Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Scars

“Sune!” A worried but cautious voice cuts through the silent flower field that is devoid of anything but the pink lilies and four children. A light, almost silent pitter patter of footsteps traveling across the field as the small midnight haired girl stops right before the snow-white haired girl. Hollie silently pulling Sune into a short and light hug that ends just as quickly as it started, Hollie quickly backing off and looking at Sune lightly with her amethyst eyes. Sune freezes in place for a moment during the hug, her face an odd expression but as Hollie breaks away, Sune changes her tune and gives a small cordial smile to Hollie, her pink eyes lightly closing as she lets out a deep breath before reopening her eyes, noticing three gazes lightly trained on her.

“Sorry everyone... I just... needed a moment to get my bearings.” Sune speaks softly towards the three worried pairs of eyes with a smiling face.

Just when Fang opens his mouth to speak a loud booming voice cuts him off, “Sune has completed their trial.”

The children aimlessly look up into the sky, Fang mumbling to himself, “it’s that voice again...” But their focus is slowly brought back onto the young white-haired girl. after a moment of silence Fang’s playful voice fills the children’s ears, “Well... I think I can speak for all of us when I say: we’re happy you’re okay Sune—even if you can be a little annoying.” Fang says his last words very fast and just as he finishes speaking, Kumiho lightly punches him in the arm without saying a word or even looking at him, her face so unchanged he thinks for a moment she didn’t do it at all. But those thoughts quickly fade as small tears start to form in the corners of his eyes and he gives her an overly hurt look; that she completely ignores.

Sune suddenly bursts out into laughter watching their exchange, “I’m glad everyone else is okay too.” She says while wiping some fresh tears and a serene smile plastered on her face, “Except you Fang, maybe you should’ve fallen and gotten some more scratches on your face.” Sune teases with a smile.

Fang gives her an overly shocked face while placing his left hand on his heart and looking up to the sky in sadness, speaking in a melodramatic tone, “What could I have done to deserve this?” He asks towards the sky, his other hand is placed right above his head. Sune and Kumiho stare at the brazen fool with incredulous looks, a light chuckle resounding from Hollie’s covered mouth that she quickly stifles with a cough upon the piercing eyes of the other two girls.

Fang puts a closed fist up to his mouth before lightly coughing to get everyone’s attention, his tone becoming more serious, “Well, now that Sune has gone through her ‘trial,’ that would leave... Only me?”

Sune’s face turns stern, “You are the only one left who hasn’t done whatever this trial thingy that voice keeps talking about is.”

Silence engulfs the group while they all think back to the many stressful encounters they’ve had today. But before the group can get too lost in their roaming thoughts Fang’s voice sounds out, “If you guys don’t disagree, I would like to just continue walking right now and get whatever my ‘trial’ is out of the way as quickly as possible.”

Sune quickly retorts “But we still know nothing about these trials, and they’ve already proven to be dangerous multiple times!”

“And how are we going to learn anything else? By doing it of course.” Fang quickly retorts in a matter-of-fact tone.

Before Sune can speak back Kumiho interrupts their argument with her calm voice, “I think Fang has a point here. We have no real way of gaining information on these trials. So, even if they can be dangerous, I think we should continue on simply because there's nothing else we can do.”

Fang instantly nods in response with his arms crossed; Hollie simply watching on silently; Sune opens her mouth like she is about to say something before closing it and going back into thought a few times over before finally deciding in a weary tone, “I... Fine. We can keep on doing these ‘trials.’ But I’m not going to like it!”

Fang excessively jumps into the air with joy making sure to rub it in as much as he can get away with before walking down the path, Kumiho and Hollie closely following. Sune stands watching the three leave for a moment before sighing and shaking her head, tentatively trotting over to them, her white dress fluttering softly in the wind.

The children walk down the familiar path starting to see the familiar holes, but unlike before their walk goes on for much longer than their last ones. Minutes turn to hours and the children begin to tire of the endless walking.

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.

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“When is this going to end!” Sune whines.

“I have to agree with her for once, my feet haven’t hurt this much since Oswin healed them.” Fang chimes in and as he does Kumiho stops and turns to quietly look at the two.

“We have been walking for a while, so I also think we should take a break...” Hollie tentatively interjects, flinching when the other children look to her.

“If you all are tired, we can stop, but ever since I touched that flower I haven’t felt tired.” Kumiho says in a strange tone while her green eyes lightly glow for a moment and fade back to normal.

“Ah, finally!” Sune says as she stretches her arms up, falling to the ground and laying there in the field of flowers with a content smile. Fang smiles and lays beside the young girl, closing his eyes as soon as his body lands on the soft flowers. Hollie sits down hugging her legs while resting her head on her knees. Kumiho watches the three children with a quiet smile, her eyes closing as she begins focusing intently on something. She brings her tightened fist up as a sporadic red aura begins to cover the enclosed hand, but just as soon as it appears it disappears and she begins panting heavily. Walking over to the resting children with a haggard gait, she silently lays down next to them and lets herself be consumed by her increasing drowsiness.

Kumiho is awoken by the light chatter of voices and slowly opens her eyes, sitting up slowly and taking in her surroundings. Upon observation she simply sees the three children quietly conversing and an endless sprawl of flowers in the shape of a winding path floating within a familiar void.

“Oh, Kumiho you’re up~!” Sune happily chirps.

Kumiho simply nods while getting up and stretching her arms out in every direction. “Is everyone ready to keep going?” Kumiho says with a large yawn escaping her lips and continuing to stretch.

“Yeah, we were just waiting for you to wake up.” Fang calmly speaks.

“Hm... Sorry for making you wait.” Kumiho softly responds to Fang.

“You could sleep for longer if you want, I’m sure no one would mind.” Sune’s worried voice interjects.

“It’s fine really... We can keep going.”

“She said she’s fine, so she is, no need to go all momma fox on her.” Fang rolls his eyes, patting Sune on the back but as he does, she freezes and her breath hitches oddly. Quickly moving away from him while grabbing her own shoulders, covering her entire chest and crouching low to the ground. She turns only her head towards the boy, her shaking back turned to him.

“hic-” her breathe catches again as she slowly breathes in and out and begins talking as her eyes stop shaking, “I’m... Sorry... Just... Don’t touch my back, please.” Sune speaks in a broken voice.

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Fang is frozen in place during the whole thing, mindlessly scratching the large scar on his left wrist and giving her an awkward smile, “It’s okay, really. We all carry some scars, so there's nothing to be ashamed of.” Fang quickly turns to walk down the path and when he passes by the two other quiet foxes, he stops walking and turns around with a strained smile, “Well, let's get out of here?”

Kumiho and Hollie simply nod but give a cursory glance to the silent Sune who is still slowly breathing in and out. Fang’s smile beginning to waver, Sune finally responding with a melancholic look that quickly morphs into a forced brighter one, “Yeah lets...” Sune lightly shakes her head, “...Uh go.” She finishes and begins walking towards the group.

The children walk together in an awkward silence for most of the walk. Although the atmosphere was only really suffocating for two of the members. On their walk they come across new and strange structures they hadn’t encountered before: strange spirals of floating flowers connected to each other only by their roots; large flowers with green stems so thick they resemble a tree and so numerous at times they resembled a forest of grandiose flowers; at one point they find a whole field of color changing flowers that Sune aptly calls the “chameleon flowers.”

After an even longer walk than the last and many breaks under the shade of the tree-flowers the children finally find the end of the seemingly never-ending path. An empty field of four different shades of poppies: bright red with orange tips, light green with white tips, brown with black tips, and darker blue ones with light blue tips. The four types of poppies create four different colored triangles that meet in the center where a pedestal made of brown roots and covered in the different poppies stand. As the children walk forward the three girls find themselves stopped by poppies that tightly wrap around their ankles. Fang looks at the binding flowers before giving a smile towards the group and walking towards the pedestal.

The children watch as Fang walks towards the center and Sune lightly murmurs something about hoping he'll be okay. He stops before the flower pedestal, noticing the rather big multicolored poppy sitting on the pedestal that matches the four different poppies in color scheme just combined into one. Reaching his hand out he touches it and a bright light shines while the pedestal morphs and shifts into a human shaped form made-up of flowers, with the multicolored poppy slowly spinning in the center of where the thing’s “face” should be.

“Hello, child... I apologize... for the long walk...” The voice is long and slow, every single word and sound being drawn out for as long as possible.

Fang stares at the slowly rotating poppy for a long time, stammering when he realizes the entity’s continued silence as it "stares" at him, “Uh, uhm, Hello!” He says with an awkward smile.

After a long silence the being continues with its arduous voice, “Yes... Hello... You may call me... Keeper...” The Keeper is completely motionless besides the continually spinning flower on its "face". “But alas... I must... Test you... Mortal...”

Fang waits for an awkwardly long time, cautiously deciding to respond, “I... Uh, am ready...?”

“We’ll See...” The being says oddly while raising its flowery hand slowly and clacking its sharp claws made of roots together, in the same way a person may snap their fingers. And when it does a light yelp comes from Sune and the three young girls as they are wrapped up by a mass of flowers and roots that cocoon them in flowers. Their cocoons walking over with small rooty legs that stop and stand right behind the Keeper.

“What’s happening?” Sune worriedly murmurs.

The being seemingly ignores the girl’s question and continues speaking to Fang, “Now... Boy... Kill them...” As the Keeper finishes speaking a deathly silence follows.

“Wait wha-!” Sune loudly exclaims before her mouth is covered by a mass of flowers growing into her mouth, with the same phenomenon happening to the other two girls as well despite their silence.

Fang stands there momentarily dumbstruck before incredulously asking: “Can you say that again...?”

“Kill them.” The Keeper’s response comes curtly, with none of the odd pauses or drawn-out sounds continuing as the field is once again devoid of all noise.

Fang’s body stands completely motionless, his fox fur all stands up while goosebumps riddle his tanned skin. His mind swirls with thoughts as his breath begins to erratically speed up, freeze, and slow down at irregular intervals while his pupils quake. His right hand silently moves to his left hand where the scar on his wrist lies, and he begins to intensely scratch it with increasing force until he feels his fingers become warm. Warm blood leaking down his left wrist and dripping from his fingertips, his right hand slowly moving away from the open wound, his clouded eyes staring at his bloodied fingers. The fresh blood filling his fingernails and slowly flowing down from them and down his raised right-forearm. His eyes following the streams of blood before letting his right-hand fall to his side and refocusing his eyes on the Keeper’s poppy “face.”

“Ha... Hahahaha!” Fang’s mad laughter echoes throughout the void as he curses under his breath. Thorny green whips sprout from the ground and begin wildly whipping around Fang.

“You dare mock me...?” The being says with obvious irritation in its strange voice.

“Yeah.” Fang curtly speaks while giving a mocking smile. “I’m not going to kill them because some flower told me to.” Fang’s mocking grin widens, his tone becoming increasingly toxic. He opens his mouth to continue speaking before being cut off by the being’s booming voice.

“You’ve made your choice mortal...” Once the Keeper finishes its statement one of the whipping vines silently whips right across Fang’s neck. His grin slowly fading as he grasps at his profusely bleeding neck with his right hand, giving a cordial smile and wave to his friends while falling to the ground.

Sune with a tear-stricken face desperately fights against the flowers as her muffled screams beg to be released, Kumiho closes her eyes tightly right before his neck is slashed, and Hollie’s eyes widen as her body begins shaking under the flowery restraints. And then they all vanish into flower petals: bright pink, scarlet red, and dark black.

The Keeper stares at the boy’s body, his lifeless eyes still exuding defiance even in death. A strange yellow shimmering occurs right beside the Flowerman, a light chime being heard as the shimmers begin slowly forming into a circle. Then the inside of the shimmering circle starts to fill with a golden liquid that begins swirling within its shimmering borders and becoming completely still. The Keeper stares at the strange event and asks in a questioning tone, “What brings you here... Rem?”

“I can’t just check on another Keeper~?” An ethereal female voice rings from the golden liquid, the liquid rippling as she speaks.

“No. You can’t.” The Flowerman responds tersely.

“Well, you’d be right~.” Her voice is light and cheery but quickly changes drastically in tone, “I’m here about the boy.”

“And when have you cared for how I treat challengers...?” its voice completely deadpan.

“Wel-” She begins before being cut off by the other Keeper, “Oh... You’re here because of that girl... I bet you’re happy about her...” its voice still deadpan but a hint of mocking tinges its emotionless voice.

The golden liquid begins rippling wildly, small waves forming and crashing against the small shimmering enclosure as Rem’s dark voice is heard, “You have no right to mention her.” Her voice is filled with agitation but still formal.

“Is that any way to talk to your father...?” The man continues to mock her with its emotionless voice.

The golden waves in response become even more wild, angrily smashing against the shimmering edges. “The fathering of a soul does not make you a father. And you’d best remember that, Sol.” Her increasingly angry voice becomes cold as she says his name.

“I see you still hold unnecessary love for your paternal father... Now, what do you want, Rem?”

The waves slowly begin undulating before meeting in the center and creating a spike that reaches out of the liquid, quickly caving back into itself and reforming back into the rest of the gold puddle with a ripple. “Bring the boy back. Don’t you believe this punishment is rather extreme?” Her voice is calm, but the slight inflections betray her.

“No... I won’t... That boy didn’t have a courageous bone in his body... He would waste that power of his...” Sol is back to drawing out all of its words while speaking.

“And is willingly accepting death not a form of courage? The strength to accept death over destroying one’s ideals is brave, is it not?”

“Hm~” A hum rings through the field before it continues in a cold voice, “Are you saying my tests are flawed...?”

“I’m saying to rethink how you grade them.” Rem adamantly responds.

“You...” Sol pauses for a long moment, “Fine... But you’ll owe me a favor...”

The golden liquid begins undulating as her overly cheery voice rings out again, “I knew I could count on you Sol~! Well, I’m feeling tired, so I have to rest but you better keep your promise and bring him back.” Her voice becoming cold once again in the second sentence. The golden liquid starts warping and changing into strange shapes before it and the shimmering lights completely contract into nothingness.

Sol’s “face” stares at where the strange liquid used to be for a long time, a loud sigh ringing through the field. “I don’t get what she's playing at... But I’ll play along for now...” Its cold emotionless voice echoes through the field, raising its clawed fingers and as it does the bloodstained boy’s body is slowly covered by vines and disappears from this realm with a poof of different colored poppy petals.