Not actually a bird

It’s how I find myself now flush against a topiary in the castle garden holding Orange up to my face as I wheeze out raspy breaths trying to get oxygen back into my lungs.

“Do you think he saw us?”

“I don’t know, Orange, but my guess is if he did see us for that split second he’d probably assume we’d head towards the dojo or the library.”

It’s then that I catch movement from the corner of my eye, and I see Green peeking through a curtain of a window in one of the upper levels of the castle trying to get my attention. Once they realize they have it, they begin making frantic gestures. But the gleam of the sunset on the window makes it hard to see what they are trying to tell me.

I get my answer sooner rather than later.

A voice rings out, mashed with a voice clip of ‘Hey guys’

“And just what’s going on here?”

A hand grabs my upper bicep, pulling me towards the perpetrator’s body. I let a shrill slip past my lips as Orange practically shrieks, leaping ten feet in the air from my hands, taking off towards the castle entrance once she finds herself on solid ground, leaving me alone to fend for myself against my assailant.

I quickly try to wriggle my arm free from Flowery’s grip as his laugh rings through the garden. He quickly wraps both of his arms over mine, pulling me towards his chest where I continue to struggle in my fight.

“You’re not going anywhere until you tell me what this madness is about.”

“Why does it have to be me? You just had Orange in your sights.”

“Well maybe I wanna hear it from you.”

“If you love me, you’d let me go and go after Orange.”

“That’s not how this works because, unfortunately for you, I love you so much that it’s been pure torture to have to witness you avoiding me at every chance. I think you at least owe me this” I shake my head at his antics fully aware he’s just trying to be a pain.

“I owe you nothing!”

“Sunshine, whatever little game you guys had going on is practically over, and I’d like to think I’ve won. So what’s the point?” I can practically feel the flower’s smirk as he rests his chin on my shoulder.

“And what if I somehow escape?”

“I’d say: If you can make it to the castle doors and out, you win, but if I can stop you, you lose. Winner gets bragging rights, and whatever else their heart desires. Sound like a deal, Buttercup?” I don’t justify his deal with a response. I have to let him think he’s already won.

I quickly begin to look around for a method of escape before I notice a picnic blanket lying on one of the many stone benches that lay in the garden. I begin running over the possible scenarios in my head, and how they will play out before I put the plan into action.

I stop my initial attempts to escape, letting Flowery think he’d really won.

“You giving in, sunshine?”

“No, just catching you off guard.”

I quickly fling all of my body weight forward, the sudden jerk of movement indeed catching Flowery off guard with no time to recover. We both quickly fall into the grass, and I roll out of Flowery’s arms as he scrambles to get some sense of what just happened. However, I don’t give him time to recoup fully. I quickly lunge for the blanket to throw over his head and sprint towards one of the entrances to the garden.

While I know it won’t give me that much more of an advantage, I opt to take the ground-level entrance rather than the one up the stairs. I’ll be able to weave in and out of multiple rooms in the time it would even take to get to the doorframe of the upper entrance.

Once inside, I quickly make way towards the foyer. Halling tail towards Green’s café, where I know I can take the stairs towards the upper level of the library or the 2nd floor balcony in the ballroom. I pass the previously mentioned flower as they duck behind their café counter. Once they fully realize it’s me, they throw a questioning thumbs up to me. To which I quickly respond as I bolt for the door on the opposite side of the room.

“No, thumbs down! He’s on to me! He’s switching up the game!” I slam into the wall of the stairwell as I burst through the door. Climbing the stairs as fast as my legs will allow me to. The climb to the ballroom balcony is long, but if it gives me an aerial advantage, I’ll take the sore legs over whatever payback that Flowery deems fit.

When I reach the Balcony doors, I collect myself, steadying my breath and slowing my pace to limit any noise I could make. If I’m quiet enough, I should be able to stake out on the balcony in the shadows behind the curtains that hang on the walls until Flowery tires of searching this area for me and moves on. Though I know that possibility is slim to none, It’s the best I’ve got right now, and I could use the temporary moment to come up with an actual plan.

I slowly pull the set of doors open before gently shutting them behind me. Scurrying around the circular balcony towards the darker part of the area, my mind doesn’t fully register Aqua sitting on the banister rails, kicking her feet and tilting her head in amusement. Her eyes follow me as I make my way to my destination.

“Uuu~ Found~ them~!” Her sing-songy voice carries through the room, the tall cathedral ceiling helping with that.

I halt to a stop, betrayal crossing my face as Aqua continues to innocently swing her legs as she offers a less-than-innocent smile. The menace knows full well what she’s done.

“Flowery says I get extra play time if I rat you out!” The girl spills as the mentioned flower flings open a set of doors that are at the opposite end of the balcony. Hands pressed against the banister as he catches my eye from across the room. A cocky smirk quickly finds its way to his lips. I watch, frozen in place, as he pushes off the banister and bolts towards us.

The yelp I let out startles me into moving to the doors behind me, yanking them open as hard as I can. Stumbling over the mess of clutter in the small hallway that acts as a storeroom for decorations for the ballroom. I quickly topple over a stack of boxes to buy me a touch more time.

As I continue to run, I can feel every part of me burning. My calves, my hips, and my lungs scream for some kind of relief. There’s no time to slow down. Perseverance is the only thing that keeps my body moving, and I know I’ll regret it in the coming days.

Breaking out into the main hallway from the alcove, I run for the library. I know I can weave through the rows of shelves on the second floor of it before making my way downstairs. If all goes well, I’ll find the doors to my victory in my sights. The chase won’t last much longer if I can just push through.

When I enter the library, the huge sweeping chamber, along with the silence, sends my footsteps echoing. A bonus that’ll help hide my location.

Unfortunately for me, the betrayal isn’t just Aqua. It seems the treacherous menace had several other accomplices as I hear Orange’s voice ring out loudly from above me.

“They are on the second floor of the library!”

But for all the good ideas I have, it seems these flowers predict it and concoct a much better counterplan. Had it not been for Seth’s untimely fall from his hiding spot. I probably would have never noticed the tiny glistening wire laid out between shelves. I quickly hop over the wire but throw a comment in Seth’s direction.

“That would have worked really well, Seth! Good idea!” The young flower brightens at my praise but deflates as he realizes his failure. That doesn’t stop him from calling out that I’m approaching the steps leading to the first floor.

“Now, where is a gorgeous butterfly such as yourself going?” Blue, the ever graceful flower waltzes into my path. I find myself halting to a stop in between the aisles of tables that lay in the main area of the library.

“Blue, not you too!”

“Sorry, darling, Flowery has offered to help me improve some choreography if I turn you over”

“I should have known he would bribe all of you.” I slump my shoulders forward and sigh as I hear footsteps slow to a stop behind me.

“Sorry, Pardner. You’re a crimnell today. We gotta take ya ‘n.” Yellow calls out as I turn to face him

And I should have known whatever stance Blue took, Yellow wouldn’t be too far behind.

Sometimes, I like to think that Flowery’s insistence that I spar with the other flowers for the purpose of building my capability is useless in a world as safe as this one seems. However, it’s times like these it gives me that advantage of knowing how they’ll react to certain things.

In the blink of an eye, I grab a chair from one of the tables, pushing it in Yellow’s direction not hard enough to hurt him, but just enough so it slides into his legs. I make sure my movements come off as quick and erratic, though, so he presumes I’m a threat. Thankfully, the action has its intended consequences.

When Yellow registers I’m moving to “defend” myself, he unholsters one of his restraint weapons, firing it quickly in my direction. The rope flies at me. However, I duck just in time for the rope to wrap around Blue, knocking him off balance.

Once Blue is incapacitated and Yellow is stunned, I move around Blue in his trapped state, bolting for the library doors once again. My determination drives me to get as far away as I can, after what happened last time in a similar instance. I will not be subjected to Flowery’s Cocky attitude and teasing for a week.

When I enter the room with a deck that floats atop a pool of water, I know I’m close to victory. I can practically feel it dancing on my skin. The excitement courses through me and propels me forward. It isn’t until I catch a glimpse of Green at the end of the deck on the opposite side that I feel my spirit die just a little bit. To turn back now would surely lead to my capture and subsequent loss.

Green signs a ‘sorry’ as I turn my attention towards them.

“Something tells me you’re just doing this for the love of the game, and Flowery didn’t bribe you.”

They shrug, not having a care in the world that they’ve just sentenced me to pure torture for the next week.

The creaking of boards alerts me to a presence behind me. I turn to face Flowery, who stands tall and smug behind me as he has me cornered. He slowly starts to stalk towards me like a creature readying itself to pounce on its prey.

“Flowery, you don’t want to do this.” I begin backing up, my foot hitting the ledge of the dock, barely balancing on the edge. In a last-ditch effort, I begin throwing meaningless threats his way.

“I won’t come back to the Dark World for a week.” I hold my hands up in his direction, trying to keep him at a distance.

“You and I both know you’d give in in about a day’s time.”

“No cuddles for a week.”

“You’d wilt in an hour.”

“Flowery, I’m being seri-“ I’m cut off by Flowery lunging directly towards me. With no room to run, I’m left defenseless as he tackles me into the pool of water below us.

Thankfully, the water isn’t cold as I break the surface to suck in the air that had been previously knocked from my lungs. Wiping the water from my eyes as I hear Flowery surface as well. His arm wraps around my waist to support me in the water. I look to Flowery to send a heated glare his way, but the heat of it dies before it can even begin to form. In its place, my eyes crinkle as I let out a loud laugh at the mess of hair upon Flowery’s head.

“Something Funny, Sunshine?”

“Your hair looks amazing.”

“Thanks, I style it every morning just for you.” I giggle as he drags his fingers through his hair, striking a pose as he tries to act cute.

“You’re so unserious.”

“And that’s why you love me.” He places a gentle kiss on my lips as he begins moving us back towards the docks.

“It might or might not be on the long list of reasons why I adore you.” I cast my eyes to the side and shrug my shoulders, playing into an act of indifference. However, I’m sure my flushed face gives me away.

Flowery grabs me by the waist, hoisting me up onto the dock before pulling himself up to sit by me, both of our legs still dangling in the pond while water pools onto the deck surrounding us.

“Long list you say? Can’t be as long as my list for you. I think it’s got to be at least a mile long.” He falls silent for a second, but I watch from the corner of my eye as his grin grows wider on his lips as he readies himself for his next sentence. “Little longer now that we can add sore loser on it.”

I quickly send a smack to his shoulder, eyeing him with a glare that has no real meaning behind it. Flowery chuckles as he rubs at his shoulder.

“Alright, enough abusing me. Let’s get you dried up and warm before you get sick. I think some cuddles are in order.”

“I think I’d rather get sick.”

“Well, as the winner, I remember the terms of the deal entailing I get whatever my heart desires. You don’t technically have much of a choice here.”

“This sounds like a hostage situation.” I playfully roll my eyes as I grab the hand he’s holding out to me.

“You’re only a hostage if it’s something you don’t want. Personally, I don’t believe someone with a long list of reasons why they adore me would be rejecting quality time.”

“Ok, fine, maybe I am a little cold and would really like that.” I move my gaze away from the man before me as I speak. He smiles again, but it’s softer than his usual confident smile. It’s warm and sweet. It’s probably my favorite smile of his. He raises my hand that his fingers still wrap around, pressing a soft kiss to the skin of my hand.