The rest of Green Cleanse and a nap

Londra turned towards him, “was it the kiss on the top of my head? How much pain did it cause. Wait,” she handed Delta to him then placed her wrist over her right hand watching his marbled blue-green eyes. “I ordered you to give me comfort with a kiss. Did that help?” she asked her hazel eye so hopeful while having such bags underneath them.

“Yes, to it all,” he responded through their link. “I must say watching you was entertaining. I especially liked when Zeke came up behind you to keep you straight. It is amazing how you can battle with your eyes closed. I am a bit jealous that he knew when you would need him so expertly. Then again, he has been with you for years and I, over a month… you really don’t let us rest much. It feels like so much longer… like years.”

“Cute,” she sighed turning to head up the stairs. Before she could reach for the handle Martine was there with a concerned smile. Her long, silver face and dark violet eyes showed a small trifle of emotion while her long, Elven ears moved in welcome causing her long black hair to wave. “Hi, Martine.” Martine sighed, pulling Londra inside while motioning Alden to follow smiling at Delta’s curling black tail.

“You look horrible and elated, it is a strange thing, but you are quite unique,” Martine stated leading her to the large drawing room where Yevhen was sitting staring at the two cats on the coffee table. His light grey eyes looked so concerned while his round, brown face was debating about touching them. Instead, he sat back in the chair, sighing enough to move some golden blond hair. “Yevhen removed the slavery crests, so all they have to do is accept. The money has already been paid. May I introduce… Iris and Momo.” She motioned to the two thin people sitting on the loveseat holding each other tightly while their faces showed pain mixed with love. “This is Londra, Alden who has a silence curse, and Delta.”

Delta dismissed them both, surprising Master Yevhen by jumping into his lap to stare at the two cats. “Well, that works,” Londra smiled offering them the contract to join their party. Both accepted it immediately. “Okay, who is going first?”

“Going first for what?” the male Fairy asked. His name was Momo according to his registration. His deep honey colored, oval face and silver eyes showed how much he had been through while his long, poorly braided, platinum hair was a bit greasy and pushed behind pointed ears. His butterfly shaped wings, which were mostly green with lines of red, and spots of silver, orange, and yellow looked wrinkled and painful.

“To be healed,” Londra answered, blinking tears from her eyes. “I don’t want to be rude, but have you both been able to switch sizes and pull your wings in and out?”

“Yes,” the female named Iris answered while Momo nodded. Londra looked at her but couldn’t tell much since she was sitting on her poor Sprite wings. Her almond colored, diamond face with undertones of blue showed so much pain, yet her blue-indigo Demon eyes were clear. The pupils were pure blue, while the irises were indigo outlined with blue with black and navy flecks. Her short, green hair with black highlights was greasy.

“Okay, ladies first,” Londra decided because she was curious about Iris' wings. “Please stand up and come over here. Alden and Martine, I am going to need you to help hold her. Her unique wings need a lot of healing.”

Iris slowly stood walking towards the strangers. “You can fix my wings? Truly?”

Londra nodded. “Yours then his,” she answered simply. “Alden, I need you to hold her shoulders. Good thing she isn’t tall… I think I am a little bit taller. Marine, I need you to go behind and hold her hips. I will be moving around you. I might lean at times… sorry.”

“Understood,” Alden answered.

“Oh, he talks through telepathy,” Iris said taking a deep breath. His hands were large but gentle while Marine took her hip. “This feels strange…”

“Sorry, must keep the spine straight,” Londra mumble looking closely at her eight wings. “Correct me if wrong, but if you were male the shape of your wings would be that of a great sword but since you are female, they are considered wide petal shaped, right?”

Iris laughed, “you are right, but I would rather they be sword shaped. I am a fighter!” The distraction had helped Londra run her hands over one of the wings. Iris was a level seven Sprite so her transparent green wings had three thick swirls of indigo and three thick circles of black with the edges being black membrane. She was a Demon and a Sprite, such a unique mix. Londra’s hands passed over the wing again when Iris blinked back some moisture. It hurt but only for a moment… but the tears were because she might fly again. “So, what is Twilight Star?” she asked to help distract her mind.

“Wow,” Londra chuckled, “that is a question.”

“I read most of it but… please?” Momo asked while watching Iris’ wing responding.

Alden closed his eyes for a moment to link with the others; sure they would like to hear this conversation. When he opened them again, she was on the next wing.

“Okay,” Londra started while moving around to survey the second wing. “It started in the Challenge here. The first friend I have ever had was Zeke, a proud, green, muscular Goblin whose heart is his largest muscle. We never dreamed that the Challenge would last so long or we would be so… defeated mentally, physically, and emotionally. I saved the Duke’s son and was rewarded with the Challenge, not money. So, we knew that it could only last for five years… but the days seemed endless at times. He told me about his adventures and his home continent. We tried to get others to befriend us, but they didn’t want to be connected. We understood but eventually we found five others that wanted that connection. Anna was the first female friend I have ever had… not that you needed to know that. But we would get together, even as our bodies failed us, we let our spirits soar. It was all that kept us going… that and my endless mana… or magical energy.”

“No, we understand mana,” Iris mumbled. “Whatever you are doing… it hurts but then the pain is gone, and I can feel them. I haven’t been able to feel my wings since… sorry, continue please.”

“I have three more left,” Londra announced, “the first is always the hardest. Anyway, we promised to stay to gather and become adventurers again. We wouldn’t let this horror define us. We would be the single star in the blackest night to shine. A bit corny but we meant every word. We had the conviction, but our bodies wouldn’t last much longer. Some of our… what did Rus call them… oh, fair weather friends helped get us to the Archduke which ended the Challenge. He paid me with a slave to protect me… Alden. He made the others that I had saved pay me as well. He saw a way to use me, and I let him by using him right back. I was taken to be healed as an experiment to see just how much healing the other survivors would need. Then my team was brought out to be healed, and I used the money to get a large room that we never thought we would fill. But things changed when we started asking the right questions in the Learning Room. We learned that nothing was set in stone and to carefully test out new spells. Thus, we change Victim’s Revenge to this and have used it to heal many. You will need sleep still, just not instantly.”

Alden and Marine let Iris go since Londra signaled she was done. “You just can’t sit for fifteen minutes or lay down. Feel free to walk around while I work on Momo’s butterfly wings. They are different from Ferns… more like a swallow. Hers are more rounded… doesn’t matter.” She watched him move towards her. “Alden, could you hold his shoulders too. Marine, thanks for your help but I won’t need you with him,” she said absently. Londra was focused on his green wings with lines of red and spots of silver, orange, and yellow. It looked like they were wadded up then smoothed out before wadded up again. She pushed on his back until the four wings were folded behind him. That still amazed her, how they could look like a cape one minute and butterfly wings the next. She started running her hands over the first one.

“Is there more?” Momo wondered softly trying to concentrate on anything but the pain.

“I can simplify it,” Delta stated with his male, adolescent sounding voice. “She didn’t answer because she is deeply concentrating. Iris’ wings were a mess but yours… I can only imagine the pain you are in and that is with her dulling it.”

“Oh,” Londra mumbled realizing that she wasn’t done explaining causing both Alden and Delta to snicker. “Next, we used skills that we didn’t even know we had. Zeke has a matchmaker skill, thus those that belonged with us we found easily. Another has the skill that multiplies his but that is a secret. Thus, slaves were brought here, when the slave market was stagnant. Master Yevhen was making sure they weren’t being abused with the Archdukes and Archduchess reminding everyone of the growing threat of M-Ms from the negative emotions… well anyway, our other halves started to show up here. Soon we were sixteen. Our strategist is blind to emotions, but he did pair us up with every possible connection until everyone was sure of who the couples were.”

“Wait, how does that matchmaker skill work?” Martine wondered thinking of all the new relationships around the town.

“Zeke meets someone, likes them, then wishes them happiness and that they fine their other half because being alone is horrible,” Londra started. “Then the magic happens. Two people who would never have met bump into each other and want to talk. Then their hopes take it the rest of the way. Lots of couples,” Londra chuckled. “So much happiness that things are growing in this section so easily. Have you noticed all the extra Dahlias?” Her eyes went blank again, showing that she was deeply concentrating again.

“Delta, what were you going to say?” Master Yevhen wondered, still a bit shy to touch him too much. Delta jumped over to the coffee table with the two sleeping cats.

“They are a team of couples who love each other like family, love doing anything that someone says is impossible, and enjoys extreme battling,” Delta said staring at Londra.

“Did I cut you off?” Londra wondered, finishing Momo’s wings. “Sorry, I was focused.”

“You were,” Delta grumbled. “I forgive you. What are their names, Master Yevhen?”

“The blue one with green tipped ears is Jackie,” Iris answered slowly wandering the room. “She is ferocious. I am still amazed that she let me bring her or that she even acknowledges me. I guess it is because I feed her. The village was too afraid to let her starve so I was chosen to feed her.”

“The multicolored orange cat is Trinity,” Momo explained softly trying to wander. “Her voice is always sleepy. She sleeps a lot.”

“Good, my next task. I will start with Jackie,” Londra decided sitting in the loveseat before the coffee table. She began to stroke the blue cat who started to purr before she jumped into attack mode trying to shred Londra’s arm. “Oh, poor baby,” she cooed scooping up the cat and holding her tight. “Your life hasn’t been easy, but it can be now. Just relax and let me heal you. Then, if you want to be safe, become my Familiar. I have a vault dedicated to that. Which you may enter and stay in at any time. Even if you are a continent away you could get into my special vault. If I die, the vault stays active until the magic fades… I think five years,” she explained. “Feline Drakes are more than special, and I want to protect them.”

“I hate humans,” Katie started with an accented, prim voice. “Especially fat ones. I also hate Elves and stupid Fairies….”

“Have you ever faced a Green Goblin or what we call Manifestations of Malice?” Londra asked, unphased by her temper. “You can’t purify them with anger. Let me help you let it go. Let me heal you, if nothing else.”

“I have seen them,” she answered crisply. “I see the souls inside begging for help. I want to help but can’t. Something inside me wants to help desperately… fine, let go of me and heal me.”

Londra smiled setting the cat back down on the coffee table. “Your indigo eyes are haunting, and you are longer than I expected,” she said starting the healing spell. “Can you pull out your wings? The spell will heal them but if it is targeted it will do so faster and more accurately.”

“Of course I can! I am a Feline Drake!” Jackie yelled noticing the gold eyes of the black cat lying beside her with his tail curling. He said nothing but seemed to unnerve her. She slowly pushed out her wings, and everyone could tell how much pain it caused.

“Oh look, five tips and they are green while her wings are blue,” Londra announced. “They are also very ravaged. The animal traders did this with their stupidity, didn’t they.”

Jackie said nothing watching her twisted wings being restored. “How powerful are you?” she wondered out loud. This caused the black cat to laugh. “What is funny?”

“You ask that after using magic to see if her words are true,” Delta started while still curling his tail. “She just told you about the vault. Even specialized trainers don’t have that.”

“Fine, I will be your Familiar. Please keep me safe,” Jackie decided quickly forming the contract while Londra did her best not to laugh as well. “Wow, you are strong…”

“Okay, do you want to go into the vault or stay while I work on Trinity?” Londra asked. “I can have the others go in so you could meet them. You are number seven, by the way.”

“I am staying,” Delta stated simply. "I want to meet eight."

“Wait, rules, no mistreating each other. You want to fight, do it without claws or teeth. Also, we do not criticize anyone’s ideas or races. If you get angry and want to vent, use the vocabulary I know you have,” Londra smiled.

“I would like to meet the others…” Jackie decided. A moment later she disappeared.

“She is happy,” Delta announced. “So are Katie and Nala. The guys are there watching from a distance. It has been so long since we met another. They are behaving.”

“They better,” Londra chuckled. She reached over to pick up the sleeping Trinity. The cat just snuggled into her lap with a slight purr. “This one just sleeps to stay safe,” she mumbled petting the cat. “So, Iris, ever thought about going all the way to an Elemental?”

“That would be nice,” Iris admitted. “No more worrying about time and size but… my father is now… but only because my mother was there to help him evolve. I have only done it once without help and it was horrible. I don't know how to talk it through with Momo...”

“Ask about it in the Learning Room,” Londra said absently. “You have more than enough experience and it is easy in there. Don’t worry about the headache, we have something for that. The knowledge is worth it. Momo could evolve to enhanced too. Just a thought.” She watched as Delta touched Trinity gently with his paw. This caused her to wake. “When you are healed your long hair will be a lovely orange color while your random spots of white, blue, and green will be dazzling. Look, each foot is different. The right front is orange, left front is white, then blue followed by green! You have lovely blue eyes.”

“Who are you?” she asked with a sleepy voice before stretching. “Who is he?”

“I am Londra and that is Delta,” she answered. “May I heal you?”

“May I be your Familiar?” Trinity asked with her sleepy voice.

“Yes, of course,” Londra smiled as the contract was quicker than any she had formed.

“I will heal you later, when I am stronger, thank you,” she said slowly. “People pick on my voice and speech, but you are just waiting for me to finish. I like you and will get rid of that nightmare curse. It has mostly Elven runes with some others that I know.”

“That would be wonderful,” Londra said beginning to heal her. “I like your voice, it is calming. Does it make Jackie mad?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Trinity answered slowly. “I think it calms her. She is always mad.”

“I think that is the most I have heard her speak,” Momo said softly.

“Can you push out your wings?” Londra asked but knew the answer as tears started to form. “That is fine, I can help,” with that Londra stroked the spot where the wings came out until her magic slowly pulled them out.

“Wow!” Delta yelled. “She has eight tips! They are like her feet… and random. You are the strongest of us all! We are going to purify those M-Ms like crazy now! Just wait, we have the purrrfect team! The souls will not be sad for long!”

“Look at you getting all worked up,” Iris smiled. “Wait, he helps?”

“No, we depend on him,” Londra answered while working on Trinity’s wings. “He can use a magic sword and smashes the eggs. He grows to the size of a panther, if that helps your thinking. But without those four we wouldn’t have been able to make it through the level five camp.”

“Level Five!” Momo and Iris yelled together before laughing nervously.

“Told you,” Delta laughed. “They are adrenaline junkies!”

Londra laughed now, helping to return Trinity’s wings inside. “No flying for three hours then it will take some time to relearn everything,” Londra said. “Thanks for this, Master Yevhen and Martine.” With that Delta and Trinity were pulled into her vault as she stood. A moment later they were in the room with Iris and Momo reuniting with Helen, Alex, Ryan, and Marrow. So many happy tears and incoherent memories.

Sleep?

“Perfect,” Alden projected moving Londra towards the group near the table. “Everyone come closer. I am placing this spell on everyone, you will understand when you sleep. I know most will just take a nap, but the others will be able to sleep. According to Trinity, she can remove the curse. I hope so, but this will let the six of you rest for at least four hours.” He didn’t wait for anyone to speak, just finished the spell under their feet. “Good. Now to bed with most of you. Iris and Momo will be sleeping in the Fairy house because it will help heal them faster. Here, I will move you to your bed. You are welcome. Anna! Londra! Sleep!” A moment later everyone was in front of their bed with laughter. But Alden wasn’t going to chance it. He pushed Londra and Anna into bed. “We can get clean sheets, just go to sleep for our sanity if not yours.”

There was a bit of laughter, but everyone did lie on top of their beds, even those in the Fairy House while the Feline Drakes came out of Londra’s vault to pick out their spot on the two cat trees. Alden too, climbed on top of his bed to join everyone in sleep.

Londra closed her eyes tight. She was alone in a dark, cold room again. Her breathing started to change while her body tensed. She would wake soon… this had to be a nightmare. Why? She believed in Alden… yet her body was shaking in fear.

“Turn around,” a familiar voice said. Londra sighed, she wasn’t alone. Releasing the breath she had been holding she turned. Before her stood Alden with a slight smile on his long, accented, beige face while his long ears wiggled a bit. His brown hair was simply tied back behind his neck yet falling over his left shoulder. His marbled blue-green eyes were studying her while she was doing the same to him. He was wearing what he had been wearing all day, simple brown pants, tall boots, and a light blue, tunic-style shirt.

“Sorry, I had to let the nightmare start or I couldn’t override it with my own curse,” Alden explained with his voice and lips causing her hazel eyes to widen. This time he chuckled. “My consciousness is within yours. Yours is the only curse that I had to fiddle with so you could hear me. The others are meeting in a shared consciousness, but they will all see variations of this,” he turned her around listening to her gasp in delight.

“It is so… beautiful,” Londra mumbled looking at the scene before her. Two small rolling hills with a floral meadow between compete with a babbling brook down the center. “When I first started my realization,” she began slowly walking forward, enjoying the lush grass under her booted feet. “The first thing I noticed was how maintained the forest was and that grass could come in any color. It delighted and confused me,” she finished with a smile. “After traveling around, I see that this whole continent makes little geographical sense. Yet, the colors are so vibrant.”

“You understand the colors now, right?” Alden asked, pushing her towards one of the small hills. “Each blade is different because each absorbs different kinds of energies.”

“We used the term mana at home,” Londra sighed. “Today was something else… so many emotions and so much in such a small amount of time. Is this place real?”

“Yes, it is just within the boundaries of Golden,” Alden answered taking her hand in his. “It is where I would come to think. My sister came here too. There is a lake to the north if you follow the brook. That is where she was taken… it is such an open area.”

“I don’t want you to take offense to this, but do you feel more like an Elf or a reincarnated human?” Londra wondered, stopping to look at his eyes. That is where the truth always hid.

“Elf,” he answered simply. “I stopped being human a long time ago. Actually, I haven’t had any memories of that life in decades. Well, not until we met. Humans have been horrible to me, and I was ashamed that I was one in a previous life. Thus, I grew to dislike them until I met all of you. I shared what you said about what Twilight Star is with everyone.”

“I felt that,” Londra smiled. “I didn’t mind. Zeke might,” she laughed. “I don’t think he even knew about it. Now he will be trying to figure it out.”

He did something next, neither was expecting. He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. She didn’t pull away but tried to cover the slave crest with her wrist, “I order you to kiss me. I don’t want you to be in pain…” she whispered.

“It was an experiment,” Alden said, his voice free of pain. “There was no pain, promise. My mother told me when I found the one it would be quick but even then, love had to be nurtured and taken care of. But I will not tempt myself too much. Just hold you. Now,” he started while moving them to the hill with lush grass containing every color that she could think of. “Every time we sleep the same thing will happen. Even knowing that you will be a bit afraid, you must be to activate the curse. If Trinity is successful, I will rewrite the curse to be a spell, so everyone doesn’t have to start out with fear. We can talk and do anything here while our bodies rest, but our minds still need rest, so that is what we are going to do now. We are going to snuggle up on that lush hill and sleep.”

“I think that is the most you have said in a long time,” Londra smiled as he pulled her down with him. It didn’t take long after her head touched his shoulder for sleep to come.

He kissed the top of her head again, “my silly, brave, loving human. Sleep well.”