Reviews:

CraziedCreator- Thanks so much Kat! For you to say that I wrote your OC well means a great deal to me. Don't worry, the other alters will make their appearances soon. But how soon? You'll soon find out...

Guest- Thanks! Well, the last update definitely took a while, and I can say updates will surely be more frequent than that. I'll keep them coming as soon as I can!

E- Er... okay...

Well, that looks like about all for now! You may notice that I've spaced out this chapter differently, as I've noticed that my stories were kind of walls of text. So enjoy that!

Chapter 5- Muffled Scream

Black walked down the narrow corridor of the insane asylum in which he was currently imprisoned. He was heading to the art room, where Xlesa had asked him to come to "model" for her. She had felt bad that he would otherwise have to spend his time wasting away in his cell, so she invited him to come to the art room with her. Black was extremely grateful for the opportunity, since anything was better than sitting in his room in a straitjacket, desperately waiting for the call to dinner. Xlesa wanted N to come as well, but security wanted increased surveillance on him for some reason, so Black had to come alone.

He approached the door marked "Art Studio" and slowly pushed open the door. It looked...well, pretty much how Black had pictured it to be in his head. There were several easels lined up along the walls, and art supplies neatly organized in containers around the room, but like most rooms, the walls were padded and white. Xlesa was standing at one easel with a paintbrush in hand, furiously working on her artwork. Her brushstrokes were rapid and short, and Black was amazed by the apparent precision with which she painted. He waited for a pause in her actions before he made his presence known to avoid disturbing her and possibly causing a mistake- or worse, causing Athena to appear again to drill him with questions.

"Umm, hey Xlesa," Black ventured when the downpour of brushstrokes had let up. Xlesa whirled around to face him and smiled.

"Oh, hey Black! Glad you're here! Tell me, how does this look to you?" She stepped out of the way, and on the easel Black saw a beautiful portrait of a woman. She was standing in front of a skyscraper, with a moonlit sky in the background and her hair blowing in the wind. Her facial features somehow reminded Black of a Noctowl.

"Wow Xlesa," Black gaped, seriously impressed. "This... This is amazing!"

"Thanks," Xlesa beamed. Black noticed her smile was rather bright. It was probably because she smiled so often. "It's actually a portrait of Athena. This is what she looked like."

"Really? Wow... Y'know, somehow I can kinda see that as her, even though I've never seen her before...if that makes any sense."

"I think I get what you mean," Xlesa laughed. "So listen, now that you're here, how about we get started?"

"Okay," Black agreed. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, to start, how about a picture of you? I can draw you however you'd like."

"Hmm, how about...a picture of me holding a Poké Ball out in front of me, like I'm about to begin a battle?"

"Alright, sounds good! Now, all you have to do is stand here as if you had that Poké Ball in your hand, and I'll sketch out your figure." Black stood next to Xlesa's easel and stood in his confident battle pose, his face set in a determined stare. However, he felt a lot less confident without a Poké Ball actually in his hand, for his Pokémon were taken away from him when he entered the mental institution. It really pained him to not have his Pokémon with him, especially his Pignite. He tried his best not to let it show.

"Ready," Black said. Xlesa nodded and with a pencil in hand, began to lightly sketch a basic outline of Black's body on the canvas before her. She then moved to some more detailed features, but not yet the most intricate ones, which she would leave for her paintbrush.

Black was beginning to tire from holding the pose for so long. "Umm, Xlesa," he ventured, taking care not to move from his pose. "Can I get a break?"

"Just another minute, okay? I'm nearly done with this part..." Black managed to stay still for a bit longer, his arm burning from keeping it raised. Xlesa thankfully soon finished what she was doing. "Okay, you're good!" Black immediately relaxed his arm, letting it flop down to his side, and instantly felt relief.

"So, can I see it?" Black asked eagerly.

"Sure!" Xlesa stepped away from the easel and let Black gaze upon what she had just drawn. Black marveled at the drawing in front of him, an incredibly accurate sketch of the pose he was holding only but a minute ago. He was speechless; it resembled him perfectly.

"Oh my God... That's... That's really me!"

"Sure is!" Xlesa giggled. "But if you think it's good now, wait until you see it in full color. C'mon, I'll show you how I do it!"

"Okay... But wait, how much time do we have in here anyway?"

"Umm, let's see... Aww, we don't have enough time left today... Don't worry though, there's always tomorrow. We can go in the morning free period as well as the afternoon one. You weren't awake this morning, so you probably didn't know we have time in the morning too."

"Yeah, I didn't know that," Black admitted. "That's good though, it's less time we have to spend in our rooms."

A worker at the facility came in through the door. "All right, time's up!" He announced. "Everyone back to their rooms!"

"We'll, I'll see you tomorrow then!" Xlesa bid him goodbye and exited the room. Black took a few more seconds to take in Xlesa's artwork, then left for his room as well.

Despite having tried her hardest to endure the mind-numbing television on front of her, White found herself once again to be succumbing to the seductive pull of sleep. Unable to fight it any longer, her eyes slowly fluttered shut and her consciousness gradually ebbed away. Her slumber was sweet and undisturbed, at least until Darcia returned a few hours later, not only furious that White had fallen asleep again, but just now noticing that she had changed into her own clothes instead of the pajamas.

"Wait a minute," Darcia pondered. "She couldn't have moved... Unless she did it before, and I didn't notice! That bitch! Oh, I'll show her this time! If last time wasn't enough for her, maybe this will get her never to want to sleep again!" She once again placed her hand over White's forehead, and concentrated her thoughts.

White opened her eyes and saw vaguely familiar surroundings: fields of green grass, patches of multicolored flowers, scattered trees; yes, she definitely remembered this place. It came to her just like the Ponyta hoof to the stomach she had felt here- she was back in Ponytaland. White sprang to her feet at this realization, for she remembered exactly what had occurred last time she was whisked away here. Granted, her limbs were somehow still attached to her body, but she wanted no part of any torture to be had in this place. On her guard, she cautiously explored the expanse of meadow that lay ahead. In the distance she could make out a few Ponyta grazing, so she made sure to stay away from that area.

She made her way to a small pond in the middle of a clearing. The water was rather murky and seemed strangely out of place for such an otherwise immaculate area. White eyed it suspiciously, trying to make out what it could mean in a place like this, and more importantly, what it could do to her if everything suddenly ceased being bright and sunny again.

Then she heard it again, the low, strident cry that tore at her eardrums without warning or mercy. Her hands flew to her ears again, but she tried to keep her eyes open, so she could see what was taking place. However, she saw nothing change, not the pond, not the trees, not the sky... When the noise finally ceased, White turned around to find four Ponyta with their eyes sockets hollowed out practically staring her down, even without eyes. White wasn't going to let them maim her again.

She whirled around and sprinted to the other side of the pond, but found that the trees had somehow gotten closer together, completely walling her escape route. She desperately scanned her surroundings for anywhere for her to make her escape, but was rewarded with nothing. As the demon Ponyta posse grew closer, White realized what her only option was. She took a deep breath, got off to a running start, and jumped into the pond. She instantly felt a wave of cold wash over her entire body, and her clothes now clung to her skin. Though the dark, dirty water disgusted her, she only intended to stay submerged for a little while, and then resurface in the hopes that everything would be back to normal. Not a great plan, but it was all she had.

But then White saw a faint glow emanating from the bottom of the pond. Curiosity getting the better of her, she swam toward the light, to find that where the muddy bottom should've been, there was another surface of water. Hoping for a way out of the madness, she swam up to it and reached an arm through. She felt warm air in contrast to the freezing water she was in. White pulled herself up through the water and stuck her head above the surface. About ten feet in front of her was a glass wall, and upon looking around, she discovered there was glass enclosing her in on all sides. She could not make out clearly what was behind the glass, but throughout the translucent screens she saw a great deal of purple and abstract shapes.

"Wha... What is this place..." White mumbled. Suddenly out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw something coming into the water from outside the wall to her right. She decided to swim toward that wall to search for an opening. She began to feel an odd tingling sensation throughout her body, but dismissed it as nothing. As she neared the wall, her eyes grew wide as she distinguished what had just entered the water. It was an amorphous purple blob, but its arm-like protrusions and small, round eyes meant only one thing: a Grimer. White let out a gasp at the sight of not one, but another Grimer entering the water from outside the glass.

She continued to swim toward the opening, feeling the tingling sensation grow stronger, almost to the point of pain. A third Grimer followed the second, and White quickened her pace. It was then when she noticed something odd about her arms as she brought them above the water for each stroke. Her skin was very red and tender, almost as if... White gulped as she came to a realization. "As if it were being boiled off! The Grimer must be adding acid to the water!" She swam frantically now, hoping the opening in the glass wall would be large enough for her to go through. The tingling sensation became painful, sapping away her strength and willpower, but she continued on.

Several more Grimer entered the pond, slightly changing the color of the water. The pain was excruciating now, and White desperately held on to her last shreds of determination. She at least reached the wall, and her heart sank. The opening wasn't nearly big enough! She looked at her arms again and screamed. The skin was almost completely removed, her muscle tissue visible underneath. White could only watch in horror as the acid tore right through her muscle and everything else on her arm, leaving nothing but bone. She felt the muscles in her legs weakening as well, and she soon was unable to keep herself afloat. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHHGLLLGHGLHGLHggggllllghhhh..." She sank to the bottom, screaming until the water flooding in her muffled the sound. The pain never stopped.

Black returned to his room to find N slumped up against the wall, asleep. He felt bad for the man, regarded as a threat to those around him, when really he just had different viewpoints than other people. He was harmless and a really nice guy; it was a shame everyone didn't see it that way. Black recalled the day when he had first seen him, preaching to the crowds in Accumula Town. N had seemed insane to him then too, for his message was such a foreign concept. And yet, having not only met the man, but shared an insane asylum room with him, Black now felt completely different about him. He wondered if there were any other people out there like N and Xlesa whom he had labeled as "insane" without giving them a chance. None came to mind, so he didn't dwell on it for too long. But still... A sudden noise startled Black from his thoughts; he looked over to find that N had rolled over in his sleep, flopped on the floor, and stirred himself awake.

"Hey there, Sleeping Beauty," Black teased. N opened his eyes slowly, a bit upset by the sudden end to his nap.

"Hey..." N mumbled, obviously very drowsy. "What time is it?"

"How the hell should I know?" Black replied lightheartedly. "You're the one with your whole system of finding out."

"Right...this is what I get for getting stuck with a new guy around here."

"Oh, because you'd totally rather be with the serial killer across the hall?"

"Well at least he knows what time it is," N pointed out.

"Then why don't you go across the hall and ask him?"

"Err... I think I'll pass on that offer, but thanks anyway."

"Damn right..." Black sat down next to N, who sat himself up against the wall. "Anyway, I just came back from the art room with Xlesa if that's of any help."

"Well why didn't you just say so? Let's see, that would have to make now about... A little after four o'clock, maybe? So only two hours until dinner."

"Oh, that's good." As if on cue, Black's stomach growled. "I'm still starving, since I never had breakfast..."

"Well, let's get your mind off food then, shall we? How'd it go with Xlesa?"

"Really well actually, she's incredibly talented. She showed me a painting of Athena and then did a sketch of me. I did get a bit sore holding a pose for so long though," Black admitted, stretching his slightly sore arm.

"Ah, so you've done some modeling for her already. Nothing too provocative, I hope?" N raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Provocative?" Black repeated, bewilderment in his voice. "You can't be serious! She wouldn't... Right?"

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of yourself...heheh... Oh, you poor innocent soul."

"He's definitely not serious," Black thought. "Xlesa's about as young as I am. He's just messing with me...or is he?" The conflicting thoughts battled in Black's mind for the rest of the day, and he knew when he saw Xlesa at dinner, he wouldn't be able to look at her quite the same way...

White woke up staring at the ceiling, and she instantly remembered what this had meant for her last time. But something was different this time.

"I'm not sweating," White noticed. "Last time I was sweating as I woke up, but not this time. I wonder why..." She was hesitant to look down at herself in fear of what she would see, but she simply had to know. And what she saw wasn't what frightened her. It was what she didn't see- her skin. White was terrified to find that all that was left of her was a pile of bones blanched pure white from the acid. "Ahh...Aaahhh...AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHGH!" White just couldn't take it anymore, and she blacked out. Darcia stepped out of the shadows from the other side of the room and giggled.

"Well, at least you know why you weren't sweating."

Black and N once again met Xlesa in the crowded cafeteria for dinner. On everyone's plates were pieces of half-stale and cold pizza. The pizza was certainly more appetizing than the ambiguous piles of goop that were also being served. Black seriously started to doubt this place's adherence to a health code of any kind. None of the servers were wearing hairnets, and he even thought he saw one of them with their finger up their nose. He shuddered at the mere thought of it; the monstrous appetite he had before was all but vanished now.

"Hey Black, I thought you said you were hungry," N spoke up, concerned. "You're hardly eating. Something wrong?"

"Nah, I just... I dunno, I guess I just lost my appetite," Black replied quietly.

"We'll you've gotta eat something," Xlesa urged, equally concerned. "You don't wanna starve here, do you?"

"C'mon, it's cold pizza night!" N joked, trying to cheer him up. He took a huge bite out of one of his slices, and then spoke with his mouth full. "Mmmm, delicious!" Black couldn't help but laugh. N swallowed, then continued. "Seriously, if this stuff wasn't stale, I'd actually be perfectly content eating it every day. It's pretty good!" He took another bite and dramatically rubbed his stomach. "Ahh, hits the spot." Black decided it was okay to keep eating, seeing as N and Xlesa had no problem with it.

"Anyway," Xlesa started, "I've got some good news. I managed to convince security to let both of you come with me to the art room tomorrow! So now no one has to be alone."

"That's great!" N cheered, but something about the way they had spoken had Black upset and thinking.

"Is this really all we have to look forward to every day? Small victories like going to the art room, or only half-disgusting food instead of completely disgusting food? I mean look at those two, they're two intelligent, kind, and creative human beings, and yet their sense of accomplishment has been reduced to shreds in here. Especially Xlesa, having been here for years. This just isn't fair for them." Black decided enough was enough.

"N, Xlesa..." He ventured. "Is this really good enough for you? I mean, N, you have such profound ideals, and Xlesa, you have such awe-inspiring creativity. You're incredible people and you deserve better than this."

"But what are we supposed to do about it, Black?" N asked, a bit downcast at hearing this.

Suddenly Black realized that it wasn't his own well-being that was so important. It was everyone else's. It was N's, and Xlesa's, and most of all, White's. God only knew what she was going through right now. At that moment, more than any other, Black knew exactly what he wanted to do.

"We have to get out."