What Was Lost:
Ch. 02: Morning Memories
The sun broke over the horizon of the mountains, engulfing the cloudless sky. Fresh radiant light engulfed the darkness of the night and drove it away. A new period began in the future, and it began in the small single home of Blaze the Cat. She stretched as the radiant sun rays bled through and swayed her sleeping form to awaken. As she awoke, she blinked twice before wiping the drowsiness from her amber eyes. She yawned once more as she did every morning. It was her own greeting to her spirit, vaporizing any other presences inside that would threaten to throw her back into the depths of Dreamland. Today was a new day, a special day, something for the history books. All the purple Burmese knew and hoped for as her eyes glistened. This early in the morning, she'd never felt so energetic. She knew why, though. Thinking about it would probably get her in trouble; but she couldn't hide it. It was all to the point where telling the whole world was mandatory. Then again, would they listen?
A gentle push came from her left side. With a few white strands poking from under the sheets, she knew exactly who it was. She nudged the giant clump buried under the sheets. It nudged her away and groaned immediately after, burying deeper.
"A few more minutes…" the voice groaned.
Oh, Silver, she thought. He wasn't going to get up. Nope. Silver was usually the last to wake up. It was funny, though, since he was almost always late to say his farewells when she had to guard the Sol Emeralds. He always took the time to extend a parting goodbye for that time. It was a morning ritual for the psychic hedgehog – one that he screwed up often. Oh, well. She took no time to attempt to wake him up. More than likely, he didn't want to participate in what she had in store today.
With an inexhaustible supply of energy already brimming inside her, she hopped out of bed. As she got her wardrobe and towel, she took a quick scan of the area before her. Several cracked picture frames sat casually on the shelves by a crooked lamp shade. Obviously, she couldn't quite shake the fight between Silver and Frost. It left an impact, a powerful impact. One she knew wouldn't go away for some time. Though there wasn't much in the way of hoping. Acting was all that could be done in the purging process. And speaking of that, it was time to act. With her wardrobe in hand, she headed into the bathroom and shut the door. Shower water proceeded to run.
"So I have one question for you."
"What's that?"
"What is the most important thing in your entire life?"
"Blaze."
"Hmph. I don't believe you."
"Wait! Hold on a minute. Damn it, wait a minute! What do you mean you don't believe me?"
This conversation was deafening. Frost felt it in her dreams. She wanted to wake up, but the clicking of heels and the bloodcurdling screams echoing across the vast white space kept her mind wandering. She tried to run. She started to chase after the silhouette of Silver. As she ran, the silhouette appeared to shrink in size as the voices got louder. The shadow disappeared as a speck in the vast emptiness while she was left alone. Each chuckle was an infection that got worse with each passing second. The dark mocking laughter kept on getting louder. Even as she covered her ears in an attempt to cancel the perverse laughter out, it seemed to remain stationary. The volumes of the voices dispersed momentarily, then came back around in a sonic boom to knock her to her knees. All she wanted was the voices to stop. She begged for silence. Just then, she got it as she heard Blaze's voice speak in a mysterious, feral, almost alien-like tone of voice. "Let go… Let go…"
In an instant, she cancelled out the dream and shot upwards, still in the bed. Sweat crawled down her forehead. She put a hand to her head to see if she felt warm. Nope. Just the sweat making her feel hot. She wasn't running a fever, was she? Those thoughts were strange, indeed. They meant nothing, though. Just a meddlesome nothing that would prove insignificant to the new life she was about to embrace. There was nothing worse than being distracted, and Frost had no right to be led astray by her thoughts during a time of self-realization. She managed to catch her breath and gulp some saliva down before crawling out of bed.
She stretched and took a few seconds to get her muscles moving. She did no more than a few knee bends and calve stretches. It was only natural to get brisk before facing the day. Looking around the room, she saw how small it was. She liked it. Just like her and Blaze's old home, it was compact. Not too big for a party, but small enough for a few people. Frost preferred smaller settings as opposed to ever-expanding places. Palaces, cathedrals, hotels, and other such places were too much to go around and it made her dizzy. Rooms that were suitable for two to three people, or even just one – that was her minimum and most recommended – pleased her. The small size was lovely, it was easy to find things, and she never felt bothered or afraid that someone would jump out from a far away space, causing her to jump out of her fur. She never felt beguiled with small accompaniments; although she'd never spend a day on that island again. Far too small and much too dangerous.
There was something she couldn't shake, though. All night, it was bothering her. It seemed to creep in her mind and boggle her subconscious being. She had to let all negative thoughts go. She had suffered too long. One more day of suffering and she'd probably go back on her promise on killing herself. Now the smell of lavender tickled her nose. She loved that smell. It brought back fond memories of their mom. Every other day she reeked of lavender perfume or some potpourri she bathed herself in every morning. It was enthralling to capture the scent of their long-lost mother. If only she knew where they went… Turning her head, she saw steam push into the room. Blaze must have been taking a shower. Speaking of that, she needed a shower herself. She still smelled of ocean and seaweed. At least she knew where that hypnotic smell came from, though.
As she waited, she decided to take a trip down memory lane. Since Silver was still sleep, he wouldn't mind her taking a peek at their pictures. Of course he wouldn't. She started at the bottom. Frost took a clear frame. An older picture of Silver when he was slightly younger met her eyes. It was in perfect condition. Nothing special about this picture enthralled her to keep her interested in holding the frame for more than a few seconds. She then moved to one of three cracked frames on the middle shelf. The farthest one to the left was a sickening picture of Silver and Blaze holding hands and smiling together. They looked like they were in a park somewhere. Disgusting. She gave a low groan before putting the picture back.
The farthest right one was the most damaged, though. It was another solo snapshot. It was of Frost. She couldn't make out much, but she appeared to be young. Frost slid the photograph from its cracked display screen to get a closer look. This was one for the record books. She would definitely take note of the black frame. If the day came where she want to preserve her memories (the good ones, mind you), because that would be the only time in her life she'd ever get to operate a camera, a black frame would be nice to use. A nice, beautiful oval frame for herself. This was another older picture. She was young, just like Silver. Very young, in fact. Her clothes were still white. She was smiling, too. A hearty smile. She remembered those days. She remembered when she bore some semblance of humanity before it was viciously torn away. Her laughter was whole. Her expressions were full of life. She smiled almost every day. Not anymore. Now, she could barely get herself to crack a smile. It was like she had forgotten what it meant to be happy, let alone have the ability to crack a smile altogether. What she became wasn't at all what she wanted to become. She slid the picture of herself behind its cracked glass and slid it behind the center most picture in an attempt to blot it out. Unlucky for her, they had no plans to leave her alone.
Frost felt herself choke up a bit. Her heart rate increased before even picking it up. As she scanned the other smaller pictures, this one stood out. It scared her, though. As pretty as it was, it was a reminder, a painful reminder of times she carelessly threw away. It hurt to even look at it, but it was still there. Her hand was mere inches away from touching it. The golden frame that encompassed this picture so flawlessly; she felt it would burn her. She didn't want to pick it up, let alone touch it or look at it. The latter was done. Then again, she was the one who decided to do it. God help her. Her hand struggled to reach for the picture, but she couldn't do it without shaking like she was about to have a panic attack. The task was far too great. She lamented again with her head down and her hands at her sides.
A groan raged from the sheets again. Silver awoke at the very smell of lavender floating sweetly in the morning atmosphere. He slowly rose up from his pillow and proceeded to wipe his face. He looked over and saw Frost by the shelf. He was too tired to wonder, or even assume, anything suspicious from the black cat, so he left her be for now. Once he was fully awake, he'd be more inclined to speak with her. For now, he just wanted to start his morning routine. Realizing how late it was, he crawled out of bed and stumbled to his feet. He scratched his chest like a rugged Hollywood star as he yawned. "Morning, Frost…"
"Silver?" she started. "Uh…good morning."
Now he was more awake, thus meaning he actually cared to use his brain now. "I see you found the pictures."
Was that a bad sign? Since Silver recognized her, she was nervous about what he'd do. She still felt the burns after their fight. Not to mention, she knew what it was like. Just waking up after such a relaxing and evoking sleep was numbing. She wasn't a morning person, and Silver wasn't either. Without that, though, Silver didn't really have many positive things to say about her in the first place. "Yes, I did."
"They're nice, huh?"
"Yeah, they are. Real nice. They bring back some…nice memories."
Silver scratched his hair and yawned again. Inside, he was still deceptively cautious around Frost. He still remembered their first encounter after nearly ten years. Such elaborate pain. He officially had a major hatred of anything freezing cold after that. Good thing Blaze was there to help that day. She was so unpredictable. She was such a wild card of emotions that he was afraid to get near her, fearing she might lash out at him in anger. He feared she was still angry at him. She was known to hold grudges; and she did not take them well.
The bathroom door then cracked open. Blaze walked out dripping wet. A towel with Frost's face on it was wrapped around her waist. She flung her undone ponytail around like a rock star and laughed as she got both of the two before her wet. "Sorry."
"All right. My turn," Silver said as he proceeded to the bathroom only to be stopped by Blaze. "Huh?"
"Sorry, Silver. You'll have to wait. It's Frost's turn. I'm guaranteed she needs a shower. After all that, she'll need a nice, long shower to rid herself of that stink. Right, Silver?" she said playfully.
Frost instantly agreed. Though she didn't know why Blaze was in such a good mood today, she just followed along and quickly got undressed on her way to the bathroom. She passed a befuddled Silver. He mumbled to himself about Blaze's decision. Frost wasn't complaining. She got to rid this horrible musk from her fur now. Frost entered the bathroom as Blaze closed the door behind her.
"What was that for?"
"Don't you think that she deserves to have a nice warm shower first? She's been through a lot, right? It's only fair."
"But I always got in the shower after you. Why suddenly change the order?" he offered a rebuttal.
"Because Frost is living with us now. Honestly, Silver, if you don't like that idea, then you can leave. You know, become a nomad. I won't mind. As long as I have my sister and I know you're okay by yourself, it won't bother me."
As Blaze dried herself off and made herself presentable with fresh new clothes and her ponytail pointing to the sky, Silver couldn't believe that Frost was going to be staying with them now. She couldn't have been serious. All that tingled from his brain spouted 'bad idea!' Just the thought of sharing his space with an emotional rollercoaster like Frost was too much to wrap around. He'd go insane in less than a week.
Blaze proceeded to go and get dressed. She strapped on a red bra first before going to the closet and padding through the long bouquet of clothes she could wear. Luckily, she was stuck with the same wardrobe. She took one of the tens of cape-like shirts and flung it on. Then, she grabbed a pair of tight trousers from her stack in the corner and slid those on. She pulled on them a little to make sure they were secure. As usual, they were. Blaze went for her fuzzy socks and gloves first before setting up her ponytail. She put them on one at a time starting with her gloves first. She always did her socks second. It was just natural for her. The red band was next. Moving to the drawer, she opened it, dug around the stack of clothes and felt something soft and flexible. She pulled it from the drawer and started to fashion her ponytail up. Lastly were her heels. She simply left them by the closet next to Silver's boots. After sliding them on, she was ready to face the day now. All the while she was getting prepared, Silver was speaking.
"Blaze, I don't get it."
"Don't get what, Silver?"
"Why is Frost so petrified of everything? Still. Really, it's been over ten years. Don't you think she should have gotten over her childhood trauma and at least attempted to make herself open to the world around her?"
Blaze opted to side with him this time around if not for one crucial point that would rattle his argument to the core. "Silver, if you were there—"
"If I was there? What do you mean if I was there? You weren't there, either."
"I never insinuated that I was because I know I wasn't; but I do believe what she says. I believe that she was a victim of those horrible people. I believe that she never had a chance to be shown love. I believe that she needed more care and attention. There are layers upon layers of Frost's personal life that go beyond the superficial. What she says means something, Silver. There's a story behind it, a real story that Frost wants to disregard. I commend her for it. You should, too."
"But you didn't answer my question. Don't you think that—"
"I know, I know," she interrupted. "Yes, I agree, but it's more than just time. It's the myth, Silver. You know about the myth. I do. Frost does. She can't ever live a normal life because of it. She's trying to purge herself of those inner demons. It's about that darned myth. With it constantly spreading, a normal life is practically alien to her. Do you understand, Silver? It's not something to take for granted. You may have forgotten, but she hasn't."
Damn! He hated when Blaze was right all the time. He always had something to prove and when he did, she always proved him wrong with either brute strength or factual information. Admittedly, she had a point. Never again did he want to recall the Black Cat Myth. It brought back too many bad memories of the times he saw Frost run for her life. It was sickening that a group of people could do that to one of their own. Like lions, they chased away their own and like tigers, they fed on their own. Only cruel, heartless animals without souls would dare to feast on one of their own and not feel the least bit remorseful. In fact, the way they carried on just about every day was an indication of how much they lost the will to care. But wouldn't that have meant they just pushed the myth to the side to pay attention to more important matters? They probably wouldn't notice Frost in that way. "You're right, Blaze. I agree with you," he said with his eyes turned down, "but…I said this earlier. It's been ten years and the people would have to have let it be by now. They would have moved on to more important things. Chasing after a simple girl is a waste of time after ten years of unsuccessful attempts to rid everyone of this "plague.""
Blaze sighed. "You just don't understand. When I was walking that day one year ago, I heard the commotion. They all screamed the same thing: 'Akuma! Akuma!' In horrible unison, the discord of voices mocked her. Frost stayed hidden for years before that event. When she finally decided to take a chance, it was obvious they taste was still prevalent to the people."
"But why? I don't get—"
Just then, the bathroom door cracked open. Frost came out with a towel wrapped around her waist as her black body shone in the sun's rays. Blaze welcomed her back from the shower. She asked if she wanted some ne/w clothes. Frost nodded yes. Since her old clothes were smelly from all that happened, she had no choice but to accept the offer. She hoped Blaze's clothes would fit her. Though they may have been twin sisters, Frost was skinnier than she was. Her time away on that island took a toll on her body. Hopefully they didn't just slide from her as soon as she wore them.
Blaze handed Frost some of her clothes. She returned her thanks and turned back to the bathroom. No, she wasn't going to argue with Silver on this issue any longer. It wasn't worth the hatred from times past being resurrected to haunt them. Far too much to handle for one lifetime. As fast as the black cat disappeared with the wardrobe, she reappeared with them on. Blaze smiled and laughed a little. At that, Frost blushed. "What's got you all in a tizzy?"
"Oh, nothing, Frost," Blaze responded with a grin. She approached her newly clothed sister and hugged her. "You just fit those clothes so perfectly."
"Well, duh. We are twin sisters, aren't we?"
She couldn't believe she said it again. How many times did she count altogether? Twice? Thrice? It was lovely to hear Frost actually acknowledge her as her twin sister, not some dirty stain on her ever-so-perfect tapestry. "Yeah. Right," she chuckled, a little embarrassed by her accidental obliviousness. Then again, she'd never felt such happiness before. "So, sister, are you ready to go?"
"Yep. Though do you think that I could wear my old clothes when we get back?" Frost inquired. "I just don't think I'll get accompanied to wearing your clothes for too long."
"Of course. Silver!"
Silver was already in the bathroom. The shower was already running. Blaze opted to step out until his voice rang above the running water. "What is it, Blaze? I'm already in the shower!"
"No, of course. I can see that. Can you do me a huge favor?"
"Sure! What's that?"
"Could you please wash Frost's clothes while we're away? She says she wants to wear her old clothes when we get back. If you could do that for her, that'd be great."
In an instant, the shower water shut off. His voice broke through the closed door. He wasn't going to bother to go outside for a couple reasons. 1) Frost was out there; 2) He was soaking wet and rather indecent. He didn't want to end up a popsicle. "What was that? Say that again?" Actually even with the water running, his ears picked up what she said the first time. He just wanted to be perfectly sure he caught all of what she said because he swore he heard something he didn't want to.
"I asked if you could wash Frost's clothes while we're away. You don't mind, do you?"
"Yeah. You wouldn't want li'l ol' me walking around naked and cold, huh, Silver?" Frost smugly added.
She was still here? He thought they departed already. Just hearing Frost's voice was more horrifying than seeing her face. Knowing what she looked like was nothing when compared to imagining the nasty look on her face when she spoke behind closed doors. Such a terrible voice that sounded so counterproductive from Blaze's soft-spoken calm voice. Hers was trembling, dark, despondent, and petrifying. Even when she was happy – this was the closest the black cat could ever come to sounding happy – she barely sounded any different than when she was depressed and angry at the world. Either way, it shook him to the core. "N-no, Frost. Y-you don't d-deserve something like that," he responded in a shaky tone. "Sure. I'll wash them for you, Frost. Now you and Blaze go have a good time."
Blaze planned to. Even though she had to guard the Sol Emeralds sometime today, the time she had free was to be spent with her newly reformed sister. She couldn't help but titter at Frost. Not only did her outfit fit her, but it suited her perfectly. It was like she was looking at a mirror image of herself. It was so beautiful, really. Entrancing. Something told her today was going to be a fantastic day.
