𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐝𝐲; 𝖺𝗇𝗇𝖺𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗁 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗌𝖾

Fighting again, but with new outfits

Ivy dreamed she was still in Canada, only in the one place she didn't want to visit.

She blamed Aeolus for this.

She pushed the apartment's door open despite every nerve in her body telling her not to, and entered the place she actually never did call home.

She noticed right away the people sat in the dining table and frowned.

There was her mom, of course, but there was little girl next to her. Dark hair, purple eyes, oh.

It wasn't a dream. It was a memory.

Yeah, now she remembered.

She always tried to forget everything that'd happened there, always having it buried in the very back of her mind, but now she remembered.

Her mom was showing her little self something. A knife. Well, it used to look like a knife.

She didn't know how her little self didn't notice, but it was no near a normal kitchen knife. It was more like a gold dagger. But not like the ones at camp, no.

What was the name? She could swear someone had told her once.

A pugio, yes! The roman one.

Why her mother had it? No idea.

Of course, the nice mom act didn't last long.

In a second, she flipped and yelled at little 6 year old Ivy, pushing her off her sit. Even old Ivy flinched.

Little her fell to the ground and moved right in time to dodge the pugio her dear mother threw at her.

Present her rushed towards the scene. She knew it was just a memory she couldn't interfere, but it more like an instinct.

The dream, however, proved her wrong when her mother turned around just in time and grabbed her neck.

Her eyes met her the woman's wild ones as she felt the air and strength leave her body.

Her hand went to try and break her mother's tight grip on her, but her eyes caught something else on her mother's forearm.

Did she have a tattoo?

Ivy didn't have enough time to check. Her head felt lighter, and black spots finished completely taking up her vision.

Nice thing her mind chose such a happy memory, huh.

             ∆ ~•••••••••••••••••••••••~ ∆

Piper woke at a table at a sidewalk café.

For a second, she thought she was still dreaming. It was a sunny morning. The air was brisk but not unpleasant for sitting outside. At the other tables, a mix of bicyclists, business people, and college kids sat chatting and drinking coffee.

She could smell eucalyptus trees. Lots of foot traffic passed in front of quaint little shops. The street was lined with bottle-brush trees and blooming azaleas as if winter was a foreign concept.

In other words: she was in California.

Her friends sat in chairs around her—all of them with their hands calmly folded across their chests with new clothes on, dozing pleasantly. Well all except for Ivy. She looked troubled about whatever she was seeing.

Piper looked down at her own outfit and gasped. "Mother!"

She yelled louder than she meant. Ivy flinched, waking with a start as her hands flew to her neck, looking around afraid it was another memory. Instead, she saw the others now also awake.