Most people used to associate horror with darkness, sinister-looking places, dilapidated old houses, graveyards, or other places associated with death, etc. It was also reasonable to assume that the most prejudiced normies would undoubtedly apply the same reasoning when referring to Nevermore, given the Gothic construction of the building and its student population made up of what many human cultures had labeled as monsters.
But despite that, Nevermore was most of the time not so different from any other school. Yes, it had its more peculiar traditions and some subjects in the curriculum that would raise eyebrows among people who didn't depend on hemoglobin in their diet or undergo monthly transformations due to the lunar cycle.
But it was a school after all, with teenagers just being teenagers, no matter what species they belonged to.
And on that day, it was a school bathed in the rays of the sun on a clear, bright morning, with cool breezes carrying the scent of flowers in full spring frenzy. An ideal day, colorful and bright. The kind of day that would give the average Addams family member hives. But for Saint-Clair, an obnoxiously sunny day like this was just a good excuse for a trip to the lake (partly because the best way to improve Willa's mood on a day like this was the promise of trying to drown Pugsley).
A beautiful day, in short.
And despite that, despite the familiarity of Nevermore (not her Nevermore, but a Nevermore nonetheless) and the beauty of the day, all her feline instincts were on high alert, screaming at her that somehow, something was very wrong.
And she was pretty sure it had everything to do with the equally obnoxious guide who had attached herself to them without asking.
When she regained control of her senses after the Jump and the nausea subsided, the first thing Enid Saint-Clair did was to ascertain where she was and who she was with.
Her companion was Needler. Saint-Clair was a little sad that she wasn't with her Willa, but Needler was good company and was surely already hatching good ideas to deal with this Morningstar guy. As for the location, they were on one of the outer edges of Nevermore, adjacent to the entrance to the greenhouse. Normally, it was a relatively secluded and empty place outside of class hours, which would have allowed for some discretion upon their arrival. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
“OMG! Who are you guys?!”
There was a girl there, and Saint-Clair was pretty sure she hadn't been there a few seconds ago. As if she had appeared out of nowhere. But she couldn't figure out how she had done it.
It felt as if she had always been there, waiting for them.
All of Saint-Clair's senses went on high alert. At first glance, there seemed to be nothing unusual about the girl, except perhaps for a couple of peculiarities, such as her platinum blonde hair adorned with multicolored streaks, her heterochromia (one eye blue and the other red), and her Nevermore uniform, which was an unexpected pink color instead of the usual dark purple... but there was something about the girl that made her hair stand on end. Her smile seemed sincere, but there was something artificial about it, as if it were constructed and rehearsed. Her eyes sparkled brightly, but... it was as if they were reflecting light from a non-existent spotlight.
There was no sign of danger, not even the slightest trace of teeth or claws or anything similar, and yet from the first second her gaze fell on the girl, Saint-Clair couldn't help but perceive her as something to be avoided. If she had allowed herself to be dominated purely by her instincts, as she had when she was a teenager, she would have either run away or try to disembowel the stranger.
Out of the corner of her eye, the werecat could see Needler tensing up as well. The Addams didn't have the same animal senses as her, but she was still an Addams, and specifically a Wednesday, which meant she could undoubtedly see or perceive even more than Saint-Clair if she wanted to.
While both of them were still debating internally how to proceed, the stranger focused her attention on Needler.
“Oooh, you look a lot like Nessie,” she said, her voice resonating with a sweet and strangely intoxicating tone. Hearing her speak was relaxing, but in a way that felt unreal, as if something was entering you and making you feel safe against your will. Like an unwanted drug.
“Nessie?” Needler muttered, barely suppressing the nervous tic that was about to form in one of her eyelids.
“Yes, Nessie!” said the girl. “Well, her name is Wednesday, but I call her Nessie because it's much prettier. She's one of my best friends in the whole world! Are you related? And you!” she continued, with almost manic hyperactivity, this time fixing her gaze on Saint-Clair. “You look just like Nini, but with different hair and waaaaay older!”
“I'm going to assume that Nini is an Enid,” muttered Saint-Clair.
“Do you know her too?” asked the girl, excitedly. “Oh! Are you related too? Because if you are, then I'm related to you too!”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, I haven't introduced myself!” she laughed, tapping herself gently on the head. “Silly me! Silly me! I'm Nini's cousin, M̵͔̪͒̑̾̾͗̀a̸̳͖̪͆̀̃r̵̝̺̫̔̕ỳ̶̱̣͖͇̰ͅ ̶̝̣̀S̴͙͓̙̑́͜͝ų̷̝̜̳͑̌̈́͜ę̷̡͎̟̾̀͛̔͘ ̴̪̏̃̋̕ Sinclair!”
“Enid's cousin?” asked Saint-Clair.
“Not one that we know of, anyway,” said Needler, before turning her attention to the girl, "You see, we're here because... well, it's a strange, long, and complicated story, but it's imperative that we speak with Wednesday…”
“Nessie!” Mary Sue interrupted. Her smile never faltered or seemed forced, but the aura of danger around her seemed to spike for a second, and Saint-Clair could have sworn that the teenager's eyes had flashed gold.
“...that we speak with Nessie,” Needler continued, with a slightly more cautious tone in her voice, “She is potentially in significant danger, and we are here to provide assistance.”
“No!” exclaimed Mary Sue, covering her mouth with her hands in an expression of dismayed horror. “My Nessie is in danger!? That can't be! Follow me, follow me!”
And she ran off. For a split second, both of them could have sworn that the girl had left a rainbow trail behind her as she ran, but it was undoubtedly an optical illusion. Mary Sue stopped when she reached the school entrance and turned back toward them. Under the pillars of the door, shrouded in shadows, her eyes seemed to glow with an unearthly light that was nothing like any of them had ever seen in the eyes of werewolves.
Or in any other creature they knew, for that matter.
Mary Sue smiled at them, her teeth unnaturally perfect, “Are you going to follow me, slowpokes?”
Needler and Saint-Clair exchanged a brief glance before nodding, beginning to walk behind their new guide.
The interior of Nevermore and the quad were unusually lively. Perhaps it was between classes or a weekend; they had no way of knowing. But the place was flooded with students and a few teachers going about their business.
On the way to Ophelia Hall, while their guide continued rambling on about how “Nessie,” “Nini,” and she had an unbreakable bond and how they had faced all kinds of challenges and adventures, Saint-Clair devoted herself to observe her surroundings. She noticed that the students who were furthest away from them seemed to be either slightly disoriented or surreptitiously keeping their attention on Mary Sue, with a certain air of apprehension and uncertainty.
But as soon as they entered the girl's orbit, it was all smiles and friendliness. Too many smiles and too much friendliness. The three of them could barely move forward without being interrupted by students stopping them to say hello to Mary Sue, or to shower her with compliments, or to thank her for... well, basically for existing. It was as if, upon reaching a certain distance from the girl, something compelled them to gravitate toward her as if she were the center of their respective universes. At least, that was the impression the students gave by the way they looked at her.
So you noticed too, said a familiar voice echoing in her head.
Needler? thought Saint-Clair, glancing quickly at the Addams scientist beside her, who nodded almost imperceptibly.
Telepathy, I don't use it often. I find it easier to read minds than to project my thoughts into others to establish communication, she explained, but I think it's wise that you and I can talk discreetly without our effusive guide noticing.
Sounds reasonable. There's something damn περίεργο about all this, thought the werecat.
Of course. I suspect that we are dealing with a case of a universe infected by a parasitic metanarrative entity.
…the fuck?
This universe we've ended up in shows signs of being part of a cluster of metanarrative realities.
Needler, you're losing me, explain it to me as if I were stupid.
The scientist let out a faint sigh that was drowned out by Mary Sue's incessant chatter (who was apparently explaining that she was not only Enid's cousin but also Wednesday's distant cousin and a secret Addams, and that she was actually half werewolf and half vampire, and something about prophecies that...).
You know we've been able to determine that the universes of Friday and Shark obey different degrees of what we might call... cartoon logic, right?
Yes, yes... we don't perceive them as such, but technically their realities, and by extension they themselves, are like living cartoons, replied Saint-Clair.
Well, I believe, and I dare to say, that this universe we find ourselves in obeys an internal logic based on a metanarrative that has its roots in fanaticism.
Saint-Clair frowned, digesting those words.
Wait a minute... Are you telling me that this universe is... a fucking fanfic?
Most likely.
Holy shit, Needler, this is really fucked up, lamented Saint-Clair, And a bit of a headache.
Not only that, it's a universe infected by a parasitic entity that hijacks the laws of narrative for its own benefit: our new “friend” Mary Sue.
I've been noticing something strange about her since we got here, thought Saint-Clair, As if she were a constant danger, but there doesn't seem to be anything overtly dangerous about her...
Don't follow that line of thinking and keep your guard up, interrupted Needler, I believe our extra-dimensional origin has shielded us from her influence, but I fear that this immunity is temporary and that our prolonged presence in this reality could compromise us.
Well, we're screwed... What's the plan?
The basics are the same. Follow Morningstar's orders, even though it irritates me to be involved in this against my will and separated from my family.
Okay, find Nessie... shit, the local Wednesday, and protect her from those Normalcy Nine agents... thought Saint-Clair, Hey, are we sure this Mary Sue has nothing to do with them?
Do you think the term “normal” can be applied to this entity? asked Needler.
Yeah, that was a dumb question. Forget it.
Once our mission is accomplished, it is imperative that we leave as soon as our dimensional devices are working again, Needler insisted, We must minimize our presence in this place and avoid unnecessary interactions. I'm afraid that our act to save this world will be merely a temporary measure while this entity remains present. They feed on the energy generated by the cognitive and emotional abilities of those around them until they consume everything.
Find the local Wednesday, protect her so that her world isn't wiped out of existence, and get the hell out of there. Understood, thought Saint-Clair, going over the plan again in her head. She was nervous. If the situation was as Needler described, it was going to be easier said than done.
I insist, it's important, Needler repeated, We must prioritize discretion and avoid at all costs letting this Mary Sue follow our trail. A creature like that surely has the means to jump from one reality to another...
“We're here!” Mary Sue exclaimed. The sudden increase in the volume of her voice interrupted the mental dialogue between the two visitors. Needler and Saint-Clair recognized the entrance to Ophelia Hall and the old tower where they knew Wednesday and Enid's room was located. It seemed that in that universe, that constant remained unchanged.
“Nessie and Nini are almost always in their room when they don't have classes,‘’ explained Mary Sue. ”They don't go out much; they know I like to know where I can find them at any time!"
And that's not terrifying or anything, thought Saint-Clair.
Shhh!
Mary Sue looked at them, her smile ever present. She tilted her head in a dog-like gesture of curiosity and leaned forward, bringing her face close to theirs. Once again, they could appreciate the perfection and exquisite beauty of her features, although they were also very normal features that could not be described in any extraordinary way, but that was precisely what made them the most beautiful on...
Saint-Clair frowned slightly. She felt as if she were about to get a migraine.
Mary Sue's attention instantly focused on her, looking at her with interest and a twinkle in her eyes.
“Hmm, you both look very serious,” she said.
“It's just that... well...” stammered Saint-Clair, “Our mission is very important, you know?”
“Mmm, mmm, yes,” said Mary Sue, nodding, “But missions and adventures should always be faced with a smile. That way they're more fun. And I like to see people smile!”
She looked back at Saint-Clair, this time with something almost predatory in her sweet, perfect two-colored gaze.
“Would you smile for me, p̵̩̲̟̹̲̾͑̍́ l̸̛̫͆̆̆͝ e̵̲͙̪̲͘ à̵̪̣̝͒ s̵̭͔̣͋̅̐ ĕ̶̘̔̿̀?” she asked, in the most adorable (bloodcurdling) voice Saint-Clair had ever heard.
And much to her horror, Enid Saint-Clair felt the muscles around her mouth twitch against her will, moving into a smile.
Mary Sue had asked her to, and she couldn't say no.
NOTES
Oh, shit. Oh no.
Well, I wanted this to be a little bit horror-themed. I hope it turned out okay.
A translation!
περίεργο: (greek) odd, strange, bizarre.
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