Blossom

Sun Rise, Sun Set

     This night, she didn't dream nor think, it was as if she was finally fading from this world and casting off the insanity that plagued her. Or so she thought, the moment of dispare, the night of peace, they passed in what felt like a second. Slowly, one by one, her senses awakened. The first one to come alive was touch: the familiar dirt beneath her, and warmth, though, not like the one she knew before, this one was both intense and gentle, like part of it was being carried through and around her, gently caressing her soft sprout, soothing her sore emotions. Brushing past her bud, it tickled,  causing her to sneeze, and thus causing her to breath in. Alerting her sense of smell and taste, what she inhaled was refreshing, it felt light and filling, and she smiled. "What was this dream?", she thought, "It feels beautiful, it feels free, but everything is still dark." Maybe this was the universe's final act of mercy before she departs from the suspended torture she's been living in. Maybe this was her peace before she leaves. Her final dream. She felt the whispers pass her skin and inhaled once again, if this was where it ended, she wanted to enjoy it for all it was.
     The parts of her that she closely kept to herself, because she could keep them no where else, they began to unfurl, slowly stretching out into this new feeling, into a new being.
    It was then that her ears, which had been shrouded and stuffed, emptied themselves and filled with a sweet symphony of noise. A melody of clicks, chirps, whines, tweets, moans, and other things joined her only company. Now it was her, her thoughts, and whatever she was hearing, belonging to beings she has yet know. Above it all, there was one sweet sound that stood out from the rest. She didn't know what it was, she'd never heard it before, a deep rumbling  mixed with sweet sighs and sharp punctuations. Her ears locked on to it like a drowning man locks onto his life preserver. It was something so new, so foreign, so happy, it filled her with hope. If this wasn't a dream, she could open her eyes and see something, see what she couldn't before. Her heart filled with fear, if this was all some horrible trick being played on her by her mind, she'd shatter and die. So, with her heart filled with lead, she unfurled the last of her petals and opened her eyes.
      With her face to the sky, tears streamed down, washing away every lingering feeling of negativity. The world was beautiful and, though she didn't know it, she was beautiful.
        Gazing up wards, the first thing she saw was blinding brilliance, the sun, Apollo, in all his smiling glory. She fell in love. He was bright and compared to the darkness she was previously immersed in, Flora considered him her savior. He was mesmerizing, hypnotizing her with his blinding smile and, what she soon realized, with that sweet sound he produced as he observed the beings around him.
     "Who-" she started, "who is that?"
     "Apollo." answered a startled lady bug, he had never heard a flower speak before. It was strange, he thought, her voice was weak and unsure, but pretty.
      "Apollo." Flora repeated, the name dripped from her lips like water drops, soft and slow. She liked the feel of it. She liked the sight of him. A lot.
       As the hours passed she learned to open up more to the critters around her. Fantastic things whose sizes ranged from that of a great bear to that of a small gnat. Learning from Apollo, she watched and talked with them all. Learning and expierencing more than she ever could stuck underground. She felt herself opening up and growing, her stem stretching forth as if reaching for Apollo himself. If only he could notice her the way he noticed everything else, but her voice was still to weak to shout and she looked like a thousand other flowers he'd seen.
       That was how she spent her day, watching Apollo, falling deeper in love with every smile he flashed, and startling the creatures who stumbled upon her.
       Terra watched this from below, she was happy for Flora. To see her happy and laughing was all Terra could hope for, however the day was not over yet. Terra still felt anxious, memories from the past warning her of dangers Flora may face.
       The day was coming to a close and as Apollo began to say his good byes, Flora noted all the weird things she'd seen and felt that day, the strange animales, the frightening insects and cute bugs, the way Skye, brother of Terra, held so many things in his grasp, how he wore his  and others emotions for every one to see. She noted all the emotions she'd felt that day also. Surprise, fear, contentment, happiness, and the most abundant, love. And now, she noted that, that while Apollo was leaving, Skye was glowing. His eyes blooming as someone new emerged.
      "Luna." The name left Apollo's lips like a dream, full of wonder, excitement, anticipation. He seemed utterly captivated by her.
      Luna was ethereal, powerful yet gentle, alluring but shy. Everything Flora was not. "And" Flora noted, "Apollo looks so happy talking to Luna. We will never talk that way, never dance together that way. He will never look at me that way, will he?" And how could he ever? When compared to Luna, Flora felt that she was not even worth looking at. They seemed to be two halves of one whole. Luna beaming bright with Apollo's attention; His light seemed to bring out the best in her and Flora could see that she was not the only one who his warmth saved.
         Skye's cheeks blushed, growing darker as the intimate moment between Apollo and Luna passed, first exploding into a climax of pink and orange and red, then dimming as they said their final good byes of the evening. A mirror reflecting Apollo and Luna's love, soon to be a mirror reflecting Flora's despair and fear.
         Thunder storms gathered on the horizon, quickly responding to Flora's worsening mood. The darkness that Luna brought with her now reminding Flora of the darkness she just escaped from. Clouds were now blocking the sky, where was her light, where was her warmth? Rain was now pouring, she was cold and alone, where did everyone go?
         Flora was panicking as everything was being taken from her. She was scared, she didnt want to return to the dirt. Her fear was pounding through her like the screaming storm, harsh and unforgiving. Her stem seemed to buckle beneathe her, she couldnt breath, she couldnt see, she couldnt speak. "Why is this happening to me? Why? Why why why why why...?" on and on this was the only thing she could think as the storm raged harder. Her eyes shutting from the things beyond her.
            Lightning flashing all around her remained unseen, only felt, and it felt like her whole world was shaking.
          She didnt feel safe anymore, the panic now rising to full volume. And her heart thrumming so fast in her, causing her to faint.