The Eye in the Looking Glass
Hello everyone, Usjintx here. My friend, who's identity shall remain hidden, decided to retire from writing fanfictions, mostly due to negative reviews against his work. Thus, he allowed me to publish his idea of a Christmas story, with the first chapter (shown below) being written last year, surprisingly. It was the only one written; all further chapters are based off of his notes, so sorry if the quality drop is really significant. I hope he enjoys his retirement, and I hope I do this idea justice.
Since he never proofread this, and for sake of authenticity I didn't either, sorry if it feels completely rushed.
…
Heartmas Memory 1: The Eye in the Looking Glass
Alone within a rather big reading room, Uni stood observing quite an amazing sight.
When she walked into the room just an hour earlier, her eyes were at first drawn to the huge Heartmas Tree in the corner of the room, the one that she, personally, placed the star on top. As the evening began to transition to night, the final light of the day leaked through the huge window that rested next to the tree, allowing the mighty symbol to be casted into a golden blanket of beauty, something that only took the breath away for those that held souls within. The Candidate was one of those people, as she couldn't help but feel mesmerized by the grand sight. Even though building the tree was quite the hassle (Noire yelling at her constantly throughout the development did not help matters), in the end, seeing this result made Uni feel proud to be alive.
"Wow… it really is beautiful…"
She has celebrated countless Heartmas's over the years, and yet she had never experienced such a sight. The room, with its old wooden-style appearance, coupled with a hefty fireplace on the other side of the room, was only filled with more light and joy as the sunlight began to slowly shift down the heavenly branches, with the light bouncing off of the mighty bulbs, Heartmas lights, garland, and the occasional fake miseltoe (It was only for decorative purposes, at least according to Noire), making the world feel so grand. Uni couldn't bother to move, enjoying the great scene until the very last bit of light finally left the room, and she was left isolated within the dark cloud of emptiness, with only the fire in the brick fireplace lighting the room up, though this was merely a disturbing orange glow.
When that was done, she simply sighed, still feeling happy, but at the same time quite sad; it was as if the leaving light was Heartmas leaving her behind. She knew that the great day was technically tomorrow, but she still felt that the eve was much more eventful, or at least it was in the previous years. Once everything became a distressed void, she quickly went over to a red-emblazed recliner that stood opposite the Heartmas tree. Once she sat down, she took a book from the mini-table next to her, and even though it was almost completely black, she attempted to read, anyways.
The fire continued to burn in a heated glory, and as she sat attempting to read, the fire only continued to grow in intensity. After a little bit, she decided to walk over and flip the switch that allowed the lights on the tree to illuminate. Soon, the orange glow throughout the room was joined by an assortment of colors, ranging from a bright blue to an exquisite purple, with an occasional bulb blinking on and off. It didn't help Uni's reading condition, but it did help her feel dreamy.
"Ah… w-wait, I can't sleep now! I would never hear the end of it from Kei!" she stammered in fear, quickly throwing the book down in frustration. She knew that her Oracle liked to pick on either Noire or herself if they were found in the Reading Room slumbering, but that actually wasn't her biggest fear. Just like a little kid, she didn't want to be exactly near the tree on the eve of Heartmas, for doing so would get her in trouble with the Santa-Tome, at least in her mind. Besides, it wouldn't be right to just be near the tree during this beautiful night.
She contemplated going back to her bedroom, but after looking at the time on her handheld game console (which was in her dress pocket, apparently), she felt it was too soon; she had to go to bed, of course, but not at seven in the evening! Thus, she was essentially left with only this room, as the rest of the Basilicom was filled with party preparations, and even if they weren't, Noire would find something to complain about, and after seeing that beautiful sight, Uni didn't want to deal with that at the moment.
After contemplating for quite some time, she finally realized that, since she checked the time on her freaking handheld game console, she decided to play whatever was in there. "I'm going to be getting some new ones tomorrow, so might as well finish what I already have," she stated in silence, allowing the bright screen to illuminate right into her face. Lowering the volume, she quickly booted up some strange game involving a girl with a shield plowing through thousands of soldiers during some ancient period she wasn't even aware of. It was a strange game, yes, but it will hold her off until tomorrow; call her selfish, but she really did want something for that console of hers.
For about 25 minutes, she sat there, draining the battery as she continuously picked this girl, slaughtering hundreds along the way, in order to conquer a weirdly shaped nation (it certainly wasn't Gamindustri) for, as far as she could tell, no discernable reason. All the while the tree in the corner shined its bright light, the star on top, with its blue-and-orange glow, singing a tune only those who truly listen could hear. Uni would occasionally look at it, smile, then go back to her game, still wishing the evening sun was still on the tree; for some reason, there was a certain feeling of safety when that occurred, something that the Candidate, for some odd reason, felt she hadn't experienced in a long time. Still, she shook off that feeling as she went back to the game.
At some point, perhaps due to a strange sound coming from the fireplace, Uni would look up once more. The fireplace, made of brick in a classic style, had a mantle above it, where pictures of Uni, Noire, and Kei stood, along with the occasional picture of Neptune, though don't tell anyone about that. Above these photos was a rather big painting, framed in solid bronze, that showed a beautiful women who, if you looked closely and in the right lighting, looked like the CPU of this nation, albeit older and with the hair down. The Candidate always asked her sibling and Oracle about it, but both claimed they didn't know or it was just symbolic, respectively. Still, those red eyes on her, painted in a much different manner, always struck some strange warmth within her tiny body.
However, her sight neglected all of these objects for one reason or another, for instead she focused on a bizarre object located right in the middle of all of it. It was locked away within a clear, glass case, allowing all sides of its spherical shape to be seen. The lights from the Heartmas Tree gave it an eerie glow, allowing its golden body to shine through the heavy darkness. From what Uni could tell, the object was a weird eye, as the golden body had a tiny opening that displayed what appeared to be a black abyss, with only a sapphire in the middle, shaped in the style of a Maker iris.
For all the years she had been there, the Candidate had to admit that she never actually saw this eye-thing before. Was it placed there recently? Did she just somehow miss it every time? It was a strange object to just simply be overlooked, so it had to have been there no less than a week or so. "Why… Did Noire make it? Nah, she can't make anything good!" she said with with a sly snicker. Still, that would mean that either Kei made it, or one of the Goddesses of the other nations sent it to them as a gift, and that just seemed unlikely; Neptune would have sent pudding, Vert would have sent a disturbing game involving butlers, and Blanc would send a book yelling at their existence, while the Candidates often didn't send anything at all (Nepgear did once, but it wasn't a freaking golden eye). So, with that, what the hell was thing?
Uni attempted to pick it up, but she soon discovered that the eye wasn't being held down by anything, so when she touched the glass case, it began to roll, causing her to flinch. "Yikes! Don't want to break it. If it's Noire's, that would suck!"
As she said this, another soul entered the room and spotted the Candidate. Deciding to be an ass for a moment, she quickly snuck up to her and lightly grasped the tiny shoulder of Uni. Our favorite little Candidate locked up for one second, squealed for another, and quickly swung her free hand right around. Unfortunately, she never met a target, and thus, she was now standing there, looking like a fool with an extended arm, a frightened composure, and her teeth chattering. This would have been fine if it wasn't for Kei Jinguji, their beloved Oracle, just standing there, chuckling to herself.
"K-Kei? W-What the hell? Don't do that!" Uni screamed, feeling so ashamed to have been taken back by someone who normally spoke like a hilarious robot. This only made the Oracle chuckle some more.
"Please, are you honestly saying you are scared?" she taunted, playfully of course, though Uni didn't take it as such.
"N-No! Of course you didn't scare me! I-I was just cold, is all, so I went to the fire. Th-That's why I'm shivering and sweaty. No other reason!" She stated with a rather adorable stammer, knowing herself that Kei woudn't buy that. The Oracle finally broke out into a full-on laugh (it actually sounded human), though she quickly stifled it after one second. It wasn't proper for an Oracle to laugh at random things (Chika broke that all the time). She soon walked over to the mighty Heartmas tree, also being delighted by its fine assortment of beauty.
"I'm glad it came out good this year. It looks striking outside as well, so it seems we did an excellent job. Speaking of which, though, why are you currently in here, anyways? You do understand that you must be in bed by-"
Uni soon got over her fright, replacing the emotion with vexation. "Yeah, I know, but it's only seven thirty! Besides, I'm not a little kid!"
Kei shrugged, still looking at the tree. "I know, but you understand what I mean. I would say to be out of this room by nine, however. Santa-Tome is quite strict when it comes to delivery times," she remarked, never taking her eyes off that beautiful star.
Uni sighed. "Hey, I already know there isn't a Santa-Tome. You don't have to make it so childish!" she stammered, though as she did, for some odd reason a bizarre feeling crept up along her spine. As Kei continued to be amazed at the wonderful tree, the Candidate looked back at the eye, which seemed to now be looking at her, thanks to being rolled around. Needless to say, that disturbed feeling started to come back, though she quickly sucked it up as she turned her attention back to her Oracle. It would at least stop her from looking bad, or at least she hoped it would.
"Hey, Kei, what's with this weird eye thing? Was it always there?" Uni questioned, still surprised at how golden it was. In fact, now that she was focusing on it again, she noticed how detailed the carvings were, with ripples that looked like waves being seen all around it. Hell, the dark abyss of within had faint pictures as well, though the lack of sufficient light made it impossible to distinguish them.
The Oracle at first appeared to have ignored her Candidate, but soon she stated, rather monotonely, "It's just an heirloom from your mother."
The room suddenly went silent, as Kei brought a hand up to her mouth, realizing that she made a huge mistake. "K-Kei? What did you just say?" Uni said in absolute astonishment. Her Oracle looked at her, the eyes on her face shaking uncontrollably as her skin went clammy. What did she do? No, seriously, what did she do? What happened that caused her to be this way?
The Oracle, who started to bolt towards the door, made a huge, deep breath. Uni attempted to grab her shoulder, but was unfortunately too slow. "Kei, where are you going? What do you mean my mom? I don't have a mom!" she yelled, feeling that strange chill once more running its course through her back, making her flinch a little. The fire burned even more brightly and intensely as the Oracle stood in the doorway, feeling absolutely sick to the stomach.
"Um, just remember to be in bed soon. Okay, good bye!" she stated faster than a running hedgehog. With that, she ran down the hallway, the first time she ever actually bolted so fast down a professional building. Uni wanted to follow her so badly, but once she attempted to, her legs started to freeze up, and fear began to blanket her again. She started to grow angry at this weird twist of events, though within a minute, that anger was soon replaced with curiosity, along with a little bit of sadness. She soon found herself, once again, looking at the eye, its sapphire iris still piercing within the mystical room.
Her eyes were now wide open as the eye looked straight back at her, almost into her soul. The beautiful jewel inside casted her reflection on it, revealing the shock she currently held. My mother? I… I don't have a mother, dammit! Goddesses don't have parents! What is wrong with Kei? She thought, feeling as though she was successfully persuading herself, though this only caused her to grow even more curious. This was most definitely not helped by the fact that, when she looked up, she saw that painting again. The beautiful woman, looking just like her sister at an older age, was actually (now that she had the time to fully observe it) wearing an elegant dress with the colors of Lastation, her nation's flag right behind her. That flag was what began to throw her off. "Wait…that was our flag a long time ago!" She suddenly made the realization.
Unless the painter was bad at his or her job, that flag was definitely from when Uni was little. They retired it after… some reason she couldn't recall, and adopted their current one that still flies to this day. If that really is their old flag, then that can't be Noire in the future, nor could it be Uni. Hell, the few buildings in the background were not even standing anymore! With all of that, could the woman in the painting that the CPU and the Oracle oftened mention really be…
M-My mom?
She slowly backed away, the realization punching her in the stomach quite hard. It just couldn't be her mother. There was no way that could happen! Could CPU's even get pregnant? As far as Uni knew, it never occurred in history, with the only mention of it at all being in mythology, but that was Celestia herself impregnating a Goddess, not some strange dude that would be irrelevant in the end. It… no, it couldn't have happened! Uni, Noire, and every other Goddess and Candidate out there were just, er, "were", and have existed since the dawn of time. The Candidate was never younger than she is now, nor will she ever grow older in the future; thus, she couldn't have been born an infant, if she was even born at all.
Yet, as Uni stood in shock at the eye and photo, that creepy feeling returned to her spine, and she couldn't help but suddenly, though strangely, recall some form of events from long ago. "What the hell? What's going on?" she stated, placing a hand upon her head in confusion. For about ten full seconds, extremely hazy memories flooded against her brain at an alarming rate, and the Cadidate just couldn't process it all in such a short amount of time. She saw shadows randomly in the room, but before she could even contemplate what they were, they were replaced with even more shadows, growing more and more obscure as the time wore on. "Stop it! Why is this happening?" she yelled, placing both hands over her ears as she squatted down, trying to drown out a headache that was slowly creeping up on her.
Eventually, it all just stopped, and Uni was left alone in the Reading Room, the Heartmas Tree still retaining its everlasting beauty. She slowly opened her eyes once more, afraid that she'll see even more shadow-like figures, but all she saw was her own, with the fire behind her still cackling its much required heat. She stood now, shaken of course, and picked up her fallen handheld, her hands visibly shaking as she slowly began to walk towards the door. The time was now about 7:40, still early for her, but after all that, she really did not want to stay any longer. She'll be happy to come back in the morning to unwrap her presents, but for now, the room was like a haunted house bundled into a small area.
"'kay, never talk about this, and I think…" she was starting to say, until she bumped into something from within the doorway.
You should have seen how far she jumped, man. The room's height was pretty, uh, high, requiring three-and-a-half Noire's standing on top of one another to reach the ceiling, meaning there was no physical way anyone could just reach up there. Still, Uni defied my expectations, as she nearly touched the ceiling in fright, and when she came crashing back down, it was one of the biggest thuds ever heard; it was to the point that many of the Maidens and even Kei were about to check out what happened, though due to the Christmas songs on the radio (courtesy of 5pb.), they thought it was just the beat.
"Uh, Uni, what the hell are you doing?" Noire asked, who happened to walk by the Reading Room when her little sister started to have that freak-out. The Candidate of Lastation was face down on the red rug right in front fo the fireplace, an embarrassing predicament to be found in. Luckily, Noire was more disgruntled than amused, as she went over and picked Uni off the floor. "Okay, I'll ask again; Uni, what the hell are you doing?"
The Candidate's face turned quickly red as she ran to the window, not wanting Noire to see her like that. "Um, nothing. Y-You r-r-r-really got to stop sneaking up on people, you know that?" she yelled to her sister, though it came out quite adorable rather than angry. Noire sighed, shaking her head as she walked up to her sister. Oh no, she's going to yell at me! Dammit girl, you wanted to avoid this! She stated, realizing now that her day tomorrow would most likely be ruined.
However, against her own thoughts, all Noire did was place a delicate hand upon her shoulder, and when Uni looked her straight in the eyes, the CPU was not filled with scorn, but instead genuine concern. When a tsundere displayed that on her face, it was probably the real thing, which is why Uni allowed her tension to decrease.
"Uni, why were crouched down near the fire? You were blocking your ears…what's going on? Are you sick?" she asked, acting quite strange compared to what she normally would've done (Get yourself together, Uni! Lastation Goddesses don't look weak!). To be honest, Uni wasn't expecting that from her sister, so by the time she did respond, her voice was noticeably shaky.
"U-U-Uh, well, um, eh, er… I don't k-k-know!" she stated, turning away from her sister as she folded her arms, puffing her cheek out as her eyes were now looking out the window. As the night took over, the clouds apparently rolled in as well, as snow began to blanket the ground below. It would have been quite the majestic sight had Uni not had this strange encounter with her sister.
"Uni…"
"What!"
"Hey, don't give me attitude! Jeez, just tell me what's wrong, already. Something's clearly wrong, and I swear I won't allow you out of this room until you tell me, got it?" Noire told, slowly returning to what she is often good at. Uni tried to keep her eyes off of her sister, but the CPU quickly turned her around, forcing her to look into the eyes of the devil herself. It was easy to say that Noire, while adorable in her own right by many peers, had quite the stare, one that could easily send a person down into the fiery pits of their own, twisted minds, or at least she could do that to her little sister.
It took a few minutes, but eventually, Uni did manage to find an excuse, though it wasn't the greatest. "I was just, uh, looking at the Heartmas Tree! Yeah, that's what I was doing! Nothing weird, nope!"
Of course, Noire already knew her sister was bad at lying, so she pressed on. "Okay, but why were you crouched down like someone was attacking you? Seriously, tell me the truth, now!" Noire yelled, her foot slamming onto the ground as her eyes grew much more intense. Uni gulped, fearing that this would escalate further. In the end, she managed to walk over to the tree, wondering what she could actually say. For a moment, she wanted to tell her sister that she struck one of the bulbs, and the ringing hurt her ears, but even she felt that that was completely idiotic.
"Uni!"
What could she say? For a moment, the Candidate herself forgot why she was in that position; no matter how hard she tried to remember. She knew that the picture and the eye would be good topic starter, but Noire would give her the same excuse as always, and even then, why would that freak her out? How could she forget such an important topic like this? Was her mind just suppressing whatever she encountered no more than 5 minutes ago? Was it truly traumatizing?
Come on, it was important, too! Might as well try and tell her the truth, but what was it? Come on, girl, think now!
My m-mother…
It finally came back to her. As the eye watched the horrible feeling come back to Uni's spine, the Candidate finally looked Noire dead in the eyes again, making her older sibling surprisingly flinch. "Well, what is it? Come on, now, we don't have all night!"
The Candidate took a moment to regain her composure, and once she did, she stated in earnest, "Noire… do we have a mom?"
Noire's angry face quickly shifted back to concern, than befuddlement, and then finally concern once more. "A m-mother? Uni, what are you…"
"Noire, I know you probably don't know anything, but please just tell me the truth! Kei was in her before, and she said that…" with a twirl of her finger, she pointed directly towards the eye on the mantle, which was still trailing them, "…that eye thing was an heirloom or something from our mother. Our mother, Noire! What did she mean by that?" the Candidate yelled. All of this was indeed geniune, as her eyes grew teary, and her voice was filled with emotion never before seen by her older sibling. Noire could only stare in surprise.
"We don't…Goddesses don't-"
Uni next pointed towards the portrait. "What about that, huh? That weird woman in the portrait? You keep saying you don't know, but you always shy away from it! Do you know something I don't? If you do, why don't I?" Uni said, almost breaking down into a full-on sob. The CPU stared at the painting on the wall, her emotions never changing as the Candidate pressed further. "Please…you're older than me, so you probably know if we do or not. Do we, or do we not, have a mother? Why would Kei just say that, and then run out in fright? Please, tell me something!"
Noire continued to look at the painting, her hands visibly shaking, though not from that of anger. Eventually, her head turned downwards, as though she suddenly passed out right there. Uni was still fuming with rage, her eyes still filled to the brim with tears, but as the Heartmas tree reached out to them in its Celestian glory, her face soon grew into a state of complete sadness. What is she doing? I can accept a simple "I don't know" again! No… Noire and Kei keep shying away from this; they have to know something!
"Can't believe you turned this argument against me. You really are my little sister," Noire stated with a hesitant laugh; it was clear that, if one listened as closely as possible, she was also beginning to cry. That had to mean she knew something about this.
"Please, Noire, tell me something. If you really don't know, that's fine, but please just tell me that! I'm…actually kind of scared right now," her little sister stated, the irate tone she once held now brought back within the confounds of her own mind. The anticipation was starting to hurt, though not as much as the strange feeling on her back, one that just wouldn't go away. Oddly enough, though her sister was indeed silent about it, she, too, was feeling a very similar amorality, and it honestly made her sick to the stomach; not of disease, but of oddly enough guilt. She didn't see those strange shadow things like the Candidate did, but she was close to it.
"Yeah…" Noire stated, almost as monotone as Kei normally was, "…we had a mother…"
Uni looked directly at her sister, her jaw dropping straight to the floor. The handheld in her hand fell to the floor, neglected as the Candidate's body started to shake. Did… did she just hear that? Did her older sister just confirm something that shouldn't have ever been confirmed? How did that even work? As far as Uni knew, Noire was the only CPU of her nation; everything else, she implied, was either made up, or just a part of basic mythology of the nation.
However, unbeknowst to Uni, Noire didn't even believe in her own words; they just sort of, you know, came out. Perhaps the CPU noticed her sister's ailment, and in worry said something completely stupid, or maybe Noire did know something about her mother, though she just didn't know it herself. In the end, that disturbed feeling on her back, which she hoped would have vanished after revealing this, only grew stronger, and at the corner of her eyes, she could've sworn that shadows were standing all around; some of little children, some of what appeared to be their parents.
The eye only looked amused.
"N-Noire…do we really…?"
At this point, she could have rectified what ever she just did, but for some reason, Noire couldn't help but continue on with the charade. One would think that she would have stopped this, in order to prevent her little sister from experiencing too much pain after realizing she had been duped, but in the end, it appeared that within the CPU's head, a similar problem that Uni experienced was beginning to brew. The Goddess knew that it was technically impossible for her, or her little sister, to have a parent, for that would be unethical to the Celestian Law they been following since the beginning of time. Hell, right there was a problem; as far as Noire remembered, she has been ruling Lastation since the beginning of time. How, then, could she possibly have a mother?
And yet, there was that lingering feeling that, somehow, she was missing something. For an odd reason, for maybe a second or two, she started to believe in herself that, deep within the mind, she really did have a mother. Perhaps she didn't rule Lastation since the beginning of time. That portrait on the wall clearly showed their flag from long ago, along with some buildings that were torn down years before, and now that Noire gave it some thought, she never did actually take away that flag; hell, like Uni, she barely remembered it. Can that really be her mother?
I-I-It can't be…but Uni said Kei ran out of here randomly in fright, and she never did that. Wait, how long have I known Kei? Crap, how were we even introduced? What the hell is going on?
The eye continued to look at them, as though mocking them, and all Noire could do was think of calling in Kei, though she eventually rejected that idea, knowing that the answer would either be "no" (contrary to what she said earlier), or a simple lecture of why they were still up during Heartmas eve, completely avoiding the subject altogether. Thus, the CPU was in her own hell, now believing in what her little sister believed; there was, somehow, a parent for both of them, something that, as far as she could remember, was technically impossible. Still, she said it, and now that she believed it, she couldn't go back to change her ways, for that would now mean she was lying to herself. Did she have any memories of her mother? Did she even remember her name? Probably not, but Noire still had to at least basically confirm the fact to her little sister.
"Yeah, Uni, I really think we did have a mother…"
At first, the room went into a perpetual silence, the only noise being generated was the fire cackling and the silent hush of wind outside, as the snow fell carelessly down to the ground. The Heartmas tree, even with its beautiful light, could only warm their curiousities to a certain limit, before becoming obsolete to their needs. Suddenly, against all norms of what their current emotional state was, Uni broke the barrier and quickly grew, well, slightly happy. She still had the façade of sadness, but now there were plenty of emotions trying to come to her at the exact same time.
"Really? Do you remember at all, cause I don't! What was she like? What was her name? Did she rule before you? Is…is she still alive?" Uni suddenly barraged her elder sibling with a variety of questions. Each one bounced off of Noire's mind, as she completely had no idea what to really say. Everytime she would've said something, the Candidate would just throw in another question along the way, and throw the tsundere off once again.
"Uni, stop it! Like I just said, I think we had a mother. Hell, it could be 'had' or 'have'; I really don't know!" The Goddess finally broke through the constant barrage of questions, trying to mask her own sadness as she did so. Her little sister did calm down with her curiosity, but she was still looking pretty anxious about it all. Did she remember anything? More than likely not. "Besides, I didn't really think about this until you brought it up, so give me some time! Jeez. What, do you remember anything?"
The little CPU Candidate was now looking at the eye again, which seemed to look straight back at her. "No, I don't. I think I'm too young, you know? Still, there has to be something! I've been feeling like there's something missing and all, and I'm dying to find out what!" Uni stated once more, getting extremely determined to the point of creeping out Noire. She had to admire her spirit, but in the end, was there anything to remember? If she can't even confirm her lineage, than what the point of trying to remember something about it?
Still, Uni was looking so high and mighty right now, and Noire would feel like a jerk if she just shattered her wishes. Yet, there was nothing she really could do besides lie; she started to have her doubts about the knowledge of her mother, but right now she wasn't having the same feeling here. No matter how hard she thought, nothing came through, and it was at this point that Noire felt it was okay to, just this once, probably lie a little; not much, but a little.
As Uni looked at the tree, the CPU of Lastation began to think of a story about her mother back in the day (she presumed), most likely during Heartmas. Will Uni realize I'm lying. I mean, it's not like I make it a habit to lie, or anything! Still, she probably will get suspicious. Okay, just got to roll with it. I mean, who know's; maybe she'll buy it, and I might actually remember something really soon!
"Wait," Noire finally said after a brief triade of silence. The Candidate looked at her, shocked somewhat over the sudden outburst. "I think, and don't quote me as saying a fact! I think I might be remembering something… yeah! I remember something, Uni! I really do!"
Noire felt that her fake realization was too forced, but even if it was, the look on the Candidate's face proved otherwise, as her eyes sparkled in delight. The CPU couldn't help but blush at this cute face, but she quickly held back that emotion. She didn't like lying to her little sister like this, but she didn't want her to go to bed, still curious over their mother, and probably get sad over it. She probably would've done that any other day of the year, but being that Heartmas was just around the corner, she felt it would be too much like a jackass move.
"Really, Noire? That's so awesome! What do you remember? What was she like? What was-"
"Jeez, Uni, calm down! Sit down over there, I'll…try and tell you about it, all right?" Noire interjected at the last moment, relieved that the questions were gone once more. Uni pouted, but did as she was told, sitting now once more on that relatively comfy sofa. With a sigh, the CPU followed her, the eye trailing every step she made. This ought to be good.
Once she made it to her little sister, she couldn't help but pet her head, making Uni understandably flinch in annoyance. Noire had no idea why she did that, though it was probably to make her feel much better over the fact that this was all coming from the top of her head. Why was she doing this again? Well, in full honesty, perhaps she wanted to believe it, too. She knew that it couldn't have actually happened, but when she thought of it, she really did want a mom, and maybe even a dad. Kei and Uni were of course her family, but she wanted the full package, if you know what I mean.
Anyways, let us listen to what Noire had say, all right?
"Okay, just don't hope around like that! It's making me nervous! Anyways, it's hard to see it, anyways, so don't fault me for being vague. All right, where do I… okay, got it! I remember, way back when I think you weren't even born yet (she had no idea if that even worked, but she just went with it), there was this person that was with me in this room. Yeah, this room in particular, but it wasn't decorated yet, so that must mean that it was either recently built, or we just moved here, or something. It's weird. Why would we move into our Basilicom?
"A-Anyways, She looked just like the woman in that picture, though I think her hair was more black, though that could just be the damn artist. Who drew that, anyways? Sorry for getting sidetrack-you're listening, right? Okay, good. So, where was… okay, we were in this room, and…yeah, it was Heartmas, because I remember that tree! Yeah, it was in the same position, though I think it was much taller, and we actually used candles for lights. It was snowing, too, just in case you were wondering.
"It had to be one of the first Heartmas's I had ever celebrated at the time, so I remember actually being very confused. What was I, like, 4, at least in Goddess years? Can I even age? Man, I confused mys- don't you dare laugh! Anyways, she was actually…pretty warm, you know? I remember that she lead me into the room by the hand, and her smile was just so, you know, beautiful, and…"
As Noire told her made-up story, that guilty feeling from within actually began to vanish, for every word that she did speak ended up awakening something deep within her mind. It was gradual at first, but once she started mentioning the warmth her mother seemed to have, the more memories began to flood back in; were they actually memories, or were they just being made now to her on the spot? Either way, it made the CPU's deposition much more relaxed, and though she acted somewhat annoyed when she first began telling her tale, she now began to feel sad, and her expression soon turned into a painful smile, with her voice started to shake. It made Uni only want to listen more.
"…she had a beautiful voice, and I remember when we walked into this Reading Room, she told me all about that bookshelf over there. I think that red one was the one she always read, if I remember correctly. Of course, being young at the time, my only focus was on that great tree in the corner of the room. I guess she noticed it, or something, so she, you know, bent down and stroked my hair. I always hated when people like Neptune did it, but with her, I felt at ease. I guess mothers are just inclined to do that, huh?
"I think I asked what that tree was, and I distinctly remember her holding my hand again, and telling me to place my other one on any branch. When she did, she… she… she told me that it was all the happiness of the year, all there in our room. It was all the good things that happened, between me, her, and everyone in our nation. And I remember just, you know, me practically petting a random branch, and she stood over me, smiling, and I think I smiled, too."
Once more, every word made her actually believe that all of this really happened. Now, she could visualize her mother there with her during that day, and with the mentioning of her holding her hand, the Goddess could feel the touch of her mother once again. It felt, you know, welcoming. Even though it wasn't necessary, she felt safe with that feeling, and her mind begged her to continue. Even Uni was still listening intently, with her own face starting to grow sad, though it might have been happiness being held back.
With a gulp, Noire continued.
"God, she… I loved her, you know? But, for some reason, I grew kind of frightened of that tree. No idea why, but I guess something either jumped at me, or maybe I scratched myself, or… I don't know, it's not important. Well, when my…our mom saw this, she smiled once more, and petted my hair again. I remember that she said, and let me try to emulate her voice: 'Noire, you don't have to be afraid. This tree may look like the ones outside, but this one holds a beautiful purpose. If…If you ever feel scared during this season, and I can't be there to be with you, then this room will help you. The happiness of the year will protect you, through any darkness that dares exist.'
"Heh, and I remember saying that I wanted her to be with me at all times. God, I miss childhood (she was now just accepting that she was probably a child. These memories were too vivid to be made up). Then, hearing me say that, she looked me straight in the eyes, and don't let that picture fool you. She has a threatening look there, but that's a bad reflection of her. Those eyes were striking, but they gave off a sense of protection, as though I was the most precious thing in the world.
"A-And she told me that, no matter what, she'll…she'll always…be there…"
And that was when Noire broke down. It caught Uni by surprise, for the CPU didn't even warn about it. There was no sniffling before hand, no sudden change in emotion (the change from annoyance to slight sadness was there, but it wasn't extremely quick like this was), and as far as the Candidate was concerned, her older sister was enjoying this recalled memory. Now, she was on her knees, crying in front of tree, while the eye on the mantle appeared to look down upon her. Her little sister quickly got out of her seat to comfort her.
"Noire! What happened? Please, tell me something!" Uni begged, both caring for her sister, though she really wanted to hear more about her recently discovered mother. It was rude, yes, but she just couldn't help but get all excited over new things. Still, her sister randomly broke down, and knowing her, that is usually never a good thing. Even when embarrassing things did happen, or whenever she got hurt, all Noire would do is just go all tsundere on whatever person was there, and hide her feelings inside.
Eventually, Noire looked up at her sister, a rather forced smile upon her lips. "I'm sorry, Uni, but please don't look at me like this. It's just… I really miss her," she finally said, before going back into uncontrollable sobs. Unknown to the Candidate, deep within the Goddess's mind, after she said how her mother would always be there, every single memory that was bottled up for an undisclosed reason suddenly came back to her. That memory she supposedly made up, which was made corny on purpose, actually did occur, and now that she realized it, everything decided to come back all at once.
She remembered her mother's laugh, their time together, going to those boring meetings with the other former CPU's (which now Noire actually kind of enjoys doing), watching the snow fall in the winter, along with the leaves returning in the spring; it all just came back. She remembered Uni being born (though, as far as pregnancy is concerned, the CPU never recalled ever seeing her mother pregnant, and all she remembered of Uni's birth was a bright light and happiness), and remembered meeting Kei for the first time; she remembered this scene, of course, and she also remembered…
…well, she remembered her mom passing away, with Noire holding Uni by her side.
That was it, unfortunately. She didn't remember every little thing, but it was enough to make her cry. That sight of her mother and the Heartmas Tree, followed maybe a year or two later by her in the death bed, was just to much. Did she die on Heartmas? It would be too poetic, but she wouldn't doubt it. Uni still remained oblivious to all these memories; perhaps she really was too young to really remember anything. Why, though? Why did they have a hard time remembering in the first place? It's their own mother, for pete's sake! What happened that made them forget? Unfortunately, that was a mystery for another day, for this story would only go just a bit farther.
As Noire remembered everything and Uni stood scared, Kei watched them from the doorway, looking surprisingly sad for a person of little emotion. To be honest, out of all three of them, the Oracle probably remembered the most, though even she had a problem recalling. She did, however, know why they couldn't remember a thing, though once more, it was a mystery for another day. For now, she only shrugged, and as the scene unfolded, she decided to walk away. She knew the former CPU quite well, and though she never spoke about it, it always pained her that she was forced to not remember much. In the end, she went back to the kitchen room, in order to make sure nothing bad had occurred.
"Noire, please tell me something! You're really scaring me now!" Uni shouted once more, now starting to somewhat shove her older sister, though it was more of a helpful gesture than rude. Soon, her older sibling looked at her straight in the eye, tears still running down her face. "N-Noire…"
In an instant, the CPU of Lastation stood up, tears still coming through, but it seemed that she at least attempted to show pride now. "I'm sorry about that, Uni," she said, before petting her little sister once more (this time, she didn't flinch in annoyance). "If…I know you probably don't remember much, but…I'll tell you this," she began, taking a deep breath in order to force the tears back, "she loved you a lot. You…you would have loved her. I know I did," Noire said, her face filled with heavenly joy that only the season could ever bring out. The Candidate was stunned by this honest answer; there was no hesitation within her sister's voice.
For about a minute, the two of them remained silent, the wind outside and the cackling of fire and Noire's sniffling were the only sounds filling the ambience. "Wow…" Uni slowly stated, her own eyes about to fill tears. They weren't of complete sadness, mind you, but due to the fact that she couldn't remember much of her own mother (she probably could if she truly attempted to try), they were coming instead from sheer guilt.
"Is…," Uni began to ask, "…is she still alive?"
Noire looked at her once more, her smile growing painful once more. She quickly turned away and looked up at the mighty Heartmas tree. The star on top rang a peaceful melody throughout the cold, night air, and the bulbs surrounding each branch shined a beautiful aura.
…and I can't be there with you…The happiness of the year will protect you…
Maybe you were right after all, Mom…
"Uni…heh, do you think I'm doing a good job? You know, as a Goddess? Do you… do you think she's proud of me?" Noire suddenly asked, her hand now on the tree, the beautiful light encapsulating her within its touch.
The Candidate was slighty vexed that her elder sibling jumped around her question, but the one she instead supplied in the conversation was quite the heavy one indeed. "W-What? Where did that come from? Of course you're doing a good job! Probably the best anyone could!" Uni stated, her face filled with blatant determination. She still wished she could fully picture her mother (not counting the one above the fireplace; she wanted an image that was filled with life) in order to grasp her sister's sudden dilemma, but her weary mind just wouldn't allow it. "There's no other way of looking around it; you're definitely a great leader, Noire. A great one! I wish I could actually see our mom in my head, but whatever she thought of you, you…you went above and beyond, you got that? Really, I…if you are doing a bad job, than I have to be the worst Candidate in the world! I know I can do so much better, but I know for a fact that I'm not the worst. Not by a long shot!"
With every word she spoke, the CPU only grew more misty-eyed. Her little sister, who struggled to even begin imagining her mother's life, was standing there, singing her own sister some pretty praises. All the while, as the eye continued to watch them, the Heartmas tree began to feel warm, as though it had its own heart beating within its mighty boughs. For some reason, Noire, who came in to help the ailing Candidate of Lastation, was now role-reversed, and was now playing the sobbing, confused little girl. Still, inbetween those sobs, she felt happiness within her soul, one that could never be matched.
"T-T-hank you, Uni. You don't know how much that means to me."
The Candidate quickly grew embarrassed, and sheepishly looked to the wooden floor, which still rang an orangish hue from the now-dying flames. "Well, you know. Come on, you don't have to phrase it like that," she said, rubbing the back of her head, secretly enjoying her sister's thanks. Still, this petty distraction did not make her forget that lingering question. "Still, Noire, please answer my question. I'm sorry if I'm asking too much, but is she…you know, still alive? C-Can I still meet her?"
After all the grand feelings she had experienced, the feeling of guilt soon plagued the CPU's mind once more. Her little sister, curious as ever, was now asking a question that, should she know the answer, would only break her heart. It was hard to completely recall, but Noire still remembered her mother on that bed, the snow falling as a faint, orange light creeped through the dark room (her mother, she presumed, liked the dark serenity at the moment), making everything just feel so surreal. At this point, the Goddess wanted to conclude that it had to be Heartmas at the time, or at least very close to it, for she distinctly remembered the mood whiplash during that period. For a moment, she was a perfectly happy early-teenager, and then in the next, she couldn't hold back her tears, her little sister only confused beside her.
For many years, the former CPU of Lastation had hid that disease of hers, probably since before Noire was even born upon this land. After fighting the stress of ruling the nation, as well as raising her children, her body finally gave in, and she became bed-ridden for a month, leading directly to her death. Kei was the only one that knew about it, being told by the CPU herself to never speak to anyone about it (for fear of scaring Noire and Uni), as well as being told to never seek out medical treatment. It was during that long and painful month that the Oracle broke her stoic nature, and was barely seen as she could only wait for her friend to die.
She remembered holding Uni's hand in one of hers, and her mother's in the other. It would only be five hours before her mother never opened those eyes again. It took awhile, but the media had discovered the fact of her sickness, and the nation began to cry. The other Goddesses of the time quickly sent consolation to her, in the hopes that she would die in a peaceful manner, and ensure that her nation remain as prosperous as ever. Noire, even at her age (she would only age a few more times before Godly Reckoning (the act of Goddesses stopping the aging process) kicked in), did not really understand what was happening, though one thing was for certain; her mom would never leave that bed alive. For some reason, the current Goddess never cried during that moment, though her confusion probably blocked her emotions.
"Remember, Noire," the Former Goddess said, "I might be leaving soon, dear, but never think that I will ever abandon you. It may be hard now, but life will get better. Kei will be the leader for now, but I… I know you will be a grand leader. When the time comes for you to step forward, I know you will do so with the pride of Lastation."
All Noire remembered doing was nod, the emotions probably starting to finally sink in.
"Take care of Uni, Noire. I…I will always love you, no matter what."
That was the last thing her mother said before lapsing into unconciousness. Kei noticed this, and quickly lead the two sisters out; she soon returned and held her friend's hand as it slowly went cold, a night that Oracle could never forget, even when everyone else did. It was the final memory Noire ever had of her mother.
And now Uni, her dear sister who is just as curious as she is, wanted to know her fate. What could the CPU even say about it? That their beloved mother was dead? The Candidate was probably willing to hear anything at this point, but hearing that she died would only make her that much more sad, and on such a night like this, that was certainly something that couldn't, nor shouldn't, happen. Simply put, all Noire could think of doing was lie.
"I…I don't know, Uni. I can't say for sure, but…wherever she is, she's probably happy."
The Candidate could only shake her head, accepting the answer, though wishing it was much more definitive. The Goddess feared that her little sister would still be concerned about it all, but in the end, as the fire drew its last breath, all the Candidate did was join her sister in placing a hand on the golden tree.
"I guess you're right. Still, I wish I could meet her. Again, I mean. I really want to know her," Uni said, her tone not filled with sadness or hesitance, but instead with reassurance. Noire shook her head as well.
"Me too, Uni. Me too."
The two of them stood in silence for quite some time. The hour drew to a close, as the clock soon approached nearly 9:00 PM, way past the time they should have been in bed. Noire finally realized this grave mistake, and quietly let out a profanity, hoping her little sister didn't hear it (she totally did). "Uh, little sis, how long have we been in here?" Uni quickly looked at her handheld, realized it wasn't in her hand, quickly scrambled to the ground in order to pick up, looked at the timestamp, and hesitantly showed it to her elder.
"Ugh…jeez, I can't believe you kept me in here that long! You know Kei will kill us if she saw we're still here, right?" Noire said, a hand now laid across her face. The Candidate chuckled, both at the strange timing, and for the fact that while her sister was returning back to her classic ways, she still had that emotion-filled face that just looked so damn adorable. Uni should still feel frightened by its apparent intimidation, but she could only smile in respect.
"Sorry about that. Just got really curious. And…hey, don't pin this all on me! You were the one with the stories to share!"
After about a minute or so of bickering, the two sisters concluded that, in the end, they should really go to bed. With the fire out and the snow falling perfectly down to the ground, only the Heartmas tree remained to shined its dazzling glory. The two girls did a small prayer in front of it, as it was a mere tradition to do so, and began to head off into the hall. However, just before they reached the doorway, Uni soon remembered what had to be the question that started it all.
"Sorry to bring this up again, Noire, but do you know about this eye at all? Kei said it was an heirloom. Any memories at all, or something?" the Candidate asked, having to squint her eyes in order to see the golden eye, thanks to the diminished lighting. The CPU sighed, really now wanting to go to bed after giving off that emotional scene, though she, too, was pretty damn curious about it.
In the end thoug, after all of those scenes, not one showed that eye. No matter how many times she stepped into this very room, there was never a single instance where that eye was present. Was it completely after her death? Did Kei make it for her? Was it made a long time ago, and only presented once she left this plane of existence? There was just no answer for it. This time, Noire didn't have to lie in order to get her point across.
"I don't know, Uni. Seems pretty strange to just have, but who knows. I only remember some things about her, not everything, so I got nothing," she stated with complete confidence. The Candidate felt downtrodden by this, though she did nod. Noire picked up on this change of mood, and though she was just yelling at her sister not too long ago, she felt she had to do something in order to get both of them into bed with smiles across their faces. "I'll tell you what. After we get our gifts and have that big party, we'll talk to Kei about it. I know she'll try to get out of it, but I think she'll be more than happy to tell us tomorrow. Even if it's small, its better than nothing."
Uni's eyes lit up as bright as the star on top of that tree. "Okay, it's a deal! I know she knows something! I can't wait to learn more. Man, I never been this excited!" she said, jumping up and down in joy. Noire was ready to get angry again and yell for the Candidate to stop that, but due to the mood, she only chuckled to herself.
"All right, settle down already! Come on, let's go."
With that, the two of them finally left the reading room as the snow fell even heavier. The only light that remained was coming from the tree, which continued to grow brighter and brighter as the night continued on, with the Santa-Tome getting ready to deliver the presents for all the good little children. It was such an emotional scene in that room, but in the end, it surprisingly ended pretty happy. Perhaps that was just the power of the season, though I digress.
Still on the mantle, within that glass case, the eye continued to look forward. If one looked closely, they could see that, right around the bottom eyelid, a tear had form; not out of sadness, but instead out of joy.