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Lizbert did not regret her decision in saving Eggabell. She’d have done it again in a heartbeat. What she did regret, is bringing everyone here in the first place.
Everything made sense, in hindsight. How they never seemed to try and escape capture, how they seemed so enthralling, so irresistible to eat. It was all a ruse.
She looked down at what was in front of her, from atop what was now her body. What she’d become. Many Snax crawling about, from the floor, from the walls, in and out, no doubt setting themselves up ready to be eaten by the rest of town.
How could she have been so blind to all the warning signs? How many others before them had arrived and died here, how many shared the same fate as what would likely happen to them?
She didn’t want to think about that. About what could happen to everyone.
Instead, she watched, as all of the Snax gathered stared down at her, the many voices of the hivemind whispering to her to let us out, it won’t be long, they won’t have any worries once they join us.
She felt like an utter disgrace as an explorer. She should have seen this coming. Instead, she paid the price in saving Eggabell from that earthquake and turned into… this monstrosity.
Even now, her form wasn’t stable, feeling her horns shift into yet another Snak. She lost track at this point, despite the newfound knowledge of the limitless forms Bugsnax could take. From the memories from previous inhabitants.
She had to do something, anything, to scare them off the island. It wasn’t like she wasn’t going anywhere, like this.
They were still here, and her control over them was beginning to slip.
The little construct she’d made from various Snax wandering was staring blankly at her from where it stood, unresponsive. Its sole purpose was to be her eyes as she sat down in this dank, warm mockery of a cave.
She couldn’t scare them off with this. If anything, with the hold the Snax had, they’d probably try to catch it, somehow. If it weren’t for the fact that she was trying to get them off this hellhole, she’d probably find it funny.
Instead, she was at a loss on what to do. Every day was a further slip in control. She didn’t know how long she had until they broke free and ravaged them all. Until they were nothing more than an aimless voice in her head, urging her to let go, join us.
She felt a shiver run down what was left of her spine, a sob letting itself out.
“Why did I let this happen..?”
The earth shook again as another bit of what control she had left over the Bugsnax slip away, the distant rumbles of the volcano erupting through the Undersnax.
If she wanted to do something, she had to do it now. All she could really control at this point was the very peak of the mountain, where Eggabell was. Not that it would be much, anyway. Anywhere on this island was a death trap springing.
The voices were getting angry now.
LET US OUT THEY MUST JOIN YOU MUST JOIN WE ARE ONE.
They were running out of time. She had to only hope that the erupting volcano would urge them to leave.
They were here. They were here.
She had to keep them safe, they were only getting more and more erratic in their behaviours as they stayed here.
INTRUDERS INTRUDERS JOIN US JOIN US.
They just couldn’t shut up for one minute while she focused, could they?
She involuntarily let out a growl as she ordered her Snaxsquatch to watch for them, to guide them to her.
She had to tell them everything.
“Well.” Eggabell said, turning to her as they sat atop the cake. “They’re all safe now.”
“Yeah.” She said, wrapping an arm around her lover. “I just hope they’ll be able to recover from all this. That we can recover from all this.” She longed to be free from the voices ever-present in the back of her head, urging her to do all sorts of things. Even now…
Join us join us we’ll be together no worries no danger.
Eggabell grimaced, letting out a groan. “How did you deal with those voices?” She asked, looking her in the eyes. “How’d you keep yourself together?”
“You, ‘Bell.” She replied, smiling. “You and everyone else. You all kept me going. I had to make sure…” She trailed off, looking down at what was now her body. It never really sunk in just how little of herself remained physically. “To make sure that you all would make it.”
“Hm…” She turned away, looking towards the sunset. “Well, at least we’re together. No matter what happens… We’ll work through it together, the two of us.”
“Yeah… Together.” Lizbert, for the first time in a long while, felt happy. It wasn’t ideal, they were still stuck on this island, twisted into a monstrosity, but…
She wasn’t alone anymore.