Kumiho’s green eyes slowly flutter open as she lays sprawled out across the field of different colored flowers and stares up at the giant glowing red flower in the sky, her eyes tracking the white roots’ many pathways down through the void. She sits up from the ground blinking her bleary eyes while passively running her fingers through her hair. While running her hand through her hair she notices her right hand’s leather glove is completely torn while the left one has some holes in it. She lightly peels the glove’s torn bits off her right hand, noticing the hand is completely unharmed and slides the tattered left glove off before stuffing the pieces in her pockets. Her reddish orange hair is disheveled but has a half crown braid on the back and nestled into the right side of her hair, a lone white flower rests. After rubbing her eyes, she looks around and notices Sune, Fang, and Hollie speaking to one another; the first to notice her is Hollie who quickly looks down at the ground in dejection. Sune notices Hollie’s change in demeanor and turns to look at Kumiho carefully waving towards the red-haired girl with a light smile on her face.
“Good morning Kumiho!” Sune says happily in Kumiho’s direction, but her smile quickly fades when she notices Hollie’s demeanor again.
“Hello everyone. Is Hollie okay?” Kumiho speaks calmly towards the group.
“Hollie woke up a few hours earlier than you and other than feeling bad about what happened she is unharmed. As are the rest of us thanks to you.” Fang responds with a cordial smile on his face and when he turns to look at Hollie for a moment a small crown braid can be seen within his short grey hair.
“Thats good. And Hollie... I don’t blame you for what happened.” Kumiho says as she slowly walks up to Hollie. Hollie’s hair isn’t up in a ponytail like usual and instead is hanging down in a long braid falls down the middle of her back. Hollie continues to stare at the ground lightly clasping her hands together by her stomach; her face filled with remorse and a tremor in her eyes and lips.
The midnight haired girl grips the edges of her cloak and her tail falls low towards the ground as she looks up to stare into Kumiho’s green eyes, “I... I’m sorry... I didn’t know what happened... It just all went dark-and-and you were on the ground and I-” Hollie is interrupted as Kumiho suddenly slowly wraps her arms around Hollie’s thin body, a sad look marring her face.
“And no one blames you. You... We, couldn’t have known.” Her voice a barely audible whisper while lightly rubbing Hollie’s hair. Hollie freezes for a moment and her tail springs up before all her muscles relax and she begins silently crying in Kumiho’s arms, only the occasional hiccup and sob being heard.
In between barely audible sobs Hollie asks, “Why are you forgiving me so easily when we barely know each other?” Her barely audible voice quivers.
Kumiho slightly moves away from Hollie to look at her amethyst eyes and smiles ever so lightly “You remind me of someone... And I’m not going to hate you for something you had no control over.” Kumiho softly speaks.
Hollie’s mouth opens but all that comes out is hot air as she chokes down her words and continues to stain Kumiho’s red shirt with tears. They stay there for a few more moments before Hollie pushes away from the embrace and wipes her eyes with her arm while continuing to stare at the ground with puffy red eyes.
Suddenly a loud voice booms through the flower field “Hollie has completed their trial.”
Kumiho and the rest look around before Sune yells “Oh! It’s the same voice from before!”
Kumiho turns towards her in confusion, “What happened while I was out?”
Sune places her right index finger right under the right side of her mouth before answering the question “Oh uhm... After you two passed out all the flowers suddenly just grew and covered you both under them and that same loud voice started speaking.” She puts on a serious expression while placing her left hand on her hip and tightening her right hand into a fist and raising it in front of her face before speaking in her deepest voice possible, “Kumiho has completed their trial. Then a light flashed from under the flowers covering your bodies and the flowers slowly peeled off you two and when they were gone your injuries were all healed. Oh, and as you can tell the huge hole in the path was fixed too, I’m not even sure how it was just kind of there when I looked away from the hole for a second and looked back.” Sune stops staring into space to point at the now repaired path and gives a small smile.
Kumiho nods at Sune before giving a cursory glance at their surroundings again but only sees a path of endless flowers floating above an abyss. Fang’s quiet voice rings in everyone’s ears and they look at him, “Now that everyone is awake do we want to continue our walk or just rest for a little while longer?”
Sune merely looks at Hollie and Kumiho who both simply nod and start walking down the path, Hollie still wiping her eyes as she walks. Sune smiles at the two’s responses and turns to Fang, her melodic voice happily ringing through the air as she smiles, “Shall we?”
He begins walking past Sune while smiling “Wouldn’t want to get left behind by those two, let's go.” The children continue down the seemingly endless road of flowers and around the occasional holes until they finally notice something different: a large pink lily stands tall within the center of a circle of smaller pink lilies. Sune’s eyes glaze over as they begin to gleam a bright pink, and she walks in a trancelike state towards the flower. Hollie begins to panic as she sees Hollie leave and is about to run to Sune’s side before Kumiho stops her by grabbing her shoulder.
She lightly whispers into the night-haired girl’s ear, “We don’t know what will happen if we stop her. I know you don’t want a repeat of last time but if it does happen again, we will be prepared to stop her before anything happens.”
Hollie stares into Kumiho’s green eyes with a conflicted look in her eyes. Her eyes darting between Kumiho and the slowly walking Sune, her body quietly trembling, “Okay...” She breathes out slowly, “I’ll wait.”
Kumiho nods with a serious expression and they all turn their attention to Sune’s small form walking through the field of lilies. She stops right before the flower and lightly reaches her hand towards one of its large petals just above her head. As her hand grasps the petal, she and the flower are consumed by a glowing pink star of bright pink flames, radiating a strangely cold heat. The three onlookers react with shock before a strange aroma reaches their noses and their vision is covered with pink wisps that take on the shapes and forms of people who then begin moving and dancing in hypnotic ways. The children’s eyes glaze over and their muscles relax; they feel perfectly at peace, as if everything is perfect and nothing can harm them at that moment. They begin to see and be surrounded by their lost family and friends: Fang breaks down in the arms of his kneeling mother; Hollie sits at her grandmother’s wooden dining room table listening to her grandma hum a calming melody while the tantalizing scent of mooncakes wafts through the room; Kumiho sees a black-haired figure with a face marred by a light yellow mist. She recognizes the figure as the same girl she has seen die thousands of times in her dreams and as she stares at the girl the girl stares back, and smiles, grinning from ear to ear. “Hello Kumiho. I’ve been dying to speak with you for years.” An ethereal voice rings in Kumiho’s ears as she watches the gold mist slowly consume the pink wisps and surround her in its cold embrace.
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Kumiho’s fur and hair stands on end as she slowly backs away from the figure without responding, but no matter how far she walks the figure stays the same distance away. “Oh please don’t be like that honey. I’m sorry if I scare you but I promise I mean no harm.” The figure’s ethereal voice is melancholy but sweet, Kumiho’s body remaining tense despite its words.
“Who... What are you? And why are you here?” Kumiho cautiously asks the phantom in front of her.
“I don’t have time to explain but please heed my words and take them to heart for I only want the best for you.” The figure’s voice becomes suffocating as her tone shifts into something much darker than before, ”Take Solace in The Dark and Distrust The Light.” With those fleeting words the figure turns and walks away, vanishing into the gold mist that surrounds Kumiho. The gold mist slowly dissipating and being replaced by the pink glow of the strange wisps that fill the air. Kumiho stands there motionless in the field of pink lilies, a pink glow lighting up the area until her glazed over eyes suddenly regain their clarity and she shakes her head. Looking around she notices Fang hugging one of the wispy shapes with tears in his eyes and sees Hollie sitting on the ground holding wispy utensils and opening her mouth to eat imaginary food. The last thing she notices is the large pink star in the center of the field but before going over to it she goes to the sitting Hollie and crouches down to lightly shake her shoulders, but nothing happens. She tries again with Fang and once again there is no reaction behind those unfocused eyes, so she turns her attention to the star and begins walking towards it.
As she gets close more details can be made out. What had originally seemed like flames in the orb are actually wispy figures of people: ghostly apparitions of faces slither across the orb’s surface, new ones occasionally pushing out and old ones dissipating or being pulled back in. Arms, legs, and even most of a roughly human shape will push out of the orb and be stretched and contorted across its surface before being absorbed back into the pink star. Kumiho watches the apparitions with a contemplative look on her face before she feels a strange power tug at her heart. A warmth that is pushed and pulled through her body that desperately wishes to be released. For a moment she focuses on the feeling and lets it run free. She suddenly feels her body fill with power just like when she touched the rose; her body heats up as all her muscles relax and she simply basks in the strange power once more as a light red aura surrounds her and she reaches her hand straight into the orb. Feeling something wrap around her arm she is forcefully yanked into the pink orb.
Her vision is swamped with bright pink light for a moment before slowly ceasing and revealing the world to her: a small patch of pink lilies resides in a black void of nothing in all directions and at the center of the lilies is Sune’s small figure. She is wearing the same white dress Oswin bought her the other day and her wavy cloudlike hair slightly floats as if untethered from gravity. A light pink glow comes off the hair and Sune’s pink eyes glow a strange and unnatural pink, nothing like her original pink eyes in any capacity. Behind her stands a pink wispy figure just like the ones before, but one whose shape is much more defined and clear. Each of its long strands of flowing pink hair can be seen with clarity; its female shape appears fully defined without any of the waves daring to go off their original course and in place of its eyes are two solid pink lilies. As Kumiho stands before the two the creature looks at Kumiho before whispering words into Sune’s ear, “You cannot trust them child... Look at what that girl did to you... They are a danger and wish you harm... There is nothing wrong in using people who have hurt you” Its charming almost hypnotic voice rings through the void before Sune responds to the creature fearfully, her body twitching and her mouth twisting into a grimace as if her whole body is cramping “No... They are my friends! I can’t-AH! I can’t...” She pants as her occasional screams and grunts fill the void. “Why won’t you listen to me you stupid girl... I only wish for what is best for you... WHY WON’T YOU TRUST ME!” As the creature becomes angry with Sune its sweet female voice is replaced with a ghastly growl as a deafening scream reverberates through the world itself and seems to shake the void. As the yell pierces through the dark interior both Kumiho and Sune crouch down while clutching at their ears and screaming in pain.
Kumiho stands slightly dazed, but the light red glow helped to defend her from the deafening screech, whereas Sune without that protection remains crouched onto the ground while clutching her ears as blood leaks from them. Kumiho seeing this decides to rush in but is suddenly stopped by a vine of flowers grabbing and wrapping around her leg and as she looks down at it her whole body suddenly freezes and the world seems to disappear for a moment, the only sensation remaining is the cold touch wrapping around her leg, “You cannot interfere child. This is her test and hers alone. You may speak with her during the challenge but cannot directly interfere. Do you understand?” the voice is deep and otherworldly but not directly threatening or hostile, but regardless Kumiho still feels an instinctual primal fear towards the voice and can barely mutter out a faint “yes...”
“Good... Until we meet again, child.” The voice slowly tapers off before becoming a barely audible hum that completely disappears as the flowery vine slowly lets go of Kumiho’s leg and returns to the ground. After the words of the strange being that stopped her, Kumiho decides to simply stay exactly where she is motionless watching the scene in front of her play out.
“Why... Why! why why why why! WHY WON’T YOU TRUST ME!? I’M ONLY HELPING YOU LET GO OF THOSE LEECHES! YOU CANNOT TRUST THEM!” The entities voice becomes progressively more ghastly and aggressive as its anger starts to mount.
Sune is crouched low to the ground her hands still clutching her blood leaking ears before her low voice resounds in retaliation to the creature’s statements, “They can be trusted. Yes, I’ve known them for a short time and yes, I don’t know anything about them, but they’ve only treated me with kindness for all of our time together. But you, I know nothing about you and yet all you’ve done is scream and whisper doubts into my ear.” Sune turns around to face the apparition head on, her voice filled with venom “Why should I trust a monster like you?”
“YOU INSOLENT GIRL!” The creature’s hand manifests into large claws and lifts Sune up by the neck “YOU’D RATHER TRUST THEM OVER ME? YOU’D RATHER REJECT YOUR OWN KIN AND LIVE WITH THOSE VARMINT WHO ONLY WISH TO SEE YOU AND ALL YOUR KIN’S DEATHS?! YOU’VE SEEN WHAT THEY DID TO ME AND WHAT THEY ARE WILLING TO DO TO YOU!” The creature continues to yell in a mad rave as Sune desperately claws at the long pink smoky fingers gripping her neck, desperately trying to make space for her to breathe while she gasps for air.
As the creature continues it begins wildly throwing Sune around while still gripping her neck, its voice having become a loud cacophony of raucous voices and screams. As it continues to flail wildly it ends up throwing Sune. She lands with a loud thud and skids across the ground before slowing to a stop as her head rolls back onto the ground, her eyes staring at the void above her while tears slowly form in the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry mom...” Sune whispers to herself before a clear and calming voice pierces through her mind.
“Sune... Sune...” Kumiho’s calm and gentle voice passes through the air like a calm breeze that calms Sune’s nerves.
“Kumiho... Is that really you...?” Sune’s frail voice asks Kumiho as she stares at Kumiho’s upside down blurry figure.
“Sune... You have to get up.” Kumiho’s light voice chimes through the field.
Sune lays looking at Kumiho’s figure before lightly smiling at the blurry figure, “Thanks... Kumiho... If your even real.” Sune lightly smiles and wipes her tears before getting up and facing the demon. Her eyes glowing with increased intensity as she stares down the ghostly creature. As she opens her mouth to speak the creature suddenly rushes forward and as its outstretched claw is mere inches from her face, “Stop.” Her clear voice resounds through the void and is followed by a wave of pressure that bears down on the beast as it is frozen in place, an angry scowl permanently etched into its face. Sune somberly looks at the ghostly figure and gently places her right hand on its cheek as she brings her head forward to place it under the spirit’s chin. “I know who you are now, but it’s time to go. We can’t keep going like this, desperately grasping onto the last remnants of something long gone... Holding onto it until it is unrecognizable. I think it’s time for the both of us to move on and begin anew. Don’t you agree?” As Sune’s affectionate voice chimes through the ears of the spirit it slowly starts to dissipate and reform into the warm figure of a young woman with snow white hair and bright pink eyes who lovingly wraps her arms around Sune’s small body.
“I’m sorry sweety...” The woman warmly smiles as she smothers Sune’s cries in her light orange knitted sweater. With those departing words her figure slowly dissipates into pink smoke and the black void they stand in slowly develops pink cracks as it falls apart revealing the large burning flower in the black sky and the long winding path of flowers that stretches on forever.
