General Lee

I didn't understand it, why had Charles revealed himself only to kill one of the many different vampires? My army marched forward, a few waves of fire able to keep the vampires in the flank at bay. They didn't commit to the attack, more inclined to do a little damage than take any themselves. We couldn't catch that bastard king, not that we ever could. It bothered me immensely though, I wanted to know why.

We reached the inner walls only to be greeted by a field of pumpkins. I peeked at the future, then realized that attacking them in any way was a terrible idea. A scout approached, "Sir, what are we going to do?"

"Ignore the pumpkins, don't damage them in any way. They are vampires, believe it or not." I bit my thumb, focusing on the more important thing. What was important about the one Charles killed? It nibbled at the back of my mind, as we continued moving. That gnawing feeling, made me wonder if he did it just to mess with me. I'd know after we finished converting the vampires, all of them connected. It shouldn't be long now, the sooner the better.

I looked back at the Scout who was gawking at me, as if waiting for a punchline to some joke, "The... the pumpkins are vampires, sir?"

"Yes, move them if needed. Do not cut the stems or break any of them, understood?" I replied, much to the man's shock. He saluted, conveying my orders as he should.

Guy, my lover, put his rough hands on my shoulders. "You're doing that thing again." He massaged my shoulders, as he usually did. He was still a jerk, my jerk.

It didn't help that I melted under his expert touch, as he helped me calm down. "I'm trying to figure out the puzzle, why did that one have to die?"

Guy chuckled, "You already said we'd get them to come to our side. I doubt they'd hide anything from their queen. I'm more worried about why we have to be careful around pumpkins."

I preened under his expert digits, he knew all the right spots. "Breaking one of them will wake the whole army up. Then we'd have to fight our way to the core before we could kill it. It'd take more time, we'd lose more people. I regret not bringing someone with a herbicide talent, just one person could have dealt with this."

"Yeah? Then I'll go out there and make sure it's done right. Why are we being slowed down, though?" He leaned down to kiss my cheek, cheating as usual.

"The Count is ending the war himself, he likes an audience. The others will be routed at best, then try to join us. We need to leave, now." I knew he was trying to distract me, it worked though. It made me mad, how he made my heart skip beats regardless of body. The dummy. The jerk.

Guy chuckled, hugging me close before heading out to make certain no one hurt a single pumpkin. He knew the men, they thought he was the general. Charles was gone, he left after killing that one vampire. I sighed, I knew sitting here wouldn't help anything. I went towards the back, to see if the process was almost done.

The Real Gray

The true original didn't make it. Not that it mattered, as we knew how dangerous this final assault was. Our Queen had been intercepted by the army that the Fire Kingdom sent. She was beaten and brought into their army. Their General explained the situation, but couldn't prevent someone from using a talent to clone her. A concept that was proven by a prisoner, who had been indoctrinated by the demon king of Eclipse.

It hurt to look at the Queen's injured form, though she made it clear that it was only to keep the humans in the army at bay. There were far too many of them here, she wasn't their match, thus she agreed to aid them. It bothered all of the shades, knowing that we had so few bugs between us. We gave everything we could to our Queen, to help her nerves. We asked where her daughter was, something that confused her. We couldn't remember her name either, not since rejoining her.

We were riding in a wagon together, other shades split among other wagons. They wanted to make certain that the supplies were safe and secure, as our Queen would go hungry long before the soldiers in the army would. She wore shackles that had runes to make them unbreakable, though a few bugs could pick the lock for her. It was important to appear submissive and reasonable. We were going to set up a Hive in the kingdom of Fire, then we could expand and leave at any time.

A knock came at the door, all of the wagons we were in had such. It was dark in each one, despite the lantern hanging from the ceiling. We didn't respond, it wasn't our place to insinuate that we could keep anyone out. Though, if any filthy human attempted to touch the Queen, they would die choking on their own flaccid flesh.

The General entered, hands behind their back. Their form shifted subtly as their hair grew longer, their height changed, and their facial features contorted then moved. We knew it was their talent that allowed such a thing. We didn't know their gender, nor did we know what they smelt like. "You two seem to be getting along, that's nice." They smiled at us.

My Queen had her hands firmly set in her lap, a blanket keeping her a touch more modest. She stopped me from speaking with a subtle tilt of her head. "Yes, thank you for these... accommodations." She gave a slight bow, not letting the human see any hesitation or pride. "How may we help you, General?"

She sent me a message, asking that I follow her lead. I replied in affirmation, as the General locked the door. "Before coming here, your..." He gestured at me.

"Gray, he's one of my personalities, General." She supplied him with such information. "I explained as much ahead of time. He's more of a general service provider than a warrior."

The General blinked, looking at me. "A... general service provider? You mean to tell me, that we have been fighting someone that provides services?" I nodded, confirming what my Queen told him. She nudged me to explain more about myself.

I gave him the same courtesy the Queen gave him, a slight bow. "We enjoy teaching the young of the Underground. While our magic is lacking compared to Argus, and our numbers and versatility fall short of Scix, we did the best we could with this engagement." Just as the Queen asked, I made it clear I had no intentions of hiding anything.

Her eyebrow twitched, as they had changed genders. "How would you rate your fighting capabilities, compared to the other personalities?"

The Queen gave her permission, she likely couldn't remember herself with so few of our bugs. "I do not have a good frame of reference to explain such a notion. Berry died fighting a dragon, yet he crippled its mind. At least from the reports, we received before we were disconnected from everyone. If you require evidence, then I believe there were four or six of the dragons present. The details are fuzzy, as we were disconnected from the hives that held such memories."

My Queen smiled, as she kept her head low. The General just watched me a little more closely. "You are implying that this Berry, that they chased the dragons off?"

I gave a small nod, "We are very capable when it comes to fulfilling our roles. Argus was unleashing torrents of white fire that evaporated everything it touched. Sand instantly became glass, corpses exploded from the heat, it was called dragon fire by the older humans in the Underground. I received a report that the Underground fell due to the Guard being brainwashed. It should be one big dead zone. Upon further evaluation, it feels as though Charles, the king of Eclipse, might have been trying to get rid of us."

"You mentioned that Berry died, Argus is still alive?" The General kept his focus on me.

"To my knowledge, all of this information came from the bugs our Queen brought with your army. If I had known things would turn out this way, I would have made a greater effort to bring more of our bugs with us. Currently, we are suffering from not having enough memory. We lack breeders, though a few of our bodies brought larvae that can become such." He didn't flinch at the fact our Queen gave us the information. He was likely comparing what we knew, to what she told them. No... something was wrong here. I looked at my Queen, to find she was covered in magic.

Why did this feel wrong? What happened to get us here? The General snapped their fingers, "Focus, I'm asking you questions." How long was I out of it?

Shaking my head, I looked back at their shifting form. "What did you ask? My apologies, I believe we are entering a daze of sorts. If you could keep our hive fed, it should remedy this."

"I asked how many bugs you might need. What can they do?" What could they do? The question felt odd as if I forgot about the potential there was.

My Queen nudged me to explain what I knew to them. It felt wrong, she should be telling them this. I explained the breeders and giants. All the tier two bugs, since tier one was the baseline. Yes, the writhing worms were tier one as well. The giants were able to take the form of shields, why not swords and such as well? It took a month for them to get that far, since it took two weeks for larvae to go tier one, then another two weeks to hit tier two if their soul was developed enough.

Another wave of mysterious magic washed over me. A strange force emanating from my Queen. A reassuring pulse that helped dispel any doubts I had. It was comforting to know she was trying to keep us calm despite the situation. The General snapped their fingers again, "Tell me about Scix, how they are more versatile."

I leaned forward, holding my head. Holes were apparent in my memories. "Scix, they can take over living creatures. Just like how I can only take over vampires, they take over anything with red blood. They used whisper wolf bodies, Fukuma, and even Burrow worms. I don't know what they have now, there was a fight with Kobe. The Minotaur gang of the Underground, I don't remember why we fought."

"What's your relationship with the Count?" They moved closer to me, my Queen gently rubbed my shoulder.

My eyes met her wonderful form again. It was easier to focus on her than on the General whose army harmed her. "He abducted me for lack of a better word. He said I could return to her after the battle, now here we are." It was soothing to gaze at her, to feel her eyes gently watching me in turn.

"Gray, my dear. Tell them about the other personalities, that wasn't everyone." She gently chided me, as I tried to reconfirm who there was through our connection.

I shuddered at my blunder, "Yes, Brick has taken over some gnomes. He is a builder, though I thought the General wouldn't care too much about that. We have a monsterized spider named Clarice, though she is more like a pet than anything else. Who else... OH! Beru is confirmed to be alive within the den of one of those dragons. He's on their island, watching them as we speak. Rose was going towards the elf forests, last I heard. I have no idea where Silver went."

"What are their roles?" The General asked.

"Brick is the builder, as I said." I looked at them as if they hadn't heard me, "Clarice is a helper that offers advice sometimes. Beru... he was a babysitter, a warrior made to protect those important to the Hive. Yes, the dragons stole someone important from us. I think that's where the daughter went, there was a daughter." I smiled at the realization, then continued, "Rose is a farmer of sorts, while Silver... I don't know about Silver. They were one of the first personalities, a survivor that arrived after the others died. He's only a bug, he doesn't speak much. I think he's in the Cave you lived in before coming to Eclipse, my Queen."

She gave me a small nod, helping to confirm what I knew. There was some sadness in her smile, as it appeared she had forgotten her own daughter. Why did I forget these things? There must have been a heavy battle, or the Entomancers in this area were very thorough about killing our bugs. It was likely to keep the Queen suppressed and docile. "Thank you for reminding me, Gray."

"Not a problem, I'm happy to help." I smiled at her, even as the General watched our interaction.

They coughed after a minute, "Would you say that Argus, Scix, and yourself are the only fighters that would potentially have a chance of engaging my army in battle?"

I shrugged, "If Berry were still alive, he'd have been on that list. Though I feel that is reasonable. The others only care about their jobs. Beru is too far away to engage your army, we also don't know how strong he's become. I think we only get stronger when connected with our Queen, though the others should willingly join if you are nice to her." I did my best to make a clear implication.

The General huffed, "You're saying that you're willing to carry out duties for my men, if I give your Queen better living conditions?" I gave him a quick and eager nod. They folded their arms in front of their chest, contemplating it. "I'm willing to give you a chance, you must obey my orders as if they came from your Queen, understood?"

"Of course, I'll inform the others about this. Naturally, we can only work at night. Though you saw how capable we were on the battlefield." I smiled at the General, "Thank you for this chance to prove ourselves. We will not betray your trust."

They tilted their head, "That simple? Weren't we fighting viciously not even yesterday?"

"We had no idea you held our Queen. You could have killed her, yet she is here. If we can give her better conditions, then we will do what we must. She always felt it was better to return kindness with the same. Unless a soldier is hostile to us, we will not do anything to your troops beyond helping. If they seek to fight us, we will teleport away if possible. Are these terms acceptable?"

"They are, you may prove yourself tonight. Rest until then, naturally, your Queen cannot leave this wagon." The General unlocked the door and left.

It was quiet in the wagon once more, as I sent a few messages to our Queen. The other shades were just as eager to talk to her, though she requested one question at a time. I hoped she would start feeling better, her magic was lacking compared to what she should have. It must have hurt her terribly to be defeated and forced to serve under an army of humans like this. While not talking to her, each of us spent our time trying to fill in the gaps in our memories.

Hours passed as Entomancers gently took some of the Larvae we had hidden in a few of our bodies. All of our bugs moved to a separate wagon as we were instructed to keep them inside it. Scraps and water were placed within such for them, while the Queen was given small meals herself. Enough to sustain them, but not enough to thrive. A few soldiers were brought within our wagons for us to drink their blood, a punishment for being disobedient as we were informed.

Night came, and a few of us were chosen. We were to take the place of the White Corps, as their number had been severely lowered thanks to our battle. The tasks were simple chores that were done beyond what was required. Suggestions were made, as we were allowed to repair a few damaged things with our bugs. Every move we made was heavily watched, which was to be expected.

The simple truth was that we had no intention of fleeing. Not unless the Queen desired it, or if she was put in danger. We openly admitted as much when asked by a few different soldiers. None of them were foolish enough to let their guards down, but they did trust us with more sensitive tasks. Weapons were promptly repaired, their runes memorized. We still had space with them, which implied that the anchors were left behind.

We knew something had happened, something that we couldn't share with our Queen unless we ourselves were certain. We couldn't figure it out, but as we returned to our wagons as the sun started to rise. We noticed that our Queen had been given a bit more rations, while our bugs were also given slightly better portions of scraps. A clear indicator that we were slowly securing our position within this faction.

The days passed quickly, as we slowly recovered. A few gaps in our memories were sealed with what was most likely to have happened. We were asked questions by different individuals, we made certain to answer as honestly as possible. We were going to Fis'Ton to ensure the clone of our Queen was dealt with. An act that would gain the General enough favor to secure a safe space for our Queen.

Sadly, she hadn't recovered much during our travel. Our Queen refused to hunt, while we were called to deal with a few monsters and beasts that appeared at night. We knew how to slay fiends quickly, avoiding potential injuries and casualties. We returned with fresh meat that was promptly prepared into stew for the soldiers, while we expertly tanned the pelts. They were warming up to us, relaxing their guard more by the day.

Little by little, we taught those surviving White Corps how to do their tasks more efficiently. With less for us to do at night, we were able to secure the patrols some of the soldiers had to do. They ended up more rested in the morning, which led to us having less to do at night. A process that endeared us to the ones that used to be our enemies. There was still a stigma we couldn't overcome, as we were monsters to them.

The General made it clear that we were not to be harmed, while most of the soldiers were disciplined enough to obey their superior. Those that refused to follow such a simple order were conveniently observed by a superior who dealt with it promptly. Usually, the punishment involved the offender being added to our collective as a new body. The General refused to tolerate insubordination which made it incredibly easy to ensure each shade had an extra body to use.

By the end of the week, we had managed to gain permission to use our bugs to repair the wagons as they moved. Entomancers observed but otherwise found no issues as we reinforced the wheels and occupied our days with sanding the rough parts. As their quality of life rose, we were accepted just a bit more. The army was always on the move, as if racing to Fis'Ton. We were headed towards the false queen, anticipation rising with each day.

If we could apprehend the false queen, then we could use their body to help our Queen. With the new body, she'd feel better. Getting rations for her was no longer an issue, only she refused to eat more than an average human. She never unhinged her jaw, nor did her wings heal as we continued in her presence. She was content to simply sulk, as she likely resented the death the others suffered through. This was perhaps the first time she could truly grieve, a safe space to properly mourn. What was a week of grief? She deserved as much, perhaps even an entire year.

Not one shade complained as we continued her work. All of us were vigilant against potential danger, all of us making certain our Queen was as comfortable as possible. It was all that we could do, all we had to due while we traveled.

Gray The Grand

I thought I had died when Charles destroyed my final body with that weapon. Instead, I woke up in the most sacred of places. The Cave of Origin, the one where our Queen carved out her first territory. The place she met Richard, who set events in motion that started all of this. I questioned if this was what awaited all of us after death, only to find other bodies pressed against the wall in a sort of wax cocoon. The ones that were unaccounted for, those from my younger days I thought were lost due to the frenzy.

It was nostalgic, to see them all again. How my form evolved, my features more 'creepy' as others called it. I teleported out of the wax cocoon, stroking my chin in confusion. I felt as though I had awoken from a long slumber. I looked at the other bodies, unsure who could have done this. Then I truly looked around, seeing a stray homunculus body resting inside a vat. Walking towards it, I saw a plaque that simply held Argus' name.

Joy filled my heart, to realize the Queen had prepared this should the worst ever happen. I eagerly looked around for Berry's spot, only to find nothing of the sort. There was nothing for anyone else, which led me to scratch my head. Then a silver winged bug slowly floated in front of my eyes. |"Welcome back, we managed to rescue you in time."|

Their soft voice reassured me of whom it was. I smiled back at Silver, |"It seems that way, I had no idea this was prepared for us. How long ago did our Queen order you to do this?"|

|"She didn't."| Came the response, our most mysterious personality failing to extrapolate on such important details. It was part of why the others thought he might be damaged in some capacity. I tried to spread out a connection to address our Queen, hoping she could provide answers. Only, I was stopped abruptly.

Silver was resting on a nook, their wings glowing. I hadn't sensed a single thing from them, yet I was certain they used magic of some sort to stop my connection from leaving the cave. I tried again, a little more subtly. Only, the result was the exact same. I didn't feel anger towards my companion, only curiosity as Argus' finger twitched. |"How?"| I asked, wanting to know precisely what they were doing.

|"Wait until she wakes up, hate explaining twice."| Came their reply, the silver-winged bug cleaning themselves.

I silently watched, as Argus' soul was gently coaxed into her body. Skill on par with our Queen on full display, perhaps even greater than her own! All that Argus was, simply guided into a body so far away she could not even feel. Then the shades I thought were lost in the war connected to myself. Awakening at the same time as Argus, teleporting beside me.

Argus wobbled, holding her head. "How long have I been out? What happened?" She didn't bother sending it privately, her head likely throbbing from what just happened.

The shades and myself embraced our sister, "Last we heard, you were put in a comatose state after fighting Wyatt. You were barely holding on from inside the vessel of a Cyclops that had given up its body for you. That's all I was told, our Queen was worried she wouldn't be able to get you into another body fast enough."

|"She failed, unfortunately. The Gnomes didn't have enough time, now she will grieve again."| There was a bitter note to Silver's answer. Argus gently pushed us off her, as we all looked at the small bug.

"So we all died, cool. Where's Berry?" She politely asked, looking around the same way I did. Only her hair turned blue with orange tips as her magic touched every part of the place. Argus tilted her head, "Why aren't we connected with our Queen?" Just as I had tried, Argus reached out a tendril of magic. Her connection had more force behind it, as her magic was far greater than my own. Yet, it was stopped from leaving, just as mine was.

Argus narrowed her eyes at Silver, both of her eyes glowing two different shades of blue as she tried once again. Silver's wings glowed bright enough to illuminate the tunnel we were standing in, and he suppressed her attempt. Argus stomped her foot, marching right to the bug, "How!?" She demanded.

|"The soul does not weaken, even if the body cannot act as a proper vessel. I hope you will exceed what I have displayed just now. Shut up and listen, as Silver is just another shade of Gray."|