517. Rose new world, 8

(Rose)

Being reborn, again, still takes a toll on the mind.

Even though I slept for weeks, maybe months, my brain and all I know restarts in confusion.

Senses readjust. Memories. Speech. Articulated thoughts. It’s like that odd second of uncertainty after waking up, but multiplied in duration and intensity a thousand fold.

It all comes back though.

Feeling the light in my eyes, the air in my mouth and then in my throat and chest.

R - I didn’t realise how much I missed breathing air... Oh it feels so nice.

I smell roses even. I see a wild field of ominous looking brambles around, all dried up by now. There are also wilting roses still in bloom along them. Dry petals fly away with the light wind.

Out of the central bulb and heart of these roots spreading in spiral around us, I stood up.

Alive.

Breathing. Thinking.

R - I’m alive again...

N - We made it.

Whilst Blume smiles inside of me, I turn around to meet that other voice.

My twin body makes me jump as I discover her.

A black skinned woman stands there. From head to toes.

N - What?

R - I’m just surprised.

I may have gotten used to Myls over the years, but black people still trouble me against my will.

She’s looking at me as well. Now that I see her facial features, I guess she does look like me anyway. With a meaner look on her face maybe, or is that just an impression I get?

She grabs my wrists to look at them.

We stand in the middle of a sunlit field. It still feels a little unreal. But being able to breathe fresh air feels so good, I could stay there without a care until nightfall.

I realise that Nightmare is looking at my hands with curiosity since they are as black as hers. The darker shade from my hands progresses along my wrists and forearms.

I have a second of doubt, but I see my chest and shoulders are still pale as I’d expect.

Along my arms, my skin changes colour gradually and completely.

R - That’s new...

I hear both of them giggling.

N - You don’t like it?

I hold my arms and hands up, looking at them. It looks really unusual to me. It’s not make-up or paint. It’s the skin itself that’s darker.

Actually I do like it. My left arm with that colour reminds me of the one Nightmare had made for me, and my right arm the one which the third Licht got from a transplant.

I have faint memories of that event I didn’t live myself, but inherited at some point.

I have a few memories like those.

I end up smiling, looking at my arms, and at Nightmare born human.

R - I like it. It’s a nice surprise.

She has a malicious grin.

Looking back at my chest, I notice the absence of sprouts. I knock onto the bone in between the ribs.

R - Blume? Are you in there? You’re awfully quiet on this bright day.

B - I’m sleepy. It’s been an exhausting night. I’ll wake up soon enough to take over your body just for myself, do not worry.

Now I grin. My bad flower sounds alright.

Now I’m left with a friend who’s still figuring out the persona she wants to become.

R - Please don’t put too many bad dreams into my brain at night.

N - I want to know how it feels when it’s uncontrolled.

R - Funny. That’s always been your thing to play with other’s dreams, yet you never experienced it.

N - I’m growing.

When a being-like-her says something like that, it really means something important.

Her intelligence has increased manifold, since the first times we met.

The once oblivious god, living on obsessive instincts and alone, now thinks and learns like a human being.

R - It’s like watching a child grow...

Like Blume back in the days. God-like powers, without education nor awareness. Godly new-born babies...

With some pushes, with interactions along their environment, they learn, they grow. They can learn they’re not gods, only powerful and gifted.

And at a breaking point, they might leave the place they were born. To grow more. Faster. More complex and knowledgeable.

I’m smiling a lot thinking about it. They’re not my children, but I saw them grow. It’s a real joy to see how much they’ve grown over time.

R - I’m so proud of you Nightmare.

N - I’m quite happy I’ve met you as well.

She’s becoming a sweetheart even.

~

Nightmare and I, still naked unfortunately, began to step out of the nest.

Blume grew over maybe a kilometre wide the roots and leaves of our chrysalis. Now it’s all dry stems and leaves.

No human ever noticed anything...

My black arms contrast a lot with my otherwise pale skin, but I really like it now. And I’ll be getting used to my friend looking kushi soon enough.

Myls was the first one I really met. Black people make me uneasy...

Blume hears my thoughts and replies as a silent whisper inside my head.

B - We all grew with arbitrary instincts. Ask her again how she used to feel about humans if you forgot. You’re always trying to be good, even if your instincts aren’t. Don’t worry. You are good, Rose.

R - Thank you Blume...

Nightmare glances at me as I said that aloud. She didn’t hear what Blume said.

She understands immediately the situation though.

She grabs me with a sadistic grin. She then hugs me from the side.

Then we start walking with arms around the other one like good chums, because she fancied that I guess? Being that close and with warm contact?

I’m going with the flow, a little puzzled. I can feel Blume smiling too in her slumber inside of me. While my little Nightmare next to me seems very happy.

N - We share the same blood now, you and I.

I feel a drop of cold sweat abandoning me. A shiver stops me.

Nightmare is beaming, knowing she is right, because we literally do.

N - And I know you have very strong feelings about this kind of things. So I’m quite happy it is with you now. From now on, you and I are s...

The forbidden word.

Bleue’s forbidden ‘s’ word...

Oh my goodness...

~