I howl as I fly through the air, barely slowing my decent before I crash into the ground. Scrambling up, I snarl and launch myself forward, slamming into Zalgo's torso. He grunts, and as he starts to grab my wing, I bite down hard on his side. His multiple mouths open and my leg slips in one. However, even as it bites down on my front right leg, I won't let go. I feel my teeth sink deeper into his side. With a raged shout, he grabs hold of my right wing and rips me off.

Once again, he tosses me through the air.

Unfortunately, I can't slow my fall this time, as him picking me off his body seems to have damaged my wing. To add to the pain, I slam into the ground on that side, and I can hear the bone shatter beneath the skin. I hold back my cries of pain, and I feel Marble flow through me even more, attempting to heal. My amulet dangles around my neck and the light from it flows over my body.

The moment I stand, I rush towards him again. The pain in my leg is almost unbearable, but I ignore it for now. I couldn't turn, couldn't allow myself to snap. I just had to stall him. They would be here soon....

I hope....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Slender's POV*

We all take no time to prepare, as we had already done so for the warning earlier about being surrounded. In an instant, we are all outside, spotting Smile just to the left. His muzzle is towards the ground, and his tail waving us over. I've got her scent! You were right, Slender. He motions to the ground, where a small droplet of blood is splattered. She is leaving us a trail.

I nod and motion for him to lead, in which he wastes no time. I can hardly keep up at first, and the other pastas seem to have the same problem, and yet somehow we all accommodate the problem by moving even faster than I think any of us knew we could. Maybe it was the adrenaline, the shear rush of urgency this required, or maybe because it was Alisa who was in danger.

She had just picked her name: The Bleeding Shadow. It fit her catchphrase and her bloodline, if we are to believe what He says. Even I myself am starting to doubt it. It makes sense in almost every way, and yet.....

It almost makes sense.

Something wasn't adding up. Two and two were not making four, but some other con-jumbled number that I couldn't quite figure out. I shake my head, nearly teleporting into a tree. I needed to focus on the task at hand. Once Alisa, Shadow was safe, then I could ponder these things.

Suddenly, the scenery becomes... familiar. I glance around, slowing down slightly. This catches EJ and BEN's attention. I come to a full stop, moving close to a tree that was holding something. "Slender? What's wrong? We have to keep moving!" BEN says, slightly shouting. EJ hushes him, and takes a step forward. "What is it?"

I feel my spine grow cold as I reach out and remove the cloth from the branch. It was an old, shredded, bloodied piece of a shirt. Her shirt. I hand it to EJ, who looks at me, confused. He gazes back down at it, then I hear him gasp. He motions BEN over, and the ghost is by his side in a second.

"This cloth... it's from her shirt. Alisa's! But," He says as BEN starts to grow angry and worried. "It's not from today. The blood is dry and old....." He gazes up at me, and I nod. I feel my face grow solemn.

"He's led them back to the field.... I found them in."

Quickly, I grab EJ, who also grabs BEN. "Please, do not let go."

And then I teleport. I know where I am going now.

I just hope I'm not too late.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Alisa's POV*

With one swift motion, I latch on to his throat and fling him away, huffing at the extent of the throw. Either he was getting heavier....

Or I was running out of time.

I would like to think it's the latter, but I know the truth. The fighting was keeping me focused, keeping me from snapping, apparently. But if I come close to death.....

Marble barks, and I duck just in time to dodge a hoof to the snout. I swiftly dash forward, hoping to remove myself from his reach. However, he grabs my tail and flings me around in a full circle before releasing me. With a final slam into the ground, I can feel my strength drain from me. Marble is still trying to heal what she can, but it's all in vain. It's now just to keep me alive and from going berserk.

Slowly, he begins to walk towards me. A slight limp accompanies him that he just can't seem to shake off. That makes me smirk a little. I had damaged him. However, as I struggle to stand, he still continues to walk as if uninjured. I spat out the chunk from his side, hanging my jaw open to let his blood drip out. It tasted nasty, like melted rust.

His side was barely reformed, and it was obvious he was ever so slightly woozy from the loss of fluids. He seemed agitated and impressed. He even feels the need to say so. "I am impressed that you were able to wound me this way even at less than a fourth of your power." He seems to falter, then continue. "Maybe not that much...."

He's getting too close now, and I can feel the sanity in me threatening, no, begging to be broken. I can feel it like it's a whole other presence. Marble senses it to, but she quickly growls against it. I agree. Not yet. I can't control it. We can't control it.

He kneels before me, and I can only continue gasping for air. My ribs were still shattered, leg busted, wing shredded, and this man... this thing.... this monster....

I can't beat him like this.

"You.... are almost perfect.... I could make you perfect."

I snarl, and he smirks. "I'd hoped you would have.... come with me.... but this answer was expected."

I feel something wrap around my waist gently, and I suspect it to be His tentacle, but his confusion makes my blood rush in utter joy.

A sudden eruption under him sends him flying in the air. Then a blue masked boy gives him a solid kick to his gut in the air, launching him away from us.

Yes, us.

Now in front of me is a very worried Slender, with BEN by his side watching behind him. Slender seems to want to ask a question, but just by looking at me, he knows the answer. "This may hurt....." I feel his tentacle around my gut tighten, and I hiss, but another appears and supports my wing, leg, and chest. We must be getting ready to teleport. I gaze up...

"Sorry for this..." Is all I can whisper out.

Slashing the tentacle around my gut with my hind leg, I feel it loosen. Immediately, I launch myself forward and slam into Slender, knocking him out of the way of the quickly descending Zalgo. I feel his hoof touch my spine. I can feel every second of it as it cracks and shatters and shoves me into the ground. The angered static from Slender, mixed with confusion, fear, and hurt.

I can feel all of that just as my mind blanks.

Then nothing.