In a far off land a pink rat layed against a tall mound of grass looking sickly like disease could take her at any time.
She sat by herself wishing she was stronger strong enough to move without getting sick at every turn, crying out at her own weakness given by birth.
A Abyssal black mist cracked through the space in front of her as a echoing emotionless voice full of power rung out.
"Ferrum, do you desire power? The power to reforge your weak flesh into a body of your choosing."
She looked at the black mist infront of her in slight surprise
"I know how this works." (Sighs) "so what do you want in exchange for this chance." Her voice was high pitched and weak with recognition.
"I need you to follow negativity and explore your very interesting world." It said.
She showed a confused face "Just negativity like the emotion, or like death and destruction?"
"NO! Death and destruction isn't the only way to spread negativity. Things like conflict, rivalry, competition. You can even directly take something else's suffering and depression to feed me. You don't have to be the cause of it, just around where there is high amounts of negative energy and emotions heck you can even change the world for the better for all I care."
It talked about negativity like was a natural thing and not evil. "Whether you use it to cause mass suffering or change the world for the better is up to you." Its voice flat but firm.
The pink rat was shocked at the last bit "Me? Change the world? And by using negative energy, how?"
"… that's up to you now, just show me how interesting your world is and feed me well."
The next second she was being drowned in black mist forcing her to convulse as parts of her pink fur turned purple. "Good now be my eyes in your world show me all its darkness." He said this time sounding excited.
Back near the hills of endless mist grey and Jade were slowly waking up after exploring and resting in greys lucid lab. The sun gleaming on the pair inside a hollow tree that looked like it would fall down soon enough.
Jade was the first to fully wake up "wow that place was so interesting place,". Jade sounded fully healed and excited.
Grey on the other hand woke up with a awful headache and a huge bump on his head "please~ stop yelling so loud."
He got up slowly with a loud drunken groan before falling back on his back with his limbs spread out looking completely defeated.
Jade saw him looking completely exhausted physically and mentally as she saw him just laying and sleeping in the dream space somehow now sleeping in reality still.
She felt like it was all her fault her laziness got him captured for days trapped in a nightmare and towards the end she remembered slightly him roughly dragging her to safety.
"I'll get us some food to eat while you rest… dooo you want anything?" She questioned.
"I want more meat and grapes… Ha haha looks like I'm hooked on meat thanks to you."
Jade just released a small genuine smile before sinking into the shadows below her
A few minutes later a few explosions from the distance woke grey to reality as Jade slowly emerged before him carrying about twelve piranhas In shadowy tentacles fully roasted.
She gently coiled around grey lifting him upright helping him up to eat.
He looked around noticing something was off "hey where exactly is my bag?"
"Dunno probably still inside the cave just eat up just eat up we are lucky to be alive."
"Yeah? Lucky?" Grey slowly remembered some bits like how he grew scales and wings. He was both physically and mentally exhausted.
He just remembered something making him smile "funny enough I'm going to need to rest up today even though I'm so close and the day he said to arrive is soon, I feel like I'll be there exactly when he wanted somehow."
Jade just rolled her eyes. "Well duh. Dream rune users can see into the future somehow, they are the best at gathering information."
Grey just nodded ok.
He looked at his own paws to see if he could change their form again "hey, umm can sound rune users shapeshift into other creatures?"
"Hmm? Not to my knowledge the only shapeshifters are those with a form or body rune and those with special bloodlines like chimeras and mimics."
Grey thought back to when he swallowed some of the giant chimeras blood while a few days later he drank a evolution potion.
"Can you change your bloodline with potions?" He asked
She thought for a few moments "if you drank a special potion and a higher creatures blood you might gain some special traits of that race but your more like to explode from what I hear. Why are you thinking of getting stronger through artificial means?"
Grey just chuckled nervously "just think about a dumb rabbit I know that made stupid choices and might pay for it."
"Well stay away from Idiots like that they are more likely to hurt their own groups than help them in the long run."
He just silently start eating his roasted fish in front of him.
Jade looked at him concerned "we can stay right here for the day and rest, I'll keep watch while you rest up. I recovered most of my energy while I'm in the best shape."
He just nodded while chewing. She noticed how he even ate bone while lost in thought. "Since when do rabbits eat bone… he must be a special case."
Somewhere far away a tall dark elf ran out of her room leaving the door open.
She ran straight to the dining room her emerald eyes sparkling as her lime hair fluttered.
Her soft but exited voice rung out "PAPA! Papa! Uncle Ted just contacted me he found the perfect creature we can start the ceremony tomorrow at midnight."
The man stopped eating "Oh!" His eyes gleamed a low purple hue. "It's time to put our plans into motion I'll get everything ready, my dear." His smile firm but happy.