Thanks again to everyone who reviewed for the last chapter. From what it looks like I probably won't be able to finish this story by June, but maybe the end of summer? Who knows. Unfortunately, after this chapter, things will speed up, so I apologize if things are too fast paced, but my time limit's coming to an end.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter~
"It's so amazing!" Rein marveled as she looked out from the carriage. For the past some weeks, she's been taking her time to travel around with Bright and Shade by her side, showing her around and aiding her when she got into trouble. Almost every other day she would have some encounter with a creature of the Abyss. While she could purify the creatures, it felt unsettling that there were so many around, especially around normal people who often couldn't protect themselves.
"I'm glad that you like the view of my kingdom, Rein," Bright mentioned politely. "There are many kinds of décor stores, if you'd like we could go in one."
"Really?!"
"Stop spoiling her Bright. Did you already forget that the reason we were taking Rein to your kingdom was because you had an advanced training system that's even better than the ones that my country offers?" Shade reminded them. Rein instantly frowned in remembrance of her duties.
"Come on Shade, I'm sure that it won't be so bad to let her have one day to enjoy. After all she has been diligently taking care of the other problems that we've been facing lately." Normally, it would be fine if only Shade or Bright was around to take care of the creatures from the Abyss, but for the recent incidents, Rein's power was needed even more. "It is a little strange though."
"Strange? What's strange Bright-sama?"
"It's probably nothing, but somehow it feels like all the creatures are being aimed specifically at you, Rein." Bright had doubted his words, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was evidence of it being right. "I could be completely wrong about this, but from what I've heard, there have been no other sightings or attacks from the creatures in any other location than the areas that we've been too."
Rein gasped with her eyes slightly widened. "What?" Has she been the reason why people have been suffering? It's fine if she got hurt, but often the creatures had ended up damaging buildings or fields.
Though the damage was affordable, it was still getting to be too much for the kingdoms. Mirlo had recently mentioned the financial problems that her country was going through because the cloud machine was damaged due to a creature from the Abyss. True, she helped defeat the creature, but machinery was never her expertise.
"True, there have been more attacks than normal," Shade muttered, calculating the situation in his head. "But that just means that we need to be better prepared for next time. We also need to find out why all the creatures are targeting Rein."
"Are you saying that it could be more than her power?" Bright questioned.
"I don't know, but since when does the Abyss make any sense? It's only chaos, mass chaos." Rein looked at Shade's face. He looked sad somehow. She knew that a long time ago that his father was lost to the Abyss, so could that be the reason why he had such melancholy?
"Shade…"
Shade sighed when he saw the girl's face. "I guess that having a day off would be fine though. As long as you don't overdo it on the shopping."
Rein smiled widely. "Thank you! Bright-sama what stores do you normally go to with Altezza?"
"Let's see, for now we could go in Mrs. Butterfly's shop. Altezza loves the decors there and it's not too far away from our current location." Rein's eyes began to glitter as she thought of all the wonderful décor that she was going to see.
"You're being too lenient on her Bright."
"Lighten up a little Shade. You look like you could use a break too. Especially with what you do before Rein decides to whisk us off to another country," Bright mentioned with a knowing wink.
Shade frowned and declared, "It's just a check to ensure our safeties. Also, I'd rather not be ignorant to the circumstances of other countries." Yes, he just had to be observant and carefully judge the situations.
Bright smiled. "Doesn't that mean that you deserve a break the most?" Shade looked down. He couldn't take a break, not now.
The carriage rode across a small café where there was a girl sitting, looking as though she was talking to herself, but it was through a communicator that she was speaking to someone else. "Never forget your duties to the crown."
A man's voice answered her in a mocking tone, "Of course not. I wouldn't dare dream of it." The girl cringed at the tone. "What's wrong child? Are you finally realizing how foolish you're acting? We share a goal, we share her trust. Why do you not realize the power that we have together?"
"Do not group me in the same position as you," she snarled out. "I would never make you the ruler. Not now, not forever, not even if my life depended on it."
"Then how else would you expect her to get rid of all of that pain that she's been put through for all these years? That place will never disappear." She refused to answer, but her silence was taken as her defeat. "See? The only way to save her is to get her off the throne and put me on it."
"How would someone like you know? Someone as pitiful as you does not understand."
"Of course not, you are far more pitiful than me girl. Your soul is beyond repair, you can never go back to your home, you can never be loved. "
She remained silent. How tiring to hear of things that she already knew about, but one of those was a lie. "You are getting off topic so I will say this. I will not hesitate to kill you if you betray her. I am saying this because you are beginning to further abuse your power. If she commands it, then I will personally behead you."
"Ha! You don't scare me!"
"Good day," she said suddenly and hung up from frustration. That man will never learn. She looked towards the direction that the carriage left in, knowing perfectly well who was in it. "Hurry up."
"Kya! How beautiful!" Rein shouted in admiration for the jewelry. She never saw such wonderful décor before, except maybe from her mother's handmade collection. If only she could make such wonderful pieces, all of her decors were brought with some special exceptions.
"Would you like to try some on, miss?"
"Of course!"
As Rein was freely looking and trying on the jewelry, Bright was smiling with Shade frowning at his side. "What's the matter Shade? Are you hungry?"
"No way," he stated, slightly angry.
"Thinking about something again? Try to relax while you still have time. It's not like the country will be destroyed in a day."
"But it could happen."
Bright's eyes widened, but he did not turn to see Shade's expression. "Without the government having any trace of it? I'd doubt it. Just think about all the different ways that destruction could happen. Unless there's a large amount of people at the very least, it's impossible," Bright pointed out.
"Don't say that anything's impossible, Bright. Anything's possible." He is not yet in the depths, but he has seen them, that is why he is permitted to say those words. He out of all the others understands the best his mother's feelings about the Abyss. Only those two seem to understand the truth.
"Bright-sama, Shade! Why don't you two look for something for your sisters and mothers as a present? Since you've been travelling with me all this time, it's been a while since you've seen them right? I'm sure that they would love to receive something from you two."
"Good idea. What do you think would be good? Altezza and Mother buy so many that I wouldn't know what they don't have or like," Bright stated. "Would you help me out Rein?"
"Sure! I know that Altezza really loves elegant jewelry why not something with a butterfly emblem on it?" Rein suggested. "I don't know much about your mother, but she looks like really chic woman since she's always in the latest styles. Why not get a newer designed product?"
"Those are great ideas. A girl really loves fashion."
"Really? Milky's more interested in sweets. Please wrap this up," Shade requested from an employee. That was fast!
"What did you buy Shade?" Rein asked as she looked at the products in his hands. "Matching earrings for your mother and Milky, how cute! Oh?" There was another item besides the earrings… a white ribbon with a chain. "What's the ribbon for?"
"Milky told me that she wanted it once, a ribbon necklace."
"How cute! Ribbon necklaces are always a really simple but it can change an outfit to look softer! But is the color okay? With Milky I would think that she would like a different color, like yellow or blue."
"You're over thinking things again Rein."
"Am I?" she asked with a sheepish look. "Oh right! Can we go get something sweet to eat too? I heard that there was a great tea shop around here, is that true Bright-sama?"
"Yes, there's an excellent tea shop that's been very popular lately. Their tea blends are superb. When we finish up here we can go."
"You're having too much fun with this Rein," Shade stated. Rein merely smiled in return, hoping that Shade would smile too. It was always better to see smiles rather than frowns or scowls. How she wished these happy days would continue, of course, without all the attacks that the Abyss caused.
But… All happiness is counteracted with sadness. After all, just like ying cannot exist without yang, the light cannot exist without a shadow. In a sense, everything in this world and this universe follows the laws of balance; however humans cause inequalities causing the scales to violently swing back and forth, from light to shadow.
"I will act now, but you are impatient. A little longer won't…" No, she knew, she couldn't say no. At least not now, but she knows what's eventually going to happen. It's all inevitable and all she's trying to do is to deny it; that is an unwise decision not to mention harming. "I'll do it. Rest assured, your wish will be granted, My Queen."
Nothing will change, the future will remain, soon to be etched in stone, and no one can stop it. The Queen's will command all, the Queen's commands are law, the Queen's laws remain as long as she chooses it to. That is…until someone can rise up against her.
"Wah, what a cute teashop!" Rein exclaimed as she hurried out of the carriage, like a child, excited to go to the toy store. And like all children, she bumped into someone because she was running too fast. "Ah, excuse me-"Rein stopped in mid sentence when she saw the person's eyes. What beautiful blue eyes as dark as the midnight sky. Quickly remembering her manners, she apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you, are you alright?"
Her face held slight shock that quickly disappeared. "It's fine."
"Rein, slow down, the tea isn't going anywhere," Bright called out, noticing that Rein was not yet in the shop. "An acquaintance of yours?"
"No, just someone passing by," the girl answered as she walked past Rein, smoothly. Shade got out of the carriage as the girl was walking and he instantly felt a chill. "Today is such a nice day, so it'd be better for a tea time outside."
"Thank you for the recommendation."
"I'm truly sorry for bumping into you," Rein apologized once more. The girl waved back saying that it was fine. Rein sighed. Even with her princess lessons, she was getting nowhere with being a true princess, was she? If someone like Altezza or Lione or Mirlo was here, they wouldn't have even dared to brush pass anyone.
"Now, now, if we don't hurry, it will already be dark," Bright mentioned to chastise the girl as he put his arm around her shoulder. "Since we're already here, let's enjoy the tea." Rein nodded, giving the boy a small smile in thanks. "Shade, aren't you coming too?"
Shade blinked, waking from his small daydream, which was… odd. Shade would never be the type to actually be unfocused, even when on a break. "Yeah, sorry... I just got a weird feeling."
"What kind of feeling?"
Shade chose his words carefully as he answered, "Just a weird feeling." A bad premonition, perhaps? His gut is not wrong in cases such as there. What event could he be foreseeing?
"You need to relax Shade, I think I know a good tea for that," Rein stated, unaware of his fear. She smiled in hopes that he would relax as well. "Come on, with all the sunlight, isn't it such a nice day for tea?"
She doesn't understand yet, Bright doesn't understand, only he sees the fear of what can happen, yet for her sake, he smiled. "Fine, but if the tea isn't any good, then it's double the training time later."
"Please spare me from that Shade!"
Bright laughed, Shade smirked, Rein begged him not to increase the amount, they looked so peaceful for this moment in time. May memories like this last within their hearts, may they treasure these innocent days, for who knows how long they will last?
