Chapter Text
He ran, the pink shapes trying to catch up to him. Vaulting over a fallen log, his "cape" tore, and he scrambled up the nearest tree, far out of their reach, to try and catch his breath. He braved a glance down, and saw them staring back up at them, waiting for their prey to come down. He had no clue how it started, this pink corruption, and he didn't want to become one of them. He dared to climb higher, to see how bad the corruption was and his heart sank.
The forest in front of him was turning pink, as far as he could see, and he could smell smoke, and when he turned back, he covered his mouth, his "ears" flattening back as he realized what was burning. "Mama..papa.." he whispered, before a loud crack alerted him to his immediate danger. The pink shapes were trying to knock the tree down.
They threw themselves against the tree, and he could hear it cracking and splintering under their forceful strikes. It wasn't long before the tree, and the shape was knocked down, and he tried to escape again, but they grabbed him, and he could feel it, the corruption spreading. Before his eye he saw himself grow corrupted, his color changing from a soft grey to a brilliant pink...
a few years later
"The Treeangle of Life in Paradise," he mused aloud to his new friend, a shape that didn't run in fear when he approached them. "It could be the cure for the Corruption." His friend mulled over that for a moment, "Or it could spread it, and corrupt you even further," she pointed out, her single eye focused on him. His ears flattened back for a moment, then perked back up again. "It's too stupid of a risk not to take, Cuda!" he responded, and she sighed. "Go ahead, man, I'm not stopping you," she said, and held up her hands when he tried to hug her. "Ey! No touch remember? You're still Corrupted," she said and he lowered his arms. "Right, sorry."
...
"Cuda? Cuda? CUDA?!"
He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he was frozen. He watched as they, the Untouched, as they called themselves, banished Cuda to the volcano, just because she was seen with him. He couldn't hide anymore, he had to fight back, the Corruption inside of him wanted out. He saw the Treeangle, and decided to put his plan into motion..