Luna: Yo.

Garry: What do you mean "Yo"!?

Ib: Yeah what happened to the last story?

Luna: So there were...some difficulties. Actually, there were very critical mistakes, they had to be fixed.

Ib: And that's why you took the original story down?

Garry: Then put the some-what-different one up?

Luna: Yup.

Ib: Well, it's taken you long enough!

Luna: So with out further adieu–

Garry: Let's get this started! Again!

Chapter 1: Reoccurring Dreams

I'm surrounded…by clouds. But, they're not regular clouds.

These clouds look as if they came straight out of a child's coloring book. They're eerie against the black background. They make my stomach churn.

But despite that, my body turns and I start to walk somewhere. A patch of blue appears in the distance. It's still a ways away, but I can see that it's scribbled crayon attempting to be water. I don't focus on that, though.

My attention is fixed on the person in front of the makeshift water. I don't know why but I feel desperate to reach this person. I keep walking faster, and faster, until I eventually break out into a run.

I get close enough to realize something. A detail that seems important, and it's the only one that I manage to make out. The purple hair...It's him again. But, who is "him?" My heart aches and there's a rising urgency. Every ounce of me is in anguish, but why? Why can't I see his face? Why is his figure always blurred?! Why does it hurts so much? Warm uneven streams trail down my face.

"Why can't I remember your name!?" I try to run faster, but my ever-heavier body only slows me down.

I'm slightly caught off guard by the man's soothing, but melancholic voice saying, "Don't worry, you don't need to remember." In a futile attempt, I reach out for him.

But...I'm too late.

Thorny vines grab a hold of him and pull him under the water. "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE! GA-"

"-!" I shoot up gasping for air. My muscles ache, my throat is dry, and my eyes sting as if I had stayed up all night crying.

A long sigh lets loose.

...That dream again...My chest weighs a ton and my heart is hammering under my shaking hand. I clench it into a fist over my chest and plop back down onto my pillow. I feel like there's something important missing... Closing my eyes, I turn onto my side and start curling into a ball. My heart rate starts returning to normal.

There are a few moments for me to rest, but my eyes fling open, startled by the knocking at my door.

"Ib? Are you up yet?"

I sit up quickly, "Yes, Mother."

The door opens to reveal my mother in an elegant blouse with a satin scarf around the collar. Her tight skirt stops above her knees, as is typical of her dress wear.

"You-" She suddenly cuts off. She looks as if she's about to make her way into my room, but instead stands there, looking at the ground with curiosity, her hand still resting on the door knob.

"What's this?" She bends down, her tight bun unmoving and pearl earrings shimmering.

Grabbing something she says, "A petal?"

A petal?…From my rose on the desk?

"Oh, Ib, look at this! It's such a brilliant shade of blue!" She sounds mesmerized. But I have to wonder, what is a blue petal doing in my room when I only have a single red rose?

"A blue petal..."

"Yes, a blue petal, a passionate indigo color," my mom walks over to me and opens her hand. "I think it's a rose petal...Ib, you have another one in your hair."

"...Huh? Where?"

I start to rummage through my long, brown hair trying to feel a soft petal.

"Stop!" I freeze.

"Jeez, you'll only end up damaging the petal and your hair like that." She reaches for the top of my head, and, just for a moment, there's a flicker.

A ragged coat enveloping someone else's hand is reaching for me. Then, it's my mom's hand pulling away. Weird. It must have been my imagination.

"I really am going crazy."

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing." I notice the blue in her hand then and whisper a small, "Wow."

It really is a beautiful indigo...but why does it make me feel so lonely?

"Ib? Are you alright?" Worry pasted itself clearly in between the wrinkles across her forehead.

"Its nothing, I'm fine, really." I guess my feelings showed through a bit. I need to be careful.

"Are you sure? Your eyes are all red and puffy." The smallest smile forms on my face to hide the nervousness as she comes in closer and stares intently.

"That was just...I got something in my eyes when I woke up, is all." I look down to my lap. Her hand forcefully grabs my chin and turns my head so she can look into each eye.

"Hmmmmmm...," she gets even closer so that I can smell her subtle, mature perfume. I look away while feeling sweat start to formulate on my hair line. It's uncomfortable being stared at...

"Alright, I believe you." Phew. She releases my chin, which I then rub, and backs away. "BUT," she says as she raises a delicate finger, "you need to hurry up and get ready!"

Right, I almost forgot. We're going to the exhibit today!

"I hope you're as excited about it as I am! You've been talking about it, so I assume you're looking forward to it." With a twinkle in her eyes she continues, "And the new renovations along with the newly recovered art will make it a whole new adventure!" She even spreads her arms out as she says it, too.

She's a bit too enthusiastic, but I have to admit I am pretty excited.

"I am really looking forward to it. There's that specific painting I told you about that I wanted to find. Although, I still can't remember the title…or the painting itself...However, I guess I was still young when we first went there."

"Yes, you were still just a tiny thing, but you haven't grown much so you're still my adorable baby girl. But, mommy will leave you here if you're not ready by the time we're supposed to leave~"

"Mother..." I can feel a bit of heat on my face.

She places the blue petals next to the rose on my desk,"You know I'm just pulling your leg, dear," she starts towards the door, "I wouldn't leave you behind..."

There silence for a moment and a solemn look on Mother's face, and there's a small pang in my chest.

"But," she continues anyways, forcing a smile on her face, "you can think about the painting while you're getting ready-we'll be leaving soon!" She closes the door behind her, while I listen to the fainting clack of her heals.

Once I don't hear them anymore, I get out of bed and go to my desk. "These petals..."

They remind me of the person in my dream for some reason...Maybe I'll take them with me. I don't think I've ever seen a blue as pretty as this, but I don't think there are any blue roses. Might as well ask around and see if anyone knows. With that decided, I turn around to start getting ready for the day.

Luna: For any who read this story before, there should be some obvious differences. Non-the-less I hope you look forward to the next chapter.

Garry: It was still a good start, I think.

Ib: I suppose, it's a start.

Garry: It seems shorter than I remember it.

Ib: Really?

Luna: In any case, I hope you guys like it! Tell me what you think, leave a comment, or even favorite it! Any feedback is greatly appreciated. (Still very much a novice)