Well, This Is New

Aletheia decided to come back with Amaryllis, much to the dismay of Amaryllis. The publisher put a smile on her face when she saw Misty and Jackal. Misty laughed and made a comment about needing to make more for supper as the duo came inside.

Once dinner was done, everyone sat down to eat. Misty seemed antsy, as if nervous to talk about something on their mind. They were quiet for a while before saying a word. They mentioned a dream they had. The other three sat in rapt attention after Jackal’s attempt at a joke to ease Misty’s nerves.

As they finished recounting the dream, or memory as it may be, the four buns all decided to go to the shimmering circle together. At the insistence of Misty’s, Jackal washed dishes first. Misty is quiet as Ama and Lethe talk. Once the dishes were done, they all donned their jackets and capes, if they were not already wearing them.

If Lethe was cold in their tattered cape and short shorts, they made no complaint. Ama briefly wondered if the pride bun just did not feel temperatures. Jackal would eye Lethe cautiously, but there was not a word spoken as they walked, as if the quartet had agreed that this journey needed no words.

Jackal takes the lead as the four of them walk. Aletheia walks next to Amaryllis with Misty close to the envy bun. They were careful, especially as the pride bun hadn’t been out that night with them a week ago.

As they near the place that Ama and Jackal had found Misty, the mysterious bun held onto Jackal. They seemed faint and Ama got close, in case she needed to help. The bookish bun showed a concern that Aletheia rarely saw.

The three listened intently to the grey cloaked bun as they mentioned their head hurting. Ama fished the feather from her pocket, gasping as she saw it glowing. As Misty continued forward, Jackal tried to get Ama to put the feather away, the envy bun catching Misty as they fell to their knees.

It was obvious to all three that Misty was upset, but Ama could also see the bun’s determination. When Misty stood back up and held their hand out for the feather, the publisher did not hesitate to hand it over. The next moment had the horned trio stunned.

Misty, no, Dove’s halo was brilliant, bright enough that Aletheia shielded their eyes. Ama and Jackal cover their eyes as a blinding white light surrounds the four buns. When it finally dulls, even a little, the trio uncover their eyes. It takes a moment to orient themselves.

They noticed that they were surrounded by cloud-like hills. Ama blinked then whispered, “Those are clouds. Where are we?” Aletheia and Jackal did not know the answer. Lethe got closer to Ama, hiding themself behind the publisher. The barely clothed bun felt a sense of wrongness, as if something was extremely unsettling about just being here.

All three turn as they hear a voice. They witness an unknown and unfamiliar figure approaching Dove. None of the trio could make heads or tails of what this being, Melangel as they heard Dove call them, was. They were shocked at the sight of such large, iridescent wings. They listened as Dove talked to Melangel. At first the trio is confused, but they seem to put the pieces and Dove’s words together and realize that the mystery they had been solving, the very mystery that started so many years ago, were about to have an answer.

Jackal did not seem too offended by being called ‘riff-raff’. Lethe seemed to take pleasure in the apparent insult, living up to their prideful nature. Amaryllis frowned, holding her chin up. She would not let anyone think they had the upper hand in her psyche. None of the three flinched when Melangel stepped towards them, nor did they react when Dove got in between.

Aletheia snorts as they hear Melangel calling them ‘degenerates’. Their skeletal arms crossed in front of them. For some reason, Melangel gave Lethe an extra disgusted look, as if the fire and bones that made up their appearance was an affront to the being’s sensibilities.

Jackal had looked like she was about to say something, but when she heard Dove speak, Jackal only smiled. She did not mind Dove speaking up on their own. She stepped forward to stand by the haloed bun, a little hesitant as she was not used to even standing on clouds.

The reaction Amaryllis had to being insulted was to tilt her head. Her amethyst eyes narrowed behind her glasses. She decided at that moment, she loathed Melangel. She was quite sure that the being was just trying to make them react negatively, which was definitely not going in Melangel’s favor. The publisher smirked and took a deep breath in.

She decided to let Dove handle Melangel. Ama turned in a circle, fully taking in her surroundings. She was amazed by the wide open, turquoise sky that spanned above them. The grass and flowers that grew from the clouds were beautiful. She even thought the cottage was quaint. She wondered if she could describe this to one of her artist friends for them to capture. She decided that it was probably a no, as they would have to understand the bright light around everything.

Ama startled when she felt bones on her shoulder. She looked to see Aletheia’s fiery eye looking with just as much admiration for the beauty around them. The pride bun whispered. “There is nothing like this in the Burrowgatory, but that’s a good thing. I think this much brightness would grate on a lot of nerves, especially for those with pale skin like us.”

The businesswoman snorted softly. “Particularly for someone like you who wears the most minimum amount to be considered decently dressed.”

“Just think how Masque would respond to this.”

“You mean the same Masque that refuses to be awake during the ‘bright hours’ in the Burrowgatory? They would probably grumble, turn into their bun form, and insist we wrap them in their tattered cape so the bright light could be blocked. All before anyone could even stand up.” The alternative duo laughed softly as they thought of their nocturnal friend.

After a moment, Lethe spoke softly. “Ya know, I think home is prettier. More our style.”

“It is. This is beautiful in its own way, but I do not think many from the Burrowgatory would really like the view here. Nor would they like that feeling in us that something is not quite right.”

The two slowly turned, taking in the hills made of clouds and the soft looking flora that surrounded them. They stopped when they faced Jackal, Dove, and Melangel again. Dove seemed to still be in a determined discussion with Melangel. The other two did not approach, but they did examine Melangel in full now.

The two whispered amongst themselves still, not wanting to interrupt Dove in their moment. The duo spent a moment discussing the halo and wings, particularly the feathers of the wings. They then took a couple steps back as they talked about how Melangel made an impression.

“Ya know, them callin’ us-” Lethe started.

“You took pride in that, I know. You would, of course. I do not think there is anyone anywhere that could insult you in a way that you would actually take offense to.”

“I mean, most everyone that I’ve met in the Burrowgatory have all heard variations of ‘thank ya, I know I am’ by now.”

“Not sure if you should be proud of the fact you can turn an insult into a complement. Where did you even learn to do that?”

Lethe shrugged, a smile on their face. Amaryllis shook her head. She sometimes had to wonder about her eclectic group of friends, occasionally worrying about them as well, but at least their personalities never really changed. She took a moment before speaking.

“I do not think anyone would actually believe a word about this if they did not meet Dove.”

“To be fair, I don’t think I’d believe ya if I hadn’t tagged along.” They adjusted their cape slightly. “It is a bit warmer here than it is at home.”

“So you can feel the weather? Are you insane to go around barely covered in the cold?”

“Come now, just because I can feel the temps doesn’t mean I’m affected by them.”

“I should scold you. You could get sick. Especially seeing as you prefer the ‘dark hours’ of the Burrowgatory.”

“See! I’ve told ya many times that ya worry about your friends.”

Ama groaned and pushed Lethe on the shoulder, “I would not have to worry if some of my friends actually took care of themselves.” The publisher knew she did not have a lot of room to speak, but she would deal with that argument if anyone actually caught her overworking. Aletheia laughed, a bright sound from her as it was a genuine, happy laugh that Ama rarely heard.