//------------------------------// // Ch.12 Somber Notes // Story: The First Star of Twilight // by Arcanum -Phantasy //------------------------------// Lemon sat alone in her club room, the rocker girl making a seat out of one of the large bass amps in the back end of the room while she tuned an acid green electric guitar. Her normally bright smile held a somber weight as she stared down at the strings, her mind wondering to older fuzzy memories that only came to her around this time of year. A gentle smile, a warm hand, and a kind pair of voices whose words left her mind long before she could recognize them. It ate at her that those were all she had to remember them by, but old photos and family videos could only do so much. A tired sigh fell out of her as she set the guitar aside. Just like last year and all of the years she could remember, she just couldn't muster up the spirit needed to tap into her muse. Not feeling ready to call her sister for a ride, she slid off the amp, laid herself out across the floor, and let her mind wonder to some brighter thoughts. The first thing to come to mind was the D&D game from yesterday. She cringed at the memory of how Petal had been acting, acting being he key word. Apparently, Petal did all of that to get under Sugar's skin. A fact that, under normal circumstances, she could look back at with a chuckle, but could only manage a small smile at in her current condition. The smile melted into a grimace, a hollow feeling eating away at the merriment the thought gave her. She needed a distraction, something to get her mind off of what was haunting her. Lethargy started to settle in her as she stared blankly at the ceiling, the hollow feeling in her core steadily starting to grow. She welcomed the emptiness, well aware of what would take its place if she rejected its advances. Her mind drifted towards Twilight and Petal, a light pull dragging her out of the numbing void towards her memories of the pair. With an unusually blank expression, she pulled out her phone and looked at the time. A small smile spread out across her face as she dragged herself to her feet. Dusting herself off, she let out a small sigh, then made her way out of her club room. As she closed the door behind her, a black fox crept back into the shadows, a pleased smile spread wide across its jowls. *** Silence was an extreme normality in Twilight's lab, the teen only breaking it with the typing of keys or the buzzing of an electric welder when she was putting something together. It was rare that the room's silence was heated or heavy. This was one of those rare occasions. Petal sat on the lab's bed, arms crossed and face blank, a combination made all the more intense by her being in her natural form and normal clothing. Twilight sat in her computer chair, leaning forward and aiming an exasperated gape at her friend. "No Twilight," Petal deadpanned. "But why?" Twilight wined. "Cuz its kind of weird as fuck?" the Wraith frowned, raising a brow. "But you said-" "I know what I said," Petal snapped, her eyes sharpening into a glare. "But that doesn't make what you want to do any less fucked." "All I need is one sample," Twilight pouted. Petal sighed. "Sparkles, I care about ya' and you know I'd do pretty much anything for ya'," the Wraith smiled, then regained her glare as she loudly growled, "But I'm not going to piss in a cup for you!" The teen let out a frustrated groan, throwing her hands up over her head as she leaned back into her chair. "It's not like I'm about to preform live surgery on you," she huffed. "I just want to know how your body works!" "And you can do that by studying my piss?" Petal flatly asked. "Sure this isn't some new kink?" "THAT'S NOT IT AT ALL!" Twilight thundered, her whole head as red as a tomato. "Right," she smirked, raising a brow. "Whatever you say, Sparkles." Twilight growled at that. "For your information," she spat. "Doctors use urine samples to test for different kinds of diseases, biological chemical imbalances, and hormonal shifts brought on by pregnancy." "Then let me set some things straight for you," Petal snorted. "Wraiths don't get sick, our bodies are malleable as fuck, and we don't get pregnant the way humans do." "Really?" Twilight frowned. "How do Wraiths reproduce?" Petal cringed at that. "You...Uh...Really don't want to know," she sighed. "Why?" Twilight pressed, a hint of worry running through her. The Wraith sucked in her lips at that, conflict written plainly in her eyes. "Cuz...It's....Just trust me on this one," she sighed, lips twisted into a disgusted frown as she looked away from her friend. Twilight blinked at that, her mind quickly jumping into an aggressive tug-o-war. The scientist in her wanted to press Petal for answers, certain that she could handle whatever knowledge the Wraith was withholding from her. At the same time, she couldn't bring herself to put the metaphorical screws to her friend. Until now, the Wraith had been fairly open about how her kind operated. While certain facts, such as how Wraiths fed and what they subsisted on did unnerve her, she was more than willing to accept the facts for what they were and move on. The fact that Petal was not willing to disclose information on this particular topic more than put a chill down her spine. Was the process painful for Wraiths? Was it like with most spiders, where the parents passed away as a result of the process? A cold stone fell into her stomach when her mind drifted towards the dream she had a few days ago. The terrifying woman, the crystal she offered to the tortured woman in chains, and the sudden change she went through after accepting it. She mentally shook off the dread the memory gave her, shelving the growing theories into the back of her mind for later examination. Taking a deep breath, she forced her inner scientist to shut up and drop the topic, her lips pulling up into a tired smile. "Alright," Twilight sighed. "Thanks," Petal smiled, locking eyes with her friend. "Now about that piss fetish." The teen let out an exasperated groan, leaning back in her chair and covering her face. "You're not going to let that die, are you?" she whined "Not by a long shot, Sparkles," Petal winked. Before the teen could voice her opinion on the matter, they heard a soft set of knocks on the door. The two stared at each other for a minute, both sharing looks that asked if they heard that, before another set confirmed their suspicions. With a wave of her hand, the Wraith assumed her human form and donned her usual punk-style attire while Twilight answered the door. When said teen cracked the door open and peeked outside, a surprised smile slipped onto her face as she opened it all the way for a sheepish Lemon Zest. "Hi Lemon," Twilight beamed. "Hey Twi," she chuckled, nervously scratching the back of her head. "Are you okay?" Twilight asked, a worried frown taking the place of her smile. "Yeah," she tiredly chuckled. "Just had to put up with a few tests today, you know?" Twilight's eyes lit up at that, her lips pulling up into an excited smile. "Oh! How do you think you did?" "Good enough to pass," she shrugged. "Anyway, you doing anything right now?" "Not really," she frowned, taking note of the dodge. "Just hanging out with Petal." "Cool, cool," the rocker smiled, then nervously asked, "Mind if I join you guys for a bit?" "Not at all," Twilight softly smiled, stepping aside. "Come on in." "Thanks," Lemon smiled, stepping past her into the lab. As she did, a sudden realization made froze Twilight in place. She had just agreed to let another person aside from Petal or her family enter her lab. To top that off, the person in question was an Elite to boot! If something like that had happened a few weeks ago, she would've wondered if she had lost her mind. Then again, she didn't have any friends a few weeks ago to begin with.. She smiled at that, shook her head, and then closed the door behind her as she watched Lemon take a seat next to Petal on the bed. "So, this is your turf?" Lemon asked, looking around. Yes," Twilight nodded, retaking her seat. "Huh, not what I was expecting," Lemon mused, staring at a cluster of burnt out devices sitting in a corner. "What were you expecting?" Petal snorted, crossing her arms. "Death rays and aliens trapped in tubes?" "Nah," Lemon laughed. "Just stuff like a nuclear power core or at least a portal to another world. You know, real sciencey stuff." "They're in the shop," Petal shrugged. "Sorry." "Darn," Lemon smirked, snapping her fingers. "Did you really thing I had that kind of technology in here?" Twilight deadpanned, crossing her arms. "I was hoping," Lemon snickered. "I knew the rumors were full of bull." "What rumors?" Twilight frowned, raising a brow. The rocker sported a nervous smile, suddenly very interested in the ceiling tiles as she sheepishly muttered, "That you.....um....drug students and bring them here to preform experiments on them." A moment of silence filled the room, Lemon worried that she may have stupidly struck a nerve with her reveal. She mentally kicked herself, dreading the return of Zombie Twi, sure that the girl would not take it all that well. Imagine her shock when all that came out of the lavender teen was a tired sigh. "Well, I guess that's a step up from the rumor that I'm an alien from a distant planet," she frowned, rolling her eyes. "Wait, what?" Petal laughed. "They actually thought that?" "I doubt it," Twilight huffed. "Since it happened after I became Number One, I think it was just Sunny and Sour trying to get to me." "Makes sense to me," Petal bitterly spat. "Those bitches need to get their balls clapped." Twilight gaped at that while Lemon nearly rolled off of the bed, tears rolling down her cheeks as she laughed like a maniac. "Petal!" Twilight barked. "What? You were both thinking it," she frowned, crossing her arms. "I...I CAN'T.....B-B-BREATH!!!" Lemon cried clutching her sides. The two girls were left with no choice but to wait for Lemon to ride out her giggle fit, both of them happy to see a little more of the Lemon Zest they were more familiar with. At the same time, Twilight met Petal's proud smirk with a glare that warned of a long talk in the not so distant future. When Lemon eventually regained control of herself, she looked a lot more relaxed, but Petal could sense something sitting just beneath the surface. She took careful note of it , hiding her concern behind her usual playful smirk as the rocker girl gave her a relieved sigh. "God I needed that," Lemon chuckled. "So, what have you two been up to? Anything crazy?" "Well, Sparkles was trying to get me to pee in a cup," Petal casually shrugged. "Does that count?" Dead silence returned to the room, Lemon slowly blinking owlishly as she tried to process what Petal had just said, while Twilight didn't know whether to strangle the Wraith or scream in shame. "She did what now?" Lemon blinked, her brain still struggling to understand what she had heard. "Yeah," Petal chuckled. "Apparently, she wanted to see if I was pregnant or some crap." Another soft reset of Lemon's brain was instantly needed. At the same time, Twilight silently seethed at her friend, suddenly very eager to see if the Wraith's claims about her regenerative abilities were true. A rare hint of guilt settled into Petal's gut as she gave he friend a nervous smile. Okay, maybe I went a little too far this time. *** "Thanks for letting me hang with you guys," Lemon smiled, walking down the dimly lit halls. "It was a blast!" "Yeah," Petal nervously chuckled, trying to ignore the glare Twilight was trying to lance through her head. "We should do this again sometime." "Totally," Lemon beamed, oblivious to the bitter sparks being fired. "Maybe we can do it on my turf next time. I want to hear you sing!" "It should be doable," Twilight mused, finally letting her anger drop. "I could call up the girls and see if they can join us." It was only for a second, but both girls noticed a sudden fraction of a shift in the girl at the suggestion. Twilight noticed the brief look of dread that came to Lemon's face before her usual carefree smile snapped back into place. It was so quick that Twilight almost thought it was a trick of the light, but what Petal picked up on held no such doubts. While her senses were largely dulled in her human form, it was impossible for the Wraith not to sense the fear and shame sitting just below Lemon's mask. "Nah, that's cool," Lemon laughed, waving off the offer. "I want to get some time with just you guys for a bit. Get to know you all a little better and all that, you know?" "Are you sure?" Twilight pressed. "Because, I have no prob-" "I-It's fine," she stammered, her smile showing a faint twitch. A small poke into her hip from Petal stopped her from pushing any further. The two locked eyes for a brief moment, the Wraith warning her against moving forward with a stare before giving their friend her full attention. Taking the hints, Twilight reluctantly let the topic drop, something it seemed she was starting to make a habit out of recently. "Alright, I think we can come by tomorrow," Twilight mused, then turned towards Petal and asked, "What do you think?" "Sounds like fun," she said, forcing a very convincing smirk past her worry. "Hopefully I won't suck too much ass." "Hey!" Lemon frowned, pointing a stern finger at the Wraith. None of that! Like my big sis once said, "We all start somewhere". Ya' get it?" "Got it," Petal chuckled. "Just make sure you bring a whole lot of earplugs, cuz I think you're gonna need them." "Said the same thing when I picked up a guitar for the first time," Lemon chuckled. "How'd it go?" Petal asked, raising a brow. "Worse than you or my sis expected," she sighed. "Bet I could top it," Petal smirked. "I don't know," Lemon mused. "Twilight almost blew my speakers the last time she was there. It's gonna be pretty hard to top that." "Hey!" Twilight cried, cheeks turning rosy. The duo laughed at that, Twilight's light giggle not too far behind as they stepped through the school's front door. The cool early evening air washed over them, sending a bracing shiver through the trio. Petal silently cursed the cold under her breath, the Wraith not quite used to the vulnerabilities her human form forced her to endure. "Wow, it's a lot later than I thought it was," Lemon chuckled. "Do you need a ride home?" Twilight asked, already pulling her phone out of her skirt pocket. "Nah, it's cool," she chuckled, pulling her own phone out of her pocket. "I'll just give my sis a ring." "Are ya' sure?" Petal asked. "Sparkles' mom's car has plenty of room." "I-I'm sure," she smiled, a faint hitch creeping into her voice. A hitch both girls noticed, but didn't show. "If that's what you want to do," Petal shrugged, casually putting both of her hands behind her head. Thanks," she nodded, smiling as she sifted through her contacts. Petal and Twilight gave her some space, the two girls trading worried looks. "Somethings bothering her," Twilight whispered. "Definitely," Petal nodded, voice just as low. "She's been down about something the whole time she was with us." "Do you know what it is?" she asked, worry heavy in her eyes. "I'm an emotavore Sparkles, not a mindreader," Petal deadpanned. I mean, I can peek into her head a little, but I don't think that'll give me a straight answer. "Right," the teen sighed. "So, what did you...um...taste?" Petal thought about that, struggling to sort out the different flavors she sampled from Lemon while she was in the room. "Uh....let's see," she frowned crossing her arms. "Sadness, stress, loneliness, frustration, and guilt. Like, a ton of guilt." "Guilt?" Twilight blinked. "What would she feel guilty about?" "Don't know," Petal sighed, peeking over her own shoulder at the smiling girl behind her. "The only thing I do know is that she wasn't like this yesterday. Something big must've happened." The implications filled Twilight's gut with arctic dread, hundreds upon hundreds of terrible scenarios running wild in her head. "W-We need to do something," Twilight stammered, ready to run past Petal to get to her new friend. "Hold it Sparkles," Petal hastily whispered, grabbing her shoulder and nearly dragging her back. "I think you should let me handle this." "But, I want to help," Twilight pressed, worry on full display as she looked back and forth between Petal and the girl talking on the phone. "I get that," Petal smiled, then sheepishly added, "But you're not exactly the most empathetic person in the world, here. Say the wrong thing and she'll just close herself off even more." Twilight wanted to argue, but a quick assessment of herself made her pause. While she didn't like it, she knew that Petal had a point. While she wasn't as abrasive as the Wraith, she always approached things from a more analytical perspective. Ethical experiments, calculations, and literary records didn't require tact or any kind of social etiquette to get desirable outcomes. Human interactions did and a miscalculation in such instances could easily lead to all kinds of disasters. It was with a heavy heart and a desperation she never thought she would feel for a fellow Elite that she nodded. "You're right," Twilight sighed, dejected. "I don't like it, but you're right." "I know," Petal grimaced. The two shared a moment of awkward silence, before the sound of Lemon's sigh pulled them out of it. "Sis should be around in a few minutes," Lemon smiled, closing the distance. Both girls turned to face her, all the worry and grief from their previous conversation wiped from their faces. "Cool." Petal smirked, then gave Twilight a side glance and asked, "Hey Sparkles, didn't you just tell me you forgot something in the lab?" "Yeah," she sighed, stepping towards the door. "Guess I'd better go get it." "You want me to come with?" Lemon frowned. Twilight gave her a tired smile and waved off her offer. "No, I can handle it. It's not the first time I've wandered through the school at night. I'll be back in a few minutes." With that, she opened the door and vanished into the gloom beyond. At least, that's what it looked like to Lemon. Petal could sense her friend's emotions from just behind the door, possibly trying to listen through the solid metal surface. You've got a good heart, Sparkles, she thought, shaking her head. Now, let's try not to fuck this up, Petal. The first thing the Wraith did was get closer to Lemon, keeping about a foot of space between her and the teen, to get a better taste of her emotions. In addition to the stress and irritation she expected to taste, she sensed the same emotions that had been plaguing the teen throughout her visit. Now that she was this close, she picked up on not one, but two heavy emotions settling deep within the girl's heart; fear and loss. She masked her concern behind an aloof smile as she asked, "So, anything big happen lately?" "Not really," Lemon shrugged. "Why?" "Just thought I'd ask," Petal smirked, then let a small frown take its place as she added, "You seemed kind've out of it tonight." Lemon flinched and Petal could sense a sharp spike in fear from the girl. Petal didn't need to fake the concern on her face as her friend nervously chuckled. "I'm just...going through some stuff right now," she smiled. "You know, tests and stuff." "Right," the Wraith sighed, sensing a growing rise in stress in the girl. "I guess that shit would put anyone off their game." "You have no idea," Lemon groaned. "I mean, who makes you take a pop quiz then makes you take a test right afterwards?" "Yikes," Petal cringed, mentally cheering when she felt Lemon's stress start to drop. "Guess being in the top ten doesn't make you untouchable." "Dude, it's hell!" Lemon spat, crossing her arms and glaring at the ground. "I'm not even in the top five and, like, all of my teachers act like they expect me to cure cancer or something. I have no idea how Sugar frickin' does it!" "I guess she's just built for it," Petal shrugged. "Just look at Sparkles. The girl wouldn't hurt a fly and she's stuck swimming with sharks." "And she did it all alone, too," Lemon frowned. "It must've been rough." "Yeah," Petal sighed, thinking back to Twilight's episode at the mall and the fight she had with her. "I...don't like thinking about what could've happened if she hadn't met me." "It was...that bad?" Lemon asked, turning her head towards Petal with wide eyes full of worry. "Y....Yeah," she forced out, trying to ignore the sudden spike in fear the girl was giving off. "But I'm not going to let her get that bad again. Not if I can help it anyway." With a determined glare, she stared right into Lemon's eyes and added, "Same for you. If something's bothering you, I want you to let me know." The teen reeled back a bit, the steel in Petal's features rivaling Indigo just before a match. Even so, she was hesitant to let her new friend know her woes. If she did, then she would have to endure the same looks Indigo and Sugar gave her around this time of year. The concern, nervousness, and pity she saw in their eyes ate at her more than the pain of what she lost. "Sure. No prob," Lemon stated, forcing a smile. "Good," Petal nodded, forcing a smile of her own as she felt her friend's emotions start to blend together. Before the conversation could progress any further, a light blue Sedan pulled up to the curb in front of them. "Welp, that's my ride," Lemon, almost too eagerly, chirped, moving to the front passenger side door. "See ya' tomorrow, k?" "Right," Petal nodded, waving. "See ya' tomorrow." As the girl got into the car and was driven off, a nervous stone settled into Petal's gut.