Robed figures with hidden faces stand over
seven young women, tied up. The robed figures chant phrases both arcane
and profane. The leader among these dark cultists clears
his wicked throat and says, “Be not afraid, girls. You are here for something wonderful. To beget seven perfect children for the Scarlet
King…” How did we get here, and more importantly,
what happened afterward? In the near-constant darkness that follows
the grim but necessary work of the SCP Foundation, there is one bright light that can always
be counted on to keep hope alive, to bring a little sunshine into everyone's days: SCP-999,
the Tickle Monster. The sweet, simple creature does nothing but
provide an endless source of joy, hugging, playing, and delighting in loving everything
around it. But what if I told you that this slimy little
friend has hidden depths? A tragic history that seems impossible to
reconcile with the happy, playful being we all know and love? How could 999, the happiest SCP ever, have
a sad backstory? Well, it's one of the best-kept secrets at
the Foundation. Before we get to that, let's talk about a
Foundation researcher and her brand new job - a new job that would make her privy to some
highly classified Foundation secrets. Dr. Izzy Collingwood was delighted to wake
up to a call informing her that she had been appointed to one of the most coveted positions
at the SCP Foundation. After applying, crossing her fingers, and
hoping for the best, she had been promoted to Head Researcher for SCP-999. What could be better than attending to the
kindest, gentlest, cutest anomaly in Foundation custody? Gone were the days of coming into work and
wondering if she'd leave in one piece. No more cleaning up toxic spills, fighting
to contain killer creatures, or fetching cups of coffee for old doctors that wouldn't give
her so much as a "thank you." Years of hard work had paid off. Now, she could rest on her laurels and do
work that she truly enjoyed. There was just the matter
of some simple paperwork, and she would be ready to begin this extremely welcome new chapter of her professional life. When she walked into her office to get started
on the paperwork, something unusual caught her eye. There was a small stack of files on her desk,
with a sticky note attached to the front. There were just two words written on the note,
to indicate what might await her inside the folders: "The Truth." She scoffed at first. "Very funny, guys!" She called out the door. But no one responded, no one came forward
to take credit for the elaborate joke. Maybe they were playing the long game, or
maybe... she couldn't be sure. She sat down, flipping the first folder open. It was untitled, unlabeled, just plain text
on a page. She almost closed it after a brief scan, but
the words "The Scarlet King" jumped out at her. She had worked at the Foundation long enough
to hear that name more than a few times, often spoken in hushed tones, as if merely speaking
his name would bring about some kind of disaster. As she dug deeper into the file, she realized
just what she was looking at: the proposed origins of the Scarlet King himself. It was a folkloric explanation, one her scientific
mind struggled to wrap around, but she had seen so many strange things over the years,
things that defied all rational explanation. Perhaps there was some truth to be found in
the myths. The Scarlet King had, according to the file,
once been an elder god born from the earliest days of existence, in the shadows of the Tree
of Knowledge. He had devoured his brothers and sisters,
growing stronger with each one he consumed. As his strength increased, so too did his
overwhelming pain and hate, his deep desire to destroy the Tree of Knowledge and all living
creatures. He declared himself the king of darkness,
and, through a series of horrific events, took seven unwilling brides and bound them
to him with magical seals. Each bride bore supernatural children, powerful,
terrible, and monstrous. The first bride, A'tivik, had only a few children. Those few were skilled strategists, exceptionally
wise in the ways of war. The second bride was A'ghor, overcome with
constant despair and desolation. Her children conquered with massive, unthinking
armies, never sated and never quelled. The third bride, A'distat, hated her sisters
and all she surveyed. The fourth bride, A'zieb, took the shape of
a great beast. Her children followed in her stead, and were
invulnerable, their thick hides impenetrable by physical or magical means. The fifth bride was A'nuht, blessed with a
strong mind and cursed with a fragile body. Her children were gifted in the ways of magic,
and incredibly destructive. The sixth bride, A'tellif, would not speak. She kept to herself, and, like her, her children
moved in silence, disguising themselves as whatever they wished. The seventh bride, however, was different. A'habbat was her name, the smallest of the
seven, with an unbroken spirit. She birthed mighty heroes that she trained
in secret, in hopes that one day they would overcome her family's darkness, and topple
the King from his throne. All the while, the Scarlet King wages his
unholy war against all things, waiting for the day he can arrive in our realm and unleash
absolute destruction. Dr. Collingwood shuddered as she finished
reading, an undeniable chill passing over her. This definitely wasn't some kind of prank
or hazing ritual. This was something dark. Something real. She held secrets in her hands, and she couldn't
stop reading them now. She opened the next folder. It was a description of a cult, monitored
and raided by the SCP Foundation, called "the Children of the Scarlet King," also known
as Group MENDES. During a sixteen-month investigation of the
anomalous religious group, the Foundation's undercover operatives were able to ascertain
a great deal of pertinent information on the group. What they found was troubling, and of great
concern. The group had ties to several wealthy benefactors,
as well as links to extremist paranormal groups. Their set of beliefs was relatively simple
and disturbing: they worshipped the Scarlet King, and were devoted to supporting him in
his battle to destroy the Earth and all life as we know it. The faithful who followed him in this task
would be rewarded handsomely with positions of power in the new, hellish world. An initial estimate put the cult's membership
at approximately eight thousand members, a quarter of whom belonged to the group's primary
branch in Alabama. The reporting on the cult was detailed, far
too dense, and heavily researched to be fake. Again, she had the distinct feeling that someone
was trying to tip her off about something the Foundation hadn't wanted to be widespread
knowledge. With shaky hands, she picked up the final
file. What awaited her inside? There was only one way to find out. She flipped it open, and began to read. It was a file on an entity known as SCP-231,
specifically SCP-231-7. An addendum was attached to the beginning
of the file, reading: "All personnel assigned to SCP-231-7 must rotate out for one month
of psychological counseling after two months on-site. SCP-231-7 is to be kept at an undisclosed
location. All personnel assigned to SCP-231 will be
transported there blindfolded from Site-19 by a route including no fewer than seven different
forms of transportation, including but not limited to aircraft, automobile, underground
tunnel, and several we cannot discuss here. Removal of the blindfold during the transport
process is grounds for immediate termination. Personnel assigned to SCP-231-7 must undergo
heavy psychological testing before being cleared to enter the site. Individuals must score at least 72 points on the Milgram Obedience
Examination, be unmarried, have no offspring, and express nothing less
than total loyalty to the Foundation. Normal psychological screening procedures
against Axis II disorders are waived, so long as the Class-D personnel in question has the
mental capacity to carry out Procedure 110-Montauk as needed. Personnel who express sympathy towards SCP-231-7's
plight and/or express a desire to rescue or sympathize towards SCP-231-7 will be transferred
to another project without delay. Any actual rescue attempts will be met with
immediate termination. Personnel who have served on the staff of
SCP-231-7's Containment Team are not required to divulge that information to others. No official record shall be kept of the names
of any staff assigned to SCP-231-7, nor will said service appear in the personnel files
of said staff. While on-site, individuals assigned to SCP-231-7
will be issued concealing helmets with integrated voice changers to protect their identity. On-site staff are not to remove said uniforms
in the presence of other staff members. Off-duty hours are to be spent in private
quarters alone. Six Class D Personnel are to be assigned to
SCP-231-7 each month for the purposes of carrying out Procedure 110-Montauk. Violent criminals are not to be used for this
purpose due to the possibility of accidental fatality during the 110-Montauk process." Dr. Collingwood swallowed the lump of dread
in her throat, her palms beginning to sweat. SCP-231-7 was a young woman, retrieved during
a police raid on a warehouse owned by the Children of the Scarlet King. She was one of seven women found there, the
first of which went into labor 24 hours after being rescued. She did not give birth to an ordinary child,
however. She gave birth to a monster that took the
lives of dozens of civilians. She did not survive the birth. The second woman was lost shortly after, also
succumbing to the dangers of the creature waiting to be born from her womb. One by one, the survivors, the women chosen
by this cult to become the new brides of the Scarlet King, fell. Soon enough, there was only one left. SCP-231-7, kept contained at a Foundation
Site in a hospital bed that she could never leave. Dr. Collingwood's stomach churned as horrible
images flooded her mind. The notes from attending researchers in SCP-231's
file insisted they were doing all they could to save the woman, to free her from her fate,
but that there was little they could do. Each birth opened a gateway from this world
to another, to a world of darkness and despair, and they could not allow the final seal to
be broken. Simply putting the woman out of her misery
would cause the effect to jump to a new host, a new bride. There was nothing to be done. The file fell from Dr. Collingwood's hand
as she pushed herself to her feet, running out into the hallway. "Who put these on my desk?" She shouted, her voice echoing in the empty
hall. "Well? What do you want from me?" But no answer came. Slowly, she returned to her office and sank
down into her chair, haunted by what she had read. She had seen horrific things in her time at
the Foundation, but nothing that had shaken her to her core quite like this. The silence in Dr. Collingwood's office was
broken by the sound of a tinny beep, coming from her computer. She turned on the screen, and saw the source
of the alert: One New Message, from O5 Command. What could they possibly have to say to her? Could it have something to do with the files
that had wound up on her desk? She accepted the message, quickly completed
the mandatory multimodal biometric ID scan, and began to read. "Hello, Doctor Collingwood, and congratulations
on your new appointment as SCP-999's head researcher, one of the cushiest and most enviable
assignments in the entire Foundation. SCP-999 is one of the few anomalies in our
custody who will not only never attempt to harm you but will actively try to save your
life if you’re ever in any danger. Though your initial reaction when receiving
this assignment was no doubt elation, you may have thought it was odd that such a seemingly
low-risk position was assigned by the O5 council directly. If you had already heard rumors of this prior
to your assignment, you probably thought it was mere nepotism; the O5s protecting their
friends and loved ones by giving them the safest job possible." Dr. Collingwood sat back in her chair, laughing
to herself and shaking her head. She would never admit it, but she absolutely
had heard those rumors, even believed them until it had happened to her. "Unless you are so narcissistic to think that
someone on the O5 council must be your secret admirer, you’ve likely realized that this
is not the case. To understand why this is our concern, you
need to know about 999’s origins. You may have noticed that its file makes no
mention of where it was discovered. This is a deliberate omission. If you’re not familiar with the mythology
of the Scarlet King, I suggest you read up on him. There’s plenty of unclassified information
on him in the Foundation database. All that’s relevant for now is that he is
- to the best of our knowledge - the most powerful malevolent entity in the Multiverse." Her stomach dropped at the mention of The
Scarlet King. She was right, this was all connected somehow. She leaned forward, eyes darting across the
words with increasing intensity as she read on. "You've been with us since you were a research
assistant, Dr. Collingwood. In that time, I assume you've heard many rumors
about some of the horrific things we do here at the Foundation that you've never personally
witnessed. I regret to inform you that these rumors are
true. Or at least, they were. A thaumaturgical cult calling itself the Children
of the Scarlet King enacted a ritual wherein seven young girls became effigies for each
of the Scarlet King’s seven brides, allowing them to bear his horrid offspring. How they obtained the knowledge to perform
this ritual is unclear since all we ever recovered were handwritten notebooks. Superficial resemblances to some Sarkic practices
has led some to speculate that the Children of the Scarlet King may have some ties to
modern Sarkic cults. It's an interesting idea, but no concrete
evidence has ever been found to link the two. Investigation into the matter is ongoing. As for the ritual itself, each birth caused
more destruction than the last. The writings of the cult’s priest predicted
nothing less than the Apocalypse if the Seventh Bride gave birth, which could only be prevented
if Procedure 110-Montauk was performed without fail each and every day. To our seemingly great fortune, the notebook
contained detailed instructions on how 110-Montauk was to be carried out. Needless to say, we found this suspiciously
convenient. Why would they devise a countermeasure to
prevent the very apocalypse they were trying to invoke? We needed more information regarding these
entities. Fortunately, our archaeologists have unearthed
numerous tablets, scrolls, and artifacts of the ancient Daevas. They were a sadistic and warmongering people
who were granted unholy power and knowledge by the Scarlet King as a reward for the death
and suffering they caused. One of the Daevite tablets in our possession,
found covered in dust and blood, was a theogony for the Scarlet King and his Brides. It was quite informative. The information that we found most relevant
to our situation was that the Seventh Bride was not like her sisters. She was never completely broken by her King’s
subjugation. Instead of monsters, she gave birth to great
heroes in the hopes that they would destroy her sisters’ children and overthrow their
father. Thus far, all have failed, but by a vote of
7 in favor, 6 against - admittedly more out of concern for Procedure 110-Montauk's lack
of viability as a long-term containment strategy than out of empathy for the girl - the O5
council decided to believe that the Seventh Bride still remained unbroken and that her
child would be an asset to us. At the risk of causing an XK-Class End of
the World Scenario, SCP-231-7 was relieved from Procedure 110-Montauk following the deaths
of SCP-231-1 through -6, and was allowed to give birth. SCP-999 was the result." Dr. Collingwood gasped, her hand flying to
her mouth. A Research Assistant walking by her office
paused, looking at her curiously through the window. She waved them off with a forced smile, and
turned back to the screen. Surely she couldn't have read that correctly? But, no, there it was, plain as can be: "Go ahead and read that again. Be sure you understand it in all its preposterous
ridiculousness; The Tickle Monster is the child of the Scarlet King. We’ve been running a counterintelligence
campaign ever since, which is why everyone and their mother thinks we’ve still got
a girl strapped to a rack in a bunker somewhere. Let them think that. Far better for everyone that the Children
of the Scarlet King believe that they’re playing us for fools than for them to know
that there is a threat to their King. The girl herself is fine, by the way. She was cured of the trauma from her ordeal
by SCP-999, at which point it was decided she could be returned to her family so long
as they were all given class F amnestics, implanted with new identities, and relocated
to a town at least 1000 km away from the Children of the Scarlet King's nearest known activity. On the insistence of the Ethics Committee,
the family was also given a seven-figure payout as compensation for our repeated…misdeeds
against their daughter, as were the families of the other SCP-231s. I suppose it was technically malpractice on
our part. In case we have any moles for the Children
of the Scarlet King in the Foundation, as far as anyone else knows 231-7's family were
killed in front of her as part of 110-Montauk. I’m sure you’re skeptical. Are we insane? How could our sweet little tickle monster
ever hope to dethrone a Lovecraftian Horror of unparalleled might? Well, SCP-999 is less than a decade old. It’s still just a child, and nowhere near
its full strength. Even so, its power is incredible. Even brief interaction with
SCP-999 can permanently cure severe depression and PTSD, and more recent experiments have resulted in the complete
reformation of D-class personnel who were previously unrepentant sociopaths. This effect is not chemical, but psychic,
and one day it may grow powerful enough that not even the Scarlet King himself will be
immune. The experiment with SCP-682 was most remarkable. Based on multiple Daevite texts, including descriptions from SCP-140
itself, we are reasonably certain that 682 is the offspring of the Fourth
Scarlet Bride. If this is true, then SCP-999 is already strong
enough to temporarily quell the malevolence of its own eldritch siblings. One day 999 could very well be strong enough
to permanently reform its family members just as it reforms human beings. It will not overthrow the Scarlet King by
force, but with light and love and laughter that can brighten the blackest of hearts. 999 is not, in reality, a safe class SCP. It is Thaumiel. It is the best and really the only weapon
we have against some of the most powerful hostile entities known to exist. By all means, doctor, enjoy the relative safety
of your new position, but do keep in mind that SCP-999 is not a mere pet that we fancy. It is one of our most valuable assets and
must be safeguarded at all costs. Its safety and well-being are paramount, and
you are not at liberty to share this information to anyone without level 5/999 security clearance. As per protocol, unauthorized disclosure of
level 5 classified information will result in your termination. This e-mail will automatically delete as soon
as you leave the terminal, so feel free to reread it as many times as necessary to remember
all of the pertinent information. Take good care of our little tickle monster. The fate of the Multiverse may well depend
on it. - Your secret admirer (if anyone asks), O5-1." Dr. Collingwood let out a long, slow breath
as her mind did its best to process everything she just read. The message looked official, and, when she
really thought about it...this all made a twisted kind of sense. What could SCP-999 possibly be, if not some
sort of mythic hero of divine prophecy? What other explanation could there be for
something so utterly, perfectly good? Maybe one day that happy orange slime would
save them all, and do it with a smile. But for now, it was just a little, innocent
child. No need to burden it with talk of heroism,
of epic battles between good and evil. For now, she would just pour SCP-999 a heaping
bowl of M&Ms, give it a gentle pat, and say "thank you." The tickle monster gurgled excitedly in response,
nuzzling his new head researcher's hand. He didn't understand what she was thanking
him for, but he appreciated it all the same. Now go check out “SCP-999 Tickle Monster
VS. the Most Evil SCPs” and “What Does SCP-999
Do All Day? (Hour by Hour)” for more knowledge about
the most adorable anomaly of all!
