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It was late. Everyone else was asleep, except Marcille. She just stared at the worn stone ceiling above her and eventually turned over. Staring at Falin’s sleeping face, it was as smooth and calm as water after a storm.
Her chest ached as she stared at the feathers that now covered her neck and chest, knowing it was her fault she became like that—turning into a chimera and losing her humanity.
Her eyes grew heavy the more she stared at her sleeping form, she did eventually fall into the abyss that was slumber. Just as she was falling asleep she felt Izutsumi’s form stretch out across her legs weighing her down.
As soon as she closed her eyes they snapped open, she was now in a large room, much like the dungeon from before. She saw a figure in the distance, she tried to cast a light spell like normal only to find ambrosia had vanished. The figure walked closer instead, revealing themselves to be Falin.
Marcille couldn’t believe it, it was Falin but she had no feathers or her elongated pupils. It was the Falin she fell in love with. She began running towards her, but just as she reached her arms out to hug her she vanished.
Everything shifted and changed, Marcille looked down at her hands, she stared in shock at the blood that dripped from them. The same blood when she resurrected Falin. Her head snapped upward seeing Falin’s figure again.
Falin’s face was shrouded in darkness but she could make out her words.
“Its your fault” “Its your fault I became a monster.”
Marcille’s hands were shaking, everything began to blur, she heard the snap of bones and the familiar claws scraping against stone. She looked up again to see Falin’s large form, she had transformed back into the chimera.
As she stared she felt the all too familiar bile crawl up her throat, she kneeled and the bile spilled out. It was red, thick with blood, she didn’t see her own reflection seeing herself in the red liquid. But, behind her, she saw Thistle’s smiling face.
She immediately reacted and spun around, seeing Thistle still standing there with that psychotic grin on his face. His words echoed around the room.
“We’re the same, you and I. We both wanted our loved ones to live forever, doing whatever it takes to do so.”
Marcille shook her head not believing a word he said.
“No, I'm nothing like you, I’ll never be like you. Ever.”
Thistle’s smile disappeared, he started to walk away but muttered a single sentence before leaving.
“We’ll see about that.”
His figure disappeared into the shadow, leaving only Marcille and Falin left. She looked back to Falin, seeing her piercing golden eyes looking down at her. Falin began to repeat what she had said.
“It was your fault”
She repeated it over and over again, her voice getting louder and louder. Soon booming shaking the ground. Marcille tried to cover her ears to cut muffle her voice, but it weaseled into her ears easily. Everything was starting to become too much, she let out a scream of agony at all the noise. Then everything went black.
The only thing she felt was someone shaking her shoulders. Her eyes snapped open, she saw Falin’s faint figure in the dark, her worried expression the only thing clear. Marcille turned her head after hearing a scoff.
It was Izutsumi, who was annoyed that she was abruptly awoken by her scream. Both girls watched as she patted out of the room, probably to go sleep on Chilchuck.
Falin turned back to Marcille, wiping away the stray tears that fell from her cheeks. Marcille touched her face, feeling the hot tears that she didn’t show she had shed. All she felt was a warm feeling in her chest and a rising heat covering her face and ears.
Falin chuckled at her blush, she sat down on Marcille’s bed and kept caressing her face. A soft smile on her own face. She spoke, her voice sounding like honey mixed with a warm summer day.
“Its okay Marci, you're awake, I'm here.”
Marcile stared back, before bursting into tears, launching herself forward into Falin’s arms, crying her heart out into her chest. There were so many emotions swelling inside her that it finally flooded out.
Falin just rubbed her head, feeling her soft blonde hair, she hummed a simple tune while she waited for Marcille to calm down.
Marcille’s tears eventually fell into barely audible sniffles, she laid her head on Falin’s soft feathered chest. Looking up and seeing her smiling face. She gasped as Falin pressed a soft kiss into her forehead.
Falin’s lips parted again as she began to speak.
“You got all your tears out now? Do you want to tell me what happened love?”
Marcille pushed herself out of Falin’s warm embrace, she smoothed out her hair, not making eye contact with her once she began to explain.
“I'm sorry Falin, I never meant to make you this way. I just wanted you back I’m so sorry. I’m a monster.”
Falin’s expression softened, and she put her hand back on Marcille’s cheek. Brushing her thumb across her soft skin.
“You have nothing to apologize for my love, you did what you thought was right. You are not a monster and will never be one, you are my love and I’m glad you did what you did. Because now you have a soft pillow to rest on.”
Marcille stared back at her before laughing at Falin’s comment. Falin crawled into her bed, making them pressed up against one another. Marcille laid her head on Falin’s feathered chest once again.
She felt everything from the dream catch up to her, causing a wave of exhaustion to wash over her causing her eyes to droop. Falin smiled at how Marcille nuzzled into her, she laid her head on Marcille’s. But once hearing her breathing become steady, she wrapped her arms around her. She pressed one last kiss onto her face before she too fell into a dreamless slumber.
Neither woke up when the sun rose or when the sound of snickering was coming from the hall. The rest of the party was peaking into the room, trying to silently laugh at how bright red Marcille’s face was even while she was asleep.