Chapter 7: Graveyard Shock

“I got another new member to my squad. Though, something really bothered me about it. She was an old lady, like in her thirties. Then when she went through the Ceremony she turned into a fourteen year old like me. I thought it only made you lose two years, like how I went from sixteen to fourteen. She was eerily calm about it though. I don’t know how I’ll get along with her, but I’ll try.”

Cherry gently held Bunberry’s hand as she laid in the emergency room bed. He never left her side, not even once. This girl had saved him twice now, she had even tried to save him from being Adapted. He didn’t even know why she had fought so hard to protect him, why she cared so much about him?

Lamp Flower assured him that she wasn’t going to die, but she was going to have egregious injuries leaving her unable to fight. He couldn’t stop picturing her doing her best to defend him, to take the attention off him and onto herself. Each slash that she took, each blow, every single one of them was burned into his memory. He wouldn’t let this happen again. Then there was Lucid, he came off as so frightening and yet so ordinary. Cherry was terrified of ever seeing him again. What had he done that even Bunberry cowered before him? Her movements normally were so fluid, but against him she had seemed suddenly helpless.

His concentration broke as Raftilia walked into the room. Her pink fur was wet, and she left a trail of water droplets behind her, but her mood was surprisingly jovial. “Lamp Flower, I have great news. I’ve found a new recruit. Coarse Amethyst is taking care of bringi—” She stopped mid sentence at the sight of Bunberry unconscious. “What happened?! What happened to my Bunberry?!”

Cherry gulped, then turned to her with eyes filled with tears. “She protected me.”

Raftilia’s sadness was palpable, you could almost feel it in the air. “She did?”

“Yes.”

Raftilia turned to Lamp Flower. “Is she...is she going to live?”

“Yes, but she’s in bad shape.” Lamp Flower said glumly. “She’ll be unable to fight like this, too much of her spine has been purified. She’ll have to use a cane to walk.”

Raftilia’s mood seemed to crash at those words. “I see. What happened to cause this?”

Cherry took a deep breath, and gulped. He had to admit the truth. “It’s all my fault. I was training with her and I accidentally used all my, umm, Night Energy. She took me to a Luminescent, then let me get some back. Then, this guy named Allightstar Allbright showed up.”

“A Royal?! She fought a Royal alone?” Raftilia’s voice was strained and upset. “How did you two even escape?”

“He let her transform into some kind of more powerful form. Then she kicked his butt. It was really cool, she was about to defeat him then….then…” Cherry looked to the floor in despair. He couldn’t get the man’s face out of his head, his voice, his mannerisms, everything about him. “Someone named Lucid Allbright showed up.”

Raftilia’s eyes went wide, her pink fur paled in abject fear. “Is he the one who did this to her?”

Cherry shook his head. “No, she was able to get him to leave. It was all Allightstar. She got her shield broken, then he started to make her disappear, it was terrifying.”

“At least she protected you. It’s a devastating blow to lose someone of her combat prowess, but it would have been worse had we lost you.”

“They didn’t want to kill me, they said their, umm, mother wanted me?” As soon as the word “mother” left his lips, Raftilia’s eyes seemed to show realization of something. Cherry felt this wasn’t just fear, Raftilia knew something. “M-Miss Boss, d-do you know why they’d want me?”

“Of course, you are the key to saving us, so of course they’d want you. Don’t worry, I’ll be keeping you under heavier protection this time.” Raftilia said, but Cherry couldn’t help but feel she was hiding something. Her mood changed as she suddenly smiled, then held her paws outward. “We just got a new recruit, she’ll be joining us shortly. Head to the Ceremony Room, we don’t have any time to waste.”

A welcome distraction from seeing Bunberry in so much disrepair, he decided. He’d have much to think about, but for now he’d focus on what was before him. Raftilia headed to the intercom as Amethyst poked her head inward, dragging a table with a young man strapped to it. The young man had extremely pale skin, wore black jeans, black steel toe boots, black top with a white skull in the middle, fingerless gloves, and calf socks.

“Attention all Umbra Girls, report to the Ceremony Room, we have our newest recruit, and I want you to be there to welcome her when she is ready.” Raftilia headed to the Ceremony moon, and beckoned Amethyst to follow her. Amethyst mumbled to herself, she was clearly uncomfortable, but still followed orders and pushed the table to the Ceremony Room.

The words finally clicked in his head. He wasn’t focusing on it because of worrying about Bunberry, but that young man was about to be Adapted. Just like he was. He frantically paced as he felt a rough hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Dragon giving him a half smile.

“Come on, kid. The boss lady is calling us. Best not keep her waiting.” Today was a bit different, however. He wasn’t dressed as lazily as he normally did. He was wearing a clean black shirt with the words “Metal head,” in the center of a skull, a pair of black jeans, and some black shoes. His hair was slicked back, he had a strange smell, and his stride was confident. He reminded Cherry of the things men would do and wear when they were on a date. Dragon walked to the Ceremony room with a confident, strong stride, as if he owned the place. Cherry wondered if he’d have been that kind of boy had he not grown up in such a sheltered environment. Without responding he nodded, then followed Dragon out the door. Now that his brain was settled knowing that Bunberry was going to be okay, he suddenly remembered Dragon’s horrific display before everything went to hell.

“Dragon, are you okay? Last I saw you, you were…” Cherry stopped before he could finish, choking back tears. He wondered what fate could have befallen him but he looked quite healthy, a lot different from when he last saw him.

“Yeah, actually. I’m feeling better than ever. I don’t know how, but somehow, whatever it was that happened removed all the purifications on my body. That’s why I itched so badly, and why I was in pain.. It was them slowly removing from my skin.” Dragon explained. Cherry was utterly flabbergasted. Wasn’t that supposed to be impossible? Before Dragon could answer they made it to the Ceremony Room. Dag was already there, wearing a brown fluffy skirt, brown knee high boots, green thigh highs, and a green top that said “Fuck your gender binary :P” Even if he didn’t understand, Cherry couldn’t help but love the interesting outfits Dag always wore.

Dragon took Cherry’s hand in his, then helped him up towards the line of girls or at least what he thought were girls. After Dragon and Dag, he started to wonder who really was a girl, and who wasn’t?

As he saw Raftilia return to her same position, with the metal table right where he was during his Adaption, he felt a pang in his chest. Lamp Flower was there too, as the man suddenly awoke.

“Wh-Where am I? What’s going on?” The young man twisted around. Cherry wanted to warn him, but Dragon squeezed his hand tightly. He looked up and Dragon shook his head. He had to let it happen, no matter how much he didn’t like it. He was reminded of Bunberry’s words. It was already too late.

“You are in the Ceremony Room, it’s time for your Adaption. We don’t have time to waste, we just lost another, so I’m sorry for this.” Raftilia wasted no time, undid his straps, then grabbed the young man’s chest while he was disoriented. The electrical shock surrounded the man’s body. Seeing it from an outside perspective it looked horrifying. The dark lightning coursing through him, around him, like a snake wrapping around it’s victim. His Night Crystal was pulled out of his chest. “This is your Night Crystal, we don’t have time to explain what that is.”

“What the hell did you do to me?” The man cursed in confusion.

Without answering she shoved the Night Crystal into his chest. Cherry suddenly remembered his own transformation, and almost felt himself transforming along with the man. His own memories collided with the current horror this young man was being subjected to. Every crack, every bubble, every strand of hair that grew, Cherry watched and felt. The lack of a bulge and the large breasts on his chest made Cherry shiver. To make matters worse the young man started to turn younger. He was really tall before, but now he had become really short. At least a foot and a half shorter. His face became more supple, with a button nose, and an angular jawline. His hair was pure silver, and the iris in his eyes were pure black.

“What did you do to m—” He suddenly paused and grabbed his throat. “Wait, no way. I sound!?” He immediately looked himself over, feeling up and down his whole body, his face, his hips, his chest, his legs, his entire body. Then he pinched himself. “Oh my god it’s real, it’s real!”

He picked Raftilia up and held her in his arms, spun around then put her back down. “Thank you thank you thank you so much!” Cherry was dumbfounded. This boy liked the transformation? He liked his new body? Why? Suddenly he was reminded of Dragon and Dag, was this person like them? Was this person a girl that was born a boy?

“Finally, some gratitude for the gifts I give. It’s good to see someone accepting being an Umbra Girl so easily. However, that is not the end, it’s time for you to show us your true form. Show us the beauty of your soul.”

“Wait wha—” The young woman(?)doubled over as her ears melted into her head, replaced like batlike ears over them. Out of her back grew batlike wings. With the physical transformation ended, her clothes disappeared into darkness. Strange dark purple flowers with dark purple coffins for petals spun rapidly around her. Starting from her shoes, up to her head they reclothed her. Her shoes were now knee high black boots with three straps that had those same coffin flowers for buckles, then dark purple lace socks stretched out from the boots towards her thighs. Shimmering into existence a black dress appeared on her. It had short puffy sleeves that lead into purple lace gloves with a middle finger loop adorned with that same flower. The hem was adorned with purple lace and a ring of coffin flowers. Her hair was twisted into a single braid with a coffin flower holding it together. Lastly four black coffin flowers appeared on her back, almost hovering there.

“Wow, you’re pretty.” Cherry immediately covered his mouth after he said it. He was extremely embarrassed but he found this girl attractive. Though wasn’t he attracted to boys? Had his staff been wrong?

The new girl blushed at his comment, then looked at herself. “Holy fuck, you’re right I’m hot.” She was utterly giddy and held herself in her arms with a smile so large it could topple mountains.

“Good, now it’s time for the Naming.” Raftilia’s face turned stone cold.

“The fuck is that?” The girl was visibly confused, and Cherry visibly shook. He remembered his own naming, the day Cherry Sparkles became his name forever.

“Welcome to the Umbra Girls, Coffin Flower.” As soon as she said those words, Coffin Flower collapsed to the ground.

“I suppose we rushed it too much and her brain overloaded. No matter. Coarse Amethyst, carry her to her room. It should have manifested by now.” Raftilia waved her paws like a queen ordering her peasants.

“You can’t be serious my Goddess, you know how much I hate those people!” Coarse Amethyst was not happy, Cherry couldn’t help but smile a little at that. He felt bad for doing so, but truthfully after she had said those awful things about him, was he really in the wrong?

“Exactly why I chose you. You need to learn to get over your petty rivalry. It is dangerous. If we want to win this war we have to work together.” Without giving her time to answer, Raftilia turned on her heel and walked out of the Ceremony Room, and towards the Hospital. She was clearly still worried about Bunberry. Cherry couldn’t help but feel the same. Coarse Amethyst begrudgingly carried Coffin Flower down the hall, and Cherry considered following Raftilia. Before he could, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Come on kid, it’s time to train.” Dragon’s voice made him sigh. He was right. If Cherry wanted to make sure this never happened again, he would have to get more in touch with his staff and that strange power he had. Turning Luminescents orange? What did that even mean? He nodded then walked towards the training room.

“Oh, Princess Dragonberry, I see you’re still associating with those aberrations.” The voice was cold, harsh, and frightening. He turned to see a girl in ripped jeans, a green top, and sneakers. She had a vanilla ice cream complexion with golden eyes and green hair. Her posture was extremely aggressive and sent chills down Cherry’s spine.

“What did you just fucking say, Lighting Dust?” Dragon’s fist was clenched, he could feel the anger and rage coming off of him.

“Oh don’t even bother threatening me. You couldn’t hit me if you tried, or did you forget about my trait missy?” Lightning Dust suddenly moved with incredible speed, flipped Dragon’s nose, then immediately returned to where she was. Dragon couldn’t even react.

“You goddamn bitch! I’m going to kill you!” Dragon’s rage was growing, then Dag held a hand on his shoulder.

“Draggy, let me handle this. Oh Lightning Dust, you really should calm down sweetie.” Dag approached her, and she seemed unmoved.

“What do you want, Dagger Flower?” Lightning Dust looked him dead in the eye. “I haven’t got time for Adaptions right now. I’m busy with your girlfriend.”

“What makes you think I’m an Adaption? After all, no one but Raftilia knows whether I am or not. So if you alienate me, then you alienate a potential sister.” Dag’s face was sly as a fox. Cherry saw this routine before. He wondered how flustered Lightning Dust would get, would it be like Coarse Amethyst from before?

“My trait allows me super speed, but what is yours? Messing with people? Your skills are laughable in combat as well. I don’t care if you are or are not an Adaption, you’re just as worthless.” Dragon had enough, he charged at her, slamming his fist into the wall, but Lightning Dust expertly dodged it. Then something welled up within Cherry and he gripped his hands tightly.

“Why are you so mean!?” He yelled at her and she instantly turned to him. He felt he had made a horrible mistake.

“Oh, you’re that new girl, Cherry Sparkles? Raftilia has told me a lot about you. You’re going to save us supposedly.”

“I’m not a girl! I mean, I don’t think I’m a girl.”

Lightning Dust rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me, another victim of the patriarchy? What makes you think you aren’t a girl?”

“Well, I, I can’t be one.”

“Cherry… don’t.” Dag immediately tried to warn him but he didn’t understand why he shouldn't.

“Shut up, fox boy. Why not, little girl?” Her gaze felt like it was digging into his soul.

“Because I wasn’t born one.” At those words Lightning Dust’s eyes turned from cold to pure overwhelming hatred. He’d seen Dragon mad, but this was beyond that.

“You’re a fucking Adaption? The ‘savior’ of our world is a fucking man?” Venom poured from her every word. She legitimately seemed to hate him to his very core. “Oh no, oh hell no. You aren’t going to ruin this for us. I won’t let you.”

Before he could respond Lightning Dust grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. “You aren’t going to get in our way, I’m going to finish you off right here.”