Chapter Text
Log: 4357 437
Dearest of all Friends, if I may say so,
I have to tell you something of the most extreme importance of the most recent of events! It is imperative that you sit down somewhere very comfy as you read this!
Now to get straight into it… well actually I should bring you up to speed first! Then you will understand what I’m even saying. So let’s start from the beginning. At least… from when I remember it…
-
Harmony. Base. Alto. Soprano.
She looked through her mother’s books spread before her, as the youngest daughter waved her feet since she was lying on her stomach as she read. Her name is ******. Her style of reading was interesting since she retained information so well. As long as it was visual, even words, she had a great habit of memorizing the pages themselves as pictures to always go back to. Her attempt at the moment was looking at three books to see if she could retain triple the information besides two.
“Woah. You’re trying to do all three?”
She looked up at the doorway of the studio to see her older brother walking over to look among the pages.
“Yeah! I think I’m getting better, but it’s a little harder,” She replied.
“Maybe two at a time is okay, no? You don’t have to remember so much at once,” Her brother said, as he put his instrument down on a nearby stand.
“Yeeeah, but I like the challenge!” She smiled as she rubbed her hands together.
Her mother turned in her chair nearby as she took off her glasses and said,
“Well you two could use a break though. How about we go on a walk? Maybe the little garden nearby?”
“Yeah!”
The daughter jumped up and closed the books, as her brother ran out to change his clothes. The sister then ran to change in her room, and then all three were ready as they went to the park.
The brother had a rock collection, though most of the ones he kept had little intricate symbols on them that he liked to look at. He always drew them as he wondered if they were all one big picture or writing. So as they were in the garden of a park reserved for residents, he would collect more of them.
The sister was looking for flowers to collect and make into either crowns, or weave into her clothes. She also would dry some of them and her mother would help her in making a form of perfume with some. Her mother used to make perfumes before becoming a vocal teacher. So she looked among the flowers to make a crown today.
Their mother watched them from a bench as she took in the environment with a deep breath. She was a little tired, but content in watching her children forage and play.
The sister was about to take another flower, but stopped when it turned toward her. She backed away quick as her brother noticed.
“What’s up?” He asked her.
“It’s a bug!” She replied in pointing to it.
Her brother looked and noticed the type of bug,
“Oh! That’s an Orchid Mantis. It looks like a flower. Why would it be all the way here?”
“I think it’s mad at me.”
“Heh! It doesn’t want to be a flower crown. How about we go over there for more flowers for you?”
“Yeah!”
They both walked to another section of the garden where there were clusters of trees behind it. Their mother slowly got up as she stretched a bit to then move closer to them.
The sister looked among the flower and as she was about to grab one, she heard something… she looked up and saw…
Someone with a gun… aimed at her brother….
She screamed out his name, as he looked up from grabbing rocks and saw them, as the person was startled…
They both started running, as their mother started running to them when they made a commotion…
She heard a pop, saw the ground as her brother covered her head… but it was too late as the two were both shot with one bullet…
Then a scream rang in her ears as her vision went blank and her mind only saw swirling darkness…
Falling…
Falling…
Into nothingness…
A darkness…
A void…
Voices.
There were distant voices, as she felt herself lifted up and sent to where the voices conversed.
Slowly she could hear them growing louder.
Not familiar, but they had a fierce and kindness in them.
She shook a little, not sure what was going to happen, and then she felt like she was dropped suddenly.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
She kicked her feet and waved her arms, and that was when a flood of light entered her vision as she took in a breath and sat up.
Oh. She was sitting?
Wait a minute… where was she sitting?
She felt a covering on her head as she tried to see, but her vision was blurry as she couldn’t see but shapes. There was movement she sensed as it approached her, but she tried to move away from it. That was when she felt a bit blinded when a flash of light flooded her vision, though she still couldn’t see but shapes. Apparently something was on her head that was removed. Then someone lifted her up as she wiggled and kicked to try to crawl away, her arms flailing in the air as she tried to escape. That was when she finally found her voice again, her struggling made her cough and then she finally squealed.
Whoever held her seemed a little surprised, as another set of hands picked her up. She squealed a few more times as this second figure who held her tried to hush her softly, her hearing clearing up but a bit muffled. Her little body was trembling now as she could hear multiple voices but didn’t understand why they were surrounding her for.
Where was her brother? Where was her mother?
Who was surrounding her? Who was holding her?
These weren’t her mother’s hands! These hands felt too rough to be her hands!
She tried to kick away from whoever held her as she struggled more with her hands pushing their own to let her go, her squeals growing more frantic.
Another pair of arms held her as she was cradled by them and bumped a little to try to calm her. She whimpered a little and then her eyes started growing a little more clearer.
She then saw three faces looking at her, but not true faces. It was masks. White masks.
It could only remind her of the one with the gun-
She began to panic and screech as she waved her arms in trying to scratch at them, her eyes growing blurred from her tears. The three were growing stressed as they wanted to calm her, but when they would make contact, she would cry more.
‘Get away! Get away! Don’t hurt me! Mama! Help me! Brother! Help! Help!’
She cried internally too as she kicked and fought. Someone else came in the room with a stomp, the three looking to them. They walked over as their shadow cast over them, particularly her.
She tried to see what the shadow was, but the large looming shadow made her cover her face as she cried. Then she was taken into the arms of the looming figure, large arms that cradled her small form completely, covering her in a darkness that was comforting and calm. She sniffled still, though she felt their hand of some sort on her head. They seemed to be scratching her head a bit, which made her realize she didn’t have much hair but some other soft things, as she then felt two spikes on her head raise up. She wasn’t sure what these little spikes were, but then she heard cricking from the one who held her, and her little spikes moved along with the sound.
“Ch..d, ca.. you…f.”
She started calming down in now hearing their voice clearer and staring in surprise to hear true words she could decipher. Her breathing was still rapid, but she was thankful to hear something familiar as a voice. She reached up to try to find their face as she tapped their chest a bit.
Their face came into view of dark eyes with a white mask.
Once she deciphered they too wore a mask, she pulled her hand back and then covered her face to cry.
“See? She s..fers.”
“Doe. she f…r us?”
“Some….g bothe.. her.”
“It i. t.. mask.”
She felt movement of the figure who held her, and then she was nudged a little to look up at him. That was when she saw their face again, but saw a creature with a broad blue face and fangs outside of the mouth from what she could see, and large horns upon his crown. Eyes of emerald shined as she was amazed by the color since it was easier for her cloudy vision to decipher. She slowly reached up to touch his face, and that was when she noticed her own hand. It seemed like a hand, but her fingers were like soft claws and she seemed to be missing a fifth finger. Her arm had little rows of bumps on the forearm, and a little bump on her palm. Her color made her stare longer as her finger tips and one side of her arm was a pink, while her palm and underside were white. She then looked back to his face and reached up to him as she gently touched what seemed to be his cheek. He let her alone a moment as she blinked a few times in trying to see him clearer.
Her hearing was much clearer as the little antennas on her head moved, and now she could understand what he was saying to the others there.
“She could not see well enough to know we are her kin. Our masks must have frightened her.”
She then turned to look at the other three figures, and she seemed to be able to see them a little clearer in recognizing their shapes were similar to his own.
“Ah. Then she feared what she could not perceive.”
“That is at least hopeful for us in order to take care of her.”
“Would her sight eventually improve? Or should we take precautions?”
The male holding her sighed,
“You three are already so anxious and she has just hatched. How shall this heir be raised if not to be as fragile as she looks?”
“Do not be already so judgmental of a child you cradle kindly in your arms, brother.”
“Eh hem!! Shall you take her then? She seems at ease now,” He gently put her hand down from his face.
“But surely she likes him better.”
“Maybe you could allow her some respite.”
“Enough! I already have my very own spawn! And even if this pale one is not your true spawn, she is your responsibility,” He pointed to them.
“I shall take care of her, dear brother. I only jest as she prefers your presence more so.”
“Hmph! Then have her become accustomed to yours, sister.”
“Of course.”
The transfer was made, though she tried to wiggle away as she then saw the face of the one who held her, the eldest of the sisters, as she was amazed by the lovely blue of her own shining eyes.
“Siblings, allow me a moment alone with the new little grub. This may be progress for her but hopefully with less bodies she will calm herself more so.”
She didn’t notice she was trembling within her arms.
The others did indeed leave, as the eldest sister gently cradled the little one and noticed her little antennas twitching here and there.
“Fret not, dear one. For you are new to this world of our own, but born of the Mantis tribe. See that you are one of us, and that we are your family.”
She stared up at her as she spoke, her memories of her family on her mind, and softly she began to weep for them. The eldest sister held her close to let her cry.
“There now, little one. May your tears come now, while you are safe to let them bleed.”
Eventually the little one tired out, and the Eldest daughter planted her on the little nest that was prepared for her. She made sure the little one was calm enough to sleep.
“Be at ease… our little Orchid,” The eldest sister of the Mantis Lords said right before leaving the nursery.