So, I came up with this idea when I was reading a description of the opening for Aveyond. The idea was too funny to ignore. I haven't played the game in a while, so I don't remember whether Talia turned into the butterfly, or used the butterfly to bring Rhen to the dreamworld. Oh well.

Also, I couldn't resist taking liberties with Agas' line. I had to do it.


"Run and tell that, Priestess." The heavily armored man shouted.

"So dumb…." Talia muttered. "but… I am not! Dead! Yet!"

He didn't believe her, despite the fact that she was still breathing. He made no move to injure her, because she was so obviously dead. After all, she was just talking to a holographic butterfly.

"All…. Is… not… lost..." Talia said, in between gasps of air.

She was using the last of her strength to transfer her spirit into the soulless little insect. This… This would ensure her survival, and the salvation of the whole world.

With what seemed like her final breath, she whispered: "Find the girl…"

"~~~"

It was a regular day in Clearwater. The day before the festival. Rhen should have been helping her mother, but she had her methods of avoidance. Picking flowers was lame.

Flowers died when picked. It wasn't immediately noticeable, but it would become apparent in a couple of days.

For Rhen, it just wasn't immediate enough. Flowers were no fun to kill.

She kept moving through the meadow. How plain.

Then, she saw it.

A spectacular butterfly, of plain shape but fabulous coloring. It seemed almost iridescent, cycling through every color imaginable. Red, orange, blue, yellow, pink…. Whatever colors were in the rainbow, Rhen couldn't remember. And she didn't care at the moment, all she could see was that butterfly, resting on a flower. It almost seemed as if the butterfly was looking at her, pleading with her.

"Surely this is a gift from god!" Rhen thought. Surely…

Rhen crept closer to the creature, hoping that her footsteps would not disturb its rest. She reached out a hand, and surprisingly, the butterfly climbed right into her palm.

She slowly brought it up to eye-level, delighting in the beauty of it, the flashing colors.

Somehow, the butterfly looked even more expectant than before, as if it were about to do something that would alter the fate of the world.

But Rhen did not take note of this, instead, she slowly closed her fingers around the creature, crushing its wings and shattering its fragile exoskeleton. She delighted in the creature's brief attempt to escape, and the feeling of the hemolymph squishing into her hand.

"So wonderful." Rhen thought.

She opened her hand, seeing the butterfly's crushed remains, an antenna still twitching and a leg still trying to cling to life. She wiped it on her dress. That was fun.

Next time, she thought, she'd try puppies.


Also, hemolymph is an insect's analogue to blood.

I've never actually smashed a butterfly before, so I'm unsure whether I've portrayed it faithfully or not.