Remember

Episode Two: Shifting

Chapter Two

The sound of shuffling feet and frantic whispers drowned out the strained coughing of a young girl who lay in her bed, nearly suffocating underneath the mountain of blankets that were attempting to keep her warm. Her arms were pinned at her side, restricting her movement and making her entirely uncomfortable.

"Mamma…" her weak cry was barely audible, but the keen ears of her mother, who was standing nearby with a few others, picked up the sound of her daughter in distress and immediately stepped to her side.

"What is it, darling?"

"I'm thirsty," she rasped, "and my head hurts… M-Mamma…"

"Shhh." Tears pricked the eyes of the poor girl's mother. She brought a hand to the burning forehead of her daughter, hoping to offer some relief to the suffering girl. "I'll fetch you some water."

For another moment she lingered there, stroking the thin blonde hair that folded in piles beside the sick child's head, free from the pigtails that she so adored. Glassy blue eyes studied her, and then closed.

With a sigh, the child's mother left the room.

"How is Melody?"

"She's… getting worse, David."

In the kitchen now, the woman poured a small amount of water into a glass. David hovered nearby, watching her absentmindedly. Worry creased his brow.

It had been a week, now, since Melody had fallen ill. At first it seemed like a simple case of influenza, but as the days continued to end with no signs of improvement, it became clear that this was something much worse. They'd called every doctor in town, but so far none of their offered remedies had worked.

"Sarah!"

"Miss Sarah, come quickly!"

Reacting immediately to the frantic shouts coming from the bedroom, the woman whirled around and re-entered the small room, a dark sense of dread falling over her.

Inside, one of the doctors was leaning over Melody, holding a wet washcloth to her forehead. The girl's eyes were closed and a distressed frown creased her face.

"She's fallen unconscious again," the doctor muttered, "and her breathing is growing shallow. I-I'm not sure if there's much more we can do… We've already given her as much medicine as her body can handle…"

Sarah came to stand beside the doctor, her shaking hands reaching out to her daughter. Tears stung her eyes once more, and as they fell onto her cheeks she touched Melody's face for the last time. The child had stopped breathing.

Ronan met Blumiere and Mimi just outside the clearing where his house resided; it seemed he had been waiting there for their arrival. He perked up as he saw them approaching and bounded across the forest floor, grinning.

"Blue? I thought yeh'd never come back!" He launched himself forwards, and Blumiere was unprepared for the child's gleeful bear-hug. "What took yeh so…" The orange-haired boy trailed off as he saw Mimi. He glanced back and forth between the girl and Blumiere, a look of bewilderment on his face. At last he released the man and turned to the green-skinned girl.

"Mimi…?" he whispered, in a voice just loud enough for Blumiere to hear.

Mimi studied the ground with her ruby-red eyes and folded her arms behind her back, rocking slightly on her feet. "Yeah…" she squeaked in reply.

"What 'appened?"

"I-I dunno, it stopped working…"

"Stopped working?"

"Th-the human one, it's not working!"

By now the conversation had escalated to where Blumiere could hear every word. "So wh-what're yeh goin' teh do?" Ronan inquired anxiously. "Don't think me Nanna'll let yeh stay if yer skin's green…"

Mimi was silent. She shrugged her petite shoulders, still studying the grass at her feet.

Ronan turned worried eyes to Blumiere. "What do we do?"

Am I supposed to have an answer to that? Blumiere thought, perplexed. He didn't know what to do. He didn't even completely understand the problem. Melody, or Mimi, couldn't retain her human form and was stuck with permanently green skin and red eyes. He knew this was a problem, for the same reason that his blue skin was a problem, but he most certainly did not have a solution. "I-I… I'll think of something," he muttered, feeling a bit ashamed.

Ronan suddenly piped up. "Oh! I know! She could live with you, Blue!"

"I don't-"

Before Blumiere could protest, Mimi turned on him, eyes sparkling. "Ooh! Can I, Blue? Please?"

The man reluctantly shook his head. "My father would not allow it."

Silence settled over the three different colored beings, thick and heavy. Nothing moved, save for the ever-so-slight breeze that ruffled the grass. The tension was powerful enough to cause their ears to ring.

Blumiere had never felt so helpless. Mimi was in trouble and he could do absolutely nothing to help her. Be responsible, he told himself. Think of something; you're the eldest here. But he couldn't think of anything. His mind was a desolate wasteland. "I'll think of something," he repeated, but his tone betrayed his uncertainty.

Once again, Ronan broke the heavy silence with his cheerful voice. "Uh, I got yeh a present, Blue!"

"Oh?" Blumiere was surprised, but relieved that the conversation could move on from its awkward stand-still.

"Y-Yeah, I was playin' in the stream yesterday," the boy continued, drawing a small object out of his pocket, "and I found this stone… Look Blue, it matches yer skin!"

Sure enough, the small rock Ronan presented was a brilliant cerulean, a hue that matched Blumiere's skin tone perfectly. The orange-haired child stepped closer to Blumiere, urging him to accept the gift.

He took the stone, finding that it was remarkably smooth. "It's wonderful, Ronan. You have a good eye for picking this out," he praised.

Out of the corner of his eye, Blumiere noticed that Mimi had disappeared and was now returning, holding her hands behind her back.

"I have a present for you, too!" she exclaimed, skipping up to him excitedly and revealing what she was hiding. Three yellow flowers were clutched in her tiny hands, freshly picked. It was obviously impromptu, but that didn't stop Blumiere from taking it as a heartfelt gesture.

"Thank you Mimi. They're beautiful. And thank you, Ronan, for the stone."

Without warning, Mimi screamed in terror; Blumiere snapped to attention, startled. Ronan and Mimi stood rigid before him, staring at some unseen horror behind Blumiere. Before he could turn around and see what they were directing their fear at, he heard a voice that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Blumiere."

Ronan and Mimi cowered, staring at the imposing figure whose tall shadow covered Blumiere in darkness. Finding it hard to breathe, he drew a choppy gasp of air and gathered the courage to turn around.

"Father… I-I wasn't expecting to see you here…"

King Basile took a step closer, towering over his youngest son. "I could say the same thing of you, my son. Tell me, what prompted you to disobey my commands?"

To anyone else, the King might have only sounded slightly frustrated, for he did not yell, nor did he stomp the ground or make other indications that he was angry. However, Blumiere could tell, because of the low tone that Basile spoke in, and the way he emphasized every word, that his father was furious. He would have to choose his next words carefully, or he would trigger the true anger that was no doubt boiling beneath his father's skin.

However, before he could speak, Blumiere realized that his father had averted his angry gaze elsewhere. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that Ronan and Mimi had advanced to stand behind him. Both children were trembling, and Mimi was peering out from behind her friend's arm, but Ronan had a determined look on his face. His gaze drifted back to his father, just in time to see him move out of his line of vision. Blumiere tensed, but remained facing the empty forest.

King Basile strode forwards, getting as close as he dared to the children. He glared at them with such malice that even Ronan couldn't help but cower.

"Humans?" When Basile finally spoke, it was in a voice full of anger and bewilderment. The volume of his resounding reprimand increased as he continued, "You left the safety of my castle and crossed the boundaries into the town, so you could associate with humans?"

Why, of course. What else would I come here for? Blumiere, swallowed, biting back the thought and locking it away. Such a childish rebuttal would certainly only cause more trouble, and that was the last thing he needed; surely his punishment was large enough already. Before he could begin to mull over just what kind of punishment he might be receiving, Blumiere heard Ronan's tiny, brave voice.

"An' what's wrong with 'umans, eh? Besides, Blue was only 'elpin' us! 'E's our friend!"

This news caused King Basile to turn on his son, outraged.

The prince continued to stand facing away from his father, but still lowered his eyes to the ground, as if to avoid eye-contact with Basile. He wanted so badly to turn around and jump in between his father and the children; he wanted to protect them, but...

The king released all of his pent-up anger and wasted it on one sentence. "You… made friends… with humans?

Blumiere clenched his teeth and scowled, angling his head so his father wouldn't see it, a gesture that made it seem as though he was bowing down before his father. Every part of his mind wanted to scream in outrage, to make his father see just how wrong he was about the humans, but his body wouldn't allow it. He instead remained silent, refusing to respond if only to please the king.

Basile waited for an answer impatiently before finally commanding, "Come, Blumiere. It is time to go home. Say goodbye to your friends, for you shall never see them again."

What? The prince's head shot up and he whirled around to face his father, despair and frustration prominent in his expression. His eyes widened as he said, "No, father, you don't understand!" He moved closer, suddenly wishing he wasn't so short compared to Basile. "These children, they aren't the monsters you think they are! You're wrong about them, father! They're nothing like the humans who killed mother, and the the others only hate us because they're afraid! If you would just forget about your foolish suspicions for one second you'd realise that we are just. Like. Them!"

Blumiere leaned back, breathing heavily. However, his rebellious attitude was quickly snuffed out by King Basile's venomous glare, and soon fear was the only emotion in his expression. Dread wormed its way into his stomach as he realised what he'd just said.

Basile's eyes were narrowed to slits, and his head was tilted forwards so his long, black hair fell onto his brow. His normally blue skin was flushed dark purple across his cheeks, and as he finally made eye-contact with his son, he was pushed over the edge.

In a flash, he'd seized the prince's arm. "Blumiere," he growled, "we are going home, now."

The last thing Blumiere saw before his father teleported them both back to the castle was Ronan and Mimi, standing side-by-side, with identical looks of horror on their faces.

Basile was much more skilled at teleportation than Blumiere ever aspired to be. This was partially because of the dilation of the Tribe's magic during the past two generations, but it was also attributed to Blumiere's lack of desire to learn. The process was extremely difficult, and so far he'd given up on honing the skill, figuring he had no use for teleportation anyway. But as he now sat in front of the rest of his Tribe members, he wished that he could simply vanish and run away from his problems.

The entire Tribe of Darkness was gathered in the grand dining hall, seated around the large table. Not a single member was missing, though there were only twelve of them, including Blumiere.

This meeting, of course, was not one Blumiere was going to enjoy. He typically found meetings boring and monotonous anyway, but this one was going to be particularly uncomfortable. The meeting was called to address Blumiere's 'insubordination' and would simply entail his father retelling what he'd done wrong in front of his Tribesmates and discussing what a fitting punishment would be. Although, as Blumiere recalled, the punishments were hardly 'fitting.'

King Basile was sitting in his usual spot at the head of the table; his youngest son sat behind and to the left of him. Which was another thing Blumiere didn't like about this meeting: he had to stand still, remain silent, and refrain from leaning on his father's chair (which he'd already been reprimanded for). His feet were nearly asleep, and the meeting hadn't even started yet.

But the worst part of this impromptu gathering was the deep feeling of dread and unknowing that had taken home in his stomach. What would his father… do? He couldn't condemn him to the castle; they were all stuck here anyway.

Would he send me to my room? Blumiere nearly chuckled aloud at this childish thought. That would have been a suitable punishment when he was half of his current age.

Other than that, though… the only thing he could think of was banishment. However, in the back of Blumiere's mind hid the worst possible condemnation. Surely his father couldn't condemn him to… death?

Shaking his head slowly, Blumiere pushed away his thoughts. All of them. Closing his eyes, he remained still and focused on clearing his mind..

His father's deep, booming voice brought Blumiere back to the waking world.

"Good evening, Tribesmates."

Every head around the table bowed in a silent gesture of respect for their King. Blumiere's gaze was already trained on the ground, however, and there it remained. Even so, he could feel the questioning stares of a few of his family members, and the queasy feeling in his stomach increased.

Basile went on, "I've called all of you to this meeting to address the recent misdemeanors of the young man who stands before you."

Blumiere dared to glance upwards momentarily. He happened to make eye-contact with his eldest brother, Abany, but the older man immediately looked away. Blumiere quickly averted his eyes as well, deciding it was best to avoid looking at any of the others.

His father turned to face him as he continued, saying, "This morning I found Blumiere, my youngest son, in the forest outside of the humans' town. Not only had he traveled outside of the castle's boundaries, but when I approached I realized he was speaking with two human children."

The young prince now felt as though every eye was on him. They still kept silent, of course, but Blumiere was sure they were making disgusted remarks within their minds. Bravely, he lifted his head to look across the table to the other end, where Aldrik sat. His uncle caught his gaze and held it, staring with an expression akin to worry. His brow was arched, and Blumiere thought he caught a sigh escape the man's lips.

Is he… concerned about me? Blumiere had to look away. Certainly not… he should be as angry as father is right now. So why does he seem so distraught? Suddenly realizing that his father was speaking again, the prince bowed his head once more.

"Of course, Tribesmates, such a rebellious act cannot go unpunished."

Blumiere couldn't suppress the the shiver that sped down his spine.

"So, after discussing this matter with Aldrik, we have decided that Blumiere shall be put under room-arrest for a full rotation of the moon. He will eat his meals alone until the time is over, and will only be allowed to associate with whomever is guarding his room at the time."

If it were anyone else, Blumiere would have objected to this. He felt utterly humiliated, given a sentence suitable for a child.

"I believe this is a fitting punishment for Blumiere. You are dismissed, Tribesmates."

As one, each member rose from their chairs and quietly left the room. Blumiere knew, of course, that they certainly wouldn't stay quiet. As soon as they would leave the room there would be whispers, gossip about his insubordination. The thought made his stomach tighten.

At last, it was only he and his father left in the room. Basile rose from his chair, and finally spoke to him directly.

"Blumiere, my son, that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But I am extremely disappointed in you, nonetheless, and I hope you've learned to keep your distance from those monsters."

The prince narrowed his eyes. The hardest thing you've ever had to do, father? Is that true? Blumiere felt a hand on his shoulder. He met his father's dark blue eyes and noticed a deep weariness that betrayed the man's true emotions. Basile wasn't angry at Blumiere, but worried, just as Aldrik was.

"My son, I know you feel that this punishment is unjust, but I want you to understand: I don't know what I would do if I lost you, too."

Blumiere detected a slight quiver in his father's voice that made him sick to his stomach. He hated to hear him like this. Mother… He's still holding onto her, isn't he. But, no, father, you are the one who does not understand. Humans have changed. Or, some of them, at least. Turning away, Blumiere shrugged off his father's hand. He wasn't going to argue. "I understand, father. I understand completely."

Basile was silent. It was evident in Blumiere's tone of voice that he understood something different entirely.

Let her go, father. Then perhaps you will see things with a level head.