For a moment, there is fire.
Then there is nothing.
Blinking, the phoenix finds himself staring at a blue mass. The sky. It’s bright. Daytime. He raises his hand, shielding his eyes, and stares at his fingers as he moves them.
Huh.
“Nik!” Someone shouts as the phoenix sits up. Their footsteps crunch against the ground and, through the bright light, the phoenix sees them.
Human, short and wearing a white witch’s robe. Their green hair is blonde at the roots. Died? No, dyed. Very different.
“Who are you?” The phoenix asks, tilting their head to the side. The witch falters.
“You don’t… you don’t remember me?” The ask.
“Of course not.” The phoenix responds. “Did I not know you? I warn people I know.” He stands, looking down at the ash marks beneath him. For a moment he wonders about how he died this time, for a moment he wonders who he was when he did.
Then he sets those thoughts aside, the memories will come in their own time. They always do.
“Sorry, you did.” The witch claims, their hands fisted in the skirt. “I just… it’s jarring.”
“Of course.” The phoenix says, although he can’t muster up emotion in his tone. He doesn’t really bother.
“Can I tell you my name?” The witch asks, hesitant. “That’s not too much, is it?”
“If you’d like.” The phoenix shrugs. “Names are hardly memories.”
“Right. It’s uh, Noelle. Um, I guess nice to meet you?” The witch offers. Noelle. Female. A young adult, although her age escapes him. Nineteen? Twenty one? She’s certainly not passed her first century. Why are they friends, then? Are they friends?
The phoenix shakes the thoughts from his head. The memories will come in their own time, he can’t force them. Why can’t he force them? He can’t remember.
He can’t-
“Nik!” The girl, Noelle, shouts his name again. Blinking, the phoenix finds himself on the ground, grass smoldering beneath his hands.
“Apologies.” He mumbles. “Nik isn’t my name, is it?”
“It isn’t?” Noelle asks, confused.
“It’s close enough.” The phoenix, Nik, continues, speaking mostly to himself. “I need to go somewhere.” He recalls. But where?
“Oh!” Noelle perks up at that. “I know this, you told me! You said if this happened, I needed to take you to Luton.”
“Luton?” Nik repeats, frowning slightly. The town name means nothing to him. Maybe it’s not a where that he needs to go to, but a who. “Lead the way Noelle.”
“What? Right now?” Noelle asks.
“Is there something more pressing?” Nik returns, raising an eyebrow. Noelle falters again.
“I guess it doesn’t matter, if you’re like this…” She mumbles before taking a deep breath. “Okay, okay let’s go. We just, need to stop at mine first. For clothes, and food, and money.”
“Led the way.” Nik says again, gesturing for the witch to move. Noelle hesitates once more, looking towards the ashy grass that marks Nik’s death. Then she nods.
“Let’s go get your memory back.”
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