Queen clasped her hands together and looked ahead,
She reached over and took Boy's hand, and put her other atop Bee's head,
Queen cooed in awe as the shadows lifted, and she drew away, putting her hands on her heart. She chittered curiously and reached out to touch, realizing that none of it was solid and it was just an illusion.
She wiggled as the virus came to life, and she spit onto her fingers before reaching out,
Matthieu listened to the Queen's words as he sat, fingers fumbling absentmindedly. They did blind them, yes. None of it was intentional. They just wanted to show off to their saviors, and the fusion ended up getting shouted at instead.
They regarded how she described them. They sounded weak. Not in an insulting manner: it was just the plain truth. Lots of attachment. Lots of fear. Why dawdle on such emotions? They were too engrossed in thought to react when the girl took their hand (and head), too focused on the neurons firing between them.
Such strange company they found themselves in. But then again, weren't they just as strange?
The coat of darkness slipped away, leaving them bare in the brilliant light of the Spire. Their jaws and mandibles opened.
Boy stretched his arms over his head and yawned. It had been a hectic first couple of days. Just then Arwen hunched over and spat out onto her hand before reaching it out to them. What was it? A sickness? They didn't see anything different about it. But Matthieu had to take her word for it-- it was magic, after all, and while theirs was very flashy hers may be subtle.
With a little hesitation Bee reached out a forelimb, dipped it in the spit (shivering slightly at the cold, nasty feel) and rubbed it into Boy's cuts. They didn't feel anything in particular past a slight chill and generally well feeling. The latter part was new.
Boy stretched his arms out, looking at the wet wounds racing down his arms, now slowly being cleansed and healing.
Queen just shrugged and played with her fingers, wiping them off on her side. The 'sickness' she gave Six Stripes would only last a few hours, as it would for herself. It wasn't anything special, just helping them out enough until the wound scabbed over.
Six Stripes meant nothing more than that, but they were growing on her, and she could easily admit it. They liked them like they'd liked Blue at first, but she was confident that they'd remain only a friend.
She cocked her head at Boy's statement, at his question. She clasped her hands together and hummed.
Queen smiled cheerfully,
Hm. She liked them? Their presence gave her happiness? That was very nice of her to say (at least they assumed so), but as the amalgamation sat pondering they found they couldn't conjure the same emotions towards her. She did matter, of course, and they did call her their friend (it was only logical after she helped them so many times), but the "happy" part didn't come as easily. He was enthralled by magic, that made him happy, but gembounds only gave as much passion as a rock. They figured it was just another way the two of them were different.
And another curiosity: magic did different things, apparently. They were just used to their light and plants and the quiet, subtle magic of Arwen. Perhaps he'd see more instances of the different magics someday. Someday...
A bit tired out from all the talking they've been doing, they leaned back (or forward, in the bee's case), planted his hands firmly on the floor, and looked up at the ceiling moss. It looked almost like stars, but they didn't know that. To them it was just shifting hues of blue and green and orange interspersed with twinkling lights.
And just like that their childish, drifting conversation about magic and friends and world domination and illness slowly quieted. Just two-and-a-half young fairies on a boulder, the threatening crackle of the Spire mere background noise.
Queen nodded enthusiastically at the statement about brain bleeds,
She sighed gently and patted their shoulders,
But she stood up (or rather, just sat straight) and held Boy's hand for a moment,
She chittered gently as she let go, turning away, the words she spoke that no one could understand being heard rather clearly by Bee.
It grew quieter as she left, until she couldn't be heard or seen. She was gone.
Cave lights twinkling. How beautiful and peaceful. Matthieu could almost forget about the open wounds and burns their arms were littered in. They didn't move much when the grub patted their shoulders, only smiled when she took their hand, too entranced by it's twinkle to pay much attention.
Bee watched from the corner of their eyes as Queen crept away, until she could no longer be seen anymore. Still they stayed, watching the ceiling stars, for nearly an hour. Thinking about the kind one they met, and the grumpy and screechy ones too. This life already proved so interesting, no?
Eventually they had to walk away too. Their stomach was getting rumbly, and those lesser bunnies hopping at their parent's feet looked de-lic-ious.