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A cry for help echoed in my ears, the pale orange rays of the sunrise flickered in between the trees. Struggling to my feet, my eyes scanned the pathway. Squinting my eyes, an ivory squirrel with ruby eyes was running from a wolf. Scooping up Dackworth, the wolf never stood a chance. Swinging it down towards the wolf, inky sludge painted my face. The wolf decayed to dust, a yawn escaping my lips. Her dusty rose robes were torn, the snow white belt tickling the ground. Her lips parted in protest as I took them into my palm, a sewing needle and thread popped up. Setting down Dackworth, confusion dawned on her face as I rested against a nearby tree. Threading the needle, she bounced onto my shoulder.
“I am assuming you can speak since you are wearing a pretty robe.” I pointed out simply, threading the sewing needle. Her fluffy tail twitched, her ears pinning back. Finishing up the last stitch, a quiet smile dawned on my face while I dressed her again.
“I am Rosey Dustos, a demon squirrel. You saved my life. I am forever indebted to you.” She chirped, tying her belt. “What can I do for you?” Rolling my eyes, someone owing me a favor was the last thing I needed. Clearing my throat, my mind thought of what words to say. A nervous grin twitched on my lips, favors tended to be as good as money along demon creatures. My lips parted to speak, a black heart portal swirled behind me. Popping to my feet, perhaps I could be back before dinner. Gathering my scythe, Rosey refused to leave my shoulder.
“I don’t need a favor.” I snapped, stepping through. “I only did what I would do for everyone else.” The portal sealed shut behind me, an endless sea of marble greeted me. Statues lined the edge, an emerald water crashed over the edge. Confused as hell, her paw poked my face.
“This is the last place I’d want to be. How did you end up in Vanity’s dimension?” She whined in my ear, my eyebrow twitching in response “May I use my favor now? I won’t leave until you accept my favor.” Growls rumbled in my throat, a pale hand landed flat on the platform, a slender man pulled himself out of the water. Scanning his features, the statues matched him perfectly. Pressing my lips into a thin line, a paw poked my face. Her body trembled with fear, my hand tucking her into the pocket of my silky silver dress. Focusing back on the man, he ran his hands through his slicked back emerald hair. Golden eyes glimmered with malice, his emerald lips curling into a devious grin. Burying his hands into the pocket of his golden suit. Clapping his hands, mirrors groaned into place. My reflection frightened me, the black bags hollowing out my eyes. Scars covered my skin, my trembling fingers seeing the mental bruises from my trauma. Silent tears stained my cheeks, the crippling depression returning.
“Do you like my mirrors of truth?” He gloated, laughing childishly. “You are so damaged. Look how tired you are. Let’s examine how emotionally spent you are.” Sauntering up to me, his slender hands held my shoulders. Gazing at his reflection, decayed skin hung off of yellowed bones. A black heart beat in his chest, his soul having been corrupted beyond repair. Yet something felt off, almost as if he never had any light in him. Running his hands up my neck, his hands cupped my face. A bead of sweat dripped off of my brow, a paw poked out of my pocket. Seeing the fur snapped me back to reality.
“At least I am not rotten on the inside.” I retorted defiantly , not ready to give up. “I may be broken but I know the light will always bathe me.” Jamming my elbow into his chest, his body smashed into one of his mirrors. Glass crashed to the floor, water flooding in. Struggling to his feet, he picked out the pieces of glass in his face. Raising his hands in the air, three oval mirrors floated behind him. Silver vines curled around my arm, Dackworth waking up. Charging at him, vines whipped in his direction. Letting them cut up his skin, cuts appeared on mine. Falling to my knees, ruby mixed into the water. Cursing to myself, the pain had to be double of what he would have felt.
“You have to destroy the mirrors, not him!” Dackworth informed me briskly, lines of blood soaking my skin. “His mirrors reflect your attacks.” Rosey popped her head up from my pocket, her black nose twitching. Launching off my shoulders, my attention fell on his mirrors. Jumping to my feet, water splashed around my feet. Leaping over him, I flipped over him. Swinging my scythe towards his mirror, his fist curled around my ankle. Tossing me into the corner, glass sprinkled my body. Struggling to my feet, something had to change in my fighting style. Running at him, I flipped through the air. Dodging his hand, the tip of my scythe shattered his right mirror. Cracks appeared on his porcelain skin, the maggots squirming away nauseating me. Snatching the end of my scythe, he stabbed himself in the stomach. Splashing into the water, a cloud of ruby floated from my stomach. Rolling onto my back, he slid the blade through his chest. Crying out in agony, the shattering of my ribs pleased him. My hair floated behind me, the water level nearing my mouth. My vision blurred, the tip of my scythe aimed for his forehead. Rosey swam through the water, scurrying up his mirror. One touch created a dot of rose quartz, his attention turning towards her. Every part of my body protested as I rose to my feet. Sprinting towards him, this was going to hurt. Placing all of my strength into tackle, my body smashed into his. Knocking him into the water, all of my bones shattered. Wails flooded from my lips, Scarlet’s face appearing in the water. Shaking me off of him, it was too late. Rose quartz had taken over both of his mirrors, one touch breaking them into pieces. One curse word left his lips, his skin decaying to ash. The heart attempted to bounce away, my trembling hand snatching it. Blue flames devoured the tissue, a pile of ash snowing from in between my fingers. The water receded, bloody water clinging to my skin. Rosey leapt onto my chest, a shard of rose quartz spun in her palms. Placing it gingerly on the only intact part of my chest, pressing her palms to the smooth surface. A glow bathed me, my bones clicking back into place. Cuts sealed shut, her paws pressed together. Dancing around on my healed body, a pink portal swirled behind her. Holding her above my head, she waited patiently for me to get onto my feet. Leaping into the portal, her head popped back out. Scooping up Dackworth, her realm had to be better than here.
“Are you coming?” She chimed, my lips pressing into a line. Stepping through, snow white sand crunched underneath my boots. A gasp of wonder flowed from my lips, mountains made of rose quartz lined the beach. Pink water crashed onto the sands, Rosey popping up on my shoulder. Dackworth rolled his one frustrated eye, the look asking if I was going to bring her home.
“Do you want to join my party of companions?” I offered, tears welling up in her eyes. “I think your healing abilities would come in handy.” Sobs wracked her tiny body, the tears beginning to flow freely. Wiping away her tears, I placed her on my palms. Kissing the top of her head, her fur brushed against my palm.
“That would be lovely but I still want to show you something.” She insisted through a wall of tears, pointing straight ahead. Shrugging my shoulders, her powers had won the battle for me. Walking across the beach, a quartz cave stole my breath away. Stepping across the threshold, the quartz glowed a warm pink. Guiding me through twisted tunnels, silver water dripped into a grotto. Leaping off my shoulder, her tail disappeared into the water. Waiting patiently, a soaked Rosey held a silver chain necklace with a rose quartz in her mouth. Climbing to the top of my head, she dropped the necklace. Tears welled up in my eyes, the image of Scarlet dying flashed in my mind. Fighting back tears, the bells around my ears jingled in a breeze. Wonder brightened my eyes at the sight of Scarlet coming out of the water, the watery form of his spirit laying down in front of me. Pinching my skin, it took a moment for me to realize that it wasn’t a hallucination. For too long, I have been seeing things. Sinking to my knees, tears stained my cheeks. Burying my face into my palms, seeing his spirit in front of me brought my guilt back to the surface. A watery claw tapped the top of my head, the other claw lifting up my chin. My watery eyes met his warm gaze, the water making him visible threw me off.
“I have been watching you this whole time.” He admitted, his words sending a wave of relief crashing over me. “Every time you saw my face it was me. What happened wasn’t your fault. Please forgive yourself.” Shaking my head, my trembling hands cupped his snout. He was real this entire time, my lips brushing against the top of his snout. He was real, his spirit was actually talking to me.
“You're here.” I stammered brokenly, rubbing his scales. “I am so sorry that I couldn’t save you. Mina took your place.” His laugh rumbled in his throat, his claws cupping my face. Kissing the top of my head, he blew a heart made of silver smoke. Scarlet colored my cheeks, a sad smile twitched on my lips.
“She should do just fine.” He assured me, my hands cupping his claws. “How is my son doing? What did you name him?” Chuckling to myself, my mood had been lifted a bit. His son would be the one thing connecting us, my forehead resting on his snout.
“I named him Helios.” I answered with a bright smile, every cell in me wanting him to stay. His spirit glitched, his claws lifting my head off of his snout. A knowing look dimmed my eyes, dread bubbling in my stomach. His brow cocked in response to a voice, the thoughtful look on his face gave me hope.
“How about I stay with you, so I can see my son grow up? What I can give you is my wings.” He suggested with a shrug, motioning for me to press my palm to his claw. “Do you Lottie vow to carry my spirit with pure intentions?” Being able to hear him when I needed him would ease my mental troubles, his offer too good to be true.
“I, Lottie, vow to harbor your spirit with the purest intentions.” I exclaimed through a wall of tears, my hair floating behind me as his spirit entered my palm. A pleasant fire burned in my heart, ruby scales covering my right arm. Not even caring, it felt nice to sense Scarlet at all times. A throat cleared in my head, his voice rattling about in my head.
“Your right arm is the price you pay. I hope you don’t mind.” He mumbled oddly through our connection, my fingers tracing my arm. “Along with the scales comes the gift of a dragon’s eye. From now on you will be able to predict your enemies next moves. Thank you for taking me in.” Shrugging my shoulders, scales were a tiny price to pay for hearing his voice again.
“Hey, an arm is an arm. It’s nice to hear your voice once more.” I returned sweetly feeling ruby wings pop out of my back. Feeling the leathery surface, it reminded me of the purses back home. Rubbing it against my cheeks, the desire to fly overcame me. Launching into the sky, freedom brightened my eyes. Scarlet beamed on the inside, his joy at wind lashing against my face made this all worth it. Flying circles in the air, a howl escaped my lips. Landing gracefully, a petrified Rosey clung to my neck.
“Sorry about that.” I apologized lightly, her bright smile calming my fraying nerves. “Now I need to make a glove to cover up my arm. Let’s go home everybody.” Tucking Rosey into my pocket, another stop came to mind. Bursting out of the dimension, the chilly air above the clouds lashed at my cheeks. Catching the wind, Scarlet guided me towards the island. Serenity washed over my face, flying felt so amazing. Circling the island, my landing was a bit clumsy. Scanning the island, my eyes fell on Mina. Leaping into the air, I landed on her snout. Her eyes lit up at the sight of me, my eyes falling on rainbow colored eggs. Feathscale flew around us, black feathers drifting like a snowfall. His eyes flitted between the two of us, a tender blush rising to Mina’s cheeks. Placing two and two together, my genuine smile lit up my face. Sliding down her snout, my arms wrapped around the medium sized eggs.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant? I am so proud of you.” I blubbered uncontrollably. “I would have let you go sooner. When are they going to hatch? I am staying until they do and you can’t say otherwise.” Tears flooded from her eyes, her claw tapping the top of my head. Holding her claw, a familiar warmth bathed me. Rubbing my cheek against her scales. Glancing up at her with wet eyes, a glow shimmered in her aura. She was thriving. Pointing to my arm, concern flashed in her eyes.
“What happened to your arm?” She inquired cautiously, tracing her other claws along the scales. “Is it okay?” Nodding my head, the words struggled to come to the tip of my tongue. Letting her claw go, my eyes examined the glossy black nails. Clearing my throat, it took a moment to say my words.
“Scarlet wanted to fuse with my soul, and I let him. I thought I was going insane all of this time but I wasn’t.” I sobbed brokenly, wiping my tears away. “He was trying to reach out to me and I ignored him. Let’s get these eggs hatched.” Scarlet told me to take her paw and hold it with my scaly arm, confusion dawning on my face. Taking her claw, I guided it over to her egg. A black claw burst from the egg, the shell shattering. A long midnight black dragon squeaked, its ruby feathers wings fluttering. Golden eyes glittered with adoration in Mina’s direction, my heart melting with hers. Moving onto the other egg, our palms pressed against the other egg. A ruby claw burst from the shell, another little dragon bounced around. The light purple ways of twilight bathed the ruby scales, onyx feathered wings fluttering in the sea breeze. Another set of golden eyes watched Mina, tears of joy staining her cheeks. Rubbing her snout, Feathscale snaked his way over to his children. The other dragons roared, a ball of orange flame building in my quaking hand. The dragons aimed their heads up towards the sky. Following the other dragon’s, I raised my arms up into the air. Releasing my flames, childlike wonder brightened my eyes at the rainbow flames coloring the sky. The hot air blew my hair back, the hem of my skirt fluttering. The flames died out, my eyes falling on a weeping Mina. Crouching down to the babies, their long bodies slithered up my arms.
“The midnight black boy will be Boran while the Ruby girl will be named Lottie, the names are in honor of my friends of course.” She announced proudly, smiling tiredly in my direction. “Welcome our little ones.” Thunderous roars shook the island, rough tongues licking my face. Walking over to Mina. her snout rubbed against the nape of my neck. Tears welled up in my eyes, this feeling making me miss her more. Her children snaked onto her head, a train whistle blowing in the distance. Folding up my wings, one last embrace was all we had. Kissing her snout, the time had been short. Once this was over, I could visit whenever. I had my own family to go home to. The train chugged in, her claw stopping me.
“Come again. Don’t be a stranger.” She whispered sweetly, blowing a heart. Kissing her claw, I hopped on. Leaning out the window, teardrops reminded me of rain as I waved goodbye. This time I was going to watch her until I couldn’t see her. Beaming with pride, one last smoke heart drifted into the sky. Sinking underneath the window, a pleasant grief haunted me. Examining my arm, it really wasn’t that hideous. Happy to have my people back in my life, Rosey poked her head from my pocket.
“Why are you on a train if you can fly?” She queried, her head tilting to the right. Chuckling softly to myself, Emmie skipped in with an arm length leather glove. Waving over at him, my eyes fell on the bewildered Rosey.
“I ride the train because of him. Sure I can fly but seeing him smile every time I climb on his train makes it all worth it. ” I pointed out simply, her smile saying it all. “How are you doing Emmie? Any interesting passengers lately?” Plopping down in front of me, he began to tell me about all of his passengers. Feeling happiness for the first time in a while, I let myself bask in its warmth.
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