Toxic Tea

by ThatRandomBadWriter

Summary:

Living as a Poison Dart Frog is hard. Most prefer to only live amongst their own kind, keeping those around them save from their deadly toxins, but what about the outcasts? The ones who seek companionship outside their own species. It can be a very lonely life. At least for Bowba Tee, there's Chikn. The one ray of sunshine. So when that ray starts to darken, Bowba decides to pay a visit to the cause of it. After all, Chikn must stay happy... No matter the cost.

Chapter 1: The Best Friend

The rhythmic ticking of a clock filled Bowba Tee’s bathroom as they stared at themselves in the mirror. Their eyes were bloodshot, a result of another night with no sleep. There was this nagging feeling in their mind, like something was buried and long forgotten. It permeated their very being and kept them awake despite their body crying out for rest. Their form was sunken and nearly malnourished, finding even eating to be a chore lately.

They forced their eyes away from the mirror before turning to the bottles they kept on the sink. Batrachotoxin, a powerful neurotoxin that Bowba had the unfortunate ability to produce, due to their nature as a poison dart frog. Most days, Bowba would try to harvest the toxin from themselves, in the hope they could finally be free of this curse. It never worked. Their tests always came back as too deadly to touch.

Some days, Bowba wished they weren’t immune to their own poison, so they could just chug a bottle and be done with it. But they knew deep down they didn’t have the heart for suicide. They would’ve done so by now if not for that fear of what awaited them on the other side.

The ticking grew louder.

Bowba grit their teeth and breathed heavier while they glared at the bottles of clear liquid sitting nearby. If not for this affliction, they wouldn’t be alone. Without it, they could be happy. But that wasn’t an option for them. They would forever be alone. They would die alone.

The ticking grew louder still.

Bowba grabbed one of the bottles and threw it at the overly loud clock on the wall. The glass shattered, sending toxic liquid and shards of glass everywhere. The clock’s hands stopped moving.

Bowba stormed out of the bathroom, deciding the shards were a tomorrow problem. But even with the clock destroyed, Bowba could still hear a distant ticking.

***

The next day, Bowba decided they needed to get out of the house. They didn’t necessarily feel like being with friends, but the house was stifling them. They decided to go for a walk.

Things were… Interesting lately. Tangible spaces turning into voids of various colors at random. At first, it freaked the poor frog out, but they were starting to grow numb to it. The void was vast, but at the very least it usually had other people playing in it. Typically it was Chikn or one of his friends.

Chikn Nuggit. Just thinking the name cheered Bowba up. His cute face, his kind words, his care for everyone around him. He was the ideal partner… If touching him wouldn’t kill the little puppy. While Bowba told themselves they accepted that the two could never be a thing, the multiple pictures on their phone spoke to the contrary.

The pink frog was so wrapped up in their little fantasy they almost tripped over said yellow puppy, slumped over on the ground. The only reason they didn’t was because Chikn called their name.

“Hi Bowba… Let me guess… You’re too busy for me too, aren’t you?” The depressed doggo moped.

“Chikn?! N-No! I could never be too busy for you!” The poisonous frog replied, a bit too much excitement in their voice. They quickly cleared their throat and kneeled down next to Chikn. “What’s wrong…?”

Chikn huffed and sat up, crossing his arms. “Ever since Chee and Cofi got together, I feel like they’ve been ignoring me. Chee never wants to hang out! All she ever does is spend time with Cofi. Am I… Selfish for wanting her to myself again?”

Bowba’s heart broke. They stepped a bit closer and hovered a hand over Chikn’s head. They wanted to comfort him more than anything, but this was the best they could do. “Chikn… I don’t think it’s selfish to feel a little jealous of a friend ditching you. But… Maybe you should talk to her. I’m sure she’d understand.”

“No… I don’t want to intrude on their relationship. I’ll be okay. After all, I’ve still got friends like you.” Chikn gave the frog the sweetest smile in the world. It almost softened the blow of that one word.

Friend… The only thing they’d ever be. “R-Right Chikn. We could… Hang out if you wanted~?”

The yellow puppy lit up and jumped to his feet, his depression evaporating in the air. “Okay! Let’s go! Literally anything.”

Bowba couldn’t help but giggle at their crush’s antics. At the very least, they would get to spend the day with someone that held their heart so dearly. But Bowba knew that when it was over, they owed a certain cat a visit.

***

Bowba Tee arrived at Chee’s house around 8:50 PM. They hesitated a bit when faced with the door. Would Chee even be home? Would she even let them in? Was it really their place to butt in on Chikn and Chee’s friendship?

Bowba almost pulled their hand back, but then they remembered the state Chikn was in today.

It wasn’t long before the calico answered the door with a yawn. “Oh! Hi Bowba. It’s been a while since you came over. Sorry, but I’m beat after today.”

“That’s alright, I just wanted to talk real quick. It’s about Chikn.”

Chee wiped her eyes and cocked her head to the side a bit. “Chikn? What about him? Is he alright?”

“Well, he’s doing better now, but I really think you should talk to him sometime soon. He was very upset today when you ditched him to hang out with Cofi.” Bowba tried to speak as calmly as possible, but there was a noticeable disdain towards the cat that claimed to be Chikn’s best friend.

“Oh… Really? Why wouldn’t he just say that to me himself?” Chee grew a little suspicious, picking up on the hostility.

“Oh, you know Chikn. He’s too nice to call people out sometimes, even when they deserve it.” Bowba was bad at hiding their anger, always had been. Maybe this was a mistake.

“Uh-huh… You sure this is Chikn being jealous and not you?” Chee narrowed her gaze at the tall frog.

Bowba recoiled a bit at the accusation. “Wh-What do you mean? Why would I be jealous of you?”

“Bowba… The only person who doesn't know about your crush on Chikn is Chikn. You’re so obvious about it.” Chee leaned against her door frame as she spoke.

Bowba’s eye twitched as they tried to contain their rage. “This isn’t about me… This is about you and Chikn. You’ve been a bad friend and you owe it to him to make up.”

That struck a nerve with Chee. “Did Chikn tell you to come harass me, or did you just decide to do it for fun? I bet he didn’t. Cause he doesn’t need someone to fight his battles for him.”

“No… He didn’t tell me to do this. But that doesn’t mean you should disregard my warning. Chikn is hurting and you can’t see it cause you’re too distracted making kissy faces at Cofi!” Bowba’s anger was bubbling over. It was taking everything in their power not to hit the cat in front of them.

“Listen Bowba, if Chikn has a problem with the time I’m spending with Cofi, he can come to me himself about it. He doesn’t need some lovesick frog accusing his best friend.” Chee hissed, making Bowba see red.

Bowba seethed as they glared at the little calico in a burger hat. Chikn deserved better than her. Bowba wanted to teach her a lesson but laying a hand on her could be fatal. Thoughts of smacking her across the face filled the frog’s mind and urged them closer.

But they resisted the urge. They let the anger bubble over and twisted their face in frustration.

“Fine. I’ll tell Chikn to tell you himself. Maybe then you’ll believe me and actually be the friend Chikn deserves.” Bowba wanted that to be the parting insult. They needed that to be the last shot, for both Chee and their own sake. But Chee wasn’t going to let them have the final word.

“Whatever Bowba. This is why Chikn is my best friend. Not yours.” She said, slowly closing the door.

Time slowed to a near standstill. Bowba’s body moved faster than their mind could process, sounds dulled and the next thing they knew, Bowba had tackled Chee into her house and slammed her against a counter. A fist raised and slammed into the cat’s face, while the other wrapped around her neck.

When Bowba was finally in control of their body again, there was blood on their fist and a bruise on Chee’s neck. She stared up at Bowba, pupils trembling.

Bowba couldn’t look at her any more. They pulled away and stared at their shaky hands. The world blurred as tears welled and they let out a cry. The only thing they could focus on was the blood and the clear liquid oozing from their hands.

“Why did you make me do that?! Why couldn’t you just trust me, Chee?!” Bowba wailed, whipping back around to the beaten cat.

Cheezborger was still in the same position, her face frozen in that moment of shock. She didn’t respond to Bowba’s question, instead asking her own.

“B-Bowba… Why… Why can’t I feel my face…?” Her voice trembled and stuttered as she spoke.

A dark haze took over the frog’s vision. Bowba punched Chee so hard there was a cut on her cheek. Amongst the blood and cut flesh, a few traces of that clear liquid on Bowba’s hands was visible.

“Batrachotoxin…” Their voice was an empty monotone. “The poison I produce… One of the first side effects is numbness…” They slowly approached Chee, tears running down their face.

Chee gagged and looked up to Bowba with only her eyes. “I… I can’t… Move… Help me…”

Bowba’s whole body was trembling. They fell to their knees in front of Chee. “I’m so sorry Chee… There’s… There’s no known cure for Batrachotoxin poisoning… It’s… It’s going to shut down your body… Causing paralysis… Convulsions and eventually… Full cardiac arrest… In about three minutes…”

Chee’s body twitched and she found she could no longer speak. Her eyes were glued on her murderer, someone she once considered a friend.

Bowba collapsed in front of her, sobbing desperately as they watched their friend die, with no way to save them. “I’m so sorry, Chee! I never wanted this! I just wanted to be normal! I just wanted to be happy!”

The twitches of Chee’s body were sickeningly familiar, almost like Bowba had seen this before. They gave them a dark and twisted idea.

Bowba dragged their feet out from under themselves, slowly standing above the dying cat. They yanked open a nearby drawer, finding exactly what they were looking for.

Bowba brandished a large steak knife and towered over Chee. They placed the blade over Chee’s chest.

“It’s a terrible way to go… Poisoning. But I can put you out of your misery quicker… All it would take is one quick thrust.” Bowba’s voice was cold. They weren’t sure if Chee could even hear them anymore. They realized the words weren't for Chee's sake.

Bowba stared at the dying woman, knowing the immense amount of pain she must be in. Bowba could help. They could give her rest. Their hand trembled around the handle of the blade.

The sound of a clock ticking filled Bowba’s ears. That infernal ticking again. That reminder that each second is one closer to death. Each second a pain more unbearable than the last. Bowba reared the knife back…

But Chee’s body stopped moving. Bowba froze, seconds ticking by as they stared down at the cat.

“Chee… Are you…?” There was no response. Bowba didn’t expect one.

They threw the knife to the side, placing an ear to Chee’s chest. There was no heartbeat.

Bowba curled around the expired cat, cradling her body like a newborn. Their sobbing was drowned out by the sound of a clock chiming. The only person Bowba could ever hold, the unlucky cat they killed in a fit of rage.

Notes:

This AU was inspired by an interaction I had with two people on the Chikn Nuggit Reddit. Shout outs to Puqy.exe and Diligent Opening 513.

This is my first horror story so please, if you have feedback, send it my way. I'm always looking to improve! Thanks for reading!

Chapter 2: The Hunter

The rest of the night was a blur. Fear and cowardice took over. They couldn’t let Chee be found. Bowba remembered hiding the cat’s body somewhere in the woods. The exact location was lost in the haze. They could only hope the hole they dug was deep enough.

Once they were home, they proceeded to smash every clock in their house. They couldn’t handle their sound anymore.

In the broken shards, Bowba saw their own face, shattered and refracted back at them. A trembling hand reached for the sharpest shard and they held it to their chest. The gesture was disgustingly familiar.

They should do it. End this pitiful life before more could die. The shard pierced Bowba’s skin, causing a trail of blood to drip down and stain their favorite skirt, but they couldn’t go any further.

Bowba ripped the glass away and threw it against the wall. They hated themself, not just for killing Chee, but for wimping out even now. What purpose did their life serve? It’s not like they had much of one left after what they did today. Police would find Chee’s body and they would be locked away forever. There was never going to be a happy ending for them.

Bowba curled up into a ball and wept. At least if they got caught, the burden of ending the sad tale of Bowba Tee was on someone else. They wouldn’t fight it past this point. When the officers came in the next few days, Bowba would let them take them away.

Despite there being no functional clocks in their house, that rhythmic sound haunted them still.

***

The next month dragged on, yet no cops ever found themselves at Bowba’s door. They kept a sharp eye on the news, trying to dig up any leads on the investigation. Chee was eventually labeled a missing person, and despite the search being extensive, law enforcement were forced to give up.

It felt eerie. Bowba contemplated their position. They were the only one that knew what truly happened, but how? They didn’t think they hid Chee that well. An insane thought crossed their mind. Did someone… Cover for them? Was there somehow a witness to Bowba’s crime? But why would someone move a body to protect a murderer?

A loud knock came from the frog’s door, making them jump. They glared at it, wondering if the cops finally did find the corpse of Chee. Their body locked up as the tension built.

“Bowba…? Are you home? It’s been a while since you left the house.” It was the muffled voice of Chikn Nuggit. He sounded devastated. Bowba could only imagine the thoughts that had been plaguing him over the last month.

For anyone else, Bowba might’ve just pretended not to be home, but Bowba found the strength to speak for him.

“Y-Yeah… I’m home Chikn. Though… I’d prefer you don’t come in.” Bowba slowly made their way to the door before cracking it open. They made sure to fill the gap in the door, not wanting Chikn to see the chaos their house was in since that night.

“You… Don’t look like you’re taking Chee’s disa-” Chikn paused mid sentence, allowing himself just a bit before correcting himself. “Death… Very well either.”

Chikn had no idea. There was a constant paranoia that plagued Bowba’s mind. Bowba could swear they saw Chee’s face in every corner of the dark.

“No… But I’m sure you’re doing worse. She was your best friend.” Bowba gripped the door tensely.

The yellow puppy just shook his head before looking over to his car. “We’re… Holding a funeral for Chee. Think it could be worthwhile for the both of us to finally let her go.”

Bowba gripped the door frame even tighter as their old friend, the clock, paid them a mental visit.

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea, Chikn. We weren’t as close as you and the rest of them were.” Bowba’s regret was making it hard to stand. They could feel their legs tremble, ready to give out at any second. But it was actually Chikn’s legs that failed first.

The puppy collapsed on Bowba’s doorstep, whimpering and heaving as the weight of Chee’s death finally crushed him.

Reality cracked around Chikn, his wails echoing louder than anything Bowba had ever heard. Bowba couldn’t tell if this was just another nightmare brought on by guilt or if this was something more. But they did know they had to do something.

“Chikn! It’s… It’s alright! Chee… She wouldn’t want you to be so broken up about her.” Bowba reached a hand out but instinctively pulled it back again. “I’m sorry it ended up like this, but life goes on. You don’t need to hold onto someone forever.”

Chikn sobbed more, the cracks in reality widening. “Chee’s gone, Bowba! How can I ever let that go? She was my best friend!”

Bowba placed their hands over their ears, the sound being too much for them. “Chikn! People come and go, sometimes they leave before their time. It’s not something you ever truly heal from. But you can always make new friends. Death doesn’t have to be an end. As long as you keep their memory alive.”

Bowba was sure this would be when they woke up. They would wake up when reality breaks and they’d be back in bed, the day after Chee’s death with police on the way. They were sure this couldn’t be real.

They felt an embrace, one that was both comforting and terrifying. Chikn had wrapped his arms around Bowba and was holding them tight. Bowba could feel the tears on their chest as Chikn cried.

Adrenaline coursed through Bowba’s body as they tried to escape the embrace. This was the worst dream yet, one where they killed the only ray of sunshine Bowba had left. But Chikn didn’t freeze. He didn’t convulse like Chee. He held the struggling frog in a warmth Bowba hadn’t known since they were a child.

“Ch-Chikn… How are you not…?” Bowba asked, but found they couldn’t finish their sentence. They found the answer was irrelevant. It didn’t matter why Chikn wasn’t affected, it only mattered that he wasn’t. He wasn’t and Bowba had the opportunity to hug the puppy they loved.

“Please… Come to the funeral today… I need you.”

The word pierced the frog’s heart like a knife. They were powerless to the ball of fluff clinging to them.

“O-Okay Chikn~... I’ll go~” Maybe they could live in dream land just a little longer.

***

The funeral was surreal. All of Chikn’s friends showed up, as well as some faces Bowba didn’t recognize. There were two younger cats that Bowba could only guess were related to Chee. The casket was closed, with a picture of Chee framed on the outside. Bowba averted their eyes. Each picture of Chee felt like it was watching them. The frog guessed the casket was empty. They would be in jail by now if the real body was found.

All the usually carefree and playful friends moved slowly and with deep pain. Iscream had decided to appear in their true form, a fact that sent a shiver down Bowba’s spine. It seemed like Fwench Fwy couldn’t even conjure the willpower to float. Slushi didn’t want to leave the coffin’s side while Sody Pop was glued to her leg.

Cofi was the only one who’s behavior seemed off. She was calm, almost serene most of the funeral, greeting each guest with a soothing smile. Each guest that was… Except Bowba. Cofi seemed to be avoiding them, yet Bowba would occasionally catch a glimpse of the sheep staring at them.

Did she know something…? Or had Cofi always been this way around strangers. Cofi was the only one Bowba didn’t know that well. She was new, and Bowba never really had the chance to hang out with her before the incident.

Bowba just stayed by Chikn’s side the whole night, making small talk where they could. They were honestly kind of thankful Cofi avoided them. It was hard enough talking to the friends of someone you murdered, but their partner was a different story.

Somehow, Bowba managed to get through the whole ordeal without a scene. They chalked it up to having the perfect man by their side the whole time. It was a somber and macabre feeling, but Bowba couldn’t help but enjoy their time with the puppy. The only person to hold them and live to tell the tale. It didn’t matter how. It was because he was perfect.

When they exited the funeral home, there was an itching at the back of Bowba’s mind. They still wondered how no one found Chee’s body. Had they really hid it that well?

Just as they thought that, they caught something out of the corner of their eye. Just along the forest’s edge, not too far from where they hid the body, Bowba saw… Chee?!

They did a double take, but this time nothing was there.That was impossible. There was no way Chee was alive. She had no heartbeat. But… If it was possible… It could explain why the cops hadn’t found her. But it could also be another hallucination. Like her face in the dark or the strange crack in reality with Chikn.

The possibility was too tempting. If Chee was alive, maybe Bowba could talk with her and this mess could be over!

Bowba turned to Chikn and gave him a sheepish smile. “I… Think I’m going to walk home. Take the scenic route, you know?”

Chikn seemed a little upset, but he gave the frog a slight nod. “Okay. I understand. I’m gonna go rest. I’m feeling a little sick.”

Bowba nodded before taking off into the words. They sprinted past tree after tree, looking for another sign of the Chee apparition. They caught her for a brief second, leading them deeper into the woods.

Bowba chased after her with all their might, but Bowba only ever caught glimpses of her. A part of them wondered if they’d finally snapped and were just chasing echoes, but then they arrived at the scene.

A large clearing presented itself with a plot of disturbed dirt in the center. A large and dirty shovel sat partially pierced in the ground. Bowba stared at it. There was no sign of Chee anywhere, and the sun had finally set by now. If they had to guess, it was probably around the same time as Chee’s death.

They approached the shovel. It felt wrong, like this could be some trap, but Bowba had to know if Chee was still there. They started digging.

The shallow grave was empty. Bowba stared in disbelief as a drop of water landed on their head. They practically jumped out of their skin when a voice rang out from behind them.

“What were you expecting to find?” The monotone, deadly voice of Cofi rang out.

Bowba whipped around to face the sheep. In the dark and prelude to a storm, Bowba didn’t catch what the woman was wearing until halfway through their lie. “H-Hey Cofi! Just like to do some late… Night…”

Cofi wasn’t wearing her usual wolf costume. She wore a costume that made her look just like Cheezborger.

“What are… You doing out here dressed like that?” They asked, cautiously taking a step back.

“Luring guilty consciences out of the shadows.” Cofi unzipped the Chee costume as they spoke, revealing their usual wolf outfit underneath. “I had a feeling Chee didn’t just disappear. How long did you think you’d get away with it?”

Bowba’s mind scrambled to come up with anything to deescalate the situation. They backed up more, but found they were right on the edge of the grave that once held the sheep’s love.

“Th-Think about this! Why would I possibly kill Chee? What would I gain from that?”

“You’d get Chikn all to yourself. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?” Cofi just kept inching closer, her voice like razor wire.

“N-No! I would never do something like that! W-We were friends too!” In the cool night air, Bowba couldn’t tell if Cofi really was a sheep, or if the costume was her true form all along.

“You didn’t even look at her pictures. You just glued yourself to Chikn. You love sick animal! Do you even regret it?!” Cofi roared.

Bowba crumbled at that, falling to their knees in front of the wolf. Tears rolled down their cheeks as they pleaded. “It… It was an accident… I never wanted to…”

Cofi snarled and raised a claw in the air. “Then face your death! It’s all you deserve!”

For a split second, Bowba considered letting Cofi kill them. This was what they wanted after all, right? Someone to be the hero and end it before they could kill again. A part of them accepted it, but a larger part wasn’t ready to die yet.

Lightning struck as Cofi swung at Bowba. The frog ducked and rolled out of the way, barely saving themselves from being torn to shreds. There was a cut on Bowba’s leg that oozed blood.

Cofi growled and slashed again, causing Bowba to dodge once more. The intensifying rain assisted, letting Cofi’s claws glide off Bowba’s skin without leaving a mark. “Even now! You won’t face what you’ve done! You don’t regret anything! You’re just scared to die!”

The wolf was right. Bowba’s mind regressed to that of a small prey, hiding from death and willing to resort to anything to survive. Bowba didn’t have anything to say to Cofi, they just took off, deeper into the woods.

A howl rang out, echoing off the trees as the hunt began.

Bowba ran for the trees, using their naturally sticky feet as a frog to effortlessly scale it. They did their best to hide, but their coloration wasn’t built for that. A deep rumbling shook through the tree Bowba was on as Cofi tore into it with her claws.

The bark shattered like bone as the tree came tumbling down. Bowba leaped to another tree trying to use their superior speed to their advantage.

Just as they landed on the new tree, Cofi appeared, a red glow in her eyes. She’d somehow scaled the tree Bowba was on in a matter of seconds. It took her less time to lunge at Bowba.

The frog dropped from the branch they were on and tumbled onto the muddy ground below. Their leg was screaming in pain but the adrenaline was keeping them moving. They ducked into a colorful flowerbed and held their breath.

Cofi landed on the ground, not far away and looked around. When she couldn’t immediately find Bowba, she started to sniff the air, finding her way closer to Bowba’s hiding spot.

Thinking quick, Bowba ripped their bowtie off and tied it to a rock. They then brushed the bow against their bleeding leg and threw the rock past Cofi. It caught her attention and she chased after the new sound.

When Cofi was gone, Bowba breathed a sigh of relief and peeked out of their hiding spot. They rushed home, ignoring the pain in their leg for as long as they could.

They burst through the door, their breathing erratic. They were starting to feel a little light headed, so they stumbled into the bathroom and flung open their cabinet, looking for any form of gauze.

The pain was finally starting to catch up to Bowba as they tied off the wound and allowed themselves a moment's rest. But then they caught something in the mirror. The slightest hint of movement. They reached for the nearest object and swung.

“Got you.” Was all Bowba heard as searing pain filled their body. The feeling of liquid running down their chest. They looked down to see three claws buried their stomach as Cofi stood over them.

“I’m… Not dying… Alone…” Bowba croaked, having shattered the glass of extracted poison in Cofi’s face. The wolf cried in pain, pulling her claws from Bowba’s abdomen as she tried to wipe the gunk away. Glass shards pierced her skin as liquid death filled the wounds.

It wasn’t how Bowba expected it… But they certainly wouldn’t be dying alone.

Bowba, still holding the gauze in their hand pressed it against their wound, breathing heavy as they tried their best not to expire.

Tick Tock Tick Tock

Bowba sat there, feeling themselves bleed out. They thought back on their life. Was this always the way it was going? Would it have always been a slow painful death? Or was there a version out there that could be happy? One that didn’t suffer their curse. The thought seemed impossible.

They turned their gaze to Cofi, convulsing in the corner, much like Chee did. There was a sick sense of accomplishment. They’d still die, but the two responsible for making Chikn so miserable were both punished as well.

“Chikn… I would’ve… Preferred you here… While I died… But this life never gave me what I wanted. Maybe we’re happy somewhere else. I… Love… You…”

As Bowba’s vision faded, they could’ve swore they saw a tall figure approaching. They didn’t have the time to question it before their mind drifted away.

Chapter 3: The Rival

Shadows and lights. Shadows, light and that ever present ticking. Was this the path to hell? Was this just the prologue to more suffering? They could feel their body being torn at, but it didn’t hurt. It was just a numb feeling. They lost consciousness.

Figures in the light. They couldn’t make them out. Bowba knew who they wanted it to be, but they could only see Chee and Cofi. They were probably laughing at their murderer up in the heavens. Their last victory over the pathetic frog life decided to make it’s punching bag. They were out again.

There was nothingness. Just a colorless void and more ticking. The speck of a light blue clock appeared in the void. It’s hands spinning wildly out of control. The clock grew larger and larger, its sound overwhelming the vesselless frog in the nothingness. Bowba closed their eyes as tight as they could.

When their eyes opened again, they were in a sterile, white room. The dull droning of a ceiling fan filled the room, as well as the steady beeping of a heart monitor. The light of the setting sun illuminated the sheets covering Bowba’s body. The frog lifted their hands to their eyes to see the familiar pink skin.

Were they… Alive…?

They could feel a rustling. They turned to see yellow, the most beautiful yellow Bowba had ever seen. “Ch-Chikn…?”

The puppy shot up, his gaze quickly focusing on the frog.

“Bowba… You’re alive!” Chikn’s face lit up, shining brighter than the sun outside the window. He did his best not to tackle them, knowing they were probably still in immense pain.

Bowba reached a hand out to Chikn and rested it on his head. “Am… Am I in heaven~?” The words were involuntary.

Chikn chuckled painfully, his cheeks showing tear stains. “This place has just felt more and more like hell since you got hurt… Cofi is gone… Probably looking for Chee, but she never came back.”

A flash of Cofi’s convulsing form ran through Bowba’s mind. How did Bowba get away with that? The figure they saw before passing out… Were they real?

“Chikn… What happened to me? I can’t… remember.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

“You were found in the woods by someone… None of the doctors knew who it was. The doctors think you were attacked by some kind of wild animal.”

That was the story? Far be it from Bowba to deny. It dawned on Bowba that this was the luckiest they had ever been in their life. That, or they had some guardian angel watching out for them. Or was guardian devil more appropriate? No angel would go to such lengths to keep them alive.

“Bowba it’s been just… Terrible. Everything’s falling apart. I don’t even know if my friends are my friends anymore.” Chikn whimpered softly.

A bubbling rage boiled in Bowba. “What do you mean…?”

“It just feels like everyone shut down with Chee and Cofi gone. Slushi barely wants to leave the house, Sassparilla hasn’t let Sody out of her sight… I don’t even know where Iscream and Fwench Fwy are! They just disappeared one day without a word. The only things keeping me sane have been waiting on you and…” Chikn paused before finishing that sentence. A soft glow enveloped his cheeks. “Hawt Saus has been there for me.”

Bowba’s eye twitched at the thought of Chikn’s friends abandoning him in this hour of need. The selfishness of it. They thought they’d dealt with the betrayers already, but it seemed they couldn’t trust anyone. And Hawt Saus… Swooping in to take Chikn out from under their nose while they slept. Their time asleep had only managed to make things worse for the person they cared so much for.

“I’m… So happy… You found someone that made this whole thing… Bearable.” Bowba spoke slowly, choosing their words carefully.

“Are you sure…? You sound a little upset.”

Chikn leaned in closer, but before Bowba could respond, a doctor poked his head in with a somber tone.

“Visiting hours are over, Mr. Nuggit. Oh! I hadn’t realized you were awake, Bowba.” The doctor seemed genuinely shocked. He stepped in and examined them with curiosity. “My best estimate for you waking up would’ve been a few more weeks.”

Chikn took the doctor coming in as his sign to leave. He gave a slight wave before leaving the room. “I’ll visit you tomorrow.”

Bowba waved back, before turning to the doctor who was all too interested in their speedy recovery.

Bowba had apparently made a near full recovery, completely astonishing the doctors. They said it was a medical miracle. Bowba believed they weren’t ready to leave Chikn yet. Their work wasn't done. He was still suffering.

The doctor wanted Bowba to stay overnight for more rest before discharging them tomorrow. Begrudgingly, Bowba had to agree. If Chikn was going to visit them tomorrow, they didn't want to disappoint him.

When the doctors finally left, Bowba was left to contemplate what they'd been through. Chikn mentioned that Cofi disappeared as well, meaning she wasn’t found either, and any hope that someone could survive their poison was dashed.

Cofi felt different from Chee. The more Bowba thought about it, the more they didn’t regret what happened to Cofi. The wolf was going to kill them. Over a simple mistake. Bowba placed a hand on their stomach, feeling the three deep scars that remained.

She got what she deserved.

Bowba turned over in their hospital bed and closed their eyes, trying not to think about how close to death they really got.

***

It had been about a week since Bowba was discharged from the hospital. They felt lethargic. Maybe a lingering result of their near-death experience. The world felt duller, like all the color had been drained from it. The only place Bowba felt was in full color was around Chikn, but even that was tainted by the fact he was constantly around the squirrel.

Despite their initial thoughts on Hawt Saus, he was a decent partner to Chikn. Sure he was still a bit brash and blunt, but he had taken many steps to become better, and Chikn seemed happy with him. The frog’s heart ached. They wanted to be the one to make Chikn happy, but could they really be upset if the outcome was the same?

Bowba watched the puppy and squirrel, their words nearly inaudible as they swam in their own thoughts. It didn’t matter… Right? Chikn was happy. Even if his other friends betrayed him, he still had Hawt Saus. Maybe they could just let it go. Take their good luck and leave it there.

“Bowba? You okay?” A concerned voice pierced through the dull thrumming. Bowba’s eyes refocused on Chikn.

“Oh… I’m alright. Just… Lost in thought I guess.” They responded slowly, allowing themselves to exist in this moment once more.

“You’ve been spacing a lot… Are you sure?” Chikn moved closer and placed a paw on his chin.

“Probably a consequence of almost dying.” Hawt Saus said, abruptly.

“H-Hawt Saus!” Chikn scolded.

“N-No! He’s… probably right. I’m… Gonna go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back guys.” Bowba stood and sprinted away before either one could say anything.

Bowba didn’t need to use the restroom at all. They just needed to find a spot where they could be alone and think. They soon found themselves at the edge of the treeline. They stared at it with intensity.

Tick Tock Tick Tock

They could just leave. They could leave and never return. Even if the police never found Cofi or Chee, Bowba didn’t think they could keep this secret from Chikn forever. He’d find out one way or another, and then he’d hate them. There was no happy outcome for them.

They took a step towards the woods and were stopped by an unfamiliar voice. “Giving up so soon~?”

The voice just about made Bowba leap out of their skin. They quickly shot back around and nearly fell over when they saw the figure behind them. He was taller than Bowba, something the frog wasn’t used to. The tall figure wore a purple and light blue suit and had a head that was a familiar light blue clock.

Bowba immediately thought this was a hallucination. How could it not be? Even before Chee’s death they’d been haunted by this endless ticking.

“G-Go away! You’re not real!” They quickly grabbed a rock and threw it at the clock man, but their body went ice cold when he caught it.

“That’s no way to treat a new friend! But I’ll let it slide this time.” The man giggled and tossed the rock aside. “It’s nice to finally meet the sloppy butcher, themselves.”

Bowba’s eyes dilated and took a step back. “W-What do you mean? W-Who are you?!”

“Oh, I’m someone who’s been watching for some time. Name’s Bezel, embodiment of time.” Bezel extended his hand, but when Bowba didn’t take it, he decided to continue his intro. “Did it ever occur to you how Chee and Cofi were never found?”

Bowba made the connection immediately. “You… You’re the guardian devil! What did you do to Chee and Cofi?!”

“Oh, nothing worse than what you did to them. I just made sure they were taken care of. After all, I wouldn’t want you to spend your last few days behind bars.” The clock man’s voice was slimy, but it sounded so familiar. Like all the ticking in the past was one and the same.

Bowba’s mind was racing, they weren’t even sure if this was a dream or not. “Last few days? What are you even talking about?”

“Well, as the embodiment of time, I can see when someone’s time is running out.” Bowba narrowed their eyes at him, disbelief written all over their face. “I see a demonstration is an order.”

Bezel turned his attention to the tree line and pointed to a small creature. “That frog right there, it’s going to die in 3… 2… 1…”

As soon as Bezel finished his countdown, a hawk swooped down and buried its claws in the poor creature before carrying it away. Bowba flinched in response, jerking back to face the strange being beside them.

“W-Why are you here? Why help me escape prison time just to tell me I’m going to die soon?! Is this some sick joke?!” The poison dart frog's blood boiled as they couldn’t help but imagine Bezel’s face shattered like the clocks in their home.

Bezel seemed entertained by Bowba’s rage, making them want to attack him more. “I took pity on you. Looking in your past, you played by all the rules for so long, but you always lost. All because of some curse you were born with. It’s unfair, really. Why should everyone else get what they want when they can’t even be there for their friends?”

Bowba paused, their anger simmering down a bit. “You… Think they deserve it…?”

“Of course! Friends should be there through thick and thin! Yet Chee and Cofi only cared for themselves. Chee got so wrapped up in her new relationship that she abandoned her friend. And Cofi… Instead of telling her friends, or even the authorities, what happened? She immediately resorted to attacking you.” Bezel’s voice had a way of getting into Bowba’s mind, twisting every neuron so his words echoed in their head.

“I… It doesn’t really matter now I guess. You already said I’m dying… It’s not like I can do anything about it.” Bowba held their arms close to their chest.

“Oh yes, you are dying. In two days to be precise, but I wouldn’t be so sure about not being able to do anything about it.” Bowba immediately eyed the clock man with suspicious curiosity.

Bezel snapped his fingers and Bowba watched as the world around them moved in reverse. Leaves rode the wind backwards to their respective branches, drops of water traveled back up to the canopy, and the hawk dropped the frog back in its original position.

Then time’s natural flow was returned. Instinctively, Bowba ran towards the frog, using their body as a shield to protect it before the hawk could grab it. Claws dug into their back, but Bowba was too heavy for the hawk to carry away, so it flew away, missing out on its latest meal.

Bezel approached and chuckled ominously. “The future can be changed with the right actions. Your death doesn't need to happen. With Hawt Saus and Slushi gone, there’s no one to tell Chikn the truth.”

The stinging pain in Bowba’s back made it a little hard to think. Bezel snapped again and they felt their wounds revert, fading away to nothing.

They stood up, panting as they looked at Bezel. “What if… Chikn finds out anyway…? Maybe I won’t die, but he’ll hate me.”

“I can take care of that. With my powers, any slip up can be undone like that.” Bezel waved his hand before offering it to Bowba. “So… Do we have a deal?”

***

“Are we almost there Bowba? I thought you said this would be a short hike.” Hawt Saus groaned as he tried to keep up with the much longer limbed frog.

“It’s not much further. I promise, this will be worth it!” Bowba replied cheerfully.

Bowba decided today was a good day for a swim at their favorite pond in the woods, and since it was isolated, it felt like the perfect spot to invite Hawt Saus to.

After a little more time, the two finally arrived at the quiet oasis Bowba often found themselves in when they were looking for peace. Tall trees rose up around the water’s edge, the body see through and filled with lily pads and plant life. It was beautiful, even in the slight greyscale the world found itself in.

“Woah! How’d you find a place like this, Bowba?” Hawt Saus asked, rushing over to the water’s edge. A few fish swam away, their scales shimmering.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in these woods alone. Benefits of having no one I guess.” Bowba’s voice took on a somber tone that wasn’t lost on Hawt Saus.

The squirrel turned and looked to Bowba, a concerned look on his face. “Aren’t you friends with Slushi? You ever take her out here?”

Bowba chuckled weakly and shook their head. “No… And it definitely doesn’t feel like we’re friends now. The doctors told me my only guest was Chikn... She hasn't even texted me."

Bitterness bubbled in the poisonous frog. She betrayed not only Chikn, but them as well. Bowba wasn’t sure they could ever forgive the fox.

Hawt Saus’ voice broke Bowba out of their daze, the squirrel suddenly closer than they remembered. “A lot has happened lately. I’m sure she’s just dealing with it her own way. Maybe visit her soon, if it really bothers you.”

The squirrel’s reassurance felt… Strange. They didn’t expect sympathy from him. It made what Bowba knew they had to do next more painful.

They approached Hawt Saus, a strange tone to their voice. “Hawt Saus, I have a question for you.” Saus cocked their head to the side, picking up on the sudden tension in the air. “If someone made a mistake that got someone you care about hurt, would you forgive them?”

Hawt Saus scratched the back of his head and thought for a bit. “Well… Yeah. I’d probably forgive them after a while. I know what it’s like to hurt people on accident.”

“And what if that accident got the person killed?” Bowba’s tone grew icy as they stepped closer.

The little red squirrel shivered as he noticed the tall frog towering over him. They only felt bigger with each step they took towards him.

“Hey! This isn’t funny Bowba! You can’t just ask something like that after leading me to the middle of nowhere!” It was then he noticed the blade in Bowba’s hand.

“I’m sorry, Hawt Saus. But I don’t want to die. I’ll take care of Chikn for you.” Bowba lunged at their prey, but a moment’s hesitation gave the squirrel just enough time to dodge out of the way.

“W-What the fuck Bowba?! What are you doing?” He yelled, trying to create some distance between himself and the murderous frog.

“I can’t die alone… I won’t die alone! You and Slushi are just more obstacles in my way! If I have to kill you both just to keep on living, I will!” Bowba raged, charging at Hawt Saus and swinging at him again. They just barely missed as he scurried into a hollow log.

Hawt Saus skittered through the hollow log, his heart beating loudly in his ears. Bowba stabbed the log as Saus ran. Luckily, he was able to avoid the blind stabs every time.

When he made it to the end, Hawt Saus burst from the log and immediately ran for the nearest tree. He scaled it as quickly as he could, reaching the upper branches and hoping Bowba’s bigger size would prevent them from following.

He risked a look back only to see Bowba was still hot on his tail, completely ignoring the danger of the thinner, high up branches. Saus screamed and leapt to another tree top, just barely making it and causing the canopy to shake dangerously. Saus held on for dear life, unsure which would be a worse death, falling from this height, or getting caught by Bowba.

Looking back, he decided he cared more about not getting caught than falling. The red squirrel needed to fight back. He descended a bit before grabbing a thinner, yet still hefty tree branch and pulling it back, ready to release as soon as Bowba got close enough.

Sure enough, when Bowba followed Saus to this tree, they were in the perfect position to be smacked by the squirrel’s attack. The force of it was enough to send Bowba into a tumble, dropping their knife to the forest floor. Unfortunately for Saus, Bowba didn’t fall far, catching themselves on one of the lower branches. But he had a goal now.

He rushed for the knife, seeing where it landed and realizing it was the only viable weapon he’d find. He just needed to get there before Bowba.

But Bowba didn’t go for the knife. Any hesitance was gone from Bowba with the squirrel’s attack. They charged straight for Hawt Saus, swinging from their branch and launching themselves toward the squirrel. Their foot collided with his side and Saus was sent into a free fall.

Time slowed as the leaves disappeared from sight, panic flashed as searing pain filled Hawt Saus’ body. He crashed into one branch, shattering it before twisting and crashing into another branch. He didn’t even see the ground approaching when he heard a sickening crunch that left his body screaming in pain.

Hawt Saus panted as he tried to move his body, but only his head would listen, terror set in as he found himself in the worst possible position. The fall broke his back, but he was still alive. And he could see Bowba descending from the branches above.

They landed not too far from the paralyzed squirrel, a large bruise on their face. They glared at him on the ground, his eyes filled with rage. “You made this more painful than it had to be… I wanted it to be quick. But you had to fight back. Don’t worry. I can put you out of your misery.”

Bowba slowly approached their knife. It glistened at them, its surface still clean from when they offered the same mercy to Chee. They turned back to Hawt Saus and stared into his eyes.

“Last time I looked at someone like this… I deeply regretted it. You, however…” Bowba looked over Saus’ twisted and mangled body. “Can I admit something…? Seeing you fall like that… Was kind of thrilling.”

Bowba placed the knife over Saus’ heart and let out a slight giggle. “You have no idea how hard it is to play nice when I could kill someone with just a touch. Letting it out like that was so freeing! I think that’s what I was missing. I wanted this feeling again.”

Hawt Saus struggled to speak, the pain coursing through his body more intense than anything he’d ever felt. “If you… Even think of hurting Chikn! I’ll…” His threat fell short, knowing there was no way he was getting out of this.

Bowba pulled the knife back, an amused expression on their face. “Protective! Good to know Chikn had someone like you by his side. But I’ll take it from here. I’d never harm a hair on his head.”

“Bullshit! You think this won’t hurt him! Killing someone he loves just so you can have him?!” Hawt Saus’ voice was rough, the pain and internal bleeding starting to take over. He didn’t have much time left.

“He’ll never find out. I’ll make sure of that.” Bowba pierced the skin above Saus’ heart, looking down at him with a wicked grin. “Any last words?”

Hawt Saus felt his consciousness fading. He gritted his teeth and spoke once more. “Hurry up and do it! Dying beats hearing this nonsense.”

“Oh… Spicy to the end, huh? There are worse final words I guess.” Bowba drew the knife back before plunging it into the squirrel’s chest. There was a jolt from his body before he took his final breath.

Bowba held Hawt Saus as he expired, finding the familiar pose almost comforting. The ticking returned, but it didn’t bother Bowba anymore. They gently closed Hawt Saus’ eyes as an amused look grew across their face.

“Heh… You look so peaceful like this, Hawt Saus. I can see what Chikn saw in you. Maybe in another life…” Bowba discarded the idea before they could finish it. There was no other world. This was how it was always going to be. They held Hawt Saus’ body close until he was cold in their arms.

Chapter 4: The Betrayer and the Youth

Notes:

WAAAAAAAAAAAAIT! If you have this story set to notify you when a new chapter is posted, go back a chapter! I moved Chapter 3 to Chapter 4 and wrote an entirely new Chapter 3. Sorry if that's confusing. If you're reading this afterwards, don't worry about this message.

Bowba rubbed their bruised cheek and couldn’t help but chuckle. It was a rush. Years spent containing their anger, keeping their distance, never fighting back. To let it all out like this was the best feeling in the world.

They buried Hawt Saus at the bottom of the pond. Even if the body was found, it wouldn’t be for quite some time. By then, any signs of Bowba’s involvement should be long gone, washed away by the body of water.

It was dark by the time Bowba resurfaced. They didn’t know what time it was, but they didn’t really care. There was only one name left on their list, and it was someone they once considered their best friend.

A friend that didn’t care enough to visit them in the hospital. A friend that shut themselves away while another friend was hurting. A friend that hadn’t even checked in on them. Slushi deserved what Bowba had planned for her. They just needed to gather a few things before they could have their reunion.

***

Bowba could see the hints of a sunrise creeping its way up the horizon when their hand slammed on the door. They didn’t want to risk running out of time while they dealt with Slushi.

There was a crash from the inside of the house. Bowba attempted to look through the peephole, but saw nothing. Stomps approached the door, presumably a frustrated and tired Slushi wondering what someone was doing, slamming on their door so early in the morning.

Once the door finally swung open, a very disheveled and flustered Slushi barked at the unwanted guest, not realizing immediately who it was. “What do you want?! Do you have any idea what time it is?!”

“What? Now not a good time for a visit from an old friend?” Bowba asked with a cheeky grin.

Slushi finally wiped the sleep from her eyes, connecting the voice to the vague shape her tired eyes saw. “Bowba! Oh my god, you’re awake!”

Slushi gave the frog an air hug, something they would often share back when they went to cons together. It was a nice gesture, but one Bowba had grown past. It did very little to sooth the rage bubbling deep down.

“I know it’s early, but can I come in? It’s been a while since we’ve had the chance to hang out.” Bowba’s voice was casual and cool. It felt easier to talk to Slushi. There was more inherent trust than the others.

Slushi took a beat, looking into her house for a bit before sighing and nodding. “Sure, Bowba. Just, ignore the mess. Things have been kinda rough the past week and I haven’t really had the motivation to clean.”

Slushi stepped aside, allowing Bowba to finally clear the entrance. Slushi’s house reminded them of their own after Chee, minus the broken clocks.

Slushi made her way over to the kitchen, calling out to Bowba as they got settled. “I’ve got some tea I can make. I can only imagine how stressful the hospital must’ve been.”

“Tea sounds great, Slushi!” While they spoke, Bowba looked around the house more. There were pictures of friends all over the wall. Bowba paused as they saw one they recognized. It was the first ever time they met Slushi and Milkshek. Bowba held it for a bit, but only rage filled their mind.

They set the photo back and pulled out some medical gloves they’d bought from a 24 hour convenience store. They carefully put them on, doing their best to keep from contaminating the outer layer with poison.

It only took a few minutes for both cups of tea to be ready. Slushi poured both glasses before calling out to Bowba. “Tea’s ready!” She didn’t realize that Bowba was towering over her, knife in hand.

As soon as Slushi set down the kettle, Bowba stabbed the fox’s hand with the knife, pinning it to the countertop. The fox went to scream out in pain but a gloved hand covered her mouth, muffling it.

“Ah-ah-ah. Not a sound, Slushi. And I wouldn’t recommend biting my hand either. Wouldn’t want to risk biting through the glove, would we?” Bowba’s voice was sharp and dangerous. Slushi whimpered and stared shakily at the wall, not daring to turn towards her friend.

Slowly, Bowba pulled their hand away from the fox’s mouth, but they left the knife buried in her paw.

In a shuddery, terrified whisper, Slushi found only one word on her lips. “Wh… Why…?”

“Why? Why what? Why did I stab you?” Bowba took the two tea cups and carried them over to the kitchen table before setting them down. They hopped onto the table and took a seat, facing Slushi as she struggled. “That’s a fair question. I’d be wondering it too. Let me answer that with a question of my own. Why did you abandon Chikn in his time of need?”

Slushi whimpered as she tried not to focus on the pain of her stabbed drawing hand. “Wh-What do you mean…? I never…”

Bowba cocked their head to the side, the venom in their voice almost as dangerous as their skin. “Oh, you never did that Slushi? Bull, because the second I wake up from my injuries I hear what? You and the rest of Chikn’s ‘Friends’ have drifted apart, leaving him all on his own. And now he’s run into the arms of some stupid squirrel who used to hate his guts. Tell me what that is, if it’s not abandoning him.”

Slushi turned her head to face Bowba, her breathing erratic. “We needed time! Right after we lost Chee, Cofi disappeared too! It was just too much I needed…”

Bowba interrupted her by jumping from the table. They landed inches from Slushi, staring right into her eyes. “You should’ve stuck together. Maybe that way, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Slushi cowered away from Bowba, finding her tongue and lips couldn’t form words again.

“That’s not mentioning what you did to me. Do I just not matter to you?” Resentment filled the frog’s voice as they held their stare. They held it for a good few seconds before pulling away.

The frog took a few steps from Slushi and shook their head. “I got out of the hospital over a week ago… And you didn't even know that. I wasn't even visited by Milkshek! It was only him...”

Bowba looked at the picture of them with Slushi and Milkshek once more.

“You know… I am so jealous of you guys. You can hug and touch and play with each other all day with no consequences. And what do you do with that? You waste it. You forget about the people close to you all because some new thing comes along. I would KILL for that opportunity. Heh… I have killed for that now.”

While Bowba was distracted, Slushi reached for the knife in her hand. She tried to pull it from her counter, anything to find a way to fight back.

“I actually remembered something while I was out. Chee… Wasn’t even my first victim.” That made Slushi go ice cold. She glared at Bowba with a new kind of rage.

“You… Killed Chee…?”

“Oh, it was an accident. But that hardly matters. Looking back I think she had it coming.” Bowba was so nonchalant with their confession, they sounded bored.

“D-Does that mean you also…”

“Yes! Obviously, I killed Cofi! I swear, she was the only smart one among you. Found me out, so I had to put her down like a wild animal.” Bowba sounded proud. Chee died on a whim but Cofi… They had to work to put her in the grave.

“Now, where was I? Oh right! My first victim. Would you believe me if I said that was an accident too? My parents kept me isolated for years due to my… affliction. Poison Dart Frogs are only supposed to produce poison based on our diet, but I was different. And I wanted to go play with other kids my age, but there weren’t many other frogs like me, so I snuck out. I made a friend, a little mouse. I can’t remember his name… But when we were done playing, he went to hug me. Died in my arms before I knew what to do.” Flashes of Chee and Hawt Saus ran through the killer's mind.

Slushi finally pulled the knife from her hand, the adrenaline finally kicking in. She charged towards Bowba, aiming to stab the murderous frog in the back. Bowba sidestepped before grabbing Slushi’s hand and wrenching the knife away from her. They kicked the fox in the side and stood over her crumpled form, pressing the knife against her neck.

“You are no Cofi, old friend.” Bowba considered pressing the knife forward and killing her now. So much time being afraid of death. Now they were its dealer. It was intoxicating. But they weren’t done yet.

Bowba retracted, still staring at Slushi on the ground. “Kitchen. Now.”

Slushi shivered as she held her bleeding paw. Bowba was right, Slushi was no fighter. There was no way she could fight her way out of this. She slowly rose and made her way to the table with Bowba.

The crazed frog gestured for Slushi to sit at the kitchen table. She did so without question.

“We’re going to play a little trust game. I want to share one last drink together, as friends. You are, after all, the reason I came to this little town. I owe you a lot. So I might as well give you a chance to leave with your life.” Bowba picked up the two teacups and held them close. “I’ve poisoned one of these teacups. Both of them need to be finished. Now, I drink my own poison, I’ll be fine. My body produces it. You on the other hand…”

Bowba let out a sadistic chuckle. They then placed one cup in front of Slushi. “That’s the safe one. I want you to have it cause deep down… I don’t want to kill you. Finish that cup and I’ll let you leave. But if I hear so much as a word about you trying to spill my secrets, or I see your face again…” Bowba made a slicing motion over their throat.

“I’ll take this one! Unless… You don’t trust me. We could switch cups, but I think you’ll regret doing so. After all, mine is poisoned. Or it might not be.” Bowba shrugged and placed the teacup on the other side of the table. “Which cup do you choose?”

Slushi’s mind raced as she tried to figure out Bowba’s angle. Bowba had multiple chances to kill her since they arrived. Would they really just give her an out with no strings attached? She hated that she even had to think like this. Bowba was her friend, the person who brought to life several of her stories with fic readings. How could this be what they became?

Tears poured down Slushi’s cheeks as she made her decision. “I’ll take the cup you gave me… I want to believe that somewhere in this monster you’ve turned into… There’s still a spark of the real you left.”

Bowba chuckled menacingly. “Oh, this is the real me. I was always going to be this. I just stopped pretending. Go on, drink up.” Bowba snatched the ‘Poisoned’ cup and downed the now cold liquid in an instant.

Slushi stared at the dark liquid’s surface. Paranoia filled her mind as she wondered if she made the right choice. She looked back to Bowba, who pointed the knife towards her once more.

Slushi grabbed the glass and chugged it as fast as she could, hoping to be done with it as fast as possible.

It tasted like normal tea. Slushi wasn’t sure what that meant.

“Bowba… Does your poison… Have a taste…?” She asked, cautiously.

“Batrachotoxin? I’d say it has a very bitter taste to it. Why? Did the tea go bad~?” Bowba grinned like a devil.

“N-No! I… At least I don’t think so…” Slushi recoiled, not sure if the frog was even telling the truth.

“Well…” The pink frog dragged their answer out, letting multiple seconds pass before speaking again. “It’s a good thing I didn’t poison either cup then.”

Slushi sat paralyzed in fear and hatred as Bowba broke down into a fit of manic laughter. She hated them. She hated this sadistic frog and everything they’d become. How could she have ever called this monster a friend?!

“I wanted to see if you still trusted me, and you passed! Good job, gold star! I figured if we traded cups I’d at least give you the mercy of a quick death with the knife. But it didn’t have to come to that.” Despite the outrage they felt towards Slushi, they told the truth. Even with their mask gone and so many sick deeds on their conscience, killing Slushi wasn’t one they wanted to add.

“You’re sick Bowba! You’re one sick fuck, you hear me?!” Slushi shouted, her heartache and pain cracking her voice.

“Oh, Slushi… I’ve known that for quite some time. But I finally have the cure. A cute little puppy who’s immune to my curse. I can finally be happy Slushi. You should be happy too, now you get to leave, once I escort you out of town.” Bowba stood up and approached Slushi, ready to take her away, but a muffled voice could be heard.

“You think Slushi will be happy to see us, mom?” An innocent voice rang out.

“I think so Sody~ She’s always happy to see… Oh that’s strange. The door is unlocked.”

Sody Pop and Sassparilla. Life rearing its tendrils again to ruin Bowba’s plans. Bowba forced Slushi up and pointed the knife at her back just in time for the door to swing wide open to reveal the red pandas.

“Oh… Slushi, I didn’t know you had a guest over. Who’s this?” The older woman asked hesitantly. She’d lived long enough to notice the several red flags on the way in.

“Just an old friend of Slushi’s. We were actually just about to go for a drive, weren’t we?” Bowba pressed the knife into Slushi’s back, just enough to get her to cooperate.

“Right! We were! No need to worry about me Mrs Sassparilla, no reason at all.” As she spoke, Slushi opened her stabbed hand, allowing a few drops of blood to fall to the ground.

Sassparilla caught this and subtly passed her phone to Sody. She cautiously approached the two, playing the part of a doting mom perfectly.

“Oh, isn’t that just adorable? Let me give you something for the road!” Moving faster than Bowba would’ve ever expected, Sassparilla closed the distance and pulled a can from her bag. They only had a moment to register what it was before their face erupted in pain. Pepper Spray.

Bowba recoiled in pain, screaming out as their eyes burned. They kept a tight grip on their knife and swung it in front of themselves, but Slushi had already moved out of the way. Bowba felt a heavy weight hit their chest as Sassparilla slammed her purse into them.

Bowba stumbled back, feeling winded by the sudden combo. Despite their stun, they could hear the sounds of Sody dialing a number on the phone.

Adrenaline kicked in as they lunged forward, slashing wildly in front of them but hitting no one. They were blinded by the pain and struggling to make their way towards the child.

“Hello, 911?”

Bowba locked in on a single shape in the haze. With that ever familiar clock in their ears, they lunged forward once more, sinking the knife in flesh. Slushi gurgled in pain as the knife dug into her neck. She was gone before she knew it.

Bowba used the moment of shock to stab towards Sassparilla, piercing flesh multiple times.

Sody screamed and dropped the phone. His mother and best friend gone in an instant. Anguish and desperation to avenge them took over his body. His voice was filled with tears as he charged the murderer.

“E-Exploding Senton!” He cried, before Bowba’s world was engulfed by light. They didn’t even feel pain as the explosion ripped all four of them to pieces.

Chapter 5: The Demon and The Angel

Bowba floated in a hazy nothingness. They couldn’t see, they couldn’t hear, they couldn’t even feel. They just knew they… Were, despite the emptiness. They tried to move their body but nothing would listen.

Suddenly, there was an intense heat burning at their back. It grew hotter and panic started to rise. They struggled to move an inch but they weren’t in control of their body. Heat rising, Bowba internally called out for help. For anyone to save them from whatever fate was awaiting them.

The heat stopped. Bowba’s body started to cool, leaving them back in that feeling of nothing from before.

Vision returned first. They saw an endless white void ahead of them with a grand chair, akin to a king’s throne, sat before them. In the chair was the clock man that urged Bowba to kill Hawt Saus and Slushi.

He closed his fist as sound returned to Bowba. They dropped, landing on their back before finding they were no longer paralyzed. The frog was quick to get up, feeling their body to find it was still somehow there.

“B-Bezel?! Wh-Where am I? What the hell was that?!” Bowba asked as soon as they could remember how to speak.

“Hell is right. You died in two days just like I predicted. You were simply going to your destined place, but I stopped it. You’re welcome.” Bezel didn’t seem as jovial as their last encounter with him. He sounded almost… Disappointed.

“I’m… Dead…? How?! How did I even die?! Some kid runs at me and that’s it?! How is that fair?” Bowba growled, their rage making them breathe in aggressive heaves.

“It was a pretty spectacular death. After just witnessing his mother and babysitter killed, Sody leaps at their killer, exploding with all his might to sacrifice himself and take the killer down with him. Very cinematic.” Bezel raised the back of his palm to his head, dramatically lounging over his throne.

Bowba snarled and took a step closer. “I thought we had a deal! I take out Hawt Saus and Slushi and you make sure I didn’t die! What happened to that?!”

“Watch your tone, Mortal.” Bezel’s voice felt like a dagger to the frog’s throat. He twisted a bit, cracking a few bones before continuing. “My deal was I’d make sure Chikn Nuggit never found out. I never promised I’d keep you from dying. You had to avoid that fate yourself. But your leniency with Slushi was your downfall.”

Bowba held their arms tight to their chest. He was right. They were still too soft. If Bowba hadn’t wasted so much time to try and give Slushi a way out, Sassparilla and Sody would’ve come too late. Bowba cursed their weak heart.

The frog took a moment before gaining back their confidence. “If I’m such a disappointment, why not just leave me to burn? You want something from me, don’t you?”

“Smart frog. I still have use of your talents. And should you succeed in this task, I can bring you back to life.”

Bowba hung onto those last words. A chance to live again. A chance to go back to Chikn and finally live the life they wanted. The life they deserved. The words were instinctual. “What do you need me to do?”

Bezel leaned forward in his seat, seeming almost amused by the killer’s enthusiasm. “Kill Iscream and Fwench Fwy.”

The words acted as pure clarity for Bowba, snapping them out of whatever trance such an offer had over them. “Are you… Fucking insane?!” Bowba stepped forward, more livid than they’d ever felt before. “You just said I got killed by a little kid and you expect me to take down a demon and an angel?! They’re immortals! One has a true form that can swallow me whole AND they have magic! Most I have is a fucking kitchen knife and poison they’re probably immune to! How is that at all a fair fight?!”

Bezel waved his hand at Bowba’s outburst letting it slide for now. “Bringing someone back from the dead takes a lot of power, even for someone like me. It only makes sense you’d have to do something truly impressive to earn the privilege. And you wouldn’t be doing it without help.”

Bowba paused, trying to process the offer Bezel was giving them. “You’d… Go with me?”

That made Bezel crack up, laughing loudly at the ridiculous question. “Oh-ho, no. I need you to take them out alone. But! I’m willing to tip the scales in your favor a bit.”

Bezel pulled out a small pocket watch. He held it out to Bowba as it floated towards the frog. When they took it in their hands, Bowba found intricate patterns carved along its surface and a strange aura about it. They opened the pocket watch to find the clock hands stuck in place at the 12 o’clock mark.

“What… What is this? A broken old pocket watch?” Bowba looked back up to Bezel. “How the hell is this supposed to put me toe-to-toe with angels and demons?”

“That’s a little something I prepared for you. It has a portion of my power inside it. Should you ever take a fatal wound, this bad boy will reverse your own timeline, allowing you another chance. It doesn’t reverse all time, just yours. So it’ll be up to you to get out of any dangerous spots yourself, but you’re resourceful. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

Bowba looked to the clock with confusion. “You just said bringing someone back from the dead was hard. How come this can do it but you can’t? It’s powered by you!”

“You are in an odd state right now. Not quite dead, not quite alive either. You haven’t been sentenced to your afterlife yet, so the rules are a bit more lenient, should you die like this. Think of it kinda like you’re a ghost. You can interact with the world with enough effort but mortals won’t be able to see or hear you. Cold and heat, unless divine or demonic in nature won’t affect you. Though, don’t go trying to phase through any walls. You don’t have that power.”

Bowba couldn’t say they really understood. They looked back to Bezel once more. “So… With this I basically can’t die here…?”

“Not precisely. That pocket watch only has 12 charges. You get twelve chances and if you die once more… You’re gone. No afterlife, just…” Bezel made a purple poof in his hands.

Bowba glared at him, their anger only raising the longer they spoke. “And if I refuse your deal? What happens then?”

Despite having no mouth, Bowba could hear the grin in Bezel’s voice. “Then I let you move on to your afterlife. Want a sneak peak~?”

The embodiment of time grabbed two portions of the void before ripping it open to reveal hellfire. The heat Bowba felt before enveloped their body as they were forced closer. Demons and devils tormented sinners as fire licked up the frog’s body. Screams of the damned filled their mind. They could hear their own voice among the deathly choir. Bowba screamed out, but nobody cared.

Bezel finally closed the portal, releasing Bowba from the vision.

Bowba felt like those few seconds lasted an eternity. They panted as they held the pocket watch tighter. “I… I accept… I’ll kill Fwench Fwy and Iscream…”

Their entire body shook as they got back on their feet. “But… How do you even kill a Demon and an Angel…?”

“For demons, I find a holy weapon tends to work best.” Bezel let out a sinister giggle.

“Great… And I’m sure you have one of those just lying around somewhere, right?” Bowba asked sarcastically. Bezel gave the frog a mocking shrug. “And what about Fwench Fwy?”

“Angels are a bit trickier to take down. But make one fall… And the same methods that work on demons should apply.”

Bowba groaned. All they had to do was get a holy weapon and make an angel fall. Simple. They remembered the smile Chikn gave them back before Chee. His laughter filled the frog’s ears. It didn’t matter how impossible the odds seemed. Nothing would stand in their way.

***

Iscream trudged through the blizzard, bundled up as much as they could be. The storm was so bad they could barely see their partner a few feet in front of them.

“Why do we need to come up here again, Fwench Fwy? We’ve been hiking for days now.” They yelled, but the winds made it nearly inaudible to Fwench Fwy.

“I told you, if we want to find Chee and Cofi, we need to find the wise man who lives at the top. If my powers couldn’t find them, they must be in another world. And since not even the angels can find their souls, this was the only solution I had!” Fwench Fwy grumbled. They weren’t exactly happy about this trip either.

“And why didn’t you just fly us to the top in your true form?” Iscream asked, the high level of snow making it hard to even walk.

“The peak of the mountain drains magic, making abilities like ours require more effort and drain more energy. If I turned into my true form, I’d probably be forced out before we got to the peak.” Fwench Fwy sighed. Before Iscream could even speak, Fwench Fwy predicted their next question. “And don’t even ask about teleportation! You really want to risk the mountain messing with the spell and us landing god knows where?”

Iscream huffed and crossed their arms. “You do realize how much this sounds like a trap, right? Feels like someone wants us to be weakened for some reason.”

“I know that Iscream!” Fwench Fwy finally exploded at Iscream, their own frustration taking over. “But did you see Chikn at the funeral! He looked devastated! I could feel reality cracking and I know you could feel it too! If there’s even a chance we could find Chee and Cofi again and bring them back or at least give Chikn some closure, it’ll be worth it!”

Fwench Fwy heaved heavily, their own feelings not being hidden at all. Iscream took a moment before approaching and holding the dragon’s hand.

“And how much is this journey for your own sake? It’s not your fault, you know.” Iscream gently pet their partner’s hand.

Fwench Fwy tried their best not to tear up, knowing the cold would just freeze the tears to their face. “But it is! We’re immortals, Iscream! We’re supposed to protect them! I failed to do that and I can’t even make it right by seeing them off to their afterlife! I let them down…”

Iscream pulled Fwench Fwy in for a hug, their demonic body radiating a heat that helped calm the angelic dragon. “That’s nonsense. You’re here, at the top of a frozen peak, possibly walking into a trap just to find them. I doubt Chee or Cofi would call you a failure.”

Fwench Fwy took the moment just to cry in their partner’s arms.They hadn’t allowed themselves to cry in so long. “I’m sorry for forcing you to join me… I know you don’t want to be here, but I couldn’t do it alone.”

Iscream just giggled and pet Fwench Fwy’s head. “Shut up, you stupid idiot. I wouldn’t have let you come on your own.”

Fwench Fwy couldn’t help but giggle a bit. They pulled back, looking Iscream in the eyes for what felt like an eternity. “Thanks Iscream… I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

“Probably cry some more.” Iscream was quick with their answer, eliciting a light jab in the shoulder.

After a shared chuckle and a moment to recollect themselves, the two decided to continue their hike.They still had a ways to go before they reached the summit.

Eventually, the two found a cave entrance that seemed like a suitable place to rest for a bit. While the two debated whether or not they should take a break, a loud rumbling sound reached their ears. The bunny and dragon looked up to see a blinding wall of white approaching them.

It was moving faster than either expected. The only one with time to react was Fwench Fwy. They pushed Iscream into the cave, protecting them from the oncoming avalanche before they were swallowed by the white tide.

Iscream screamed out, watching as the intense snow buried the entrance to the cave and left them alone in the darkness. They rushed over to the snow, trying to dig themselves out but it was no use. They were just causing more snow to take its place. They called out to Fwench Fwy, but they got no response.

Iscream fell to their knees, trying to process what happened, only to land on something hard. They looked down and found that one of Fwench Fwy’s horns had snapped off in the snowslide. They picked it up and held it close.

Before despair could kick in, they stood up. “No. Fwench Fwy wouldn’t die from something like that. We’ll just… Meet back up outside the cave. I hope…”

Still clutching the horn of their partner tight, Iscream turned to the dark caverns before them and started to walk.

***

Iscream wandered through the cavernous void, following the sound of wind, but it was faint. They never felt so thankful for their natural dark vision. The section of cave Iscream found themselves in had several stalagmites and stalactites that made traversal extra difficult.

It was just as they passed by a series of these speleothems that they heard the sound of movement. The bunny huffed and shook their head.

“I knew this was a trap. Come on out, I already know you’ve been hunting me.” They didn’t turn to any specific direction, not knowing exactly where their ambush would come from.

There was a growl in the dark as wind rushed past Iscream’s head. They didn’t see what flew by until after they dodged, finding it was a blood stained knife and a pink arm. A slight cut was left on their cheek as they jumped back, turning towards their attacker.

“Huh. Not who I expected. What is it Bowba, tired of me scaring you all the time~?” They asked, giving the frog a cheeky grin.

“No… I couldn’t care less about that right now. All that matters is you hurt Chikn.” Bowba leveled the knife at the bunny, a murderous gleam in their eyes.

“Oh. That’s how it’s gonna be, huh? Wait… You’re…” Iscream squinted before grinning wider. His voice took on a lower register, his entertainment peaked. “You’re already dead aren’t you?! And you think you can kill me to come back! Alright! Let’s see what you’ve got.”

The deepened voice and slight shifting of the bunny’s form made Bowba flinch a bit. They gripped their knife tighter and glared at the demon. Even now, they couldn’t stop themselves from trembling, but Bowba wasn’t going to let that stop them.

Bowba charged, swinging low to try and catch Iscream off guard, but they countered with a swing of their own. There was a loud clang as metal met metal.

Iscream’s ritual dagger was much more impressive than Bowba’s kitchen knife. The blade was curved with an ornate handle and a crossguard made to catch the opponent's weapons. This one was actually made for combat.

Iscream caught Bowba’s blade in the quillon of their dagger, quickly knocking Bowba’s arm away and closing in for a precise jab at the frog’s throat. Caught off guard by the bunny’s introduction of their own weapon, Bowba couldn’t react quick enough to dodge their attack.

Pain erupted from Bowba’s neck as they felt the pressure of the blade inside them. They choked on their own blood and reached for the dagger, but it was too late. They had a split second to wonder if this was how Slushi felt when she died before collapsing, knife still buried in their throat.

“Heh, too easy. Better luck next life, huh Bowba?” Iscream smirked and shrugged, expecting the frog’s body to disappear, but it didn’t.

Bowba felt the power of the pocket watch burst as they heard a ticking. One hand twitched, grabbing the dagger in their neck before wrenching it out. The flesh tore in reverse as Bowba felt the pain of the stab all over again. They slowly stood back up, now holding onto both daggers as they glared at Iscream.

“I’d say I’m already having better luck. Thanks for the upgrade.” Bowba grinned wickedly.

“Oh, great! Let’s go, round two I guess.” Iscream cracked their neck and started to grow in size, not changing to their true form yet. Spines protruded from the bunny’s back and claws extended from their paws as they lunged for Bowba.

But they were more careful this time, side stepping away from their attack, Bowba was able to slash at Iscream with both blades in the side.

Iscream grunted before raking their claws at Bowba, but they leapt into the air before coming crashing back down on Iscream’s back. Narrowly avoiding the spines, Bowba stabbed both daggers into Iscream’s back.

Bowba barely got any traction, the demon’s hide harder than they expected. Their back was made of pure muscle. The demonic bunny screeched and bucked the frog off their back before kicking them into the cave wall.

All the wind was knocked out of Bowba as they went flying back, slamming into the rock with a loud crack. Excruciating pain enveloped Bowba’s body as they fell limp, the force cracked their spine.

They were down for a moment before their watch activated once more. Bones cracked back into place with sickening crunches as Bowba used all their willpower not to scream from the agony of their skeleton snapping back into place.

The realization of just how in over their head they were hit them. They thought if they separated Iscream and Fwench Fwy with that avalanche, they could handle them one on one, but things were not looking good.

Bowba reached for the pocket watch to find its hands read “10” now. They needed another plan.

Bowba took that moment to slink in the shadows, realizing Iscream didn’t know exactly where they’d flung them. They scaled the cave wall and watched as Iscream approached.

“Come out, come out little froggy~ I know you’re still alive in here somewhere~” Iscream sang in their demonic bass.

The sound sent a chill down Bowba’s, recently repaired, spine as they tried to search for any leverage. It was then they spotted the horn. It looked like it belonged to Fwench Fwy. They had a goal.

Right as Iscream passed under Bowba, they threw the kitchen knife in the opposite direction. The demon jerked around, every movement causing a cracking sound, before charging after the sound. Bowba released their grip and fell, brushing past the demon at just the right time to subtly swipe Fwench Fwy’s horn without making contact with them.

They landed as quiet as a cat and didn’t dare breathe as the stomps grew further and further away.

When the stomps were far enough away, Bowba ran the opposite direction with their prize, clutching it close.

They knew the direction they led Iscream was away from the cave exit, so they took the time to carve Fwench Fwy’s horn into a more usable state. It wasn’t the best craftsmanship, but the horn of a Wish Dragon seemed about as good of a weapon they could get against a demon.

When they finally fashioned the horn into a dagger, Bowba could hear strange sounds from the cave beyond. They turned their attention to the sound, only to be met with eyes. Rows upon rows of eyes as Iscream finally found them, now in their true form.

“Give it back.” Iscream demanded in a demonic bass. Bowba clutched the dagger closer, taking a step back. “GIVE IT BACK!”

Before Iscream could close their jaws around the frog, Bowba’s legs kicked into action. Faster than even Bowba expected, the frog jumped back, narrowly avoiding getting bit in half. They panted as they tried to figure out how they got away.

Iscream tried to bite at them again, only for Bowba to dodge again with plenty of time to spare. They felt… Faster, stronger. They looked down to the horn in their hands. Was it… Making them stronger?

Iscream swung again but this time simply blocked their claw swing with Fwy’s horn. The demon’s arm trembled as the found Bowba’s physical strength far exceeded their own now. It wasn’t even hard to lock the demon’s arm in place. They couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I see why you want this back~ It’s quite powerful, isn’t it?” With a flick of their wrist, Iscream was forced off balance.

Iscream felt a burning where the holy blade left a clean mark on their skin. Unlike the slashes from before, this cut didn’t heal. They felt something they were often unfamiliar with. Fear. Not the momentary fear of Sody or Cofi messing with them, but true, mortal, fear.

“You… Think you’re gonna scare me with that weapon?! I’m still gonna kill you as many times as it takes!” The demon did their best to hide the tremble in their voice.

Bowba dragged their hand along their blade’s surface, looking to Iscream with sadistic glee. “You want to put that theory to the test~?”

Bowba charged the demon, ready to be rid of one of their targets once and for all before a deep rumbling sent both frog and bunny to their knees. The ground shook as rocks fell from the ceiling. Bowba rolled, just barely dodging a stalactite from piercing their torso.

They weren’t, however, lucky enough to dodge the massive Bowba sized icicle that fell towards them when the cave roof was blasted away by a massive tail. The ice shattered like glass on Bowba’s face before they were buried under the snow and rubble.

Iscream had taken the opportunity to leave the cave entrance, returning to their bunny form to make use of its smaller size and agility. Just when they feared they’d be buried alive as well, a white claw scooped them up and carried them away from the danger.

The familiar fur told Iscream everything they needed to know. They looked up to their massive savior. “Fwench Fwy! You made it!”

Fwench Fwy’s true form clung to the side of the mountain, one large horn still missing from their head. “Iscream! I’m so glad you’re okay! I sensed you were in danger and I knew I had to help.”

Relief washed over Iscream, but worry quickly joined it. “B-But what about your powers? Aren’t you being drained by the mountain?”

Fwench Fwy chuckled nervously. “Heh, a little bit. But it was worth it. What happened to you?!”

Before Iscream could answer, Bowba dug their way out of the rubble, seething with a deep hatred that radiated off their body. “Fwench Fwy! I almost had them! Yet here you are meddling! Once again, Iscream gets better protection than Chikn. Where was this when he was suffering?”

Fwench Fwy recoiled a bit, not at Bowba’s words but at their soul. They were dark and twisted, like someone had stained their essence black. “Bowba… What happened to you…? You were so bright before…”

“Oh… Now you see me? Of course you do.” Bowba’s temper only grew more intense as they dug into the failed wish dragon. “You only see me cause I’m a threat! I tried for so long to get help from any of you, but I could never exist loud enough for any of you to listen!”

Just looking at Bowba’s tainted soul hurt Fwench Fwy. This was not the kind frog they once knew. A part of them wondered if that was ever the real them. “Bowba… I’m sorry we failed you… But I can’t let you continue like this…”

“Oh, and what are you going to do-” Bowba was interrupted mid sentence by a sudden numbness that enveloped their body. The frog tried to move but found it near impossible. “Y-You… You…”

Bowba collapsed to the ground, their body paralyzed. They knew what was happening. The symptoms were all too familiar. Fwench Fwy turned their own poison against them. They were going to die from the very curse that led them down this road.

Even with the watch, Bowba knew they’d be stuck in place for the next three minutes. Three minutes of pure agony as they expired to the poison that ruined their life. They glared up at the massive Wish Dragon that would be their killer as seconds ticked by.

Iscream hopped down from Fwench Fwy’s hand and stood over Bowba. “It’s kinda a shame. You could’ve made such a good demon like this.”

Bowba wanted to spit at the bunny but their body was already locked in place. The most they could do was convulse in place as they expired.

“Think that’ll be enough Fwench Fwy? They’ve already died like two or three times.” Iscream continued as Fwench Fwy shrunk down to their normal form.

“I hope so… If not, I have another way. It’ll be hard to come back with no body.” Regret rang out in Fwench Fwy’s voice. Or was it pity?

“Oh… You’re talking about the holy breath! Only really bad guys get thaaaat~” Iscream said with glee.

“It’s the only thing I have that can completely disintegrate a body. Wishes use a lot of magic and I want to save the rest of them.”

Bowba listening to the immortals plan out their death almost hurt more than the poison in their body. Their body convulsed as the three minutes reached their closing. There was almost relief when the pain stopped and their body settled… Only for them to experience it all over again as the watch activated.

The second they had control over their body, Bowba tried to stab the bunny, but they were prepared. Iscream grew out their claws and buried them in Bowba’s gut, piercing the scars that Cofi left before.

“You just don’t quit, do you? It’s getting old.” Iscream said with a yawn.

Bowba shuttered and took in a shaky breath, trying to focus on staying alive. They weren’t going to let this be the end. They needed to kill these two. They needed to get back to Chikn.

Before the watch could activate again, Bowba gripped the knife and thrusted it towards Iscream. The tip of the blade pierced their shoulder and burned their skin. They used all the strength they had to push themselves further up the demon’s claws and onto Iscream, pinning the rabbit as they tried to dig the dagger in deeper.

“H-Hey! Wh-What the hell?! Get off me!” Iscream cried out, the holy weapon partially buried in their skin nullifying their demonic strength.

Fwench Fwy tried to grab Bowba and pull them off, but there was an unnatural strength keeping the frog over the bunny. “You both failed Chikn. Neither of you deserve immortal lives! If I have to die a million times so you both die with me, I’ll gladly do so!”

Fwench Fwy was thrown from Bowba by their free hand. They flew back and slammed against a partially destroyed cave wall. Their vision hazed over as they tried their best to recover.

When the dragon’s vision finally cleared, they saw Bowba but no Iscream. Their body was healed once more and they carried Fwench Fwy’s own horn in their hand. Bowba turned to Fwench Fwy and slowly approached, running their fingers along the bladed surface.

“Your turn, Fwench Fwy~” Bowba sang as the soft crunch of snow heralded their arrival.

Fear and rage enveloped Fwench Fwy’s body as they tried desperately to find Iscream. They could sense them vaguely but where exactly they were was a mystery. Iscream’s life force was fading fast. If they didn’t take care of Bowba now, Iscream would…

Fwench Fwy didn’t think about that. They started to grow in size, their mercy at its end. They didn’t care if Bowba was once considered a friend. They threatened the life of their partner.

Fwench Fwy’s true form emanated holy light, causing the frog to shield their eyes from their radiance.

“Bowba Tee! You have allowed yourself to become corrupted by chaos! On behalf of the realm of virtue, I smite thee so thy wicked deeds be put to an end, once and for all!” Fwench Fwy’s voice boomed through the mountain top, causing yet more avalanches lower down the mountain. But an avalanche was the least of Bowba’s worries.

Fwench Fwy opened their massive maw as light energy gathered. Bowba had less time to react than they thought as the beam of holy energy shot forth. They only had a second to grab the, nearly, dead demonic bunny buried in the snow below them. Fwench Fwy saw the familiar white form, but it was too late.

Searing hot energy engulfed the two burning away at their very beings. Bowba felt like their soul was on fire, kissed by the sun itself. They screamed in pure agony as cleansing light burned away their entire being, leaving nothing but the clock and the horn in their place.

When the beam of radiance finally dissipated, Fwench Fwy was left alone with only the freezing wind as company. Their form shrank as they trudged their way to the ash stain that was once Iscream.

They put a hand on the stain, only for the wind to blow what was left of their partner away. They desperately tried to hold on to what they could as their whaling filled the mountaintop. Tears froze to Fwench Fwy’s face as they held themselves tight, claws digging into their arms. Fwench Fwy screamed themselves raw in their torment, until a distant ticking was heard.

The pocket watch that was left behind burst with energy, and the body of Bowba Tee slowly reformed. Fwench Fwy’s tears grew heavier as they looked back to the last spot Iscream stood. Bowba gave words to the dragon’s thoughts.

“You just killed your partner for nothing~” Bowba cackled as they looked down at the broken dragon.

“You… I… I’m gonna…” Fwench Fwy stumbled over their words, their heartache making it impossible to mutter a real threat.

Bowba cocked their head to the side with a sadistic glee. “You’re gonna what? Cause I don’t think you realize the position you’re in now.”

Fwench Fwy looked to their claws and saw black spreading out across their body. Their claws grew red, as well as their remaining horn.

“You just sacrificed your partner to kill little old me, and it failed. That doesn’t sound very virtuous, now does it?” Bowba taunted as they picked their dagger up. Unlike the horn still attached to Fwench Fwy’s head, this one stayed unchanged.

“N-No! That’s not fair! I was trying to kill you! I was trying to do good! I haven’t failed yet!” Fwench Fwy pleaded.

“Oh really? Are you talking about your friends back home? Cause you failed them too. Chee, Cofi, Slushi, Sody, even Hawt Saus and Sassparilla. All dead, to me. And now that Iscream has joined them… You have officially failed everyone you care about.” Bowba was enjoying tearing the fallen angel further down. Each word they slowly got closer, ready to put Fwench Fwy’s horn to use one final time.

“N-No! All of them… I… Y-You’re lying! They can’t all be dead!” It was too much. They couldn’t even fight back now. Everything they cared for was gone. Ripped away by one person. They wanted to fight back but even that was gone from them. They weren’t a wish dragon anymore.

They stared up at Bowba Tee, the murderer who would be responsible for the end of the world and just cried.

“Aww, don’t worry. I’ll send you back to your friends. There’s something I’ve been meaning to return to you.” Bowba cackled again, lunging at the fallen angel.

The once holy dragon’s stomach burned as Bowba gave back their horn. In their generosity, Bowba returned the horn over and over and over again.

Chapter 6: The Grim Reaper

Bowba jolted up, as if awoken from a nightmare. The world around them felt hazy, like their brain hadn’t caught up with their eyes. They tried to focus but an incessant ringing plagued their ears. They could feel a soft wind on their face as well as a muffled voice but they still couldn’t quite make it out.

“Bowba Tee!” A voice finally broke through the haze, snapping all of the frog’s senses into perfect clarity. “What’s going on, love?”

Bowba stared into the eyes of Chikn Nuggit, the large black pupils showing nothing but concern. The two sat on a grassy hill, shaded by a large tree. The world was painted in beautiful greens and blues.

“I… How did I get here? I was just-”

“Hey, slow down. We’ve been here for a bit. It was probably just a nightmare. You okay?” Chikn asked, resting a paw on Bowba’s shoulder.

“N-No! I… Was just on a mountain and I…” The frog stopped themselves, the details blurring in their mind. “I was killed over and over again… But I was able to get them back… I think?”

“Sounds like a nightmare to me. Come on, just relax with me. You don’t need to worry about that anymore.”

Bowba eyed Chikn with suspicion. The world felt too colorful, too clean. This didn’t feel right at all. How did they get here…?

Chikn took note of the frog’s hesitance and gave them a comforting smile. “Here, let me help you relax~”

The yellow puppy leaned forward, pressing his lips to Bowba’s. The poisonous frog didn’t know how to react, their face lighting up several new shades of pink. In that moment, Bowba’s mind was clear of the confusion and bitterness that plagued them for the past month.

When Chikn pulled back, he stared into Bowba’s eyes, resting a paw on their cheek. “Feel a little better?”

They held his paw on their cheek, taking in his warmth. “Yes~ I… I feel a lot better~”

***

Bowba spent as much time as they could with Chikn, but a nagging feeling kept rearing its ugly head. Why did they feel so empty? Eventually, they decided that they needed some time alone.

While on their walk, a familiar voice called out to them. “Hey Bowbs! How’s it going?”

A sense of tension rose in the frog as they turned to the voice. While they expected blue, their eyes registered pink.

“Been a while, hasn’t it Bowba? How have you been?” Milkshek asked, giving the frog a wave.

“Oh… Yeah, it has Milkshek. I honestly can’t remember the last time we talked…” Bowba responded, their heart feeling heavy for some reason.

“You know how it is, life’s been keeping me busy. I’m… Guessing you know about Slushi, right?” The pain in Milkshek’s voice resonated with the frog’s own.

“The gas explosion… The one that took out Sody and Sass as well… That was a really hard day. I thought about calling you but… I couldn’t dial the number.” Flashes of them clutching a phone almost tight enough to crack the screen ran through their mind.

“You shouldn’t have had to reach out. I should’ve called you. You lost so many friends in such a short time, and after your own accident. It was like your friend group was cursed. I was… Scared to reach out. I’m sorry I didn’t…”

Bowba sniffed a bit remembering each person that left. Chee and Cofi, disappeared without a trace, Hawt Saus drowned in the woods, Slushi, Sody and Sassparilla in the gas explosion, and no one even knew where Iscream and Fwench Fwy were. Eight lives lost in under two months. Cursed seemed about right. But why was there so much anger in them?

Each name made them angrier than the last, and staring at Milkshek only made it worse. These were their friends. They knew their deaths, but it wasn’t like it was personal. Not a single one left on purpose, did they? Milkshek being scared and needing time made sense but the rage wouldn’t subside.

“You’re right. You should’ve called. You should’ve checked on me in the hospital.” Bowba stepped closer to Milkshek, re-examining all the ‘memories’ floating around their head. “Why didn’t you?”

Milkshek rubbed her arm and found it hard to keep looking at Bowba. “I was scared Bowbs… Slushi pulled away from me and you were in critical condition. I felt like… If I went to see you it’d become too real.”

“That’s your big excuse for abandoning me?” The amphibian asked in an ice cold temper. They took another step forward. “Aww, boo hoo. ‘It would be too real?’ Imagine experiencing it! I lived it, Milkshek! I watched everyone leave! I suffered the near fatal wound! I-”

A flash hit Bowba as the synapses reconnected. That odd feeling from before blown away like fog. “I… Died. And it wasn’t a gas explosion… It was Sody!”

Milkshek took a step away from the frog. “Bowbs… You’re scaring me. W-What are you talking about?”

“Every single death… It wasn’t some series of unfortunate events… It was all me. I did that! I killed them all because they betrayed me.” The realization made Bowba stop. They glared at their ‘friend’ trying to subtly back away.

“L-Look Bowbs, I-”

“DON’T CALL ME THAT!” The frog closed the distance between the two, a strange looking dagger appearing in their hand that was now pointed at the fox’ neck. “You don’t get to call me that! You abandoned me… Just like Slushi did. Neither of you ever cared about me! If you did, you wouldn’t have left me alone!”

The pink fox cried, trembling as the dagger pressed to her neck. “B-Bowba I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to. I never… I love you, Bowba… You’re one of my best friends…”

“Too little, too late…” Bowba stabbed forward, but instead of blood from the fox, reality shattered like a mirror.

***

Bowba fell into the dark abyss that surrounded them. The void swallowed up any light, leaving them in pitch black nothingness. The frog tried to do anything to slow their fall or even see how far they would fall, but there was nothing.

After what felt like eternity, they finally hit the ground. Pain coursed through their body as they tried to figure out where they were. The ground was hard but featureless. Just a smooth hard substance they couldn’t make out. There was no wind and the air felt stagnant and gross, making them not want to breathe it in. There was no light anywhere, they couldn’t even see their own hand in front of their face.

“Hello!” Bowba called out to no response. They waited to see if there was an echo, but nothing.

Bowba limped forward, still recovering from the fall. They held a hand out in front of them, making sure they wouldn’t bump into anything, but there was nothing.

“This… This can’t be hell… Can it? I saw it before. The feeling is wrong. Where is everything?!” Bowba screamed out in the dark. There was still no response.

They wandered more. Time bled together in the endless black. Their eyes never adjusted to the dark, never provided more clarity than the inky void.

They walked for a week, or was it an hour? They backtracked a second but a month passed, or was it two? Minutes passed like years and a century in the blink of an eye. Was there even a point to walking? They stopped for a few years, but nothing changed. A second passed and they’d walked a mile. Time, distance, even their own being ceased to have meaning. They were lost in something they couldn’t begin to comprehend.

Finally, a singular light, shown in the distance. The first light the being had seen since they could remember. It shined blue? At least, that’s what they thought blue looked like. It had been so long since they’d seen colors.

The being felt fear. Why did they fear the blue light? Why did they fear the round shape with two arrows approaching them? Would it even arrive? Or would it stay there forever?

After Supereon, the light was upon them.

“Bowba Tee. You made it out of the bubble, huh? I knew you wouldn’t be able to handle anything good.” The strange being growled at them.

“B-Bow…Ba Teeeee?” Their mouth struggled to form words. The word sounded familiar but they weren’t sure why.

“You’ve been wandering the void, haven’t you? Your brain’s gone to mush. Here, let me solve that for you.” A sound echoed in the dark and an unfamiliar feeling enveloped the being.

They didn’t like it. It was like pointing a finger in their chest but instead of stopping the finger went straight through to the other side. The strange sensation was short lived as all feeling melted away.

A clock chimed and Bowba was back, registering the pain of being stabbed. They gasped as all their senses returned. Their memories, their personality all back in a moment.

“B-Bezel?! Where am I?! What is all of this?!” The darkness felt like it was closing in around them. Bezel’s light was the only one that seemed to exist.

“This is the results of your work! Your efforts to get revenge on the friends that betrayed you brought about the end of the world. Isn’t it beautiful~?” Bezel giggled as he floated around the void.

“W-What?! End of the world? What the fuck are you talking about? How could me killing eight people end the world? That’s insane!”

“You ever wonder why Chikn was immune to your poison, little frog? It’s cause he is a demigod! Destined to bring about Armageddon and you helped him do so! Or, more accurately, you helped me do so. Maybe I should reintroduce myself.”

Bezel stopped floating and stood before Bowba, offering a hand to them. “Name’s Bezel. I’m the end of all things, the Doomsday Clock.”

Bowba stared at the hand in front of them, trying to process what he’d said. “Ch-Chikn would never… He’s kind and sweet and innocent!”

“And what do you think happened when he was left all alone? I’m sure you can answer that. Afterall, look what you accomplished alone~” Bowba didn’t need Bezel to piece together anymore.

“You… You used me… You used me to get the ending you wanted!”

“Well how couldn’t I? You made it so damn easy! A little placating your rage, imply you could live happily with Chikn. You really are the most desperate and foolish mortal I’ve met. But when I finally give you exactly what you wanted, you ruin it! You were always going to ruin your own life.”

“You… You made me… Kill all my friends… Just for this…?” Anger and regret stewed in Bowba’s being.

Bezel’s clock face grew to a massive size, completely dwarfing the frog as he yelled at them. “YOU KILLED YOUR OWN FRIENDS!”

The frog cowered as Bezel shrunk once more. “You were the one that lost your temper with Chee. You were the one that wouldn’t let Cofi kill you. You were the one that killed Hawt Saus and your best friend just because I said you’d die if you didn’t. And you were the one that killed Iscream and Fwench Fwy instead of facing your own damnation! You could’ve stopped at any time but your self-righteous anger at the world won out.”

Bowba clenched their fists, finding the knife was still in their hand. Bezel was turned around. Maybe, if they could get past him and find Chikn…

Bowba ran at Bezel, lunging at him, knife in hand but was suddenly stopped mid air. Their body refused to move as the grim reaper turned to them.

“And now you think you can kill me… You’re so predictable Bowba. But let me tell you something.” Bezel snapped and the force holding Bowba started to pull their limbs in opposite directions.

Their legs snapped like a wishbone and they died.

“Everything special about you, everything you’ve done, couldn’t have been done without me.” Bowba came back, still stuck in place. “I hid all the bodies, I healed you when Cofi almost killed you, I sent Fwench Fwy and Iscream to that mountain, and of course I gave you that watch. You really think you can kill me with that puny dagger? Go ahead and try. I’ll even give you a free shot.”

Bezel threw Bowba into the ground, releasing his hold on them. Bowba struggled to stand, the phantom pain of having their leg torn off making them shaky.

They gathered their resolve and rushed Bezel, feinting an attack to catch him off guard, but the clock didn’t even move. Fwy’s horn tinked off of Bezel’s body, dealing no damage at all.

Bezel just brushed himself off and cracked his fingers. “A commendable effort. My turn.”

A large tentacle-like tongue extended from Bezel’s body and opened up like a venus fly trap. The jaws clamped around the frog’s upper body, severing them in half and killing them.

Bowba tried again, but they died. Bowba tried a different angle, but they died again. Bowba tried to find a weak spot, but they died once again.

The pathetic frog collapsed to the ground, panting and heaving as the pain and anger enveloped them. Sniffles could be heard as they saw the watch only had one charge left.

“Awww, giving up so soon? I thought you were unkillable. You did such a good job with everyone else. I’m sure you can kill me eventually.” Bezel taunted as he towered over the failed killer.

“It’s not fair! Nothing ever goes my way! Why… Why did I have to be born like this?!” They cried out in agony.

Bezel groaned and picked the frog up once more, bringing them close to his face. “This is your problem Bowba. You think that because you suffered the world owes you. Here’s a news flash. EVERYONE’S SUFFERED! You’re not special because of it! It doesn’t absolve you! Grow up and do something about it!”

Bezel clenched as Bowba felt the pressure intensify. “You mortals are all the same. Whining about how unfair life is and that you deserve better but you do nothing to improve your situation. You’d rather play the victim and say there was nothing you could do. There is always a choice but none of you ever make the right one. So many wasted lives. So much wasted potential. That’s why I pushed for the end of the world. I’m sick and tired of all your whining!”

Bezel’s fist closed and Bowba’s body crumpled like an empty can. Bezel tossed it aside before turning to see a new light in the darkness. He only had a second to register what it was before his head was grabbed and shattered.

A pale yellow form stood before the body of Bowba Tee as it reformed for the last time. Massive shards of bloody glass sat scattered around them as they stared at the face of god.

“Ch-Chikn…? Is that you…?” They asked, their heart in their throat.

“No. You killed that part of me when you killed his friends. I am the Demigod of Chaos.” The being hovered before Bowba, all seven eyes faded but staring directly at the killer.

“I… I’m sorry… I never meant for all of this to happen… P-Please… I know Chikn has to be in there somewhere. We can fix this, right? They… They wouldn’t want you to just give up, woul-”

The demigod grabbed Bowba by the neck and squeezed. “Do not speak of them. You lost that right.” The monotone fury of the demigod sent more of a chill down Bowba’s body than anything Bezel could’ve said.

Bowba reached for the Demigod’s hand, squirming in his grasp as they struggled to breathe.

Before the life could be squeezed out of them, the Demigod released his grip, dropping the frog to the floor. Bowba gasped and tried to catch their breath, but they didn’t turn their attention from Chikn.

“If… If you did all this… Y-You can reverse it, right? Fix everything? Y-You’re a demigod, that’s probably within your power, right…?” Bowba pleaded, hoping they wouldn’t overstep again.

“The world is no more. The only thing left here is you and I.”

Bowba needed a moment to take that in. They’d always been mad at the world, but this was never what they wanted. They never wanted it all to end.

“Th-There has to be something, right?! Your power is basically limitless, you can bring everyone back!”

“And why would I do that?”

“Because, while the world is painful and unfair and cruel… There are people who make it all worth living. Friends, a relative, a lover. You find someone to live for and you keep going for them. And eventually, it becomes less about living for someone else and more… I want to living for yourself. You start to want to see the next day because you never know what it will bring. The world is flawed but that doesn’t mean life isn’t worth living.”

The two sat in silence for an eternity. Bowba stared at the demigod, seeing the faded colors of each eye. If they looked hard enough, they could tell what each one represented.

“I… Took Chikn’s reasons to live… Didn’t I? That’s what you meant when you said I killed him?” The full weight of everything hit Bowba all at once. It’s not that they didn’t know what they were doing. Their own rage and betrayal blinded them to anyone else’s feelings. Bezel was right.

“I’m going to bring them all back.” The Demigod spoke. Bowba looked up to him, tears already running down their cheeks. “But you will stay here. My friends can never be happy with you in our new world.”

Bowba collapsed to their knees, tears flowing more freely now. “You’re… Just gonna leave me here…? I… I’m gonna die alone…?”

“No. Bezel is dead. He resided over death. You will live here forever, alone for eternity. This is your penance.” The Demigod started to rise in the air as light started to gather around him.

“N-No! I… I’m sorry! I realized my mistake! You can’t just do this to me!” Bowba cried out as they reached for the Demigod.

“Take responsibility for once, Bowba. Let them be happy.” The Demigod’s power lit up the void, turning it from a black nothingness to a blinding white.

Bowba covered their eyes from the intense light, their tears being flung from their face by the intense power of the Demigod.

In that moment, they could’ve run to him. Clung on and tried to hitch a ride or stop him from leaving, but for once they didn’t listen to that anger deep inside them. For once their conscience won and they let go.

The magical energy swirled and flashed before completely disappearing and leaving the frog in darkness once more. It wouldn’t take long for the eldritch darkness to take hold once more and the killer once known as Bowba would be long forgotten.

***

Light. At least that’s what they thought it was called. It had been so long since they’d seen it, or had it been no time at all? They felt an urge to approach it. It would take many years to reach it but they just knew they had to. The journey didn’t feel all that long at all, eternities had already passed in the dark. What's a few years chasing light?

Sound. The sound of voices as the light grew closer. Some were familiar, others weren’t. They sped up, turning the years to seconds.They several miles away, now a mile, now a foot now merely inches from the light licking their skin.

It burned a bit staring at the light, but pain had so little meaning. They could barely even remember what food was, but the familiar smell of pancakes filled their nostrils.

They finally saw the source of the light. A strange orb, hovering partially off the ground. The being could see people on the orbs' surface and hear their voices reverberating in their ear. There was a familiar figure, a pink frog with a pink bowtie.

She stuttered a bit, watching as all four eyes landed on her. She gave a nervous wave and did her best to keep her voice steady. “H-Hi! Name’s Bowba Tee. I’m… A friend of Slushi’s from the con scene. It’s nice to meet you all.”

Immediately the cat and dog seemed to be awestruck. Both of their faces lit up with delight.

“You’re so pretty!” The dog blurted out before sticking a paw out to her. “My name’s Chikn Nuggit.”

Bowba was so shocked by the unprompted compliment that she almost forgot to shake the dog’s paw.

With a new red glow to her cheeks, she responded back. “N-Nice to meet you, Chikn.” Chikn squee’d with glee when Bowba shook his paw.

The being watched in curiosity, a bit of their mind healing. “Ch-Chikn?” They looked to the other being in the orb and slowly their names came to them. Slushi, Cofi, Chee, Hawt Saus. They were all alive and… Happy. Even themselves. This Bowba looked happy and was even able to shake people’s hands with no problem.

“W-What is this… Why am I being shown this…?” Bowba pressed a hand to the orb and felt the hard surface. The image changed.

Bowba stumbled through town, half drunk and their outfit a mess. There was a deep pain in their heart as they took another sip from their bottle.

They drag their feet past a window with light shining through. Inside was a group of people all hanging out and talking with the same book in their hands. Some book club or something. Bowba stood there and watched them, imagining themselves inside.

Their daydreaming was interrupted by a low voice.

“You wanna come inside?” A burly yet kind looking wolverine asked from the door.

“I can’t… Got a deadly poison in my body that could kill people… Don’t want to hurt anyone.” They responded groggily.

The wolverine furrowed their brow before heading back inside. Bowba sighed and eventually started to leave when the same voice called out to them.

“Hey! Wanna hang out here? I brought you out some snacks!”

Bowba stared at the wolverine, their heart beating out of their chest.

They sat down nearby and tossed a bag to Bowba. “Name’s Meetloav. What’s your name?”

Bowba curled around the orb, holding it close as the two kept talking. They watched as they fell in love. The two learned that Meetloav could gain an immunity to their poison. They had an adopted child, and a biological one further down the line. This Bowba was just like them. The other one could touch people and had good days but this version shared their curse and still found happiness.

Bowba touched the orb again. There was another version of them finding happiness. Each version found their own path. They clutched the orb to their chest, crying out as they were proven wrong before.

There were many worlds where they could be happy. If they had just reached out or been braver or any number of things. But they always made the wrong choice in their life. Bezel was right about them. They were always going to ruin their own life.

The orb would be their only solace Bowba had for the rest of existence, the last gift from their former friend Chikn, and the final punishment from the Demigod of Chaos.

Notes:

With that... Toxic Tea comes to an end. If you've been following on the r/MoldedNuggit you know how I struggled with getting to this end. I didn't feel like it would be the right one for a story that started out so realistic, but you guys encouraged me to go with my original ending so here it is. I hope everyone enjoys this ending because I've been thinking about it a lot.

I'd also like to thank a few people who helped me get her. Cratos_exe, PyeEye_Guys, Tenacious_Pyromaniac, happymemeboi, SymonOfficial-Cool, BunnyCatg4, SnowStorm-Studios, One_Ad_6383, Lucat_thecat and anyone else I'm forgetting that made art or animations. I don't think I would've been able to make this story half as good without your encouragement.

Also, more thanks go out to PyeEye_Guys for allowing me to use their character Meetloav at the end. It really helped.

This story is officially done, but I might have a few bonus non-canon chapters planned. For now though, I leave Toxic Tea Bowba in the communities hands. Remember! Spread the Mold!

See you in the next story!