I don't own Hanazuki: Full of Treasures.
"H-hello? Fear?" Hanazuki walks in the darkness, looking around cautiously.
"... Lime...?"
The Moonflower can see nothing but a cold, pitch-black void. Did her Despair reach this place?
Before she could start to worry, a trembling, sweet little voice answers from behind her, gentle and soft.
"Yes...? Don't worry, I'm here!" Her Fear comes out of the shadows to greet her. Of course, he resembled Lime Green Hemka. Hanazuki smiles in slight relief, but it fades when she sees that the emotion is shivering quite violently.
"Are you all right?"
"Oh!" Lime squeaks, jumping back a bit, "y-yes, I'm just fine, thank you... Just afraid of the dark... and sudden noises... and my shadow... and pretty much everything, except for you..."
Hanazuki giggles, scooping her Fear up in her arms in a comfort hug. He reminded her of the real Lime Green Hemka a lot.
"Aww... Do you think we should turn on the lights, then? So we can, um... see where we're going...?"
Lime's eyes light up as if the idea had just popped into his head.
"Oh, yes! Good idea, Hanazuki, I..." he turns away in slight embarrassment, "was too scared to do anything when the entrance to my part of your mind opened... Those sudden noises, you know? I'll do it now!"
The Hemka raises and presses its ears together twice, as if clapping, and the area immediately brightens with an ominous green glow. It wasn't any better for Hanazuki, but the emotion seemed more relaxed now.
"That is much better," he sighs, leaping down and wrapping one ear around Hanazuki's hand, squeezing it softly, "I have not introduced myself properly, I'm terribly sorry... I am your fear, but of course, you can call me Lime Green or just Lime. Are you ready?"
"I-I'm not sure," the Moonflower responds. She didn't quite know what to expect from her Fear, considering the contrast between his soft demeanor and emotional role in her mind. This was the personification of her anxiety and trepidation... perhaps she'd expected her fear to be in the form of a Mazzadril or Twisted Unicorn, things that she was actually afraid of.
But the more she thought about it, the more it fit. Fear was taught to her by Lime Green Hemka, after all, and her emotions took the forms of her Hemkas to make her feel familiar and comfortable. She found it sweet...
Just simple, yet impactful reminders. She had no true reason to despair surrounded by the creatures that she loved, but the Big Bad's influence was trying to make her fall.
"Perhaps you would like me to explain what we're going to do before we begin?" Lime asks, causing her to snap out of her thoughts. The scenery had changed, she noticed.
They were now in her house. But it was completely empty, except for a large screen in front of them. Lime was still holding the Moonflower's hand.
What's that?" Hanazuki asks, her eyes wide with curiosity and amazement at such a strange thing.
The Hemka smiles at her, a sense of pity reflected in his eyes.
"We're going to look through your memories."
"My... memories?"
"Yes. The things you remember from the past, from the moment of your birth to today, at this very instant," the emotion answers quietly, "you remember a lot of events influenced by the way you felt, feelings you soon forgot because of the corruption of despair. But the memories of those times are still there. All you need is a reminder."
Hanazuki takes a deep breath, echoing Lime's words in her head. All I need is a reminder.
"So what memories am I being reminded of?"
The Moonflower turns to see Lime has disappeared from her side, cowering behind her instead.
"Please forgive me for what I am about to show you," was uttered in a whisper.
Before Hanazuki could respond, the screen flashes brightly, turning on.
Then came the memories of fear, coming back to haunt her.
Big Bad attacks. Mazzadril attacks. The Hemkas and her other friends in danger. Dying Treasure Trees. Drowning in slow sand. Twisted Unicorn's ambush on her moon. Damage to her moon. Being alone. Trapped inside of the volcano and watching her worst fear, over and over and over again...
The memories repeat themselves, faster and louder. Hanazuki flinches, covers her eyes, shaking, falling over on the floor, trying not to look, but she can still hear it. It becomes almost deafening, the shouts, the cries for help, the sounds of the Big Bad draining the moon, and it repeats, getting even louder than before. It gives her no choice but to listen no matter how much she tries to block the agonizing sounds.
"Please make it stop," the Moonflower reaches for Lime while still on the floor, breathing heavily and struggling not to cry, "please...!"
Her bracelet turns a bright green, followed by her hair, flower and dress, she notices in her strenuous effort and pleading, and then everything is quiet again. Silence.
She feels a gentle touch wrapping around her hand again, looking up to see a glowing Lime Green, looking a strange mix between sympathetic and terrified.
"I'm sorry... but I had to show you those things."
"Why!?" Hanazuki snaps, her lime glow suddenly turning to red, but stopping once she realizes her tone came out harsher than she'd expected. Lime looks surprised as his glow fades, perhaps even showing the slightest hint of pride in Hanazuki for expressing her feisty emotions for a second time.
"...To remind you of fear. It is not a pleasant emotion, but it is a feeling that all creatures must have in order to survive. If you hadn't felt afraid in all of those past memories, things would most likely have ended badly. You would probably still be trapped on that dead moon if your real Lime Green Hemka hadn't influenced you to learn how fear felt."
Hanazuki looks up at the emotion in understanding, immediately feeling guilty for getting mad at him, especially considering the form he took.
"All you need is a reminder," Lime repeats.
"I've done my part, and you have fulfilled your goal here. You don't have to see any more of those scary memories."
"Thank you," the Moonflower slowly gets to her feet, "I'm sorry for getting angry..."
"No, don't worry about it. It's understandable, and I'm proud of you for that. Your Feistiness probably is, as well, for expressing your moods like that. A true Moonflower can overcome anything," Lime smiles, hopping with Hanazuki towards the end of what appeared to be a tunnel, a dark green door appearing there.
"Mellowness?" Hanazuki asks.
"My complete opposite," the Hemka remarks softly, "you'd love this one, especially considering what you went through in here..." he looks a bit guilty somehow, making Hanazuki feel bad as well.
"No, no, it's fine, Lime," she hugs him close and kisses him on the head, "you were only reminding me of... well, you. My fear. That's your job. It was helpful."
The emotion smiles bashfully as the Moonflower puts him back down and goes to the darker green door.
"Thank you," he whispers to her. She simply laughs.
"No, thank you. You don't have anything to be sorry for. That's what you had to show me. Now I understand again, so I'm grateful." Hanazuki cautiously pushes open the door to see a very peaceful and serene place, resembling a meadow, unfamiliar, yet it felt safe at the same time. Waving goodbye to her Fear as his image fades with the doorway as she enters the area, she sets off to find her next Emotion.