(Chapter 20 already! This went by so fast!)

(Chapter warning: The disorder-demons are back. Also, all the disorder-demons are genderless, so I will try to use they/them, but I might mess up like I do with Allister sometimes lol. And yes, because I can only draw cat-like creatures, they cat demons)

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Third Person POV

Depression, Anxiety, and Dysphoria all sat in a semi-circle in one of the Graylands many gray, barren fields. 

"Allister is getting out of hand," Anxiety growled, hypnotic eyes swirling. 

"I agree, Anxiety," Dysphoria responded calmly. They were similar to Jevin, made of a slime-like substance. They were, after all, dysphoria. 

"What are we going to do about it?" Depression growls. 

"Allister is the shifter's spirit, they possess power, just like us." Dysphoria replies, still calm. 

"We can't just get rid of them," Anxiety agrees. "But we can't take in souls forever. There was no reason for me to take Scar." 

"Well, I don't suppose you have any ideas, Dysphoria?" Depression mumbles. 

Dysphoria huffs. "I always come up with the ideas, Depression! Why dont you and Anxiety deal with it for once?" 

"Dysphoria, thats enough," Anxiety growls. "We can't fight among ourselves."

"Easy for you to say, Anxiety," Depression growls. 

"What's that?" Anxiety hisses. 

"Enough!" Dysphoria hissed, standing up. "How about we just distract Allister from those three new shifters? Or, we show them what to do to stop them."

"How foolish, Dysphoria. Nobody can stop them." Depression replies. 

"Do you have a better idea?" Dysphoria hissed. 

"There are three of us and three new shifters, Dysphoria is right. We cant stop Allister, but we can help them protect themselves." 

Anxiety and Dysphoria nod, Anxiety flicking one of it's large ears. 

"I'll take Impulse," Anxiety says. 

"I'll take Tango," Dysphoria volunteers. 

"That leaves me with Grian," Depression nods. Its settled. They would all try and protect their chosen shifter. Viper could protect herself. 

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POV: Scar

The interaction with Anxiety was scary. Poor, poor Xisuma. 

At least they left... right? Did Allister leave? 

Allister left Impulse and Grian alone, right? They both looked... okay... Tango was still a salamander, though. 

Viper was whispering to Grian and Impulse, who were just nodding. 

"That idiot!" She yelled out of the blue. "Why in the good world-" She inforced the 'world', "Would they do that!"

She pointed to Tango. "And he's still a salamander! What are we supposed to do about that!" 

Everyone was quiet, until X stirred. 

"What happened?" He asked, looking around.

"Uh, just-" I started before Viper cut me off.

"That idiot of a spirit called over- uh- Anxiety-" She said quietly. 

Grian and Impulse looked confused, but I nodded. It was true. 

"Did it get anyone?" X gasped.

"Thank the spirits, no." She replied. She pointed to Impulse and Grian. "But Allister did happen to get those two." 

"How does Allister know Anxiety?" I ask, confused. Who knew Anxiety was a demon...

"Allister knows all of them, being a spirit of the shifters. It still wants revenge on me for something I did a long time ago. They know Anxiety, Depression, and Dysphoria the most, though. They decided the form of payback this time would be one of ya'll-" She whispered. "But Anxiety didn't want Scar. Depression and Dysphoria didn't come, but i'm not sure if they wanted any more people either." 

Everyone, including myself, looks a little bit confused. Then, out of the blue, Tango is back. 

He was in the exact same place he was in as a salamander, but now, was back to his normal self.

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POV: Tango

It was a few hours after the whole run-in with Allister. I was back at my base, working on one of the Toon Towers, before I saw Jevin. Woah, who knew Jevin could turn into a slime-cat? Wait, hold up, that wasnt Jev. Jevin was a bright bue, not a gray-ish green. 

It started coming closer and closer and closer. It had diamond-like (the shape) symbols for its eyes, and no mouth. It's tail was dripping with the slime-like substance.

"What are you?" I ask, stepping back a little bit.

"I might ask the same." It replied, despite not having a mouth. "But I already know who you are."

"So what are you?" I ask again.

"My name is Dysphoria. Demon of those who hate their body." It replied. 

Was Dysphoria going to make me one of theirs? Oh no...

"Have you come to take me?" I ask quietly. 

"No, Tango. I am not here for that. I see no need to take you," It replied, with a calm tone to its weird voice. "I am here to teach you how to protect yourself."

"Against what?"

"Allister. That rotten fool has done enough damage, but they will only want to do more."

"Why does Allister hate us?" I ask quietly. 

"He dislikes many shifters. They are a spirit of the shifters. It has done many terrible things, but Viper did things they were unhappy with." It replied. 

"What did Viper do?" 

"That is a story for another day, Tango. It is, at the same time, none of your business. Depression is with Grian, and Anxiety is with Impulse. They're not going to hurt them, only protect them, like I am here to protect you."

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POV: Anxiety

How had Impulse not noticed me yet? I had been waiting here for a long time, watching him tidy his base.

If he doesn't notice me, i'll just make him. I lept off of the beam I was perched on, down right in front of Impulse. He looked scared when he saw me. Everyone did. Was it my eyes? Maybe the fact that I had a string tied around my neck and paws.

"Who-" He started. I cut him off. 

"My name is Anxiety," I hiss. "No, im not here to take you."

"Oh. Then why are you here?" He asks. Gosh, people. Always the same questions. 

"To teach you how to protect yourself from Allister."

"Allister? Why?"

"Allister is going to try and do bad things, kid." I hiss. "You need to learn how to try and stop them." 

"What about Tango? And Grian..." 

"Tango is with Dysphoria. Depression is with Grian." 

"Are you sure your not here to hurt me?"

"No, kid, i'm not here to hurt you."

"C- can you let go of Zed?"

"No."

"Why-"

"Shush, child! That is not your place to question!" Jeez, people are so annoying sometimes. Yes, I had a hold of his friend, Zedaph, was his name? That does not mean I would let him go.

"Well, what are you going to teach me?" 

"Hush! Stop asking so many questions!" 

"Jeez, sorry."

"Very few have actually been able to block Allister out. But if you dont want them to have as much power over you, you must think about the worst thing that has ever happened to you.  Allister can't go against that kind of negativity."

"Oh... Can you do the same?" 

"I can. But right now, I will not."

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POV: Grian

I knew the thing was right there watching me this entire time. I had been working on the mansion when it came. However much I wanted to go see what it was, I tried to pay it no attention. I saw glimpses of it. 

It almost looked like an alien. It was weird. 

"I know you can see me-" It boomed. Yeah, I saw it. 

"Why are you here?" I ask, turning toward the alien-cat.  

"I could ask the same."

"This is my house...?"

"I know that, Grian." It responded, jumping down from one of the towers in front of me. Depression. 

Had he come to get me again? I sure hope not. 

"Im not going to hurt you," The male voice said calmly. It was  higher pitched than Allisters, but still deep. "I've come to give you advice."

"For what?" I asked quietly, staring at the creature. 

Its spiky tail flicked. "You humans ask so many questions."

"Well, yeah..."

"Ive come to talk about Allister."

"Oh him. You know, he's got some anger issues," I laugh. What, he did!

Depression growled. "They, child. They are a spirit, and like all of us, has no gender."

"Yeah, sorry. They."

"You were lucky they didn't hurt you like they did Impulse."

"What happened to Impulse?"

"Questions, questions, questions. The same thing that happened to Viper." 

"Oh."

"Their going to try and get you one day, too. You have to know how to lessen it's effects."

"Wait, have you visited Tango, Viper, and Impulse to teach them, too?" 

The spirit-cat's antennae flicked. "Viper learned when she was a young shifter. As for the other two, I have friends who are with them."

"So how does it work? Blocking out Allister." 

"You have to think of the worst thing that has happened to you, child. You were lucky Dysphoria or Anxiety didn't choose you. I know what's happened."

"You wont take me again, will you?" I whisper. Depression took me before, back when EVO was destroyed.

"No, Grian. You have a good life now. I won't take you again."

"Thanks?"

"You'd better be careful. I have damaged you enough, but I let you go. Don't undo the stitches in your heart. You have the hermits, they helped you."

"More than you did..." I muttered. 

"My job is to destroy peoples hearts, Grian. You know this, I couldn't have helped you before. The hermits can't undo the damage that I have done, but they have helped you heal." 

It was true. The hermits had helped me heal. 

"Why did you choose to help us?" I whispered.

"Grian, Allister is getting out of control. Viper knew it, me, Dysphoria, and Anxiety knew it. We couldn't outrun the problems forever." 

"Why is Allister like that?"

"Viper tried to make them happy."

"Why is that so wrong?"

"They don't want to be happy. Allister's job is to possess, Grian. They can never be happy."

"Oh. Are you happy?"

"Grian, i'm Depression. You know i'm not happy." 

"When will you be happy? When you have control of everyone?" I growl. 

"I, like Allister, can't be happy. I hold no emotion, Grian."

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WC: 1672

Hope you enjoyed! Since we've now more formally met the three disorder-demons for the story, i'll put designs for them here! Thank you Tunde, Wheat, and Owl for helping me with them! 

You are free to use them, as long as you credit me! CinnamonViper if you use it here, and Warrior Cloverpaw if you make an animation or something with them on YT! 

Again, thanks to the discord server (which currently consists of only four people lmao) for helping me uwu. 

Dysphoria looks gray in the picture but hes a greenish-gray lol. I did use a ref for Depressions pose, but no tracing for any one of the three!

Feel free to dm me if you have any suggestions for the AU! I appreciate it! 

As always, have a good day (or night), ya'll!