okay so most of the story takes place in, um... Hanazuki's 'psychological landscape' if you will. Last chapter I stated that this chapter is when the story is going to get weird... wasn't lying

I don't own Hanazuki: Full of Treasures.

Where am I?

Hanazuki finds herself in a white void, completely alone. It had a weightless feeling within it, but she could still walk somehow. She cautiously observes these strange surroundings.

"Hello?" she calls.

The only response is her echo.

"Anyone here?" she tries again.

The echo resonates back to her.

But I don't want to be all alone here... I don't understand... Am I dreaming? I don't like this...

A tiny dark spot appears where there was once nothing. Thinking it was perhaps the shadow of another being, Hanazuki becomes hopeful, excitedly calling to it, waving it over.

But it doesn't respond.

"Am I seeing things?" The Moonflower asks herself and rubs her eyes, only to see the blot had gotten bigger, like an ink stain on a piece of paper. It was awfully familiar to her somehow... The ominous shadow began to expand even more, creating a swirling expanse of black surrounding her like a hurricane of darkness.

Then she recognized what this was.

The Big Bad. This was not a dream, it was a nightmare. She couldn't wake up.

"No... Help! PLEASE HELP! SOMEBODY!" Hanazuki screams as the shadows eat away everything in her sight, covering her eyes and cowering there in the center of the chaos.

Out of the corner of her eye, a flicker of red appears, zooming to her rescue and chasing away the wretched abomination. She squeezes her eyes shut as everything starts to calm down once more.

She feels something lightly touch her hand, warm, soft and... furry?

"It's okay, Hanazuki. You're safe," whispered a voice she recognized, yet did not know at the same time. It was rough and raspy, yet high pitched and cute sounding.

The Moonflower opens her eyes to look, only to come face to face with none other than Red Hemka, resting an ear on her hand.

"Red Hemka...? What are you doing here? How'd you chase away the Big Bad? You're ... Did you just talk?"

The Hemka fixes Hanazuki with a sympathetic look.

"You ask a lot of questions to me, but my job has nothing to do with the logic and reasoning within your mind." He chuckles as Hanazuki gazes at him, dumbfounded.

"First of all, the question that you should be asking is what you are doing here, my dear. I belong here." The little creature's ears twitch slightly, a cute smile of mischief crossing his furry scarlet face.

This was the most perplexing dream the Moonflower had ever experienced.

"You... I... What? Red, we can have a conversation!" She squeals excitedly, "I can understand you, but what you're saying right now-"

"Second of all," the Hemka continues, never breaking eye contact, his smile dropping, "of course I can talk."

"But-" Hanazuki starts, but is interrupted.

"And third of all," his ears perk up as he gives the girl an unamused glare like a parent scorning a child, "I am not Red Hemka."

"You aren't...?" she asks, a slight laugh in her voice, "But you look exactly like him! I know all of my Hemkas. Don't joke with me, Red." The Moonflower crosses her arms.

"I'm not joking. The real Hemkas don't speak your language now, do they, Hanazuki?" he asks her, a smug smile on his face again. Red Hemka's smile.

"I'm you. Well, merely a part of you, that is."

"A part of... me?" Hanazuki tilts her head.

"That's what I said," the Hemka confirms flatly, rolling his eyes. He seemed very condescending, "I am the physical representation of one of your moods. I am your feistiness."

"My... feisty...?"

"You see, my dear, your mind associates me with your Red Hemka, the one who taught you feisty feelings, so it gave me his form and his voice to make you feel safer and familiar with me," the emotion smiles up at her, "and as your very first true emotion, I can chase away the Big Bad, because I'm more powerful than it is. All of us are." He suddenly looks sadder, "for now, at least."

"This is all in my head," the Moonflower murmurs in slight relief, "so you are my feistiness... in the form of Red, because that's who I feel represents you best?"

"To make you feel most familiar with me, yes," the Hemka confirms, his voice softening. "It's all for your comfort in here, Hanazuki. This is the deepest part of your subconscious mind. Your deepest sleep in a very long time..."

"So... why am I here?" Hanazuki asks. It felt so strange understanding what a Hemka is telling her...

"We have some things that we must show you," he frowns, "for we believe that you have forgotten who you are."

"What do you mean by 'we'? And I know who I am! I'm Hanazuki, Moonflower..." She trails off upon seeing that the Hemka's little sad face doesn't falter.

"You are despairing, Hanazuki," her feistiness tells her, "the darkness is spreading within you, and you are here with me, because I am first to remind you of your true emotions, to potentially save you from those toxic feelings dragging you down. We, the rest of your emotions, are being weakened by this despair, and our only hope is for you to overcome it."

"I don't know where it came from," Hanazuki replies mournfully, "I'm sorry, I don't really understand..."

"And that is okay. We know, and we can explain it to you. All we must do is remind you of your real feelings and overcome this venomous despair," the Hemka holds out one of its ears for the Moonflower to grab hold of as a flickering wall of reddish light pours into the whiteness of the void, creating a soft pink color that was warm to the touch. And from that light formed a little arch, resembling an entrance.

"Shall we begin?"

"I... I'll trust you, Feisty," that didn't sound right to Hanazuki, "is it okay if I just call you Red? You're taking his form, and, well..."

"I don't mind that at all. In fact, I'd prefer it," Red beams, "as long as it makes you feel comfortable."

She takes his ear, functioning as an arm. The Big Bad was cold, frightening and foreboding, but the form her feistiness took was just like a real Hemka, squishy and warm. She wondered if he would let her hold him if she asked.

"I have one more question, Red," Hanazuki stops in place, hesitant. The Hemka looks up at her with curiosity. "Why is the Big Bad here?"

"That's your Despair, silly." the emotion states as if it were completely obvious, hopping along nonchalantly, "you can't recognize it? That's weird, HZ."

This comment sent a shiver down the Moonflower's spine. Red seems to notice this, speaking again immediately,

"It won't hurt you as long as I'm here."

They vanish into the red light, out of the blank void and somewhere new, the Big Bad silently stalking after them.

I fear the layout in this chapter is a bit similar to a part in another fanfiction I've read that was actually my inspiration for writing this one, but next chapter will be very different. I apologize if this part feels a bit like a ripoff.