A Family Dispute
Once againā¦.Crayola melted away to find somewhere new. Somewhere colorful. Somewhere that would appeal to his little eyes, heās been everywhere by himself. Daycare, forests, beaches, islands, cities, everywhere. But not everywhere was pretty to him. The multiverse was vast, and so was each world within it.
He formed himself at a mountain valley, near a clear rushing river. He blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting to the new place. He rose to his feet, his tail swaying in interest. It seems he found another nice place to explore. He started walking along the river, occasionally crouching down to pick up stones he found and throw them in the water, watching them as they splashed.
ā...Ahee!ā He continued alongside the river, wondering what the place had in store for him. Though, heās been everywhere for a particular reason. Itās been a while since he saw his mother. Rainbow. She said she was going to play hide and seek. But, his mother, Rainbow asked him not to find her. But Crayola thought it was a joke. Thatās how hide and seek worked, right? Heās spent weeks trying to find her. He had started to miss her latelyā¦her face. Her smile. Her eyes. Her voice. He yearned for it again. Just to hear it.
ā.....ā But it was fine! His mother, Rainbow, would show up again! Then it would be his turn to hide! Crayola couldnāt wait to win this game. He wants to see the look on his mother Rainbowās face when he finds her. Sheād pick him up and praise him on how clever he was. Sheād twirl him and toss him up, catching him again in her arms. He couldnāt understand feelings, but he loved to feel them. Just like his mother, Rainbow. He comprehends what you should feel in certain situations. Sometimes. Itās a little funny when he gets them wrong. But thatās just the fun in emotions!
Crayola looked at the river as he waddled along it. Rainbow always said his emotions are like a flowing river. Sometimes they rush out, sometimes theyāre smooth. More importantly, they exist for a purpose. To show that you are human. Even the emotions viewed as bad exist to aid in your humanity. Which was weird. Bad emotions areā¦wellā¦.bad. They shouldnāt exist, right? Then why did his mother Rainbow say that? Rainbow says a lot of confusing stuff, he realizes. But he couldnāt say that she was wrong. Not that he need not to say she is right. He just doesnāt feel like piecing the puzzle pieces together.
ā¦Maybe something was wrong. Maybe Rainbow couldnāt come backā¦
But thatās ridiculous! His mother, Rainbow, wouldnāt want to stay away from him! She loves him! And he loves her. Nothing would beat that type of love. At least, thatās what his auntie says. ColorFill. She was his only other family member. It was weird because Crayola saw branches of people in a family with his motherās friends. Maybe his family was the first ever alive, like the dinosaurs! Something about that was interesting to Crayola. The dinosaur comparison, to be exact. What do dinosaurs even look like?
He pondered, his mind trailing off to the Jurassic creatures. The wind blew softly as he walked. He was careful not to fall into the water. Soon enough, he decided to wander away from it, wanting something new and equally as stimulating. His feet crushed the leaves that fell from the previous fall, his eye lights shifting different shapes each time he blinked. He kept walking until he came across some bushes. There were berries on them. He took out his pacifier and picked one, popping it into his mouth. He blinked as his color shifted to green. It was bitter and nasty. He spit it out, making a small mess on his shirt. He decided his pacifier tasted 100% better. He decided to go through the bush.
After a bit of struggle, he made it through. Though at the cost of his clean clothes being slightly ripped and riddled with dirt. But, of course, Crayola didnāt mind. He likes to play in the dirt anyway. There were cool creatures in there, especially after it rained. They didnāt taste good thoughā¦Crayola brushed off his little hands and went to continue.
ā¦Whoās that?
A person was standing in the field he was about to come across. They looked familiar. But then it came across his mindā¦it looked like his mother Rainbow. He had found her! Oh, this is amazing! His hopes came so soon! Maybe he was just too good at hide and seek. Either way, he was happy to see his mother again. He started waddling over to her, making happy little noises that alerted her of his presence. This was a one-in-a-bajillion! Crayola was so excited to get twirled around, praised, and hugged by his mother Rainbow! There was something different about her, thoughā¦
Blackout turned around and looked down at the toddler. Her brows raised as she stared at him coming over so excitedly. This was a crazy possibility that was happening. A one in bajillion. Blackout decided to play along and smiled, mimicking a smile that Rainbow always had when with her son. This only encouraged Crayola to outstretch his hands for her.
āOhāhoh, you tiny fragile naive thingā¦ā Blackout whispered as she was about to grab him. That was only when she was pushed back by a brush and Crayola was scooped up by the same one. He was tossed in the air and landed in ColorFillās arms. Crayola blinked and looked up at her. She had a dead serious look. Her eye lights were red and she held onto Crayola tight.
āYou have got to be kidding me.ā Blackout got up, visibly angry that her chance to claim Crayola had slipped away. Crayola looked at Blackout and cooed, wondering why he was taken away from his mother Rainbow. And why his auntie had done it. What was going on? He outstretched his hands from Rainbow, his colors shifting into blue. He wanted his mother Rainbowā¦he just found her! It wasnāt her turn to hide again!
āCrayola, not nowā¦thatās not your mother, nephew.ā ColorFill placed a hand on his head, covering his face a little. Crayola whined and held her hand. What does she mean thatās not his mother, Rainbow? She looks like her! Sounds like her! She was going to hug him! What is with his auntie, ColorFill? The next thing he knew, ColorFill grabbed her brush and sliced through some attacks Blackout threw their way. ColorFill jumped back a distance from her, twirling her brush and resting it on her shoulder.
Why was his mother Rainbow fighting with his auntie? He thought families didnāt fight each other.
āYouāre not going to get away, ColorFill.ā Blackout spoke, her tone deep and menacing. Crayola noticed this. This wasnātā¦.this wasnāt his mother Rainbowās usual toneā¦Her tone was more welcomingā¦
āHi, my adorable little crayon! Ready to eat? I got us dino-nuggies~!ā
..His brows furrowed. It was different. This didnāt feel like his motherā¦but she was right there. Crayola stared at Blackout with a silent expression. Blackout and ColorFill continued to argue. Crayola just watched as Blackout threw more attacks at them, ColorFill effortlessly dodging them. Soon enough, Blackout quickly got angry, and tentacles made of her paint shot at them. ColorFill used her brush to block some of them and counterattack using her pastel paint. ColorFill was fighting with only one hand, using her other to hold Crayola. It wasnāt hard but damn did she wish Crayola hadnāt wandered like that. ColorFill dodged and flipped over some tentacles, trying to find an opening to escape. That was until Blackout caught her off guard and grabbed her brush with a tentacle. It squeezed it, cracking the wood more and more.
āBrushy! No-!ā With that, it was snapped in half. ColorFill and Crayola watched as Brushy fell to the dirt, ColorFillās color shifting to a gray faded red. Crayola looked at ColorFill, noticing her colors, his shifting that way. That was the brush Rainbow originally had before she gave it to her. She was the only one who could repair it. Would she even be back? ColorFill fought back tears, Brushy being her best friend. āBrushyā¦ā
āYouāll never see anyone again.ā Blackout walked to them slowly, kicking aside the broken brush. ColorFill backed up with Crayola, turning her body so Crayola would be more protected. ColorFill snarled. She couldnāt just leave! Blackout might invade her home if she just so much as melted away, as easy it was for her to attach to her like that. Butā¦!
She turned away as a tentacle shot to her, though it was a hoax as Blackout shot paint at Crayola. She blocked it with her body, shielding him from it. Then something started burning on her back. Like acid. It hurt. It hurt so badly. ColorFill heaved as she knew what that meant. She couldnāt risk having Crayola here any longer. She looked at him with the best encouraging face she could manage, despite the pain.
ā..Crayolaā¦baby nephew? You remember peekaboo, right? Thatās how we melt away! Thatās the first thing I taught you.ā ColorFill said as she dodged more attacks from Blackout as best she could. Crayola looked at her. ColorFill forced her colors to be more joyful to convince Crayola further. Crayola blinked. Are they playing another game? Crayola loved games.
āWeāre going to play tag! Remember that? Peekaboo tag! You melt away, and I come find and chase you! You canāt come back here, though; thatās one additional rule! But donāt let me catch you, okay? Mommy is going to play along, too!ā Crayola looked at Blackout. He was pretty convinced when Rainbow was involved. He cooed in interest. ColorFill was relieved to hear that.
āOkay, cover your eyes, okay? And when I kiss your head, you melt away! Ready?ā ColorFill was growing weakerā¦Crayola clapped and nodded. He covered his eyes, waiting for that kiss to start. ColorFill teared up a little and smiled sorrowfully.
āI love you, nephewā¦ā She kissed the top of Crayolaās head, signaling for him to melt away. He did so, and ColorFill watched as his paint melted away, making sure Blackout did not see until it was too late. When she did, she was enraged. āYou FOOL!ā Blackout lunged at her, knocking her down and pinning her by her neck. ColorFill winced. The paint Blackout shot her, already eating away at her clothes and body. ColorFill struggled to breathe, looking up at Blackoutās face.
āI-I'd rather you take my lifeā¦than hisā¦Iām not that far in my lifeā¦I could always st-start againā¦a-another century is no proba- ack!ā Blackout squeezed her neck harder, irritated. āNext time I see him, I wonāt wait this time. I will claim him after I do you!ā Blackout slammed her against the ground, snarling harshly. ColorFill prayed to the gods as parts of her cheek were melting away now.
āMy friends wonātā¦allow that. Myā¦friends would neverā¦They knowā¦ā ColorFill exhaled and laid her hands to the side. ā....You could take meā¦I donāt care. I just know Rainbow doesnāt want anything happening to her baby.ā ColorFill smiled widely, tears falling from her eyes. ColorFill knew she was going to die anyway. Blackoutās paint was eating away at her too quickly for anyone to fix.
āSee you soonā¦big sisterā¦I love you, R-Rainbowā¦We had fun.ā With thatā¦ColorFillās head melted away, along with her body. Blackout watched as she did. The way she was so accepting of her deathā¦the way she moved to protect that procreation of Rainbow...
Thatās exactly what led to her meaningless death. Blackout scoffed and lifted the melted paint, the remains of ColorFill. She merged it into a small orb. āIām surprised you havenāt gone all out on meā¦If it was to protect that childās feelings, that was nothing short of stupidity.ā Blackout popped the orb into her mouth and swallowed it.
A second later, she felt a power surge through her body as the colors on the palette of her shirt shined with colors, the middle one shifting through all of them before becoming black again, along with the colors that came. The colors started to drip from her eyes. Blackout started to laugh slightly, feeling this newfound strength would aid in her takeover of the multiverse. She was successful at absorbing one of the Rainbowās family members. But nowā¦.there was one left.
āIāll win this little gameā¦ā Blackout whispered menacingly as she melted away.
It was a little game she was bound to win.
