Chapter Text
The Lords were known for their antics. Over the centuries, they had made the Black their hellish playground. They ruled over their subjects with malevolence, subjecting them to their every whim. When the unwavering support of the Black wasn’t enough, they set their sights on the human realm, sinking their greedy claws into any poor soul they could trick. They were brash, but on that day they achieved a new level of recklessness. This was the first time they set their sights on the White. It would be their last. They were stepping on hallowed ground, ground not ordained for them.
Webby was as forgiving as she could be, considering the brothers she was given. For an uncountable number of years she watched them do their misdeeds, never intervening or trying to stop them. She did try to help the humans they preyed on, as the human world was fair game for both the Black and White, but more often than not her efforts were all for nothing. She couldn't control them. They ruled the Black and kept to the Black. She ruled the White and kept to the White. Such is the balance of their world. Well it was the balance of the world, until the Lords in Black stepped out of bounds.
She could sense the moment they stepped into her domain. The light dimmed ever so slightly, like a cloud covering the sun on a sunny day. She felt a chill fall upon her, but it wasn’t from fear. She wasn’t afraid of them. They may have been able to scare everyone else into submission, but Webby knew too much about them. She knew the order of the world. They were in the White, the source of her power. Even five against one, she had that advantage. In place of fear she felt.. annoyance..
"They are so misguided. " she thought to herself. "Someone should teach them a lesson."
Immediately an idea came to mind, one she had mused for years. The idea was actually a spell, a spell she had found ripped from the Black Book when it was written. At first she discarded the idea as too tough, the punishment too barbaric. The years had changed her outlook. A barbaric punishment would be chaining them to the White and feeding off their power. That discarded spell, however, may just have been the perfect punishment. It was bold, but she could still keep watch over them. Worst case scenario she could send a friend to get them out of trouble. She thought the words to herself rhythmically, running through the spell from memory. The physical page featuring the spell was burned long ago, but she kept its memory alive in the form of a song.
She got up from the bed she sat on. The room she was in was a perfect mirror to a room in the human world. Almost perfect, except for the spider webs strewn about and the grayscale color scheme. That particular human was her friend, almost like a younger sister to her. While she had been summoned many times to help her, over time she felt the human was helping her just as much. She was good company. Webby's domain was malleable, and currently she molded it to be a replica of the girls bedroom. She found that the area calmed her and strengthened her resolve. Taking a deep breath, she opened the bedroom door and stepped outside.
She was greeted by five ghoulish figures. Four of them were in their original state. Blinky, Tinky, Pokey and Nibbly were all in their true forms, giant furry monsters vaguely humanoid in shape. She recognized that these were not actually their true forms, rather just sized up versions of their dolls. She suspected they did this to lull her into a safe sense of security. Her fifth brother, Wiggly, had donned his human disguise. He smiled at her, feigning an air of politeness she could tell was fake. This confirmed to Webby that they were definitely trying to get her to lower her guard.
"Hello Webby-ebby!" Wiggly greeted cheerfully, bowing slightly "How are things going on in the White?"
Webby squinted her eyes, studying her eldest brother. As she got older she noticed more and more of his mannerisms were not genuine. He bowed only halfway, as if he refused to honor her fully. Even trying to be a suck up, his ego got to him. He could never be genuinely nice to anyone, it was always fake, always to manipulate. The others were no different, though at least they were more honest about their intent. They were malicious but they never hid behind a smile. Well, except for Nibbly, as his entire face was a smile. Distaste for her brothers welled up inside her, but she swallowed it. She put on a stoic face, appearing unaffected
"It's going splendidly.." She replied calmly, looking from brother to brother "Why have you entered the White, if I may ask?"
A look of disgust flickered onto Wiggly's face, but only for a moment. He plastered that awful grin back on his face and adjusted his tie. The others behind him shifted, eagerly awaiting for orders. That's all they were to him, minions. Pawns that he happened to be related to. Webby wondered if they had ever realized they were being played for fools. Pokey and Blinky were arguably the most intuitive of the group, they probably knew that fact. It didn’t matter,even if they knew, they wouldn't dare step out of line. Wiggly was too powerful to cross.
"Oh Webby, can't family simply come over to visit?" He asked sweetly, feigning a pouty tone "It's been so long since I've seen my itty bitty sister!"
"Yeah!! We just wanted to see you!" Blinky chimed in mockingly, giggling.
Wiggly shot Blinky a glare, and his giggles fell silent. Webby knew Wiggly hated to be interrupted while "negotiating". He tolerated it during summonings, but he refused to hear it in his domain. Which he saw as only his domain, and not their domain, because he had to be in control. Thinking about him made her anger rise and she tried not to show it. She wasn't as skilled at hiding her emotions, and Wiggly knew that. But this wasn't their domain, neither was it his. It was hers, her domain. Her domain that they had intruded upon. She reassured herself.
“I have the upper hand.”
"Don't lie to me, Wiggog." She replied assertively, dark eyes piercing into him. Her gaze shifted. "And don't you lie to me either, Bliklotep."
Blinky's eye widened at being mentioned, but it portrayed no emotion. If he felt anything, Webby couldn't tell. Wiggly, on the other hand, scowled. He was enraged. How dare she take his name in vain? How dare she talk back to him? This solidified his plan, his plan to trap that bitch for good. She always had to interfere with his plans, because she hated him. He could see through that unbothered exterior. He tried to put a smile back on, but instead it looked like he was baring his teeth.
"There's no need to be nasty, Webaracna.." Wiggly replied, his cordial tone now laced with venom "You should feel lucky that you even have visitors."
"Haha! Poor little Webby! She has no friends to hang out with!" Tinky burst out "She's only got that pathetic girl in the human realm! And even then, not for long! Tick tock, hehehehe!"
Wiggly's plan of luring Webby was slowly crumbling and falling apart. He had to keep himself under control, to keep his air of control. He glared at Tinky, mouthing the words. SHUT UP, YOU IDIOT! Tinky stared back blankly, not getting the message. Wiggly regretted bringing his brothers along, but he needed them for intimidation. They weren’t very intimidating to Webby, but Wiggly had to work with what he had. While Wiggly tried to silence Tinky, the mention of Hannah caused Nibbly to lick his lips.
"Mmmmm, Hannah.." Nibbly thought out loud "Perfectly lunch sized!"
Pokey laughed. His voice was loud and commanding, and it drew the attention of anyone who heard him. He leaned close to Nibbly to whisper a snide comment. However, it seemed that he wasn't skilled at whispering. Webby heard all of it.
"Lunch sized? That's laughable. She's so small she's nothing more than an appetizer." He stopped and looked Nibbly up and down "And knowing you she would be even less."
"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Nibbly asked, giant mouth forming a frown.
"She may not be much, but she can run.." Blinky interjected, "It would be fun to watch that."
"She couldn't keep up with my performances, that's for sure.. " Pokey replied smugly "Unlike you, Blinky, I have standards for my shows."
"EXCUSE ME?" Blinky hissed
The Lords devolved into chaos. Blinky and Pokey began yelling at each other, as well as occasionally yelling at Nibbly just for being there. Tinky watched from the side, giggling wildly at the conflict. Wiggly was also now yelling, not arguing but yelling at them to shut up. His facade had slipped, and so did his disguise. He was now in the same monstrous form the others were in. Once they turned on each other, they forgot that Webby was watching them.
Utter disgust and hatred simmered inside her, the amount of which was startling. She could tolerate the attacks upon herself, the name calling, the teasing, the condescension, all of it.. But she would not tolerate attacks against Hannah. Hannah, the human she considered to be more of a sibling to her than her brothers themselves. The girl who’s only crime was existing with her power. The girl she had raised more than her human birth mother did. She clenched her fists and restrained herself. She could smite them, maybe disintegrate them into the White, but should she? That would be stooping down to their level. Instead she calmed her mind, ignoring their fight. She would resolve this with words; sharp words, but words nonetheless.
"You five are evil, deplorable beings." She spoke boldly "You are leeches, ugly leeches that suck the good out of others. But I won’t let you suck the good out of me."
Her words cut through the yelling like a knife. Webby had never talked back to them so harshly. She always had been passive to their comments. It seemed that the statement had shocked a majority of the brothers, all except for Wiggly. This just confirmed to him what he already knew. She hated him, no she hated them all. Why else would she call them that? He had to think of something mean to say back, even if he knew it wasn't true.
“Seems like Webby’s a bit upset, oopsy woopsy!” Wiggly replied in the higher mocking tone of his doll equivalent “Looks like someone’s sad because they have no friendy wends in the White! Someone had to crawl into the human world and beg a pathetic human to be their one friend!”
His henchmen, the other Lords, cackled. Wiggly took a step towards her. His plan was being set into motion. His true form clawed at the seams of his dollish disguise, threatening to break free. Tentacles undulated underneath the faux green fur that covered him and poked out from under his eyes. Webby knew he could transform with ease, so why was he doing this? He had to know he couldn’t scare her. Taking her gaze off of Wiggly, she noticed the others were no longer behind him. It had been a distraction. She looked left to right. On the left Bliklotep glared at her, while on the right Nibbly flashed his teeth. She turned around to see Pokotho on the left and Tnoy on the right. They had snuck into their ritual positions.
“We are going to help you out Webby!” Wiggly continued smugly, pleased that his diversion worked “We’ll take care of the White for you! And maybe eventually some paly wals will be imprisoned here like you!”
“It’ll be just like my toy box!” Tinky added gleefully.
“It won’t be your toy box, it will be ours!” Blinky sneered.
“Ours? Oh no no no, I am not keen on sharing anything.” Pokey scowled.
“Can I at least get a bite?!?” Nibbly asked, drooling.
“SILENCE!” Wiggly screeched.
His voice boomed like thunder. The lesser lords hushed their fighting once more. Wiggly took a moment to collect himself. He loved the feeling of being all powerful, he relished in the fear he caused. The silence hung thick and heavy. When he was sure none of the others would interrupt, he continued his monologue.
“You empathize with humans because you are obviously. weak yourself. You are not fit to rule… We will take your crown and rule the White as it should be.”
Wiggly and the others stepped towards Webby. They were really trying to kill her this time. Or well, maybe they weren't aiming to kill, maybe they were just aiming to subdue her. But she refused. She would never be subservient to them. She wouldn't back down. Preparing for what she had to do, she once again ran through the words in her head. The lords continued to advance slowly, taking step by step. She stood firm.
"My empathy does not make me weak-"
"You relate to their weakness, and that's why you keep them around.." Wiggly cut in, snidely "They make you feel better about yourself."
She couldn't keep them at bay with words much longer. Nibbly was closest to her, his mouth open revealing his multiple sets of teeth. Behind him, Tinky was on all fours ready to pounce, eyes on her like she was a prize. Pokey and Blinky lacked the obvious giant claws and teeth but she knew they were just as dangerous as the others. They were waiting for Wiggly's order, waiting to attack. It was now or never.
"You speak of how weak humans are?" She continued, ignoring Wiggly's crudeness "Maybe you should experience that weakness. Maybe then you will learn something."
She began to sing the spell. Wiggly's mouth formed into a snarl. He prepared to tell her a stupid song wouldn't stop them, but the words fell short. Unbearable pain shot through him like a bullet. Thin silver strings appeared from the White and wrapped tightly around his limbs. The binding dug deep into his being. He felt his flesh melt and reform, his body twist and morph. He could usually control this. But usually it didn't hurt like a bitch. He doubled over, and let out an animalistic scream. The longer he screamed, the more human it sounded. He fell to the ground which felt more solid now, looking down to see a humanoid hand bracing his fall. His eyes widened at the realization, darting back up to her. She shined so brightly, only her dark eyes peered through the light. She stared down at him, her firm gaze unfaltering.
"You are frightened, I see. Maybe it is selfish of me to say, but it is nice to finally see that look in your eye… Perhaps a bit of fright will do you good."
He felt the wind get knocked out of him, forcing him to gulp for oxygen. He never needed to breathe before, but now he desperately sucked at the air. He felt a stirring in his chest amongst the new rhythm of his lungs expanding and contracting. The sensation was overwhelming. He began to wheeze, which turned into a coughing fit. His new stomach tried to empty its contents but there was nothing to empty. The pain spread from his limbs to his torso, his stomach aching and an incessant pain pounded through his chest. All he could do was stay still and wait for it to pass.
He could hear his other brothers in similar agony. Earlier they yelled in anger, because of a petty disagreement. Now they screamed in pain, they coughed, they retched, they groaned. Presumably they were undergoing the same torture as himself. Normally he would laugh at their weakness. But he couldn't laugh, he couldn't even speak. When he tried, bile tickled the back of his throat. He had never felt that before. It wasn't just the inability to talk, it was the inability to exert his authority. In this situation he was powerless, and that did frighten him. It was the first time he felt fear.
He thought to beg for mercy, a thought that had never crossed his mind before. He normally refused to stoop that low. However, currently a primal instinct in what was now his brain insisted that he should beg. He should cower. He sank fully onto the floor, curling up like a wounded animal. He felt like he was being torn apart and stitched back together all at once. As if she had heard his silent begging, the pain began to subside. He physically trembled. Perhaps this was all the punishment she had been referring to. She was always too kind, too nice, she could never finish the job.
Webby, who had been engulfed by the white, was now back to her usual glow. She looked from brother to brother, a solemn expression on her face. Her biggest flaw was her empathy for them. They were horrible to her, but they were also family. The title of eldest may have been shared between her and her wretched twin Wiggly, but she still felt responsible for them. She wanted to see them be better, if that was even possible.
Some of the lords tried to get up, but the silky strings pulled them down. Wiggly's vision was blurred. He noticed a clear liquid had begun collecting in his eyes. Trying to improve his vision he blinked the liquid away, and it cascaded down his cheeks. He was so exhausted, he didn't make the connection that they were tears. Webby had noticed those tears and guilt weighed heavy on her. She wanted to help him back up, to wipe those tears away, but she couldn’t now. What was done was done, even she couldn’t reverse the effects of the spell. It would just have to run its course.
Wiggly tried to get up, but the strings pulled him back down. He had to counter attack. His legs were shaky, and his arms were weak. He could barely pull himself up to crawl. The others were in no better shape. Wiggly couldn’t see anything but he could hear their groans and struggling. He tried one last time to get up. This time the strings not only pulled him down, they tightened. He gritted his teeth together and reluctantly submitted to them. As he laid pathetically on the ground of the White, the world around him slowly faded. His eyelids were dragged down by an invisible outside force. As he fell into sleep, the strings loosened just a bit. The last thing he saw was Webbys worried face looking down at him. She was also the last thing he heard. He barely caught her orders.
"When you wake, seek my messenger at the edge of the witchwood. She will help guide you on your journey"
"Good luck."
His eyes then closed, and he slipped into the darkness.