I don't own Hanazuki: Full of Treasures.
Pink is my favorite Hemka and "Slow Sand Rises" is my favorite episode. All of them are really really adorable though.
The moment Hanazuki steps into her love's part of her subconscious, her feet immediately come into contact with something bouncy and soft, as if she were walking on clouds. As the dreamscape comes clearly into view, the Moonflower saw that it actually was clouds that she was standing on.
It looked like her moon, but everything looked... softer, somehow. The sky was a light shade of periwinkle rather than the usual darker night skies, and very few stars flickered through. It was new and beautiful to the Moonflower, though. She was surrounded by pink Treasure Trees.
Running through the area was an immediately familiar rainbow river, flowing peacefully, carrying the heart shaped leaves blown from the trees gently down until they simply vanish into the distance.
Hanazuki looks around in wonder until her attention is captured by a kind, high pitched voice calling her name.
Her love, in the form of Pink Hemka, smiles warmly at the Moonflower as she sits on a rather large heart shaped leaf, calmly drifting in the river.
"Pink..." Hanazuki murmurs in awe as the Hemka bows in greeting.
She motions for Hanazuki to sit next to her, the leaf she floated on large and durable enough to function as a little raft for the two.
As Hanazuki obliges, the river resumes its flow, the leaf-raft gently moving forward. Pink wraps one ear around Hanazuki's hand, slowly closing her eyes as the rainbow stream pushes them slowly along. It was really kind of soothing.
And the emotion simply begins to sing, soft and serene, as if it were a lullaby;
"Moon River, wider than a mile,
I'll be crossing you in style, someday..."
Hanazuki listens, unconsciously smiling. The song seemed oddly familiar somehow, as if it were a shut away memory, distant and mostly forgotten from ages and ages ago. It seemed, strangely, quite appropriate, however, given the fact that they were riding down a river in a leaf. It kind of added something magical to this.
"Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,
Wherever you're going, I'm going your way..."
The Moonflower begins to feel a bit homesick. She loved this dream, but it felt as if it were going on for days and days instead of a single night. She briefly wondered how long she had been sleeping, lost in the relaxed melody of the song.
"Two drifters, off to see the world,
There's such a lot of world to see..."
Pink opens her big eyes again, looking up at Hanazuki sweetly, perhaps understanding how she was currently feeling.
"We're after the same rainbow's end,
My huckleberry friend,
Moon River, and me."
Hanazuki perked up, the song having put her more in ease. Pink leans against the Moonflower, gazing ahead.
"It's nice, isn't it?" the Hemka chirps, "I don't have any tests to remind you of love. In fact, it's nice just to talk about it."
"Talk about love?" The Moonflower looks rather nervous now, "where... do we begin?"
"Well, sweetheart, there are many different ways to express love, actually. Family love and friend love, to name two. Like your Hemkas."
"My...?"
"You share a very special bond with each of them. They taught you everything you know, you take care of them, they are your family. You love them, and they love you." Pink closes her eyes, "It's that simple. You tell them you love them quite often, and I personally think they like those reminders. Have you ever pondered the idea that they consider you like a mother to them? Chicken Plant's offsprings that you helped raise aren't the only ones that love you in that way."
"That's true," Hanazuki replies softly, starting to feel homesick again. She was home, but not quite there at the same time.
"And Kiazuki, Maroshi... Kiyoshi," the emotion gives Hanazuki an all too knowing smile upon mentioning that last name, "you share a family love with them, too, your fellow Moonflowers... perhaps even something beyond that."
"Yeah," the Moonflower replies sheepishly, slightly embarrassed now, despite technically talking to herself in her own head.
"And Sleepy Unicorn, Dazzlessence, they're also your family. You care deeply about everyone living on your moon. Except maybe... Basil Ganglia, but..."
Even when her own love mentioned that name, it slipped off of the tongue like a curse word. Ouch.
"Anyway," Pink shudders slightly, "you have felt love you never quite seemed to grasp having completely, but it is still present, nevertheless. You have so many people who love you, in only the beginning of your life. In turn, they are very close to your own heart, as well."
"You're right. But is it ever bad to think," Hanazuki starts, "that those guys only like me because I grow treasure trees and keep away the Big Bad?"
Pink looks up in mild surprise.
"I'd have to say... yes. Because that isn't true, Hanazuki. You are so much more than that. You shouldn't let those negative thoughts consume you like the despair. They would love you even if you weren't a Moonflower."
The Hemka, holding onto Hanazuki's hand still, hops off of the leaf with the Moonflower following close behind, letting the leaf glide down the river on its own.
"Come with me. Like Fear has done before me, I want to show you your memories."
"Again?" Hanazuki inquires, shrinking back a bit from the unappealing experience from Fear's part still haunting her mind.
"Yes, but not your memories of fear. That isn't me. Your memories of love." Pink, like a real Hemka, briefly changes into the shape of a heart and back in a matter of seconds as the word "love" was spoken.
"It is helpful to use more ways than one to remind you."
The scenery changes back to the interior of Hanazuki's house, a familiar screen still sitting in the same place on the wall. It was brighter inside than before, however, which made the Moonflower feel more secure and comfortable.
Sitting next to Hanazuki, Pink nuzzles against her in a reassuring way before the screen flickers on.
"Just watch. They're some of your sweetest memories."
Like in Fear's part, the reminders play on the screen in Hanazuki's point of view. Saving the real Pink Hemka from slow sand, and the first baby Chicken Plant she'd met, followed by Junior; the first of the babies to ever be raised to protect the moon rather than ravage it...
Then there were Kiazuki's and Kiyoshi's first times expressing love. Two different days, but they ended up being happy ones.
Hanazuki is so affixed on the screen that she almost doesn't notice the fact that she's glowing pink, as is her emotion, beaming beside her.
"You've done it," Pink whispers, hugging Hanazuki, "and we couldn't be more proud of you... You're letting your love shine through. It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is," the Moonflower agrees, beaming joyfully, scooping up Pink and twirling her around in happiness, before suddenly stopping, realizing something as her pink glow fades away.
"Does that mean this dream is over?" she asks in worry.
"Not quite," the emotion smiles, hopping out of Hanazuki's arms and leading her somewhere else.
"There's still one last place that you have to go."
As these words are spoken, they stop in front another door, this one larger and more elegant looking than the rest.
Shimmering brightly in all of the colors of the rainbow, the entrance stuns Hanazuki with its extravagant beauty.
"What is this one for?"
"It's a surprise," Pink answers teasingly, closing her eyes again, "you'll have to find out for yourself."
The Moonflower decided not to question why it was a surprise, supposing it just added to her own excitement and anticipation to find out where the fancy entry would lead her. She lifts Pink up to kiss her head as she did with the others as a thank you, but Pink kisses her on the forehead first, smiling mischievously.
"You're welcome," she says sweetly, hugging Hanazuki one last time before watching as she shoves open the heavy rainbow doors.
"Be careful," the emotion calls out to the Moonflower, who was feeling quite fulfilled as she stepped through the doors, which slowly swung shut behind her, and promptly vanished. She couldn't go back to Pink or any of her other emotions now.
What greets her here was a familiar clear white void.
"Isn't this... back where I started?" Hanazuki asks herself, walking around in the nullity. "Hello? Anyone here?"
Suddenly, she loses her footing and begins to fall. Like pools of ink, whirlpools of pitch black surrounded her and stained everything with darkness.
She can only watch, and continue to fall deeper, as the last bit of light vanishes from her sight.
In complete and total darkness, the Moonflower finally hits the ground again, from a long, long fall. Rubbing her head, she wobbles as she gets back to her feet.
Manifesting from the gloom was a ghost-like version of herself, highlights turned black and bearing an angry expression on her face, glaring at the Moonflower harshly.
Hanazuki rubs her eyes, looking back at this lookalike. She wasn't imagining things.
"...Despair?"
Sorry for the cliffhanger, guys. Here's where things take a darker turn. This story isn't all sunshine and rainbows.
Good thing I update frequently. You won't be hanging from that cliff for too long, so stay tuned!
There's only a few chapters left before this tale is complete.
Sorry if the song part was a bit cringeworthy. "Moon River" just seemed very appropriate for the situation, really. It's late here guys. I'm tired. You don't make good choices when you're tired.