Daisies

A ringing pierced Kryta's thoughts and numbed her pain.

What was that noise? Was it thunder? No, it wouldn't have been painful sounding. Did it have something to do with Reinhardt and that ….. Monster

"Kryta?"

It hurt.

"KRYTA!" Salem yelled out, "Thank the saints that you're alright!"

Whatever that noise was, it hurt her head badly.

"Do you know who shot? Are you okay? What happened?" rivers of questions flowed out of Salem's mouth as she couldn't help but worry about her acquaintance.

"...W…ho…a…..you.?"

"What did you say? I couldn't hear you" Salem replied, confused at the inaudible speech.

"I didn't mean it…" she quietly mumbled, "I didn't mean it! I remember…. As long as….di….Mon….hurt….cared….Rei.."

The last words Kryta tried communicating came out as slurred before she passed out once again and into Salem's arms.

Just what happened to her when she went over there? Why does she smell like-

At that one quick thought, Salem leaned in to smell Kryta and furrowed her eyebrows.

"daisies…" she smelled like daisies. Why does she smell like daisies? There is no reason she should be able to smell daisies on her. Daisies are flowers from old, they're long gone, they're extinct so just how? The only person she remembers that smelled of daisies was that man…. But that isn't at all plausible, how could he be here? Salem was "she" dealt with him. In the slim chance he lived then it could mean that Kryta had met that awful man.

Salem pushed the thoughts out of her head, she won't allow that man to plague her mind all over again like he had with her sister.

The appearance of a color of yellow pushed the thoughts out her mind.

"Rei..REINHARDT! I'M OVER HERE!"

The sound of harsh steps on crumbled concrete became louder and louder as Reinhardt came running over. Had it not been for Reinhardts' pale hair she wouldn't have noticed the stains of red and gash on her shoulder.

"What happened? Why did she faint? Why is it that you're hurt? Why does she smell li-like that?" Salem hastily cried out her questions as Reinhardt slowly approached her and brought Salem in for an embrace.

"It wasn't him," Reinhardt said to leave Salem with a peace of mind, "He isn't here."

Salem was never a person to doubt someone she cared deeply for; however, this was Reinhardt talking. No matter how much she may truly care for her, she would never tell the truth, that was something she made clear when they first met.

Despite Salem's reluctance to stop pressing the issue she did as Kryta needed attention, passing out seemed like something that occurred much more frequently.

Not much happened after that, Reinhardt explained that she and Owen happened to be there when some man tried attacking Kryta, Owen and the man got into a scuffle leading to her getting injured in the process. I tried asking Reinhardt for more information but she was uncomfortable to do so and just told me that Owen was escorting him to a law enforcement base thing. I wanted to ask more about what happened to everyone else in the city and that "thing" we saw but I had made Kryta a priority.

I tried convincing her to just take Kryta and that I can last another night but she refused and as stubborn as she was, Reinhardt carried me on her back and Kryta in arms as best as she could, and just like that, she carried over a mile to a safe zone Novas had set up.

When we got there, Kryta and I were taken to the infirmary. My leg was treatable, albeit with a limp. I thought everything would be okay and that was just that. Like the people of Deaor would say, "Don't question the anomalies, what you don't see doesn't exist."

"Miss Thomas won't be waking up for a few days. She needs to be taken to an ALEROUX facility as quickly as possible."

I don't know how I didn't realize, Kryta was much more airheaded, she began forgetting simple things, she had to carry me around, she complained her head was pain, she was hungry, she didn't let her body rest after all that blunt trauma, It was so obvious yet I didn't notice.

I doubt she would have told me. We aren't exactly close.

"I'm…I'm feeling kinda hungry"

"Not a lot, not a lot, not pinwheel, not seashell, not a bird, not ant, no, no, no, I'm monster that just wants to eat" the cyan-eyed girl sung to the children that surrounded her,

"Chomp, chomp, chomp, not a pinwheel I said!

Chomp, chomp, chomp, do I like a seashell?

Chomp, chomp, chomp, got no wings and big as a mountain and you dare call me a bird, an ant?

Chomp, chomp, chomp, I'm a monster, tall as the mountains I carve the rivers!

Chomp, chomp, chomp, I'm a monster, fast as light I outshine the sun!

Chomp, chomp, chomp, hunger fills me whole, allow me to eat some souls!" the girl jumped at the kids. In surprise the children ran away causing them to chase them.

A young girl, no older than seven, sat still near a candle as she watched her elder sister chase the other. She wanted to join them but she feared that she may get in trouble with Daisies

"Salem! You good?" her sister asked, "Was it him? I tried to go myself, I really did but you know how he is, can't stop him for nothing!" she laughed at choice of words, "Anyway are you okay?"

Salem didn't say anything. She wanted to go home, out of this place. Why did mother and father leave them? Was it because she broke that tea set her mother worked so hard to buy? It was an accident! Would they have left them if they knew that Daisies would lock them up in an underground stone cellar devoid of any light? Do they know what Daisies does?

"Hey! Don't look at me like that, It's not like it's my fault he likes you," her sister never did comfort her much, "I mean, why are you complaining? You're the only one who wears nice stuff. I wish I wore a pretty dress all the time! Wouldn't I look adorable!?"

Salem thought for a moment, why was she so afraid of Daisies? He never yelled at her, never got mad, never once hurt her like he did with the others and her sister, what was there to be afraid of?

"The girl couldn't help but look at her mother in disbelief, her mother had ordered her death to be nigh. And at the same time her mother was too in disbelief, she knew she loved her daughter just never that it was so little…" Salem's big sister continued to tell her story to the children. She always wondered where her sister got her stories from as they were locked in a cellar for quite some years, "As much as she loved her daughter, it wasn't enough to stop her from killing her but before that could happen a monster appeared and whisked the child away from the evil that her mother was. And so, the Story of Old took its course."

Once again her sister finished her story, once again the children huddled around asking questions about the story just told, once again Salem was left alone sitting in a corner waiting for Daisies to get her.

"Salem are you listening?" Daisies asked the young child in front of him, "I was thinking of something pink or maybe green…What color do you think is best?"

Salem said nothing as she looked away and clutched tightly onto the hem of her dress. There was no reason to be scared as he was just asking for her opinion and if she spoke up he would follow through. So why was she so afraid to speak?

"It's fine if you don't want to answer, I'll just choose for you. How's that?" Daisies said as he kneeled down to hug the young girl, "I'll get you the prettiest dress and lovely new doll. You would like that right?"

Daisies hugged Salem tighter and tighter the longer she failed to respond and the longer she failed to respond, the more it became difficult to breathe.

"Yes…" was all she was able to mutter out as his hold on her loosened, "One with bright red eyes?"

The man chuckled at the girl's words and began to caress her head, "Anything you like I can get, don't forget"

Salem hummed in response. He did not lie to her, not once, never to her at least.

"How bout' we go to my room and play for a bit? You may bring Närrin-"

"NO!" Salem yelled out, "No, don't bring her…Not her, not anyone else, please, please, please! You said you wouldn't! No, NO, NO! I'll be good, I swear!"

Salem began to sob as she begged Daisies to not bring her sister.

"Alright, alright, calm down!" Daisies raised his voice to catch her attention, "It was just a joke, I wouldn't do that you know. I would never lie to you, I just love you too much to do so"

"So why don't you sing for me"

"Salem?" Närrin began, "Don't you ever wonder what life was like back in Old?"

"Old?" Salem asked, "No not really…Why?"

"I wonder what the people of Old felt. I want to know why they didn't give up on survival, what kept them from dreading. How they decided to leave their home all on a united front. There is reason and I want to know what happened back in Old"

"....."

"Not saying anything? I almost got hooked on display because someone chose to give him the silent treatment today…" Närrin said, trying to lighten up the mood, "So anyway, Ignoring what I just said, do you want me to tell you a story? A sisterly special delivered by yours truly!"

"Go to sleep"

"But I wrote this thing for my dearest little sister who I barely see!"

Salem was tired but it wasn't often Närrin sang her stories. So she slowly turned to face her sister who was sitting up with a piece of paper.

"A day of joy, a day of calm,

A day meant of wonder quickly turn sour.

The roars of Gaia breaking the Earth.

She claims no fault for it was First.

No matter the blame, two girls go to fault,

One's mind is burst, the other turned hurt.

A monster on the run for the joy of self.

Two evil lovers dance and cry.

A bond of two gone in one.

Mother of Hope glares her light,

Hurt no more, a hero is born!"

"And if anything happens tomorrow, just know I love you for always, no matter what is to occur, kay?"

There is no moonlight without the radiant sun, there is no life without the sun, there is no day or night without the sun. There is no story without the kind light the sun is so kind to give. There would be no such thing as hope if not for the people of the day. This story would never have happened if the sun had never fallen in love.

Don't hurt, don't cry, don't think, just go.