Chapter 14
I held my breath, unsure of what to do. Sluggishly, Meena sat up and rubbed at her eyes. She looked ready to pass out again, this time due to sleep deprivation instead of losing all her emotions. Sylvia was in a better state, but not by much. At least Etihvv was gone, the second I defeated the Dead-Color they cursed and said something like 'you're lucky I'm not here to kill ya,' and shimmered away.
The camera, the cursed thing, was in Meena's hands. A little red light flashed in the dark still recording. A gust of wind blows through the night cutting through my jacket. Sylvia shivers and struggles to stand.
"Meena, let's go. It's too cold to do this outside." It isn't a request. Meena wordless stands, eyes focused on the camera. She shuts it and nods. Silently, we make our way back to the dorms. My body is sore, muscles straining to walk. I feel like collapsing and falling asleep. My feet drag over the concrete, the little scritch of my shoes the only sound in the night. The moon is lower than it was before, swimming in the billowing clouds.
Finally, we get to the dorm. I collapse against a lunch table, head hitting the hard wood. The other two do the same. Grif was probably going back to my room. I'd have to fill them in later of what happened. Olive too, even my thoughts are sluggish. Unlike outside, the lunchroom isn't cold. It isn't hot to say, just warmer than outside. Meena drops the camera on the table between the three of us. She's tired, eyes blinking often and head bobbing ever so often. Despite this, there's a gleam in her eyes and a small smile on her tan face.
"Ready to see the ghost?" She lets out a tired giggle. My stomach twists. What if they see me transforming, this is supposed to be a secret! Sylvia lets out a groan and rubs at her eyes.
"Can't we do this in the morning?" She lets out a huff and glares at the other girl. "We had another one of those fainting spells. We should rest."
"Should we tell the teachers about that?" Meena faces the other girl. A look of worry is on her face. She swallows thickly and fidgets with the camera.
"People are already afraid of the school…" Her voice shrinks. "I don't want to see more students leave."
I nod. There was a mass exodus of students. Parents pulled their kids out, some left on their own. The dorms were certainly smaller, that much I can say. The sports teams as well. The students that stayed tried to keep the school spirit alive. Clubs haven't been canceled and pep rallies and other sport events continued, but the cheer was forced. The teachers were stressed; the lessons in the classes were being cut shorter and shorter.
The fear of mass collapsing was affecting everyone. And you're the only one right now who can stop it. The thought sours my stomach. Sylvia and Meena have continued to quietly converse, but now I have no idea what of.
"This school is already said to be haunted, so let's keep this to ourselves." Sylvia argues.
"What, and delete the tape?" Meena lets out a harsh sigh. Her muscles were coiled as if preparing to attack at a seconds notice. "At least let us watch it. We can figure out what's happening."
"First you want to play ghost hunter now detective." Sylvia rubs her eyes. We were all tired. I can feel the tension rising in the air. People don't make good decisions when tired. No, it just comes back to bite you. I rub a hand over my Pigment, my muscles scream in protest at the action, but I needed to think. Maybe I can get them to let me review it alone? If it had nothing Pretty Cure like on it, then they could see it, but if it did… Meena would need a new camera.
"Let me see it first." I interrupt the escalating fight. Meena is out of her chair, clutching the camera close to her chest. It's the first time I've spoken since the 'collapsing' and the two are surprise. I hold out a hand for the camera. "I'm a neutral party. If the tape has anything… supernatural then we'll decide what to do."
"And if it doesn't." Sylvia crosses her arms. The two don't seem to be a fan of my idea. They glare at me, for different reasons. I wilt under the glares, dropping my hand back to the Pigment. I nervously run my fingers over it, mind racing. I need the tape, how am I supposed to get the tape.
"It's my camera so I'm the one who's going to review it." With a note of finality, Meena draws her coat close and marches to the exit. "You both can see it later." She shouts the words over her shoulder. I jump from my seat and race to her. She's almost out the glass door when I slam it shu. With a yelp, Meena draws back, holding the camera protectively over her chest.
"Merle what the hell!" She snaps. My hand trembles against the glass, the coolness of it doing nothing to calm my nerves. If anything, I can feel it biting at the skin of my palm. I stutter, not sure what to say. She was going to watch it, no doubt about it. She was like Jayme; once she said she was going to do something she did it.
"Fine! Let's all watch it now!" Sylvia darts down the hall. She stops just before Meena and me with a tired frown. "We'll go to my dorm and watch it. Then," she pauses to glare at Meena. "We will decide what to do." There was no room to argue. My heart beats rapidly, my thoughts rush unsure what to do. Meena lets out a huff and purses her lips. I can tell she's going to follow Sylvia, but she wants to put on a show.
"Fine, I suppose we can watch it together." She fiddles with the camera. "This can be an impromptu movie club meeting." She tries to force some cheer, but it falls short.
"Thanks for hooking it up Merle." Sylvia shoots me a smile. I rub at my eyes and don't bother to smile back. It was nearing midnight and in the last two days I haven't slept more than six hours. Damn gray nightmares, I adjust the wire to the camera one last time before scooting away from the TV. Compared to my dorm room, Sylvia's is spectacularly clean. Her desk is in order, not a single paper out of place; her bed is (was) made, with the pillows stacked in formation; and not a spot of dust.
Sylvia and Meena sit cross legged on her bed. I wedge myself on the corner beside Sylvia. My heart beats rapidly and I constantly fidget beside the smaller girl. Hands wrap around a small, purple throw pillow. Fighting off sleep, and the urge to bury my head in said pillow, I watch the video. Meena is fast forwarding to where Etihvv entered scene. My stomach twists more and more to the point I want to throw up.
"And you're sure we can't do this in the morning?" Meena's words slur slightly. She's buried beneath a bundle of pillows about to drift off. Sylvia frowns and jabs the girl with her elbow.
"Weren't you the one who got all worked up over this?" Sleep deprivation meant a meaner Sylvia, I knew that first hand. Sneaking out early in the morning meant getting her fury full force. Meena's hand slips on the remote and starts the video.
"WHAT!" A high pitched screech startles the three of us. I jolt and smack my back against the wall. "Are you serious?" The voice continues on screen. The camera is shakily pointed towards me. Meena's voice was the one that startled us.
"…Do I really sound like that?" Meena grumbles burying herself further. The video continues to the time where Etihvv shows up. I still, not even breathing. Part of me wants to tear away from the bed and rip the camera out, but the other half is too terrified to move. This is supposed to be a secret… If they saw me transform they'd be caught up in this. They could get hurt.
Just as words, any words are going to leap from my throat the video stops. It stutters and statics as garbled words pass through the speakers. The video itself is repeating on screen with dancing lines of static. Meena jolts beside me with a gasp. She scrambles for the remote, drawing the attention of Sylvia. The tired girl is now alert and watching the TV.
From the speakers come loud cracks of something hitting stone. I wince against the sound, unconsciously clenching my fists. Without the roaring of blood and wind in my ears, the sounds seem different.
"What the hell!" Meena rewinds the video. She pauses it a second before it crashes. On the small screen, Etihvv has their sword pointed to the camera. The angle is crooked as if the camera was being dropped, the image itself is shaken.
"Stops just before we- we passed out I suppose." Sylvia's voice falters. Meena grits her teeth and presses fast forward. The video whirls quietly as it fast forwards. It doesn't come back on, instead becoming even worse. The scenery of the fountain is indiscernible from the static and white noise it screams. Finally, with a strangled yell, Meena shuts it off. The air is thick with uncertainty. Yet, all I can feel is relief. Getting worked up over nothing; I almost laugh.
"Nothing! We got nothing!" Meena shoves the pillows off her to stand. Sylvia buries her head in her hands and lets out a slow, suffering sigh. She mutters something, but all I catch is 'tantrum' and 'not here'. The tan girl stomps around the room and rips at her hair. Despite the relief I feel, I frown. Meena seemed more… emotionally invested in this than Sylvia or me.
"This SUCKS!" She collapses onto the pillows, narrowly missing her head on the bed frame. The rest of her words are muffled in cotton. Sylvia sighs again and leans her head against the wall.
"Don't mind her much," she whispers to me, "she'll eventually tire herself out and fall asleep." A small smile slips onto her face. I nod. Drowsiness was pulling at my eye lids making them feel heavier than they actually were. The fluorescent light of the room was beginning to hurt my eyes as well, I felt like I've been pulling an all-nighter on a robot.
"We should have a sleepover."
The words pull me out of my tired trance. Sylvia fidgets beside me, eyes drilling holes in the knees drawn up to her chest. Her pale face is red. "I mean… it is the break so we won't technically be breaking any rules, and we're already all here." She mumbles the last part to herself. I want to laugh at the absurdity. She backs up the sleepover with the fact we won't be breaking rules? Who cared about stupid rules?
"Sounds fun." Meena contributes from the floor. She rolls onto her back. Her hair is a mess of curls over the four pillows she's lying on. "I get these pillows."
"Meena!"
The arrangements are settle quickly. Meena and I would get the floor while Sylvia would keep her bed. The dorm room is big enough that Meena and I won't be sleeping directly beside each other, and for that I was eternally grateful. Large, heavy blankets were laid over thin mats and fluffy pillows were given to us. The TV was turned back on and a quiet movie played in the background. The screen illuminate the dark room in a dim glow. The blinds over the window were closed firmly, so no stray moonbeams were here tonight.
Every so often Meena would give a tired giggle at the movie showing. I tune it out and am on the verge of sleeping. I drift in and out, the haze claiming my brain. Tomorrow I would have to talk to Grif and Olive and deliver the Pigment shard, but for now I am snuggled in the thick blanket. The cold winter air presses on my face, but the rest of me is snug as a bug. Snug… Bug… I'm tired. I shift slightly and pull the blankets tired and slip into sleep.
Night was the hardest. My mind was muddled and desperately needed sleep, but I needed to work harder. More, I can still train. My eyes shut involuntarily. Focus. Focus. Breathes become slower, my chest barely rising. I push past the tiredness, past the numbness in my legs, the hunger in my stomach and center all thoughts on my Pigment.
Red flares behind my eyelids and engulfs all senses. The energy flares beneath my skin, but it's just embers. With a probe from my emotions, I stoke the feeling.
"Clancy." The voice drives me out of my thoughts. Looking up from my bed, Etihvv is standing at the doorway. Their mop of white hair is messy and dark gray under circles line their eyes. I stare Etihvv down, hands curling into fists at my sides. They move from the door and enter the small room. The air seems to become cooler sending a chill up my spine. The door shuts behind them with a small click. One click. One click and I could have freedom.
"Stop trying to connect with the Pigment." Etihvv drops to a crouch. We're eye level, their silver eyes staring into my own. I used to curse that I was born with silver eyes like the enemy. When I met Etihvv I found solace with the fact someone else shared that burden. That solace isn't there anymore; all that can be seen is a bladed gaze digging into me. My throat is dry, but I croak out a question.
"How-"
"It was my Pigment first Clancy. I can tell when you're accessing it." Etihvv cuts me off. They stand quickly, but we don't break gaze. "If you don't stop I'll corrupt it again." I flinch at their harsh words. How could they know? I was being so careful. They weren't even connected to it anymore so how?
"There's no point to connecting with it either." Etihvv snorts. You're wrong. I want to say the words, but my lips don't move. You were a Pretty Cure; you know how important it is. I shift my legs and stand. Stumbling towards the opposite of the room, I crumble in the corner. Like a child in timeout, I wedge myself in the corner and stare at the blank, white wall. It's better than looking at a living reminder of your mistakes.
"Really Clancy? I'm trying to have a conversation with you here." Footsteps sound behind me. I brace for a hand or a cold touch, but nothing meets my body. Blonde hair shifts over my eyes obscuring my gaze. Leave.
"I wanted to talk about Aero, but I suppose you don't care~." Etihvv hums. I twist and glare openly at them. The world is tinted red. The urge to grab and hit them tingles in my palms. I dig my nails to calm the drive that is pushing me to do so. Don't fight with anger. Don't fight with hate. I repeat the Pretty Cure rules in my head. Fight. Anger. With hate. They jumble, dyed in the color of rage. I jump to my feet. Etihvv anticipates this and grins.
"She's gotten strong." Something about their gaze is off- it isn't focused like they aren't really there. "She can defeat Dead-Colors all by herself."
"You couldn't even do that." My blood runs cold at their words. I stumble back as if physically assaulted. Nails dig deeper into dirty skin, but that doesn't stop the trembling. Etihvv advances slowly. Their gaze bores into mine, a small grin slipping onto their face. White teeth gleam like bones in the night. My back hits the wall. The need to escape explodes forward. Knees knock beneath. Strength. Hate. Anger. Don't fight.
"She's gotten a lot better since you've disappeared." They tilt their head. The moonlight shines on their gray skin, it almost looks pale white. They were never pale white.
"I'd say it's because you're gone she's better."
"That's not true!" My voice is hoarse from disuse. The words crack and crumble out of my dry lips.
"How would you know?" Etihvv is suddenly in front of me. I shrink back into the wall, trembling. That slashed smile gleams. "She's not even coming for you."
"That's… not… true…" Tears burn at my eyes. My gaze swims. But it is. I betrayed her like I betrayed Etihvv and the Queen. It only makes since she'd leave me.
"Hey," Etihvv's fingers ghost over my cheeks. They brush away the tears that have slipped by. I push myself further into the wall. I can't stop shaking. My limbs won't respond. As I gulp for air my lungs burn. I deserved this. The knight in shining armor is supposed to fight with justice and what did I do? I abandoned everyone. Numbness spreads from my chest.
"She's replacing you too." Etihvv continues to brush at the slowly spilling tears. The dam breaks. I sob and finally, my hands respond. Hands, mine or theirs, who knows, wipe at the pouring tears. I sob and cry and collapse against the wall.
It wasn't true. It wasn't true. It wasn't true.
My chest constricts and I gasp for an answer.
Morning comes with an entourage of thin sunlight beams cutting across my face. Birds chirp quietly outside, their tune barely reaching my ears. My head lulls back in the pillow, desperately trying to go back to sleep. It's a fleeting dream, for once awake there's no going back. My limbs are sore, specifically my hands. The bruised skin pushes at the blankets for inspection. Cuts crisscross against my knuckles, extending down the palms of my hands. Warrior's hands, the first thought of the day.
"Where'd you get that scar?" Meena's voice throws me from my thoughts. My shirt sleeve skirts around a long, thin scar along my forearm. It's stark against my dark skin, a reminder that this wasn't a game nor as easy as it seemed sometimes. Absent mindedly, I rub my fingers over the scarred skin. No lies come to mind so nothing leaves my lips. Early morning silence becomes heavy instead of heavenly.
"Sorry, guess I shouldn't have asked," Meena laughs and moves from her bed.
"A fight."
"Eh?" Meena blinks in surprise. "You fight?" My cheeks heat up at her words. It's an innocent question, no malice or ill will behind the words, yet-
"Not like that." The lie tastes like saw dust in my mouth. Blinding blades fill my head, dodging barely, feeling the tip cut into my skin; blood drops in giant puddles against the floor, staining my hands. I suck in a heavy breath and banish the thoughts. It's over with, stop thinking about it, I mentally scold myself. The bed to the right creaks followed by the shuffling of sheets. Sylvia's blonde head pops out, blue eyes blearily staring at us.
"Good morning~" Singsong, Meena steps over me to drape herself over the edge of the bed. "Want to get breakfast?"
Breakfast was quick and easy. The cafeteria still offered food for the students staying. Winter break officially started two days ago so the campus was vacant. My parents were out of country meaning I had to stay. Meena seemed to be in a similar situation, but while I am content she laments the fact.
"Business people, am I right?" She speaks through a gooey mess of pancakes. Sylvia crinkles her nose at the bad manners. I shrug and eat a piece of toast. After this I've got to talk to Grif. Hopefully, they didn't stay up all night for me. Many other students sit at the large wooden tables. Despite the nervous aura that filled the campus the last few weeks' laughter rings loud in the air. A smile works its way on my face. "I guess keeping that to ourselves was right then." Meena mumbles.
"Everyone was already so frightened." Sylvia agrees. Her face drops, eyes staring intently on the chopped up food.
"You know, I thought fainting was supposed to be like falling asleep quickly." The conversation at the table is taking a dark turn. It's wrong to be talking about grim subjects in the white light of the morning. Meena continues on, "Like your ears are supposed to ring and your vision goes and then boom darkness!" She claps her hands loudly.
"But, that's not what it feels like at all." Her words send a chill across the table. My posture slumps, I can't meet anyone's gaze. Not that it mattered, they weren't looking at me at all, their gazes seem far away as they remember how it is to have their emotions forcibly removed.
"Sometimes I think I'm awake, but-"
"You don't feel like you." Sylvia finishes with a hollow voice. I bury my head in my hands. The Land of Canvases with all those people… they're just sleeping. They're husks. Emotions and the self of sense erased.
"It's not natural." Meena whispers. My chest twists. Conversations buzz around my ears, but I can't speak. I couldn't know what they were talking about, I've never experienced it.
"So ghosts were the reason?" Sylvia teases lightly.
"Of course! My family has a history with spirits you know?" The switch is flipped and the grim topic changes to that of a light hearted one. The enthusiasm that punctures Meena's voice is forced; the smile she wears doesn't reach her dark brown eyes. Laughter pierces the air from another table, a howling like that of a storm. It crashes against the fabricated happiness we produce. I can only stay silent, waiting for the chance to excuse myself.
"Merle, you're back!" Grif shoots through the air and towards me. I extend my hands, letting the griffon clasp onto my forearm. Their claws wrap around my skin, careful to not puncture. "What took you so long?"
"Impromptu sleepover." The memory, despite being slightly ruined this morning, still holds sweet in my mind. The griffon nods their head sagely. Using my free hand, I dig the Pigment shard out of my pocket. It gleams a dark evergreen, no power was feeding into it meaning it was useless at the moment. I wonder what it represents, the thought worms its way in. I'd have to ask Olive.
"Good, you got another one." Grif unlatches and flutters to the shard. I give it over so it can be connected to the main Pigment. Grif was the Guardian… weren't they? I could probably ask them instead of Olive. The idea sends relief through my sore body. Olive was, to be put gently, a little weird.
With a small snap the Pigment absorbs the fragment. It's almost full, only two or three shards left.
"What does the green Pigment represent?" I cross my room for my notebook. The griffon could talk for hours, so it's best to take notes.
"The emotion? Well, Pigments are core emotions, but they also embody an array of others." The griffon soars across the room to rest on the edge of my wheelie chair. "The green Pigment like all Pigments have dual emotions. It can represent harmony, growth, and balance. On the other hand, it can have negative connotations as well."
"Jealousy, greed, possessiveness." Grifs voice drops. "The green Pigment also gives those off. If one isn't careful, it can affect you negatively." The mini lesson is over just as fast it's started. The words mull in brain, the gears turning to understand them. Negatively, positively, duality; the words turn over in my head. I had a good guess of what the blue Pigment represented, having it around your neck 24/7 did that, but the others were a mystery. Negatively, was I being influenced by the Pigment?
"Don't worry about what I said Merle," the griffon placates me. "Even if you're affected, it isn't drastic." The words do nothing to calm me. I frown and pick at the stone.
"But it's still influencing me." Barely above a whisper, the words come forth. Grif pauses, tail swishing through the air.
"Influence is the wrong word Merle." Wings pound once to take to air. Fluttering in front of my body, furry paws are placed on my hands. I reach out and lightly grasp a paw in what could loosely be called 'hand holding'. "Influence means it has power over your mind and thoughts. Your thoughts would not be your own, and even if they were the Pigment would have had to lead you to it."
"It's not like that?" Every piece of information would be helpful in this situation. It was easy to forget that something alien is hanging around my throat, something that even by its own culture wasn't understood completely. The only people who had a grasp on the Pigments were Grif, the Pigment Guardian, and the Queen. And from what's been gathered, only one was alive.
"No. The Pigments are not malevolent at all; they don't have thoughts of their own." At the little joke, Grif chuckles, "Pigments are just crystalized emotions. That is all."
"When I said it affects, I meant that the Pigments are not just pleasant things. They give off the malicious emotions; anger, hate, regret." The griffon pauses. The words soak in my brain. Of course, when they explain it's simple. A sigh of relief passes from me. Influence, affects, the words are so similar.
"Do you understand now that I've explained?" Grif gently pulls their paw out of my grasp. I nod. It's not exactly a lie, but uncertainty still pricked at my heart. Grif's beak twists in a smile. "If you have any questions, I'll try my best to answer them."
"It's your job isn't it, Guardian." Slightly teasing, I twist away and head to my table.
"Of course!" They puff their chest out proudly with a grin. I roll my eyes and sit down. The table that's usually full of wires and tools is instead covered in papers. Some have designs and others are covered in words of ideas and plans. My laptop sits at the far corner in sleep mode. Computers were necessary for programming and internet help, but I liked to plan first on paper.
The rest of the day slips by quietly. Sunlight turns from white to red, bathing the room in a wine color. Quiet music bursts from my computer filling the room with orchestrated notes. Grif sits quietly on the bed reading one of my textbooks. Just looking at one make me nauseas. Before I know it, it's already sundown. Another day wasted in the dorm room.
Pushing from the table, I cross the room to open the window. The air is stuffy and cold. A freezing breeze blows in the second the window opens sending shivers across my skin.
"I hate the cold." Grif shuts the text book and worms their way under the blanket. A playful look is sent their way.
"Don't you have fur?" If they didn't what was shedding everywhere? Grif pokes their muzzle out, beak turned down in a frown.
"My wings don't."
"Another meeting," Tessur curses under his breath. He passes back and forth, mind focused on other problems than just the one at hand. I sigh and shove my hands in my pockets. This sucked. Something was changing, I could feel it. Or perhaps, things have changed already since Lord Monochrome came.
"I know Tessur, what's it about?" My eyes trail after the nervous man. He stills, hands still in the air. Silence fills the room, coiling around our throats and abstaining us from breaking it. My throat tightens at what it could be, were we mobilizing? Being killed? The unsettling leader could be thinking anything; no thoughts were betrayed on that stone face of his.
"I-I don't know." Tessur hoarsely whispers. "I think- I think I know what's happening however." He turns to me. I swallow thickly, waiting for him to elaborate.
"Well?"
"If I'm correct, then we're going to be ending this very soon." The uncertainty is gone in an instant and replaced by seriousness. His back straightens, eyes narrowed in focus. "You better start preparing Anneis; a big fight is on the way." I chew on my lip at the news.
"Hmm… you sure?" I cross my arms. A big fight and that'd be without Dead-Colors. Grinning, I thrust a fist forward. "Great! We'll squash Aero as a team! Four and against one, she'll have no chance!"
"Four against two," Tessur corrects. "The Green Pigment owner."
"We still got fragments."
"We have only two left, if we use them on Dead-Colors..." Playful Tessur is gone at once replaced by strategist Tessur. He mumbles theories and what ifs to himself. I role my eyes and tune him out. He can worry about all this after we defeat Aero. Energy flows in my veins, the thought of a serious fight boiling my blood. A chance to get revenge on all those loses that Aero, by herself, caused. A chance to expand the Grayscale Empire.
"Am I late?" Etihvv enters. A grin is prominent on their face. I shake my head and squash down the niggling little feeling in my heart. Teamwork would be required if we were to win. I stand behind the couch, pacing back and forth. Tessur returns to their chair tapping rapidly on their phone. Already making plans, I let out a laugh.
"Good. You are all here." The laughter dies in my mouth. Lord Monochrome enters like a shade. I immediately fall to attention, straightening and focusing. His black eyes pass over the three of us, quietly demanding attention. We give it to him with no hesitation, when your Lord asked of something you did it.
"I am sure you have an idea of what is going on," he looks to Tessur. "And I am here to tell you we will be fighting." I control the urge to whoop and scream. A real fight! A chance to let my fists do the talking instead of a stupid monster! I could pound that little girl into the concrete!
"When is this happening?" Etihvv leans forward from the couch. Lord Monochrome looks down at him, face as impassive as ever.
"Right now."
Afterword: Shorter chapter than usual, this is because it's a set up chapter. Expect action, lots of action next time.
Leave a comment or constructive criticism or anything, I would love to hear from those who read this
