Welcome to Gaia! ::

Another day was threatening to pass since LuLu had ran away and that was another day too many in Josh's opinion. The winding trail of rumors he had followed had been ambiguous at best. The pet shop owner had led him to the art shop. From there, he had followed a wild goose chase to every corner of the town. Currently, he was tailing a story that someone had recently seen a 'ghost' near an old fishing spot. It was far fetched, but the boy was willing to try anything at this point.

Night had fallen and the rural outskirts of town were left in an eerie silence. The only noise was the soft ticking coming from Josh's cellphone as he texted We'rika and Sevilin his current location. They may have started their searches separately, but he was still keeping in contact with the both of them. Honestly, the boy was none too subtly sending out an all call for them to rally their forces. Josh might not have been the superstitious type, but Gaia was often full of surprises. He did not want to be caught alone in the dark if this ghost rumor happened to be true and it was not a raevan running around.

In the meantime, the boy busied himself with examining the perimeter of the old fishing hole. Even with it being dark, there way enough moonlight to illuminate the area's key features. Overgrown grass speckled with weeds covered the plot of land. At its center was a dilapidated storage shed. A rickety dock, in no better shape, stretched out a few meters over the calm waters of a lake. Josh stopped in his tracks as he noticed a shadowed figure creeping near the end of the ragged pier.

LuLu did not know what force had led her here. She had been in a sobered fog since her run in with the rabbits at the pet shop, almost like the hangover after a day of fun. She did not think she wanted quiet anymore. During her time with Luka, the fei had determined she did not desire the ability to hear her own thoughts. When she was wild, she was also distracted. Yet, here she was, overlooking the water in a place so peaceful that the only thing accompanying her was the chirp of crickets and the hum of her mind. Perhaps it had become a habit for her to retreat into her own head when things felt wrong. Even instinct could not break every one of LuLu's little quirks.

"CRACK!"

LuLu snapped around. Her teeth were bared at the intruder who had thought it was a good idea to sneak up on her. Nonetheless, she froze up as her brain caught up with her actions. After a few tense seconds, it finally registered who the trespasser was. Josh stood in front of her. His leg had fallen through the platform, probably too much stress on the aged wood, and now he was busy trying to pull himself out. The rabbit was caught between wanting to run away and wanting to tackle her guardian to the ground.

She lurched closer to the boy. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. She could hear it in her ears thumping frantically. It was being pumped full by nerves, anger, and countless other emotions. Now that she was face to face with her guardian, she could not contain her pent up feelings. In some ways, she was glad to see him because that meant she could finally give the boy a piece of her mind in person. Yet, the rabbit was also worried what Josh would think of her current state and about the things she had done while she was on the loose. Most importantly though, she wanted to know what brought him here. The boy would not have just been able to stumble upon her. It would have taken effort on his part to find her. LuLu practically growled, "Why are you here?"

The boy cursed out loud when he had plummeted foot first into the pier. He should have know this would happen after the first creaky steps. Regardless, the boy was stuck, quite literally, in a bad position. Darkness clouded Josh's feeble senses. All he could see was a dark shape looming upon him. His breath died in his lungs as his eyes widened. The last place he had expected to die was ankle deep in a dock due to a vengeful spirit. Honestly, he had hoped it would have been something cooler, like a fight with a dragon or a motorcycle accident. The boy practically clawed at the splintered wood to get it free. His fingers protested as did his scratched up calf. Jeans ripped as Josh used his leverage to yank his leg free. He turned on his heels and was prepared to stagger off. The only thing that stopped him from fleeing was the sound of Lu's voice.

His eyes trained over to the shadowed figure once more. As it grew nearer, features began to become clear. First, black fluid covered claws. Next, empty black eyes. Lastly, two floppy ears and a glowing rune. All signs pointed to frei. Yet, the creature approaching him seemed more like the antagonist in an alien movie than his beloved raevan. Josh gaped. Was this really LuLu?

The frei snapped again, "WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"

Josh’s mood danced somewhere between fear and complete terror. If this was a ghost, big deal, they were supposed to be scary. However, if the creature was in fact LuLu, the boy had more than adequate reason to feel a tremor run up his body which caused his knees to knock together. She was not meant to be scary. LuLu was meant to be, well, LuLu. His frei was not a monster from a slasher flick hunched at the end of a dock.

His nose scrunched as thick black liquid dribbled from the monstrosity in question. The fluid closer to her body coiled as if life had been breathed into them. The movement reminded him faintly of the essence LuLu has been born from. It took Sevilin’s exclamation of horror for Josh to fully accept the reality that this ink cloaked being was his raevan. He stepped closer, hesitantly, and breathed out, “LuLu. I came here for you. I… I ******** up.”

LuLu could see the dread in her guardian’s eyes. The way they shifted across her body as though they were afraid to let one tendril of ink go unchecked; as though one unseen slick, coiling frond would be his undoing. She curled her clawed fingers and saw him flinch. She had been worried about Josh’s reaction. In a way, she felt like his impression would be the last say that would seal her fate and answer the questions that had been on her mind since she had made her escape. He could’ve responded to her transformation in any number of ways. Of course, fear was among those options. It was the least surprising one Josh could’ve chosen to show. Yet, LuLu still felt her chest constricting as she witnessed her guardian nearly trembling out of his own skin. The boy looked ready to faint, but he maintained what composure he could.... for her, or so he said. She did not disagree with Josh last statement. In fact, the admittance of his error made her lips quirk. Nonetheless, that would not address all her uncertainties. She hissed, “Why now? Why when it is too late?”

Josh froze in his tracks weighed down by her words. The boy shook his head dismissively and continued his trek towards her. His wounded leg limped wobbly. His voice was also shaking, “It is not too late, Lu. It is never too late.” He took another step and locked eyes with her. He tried to read the hollow orbs but the only thing in their depths was endless black. Josh did not know why Lu was behaving this way. It was like she had placed an ultimatum upon herself. She was so lost in whatever it was that was controlling her. Up until now, she had been unaccompanied in this struggle. “We can get through this. I will be there with you this time. Things will be different from now on.” At last, Josh was here and he would be the anchor that his frei had been silently pleading for. The boy would find the sanity still lurking within Lu and reel it back in.

LuLu bristled at her guardian’s words. She floated closer to match each step he took. Her anger and hurt was becoming more evident as she spoke. Her screams were as violent as a raging storm. “Nothing will change! Since when have you cared?! You left me alone. ALWAYS ALONE!” LuLu was becoming untethered. Her emotions felt raw and wild. She could not funnel them in the right way and it frustrated her to no end. Her instinct demanded the explosion and fueled her outburst at Josh. Yet, her rationality beseeched her to listen to the boy.

Lu’s words hurt more than he had imagined because they rang with various truths. He had not been there enough for her and this was the final consequence of his mistakes. Some of the fact had become twisted in her brain. He could not place blame on Lu though. Obviously, she was not in her right mind and whatever she said was reality to her. It was his job to set things straight and put an end to all the tension between them. “God, Lu. I kept my distance because I was afraid of you.” Josh felt his stomach bottom out when LuLu’s eyes narrowed at him. He had gotten her attention for sure. The boy was not sure how exactly his frei would take this news, but that did not change the fact it all needed to be said. He was going to grow up for her and it started now. There would be no more secrets and no more waiting until the ‘right moment’ to say things. “I did not want to be hurt. I did not want to hurt you. I am still scared, but I did care so much and still do.” He had been selfish and had not shown his concern for his frei in the right way. He was still not sure exactly how he should express his devotion. This was going to be a learning curve for the both of them. That was one thing the boy was certain of.

LuLu was unsure how to take this news. Her guardian had been ‘afraid’ of her even before she had become a monster. She supposed in some way she had been fearful of him too, enough for the frei to hide her opinion from him. Maybe that is why LuLu had taken so long to have this much needed conversation with her guardian. The rabbit’s tone smoothed out until it became a bitter bark, “How will you prove this to me?” All of Josh’s words had sounded sweet and lovely. They calmed her. Yet, once the warm fuzzies wore off, the rabbit had reservations about the duration of her guardian’s lofty promises. It was always that way with him, promises on top of promises. Things would be discussed later, but later never came. She needed something tangible that would validate his pledges to her.

A shadow cast on the wooden planks of the pier grabbed her attention. She had not even registered Josh looming over her. The boy’s arms encircled his raevan as he fell to his knees. He embraced the frei closely, until he could feel the solidity of her form beneath the layers of ink. The black liquid gushed and squelched between them to the point of painting the boy’s front foul obsidian. LuLu could feel the warth of his limbs against her skin. It felt comforting and she could not help but ease into his hold. She could sense some of her recaptured sanity due to Josh’s soothing. “I should’ve been there with you before, but I cannot change the past.” His hands threaded in her hair and stroked the gummy tresses until they were no longer caked together. “I cannot take away all that anger, but I can try to ease it. I am sorry. So sorry.” His hand smooth down one of the locks until it was at her cheek. His tilted the raevan’s jaw up toward his auburn eyes. “I am here to help you now. We are going to figure this out and I will make it up to you. Tell me everything on your mind.” The boy’s expression was determined. Still, LuLu could make out the affection within it. The insatiable twisting of her impulses finally seemed less nagging and she could feel clarity returning to her.

LuLu finally had what she wanted from Josh. He was here before her ready to listen and she finally felt like what she said would matter to him. She exhaled slowly, trembling. Her thoughts needed a moment to join and piece together in a way that could be conveyed to the boy. Her rationality may have returned to her, but she was ultimately a frei with a huge chip on her shoulder. When she started her hands also reached up and cupped both of her guardian’s cheeks. She began softly and slowly, “I am mad. I am also relieved. I have much to say to you. I thought it would not matter.” She voiced her thoughts without pause, “What I wanted had never mattered before. I did not want to be in that house after the virus. I did not want to be near your father. I did not want to live with Sevilin. I did not want this sickness. I did not want to fight it by myself! I only wanted you to look and listen!” Her chest heaved with the effort to keep up her vigorous speech. The ink on her limbs lashed out and squirmed. Black waves crept onto her guardian’s face. However, lulu barely noticed them. She did not even bat an eyelash when ink glided along Josh’s nostril and he flinched. Josh tried to speak but he was cut off. “You did ******** up!” His view was of no concern to LuLu right now. It was her turn to dictate. The brief taste of what Josh had subjected LuLu to was unpleasant. He had told himself he would do what he had to for LuLu. Even if that meant he would get hurt in the process.

LuLu’s pace was growing even more frantic, “Here you are trying to make it better. What more do you want me to say Josh?! I do not know what is wrong with me. I do not know how you can help!” Even if it was no longer as pestering, her instincts were still very much at the edge of her mind. The tingle of too much power was still invading her limbs. “Everything feels wrong. I am not a princess. I am not even myself anymore! I am a monster!!!” LuLu was startled as Josh’s fingers gripped her face tightly. She finally realized what her body had been doing while running without her. Driven by her anger, loops of ink had sinisterly invaded guardian’s mouth and nose. He sputtered helplessly in her arms. He tried to talk but hiccuped a mouthful of ink. Josh could feel it slithering down his throat and towards his lungs, but he dared not look away from her. He had something to prove to LuLu and running away was not a part of it. The look in his eyes said: go on. He would hear this out until the end.

Josh lurched against LuLu. His body was growing weaker as his lungs began to burn. He could hardly make out Sevvie's screams. The small frei's words where muffled by the blood pounding in the boy's ears. Josh tried to keep focused on LuLu and ignore the desperate heaving of his chest being deprived of oxygen.

On the other hand, LuLu was content with clinging to either side of his face with her claws to force his eyes to meet hers. Ink continued to slither across her guardian's pained facade. She sipped air softly between her teeth to force a hiss from her mouth. She wanted to ask Josh why he was not fighting back. Was he just giving up? Yet, behind Josh's distress lurked a calm resolution that LuLu had not seen often in the boy, only when he had a point to prove. It could not be mistaken for the weakness of a broken man. Her answer was in her guardian's eyes. He was doing this because he cared more about her than himself.

LuLu's grip on him loosened. It was even further relaxed by Sevilin's insistent tugging on her body. The rabbit's attention shifted. Her neck tensed and flexed as she moved her gaze to the sea fairy. Her hands recoiled when Josh was pulled away from her like a trap had been sprung upon his removal. Ink coated fingers curled tightly before launching themselves at Sevilin. She gripped his shoulders and reeled him in closer until they were face to face. Her hollow eyes traced the soft form his features took. Her brows knitted together. "Came to mock me more?" Her words sounded pitiful and did not hold the same aggressive tone she had used earlier.

Josh groaned on the wooden planks. His eyes rolled back as he felt the nagging urge to vomit. The boy sat up and braced himself on his two shaking arms. He heaved until the dock was coated with a vile black film. He could breath again. More importantly, he could talk again. He yelled at We'rika hoarsely, "I owe you another one We'rika. But forget me, help Lu!" He motioned towards his frei. The boy's priorities had been clear from the start. They were all here to save Lu. Even if it involved rescuing her from herself.

Josh joined Sevilin in holding LuLu down while We'rika continued whatever it was he intended to do to the girl. Josh could only hope it would help her. His arms latched onto her back. The rabbit wriggled in his hold, but her concentration remained on Sevilin.

Once she realized she could not dislodge her guardian with wriggling alone, LuLu's efforts to escape his hold became more forceful. She shrugged and shifted her shoulders, rolling them away from Josh's hold. Yet, the boy moved with her or against her to keep the inky frei firmly in place. LuLu nearly growled in frustration. She flexed her fingers against Sevilin's shoulders and went to move then, but was caught off guard when they snapped back into place on his thin frame. The fairy's small hands where hooked around her wrists to prevent her from removing them. She could've tried the same tactic she had used with Cruz when her hand had been caught in his vice-like bite. The idea of being without two hands left an unsatisfying taste in her mouth though. Plus, she did not have full control over that trump card; Lu did not want to end up taking off a whole arm by accident.

Her gaze bore into the other ravean. The rabbit noticed the fear in Sevilin's eyes. It was the same fear her guardian had in his. Her full lips drew into a thin frown, "Why are you afraid Sevilin?" Her grip on his shoulders grew tighter, since she could not take them away she would make sure to get full use of her position. "You should be happy. You wanted this. You wanted to be the only princess!" LuLu shook him with once quick flick of her arms before she drew even closer.

Their noses were mere inches apart. She could see his features perfectly; nearly make out each individual eyelash banded thickly around his deep aqua eyes. Behind all his trepidation, Sevilin still looked as regal as ever. Even the gentle bump she had given his nose made it upturn just the slightest more. They had always been in a battled against each other. Every meeting had been a contest to see who could be the better princess. Though Sevilin had remained the same, LuLu had changed. Her tone continued to waver between anger and sorrow, "How can I be a princess like this?" She struggled to believe she was still worthy of wearing a crown. It scared her to think she might not ever be worthy of it again. "I do not know if I can be fixed." Her expression grew more distant and pensive, "You won."

LuLu hissed as a pain shot up her shoulder blade. The ink We'rika scrawled onto the limb stood out against the ink coating her body. Unlike other fluids, it was not diluted away into her mass. Instead, the mark stood resiliently and prominently on her skin. It almost seemed to release its own glow in the darkness. It was a dull purple much lighter than her own rune, almost light enough to be missed entirely. The next mark pricked a little less but made her extremity feel weak like a half cooked noodle. It locked up and flopped a bit onto Sevilin. LuLu cried, "Stop that!"

She did not like this feeling in the slightest. The frei was no longer a rabbit or a princess. All she had left was the power her essence had given her and even that was now being taken away. What would she have left after that? LuLu fought to keep her overblown strength from fizzling away.

LuLu peered at Sevilin from two scrutinizing slits. Together with her stony expression, they were like twin divots carved into an onyx statue. Ink dripped from her nails and down the lither raevan's shoulders. The cool chill sliding down his skin was just another test for his resolve. LuLu did not just look like the savage Sevilin had claimed her to be. The frei felt like a beast, too. The girl who stood with her long time enemy in her clutches had become monstrous in every sense of the word.

Attention was completely on the blue frei, LuLu recalled that is how he liked things. She had forgotten the nagging urge to escape, or had pushed it to the back of her mind in favor of interrogating her captive audience. She listened carefully to his words but only grew more frustrated with her hostage. "You did but you did not." LuLu did not understand his motives. At face value, she was sure this is exactly what her nemesis had wanted. Yet, he made it seem like that was not the case at all. Had her admitting defeat not been enough for him?!

If she could venture into the other frei's head she would discover a laundry list of insecurities as long as her own. From the start, in the princess store so many years ago, their rivalry had stemmed from two individuals desperately craving to prove their worth to one another and the world. A pair of wounded people took stabs in the hope of attention or some hollow, short lived ego boost. LuLu had been the perfect victim for Sevilin with her short temper and penchant for turning primal before she won the argument. On the other hand, Sevilin had been the perfect target for her. He had served as a safeguard for her conscious.

For LuLu, the word 'princess' had been bastardized to mean something greater than its actual definition. A princess was not just a title or the presence of royalty in your blood. A princess was an ideal she had placed for herself upon a high pedestal. It encompassed every trait she believed the perfect person should have. It was someone who was compassionate, helpful, strong willed, and beautiful. Neither of the freis, Sevilin or her, met the image she had created of a princess.

Therefore, LuLu enjoyed bringing out the worst in Sevvie. She always wanted to feel better than him, because then when he claimed to be a princess LuLu was provided with security. If HE could be a princess then surely she was an even better one. Yet, her mind game only worked when she felt above her adversary.

The day she had first noticed similarities between Sevilin and herself, greed, jealousy, and immaturity being among them, LuLu felt her precariously balanced self esteem shift uncomfortably towards a dangerous place. They were both horrible creatures inside. She spared a glance for the numerous glowing runes slowly adorning her body, We'rika was still working fervently. She bit her lip feeling suddenly embarrassed all over again at her appearance. She had lost the one thing that had kept her redeemable. Now she was also ugly on the outside as well as the inside. In her mind, she had fallen beneath Sevilin and she was no longer worthy of the title 'princess'. Monster seemed much more appropriate.

Sevilin had certainly gotten her used to that name. He had made the distinction even before her outside had contorted to match her inside. She comprehended the concept of saying things one did not mean. LuLu was not that naive. In fact, she had used that same technique against Sevilin to gain a rile out of him numerous times. Between themselves they had uttered an unfathomable amount of lies in order to hide intentions or seek reactions. Signals were bound to get lost in translation in that sort of environment. The rabbit no longer cared about what the boy had or had not wanted in the past. Neither of them had ever truly made their feelings clear to one another. Where they stood in time, those obscure mind games they played did not seem as important any more. Right now, LuLu needed truth and honesty from Sevilin so she could understand why he was here for her. "What do you want to happen?"

"I'm sorry!"

Sevilin's apology caught her off guard. She mulled the words in her mind. They seemed foreign coming from his mouth unless they were accompanied by a sarcastic wag of his tongue.

Her transformation was a byproduct of her essence. Therefore, Sevilin was not the only harbinger to blame for her current state. However, between an apology from her guardian and Sevilin, things felt slightly less horrible. It also proved something to her. Sevilin might have been ugly inside, just like herself, but there was still hope for change. A glimmer of something remarkably 'princess-like' shone in the sea frei in that moment. That meant there was still hope for her.

"You're such a sad little thing. Lost in that ugly black suit of yours, hiding from whatever's right inside your heart."

LuLu thought back to what Luka had made her realize. In her weakness, she had allowed the aspects of herself she hated define her. All during her rampage as a monster, she was hiding in her suit of ink from the promising glimmer still lingering in her heart. She had used her instincts and hatred as a distraction her from her real internal struggle. This had been an extended departure from her course towards being a princess. Indulgence was an easy thing for her to embrace while the virtues of a 'princess' were not. Being ever self critical, it had been effortless to focus on the things she despised about herself and act on those feelings than continue to strive for a goal that did not seem achievable during her depression; simply put, a downhill fall was less strenuous than an uphill climb. Nonetheless, like Sevilin, her entirety was not bad. She just needed to relocate the good part of her and nurture it. Recovery seemed like a less formidable task when she had a family at her side, and quite literally on her back.

True to word, Josh had shifted himself to where his body was pressed to LuLu's backside. Her wings were under check. Next, his arms wrapped tighter around her shoulders to prevent the frei from moving her arms any further. Her guardian knew that each one of their efforts was crucial to LuLu now. He could not afford to give her anything but his best effort. Squabbling and fighting would not save his raevan. "Please Lu. Sevilin is right. We will fix you."

LuLu stiffened in their hold. "This is a part of me. You might fix my outside, but it will not go away." A particularly nasty pain shot through her back as We'rika painted a symbol upon it. She cried until her breath came out hoarsely. Her expression grew worried, "I am afraid." This might have been a lapse rather than a failure for her. Still, it had been a large one. It would take a while for her to recover from the blow to her self esteem. LuLu had accepted the challenge, but it did not mean she was completely without fear or doubt. She looked to Sevilin. Her innocence slipped for a brief moment as the word 'princess' did not pass her lips. Instead, her ideal was boiled down to its truest form, "Am I still a good person?" She needed confirmation outside of the chaos in her own head.

Sevilin's initial response nearly made her crumble. His lack of hesitancy in agreeing with her felt like a stone being cast at her delicate psyche. It was not the initial response she wanted to hear, but a shaky take off meant there was plenty of wiggle room for improvement for Sevilin. After all, it was not like he had much experience with speeches meant to reaffirm the beliefs of woebegone ink bunnies. It would take a few lines for the other frei to get warmed up.

"Control," LuLu scoffed and shook her head, "I am doing a poor job of that." A laughed escaped at her own expense. Her eyes met Sevilin's again. Glossy and black, yet, they seemed to hold a sparkle they lacked before. Her twin orbs shown with a lavender sheen reminiscent of their usual hue. "I have so much darkness right now. It is hard to see any light." The rabbit jerked her arm as We'rika advanced to her other side. There was a brief potential for commotion, fortunately, the movement was quickly stifled by Josh's vice-like hold. This weak attempt at struggle was not cause for much alarm with Josh at her back and the pace We'rika was working at. Perhaps scrawling away too rapidly, the last glyph on her body went particularly deep due to We'rika's clumsy hands. It was enough to pierce skin. She released a surprised yelp and heard a similar screech erupt from her guardian as he was dragged off of her.

In a jumble of motion, Josh was flat on his a** at We'rika's side. He propped himself up on his arms to observe the two frei from a distance. He did not completely understand the mechanics of the voodoo-hoodoo that was going on. Yet, the gravity weighing on We'rika's stern expression told the younger man him not to interfere.

Even before the spell had been started, LuLu had been verging on an emotional breakdown. It would not take much of a push to meet the quota for the shaman's hex. The runes on her body throbbed with a hazy purple light that steadily grew brighter with each consecutive pulse. It illuminated the space around the raevan and fended off the last traces of night left before the sun would rise into the sky.

LuLu's hold on Sevilin eased. She could not help but lean into his touch. The coarse texture of his finger tips was a different sensation from the gunk covering her body. It was a pleasant reminder that she could feel something outside of the narrow scope of being a monster and that parts of her old self still lurked under the ink. She did have a choice in her fate. In this case, appearances could not be everything. The thing that was making her a monster was just not her looks but also her actions. If she was sentenced to being a monster forever it would be her own doing. It was time for a change in the girl, in both body and mind. "I want to be good. I want to be a p-princess," Her voice wavered, "But... it is difficult. I never seem good enough." She felt her lips quivering as they tried to form more words. However, a watery sob escaped from deep inside her and blocked her voice.

For the first time since her transformation, something besides ink wetted her face. Tears, real tears, dribbled down her cheeks. The salt stung her eyes at first. LuLu blinked back the feeling. As she batted her lashes, the blackness clouding her vision was slowly washed away as her irises return to normal. She spoke once more, "I am always comparing myself to others. To you." Her emotions were overflowing to where it was almost too much to contain. The writing on her body gave an almost blindingly bright flash.

The spell had been unleashed. LuLu could practically feel every inch of her body seize as she was shocked to her inky core. The heavy feeling that accompanied her metamorphosis was slowly lifting. Likewise, the stifling power that surged through her felt almost manageable for the first time since she had donned her coat of black. The rabbit no longer felt as though she was near ripping apart at the seams. In fact, it almost felt like things were being stitched back together.

LuLu could not fully witness the slow evolution her body was undergoing. She could only barely perceive the subtle sensation of ink receding upon her face and limbs. It was being drawn into her rune and the marks on her body in thick bands.

Alarm and curiosity ignited in Josh. They were warranted feelings being that his frei was being swathed in a veil of light. The lavender glow was almost ethereal, like something from a storybook. However, though radiant, it was something foreign and uncertain. Should he move to stop this? What if it was helping? Josh felt the ambiguity of the situation holding him in place. Part of his brain was firing in panic. Another side demanded that he wait. Overall, both emotions together left him with a feeling of great unease.

A rough voice not usually full of mirth echoed around him, We’rika’s cheer of accomplishment is what pushed Josh out of his daze. The other man was so close Josh could see the gratification quirking the edges of his lips enough to make the dry, aged skin there wrinkle. We’rika may have been smiling, but the boy was not as jovial as his counterpart. Josh stood on his feet clumsily, having to catch himself as he straightened his legs. The older man was within Josh’s reach, the lithe fingers of one hand moved to wind themselves into a tight fist in shaman’s collar. The boy barked, “What is happening?” Josh was very much distraught. He was not particularly troubled by the shaman’s actions or use of magic. The boy had faith in his new ‘family’, each one of them had been there to help LuLu He did not believe for a moment We’rika would go rogue and use a spell to harm his raevan. Nonetheless, Josh did not fully comprehend this hocus-pocus. He hoped the shaman could provide some insight. He wanted an answer to ease his own nerves and put to rest some of the mystery of what was going on.

Sevilin had never been this close to LuLu before, neither physically or emotionally. LuLu’s eyes grew wide in shock, but not necessarily at the kiss or who was initiating it. What had left the frei awestruck was the sensation of the other raevan’s lips. The fact she could again feel and taste something bedsides ink had left her in awe. Sevilin’s thin bow of cherry tinted skin was soft and velvety as it moved against her mouth. Like hers, but slimmer. The difference was not unwanted. In fact, it added variety to their kiss. His bottom lip had slipped seamlessly between the gentle split in her plump pucker. Their contact was firm to the point LuLu could savor the salty sweet flavor he possessed, like taffy.

Sevilin had her caught in his arms, but the thought of being trapped never crossed her mind. On the contrary, LuLu was safe in his hold. The girl was elated when her fingers caught in the fairy’s hair, determined to capture a touch that would pull her away from the monotony of ink over and over again. The cerulean tresses where silky in her grasp. She trailed her fingertips upward to where its texture grew drier and courser, as though tangled by sea air. Her other hand trailed along the thin arm wrapped securely around her. Sevilin’s form was diverse and welcome, svelte and lean. LuLu petite body was nestled in the small hoop his limbs had formed. She seemed to fit there perfectly.

LuLu parted from the kiss and smiled her first genuine smile in what seemed like weeks. The girl leaned in and brushed her cheek against his. Again, she was left captivated by the slide of their skin. The girl noticed a few traces of black were streaked across his angled cheekbone, to her distaste. She withdrew the hand curled against his scalp and moved to brush away the smudges.

LuLu gasped out loud.

Things finally clicked into place as LuLu watched the stain being drawn into a lit mark on her wrist. LuLu looked down and witnessed the rest of the ink on their bodies being soaked up by her rune as though it was a giant sponge. She was reabsorbing the ink, her essence, back into herself. In that instant, it made sense to her why she could sense consistencies other than ink again. Her skin, not ink but normal skin, was now visible for everyone to see. Ink was not overflowing from her or overtaking her any more. The girl was finally able to contain this immense power she had encountered. LuLu was transforming again, but she did not feel like a monster this time. She felt reborn.

She laid her forehead again his collarbone. “My prince?” At first, LuLu did not fully understand the implications of those words. They were both minute and powerful. Sevilin was planting a seed which would change how LuLu approached being a princess entirely. A good person could not be determined by just appearance alone; that was clear to LuLu now. Yet, there was still one other issue that had now made itself clear. The inside of a person also mattered when it came to being good, but the girl realized the method to her introspection had been flawed.

LuLu had always been too busy looking at others. Her weaknesses seemed insurmountable when being compared to someone else’s strengths. Likewise, her strengths seemed outstanding when compared to someone else’s weaknesses. Looking at it from either perceptive created a rift. Would she ever be able to improve her shortcomings? What was the point of working on her strengths? No wonder her desire to be a princess had become questionable and her path had become sidetracked.

LuLu was certain things would change now. The girl would make sure her transformation did not end here. She would not be chained to the scale which constantly weighed her against others. The path of a princess would no longer be a constant match of who had what. LuLu needed to set aside her envy and judgment in order to work on herself as a whole and advance towards her goal of being a ‘good person’. This shift in her direction would allow her to move forward. The rabbit mumbled into the crook of her partner’s neck, “I will be your princess.” LuLu’s journey was not yet over. “Someday. I promise.”

The path might be long and treacherous, but already the next step for LuLu had begun…