“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Twilight ran up the steps, her heart beating a mile a minute for almost the past three months. She turned on her heel and struck outwards. Her cane slammed against the three men’s dog that she had just ran past, before she thrust forward, skewering the mongrel through its mouth as she panted.

Then she looked up, and waited. It was all too possible they would follow her, as they had been coming this way. Every moment she rested though, the burning in her arms and legs grew, catching up to her since she got up from next to Gilbert’s house. But they never came, and she softly cursed at herself as she turned around.

She didn’t have time for this. A child’s parents were out here somewhere, and she had probably lost precious time to that stupid, fucking crow. Her knuckles turned white against the cane, and she began to run. Past the werewolves, past the house, past even the crows. She could not wait, and with how clear the rest of the bridge looked, she could mark this off her list of places all that much faster.

Midway through the open ground though, her stamina spent and her natural reserves screaming at her to rest, she slowed, and looked up. A shadow was being cast upon her, and the source made her stop. The beast atop the gate at the end of the bridge leapt off, slamming into the cobblestones only a moment later. It’s smaller arm raked over its face, before it spread both of them, and screamed.

Twilight stepped back, her blood having turned cold. It had to be at least five times as tall as she was, and from the cracked stones, it had plenty of weight to put behind those…. She blinked as it put the large hand on the ground and roared once more. It made up possibly a third of its mass, and was covered in thick, white fur, while the other looked far more nimble, but like it couldn’t put nearly as much power into its swings.

That didn’t quite matter though, not when it lowered itself and tensed its body. In the next moment, the beast was a dust cloud, and Twilight looked up to its figure, high in the sky. She still couldn’t move, not properly, and her vision began to swam as a distortion in the air surrounded her. As it came close, she whispered, “Cleric Beast,” before its heavy body crashed into her.

Much to her surprise, and possible annoyance, this didn’t quite kill her. Hurt her? Yes. Throw her maybe thirty feet while also causing her to question how every bone in her broken? Yes. But kill her, it did not, which meant she could run from it, and continue her search.

Twilight turned around, and saw only a white wall of fog.

And then, black as the large hand came down upon her.

======+++++======

Twilight’s vision swam as she woke up. Or, she thought she woke up. She wasn’t certain actually. Everything still hurt, and the world around her spun uncontrollably. Or was that how it was supposed to be? Was the cosmos spinning around her?

A sound came from her back, and turning around, she saw the outline of… something. It’s body was that of a skeleton with far too long of a spine, four gangly, spindly limbs, and a rib cage that would hold the largest heart and lungs that Twilight could conceive of, at least, at that moment.

Looking at it made her head hurt though. No, not just hurt. It felt like something was in there, squirming, screaming, to get out. She put her hands to her head and began to try to tear it away, to make the pain stop, but it just wouldn’t. All she wanted was to get away from the agony, but no such pleasure seemed to wish to come for her.

“I could wake her up now.”

She tried to turn to the noise, but everything was going black now. The beast seemed to make some sort of noise, and the last thing she saw within the ethereal plane was that of a large hole in what looked like a mask. It glowed red, and the screaming got out.

======+++++======

Waking up, a soft, comforting voice rang into Twilight’s ears.

“Welcome hunter. I’m so happy to see you’re safe.”

Twilight looked up, her breath catching as she looked at the woman above her. Her skin was as pale as snow, and she wore a beautiful, brown and red corset, covered slightly by a shawl with a white trim. She smiled, her blonde hair bobbing ever so slightly, and Twilight did all she could think of to do... which was to roll away right into one of the headstones lining the way to the workshop. "Ow!"

The woman stood up, and Twilight could hear the clanking of her joints, which caused her to pause. People's joints didn't clank when they moved. "Please, hunter, do not fear me. I am but a simple doll, here to help you as best as I can. I am at your disposal, and may be used however may please you."

For a moment, even while upside down, the thought of the lovely... doll, apparently, undressed appeared in her head. Before she could even blush though, the whispers of the child crept back into her head, along with Gilbert, sitting there, waiting for his body to be consumed by the illness. She sprang back to her feet, shaking her head clear as she scowled. She then rushed up to the doll and pointed a finger at her. "If you want to help me, than tell me where I can find the Healing Church."

The woman looked down, placing her hands into each other as she responded with, "I am sorry, but that is about the waking world, and I cannot help you there."

Twilight blinked for a moment, before stepping closer. 'W-what do you mean?"

"I am only here in the Hunter's Dream. I know nothing of what lies outside, except for that which _______ tells me. My apologies, dear hunter."

Twilight's head began ringing at this point again, but she shut it out. This ringing had only come from that inbetween state, and she remembered what that had been like. She didn't have time for this pain though, nor for a doll that was useless to her. So instead she turned, and ran back to the headstone. She had parents to find.

Author's Note

Statuses: Hurried (Twilight cannot grind, nor switch to any weapon she has not previously owned until she is cured of this status)

Your options this time are: Cleric Beast
Sewers (by way of the little girl)
House/Sewers by way of the lonely woman