Crowned

Arc 3, Chapter 56: Familial Awakening.

// TW \\

MANIPULATION

SUICIDAL THOUGHTS

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The cool breeze blew over the soft green grass of the field. Bush leaves swayed in the wind, and colourful birds of all different types chirped happily in the clouds above. Flowers decorated the nearby hills and reached for the setting Sun above. The young child resting in a bed of tall grass as it swayed in the wind groaned, lifting their head from the green beneath them.

Their eyes drifted to the surrounding earth. Strangely, it felt so much better then is did before. They perceived everything so much... Clearer now. They stumbled up from the ground, and felt the grass beneath their feet, and watched it squish down underneath their body.

The child flinched and lifted their foot to witness the foot shaped indent they made in the vegetation beneath them. "What...?" They said, puzzled at this revelation.

They proceed to take another step, an indent inlayed in the grass once more, a real, physical foot causing it to be. They flinched and gasped, giggling quietly and doing a little spin, looking down at themself as their ribbons swayed, and their wings fluttered with joy. Their excitement intensified and they cheered with glee running through the field carefree.

They kept on running and running, happily playing in the field of grass, until they tripped and tumbled over something that was lying on the ground. They landed face first with a mouth full of grass and grumbled as they glared back at what they had tripped over. They were surprised to see Test Tube!

Bot nervously glared at her, and stood up fidgeting with their hands.

Test Tube stirred and sat up from the grass, rubbing her back... "Gosh... My everything hurts..." She huffed. Test Tube looked down at herself and was surprised to find she was kind of different? She was more decorated than before— kind bubbling a little too... She felt for her [A.R.E.P.] and froze.

Where was it?! It was gone— oh no no no no...! She searched her scarf and patted herself down along with the nearby grass until a hand landed on the head of another. She flinched and pulled her arm back— only to be met with Bot's gaze from below.

She stared in shock.

Bot gave a little wave, and smiled shyly. What if Test Tube though they were defective because they were no longer a program? No—no... She wouldn't think that surely...

Test Tube picked them up, and stood up instantly. She checked over Bot, and poked at their antennae, which twinkle and sparkle as she touched them. Test Tube flinched dropping Bot.

Bot yelped, and flailed as they fell, their wings picking up and fluttering their wings sparkled as they hovered just above the ground. "—O-Oh! Oh jeez!" They flip themselves right side up, and sigh with relief, flying back up to Test Tube's height nervously.

Test Tube's eyes were fixed on them the entire time, astounded at the thing she saw before her. They were like... a fairy. They felt so alive before when they were a simple hologram—but now? They were real...! They were right here in front of her. How was this possible?! How did they—?!

Bot continued to hover nervously staring back at Test Tube as she stood in shocked silence. "Uhm...?"

Test Tube flinched and snapped out of her shocked trance. She stepped back and composed herself. "S-sorry... I was just—Uh—surprised! Ahah!" She gave a nervous smile.