Stella was humming a cheery tune as she analyzed two outfits on her bed. As she was debating on which one to wear, Amelia returned from helping at the Dining Hall.
"Hey!" the orange-haired girl greeted her, "Oh, those are so cute! Having trouble deciding?"
"Yeah," Stella shyly nodded, "Which one do you think I should go with?"
"Hm," Amelia held her chin in thought, "What's the occasion? A date?"
"Um, I don't know... maybe? Yukiya invited me out. Said he wanted to show me something."
"What?! I didn't know you two were like that!"
"We're not!"
"You sure about that? Do you like him?"
"Amelia!"
The older girl started giggling. Then, she walked over to the two outfits. After looking them over, she picked up the one she thought would suit the situation,and offered to style Stella's hair. Giggling, she grabbed the outfit and ran into the bathroom to change.
Dressed in a cream colored tunic dress, and her hair done with a thick hairband braid with the rest of her black curls falling behind down her back, Stella did a small spin in front of the mirror. Happy with how she looked, she thanked Amelia, who ushered her out the door. As she headed outside, she decided something.
Amelia, just you wait! I'll help you with your crush and it'll be me who's helping your prepare for dates!
When she stepped out through the door, ready to head to the boys' dorm, Stella was met with the sight of Yukiya leaning against a nearby tree. Rushing up, she began to worry.
"Sorry! You weren't waiting long, were you?"
I can't believe he came to pick me up!
"I got here about an hour ago," he shrugged.
"An hour?! Yukiya, you should have called for me! I'm so sorry you had to wait so long!"
"I didn't want to bother."
... He's too nice for his own good...
"Anyway," she continued, "where's Mr. Wolf?"
"On his own." he replied, looking away.
"Ah, okay."
Too bad... I wanna talk to him sometime.
With that, the blue haired boy began walking away. When she asked where they were going, he'd reply with some vague answer. After a while, she bit her lip. Debating on whether she should or shouldn't, Stella eventually decided to go for it. At first, she let her fingers brush against his. When he didn't pull away, she carefully tried holding his hand. To her surprised delight, he didn't pull away. With her cheeks pink, she allowed him to lead the way in a comfortable silence.
Eventually, they reached their destination. Stella gave a light gasp at what she saw. The area was covered by enough trees for light to pour in without it getting too hot, and enough shade for it to not be cold. The ground was covered with flowers that reached as far as the eye could see. They carpeted the forest floor in many different colors. When she looked up, she could see translucent rabbit-like creatures with ears that resembled a bird's wings. They floated through the air, disappearing and reappearing in different places.
"Yukiya," she began, her tone full of wonder, "are those Wing Rabbits?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, wow! I've never seen one before."
Stella reached her hand out to touch one nearby, only for it vanish into thin air. She bit her lip in disappointment, and Yukiya took her outstretched hand into his, gently pulling it back.
"Wing Rabbits are skittish," he explained, "If you stay still, they might come over."
"Ah."
After offering his suggestion, Yukiya sank to the ground. Stella followed suit and sat next to him.
"They live here," the blue haired boy informed her.
"Really? They're so cute!"
"Do you like them?"
"Uh huh! I love animals and magical creatures. Both my brother and I can talk to animals!"
"I see..."
"How about you?"
He nodded, and she grinned.
"Isn't an amazing gift? Animals are usually so kind, so long as you show respect," Stella said with a giggle, "I once forgot to add a Mrs. when I addressed a chicken, and she got so mad! They can be pretty scary, so I guess the relation between chickens and cowards was made by someone who's never met a chicken."
Yukiya gave a light chuckle, and an odd feeling swept over the girl's heart. Maybe she could get him to smile and laugh more.
"A friend of mine once said that Wing Rabbits have the power to bring happiness," she said with a happy sigh, "I think it might be true."
"They do put you in a better mood," he nodded.
As they continued talking, a wing rabbit appeared on Yukiya's shoulder. As Stella stared in surprise, he began lightly petting it. When she saw the gentle smile on his face, Stella's heart skipped a beat.
He looks so happy!
"Like! Like! Like you!" chirped the magical creature.
"Aw," she cooed, "Yukiya, he really likes you."
"I used to play with wing rabbits a long time ago," Yukiya said with a nostalgic tone, "a lot of them lived in my hometown."
"Hm?" she leaned forward with interest, "What's your hometown like?"
"It was a small country town with mountains and rivers all over."
"That sounds so pretty. I've been to couple towns similar to yours. They were lovely forests, and so many animals, the air feels lighter and more free, and at night, you can see so many stars,..."
"And the people are nice." they said in sync.
Stella thought back to all the places the circus had visited. In almost all the towns, they had been welcomed and treated like the human beings they were. It was a wonderful feeling, seeing other children treat Lucio like any other kid.
"If I were to ever settle down some place, I'd want it to be someplace like that," Stella sighed, "Can you tell me more about your home?"
"Well," he began, "It was a small town, and everyone knew each other. We had a couple shops, a tavern, and some other places. There was a river nearby. It was about an hour's walk to the bigger town, and that's where the train station was, and where we got the news on what was going on around the kingdom."
"It sounds nice and comfortable."
"I lived there with my parents and my sibli-"
"You have siblings?" Stella leaned in, curious, "What are they like?"
"Um, there's seven of us total, and I'm the oldest. I have three brothers and three sisters."
The girl noted how happy and proud the boy looked.
"Aw, how sweet!"
"Yeah," he replied, his expression growing somber, "they must have grown a lot. Mao was just a baby."
"What... do you mean?"
He didn't say anything for a while, just picking at some flowers. Stella hesitantly reached out and laid her hand on his arm. He turned and looked at her. They stayed like that for a few moments before Yukiya sighed.
"I... left years ago, and I haven't been back," he quietly admitted, "I... I can never go back..."
As he hung his head, a distressed and heartbroken look fell across Yukiya's face. His eyes were full of pain and regret, and a lump formed in Stella's throat.
Is it because of the 'curse'? How lonely... If I could never see Lucy, or Evan, or Jamie, or anyone again, my heart would shatter... You must feel horrible, so, so awful...
"Wha-"
Ignoring his surprise, Stella leaned over and hugged him. She rested his head on her shoulder and pet his hair. She didn't say anything, and after some time passed, she felt his arms hesitantly return the embrace. Eventually, they pulled a part.
"Don't you feel lonely?" he asked in a quiet tone.
"I miss my friends of course, especially Lucy," she replied, "but I can't say I'm lonely. I've made friends. Amelia and Elias are always helping me, and even Luca's a good guy, though he can be a bit mean. And, of course," Stella continued with a smile, "I have you."
"Stella..."
Yukiya reached out his hand and began petting her hair. She leaned into his touch with a shy giggle.
"You know, I have a little brother, too. His name is Lucio."
"What's he like?"
"He's more shy than me, but he's really sweet. I'm willing to bet he's got the warmest heart in all the world!"
For a while, she talked about her brother. Then, she told him the wild stories from when she was with La Magnifique Merveille. Yukiya listened, and together the two enjoyed the calm, light-hearted atmosphere.
"Yukiya! Look at how high I can climb!" called out a little boy.
"Be careful," reminded the blue haired boy.
He was carrying his baby brother, while his other brothers and sisters played. He sat down on a tree stump, petting the baby's hair. His oldest sister walked up. She placed one flower crown on his head, and a smaller one on the baby's.
"Now you both look pretty!" she laughed.
"Who's prettier?" smiled her older brother, "Me or Nori?"
"Hmm..." the girl thought, "You!"
The boy laughed, when he suddenly felt something on his nose. It started as his baby brother's hand, but it began to change shape and color. It grew scarlet red and looked more like a butterfly's wings.
Yukiya begn batting at his nose, but whatever was there wasn't about to leave. Groaning out of frustration, the boy opened his eyes.
"Finally!" sighed a voice.
Squinting against the sunlight, Yukiya could make out a bright red butterfly.
"There," she affirmed, "Now I've paid you back."
With that, she flew away. The boy furrowed his brow. He couldn't understand how waking him from a nap was paying him back. It wasn't like the curfew was coming up. With a sigh, he rubbed his eye. He must have fallen asleep while talking with Stella.
Where is she, anyway?
Yukiya rolled over with the intent to get up and look for her, when he stopped short. There, right next to him, was the girl. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were pursed slightly. She was lying on her side, facing him. One hand was under her cheek, while the other was close to his hair. He thought back to the nostalgic sensation from when he had started drifting off.
Was she petting my hair?
He watched as her breath moved the small flowers. She wasn't smiling, per say, but there was a peaceful expression on her face. Yukiya noticed some hair had fallen across her face. He reached out to brush it out of the way, and accidentally touched her cheek. Stella's eyelashes began to flutter and she opened her eyes.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up," he apologized.
"S'fine," she mumbled.
She gave him a sleepy smile and rubbed her eyes. A strange feeling fell over the boy, one unlike anything he'd felt before. A pulling in his heart and a strange urge to hold her close. Slowly, he lifted his hand and reached forward. He pet her hair until she seemingly fell back asleep. As he watched her resting, he could feel his own eyelids growing heavier. Just as sleep started to consume him, he felt a smaller hand wrap around his.
After bidding a bashful farewell to Yukiya, Stella went up to her room. As she closed the door, her roommate leaped up and ran towards her.
"Did you hear?" she asked, her tone heavy with worry, "Luca fell down the stairs and got seriously hurt!"
"Is he okay?!"
"I don't know. I heard a professor was nearby and rushed to help him."
Stella's once happy mood darkened. She was worried about her friend, and it didn't help that she didn't know his current condition. A look passed through Amelia's eyes, and a knot formed in the girl's stomach.
"Stella, there's a new rumor going around..."
She knew what the orange-haired girl was about to say, even before the words left her lips.
"They're blaming Yukiya and his curse."
Stella clenched her fists in frustration. She knew people could be cruel, but it was still painful.
He's such a nice guy! He doesn't deserve this!
Despite how string her thoughts were, the voice that left Stella's lips were sad and quiet.
"Why are people like this, Amelia?" she asked, "Elias isn't cursed, and neither am I. We spend the most time with him. Why don't hey think about that?"
The older girl sat down next to her on the bed. She reached out and pulled the younger girl into a gentle hug.
"I don't know, Stella. It's not right. It's not right at all."
"Why don't they get it? Why can't they understand?"
"I understand," Amelia gently told her, "Luca's accident was just that. An accident. There are other people who know that, I promise."
The two stayed like that for a while. Amelia kept petting her hair, until Stella could stop sniffling. She grew worried about how the others would be treating the gentle, blue-haired boy. Biting her lip, she looked her roommate and friend in the eyes.
"Amelia, I'd like to write a letter home."
