Chapter 15
"Merle… Merle wake up!" Fuzzy paws smack my cheeks. I groan debating whether to, but ultimately sit up. Early morning light streams in through the window illuminating the room in a light glow. Grif sits on my lap looking distressed.
"What time is it?" My mouth feels dry and my head fuzzy. The first time in a while I sleep well and it's ruined due to a panicking Griffon.
"That doesn't matter! Look, the green Pigment is reacting." At the words, Grif pulls the Pigment out. True to what they said, it's fluctuating from a lime green to a dark evergreen and pulsating with power. The sleepy haze is gone in a second; I take the Pigment from their paws and run my fingers over the jagged edges. "Something is coming Merle, you need to transform."
"Are you sure? There are no Dead-Col-"
The words die in my mouth. Something was wrong. My eyes slowly look around the room. Everything is a washed out gray, from my blankets to the wallpaper, it's like the Land of Canvases. My hands tremble as I push out of bed. The air is cold and lifeless, cutting into my throat as I breathe.
"What… What happened…?" I look to Grif. They shake their head and look away. No, no this couldn't be happening. My heart drums in my ears. This can't be happening. I scramble to the curtains, ripping them from the window. Gray. Everything is a muted color. The usual green hills of campus are a dark gray; the trees are silver; the sky itself the same washed out blue of the Land of Canvases. Yet, when I look to the left and peer out the gates of the school, its normal.
Like a dome has descended over the school. Said dome blocks everything, even the warm rays of the sun. I open the window next, fingers fumbling over the simple clasp. I can't control my limbs; they shake on the simplest motions. Not even a breeze meets my cheeks. Everything is still as if hung in suspension.
Just like the Land of Canvases.
"Grif…" I can't get more than the griffon's name out. My heart twists in my chest. My eyes are glued on the gray outsides.
"Don't lose hope Merle, we don't know what's going on." Grif flutters to the windowsill. Despite the words, I can tell they are freaking out like I am. "Monochrome is launching an attack, we need to be ready."
I numbly shake my head and reach for my Pigment. "We need to find Olive." If they were coming here, perhaps we could fix her Pigment. I would need all the help I could get.
"I'll call her, you need to transform." I don't need to be told twice.
"Pretty Cure Primer and Gloss." The transformation washes my clothes away in blue energy and replaces it with my uniform. "The Color of the Unforgiving Earth! Cure Aero!" With no time to waste, I leap out of the window. Landing in a roll, I dart across the gray campus. I haven't felt a Dead-Color be born yet, so why was it gray? Monochrome's power? His lackeys? I skid to a stop right at the school gates.
They're corroded silver, but just outside the thin bars is color. The street is alive with warm browns and art swirling on the sides of buildings. Below my feet, the gray stretches. Slowly it slips past the gate and proceeds to eat at the color nearby. It's spreading! Is this what happened to Clancy and Olive's homeland? Grays slowly eroding at their home until there was nothing left? Stop thinking about that. I force the thoughts away.
Sharp howling cuts through the still air. I turn, but see nothing. Digging my toes into the soft earth, I run. Eyes scour the land for any irregulars, besides being gray, however there's nothing. No other howls, no blurs at the corners of my eyes. Where is-
A Dead-Color tears across the soccer field. Large clumps of dirt assault my body and I quickly jump back. The same howl erupts above. My head jolts to find the source. Short boots barely hit the ground when I'm hit again. A large paw cages me to the dirt. Knife like nails barely scrapes my skin. A cat Dead-Color stares down at me with slanted eyes.
"She really walked into that one didn't she Tessur." The booming voice of Anneis reaches my ears. I strain my neck to see the two gray people walking forward. Like a puppy, the other Dead-Color trails behind. It looks to be an origami man. Its joints are all folded over as well as its triangular body. Where facial features should be is blank, lined paper. The cat Dead-Color pushes its paw down harder. I let out a chocked scream, my chest creaking beneath the pressure.
My knee snaps up, my foot connecting with the back of the leg pinning me down. The Dead-Color howls loudly and presses harder. I can't breathe, the pressure is too much. I gasp for anything and thrash beneath the paw. My boots dig into the Dead-Colors skin, but it's like pushing into steel. I squirm beneath, unable to worm my hands out from underneath.
"Look, she's trying to get out." Anneis points out the obvious. I grit my teeth and glare at the older woman. She glares right back.
"Enough Anneis," Tessur sighs wearily. "Just grab her Pigment." The man runs his hand through his long bound hair. I land another bone crushing kick on the Dead-Color, but it doesn't give. Anneis gives a curt nod and heads towards me. The paw overhead slightly pulls off. It isn't enough to let me get out, but at least my chest isn't threatening to break. I suck in a much needed breath and shift my body lower. The only thing that isn't concealed by the large, furry paw is my face.
I glare in defiance at the woman. She scowls and with her hand motions for the Dead-Color to move. The paw is completely removed. In an instant I'm moving. I swing my legs up and bend my knees. Snapping my feet upward, they crack against Anneis' face. She lets out a howl and stumbles backwards clutching at her now bleeding nose. I slam onto my stomach, barely dodging another swipe from the cat. The other Dead-Color starts forward now.
I push up and block a fist from the origami Dead-Color. I block an arm next and grasp the wrist. Heaving it upwards, it intercepts the incoming attack from the cat- the knife like claws dig into the torso, piercing through the paper thin Dead-Color and extending through its back. I hold back a scream and leap to the side. In a cloud of dust and paper shreds the two Dead-Colors hit the ground.
The cat rips its claws from the Dead-Color and launches towards me. I duck down and throw a punch upwards. My fist barely scrapes the soft fur of the cat's underbelly when I'm hit. Again. I slam into the Earth feeling it cave around me. The cat tries to pin me down, the shadow of its large paw falling over my face. I extend my hands upward, catching it midair. My hands tremble with the effort, gloved fingers digging into taut skin to keep it aloft. The translucent claws extend downward and with a yowl the cat gives one final push.
My arms snap to my sides. The paw pushes down. I let out another scream as pressure increases on my chest. Can't… Breathe… Even thinking hurts. The second Dead-Color looms closer like a wraith at the corner of my eye. Its paper thin body shifts with the winds as if one strong gust would blow it over. Extending its arms up, the Dead-Color prepares to drive its arms downward. I can barely move, the paw pinning me down harder than before. Think. Think. Think.
"The Pigment that stills the heart! Aero Bit Buster!" Energy takes shape in my palm; hardening to become steel. My hand can barely move. I angle my wrist to smack the side of the cat paw with the Bit Buster. The miniature cell tower begins to vibrate with energy and sound. The paw releases with a loud yowl as the cat backs away. This doesn't stop the other Dead-Color. I twist barely dodging the downward fists.
I bring the Bit Buster upward, blocking the next flurry of punches. The sound of paper hitting metal rings throughout the gray landscape. It echoes endlessly constantly followed by another punch, another block. I leap backwards, dodging a thrown punch. It slams where I was, the ground cracking beneath. I dismiss the Bit Buster with a flick of my wrist. The steel becomes blue energy and shatters like glass in the still air.
"Tessur, shouldn't we join in?" Anneis nudges the smaller man beside her. He shakes his head, eyes narrowed towards me. A shiver runs up my spine.
"Not yet." His voice carries over the silent battlefield. The ground cracks beneath my feet as I launch forward. Like hell I'll wait for you! I leap in the air and bring my heel down towards the paper Dead-Color. It folds beneath my heel, entrapping my leg. I let out a yell as I drop against the gray field. Paper extends up my calf, climbing towards my thigh. I drop my other leg down. The paper rips beneath the force, but it's not enough. More paper unfolds, entrapping both of my legs. The Dead-Color shifts its body, extending parts of its torso and folding more over my limbs.
Changing shape? A shiver runs up my spine. I messed up. The cat Dead-Color prowls at the edge of the field, hisses dripping from its maw. Focusing on the problem at hand, I rip through the paper. It easily shreds beneath my touch, but that's not the problem. The problem is it grows twice as fast. It squeezes on my legs, slowly folding up higher towards my hips.
A parasitic mermaid. That's what I look like.
"Now Anneis," I barely have time to look up before something hits me. Hot, searing pain blossoms across my cheek reverberating down my face. My vision blurs and all I can feel is the hot pain. Numbly, I am aware I hit the ground, but I can't think at all. A rough hand pulls me up from my collar. Muted blues mix with a fuzzy outline of gray. Long hair wisps around my face, tickling my skin.
"Good Bye Aero~" Her voice is oddly far away.
Everything snaps into focus. Her hand curls around my Pigment. My hands clasp around her wrist and yank. I slam into the grass and block the incoming punch. I redirect it to the side, the air cutting against my sweaty skin. Anneis curses, twisting over my body. I force my legs up, still wrapped in the paper, and drive my knees into her stomach.
She crashes to the side with a loud thump. Alas, she isn't down for good. She's up in a second and throwing me to the grass. The hits are relentless; I block most of them, but not all. Pain stings from my chest, my cheeks, and my forearms. Anneis presses her knees down, my chest burning with the need to breathe. She's practically sitting on me. My hands are locked with hers, pushing her away from the Pigment. Arms tremble with the effort to keep pushing up.
"Get… off…" I grit the words out.
"Give me the Pigment!" She yells. Her brown eyes are lit with fury. I'm so focused on her that I don't notice the quiet footsteps till it's too late. A gray hand reaches between our limbs and rips the Pigment from my neck. My transformation flickers before my eyes then disappears. At once Anneis overpowers me. My hands are pushed to the sides, digging into the soft grass.
It doesn't register. At least not a first. My eyes blink, unfocused on everything. I'm dully aware of the pain from my chest vanishing as well as the searing pain that was blinding half my face dulling to a constant throb, but nothing else registers. The paper constricting my legs squeezes and I let out a howl.
"Good job Tessur!" Anneis cheers over my screams. Hurts, hurts, hurts, my mind sticks to the word. No other thought passes. The pain is worse than before. My legs feel like they're being compacted.
"Nice job on leaving her open," Tessur compliments her right back.
It's completely silent. Something that usually did not happen till late at night. I lie on the mat straining for a single noise. Nothing permeates the thick walls, even the slight thrum of when the TV above is being used. The world outside is also silent; no breezes pass through and no wild life comes from the dunes.
My senses perk for something, but alas I am met with disappointment. I sit up from the mat, eyes searching the blank, white walls for something. I'd try to connect with my Pigment again, but the thought of Etihvv coming again…
No. I'd rather not. My body trembles as I bury my head into my knees. Tears threaten to spill at the thought. Horror and fear gnaw at my insides. I couldn't meditate, I couldn't connect with the Pigment, I couldn't do anything. I'm always met with sneering, reprimanding or impassive eyes that always left me scurrying to look elsewhere. My life could be brought to an end at any moment. That's what Etihvv said.
Why should I trust them…
Maybe they've all left. The idea doesn't bring as much joy as I thought it would. The unsettling silence suffocates what little joy there is to wring from the situation. What about me? The odd thought wriggles in my brain. If-
I don't matter. I deserve this. To rot alone in the insides of this dungeon. The hunger that will come to eat at my insides and consume me. My eyes dully stare at the blank, white wall. When was the last time I ate? Oddly, I can't recall.
What day is it?
When did they leave?
None of the questions have answers. I search my heart and mind, scouring for the littlest detail, but nothing comes forth. Numbly, I make my way towards the door. A bony hand grasps where the knob should be. I push against the door. It doesn't budge. I push harder. It barely shifts. My eyes narrow on the bars that are on the slot where a window should be. My fist slams into it. The metal bites into my skin. I slam my fist again. The metal bites harder. Again. Bite. Again. Bite. Slam. Slam. Slam.
A feral scream escapes my throat. Hot tears drip from my eyes. Blood blossoms in tiny rivulets down my palms. It splatters against the bars: the thing keeping me from freedom. Another angry scream explodes within the room. It's the most noise that I've made since I've been locked up.
For how long?
I remember counting the days in the beginning, but it was fruitless. It was unnecessary.
Locked up forever.
I collapse against the door. Blood drips from my busted hands and smears the white door.
Crimson. Vermillion. Red.
My gaze only sees that hue. Hot tears pour and blot my vision. I couldn't be stuck here. Not anymore. I needed…
I needed…
To what? The thought drains all energy. The question that should have an answer, but doesn't. The words are on the tip of my tongue, but so out of reach. What was I doing this for? The question circles my brain like it has for the past… well, I don't know how long. The nights are endless and welcoming, letting all questions and memories seek refuge in my brain. Letting all thoughts tell me what a screw up I am.
My hands sting as I bring them up to the door. The blood from my busted knuckles smears over the surface. I shakily stand, breathing heavily. Questions bombard my brain, each one heavier than the last. What was I doing? What am I doing here? Why did I bust my hands? The blood drips from my thin fingers.
Hollow, like something's been taken from me. Like a sword carved my insides out, leaving a husk where a person should be. Maybe I was turning gray as well. I stare at the blood running down my hands. Not on the outside, but on the inside. Maybe my heart was already gray. Was that why I felt empty?
Tears dribble down my cheeks, dripping on the blood. A washed out color just like me.
Anneis and Tessur stand over me. The paper Dead-Color has retreated, leaving my legs free. Not that I'd be able to use them. Pain overwhelms everything, blotting out the commands I try to send them. Move… Move… I need to get the Pigment back, but they don't respond.
"Teamwork Tessur! It gets shit done!" Anneis pumps her fist upward.
"Enough gloating, let's go." Tessur tugs at his long jacket. The blue Pigment is looped in his gray fingers. Despite this, he isn't corrupting it. I can still… Still what? My arms struggle to lift my weight. The shake beneath my chest, readying to collapse. Curls of black hair fall before my eyes, no longer the electric blue hue of Cure Aero.
But, I'm not powerless. I was in this position before- with Vermillion. However, she wasn't here this time. There'd be no bursting through windows with a heroic kick, because I was outside, but mostly because I was alone.
"Come on Tessur, just a little gloating, like we did with Vermillion." My head snaps up at Anneis' booming voice. "Oh, that got her attention." A razor like smile stretches across her gray face.
"I'm not done yet!" Somehow, I find the strength to stand. My legs collapse a second later, sending me to a sitting position. "I'm… not…" The words are a struggle to get out. My heart sinks like a stone to my stomach.
"So annoying." Anneis snorts. "We've won, just accept it." She puts her hands on her hips, the broken bracelets jingling on the finished fight. My hands curl into fists at her words. Reality seeps forward, the rose colored lens graying as the surroundings. Another harsh wakeup call; this wasn't a game. The hero doesn't get to start over again. "I'll…" My legs tremble beneath, jolts of pain cascading down the limbs.
My hands curl into fists in the dirt. Flinging my hand forward, a clump of dirt soars through the air and smacks against Anneis. She lets out a yelp and wipes it from her jacket. Another clump hits her in the head, and crumples in her sight. "I can still fight!" My voice is hoarse. I grasp another handful of dirt. Before I can launch it, something grasps my wrist.
"This is just sad." Tessur looks down with a look of pity. When did he get behind me? A second ago he was by Anneis. The dirt crumbles in my hand, falling to the torn ground. His hand is cold as ice, chilling me to the bone. My limb goes limp in his grasp, dropping from his thin, vitiligo spotted fingers. "Let's go Anneis." With that, he turns.
"What? I don't get revenge? She pelted me with dirt!" Despite the whining, she follows faithfully beside Tessur. A scream lodges in my throat, painfully stuck there. Boiling rage bubbles hot beneath my skin, waiting to explode forth. I couldn't lose! I had to rescue Clancy! Had to protect my friends! The feral scream finally escapes, hoarse and hurting. It echoes endlessly over the gray, empty soccer field. No people would hear it; they were lying asleep in their beds never to wake again.
How could I lose? My body trembles at the question. I had doomed this planet. Again. My chest heaves as I curl my hands in the gray dirt. I gulp for more and more of the still air, trying to force my trembling body to calm down. Get the Pigment back. I needed to do get it back. Heat flashes over my skin, a byproduct of my feelings. Anger, at either myself or Tessur and Anneis. But, mostly at myself because I was stupid.
I struggle to stand again, but this time I don't fall. My legs wobble beneath and threaten to break beneath my weight. Yet on shaky steps I follow where the two left.
I promised to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, I can't end here.
My legs protest against the slight steps I take, but they don't crumple.
I have to protect my friends.
My resolve hardens.
The ground beneath has been torn up in large scores. Cat prints are imbedded into the soft earth, giving an easy path to follow. They go across campus, leading all the way up to the busted school gate. It's bent outwards, jutting crookedly towards the town. The gray has advanced. No longer is it creeping past the school gates, but it's crossed the town, swallowing whole buildings. As I move forward, the stillness of the world presses down. It stifles my breaths; as if I breathe too loud I'd be breaking something.
The path continues on down town, instead of large prints in dirt however, its large gashes in the street. Collapsing to the side of a light post, I take a breather. The brick buildings to the sides cast long shadows over me, making my body shiver. I squash the feeling down and push onwards. The silence of the town is unsettling. Bodies slump in the streets, as gray as the Land of Canvases. My insides twist and I force myself to look away.
The glazed look of an adult passes over me. He's slumped against the wall, clutching a phone. It beeps and beeps, but there's no one there to answer. My hands grasp where my Pigment should be, but it's not there. Even as I pass the man I can feel his eyes looming over me; accusing me. Like I've swallowed a stone, my throat constricts.
Can't worry right now, there's more important things to do. I mentally berate myself, but the stone sits at the bottom of my belly, cold and heavy.
"Merle!" A harsh whisper runs throughout the street. I turn wildly, looking for the source. Something dark darts across the street. Before I know it, I'm enveloped in a warm hug. I stumble back, catching myself before I can fall. The smell of popcorn and flowers hits me full force. Smell. I hadn't noticed till now, but when gray there was no smell at all.
"Are you okay? What happened?" Olive pulls away. Her lips tug into a small frown and her hand rises to my cheek. Fingers probe right around my eye, causing me to wince. "That isn't going to look good tomorrow."
"Why aren't you transformed? Where's your Pigment?" I pull away further from Olive and look up to Grif. They flutter around the two of us, eyes searching. I want to tell them, but no words come out. "Merle? Where is it?" A frantic note enters their voice. The fluttering becomes more jagged. Grif swoops right by me, eyes searching for an answer. My cheeks burn and I look down to my feet.
"You lost." The quiet accusation comes from Olive. My head snaps up at the words. I open my mouth to deny it, but I can't.
"Merle," her voice trembles. Tears well in her eyes and threaten to spill over. My heart tightens to the point it's hard to breathe.
"We can still get it back." Grif speaks. They land on Olives trembling shoulder. Gently they nuzzle their beak into her glistening cheek. "Calm down, we need to think." Their voice is softer than I've ever heard. Olive sniffles and wipes at her face, then looks up. Her eyes, despite being watery, are steeled.
"Sorry. This is… it's just like with…" The Land of Canvases. She doesn't need to stumble over the name of her homeland.
"We can still get the Pigment back. They haven't gone back for good." I steel my own face. I could be sad later when, if, this plan didn't work. Olive nods and straightens and is still barely at my chin.
"This… could work I suppose." Olive whispers to me. An ear of the cat Dead-Color twitches. I shoot her a look and press my finger to my lips, shhh. Embarrassed, Olive shrinks back into the brick wall and mouths a 'sorry.' I peer from out behind the wall, eyeing the two gray scaled people and the Dead-Colors. One of them was gone, the origami one, so I suppose luck was on our side. But, where is it? I do a quick scan of the area yet nothing pops up from the opposing buildings.
The time has come. Olive darts from our hiding space, hand curled around a rock. She slings her arm forward, launching the rock forward. Before it can hit anything, she's already dashing to the other side. The rock crashes against the back of Anneis' head sending the general sputtering. She swings wildly around, but the two of us have already ducked out of sight.
The air shimmers before my eyes. I duck out of the way, a fist slamming where I once was. The brick wall explodes inward in a cloud of debris. Anneis lets out a hiss of pain and tries to yank her arm out. The bricks shift, but ultimately keep her locked. "Tessur!" She screams, wildly gesturing to Olive. "The green Pigment!"
The Dead-Color howls and launches towards Olive. From above, Grif swoops in. Like a bullet they dart downwards and into the cat's line of sight. The Dead-Color stops and skids on the pavement. The griffon swoops and swerves in the air effectively drawing the attention of the cat. Not too hard as they do look like a bird from afar. Corkscrewing in the air, Grif dodges a swipe from the Dead-Color. Good. The strongmen were gone. Not to say that Tessur wasn't strong, I've seen them make Vermillion spit blood.
Olive and I dart out from our respective alleys. Tessur smirks and shimmers away. I stop, looking wildly for where he'd reappear. A 'CRACK' comes from where Anneis is. Swerving my head, I watch as the tall woman pulls herself from the wall. Her knuckles are barely dusty from the bricks. This is fine.
The shimmer reappears by Olive. All according to plan. She twists and dodges the swipe from Tessur. Olive is like water, she fluidly moves between his movements, and dances just out of reach. From behind the cat Dead-Color is coming in hot. Grif speeds down the road at breakneck speeds. Olive twirls from behind Tessur, drawing his attention away from the beast.
A rough hand grabs me from behind. I let out a muffled scream as something drags me down. I hit the pavement, seeing stars. From between those stars I can see Anneis rushing to Tessur. I struggle to get up, fatigue hitting me in waves. It would be so easy to just not move. To sleep. Yet, adrenaline surges beneath my skin, pumping fire in my veins. The pain seems to disappear, my legs pump as I run across the gray street.
Olive is already snaking her way towards Tessur, hand outstretched to my Pigment.
The cat Dead-Color crashes down.
Anneis pushes her way past Tessur, a roar leaving her lips as she punches the Dead-Color.
A loud crack resounds as the Dead-Color lets out a howl. Grif darts between the two gray scaled lackeys and snatches the Pigment from his fingers. Olive pulls back at once, dancing away from punches and kicks. She hits the ground however, not able to dodge the last attack from Tessur. Anneis turns, and shimmers. I leap up, grasping the Pigment between my fingers.
"Pretty Cure Primer and Gloss!" When I hit the ground, my uniform is on. Energy surges beneath my skin, the world sharpening before my eyes. I twist on my heel and catch the punch Anneis launched. The ground cracks beneath my boots, but I don't give.
"The Color of the Unforgiving Earth! Cure Aero!" I twist and throw Anneis towards the Dead-Color. She'd already done all the heavy lifting for me, why shouldn't she be the one to finish it? She crashes into the already whimpering Dead-Color with a scream. The two hit the ground in a tangle of limbs. I stretch my hands forward calling for my oversized pencil.
"The Pigment that tranquilizes the heart!" The code coils at the tip of my pencil. I thrust the instrument forward, expelling the built up energy. Anneis detangles herself as the code draws closer. As it coils around the Dead-Color, it catches onto her ankle. Anneis hits the ground with a howl of pain. Color dyes into the fur of the cat, turning it from gray to a grayish blue, but that's not all; the caught foot begins to change color. The dark gray of her skin changes to a color similar to Olives; a dark tan.
"Anneis!" Tessur calls for his fallen teammate. Abandoning his fight with Olive he races towards her. The Dead-Color swells like a balloon, readying to burst. The blue code breaks and with a POP the cat follows suite. The paint splats against the street, barely missing the shimmering gray scaled people. I release a breath I wasn't aware I was holding in. My whole body sags with the movement as if I'm about to keel over.
"Merle!" A chorus of my name draw my attention. It takes all my will not to fall over as I'm embraced in another tackle hug. Olive was a hugger, I was beginning to learn. Grif flies around the two of us, beak bent into a smile. I smile back, throwing up a thumbs up as well. A second later though, I drag it down, my cheeks burning in embarrassment. "We did it! You outsmarted them darling!"
"It wasn't that hard…" My cheeks burn harder at the mumbled words.
"Um… darling how did you know that Anneis would protect Tessur? What if she would have abandoned him?" Olive finally pulls out of the hug. She takes a step back, a look of confusion gracing her face.
"The two seemed close, and they are partners after all." I scratch at my cheek and look away from the beaming woman.
"There's even more good news," Grif interrupts. They fly closer to us, extending a claw forward to present a glimmering green shard. Olive picks it up, smiling softly. She turns the shard over in her hand, before attaching it to her own Pigment. Just a sliver is missing now in the dead Pigment. "We're close Olive, soon you can become Cure Myrtle."
At the griffon's words, Olive stills. After a moment, she runs her long fingers over the broken Pigment, an indescribable look on her face. Is she nervous? I slightly frown, trying to pin what was wrong with that expression. Melancholy? Finally, she looks up to the floating griffon with a smile.
Afterword: Sorry for the late update.
Leave a comment, review, constructive criticism. I would love to hear from y'all.
