Hey everybody! I feel like it's been forever since I've updated when in actuality, it's only been over a month. Currently, my organic chemistry and physics classes are kicking my butt. I'm barely pushing through and finals are really close. Hopefully, a miracle will appear and I'll pass with at least a C.
So enough about my terrible college life. I've already written three more chapters of this story. I just have to edit them and I'll post them after I finish my semester. I hope all of you are faring better than I am. Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving!
P.S I am fully aware that Mogeko said that Etihw is genderless, so they refer to Etihw as 'they', but they are predominately female so Etihw is going to be referred to as a 'she'. I know that they are some people that are really hung up on having Eti called 'they'. Just letting you know that I do know, but for the purpose of this story, Eti will have a definite gender.
Disclaimer: Mogeko/ Deep-Sea Prisoner own Gray Garden.
Arbil opened her eyes to slits to see her surroundings. She was still free-falling in the black void, the whistling of air and the fluttering of her tattered dress in her ears, the only sounds produced. It felt like she was falling forever into a bottomless pit. At this point, Arbil couldn't feel her body, no pain running through. She was barely hanging on to consciousness as she felt herself flickering in and out like a low flame.
Her faded eyes moved to the front as she saw a small light appear out of nowhere, the light getting brighter as she fell closer to it. She wondered to herself if she died a while ago without knowing and was now heading to the afterlife.
Arbil closed her eyes as she passed through the luminous gate. She felt nothing for a split second, then felt a shift in her environment. Before she could open her eyes again to see what changed, she crashed to the ground, rolling around a bit before stopping. She groaned loudly as pain once again for the umpteenth time coursed through her body. At least that meant she was still alive.
The hybrid struggled to open her eyes, only to close them swiftly when she was assaulted by a very intense light, nothing that she's ever seen before. She hissed loudly and used her injured angel wing as a shield to block out the light. With great difficulty, she curled into a ball, all the while groaning and moaning and cursing under her breath. With every passing second, she felt herself falling into unconsciousness. Arbil silently prayed that somebody will help her before passing out.
Yosafire happily skipped through the Beginning Forest as she made her way back to the Gray Village. The fire demon hummed a song to herself as she enjoyed her vibrant and colorful world. A group of birds flew above in the endless blue sky. Puffy clouds leisurely floated by, dotting the ground with shadows constantly on the move. Leaves and petals danced in the gentle breeze, the sound of the trees rustling adding to the music of nature. Flutterbys flew between flowers, not having a single care in the world and not caring if they get attacked by a random person earning experience points. Ever since the invasion of the Flame Underworld, Yosafire had a much greater appreciation for her home, nearly losing it forever.
As she thought about what she wanted to do with Froze today, she paused as she heard something falling from the sky and crashing to the ground. Yosafire turned to the direction the sound came from.
"Huh? What was that? It sounded like it came from the flower garden."
She stood there for a minute, deciding whether to check on it herself, or get Froze then come back. Yosafire didn't think twice about her choice.
"Let's check it out!"
With much vigor, the fire demon ran back to flower garden using the winding paths. She slowed her pace down as she saw a strange figure curled up on the ground. She was cautious at first, thinking it might be another intruder intended to harm her home, but upon closer inspection she changed her mind. The figure was badly damaged with gaping holes and dried blood all over the body. Dirt covered the body as well. Yosafire crouched down next to the person and gently moved the angel wing to see the person's face. Her face was really pale, probably from blood loss. Her chest rose and fell, her breathing quiet and irregular, indicating the stranger was still alive.
Yosafire's eyes widened in curiosity as she noticed the different wings on the person's back. She reached out to touch them, but immediately pulled back.
Yosafire shook her head. "No, no! Don't get distracted, Yosafire. This person needs help right now."
She pulled out her cell phone and called Froze.
"Yosaf?" a calm and expressionless voice asked.
"Hey Froooze," Yosafire drawled cheerfully. "Listen, can you come to the flower garden?"
"Why," Froze questioned suspiciously.
Yosafire glanced at the still person. "I think it would be better explained if you actually come here."
Froze was quiet for a few seconds, then she sighed. "All right. I'm on my way."
"Thanks, Froze!"
Yosafire hung up and watched the stranger intently as she waited for Froze, making sure she remained alive. Within a few minutes, the ice angel arrived.
"Yay, you're finally here," Yosafire greeted as she stood upright.
Froze simply nodded her head to her friend and glanced at the figure on the ground. She stopped mid-step as she observed the appearance of the stranger, mainly the wings.
"Yosafire, who is this?"
The fire demon shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I heard a noise in the garden and found her like this."
The ice angel narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Well, whoever she is, she's not from our world. She's probably another intruder coming to invade our world."
"I don't think so," Yosafire disagreed. "She came heavily injured and she doesn't look threatening at all."
"That's what she probably wants us to think. She will act harmless but as soon as our guards are down, she'll attack us."
"Even if that's true, we can't leave her like this. She's dying; that's why I called you."
"Yosafire, we don't know who she is," Froze persisted. "I've never seen anyone like her. She could be dangerous."
Yosafire clasped her hands together in a pleading manner. "Please! Pretty please with carrots on top!"
Froze wanted so badly to refuse her friend's request, but she couldn't resist those heart-shaped eyes.
"Fine, I'll heal her."
"Yay!" Yosafire threw her arms in the air. "Thank you, Froze!"
The ice angel blushed light pink. "Yeah, yeah." She placed her hands on the intruder's body and used her healing magic to close most of the wounds. "This is all I can do now. I can heal her more back in the village. We should also call Etihw and Kcalb to let them know that another otherworldly is here."
"Okay," Yosafire said as she helped Froze pick up the stranger, both of them supporting her on either side. "And don't worry Froze. I can tell that she's a really good person."
"I hope you're right."
Deep in the hybrid's subconscious, Arbil was floating in infinite black space lying face up, her eyes closed. A while ago, she felt her entire body was tense like a coiled spring, her face scrunched up in discomfort. The next thing she knew, a calming energy encased her body and she felt herself relaxing, her muscles uncoiling. Her pained scowl was replaced by a serene smile as she embraced the tranquil feeling. The pain wasn't completely gone, but she felt much better than she did since she left her world.
Arbil continued to rest easy for however long until she heard voices. They were incoherent, very faint voices but they penetrated her calm bubble. The hybrid wanted to stay under longer, but her brain was slowly regaining consciousness, so she obeyed it.
She moaned tiredly as she slowly lifted her eyelids. Her blurred vision saw a ceiling that was made out of brown wood. She was about to shift her eyes to the side until a brightly-smiled face popped up right in her face. If Arbil wasn't still exhausted, she would have sunk back on whatever she was lying on.
"Hey, you're finally awake!" the person above her stated excitedly.
Arbil blinked a few times to clear her vision. Her emerald eyes widened at the colorful person in front of her. The girl was a demon from her bat wings and heart tail, but what surprised Arbil was her color scheme and clothes. The demon girl had neck-length green apple hair, the underside pink. She had one horn, red and in a triangular shape on the left side of her head, a red beret on the other side. Low red-trimmed glasses framed her face. She wore a dark red sweater with a yellow crucifix necklace. Her wings and tail were also pink and green.
"Um… hello," Arbil greeted neutrally.
"Yosafire, don't stand over so close to her," another voice scolded her.
"Oh, sorry," the aforementioned demon apologized to Arbil and the other person, then stood up straight.
The hybrid twisted her head to the side to see the other occupant. She was astonished by the angel's design as well. She had blond hair and ice blue eyes. On top of her head was a gray hat with a domino piece on it. Under the two pigtails, domino earrings hung from her ears. She wore a small gray and white vest with six buttons on top. A large gray skirt covered her black leggings, a giant bow on the back of it with two large dominos at the ends. Knee-length white boots covered her feet.
"Um, if you don't mind my asking, where am I," Arbil asked quietly.
"You're in my house in the Gray Village," Yosafire exclaimed. "I found you passed out in the flower garden yesterday, and my friend Froze healed you."
At the mention of her name, Froze looked away bashfully. Arbil slowly sat up from the bed, her legs hanging over the edge and checked herself. The holes that pierced her body and wings were gone and all the blood was cleaned off. Even her dress was good as new, though still messed up from her battle. She still felt some pain, but it was miniscule.
Arbil dipped her head in gratitude to the angel. "Thank you for healing me."
Froze turned back and dipped her head. "You're welcome."
Arbil was a bit surprised by the angel's neutral tone. She felt guilty that she might be the cause of Froze's lack of expression, trespassing in her world.
Sensing her guilt, Yosafire turned to Arbil. "Don't worry about Froze. She's always like that. My other friends helped too, cleaning you up and repairing your dress.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yosafire. What's yours?"
"Arbil," the hybrid answered.
"That's a nice name," Yosafire complimented. "So, Arbil…"
All of a sudden, Yosafire launched into an array of questions. "What's your world like? What's its name? Are there more people like you over there? Can I touch your wings?"
Yosafire gently prodded and examined Arbil's wings without waiting for a response. The hybrid did nothing, shocked at the fire demon's forwardness.
"Uhh…"
"Yosafire!" Froze scolded again. "Don't touch her wings without permission."
Snapping out of her stupor, Arbil waved her hands in defense. "No, no, it's fine. I was just a bit startled. No one's ever taken such an interest to my wings before."
"Really?" asked Yosafire. "Why wouldn't they? They are amazing!"
Arbil was filled with warmth at the compliment of her mismatched wings. Besides Crimson, no one else said anything nice about them.
"Aren't you going to answer my other questions?"
Before Arbil could open her mouth, Froze spoke up. "Sorry, but those questions will have to wait. We have to take you to BlancBlack Castle to meet Etihw and Kcalb."
"Yeah, that's right. I almost forgot." Yosafire turned to Arbil. "We called them to let them know that you're here. They are the God and Devil of our world."
Arbil's wings twitched nervously. Images of her own God flashed through her eyes, especially of her last encounter with him. "Oh."
"Oh, don't worry," Yosafire quickly reassured. "They are very nice. Old man Kcalb may look intimidating, but he's nice too."
Arbil was still a bit uneasy but she nodded her head. "Okay."
"Are you able to stand?" Froze asked.
Arbil nodded her head as she slid off the bed and stood on her feet.
"All right, we're off!" Yosafire cheered.
The hybrid followed the demon and angel to the door. The two stepped out but Arbil hesitated at the entrance. She saw the intense white light that she saw when she first arrived here, and was afraid of being blinded again.
Yosafire stopped and turned to Arbil when she noticed she wasn't following. "What's wrong?"
"That white light. It almost blinded me when I saw it. I don't want to go out there."
The fire demon smiled. "It's just sunlight. You'll get used to it, trust me."
Arbil saw that it didn't harm Yosafire or Froze, so she put her trust in the demon's words, and stepped outside. The hybrid brought up her arm to shield her eyes from the light. Once she got accustomed to it, she brought down her arm and gaped at the wonderful scenery before her.
The environment was filled with colors that the hybrid only heard of but never saw. The sky was a bright blue with puffy white clouds dotting it. The grass was a vibrant green with flowers of even more shades of colors than she could tell growing everywhere. The cottages that housed the residences of the village were light brown and white, conveying a homey feeling. The warmth of the sunlight hit Arbil's body, almost at the point of burning but comfortable. The very atmosphere of the small town was brimming with liveliness and happiness. The world before Arbil shone like a newly polished jewel.
Yosafire faced Arbil and spread her arms out. "Welcome to the Gray Garden!" she exclaimed proudly.
Arbil grinned brightly. "It's amazing! It's even better than I can imagine. I've never seen anything this colorful before."
"Maybe later, I can show you around, but first the castle."
Arbil followed the girls to the north path that led to the castle. She gazed up at the sky, noticing a floating, yellow spherical object.
"Hey Yosafire, what's that," she asked, pointing at the object.
The fire demon looked up at what the newcomer was pointing at. "Oh, that's the sun. It keeps us warm during the day."
"Oh. We don't have a 'sun' in my world." Arbil responded while testing the unfamiliar word.
"Really? Now I'm really interested to hear what your world is like."
As they continued onward to the castle, Arbil kept on asking questions about things that she didn't know, from the animals that weren't monster-sized to the floating diamonds and to the colors of the flowers. Yosafire happily answered them, feeling like the smart one for once, while Froze listened to them prattle on.
Arbil felt complete ease being with the two girls, but she couldn't say the same for Froze. Ever since they left the village, the hybrid felt unease radiating off of the ice angel, and she felt she was the source of it.
"Froze," Arbil said, "I feel like you are not comfortable with me. Did I do something wrong?"
Caught in the act, Froze sighed. Yosafire stared in between the two, watching how the conversation would play out.
Finally, Froze spoke. "No, it's not you. It's me. You're obviously a nice person, I can see that, but you're still not from this world. Not too long, demons from another world invaded ours and nearly destroyed our home. I'm just afraid that you're another intruder."
Arbil was a bit crestfallen that her presence caused Froze to have such troubling thoughts. That was what the hybrid was secretly afraid of: not being able to belong to any world because she wasn't born in it. But she suppressed it. Froze did say that she was nice, and Arbil understood her reasoning.
"I assure you, I'm not here to bring harm to your world," Arbil responded confidently.
Froze's lips quirked into a small, but beautiful smile. "I know you won't."
Arbil smiled back, internally elated to have someone in a different world trust her.
Yosafire smiled too at seeing her usually expressionless friend smiling, and seeing the two girls getting along.
She turned back to the front. "The castle is just up ahead."
Arbil looked to the front, and her eyes widened at seeing her world's color, gray, in such a place like this. She was also surprised that the castle was on the ground and not in the sky.
This world is strange, Arbil thought to herself. But I love it!
As they approached the castle, the structure revealing itself with every step, there were other demons and angels loitering around the path. They were either quietly conversing or just lounging around. When Arbil got closer, she noticed that they stopped whatever they were doing and stared at her. Arbil's wings twitched nervously as she fought the urge to cover her face with her wings, revealing them more.
The hybrid expected the Gray Garden citizens' reactions to be hostile and disgust, just like the people in her world, but she was surprised yet again by this world. The citizens pointed at her wings and whispered to themselves, probably talking about her. They had curious looks, some of them filled with awe. Arbil smiled, thankful that she ended up in a kind and understanding world.
The hybrid took her first step on the castle's premises and her emerald orbs shone with admiration at the beautiful design. Even though she hated the dull gray color because it reminded her of her world, it seemed to work for the castle. She understood instantly why it was called BlancBlack Castle. They passed the imposing tall walls, and stepped into the courtyard. The ground was composed of gray cobblestone, the middle path lined with white diamonds on the left and black diamonds on the right. In the middle of the courtyard, a glistening fountain flowed with a white and a black diamond hovering above it. Flowers and trees spotted the area, greatly contrasting against the monochrome theme. More demons and angels hung about, some tending to the flowers and others conversing.
The group entered the castle through the tall diamond gray door and Arbil was even more amazed by the interior. The cobblestone gave away to gray marble. The diamonds were slightly bigger and resting on tall pillars. A stairway ran up to the second level and then branched off to the left and right. A door on each side at the bottom of the stairs lead somewhere else.
They climbed the stairs and stood in front of a black slate with a tiny white diamond hovering above it.
"This is a warp slate," Froze explained. "Because there are many stairs here, our God Etihw created them, so it will be easier for us to reach the Great Hall."
"It's the best thing ever," Yosafire said excitedly. "Well, next to Dialo's apple pies."
At the mention of apple pies, Yosafire started drooling. Arbil gave the fire demon a weird look, but she smiled at her new friend's antics.
Froze snapped her finger in front of Yosafire's face. "Focus, Yosaf. You can think about that later."
The fire demon vigorously shook her head and gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry, sorry."
Froze sighed then turned to the warp slate. "Touch the warp slate Arbil, and you'll be in front of the Great Hall."
Froze touched it then disappeared right before Arbil's eyes. Yosafire stepped up to the plate. "See you on the other side!" Then Yosafire was gone too.
Arbil stared at the warp slate with apprehension. She slowly reached out and touched it. For a second, she felt her body being broken apart to the smallest molecule before being hurriedly put back together. She shivered as a tingling sensation ran through her body. Once the sensation subsided, she walked to Froze and Yosafire who were standing in front of a giant gray door with diamond patterns.
"This is where Etihw and old man hang out during the day," said Yosafire.
She knocked on the door three times.
"Come in," a gentle and loud voice called out.
Arbil was slightly nervous before, but now she felt like she was sweating bullets. Yosafire told her earlier that their rulers were nice, but Arbil still felt uneasy. She was afraid that they might force her to return to her world.
No Arbil, she scolded herself. I trust Yosafire and if she says that they're nice, then they must be.
Arbil put on a brave face as the girls opened the door, her stance determined as she prepared to face the people that would decide her fate.
And that's it for now! I'll have the other chapters posted next month. Until then, hang in there, all of my fellow college students! Review please!
