so there wouldn't be other ants bothering them.

What would happen now, now that she was awake? 

"Should we stop the operation?" One of the surgeons ask, brow raised. "No, continue. If someone comes, we'll take care of them." 

The queen mentally smiles in her mind. She is weak, extremely so but she doesn't mind at all. [Name] and Meruem are safe... Thank god. She felt no betrayal or pain. She would gladly die for them.

Maybe, the only thing she regretted was that she never told her son his name. Maybe he'd never find out. What a shame, for Meruem was such a lovely name. A lovely name that certainly fit with [Name].

You noted how the castle looked lonely. It was far from the woods and behind it were endless amounts of even lonelier rocky mountains, reaching for the sky.

It's fine, I won't be lonely with Neferpitou and brother here. You unknowingly cling to Pitou's arms out of pure excitement, a childish smile gracing your lips. 

They don't mind at all.

You wonder what the other two guards are like; Pouf and Youpi. You could only hope they were as nice as the latter mentioned cat by your side. Well, they would probably be. They most likely had to, you were you after all. You, the sister of the king, that was most likely the strongest being to exist at the moment.

You seem to forget everything else as you and Pitou walk closer to the gates of the palace. Everything about mother, about humans, about kings, queens and monsters doesn't matter in this moment.

Happiness is such a strange feeling.

It makes you forget about everything else, it's comforting beyond description.

There is a small garden-like place you two walk through to reach the palace's main gates and when you do, you can barely contain your excitement.

Small beads of sweat roll down your forehead as scenarios of every kind flash through your mind. 

"Do you like the palace?" Pitou suddenly asks, you turn to look at them and a melodic hum escapes your lips in response.

"I do. It's very pretty. I don't think I've never been in a building this big before!" 

They raise a brow at your behavior, you were certainly extremely eccentric. Almost like filled up with a childish sort of excitement, not a sense of duty and brimming terror like the king. 

As you trot down the hall with Neferpitou, who has become silent, by your side, making your way to your brother that you've been longing to meet for so long.

You smell something strange.

The scent comes faintly from behind one of the pillar decorating the hall. It smells… Mouth-watering.

Your stomach grumbles in unpleasantness again. You really need to find something to eat soon.

"Don't worry, [Name]-sama. We will prepare a meal for you soon." Pitou suddenly states out of the blue, they're not exactly clueless of your hungry state.

"Thanks..." You say in a hushed tone, looking down on the ground and feeling a bit embarrassed at the sound erupting from your stomach. "Let's just continue, I want to see brother as soon as possible!" 

Little did you know, the aroma that had mingled with your being, arousing a deeply DNA embedded hunger was the intoxicating smell of torn apart flesh. Human flesh.

"Oh, they've arrived." Shaiapouf suddenly states out-loud, stopping the noise emitting from his violin. Methuthuyoupi raises his head, now looking at the older ant with fully opened eyes.

"I see... Should we go and greet her majesty?" He questions to which the butterfly nods in response.

"Yes, I believe we should. It is the princess after all." Pouf says matter-of-factly, carefully putting his violin on the glossy stone. They were outside the king's room, that he had chosen for himself.

He had requested that they do not bother him unless it had something to do with you. 

The two guards ascended from the stairs to the bottom floor, where you would meet them for the first time.

Footsteps increased, becoming louder and louder until the only thing that seperated you, Pitou, Pouf and Youpi was a wooden door.

Pitou gripped the handle, opening it. You went into the room first, and the thing your gaze glued itself onto was indeed the two figures in the near distance.

They bow at you and you immediately assume this is Pouf and Youpi, the two other royal guards that Neferpitou was talking about.

"Welcome to your new castle, your highness. I am Shaiapouf, one of your royal guards. This is Methuthuyoupi. We sincerely hope that this palace is to your liking, if you want us to change anything consider it done." 

"U-Uh... Hello?" You croak out lamely, as they raise their heads, now looking at you with peculiarity shining in their eyes.

They don't look... Like I pictured them.

They don't like monsters. If there's anything too off-putting about them it's Methuthuyoupi's red coloured skin, large body and Shaiapouf's bug like antennas and slightly lilac skin.

"I assume you want to meet with the king, right your majesty? We shall take you to him now, please follow me." Pouf says, you look at Pitou who gives you an encouraging nod.

With their approval you smile slightly, looking up at Pouf. "Yes, thank you." You almost sprint up the stairs to follow Pouf but decide against it and compose yourself, normally walking up them instead.

They would never comment on it, but there was absolutely no way you could look less like the king. You looked absolutely nothing like him. You didn't even look like a Chimera Ant.

But it didn't matter, you were here now. A princess, sister of the king. They would protect you and see to all of your requests just like they did to him.

Shaiapouf begins walking when he ensures that you are indeed following him.

It doesn't take long for you to reach the king's throne room and this point you can barely contain your excitement.

Pouf slowly walks into the door less room, bowing as he always does.

"Your highness, I've brought-" Pouf doesn't have time to finish his sentence as you rush in, smiling widely. 

The king that's sitting on the throne belonging to the now dead human king raises his head. 

There you stand, still smiling. It looks like the smiling is eternal, never-ending.

You look almost exactly the same. Most of your body is still covered in blue, now dried, blood. But it's you, without a doubt.

"Brother…!" You call out in a dainty tone. He  immediately recognizes the voice, it really was you. It was you… [Name].

"Hmm… This one sounds fun, let's try it!" 

For the past hour or so, you've been quite occupied. Books surround your entire being, you don't think you've ever read nearly as many in your previous life.

But they're not regular books, but instruction books. They instruct on how to play the different board games that this country has to offer.

You have to pass the time somehow, right?

Besides, you really enjoy spending time with your brother. You thought that you'd be taken aback by his appearance, but you're not. Not even in the slightest.

"[Name], you should wash off all the blood before we continue." The king points out, to be honest it's almost tiring trying to keep up with you. He doesn't have a clue on what fuels you.

Especially since all of the games you've played have resulted in him winning, for some reason you're not that good at them. Or maybe it was just your brother being ridiculously good at them.

"Blood?" You question, openly confused.

Since when…?

"Ah, so that's what this blue liquid was."

The thought was oddly calm as it flowed through your mind and out of your mouth. There simply had to be something wrong with you, something wrong with your emotions.

There was no way someone could react this calmly to being covered head to toe in blood

Except maybe a monster.

"Haha, you're right. I didn't notice since I was having so much fun. I'll go, wait for me!" 

His expression is unchanging but you're met with a small, approving nod. Pouf puts down one of the books that you had read, he had briefly skimmed through it. "Can you find to the bathroom yourself? Can you take a bath by yourself, your majesty?"

Perhaps they're babying you too much, but it's hard not to treat you like a child when you have the appearance of one. 

"N-Nope! I'll be fine, really. Although, could you tell me where the bathroom is?" 

Your royal guard nods again. "Of course but if you don't mind, Youpi will be the one to show you. I have to stay by the King's side." 

Youpi is quiet, much like Pouf had been when he walked you to your brother. You have to admit, it is a bit uncomfortable, at least with Pouf you had the excitement of seeing your brother again to keep you occupied. Now you can simply look at the fancily decorated halls and doors while fiddling with your hands.

You'd like to talk to him about something, but it's hard. Youpi and Pouf really are different from Pitou, they're more serious in a way.

"What is Pitou doing?" You finally manage to splutter out a sentence. Perhaps not the best ice breaker but still.

"Oh, they're using En. It takes a lot of concentration." He attempted to explain but it only made you raise a brow.

"En?" You echo, perplexity piercing your tone. You had never once heard that word, but it did pique your interest.

Youpi looks at you and it's hard to tell what his expression means. But it's not a positive one, that much you know at least.

"You don't know…? I suppose I'll have to teach you after you take a bath… If that is alright with you, your highness."

You blush. You're not familiar with any of this, it's embarrassing to tell the truth. Especially since you're supposed to be royalty.

"It's fine... I won't be long." You mutter, words decreasing for some reason. Your form leaves his sight, walking into the glisteringly clean bathroom.

"She's really different." Youpi admits, scanning the different dresses that had belonged to the human king's small niece. 

Pouf almost huffs at his obvious sentence, a sarcastic remark is very tempting to make.

At the moment, the king had requested to be alone for a reason unknown. Perhaps it was bothering to have someone watch him all the time.

"I know but we shouldn't let appearance deceive us and let us underestimate her." 

Youpi lets out a heaved sigh. "You're right. But, for some reason she's easier to talk to it is to his highness, the king."

"Are you insulting the king?"

"… Of course not, I'm just making a simple statement." The ant defends. He could never bring himself to insult either of them.

The butterfly clicks his tongue in annoyance. "I don't agree with it." 

"Hah, now it sounds like you're insulting her."

"I would never do that, she's dear to the king and therefore very dear to us." Said Pouf, truly believing his own words. 

"Yes, that is true..." Methuthuyoupi pulls out a small but extremely fancy dress in blue. "By the way, Pouf…" He begins slowly.

"Yes?"

"What kind of dress do you think her highness would like?"

Chapter Text

"Why do I have to learn this?"

It had been nearly an hour since Youpi had begun explaining the strange power that is Nen. You didn't see the point in it, it wasn't like you were going to go out and fight people all of a sudden, right?

Besides, you had guards. Wasn't their sole purpose to protect you? To add onto that, you had your brother.

"It's important. If I or the other guards aren't there to protect you, you have to know how to protect yourself. It's strange that you don't already know how to use Nen."

You don't respond and instead, begin to fiddle with your [Favorite Color] colored dress. It emits a clean and fresh smell. Much different from your previous appearance.

Youpi can almost feel your disinterest in the subject of Nen, the smallest thing seemed to catch your attention. Anything but his attempts to teach you. It was as if you were looking for an excuse not to listen.

Pouf would be better suited for this, he thinks before his lips part so he can begin speaking again but to no avail, your attention lies elsewhere once again.

"That's it! You must be cheating, brother!" 

A small pout adorns your face as you stubbornly look away from the board game. The king looks at you, mildly confused.

"No, I can assure you that I haven't cheated even once. You're just horrible at playing."

You gape at his bluntness, was he saying it like that just to mess with you!? Either way, it was annoying to no end.

"Fine! If I'm so horrible then you can find someone else to play these games with!"

At the declaration, he slightly regrets provoking you - but it was true. You just had no talent for these games; unlike him with his super-human mind that was able to disrupt any rhythm.

"You're overreacting, [Name]." He states calmly, rearranging the shogi pieces correctly once again.

"No! I mean it, It's no fun to play if all you do is win."

You had a point, he had to admit. Maybe he should've let you win just once? No, you'd notice immediately.

He sighs heavily, attention turning to Pouf - who was harmonically reading a book with his legs crossed over each other. "Fine, then be like that. Pouf, would you go fetch some humans I can play this game with?"

The butterfly looks at him before setting down his book and bowing, eyes closed. "At once, your highness."

The human man to enter the castle looks beyond frightened. Pouf is following closely behind him, his gaze burning holes into the poor male's back.

You look at Pouf suspiciously; hoping that he hadn't forced the poor man to come here. It seemed a bit extreme; it was just to play games after all.

"Play this game, shogi, with me." 

The man seems petrified at the creature in front of him, anyone would be. You stay quiet as the human man slowly makes his way across the room to sit across from the king in order to play.

The silence as they begin to play is agonizing. It's already obvious to you that your brother will win, it's scarily obvious. The human is furiously sweating as he shakily moves his own pieces around on the board. 

Lastly, the king effortlessly places the last piece on the board. "Checkmate." He states coolly, looking extremely bored. "You're done." He adds, showing that there was no way to escape from the loss. 

The man looks extremely distressed at the fact, looking down upon the board in disbelief. You feel bad for him, he nearly looks like he's about to have a heart attack.

You're sitting next to the king, [Eye color] optics intensely watching both him and the board. An apologetic but barely noticeable smile crosses your features as you look at the human man.

"Why didn't you resign?" The king suddenly asks and the man looks to become more and more scared with every word that the ant speaks.

There is no answer coming from the man in return. 

That is when he raises his tail, striking the man's ear cleanly. It almost looks as if it falls off by itself because of how fast the movement is.

You visibly gasp as the blood pours from the man's severed ear, breath hitching in your throat. "W-Why did you-!?" 

"Don't make me repeat myself. The match ended twenty-two moves ago so why didn't you resign?"

He calmly ignores your sudden protests. You feel almost too shocked to move, why in the world would he do such a thing? There was no reason for it! 

You find yourself unable to emitt anymore words due to the fact that deep inside, you know that it's futile. There is no way you will be able to stop him because this is what monsters do. They hurt people simply because they want to.

"Did you believe that I would make a mistake?"

Once again, the human looks beyond petrified. He stands up, one hand still covering his bloodied ear. He turns around in an attempt to run away from the monsters that are probably now going to end his life.

The king's tail once again extends and strikes the man in an incredibly fast movement and just like that; his blood spills on the floor — death consuming him.

You finally manage to stand up yourself, eyes widened and a hand in front of your mouth. The corpse is unappealing and enough to make you want to vomit then and there.

"What's wrong, your majesty?" Pouf asks, completely disregarding the fresh corpse as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"I-I need to go out for a bit…" You manage to mutter out, quickly making your way out of the long hall. You just want to get away from the fresh smell of death and the disgustingly foul look of it.

"What is wrong with her?" The king asks out-loud yet there is a doubt that his question will be answered. Why did you make a big deal over such a trivial thing? This wasn't anything special, this was normal. 

At least it was normal for them.

Pitou curiously watches you rush out to the balcony with a strange look on your face, it's something they've never seen you wear before.

It was always a nervous expression, or a cute one but never an expression like the one you currently had on your face. It looked like a mix of disgust and fear.

They decide not to confront you, you'll surely come to them if you need help with something.

You're not sure what to do or what to think after the horrible thing you saw in there. Should you disregard it? Should you just accept it? You were not humans, after all, there wasn't anything wrong with it then – right?

What were you supposed to do? 

You were sure that he'd never hurt you, you were certain of that. He would never do such a thing since you weren't a human. You were his equal. That's how he viewed you, right?

Accepting it is the right thing to do, you had to in order to still be dear to him. It was the right and only thing you could do.

"Are you alright, your highness?" Pouf asks, walking to the balcony himself. It's nearly night-time at this point. 

You shoot him the most real smile you can muster up. "Yes! Sorry that I was weird before, I'm fine now."

He nods, seemingly accepting your explanation without much questioning. There was no reason for you to lie after all.

"I'm pretty bored, though." You admit out of nowhere. "Why don't you just continue playing games with his highness?"

You pout at the suggestion. "No way! He'll only win, it won't be any fun for either of us." You sigh, leaning against the concrete.

"I see. Then, I have another suggestion for you." 

You perk up, ready to listen to his suggestion.

"You see, apparently someone has been disabling Neferpitou's Nen puppets and so they gave a few regular soldiers the task of finding out who. Seeing as you haven't had the chance to polish your skills yet, this mission should be good for you - even if it'll be extremely easy." 

Your eyes almost begin to glisten. It sounded like a wonderful idea! And Pouf was right, you did need to polish your skills. You had never even tested them out for yourself.

"Sounds good, when can I leave for it?"

Chapter Text

Ants. 

Such a strange term. You were almost struggling to get used to it. You, or the others, certainly did not look anything like ants. 

In fact, the animalistic aspects of the ants had begun to fade all-together. 

Still, you were nervous. It was the first time you were meeting new ants. You briefly remember the first time you met Methuthuyoupi and Shaiapouf, it was a jarring experience.

You also noticed how much taller than you they were. How utterly odd it was to have the appearance of a little girl. Perhaps you just weren't used to it.

"Pitou?" Your head tilts to the side, observing the feline laying stretched out on the concrete in a lazy manner.

Their ears perk up at the sound of your voice and their eyes open. They hadn't sensed your presence. Had you become that good in Zetsu already? Or maybe they just weren't alert enough?

You're in one of the rooms of the castle. It has a bunch of stone pillars – one of which Pitou is currently lying on.

Neferpitou sits up, looking down at you. "Already done playing games with his majesty?" They ask, smiling. Your brows furl stubbornly. "I don't want to talk about that." You simply reply. 

"Why are you here, if I may ask?" 

You swiftly move across the floor, making your way over to the windows. "Pouf told me about some kind of mission." You respond, looking through the window. 

The outside world had an aphotic sort of glumness to it. It had been some time since you left the castle now. Most of your time had been spent playing games with your brother or talking with the royal guards.

As a human, your life was much more simple. You were just a human, nothing special at all. Now, however, you were a princess – queen to a superior race. You felt as if you weren't living up to the expectations. 

Even the guards had found you a bit strange. Yet they didn't comment on it. Why? Because of fear?

"Ah! Do you mean the mission about the person disabling my puppets?" Neferpitou says in their usual cheery voice, snapping you out of your thoughts. You turn around, facing them again.

You nod. "Yes, that one. I wanted to ask if I could go with them? I've been meaning to polish my skills…" I'm definitely going on a suicide mission. You thought with an internal sigh.

Neferpitou tilts their head. "Forgive me for asking but wouldn't that be too easy for you?" 

You shake your head bashfully. "I guess, I just wanna do something."

Pitou doesn't question you further. "I see. Well, I put some other ants on the mission not too long ago. If you hurry, I'm sure you'll be able to catch up with them if you hurry." 

You smile, nodding. "Thanks! I'll go now...-" 

"Wait!" Pitou calls. Your head perks up, listening. The royal guard reaches into their pocket and pulls out something metallic. 

They throw it at you and somehow you manage to catch it. It's like your reflexes were upgraded. One of the perks of being a Chimera Ant, you think, secretly becoming giddy on the inside.

"What is this?" You ask, inspecting the thing further. "It's a phone. We can stay in contact using it." 

A phone? You have heard of such a thing, just never used one. Growing up in NGL meant that you knew nothing of electronical devices, as they were forbidden.

"I gave one to the other ant, Leol, just so you know. I already have my number in it, by the way."

You nod, again. 

"Okay, I understand. I'll go now. Please tell brother where I am if he asks!"

You said goodbye to Youpi on your way out of the castle and made your way out.

Where could those ants be? You frown. Maybe finding them would be harder than initially thought. 

Once you crossed the large plain of sand separating the castle and the woods, you catch a glimpse of three figures in the near distance.

Your eyes follow them as you creep closer while hiding in the bushes and behind the trees in the woods. How should you introduce yourself!? You have no idea, at all. You'll just have to find the right opportunity.

"Let's just get this mission over with and we'll get in Neferpitou's good graces and thus get on the good side of the king."

Alright, that means it must be them since they're talking about the mission. You inhale deeply, trying to pep yourself to talk to them.

"Uh... Hello?" You greet lamely, revealing yourself. The ants immediately turn around and now you can get a good look at them.

The one on the far left one looks like a large humanoid insect of sorts. The middle one looks like a lion-human hybrid. The one on the far right looks like... A little girl? 

"Well, what do we have here?" The middle one speaks in an oddly ominous voice. You pale a bit at the sentence.

"A human this close to the castle? Weird!" The little girl ant says. They think I'm a human!?

"N-No; I'm not-" 

"I suppose we can have a little snack before we begin the mission." The middle one says again the same voice. 

"Oh, Oh! I wanna kill her! Can I kill her!?" The little girl one says in a happy voice. 

"Sure, go ahead, Hina. Just save some for us."

Seriously, what's wrong with them!?

"I'm not a-!"

Before you can finish your sentence, the little girl (the one presumably named 'Hina') leaps toward you at a remarkable speed. She grabs your arm as if to break it or to throw you, but as soon as her hand makes contact with your skin, her eyes widen.

Suddenly, you're not just the little human girl they thought you were – you had become something else. An immense amount of aura emerged from your body, pushing Hina away. It was like the strongest wind they had ever experienced. 

Now, when they looked at you, you were terrifying. Your aura was the most intense thing they had ever seen or felt. It was dangerous. As if they went anywhere near you, they'd be dead before they could even blink.

Everything in their minds was screaming 'run, run, run, RUN!' but their bodies stayed frozen.

The feeling of terror was absolutely indescribable.

Then it disappeared as fast as it had shown itself. The terrifying aura retracted inside of you yet the ants could still feel the terror linger in the air.

"Don't ever touch me again!" You exclaimed angrily, gritting your teeth together. You had never felt this angry before, never in both your lives.

They were nothing compared to you! Nothing at all! How dare they? "You're lucky that I'm not ripping out your throats right now." You said lowly, in an almost growling fashion.

In their minds, you just became a more terrifying monster than the king could ever be.

They had instantly become stuttering messes, apologizing to you, begging.

You felt insanely powerful, you had never felt such a power before. It was such an amazing feeling.

Of course, you didn't kill them, you didn't want to. For now, you were content with just scaring them half to death.

"Did you find them, yet, Flutter?" You asked out-loud. 

You had learned their names on the way. Flutter, Leol, and Hina. Flutter could fly so he was observing the forest from above, and he had finally found the culprit - Well, kind of. The culprit used the disguise of the woods to hide.

I did, [Name]-sama- He responded (using telepathy since he didn't have a mouth he could use to speak with).

"Great. Where are they? I'll catch them." 

You had definitely become more confident in your abilities. Once you found out what you were capable of, you had begun to trust yourself a lot more.

Um… Could you please hold it off until later, [Name]-sama? We already have a plan in motion.

Your brow furls with question. "What kind of plan?"

Well, [Name]-sama, sending five Chimera Ant soldiers to attack him didn't work – which means we can assume that he's strong. It's better if you simply observe him and you'll see my plan. It's easier than for me to explain.

"Hmm… Alright, then. I can be the last plan. Like, save the best for last, right?" You say and then chuckle at your own joke.

Flutter lets out a nervous laugh in return.

"Okay then. I'll watch him for now!" 

You jump from tree to tree, towards the culprits' location (while using Zetsu, of course) with incredible speed.

You decide to stay a few feet away, but still close enough to watch him. 

This is the first time you see him. Actually, see him. 

He's young, around your physical age. Maybe 12 or 13 years old? His hair is a prettily white color, contrasting well with his blue eyes.

How can he be so young and yet be so strong? To actually rival Chimera Ants? There must be some sort of story to it, probably a sad one, too. 

You suddenly feel curious about finding out. Too bad that you can't, he's the culprit - the one that disabled Pitou's puppets.

You watch him intensely and soon see that he's being hit by some sort of bullets. You aren't really impressed. Is this what Flutters plan was? To shoot him until he eventually just drops dead?

After a little while of being hit by them, he then suddenly takes off into another direction. You note that he's bleeding furiously.

Obviously, you follow him. He still doesn't seem to notice that he's being followed by someone which you're glad over.

The boy seems to be trying to locate the sniper, the one that was shooting him with the bullets. 

It's probably not good to run like that when you're bleeding so much… You think. 

Hold on, why do you even care about that?

Shaking your heads, as if trying to get rid of your strange thoughts, you continue to follow him, jumping from tree branch to tree branch.

Finally, then, the boy located the sniper. The sniper is, strangely enough, standing next to an opening in the ground.

"This is a trap~," The sniper says in a sing-song voice as he jumps into the opening. The boy follows, with almost supernatural speed.

"I couldn't care less." You hear the boy say as he grabs him and sticks his fingers (who seem to have transformed into claws) into the sniper's skull.

He's not like any other normal human. This might be interesting.

Chapter Text

"A mission?" The king repeats the words that were told to him by his royal guard, Shaiapouf. Pouf nods at him. "Yes, I was the one that suggested it to her. She seemed eager to leave." 

The king looks down on the game board, tracing one of his fingers over the pieces. "I see. She did seem odd when I disposed of that human. I wonder why that is?" As every word comes out of his mouth, he seems to slip more and more into his own mind and thoughts.

"May I share my thoughts, Your Highness?" Pouf asks, one hand on his chin. He seems caught up in his own thoughts as well. 

"You have my permission. Speak."

"I mean no disrespect to her highness at all. But... I believe that [Name]-sama is... Quite strange. She's immensely different from you. She's too... Kind and considerate."

The king doesn't speak for a moment, simply looking at Pouf. His eyes aren't filled with that terrifying glare but they are not soft by any means. They are simply neutral; as if calmly observing the guard in front of him.

"Then do you believe that kindness is a weakness?"

Pouf doesn't seem to hesitate in his answer. As if the subject had crossed and berated his mind multiple times.

"Of course. It is a human emotion after all... Personally, I believe that there's no benefit to being 'kind' to people just for the sake of being kind."

"... I suppose."

The king can't help but wonder why you were the way you were. Why were you not more like him? Violent, terrifying and ruthless? A true leader? No, you were nothing like that. He sees you as his kind younger sister. You were kind.

And, if he were to be completely honest, he saw you as weak.

Perhaps that's why he felt such a strong urge to protect you. Maybe that's why he felt a small twinge of worry when Pouf told him you had suddenly left for a mission.

Worry? Why did he worry for you? In fact, why did he bother with you at all? He could've left you all alone in the messy wasteland of your shared mother's torn apart stomach. 

But he didn't. He couldn't. Was it because of... Love? Did he love you? Like an older brother loves his younger sibling unconditionally? The subject of human love, he had never given it much, if any, thought at all. Could he even feel such a thing?

All this pondering is making my head hurt, he thought with an internal frown. He decided to push these thoughts away for now and focus on the game in front of him.

That boy with white hair, he was truly something.

Strong, quick and... Different.

How intriguing.

Over a small span of time, he had managed to fight that Chimera Ant and conclude that he was in fact a parasitic Ant that inhabited someone else's body.

That latter mentioned parasitic ant took the form of an octopus and due to its tentacles, it managed to stay up out of water. The boy with it, of course.

The boy had even made a rather blunt remark about the ant octopus appearance, showing that he could indeed stay calm in even the strangest of situations.

You were truly impressed.

All the humans, including yourself when you used to be one, were nothing like this boy in front of you. He was brave and somehow, powerful.

You definitely had to know more about him.

There is an underground lake there but there are large pillars made of dust and stone for you to hang onto. It looks like your only choice is to hang onto the latter mentioned pillars so you do it. 

You observe the body of the Chimera Ant (still using Zetsu, of course) fall into the lake, blue blood going everywhere as the fish looking ants tear him apart. Words that you can not make out are cried out underneath the once serene water surface. 

You sigh out of relief quietly as you can when you see that the boy and the octopus resembling ant he's currently conversing with have yet to notice you. 

"Ikalgo, did you finish off the kid?" The message from Flutter is meant for the Octopus looking ant identified as Ikalgo but you still manage to catch it on your radar.

"No! We're still fighting!" Ikalgo exclaims, out loud where even the white-haired boy can hear it. You just have the urge to facepalm at how stupid that move was but you can't make a sound or you'll most likely be detected. Especially since both of them are on high alert.

You are too busy trying to think out solutions to how to protect that white-haired boy, to keep up with the conversation — your orbs only focusing on sudden movement. 

You suddenly regret the fact that you did not ask Leol about all the traps he and Flutter had set. Your mind is filled with possible solutions and it is not until the sudden movement your eyes have been watching out for happen.

A large fish quite literally dove against the boy, pinning him against the pillar and told him in a mocking voice to 'beg for his life'. You roll your eyes, how pathetic of him. It's no surprise when the boy easily kills him, commenting on 'How much easier it's to fight scumbags like him' which you agree on.

There is a strange thing that you notice that the boy probably does not, a small lizard looking ant jumps from the large fishes back and thanks to your amazing sight you see that he attaches something to the boy's body… Namely, something that appears to be a badge. 

Your eyes widen. This must be… The condition for a power. Was it a plan by Ikalgo? Speaking of Ikalgo, your blood freezes in your veins as you feel him spot you. His round eyes staring at you, confused. "Who are you?" It is the question you envisioned him to be asking. "I–I'm uh… that boy's friend." You have no idea why you have to force the answer out of your body. Perhaps it's the heat of the moment. You hate that you have to lie, you couldn't exactly say that you were practically his enemy.

"Then why the hell didn't you help him!?" Ikalgo exclaims at you. He doesn't know why he is so mad but the boy spared his life and called him a good guy and even told him that they could become friends. You blink a few times at his outburst. "Well, I…" 

"Go and help him then you idiot!" You would usually get extremely mad if someone called you and idiot so plainly but not this time. The intensity in his eyes tell you that you really have been an idiot for not helping him. 

The reason Ikalgo does not recognize you as the Chimera Ant princess, is because he doesn't know. He has never seen you before and Flutter did not even mention to him that the princess would be going with them on this mission. You're happy that you told Flutter, Leol and Hina not to tell anyone else about your existence. It proved to be extremely helpful.

"I don't know why I didn't earlier but… I will go and do that now!"

*   *   *

"W-Who are you?" The boy questions as you stand above him. He's bleeding quite a lot, you note.

He looks strange, he's almost painted like a dartboard and he's bleeding from multiple places. You're also very pleased to hear that he remembers your name. "Let's take the questions for later Killua, right now we need to make sure you get out of here alive." The way you say the word is almost scary to him. He doesn't have time to question you. 

Huh? Who are you talking to~?

You hear two voices sound in your head. "No one." The boy responds out loud, putting a finger to his lips — signaling for you to be quiet. It's most likely a Chimera Ant but since the boy can hear them as well-meaning that the person is probably the creator of the ability currently used on the boy. 

The ability seems to work out like a Dart Game, what looks like fish pierce the boy's flesh as the Chimera Ant counts down the points in your head and stupidly enough explains his ability to the two of you. However, you cannot show to the boy that you're able to hear any of the voices. He would find out about your true identity then. 

Since the fish darts do not exist until they hit the boy's body, It's practically impossible for you to stop them. 

Unless… 

You figure out what game they're playing. 

"Gah! You're so mean! You probably practiced all of these games while I didn't have any time to learn them." You exclaim loudly at your brother who simply watches you, an amused glint in your eyes. "Why would I do that? It's not any fun if I already know that I'm going to win."

You frown, pointing to a book. "Fine then, next we're gonna play..." You pause for a moment. "01-501 Game!" 

That's it! You practically jump in front of the boy and put your left hand on his shoulder, tightly. If my predictions were right then… Soon enough, the fish dart hits your hand. You don't cringe or anything which seems to surprise the boy. He wants to push you away and tell you to let him go but if the ants hear him talking to someone else, they'll become suspicious. 

Then on his arm…

You place your hand on there and soon enough, you're hit by the dart again. The boy does, of course, try and push you away but you're actually… Pretty strong. 

Then, lastly… On his forehead!

And yes, you've hit on your hand again. You don't pull out the darts in your hands.

Because if you do, the blue blood — showing that you're a Chimera Ant, will flow out. The boy looks at you, a grateful glint shines in his eyes. 

"Break the dart and put the suction cup on your forehead so they think they won." You mouth to him, thanks to his abilities he can make out your speech perfectly and only nods while you run away to hide behind one of the pillars nearby again to hide from the Chimera Ants that are probably on their way to you and him.

Once you're hidden, you rip out the darts and let your blue blood flow. You rip apart a piece of your clothes to bandage your arms. You can treat your wounds later, the main focus is not to let the boy see the blue blood. 

Once you look back and come out of hiding, two Chimera Ant heads are lying on the ground. The boy seems to be explaining how the two of you defeated them. It's not long before they die.

"Nice job on killing them." You compliment before running up to him, crouching down. "You idiot..." You mumble silently. He's bleeding so much. You don't know what to do to stop it. 

"It's okay, you'll be okay…" 

You two don't make it that far until he collapses onto the cold ground. You try to pick him up again but he refuses. It ends up with his head laying in your lap.

Red blood flows down onto your clothes. "Is this all my blood…? It feels like I'm taking a warm bath." He mutters, dozily. "You can't die here! Not after I went through that trouble of saving you!" You exclaim angrily. He doesn't reply, his royal blue eyes concealed as he closed his eyes. 

"I'm sorry Gon… For not being any help. I'm sorry… I'm sorry."

This should be the perfect moment. The perfect moment to devour his flesh and intestines. Watch him whiter in more pain under your gluttonous gaze. You should be digging your nails deep into him, feeding yourself the food you've been longing so much for. But you don't do it.

"Little girl! Carry him! He's not dying, not on my watch!" Ikalgo shouts at you. He must have observed your fight and learned your name then. "Octopus....?" "Don't call me an Octopus!"

You obey him, picking the boy's barely alive body. He is barely clinging to you, his fingertips smearing your throat in blood.

"What are you doing?" He asks, the question is most likely to Ikalgo. "Isn't it obvious!? I'm turning traitor. Now shut up, I know a secret doctor. The water path won't take long. I hope you can swim little girl." The octopus replies fastly. You frown at the nickname he's given you.

"Idiot… I spared… Your life." The boy breathes. 

You smile gently. "Don't die before we get there, snow-white."