Chapter 9
On Etihvv. Etihvv is like Grif as they're genderqueer. That means that Etihvv doesn't identify with being male or female. So instead of using he/she pronouns they use they as its gender neutral.
Also you pronounce their name like eh-teev (with like a soft tapering off v sound at the end) Hope that clears some stuff up :) If anyone has questions about the characters feel free to send them in! Like relations or how they look. I'd love to answer.
My transformation happened in a flash of blue, energy crackling down my skin as the uniform showed up. "The color of the unforgiving Earth! Cure Aero!" I point towards the Dead-Color. Even if it did look stupid, that didn't mean it couldn't destroy things. The gray vegetable looks familiar now that I have a closer look at it. The goggles it wears over its 'eyes' the dead giveaway.
It's the superhero vegetable that decorates many of the posters in the lunch line. It's always spouting crap like 'eat your vegetables to be a hero like me!' while punching a sweets monster in the face. We were in high school, we didn't need posters telling us that. It was just embarrassing.
The vegetable Dead-Color slams its carrot arm down. I leap over it, soaring close to its face. Lashing out with a leg, I swipe it right across where its mouth should be. The monster stumbles backwards. But, the fight is never over that easily. The Dead-Color straightens and whips it arms towards me. I leap backwards, barely dodging the attack. Cracks run across the pathway, a testament to the stupid things strength.
The Dead-Color raises its arms for another attack. Running, I leap over the outstretched arms. Compared to Etihvv, this monster moved incredibly slowly. Plus, there was no threat of being chopped in half. Just crushed. I don't know which is worse. Palms flat against the carrot arms, I flip up and closer to the stalks sprouting out of its head.
Air brushes across my sweaty cheeks, playing with my braided hair. I land amongst the stalks, feeling them bend and break beneath my short boots. Grabbing the nearest stalk, which isn't that hard to choose from seeing as I was surrounded by them, I yank up. The stalk uproots in my hands. The Dead-Color howls in pain and its body spasms beneath. Leaping off the head, I land in a roll on the ground.
My chest heaves for air. Even if I was super powered, this was still tiring. The Dead-Color crashes its own arms on its head with a loud crack. Bits of carrot and celery splatter around the pavement and grass with dull thuds. This… is easier than I thought. I frown.
"The Pigment that tranquilizes the heart!" My hand shoots to the side. The giant pencil is heavy in my outstretched palm. "Pretty Cure Aero Recode!" The electric blue code shoots towards the Dead-Color. It stretches through the air, new numbers adding at the edges. The Dead-Color turns, but it's too late. The code wraps around the vegetable, glowing bright.
With a discordant scream the Dead-Color struggles against the code. Its arms bulge beneath the rope like code, bursting the attack at the seams. What? The stalks from the top of its head shift and stretch. Like lances they dig into the ground where I once stood. The ground bursts up in clumps, but the attack isn't done. The stalks dig out and towards me. Shit! I can't maneuver quickly enough in the air. The stalks hit me square in the chest. The pain of forcefully losing my air is nothing to what happens next. I slam into the ground with a choked scream. My shoulder stings in pain. The inferno reaching down to my downturned side.
My lungs burn for air even though I'm gasping for it. Not so easy. Definitely not so easy. This reminds me of how I met Vermillion. How she was overpowered. There was no random girl going to appear and help me however. This was the last Pigment. The last Pigment. Shit. I struggle to stand. My arms feel like jelly.
"Not… over." I grit my teeth. Rising to a standing position, I slip into a fighting position similar to what Vermillion always did. I wasn't her. I didn't have the training to do what she did. But, that wasn't going to stop me.
"Give up the Pigment, you can't win." Tessur crows from the tree top.
"No way. Clancy… she almost died to protect this." I glare at the Dead-Color. "I owe it to her to protect this."
"Do you really?" Tessur laughs. "You're an outsider, you have nothing to do with this." He sounded like Etihvv. You're not her friend. You don't belong here. You're irrelevant. But, I wasn't.
"I have everything to do with this! You hurt my friend! You're trying to turn my world gray!" I spin on my heel to face Monochrome's lackey. "I have this power!" I slam my glove against the Pigment. "And I'll use it to protect those who can't protect themselves!" The Pigment's energy flows through my veins. The pain blaring from my shoulder subsides becoming nothing.
"So don't tell me I have nothing to do with this! Not you! Not Anneis! And definitely not Etihvv!" The power flares beneath my skin. Crackling with an unknown energy. I feel like I'm soaring, like I can do anything. And I can. I twist on my heel, not bothering to wait for his reply.
Shooting like a rocket towards the Dead-Color, the world blurs at the edges. The rest of the world moves slowly. The Dead-Color's stalks streak towards me. I leap over them. Landing lightly on the stem. I shoot forward again, the pencil in my grip digs into the stalk. The gray stem splits where I cut into. I leap up again near the head. The 'graphite' tip of the pencil is glowing blue.
"Aero Recode!" The code bursts from the tip like a wave made up of numbers. The wave circles around the head, glowing the same bright blue as my uniform. The Dead-Color gives a crooning noise, the skin turning green. I leap away, arms up and ready to block. The vegetable expands, then explodes into a burst of green and orange paint. The tears into the ground and burst windows right themselves, looking brand new. The paint then bubbles as I land, already disappearing.
"You think I'm done here?" Tessur snarls. I narrow my gaze. What was he still doing here? Usually he or Anneis left by now. Ah! I turn around, but I'm too late. Something slams into my side. I curve through the air feeling the pain blossom again. I hit the ground with a roll and grunt. What was going on? I blink, my eyelids heavy, clearing the blurriness of the world. A smaller Dead-Color stands where I once was. It's a group of grapes with a cape wrapped where its neck should be.
The sidekick! I want to slap my hand to my forehead. Dammit! I got cocky, thinking I could do this easily. Struggling to stand, the world tips. I slam back onto my knees. My skirt pools at around my dark skin, it reminds me of the pool Sylvia showed me. I try to stand again, my legs feeling shaky. But, I do it. The pain was ebbing away as always, quicker than a normal humans.
"Don't think that's all." Tessur holds out a hand. Gray wisps of energy appear over his hand, spiraling up. The smoke like energy takes shape, expanding and stretching to look like a bird cage. As the cage solidifies to steel bars a body appears. It's small and birdlike, but with too many limbs.
"Grif." I grit my teeth. I had been worried for them, but this. I didn't think they were captured. Maybe that they ran off. The last I had seen of them was that they charged Anneis and Tessur to protect me. "Let them go." My hands curl into fists.
"Hand over your Pigment, then we'll talk." Tessur smirks. Something whistles through the air. I start forward. Something small and gray explodes at my feet. I lurch forward. Though I'm trying to move, my feet won't obey. I slip forward, lower body stiff. With an oof! I hit the stone pathway.
"What?" I try to move my legs. They won't move, no it was more like something was stopping them. I arch my back, looking down my front. My midriff shirt billows, blocking the view. With a growl, and with my one free hand, I push it back. Sticky gray liquid covers my legs up to my knees. As I try to pull a leg forward the sticky ...stuff shifts, holding me back. What was this? The scent of grapes hits my nose. The Dead-Color? Did it do this?
Tessur laughs from above. The sound followed by the sound of footsteps. I sit up, careful to not get any more on me, and stare down the man. Slowly, I rise to where I'm standing. In one hand he holds Grif. So close. If I could just lean a little forward, I could probably reach the griffon. Even if they pissed me off sometimes, I couldn't just abandon them. Not like Clancy. I couldn't lose them too. "Well? You look a little stuck Aero." He tries to hold back smile. His lips twitching.
"Shut up." I flick my arm out, fingers brushing the edge of the cage. With a twist of his arm, Tessur holds Grif right out of reach again. His free hand shoots out. With my other hand I grab his wrist. His hand is inches away from my Pigment. My arm trembles with the effort to hold him back. I dig my gloved hand into his wrist. "I'm not giving it to you."
"I'll just take it by force then." His jaw tightens as he puts more weight into this. He was a stick however, and it did nothing. My hand shakes more despite this. My other hand joins the fight. I grab him at the forearm and shove him back. The cage tips in his other hand, Grif's limp body hitting the bars. So close. Tessur steps back, his other hand steadying the cage.
"Dead-Color." A slightly cocky grin slips on his face, like he's won this fight. He doesn't have to actually order it anymore. The Dead-Color lets out a grating scream. I can't twist around to face it, to even see the incoming attack. I grasp the Pigment with my hands. If that thing stuck me, I was taking the Pigment down with me.
Something whistles through the air. My stomach twists at the sound. This was the end? No. It can't be. I… I still had to rescue Clancy! Help Grif! Energy crackles up from my hands. Like the feeling of pushing my hands through the sea, the energy of the Pigment rushes over my senses.
My lips form words, but I can't understand them. Can't hear them. On instinct I twist my upper body. My hands are gripped around something that feels like metal. I cut down with it, feeling the energy expend and crash around. The grape goo holding my legs down shatters. My legs slightly tingle like static, but I move forward. I arc the weapon up and then swipe it to the side. Another crash of energy swallows the area in a blue light. With the last expel of energy, it shatters in my hands like spun glass. The light blue light fades in my open palms. Leaving the rest of the world a harsher gray.
"What?" I clench my fists open and close. What was that? Another attack? Like Vermillion's Flash Point? Whatever it was. My eyes shut. I don't feel any different.
"A new power?" Tessur's voice brings me back to reality. I open my eyes to a still gray world. The fruit Dead-Color is lying on the ground dazed, but not cleansed. "Dead-Color!" Tessur yells at the monster. Despite this, the thing struggles to get up. Its stick like arms snap as it tries to stand. It was looking like I was winning now. The large pencil appears in my hands. "Aero Recode" I write the code and shoot it towards the Dead-Color.
With a crooning noise, the grape Dead-Color pops. Instead of covering the area in a sticky goo it covers the area in paint. At once the world starts repairing itself. I twist on my heel. Now to get Grif. One second I'm on the ground, the next soaring through the air.
I twist my leg back, readying to kick him or the cage out of his hands. My leg cuts through the air. A gruff hand grabs me by the ankle. My momentum carries me forward. My arms curl around the cage as I pass by. The world tilts as I somersault through the air. Tessur's hand tugs at my ankle, but it doesn't stop me. My heart rams in my ears, drowning out everything else. The cage slips from my grasp. The ground is approaching fast. My palms hit the pathway, and I push. My legs arch over head as I launch Monochrome's emissary. He cuts through the air with a strangled scream.
I slam back first onto the ground. My lungs gasp for air, my muscles sore. With a shiver through the air, Tessur shimmers away. Done, I let out a sigh of relief.
The world is almost fully colored again. The sky is a washed out blue, turning a shade lighter every second. The process… felt slower than usual today. With a ping my uniform disappears in a bright blue light. All at once a sense of fatigue washes over me. Guess I'm missing another school day. But, the job wasn't done. I sit up and scan for the cage. It wasn't tossed too far in the fight. The metal cage is lying on the side, some of the bars bent awkwardly.
No. I scramble to move. The sense of fatigue is gone, replaced with fear. They're ok, they're ok. I repeat the words like a mantra. The door to the cage is propped open. I yank them open and reach in for the limp body. No. I suck in a breath. My hands shake as the dull feathers press against my palms. No. I can't think. Grif is limp in my arms, a wing bent awkwardly. "Grif?" My voice is hoarse. My throat feels too tight.
"Grif? Please?" My whole body trembles. I give the body a slight shake. A groan draws my attention behind. Sylvia is still on the ground, but she was starting to get up. I need to leave. I run in a blind direction, having to get away.
Was this my fault? Because I dropped the cage? Because I was so preoccupied with myself I didn't even bother to think about them? Was this my fault? My breaths are erratic. My heart pounding away in my ears drowning everything else out.
The school building passes in a blur. The forest comes into view. Under the shade of the looming trees I hit the ground. Sticks and stones dig into my knees. I hold Grif's body close to my chest. They still weren't moving. This isn't happening. This can't be. Tears burn at my eyes.
"Grif?" I ask one last time. I take it back. I take back the thought of cooking you alive, the thought you were annoying.
"Mer...le…" The griffon shifts in my arms. One bright eye cracks open, then immediately closes. Their wing shifts with a sick crunch.
"Grif!" Tears dribble down my cheeks. I let out a sob, holding them closer.
"Hurts…" The griffon softly paws at my chest. They seemed to be trying to push me away. I lay them down and wipe at my tears.
"You're ok." I sob. "You're ok."
"I hurt, but I'll be fine "The griffon groans. Their arms wrap around their body. Their one wing is still bent weird, the other looked perfectly fine however. "Where are we?"
"My school." At that the griffon groans. I can't tell if its pain, most likely is, or another emotion. Their beak curves and their one eye opens again. Bright brown and glazed over with pain.
"Good, whe-where's Clancy?" They lie on their side, breathing heavily. Were they going to be ok? My hand twitches at my side. That question again.
"She's" How do I even finish the sentence? How did I answer to Sylvia? "...Gone." I finish lamely.
"Gone? She died?" At this Grif shoots up. They yelp and are back to the ground, clutching at their stomach. Their tail slashes through the grass in pain.
"No!" But, how could I be sure? I don't know what happened between her and that Etihvv person. "At least, I don't think so." My voice tapers off. Grif manages to sit up. Their fur is matted and scrapes litter the front of their chest. The feathers on their wings are dull. Grif slightly shifts their wings, a feather falling off.
"I hope she's ok." Grif sighs. "But, Clancy is a tough girl, she'll be ok." Grif says. Tough, I thought that of Clancy too, but seeing her in the Land of Canvases. Seeing her with Etihvv. She couldn't even move when they were talking. When we were fighting. But, until then she pushed through even when all she was seeing was the husk of a place she called home.
"She'll be ok…" I repeat the words. I would have to hope for that. That was all I could do right now. Grif smiles at this. They looked really frail, but when they smiled they looked like they could take anything on. They looked like they were just fine. Of course, that wasn't true. I offer my arm out. "Let's get you resting."
It wasn't easy maneuvering around the school with Grif. Something must have happened because students were mulling around the pathways. They grouped in front of the doors too. Clipped words were all I could hear when passing through. That and fear. Fear that was clear in their darting eyes. Clear in the way they clustered together.
"Weird things-" "Passing out-" "I want to go-" "-ool's canceled." A tight knit group of girls block the entryway to the dorm. I curl my arms around Grif tighter and try to pass through. There's no way in, they're blocking the whole doorway.
"I'm really scared!" The youngest looking girl cries out. "I just suddenly passed out!" She looks close to crying.
"Hey, come on." An older tries to comfort her. She places her hand on the girl's shoulder. "It'll be okay." She rubs the girls shoulder. One of the other girls notices me and moves out of the way. I can't meet her eyes, I just pass through with a quiet 'thanks'. School was closed? I pass through another throng of girls on the stairs. They're sitting at the top talking quietly.
"The school's haunted man, I'm leaving." One girl fidgets on the stairs. Another girl nods animatedly.
"It's happening again." I pass through them without a word. They all seemed scared. First the events at the soccer fields, then the lunch room. Girls passing out. Is that what they were calling it? I guess they couldn't say they lost their emotions and fell asleep. That would be crazy. I smirk a little. But, things were a little crazy here.
I finally make it to my dorm. I ease the door open, eyes peeled for someone. It was becoming a trend that uninvited visitors were in my room. Like with Clancy jumping up from the window. Stop. My heart twists. No one seems to be in the room so I ease it fully open. "Merle?" Grif shifts in my arms. "What are all those girls talking about?" Yeah, they wouldn't know about it.
"Not supposed to talk about it." I lay them on my bed. The stories only happened in hushed whispers. That and from gossipy girls in psychology. Meena was talking about it last class, wasn't she? "Something… happened at this school." Something that resulted in the death of students. I frown.
"I see." They don't press the matter. Instead, Grif picks at the fur on their chest. Thin scratches scar the matted fur. Should I get them some Band-Aids? I look to the ones on my fingers. Would that help?
"Do… you need Band-Aids?" I point to my desk. Or would that rip up their fur.
"Oh no thank you. I'll be fine by tomorrow." A pink tongue laps at the wounds. Maybe griffon spit heals wounds. There was a lot I didn't know about them. Only that they were the guardians of the Pigments and they traveled with Clancy.
"Now that were in a secure area." Grif twists his head down, beak nipping under their good wing. "I have something for the two of you. Well…" They bring their head back up. In their beak is a small brown bag. "Something for you." Their voice is muffled by the thin strap. I lay my hand out and accept the gift. It's not heavy, if anything it feels like there's nothing in the bag but a pebble. I open it and spill the contents into my palm.
"Grif, is this?" I pick at the dark green stone. It's cracked and missing a chunk, but there was no doubt.
"Yes, this is the green Pigment." Grif puffs up their chest. Their beak curves into a smile. "I hid it before we came here. But," they don't have to say anymore. It was broken. A small chunk was missing from the top. "When Monochrome attacked the Chroma room I was awakened and took it from his grasp." They sounded smug. "Of course, he took a little bit, but that's nothing we can't fix."
"I see." I twist the green Pigment in my hand. Bringing it up to my eye, I can see my room through its hue. It wasn't like the blue Pigment, I didn't feel any energy from it. It was pretty to look through however. "...How are you?" I shift the rock and my gaze to them. Through the rock the griffon looks tiny. I drop the rock back in the bag.
"I'll be fine. I just need to fix my wing." Their beak twists into a smile. They didn't look fine. Maybe, I could take them to a vet? Of course not, what vet deals with griffons. I could slap a palm to my face. "That and rest a little." Did resting fix a broken wing? Should I look up how to make a splint?
I hum in response. Putting the Pigment back in the bag, I give it to the griffon. "You hold on to it." I would probably misplace it, or put it on my desk and lose it among the clutter. Grif takes it and wears the bag like a necklace. After that they bend down and tuck it back to how it was earlier. I can't even see the strap of the bag between their fur and wings.
"I'll guard it with my life." Please don't. I frown. They already look like they did so.
"If you're in trouble… come find me…" I feel weird saying the words. Could I even protect them? Was that awkward phrasing? That always happened. A silence fills the space between us. Weirdo. You ruined the moment. I look away from Grif, I can't bear to look at them any longer.
"Spoken like a true Pretty Cure!" Grif crows. They seem happy. "Merle, I'll come to you if there's a hint of danger." Ah, I guess that was ok. I pick at the blanket on the bed. My face feels impossibly hot. Maybe I was getting sick too? "The opposite also applies, I will help you any way I can." Grif interrupts my thoughts.
"I see…" I try to offer them another smile. I guess this could be called friendship too. I lie back on my bed, hand outstretched towards the griffon. Softly, I pet their spine, right between their wings. They stiffen, then after a few pets relax. Their fur is soft like a cats. Reminds me of an old pet I had as a kid.
"Merle, I have one final question. Then I'm going to sleep." Grif sounds tired. They stretch out on the bed. "What happened to Clancy? Why was she captured?" My hand pauses. So many questions about the incident. My lips twist. Grif had a right to know, they were Clancy's friend too.
"Etihvv." I voice the name. Just saying the name sours my mood. Grif shoots up, knocking my hand away.
"Etihvv? You met the other Cure Vermillion!" As soon as the words are out of their beak they hit the bed. I shoot up as well. They let out a groan and clutch at their stomach. I call out their name, hand awkwardly hovering over their bad wing. "I'm fine. I'm fine." They repeat themselves. I can't tell if they're trying to calm me or themselves. "It's just… you said you met Etihvv?" They grit the words out.
I nod. With that they let out a sigh. "Etihvv, but they're dead."
"Clancy said the same thing." I place a hand on Grif's head. They lean into the touch. "But we fought. They're with Monochrome." My heart drops at the fact I have to tell the Griffon that. How would they take it? Like Clancy and shut down? Or get angry like me.
"With Monochrome? Impossible." Grif scoffs. "They were Cure Vermillion. Cures don't become evil." They argue. This one did. No one was safe from corruption. I don't feel like voicing my opinion. It was pointless to argue about it. I clearly saw Etihvv as a grayscale.
"Did Clancy freeze up when fighting them?" Grif asks the question quietly, they shuffle their paws and avoid my gaze.
"She didn't fight at all." I pick at my Pigment to avoid looking at the griffon. The two of us can't meet the others eyes.
"I see." Grif quieted. "And you fought Etihvv?" I nod again. "And they were definitely one of Monochrome's?" They were full of questions today. I pull down my sleeve to show a white bandage.
"They stabbed me." That was the end of this talk.
"I'm going to rest now. Please don't bother me." With that, Grif curled up. Soon after that they were snoozing away, mulling over the new information in dreams perhaps? Who knew. Did griffons even dream? My hand drops. I lie down and stare at the ceiling. My body felt weary, but so did my mind.
Monochrome. All of this led back to him. The invasion of the Land of Canvases. The attacking of his lackeys. Etihvvs apparent revival. The broken Pigment. All of these things were caused by him. I frown and lie back down. What kind of person is he? How strong was he? The thoughts plagued my mind. Eventually, we would meet and fight, right? If he was strong enough to take down the Land of Canvases, then he could easily crush me in my state.
And the new power. What was that and how did I use it. And then the new Pigment. Another Pretty Cure? The thoughts make me tired despite it only being around noon. I should probably go back to sleep and let my self conscience deal with it. I try to snuggle under my sheets without disturbing the sleeping griffon.
"So you lost our other prisoner too?" Anneis raised a curved eyebrow. I scowl and don't bother to reply. I got cocky. There was only one, the newest one, so how could I lose? The new power? Just thinking about it makes me want to sit on my chair and do nothing. There was work to do however, half-baked plans that needed fixing and whatnot.
"Hello? Talking to Tessur!" Anneis waves her arms around. "You listenin'?" She moves closer to me. Her brows are furrowed and her arms cross against her chest again.
"Yes Anneis, I am." I could use this loss to my advantage. I just needed to think how. And get Anneis to leave so I could think. She begins to talk, loudly like always, and I let it go through one ear and out the other. She sure could talk a lot. Not that it was a bad thing, it was just the wrong time because I wanted some peace and quiet. It was a little too much to ask for apparently.
"Seriously Tessur, you're supposed to be the smart one. How could you lose the bird?"
"Griffon." I sigh.
"Whatever." Anneis scoffs. "How did you lose it anyways?" I pull out my phone and flip it open. She didn't need to know that. It was embarrassing enough that I lost. "Come ooon." She prods my shoulder.
"Would you like another black eye?" I open up a document. I would have to give another report to Lord Monochrome after this. This was becoming troublesome. Every time it came time to present the progress or type up what was happening, I locked up. My hands would become sweaty or my throat tight. It was weird.
"Whatever Tessur, I'm leaving." Anneis turns on her heel and stalks out of the room. Finally, some peace and quiet. I click my phone close and stand. The reports were waiting for me.
Afterword: Quick update, yaay. I really don't have much to say except leave a comment or constructive criticism. Thanks for reading.
