Starline was returning to the woods to do her check ins with Marionette and possibly interact with Elara later on, since she felt she was socialized enough to start making her presence known to her mentor's inner circle Family. As she trekked her way to the old training grounds... she felt as if there was a shift in the winds, as if something wrong had transpired or was about to get much, much worse. Starline began to tread carefully, keeping her steps as silent as possible while she stepped closer and closer to the training grounds...
That's when she heard the scream. The visceral, bloodcurdling, viscous scream. Marionette was in pain. Her Mentor was in pain. That was not good in any way, shape, or form. She made a run for the training grounds to see what had caused her mentor such distress and ache... what appeared before her. Shook her to the very core. Marionette had mutated or had been mangled. Her use form melding with her security form, creating a haunting abomination, the exuded anger and violence but also ceaseless physical pain and agony. Starline stood in awe and terror, trying to figure out what to do in this situation. That's when Marionette spotted her. Starline saw her eyes... "Two Pupils..." an icy chill went up her spine... but she had no time to have any other emotional reactions as Marionette charged at her with violent intent, the once caring, soft, and sad eyes of her teacher were replace with searing anger and a need to kill. Starline dodged as fast as she fast as she could but Marionette was faster, grabbing the young puppeteer and throwing her into a nearby tree. The impact was brutal on Starline's back but she got up anyways; fighting the pain, she summoned up her strings and used them as restraints to bring Marionette down, hoping that if she was still in there she could see who she attacked and calm down.
"Miss Marionette! Teacher! Please, Hear me!"
Starline called out almost letting desperation seep into her tone but didn't as she crept closer to the beast that was her teacher. Marionette in their bound state, snarled and snapped at anything, the two eyes darting around to scope out threats or any that would stand in their way. Starline with out much thought just hugged Marionette's face since they were much larger now... That seemed to bring Marionette back if only for a brief moment...
"Starline... my child is that you? Oh by the strings did I-"
"It is okay Miss Marionette... You trained me well... I am going to be fine... I am more concerned about you..."
"Starline... It is not safe. I am not safe... My body is morphing into something that is wrong... my pieces made up of my decommissioned kin are going haywire... I am turning into the monsters they wish they hadn't been... It hurts.... too much... the anger I feel is too much.... the bloodlust is all consuming..."
"Is there anyway to reverse it? Please Miss Marionette, there has to be a way!!"
"Stix... she is the only variant.... who may help... the only one...who became "our true self"... She may have an answer"
"I have yet to traverse farther than-"
"You will just have to try Starline... I cannot help you... not like this..."
"Warn the family... while you can... I cannot fight any longer..."
"Miss Marionette.. No Wait-"
Starline wanted to argue but she knew she couldn't she just fled from the area immediately, clearing out as far as possible as Marionette let out another harrowing scream. Starline looked back in the direction she fled from, saddened but she steeled herself then just as Marionette taught her, sent out a telepathic message to all Marionette was close to:
"Salutations, It is I, Starline. Student of Marionette Moon... I regret to inform you all that Miss Marionette has been stricken with a horrible illness of sorts... morphing them into an unrecognizable figure, the illness has made her violent and unstable.... so if you see them do not approach... they will attack... Please tread carefully... the woods are no longer safe..."