Team Blume

Part XII - "Bad old times"

Part XII - "Bad old times"

We got out of the portal and found ourself in the foot of the mountain where Cataleia was. Me: "We managed to get out. Do you need a transport?" Andor (moves head left and right): "An oak brings me back to the place I live in, so I am going. The other members of the team awaits for you as well." Me (nod): "Fine, then let's go back to our bussiness, through I don't doubt that we'll see again on some of the following missions." Andor (waves before leaving): "It's sure that we will."

 I teleported back to the Magnolia, where I joined the others. It was more than clear that Cataleia owns a great power and that is hard to make any strategy, especially because she could send us again to another time or the paralel world, from where it would be impossible to defeat her, and we didn't know if there was a way to prevent that.

 The next day we went to the Magnolia, meeting Arik in the forest. Amora: "Arik, what are you doing here?" Arik: "I come here for a while. (seeing me and Rea) Oh, your friends are here too." Rea: "Yeah, all together." Arik: "I am going now, see ya later!" Amora (waves to him): "Okay, see ya!" Rea (when he moved away): "Man ran away from us. Where is he going?" Harmony: "Probably enjoys in nature, nothing unusual."

 We were at our place for a while, planning to again try to defeat Cataleia tomorrow, but then it stared to get dark outside. When we got back to the path Rea couldn't calm down, so she turned to the path where Arik went. We went after her.

 Makena (to Rea): "Why are we doing this now?" Rea: "That guy seems suspicious to me." Harmony: "He probably went home long ago, let's go back, it's getting dark." Amora (notices Arik in the distance): "There he is. Here, it's nothing, to return back now?" Me: "Is he talking with the tree? That's an oak tree, isn't it?" Makena: "Yes, it's an oak... You think that's Andor?!" Rea (hurries forward): "Now we'll see."

 We got closer. Amora: "Arik, did you just talk with the tree?" Arik (nervous): "What? No, not a chance... How to talk with the tree, that's impossible..." Rea: "Boy, we saw you. You are Andor, aren't you?" Arik (surprised): "How do you know for Andor?!" Me: "So, it is you. You are Andor." Arik (shocked): "Then you are a Team Blume! Thats how you know that I am Andor! (points to Makena) You are White Hyacinth, (points to Harmony) you are Yellow Dandelion, (points to Rea) you are Red Carnation, (points to Amora) you are Pink Tulip and you... (points to me) ... you are Blue Rose. Unbelievable." Me (revolted): "Yeah, who would say, it must be a big disappointment to see that Blue Rose is actually an ordinary unatractive lunatic for whom is better to isolate herself somewhere in the mountain instead of Cataleia. (to girls) Excuse me, I have to go. (leaving)" Harmony: "Lilith, he might not think that way... She's gone." Amora: "I know you for more than a year, I couldn't even guess that you are Andor! How did that happen?" Arik: "Back in time when I planted this tree I was opsessed with a cult of a warrior, I wanted to be a brave warrior one day. Recently, before the battle with Inferno, I came here and wished that it could be fulfilled, then I found myself dressed as a warrior, gave myself name of Andor and went aganist Inferno. That is, more or less, the whole story." Makena: "Similar thing happened to us as well, Lilith made a wish while we were kids, years after it we encountered and activated that wish. You know the rest of it."  Arik: "Of course, I will remain silent about your secret, hope that would do the same for mine." Rea: "Absolutely, colleague. (looks to the sky) It's getting dark, shall we go, girls?" Harmony: "We'll go. Tomorrow is a big day, we'll go to Cataleia again." Amora: "You will be there?" Arik (nods): "I will come. We will be stronger when we unite."

They went their way and Arik, after he got back to the main path, went to Magnolia. I sat under the tree, looking as a shadow from the distance as visibility was drastically weaker.

 Arik (comes closer): "I assumed that you are here... I didn't want to say that thing yesterday, I am sorry, I had really messed up." Me: "It's okay, I am used to it." Arik (sits next to me): "Are you bleeding? What are you doing?! (panic) Stop with that, you will kill yourself!" Me (indifferent): "Wish I could." Arik: "Give me that razorblade." Me: "I won't. (returning it back to my pocket) Go away." Arik (ripping part of his T-shirt and takes my arm by force): "You cut yourself because of my words? (puts bandage on my arm) I didn't think that." Me: "You did, but you are right. Don't feel bad because of it, you are damn right and it's damn true fact!" Arik: "It's not! When will you realise it's not?! Several days ago we were in bad terms, and yesterday you accepted what was the hardest part of my life, you are not like Cataleia! Fine, you can't be in a romantic relationship, but you can't convice me that you have no feelings. (lifts my hurt arm) People who have no feelings don't do this, but the ones who can't endure the flood of emotions." Me: "I need to be alone." Arik: "To leave you here to kill yourself?!" Me: "I won't kill myself, just go. Leave me alone, all of you. Nobody is ever good enough to you people. I would ask you to leave me alone with my resentfulness, we have a mission tomorrow and I need to put myself together for it. Oh, yes... The first Team Blume power - new shirt! (new T-shirt is created on Arik) In order not to go through the town with you shirt ripped, you respectable people take care of your reputation. Hideous people like me don't give a damn what do we wear, we look awful in everything." Arik: "Lilith..." Me: "Go away." Arik (quietly): "Take care. (leaves)"

 The next day we showed up in front of Cataleia again. Cataleia: "Instead of being grateful for getting out of my portals, you came back for more? I will send you there where you will be powerless to fight and where you won't have a time to even think about me. (casts a spell and again sends us to the another time)

 Morning. Amora slowly wakes up and goes to the kitchen, greeting her five grandchildren. Amora: "Children, what should your grandma prepare for you today?" Granddaughter 1: "Donuts!" Grandson 1: "Pancakes!" Grandson 2: "A pie!" Granddaughter 2: "Cookies!" Granddaughter 3: "Pudding!" Amora (smiles): "Oh, kids, grandma can't prepare it all today. Let's make pudding and donuts today, pancakes and a pie tomorrow and cookies the day after tomorrow? Is that fine?" Grandchildren: "Yes!" Amora (smiles): "Then your grandma will go to market, and then we will cook and bake when I come back."

 Makena is getting ready for work. She's getting dressed into elegant bussiness suit, putting pearl necklace on and leaves. Her older son is welcoming her at work. Makena: "Did your father arrive?" Son: "Dad didn't arrive yet. Why did you hurry? You could rest a little bit more." Makena: "If your father and I rested now we wouldn't have this corporation, plus I don't want to go to retirement. You can still have use of us." Son: "Of course we have use of you, (kisses her on cheek) I just don't want you to work so much, enjoy life a bit." Makena (looks around): "This is my enjoyment, son, and knowing that there is someone to continue it. (goes to the office)"

Harmony wakes up in the bed surrounded with dogs and cats. Harmony: "Good morning, my little babies! Are you hungry? (they all go to the kitchen where she gives them food) That's right, eat it all to grow up! (sits at the table) Ay, my little ones, I am getting old. I worry what will happen to you when I go. I hope it won't be too soon, but who knows... (takes three breads from the bag) I am going to give some bread to the abbandoned puppies and kitties, they are also hungry and there is no one to feed them. I will get more bread for lunch, be good until I don't come back!"

 Rea is at her appartment, she is getting up later than the others. She is dressing up in a clothes that would better suit to a thirty year old woman than to sixty-five years old, but she isn't bothered with that at all, she doesn't want to give up fight with ageing. She is creeped out even by the fact that someone might tell her that she is old, that's why she gives a lot of money for botox, firming the skin, the most expensive creams. She really does look young for her age, it is true, even through it's more credit of these treatments than of the Mother Nature.

 I am waking up at hospital, psychiatry department. I don't remember anything - my life, people, I don't know what is happening around me. Every day the doctors tell me that I have a dementia, but that persistently vanish from my brain, I can't learn any new information. Allegedly I am here for years, but I don't even remember how did I get here, or how these people are called... I don't even remember who am I.