SAGE'S GARDEN [OMORI AU.]

I| Everything is Going to be Okay.

Sage woke up in his greenhouse hammock. He took in the scent of flowers, hearing them whisper sweet things as they heard their creator rouse from his slumber.

Things were perfect here in his garden.

He sat up, swinging his paper-white, scarred legs out of the hammock, landing on the soil with a soft puff of dust. 

He walked over to the door, unlatching it and stepping out into the fresher, less suffocatingly sweet air of Gardenspace. He was greeted with the sight of his friends at Mari's picnic blanket, as per usual.

"Good afternoon, Sage! How are you doing?" The girl called. She had long, dark, silky-smooth hair and sweet black eyes that reflected the swirling galaxy sky above. Her iridescent purple butterfly wings were folded neatly on her back, and her black dress puffed neatly around her folded legs. The underside of her hair swirled with purples, blues, and tiny stars. Sunny was asleep with his head on her lap, his brick/blood-red hair bearing a star-shaped clip. 

"I'm okay." Sage replied dully. He strode over and sat on the blanket beside Aubrey, who promptly tackled him.

"SAGE! We've been waiting ages. Sunny fell asleep." She cried, her magenta hair falling into Sage's face.

"Get off of me, brat." He said, shoving the bunny girl off. Kel was quiet, as usual, and simply nodded his head in acknowledgement of Sage. 

Hero patted Sage's head, setting his rose crown slightly askew.

"Hello, prince." Hero said, his blue dog tail wagging.

"Don't call me that." Sage snapped. He fixed his flower crown so that it WASN'T flattening his deer ears.

Hero flinched. "Sorry." He said, scooting away from Sage.

"Don't apologize to me. Your voice is annoying." Sage said, shooting a glare at the dog boy. He moved forward in front of Mari. He tapped Sunny's shoulder.

"..mmh?" Sunny blinked sleepily and looked up at Sage with his ruby-red eyes.

"Afternoon, sunshine." Sage said, in a slightly less harsh way than he had with the others.

"Sheesh. Favoritism much?" Aubrey complained.

"SHUT UP!!" Sage said, whirling around and slapping her.

"Ow! HEY! I was just saying-" Aubrey said, her eyes welling up.

"Sage, why'd you hit her?" Sunny asked quietly, as he sat up. He put a hand on Sage's shoulder.

".....I..." Sage fumbled for words. For some reason, he felt guilty. He wouldn't have, but now that Sunny was looking at him with such a disappointed gaze, he couldn't think why he slapped Aubrey in the first place. "...I don't know. I'm sorry." He said.

Sunny stood up. "I'm gonna go talk to Spaceboy... maybe you can cool off while I'm gone, Sage." He said softly.

Sage wanted to protest. He wanted Sunny to stay with him. He wanted Sunny all to himself. He didn't WANT Sunny to talk to Spaceboy.

But when he opened his mouth, all he said was, "Okay."

***

Sage did not cool off while Sunny was gone.

And now, he was seething, standing over Aubrey as thorny vines tangled around the bunny girl's body.

"Sage, why are you-" Aubrey started.

"DON'T SAY MY NAME LIKE THAT! GET IT OUT OF YOUR DISGUSTING MOUTH. NOW." Sage shrieked. The vines tightened, drawing blood.

"But I-" Aubrey tried again.

"NO!!"

The vines tightened again, tearing into the girl's body with ferocious hunger. They tore her to shreds, leaving a mangled and bloody mess on the gray grass.

"Great." Sage mumbled.

"Now I have another mess to clean up."